Chapter 64: The Reaper’s Redemption

Orcs are dangerous.

Why?

Their size, larger than humans?

Overwhelming numbers?

Immense strength?

All true.

But Hunters fear orcs most for their intelligence.

– Squeal! Surround them! Don’t let the intruders escape! Honor our fallen with their blood!

Not as cunning as humans, but orcs rank high in monster intelligence.

Simple yet seasoned, they devise strategies rivaling humans in hunting and combat.

That’s why Hunters wary of them.

And now, that danger was evident.

– Team Leader, what do we do…

Team 2 was surrounded.

Yoon Hee-joo could escape alone.

But abandoning her team?

Half would become orc fodder.

She’d rather die than leave them.

So—

– Rearguard, hold! Break through and retreat as fast as possible!

– Yes!

She chose the most viable strategy.

Charging the orcs to clear a path.

Slash!

Her scythe swung.

The Reaper ability sliced orc souls sharply.

Reinforcing orcs, unaware of her power, fell easily.

It seemed smooth, but—

– Squeal!

Orcs were seasoned.

Realizing the scythe’s danger, they blocked it desperately.

The problem: after a few blocks—

Crack!

Her scythe cracked.

It wasn’t built for Rank 6 Gates.

Biting her lip, Yoon Hee-joo saw the truth.

Her recklessness.

Her foolish pride.

How her rivalry endangered her team.

No escape.

She’d sacrifice herself to save them.

As she gritted her teeth, ready to shout for her team to flee—

– Sending equipment. But expect further punishment.

Vulcanus Guild’s Master.

My voice rang out.

Hum—

Public gear appeared before Team 2.

Item transfer.

As if prepared, suggesting I foresaw this.

Her fists clenched, but she had no choice but to accept.

Grab!

Yoon Hee-joo seized a massive scythe.

Unlike her cracked, small one, this was the true Reaper’s Scythe.

Longer than her height, its blade wider than her arms combined.

Impractical, unwieldy-looking.

Before joining Vulcanus, she’d never seen a scythe so perfectly suited.

Swish!

She swung it horizontally.

A black flash erupted.

Unlike her old scythe, its range, speed, and sharpness were unmatched.

Five orcs, closing in confidently, were bisected within its reach.

No visible wounds, but—

– Squeal…

Thud.

Their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed.

One weapon changed everything.

Attack power, range, speed.

It wasn’t just her—Team 2 transformed.

Boom!

Slash!

Thud!

– Squeal! Intruders are strong!

– Push them!

Moments ago, they feared for their lives.

Now, they overwhelmed the orcs.

Each swing felled an orc.

Even when orcs exploited gaps, sturdy armor blocked effortlessly.

– Kill the intruders!

Orcs’ fearless tenacity was their strength.

But here, it was their downfall.

Thud.

– All down.

Orcs fought bravely but fell before Team 2.

Facing the fallen, Yoon Hee-joo realized her arrogance.

Speaking to me through shared vision—

– After the Gate, I’ll accept punishment. And…

She bowed deeply, unsure how vision sharing worked.

– Thank you for saving us. I’ll never forget this.

After that day, Team 2 accepted further salary cuts.

Already reduced, their pay dropped more.

But at their fervent request, salary cuts replaced Gate raid bans or equipment restrictions.

Working more for less pay.

From the guild’s perspective, a hard offer to refuse.

“How are they now?”

– Completely reformed. They used to complain, but now they accept Gate assignments, even long-distance ones, without issue.

“All of Team 2?”

– Yes. Like different people. You were right—they needed to face it.

Team 2.

Yoon Hee-joo.

I considered harsher punishment, but her ability stopped me.

Reaper.

I glimpsed it before, but vision sharing confirmed its potential.

Ignoring defense to strike souls.

Restricted, but a unique strength.

In some cases, it could outshine Team 1’s Park Sang-hyun’s Werewolf.

“Time to upgrade their gear.”

No need for new crafts.

With my Enhancement skill, I’d collect their gear and raise its level limit.

But for team leaders, I’d craft custom gear.

Especially—

[Using Production Skill.]

[Select the shape of the item to craft.]

“Scythe!”

Yoon Hee-joo’s weapon.

Despite her mistakes, her loyalty seemed stronger post-incident.

Having seen her combat, I was confident in crafting a scythe to suit her.

“I should watch other teams too.”

Vision sharing was surprisingly useful.

I’d use it to study other teams’ abilities closely.

This incident showed the gap between Nam Bora’s reports and direct observation.

[Specify the details of the scythe’s shape.]

Yoon Hee-joo favored large scythes.

Big weapons are unwieldy and risky if they hit obstacles.

But her Reaper ability ignored physical defense, negating drawbacks.

Larger scythes meant wider attack range, perfect for her.

“Like a game scythe.”

Inspired by games again.

The Death Scythe, or Death’s Blade.

[Choose the material for the scythe.]

What materials?

I bought some from the auction.

Pricey, but money was no issue.

Vulcanus Forge auto-earned profits without my hammering.

Materials included Wraith’s Claw, Dark Stone, and Soul Shard—death and darkness-aligned.

[Crafting begins.]

Perhaps due to the deathly materials, black mist formed with each hammer strike.

By 90% progress, my room’s floor was shrouded in dark fog.

Whoosh.

Spark, by the furnace, lit my vision.

I hammered with focus.

[Crafting complete.]

[‘Great Death’ obtained.]

A scythe for Yoon Hee-joo.

[Great Death]

Type: Scythe

Grade: SSS

Restriction: Level 80+, Vulcanus Guild Team 2 Leader ‘Yoon Hee-joo’

Description: Crafted by Hephaestus’ heir for Yoon Hee-joo, a scythe of death.

Attack: 800

Abilities:

1. Essence – Deals bonus damage proportional to armor penetration.
   
2. Spreading Death – Consumes health to expand attack range.
   
3. Soul Harvest – Stats increase based on souls reaped over time.
   
4. Soul Release – Releases reaped souls to bind enemies.
   

Essence suited her armor-piercing ability.

Spreading Death enhanced her wide-range strength.

The third and fourth abilities were exclusive to her soul-attacking Reaper skill.

With heavy restrictions, I made it powerful.

“Restrictions boost performance.”

A crafting lesson.

I’d consider this for future custom gear.

For warriors, lowering wisdom or intelligence for strength or agility could work.

But this is reality, not a game—too low wisdom might cause issues.

Anyway—

“Time for more gear.”

I kept crafting.

Basic gear could be enhanced, but I wanted to personally craft for my guild.

With time to spare, I’d make gear for those I noticed.

Nam Bora said Teams 2–5 were fiercely competitive lately.

Yoon Hee-joo’s rivalry was toxic, but moderate competition was healthy.

[Using Production Skill.]

Clang.

Celebrating guild members hitting level 80, I swung my hammer eagerly.