NOVEL NEXT chapter 59 - Sword King’s Swordsmanship (1)
As soon as he woke up, Hyunsoo logged into Ares and heard a puzzling notification.
[Hyun’s Forge subscribers reach 310,000.]
‘All of a sudden? Did something happen?’
Hyunsoo opened the Auction Board to check his subscriber count.
[Hyun’s Forge subscribers: 313,161.]
[Current Korea blacksmith-channel rank: #81.]
Seeing he’d slipped into the top 100 in an instant, Hyunsoo was dumbfounded.
Considering he’d been holding around 230,000 before, he’d gained 90,000 subscribers in his sleep.
Once he accessed the Auction Board, Hyunsoo could see why.
[Is this the sword joint that crafted the Sword King Barad’s blade?]
[How long is the waitlist here?]
[Forever. If Blacksmith Hyun doesn’t accept your commission, you’ll be waiting forever.]
[I’m out, f***…]
[Did Blacksmith Hyun really make Barad’s sword?]
[Did you not watch yesterday’s Address Ceremony, lol.]
[So when are you taking user commissions, exactly?]
‘Address Ceremony?’
Hyunsoo wore a puzzled look. Address Ceremony?
He pulled up the community and checked—then he was startled.
‘Barad attended the Address Ceremony? Put the sword down where it was easy to see?’
Hyunsoo gave a small smile.
The reward that a single death had brought him was sweet beyond measure.
He keyed the hologram and entered the Ares community as well.
Up to now, Hyunsoo had only been hot in the blacksmith community.
Now they were talking about him here, too.
[Did you see Hyun’s Forge hit #19 on FindNet’s real-time search overnight? Wild.]
[Saw it. Been a while since a user hit real-time search. Who is Hyun, anyway?]
Hyunsoo found a post explaining Hyun.
[Blacksmith Hyun. He started getting known by selling a sword-that-cuts-swords to Lord, and the blacksmith guilds were already eyeing him from the time he sold Hyun’s First Sword.]
[More recently, he got famous for selling an arrow marked with Hyun to the Super Rookie champ they call the Crazy Rookie.]
“Hm?”
Hyunsoo tilted his head.
The handle on a pinned best post looked familiar.
‘NyangMeongPunch?’
As far as Hyunsoo knew, that was Nell. Not long ago, Nell had said this:
‘I don’t know if I’ll be your first guild member or your manager, but I’ll do my very best~’
She’d said she would work to raise Hyunsoo up and had called herself his manager.
‘She’s hustling.’
Thanks to her, the community reaction was on fire.
[Daaang, a blacksmithing hotspot approved by the Sword King.]
[But nothing’s been revealed about Hyun, right? No age, no level, not even gender, lol.]
[Rumor says he’s a chubby guy in his forties.]
[If he’s not revealing his face yet, odds are high, lol.]
Pff.
Hyunsoo laughed it off. He didn’t care about people talking about his looks.
For some reason, ever since he was young, many women had flocked around Hyunsoo, and he’d been popular.
So he realized this effect might be good for him.
‘It’ll be fun when I reveal myself later.’
There would come a day he showed his face.
[I subbed too. But what I’m most curious about is info on the sword Sword King Barad has.]
[What if we just go to Sword King Barad and ask him to show it once…?]
[Dude, you’ll get a kill-on-sight order…]
[F*** lmao.]
[I’m super curious too…]
[I subbed just for that. Hyun! You seeing this!? Reveal the specs of the sword you made for Barad right now!]
‘I could make use of that later, too.’
The only person who knew the information on Barad’s sword was Hyunsoo.
His attendants were tight-lipped; of course they’d stay quiet.
When he checked the subscriber count again, it was steadily rising.
‘There are even articles.’
Smiling in satisfaction, Hyunsoo set off.
He didn’t forget one simple fact.
‘I might become the target of many.’
For now, he was playing under two names: the Crazy Rookie and Blacksmith Hyun.
Later, Hyunsoo might face many attacks.
All the better for him to become stronger and stronger in preparation for that time.
With fighting spirit flaring, Hyunsoo walked to the Audience Hall.
****
Barad understood what Knight Commander Benson said.
Ares.
Within this game, the supercomputer Ares is regarded as the god who governs the whole.
“Your Majesty only recently appointed Lord as your heir and has already passed down your swordsmanship.”
Yes, that was the issue.
The day he’d passed it down was too recent.
“He must have the qualification. Of course, I am grateful to this Hyunsoo who saved Your Majesty’s life. But it must not be passed down to one without qualification.”
Yes—qualification.
A matter of qualification.
High-ranker Lord had also struggled and proven himself to Sword King Barad for that qualification, had he not?
Barad also knew this sort of thing would happen.
‘I have no intention of passing it down to just anyone, either.’
The Sword King’s swordsmanship is his very face.
He needed a way that Ares would not interfere with, and that people like Knight Commander Benson could not object to.
“…And have you heard what sort of power that blacksmith possesses?”
A blacksmith with a certain power.
That referred to his class.
Barad stroked his chin.
‘Come to think of it, I hadn’t considered that.’
There was no need to know in the first place. He was simply one who, without any mysterious power, moved him with sheer skill.
“If he’s just an ordinary blacksmith… I doubt whether he should learn Your Majesty’s swordsmanship. I fear it might blemish Your Majesty’s name.”
But Barad was not someone who would refuse to teach over such words.
He had anticipated all of this from the start.
‘Hyunsoo is my close friend.’
What he had promised a close friend.
There would be many attendants like Benson.
Even a king cannot do everything arbitrarily.
If he did, the kingdom’s order would collapse.
That was why Barad had deliberately set the board.
“How about you, yourself, test that qualification?”
“Pardon?”
Benson wore a puzzled expression. A small smile played at Barad’s lips.
“If even you give your approval, who would dare raise a rebellion?”
The Knight Commander of Goyard, the land of the sword. The king approves, and Knight Commander Benson approves as well?
“As I tested Lord, you will personally test the qualification. I had set 70% training progress for him, but we can change that.”
“…That is a good idea.”
Benson thought it not bad.
“If Hyunsoo succeeds in landing more than three attacks on you, I will teach him the Sword King’s Swordsmanship.”
“Understood. I should also learn what sort of power that blacksmith possesses.”
“I shall ask Hyunsoo that myself.”
Commander Benson wondered if the king had changed his mind. Perhaps his words had been persuasive.
A short while later, Hyunsoo entered the Audience Hall.
****
Hyunsoo wore a puzzled look.
“…Therefore, Commander Benson will test your qualification, Hyunsoo.”
DING!
[The Skill Quest details are updated.]
[Skill Quest: Sword King’s Swordsmanship]
Grade: S
Restriction: One who received Barad’s offer.
Reward: Sword King’s Swordsmanship.
Failure Penalty: Affinity with Barad decreases.
Description: Sword King Barad’s swordsmanship is not for just anyone. Succeed in landing 3 or more attacks on Commander Benson.
Hyunsoo saw something in Barad’s eyes.
Very slowly, Barad nodded. In that gaze, Hyunsoo saw faith.
A firm belief that Hyunsoo would easily clear this paltry obstacle.
‘Thank you, Your Majesty.’
Barad still held firm the intent to pass down the Sword King’s Swordsmanship.
In other words, this situation was one he had created for Hyunsoo.
Commander Benson spoke.
“Please understand why His Majesty can do no other than this.”
And Hyunsoo understood the whole situation.
‘I do need to consider His Majesty Barad’s position.’
Of course, as a user, it would be nice for Hyunsoo to simply receive—but he had already received too much.
By attending the Address Ceremony, Barad had widely promoted him and added 30% to the value of the three swords.
And the Blessing of a Close Friend was a fine blessing available nowhere else.
“The gap in strength between the two is great, so the commander must not use mana.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Benson readily agreed.
As he walked to the training grounds, Hyunsoo pondered how to proceed.
‘So that’s how I’ll do it.’
He gave a small smile.
****
Benson intended to finish this ridiculous qualification proof quickly.
He knew the boy was called the Crazy Rookie for winning the Super Rookie Tournament.
But the gap in strength was too vast.
Moreover, Benson’s condition today was at its peak.
And he had already taken note of what to watch for.
‘He’s the maker of a sword-that-cuts-swords.’
He could make such a sword.
Furthermore, Benson had watched the Super Rookie Tournament himself.
‘He crafts an artifact right there on the spot.’
Benson gave a wry smile.
Did they think he had no counter to such things?
‘Break it the very instant it’s made.’
If you shatter all power before it’s invoked, activation is nullified.
Hyunsoo was no match from the outset.
The two faced each other.
Bella, who had come along, spoke at once.
“Begin.”
At that moment, a translucent ore rose above Hyunsoo’s head.
“That’s unfortunate.”
Seeing a pattern far too easy, Benson moved.
The ore melted rapidly, followed by refinement. Benson sprang lightly into the air toward the empty space.
“With such a trifle, I need only nullify it.”
Before long, the refined ore took the shape of a blade with a ruddy hue.
A sword not yet complete.
It was the very instant he swung his own sword to cut it down—
“…Done.”
Benson’s thoughts halted.
What is this?
The blade was still glowing hot.
That could not be called a completed sword.
And yet—
TCH-TCH-TCH-TCH—
Cracks began to spread across the reddened blade.
‘No way…!’
He caught on to Hyunsoo’s plan.
But his own sword had already collided with that blade.
CHANG—!
In the moment of impact, everything brushed by in slow motion.
The sword shattered. Into hundreds of pieces.
Had his sword broken it?
‘No.’
Hyunsoo had made it break on its own.
FWOOOOSH—!
Hundreds of sword fragments scattered around.
Fweee—
Fwee-fwee-fwee-fwee-fwee—
Those hundreds of glowing-hot fragments skimmed all over Benson’s body.
[1st success.]
[2nd success.]
[3rd success.]
[4th success.]
[…]
[…]
[You succeed in a total of 59 strikes.]
He exceeded three and succeeded in fifty-nine strikes.
Of course, to Benson, it tickled like a child’s prank.
Panicking, Benson asked,
“Blacksmith Hyunsoo, to what height have you ascended as a blacksmith?”
“Do you mean my class?”
He looked to Barad.
“It will not leak anywhere.”
Benson would acknowledge him. The issue was the class he possessed.
Every time he used that swordsmanship, Hyunsoo would become widely known. Therefore, at minimum, he must possess a class of at least Epic…
“I am the God of Blacksmiths.”
Benson’s eyes went wide. The God of Blacksmiths. He had heard of it when he was very young.
The finest blacksmith—and a mighty warrior!
His Majesty asked,
“Well? Is that sufficient proof?”
To that, Benson said,
“No, it is not.”
Barad’s brow furrowed. Even this was not proof…?
“I am simply overwhelmed that the God of Blacksmiths will learn Your Majesty’s swordsmanship!”