Chapter 9
A Craftsman Blames His Tools
“Thank you, Ms. Seo-yeon.”
“Guild Master…”
Lee Seo-yeon flinched and stepped back momentarily.
A completely different energy was now emanating from Kim Jun’s body, which just moments before had been enveloped in her healing mana.
After the Dragon Heart implantation, Kim Jun’s mana hadn’t just increased in quantity. Its very nature had changed.
‘This is…’
Unstable, violent, and even cruel mana.
Lee Seo-yeon felt such things from Kim Jun’s body.
“Are you alright? This mana….”
Lee Seo-yeon asked with a worried look.
Even to her, an S-rank Healer, the mana flowing from Kim Jun’s body felt incredibly dangerous.
“I’m fine.”
The power of the dragon possessed a dangerous duality equal to its immense might.
In exchange for granting transcendent power beyond human limits, it came with fatal side effects—the gradual erosion of one’s humanity.
The more one raged, the more the power overflowed exponentially. In the storm of violent emotions, the dragon’s power reached its peak.
But at the end of that path, the humanity known as Kim Jun would scatter, and the dragon’s consciousness would take its place.
Lee Seo-yeon had seen the shadow of that fate within Kim Jun’s body.
Kim Jun let out a deep breath, feeling the dragon’s power swirling uncontrollably within him.
If he couldn’t master this unruly power, everything would be meaningless.
“This one… and this one.”
Kim Jun pulled out the materials obtained from dismantling the dragon’s body from his subspace pouch and examined them.
Teeth, bones, hide… even an eye.
These rare materials would help control the dragon mana overflowing from his body.
Knock. Knock—
Kim Jun knocked on the door of a worn-out smithy at the very end of Thebes’s Craftsman’s Street.
“Who is it?”
A gruff voice came from inside.
“I heard you are the most skilled blacksmith in Thebes.”
“I don’t work anymore. Go to the place next door.”
A somewhat irritable tone.
Kim Jun smiled. It was a situation he had experienced in his previous life.
But he knew the reason, and he had brought the solution.
Thud—
As he pushed the door, a pouch of materials fell to the ground through the half-open gap.
“I said I don’t work!”
The voice inside grew rougher.
“Would you care to take a look?”
Rustle—
The pouch opened, and glowing red dragon scales spilled onto the floor.
Following them, long, sharp dragon fangs and hard dragon bones were added on top.
“T-This is…!”
The door swung open, revealing a dwarf with a red beard that reached his chest.
His height only came up to Kim Jun’s shoulders, but his shoulders, which seemed twice as broad, and his arms covered in solid muscle, showcased the blacksmith’s unique strength.
His coarse fingers hovered trembled over the materials.
“Dragon’s…”
The dwarf’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Blacksmith Aaron, I presume?”
Kim Jun asked.
“That’s right, but… where did you get such materials…”
Aaron was speechless for a long moment.
His rough hands carefully picked up the materials.
His gaze was filled with reverence, as if handling sacred relics.
“Each one is an S-grade material. How did you… Ah!”
Aaron’s eyes suddenly flew wide open. Although he had long isolated himself from the world, he couldn’t escape the rumors echoing through every alley of Thebes.
The story of the Hunter who single-handedly defeated the Red Dragon and obtained the legendary ‘Dragon Slayer’ class had reached his ears even over the walls.
And now that Hunter was standing before his smithy.
“Can you make them for me?”
At Kim Jun’s question, Aaron’s eyes suddenly darkened. His shoulders slumped.
“Come in.”
Kim Jun followed Aaron inside the smithy.
The interior was surprisingly clean, but the extinguished forge and the dust-covered anvil indicated it hadn’t been used for a long time.
“A weapon made from such materials is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Aaron let out a sigh.
“But I am no longer a blacksmith.”
He pointed to an empty tool rack on the wall.
“My hammer is gone. The Lunarium hammer, passed down through generations of my family, shattered during my last work.”
Lunarium. A rare mineral found only in the Tower.
A deep sense of defeat tinged Aaron’s voice.
The pride of being a blacksmith, which had likely been his identity for decades, had been shattered along with that hammer.
“How can a craftsman who couldn’t even properly maintain his own tool handle such precious materials? I’m sorry for a Hunter like you, but…”
Without a word, Kim Jun pulled another item from his subspace pouch.
“This is…?”
Aaron’s eyes widened once more. On the table lay a blacksmith’s hammer, crafted with perfect balance and proportion.
Intricate patterns were engraved on its surface, and ancient characters were carved into the handle.
“B-Beluron’s Hammer?!”
Kim Jun had received it as a hidden clear reward on the 1st floor of the Tower.
Aaron’s hands began to tremble. He carefully lifted the hammer.
“H-How did this come to be in your possession?!”
The dwarf’s eyes were wide with disbelief. His mouth hung half-open beneath his beard.
“The hammer that’s only a legend among master blacksmiths!”
Kim Jun nodded.
“It’s yours now. If you make my equipment.”
Aaron fell silent for a moment, holding the hammer. Then, he suddenly straightened his back, and his gaze changed.
“Equipment for a Dragon Slayer… Materials I never thought I’d lay my hands on, and a hammer like this…”
He looked at Kim Jun with a determined expression.
“I, Aaron, will pour all my skill into this! I shall create the finest equipment that can perfectly control your dragon power!”
Aaron was already starting to light the forge.
The long-extinguished forge roared to life with red flames, breathing vitality back into the smithy.
“Return in three days. I, Aaron, will present the greatest work of my life!”
“Come in!”
The moment he knocked, an excited voice called from inside.
Upon entering, Aaron was standing before something covered by a large cloth.
“Behold!”
The dwarf pulled away the cloth. Beneath it lay three pieces of equipment emitting a red glow.
First, a greatsword.
A greatsword as long as Kim Jun’s height, crafted around the dragon’s spine. The blade was engraved with the pattern of a red dragon, and the hilt was wrapped in dragon hide.
Second, armor.
A breastplate and shoulder guards made of red and black dragon scales.
Third, gauntlets.
Gauntlets woven from dragon claws and scales, offering perfect protection and mobility down to the fingertips.
“I’ve named it the 「Dragon Slayer Set」.”
Aaron said proudly.
“Call the greatsword 「Dragon Eater」, the armor 「Dragon Skin」, and the gauntlets 「Dragon Claw」. Each will control your dragon mana while also amplifying it.”
Kim Jun looked at the equipment with awe. Even in his previous life, he had never seen such a perfect set.
“And…”
Aaron pulled out another item from under the workbench.
“I had materials left over, so I made this too. Judging by my long experience, I thought you might need it.”
It was a single sword. Much lighter in form than the greatsword, its gently curved blade emitted a subtle red light.
The hilt was wrapped in dragon hide, and the scabbard was made from the same material.
“Call it 「Dragon Tail」. You can use it for different purposes than the greatsword. It will be useful when you need quick movements or precise work.”
Kim Jun bowed his head silently. It was a deeper expression of gratitude than words.
“Wearing this set will allow you to control the Dragon Heart’s power. But be careful. That power… can be more dangerous than you think.”
Worry was evident in Aaron’s eyes.
While crafting the equipment, he had had a strange experience.
Every time he quenched the dragon scales, the forge flames writhed. As if they were alive.
The moment those flames touched his skin, rage surged within him.
Hatred followed, and at the end, an inexplicable pleasure seeped in.
It was the dragon’s lingering consciousness.
“I know. Thank you, Aaron.”
Kim Jun began equipping the items one by one.
[「Dragon Eater」Acquired!]
[「Dragon Skin」Acquired!]
[「Dragon Claw」Acquired!]
[「Dragon Tail」Acquired!]
[Set Effect 「Dragon Slayer’s Legacy」Activated!]
[Dragon Heart Control Rate +60%]
[Dragon Heart Utilization Rate +40%]
Kim Jun felt the mana raging inside him suddenly stabilize.
It no longer threatened his consciousness, yet he felt he could draw upon its powerful strength when needed.
[「Dragon Eater」Effect Confirmed]
[Grade]: S
[Attack Power]: +60
[Special Effect]: Dragon Bane (Additional Damage to dragon monsters+300%)
[Unique Skills]:
「Ragnar Explosion」: The greatsword pierces the ground, causing a massive explosion.
Mana Amplification: +25%
[「Dragon Skin」Effect Confirmed]
[Grade]: S
[Defense]: +380
[Magic Resistance]: +50%
[Special Effect]: Dragon Scale (Damage Taken Reduced by 30%)
[Unique Skills]:
「Scale Counter」: Automatically reflects fire damage upon being hit.
[「Dragon Claw」Effect Confirmed]
[Grade]: S
[Attack Speed]: +40%
[Critical Hit Chance]: +25%
[Special Effect]: Claw Rend (Inflicts Bleed Effect)
[Unique Skills]:
「Claw Enhancement」: Attacks ignore 10% of target’s defense.
[「Dragon Tail」Effect Confirmed]
[Grade]: S
[Attack Power]: +30
[Attack Speed]: +60%
[Special Effect]: Double Attack (30% chance to release a sword beam)
[Unique Skills]:
「Tail Flash」: Slices through enemies instantaneously with lightning-fast swordplay.**
“With this…”
Kim Jun, now fully equipped, smiled with satisfaction.
He had acquired an endgame-tier equipment set in the early stages of the Tower.
‘The Iron Golem has extremely high defense, but it can be breached with the defense-ignoring effect of Claw Enhancement.’
The structure of the Tower rose in Kim Jun’s mind. The monsters waiting on each floor and their weaknesses.
‘The Lich has powerful magic attacks, but Dragon Skin’s magic resistance should allow me to withstand them.’
The sections where countless Hunters had lost their lives in his previous life. But now, it would be different.
The most important thing was the set effect.
While each piece of equipment was powerful individually, the synergy when worn together was beyond imagination.
The mana-amplified attacks from Dragon Eater could be delivered in rapid succession thanks to Dragon Claw’s increased attack speed.
If Dragon Tail’s double attack effect triggered in between, he could overwhelm an enemy in an instant.
The same applied to defense.
With Dragon Skin’s damage reduction and magic resistance, combined with 「Scale Counter」, most attacks would instead become a poison for the enemy.
“A perfect combination.”
As Kim Jun lightly clenched his fist, a red energy seeped from the Dragon Claw gauntlets.
‘In my previous life, it took half a year to reach the 20th floor….’
But now was different.
With this equipment, he could confidently challenge the upper floors of the Tower.
“Well, shall we have a drink to celebrate?”
“Beer?”
“Wahahaha! Of course! It has to be beer! After creating such a masterpiece, the gods would be angry if we didn’t celebrate with Dwarf Stout!
