Chapter 106: Radiant Vanguard

When it came to crafting raid equipment,  I had no choice but to worry.  

“Making a hundred sets of armor isn’t a problem…”  

A hundred sets of armor.  

That much was manageable.  

If I teamed up with the Production Team, it wouldn’t take that long.  

The problem was…  

“Making new equipment every time the required attributes change is impossible.”  

This Gate raid was only the beginning.  

Ideally, I wanted us to gather once a week and raid an rank 8 Gate together.  

So, what if the opposing monster’s weakness was fire attribute?  

Or water attribute?  

Or electricity attribute?  

Would I have to make new gear for a hundred people each time?  

No matter who I was, that was too much.  

If I made gear like that, I’d spend all my time every week crafting equipment for guild members.  

After thinking about this, an idea struck me.  

“Parts.”  

Parts.  

First, I’d prepare a basic armor that focuses on the base.  

Then, leave slots in the armor where ‘parts’ could be fitted.  

Next, if I inserted parts imbued with specific attributes into the empty slots,  wouldn’t it be possible to change the armor’s attributes just by swapping parts without needing to make entirely new equipment every time?  

With that in mind, my item crafting began.

[Using Production skill.]   

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

“Parts. So… fragments.”  

[Please specify the detailed form of the fragment.]  

The item shape would match the empty slots on the armor I had just made.  

[Please select the material of the fragment.]  

For materials, I used those that help with the holy attribute needed for this Gate raid.  

First, I used the rare ore ‘Sacred Lightstone’ that could be obtained in the first mining zone as the base.  

Since I had to make parts for a hundred people, this ore, of which I had sufficient quantity, was the most suitable.  

Next, I added materials compatible with the holy attribute from those available in enough quantity.  

“Bang!”

I swung the hammer immediately.  

Actually, item crafting was simple.  

The shape wasn’t complicated, and all I had to do was produce fragments to fit the gaps.  

The real key was what came next.  

“Blaze, please use the Rune Script of the holy attribute.”  

“Got it!”  

“Whoosh!”  

Blaze spewed blue flames.  

Along with that, the Rune Script of the holy attribute started being inscribed over the fragments.  

This was the core of the parts I was making.  

Parts made from materials imbued with the holy attribute, engraved with holy Rune Script.  

With this, the entire armor with the parts fitted should be able to be imbued with the holy attribute.  

Sure enough, the result was excellent.  

“No way! Equipment that changes attributes just by swapping parts!”  

I was able to distribute the 100 parts I had made to all guild members.  

I didn’t have enough time to make parts of every attribute, but to demonstrate the parts’ capabilities, I also handed out some basic fire attribute parts.  

The guild members changed into the new gear with admiration.  

As soon as they put on the new armor and fitted parts into the empty slots, a sacred radiance began to flow from the armor.

“Vroom~!”   

The power of the parts had imbued the entire armor with the holy attribute.  

“This is incredible!”  

To create such rare attribute gear like this…  

Most of the guild members couldn’t believe it and kept marveling at the items I’d given them.  

Interestingly, as soon as they removed the parts from the armor, the glowing light completely vanished.  

“Whoosh!”  

“Oh!”  

As soon as they swapped to the fire attribute parts, the armor emitted a hot heat.  

Though I had already confirmed the performance, seeing the guild members marvel like that gave me a fresh feeling.  

“From now on, I plan to craft parts for every attribute required in raids and distribute them.”  

“Parts for every attribute…!”  

“The first step is right now. At the ‘Castle of the Dead,’ we will test the power of the holy parts.”  

With this method, I could efficiently distribute attribute items to all guild members.  

As proof, everyone in front of me was now radiating the holy attribute.  

A hundred people all at once—since the guild hall was slightly dim, the glow felt dazzling as it filled the room.  

“If you feel uneasy, you don’t have to join the raid. Since this is an rank 8 Gate, it’s naturally dangerous even with holy attribute armor. So, I won’t force anyone to join.”  

I didn’t want to push the rank 8 Gate raid on them out of my own greed.  

Though I had devised several escape methods for emergencies, the fact that an rank 8 Gate was dangerous remained true.  

“But if you trust me and my items, I ask you to join me.”  

I felt a little anxious.  

I had prepared all this, but what if I couldn’t reassure the guild members?  

What if most of them stepped back, nervous despite all my efforts?  

But such worries were just needless anxiety.  

“Team 1 Leader Park Sang-hyun, I will participate.”  

Team 1 Leader Park Sang-hyun.  

He was the first to step forward and express his intention to join the rank 8 Gate raid.  

At the same time:

“Team 1 Member Lee Woojun, I will participate.”  

“Team 1 Member Kang Hyunjun, I will participate.”  

All Team 1 members stepped forward together, announcing their participation.  

“Team 2 Leader Yoon Hee-joo, I will participate.”  

Soon after, all the guild members took a step forward.  

No one hesitated.  

No one looked around uncertainly, wondering what to do.  

Everyone stepped up as if they had been waiting for this moment.  

Was it trust in me?  

Or trust in the items I made?  

Either way didn’t matter.  

Trust in the items was, in essence, trust in me.  

“Two days from now, we will raid the rank 8 Gate ‘Castle of the Dead.'”  

Thus, the date for the rank 8 Gate raid was set.  

***

On the day of the Gate raid, guild members began gathering one after another in front of the rank 8 Gate ‘Castle of the Dead’ assigned to Vulcanus Guild.  

And there were those who arrived on site even earlier than the guild members.  

-“Ah, right now! Vulcanus Guild members are entering! The first to arrive is Team 1! Team 1 Leader Park Sang-hyun!”  

Those were the reporters.  

Since the guild master was Vulcanus himself, Vulcanus Guild was the center of hot attention.  

There was no way people wouldn’t be interested in the Vulcanus Guild’s challenge of an rank 8 Gate.  

Because there were so many reporters, their comments varied.  

Most introduced the arriving Vulcanus Guild members, but  

– “I am currently at the site of the S-rank Gate ‘Castle of the Dead,’ which Vulcanus Guild is challenging.”  

– “Vulcanus Guild is a relatively new guild compared to other large guilds.”  

– “Though the Vulcanus Blacksmith’s personally crafted items have given them tremendous combat power and rapid growth, many consider their challenge of an rank 8 Gate as overambitious.”  

Some broadcast a negative public opinion, casting doubt on the new guild.  

Though Vulcanus Guild was now counted among the strong, attempting an rank 8 Gate so soon was naturally worrying.  

Meanwhile, Vulcanus Guild members quickly gathered.  

– “Ah, now all Vulcanus Guild members have arrived. Judging by their formation, they seem to be preparing to depart.”  

– “However, their formation seems a bit strange.”  

– “Rather than organizing a formation, it looks like they’re preparing for a ceremony.”  

One hundred guild members stood in ranks and files.  

But their formation was odd.  

If it was for the raid, they should have arranged the formation centered on the Gate, but now they faced outward.  

Then, shortly after, the last vehicle arrived on site.  

From it descended hunters perfectly and fully armed.  

It was…  

– “V-Vulcanus!”  

– “Vulcanus Hunter!”  

– “The guild master of Vulcanus Guild himself has come!”  

– “Vulcanus Hunter is known for extremely avoiding external activities, yet here he is at the Gate site!”  

– “Amazing! Is this to encourage guild members since this is an rank 8 Gate challenge?”  

It was Vulcanus.  

The reporters hadn’t expected Vulcanus to show up in person and hurriedly captured his image on camera.  

As soon as Vulcanus stood there, the guild members facing him all placed their hands on the Vulcanus Mark on their armor simultaneously.  

Then Vulcanus nodded and inserted something clenched in his fist into a gap in his armor.  

At that moment—  

“Flash!”  

– “W-what is this?”  

– “What’s happening?”  

– “The Vulcanus Guild members’ armor is suddenly glowing!”  

– “H-holy attribute! A hundred Vulcanus Guild members! All their armor is emitting the holy attribute!”  

A brilliant light burst out around Vulcanus Guild.  

The screen almost turned completely white for a moment from the brightness.  

After a moment, the light dimmed slightly, but the holy aura still gently radiated from their armor.  

– “What’s going on? At first glance, it looked like ordinary armor!”  

– “Could it be some sort of holy attribute on-off function?”  

– “That might be, but what purpose would that serve?”  

The reporters began speculating.  

Then, someone recalled what the Vulcanus Guild members did before the armor lit up.  

– “Parts! The light burst out as soon as they inserted some part!”  

– “Perhaps the holy attribute contained in that part was activated!”  

Holy parts.  

The reporters who realized their existence grew excited.  

The viewers watching the broadcast felt the same.  

If the holy parts were real, then parts of other attributes could surely be made as well.  

Gear that could change attributes just by swapping parts when needed—  that was truly an innovation.  

An innovation that would shake the Hunter World, not only in Korea but worldwide.  

The reporters, astonished, began focusing intently on the guild members’ armor.  

They desperately tried to capture clearer footage of those small parts.  

But since they also had to film Vulcanus, the broadcasting station with only one camera was overwhelmed and struggling.  

While the reporters created a commotion,  

– “Ah, Vulcanus Guild! They’re moving!”  

Vulcanus Guild began to move.  

But something was strange.  

Everyone expected Vulcanus to encourage the guild members then step back to return to the guild, but  

– “H-he’s at the front! Vulcanus is standing at the front!”  

Vulcanus was at the very front of the guild members.  

He was a Blacksmith Hunter who had always avoided external activities.  

And now, he was personally participating in the Gate raid?  

An rank 8 Gate raid, no less?  

This was no ordinary matter.  

Moreover, Vulcanus was not a combat hunter but a non-combat profession Blacksmith Hunter.  

– “Is this right? Vulcanus Hunter is confidently approaching the Gate at the front!”  

– “Of course, Vulcanus Hunter does have combat skills! He showed excellent combat ability during the Manticore Incident! But this seems a bit too much, doesn’t it?”  

– “Ah, Vulcanus Hunter! The first to lead the charge!”  

“Vroom—”

The Gate responded as if welcoming the Vulcanus Guild’s steps.  

Then—  

“Swoosh.”  

Vulcanus’s form disappeared inside the Gate.  

At that moment, not only the reporters but everyone watching the footage was left stunned.  

– “Vulcanus Hunter! Really! He has entered the rank 8 Gate!”  

Vulcanus had entered the rank 8 Gate.  

But what if the rank 8 Gate raid failed like this?  

What if Vulcanus didn’t come back alive?  

– “This is a crisis! Vulcanus Hunter has truly entered the rank 8 Gate!”  

Losing Vulcanus, who had overtaken Kang Ho-duk to become the undisputed top Blacksmith in Korea, would be a disaster forever.