[โMithril Tower Shieldโ has been purchased.]
[โSilver Daggerโ has been purchased.]
I bought two more pieces of mithril equipment after that.
A large tower shield that likely contained a lot of mithril, and a silver dagger, which was among the cheapest mithril equipment.
Disassembling them yieldedโ
[Mithril Fragment obtained.]
[Mithril Fragment obtained.]
[Mithril Fragment obtained.]
โItโs done!โ
Finally, I obtained the five mithril fragments needed.
With this, Iโve gathered all the mithril required for the materials listed on the stone door in Area 1.
I spent a fortune on three pieces of mithril equipment, but itโs not bad at all.
From what I found online, other blacksmiths have such low disassembly efficiency that theyโd need to disassemble even more equipment to get this much ore.
This is more than satisfactory.
While I was basking in the satisfaction of extracting all the mithril, a news report playing quietly on the TV caught my attention.
[This morning, the third-ranked Hunter, Berserker Park Kang-chul, successfully cleared the Level 5 Gate, Giantโs Canyon, solo, causing a stir.]
[Experts say the Giantโs Canyon was a Gate well-suited to Park Kang-chulโs abilities.]
[However, some experts claim that soloing a Level 5 Gate is a monumental event that could shake up Koreaโs Hunter community.]
โHe mustโve rushed to a Gate right after getting the Cloak.โ
The news was about Park Kang-chul, the Hunter I made the Cloak for.
The thought that his success in clearing a Level 5 Gate might be thanks to my Cloak made me oddly proud.
It felt like I was the one on the news.
[Next, weโll hear an interview with Hunter Park Kang-chul.]
The screen switched.
There was Park Kang-chul, emerging from the Gate, drenched in blood as usualโa perfect embodiment of his โBerserkerโ title.
The reporter seemed nervous but, with professional determination, approached Park Kang-chul and extended the microphone.
Park Kang-chul, who usually avoids interviews, surprisingly agreed to face the camera this time.
[Hunter Park Kang-chul! Youโre the first in Korea to solo a Level 5 Gate! Whatโs the secret to your success?]
Park Kang-chul, known for charging toward the Blue House without caring about othersโ opinions, made the reporterโs voice tremble.
Looking down at the reporter indifferently, Park Kang-chul grabbed the microphone.
Then, with blood dripping from his hand, he lifted the Cloak on his shoulder to show the camera and spoke with an excited grin.
[It was a masterpiece that I absolutely loved, Vulcanus.]
That day, Park Kang-chulโs Hunter ranking was updated to second place.
My lifestyle stayed the same for a while.
During the day, I crafted items and listed them on the Auction House.
At night, I entered the Mine to gather ore and thread.
Afterward, I disassembled materials and went to bed.
Oh, and of course, as my work became more intense, I made sure to eat well.
[Ye Brand Burger]
[King Donald Burger]
[Burger God Burger]
[Burger]
[Father Attack Burger]
Among them, todayโs choice wasโ
The so-called โUltimate Burger Showdown.โ
I ordered the most expensive burgers from each famous burger brand.
The concept today was to pick the best burger, and that was my meal.
โWow, Ye Brand has come a long way.โ
I devoured one burger in no time.
โFather Attackโs fries are the best!โ
Next, I ate the burger along with its Cajun fries.
Even though I ordered one from each brand, the portions were huge, but it didnโt take long to finish.
Itโs an amount even a food vlogger would struggle with, but since awakening as a Hunter, I need to eat this much to feel full.
The concept was to pick the best burger, but the conclusion was the same as always.
Theyโre all delicious.
Well, I ordered the priciest burgers from each brand, so of course theyโre tasty.
โNow, shall I get back to work?โ
With a full stomach, it was time to head to the Mine.
My steps were now all too familiar.
Lately, Iโve been spending all four hours in the Mine in Area 1.
I needed a lot of materials to make the furnace.
[Your Level has increased.]
My level, steadily rising, was now at 20.
The level of items I could craft was nearing 40.
My growth rate was overwhelmingly faster than other blacksmiths.
As a result of tirelessly mining in Area 1 day and nightโ
Today, finallyโ
[Mana Stone]
[Blue Ore]
โItโs done!โ
I gathered all the materials needed for the furnace.
Well, to be precise, all the materials except adamantium.
[Time limit has been reached.]
[Hephaestusโ Mine is closing.]
I was kicked out of the Mine, but I couldnโt have been prouder.
Now, if I could just get adamantium, I could open the stone door on the first floor.
I didnโt know what was behind it, but my gamer instincts told meโ
Thereโs definitely something amazing in there!
A hidden piece for my SSS-grade ability!
Just in case, I checked the Auction House, but as expected, neither adamantium nor adamantium equipment was available.
โShould I send a message?โ
I considered contacting the Mir Guild again but stopped myself.
It felt like Iโd be nagging, and I didnโt want that.
The Mir Guildโs offer to find adamantium was just out of goodwill, not a contract or deal.
Idly, I opened the system to check my page.
โWowโฆ this is insane.โ
Thousands of commission requests.
Itโs all because Park Kang-chul mentioned my name on the news.
After he brought up Vulcanus and the seal on the Cloak was shown on the news, my pageโs popularity skyrocketed.
Commission requests piled up, and my forgeโs ranking shot into the top 100, still climbing.
โShould I pick a commission?โ
I considered it but shook my head.
Most of the requests were for weapons or armor.
At my current level, taking on high-level Huntersโ weapon or armor requests would be tough.
There were plenty of accessory requests, probably because of the Ring of Red Blood, but none really caught my eye.
While browsing the systemโ
Ding-dingโ
A message came from the place Iโd been waiting for.
- This is the Mir Guild.
My heart raced.
With all the other materials gathered, adamantium was the last piece needed to make the furnace.
Wait a second.
I hadnโt thought about it since I had over 20 billion in my account, but how much would adamantium cost?
What if itโs more than 20 billion?
Even if itโs exactly 20 billion, how could I spend all that hard-earned money?
As my head spun, the messages continued.
- Unfortunately, we couldnโt find adamantium, but we did find a way to get it.
A way?
- Have you heard of Cheon-gung?
โI know. Cheon-gung, Cheon Seung-heon, the second-ranked Hunter.โ
- Yes, thatโs right. Though heโs been pushed to third place now, since Park Kang-chul took second.
The message continued in a chat-like format.
Hearing that Cheon-gungโs rank dropped made my spine tingle for some reason.
โWaitโฆ is that because of me?โ
- You could say that. The reason Park Kang-chul succeeded in soloing a Level 5 Gate is attributed to the โRing of Red Bloodโ and the โBlood Berserkerโs Shroudโ you made.
Oh no.
Does that mean Iโve made an enemy of Cheon-gung?
Instinctively, I glanced at the balcony window and moved away from it.
What if an arrow came flying through the window?
Honestly, someone like Cheon-gung could probably shoot through the wall itself to assassinate me.
โSo, what about Cheon-gung? Donโt tell me heโs holding a grudgeโฆโ
- No, quite the opposite.
โThe opposite?โ
- Cheon-gung has sent a commission request for item crafting.
โWhat? But we were talking about adamantiumโฆโ
- And the reward Cheon-gung is offering for the commission is adamantium.
โWhat?!โ
- He wants you to make him an SSS-grade item like Park Kang-chulโs. In exchange, heโll give you adamantium. Thatโs the condition from Cheon-gungโs side.
Second-ranked Hunter, Cheon-gung, Cheon Seung-heon.
No, now third-ranked after being pushed down, Cheon Seung-heon was watching the news with a sullen expression.
The face on the news was none other than Park Kang-chul, the former third-ranked Hunter who had now taken his second-place spot.
[Hunter Park Kang-chul! How does it feel to have recently soloed a Level 5 Gate and claimed the second rank?]
Park Kang-chul rarely gave interviews.
He usually ignored them, finding them bothersome.
So why was it?
Not long ago, he mentioned Vulcanus after clearing a Gate, and now he was willingly doing another interview.
[Itโs only natural. One step left.]
With an extremely arrogant expression, he wasnโt satisfied with second place and was openly aiming for first.
The reporter threw in another question.
[Youโve surpassed your long-time rival, Cheon-gung. What do you think of him?]
Cheon-gung.
That referred to Cheon Seung-heon, watching the interview.
People were eager to hear what Park Kang-chul would say.
Soon, his response came.
Still with that arrogant expression, he pushed the microphone away as if annoyed.
[I have no interest in someone weaker than me.]
โArghhh!โ
Cheon Seung-heon couldnโt hold back and shouted.
โWeaker than him? That crazy dog whoโs been below me all this time!โ
It wasnโt the first time heโd heard such a question.
Back when he was second-ranked, reporters often asked him similar things.
Each time, Cheon Seung-heon would respond with a relaxed smile, saying, โHeโs a good competitor. The more strong Hunters there are, the safer the public is, right?โ
But now.
The moment Park Kang-chul reached the top, he declared he had no interest in Cheon Seung-heon.
No wonder the anger Cheon Seung-heon had been suppressing exploded.
โA socially inept loner who canโt even join a guild, getting a decent item and acting all high and mighty! Argh!โ
He was furious.
Utterly furious.
If heโd been outdone by skill, he might not have been this angry.
He mightโve even accepted it coolly.
But this? This wasnโt right.
It wasnโt skillโit was just a better item that flipped the ranks!
As he fumed, someone quietly entered the room, bowed, and spoke.
โIโve confirmed the information you requested.โ
โGo on.โ
Cheon Seung-heon was still scrolling through YouTube, checking peopleโs reactions, while the person, used to this, began reading the report.
โVulcanus. A rookie blacksmith whoโs recently risen to prominence. He crafted the SS-grade Ring of Red Blood that Park Kang-chul wears, and the Cloakโโ
โWhat grade is it? That thing!โ
โโฆItโs confirmed to be SSS-grade.โ
โSSS-grade?โ
Cheon Seung-heonโs expression turned to shock.
Heโd thought it was SS-grade at best.
SSS-grade!
โIs that even possible? A rookie blacksmith? Even for the worldโs top blacksmiths, crafting an SSS-grade item is difficult!โ
โThatโs true, but itโs rated as SSS-grade. Itโs considered the key reason he was able to clear a Level 5 Gate.โ
โDamn it, SSS-grade! Thatโs how he surpassed me! Argh!โ
As expected.
Park Kang-chulโs rise to second wasnโt due to skill.
It was just the item.
His anger surged, but this wasnโt the time to just rage.
To beat an item advantage, he needed an item advantage of his own.
โHave you sent a commission to Vulcanusโ forge?โ
โWe did, but heโs become so popular lately, heโs not taking many commissions. Nothing is known about the blacksmithโs identity either.โ
โFind him, no matter what!โ
โWe actually have something to report about that.โ
โWhat is it?โ
โThereโs word that the Mir Guild is looking for adamantium.โ
โThe Mir Guild? Why are they suddenly involved?โ
โWe believe the Mir Guild is seeking adamantium because of Vulcanus.โ
โThe Mir Guild?โ
โThe first item Vulcanus put up for auction was bought by the Mir Guild. They were also his first client. The fact that theyโre directly sourcing adamantium without going through a forge suggests a strong connection.โ
Cheon Seung-heonโs gaze shifted from his phone to the man.
Adamantium.
Among the sudden Gates, monsters, and items, adamantium was one of the most highly valued ores.
They were looking for it?
Hearing this, Cheon Seung-heon smirked.
โDonโt we have one piece of adamantium?โ
โYes, but itโs already contracted to Kang Ho-deokโs forge, and soonโโ
โCancel it.โ
โAre you sure?โ
โMake excuses if you have to, or just say no. Paying a penalty is better. Honestly, if Kang Ho-deok wonโt take it, we can go overseas.โ
Cheon Seung-heonโs eyes turned to the system.
Vulcanusโ page was open in front of him.
A new S-grade item crafted by Vulcanus was listed there.
โThe title of Koreaโs top blacksmith seems to have already shifted to this guy.โ
Cheon Seung-heonโs eyes gleamed.
โContact the Mir Guild. Tell them to connect me with Vulcanus immediately. I want an SSS-grade item like that crazy dogโs. If he makes it, Iโll hand over the adamantium.โ
โCheon Seung-heon-nim, itโs not certain, but we suspect Vulcanus isnโt at a level to craft high-level items yet.โ
โSo what?โ
โEven if heโs connected to the Mir Guild and can make SSS-grade items, is one piece of adamantium really worthโโ
Cheon Seung-heon burst into laughter at the manโs concern.
โIf I lose out, so what? It just means I owe him. Heโs about to become Koreaโs top blacksmith, so isnโt it better to get on his good side early?โ