Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Blacksmith Showdown (2)
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"It's begun."
Special User Management Team.
Hearing that the first god-class had finally appeared in a virtual reality game, CEO Lee Se-jin paid a visit.
Lee Se-jin watched Hyun-soo on the monitor with his arms crossed, a bitter smile on his face.
"He's certainly clever. He's already figured out how to use God's Custom Production."
Hearing this, Lee Ji-hee looked puzzled.
In fact, when Lee Ji-hee had confirmed the God of Blacksmiths title, she had gasped in awe.
The first SSS-rank title a user had ever obtained!
Moreover, it allowed one to be a powerful warrior while also being a blacksmith.
The God of Blacksmiths could even enhance all of an artifact's effects by an additional 20%.
Yet CEO Lee Se-jin spoke as if God's Custom Production was even more incredible.
"Employee Lee Ji-hee, you're aware that even ordinary blacksmiths in Ares can add desired effects, right?"
"Of course."
"And are you familiar with the percentages for each rank?"
"Yes. For Beginner blacksmiths, it's a maximum of 5%, Intermediate 10%, Advanced 15%, Top-tier 20%, Artisan 25%, and Master Craftsman 40%."
"What do you think?"
"...Those seem like very low probabilities."
"Why do you think we set the probabilities so low?"
At that question, Lee Ji-hee thought deeply.
It was a setting that had been in place since Ares first launched. She had never considered why the percentages were so low.
"Do you remember the Fire Dragon's Nest party?"
"Of course."
The Fire Dragon's Nest.
A high-level hunting ground renowned in Ares.
Recently, a party of high-rankers had attempted to clear the Fire Dragon's Nest but failed.
The Fire Dragon's Nest was boiling with lava, and they couldn't withstand the incredible heat.
"Why did they fail? Based on the monsters' levels alone, they should have been able to clear it."
"Because of the fire resistance."
"Exactly, because of fire resistance. But they were all wearing artifacts that dramatically increased their fire resistance, weren't they?"
That was true.
Lee Ji-hee recalled the details and murmured.
"The problem was likely that they took off their usual artifacts and wore only fire-related gear. Furthermore, the Fire Dragon Armor, while increasing fire resistance, also came with skills and stat effects that were useless to them."
"That's the correct answer."
"It is?"
"The useless skills and stat effects."
Lee Se-jin displayed the information for the Fire Dragon Armor on the monitor.
Fire Resistance +54%.
Defense 656
Wisdom +3%.
Skill: Fire Dragon's Strike.
Skill: Salamander's Fury.
As Lee Ji-hee stared at it with a puzzled expression, Team Leader Kim Tae-seok next to her spoke with a look of frustration.
"Employee Lee Ji-hee, what determines an artifact's grade?"
"...Its overall information."
"Right. Even if it has stats a user doesn't need, as long as it boosts something else significantly and has decent-looking skills, its grade is set. But here's the thing."
Kim Tae-seok let out a dry laugh.
"This is armor for a warrior, yet it has a useless function that increases Wisdom by 3%. And what do you think happens when you use fire-based attack skills like Fire Dragon's Strike and Salamander's Fury on monsters with fire resistance?"
"Since they're fire monsters, the damage is halved."
"Exactly. That's the trap of artifacts. There's no such thing as an artifact that's a 'perfect' fit for a user."
"Ah...!"
Lee Ji-hee's face showed she understood.
She looked at the Fire Dragon Armor's information again, her eyes widening.
"Don't tell me...!"
Lee Se-jin gave the naive new employee a wry smile and moved the mouse.
"Your guess is correct. Now, what would happen if we removed the effects that are useless to the user—the 3% Wisdom increase, Fire Dragon's Strike, and Salamander's Fury? Would the artifact's grade drop?"
Lee Ji-hee now fully understood.
"No. With the power of God's Custom Production, you could remove the 3% Wisdom, Salamander's Fury, and Fire Dragon's Strike, and reallocate those points to further increase the defense or fire resistance. And if desired, you could even change the skills to something more appropriate for the current situation, something the user truly needs."
"That is the essence of God's Custom Production. Furthermore, it applies 100% of what the user specifies. Even an Artisan blacksmith can only manage a 25% success rate."
"..."
Lee Ji-hee was speechless with admiration.
The power to completely eliminate the unnecessary.
The power to include only what a user truly needs.
That was 'God's Custom Production'—for someone else, or for oneself.
***
An artisan blacksmith who has forged weapons for decades develops a certain intuition.
*Today, I feel like I can create a weapon far more special than usual.*
*My condition today is excellent.*
*An intuition that tells me I can create anything today.*
The moment he lit the furnace, Colson knew.
*Rumble—!*
'Today, I will forge an outstanding sword.'
He was the Bow Master Craftsman because he crafted bows better than anyone else.
For that reason, when it came to sword-making, he fell infinitely short of Daeng.
But today was different.
He felt as if he was about to grasp something truly special, a creation of his own.
He had been waiting for this day.
Colson, who had long felt inferior to Daeng, had struggled desperately to create a decent sword.
Although this sword wasn't meant for Daeng, at the end of that struggle, Colson had perfected it.
A single recipe.
'Someday...'
He had harbored a dream of challenging Daeng, the Sword Master Craftsman, to a blacksmith showdown.
He had even imagined mercilessly shattering the sword of Daeng, the man who stood at the pinnacle of all blacksmiths.
It was possible.
If, on that day, Daeng's condition was poor while his own was excellent.
A recipe that might even allow him to defeat the Sword Master Craftsman.
He had crafted the same item dozens, hundreds of times using that recipe.
'It was to deepen my understanding.'
Unlike the outsiders' auto-buttons, NPCs competed with skill and special powers.
That was why Colson had constantly worked to deepen his understanding of the recipe.
"What do you plan to do with the sword that outsider made?"
To the question from Rek, the Shield Master Craftsman, Colson replied confidently.
"I will make it lose its function completely."
They could strike their swords together three times.
But if he could inflict more than 60% damage within those three strikes, he could render it useless.
A sword with a completely ruined edge was no more than a blunt club.
Watching Colson, who had already begun forging, the other Master Craftsmen spoke.
"His hammering sounds even more spirited today."
*Claaang—!*
*Claaaaang—!*
"I will show him. To that greenhorn with the pompous title of God's Descendant. I'll show him just how vast the world is, and that there are things even a God's Descendant cannot do."
The other Master Craftsmen also looked unfavorably upon the arrogant outsider named Hyun-soo.
Time passed quickly.
But Colson still felt as light as a feather.
The sword, which he had crafted dozens of times using this recipe, began to take shape.
*Tssssss—!*
Through the quenching process, and finally, during the polishing, he felt it.
The power coursing through his fingertips.
'This is...'
He knew this would become one of the finest swords he had ever made.
At last, it was complete.
"...Wow."
"An incredible sword."
"Master Craftsman Colson, you have a remarkable talent for swords as well!"
Colson gazed at the sword he had created, lost in ecstasy.
'How beautiful...'
A jet-black blade.
A sharp edge that looked as if it could shatter any other sword.
The right materials chosen with a Master Craftsman's wisdom, perfectly forged and perfectly quenched.
And all of his experience was infused within it.
"Hurry and check it!"
Amid everyone's awe, Colson checked its stats.
(Black Night)
Grade: Unique
Durability: 12,000/12,000
Attack Power: 664
Requirements: No restrictions for creator, Level 200~380.
Special Abilities:
·Strength +4%, Agility +7%, Intelligence +4%.
·Cutting Power +35%.
·Critical Hit Chance 40%.
·Sword Mastery +2 Levels.
·Active Skill: Weapon Breaker.
·Active Skill: Light of the Black Night.
Description: A longsword with a black sheen, crafted with the incredible skill of the Bow Master Craftsman.
"Woooow..."
"Incredible... Truly incredible!"
"You've achieved a new milestone!"
Receiving congratulations from the other blacksmiths, Colson was dumbfounded.
Unique bows.
He had crafted 41 Unique bows so far, but this was his first Unique sword.
He was overcome with emotion.
"It seems the other side has finished as well."
Rek, the Shield Master Craftsman, possessed a mysterious power—the ability to see without direct confirmation.
[Insight]
[Checking the opposing artifact's grade.]
[Grade: Rare.]
Slowly opening his eyes, Rek gave a bitter smile.
"His is Rare. It's over."
"...Is that so."
A victor's smile played on Colson's lips.
The match was already decided.
But Colson gripped Black Night tightly.
The God of Blacksmiths.
An unknown thrill washed over him as he imagined shattering the sword of its descendant and seeing him groveling in his smithy.
'A complete success.'
Colson, an Artisan-rank blacksmith, had designed this sword to disable his opponent's, and here was the proof.
(Weapon Breaker)
Passive Skill
Mana Cost: None.
Description: Activates with a 25% chance, greatly reducing the durability of the opponent's weapon based on this sword's attack power.
With this power, it was possible to inflict over 50% damage to the opponent's sword, just as he had initially planned.
'No, if it's even worse than I thought...'
He could even inflict over 60%.
The outsider named Hyun-soo walked out of his smithy.
It looked like a decent enough sword, but compared to the jet-black Black Night, it seemed sorely lacking.
Daeng stood between them to begin the blacksmith showdown.
And Colson did not miss the distorted expression on Daeng's face.
'Did you see it, too? This sword that I've made.'
Colson laughed maniacally to himself.
He sneered at the outsider, Hyun-soo, who stood facing him.
"If you declare your forfeiture now and simply come work under me, I will give you the position I offered earlier."
"That's alright."
"So stubborn. Even from a glance, the grades of our artifacts are worlds apart."
The difference between Rare and Unique was immense.
But was he unaware of his own artifact's grade?
He wore an unconcerned expression. He would find out soon enough anyway.
[The blacksmith showdown will now begin.]
[You may clash swords 3 times.]
Colson gripped Black Night with both hands and drew it back.
Hyun-soo glanced at Daeng for a moment.
"Is this how I'm supposed to hold it?"
"A bit further back. Draw it back so you can strike with all your might."
Colson felt a laugh escape him. His eyes gleamed like a wolf's.
[First clash.]
Gripping Black Night tightly, Colson swung it diagonally with all his strength.
He could see his opponent swinging diagonally as well.
The moment the two swords met.
*Claaaaaaang—!*
[Weapon Breaker]
[Activates with a 25% chance, greatly reducing the durability of the opponent's weapon based on this sword's attack power.]
[Opponent's weapon durability has been reduced by 18%.]
The edge of the outsider Hyun-soo's sword was badly chipped.
[Second clash.]
*Claaaaaaang—!*
[Weapon Breaker]
He was lucky.
Weapon Breaker had activated twice in a row.
[Opponent's weapon durability has been reduced by 16%.]
Hyun-soo's sword was now visibly damaged.
No, if it took any more damage, his sword might become unusable.
And finally, the last strike.
*Swiiiiiish—!*
As he swung his sword, Colson was filled with ecstasy.
[Weapon Breaker]
Once again, Black Night shone as if to devour his opponent's sword.
Everything was perfect today.
He had forged an excellent sword, and Weapon Breaker had activated three times in a row.
'It's ov—'
Just then.
'Huh?'
The man's sword was enveloped in an unknown white light.
And then.
*Schhhwing—!*
'What is that sound...?'
His sword had clashed with the man's. No, it only felt like it had.
But the other sword had cut through his and passed by.
And then, the incomprehensible happened.
*Shhh—*
Black Night was sliced apart and fell to the floor.
*Clang—!*
'The sword... was cut...?'
His thoughts ground to a halt.
No, this was impossible.
It couldn't happen.
Swords break, they don't get cut. He had never experienced such a thing in his life.
But the outcome proved it.
[The blacksmith showdown is over.]
[Black Night's damage is 99%.]
Yes, it was cut.
A sword had been cut by another sword.
The man watched his trembling pupils. Hyun-soo sheathed his sword.
*Shing—*
With an indifferent gaze, he turned and said.
"A sword's worth isn't decided by its grade alone."