Genius Blacksmith's Game

Lee Jongha.

Both his character name and his real name were Lee Jongha, and he was a participant on Team Korea.

Amid the pouring cheers of the spectators.

He was the member of Team Korea who had shrunk back the most, trembling with fear.

When Lee Jongha was young, he was bullied at school.

Because of the trauma, he dropped out and took the high school equivalency exam.

As was often the case, during Lee Jongha’s school years, when he had been the victim of school violence, he had no friends to speak of.

To Lee Jongha, who lived trapped inside his room, his mother gave one thing as a gift.

It was a used Ares access device.

His mother, who worked twelve hours every day at a restaurant, had saved up coin by coin to buy it for Jongha, who only stayed at home.

But Lee Jongha did not repay her hopes.

His mother’s wish had been for this to become the start that led Jongha out into the world.

But by climbing into the capsule, Jongha isolated himself even further.

Since he spent every day doing nothing but playing the game, Jongha became fairly strong in Ares.

But because his personality had always been timid and gloomy, Jongha lived without revealing his ranking.

Even so, Jongha definitely loved his mother.

On a holiday.

He held out a bankbook containing the money he had steadily saved in Ares.

Jongha chattered excitedly.

“Mom, use this money to buy delicious food, buy a house, and go on trips overseas with your friends. I’ll take responsibility from now on. You can quit work too.”

But his mother looked even more pained.

“Jongha, I want to go with you......”

“......Why? I saved this much money. I’m being a good son with money other people couldn’t save in their whole lives. So why are you crying!”

Jongha did not go out into the world.

He turned away from the fact that the reason his mother wanted a house was so she could live happily together with him.

He turned away from the fact that even an overseas trip she had never taken would make her happiest if she went with her son.

He turned away from the fact that, more than a bankbook containing hundreds of millions of won, she would be happier taking a walk in front of the house with him.

THUUUUD!

With the door slammed shut with all his strength, he cut himself off from the world once again and kept raising his level.

One day.

Two people came to see him.

Continental War: World Championship, in which dozens of nations would participate.

Several events had been confirmed and announced first.

Pureum also made an announcement.

They would allow “coaches” who operated in teams of two.

The role of the coaches was to select the national teams for Continental War: World Championship and guide them toward the proper way to play the game.

Amazingly, each team of two was composed of one user and one Pureum employee.

Naturally, in the case of the Pureum employee, they were limited to personnel in charge of the Korean branch.

And the people who came to see Jongha.

“My name is Hyein, and I serve as chancellor of the nation of Hyun.”

One of them was Nell, whose name he had only heard before, and the other was—

“I’m Team Lead Kim Taeseok. I’ve been assigned as a coach.”

He was a man said to be in charge of the Special User Management Team.

“We would like to offer you recruitment to Team Korea, Lee Jongha.”

Lee Jongha could not believe it.

Because they had come to find someone like him, a mere game addict who had nothing to do with representing a country.

As they gave various reasons and explained why he had to become a member of Team Korea.

“......I’ll do it. I’ll join the national team.”

Lee Jongha did not hesitate.

For one single reason.

Just once, I want to be a son my mother can be proud of.

That was why he wore the red uniform with the Taegeukgi on it.

And Lee Jongha was not the only one who had a reason for participating.

Hwan.

He had been the master of Hwarang Guild, and he had once been Korea’s number-one-ranked player and within the top twenties in the world rankings.

Continental War: World Championship.

Many unexpectedly outstanding people were participating, but many others who had been expected to participate did not confirm their attendance.

There was one reason.

“Continental War: World Championship? It’s a global festival that runs for a full two weeks. Sure, there’s a reward of increased stats if you win a gold medal, but can that value really compare to not being able to level up?”

“If that were all, people wouldn’t be this negative. Continental War: World Championship is a fight with each country’s pride on the line. If you make even a small mistake there, that person’s life might be over. Countless sports stars falling into the abyss over a few mistakes or one or two slips of the tongue is proof enough. Those people? Now they just live as dark gamers.”

It was true.

On top of that, Hwan received stronger opposition than anyone.

Bengers.

A muscular old man who respected and cherished Hwan and would always do anything for him.

He had been Hwarang Guild’s deputy master, and he was the one who had made Hwarang what it was today. Before the two coaches who had come to visit, he spoke together with the executives.

“......You must not participate. People are saying Korea’s rank will be at the very bottom among the participating nations. All the famous rankers have run away and refused to participate. Forget gold medals. A few silver or bronze medals may be all we get. On top of that, if Master Blacksmith Hyun doesn’t participate, you’ll have to serve as captain, Hwan. The people’s hopes can turn into resentment and rage in an instant, and if we fail to achieve anything, all the criticism and boos will pour down on the captain.”

The executives persuaded him together.

“There’s nothing but negative talk in the articles.”

“Guild Master, your world rank is only around 50th. If you go there, there will be plenty of people in the top thirties, including the number-one-ranked player in the world!”

But Bengers and the executives could see Hwan, unmoved.

“......If not me, then who goes?”

“......”

“......”

Bengers wanted to say it.

Why does that have to be you, Hwan!?

But because Hwan was like that, Bengers liked him and loved him.

Hwan.

“I will participate. Even if Hyunsoo does not come, I will participate.”

Hwan’s reason for participating was nothing special.

When everyone avoided joining the national team and ran away.

If just one person—if he, at least—stood firm without wavering, he knew the others would also confirm their participation.

And though there were truly many reasons, another reason mattered most.

I am Korean.

The biggest reason was that he had been born in the small country called Korea.

Lee Daeho.

Among those wearing Korea’s uniform, he stood out the most.

He was forty-two this year, and he too wore the red uniform with the Taegeukgi on it. When he got out of the van, he received the loudest boos.

“......What is that?”

“This is going too far. Are they really letting just anyone compete?”

“Even so, isn’t that middle-aged guy too much?”

Because Lee Daeho was a potbellied middle-aged man.

On top of that, there was one reason the entire world mocked him.

Lee Daeho’s job was zookeeper.

When a potbellied middle-aged man appeared among renowned high-rankers, the whole world could not help but burst into laughter.

But Lee Daeho walked with the greatest confidence of all.

Lee Daeho had one reason for participating.

Daddy is Superman!

Because to his daughter, Lee Daeho was Superman, and he wanted to become a father she could be proud of.

The zoo employees said,

“You’re suddenly participating as a member of Team Korea?”

The employees could not understand it.

Lee Daeho was not anyone special inside the zoo.

No, he was actually closer to being incompetent.

He had worked there for twenty years, but he was still only a perpetual section chief, nothing more than a potbellied middle-aged man who just laughed good-naturedly.

“What are you going to do if you get fired over this......”

“Section Chief, wasn’t your class just playing with animals and stuff?”

Lee Daeho had nodded with his usual generous face.

“That’s right. I play with birds from time to time, and there’s a huge turtle, so I play with that one too. There’s also a tiger.”

“......????”

“My daughter said she wanted to see the animals her dad won over, so I decided to participate.”

The employees sighed.

But Lee Daeho expressed his intention to participate after hearing what Hyein and Team Lead Kim had to say.

Like that, the dozen or so members of Team Korea were decided for truly varied reasons.

Some people had more ordinary reasons.

“If I go out there this time and win even one gold medal, I can earn a lot of money, right? My dream is to live in an apartment in Seoul with a view of the Han River.”

There were people full of dreams who simply wanted to earn a lot of money.

“I want to become famous. I want to become famous and show the people who ignored me that I succeeded.”

There were also people who participated with thoughts “similar” to the ordinary reasons of those who simply wanted to make their faces known to the world.

Lee Taeha had been branded the problem child of his family, and he stood there to become a proud ranker in his own right, not as the son of Hansung Group.

Divine Archer Hyeji stood there to imprint on the entire world that their country was still the nation of archery, and with the will to take home another gold medal.

But once they actually stood there, when they realized this place was far more overwhelming than they had imagined and shrank back.

“Legends originally begin this way.”

Captain Hyunsoo’s words gave them the strength to believe they could do it.

Lee Jongha turned his head, searching the spectator seats for his mother, who must have been shouting his name with all her might, for his own reason.

Hwan clenched his fist tightly as he watched the Korean people pouring out blazing heat, determined to win at least one gold medal no matter what.

Lee Daeho walked with one thought: he would become Superman and give his daughter a memory she would never forget.

Countless athletes from countless nations stood in their places.

And the captains of each team stood at the very front.

As they looked at the captain standing before them, every member of Team Korea stared at his back.

In truth, even his own guild members could not understand him.

They had agreed with what the global media said.

-Master Blacksmith Hyun has no reason to participate. Of course, the promised deadline for his duel with Valhalla is right around the corner, but there is no need to do that publicly.

-The nation of Hyun is busy. It is still a new nation, not even properly settled yet, and Hyun is far too busy. Also, since he is already an overnight star, it is difficult to find a reason for him to participate in Continental War: World Championship, where the risks are far too great.

-If he does participate, he will likely take the captain’s position, and his participation is expected to produce perhaps one or two gold medals. But the judgment is that what he stands to lose outweighs what he stands to gain.

It was something everyone agreed with.

Also.

-A king of one nation has collapsed because of one person’s death. It will likely not be easy for him to stand back up.

-Because it is a time like this, the probability of Master Blacksmith Hyun not appearing seems °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° even higher.

-Participating when he’s drowning in grief right now? I wouldn’t participate either.

Recently, he had parted with a dear friend he cherished.

What was his reason?

Lee Jongha wondered.

*****

Not long ago.

Ben’s grave.

After planting the trident in front of the grave, Hyunsoo mulled over the words Ben had left behind.

Become a true king.

There must have been many meanings contained in those words.

More than that.

Only after coming outside did Hyunsoo finally become aware of one reality.

Will the old man be able to safely become a Guardian Deity? It won’t be easy.

Ben intended to challenge the Spear God.

He meant to rise to the Spear God’s position and become a Guardian Deity.

Also, Ben was only challenging him with the body of a Legend, not as the Spear God.

It was certain to be anything but easy.

Then a thought flashed through Hyunsoo’s mind.

What if he had a better spear......?

His thought even reached the question of whether the living could not deliver a weapon to the dead.

And after hurriedly searching through various records, Hyunsoo learned that it was possible.

Hyunsoo quickly took the “Small World Tree” out of his inventory.

I already have the best material for the spear shaft.

Then what remained?

The material to make the best spearhead.

Hyunsoo knew he could make that spearhead out of Adamantium.

But perhaps he could obtain a material even greater than that, one that could create a spear truly meant for Ben.

It was the desired Mythic-grade mineral that would be given as the MVP reward for Continental War: World Championship.

Ben was trying to return as a Guardian Deity.

And Hyunsoo was trying to make it possible for that Ben to become a Guardian Deity.

That was right.

Just as everyone had their own reasons.

......I’ll make you the most perfect spear, no matter what.

That was Hyunsoo’s own reason.

And so.

The curtain rose on Continental War: World Championship.