Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

The young man in worn-out clothes, messy hair, and crimson eyes marched a long distance behind the guards, careful not to be seen. Ahead, the guards were heading toward the mansion. Such a huge explosion earlier... Is Mr. Angel alright? he wondered.

Suddenly, his eyes caught a dark figure falling through the sky. What the hell? Is that... Mr. Angel? No way! As the figure spiraled downward, another silhouette appeared beside it, a more muscular figure glowing red. It was the Captain of the Black Cloud Guild. With a powerful swing, the Captain struck the dark figure mid-air, sending him crashing down with tremendous force.

Dust billowed into the sky as the dark figure slammed onto the ground with a thunderous bang.

"Whoa! What's going on? They're fighting, but why?" the young man muttered, quickening his pace.

The guards marched onward, one with a raspy voice asking, "What the hell is happening?" A slightly muscular guard answered, "Did you see that? That was the Captain."

Another guard, his voice shaky and tinged with fear, asked, "Who… who is he fighting?"

"I don't know," the muscular guard replied. "But we have to stop this. If their fight spills into the town, the residents will be in danger."

"How the hell do you stop an S-Rank?" the raspy-voiced guard muttered, but none answered as they pressed forward.

Suddenly, the muscular guard spotted the Captain's figure drop to the ground again, followed by a loud bang and a new cloud of dust rising. "Come on, let's move faster!" he ordered as the guards broke into a run.

The young man struggled to keep up, his breath ragged. Damn, was it always this far? he thought.

Ahead, some guards spotted a figure standing at the edge of the woods, dressed in dark the same figure who had fallen from the sky earlier. "Hey, look!" one guard shouted, pointing. The figure was Tyler.

Tyler quickly stepped back into the woods. "You saw that, right?" one guard asked.

"Yes," the muscular guard confirmed. "That's the man facing the Captain."

"It looked like he was wearing some kind of mask," another added.

Deep in the shadows, Tyler's system began combining two of his armors. Standing ready for battle, Tyler replied the captain, " Who said i was hiding."

The Captain snarled with barely contained rage, "Well then, come on!" He charged forward with his sword held low and close to his body, ready to strike swiftly.

Tyler's eyes shifted from fiery red to a calm, dark brown as he charged forward. The system panel flashed before him: "Dear Cloud has used skill: Step." A grin spread across Tyler's face. The Captain's speed surged drastically, but Tyler activated his own Charge skill, granting him over an 80% speed boost and hardening his skin.

The two men raced toward each other, the earth tearing beneath their feet.

The Captain's eyes widened as he registered Tyler's newfound speed and the strange armor transformation. He's faster, faster than before. And somehow changed his armor. Doesn't matter. I'm still stronger. He lacks the skills to protect him now. I'll cut him to pieces.

Closing the gap, the Captain swung his sword in a wide arc from left to right, gripping it with both hands low. Tyler crouched low, his momentum carrying him forward as he planted his right hand firmly on the ground, dragging it along the hard earth to balance himself.

Damn it! the Captain thought as Tyler slipped under the swing. Tyler's eyes gleamed as he delivered a brutal kick right into the Captain's gut. The Captain coughed violently, a colorless, watery spray bursting from his mouth as the force sent him rolling across the ground. His grip faltered, and he lost hold of his sword.

"Aha!" Tyler exclaimed triumphantly.

The Captain stopped rolling, struggled to one knee and glared up at Tyler. How did he suddenly get stronger? he wondered.

Fully rising, he saw Tyler's confident grin.

Tyler picked up the fallen sword and asked, "This sword, what is it made of?"

The Captain smiled coldly. "What do you plan to do with it? Attack me with my own sword? That won't work."

"Of course not (I'll get shocked) " Tyler replied smoothly. He spun on his heel and hurled the sword with all his might into the sky. It soared at dizzying speed, spinning out of the forest, far beyond the limits of the town.

"No!" The Captain growled.

Tyler glanced back and taunted, "What? Can't get it back? Too far for you now?"

"You son of a bitch!"

The Captain's low growl was filled with fury. Marching forward, he snarled, "You killed my entire guild."

Tyler tilted his head, his grin widening. Fear was gone. "So what? They deserved it."

"Why?" The Captain clenched his fists, barely restraining his impulse to strike immediately.

Tyler watched carefully. He knew the Captain needed an explanation wanted to understand before killing him. *Stopping for conversation, huh? Good. He's buying me more time.*

Tyler spoke deliberately, "To be honest, your guild attacked me first. It was your vice-captain's son, Gary, and Steven."

The Captain said, "Attacked you? No, no. Gary might have been daring, but he wouldn't attack you for no reason."

Tyler replied nonchalantly, "Oh yeah, right. About that, the guy just hated my guts since the first time he met me. And honestly, he had some bad history with the old man I was hunting with, so I'm guessing that's part of it. But we have to be clear, he attacked me first. He was basically asking for it at that point."

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"The old man?" the Captain asked, a grin creeping onto his face as he took a step forward. "That's right, I almost forgot about him. First, i need you to tell me who he is and where to find him. After that... that's when I'll kill you."

Tyler smirked. "Now why in the world would I do that? If I hadn't met that old man, I don't think I'd be standing here today. Plus, besides that, I did kill some of your guild members for another reason, the girl."

"The girl? What the hell is she to you?" the Captain asked sharply.

"To be honest, nothing really," Tyler said with a small smile. "Met her about a week ago."

"What?" the Captain said, incredulous.

Tyler chuckled lightly, clearly mocking him. Two daggers, the silver and the crimson, materialized in his hands. Pointing the crimson dagger etched with the caption, he said, "I guess you could say I was looking for a reason to kill all of you... and I found it." He lied deliberately.

The Captain clenched his jaw with trembling hands, struggling to suppress his rage. "You're looking for a reason just to kill all of us? We were merely targets to you?"

"Of course," Tyler said. "I mean, it is fun to kill. You get it, don't you? I mean, after all, you almost killed that entire family years ago."

The Captain's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, so she told you about that? You are just an accomplice in her revenge?"

Tyler chuckled flatly as he lowered his dagger. "An accomplice? I told you, I met her just a week ago."

"Stop lying to me! Do you think I'm a fool?" the Captain growled, charging suddenly at Tyler.

*Shit. Did I buy enough time?*Tyler thought as the system panel appeared, showing the circular loading bar halfway filled. *Damn it. I'm going to get killed at this point.*

The Captain threw a punch, but Tyler quickly dodged by side-stepping and turning. Spinning, he slid the blade across the Captain's neck, continuing to pivot as he attempted a slash at the back of the Captain's neck with the silver dagger. It didn't cut.

The Captain turned quickly and attempted another punch, but Tyler dodged to the right. The Captain launched a flurry of punches, each one dodged expertly by Tyler.

The Captain's fists became a blur, rapid and relentless. Tyler's form blurred too as he moved fluidly, narrowly avoiding the deadly jabs.

Without warning, Tyler lunged forward, thrusting his Tearra dagger straight at the Captain's eye. The Captain's hand shot out with lightning speed, catching the dagger midway. Tyler tried to send the dagger back to his inventory, but before it could disappear, a sickening crunch echoed the Tearerdagger shattered under the immense pressure of the Captain's grip.

*He crushed it-?* Tyler's thought was cut short as a brutal fist slammed into his gut, the force knocking the breath from his lungs and nearly lifting him into the air. The Captain seized Tyler's leg, spinning him around with terrifying strength before slamming him face-first into the earth with a thunderous BANG.

Tyler groaned in agony, barely able to lift his head before the Captain hoisted him up again, spinning and smashing him down once more. His chest collided with the ground in a deafening crash, sending rocks and dust flying into the air. The merciless assault didn't relent the Captain whipped Tyler around and slammed him down for a third time.

A scream tore from Tyler's throat, crimson staining his forehead and dripping from the corners of his mouth. The Captain then hurled him through the dense forest like a ragdoll. Tyler crashed into one tree, splintering it with a savage crack, then slammed into another with equal force, shattering it as well.

He rolled across the forest floor before his back slammed into a massive tree, uprooting it slightly and causing it to lean precariously. Fighting the haze of pain, Tyler pushed himself to his feet.

Before he could even react, the Captain was upon him less than a foot away launching a devastating punch that connected squarely with Tyler's chest, driving the air from his lungs once again.

The Captain's punch sent Tyler crashing into the tree, shattering it instantly. He bounced off the broken wood, tumbling through the dense forest before the remaining trees finally halted his momentum.

Tyler groaned, blood pouring from his mouth like water spilling from a cracked mask, dripping onto the short grass below. He struggled to rise, propping himself up on one knee, breathing heavily.

Come on, system... you have to be done by now, right? he thought, eyes flickering ahead to the system panel. The circular loading bar was down to just a quarter left to fill. Frustration and a flicker of hopelessness welled inside him.

"Come on, seriously..." Tyler muttered as he forced himself to stand upright.

Out of the woods, the Captain emerged, his glare sharp and unyielding.

Suddenly, footsteps pounded close behind Tyler. He glanced back to see about eleven guards, a muscular one stepping forward. "Stop right there. Who are you?" he demanded.

Great, more company, Tyler thought grimly. He turned slightly to respond, but as he opened his mouth, fresh blood poured from his mask again, rolling down his chin and dripping onto the forest floor. Several guards recoiled, murmuring with concern and disgust.

Tyler coughed harshly, then warned, "Get out of here before you get hurt."

Without another word, he launched forward, charging at the Captain. The sudden burst of speed whipped up a fierce wind, like a bullet released from a rifle's barrel. The guards watched, stunned and baffled by the blur of movement.

Tyler lunged forward, his fist barreling toward the Captain with relentless force. The Captain snapped his arms up and closed them tightly, absorbing the blow—but the impact sent his legs skidding backward, scraping against the earth. The ground beneath them kicked up dirt and gravel as Tyler surged forward without hesitation.

In a flash, Tyler leaped into the air, spinning his body with ferocious speed and delivering a devastating roundhouse kick. The Captain raised his arms again, blocking the assault, but the force of the kick shoved him back a few steps.

Tyler dropped fluidly to the ground, eyes sharp and calculating. He unleashed a swift, sweeping kick aimed at the Captain's legs, a calculated attempt to trip him. The Captain, anticipating it, jumped high, narrowly avoiding the sweep.

But Tyler was already airborne again, a blur against the backdrop of the forest. They met mid-air: Tyler's spinning kick smashed squarely into the Captain's face. Time seemed to slow as the impact snapped the Captain's head to the side, and he tumbled backward, crashing onto the forest floor with a thunderous roll.

Yet the Captain was formidable; he stopped rolling and sprang to his feet with furious determination.

Before he could steady himself, he saw Tyler descending rapidly, poised to drive a knee into his face. But the Captain reacted, grabbing Tyler's leg with iron grip. With a fierce grunt, he spun wildly, preparing to slam Tyler down hard.

"NO!" Tyler groaned, summoning every ounce of strength. Using his free leg, he delivered a vicious kick right beneath the Captain's jaw. The crack echoed through the trees, forcing the Captain to loosen his grip and halt his spin.

Capitalizing on this moment, Tyler pushed off with explosive force, propelling himself away from the Captain's grasp and landing heavily on the ground, ready to strike again.

The guard with the raspy voice exclaimed, "What the hell's going on? Do you see that?" His voice was filled with disbelief. "That guy is having a one-on-one battle with an S-Rank… and he's keeping up!"

The muscular guard, his eyes wide with shock, replied, "Yeah… he's actually trading blows with him!"

As the brutal exchange continued, Tyler landed a solid right hook, snapping the Captain's head to the side. The Captain retaliated instantly with a powerful left hook that smashed into Tyler's face, sending him tumbling through the air. Tyler crashed onto the ground, landing hard on one knee. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up without hesitation and charged back into the fight.

Nearby, a guard with a soft, squeaky voice whispered in disbelief, "But the Captain looks like he doesn't even have a scratch on him. That guy," he nodded toward Tyler, "seems to be the only one taking damage."

The muscular guard furrowed his brow. "Where the hell are the rest of them? There should be more than ten."

Another guard replied uneasily, "That's what worries me too. You don't think they're dead, do you?"

The muscular guard shook his head fiercely. "No, that's impossible. He couldn't have taken out the entire guild alone he'd have been outnumbered."

"Then where the hell are the others? And their base... it's completely gone," the first guard muttered.

Their whispered conversation was cut short as the Captain's hand slammed down mercilessly on Tyler's shoulder, the powerful impact driving him into the ground with a sickening thud. Tyler spat blood that dripped from his mask and stained his skin.

The Captain lifted his hand high into the air, his voice a low, menacing growl. "It's time to end this."

Suddenly, something dark and massive descended from the sky, landing squarely in the Captain's outstretched hand. It was his enormous black sword, returned to him as if by some unseen force.

Tyler's lips curled into a small, bitter smile as he groaned, So it wasn't too far after all. He coughed, blood flecking his words. "You're telling me you could have used the sword this whole time?"

The Captain's eyes gleamed with cold cruelty. "I wanted to make you suffer first."

He gripped the black blade with both hands, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "Say hello to Rebecca for me. I bet you'll find her in hell."

A surge of fiery anger ignited within Tyler, his eyes glowing faintly blue. No. This can't be it. I won't die a meaningless death here. If I fall now, that means I failed. Means I couldn't do anything. Just like always. Come on... just this once.

Rebecca's soul won't rest until I kill the man standing in front of me.

Suddenly, a system panel blinked into view before Tyler:

Kai Speck has activated skill: Non Existent.

Just as the Captain roared and drove his sword down toward Tyler's chest, Kai threw himself at the Captain in a spear tackle, shouting, "Don't hurt, Mister Angel!!!"

The two men crashed to the ground, rolling in a violent heap. The Captain's eyes widened in shock and fury.

The system panel reappeared, flashing brightly:

Combination successful. Equip Armour (Yes/No)

Tyler grinned fiercely and mentally selected Yes.