[You have entered Hephaestusโ Mine.]
The familiar damp air greeted me as I entered the Mine.
It wasnโt uncomfortable.
In fact, the humidity felt so familiar that it made moving around easier.
Butโ
Whooshโ
โHey.โ
The surroundings felt brighter than usual.
That wasnโt all.
The air was less humid, more dry.
Not overly dryโjust the right level of comfort compared to the usual dampness.
I wondered why, and thenโ
โWhen did you get there?โ
Ember was perched on my shoulder.
I thought it was resting quietly in the furnace.
I hadnโt even noticed it climb onto me.
More importantly, is it okay for it to leave the furnace?
This just proves itโs alive.
โAlright, letโs go together.โ
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.
Itโs useful in real life, super cute, andโ
Itโs 6โฎ-grade.
That volleyball wasnโt 6โฎ-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 didnโt ignore the ores.
Swinging my pickaxe and scissors, I diligently gathered materials as I headed deeper into Area 2.
โWhatโs waiting for me?โ
In Area 1โs boss room, there was a Giant Vampire Bat.
Area 2 is probably similar.
โI think defeating the boss will get me to Level 25.โ
Like in Area 1, defeating the boss here should push me to Level 25.
And with that, the Mineโs 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 Iโd encounter the boss monster.
Sure enoughโ
Sssโ
Ssssโ
I sensed something from deeper within.
A presence entirely different from the Silk Golems.
An eerie presence, like something crawling through the darkness.
โWhatโs that?โ
I peeked around the corner.
A boss room even larger than Area 1โs 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.
โThatโsโฆโ
It wasnโt just the walls, floor, and ceiling.
The entire room was covered in sticky webbing.
Iโd seen this before.
Spider webs.
The kind spiders make to catch prey.
In other words, Area 2โs boss monster wasโ
Hiss.
A massive spider.
After spotting the spider, I spent some time in Area 2 cutting fibers before returning to my room.
Todayโs goal was to confirm the boss monster in Area 2.
Thatโs it.
I had no intention of fighting it.
โIt really was a spider.โ
Iโd expected it.
Area 2โs structure looked like a spiderโs lair.
Just as Area 1โs โcaveโ 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.
โShould I ask the Mir Guild again?โ
The weakness of spider-type monsters.
I could find general info online, but nothing as precise as what the Mir Guild could provide.
Since theyโd helped me before, I felt more at ease sending them a message this time.
Soon afterโ
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 didnโt just lump spider monsters together but listed weaknesses and tactics for each type.
Information you couldnโt buy with money.
โThis time, Iโll need to make a fire-attribute weapon.โ
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 Iโm doing that.
Butโ
The message didnโt end there as usual.
Curious, I read on.
โWhoa.โ
- Additionally, we have a commission for you, Vulcanus-nim.
- Itโs 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 Koreaโs 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-eulโ
[5th Place: Lee Ga-eul]
His dropping rank was a concern.
While Cheon Seung-heon and Park Kang-chul competed, Lee Ga-eulโs rank slipped one spot.
A rookie had risen with monstrous momentum, overtaking him to claim fourth place.
โNo need to worry too much.โ
โNo, if I fall out of the top six, our guildโs standing will falter.โ
The guild masterโs prestige is crucial for major guilds.
Just as Cheon Seung-heon was the heart of the Changcheon Guild, Lee Ga-eulโs 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 wasโ
โDid Kang Ho-deokโs forge reply?โ
โYes, butโฆ they say crafting the requested item is difficult due to a lack of magical knowledge.โ
โWhat about overseas?โ
โAs you know, with the recent surge in Gate appearances, foreign guilds are too busy managing their own Hunters to take on commissions.โ
โโฆIs that so?โ
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.
โThe Auction Houseโฆโ
โNothing. The recent spike in Gate appearances has led to equipment hoarding.โ
The problem was that Gate-dropped items couldnโt 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 suggestedโ
โWhy not commission Vulcanusโ Forge?โ
Lee Sae-bom.
Though an aide, she was very close to Lee Ga-eul.
Sheโd 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.
โHeโs only around Level 10, right? Crafting my equipment would be too much.โ
โBut you saw Park Kang-chul and Cheon Seung-heonโs equipment. Even at a low level, for items without fixed stats like attack or defense, he can create pieces better than Kang Ho-deokโs.โ
โI need those stats. Auxiliary equipment wonโt cut it.โ
โWhat about an Orb?โ
โAn Orb?โ
An Orb.
Also called a Magic Sphere, itโs an item that helps Mages manage mana more efficiently.
Often used mounted on a staff, Lee Ga-eulโs staff lacked one.
โWith the material you recently acquired, we could make an excellent Orb.โ
โThat material is for a staff.โ
โIf we make a proper Orb, you can combine it with a staff later for an upgrade.โ
An Orb.
Not a bad idea.
While considered an auxiliary weapon, an Orb doesnโt directly affect magic attack power.
It aids in casting speed and mana cohesion instead.
It would definitely help.
But there was one issue.
โWould Vulcanusโ Forge accept the commission?โ
Vulcanusโ Forge.
It was rising fast, thanks to Park Kang-chul and Cheon Seung-heonโs 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.
โIf you permit it, Iโll make it happen.โ
The Mir Guildโs commission was to craft an Orb.
An Orb.
As a gaming expert, I was familiar with it.
A Mageโs auxiliary equipment.
Sometimes even considered a main weapon.
Think of it like a crystal ball used by fortune-tellers.
- Weโll 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 Berserkerโs Shroud earned 20 billion, so this was 1.5 times that.
Hmmโฆ
I hesitated briefly, but there was no reason to refuse.
Itโs a lot of money.
And hadnโt the Mir Guild helped me several times?
Crafting doesnโt 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.
โWhoa.โ
[Corrupted Imoogiโs Pearl]
The materialโs quality was beyond my expectations.
Thanks for the chapter