Once Jim made sure the advisor wouldn't wake up anytime soon, he ran up to the shadowy figure. Fortunately they didn't seem to be too injured and were already healing themselves.

"By the power of the world and the will of the hammer spirit, bend the mana and heal my target. Fast Healing Warmth."

The shadow was enveloped by a faint red aura. Jim couldn't see because of the dark cloak, which was still smoking a bit, but the injuries the shadow sustained had mostly disappeared.

"Thanks for the strength buff."

"Don't mention it. How much time is left?" They asked.

Jim pulled out the timer and frowned.

"36 more minutes. It took us roughly 20 to get here, so it will take us about the same, if not more to get up." Jim looked at the hole and wondered if there was anything he could use to get back up. The shadow seemed to pick up on this and turned themselves into a formless figure once again, quickly making their way up the ceiling.

"Stay here, I'll be right back," the shadow said, disappearing into the castle. Jim began pacing around impatiently.

[00:00:34:28]

[00:00:33:11]

[00:00:31:42]

Each tick of the timer was like a bomb going off, and it seemed to get louder and louder the longer Jim waited.

He was fiddling with the lantern when a rope smacked him in the head.

"Took you long enough!" Jim complained, tugging on the rope a few times with his empty hand.

"The storage of this castle was on the other side, and I had to knock out a few guards," the shadow replied. Jim sighed and was about to start climbing the rope, when suddenly his hammer began to glow. Within the second the entire rope disappeared.

"Hey! It took forever for me to find that!" the shadow complained. Jim was also irritated, but for a completely different reason.

Rope Hammer N

Abilities Unmastered: +2 Speed

Special Effect: "Rope"

[O]

It can absorb not only monsters, but normal materials too?! I spent all that time in the forge with the rarest materials, and I absorbed none of them!

He sighed and looked up.

"Don't worry! I got a new hammer!" Jim yelled back, equipping the new hammer.

"How does that help us?!" the shadow yelled. Instead of answering, Jim pointed his hammer to the crystal ball across the room.

"Rope!"

The ropes on the hammer began to unwind and fly towards the target. They wrapped around the crystal ball, and once Jim wanted them to return, they began to wrap themselves back around the base of the hammer, sending the ball flying towards his face. He caught the ball and absorbed it as well, but he was too low of a level to equip the new hammer.

"Good enough. Rope!"

Jim grappled onto the edge of the hole he made earlier, and pulled himself back up. Any complaints the spy had before completely disappeared, as they stared in awe at the self winding ropes.

"I wonder if my boss has a similar ring," they muttered.

"What's that?" Jim asked, changing back to his normal hammer.

"Nothing. Let's go! We only have half an hour left," the spy replied, running up ahead through the shadows.

Jim used Rope and Mjollnir several times to quickly get up the floors. The throne room was just up ahead when…

"Halt! You are not permitted to go any further!" the knights yelled up ahead. Several others got their shields and swords ready and charged towards them.

"Why are there so many of you! Mjollnir!" Jim shattered the floor ahead of them and changed his hammer to the rope one. "Rope!"

The ropes wrapped around the foot of the closest knight, and Jim pulled back as hard as he could, tripping the knight and dropping him into the hole.

"Watch out for the ropes. If you f-," the commander began, but he was silenced when several daggers flew towards him, cracking his armor. "He's got an accomplice! Take care of them no matter wh-?!"

Jim wrapped his ropes around the mouth of the commander and pulled him into the hole. However several knights grabbed him and began pulling the ropes back. Jim took a step forward and pointed his hammer behind him.

"Mad Dash!" he yelled, sending the knights flying onto the floor below. The spy jumped out of the shadows and knocked out the remaining ones with the back of their daggers.

"Hurry! Up the stairs and after them!" the commander yelled, running off.

Jim used his hammer to swing across the hole and stopped at the large golden double doors of the throne room. The spy behind him turned into a formless mass again and peaked into the cracks. They took a step back and sighed.

"The hourglass is there, but the king is waiting for us. And he has a staff in hand. If the advisor is anything to go by, we won't win this time."

Jim grabbed his hammer harder. Even with the medium lightning resistance on it, he won't be able to survive a direct hit. He checked the timer.

[00:00:03:21]

Jim swapped to the rope hammer. It had a small boost to speed, but even a small boost would be a big help right now.

"Hey, can you cast a speed buff on me?"

The spy nodded and began to mutter something. A second later Jim felt his entire body become lighter, as the world around him slowed down just a bit.

"Let's go," Jim sighed, kicking the door open.

A thunderbolt flew past his head and the hallway collapsed.

"Crafting Hero."

"King."

"I believe my orders were clear."

The king glared at Jim with a tired look. The walls of the throne room were completely covered in different weaponry with a thunder element. Jim even saw a few thunder staffs and rings he made over the last two weeks with the wave boss materials.

"'Stay in your room and do your homework'. What are you? My mom? You summoned me to save you guys from the waves, yet you won't even let me teleport to them? I can teleport an entire army to the wave if you would just let me!" Jim tried to reason, but the king shook his head.

"We have enough troops all around our kingdom to protect the people for the time being," he explained.

"But what about later? When the level requirement for the wave rises to higher levels? What then?"

"That is where the items you craft will come in. It is precisely why we supplied you with many different materials to let you grow your skill as much as you can."

"But that would take so much time! And you're putting your faith in a guy who has never touched a forge in his life. I mean, I used a hammer once or twice to nail a picture to a wall, but I didn't exactly craft a bunch of weapons in my spare time!" Jim replied, trying to take a step closer. Another lighting bolt jumped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Not another step," the king warned, his staff glowing a dangerous dark blue color. Behind him Jim saw the hourglass. Two dragons, holding the top and bottom glass sphere, connected by a thin glass tube. Glowing red sand was falling down and filling up the bottom sphere. It was oddly calming to look at.

I need to get just a bit closer to get to the hourglass. As long as he didn't layer himself in any speed enchants, I should be able to use the element of surprise and register before he can summon any more attacks.

Jim saw the spy ready the knives. He held his hammer as tight as he could and prepared to run for his life.

The shadow launched their attack, forcing the king to turn around and swat the knives away.

"Why you-!"

"Mad Dash!"

Jim used that moment to wrap his ropes around the king and sent himself flying at the hourglass with the skill.

As soon as he was in range, a bright red beam erupted from his hammer's gem and connected with the hourglass.

"No! Fast Thunderbo-."

*Shatter*

Jim looked back and saw the thunderbolt flying at his head, and the king's face began to distort and fade as a bright light enveloped his entire body.

A moment passed, and Jim disappeared from the throne room, along with the spy that helped him escape.

The king grit his teeth and slammed his staff into the floor.

"GHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" he howlered into the empty room, thunderbolts flying left and right, burning everything flammable. After a minute of this the king finally calmed down and dropped to the ground, completely exhausted. A soft knock on the door brought him back to his senses.

"My lord. What should we do now?" the advisor asked. He put on a fresh pair of glasses and looked at the king.

"Find the location of the wave and tell every knight to gather there. Find the crafter hero if it is the last thing you do!"

"Understood. I shall send a healer your way while I am at it," Carliten said, disappearing behind the golden double doors.