Blacksmith vs. the System

If there was one good thing about the astral torture I had just experienced, it was that the exhaustion I was feeling was completely gone.

But there was also bad news: I didn't feel like myself. As I walked, I could feel the corrosion around me, one that I didn't call decay despite the name of my skill, because I could feel that it was nothing more than an inferior copy of what I had seen in my dream.

A mere echo.

That echo felt like a part of my body, one that prevented me from feeling like myself. It was difficult, complicated, and weird. After what I had experienced, I was hesitant to consume any more crystal from the boss monsters, and let Eleanor and Maria consume one.

"You know you don't have to —" Maria started once we arrived at the gate, but I silenced her with a sharp gesture.

"No, I do," I growled. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have run from the ascended like —" I found myself spitting out angrily, only to stop myself. It wasn't fair to get angry at Maria, not when I was the one who volunteered for it.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Do you mind giving me a moment?"

"Sure, we'll handle setting up the defenses. Take all the time you need," Maria said, concerned. I nodded in appreciation, and closed my eyes before I did something stupid.

I reached for my meditation skills.

The rotating sphere was no more, replaced by a nebulous aura of the same energy of decay I had seen in my vision, only contained. It clearly belonged to the conceptual category of Meditation that required Wisdom rather than the analytical one based on Intelligence.

I proceeded to the next step. I shattered a shell, and let the skill do its work. It had been absorbed almost instantly, with a speed that could compete with Maria's Meditation. Which one would win, I wasn't sure.

I shattered another one, slowing the process down as much as possible. The rotating sphere absorbed the mana gently by separating the two. My new meditation skill didn't distinguish, absorbing both under a suffocating wave.

As I used it, I realized the connection between me and the dungeon was two ways. Just as it replaced my mana, the reverse was true as well. The excess mana went to the dungeon.

From a practical perspective, it actually looked promising. My biggest problem was supplying my Epic skill with enough mana, and it was clearly not a problem anymore.

Too bad it was replaced with a deep sense of frustration and fury. Admittedly, it might be about the weird mental journey that felt like it lasted for months, but I doubted it. Everything I had observed regarding the System suggested that it impacted our mindset in various ways I was yet to pinpoint, and I wasn't willing to believe that an astral trip that gave me a Mythic Skill had none.

I sighed as I opened my eyes, and went toward the forging equipment I added to the cart. "In for a penny, in for a pound," I muttered as I grabbed my hammer.

"Are you sure?" Maria asked the moment she noticed me. "You're pushing yourself too much!"

"I know," I said. "But the situation is dangerous enough. It's best I practice."

"No, I forbid it," Maria said, cutting me off.

I wanted to argue, and lash out, but once again, I forced myself to stop. "You're right," I said. "I think I will pause for a moment, and not use any of the class skills." I could see Maria opening her mouth, but I gestured for her to stop. "No, not using externals is out of the question. A battle awaits us," I said. "Now, let's continue setting the area up to turn this into a defensive bulwark —" I started, only to suddenly wave my hand reflexively. Suddenly, one gate split into two, three hundred feet apart.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"I split the entrance and the exit," I replied. "I can feel that they are connected, so I can't bring them too far away, but it should prevent them from scouting easily."

"Good point, but no more experimentation," she said.

I nodded. "You're right. It's just … hard to resist the impulse. Some of these actions truly feel natural."

Splitting the entry and exit meant we had a better location to set up our defenses. We created a large wall, with several entrances. I worked with Maria on the details, while Eleanor killed the insects that gathered toward us.

It was too simple for my tastes, but with my concerns about not using my other class skills, it was the best we could do.

"Umm, guys," Eleanor called as we were putting the finishing touches on our setup. "Did this dungeon ever drop a Forging skill before?"

"No … why?" I asked even as I had a sinking suspicion as to why she was asking. She threw a skill stone toward me, and I grabbed it.

[Skill Stone: Forge (Common)]

"How fun, another discovery to make the dungeon an even bigger target," I chuckled, sounding a little more hysterical for my own tastes.

"Devon, this is huge," Maria gasped.

"I know," I said, but once again, I had to swallow the pointlessly abrasive answer I wanted to give, and instead forced myself to think about the implications.

Implications such as having hundreds of blacksmiths producing not only raw metal but also working on more intricate pieces. The possibilities were endless.

Of course, I doubted we would survive the retaliation if what we were doing here was revealed … but then, that was true for several other things. What was one more?

"You're right," I said, smiling for the first time since I had suffered that unexpected skill upgrade. "We can do a lot here. We just need to survive the attack first."

Maria nodded. "Exactly," she said as she examined the area. "This place looks strong enough to resist them," she said.

"I think we need to go out," Eleanor said. "Not you," she added, pointing at me. "We have no idea what leaving the dungeon will do to you. I'd rather not experiment."

"A good point," I admitted. "But, be careful. If they are waiting for you at the entrance —" I started, thinking it alone gave me the vision of outside. Hundreds of soldiers, led by a dozen ascended, currently climbing the mountain. "It's clear. They are climbing the mountain. Maria, it's a perfect chance for you to strike," I said.

She nodded as she floated out, already glowing with mana. The moment she appeared, she started raining mana. The ascended managed to resist her area attacks with ease, but the rest of the army wasn't as lucky. Eleanor stayed guard, parrying arrows with ease.

Their coordination was a thing of beauty.

But, soon, Maria's mana was depleted. As they returned through the gate, I started the crusher, so when she floated, she already had a roomful of mana waiting for her. She replenished her reserves in a second. "Three of the ascended split from the group and are rushing toward the gate. They are the archers," I warned her.

"They want to catch me before I get too far away. Tell me when they are a hundred yards away from the gate," Maria said, her smile cruel enough to scare children.

I didn't like just how easily a matching one found my face. I gave her a signal. They went back, catching the three ascended unaware. Eleanor deflected the arrows while Maria retaliated with another wave of fire attacks.

Their equipment had something similar to the anti-fire alloy I forged based on the beast claws, but it was an enchantment.

It was clearly a beautiful enchantment, but in a mana-deficient area like our current environment, without natural replenishment, it soon reached its limits, shattering.

I didn't know much about the strength of the ascended, but it was clear that their endurance wasn't enough to resist Maria's concentrated attack. Their Health worked hard to compensate for it, but it was already failing.

Until, a wall of ice appeared, easily pushing back Maria's flames.

A figure floated, his smug expression appeared even from a distance. I couldn't hear what he said, as the vision from the gate didn't include sound, but Maria's fury didn't need any translation.

I was glad that Eleanor was there to grab her by the arm and drag her inside, as she looked furious enough to stay and fight. I was very tempted to ask who he was, but I didn't have the time. "Take cover, they're right behind you," I shouted at them.

Luckily, despite her anger, Maria followed that cue.

Just as they arrived next to me, three ascended appeared at the gate.

Only to immediately sink into the swamp of corrosion rather than the tame desert they had expected. Even with their equipment already damaged, they could survive until the other eight returned.

I needed to fix it.