Chapter 74: The Forge’s New Gate

Rank 6, Kim Nara.

She couldn’t contain her awe at the item before her.

– He really made the wand…

Despite being Rank 2, Vulcanus outshone Rank 1 blacksmith Kang Ho-deok in attention.

Known for rarely accepting commissions.

Only the top 5 rankers typically received his gear.

Plus, he seemed focused on his Vulcanus Guild.

Most had given up on commissioning him.

But Kim Nara didn’t.

A Vulcanus wand would surely skyrocket her strength.

Now, her dream wand materialized.

[Rune Wand of Spirits]

Type: Wand

Grade: SSS

Restriction: Kim Nara

Description: Crafted solely for Kim Nara. Forged from a spirit stone with masterful blacksmithing and rune power, imbued with the might of great spirits.

Abilities:

1. Spirit Bond – Greatly increases spirit affinity, extending summon duration.
2. Spirit Harmony – Greatly increases spirit affinity, allowing additional spirit summons.
3. Spirit Kinship – Greatly increases spirit affinity, reducing mana cost for summoning and spirit magic.
4. Spirit Protection – Consumes mana to heal spirits; once weekly, Spirit Restoration fully recovers all spirits’ health and mana.

– Ohhh…

An SSS-grade wand.

No attack power, but for a Spirit Master, that was irrelevant.

The abilities mattered.

Spirit Bond, Harmony—simple but perfect.

“Simple is best,” right?

Extended summon time.

Additional summons.

Reduced mana cost.

Even spirit healing, normally impossible.

Exactly what she needed.

With this, she’d maximize her power.

Limited to three spirits due to mana and summon caps, she could now wield all four elemental spirits.

– With this, Rank 5 isn’t a dream!

From that day, she tackled gates relentlessly.

No gate was off-limits, even coordinating with the Hunter Association.

And soon—

[Rank 5: Kim Nara]

Her name hit Rank 5.

Briefly—she couldn’t hold it—but the meaning was huge.

Her strength had caught up to Rank 5.

She wasn’t alone.

– Vulcanus took my commission!

Rank 7.

– Crazy, is this real? Secretary! Get funds ready!

– How much?

– Everything! High-grade materials too!

Rank 8.

– With this, I’ll surpass that smug Rank 7!

Rank 9.

Vulcanus suddenly accepted rankers’ commissions.

The gear’s performance?

Already strong rankers felt a leap forward.

And so—

– Rankings shifted again today.

– Park Kang-chul, pushed to Rank 4, reclaimed Rank 3. Han Byul dropped to Rank 8—wait, back to Rank 7.

– Experts attribute this to Vulcanus’ gear.

– Vulcanus Forge is accepting rankers’ commissions, causing major ranking shifts.

– Kim Nara is expected to soon secure Rank 5…

Hunter news couldn’t avoid mentioning Vulcanus.

He accepted commissions casually, unaware of the frenzy.

Crafting is fun.

Not alone anymore—with Spark, hammering out SSS-grade gear feels exhilarating.

But days fly by.

No matter how fun, doing only one thing daily gets stale.

Like a favorite game turning tedious after days of forced play.

Crafting was the same.

Fun, but swinging a hammer all day felt stifling.

A new hobby emerged.

– Why don’t the monsters here ever thin out?

Zone 5 of the mine.

I don’t know why it exists, but I call it the “EXP farm.”

I visited.

At Zone 5’s entrance, atop a cliff, I saw Combat 1 slaying monsters.

Combat 2 fired arrows, assisting and collecting dropped materials.

Watching them—

– Alright, let’s do this.

I drew my crossbow.

Not the Flaming Crossbow.

It’s great, but its fire attribute limited arrow testing.

Instead, a crossbow stripped of attributes, focused on core functions.

[Wind Slicer]

Named for wind-related runes boosting aim and attack speed.

Not wind-damage—purely a crossbow that slices through air for swift, precise shots.

Still, an SSS-grade crossbow with immense power.

– Let’s feel the kick.

Start with basics.

I loaded a plain arrow, no abilities, and aimed at a monster.

Twang.

The arrow sliced through the air, true to its name.

Thud.

– Krek!

It pierced a monster’s head.

Not just pierced—obliterated.

The SSS-grade crossbow and S-grade arrow made it effortless.

Twang. Twang.

I fired repeatedly.

My military shooting skills felt sharper.

Comparing a crossbow to a rifle was iffy, but the experience helped.

Aiming steadily, bracing the stock, pulling the trigger—similar basics.

– Pretty strong.

No job or skill buffs.

Pure shooting, yet solid damage.

My gear, my pride.

I loaded the next arrow.

[Ice Arrow]

Simply named.

Not for sale—just a hobby craft.

A translucent, icy arrow.

Twang.

It didn’t pierce like the basic arrow.

Thud.

It lodged in the monster’s body, weaker in force.

But the Ice Arrow’s power kicked in.

Crackle!

Ice spread from the impact.

– Krrrok?

The monster froze solid.

Not just it—Zone 5 was packed, and nearby monsters froze too.

The Ice Arrow’s might.

Crafting it was one thing; using it was a spectacle.

– Next, lightning.

[Lightning Arrow]

Crackle!

Made with lightning materials.

The arrow became lightning, piercing a monster.

Like a mage’s Chain Lightning, it zapped multiple foes.

Zone 5’s darkness amplified the dazzling effect.

– Next, let’s see…

[Poison Arrow]

– You’re up.

It burst purple liquid on impact.

Seemingly weak at first.

– Grrrok…

Thud.

Soon, poisoned monsters collapsed.

Then, a wind arrow unleashed a gust to stagger foes.

Flaming and explosive arrows, used before.

Tracking arrows that chased targets.

Splitting arrows that multiplied mid-air, raining devastation.

– Yes! This is the thrill!

Pure spectacle.

I’d only crafted for others.

My own gear? Just mining tools.

Crafting and using my own creations felt euphoric.

[Level increased.]

With little EXP left, or maybe hunting boosted gains, I leveled up quickly.

Admiring the flashy effects—

– Thank you, Master.

– Huh? Oh, right.

They thought I was supporting them?

Combat 1 and 2 bowed, then fought harder.

Zone 5’s monster swarms kept them near the entrance, fighting cautiously.

My aid gave them room to advance.

– Full support it is.

I loaded every arrow I’d crafted.

Twang.

This time, an Earth Arrow.

Earth-attuned, it missed the monster, hitting the ground.

But I grinned.

It wasn’t meant for monsters.

Boom!

The arrow burrowed, then erupted, piercing monsters from below.

One arrow became dozens.

Then giant arrows, plant arrows—varied support for Combat 1 and 2.

Soon—

– They’re gone.

Combat 1 and 2 vanished from sight.

Following them off the cliff was too risky.

Instead, I focused on clearing monsters to prevent ambushes.

As my arrows ran low—

– Master.

Combat 1’s voice.

Never reporting before, always fighting silently.

What was it?

A tough monster?

Curious, I responded.

– A door appeared.

– A door?

My eyes widened.

In the mine, “door” meant one thing.

– Hephaestus’ Forge?

Found in Zones 1 and 2, I expected Zone 3 next.

But Zone 5?

– Unsure, Master. You should check.

Fair point.

Nodding, I used the smith’s possession skill on Combat 1 and 2.

Its heavy SSS-grade armor enveloped me.

My vision, briefly dark, cleared.

And there—

– What’s this?

It wasn’t Hephaestus’ Forge.