Marquis Lukburk.

The letter he’d sent through Luk contained countless stories unfolding in the borderlands.

Starting with the Sky King gathering nobles to flaunt his power, all the way to the “small war” that was held every time.

At the end of the letter, it said this:

[I want them to feel what I felt when I met you at the royal palace.]

Hyunsoo was baffled.

Why was a man who’d been demoted suddenly trying to lend strength to Barad?

Luk explained it.

“My father’s will and His Majesty’s will were the same. Protect the small Kingdom of Goyard. But their methods were different. And that difference is what caused what happened.”

Luk looked at Hyunsoo like he was looking at someone extraordinary.

“But after he heard His Majesty had Hyunsoo under him, he made his decision—then got demoted. Still... in Araham Territory, Father said he came to understand His Majesty’s will.”

Hyunsoo’s expression turned startled.

Just him alone... had caused something like that?

“Father is dreaming. Of a Kingdom of Goyard where the power of the sword and the power of the blacksmith coexist.”

Hyunsoo immediately sent a reply.

If what Marquis Lukburk wanted was an overwhelming entrance like that day, then Hyunsoo knew exactly how he had to appear.

Fortunately, Nell was near the borderlands.

[Nell: Prahum Kingdom’s nobles keep showing up. Goyard’s morale is dropping more and more. The third knight just went down.]

Listening to her report, Hyunsoo rode hard, moving fast.

When he arrived at the borderlands, Nell said:

[Nell: Even if it isn’t a real war, if you break the enemy’s morale, it’ll be a huge help for raising territory and rank.]

And Hyunsoo knew how to break the enemy’s morale.

[Hyunsoo: What level is the Heir of the Sky King?]

[Nell: 340. Sadly, it looks hard to beat the Heir of the Sky King. He’s geared out in all Unique artifacts now. Even his spear is the closest thing to a Legendary spear.]

Hyunsoo’s current level was only 258.

The level gap was more than 80.

And then something flashed through Hyunsoo’s mind.

[Hyunsoo: I’ll try it once. I’ve got a way. Guild members—what are you doing right now?]

After laying out the plan, Hyunsoo stood at Barad’s side.

He gave a small smile as he watched Barad’s shocked expression.

“I’ll be going.”

[Allied morale rises sharply.]

[By you, the ties between Barad and the eight greatest nobles of the kingdom—ties that had been severed for a long time—are connected again.]

[A new story begins.]

Ding!

[Sudden Quest: The Last Knight]

Rank: S

Restriction: The one who triggered the new episode

Reward: Kingdom Contribution, Sky King’s Heart.

Penalty on failure: Decrease in affinity with Barad and the Sky King.

Description: Defeat the Heir of the Sky King and completely overturn the board of the small war.

And Hyunsoo made a puzzled face.

Since Hyunsoo was going to fight the Heir of the Sky King anyway, getting a quest notification was good.

But what he couldn’t understand was this.

“Sky King’s Heart?”

For now, Hyunsoo faced the Heir of the Sky King and said:

“The last knight. Junior Baron Hyunsoo.”

*****

Special User Management Team.

CEO Lee Sejin was there, along with Kim Taeseok and Associate Lee Jihee.

Taeseok clacked at the keyboard.

On the monitor, the comprehensive data values for Hyunsoo and the Heir of the Sky King appeared.

[Heir of the Sky King 14,100.]

[Hyunsoo 11,711.]

These data values were similar to an NPC’s level.

An NPC’s level was a comprehensive value that summed up skill power, the body’s attack and defense, equipped artifacts, and more.

“He can’t win.”

Kim Taeseok said it in a voice full of certainty.

This time, Associate Lee Jihee nodded too.

“A 2,300 gap. And the Heir of the Sky King is that good in actual skill, too.”

The only thing not displayed in that data was skill.

The problem was, the swordsmanship and combat ability Hyunsoo displayed were only a little better than average.

Meanwhile, the Heir of the Sky King was the best spearman personally selected by the Sky King.

Yeah. The data made it clear.

Hyunsoo would lose.

“Doesn’t look like there’s a proper method,” Kim Taeseok said.

God’s Emergency Crafting.

Hyunsoo had that special power. And he also had the power called Reverse.

The problem was, both Reverse and Emergency Crafting had cast times.

On average, 7 seconds. Even at its fastest, 2 seconds.

And in that short time, the Heir of the Sky King could already have a spear in Hyunsoo’s throat and still have time left over.

CEO Lee Sejin rubbed his chin.

“It’ll be a shame for User Hyunsoo.”

Sky King’s Heart, written there in the reward.

Hyunsoo didn’t know it, but it was something Barad had created by whispering into Ben through the assassin Brock.

If Hyunsoo won this duel, it didn’t just raise his contribution within the Kingdom of Goyard—countless reward possibilities would open up.

“Prahum Kingdom is a blacksmith’s nation, so it has an incredible amount of materials. What material do you think User Hyunsoo would need the most?”

Associate Lee Jihee and Kim Taeseok spoke at the same time.

“Small World Tree.”

“Small World Tree.”

“So we all thought the same thing.”

Yeah. Small World Tree.

What would it be used for?

It could be used to craft bows and spear shafts.

And that Small World Tree was the best material for making bows and spears that users still hadn’t obtained yet.

That was how gaining Ben’s heart opened infinite possibilities.

Not just the Small World Tree.

There was something CEO Lee Sejin couldn’t understand as well.

“Why did a Sudden Quest pop?”

The comprehensive data they were ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) looking at clearly said Hyunsoo would lose.

A gap so wide even skill couldn’t bridge it.

But Sudden Quests were different from normal quests.

Normal quests were fine if you worked through them later—possibility, over time.

Sudden Quests, however, triggered if there was even a 1% possibility right now.

“What is that possibility?”

In the end, the Special User Management Team and Pureum Co., Ltd. were human.

But the supercomputer Ares—watching billions of users—remembered every single data point.

That was when—

Bzzzzt—

CEO Lee Sejin felt a vibration from his phone.

His phone was special.

Messages would appear when something “special” might happen in Ares.

[The Wolf Egg absorbs Nutrient Ratio through the duel between User Hyunsoo and the Heir of the Sky King.]

The Nutrient Ratio User Hyunsoo had produced so far was 31%.

Even this much would hatch a junior-boss-class wolf.

“It’s definitely the kind of thing that would raise the Wolf Egg’s Nutrient Ratio.”

The more overwhelmingly Hyunsoo won, the higher the Nutrient Ratio he’d obtain would become.

“If he wins, how much will it jump?”

Lee Sejin stared at the screen.

*****

The Heir of the Sky King, Frak, frowned as he looked at the man introducing himself as Junior Baron Hyunsoo.

When Frak turned his head slightly, he could see the Sky King’s mouth moving.

Blacksmith Hyun.

The Sky King, too, had realized—through Hyunsoo’s name and the stories—that he was that rumored main character.

Frak recalled the spear the Sky King had gifted him.

(Ouroboros Spear)

Rank: Unique

Durability: 7,000/7,000

Attack Power: 451 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Restriction: 300–450, Spearman

Special Abilities:

· Spear attack power +23%.

· Spear mastery +5 levels.

· Passive Skill: A Snake That Fears Nothing.

· Passive Skill: Serpent’s Spear.

· Active Skill: Snake Explosion.

· Active Skill: Snake Festival.

· Ouroboros ego resides within.

· Serpent manifestation visual effect.

Description: A life’s masterpiece created by an outstanding blacksmith of Prahum Kingdom—closest to a legend. When it has not met its equal, it sometimes reveals the power of a true legend.

The spear His Majesty had bestowed for him was incredible.

“And this guy is challenging me?”

Me—holding a spear like this?

In this moment, Frak believed without a shred of doubt that he was invincible.

And the man called Hyun said:

“You’re wearing some pretty impressive things.”

Frak misunderstood.

He thought Hyun was mocking him for trying to win with artifact power.

Frak shouted loudly:

“Artifacts are also a nation’s strength, and if a knight possesses them, isn’t that his strength as well? Then how can you say such a thing just because I’m wearing good artifacts!?”

Laughter spread through Prahum Kingdom’s camp.

And the Kingdom of Goyard’s camp agreed as well.

After snapping back at him, Frak looked at his spear with an affectionate gaze.

Hisss—

The shape of a snake flickered into view as if it were flicking its tongue, then vanished.

The newborn Ouroboros residing in this spear was special.

Even when it met an opponent similar to itself, it never trembled in fear.

And unless it met an even stronger artifact, by the passive skill A Snake That Fears Nothing, it grew endlessly stronger—able to display even Legend-grade power.

And now the snake was—

[Ouroboros Spear fails to find an equal and reveals its ferocity.]

[It exerts power greater than usual.]

As always, it displayed its arrogance.

A soldier’s hand slowly rose into the sky.

And Frak’s face, sneering at Hyunsoo, stiffened.

“Hooooo...”

Because an overwhelming pressure began to pour out from Hyunsoo’s sword stance.

*****

[Heir of the Sky King Frak Lv.340]

Hyunsoo steadied his breathing.

He knew it too.

The difference between the Heir of the Sky King, Frak, and himself was obvious.

But he recalled what Sword King Barad had taught him.

“Even in any situation, create a breakthrough.”

That breakthrough—his plan that only he knew—was already being realized.

A heat-haze rose as he activated the Sword King’s swordsmanship, seizing the battlefield for a moment.

The duel began the instant the soldier’s raised hand dropped.

KRAAANG—!

Frak’s spear and Hyunsoo’s sword slash collided with vicious force.

HISSS—!

As he blocked the spear, a snake suddenly appeared from the shaft and bit Hyunsoo’s body.

CRUNCH—!

[HP drops below 94%.]

He wasn’t just taking it.

Exactly as Barad had taught him.

And exactly as Hyunsoo had grown.

“Snake Festival.”

“Cry of the Sword.”

After trading endless attacks, they retreated—and unleashed their skills at the same time.

Snake Festival was a power where hundreds of snakes moved as spears.

KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRAK—!

Hyunsoo was pierced without end.

But it wasn’t only Hyunsoo.

The Heir of the Sky King took massive damage as well.

[HP drops below 60%.]

[The Heir of the Sky King’s HP drops below 80%.]

Still, the difference between Hyunsoo and the Sky King’s power was clear.

“Even if we attack the same number of times...”

Hyunsoo’s HP fell far more, and the Heir of the Sky King had more skills that produced overwhelming power.

And Snake Festival didn’t have it—but Cry of the Sword did.

[For 3 seconds, all senses of those recognized as enemies within a 20m radius are paralyzed.]

Frak made a quick decision.

“It’s over.”

This man called Hyun was trying to use those 3 seconds of paralysis.

He’d try to pour everything he had into a single point and finish it.

But Frak scattered the strongest power residing in the Ouroboros Spear.

Snake Explosion.

HISSS—!

Dozens of snakes scattered from his spear—and at the same time, Frak was paralyzed.

When the snakes touched an enemy, they exploded.

The first snake that hurled itself forward detonated.

BOOOOM—!

A storm of blood and thick dust filled the Sky King’s vision.

Watching snakes slither into the dust, the Heir of the Sky King anticipated the chain explosions that would follow—then made a puzzled face.

“Hawks? Why are hawks suddenly flying in?”

Two hawks flew into the dust.

Then a shocking notification rang out.

[Ouroboros Spear faces a legend.]

[The spear feels fear.]

The spear in his hands.

It was feeling fear in response to the artifact the opponent was wearing.

But something even stranger happened.

The snakes crawling into the dust suddenly began to freeze.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK—!

And even more absurd—

[Extreme fear paralyzes the spear’s functions.]

[Ouroboros Spear temporarily drops below Unique.]

[Ouroboros Spear temporarily drops below Epic...]

[Ouroboros Spear temporarily drops below Rare...]

[Ouroboros Spear refuses to fight him!]

“W-what...?”

In Frak’s mind, the image of himself shouting at Hyunsoo flashed by.

“Artifacts are also a nation’s strength, and if a knight possesses them, isn’t that his strength as well? Then how can you say such a thing just because I’m wearing good artifacts!?”

Then Hyunsoo cut through the dust and stepped forward—and when Frak saw the artifact in his hand, he stumbled backward.

*****

Hyunsoo heard the notifications inside the dust.

[A gift sent by Ressel has arrived.]

[A gift sent by Bark has arrived.]

In his right hand, the Dragonlight Sword.

On his left arm, the Aegis.

Wearing one legend—and another shield closest to a legend—Hyunsoo walked out through the dust.

[Ouroboros hides deep within the spear.]

Frak panicked and shouted.

“Come out! Come out, damn it!”

Ouroboros—the snake stronger than any other in the world.

Frak couldn’t understand why it had run away.

Then Hyunsoo, pointing the Dragonlight Sword at Frak, sneered.

“No snake can show its teeth in front of a dragon.”