Tyler stared at his inventory: 27 silver ores, 18 copper ores, 26 iron ores, 32 zinc, and 12 steel. He looked at the now-empty pit and thought, "What should I craft first?" He muttered, "System, show me the recipes." A system panel appeared, displaying:

Armor Recipe: 1 Hexhorn Hide, 2 Hexhorn Horns → Leather Boots

Weapon Recipe: 20 Hexhorn Horns, 12 Iron Ores → Offense Shield

Accessory Recipe: 1 Adas Tree Leaf, 2 Small Iron Ores → Luck Necklace

Alchemy Recipe: 100ml Brulin Blood, 500ml Water, 1 Hexhorn Horn → Weak Defense Potion

Tyler muttered, "Craft Leather Boots." The system displayed: Craft Leather Boots (Yes/No). He replied, "Yes." The system displayed: Crafting successful.

Emily, outside, heard Tyler muttering. She paused, looked toward the back door window, and saw Tyler. She then saw him turn, holding a pair of boots. They were brown, polished leather, catching the sunlight. The soles were white and hard.

Tyler entered, saying, "I just crafted something."

Hector, using a small measuring tape on the zinc on the metal table, looked up. "Already?"

"Yeah, I crafted a pair of boots," Tyler said, sitting to remove his own shoes.

"You can craft these kinds of wears as well?" Hector asked.

"Yeah," Tyler said, standing. He looked at the leather boots and said, "Equip." To Emily and Hector's surprise, the boots shimmered blue, vanished, and reappeared on Tyler's feet. His old shoes lay on the floor. Tyler stepped, testing them. "They feel really comfortable," he said. "It's almost like a perfect fit." He looked down, and a system text box appeared beside the boots, displaying: +3% Speed, +7 Def. Tyler thought, *Hmm, not bad.*

He heard Emily say, "Sir, you're a craftsman?"

"Sort of," Tyler replied. "I'm an assassin and a craftsman-hunter."

Emily was surprised. *He has two different skills from two different categories. That's.... incredible,* she thought.

Hector said, "Assassin, huh? Well, it does explain your gear and armor. I would have crafted you something nice, but since you can't use anybody else's armor or weapons, I guess I can't."

"Nah, it's alright," Tyler said. "I can craft my own.

"They are some pretty good-looking boots, to be honest,"Hector said. "Yeah, I'm going to wear these ones."

Tyler turned to Emily, who quickly looked down and continued sweeping into the other room. He then addressed Hector. "Do you sell shields?"

"Well, of course," Hector said. "They're always in the back, though. Look in that corner. Remove the cloth covering those things. There are shields there."

Tyler examined the crates, removing the cloth covering them. Various shields were stacked within: oval shields, kite-shaped shields, and round shields. Their colors varied—some were black, others silver, and still others a dark gray. He selected a large, round shield. Its surface felt cold and smooth beneath his fingertips. He hefted it; the weight was substantial, far exceeding what he expected. He tapped the surface with his knuckles; the sound was a dull, resonant thud. The craftsmanship was evident in the even surface and the subtle curve of the shield's face.

"Wow," he murmured, impressed. "This feels pretty heavy, and it's super strong. It's very, very hard. It's honestly beautiful, too."

"Oh, thank you," Hector replied. "What did you ask about the shield?"

"I'm thinking of crafting one right now," Tyler said.

"Really?" Hector asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Tyler said, "System, craft Offense Shield." The system interface appeared, displaying: Craft Offense Shield (Yes/No). Tyler selected "Yes." The system then displayed: Crafting...

Tyler carefully returned the shield to its crate and replaced the cloth covering. The system interface updated: Crafting Successful.

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Tyler looked at Hector. "It's already crafted. I only have to equip it now."

"Alright," Hector said, his curiosity piqued. "I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like."

Tyler extended his hand. The shield materialized, seemingly from thin air. It was round, with a series of slightly curved iron spikes protruding from its front surface. The iron had a polished finish, gleaming with a silvery sheen. The craftsmanship was exquisite; the carving was precise, the metal flawlessly worked.

Hector reached out, his fingers brushing against the smooth, cold iron of the shield. He took it from Tyler, turning it over in his hands. "What an incredible shield," he breathed, his voice filled with awe. "This is...this is incredible." He examined the grip on the back, then turned it back to the front. "This shield is like the perfect tool for a tank-type hunter. It works both ways—defense and offense. The spikes in the front are pointy, but not too pointy. It's hard, durable...more durable than any crafted item I've ever seen you make."

Before Tyler could respond, a system interface appeared before Hector: *You have completed one of the five objectives: Craft more than ten items.* Another interface followed: *Rewards: The crafting skill has advanced to another stage. The user can now craft more durable items and craft items with increased attack, defense, agility, and other effects.*

Tyler, surprised, checked his own system interface. Beside both of his crafting skills, the number "2" now appeared, indicating a level increase. He muttered, "Wow, I've leveled up."

"What?" Hector asked, noticing Tyler's hushed words.

"Oh, it's nothing," Tyler replied. "Anyways, how much do you think we can sell this shield for?"

Hector examined the shield again. "Probably about eleven gold."

"Whoa, eleven gold? Really?" Tyler exclaimed.

"Yes," Hector confirmed. "We can sell this thing for eleven gold. I was going to say ten, but it's kind of unique."

"Eleven gold, huh? That's great," Tyler said.

Emily returned, interrupting them. "Oh, excuse me, but I finished cleaning."

Hector looked surprised. "What? So fast? There's no way you would have finished cleaning so fast." He looked around the shop. She had indeed cleaned everything. The dust was gone, the floors spotless. "Wow, you really did finish cleaning, huh? I guess the floor really didn't need any mopping. Oh, but you missed something. In the crafting area, you'll have to clean some weapons. You'll have to wipe them down. Make sure not to use water; I don't want them to rust quickly, understand? You can handle weapons, right?"

"Yes," Emily replied, "I believe I can do that."

"Excellent," Hector said.

Tyler said, "Oh, I almost forgot. I'm supposed to go home and wait for Grone. He said he's coming, and I can show him something."

"All right," Hector said. "I'm going to display the shield, hanging it upwards so people can see it as they come in. I'm pretty sure someone is going to buy it."

As Hector finished speaking, a slightly overweight man entered the shop. He wore leather armor, his stomach extending below the bottom hem, and carried a large hammer slung over his shoulder.

"Are you finished with the armor?" the man asked.

"Oh, I'm still making it," Hector replied.

"Oh, finish up already," the man said impatiently. "I have to go hunting today. Make sure you finish it before nightfall."

"Don't worry," Hector said, "I'll work on it now."

"Man, I should have gone to Old Man Ron instead," the man grumbled as he left the shop.

Hector sighed in disappointment. Tyler looked at him and asked, "Who's Old Man Ron?"

"Oh, he's another blacksmith in this town," Hector explained. "Most hunters go to him to buy their items. That's why most hunters don't come here. He knows how to make better weapons than I do."

"Really?" Tyler asked, surprised.

"Yes," Hector confirmed. "His workshop is near the Guildhall, which is a big advantage for him. Most hunters don't have to walk all the way here to buy items. Most hunters who come here are either already busy around this area or are new to Veridia and see my shop as the closest one to the market."

Tyler nodded thoughtfully. "So, it means we have competition around here." He patted Hector on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I mean, we're going to craft a lot of items—a lot of *great* items. I can feel it. So don't think about it. You already saw that the copper daggers and the shield are eye-catching. I'm pretty sure people are going to come in here and buy them. Yeah?"

"Yes," Hector agreed. "Anyways, I'm going to have to go in the back and finish that breastplate."

"Alright, I'm leaving," Tyler said, heading for the door.

Emily called out, "Sir, wait!"

Tyler turned back. "I told you to just call me Tyler. You don't need to be so formal."

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I wanted to ask you something," Emily said hesitantly.

Tyler thought, *She's really apologetic, isn't she? Kind of reminds me of myself somehow.* "What did you want to ask?"

"Why did you save me back then?" Emily asked, her gaze fixed on the ground.

Tyler looked at her, a little surprised. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh, I'm just asking...why did you save me?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

Tyler chuckled softly. "Well...I could just say it was the right thing to do, but..." He paused, considering his words. "You looked like you were in trouble, getting punished for something. You looked scared." Emily looked down again, as if ashamed.

"I don't know," Tyler admitted. "That's it. I don't know. I just felt like helping somehow. You looked really fragile, and your face looked scared. And I didn't want to see that. To put it simply, I didn't like what I was seeing, and I wanted to change that. I didn't like how it made me feel, and how, in a way, it made you feel. So...I don't know how to put this..."

"Oh, thank you," Emily said quickly, her eyes welling up.

Tyler then remembered something. He removed six silver coins and offered them to her, palm open. "What is this for?" Emily asked, looking at the coins.

"I want you to buy yourself some new clothes," Tyler said.

"Sir," Emily protested, "you've already done so much for me. I'll just buy clothes with my own money. You already got me a job. I don't want to trouble you further."

"What? Are the clothes around here that expensive? You need gold?" Tyler asked, noticing Emily's reluctance. The silver coins in his hand shimmered, transforming into a single gold coin.

"Oh, no, no, no," Emily said, waving her hands in protest. "You don't have to… I mean, you really don't need to give me any money for clothes."

Tyler said, "No, I'm choosing to do this. I already have some money. Plus… you really need some new clothes right now. How long have you been wearing those?"

Emily stammered, "Ah, oh, um… I've been wearing them for some time now." She thought, *Is it really that bad?*

"You don't have to answer," Tyler said gently. The gold coin vanished, reappearing as six silver coins in his palm. He placed them in Emily's hand. "Take it. Go to the store and buy yourself some new clothes."

"Oh, um, thank you, sir," Emily said, her face flushing slightly. "Seriously, I don't know how to repay you. If you need me to do anything, just tell me."

Tyler thought, *Anything, huh?* He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts that sprang to mind. "Oh, don't worry about it. Okay, I'm leaving. Make sure to take care of the shop, okay? Oh, and listen to Hector." He waved goodbye.

"Goodbye," Emily replied.

Tyler walked away, his mind still on Emily. *I wonder what she'll look like in different clothes,* he mused.

Tyler continued walking until he reached his house. He found Heather crawling on the kitchen floor. "Oh, hi, how are you doing?" he said, lifting her up. *I'm really not good with babies, am I?* he thought. Heather's small hand reached up and tugged at his gloom armor. He quickly set her back down.

"Lisa, I'm home! I'm back," Tyler called out.

A groggy voice answered from another room, "Oh, you're already back?"

Lisa emerged, her hair tousled and her eyes still sleepy. "Oh, so you were sleeping?" Tyler asked.

"Mm-hmm," Lisa murmured. "Heather was awake." She took Heather from Tyler's arms. Tyler looked at Heather, and to his surprise, her level appeared above her head: Level 9.

He muttered, "Wait, am I seeing this right?"

"What?" Lisa asked, noticing his astonishment.

"Oh, it's nothing," Tyler said, recovering quickly. "It's just that… how old is Heather again?"