Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Bronze Rank Adventurer Reti (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
With the first problem solved, it was time to tackle the next one.
"Coming in!"
Clang! clang!
The moment I opened the door to the workshop, a blast of hot air hit me along with the deafening sound of hammer strikes pounding my eardrums.
Mani was sweating buckets in front of the forge, wearing only an apron as she grunted with effort.
"Hup! Take this!!"
She was modifying the makeshift crossbow she'd made before.
"Mani, does that thing even draw?"
The bow arms on the front were ridiculously thick—two steel plates stacked together.
As I stuck out my tongue in amazement and asked, Mani turned around, her face beet red.
"Of course it does! Don't underestimate dwarf strength! The Rapid Bowgun has great fire rate, but it's one shot short of punching through a hobgoblin shield or a stoneman's shell in a single hit."
Mani hooked her foot into the ring at the front of the crossbow.
Then she attached what looked like a newly made pulley to the end of the body and started cranking the handle.
"Wait, isn't that a pulley loading mechanism?"
It was the classic loading method for traditional crossbows.
"Oh! I picked up some busted crossbow parts cheap from the workshop district and modded it."
Screeech!
The string pulled back with a scream-like whine.
Mani then loaded a thick rod onto the string.
For small races like us, it was practically spear-sized as an arrow.
"This crossbow's name is the 'Mani' Ballista, after me! One hit and it'll make a hobgoblin dance!"
"...Yeah, only you could use that thing."
With that insane draw strength and power, it could probably launch arrows that thick.
If Mani was chasing firepower, I decided to focus on practical survival.
I gathered scraps of Tin Wolf bones rolling around in the corner of the workshop, along with scrap metal plates, leather straps, and wooden blocks, and spread them out on the workbench.
"Reti, what're you making?"
Sena crouched down beside me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Just then, there was a battered shield on the table.
I was temporarily patching the gaps with wood glue and sawdust.
"First off, wooden shields for us to use. Up until now, you've been the only one up front, Sena, but starting at Bronze Rank, we'll all have to step to the front line sometimes."
"Right? That's why you asked me to teach you how to fight!"
"Exactly. For now, we'll use my hand axe and Mani's hammer..."
I unrolled another piece of paper.
"And we're making backpacks too."
"Backpacks? Aren't the ones we have still usable?"
Sena pointed to the worn leather bags in the corner.
Typical adventurer bags—shove your stuff in and tie the top with a strap. Sloppy as hell.
"No, those are the worst."
I shook my head and rubbed my shoulders.
"The weight distribution is awful, so even a short walk feels like it'll rip your shoulders off. And to grab a single potion, you have to dump the whole bag out. Do that in combat and you're dead."
I sketched a blueprint on the workbench with a charcoal chunk.
What I wanted to make was one thing.
A frame backpack, like the ones I'd seen in a hiking store in my past life.
It didn't require advanced tech or materials.
I could definitely copy the idea.
"The key is this. The frame."
"We'll use Tin Wolf bones for these parts. Overall, wooden rods and iron. This bit... it's for your back. And if we make a thick waist belt to strap around your hips, it distributes the weight from your shoulders to your waist and legs."
"Oh... that makes sense?"
Mani wandered over, showing interest.
The people in this world weren't idiots.
You could tell just from stuff like full-body armor or the Magic Slate.
But some ideas hadn't appeared yet, probably due to societal or cultural limits.
My job was to pull out those little ideas and apply them.
Military harnesses like X-bands and frame backpacks would definitely be useful.
Especially for small races like us.
With these, we'd fatigue less on long adventures carrying the same load.
"I can do the design. The problem is..."
I sighed, eyeing the pile of fabric next to me.
Oil-treated canvas cloth.
Cheaply acquired from the slime silk workshop we'd worked at before. Excellent waterproofing, but tough and stiff like leather.
"Sewing all this by hand? Will the needle even pierce it?"
Sena's eyes lit up as she raised her hand.
"Me! I'll do it!"
"You sure?"
"Back at the monastery, I handled repairs. Give me a leather awl and thick thread, and I'll whip it up!"
"For real? Awesome!"
"Hehe, but fix the straps inside my shield to be comfier in return!"
We dove right into work.
I carved the bones and wood into a frame.
Sena stitched the tough canvas with nimble fingers.
Mani hammered wire into metal buckles and rings in no time.
The shape was slowly taking form.
My ideal vision of adventuring gear.
During a short break, I borrowed Sena's Magic Slate for a bit.
"Hold on, lemme check the gallery."
I turned on the screen and tapped the 'Adventurer Gallery' icon.
Tsssh...
The screen glitched as the loading bar crawled along slowly.
It was infuriating compared to 5G on modern Earth, but in this world, it was miracle enough.
"Ah, it loaded."
[Info] Guide to Ancient Camouflage Entrance Fees for Newbies
Author: DungeonVeteran
Bronze Rank newbies excited to hit Ancient Camouflage, listen up.
Entrance fee is 1 silver coin. Iron badges can't enter even if they have money.
Official reason is preventing fatalities, but it's really just a tax.
1 silver coin? That's how many loaves of bread?? Insane... 3 days' food gone in one go.
So you gotta make back the fee in one go. Most parties camp 3 nights 4 days. Blankets or sleeping bags are a must lol
"One silver coin? Capitalism reeks here."
As I whistled in disbelief, Mani quenched her heated metal in water and chimed in.
"That's not all. They say the mana stones from inside have way higher purity than Glowing Cave. That's why the Tax Collectors set up tents at the entrance and wait. They gouge you going in. Sometimes coming out too."
"Those bastards!"
My tail quivered in anger.
Pay one silver to enter, gotta mine at least two or three to break even.
Like the gallery said, we'd need to last a few days inside.
While prepping like this, three days flew by.
We finally got our shiny bronze badges from the guild counter.
"Congratulations, Reti, Sena, Mani! You're now official Oakwood adventurers with access to all dungeons."
The hefty feel of that cold metal badge in my hand!
I could feel the Iron Rank adventurers around us eyeing us with envy.
'But a badge alone isn't enough.'
We kept working after that too.
"This way! Arm higher! No wrist flicks!"
Thwack!
"Ow!"
"Reti! I said move your feet this way! Mani! Don't just swing with brute force!"
We gnawed on dry bread crusts—crafting tools in the morning, basic training in the afternoon.
For the real adventure ahead.
Preparations complete, we headed straight north of Oakwood.
Prayer first.
"Hearth Goddess... And Lord of the Hamster Wheel..."
"Please watch over us!"
I finished the prayer and stuffed cheese and peanuts into the Hamster Wheel.
It squeaked noisily as it spun.
[Children of the Earth! Little Apostles! May blessings be upon your journey! Do not forget that I travel with you!]
Rodentia lightly patted our heads.
"Huh? Lady Rodentia. Did I become an apostle too?"
Mani tilted her head.
[Any small child of the earth is an honorary mouse!]
It felt a bit off, but whatever.
After prayer, final checks.
"Everyone got their gear?"
"Yup! All set. Let's exterminate those evil monsters and spread the goddess's grace!"
"Our ancestors will guide us! We made this awesome gear too, right?"
We looked like pint-sized warriors in heavy armor.
Frame backpacks on our backs, one each.
While making the bags, we'd also sewn crude harness bands from canvas that snugly wrapped our waists and shoulders.
Small wooden shields at our sides.
Canvas rolled up on top of the bags as blankets.
In that getup, we stood before the massive rocky outcrop north of Oakwood—the entrance to Ancient Camouflage.
True to its name, it was a bizarre gorge where the earth had cracked open like a giant maw.
The area around the entrance was already bustling with merchants and adventurers.
And in the center.
A lavish tent blocking the path.
A pot-bellied Tax Collector sat arrogantly under the stern watch of Military Police in blue uniforms with rifles slung over their shoulders.
"Bronze Rank confirmed. 3 people, 3 silver coins entrance fee."
The Tax Collector didn't even glance at our faces, just wiggled his palm.
I pulled out the three silvers I'd been saving so carefully.
The shiniest, least worn ones.
He snatched them roughly and tossed them into his money box with a clink.
"Cleared. We take no responsibility if you die inside. Next!"
With the Tax Collector's dismissal, the Military Police parted the way.
Beyond the soldiers loomed a massive underground ruin untouched by sunlight, its jaws wide.
Only the faint glow of ancient mana stones lingered.
A musty smell of damp old dust rushed in.
And beyond that, a fishy stench.
Was it my Ratkin nose picking it up?
A faint metallic tang of blood floated in the air.
Sena wrinkled her nose too, sensing the same.
"Alright, this is where the real thing starts."
I clicked the lever on my Rapid Bowgun slung over my shoulder and stepped into the thick shadows. Thanks to the new frame backpack strapped to my waist, I barely felt the weight.
"We don't leave till we make our money back. Got it?"
Sena and Mani nodded with determined faces at my grim declaration.
"Obviously! Let's loot 'em all!"
[Good! Advance! Apostles of the Rat!]
We marched into the swallowed underground city, deep into its depths.