《Entferner》 Prologue: the start A male in full army clothing ran through the storeroom and quickly jumped into cover as showers of bullets rained down on his hiding spot. *Gasp* *gasp* The 25 year old male gasped as he leaned back on the bound barrels with a [M39 Enhanced marksman rifle]. His head bloody from his wound just above his eyebrows. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± He cursed as he wiped away some of the blood that tried to enter his eye. His dark blue hair disheveled and his uniform in a mess. He took a few unsteady breaths and checked to see if he had any more ammunition in the box magazine and found only five causing him to curse yet again. ¡°[Blacksmith]¡­ what¡¯s happening¡­? I can¡¯t get a hold of [Tyrant] and [Time].¡± A female voice echoed within his mind. He took another breath before answering quietly. ¡°Yeah¡­ we¡¯ve been separated. Time must be using his ability at the moment so I doubt you can call him now¡­¡± The man called [Blacksmith] searched his flak jacket and found a pill and took it as he felt slightly energized. ¡°I see¡­ what¡¯s the matter? Your pulse is unnaturally high¡­ did you overdose on that damn soldier pill?!¡± ¡°Shut up¡­ I don¡¯t have a choice¡­¡± the male risked standing up from his spot and ducked back down when bullets showered on the barrels. ¡°Too close¡­¡± He breathed out and focused on the rifle in his arm as it slowly changed into a [Heckler and Koch HK417]. ¡°Five people: one on 12 and 9 and three at 4.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± [Blacksmith] touched his flak jacket and concentrated. ¡®[Anti-pierce]¡­¡¯ the jacket slowly reformed and renewed itself. Blowing out some air, [Blacksmith] steeled his gaze and resolve and rolled out to his left and shot at nine o¡¯clock. A splattering noise resounded as the enemy¡¯s head exploded in blood and brain matter. [Blacksmith] quickly touched the floor in front of him and in a split second made a wall to cover him from the bullets. ¡°What the hell¡­ An [Esper]¡­!¡± One of the enemies shouted before having his head blown off by the [Blacksmith]¡¯s weapon. It was not a mass produced [Heckler and Koch HK417] but an [Arch type Heckler and Koch HK417] that shot explosive rounds that were made for anti-material rifles. ¡°Damn you!¡± the ones at his four o¡¯clock lost their common sense and kept firing at the wall of cement, never realizing the grenade thrown at them. A few seconds later, an explosion and the three men were blown into bits and pieces. ¡°Damn humans¡­¡± He breathed out and leaned on the wall he created but as soon as he tried to close his eyes, a familiar male with black hair raised his hand at him and, with glowing eyes, began to form a bubble around the [blacksmith]. ¡°You-¡± he could not even finish his sentence as he suddenly disappeared along with the bubble. The male smiled and went out of the storeroom. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Empty grasslands filled with flowers, a bright blue sky with white puffy clouds and animals of shapes and sizes frolicking and grazing the grass. All in all: it was a picturesque scene. Suddenly a loud roar rang through the air, freezing the animals in fear. The sky began to darken and the once gentle breeze became a whirlwind. Trees were being uprooted, creatures that looked like cattle were pulled towards the sky and the grass burnt by red flames. Another roar rang and red lightning struck the ground, obliterating the ground and creating a spherical crater. Everything went quiet. All the animals ran away, all the flowers were ripped and burnt, the trees uprooted but the sky began to lighten up. The dark clouds began to turn white and dispersed; the sky lost its grey color and began to take a blue hue. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound and nothing remained of the picturesque scenery of the previous grassland. Then something stirred, began to glow inside the crater and soon: a pillar of white light pierced the sky. It lasted but a moment and then disappeared. Inside the crater lay a male with navy blue hair that shrouded his face and a slightly muscled body. He wore a sleeveless black t-shirt and camouflaged combat trousers along with black combat boots. Around his neck was a metal dog tag (metal necklaces worn by the military) and on his hands were black finger-less gloves. The male stayed still for a few seconds before stirring from the land of the unconscious and propping his body up with his elbows. He took a breath, breathed out, another breath in and then another out. He looked around the crater he was inside in. He brought the dog tag up to his eyesight and breathed out a sigh of relief. He started to stand up and climbed out the crater. He stood straight and examined his surroundings: charred earth, dismembered creatures, blue sky and some dragons. . . . . . ¡°Am I seeing this correctly¡­?¡± he asked himself in disbelief as he stared at the distant dragons of varying colors. Without even needing to think, he knew he was in another world. ¡®After all¡­ the world I came from had no dragons nor any grassland left¡­¡¯ Hyakuren thought bitterly as he recalled the factory filled countries that continued to puff out black smog. Hyakuren scanned the area around him more closely, finding several buffalo like creatures with three horns and several white rabbits that held axes in their tiny paws. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Might as well go and harvest them while I can¡­¡± Hyakuren reassured himself as a combat knife materialized in his right hand. It was his ability; [Transmutation: creation]; an ability that enabled him to create anything from different ores and elements. "Let¡¯s see¡­ horns, claws¡­? Fangs, meat, leather and bones¡­ probably should just bury the bones¡­ Maybe I can get some of this world¡¯s currency in a nearby village or town.¡± Hyakuren skillfully began to separate each of the listed parts so as to distract himself from thinking about being transported into another world. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡ªhalf an hour later¡ª --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hyakuren looked at the newly made bags he had created from the leather he had harvested by reconstructing some rocks into needles and threads by altering their characteristics using his second ability: [Transmutation: reconstruction]. Unlike most [Esper] abilities, Hyakuren¡¯s ability relies on his creativity and imagination. He could make glass, a highly fragile material, bend and twist like a piece of string and if he was really concentrating, he could even recreate complex things such as human body parts but due to his conscious, he does not use it to create or re-create human and animal structures. ¡°Now then... meat goes into small bag #1 and synthetic materials go into bag #2. Put the two bags into larger pack and seal.¡± Hyakuren ran through a simple manual verbally as if to teach some non-existent audience and put it on his back. He looked at the sky which barely changed. After scanning the area around him again, Hyakuren chose a random direction and walked without hesitation with a little spring in his step. He was now away from wars that took away his family and friends, and to add even more excitement: he was in another world where the vegetation was not limited to rich bastards that treated others as objects. -------------------------- ¡ªsome time later¡ª Hyakuren had found a dirt road an hour from where he woke up. Following the dirt road, he came across some merchant caravans and oddly enough, he could understand what they were talking about and now; he was riding at the back of the carriage speaking to a person who introduced himself as Zelkova, a young man in his late twenties with orange-blonde spiky hair and a lean figure. ¡°So you were attacked by some [Al-Miraj] and ended up lost?¡± Zelkova¡¯s energetic voice could be heard in the back of the carriage as he listened to Hyakuren¡¯s half-truth. ¡°Yeah, I am new to this part of the land and so I could not recognize the area I was in.¡± Hyakuren recounted his tales one hour ago. It hadn¡¯t even been five minutes since he began his journey to find a road but he was already assaulted by large rabbits that wielded stone axes. Instead of being startled, he actually found the large, axe-wielding bunnies to be humorous and slaughtered them in thirty seconds; adding more material into his back pack. ¡°¡ªto think I would be attacked by rabbits¡­¡± Hyakuren finished, earning a good-humored laugh from the 9 year elder. ¡°I guess it must have been shocking, huh?¡± Zelkova inquired with a smile. ¡°So, which country are you from Hyakuren? You mentioned something about your homeland void human sized bunnies.¡± ¡°Ah, I do not know what my real birth place is since I travelled with my father until just a few years ago. He died when a rogue assassin attacked our temporary home.¡± Hyakuren told a truth. Back in Japan, Hyakuren had been picked up by a travelling [Esper] that Hyakuren saw as a father figure. ¡°S-sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to bring up such a memory.¡± Zelkova awkwardly tried to dispel the gloomy aura that was about to descend upon the whole caravan. ¡°It is alright¡­ he said he died with honor knowing he protected me and killed our assaulter. If it weren¡¯t for him, I might not have lived now.¡± Hyakuren explained with a nostalgic smile on his face. ¡°What about you Zelkova-san? Why are you travelling?¡± Hyakuren turned towards the blonde male. ¡°Well, when I was young, I had an idol. He was our village protector. He used to travel the world with different people and being the easily impressed child I was, I became an adventurer at the age of 16 and went out into the world.¡± Zelkova smiled proudly. ¡°Hey Zelkova, we¡¯re at the fork of the road.¡± The driver of their carriage called out to the orange-blonde male. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going our separate ways from here. If you ever come to Eclana, ask around for the [Moonlight] guild, or better yet; ask about the great Zelkova!¡± Zelkova crossed his arms and advertised his guild after getting of the carriage. ¡°I guess it¡¯s faster if I followed you there then.¡± Hyakuren rose from his seat and jumped down from the carriage. ¡°Thanks for bringing me this far, old man!¡± Hyakuren waved goodbye to the merchant caravan, more specifically the driver of his carriage. ¡°Just for your information, Hyakuren: I do not swing that way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I prefer women rather than men hands down.¡± And with a laugh, the two began their trek to the town of [Eclana]. ¡ªEnd of chapter¡ª Chapter 1: Interacting with people Chapter 1: World tutorial ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you have no idea how to use magic other than your personal magic. Not even the general magic that kids can do?¡± Zelkova¡¯s laughing voice rang out on the empty dirt road. ¡°Shut up, I never had a chance to learn. Unlike you, I had to make sure to not fall behind my father every few steps.¡± Hyakuren retorted the laughing adult. ¡°Besides, at least I can use my magic to create my equipment rather than buying them.¡± ¡°You seriously are a cheat, you know that?¡± ¡°I am not a cheater, I am a beater¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°It is for me to know and for you to forever try to find an answer to.¡± They kept chattering the whole journey to Eclana. ¡ªan hour later¡ª ¡°Welcome to Eclana my dear friend!¡± Zelkova spread his arms and crossed in front of his chest as he grinned proudly with large, castle walls behind him as a background. ¡°I know you said it a rather large town¡­ but isn¡¯t that a city?!¡± Hyakuren pointed at the walls that spread out from left to right without any sight of ending. If he were to compare it: it was as if New York had a large wall encircling it and its oceans. ¡°What are you talking about? Sofia city is way larger than this, and it floats!¡± Zelkova explained nonchalantly as he turned around and began to walk down the now gravel path that lead to the large city gates with an awestruck Hyakuren following him a few steps behind. The gates were packed with people entering and leaving the city, walking over the wooden drawbridge. ¡®Look at all these people¡­¡¯ Hyakuren thought in awe at the different people with different characteristics. Some were tall and had tanned skin, some were short and buff. There were even people with animal ears. ¡®What kind of anime like world am I in?!¡¯ ¡°H-hey, Zelkova¡­¡± Hyakuren, who was suddenly unnerved by the sudden information flux, called to the blonde man weakly. ¡°Am I really seeing people with cat ears? Real cat ears¡­?¡± Zelkova looked at the young man incredulously ¡°You really don¡¯t know them? They are the [Beastmen]; human like people with animal characteristics.¡± Zelkova began explaining to the world traveller. ¡°The ones with cat ears are called [Catkin] but just like you; they cannot use any magic but they can use specialized magic. It all depends on their race.¡± ¡°I see¡­ then I am guessing they are [dwarves]?¡± Hyakuren mentioned to the small buff and bearded man. ¡°Yes, they are arguably the best blacksmith¡¯s that are rivaled only by [Elves] and [Machinas]. They mainly gather and make colonies in and on mountains. They have a city of blacksmiths under the [Dagora Mountains] in the west.¡± Zelkova explained as the two passed through the gates. ¡°The elves¡­ well, they have great compatibility with magic and not only that; they have some of the best archers in the world. The current court wizard is a [Moon Elf] called, Lunaria. She specializes in magic that uses light as a base and she¡¯s as beautiful as the moon~¡± Zelkova let out a perverted giggle causing some people to stare at the duo. ¡°Please refrain from making me into a pervert you super pervert--¡±¡°Then we have the [Machinas]!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cut me needlessly!¡± ¡°In your point of view, what do you think [Machinas] specialize in?¡± Zelkova inquired to the blue haired 19 year old teen. ¡°Well¡­ I guess they seem like people with great accuracy and proficiency but¡­ can they use magic?¡± ¡°Ding-ding~ Correct!¡± Zelkova acted like the MC of a famous quiz show that airs in japan. ¡°As you said, they are very accurate and are very proficient in their line of work. They cannot use magic, or not that would be very bad and we won¡¯t be given any opportunities in the world. Just like any other race, they have their specialization. They are the best when it comes to runic magic.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference?¡± Hyakuren questioned the elder male who nodded at his questions. ¡°There are a lot more but I will let the adventurer guild tell you anything you need to know. For now, I will show you the [Moonlight] guild.¡± Zelkova stopped in front of a large building that was part of a rather large tree. ¡°As much as I would like to, I¡¯ll refrain from doing so for now.¡± Hyakuren immediately rejected. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I still have business to attend to at the adventurer¡¯s guild. A monster destroyed my last identity as an adventurer.¡± Hyakuren made an excuse and judging from the look of apprehension on Zelkova¡¯s face, he believed it. ¡°Ah, right~ I totally forgot that you weren¡¯t from this side. Well, I guess I¡¯ll see you after you do your business.¡± Zelkova began to walk towards the giant tree building. ¡°Go straight down the road, turn to the first left and it¡¯s the largest building in the plaza¡± Hyakuren bowed to his travelling companion and followed his instructions. ¡°I don¡¯t want to depend too much on him. I need to learn the basics myself¡­¡± Hyakuren mumbled to himself as he navigated through the crowd. Multiple times, he would be called over by a merchant who was displaying his wares on the street and every time; he would sell some of the goods he had earned through slaughtering the white bunnies that attacked him, keeping only their meat. ¡®This world still uses the coin system¡­ let¡¯s see. 1, 2¡­ 1560 coins from the looks of it¡­¡¯ Hyakuren placed the bag of coins securely in a hidden pocket inside his pack. ¡°It looks like that¡¯s the place¡­¡± Hyakuren stared at a large, large building. Like the [Moonlight] guild, it was also part of a tree but significantly larger. Entering the large building, Hyakuren felt somewhat giddy. He always wanted to adventure around in a world like this and by being an adventurer; he would be one step closer to his dream. Stopping in front of the counter, he was greeted by a female clerk. ¡°Hello, may I help you sir?¡± Hyakuren smiled politely. ¡°Ah, yes. Can I apply to become an adventurer? I am new to these lands and it appears that I need to have something to prove that I am an adventurer.¡± Hyakuren explained professionally. ¡°Ah, I guess you were a freelancer before this?¡± at the question, Hyakuren nodded. ¡°Then please fill out this form and by paying a fee, you may get your [Adventurer Recognizer].¡± Accepting the papers submitted to him, Hyakuren nodded before remembering: he had no idea where the ¡®East¡¯ was supposed to be. ¡°Excuse me, prior to this; I have no recollection of my home country. I was picked up by an adventurer who died before he could tell me where I originated from.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­ do you know the direction of your country?¡± ¡°It is in the east if what father said was true.¡± Hyakuren waited with baited breath. He was not experienced in verbal deception so he felt somewhat guilty. ¡°Then you may be part of the [Eastland].¡± ¡°Japan was an island nation I guess¡­¡± Hyakuren mumbled quietly. Hyakuren bowed and proceeded to the nearest empty table to fill up his form. ¡°The world seemed to be using English as a writing medium, though it looks more runic than anything¡­¡± After filling in the papers and relinquishing 300 coins, Hyakuren was given a small piece of copper colored metal plate in the form of a dog tag. ¡°There are adventuring ranks in this system. From the lowest to the highest, it goes: copper, silver, gold, platinum, orichalcum, adamantium and Mithril. By completing requests and/or defeating disaster targets like demons, you will be upgraded a rank. You can see it in the status window.¡± ¡°Status window¡­?¡± Hyakuren didn¡¯t thought it would seriously be like a game. ¡°How do I access it?¡± ¡°You mean you haven¡¯t realized the small square button in the upper left corner of your vision?¡± upon the clerk¡¯s question, Hyakuren finally noticed the small faded grey button. ¡°Have you found it?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I really need to pay attention to these things more¡­¡± Hyakuren embarrassedly lowered his head. ¡°It is normal. People tend to forget about the status window magic.¡± After thanking and bidding the clerk farewell, Hyakuren left the building wearing his new adventurer dog tag. ¡°Now¡­ I guess I should map out the town¡­¡± with an objective in mind, Hyakuren pretended to reach into his pack and created a notebook and pencil and started his first adventure: mapping the city. Walking around; he found different types of shops and restaurants. There were numerous inns and there were buildings in which he could not recognize. He tried walking through an alley but was surrounded by thugs who were after his money but he merely knocked them unconscious and looted their money so he now had a whopping 13,120 coins in his wallet. He entered what seemed to be the commoner wing and was surprised with their friendly smiles and greetings. He played with some children and managed to pick up some information along the way. Apparently, there was a rumor of a slave market near the plaza he was in before. ¡®I will keep that in mind¡­¡¯ He entered the noble wing and was met with different reactions. Some were the mainstream stuck up nobles, some greeted him with respect, some greeted him warmly and others just ignored him. He didn¡¯t play with the noble children though, too much of a hassle even if he knew there were some good ones. He even heard a rumor of a rampaging beast in the forest near the town. ¡®Will subdue it tomorrow, mapping first.¡¯ He found the market place that sold many food items and different types of wares; from armors and swords to sweets and grilled food. It was like a high school festival he read from a book in his old world. As usual, busy places meant busy mouths and busy mouths mean information. ¡°I heard that the kobolds up north are stirring trouble.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a goblin camp near the southern path.¡± ¡°Bandits have been terrorizing the northern route lately.¡± ¡°I heard of some treasure in the dungeon up north.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a store that is wants to buy [Al-Miraj] meat.¡± Hyakuren sold all the meat in his pack and gained another 5000 coins. Apparently, it was hard to find [Al-Miraj] during this time of year so it was pretty high in demand. ¡°There are some adventurers who were labeled as criminals, though they are only copper adventurers.¡± Truly, it was a treasure trove of information. Hyakuren felt a sense of accomplishment. Not only did he map the entire town within a few hours, he also gained a lot of coins and a lot of information. ¡°What a satisfying day¡­¡± Hyakuren took a bite of the grilled meat he bought from a stand a few minutes from the plaza where he was resting in. ¡°Oh, there was also a park right? But it was being reconstructed so I guess it won¡¯t be opened in while.¡± Finishing the grilled meat and disposing the sticks, ¡®I can just create the currency here but that would be too boring¡­ I will earn my keep in this world!¡¯ Hyakuren crossed his arms and nodded with a resolute face. ¡°Where should I go next?¡± Hyakuren mumbled quietly and wandered throughout town and stopped at the eastern gate. ¡®Maybe I should go and see if I can find any new monsters.¡¯ With that as his objective, Hyakuren jogged out of the town walls. What greeted him was a plain filled with various trees and flowers, as well as multi-colored balloons floating about. ¡°I feel¡­ as if I have seen something like this before¡­¡± the balloons were not normal balloons sold by the merchants and entertainers but were real, live monsters. ¡°Well, I guess they are better than fighting slimes. At least these monsters are solid.¡± Hyakuren recalled a game he played when he was younger. ¡°Ah~ that¡¯s right! I haven¡¯t even tried the window magic yet!¡± Hyakuren made a face that screamed: ¡°Now I remember!¡± so focusing on the small and barely noticeable status button, Hyakuren did not realize that other people entering and leaving the gate was staring at his suddenly serious face. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡®It popped up¡­¡¯ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INFORMATION Ichiharu Hyakuren LVL 6 Title: [Blacksmith] Male, 19 Human, Esper Rank (s): Copper adventurer Captain of [Mikatagahara] Vanguard unit STATUS STR 280 AGI 332 INT 498 PHY.RES 3021 VIT 309 DEX 431 LCK 890 MEN.RES 10020 COMBAT PROFICIENCY SWORDS: LVL48, 69% FIRE ARMS: LVL90, 1% ARCHERY: LVL44, 35% MAGIC: LVL0, 1% DUAL WIELDING: LVL90, 19% STAVES: LVL78,93% PORJECTILES: LVL13, 9% CURVED BLADES: LVL3, 3% TWO-HANDED SWORDS: LVL2, 10% SHIELDS: LVL12, 39% HAND TO HAND: LVL52, 9% SUPPORT: LVL0, 0% SCYTHE:LVL52, 11% HEALING: LVL9, 30% SPEARS: LVL20, 73% DAGGERS: LVL61, 11% MACE: LVL11, 0% HAMMER: LVL30, 30% CLUBS: LVL5, 10% EXPLOSIVES: LVL 39, 30% CONDITION Healthy No debuff No status condition Sleeveless Black shirt, +2def Dog tags, no bonus Camo pants, +2def Combat boots, +3def Fingerless gloves, +1def Abilities: [transmutation: creation] [transmutation: reconstruction] [Transmutation: deconstruction] [Transmutation: Material analysis] Miscellaneous: Coins on hand: 19380 Coins in bank: 0 Not part of a guild Not part of a party No bounty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hyakuren simply stared at the information provided by the window magic. He felt a sense of pride from his stats and combat proficiency but to think he still had his old name, it gave him some comfort. ¡°Okay! Hunt, loot and sell!¡± Hyakuren declared loudly attracting attention from several people. Coughing to hide his embarrassment, Hyakuren quickly went closer to the floating balloons. 5 meters away from the monster, a name appeared on top of the balloon: [Red Balloon]. Slowly, the balloon drifted closer to Hyakuren and when it was 2 meters away, a face appeared on the balloon with rows of sharp teeth and beady black eyes. Hyakuren pretended to reach into his bag and transmuted some air into Platinum and in turn, turned the platinum into a short sword with a blade that was 1 meter long and three inches wide. ¡®I wonder if i can trust that physical resistance stat¡­¡¯ The [Red Balloon] set its sight onto the unmoving Hyakuren, and the two had a stare off. The balloon floated to the left, trying to circle the young male while said male was mirroring its move, preventing from getting behind him. The two stopped, tension filled the air around the balloon while Hyakuren slowly took out the platinum short sword. Without any notice, the balloon opened its maw and bit hard onto the hand that Hyakuren was using to protect himself. Hyakuren felt nothing at all. It was funnier given the cute form of the balloon trying to bite his arm off causing him to laugh. ¡°Though I do feel a bit disappointed that low leveled monsters can¡¯t harm me, that don¡¯t mean I can just ignore their attacks though.¡± Hyakuren voiced out his thoughts and flicked the [Red balloon]¡¯s head, causing it to pop and drop its skin. ¡°I guess this is their loot?¡± Hyakuren picked up the skin read the information obtained by his [Transmutation: Material analysis]. ¡°[Red balloon skin] skin dropped by [Red Balloons], it can be used for a multitude of things from entertainment to combat. Flammable.¡± Hyakuren was actually surprised that such a thing was used in combat equipment. ¡°If it¡¯s for entertainment¡­ then¡­¡± Hyakuren blew into the [Balloon skin] causing it to expand and turned into a red ball. ¡°I guess kids can use them as to play ball?¡± Hyakuren remembered the balls that the kids played with in the commoner wing. Hyakuren heard growls around him and was surprised that he was surrounded by roughly 90 balloons. He saw red, blue, purple, orange, yellow and green. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Hyakuren strained his ears and heard the town¡¯s gate being pulled up, sealing the town from the balloon¡¯s invasion. Only then did Hyakuren saw that the guards had been trying to call to him. Hyakuren immediately felt some danger and elongated his short sword into a 3 meter claymore. He raised the blade above his head and lowered his posture to increase his balance. ¡®Whatever happens, never underestimate your enemy or you will be killed.¡¯ Hyakuren recited the quote his ¡®father¡¯ gave him when he was younger. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you balloons! Come at me bro!¡± Hyakuren challenged the balloons (irrelevant: no matter how funny that sounded) who charged him from all angles. Lowering the blade to his waist; Hyakuren swung to the right, using the inertia of a heavy blade to let him continue spinning enabling him to cut down 6 balloons and dispersing the rest by the intimidation of the sharp blade. Growling at him, the balloons began to circle him trying to find an opening to strike at him. ¡®To think they were this coordinated when in a group¡­ are they really low intelligence monsters?¡¯ Hyakuren stayed vigilant, even though he knew some could not damage him; he still had to maintain a bit of paranoia in order to survive in the world. ¡°They multiplied!?¡± Hyakuren looked at the growing number of balloons. Currently, there were 190 balloons ¡®I guess I will have to use transmutation¡­¡¯ with serious expression, Hyakuren glared at the grinning opponents. ¡®To use numbers to dwindle your opponent¡¯s stamina¡­ these things are smarter than they look.¡¯ Hyakuren complimented his enemies. ¡°But I won¡¯t be taken down so easily!¡± Hyakuren roared and stabbed the ground with his claymore and used his ability: [Transmutation: Reconstruction]. ¡°Earth Spike¡± Hyakuren added a name to the skill to cover his ability to transmute. As the name implied, the area within a 50 meter radius began to protrude up. Hyakuren pulled back the claymore and the earth returned back to normal with a lot of [Balloon skins] lying here in there. More than half of the balloons were destroyed. Hyakuren never realized that one of the sentries was watching him from the top of the wall. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡ªEnd of chapter¡ª I forgot to mention before but this story was written 3 years ago so please, if there is anything odd or if the plot line is advancing too quickly: comments and critiques are welcomed. If you find the fiction i am re-writing to be not enjoyable please don''t just type: [YOUR FICTION SUCKS] or {You cant write at all]. Please give a reason as to why it ''sucks'' . for example: [Your fiction sucks because the main plot line has too many skips in it]. <----- this is acceptable. I don''t really care for comments but reading them does motivate me~ constructive criticism is also welcomed Chapter 2: Monster party and a new acquaintence Chapter 2: monster party ¡°Trouble!¡± an anxious shout rang from the doorway of the [Moonlight] guild grabbing the attention of the 100 or so members in the mess hall. The anxious voice came from troubled looking knight. ¡°A large swarm of [Balloons] have appeared at the eastern gate! A newbie adventurer got surrounded and is fighting them off but I don¡¯t think he can last long!¡± Zelkova, who was chatting to the bartender earlier instantly stood up. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go then¡­¡± ¡°There are 4 [Boss Balloons] approaching their direction as well as some [Black Boars] and [Wyverns]!¡± Zelkova immediately grabbed hold of the large two-handed sword that was resting next to him and sprinted towards the exit, followed almost immediately by the other adventurers. ¡°Mages go up the walls with archers and shoot down any monster that tries to enter the town through the air; close combat fighters disperse and guard the other gates! We don¡¯t know if any more monsters are coming.¡± ¡°[Goblins] are approaching from the east and west!¡± ¡°[Orcs] and [Wyverns] approaching from the south¡± ¡°[Yetis] are trying to enter from the north!¡± ¡°Damn it! Everyone disperse and coordinate with the other guilds! Make sure none enter the city! Ma¡ª¡± ¡°[Giants] have appeared in the east!¡± ¡°¨CWhat the hell..!? Everyone code Delta S-24!¡± Zelkova swiftly gave commands to his guild mates. ¡°Zell, what¡¯s going on!?¡± An anxious voice came from above Zelkova. It was a girl with wings on her back. Without slowing down, Zelkova explained the situation. ¡°Monsters are trying to enter Eclana and not only that, there¡¯s a newbie in danger of being slaughtered by [Giants] at the east gate. Get your members that can fly to counter the [Wyverns] in the south. My team and I will take care of the [Giants].¡± Without replying, the winged girl changed directions and proceeded to carry out the orders. ¡°Please make it in time!¡± Zelkova prayed as he ran to the eastern gate. ¡°Mother of¡­ what the hell!?¡± Hyakuren stared speechless as he felt the ground tremble and shake almost causing him to lose his balance and be impaled by a [Black boar]. ¡°Whatever is making this shaking has got to be a pain¡­¡± Hyakuren evaded a charge from a [Black boar] and pierced its head before pulling it out and stabbing another boar between the eyes. A squeal alerted Hyakuren that he was being targeted so he abandoned his claymore and jumped back with his back facing the closed gates. Clicking his tongue, Hyakuren transmuted the air and created a sinister looking scythe. ¡®Creation: [infernal heat], [vibration effect]...¡¯ The scythe began to glow red and gave out a low hum. ¡°Come here you little piece of shit!¡± Hyakuren taunted as he swung the scythe horizontally, cutting down multiple [Black boars] and [Balloons]. As he fought the monsters on the ground, the sentries were focusing on the [Flying Balloons] while indirectly helping with eradicating the [balloons] on the ground. Hyakuren gave out a war cry as he began to chain his movements, cutting down dozens of monsters with every swing. ¡°Ichiharu style: Infernal steps!¡± Hyakuren shouted the name of his family¡¯s technique. He became more fluid. Each step he took left a burn mark as he swung the scythe using his whole body, creating vacuum waves with each swing; cutting down any monster 3 meters away from his scythe. The more he killed, the more the earth began to shake. Hyakuren knew now that it was probably large monsters coming his way so he quickened his pace. A loud roar followed by multiple deafening explosions happened 500 meters away from Hyakuren, causing him to shield his eyes as debris picked up. ¡°No¡­ way¡­¡± Hyakuren stared at the rising [Giants]. There was no way he could take on all of them. ¡°Newbie, reinforcements are coming so hang on!¡± a sentry shouted at Hyakuren as he shot down another [Flying Balloon]. Hyakuren felt reinvigorated. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll buy some time¡­¡± Hyakuren cracked out a malicious grin as he ran forward with his scythe in a position to cut horizontally, ignoring the war cries coming from the [Giants]. ¡°Zelkova-sama, quickly and help the newbie! He¡¯s in real trouble now! [Giants] have appeared!¡± Zelkova cursed neared the now lowering draw bridge. Picking up his speed, he ran up the makeshift ramp and jumped out of the town towards the eastern battle fields. Zelkova was astounded by the gore and loot that was littered everywhere but regained his senses when a thundering boom rang through the air. ¡°You know what to do!¡± He called out and brandished his two handed sword as he ran towards the [Giants]. Dozens of adventurers rushed out the now lowered bridge and took up different formations as they neared the [Giants]. Zelkova strained his sights to find the ¡®newbie¡¯ that held off the hordes of monsters and with great difficulty, due to the debris, found him slaughtering [Black boars] as he evaded multiple [Giants] attacks. Without even needing to think, Zelkova rushed past the carcasses and cut down a rather large [Black boar] that was about to charge the lone adventurer. ¡°Hyakuren, you¡¯re the newbie?!¡± Zelkova cried out as recognized the odd clothing of his travelling companion. ¡°Hyakuren, You¡¯re the newbie?!¡± Hyakuren couldn¡¯t help but frowned at the nickname he was given. ¡°Zelkova, what¡¯s going on!? I was merely harvesting some [Balloon skin] when these boars and those-¡± Hyakuren and Zelkova dodged the hammer of the [Giant] by sprinting between its legs ¡°-those [Giants] appeared.¡± Hyakuren and Zelkova stood back-to-back as they were surrounded by the other monsters. ¡°It¡¯s quite a long explanation, but short story: monsters are sieging the town. There are [Orcs]-¡± Zelkova cut down a boar with his heavy sword ¡°[goblins], [wyverns] and other monsters trying to enter each gate.¡± ¡°Then we should wrap things up here quickly then.¡± Hyakuren swung the scythe, slicing some boars. He threw the scythe up at the [giant] and it embedded itself in the [giant]¡¯s thigh causing it to roar. The two gained some distance from the [giant] and Hyakuren materialized serrated Nodachis in each hand. ¡°I¡¯m guessing your teams are taking care of some of the [Giants]?¡± ¡°Yeah but they won¡¯t last long without support so let¡¯s cut this bastard down.¡± Zelkova lowered his stance with Hyakuren doing the same. The two shot forwards like bullets and began to fight the [giant] with Hyakuren clearing any monsters that tried to distract Zelkova who had the rawest power. The [Giant] began to hammer down on the two but surprisingly, both Zelkova and Hyakuren who were in the hammer¡¯s trajectory did not evade but parried the blow; causing the [giant] to lose balance and fall down. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Seizing the opportunity, Hyakuren embedded the serrated blades into the chest of the [giant], ¡°Combust!¡± Hyakuren shouted as the area where Hyakuren was stabbing into began to glow red. Zelkova stared as Hyakuren ¡®chanted¡¯ magic into the [Giant]¡¯s body. The [Giant] began to wail but slowly, it began to stop moving as its heart was burned to a crisp. ¡°On to the next one!¡± the two quickly changed targets to the nearest [Giant] that was being held off by a group of winged people. ¡ªSeveral Hours later¡ª Hyakuren breathed heavily as the last of the [Giants] was killed. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ Is that all of them?¡± Hyakuren inquired to the equally tired Zelkova. ¡°I¡­ hah¡­ hah¡­ think so¡­¡± Zelkova leaned on his sword. ¡°Tsuvait: restoration!¡± A pale turquoise light enveloped the two, slowly regenerating their energy and removing their fatigue. ¡°Are you alright, Zelkova-sama?¡± a female elf with pale blue-silver hair appeared in their vision. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Lunaria-sama¡­!¡± Zelkova cried out loud when he saw the girl. She had long silver-blue hair that reached the middle of her back, pale skin and pale silver irises. She had a lithe frame and looked to be around 17 years of age. The robes she robes hugged her upper frame slightly, accentuating her curves. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Zelkova inquired the [Moon elf]. ¡°Yes, everything is all good. As soon as you defeated the [Giants] the other monsters retreated.¡± Lunaria explained, making the two breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°I just came here and already I am tired¡­¡± Hyakuren half whined to himself as he walked away from the two people. ¡°Hyakuren, where are you going?¡± Zelkova called out to the 19 year old male. ¡°I am going to loot every monster carcass I can find and use them as materials~¡± Hyakuren playfully answered as he did as he told them by removing the tusks and fangs of [Black boars] and picking up all the [Balloon skins] he could find. This caused Zelkova to shake his head and Lunaria to giggle. Even after such a long and difficult battle, Hyakuren still managed to be energetic. Hyakuren never stopped moving and kept harvesting monster parts that were easily taken. He re-created the bag he lost and changed its form and properties with [Transmutation: reconstruction]. He made it into a pouch and gave it two [Blessings] called [infinite storage] and [Mass removal]. This allowed him to collect every material without over burdening his body with a large and unneeded backpack. The bag was also given an ability to create separate spaces for putting in different materials so as to not mix things up. This allowed Hyakuren to not worry and just loot all day. "I wonder if there''s a limit?" He mused as he picked up a [red balloon skin] After hours of looting, Hyakuren had a few hundred [Balloon skins] and around 200 [boar tusks]. Everyone was pretty much in the town, making sure that no monsters infiltrated the gates which left only a few adventurers picking up loot outside of town. In the eastern battlefield, only Hyakuren was the only one left; giving him enough privacy to deconstruct the horned helmets the giants were using into their respective ores such as iron and steel. He didn¡¯t bother with the meat of the [Giants] and [Black boars] as he did not want to eat any pigs or humanoid giants. Allergies was his reasoning. After getting the last of the loot, Hyakuren proceeded to the town gates but was stopped when he heard a voice. ¡°What! Everything that can be sold is only the meat and fur?!¡± It was a tomboyish voice. Hyakuren, out of curiosity, headed towards the owner of the voice whist hiding his presence. What he saw was a girl wearing leather armor skinning the [Black Boars]. Her long black hair tied into a ponytail exposed her pale white skin. It was not surprising how Hyakuren knew the girl was too thin to be a veteran adventurer. Quietly, Hyakuren stood behind the girl. ¡°Argh¡­ damn this knife. It¡¯s too rusted¡­.¡± The girl dejectedly stopped trying to skin the monster and leaned back and stiffened when she felt her back touched Hyakuren¡¯s legs. She slowly looked up from her position. ¡°You need a hand?¡± Hyakuren asked the girl but she passed out seeing the bloody and smiling figure of Hyakuren who had entrails and dried blood on him. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± the girl shyly and embarrassingly said her thanks after Hyakuren skinned the boar and carved its meat. ¡°It¡¯s fine. My name¡¯s Hyakuren by the way. I¡¯m an adventurer.¡± Hyakuren introduced himself as he cleaned the knife of the boar¡¯s blood. ¡°It¡¯s not safe out here you know? There was a battle not long ago.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I was only going to scavenge some materials¡­¡± The girl scratched her cheek. ¡°I have too much on me at the moment; do you want some of it?¡± Hyakuren offered ¡°B-but you gathered it yourself, I couldn¡¯t possibly just take what you harvested!¡± the girl rejected his offer but Hyakuren still went towards one of the tree to pretend he had some materials hidden there. ¡°I told you, I have too much on me. If people know I have this much, it is just going to be a hassle so let me give you some as a gift of our acquaintanceship.¡± Hyakuren made an excuse as he hid behind the tree and created a small bag the size he had before it was ripped to shreds. He took out a few dozen [Balloon skins] and a few [Boar tusks]. ¡°Here¡­¡± Hyakuren tossed the bag to which the girl caught in a panic. ¡°T-thank you¡­¡± she quietly thanked the kind male and bowed. ¡°Mind telling me your name now?¡± Hyakuren stood in front of the girl. ¡°After all, I did give you mine.¡± ¡°My name is¡­ Kili Aasfresser¡­¡± the girl introduced herself with a quiet voice. ¡°Then take care, Kili. I will go on ahead to the town.¡± Hyakuren walked nonchalantly through the town gates leaving behind an impression that would never be forgotten by the girl named Kili. ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Kili picked up the knife she used but was surprised to find it sharp and lustrous as if it was newly forged by the blacksmith. ¡°The knife¡­?¡± truly, the male she met was an enigmatic one she thought to herself as she stood under the moonlit sky. ¡ªEnd of Chapter¡ª Again: constructive criticism, suggestions and simple praises are welcomed~ Chapter 3: Bandit encounter and a mantis... Hyakuren stretched as he let out a large yawn. He slept late but still woke up early due to his habits in the war of his world. He opened the curtains and judged that the sun had not even rise yet. Hyakuren looked at himself in the mirror. He had took off his shirt before sleeping due to it being bloody and now he stood shirtless in front of a full body mirror. His lean frame littered with scars from the terrors he had faced in his world. Hyakuren traced the one on his shoulder, it was one of the most memorable memories he had of his ¡®father¡¯ before he died. ¡°Maybe I should check my status¡­¡± =========================================================================== INFORMATION Ichiharu Hyakuren LVL 28 Title: [Blacksmith] Male, 19 Human, Esper Rank (s): Copper adventurer Captain of [Mikatagahara] Vanguard unit STATUS STR 660 AGI 1020 INT 1220 PHY.RES 10021 VIT 890 DEX 700 LCK 909 MEN.RES 28020 COMBAT PROFICIENCY SWORDS: LVL55, 89% FIRE ARMS: LVL90, 1% ARCHERY: LVL44, 35% MAGIC: LVL0, 1% DUAL WIELDING: LVL91, 1% STAVES: LVL79,91% PORJECTILES: LVL13, 9% CURVED BLADES: LVL3, 3% TWO-HANDED SWORDS: LVL2, 10% SHIELDS: LVL12, 39% HAND TO HAND: LVL53, 4% SUPPORT MAGIC: LVL0, 0% SCYTHE:LVL59, 11% HEALING: LVL9, 30% SPEARS: LVL20, 73% DAGGERS: LVL61, 11% MACE: LVL11, 0% HAMMER: LVL30, 30% CLUBS: LVL5, 10% EXPLOSIVES: LVL 39, 30% CONDITION Healthy No debuff No status condition Sleeveless Black shirt, +2def Dog tags, no bonus Camo pants, +2def Combat boots, +3def Fingerless gloves, +1def Abilities: [transmutation: creation] [transmutation: reconstruction] [Transmutation: deconstruction] [Transmutation: Material analysis] Miscellaneous: Coins on hand: 19380 Coins in bank: 0 Not part of a guild Not part of a party No bounty =================================================================== Hyakuren whistled. He jumped a lot of levels so his status naturally went up. He then noticed a button with a question mark on the upper left screen so naturally, he pushed it. [Monsters, when defeated, have their experience and memories turned into energy and are given to the one who defeats them. Some special equipment allows the increase of energy gained when defeating monsters.] ¡°How convenient¡­ I found a manual.¡± [When fighting in groups, the energy is not split among the battlers. The energy given is equal to everyone. For example, if one was given 100 as a reward, the others will also gain 100.] ¡°Interesting¡­¡± [To form a group, also known as a party, one has to gain consent of the person that is about to be invited. Once gained, the party will automatically form with the leader being the one who invited them.] ¡°I guess this world is like a game¡­¡± Hyakuren closed the window magic and put on his shirt. Hyakuren ran his hands over the shirt and the blood was gone along with the smell of sweat and iron. ¡°Maybe I should start my adventure today¡­?¡± mumbling out his thoughts, Hyakuren descended to the reception table where he met the innkeeper. ¡°So how was your stay?¡± Hyakuren was questioned as soon as the innkeeper saw him. ¡°It was more comfortable than where I slept before, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Hyakuren answered with a laugh, earning him a smile from the old innkeeper. ¡°Well then¡­ I¡¯m off to another adventure.¡± Hyakuren smiled at the middle-aged innkeeper and proceeded outside. ================================================================== Hyakuren took a deep breath as soon as he stepped outside the inn. He stretched a little before going to the west of the town. After the monster siege, Hyakuren had accumulated a lot of materials both for miscellaneous things as well as equipment. Seeing as his powers were somewhat of cheats in the world he was currently in, he opted to only use his powers for making weapons and miscellaneous items. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Hyakuren spotted some knights coming back patrolling the city and its outskirts. He knew that even if the town had several guilds residing within the city, they could not rely on them as they were adventurers. Not every adventurer would choose to stay in one place for a long time. Walking with a leisurely pace, Hyakuren waved at some children who were helping their mothers in the morning in the west wing who cheerfully waved back. After the incident just the day before, the people of Eclana knew of him so he did not get chastised. ¡°I wonder if there will be a time where I would have such cute children¡­¡± Hyakuren mused to himself of a normal life with a wife and children making him smile and laugh. ¡°Someday¡­ I am sure someday¡­¡± Hyakuren felt a bit more energized seeing the innocence of the children he had met and proceed to the western gate with a quicker pace, unaware of a smiling figure taking an interest in him. =================================================================== Exiting the western gate, Hyakuren saw some [Red Balloons] and other colored balloon monsters like the ones on the eastern side but without paying them any mind, he proceeded to walk down the dirt path without being disturbed by the balloon monsters. The road led through a forest. ¡°And if I am not mistaken¡­ there are beast type monsters here¡­¡± Hyakuren recalled the book he read the night before. The book titled: ¡®Eclana and its surrounding monsters¡¯ gave him a lot of information regarding the monsters that can be found in and around Eclana¡¯s sphere of influence. It also gave him a somewhat detailed map of the country he was in. Apparently, he was in a country called [Ragna Ys]. Hyakuren took out a small notebook from his [Magic Pouch] and proceeded to read the information he had gathered yesterday. ¡°Bandit raids on the highways¡­ highways mean a lot of traffic so it probably leads to somewhere there are a lot of opportunities to trade and work¡­¡± Hyakuren mumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Hyakuren put the notebook away and took out his hand drawn map. ¡°The imperial city: Sofia and nearby are several villages that have high quality products such as silk and weaponry¡­¡± Hyakuren raised his head from the map he was reading when he heard some rustling in the bushes in front of him. Slowly, Hyakuren put away the map and proceeded to transmute the air into adamantium, a metal that was said to be able to absorb any type of impact, in each hand and transmuted that metal into gauntlets. The metal first wrapped around his hands and spread up until his elbow. The metal slowly began to reshape into something more armor-like. The fore-arms resembled forehand protectors and on the back of his hands were several spikes. Hyakuren gave the arm protectors special characteristics. ¡®Creation: [self-repair], [elemental immunity], [flexibility of clothing]¡­¡¯ The gauntlets slowly change colors from dull grey into lustrous silver. Slowly, Hyakuren clenched and unclenched his hands to test if the characteristics he gave the pair of gauntlets. Hyakuren knew that the people hiding behind the bushes were surprised by the quiet cursing he heard. They probably thought that he was just a normal adventurer who did not equip any other weapon other than the knife on his belt. Hyakuren got into a battle stance by getting into a normal boxing stance. ¡°Just come out will you?¡± Hyakuren called out to the hidden enemies. They, of course, did not come out but Hyakuren knew they were trying to cast a barrier to prevent him from escaping. The area within fifty meters was covered by a pale blue barrier that instantly disappeared upon completion. Hyakuren merely scoffed as the 20 or so enemies came out from their hiding space between the trees and bushes. A bald male wearing what seemed to be animal fur and leather armor called out to him. ¡°You better get ready for a world of- ugh!¡± Hyakuren used his newly acquired strength to propel him to the bald man and landed a punch in the face of the bandit using the momentum he gained from his propulsion, knocking the bandit leader out immediately. Hyakuren looked around the gaping group of bandits. ¡°Five minutes¡­¡± Probably hearing Hyakuren¡¯s proclamation, one of the bandits paled and issued out an order. ¡°Kill him!¡± With the order as a catalyst, the other bandits began chanting magic and rushing forwards towards the blue haired male. =================================================================== ¡°Now tell me where your camp is.¡± Hyakuren demanded the tied up bandits but they just ignored him. Sighing, Hyakuren grab hold of one of the bandit¡¯s knee and pushed it to the ground; making a rather large snapping noise and a small splatter of blood. ¡°I will not ask again¡­ where is your camp?¡± Ignoring the screaming bandit, Hyakuren inquired the other bandits who instantly gave him the information he needed. ¡°There-there¡¯s a camp f-five kilometer away towards the south-west¡­! Please, let us go!¡± the bandits pleaded. ¡°We were only trying to make a living; we did not wish to harm anyone!¡± Hyakuren knocked them out, ignoring their pleading and stripped them of their armor and weapons. He deconstructed the weapons they used back into iron and bronze ore using his ability [transmutation: deconstruction] and reconstructed the armors into his size with his ability [Transmutation: reconstruction]. Putting on his newly acquired armor; Hyakuren tried moving about to test if the armor had any flaws. ¡°It feels a bit stiff¡­¡± Hyakuren commented as he gave it the same characteristics as his gauntlets and tried moving again. ¡°There, much better!¡± Hyakuren stretched as he felt a bit of satisfaction. Removing the binds of the unconscious bandits, Hyakuren made his way down the road again. Not caring if anything happened to the unconscious bandits all the while continuing to sing: ¡°Hunt~ Kill~ Loot~¡± =================================================================== Hyakuren had walked for hours as seen as the sky turned from dark dawn into blue as the sun was now in the middle of the sky. Hyakuren found an empty clearing near the road and thought it was a good idea to rest and eat before proceeding with his journey. With the rocks and firewood he collected, Hyakuren made a little fire pit and began roasting the [Al-Miraj] meat he procured a little while back. He knew it was going to be a while so he took out a small turquoise colored rock that emitted a small crack of electricity. Using his ability [Transmutation: Material analysis], Hyakuren gained some information about the small ore. [Volt stone: an ore that contains electricity by producing its own electrical current. The ore is popular as a means of torturing as its electric sparks are not lethal but just very painful. It is also used to power golems in place of steam.] Hyakuren read the screen that appeared in his vision. ¡°Interesting¡­ maybe I can use this to create a weapon¡­¡± Hyakuren mused as he stared at the small stone. Hyakuren put away the ore into his [Magic pouch] and picked up one of the skewered meat and began his lunch. =================================================================== Hyakuren removed any traces of him using the clearing as a resting spot and continued his way down the road through the forest. He enjoyed his walk through the forest and wished that his world was more like this one with its greenery. Hyakuren remembered the information he extracted from the bandits he defeated before. The camp was five kilometers away from that point; he had travelled roughly 3 kilometers. If he continued to walk westwards, ignoring roads and such; Hyakuren will find the bandit camp if the information was true. ¡°Should I subdue them myself or let some knights do it?¡± Hyakuren mused. He did not want to make himself more conspicuous by defeating a bandit camp but it would really help him get a lot of material and loot. ¡°I never thought I had to choose between eradicating and letting others to eradicate¡­¡± Before Hyakuren noticed it, he was already at the edge of the forest and was a few steps away from leaving the forest and without hesitation; he took those few steps and exited the forest. He saw a wide plain filled with a handful amount of trees. ¡°I just came out from a dark forest and the first thing that welcomes me is one of the designated [Disaster target]¡­¡± Hyakuren commented as soon as he looked up. Standing 10 meters away and staring at him was a 20 meter tall mantis-like creature wearing silver armor and wielding two halberds. The monster stared at the 19 year old for a few seconds before roaring and rushing at the boy in full speed. ¡ªend of chapter¡ª Chapter 4: [Damascus] and meeting again. A loud roar followed by a swing of two halberds caused an earth shattering blow where Hyakuren once stood. The monster; a large armor wearing monster wielding two halberds called [Damascus] was our protagonist¡¯s opponent. As if sensing movement; the [Damascus] swung one of its halberds to the left, nearly landing a fatal blow if it hadn¡¯t been for Hyakuren¡¯s quick back-flips. Hyakuren landed on his feet and lengthened the gauntlet that he had yet to take off to envelope his whole arms, his chest and neck, only leaving his midriff exposed. ¡°Of all the times to run into a [Disaster Target]¡­¡± Hyakuren commented as he evaded another swipe of the mantis-like creature. Hyakuren proceeded and create two serrated Nodachis and gave them different characteristics as the mantis swung its halberds vertically. ¡®Creation: [Vibration effect], [infernal heat]¡­¡¯ Hyakuren blocked the incoming by crossing the swords above him. ¡®Even [vibration effect] can¡¯t cut through its weapons?!¡¯ Pushing the halberds away, Hyakuren disrupted [Damascus]¡¯s balance and tried to pierce the armor by thrusting at the exposed chest but it was deflected by the mantis¡¯s armor-like skin. ¡°Damn it-¡± Hyakuren got hit by the pole of the halberd and got thrown away. Hyakuren lessened the impact by spinning himself and landing in a crouched position. ¡°I am glad I managed to increase the armor¡­¡± Hyakuren thanked his quick wits as the armor he wore expanded down to cover his midriff. Hyakuren immediately turned around and tried to get away from the enemy but to his surprise; despite its large size it was fast. Like a cheetah running after it¡¯s pray. ¡°What the¡­ fuck!¡± Hyakuren evaded the thrown halberd [Damascus] had thrown which was a good idea because the halberd pierced the ground after missing its target burrowing itself deep¡­ really deep. Hyakuren looked behind at the mantis which he could have sworn was grinning in victory and triumph as it crossed its arms and puffed out its chest. ¡°That is really annoying¡­¡± ¡®This is bad¡­ that thing can outrun me if it wants to and its strength is not like anything I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ not even Zelkova can match its strength.¡¯ Hyakuren got into a position where one of his swords was ready behind him and the other in front of him (note: Imagine chief Nyanta of Log Horizon). His demeanor now changed from flight mode to fight to death mode, Hyakuren strained his senses to counter any movements. Hyakuren¡¯s body, now fully covered in adamantium armor that hugged his body as if it were like bandages, exuded a killing intent potent enough to cause normal people to kill themselves but seeing as the opponent was a demonified mantis called [Damascus]; it only caused the [Disaster target] to become cautious. The two glared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move as Hyakuren¡¯s blade became scorching red. Hyakuren held the sword behind him in a reverse grip and bolted towards the enemy, letting it hang behind him as the other sword pierced forward. ¡®I knew you were going to do that¡­¡¯ Damascus the demon mantis thought cheerfully and deflected the blade to the right but failed to realize the true intentions of the attack. ¡®What!¡¯ ==================================================================== Hyakuren, who had his sword deflected to the left, used the momentum of his spinning body and used his left sword to slash at the mantis¡¯ foreleg and cleaved it clean off the monster. Roaring in pain, the mantis swatted the human away with its left hand and stabilizing itself with its weapon. Hyakuren, at the last minute of his attack, had increased the ranged of the blade five more meters and cleaved two of the three left legs of the mantis. He was grateful that adamantium existed in this world. If not, he would have from blunt trauma from the last attack. ¡°Not so cocky now, are you¡­ [Damascus]?¡± Hyakuren taunted as he stood up after being swatted away. Without waiting for the boy to continue his taunt, [Damascus] charged at the boy. Even after losing two of its legs; the monster was still as fast as before and delivered consecutive strikes, each one heavier than the last. Hyakuren cannot even try to counter the onslaught of attacks as he tried desperately to block and parry each attack. ¡®Every hit is getting heavier and heavier¡­¡¯ Hyakuren thought as he parried another hit from the large mantis. [Damascus] raised its halberd up high and brought it down with every fiber in its being to kill the young male. ¡°Crap!¡± Hyakuren desperately tried to block the attack but was sent flying backwards as the strength of the attack was too much for his swords, causing them to break. Dust filled the area, obscuring the view. Hyakuren felt himself hit several boulders with his back. ¡®Even adamantium cannot absorb all the shock!¡¯ Hyakuren felt each boulder he hit. Hyakuren did not know how much time passed but when he stopped hitting boulders; the dust had subsided; showing the bleeding form of Hyakuren and the crippled form of [Damascus] without two of its legs. Hyakuren stood up with struggle and conjured a pair of short swords. ¡®Vibration effect, infernal heat and armor penetration¡¯ Hyakuren held the two short swords in a reverse grip and again: the two opponents glared at each other. Hyakuren again moved first and was soon followed by [Damascus]. The two got closer and closer and as soon as Hyakuren entered its range; the mantis swung its only halberd horizontally but was surprised as its opened got down and slid on his knees, avoiding the swing and went under the mantis. Taking the chance; Hyakuren lengthened his short swords again and cut off the last remaining left leg and the backmost leg of the mantis, causing the mantis to lose its balance and fall. Hyakuren got as far away as possible, worried that the mantis might attack him again. The mantis supported itself with its weapon and glared at the young teen with its compound eyes. It began to chant magic in a language that Hyakuren had never heard before. oh wind, lighten my body and let me cleave my enemies in half with your fury. Wind began to pick up as the mantis continued its chant. thou art the one who guides and thou art the one who gives devine retribution of the sky, allow this one o cleave thy enemies in half Hyakuren knew something bad was about to happen and charged forwards in an attempt to stop the mantis. Wind scy-- With a war cry; Hyakuren thrusts his swords out, leaving a trail of red and a loud hum as the blade pierced the mantis¡¯ torso causing the mantis to stop chanting. ¡°Not yet!¡± Hyakuren cried out as he pulled the swords out and continuously slashed at [Damascus]. Though each strike only made three centimeter slashes, it began to deepen as Hyakuren attacked the same spot over and over. wind... ¡°Like hell I am going to let you finish that chant!¡± Hyakuren screamed out and delivered the final blow as [Damascus]¡¯s head finally came off its body, spurting out green blood. But even then Hyakuren did not stop and continued to attack its abdomen just to make sure it will really die. Hyakuren pierced the tough armor-like exoskeleton as the body finally stopped trying to claw at him. ===================================================================== Hyakuren panted heavily as he stared at the unmoving mantis. He looked at the head that flew off and was now on the ground. ¡°I¡­ hah¡­ hah¡­ knew insects had exoskeletons for protection¡­ hah¡­ hah¡­ but this is absurd¡­¡± Hyakuren whined in between pants and got off the [Disaster target] called [Damascus] also known as the [Fortress]. Hyakuren dropped to his knees and examined the body of [Damascus] using his ability [Transmutation: Material analysis] and gained info on the material encompassing the over-sized insect. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. [Damascus steel skin: Skin of the disaster target named Damascus. The exoskeleton, morphing due to the over-consumption of mana, is harder than even adamantium and Mithril. Even effects of lightning and wind based attacks cannot pierce this skin unless the attacks are concentrated on one spot continuously and perfectly.] Hyakuren gasped at the information. ¡°No wonder normal attacks had any effect¡­¡± Hyakuren remembered that his first attack had been repelled by the skin without any help with magic. ¡°This thing...¡± Hyakuren put his hand on the exoskeleton and used his skill [Transmutation: Deconstruction] and collected the tough armor, exposing the disgusting flesh of the insect. The metal was reputedly the best metal for sword making as it was hard to break and could be honed into sharpness perfectly. Not only that, Damascus steel was one of the few metal that could not be replicated with modern science no matter how much people tried. Hyakuren turned the [Damascus steel skins] into 15 fist-sized metal balls and used one of the newly created [Damascus ball] as a thick layer over his adamantium armor. Hyakuren could feel the heaviness of the skin. ¡°It could move that quickly with all of those Damascus skin?!¡± Hyakuren could not help by crying out. So, using his skill [Transmutation: reconstruction]; Hyakuren gave it the characteristics [Self-repair], [Elemental immunity], [Flexibility of clothing] and [lightweight]. Feeling the weight of the [Damascus steel] fade away into nothingness, Hyakuren felt light. So he used another [Damascus ball] and turned it into [Damascus leggings] above his now black trousers. Hyakuren thought of removing his shoes but went against the idea and wrapped [Damascus steel] over it and reconstructing the shape to look less odd with his now legitimate [Damascus steel armor]. Unlike the [Adamantium mail] he wrapped above the leather armor, the [Damascus steel plate] was shaped just like real medieval armor like in RPG games. ¡°Now I look even more awesome than before!¡± Hyakuren praised himself but his sense of happiness was soon replaced by a feeling of fatigue and weariness. ¡°Adrenaline finally wore off¡­¡± Hyakuren managed to say before collapsing near the carcass of [Damascus]. This was seen by a familiar looking orange-blonde man and a black-haired scavenger. ¡ªFew hours later¡ª Hyakuren woke up seeing a dark sky filled with stars. ¡°How did¡­¡± Hyakuren remembered that he had collapsed after fighting [Damascus] and then¡­ ¡°And then¡­?¡± Hyakuren could not remember anything else after that. He heard the crackling of fire and the smell of cooking meat. ¡°You finally awake, newbie?¡± the familiar voice of Zelkova caught the attention of the recently awoken male. Hyakuren turned towards the owner of the voice. ¡°Zelkova¡­? What are you doing here?¡± Hyakuren questioned the elder male with a confused look. ¡°I could ask you the same thing but then again¡­ you did say you were a traveller before this so I guess it¡¯s in your nature to travel¡­¡± Zelkova smiled. ¡°To answer your answer: I was bringing some of our new recruits to Sofia city.¡± Zelkova mentioned to his left where three other people were sitting. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the scavenger from Eclana.¡± Hyakuren immediately recognized the black haired girl. ¡°Hey! I have a name given to me by my parents you know!¡± ¡°Yes, yes Kili¡­ next-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dismiss me so easily!¡± ¡°-we have Ernest Lyell. He¡¯s a promising new recruit we have. Though I guess he needs to work on his magic as you do Hyakuren.¡± Zelkova ignored the, now, sulking Kili as he introduced an elf with red hair. ¡°Nice to meet you¡­¡± the young elf bowed to his senior. ¡°I hope we can work together in the near future.¡± ¡°The name¡¯s Ichiharu Hyakuren. Ichiharu is my family name. I expect a lot from you in the future, Ernest.¡± Hyakuren smiled at the formal elf. ¡°It seems you both are getting along well¡­¡± Zelkova commented as he stared at the two. ¡°Last but not least we have Irelia Wolfswift: A fine marksman who excels in magic and archery. She also came from Asvarre.¡± Zelkova pointed towards a blonde elf with slightly tanned skin. ¡°I heard a lot about you, Hyakuren-san. You fought off all those monsters single-handedly until reinforcement came.¡± Irelia beamed at the person she had wanted to meet. ¡°Ernest even tagged along when he heard you were off to the west.¡± ¡°I did not! I merely wanted to get some new equipment!¡± ¡°Right~¡± ¡°Oh and speaking of new equipment: where did you get that armor from Hyakuren?¡± Zelkova inquired the 19 year-old. ¡°You didn¡¯t have them on yesterday and I doubt Eclana had something so well made¡­¡± Hyakuren merely smiled. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I got it from a [Disaster Target]?¡± ===================================================================== ¡°¡­ And that is how I got the armor. I used a personal magic that I was born with and got it off from [Damascus] otherwise known as [Fortress]¡­¡± Hyakuren finished explaining on how he got the armor. ¡°You fought [Damascus]!?¡± Everyone except Ernest shouted in disbelief after hearing the story. ¡°He was said to be one of the toughest [Disaster target]! Not only that; no neither normal attacks nor magic attacks worked on him! How the hell did you kill him?!¡± Zelkova shook Hyakuren by the shoulders. ¡°Stop shaking me¡­ I feel light headed as it is without you butchering my brain!¡± Hyakuren pleaded as he felt his brain shake in his head. ¡°Oh¡­ right¡­¡± Zelkova instantly stopped his actions and let go. ¡°How did you kill him?¡± Hyakuren held his head in his hands. ¡°God¡­ my brain hurts¡­¡± Hyakuren whined under his breath. Taking in a deep breath, he explained how he defeated [Damascus]: ¡°I used magic to endow my weapon with [armor penetration] and struck the same place consecutively without stopping, chopped off his head and pierced his abdomen. It wasn¡¯t easy¡­ not even adamantium could absorb the shock from his weapon¡­¡± The four people stared at Hyakuren incredulously. ¡°You struck the same place¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Without stopping or missing¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Then chopped off its head¡­¡± ¡°And stabbed its abdomen?¡± The four finished each other¡¯s sentences. ¡°You really are a surprising person¡­ just yesterday you were lost after getting attacked by [Al-Miraj]. Now you¡¯re soloing [Disaster Targets]? Just what are you?¡± Zelkova leaned back on his two-handed broadsword as he stared at Hyakuren with respect. ¡°I did train during my travels before I came here¡­¡± Hyakuren deadpanned the elder male. ¡°It¡¯s getting late and I am still tired from my last fight. Good night.¡± Hyakuren lay down on the grass with his arms crossed behind his head and fell asleep almost instantly. ¡°Zelkova-sama, you have a really odd friend¡­¡± Ernest commented as soon as he realized Hyakuren was really asleep, earning him a nod from his senior and a slap behind the head from Irelia and Kili. ¡°You can¡¯t call a hero odd while they¡¯re asleep.¡± The two female scolded the redhead together. ¡°He may be odd but his prowess in battle is amazing. He held of more than 500 monsters on his own and coordinated with me to fight the [giants] when we had met for only a few hours. It makes me feel uneasy if by some chance we are forced to face each other in battle¡­¡± Zelkova gave his honest opinion to the redhead. ¡°Now all of you go to sleep. We have only 9 hours of sleep so each person has to keep watch for 1 hour and a half in each shift.¡± ¡ªEnd of chapter¡ª Chapter 5: Bandit raid and revelation Hyakuren had woken up before the sun had risen. Hyakuren moved silently, even with the armor he wore, and looked around the temporary camp. No one was sleeping inside a tent. He saw both Irelia and Kili cuddling each other for warmth, which was cute in a way since it reminded Hyakuren of his younger brother and his fianc¨¦. Turning his head from the females; Hyakuren saw the figure of Zelkova leaning against his sword, which was burrowed deep into the ground, sound asleep. ¡®It must be Ernest¡¯s shift¡­ I feel bad not being able to help with keeping watch¡­¡¯ Hyakuren guiltily thought quietly. Standing up, Hyakuren was just about to pick up his swords; which was used as a heater for the three sleeping people as they were still glowing red and radiating heat. ¡°Hyakuren-san¡­ you are awake?¡± Hyakuren stopped midway when he heard the voice of the other male of the groupundefined, Ernest Lyell, behind him. Ernest was a red headed half-elf who wielded a two-handed broadsword. The sword itself was half his width and the same height as he was. ¡°Morning, Ernest. How was your shift?¡± Hyakuren turned towards the younger male. ¡°It was normal; nothing happened which was a good thing. Can I talk with you?¡± Hyakuren was surprised someone wanted to talk to him. ¡°I need some advice¡­¡± Now Hyakuren even more surprised but still he nodded and took a seat next to the half-elf. ¡°Don¡¯t count on me too much, I am not a person you go to for advice but I¡¯ll try¡­¡± Hyakuren turned towards the younger male. ¡°Now, what do you need advice in?¡± Ernest stayed quiet for a few seconds, probably thinking of words to ask. ¡°How do you become strongundefined?¡± The question took Hyakuren by surprise. He reminded Hyakuren of his younger brother. ¡°To tell you the truth: I do not know.¡± Hyakuren answered which caused the young half-elf to be slightly depressed. Hyakuren looked up at the sky. ¡°But I do know that I got my strength from my resolution in wanting to protect something precious.¡± Hearing Hyakuren continue his sentence, Ernest perked up. ¡°Some people will say that having something to protect will make you weak. I agree somewhat but I believe that having something to protect makes you stronger. It gives you a purpose, a long-life purpose. Unlike revenge, you won¡¯t go down a path of self-destruction. Unlike hatred, even after protecting that something; it does not end. Having something that you wish to protect, gives you the drive to ensure that the object of your protectiveness is always safe and in return: you gain satisfaction of knowing about their safety. Even if danger still lurks; you can continue to practice, to hone your skills to ensure that they do not get harmed. But do not do it one-sidedly where you only gain happiness while the people or the things you are protecting suffer.¡± ¡°Make sure that; when you are protecting, make sure that they have their happiness. Whether they want to protect you or cheer for you or to fight alongside you. Make sure they gain their happiness as you gain yours.¡± Hyakuren turned towards the redhead. ¡°And remember: if they wish to go: Let them go. Do not confine them in your cage but fly alongside them. Protect them as they fly and at the same time: be protected by them as you fly.¡± Hyakuren stopped and broke into a nostalgic smile. ¡°My father said that having something to protect or something to strive for gives us the determination to growundefined stronger and I agree¡­¡± Hyakuren stood up. ¡°Think about what you want to do. Whether you wish to protect someone close, or strive to become the best adventurer. If you have a goal: you will succeed if you give it your all.¡± Without looking at the male, Hyakuren walked away and picked up his swords. ¡°Just don¡¯t stray from your goal and don¡¯t lie to yourself.¡± Hyakuren silently left the makeshift camp and let the young male think about his answer. ¡°Come to think of it¡­ what do I want to do now that everyone is gone?¡± Hyakuren mumbled quietly as he walked away from the groupundefined. ¡°Maybe I will find the answer in my adventure¡­ maybe I won¡¯t find an answer, but I¡¯ll continue looking for an answer.¡± Hyakuren clenched his swords tightly. ¡°I am sure they want me to move on¡­ so I will find something else to strive for¡­¡± After leaving the groupundefined, Hyakuren had wandered off without a real destination as he thought of his family and friends that had left the world before him and before he noticed it; three hours had already passed and he was standing 50 meters away from a camp of bandits. ¡°I should first make sure no children are orphaned by these people¡­¡± Hyakuren gripped his sword tightly and nonchalantly entered the bandit camp. ¡®Creation: add [Mind down] and [phase]¡¯ Hyakuren added two characteristics to the sword, making it a sword that could only knock out all the bandits. ¡ªthree hours later¡ª Hyakuren had finished knocking out the last 100 or so bandits and tied all of them by binding their legs arms and hands with iron cuffs. He managedundefined to find a knight riding on a tamed [Gripphon] patrolling the area and told said knight to bring a few men from where he came from and bring in the bandits. ¡°I will collect the moneyundefined later. To make sure it is really me: you will say ¡®flash¡¯ and I will reply with thunder. Please remember the password.¡± Hyakuren instructed the knight before seeing them off as they carried 100 bandits back to the town where they came from to which Hyakuren forgot to ask about. ¡°Now¡­¡± Hyakuren looked around the bandit camp and deconstructed any metal he found and turned them into balls of their respective metal types. The leather he found were rolled and putundefined into his [Magic pouch]. ¡°Ah¡­ I wonder if anything got improved when I beat [Damascus]¡­¡± Hyakuren opened his status window but what greeted him made him curse. ¡°What the fuck happened to my status¡­? What¡­?¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. INFORMATION Ichiharu Hyakuren LVL 78 Title: [Blacksmith] Male, 19 Human, Esper Rank (s): Copper adventurer Captain of [Mikatagahara] Vanguard unit STATUS STR 6620 AGI 10300 INT 12200 PHY.RES 1002100 VIT 8950 DEX 7210 LCK 10001 MEN.RES 2802000 COMBAT PROFICIENCY SWORDS: LVL70, 89% FIRE ARMS: LVL90, 1% ARCHERY: LVL44, 35% MAGIC: LVL0, 1% DUAL WIELDING: LVL91, 1% STAVES: LVL79,91% PORJECTILES: LVL13, 9% CURVED BLADES: LVL3, 3% TWO-HANDED SWORDS: LVL2, 10% SHIELDS: LVL12, 39% HAND TO HAND: LVL53, 4% SUPPORT MAGIC: LVL0, 0% SCYTHE:LVL59, 11% HEALING: LVL9, 30% SPEARS: LVL20, 73% DAGGERS: LVL61, 11% MACE: LVL11, 0% HAMMER: LVL30, 30% CLUBS: LVL5, 10% EXPLOSIVES: LVL 39, 30% CONDITION Healthy No debuff No status condition [Damascus¡¯ recognition] [Elemental immunity] [Piercing immunity] [Lightweight] Damascus plate, +590def, blessed Adamantium under-armor, +300def, blessed Dog tagsundefined, no bonus Adamantium leggings, +210def, blessed Damascus layered adamantium greaves, +190def, blessed Damascus layered adamantium gauntlet, +190def, shock absorbent, blessed Abilities: [transmutation: creation] [transmutation: reconstruction] [Transmutation: deconstruction] [Transmutation: Materialundefined analysis] Miscellaneous: Coins on hand: 19380 Coins in bankundefined: 0 Not part of a guild Not part of a party No bounty Seeing another update other than his status, Hyakuren quickly pressed on the name. [Damascus¡¯ recognition: you are approved by Damascus as his successor and have blessed you by increasing your overall status to help you in your journey. By gaining both Damascus¡¯ blessing and recognition: you have succeeded Damascus¡¯ insight on status effects and what can counter them and are given the ability to ignore armor when fighting] ¡°What¡­ the hell? What is going on¡­ why did that mantis give me such a troublesome thing!?¡± Hyakuren cursed at the now dead mantis. ¡°I don¡¯t need your recognition or blessing in anything!¡± Hyakuren kicked the nearest rock causing it to fly at supersonic speeds towards the sky and killing a [wyvern]. ¡°Oops¡­?¡± Hyakuren was surprised at his own strength. ¡°I guess I will need to train to controlundefined my own body for now¡­¡± Thus the start of Hyakuren¡¯s rigorous training for one month¡­ -End of chapter- Chapter 6: intentions Under a cloudless sky; a lone male was seen walking with a satisfied grin. His once short spiky hair was now slightly longer. His once carefree gaze was now sharp but still retained some of its carefreeness and his body language told everyone he was always ready for an attack. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I really had to train to control my own body to not crush a fork¡­¡± His voice retained its carefree tone and his armor was still its silvery-white and lustrous color because he kept it well maintained using his transmutation skills. On his back was a sword with a pale blue hue. The sword was also created by the male with his transmutation skill from an ore called [Volt Stone] ¡°Now¡­ I think the [Imperial city] was this way¡­¡± the male took out a detailed map of the region he was in. ¡°If I run it would take only an hour at most but I won¡¯t be able to enjoy the scenery but if I take too long, the market prices might drop¡­¡± Hyakuren had transmuted a lot of swords he found back into iron, steel and corundum; ores mainly used in the making of weapons. ¡°Then there is the [Damascus balls] too¡­ but let¡¯s keep those.¡± During Hyakuren¡¯s first attempt at trying to journey to [Sofia]; He had a run-in with a [Disaster target] called [Damascus the fortress] and after defeating the monster: he gained a blessing (or to Hyakuren: a curse) and had his status multiplied by 10. ¡°I hope no one can see my status¡­ or that would be very bad¡­¡± Hyakuren paled slightly as he thought of what may happen if some powerful or troublesome person might set their sights on him. ¡°If it was Takamoto, he might not care and just go along with it like the wind but it is just too troublesome¡­¡± Hyakuren was now walking on the main road towards the [Imperial city Sofia]. He could see many merchants travelling the roads. Weapons, armors, accessories and miscellaneous items could be seen in their inventory. ¡°I guess I should sell the [Monster Loot] I have to them and wait to get to [Sofia] before selling the ores and leather to the blacksmiths¡­¡± Hyakuren took the chance and began to sell his [monster loot]. [Wyvern fangs], [Wyvern claws], [Wyvern Feather], [Dire wolf pelt], [Dire wolf claws], [Dire wolf fangs], [giant toes], [slime core], [flying manta spike], etc¡­ Every merchant close enough were racing to buy his hard to harvest materials. So they competed with each other by increasing the prices by twos or threes. ¡°Thank you for your patronage¡­¡± Hyakuren said cheekily as he held 15 bags of coins. Apparently, he had made five times the amount of coins than he should have. ¡°It is really fun watching them race and try to appeal to me to sell the loot¡­¡± Hyakuren was openly laughing with a low voice. ¡°I used more than half of my money!¡± ¡°Why did I buy the wyvern fangs?¡± ¡°Will these even make a profit?¡± Hyakuren laughed as he quickly went ahead of the merchants and their caravans. ¡ªtwo hours later¡ª Hyakuren admired the road leading to the [Imperial city Sofia]. He had expected grandness but he did not expect the city to float in the sky. He saw it from afar but he thought it was some other city or ruins but it was actually [Sofia] in all its glory. The road began to elevate at a scalable rate as if a ramp. Hyakuren walked leisurely as he enjoyed the sights. ¡°I guess other countries can¡¯t just come and invade the place¡­¡± Hyakuren commented as a group of [Wyverns] were shot down from the sky with magic as they were trying to enter the city in groups. ¡°It¡¯s hard to siege unless someone used some airship¡­ but even then it would be somewhat impossible if they can¡¯t make the airship magic-proof¡­¡± Hyakuren climbed higher and higher, enabling him to see as far as he could now that the mountains were slightly below him. The scene was beautiful. To the East: Hyakuren could see [Eclana] with its beautiful castle and plains. To the south: he could see a large expanse of trees and some towers. To the west: he could see the blue sea. ¡°After here¡­ I should go to the sea and try to travel to other places¡­¡± Hyakuren said as he imagined an adventure on the sea and before he knew it, he was a few steps away from the majestic gates of the [Sofia]. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Hyakuren could not help but admiring the city. Each building was tall and unique. To his right were different colored buildings with clothing, accessories and other miscellaneous and daily shops. To his left were weapon shops, armor shops, there was even a shop that focused on buying and selling materials from monsters. ¡°I am quite surprised¡­ and this isn¡¯t even the real marketplace¡­¡± Hyakuren was tempted to enter each shop but he refrained from doing so and walked around. He was afraid he might get coerced into buying unneeded things. He did take the chance to inquire the shop that bought and sold [Monster materials] if the items on display could be made into weapons and such. ¡°Excuse me, but I am still a bit inexperienced with [Monster materials]. Can you explain to me what some are used for?¡± A middle-aged man turned towards Hyakuren with a smile. ¡°Ah, you must be a new adventurer?¡± Hyakuren nodded towards the question. ¡°Well then lad, let me give you a tour in the shop and tell you about material types and what they are good for.¡± The middle-aged man mentioned Hyakuren to enter the shop, to which he agreed to, and began explaining. ¡°[Monster materials] are, as the name implies, materials obtained from monsters by either drops or harvesting. Some monsters in this world eat equipment of the adventurers they kill. In their stomachs, and through unexplainable methods: go through a kind of transmutation and create better material as it stays inside the monster.¡± Hyakuren nodded as he continued to follow behind the man. ¡°There are two different types of [Monster materials]: [convertible materials] that can be turned into other goods and [edible materials] that can be used as food and drinks. This shop mostly buys [convertible materials] which can either be cores, skins, fangs and bones. There are others like tusks and horns too. These [convertible materials] can be sold to the blacksmiths and whitesmiths to change them into equipment and scrolls.¡± The shop-owner stopped in front of a rack with different sized spherical crystals. ¡°Monsters sometimes drop their [Cores] as loot. These [Cores] can be imbued with magic and be turned into [Gems]... and seeing your confused face, you do not know what a [Gem] is, do you?¡± Hyakuren shook his head at the question, causing the friendly shop-owner to laugh. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°To put it simply: [Gems] are accessories that give you [Blessings] if you put them on armor and weapons. For example¡­¡± the shop-owner took a small sized crystal that glowed red. ¡°If you equip this here [Fire crystal] to your weapon, it gives your sword the ability to burn your enemies and if you equip it onto armor, it gives you a resistance against fire; the stronger the glow, the stronger the [Blessing]; how that works: I do not know. It has been this way since old times.¡± ¡°What about equipment that already has [Blessings]? Will the gems override the [Blessings] or simply add another [Blessing] along with the original [Blessing]?¡± Hyakuren inquired. ¡°If your equipment already has a [Blessing], it will not be change. The [Blessings] will stack and give you¡­ for example: [Fire resistance low] and [water resistance low]. The [Blessings] seem to know how to sort themselves, which I think is very convenient.¡± Hyakuren nodded. ¡°I believe not everyone can create these [Gems] right?¡± Hyakuren got a nod. ¡°Is there anyone you recommend to give [Cores] [Blessings]?¡± ¡°Across this here shop is a [Gem shop] that my daughter owns. She¡¯s a real genius when it comes to these things so if you want to know more, you should go to her. Now; do you wish to buy or sell some [Monster loot]?¡± Managing to escape the kind shop-owner; Hyakuren went across the street and went to aforementioned [Gem] shop the kind shop-owner told him about. Arriving in front of an antique looking store filled with gems, Hyakuren entered the front door politely. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Hyakuren quietly apologized to the store. He saw many glass shelves filled with different colored [Gems] with different types of abilities. ¡°This is amazing¡­ I never thought there would be a store that specializes in [Gems]¡­¡± Hyakuren commented and began to inspect each [Gem]. ¡°Then again¡­ this world is unlike my own¡­¡± ¡°Are you looking for something, sir?¡± Hyakuren was slightly surprised that someone had managed to sneak up behind him. Turning around, he was met with a young girl no older than 15 years of age. But even then Hyakuren could not believe that was her age seeing as the girl was an elf. ¡°Ah¡­ I was looking for the owner of this shop. Are you by any chance her?¡± Hyakuren studied the girl. She was tall, blonde and had pale skin. She wore what seemed to be a maid uniform with less frills than the ones that were used in modern day japan. ¡°Ah, I am sorry but the mistress is out at the moment. May I inquire what business you have with her?¡± The maid showed a smile but Hyakuren knew better. ¡°You were originally some kind of hunter or soldier aren¡¯t you?¡± The question made the maid¡¯s eyes turn round in surprise. ¡°And judging from your expression: I am right¡­ Do not worry, I do not wish to harm anyone. I am merely an adventurer interested in how a person manufactures a [Gem] to give it a [Blessing] because my magic is different than of [Gem] creation.¡± Hyakuren explained with a sincere attitude. ¡°You are a dangerous person¡­ but I guess I cannot shoo you away.¡± The elven-maid sighed. ¡°Since the mistress is out at the moment, will you wait or will you come at a later time?¡± ¡°I am Hyakuren by the way¡­¡± ¡°Will you be staying or not adventurer Hyakuren?¡± Hyakuren laughed. ¡°I guess I will stay¡­¡± Hyakuren took to the front counter and leaned against it. ¡°What will you say if I was going to propose a contract to only come to this store for any needs on [Gems]?¡± ¡°That would improve the store¡¯s reputation and revenue so I do not have any objections but that is a different matter for the mistress. Many people have tried to do what you have and every time she would turn them down. Unless you have some sort of advantage over those people, she will reject you as well.¡± ¡°My, my¡­ I guess I should prepare myself. Do you wish to know why I want to enter a contract with your¡­ mistress?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°It is because I wish to create a guild.¡± Hyakuren disregarded the elven-maid¡¯s answer. ¡°If I can have some whitesmiths and blacksmiths in my guild, the jobs can increase the others revenue. As far as I know: no blacksmith can create a weapon with its own [Blessing], am I right?¡± the maid did not answer his question. ¡°But would you believe me if I told you I can make weapons with their own [Blessings]?¡± ¡°It seems you are either delusional or are on drugs. May I ask you to leave the store?¡± ¡°How cold¡­ then let me show you my ¡®Magic¡¯¡­¡± Hyakuren took out one of the [Damascus balls] and in front of the elven-maid. The fist-sized ball slowly began to lengthen and became thinner at the blade part and retained its bulky handle part. The sword slowly turned took its intended shape of a short sword. ¡®Creation: [Magic absorb], [Armor penetration]¡­¡¯ Hyakuren added two characteristics to the blade. While the sword was beginning to take form, the elven-maid refrained from leaving her mouth agape as a sword began to form from a fist-sized metal ball. ¡®Is this what he meant by his magic?¡¯ The maid thought with a confused look. This was no normal magic; no¡­ it was not magic but something else entirely. ¡°You seemed to have guessed it¡­ this is not magic.¡± Hyakuren smiled. ¡°It is my own¡­ [Skill] per say¡­ I call it [Transmutation: creation] in which I transmute anything into anything. Try inspecting it¡­¡± Just as Hyakuren suggested, the young elf took the sword from his hands and inspected the blade using magic. [Damascus short sword: a simple short sword made from Damascus; a metal that can rival Mithril, adamantium and platinum together. It can be made by using traditional methods from a faraway country to the west. Magic absorption and armor penetration are given to the sword as blessings.] ¡°Just¡­ who are you?¡± the maid was speechless. She did not expect the young male to do what he did. Hyakuren bowed deeply. ¡°Ichiharu Hyakuren, copper adventurer and captain of a now gone Vanguard unit from far to the east past the [Eastern Island federation].¡± He straightened his back and smiled. ¡°I am also a transmuting artisan from another world.¡± ¡ªend of chapter-- Leave a review. Constructive criticism is welcomed, flames without a reason that will improve my writing are not.