Genius Blacksmith's Game

“Just once.”

The entire world watched a young man who had suffered school bullying in childhood and lived as someone vulnerable and pushed aside.

Jongha’s eyes gleamed as he gripped the Twin Dragon Sword tight, and in this moment, he became the object of every Korean’s admiration.

The sight of him facing more than a hundred ships with only twelve under his command, standing firm without wavering, captured the hearts of countless women.

And not only women.

Children, the elderly, ordinary people—

and people all over the world watched the young man who had endured a miserable childhood.

CREAK—

The way he gripped and twisted the handle fiercely showed that he was staking his life on this.

“Even if only once.”

At that heavy sentence, the whole world also wondered why the other ships could not move.

The reason was simple.

Crane-Wing Formation.

It referred to a tactic in which ships spread their wings like a crane to surround enemy ships.

In the past, it had been only a tactic, but in Ares, it was different.

Once the tactic succeeded, the more enemies were caught within its effective radius, the greater the force that could restrict them became.

[The ships’ movement is being controlled by Crane-Wing Formation.]

[You cannot use cannons.]

[You cannot turn the bow.]

People across the world realized it only belatedly, and when they could not turn their bows even if they wanted to, and could not fire even if they wanted to, more than a hundred rankers panicked.

And in the stands.

A mother in shabby clothes watched her son, who had never shown confidence day after day, who had not even cut his hair properly, and who had been pointed at by everyone.

“Jongha......”

His other relatives had nagged and laughed at him under the guise of worry.

But not his mother.

She had told him to do whatever he wanted if there was something he wished to do, and more than anyone, she had hoped he would step out into the world.

CREAK—

Strength entered the hands she clasped as if in prayer.

The words “even if only once” seemed to show all the sorrow, pain, and suffering Jongha had endured.

The users participating in Naval Battle were also panicking.

[Status ailment Suppression activates.]

[It cannot be resisted.]

It was as though every ship had been caught tight in a giant spiderweb.

“Damn it, move!”

“I said move!”

“You’re saying he’s suppressing every ship? What kind of nonsense is this!?”

“If you seek death, you will live. If you seek life, you will die. It appears to be that man’s skill. It seems to be a buff skill he receives when he fights prepared to die, and when he faces a situation worthy of that resolve.”

There were buff skills that maximized all stats and the like the greater the danger.

That was the advantage of classes such as mad warriors, Berserkers, and Radiant Monarchs.

One user objected.

“Even if he receives a buff in an impossible situation, what class could possibly suppress over a hundred of us?”

“......”

“......”

“......”

Everyone there agreed.

They looked at Jongha, whose eyes were shining, and his lips opened.

“Please let us defeat the enemy.”

SLAAAAAASH—!

At last, the red Twin Dragon Sword cut across the wide-open horizon.

DING!

[Even If Only Once is completed.]

[A wave that causes 5,400% additional damage swallows and destroys all enemies.]

[The Turtle Ships’ cannon-loading speed becomes 3x faster, and cannon damage increases by 2x.]

[All ships are targeted.]

At that moment, the calm sea began to twist into a huge whirlpool, starting from the tip of the Twin Dragon Sword he had swung.

That whirlpool dragged in the ships controlled by Suppression.

“Khrrrk!”

“Khaaap!”

Several ships were sucked into the whirlpool, and the people aboard lost their balance.

Some grabbed the railings and tried to hold on as long as they could.

But the moment they were drawn into the whirlpool, their eyes flew wide.

CRUUUNCH—!

It sounded as though the ships were being crushed.

The ships sucked into the whirlpool were literally being torn apart.

RUMBLEEEEEEE—!

What had begun as one whirlpool split into several, swallowing them with 5,400% damage.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE—

[The ship’s Durability has fallen below 45%.]

The rankers panicked at the Durability of their ships plummeting at tremendous speed.

Among them, Noah, the owner of the Giant Ship, regained his senses first.

He barely crawled over and pulled the ship’s lever with all his might.

[Rapid Acceleration.]

KWAAAAAAAH—!

The ship’s oars rowed rapidly, roaring as it tried to break free from the whirlpool.

All of the hundred or so ships accelerated and began escaping the whirlpool.

“We made it......!”

Noah sighed in relief after leaving the whirlpool’s area of effect, only to freeze in shock.

The twelve Turtle Ships were already showing the sides of their hulls.

Noah shouted, “You won’t be able to break it!”

His ship was a Giant Ship whose Defense was far higher than ordinary ships.

It was called a ship like an immovable mountain.

Though it was slow and could not run fast, it was harder than any other ship and could not be destroyed.

BOOOOOOM—!

And the moment the ships turned to port and bombarded him, that thought changed.

CRAACK—!

Fragments of the ship scattered.

It was the effect of the Turtle Ships’ damage doubling after Crane-Wing Formation succeeded.

And also—

“They already reloaded!!!?”

Their loading speed was at an absurd level.

Twelve ships with double damage and twice the loading speed opened fire at once.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAK—!

And the biggest problem was that before the World Message rang, the other ships had already been tangled together in combat.

Because of that, most of the ships’ Durability had already fallen below roughly 60%.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!

Through the Turtle Ships endlessly belching fire, the whole world witnessed a shocking sight.

—More than twenty ships have been half-destroyed and are sinking. Isn’t this far too incredible an achievement to accomplish with only twelve ships?

—The ships are being smashed apart without even being able to put up a fight. Today, the whole world witnesses a newly born rising powerhouse!

—I guarantee it: at sea, at least, Successor of Admiral Yi may be the greatest class of all!

No one objected.

Viewers around the world were astonished too.

—I can hardly believe Korea had such talent hidden away.

—The Successor of Admiral Yi class is so incredible I’m speechless.

But one viewer corrected that person.

—It isn’t the Successor of Admiral Yi that’s amazing. It’s Lee Jongha.

—......

—......

It was an undeniable truth.

[Crane-Wing Formation ends.]

And Lee Jongha, holding his Twin Dragon Sword, climbed onto another ship.

In truth, this was the first time Lee Jongha had ever fought other users directly.

And yet.

SLAAASH—!

After cutting down one ranker, he realized it.

It’s...... easy?

It was far easier than he had expected.

Suddenly, the countless trials he had faced on Story Island surfaced in Jongha’s mind.

There had been dozens of them.

Jongha had not known it at the time, but every single one of them had been high-difficulty, ranging from SS to SSS Grade.

And Jongha had cleared every one of those quests.

The Story King would not take someone with “only a sense of justice” as his successor.

Jongha had simply not known his own strength because he had only ever been active on Story Island.

And on top of that—

the newly obtained red Twin Dragon Sword.

The increase to all his stats after advancing to the new class, Successor of Admiral Yi.

And most of all, the weakness of the “captains” who operated ships was that they were a class somewhere in the middle, neither “warriors” nor “assassins.”

Their stats, Defense, and attack skills were all ambiguous.

By contrast, Jongha, who had advanced from an ordinary “warrior” class to Successor of Admiral Yi, was literally on a different level from ordinary users.

“Get him!”

“I said stop him!!”

“Focus your attacks! Remove the strongest gold-medal favorite first!”

Every ranker on the ship focused on Jongha.

After Crane-Wing Formation ended and their ships were freed from Suppression, they fired endless cannonballs at the Turtle Ships.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—

One Turtle Ship, then two, began to sink.

And Jongha’s HP, as he fought more than a dozen users on top of a ship, rapidly plummeted.

After only about three minutes.

[HP has fallen below 3%.]

The rankers across the world watching Jongha with the red Twin Dragon Sword were amazed.

Through the chain of Crane-Wing Formation, “If you seek death, you will live; if you seek life, you will die,” and Even If Only Once—and through the majesty of the Turtle Ships—he had sunk more than thirty ships on his own.

And moreover, if a “captain” died, elimination naturally followed.

The number of users Jongha had cut down by himself exceeded fifteen.

Then Jongha spread both arms wide.

“......”

At the wit he showed in the moment nearing death, Noah and the rankers from around the world said:

“......I’m almost tempted to become close to you. You are incredible. How can a single user......”

“Lee Jongha. I acknowledge you.”

And Noah stepped forward at the head of them.

“Though you did not win a medal, no one will think you were defeated.”

At that, Jongha smiled brightly.

The entire world agreed.

—Lee Jongha, who destroyed dozens of ships alone, will be remembered as a hero, even though he is eliminated here.

The viewers were the same.

—You fought well, Lee Jongha. You were incredible!

—I’m a Lee Jongha fan starting today.

But then Lee Jongha spoke.

“Done.”

“......?”

“......?”

“......?”

The rankers looked puzzled.

They thought he meant that he was done.

Then Noah and the rankers remembered the number of Turtle Ships that had sunk.

“Eleven......?”

Jongha had first brought twelve ships with Crane-Wing Formation, but the moment he activated Even If Only Once, he had secretly sent one ship elsewhere.

That ship had taken a wide detour and raced toward Whale Island.

[The Turtle Ship reaches Whale Island.]

“......!”

From the start, the rules of Naval Battle had never said the “captain” had to reach Whale Island.

The winner was the person whose ship arrived first.

[Korea’s Lee Jongha is confirmed as the gold medalist.]

The entire world fell into shock.

Jongha, whose gold medal had been confirmed, vanished into light.

It was the moment Korea seized its second gold medal, overturning everyone’s expectations.

After that.

There were no upsets.

Noah won the silver medal, and a Portuguese user won the bronze medal.

The award ceremony.

Lee Jongha, with the gold medal around his neck, faced hundreds of reporters swarming him.

Standing in front of hundreds of people to share his thoughts, Lee Jongha said, “I dedicate this glory to my mother...... Hic......”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Jongha covered his mouth and cried, and the meme of Jongha covering his mouth spread across the world.

The organizers also brought the mother of the nation’s hero from the audience, and when Lee Jongha embraced his mother, it became another highlight scene of Continental War: World Championship.

Endless articles poured out.

—Korea secures two gold medals.

—Lee Jongha’s market value skyrockets......

—The entire nation gives Captain Hyunsoo a thumbs-up for scouting Lee Jongha.

—Lee Jongha reportedly expected to receive advertising offers from hundreds of companies......

—National hero Lee Jongha rises as king of the sea, with evaluations saying that at sea, at least, he is above Valhalla.

The entire world announced the birth of a new powerhouse in this way.

And Hyein came to find Hyunsoo.

Hyunsoo realized why Hyein had visited.

“You came to tell me to persuade Jongha to join the nation of Hyun, right? There’s no reason for Jongha to come to the nation of Hyun. If there is one, it’s that I scouted him, but I don’t want to burden someone now loved by the whole world over something that small.”

He meant it, and there was another reason as well.

“I don’t think he’d become a great strength just because he came to our guild that way. If there isn’t a tight bond between us, things will go wrong someday.”

Whoooosh—

Hyunsoo let the blowing wind wash over him.

His thought was that Jongha had Jongha’s own life, and he believed he had become quite mature.

But then.

“......What are you talking about?”

“??”

“The blacksmiths’ showdown you’ll be participating in soon, Master Blacksmith, is about to begin, so I came to tell you to prepare properly.”

“......Ahem.”

Hyunsoo cleared his throat, and Nell said, “Jongha’s value has risen too much for him to join the nation of Hyun. Even right now, he’s worth tens of billions. We couldn’t even think about something like that.”

It was true.

Jongha had now become a much bigger figure than Hyunsoo had imagined.

Right then.

Jongha came to find him.

“......There’s something I need to say.”

Jongha believed that he had been able to shine because Hyunsoo had scouted him.

Also, there was one reason Jongha had been able to win.

“It would have been impossible without the Twin Dragon Sword.”

At the time, Hyunsoo had made it with all his heart.

He had not known about Jongha, but he had done it for the Story King.

The story of the two people that began that day had finally reached its conclusion.

“I will protect your sea.”

[Lee Jongha applies to join the nation of Hyun.]

And.

It was beginning again as the story of a king and Admiral Yi.