Chapter 29: Crafting Comfort and Power

After crafting the furnace, I tried making various items.

Using ordinary materials and ordinary shapes.

If I could make an ordinary furnace SSS-grade, then even ordinary items should turn out SSS-grade, right?

The result—

[Sturdy Iron Sword]

Type: Sword

Grade: S

Restriction: Level 10 or higher

Description: A sword made from ordinary materials, but refined with the exceptional skill of a blacksmith and searing heat, making it as fine as a masterwork blade.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t produce an SSS-grade item.

The other crafted items were the same.

[Sturdy Dagger]

[Sturdy Shield]

[Sturdy Helmet]

They were slightly better in performance, but none reached SSS-grade.

The flame seemed to shrink under my scrutinizing gaze.

“Did you put extra effort into your home?”

It seems the flame poured more of its power into the furnace, resulting in an SSS-grade item.

It was a bit disappointing, but not something to feel down about.

The flame’s presence undeniably made crafting easier.

If I sincerely asked later, it might help me craft an SSS-grade item again.

Plus, it still had many locked abilities.

“Let’s eat.”

After swinging my hammer straight out of the Mine, my body was drenched in sweat.

I ordered delivery, took a shower, and came out just as—

Ding-dong—

Ding-dong—

The delivery arrived with perfect timing.

Having burned a lot of energy today, the food to fill my empty stomach was—

Drumroll.

“Mala Tang!”

Mala Tang.

Not just any Mala Tang, of course.

Beef, lamb, shrimp skewers, pine mushrooms, and more.

A premium Mala Tang with every possible add-on!

I didn’t forget to order kkwabaegi and tanghulu for dessert.

“Time to dig in!”

Nothing tastes better than a meal after hard work.

I used two plates to cool the steaming Mala Tang, blowing on it and eating like a maniac.

Then—

Whoosh—

I felt like I locked eyes with the flame on the furnace.

It clearly has no eyes and is treated as an item, but—

“Want some?”

No matter how I thought about it, it felt alive.

Even if it was alive, I doubted a flame would crave food, but it somehow seemed to want it.

Is this some kind of connection as Hephaestus’ Descendant with Hephaestus’ Flame?

Curious, I tossed a piece of tanghulu to the flame.

Whoosh!

It looked like the flame was excitedly eating the tanghulu.

No joke—it really seemed to be eating.

The flames danced, and the tanghulu melted away in the red blaze, as if being chewed.

“Taste good?”

Whoosh!

This really felt like raising a companion flame.

Is this what people who keep pet rocks feel like?

No, honestly, my companion flame is better than a pet rock.

Maybe I should give it a name.

Curious about its reactions, I tossed bits of food to the flame while eating.

• Breaking news.
  
• A Level 5 Gate suddenly opened near Gwanghwamun, prompting an emergency evacuation in the area.
  
• The Gate, named Silent Graveyard, caused no casualties thanks to the swift response of Hunter Park Kang-chul.
  
• However, due to the aftermath of Park Kang-chul’s battle, some statues were damaged…
  

The news mentioned Park Kang-chul.

I knew he was reckless, but damaging statues?

They say he swings his greatsword without thinking once he’s in battle, and it seems that’s true.

Thanks to him, there were no casualties, but public opinion wasn’t kind.

“Come to think of it, it feels like Gate appearances have increased lately.”

Was it just my imagination?

As if on cue, the news started covering it.

• Recently, the frequency of Gate appearances has surged dramatically.
  
• We’ve prepared an interview with an expert from the Hunter Association.
  
• Hello, Dr. Shin.
  
• Hello.
  
• Is it true that Gate appearances have increased?
  
• Yes, it’s true. Not only the number of Gates but also the frequency of high-grade Gates is rising, becoming a major issue.
  
• But there hasn’t been much damage so far, right?
  
• Thankfully, no casualties, but the injury rate among Hunters is increasing. If we don’t find the cause of the Gate surges, the damage will become uncontrollable over time.
  

Gates.

Mysterious portals that suddenly appeared in the world, spewing out monsters.

Despite countless clears and studies, no one has figured out why Gates appear.

Thanks to powerful Awakened individuals, the situation has been managed so far.

No, ever since it was discovered that energy could be extracted from mana stones, Gates have even been viewed positively.

But things seem to be getting serious.

“Ugh, I don’t care—just don’t open near my place.”

I’m an Awakened too, but I’m just a blacksmith.

If a Level 5 monster appeared, I’d be dead in an instant.

I can handle Mine Golems, but facing a Level 5 monster? No way.

“Well, the Hunters will handle it.”

I turned off the TV.

Looking around, I noticed quite a bit of trash.

Delivery meals tend to pile up more trash than expected.

I clean thoroughly to avoid bugs, but it was time to take it out.

Outside, the sun was already rising.

I should’ve thought of this earlier.

I figured I’d rest today and toss the trash tomorrow morning when no one’s around, as usual, but—

“Wait, why am I overthinking this? Can’t money solve everything?”

I downloaded a new app.

An errand app.

You can pay for someone to run errands for you.

I’d installed it once before but deleted it because it was too expensive.

“How much money do I have now?”

I’ve got hundreds of billions.

Errand fees are just a few thousand won.

I can easily afford that.

Back then, I’d have balked at the cost, but I’m not that guy anymore!

Rustle.

I neatly packed the trash and left it outside.

Shortly after posting on the errand app, someone accepted it, and soon—

Knock knock.

“I’ll take it.”

A gruff voice came from outside.

They didn’t need to say that, but whatever.

Trash problem solved!

“Wow, money really does everything.”

From now on, I can solve any issue with this app.

Delivery and errand apps!

With these, I could live in my cozy little apartment forever.

No more sneaking out at dawn in a mask and cap to toss trash. My heart felt at peace.

While cleaning up the trash, I finished tidying the place.

“Time to rest?”

I flopped onto my bed, but—

“…What’s this? Why does it feel so dusty?”

I just cleaned, didn’t I?

It felt like the bed was covered in dust.

Maybe it was my imagination, but it bugged me.

Through my tilted view, I saw the flame flickering comfortably on the furnace, making me feel even more uneasy.

Finally, I couldn’t stand it.

“Let’s make a new one!”

I decided to craft a new bed.

I’d been planning to do it eventually, right?

Might as well do it now.

Disassemble.

[Disassembly of ‘Mattress’ is complete.]

[Aluminum Fragments obtained.]

[Polyurethane obtained.]

The mattress disappeared in an instant.

I’d been using it without a frame to save money, so that was it for the mattress.

I disassembled the blanket and pillow too, starting fresh.

And then—

“Craft.”

[Using Production Skill.]

[Please select the shape of the item to craft.]

I began crafting a bed in earnest.

[Please specify the details of the bed’s shape.]

For the details, I modeled it after the most expensive mattress and frame on the market.

I sized it perfectly for me and my apartment.

[Please choose the material for the bed.]

No need to worry about materials.

I had plenty of fibers from Area 2.

And all the ores, except those needed for the furnace, were still available.

I tossed them in appropriately, and crafting began.

[Crafting begins.]

Clang!

As I started hammering, the flame, resting on the furnace, perked up and sent a gentle blaze toward the materials I was working on.

The materials heated up slightly.

This made hammering much easier, and the large amount of materials for the bed began taking shape.

“As expected, it’s much easier.”

The bed was a large, complex structure.

Crafting it was quite challenging.

But compared to before, it didn’t feel that hard.

The thick points broke more easily, and controlling my strength was simpler.

This was the power of Hephaestus’ Flame.

Enjoying that power, I hammered away.

[Crafting is complete.]

[‘Vulcanus’ Bed’ has been obtained.]

In no time, a bed was crafted.

[Vulcanus’ Bed]

Type: Bed

Grade: SS

Restriction: Hephaestus’ Descendant

Description: A dedicated bed crafted by Hephaestus’ Descendant to recover from the toils of the forge.

Abilities:

1. Rest – Increases stamina, mana, and vitality regeneration speed by 100%.
   
2. Sleep – During sleep, stamina, mana, and vitality regeneration speed increases by 4,000%.
   
3. Vibrant Morning – After waking, all stats increase by 20% until the next sleep.
   
4. Hygiene – The bed’s cleanliness is always maintained.
   

“Ooooh!”

Effects similar to but stronger than the pajamas I made before.

Unlike the pajamas, the bed is fixed in place, so its effects are more potent to compensate.

And Vibrant Morning.

Sleeping in this bed grants a 20% stat boost until the next sleep.

Mining and hammering would be much easier now.

Best of all, constant cleanliness!

No more struggling to dry bedding on my tiny balcony!

“Might as well make everything!”

[Crafting is complete.]

[‘Vulcanus’ Blanket’ has been obtained.]

[Crafting is complete.]

[‘Vulcanus’ Pillow’ has been obtained.]

With the remaining materials, I made a blanket and pillow too.

Soft and fluffy like new.

No, even softer and cozier because they were new.

Made exclusively for me, the bed felt like it molded perfectly to my body the moment I lay down.

“Goodnight, Flame. Or, uh… Ember?”

Whoosh—

I couldn’t tell if it liked or disliked the name.

Seeing Ember flicker more than usual, I drifted into a deep sleep.

Tomorrow, I’d check out the boss monster in Area 2, so I needed plenty of rest.