Chapter 30: The Orb of Ambition

[You have entered Hephaestus’ Mine.]

The familiar damp air greeted me as I entered the Mine.

It wasn’t uncomfortable.

In fact, the humidity felt so familiar that it made moving around easier.

But—

Whoosh—

“Hey.”

The surroundings felt brighter than usual.

That wasn’t all.

The air was less humid, more dry.

Not overly dry—just the right level of comfort compared to the usual dampness.

I wondered why, and then—

“When did you get there?”

Ember was perched on my shoulder.

I thought it was resting quietly in the furnace.

I hadn’t even noticed it climb onto me.

More importantly, is it okay for it to leave the furnace?

This just proves it’s alive.

“Alright, let’s go together.”

Whoosh.

With my newfound mining buddy, Ember, I walked forward.

It reminded me of a castaway movie where the protagonist talked to a volleyball.

That volleyball must be in the same position as my Ember.

No, honestly, Ember is a hundred, a thousand times better than a volleyball.

It’s useful in real life, super cute, and—

It’s 6✮-grade.

That volleyball wasn’t 6✮-grade, was it?

Clang!

I smashed a Golem blocking my path and moved on.

Having memorized Area 1 completely, I passed through it and entered Area 2.

My goal was the boss room, but I didn’t ignore the ores.

Swinging my pickaxe and scissors, I diligently gathered materials as I headed deeper into Area 2.

“What’s waiting for me?”

In Area 1’s boss room, there was a Giant Vampire Bat.

Area 2 is probably similar.

“I think defeating the boss will get me to Level 25.”

Like in Area 1, defeating the boss here should push me to Level 25.

And with that, the Mine’s time limit will likely extend.

Hoo.

Hoo.

The corridor ahead darkened slightly.

This was uncharted territory.

This was my first time venturing this far.

The reason was obvious.

Just a bit further, and I’d encounter the boss monster.

Sure enough—

Sss—

Ssss—

I sensed something from deeper within.

A presence entirely different from the Silk Golems.

An eerie presence, like something crawling through the darkness.

“What’s that?”

I peeked around the corner.

A boss room even larger than Area 1’s came into view.

Like the rest of the area, the walls, floor, and ceiling were made of silk and fibers.

But one thing stood out.

“That’s…”

It wasn’t just the walls, floor, and ceiling.

The entire room was covered in sticky webbing.

I’d seen this before.

Spider webs.

The kind spiders make to catch prey.

In other words, Area 2’s boss monster was—

Hiss.

A massive spider.

After spotting the spider, I spent some time in Area 2 cutting fibers before returning to my room.

Today’s goal was to confirm the boss monster in Area 2.

That’s it.

I had no intention of fighting it.

“It really was a spider.”

I’d expected it.

Area 2’s structure looked like a spider’s lair.

Just as Area 1’s “cave” theme had a bat, I figured Area 2 would have a spider-like boss.

As a veteran gamer, I could predict the boss from the moment I entered.

“Should I ask the Mir Guild again?”

The weakness of spider-type monsters.

I could find general info online, but nothing as precise as what the Mir Guild could provide.

Since they’d helped me before, I felt more at ease sending them a message this time.

Soon after—

Ding.

A reply arrived from the Mir Guild.

• Hello, Vulcanus-nim.
  
• This is the Mir Guild.
  
• Thank you for contacting us so casually.
  
• The weakness of spider-type monsters is generally fire attributes.
  
• In simple terms, the strategy is to burn the webs with fire attacks, then attack the spider when its mobility is reduced.
  
• Damaging its eyes with burns significantly lowers the difficulty.
  
• Alternatively, targeting the leg joints with slashing weapons is another method.
  
• Detailed strategies are attached below.
  

Wow.

As expected from the Mir Guild.

Their intel was incredible.

The attached detailed strategies didn’t just lump spider monsters together but listed weaknesses and tactics for each type.

Information you couldn’t buy with money.

“This time, I’ll need to make a fire-attribute weapon.”

I briefly regretted selling the Flickering Ember, but shook my head.

The Flickering Ember was a dagger.

Wielding a dagger against that massive spider?

No way I’m doing that.

But—

The message didn’t end there as usual.

Curious, I read on.

“Whoa.”

• Additionally, we have a commission for you, Vulcanus-nim.
  
• It’s regarding equipment crafting for our guild master.
  
• Lee Ga-eul.
  

The message ended with a crafting commission from the Mir Guild.

The Mir Guild.

One of Korea’s five major guilds, founded by Lee Ga-eul, the fourth-ranked Hunter.

Despite being fourth, no one dared underestimate him.

His class was Mage.

In Gates, Mages held a value unmatched by any other class.

But even for Lee Ga-eul—

[5th Place: Lee Ga-eul]

His dropping rank was a concern.

While Cheon Seung-heon and Park Kang-chul competed, Lee Ga-eul’s rank slipped one spot.

A rookie had risen with monstrous momentum, overtaking him to claim fourth place.

“No need to worry too much.”

“No, if I fall out of the top six, our guild’s standing will falter.”

The guild master’s prestige is crucial for major guilds.

Just as Cheon Seung-heon was the heart of the Changcheon Guild, Lee Ga-eul’s position was vital to the Mir Guild.

But recently, Lee Ga-eul had hit a plateau.

His level was rising, but he felt magically blocked.

The biggest issue was—

“Did Kang Ho-deok’s forge reply?”

“Yes, but… they say crafting the requested item is difficult due to a lack of magical knowledge.”

“What about overseas?”

“As you know, with the recent surge in Gate appearances, foreign guilds are too busy managing their own Hunters to take on commissions.”

“…Is that so?”

Equipment.

Mage equipment was among the most avoided by blacksmiths.

Unlike regular equipment, which only needed to be sturdy and sharp, Mage equipment operated on entirely different principles.

It had to enhance mana cohesion, circulation, and conversion rates.

Simply making it sturdy and sharp was useless.

As a result, Mages often used Gate-dropped items as their main equipment.

“The Auction House…”

“Nothing. The recent spike in Gate appearances has led to equipment hoarding.”

The problem was that Gate-dropped items couldn’t fully equip a Hunter.

Lee Ga-eul was no exception.

His current equipment was 10-20 levels below his own.

If only the equipment issue could be resolved, he could climb the ranks again.

That was his regret.

Then, Lee Sae-bom, his aide, cautiously suggested—

“Why not commission Vulcanus’ Forge?”

Lee Sae-bom.

Though an aide, she was very close to Lee Ga-eul.

She’d been offered promotions but wanted to rise through skill, not connections, and worked harder for it.

Despite her suggestion, Lee Ga-eul shook his head.

“He’s only around Level 10, right? Crafting my equipment would be too much.”

“But you saw Park Kang-chul and Cheon Seung-heon’s equipment. Even at a low level, for items without fixed stats like attack or defense, he can create pieces better than Kang Ho-deok’s.”

“I need those stats. Auxiliary equipment won’t cut it.”

“What about an Orb?”

“An Orb?”

An Orb.

Also called a Magic Sphere, it’s an item that helps Mages manage mana more efficiently.

Often used mounted on a staff, Lee Ga-eul’s staff lacked one.

“With the material you recently acquired, we could make an excellent Orb.”

“That material is for a staff.”

“If we make a proper Orb, you can combine it with a staff later for an upgrade.”

An Orb.

Not a bad idea.

While considered an auxiliary weapon, an Orb doesn’t directly affect magic attack power.

It aids in casting speed and mana cohesion instead.

It would definitely help.

But there was one issue.

“Would Vulcanus’ Forge accept the commission?”

Vulcanus’ Forge.

It was rising fast, thanks to Park Kang-chul and Cheon Seung-heon’s equipment.

Crafting two SSS-grade items made that inevitable.

The problem was that they rarely accepted commissions.

Though Lee Sae-bom had been communicating with Vulcanus, would they easily accept?

To that question, Lee Sae-bom replied confidently.

“If you permit it, I’ll make it happen.”

The Mir Guild’s commission was to craft an Orb.

An Orb.

As a gaming expert, I was familiar with it.

A Mage’s auxiliary equipment.

Sometimes even considered a main weapon.

Think of it like a crystal ball used by fortune-tellers.

• We’ll prepare the materials.
  
• All you need to do, Vulcanus-nim, is craft the Orb with the provided materials.
  
• We estimate a crafting fee of 30 billion won.
  
• From the Mir Guild.
  

A crafting fee of 30 billion won.

Excluding material costs, purely 30 billion.

The Blood Berserker’s Shroud earned 20 billion, so this was 1.5 times that.

Hmm…

I hesitated briefly, but there was no reason to refuse.

It’s a lot of money.

And hadn’t the Mir Guild helped me several times?

Crafting doesn’t take long, so making one item was no issue.

I accepted the commission lightly, and the Mir Guild sent the materials.

I wondered what materials warranted a 30-billion-won commission.

“Whoa.”

[Corrupted Imoogi’s Pearl]

The material’s quality was beyond my expectations.