Chapter 131: Samsog-o’s Scorn

Whether I was the mastermind or not was not something I could explain right now.

I briefly thought about contacting Nam Bora to have her post a clarification article or even hold a press conference.

“But I don’t think anyone would believe me even if I explained.”

Would people believe it if someone accused of being the mastermind said they weren’t?

No way.

If it were me, I wouldn’t believe it either.

So, I decided to give up on any explanations.

What did the public’s opinion matter anyway?

No matter how famous Vulcanus became, no one knew my personal information.

Rumors were just that—things that could be shaped however people wanted.

Besides, the term “mastermind” had a certain appeal.

Mastermind, Vulcanus.

Not bad at all.

Lost in such frivolous thoughts, I used the new crafting skill.

[Using Crafting Skill.]

Since I had already finished making Cheongryong’s armor, naturally, the next item was…

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

“A bow.”

The weapon that Cheon Seung-heon would use.

It was a bow.

I considered sending Cheongryong’s completed equipment first, but since we had formed an alliance, wouldn’t sending only one person’s gear first risk destabilizing that alliance?

So, I decided to send both sets at the same time.

Besides, it was only a matter of a few days difference.

[Please set the detailed form of the bow.]

[Please select the material of the bow.]

Of course, the material was…

“Samsog-o’s Feather.”

An item brought by Cheon Seung-heon.

An SS-grade material, Samsog-o’s Feather.

The moment I put the material in, hammering began.

“clang!”

First, I used the finest rare wood from the mines for the bow’s frame, decorating it with Samsog-o’s feathers.

I considered making a quiver as well, but…

“Cheon Seung-heon’s archer focuses on rapid fire.”

Honestly, a quiver didn’t suit Cheon Seung-heon.

A real-world archer might need one, but Cheon Seung-heon used the system and skills to shoot dozens or even hundreds of arrows instantly.

For Cheon Seung-heon, pulling arrows out of a quiver each time would only limit his attack speed, no matter how fast it was.

So, I thought about implementing a function that automatically generated arrows without needing a quiver.

That way, the bow’s power would be enough to make a quiver unnecessary.

Thinking of Cheon Seung-heon’s combat style, I swung the hammer with focus.

[Crafting Complete.]

[‘Samsog-o’s Scorn’ acquired.]

Once again, I managed to create an L-grade weapon.

Now, if I had only proper SS-grade materials, I felt confident I could always make L-grade items.

Since SS-grade materials were so rare, even if confident, mass-producing L-grade items would be tough.

“Not bad.”

The bow made with Samsog-o’s feathers.

Decorated with black feathers, the bow looked more elegant than I expected.

Thinking about it, Cheon Seung-heon’s armor should also be made to match—black with feather decorations would suit it well.

Checking the item’s details, I found:

[Samsog-o’s Scorn]  

Type: Bow  

Grade: L (Legendary)  

Requirement: Level 300 or above, alliance with Vulcanus Guild  

Description: A longbow made by Vulcanus using Samsog-o’s feathers for the guild’s ally ‘Sky Palace, Cheon Seung-heon.’  

Attack Power: 6,000  

Abilities:  

1. Samsog-o — Has a chance to fire three arrows at once.  

2. Lightspeed — Arrow speed approaches the speed of light, greatly increasing attack speed.  

3. Black Spot — Creates a ‘black spot’ visible only to the user on the target. Arrows hitting the black spot ignore the target’s defense.  

4. Black Spot Explosion — Each arrow hitting the black spot raises its temperature, dealing continuous damage until it reaches a threshold and explodes.  

5. Crimson Flame — Uses mana to create arrows made of solar heat.

“Nice.”

The bow’s abilities fit perfectly for Sky Palace’s rapid-fire archer style.

Especially the ‘ignore defense’ ability—it’s incredibly valuable since the stronger the monster, the higher its defense, and this ability bypasses that completely.

Hitting the black spot would be tricky, but since the arrows traveled at nearly lightspeed, it was like firing lasers.

With Cheon Seung-heon’s skill, hitting it shouldn’t be a problem.

Next,

[Crafting Complete.]

[‘Vulcanus Feathered Helmet’ acquired.]

[Crafting Complete.]

[‘Vulcanus Feathered Gauntlets’ acquired.]

I finished making Cheon Seung-heon’s exclusive armor.

Black feathers decorated the armor to match the bow made from Samsog-o’s feathers.

Of course, I didn’t use Samsog-o’s feathers for the armor itself.

I saved the remaining Samsog-o’s feathers just in case and used ‘Dark Griffin’s Feather’ for the armor decoration instead.

That alone produced quite excellent armor.

As a result,

[‘Vulcanus Feather’ Set (6/6) fully equipped.]

[‘Vulcanus Feather’ set effect activated.]

[Set Effect: Black Feather]  

Greatly increases movement speed and attack speed.  

Movement speed does not decrease while attacking.

The armor was also perfectly suited for Cheon Seung-heon.

Cheongryong’s armor was satisfactory too.

Feeling this was enough, I sent the equipment to both of them.

Making full sets for two people drained all my energy.

Though there was still plenty of work left.

“Bibimbap!”

“Alright. Today, Korean food it is!”

Mount Kumgang was best enjoyed after a meal.

First, I would eat and then get some rest.

***

“Wow, truly legendary equipment.”

Cheon Seung-heon’s lips curved upwards as he held the Vulcanus-made equipment.

The bow made from Samsog-o’s feathers was indeed legendary grade.

Unfortunately, the armor wasn’t made from Samsog-o’s feathers but from Dark Griffin’s feathers and was all SSS-grade.

The design matched the bow well, suited him perfectly, and the set effect was just right for him.

Although he had used many different gears as a ranked hunter, he had never been so satisfied with any equipment before.

“I understand why the Berserker joined Vulcanus now.”

The Berserker, Park Kang-chul, always moved alone like a lone wolf.

When he joined the Vulcanus Guild, Cheon Seung-heon couldn’t quite understand it at first.

But after seeing this gear, it all made sense.

Why he joined Vulcanus despite disliking the constraints.

Receiving such equipment, how could he possibly refuse?

Sky Palace also felt uneasy about serving under someone else, but the moment he received this equipment, all such thoughts disappeared.

Unless he got better gear, he would never leave his alliance with Vulcanus.

He wouldn’t dare to disobey Vulcanus.

That was how astonishing Vulcanus-made equipment was.

And Cheon Seung-heon wasn’t the only one who received Vulcanus-made gear.

“The Storm Altar…”

“Congratulations.”

The legendary-grade staff, Storm Altar.

Not only did it have high magical attack power.

It could also use the effects of the existing SSS-grade orb, ‘Stormy Night,’ and the staff’s own abilities were excellent.

Most importantly, all of its abilities were perfectly tailored for him.

Others wouldn’t unlock its full potential, but if Cheongryong himself used it, he could push its powers to the limit.

The armor was the same.

As a mage, his defense was weak, so the survival effects attached to the armor would greatly aid his durability.

[5th Place: Cheon Seung-heon]  

[6th Place: Lee Ga-eul]

However, switching items didn’t immediately change rankings.

To rise, they needed to show the system their combat power.

Bolstered by their legendary-grade weapons, the two began looking for gates where they could show their skills.

Unfortunately, high-level gates in Korea were scarce, so naturally, they had to look abroad.

Luckily, not too far away.

Mongolia, a country with good relations to Korea, had an Rank 9 gate open and requested support, so they chose to go there.

But…

“…Was one of the support guilds over there?”

“I didn’t know either.”

The problem was that the two guilds tackling the Rank 9 gate were none other than Changcheon and Mir Guilds.

The Berserker had recklessly challenged alone before, but the truth was Rank 9 gates couldn’t be conquered solo.

That was why the Berserker barely survived and succeeded in his previous raid.

So for two huge guilds, it was just the minimum standard.

Normally, the five largest guilds and even the Hunter Association’s Sword Saint would have to be involved in an Rank 9 gate raid.

“It can’t be helped.”

“Conquest comes first.”

Though there was tension, the priority was clear.

They needed to succeed in the Rank 9 gate raid.

Even if uneasy, they regarded each other as the best rivals and respected one another’s skills.

As soon as they entered the gate.

“Tail Wind.”

Cheongryong immediately cast a spell.

A buff magic that increased movement speed, attack speed, and casting speed for all allies.

Since it was large-scale magic, he thought the boost wouldn’t be much.

But no wonder the Mir guild showed such strength in large raids.

Cheongryong’s already powerful magic became even stronger with the legendary staff.

The buff was surprisingly enormous.

Moreover, most of the effects were perfect for archers like Cheon Seung-heon.

“Head Wind.”

The following magic was the same.

It was a debuff applied to monsters, making it easier for Changcheon Guild, including Cheon Seung-heon, to attack.

“Crack! Crack!”

Rank 9 monsters fell helplessly.

Arrows shot at lightspeed by the L-grade weapon, Samsog-o’s Scorn, were overwhelmingly strong.

Monsters slowed by Head Wind became like porcupines before they could even attack the hunters and collapsed.

Even Cheongryong was astonished watching this.

“Was Cheon Seung-heon always this good?”

Changcheon Guild and Cheon Seung-heon were known for their strength, but their power was beyond expectation.

Especially Cheon Seung-heon’s rapid-fire capability.

With Vulcanus-made equipment, Cheon Seung-heon’s shooting speed was unmatched.

His fast shooting complemented Cheongryong’s slower casting speed well.

Cheongryong’s magic would take care of variables during casting, and Cheon Seung-heon would quickly eliminate threats.

Putting rivalry aside, their synergy was excellent.

Meanwhile.

[Kuyaar Khan]

At last, the boss monster appeared.

Kuyaar Khan, the legendary leader formed from the souls of ancient warriors of the prairie.

He appeared on the battlefield leading hundreds of cavalry.

The sheer force was intimidating at first glance.

Before him, Cheongryong summoned dark clouds.

“Rumble—”

Stormy skies.

The clear sky of the prairie turned to dark clouds.

Although this magic consumed all mana, while the clouds remained, mana consumption vanished, allowing unlimited powerful magic to be unleashed.

At the same time, all water and wind attribute magic used was strengthened.

A variety of magic rained down, and within the storm sweeping the prairie, Khan’s cavalry could not use their mobility properly.

Meanwhile, like a ray of light through the storm, Cheon Seung-heon’s arrow struck the black spot on Khan’s body.

*Pufubububuk!*

Khan’s armor was extremely sturdy, but the arrow hitting the black spot ignored that defense and pierced him.

In an instant, over a hundred arrows hit the black spot.

“Boom~!!”

The black spot exploded, releasing a scorching flare.

Cheongryong and Cheon Seung-heon.

Their unexpectedly well-matched combination allowed both guilds to clear the Rank 9 gate without major damage.

3rd Place: Cheon Seung-heon  

4th Place: Lee Ga-eul

Their rankings began to soar rapidly.