Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 296

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

The Genius Blacksmith’s Game
The Great Atlas Tournament (Part 1) (1)
Hegemon King Baroque was the most exceptional figure among the absolute monarchs.
The Tyrant and the Holy Sovereign.
Both kings were undeniably strong.
Yet what made them formidable was their armies.
The Holy Sovereign accumulated virtue beyond measure, becoming a ruler of all people capable of uniting every army in moments of crisis.
The Tyrant formed an independent military through sheer force, madness, and his own exceptional nature.
But Hegemon King Baroque was different.
A king of the smallest nation, with merely three million subjects.
Yet even the Tyrant, who reveled in plunder and conquest, never dared set foot in the Hegemon King’s domain.
To Hyeon-su’s question of “Why?”, Lucifer provides the answer.
“Because he was simply too strong.”
….
My heart races at those words.
Currently, Information Broker Kabel is struggling desperately to obtain intelligence on the Hegemon King.
Yet information about him is nearly impossible to find anywhere.
In other words, this is a story that will only unfold around the latter half of the Second Ares.
The notification proves this.
[You are receiving information about the strongest king. The Hegemon King.]
Being the first User to access information about the Hegemon King, every word from Lucifer is precious as jade.
‘A king who resembles what I pursue.’
The Hegemon King’s nation was merely a small kingdom among small kingdoms, housing only three million people.
The minimum conditions Nel had mentioned for establishing a kingdom indicated that the system could only recognize a kingdom with roughly that population.
Yet the nation the Hegemon King ruled had one million fewer people than the four million Nel had spoken of.
“This was not only the Tyrant. Even imperial emperors commanding hundreds of millions with over ten million troops refused to clash with him.”
The Enya Kingdom was different.
They avoided the Enya Kingdom because it was beneath them.
Conversely, the Hegemon King’s nation was left untouched because they were truly terrified.
“There will always be mad dogs in this world.”
Lucifer lets out a soft chuckle.
“There was one who attempted to invade the Hegemon King’s nation. The King of Palama, who ruled thirty million subjects, was young and reckless.”
This was a story from Lucifer’s era.
“Having only recently ascended the throne, the King of Palama, brimming with youthful audacity, wished to create a historic event to elevate his kingdom. So he dispatched a reconnaissance force of one hundred thousand.”
*Gulp*
My throat tightens as I swallow hard.
One hundred thousand.
Recently, I purged four thousand enemies in a single breath.
Defeating four thousand alone is no trivial feat.
Of course, that was with the aid of the Royal Sword and Saint Aria.
“That hundred thousand troops were annihilated in a single day.”
“…Then how much damage did the Hegemon King’s nation suffer?”
Lucifer shook his head. His expression suggested the question was flawed.
“…The Hegemon King fought alone.”
Hyeon-su was engulfed in tremendous shock.
Hegemon King Baroque had single-handedly annihilated a hundred thousand troops.
“After sending a hundred thousand scouts and witnessing this battle, the King of Palama spoke thus.”
Hyeon-su focused intently on Lucifer’s words.
“Humanity’s sole Transcendent.”
[You gain knowledge of the Transcendent.]
“…!”
Transcendence.
A special designation bestowed only upon beings like demons or dragons.
And transcendence meant surpassing any standard or limitation.
In other words, he was the sole human born in mortal flesh who had transcended that very limitation.
“What became of the King of Palama afterward?”
“…He became his follower. Of course, the Hegemon King did not accept him.”
It might appear as a humorous tale.
But it struck Hyeon-su differently.
A king brimming with national pride had witnessed the martial prowess of a single man and sought to offer his kingdom.
The Hegemon King had proven such overwhelming power.
“Moreover, he is said to have battled Bephar, one of the demons.”
Lucifer added nothing further.
The epithet preceding the Hegemon King’s name had already proven what result it had achieved.
Like his title—a king who had never once tasted defeat—he had fought Bephar alone and emerged undefeated.
‘Is this even possible…?’
The Hegemon King was a singular individual possessed of unparalleled strength, unlike the Holy Sovereign or the Tyrant—a true Transcendent.
This revealed a hint.
Across the entire world, something of transcendence was now manifesting.
Transcendent-grade materials.
Hints for obtaining Transcendent-grade Artifacts.
Methods for acquiring Transcendent-grade skills, and so forth.
It was an inevitable sequence foreseen from the moment Second Ares opened.
Among these, the Hegemon King was the first Transcendent to reveal his true form.
‘…The fact that he is a Transcendent means most of his skills are Transcendent-grade.’
It was insane.
And since I currently possessed one Transcendent-grade skill, it resonated with me more than anyone.
The Transcendent skill I possessed was Extreme.
This Extreme first demonstrated its power when I fought Legion Commander Robbs and is defined as Ares’s first instant-death technique.
In fact, a single activation of this Extreme was enough to kill Robbs.
‘That is what the Hegemon King possesses.’
There were also aspects that resembled me.
Just as I dreamed of a small kingdom, he had been the king of one.
Just as I harbored the resolve to become a strong king and protect an unstable nation, he possessed the power to defend his country single-handedly.
And with his name alone, he had made others incapable of even harboring the will to invade.
There was one most crucial part.
The beginning of this story lay in revealing the method to become a Hegemon King.
“How does one become a Hegemon King?”
I desired to become a Hegemon King by any means necessary.
Simply knowing the method itself made the possibilities infinite….
“By defeating the Hegemon King.”
“…What?”
My mind went blank.
[Dual Class. You learn about the Hegemon King.]
[Occupational Quest. The Hegemon King is generated.]
[Occupational Quest: Hegemon King]
Rank: SSS
Restriction: Those who have heard of the method to become a Hegemon King
Reward: Dual Class. Hegemon King.
Penalty upon failure: Cannot become a Hegemon King.
Description: The Hegemon King is a powerful ruler who has never once tasted defeat. Should you break his legend, you may become a Hegemon King.
I stared at the Quest window, rendered speechless.
The Hegemon King’s battle count might exceed tens of thousands.
Only by dealing him defeat across all those tens of thousands of victories could I inherit his power.
‘How is this different from me taking down Gremory alone?
The Hegemon King never fell even to demons.
Moreover, the reason I could defeat a demon was because of Bahala, Kabel, Lucifer, and Evil Slayer.
‘The Hegemon King is not evil, so Evil Slayer won’t work.’
I had to defeat the Hegemon King alone, with 100% full HP.
“The Hegemon King waits, in Alterion, his nation that has long since vanished into history.”
“…How is he still alive?”
Was it the same situation as Brad?
“He prolongs his existence awaiting a successor to carry on his legacy. Rather, it is providence and a final opportunity.”
“A final opportunity?”
“Having defied the ages, he has weakened considerably, and having reached rest, he has lost the strength to endure.”
“…So the Hegemon King has become quite weak now?”
Lucifer nodded.
“The remaining time is estimated at six months.”
In other words, I had to challenge the Hegemon King within six months.
“Even should you fail to become a Hegemon King, there is no need for despair. It is merely the natural order. A king who never once fell, falling once more—such is the natural order.”
Lucifer looked at Hyeon-su with concern, while simultaneously offering encouragement.
“Alterion in history is no longer an ordinary place. The Hegemon King does not grant everyone the glory of facing him.”
Lucifer himself had once walked the path of the Hegemon King, bearing the epithet of an undefeated knight.
“I too never achieved the glory of facing the Hegemon King. Alterion contains countless trials and hardships, and only after overcoming all of them can one reach the Hegemon King. With each trial you overcome, you will grow stronger, so even if you don’t become the Hegemon King, it will be of great benefit.”
Lucifer’s words carried weight.
From this, I could infer that Alterion operated on a Stage-based system.
And Lucifer was deeply concerned for Hyeon-su.
Only six months remained.
Lucifer already knew that becoming the Hegemon King required defeating him, and everything had already crumbled within his heart.
Defeating a king who had never once tasted defeat felt like an incomprehensible realm.
‘He may become disheartened or give up upon learning how to become the Hegemon King.’
That is why Lucifer had spoken in a manner suggesting it was natural not to reach that height.
And only six months remained.
Had it been him, he would have given up.
But then.
“Six months… Let me give it a try.”
Lucifer marveled.
Because fighting spirit burned in Hyeon-su’s eyes.
Through him, Lucifer came to realize something.
That Hyeon-su, whom he would newly serve, possessed a heart and pride far more resolute than his own.
“I have a new goal now. You’ll help me from the sidelines, won’t you?”
Lucifer felt his heart trembling.
In an instant, a vision flashed through his mind.
The image of Hyeon-su as a true Hegemon King, and himself serving him.
Today, both Lucifer and Hyeon-su gained a new objective.
To raise Hyeon-su to the throne of Hegemon King without fail, and for Hyeon-su to grow greatly over six months and become the king who would inherit that epithet.
*
*
*
The place where the supercomputer Ares resided.
“User Hyeon-su has been guided toward a path to battle a Transcendent…”
Se-jin, muttering to herself, let out a bitter laugh.
What is a Transcendent?
It could mean surpassing human limitations, yet it also did not.
To Se-jin and the supercomputer Ares, a Transcendent meant one who possessed a unique and unparalleled power—reaching the absolute pinnacle in some domain.
Se-jin chuckled softly.
“By that logic, isn’t User Hyeon-su also a Transcendent?”
Transcendents exist in Reality as well.
At the 2009 Berlin Athletics Championship, Usain Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds.
Decades have passed since then, and that record remains unbroken, though some say Usain Bolt had not given his full effort at the time.
Like one who possesses a record unbroken even after decades, a being utterly unique.
Such a figure could be called a transcendent of Reality itself, so I wonder if User Hyeon-su, being the sole practitioner of Handcrafting and a Master Craftsman, is not also a transcendent.
But the supercomputer Ares thought differently.
-User Hyeon-su is not a transcendent.
“…?”
Se-jin’s expression turned puzzled.
Not someone who wielded overwhelming power like Usain Bolt?
The supercomputer Ares can access and record all information from global media, photographs, videos, and records from decades past.
Se-jin was startled.
“…That’s true, I suppose.”
A conversation between User Hyeon-su and Nel flashed through my mind.
It was from when the Dragon Light Sword was crafted.
‘That’s amazing, crafting the Dragon Light Sword so perfectly like this. There’s no one in this world who could craft it like you, Hyeon-su!’
‘No, there is someone who could craft it even more perfectly.’
‘…Someone who could craft it more perfectly than you?’
‘Yes, unfortunately, after years of Hammering, they can no longer work.’
Recalling this, Se-jin soon witnessed hundreds of articles displayed by the supercomputer Ares, along with restored weapons and his creations.
Watching those holographic displays, Se-jin let out a hollow laugh.
“So the real transcendent was someone else.”
Hyeon-su’s Father, Kang Hyeon-tae—could he not be the true transcendent, unique like Usain Bolt?
A chill ran down Se-jin’s spine.
“He entrusted all his work to User Hyeon-su. If he awakens one day and crafts in Ares…?”
That day, Ares might witness a transcendent who achieves the most perfect craftsmanship, standing alongside the Hegemon King Baroque, the transcendent who has never tasted defeat.
But what chilled Se-jin was something else.
“…It means User Hyeon-su’s Blacksmithing skill still has room to grow.”
Kang Hyeon-tae has lived thirty years longer than Hyeon-su.
Hyeon-su can still refine himself for thirty more years, just as his father has lived.
Hyeon-su is not lacking.
He has simply lived a shorter life thus far, and a long period of cultivation awaits him.
I look forward to it.
The day Hyeon-su grows into a transcendent as a Blacksmith.
And the transcendent Hyeon-tae who will awaken someday.

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