Chronicles Of The Crafting Hero [REMASTERED]

James sat cross-legged opposite Tyler beneath the deep shade of the tree. Both men had their eyes closed. The cool air brushed against Tyler’s skin as he focused inward, applying everything James had just taught him about channeling his mana.

"I can feel it," Tyler said, his voice quiet.

"Good," James replied. "You feel the mana inside your body, and the mana outside in the air at the same time, correct?"

Tyler gave a slow nod. "Yeah."

"Alright. This is going to be tricky," James said, his tone steady. "I want you to feel the way your mana is flowing throughout your body. Think of it like small veins of blood, but this time, they circulate mana through your system."

"I feel it," Tyler answered instantly.

James’s eyelids twitched.

*Already?*

"Well, you couldn't have learned that skill if you didn't already know this," James said. "Alright. Along those small mana veins, we call them mana pathways, I want you to feel for every detail. You should be able to sense tiny orifices. Thousands of them, scattered like the small hairs on your skin."

Tyler’s brow furrowed, his shoulders pulling tight as he strained to focus.

James opened his eyes, tracking the stiff posture of his student. "Relax," James instructed. "Don't forget what I said. Your body needs to be completely relaxed to do this."

Tyler exhaled a long, soft breath. He let his shoulders drop, sinking his focus back into the pathways. As he tracked the circulation of mana through his system, a strange friction caught his attention. The internal energy brushed against tiny, clogged points. They felt distinctly separate from his flesh, like foreign, sealed valves embedded right beneath his skin.

*Are these the orifices he was talking about?*

He focused harder, sensing a faint mobility to them, but they remained stubbornly shut, heavy and congested.

"I can feel them," Tyler said.

"Good." James closed his eyes again. "Now, I want you to try and force them open with your mana."

Tyler's brow creased further. "How?"

"Think of the orifice like a heavy window," James explained. "To pry it open, you need to exert pressure from both directions. What I mean is, use the ambient mana from the outside, and your own mana from the inside, to force the pathways wide."

Tyler directed his internal energy outward, pressing against the clogged valves. But he couldn't grasp the ambient mana in the air to push back. He tilted his head, his face tightening with the effort.

Then, the sensation shifted. It contradicted James's explanation entirely. Tyler didn't feel the need to push from the outside. Instead, a hollow, vacuum-like pressure pulled from the orifices themselves. They were actively sucking inward, starving for the outside mana, but the pathways remained sealed tight. The restrictive, suffocating pressure felt exactly like a heavy palm clamped forcefully over a gasping mouth.

Tyler commanded his internal mana to pull back, retreating from the sealed pathways. A bead of sweat broke from his hairline, rolling down his temple to catch in his eyebrow.

Suddenly, the restrictive pressure broke. The hundreds of tiny orifices burst open all at once.

The vacuum-like suction was instantly satisfied. Tyler felt the ambient mana from the air rush past his skin and sink into his pathways. It flowed inward smoothly and calmly, a steady, cool pressure circulating directly into his system.

He opened his eyes. "I think I got it."

"Oh?" James opened his eyes as well.

A translucent blue panel materialized in front of Tyler.

Congratulations, user has learned a new skill: Mana Absorption.

James planted his hands on the grass and pushed himself up to his feet.

Tyler mirrored the movement, letting out a low grunt as he forced his aching muscles to lift his weight off the dirt. "I got a new skill. It's called Mana Absorption. I can feel the mana flowing inside me."

*Mana Absorption?* James thought, his brow furrowing for a fraction of a second. *It's supposed to be Mana Recovery. Did his system give it a different name?*

The older man quickly smoothed his expression, offering a faint smile as he nodded. "That's exactly what I wanted you to learn. Normally, people learn this when they are still babies. Their mana orifices are incredibly weak, and the world's ambient mana is so dense that it forcefully opens the pathways on its own as they grow. But since you come from another world, I figured we had to use a more forceful method."

"Thank you," Tyler said.

"You're welcome. Now, since we're done with the training, it's about time I go hunting. You should head back to Hector's and get to work for the day. I don't think it's too late yet."

James stepped over to where his weapons lay in the grass. He scooped up his sword and the heavy, leather-wrapped steel scabbard, strapping them securely to his hip.

Tyler watched the older man turn toward the road. "James, why do you keep helping me? I mean, all this time, you could be using these hours for hunting or doing things that are actually important to you. So why?"

James paused. He looked back over his shoulder. "What, you don't think this is important?"

"That's not what I mean," Tyler said quickly.

"You asked me to help you," James said, fully turning to face him. "And that's what I'm doing, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Why the question? Is there really supposed to be some huge, hidden reason behind it?"

Tyler held James's gaze for a moment. He slowly shook his head. "No."

An awkward silence settled between them as they began walking side-by-side toward the main road.

After a minute, James let out a heavy sigh. "Since you're going to be a hunter, I guess there are some things you should know before you get too deep into this field. There are different types of classes in this world. As you know, not all of them are meant for combat. Some, we call non-combat classes. Like yours. Craftsmanship."

"So, there are other non-combat classes?" Tyler asked.

"It's a bit complicated," James said, shaking his head. "I'll just give you my take on it. I actually think Craftsmanship is a combat class, if you really think about it. The skill exists to forge swords, axes, and weapons meant for battle. So in its own way, it contributes directly to combat."

James adjusted the strap on his shoulder. "A Healer is another one people call a non-combat class, since they just mend injuries. But it gets complicated if they level up."

"What do you mean?"

"Once a Healer reaches A-rank, they become something else entirely. Something called a Saint or a Saintess. By that point, some of their abilities can actually cause massive harm to others. It's not just about healing anymore. They start to unlock offensive combat skills."

"The woman who healed me... she was still just a Healer, right?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah," James nodded. "She was just a Healer. A C-rank, actually. That's why she could seal your chest wound so quickly. Low-rank Healers can only fix minor injuries like bruises and small cuts."

"Oh. So their skills get stronger as they level up, just like everybody else."

"Exactly," James said. "That's how it works for every single class. Now, as for the actual combat classes, there are a few different types. Like mine. My combat class is the Knight class. It gives me skills that are highly compatible with swords and frontline battle."

"Like that skill you used back then? Thrust?"

James hesitated, his eyes flicking toward Tyler before looking back at the road. "Yes. Like Thrust. And some of those skills can be applied to different weapons as well. Knights don't just use swords. They can use spears or shields."

"Right," Tyler said, rubbing his chin.

"Then there is the Archer class, which obviously uses the bow. And the Tank class. Most Tanks use heavy hammers or massive broadswords, and their class leans heavily into defense and raw strength skills."

"Got it."

"We also have the Assassin class," James continued. "Most of them use daggers and short weapons. They are known strictly for their speed and stealth. There is another class similar to the Assassin, called the Fighter class. It's incredibly flexible."

"Why is that?"

"Because their class provides skills that make the user faster, stronger, and significantly raises their physical defense. Fighters rely heavily on raw hand-to-hand combat and martial arts techniques rather than weapons or magic."

*There are martial arts here?* Tyler blinked, processing the information.

"They can use weapons," James clarified, "but when they do, they rely entirely on their weapon-based martial arts skills rather than magical strikes. If you ever end up facing a Fighter in hand-to-hand combat, don't expect it to be easy. They are dangerous." James's expression darkened, his jaw tightening as if a specific memory had just surfaced.

He quickly cleared his throat. "Anyway, there's another rare one. It's called the Tamer class. It allows them to tame monsters from the zones and turn them into pets. They bind the creature's loyalty to themselves, making them the absolute master."

"That's possible?" Tyler asked.

"Yes. The class makes it possible. No one else can do it. And like I said, it's rare. Most Tamers are incredibly wealthy because they have the unique ability to bind a monster to a non-tamer. They basically sell loyal monsters to rich nobles and charge a fortune for it."

"That class sounds awesome."

"It is, but it has a massive downside. Most Tamers are physically weak. They rely entirely on their pets to do the heavy lifting."

"Oh." Tyler's shoulders dropped.

"Yeah," James said. "So most of them try to tame really powerful beasts to compensate. But there's a catch there, too. The more powerful the monster is, the harder it is to tame. The Tamer has to be several levels above the beast to establish the bond."

"Well, then it's kind of useless, isn't it?" Tyler asked. "Why would you want to tame a monster if it's weaker than you? You could just do the fighting yourself."

James looked forward, a faint, wistful smile touching his lips. "Not really. Think about it. If a person tamed a low-level Hexhorn, they could train it and let it grow in power. Over time, it could even become stronger than the master. And who knows... sometimes it's not a bad thing to just have a companion. Even if it is just a pet."

Tyler frowned at the older man's tone. James stared blankly at the road ahead, completely lost in his own thoughts.

Not wanting to pry, Tyler shifted the subject. "Okay, then what are the other classes?"

James blinked, pulling himself back to the present. "The last main one, and probably the most praised and dangerous, is the Mage class."

*Mage.* The word sparked a faint memory from Earth. Tyler remembered his friend Mike talking about them in video games, though Tyler had always avoided playing them because the mechanics were too complex.

"Mages have skills that are heavily focused on area-of-effect destruction rather than one-on-one dueling," James explained. "There are four main types. A water mage is a Hydromancer. A fire mage is a Pyromancer. An earth mage is a Geomancer. And a wind mage is an Aeromancer. But they all fall under the Mage class."

"What kind of skills do they have?"

"Like I said, environmentally focused. A Geomancer could have a skill that shatters this entire terrain and launches the broken boulders right at you."

"Whoa. Sounds... overpowered."

"It is," James agreed. "A Hydromancer could summon a massive wave to drown you, or condense the water into sharp icicles to launch through your chest. It's a highly destructive class, but they share a fatal weakness with Archers and Tamers. Can you guess what it is?"

Tyler looked down at the dirt path, his mind working through the logic.

*James said Tamers rely on their pets and are physically weak. An Archer relies on their arrows. If they run out, they might get killed. But the Archer would have to be physically weak to be worried about that in the first place."

He looked back up at James. "Once you close the distance, they lose their advantage. They are physically weaker than the close-combat classes."

"Exactly," James said, giving a firm nod. "Good to know you're paying close attention. That is vital information you should never forget."

"I won't."

They finally reached the edge of the main road. The distant silhouette of the horse-drawn wagon was parked near the intersection.

"The town is pretty close, and you're heading back to the base, so I can probably just walk from here," Tyler said.

James's eyebrows shot up. "You're walking?"

"Yeah. It's just five or six kilometers. It's not that far."

James gave a slow shrug. "Alright, if you say so."

Tyler turned and began walking down the road, his brow creasing in confusion. "Bye."

"I'll see you later," James called out.

Tyler kept his pace steady, his boots crunching against the gravel.

*He countered every single attack I threw at him. He easily beat me even when I activated Rush. Why is he acting like five kilometers is such a huge distance?*

He shook his head, pushing the thought away as the town walls came into view.

"Right. Now that I know about the hunter classes, I can use this to my advantage. Since the System said I might gain a second class if I equip a full set of gear, I wonder which one I'll get.*

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Hopefully, it will be something in the Mage class."