Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

Tyler gasped, pushing himself up, a searing pain lancing through his ribs. *That skill…* The thought clawed at his mind, the realization settling like a cold stone: it nullified everything. Teleportation was impossible. Before he could fully regain his footing, the Captain was upon him, a whirlwind of deadly intent. The blade descended, a dark shape aimed at his head. With a desperate surge of adrenaline, Tyler dodged, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs as he rolled backward.

The Captain moved with impossible speed, the blade biting into the ground, the impact a deafening crack that sent tremors through the earth. The shockwave, a violent gust of wind, slammed into Tyler, sending him sprawling across the fractured ground. He scrambled to rise, but the Captain was already a blur of motion, his leg planting firmly with each stride as he charged. He swung the sword in a wide, deadly arc, the weapon held with both hands, a vortex of honed steel aimed for the left. Tyler, reacting on instinct, leaped, spinning in the air just as the blade whistled beneath his shoulder, a whisper of death. Mid-air, he targeted the Captain's jaw, using the momentum of his spinning kick to propel himself away. *This is insane!* The thought screamed in his head. *No teleporting, no shadow strike… everything is gone! And he's getting faster.*

Before Tyler could even touch the ground, the Captain was upon him again, a predator closing in. A surge of white scales erupted across his abdomen, forming a makeshift, circular shield, a desperate defense against the impending blow. The blade met its mark, a brutal force unleashing a surge of pure power, sending him skyward like a cannonball. The impact ripped through the hastily formed scales, their white shards momentarily obscuring his vision as Tyler coughed, a crimson spray against the inky darkness. The scales shattered, their protection failing against the Captain's brutal power.

He spun uncontrollably skyward, the world a dizzying blur, as a holographic display flickered into existence before him. HP: 122/434 . The numbers, stark and cold, were a brutal assessment of his condition. *So much… gone already.* The pain hammered home the reality. *He booked me for 122… and he hit me three times. I can't risk another blow.* The world continued to spin and swirl as Tyler began his descent, the ground rushing up to meet him. *Shit, shit, I'm going to hit the ground!* he thought frantically. *I can't use anything…*

The frantic thoughts barely registered as the world tilted, and a shape materialized in his vision, looming above him, descending in silent pursuit. *When did he…?* The question died unspoken as the Captain's sword descended with a roar, finding its mark. The remaining scales, a desperate defense, surged to form a thick hump along Tyler's side. The blow landed regardless. Accelerating his fall. The sword-strike became a catalyst, transforming his descent into a missile's plunge toward the earth. He slammed into the ground with a resounding *BANG*. A geyser of dust erupted, obscuring the world as the force of the impact ripped through the surrounding trees. They bent and cracked, their roots tearing free as Tyler's body carved a shallow crater into the earth. Blood erupted from his mouth, a coppery taste filling the air. From the sky, a roar echoed, the Captain's descent relentless. He offered no respite. His form coalesced above Tyler, the sword already raised, poised to strike the moment he touched down.

This can't be it. The desperate thought ignited a fierce determination. I can't die like this. Come on… you have to work! With a surge of will, Tyler activated Shadow Den once more. The world dissolved into a dizzying swirl, his form dispersing into a cloud of inky smoke just milliseconds before the blade struck its target.

The Captain's strike found nothing but empty air, the force of the blow detonating in a deafening BOOM that widened the crater beneath. The wind surged outward like a living thing as the Captain ground his teeth, eyes blazing with furious crimson light. He scanned the ruined battlefield, searching frantically for the vanished prey.

Three hundred meters away, at the edge of the decimated woods, Tyler leaned against the massive trunk of a tree, swallowed by the deepest shadows. The shadow ring a familiar, almost instinctive weight drew him into darkness where he melded with the night, utterly invisible to human eyes. The telltale system panel flickered into view once again, stark and merciless: HP: 40/434.

One more hit… I could've died. He clenched his jaw. With a thought, a small vial shimmered into existence in his palm. Tilting it back, the viscous liquid vanished in a single gulp. Energy surged through his veins a comforting warmth radiating outward. The system updated: HP: 170. Without hesitation, he repeated the ritual, downing the second potion. HP: 300. The warmth spread from his abdomen to his broken skin, wounds knitting closed. Minor scars remained, stubborn reminders of the brutal fight, but he was nearly whole again

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Tyler downed one more potion, pushing his HP up to 430. *Thank goodness I still have plenty more in my inventory*, he thought, relief washing over him. He glanced to his side, checking the distance between himself and the Captain and saw the man was not in sight.* He's not here yet. I have to find a way to beat him.*

Tyler clenched his fists as the silver dagger and crimson dagger materialized in his hands. *I tried cutting him with these daggers, didn't work. Then I tried hitting him, that didn't either*. He swallowed hard. *He's the toughest opponent I've ever faced. Each attack took away more than 70 HP. And he keeps getting stronger.

A sharp warning echoed from Grone's advice: Take a berserker out as soon as possible when facing them. But Tyler's mind raced. *How the hell am I supposed to do that when the guy was stronger than me from the start? He's so much faster than me, even when with the Shadow Armour. A pang of panic hit him as he realized, Plus, my mana is almost gone. And I don't have any potions to restore it.

Tyler's gaze fell to the scales covering his body now fewer, partially shattered, barely shielding him. The Captain had destroyed most of them. Tyler remembered each strike, the searing pain. *Those scales saved me from every single hit. Without them... one blow and I could've been split in half..*

Meanwhile, Tyler was deep in thought, struggling to formulate a plan. Silvia lay sprawled on the blood-soaked floor, crimson staining the ground around her like a morbid bed. She managed to whisper, "Captain."

The Captain approached slowly, each step heavy with thunderous thuds. A reddish aura like curling smoke wreathed him, his eyes burning fierce red. He was still lost in his berserk fury.

Silvia's voice trembled as she pleaded, "Please, please help me, heal me, I'll, I'll help you fight him, I'll help you find him." Her pupils fluttered, nearly rolling back as she begged, "Please, I don't want to die."

The Captain's gaze fell upon her, but Silvia saw nothing only clenched teeth and barely restrained rage. Veins bulged at his neck, arms, and sleeves as he took one heavy step, then another. To Silvia's shock, he passed right beside her, leaving her bleeding and alone, disappearing deeper into the small woods.

Where is he going? Please don't leave me... help me… Her thoughts trembled in despair. Then, like a punch to the gut, realization struck. He's going after Tyler. Only one thing consumed the Captain's mind in his berserk state: Killing Tyler. Silvia knew that when a tank went berserk, reason nearly vanished but never enough to harm their own allies or abandon them to die.

Silvia realized the harsh truth the Captain did not see her as an ally. He did not view her as a comrade or someone reliable. Her voice weakened to a whisper as she muttered, I helped you. How could you do this to me? This isn't fair. Blood loss had taken its toll; her eyes were wide open but unseeing, her breath and movement ceased, pupils dilated. She was dead.

Meanwhile, behind the tree, Tyler was still contemplating his dire situation. If only I had enough mana... Suddenly, the system panel appeared before him, flashing "Level Up" twice. Tyler's eyes widened in surprise, then a small smile touched his lips. Just when I needed it, he muttered, understanding the grim truth behind the level-ups Silvia had died.

Suddenly, thunderous thuds echoed behind him. Tyler peeked around the tree and saw the Captain advancing, wielding his massive black sword. He quickly ducked back into the shadows. Damn it... my HP and mana are full now, but it's no use. I've only leveled up twice I'm only slightly stronger. Facing him now would still be suicide.

The system panel flickered again in front of him, displaying his stats:

SPECIES: Human

NAME: Tyler Evans

RANK: B

LVL: 97

CLASS: Craftsman

HP: 438/438 MP: 397/397

STR: 401 AGI: 519

DEF:1997 STM: 368

STATUS: Healthy

Skills: Armour Craft Lv2, Weapon Craft Lv2, Weapon Mastery, Alchemy, Accessory Craft, Acid Blood, Room Level 2 -CD: 8hrs, Combine- CD: 10hrs, Equipment's Tale-CD: 3hrs

Equipped Skills: Shadow strike-MC:30, Shadow Step: MC: 30, Shadow Den: 90

*Only three levels left before I become an A-rank.* Tyler thought grimly. Suddenly, a booming voice rang out behind him, "Tyler, show yourself! I know you're out here!"

Tyler swallowed hard. How the hell does he know that? He peeked again and saw the Captain turning, searching for him. So he can't see me. He doesn't know exactly where I am.

Tyler's eyes then landed on a skill he'd completely forgotten a skill that might just save him now: Combine. *Yes, of course, the combine skill. How stupid of me to forget. This could be the only way out, the key to defeating the Captain.*

With a thought, the Shadow Armor dissolved into black smoke, and a faint blue shimmer appeared on Tyler's skin as the Hexhorn Armor materialized and equipped itself.

This is it. I need to combine two of my most powerful armors, he thought urgently. I can only use this skill once every ten hours. Which armours do I combine? Shadow Armor with White Armor, or White Armor with the White Prey-Armour? Come on, Tyler, think!

Knowing time was running out and the Captain could find him at any moment, Tyler made a swift decision.

Instantly, the system panel appeared, displaying: Combine White Armor with Shadow Armor. Two icons sat side by side one showing the Shadow Armor, the other the White Armor an arrow connecting them, indicating the imminent fusion. Above, the words 70% success rate glowed starkly.

Tyler grinned and muttered, Combine. The system pulled the icons together, as if smashing them into one, then the panel vanished. Another appeared, featuring a circular loading bar that crept forward agonizingly slowly, with the words Combining... This may take a while.

What? Is this thing serious? Tyler grumbled impatiently. I can't wait this long. Come on, move faster! His eyes flicked back to the bar, not even a quarter full.

Suddenly, distant voices and the pounding of marching boots cut through the tension. The clash of steel against stone grew louder. Tyler glimpsed a group of guards sprinting toward him from the town. Shit.

Quickly, the scales surged up, encasing his face with the familiar mask. The Captain heard the approaching voices and snapped his head around just as Tyler emerged from hiding now clad in entirely different armor. The berserk rage drained from the Captain's eyes, the burning red fading back to their natural dark brown.

"There you are, you bastard," the Captain growled. "Stop running and face me."

Tyler stepped forward, ready.