Chapter 58: The Forge’s Burden

“Wow, that’s intense.”

I watched Lee Ga-eul’s magic unfold on Hunter News.

I’d expected it, but seeing it live was different.

His scale dwarfed other mages.

Covering Chukhyang Mountain in dark clouds?

Even as the massive boss charged, he maintained his casting without flinching—awe-inspiring.

“Didn’t know Mir Guild had it this rough.”

I thought major guilds breezed through Rank 5 or SS-grade Gates.

A Rank 5 Gate Break giving them this much trouble was unexpected.

Other Hunters were struggling too.

An unstable Gate off Incheon’s coast.

A Gate near the Bukhan River.

A Gate Break in a resort forest.

Hunters were busy fighting Gates and monsters.

• Thanks to Mir Guild, Chukhyang Mountain’s Gate Break is under control, but other Breaks remain problematic.
• Mir Guild is moving to the next Gate…
• Breaking news.
• Lee Ga-eul’s magic, which resolved Chukhyang Mountain’s Break, was enhanced by a Vulcanus-crafted orb.
• Analysis shows a purple orb with Vulcanus’ emblem in Lee Ga-eul’s hand…

Hunter News kept buzzing with urgent reports.

Watching, I couldn’t stay calm.

I couldn’t fight monsters myself.

Instead, I’d be the armory smith, doing my part.

“Nam Bora.”

• Yes, Vulcanus?

“Any requests come in?”

• Plenty. As you instructed, I’ve ignored most, but should I start accepting again?

“Pick out the truly urgent ones for Gate issues.”

• Got it.

Soon, Nam Bora sent a filtered list.

Even filtered, it was overwhelming—over ten requests in no time.

I read them carefully.

• Greetings, Vulcanus.
• I’m Kang Min-soo, leader of Iron Wall Guild.
• We’re holding off a monster wave near Paju’s border.
• The monsters’ strength is growing, and our shields can’t withstand their attacks.
• I know you’re busy, but we urgently request a bulk order of shields.
• Costs will be covered by Iron Wall Guild and Association funds.

The first was a bulk shield order.

No need to craft them all myself.

“Crafter 1!”

“You called?”

“Stop other work. Make a hundred tower shields, fast.”

“Understood.”

I delegated to Crafters 1 and 2, mass-production specialists.

They weren’t to be underestimated.

Recently, Crafter 1’s skill improved, producing S-grade items more often.

The result—

[Sturdy Tower Shield]

Type: Shield

Grade: S

Restriction: Level 100+

Description: A shield as solid as a fortress, living up to its tower shield name. The more connected, the stronger the defensive wall.

Defense: 1000

Abilities:

1. Fortitude – Greatly increases defense and durability.
2. Stronghold – Defense rises when multiple Sturdy Tower Shields are linked within range.
3. Iron Wall – Additional defense when stationary.

A surprisingly good mass-produced shield.

Its Stronghold ability shone in bulk, growing stronger with more shields—a perfect set item.

Next request—

• Vulcanus!
• I’m Im An-il, a Hunter dispatched to a local area by the Association.
• A draconic monster was found in the local Gate.
• Our current gear can’t handle it, so I’m requesting a Dragon Slayer.
• The Association will cover costs and connect you directly.

Dragon Slayer.

A weapon dealing bonus damage to dragons.

“I’ll handle this myself.”

Not doing it for free.

Hunters saving the world get paid, right?

I’d craft for fair compensation, prioritizing urgent cases.

• News from Paju, where Iron Wall Guild battles monsters.
• Facing stronger foes, their shields were failing, and they planned to retreat. But they now hold firm.
• Experts attribute this to new tower shields with Vulcanus’ emblem.
• Meanwhile, Im An-il, who defeated a draconic wyrm in a southern Gate Break…

Each request processed brought news.

My gear resolved Gate Breaks, held monster waves, and cleared Gates.

It felt like I was stopping Gates myself.

“This is nice.”

My gear saved Hunters’ lives.

Protected citizens.

Closed Gates.

I hadn’t thought much of it before, but seeing real-time results felt fresh.

“Maybe push hard until this calms?”

For three days, I hammered without sleep.

Dark circles grew, but my expression shone brighter than ever.

Yawn.

After sleeping over a day, I finally woke.

No surprise—three sleepless days of hammering.

Even as a gamer, I’d never focused this long.

Was it my awakened stats?

Or was smithing my true calling?

I hammered like a maniac.

But it paid off.

• The sudden Gate Burning crisis is stabilizing.
• About 10% of Gates remain, but experts say it’s not worrisome.
• Thanks to Korea’s Hunters tirelessly fighting…

The “Gate Burning” crisis was nearly resolved.

It wasn’t just Korea.

The US, China, Japan—Gates doubled, with frequent Breaks and higher ranks.

A global catastrophe.

Some countries failed to contain them, taking heavy losses; others requested foreign Hunter aid.

Korea, though close, managed with minimal damage.

My contribution felt pretty significant.

“No wonder arms dealers thrive in war.”

In three days, I earned double my usual income.

Relentless hammering helped, but Hunters’ urgency and Association funding filled Vulcanus Guild’s coffers.

“The guild grew too.”

Vulcanus Guild shone these three days.

Still limited to Rank 5 Gates, they tackled anything Rank 5 or below relentlessly.

They aided the Gate Burning and grew significantly.

From barely entering Rank 5 Gates, they were now fully adept.

Their levels soared.

But it sparked unease.

“They might outgrow me.”

My level was 52.

Fast growth from 40 recently.

But Vulcanus Guild grew faster.

With great gear, talent, and ample Gates, their progress was explosive.

My level once led, but now we were close.

If they doubled my level?

Crafting gear for them could get tough.

[Level Up!]

“I’m not slow.”

My leveling was fast for a Hunter, especially a smith.

Yet, I felt a crisis.

“Send more to the mines?”

Not ideal.

My mining and crafting teams were perfectly balanced.

Pondering levels—

Clank.

Pippi 1 emerged from the mine.

Unlike other miners with pickaxes, Pippi 1 carried a sword, exuding a warrior vibe.

“Something up?”

Miners periodically emptied subspace bags.

But Pippi 1 had just returned, so I asked curiously.

Pippi 1 replied flatly.

“Master, I found the space you mentioned.”

“Oh, boss room?”

“Yes. A vast space, not a tunnel. Vision was dim, but I confirmed a monster.”

Like Zone 3, I’d ordered Pippi 1 to report Zone 4’s boss room without engaging.

It took longer than expected, likely due to the mine’s recent expansion.

“What was it?”

Zone 4’s boss.

What could it be?

Zone 4 was leather-related, so maybe a beast?

A bear or tiger?

What else is leather known for?

Crocodile seemed off.

As I speculated, Pippi 1 answered dryly.

“Its body shimmered with scales.”

“Scales? A snake? Snake leather…”

“Thick legs with sharp claws, vestigial wings on its back.”

“Wait, legs? Wings?”

“A long, curved tail, sharp eyes, and flames from its mouth.”

“Hold on!”

Scaled body.

Thick legs.

Tail, wings, flaming mouth.

One creature came to mind.

The ultimate monster in games, a fantasy icon.

“A dragon?”

It was a dragon.