Chapter 12: Facing the Vampire Bat

“What is that?!”

It’s huge. Massive.

I didn’t have the courage to face such a monster, so I tried to quietly slip away.

“Screech?”

But the sudden torchlight made the creature spread its wings, trembling, and our eyes locked. In that moment…

“SCREEEEECH!”

The bat let out a piercing wail. The high-pitched sound echoed through the cave, threatening to burst my eardrums.

As the screech reverberated, the bat seized the moment, flapping its wings and charging toward me.

“Arghhh!”

Despite the ear-splitting pain, I panicked at the sight of the approaching bat and ran. Defeat that thing? Impossible.

Golems were one thing—I could treat them like moving ore and smash them—but how was I supposed to kill this monster with a pickaxe? Swinging it to hit a flapping bat was out of the question.

“SCREEEEECH!”

The bat relentlessly pursued me. Was it because it was at home in the cave? Its speed was no joke.

I thought I’d put some distance between us, but I could already feel the wind from its wings right behind me. Turning my head, I saw…

“SCREEEEECH!”

Its gaping maw, fangs bared. There was no escaping like this. But I couldn’t just give up and die. They say even a cornered rat will bite a cat, right? Instead of running, I gripped my pickaxe tightly and raised it.

“Raaah!”

I’d swung that pickaxe plenty over the past few days. Despite the frantic situation and my unsteady stance, my body remembered the motion, and I swung with all my might.

CRUNCH!

“SCREEEEECH!”

The bat let out a shrill scream. It wasn’t a critical hit, but the pickaxe lodged solidly into its body. To think I made a monster scream like that—maybe I was a proper Awakened now? I started to smile, but then…

“Screech!”

The bat’s eyes glowed red. Its jaws opened wider, sharp fangs closing in. I tried to yank the pickaxe free, but it was stuck, as if the bat had tensed its muscles.

Should I abandon the pickaxe and run? My S-grade pickaxe? Sure, I could make another, but my life was more important. As I prepared to let go…

[Time limit reached.]
[Hephaestus’s Mine is closing.]

Whoosh!

My vision rapidly pulled away from the bat. The mine’s tunnels blurred past, and then…

Thud.

“Ugh!”

I was ejected from the mine. The time limit had ended. If I’d let go of the pickaxe, I would’ve left it behind.

Gulp, gulp.

Catching my breath, I opened the fridge and chugged water straight from the bottle. A Giant Vampire Bat.

I’d only fought weak, slow golems before, but this was my first real monster encounter. Or rather, I didn’t even fight—I just ran like hell the moment I saw it.

“Why put a monster like that in a blacksmith’s mine?!”

I nearly died. No joke, I really almost died. That thing was impossible to face with a pickaxe. In game terms, I’d escaped a boss room, but what if that thing starts roaming the mine?

No way, right? It couldn’t. If it did, I’d never be able to return. My safe, ore-rich, level-up haven would be ruined.

To prevent that possibility…

“Sigh…”

I’d have to defeat the bat. Otherwise, the mine’s safety was no longer guaranteed. That realization drew a heavy sigh from me.

I thought being a blacksmith meant no fighting, but first golems, now a boss monster? Why was I, a blacksmith, being put through this?

“No choice.”

If you can’t avoid it, embrace it! Isn’t that what they say? I didn’t want to fight, but I couldn’t give up the mine either.

Two hours of free, high-yield ore mining—how could I abandon my personal goldmine? Reluctantly, I turned on the computer to research monsters.

“Not much info on monsters.”

I thought searching “Giant Vampire Bat” would flood me with results, but there was surprisingly little. The community was full of chatter, but most of it was nonsense, and I couldn’t tell what was true. Then, a name came to mind.

“They’d help with this, right?”

Mir Guild. My only client, and they seemed to like me. It wasn’t a tough request, so I sent a message asking about the Giant Vampire Bat’s weaknesses.

After that, I decomposed all the ores I’d mined.

[Decomposition of ‘Fangstone’ complete.]
[Obtained Lead Fragment.]
[Decomposition of ‘Silver Ore’ complete.]
[Obtained Silver Fragment.]

Maybe because I’d ventured deep enough to encounter a boss, today’s haul had rarer ores.

Most mines yield one type of ore in bulk, but Hephaestus’s Mine was like a global mineral jackpot, with all sorts of ores. And among them…

[Decomposition of ‘Ruby’ complete.]
[Obtained Ruby Fragment.]

A gemstone. Ruby, the birthstone of July, often called the king of gems—though some argue diamonds or sapphires hold that title.

“I could make a day’s wage just selling this.”

Staring at the sparkling ruby, my eyes gleamed. Gemstones weren’t critical for blacksmithing; they’re mostly decorative since they don’t boost performance much.

At most, they’re embedded in expensive gear for aesthetics. But in the Awakened world, it’s different.

[Ruby Fragment]
Type: Gemstone
Grade: B
Description: The birthstone of July, symbolizing eternal life, passion, love, and peace.
Ability: 1. Ruby – When used in crafting, imbues the item with ruby’s power.

In the Awakened world, gemstones weren’t just decorations. Depending on the gem, they could infuse equipment with special powers.

“No reply yet.”

Did they go home right after replying to me? Morning came, and still no response from Mir Guild. Since I only needed the bat’s weakness before the next mine visit, I moved on.

“Crafting.”

[Using Crafting Skill.]
[Please select the item type to craft.]

What’s a blacksmith’s job? Crafting, obviously. I already had an item in mind.

“Anvil.”

An anvil—the tool you place metal on to forge with a hammer, the heart of any forge. I’d been crafting and decomposing on my sink, but with all the hammering, it was getting inconvenient. It was time to make a proper anvil like a true blacksmith.

[Please specify the anvil’s details.]

I’d already thought it through. Anvils don’t vary much. One side’s a flat rectangle, the other a conical protrusion. The base just needs to be wide to keep it steady.

[Please select the anvil’s materials.]

Durability is key. I used most of the iron fragments from the mine’s iron ore, adding some lead and a sturdy rare ore.

Alloys depend on precise ratios, but my SSS-grade Hephaestus’s Descendant and the system would handle that.

[Crafting commencing.]

Clang!

I swung my hammer. With the most materials I’d ever used and the largest item I’d crafted, the points were big and thick.

But that was no issue—I’d just broken thicker points repairing level 100 armor.

[Progress: 51%…]

The anvil’s points were simple, though some were angled diagonally, making hammering tricky. Still, it was easier than crafting other gear.

It all came down to strength—how fast I could break the thick points.

“This feels familiar.”

Was it my upgraded skill? No, it was more. Hammering felt second nature, like my body had internalized it.

The trance during repairs hadn’t just upgraded my skills—it boosted my hammering proficiency.

Flash!

Then, something unexpected happened. A brilliant light burst from my hammer.

[Crafting your first anvil.]
[Hephaestus’s Descendant (SSS) activated.]
[Crafting the anvil, a forge’s essential element, increases crafting skill proficiency.]
[The crafted item’s grade increases.]

“Ability activation?”

Flash!

Before I could think, the hammer’s light poured into the anvil. The progress bar filled completely.

[Crafting complete.]

My first anvil was done, dominating the center of my studio. No more hammering on the sink or floor. Excited, I checked its details and was floored.

[Vulcanus’s First Anvil]
Type: Anvil
Grade: SS
Restrictions: Level 1+, Hephaestus’s Descendant
Description: The first anvil crafted by Hephaestus’s Descendant.
Abilities:

Passion – Increases crafting, repair, and decomposition speed.

Obsession – Increases crafting, repair, and decomposition quality.

Tenacity – Increases the level cap for crafting, repair, and decomposition.

Seal – Equipment crafted bears Vulcanus’s seal, enhancing abilities.

“Double S!”

My first SS-grade item was born.