4. Crafter

Some weeks have passed since the first appearance of the gates. Every country have established their own National Hunter Assosiation or Departmen to asses the hunters strength. Altough there's no accurate measurements, but they test the hunters by testing their power on humans normal strength measurement like heavy lifting, or test firepower on the sea. This help the Assosiation to group up a weaker hunter with stronger ones to avoid death. The National Hunter Assosiation still command hunters and pay them from the country fund like a soldiers.

Indonesian goverment also take this step as this is a National level threat. They found a lot of awakened people, but only some want to be hunters, as they risk their life, and the goverment can't force them. But even with that, the hunters that registering are still plenty. Many want to have a good income as hunters have good pay and assurance. But even with a lot of hunters, the Assosiation is desperate.

They need a crafter, an awakened that could create weapons using dungeon materials. Crafter are very rare now, only some country have crafter. With crafter, they can make strong weapon, and weapon with a lot of functions. The normal hunters can only cutting the materials into crude weapon without functionality. So Indonesian Assosiation need crafter to increase their chance at clearing dungeons, as with good equipment, the raid will be easier.

Around 3 months after gates first appearance, something incredible happen. Rangga's mom is awakened. The family is surprised by this, they never thought someone in their family would get awakened. Ani decide to check her power in Assosiation Branch at their city, but she never intend to be a hunter. When they arrived at Assosiation, they found a long queue at the entrance. A lot of people are registering and want tl be tested.

They wait for half an hour before Ani got called inside. So Rudi come with her as only one person can acompany the awakenes in their test. The examiner, Zaka, give some question to Ani.

Zaka: "Ms Ani, what do you feel with your power?"

Ani: "I feel like there's strange energy inside me but it's weird"

Zaka: "Do you feel stronger?"

Ani: "Not much, i feel stronger that before but i feel that's not what my power give me"

Zaka: "Then do you feel faster? Can produce something like fire?"

Ani: "No, i try that before but even if i can move my energy outside it can't do anything"

Zaka: "So you can move your energy outside, certainly what a mage class can do. Wait, is this what i think it is? No way. Please wait here for a minute."

Zaka left make the couple confused. Sometime later he's back bringing some small crystals inside.

Zaka: "Ms Ani, please try to move your magic energy into this crystals"

Ani do as he ask, and feel something.

Zaka: "What do you feel?"

Ani: "I feel like a can move and change this crystals shape"

Zaka elated hearing this, he ask Ani to try changing the crystals shape. So Ani try to do it and it works, altough she can't make a perfect shape, but she's succeed shaping the crystals into a staff. Zaka feel really excited and he tell the couple about her power.

Zaka: "Ms Ani, your power is one of hidden class, a unique power as a crafter. You can make equipments from dungeons materials. The country is in needs of crafter right now, so i want to ask if you're willing to craft equipment for this country. Of course you don't have to worry about payment. We will also priority yours and your family safety. You don't need to answer this for now, we just want you to think about it. With better equipment, the raid succes rate will be higher too."

Zaka give them his name card so they can call him later. Surprisingly, he is the branch head. He just want to change some pace by examining but he found a jackpot. The couple decide to think about his offer first, as they need to discuss this with their family. They got out and go home to talk about this matter.

Rangga: "How's the result?"

Ani: "Hehehe, your mom is a crafter, i am an artist now, hohohoho"

Rangga:"W-well gold for you to be an artist instantly. So what do you want to discuss dad?"

Rudi: "Son, you're smart so i want to discuss this with you. The Assosiation give your mom an offer to craft equipment for hunters. I will not talk about payment, but they will protect our family."

Rangga: "What do you want to do Mom?"

Ani: "I want to do it, but i don't know if i can make as they ask. Also if i take it my time with my children will be lessen."

Rangga smile: "Mom, just do what you want to do. I know you like crafting, maybe that's also why you get this power. You often designing a lot of things, so it's your chance, altough it will be different because you make weapons or armor. If you want to have time with us even if you work, then just make your studio at home. Also dad, i think we need to make our own studio brand for mom. I won't allow her to work for goverment, they can buy her service but they won't employ her."

Rudi: "I also think about it, in the future, equipments for dungeon will certainly be a commodity for hunters to fight for. If she work for goverment, it will be a contract for years and we can't take it back later if they use it to make her work excessively. It's better to make a cooperation and let her make equipments and the goverment pay for it. We can also take other crafter under our banner if they don't want to work in goverment."

Rangga: "You're right, and i also think that Assosiation can't handle every hunters for long. There're already rumor about hunters guild at other country. The strong hunter can always think about making profit, so they start to think of this as a business. But the weak will stay with Assosiation with good salary & assurance."

Ani: "Hmm, so it's like we made our own crafter guild now?"

Rangga: "Yes, it's better because you can decide when to work or not. It will also help a lot of hunters but you will not work too hard if you didn't want it. Other crafters will also have choice to decide wether to work with goverment or with us, not everyone want to work with goverment afterall."

Rudi: "So you think about helping your mom and others huh? You don't think about profits?"

Rangga: "Do we need more profits now?"

They laugh at that question, they already have money, and they know how to enjoy their life. So why not help other people enjoy their life to if they can.They're not saints, but they have kindness. This is their best solutions for their's and others happiness.

The nexy day, Ani call Assosiation and tell them her family decision. The Assosiation is dejected buy they still grateful that she will help them make equipments. They will start doing their business next week, after Ani's Crafting Studio official opening. They make an official announcement about the Crafting Studio 'The Hand'. The one giving name is obviously Rangga, he remember a stand with this name, it's really suitable for an artis, and her mom like it.

The Hand studio location is in their garage for now, until the building that being made finished in some months. The garage is enough for now as it's wide enough as they don't have manh cars, just many guests with cars. They place necessary tools in garage and it became a studio like hollywood movie.

The next week, Assosiation send them materials and list of equipment they want to order. They send low level materials and low level equipment list becaus they know Ani is still a new crafter, so there will be a lot of mistakes. Low level materials is not much so they can afford to lose some. They don't have measurement of magic power yet, so they send materials that have some defect like chipped or the cut is bad on a hide.

Ani didn't disappointed, but she is happy. She has lots of experimental object now so she's excited. Because she's too excited she became exhausted and wasted after her magic power depleted. So Rudi need to carry his wife to their room. The next day she became energetic again and wasted again after work, seemingly not learned from experience. So Rudi and Rangga have a talk with her.

Rangga: "Mom, i know you're excited but please keep it under control"

Rudi: "That's right Ani, it's not good for your health"

Ani: "A-alright, i will try, hehe. It's just so much fun doing something i want, and my power make it easier."

Rangga: "I will keep your schedule checked, i will even send Kirana and Surya to get you out if you overworked yourself"

Ani: "Hmph, Alright, i understand, you don't need to go that far, jeez."

Rangga and Rudi can only sigh and smile wryly at her antics. After that they always keep her in check and it's already 1 year since the gates manifested. There's a lot of hunters now and some crafters also appeared. Some crafters join The Hand, but more joined Assosiation. The Hands crafters are actually better than Assosiation crafters, but they don't want to be restricted by Assosiation's rules. The Hand give crafters more flexibility and creativity to make as they like as long as it didn't clashed with what ordered by hunters.

Assosiation crafters made equipment prioritizing quantity, so they make a lot of same product. The craftman can't use their creative mind there. That's why the more creative ones follow The Hand. The more sucesfull and stronger hunters also make their equipment in The Hand. But still, Ani's craft is the best, her design is very unique but comfortable to use, so a lot of hunters like it. The order for her work is always coming, but she only accept after all of her employees have got order and can't take more. So only a few lucky ones getting their equipment made by her.

Also last month, his dad actually also awakened. He get a very unique power that no one has found, an enchanter. Maybe someone will have same power with him someday but he is the first. He can enchant equipment and make them have unique attribute that are separated from the equipments ability it got from the ingredients. For example a sword made from flame monster can generate heat and resistance to fire. Rudi can enchant it to vibrate, to make it cut easier.

He can also enchant a magic spell inside, but he need the user's blood and magic that are going to be used being activated and Rudi bind it to the weapon, so the magic can generate faster as the spell already in the weapon and the user only need to supply the magic power. Even tough mage can use their wand to make spell but they need to activate it, but with Rudi's enchanment they can do it instantly. His power is really close with crafter, but there's no one other than him with this power now, so he ask the Assosiation to keep it a secret. He will not use his power for public, but he will help if there's emergency and need his power.

Rangga on the other hand keep his training routine and he feel he became stronger faster than before. Mochi tell him that it's because of magic power that already come trough the gates and he absorb it to strengthen his body. Mochi also said that if he keep doing his routine, he can awaken as scheduled. Rangga think he can awaken faster with his training routine, but Mochi only said that,

Mochi: "Your body still need to grow to the max before awaken to make you hold the power easier. The fastest age to grow is at teenage, especially your bones, so the most ideal to awaken is when you're 20's, that's why even the awakened ones are minimum at their late teens. Even if Sung Jin-Woo can get taller after reawakening, it's the effect of Shadow Monarch power. Only then can your body handle magic power, but minimum, maybe at C-rank hunters and you can start to train your muscle to make your body strong enough to hold Master Ashgar full power later."

Rangga: "Hmm, so my starting point is C-rank, better than Jin-Woo at E-rank. Maybe it's because i train my body but he's not as he need to work. Can i help him somehow?"

Mochi: "No, you can't, until he's reawakened, you can't make contact with him. Even if you make contact, you can't give him information about anything you know, or befriend him before he met the architect. You will take away his chance to be strong, and you will alert the Architect ot maybe Monarchs by making contact with him. You are not strong enough to face them.

After their chat, Rangga can only sigh and continue his training.