One week before the continental war.

At a press conference the whole world was watching, Pond announced he would enter as China’s commander.

He didn’t have Zhuge’s extraordinary tactical brilliance, and he couldn’t wage a numbers war like Wei the Necromancer.

Even so, there was only one reason he’d become commander.

He was simply too strong.

The Chinese called Pond the sky.

One of the few empires on the planet.

A man recognized by that empire’s Sword Emperor, radiating overwhelming power.

Pond still remembered that press conference clearly.

Poison King Liu, Yongwol, Wei the Necromancer, and Zhuge the Strategist—standing behind him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

His chest hadn’t trembled. He hadn’t needed to swallow excitement.

Representing China—ranked the world’s #2 great power in Ares—felt like the obvious order of things.

And yet the reporters asked him:

“Can you bring them down within ten hours?”

The question itself was wrong.

Not within ten hours, but can you even bring them down at all?—that was what it should’ve been.

But nobody found it strange. And he gave the answer /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ that fit.

“Three hours is enough.”

Pond wasn’t stupid enough to show arrogance in front of the world.

“Don’t all the indicators say it? China is the world’s #2 great power in Ares, while Korea is around #18. And with China’s population being overwhelmingly larger, the talent pool we possess is far greater.”

On the podium, he looked the reporters in the eye.

“And China is one of the world’s economic powerhouses. Black Dragon Forge—with over twenty million subscribers—is producing artifacts for our participants, and many people across China are lending artifacts to our contestants as well. Also, Zhuge, who’s serving as a strategist in the kingdom, has already established an excellent strategy.”

“How will you respond to variables?”

Pond almost said they’d respond with Zhuge’s brilliant mind—then swallowed the words.

“......Unfortunately, variables don’t exist.”

A statement that didn’t even acknowledge Korea as a rival.

That press conference recorded tens of millions of views.

But neither the Chinese nor the rest of the world left comments like Isn’t that too cocky? or What if Korea stops you?

Just as Pond said, every indicator proved it.

This wasn’t the World Cup.

It wasn’t some story about Korea winning because their condition happened to be unbelievably good that day, while the opposing team’s condition happened to be terrible.

Every metric was overwhelming. The users’ average levels were far higher.

And yet—what had just unfolded before his eyes.

The instant Hyunsoo’s single sword swing swept past Liu and himself, a panorama flashed through his mind.

The deaths of nearly a hundred summoners, including Wei the Necromancer.

Hyun’s Forge artifacts responding to Wang Gang the Blacksmith King.

Hyun’s Forge guild members cutting down dozens upon dozens.

Yongwol, the assassins, the ranged dealers.

And then Poison King Liu’s Hydra—and the total annihilation of the melee users.

He’d dismissed it all as stubbornness and bravado.

Even when only Liu and he remained, he’d thought it was better this way.

Because he was China’s sky—because it would create the perfect stage for Hyun to receive even greater applause.

Because he would stop the Hyun who threatened China, and the world would cheer.

The panorama ended, and reality hit.

Pond turned to look at Liu beside him.

‘W-what is this......?’

Poison King Liu’s defense and total HP were low for his level.

To compensate for the massive mana consumption required to use poison, he raised his stats differently than normal melee users and tailored his armor accordingly.

But one thing had to be remembered.

Poison King Liu was the world’s #19-ranked user.

And that Liu...

ONE KIIIIILL!!!

Something unbelievable is happening right in front of us!

Hyun is writing another highlight!

...was scattering from a single blow.

And Pond stared at the damage he’d taken, horrified.

[You have taken 585,419 damage.]

A damage number in the five-hundred-thousands.

Just like Liu—being sliced apart and blown away—Pond had taken an obscene amount of damage.

[HP drops below 11%.]

In a single strike, nearly 90% of his HP had been torn away.

[You have been afflicted with the status effect Shock.]

[You have been afflicted with the status effect Fear.]

[You have been afflicted with the status effect Severe Injury.]

[You have been afflicted with the status effect......]

Pond had never seen status notifications stack like this.

No named monster he’d ever fought had taken 90% of his HP in one hit.

SWAY—

Pond, right now—moving wasn’t just difficult.

It was impossible.

And as he watched Hyunsoo approaching, he understood.

That statement from his press conference.

That statement would, in reverse, hand Hyun an absurd kind of glory.

Still, Pond forced out a small voice.

“No matter how incredible the Twin Dragon Sword is... showing all your power like this in front of the whole world? Heh.”

It was Pond’s last bit of flailing.

But it was also a lethal jab.

Because everything the Twin Dragon Sword possessed had been exposed—meaning countless countermeasures would now be devised against it.

Being known by the public was terrifying precisely because of that.

“Is that so?”

Hyunsoo wore a meaningful smile.

One thing Pond—and the entire world—didn’t know:

Hyunsoo was the holder of God’s Custom Repair.

Using God’s Custom Repair’s re-creation, new power could be imbued into the Twin Dragon Sword.

This attack-type Twin Dragon Sword was perfect... and yet not perfect.

It had been forged mid-continental war, so it carried powers suited to that situation.

But Hyunsoo didn’t say any more.

To the world—who believed they’d found his weakness—that would become a powerful variable.

Hyunsoo cut Pond down without hesitation.

KRAAACK!

And then, in front of every viewer’s eyes, it appeared.

[The continental war has ended.]

[Total defense time is 10 hours 32 minutes 11 seconds.]

[All Chinese users have been annihilated.]

[Korea wins.]

Shock.

A massive shock slammed into the world.

Even China’s sky has fallen.

On Ares Play Toto, Korea’s win rate didn’t even reach 5%.

It’s no different from the fact that over 95% of the world’s bettors predicted Korea’s loss.

Chinese viewers are in shock, and Korean viewers are screaming and running around!

Korea flipped upside down.

The bar where Hyunsoo’s friend Jihoon was—

“WAAAAAAH!”

“WAAAH!”

“Long live Blacksmith Hyun!”

“LONG LIVE—!”

They hugged each other, dancing at the word Korea wins on the big screen, and in the middle of it all, Hyunsoo’s friend Jihoon sobbed as he thrashed around, screaming, “Hyunsoooo!”

And Landlady Kim Hyesuk and her husband Park Bongshik—watching TV—hugged each other and danced.

“Our Mr. Hyunsoo did it!”

“I told you he’d become somebody!”

They celebrated like it was their own achievement, while their son Park Haesu stared at the screen, still unable to feel it.

“What is this—like scoring six straight goals and turning the whole game around......?”

But soon he felt it in his bones and started yelling, “WAAAAH—Republic of Korea forever!”

Elsewhere—

Hyun’s Forge.

Nell stood there with her arms folded, smiling.

Back when she left Golden Shield, its master Rune had told her it would be difficult to raise another guild.

And at Hyun’s Forge again—

Those who, for their own reasons and winding paths, had ultimately gathered under the same goal—to make Hyunsoo a king—were cheering just as fiercely.

In another place—

Inside the hospital.

The director, the doctors, and Ho Seok—along with Jinseop and Nurse Ji-hye—couldn’t believe what they were seeing on the screen.

They had watched all of Hyunsoo’s end of despair—and all of his end of flight—right in front of their eyes.

The young man who, when they first met, had cried and begged them to save his father.

The young man whose shoulders had slumped because he couldn’t afford hospital bills.

What he had done—

Dr. Kim Jinseop hurried down the hall and arrived at a room.

The VVIP hospital room.

The TV was on. Jinseop already knew Hyuntae had been listening all this time.

Looking at him lying there with a peaceful expression, Jinseop said quietly,

“You have a son you can be truly proud of.”

As he turned to leave, Jinseop had the fleeting illusion that a faint smile had touched Hyuntae’s lips.

“WAAAAAAH!”

AJ Internet Broadcasting Station.

Producer Kim Minwoo looked out of the building.

Countless people were cheering and running around outside.

Ares was a game played by one-third of the world’s population.

No—today, even those who didn’t play Ares had surely watched the continental war.

Not quite like the 2002 World Cup, but still—people, burning up the streets, shouting “Republic of Korea forever!” and “Long live Hyun!” one after another.

Producer Kim Minwoo lifted his gaze to the massive display on a high-rise.

BREAKING: Blacksmith Hyun leads Korea to victory.

Korea in festival mode.

Over the subtitles, Hyun’s stunning figure filled the screen.

With a trembling heart, Producer Kim Minwoo asked Director Lee Taeho,

“What’s the peak rating?”

The continental war broadcast that had been sent worldwide.

The viewership kept rising. Hyun’s upsets—again, again—kept pulling people in.

“It’s 40.1%.”

A historic rating.

It meant 40% of the world was watching Hyun.

But as Producer Kim Minwoo stared at the dozens of screens, he knew the most important part still remained.

At the site of the continental war—

CEO Lee Sejin of Pureum Co., Ltd.—the world’s #1 company by market cap—appeared.

******

CEO Lee Sejin of Pureum Co., Ltd. couldn’t quite make it feel real.

He remembered the first time user Kang Hyunsoo had triggered that irrational alert that didn’t match his level—and shattered the world’s first wooden doll.

He’d thought Hyunsoo was a user with incredible power, yes—

but he never, not even in dreams, imagined Hyunsoo would reach this level in just one year.

As Lee Sejin appeared as a beam of light, a podium formed in front of him.

Standing on it, Sejin could see Hyunsoo walking toward him.

Wrapped in light, Hyunsoo’s wounds were recovering as if they’d been washed clean.

‘Is this the first time I’ve seen him this close?’

Lee Sejin thought the real thing was even better.

When Hyunsoo reached him, Sejin saw Hyunsoo glance around.

A reminder, once again, that there were no survivors besides Hyunsoo.

And Hyunsoo felt his chest pounding.

‘It’s burning...’

Because hearing it with his own ears—and merely knowing it—were completely different things.

Lee Sejin brought the microphone to his mouth and opened.

There were no petty greetings.

“I think Korea, China, and the rest of the world... have all acknowledged it by now.”

With a small smile, Lee Sejin met Hyunsoo’s eyes.

CEO Lee Sejin.

He wasn’t the type to inflate someone with empty praise.

And because he was Korean, a wrong statement would create an even bigger backlash.

But right now, Lee Sejin was certain—absolutely certain—that the world would agree, and no one could raise a legitimate objection.

With a 40.1% rating—declaring it in front of the world still watching—

“You are the true MVP.”

[You have been selected as MVP of the continental war.]

And there was a reward neither Hyunsoo nor the viewers had known about.

[You obtain the title MVP.]

MVP wasn’t just a label given to you.

It was a title.

And even that name alone would grant Hyunsoo something so enormous it defied common sense.

But at this moment, Hyunsoo was cheering for something else—fiercely.

[As an MVP reward, you can receive 1,000,000,000 won.]

One billion won.

It mattered—a lot—but there was something even more urgent.

[As an Ares reward, you may choose one of three.]

[1. A top-grade Legendary artifact of your desired type.]

[2. A top-grade Legendary skill of your desired type.]

[3. A new grade of ore and crafting materials.]

There was no twist.

Hyunsoo already knew.

‘Choose the third reward.’

[You have chosen a new grade of ore and crafting materials.]

Hyunsoo was curious.

‘The first Transcendence-grade materials......!’ 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

What kind of Transcendence power they would hold.