Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero

Tyler entered the large tent, the familiar scent of dried herbs filling the air. Fewer hunters than usual occupied the rough-hewn benches, a testament to the recent lull in monster activity within the crossroads zone. He made his way towards the counter, where Serena stood, her gaze immediately drawn to him.

"Hey..." Serena's voice trailed off as she took in Tyler's transformed appearance. He was clad in new armor, unfamiliar. There was a shift in him, a newfound confidence that radiated outwards. A smile touched Tyler's lips, a quiet satisfaction in his eyes.

"Hey," he replied, before Serena could finish her sentence. "That armor... You've got a different set. It looks incredible. Where did you get it?"

"Veridia," Tyler replied, his words a careful lie. Serena, however, had no reason to doubt him.

"Armor like that... in Veridia?" she asked, her brow furrowing slightly. Tyler met her gaze, and a sudden realization dawned on Serena. Her head gave a slight twitch back, as if she had been struck.

"Oh my..." she breathed. "Tyler, your eyes... Your eyes, they've changed color."

"My eyes?" Tyler asked, feigning surprise.

"Yeah," Serena confirmed, her voice hushed with a hint of awe. "Your eyes are... red. I hadn't noticed this before."

Tyler recalled Anne's earlier comment about his eye color, but now, the change was apparent. He decided to address the obvious change. "Don't worry about it," he said with a shrug, "it's part of the armor. Kind of complicated."

The armor?" she pressed, her voice laced with curiosity. "What do you mean? The armor changes your eye color?"

"Yeah, something like that, I guess," Tyler replied, a playful tone in his voice. "But don't tell anyone, alright?"

"Yeah," Serena agreed with a smile. "If you're okay with it, then it's fine, I guess. Were you able to find any monsters at all?"

Tyler sighed softly, a small breath escaping his lips. "You didn't find anything, huh?" Serena asked, her voice tinged with gentle understanding. "It's been harder for our hunters to find monsters in this zone anymore, and so, most of them stopped coming here. I'm not surprised you didn't find any. But at least you tried," she said with a warm smile.

"Oh, no," Tyler countered, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, "I found what I was looking for."

Then, with a sudden flourish, four crimson wolf hides materialized atop the counter. Serena gasped, the abrupt appearance of the items taking her completely by surprise. A short-haired hunter, clad in silver armor, witnessed the event and strode towards Tyler, his demeanor radiating aggression.

"Wait," Serena said, her gaze fixed upon the hides. "So... you were able to kill four crimson wolves in the monster zones? I thought..." Her voice trailed off as she looked up, her eyes widening as she noticed a hunter approaching Tyler with a hostile gait. "Um... sir?"

The hunter's voice was harsh, accusatory. "Hey, what was that just now? How the hell did you get four crimson hides out of that place? It's deserted. No hunter could find a thing."

Tyler's lips curled into a mocking smile as he turned towards the hunter. "Maybe you didn't look hard enough."

The hunter's face twisted with anger. "What? Are you mocking us?"

A second hunter, taller and more slender, with long brown hair that brushed his neck, rose from his seat and moved towards his companion.

"What if I am?" Tyler replied, his voice laced with a challenge as he stared at the two hunters now standing before him.

"Um... Tyler," Serena said, her voice a plea for calm.

The short-haired hunter, his face contorted with fury, barked, "What the fuck did you just say to me?" The veins in his forehead throbbed, and his knuckles were white as he clenched his fists.

Serena rushed forward, her voice rising in a desperate plea for restraint. "Sir, fighting isn't allowed here. You can't fight here. Please calm down."

The taller companion, his jaw tight with suppressed rage, remained unmoved. "Just answer this freaking question," he demanded, his voice a low growl that echoed in the tent. "How did you kill four crimson wolves? In the monster zone that barely has any monsters?"

Tyler, seemingly unconcerned by the mounting tension, turned his back on the two hunters, his gaze fixed on Serena. "It's none of your freaking business," he stated, his voice flat and dismissive.

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The hunter, his patience finally snapping, clenched his teeth, his voice a low, guttural growl. "Somebody's gotta teach you some manners." He lunged, his fist a blur as it hurtled towards the back of Tyler's head. A resounding *thud* echoed through the tent as the blow landed, the force of the impact sending a tremor through the air. But Tyler didn't move. He didn't even flinch. The hunter's eyes widened in disbelief, and Serena gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

Tyler slowly turned, his face now a mask of cold seriousness. He opened his palm, stretching it wide. His fingers spread, the lines of his palm visible in the dim light of the tent. The short-haired hunter, his face a mixture of fear and bewildered disbelief, exclaimed, "What the hell are you... a tank-type hunter?"

Suddenly, Tyler's hand snapped out, and he slapped the taller hunter across the cheek with a force that seemed to defy physics. The sound of the slap was deafening, a crack that reverberated through the canvas-covered tent. The impact launched the hunter into the air, his body spinning uncontrollably. He crashed through several sturdy wooden benches, splintering them before bursting out of the tent, his limp form still bouncing on the ground like a discarded doll before finally coming to a stop.

The remaining hunter stared at Tyler, his face a mask of abject terror. He saw Tyler looking at him with a slow, predatory smile, his red eyes now shimmering with a faint, unsettling crimson light, reflecting the dim light of the tent.

The remaining hunter, his face a mask of terror quickly shifted to anger, demanded, "What the hell are you?" His hand darted to his side, and he drew a dagger, the blade shimmering faintly in the dim light of the tent. "You have a death wish."

With a guttural snarl, the hunter lunged, aiming the blade at Tyler's gut. But Tyler made no move to dodge. The knife plunged forward and struck Tyler's abdomen, but instead of piercing the flesh, it met an unseen barrier. Serena gasped, her hand flying to cover her lips as she stood behind Tyler, her eyes widening in alarm.

The hunter groaned, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "What kind of armor is this?"

Tyler, his expression remaining unchanged, suddenly seized the hunter by the neck, his grip instantly locking. The hunter choked, his face turning red. "Let... me... go!" he croaked, clawing at Tyler's hand. In a desperate attempt to break free, he raised his dagger, aiming to stab Tyler's hand. But before he could strike, Tyler hurled him with incredible force. The hunter sailed through the air, his body a projectile, passing over the previously broken benches without colliding with them and hurtling outside the tent. He rolled across the dirt ground, coming to a stop in a heap.

Serena rushed forward, her voice filled with concern. "Tyler, are you alright?"

Tyler turned to her, a smile playing on his lips. "I'm fine." But as Serena looked into his eyes, she felt a strange unease. There was something different about him, something dangerous that had not been there before. She looked at the damage, measuring the extent of the destruction, and she realized Tyler had been standing right in front of her. He had moved with such speed and grace that she had never even seen him. She hadn't even felt him move. She was honestly surprised.

Tyler stood so close to Serena that she could feel his presence, closer than he had ever been before. "You saw those guys, right?" he said, his voice low. "They're the ones who started it. You'll take my side, right?"

Serena looked at Tyler, her expression a mixture of concern and disbelief. "Ah, yeah," she said quickly, "I'll tell them that it wasn't your fault."

Tyler looked at the destruction around him, the splintered benches and the torn canvas. "Yeah, this wasn't really my fault." He turned to Serena, his gaze shifting to a more pragmatic tone. "Now, about the rewards for this quest..."

Serena, realizing the need to shift the focus, nodded and reached behind the counter. She produced the pouch of money, the promised reward for the crimson wolf hides, and placed it on the counter. Tyler picked it up, examined it briefly, and then, with a casual gesture, tossed it into the air where it vanished, pulled into the inventory. "Oh yeah," he said, his attention now fixed on a different matter. "Do you know where the Black Cloud Guild's base is?"

Serena's eyes widened with alarm. "The Black Cloud? Wait, you're not thinking of..."

Tyler cut her off, his voice firm. "Yes, I am. There's a deal I want to settle with them."

"But you can't!" she protested. "If you go there, they'll..."

"You don't have to worry about me," Tyler said, his confidence unwavering. "I can handle myself. I just need to know where they are."

Serena sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Then what?"

Tyler let out a long sigh, a hint of frustration in his voice. "If I'm not going to get that location from you, I'm just going to get it from somebody else."

"But that's a bad idea, Tyler!" Serena pleaded. "I know you're strong, but you can't go to the Black Cloud Guild's base. That's suicide. They're already looking for you. You killed the Vice Captain's son."

Tyler put a finger to his lips, a gesture silencing Serena. "Do you want people to hear you?"

Serena, chastened, covered her mouth slightly, her voice now a hushed whisper. "Oh, I'm sorry. But you can't do this."

"If you're not going to tell me, it's fine," Tyler said, shrugging. " I'm ready to leave. I'm just going to ask at the Hunter Assessment Building. I'm pretty sure they'll tell me where I have to go." He started to walk towards the exit, his hands clasped behind his head.

"Aria!" Serena blurted out, the name escaping her lips before she could stop it.

"Thanks," Tyler said, the smile widening. "See? That wasn't hard, now, was it?" He continued to walk out the exit. "Don't worry, you'll find me back here in the morning."

"You won't find me here," Serena replied, her voice soft.

"Huh?" Tyler turned back to her, a look of surprise on his face.

"I'm moving to another base," she explained. "I've always wanted to move. They found a spot for me in Lyria."

"Oh," Tyler said, his tone suddenly thoughtful. "So you're moving today?"

"Yes, you just came in just as I was about to go out."

"Oh, that's great then. Guess I'll see you in Lyria."

Serena was taken aback by his words, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "I guess... I'll see you in Lyria then," she said, a smile playing on her lips.

Tyler nodded and continued walking. As he was about to leave, Tyler called back, "Oh, wait a minute... this is so stupid, but where exactly is Aria?"

"You don't know where Aria is?" Serena asked, surprised.

"Oh, then just ask the transport wagons to take you there, they will," Tyler said. "Alright, thanks." And with a final nod, he was gone.

As Tyler walked towards the back of the tent, a smile crept onto his face. "Lyria, huh? " he thought to himself. "I was getting tired of this place anyway. I don't think there are any more monsters to hunt here. I even found a rare monster and killed it." He chuckled, thinking, "Also Grone has moved there. I can't wait to show him how strong I've become."

Reaching the rear of the tent, Tyler spotted a transport wagon and its driver, sitting patiently. "Hey," he called out, "do you know which direction Aria is in?"

The man, startled by Tyler's sudden appearance, replied, "Oh, it's southeast of here. It's closer to Veridia than the crossroads, in that direction." He pointed to the southeast.

"Thanks," Tyler said.

The driver looked Tyler up and down with curiosity. "So, you want me to take you there?"

"No, I'll run," Tyler said.

The driver raised an eyebrow. "You'll run? It's pretty far. It's almost the same distance as going to Veridia."

"Perfect direction, right?" Tyler replied, pointing in the same direction as the driver.

"Yeah," the driver confirmed.

"Alright," Tyler said, and then, with a burst of speed that defied belief, he took off in the direction of Aria. The driver's eyes widened as a whirlwind of wind exploded from Tyler's sudden departure.

The driver put a hand over his eyes, barely able to see Tyler as his figure drastically diminished in size. The man thought to himself, *Woah, he's so fast! What rank is he?* The man's thoughts were left unanswered as Tyler continued to run, his speed reaching new heights.

As Tyler ran, he noticed the terrain was not even. The green ground was uneven, with humps and potholes. The crude road was barely visible in the night as he tried to follow it. Mid-run, the system panel suddenly appeared before Tyler, causing him to skid to a halt to assess the destruction. He saw the system rewards for the completed quest:

C-Rank Quest Complete- Rewards:

+3 Points to each stat

Armor Recipe: White Walker Hide, Hex Horn Hide → White Armor

Weapon Receipe: 3 Drain Strains, 5 Crimson Iron ores, 1 Medium silver ore. → Lifeweaver Sword

Accessory Recipe: Mr Slime Core, Brolin hide, Medium Silver ore→ Tempest Bracers

Alchemy Recipe: 500ml holy water, 30 Vital flowers, 10 Sunleafs, 10 Brunish tree leafs→ powerful healing potion.