Skillbook My Way
Chapter 62
As my vacation was coming to an end, I visited the guild's forge.
"Hmm."
I looked at every spear in the forge.
The spear that had been smashed by the Tyrant had been deemed beyond repair, so I needed a new weapon.
But I couldn't find anything that could replace my old spear, which had been made by combining Jain's Axe Spear and the Hongyeombu.
"In that case, maybe I should go find another Jain's Axe Spear and Hongyeombu again."
I was muttering that without thinking when I heard footsteps behind me.
"If that's what you're after, why not try gathering materials from scratch so I can make one tailored to your hand?"
I turned around to find the forge master standing there, having arrived at some point.
"From the materials up?"
"That's right. You know there are several mine-type dungeons in Yongsan, don't you?"
I nodded.
"There are places where ores imbued with attributes appear, though only in small numbers. Jain's Axe Spear and the Hongyeombu are already completed items, so there's a limit to what I can draw out of them. But if I make something from scratch, I can forge something far better than your previous spear."
It was a tantalizing prospect.
I borrowed a spear from the forge and immediately headed to Yongsan.
The old man and Hyeri came with me. They both said they wanted to enhance their weapons and armor.
"It's been a while since we all went hunting together."
Hyeri spoke in a cheerful voice.
"We used to go together often in the past."
The old man said as he smashed a monster with his axe.
We were in a 7-Star Dungeon in Yongsan.
In the past, we would have come with a party of at least ten hunters, but now just the few of us were enough.
After the fight with the Tyrant Guild, the old man, Hyeri, the vice guild master, and even O Seyeon had all been promoted to SS-Rank.
The government said it was in recognition of stopping the Tyrant Guild's atrocities.
But from where I stood, it seemed the government was trying to win favor with our guild—the core of the Anti-Tyrant Alliance—and Evergreen.
'Well, they must be watching their step. They were leeching off the Tyrant Guild until recently.'
I too had been given an SS-Rank license for defeating the Tyrant.
The SS-Rank license came with perks like free entry to all dungeons in Korea, and priority given to one's guild when raids occurred.
Using those perks, I had entered this dungeon for free as well.
"But the overflows have been quiet lately."
Hyeri said as we descended toward the boss room.
"They say overflows are progressing abroad just like they did here."
"Really?"
Hyeri nodded at the old man.
"They say it's happening in nearby China and Japan, and across all of Asia, Europe, and Africa too. They say there are signs in the Americas and Oceania as well."
"A worldwide overflow... I hope nothing strange happens."
Somehow, I had a bad premonition.
As soon as we arrived at the boss room, I cast [Drop Enhancement] on the elite monsters and bosses.
'As expected, the elemental attack power is weaker compared to my old spear.'
Throughout hunting the monsters, I could feel that the performance of [Flame Spear] and [Lightning Spear] wasn't coming out properly.
Still, there was no trouble taking down the bosses and elites.
I realized anew what a monstrous being the Tyrant had been, catching the spear enveloped in [Divine Flame-Lightning Spear] with his bare hand and remaining unharmed.
"Ooh! They dropped!"
The old man shouted.
Minerals shining with a golden light had fallen to the floor.
After traveling through the dungeons in Yongsan and acquiring ores, we returned to the forge.
The forge master was pleased, saying this amount was more than enough.
"Ah, Master. There's something I'd like to ask of you."
"Hm? What is it? Just say the word."
I proposed something I'd been thinking about for a while.
"Hmm. I've never tried it before... but with Seono's skill, it might be possible."
The forge master said he'd give it a try and contact me when it was finished.
After finishing our business at the forge, we returned to the guild hall.
"Where did you go?"
It was the first thing I heard upon returning to the guild.
O Seyeon was in the hall.
"Huh? We went hunting."
O Seyeon looked at me and the two people beside me.
"Where?"
"To Yongsan. We went to gather ores to strengthen our equipment."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You need equipment too? Then go talk to the forge master. We brought back plenty of ore, so he should be able to make something for you too."
Even after receiving the information, O Seyeon glared at me as if still dissatisfied, then said "Forget it" and left the guild hall.
"What's with her? Wait. What's with you all?"
I took my eyes off O Seyeon and looked to the side to find the old man and Hyeri looking at me with strange expressions. Expressions as if they were watching something amusing.
***
A few days later, I received word that the equipment was finished at the forge.
"Here. Take a look."
The forge master held out a long object wrapped in cloth.
When I unwrapped the cloth, an exclamation escaped my lips without my realizing it.
A red wave pattern engraved on the golden spear shaft.
The blade was shaped similarly to the previous axe spear but slightly sleeker, and at the junction between the blade and the shaft was embedded a green orb.
When I gripped the spear with both hands, a gray window appeared before my eyes.
--------------------
[Demonic Flame-Lightning Spear]
A demonic spear combining the two attributes of flame and lightning. Reduces mana consumption.
Crafted by: Jin Oyun, Yu Seono
(Requirements)
Strength 16 / Mana 10 / Mental Strength 12
--------------------
"May I test it a bit?"
"Of course."
I headed to the open space behind the forge. The forge master and Seono followed.
I gripped the new spear and used [Divine Flame-Lightning Spear].
Flames and sparks coiled around the spear.
When I swung the spear through the air, flames and lightning streaked outward. The speed and power were far greater than with my previous spear.
'Good. The elemental enhancement is even better now.'
That alone was enough to make me happy, but there was still something left to test.
While still holding the spear, I spoke the skill name.
"Swiftness."
Then a large amount of mana drained from my body.
"How is it, Hyung?"
Seono asked anxiously. I smiled at Seono.
"It merged properly. Thank you."
Seono's face brightened.
What I had asked the forge master was to combine the functions of a spear and a staff.
Since I had been switching between spear and staff every time I fought, gaps had been appearing at crucial moments.
'With this, it won't be a hassle anymore.'
I gazed at my new weapon, the Demonic Flame-Lightning Spear, with satisfaction.
As soon as I left the forge, I headed to the guild. To accept a quest.
My head was filled with thoughts of wanting to try out the new weapon as soon as possible.
'That's right! Instead of a quest, it would be better to have everyone go to that Strange World together. Since we can hunt field monsters to our heart's content there.'
Remembering that I hadn't been able to leave magic stones for the old man and Hyeri last time, I immediately put my thoughts into action and sent a message to everyone.
Shortly after, replies came in turn.
[Gang-il: Okay. On my way.]
[Hyeri: I'll come too.]
[Vice Guild Master: Understood. I'll be right there.]
[O Seyeon: K]
After confirming everyone's responses, I designated the dungeon for entering the Strange World, informed the others, and moved there.
Before long, we gathered in front of the dungeon, pushed through to the boss room in one go, and entered the Strange World.
"You only contact me when you need me."
After passing through the portal leading to the Strange World, O Seyeon spoke in a sulky tone.
"But at least I don't chase someone on vacation to their lodging to ask them for favors, do I?"
"......."
O Seyeon closed her mouth as if she had nothing to say, then turned her head away sharply.
I too took my eyes off O Seyeon and looked at the vice guild master.
"Vice Guild Master. I haven't taken up your time for nothing, have I?"
After the decisive battle with the Tyrant Guild, the vice guild master must have been busy handling the remaining affairs.
But in response to my question, the vice guild master shook his head.
"I was until recently, but as of yesterday, the cleanup is finally finished. It's truly fortunate that no raids have occurred lately. If they had, I wouldn't have survived managing both the cleanup and raid participation."
The vice guild master sighed with a tired face.
"But it's true—there hasn't been a single raid lately."
The old man said.
"You're right. I was so distracted by the Tyrant Guild matter that I didn't notice."
Hyeri nodded and said.
"Have there been no raids in other regions besides Seoul?"
In response to my question, the vice guild master nodded.
'Overflows are occurring abroad, while in our country the overflows have subsided, but in exchange, raids aren't happening either...'
"Could it be that the field monsters went to other countries instead of Korea?"
The old man said as if joking.
That joke might actually be true—this thought crossed my mind about thirty minutes after entering the Strange World.
"Not a single monster is coming out?"
The old man spoke in an irritated voice.
"Seyeon, has this ever happened before?"
When I asked, O Seyeon shook her head.
"It's strange. I've never failed to encounter monsters even after wandering around like this."
We searched the surroundings for about twenty more minutes, but indeed no monsters appeared.
Frustrated, I tried thrusting my spear into the ground, but it was no use.
In the end, we gave up and returned to our world.
Buzz.
As soon as we got out, the vice guild master's phone rang.
"Yes, Guild Master. Yes. Yes? Ah, understood."
The vice guild master said the guild master was looking for him and hurried back to the guild.
"What is it? Wasn't the busy work taken care of?"
The old man said. I was equally puzzled.
And that evening, while watching TV at home, I saw shocking news.
[The dungeon in XX City has suddenly vanished. More details to come...]
'What the hell is this.'
I stared at the TV broadcasting the news in disbelief.
***
That was the internet article headline the next day.
It wasn't that anyone had actually become unemployed; it was a so-called clickbait article about a dungeon disappearing just as reported in the news. But the repercussions among hunters were huge.
Our guild members were all busy bringing up the topic of dungeon destruction whenever they ran into each other.
The internet article was tabloid-level, but it hit the nail on the head.
A dungeon disappearing meant an entire industry vanishing into thin air.
The situation deteriorated by the day.
The number of disappearing dungeons grew daily.
Even in Seoul, the dungeons in Yongsan that we had visited not long ago disappeared.
With field monsters not appearing either, the anxiety among hunters grew steadily.
Amidst all this, ominous news arrived from abroad as well.
News that several cities or small countries that had failed to stop the overflows had been annihilated by monsters.
"We're worried because the monsters disappeared here, while they're worried because monsters are overflowing there."
The old man muttered while reading internet articles.
"If only all the monsters would disappear, maybe we could go back to the old ways......"
Hyeri looked sad.
"No. Even if monsters disappear, hunters with mana remain. They'll probably start wars trying to divide and devour the empty lands among themselves."
O Seyeon said.
Honestly, my thoughts were close to O Seyeon's.
I wondered what I would do for a living if all dungeons disappeared right now and my source of income vanished.
'What will become of all this......'
I looked out the window with a frustrated heart and felt something strange.
"Everyone, look outside."
"What is it, Hwajin?"
"Is something wrong?"
At my words, the old man and Hyeri, who looked outside, stiffened.
"The sky......"
O Seyeon muttered.
Though it should have been midday with the sun high in the sky, the sky was blood-red as if the sun were setting.
For an instant, I thought I saw an illusion of a world with a red sky and black land overlapping with ours.
"What the hell is that now."
At the old man's words, I surveyed the sky.
Numbers and symbols were floating in the sky.