Babylon (6)
Hyun-soo was born to be a blacksmith.
As a child, while other kids wrote down dreams like firefighter, president, or celebrity in the space for future aspirations, he scribbled something absurd: craft armor for dragons.
But to young Hyun-soo, it was undoubtedly a dream.
He was seven at the time, and as the years passed, he realized just how embarrassing that was.
Yet as the other kids grew up and came to understand that their own dreams of "celebrity" or "president" were practically impossible, they accepted it as natural.
But for Hyun-soo, the possibility had now become reality.
The virtual reality game Ares.
It could fulfill the dream he'd harbored for so long.
And the funny part? Right now, he was the only one who could make it happen.
Recently, Hyun-soo had hunted the Bone Dragon, netting him a mountain of materials.
But the actual drops from the Bone Dragon itself contained no crafting materials whatsoever.
Monsters dropping materials was random to begin with.
Quests were far more reliable for that.
In other words, even players hunting transcendent beasts might walk away empty-handed on artifact materials.
But Hyun-soo could obtain them regardless.
Thanks to my Legend skill, Gathering.
Plus, Hyun-soo had noticed something.
The materials they dropped were tied to their strengths.
Crafting an artifact from the bones of dragons—lords of magic—yielded high magic defense and skill level boosts as proof.
It made him wonder what a demon's strengths might be.
Hyun-soo drew hints from his encounters with Grout and from what Bahala had said about the lesser demon Lukio.
Once Myeolak hits 70%, I'll use it on Lukio. He's got insane regeneration, so it won't be easy, but shaving off 70% will open the door.
Bahala's words about why Babylon was needed.
From that, Hyun-soo pieced together info no one else knew yet.
Most demons probably have cheat-level regeneration. Their blood itself is different from ordinary races.
That raised a question.
Artifacts from dragon materials—the lords of magic—boosted magic defense.
So, what if he crafted from demons with their overpowered regeneration?
I could make artifacts with self-recovery that amps up regeneration.
Dragon materials?
By his current hypothesis, they couldn't compare to demon materials.
In truth, the lesser demon Lukio was far stronger than the Bone Dragon, with a higher level to boot.
Hyun-soo was convinced.
Lukio's materials would be superior.
He wanted to craft weapons from them that boosted regeneration.
Every successful hit on an enemy restores the wielder's health.
Currently, Atlas's army wore only dragon-forged armor.
Arming them with demon-forged weapons on top of that? The synergy would be immense.
Plus, in the Endless Maze battle, Hyun-soo had lost fewer than twenty allies.
A tiny number, but as their lord, it had hurt his heart.
Demon weapons could make up for that.
Dragon armor with demon blades in hand.
If that became reality, Atlas would boast the ultimate army.
Of course, it was still just a hypothesis.
"Take me along for the demon hunt?"
Bahala fell silent.
Babylon deleted 80% of HP in one shot.
The remaining 20% was for Bahala to handle.
The problem? Lesser demon Lukio was level 590s.
Over 100 levels above even Bahala.
That 20% wouldn't be easy.
Enter Hyun-soo: the variable.
"I can take you, but there's a problem."
Bahala was blunt.
"You're too weak."
"……."
"Like, really weak."
Bahala was the only player who could call current Hyun-soo weak.
But by Bahala's standards—and Lukio's—it was an undeniable fact.
Hyun-soo got the point.
"I won't get in the way. I'll handle any stragglers around."
For Hyun-soo, just confirming the power of demon materials via Lukio was a win.
The lesser kin of demons, the Mazoku, would appear later—I can only hope for self-healing artifacts to use against them.
But for Bahala, this was crucial.
A variable like Hyun-soo could stall his path to Sword God.
Hyun-soo's words just now?
He's acting spoiled...
Bahala's thoughts halted.
I've been the same.
Just ten days ago, he'd thrown an even more impossible tantrum.
Out of desperation.
And Hyun-soo had poured himself into making the impossible real.
A sudden thought struck.
If this variable caused the Lukio hunt to fail, would he resent him?
No.
Another chance would come. Thanks to the Babylon he'd forged and the blacksmith who turned impossible into possible.
"Fine. Just make sure you don't get in the way."
Hyun-soo's face lit up.
He didn't say thanks. It was a reward he deserved.
He had no idea then.
That Hyun-soo—the variable Bahala feared might cause failure—
would be the one to save him.
"Two weeks from now, we set out. Prep by then. I need to handle that last thing I mentioned too."
After parting with him, Hyun-soo headed straight for the forge.
For some reason, his chest ached.
He's right a hundred, a thousand times over.
Being called too weak? Undeniable.
Strength was relative, after all.
Hyun-soo was overwhelmingly strong to average players; Bahala was to him.
Yet that blunt fact ignited a fire.
Have I ever felt this before?
Sword King, Spear Heaven.
Even as their friend, he'd never felt it.
Why?
Fundamentally different.
Sword King and Spear Heaven weren't for him to chase.
Bahala was. Same player, already yielding the top spot.
Yes—friendly rivalry.
Bahala probably felt no rivalry. Not in raw power, anyway.
But Hyun-soo vowed to himself.
"Within a year, I'll make Bahala feel what I'm feeling now."
A year later, he'd fully grasp it—and fear it.
The singular world. Another singular existence.
And it wasn't an empty promise.
The reason Hyun-soo returned to the forge revealed itself.
Bahala didn't know.
That current Hyun-soo held items with Babylon-level potential.
Their infinite potential shone.
◈ Babylon (2)
◈ Asnium
◈ Legend Grade. Fine Dragon Bone
◈ Legend Grade. Fine Dragon Wing Bone
◈ Legend Grade...
He recalled the notification from forging Babylon.
'Defined by the finest materials.'
One alone made him the top in the second Ares.
Their essence defied logic.
Transcendent Grade Material Box.
I can get a transcendent material in any form I want.
Just specifying the form was absurd.
It let him get his best—or most timely—need as transcendent.
Second.
200g of God's Ore from Babylon.
100g for consumable transcendence, 200g for permanent—the second one.
Mixing 200g into ordinary ore yielded that.
So imagine this.
"What if I mix that 200g with a transcendent ore of my choice to create a new one?"
200g of God's Ore was too scarce to transcend alone.
But adding another transcendent? Possible.
Yes.
After Twin Dragon Swords, Hyun-soo planned his first personal artifact in ages.
The question: what to make?
Swords? Unnecessary.
With two Twin Dragon Swords already, another blade's a waste.
Bow?
Bows need no ore. God's Ore can't be used there—though arrowheads would deal insane damage, it's too precious for one-shot wonders.
Hyun-soo's weapon ratio: 90% sword, 10% bow.
Sword Mastery skyrocketed; sword training made it primary.
He wanted something with sword-level usage.
"Tricky. In my current state, something that keeps powering me up to chase Bahala."
An absurd artifact.
But the materials were absurd too—making it feasible.
Then a question hit.
Why not both? Instant power and steady growth.
Strong now, grow faster later.
Something flashed in Hyun-soo's mind.
Decided.
He lit the furnace.
Rumble-rumble-rumble—
The moment decided, so was the box's material.
Please envision the material from the Transcendent Grade Box.
"Ore."
Specify the ore's properties.
"An ore with the power to maximize all percentage effects the wielder possesses."
Possible. Acquired ore that maximizes percentages from the Transcendent Grade Box.
The confirmed Ore of Probability: enough for one sword.
To maximize it further, more materials needed.
Rumble-rumble-rumble—
Two Babylons tossed into the furnace.
Refining and smelting superior to before.
Obviously.
Second extraction of Babylon.
The extracted Babylon: black ore.
Ore of Probability: white.
Hyun-soo melted and fused them once more.
With the creation decided.
Better one supreme ore than two separate.
Pulled from the furnace, the two ores combined.
Wait for me, Bahala.
Friendly rivalry.
If he chased, in a year, Bahala would chase him.
Finally, before Hyun-soo's eyes: 200g God's Ore fused with Ore of Probability into a new divine ore.
It looked like good and evil intertwined.
The catch: Ares ran on probability and skill.
Skill-wise, Hyun-soo nailed the fusion.
But probability? Not guaranteed.
Bad luck could yield worse than separate use.
Why push it?
It won't fail.
Conviction: with superior materials and skill, luck couldn't sabotage.
His first ore fusion in Ares, too.
And everyone knew: first times bring great fortune.
Master Craftsman's superior skill fuses the two ores for a superior result.
Hyun-soo shivered.
Separate worse than combined—success.
Then the notification.
Possesses power whose grade cannot be measured.
"……?"
Hyun-soo panicked. Grade unmeasurable?
Then it clicked.
Box materials are mid-tier transcendent.
Plus.
200g God's Ore is ultimately myth-grade.
Mix them? If transcendent-plus, what notification?
If defined grades existed higher, maybe.
But none did.
Highest existing ore.
Hyun-soo's hairs stood on end.
Then, second shock.
A fusion even gods would admire.
Hyun-soo had triggered two similar notifications in just five days.
Why 'even gods'?
Every notification had reason.
This one invoked 'god'.
Hyun-soo questioned.
Why specify 'even gods would admire'?
The reason emerged.
An unidentified god may one day commission it.