We succeeded in clearing the rank 8 Gate.
At the same time, I realized just how dangerous and exhausting Gate raids really are.
“Vulcanus Hunter! Are you alright?”
“Were there any dangers inside the Gate? There are rumors that the Hunter Association was irresponsibly standing by and doing nothing!”
“Is there no bodycam footage? Everyone’s curious!”
The hardest moment was right after escaping the Gate.
As soon as I dragged my exhausted body outside, the reporters swarmed me relentlessly.
I wasn’t sure how to respond, but thankfully Nam Bora and others from the Hunter Association stepped in to block the reporters.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like to get treatment first? We’ll treat you as a VIP at the Hunter Association’s hospital.”
“No, I’m fine. I just want to rest as soon as possible.”
“Vulcanus, your vehicle is ready.”
“Okay.”
I felt grateful toward the Chairman and the Sword Saint who came all the way here, but there was no time to talk now.
Right now, I was possessing Guildmaster 1’s body.
The level-up had extended the duration, so I had managed to hold on until now, but it was reaching its limit.
I couldn’t hold on any longer.
As soon as I hurriedly followed Nam Bora and closed the car door—
“Clack.”
The possession with Guildmaster 1 was severed.
My vision returned—not to the guild vehicle, but to my cozy room.
I’d only possessed the body for a day, yet it felt like I had been away from my room for several days.
“Isn’t this enough to recover?”
It wasn’t my body, but I had pushed through the sea of reporters in Guildmaster 1’s body.
Maybe the mental illnesses that had tormented me until now were all gone, too.
With that thought, I left the villa and headed toward a convenience store… but suddenly stopped.
What recovery?
My heart almost burst.
It seemed facing people in Guildmaster 1’s body was completely different from facing people in my real body.
“No, if I want to get better, I can!”
This wasn’t because I was weak.
As a blacksmith, I had hidden my personal information for my own safety.
I told myself this as self-comfort and opened a delivery app.
“Come to think of it, I’ve been starving all day.”
The other guild members ate emergency rations during breaks.
I couldn’t eat a single bite or even drink water while possessing Guildmaster 1’s body.
During possession, I hardly felt hungry, but the moment it ended, my stomach clung to my back in hunger.
Finally.
“After conquering an rank 8 Gate, I should eat properly, right?”
It was time to feast after a long while.
Without worrying about money, I ordered everything that looked delicious.
Chicken, pizza, pig’s feet, hamburgers—
It felt like I ordered everything available for delivery.
It was even harder to think of something I didn’t order.
Thanks to my awakened, expanded stomach and the hunger from fasting all day, all that food went down smoothly.
I even wrapped some pig’s feet to give to Blaze before turning on the TV.
There were dramas, variety shows, and more.
But isn’t it said that news becomes more interesting as you get older?
I naturally switched to Hunter News.
– The Vulcanus Guild has successfully cleared the rank 8 Gate ‘Castle of the Dead’!
– While Korean Hunters’ levels have risen significantly, the number of guilds capable of clearing an rank 8 Gate remains small.
– Starting with the ‘Castle of the Dead,’ the Vulcanus Guild is expected to soon stand shoulder to shoulder with the giant guilds.
– In reality, the Vulcanus Guild’s growth speed has been remarkably faster than any other guild so far…
As expected.
Hunter News was full of Vulcanus Guild updates.
It made sense.
The public had considered the Vulcanus Guild to be barely rank 7 at best.
Few believed the Vulcanus Guild would truly clear an rank 8 Gate.
The guild’s average level was far below what was required for an rank 8 Gate challenges.
Still.
“Wow, is this how it feels when your kid wins a gold medal at a competition?”
It was the guild being praised, not me, yet it felt better than when I was praised.
Well, technically I did participate this time.
Using the previous analogy, it was like going to your child’s competition and helping them out.
That sounded a bit cowardly when I thought about it.
But so what?
Other giant guilds always send their guild leaders when clearing rank 8 Gates.
— Today, the Vulcanus Guild—
While listening to the Vulcanus Guild news with pride, the news shifted focus from the guild to me, Vulcanus Hunter.
– Vulcanus Hunter’s safe return from the rank 8 Gate has been confirmed!
– While the whole nation worried, the Hunter Association revealed that Vulcanus Hunter refused hospital treatment, showing no abnormalities…
“What whole nation, huh.”
The news started focusing less on the Vulcanus Guild and more on Vulcanus.
I felt a strange embarrassment when the story was about me.
– Vulcanus Hunter is an irreplaceable, top blacksmith in Korea.
– Public opinion is boiling over, saying it’s too reckless for such a blacksmith to risk heading into an rank 8 Gate.
– The people think Vulcanus Hunter should stop challenging rank 8 Gates unnecessarily…
“What are you talking about?”
They worry about me like I’m a child left alone near a dangerous riverbank.
If it was really dangerous, I wouldn’t have gone in.
But I also couldn’t say I was safe just because I was possessing Guildmaster 1’s body.
This was a tricky situation.
After finishing my meal while watching the news, Nam Bora contacted me.
– “Vulcanus, you did well.”
“No, is something wrong?”
– “Well, yes. The Hunter Association sent a request.”
“A request?”
– “They’re asking you to refrain from participating in Gate raids for now.”
– “They seem quite concerned about public opinion.”
“Ah…”
“So, what about the next Gate assignment?”
– “We’ll leave it up to you, Vulcanus.”
The next Gate assignment.
In other words, would I join the next rank 8 Gate raid again?
I hesitated for a moment.
I realized from this last raid—
The Vulcanus Guild’s actual strength was still insufficient for rank 8 Gates.
If I hadn’t participated, clearing the rank 8 Gate would have been impossible.
Between my flexible Crafting Skill and the buff from Guildmaster 1’s body that was even stronger after modifications—
What should I do?
My eyes fell on my own level.
Having cleared an rank 8 Gate, I had definitely leveled up.
“One more time should be enough…”
If I joined one more time, I could easily craft equipment for Rankers.
Besides—
[Dark Knight’s Black Bone]
[Crown of the Dead]
Looking at the materials I gained from the rank 8 Gate, I couldn’t help but smile.
The S-rank materials obtained by defeating the boss monster, the Crown of the Dead.
And the upper-grade materials from the monsters below.
Not only were the S-rank materials valuable, but the quantity of upper-grade materials from the undead would be a great help when mass-producing items.
From experience, these materials weren’t something you could just buy with money.
To give up such a gold mine?
No way.
“I’ll participate just one more time.”
– “Got it. Then shall we assign you to a lower-grade rank 8 Gate this time?”
“Yes. If possible, please assign a Gate with a clear elemental attribute.”
– “You’re going to use parts, right?”
– “Understood. I’ll find the best match. The number of rank 8 Gates has been increasing lately, so the Association’s secretly happy about this.
Gather materials, level up.
Two birds with one stone, or rather three—guild members’ levels will rise quickly, too.
I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
***
“Good day! We are standing in front of the rank 8 Gate, ‘Twisted Great Tree’!”
“The Vulcanus Guild has been assigned another rank 8 Gate, attracting public attention once more!”
“The reason everyone is focused on this raid is simple!”
“Whether Vulcanus Hunter will participate in this rank 8 Gate raid again or not!”
Despite worries, Vulcanus Hunter did join the rank 8 Gate raid again—
The second rank 8 Gate raid by the Vulcanus Guild was approaching.
This time, more reporters had gathered around the Gate than the first raid.
It meant the public’s interest in Vulcanus was growing.
Everyone expected Vulcanus to stay put this time, but—
“Ah, it’s Vulcanus Hunter!”
“Vulcanus Hunter! Once again, leading the charge toward the Gate!”
“Is this really okay?”
Vulcanus was once again at the forefront, entering the Gate.
As the parts were equipped, flames blazed simultaneously from the bodies of over a hundred Vulcanus Guild members.
Reporters clicked their cameras in surprise.
Ignoring them, the Vulcanus Guild set out on the raid with Vulcanus.
***
This time, though, neither the Chairman nor the Sword Saint showed up as before.
The reason soon became clear.
“The Hunter Association has expressed trust in Vulcanus Hunter and the Vulcanus Guild!”
“Unless the Vulcanus Guild requests assistance, they won’t rush support!”
“Is that the right call?”
“If we lose Vulcanus Hunter…”
The Hunter Association trusted Vulcanus.
Visiting unnecessarily would only imply distrust.
That was the Association’s position.
Everyone at the scene bit their nails, tensing up.
What if Vulcanus Hunter didn’t come out?
This wasn’t just about Vulcanus Hunter anymore; it was a national crisis.
But as if mocking those worries—
“The Gate! The Gate is glowing!”
“The Vulcanus Guild appears to have cleared the rank 8 Gate again!”
The Vulcanus Guild succeeded in their Gate raid.
Like last time, Vulcanus appeared last, heightening everyone’s tension.
He refused all interviews and immediately boarded the vehicle.
From this moment—
[Vulcanus Guild firmly establishes itself as an rank 8 guild after second rank 8 Gate raid]
[Team 1 Leader Park Sang-hyun: Vulcanus Hunter was the key to our rank 8 Gate success!]
[Interview revealing Vulcanus Hunter’s true strength]
[Vulcanus, how far can he push his limits?]
The Vulcanus Guild was now officially an rank 8 guild.
Their guild ranking skyrocketed, and despite being a new guild, they proudly claimed 10th place.
Achieving 10th place so soon after clearing an rank 8 Gate was an extraordinary feat even when considering the size and level of top guilds.
[Vulcanus Guild #10 ]
– How long has it even been since they were founded?
– Already top 10?
– Soon to be top 5.
– Top 5 means giant guild level, how will they break in? ã…‹ã…‹
– Giant guild or not, Vulcanus makes all their exclusive items, how can they lose? ã…‹ã…‹
– Honestly, it’s just a matter of time.
[Vulcanus Hunter, is he good at fighting too?]
– I heard from Park Sang-hyun’s interview that the raid success was all thanks to Vulcanus, but is the blacksmith good at fighting?
– The guild leader said that out of courtesy. Do you believe it?
– But we caught a clip of Vulcanus fighting during the Manticore Incident, so maybe it’s true. ㅇㅇ
– Still, he’s a blacksmith.
– A blacksmith? He fires SSS-rank arrows he made with a Crossbow himself, how can they stand up to that? ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹
– When you put it that way, it makes sense. ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹
The community was buzzing only about Vulcanus.
Meanwhile—
[So, isn’t the Vulcanus Guild recruiting?]
If they want to join a giant guild, shouldn’t they recruit more members?
– Please pick me! ã… ã…
– I heard Vulcanus Guild isn’t recruiting anymore.
– Honestly, the guild leader has to make equipment for all the members, recruiting more would be tough. ã…‹ã…‹
– Just making gear for 100 people constantly is impressive enough. ã…‹ã…‹
– Unless a Ranker wants to join, they probably won’t recruit more. ã…‹ã…‹ã…‹
A surprising change happened in the Vulcanus Guild.