Chapter 12: That’s an Ingredient

[Superior Predator’s Shoes – Bound]  

Made by weaving Claw Lizard leather with Red Spider thread. The two are natural enemies.  

Agility +10, Attack +5, Defense +5  

This is a jackpot.  

The Superior Predator’s Shoes not only significantly boosted Agility but also increased Attack and Defense by 5 each.  

Eater’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the shoes he had crafted himself.  

“I can confidently say this is the best moment since I started playing Real.”  

“Congratulations, Eater-nim. You did it.”  

Irim celebrated Eater’s success.  

“It’s not over yet. I’ll make a pair for you too, Rice-nim.”  

Eater still had seven pieces of lizard leather and spider thread left.  

In other words, he had failed twelve times to craft a proper pair of shoes.  

“If you need more materials, just let me know. I’ll give you as much as you need.”  

“No, I’ll make it work with what’s left.”  

As he spoke, Eater unraveled the spider thread, threaded a needle, and began working.  

He took out chalk, drew a pattern on the lizard leather, and started cutting with scissors.  

The entire process flowed as naturally as water.  

About ten minutes later, a pair of shoes was completed.  

But Eater shook his head.  

“Ugh, a failure.”  

In Irim’s eyes, the shoes’ information window appeared.  

[Shabby Predator’s Shoes]  

Made by weaving Claw Lizard leather with Red Spider thread. The two are natural enemies.  

The shoes had no stat bonuses.  

Moreover, they weren’t even bound items.  

Eater, undeterred, threaded the needle again.  

His focus on crafting the shoes was intensely serious.  

Irim resumed his cooking as well.  

The skinned Claw Lizard looked far more appetizing than when cooked with the hide on.  

From one person’s hands, dishes were endlessly created, while from another’s, shoes were born.  

The gazes of many players resting nearby were already fixed on them.  

By the time Irim had finished making sixty lizard skewers, Eater was crafting a pair of shoes with his final set of materials.  

He meticulously stitched the needle through the lizard leather, one careful stitch at a time.  

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he poured his all into crafting the shoes.  

Before long, not only Irim but all the surrounding players were focused on his stitching.  

He doesn’t need to be that nervous.  

There were plenty of materials left for making shoes.  

Eater knew that too.  

But he wanted to succeed using only the materials Irim had given him.  

Finally, Eater’s hands completed the last stitch and tied the knot.  

A white light emanated from the shoes.  

It was the signal that the item was complete.  

Everyone checked the item’s information at once.  

And they shouted in unison.  

“Jackpot!”  

“Wow, it worked!”  

“How did you get a crafting skill?”  

“Ugh, I’m jealous. I should’ve gone for crafting instead of combat.”  

Eater grinned broadly and handed the shoes to Irim.  

“Rice-nim! It’s a success!”  

Irim smiled back and accepted the shoes.  

[Superior Predator’s Shoes – Bound]  

Made by weaving Claw Lizard leather with Red Spider thread. 

The two are natural enemies.  

Agility +10, Attack +5, Defense +5  

They were identical in performance to Eater’s pair.  

Irim took off his old shoes and put on the new ones.  

He stored his previous shoes in his inventory.  

“Thank you, Eater-nim. I’ll wear them well.”  

“I’m the one who should be thankful. Thanks to you, I got a great item too. Plus, while crafting with the materials you gave me, I earned a new achievement.”  

“Oh, really?”  

Irim didn’t ask what achievement it was.  

That could be a rude question.  

But Eater, unbothered, explained the achievement’s effect.  

“Now I can make better items with the same materials than before.”  

“Congratulations.”  

“Thanks. By the way, Rice-nim, you said you had about fifty spider threads, right?”  

“Yes, about thirty left now.”  

“If you don’t have any specific plans for them…”  

“You want to trade?”  

“No, could I make something for you? My current profession is Crafter. I have a passive skill called ‘Blueprint’ that lets me see one or two possible item designs when I look at materials.”  

The Predator’s Shoes were made possible thanks to this Blueprint skill.  

“There’s a design I can make with thirty Superior Sticky Spider Threads. I’d like to try making it for you. What do you think?”  

“I’m fine with that. But if you go through the trouble of making it and give it to me, what’s left for you, Eater-nim?”  

“For me, the important thing is gaining experience by crafting with precious materials. You know what kind of world Real is, right?”  

In Real, repeating specific actions grants achievements.  

And repeating rare or difficult tasks can yield even better achievements.  

That’s what Eater was aiming for.  

“Of course, it might fail, but the blueprint says there’s an 81% chance of success, so it’s likely to work. What do you say?”  

Understanding Eater’s intentions, Irim readily agreed to the proposal.  

“Alright.”  

Thirty minutes later.  

In Eater’s hands was a large white net.  

Irim’s eyes caught the net’s information.  

[Superior Sticky Net]  

Made by weaving thirty Superior Sticky Spider Threads. It’s extremely difficult to escape this net. 

When used on 2-star or lower monsters, it causes a 10-second stun.  

This is it.  

Irim’s face lit up as he received the net from Eater.  

Seeing his delight, Eater grinned.  

“Do you like it?”  

“Yes, it’s great.”  

It was exactly what he needed for the upcoming boss raid.  

A net that could stun monsters for 10 seconds!  

Though it was limited to 2-star or lower monsters, the Claw Lizard Princess was likely a 2-star monster.  

Since the Red Queen Spider was 2-star, and this area was just beyond the newbie zone, the chances of a monster above 2-star appearing were low.  

“I’m glad it’s helpful. Let’s add each other as friends.”  

Eater sent a friend request first.  

Irim accepted it.  

They were now friends.  

Being friends allowed them to communicate even from a distance.  

It also let them check each other’s connection status.  

“Your nickname is so straightforward, Rice-nim. I like it.”  

At Eater’s comment, Irim asked, “What does your nickname mean, Eater-nim?”  

“It’s nothing special. Try adding ‘Cri’ in front of it.”  

“Cri… Eater?”  

Eater snapped his fingers.  

“That’s it. Creator.”  

Creator.  

It means ‘one who creates.’  

Eater continued proudly, “I enjoy making things the most. Even in other online games, I always focused on crafting instead of hunting, and I’m doing the same here. Haha.”  

“Everyone else is obsessed with earning 10 billion, but you don’t feel greedy, Eater-nim?”  

“What about you, Rice-nim?”  

Eater’s counterquestion made Irim chuckle and nod.  

“You’re right.”  

It was a question that didn’t need asking.  

The answer was clear upon self-reflection.  

“I need to log off now. I wasn’t planning to stay long today, but meeting you made me overstay a bit. See you next time.”  

“Alright, take care.”  

Eater waved and vanished as he logged off.  

Guess I should head out too.  

Irim smiled proudly at his new shoes and started walking.  

The players who had been hoping he’d sell food couldn’t hide their disappointment.  

Irim kept walking toward the direction where Claw Lizards were gathering.  

He stabbed and killed every Claw Lizard he saw.  

As he progressed, the number of Claw Lizards increased, while the Red Baby Spiders dwindled.  

After about fifteen minutes of walking, Red Baby Spiders were nowhere to be seen, and the forest clearing was filled entirely with Claw Lizards.  

At the center of the clearing stood a creature five times larger than the other Claw Lizards.  

It was the Claw Lizard Princess.  

By her side were two other monsters called ‘Soldier Claw Lizards,’ guarding her closely.  

Soldier Claw Lizards were exactly twice the size of regular Claw Lizards.  

Do I have to fight all of them?  

Irim involuntarily swallowed hard.  

The silver lining was that he could see the death points of all of them.  

The Claw Lizard Princess had been watching Irim the moment he entered the clearing.  

Is she an aggressive monster?  

Irim’s mind raced.  

On his way here, he had mentally simulated various scenarios for the raid.  

If he suspected an aggressive monster, the priority was to consume the Buff Eggs he got from defeating the Great Unicorn Chicken.  

There wouldn’t be time to eat them once the fight started.  

Irim consumed five of each type of Buff Egg.  

His Strength, Agility, and Defense stats each increased by 25.  

The buffs would last for 10 minutes.  

That meant he had to defeat the Claw Lizard Princess within 10 minutes.  

His current Attack stat was 23 base, plus 35 from equipped items, and another 25 from the egg buffs, totaling 83.  

This should be doable.  

Irim slowly closed the distance to the Claw Lizard Princess.  

Then, a red warning message appeared in the air.  

[The Claw Lizard Princess recognizes you as an enemy. If you do not leave her territory within 5 seconds, she will attack.]  

[5. 4. 3. 2. 1.]  

As soon as the countdown ended, the Claw Lizard Princess sprang up from her crouched position.  

She charged toward Irim at a considerable speed.  

The two Soldier Claw Lizards flanked her, moving in sync.  

Scary.  

The sight of three massive lizards charging at full speed was utterly terrifying.  

But Irim shook off his fear in his own way.  

That’s an ingredient.  

A slightly tough ingredient, but still.  

Irim gripped the Sturdy Horn tightly.  

As the lizards closed in, he leaped to the side.  

His movements were unusually swift, thanks to the Agility boost from the eggs.  

I’m faster than them.  

He didn’t know how strong their attacks were, but if he didn’t get hit, it didn’t matter.  

Confidence grew in Irim’s heart.  

The three lizards, unable to stop immediately due to their momentum, missed their target.  

Seizing the opportunity, Irim approached one of the Soldier Claw Lizards.  

Aiming the Sturdy Horn at the death point on its back, he activated his skill.  

[One-Point Thrust!]  

Words flashed in the air as Irim’s body moved on its own.  

The tip of his weapon pierced the death point precisely.  

Puuuk!  

Krrrrk!  

One Soldier Claw Lizard died in a single blow.  

At the same time, 5,000 Won entered Irim’s inventory.  

Riding the momentum, Irim dodged another charge attack from the lizards and took down the second Soldier Claw Lizard.  

Now only the Claw Lizard Princess remained!  

If he could dodge her charge and aim for her death point as he had been doing, it seemed manageable.  

But suddenly, the Claw Lizard Princess’s body swelled, and a warning message appeared in the air.  

[The Claw Lizard Princess enters Phase 2. She has become enraged. Attack patterns will change. Attack and Defense increased.]  

Looking at the furious Claw Lizard Princess, Irim muttered to himself.  

…That’s an ingredient.  

A life-threatening ingredient.  

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