Chapter 91: Three Types of Rune Stones

There were only three types of Rune Stones to make this time: the auxiliary type "Weapon Sharpening," the reinforcement type "Self-Strengthening," and the offensive type "Fireball."

Although Bell had mastered a number of Runic Letter applications, there were still some things best kept under wraps—three types were already plenty. Even just these three would be enough to draw Orario's attention.

Naturally, there were upgraded versions of these runes, but they were expensive and fully custom-made. In other words, they wouldn't be produced unless specifically ordered. Bell certainly hoped someone would place those custom orders.

After all, crafting Rune Stones was part of his daily training. If he could earn some money from the products of his training, what could be better?

What's more, the Rune Stones had helped him establish a solid friendship with Hephaestus's Familia. He'd only given up half the profits, and in Bell's view, that was practically pure gain.

He'd traded Rune Stones—whose cost was almost nothing—for a partnership with Hephaestus's Familia and half of the profits.

That was insane profit.

And since the Runic Letters were unique to him, it naturally gave him a monopoly.

Whether in modern society or in this world, monopolies were always the most profitable.

Bell picked up a blue stone and inscribed "Weapon Sharpening" into it. The moment it was completed, a Runic character appeared on its surface.

He had intentionally added this particular character—not that it served any actual function. Since these Rune Stones were meant to be sold, and the surfaces had already been polished by Hephaestus-sama's Familia, he figured they might as well come with a bit of extra flair.

More importantly, the added mystique might spark interest among Adventurers and help boost sales.

Once he was done, Bell casually tossed the finished Rune Stone aside and moved on to the next.

Nearby, someone crouched down and picked up the blue stone that had been inscribed with the Runic character.

"So that's it? Is the effect similar to body strengthening?"

Bell glanced over and, seeing that it was Tsubaki—someone he'd met before—he didn't mind and explained while continuing to write.

"The blue ones are for Weapon Sharpening. They make weapons sharper for a period of time."

Tsubaki's eyes lit up.

"Seriously? How effective is it?"

Bell paused briefly, having just completed a red Rune Stone.

"I haven't tested it myself, but Hephaestus-sama already did—used a goblin short sword and another weapon I'm not familiar with."

"And? What happened?"

"The goblin short sword enhanced with 'Weapon Sharpening' sliced clean through the other weapon. I think it boosted the goblin blade's sharpness by at least a full tier."

A whole tier!?

Tsubaki was almost stunned by the information.

A goblin short sword was a third-tier weapon. If it could be bumped up to second-tier value-wise, the increase would be significant.

If even top-tier weapons could gain a level in sharpness, then these Rune Stones would easily become the most popular consumables in Orario, rivaling magic swords in value.

As she watched Bell pick up one ore after another, each one of a different color, she noticed each had a different Runic character on it. They all seemed complete.

"Is it really that easy to create a buff that increases a weapon's sharpness by an entire tier?"

It looked way too simple.

The speed at which Bell produced them made Tsubaki question her entire understanding of crafting.

"It's only easy for me."

"Anyone who doesn't understand this magical script wouldn't be able to produce even a single prototype, no matter how long they fiddled with it."

Runic Letters weren't some cheap trick.

They were characters discovered by the god Odin within the World Tree—letters born from the very foundation of a world. That's why Runic Letters possessed such vast and diverse power.

The reason Bell could understand them at all was thanks to the Type-Moon system extracting the concept directly from Caster Hound's Spirit Origin.

The system had forcibly implanted that knowledge into Bell, making it part of his own understanding.

So crafting Rune Stones wasn't something just anyone could do. Bell simply had the rare qualifications that allowed him to make them so easily...

Was it really okay for him to say that out loud?

Tsubaki silently watched as Bell continued to craft the Rune Stones at remarkable speed—each one finished in moments.

"What about the other two Rune Stones?"

"The red one is inscribed with 'Fireball,' and the green one has 'Self-Strengthening.' It's the same type of buff magic you're using right now."

"This ridiculous buff on me is from the same kind of stone?"

Tsubaki felt like a bumpkin seeing advanced magic for the first time. The sheer intensity of the enhancement was making her head spin.

"It's the same effect, but it only lasts for five minutes."

"Five minutes... phew, that's a relief."

The time limit made it more manageable. If this kind of insane boost in 'attributes' lasted too long, it would be hard to accept.

Still, even with a time limit, the effectiveness of the buff magic couldn't be denied.

"Five minutes might not sound long, but it's enough to get a lot done."

Tsubaki didn't think five minutes was too short for an Adventurer. In the Dungeon, most encounters with monsters were either even fights or one-sided beatdowns. The only difference was whether the Adventurer was doing the crushing or being crushed.

In situations where the power gap wasn't too big, this kind of direct 'attribute' enhancement could make all the difference.

Even if it only lasted five minutes, a skilled Adventurer could either win or at least escape with their life in that time.

"And the fireball?"

"Simply put, it's a small explosive fireball created using magic script. The kind that actually explodes."

A Fireball was essentially a magical grenade, except when it exploded, it generated intense heat and flames.

Its main purpose was to help Adventurers who didn't have access to magic.

Compared to "Weapon Sharpening," it was much cheaper—so even a Level 1 Adventurer could save up and carry a few for emergencies.