Newb Craft

Steven gave the massive vault door one last look.

Six empty circular sockets.

"...Alright."

He nodded to himself.

"So I need to find six round objects."

Simple enough.

He doubted it would actually be that simple, but at least he had a direction now.

He committed the door's location to memory before turning around and leaving the ruined room.

"I'll keep an eye out."

With that mental note made, he retraced his steps through the corridors.

Past the dormant sentinel room.

Past the towering workshop.

Back through the enormous gear door.

And eventually out of the Gate itself.

The cool afternoon air greeted him as he stepped back into the real world.

He instinctively checked the time on his phone.

12:27 PM.

"...Lunch."

His stomach immediately agreed.

"I really should've packed something."

He drove to a nearby diner and ordered a simple meal: a grilled chicken club sandwich piled high with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and melted Swiss cheese, served with crispy seasoned fries and an ice-cold sweet tea.

Nothing fancy.

Just solid comfort food.

After polishing off every last fry, Steven leaned back in the booth with a content sigh.

"...Much better."

Before leaving, he pulled out his phone and opened the Player Marketplace.

His curiosity had been nagging him ever since finding the strange rune-covered screwdriver.

He searched every keyword he could think of.

Runic Screwdriver.

Nothing.

Magic Screwdriver.

Nothing.

Crafting Tool.

Nothing.

He even searched for images matching what he'd found.

Still nothing.

Steven leaned back in his seat.

"...Either nobody has ever found one..."

"...or nobody's ever sold one."

Neither answer made him feel any less curious.

Instead of returning directly to the Gate, another idea struck him.

"The Association."

He started his Mirage and made the short drive to the local Player Association building.

Veteran players often talked online about the public crafting stations available there.

They were completely free to use.

The downside...

You actually had to know what you were doing.

Steven checked in at the front desk before being directed toward a large workshop occupying an entire floor.

Rows of anvils.

Forges.

Enchanting tables.

Precision machining equipment.

Even magical workstations covered in glowing runes.

Everything a Player craftsman could reasonably need.

Steven walked over to one of the smaller weapon benches.

He removed his Mana Pistol from his Inventory and placed it on the padded work surface.

"...Let's see if I can improve you."

He spent the next several minutes experimenting.

Construct Core beside the pistol.

Nothing.

Brass gears.

Nothing.

Copper tubing.

Nothing.

He tried rearranging the materials in different ways.

Still nothing.

"...Figures."

He scratched the back of his head.

"I don't have a crafting class."

Then...

His eyes drifted toward his Inventory.

"...Wait."

"The screwdriver."

He pulled out the strange runic tool.

The moment it touched the crafting bench...

Every rune carved into the workstation lit up with a soft blue glow.

Steven blinked.

"...Well..."

"That's new."

A translucent crafting interface appeared above the pistol.

Unlike the usual Player windows, this one looked almost mechanical.

It displayed the Mana Pistol in the center with several highlighted connection points.

"...You're kidding."

Steven cautiously picked up the screwdriver.

The runes along its shaft illuminated one after another.

Without really understanding why...

He simply followed the glowing guide.

He loosened two tiny screws on the pistol.

Removed a mana focusing crystal.

Inserted one of the Construct Cores into an empty housing beneath the barrel.

Wrapped several lengths of refined copper wire around it.

Added a handful of precision brass fittings he'd collected from the workshop.

Then tightened everything back together.

The screwdriver gave a soft click.

The runes flared brightly.

Every material on the bench dissolved into shimmering blue particles before flowing into the pistol itself.

Steven stepped back.

"...Did..."

"...Did that work?"

The pistol vibrated gently.

Tiny runes spread across the barrel where there had previously been plain metal.

A new notification appeared.

Modification Successful

Mana Pistol +1

Modification: Reinforced Mana Conduit

• Mana Bolt Damage +3

• Mana Cost per Shot -1

Steven stared at the screen.

Then looked at the screwdriver.

Then back at the pistol.

"...Holy..."

He couldn't stop smiling.

The Construct Core hadn't simply been attached to the weapon.

It had become part of it.

The reinforced mana conduit increased the pistol's efficiency, allowing each shot to hit harder while using less mana.

Steven let out a slow whistle.

"...This screwdriver..."

He carefully returned it to his Inventory.

"...You're definitely not an ordinary screwdriver."