Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Sword of the God of Blacksmiths (2)
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Daeng, the Tower Master of the Shield Blacksmiths, and the other seven Tower Masters could not understand Colson.
The greediest among them, who had once denied the god alongside them, had now turned his back on them and stood on the god's side.
At the words, "The god is coming," they began to talk amongst themselves.
“Serve a god with no followers? What nonsense.”
“And why would he have no followers? The myths of the God of Blacksmiths are packaged plausibly enough, but when you look at their essence, they’re trivial compared to the myths of other gods.”
Everyone agreed.
Moreover, this was what bothered them the most.
“By the standards of the outsiders, reaching level 100 is barely taking one's first steps. Why should we serve him? He might one day try to steal what we’ve built under the false name of a god.”
They thought he was merely someone who came bearing the name of a god.
And when they met the god's messenger, Balam, they rejoiced among themselves.
“Outsiders learn to walk up to level 100, and only then do they begin to take their first real steps. How could he possibly have any achievements?”
“Impossible, of course. It simply cannot be.”
“You may now rest assured. The heir of the God of Blacksmiths will not exist, at least not in this era.”
It wasn't that they had no intention of serving a god.
It was just that the one called the god's heir was so weak, and they were filled with suspicion as to why they were being forced to serve him.
They could not understand the myths.
‘Can a blacksmith also be a strong warrior!?’
The Sword God has myths of wielding the Mind Sword.
So how can there be a myth that the God of Blacksmiths is a strong warrior?
Such false myths only serve to make the God of Blacksmiths seem like a false god.
Furthermore, it was even worse because they were outsiders.
‘Outsiders can unlock their stats with something called bonus points. Those are limited in number.’
Because that number is limited, what they can raise is also restricted.
“He might have learned swordsmanship somewhere, I suppose.”
“Yes, he probably learned the kind of swordsmanship practiced by soldiers or common knights.”
The sword Hyun-soo carried made them feel he was following a part of the God of Blacksmiths' myth.
But isn't the quality different?
The Sword God who wields the Mind Sword, versus someone who uses the swordsmanship of mere commoners?
Hyun-soo drew the Sword of the God of Blacksmiths from behind his back. He met their eyes and finally spoke his first words.
“One. I have learned the swordsmanship of the Sword King.”
“……!”
“……!”
The moment they heard those words, a wave of disbelief swallowed the Tower Masters.
But the profound techniques of the Sword King's swordsmanship, manifesting all around them as a mirage, made their hearts race uncontrollably.
Who was the Sword King?
The most outstanding swordsman of the era.
One of the continent's ten legends, and the king of the Goyard Kingdom.
Hyun-soo moved his sword once more, as if for show.
“I saved the Sword King.”
Lek shook his head.
‘How….’
How could that be possible?
How could a mere baby, just taking its first steps, save someone as great as the Sword King!?
“I crafted the first legend.”
[His recognition rate exceeds 45%.]
And yet, the sword left by the God of Blacksmiths was proving it right before their eyes.
One side of it was completely freezing over.
The god's messenger, Balam, who had slowly knelt while watching him, came into their view.
***
[If you fail to prove a recognition rate of 40% or higher, you will be stripped of your title as the heir of the God of Blacksmiths.]
The trial of the class quest began the moment he entered the tower.
Hyun-soo saw the pale faces of Daeng and Colson.
‘The ones who believe in me.’
Hyun-soo didn't want to disappoint them. And they must have endured much criticism while caught between the other eight Tower Masters.
‘I don’t want them to be criticized for believing in me.’
And he wanted to show them. Who he was, and what he had done.
With every word, he unveiled the achievements he had accumulated.
“I crafted the second legend, and in a world without dragons, I created a dragon.”
[Recognition rate exceeds 76%.]
A dragon materialized to one side.
Leaving behind the creature that snorted and regarded them with a dignified gaze, he took another step forward and swung his sword.
Swoooosh—
“I became a benefactor by creating the bell with the clearest sound in the world.”
[Recognition rate exceeds 91%.]
A mirage.
It was the power of a hologram.
Minerals were rapidly smelted, refined, and forged, and the red-hot Bell of Ramas returned to its original color.
The white bell swayed slowly and rang on its own, its clear sound filling the entire tower.
Dooooong—
Again, another one.
“I achieved the most brilliant victory in the Super Rookies competition.”
No one here was unaware of the Super Rookies competition.
It was one of the famous festivals in the neighboring kingdom of Goyard.
Lek listened to the unending stream of unbelievable achievements, his mouth agape.
He glanced at the other Tower Masters beside him.
“I crafted a bow that could be imbued with the weight of a thousand geun.”
[Recognition rate exceeds 100%.]
The Tower Masters, who had been standing awkwardly, were now kneeling on one knee, showing their respect.
One of those who had denied the god's heir, Brey, the Tower Master of the Spear, spoke.
“I denied you. I only thought that an heir who appeared out of nowhere was trying to take what we have. I apologize. I, Brey, Tower Master of the Spear, greet the heir of the god.”
The Tower Master of the Armor Tower.
“I as well…”
The Tower Master of the Cloak Tower.
“The same was true for me. Please kill me!”
Watching them, Lek, the Tower Master of the Shield, found himself also kneeling on one knee and looking up at him.
What should he say?
What excuse could he make?
And Hyun-soo looked at all the Tower Masters now prostrated before him.
The one called the god's messenger, Balam, was flat on the ground, unable to lift his head.
To be honest, Hyun-soo felt awkward.
Most of the Tower Masters were named NPCs over level 300.
‘It’s still just an empty shell.’
Yes, Hyun-soo had accomplished much, but there was still so much more to do.
He said.
“Everyone, please rise.”
At Hyun-soo's gentle voice, Lek looked up with wavering eyes.
They had denied him, refused to acknowledge him, and had just been sneering at him moments ago.
And yet, he.
“This is too much.”
He said with a gentle expression. Was he perhaps a man with too soft a heart?
A god sometimes needed to be firm, and a small worry began to creep in.
Just then.
“When I stand on higher ground, I will accept it more proudly then.”
No, he wasn't soft. He knew the right time.
When that time came, he would accept it calmly and lead them calmly.
And his confident voice and smile captivated all the Tower Masters.
“Yes, we will wait! For the true day when you will lead us!”
All the Tower Masters were now united in heart and mind.
And Hyun-soo realized.
‘Recognition rate…’
The first class quest was a confirmation of what he had built up so far.
Naturally, the higher this recognition rate, the more special the reward.
[Class Quest: The Sword Left by the God of Blacksmiths - Complete]
[You have achieved a phenomenal result.]
Hyun-soo had firm faith.
The 'phenomenal result' notification he had heard several times had never disappointed him and had always granted him an even greater reward.
Soon, the Sword of the God of Blacksmiths resonated.
Vwoom—
[The Sword of the God of Blacksmiths grants a reward.]
[All Stats +2, chance of higher-grade item +10%...]
[Correction.]
[The Sword of the God of Blacksmiths deems this insufficient.]
Hyun-soo looked at the sword with a puzzled expression.
He had felt it when he first held this sword, but it was as if the thing had a will of its own.
‘So the original reward was All Stats +2 and a 10% increase in the chance of getting a higher-grade item...’
Class quests were meant to yield rewards related to that class.
It wasn't a bad reward, but truthfully, Hyun-soo wasn't satisfied with it.
[Reward calculation complete.]
[A class quest to obtain one of the five secret techniques of the God of Blacksmiths will be generated.]
[You will still receive the original reward.]
[All Stats +2, chance of higher-grade item +10%.]
[You may learn about the god's secret technique in advance.]
[A new story begins.]
Hyun-soo was now familiar with Ares's system, so he was certain.
‘Completing a new story is always followed by something incredible.’
Hyun-soo waited for the new class quest notification to appear.
***
[User Hyun-soo will begin a new class quest.]
Special User Management Team.
Employee Lee Jee-hee wore a surprised expression.
“A new story…?”
Of course, a new story in itself wasn't an incredibly special event for the team that managed special users.
The 'new story' notification appeared when a great achievement was made in a limited area.
Hyun-soo's new stories had always been in limited areas.
The subjugation force in the beginner zone.
The beginner's territory war in the Kasel Territory.
The recent new story that broke out during the broadcast was also in a limited area, a time attack dungeon.
“Triggering a new story from a class quest isn't easy. It means the God of Blacksmiths recognizes Hyun-soo as a suitable candidate.”
At the voice from behind, Lee Jee-hee saw CEO Lee Se-jin standing there.
“Hello, CEO Lee.”
Tae-seok and Jee-hee hurriedly greeted the CEO, who had appeared like a ghost.
Lee Se-jin waved his hand dismissively and said,
“The secret techniques of the God of Blacksmiths aren't easy to obtain in the first place.”
The name 'secret technique' wasn't given for nothing.
This kind of technique could be an upgraded version of something he already had, or it could be something completely new.
“So a different class quest is triggering, not the standard one. What kind of quest is it?”
This was the key point the Special User Management Team had to focus on.
A new class quest.
How was it being triggered?
Just then.
[Class Quest: Find the Savior has been generated for Bellia, Child of the Saintess.]
CEO Lee Se-jin opened the quest received by the Child of the Saintess with a surprised look.
[Class Quest: Find the Savior]
Rank: A
Requirement: Child of the Saintess
Reward: 200 Divine Power
Failure Penalty: Destruction of the temple.
Description: Your temple and the Saintess Aria you serve are in peril. Seek out the savior. That savior is currently located in the Tower of the Sword Blacksmiths.
Lee Se-jin looked intrigued.
‘So this is how the stories connect.’
Tae-seok looked puzzled.
“What connection is there between the Child of the Saintess and user Hyun-soo, the heir of the God of Blacksmiths, for a class quest to trigger?”
In response, Lee Jee-hee quickly tapped on her keyboard.
“According to the lore, the God of Blacksmiths once made a promise to the other gods. That one day, he would craft and gift artifacts to their temples. It seems to be related to that.”
It was a well-established piece of lore.
Soon, Lee Se-jin muttered.
“Bellia, the Child of the Saintess, might become our country's best healer. This is concerning.”
Team Leader Kim looked puzzled.
“Why is that a concern?”
Lee Se-jin couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
“Who's in Guild Gwangmyeong right now?”
“Well, there's Nel, Risel…”
“No, not their names.”
This time, Jee-hee was quicker on the uptake than Kim Tae-seok.
“There's Nel, the budding strategist. Bakeu, the ultimate tank. Risel, the ultimate dealer. And user Hyun-soo, the ultimate blacksmith.”
“Team Leader Kim, what's missing?”
Team Leader Kim thought hard.
The most important elements when forming a team.
A master to lead them.
A strong dealer.
An unbreakable tank.
Nel, who could become an outstanding strategist. Suddenly, Kim Tae-seok's eyes widened.
“A-A healer is all that’s missing.”
“That's right. With just one healer, Guild Gwangmyeong will become the strongest elite guild.”
CEO Lee Se-jin gazed at the monitor with an interested expression.
‘Of course, the final choice will be Bellia's.’