Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero [REMASTERED]

A sharp chill in the night air raised rigid goosebumps across Tyler's bare chest and arms as he walked shirtless toward the town. The town walls loomed ahead. Two guards stood near the entrance, their hands gripping the shafts of their spears. Their gazes locked onto him as he approached.

As Tyler neared the entrance, the nearest guard extended an arm, his palm facing outward. "Halt." The guard took a step forward. "State your business here."

The second guard, standing further back in the shadows, leaned forward. "Hey, isn't that the kid who's always walking around with James?"

The first guard narrowed his eyes, inspecting Tyler. "Yeah... you're right. What the hell happened to you, kid?"

"Oh," Tyler said. His hand reached up, his fingers rubbing the back of his neck. "I was attacked by a monster."

The front guard's eyes widened, the skin pulling tight around his brow. "Attacked by a monster?"

The guard in the back stepped out of the shadows. "When?"

"Well, I was training to level up with James," Tyler said, dropping his hand to his side. "He left me there to do some more training. While I was doing it, a monster came and tried to kill me. It ruined my shirt, so I couldn't bring it back with me."

"You ran away? Is it still out there?" The guard in the back tightened his grip on his spear. "We have to alert the others."

Tyler frantically waved both hands in front of his chest. "No, wait. There's no need. I killed it."

The guard in the back froze mid-step, his body going rigid. "What?"

The guard standing closer tilted his head, his brow furrowing. "What level are you?"

Tyler swallowed. *Right. If I tell them I'm level nine, they won't believe me. There's no way they'd believe a level nine defeated a level thirty-six.*

"I'm level twenty-six," Tyler said smoothly. "The monster must have been a low level."

The guard near the door let out a long breath, his shoulders dropping. "That would explain it. Otherwise, it's really hard to kill a monster, especially if it can fly."

Tyler’s brow pinched together. "Yeah. How did you know it could fly?"

The guard in front of him shrugged, lifting his shoulders slightly. "Isn't it obvious? For it to escape the hunters, it has to be able to fly. If it just walked, they would have stopped it. It's a lot harder to stop flying monsters from fleeing their zones. Especially if they get too high up."

"Oh," Tyler said, nodding slowly.

"Anyway, you can pass," the guard said, dropping his arm to his side and stepping out of the way.

Tyler walked past the guards, the cold air washing over his bare shoulders as he entered the town. *Looks like James is really familiar with a lot of people around here. Now that I think about it, almost every person I've met knows and trusts him. He must have lived here for a while.*

His boots struck the cobblestones, the sharp impacts ringing out across the empty marketplace. He kept his head low, but his eyes darted from the darkened stalls to the locked, silent shopfronts.

*Not a soul in sight. Is it always this dead?*

He passed the bakery, the scent of cold flour and damp stone clinging to the air. *It wasn't like this the knight i was injured. It must be well past midnight. James must be worried*

A figure stepped from a narrow alleyway on the left. Tyler’s stride hitched for a heartbeat before he forced himself to keep moving, trying to project a casual confidence he didn't feel. A woman in a long black coat and black pants was walking toward him.

As she drew closer, his pulse quickened. A sudden, suffocating sensation gripped his chest. It felt as if a wall of wildfire was rolling toward him through the dark, a silent, inevitable force of destruction that consumed everything in its path. His body tensed and screamed at him to turn and run before the "fire" reached him.

*Something is wrong. I don’t know what she is, but my instincts are telling me to stop.*

He watched her through his periphery. She was only meters away now. *Why am i reacting like this? What level is she*

The system panel flickered to life before his eyes.

[Targets whose level exceeds the user by more than 100 cannot be measured.]

Tyler’s heart jolted so hard it felt like it hit his ribs. *More than a hundred?* A second notification materialized above the woman’s head, pulsating in a jagged, blood-red font:

[ ??? ]

His boot scuffed the stone, his rhythm breaking for a split second before he forced himself back into a walk. As they drew level, the woman’s lips curled into a faint, knowing sliver of a smile. Her blue eyes locked onto his, cold and piercing.

The world seemed to decelerate. The oxygen on the road felt thin, stripped away by her mere presence. Tyler kept his gaze forward, his jaw locked tight to keep his teeth from chattering. He could feel the weight of her power passing him, a shadow that felt like it could swallow the entire town.

To the woman, the night fell silent, leaving only the frantic, staccato rhythm of the boy’s heartbeat echoing in her ears.

*Interesting...* she thought, her long coat swaying like a funeral shroud as she disappeared into the darkness behind him.

He didn't stop walking until he was absolutely certain he was out of earshot. He slumped against the rough brick of a corner building, letting out a ragged, shuddering breath. A violent wave of nausea hit him. He clamped a hand over his mouth, swallowing hard against the sour bile rising in his throat.

*What the hell was that?* He pushed himself off the wall, forcing his trembling legs to hold his weight.

"If I'd stared a second longer, I think she would've killed me," he muttered to the empty street. The crushing pressure reminded him of the Shadow Claws, but magnified a hundred times over.

He forced his feet to move, resuming his trek through the dark. *She was in a completely different league. I can't even compare her to that thief from the other day.*

The thought stirred something dark and bitter in his chest. That absolute, paralyzing helplessness he had felt when he was bleeding out in the alley, it was the exact same feeling that woman had just dragged out of him.

*If she'd decided I was a threat, I’d already be dead. I wouldn't have even been able to raise a hand to stop her. * He clenched his hands, his fingernails biting hard into his palms.

Images flashed through his mind. Relying on his friend back home just to navigate the world while he remained stagnant. The mysterious person who had pulled him from the brink of death. James dragging him back from the edge when he was bleeding out.

*I can't keep leeching off of people's kindness like this.* He lifted his head, staring down the dark street. The lingering fear in his eyes hardened into a sharp, focused glare.

*I have to get stronger, so I never feel helpless again.*

He let out a long, slow sigh, the rigid tension finally bleeding out of his shoulders. He stared down at his boots striking the cobblestones.*So that next time, I'm the one helping people.*

He stepped past the edge of the marketplace, the adrenaline finally fading enough for him to feel the biting cold of the night air sinking into his bare skin.

Tyler walked down the street until he reached James's house. The warm, flickering glow of candlelight bled through the fabric of the curtained windows, pushing back the dark night. He crossed the yard, gripped the handle, and pushed the front door open.

Inside the living room, James's wife sat with Heather resting on her thighs. She looked up, her gaze immediately dropping to his bare torso. "Oh, you're back. Why so late? What happened to your shirt?"

"Oh, it's a long story," Tyler said, stepping inside. "But James left me to train. And after I trained for a while, I was attacked by a monster."

"Attacked?" Her eyes widened, her posture stiffening in the chair.

"Yeah," Tyler said, walking closer. The warm, sweet scent of food drifted through the air. A plate of porridge rested directly in front of her, and she held a spoon suspended midway to Heather's mouth. "But I managed to kill it when it tried to attack. I was lucky the thing was low-level."

"Low-level? How did you know?" she asked.

Tyler paused. He kept his eyes on her as he pulled out the chair directly across the table and sat down. "Oh, it was easy to kill, so I assumed it might have been low-level."

Her brow furrowed deeply. "Why would he leave you out there alone? You could have been killed."

"No, actually, I'm the one who wanted to stay, so don't blame him."

Her shoulders dropped in a heavy exhale. She lowered the spoon, offering Heather another bite. "Alright. Is there any progress?"

Tyler nodded. "There is. I'm not sure, but I must have leveled up. I feel slightly stronger." He raised his hand, his fingers pressing into his bare skin as he kneaded the muscles of his shoulder.

"That's good to hear," she said, her expression softening. "How do you train exactly? I hope my husband isn't too rough with you."

"Oh, no. Don't worry," Tyler said. "It's not easy, but it's not impossible."

"Oh, really?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "He's not making you run hundreds of kilometers with weights, is he?"

"Well, it's not hundreds." Tyler raised a hand, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I knew it." Lisa slid her hands under Heather's arms, lifting the little girl from her lap and setting her down onto the seat of the chair. "Anyway, I should go get you a new shirt. That other one you had looked like it was too big for you. But I think I have a smaller one that doesn't fit James anymore. Hold on just a moment."

Her footsteps receded down the hall toward the bedroom. "I can't believe you actually got attacked," her muffled voice called out from the other room. "Those hunters can be lazy sometimes. They probably didn't notice it leaving the monster zone."

"Yeah," Tyler called back. "I heard it's pretty rare for monsters to do that."

"It is!"

Lisa walked back into the living room carrying a folded brown tunic and extended it to Tyler.

He pulled the fabric over his head, pushing his arms through the sleeves. As he settled into his seat, his gaze landed on Heather. The little girl twirled her wooden spoon through the thick porridge before bringing it to her mouth. A dollop of the pale mush smeared across the tip of her nose.

Lisa reached over with her thumb, wiping the porridge away. "Don't play with your food, okay?" Heather stared quietly, offering no response. Lisa turned her attention back to Tyler. "I'm surprised that it managed to go that far. You're not training too far from town, are you?"

"No," Tyler said. "Actually, I walked all the way from the training grounds back to town. It was about five kilometers."

Lisa’s brow creased.

He walked shirtless all the way here? He must have been cold.

"Why are you surprised it made it to where I was?" Tyler asked.

"Oh..." Lisa blinked, her eyes widening slightly at his question. "Because of its dark mana."

Tyler leaned forward, holding her gaze, his silence urging her to continue.

Lisa hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Does he not know about this?

"If the dark mana is dense, it allows the monster to get far away from the monster zone," she explained.

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked.

"Do you really not know? Didn't they teach you about this where you're from?"

Tyler shook his head, his hand returning to the back of his neck. "They did... but I can't say I was really listening."

Lisa’s jaw dropped slightly. She stared at him for a long moment before letting out a breath. "When a monster spawns from a monster zone, if it has dense mana, it can leave the zone. "Most monsters can't leave their zones because their dark mana is too thin," she explained, leaning her forearms against the table.

"If they try, they grow weaker the further they get, until they eventually die. But the ones born with dense dark mana can cross that boundary. They can get thirty to fifty kilometers away before they even start to weaken. And some, the ones with an outrageous amount of dense mana, can wander hundreds of kilometers from their spawn point. Those are truly the most dangerous."

"They must be powerful," Tyler said.

"No," Lisa said, shaking her head. "Just because a monster has dense mana doesn't mean it's powerful. It just means the mana is... thick. Nothing more. Even a level-one monster can leave the monster zones."

"Oh, that makes sense. It explains why a low-level monster was able to travel all the way from the base to the training grounds." Tyler rubbed his chin.

Lisa leaned back in her chair. "Yes, now you get it." Her brow furrowed. "How come you didn't know any of this? Everyone knows about it."

"Like I said, I didn't really pay attention when people talked about it."

Lisa narrowed her eyes. "Where exactly are you from, Tyler?"

Tyler froze. A heavy, rapid throb hammered against his ribs.

*What do I say? I don't think James told her I'm from another world, and I don't want her to know that. How do I get around this? I don't even know a single place in this world except for Veridia.*

Before he could formulate an answer, the silver spoon slipped from Heather’s fingers, striking the floorboards.

Lisa flinched. She abruptly hooked her hands under Heather’s arms and lifted the girl off her thighs with a frantic, sudden energy.

"Sorry, just let me handle this," Lisa said, her breathing suddenly uneven. She snatched the silver spoon off the floor, hoisting Heather onto her hip, and practically marched toward the bedroom. "We're heading off to sleep, okay? Lock the door before you go. I don't think James is coming tonight."

"Alright," Tyler said.

Lisa slipped into the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Tyler stared at the half-empty bowl of porridge left abandoned on the table.

*What was that about?*

He stood, picked up the ceramic bowl, and carried it to the kitchen counter. Resting nearby was a second plate covered by a silver cloche. He lifted the metal lid. A thick cut of bread sat next to a steaming portion of chicken stew. The rich, savory aroma of roasted meat and warm broth filled the air.

*Smells amazing.*

"Is the food on the counter mine?" he shouted toward the closed bedroom door.

A long, heavy stretch of silence followed. Finally, Lisa's muffled voice called back. "Yes, it's yours. You can eat it."

"Thanks," he said.

He carried the plate to the table, sat down, and ate. Between bites of warm stew, his gaze drifted back to the bedroom door. The abrupt way she had stood up, grabbed the spoon, and practically fled with Heather played over in his mind.

*What is she doing in there?*

Once he finished the meal, he carried the empty plate back to the kitchen counter, setting it down next to the porridge bowl. He walked into his own room and sat heavily on the edge of the mattress.

A faint blue light shimmered around his boots before they dissolved into thin air, transferring directly into his inventory.

*My inventory spaces must have increased by ten since the last time I checked it.*

The thought of his system mechanics caused his eyes to widen. He slapped a hand against his forehead, hissing through his teeth.

*Damn it, I forgot. I can make requests for ingredients. I didn't do it yesterday.*

He lowered his hand with a slow exhale. "Well, I fainted yesterday, so."

His status panel materialized in the air before him.

TYLER EVANS:

SPECIES: Human

NAME: Tyler Evans

RANK: F

LVL: 11

CLASS: Craftsman

HP: 61/61 MP: 60/60

STR: 44 AGI: 47 +[4]

DEF: 40 +[10] STM: 43

SKILLS: Weapon Craft-Lv1, Weapon Craft-Lv1, Rush-MC20

PASSIVE SKILLS: Weapon Mastery-Lv1

"I wonder if I can do the same with the Armor Craft skill."

The main status window dissolved, instantly replaced by a new system prompt.

Correct.

User may inquire a recipe of any Armor once a day.

There is a 30% chance of receiving Common Grade Armor!

"So, it's the same," he muttered. He planted both palms flat against the mattress and leaned back, staring up at the floating text. "What should I ask for?"

He let out a slow sigh, his brow furrowing in deep thought. "Since I couldn't get a gun, I don't think it would work if I asked for a bomb or a rocket launcher."

*Right now, I only have a one-handed short sword.*

He leaned forward, locking his fingers together and resting his chin on his knuckles.

*Maybe I need to ask for something that allows me to shoot things from a distance. Just like I asked for the gun, but this time I'll ask for something simpler.*

"System, give me a recipe for a bow," he muttered into the quiet room.

The glowing interface shifted. A circular loading bar rotated in the center of the air. A second later, it dissolved, instantly replaced by a fresh block of text:

Weapon Recipe:

Wooden Bow: Large amount of wood from Adas tree.

"Large amounts of wood?" Tyler read aloud, his fingers pausing as he scratched the back of his head. "It's just a bow, though. Why do I need large amounts of wood?"

The system panel flickered, updating its text to answer his question.

The residue from the crafting process can be turned into Dyneema for the bowstring.

*Dyneema? What is that?*

The system panel dissolved into the air, leaving the room in silent darkness once again.

*Well, it doesn't matter, as long as it crafts the weapon.*

He shifted his focus to the armor mechanics.

*I want armor like James's. It looks light and comfortable.*

He lifted his chin toward the empty space in front of him and muttered, "System, I want a recipe for leather armor."

Another rotating circular bar appeared in the faint blue light. It vanished, and new text snapped into place:

Armor Recipe:

Leather Cuirass: Level 10-15 Hexhorn Hide.

"Oh, it needs Hexhorn leather. That means I obviously have to kill the monster to get it."

He let out a heavy sigh and swung both legs up onto the mattress.

*I have to become stronger, faster, so I can get the material.*

With a final thought, the panel vanished. Tyler lay back against the pillow and let his eyelids fall shut.

A second later, his eyes snapped open.

"Oh, shit," he said.

He scrambled off the mattress and hurried barefoot out of the bedroom. He crossed the dark living room, gripped the metal latch of the front door, and slid the bolt firmly into place.

*I almost forgot about that.*

He walked back into his room, climbed onto the bed, and pulled the thick blankets up over his chest. The coarse fabric trapped his body heat, warming his tired limbs in the chilly room. Gradually, his breathing slowed, and he drifted into a deep sleep.

Hours passed in total silence. The steady, rhythmic rise and fall of his chest was the only movement in the dark room.

Then, in the dead of the night, a bright blue panel flared to life hovering over his sleeping form.

Level UP!