Genius Blacksmith's Game

Enhancement.

The history of enhancement in games went back more than forty years.

The early 2000s.

Countless RPGs had enhancement systems applied to them, and it would not have been an exaggeration to say that there was practically no one who had played RPGs without trying enhancement.

Especially.

“If you make a +9, your whole life might change!”

“If you succeed from +6 to +7, the artifact’s price doubles. If you take it from +6 to +8, it quadruples, and if you make it +9, it goes up tenfold!”

The value of anything enhanced even one level higher shot through the ceiling, and some kinds of artifacts literally changed a person’s life.

The problem was that only 0.01% of people had their lives changed that way, while 99.99% of users lost many things to the highly addictive nature of enhancement.

In more severe cases, there were plenty of people who dragged real-world wealth into it and lost everything they owned.

And in the mid-2030s, when Ares was being created.

Naturally, Ares had no choice but to include an enhancement system as well, and one high-ranking person among those who planned it said,

“Enhancement is too addictive and too gambling-heavy, but it’s true that it’s a fun element of games. What if we gave a Hidden Piece to this addictive system called enhancement?”

“A Hidden Piece?”

“When enhancement fails, a user is bound to despair and fall into frustration. As you know, the virtual reality game Ares is expected to read brainwaves and even read the other person’s emotional state. The Hidden Piece would be for someone who stands back up even through that failure. Yes, essence.”

“Essence?”

“Not being bound by something called enhancement, believing in yourself, and standing back up even in that desperate moment. It would be for someone who realizes that enhancement is only gambling and knows the essence of trusting their own power and moving forward.”

The team members judged that it was a fairly good idea.

“Then what about the reward?”

“What should we set as the reward?”

“This Hidden Piece will probably have a high chance of activating around the time a user has lost the artifact and all the enhancement stones because of enhancement. So let’s set it like this in terms of setting. In the sense of telling them to succeed at enhancement at least once, the enhancement success probability for that mineral increases fivefold. And we leave the rest to Ares.”

By leaving it to Ares, he meant the system.

“Sounds good.”

“What should we name the Hidden Piece?”

“One Who Sees the Essence.”

That was the secret story behind the birth of the Hidden Piece: One Who Sees the Essence.

One Who Sees the Essence was not a special Hidden Piece.

Hidden Pieces were divided into Hidden Pieces that “only one person” could obtain and Hidden Pieces that anyone could obtain as long as they achieved the conditions.

Of course, even though this One Who Sees the Essence Hidden Piece was a multi-person Hidden Piece, it was extremely difficult.

Because it was different in nature from Hidden Pieces that could be triggered “intentionally.”

While enhancement was being carried out.

There had to be the target’s emotional state, along with multiple failures, frustration, and despair.

But as time passed, dozens of people achieved this Hidden Piece, yet there were not particularly any who accomplished an enhancement special enough to remain as an achievement.

That was only natural.

In many cases, their artifacts were not tremendously special.

Also, even if the probability increased fivefold, a significant number of users used ordinary Normal or Rare enhancement stones, and even if they enhanced something to a high level with those, 99.9% of the time the artifact itself could not support it.

The system also transformed the skills the user possessed to increase the enhancement probability, but there were plenty of cases where they were not very helpful.

But today.

Of all things, a user who had the finest enhancement stone, the “Evil God’s Enhancement Stone,” achieved it.

And that user possessed an absurd power called “Rampage.”

As mentioned, Hidden Piece: One Who Sees the Essence did not grant a tremendously special reward.

Only.

The “Evil God’s Enhancement Stone” that user possessed, the growth-type artifact “Full Bloom,” and the title “Rampage” that he possessed were extraordinary.

*****

[As a reward, the enhancement success probability of the Evil God’s Enhancement Stone increases fivefold.]

[As a reward, for one time only, all of the title Rampage’s probability of creating a better artifact will be converted and applied as probability of enhancement success!]

The Evil God’s Enhancement Stone had an enhancement success rate ten times higher than ordinary enhancement stones in the first place.

That was only natural, since it was effectively the first Mythic-grade enhancement stone.

However.

And on top of that, five times more is being applied here......!?

Starting from a state where it already had ten times the enhancement probability, an additional fivefold increase made that probability absurdly high.

Also.

There were two rewards in total, and for one time only, the title Rampage’s probability of creating a better artifact would be converted into the probability of succeeding at “enhancement.”

Immediately, enormous powers began crashing down onto Full Bloom.

DING!

[You fall into “Extreme Trance,” which activates at a 20% probability.]

[The 20% probability of enhancement success is immediately applied by falling into Extreme Trance!!]

[Daeng’s Hammer of Replication shines.]

[The probability of enhancement success increases by 15%.]

[The God-Forged Crown shines.]

[The probability of enhancement success increases by 15%.]

[The stat Will activates.]

[You will not grow tired!!]

[Even If It Breaks.]

[You have found a breakthrough in a moment of absolute crisis.]

[The probability of enhancement success increases by 5%.]

But Hyunsoo felt disappointed.

If this had been crafting, perhaps it could have achieved a tremendous increase in crafting probability based on Hyunsoo’s skill and several other factors.

But the enhancement probability felt somewhat low.

Then he realized the notifications had not ended yet.

[Unparalleled shines.]

[Because you have used a Mythic-grade enhancement stone, Unparalleled’s 100% increased probability of creating a Mythic-grade artifact is transformed and applied to enhancement.]

And there was one more fact he learned belatedly.

[You are the owner of the Magnum Opus. Old Man Ben.]

Old man?

Hyunsoo had decided to participate in Continental War: World Championship for Ben’s sake.

Of course, because he had been sunk in grief, his preparations for Continental War: World Championship had been lacking.

If he had decided to participate from the beginning.

Hyunsoo might have been able to prepare for the Endurance event much earlier.

He could have worn a full suit of armor made of Adamantium to stand against Baal and taken part with a far more relaxed mind than now.

But the notification he had just heard.

As that notification said, Hyunsoo was someone who had seen the Magnum Opus Old Man Ben, and he was also its owner.

For a fleeting instant, Ben’s appearance flashed through his mind: sitting alone in one worn chair, his age-spotted face preparing for his own death.

And within that flash, it felt as if he could hear it.

Ben, who had said he would become his Guardian Deity.

Hyun.

The man who had promised he would return, no matter what.

I will protect you.

It felt as though he was doing this for him.

To begin with, the Magnum Opus Old Man Ben contained a special power that acted only on Hyunsoo.

That power increased, only for him, the probability of a better artifact appearing by 100%.

The warmth of the old man who had left was imbued into him.

[You are the subject of the painting Old Man Ben left behind while hoping you would not be sad.]

[The probability of enhancement success increases by 100%.]

At last, every effect was applied.

For a moment, Full Bloom remained in silence.

Then a huge, brilliant light surged upward as if going berserk, and the notification came.

[You have used a total of two Evil God’s Enhancement Stones.]

[They are combined and enhanced.]

[+7 enhancement has been applied.]

“What......!?”

An unknowable thrill spread through Hyunsoo’s entire body.

Full Bloom was currently Transcendent grade.

For such a Transcendent-grade Full Bloom to be enhanced by +7 was beyond common sense.

Of course, even something like this was possible because the Evil God’s Enhancement Stone existed, and the notifications had not ended yet.

[Congratulations.]

[You are the first user to enhance a Transcendent artifact to +6.]

[Hidden Piece: Pinnacle of Enhancement awakens.]

[As a reward, one additional enhancement is applied.]

[Full Bloom’s enhancement grade is finalized as +7 Full Bloom.]

[An all-time-great enhancement is written.]

Before using the two enhancement stones, Full Bloom had been at -1 enhancement.

And that Full Bloom gained a total of 8 enhancement levels, ending at +7?

Hyunsoo could not hide his joy.

[You have achieved the greatest enhancement across all eras.]

[Though this is a Transcendent-grade artifact, because a Mythic-grade enhancement stone was used, it can be considered to have gone beyond the normal limits of enhancement.]

[You acquire 2,000 Fame.]

[You acquire 300 Overwhelm.]

[You acquire 30 All Stats.]

Hyunsoo grew puzzled.

Why? Why did it rise as much as when I forged a Mythic-grade artifact?

Of course, the notification said it was because of the Mythic-grade enhancement stones, but that explanation alone was not enough.

Hyunsoo thought the answer would be in +7 Full Bloom.

Before checking +7 Full Bloom, he recalled Full Bloom from when it had been an ordinary “Transcendent”-grade sword.

Its Attack Power was 852, All Stats 4%, Critical Rate 230%, Cutting Power 110%. And there was no attack success rate increase option.

Then he checked +7 Full Bloom.

(+7 Full Bloom.)

Grade: Transcendent.

Durability: Infinite

Attack Power: 1,449

Restriction: Level 550 or higher swordsman, creator

Special Abilities:

·All Stats 8.2%

·Critical Rate 460%

·Cutting Power 310%

·Attack success rate 270%

·Highest-grade Sword Mastery +8

·Passive Skill Demon Prison.

·Passive Skill Infinite Growth.

·Passive Skill Infinite Regeneration.

·Active Skill Full Bloom Transformation.

·Active Skill Bloom in Profusion.

·Active Skill Summon Grout.

·As an effect, when Full Bloom Transformation is activated after absorbing blood, the sword will be dyed the color of cherry blossoms and bloom fully.

·A notification of the appearance of a sword that leads an era may rarely sound, and this can be toggled on and off.

Description: An infinitely growing sword crafted by a blacksmith who leads an era. It is the crafted product from the story of Full Bloom and the Blacksmith, which has been recorded in history, and by applying the Evil God’s Enhancement Stone, it has also been made into the greatest enhanced item across all eras.

Hyunsoo marveled.

And this is Transcendent grade......?

To be honest, Hyunsoo believed its basic stats had reached the level of the White Tiger Sword.

No, against ordinary monsters, it’s superior to the White Tiger Sword.

The White Tiger Sword’s greatest strength, and also its weakness, lay in the fact that it was a holy sword all-in on “holy power.”

But Lee Sejin had publicly announced that Baal had a setting where holy power did not work on him, and Destroy Evil did not work either.

In other words, except against evil, this Full Bloom was far more outstanding against most monsters and Baal.

Also.

Full Bloom originally didn’t have attack success rate.

Attack success rate was most important when facing a target higher Level than oneself.

If the Level gap was over 100, there were plenty of cases where damage did not go through at all.

But if attack success rate was high, even that damage could be dealt.

That was the specialty of the “Evil God’s Enhancement Stone.”

Because only this Evil God’s Enhancement Stone raised even Critical Rate, attack success rate, Cutting Power, and more.

He also checked the most important thing.

It was Infinite Regeneration, which would be the core of the Endurance event.

(Infinite Regeneration.)

Passive Skill.

Effect:

·Rapidly recovers using enemies’ blood.

·You recover 12% of the damage dealt.

·When attacked, there is a 5% chance to recover yourself using the damage dealt by those within a 20-meter radius.

·By creating synergy with Infinite Growth, when the grade rises, the 6% recovery amount increases significantly.

Huh?

Hyunsoo was swept up in surprise.

Infinite Regeneration gained a new effect?

When attacked, it had a 5% chance to activate and recover him through the damage dealt by those within a 20-meter radius.

In other words.

It’s an area recovery ability, isn’t it?

Of course, this seemed like a power that would not have much effect in one-on-one combat.

But in battles against many.

Especially on a “battlefield,” it seemed like a skill that could display an absurd amount of power.

The disappointing part was that it only had a 5% chance to activate when he was attacked.

But Hyunsoo was confident.

My strength is completely different from before I entered the forge.

Even he could not tell what level he had reached.

I’ll confirm it in Endurance.

Hyunsoo stepped out of the forge.

Before he knew it, all the participants in the Endurance event had finished preparing and gathered.

—The last participant, Team Korea’s captain, player Hyunsoo, is entering.

—Last night, voting was held for a total of 132 participants. Unfortunately, user Hyunsoo recorded a vote share of 0.02%, placing last.

—This happened because user Hyunsoo is the only one who is not a tanker, among other factors, so it is not exactly a great surprise.

—As I say that, all participants are entering the capsules.

And so, amid everyone’s concern.

The Endurance event began.