Crafting Gear From Monster Genes

The aftershocks of the explosion continued to shake Mine C11 for a while longer. But everyone - the miners, Kreyn, and Leora - realized that this was their victory.

"Damn it! Boss, did you see that?" the eager young man exclaimed, brimming with joy.

"Hahaha!" Gukard laughed heartily. "Yeah, great job, guys, haven’t seen anything like this in a long time! I can’t even imagine how many we took out in one go!"

"At least twenty! No, I think even more! They were swarming in!"

The miners quickly went from panic and shock to celebrating their success. Kreyn didn’t mind sharing in those same emotions, after all, it seemed he’d achieved his goal.

Step. Step. Step.

Confident footsteps sounded from the side, causing Kreyn to turn around.

With a powerful grip, Leora grabbed Kreyn by the collar and slammed his back against the wall.

Kreyn frowned, staring intently at her fierce gaze.

"Never. Do you hear me? Never put me in danger again because of your stupid whims. And I’m not even talking about the crystal."

She squeezed Kreyn’s collar even tighter.

"If I told you to run, then you run - you don’t go stomping around and provoking all the Rahta Beasts in the cave! Most of them were still asleep at that point, damn it!"

Kreyn blinked slowly before giving his reply:

"You’re in charge of the mines, sure, but you’re not my master, so I don’t have to follow your every order to the letter, especially in a critical situation."

The veins on Leora’s face bulged as she released one hand, clenching it tightly into a fist and bringing it back.

"What? Are you going to hit me? You know, it’ll look ridiculous when the loser hits the winner."

"Agh...?" Leora was so baffled she froze. "I’m the loser? What the hell does that mean? We were working as a team, not competing!"

Clutch.

Kreyn gripped her wrist, forcing her to let go of his collar.

"My call turned out to be right - twice. Now we have two crystals and a mountain of dead Rahta Beasts. Sure, the risks were higher, as was the reward. With your plan, we wouldn’t have either."

BAM!

Leora’s fist slammed into the wall as shards flew over Kreyn’s shoulder.

"I warned you. You don’t have to try to get the most out of every situation. Sometimes steady progress is enough, otherwise, in the hunt for prey, you’ll become one yourself."

Kreyn’s expression made it more than obvious that he didn’t agree.

If there was a chance to reach his goal, then he had to take it.

"Tsk. Who am I even telling this to?" Leora snorted. "Did you even stop for a moment to consider that I might be right? I don’t think so."

Then, she looked at the others.

"Alright, be that as it may, everything actually turned out better than we expected. We finally found their nest and possibly pure Orazit."

Leora waved her hand as she headed for the exit.

"Everyone, get some rest, then we’ll come back here. We need to secure the breach. We can’t afford to lose that many monsters."

The miners exchanged glances. They’d really done a great job, which meant it was high time to celebrate.

In the shortest order, a veritable feast was laid out on the upper level of the mines. The long table was laden with food. There was more than enough bread, meat, and drinks, but the fruits and berries were especially prized.

Getting berries and fruits near the Crooked Horn was a difficult task, and essentially everything they had here was purchased from other Nodes or traveling merchants.

Tap.

Gukard patted Kreyn on the shoulder.

"Come on! Eat up! You may be a Hunter, but if I were you, I’d be bulking up! Eat! There’s plenty of food here!"

In fact, Kreyn didn’t hold back: meat, cheese, garlic rolls, he ate it all. It wasn’t about his appetite, but the fact that every now and then he glanced to the side.

It might have seemed that Leora wasn’t such a bad person, that she was just a strict leader and an experienced Hunter.

Sure, that was true, but it was only part of the story.

The Crooked Horn still operated by exploiting slaves - people who were kidnapped and forced to work, mostly in the mines. And they did not attempt to hide it.

The feast Leora had organized was only for Gukard and his people, as well as for Kreyn as a Hunter. For everyone else, things weren’t so great.

The other miners had their rations, not delicacies, but good food, whereas the slaves were a different case.

In their hands were bowls of cold porridge that didn’t look very appetizing, and the bruises on their bodies were visible without a second glance.

Crunch.

Kreyn broke off a piece of crispy bread with a pensive look on his face.

’Of course, it’s nice to be on top in a situation like this, but isn’t it all a bit harsh? If I weren’t a Hunter, I’d be in their shoes. It was just pure luck on my part.’

Kreyn didn’t try to portray himself as a fighter for justice or a knight in shining armor. But Kreyn was once again convinced that hierarchy, cruel and even deadly, was important to Leora.

He wouldn’t have any doubts when he ended her path. Now, he knew that for sure.

Clasp.

Kreyn took an apple and stepped away from the table. The miners, already drunk, paid no attention to such trifles.

Leisurely, he entered the tent and stopped in front of the analyzer. He hoped that he actually did it, but he had to check.

"Well, there’s only one way to know for sure." Kreyn placed the Orazit crystal on the analyzer.

The crystal hovered above the platform, and soon the coveted holographic window appeared.

[Crystal analysis complete.]

[Purity: 99.17%.]

In an instant, a broad smile spread across Kreyn’s face as he grabbed the crystal.

"It barely passed, though at 99% you have a little to spare. Now that I’ve met the condition, how do I upgrade the Gene Forge?"

No response followed.

Kreyn frowned as he was left with only one option.

’Alright, this should work.’

Clutch.

He clenched his fist tighter. Under the pressure, the Orazit crystal couldn’t hold and cracked, exploding into green flows.

At the same moment, the flows trembled and transformed into unusual green system windows, tailored specifically for this occasion.

[You have obtained 99% Orazit. The condition has been met.]

[Ding!]

[The Gene Forge has been upgraded to Level 2!]

[New capabilities unlocked:

1) Rare resources that the Gene Forge previously couldn’t recognize are now available.

2) Soul Fragments are now not only a source of energy but also a material that can be rarely useful in crafting.

3) A new ability is available: Armory Infusion.]

Kreyn blinked as he read the new features. He noticed the mention of new materials and soul fragments, but all his attention was fixed on the third line.

’A new ability? Show me what it is!’

[Armory Infusion

[This is part of the Gene Forge - another tool at your command. With this ability, you can use various materials to upgrade your gear. These can be crystals, ore, or even a monster’s fang. The material and gear must be compatible, though there are exceptions.]

[More details will become available upon first use.]

Kreyn’s eyes lit up.

This was exactly the ability he needed, after all, he happened to have one rare material on hand.

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