Once he returned, Terry explained what he saw with Rebecca; he also talked with her about the first town of monsters since he wanted her opinion on the matter.
"I agree with you; it makes sense that monsters living in different areas would act differently like this," Rebecca said after thinking for a short while. "Still, I suppose we can't find a large group of them in other areas, one that wouldn't be that dangerous."
"Right, we still have some time before things reach a critical level, so we don't have to hurry," Terry said while thinking about a few things that he could do to deal with that situation."
After retreating, Terry gave the order for the newbies to keep watching the portal. At the same time, Rebecca offered them support as well. He was going to guard the place at night, so he decided to use his time well before that.
Terry went to talk with Vanessa about the ideas that he had. She was a bit busy dealing with the issues of her own guild and portal that she had to guard. At the same time, she also had to talk with the inhabitants of the city about the security of the place and make them feel safe when someone unknown to them was guarding one of the dungeons. It was a lot of work.
"Sorry for bothering you; I won't try to take too much of your time," Terry said. "I was wondering if you know someone that is interested in joining my guild, and they are good at using those graysteel."
"Those are skilled blacksmiths and crafters that survived until now have already been recruited by the guilds, and I don't think that they are unsatisfied with the things they receive in exchange for their services," Vanessa said. "We are always training new blacksmiths and crafters, but that takes time. I suppose you didn't look for blacksmiths in your base and hometown."
Terry could only nod; he never thought that he would need people like that since his trait was broken and could turn even kitchen knives into monster-slaying relics. His reasoning stemmed from a combination of past victories and a deep understanding of his own capabilities. Terry had faced countless adversaries throughout the last few weeks and had emerged triumphant using nothing more than his skills and standard weapons at his side.
While the idea of seeking out blacksmiths and crafters crossed Terry's mind, he ultimately dismissed it. He felt that the time required to find skilled artisans, negotiate terms, and wait for the creation of specialized weapons would only delay his progress and potentially weaken his resolve. In his mind, the strength he possessed, coupled with his experience and knowledge of his opponents, would be more than sufficient to overcome the challenges that lay ahead.
"If you have any idea in mind, I can ask my people to help you with that; they are getting better at using the greysteel after we learned in the last few days," Vanessa explained.
A crucial decision weighed heavily on his mind. Terry contemplated the advantages of seeking out blacksmiths or crafters to enhance his arsenal of weapons and equipment, as well as the possibility of recruiting another guild to join his.
Aware of the potential benefits of skilled craftsmen, Terry acknowledged that their expertise could provide him with specialized gear tailored to exploit the weaknesses. He envisioned weapons adorned with enchantments or armor crafted to withstand the peculiar abilities possessed by the creatures. The thought of equipping himself with such potent tools intrigued him… he also could make his subordinates a lot stronger.
Unfortunately, that would make him go against his principles of not letting things continue with the status quo. The idea that he had would turn him into a much more fearsome opponent, but he couldn't do it alone; he needed an expert blacksmith. He would need several of them working for him…
"It is fine; I will do something about this," Terry said, and then he left the room. "Sorry for bothering you."
In the end, Terry headed to the branch of the guild that was almost finished, and he looked at the warehouse filled with the greysteel. After thinking for a while, Terry decided to throw away his pride for a bit and then went to talk with Louis. He did it using his cell phone in order to spare a bit of his ego.
"Oh, that is surprising," Louis said while showing amusement in his face. "I gave you my number, but I didn't think that you would actually call, even if the world starts to end again."
"I hate doing this, even more than you can imagine," Terry said and then sighed. "Anyway, I want to hire some skilled blacksmiths and crafters, ones that don't have and never had affiliations with guilds. Can you spread that information on your network?"
"That is possible, but it will be hard to find those people since they don't need to be strong to become part of the guilds; they just need to be skilled in their craft," Louis said. "There are some people with that kind of trait, but they are quite rare."
In a post-apocalyptic world, the task of finding skilled blacksmiths becomes arduous and challenging. The collapse of society and the destruction wrought by cataclysmic events have disrupted the once-thriving infrastructure that supported specialized craftsmanship.
In a post-apocalyptic world, essential resources such as iron, coal, and other raw materials required for blacksmithing become scarce. The devastation caused by the apocalypse may have depleted natural reserves or made them inaccessible, making it difficult to procure the necessary materials for crafting high-quality weapons and equipment. So, most of those people would change careers to survive.
The collapse of transportation systems and the breakdown of societal structures disrupt supply chains that once facilitated the distribution of resources. This makes it challenging to source and transport materials required by blacksmiths, impeding the creation of intricate and specialized weaponry.