Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 95
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Blacksmith’s Game
The Genius Blacksmith’s Game
Gwangmyeong’s Raid (1)
Gwangmyeong’s Raid (1)
Barad blamed himself.
‘She was growing thin.’
Her jade-white skin had become even paler, looking wan, and she was absent from her duties more often.
He had dismissed it as just being a little tired.
And when he found her collapsed, coughing up blood a few days ago, he finally realized.
‘Bella is dying.’
Bella, the vice-captain of the Goyard Kingdom’s knight order.
A child with the talent to succeed him.
A child who would pretend to die if he asked her to.
This 19-year-old knight was dying of illness.
That knight had foolishly hidden the fact that her death was approaching.
He gazed at Bella sleeping on the bed.
After losing his wife and child, he had vowed not to let anyone become precious to him.
If he did, he had resolved to protect them.
When he learned she wouldn’t last more than two weeks, he realized.
‘I vowed not to let anyone become precious, yet you’ve become so dear to me.’
Looking at Bella made him feel content.
Every night, watching her silently go to the training ground and swing her sword filled him with pride.
Before he knew it, Bella had become like a daughter to Barad.
Barad, who had been silently watching her, rose to his feet.
‘There are too many things that even the name Sword King cannot accomplish.’
Even for the Strong Ones, there are things in this world that cannot be done.
He had been searching for ways to save Bella, but everyone told him it was impossible.
Knight Captain Benson urgently reported.
“We found one method. However…”
Though he said a method was found, Benson’s face showed not a trace of joy.
“It’s said she needs to receive a saint’s prayer.”
Barad’s mouth fell open.
“A saint can offer prayers that overcome any illness exactly twice in her lifetime.”
Exactly twice in a lifetime.
That meant it was an incredibly precious power.
Barad silently closed his eyes.
The saint would not pray for her.
A saint’s prayer, only twice in a lifetime.
If he were the saint, he wouldn’t save a small kingdom’s vice-captain but the emperor of the greatest empire.
Or perhaps he would save the Pope, called the emperor of the Church.
That’s how life is.
Born through the same process, yet holding completely different values.
“Is there no way to make the saint pray?”
“It seems difficult. The saint’s prayer is the saint’s unique power that can be invoked against the will of the Church and the Pope. And no one can interfere with whom the saint uses her prayer on. Even when the previous Pope was dying of illness, the saint didn’t use it on him. If there’s a way to make her use it, it would only be this.”
Barad’s face was stained with despair.
“Either she received a great favor from someone, or she accepted a request from someone who did something for the Church.”
The fact that the saint was currently kidnapped and isolated was unknown anywhere.
Hearing this story, Barad let out a groan.
“Find someone who has somehow won the saint’s heart. If not, bring someone who can win it.”
Benson met Barad’s eyes.
His gaze suggested that compensation would be needed for such a person.
“I will grant him a noble title.”
***
The Reas Temple had an appearance reminiscent of a fortress.
Saint Aria, who hadn’t had a drop of water for several days, was bound and thrown around by the believers.
She faced the fifth calamity approaching her.
Jack was a dark mage who practiced black magic.
His gaunt figure smiled ominously.
“Less than an hour remains. That one will briefly descend into this world by borrowing your power.”
Aria bit her lip.
That one referred to the evil god.
“Though he won’t be able to stay long or exert his full power.”
However, Jack thought of what was about to unfold.
“Even during that brief time, many temples of the Ares Church will crumble.”
Aria felt dizzy.
Even with just that momentary descent, over 300,000 innocent people would die.
“Just to accomplish such a thing, how many lives have you harmed?”
Saint Aria was merely the final sacrifice.
Jack held up two fingers.
“You… 200 innocent people…”
“…What are you talking about?”
Jack smiled viscously.
“I offered the blood of 2,000 children and women.”
A tear flowed from one of Aria’s eyes.
Watching him speak so casually, her lips clenched shut.
“God will punish you.”
“How unfortunate.”
Jack clicked his tongue.
“You’ll die without seeing it happen.”
Aria asked him why.
“What do you gain from carrying out such a massacre?”
At those words, Jack pondered for a moment. There was serving the evil god’s will.
But what was the fundamental reason?
“Isn’t it interesting?”
At those chilling words, Aria was left speechless.
Taking a few steps toward the fortress wall, Jack ran his hand through his hair.
“No one can come anyway. Even if they do, they’ll be nothing but small fry.”
Jack looked at the believers guarding the front of the fortress.
Those wearing black robes pulled down over their heads would brutally crush any ant-like creatures that might come here.
His plan was successful. No matter how much those with pathetic levels of power united, they couldn’t do anything about it.
‘The Book of Calamity has weakened even us.’
But the others inside here were in much worse condition.
And even if Outsiders came, they would be at a level inferior to soldiers, so what could they do?
While lost in such thoughts.
“…Krhaaaak!”
Jack wore a puzzled expression.
Screams could be heard from below the fortress. About 70 people wearing armor emblazoned with the symbol of the ‘Church of Ares’ had appeared from somewhere and were charging in.
“Save the Saint!!”
“For Lord Ares!”
But looking at them, Jack’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
Such trivial minions sent by a god held no interest for him.
In reality, their numbers were far too few.
The cultists dragged them outside.
“…Please, stop!”
Aria screamed. However, the cultists began brutally executing those who had failed to rescue the Saint, as if to make a show of it.
Jack knew that not even 20 minutes had passed.
Then Jack showed an interested expression.
It was because a young girl was crying and running away, taking advantage of the chaos as the holy knights were being executed below the fortress.
“Oh?”
***
Hidden behind a wall, having avoided forced logout, Coat’s thinking had become paralyzed.
‘This is too much….’
The level of realism in the virtual reality game Ares defied common sense.
The NPCs were just like real humans. That’s why they could be even more vicious.
Coat was disgusted watching people being executed one by one while bound all over their bodies.
Kwajiiiik-
After that sound was heard, the laughter of the Calamity Church cultists filled the air.
In truth, Coat was an ordinary young man who didn’t know much about things like justice.
But the situation unfolding now made him question himself.
‘They’re going to massacre hundreds of thousands?’
Being a holy knight, Coat had visited countless temples.
Believers offering fruit.
Cute children playing around the temple.
And boys who carried toy swords and tugged at his collar saying.
‘I’m going to become a holy knight too someday!’
‘I’m going to become a holy knight too someday!’
Coat’s face contorted. There had been times when he heard about people becoming overly immersed in games and found it strange.
But Ares had now become a second world for Coat as well.
Then Coat spotted a girl running toward the outside of the fortress.
It was a girl he had played with, giving her piggyback rides before the temple became like this.
The orphaned girl was being cared for at the temple and was a child with a pretty smile.
‘No….’
Instinctively, Coat took a step forward.
“What a cute little child, aren’t you curious, Aria?”
The chilling voice of Calamity reached Coat’s ears.
“What expression will that child make when torn apart by lions?”
Dark magic created three black lions.
Three black lions that appeared not far from the girl began chasing after her.
[Black Lion Lv.199]
“What kind of screams will she make while running away? Hmm?”
And the three black lions charging forward and the girl running while crying.
“Uwaaaang!”
Seeing the black lions with drool dripping from their mouths, Coat ran.
‘This isn’t right.’
This wasn’t over-immersion.
You too, or anyone else playing this game.
Seeing this scene before your eyes, you wouldn’t be able to just stand still.
While Outsiders could revive even if they died, the child couldn’t come back to life.
One massive lion leaped up, trying to bite the child’s head.
Kwajaaaaaaak-
Coat, who had arrived in an instant, severed the lion’s head.
He hurriedly regained his balance and embraced the child.
It was too late.
He couldn’t escape.
All he could do was hold the sobbing child tightly in his arms.
“Uwaaaang!”
Strength entered his arms holding the child. He could hear one lion approaching from behind.
He didn’t know why.
Why did that guy come to mind at this moment?
During school days.
There was a time when he almost got bullied after catching the wrong attention of some delinquents.
When a fist was flying toward his face, a bag flew through the air and hit the delinquent’s head.
And that guy fought against five people by himself for him.
That guy, being a blacksmith, was strong and tough enough not to be pushed around.
It started from then and continued until now.
I should be the one to stay by that guy’s side.
When that guy was burned and stood alone in the rain in this world, he became an umbrella for him.
He knew.
That in this situation, he shouldn’t expect that guy to come again.
But why did he think of him first?
Finally, the lion reached right behind Coat.
But….
“What is that…?”
Behind Jack’s bewildered voice.
Puuook
Kuuung-
Puuook
Kuuuung-
Kwajijijijik-
Sounds of something being struck and the ground collapsing spread.
But Coat had no time to think about it.
Just as he held the child and waited for forced logout, Jack doubted his own eyes.
On a small hill not far away.
Against the darkness that had descended upon the world, he saw a man mounted on a wolf.
Auuuuuuuuu-
The howl of the wolf spreading across the world.
[The Wolf King’s Appearance!]
Soon, a wolf barely visible in the darkness began running wildly.
Whoosh-
Kwazaaaack-
Whoosh
Kwazaaaack-!
Every time The Man riding the wolf shot an arrow, the believers who took direct hits suddenly crashed into the ground.
Jack let out a bewildered laugh.
‘Just one person alone…’
However, Jack’s eyes soon widened.
The horizon of the hill.
Hundreds of black wolves following behind The Man at the very front revealed themselves.
“Krhaaaaaa!”
“Krrrrrrrr!”
Wolves roaring wildly as if announcing the beginning of war.
The Man running at their head strapped his bow behind his back.
And Jack witnessed a strange sight he had never seen in his life.
[You learn about one of the god’s five secret techniques.]
[Can be used only once.]
[Divine Emergency Crafting temporarily levels up by +5.]
Several ores shot up from above his head.
Kwaaaang-!
The believers and wolves collided.
The Man pushing forward at the very front reached for a sword stained crimson.
The moment that heated sword cooled to white and was grasped in his hand.
Krdddddddeuk-!
Dozens of believers positioned in front of him literally froze solid.
Dozens more believers pushed in from the side.
Looking at them, he grabbed another sword this time.
‘Dragon…?’
The moment he gripped that sword with a dragon’s head as its hilt.
Kiheeeeek!!!!
A dragon’s apparition shot out from the tip of that sword, and the moment he swung it, a massive explosion engulfed the believers.
Kwaaaaaaang-!
And The Man coldly glaring at him reached his hand into mid-air.
Clank-
An unidentifiable gauntlet was equipped on his hand.
He raised his bow again and aimed at him.
Instinctively, Jack formed a shield.
The moment The Man released the bowstring.
Shweeeeeeek-
With the sound of air being torn, the shield and arrow made contact.
Krdddeuk-
The shield shattered miserably. However, Jack sneered at him.
The accuracy was so pathetic that the arrow aimed for his leg instead of his solar plexus, heart, or face.
The arrow didn’t even hit him and just grazed past.
But…
Kwaaaaaaang-!
The Fifth Calamity, Jack.
He felt an inexplicable weight.
Thud-
One of his knees touched the ground first, and as he gritted his teeth to endure it, his other knee touched the ground.
Jack’s eyes shook as he found himself kneeling.
And The Man who had driven back some of the believers.
He gave a small smile to the holy knight holding the child.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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