Hyunsoo returned home.

He immediately sat down in front of his computer and carefully checked what the continental war was.

‘A territorial war between two countries, broadcast worldwide.’

Users around the world enjoy Ares.

Reading experts’ posts, they said the heat would be as intense as the World Cup or the Olympics.

In addition, all participants receive some kind of reward, and depending on the contribution they build, the rewards vary drastically.

‘There are rewards for the guild too.’

For individual users, the reward is MVP.

And if those who participate as a guild take first place, they can obtain territory.

“It gives a territory twice the size of Vallas Territory?”

Hyunsoo realized it.

In Korea as well, major guilds would participate in force.

He spoke with Hyein.

-It won’t be easy. It’ll be an unprecedented feast of high-rankers.

He agreed.

Because Hyunsoo was also staring straight at the fact that this was a new opportunity.

-We might not be able to make a mark.

Hyunsoo gave a bitter smile at that.

It seemed they’d already talked it over in a meeting and made up their minds.

“Are you scared?”

At Hyunsoo’s teasing words, Hyein’s voice came back with laughter mixed in.

-No. I’m excited.

Not long ago, Hyunsoo and the people of Hyun’s Forge had gathered as many as 2.2 million viewers with nothing but an internet broadcast.

But this time was different.

Not 2.2 million—something enormous.

Hyunsoo said:

“Fourteen days from now, Hyun’s Forge will participate in the continental war too. Please accelerate preparations.”

Hyunsoo logged into Ares.

To prepare for the continental war in fourteen days, Hyunsoo needed preparation too.

‘A feast of high-rankers, huh.......’

The current average level of high-rankers in the top 100 was in the 360–370 range.

On average, nearly thirty levels higher than Hyunsoo.

And it was true Hyunsoo was strong for his level, but whether it would work even against high-rankers was unknown.

High-rankers might simply be high-level, but most of them also had extremely good control.

No matter how outstanding Hyunsoo’s artifacts were.

But at times like this, you could think of something else.

‘What if I become a legend......?’

Then the story changes.

No user has ever become a legend.

But it was an obvious fact that if he reached that place, he’d become stronger than he was now.

So during the fourteen-day preparation period, Hyunsoo thought he might prepare two things.

‘Create a calamity only for myself. And complete the crafting of an attack-type Twin Dragon Sword.’

Hyunsoo took out the Twin Dragon Sword.

A Twin Dragon Sword for everyone.

It really was the best sword imaginable.

But when it came to attacking enemies, it was lacking.

And the real way for Hyunsoo to make true Transcendence was to craft an attack-type Twin Dragon Sword with the same quality as the buff-type Twin Dragon Sword.

Because only when the Twin Dragon Sword truly became a pair—two blades together—would it reveal complete power.

‘But I don’t know the method to make the other Twin Dragon Sword.’

Still, he did know the method to make the first Twin Dragon Sword.

He formed a hypothesis.

‘What if I follow the first Twin Dragon Sword, but add the power of an attack type?’

And he could shape the exterior himself so it could be closer to the attack type.

‘If a real attack-type Twin Dragon Sword gets made at a level similar to the buff one, what happens?’

Hyunsoo couldn’t even imagine what kind of power it would have.

But.

‘No Story Stone.’

Two weeks remained.

If you called it generous, it was generous—if you called it short, it was short.

‘Using Story Stone as an experimental material isn’t right.’

There was only enough left to make a single saber.

So he planned to make an attack-type Twin Dragon Sword using quite a good mineral, then once he was confident, try with Story Stone.

‘The order is decided.’

He wasn’t confident about the Twin Dragon Sword.

But he was confident about creating a calamity.

[Your own calamity will become power only for you, and you can create it at any time and apply it to yourself.]

Calamity.

The ones Hyunsoo had encountered had all possessed their own characteristics.

The Fifth Calamity had telekinesis.

The Fourth Calamity had the power to fly.

The Second had cutting power that cleaved anything.

The First had defense that blocked anything.

The power of a calamity functioned as their defining trait.

Before creating it, he read the detailed description.

[The number of creation attempts is 1. If you attempt to create an irrational calamity, it will be destroyed.]

[Depending on how suitable it is for you, the power that settles in will differ.]

A calamity’s power was legend-grade.

But like the notification said, it also depended on how the user made it.

And Hyunsoo was cautious.

This could become Sword King’s sword’s rampage.

Or it could become Ghost Step of the Vaulted Sky.

A crushing pressure came over him.

‘I could have power like those people?’

Hyunsoo had been like that when he made artifacts too, but in general, he had a perfectionist streak.

Hyunsoo brought multiple skills to mind.

‘If I do this like this.......’

‘No. Something’s lacking. It can’t compare to Ghost Step.’

‘If I put this kind of power in, could I rival His Majesty Barad?’

His breath caught in his throat.

It was something he’d been experiencing often lately.

Maybe it was because he pursued perfection too much.

Hyunsoo’s gaze landed on the Twin Dragon Sword set off to one side.

“.......”

Looking at it, he remembered the time he fought Helenya.

Know yourself, and know the enemy.

Right now, Hyunsoo was certain of something.

‘A lot of people don’t expect anything from me in the continental war.’

Even if Hyunsoo was the hero who saved Goyard, the continental war would be overflowing with high-rankers.

And the average level of high-rankers was in the 360–370 range.

But Hyunsoo was nearly thirty levels lower than them.

‘Then.......’

Calamity creation could be done by inputting a hologram.

Just as calamities up to now had all possessed their own traits.

[A new calamity that is differentiated from other calamities.]

[We judge it to be the most suitable for you as you are now.]

[A calamity is a unique characteristic possessed only by them.]

[Your color is perfect.]

[That calamity, dyed in black light, forms power inside your body.]

Hyunsoo gasped in admiration.

The calamity he wanted to create coiled inside his body, and at last became complete.

[You have created your own calamity.]

[Calamity is power bestowed by the Cult of Calamity.]

[Its name is forcibly decided.]

[You acquire Calamity: Demonization.]

Hyunsoo panicked.

‘What is this unkindness?’

He wasn’t deciding the name of this power himself.

Per the setting that it was power bestowed by the Cult of Calamity, it gave the power he wanted, but the name was forcibly decided.

And Demonization.

That name left Hyunsoo at a loss.

If users possessed demons, demon power, and the like, they ended up facing uncomfortable things.

[You have obtained a calamity.]

[Your alignment begins to be dyed in evil.]

So to Hyunsoo, this felt like something that must not happen.

Hyunsoo quickly checked the power called Demonization.

‘Crazy......!’

It was outstanding power.

But in this moment, if he didn’t give it up, his alignment might be dyed completely in evil.

He was caught in a dilemma.

*****

Sejin, purely watching Hyunsoo as he was now, had a question mark over his head.

‘Can user Hyunsoo, as he is now, become a variable in the continental war?’

It wasn’t a thought as a Korean, but a thought from the standpoint of someone overseeing everything.

The answer was no.

The current Hyunsoo was not an existence that could create a variable.

“Literally, ‘right now.’”

He didn’t know about the future.

And Sejin already knew.

“That user Hyunsoo will create a calamity.”

But the calamities of the Cult of Calamity, and their masters, were cruel bastards.

‘Power created as a calamity is incredibly strong. The problem is, in exchange for giving strong power, they try to dye you into the same breed as them.’

User Hyunsoo had to choose.

Accept an evil alignment and become stronger.

Or give up that calamity.

But soon, after Sejin opened the details of the skill called Demonization, he marveled.

‘......Incredible.’

Sure, you could say calamities were bad guys, but looking at this power alone, wouldn’t it be fine even if your alignment became evil?

That was how big Demonization’s power was.

Then.

‘Hm......?’

[......Energy flows.]

Sejin was startled.

Something that even he had overlooked after a long time was beginning to writhe from within Hyunsoo.

‘Wait, if it’s this kind of variable......?’

Sejin could already sense the decision Hyunsoo would make.

If it was the Hyunsoo he knew, he would rather give up the calamity and keep his original alignment.

‘But if he can obtain it stably because of this......?’

He revised the question he’d asked himself at the beginning.

Can user Hyunsoo become a variable in the continental war?

‘He can. With this. If he can obtain that calamity because of this.’

*****

The veins in Hyunsoo’s arms swelled up black.

With a flustered expression, Hyunsoo felt like demonic energy was entering his body.

[If you give up Demonization, you can prevent being dyed in evil.]

The power called Demonization that Hyunsoo had created himself was power he desperately needed right now.

‘A buff that lets me transcend myself, even if only for a while.’

Like the strengths of other calamities.

A power that explosively increased his strength, in exchange for burning vitality.

Then Hyunsoo’s face relaxed.

‘......Giving it up is right.’

Trying to gain this risked losing far bigger things.

Because he couldn’t even imagine what would happen if his alignment became evil.

“Give up.......”

Then.

Hyunsoo felt a warm energy spreading from deep inside his chest.

It was soft and warm, like a mother’s touch.

[The Saint’s energy flows.]

“......!?”

The Saint’s power.

When he killed Fifth Calamity Jack, he had once received Blessing of the Saint from the Saint.

Because of that, Hyunsoo’s holy power had risen by over 250, and he’d become able to craft artifacts imbued with holy power.

In other words, holy power flowed within Hyunsoo.

And it was immense power bestowed by the Saint.

[The calamity dyed in black flows.]

[Goodness dyed in white flows.]

[The Saint’s energy drives it out and instead transforms it into warm energy.]

[Evil cannot overcome the good within your body.]

[Something special happens.]

[The calamity, Calamity: Demonization, forcibly named by the Cult of Calamity, is reborn.]

Reborn.

Based on the power Hyunsoo had created, new power was being created.

And Hyunsoo lost his words.

Because a power even greater than the “Demonization” he’d checked just moments ago was being created.

[Legend skill. You acquire Flame.]

*****

A group arrived at Vallas Territory.

The one standing at the very front was Licen, head of the largest swordsmanship household in the Kingdom of Goyard.

Those following behind were promising talents of outstanding knight families, now just beginning to grow.

Licen, head of the Brown swordsmanship household, was a recognized powerhouse within the kingdom, called Sword Saint Licen.

“The king has chosen a successor. Should it not be only natural that we greet the one we will serve going forward, and then, as knight to knight, spar with a noble heart?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“A duel between Sir Sword Master Licen and the king’s successor!”

The knights who would become heads of households someday had eyes shining bright.

They did not know Licen’s dark inner thoughts.

Licen had been one of the many candidates Barad had held.

‘How dare a mere blacksmith......?’

Why would he have brought these future heads of households with him?

He was a crafty man.

He had already grasped exactly how strong the one called Hyun was.

And he was confident he could win overwhelmingly.

He planned to grind him down in front of these dozens of future heads of households.

That was how Licen and the others ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) entered Vallas Territory.

And then, when Licen met Hyunsoo in front of the forge, Licen panicked.

If those beside him had been users, they would’ve said this:

‘Bro, that bastard is smiling.’

That’s right. Hyunsoo welcomed them with both arms spread wide.

He was downright thrilled at the thought of trying out the skill he’d just obtained.