The Volcanic Revolver.
This was not my own original creation or anything like that.
Its identity was, exactly.
“To think this works.”
-It is amazing.
-Special Crafting is on the extremely difficult side, so Mr. Jang Gang-cheol, you are the first to succeed in crafting it on your first try.
The game I used to play.
It was one of the named weapons in Final Gate.
Since it was the named weapon that could be crafted at the lowest level among them, it was also the first named weapon I crafted as a Blacksmith in Final Gate.
To be able to recreate such an item in reality.
The feeling was incredibly refreshing.
“It is exactly as I imagined it.”
Final Gate was a well-implemented, high-definition game.
However, even so, the limitations of a game could not be helped.
The Volcanic Revolver I just made was exactly as I had imagined it when making it in Final Gate.
The overall design was not much different from a regular revolver, but being made of Volcanic Iron, the surface was rough and had a dark red hue.
The hammer, also called a striking pin, was made of Explosion Stone and emitted a red light.
Since the grip was made specifically for me, it fit so perfectly that it felt like an extension of my hand.
The moment I grasped the barrel like that.
[ A Masterpiece has been born. ]
“Huh?”
A new system message popped up.
[ A masterpiece poured with all your heart and soul has been completed; drawing inspiration from this, your stats will increase. ] [ Your Strength increases by 1. ] [ Your Agility increases by 1. ]
The birth of a masterpiece and stat increases.
It was a system message I had not expected at all.
I did not know it was possible to raise stats in this way as well.
Marveling at this, I checked the item information.
[ Volcanic Revolver ] Form: Handgun Rank: S Restriction: Level 1 or higher Description: A revolver imbued with the aura of a volcano, created by Blacksmith Jang Gang-cheol, inspired by Final Gate. Attack Power: 35 Abilities: Explosion Lv 2, Aiming Lv 2, Power Bullet Lv 2, Recoil Suppression Lv 1
As expected, it was the weapon I imagined.
No, a weapon beyond that had been created.
First of all, the attack power itself was vicious.
The attack power of a level 1 S-rank weapon was originally 27.
But the Volcanic Revolver's attack power was a whopping 35.
Was that all?
All the items I had made so far had two abilities attached to them.
The Volcanic Revolver had a whopping four abilities attached.
And not only were three of them level 2 abilities, but some of them had a different font color, making them look like rare abilities even at a glance.
-To explain, items made through Special Crafting are granted additional attack power and abilities depending on their level of completion.
-Originally, even if an item is made through Special Crafting, it is not unconditionally superior to items in the codex.
-The fact that an outstanding item was nevertheless made is proof that Mr. Jang Gang-cheol's skills are that exceptional.
Ember's continued praise.
I wanted to pull the trigger right away, but I was not ready yet.
And for good reason, ranged weapons like bows or crossbows required dedicated projectiles like arrows or bolts.
At that, I took out a few iron ores.
“Crafting!”
And immediately began making bullets.
Actually, making bullets is not that difficult.
Modern bullets have a somewhat complex structure due to having to make the casing filled with gunpowder, but.
For the Volcanic Revolver, the hammer made of Explosion Stone automatically fired the bullet, so there was no need to make a casing.
As long as I made a bullet head that fit the chamber.
[ Crafting is complete. ] [ Crafting Evaluation: A ] [ You have obtained a 'Standard Bullet'. ]
I was able to quickly make bullets.
I was worried that I might have to use the Crafting skill one by one every time I made a bullet.
Fortunately, I could select the number of crafted items to make according to the materials used, so I could mass-produce a quantity of bullets proportional to the size of the iron ore.
“Now, then.”
I did not make too many bullets.
Since there might be points to modify while using the revolver.
Having picked up the Volcanic Revolver and bullets like that, I...
“Shall we go?”
Started moving towards the Blacksmith's Hunting Ground again.
It was time for revenge.
……Although calling it revenge seemed a bit too grandiose considering how pathetic the targets were.
Preparations were complete.
The Volcanic Revolver and bullets.
And even the S-rank Wooden Armor.
I thought about wearing the Iron Armor, but opted for the relatively lighter Wooden Armor.
Since I had to shoot quickly, heavy armor getting in the way would not do.
“Phew.”
Having caught my breath once in front of the hunting ground's entrance, I stepped forward nervously, aiming the gun ahead.
I wondered what I would do if the monsters that attacked me were gathered in front.
“It looks like they reset.”
The monsters had returned to their original positions.
It seemed that stepping out of the hunting ground reset their aggro.
Thinking that way, I looked for the closest enemy.
Coincidentally, the first one I saw was a Horned Rabbit.
As its name suggested, it was a rabbit with a horn growing on its forehead, and it was also the first one to attack me when I defeated the Slime earlier.
'Calmly and carefully.'
I am used to guns.
Although different from the K2 I used in the military, I have seen handgun shooting often in movies and NewTube.
I considered doing a cool one-handed shot like a national representative, but.
'Because the recoil might be strong.'
Since it was my first time using it, I held it with both hands.
In the first place, the basic handgun shooting stance is a two-handed shot anyway.
CLACK.
I could feel the warm heat unique to the Volcanic Revolver.
A completely different feeling from real-life guns, which have the unique chill of metal.
Feeling this, and lining up the Horned Rabbit with the front sight, I...
Taking another breath.
'Now.'
I pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Along with that, the hammer moved and forcefully struck the bullet in the chamber.
The hammer made of Explosion Stone created a small explosion, and the bullet was fired through that explosive power.
Perhaps thanks to 'Power Bullet Lv 2', the speed and power of the bullet were immense.
Presently, the moment the bullet reached the Horned Rabbit.
BOOM!
A small explosion occurred.
It was the power of the rare ability attached to the Volcanic Revolver, 'Explosion Lv 2'.
As a result.
THUD.
The Horned Rabbit was felled in one hit.
The problem was not this.
The moment the Horned Rabbit fell.
“Squeak!”
The surrounding monsters noticed me.
Honestly, I was a bit scared, but I calmly moved the barrel to the side.
My stance wavered, but thanks to 'Aiming Lv 2', I could quickly aim at the enemy.
Thanks to that.
BANG!
“Squeak-.”
BOOM!
I was able to cleanly dispatch the Giant Field Mouse running towards me in one hit.
In that moment, I felt it.
'This is doable, is it not?'
Thanks to the Aiming ability, I could aim at charging enemies without a problem.
Thanks to the Recoil Suppression, my stance did not break.
Once I got used to it, I felt like a one-handed shot would be possible as well.
Above all, its power was immense.
In that way.
BANG, BANG, BANG, BAANG!
I quickly dispatched the monsters approaching me.
The problem was.
CLICK.
That the Volcanic Revolver was a revolver, not an automatic handgun.
The number of bullets that could be loaded into the chamber was six.
After firing all six shots, I had to reload with new bullets.
Compared to a crossbow, it would be manageable, but the monsters did not wait for me.
However, this was not a big problem for me.
“Hehe, see you in a bit.”
As I took a step back, my field of vision completely changed.
That was right.
The place I was standing was right in front of the entrance.
Even taking just one step back allowed me to step right outside the entrance.
Having safely finished reloading there, I took another step forward and aimed at the monsters that were returning to their original spots.
BANG, BANG, BAANG!
And pulled the trigger once again.
Hunting could not be any easier than this.
After repeating that a few times, confirming the stability of the hunt, I was at the point of throwing off the armor I was wearing.
As I was comfortably hunting like that.
[ Your level has increased. ]
“Ohh!”
-Congratulations. Mr. Jang Gang-cheol.
I was able to raise my level for the first time.
With this, I had achieved level 2, and the limit of the levels I could craft had also increased.
I heard that normally other Awakened have to go through life-or-death battles with monsters and visit two or three Gates to achieve level 2.
I achieved level 2 in less than ten minutes.
I could once again feel the cheat-like nature of the 'Blacksmith's Hunting Ground' and the 'Volcanic Revolver'.
Since my level had gone up, I opened the Status Window to check.
[ Status Window ]
-Name: Jang Gang-cheol
-Level: 2
-Job: Blacksmith
-Ability: Forge of Time
-Strength: 13
-Agility: 11
-Vitality: 12
-Intellect: 10
-Wisdom: 10
-Remaining Points: 3
Remaining points had been generated.
I had heard that Awakened receive 3 points every time they level up, which they can invest in their stats.
The opportunity had finally come for me as well.
“Hmm, I am torn.”
If I increased Strength, I would be able to handle harder ores with greater power.
If I increased Agility, my work speed would naturally increase, and delicate work would also become possible.
If I increased Vitality, my physical stamina and vigor would increase, leading to longer working hours.
I could not give up on any of them.
“Ember, which stat is the best for a Blacksmith?”
I asked Ember just in case, but.
-There is no useless stat for a Blacksmith.
-Every stat equally plays its role in the crafting process.
-You will not regret raising any stat.
It was difficult to make a decision.
After pondering for a moment, I...
“Let's go for a balanced approach. They are all necessary stats anyway.”
[ Status Window ]
-Name: Jang Gang-cheol
-Level: 2
-Job: Blacksmith
-Ability: Forge of Time
-Strength: 14
-Agility: 12
-Vitality: 13
-Intellect: 10
-Wisdom: 10
I distributed the three stats evenly.
I excluded Intellect and Wisdom since they did not seem necessary right now.
I went for a balanced approach because the remaining three stats all seemed necessary.
Since I had distributed my stats similarly in Final Gate as well.
Having distributed my stats like that, I began hunting once again.
BANG!
“Oh?”
I could definitely feel the difference.
As my Strength increased, the recoil of the gun felt slightly less.
As my Agility increased, my aiming speed became even faster.
Perhaps it was the effect of Vitality, but my body, which had been getting tired from repeated hunting, also seemed to feel a little better.
While repeatedly hunting like that.
“I am all out.”
I only stopped hunting when I completely ran out of bullets.
The bullets I had made were not that many, but even with just that.
[ Your level has increased. ]
I was able to raise my level one more time.
The time I spent hunting was not even that long.
To achieve level 3 without getting hit by a monster even once.
As expected, being a Blacksmith is the best.
Anyway, after finishing the hunt like that.
“The monsters have decreased a lot.”
The area around the entrance had become empty.
Seeing a Slime squirming into existence nearby, it seemed defeated monsters respawned after a certain amount of time passed.
Before that.
“Now then, shall we collect the spoils of war?”
It was time to tally things up.
The area around the entrance was filled with spoils dropped by the monsters I had defeated.
Looking roughly.
[ Squishy Slime Piece ] [ Horn of the Horned Rabbit ] [ Leather of the Giant Field Mouse ] [ Walking Mushroom Spore ] …….
It was things like these.
All material-type items.
To be able to both raise my level and obtain monster materials.
Truly, the 'Blacksmith's Hunting Ground' was the optimal and essential place for me.
The 8 million won worth of Lowest-grade Mana Stones I invested had paid off.
Because of that.
“Hehe, what should I make with these to spread the word that I made something great?”
It was time to return to my main job.