Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

The system panel materialized before Tyler, stark against the dim light of his room: `Cannot Equip Armor. User needs to reach Level 80 in order to equip item.`

"Eh—what? I can't equip the item?" Tyler stared, a mixture of disappointment and disbelief etched on his face. He scratched his head. "Ah, when was the last time it said this? It did this way back when I wanted to equip the bashing hammer. I forgot it even had that restriction. Why does it even have these restrictions, anyway?"

He sat on the bed, muttering to himself. "Well, it doesn't matter. It's not like I really need it *now*, anyway. Plus, I'm only three levels away from reaching level 80, from becoming a B-rank. And it seems this armor requires B-rank to equip. It must be pretty good."

He lay back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. "I'm going to have to… get the trihorn hide and submit it at the tent. Then I'll have enough money to pay Grone. I just… I can't wait for tomorrow already. Tomorrow's the day I'm going to pay for everything."

He shifted, turning onto his side, then onto his back again, finally settling on his side facing the window. Sleep wouldn't come. "I can't sleep. I'm not even tired at all. What the hell? This crazy stamina has its disadvantages, huh? I wish I could just switch my lights off."

Tyler unequipped the Hexhorn armor, took off his shirt, and dropped to the wooden floor. He began a series of press-ups, transitioning into sit-ups and other exercises until exhaustion finally threatened to claim him. Even then, it took hours before he felt even slightly tired. Finally, he drifted off to sleep, the night's coolness preventing him from needing blankets. He slept heavily, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, the moonlight filtering through the window. The night sky, initially ablaze with stars, gradually darkened as the first hints of dawn appeared, the stars slowly vanishing, overwhelmed by the approaching light of the sun.

The first rays of sunlight touched his room, painting the walls in shades of grey. Tyler's eyes flickered open. He swung his legs over the bed, stretched, and yawned, standing up. Looking down at his body, a slight frown touched his lips. "Ah," he muttered, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Of course. Well, that stupid potion. Feels like I'm a teenager again."

He looked up and commanded, "Equip Hexhorn Armor." The armor instantly materialized on him. He started to walk out, then paused. "I need to wash my face. But do I really need to go all the way to the other room just to wash my face and then go out? Or should I have a complete wash?" He decided against it. "Nah, I'm probably fine."

He descended the stairs, finding only one innkeeper behind the counter. "Good morning," Tyler greeted him.

The innkeeper raised a hand in a slight wave. "Morning."

"Oh," Tyler said, "did that girl I came with last night wake up?"

"Uh, yeah," the innkeeper replied. "She already left."

"Huh. Well, alright then." Tyler turned to leave.

"Have a great day," the innkeeper called after him.

Stepping out into the early morning, Tyler mused, *She's already gone. And she didn't even tell me. Did she go to buy another bow? I totally forgot she lost her weapon back there.* He shrugged it off. *Oh well, I need to deliver the materials for my quest anyway.*

He continued walking, observing the other hunters passing by. He saw a variety of armor—leather, metal, some a mix of both. Most carried swords, a few bows. Then he spotted a man with short blond hair, carrying a spear. He wore brown leather armor and metal gauntlets, but it was the spear he carried that caught Tyler's attention.

*Oh, this is the first time I've seen someone with a spear around here,* Tyler thought. He glanced at the man's level—52. *So he's a C-rank.* He didn't dwell on it, continuing his walk towards the quest tent.

Serena was inside when he arrived. Her face lit up with surprise and happiness. "Wow, you actually made it back!"

Tyler chuckled. "Good morning. I told you I'd make it back. You didn't have to worry."

Serena said, "Of course I had to worry! I mean, you literally took a C-rank quest recommended for C-rank *plus* hunters. You weren't even C-rank, so how could I *not* be worried? Plus, this was a Hexhorn boss we're talking about—one of the strongest monsters out there. And yet, here you are," her voice trailing off, a mixture of relief and disbelief coloring her tone, "without a scratch on you. Did you even *do* the quest?"

Tyler grinned, a cocky glint in his eyes. "Yeah, obviously. I did the quest. I took that thing head-on. Just pass me a sack, and I'll put the hide inside right now."

Serena tilted her head, a puzzled frown creasing her brow. "A sack? I don't think a Hexhorn boss hide can fit in any of our sacks."

Tyler let out a long sigh, the sound heavy with exasperation. "Oh man, I'm going to have to use that skill somewhere nobody can see it again, huh?" He rubbed the back of his neck, a gesture betraying his frustration.

He walked around the tent, his gaze scanning the area. The tent was bustling with activity; hunters were bartering, arguing over prices, and generally creating a cacophony of sounds. The air hung thick with the smells of sweat, leather, and the earthy scent of recently harvested monster parts. *There are no wagons around here. Man, I'm going to have to wait for a wagon again after I give her the monster materials,* he thought, a grimace twisting his lips.

With a flick of his wrist, the Trihorn hide materialized in his open palm. It was enormous, a thick, dark brown expanse of hide, almost as large as a small rug. The texture was surprisingly soft to the touch, yet firm and resilient, hinting at the beast's formidable strength.

"Right," Tyler muttered, and he walked back to Serena, the weight of the hide settling heavily in his arms. He carefully placed it on the counter in front of Serena, the impact creating a soft thud that cut through the tent's usual clamor. The other hunters in the tent momentarily stilled, their attention drawn to the massive hide. A murmur rippled through the crowd as they assessed its size and quality.

"Here it is," Tyler said, placing the hide on the counter, "the Trihorn hide."

Serena's eyes widened slightly as she examined the hide. "It really *is* the Trihorn hide." She ran a hand slowly across its surface, her fingers tracing the rough yet surprisingly soft texture. A look of disbelief, quickly replaced by awe, crossed her face. Carefully, she lifted the hide, its weight seeming to impress her. "I'll be right back," she said, disappearing behind the quest board with the Trihorn hide.

Tyler tapped his fingers impatiently on the counter while he waited. He glanced behind him, noticing several hunters staring. *What's wrong?* he thought. *Have they never seen a Trihorn hide before? I'm not the first one to kill this boss monster, am I?* He shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. *There's no way. I don't even know much about this world. Lots of people probably killed it a lot of times and brought it here. But it must be rare, since it's a boss monster. Maybe that's why they're all just staring at me right now.*

Serena returned, a bright smile replacing her earlier awe. "Right, now for the reward."

"Right," Tyler replied, preparing himself to receive his payment.

"Hold on," Serena said, ducking under the counter. "I already prepared the reward for you after you went to the monster zone."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A grin spread across Tyler's face. "Ah, so you *did* know I was going to make it back."

Serena straightened up, holding out a well-filled pouch. "I wasn't sure," she admitted, "but I was just hoping you would."

Tyler took the pouch, the weight of the gold coins surprisingly substantial in his hand. "You were actually worried about me, huh? That's weird."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What's weird about that? What do you think me being worried about you is strange?"

Tyler scratched the back of his head, a sheepish look on his face. "Well, I, um…" He hesitated, thinking, *I don't think I should actually tell her that she shouldn't even be worried about me because she doesn't even know me that well. This is like, what, the fifth time I'm seeing her? Probably the fourth?*

Serena sighed. "Listen, if you die out there, Grone will be sad, okay? And it looks like Grone is pretty much found of you … So, of course I'll be worried. That man already has enough things to be depressed about."

"Oh, right," Tyler said, "that makes sense." He pondered, *Things to be depressed about… how much does she know about him?*

He opened the pouch, his eyes widening in surprise at its contents. "How much gold is in here?"

Serena smiled. "Twenty-two gold coins."

A wide grin spread across Tyler's face. "Well… that's a lot of coins!" The pouch vanished into his inventory with a subtle shimmer.

Serena's smile faltered. "What? What are you doing?"

Tyler's face palmed himself, realizing his mistake. "What?" he mumbled, mortified. A few people nearby were staring, and he overheard a muttered comment: "Oh, so that's why. That guy might be a mage hunter, but he doesn't look like one."

Another hunter commented, "Hey, you never know, maybe he's just using a special skill. I mean, he kind of looks like a swordsman, doesn't he?"

Serena's voice held a mixture of exasperation and concern. "See? What are you doing? I thought you wanted to keep your skill a secret."

Tyler chuckled, embarrassed. "I kind of got carried away, sorry."

Serena sighed. "You have to be more careful next time. Anyways, are you planning on taking another quest?"

"Oh no," Tyler replied, "I'm not planning on taking another quest. I'm actually heading into town. I have to do something before that."

"Right," Serena said. "I guess I'll see you later then."

"I'll see you later, Serena," Tyler said with a smile. He left the tent. As he rounded the corner, he considered his options. *Not even a single wagon. Wait a minute, I could just run there, can't I? It's pretty far, but thinking about it, I can actually… make it there in no time. The wagon is slow anyways. And my stamina… I believe in my stamina. Even if it's too far, it's just a workout.* Just as another hunter, clad in black leather armor with a small sword at his hip, was emerging from beside the tent, also heading towards the wagon area, Tyler activated his Charge skill. With a burst of speed, he launched himself forward, increasing his speed by 40%.

The sudden acceleration, coupled with the wind generated by the activation of his skill, caused the hunter's hair to whip around his face and his eyes to blink rapidly as Tyler sped up.

"Whoa, what the hell?" the hunter exclaimed, staring after Tyler's disappearing form. "Who the hell was that?"

Tyler smiled to himself as he kept running, his feet kicking up streaks of wind behind him. His eyes shimmered with a faint blue glow, and he pushed his speed even further, feeling the thrill of unrestricted movement. *This is the perfect chance to go all out on my agility—no trees, no obstacles. This place is made for running,* he thought.

Suddenly, a system panel appeared before him, causing him to skid to a halt, his feet scraping across the grass and tearing patches of the short green turf. His legs dug into the earth as he came to a stop, the sudden deceleration making him catch his breath. He looked behind him and marveled at how far the crossroads base he had come from now seemed.

*Whoa,* he thought, glancing at the panel still glowing faintly in front of him. He realized he wasn't even tired.

The system panel displayed a series of rewards and recipes:

Quest reward: +3 points to each stat

Armor recipe: White Fang Hide, 340 Pixel feathers, Hexhorn Armor → White Prey Armor

Weapon Recipe: 7 steel ores, 3 iron, 1 zinc → Shiny Bow

Accessory Recipe: 1 Adas tree leaf, 100ml holy water, 5 gold coins → Necklace of Fortune

Alchemy: 300ml water, 200ml of user's blood, 1 light healing potion → Poison Resistance Potion

Tyler examined the recipes, a faint smile forming. *I wondered when that was going to pop up,* he muttered to himself. Then he scratched his chin thoughtfully. *Holy water… I'm definitely going to need that.*

His gaze shifted to the necklace recipe. *Some of these accessories need money now?* he mused. *Fortune Necklace… Is it supposed to make things more fortunate?* He focused on the recipe, pondering. *I thought that was what the luck Necklace was for.*

A brief thought crossed his mind. *Just more recipes piling up. I've been so focused on leveling up that I haven't really been hunting for items to craft.* He nodded to himself. *I should really get to crafting. After all, my class says I'm a craftsman.*

He looked at the necklace he'd given to Grone, remembering how it had affected him. *I'll make a lot of money from these. People can actually use my accessories now.* A smile appeared on his face.

The system panel vanished as Tyler's leg dug into the ground, propelling him forward with absurd speed. His hair whipped wildly as he sprinted, eyes fixed ahead.

*I have to get there fast,* he thought. *I need to meet up with Grone before he heads to the crossroads base.* He kept his eyes on the grassy trail, following the faint tracks of the wagon road leading toward Veridia.

Meanwhile, in Veridia, inside Grone's house, Grone sat at the table eating some porridge his wife had made. As he ate, his thoughts drifted inward.

*Tyler…* he mused. *Leaving him there is starting to worry me. But I have to let him go.* His gaze softened. *That young man has grown so much. He's even stronger than I am now. It's almost like he's a hero in the making.*

He paused, memories flooding his mind. *The faster he grows, the more my suspicions deepen.* He remembered the necklace Tyler crafted that supposedly helped him level faster, noting how Tyler had always been ahead in growth, even when he first met him.

*He was still a G-Rank when I met him,* Grone thought, smiling to himself. He remembered how frail and confused Tyler had looked in the forest, how weak he appeared compared to today. The clothes he wore then, the armor now—so much had changed.

His gaze drifted to his daughter, who was walking unsteadily near the kitchen door. He sighed softly. *I could really use his help right now. I need to assess her rank. I wonder how much she's leveled up since then. If she levels up like my younger sisters, she'll be stronger very quickly—regardless of training.*

Heather approached her father, walking over with her characteristic wide, flailing arm movements. "Papa," she called out.

Grone looked down at her, a gentle smile on his face. "Come here," he said, motioning for her to sit beside him.

Suddenly, Heather's eyes shimmered faintly red. Grone immediately stood up, knocking the wooden chair back with a loud scrape across the floor. His mind raced. *What… was that?*

Grone then approached Heather, gently stooping to pick her up. As he lifted her into his arms, he looked into her face with concern. "Daughter, are you alright?" he asked softly. Heather chuckled lightly, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm fine," she replied, wrapping her arms around her father's neck and hugging him tightly. Grone's lips curved into a gentle smile, but inside, he couldn't shake the nagging worry. He thought to himself, *I really need Tyler to assess her. I need to know what level she is.*

He continued to ponder, considering that once his wife returned from the marketplace, he would tell her everything immediately. Perhaps she could help determine whether Heather was more of a mage type or a tank type. Meanwhile, Tyler was standing nearby, breathing a little heavily as he held his waist, gazing up at the tall stone walls of Viridia. He reflected silently, *I'm most definitely sure I ran more than 20 miles, but for some reason, I don't even feel that tired. It's like I just went for a light jog.* He paused, then shook his head slightly. *Is this what being a level 77 C-rank feels like?*

He then dismissed the thought. *No, after all, my stats get boosted by achievements. So, even if others see me as a C-rank, I'm probably as strong as a B-rank.* With that thought, he continued walking through the entrance of Viridia. The massive iron gate, which had been lowered, was now lifted, allowing him entry. As he stepped inside, he found himself in the bustling marketplace—the familiar, lively scene he knew well. Vendors shouted their wares, children played nearby, and the sun had fully risen from its slumber, casting bright rays that illuminated the entire area with a warm, golden glow.

Moving forward, Tyler's gaze drifted to the left and caught sight of two waiting wagons. They were stationed at the edge of the marketplace, likely ready to transport people out of town—perhaps to destinations of their choosing. He continued walking, passing by a variety of shops.

Then, on his right, he noticed a woman with blonde hair struggling to move a large barrel of water into a shop. She was trying to push it through the doorway, her brow furrowed in effort. Tyler's eyes followed the scene, noting that the shop looked like a small house, painted in white but not plastered—its bricks were still visible, giving it a rustic appearance. It was clear that it hadn't been built with cement, which puzzled Tyler since construction in this world seemed unfamiliar to him. A sign hung outside, emblazoned with the words: *We sell wooden furniture.*

A thought crossed Tyler's mind. *Do they sell barrels here?* Curious, he decided to follow the woman. As he approached, passing by townsfolk going about their day—some chatting, others hurrying past—he called out to her as she struggled to push the barrel through the door.

"Sorry, do you need some help with that?" Tyler asked politely.

She looked up at him, slightly taller, with bright, striking eyes that shimmered with shades of brown and yellow—eyes Tyler had never seen before. She nodded, a bit surprised. "Oh, yeah, you can help if you want to."

Without hesitation, Tyler stepped closer, placing his hands on both sides of the barrel. With ease, he lifted it slightly, water sloshing inside causing a faint ripple. He glanced at her, hoping to impress her with his strength, but her expression remained unchanged—her eyes narrowed slightly, as if wary or suspicious.

He then moved into the shop. The interior was surprisingly clean and well-maintained. The floor gleamed, reflecting the sunlight streaming in through windows. There were round tables, polished and spotless, surrounded by a variety of wooden chairs—each one crafted differently, showcasing different styles.

"Where should I put the barrel?" Tyler asked.

"Follow me," she replied, her tone firm but tinged with boredom. She led him straight across the room to another door. She opened it, revealing a room filled with barrels and stacked wooden planks of various sizes. Smaller barrels and stacks of wood were neatly arranged in different corners. To the right, stacks of perfectly cut wood were arranged meticulously.

Tyler looked around and saw a spot where he could place the barrel. He moved it there, but the woman shook her head slightly, her expression firm. "No, not there," she said, pointing to another corner where more stacked wood was stored. "Push it over there a little."

Tyler then turned around to look at the woman. She said, "All right, you're done." Tyler's face immediately shifted to one of slight disappointment and confusion. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "That's all?"

The woman responded, "What? You want me to pay you now?"

Tyler replied, *No, I just thought I'd get a thank you at least,* but said aloud, "No, but I at least expected a bit of thank you."

She shrugged and said, "All right, thank you. I didn't need your help, though."

Tyler glanced at her, a bit annoyed. "It looked like you were struggling."

She replied, "Yeah, but I would have managed. I do that every day, you know."

He hesitated again, trying to clarify, "Yeah, but I just wanted to help—"

Before he could finish, she cut him off sharply. "Okay, sir, you can leave," she said, pointing to the door. "Thank you for whatever you've done for me."

Feeling a twinge of irritation, Tyler simply nodded and said, "All right," as he turned and exited the room.

As soon as he stepped into the previous room—the one filled with chairs and tables—he paused for a moment and looked back toward her. Then, with a slight shake of his head, he remembered, *Wait, almost forgot why I'm here.*

He turned again and said, "Wait, I came in here to buy a barrel."

She leaned against the doorframe, watching him as she closed the door behind them. Then, suddenly, her expression shifted. Her face, which had been bored and indifferent, changed into a wide, unsettling smile—one that seemed almost too abrupt, too unnatural. Tyler's eyes widened slightly at the sudden change. The smile felt almost creepy, as if it didn't quite belong.

She slowly rubbed her hands together, as if savoring some secret, and said, "Well, why didn't you say so? Good sir, what kind of barrel do you want to buy?"

Her tone was oddly cheerful, but the way she grinned made Tyler feel a little uneasy. The unsettling smile lingered on her face as she waited for his response.