Special User Management Team.
[User Hyun-soo is now eligible to receive the quest for the legendary class, Light Sovereign.]
At the notification that appeared on the screen, Kim Tae-seok stood up in shock.
“Crazy…!”
Normally, after clearing the third stage, users are offered the Epic Class of Light Knight.
However, Hanul didn’t receive this offer.
Because he chose cumulative rewards and failed at the fourth stage.
And upon succeeding up to the fourth stage, in addition to the Light Knight Epic Class offer, one could receive a rare weapon and armor used by the instructor as a gift.
“Absurd…!”
Yes, this was an absurd situation that had arisen.
The first and second stages. Two goblins with a single blow.
And then, the third and fourth stages were attempted simultaneously.
“According to Instructor Rellson, Hyun-soo seemed like the right candidate.”
Even the intimacy between Instructor Rellson and Hyun-soo had completely changed compared to ten minutes ago.
In the highly flexible world of Ares, even the Special User Management Team faces unexpected situations.
But soon, Lee Ji-hee smiled bitterly.
“Did you actually predict that User Hyun-soo would ascend to a legendary class?”
Her words were true.
Of course, it was in a completely different way than they had thought.
“Now, User Hyun-soo will become a second-grade special user.”
The Special User Management Team handles special situations and sudden events.
The classes range from first to fifth grade.
Usually, up to the fifth grade doesn’t require much attention.
But from the third grade onwards, the story changes.
The two looked at the monitor.
User Hyun-soo was deep in thought before he responded.
– I refuse.
“…!?”
“…!?”
Kim Tae-seok and Lee Ji-hee were stunned.
In the monitor, Hyun-soo’s face showed no trace of regret as he smiled slightly.
Then.
Beep beep
A red light flashed on the monitor with a notification.
[User Hyun-soo has fulfilled one of the conditions for the God Class.]
[He is promoted to a first-grade special target.]
“God Class!?”
Kim Tae-seok couldn’t believe it.
There’s a class that none of the 2.5 billion population has achieved yet.
That is the God Class.
This class is the pinnacle in the game of Ares.
“One of the conditions for the Blacksmith Legend Class transfer was to reject an Epic Class once…”
To become a God blacksmith, one must refuse a legendary class offer.
Kim Tae-seok realized the seriousness of the situation.
“What are the other conditions to become a God Blacksmith?”
This was also top-secret information, known only to the team leaders.
However, since Kim Tae-seok couldn’t monitor Hyun-soo 24/7, he told Lee Ji-hee.
“There are various things, but for now, you need to achieve two incredible feats in the job field.”
“Incredible feats?”
“Creating the sword Light was his first achievement. More importantly, he needs to satisfy these two feats before reaching level 10.”
“Wow… That seems impossible to anyone.”
Lee Ji-hee clicked her tongue. The conditions themselves seemed too far-fetched.
But soon, she felt relieved.
“It’s a common rule to reach level 10 as soon as you leave the beginner zone, so it won’t be easy to fulfill those conditions, right?”
“Perhaps?”
Once the hunting zone is over, you immediately arrive at the village.
Leaving the village leads to the real hunting grounds, and that’s where leveling up happens.
Hyun-soo would level up quickly.
However, more importantly, it seemed there was nothing left for Hyun-soo to achieve.
Soon, Kim Tae-seok refocused on Hyun-soo in the monitor.
“More than that, I’m curious why User Hyun-soo refused the legendary class.”
Kim Tae-seok focused on the monitor again.
***
“I refuse.”
After a long thought, Hyun-soo answered. Instructor Rellson’s face, who had expected an obvious acceptance, was filled with confusion.
“Why? If you become a Light Sovereign, it would be a tremendous achievement. You would have the honor of leading the Light Knights as a Light Sovereign, and that’s not all.”
He hurriedly appealed how great it would be to be a Light Sovereign.
“Aren’t you an outstanding blacksmith? A Light Sovereign and a blacksmith. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Upon hearing this, Hyun-soo certainly thought it made sense.
However, his decision did not change.
Hyun-soo had been playing Ares for just about 10 real-time days.
Yet, during this time in Ares, he had felt many things.
It was like a mineral full of impurities, layered upon itself, which, when the impurities were removed, turned out to be a tremendous mineral.
‘I have value.’
He was keenly aware of his own worth.
He was convinced.
‘Even if I refuse the Light Sovereign now, I can still rise high as a blacksmith.’
Conviction.
It’s not arrogance. It’s the confidence that Hyun-soo can have because he is Hyun-soo.
There were several reasons for this.
“I like being a blacksmith. I’ve been holding a hammer since I was 10 years old.”
“No matter how much you like that job…”
“It’s not just about liking it. I still feel my heart race when I hold a hammer, and I feel insanely happy when I forge. Yes, I’m crazy about blacksmithing.”
Hyun-soo smiled brightly.
“Also, I came here to enjoy myself.”
Rellson and Hyun-soo’s eyes met. Rellson, who had been momentarily lost for words, let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha, haha, such a blacksmith-obsessed fellow.”
Then he laughed heartily.
“Marvelous, truly marvelous!”
Hyun-soo’s path, unwavering in the face of any offer.
“That’s why you were able to reach such a level at your young age.”
[Rellson learns about the true spirit of a master craftsman.]
[Your intimacy with Rellson reaches MAX.]
[You refuse the Legendary Class. Light Sovereign class transfer quest.]
[You receive other rewards for completing stages 2 to 4.]
[You gain 2 points in all stats.]
“Wait here for a moment.”
Soon, Instructor Rellson went somewhere and came back with a set of armor.
[You acquire the Old and Rusty Armor of the Light Sovereign.]
Hyun-soo immediately checked it.
(Old and Rusty Armor of the Light Sovereign)
Grade: Rare
Durability: 300/1,000
Defense: 83
Restrictions: None.
Special Abilities:
· +3 Stamina.
· ???
· ???
· Passive Skill: Damage Reduction.
Description: Armor once worn by the legendary Light Sovereign. After 300 years, it has deteriorated significantly and seems difficult to use for a long time.
Armor once worn by a legendary figure.
“300 years ago, this armor would have been even better than it is now, but it will still be great for you to use. Sorry that this is all the reward I can offer.”
Rellson genuinely looked regretful.
Hyun-soo examined the armor from all sides.
This plate armor, damaged in places and dangling in others, caught his eye, especially the ‘???’ with question marks.
“So it was more remarkable once?”
“That’s right.”
“Then, if it’s repaired and restored, it should return to its former glory.”
“Right, repair and restore… Huh?”
Rellson was momentarily speechless.
This armor was once great but had become a relic over time.
Local blacksmiths here couldn’t repair or restore it.
Because they were only beginner blacksmiths.
“You, you’re going to restore it?”
“Yes.”
“But how is that possible?”
“…Because it is.”
“The mystic power, you don’t have that, do you?”
The mystic power. That’s what NPCs call skills.
“Do I need to have it?”
“You do! As far as I know, blacksmiths learn restoration-related skills only at a certain level.”
Hyun-soo chuckled.
Yes, the system’s skills that those blacksmiths had would help him.
“I don’t need that.”
“…!?”
Hyun-soo knew why skills were necessary.
To restore something, one needs information about the artifact.
What it’s made of, how it’s constructed, what parts need replacing and repairing.
It’s impossible for regular users to judge that just by looking at armor.
But Hyun-soo was different.
‘The material seems to be an alloy. If I repair the dangling parts and remove the rust, it’ll be like new.’
He understood the worn-out leather and even the decorations of this armor in an instant.
‘This will be fun…’
A restoration project he hadn’t done in a very long time.
When was the last time?
‘Ah, the Dragon Light Sword.’
The Dragon Light Sword, rumored to have been used by Haemosu*.
The restoration was requested by the National Museum, and Hyun-soo personally restored and returned it.
Then, a thought crossed his mind.
‘…Could I also restore the Dragon Light Sword here?’
This thought brought an inexplicable thrill from deep within his chest.
The Dragon Light Sword, a legend in Korea.
However, Hyun-soo wanted to restore or recreate another sword more than the Dragon Light Sword.
It was the dream he first had at the age of 11.
‘The Royal Seal Sword of the Joseon Dynasty…’
The mere thought was electrifying. The idea of crafting a sword from history, even if only in a game, was thrilling.
But for now, he shelved that thought.
His immediate focus was on the armor of the Light Sovereign in front of him.
In a way, this armor of the Light Sovereign was like the Royal Seal Sword of the Joseon Dynasty, a relic of a legendary figure within the game.
However, Hyun-soo faced a challenge.
“There’s no blacksmith shop here… sigh.”
Unlike the wooden dummy training area, this place lacked one entirely.
Hearing his regretful remark, something flashed through Rellson’s mind.
“Why not?”
“…Pardon?”
Rellson wanted to help Hyun-soo.
Initially, he had underestimated him but came to acknowledge him.
The main reason was that his intimacy with Hyun-soo was at MAX.
“There’s one at the lord’s castle.”
“The lord’s castle?”
“Yes.”
Additionally, the possibility of restoration reminded Rellson of something.
It was something that no one had accomplished despite the passage of time.
“Do you have any knowledge about bows?”
“I have some knowledge.”
His father’s forge had dealt with many things.
“This place is a domain too, and there’s a lord and a castle. About a year ago, a fire broke out in the castle, and the lord’s cherished bow was damaged.”
Hyun-soo’s brows narrowed. He sensed the emergence of an unusual quest.
“However, high-level blacksmiths from outside can’t enter here, so countless people have failed to restore it. Impossible. Yes, it became an impossible task that no one could accomplish.”
Rellson had one reason for saying this.
He felt sorry for having underestimated Hyun-soo and wanted to make amends.
Moreover, Hyun-soo learned something while breaking the wooden dummies.
High risk, high return.
The more impossible the task, the greater the reward.
“I’ll write you a letter of recommendation. Why not go to the lord’s castle and try restoring the lord’s bow?”
Ding!
[Hidden Quest: Meet the Lord]
Grade: B
Requirement: Letter of recommendation.
Reward: 10 Fame.
Penalty for Failure: Decrease in intimacy with Rellson.
Description: Meet Lord Vans.
Rellson smiled slyly.
“Will you try it? Doing the impossible that others couldn’t.”
Trivia:
Haemosu was the legendary founder of Buyeo, an ancient kingdom located in what is now Manchuria and Korea. According to the Samguk Sagi, a historical text compiled in the 12th century, Haemosu was the son of heaven and descended to earth on a chariot of five dragons. He established Bukbuyeo (Northern Buyeo) and married Yuhwa, the daughter of Habaek, the god of the Amnok River. Their son, Jumong, later went on to found the kingdom of Goguryeo.
Haemosu is often depicted as a benevolent and wise ruler. He is said to have introduced many beneficial reforms to Buyeo, including agriculture, irrigation, and sericulture. He is also credited with establishing the kingdom’s laws and government institutions.
Haemosu’s story is a popular one in Korean mythology. He is seen as a symbol of divine intervention and the power of good over evil. His legacy continues to inspire Koreans today.
Cliche Novel 