The influence of World Ares, Ares’s own daily paper, was huge.

Each time, the World Ares daily would carry stories from around the world.

Because of that, a large portion of Ares users worldwide made a habit of keeping up with World Ares.

And Washington, where World Ares’s headquarters was located.

A woman in the conference room spoke.

“Hyun—he’s the second blacksmith to make the 100, after Blacksmith Smith.”

Deputy Director Hannah was very young.

After going through multiple elite tracks, she saw Hyun’s name among the 100 users selected this year on the screen.

She also checked the information about Hyun written in the report.

The employee who had pitched selecting him spoke.

“That’s right. To be honest, we judged that ringing out a world message for a legend beyond legends once, and pushing the Time Attack ranking up to first place, was a little lacking.”

The reason was that Hyun’s face wasn’t known.

For the 100, the probability of picking someone whose face isn’t known is significantly low.

If only his face were known, the difficulty would have been far easier.

“We judged that the world message from hunting a demon was enough to make him one of this year’s 100.”

“It was an excellent choice.”

Hannah nodded.

“Korea has its first user among the 100 now, and that blacksmith called Hyun would’ve gained a lot of subscribers, too.”

THUMP-

She closed the report.

“Of course, we’ll have to watch whether he can maintain it next year.”

With her fingers interlaced, she got to the main point.

“There are only two months left this year, and there’s one thing we need to pay attention to.”

There was something people paid the most attention to in World Ares.

The world’s 100 most influential users?

That was nothing more than the groundwork for that one thing.

“Who becomes the single most influential user in the world this year.”

World Ares selects the 100 most influential users in the world in October.

And then, in December.

They select one user as the single most influential user in the world.

Hannah looked at the screen with the names of the 100 users.

At the very top of the pyramid-like list of names, the name of the most famous ranker in the world was written.

“Bahala—three years running, he’s been selected as the one. Of course I acknowledge it. He’s a user who deserves that.”

Hannah felt regret.

“So it’s boring. If he’s selected again this year, people will stop expecting anything from the single most influential user.”

It was the natural course.

“Our World Ares needs a new number one.”

The problem was that they couldn’t make that number one themselves.

Everyone in the conference room wore expressions of agreement.

If they kept picking the same name over and over, people would just say, “Ah, it’s that person again anyway,” and lose interest.

“If a new number one appears at a time like this, it’ll be bigger than Bahala’s ripple effect as a three-year number one. And if they even have star power, even more so.”

“That can’t help but be the case. A newcomer toppled Bahala, who held number one for three years. Just that title alone would be enormous.”

Hannah nodded.

“Right. Especially if it’s someone unlikely, the explosive impact will be even bigger. For example, we could use the Hyun from earlier as an example.”

Hannah lifted the report she had just closed and ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) spoke.

“To be honest, even if Hyun crafts another legend beyond legends, he can’t be selected as the one. It would be a result we’ve already seen. But if he shows something we can’t even imagine, an opportunity might appear.”

Who shows that unimaginable something.

“How fun would it be if someone nobody expected becomes the one?”

People would click on World Ares.

And that one would seize incredible power.

However, this was nothing more than a wish.

After the meeting ended, Hannah moved.

She entered the deputy director’s office and sat down.

“Only two months left, and yet.......”

As she muttered, she soon let out a small laugh.

She had just said it.

How fun it would be if someone nobody expected became the one.

She had used Hyun as an example.

There was no grand meaning.

She only used him as an example because she had been talking about Hyun.

That was why, even now, she imagined it with Hyun.

‘If he gets selected as the one, what happens?’

Before she went into the meeting, she had heard that Hyun’s Forge was close to #1 in Korea’s forge subscriber count.

“......If he becomes the one, would Korean subscriber count even matter?”

Of course, it was nothing but a meaningless fantasy.

Because it was an extremely difficult thing.

And there wouldn’t be many ways to make Hyun into that.

Suddenly, Deputy Director Hannah looked toward one side of the wall.

In Hannah’s office, there was the same pyramid-style 100-user board that had been shown on the screen.

At the very bottom, there was the name Hyun.

*****

Hyunsoo slept deeply, woke up, and poured cereal.

On TV, the news was playing.

[People around the world are paying attention to the selection of the single most influential user in the world, with only two months left.]

[With Bahala, known as the best ranker for three years straight, holding the spot now, analysis overwhelmingly says he will take the one again this year as well, entering his fourth year.]

‘Me getting selected for the World Ares 100—on top of that, my forge subscriber count domestically is basically almost #1.’

It was incredible.

Even now, across Korea, he could still find his name everywhere.

Hyunsoo had clearly come a long way up.

But watching what came out on the news, he thought.

‘How happy would it be to become the one selected by World Ares.’

He was a little different from ordinary people.

Instead of jealousy, envy, and pointing fingers in resentment, he moved forward by thinking about what he needed to do to stand there himself.

‘Hunting a demon was a great achievement. But it wasn’t my perfect achievement.’

Hyunsoo’s contribution to hunting Graut was about 30%.

Without Barad and Ben, he never could’ve even dreamed of it.

As soon as he finished the cereal, Hyunsoo stood up.

He had to improve more.

[You connect to Ares.]

And the moment he appeared in the audience chamber, Hyunsoo headed straight for the forge.

The easiest way he could improve.

That was blacksmith work.

He took the Story Stone out from his chest and looked at it.

The way for Hyunsoo to become a legend.

‘Make a grade that doesn’t exist in this world.’

And he thought.

The first-ever grade.

“If it’s that, could I get even a little closer to becoming the one?”

He gave a bitter smile.

Of course, he didn’t know how much ripple effect that could cause.

And that was only if it got completed.

Hyunsoo put the Story Stone away again.

He still hadn’t decided what to craft.

The reason Hyunsoo came here this time was to become stronger.

This time, he took out a different mineral.

That mineral was something Demon Graut had dropped.

However, it wasn’t used for crafting artifacts.

Because this was an enhancement stone.

Artifact enhancement.

In many RPG games that were popular decades ago, there was a system called enhancement.

It meant enhancing artifacts using enhancement stones, or enhancement scrolls, and so on.

The enhancement stone Hyunsoo obtained this time was called Blackened Stone.

(Blackened Stone)

Grade: Legend

Restriction: Level 300+ Blacksmith

Difficulty: None.

Special Ability

·The probability of succeeding at enhancement is 200% higher than normal enhancement stones.

·No matter what artifact you attempt to enhance, the artifact does not evaporate.

·Enhancement is possible from +1 to +3.

·You can enhance artifacts of any grade.

·When enhanced, it is superior to normal enhancement.

Description: Blackened Stone, an enhancement stone of the demon realm that Demon Graut possessed. A special enhancement stone that cannot be found at all in the surface realm.

Hyunsoo obtained eight Blackened Stones.

‘It’s a truly insane enhancement stone.’

First, 99% of Ares’s enhancement stones make the artifact disappear if enhancement fails.

Second, normal enhancement stones only allow one enhancement per stone.

Even Blessed Enhancement Stones sold on the market for 2,000,000 won only go up to +2 with a single stone.

But Blackened Stone goes up to +3 with one.

In addition, the higher an artifact’s grade is, the more brutally the failure probability rises.

According to Ares’s official website, if the success probability for a normal-grade artifact with no enhancement is 50%, it’s written that Unique is only 2%.

‘And on top of that, there’s no thing users fear most—losing the artifact.’

Enhancement is the easiest means to be reborn as a better artifact.

But many users don’t try it.

Because of the risk of losing a precious artifact if they attempt it.

But this Blackened Stone only makes you lose the material, and the artifact doesn’t disappear.

And it succeeds at enhancement with a probability 200% higher than normal enhancement stones.

There was one drawback.

‘Enhancement isn’t decided by skill.’

It functioned purely on luck.

Because you place the enhancement stone on top of the artifact you want to enhance, then strike it with a hammer, and enhancement is attempted.

But here, Hyunsoo had a new idea.

‘This is still a mineral in the end.’

The Blackened Stone Hyunsoo saw was a mineral with an enormous amount of impurities mixed in.

As a test, he put one Blackened Stone into the forge.

Then he drew out the molten liquid and refined the impurities of what hardened into a solid.

Then.

[You have removed the impurities from Blackened Stone.]

[Blackened Stone’s effect becomes far superior.]

Eureka!

Hyunsoo gasped.

(Blackened Stone)

Grade: Legend

Restriction: Level 300+ Blacksmith

Difficulty: None

Special Ability

·The probability of succeeding at enhancement is 250% higher than normal enhancement stones.

·No matter what artifact you attempt to enhance, the artifact does not evaporate.

·Enhancement is possible from +1 to +4.

·You can enhance artifacts of any grade.

·When enhanced, it is superior to normal enhancement.

Description: Blackened Stone, an enhancement stone of the demon realm that Demon Graut possessed. A special enhancement stone that cannot be found at all in the surface realm; a blacksmith removed its impurities through smelting and refinement.

It was something ordinary users couldn’t do.

Their skills didn’t include any power to smelt or refine enhancement stones.

‘A full 50% increase in probability, and a single enhancement can go up to +4 now.’

Hyunsoo finished smelting and refining the rest of the Blackened Stones.

Then, what he placed on the anvil was the Supreme Saber.

Hyunsoo tensed.

‘How far can I enhance it? +2? No—if it’s even +1, I’ll be satisfied.’

It was enhancement on the Supreme Saber.

The value of enhancing an outstanding, rare artifact becomes enormous.

For example, long ago in a game called Lineage, enhancing an excellent artifact on the level of the Supreme Saber once had astronomical value.

“Hoo. Let’s do it.”

He had done his best, using his skill, to make it optimal.

Now, all that remained was luck.

From the start, enhancement is all determined by the user’s luck.

However, there was one power that supported it.

[You possess the title God of Blacksmiths.]

[Enhancement success rate increases by 50%.]

With anticipation, Hyunsoo struck down the enhancement stone.

[You have failed enhancement.]

“One time is fine.”

He still had seven left.

He attempted the second enhancement immediately.

CLANG-!

[You have failed enhancement.]

“......?”

Third.

CLANG-!

[You have failed enhancement.]

Fourth.

[You have failed enhancement.]

[You have failed enhancement.]

[You have failed enhancement.]

“Ugh.......”

Hyunsoo staggered. Out of the eight precious Blackened Stones, seven evaporated in an instant.

Enhancement stones that would go for at least 10,000,000 won each and then some!

But there was something he could take comfort in.

‘It’s not my skill.’

Didn’t they call it an RNG dick-ruined game?

Hyunsoo’s luck was just bad.

And if you think about it, if a normal-grade artifact has a 50% success probability and Unique is 2%,

Legend is 1%, and a legend beyond legends could show a success rate in the decimal points.

He’d dreamed of an enhanced Supreme Saber, but even if it didn’t come out, it couldn’t be helped.

From the start, he knew that no Legend-grade artifact had ever been enhanced, either.

Hyunsoo relaxed his mind and struck down the Blackened Stone.

‘......Someday I’ll get something similar again. When that happens, I’ll keep trying. Again and again.’

He lowered his expectations a little and settled his heart.

At that moment.

CLANG-

A bright light that looked like it could fill the entire forge burst out from the Supreme Saber.

‘A light like this bursting out—I’ve never seen it......?’

Hyunsoo had watched enhancement videos a few times, too.

It was only to the extent that a bit of light seeped out of the artifact, not enough to cover the entire forge like this.

In addition, when enhancement succeeds, the notifications are divided into multiple types.

Ordinary enhancement.

‘It shines.’

Decent enhancement.

‘It shines brightly.’

Outstanding enhancement.

‘It shines brilliantly.’

But this wasn’t that.

[The Supreme Saber shines most splendidly.]

Swallowing hard, Hyunsoo checked the Supreme Saber.