[You have Awakened.]
Park Sang-hyun.
He had changed jobs.
In todayโs world, that wasnโt anything special.
With an Awakening rate of about 1 in 10, heโd seen friends Awaken too.
What mattered was the ability.
A mediocre ability meant no Hunter career, often relegating one to administrative roles in a guild.
Park Sang-hyunโs ability wasโ
[Status Window]
- Name: Park Sang-hyun
- Level: 1
- Job: Fighter
- Ability: Werewolf (S)
- Strength: 10
- Agility: 10
- Health: 10
- Intelligence: 10
- Wisdom: 10
โS-grade!โ
At first, he was thrilled.
An S-grade ability, Werewolf.
It granted beastly strength, and as an S-grade ability, it was exceptionally powerful.
He thought itโd easily get him into a major guild.
But reality was different.
- Sorry, Park Sang-hyun-nim. Your job doesnโt fit our guildโฆ
- Congratulations on Awakening an S-grade ability, Park Sang-hyun-nim. However, weโฆ
Major guilds rejected him.
S-grade ability, Werewolf.
It unleashed beastly strength but limited usable equipment.
Only โclawโ weapons, rarely crafted by blacksmiths and with abysmal Gate drop rates, could be used.
Plus, armor had to be fur-lined light armor, adding strict equipment conditions.
Smaller guilds offered spots, but heโd have to source his own gear.
โShould I start my own guild?โ
If he couldnโt be a dragonโs tail, why not a snakeโs head?
But that had issues too.
Even with an S-grade ability, growth was tough without proper equipment.
โDamn itโฆโ
Heโd been so excited about his S-grade ability.
Who knew itโd come to this?
Sighing heavily, Park Sang-hyun opened the system to browse the community.
There, a new guildโs name was trending.
[Anyone seen Vulcanus Guild?]
Their benefits are insane. ใทใท
- What benefits?
- Unlimited use of Vulcanus-provided equipment. lol
- Wait, Vulcanus Guild is from that Vulcanus Forge?
- A forge guild. lol Of course theyโd make gear. Whatโs so great about that? lol
- What if the shared gear is SS-grade?
- Where do I apply?
โVulcanus Guild?โ
Park Sang-hyun had heard of Vulcanus.
The forge was a hot topic in the Hunter world lately.
And theyโd started a guild.
[Vulcanus Guildโs founding benefits are wild]
Theyโre only taking newbies now, but the support is unreal. Full Level 1 gear sets, and theyโll craft exclusive items if none fit.
They provide level-appropriate gear as you level up.
The kicker? All shared gear is S~SS-grade.
- S-grade?
- Is that even possible?
- Itโs Vulcanus, so yeah. lol
- Wow! I thought Vulcanus was just a name, but theyโre churning out S~SSS-grade gear like a factory.
- Is this real?
- Itโs real, thatโs why itโs happening. lol
The praise was overwhelming.
How good could the gear be for a brand-new guild to get such hype?
Curious, Park Sang-hyun visited the Vulcanus Guild page.
The gear he sawโ
โDouble S-grade?!โ
It was really SS-grade.
Unbelievable defense for Level 1 armor.
It felt like he could stand in an S-grade dungeon and not get scratched.
The all-stat boost suited his Magic Swordsman class, which used every stat, perfectly.
Plus, experience and speed boosts.
Even the renowned Royal Guild couldnโt offer such gear.
โThe salaryโs solid too.โ
Having researched major guild contracts and salaries after his S-grade Awakening, he knew instantly.
Vulcanus Guildโs contracts were better than most major guilds.
And with a blacksmith as guild masterโ
โCould they make my gear?โ
The community and guild page mentioned it.
If no shared gear was usable, theyโd craft exclusive equipment.
Exclusive gear made by Vulcanus himself.
That sealed it for Park Sang-hyun.
โIโm joining!โ
He decided to join Vulcanus Guild.
Days later.
I checked the Vulcanus Guild page while talking to Nam Bora via system call.
- We have thousands of applicants.
- Filtering for S-grade and above, about two hundred.
- Over ten are S-grade.
โThat many?โ
- Our benefits are just that good.
- Salaries are set above major guilds, and unlimited SS-grade gear is a huge draw.
The number of applicants exceeded expectations.
Especially rare-ability S-grade Awakened.
โA Fighter withโฆ Werewolf (S)?โ
- Itโs Werewolf, but they only inherited its traits, no claws, so they need claw weapons.
- Claws arenโt common, so theyโve been struggling.
- These types are called stragglers.
- Theyโre costly to invest in, and their unique combat style doesnโt fit guild hunts.
- They say theyโll pledge loyalty if you craft their gear.
โIโll try making shared claws. Oh, letโs do it now. If they like it, sign them immediately.โ
- Got it. Their gear needs are tough, but with the right conditions, theyโll outshine other S-grades.
Claws.
Hook-shaped weapons mimicking beast claws.
Also called twin daggers or gauntlets, theyโre uncommon with scarce market supply.
[Please specify the details of the clawโs shape.]
I referenced claw designs online.
For newbie gear, I kept it simple.
Blending Vulcanusโ signature black and red, I stamped our seal.
[Please choose the material for the claws.]
As newbie gear, I used moderate materials.
[Crafting begins.]
I started crafting.
Having made dozens of Level 1 gear, it was easy.
I could hammer mindlessly and finish quickly.
First time making claws, but Level 1 gear was simple, yielding SS-grade results.
[Crafting is complete.]
[โVulcanusโ Claws for New Membersโ has been obtained.]
[Vulcanusโ Claws for New Members]
Type: Claws
Grade: SS
Restriction: Level 1 or higher, Vulcanus Guild member
Description: Claws crafted by Hephaestusโ descendant for their soldiers.
Attack: 100
Abilities:
- Newcomer โ All stats increase by 5.
- Growth โ Experience gain speed increases by 20%.
- Volcano โ Slightly increases attack; all stats increase the longer the battle lasts.
- Member of Vulcanus โ Stats of abilities increase with each equipped item bearing the โVulcanusโ name.
Nothing special, just standard claws.
I couldโve made them better, but theyโre not even official members yet, right?
Like other gear, basic options would suffice for a showcase.
I sent the gear to Nam Bora, and her reply came quickly.
- They want to join immediately.
โS-grade Awakened arenโt that rare?โ
- Theyโre super rare.
- Normally, S-grade Awakened can join major guilds easily.
- But these are exceptions.
- S-grade, but their abilities are tough for major guilds to nurture.
She was right.
Some S-grade Awakened seemed ordinary, but most had unique jobs or abilities.
- If we can support them, theyโll be major assets.
- Theyโre perfect for our Vulcanus Guild.
- With this momentum, we can build teams around S-grade Awakened, supported by others.
โHmm, the next candidate is a Warrior with Cleanup Batter? Needs a baseball bat?โ
- Their ability looks promising.
โSuddenly, Werewolf feels normal.โ
The abilities were wild.
An Earth Mage with Gaiaโs Worker, requiring a shovel as a weapon.
A Thief with Severance, needing scissors.
โScissors? Thatโs easy.โ
An Awakened wielding a Saber Whip, multiple blades connected by wires, used like a whip.
Another limited to using a knife.
Unheard-of Awakened flooded in.
Evenโ
- Another S-grade application. Ability isโฆ Muse of Tragedy.
โMuse? Like a bard?โ
- Yes. Theyโre asking if you can make a harp.
Unique Awakened, inspired by existing members, started applying.
Where had these abilities been hiding?
Each one was more bizarre than the last.
As we accepted membersโ
โThis is turning into a freakshow guild, isnโt it?โ
- I didnโt expect this.
Weโd recruited many high-grade Awakened.
But their abilities were chaotic.
Forming teams with these would be a challenge.
Stillโ
- Weโve already got over ten S-grade Awakened. If nurtured well, we could rival major guildsโ combat power soon.
The guildโs average grade already matched major guilds.
The chaotic, freakshow vibe was concerning, but it was undeniably a dazzling start.