Chapter 70: The Assassin’s Gambit

[Enhancement complete.]

– Ta-da! Done!

The crafting room.

Where Crafting 1, 2, and Dismantling 1, 2 worked.

I finished expanding the third floor.

It took nearly 24 hours per room, so I held off on others.

No rush.

As my skills improve, spatial expansion will speed up.

– How’s it feel? More comfortable?

– Thank you. I can swing my hammer without worrying about space.

– Now we can stack more materials and craft.

– There’s room to spare.

– Nice, nice.

The crafting team was pleased.

The 24-hour effort was worth it.

While here, I tested if they could use runes.

– No go.

– Really? It doesn’t work?

– Only the master can.

– Can’t you just imbue the runes?

– Nope.

No luck.

Spark’s firm refusal.

I tried bribing it with snacks, but—

Whoosh—

– Seems impossible, Master.

Even with Spark’s runes, the team’s hammers couldn’t fix them.

Runes were exclusive to Spark and me.

– Oh well.

Disappointing, but what can you do?

If the team could use runes, it’d be too overpowered.

Still, there was a way.

– Crafting 1, let me see your hammer.

– Here.

[Using Enhancement Skill.]

Crafting 1’s hammer.

Built solely for crafting, as its name suggests.

Already enhanced beyond its original level and performance.

– Alright, Spark, let’s do this.

– Yup!

I’d engrave a rune.

After checking rune types, I had the perfect one for Crafting 1’s hammer.

– Creation, please.

– Yup!

Whoosh!

Spark’s blue flames flared.

As I hammered—

Clang!

The Creation rune etched onto the hammer.

I’d gotten used to rune engraving, making hammering easier.

Runes were high-difficulty, so it took time.

[Enhancement complete.]

Soon, the rune was engraved.

Testing with Spark showed:

Crafting with runes could shape or boost item performance.

Enhancing with runes added their effects to existing abilities.

[Creation]

Increases production skill efficiency.

Speeds up item crafting and upgrades completed item performance.

The SS-grade hammer gained the Creation rune.

Retaining its original abilities, it now had this boost.

Marked SS-grade, its performance rivaled SSS-grade.

– If I used this on an SSS-grade item?

I was certain.

It’d create an SSS-grade item surpassing SSS-grade performance.

Beyond SSS-grade!

A realm apart from SSS-grade items.

What if I engraved runes on an SSS-grade item?

The world’s strongest item.

Lost in happy thoughts—

– Master.

A familiar voice in my head.

Not a system call.

The voice of Smith’s Soul.

Specifically—

– Guild Master 1?

The assistant I sent to the guild for the founding ceremony.

Unlike others, Guild Master 1 stayed at the guild building.

It had no real tasks.

Nam Bora handled guild operations.

Guild Master 1’s role: a figurehead guild master.

Only active during the ceremony, but kept there for future possession to manage guests or give orders.

It contacted me first.

– What’s up?

What could it be?

If a guest arrived, Nam Bora would’ve called.

Why would Guild Master 1 reach out?

– A guest arrived.

– A guest?

No way.

No word from Nam Bora.

– What’s happening?

– I’m handling the guest.

– You? How are you handling a guest?

Guild Master 1 wasn’t trained for this.

It couldn’t even offer water.

How was it handling a guest?

What was Nam Bora doing?

Shaking my head, I decided to deal with it myself.

Guild Master 1 might mess up.

Hum—

Closing my eyes, I used the possession skill.

My senses shifted, head spinning.

The cold, hard feel of possession.

The rigid sensation of SSS-grade armor.

Then—

Clang!

– What?

A sudden impact.

What was this?

Opening my eyes—

– Who’s that?

A figure cloaked in black.

Suspicious at a glance.

Everything but the eyes was covered.

The biggest issue: the dagger in their hand.

– Did they just attack me?

No other explanation.

Just me and this cloaked figure.

Only they could’ve attacked.

– What’s this?

– Didn’t expect you to block so well. For a blacksmith.

Their words confirmed it.

An assassin.

Here to kill me, Vulcanus Guild’s master.

My spine chilled.

Good thing I used Guild Master 1 as a decoy.

If I’d attended the ceremony or my identity leaked—

Wouldn’t they have come for me?

– Just a blacksmith, though.

Swish!

The assassin lunged.

Incredible speed.

My assistant’s reflexes tracked them, but—

Clang!

– What? Suddenly moving like a pro?

I couldn’t block the dagger.

I’d never fought with a sword.

Crafting swords and wielding them were different.

If crafting meant mastery, every blacksmith would be a weapon master.

– Guild Master 1, you take over.

– Understood.

Clang!

– Trained moves again… Trying to make me drop my guard? Foolish.

Thankfully, I blocked this time.

Not me—Guild Master 1.

Keeping my mind, I let it control movements.

I didn’t know possession worked like this—new knowledge.

Clang! Clang!

I blocked incoming attacks.

Dodging a low stab by stepping back, I was grazed by a thrown dagger.

The SSS-grade armor held, but—

Scratch.

A mark on the armor.

Unavoidable.

Level difference.

My SSS-grade armor outshone same-level gear, but against higher levels, even SSS-grade weapons could damage it.

The assassin was a pro, likely dozens of levels above me.

– Hurry up!

I wasn’t aiming to defeat them.

Guild Master 1 wasn’t combat-oriented.

It looked heroic, but its abilities focused on non-combat roles.

– Stalling for allies, huh? Think you can hold out?

– Keep blocking!

As Guild Master 1 defended, I alerted the guild, summoning all members.

The assassin was strong.

My body—no, Guild Master 1’s—was accumulating wounds.

Then—

Slash!

The assassin severed Guild Master 1’s left arm.

The exposed hollow interior.

The assassin’s expression twisted—eyes narrowing under the hood.

– A fake? No wonder rankers ignored Vulcanus’ rise.

They realized Guild Master 1 wasn’t me.

What now?

Knowing the target was a decoy, what would they do?

– I’m out.

– Took too long. The armor not being you breaks the contract.

The assassin turned to the door.

At that moment—

– Not so fast!

Desperately controlling Guild Master 1, I grabbed them with my remaining arm.

They didn’t expect me to cling after focusing on defense.

– You scrap heap!

Boom!

Not clang—boom.

The assassin’s strength was absurd.

One dagger strike dented the SSS-grade armor.

But my role was done.

Guild members, rushing from downstairs after my call—

– Master!

They arrived.

The assassin’s expression twisted further.

– Think Vulcanus’ newbies can stop me?

The guild blocked windows and doors.

They were right.

Vulcanus Guild’s levels were low.

Far below the assassin’s.

But—

– I think they can.

My guild wielded high-grade gear I crafted.

And Guild Master 1’s gear wasn’t for combat—it was for command.

Authority—boosts control.

Command—raises guild stats and blocks status effects.

Embrace—reduces damage taken.

Master of Vulcanus—enhances all gear labeled “Vulcanus.”

Dozens of guild members, empowered, swarmed.

– All units, humanoid raid formation! Surround and attack!

– Master!

Vulcanus Guild formed ranks.