Chapter 178: S-Rank Craftsman Clark

Kei nodded in farewell to Lucas, then followed Linda through the deserted street.

Along the route, they passed shuttered shops and temporary guard posts. Hunters sprinted back and forth, some hauling crates of supplies, others escorting injured comrades toward the rear. A muffled explosion reverberated from the distance, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble faintly.

Linda gripped her shoulder straps tightly, quickening her pace as a rising wave of anxiety for her comrades fighting on the frontline gripped her chest.

"How long has the Dungeon Break been going on?" Kei asked quietly.

"It just broke out last night."

Linda replied, her voice dropping lower.

"And already so many people have been injured..." Kei murmured, his tone laced with concern.

"The monsters flooded out far too fast. We hadn’t even finished evacuating the sectors near the Dungeon gate before we were forced to set up a defensive line. Several hunters and civilians were already casualties during the initial wave of monsters."

The young woman fell silent for a brief moment, then forced a reassuring smile for Kei’s benefit.

"The strongest hunting squads are holding the frontline. If Kai went down there, things are bound to get better."

Kei offered no reply. He glanced down at his hand, still feeling the lingering warmth where Kai had gripped him just moments prior.

"What about the logistics zone? Are there many Craftsmen stationed there?"

"A handful. Some are repairing equipment, while others are crafting support items. We’re dealing with a severe shortage of supplies, so everyone has no choice but to push themselves to the absolute limit."

Linda led Kei around the corner into a wide alleyway, where a low-rise building had been repurposed as a staging point. Outside the entrance stood several long tables stacked high with shattered weapons, cracked armor, and unsorted bags of raw materials. The sound of hammering metal, shouts calling out for inventory, and sirens blared together into a chaotic symphony.

Kei paused at the doorway, his eyes sweeping over the piles of gear awaiting repair.

His trip to track down Thunder would clearly have to wait a little longer. For now, he needed to do whatever lay within his power to help this city hold its ground.

Without further hesitation, Kei stepped inside the building.

The interior was far more crowded than its exterior suggested.

Craftsmen sat huddled around workbenches, some bowing their heads over equipment inspections, others scribbling notes while calling out requests for replenishment materials. The rhythm of hammers striking metal echoed relentlessly from the back of the room, cutting right through the wailing sirens outside.

This was the collaborative work environment shared among skilled Craftsmen—a scene Kei had never once encountered since stepping onto his path as a Craftsman, filling him with a mix of nervous anticipation and awe.

Linda guided Kei around the throng, stopping beside a forge workstation bolted against the wall. A tall, heavily built man in work attire stood before the furnace, hefting a heavy mallet to smash down hard upon a sword resting against an anvil. Sweat traced rivulets down his temples, yet his hammering cadence remained steady and unyielding.

"Clark-nim!" Linda called out loudly.

The man halted his strikes, turning his head to inspect them. Linda stepped forward to introduce him:

"This is S-rank Craftsman Clark, the Zootopia Guild’s master artisan."

Kei bowed respectfully.

"I am Kei. A pleasure to meet you, Clark-nim. I look forward to your guidance."

Clark set his mallet down beside the forge, his gaze sweeping over Kei to evaluate his physical demeanor and gauge his capabilities.

"What are you most proficient at crafting?"

"Space Rings, Purification Rings, and Potions."

Clark’s expression darkened instantly. He glanced toward the workbenches piled high with chipped weapons and split breastplates.

"What we need most around here are hands capable of repairing weapons and armor. Broken gear is piling up, and the hunters out on the frontline can’t afford to wait for us to forge brand-new pieces, we simply don’t have the manpower or the time."

During brutal Dungeon Break defense lines, equipment consumption was astronomical; hunters couldn’t exactly charge bare-handed into battle against ravenous monsters.

Kei gave a solemn nod. He was acutely aware that this was precisely his weak spot. While capable of fabricating specialized magical items, he lacked extensive hands-on experience repairing combat gear, truth be told, Kei remained a rookie Craftsman through and through.

Clark slung his hammer over his shoulder, his tone softening a fraction as he recognized that Kei was self-aware regarding his own shortcomings.

"Have you ever attempted armor repair before?"

"Never, sir."

"Then start with the fundamentals. Armor repair is the most straightforward task for a newcomer to get acquainted with. Fix whatever you can manage, and if you run into anything you don’t understand, ask."

Kei stared down at the stack of gear awaiting processing. A heavily dented breastplate lay right on top, a jagged crack splitting open vertically from the shoulder down to the chest plate. Its owner was likely still out fighting on the frontline clad in makeshift, patchwork gear.

"Understood. I’ll give it a try."

Resolve burned fiercely in Kei’s eyes.

He seated himself at a workbench, pulling the dented breastplate closer. In the background, the air-raid sirens wailed anew, serving as a stark reminder that outside these walls, every single minute could mean the difference between life and death.

Kei pressed his hands against the deformed metal, focusing his senses to analyze its structural integrity and fracture points. This time around, he couldn’t simply rely on the familiar items he was used to mass-producing.

He had to learn how to repair combat armor right here and now to prove his worth.

Clark, standing close by, gestured softly to Linda, inquiring about Kei’s background. Having managed the Craftsmen of the Zootopia Guild for many years, he had naturally never crossed paths with Kei before and immediately recognized him as a newcomer.

Linda gave a subtle nod and replied:

"He’s a friend of Vice Guild Master Lucas, having just arrived in Ji-pong City this morning, and he even traveled alongside Black Dragon Kai-nim from the Black Dragon Guild."

Clark started in surprise, never expecting that Kei was actually an out-of-towner who had come all this way specifically to assist Ji-pong City in resisting the Dungeon Break.

"My god... truly such a kind-hearted young man."