Chapter 38: The Wyvern’s Wrath

• Recently, Korea’s Rank 1 Hunter, Swordmaster Han Yura, soloed an SS-grade monster, making headlines globally.
  
• Some experts claim Han Yura’s combat prowess rivals America’s Swordmaster, Noah.
  
• In response, Hunter Han Yura…
  
• With Gate occurrences surging, the Hunter Association has released an updated manual.
  
• As Gate Breaks increase alongside Gate occurrences, viewers are advised to review the manual…
  

I never used to care about the news.

Lately, I’ve had it on constantly.

It’s not about getting old and finding news interesting.

As a proper Hunter, I figured news was the best way to stay informed about the world.

For a shut-in blacksmith like me, it’s my only window to the outside.

“Wow, already 3rd place.”

I opened the system to check the forge rankings.

[3rd Place: Vulcanus Forge]

Thanks to Han Yura mentioning my forge on the news, probably.

The public’s already saying I might be the top forge.

I mean, how many SSS-grade items have I made for rankers?

Even if the Swordmaster’s was a repair, not a craft, I’ve worked with rankers up to 4th place.

Splitting tasks with my assistants has given me more crafting time.

A bit more, and I might actually hit 1st.

“Time to get to work!”

Clang!

I swung my hammer.

Taking commissions is fine, but showcasing better items to more people is key to raising the forge’s name.

Since the Swordmaster, I’ve focused on crafting decent items for sale rather than taking commissions.

My bank balance keeps growing.

Before awakening, I’d tremble buying a single pork belly.

Now, I’m stressing over how to spend all this money.

I’m just crafting for the joy of growth, like playing a game.

Clang!

As I hammered away—

Beep! Beep! Beep!

My phone blared.

Checking it, an emergency alert had arrived.

[Emergency Alert]

A Gate has appeared near XX-dong, X-gu today.

Golems Hunters will be dispatched, so residents, please stay indoors and lock your doors.

“Pfft, what now?”

Emergency alerts? I’ve gotten three this week alone.

I’m always holed up in my room, so it’s not my concern.

Then—

Another emergency alert.

[Emergency Alert]

A Gate Break has occurred near XX-dong, X-gu today.

Hunters will be dispatched soon, so residents, please stay indoors and lock your doors.

Only one thing changed.

Gate Break.

A phenomenon where a Gate collapses for unknown reasons, spilling monsters into the world.

Terrifying.

A literal “disaster,” but I still didn’t care.

“The Hunters will handle it.”

As a blacksmith, it’s not my problem.

Then—

WEEEE-OOOO!

A loud siren wailed outside.

I’d never heard sirens with past alerts.

A Gate Break nearby?

“No way.”

Just in case, I headed to the balcony.

Opening the window and looking out—

I saw it instantly.

“KREEEEE!”

Far off.

A massive Gate atop a skyscraper, with a giant wyvern emerging.

“Wyvern…?”

I couldn’t miss it.

A monster familiar from games.

Wyvern, or Flying Dragon, a type of dragon monster.

A small dragon specialized for flight.

“Small” by dragon standards, still at least 5 meters.

That’s the smallest kind, and this wyvern looked well over 10 meters.

“What the hell kind of wyvern is that?!”

My shock was simple.

Despite being a shut-in, I’d studied monster grades through internet searches and news.

This wyvern—

Over 10 meters, red body, horns on its head.

“Red Wyvern!”

An SS-grade monster, Red Wyvern.

SS-grade, but among S-grade monsters, it’s one of the most dangerous.

Its ferocious nature, powerful claws, scorching breath.

Many reasons, but the biggest—

“KREEEEE!”

Flap!

Those massive wings.

A flying type.

Melee Hunters have no way to attack it.

In a Gate, you could prepare and use long-range attacks.

But a Gate Break changes everything.

Flying freely in the real world’s vast sky, they’re a disaster.

No, a catastrophe.

“They won’t come here, right…?”

No way.

It’s so far, no chance.

“KREEEEE!”

As time passed, more wyverns appeared.

The skyscraper’s roof became their nest.

“AHHHH!”

Screams echoed.

Wyverns hunting people.

Most monsters wouldn’t bother you if you hid in a house or car.

But Red Wyverns? Fleeing in a car was like waving bait before a fish.

Crunch!

“Help! Save me!”

A wyvern grabbed a car with its claws.

Screams rose.

Where were the Hunters?

“Red Wyverns…”

Hunters approaching from afar hesitated, spotting the Red Wyverns.

Red Wyverns aren’t just strong.

You need sufficient combat power and a way to attack a flying monster.

Regular Hunters, called in a pinch, can’t handle them.

“No, no way.”

Boom.

The final monster emerged from the Gate.

The Red Wyverns’ boss, Twin-Headed Wyvern.

A Twin Dragon.

Its size was on another level.

Taking the city center—

“ROOOOAR!”

Its fierce roar.

“KREEEEE!”

Wyverns clinging to building walls like bats took flight in unison.

The hunt began.

“AHHHH!”

Screams echoed everywhere.

Those hiding in homes were relatively safe, but those fleeing or in cars were spotted and caught.

I’d heard Gate Breaks rarely caused casualties lately.

To face such a horrific disaster—

“If I stay hidden…”

Just stay in the house.

The Red Wyverns only attacked visible people, not bothering with buildings.

Crash!

“KREEEEE!”

Or so I thought.

I was wrong.

Wyverns claimed high-rises as nests, like building their territory.

Larger wyverns took taller buildings.

Smaller ones settled for lower ones.

Some buildings were as tall as mine, and they kept expanding their territory.

“Damn it…”

Only then did I realize.

I was in real danger.

If they kept expanding, they could reach my house.

If chosen as a nest, I’d be dead.

“Should I escape?”

I considered it but shook my head.

Fearful and running outside, escapees were prime targets.

Even if I could, I lacked the courage.

Leaving this building, my damn agoraphobia would choke me.

I might escape, but could I survive the wyverns and my fear?

Wait here for the wyverns?

“No way I’m giving up!”

Steeling myself, I tore off the balcony door.

I pushed the bed and desk back to clear space.

Then—

“Craft!”

[Using Production Skill.]

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

I grabbed my hammer.

If a wyvern targeted my house, I needed a defense.

Weapons to attack wyverns? Bows or crossbows.

But their range and accuracy suck.

I’d tried a crossbow, but I don’t know bows.

Even if I made one, at Level 24, could I deal meaningful damage to a Red Wyvern?

Normal weapons won’t do.

So, my chosen weapon—

“Ballista!”

Ballista.

Using bow principles, made of large wood… simply, a massive crossbow.

With the right design, it’d adjust aim, and since it’s not worn, my level won’t limit its damage to wyverns.

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

No time for details.

Normally, I’d reference game images, but now I used the default system image.

[Please choose the material for the ballista.]

I used a mix of Mine materials.

Mechanisms and stands made sturdy with ore, the frame with wood.

The bow with elastic wood, the string with my toughest fibers.

[Crafting begins.]

Clang!

I swung my hammer urgently.

Sensing my urgency, Ember climbed my shoulder, heating the materials.

[Progress: 12%…]

Not done yet.

A ballista needs projectiles, unlike a sword.

In this rush, making arrows was tough.

“Disassembler 1!”

I called.

Hearing my voice, Disassembler 1 rushed over.

Not literally hearing through the locked door, but sensing my intent as its master.

As it arrived—

“Make arrows! Fit for my ballista!”

“Understood.”

I ordered arrow crafting.

Disassembler 1 focused on disassembly, but its abilities covered all blacksmith skills.

It could make arrows, albeit clumsily.

[Progress: 33%…]

“Why’s it so slow?”

Crafting a massive ballista slowed progress.

No, it was faster than usual, but it felt like a turtle to me.

Especially since a wyvern seemed to be flying straight at me.

Crash!

No, not seemed.

They were actually coming.

Why? Then I saw—

“Hey! Over here, you lizards!”

Below, backup Hunters were shooting arrows, taunting the wyverns.

Were they trying to hunt?

“Come on! Run!”

“Hold them off until support arrives!”

No.

They were just drawing attention to keep wyverns from targeting people.

Problem was, the wyverns they lured—

“KREEEEE!”

Weren’t only targeting the Hunters.

As the Hunters fled, some wyverns, losing their target, attacked the surroundings.

“Why are they luring wyverns here?!”

Is that right?

Not hunting, just drawing them here?

They seemed to expect the pack-hunting wyverns to return to their group.

But Red Wyverns, in their ferocity, attacked everything.

Clang!

[Progress: 79%…]

I gritted my teeth and hammered faster.

This was urgent.

I had to finish.

If even one wyvern targeted me, I’d have to take it down to survive.

Glancing at the wyverns through the window—

“KREEEEE!”

An illusion?

No.

I locked eyes with a wyvern.

“KREEEEE!”

“No, no way!”

Not an illusion.

The wyvern I locked eyes with flew straight at me.

“No way!”

[Progress: 87%…]

The worst-case scenario became reality.

All because of those reckless Hunters luring wyverns.

No way to escape.

Instead of fleeing, I hammered with all my might.

Clang!

Had I ever swung this fast, this urgently?

Even in a trance, it wasn’t this intense.

They say people unleash superhuman strength in life-or-death moments.

Progress soared at an insane rate.

As my frantic hammer struck the final point—

[Crafting is complete.]

[‘Shut-In Ballista’ has been obtained.]

Shut-In Ballista?

Until now, the system gave cool names like Blazing Ember or Sharp Poison Sac.

Why this name now?

I wanted to check the item info, but there was no time.

“Arrow!”

“Here it is.”

I loaded the arrow Disassembler 1 brought onto the ballista’s string.

An iron arrow for the ballista.

Pure iron, no wood, it looked like a metal stake.

As I loaded it—

Aiming along the ballista’s thin frame at the wyvern flying toward me—

Twang!

I fired the arrow.