In the vast plain, Tyler sat under the umbrella-shaped tree, the cool shade draping over him like a protective canopy, filtering the sun's harsh rays into dappled patterns on the ground.

His fingers snapped twigs with sharp cracks, his eyes fixed on the glowing system interface hovering before him. Thoughts swirled through his mind, a whirlwind of possibilities.

* I should be able to craft things that aren't in the recipes. Like, for example, when I first came here, I managed to craft that armor that was called,what, normal clothing? I can't remember it clearly. I even managed to craft a wooden katana. So, can I just put things in the inventory and tell it to craft different stuff? Without recipes?He placed his hand on his chin, eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the system inventory, the translucent panel shimmering faintly in the open air. He muttered under his breath, "Well, I can't really craft all the good necessary weapons without the recipes."

* Would I have been able to craft or even know about the kind of ingredients needed to craft a certain kind of weapon? I mean, the wooden katana just looked normal. Well, except that it was unbelievably sharp for a wooden sword.*

He sighed, the sound escaping like a weary gust, and thought, *This thing is a bit confusing for me. Even if I ask it, I don't think it's going to answer. It's like it needs specific prompts to answer questions. And sometimes it just answers my questions when there not even directed at it.*

He rubbed his forehead, fingers pressing into the skin as frustration creased his brow.* If I could just craft things without any need of recipes, I could craft some furniture and things like that. I'm not even sure. Can I craft things out of accessories, weapons, and armour?*

Another panel suddenly appeared over the inventory panel, its text sharp and unyielding: Crafting success.Tyler's eyes lit up, a broad smile breaking across his face as he muttered, "It's done? All right." He sprang to his feet and glanced at the ground.

With a thought, the steel-fang daggers materialized on the grassy ground before him, all twenty shimmering under the morning sun that filtered through the branches, casting dotted lights across the shade like scattered stars.The steel-fang daggers lay there, glinting with fresh-forged sharpness, and Tyler gazed at them, his grin widening

*This actually happened,* he thought. *I crafted twenty steel-fang daggers at once. Excitement surged through him. *I'm going to sell a lot of these.*

He crouched down and picked one up, its cool metal weight balanced in his hand as he examined it. "First, I'm gonna have to enhance them," he muttered. A small panel flickered beside the dagger, displaying its stats, identical to the one he'd had before enhancing it.With a thought, an enhancement stone materialized in his other palm. He pressed it against the dagger, channeling his mana.

The stone shimmered, then shattered, blue crystal dust swirling into the blade like captured starlight. A system panel appeared, its text bold: Enhancement successful.He chuckled softly, letting the dagger vanish into his inventory. Then he began picking them up one by one, enhancing each with methodical focus.

He gathered them all into his inventory, the last one vanishing with a faint shimmer. He took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly, but a stiffness lingered in his muscles. Opening his palm, a vial filled with clear water materialized, its glass cool against his skin. He drank deeply, the refreshing liquid quenching his thirst, then let it dissolve back into his inventory with a soft glow.

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His attention shifted to Joy, who was still struggling to reach him. Her teeth clenched in determination, she lifted her legs with labored effort, each step sinking as if trudging through thick mud. A green figure against the vast plain, where short grass mingled green and dry patches, the vibrant hues dominating the landscape like an uneven carpet.

Questions about this plain had once plagued Tyler's mind, the grass so uniform, almost level, as if haphazardly mowed by some unseen force. If these empty expanses stretched between towns, why wasn't the grass taller, wilder? But he'd come to accept it, shrugging off the mystery. After all, this world brimmed with magic, monsters, and enigmas beyond his grasp.

His focus sharpened on Joy. She was now about 40 feet away, her tiny frame trembling with exertion. Tyler folded his arms, watching her intently.* She looks super tired, he thought. Should I tell her to stop? She's come a pretty long way. This should be enough, right?* Yet something held him back, he sensed she could push on. After all, she was still moving, still struggling.

Tyler shook his head slightly, muttering under his breath, "Nah, she can still make it." But a doubt nagged at him. *Something's off though. Shouldn't these bricks be a lot lighter? Because she had a 20-point increase in strength. I mean, I know they're heavy, but they aren't that heavy, right?* He watched her closely, brow furrowed.

He muttered, "I mean, she's small and level one, but still, she's a humanoid monster. And Grone said these things are tougher. And they are." He sat back down, the cool grass pressing against his palms, his gaze fixed on Joy's labored steps.

*Well, maybe it's different for her. I mean, she is a rare pet, but aren't rare pets supposed to be stronger? That doesn't make any sense. She's at 70 stats in strength. This thing should be weightless to her. Unless her stats aren't like mine. Maybe her stats need to be a lot higher for them to actually have that much of an effect on her. Maybe that's it. I mean, it's not like I've seen other people's stats or anything. I only see their levels.*

He sighed, closing his eyes briefly, the distant rustle of Joy's feet echoing in the quiet plain. He opened them as the system inventory panel shimmered into view, icons of daggers filling the slots like a grid of promise. With a thought, the panels faded, replaced by another that displayed pieces for alchemy and weapon crafting. He scrolled through with his eyes, noting the ones he hadn't crafted yet.

"Oh, I haven't crafted so many weapons yet." He scanned the recipe for the wooden bow and saw he had all the materials. But a doubt flickered.* A wooden bow, do I still need something like that? I mean, I could craft the one I made for Rebecca back then and use that, because that one has a skill. Or does this one also have a skill? I mean, it's not like I have long-ranged attack skills, so let me give it a try.*

Another system panel appeared swiftly, hovering over the recipes, its circular loading bar filling as quickly as it materialized before vanishing. A new panel flashed: Crafting successful.

Tyler wasn't even surprised,,after all, it hadn't required many materials. He extended his palm, and the wooden bow materialized in his hand. Its smooth wood gleamed under the dappled sunlight, surprisingly light and balanced, the grain flowing like polished rivers.

The string caught his eye, the drain string, from the plant that had nearly killed him at the Crossroads base. He examined it closely, touching the taut fiber with caution. It felt resilient, unyielding. He pulled it back, testing the tension, and it snapped taut with perfect resistance.

He muttered, "Not bad. I could just knot an arrow to this thing and fire. I should probably make another one."As soon as the words left his lips, a system panel appeared beside the bow, displaying its stats: Wooden Bow - Attack: 47. Agility: 3.

*An attack of 47 and only 3 agility? It's pretty weak. Well, I guess I could enhance it*. An enhancement stone appeared in Tyler's hand, and he pressed it against the wooden bow. The stone crumbled into dust, the fine particles seeping into the wood like absorbed mist. A system panel flashed in red: Wooden bow cannot be enhanced.

He muttered under his breath, "What? But why?" Frustration creased his brow as he grabbed the bow with both hands, flipping it over, his fingers tracing the smooth grain as if searching for a hidden flaw. If I can't enhance this thing, it's useless. He sighed, the sound heavy in the quiet plain. *Anyway, I guess I could still sell it to lower-level hunters like the E-ranks or something.* It vanished into his inventory with a faint shimmer.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in Tyler's mind, igniting like a flame.* Yeah, I'm going to craft everything I can here. But first… I have to test this thing out. I want to see if it works.*

He looked ahead and saw Joy was now just 20 feet away, her small figure pushing forward with renewed vigor. Surprise flickered across his face, she'd become faster, closing the distance in a fraction of the time she'd taken at the start. Wow! She must have… Is she getting faster? I thought she'd slow down, he thought, his voice fading to a murmur as he trailed off.

* Anyway, I have to try this thing.* Suddenly, the system panel appeared before him, its text stark: Combine three steel-fang daggers? (Yes/No) Caution: 70% success rate.Tyler mentally selected yes.

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