I Transferred to the SSS-rank Crafting Field - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

08 – The call of the Sea (2)

Cr-crash–!

The kraken’s leg hit the wall. I was barely able to avoid the attack by extending my hook, but I was struck in the left arm by shrapnel from the demolished wall.

–It fucking hurts!

For some reason, the monster’s aggro was strangely focused on me, so Choi Kwon-young was leisurely watching from the side.

–That’s right, I never expected him to help.

I was out of breath, but I couldn’t afford to catch my breath. The next leg swung at my head.

‘How did it end up like this?’

Facing off against a colossal kraken was beyond my wildest imaginations. Even our sizes were so overwhelmingly different. It was almost laughable to think about it.

‘It seems Atera’s concerns have become reality.’

Back then, I never imagined I’d be in this situation. I recalled our conversation as I dodged another attack.

***

“Without the special token left by the sage before his death, you can’t access the workshop. A fierce kraken guards it.” Atera added that the token’s whereabouts were currently uncertain. After all, the seafolk of Oceanbloom had nearly all turned to sea foam.

“We’ve gone against giant whale, now it’s a giant octopus, it seems.”

As the guardian of a special field, its rank was likely high. The probability of me defeating it alone was low. Once again, I emphasize “alone.” 

“Thanks for informing us,” I said.

“You’re not going to the workshop… are you?”

When I didn’t answer, Atera’s face paled. She began to pressure me, asking how I planned to face a centuries-old Kraken.

‘I have others I trust.’ In order to alleviate Atera’s worries, I sent a message through the Hunter Watch.

Scarily enough, his response flew back almost as soon as I sent my message.

Nice! Honestly, I was a bit uneasy when Choi Kwon-young first arrived, but now that things had turned out this way, there was no one I trusted more.

Even the Sea Spirit couldn’t overpower Choi Kwon-young–what could a kraken do in comparison?

“There’s no way it’d be stronger than Choi Kwon-young, right?”

In the Water Attribute Field, he was second to none; I would just need to follow him quietly. Life’s all about seizing opportunities… more or less.

“Since you’ve come all this way, you might as well do some real work before you leave, Guild leader-nim.”

***

After a brief explanation of the situation, Choi Kwon-young and I headed straight to the sea. In case we were unable to find the workshop, Cha Taeyang continued to explore the city.

According to Atera, the Sage’s workshop could be accessed through the coral forest near the Oceanbloom. Reluctantly, we decided to leave the circuit pathway alone–so it could be used again at a later date; we had no choice but to swim all the way to the underwater city.

“Do we really have to travel like this?” I asked

“This is all to preserve Yoon Gaho’s stamina,” He said.

To be precise, only Choi Kwon-young swam. I was dragged along, attached to his waist. He swam so fast, it felt like I was being dragged by a motorboat.

I don’t know if I had saved my stamina, but my dignity was definitely exhausted.

Soon, we were able to dive underwater while holding the scales in our mouths. Thanks to those scales, we were allowed entry into the protective shield without much resistance.

I arrived here, the first time, without knowing anything about this barrier…

–I almost became a grave sight…I could have been in huge trouble.

If one touches the protective barrier without permission, offensive magic would fly at them without mercy. When I heard those words from the sea spirit, I broke out into a cold sweat. I was incredibly lucky.

We swam straight to the coral forest.

–She mentioned golden corral branches, right?

Choi Kwon-young and I split up and started looking for a golden corral.

The thought of having to search this entire coral forest was daunting. But it was better than searching Sheila. I steeled myself.

–Hold on.

At that moment, a memory brushed past my brain.

The golden branches likely contained an enchantment or mechanism that opened the path to the workshop, similar to a switch.

‘It’s just the same as that thing!’

–The candlestick at my Master’s house!

Wouldn’t it be similar to the enchantment that leads to Master’s workshop? If that were the case, there would be no need to search one by one. I casted my magic far and wide, sensing the surroundings.

Sure enough, I detected a familiar wave of magical energy nearby.

–Guildleader-nim! It’s here!

By the way, this so-called sage seemed to be quite skilled.

If what Atera said was true, this mechanism should have been rendered inactive long after his death. However, judging from its condition, the switch seemed like it would continue working smoothly for several more centuries.

–I wonder who’s more skilled between Carlos and the Sage.

After calling Choi Kwon-young, I went on ahead to the place where I detected the mana.

At first glance, the golden branch was hidden deep enough to be considered invisible. Choi Kwon-young, approaching me, touched the branch without hesitation.

–What a competent guild member I have. Thanks to you, I feel so reassured.

–We don’t have any time. Let’s go quickly.

Choi Kwon-young smiled silently and, in lieu of a response, injected his magic into the branch.

The surrounding scenery distorted as if it were rippling, and the coral forest disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was replaced by a pure white castle that filled our field of vision.

A white octopus twirled in front of the castle that looked as if it was ripped straight out of a fairytale. The Kraken stationed in front of the castle gate seemed to have noticed our arrival and turned its head in our direction.

‘Do we have to face that thing?’

The kraken exuded an imposing presence, not only in its aura but also in size. It was on par with a decently-strong boss monster of a floor.

In preparation for the upcoming battle, I summoned my bow from the inventory.

“Hunter Yoon Gaho, stay back,” Choi Kwon-young said.

‘What?’ 

Choi Kwon-young, who had taken out a ‘Rogue Waves’, approached the Kraken, leaving me behind. When I tried to follow him, he warned me with a stern look, “I understand your intentions, but you’d just be in the way.”

His departing figure was utterly aggravating.

This was the first time I’ve felt so humiliated after receiving my S-class skill. Since meeting Carlos, Choi Kwon-young has shown great interest in me.

So, I had forgotten.

He had been a person so far in the sky–someone who would never even interact with a Hunter like me.

–So, you’re saying that a C-rank damage dealer won’t be of any help, huh?

Eight tentacles swung at Choi Kwon-young. Perhaps it was the effect of his skills, but Choi Kwon-young seemed more agile in the water than on the ground. He performed such high-quality movements that I couldn’t capture his motion with my eyes.

As I watched him from a distance, my frustration began to rise.

Could I avoid all those attacks? Let’s say I succeeded in avoiding and launched an attack of my own. Could my attack cause significant damage to the Kraken?

Choi Kwon-young’s command was rational–the battle scene before me made the reality of the situation all the more tangible.

‘Like I said, I don’t know why they accepted her, a C-rank. She’s just dragging the guild down.’

‘Yoon Gaho-ssi, step aside.’

‘What? You think you’re underpaid? You should give thanks that we’re paying someone like you.’

‘Isn’t this too much for someone like Hunter Yoon Gaho?’

I was familiar with this sort of treatment.

C-rank DPS. My capability was in flux. Just a little better than a D-rank–the lowest rank able to enter the World’s Towers. I’m only about *that much*

That was how Yoon Gaho was evaluated. An S-rank damage dealer like Choi Kwon-young wouldn’t care about my support.

‘No–rather, he may actually be annoyed by or be hindered from having to protect me.’

Even though I knew his words were reasonable, my emotions boiled over.

‘Yoon Gaho, are you really going to stay still? Is there really nothing you can do?’

–Absolutely not!

I impulsively notched an arrow.

There was no need to turn on my Bow Assistant. I was shooting at such a big target, there was no way I would miss. Choi Kwon-young may not recognize my efforts, but I could at least draw time.

–Overlap slot one ‘Agglomeration’ with slot two ‘Northern Wind’!

My target was the Kraken’s legs that rushed over Choi Kwon-young’s head.

The arrow hit exactly where I had aimed.

–Release!

However, the Kraken didn’t budge.

–I’m not done yet!

Again, I fired another arrow, layered with the same superimposed enchantments, at the very same spot.

Shlick–!

Then, one of the Kraken’s legs froze.

I couldn’t keep it paused for very leg–and, it was just one out of the eight legs. Just one, very briefly. That was it.

However, that should be enough for Choi Kwon-young. Several magic circles unfurled in front of his gun, Rogue Waves.

Bang–!

With a single shot, two legs were shredded. The Kraken let out a pained wail. Choi Kwon-young, in a natural and fluid motion, was about to activate the next skill when he briefly glanced in my direction.

His eyes seemed to say, ‘So unnecessary…’

But it didn’t matter; I just simply did whatever I could.

I stared directly into Choi Kwon-young’s eyes and chanted the activation phrase. “Slot 5, Apply ‘9 deaths, 1 life.'” ¹ Literally, it means to die 9 times but to come back alive. Aka barely survive after many challenges.

I stabbed freshly created arrow into my body. Choi Kwon-young narrowed his eyes and looked at me.

There was no pain. Instead, a familiar system message greeted me.

–Over here!

Next, I activated my ‘Master of Hunting’ skill and climbed up onto the wall behind the Kraken.

The Kraken, now changing its target, sent its legs flying at me aggressively. Choi Kwon-young, fists clenched and arms across his chest, looked at me as if to say, ‘Fine, let’s give you a chance.’

In this situation, A C-rank person like me would be crushed if the attacks grazed past me.

But for some reason, I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s fine if I look pitiful or insignificant.

C-rank hunters should fight with their own C-rank style.

“This is how I fight!”

Yes, that was my style.