{đ„łJoining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please support me.đ„° You can access upto 105+ advance chapter through Patreon by using the link: https://patreon.com/HACKDWORLD
[Standard Item Level: Level 4]
[Primary Materials: Any of the Four Elements, Heavy Stone, Ruby, Demon Blood]
[Description: Summons a demon that fights on your behalf until it is destroyed or its energy is depleted. The demon's strength scales with the item's levelâŠ]
Rowe carefully read the contents etched onto the holy deed, falling into contemplative silence.
Though the alchemy of the holy deed usually resembled potion-making, this time was differentâit called for a statue.
The materials listed weren't particularly rare. Stones and gems were easily acquired. Demon blood had once been rare, but with the current war in Vanaheim, it had become nearly too abundant. Rowe had collected quite a bit.
As for "any one of the four elements," it clearly referred to the fundamental forces: earth, water, fire, or air.
Rowe pondered for a moment, then conjured divine flame in his palm and offered it to the crafting matrix inscribed within the deed.
Despite its ordinary appearance, the holy deed possessed mystical traits that defied natural laws. Only Rowe could see its runic instructions and visual displays. It remained impossibly clean no matter the environment, and so far, nothing could damage it.
He'd once entertained the idea of wielding the holy deed as a shield, but the text within had strictly prohibited such actions.
Maybe the deed wasn't truly indestructible, but a mere flame certainly wouldn't harm it.
[Elemental Flame Substitution: 115%]
The flame sufficed.
Next, Rowe retrieved a stone from Shilute's food pile and placed it onto the deed's crafting matrix.
[Heavy Stone Substitution: 42%]
Rowe frowned and tried another stone, but the result remained poor.
"Shilute, spit out a stone," he ordered.
Shilute opened his mouth wide and a deluge of mud and rocks came gushing out.
"Wowâ"
"Enough, enough! Stop!" Rowe quickly interjected, staring in exasperation at a boulder that nearly filled half the room.
"Can you⊠maybe eat some of it again?" he asked hopefully.
"Bzzzt!" Shilute shook his head vehemently, clearly disgusted. These stones were waste to himâno different from excrementâand he had no desire to reconsume them.
With no other option, Rowe picked up a hammer and began chipping away at the giant rock. One shard, he fed to the Sanctuary for identification.
[Heavy Stone Substitution: 133%]
Rowe's eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't help but pat Shilute's head affectionately.
"Good boy."
Next, he selected a suitable ruby and a vial of demon blood from his storage. Since this was his first attempt at crafting the item, he refrained from using his best resources. Both the ruby and blood had around 70% substitution ratingsâacceptable for a trial run.
The crafting process comprised three steps:
Carve the statue and inscribe the necessary runes.
Infuse it with the demon blood and magic gemstone.
Channel in elemental flame to awaken the item.
The carving stage was the most difficult. Although Rowe had dabbled in art as a child, sculpture was entirely foreign to himâand even his paintings were rudimentary at best.
He wasted over a dozen stones attempting to create a decent form. Thankfully, Rowe's Bladeâhis enchanted dagger forged from undying steelânever dulled, making the stone cutting process easier.
Late into the night, Rowe finally completed a rudimentary demon statue, modeled after the most basic demon form listed in the holy deed's records.
Seventeen varieties were documented, but he'd opted for the simplest.
The final statue stood about as long as a vertical palm, bearing the archetypal features of a horned demon: curled horns, a tail, cloven hooves, and no wings. Rowe's novice sculpting made the statue look like a cheap figurine hastily molded from clay.
Carved along its body were recessed linesâsome in runic patterns, others mimicking blood vesselsâall of which converged at a hollow cavity in the chest.
"It should workâŠ"
He inserted the ruby into the cavity.
As the gem clicked into place, the statue pulsed with energy. Runes began glowing softly, and the cavity flickered with eerie light.
Rowe immediately poured the demon blood into the gem. The viscous fluid flowed outward, filling the engraved channels like living veins and bathing the statue in crimson radiance.
Finally, Rowe enveloped the statue in divine flame. The statue absorbed the fire without resistance.
After a while, the runes, blood vessels, cavity, and gem all dimmed and retracted. The statue's surface hardened and resembled ordinary stoneâits arcane activity sealed within.
Rowe appraised the finished item.
[Crafting Completion: Excellent]
[Item Level: Level 3]
Not bad, considering his lack of experience with sculpture. The materials were excellent, but his technique had likely limited the result.
Still, a Level 3 artifact was no small feat.
He placed the demon statue into his pack.
The next day, following his routine combat drills, Brunnock challenged him again.
"Three moves," Rowe said flatly, and within seconds subdued Brunnock with practiced ease.
"You matched your personal best," he added.
"Tomorrow, I'll last four moves! Just you wait!" Brunnock huffed before stomping off.
At lunch, Heimd emerged proudly with a massive, sword-bearing fish of unknown speciesâover a meter long and unusually muscular.
"Snack time! Rowe, let's have some fire-grilled fish," Heimd grinned.
"I'm warning youâI'm still not great at controlling the divine flame, so don't blame me if it gets scorched," Rowe said dryly.
"Just get over here already."
Rowe sighed and walked over. He summoned a gentle, controlled flame in both hands, carefully roasting the fish. Fortunately, the fish had thick flesh and could withstand heat well. The aroma of cooked meat soon filled the air.
As the group enjoyed their meal, Heimd suddenly made an announcement.
"After this meal, Rowe will be leaving our team."
Everyone froze.
"Why?!"
Roweâdeputy captain, healer, combatant, demon suppressor, and even chefâwas integral to the team. The news shocked everyone.
Even Rowe himself looked bewildered.
Heimd smirked and held up a sealed scroll.
"Relax. It's a promotion."
He handed the scroll to Rowe.
"Signed by Lord Odin himself. Effective immediately, you're now the captain of the 34th Combat Squad."
He added, almost offhandedly,
"From what I hear, that squad has had rough luck. Two full wipeouts. Lost their deputy captain during the second rebuilding effort, and now the captain's dead."
"âŠSounds cursed," someone muttered.
"I think they were just weak," another offered. "With Captain Rowe leading them, things'll turn around."
"But⊠no more grilled fish," someone lamented.
Brunnock, visibly conflicted, stepped forward.
"Does our challenge still count?"
Rowe unfolded the appointment scroll with a soft smile.
"Of course. All you have to worry about now is how to survive ten moves in my hands."
{ Enjoying the chapters? Please Support me on Patreon and unlock advanced chapters, with 5 new chapters released every two days!
The fanfic is also available for one-time purchase on Patreon â unlock lifetime access to the full collection, no membership needed! Don't miss out âsupport and own it forever!
patreon.com/HACKDWORLD}