Chapter 131: Crafting

The news lady spoke with a fervent manner about a new figure that was exponentially rising to popularity. There were quite a lot of buzz over a supposedly Godly craftsman that appeared inside the Association one day out of nowhere. He was taken in as an expert in the organization and was declared to be the first man to actually be able to morph materials into equipment that were comparable to the monsters' attacks, and would be able to be blessed with lasting enchantments. It was also noted that the materials he would use, if they had special qualities, could be extracted and put into the equipment as a whole.

This discovery was shocking, because equipment was one of the most essential thing that Hunters had been looking for. Up until now, they were only able to craft equipment that were the bare minimum, only offering a small change in protection and relied more on the materials' toughness rather than its specific quality.

Thus, the fact that they now could even enchant and improve certain equipment would definitely make a great change. Some people met their doom because they couldn't receive proper equipment, because the one sold in the market would fetch an astronomical price for just a decent pair.

However, the fact that the man was taken into the Association led the Hunters to have some hope that something was actually going to change in the equipment section. The Association was known to help and guide Hunters, so there was a chance that the equipment wouldn't be sold in a crazy price even though they would be better than what they had in the market. At the very least, if the art could be replicated and even done by another individual, then the idea was possible. Their hopes started to raise, and the media came to seek the Association on their thoughts about this new 'expert'.

The expert's identity was hidden, but because the Association's movements were always very closely followed, the man was found out. Not to mention, the Association also did not hide the fact that much, leading the mysterious man to be highly anticipated.

The news lady contacted the reporter that was with a higher up from the Association, and began to interview said person with questions that everybody has been dying to ask.

"This man.. the mysterious guy, is this part of the rush of Hunters that you mentioned before? The fact that as the world changes to be harder, more Hunters that have special powers would appear? Since he showed up in such a timely manner, then this should be it, right?" Aria questioned, to which the younger girl hummed as she thought.

"It's probably one of them. However, it's rare to see the Association butter up this craftsman so much.. There should be other sparkly individuals that were born as a result of the shift, but why the craftsman..? Forget this man, people who could shift the power rankings in the Association would appear in a high number soon. The S-rank wouldn't just be a far away dream now. Even though everyone wouldn't reach that stage, at least one or two of them would show up as the 'starter' for the world.. The System said so." Aria explained, tilting her head, confused at the matter.

"Priorities are priorities. Perhaps.. rather than power, they are trying to focus on the equipment side more in order to better the current Hunters they already have right now. It's not a mindless thing." Aria knew that equipment was very important, and that people of her generation would even kill for some great armor and weapons.

She was also helped by [Halvargg] by a lot in their fights, so weapons were extremely substantial to add into your strength. Although she did not know the extent of this craftsman's ability, being able to finally formulate things like this would not only allow humanity to progress in terms of fighting, but also development as a whole.

There being a craftsman meant that there should be someone who has the ability to make potions soon. Although she did not know how long that would be from now, she knew that potion making was a special skill that couldn't be done by just anyone. Unlike specified in the games, brewing a potion did not just require proper measurements, but also a skill to actually turn them into a soluble that is safe to drink and has exquisite benefits.

Legendary figures like that was scarce, their numbers were much less than fighters. Fighters that focused themselves solely on attacking would not have the dexterity to perform certain skills and abilities. Thus, they would need other comrades to assist them in those other matters. As for legendary craftsman and potion makers, they usually settled in a quite hard to find place, and only took orders that they felt were suitable to receive their works.

As such, the legendary figures had to depend on one another. The crafters accepted orders from legendary heroes who stood on the frontlines.

In this idea, Aria was actually a well rounded person who was able to do a lot of things.

Thinking about all this, Aria began to debate if she should also enter the crafting section. Knowing the System, it would definitely not be too hard for her to master the arts of crafting and potion making once again. She used to have a high knowledge on the abilities, although she wasn't the best out there. There were others who were focused on those sections and managed to have a higher ability then her.

However, Aria's learning ability was strong. It could be said that she was one of the strongest in this field. Thus, taking time to craft items for herself was not a bad thing. She would regularly gather ingredients and materials from now on, and she had to start using them too.

"Mr. Choi, what do you think about the new individual that entered the Association? The Hunters have been desperate to get a hand on new, spectacular equipment. Do you think that they would be distributed through the smaller Hunters as well? There has been a group of people that is protesting against this anonymity given to Mr. Craftsman because they think that this would cause the Association's transparency to rupture and no longer make it a viable home for Hunters. What do you think about this?"

"Of course, the lesser Hunters would also gain profit from the project we are trying to envision. We aspire to help the Hunters as much as possible, no matter how big or small they are. We are trying to build this crafting section, and once it is done, we expect advancement to the entire community and not just a specific group of people. We have also received an influx of talented Hunters that we think will be able to hold back these dungeons that constantly pops up out of nowhere in high numbers. We will always strive to better the lives of people, and help the nation improve against these testing conditions. They are under selection, and will be accommodated accordingly into our operations once they are ready for battle. For the Hunters that have discovered their powers and think that they would be able to help us in defending the country- no, the world as a whole, please do apply yourself to the Association, as your help will be greatly needed," The man spoke eloquently all in one go.

They discussed some more things after that, but the main point was that the armor dude would be revealed as time went.

Aria watched as the news program ended, and turned off the television. By her side, Alena looked at her with curious eyes as to what she was going to do next.

"I'm going to train slightly. Just to warm up my body. I don't think I will be able to do extreme activities today. At the very best, I will clear a floor or two in the dungeon to pump up my progress. I don't want to be losing out to the other <Players>, you see? You should also start doing the dungeon. I think you now have enough power to fight for yourself. With your summons. The only thing that's a bit of a shame is the fact that you can't gain experience inside the dungeon, but it does give you rewards, so just clear it. We have been waiting for its arrival for so long, and you know that.. Your System told you that the thing you might be looking for to help your curse could be inside that place," Aria spoke, rising from her seat and preparing to go out of the resting room they were currently in.

She took the equipment that Alena provided her with, wanting to prepare for the Tower if she did wish to enter. Alena did the same, and they both took off from the room and went towards the training grounds side by side.