Job Change Quest 3
I told the guild members about the Job Change Quest that Jeonghun had received, and once they heard the details, they poured out their worries for him.
"Even for Jeonghun, soloing an S-Rank dungeon is way too dangerous."
"Yeah, Jeonghun. This is too risky. It's a shame to lose the quest, but what can you do?"
"Jeonghun, I feel the same. I trust you completely, but this quest is just too reckless."
Geonmin, Taeju, and Taehee spoke in turn, while Yeji stared at Jeonghun with eyes full of deep concern instead of words.
At that moment, Bang Taegeuk threw a question not at Jeonghun, but at me.
"What do you plan to do, Guild Master?"
As if assuming I wouldn't just sit idly by, the other guild members' attention snapped to me at Taegeuk's words. I explained the progress so far.
"I trust Jeonghun, and I plan to provide every bit of support I can. So..."
After I finished laying out the current status as well as our future plans, the excited guild members calmed down.
"If it's as the Guild Master says, then safety shouldn't be an issue."
We planned to accompany backup personnel even during the final test and the ultimate challenge afterward, just in case. Even if the quest failed, I was determined to prevent anything from happening to Jeonghun.
And then, Jeonghun, who had been quietly listening until now, finally spoke up.
"Thank you all for worrying about me. I'll be careful so you don't have to, hyung, noonas. And I'll definitely pull this off, I promise."
Everyone cheered him on in response to his words brimming with resolve.
"The problem isn't just Jeonghun—there's a chance this Job Change Quest could pop up for the others too. But we have no idea what the conditions are, or what the quests might entail."
What worried me even more than Jeonghun was the rest of the guild. Jeonghun had the talent to even attempt it, but if something like this hit the production-class hunters, it'd be a 100% failure.
Of course, it didn't seem likely that production-class hunters would get quests like this. Still, I couldn't rule it out entirely, so the worry lingered.
"As the Guild Master says, that's a potential issue, but since we can't know without seeing the quests ourselves, there's no need to worry prematurely."
"Mr. Bang Taegeuk is right. No point wasting energy on needless anxiety."
Taegeuk and then Taehee both told me not to worry unnecessarily, and I immediately agreed.
I'd come to realize that making them feel like I was shouldering everything alone only burdened them more.
"Got it. I'll worry when the time comes. And whatever quests show up, we'll do our absolute best to help, just like this time."
With the meeting wrapped up, I chatted one-on-one with each guild member, right on track with my other goal.
Is this at least a silver lining?
Jeonghun wasn't the only one wrestling with doubts. The whole guild was, and most of those doubts revolved around me, just as Taegeuk had pointed out.
Taehee and Geonmin fretted that their potions and leather armor weren't good enough to help. Taegeuk felt the pressure of leading the raid team properly, while Yeji worried about not being a burden to the raid team, much like Jeonghun.
Like Jeonghun, Yeji was compensating for her low stats with her ranger position and archery skills.
The good news was that Yeji was plenty strong. Her mentally resilient side shone through brighter than anyone else's in the guild, forged by a far from easy life.
She was in slightly better shape than Jeonghun, but it was still tough—yet her iron will kept her going.
That said, without solving the root problem, there was no guarantee Yeji wouldn't face the same crisis as Jeonghun.
So while preparing for Jeonghun's Job Change Quest, I worked on preparations for Yeji too.
For now, running S-Rank dungeons would help her growth more than SS-Rank ones, so I assembled a team to run S-Rank gates with her.
As a side note, Taegeuk wanted in on that party, but he had to lead the raid team through SS-Rank dungeons, so he tearfully bowed out.
Once preparations were complete, Jeonghun and Yeji headed straight into the dungeon, and I made a beeline for the forge to craft for them.
Maybe because I'd already made SS-Rank weapons? A-Rank ones were a piece of cake now.
Created A-Rank Greatsword.
◈ Equip Restrictions: Strength 500, Vitality 300, Mana 500
◈ Mana Cost: 500
Another of my lingering questions was answered. Using ore of the same grade meant the equip restrictions stayed the same, regardless of the weapon's shape. The A-Rank greatsword had identical conditions to the A-Rank longsword.
With Jeonghun's greatsword done, it was time for Yeji's bow.
Swords were no issue, but I'd never made a bow before, so Kim Seokjung demonstrated first.
"Bows break down into three main parts: the riser, the string, and the arrows. The string gets made from the archer's own mana, so you can ignore it. You're handling the riser and arrows. Let me show you how to make the riser first."
Kim Seokjung started shaping the riser from a longer, thinner metal ingot—different from sword-making.
"Unlike a straight sword, bending techniques are crucial for the riser to create that natural curve."
He hammered away while talking, just like with swords, and the ingot began to bend smoothly.
"Countless blacksmiths have experimented, and they've found that a cycloid curve gives the fastest mana transmission. That's why there's a blue line marked on this anvil."
He paused his hammering and pointed to the anvil. Thin blue lines were etched across it in several rows. Looking closer, there were lines in other colors too.
I'd never noticed them before when making actual swords. I'd seen some lines, but it never occurred to me they had a purpose.
"The other lines are for specific uses too—I'll explain when you need them later."
I realized then that this anvil was no ordinary one. The previous one from Lee Musin had none of these. Kim Seokjung must have prepared this specially for me, and gratitude welled up naturally.
Cycloid curve, huh? I recalled hearing it was the brachistochrone—the curve where a ball rolls from one point to another faster than a straight line.
But the riser on Yeji's current bow was curved more than the cycloid line on the anvil. So I asked.
"Master, what if the riser curves more than the cycloid?"
"What do you mean, what? You remake it, obviously."
Stating it like the most natural thing in the world, Kim Seokjung resumed hammering, and the riser was finished in no time.
"Riser's done. Now, let's make some arrows. Truth be told, you don't really need to bother with arrows. None of the raid team's archers use them anyway."
He was right. When I'd first asked about risers, strings, and arrows, I had no intention of making arrows.
The raid archers didn't use physical ones. First off, archer-class hunters could fire mana arrows just like mages. Second, actually shooting physical arrows was incredibly tough.
Someone who'd never shot a bow before wouldn't suddenly master it upon awakening as an archer-class hunter. The same went for any weapon.
Newly awakened hunters had to learn weapon techniques suited to their class. Archers included.
That said, mana arrows ignored air resistance or weight, making them quick to learn. Plus, monsters were huge on average—you didn't need pinpoint accuracy; just aim roughly and hit.
Of course, skilled archers got preferential treatment. Even big monsters had weak points, and sniping demanded precision.
So most archer-class hunters rarely used physical arrows. Only low-mana ones or those with special skills practiced to use them effectively.
But even they faced hassles: carrying arrows around. Arrows could be reused often, but many broke post-battle, adding to the inconvenience.
In that context, I couldn't fathom why Kim Seokjung would teach arrow-making. My confusion must have shown, because he continued.
"Of course it doesn't make sense. Why make useless arrows? If you were an ordinary blacksmith, I'd skip it. But you're not, so arrows it is. Think about it: what kind of power would mana-petrified arrows unleash?"
Aha!
My mind lit up at his words. He was spot on—what I made wouldn't be ordinary arrows.
I hadn't made them yet or tested the power, but they had secret weapon potential.
These arrows could be a huge boost for Yeji, solving her worries in one shot.
"One issue, though. Shooting arrows is worlds apart from mana shots. It'll depend heavily on personal skill. And firing solid metal won't be easy."
Obvious, really—that's why so few used physical arrows.
But I believed in Yeji.
If it's Yeji, she can handle it.
Pure archery skill-wise, she was the raid team's best. Even if it was mana arrows, her marksmanship was divine.
Someone like that could surely wield real arrows.
One prerequisite: I had to make them first. I stared intently at Kim Seokjung as he worked on the arrow.
"I'll make one to my specs for now. But remember, this is my standard. Yours need to be mana-petrified."
I was puzzled by the redundant obviousness until he elaborated.
"Mana petrification stabilizes mana, but we don't know exactly how much is needed. More mana means more metal, and bigger arrows."
"I see."
Now it clicked. Make an arrow the size of a sword, and it wasn't an arrow anymore.
You could force it, but problems galore—which is what he was worried about.
"Arrows aren't hard. The tip needs to be sharp, and this notch for the string is called the nock. Make the nock, and don't forget the fletchings—usually three, though it varies."
He finished the arrow swiftly while explaining.
"Balance is key for arrows. As projectiles, they'll face air resistance. If the shaft's uneven or weight's off, it's no arrow. Fletchings must be uniform in shape, spaced evenly at 360 degrees, no matter how many."
With his explanations done, I dove right into arrow-making.
To be continued in the next chapter... The Hunter Who Awakened as an NPC