Genius Blacksmith's Game

There was something Lee Jongha could not understand.

A useless parasite who did nothing but eat rice at home.

That was him.

Now you’re going to compete in a tournament through a game? I asked people who play Ares, and none of them know who you are!

That was what his uncle, who had told him to get a job, said when Jongha told him he had been selected for Korea’s national team.

It {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} was a reasonable thing to say.

Even Jongha himself did not know why captain Hyunsoo had chosen him.

Or why he had mentioned Naval Battle.

He did not know any of those reasons, but there was one reason he chose to compete.

I want you to do what you want to do.

Unlike his uncle, his mother supported him no matter what he did.

I want to do it.

Then give it everything you have.

But Jongha doubted himself endlessly.

He knew he was familiar with the sea.

And on Story Island,

there was a ship the residents there had built for him.

That was the ship he had to fight with.

Until then, Jongha had truly wondered whether Hyunsoo simply needed someone to enter the event, someone willing to endure humiliation.

But when he grasped the Twin Dragon Sword Hyunsoo handed him first, the system informed him.

[You have performed 314 acts on Story Island for things that had to be done.]

[The king of Story Island has watched you and marked you as his successor.]

[The Hero’s Tale reacts.]

[Class Quest: True Master complete.]

[You have advanced to Successor of Admiral Yi.]

[You acquire 400 bonus points.]

[400 bonus points are evenly invested.]

[You acquire skills related to the sea.]

[You acquire the skills of Admiral Yi.]

Standing before the enormous Turtle Ship, Jongha looked up at it.

WOOOOONG—

The Turtle Ship released a massive vibration.

[The Turtle Ship reacts to its true owner.]

[Admiral Yi’s wisdom and knowledge are imbued.]

[You acquire Admiral Yi’s ship-related skills.]

All his skills and stats were maximized.

He looked down at the sword in his hand, then up at the Turtle Ship standing firm before him.

“This is the power you achieved.”

Hyunsoo said that to Jongha, who still could not fully feel it.

And Jongha, overwhelmed, held the Twin Dragon Sword and stroked the Turtle Ship as he said,

“My sword...... my ship......”

Jongha felt as though tears were about to well up.

He felt like he could do anything now.

Because he had Admiral Yi’s power.

Admiral Yi’s sword.

Admiral Yi’s ship!

But......

“......No? That’s mine.”

“......?”

Hyunsoo came running over and took the Twin Dragon Sword back.

“You can’t use it anyway......”

“Ah, ahh. Aaah......”

Only then did Jongha become aware of reality.

Although he had advanced according to Class Quest: True Master, he could not equip either the Twin Dragon Sword or the Turtle Ship due to Level restrictions and various other restrictions!

Then Lee Jongha checked the skills unlocked by becoming Successor of Admiral Yi, as well as the powers related to ships.

After confirming them, Lee Jongha could not hide his shock.

Confidence and certainty.

It was the moment Lee Jongha obtained something he had never once possessed in his entire life.

Now.

Lee Jongha entered together with the other national team players.

Jongha had certainly gained confidence and certainty.

But.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

“Lee Jongha! Lee Jongha! Lee Jongha! Lee Jongha!”

“Lee Jongha, you can do it!!!”

He could not hide his bewilderment at the cheers of the hundred thousand people filling Jamsil Sports Complex.

He saw all kinds of people waving Taegeukgi, and everywhere, people were endlessly shouting his name.

For a moment, his breath caught, and he wanted to run away.

Representing Korea was not an easy thing.

Lee Jongha was feeling that painfully only now.

His breathing grew ragged, and his head spun.

He felt an inexplicable anxiety tightening around his throat, and cold sweat streamed down him.

The national team players standing beside him.

After hearing from Sota about what Jongha had gone through, they noticed his abnormal state.

And for them, it would be best if even one person forfeited first.

“Wouldn’t it be better for the patient to go rest?”

“My goodness. He is already like this?”

“To send someone like this as Korea’s representative—how utterly laughable. Tsk, tsk.”

They clicked their tongues as they looked at Lee Jongha.

And Sota, seeing Lee Jongha’s pale complexion, felt relieved.

Was I mistaken about that expression?

Before entering the arena,

Sota was swept up in relief, wondering if the pressure he had sensed from him had been false.

Sota spoke while wearing the same mask as before.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to forfeit?”

Lee Jongha did not answer.

The fact that someone like this did not answer him annoyed Sota.

Someone who was only ever bullied.

That was why he said,

“I’m worried about your health. Once the match begins, I’ll sink you right away. Health matters more than a match, doesn’t it?”

Sota said that while looking at the rankers from other countries.

At first, some had thought that what Sota did was extremely cruel.

In truth, they were no different.

“That is a good idea.”

“If you insist on pushing yourself, we will sink you right away.”

And some did not bother hiding their ridicule, speaking bluntly.

“Is there even a need for that? He looks like he’ll pass out the moment the match starts. Hahaha!”

One ranker lightly struck his arm with a look telling him to be more tactful, but he did not stop laughing.

The rule of Naval Battle was that the one who reached Turtle Island first would win.

An inexperienced user might think this:

Does the fastest ship win?

But a seasoned user would answer like this:

The reason it is called Naval Battle is because countless ships will attack each other and conduct naval warfare on the way to Turtle Island. Thinking that the fastest ship will win simply because the goal is to reach Turtle Island first is a foolish idea.

In fact, aside from beginner users, Naval Battle was expected to involve fierce combat.

That meant if there was a ship that could be destroyed first, a competitor could be eliminated quickly.

Despite their ridicule, Jongha endured it.

Also, Pureum employees served as referees for each event.

“Are you all right?”

“Hoo...... I’m fine.”

Jongha exhaled deeply.

But the very fact that a referee approached Jongha was a problem.

—Korea’s representative does not look well. It appears to be symptoms of social anxiety and panic disorder, which is extremely concerning. He will need to overcome it.

The Korean commentator held back.

By contrast, commentators around the world began criticizing him harshly.

—I have to wonder whether sending a player like that onto the national team was truly the right choice.

—I am even starting to think Team Korea captain Kang Hyunsoo should throw in the towel.

Like that, the entire world was looking at Lee Jongha as if he were pathetic.

But regardless of Lee Jongha’s discomfort, the match proceeded once the time came.

All players gathered at the center of Jamsil Sports Complex, then walked to their respective places.

PSHHHHK—!

As the players entered the capsules, the match began.

A vast, blue sea.

The sun was setting over that beautiful, rolling sea.

Across the sunset sky, migratory birds moved forward in rows.

SHAAAAAAAA—

Far out over the calm sea, where only gentle waves spread, a single enormous island resembling a turtle could be seen.

Then the quiet waves began to surge violently.

SHAAAAAAAAAAAA—

At the same time, more than a hundred ships appeared on the sea.

The ships that revealed themselves waited behind a long red line without unfurling their sails.

The sight of more than a hundred ships revealed across the sea seized viewers around the world.

The first thing that drew attention was, naturally, the size of the ships.

A truly enormous battleship.

The massive ship, reaching fifty meters in height, towered above the others, far surpassing ships whose average height was between fifteen and twenty-five meters.

Ships also had Levels, and those Levels were shown to the entire world.

[Legendary Giant Ship Lv. 531]

It was the giant ship of the user Noah, a Legendary ship.

Another ship that drew attention looked as though it had been made of blood.

Like a single cruel warrior of blood, the ship appeared to be loaded with far more weapons and ammunition than the others.

And there was also a ship that looked the noblest.

The ship was made entirely of black, and so were its sails.

Its height reached only twelve meters, making it small, but that also made it that much faster.

It was China’s Divine Dragon.

While more than one hundred of each nation’s finest ships displayed their majesty like that,

one ship overwhelmed them all.

“Khehehehehehehe!”

“Kiha!”

Bizarre laughter spread from that ship, and ghostly crewmen could be seen all over it.

It was also a strange ship that repeatedly blurred, then sharpened into focus.

The person who appeared at its front

was Japan’s Sota.

When Sota stepped forward, hundreds of the Ghost Ship’s “ghosts” giggled behind him and guarded him.

[Legendary Ghost Ship Lv. 574]

The revealed Level shocked the entire world.

—The Legendary Ghost Ship’s Level is as high as 574. Also, the beings aboard the Ghost Ship are like undead produced by Sota’s skills. As expected of such a powerful favorite to win.

Sota folded his arms and recited,

“Ghost Ship, answer my summons.”

A black whirlwind swirled.

Within that whirlwind, hundreds of ship structures like planks were spinning.

Soon, those hundreds of pieces gathered and gathered again, constructing another Ghost Ship.

Before long, two additional Ghost Ships had formed precisely to the left and right of the Legendary Ghost Ship.

[Ghost Ship Lv. 533]

[Ghost Ship Lv. 541]

SHAAAAAAAAAAAA—

The sight of them standing proudly over the sea while guarding the Legendary Ghost Ship in the center shocked the entire world.

Sota smiled softly, as if showing the whole world.

—Something incredible has just happened before our eyes. Three ships! A full three ships!

—This is beyond absurd. Sota is commanding and operating three ships alone!

However, “ships” and “the sea” were unfamiliar to ordinary users.

—Is that amazing?

—Why is everyone freaking out just because he’s operating two more ships?

The commentators explained for users who had those thoughts.

—Ships are like summons to captains. When summoners operate one Legendary monster, they generally consume all of their “summon capacity,” making additional summoning impossible.

—Once that summon capacity reaches 100%, they cannot summon any additional summons, no matter how much they try.

—In the same way, ships have the operation capacity mentioned earlier. At Level 500, that operation capacity barely allows someone to operate one or maybe two Legendary ships. But Sota is operating three!

Someone who could operate one ship and someone who could operate three were different.

Especially if those ships were Ghost Ships.

—That’s insane.

—Gold medal confirmed!!!

—Japan’s taking gold. wow!

No one offered a differing opinion.

While Sota was receiving the spotlight like that, someone happened to appear right beside him.

It was Lee Jongha.

Because he was next to the Ghost Ship, Lee Jongha was compared most directly.

No, to be precise, it was because his ship was the shoddiest.

[Unique Sky Palace Ship Lv. 454]

This ship had been built by the people of Story Island and gifted to him.

Sota could not help letting out a laugh.

“What can you do with only that one little ship?”

Sota’s and Lee Jongha’s eyes met.

At that moment, Sota was surprised.

Because Lee Jongha’s expression had grown far more composed, as if he had overcome his social anxiety and panic disorder.

So he wasn’t a complete fool?

Sota laughed under his breath.

Even so, the moment the match began, his ship would be annihilated.

Meanwhile,

Lee Jongha actually did not know much about the sea, nor did he know about operation capacity.

So when exclamations burst out after Sota commanded three ships, he found it strange.

“Japan has the gold medal confirmed.”

“Even their Levels are all over 540!”

Amid the fawning of the rankers from various countries,

“Hahahahahaha!”

Sota burst into loud laughter.

And the reason Lee Jongha could become calm

was the skill he had gained by becoming Successor of Admiral Yi.

(......I Still Have)

Grade: Legendary

Level: None

Mana Cost: 6,000

Effect:

· Can be activated when HP falls below 30%.

· Summons twelve Legendary Turtle Ships of Level 560.

· Lasts for 1 hour.

Description: As Successor of Admiral Yi, you can command twelve absolutely invincible Turtle Ships.

Lee Jongha looked back and forth between Sota, who was smiling with certainty, and the newly unlocked power.

Also, until this moment, Sota still did not know.

I will write a new history!

That he himself would end up developing social anxiety and panic disorder.