Shadow King, An So-hee.
From the very beginning, she showcased incredible talent, surpassing many formidable Hunters to reach 5th place in the rankings.
Yet, even for her, climbing any higher proved difficult.
She had managed to break into the top five somehow, but above her were Hunters with talent just as great—no, even greater—than hers.
No matter how optimistic and cheerful she was, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness.
Was this the limit of her potential?
Was she destined to never rise any further?
Despite all her hard work—acquiring better equipment, increasing her training, and diligently tackling Gates—it became nearly impossible to improve her rank.
Then, she did the unthinkable.
[3rd Place: An So-hee]
She rose to 3rd place.
Though it was a bit disappointing not to reach 1st place even briefly like the Berserker, and also frustrating to miss 2nd place but she was still able to reach 3rd—something she had never even come close to before. Â
That alone made her happy.
No, this wasn’t just about her happiness.
–  Ranking 5th, Shadow King! She has finally risen to 3rd place! Â
–  This remarkable feat was achieved just two days after Shadow King joined the Vulcanus Guild! Â
As expected by many, the decisive factor behind Shadow King’s rapid rise is believed to be the equipment she currently wears!
– It appears to be Vulcanus Equipment crafted by a Vulcanus Hunter! Â
– Especially noteworthy are the weapons given to the Sword Saint, the Berserker, and now Shadow King—all rumored to be L-rank, or Legend Grade. Â
– Since L-rank is an unprecedented grade beyond SSS-grade, many have denied its very existence.
–Â Â However, as more and more ranking Hunters equipped with weapons from the Vulcanus Hunter climb the ranks, the existence of L-rank is gradually being accepted as fact…Â Â
– Who will be the next recipient of Vulcanus’s craftsmanship…?
– Ranking Hunters worldwide, including those from the United States, are clamoring to Vulcanus…
News outlets have been flooding with reports about Shadow King and Vulcanus.
[Shadow King leaps to 3rd place in the rankings]
[Hunters skyrocketing in rank immediately after receiving equipment from Vulcanus Hunter]
[King Maker Vulcanus: Who will be next?]
[Douglas, 1st in the US Hunter Rankings, officially requests item production from Vulcanus Hunter]
The articles mirrored the frenzy.
Both Hunter-related media and even outlets unrelated to Hunters couldn’t stop covering Shadow King and Vulcanus.
Among all the speculation, the question everyone was most curious about was: Who would be the next to receive Vulcanus’s equipment?
Each time Vulcanus crafted gear for a Hunter, their rank would jump several places.
Who would be the lucky next Hunter to wear the “King Maker” Vulcanus’s gear?
The answer came swiftly.
Two days after the uproar, a new name rose to 4th place in the rankings.
[4th Place: Kim Nara]
Kim Nara.
The newly recruited team leader of Team 11 in the Vulcanus Guild and a Hunter ranked 6th.
Spirit Emperor, Kim Nara.
She had risen to 4th place.
The reason was obvious without asking.
Vulcanus Equipment.
After Shadow King, Vulcanus had crafted equipment for Spirit Emperor.
Because of that, Spirit Emperor’s rank leapt to 4th.
– Incredible!
– Spirit Emperor, Kim Nara, has reached 4th place!
– With this, the top four Hunters in the rankings were all equipped by the Vulcanus Hunter!   Â
Spirit Emperor’s case sparked even more discussion!
–  Despite her outstanding skills, Spirit Emperor had been stuck at 6th place with no sign of climbing higher! Â
–  Yet Vulcanus’s gear propelled her all the way to 4th! Â
–  Truly the King Maker, Vulcanus Hunter! Â
–  To be able to shake up the Hunter rankings like this! Â
–  Reports say item production requests are pouring in from abroad as well! Â
As expected, news about Spirit Emperor and Vulcanus flooded the media again.
But this time, the intensity far surpassed when Shadow King reached 3rd place.
That’s because the jump from 5th to 3rd and from 6th to 4th were entirely different matters.
Until now, it was widely believed there was an enormous wall between the top five Hunters and those ranked 6th and below.
With Vulcanus’s equipment, that wall was shattered.
[Spirit Emperor breaks the ranking barrier with Vulcanus’s power]
[How far can Vulcanus’s limits go?]
[Sword Saint: “Without the Vulcanus Hunter, reclaiming 1st place would have been impossible”]
The media was ablaze.
And it wasn’t just Korea catching fire.
Before, foreign countries dismissed the hype over Vulcanus, claiming their own blacksmiths were superior and that the stories about Vulcanus were exaggerated rumors.
But now, the entire world had begun seriously courting Vulcanus.
The whole globe was acknowledging Vulcanus.
Amid the blazing media frenzy, I…
“Ah, today was delicious again. Right, Firecracker?”
“Yeah!”
***
“Since you’ve tried every kind of delivery food by now, just tell me if there’s anything you want next time.”
“Something spicy!”
“Spicy, huh? Good. Let’s order the bomb snack set soon. Oh, spicy braised short ribs too—level 120% on the heat.”
“Sounds great!”
After finishing work, I leisurely enjoyed my late-night meal.
Isn’t it said that Koreans thrive on rice?
Having a full stomach is the best way to get work done well.
Moreover…
–  The first raid on the newly ranked 4th Hunter, Spirit Emperor, had begun. Â
– Thanks to the Vulcanus Hunter’s equipment, Spirit Emperor could summon more spirits, and the Spirit Emperor himself…
Seeing a guild member who immediately rose in the rankings after receiving my equipment filled me with pride.
When I was mass-producing items and selling them on the blacksmith page, I didn’t feel much, but  there’s nothing more satisfying than witnessing someone using the gear I made making strides right before my eyes. Â
This sweetness has kept me stress-free lately, so I barely even went hunting in Zone 5.
‘Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since I last went down to Zone 5.’
I should take some chicken and visit the two Statues soon.
With that thought, I began crafting the next item.
[Using crafting skill.]
[Please select the item type to craft.]
“Gun.”
[Please select the specific type of gun.]
“What kinds of rifles were there? Hmm… This should do.”
[Please select the gun’s material.]
The team leader of Team 12.
A newcomer with SS-grade Ability, Lee Chaehyun.
It was time to make her firearm.
I was going to craft her magical gun first, the weapon she used most often,  then a long-range sniper rifle, and also a handgun for emergencies. Â
The magazines would be designed to use mana to generate bullets, and I planned to ask the crafting team to prepare elemental bullets to switch between as needed.
I didn’t have any SS-grade materials left, so I couldn’t make L-rank equipment anymore, but…
[Crafting complete.]
[‘Elder Blaster’ acquired.]
Although I’ve recently become fond of L-rank gear, SSS-grade equipment is by no means inferior.
In fact, since L-rank didn’t officially exist in this world, SSS-grade was the highest recognized grade.
Some rumors said countries like the United States secretly held L-rank items, but who knew if that was true.
“Sending equipment now.”
– “Thank you, boss.” Â
“Boss…?”
– “Ah, sorry. I got used to saying that. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll try to change it.” Â
“No, it’s fine. Just call me whatever you want.”
– “Understood, boss.” Â
Naturally, I was in contact with Team 12’s leader, Lee Chaehyun.
Since I’d been tending to Spirit Emperor first, her turn came a bit later, but she had joined the Vulcanus Guild less than a week ago, so it wasn’t too late.
She seemed fine with the order as well.
After sending the item, she informed me she was going to raid a Gate and I allowed her to share her vision.
– Monster detected.
– Initiating preemptive fire.
“Oh, that’s cool.”
Team 12, led by Lee Chaehyun,  wasn’t a team formed of the highest-level Hunters, but rather a group gathered for their potential. Â
And they…
“Tatatatata~!!!”Â
Without intending to, most of the team consisted of ranged attackers.
As a result, their combat style was distinctly different from other teams.
First, their detection range was longer.
True to being ranged fighters, they detected enemies from afar and immediately began their assault.
Monsters who noticed them late tried desperately to close the distance to counterattack, but…
“Kugung!” Â
They never even reached Team 12, all falling before them.
Subsequent battles followed the same pattern.
As soon as enemies were spotted, Team 12’s ranged fire brought them down before they could reach the team.
This was Team 12’s combat style.
Of course, this didn’t work everywhere.
Gates like mazes or dense forests made preemptive ranged fire difficult.
However, since Vulcanus Guild was assigned a wide variety of Gates, they ensured Team 12 received Gates best suited to their style, so it was rarely a problem.
“Once they grow stronger, they’ll be a huge help in raids, too.”
Though Team 12 was already strong, I could see them performing exceptionally well in raids.
Just imagine: while other teams fought in front, Team 12 would continuously rain ranged attacks from behind.
That would speed up raid clear times significantly.
While I was thinking this…
-“Kwooooh!!” Â
Finally, the boss monster appeared.
A massive rhinoceros.
Rhino King, Titan Horn.
Once again, Team 12 struck first, and Titan Horn charged fiercely toward them.
At that moment, Lee Chaehyun raised the ‘Elder Blaster’ I made and unleashed a new skill.
“Click.” Â
The magazine condensed mana into bullets.
The bullets rose and fused into one.
“Click, click—.” Â
Lee Chaehyun didn’t stop the bullet fusion.
As bullets merged, new mana bullets were created in the gaps and fused again.
The endless fusion consumed Lee Chaehyun’s mana relentlessly, pushing it to the brink of depletion.
Just as the bullets emitted a deep blue glow…
“Taaang-!!” Â
Lee Chaehyun fired.
Could this even be called the sound of a gunshot?
If you hadn’t seen it yourself, you’d swear it was a cannon blast, not a gunshot.
-“Kwooooh!” Â
The mana bullet clashed against Titan Horn’s horn.
As a boss monster, Titan Horn’s furious charge halted briefly.
A spinning bullet locked in a tense stalemate with the beast.
Meanwhile, Team 12 kept up their assault.
One of their attacks finally brought Titan Horn to its right knee.
And at that moment,  Titan Horn’s horn shattered, and the deflected mana bullet pierced its right eye.
– “Crack!” Â
Though not an instant kill, it was a devastating blow.
– “Tatatatata~!!” Â
With focused fire, Team 12 finally toppled Titan Horn.
Safely defeating the boss monster, Lee Chaehyun looked up toward the sky as if speaking to me, sharing her vision.
– “Thank you, boss.”
– “As promised, I will continue to show you performances worthy of your expectations.” Â
– “I assure you again, you will never regret it.” Â
Lee Chaehyun’s confident declaration was quite reassuring.
I had no regrets recruiting Team 12 with her as the core.
Just as I was about to stop sharing her vision with a satisfied expression…
– “Vulcanus.”
Nam Bora contacted me.
I allowed her to share her vision. ???
He needs permission for vision sharing not that he allows her