Chapter 611: Supreme (2)

Inherited Title

Grade: SS

Special Abilities:

· This title recognizes you as the Supreme across the entire continent. Wherever you go, you will more easily receive favor and respect.

· You gain a versatile talent that allows you to learn and master anything far faster than ordinary people.

· EXP acquisition rate permanently increases by 25%.

· Against those at least 100 levels below you, all abilities increase by 15%.

· If you lose a PvP match against a user while your HP and MP are both at 100%, the title Supreme you possess will be inherited by that opponent.

· Upon reaching SSS grade, it will transform into your Unique Title and can no longer be inherited by anyone.

· The method for reaching SSS grade is unknown.

The title Supreme.

Even the name alone sounded grand, like it ought to possess some outrageously powerful effect.

At a glance, it sounded like the kind of title that would raise all abilities by 40% and make someone “Absolutely Invincible,” the strongest among users.

But after examining it closely, Hyunsoo realized that was not the case.

That is a little disappointing...

The title Supreme did not hold any power that would make Hyunsoo stronger right away.

Part of the anticipation Hyunsoo had felt—that obtaining this title would let him firmly protect his position as the Supreme from now on—collapsed.

Just then.

Nell, who had heard that Hyunsoo had received a reward, approached him.

“What did you get?”

“A title called Supreme.”

“Supreme?”

Nell was genuinely startled and realized they had been one step behind.

Nothing was ever eternal. The moment Hyunsoo received the title Supreme, change was bound to come—and Nell had not considered that.

“But why do you look so down?”

“It does not make me stronger right away.”

Nell gave a bitter smile at Hyunsoo’s disappointment.

“Supreme. There is a high chance that title is symbolic.”

As they spoke, Nell examined the title Supreme Hyunsoo had shared and began trying to comfort him.

“So even if it is not as incredible as you expected, do not be too disappointed. Just obtaining a name like Supreme means you have obtained an amazing name—what am I saying? This is insanely good!?”

“???”

Hyunsoo looked at Nell in confusion.

After examining the title Supreme, Nell’s eyes had practically rolled back.

“What is so good about it? There is nothing immediately useful.”

“It is true that there is nothing immediately useful, but ‘the entire continent’ refers to the areas where we users operate. And the fact that Hyunsoo can more easily receive favor and respect there means you will be able to get close to NPCs more easily.”

Nell looked amazed.

“As a king, there will be times when you have to make contracts with the king of a country on a new continent, or with major merchants. At times like that, if you receive terms that are only one or two percent more favorable simply because you are the Supreme, that can generate value worth tens of billions in a single year.”

“...Ghk?”

It was true.

Ordinary users would never have reason to conduct business between kingdoms, with major merchants, or with the chancellors of other nations.

But it created synergy with the fact that Hyunsoo was a king.

And then—

“Do you know what is most important?”

“What?”

“It is not specified. Which means it does not refer to humans alone. It means every race.”

“...!?”

He could receive greater favor even from new races users had not yet reached.

From the elves of Elvenheim.

Or from the dwarves revealed in the latest video.

And countless other races besides.

“Also, it says you will learn and master everything much faster. There is no exact percentage listed, and the description is vague, but the phrase ‘everything’ means the proficiency of every skill you possess will rise far faster than it does for ordinary users.”

“Then does that mean...?”

“That is right. The rate at which skills like Sword King’s Swordsmanship rise in level will become exponentially faster. And whether you learn sculpting or art, the fact that you will learn as quickly as someone born with extraordinary talent is incredible in itself. I finally understand something.”

“What?”

“Valhalla is definitely a swordsman. But do you think of Valhalla as merely a swordsman?”

Hyunsoo thought back carefully.

Rather than simply calling Valhalla a swordsman, it was more accurate to call him the Supreme—a man skilled in everything.

Spearmanship, riding, archery, swordsmanship, assassination, and hand-to-hand combat.

Every one of those skills had reached a level comparable to that of an established ranker.

Come to think of it, he is a monster, is he not?

Of course, Hyunsoo had heard that Valhalla had once been a Navy SEAL.

That was why he had assumed Valhalla was simply innately gifted at fighting, but the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

It was not as though Navy SEALs learned riding and spearmanship.

Naturally, Valhalla must have possessed remarkable innate talent as well.

But—

“Valhalla’s every mastery must have reached the highest tier.”

“...!?”

Hyunsoo was stunned.

Users obtained masteries according to their class.

A swordsman, for example, gained Sword Mastery. As they leveled up, Sword Mastery progressed through the low, intermediate, high, and highest tiers.

And the gap between the low tier and the highest tier was comparable to the difference between Level 100 and Level 500.

That was how difficult it was to reach the highest tier.

Of course, Hyunsoo’s title God of Blacksmiths possessed a similarly broken ability.

When he crafted something of sufficiently high quality, crafting a sword raised Sword Mastery, while crafting a spear raised Spear Mastery.

But it clearly had its limits.

“Perhaps the growth rate of such things was not merely doubled. It may have been several times faster.”

“...”

Of course, it remained uncertain whether Hyunsoo would raise his weapon masteries.

But Hyunsoo had felt the limits of focusing on blacksmithing alone.

There were many different fields of crafting.

Hyunsoo immediately considered this.

If I became skilled at making cloth garments, would that not help when I craft armor as a blacksmith?

No, it would help enormously.

The fact that one person could make both cloth garments and armor clearly allowed them to break free from the limitations of someone who only made armor.

Like this.

Everything could connect to the field of blacksmithing, and if each of those things rose to a high level, Hyunsoo’s own skill as a blacksmith would rise astronomically as well.

“So that is what it was. The title Supreme allows someone to grow strong in a way suited to their class.”

He understood the hidden truth.

If it had simply stated that all sword attack power increased by 20%, it would have been useful only for swordsmen.

But the title Supreme could go to any class, as long as they met the qualifications.

It was a title that allowed those classes to break through their limits and keep advancing.

Just like Valhalla, who was clearly a swordsman, yet excelled with everything besides the sword as well.

A jack-of-all-trades?

Half right, half wrong.

If someone was merely mediocre at everything, they would become a jack-of-all-trades.

But if they excelled at everything, then they would truly become a versatile person.

Hehe.

Hyunsoo’s mood, which had fallen into disappointment, improved.

Then Nell revealed the other reason they had come.

“By the way, you told us to find the blacksmith who contributed most to creating the ‘For Our King!’ Armor, remember?”

“Ah, right.”

For Our King!

When he had received the armor, Hyunsoo had asked Takashi something that did not appear in the video.

‘Since you could not make ordinary Mythic armor, you created armor that could only be worn once HP reached 0. Was the inspiration for that idea yours, sir?’

‘No.’

Takashi had shaken his head and smiled in a way Hyunsoo could not understand.

Hyunsoo had asked Nell to find that blacksmith.

“We found out who he is. We also confirmed where he is. His name is Jace. You will be able to meet him if you go here.”

Hyunsoo accepted the note with the location of the blacksmith Jace and set out.

*****

The young blacksmith Jace was only eighteen years old this year.

Born and raised in Balas Territory, once known as the territory of blacksmiths, Jace had lost his father to illness several years ago.

Before his father passed away from that long illness—

‘Jace, you are a special child. I have never seen a child with such outstanding talent for blacksmithing. So serve Lord Hyunsoo well. The Lord will help your talent blossom.’

Those had been his final words.

Jace had not understood them.

He might become the greatest blacksmith on the continent.

Perhaps even the greatest in the world.

Yet telling him to serve Hyunsoo, who at the time had been nothing more than the lord of a small territory, had sounded no different from telling him to live as Hyunsoo’s dog.

Why would Father tell me to live as a dog even as he was leaving me?

Jace could not understand, and he only waited for the day he could leave Balas Territory.

Then Jace fell into a terrible crisis.

His father had been sick for a long time, and the hospital bills had piled up like a mountain of snow.

Then a merchant from nearby came to demand that his father’s debt be repaid with the forge.

Jace was devastated.

At the very least.

He wanted to protect this forge, where he and his father had made weapons together.

Perhaps he had been clutching at straws.

At the time, he had asked the Chancellor for a loan.

The Chancellor refused, but—

“Lend it to him.”

“Yes, understood.”

The Lord approved it.

Thanks to that, Jace did not lose the forge.

And the Lord gave him an unlimited period to gather the money for it.

The Lord had seen his face only once or twice, yet the kindness shown to him was astonishing.

Had it begun that day?

Jace worked.

CLANG!

CLAAANG!

CLAAAAANG—!

As the seasons flew by, the old forge left behind by Jace’s father changed along with them.

With every passing season—

“The lord of Balas Territory has become a Grand Lord!”

“Lord Hyunsoo has led the Great Atlas War to victory!”

CLAAAAANG—!!

“Lord Hyunsoo has subjugated the Great Archdemon Gremory!”

CLAAAAAANG—!

“His Majesty Hyunsoo has founded the nation of Hyun!”

Spring, summer, fall, winter.

Each time they passed, Jace simply kept swinging with all his strength. Before he knew it, Balas Territory had become the nation of Hyun.

Jace had been only twelve when he borrowed money from the territory.

Now, after the rapid passage of time in Ares, he had become a fine young man.

And not long ago—

“If we cannot reach a higher place, then what if we allow him to reach it, even if only briefly? We can impose various restrictions, and in that restricted moment, let His Majesty wear Mythic armor.”

Before thousands of blacksmiths, Jace had voiced his opinion.

His inspiration awakened the blacksmiths.

Of course.

Jace had not played a major role in making the armor.

He had only provided the inspiration.

He was still too inexperienced to forge something Mythic.

But he did not know how remarkable it was simply to possess such inspiration.

I am relieved that I could help you even in this way.

He considered it nothing more than repaying the interest on the money he had borrowed.

And now.

His entire body trembled.

Because he was sitting across from His Majesty Hyunsoo.

His body had gone rigid.

Cold sweat streamed down his face.

Hyunsoo had become far too great for a mere blacksmith to face.

Hyunsoo spoke.

“Seeing you reminds me. I wondered who Jace was. You have grown up well.”

Hyunsoo smiled and nodded.

Then—

“This forge is yours now. It is a gift I can give you, Jace.”

Hyunsoo rose from his seat.

Jace.

He was so tense that Hyunsoo intended to offer his thanks and leave.

Then—

“There is something I would like to ask.”

“Something you want to ask?”

“Yes.”

Hyunsoo looked puzzled, and Jace continued.

“Why did you lend me money for no reason?”

“...”

The moment Hyunsoo heard those words, a forgotten memory came back to him.

Several years ago.

Hyunsoo had sat across from Hyuksoo and asked him the exact same question.

And Hyunsoo realized how much Jace resembled his past self.

...So that was what it was.

That question made Hyunsoo understand why Hyuksoo had helped him for no reason back then.

“When you came to me at only twelve years old and asked to borrow money because you did not want to lose your father’s forge, I was certain that you would grow up to become someone remarkable.”

Just as Hyuksoo had told him in the past.

“And...”

Hyunsoo spoke the very words he had felt.

“I wanted you to live.”

“...”

Jace’s eyes trembled at those words.

And as Hyunsoo looked at Jace, who resembled him, he understood something.

Just as Hyuksoo had.

Kindness came full circle.

And kindness...

“I swear that I will become a blacksmith who creates only for Your Majesty—a blacksmith who exists for Your Majesty.”

DING!

[You were the first to recognize the talent, passion, tenacity, and potential of Jace, who possesses a blacksmithing talent beyond Legend!]

[You have succeeded in discovering exceptional talent!]

[James will create solely for you!]

Only then was Hyunsoo beginning to understand what it meant to forge a new bond.