Weapon at the Peak (5)

[You have changed the damage display function from off to on.]

Custom Forge.

A special power that can craft a weapon tailored exclusively for one person.

This time, for the first time, that target was Hyun-soo.

'Even though it's the Supreme-grade Oliharukon I just obtained today.'

Hyun-soo had thought long and hard about this.

When the time came to forge a sword just for himself, what function would be most efficient for the current him?

A force capable of wide-area attacks with 600% additional damage?

Or a power that delivers a devastating single blow to one target?

'Both are wrong.'

This was the answer a genius blacksmith had arrived at after much deliberation.

The Supreme Sword, enhanced by 401%.

The base attack power of that sword exceeded 600, while the average sword attack power for level 300 users was in the 300s.

On top of that came the continent's most powerful old man's peak prowess.

Gazing at the Labyrinth King, he smiled confidently.

"Ghost Step."

Finally, gripping the 401%-enhanced sword, Hyun-soo folded space and advanced.

He struck the foe in front of him with all his might first.

Claaaang-!

"Graaaaargh!"

Hyun-soo had watched countless videos of top Ares high-rankers.

Their single normal attack damage, with displays enabled, was around 10,000.

Hyun-soo's damage now far surpassed that.

Soon, he struck precisely in two spots in rapid succession.

Kwaaang-!

The Labyrinth King.

The intense pain he felt was unlike anything he'd ever experienced in his life—his eyes rolled back.

His HP had dropped below 80%.

And then there was another skill added to Hyun-soo's calculations.

Ghost Step was a skill that attacked enemies an explosive number of times in an instant.

But during that time, normal critical damage didn't trigger.

However, that one small skill embedded in the Supreme Sword shattered that rule.

The boss monster's HP dropped 8% in one go.

Considering boss monsters had several times the total HP of normal monsters at the same level, this was tremendous.

Once more.

And again.

"Graaaaargh!"

The Labyrinth King's head turned pure white. His thoughts of these pests merely being nuisances changed.

Terror rose with every successive strike.

Fear.

Yet amid that terror.

Attacks whirled in from all directions.

7th, 8th.

9th, 10th.

Kwajik!

Wooduk-!

11th, 12th.

Kwaaaang-!

Ghost Step activated for 1.4 seconds.

The Labyrinth King's body was still trembling, the 3-second stun from Pull Skill not yet over.

His HP had fallen below 32% from this single skill activation.

But the terrified ferocious Labyrinth King realized he'd endured it—and rejoiced.

Now he could tear the bastard apart.

"Graaaargh!"

Like a flash, it closed in on Hyun-soo in an instant.

With both hands, it slammed mercilessly into Hyun-soo's chest.

Kwakwakwakwa-!

Hyun-soo's armor tore, blood spurting out.

The ferocious Labyrinth King wanted to return the pain it had suffered.

Yes, just like moments ago—its HP plummeted rapidly.

"Kuhk!"

A brilliant light gathered around the retreating foe.

Seeing the utterly ragged foe charge again, the ferocious Labyrinth King's eyes gleamed.

It slammed into his chest once more with full force.

"...Kuhuk!"

It placed both arms over the retreating foe's shoulders, controlling his movements.

Claaaang-!

Drool dripping from its maw, it tried to chew and swallow Hyun-soo's head.

"...Kuhuhuhu!"

The Labyrinth King laughed.

It knew humans' mysterious powers had time limits, and he could no longer use that power from before.

After mocking him fully, it would stuff his head in its mouth and grind it to pieces.

It would inflict even greater pain on his comrades.

And in this desperate situation...

Another power Hyun-soo had embedded while crafting the Supreme Sword stirred.

***

CEO's office.

CEO Lee Se-jin sat before the monitor, watching the hidden piece trigger on the ferocious labyrinth.

For three years, Korean users had lingered outside the top 10.

Of course, he shouldn't think biasedly, but Lee Se-jin was Korean too.

Thus, he was curious about the results—and there were other reasons.

"...In the end, American users couldn't break the 10-minute wall."

And this was a wall no one had surmounted in three years.

While planning and creating Ares, Lee Se-jin had thought:

'Balance is most important.'

But for that 0.1%.

Sometimes, balance shouldn't apply to those who achieved it.

This Supreme Sword ultimately ignored those restrictions for that reason.

Of course, it was a decision under the supercomputer Ares' judgment.

But even Lee Se-jin would have made the same call.

Those who accomplished such feats deserved commensurate rewards.

'The publicly known first-place reward for the ferocious labyrinth is 400 million won.'

But there was a true reward no one knew.

The Labyrinth's Blessing.

Blessings were special powers granted by named NPCs, commanders, lords, or kings—countless exceptional beings.

Hyun-soo had received several so far.

But the Labyrinth's Blessing was on another level.

'Far superior, far greater.'

Monitoring it, Lee Se-jin was genuinely awed.

"Users Han-ul, Tae-hoon, and Hye-ji are diamonds."

Even if hidden in hard stone, their true value didn't vanish.

Just being handed fairly outstanding artifacts by Hyun-soo had them far beyond common sense.

And moreover.

The reason Lee Se-jin was purely awed.

'Finally, the time has come for the diamonds to emerge from the stone.'

Se-jin knew it would happen eventually.

No matter how much users mocked them as the cursed trio.

"They probably knew it too, deep down."

That they would eventually show tremendous power.

And because they surpassed that target limit, displaying absurd strength against monsters, it applied.

Plus, since the three always stuck together, team synergy triggered it simultaneously for all three.

Of course, Hyun-soo was the one who opened that door.

But if they didn't exceed the target, it reset to zero, requiring another attempt later.

And soon, Lee Se-jin shot up from his seat.

"Every skill has a reason?"

Seeing Raging Sword, he'd thought it was a limit of Emergency Forge.

That crafting in such short time led to failure in creating a proper skill.

But witnessing Hyun-soo unleash Ghost Step with a 401% damage sword, he was astonished.

But that was the end.

'What it takes to break the 10-minute wall...'

It came down to hunting the ferocious Labyrinth King fastest.

American users had lost the most time to the ferocious Labyrinth King too.

Yet the Labyrinth King's HP had recovered to 50% again.

"Even Sword Cry wouldn't change it."

Sword Cry couldn't produce Ghost Step's overwhelming power.

And seeing the Labyrinth King bare its fangs to bite Hyun-soo, Lee Se-jin felt regretful.

'In the end, everything resets to zero...'

Their clear speed currently crushed the Americans.

But the moment user Hyun-soo died, it all crumbled—back to zero.

Lee Se-jin wore a regretful expression.

Yet strangely.

In the monitor, user Hyun-soo's eyes remained steadfast, gleaming sharply.

Then, Lee Se-jin heard an unbelievable alert.

Lee Se-jin was purely awed.

'His plan for the Supreme Sword was perfect.'

It gave him chills.

And clenching his fist, Lee Se-jin stared at the monitor.

***

Hyun-soo's Supreme Sword, as mentioned, was a product of long planning.

Claaaang-!

Turning to look at the Labyrinth King with its maw wide open.

Even as Han-ul, Hye-ji, and Tae-hoon were surrounded by lycans and dying, they cried out to him.

"Hyun, Hyun-soo...!"

"Are you okay!?"

"Damn it!"

What Hyun-soo had said to them was all sincere.

'I want to show them.'

That he too had worked as hard as those beloved by all, and possessed equal skill.

And he wanted to win.

Killing it would prove Hyun's Forge world-renowned once more, letting Hyun-soo leap forward again.

'Activate... activate...'

Finally, Hyun-soo's hidden trump card surfaced.

He advanced once more.

Ghost Step.

"Wooooah!"

Seogeo-!

He glared at the ferocious Labyrinth King with startled eyes.

Though not like Hye-ji shooting arrows at the 10-ring on TV.

Or Tae-hoon knocking foes flat with a single kick.

Or Han-ul pummeling opponents with his sword multiple times—he couldn't show the world that yet.

However.

His story, destined to reach the world someday.

The story of a blacksmith who wanted to live.

Puuk-!

Many would witness it.

Just one paragraph, yet enough to shock everyone—his story.

***

A 5-star hotel suite in Washington, USA.

Will, the most spotlighted user in Black Skull, wet his throat with whiskey and said,

"That won't happen, you know."

His comrade who'd raided the dungeon with him agreed.

"Yeah, breaking our record is impossible—especially for Korea of all places. But you know, Will?"

"What?"

"If Korea catches up as a what-if, it's like we're giving them wings."

"Puhahaha."

Both the one who said it and Will ended up laughing.

Then his team member asked,

"Why react like that? The higher-ups might make an issue of it."

Will sneered.

"Too annoying to even mention users from some small country on my lips?"

The pinnacle of arrogance.

Moreover, Will held white supremacist views.

"How dare they mention Korea."

Will chuckled like that.

At that moment.

The anchor's voice flowed from the TV.

"...?"

As famed users, they'd left the gaming channel on—Will's face stiffened.

Then.

Dring dring dring-

Will felt an ominous premonition.

It was Black Skull's guild master, Neville.

Will's mind blanked.

After the call ended, he rushed to the TV.

'Wh-what record could it be...?'

Soon, the latest ferocious labyrinth time attack rankings appeared on TV.

"Insane...!"

His face twisted.

The TV showed an unbelievable record.

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