Vulcanus Guild currently has ten teams of ten members each.
A total of one hundred combat guild members.
Thanks to Team 1’s successful debut, the others gained confidence, completing their first raids.
The guild members shone, but the spotlight was on me.
Or rather, my equipment.
- Is that defense for real?
- Rank 6 monsters barely scratch them. lol
- Vulcanus is nuts.
- Are their levels fake? The attack and defense are insane.
- Association verified their info. It’s pure gear carry. lol
- Even great gear can’t do that, right?
- If it’s all SS-grade, it’s possible. lol
Vulcanus Guild members were formidable.
Their abilities were tricky, but all were S-grade or higher.
My equipment let them maximize those abilities.
Seeing them wield it so well filled me with pride.
“Worth crafting.”
Was it because they steamrolled a Rank 6 Gate?
The guild’s morale was sky-high.
Rank 6 was already ambitious for their average level, but now they demanded Rank 5 Gates.
Caught up in the thrill, they wanted the next raid without rest.
“Gotta make their next gear soon.”
Their current gear was low-level.
It boasted overpowering stats now, but as levels rose, it’d feel lackluster.
I couldn’t craft new gear for all hundred members every level.
I’d need to set level brackets for batch upgrades.
Then, a problem arose a week later.
“No Gates to raid?”
- To be precise, Gate assignments are delayed. Gate occurrences are up, but there’s a limit.
“Tell them to rest…”
- They’re too eager.
- They’d rather level up than rest.
- Thanks to your gear’s EXP boost, they’re hooked on growth.
“Hmm, contacted the Hunter Association?”
- I did, but they’re not proactive. They said to wait for fair distribution.
- However, they sent a separate proposal that looks decent.
- Could you check it?
“A proposal? Sure.”
A message from the Hunter Association.
From the Association President, no less.
Not surprising, considering the president sat beside Sword Saint at the guild’s opening.
- Greetings.
- I’m Han Young-soo, Hunter Association President.
- I attended your opening ceremony, but let me congratulate Vulcanus Guild again and wish you prosperity.
- I’m reaching out with a mutually beneficial proposal.
- Your guild’s rapid growth is the talk of the town.
It started with praise.
The meat was in the middle.
- Thus, we’d like you to transfer your guild’s shared equipment to the Association.
- Not for free, of course.
- We’ll pay the official appraised price…
“They want our shared gear?”
The Association seemed serious about nurturing Hunters.
Stronger guilds could overshadow them.
Relying on Sword Saint’s name had limits.
They needed strong Hunters to clear neglected Gates.
The issue was the price.
“They’re lowballing hard.”
I may not know the world, but I deal in multi-billion-won items.
Their “official price” was barely above half my estimate.
The message continued.
- We acknowledge the price seems low.
- As it’s set by standards for government funds, we ask for understanding.
- We’re not demanding unilateral sacrifice.
- The Association wishes to form a partnership with the promising Vulcanus Guild.
“Partnership?”
- If you accept, we’ll enter a formal agreement.
- Details were sent to your proxy.
- In short, we’ll assign as many Gates as you want.
- We’ll also reduce Gate byproduct fees and waive fees for some ores and materials…
The rest was complex.
But I got it.
They’d offer benefits for gear transfer and future commissions.
The issue was whether the fee reductions were worthwhile.
Time to ask the expert.
“What do you think?”
Nam Bora, the pro in this field, pondered before responding.
- Short-term, it’s a loss for us. The fees we pay are negligible anyway…
“Right?”
- But.
She paused, then continued.
- Long-term, it’s a solid deal.
“Really?”
- Yes. It’s a loss now, but your guild’s growth is phenomenal.
- Reaching Rank 4 Gates would cover the loss.
“We’re still on Rank 6. Isn’t Rank 4 far off?”
- I don’t think it’ll take long.
- The members’ potential is great, but honestly, your gear is unreal.
- It lets them clear Gates a rank above their level.
- No, more than one rank.
- With EXP boosts, your guild will grow faster than you expect.
Her explanation continued.
Clearing Rank 3 Gates would break even.
Beyond Rank 5, we’d profit massively.
Of course, Association crafting requests would come too.
Nam Bora deemed it a good deal.
I agreed.
Growth was key.
Vulcanus Guild was my security firm.
With dangerous Gates popping up, they needed to protect me.
Rapid growth was essential.
The Association’s Gate assignment deal looked enticing.
- However, we should negotiate the duration. Longer terms favor us.
“I’ll leave that to you. I’ll handle the gear.”
- Got it.
The Hunter Association partnership.
We decided to take it.
Nam Bora said such offers were rare, especially from the president.
Likely to build ties with me, the rising blacksmith.
Not bad.
It meant the Association recognized my skill.
[Using Production Skill.]
[Please select the shape of the item to craft.]
“Team Leader’s gear first.”
[Please specify the details of the armor’s shape.]
[Please choose the material for the armor.]
I kept the armor’s design like existing Vulcanus gear.
I didn’t have endless ideas to redesign per level.
As long as it screamed Vulcanus Guild, performance was key.
One thing had changed.
[Using Production Skill.]
“Leather armor, optimized for mobility.”
Previous gear was generic, efficient for anyone.
The guild loved it, but I wanted to go further.
[Crafting Progress: 12%…]
Before, I didn’t know the guild members.
Now, Nam Bora sent detailed member info.
Why make generic gear when I could tailor it?
It wouldn’t take longer.
“Wow, so unique. A skill only usable on all fours?”
I lightened the top to keep the center of gravity stable.
Joints were made flexible for quadrupedal movement.
Using Nam Bora’s info and raid footage, I crafted—
[Crafting is complete.]
[‘Vulcanus’ Agile Armor’ has been obtained.]
[Vulcanus’ Agile Leather Armor]
Type: Armor
Grade: SS
Restriction: Level 40+, Vulcanus Guild Team 1 Leader Park Sang-hyun Exclusive
Description: Crafted by Hephaestus’ descendant solely for Vulcanus Guild’s Team 1 Leader.
Defense: 450
Abilities:
- Ferocity – Agility increases by 30.
- Beast – Greatly increases movement and attack speed.
- Volcano – Increases attack power; all stats rise with prolonged combat.
- Vulcanus’ Member – Enhances abilities when wearing Vulcanus-named gear.
Gear perfect for Park Sang-hyun.
Not just the leather armor.
Leather gloves boosting attack with claws, boots focused solely on speed.
All tailored exclusively for him.
No SSS-grade like ranker gear, but so what?
The performance was plenty.
“Making sets for a hundred people is tougher than I thought.”
Crafting for one team leader drained me.
Each member needed at least six pieces—weapon and armor.
After some thought, I compromised with reality.
“Crafter 1, I need your help.”
“Understood.”
Exclusive sets for team leaders.
For regular members, I’d craft weapons, leaving armor to Crafter 1.
“Grow fast, kids. Get strong and protect me.”
With this much support, they’d better grow up to “honor their guild master,” right?