Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

As Tyler placed the dagger on the table, the System panel appeared above it, displaying the current stats: "TEARER DAGGER: ATK: 235 +15% Speed, 64% Chance to Cause Internal Bleeding. Skill: Red Rush: The user's speed stat momentarily increases by 1 during battle with each kill for one hour. Limited to thirty agility stat points and resets after one hour."

Tyler grinned, anticipation building. He opened his palm and an enhancement stone appeared in it. He put it near the Tearer Dagger and applied mana. The enhancement stone shattered, and the dagger absorbed the dust. The System panel then announced: "Enhancement Successful."

Tyler picked up the dagger and examined the updated stats: ATK: 470 +30% Speed, 100% Chance to Cause Internal Bleeding. Skill: Red Rush: The user's speed stat momentarily increases by 2 during battle with each kill for two hours. Limited to sixty agility stat points and resets after Two hours.

Tyler smiled, a wide grin of excitement spreading across his face. *The power literally doubled... Everything did! The speed... The Copper Daggers seem to overshadow the Tearer Dagger in that area... which is good, it means I can use it!*

Tyler then looked at the stat mentioning the internal bleeding effect. *It's a bit odd that it only at a hundred percent chance. I thought it would be a hundred and twenty-eight... But, looks like it only said a hundred. It makes sense; this means that every time I cut someone, it has a 100% chance to cause internal bleeding.* He tested the weight of the dagger in his hand, feeling a surge of confidence and power.

Tyler summoned another enhancement stone and tried to enhance the dagger, but the System panel abruptly appeared, displaying: "This item can only be enhanced once."

Tyler sighed in relief, a reaction that surprised him. *Wait... why am I relieved? I should be frustrated!* He threw the Tearer Dagger into the air, and it disappeared into his inventory.

The Steel Fang Dagger materialized in his hand, the steel reflecting the sunlight. The stats appeared: ATK: 230 +10% Speed, -10% Damage to Water-based Attacks, 5% Chance to Shock on Impact, 45% Chance to Poison on Impact.

Tyler examined the stats, then placed the Steel Fang Dagger onto the metal table. He summoned an enhancement stone and put it near the dagger, applying mana. The enhancement stone shattered into countless pieces, the dust absorbed by the Steel Fang Dagger. The System panel then displayed: Enhancement Successful.

Tyler smiled slightly, and the Steel Fang Dagger's stats were updated: ATK: 460 +20% Speed, -20% Damage to Water-based Attacks, 10% Chance to Shock on Impact, 90% Chance to Poison on Impact.

Tyler thought, *20% speed boost, minus 20% damage to water-based attacks, 10% chance to shock on impact, and a 90% chance to poison on impact... it's really upgraded.* He then summoned another enhancement stone and tried to enhance the weapon, but the System panel appeared again, written in red: This item can only be enhanced once.

Tyler then said, "Oh, just like the Tearer Dagger, it can only be enhanced once." He threw it into the air, and it disappeared into his inventory.

Tyler thought, *Okay, I've enhanced the current items I use. I can't wait to test them out when I'm back there. But right now, I need to focus on crafting new items and enhancing them.*

Tyler then had an idea. One of the Silent Rings that he had crafted earlier suddenly materialized in his hand. Tyler then wondered, *I wonder what's going to happen when I enhance this one?*

Tyler summoned an enhancement stone and tried to enhance the Silent Ring, but the System panel appeared before him in red, displaying: This item cannot be enhanced.

"Hmm, thought as much," he mused. "There's nothing really to enhance. I wondered what would double, but if there's nothing to double, there's nothing to enhance. Now is there?"

The Silent Ring disappeared into his inventory, and Tyler summoned the Iron Sword. He enhanced it, and was able to enhance it twice before the System rejected it the third time. The enhanced Iron Sword now had a 24% ATK boost when equipped. He enhanced all the Iron Swords he had in his inventory, which were seven in total.

Tyler then moved on to the Gloom Armor. He put both his hands out, and the armor materialized in his hands. The robe-like armor, which he had fought with almost countless times, was about to be enhanced. He placed it on the table and thought to himself, *There are about four of these in my inventory now.*

Tyler then enhanced the Gloom Armor. He was also only able to enhance it once. The familiar sensation of the enhancement stone shattering, the energy flowing into the armor, and the System panel's confirmation, were followed by increased attack and speed for the armor. He repeated the process on all the Gloom Armor in his inventory, returning them to their storage. He held the last suit, studying the final stats displayed: DEF: 140 - SKILL: RUSH: Increases the user's speed by 60%.

The armor vanished back into his inventory. He then produced the Hexhorn Armor, the same armor he wore. He examined it, remembering the enhancement of his own, and the doubling of its speed. *If I enhanced it like this and gave it to someone else, that would also increase their speed. Because I would obviously sell and permit the user to use the stats boost. The users might just be as fast as I am, or even faster depending on their level. Who knows, maybe a level 90 might even buy this. And if I face them, I'm screwed.*

Tyler considered the possibilities, then looked at the Hexhorn Armor's stats. He decided, *Nah, this is... this is probably fine.*

He moved on to the Offense Shield. The Hexhorn Armor disappeared, and in its place, the Offense Shield materialized in his arms. The shield's spiked surface gleamed, catching the sunlight. Tyler considered the shield. *I wonder how much this can be enhanced.* He recalled his expectations. *Honestly, when I first crafted this, I thought it would have the skill Charge.*

Tyler placed the shield on the metal table, murmuring, "It would have made more sense to charge with this thing... a person would do a lot of damage."

He summoned an enhancement stone, positioning it near the Offense Shield. He applied mana, and the stone shattered. The shield absorbed the energy, and the System panel displayed: Crafting Successful.

Tyler, without pausing, summoned another enhancement stone. He tried to enhance the shield again, and succeeded. When he attempted a third enhancement, the System panel rejected the action. The shield was enhanced.

He studied the updated stats: Offense Shield: Atk 128, DEF 212.

Tyler examined the shield, noticing a subtle change. The spikes on the Offense Shield were now more pronounced than before. He lightly touched the surface, pressing a finger against a spike. The points weren't sharp enough to pierce, at least not without significant force. However, they were clearly more pointed than before.

*It must be because of the enhancement,* he thought. *But I didn't know it could also change an item's appearance. Well, it's still hardly noticeable, but I can see it.*

The Offense Shield disappeared back into his inventory. He brought out four more Offense Shields and, with renewed focus, enhanced them until the system prevented further improvements. He now had five enhanced shields in total.

After finishing the last enhancement, Tyler sighed, stretching his arms, a feeling of accomplishment settling over him.

Tyler then started working his way through the remaining items. He crafted more Leather Boots and Leather Gloves and then enhanced them. Surprisingly, both types of gear accepted two enhancements before the system denied further upgrades.

He then moved on to the Iron axe, crafting three, and then crafted three more Shine Armors. He enhanced these as well. Both the Iron axe and the Shine Armor also accepted only two enhancements.

Tyler then reviewed the results of his work, examining the stats of the recently enhanced items:

Iron Axe: ATK: 328

Leather Boots: +12% speed, +28 DEF

Shine Armor: DEF 328: Skill: Radiant Burst

Leather Gloves: 12% Hand attack speed

All of these items disappeared into his inventory as he mentally cataloged the results. Tyler thought, *Alright, done.* He considered the options before him. *Seems like I need to get into the accessories now. Okay, let's see what I have here.*

The System panel appeared, displaying the various crafting recipes available to Tyler. He began scrolling through them with his eyes, searching for something he could craft immediately. He focused on recipes with ingredients he currently possessed.

Then, he saw the recipe for the Defense Bracelet. He confirmed that he had all the necessary components in his inventory. Tyler muttered, "Craft Defense Bracelet." The System panel then appeared, reading: Craft Defense Bracelet? Yes/No. Tyler mentally selected "Yes," and the System responded with: Crafting.

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A crafting bar loaded quickly. It only took four seconds, and then the System panel returned, displaying: Crafting Successful.

Tyler opened his palm, and the Defense Bracelet materialized. It was a round, bangle-like design. The bracelet possessed a slight transparency, almost appearing to be made of glass, but with a subtle, whitish hue. It had a noticeable weight.

Tyler examined the bracelet, thinking, *So, this is the Bracelet of Defense... Not bad. But what kind of status effect does it grant?*

A System panel appeared above the Defense Bracelet, displaying: Defense Bracelet grants +50 DEF stats to the armor or clothing worn by its user, increasing durability. Only activates if user is dressed.

*Oh, so this bracelet increases armor's defense, and not only that, it mentions any clothing the user is wearing. So, basically, it increases clothing's durability...*

Tyler considered the possibilities. *I wonder how many times it can be enhanced.* He decided to find out.

He summoned an enhancement stone and began. He was able to enhance the Defense Bracelet twice before the system rejected the third attempt. He examined the updated stats and saw that the Defense Bracelet now increased armor's durability by 150.

Tyler thought to himself, *I should probably keep this. This is the only bracelet I can craft right now. I don't have any more materials to craft another one. I would need more Brolin Blood to do so, and we didn't find much when I was hunting with Rebecca.*

The bracelet then disappeared into Tyler's inventory. He then turned his attention back to the remaining accessory recipes, considering his options.

Tyler muttered to himself, *I think this is the last accessory I can craft, most of them need Holy Water now.*

While still looking at the recipes, he paused. "Oh, wait. I think I can craft more." He re-examined the list. "Yeah, I can craft two more accessories. That means I have three in total."

Tyler then said, "System, craft Luck Necklace." The System immediately responded with: Crafting. The circular loading bar filled quickly, and the System responded with: Crafting Successful.

He did not stop. He followed up immediately with, "System, craft Necklace of Durability." Again, the System responded with: Crafting. The crafting bar filled instantly, and the System responded: Crafting Successful.

Tyler opened his palm, and both necklaces appeared. Both had silver chains and different circular pendants. The pendant of the Necklace of Durability, seemingly made of glass, had a symbol of concentric circles. The Luck Necklace's pendant was made of round iron, with a design of a four-leaf clover.

Tyler decided to examine the stats of the Necklace of Durability first. The System panel appeared, displaying: Grants +20 DEF stats to the armor or clothing worn by its user, increasing durability. Only activates if user is dressed.

Tyler was surprised. *This is pretty much the same thing, but this thing is just weaker, isn't it? I'll have to enhance it.*

"But before I do that..." Tyler said, placing the Necklace of Durability on the metal table.

Tyler examined the Luck Necklace, turning it over in his fingers. He let the pendant dangle, and chuckled, a sound tinged with skepticism. *I never really believed in luck. Since I had to struggle for everything.* He wondered what, if anything, this accessory could offer.

He looked at the necklace, waiting for the System panel, expecting it to display its attributes. When the panel didn't appear, he paused. *Most of the time, the System would automatically tell me its stats, but...* He then said, "System, show me the stat information of the Luck Necklace."

The System panel flickered into existence, displaying the words: Luck Necklace.

And that was all. Just those two words. Tyler stared, dumbfounded. "Uh... huh? Just 'Luck Necklace' and nothing else?" He shook the necklace, as if that action might somehow jostle the System into revealing its secrets. *What the hell does this thing even do? Is it like one of those trinkets? Back in my world, where people just say, 'this is my lucky charm' or something?* He ran a hand through his hair, frustration rising. *This is kind of stupid.*

He let the necklace disappear into his inventory. *This is just materials wasted, isn't it?* But something felt wrong. *This is weird. The System never created anything that didn't have any stats. This is the first one... Is it that poorly developed?*

Then, a realization struck him. He then said, "Wait… I actually have one more accessory left. It's related to the Shadow Armor."

He scrolled through his inventory, confirming his recollection. He remembered that he could craft a Shadow Ring, utilizing ingredients from the Shadow Walker claws and some copper.

"Craft Shadow Ring," he commanded.

The System responded: Craft Shadow Ring? Yes/No. Tyler mentally selected "Yes," and the System replied with: Crafting.

The crafting bar filled quickly, the process seemingly effortless. The System announced: Crafting Successful.

Tyler smiled. "Nice, let's see what this does." He was about to summon the ring, when the System panel abruptly appeared, its text in a harsh red: The user needs to be level 80 or above to equip this item.

Tyler deflated, saying, "No... again? So, anything related to the Shadow Armor, I can't equip until I'm a B-rank." He sighed, a heavy breath. "This is just great."

He looked at the remaining items on the table. With a thought, they all vanished into his inventory.

Tyler thought, *I wanted to craft some more weapons, but I don't have any iron for that now. I'll have to sell these. Most of these items are very powerful now. I have enhanced a lot of them.*

As Tyler considered the implications of his enhanced items, a sudden thought struck him. *Oh shit... oh shit... What was I thinking? I should have done this before I started crafting!*

He immediately bolted out of the crafting room and entered the store. He saw Hector and Emily behind the counter, engaged in a deep conversation. Tyler approached them, his expression urgent.

"Hector, has Gron moved yet?"

Hector looked at Tyler, taking in the urgent focused expression. He said, "Yeah, they already moved to Lyria."

Tyler exclaimed, "What? So fast?"

"Yeah," Hector replied, "Did you need anything from him?"

Tyler hesitated, then said, "Uh, I wanted to see him... I just wanted to... talk to him about something. But he's already gone."

Hector nodded. "Yeah. I'm even surprised he left so early." He added, "They already went to Lyria in a carriage."

Tyler asked, "Do you know where Lyria is?"

Hector explained, "Yeah. You just tell the transport wagons you want to go to Lyria, and they'll take you there."

Tyler then said, "Yeah, right."

Tyler's thoughts raced. *He's already gone... I could have helped him more. I could have enhanced his necklace just a bit more... I don't even know how many times it could be enhanced, but if I did it right, even if it was capable of being enhanced once, it would have been a huge change. He would be getting plus 60% XP from killing monsters. He would level up a lot faster... But I just had to forget about it. I'm so stupid.*

His gaze shifted, meeting Emily's. She seemed concerned.

Turning back to Hector, he said, "I'm done crafting. I want to show you the items."

Hector perked up. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah," Tyler replied. "Let me show you in here."

He led the way back into the crafting room, and Hector followed. Tyler held out his hands and presented the Iron Axe. Hector's eyes widened, surprised by the display. He took the Iron Axe, carefully examining it. He ran his hand along the sharp head of the weapon, testing its edge. He could tell it was sturdy.

"Tyler, your items never cease to amaze me," Hector said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "How many more did you craft?"

Tyler recounted the items he had made, showing Hector the Bashing Hammer, the Copper Daggers, and various pieces of armor: Hexhorn Armor, Gloom Armor, and Shine Armor. He also showcased the accessories, explaining their effects. However, he remained silent about the enhancements, keeping that information close to his chest.

He presented Hector with a selection of items, and Hector, after careful consideration, quoted prices for each, the values based on their quality and the current market. Tyler agreed with the pricing, and after a brief discussion, the details were finalized.

"Alright, I think I'm going to head back now," Tyler said.

"Already?" Hector seemed surprised.

"Yeah," Tyler confirmed. "I'm going to go to the Crossroads base."

Hector blinked, a look of confusion on his face. "What the hell are you going to do with the Crossroads base? Aren't you a C-rank? I thought you'd be facing humanoid monsters by now, like trolls or goblins."

Tyler shook his head. "Goblins and trolls? Oh, no. I haven't seen any of them yet. I was still at the Crossroads base." He then added, "But yeah, I'm planning on moving on to a orange tier monster zone."

"That is great," Hector replied, a smile spreading across his face. "You'll be making a lot of money from that too."

Suddenly, they heard Emily's voice, speaking to someone in the shop. Tyler paused, and Hector, ever curious, followed him out of the crafting area and into the main shop.

There, standing near the counter, was a tall, dark-skinned man. He wore a combination of iron and leather armor, the metal plates gleaming faintly under the shop's soft lighting. The man had a serious air, and he was speaking to Emily.

Next to the tall, dark-skinned man stood a shorter, heavier man. He had pale skin, close-cropped brown hair, and was clad in leather armor. A silver-colored D-rank necklace was visible at his throat. The dark-skinned man, in contrast, wore a black D-rank necklace, immediately suggesting an assassin build.

The tall, dark-skinned man then said, "Really? You're not selling any daggers here?"

Emily replied, "Uh, no. We recently ran out of daggers."

Hector, ever the businessman, quickly interjected, "Emily, wait. There are actually some daggers that were crafted recently."

Emily then said, "Oh, sorry. I didn't know."

The shorter, heavier man, his voice laced with irritation, said, "What the hell? We almost left. Do your job well next time, lady."

Tyler, taking in the scene, observed the assassin's necklace. He said, "Oh, you're an assassin type?"

The dark-skinned man turned towards Tyler, his expression shifting slightly. "Yes... are you also a hunter? A C-rank assassin type, I see."

"Yeah," Tyler replied, "Looking to buy an assassin fit for an assassin?"

"Yes, is there anything I can buy here?" the man asked.

"Yeah, there's lots, actually," Tyler said. "We have daggers and armor that's quite good for assassins."

"Right, let me see them."

Hector, anticipating the needs of the moment, went to the crafting room and returned with two pairs of Copper Daggers, placing them on the counter.

The assassin, with a practiced air, picked up a dagger and examined it. He traced the edge of the blade with a careful finger, assessing its sharpness. The sunlight caught the gleaming, burnished brown of the copper, highlighting its polished surface. It felt light in his hand, yet with a satisfying weight that hinted at its strength. The edge looked incredibly sharp, and he ran his thumb along the blade to test its edge.

The assassin said, "I'll take them. How much are they?"

Hector immediately replied, "One gold."

The shorter, heavier man, his face creased with skepticism, chimed in, "One gold? Isn't that a bit much? They're just freaking daggers."

The assassin, ignoring the other man, said, "They're not *just* daggers. I mean, just look at them." He passed one of the daggers to the shorter man.

The shorter man took the dagger, examining it closely. He ran his finger along the edge, testing its sharpness. He saw how smooth and sharp it was. He then said, "Huh... It really *is* high quality."

The assassin produced a gold coin, handing it to Hector. Hector passed the coin to Emily, who placed it under the counter.

The shorter man then said, "I heard you guys sold a type of shield around here. Someone showed it to me earlier, and I was kind of interested. They told me this was the crafting shop. The shield had spikes on it."

Tyler's eyes widened in realization as he said, "The Offense Shield."

The fat man said, "Yeah, that's right, that shield. I almost forgot its name. So it's sold here?"

Hector answered, "Yes, do you want one?"

"Of course," the man replied.

Hector went back into the crafting room and returned with an Offense Shield. He handed it to the man, who immediately began to inspect it. He ran his hand along the surface, studying the arrangement of the spikes.

He then said, "Wow, this one looks better than the one they showed me. How much is it? I heard it was something like eleven gold."

Tyler confirmed, "Yes, it is. It's eleven gold."

The short man then produced eleven gold coins and handed them to Hector, who passed them to Emily.

The man then said, "Alright." He then continued, "You know, most shields cost about seven or eight gold, but you made this one cost about eleven."

Tyler interjected, "Yes, you see, this shield is very durable, and it can be used to attack as well. It's not like other shields."

The man conceded, "Well, that is true." He then looked at the tall, dark-skinned man. "Too bad we can't go hunting now. We'll actually have to go to another... Yellow Tier Monster Base. Far away. Because Jason and his... allies... killed all the freaking monsters. I mean, he's an A-rank."

The tall, dark-skinned man took both daggers and sheathed them, saying, "Yeah, I heard it's basically empty there," as he turned toward the exit.

The short man, as they were about to leave, added, "What were the Black Cloud Guild members even doing there, in the first place?"

As Tyler heard this, his heart pounded in his chest, a sudden, sharp pain lancing through him as if he were on the verge of a heart attack.

He immediately stopped the men, his voice sharp with urgency. "Wait! Did you just say the Black Cloud Guild members were there today? Again?"

The tall, dark-skinned man turned his head slightly, his expression now one of mild curiosity. "No, they were there yesterday, again. When the sun was about to set. We heard that they first came, a few of them looking for someone, and then Jason came with some people, and they were about five of them, and they killed a lot of monsters in there."

Tyler's mind raced. *Wait... if they went there at sunset, that's about the same time I fainted. And I woke up a lot later after Rebecca had disappeared.* The realization slammed into him, and his eyes widened slowly, his face a mask of horror.

The men, noticing the sudden shift in Tyler's expression, exchanged quick glances.

"Sir Tyler, are you alright?" Emily asked, her voice laced with concern.

Tyler muttered, barely audible, "I'm so stupid. I'm so *fucking* stupid..."

The tall, dark-skinned man, drawn by the distraught tone, fully turned. "Hey man, what are you talking about?"

Tyler, without a word, *said*, "Grant permission," his voice tight with urgency, and then he kept walking, hurrying towards the exit. His shoulder bumped against the tall man's, a brief, accidental contact.

"Hey, watch it," the tall man said, a touch of irritation in his voice.

He then looked at Hector, confusion evident. "What's up with your guy? What happened?"

Hector shook his head, his own expression a mixture of bewilderment and worry. "I don't know. I don't know what's wrong with him."

Unbeknownst to them, Tyler had just granted permission for the Hunter to be able to use the Copper Dagger's other effects.

Tyler was already heading towards the marketplace. His teeth clenched. He thought to himself, *Rebecca, what happened to you? Why didn't I think of this? I have to go back...*