The Volcanic Revolver.
A weapon made by recalling a named item from Final Gate.
Although I did not like hunting, with this weapon, I could easily hunt the monsters in the hunting ground.
Since I had to hunt monsters to raise my level and obtain materials.
Even though I hated hunting, I endured it and entered the hunting ground, but.
“……Huh?”
The monsters in the hunting ground had changed.
The space that had become empty of monsters after I cleared them out in a sweep.
In that space where I thought at most Slimes or Horned Rabbits would come up.
“Kereuk?”
A monster I was seeing for the first time had appeared.
Well, it was my first time facing it, but it was an incredibly familiar monster.
There was a good reason for that; that green dwarf could be said to be the most famous monster in fantasy.
Its identity was exactly.
“A Goblin?”
Right.
It was a Goblin.
The Goblin, recognized as being on the stronger side among the lowest-grade monsters in its own way, was right in front of the entrance.
That was not all.
“Bark!”
A monster that was likewise recognized as being on the same level as the Goblin.
There was also a Kobold, a monster that looked like a small dog-human.
Various other monsters had been added besides that, but.
If there was a commonality, it was that they were all much stronger monsters than things like Slimes or Horned Rabbits.
Moreover.
“Kereuk, kereuk!”
They rushed at me first as soon as they saw me.
Meaning they were aggressive monsters.
Startled, I...
“Gah!”
BANG!
Immediately pulled the trigger of the Volcanic Revolver.
The power of the Volcanic Revolver was certain.
Because it sent away Goblins and Kobolds alike in a single hit.
Even if they were not hit in vitals like the head or heart.
Just hitting their torso moderately caused an explosion and sent the monsters away in one hit.
However, their numbers were quite large.
Furthermore, since one Goblin was aiming at me with a ranged weapon called a 'Blowgun' to its mouth.
BANG!
As soon as I pulled the final trigger.
SWOOSH!
I immediately stepped backward and came outside the hunting ground.
“Pant, pant…….”
It was a fleeting moment, but cold sweat ran down my spine.
I had let my guard down and came in a state without even wearing my Wooden Armor.
What if I was hit by that blowgun and got paralyzed or something?
Just imagining what would have happened was terrible.
“This is why I hate combat…….”
Life-or-death combat.
That kind of thing is not my cup of tea.
By nature, I have the constitution of a Blacksmith.
Even so, what could I do?
To raise my level and gather monster materials, I had no choice but to enter the hunting ground again.
At least the Wooden Armor.
No, if I went in armed with the Iron Armor, I would be able to completely ignore the Goblins or Kobolds no matter how much they attacked, but.
“Ugh…….”
Physiologically, I am not drawn to it at all.
Still, I had no choice, so as I was about to return to the forge and grab my armor.
“Right, there was that too.”
A single door caught my eye.
Another unlocked area that appeared along with the 'Blacksmith's Hunting Ground' when I raised the 'Forge of Time' to level 3.
[ Blacksmith's Assistant Waiting Room ]
It was the Assistant Waiting Room.
Because it felt like a completely useless space to me upon hearing its name, it was a place I had paid no attention to.
However, perhaps due to the thought of not wanting to go to the hunting ground.
Having developed an idle curiosity, I moved my steps, opened the door to the Assistant Waiting Room, and entered.
Since it was called an Assistant Waiting Room, I had imagined the scenery of a real-life waiting room with things like chairs and a wardrobe, but.
“This is it?”
A pedestal placed in the center was all there was in the Assistant Waiting Room.
Why on earth was this place called an Assistant Waiting Room?
The answer that would inform me of this came from Ember.
-You will understand if you check the pedestal.
When I approached the center of the room as Ember said and placed my hand on top of the pedestal.
Information about the pedestal immediately popped up.
[ Blacksmith's Summoning Pedestal Lv 1 ] A summoning pedestal for calling forth a Blacksmith's assistant.
-Summoning Lv 1
Only then was I able to realize.
The true identity of this room.
“What the, this was not a waiting room but a summoning room?”
This was not a space for the purpose of simply hiring a person and having them stay here.
A place to summon an assistant.
No, if that is the case, they should have named it the Assistant Summoning Room in the first place.
Why on earth did they name it the Assistant Waiting Room?
“If I knew it was like this, I would have dropped by here first!”
I was simply dumbfounded.
Anyway, if I could summon an assistant through this summoning pedestal, there was no reason not to use it.
I did not know what kind of assistant would come out, but I had to use it right now.
Because no matter what kind of assistant came out, it was certain they would be of great help to my life as a Blacksmith.
“By the way, how do I use this?”
-You just need to strike the top of the pedestal with a hammer. “A hammer?”
To suddenly be told to strike with a hammer.
It was puzzling, but trusting Ember, I brought a hammer from the forge.
Next, just as Ember said.
CLANG!
I struck down toward the pedestal with all my might.
Was it thanks to having excitedly swung the hammer for a few days?
The hammer I swung accurately struck the groove on top of the pedestal without an inch of error.
At that moment.
[ Constructing a summoning circle to call forth a 'Blacksmith's Assistant'. ] [ The rank of the summoned assistant will be designated according to the evaluation rank. ]
“Uh, huh?”
A summoning circle popped up in front of me.
However, the form of that summoning circle was quite familiar.
There was a good reason for that.
“Points?”
Because the points that used to pop up when I crafted items were installed all over the summoning circle.
The moment I saw this.
Having been striking points for a few days, my body reacted first before my thoughts.
CLANG!
I swung my hammer toward the point on the summoning circle.
And that was the correct answer.
CRUMBLE-.
The point shattered, and its fragments scattered like powder and were absorbed into the summoning circle below.
The moment I realized this.
I concentrated and began striking the points.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!
It was exactly the same as when making an item.
There was no need to think deeply.
I just needed to do it as usual.
Thinking that way, I repeatedly struck the popping points.
'It sure is difficult.'
The crafting difficulty was higher than any item I had made since I awakened.
It was a difficulty beyond the 'Volcanic Revolver', which had been the most difficult.
Well, this was not crafting though.
Was not striking points and waiting for the result the same anyway?
In that sense, this work was quite difficult.
Some points were thick, requiring me to put strength into them and strike several times for them to break.
Some points maintained for a very short time, requiring quick reflexes.
Points popping up in unexpected locations, and so on.
If it were a Blacksmith experiencing it for the first time, they would have panicked and missed quite a few points, but.
CLANG!
Not me.
In Final Gate, I was someone who routinely performed crafting at a much higher difficulty than this.
All I had to do was bring that experience into reality.
I could not fully utilize my experience with the low stats of a level 3, but I shattered as many points as I could within the bounds of what was possible for me.
As a result of swinging the hammer without realizing the passage of time like that.
CRUMBLE-.
All the points in front of my eyes disappeared.
The summoning circle began to shine brilliantly, absorbing all the fragments of those points.
[ Summoning is complete. ] [ Crafting Evaluation: S ]
Since the difficulty was harder than I thought, I wondered what I would do if it was A-rank or below.
Fortunately, an S-rank came out.
Realistically, since the highest rank the current me could produce was S-rank, this was practically a perfect score.
Along with that.
[ The S-rank assistant, 'Monster Hunter of the Ikaya Mountain Range', is summoned. ]
VOOOOM-.
My assistant began to be summoned through the summoning circle.
“Wow…….”
A woman with a cold and sharp-looking impression.
Her dark gray hair was tied back tightly, and although she had no equipment, even at a glance, she looked perfectly suited for the image of a 'Hunter'.
The she who was summoned like that knelt on one knee toward me, and...
“I am Serin, Hunter of the Ikaya Mountain Range. I look forward to working with you. Master.”
Bowed her head with a cold voice.
Monster Hunter of the Ikaya Mountain Range, Serin.
The moment she introduced herself, her Status Window popped up before my eyes.
[ Status Window ]
-Name: Serin
-Level: 3
-Job: Hunter
-Ability: Weakness Detection
-Strength: 15
-Agility: 26
-Vitality: 13
-Intellect: 10
-Wisdom: 10
Reading this, I could not help but be shocked.
'Why are her stats so high?'
Even at level 3, only six bonus stats would be added to the base stat of 10.
However, Serin had 24 stats added to her base stats of 10.
In terms of level, it meant her stats were already at the level of a level 9.
Was that all?
'Weakness Detection?'
When I checked her ability.
[ Weakness Detection ] Grasps the enemy's weakness. When striking a weakness, critical hit damage increases by 3 times.
It was a powerful ability that looked perfectly suited for a hunter.
Furthermore, this was not all.
[ Skill Window ]
Focused Shot Lv 3
Continuous Shot Lv 2
Piercing Shot Lv 1
Double Shot Lv 1
Tracking Lv 2
Eagle Eye Lv 2 …….
And why did she have so many skills?
For a mere level 3, the number of skills exceeded 10.
Her skill levels were also on the high side, unbecoming of a level 3.
Confirming this, I was able to realize.
'This... she must have been weakened.'
Serin must not have originally been at a level 3 standard.
She was weakened to match my level during the summoning process.
Her stats and skills, all of them.
Thinking like that, I wondered just how strong she originally was to be this strong even after being weakened.
“Uh, well. I look forward to working with you?” “You may speak comfortably. Master.” “Well, no matter how I look at it, it seems I am younger. By any chance, your age is……?” “Due to living alone in the mountain range, I do not remember my age well.”
Not that she looked old.
However, should I say she looked too mature?
No matter how I looked at her, it did not seem like she would be younger than me.
Even if she told me to speak comfortably, informal speech just would not come out of my mouth.
“I will speak casually later when I get comfortable.” “Yes, Master.” “You can stand up. Serin? Please treat me comfortably as well.” “Yes, Master.”
Above all, since it did not seem like she was treating me comfortably either, I could not be the first to speak casually.
Anyway, I was wondering what I should do here, but.
She, who stood up from her spot following my instruction...
“Could you guide me to the hunting ground?”
Calmly stated her role.
To ask to be shown the hunting ground.
As soon as I heard those words, I was once again reminded of the fact that she was summoned as my assistant.
Then again, since a 'Hunter' was summoned through assistant summoning.
It was a natural fact that she was an assistant summoned for hunting.
“Right now?” “I would like to check the place where I will be operating from now on.” “Hmm, understood.”
Since there was not really anything else to talk about anyway.
We immediately moved to the hunting ground.
However, to move to the hunting ground, we inevitably had to pass through the forge.
As the hammer and anvil of the forge came into view, a problem occurred to me.
“By the way, do you have any equipment?”
It was her weapon.