"Testing and a Chance Encounter" Drake and Tsubaki entered the Dungeon, armed with their two newly crafted weapons. They found the monsters
"Testing and a Chance Encounter"
Drake and Tsubaki entered the Dungeon, armed with their two newly crafted weapons. They found the monsters on the upper levels beneath their notice, and proceeded directly to Level 19.
They quickly located a suitable target – a Tapir Bear, a type of monster that began appearing from Level 19 onwards.
Although a large, bear-shaped creature, the Tapir Bear possessed less strength and endurance than the Minotaurs found on the middle levels; its speed, however, was quite remarkable.
On their way to Level 19, Drake had already explained the abilities of the two weapons to Tsubaki, and also revealed that he had acquired the [Mystery] skill.
Naturally, Tsubaki was eager to test the capabilities of these unique weapons firsthand.
Aiming at the Tapir Bear, Tsubaki threw the Returning Hammer. The short-handled warhammer generated a sonic boom as it flew, striking the Tapir Bear before it could even react.
The Tapir Bear instantly disintegrated, exploding into a cloud of black mist, its magic stone shattering into pieces.
This wasn’t due to the Returning Hammer possessing the pulverizing power of the original Mjolnir; it was entirely attributable to Tsubaki’s terrifying arm strength.
As a blacksmith of dwarven descent, Tsubaki’s strength and endurance were exceptionally high, even among Level 1 adventurers, so even a normal throw possessed considerable destructive force.
Tsubaki opened her hand, and the hammer, still in motion after pulverizing the Tapir Bear, arced back towards her, landing perfectly in her palm.
Swinging the hammer lightly, Tsubaki smiled. "This hammer feels really good, and the power is impressive. So, Drake, what exactly is it that you’re not satisfied with?"
From Tsubaki’s perspective as a blacksmith, the Returning Hammer was already an exceptional piece of work.
An Unbreakable piece of equipment with a unique ability; there were very few comparable items in all of Orario.
There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Tsubaki’s tone, but it wasn’t directed at Drake; it was directed at herself.
Orario’s number one blacksmith; this wasn’t just a title bestowed upon her by others; it was Tsubaki’s own pride.
She had always strived to live up to this title. Yet, a junior member of her own Familia possessed a superior talent for forging magic swords.
Tsubaki didn’t harbor any envy towards Welf; instead, she chose to focus on improving her own skills. But then, unexpectedly, Drake appeared, possessing the [Mystery] skill.
The relentless pressure from her junior blacksmiths had begun to cause her some frustration. Of course, this frustration also fueled an even stronger fighting spirit within her.
And this was a feeling that she wouldn’t share with anyone.
Drake sighed. "Perhaps it’s just that it didn’t turn out as perfectly as I’d envisioned. But honestly, I was probably too impatient. Achieving this level of craftsmanship is already quite remarkable."
Drake picked up the Sure-Hit Spear, aiming it at another Tapir Bear that had seemingly materialized out of thin air.
Drake could sense that the lock-on effect of the spear was already active, so he threw the Sure-Hit Spear without hesitation.
Gungnir was known as the Spear of Destiny precisely because its flight resembled a shooting star streaking across the sky.
Thanks to Drake’s arm strength, which was in no way inferior to Tsubaki’s, the Sure-Hit Spear displayed a certain elegance reminiscent of the original divine artifact.
The Tapir Bear had spotted them from the start; being an agile monster, it immediately began to dodge.
However, unexpectedly, the Sure-Hit Spear arced through the air, piercing the Tapir Bear and pinning it to a large tree.
The Tapir Bear instantly dissolved into black mist, leaving behind only its magic stone on the ground.
Drake hadn’t employed any particular throwing technique; the arc of the spear’s trajectory was a self-correction performed by the weapon itself.
Drake walked over and retrieved the Sure-Hit Spear from the tree.
The preliminary test results were quite satisfactory; the next step would be to investigate the finer details.
For instance, whether the Returning Hammer had any limitations in terms of distance and time, and whether it might fail to return to its wielder if thrown too far or after too long a time had elapsed.
The Sure-Hit Spear’s limitations also needed to be determined – its maximum lock-on range, its maximum pursuit distance, etc. All of this data would need to be gathered through further testing.
Having calmed his initial impatience, Drake clearly understood that at his current level, he was not yet capable of crafting rule-breaking equipment.
The results, as Drake had suspected, were as follows: the Sure-Hit Spear was unable to lock onto targets outside of its wielder’s line of sight, but it would continue pursuing its target relentlessly until it struck, no matter how far the target fled.
However, if the target possessed sufficiently strong defenses, or if it was forcibly intercepted, the Sure-Hit Spear would be unable to inflict significant damage.
The Returning Hammer’s limitation was its range; it would only return to its wielder if it remained within their line of sight.
Watching Drake’s dismissive expression, Tsubaki couldn’t help but grind her teeth in frustration.
So what if he had [Mystery]? He’d created such amazing equipment, and yet he was still unsatisfied.
Nevertheless, this test had allowed Drake to understand the limits of his current abilities, giving him a clearer direction for his future artifact replication projects.
Having accomplished their objective, the two began their return journey. However, upon reaching Level 18’s Rivira town, they unexpectedly encountered some familiar faces.
"Riveria, Tione, Tiona, what a coincidence! What are you all doing here?"
Tsubaki, upon spotting her acquaintances, waved enthusiastically and ran over to greet them.
Riveria looked at Tsubaki as she approached. "It’s Tsubaki!"
Tiona said, "And Drake! I heard you got into a fight with Freya Familia’s 〈King〉. Is that true?"
Riveria gently restrained Tiona. "Tiona, asking someone such a direct question is rather impolite!"
Drake said, "It’s alright. It’s not exactly an impolite question."
Riveria smiled slightly. "Good. But your timing is rather unfortunate; Rivira is currently facing a rather serious problem."
Tsubaki asked, "Is that why you’re all here? Did the Guild assign you another task?"
Riveria sighed. "It’s far more troublesome than a Guild task. Let’s talk about it somewhere else."
With that, Riveria led the group to a tavern. Upon entering, Drake spotted Finn, Gareth, Ais, and several other members of the Loki Familia.
Oh, and Bete! This was the first time Drake had seen Bete since the incident at the Hostess of Plenty.
He appeared largely unchanged, though a look of profound exhaustion suggested he hadn’t gotten much rest lately.
Upon seeing Riveria and Drake enter, Bete instinctively retreated into the shadows, deluding himself that he was somehow invisible.
Acting foolishly after drinking, much like the adolescent phase of self-importance, was a major source of regrettable memories for most.
And, in Bete’s case, his actions had also harmed the Familia’s interests, making it even harder for him to face anyone. Original content can be found at nοvelfire.net
Drake had no desire to taunt him; he was far more concerned about what had brought the Loki Familia’s elite members to Level 18.
Then, Drake’s gaze fell upon the object on the table: a transparent crystal orb, about the size of two fists, containing a disturbingly green infant.
Drake looked at Finn, who nodded. "That’s right. We’ve recovered the monster infant you mentioned. This entire incident stems from that."
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