Chapter 103: Sold
Rebecca walked through the street with her new bow held firmly in hand. She had already sold her old weapon at a heavy discount to archers searching for gear, a quick sale, given its pristine condition. Now, she moved toward the waiting wagons near the exit, eager to rest after months of hard effort spent securing the bow. As she cut through the crowded marketplace, she passed directly by Hector’s workshop, unaware that the person she had been looking for was sitting inside.
Inside the workshop, Tyler sat quietly, stroking his chin as he stared at the system panel before him. He was reviewing the new potions he had brewed the previous night.
*Should I tell them about the potions too? They would sell for a lot, and James said there are no potions in this world. Word will spread fast once people find out. It could bring in a lot of money.* A grin tugged at his lips.
After a moment of thought, he let out a slow sigh and leaned back against the bench.
*No, it's too early. The skills should be enough for now. I feel like the skills alone will stir up a lot.*
A sudden heavy strike against hot iron echoed through the room, sending a shock through the bench. Tyler flinched, his head snapping toward the forge.
*He's already started.*
Hector stood over the anvil, driving his heavy hammer down onto the glowing metal, plunging the hot steel into a bucket of water as white steam billowed into the air, then pulling it out to inspect the edge.
Tyler watched the rhythm of it, a strange knot tightening in his chest. He had felt it before whenever he watched Hector work, but never this strongly. Dissatisfaction pooled low in his gut.
Seeing another man exert real physical effort to shape a weapon made his own process feel hollow. All he did was gather ingredients and command the system to assemble the piece instantly. Frowning, he realized it felt less like crafting and more like acting as a merchant delivering raw supplies.
*He's so good at what he does. Can I really craft like him?*
The thought brought a dull sting to his chest. Before he fully realized it, Tyler stood up.
He walked over to the anvil, watching in silence as Hector wiped down the freshly forged sword with a thick cloth. Tyler hesitated, his mouth parting, then closing, before he finally forced the words out. "Can... can you teach me?"
"What's that?" Hector asked.
"To craft. Can you teach me how to craft?"
Hector straightened, setting his cloth down as he looked at Tyler. "What do you mean? You can already craft, can't you?"
"Yeah, but I wanna know how to do it manually. To be honest, I only know how to do it with my skill, but I can't do it like you do. And I wanna learn how."
Hector paused, the corners of his mouth tugging upward into a faint smile. "Oh. All right, I'll teach you then."
Hector walked over to a heavy wooden rack against the stone wall and picked up two rectangular steel ingots. He set them down on the flat face of the anvil. Heat radiated continuously from the hearth, thick with the dry scent of burning charcoal and ash. Reaching into a tool rack beside the furnace, Hector handed Tyler a heavy cross-peen hammer and a pair of long iron tongs.
"We start with these," Hector said.
Tyler took the tools, gripping the ash-wood handle of the hammer in his right hand and clamping the iron tongs in his left. As his fingers tightened around both grips, a subtle shift settled over his muscles. Holding two heavy iron tools at once felt strangely natural, his wrists adjusting instantly to compensate for their weight.
*Is this because of my Craftsman class? Or Weapon Mastery?*
He shifted his stance, surprised by how easily the hammer balanced in his dominant hand, moving like an extension of his forearm.
Hector used his own tongs to slide one of the ingots deep into the glowing coals. He worked the leather bellows with steady pumps, driving air through the tuyere until bright yellow light washed across his face. After a short wait, Hector pulled the ingot free, the metal glowing a brilliant orange-yellow and laid it flat against the anvil.
Raising his hammer, Hector brought it down in rhythmic, deliberate strikes. With every two blows, he rotated the hot steel ninety degrees, drawing out the block into a flat, uniform bar.
"Watch the heat," Hector said over the roar of the air furnace. "When the glow fades to a dull, dark red, stop striking immediately. Hammering cool steel will fracture the grain and ruin the blade."
Hector moved aside, gesturing toward the forge. "Your turn."
Tyler gripped the second ingot with his tongs and thrust it into the center of the white-hot coals. The radiant heat baked against his cheeks and forearms, bringing out a thin sheen of sweat within moments. When the ingot reached a vibrant orange glow, he pulled it clear and set it across the anvil face.
He lifted his hammer and brought it down hard.
The blow landed slightly off-center. The hot steel squashed heavily on the left side, twisting the bar into an awkward angle. Tyler frowned, lifting the hammer again to force the steel back into shape with raw power. His next blow bent the metal further out of alignment. By his fourth strike, the orange glow faded into a dull red and when the hammer struck, a harsh vibration shot straight up his forearm, jarring his wrist and elbow.
Hector stepped in, resting a heavy hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Hold up. You're trying to overpower the metal. Angle your hammer face slightly to level out that high edge, and keep the steel hot. Put it back in the fire."
Tyler nodded, his breath coming faster as he slid the bent bar back into the coals.
*I hit it too hard while it was cooling down. The metal was already too stiff.*
He watched the color carefully this time, waiting until the steel glowed bright orange before bringing it back to the anvil. Remembering Hector's words, Tyler adjusted his grip, angling the hammer face to strike the raised lip.
He swung. The metal yielded under the blow, flattening back into alignment. Tyler kept moving, turning the bar ninety degrees between strikes, drawing out the length while keeping the width even along the spine. His body seemed to anticipate the rebound off the anvil face, using the hammer's momentum to lift it back up for the next swing with minimal strain.
Hector stood beside him, his gray eyes narrowing as he watched the fluid motion of Tyler's arm. Surprise registered on Hector's face as he observed how quickly Tyler corrected his wrist angle and strike height.
"You fixed your stance already," Hector noted, leaning in slightly to inspect the shaping metal. "Most beginners spend days learning how to strike flush without gouging the bar."
Tyler kept his focus locked on the glowing steel, turning it steadily with the tongs. *It really is Weapon Mastery. My hands know how to balance the weight because the system treats both tools like weapons.*
Time stretched on inside the sweltering shop. They worked through four more heats in the forge, the repetitive impact of hammer on metal filling the room as Tyler hammered, turned, and reheated the piece. Sweat soaked through his shirt, and a dull ache settled into his right shoulder, but the rhythm held.
Finally, the ingot carried the rough shape of a short, thick iron blade blank.
Hector took the glowing piece from Tyler's tongs using his own, carrying it over to the metal bucket beside the forge and submerging it completely. A thick cloud of white steam erupted into the air, carrying the bitter smell of quenched iron throughout the room.
Once the metal cooled, Hector handed the rough blade back to Tyler.
Tyler held the cold iron in his bare hands. The edges carried visible hammer marks, the thickness along the spine was slightly uneven, and the balance felt heavy near the tip compared to Hector's work. Yet, running his thumb over the rough surface, a deep sense of satisfaction settled in his chest. He held a piece of steel shaped by his own physical labor.
"It's pretty rough," Tyler said, letting out a tired breath as he turned the blade over in the light.
"It's a start," Hector said, a subtle smile tugging at his mouth. "And for your first time working hot steel by hand, you picked it up remarkably fast."
"Really?" Tyler asked, wiping a thumb across his brow.
"Yes," Hector nodded, resting a heavy palm on his hammer handle. "I think one reason you're not getting it right is because you're using too much strength. Though I totally understand why. You're a hunter. A C-rank at that. Your strikes carry more force naturally, but crafting requires measured control."
*But I was holding back,* he thought.
A chime rang overhead as the front door swung open.
"A customer," Tyler said, turning from the forge and wiping his soot-stained hands on his trousers.
He pushed open the heavy iron door and stepped behind the shop counter. Kai was already standing there, leaning slightly forward as he greeted the hunter on the other side.
She was a young woman with long brown hair framing her face and sharp brown eyes. She wore fitted brown leather armor, a sword strapped diagonally across her back, and two daggers resting at her hips.
Her eyes shifted to Tyler as he joined Kai behind the counter.
"I want to buy some daggers," she said, her tone even. She drew a dagger from her hip and set it flat onto the wood. The steel was scarred with small nicks, its edge worn down and dull.
Tyler glanced at the weapon, noting the heavy wear along the blade, she clearly relied on her daggers in combat. His gaze drifted to her neck, where a black D-rank pendant rested against her leather armor.
Anticipation flared in his chest, sending a quickened pulse through his throat. An assassin. He already had the exact gear she needed.
Kai picked up the dull blade, turning it slowly in his hands to weigh the steel and inspect the edge. "You want another similar to this one?"
"Yes. How much will it cost to craft this kind of dagger?"
Kai looked up from the weapon, meeting her eyes. "Three silver and five copper coins."
Tyler raised his eyebrows, surprised by the prompt number. Kai spoke with grounded confidence, his posture steady, as if he had been managing shop sales for months.
"How long will it take to craft?" she asked, resting one hand on her hip.
"About an hour, give or take," Kai answered, setting the blade back down.
"All right." She slid a hand into her pocket, bringing out three silver coins, then reached back in to draw out five copper coins. She pushed the small pile across the counter.
Kai gathered the metal, pulling open a wooden drawer beneath the counter to drop the coins into separate leather pouches.
"I'll be returning later to retrieve it," she said, adjusting the leather strap across her shoulder.
"Yes, thank you," Kai said with a polite nod.
Before she could turn toward the exit, Tyler raised a hand. "Excuse me."
She stopped, turning her brown eyes back to him. "Yes?"
"If you let me, I'd like to have a minute of your time," Tyler said, leaning slightly over the counter.
She took a step closer, tilting her head.
"I see that you're an assassin, right?" Tyler continued. "We've made a new set of armor specifically for assassin-type hunters with special effects. We're offering customers a free trial to test it out before buying."
Her eyebrows arched up. "Special effects?"
"Yes," Tyler admitted, a faint hesitation catching in his voice.
"Effects that can aid you inside monster zones, such as increasing your speed and strength," Kai chimed in smoothly, resting his palms on the counter edge.
A crease formed between her brows. "Are you talking about runes?"
"Um, no," Kai replied, shaking his head. "The armor does not have runes, but it gives boosts in a way that has never been witnessed before. Would you like to see the armor?"
The woman paused, her brown eyes darting between both of them as she weighed the offer. "Why not?"
Kai turned without a word and hurried through the iron door into the workshop. Tyler remained behind the counter.
The woman folded her arms, her gaze locking onto Tyler without flinching.
*Effects never witnessed before. Yeah, right. It's probably a bunch of lies made just to sell it to me. What the hell would it be if it's not runes?*
The silence stretched between them. Tyler felt a prickle of awkward heat rise up his neck under her unwavering stare, forcing him to lower his eyes to the wood grain of the counter.
The iron door creaked as Kai returned, holding the folded Gloomcoat carefully in both hands. Tyler drew a breath through his nose, taking the dark fabric into his own arms.
He stepped around to the front of the counter, presenting the coat. "This is the Gloomcoat. It's specifically designed for assassins. It's light, easy to move in, and the material is sturdy." He paused, looking at her fitted leather armor, and added before he could filter the thought, "Plus, I believe it's gonna look good on you."
Her eyes widened slightly. Heat spiked in Tyler's chest, his heart thumping hard against his ribs at his own unexpected blurt.
She took the coat from his grip, unfolding it by the shoulders to examine the stitching and cut.
"Once you put it on, I believe you should be able to feel the effect immediately," Tyler said, tracking her reactions.
Her brown eyes narrowed. "What effect are you talking about, exactly?" Unbuckling the sword harness from her back, she set the heavy weapon onto the floorboards.
"You should be able to tell once you put it on," Tyler replied.
She unfastened her outer gear and slid her arms into the sleeves of the Gloomcoat. The moment her wrists pushed through the cuffs, her entire frame locked up. A violent gasp tore from her throat. Her shoulders surged back, every muscle in her body coiling tight as she stumbled backward two steps, her heels dragging against the floor.
"What?" she choked out.
"What's wrong?" Tyler asked, taking a quick step forward, caught off guard by her raw reaction. Beside him, Kai's face tightened with sudden concern.
"What is this?" she whispered, staring down at her open palms.
*Did she feel it? Did she get the skill?*
She raised her hands closer to her face, her chest heaving as her mind reeled. *How is this possible? I swear, I didn't have the skill until now.*
Confusion flooded her thoughts. A completely new skill sat fully formed in her mind, she knew its activation trigger, its cost, and its exact outcome, despite never having used it in her life. Hunters only gained skills through leveling up or rank advancement; acquiring one instantly from a piece of clothing broke every rule she knew.
"How?" she breathed, her voice trembling.
"You got a skill, right?" Tyler asked, a broad grin spreading across his face.
She snapped her head up, catching his smile. "How did you know?"
"Of course I would. It's the effect we were talking about."
Beside him, Kai's eyes lit up with realization, a wide smile breaking across his face. "It worked."
"I... I don't understand," she said, pressing the back of her wrist against her forehead as if trying to steady her thoughts. "How is any of this possible?"
"I can't really explain it," Tyler said, resting a hand against his hip, "but as you can see, it's absolutely possible."
The woman drew a slow breath, her fingers gently tracing the collar of the coat. Carefully, she slid her arms back out of the sleeves, holding the garment over her forearm with newfound care.
"How much are you selling this for?" she asked, her voice rushed, catching Tyler off guard.
"Ten silver," Tyler answered, shifting his stance.
"Ten?" She blinked, her head tilting back slightly in surprise.
"Yeah," Tyler said, gesturing toward the garment. "It's only fair we price it that way. You're basically buying a skill without having to go through a lot to level up for one."
The woman thrust her hand deep into her pocket, her fingers sweeping through the lining. *I don't have ten silver.*
Turning immediately to Kai at the counter, she stepped forward and dumped every coin remaining in her grip onto the wooden desk. The metal spilled across the surface. "These are six silver coins. With the other ones, it should make nine silver and five copper, right? Can I still get it for that? This is all I have right now."
Kai and Tyler exchanged a brief glance across the counter, their expressions unreadable for a fleeting second. Tyler broke the silence with a nod, a warm smile spreading across his face.
Kai turned back to the woman. "Yes, of course. But we won't be crafting your dagger."
"That's fine," she said instantly, pulling the Gloomcoat closer to her chest.
Kai swept the coins off the desk, opening the counter drawer to deposit them. "Right then. You've purchased the Gloomcoat. Thank you for shopping with us," he said, giving a respectful nod.
A bright smile broke across the woman's face.
"Oh, also," Tyler chimed in, "can you please tell other hunters? We would really appreciate it."
She turned to Tyler, her flushed face filled with excitement, replacing the stoic expression she had worn when she first entered. "I was already going to. I can't keep this to myself."
"Oh, thank you," Tyler said.
She let out a small chuckle. "They're not going to believe this," she muttered under her breath, turning toward the entrance. She pushed open the door and stepped out, the heavy frame swinging shut behind her.
Tyler turned toward Kai.
"Yes!" he shouted, throwing a sharp fist into the air. "We actually sold it!"
Kai let out a laugh as he watched Tyler's outburst. Seeing Tyler's excitement brought a swell of warmth to Kai's chest, leaving him happier than he had been in a long time.
They had just accomplished something, together.