Chapter 14: Arming for the Vampire Bat Showdown

Was it the adrenaline from being chased by the bat and narrowly escaping death, or the exhaustion from swinging my hammer all day?

I meant to take a short break, but I dozed off. When I opened my eyes, system notifications were blinking.

Naturally, I assumed they were from Mir Guild and checked, but…

It wasn’t just that. Well, to be precise, there was a reply from Mir Guild, but it was just the tip of the iceberg. Most notifications came from my newly created page.

[Is this a low-level weapon specialty forge?]
[You’ve made two fire-attribute weapons—can you do other attributes?]
[This is Urim Guild. We’d like to discuss with Vulcanus-nim…]

“What’s going on?”

The messages were all over the place—questions about me, comments on my weapons, and even various commission requests on my page’s community. Most were skeptical about my abilities, but…

[Whoa, Mir Guild was the first to commission?]
[And it’s already completed.]
[This guy’s legit, huh?]
[Made an SS-grade weapon—his skill’s already proven. LOL]

Thanks to Mir Guild’s commission, my credibility wasn’t half bad. Apparently, people had flocked to my page after seeing Flickering Ember listed on the auction house.

I’d made sure to link my page as the creator this time, unlike before, to prove my skills.

“Weren’t people saying it’s hard to get a blacksmith page noticed? This is easy!”

I never expected so many visitors just from listing one item. My page’s visitor count was already in the thousands.

However, since wealthy hunters mostly wanted high-level gear, there weren’t many substantial commissions.

“Putting that aside for now.”

I muted the page notifications and checked Mir Guild’s reply—the main focus of the day.

-Hello, Vulcanus-nim.

-This is Mir Guild.

-Thank you for reaching out so casually.

-The weakness of the Giant Vampire Bat is known to be lightning attributes.

-In simple terms, the strategy is to attack with lightning attributes or use a sharp weapon to cut the bat’s wing membranes.

-Lightning attacks cause paralysis, while cutting the membranes disables flight.

-Landing a critical hit during this window is the standard approach.

-Just in case, we’ve attached a detailed strategy below.

As expected from Mir Guild. The strategy was clear and detailed. Even for a low-level boss monster, this wasn’t information they’d typically share so freely. Their willingness to do so showed they held me in high regard.

-This may be presumptuous, but if you plan to face the Giant Vampire Bat, Mir Guild is ready to assist.

-I can personally protect you, or if you want combat experience, we can support you with our newbie team.

-Please stay safe…

-Also, regarding Flickering Ember you recently listed…

The message went on and on. The offer to send guild members was tempting, but…

“No way I’m revealing my location.”

I wasn’t ready to disclose my identity. Besides, Hephaestus’s Mine was exclusive to me. I hadn’t tested it, but it didn’t feel like outsiders could enter.

Closing the message, I set my goal: a lightning-attribute sharp weapon. The bat’s weaknesses were lightning and its thin wing membranes.

I needed a weapon to exploit both. But even if it met those conditions, a short weapon like a dagger was out. I didn’t have the guts to get close enough to swing a dagger at that massive bat.

What if those sharp fangs sank into me and drained my blood? No way.

“If anything…”

“A spear’s the way to go.”

A long-range weapon seemed best. Ideally, I’d use a bow or throwing daggers, but I’ve never touched archery.

The mine’s narrow tunnels might limit the bat’s dodging, but I didn’t trust my aim. Throwing daggers? I’d probably hit with the handle.

A spear to keep distance was the safer bet.

“But lightning…”

Enchanting a weapon with an attribute is tricky. My weapons had gained attributes, but they weren’t always intentional.

The Kitchen Long Sword was a fluke, and Flickering Ember came from the synergy of mana stones and ruby. For lightning, I’d need related materials.

“I’ve got some materials, but I’m missing the key one.”

I had small amounts of silver and copper from the mine—both highly conductive, so adding mana stones should make them work as conductors.

But I lacked a material to generate electricity. The only gemstone I’d mined was ruby.

“Ugh, no choice.”

Reluctantly, I opened the auction house. Spending money sucked, but this was an investment. I browsed the materials category for anything tied to electricity or lightning.

[Kirin’s Horn]
[Thunderbird Feather]
[Thunder Drake Scale]

As expected from the auction house—everything was there. Any one of these would make an incredible lightning weapon. But…

“Why are they so expensive?!”

The prices were insane. All from high-level monsters, I guess? Some cost more than my entire net worth. For materials, not even finished products? Shaking my head, I filtered by lowest price.

[Yellow Slime Core]
[Lightning Wolf Fang]

I skipped the really questionable stuff, and some decent options remained. Most importantly, the prices were reasonable—well, reasonable for tens of thousands of won.

“My precious money…”

My hands trembled ordering pizza at dawn, but spending this much made my whole arm shake. Still, what choice did I have?

I couldn’t keep avoiding the mine or wasting money on items. It was better to deal with the Giant Vampire Bat now.

[Purchased ‘Yellow Slime Core’ and ‘Lightning Wolf Fang.’]

“Phew.”

My balance dropped as the two items appeared. Thanks to my recently fattened account, buying low-grade materials didn’t sting too much.

Still, spending this much—aside from buying a new computer—was a first, and my breath caught.

But I pushed through.

“Crafting!”

[Using Crafting Skill.]

I began crafting.

[Please select the item type to craft.]

“Spear!”

[Please specify the spear’s details.]

This was a weapon for my own use, so I couldn’t half-ass it. As a spear-wielding novice, I needed something easy to handle and efficient.

“Make it a trident.”

I doubted I could accurately aim at the bat’s wings. A trident’s wider attack area would help. To keep the giant bat at bay, the shaft needed to be longer than a short spear but manageable for a beginner.

I ensured the grip was solid for accuracy. After browsing game weapons online and practicing swings, I finalized the design.

[Please select the spear’s materials.]

All conductive materials: silver, copper, mana stones. I coated the shaft with the Yellow Slime Core and embedded the Lightning Wolf Fang in the spearhead.

[Crafting commencing.]

Clang!

I swung my hammer the moment the setup was done. Hammering felt second nature now. No need to think—my body reacted instantly, striking the points as they appeared.

Shattering points. An elongating shaft. A sharpening spearhead.

After hammering for a while…

[Crafting complete.]
[Obtained ‘Thunder Fang.’]

I created a trident with electric currents crackling around its three prongs.

[Thunder Fang]
Type: Spear
Grade: SS
Restrictions: Level 5+
Description: A lightning spear crafted with highly conductive ores, an electricity-amplifying Yellow Slime Core, and a Lightning Wolf Fang that emits electricity.
Attack Power: 50
Abilities:

Triple Fangs – Increases attack speed, dealing three hits per attack.

Electrocution – Inflicts additional lightning damage on attack and continuous electric damage while in contact with the enemy.

Paralysis – Paralyzes the enemy for a duration based on electrocution time.

Thunderburst – Once per day, use the unique skill Thunderburst.
Thunderburst: After piercing an enemy, unleashes the weapon’s stored electricity in a burst. The weapon becomes unusable for 24 hours afterward.

“Double S!”

Another SS-grade weapon. Not only did I nail the lightning attribute, but despite being a level 5 weapon—lower than the dagger—it outshone Flickering Ember in attack power.

Why? The first ability: Triple Fangs. Each attack dealt three hits, meaning 50 damage three times.

Plus, all three hits carried extra lightning damage, making it far superior to Flickering Ember.

“Main weapon, check.”

The perfect weapon, as planned. But it wasn’t enough. Facing a boss monster without a proper attack skill? I needed insurance.

[Using Crafting Skill.]

Next, I crafted armor—something that wouldn’t hinder movement but could withstand the bat’s fangs. A backup weapon in case the spear missed or failed.

A second backup if the first didn’t work. A third for when the second failed. A fourth for escaping if the third didn’t cut it.

And a fifth to survive a worst-case scenario. Only then did I feel secure.

And…

[Purchased ‘Lowest-Grade Health Potion.’]

“Ugh, my precious money…”

For the absolute worst case, I bought a health potion. After crafting so much gear, eating, and resting, the mine’s cooldown ended—it was time to re-enter.

Opening the mine’s gate, I armed myself with my new equipment and steadied my breath.

“Hoo…”

I was nervous. The mine’s entrance felt like the bat’s gaping maw. But I wasn’t stopping.

“Let’s go!”

I stepped boldly into the mine.