Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 272

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Blacksmith’s Game
Summoning a Demon (3)
Hyeon-su woke refreshed, his condition at its peak.
Through news reports, broadcasts, and various sources, he quickly synthesized the current situation.
‘Goyad will inevitably fall.’
After much deliberation, he found a way to turn the tide.
As he logged into Ares, a notification chimed.
[Sudden Quest: The Goyad Kingdom is being created.]
The starkly stated crisis of King Barad in the triggered Quest made his fists clench.
But soon he regained his composure.
The Blood Ghost Squad now numbered forty-four thousand.
Their most terrifying aspect was their current commanders.
‘The average level of the commanders is 450… insane.’
Each individual was on the level of Sword Master Roman or Lysen.
It spoke to how abundant talent was in the China Server.
Yet observing the figure before him, he understood.
‘Just as they can face twenty or more Knights.’
That figure wore an expression that said ‘What are you looking at?’
‘Lucifer can also face twenty or more commanders.’
The question was whether he would participate in this battle.
Hyeon-su explained the current situation.
“I refuse. I’m sick of fighting.”
Unfortunately, Lucifer shook his head.
It was understandable.
Lucifer had been demonifying for a long time.
He’d barely become human again, and now war?
Of course, if he rested sufficiently in Atlas and grew bored eventually, things might have been different.
Moreover, Hyeon-su was now saying something.
As a Retainer, he should dedicate his life to leading this war to victory.
“Give me a map of Atlas. I’ll go alone. Still, I hope you win.”
It was Lucifer’s way of being sincere.
After all, he was Hyeon-su’s Benefactor.
And still, there was much he wished to see in Hyeon-su.
Lucifer took the map and walked away, his back turned.
Watching him leave, Hyeon-su grew anxious.
‘Can the situation change without Lucifer?’
It was possible.
But he was certain it would be extremely difficult and arduous.
Suddenly, a magical incantation he’d seen on social media came to mind. Hesitantly, Hyeon-su spoke.
“Scared?”
Lucifer did not stop walking.
I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.
‘There’s no way this will work.’
Then.
“Could ‘scared’ possibly be short for ‘got scared’?”
“…?”
“Ha…! This is absurd.”
Lucifer scoffed and laughed at the notion.
“Well, they came after my time, and it might look like I fear facing them, but that’s not the case.”
Lucifer shook his head and spoke.
“I am Lucifer, the Knight Who Never Lost. I wasn’t scared—I simply wanted to rest. Yet you perceived me that way.”
“…?”
“Commander-class warriors? To face me, they’d need to be at least a Parion Empire Commander.”
“…?”
“Besides, you’d want to hide the fact that you have someone like me by your side.”
It was an undeniable truth.
Lucifer was a formidable warrior who would act covertly in the coming battle against Atlas.
A hidden powerhouse delivers unexpected strength that enemies cannot anticipate.
“That makes sense—a Retainer stronger than his master. So here’s what I’ll do: I’ll participate as a Nameless Knight and slaughter them all.”
Lucifer exhaled sharply through his nose, gripping his blade with unwavering confidence radiating from his face.
Moreover, Lucifer wanted to test something.
‘I acknowledge that I’ve grown stronger because of my master.’
How far does this power extend?
“Let us depart at once.”
And I hadn’t simply said ‘scared’ without purpose.
Even if Lucifer’s loyalty was wavering, he remained my Retainer—that was fact.
Because of that, I could discern his fundamental nature.
His personality profile read as follows.
‘High self-esteem.’
‘Cherishes the epithet: the Knight Who Never Lost.’
‘Gives his all once committed to something.’
Of course, such a nature wasn’t inherently flawed.
High self-esteem proportional to one’s strength was a virtue.
Besides, it hadn’t been long since Lucifer, once a lesser demon drowning in despair, had returned to human form.
What if I had been in his position?
My target of vengeance was sealed, so I’d achieved part of my goal.
Yet the king I served had abandoned me—perhaps I would have succumbed to endless helplessness.
In truth, I was concerned about that very possibility.
But Lucifer was someone who embodied why he was called the Knight Who Never Lost.
“My blood is boiling.”
Lucifer, who received the Capital Return Scroll from Hyeon-su, wears an impatient expression.
Whoooosh—
Watching Lucifer vanish into light first, I feel anew the greatness of the ‘Teleport’ skill.
*
*
*
‘Those who strike the South Gate are special.’
Count Frey, who commands the 800-strong Blood Ghost Squad, laughs.
The spies already planted in Goyad have sent back analyses of the Capital’s vulnerabilities.
The South Gate is positioned farthest from the Castle, and it’s where soldiers concentrate most heavily during war.
Thus the South Gate is both the strongest and the weakest.
‘With the Blood Ghost Squad’s overwhelming strength, the South Gate’s army must dispatch reinforcements everywhere.’
He exploited this.
The South Gate’s Blood Ghost Squad included some thirty exceptional Knights.
They were stronger than the Blood Ghost Squad itself.
These men would bore through the South Gate, infiltrate rapidly, annihilate everything inside the Castle, and topple the Royal Palace.
As Frey swept through the Goyad forces at the South Gate, he soon detected the light of a warp.
‘Hmm?’
Merely two men appeared with the light.
‘Tsk.’
They had to face 800 troops with just the two of them.
Though many Outsiders were visible in this war.
Frey found them truly pitiful.
Everything unfolds in just 2 seconds.
Rudal.
The finest among the thirty Knights.
An elite Knight reaching level 438.
He was driving his Sword into the ragged, beggar-like man of the two who appeared.
‘Does he die in just 2 seconds?’
Then.
“What is this?”
Screeeech—!
With a single stroke, Knight Rudal’s Sword and body split in half.
“…!?”
Frey is taken aback.
The thirty Knights sense something amiss.
“Who are you?”
“You’re dressed like a beggar.”
As his detailed description states, Lucifer possesses high self-esteem and gives his all in everything he does.
“Thirty swings should suffice.”
“…!?”
He would kill one with each strike.
Thirty Knights.
The elite forces of Parion, the nation of the Sword Emperor.
As the man walked through their ranks, a head flew from a single slash—
Screeeech—!
A thrust pierced through a heart.
Crack, crack-crack, thud, thud-thud, snap—
One strike, one strike, and the Knights fell.
Normally, no matter how strong one was, killing an opponent with a single blow was nearly impossible.
‘He’s targeting only vital points?’
He was using the minimum amount of force necessary.
In just over a minute, he had killed all thirty Knights and spoke.
“Pathetic, master. I’ll be going elsewhere.”
Then he vanished like the wind.
“…?”
Frey was bewildered.
Those men belonged to the Knight Order.
He’d slaughtered thirty of them in just over a minute, and he called it pathetic?
Then he saw the man left standing alone, polished only on the surface.
On the Battlefield, those with such absurd, nonsensical strength were exceedingly rare.
Frey sought to console his resentment over the loss of thirty Knights through the man.
“That damned bastard…!”
Then he was bewildered once more.
Slash—
A single swing of a greatsword cleaved three members of the Blood Ghost Squad in two.
‘What… what am I witnessing right now?’
Those Strong Ones who possessed relative strength were exceedingly rare.
In Goyad, only King Barad existed near level 500, and that Strong One sustained the nation itself.
Yet he could not believe the ones before his eyes.
‘If it’s not King Barad, then who are these people?’
*
*
*
Hyeon-su’s calculations had gone awry.
[Your Retainer Lucifer has annihilated the 12 Knight Order.]
‘He was this strong? Just who have I taken into my service?’
I realize why such a miscalculation had occurred.
Just days ago, I had struggled to seal away Gremory alone.
Because Gremory had been so overwhelmingly powerful, Lucifer had seemed relatively weak by comparison.
And I realize another calculation has gone awry.
Screech—
[Critical Hit triggered.]
[You have eliminated three members of the Blood Ghost Squad.]
With a single swing of the greatsword, three Blood Ghost Squad members were cleanly bisected.
It was a miscalculation regarding myself.
Users are different from NPCs.
An NPC’s comprehensive strength is reflected in their level, but a User’s level is displayed regardless of their actual power.
The period during which I had not revealed myself publicly flashes through my mind.
I hunted the dragon I saw in Atlas.
‘I received the blessings of Bok-deung-i, Bahala, Artea, and Gremory.’
Against the undefeated Knight Lucifer, I inflicted internal injuries.
And the high experience gain rate from hunting Gremory.
Along with it, I acquired the Dagger of Desire, a transcendent-grade Artifact, around my neck.
[Master Craftsman Hyeon-su Lv.399]
The displayed level is as such, but I am entirely different.
‘It burns.’
Today, I can confirm what kind of being I truly am.
[Blood Ghost Squad Rok Lv.400]
That target is the eight hundred Blood Ghost Squad members focusing their attention on me.
“Kill the monster blocking the South Gate!”
The Blood Ghost Squad had been trained to feel no fear, and they had also undergone training to minimize pain.
Moreover, eight hundred Blood Ghost Squad members were those whom even a modest Territory could not easily withstand.
The eight hundred Blood Ghost Squad, executing the tidal wave tactic, surge forth simultaneously.
This tidal wave is named for how it engulfs enemies in an instant and sweeps them away.
And like water that devours everything, the Blood Ghost Squad fills every gap without leaving space.
The Blood Ghost Squad charged forward, filling every void without hesitation.
They, who felt no fear whatsoever, suddenly panicked.
Boom—!
With a single strike of the Twin Dragon Sword, drawing upon all my strength, the tidal wave crumbles.
With the second strike, ten Blood Ghost Squad members are swept away.
“Compress.”
It was easy to further condense and compress the already-gathered Blood Ghost Squad.
Three hundred fifty Blood Ghost Squad members compressed.
Controlled by the lord’s command, unable to move freely.
[One Blade, Two Severed.]
[Cutting power maximized at 641%, cleaving horizontally across a 5-meter radius.]
Screeeeeech—!
With the third strike, roughly three hundred Blood Ghost Squad members scatter into ash.
“W-what… what is that monster…!?”
Count Frey trembled violently.
Beyond the shattered and scattered tidal wave, Hyeon-su advanced with exhilaration.
When crafting the Twin Dragon Sword, I infused it with numerous powers drawn from the Absolute Blade.
The enhanced version of Draw—Gather—served as proof, and there was yet another.
[Once More]
In the Absolute Blade, this Once More triggered at a high probability of 40%, but it came with restrictions.
The restriction was that it only activated at 40% probability when HP fell below 10%.
However, that restriction had vanished, and instead the probability had decreased.
[It activates at a 6% probability.]
[It uses the most recently used skill once more.]
Since it was recent, it could be superior or inferior.
Moreover, Gather and One Sword Two Cuts were part of the skill chain process.
Hyeon-su in a brown coat gazed at Frey, and Frey doubted his own ears.
“Once more.”
“…!?”
That monstrous power from moments before continued once again.
Of the 500 surviving Blood Ghost Squad members, approximately 350 were struck down once more.
The Blood Ghost Squad, trained without fear, felt a new shock beneath the overwhelming strength and oppression.
“Ugh, uhhhhhhh!”
“Hiiiiiii!”
“Monster!”
[One Sword Two Cuts]
With merely four sword strikes, 300 of the Blood Ghost Squad scattered.
Once more, as Hyeon-su crossed that ash, a tremendous pressure emanated from him.
It was the majesty of one destined to become a king.
The bearing of a superior force that would strike fear into ten thousand on a battlefield.
[Overwhelming Presence]
The heightened overwhelming presence and the opportune moment bred terror.
“…Come on, legs, move!”
“Damn it!”
Specters raised solely to kill humans.
Those who could not even move were struck down by the fifth, sixth, seventh strikes….
With merely thirteen sword strikes, they were annihilated.
“….”
Frey lost his words.
He had crushed 800 of the Blood Ghost Squad and reached my presence.
However, Frey decided to reconsider.
No matter how exceptional one or even two powerful individuals had intruded, the remaining Blood Ghost Squad still numbered 40,000.
Human wave tactics—with that alone, he believed even the man before him could be subdued.
But his next words made him abandon that thought.
“Oh, I didn’t even take a single hit.”
“…!?”
Frey had given up.
Utterly and completely.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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