Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

Tyler exited the hallway, returning to the innkeeper to bypass them and head to his own room. Upstairs, he entered, sat on the bed, and began to think. "I really need to craft all the materials in my recipes," he mused, "otherwise they're just going to pile up. I need to buy a barrel and fill it with water, then put it in my inventory. That way I won't have to worry about finding water for potions. If I'd had that barrel with me, I could have helped Rebecca when she was hurt. I wouldn't have had to run all the way to the river to fill those vials. Right after I deliver the trihorn hide to the tent, I'm going to have to repay Grone. I think I'll have enough money by then. And I'm going to have to check in with Hector's shop—see if they've sold the shield, and, well, see if Emily's doing okay. She must be fine by now. I hope she doesn't do anything… wrong. That might piss off Hector, or he might fire her." He paused, considering. "I don't even know people's preferences in this world. Well, Hector *did* say the shield looked fine, so…" His thoughts trailed off as he accessed his system panel, reviewing his stat

SPECIES: Human

NAME: Tyler Evans

RANK: C

LVL: 77

CLASS: Craftsman

HP: 339/339 MP: 277/277

STR: 302 AGI: 370

DEF: 571 STM: 292

STATUS: Healthy

Skills: Armour Craft Lv2, Weapon Craft Lv2, Weapon Mastery, Alchemy, Accessory Craft, Acid Blood, Room

Equipped Skills: Charge- MC:25

Until then, a thought struck him: *My stats have really gone up. To think I actually reached level 77. I probably wouldn't have gotten this far if I hadn't forgotten to return that necklace to Grone. Well, I'll do that as soon as I get back to veridia.* He sighed, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. *It's pretty strange. I haven't received any rewards for defeating the boss monster or the Trihorn. Does that only happen with specific monsters?*

Tyler sighed again, his gaze falling to the system text: *Craft. Shadow Armor*. The system panel vanished, replaced by a new one reading: Craft Shadow Armor (Yes/No). He tapped "Yes."

A new system panel appeared: Crafting.

Tyler watched the crafting bar, his anticipation growing. The loading bar inched forward with agonizing slowness. *This loading bar is so slow,* he thought, a slight smile playing on his lips. *But that just means it probably has higher stats. I've noticed that with every armor or weapon I craft—the longer it takes, the better the result. I can't wait to see what this does. This will be the first armor I've crafted using materials from a boss monster.*

The circular loading bar finally filled, and a new system panel appeared: Crafting successful. Tyler smiled, a genuine grin spreading across his face. He got out of bed, standing and looking out the window. The night light illuminated his face, casting shadows in the dimly lit room, where a single lantern cast a weak glow. He murmured, "Equip shadow armor."

*Earlier That Day*

The morning sun cast a warm glow over the bustling town of Aria. People hurried through the streets, going about their daily business. Aria, known for its dense population and proximity to the massive Southern Base—a base bordering the dangerous Orange-tier human monster zones—was a hive of activity. Houses, shops, a church, a guild hall, and numerous other buildings filled the town, even boasting a few noble residences. But one guild stood out, its reputation rapidly growing: the Black Cloud Guild. Their guild captain was nearing S-rank, a feat that promised fame, fortune, and respect throughout the kingdom. Such a rank was incredibly difficult to achieve, a testament to unparalleled skill and power.

On the edge of town, where the houses thinned and gave way to open land, sat a small mansion. In its secluded backyard, the guild's sixth member, a Black Cloud mage, trained diligently. She had short black hair, wore a simple blue robe, and held a sturdy brown wooden staff. The backyard was a patch of neatly trimmed green grass. Facing away from the mansion's back door, she stood before small wooden targets. She was completely alone.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped back, her high leather boots making a soft thud on the grass.

In her left hand, a strange phenomenon occurred. As she opened her palm, the air around it seemed to distort, as if drawn into a void. Then, water began to materialize, coalescing into a shimmering orb that hovered above her hand. It appeared to absorb the surrounding air, growing steadily larger. Her eyes glowed with a faint blue light as the orb swelled to twice the size of her head. She pointed it at the four wooden targets set meters away.

With a sudden burst of motion, the orb split into four, each fragment reshaping into a sharp, double-pointed icicle. A wave of cold emanated from them as they solidified into ice. Then, with a powerful thrust, she launched the icicles. A gust of wind accompanied their flight as they pierced the wooden targets, shattering them completely. She hadn't exerted herself in the slightest.

"This is boring," she muttered to herself, leaning on her staff. "The guild's been quiet lately. I thought the captain would have reached S-rank by now. He's only two levels away. What's stopping him? It's not like the humanoid monsters are that weak. And even if they were, he could always hunt in a Red-tier zone." She sighed, her boredom evident.

Suddenly, someone emerged from the mansion. This person had long black hair and wore silver and leather pleated armor.

The woman grinned, a mocking glint in her eyes. "Bored again, aren't you, Mani?"

Mani glanced at her. "Yeah, I mean, we haven't done anything worthwhile in four days. Things have been slow ever since your little brothers decided to go off on their solo training spree. Why did they refuse the guild's help, anyway?"

The woman, Sabrina, shrugged. "You know Gary. Always trying to prove himself, to show he can do it all alone. He's so arrogant, you know?"

"Yeah, well, they're all pretty annoying," Mani said, "except for your older brother, Jason. He's much more humble. You could learn a thing or two from him." She offered Sabrina a mocking grin.

Sabrina's anger flared, a vein throbbing in her forehead. "What?"

"Oh, I know he didn't join the guild for personal reasons," Mani continued, unfazed. "But out of all the vice-captain's children, he's the most tolerable."

Sabrina's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You know what? You said you were bored. Well, I just hit A-rank, and I was thinking of testing out my new skills. How about a duel?"

Mani chuckled. "A duel? You want to test your skills against a B-rank mage? Don't you think that's a little unfair? Besides, I don't want to hurt the vice-captain's daughter."

Sabrina smiled, a predatory gleam in her eyes. Slipping away from Mani, she drew her sword. "You don't *want* to? Don't make me laugh. You simply *can't*."

Mani's eyes narrowed. "Alright, you're going to regret this," she said, a thrill of anticipation coursing through her. *Finally,* she thought, *something exhilarating.*

Sabrina adopted a fighting stance, sword held ready, her foot back, the point of her blade aimed at Mani.

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"Do you want me to use a skill book or not?" Mani asked.

Sabrina scoffed. "Tch… Do you think you can actually beat me *without* a skill book? You mages are so full of yourselves." Her foot dug into the grass as she activated her Quick Step skill, blurring her movements. Her attack was swift, her sword piercing Mani's shoulder with a tearing sound. Mani's eyes flashed a faint green as she perceived the attack, her expression shifting to one of surprised shock. Blood immediately welled, staining her robe. Sabrina, surprised by Mani's reaction, quickly withdrew her sword.

Sabrina recoiled, surprised. "What the hell? What didn't you block? What are you doing?!"

Mani groaned, clutching her wounded shoulder as she fell to her knees, a sharp intake of breath escaping her lips.

Sabrina, her voice laced with concern, rushed to her side. "Do you have a death wish?" She placed a hand on Mani's shoulder, her hand glowing with green light as she began to use a light healing skill.

Mani whispered, "I can't believe this… your brother…"

Sabrina frowned. "What? What's wrong? What are you talking about? You're hurt. Activate your regeneration skill already. Are you out of mana?"

Mani, gripping Sabrina's hands tightly, looked intently into her eyes. "Listen to me. Your brother… something happened to him. I saw it. I felt it."

Sabrina sprang to her feet. "No, what do you mean? Are you saying—" She broke off, already running back towards the mansion.

She burst through the back door, into the kitchen, and raced through to the living room, finally reaching the library. The library was lined with stone tile walls and floors. Wooden shelves, equipped with hooks, held numerous necklaces. Between the shelves, nails were hammered into the walls, each holding a necklace with a crystal pendant. But something was wrong. One of the crystals was shattered.

Sabrina stood frozen in shock, her heart pounding. Mani arrived beside her.

"No, no, no, no, no! There's no way," Sabrina cried, clutching her head and shaking her head violently. "This can't be happening. This is just an error in your magic. It can't be true, right?"

As if in answer, another crystal pendant on the wall suddenly shattered, exploding into a million glittering shards. A single tear rolled down Sabrina's cheek. "Isn't that Steven's?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Mani, her voice soft with sympathy, touched Sabrina's shoulder. Sabrina whirled around, anger blazing. She grabbed Mani's shoulders, her grip tight. "Tell me," she demanded, her voice tight with barely controlled fury. "Tell me what you saw. Tell me who killed my brothers!"

Mani hesitated. "I… I saw… it was…"

Sabrina, losing patience, shook Mani slightly. "It was *what*? Spill it already!"

"It was a D-rank hunter," Mani finally whispered.

Sabrina's eyes widened. She laughed, a short, harsh sound, wiping away her tears. "A D-rank hunter? You're saying *both* my brothers were killed by a D-rank hunter?"

"Yes," Mani confirmed, "but… you know I can only see the last three seconds of a person's death through the life crystal. In those three seconds, I see through their eyes. His vision wasn't clear, but… the hunter… he must have been a false ranker. He also managed to kill the White Fang."

Sabrina's voice was sharp. "The White Fang? You're kidding! The White Fang was an A-rank! If he's a D-rank, it's impossible for him to kill the White Fang. Where the hell was he when it happened? He couldn't have been at the Crossroads Base. He was the strongest there."

"I think he was… in the forest," Mani said thoughtfully. "It looked familiar. And… it seemed like there were two people. I saw another man before Steven died. He was a C-rank."

Mani activated her regeneration skill, the wound on her shoulder rapidly closing. "I need to report this to your father immediately," she said, her voice firm.

Mani turned abruptly, leaving Rebecca seething in the wake of the shocking news. Mani sprinted towards the meeting room, her mind racing. *He has to be there,* she thought. *He said he was meeting with the captain to discuss our guild's next mission. He has to be there.*

She ran through the living room, then the dining room, down the hallway, and burst into the meeting room, surprising both the captain and vice-captain. A large, long table dominated the room, surrounded by wooden chairs—the guild's usual meeting place. Both men were dressed in casual clothes; the captain in a white shirt, the vice-captain in black. The vice-captain had short black hair and a small scar on his cheek. The captain's short gray hair was neatly brushed back.

"What's going on?" the captain asked, his voice sharp with concern. "What's wrong?" He noticed Mani's breathless state.

"Vice-Captain," Mani gasped, "something… both your youngest sons… they… they're dead."

The captain shot to his feet, pushing his chair back with his knees. "What? What are you talking about? What nonsense is this?" His voice was incredulous. "Their life crystals… they all suddenly exploded. They're destroyed." Mani replied.

"Destroyed?" the captain repeated, his voice laced with disbelief. "What do you mean? If they're destroyed… then that really means…" His voice trailed off, his gaze falling on the vice-captain.

The vice-captain slammed his fist onto the table with a thunderous crack. The long, hard wood splintered down the middle, snapping cleanly in two. "Does this joke seem funny to you?" he roared.

"No, sir," Mani said, her voice strained. "All I speak is the truth. I'm not making this up. There's no way I could make up something like this…" She paused, her breath catching in her throat. One moment, Grant sat calmly in his chair, his hands resting on the table. The next, with a speed that defied belief, he was beside her, his hand like a vise around her neck, lifting her effortlessly into the air. The transition was so swift, so shockingly sudden, that it left Mani disoriented and gasping for air before she could even register what had happened.

"Grant, what the hell are you doing?" the captain shouted, his voice sharp with alarm. "She's your own guild member! Compose yourself!"

Grant, his teeth gritted, glared at Mani. "Tell me it's not true. Right now."

Mani struggled for breath, unable to speak. Then, Sabrina entered the room. The sight of his daughter's tears was enough. He didn't need words. He released Mani, who collapsed to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.

The captain, , knelt beside her. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice softer now, laced with concern.

"Yeah, but… The vice captain" Mani began, her eyes fixed on Grant. He looked at his daughter, his face etched with grief and disbelief.

Grant looked back at Mani. "Who the hell did this?"

"I don't know," Mani replied, "I only know what they looked like."

"Where were they when this happened?" Grant asked, turning to Sabrina.

"They were at the Crossroads Base," Sabrina answered. "It's northwest of here."

The captain's eyebrows shot up. "What? The Crossroads… you mean the Yellow tire monster zone? How could they die there? That's…"

Grant cut him off. "What rank was the person who killed them?"

Sabrina answered, "The person was D-rank, but we suspect he was a false ranker."

The captain nodded slowly. "A false ranker… that makes sense. That would be the only way he could take down Gary and Steven. Both of them together could overpower anyone C-rank, let alone a D-rank. Gary alone could easily handle a D-rank. This person must have targeted them… but *why*?"

Grant slammed his fist on the remains of the table. "It doesn't matter *why*. We need to find them. We need to know where that person is." He looked down at Mani, who was still on the floor. "Did he have any allies?"

Mani nodded. "Yes. He had one more man with him. That man is the one who killed Steven."

Grant's face hardened. "We need to call in all the guild members. We need to kill that fucking rotten bastard. I'm going to make him suffer."

The captain raised a hand, staying Grant. "Hold on, Grant. We need more information before we attack. He could be a guild member."

"So what?" Grant spat, his voice thick with rage. He turned fully to face the captain. "He killed both my sons. And you're afraid we might get into a guild war?"

The captain sighed, his expression grim. "You know we're the only guild without an S-rank. If we get into a guild war, it'll be a total mess. What if he's part of the Dragon Guild? Do you think we can handle them?"

"Shut up," Grant snarled. "He killed my sons. I don't give a damn about anything else. That person has to die. I have to find him. We have to make sure he pays for it." He stormed out of the room.

Sabrina looked at the captain, her expression troubled. "Sabrina," the captain said quietly, "make sure you talk your father down."

Sabrina's face twisted with fury. "Talk my father down? What the hell do you think this is? What's wrong with you? Maybe you'd understand if you had siblings, or children of your own. You're heartless." She turned and left, her footsteps echoing her anger.

The captain turned her attention to Mani, helping her to her feet. "What are we going to do about this? This is all so sudden. How could we lose a guild member so suddenly?"

Mani hesitated. "I don't know… but at the same time… I'm sorry to say this, Captain, but I'm not really surprised." The captain looked at Mani with a suspicious expression. Mani continued, "Gary has always been reckless, daring others. The only reason he hasn't gotten into serious trouble before is because he's the vice-captain's son."

"Well, you're not entirely wrong," the captain conceded, "but I don't think you should say that to the other guild members. You don't want to get on their bad side."

Nina nodded. "Yes, I won't."

"Okay," the captain said. "I want you to call all the guild members. They all need to know this."

"All right, sir," Mani replied. "I'll call them right away."

She went outside, returning to the backyard where she had been training. Opening her palm, her skill book materialized. She ripped out a large, yellow-covered page, the book vanishing as she did so. Folding the page in half, she muttered a spell under her breath. The folded paper began to fold itself, transforming into the shape of a small weaver bird. Suddenly, the paper ignited in blue flames, burning quickly. The ashes shimmered blue as they dispersed on the wind.

*When these ashes find them, I'll know their locations,* she thought. *I wonder where Sabrina and her father went. They probably went to tell Jason. I just hope nothing escalates into a guild war. We're definitely not ready for one.*

Later That Day…

Guild members began arriving at the mansion. Many came, but only fifteen were present. Several were missing—the vice-captain, his children, and one other.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the mansion, Mani watched the guild members arrive. Her tracking spell, activated earlier, had located them all. The spell, upon contact, had summoned them to the mansion in Aria, regardless of their distance. She knew most were either at home or hunting in monster zones—Lucas, for instance.

But as she watched them enter, a familiar chill ran down her spine. The same feeling she'd had before—the sensation of a life crystal shattering. Her eyes widened. *Another one? No, it can't be.*

Then she saw it. Her eyes glowed faintly green as she witnessed the final three seconds of a life. Lucas, one of the guild's best assassins, was running through the darkening forest, desperately trying to escape someone. He glanced back, then focused on his escape, only to be stabbed from behind.

Mani saw it all—the attacker's movements, the fatal blow. Shock etched itself onto her face as she replayed the final moments of Lucas's life. Her hand trembled. *It's him again,* she whispered, recognizing the killer despite his altered appearance. *He killed Lucas.*

Mani harbored a secret, a psychological burden she'd kept hidden. Her Life Crystal Binding skill, which allowed her to ascertain a person's condition and lifespan from their life crystal, came with a terrible price. Whenever someone died, she experienced a vision of their final three seconds, their essence imprinted on the crystal. She'd revealed this aspect of her skill to the guild, but she'd never disclosed that she also felt a fragment of the dying person's emotions—not the entirety, but a half, often a horrifying glimpse into their final moments of despair or terror.

The half of Lucas's fear as he fled, the half of Gary's despair before his death, the half of Steven's terror—these fragments echoed in her mind, a constant, agonizing reminder. *I have to tell everyone,* she thought. *Everyone has to know.*

Entering the mansion, she bypassed the meeting room, heading straight for the library. There, she sought confirmation of what she'd felt. Her gaze fell upon the necklaces hanging on the wall; the third one was indeed shattered.