Deep Sea Fish Hunting Specialty Broadcast

Chapter 114 : The Indomitable Blacksmith

“W-what, WHAT?!”

Yuna blinked repeatedly with an expression of utter disbelief as she stared at the notification window that appeared before her eyes.

[ Skill ‘Indomitable Blacksmith(S)’ has achieved its designated evolution conditions. ]

Skill evolution.

This ‘phenomenon’ is essentially the lottery ticket of hunters.

It happens roughly once a month worldwide, but considering the global awakened population of 2 billion, that’s an incredibly brutal probability.

Among those, S-rank skill evolution has been reported exactly three times in history.

The merits gained from skill evolution are naturally far more valuable than any lottery winnings.

Because evolved skills have no penalties.

In short, it’s a life-changing opportunity that comes with odds of one in billions.

Moreover, what appeared before Yuna’s eyes was none other than an S-rank skill evolution message.

It’s no wonder she hastily withdrew the submarine.

Emerging from the tank ten times faster than she went in, Yuna quickly stripped off her diving suit and headed to her bedroom.

“Huff, huff.”

Yuna closed her eyes as she placed her trembling hands over her even more trembling chest.

‘Deep breaths. Deep breaths…’

“Phew, haaa…”

Then she called up her status window again to check the message.

[ Skill ‘Indomitable Blacksmith(S)’ has achieved its designated evolution conditions. ]

This is absolutely real.

Right now, Yuna’s S-rank skill is about to begin its evolution.

She opened the skill information window.

[ Skill Information ]

[ Indomitable Blacksmith(S) ]

[ When applying options to equipment or artifacts, there is a 15% chance the target will be destroyed. ]

[ Each time equipment or artifacts are destroyed during crafting, the power of options you apply permanently increases. The higher the grade of destroyed equipment, the higher the increase rate. Current power increase: 2412% ]

[ The skill has met its evolution conditions. Evolution conditions will be revealed. ]

[ Evolution condition: With an option power increase of 2000% or higher, defeat one of the designated monsters. Kill contribution must be 95% or higher, and the evolution path will vary depending on which monster is defeated. ]

[ Monster List ]

[ המילה הזו (Defeated) ]

[ זה לא אומר כלום ]

[ זה לא רמז ]

‘Hmm…’

Yuna read through the skill tooltip with intense concentration.

‘It’s already increased this much.’

With a newfound feeling, she looked at the number 2412.

This was obviously an astronomical figure. Whatever option was applied to equipment would be strengthened 24 times over.

Looking at just the results, it was nothing short of a completely broken, overpowered skill.

However, if one were to learn what process Yuna went through to reach this point, they could never call this skill ‘unfair.’

Yuna obtained this skill 8 years ago, when she was a C-rank hunter in her third year after awakening.

She had destroyed at least 300 pieces of equipment since then.

So to achieve the evolution condition of 2000%, she would need to destroy about 250 pieces of equipment.

Naturally, this was already approaching the realm of impossibility.

In this field, destroying just ten pieces of equipment would spread rumors to all the hunters in the area.

And when such rumors spread? Requests would dry up immediately.

The client needs to raise the option application efficiency enough to accept the 15% risk, but with low option application efficiency, there are no clients.

It was the experienced worker’s dilemma. Can’t get hired without experience, can’t get experience without getting hired.

A skill that grows stronger the more you handle anvils and metal, ironically takes those very things away from the hunter.

That’s why hunters who obtain this skill typically choose to erase it with a conflicting skill scroll.

However, Yuna’s case was slightly different.

It was because this S-rank skill, her first ever, was too precious to her.

When equipment was destroyed, she would spend her own money to buy the same materials and return them to the client.

Since it was guaranteed to operate at a loss even when selecting only the cheapest materials, Yuna worked side jobs like crazy.

Her streaming activities began from this point.

Yuna’s crafting style also originated from this skill’s characteristics.

To prevent the catastrophe of carefully crafted equipment being destroyed all at once, Yuna chose a method of breaking down what she wanted to make into small units, applying the necessary options to each part, and then assembling them.

While inefficient and not particularly aesthetically pleasing in the final product, it was a method that definitely reduced the risk of destruction.

There were countless other ways this skill influenced Yuna. It would take all night to list them all.

Being extremely sensitive to wasting materials due to memories of her rookie days, or having absolutely no fear of failure.

In that sense, [Indomitable Blacksmith] was a skill that represented Yuna even better than her Personal Skill.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Yuna’s life was contained within it.

And having lived such a life, Yuna felt that this 2000% figure was a point that couldn’t be reached unless one was quite insane.

Moreover, hitting 2000% wasn’t even the end of it.

[ Monster List ]

[ המילה הזו (Defeated) ]

[ זה לא אומר כלום ]

[ זה לא רמז ]

One of these three must be defeated with at least 95% contribution.

Ah, by the way, the monster names are displayed correctly. Since names like Orc, Goblin, or Galecus are all human-given names, it’s natural that the status window calls them something completely different.

According to official findings from academia, it’s a language that doesn’t exist on Earth. They don’t even know if it’s pronounceable, let alone translatable.

The one marked ‘Defeated’ would be the golden stingray that Yuna just took down.@@novelbin@@

Though uncertain of the other two’s identities, they’re surely beings with similar capture difficulty to that 20-meter fish buried in the monster-infested deep sea.

Moreover, these insane conditions were hidden until they were achieved.

No wonder there have only been three cases of S-rank skill evolution in history.

No, it’s rather surprising there were even three.

Yuna held her racing heart and operated the status window.

“Skill Evolution Menu.”

[ Skill Evolution Menu ]

[ ‘Indomitable Blacksmith(S)’ has met the conditions and is ready to evolve into ‘Serene Forging Deity(S+)’ ]

[ Skill Preview ]

[ Serene Forging Deity(S+) ]

[ When applying options to equipment or artifacts, there is a 15% chance to select and apply an additional special option. All options you apply are adjusted to 20 times their effect. ]

[ When crafting equipment underwater, special options can be applied with 100% probability, and all options you apply are adjusted to 35 times their effect. ]

“Oh my…”

Yuna took a deep breath and spoke with a resolute voice.

“Skill Evolution.”

KWAAAAAANG-!!!

With that, blue aura burst forth like a storm from Yuna’s entire body.

Massive waves violently wrapped around Yuna, surging as if about to tear apart all the surrounding space.

However, Yuna, at the center of it all, was feeling something far removed from destruction.

The sensation of something solid and cool filling her body.

An tremendous sense of refreshment and comfort washed over her.

It felt like leisurely floating in the midst of a raging current.

But.

‘Something’s missing.’

The rushing current flowing into Yuna’s body wasn’t completely filling her.

Like river water, it merely passed through Yuna.

It felt like being a bottomless jar.

Yuna was anxious. She wanted to somehow grasp this refreshing sensation that was merely flowing through her.

But you can’t stop a river with your palms. Contrary to Yuna’s wishes, the sensation of something flowing away only intensified.

Yuna concentrated.

A bottomless jar, huh. It was amusing that she would feel this now of all times.

Hadn’t she always lived like a bottomless jar?

If she had to name one thing lacking in her life, it would undoubtedly be peace of mind.

At that moment, an image appeared in Yuna’s mind.

The azure sea. Gentle classical music.

And in the midst of it all, a woman with long, beautiful blue hair, lying there in perfect serenity.

In Yuna’s mind, the word ‘peace’ remained as such an image.

“Really now. How many times am I going to receive help?”

Yuna smiled slightly and lay back comfortably. The cool water supported her body.

Though she could still feel the energy draining away, she didn’t mind.

The water flowed, and she flowed with it. In the rushing current, she became the sea, and the sea became her.

What does it matter, this way or that?

Only then did Yuna understand the essence of this energy.

Serene.

At peace and at ease, without any worries or concerns.

When the calm and beautiful sea already filled her heart, why seek to fill it with anything more?

How does one fill a bottomless jar?

The answer to the riddle was deceptively simple.

Throw the jar into the sea.

When Yuna opened her eyes again, she could finally confirm that the solid and cool energy she had felt earlier now completely filled her body.

The room maintained exactly the same state as before, even after experiencing such chaos.

As if nothing had happened at all.

Yuna lay quietly on the bed, looking at the window beside her.

Her once golden eyes had turned blue.

Inside them, like a whirlpool, blue waves were swirling in circles.