Blacksmith vs. the System 286

Adding a new skill stone to the dungeon had been smoother than I expected, but it only went easy because I had been able to bond deeper in my desperation to save Maria. I thought about adding a second skill, but decided against it . Like most things related to dungeons, it exacted a price from my soul, and I was already exhausted beforehand. I didn’t want to risk another coma.

Not when I might be deployed in battle any moment.

Instead, I wrote a note to Liam, letting him take note that the dungeon would start dropping Epic Mana Forge skill, and he needed to leverage it to increase production of pure mana alloys. I also wrote a booklet on how best to leverage Epic Mana Forge skill, and the best ways to improve it.

As for the rest, I had no need to get involved; which was the benefit of having trusted students. Instead, I had decided to catch a quick nap back in my room.

I needed to be fresh for emergencies.

I wasn’t surprised when I found myself floating in a dreamscape; once again back in the insect planet. But, the shape of the dreams surprised me. The previous dreams had been grand and epic, the first one showing the invasion of the void creatures, while the second one had shown me some kind of great meeting, leading to a decision.

A decision that I suspected ended up very badly, though that part I had seen from the other dungeon.

The current dream was different. It was not a grand set piece, nor was it very distinct. I floated in the world as just another sentient insect, living an ordinary day. There were no grand declarations, no epic battles. Nothing.

Nothing other than the memories of a lost civilization, one that was alien and familiar at the same time.

When I woke up to the ringing of a bell, it left me even more unsettled than the previous dreams. It reminded me of the days before the Cataclysm. “Would our fate be the same?” I asked myself. “Just another group of lost people, unaware of our end.”

I sighed. We were already halfway lost. For one, our culture was long gone; erased by the grand disaster and the subtle brainwashing of the System. All that remained were the people.

“But, for how long?” I asked myself, wondering if our fate would be the same.

Not wanting to lose myself in a sudden depressive mood, I stood up, and took the letter that was delivered to my room. It was a report from Rosie, informing that their progress was stuck in one of the target dungeons, and asking for my help.

“Better than getting lost in my thoughts,” I said and prepared to travel, which mostly included changing the surface of my armor to a non-descript shape that would mix with the other soldiers. It was much easier than forging multiple sets of high quality armor.

From there, writing fake orders and joining one of the cars was easy. It was not as fast as me going at full speed, but it was far less attention-grabbing, and it still maintained the strategic deterrence of my involvement.

“Are you a recruit?” one of the others asked me.

“Yes, just arrived here,” I said, not feeling particularly chatty, still unsettled by the dream and the mood it followed. The steam engine roared as the car started to devour the distance. I settled on my seat, helmet covering my face, the cloak tight.

“First real deployment, eh?” said a man near the front. His voice was gravel over iron. “Are you nervous?”

“Somewhat,” I said, not wanting to be an asshole.

“You don’t need to feel stressed about the fight,” he replied. “The king is not like the other assholes.”

That made one of the other soldiers snicker. “Here you are again, Derek, going on about the king. Give it a rest before you start telling that story. It’s getting boring.”

That earned a chuckle from the old man. “Hey, we have a new audience for it. Did you know I was almost recruited as one of his students? Too bad my skill wasn’t strong enough.”

I turned my attention to the old man, and to my surprise, I recognized him. He had been a part of the farmers back when they had been living in the dungeon. He also decided not to take my offer to experiment with his skill after the warning about potential death.

I didn’t confront him about that. His decision back then made perfect sense, as even I hadn’t known how it would have gone. I certainly didn’t expect my students to rise to become some kind of new nobility.

Others shifted. “Here you go again…” one of the others spoke.

“Hey, my life was saved by our glorious king. If I’m not going to brag about it, what’s the point?” he replied. “It was back when we still lived in the dungeon, and the cowardly guards had betrayed us, with only our Lord Commander Harold staying behind. Just a bunch of farmers, about to face a monster wave.”

I kept quiet. Listening. Watching.

“I heard about it, but what’s the big deal?” one of the other soldiers asked. “It wasn’t just the lizards from the fire dungeon. It’s easy to take down, right?”

“Not when most of the soldiers were merely level twenty farmers, just trying to absorb their first uncommon skill,” Derek replied. “Ten of us had to coordinate just to take down one of the ordinary lizards. I still remember trying to develop it before the monsters arrived. But, it was close. I don’t remember how many times our lives had been saved by our armor. Then, one time, our squad had been caught unprepared by a boss monster that had moved faster. I stood in front of our squad, ready to sacrifice myself, when he appeared in front of me, splitting the monster in two.”

I couldn’t help but smile as I remembered it. I could remember that moment, and it was exactly what he told me . Though, without his explicit mention, I would have never remembered it.

“It’s difficult to believe how quickly things have changed,” he continued. “When I arrived, it was just a small town, perched at the side of an ignored dungeon. It was a desperate decision.”

“And, look at you now,” one of the others commented. “Already level eighty, with a variant class, even at the edge of qualifying for Ascension.”

Derek chuckled. “Oh, it’s nowhere near a given,” he said, but his tone implied that it was a done deal.

I said nothing. Choosing people for Ascension was not like one of the experiments. I could intervene and correct their experiments, and it would harm no one. Overriding their choice on Ascension, on the other hand, would shatter their authority.

Not that I had actually wanted to do that. I had no problem with Derek. It was just an idle thought while I traveled.

“I still can’t believe the King of Steel is a blacksmith,” someone else commented. “Are we sure that it’s not just a cover story? I have seen him cut that corrupt boss in one slice. He has to be of a great warrior class.”

That made several new arrivals lean forward, while Derek and the others chuckled. “You’re asking that because you haven’t seen him working the metal. I have seen him work several tons of iron at once, just to tie down enemy Ascended on the battlefield before he smashed them in pieces. Believe me, once you see him work with metal, you never question it.”

The new ones didn’t seem convinced, which made another soldier tell a different story, talking about how I had reforged the fort when it was breached by the beasts. Which triggered another story, followed by a new one…

Another soldier chimed in. “Who cares what his class is? I’m here because of him. My village got a visit from one of the envoys two weeks ago. An offer of support, but half of us thought it was a trick. Who believes that they will give us farmers magic weapons and let us level up freely.”

“You still accepted,” commented another.

He scoffed. “Not because we believed it. We didn’t have any choice. The supposed leaders of our town took our weapon reserves and escaped. It was better than dying.” A chuckle followed. “Who would have known that the envoy was lying, but in the opposite direction? Dungeon access, unlimited skill stones, even dungeon access… City of Steel. We should call it the City of Gold.”

That triggered another set of stories. It was a weird experience, listening to people alternating between gossiping about my true class, to the opportunities in the city.

I exhaled slowly, listening to the chatter. But, as I listened, I felt the earlier despair that surrounded me dissipate somewhat.

It was proof that, despite all the problems, I was doing something right.