Chapter 124: Crafting Shadows and Conquering Gates

The number of Vulcanus Guild members increased by as many as 21.  

As soon as they joined, each of them was given Vulcanus Guild shared equipment appropriate to their level.  

Just that alone made them marvel at the performance of the shared gear and cheer loudly.  

“But I have to make them exclusive equipment as well.”  

At the very least, I planned to craft proper exclusive equipment for three of them.  

First, I would create exclusive gear for the leaders of Team 11 and Team 12, as I had done before.  

More importantly, there was the Assassin known as the Shadow King, An So-hee, who—though only in name—had become the captain of my Direct Guard.  

She needed exclusive equipment, too.  

After that, I intended to make exclusive gear for lieutenant-level officers as well.  

‘This will take quite some time.’  

Just this alone would require a significant amount of time.  

Requests for crafting piled up endlessly, but for now, I’d ignore them all and focus solely on making items for guild members.  

Among the three who urgently needed exclusive equipment, the one I’d craft for first was…  

“Well, since she’s a ranked Hunter, I should start with the Shadow King, right?”  

It was the gear for An So-hee, the Shadow King.  

Kim Nara was next in rank, but hunters in the top five were said to be overwhelmingly stronger than those below them, regardless of the exact ranking.  

When such a hunter volunteered to serve as my Direct Guard, I couldn’t simply ignore her wishes.  

So, I decided to start with An So-hee’s gear.  

“An So-hee.”  

– “Yes!”  

“Could you send me your current equipment specs? Also, if you have any preferences for the gear or options, send those along.”  

– “Wow, you’re making my equipment right away? Hahaha! I’ll send it now!”  

This wasn’t a system message.  

It was a system call.  

Still, since she was part of my Direct Guard, I allowed her system call privileges.  

True to form, she responded cheerfully, and before long, she sent a detailed message listing her current equipment.  

[Shadow King Equipment Status — Full Disclosure!]  

Upper Garment – Nimble Pursuer (A)  

Lower Garment – Raging Malevolence (S)  

Belt – Shadow Exposure (S)  

Boots – Silence of the Black Hunting Dog (S)  

Helmet – Death of Isale (S)  

Gloves – Assassin’s Gloves (A)  

Mask – Vulcanus Special ‘Emotions of Darkness’ (SSS)  

Main Weapon – Dark Shadow Blade (S)  

Sub Weapon – Throwing daggers of B-rank or higher  

More than half of her worn equipment was S-grade.  

Truly fitting for a ranked Hunter.  

Park Kang-chul’s items were mostly B to A-grade, if I remembered correctly.  

I had no idea how An So-hee had gotten her hands on such powerful gear despite having no guild affiliation.  

“Her armor is cloth or leather, and her main weapon is a dagger… and she also uses throwing daggers.”  

That was a new type to me.  

Park Kang-chul used a greatsword and heavy armor.  

Han Yu-ra wielded a sword and light armor.  

An So-hee used daggers and leather armor.  

Next up, Kim Nara, as a spirit caster, would use a wand and cloth armor.  

Then there was even a magic gun.  

The variety made crafting enjoyable.  

“The desired options are mobility, stealth, and a powerful one-shot.”  

Simple.  

Nothing special, just exactly what suited an Assassin.  

I decided to start with the armor, as usual.  

[Using crafting skill.]  

[Please select the type of item to craft.]  

[Please set the detailed form of the boots.]  

[Please choose the material for the boots.]  

I already had a material in mind.  

It was one of the rare S-grade materials I had recently acquired as payment for making items overseas.  

[Night Crawler’s Night Leather]  

It was a material from a monster called the Night Crawler.  

In truth, I didn’t know exactly what kind of monster it was.  

From the description, I could only tell that, true to its name, the Night Crawler hid in darkness, disregarded terrain, and crawled everywhere.  

That alone made it more than suitable as a crafting material for this project.  

“Bang!”  

An So-hee had uniquely sent a rough blueprint for the equipment she wanted.  

Swinging the hammer accordingly,  I was able to make her first piece of equipment smoothly.  

[Crafting complete.]  

[Obtained ‘Vulcanus Night Boots.’]  

Its abilities were roughly as follows:  

Ability:  

1. Night – Greatly increases the success rate of stealth skills.  

2. Crawler – Allows free movement on walls or ceilings while using stealth.  

3. Phasing – Once during stealth, allows movement ignoring terrain.  

4. Volcano – Attack power increases, and the longer the battle, all stats rise (stealth time counts as battle time).  

5. Member of Vulcanus – Stats of the above abilities increase when wearing equipment with ‘Vulcanus’ in its name.  

That was it.  

I thought it would suit her, but I didn’t expect such perfect abilities.  

Not only did it boost stealth success rates, but it also allowed movement on walls and ceilings, and even ignoring terrain.  

On top of that, the fourth and fifth abilities boosted overall combat power as well.  

There was no better equipment.  

Thanks to the ‘Vulcanus’ prefix, the set effect also kicked in.  

[‘Vulcanus Night’ Set (6/6) Fully Equipped.]  

[‘Vulcanus Night’ set effect activated.]  

[Set Effect: Night Without Moonrise]  

Greatly increases stealth success rate.  

Stealth does not break on the first attack.  

Stealth breaks on the second attack.  

This was what I got.  

Reading the set effect carefully, I couldn’t help but be surprised.  

It was natural that stealth success rate would increase.  

But the next part…  

“The first attack doesn’t break stealth?”  

Was that even possible?  

No matter how skilled an Assassin An So-hee was, stealth usually broke on the first attack—that was the norm.  

This defied that common knowledge.  

She couldn’t stealth indefinitely since reapplying stealth during stealth was impossible, but even this alone would greatly ensure her safety.  

I hadn’t even crafted her main weapon yet, but I was already satisfied.  

“I want to make her weapon properly, too, if possible.”  

Berserker’s weapon, Blood Sea Devourer (L).  

Sword Saint’s weapons, Dawn and Twilight (L).  

Because of that, I wanted to make a proper weapon for the Shadow King who had joined Vulcanus Guild.  

The problem was, I didn’t have SS-grade materials.  

Having SS-grade materials didn’t guarantee making L-grade equipment, but they were essential to even attempt L-grade crafting.  

However, SS-grade materials were not easy to acquire.  

Even large nations strictly controlled S-grade materials; SS-grade materials were even more precious and tightly regulated.  

I sighed, thinking I might have to settle for using the SS-grade equipment I already had.  

Then—  

— Breaking news!  

The familiar voice of the Hunter News announcer sounded from the TV I had left on.  

Since it was often “breaking news” that turned out to be nothing special, I was half-listening, but what I heard was a name too familiar and important to me.  

– Berserker, Park Kang-chul! It seems he has cleared an Rank 9 Gate!

“Huh?”  

My eyes immediately turned to the TV.  

What was shown was an rank 9 Gate towering in the middle of a dense jungle.  

The problem was the light flickering at the gate, indicating it was slowly collapsing.  

There was only one reason for that phenomenon.  

Gate clear.  

Park Kang-chul had truly succeeded in clearing the rank 9 Gate.  

—  Amazing! The Berserker, leader of Vulcanus Guild’s Team 4, Park Kang-chul! He cleared the rank 9 Gate alone!  

Although it was said that Vulcanus Guild’s Team 4 had joined, they were basically just support personnel.  

In other words, this rank 9 Gate was practically cleared by Park Kang-chul alone!  

Park Kang-chul had cleared rank 8 Gates solo before, but rank 9 Gates were on a completely different level!  

And he cleared it solo!  

I was skeptical at first.  

Could he really clear an rank 9 Gate all by himself?  

His tenacity deserved recognition.  

But something felt off.  

The gate would collapse any moment, yet Park Kang-chul’s figure was nowhere to be seen.  

—  This is strange! Park Kang-chul isn’t coming out!  

The gate will fully collapse soon.  

Could it be that he fought to the death with the Boss Monster?  

Worry was starting to creep in.  

—  There was no sign of Vulcanus Guild’s Team 4 either.  

– Ah, now Vietnam’s elite hunters were forming a rescue squad.  

But wasn’t that rescue effort a bit too late…?  

The announcer’s voice grew more urgent, but I was even more tense.  

Why wasn’t he coming out?  

Was he really in danger?  

I tried sharing his vision, but Park Kang-chul’s view was pitch black, as if he had fainted.  

If there was any relief, it was that Team 4’s leader’s vision was faint and reddish but still visible.  

Watching the blurry scenery passing by, it seemed he was escaping the gate.  

Fortunately, Team 4’s leader had safely found the exit and come out.  

—  Ah, there! They’re coming out! Vulcanus Guild’s Team 4 has appeared!  

Team 4 appeared outside the gate.  

Then,  

—  And right after! Ah! The Berserker! The Berserker is being carried out!  

Park Kang-chul appeared.  

But he didn’t look well at all.  

—  Ah, the Berserker! He looks serious! He’s bleeding a lot!  

—  Seeing that the blood he was losing was purple, it seemed he was poisoned!  

—  Is this going to be okay?  

His entire body was covered in wounds.  

Purple blood flowed constantly from them, and he still hadn’t regained consciousness.  

If Team 4 hadn’t gone in with him, he might have disappeared along with the rank 9 Gate.  

“Nam Bora! Send antidotes to Team 4 immediately. The best ones!”  

—  “I already sent additional antidotes I had bought. Also, I sent elixirs kept for emergencies.”

Her work was impressively fast.  

From the TV, I saw Team 4’s leader giving Park Kang-chul the antidotes and elixirs.  

Unfortunately, as the blacksmith, there was nothing more I could do here.  

Still, elixirs were among the best healing potions available, so I could only hope they would work.  

Fortunately, the elixirs and antidotes seemed to have an effect.  

—  Park Kang-chul vomited out the dead blood.  

– Cough  

—  Ah, the Berserker!

  —  He seems to have regained consciousness!  

—  It’s really a relief! We almost lost Korea’s number one! No, second-ranked Hunter! The Berserker!  

Finally, Park Kang-chul came to.  

Everyone watching—the announcer, Hunter News staff, and viewers—breathed a sigh of relief.  

No matter how great he was, dying while clearing a gate in another country was unacceptable.  

—  Waaaah!  

—  Waaaah!  

The cheering was from the Vietnamese people.  

—  We can hear the cheers of the Vietnamese now!  

It’s understandable!

If the rank 9 Gate had not been cleared, it could have led to a national crisis!  

—  The Berserker is truly amazing!  

—  And we are so proud of the Berserker!  

Park Kang-chul spit out another handful of dead blood, fully recovered now, and took another potion.  

After that, he seemed to speak with Team 4’s leader before turning his gaze toward the camera.  

Then, he gave a small wave.  

—  Ah, the Berserker seems to have something to say!  

—  He’s signaling to come closer.  

– “Am I really going?”  

– “Isn’t this dangerous?”  

– “No, maybe…”  

The cameraman was anxious, but the field reporter’s passion was even stronger.  

Snatching the camera from the scared cameraman, the reporter approached Park Kang-chul.  

As the camera drew closer, Park Kang-chul pulled something out from his waist Space Pocket.  

—  “Ah! What’s that?”  

It was a poison needle.  

The giant tail of a scorpion.  

It was presumed to be a material taken from the Boss Monster of the rank 9 Gate he had cleared.  

Of course, its grade was SS-Class.  

Holding up the scorpion tail, Park Kang-chul spoke proudly to me beyond the camera.  

– “My thanks and a gift for you, Vulcanus.”