Chapter 577: Throne Match (8)

As mentioned.

Hyunsoo’s offer to touch up Lorander’s Fighting God’s Obsession had not come from goodwill.

Among artifacts, types that evolved into the next grade through quests were rare.

Especially ones that evolved from Transcendent to Mythic. It would be hard to find another like it in the future.

Also.

As the holder of the title God of Blacksmiths, Hyunsoo could obtain growth in the form of all-stat increases if he forged a Mythic item.

Of course.

The first part is more likely to fail.

It was impossible for anything he touched to automatically become Mythic.

Even so, there was another reason he had decided to do it.

On the surface, Fighting God’s Obsession looks crude, and its completeness doesn’t seem very high.

Because of that, even if it could not become Mythic...

I was certain I could forge a Transcendent item superior to the Transcendent item Lorander had been holding before.

It was rare for Hyunsoo to have that kind of certainty.

And when he received Fighting God’s Obsession from Lorander, Hyunsoo’s certainty grew even stronger.

As expected...

Hyunsoo placed it on the workbench and examined it carefully.

It was a dagger about forty centimeters long, with a black blade and a silver grip.

Thunk.

The sound it made when he flicked it with his finger was closer to dull than clear.

In other words.

It wasn’t made simply for cutting.

If a dagger was made thick, it could be used not only for stabbing but also for slashing.

He thought about why such an unremarkable dagger could possibly go as far as Mythic.

Could it be because of a god’s power, rather than because its level of completeness is high?

A god’s power.

A holy and great god might have bestowed “protection upon this artifact.”

Or.

Just as artifacts from tales displayed more outstanding effects than ordinary artifacts.

It might simply be special because it originated from the Fighting God.

The answer lay in checking it.

(Fighting God’s Obsession.)

Grade: Transcendent.

Durability: Infinite.

Attack Power: 862

Restriction: Fighting God.

Special Abilities:

· Increases attack speed by 50%.

· Increases movement speed by 26%.

· Increases attack success rate by 90%.

· Passive Skill: Obsession.

· Active Skill: Arena.

· Active Skill: Fighting God Rampage.

· Linked Quest: Fighting God’s Obsession has failed, so it can no longer evolve.

Description: A dagger that once appeared in myth, personally held by the Fighting God as he defeated many opponents. As time passed and passed, the myth weakened, and its grade eventually fell.

...As expected.

This dagger was something from myth.

And it was only special because a god had once held it.

Therefore, unless that god bestowed a blessing on this dagger, it could not recover its original form... That would have been the normal setting.

However, Hyunsoo could touch artifacts labeled “repair impossible” and “crafting impossible.”

So he was about to place it into the furnace.

[The god who loved fighting more than anyone is watching you.]

The notification that rang out made Hyunsoo tense.

Although Hyunsoo was also called the God of Blacksmiths.

It was no ordinary matter for some hidden god to watch him.

Hyunsoo grew worried.

If this is a god who feels enormous resistance toward someone carelessly touching his myth, this could become a serious problem.

However.

[The god who loved fighting finds this interesting.]

“...?”

He thought about a god’s primal instinct.

A god would want what they left behind to become holier, and they would like to be remembered as great.

[The god who loved fighting observes your identity and is surprised.]

Also, if Hyunsoo had been an ordinary blacksmith, the god might have felt resistance first, since the artifact would be forged by the hands of a mere human.

But once he observed Hyunsoo and learned he was the God of Blacksmiths, the direction flowed more favorably.

[A new story begins.]

[Sudden Quest: Fighting God’s Wish has been created.]

Ding!

[Sudden Quest: Fighting God’s Wish.]

Grade: SS

Restriction: One who triggered a new story.

Reward: All stats +5.

Penalty on Failure: None.

Description: The Fighting God wants a more special and superior Fighting God’s Obsession. Complete it.

This quest was unusual.

First of all, there was no penalty for failure.

Also, the Fighting God wanted a more special and superior Fighting God’s Obsession to be born.

Of course, the Fighting God could forge it into “Mythic” with his own power.

After all, if Lorander had completed the quest in the first place, it would have evolved into Mythic.

However.

There are bound to be realms even a god cannot handle carelessly.

If gods could do whatever they wanted, the framework of Ares would collapse.

The balance would be destroyed, and Ares would become a world occupied by gods.

That was right.

Gods merely have a wider range of things they can do than humans. There are still things they cannot do carelessly.

It was fortunate for Hyunsoo.

Whew...

If the Fighting God had opposed the creation of a better dagger, Hyunsoo might not have been able to even begin.

“I’ll start.”

He placed Fighting God’s Obsession into the furnace.

And while watching it melt, he also purchased various materials to be newly used for Fighting God’s Obsession through the auction houses of several blacksmiths.

Of course, all these materials.

I can include them in the commission fee and bill him for them.

Even as he went through processes such as removing the impurities from Fighting God’s Obsession, a new blueprint was being drawn in Hyunsoo’s mind.

“I’m going to try making it into something that feels like the Fighting God through and through. Not an artifact of the Fighting God because the Fighting God’s power dwells in it, but an artifact that can make Lorander into the Fighting God.”

The Fighting God did not respond.

But the idea that Lorander could become the Fighting God when he held this was heated.

He would make an artifact that could allow an ordinary human to reach a god.

What he needed for that was obsession, effort, and a perfect blueprint.

[You are falling into the extreme state of selflessness!]

Concentration.

On the first night, he thought about the new blueprint and how to mix the existing materials with the purchased materials.

There were many kinds of daggers, and this one was an ordinary dagger.

He decided to rebirth it into a dagger in a form that suited Lorander.

The second day passed, and he repeated failure several times.

And on the third day.

Hyunsoo, growing exhausted, finally found the complete feeling.

Claaang! Claaang! Claaaang!

As he found the feeling and forged it, shaping it into an entirely new form, Hyunsoo realized something and was startled.

“...Could the reason the quest’s name is Wish be...?”

Hyunsoo was a blacksmith who valued stories.

Only on the third day did he realize that there was an excellent story here.

Lorander’s story.

He had been saddened, saying he had wanted to meet the Fighting God but could no longer do so, and he had despaired, saying the Fighting God had abandoned him.

Was that really so?

There were things even the Fighting God could not do as he pleased.

He could not grant a reward when the trial had not been completed.

The reason the Fighting God had begun watching him in the first place.

Lorander wanted to meet the Fighting God, and wasn’t the Fighting God saddened that Lorander, his descendant, failed to reach him?

Hyunsoo was the one who had stepped between them, and that “wish.”

He felt that it came from the Fighting God’s heart, wishing for Lorander to hold a Mythic item.

The moment he realized that fact.

Chaaaaak—!!!

[You are falling into the extreme state of selflessness!!]

[You are falling into the extreme state of selflessness!!]

[You are falling deeper than ever before!]

The movements of the blacksmith who valued stories grew firmer, faster, and danced within a deeper immersion.

Lorander, holding a Mythic item, would be able to chase the path toward the Fighting God in another way.

And the Fighting God would want him to come to him again.

Hyunsoo would also deliver the Fighting God’s story to Lorander.

At the end of those thoughts, the dagger was completed before he knew it.

The name engraved on one face of the dagger.

It was Hyun.

But he engraved another name on the opposite face.

That name.

Fighting God.

Those two characters, written one by one in Chinese characters, declared it.

The ones who had crafted this were Hyunsoo and the Fighting God together.

Through his wish alone, the Fighting God had contributed to the crafting and lent it power.

And when Hyunsoo, sunk in deep immersion, finally set it down with a tap.

“...”

Hyunsoo felt it himself.

He had reached the pinnacle of recreation.

[You have newly recreated Fighting God’s Obsession.]

[This is an astonishing achievement.]

[Fighting God’s Obsession’s grade has risen.]

[It is a Mythic artifact.]

[You acquire 2,000 Fame.]

[You acquire 300 Overwhelm.]

[You acquire 30 points ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) to all stats.]

Ding!

[Sudden Quest: Fighting God’s Wish complete.]

[You acquire 5 points to all stats.]

Flaaaaaash—!!!

A smile naturally rose to his face at the vast light bursting from the newly recreated Fighting God’s Obsession.

Hyunsoo wanted to swing it around, but because his immersion had been far too deep, he could not even do that and ended up sliding down against the wall.

Slide.

[You have been afflicted with the status ailment Fainting.]

He lifted it and looked at it, then hurriedly placed it into his inventory as he felt his eyelids growing heavy. Even in the midst of that, he wondered about one being’s reaction.

[The god who loves fighting is overjoyed by the newly recreated Fighting God’s Obsession.]

[The god who loves fighting will remember the name of the god good at making things, Hyunsoo.]

Heh.

The god good at making things?

It was a nice name.

And it was just as the Fighting God had said.

This newly recreated dagger.

It was truly incredible.

*****

[It is a Mythic artifact.]

Lorander.

As he held Fighting God’s Obsession, he fell into rapture.

The old Fighting God’s Obsession had been a dagger with the appearance of an ordinary, common dagger, its black blade harmonizing with a silver grip.

But the newly recreated Fighting God’s Obsession was impressive not only in grade but in appearance as well.

It was a dagger, but it was heavy, and its blade tip was curved.

By making the blade tip curve, Hyunsoo had also allowed the wearer to cut enemies powerfully with little strength.

When this cut an enemy, the wounds it left rapidly across the enemy’s body would be impressive.

Moreover, the blade had changed to white, and the grip was black.

Hyunsoo, fully awake from his fainting spell, spoke.

“Kukri. That’s the name of that dagger.”

“Kukri...?”

“I think you’ve heard of Gurkha mercenaries. They’re world-class mercenaries. This is the dagger they mainly use, and you could call it the heart of Nepal. It’s easy to swing and heavy as well. The downside is that its durability isn’t particularly good, so even though it’s Mythic, it doesn’t have infinite durability.”

Hyunsoo began telling the story.

“During the crafting process, the Fighting God approached me...”

As Lorander listened to each part, he learned why the names Hyun and Fighting God were written on this dagger called a kukri.

“Although the path of reaching the Fighting God by defeating me failed, he’s waiting for you.”

“...”

Lorander looked down at Fighting God’s Obsession.

The Fighting God class he had obtained was special. Unlike other users, when he gained something, he could see numerically how much stronger he had become.

[You have grown 74% stronger than before.]

[In a one-on-one fight, there will no longer be anyone who can oppose you.]

It was just as the notifications proved.

As long as Lorander had this dagger, he could start again.

When he had lost everything, he had gained the greatest thing.

“Holding that, you really do look like the Fighting God.”

Lorander looked at Hyunsoo, who was delighted that he had satisfied his client.

Lorander had now undeniably become the strongest in Ares, and that strongest man said,

“Can I pay you back after I earn the money...?”

“...”

Lorander, in truth, had no money.

Hyunsoo was flustered.

Wait. He already has it, so if he runs, I can’t get paid, can I?

A sudden, enormous anxiety swept over Hyunsoo.

The problem was that he had already transferred ownership.

Hyunsoo sometimes showed this kind of naive side, and as his eyes trembled with anxiety, Lorander said,

“What if I pay interest too?”

“...Let’s do that.”

At the word interest, Hyunsoo, like a proper slave to capitalism, quickly accepted, and Lorander began telling him something.

“Not long ago, the Parion Empire secretly placed a murder request. Kill Master Blacksmith Hyun.”

“What...?”

“They offered ten billion as the bounty, and starting tomorrow, the bounty hunt is scheduled to begin. The fortunate thing is that those who accepted the murder request will target only you, not the citizens or the people around you.”

Hyunsoo felt an enormous sense of crisis.

Assassins sent by the Parion Empire would target only him.

And for the huge sum of ten billion, no less.

Then.

[Lorander has applied to join the Hyun’s Forge guild.]

“I’ll pay the interest by protecting you.”

Lorander, the strongest PvP user holding Fighting God’s Obsession.

In his own way, he was repaying Hyunsoo.