Re:Crafting in Another World
Chapter 97: Sasa

Chapter 97: Sasa

The air felt like it had turned to glass—shimmering, sharp, and suffocating. Ukar’s muscles bulged, veins pulsing like rivers of molten iron as he gritted his tusked teeth and let out a defiant roar.

"RAAAAGHHH!"

His body spasmed with a sudden surge of raw willpower, a violent quake tearing through the strange invisible puppet-strings that had bound him. For a split second, something ancient and primal shimmered in his eyes—something even he didn’t fully understand.

Was it the power of his orc sense of his life being in danger or was it the pure panic in his body that was coming out? Shennong was pretty excited to see Ukar’s power.

Crack!

The invisible bonds of Yenissa’s control shattered like thin ice beneath a warhammer.

Ukar dropped to one knee, panting hard, but a grin curved his cracked lips.

"I’m not your damn puppet," he snarled, rising slowly.

From the shadows, Shennong watched with a satisfied smirk, arms folded like a father watching a child take their first step into chaos.

"Well now..." Shennong said, voice low, "to resist a succubus hypnosis... That strength... is no less than Ka’ra’s. But unlike her, you carry more brute muscle. Perfect."

Yenissa scowled. "I expected him to break free eventually... but I wasn’t going to just let him—"

"Don’t worry Yenissa," Shennong interrupted, raising a hand without looking at her. "We don’t need to go all out on him."

Yenissa tilted her head, confused.

Shennong turned toward her with a sly glint in his eye.

"That."

Suddenly, the ground in front of Ukar shivered.

Splurt.

A jelly-like substance oozed from thin air, plopping in front of them with a wet slap. It shimmered with a faint deep blue hue, glistening in the dim torchlight like an sapphire engulfed in oil.

Ukar furrowed his brow. "A slime?"

Yenissa’s eyes widened in immediate recognition. She stepped back and grabbed Shennong’s arm. "Wait... no way. Is that what I think it is?"

Shennong chuckled. "Correct. This... is Core Sasa."

He stepped forward, spreading his arms as if presenting a masterpiece.

"She’s the thing I’ve been secretly working on. The dungeon boss for this floor. And now... she’s going to have her first real battle."

Ukar stared at the blob, unimpressed. "That? That’s what you’re throwing at me?" he spat, tightening the grip on his orc axe that he had strapped on the back. "I’ve seen puddles with more menace."

The slime gurgled.

Shennong’s smile widened. "Oh, you’ll see."

Ukar snorted and took a step forward. "Fine. I’ll splatter it and then take down both of you."

His ego was bigger than his fear, so as soon as he broke from Yenissa’s control, he felt maybe he had a chance.

He dashed in, shoulder low in a charging stance, ready to slice through the gelatinous form in one clean motion. His axe came down with a brutal arc, gleaming with red-tin.

SLASH!

The slime split. Or rather, it allowed the blade to pass through.

No resistance. No blood. Just ripple.

"What the—?"

The two halves quivered... and reformed.

Ukar blinked.

"Piece of shit," he muttered.

The slime launched itself forward like a coiled spring, its shape bulging then launching with shocking speed. Ukar barely managed to spin out of the way as the blob crashed into the ground behind him, leaving a crater.

BOOM!

"What the hell kind of slime is this?!" he growled.

The slime followed up, lashing a tendril of hardened jelly toward his face. Ukar parried with the flat of his axe, but the force still sent him skidding back.

The battle intensified—Ukar darting in with slashes, the slime reforming, retaliating with blunt-force jabs and concussive slams. The entire floor trembled with each impact.

Shennong’s eyes glittered. "Yes... yes. This is it. She’s learning mid-fight."

Yenissa still looked uneasy. "It’s learning too fast."

"That’s the point."

Finally, with a bellow of fury, Ukar leapt into the air, his axe glowing with his soul-force. He brought it down with a thunderous strike directly atop the slime.

CRASH!

The ground cratered, dust erupting in a tidal wave of stone and air.

Silence followed.

Ukar panted, sweat dripping from his chin. "Done..."

But then the dust swirled. From within the cloud, a shadow stirred.

A foot stepped out—massive, stone-bound, and plated in crystal. Then another. And then—

The figure emerged, twice Ukar’s height, covered in jagged armor-like mineralized shell. Glowing lines pulsed beneath its stony skin. It was humanoid now—hulking and monstrous. Its eyes were like twin embers but they were deep blue.

Sasa had evolved.

Shennong beamed. "Ah, excellent. Golem Protector Form. I was hoping she’d reach that stage."

Yenissa was already backing away. "That’s... a thousand times deadlier than her slime form..."

"Indeed," Shennong said. "Now... Ukar’s true test begins."

Ukar stared, stunned.

"...So it got a little bigger," he said. "Doesn’t mean it’s faster."

He lowered his stance, muscles coiling like springs. With a thunderous shout, he launched himself forward in a full-force orcish charge.

WHOOSH!

Mid-sprint, the Golem Sasa vanished.

Ukar’s eyes widened. "What—?"

Before he could even blink, the golem appeared in front of him—like a ghost of stone. Its arm cocked back.

BOOM!

A punch the size of a barrel slammed into Ukar’s chest, launching him like a cannonball across the chamber.

He crashed into a wall, bricks exploding like paper. Dust engulfed the area again.

Yenissa gasped.

Ukar groaned, rising from the rubble, blood trailing from his mouth. "Ugh... way too fast."

He leapt out, spinning his axe with renewed fury. "Fine then. No more holding back."

The battle became a storm.

Ukar dashed in zig-zags, carving the ground with each step, using his environment to outmaneuver. The Golem moved like it anticipated every motion. Its punches split the air, shockwaves rippling outward. Ukar spun under a blow, cleaved at the Golem’s leg, only for the blade to bounce off.

"Stone armor—real stone," he snarled. "But even stone breaks!"

He charged again, striking a shoulder joint, then ducked a returning fist. He used the Golem’s own arm as a springboard, launching himself over its head and slamming his axe into its neck.

Sparks exploded.

But the Golem didn’t even flinch. It grabbed Ukar mid-air and hurled him like a ragdoll.

CRACK!

Back into another tree.

Finally, Ukar dropped to one knee, weapon shaking in his hands.

The Golem stepped forward slowly, cracking its stone knuckles.

Shennong raised a hand. "Enough."

The Golem stopped, its eyes dimming slightly.

Ukar, bruised and bleeding, glared up.

"You’re not... even gonna finish it?"

Shennong grinned. "Of course not. I want you alive."

He turned to the shadows.

A faint shimmer danced in the darkness. Then, she emerged.

Ka’ra.

Her presence shifted the room. The temperature dropped. Even Sasa stepped back instinctively knowing her job was done.

Shennong’s smile faded slightly. "Tell me, Ka’ra. Do you hate this man?"

Ka’ra’s eyes, cold and glowing, fixed on Ukar. Her lips curled slowly.

"More than anything in the world."

***

Cassandra stood at the window of her study, her dark eyes narrowed in quiet thought as she watched a procession of adventurers filter through the muddy road leading into the heart of her Barony. Some came in caravans, others on foot or horseback, bearing the insignias of different guilds, some known, some foreign. Their weapons gleamed under the afternoon sun, and their chatter—boisterous, carefree—rose like a tide beneath the hills.

Just as he said it would happen.

"Shennong..." she whispered under her breath, the name almost reluctant on her tongue. "You were right. Again."

She turned away from the window and pressed her palm against her chest, over the velvet of her midnight-blue dress. The feeling wasn’t just apprehension. It was heavier—more complicated. The Barony had once been a quiet place, tucked away in obscurity, forgotten by the politics of the realm and the ambitions of the mighty. Now? The dungeon beneath the earth had changed everything.

She had once thought it a miracle. Now she wondered if it were a curse in disguise.

"Attention brings power," she murmured, "but also predators."

A soft knock knock disrupted her musings. Cassandra straightened her posture, brushing a loose strand of her dark hair from her face. Her voice, when it came, was calm and commanding.

"Enter."

The door creaked open, and a maid stepped in, one of her more seasoned housekeepers. But something was different today. The girl’s usual pleasant expression was replaced with one of quiet tension. Her fingers clutched the edges of her apron, knuckles pale. Cassandra’s brow furrowed.

"Lirien. What is it?"

"My lady..." The maid hesitated, then lowered her eyes. "You have... a guest."

Cassandra’s gaze sharpened. "A guest? Who?"

Lirien’s throat bobbed. "A noble. Or... I think they’re a noble. They arrived unannounced, but the carriage—its crest—I’ve seen it before. But it’s not just any noble, Lady Cassandra. They carry a military sigil. Order... Order one."

Cassandra’s breath caught in her throat.

Order One.

Her pulse quickened—not with fear, not yet, but something like a long-buried memory crawling its way back to the surface. Order One was not just a name. It was a legend. An elite battalion under the direct command of the Royal Crown, known for their ruthlessness, for their absolute loyalty, and for their uncanny ability to appear where trouble brewed deepest.

And among their ranks was a name she hadn’t heard in nearly a decade.

"Lirien," she said slowly, voice quiet. "Take them to the west wing sitting room. I will be down shortly."

"Yes, my lady."

The door clicked shut behind the maid, leaving Cassandra to the growing storm in her mind.

Why now? Why here?

Her hands curled into fists. For all the trouble the dungeon had brought—wandering guilds, treasure hunters, and even rival barons—nothing compared to the trouble Order might represent. Their arrival could only mean one thing:

Someone, somewhere, believed her Barony had become strategically important.

Or worse—someone believed she was worth an investigation why Lord Baron Jamie is not to be seen anywhere.

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