Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

A wave of shock rippled through the guild members after Mani's announcement. The vice-captain's voice cut through the resulting commotion. "What? Ian is dead?" Mani trembled, her hands covering her face. "Yes," she whispered, "I saw it."

The room erupted in a flurry of accusations and worried whispers. Sabrina's voice rose above the din. "Alec, why the hell did you leave Ian behind? The captain specifically told you to go and come back together. He told you not to be restless. We thought you were the smarter one. Why the fuck did you leave him behind?"

Alec attempted to defend himself. "Listen, I tried to get him to come back with me, okay? He didn't listen. Instead, he took on a quest and went into the monster zones where someone who could be targeting our guild members was. I didn't even think he was that stupid. I thought he might actually follow, but—"

Before he could finish, the vice-captain, Grant, strode towards Ian. Fear flickered in Ian's eyes as he took a hesitant step back. "Listen, I really tried to make him come with me, but—"

Grant cut him off with a brutal slap. The sheer force of the blow sent Ian crashing against the meeting room wall. He groaned in pain as the other guild members stood, watching in stunned silence.

Teno spoke up, his voice laced with concern. "Grant, what are you doing? You heard him, it's not entirely his fault."

Grant, his face a mask of rage, sneered. "Not his fault? He's lucky I'm not beating him to a pulp. If he'd brought Ian back with him, he wouldn't have died, now would he?"

Ian touched his reddening cheek. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Grant turned, his gaze sweeping across the room. "You see it now, don't you? This hunter is obviously targeting our guild members. If he wasn't, I don't think there would be any need for him to kill Ian."

The captain spoke, his voice measured. "Unless he confronted him."

"It doesn't matter if he confronted him!" the vice-captain retorted, his voice sharp. He fell silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the captain. "What is wrong? What are you so afraid of?"

"What are you implying?" the captain demanded.

Sabrina stepped forward. "We've been telling you about this guy, but you haven't taken any action. You just sent some people to get information—and look what happened. He killed him! Isn't it obvious? We need to go after him today, or else we might not even find him there. Who knows, maybe he's already aware we're looking for him."

The captain conceded. "All right, I'm going to dispatch a few members to take him, but I want you to bring him back alive. We want to hear why he killed our guild members, plus we also need more information on the other hunter who killed Steven."

Jason, already heading for the exit, called back, "We'll try to bring him back alive, but there are no promises."

The captain and vice-captain continued their discussion, their voices fading into a muffled murmur that Mani barely registered. Malisa noticed this.

Malisa leaned closer to Mani, her golden eyes fixed on her. Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but perfectly audible. "Why aren't you telling anyone?"

Mani shook her head, fear still etched on her face. "Not now," she whispered.

"This skill obviously affects you mentally," Malisa pressed on. "You're slowly damaging your brain if you keep this skill activated. Why aren't you deactivating it?"

"Not now," Mani repeated, her voice slightly sharper this time. Malisa's expression remained unreadable; she said nothing more.

The brief exchange jolted Mani from a trance-like state, the repeated images of Tyler finally receding from her mind. She looked up as the captain spoke. "All right, make sure to take Alec with you."

"Wait!" Mani's voice was louder than she intended. Every eye in the room turned to her. She quickly composed herself. "Do you really need to go now? Why don't you prepare first? We know he's a false ranker—"

Alec interrupted, his voice firm. "No, he's not a false ranker."

A stunned silence fell over the room. Mani's eyes widened. "He's not?"

Alec continued, "I went to the rank assessment building and got all the information I needed about him. He recently became a C-rank, which was very surprising considering how powerful he is. The people at the Rank Assessment said he became a C-rank about two or three days ago."

The vice-captain, Grant, raised an eyebrow. "Two to three days ago? How exactly did you get this information? Those people don't just tell random hunters other hunters' information."

Alec replied, "I lied to them. It was difficult to convince them, but I managed to. I told them we were looking for him because we wanted to make him a member of the Black Cloud Guild. As soon as they heard that and saw my armor and guild affiliation, they told me about him. They shared some information, but what was strange was they didn't want to share any information about the other hunter. It looks like the other hunter has been hunting in the Crossroads base for a long time—he's formed some kind of connection with them. They wouldn't tell me anything about him."

The captain pondered this. "He's been hunting for a long time, huh? So that means he has to be a higher rank. He must be at least B-rank, which is very suspicious because B-ranks don't hunt in the Yellow Chair Monster Zone. And neither do upper C-ranks. So what are those two doing there exactly?"

Sabrina, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, said with irritation, "You can ask him all that once we've captured him. Right now, we just need to go and find him. Quickly."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The other guild members chimed in, their voices rising in agreement. One of them said, "Yeah, if we waste more time here, he could escape."

Another guild member voiced his concern. "He might even be gone by now. He did realize we're looking for him after he killed Ian. It's gonna take some time to get there, isn't it?"

Teno addressed the hunters. "No, it's not going to take a lot of time to get there. Jason has a teleportation skill that will get us at least close to the base, and we can walk from there. But Jason can only teleport four to five people to a certain distance. That's why we need to choose specific people, as the captain said."

The captain said, "Yes, since we've already had this discussion, it's time for the selected members to dispatch."

Teno stopped Sabrina as she started to leave, placing a hand on her arm. "Wait," he said.

Sabrina frowned. "What are you doing?"

"This is a very bad idea," Teno explained. "If you want us to bring him back alive, you shouldn't send them. It should be Jason, me, Ian, and two more people. We can't simply send these family members. Since they said they're more pissed off than we are, they'll likely kill him before we can even bring him back here."

Grant's voice was sharp. "What are you implying exactly? Are you saying we just sit down and let other guild members go after him? This is already a personal matter."

Teno replied, "That's right, which is why *you* shouldn't go. I'm pretty sure I can handle your son. I can stop him from killing that bastard, whatever his name is. But if you and your daughter go, that's going to be an entirely different story."

Sabrina clenched her teeth, her hand hovering over her sword hilt. She glared at Teno. "Oh really? Try and stop me."

Teno stopped her from drawing her sword, his hand covering hers. He started to speak, then hesitated, catching the vice-captain's gaze. Grant's eyes glowed a faint, almost dark red; an invisible aura emanated from him.

The captain's voice was low and dangerous. "You dare try to stop us?"

A murmur rippled through the room. All the guild members stood, except for Malisa, whose calm, almost unsettling demeanor remained unchanged.

The captain's voice boomed, silencing the room. "That's enough." A dark red aura flared around him, his eyes blazing with the same crimson light, his skin glowing faintly red. The combined pressure from both the captain and vice-captain's auras was immense; every guild member felt it.

Alec took a step back, his thoughts racing. *So that's the captain and vice-captain's power. The aura is immense. I can see it. This isn't just the aura of ordinary A-ranks. No, this is more. The air just became thick. Now, it's almost hard to breathe.*

The vice-captain addressed the captain, his voice dangerously calm. "What are you thinking, dear? Are you trying to stop us as well?"

The captain sighed. "I didn't want to, but judging by your reaction, I think what Teno implied is right."

"I'm going there with my daughter, and you're not going to get in my way," Grant stated, turning to leave.

The captain's sudden grip on Grant's hand stopped him. Several guild members gasped, anticipating the ensuing conflict.

"If you don't let go of my hand, you're going to regret it," Grant warned, his voice low and dangerous.

The captain tightened his grip. "If I let go of your hand right now, *you're* the one who's going to regret it. We've all agreed that we need to bring him back alive. Killing him disrespects orders from your captain. It disrespects the whole guild."

Grant let out a short, harsh laugh. "Respect?" He wrenched his hand free, spun around, and launched a fist at the captain. His eyes burned with a vibrant crimson light.

The captain blocked the attack with crossed arms, but the force of the blow sent him skidding backward. His back smashed through the wall, creating a large hole as he slid to a stop, his legs still on the ground.

Shock rippled through the remaining guild members.

"What are you doing?" Mani exclaimed.

Sabrina seized the moment, drawing her sword and pressing the point to Teno's neck. Teno froze, his jaw tight with surprise.

"Take one step," Sabrina said, her voice dangerously calm, "and see what happens."

Suddenly, a forest of blades erupted, a bristling thicket of steel pointed at Sabrina. Black, silver, and dark grey swords, held by Benny, Luna, Turner, Lena, and a dozen more, surrounded her. The glint of metal was stark against the grim set of their faces. Luna, her own silver blade gleaming, spoke, her voice cutting through the sudden tension, "The captain is right. If you don't stop your father now, you're forcing us to take you down."

Sabrina's response was a snarl, a flash of anger in her eyes. "You're going to *kill* me?"

Turner, his dark grey blade held steady but not aggressively, shook his head. "Of course not. We've been together for over a year. Why would we kill you? Put your sword down."

But even as he spoke, a subtle shift in the air occurred. A wispy, light grey aura, like smoke rising from smoldering embers, began to emanate from Sabrina's legs, coiling around her like a spectral shroud. The faces of the guild members hardened, their expressions turning from concern to grim determination.

"You're telling *me* to put my sword down?" Sabrina spat, her voice laced with defiance. "Let us go, and I'll consider it."

While this tense standoff played out, the captain moved towards Grant, a malevolent red aura crackling around him like a living flame. Grant watched, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. *Berserk state? No. He wouldn't risk it here, not among guild members. The loss of control... the potential for collateral damage...*

Mani's voice cut through the silence, sharp and urgent. "Melissa!"

Malisa's hand slammed onto the table, the impact echoing in the charged atmosphere. A blinding golden light exploded from the table, a radiant wave that washed over the room, bursting through the hole in the wall and engulfing both the captain and the vice-captain in its incandescent fury.

****

Mean while Rebecca's silver hair whipped behind her in the wind, a stark contrast to the stillness of the scene before her. She was oblivious to the intricate machinations of Tyler's creation, her attention completely captivated by the spectacle unfolding. Tyler, a self-satisfied smirk playing on his lips, murmured, "It really worked."

Rebecca's voice, barely a breath, was filled with awe. "What is that?"

"Not yet," Tyler replied, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I want to see what happens when I break it."

Before them stood a room, seemingly conjured from thin air, a testament to Tyler's skill. It was constructed of a solid, almost translucent blue crystal – walls, floor, ceiling, even the barred windows, mimicking the design of a prison cell, were all crafted from the shimmering material. The crystal's surface refracted the sunlight, causing it to blaze with an almost ethereal brilliance, far surpassing the gleam of any steel.

Rebecca's voice, louder this time, held a note of disbelief. "What is that? What did you make?"

Tyler's grin widened. "You'll find out soon enough."

He held three blue enhancement stones in his palm. Two of them vanished, leaving only one. He pressed the remaining stone against his chest, a surge of mana coursing through him. His armor began to glow with a faint, almost imperceptible blue light, barely visible in the bright sunlight. The glow pulsed, then faded, leaving Rebecca even more astonished. Then, with a silent shimmer, Tyler's system panel materialized before him.

The system message appeared: Congratulations! Armor effects have been doubled.

Tyler's curiosity piqued, the system panel vanished, replaced by another displaying the enhanced armor effects:

DEF: 430

Skill: Charge - When activated, grants the user +80% speed and hardens the user's skin for 20 seconds. Overall skill activation lasts for 6 minutes. Mana consumption: 50.

Rebecca's eyes widened. "What do you mean? I know you've used this skill before, but this time… it looks different. It seems to be made of crystal. Why did you make that?"

Tyler grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's a bit complicated to explain, but what I'm about to show you might shock you. Prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself for what?" Rebecca asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice. "How many skills are you hiding, exactly?"

Tyler chuckled, already activating his Charge skill. A faint blue light pulsed in his eyes, mirroring the faint luminescence of his now-enhanced armor. He crouched low, a coiled spring of muscle and anticipation. The air itself seemed to crackle with energy. Rebecca watched, a question mark forming in her mind. *What is he doing? That stance…*

Then, the world exploded. A ferocious gust of wind erupted from Tyler's feet, a visible vortex of compressed air that ripped through the stillness, whipping Rebecca's hair across her face with brutal force. She squeezed her eyes shut, instinctively shielding them from the onslaught. The sound of the wind was deafening, a roaring shriek that filled her ears. When she dared to peek through her fingers, Tyler was gone. One moment he was crouched, the next, a blue-tinged blur streaking across the landscape. The speed was impossible, defying comprehension. Then, a thunderous impact. Tyler's fist connected with the crystal structure, not a mere strike, but a cataclysmic blow that sent a million razor-sharp shards of blue crystal exploding outwards in a breathtaking, destructive wave. The fragments rained down, a blizzard of glittering death, piercing the trees with ease, vanishing into the distance.

Rebecca stared, speechless, at the aftermath of Tyler's incredible display of speed. The sheer velocity had been breathtaking; one moment he was crouched, the next, a fleeting blur. "I didn't even see him move," she breathed, the words tumbling out in a rush. "He literally became a blur. And I thought *I* was fast. I thought I could catch up to him, especially with my speed-based skills after reaching C-rank and above. Archers are known for that, but this… this is insane."

Where Tyler had run, the ground was bare, the grass completely obliterated. A clean, perfectly straight line, as if a giant plow had ripped through the earth, marked his path to where he now stood.

Tyler smiled, his gaze sweeping over the countless enhancement stone crystals embedded in the ground and clinging to the trees like glittering frost. They shimmered and gleamed in the sunlight, catching the light like a million tiny stars. He uttered a single word, barely a whisper: "EXTRACT."

A faint blue shimmer rippled across the scattered crystals. They vanished, absorbed into Tyler's inventory. He opened his inventory, the system display stark against the background: Inventory Space: Enhancement Stones: x1,200,443.

Tyler's eyes widened. *That many?* he thought, a mixture of astonishment and disbelief washing over him.

Then, a new system panel appeared, announcing his achievement:

Achievement Unlocked: Break the Sound Barrier

User has traveled at the speed of sound. Speed that shatters silence.