Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

The faint whisper of wind rustled through the canopy, setting the leaves of the ancient trees into a gentle dance. Tyler gazed at the spot where he had fallen unconscious, a silent sentinel in the heart of the forest. "So… all the way from here… to all the way over *that* direction," he murmured, his gaze sweeping toward the unseen path he had traversed upon awakening earlier that day.

He began to walk, the soft green grass of the forest floor yielding silently beneath his boots. The leaves, stirred by the gentle breeze, created a whispering symphony, a counterpoint to the rapid beat of his own heart. His mind raced, a whirlwind of worry. *I hope nothing happened to her…*

*But… if nothing happened, she should have shown up. Serena or that guy who takes the night, they should have seen her by now. No one has reported seeing her since that day.* A knot of dread tightened in his stomach.

He looked up, his eyes scanning the surrounding woods for the tallest tree, a vantage point. "I know where I woke up from," he muttered, "but I don't know what direction she took to get me there. I need to get a better view, try to spot something unusual. They must have been chasing her for her to drop me off that far away."

He walked a short distance before spotting a promising tree, its slender trunk reaching high into the sky. It was old, its bark rough with age, and it was dotted with dried leaves and long, thick branches that promised a climb. He moved toward it, his purpose clear.

As he reached out, he found the lowest branches to be just out of reach. He gathered his strength, springing upwards, not to grasp at the branches, but to land effortlessly upon one. The familiar strength of his abilities serving him well. He then leaped to another branch with a practiced ease. A sudden, sharp *snap* echoed through the air, and he paused, his heart lurching. He tested another branch, gingerly placing his hand upon it, before pulling himself up and onto its sturdy surface.

Tyler finally reached the treetop, the world stretching out before him. Shielding his eyes with his left hand, he surveyed the landscape below, trying to pierce the distance. *I can't seem to find anything… There aren't even any monsters around here…*

Then, his gaze snagged on something in the distance, a cluster of disturbances that drew his attention. With heightened focus, he saw what looked like countless arrows scattered across the forest floor, piercing the earth and clinging to the trees.

"There's something over there…" he muttered, his voice a breath against the wind. "It's pretty far… but I can see it."

He leaped from the treetop, his descent a blur of motion, and landed with a solid *thud* on the grassy ground below. The impact jolted him. The necklaces he had tucked inside his armor slid out, the pendants glinting in the sunlight, hanging from his chest. The C-rank necklace and the luck necklace. He quickly tucked them back inside. As he ran, he thought, *Those things… they looked like arrows. I'm not sure, but I hope I'm right. I equipped this luck necklace, hoping it would help. I really don't want to feel stupid after this.*

He picked up his pace, his shoulders brushing against the leaves of the trees as he ran. His speed increased rapidly, the branches of trees shaking and breaking in his wake. He was still wearing the Gloom armor. He had to admit, it felt lighter, and comfortable to run in. Plus, he knew he didn't have to worry about it's defence that much, since he had upgraded it.

Tyler felt the familiar pull of the rush skill, a familiar itch, a craving. But he knew that he was out of mana, and that left him powerless. Then, a startling realization bloomed in his mind, a fact he'd somehow overlooked. *I never asked anyone how they recovered their mana.*

He had been taught how to feel it, how to channel it, especially when activating his skills. But he hadn't yet learned how to replenish it. He had been so focused on crafting and improving his gear that he hadn't yet learned how to recover it. When he wasn't focused on his skills or his gear, his thoughts drifted to Rebecca. To her sudden disappearance.

He arrived at the spot he had been running towards, skidding to a halt, his boots kicking up a cloud of dust.

Tyler slowly walked through the area, the countless arrows piercing the ground and trees, creating a grim, metallic forest. He looked around, his brow furrowed in thought. *This… this is her skill, isn't it? But what in the world happened here? Was this before? Before she hid me? Or was this… after?* He couldn't imagine her using the skill , while carrying him at the same time. He concluded that this had happened after she had hidden him.

He continued his grim survey, his senses on high alert. As he glanced to his left, his eyes widened slightly. Near a gnarled tree, he saw what looked to be a corpse, a body laid out in the grass. He hurried toward it.

He crouched down, his gaze taking in the gruesome sight. The corpse was riddled with arrows, a brutal tapestry of death, the shafts protruding from its back. He said, "It has black armor… and the Black Cloud Guild emblem on it. There was definitely a fight here… and someone died."

He scanned the surroundings, a new wave of anxiety washing over him. His heart started to pound again, a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He stood up, his movements sharp and quick. *She's fine, right? I won't find her body anywhere around here…* He tried to banish the image of her, lying like the other victim.

Tyler continued his grim search, his gaze sweeping across the ravaged landscape. He spotted another corpse, a hunter of a different type. Unlike the first, this one wasn't riddled with arrows, but it was just as dead.

Then, his eyes caught something else, a line of unusual formations, a straight line of rocks that stretched across the forest floor, the edges of the rocks lined with long, sharp spikes. He thought to himself, *Is this a skill or is it natural?* But considering the chaos surrounding him, he quickly concluded that it was most definitely a skill.

He remembered Serena's words, "*Gary's brother also came here, Jason… She said he was a mage hunter, an A-rank, and very talented at that. She said he has some pretty dangerous skills.*" *This must be one of them.*

He continued walking, his gaze darting back and forth, taking in every detail. The air grew heavy with dread. Then, he saw something that made his blood run cold. He saw two more corpses, and the manner of their deaths was truly brutal.

One, clad in black metal armor, had a massive hole ripped through the side of his body, as if something enormous had pierced his stomach. The other, the hunter missing a hand, an arrow through his head, its point protruding from the other side.

*What the hell… did she do this?* he thought. He moved closer, the scene more disturbing up close than he had initially thought. Dried blood, in copious amounts, had spilled across the green grass, and had congealed. A large, thick tree, broken and fallen, lay nearby, a testament to the ferocity of the battle.

I knew that when she became a B-rank, she got new skills… but I didn't know what they were.* Tyler then noticed the necklaces of the deceased hunters. *They were both C-ranks.* A sense of relief and dread washed over him. *They were both C-ranks… That means the mage hunter wasn't one of them. I need to keep looking. Hopefully, I won't find her body…*

He scanned the area, his search relentless, hoping, praying to see any sign of her. Then, he saw it. Her wooden bow, lying discarded on the ground. He rushed towards it, his heart pounding in his chest.

Upon arriving near the bow, Tyler crouched, his movements driven by a surge of fear and a desperate hope. He picked up the wooden bow, the familiar smooth wood a comfort in his hands. He examined it carefully. Then, he noticed it. A small crack, barely visible, marring the surface.

*This bow…* he thought, a wave of recognition washing over him. *It looks so familiar… like the one she used before I gave her the other.*

His eyes widened in sudden, terrible realization. He held out his other hand, still clutching the wooden bow. With a flash of silver light, the silver bow materialized in his palm, its familiar curves gleaming in the dappled sunlight.

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*Shit… it must have gone back into my inventory when I became unconscious. So she was forced to use the wooden one.*

He looked at the wooden bow, his mind reeling. *But how the hell… did she attach it back together? Is it another one of her skills?* He looked around him, taking in the devastation, the brutal aftermath of the fight. *She put up one hell of a fight.*

Suddenly, he heard a rustle in the bushes behind him. He whirled around, his senses on high alert. In the dense foliage, he saw a faint wisp of white smoke.

Tyler dropped the wooden bow, his actions driven by a surge of pure adrenaline. With a shimmer of blue light, the silver bow vanished back into his inventory as he plunged into the bushes, a determined hunter. He looked around frantically, but saw nothing.

*What was that? Something was definitely here…*

He scanned the immediate area, his senses straining to detect any further sign of danger. Then, he felt it. A strange sensation, a feeling he couldn't quite place, but it was undeniably dangerous.

Tyler spun around, his senses screaming a warning he couldn't yet comprehend. The oppressive feeling, a sense of being watched and threatened, had intensified, and then he saw it again: a wisp of faint white smoke, hanging momentarily in the air before dissipating into nothingness. "*What the hell is that?*" he wondered, his voice a hushed murmur lost in the rustling leaves. He moved cautiously toward the spot where the smoke had vanished, his eyes darting about, searching for any clue.

Then, a sudden rustle erupted from the undergrowth to his left. A flash of white fur, a fleeting glimpse of motion, vanished into the dense bushes. "*There!*" he exclaimed, his voice sharp with excitement and a surge of adrenaline. Without hesitation, he plunged into the foliage, heedless of the thorns and branches that snagged at his clothes. He pushed through the undergrowth, chasing the sound of its passage, the rustling leaves a constant marker of its presence. He was gaining ground, the sounds growing closer. He heard the distinctive crackle of twigs snapping underfoot and saw the white blur, the source of the commotion, disappearing into the distance.

The form of the creature, now partially visible, was becoming clearer. It was definitely a rabbit. It moved low to the ground, its four legs pumping in a blur of white, its body a compact, powerful machine of motion. "*Is that a… is that a rabbit?*" he thought, his mind struggling to reconcile the image with the situation. *There's no way.* The only creatures remotely resembling rabbits that he knew were Shadow Claws. *Unless… there's another creature here that I didn't know existed.*

Just as he was about to get a better look, just as he was about to get a clear view of the creature, the system panel blazed into existence before his eyes. It was a distraction, a blinding flash of text and information that demanded his attention. For a fleeting moment, his concentration wavered. He made a choice, and in that instant, the white rabbit transformed into white smoke and vanished, leaving nothing but an empty space in the forest. Tyler, his focus broken, skidded on the forest floor, coming to a halt. "*It disappeared…*" he breathed in disbelief, a mixture of frustration and awe filling his chest.

Tyler, his hands now on his waist, turned his attention to the system panel that hung before him. The notification read: "*Achievement Unlocked: Find a Rare Monster: +5 MP.*"

"*A rare monster…*" he muttered, and with a silent *pop*, the system panel vanished.

Suddenly, a whoosh of air behind him, a blur of white, and he instinctively sidestepped. The creature—whatever it was—passed by his ear at an astonishing speed. The force of its passing caused the air to ripple. The creature, having missed, slammed into a tree directly in front of Tyler with a thunderous *thud*.

The tree exploded, splitting in two. The creature had, it seemed, torn right through it and slammed into another tree behind it. Tyler watched in amazement as the creature paused, its front paws planted firmly on the bark.

As the second tree began to fall, Tyler finally got a clear view. The creature was indeed rabbit-like in its physique, but just as big as a Shadow Walker. Its fur was a pristine white, contrasting sharply with its crimson, piercing eyes. It possessed long, rabbit-like ears that twitched slightly, and wickedly sharp claws. Tyler was stunned by the sheer ferocity and raw power of its attack.

The system panel reappeared above the creature, the information now clear. "*White Walker: Level 82.*"

The creature, the White Walker, launched itself from the tree trunk in a single bound. It went straight for Tyler, its red eyes locked onto his. Tyler, reacting on instinct, sidestepped mid-air once more, narrowly avoiding the creature's attack. It slammed into another tree, its momentum carrying it through. It bounced off and launched itself at Tyler again. Tyler continued to dodge, the sequence repeating itself—White Walker crashing into a tree, rebounding, and attacking. Tyler evaded each assault, his movements precise, his reflexes honed. The air was filled with the sounds of crashing trees, the *whoosh* of the White Walker's passing, and Tyler's silent, focused breathing.

Tyler, studying the White Walker's movements, quickly realized that it wasn't using any discernible skills. The system, usually a reliable source of information, hadn't alerted him to any skill activation.

*This scene is so familiar…* Tyler thought to himself, the unnerving familiarity raising his anxiety. The White Walker was attacking much like the Shadow Walker, its movements a blur of speed, but it hadn't activated any skill. It was a worrying development. He thought. *Maybe it ran out of mana? Maybe it ran out of mana when it used that skill that caused it to disappear. I have to attack it. I have to kill it before it disappears again.*

The White Walker launched another attack. With a speed that defied explanation. Tyler was inches away from his death. With the creature's claws raking towards him. Before the attack could connect. Tyler quickly turned with his fist and it was inches away from the White Walker's face. Tyler reacted on instinct. Tyler's fist met the creature's face. Then, in an instant, both Tyler and the White Walker vanished. They turned into white smoke, and Tyler's vision shifted again.

The world became a kaleidoscope of swirling colors and rapidly changing directions. The wind whipped against his face, a howling force that tore at his clothes. He was disoriented, struggling to understand what was happening. Then, the realization dawned. He was falling. He was plummeting through the air. He estimated he was about a hundred feet above the ground, with the ground rushing up to meet him.

" Oh, Shit! Fuck! What am I going to do?!" he yelled, his voice lost in the wind. "*I didn't… I had no idea it had the ability to teleport itself… with its enemies! What now? If I don't do something, I might actually die!*"

He continued to fall, his body now a helpless weight, at the mercy of gravity. He felt a chilling panic gripping him as he hurtled towards the unforgiving ground.

Tyler, his mind racing, quickly assessed his situation. *I don't have a skill that can help me right now,* he thought. *Even if I did, I don't even have any mana.* His options were limited. *I have to rely on my armor.*

He focused, and with a thought, the Gloom armor dissolved from his body, replaced by the sturdy, imposing form of the Hexhorn armor. Simultaneously, the Defense Bracelet materialized on his wrist, adding to his defenses. And the Necklace of Durability appeared on his neck replacing his c-rank necklace.

Tyler took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to calm his nerves. He crossed his arms, braced himself, and then fell to the ground. The impact was brutal, a resounding *thud* that sent a cloud of dust swirling into the air, forming a small crater around him. He looked up at the sky, his heart pounding, and was shocked. He had landed hard, yet he wasn't even slightly injured. Not even a twinge of pain.

He was stunned. *I survived!* he thought in disbelief. *But… it didn't even hurt at all. I thought I was going to lose a lot of HP from this… but not even a single point.*

He quickly pushed himself to his feet, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but slowing. Then, he turned to his left and saw the White Walker. It was standing a short distance away, its crimson eyes wide, its expression seeming to be a mixture of surprise and… concern?

The creature didn't hesitate. It hopped, the movement surprisingly agile, and began to run away, its speed astonishing.

"*You're not getting away!*" Tyler roared, and gave chase, ignoring the lingering shock of his fall.

As he ran, a thought crystalized in his mind. *There are no monsters in the monster zone anymore… I have to get to B-rank… and I was just lucky enough to run into a high-ranked monster.*

Then, he realized something else. *Lucky…* He thought. *Was this… because of the luck necklace? No… I don't need to think about that right now.* He had to focus on the chase. He couldn't let the White Walker escape.

Tyler, without a second thought, equipped the copper daggers, the familiar weight and balance a comfort in his hands. The system kicked in, granting him a 56% speed boost, and he felt his own velocity surge, propelling him forward.

The White Walker, still fleeing, glanced back, its crimson eyes widening in terror. It shrieked, a sound of pure fear, as it saw Tyler had closed the gap, was suddenly mere inches from its back. Tyler brought the copper dagger down, his blade whistling through the air, aiming for a killing blow. But then, the dagger transformed. The copper gave way to the steel fang dagger. With a slicing motion, it tore into the White Walker's ribs. The creature shrieked, its body convulsing, before dissolving into white smoke once more.

Tyler stopped, his senses on high alert, and scanned the area, searching for any sign of its reappearance. *She had to disappear again.* he thought. *I hope it didn't escape too far. I used the steel fang dagger for this exact situation. I hope it worked. If it managed to escape, I hope it's poisoned. Maybe I should have just let it attack me, so my blood could poison it itself.*

Lost in thought, he heard a sudden, loud *thud* behind him. He spun around, dagger raised, ready for another confrontation. But to his surprise, it was the White Walker. It was on the ground, its white fur matted with blood, which flowed from its mouth and ears, dripping onto the forest floor. It was obviously poisoned.

Tyler approached the White Walker cautiously, his thoughts racing. "*It's down.* Did it try to attack me from behind? Maybe… but it couldn't, because it's poisoned and injured. Anyways, it's dying now.*"

He watched as the rabbit's body twitched, blood spilling from its eyes and mouth. He thought. *If anyone from my original world saw me doing this…* He paused, considering the potential judgment. *Let's see how bad that is… They might call this animal abuse.* Then, he thought of the truth. *The weird thing is, I don't even feel sorry for this thing. If anything, I'm kind of excited for the type of gear that's going to come out of it. Am I going to use its skills?*

The twitching stopped, and the White Walker breathed its last as Tyler arrived. The system panel shimmered into existence, displaying the words: "*Achievement Unlocked: Kill a Rare Monster: +15 MP.*"

"*Oh…*" Tyler said, as he studied the system panel. "*So I get a reward for killing a rare monster.* To think I'd run into something like this… while searching for Rebecca… or at least, for any trace of her. I think I might just believe in luck at this point. Still… I don't think it's *that* necklace. It must have been pure coincidence.*"

As Tyler was considering this, a text box floated above the creature, the words "*Extract*" shimmering in the air. Before he could even process the word, before he could even react, the system panel exploded into existence again, the text announcing "*Leveled Up! Leveled Up! Leveled Up! Leveled Up!*"

Tyler was shocked. Three consecutive level ups. The unexpected surge of power coursed through his veins, leaving him energized.

Tyler's eyes flickered with a faint blue light as he felt his MP, health, energy, and all other stats instantly return. He felt a surge of power, a revitalized energy coursing through his veins. His fatigue completely vanished. He felt renewed, reborn.

The system panel, which had vanished, reappeared before him. It displayed: "*Achievement Unlocked: Reached B-Rank. +40 Points to Each Stat.*"

And just like that, he felt even more powerful. Each of his stats had been increased by 40 points. Because he had leveled up three times, each of those points had also been multiplied, leading to a total of 46 to each stat. The faint shimmer on his eyes and skin disappeared. Tyler looked at his hands, clenching them into fists and then opening them. He felt stronger, more agile, and more durable. He felt rejuvenated, capable of anything.

*This is it,* he thought. *I've reached B-Rank… I've definitely grown stronger.*

The daggers he had been carrying had disappeared into his inventory.

The system panel materialized again, displaying the words: "*The user has unlocked two B-Rank Skills.*"

The first skill was named Combine:

"*Combine: Allows the user to combine two or three crafted items into one, creating a new, totally different item or an enhanced one. The chance of success depends on the compatibility of the combined items. There is a chance the combination process might fail.*"

The second skill, Equipment's Tale:

" Equipment's Tale: By touching a weapon or armor, you can glimpse into its recent history, uncovering the stories it has witnessed in the last 42 hours. Every scratch, every battle, every secret laid bare through the echoes of its recent past.*"