Chapter 100: Deepsea Shackle

Vulcanus Guild’s Team Leaders.  

Until now, I have provided them with personalized equipment rather than generic mass-produced guild gear, treating them like true team leaders.  

Accordingly, every one of those currently holding the team leader position wears equipment I personally tailored for them.  

Among them was Park Sang-hyun, the First Team Leader, who, though unintentionally, carried two custom weapons.  

“Hmm.”  

That meant Park Sang-hyun had enough weapons for now.  

I recently made a dedicated weapon, a scythe, for Second Team Leader Yoon Hee-joo.  

That left eight others.  

Among these, I had to consider their contributions to the Vulcanus Guild and the potential they showed when I crafted their equipment.  

Above all, the most important thing was:  

“What would suit them?”  

I currently had three S-grade materials.  

[Tentacle of Giant Jellyfish]  

[Fang of Tsunami Eater]  

[Core of Sea Giant]  

The fang was a good material, easy to incorporate into most weapons.  

The core was equally versatile, perfect for adding extra abilities to various equipment.  

The slightly tricky one was the tentacle — the Tentacle of Giant Jellyfish.  

It was awkward both as a weapon and as armor.  

Making it into an accessory was even more awkward.  

Honestly, I wondered if this was a material better suited for an alchemist rather than a blacksmith like myself.  

Then, a familiar name caught my eye.  

[9th Team Leader: Jeon Ji-min]  

Jeon Ji-min.  

The 9th Team Leader who shone during the torture—or rather, training—of assassins.  

If it weren’t for Ji-min during the Manticore Gate Break, the First and Second Team Leaders wouldn’t have been able to climb up and assist me.  

She was the one who finished off the Manticore’s Boss Monster.  

Her talents weren’t limited to attack; she excelled in many areas.  

By contribution alone, wasn’t she number one in the Vulcanus Guild?  

Thinking so, I looked back at the tentacle again.  

“This is it.”  

A good idea struck me.  

Immediately, I raised my hammer and activated my crafting skill.  

[Crafting skill activated.]  

The 9th Team Leader, Jeon Ji-min.  

Her S-grade ability, Conductor, allowed her to send electric currents through anything she touched.  

Her weapon would be…  

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

“Whip.”  

A whip it would be.  

A whip made using the most conductive material possible.  

However, focusing so much on conductivity meant the other attributes would be relatively low.  

That was why I planned to make her a new weapon.  

Using the S-grade material, the Tentacle of Giant Jellyfish.  

A quick check revealed that since this was the jellyfish’s tentacle, it was mostly composed of moisture, making it extremely conductive.  

Perfect for her whip, which required highly conductive material.  

[Please set the whip’s detailed form.]  

A suitable design immediately came to mind.  

In a game I once played based on the Cthulhu mythos, called Arkist Dungeon, there was a tentacle whip.  

I figured I could make something roughly like that.  

[Please select the material of the whip.]  

I placed the Tentacle of Giant Jellyfish as the main material.  

Since I was going all out, I included the other two S-grade materials—the Fang of Tsunami Eater and the Core of Sea Giant.  

Besides these, I added suitable other materials to blend the three well.  

“Bang!”  

I swung my hammer.  

Perhaps because more monster materials than ores went in, and especially since the jellyfish tentacle was a key component, the impact felt strange.  

Every strike felt squishy, as if hitting something soft.  

A bit odd, but I’d get used to it soon enough.  

“Blaze!”  

“Yeah!”  

“Make it like last time.”  

“Hwiruk!”  

Although the conductivity was guaranteed, I couldn’t skip the Rune Script.  

I had recently inscribed the Rune of Electricity for a Taiwanese Hunter.  

I tweaked it slightly, altering the function from generating electricity to a different method.  

I could have used a completely different rune at the start, but limiting it to electricity this way was better.  

[Progress 51%…]  

The squirming tentacle compressed, slowly taking shape.  

The Fang of Tsunami Eater embedded itself into the tentacle, and the Core of Sea Giant melted and absorbed.  

With the leather from the Fourth Sector forming the handle…  

[Crafting complete.]  

[‘Deepsea Shackle’ acquired.]  

Jeon Ji-min’s very own weapon, Deepsea Shackle, was finished.  

[Deepsea Shackle]  

Form: Whip  

Grade: SSS  

Requirement: Level 140 or above  

Description: A whip forged by Hephaestus’s Descendant, gathering the power of the deep sea for 9th Team Leader Jeon Ji-min.  

Attack Power: 1,600  

Abilities:  

1. Fang – When the whip strikes an enemy, it holds them longer and deals continuous damage while in contact.  

2. Tentacle – The whip can extend up to three times its original length.  

3. Wave – Leaves a ripple where the whip passes, temporarily maintaining the whip’s effect in that area.  

4. Capacitor – Can store electricity.  

At a glance, the abilities seemed simple.  

But all were designed specifically to maximize Jeon Ji-min’s power.  

Satisfied, I gazed at the perfect weapon born from three S-grade materials.  

“Team Leader Jeon Ji-min?”  

“Yes?”  

***

I immediately presented her with the new weapon.  

The 9th Team Leader, Jeon Ji-min.  

She was currently tackling a Grade 6 Gate, the Great Wolf Prairie.  

“Until recently, I thought grade 6 was our limit, but now it doesn’t feel easy to clear them anymore, does it, Team Leader?”  

“Right? We might enter grade 7 gates soon.”  

“If possible, let’s go in before First Team.”  

“Well, I heard First Team already entered an grade 7 Gate!”  

“Ah, seriously? Those monsters…”  

“Hey, we’re also among the top, so let’s keep our spirits up! Let’s go!”  

After facing Manticore, the grade 6 monsters felt too easy.  

Still, rushing into an grade 7 Gate was too risky, so we held back.  

But the desire to advance grew naturally.  

Still, just because it felt easy didn’t mean grade 6 Gates were actually simple.  

“Grrr.”  

The monsters here were Dire Wolves.  

Much larger than ordinary wolves, with sharp fangs and more menacing.  

Physically, they ranked among the lower grade 6 monsters, though.  

Yet the Great Wolf Prairie was considered one of the hardest grade 6 Gates.  

The reason was the wolves’ unique pack behavior.  

“Grrr.”  

“Grrr.”  

“Grrr…”  

As soon as you entered, dozens of Dire Wolves swarmed in packs.  

The problem was, that was just the start.  

Each pack had at least twenty wolves.  

There were over ten such packs.  

And the number of wolves the Boss Monster controlled approached fifty.  

Even for a grade 6 Gate, this made it very difficult for anything but top-tier Hunters.  

Just as the wolves appeared and Team Nine prepared to fight…  

“Team Leader Jeon Ji-min?”  

“Yes?”  

Suddenly, a message came.  

It was from Vulcanus Guild Master, Vulcanus himself.  

“Everyone, hold off fighting for a moment. The Guild Master contacted me!”  

“Oh! Our beloved Team Leader gets special treatment! If this affects team rankings, shouldn’t we be promoted to Second Team?”  

“I’ll try proposing that once we get closer!”  

“Haha! I’m scared Team Leader might really propose it. Anyway, take your time! We’ll handle the rabble here!”  

“Thank you!”  

After tidying up the frontlines briefly, Vulcanus’s voice came again.  

– I heard you’ve reached level 140.  

“Yes! Oh! This feeling… could it be!”  

– I made a new weapon for you.  

“Yahoo!”  

– Please try it out and may I share your vision?  

“Of course! Stalking is welcome!”  

– I have permission, but stalking…  

Not long after, the equipment arrived.  

“Waaaah!”  

[Deepsea Shackle]  

Jeon Ji-min couldn’t help but exclaim upon seeing the whip.  

A translucent whip with a subtle sheen.  

Sharp serrated teeth reminiscent of shark teeth were embedded in every segment.  

As she gripped it, the whip recognized its owner and glowed faintly with a blue light.  

Then, marveling again at the weapon’s abilities, Jeon Ji-min sent electricity through it.  

“Pzzzt-”  

She could feel the whip absorbing electricity through its Capacitor power.  

Electricity storage.  

This wasn’t just a simple increase in mana capacity.  

The more electricity stored, the higher the peak output Jeon Ji-min could unleash at once.  

This meant not only longer sustain but also a significant boost in overall attack power.  

“Insane!”  

Jeon Ji-min shouted in pure joy and charged forward.  

Dodging the team members holding back the Dire Wolves, she leapt into the center of the wolf pack.  

“Swish!”  

She swung the whip.  

The whip’s second ability, Tentacle.  

The whip extended several times its original length, ignoring range to strike the wolves.  

“Snap!”  

“Grr?”  

Normally, Jeon Ji-min’s fighting style was to trap a single enemy and discharge electricity.  

But this time was different.  

She didn’t restrain one enemy.  

Instead, she kept the whip swinging, hitting every wolf it touched.  

“Thwack thwack thwack!”  

The whip’s first ability, Fang, held the wolves in place.  

The third ability, Wave, left ripples maintaining the whip’s form and continued restraining the wolves.  

Plus, Jeon Ji-min’s whipping speed was lightning fast.  

With a single swing, she attacked every wolf in sight.  

Just before the ripples faded, she unleashed all the stored electricity at once.

“Pzzzzzzzt-!!”  

The Dire Wolves convulsed violently from the electric shock.  

Though the ripples disappeared and the current stopped, the wolves already exposed to high voltage twitched no more.  

They collapsed, stiff bodies emitting black smoke.  

“Team Leader! What is that?!”  

“Damn, that’s crazy.”  

“Hahaha! Isn’t it awesome? That’s the perk of being a Team Leader!”  

“Ugh, so jealous!”  

“Me too! I want my own customized weapon!”  

“If you’re jealous, why don’t you become Team Leader! Haha!”  

Jeon Ji-min began rampaging.  

She single-handedly took down the entire wolf pack drawn by the commotion.  

Her team members just stared blankly at her back.  

Only after she collapsed, completely drained, did they take over.  

“Hahaha!”  

Jeon Ji-min downed a potion, recovered her mana, and resumed hunting.  

And finally, when the Boss Monster—a horned Dire Wolf—appeared, she wrapped her whip around its neck and discharged all the stored electricity.  

“Pzzzzzzzt-!!”  

“Let’s move straight into grade 7 Gate after this!”  

With that, she declared their graduation from grade 6 Gates.