The morning light filtered through the tavern window as Sael stretched, feeling the stiffness in his limbs from the previous day's battle. He glanced over at Rhea, who was already sitting up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. With a quick breakfast, they set off toward the Adventurers' Guild.

  Upon entering, the familiar sight of adventurers preparing for their own journeys surrounded them. At the counter, Garvin looked up from his paperwork and grinned. "Back already? That was quick."

  Sael smirked and summoned the bear’s massive corpse from his inventory, letting it drop heavily onto the guild’s reinforced floor. A few adventurers turned in surprise at the sheer size of the beast.

  Garvin raised an eyebrow and let out a low whistle. "Hells, that's a big one. Didn’t expect something this nasty from a copper-rank dungeon. If I had to guess... this thing’s more like an iron-rank challenge." He scratched at his chin. "Might need to re-evaluate some of the postings in that area."

  Rhea crossed her arms, her tail flicking behind her. "So?"

  "So, you two did well. A full dungeon clear is no small feat." He pulled a small ledger from beneath the counter and scribbled something down. "Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum—those are the standard adventurer ranks. After that, there are higher ones, but you probably won’t need to worry about those unless you’re trying to take on a kingdom’s worth of monsters."

  Sael nodded as Garvin slid two small pouches across the counter. "Five gold each for the dungeon clear. And with a feat like this, you’re both moving up to Iron rank."

  Sael pocketed his share, glancing over at Rhea, who grinned in satisfaction.

  "I see potential in you two," Garvin added. "Don’t get cocky, but keep at it."

  With their rewards secured, they made their way to the marketplace, where merchants called out their wares from brightly decorated stalls. The scent of spices, leather, and fresh produce filled the air as they moved toward a small bookshop tucked between an armorer’s stand and a potion vendor.

  Sael approached the book merchant and placed the Beginner's Firebolt Grimoire on the counter. "Looking to sell."

  The merchant, a wiry older man with thin spectacles, picked it up and flipped through the pages. "Decent condition... Firebolt’s common enough, though. I can offer you eight gold."

  Sael frowned. " 10 gold."

  The merchant scoffed. "9 gold."

  Before Sael could respond, Rhea leaned in, her sharp gaze locking onto the merchant. "It’s worth at least ten. Give him a fair price."

  The merchant hesitated, looking between them, then sighed. "Fine. Ten gold."

  Sael accepted the coins and tucked them away. With a bit more money in hand, he turned his attention to the market stalls, scanning for specific monster materials. He had ideas brewing—now, he just needed the right materials to bring them to life.

  Sael stopped at a sturdy-looking stall displaying an array of metals in various forms—ingots, sheets, and even some worked pieces. The vendor, a broad-shouldered man with a soot-streaked apron, glanced up from polishing a chunk of dull gray metal.

  "Looking for something specific?" the vendor asked, eyeing Sael with a practiced gaze.

  Sael nodded, scanning the selection. "Yeah. I’m trying to get a better sense of the metals commonly used for crafting. What’s the hierarchy around here?"

  The vendor chuckled and set the metal down. "Good question. For most work, you start with steel—cheap, reliable, easy to work with. Above that, you've got mithril, lightweight but stronger than steel, good for armor and weapons alike. Then there’s orichalcum—tougher than mithril, holds enchantments well, and doesn’t corrode. Adamantite comes next, absurdly strong, but a pain to work with unless you know what you’re doing. Anything past that?" He shrugged. "That’s where you get into the rare and legendary stuff. Divine metals, abyssal alloys, materials that might as well be magic themselves. You won’t be seeing those at a street stall."

  Sael absorbed the information, mentally cataloging the details for later. "Appreciate the breakdown. I’m also looking for something a little more... mechanical. Anything from a monster that has springs, pistons, or anything like that?"

  The vendor scratched his chin. "Hmm. Mechanical monster parts, huh? That’s not something I usually deal with, but you might have luck with the tinker’s stall down the road. They scrap golems, harvest parts from clockwork beasts—if there’s a piston or a spring to be found, they’d have it."

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  Sael gave a nod. "Thanks. I’ll check it out."

  With that, he turned toward the direction the vendor had indicated, already thinking about what he could build if he found the right pieces.Sael eyed the vendor’s collection of metals before settling on a small but dense sheet of adamantite. He ran his fingers along its smooth, weighty surface, feeling the sheer durability of the material.

  “How much for this?” he asked.

  The vendor gave him an appraising look before nodding. “Five gold. Pricey, but worth it—adamantite’s damn near indestructible if worked right.”

  Sael considered it for a moment, then handed over the coins. “I’ll take it.” He tucked the metal away, feeling satisfied with the purchase.

  With that done, he made his way toward the tinker's stall. The setup was a chaotic display of salvaged parts—gears, wires, metal limbs, and intricate machinery stacked on wooden crates. A wiry man with magnifying goggles perched on his forehead was tinkering with some kind of small automaton, muttering to himself.

  Sael cleared his throat. “Looking for mechanical monster parts—springs, pistons, anything that could be useful for crafting.”

  The tinker glanced up, pushing his goggles into place before grinning. “Ah, a man of taste! Got just the thing.” He rummaged through a crate before pulling out a selection of tightly coiled springs and sturdy pistons, some still bearing faint etchings from their previous hosts.

  “These came off a ruined clockwork beast—tough, flexible, and still in working order. I’ll part with ‘em for five gold.”

  Sael nodded, handing over the money. He took the parts, inspecting them briefly before storing them away. With both purchases made, he was one step closer to his next project.

  As Sael wandered through the bustling marketplace, his eyes scanned for a place to work. He needed a proper workshop—somewhere with enough space and tools to handle metalwork. After asking around, he found a crafting workshop available for rent, run by an older blacksmith willing to let him use the space for a fee.

  Sael stepped into the rented workshop, a modest but well-equipped space filled with the scent of heated metal and oil. The clang of distant hammers echoed through the room, and the warm glow of forges lined the walls. He exhaled slowly, rolling up his sleeves. If he was going to work with metals and advanced materials, he needed a way to refine and shape them properly.

  His first task was setting up a proper forge. Using available bricks and a reinforced cauldron, he constructed a simple yet effective heating system. He laid out an array of coals and kindling, then used flint to spark a controlled flame beneath the cauldron. Soon, a steady blaze roared within, generating the heat needed to smelt and mold alloys. Satisfied with the setup, he moved on to the real work.

  Sael took the sheet of adamantite and the mithril he had gathered, placing them into the forge to soften. Adamantite, known for its near-unbreakable nature, was difficult to work with, but by blending it with mithril’s lightweight properties, he could create a metal that was both durable and flexible. Slowly, he melted down the materials, carefully mixing them in the heated cauldron, stirring with a thick iron rod. The two metals fused gradually, forming a shimmering alloy that carried the best qualities of both components.

  With the refined metal ready, Sael began shaping it into a skeletal framework. Using tools provided in the workshop, he hammered and molded the material into a tough exoskeletal structure—one that could bear weight while allowing for movement. The core frame resembled a suit of armor but remained open enough to accommodate internal mechanisms.

  He retrieved the springs and pistons he had purchased, setting them along the joints and major support areas. By attaching these mechanical components, he enhanced the suit’s mobility, allowing for additional strength and stability. Testing the mechanisms, he pressed on the pistons, watching as they flexed and rebounded smoothly.

  Next came the armament. He secured the spare bear cannon to the right arm of the exoskeleton, reinforcing its position with welded metal braces. The tubing and internal mechanisms had to be properly aligned so that it could still function as a firing weapon. With careful adjustments, he connected the cannon’s firing mechanism to a simple trigger system within the suit’s arm.

  For additional protection, he used the bear hide to create a layer of padding within the suit. The thick, durable fur would not only provide insulation but also some degree of resistance against blows. He carefully fastened the hide within the framework, ensuring it wouldn’t restrict movement while still adding to the overall defense.

  Finally, Sael turned his attention to crafting a shield. He took the massive reflective metal slab he had gathered and shaped it into a large, curved shield. With careful hammering and forging, he enhanced its structural integrity while ensuring its reflective properties remained intact. The result was a broad shield designed to deflect both physical and magical attacks, the polished surface capable of rebounding energy away from its surface.

  After hours of meticulous work, Sael stepped back, wiping sweat from his brow. Before him stood the culmination of his effort—a reinforced exoskeleton, equipped with mechanical enhancements and a mounted cannon, along with a powerful reflective shield. He flexed his fingers, knowing that with these new tools, he was ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

  System Notification:

  [Bear Exoskeleton Crafted] – A reinforced exoskeletal suit made from adamantite and mithril, enhanced with mechanical springs and pistons for improved movement and strength. The right arm is mounted with a fire cannon repurposed from the dungeon boss.

  [Mirror Shield Crafted] – A massive shield made from highly reflective metal, offering strong durability and minor resistance to magical attacks, occasionally reflecting weaker spells upon impact.

  [Crafting Skill Increased] – Novice Crafting has leveled up to Rank 6!

  New Unique Skill Unlocked: [Creative Crafter] – Your crafting seems to draw influence from another world, allowing for unique and unconventional designs beyond the standard blueprints of this realm.

  New Skill Unlocked: [Monster Crafting - Lv.1] – A specialized crafting skill focused on utilizing monster parts as primary materials, enhancing the functionality and adaptability of crafted gear.