WAR LORDS!? All of them!? One by one!?" Jayden muttered in disbelief, staring at the blackened sky above. "Wait... if that guy was number #6... then who's #1? How many of them are there!??"
He clenched his fists, heart still pounding from the earlier battle. "System!!!" he shouted. "Craft me a wooden pickaxe!"
NOTICE: CRAFTING COMMENCED.
NOTICE: WOODEN PICKAXE LV.1 SUCCESSFULLY CRAFTED.
A bolt of light twisted in midair. Fragments of wood and glowing particles spiraled, binding into form. And there it was: a humble wooden pickaxe, floating before him like a trophy.
"Yooo!! I actually did it!" Jayden grinned, holding up the pickaxe as if it were legendary. Then—
LEVEL UP: 8 → 9.
"Level up... just for crafting? Now that's what I call bonus rewards!"
He couldn't stop smiling. But that excitement faded when he looked around. The world beyond the warlord's departure was now open for him to explore. Forests. Waterfalls. Mountains.
And danger.
Jayden set off through the terrain, eyes glinting with curiosity. He spotted a massive lake, its surface gleaming like silver glass, fish occasionally leaping out. Splash. Splash.
"Woah... those fish look edible. Maybe I had one before? Grilled on a stick...?"
A faint memory flashed: a smiling girl, holding food out to him. Her voice lost in haze.
He blinked. "Nah... must be the hunger talking."
Hours passed. Eventually, he stumbled upon a cave—its entrance shrouded in vines, but inside...
"Bingo. Iron ores!" he grinned. But that grin dropped.
Two bandits guarded the entrance. One was level 36. The other?
Level 48.
"...Oh come on," Jayden whispered. He looked at his level. "I'm 9. They're... monstrous."
He peeked from the bushes. "Okay. Plan: I drop in from above, smash the stronger one's head, and then dodge like crazy! Yeah! I've got stealth, momentum, and adrenaline!"
He leapt.
Aimed his pickaxe midair.
"YOU ARE MINE—!!"
But just before he could land:
"PAGE NUMBER 6, PAPER TRAP EXPLOSION!"
A barrage of paper fragments fell between him and the bandits. Boom! A surge of smoke.
Jayden landed awkwardly.
A girl appeared out of nowhere, whispering, "Come with me."
"No! I can handle—!"
"PAGE NUMBER 7: BINDING PAPERS."
Too late.
Papers wrapped around Jayden's arms, legs, even his mouth. He squirmed as he was pulled by the girl through the forest. The bandits gave chase—but then:
EXPLOSION!
The forest lit up behind them.
They escaped.
Jayden gasped as the paper restraints dissolved.
"What the heck!?"
"You're welcome, by the way," the girl smirked. "Name's Iris. I just saved your life."
Jayden scowled. "Jayden. And that was my plan!"
She wobbled. Pale. Breathing hard.
"Ugh... all that magic drained me. Take care of me for a bit, okay?"
She collapsed against him.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"
Jayden sighed.
A while later, Iris lay resting under a tree. Jayden spotted her book beside her.
"She dropped it... probably best I hang on to it for now."
He turned, heading back toward the cave.
What he saw made him freeze.
The cave was in ruins.
Smoke. Rubble. Stones broken into chunks.
"What kind of spell... did she even use?"
Jayden approached what remained of the cave. Iron ores lay scattered. He grabbed his pickaxe.
"Let's do this."
He swung.
TING!
"Damn! This ore is tough!"
Swing. Swing. Swing.
His pickaxe broke.
But he got 3 iron ores.
He crafted another.
Broke it.
Rinse. Repeat.
After exhausting three pickaxes, he had 10 iron ores.
"Finally! Time to check Iris's book."
He opened it.
To gain magic, reach Level 20 and defeat the Omega King. Only 5 out of 200 challengers survive. His sword weighs more than a thousand corpses.
Jayden read in silence.
"The warlord... he must've defeated him. That's how he got so powerful."
He flipped further.
One page was sealed. Chains. Glowing red aura.
Then—
"FOUND YOU!"
Iris stood there, panting. "Give me my book, thief!"
Jayden laughed. "Hey! I was just reading."
She snatched it back.
"Anyway," she said. "I need a favor."
"From a thief? How noble."
"I need your help to beat a level 20 boss."
Jayden blinked. "I'm level 9!"
"No worries! I'll buff you. Shield, stamina, support magic! I promise."
Jayden scratched his head. "Alright... but I need a weapon first."
Iris smiled. "Here. Ten iron ores."
He crafted a metal sword.
A surge of aura erupted.
NOTICE: YOU MAY ATTRACT ATTENTION.
The blade shined like starlight.
Jayden grinned. "Let's go."
--
[End of Vol.1 Ch.2 - THE CRAFTING SPARK!!]