《Blacksmith vs. the System》


 Chapter 1

    "Hey, Devon, I have your letter as well," the postman said even as he walked through the workshop floor, passing around parcels and collecting coins as payment. "You have the payment, right?"


    "Five silver. Right, Sam?" I asked, but his expression showed that it was not the case.


    "No, the rates went up, now it''s six," he said.


    "Again?" I asked even as I dropped my hammer, a frown on my face. "It''s getting too much. How the hell are we supposed to communicate with the other enclaves if it goes like this?"


    He sighed even as he looked at me. "It can''t be helped, boy. Another outpost has fallen, so the letters from the coast have to be moved through another distant post. We''re not the only courier service that increased the cost."


    I reached into my pouch and checked, but I knew what I would find. Five silver, and several coppers. I blushed even as I begged. I hated it, but the letter was too important. "How about you let me pay the old price? Say that you promised or something? I''ll pay you extra once ¡ª"


    "Maybe you should stop, Devon," Sam said with a sigh, his pitying tone hurting me worse than the time I smashed my hand with a hammer. "How many times has it been?"


    "It''s different this time. I can feel it," I answered. "I promised that I would work for free. With my education, they are getting a bargain. You know that¡­" But my confidence didn''t help as Sam passed me a letter, one that was too thin to be good news.


    I checked the letter, only to throw it into the fires of my forge immediately. "Another rejection," Sam asked.


    I didn''t answer. I couldn''t. Not when he spoke in that kind tone, like I was a stupid child. I said nothing as I pulled my pouch and passed five silvers to him, all the money I had been able to save after a month of working overtime. "I''ll find you next month. I have another admission prepared. I heard they were setting up a new think-tank in the ruins of Cleveland."


    "Maybe you should stop working on the workshop and start going into dungeons. It has been three years, and you''re still not even level 10, and you know the walls of the town are hardly ¡ª"


    "That''s enough Sam. I''m sure you have a lot of garbage to carry," I cut him off sharply. I hated myself even as I said that. Sam was just trying to look out for me, one of the few people that even bothered to do so. He didn''t deserve my anger.


    He wasn''t the one who had refused to acknowledge my abilities because of a stupid fluke.


    I hated his kind, understanding gaze even more. "See you around, Devon. Try not to kill yourself with your stubbornness."


    I sighed even as I grabbed my hammer once again, and pulled the red-hot sword from the flames. I smashed it again and again, the way the sword trembled under my hands providing a good distraction. I used to hate repairing stuff when I had first started, but after three years, it had turned into a hobby. A good way to keep my hands occupied while I focused on reworking the formulas.


    But, today, I found it difficult to lose myself in the comforting world of math, not when I had to deal with another rejection. It hurt ¡­ though, it was the stupid reasoning of it that hurt. I would have accepted it if it was just about my capabilities, rather than my Class.


    I had been rejected because I was a Blacksmith. A common class, one that didn''t even give a full range of Stats. Just Strength, Vitality, and Dexterity.


    It was why I didn''t even bother reading the latest rejection letter more than a sentence, where they told me that my Class disqualified me from any kind of position in a think-tank.


    Nothing else mattered. Not the fact that I had graduated college when I was sixteen, with double degrees in Math and Sociology. My doctorate in mathematical sociology didn''t matter, or the fact that I had been the leading name of my field before I even hit twenty-two.


    Not when the Cataclysm hit, bringing the System along. Suddenly, no one cared about my groundbreaking papers that had the potential to reshape the socio-economic structure of the next century.


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    Just because I didn''t have Intelligence as a stat. Another sign of how our society degraded since the Cataclysm hit. Everyone chased bigger numbers to fight against the Cataclysm. A group of golden heroes, each identified by a mystic source of power and empowered through a convenient, easy-to-use interface, fighting heroically to stem the tide.


    It was a wet dream for objectivist individualism that even Ayn Rand couldn''t comprehend.


    I slammed the hammer again, watching the sparks fill the room. Truthfully, I might have accepted my defeat with grace had Intelligence actually made people Intelligent. But, no, it did not, not any more than Charisma actually making people charismatic.


    For the last three years, starting merely a week after the Cataclysm, I had interviewed almost a thousand people with Intelligence ¡ª sometimes openly, but mostly disguising it as a conversation at the bar while plying them with drinks ¡ª until I had developed a solid understanding of how it worked.


    It functioned more like a computer had shown in someone''s mind. Perfect for finding the square root of six different ten-digit numbers before multiplying them in less than a second, or calculating the Pi to the ten-thousand digit immediately ¡­ but not helpful for actually working on the science behind it.


    It was like hiring someone as a researcher just because they had their own expensive computer. Most of what they could do, I could easily replicate as long as I had a decent computer¡­ Too bad the electronics didn''t work properly anymore, anything more fragile than a calculator had long fried during the initial days of Cataclysm, taking most of the infrastructure along with it.


    "I just need an assistant with Intelligence, and I can still be useful," I growled in frustration as I continued slamming, the usual lack of calm as I worked not helping. Still, even as my focus wavered, my Repair was doing most of the work.


    I paused when most of the surface work had been completed, touched the hilt, letting my sole perk Analyze do its work.


    The inner structure of the sword flashed in a moment, showing me that there was still a subtle crack in its surface, one that would weaken the efficiency of its enchantment. How it would weaken, or why, I didn''t know.


    There was no impression that was fed back by Repair, which didn''t include any magical repair knowledge, even if it was proficiency level 24, almost about to get a second perk.


    No, I learned that through repeated practice, even though I ended up ruining several weapons in the process. Sharpness Enchantment was a simple one, just several lines of condensed mana, and it worked properly as long as I resolved the blockage.


    I finished repairing it before I quenched the sword in mana water, another use of my [Analyze] confirming that it had been properly solved.


    It was rare for someone to have a skill with such a high level, one benefit of the endless overtime I had pulled, trying to afford the ever-rising courier fees.


    I sighed as I left my private forge room, and started walking toward the desk, carrying only one weapon. I frowned when I realized which supervisor was currently manning the desk. Mark. Not exactly my favorite person. "Only one weapon, again?" he asked with a nasty smirk.


    "As usual, special order," I said even as I put the weapon down. "The structural damage is repaired completely, and the enchantment should be working as usual."


    "Perfect. Let''s see how much money our resident genius deserves for it," he replied with glee as he flipped open a book, and made a show of checking the numbers. "Wow, a whole sixty copper. You''re rich! I''m sure, this time you can buy that perk reset stone. I heard that the last one went for three gold."


    "Thank you for keeping an eye on me, Mark, I appreciate it," I answered, trying to keep my voice cool. His nasty laugh showed that I wasn''t exactly successful. The fact that he was right only rankled me more.


    As I walked back to my forge, I could see the others visiting the desk, and none of them carried less than five pieces of gear with them, despite the fact that none of them had their [Repair] as high as mine. All because, when Repair reached Level 10, I chose Analyze over [Efficient Repair], arrogant enough to plan forward how it would help me after I got a proper research job once the society started to recover.


    Even if it didn''t, I assumed that the ability to repair enchanted weapons would allow me to make much more money. It looked like it would ¡­ until a dungeon nearby started dropping repair spells for mages. Just like that, the high-end repair market was gone. And, as the number of mages that could cast it continued to increase, even that was at risk.


    I needed to reassign my perk. Something I could have achieved easily a year ago. That time, Perk Reset stones ¡ª the cheapest way of achieving it ¡ª went for about sixty silvers, while I was able to save almost ten silver a week, which I wasted by hiring people to collect some data, arrogant enough to think that I was getting a head start for my job as a researcher.


    Now, my [Repair] was almost Level 25, and once it reached there, the Perk Reset stone would turn useless, since it only worked on the last Perk received.


    Improving skills got harder and harder, especially without renewed challenges, but even my most optimistic calculation ¡ª as a function of quality, work time, and a sudden exponential spike for the practice required to reach the next stage ¡ª suggested I had less than a month before I needed to purchase it.


    Or I would get stuck with [Analyze] forever.


    When I arrived at my private forge, instead of picking another weapon, I extinguished the fire, grabbed my hammer ¡ª the only thing I owned in the entire forge ¡ª and walked out of the workshop.


    For once, I decided to cut the day short.


    I had an important decision to make.

 Chapter 2

    I liked having a nice glass of white wine while making monumental decisions, preferably a French Riesling of a decent vintage.


    Unfortunately, it was not a luxury I was able to afford any more. Pre-cataclysm goods had long turned into an incredible luxury, even the cheapest box of wine would probably go for a gold coin during an auction. I didn''t think I could survive even seeing the price tag of my favorite vintage for such occasions.


    Not when I couldn''t afford even the local moonshine. With only forty copper in my pocket, I would be skipping dinner for the next week and instead eat more during lunch ¡ª the greatest, and only perk my current job offered.


    I took the long road back home, enjoying the bustle of the streets. It was a rare treat, as I was usually working during the day. And, it was rare to see people on the streets during the night. While it had been almost three weeks since a curfew had been declared, people were still reticent walking around during the night, afraid of another breach.


    Not exactly an unjustified fear. The monsters were far more active during the night, and while the town had both walls and multiple patrols, they weren''t exactly a guarantee of safety. If they were, the last emergency curfew wouldn''t have been just weeks away.


    I let my finger dance at the handle of my hammer even as I examined the buildings that were a mixture of wood and stone, with no signs of pre-Cataclysm architecture. They had been long destroyed during the first months of the disaster, the rebar steel in the walls far more valuable than anything else.


    Though, they weren''t the only things that had been destroyed. Anything that contained metal had been long ruined, usually cast into bars, forged into weapons that had been demolished just as quickly as they were made.


    That trend finally stopped after the discovery of the first System store, allowing for the exchange of goods and materials. It wasn''t cheap, but an enchanted sword in the hands of a high-level warrior was far more valuable than a thousand held by others.


    The discovery of the System store was the first real hit for the production classes. Before, we were a critical part of the defense. Not just Blacksmiths, but Farmers, Carpenters, and many others. After the System store had been discovered just fifty miles away, that changed. We had been first reduced to repairing, and even that was at risk.


    "Such fascinating developments," I muttered. Despite all the problems it had created for me, I was still captivated by the situation. After all, I was still one of the premier sociologists in the world. It was my passion to understand how human behavior shapes and is shaped by various social aspects.


    The irony was that, even as humanity was going through its single greatest change, I neither had the time nor the data to understand what was going on. And, no one cared about it, because my class didn''t have Intelligence as a stat.


    When I arrived at my home ¡ª a tiny room that was more similar to a prison cell than a residence ¡ª I found a paper hanging on my door.


    A notice, declaring that, by next week, my rent would be increased from three silvers a week to five silvers. A very steep increase. "That might as well happen," I growled even as I ripped it off. The room was already near the wall, and absent of anything that could be framed as luxury other than being a single-person residence ¡ª including a window.


    But, I couldn''t live in a shared room. Not because I would hate it, but because I needed the space. I opened the door, carefully shuffling through piles of paper that covered every inch of the room, each half as tall as me.


    The reason I had to live alone. My library.


    Everything I was able to find as I went from home to home while people destroyed every inch of the old buildings. I didn''t know if anyone else bothered to save old books, but even if they did, they were probably hoarding them as much as I did.


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    While the pre-Cataclysm wine went for exaggerated prices, the same wasn''t true for the old books ¡ª or any other classical art form, but those I didn''t care about as intensely ¡ª which had been mostly treated as a nuisance.


    Instead, people cared about the new books, ones that had been either acquired through dungeons or purchased through the System store, describing the secrets of the magic, skills, and perks, some magical enough to directly improve the skill proficiency of anyone that was lucky to read it.


    Compared to those, some old college textbooks weren''t particularly valuable.


    Getting a shared room would mean that I had to get rid of them all.


    "God, I need a drink," I growled as I threw myself on the bed, burying my face into the pillow. I had too many decisions to make. The first one was whether to continue applying to the newly established research centers, hoping that someone would allow me to work there. I was willing to work for free as long as I could get a closet to sleep in. I was even willing to bribe someone ¡ª unfortunately, I lacked the money to do so.


    Focusing on acquiring the Perk Reset stone was another option. If I worked hard enough and sold all my assets ¡ª including my hammer, I thought even as my fingers brushed against the handle ¡ª I might be able to afford it before my skill got improved. Even then, it was a close call. The latest price increase had truly surprised me.


    Then, of course, there was my nascent library. The increase in rent meant that just to maintain my room was enough to cut my weekly savings by almost half.


    I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the sudden, suffocating weight. Desperate, I reached my mind, calling the System, seeing eight lines of text that were more important than anything else I had done in the past, and would do in the future.


    [Blacksmith - Level 7]


    [Health 210/210]


    [Vitality 14 / Strength 14 / Dexterity 7]


    [Skills (3/5)


    Repair (Common) - 24 [Analyze]


    Forge (Common) - 8


    Overhead Strike (Basic) - 4 ]


    "Depressing," I muttered even as I dismissed the screen. None of the information there was a mystery, or even changed recently. With the sole exception of [Repair], the last time one of my skills had increased was a year ago, when I was forced to fight against a runaway monster, and it was even longer before I actually leveled up.


    I neglected leveling up for two reasons. For one, it wasn''t really valuable when it came to repair work. Most of the time, repairing a weapon only required a fraction of my Strength, and increasing it more wasn''t exactly a priority.


    Of course, if it was just the relative uselessness, I would have still worked to level up. Extra power and health were not something I would turn up my nose in such a dangerous world. But, there were two problems with it.


    The first problem was simple. The stronger someone, the higher the cost of living. The higher levels required more energy, which meant more food consumption, preferably higher quality with more energy density. That alone was problematic enough.


    Then, there was the fact that it was expensive for a Blacksmith to level up. The easiest spots to level up had long been monopolized by the stronger groups, both the dungeons and the wilderness.


    Anyone that wanted to level up either had to pay for the access, or brave the wilderness as a part of a party. Considering my financial situation was my biggest problem, the first was not an option. It was at one point, but I had prioritized my research over it, which now lay in a corner of my library, gathering dust.


    The second wasn''t exactly any better. There were only two groups that would accept a low-level Blacksmith, the absolute amateurs that would most likely die in the wilderness¡­


    And, exploration teams.


    These were experts who pushed into the wilderness, searching for mines, new hunting spots, and even occasionally connecting with other towns. They had been critical in reestablishing the connection with the rest of the state after the Cataclysm, where even the geography had been reshaped, constantly penetrating through the wilderness.


    Unfortunately, while they had achieved a lot, their death rate wasn''t too much lower than the amateur parties. They might be well-equipped professionals, but the dangers they faced were much higher. In the world after the Cataclysm, the unknown meant danger.


    But, also, potential riches. A good discovery would mean an incredible payday, one where even the meager share that would be given to me as a Blacksmith would be measured in gold rather than silver. If I had enough gold, I could not only purchase everything I needed, but also afford to move to one of the new cities with the research organizations, getting one step closer to success.


    I always avoided that, hoping to find myself a place that fit my skills rather than my [Skills], but maybe it was a mistake.


    Maybe I had been too arrogant.


    With a deep sigh, I stood up. It was time to make a change.

 Chapter 3

    I disliked Broken Tankard.


    It was a loud and crowded pub, filled with people who were far too happy to start throwing punches at the slightest disagreement. Violence was something I hated even before people started to have superpowers, and it had become a perfectly acceptable form of self-expression once more. Also, the drinks were overpriced and terrible, and the food was even worse.


    Despite all those, it had one redeeming factor, one that made sure I had ended up visiting the place many times. It housed the single most active job board in the whole town for the people who were not a part of the guilds. People looking for parties, specialist jobs, trainers, guides, miners¡­


    I bypassed the crowd and walked toward the receptionist''s desk. Only to be interrupted by a familiar face. "Wow, that''s a sight for sore eyes, Devon. Do you need information on the dungeons again, or are you buying information on the other towns?" Rosie greeted me. "We have managed to connect with another cluster, and I have some interesting stuff for you."


    Rosie was an interesting woman. She was young, cheerful, personable ¡­ and absolutely deadly in combat. I didn''t know what her class was, but it was clearly something better than a mere warrior. I had seen her go through a large group of wannabe gangsters who decided that trying to force her to pay a protection fee was a smart decision.


    It was not. There was a reason the pub had turned into the de facto center for the independents. She had enough strength to ensure that she could hold the payments in escrow without being targeted by thieves ¡ª naturally, for a modest fifteen percent cut ¡ª or intervene as a third party in case of disputes.


    She wasn''t exactly a bank, but it was close.


    She was also too important to deal with an unimportant washed-up Blacksmith who made wrong bets in this new world until he turned completely irrelevant, but I had been a customer of hers since the beginning, so we had some rapport.


    I shrugged. "Unfortunately, no," I answered as I lifted my pouch, which was noticeably empty. "This time, I''m looking for a job."


    She frowned. "Follow me," she said as she gestured, and I followed her to her office. "Don''t tell me you''re having problems with the workshop. Is it Mark?"


    I wasn''t surprised that Rosie knew about my new supervisor even though it had been a while since my last visit. Her business relied on information. "No, he''s annoying, but not enough to kick me out. I''m still the only one that can repair the sharpness-enchanted weapons."


    She said nothing, and I sighed. I had already made that decision, but it didn''t make sharing any easier. "I decided to take a different job. Outside," I commented.


    That earned a raised eyebrow. "That''s a change of pace for you," she commented. "What happened to Mister I''m-not-a-barbarian-thank-you-very-much."


    I shrugged. "He had been screwed up badly because he had misread the situation," I said with a shrug.


    "Oh, it''s rare of you to admit that," she said. "What are you looking for?"


    "Preferably as a part of the group that''s not filled with complete idiots," I said. "Security over speed, but I need at least three gold coins as payment, but I wouldn''t say no to more," I explained the conditions.


    My request was not excessive. Three gold coins were hard to earn in the town, but the same wasn''t true for expeditions outside. A good working day meant somewhat around one and a half silver for me most days, and that was with working overtime.


    Meanwhile, even a mediocre day outside for a hunting party brought more revenue. Anyone with revenue below five silver would be complaining about a slow day, and a good hunter easily had a revenue of twenty silvers a day. A gold coin in five days.


    A lucrative business ¡­ but one with a terrible rate of mortality. The exact rate was hard to pin down with many hunters going on long expeditions, sometimes choosing to just settle in another town without informing anyone.


    Still, even without exact numbers, it was enough that a hefty hazard premium for the jobs outside the wall had become commonplace, with three times being the accepted benchmark, adjusted by the exact circumstances and need.


    Meaning, that just by accepting to repair weapons outside, I could expect to earn at least five silvers a day rather than one and a half at a minimum. More, if it was a more dangerous job, or something that required my abilities.


    The post-Cataclysm economy was difficult to understand, especially without a central authority to guide it.


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    The only thing that prevented it from completely collapsing into barter was the System. For some reason, the dungeons actually produced money. Not just metals, but actual coins, stamped by the System. It was possible to melt them, but considering they were the only currency accepted in the System Stores, no one was stupid enough to do that for material gain.


    Ordinary gold and silver were far less valuable.


    Of course, I still didn''t understand why a hundred copper coins equaled a silver coin, and a hundred silver coins equaled one gold. It was a weird fixed exchange rate ¡­ or, perhaps, not so weird, not in a world where monsters popped from every corner and every single person had superpowers.


    "Perk Reset stone?" she asked. I nodded, not surprised by her accurate guess. "You want to switch to Efficient Repair."


    "Looks like the best method," I replied. "With the repair spell getting more and more ubiquitous, it looks like the best way."


    She paused, hesitant. Interesting.


    Of course, I didn''t believe that she was actually hesitant. Not even for a second. While I trusted myself to read people well ¡ª one benefit of working as a professor for years ¡ª Rosie wasn''t as easy to read. I saw her hesitation, because she wanted me to see. "Come on, let''s not waste time. Just spill it," I said.


    She frowned before her expression settled to a calm smile. "Fine, ruin my fun," she said. "You want to change your skill just because you want to make money, right?" I nodded. "There''s a better way for you to do so. It''s still a secret, but¡­"


    "Let me guess. You''re willing to introduce me to them for a finder''s fee," I said.


    "It''s good to do business with smart people," she said. "It''s such a pity that you didn''t get a class with Intelligence."


    I didn''t respond to that. Rosie was too smart not to know my frustrations about that topic, meaning she was doing it intentionally to unsettle me. Another trick that my old career as a professor helped me to handle. Mobbing through snide comments was hardly unfamiliar.


    She seemed to realize that it wasn''t effective, but that didn''t seem to bother her. I liked her, but she was not a particularly nice person. "A new dungeon is discovered. It''s about a week''s travel," she said.


    "I see," I replied, tensing. "You want me to join them? Why?"


    "Yes, and for payment, I just want you to write a report."


    "Really?" I asked. "Even if I don''t have Perception or Intelligence."


    She waved her hand. "I''m not worried about it. You might not have a good class, but I''m aware of just how much you know about the dungeons," she commented. "I just need a detailed report from you about the place, and I''ll not even ask for a cut."


    Coming from anyone else, that statement would have scared me. Despite my best efforts, I didn''t know much about the dungeons, but considering their importance, even the little knowledge I had could have turned me into a target. The only reason it didn''t scare me was the fact that Rosie was the middleman for all those transactions, and knew exactly how much I knew. Not to mention, my research focused more on the general details and how it affected the nearby towns rather than more militaristic details that people cared about.


    While I spent a lot of money collecting data, the data I did collect was not something most people found useful. I wasn''t trying to find the ideal skill and class combination to raid a dungeon efficiently, but to understand its impact on the communities around one.


    Ironically, it made me even better for her purposes. However, it was clearly not as simple.


    The discovery of a new dungeon was not a simple thing. Every dungeon was essentially a pocket universe, or at least some kind of expanded space. Their geography and the hazards hidden within had little to do with the location they were in.


    They were also filled with all kinds of monsters, some just enlarged beasts, some too bizarre to contemplate. Every step in a dungeon carried the risk of death. Yet, people raided them regularly. One reason was for survival. Letting a dungeon sit untouched too long was never a good idea. Its potential continued to build up ¡­ until one day, it broke, spreading those nightmares around.


    Yet, that wasn''t the main reason people were desperately searching for dungeons. They searched for it, because every dungeon represented a giant economic opportunity. There was no guarantee what kind of treasures it would spawn. The repair spell it had generated that ruined my income was a good example.


    "And, they need a blacksmith?" I asked. "One that can repair enchanted weapons? Why?" It was obvious with her comment about not changing my perk.


    "The dungeon doesn''t have any mana," she explained.


    A smile appeared on my face. That changed things. Unlike Health, which was easily replenished by food, mages relied on the mana from their surroundings to replenish it. A cheap, renewable source was why a repair spell had ruined our business. While it took half a day for me to repair an enchanted weapon, they could repair dozens with ease.


    A scale I could never match.


    But, if the dungeon had no mana, it meant that they had to rely on mana potions and other portable sources. And, those methods were expensive, ridiculously so.


    Meaning, I would not only get far more money than I had expected, but also I would be an important part of their logistics. The more importance I had, the safer I would be because the fighters would protect me.


    As far as risking my life went, it was a good deal.


    "That sounds like a fascinating deal," I said. "But, I have two conditions." She nodded, gesturing for me to speak. She didn''t warn me about not having any excessive requests, as I wasn''t a moron. I might be lucky enough that my unique perspective was valuable, but it had limits.


    And, it was safer to leave things on the table than to push excessively.


    "One, I need a small storage room. I need a place to keep my books and other stuff," I said.


    "Easy."


    "And, I want you to negotiate with the expedition for me. You can take a ten percent cut from my share," I added.


    "Oh, interesting," she said. "Sometimes, I forget how smart you are. Fifteen percent."


    "Deal," I said. As much as I needed money, Rosie''s involvement would help more. Not only did she know the details of the expedition better than I did and could assess the value better, but also it was a way to signal her protection.


    When working with a bunch of people I wasn''t acquainted with, it was better safe than sorry.

 Chapter 4

    Once my deal with Rosie was done, I didn''t even wait for her confirmation before visiting the workshop to resign and empty my apartment.


    One underrated benefit of Strength was that it made moving much easier. No need to call friends and arrange for pizza and beer. And, once I brought things to the storage room Rosie provided at the basement of Broken Tankard, I spent the rest of my time rearranging my books, wondering if I should bring any.


    Ultimately, I decided to pick some scientific journals that were about mechanical engineering and metallurgy, which I had purchased when I was still making good money. They hadn''t been as useful as I had hoped, partially because I lacked the basics. While having one of my bachelor''s degrees in Math helped me to understand the gist of the topic easily, ultimately, I wasn''t familiar with the basics of engineering enough to make a difference.


    Though, to be fair, I didn''t really push myself. Back then, I was still confident that my career as a Blacksmith was temporary, a blip before I once again started working as a researcher.


    Now that I was facing another opportunity to make serious money as a blacksmith, I didn''t want to miss my chance. The dungeon without mana was a good opportunity regardless of what it would produce.


    This time, I planned to take advantage of the opportunity in front of me before it was gone.


    Naturally, the dungeon would stay there for a long time, but sooner or later, other blacksmiths would join the fray. Perk Reset stone was not unique to me, and it wasn''t my genius that gave me the ability to repair enchanted weapons. It was easy to figure out as long as someone was willing to spend some money.


    The number of blacksmiths capable of it would increase, and as a consequence, the money we could make would go down. Simple supply and demand.


    Once I picked the books I would bring along, I went upstairs to her office. I knocked, and she invited me in.


    She wasn''t alone. Two other people were sitting on the other side of her desk, both female. One of them was a redhead, and wore a robe while the other was a blonde and was dressed in a thick chainmail. Their outfits radiated the distinct aura of an enchantment. It was subtle, but working with enchanted weapons for years had given me a good sense of their potential.


    Neither enchantment was weak, but the one on the robe was much stronger than the armor''s.


    The one with the robe spoke first. "So, you''re the reason we have to take the long road. Merely Level 7, how disappointing," she commented, which earned a glance from her armored friend ¡­ bodyguard. Not for nothing. Using skills that checked other''s abilities was considered as rude as just going through someone else''s phone pre-Cataclysm.


    "I presume so. Assuming, of course, the deal is complete," I answered, not reacting to her rude and obvious attempt to establish control. She was clearly unaware of how much information she had revealed by declaring that. Not only was she rich ¡ª identification skills were strategic resources, therefore very expensive ¡ª but also that she was coddled. The entitled declaration was not just rude, but also it revealed a pretty important secret of her own.


    She reminded me of one of my more entitled students.


    From her wince, I could see that the blonde understood exactly what her companion did but said nothing.


    "Mostly. You just need to check the details," Rosie said as she pushed a piece of paper toward me. I read, doing my best to keep my expression neutral, but I wasn''t sure that I succeeded. The deal was good. Too good.


    "I hope that he''s as good as you promised," the redhead spoke. "If not, I might change my mind about the rest of your promises."


    "Don''t worry. Ten more blacksmiths that fulfill the conditions, and a hundred warriors, in two weeks. I keep my promises."


    That explained the generosity of the deal even more. Rosie was using me as some kind of proof of concept. It actually made me feel better about the extremely generous deal.


    First of all, I would receive two silver every hour while I was at the repair station regardless of the work, with bonuses based on my success rate and efficiency. That alone was an incredible deal.


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    Then, there were additional lines about them supplying me with tools with different enchantments if they needed me to repair anything other than a simple sharpness enchantment, as well as giving me the right to join the fighting for two hours under the protection of someone called Eleanor to help me level up.


    There was even a line about compensation if I got attacked any other time than my leveling journeys.


    It was a good deal. Too good, even. I looked at Rosie, whose smile looked very soft and friendly. At that moment, I realized that maybe I shouldn''t have just believed that I got lucky. Rosie had another reason for arranging it.


    What, I didn''t know. I was tempted to pull back, but I couldn''t. I got greedy, believed myself smart, and swallowed the bait. Now, I had to deal with the consequences. At least they wouldn''t be deadly.


    Rosie had a weird sense of humor, but she was not malicious ¡­ at least toward people who didn''t antagonize her.


    "I can''t believe we have to travel all day just to pick up a mere blacksmith," the redhead muttered.


    "Maria," the armored one whispered, her tone kind but filled with a warning, no doubt warning her companion about being rude. Maybe she was a friend as well as a bodyguard. Amusing.


    "What? I''m right. We have more important things to worry about," she said.


    "You should have double-checked your calculations, then," she replied, and the redhead blushed. It gave me a better idea of what was going on. Then, she turned to me. "I''m sorry about Maria, sir. It''s her first time leading an expedition and she''s tense. I''m Eleanor," she said.


    "Devon," I said as we shook hands. "I hope that I can help you, but do you mind sharing the details?"


    "Later," Maria cut in, even more abrasively after she had been admonished. A spoiled student, indeed. Too bad I couldn''t threaten her with dropping her participation score. "We need to be at the camp by dawn. I don''t want to delay the raid any more than necessary."


    I looked at Rosie once more. She had explicitly mentioned that the dungeon was a week away. She responded with an amused smirk. "See you around, Devon," she said with a big smirk. "Make sure to hang on tight."


    Then, it clicked. "We''re going to fly there," I said, my face getting paler.


    "Is there a problem?" Maria asked.


    "No, just surprised," I said, not willing to admit my ¡­ distaste for the spoiled young woman who was clearly looking for a chance to mock me. It would be unpleasant enough.


    Eleanor seemed to catch the reason, but she just nodded. Not ideal, but better than nothing.


    "Good. Then, let''s go. We have wasted enough time," Maria declared as she stood up, her gaze locked on Rosie. "Make sure you hold up your end of the bargain. You don''t want to cross my family," she declared, with a hint of threat.


    "Of course not," Rosie replied, but I didn''t miss the way her smile tightened. Another mistake on Maria''s part. Rosie didn''t like being threatened. But, coming from someone that might as well be a spoiled trust fund kid ¡ª or, whatever the equivalent was in our new society ¡ª it was easier to shrug off.


    Looking at their maturity, it was hard to believe that they were more or less at the same age, just below twenty-five. Then, I chuckled, realizing that, even in my mind, I sounded ancient rather than my true age, merely thirty-two.


    Starting to work as a professor before my twenties distorted my perspective a bit too much on that.


    "Let''s go," Maria said as she looked at her bodyguard, and didn''t even look at me. I followed them after putting on my helmet. There was no hiding my identity from anyone relevant, but I preferred not to be a part of the gossip.


    I followed them to the outskirts of the town and arrived at the gates. According to the laws, the gates were supposed to stay locked all night with no exceptions. Eleanor didn''t even need to say anything. She just made a gesture, and the guards opened the door, looking nervous. I would have understood if their nervous glance was targeting Maria, but they were looking at Eleanor like that.


    There must be a story behind it, but I didn''t ask. I was too busy psyching myself up for the upcoming encounter, wondering about the exact method of flying. The destruction of the technology meant there were no planes or helicopters ¡ª good riddance ¡ª but the replacements were hardly better. A slew of magical items, starting from flying carpets, replaced them. I never had the money to use them in the first place, so it didn''t matter until now.


    But, when I saw our mode of transportation, I froze. Mounts. Flying mounts. Two griffins, tied to a tree like horses, a glowing shield around them, though whether to keep them captive or to protect them, I didn''t know.


    "Have you ever ridden a Griffin?" Eleanor asked kindly. I shook my head, not in the mood to answer. "I''ll help you," she said. I followed. The beast looked calm and obedient, not unlike a well-trained horse. I wasn''t scared of it, at least as long as it was on the ground.


    As I climbed behind it, the straps of the saddle moved automatically to wrap around me. "Now, all you need to ¡ª" Eleanor started.


    "Enough, we wasted too much time already," Maria called from the other griffin, and started to fly.


    "Sorry. Just relax and don''t worry. You don''t need to worry. It''s actually very safe," Eleanor said, which made my apprehension even worse. It reminded me of the constant insistence of the flight attendants about how their flying death traps were actually perfectly safe.


    Then, the griffin stretched its wings, and we were in the air. I grabbed the saddle desperately and closed my eyes. It was worse than a plane. At least, there, as long as there was no turbulence, I could convince myself that I wasn''t flying.


    It was impossible here, not with the wind flowing around my face like a whip. Not with every flap of the wings shaking us worse than even the worst turbulence.


    Worse, soon, the cries of monsters reached my ears, interrupted by a sudden flash of red. I couldn''t keep my eyes closed, not with the monsters around us. I watched as Maria casually burned a flying monster that would have killed me instantly.


    I hated my new job already.

 Chapter 5

    We arrived at the camp at dawn. As much as I hated the necessity to keep my eyes open more than necessary, I forced myself, trying to catch the important details. It was smaller than I expected. A wooden palisade around about twenty wooden buildings, surrounded by double the amount of tents. Also, there was quite a bit of empty space.


    The number of guards I could see on the wall was less than I had expected. I could only count a dozen on each wall, each armed with bows, but the safety of the camp suggested that they were stronger than our town guards.


    Even from such a great distance, the quality of their armor was apparent, and each of them were marked with a stylized griffin. I hoped that it was a guild, and not one of the new houses that was popping out, quick to declare themselves as nobles.


    Three years had passed since the Cataclysm, and the political situation was still in flux.


    The rest of the camp was barely stirring into movement. A quick estimation suggested that there were about three hundred people currently in the camp, including the guards. Less than I expected considering the size of the camp. I assumed that they were at the dungeon.


    That was all I was able to assess until the vertigo hit, forcing me to close my eyes once more. I had fought against monsters many times, but still, heights were my greatest enemy.


    "Finally, we''re here," Maria called loudly as we landed, stretching her legs. Eleanor helped me to step down. I appreciated her help. I doubted that I would have been able to do so without help. "Hey, are you alright?" Maria asked, noticing my state.


    "Just a cramp. It''s my first time riding a griffin," I replied, doing my best to be calm and collected. I failed. Luckily, Maria didn''t care about me enough to pay attention to why I was reacting like that. "Eleanor, let''s go. Father expects a report."


    "Just a minute. Let me show Devon his workshop first," she said. Maria didn''t look happy. "The sooner he settles, the sooner he starts working. We need sharpened weapons to move deeper. We''re running low," she said.


    "Alright, but don''t waste too much time. We still need to lead the team to the dungeon," she said before moving to the central building.


    While Eleanor led me toward another building, I looked around, trying to catch the movements. "Anything I need to know," I asked. "We haven''t been able to talk a lot."


    "There''s nothing too exciting," she said. "It''s a lower-tier dungeon, populated with some kind of giant beetle with thick armor. Fire magic would have been a good way to deal with them, but the mana density prevents it from being a sustainable solution. But, they have several weak spots. Sharpened weapons are the most efficient method of taking them down."


    "Ah," I said. Suddenly, I understood the reason for the good contract. Sharpened weapons were cheap ¡ª compared to other enchanted weapons, still starting somewhere around fifty silver at a minimum for second-hand ones ¡ª and useful, but their durability was their biggest problem. "Their shell degrades the weapon even more, right," I asked.


    "Worse. They have some kind of secretion that ruins the edge," she replied. "Even with multiple weapons assigned to each person, it goes slowly. And, we can''t keep going to the nearest town for repairs either."


    Understandable, as even with a flying mount, travel wasn''t exactly easy. We didn''t struggle against monsters because Maria was strong enough to deal with them easily. However, it wasn''t exactly smart to assign the top combatant to logistic work.


    Especially when there was a limit to the carrying capacity of the griffins.


    "I see," I replied, considering the implication. The fact that the edge was the part that was being damaged was good news. It was far easier to sharpen a new edge than repair structural damage, which meant that I would be making even more on bonuses than I had initially expected. "How about my work¡­ The contract outlines my job requirements, but nothing else."


    "You''re going to join our team of blacksmiths. We currently have six capable of repairing enchanted weapons, each with both Analyze and Warm Blow. Seven with your inclusion. There''s also a dozen other apprentices that are working hard to raise their Repair over twenty-five with some disposable weapons so they could join the main work."


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    I frowned, wondering whether I should mention that I didn''t have [Warm Blow] yet, which was a perk that allowed the blacksmiths to repair the enchanted weapons without heating it too much, as it had the risk of destabilizing the enchantment. Then, I decided against it.


    There was no mention of the perk in the contract, and I could fix the weapon without it. No need to give them useless information that could change their mind. People had weird expectations when it came to Stats and Skills, seemingly determined to ignore that we were not robots, and could easily surpass their limits.


    The lack of Warm Blow didn''t mean I couldn''t keep up with the others. It would be some help, but even without it, I could keep up with the performance requirements outlined in the contract easily. All the tricks I figured out during the three years I spent working overtime were enough. All I needed was to be careful about the heat.


    I didn''t rely entirely on the instincts fed to me by the skills.


    In the end, I decided to stay silent. In the worst case, I could focus on bringing my Repair Skill to the next level. It should take only a few days as long as I was willing to ruin some weapons.


    Eleanor continued to talk, giving me a quick tour of the camp while I watched. "And, this is the forge, where you''ll be working ¡ª" she started, only to freeze.


    I assumed the reason was the tall, armored man at the center of the room. He was decked in full plate armor. On his chest, there was the symbol of a griffin like the guards, but it was far more intricate. All of it identified him as a high-ranking member of the same group, but another thing commanded my attention. One that was radiating an aura that demanded respect and adulation.


    Charisma.


    I cursed internally. Of all the stats that were brought by the System, I hated Charisma the most. On the battlefield, it worked wonders, allowing people to fight with a greater focus and coordinate better. In social life, it was disgusting. It was like an airborne drug.


    Luckily, it was a pretty rare stat, and none that possessed it deigned to live in a small town, making sure I never had to deal with them.


    Even without my own prejudices relating to the existence of Charisma wielders, I could sense that he was bad news from Eleanor''s reaction. Up until now, she had given me the impression of a kind, affable woman despite her very obvious power.


    The moment she saw him, her attitude changed, radiating a dark, dangerous feeling. It was like I was standing next to a giant sword, ready to spill blood. "Sir Thomas, how can this servant help you?" she said, but I had heard people less frustrated being thrown into the garbage. She didn''t bother hiding her hatred.


    "Is this the way a retainer should act, Eleanor? Why aren''t you on your knees?" he said, his smile mocking. His Charisma turned even more pointed, focusing on Eleanor. Her legs trembled, but she resisted it.


    I took a step back, not willing to be affected. I hated the impact of Charisma, especially since the level difference made it very difficult to resist.


    "As the sworn sword of Lady Maria, it''s not appropriate, my lord," she replied.


    Thomas smiled. "How fun," he said. "I wonder how long you''ll be able to resist until you beg for me to save you from your grievous mistake."


    "This humble servant doesn''t deserve your concerns, my lord," she replied. As I watched them absentmindedly, I couldn''t help but be fascinated by the way culture had changed in merely three years. Centuries of traditions relating to democracy and equality had been abandoned, replaced by a mockery of tribal politics, often with a cursory veneer of medieval nobility.


    I never understood how such a drift could happen in less than a year, which was another reason I had been so enthusiastic about joining the rare research institutes that were finally popping around ¡ª only to fail.


    Thomas smirked, no doubt about to follow up with another subtle insult, but his expression changed when Eleanor grabbed her sword. "Don''t worry, Eleanor. We''re old friends. I''m just worried about my dear cousin, and wanted to see if I can help any."


    "She''s busy, and she doesn''t want to see you," Eleanor replied. "But, feel free to visit and see if she changes her mind."


    "Oh, what a pity," he said, his smugness back. "I''ll just deal with my mission and leave, then," he said.


    "Your mission," Eleanor asked.


    "Yes. The family council honored me with an emergency mission of protecting one of the trade routes. And, I''m here to get the necessary resources."


    Eleanor froze as he passed her a sealed envelope. "No. That''s against the deal. We have been promised no interference."


    "From our side of the family, and we fulfilled it. We can''t help it if the family council assigned me with a critical mission that''s more important than a mere dungeon''s subjugation." He smirked as he looked at the blacksmith. "Anyone employed directly by the family, follow me. You have your orders," he said.


    I watched from the side as the majority of the employees had left the room, leaving only five behind.


    Eleanor followed them, panicked, and the rest of the blacksmiths followed her, no doubt wanting to leave.


    I considered following them but decided against it. I had no idea what would happen, but there were two options. Either the operation was dead, or it would continue. If it continued, getting familiar with the workshop and the weapons would be useful.


    And, if the operation was dead, I better repair a few weapons. Maybe I could push Repair to the next rank before they kick me out.


    After all, even if they failed, the dungeon wouldn''t disappear. Another team would establish a new camp, where I could work.


    Either way, it was better than watching a pointless competition between a bunch of rich kids to finalize.

 Chapter 6

    Decision made, I ignored the shouts outside as I focused on examining the forge. A forge that was far more expensive than the ones I had ever worked in.


    The first thing that caught my attention was the fire at the center, spilling out of the forge. I walked closer, feeling its extreme heat even from a distance, far more intense than I was used to working with. Still, I walked to the edge, letting the heat wash over me.


    [-1 Health]


    It was too much for me to resist all day. At least, not without adding a few more levels first.


    Still, I stayed at the center, watching the golden flickers dance in the fire, trying to understand the reason for the intensity. Only to realize that the fire was eating the fuel at a shocking speed. Likely, it was some kind of enchantment to enable a higher heat.


    It was fascinating to attain such a high degree of heat in an open fire. I took a step back even as I started examining the forge. It was both plain and flawless, which marked it as another product of the System store. I didn''t even want to imagine how much it had cost.


    I turned my attention to the anvils and the other tools, using the Analyze to get a better sense of their enchantment. I couldn''t identify them without working on a lot of similar samples, but the sheer number of enchantments was enough to prove their quality.


    "Troublesome," I muttered even as I continued to check the room. They had spent a serious amount of capital on the forge, the kind that I hadn''t ever seen. No wonder Rosie was willing to make a big deal with them.


    It was a tumultuous situation, the kind where a wrong move could cost me my life. The prudent thing would be to keep my head down and get away¡­ but then what? What did prudence give me other than being discarded and ignored?


    I could probably keep my head down until the operation ended up in failure, but I would find myself in the same situation. With each passing day, the value of my class was getting lower and lower. Yes, a political battle within one of the upstart new so-called noble houses was dangerous, the kind that could end up in my death.


    But, that was a valid concern for every expedition.


    The rewards, however ¡­


    "No risk it, no biscuit," I muttered even as I grabbed one of the unused hammers, far better than my own poor tool that doubled as a weapon. As I twirled it in my hand, I moved to the side, where a shockingly large pile of damaged weapons laid. The pile had hundreds of weapons, while a connected room held even more.


    However, as I hovered above the pile, a sour smell hit my nose, coming from some of the weapons that hadn''t been cleaned properly. I ignored it momentarily and picked from one of the clean weapons.


    The weapon I had pulled was some kind of short sword that was reminiscent of a thicker gladius as I closed my eyes and focused my Analyze ability, examining its inner structure.


    Even without Eleanor''s earlier explanation, I could understand the reason for it. While it had some structural cracks that limited the impact of the Sharpness enchantment, it was nowhere near enough to turn the weapons useless.


    No, that honor went to the edge, worn out as if it was dipped into a vat of acid. Though, curious, I touched one of the unclean ones, wondering why they kept them so tainted. But, I saw that they weren''t more damaged than the clean ones.


    The impact wasn''t as simple as the blood being acidic, but I shrugged. Each monster had its own unique problems, and while I would have enjoyed pondering about it, I was mature enough to admit that it was more of an intellectual curiosity than a practical concern.


    I didn''t need to care about the political crisis that was going on, or the way those monsters degraded the sharp edges of the weapons. I just needed to focus on my job.


    For the moment, I needed to start repairing. I walked back to the forge, letting the heat wash over the magical metal. I closed my eyes, using [Analyze] to keep track of the heating process. I ignored the heat brushing against my skin, and let the System do its thing.


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    [-1 Health]


    "Fascinating," I muttered as I watched the process of the metal reaching the ideal temperature for reforging. In my old forge, it would have required twenty minutes for the edges to heat up enough without destabilizing the enchantment.


    It would have been easier with the [Warm Blow], but lack of it wasn''t a bother. It was all about the timing. I pulled out the weapon, ignoring my skill''s instinctual suggestion to keep it in the flames longer, knowing that it would warp and weaken the enchantment.


    I used my hammer instead of one of the better tools lying around. Not because of a sense of nostalgia, but to avoid introducing too many variables. With a practiced ease, I started hammering the edge, careful not to distort the enchantment even as I destroyed the edge completely.


    If the damage to the edge was lesser, some sharpening would have been enough, but not with this. I ignored the next step my skill was suggesting, which was to add more metal to bring the weapon to its ideal weight. It would help, but it would also increase the work time almost ten times.


    Especially without [Warm Blow] to keep it going, forcing me to continuously heat up the metal to keep it searing and soft without turning molten.


    Ordinarily, I could never get away with such a shortcut, even though it would make absolutely no difference. The moment even a new Blacksmith touched it, their [Repair] skill would trigger to inform that it was not correctly repaired, and I would have a reputation for shoddy work.


    No one really cared about acceptable performance degradation.


    I was hoping that my new employers would have a more open mind. They were dealing with a monster that destroyed multiple weapons a day. A faster repair should have been a more than acceptable tradeoff.


    Assuming, of course, their operation continued, but that was a different problem.


    I let my skill guide me as I delivered blow after blow, achieving a smoothness that I could never achieve in its absence. I might not want to follow its suggestions religiously, but that didn''t mean it was useless.


    Especially since it was hard to truly use the Stats productively without the assistance of the skills.


    I started humming even as my hammer landed again and again, reshaping the distorted metal that had been degraded by the acid, only stopping to heat the metal.


    Forty-five minutes later, I moved away from the grinding stone, having just developed a new edge. I ignored the niggling of my skill at the back of my mind, repeating that it was not completely fixed. It was like leaving the house without turning off the oven. A constant annoyance.


    Unpleasant, but considering I was able to finish the work in fifteen minutes when the contract required me to sharpen merely six weapons a day to start earning bonuses, more than acceptable. The clean whistle of the sword was only possible with a working Sharpening enchantment. Who cared what the Repair skill said?


    I just needed to convince my new employers of that fact.


    Taking a break was tempting, especially since the heat had been punishing. Even using Health to recover, it left my skin raw and tingling. It was not pleasant. However, I didn''t have such a luxury.


    I grabbed a new weapon. It was time for another experiment, to see how much improvement the new tools would bring.


    Once again, the benefits of the Repair reduced the adaptation period significantly. The first attempt took slightly more than half an hour. The second one shaved a few extra minutes. By the sixth, I was able to maintain a steady pace to bang down one at the twenty-minute mark, and that was with several breaks I used to check the new process.


    Without them, a steady pace of fifteen minutes was doable.


    I decided to impress my employers. I started repairing one after another, the metal gleaming with a healthy sheen under my consistent blows. It was fun, steady work ¡ª one that would have been much better without the constant push at the back of my head.


    It was already noon when I had a visitor. Eleanor was back, with an exhausted expression on her face. An expression that shifted to wonder and shock the moment she noticed the number of weapons that were waiting for her. "What''s going on?" she asked, tense.


    "I''m working hard to earn my bonus, of course," I said, trying to add some levity to the situation. It didn''t work. "Since someone just took away all the experts, I decided to see if I can find a way to go faster," I explained.


    "How. I thought you only had Repair."


    "Well, yes," I said. "Before I explain, check the weapons first and see if they are properly fixed," I said. I didn''t want to explain what I did before she checked the results directly, not wanting to prejudice her. It was a very critical part of any experiment that required subjective assessment.


    She frowned as she tested the weapons one by one, with a slight frown on her face as she assessed them. Yet, the clean whistle of the sword was unmistakable. "It feels alright," she admitted. "Now, explain."


    "I used some shortcuts that don''t exactly follow the Skill completely, so, technically, they are not completely repaired." She said nothing, but her expression shifted from affable and confused to sharp. It would have scared me, but against Thomas, she had been much scarier.


    I gave her a detailed summary of the process, which mollified her somewhat, but she also looked confused. "Looks promising," she said even as she took five swords. "Follow me, we''re going to explain it to Lady Maria."


    I followed her with a sigh. I hoped that the redhead wouldn''t be too frustrating.

 Chapter 7

    I examined the camp as I moved forward. As far as I could tell, the camp population had dropped significantly to something around two hundred, which no doubt made any dungeon incursion a bigger challenge. Even working overtime, most of that number had to be dedicated to camp defense, which probably ruined any chance of making decent progress with the dungeon until the reinforcement Rosie promised arrived.


    I had a feeling that Rosie would offer them another batch of recruits, naturally with some premium for emergency recruitment. But, I kept my mouth shut about that. Whatever deal they had was between them.


    I just wanted to make some money. And, maybe, get a few skills in the process.


    We soon arrived at the largest building. "Wait here," she said as she went inside with the swords. I said nothing, ignoring the hesitant glances of the camp visitors, no doubt wanting to ask the newest face some questions.


    Their anxiety was understandable, but I deliberately avoided their gazes, not giving anyone a chance to interact. Whatever that was going on was complicated enough to make sticking my head out ¡ª any more than I already would once I started churning out a ridiculous amount of swords, at least ¡ª an unwise choice.


    "You can come in," Eleanor said when the door opened once more. "Lady Maria is ready to see you."


    I nodded and followed her, taking note of the decorations. It was well-furnished. Much better than what I would expect in a camp in the middle of nowhere. Either Maria was even more spoiled than I had assumed, or her family was even richer.


    Either way, the trouble they posed had just got bigger.


    I refrained from sighing in despair even as Eleanor led me to an office that was filled with parchments, leather-bound books, and many glowing objects, all clearly enchanted.


    "Eleanor tells me that you can repair five times faster than our other blacksmiths. How?" she asked, trying to look serious and in control. She wasn''t particularly successful. Luckily for her, the memory of her burning multiple monsters with a wave of her hand was more than enough to compensate.


    I thought about breaking down the process, and dumbing it down to the most understandable piece, but after some consideration, I decided against it. She didn''t seem like someone who would appreciate anything she couldn''t understand.


    "May I ask how familiar you are with math, my lady? I''m using some scientific methods to expand the benefits of the skill. It allows me to bypass some of the steps given by the Repair skill."


    "And you know it works, how?" she asked, the challenge in her tone clear.


    The answer was simple trial and error, but I had a feeling that she wouldn''t appreciate that. "A proper explanation would call for some detailed formulas. May I proceed with it?" I asked.


    I caught a hint of panic on her face before she looked frustrated. "I was a college senior when the Cataclysm hit, and more importantly, I''m a Fire Mage. With Intelligence, I can easily understand anything a mere Blacksmith could come up with."


    Her confident declaration made me even more confident about my choice. I paused for a moment, remembering some of the formulas I had read in the journals I had found. Formulas were nothing more than intellectual curiosity as they were mostly random, scattered articles with no proper link.


    Still, they were good enough to dazzle an overconfident student whose understanding of math probably ended in algebra, and Intelligence was not useful in understanding completely unfamiliar concepts.


    "Let''s start with a simple basis. JMA equation for the recrystallization process of metals. The formula is simple." I paused for a moment, jotting down the first formula.


    [X(t) = 1 - exp[-(kt)^n]


    "X represents the volume fraction of the material of transformation, t represents time, k is constant, and n represents an exponential of dimensionless number that reflects the dimensionality of the growth and nucleation behavior during the transformation¡­"


    She tried to hide it, but I taught for years. The glassy expression of a student who had lost track was too familiar to miss. Under any other situation, I would have slowed down, and explained every concept one by one. This time, I threw more and more complicated concepts.


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    I wasn''t good enough in material sciences, but dragging the discussion to a more pure math basis wasn''t too hard. Fifteen minutes later, I was deep into a small, confusing lecture on the fifth-order differential equations and their effectiveness in solving wave propagation.


    "Enough, I have got the gist of it," Maria cut in, unable to keep her frustration. "The math looks solid, and Eleanor already confirmed the weapons are good enough. So, go ahead and start teaching the others how to do it. We''ll need a lot of swords soon."


    I was about to cut in, when Eleanor cut in first. "We currently don''t have any other Blacksmith in the camp, madam."


    "How? Only the six of them were under family contract."


    "Yes, but we still hired the others through the usual channels. That contract has the escape clauses. They ¡­ they decided to pay it off."


    "They paid fifty gold each," Maria gasped. "That bastard must have given it. Can''t we ¡­"


    "We don''t have evidence," she said.


    "I''m sure Rosie could find a few more experts in the case of our current emergency. They don''t need Level 25 Repair. As long as they have Analyze, I can teach them," I offered. I thought about asking Maria for a bonus, but I chose against it. I had already annoyed her enough. I could talk to Eleanor about it. "But, I can''t repair all day," I said.


    "Why? You already signed the contract," Maria said.


    "Because my level is not high enough. Four hours already drained most of my Health. I need to be at a higher level."


    "That''s easy," Maria said, looking at Eleanor. "Where''s the closest wild spot we could visit," she asked.


    "But, I can''t leave the camp with the guards gone, and we don''t have any guards strong enough to help him."


    "Doesn''t matter. I''ll help him," Maria replied. "I can''t stay here and defend the camp without depleting our mana potions. Just escort him to the armory and give him armor. I don''t want him dead."


    "I will do as you wish. Should I arrange for an escort¡ª"


    "No, I don''t need any," she replied, her tone final. Eleanor looked frustrated. Maria sighed. "You know we can''t afford any. Not unless we are willing to clean the dungeon entrance again."


    Eleanor sighed. "You''re right, but I don''t like it," she said. Then, she turned to me. "Follow me," she said.


    I followed as she brought me to the basement, which was filled with weapons and armor. Most of it was the type the guards had been wearing, but a few of them looked better. "I don''t have to tell you if anything happens to her¡­"


    "I understand," I said. I didn''t appreciate being threatened, especially since Maria was far stronger than me, but it was not exactly a helpful conversation to have. Instead, I focused on something more productive. "My contract doesn''t have anything to do with teaching," I reminded her.


    "You want more money," she said, her tone not exactly welcoming.


    "That would help, but I have something else in mind. Something that could help your side as well."


    "What do you need?" she said.


    "I need books from before the Cataclysm," I replied. "Preferably about material science, manufacturing, and similar topics, but I''m alright with anything. If it has numbers, it might help."


    "What''s the point?" she said.


    "Well, you have seen my trick with repairing the edge. I can only do that because my calculations gave me the ideal temperature to work on the edge. There''s a chance I can find an even better method as long as I have the necessary material."


    "And, you can do that as a Blacksmith," she said.


    I shrugged. "I have a Doctorate in Math," I said, giving her a simplified version of my background. No need to muddle it with my other expertise. "And, unlike what most people claim, math can still be useful."


    "Not as useful as skills," Eleanor replied.


    "Probably," I said. I strongly disagreed, but after three years of having the same conversation many times, I was bored of explaining to people why it was ridiculous to restrict themselves to the System just because it was easier. "But, I''m assuming you don''t have one of those useful skills, or you would have already given it to your old blacksmiths."


    "Well, no," she said. "Skill stones for production classes are hard to find. The System Store hardly stocks them, and they rarely drop from dungeons."


    I sighed. I certainly knew that, which was a pity, because the biggest advantage of production classes was having more skill slots. One unfair detail, of many. "So, that''s why I''m asking for books. I assume it won''t be too difficult for you. Even I was able to collect some, and I live in a small town."


    "Probably, I need to check it," she said. "But, meanwhile, we can discuss your salary ¡ª"


    "No, I''d rather leave it to Rosie," I replied, cutting it short. The situation was too complicated for me to navigate. I didn''t even know what kind of money I could ask for. "But, I wouldn''t say no to a combat skill if you have any."


    "You use hammers, right?" she said. "You''re lucky. We have one uncommon hammer skill. We also have several uncommon sword style variants if you''re interested," she added.


    "For now, it''s better if I stick with hammer skills," I said. It was better to stick to one weapon, especially since it paired better with my class stats. However, I was fascinated by the casual manner she pulled a glowing rock from a box and threw it at me.


    [Skill Stone: Hammer of Might (Uncommon)]


    As the notification popped, I was glad that I chose to bargain with Eleanor rather than Maria. She was certainly the more generous one. Not for no reason, as I had just solved their biggest logistic challenge, but I knew many that would spit on my face rather than listen to it.


    I was more than happy.


    I closed my eyes, absorbing it slowly.


    [Overhead Strike (Basic) 4 - Hammer of Might (Uncommon) 1]


    I groaned. It was the second time I was absorbing a skill stone ¡ª since repair and forge had come with the Blacksmith class ¡ª but replacing a similar skill felt much more different. It was dizzying and painful. I barely registered Eleanor checking several armors to find one that would fit my size.


    Absorbing skills was painful.

 Chapter 8

    I had acquired a new set of armor, a new uncommon fighting skill that increased my fighting capabilities significantly, even a proper warhammer on my back. Unfortunately, none of them helped against the challenge I was about to face.


    Another flight. This time, with my new boss.


    I said nothing as I climbed on my part of the saddle, and grabbed the leather tightly, glad that she wasn''t particularly observant. I didn''t exactly enjoy talking to people about my anxieties, and even if I did, my new boss was not exactly the ideal target.


    "Ready?" she asked as she climbed with far greater grace.


    "Yes, my lady," I replied. I might find the sudden shift back to feudalism ridiculous, but my feelings weren''t strong enough to risk annoying my new boss who could successfully imitate a flame thrower. And, admittedly, the fact that what they paid me for a day''s effort was more than I made in three years helped quite a bit as well.


    "Good," she said as she commanded the griffin, and once again, we were suffering an unnatural, disgusting activity that humans weren''t supposed to experience. I took a deep breath, ignoring the vertigo as we flew, Maria easily took down any flying beast that dared to drift closer.


    I expected her not to deign to speak to me. I was wrong. "Do you play chess?" she asked without a preamble.


    I sighed. Even when dealing with vertigo, I could understand her aim. While my earlier trick with the math lesson convinced her that I knew what I was doing, it also annoyed her. She wanted to prove herself.


    "Yes. I was a high-ranking master before the Cataclysm," I replied, doing my best to sound proud rather than frustrated. My past with chess had been rather checkered. It was a fun game, but I had always hated how people equated it as a shortcut to prove how smart they were. And, as a genius who started teaching at a premier college younger than almost all of my students, I had been challenged many times, forcing me to learn more just to stay on top.


    After the Cataclysm, it got worse. Suddenly, playing chess to prove capabilities became common. Intelligence stat allowed people to make calculations faster and multitask better, a devastating advantage to play against in a game of chess. I was quick to stop playing after that. I wasn''t entirely free of competitiveness, and being demolished every time I played was not fun.


    But, it looked like that was about to change.


    "Do you want to play blind chess to pass the time?" she asked, her enthusiasm clear.


    "Of course," I answered, doing my best to fake enthusiasm. She just asked, but I decided to take it as an order. If all it took to be demolished in a few chess games to get her in a good mood, I was more than happy to make that sacrifice.


    Especially if it distracted me from the fact that I was in the air. I closed my eyes. "Pawn, e4," I said. A classical move, one that led to many of the classic openings. A few moves later, I had a significant advantage. Not only did I have absolute control of the center, but also I was ahead by a pawn.


    Unfortunately, that advantage was temporary. My knowledge of openings gave me a great advantage during the first ten moves, but the moment the game settled, that advantage started to dwindle. A knight cut through the side in an unexpected move, but every attempt I made to defend pulled me deeper into the quagmire.


    I sighed as I tried to come up with a good move, but failed repeatedly. Most of the moves she had made felt ridiculous. Her fundamentals were horrible, and the strategic implications didn''t matter.


    Unfortunately, none of those mattered when she could simply outthink me, like she was using a computer to calculate her moves. I felt like a sickly boxer fighting against a giant. I held the advantage in technique, but it didn''t matter against an enemy that could shatter my bones with each move.


    "I surrender," I called in frustration at move fifty, about twenty moves after my defeat had been set in stone. In any chess tournament, such a move would have been derided as pointless pride, but Maria clearly enjoyed taking my pieces one by one to lord over her superiority.


    "Good game," she said, her voice far more cheerful. "Another one."


    "It won''t be easy this time," I replied, doing my best to sound confident. Luckily, Maria wasn''t observant enough to understand I was indulging her with fake competitiveness.


    As I started with another classic move, I wondered if there was a chance to make it more fun. Maybe if I could tailor my game against her. Not to win. No, that part was truly hopeless. But, I could try and optimize my game to counter her advantages as much as possible, and lose gracefully.


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    Also, any distraction from my current activity was a welcome bonus.


    For the next several games, I focused on the way she played, trying to reverse-engineer the approach. While she played very good chess, it was very different from playing a chess grandmaster. It wasn''t even like playing against a chess engine. It was more like the reverse. Bad strategic moves, only to be resolved through sheer creativity until I found myself in a position that was impossible to comprehend based on any sane application of chess theory.


    It was not a complete surprise. I had already known how Intelligence worked thanks to my previous research ¡ª at least in general terms ¡ª and I had played against other people with high Intelligence until it became too frustrating.


    However, it didn''t make two people play chess the same way. Strength allowed people to hit harder, but people still had their own fighting style. Some chose relentless direct assault, while others fought carefully, and defensively.


    Maria, to my absolute lack of surprise, belonged to the first category. She started slow, probably to enjoy her upcoming victory, but the moment she started playing seriously, she delivered attack after attack. I tried to trap her, but her Intelligence made it easy to catch them.


    "And, checkmate," she called as we landed, smiling smugly. "That makes it, thirteen to zero."


    "I''ll get you the next time," I fake-growled, trying to convince her that her victories bothered me. To be fair, they would have ¡­ but it was bliss compared to focusing on the silent torture of flying. Playing against her required my full focus, distracting me from the fact that we were floating.


    "We will see. We still have the return flight," she said.


    I looked around, taking note of our surroundings. An empty plain, with no humans in sight. Instead, there were a lot of monsters. Some vaguely looked like animals, as if they were painted by an impressionist painter who was suffering from a drug overdose, while the others vaguely looked humanoid.


    A nightmarish horde that was currently gathering toward us.


    "I''m going to burn them until they can''t move. Just walk through the piles and smash them," she said, utterly calm.


    I couldn''t blame her, not when she easily destroyed a hundred creatures with a wave of her hand, leaving mostly cinders. I moved forward immediately.


    It was a great opportunity.


    I stood in front of the first beast, a giant wolf immobilized thanks to its incinerated limbs, my hammer rose and fell. It was a familiar move, one that came from my Overhead Strike skill. I was glad that my new Uncommon skill had a similar move, allowing me to adapt with ease.


    My hammer fell with far greater impact than I was used to, showing the difference between the two skills. The difference between the two tiers was not for nothing.


    "Move faster, we don''t have all day," she shouted.


    "Sorry, boss. New skill jitters," I replied even as I moved. Only when I was smashing the third one, I realized that I hadn''t used the more formal call. "Sorry, my lady," I said, not wanting to annoy her.


    "I like the boss better. Use it when we''re alone," she replied, laughing.


    I smiled as well. She wasn''t nearly as unbearable as the first impression suggested once she warmed up. I smashed two more immobile beasts, and a notification arrived.


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) 1 - 2]


    "Fascinating," I muttered. It was not easy to raise skill proficiency levels, or my overhead strike wouldn''t have lagged merely at four. However, the basics were hardly a secret. Skills leveled up more based on external feedback than anything internal.


    For example, using more precious materials made [Forge] improve faster, and the better ¡ª and more damaged ¡ª the target weapon, the faster [Repair] developed.


    And, for combat skills, the stronger the beast that had been killed, the easier they leveled up. Their damaged state reduced the feedback significantly. It was hard to gauge, but the first wolf alone probably would have improved the skill by two stages, and maybe even given me an actual level as well.


    Though, considering it would have ripped me apart easily, I was more than happy to take the reduced feedback. I killed a few more until the System responded once more.


    [Level 7 - 8]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength,, +1 Dexterity]


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) 2 - 3]


    "I have just leveled up," I informed her. As much as hiding it was tempting, I didn''t forget her casually using a spell to check my level. No need to take big risks for small benefits, particularly since she was being considerably generous while helping me.


    "Faster than I expected. Very good," she said. "Let''s see if we can bring you to your first threshold," she called.


    That made me gasp. The first threshold was level twenty-five. And, in three years, I was merely level seven. Yes, I didn''t prioritize it, but that didn''t make the gap any less impressive.


    "Yes, boss," I replied, tightening the grip on my new warhammer, and moving between targets. There was no heroics, no unexpected developments, nothing. Just a steady massacre of monsters without even bothering to harvest one, leaving material that was potentially worth hundreds, rather material that would have been worth that much if they weren''t burnt to cinders, and we had the ability to carry them back to the camp of gold, behind.


    Soon, however, I realized another problem. Maria was getting bored. Understandable. While it was a thrilling activity that strengthened me significantly, it represented nothing but boredom for her.


    "Pawn D3," I suddenly called.


    "E6," she replied, her boredom replaced by some amusement. Constant defeats were not fun, but I was more than happy to accept it considering the speed at which I was leveling up. And, it helped me to analyze her play style even more. The more we played, the better I fared.


    When she finally called for us to stop, it was already dusk. "Let''s move back. It''s not safe to hunt during the night."


    I wanted to argue against it, but my arms were hurting too much to do so. Even with the System, there were limits to my endurance. "Yes, boss," I called instead. And, it wasn''t like I had any right to complain.


    [Blacksmith - Level 22]


    [Health 660/660]


    [Vitality 44 / Strength 44 / Dexterity 22]


    [Skills (3/8)


    Repair (Common) - 24 [Analyze]


    Forge (Common) - 8


    Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 7]

 Chapter 9

    I woke up at dawn. And, a quick bath later, I rushed downstairs ¡ª my room was conveniently above the workshop ¡ª feeling very enthusiastic about getting back to work. Normally, I would say that my work ethics weren''t driven by external factors, and it was true ¡­ to an extent.


    But, not only was my new employer far more generous than I had expected, giving me a higher salary and assistance for leveling up, but I was also doing something other than just following the instructions of my skill.


    A better salary, incredible benefits, and more fulfilling work¡­


    While I was still a researcher at heart, and saw my class as more of an impediment than a career like the rest of the world seemed to, I had to admit that those perks made suffering far more acceptable. I was ready to work ¡ª


    Only for that enthusiasm to fade immediately as I arrived at the workshop and found a scrap of paper waiting for me. One that had only one line.


    ''We advise you to find a different job,'' the paper read. Next to the paper, there was a fat-looking pouch. I was tempted to touch it, but instead, I waved to one of the camp workers. "Please inform Lady Eleanor that there''s an emergency at the forge," I said.


    He looked unhappy about my interruption, but it wasn''t the first time I worked with people. I delivered the order confidently before going back in, implying that it was only expected for him to follow my requests. With the camp already in flux, he followed.


    While waiting for her, I pondered about the message. I didn''t want to dismiss it out of hand, as it was clear that I had found myself in a messy situation. Before the Cataclysm, such a thing might have meant character assassination in the media. In this new world order, the character part was not excess.


    I wasn''t entirely happy about the risk, but the uselessness of previous efforts taught me that I couldn''t avoid risk without accepting I would live an ignoble, unremarkable life, seeped in utter boredom.


    I wasn''t ready to accept that.


    Which was why I called Eleanor ¡ª one of the two that ruled the camp ¡ª and the more relevant party when it came to threats. Camp security was her responsibility, and I preferred to coordinate with her rather than ignoring it. She was the closest thing to a cop, and I rathered not to touch the evidence before she arrived.


    As for why I was a target, it was obvious. I had just solved one of their biggest logistical challenges, and clearly, it was not a secret.


    She arrived five minutes later. "I hope it''s something important. We need you working," she said, frustrated. I could see that the challenge of running the camp below the ideal population was getting to her.


    "This was waiting for me when I arrived," I said, pointing at the paper and the small pouch.


    She said nothing, but her frown tightened. She pointed at it, a slight glow on her to suggest she was able to use magic as well. "You haven''t touched it, right?"


    "No, I thought it''d be best to leave it to an expert."


    "Good call," she said even as she used the flat side of her sword to put the parchment into a small bag, then checked the pouch. "It would have burned the moment you touched it. Though, I''m impressed you''re able to refuse bribery. Fifty gold coins is not a small amount." I gulped at hearing that. "Having second thoughts," she asked.


    "No. I''m just afraid of what they''ll do next if their first move is to bribe me with more than what I was making yearly," I replied. Unfortunately, that was not an exaggeration. I was certainly startled.


    She paused. "Don''t walk around without your armor, and stay out of the shadows," she said. I nodded. It was a smart choice. At least, it wasn''t as uncomfortable after my leveling. Also, I was surprised by the ease with which I had accepted the risk of a possible assassination. But then, violence had become a far more acceptable method of dispute resolution since the Cataclysm.


    Assassinations, duels, muggings, bandits¡­ A lack of a central government was already showing its impact.


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    "Anything else?" I asked.


    "No. I''ll post two guards to defend the workshop just in case. They''ll also bring your food. Stay inside, and start working."


    "Any idea about the daily target?"


    "As much as you can manage. The dungeon operations will slow down until the next batch of recruits arrives, but it won''t stop completely. Until we can hire more Blacksmiths, you''re the only one that can keep us going."


    "I''ll do my best," I said, making a mental note to take stock once I took a break. Eleanor walked away. "You forgot something," I said, pointing at the pouch still sitting on the anvil.


    "No, I didn''t. Take it as a bonus for your loyalty." With that, she left.


    I checked the pouch, only to find out that she was right. Fifty gold coins, a fortune to me. Being richer was certainly nice, but it only made me more stressed. It meant that their enemies were willing to spend fifty gold just for a chance to weaken the camp and slow down the dungeon.


    "No risk it, no biscuit," I said to myself, repeating the motto I had decided the day before. At least, I was benefiting greatly from the risks I was taking. It could have been much worse. Many people had died for much smaller rewards.


    Fifty gold represented the possibility for a lot of things: new skills, better equipment¡­ and, most importantly, it was enough money to throw around to get a position in one of the new research institutes, at least as an intern.


    But first, I needed to work. I first focused on bringing the forge to an ideal temperature. Only when the heat hit my face hard enough to feel like I was burning, I grabbed a damaged sword, and started working.


    [-1 Health]


    The occasional consumption of health was much easier to ignore after almost tripling my reserves. The sword heated up quickly, and my hammer danced. "Fascinating," I muttered even as I felt the metal reshape under my blows. Yesterday, I used every scrap of knowledge I had gathered over the last three years to reduce the repair time to fifteen minutes.


    This time, my work on the blade was done in four minutes, mostly because I didn''t need to reheat the sword again. With my increased level, I was able to complete the task in one attempt.


    It was more due to increased Dexterity, rather than Strength. It wasn''t that the latter was useless, but for the task of reforging an edge, the added control was far more useful.


    An hour later, I was looking at fifteen swords that had been repaired to pristine condition. "Now, what to do?" I found myself asking. I could slow down intentionally, but that would make it problematic if they noticed my intentional reduction.


    And, the better I performed, the more I could demand.


    With that decision made, I continued working, pushing my attention to the limit. It was quite tiring. One disadvantage of not following the instruction of the skill was that it got mentally exhausting. I couldn''t just let my mind wander while the skill handled the hard work.


    But, with hard work, came an unexpected reward.


    [Repair (Common) - 24 - 25]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Warm Blow / Efficient Repair / Inspect (Analyze)]


    "Huh," I muttered as the notification popped without a warning, informing me that my Repair had been improved ahead of schedule, giving me multiple dilemmas.


    The most obvious dilemma was which perk to choose from. Warm Blow was the most obvious choice, which would boost my ability to repair the swords even faster. With it, there was a chance I could further cut the duration of my work in half.


    Efficient Repair was also useful, providing me with a chance to make a living even after leaving the camp. I didn''t even know that Efficient Repair was offered in Level twenty-five again. If I knew, I might have committed to a different plan ¡ª not that I was complaining.


    Ultimately, however, I chose Inspect, the advanced version of Analyze, which was supposed to provide even more information. I might have chosen differently a couple days ago, but now that my earlier commitment to Analyze had proven its benefits, I decided to lean on it.


    But, even as I made that choice, my mind moved to the next implications. Namely, the speed at which my skill had managed to reach the next stage.


    It was enough to throw away my earlier model of skill improvement. Worse, I had no idea about what had caused the change. Maybe my rapid leveling allowed it to get to the next stage. Or, maybe it was just the quantity of the weapons that allowed me to improve them, as I had been repairing them at a far faster pace.


    But I was not repairing them with perfect adherence to the suggestions of my Repair skill either, which should have slowed down the process.


    "What a fascinating question," I muttered as I smirked, feeling excited. I couldn''t answer it alone, but soon, I would have multiple experimental candidates who would work directly for me.


    What better opportunity to actually collect some data to build a better model could there be? I had tried to collect that information before, but self-reporting was notoriously unreliable.


    I didn''t expect to discover anything new, as I had no doubt many people had been working on how skills worked. The direct benefit of such knowledge was too important. Unfortunately, the importance also meant that it stayed a secret. There were many differing public opinions, but gossip deferred from the scientific process.


    "Finally, a chance for proper scientific study," I said in excitement. It wasn''t exactly the way I preferred. I rather worked on the mathematical models and conceptual designs while my doctoral students dealt with the boring experimental stuff, but at this point, I would take even the most boring experiment over the monotony of repairing the same weapon over and over.


    I was actually starting to like my new job.

 Chapter 10

    "Now, let''s see if picking Inspect was worth it," I said to myself even as I grabbed another damaged weapon. I dragged my finger over the blade as I closed my eyes, a subtle mental command was enough to activate the feeling.


    The internal structure of the sword appeared in my mind once again. I wanted to focus on the physical structure first, as the Inspect increased the amount of detail I could catch significantly. I was able to catch many microfractures and other stress points. The details of it were fascinating.


    But, not as fascinating as the details I was able to pick up about the Sharpness enchantment. With Analyze, all I could see was a bunch of straight glowing lines that stretched from the hilt to the tip. That much had allowed me to reactivate the enchantment by repairing the metal of the sword so far, but its magical aspect had been incomprehensible.


    Not anymore. Well, not the incomprehensible part. I could merely see some kind of movement in those previously opaque lines of mana, without any corresponding knowledge of what was going on. But, that didn''t ruin my mood. I was confident that I could leverage it.


    Though, preferably later as far as the magic was concerned. As much as I wanted to start poking around with the enchantments, I knew that it was not a good idea. I had neither the tools nor the necessary safety measures. I didn''t even know what would happen if the enchantments got damaged, whether they just faded away or exploded.


    "Baby steps," I muttered even as I shifted my focus to the aspect I could understand. The physical components. Not just the first one, but every blade I had repaired. "Some changes are necessary," I muttered as I realized that my earlier process had weakened the edge unnecessarily. Not exactly critical when fighting against beasts that destroy the sword after a few successful hits, but a major problem against anything else.


    Still, an easy fix for the future.


    I noted that I should return to my repair task, ideally to impress my new bosses with my success, but the temptation of another plan started to stir. A plan that had long been ignored because of its immense cost. A cost that was no longer relevant thanks to the overstocked workshop.


    Improving my Forge skill.


    The Forge was an often neglected skill. A choice that was made not just by me, but the other Blacksmiths as well, for one simple reason. Unlike Repair, Forge was expensive to improve, requiring a lot of attempts. And, even when it succeeded, people preferred to buy pre-made enchanted weapons from the System Shop, at a relatively cheap price.


    The cheap weapons had made Forged ones obsolete, especially since it took hours, sometimes days to forge a weapon according to the directions of the Forge. As a result, improving the skill required months of dedicated effort and money. Some Blacksmiths took the risk during the first year, usually sponsored by richer patrons, hoping to find some kind of synergy between the two skills.


    They failed.


    I could have tried the same, but those days, I was more focused on collecting the data for my research proposal, which had been a similar waste. Not to mention, I didn''t want to spend months improving a potentially useless skill. If repairing a weapon according to the System instructions was a chore, forging a weapon was slow, tedious and torturous.


    "Let''s see if wasting material could help," I murmured even as I pulled a few ingots and threw them into the forge, softening them. Repair improved despite cutting corners. Maybe Forge would as well. The only problem was that I wasn''t sure if I could turn the results back to ingots, because they were not pure but alloys.


    Due to their process of forging, alloys could be tricky to refine back.


    It was a fact that was true for even the ordinary steel that the world relied on before the Cataclysm. There were hundreds of types of steel based on carbon content, cooling process, and other minute additions, and they couldn''t simply be turned back.


    It was even more relevant for the new alloys, which included many other types of materials, some exclusively from dungeon drops, which was the reason why Forging caused the loss of material. It wasn''t some kind of disappearance.


    Of course, just like Repair, Forge''s skill came with some instinctual understanding of the recipes and methods for new alloys, including the mixing temperatures, process and timing, and cooling methods.


    For the moment, with my Forging below level ten, all the information I had was ordinary, requiring no exotic dungeon drops and other complicated stuff. Back in town, I had calculated what it would have taken to actually bring me to my first perk.


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    Technically, I could have done it for less than twenty silver as far as the material cost went. It was acceptable ¡­ but when I included the rent for the forge, and the loss of income from dedicated time, that amount had spiked to four gold even on the most optimistic scale. Using cheap materials meant that I needed to spend weeks on a single point. A waste for a skill that could potentially turn out to be useless.


    But, that was back then. I had a forge dedicated to me that I could never afford otherwise, working with alloys I couldn''t purchase.


    There was still a chance that it could be a total waste, but the temptation was too strong ¡­ particularly since I could mislead Eleanor. Not by fudging the numbers, of course. No need for that when I could simply claim that those experiments were how I managed to cut the repair time to four minutes.


    An innocent white lie. I had told much worse lies during grant applications.


    Science might be an honorable pursuit, but the same wasn''t true for grant applications.


    I grabbed multiple ingots of a bronze alloy variant ¡ª one that was stronger than steel ¡ª and threw them into the forge, letting them heat up, while going through the designs that the skill provided, trying to pick the simplest one.


    I settled on a small dagger. Normally, it would have been a terrible choice, as there was little chance it would be sold ¡ª daggers were not exactly the preferred weapons for slaying giant monsters ¡ª but since they would go to waste, speed, and material consumption were more critical.


    Once the material was ready, I focused on the skill, trying to find the most ideal method. Unfortunately, even as my hammer landed for the first time, there was no reaction. My skill level was too low to work on the material.


    "Frustrating," I muttered. I was hoping that there would be some kind of suggestion. There wasn''t. I did my best to follow my past experiences to forge a dagger. Using long tongs, I rotated it meticulously as I beat it repeatedly, flattening it. Then, I folded the metal into two, heated it, and repeated the process.


    Only for the metal to crack. A failure. A spectacular one.


    "I wish it triggered the repair," I said. Unfortunately, for that, a weapon first needed to be completed based on System specifications. Another clumsy detail of the System.


    I tried four more methods, wasting four more ingots. Ironically, since my mistakes were so catastrophic, the weapons didn''t exactly turn useless. I could still use them to Repair ¡ª


    "Oh, I''m a moron," I cursed myself, realizing that I had missed something very obvious. Yes, the Forge skill didn''t tell me how to work with this particular alloy. But, Repair did.


    With a big smile, I grabbed another sword, but this time, I followed the System''s suggestions religiously. An hour later, I was not even halfway done with repairing the sword ¡ª not having Warm Blow was slowing my work considerably ¡ª but that didn''t ruin my smile.


    I had already learned a lot about how to use the alloy without fracturing the metal, and the detailed information provided by Inspect already showed its worth, though only because I had spent some time trying to understand every metallurgy resource I could find.


    I made another attempt to forge a dagger. This time, I managed to fold the metal six times before I ruined it. This time, it was useless even for repair work, but I didn''t care. I heated up another ingot and made another dagger. This time, I only folded the metal four times before I started shaping it.


    In every objective standard, it was a terrible dagger. It was structurally weak, brittle, lacked the necessary tempering to properly hold an edge, and had multiple stress points that were begging to be snapped. Stabbing someone was more merciful than giving them this dagger as a weapon.


    Yet, none of those details could ruin my mood. A notification popped.


    [Forge (Common) - 8 - 11]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Masterwork / Intuitive Forging]


    I froze as I read the perk offers. Masterwork was one of the options I expected, but to my knowledge, the other perk was supposed to be Frugal Forge, which worked in a similar manner to Efficient Repair. Masterwork, on the other hand, provided better designs, but they cost more to complete.


    "Why can''t the System give explanations for perks," I muttered, frustrated even as I found myself in a dilemma. Should I pick Masterwork, or take the risk. But, even as I bit my lips in worry, I knew what I would do.


    I had very little use for Masterwork. Even ignoring the name, just the fact that I was getting a previously unknown Perk was a good opportunity. It was very likely that I was not the first one to discover such an opportunity, but people didn''t go around sharing secrets.


    I made my choice.


    [Forge (Common) - 11 [Intuitive Forging]]


    Curious of its impact, I started working on another ingot, forging another dagger. Once again, there was no detailed connection from the System, but as I worked, I noticed a change. Occasionally, I was getting a slight suggestion, allowing me to catch some big mistakes.


    This time, I managed to fold the dagger properly ten times, and the rest of the process was smoother as well. Once the dagger was completed, I received my reward.


    [Forge (Common) - 11 - 12]


    "Excellent," I muttered as I melted the daggers to destroy the evidence, and returned to my repair work. Improving my Forge skill had been nice, and discovering a new trick to use Repair to improve Forge was even better.


    However, I couldn''t ignore the role played by the extremely valuable tools in the forge, the kind that I wouldn''t come close to purchasing even with my newfound wealth.


    I needed to keep my employer happy. Luckily, all I needed was to repair enough weapons to keep them satisfied. And, since I had yet to reveal my latest achievement of dropping it to four minutes, that was relatively easy to accomplish. Just another improvement to a rate of twelve minutes was enough.


    I received another notification as I worked, which put an even bigger smile on my face.


    [Repair (Common) - 25 - 26]


    Sometimes, hard work was its own reward.

 Chapter 11

    When the evening finally arrived, I had no plans other than eating before collapsing onto my bed. My day had been incredibly productive, but also exhausting. I just needed to sleep, wake up early, and come up with a new proposal that would convince Eleanor to provide me with more ingots to improve my Forge skill further.


    I could probably excuse the disappearance of a few bronze ingots by failures and experiments, but I couldn''t use all of them easily.


    But, those plans died when the workshop door opened and Eleanor walked in. "Lady Maria asks you to join us for dinner," she said, her voice kind, but I didn''t miss the subtle threat in her tone like it was my fault. I had a sense of what was about to follow, so I decided to distract her.


    "Does she want to listen to my report directly? Good, I have news," I said, quick to distract her with a lengthy explanation of my improvements until her gaze became glassy. "In summary, I managed to reduce the repair time for a further three minutes toward the end."


    "Impressive, very impressive," she said as she looked at me. "I didn''t know Blacksmiths could do that."


    "We don''t, because everyone is happy using their skills without changing anything," I replied, unable to suppress a genuine flicker of anger. "I understand why the quick improvement of the skills was more tempting. I use them to great effect as well. But embracing them to the point of abandoning everything we had learned while establishing civilization is absurd."


    I didn''t expect her expression to tighten. "Don''t tell me you''re one of them. I should have known," she said, her attitude once again radiating the same sharpness she had revealed when she had faced Thomas. It was not good news.


    I raised my hand in surrender. "I feel like there''s a misunderstanding," I said calmly. "Who are ¡­ them?"


    My surprise must have looked genuine because she calmed down. "You know, the Purists," she said.


    "I have no idea who they are," I replied. "From the context, I''m guessing it''s some kind of political movement or a cult. But, I have been living in a godforsaken small town since the Cataclysm, and apparently, we''re not important enough for them."


    She looked at me carefully, trying to see if I was lying. Soon, the sense of sharpness disappeared, suggesting that she believed me. "They are not a political movement," she replied. "They are a bunch of terrorists and murderers that believe that the System is some kind of curse that drains us completely. They are trying to kill everyone with the System, believing that by killing enough people, the System will disappear, and we can go back to civilization."


    "What a bunch of morons," I spat out. "Even if they were right, what do they think will happen when the whole infrastructure disappears once again. Just more deaths. Unfortunately, Einstein was right when he declared that human stupidity is limitless."


    "Good. I would have hated to kill you," Eleanor replied. I gave her a shaky smile. Being threatened by summary execution was not a fun time. I understood where she was coming from, but that didn''t mean I enjoyed it.


    "Now that we resolved that minor misunderstanding," I started, proud that I kept my voice from trembling. "You mentioned dinner."


    "Yes, follow me," she said.


    "So, I have a question about the supplies," I said. "I believe I can improve the repair time even more, but I need to experiment some more."


    "What do you need?" she asked.


    "I still need books about material science if possible. More information is always helpful," I said. If it wasn''t for the tricky subject matter, I would have questioned her about why asking for old books didn''t trigger her suspicions, but praising the civilization did ¡­ but then, a viable answer popped up. Considering those Purists assumed mass murder was a good way to bring back civilization, I was sure that they didn''t bother working on the other part.


    Another unreasonable cult, this time idolizing the past rather than a religion or a cult leader.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "I''ll try to prioritize it," she answered. "What else?"


    "I need to use the ingots during those experiments, and some of them will be wasted. I need your permission to use them. Also, having more materials and different types of weapons will be helpful as well. Maybe even some with different types of enchantments. Dungeon products will be useful as well."


    "Dungeon products are easy. We already have an excess of them. Ingots are a bit more problematic. We have some in excess, thanks in big part to your new repair method, and you can use one ingot for every ten weapons you repair," she offered. "But, that means you''ll receive your salary and bonuses based on the original contract."


    "That works," I said. While I wouldn''t say no to more money, I was more enthusiastic about experimentation. "And, one last thing," I asked.


    "That list is getting a bit long," she said.


    "All of them are mutually beneficial," I said. "The better I get, the faster I can repair."


    "Fair point," she said reluctantly.


    I was lucky that she wasn''t exactly a good negotiator. "I need a private forge," I said. "Not now, but once the other workers join me. I can''t try new techniques in the middle of the others. It''ll distract them from their work," I explained.


    "I''ll try, but no promises. Even a small forge is not cheap," she replied. "But, once the others arrive, you can still have two hours alone every day. The rest, I''ll try to get as soon as possible, but don''t expect much for at least ten days."


    "The next caravan?" I asked.


    She nodded, and that was all we were able to talk about before we arrived at the dining room. It was once again unnecessarily opulent, with a long table at the center, but Maria was alone in the room. "Finally," she said, raising a glass. Her tone was slightly slurry. Not exactly drunk, but definitely cheerful.


    "Lady Maria," Eleanor said coldly, though I had a feeling that I was the target.


    "Come on, girl. You know I hate that stuff when we''re in private," she said. Eleanor''s gaze sharpened. I flinched. I didn''t realize that I had already been promoted to the good friends category. Apparently, my attempt to keep her entertained worked better than I had expected.


    "Yes, Maria," Eleanor said with a sigh, and sat down. I sat down as well.


    "Enjoy, Devon," Maria said with a generous gesture.


    Befriending her was a dangerous thing. But, as I poured myself a glass of wine ¡ª a luxury that I had been craving for a long, long time ¡ª I found it difficult to take long-term risks into consideration. "Delicious, but very complex," I muttered. "Almost like a cocktail rather than wine. I''m guessing it''s not an old wine?"


    "No, it''s from our newest winery. Alchemists can brew some fascinating wines," Maria explained.


    "True," I admitted. While I still preferred a properly aged wine, the new one was certainly incredible as well. I took another sip.


    "So, how was the first proper day of work?" she asked. "Also, D3," Maria said, taking another sip.


    "It was more productive than I had first expected," I said, giving a detailed breakdown of the day, except my forging experiments and my unexpected perk, and explained my success. Playing a chess game at the same time was rather difficult. Maria was half-drunk, which made it slightly easier, but not enough to prevent me from losing miserably.


    Losing repeatedly was far more annoying when it wasn''t there as a tool to distract me from the lack of solid ground under my feet. So, when her moves slowed down as she listened to my report, I was glad.


    "You already reduced the repair time to twelve minutes. That''s good," she said, her smile wide. "Can you reduce it further? That will allow us to get away with hiring even less Blacksmiths, right?" she said.


    "We better hire the original amount we planned. We don''t know how far it''ll be reduced. And, having some extra capability won''t be too bad," Eleanor replied.


    "I''m confident that it could be reduced to eight minutes as long as I continue to work on it," I said, careful not to over promise. Another trick, this time from publishing papers. It was always better to split any scientific discovery into multiple pieces and publish separately. That way, I could collect more rewards.


    "That deserves a reward. I''ll bring you to another leveling tour the moment I have time," Maria promised readily. It was an excellent offer.


    "Only if I''m not preventing anything important. Otherwise, I can just join the dungeon parties to level up slowly," I offered. It was easy to make sacrifices when I knew it wouldn''t be accepted. The message they had left in the workshop this morning already raised the possibility of an assassination. And, even without that, dungeons weren''t exactly the safest location for a blacksmith.


    "Nonsense. Since Maria wants to help you, you should allow her," Eleanor replied.


    It further confirmed my assumption. They wouldn''t risk me. Even if they didn''t care about anything else I could potentially do for them, my life was critical until I could teach the other Blacksmiths how to repeat my methods.


    I didn''t care too much about whether they would continue to treat me the same way once that part was done. I still had a week, which should be enough to get another perk from Forge and improve my Repair skill significantly.


    From there, I could use that offer to make a deal with Rosie, ideally targeting the same dungeon.


    And, most importantly, another leveling trip would bring me to level twenty-five, the first threshold, which would actually increase my class bonuses.


    "A fruitful discussion," Maria said. "It''s time for another game. C3."


    I managed to hold back my sigh as I responded, trying to prepare myself for a few more spectacular defeats¡­

 Chapter 12

    I finished repairing another sword, and reached to my left, and pressed a button, triggering the primitive feeder I had constructed. Since the repair time had been dropped to just below three minutes, walking to the damaged pile to pick a new weapon was actually slowing me down, especially when the first fifteen seconds were waiting for the sword to warm up.


    The feeder not only brought the sword closer but also placed it at the edge of the forge so it started to warm up properly while I finished polishing up the sword in hand.


    That, alongside other improvements, allowed me to drop the Repair time to three minutes. "Assuming, of course, this stupid device stops malfunctioning," I muttered even as I turned to the side. There had been some trouble with the feeder despite its simple mechanical structure.


    It was harder to make things without the convenient schematics from the System.


    However, when I looked at the machine, I noticed something different. It didn''t feed, because there weren''t any. The swords had been repaired. All of them.


    "Well, that was faster than I had expected," I muttered. It had been barely five days since arrival, and not only was I able to meet the daily consumption but had also finished the backlog. Of course, that was only because the dungeon operations had been slowed down to a crawl once Thomas took away their best fighters. Once the new recruits arrived, I wouldn''t be able to meet the demand alone. Still, it was a fascinating achievement.


    If I played it well, I could get some more concessions from Eleanor, who was mostly responsible for running the camp despite the fact that Maria was supposed to be the leader. A dynamic that I started to get familiar with since I had been invited to their dinners regularly.


    Technically, I could bypass Eleanor and ask Maria directly. She was much more careless when it came to financial matters ¡ª one disadvantage of a privileged upbringing ¡ª which meant she would be even more generous. However, I ignored that temptation. Doing so would sour Eleanor''s feelings. Maria might have warmed up to me, but I doubted that it was to the point of ignoring her best friend''s negative suggestions.


    No, I wouldn''t take that risk for a potentially minuscule reward.


    Especially since my hard work came with some incredible rewards of its own that made any payment from them just a bonus.


    [Blacksmith - Level 22]


    [Health 660/660]


    [Vitality 44 / Strength 44 / Dexterity 22]


    [Skills (3/8)


    Repair (Common) - 36 [Inspect]


    Forge (Common) - 23 [Intuitive Forging]


    Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 7]


    My Repair skill had improved by another ten points as I had worked on the swords, which played a role in my increased performance. Too bad it was already slowing down. During the last work day, I merely gained a point for Repair. The benefits to my new process was slowing down, which meant that I would probably need weeks, maybe even months to reach fifty points.


    Then, I chuckled. "It didn''t take long for me to get greedy, did it?" Just a week ago, I was expecting it to take a month to just improve from twenty-four to twenty-five, and now, I was looking for a similar timeframe to reach the next threshold and feeling as though it was going to take too long.


    The sensation of getting better in three days in a way that should have required years of work was truly addictive. My improved skills had not only given me better instincts when using my tool, but also more information.


    However, I wished that information was freely available rather than triggering when required.


    "Now, what to do?" My Forge skill was yet to clear the threshold, but unlike Repair, it had been intentional. I had been hoping to do some research and see if I could find something about the conditions to trigger the unusual perk.


    I didn''t ask Eleanor or Maria about it. Even if they knew such a thing was possible, I doubted that they would know the conditions to trigger it for Blacksmiths. They were not really interested in the process, just the results.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    And, if they didn''t know, seeking such information might have made me even more of a target.


    Maybe I was paranoid about not revealing it. It was entirely likely that Eleanor would confirm that it was a well-known fact among warriors of their calibers.


    But there were too many ways it could go wrong, and I had already achieved too much, which had already marked me. I didn''t want to push my luck too much.


    That left two options: I would either waste time trying to read the same dozen journals on material science, hoping to learn more ¡­ or I would take the risk to push Forge into the next threshold.


    Pushing myself to the next stage would have been simple. Just by forging three more daggers, I would reach there. But, I was starting to have a different plan. One that depended on whether Maria would trust me enough to let me borrow an item from her.


    Or even enough to reveal whether she had one in the first place.


    The enchantments like sharpness, piercing, and resistance were relatively common. The System Shops held them in abundance. But, there was also much rarer equipment that increased Health and Mana capacity, which were invaluable for anyone fighting in the field.


    There were also rumors of items that directly increased Stats ¡­ but that''s all they were: rumors. Their existence certainly made sense, but ironically, that made it even harder to guess whether they were real or not. Even if they existed, they would certainly be too valuable even to borrow, and I couldn''t ask for them.


    Luckily, for my plan, I didn''t need to ask for that. Just an item to increase Mana would be more than enough to test my theory. If it worked, excellent. If not, I wouldn''t lose anything.


    I just needed to wait for the next dinner to probe for the opportunity.


    But I wasn''t planning to waste time waiting for said opportunity. I grabbed a sword with Sharp enchantment. It wasn''t made of the mysterious bronze alloy, but a more ordinary type of iron, the kind that many people had.


    I had purchased it from one of the guards, paying forty silvers for it. It would have been a steal if it wasn''t for its significantly damaged state. It wasn''t just the blade that was damaged, but also the enchantment, making it far less efficient. Forty silver was a significant overpay.


    However, considering that I couldn''t risk ruining the bronze swords without annoying Eleanor, it was a good trade. For the last two days, I had been using my Inspect perk on it repeatedly, trying to get a better sense of how Enchantments worked.


    I had been working on it for two days, poking and prodding the enchantment to understand how it worked, but to no benefit. To be fair, claiming that I had been playing around with the enchantment was a better way to describe it. I had no ability to manipulate the enchantment itself, so I had been deliberately breaking and repairing the metal, trying to get a better sense of how the enchantment worked.


    I had spent quite a bit of time on it, and all I achieved was to weaken the enchantment even further. I felt like a caveman repeatedly banging a computer case hoping to learn how it was made.


    But, I had to start somewhere. And, the caveman banging on a computer might have better luck if he could get a real-time view of all the internals. Every little bit counted.


    I was lost in my thoughts when the door opened. I looked up, expecting Eleanor, bringing another batch of swords to repair. Instead, it was Maria. "Hello, boss," I greeted her cheerfully.


    "Did I finally catch you wasting time on the clock?" she asked, far too happy to do so.


    I chuckled. My cheer was not just about the opportunity to ask for a chance to borrow her items. It was genuinely amusing to see her longing for a chance to tease me. Not due to any malice, but because for once, she wanted to be on the other side of the experience. Mostly, it was Eleanor trying to convince her to be more responsible and hardworking.


    "Unfortunately, not the case, boss. I ran out of swords to repair," I replied, more than happy to crush that particular hope, earning a cute pout back.


    "Good, then I don''t need to plan anything before we go for another leveling trip. Let''s go."


    "Right now? We don''t have much time before it''s evening," I commented. "Factoring in the flight time, we will have less than an hour. Do you think it''s worth it?"


    Maria shrugged. "Maybe, but I have just finished dealing with that annoying woman, and I don''t have anything else to do. Since you don''t have any work as well, why not use it. Or are you afraid of losing again, professor?"


    "Never," I said, playing into her hobby of demolishing me in chess. "However, I have some experiments to run before the recruits arrive¡­" I started, knowing that she would ignore that. "Actually, since you''re here, I have a quick thing to ask."


    "Go ahead," she said.


    "May I borrow one of your items, one that grants Mana? I have a feeling that, by using it, I might actually figure a trick to bypass it."


    "No," she said, her smile gone.


    "Sorry if it was too much to ask," I quickly said, not wanting to annoy her too much.


    She shook her head rapidly. "No, that''s not it," she said. "I said no because it wouldn''t work. Any items that grant additional Stats or Mana only work up to a percentage of the existing state," she said.


    "Meaning, it won''t work if you don''t have the original stat. I see," I said, unable to hide my frustration. I had been very hopeful about that fact.


    "Sorry about that," she said.


    "Not your fault," I answered. It wasn''t like she was the one that decided how the System worked. Still, it was frustrating to see the plans I had worked for during the last few days had been ruined because of one detail. One that was quite common in her circles if the ease she revealed that was any indicator, along with the confirmation of the existence of Stat boosting items.


    "I can try to help, I don''t have anything to do," she offered, no doubt taking pity on my mood.


    I was about to refuse ¡­ but then, I changed my mind. It might not work ¡­ but then, it might.


    "That would be excellent, boss," I said with a big smile.

 Chapter 13

    "So, what''s the plan," she said, looking excited.


    "We''re going to start with something simple," I said even as I started thinking about what to try. I had already designed several experiments, but every single one of those relied on mana under my direct control as I played around with the broken enchantment. I had no idea how to replicate it directly.


    A challenge.


    "Like what."


    "First, let me warn you. Experimenting is a slow process. It might take hours and days before I make even the slightest progress," I said. That warning could change her mind, but it was better than the alternative.


    The last thing I needed was for her to blame me for misleading her.


    "Don''t worry. Unlike what Eleanor claims, I''m not a child with poor attention span," she replied. "Now, what do I need to do?"


    The answer was simple. I pointed at the forge. "Can you imbue the flames with some excess mana," I said.


    She frowned. "I don''t know. I never tried. I usually try to cast more effectively, not less."


    "It''ll be a good experiment for you too, then," I said.


    "Sure, but why do you need it?" she asked.


    "I''m wondering if I can forge a mana-infused ingot," I said.


    "Do you think you can do it?" she asked, even more excited than I had expected her to be.


    "Maybe," I suggested, careful not to feed her excitement even more.


    "Good, because they are quite rare in the System Store," she replied. "If you can figure out a way to do it, it would bring us considerable income."


    I frowned, though it was not about her already staking a claim on the results of a possible success. That, I was used to. In academic research, the results were usually split between the university and the organization providing the grant, leaving nothing but a couple papers for the researcher.


    Also, the world was too dangerous for me to have sole possession of anything truly valuable.


    No, I was frustrated, because she had lazily confirmed another thing that I had only theorized about. I had thought that I knew how much living in a small town had been holding me back. Learning the enormity of my mistake was not fun.


    I ignored my spiraling frustration as I pulled an ordinary iron ingot, one of the many Eleanor had provided for my experiments.


    While such ingots had been used a lot during the first days of Cataclysm ¡ª often to hastily forge piles of weapons that shattered helplessly against the monsters ¡ª lately, they were only used to make arrows, javelins, and other disposable items.


    And, even then, they were used against weaker targets. Anything dangerous required a better alloy that had been forged with dungeon products. They couldn''t even be used to repair the weapons from the System.


    Those ingots could be purchased from the System store directly ¡ª which was the cheaper method ¡ª but Forge offered a more expensive alternative, using some of the dungeon products to turn ordinary metal into alloys that could hold the enchantments; and, as a result, could be used to repair enchanted weapons.


    However, it was not even popular before the repair spell started to become commonplace. After that, it had fallen completely out of favor.


    During the last few days, I had used that method several times to forge a few different alloys, which only worked when I followed the System instructions to the letter, and any diversion easily ruined it.


    Still, it hadn''t been a waste. I used Inspect every step of the way and reached some conclusions about how it worked. Essentially, those dungeon products dispersed across the alloy, which effectively functioned as foreign particle inoculation by allowing the metal to crystallize around it. Once the metal cooled around those particles, they dispersed, providing the metal some kind of extra energy that reminded me of Health.


    Not exactly the same, but similar enough.


    I wasn''t planning to replicate it using Mana. That much had been a mere curiosity. But, somehow trapping mana into ingots was the best way I could come up to leverage Maria''s sudden offer to help. It was a long shot, but maybe Intuitive Forge would help bridge the gap.


    While Maria continued to experiment with her magic, focusing steadily on the small flame dancing on her palm, I pulled several papers and filled them with formulas.


    Unfortunately, to my shame, they were less about representation ¡ª I still didn''t know enough about metallurgy to accurately model a completely new process ¡ª and more about convincing Maria that I knew what I was doing.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Hopefully, it would be enough to convince her that I was actually working for something rather than poking around blindly.


    While I was scribbling the notes, Maria finally spoke, barely ten minutes after she started. "I have done it. One elemental spell, with extra useless mana. It''s easier than I had expected."


    "Only because you''re talented," I said. I had no idea about the difficulty of it, but when it was doubted, going with a compliment felt like the safe choice. "Now, you need to make that flame larger and apply it directly on the metal, infusing it with mana."


    "That sounds ¡­ easy," she said. "That can''t be all, right?"


    I chuckled. "Not even close. Do you want me to explain what we are doing?"


    "Sure. I don''t have anything else to do. And, I can have a break from demolishing you in chess."


    A little bruised pride was certainly worth the assistance of a high-level fire mage. I didn''t even know how much I would have to pay if I needed to hire someone to do the same.


    "Fair. Now, onto the lesson. Melting the metal could only be defined as a preparatory step. Only when the metal is properly melted, which is iron in our case, can the alloy-making process begin properly."


    "But, don''t we only have iron there? I thought alloys were a mixture of multiple metals."


    "Not necessarily. The common definition is a metal mixing with another substance. For example, steel is made from a mixture of carbon and iron, and the carbon comes directly from the coal."


    "Is this what we''re doing?" she asked.


    "No. The first round is essentially a control group for our experiment. I want to see how iron and mana interact without any external factors. I''ll observe the process through my perk. That way, I will know how it works in its natural conditions. That way, I can measure the success of our upcoming attempts."


    "Can you detect mana?"


    "Only when it''s interacting with a metal directly, like enchantments. But, it''s just the outer structure. Their inner aspects are inscrutable to me." Well, that was not completely true after I received Inspect, but I didn''t mention that.


    With that, I quickly shaped the molten metal into fifty coins, split into ten equal groups of differing sizes, five coins in each group. Maria looked like she was about to ask something, but I gestured for her to be silent.


    Stretching my Inspect into multiple groups was not difficult, but I couldn''t split my attention. Instead, I quickly scribbled a long line of data. Only when the mana dispersed completely from all coins, I stopped.


    "What was that?" she asked.


    I smiled. "It''s simple. Each column represents one coin. The numbers are between zero and one. Zero represents no mana, and one is the moment you stopped infusing mana."


    "But, why are there five samples for each size? Is there anything different in any of them?"


    "Basic scientific principles. Having multiple samples will give me a better idea of the underlying process, and make sure my conclusions are scientifically accurate."


    "Sounds like a lot of extra work," she said. "Does it really make a difference?"


    "Yes. It''s often that the underlying data has some unique problems that affect the process. For example, one of the metal coins could have an air bubble or some other impurity. Drawing the wrong conclusion could ruin everything. Duplicates help reduce the risk."


    "Sounds like a chore," she said.


    "It often is. That''s why I miss having my own students. That way, I could throw data collection to them, and deal with the fun parts."


    "Nothing about math is fun," she replied heatedly.


    I chuckled. "I feel like I''m about to agree. I still need to calculate the correlation and the confidence intervals. It''s going to be a chore."


    "I thought you liked math."


    "Not this," I answered even as I jotted down the formula for how to calculate correlation. "I need to calculate this for every group by hand. Even the most basic analysis requires thousands of calculations. Without a spreadsheet program or a math engine, it''s going to take all night."


    "No, it won''t," she said with a smug smirk.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, and she smirked as she wrote the numbers underneath each column.


    "Here are the results."


    "What is ¡ª ahh, Intelligence," I said.


    "Exactly," she said, her smile wide. "I told you, I''m amazing at math."


    While I didn''t treat anything that could be copied by a spreadsheet proper math, I wasn''t moronic enough to actually say that. Especially since she had just done the work of a computer with ease. "Yes, you are," I said with a big smile.


    "Good, now that you''re finished with the boring stuff¡­"


    "Not exactly. We still have another experimental round," I said, feeling far more enthusiastic. "But, first, do you want me to explain what exactly I''m trying to find?"


    "Sure," she said.


    "I already told you that melting the metal and mixing the components is more like step zero. The real process starts when the metal starts to cool down. Just like how ice doesn''t melt immediately, all of our molten metal doesn''t exactly freeze at once. It starts with tiny seeds spread in its structure, called nucleation," I started explaining.


    She nodded, listening carefully.


    "The second step is the crystal growth. Once the nuclei are formed, they start attracting the surrounding atoms, creating patterns in the metal. There are many factors for the shape of those patterns, from cooling methods to shape."


    "Is that what we are trying to do," she asked. "Trying to trap mana in crystal patterns?"


    "Somewhat. The process doesn''t stop even after the metal cools down. The metal continues to change even after cooling down, slowly settling down into a more stable state, usually affected by the chemical structure. It''s called solid-state transformation. Ideally, we need to make sure that the mana doesn''t escape even after that process is complete. But, you''re right. The initial objective is to trigger some kind of crystal structure that keeps the mana in."


    "Sounds complicated," she said.


    "Frankly, it is," I answered. "If it wasn''t for my Perks and the help of Skills, I wouldn''t even dare to attempt it. Normally, discovering a new usable alloy requires the combined efforts of hundreds of people, state-of-the-art equipment, and years of effort. We''re using skills to bypass a lot of those steps."


    "Interesting. You''re really good at explaining. No wonder you''re a professor."


    "I wasn''t really good at the beginning, but that''s what a decade of experience gives you," I replied.


    She froze. "A ¡­ a decade. How old are you?" she gasped. "I thought you weren''t much older than me."


    I smiled. Of course, it was impressive that I started teaching that early. "I''m thirty-two, but I started teaching when I was seventeen, during the second year of my doctorate," I said proudly. In a world filled with people obsessed with stats, it was rare that I found a chance to brag about my greatest achievement.


    "T-that''s good," she said, blushing slightly, but looked relaxed. Why her reaction had changed like that, I had no idea. But then, I shrugged. She looked happy enough, which was all that mattered.


    I had experiments to run!

 Chapter 14

    "¡­ Nothing yet?" Maria asked even as I went through my notes.


    I sighed. I could see that she was getting bored. While she had been interested in my lesson at first, as we reached the four-hour mark, she was getting bored. I couldn''t exactly blame her, not when her job was switched between acting as a forge and a spreadsheet calculator.


    Therefore, I needed to entertain her. Playing chess to help her pass the time would have been a nice option, as she was still entertained by demolishing me, but I couldn''t exactly split my attention between my experiment and playing chess.


    It was already stretching my abilities to the limit.


    I paused for a moment to compose an answer, one that I would give to a donor asking for another grant despite the failure of a previous experiment. And, the best way to do that was to sculpt even the most basic of results into something fascinating. "We have already made incredible progress," I said.


    "We did?" she asked, surprised. I didn''t blame her.


    "Of course we did," I said as I quickly scribbled some notes, which was essentially the summary of what we did, put in fancier terms. "Look, we already have a good sense of how base metals behave. Copper holds mana longer, but has a lower capacity. Meanwhile, iron almost acts like a semiconductor when mana is concerned. Pewter helps to stabilize mana flow, while aluminum reflects. Those are critical pieces of information that we hadn''t previously possessed."


    "Really?" she said. "The numbers weren''t that different, none of them were able to hold mana longer than half a minute. Most of them were completely inert even before cooling down."


    "You''re looking at it the wrong way. We already know that various metals react differently. The reason, we don''t know yet, but we can start working on identifying it once the books on metallurgy arrive. It has to be something about their physical structure. The interaction between macro structures and atomic crystallization is promising ..." I said, and from there, I spun a rather lengthy explanation about how mana might interact with the material.


    Some of that lecture was grounded on my observations about enchantments and weapons, but most of it was wild theories that sounded impressive but had no basis.


    "I see," Maria said, once again too proud to admit she lacked the context for half of my explanation. It was mean, but when facing the opportunity to experiment even more, I couldn''t refuse the chance. "Let''s continue. What''s the next step? Are we going to continue testing metals?"


    Ideally, I would have continued to test the metals, at least for a month, maybe more. Even without the possibility of a lucky discovery at a certain point of mana density or cooling pattern, having a wider range of materials to test would have been incredibly beneficial.


    Unfortunately, I had a feeling that if I said that out loud, her interest would evaporate immediately. I couldn''t forget the fact that while it was a very important experiment for me, it was nothing more than a way to pass the time for her. If we still had TV, she wouldn''t have even been here.


    "Of course not. Now, we''re going to see how the alloys given to me by the dungeon products would work when holding mana," I said, curious about the implications. "We''ll start with some of the common material and work our way up."


    "Are we going to do it for different sizes of coins?" she asked.


    I wanted to, but once again, time constraints forced me to take some shortcuts I didn''t like. And, I would much rather have a wide range of materials first before the dungeon products. "No, the earlier experimentation already gave us a good baseline for how the size affects the process. While there''s a chance for some unexpected interactions depending on the size, it''s better we work on a standard size first."


    With that, I started another set of experiments, creating hundreds of coins, each mixed with various dungeon parts based on the recipes provided by the Forge skill.


    All failed, spectacularly, and obviously even without running any kind of statistical analysis. They functioned worse than ordinary metals. I thought about telling Maria that, but, at the last second, a glance at the pile of swords changed my mind.


    I decided to use it as a sample. I grabbed a fresh ingot, and started smashing it with the express purpose of ruining it, every blow changing its structure.


    With Inspect, I kept a careful note of every single change, trying to understand what had been going on with the process as I destroyed it slowly, section by section, stretching my Inspect to the limit as I tried to memorize the structures that let out of the mana, and comparing it with the results of the other experiments as far as I could remember.


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    Not exactly an easy job, even with all the guidance from the skill. I was once again fumbling in an area that I knew very little about, my three years of practice as a Blacksmith were not as useful as the few fragmented journals I was able to get.


    I would pay a lot for a complete introductory book on metallurgy. Unfortunately, considering all the books I had came from ruins of the libraries, I wasn''t exactly teeming with options.


    I had destroyed five more valuable ingots before I had managed to develop a decent idea of what was going on, not helped by the very complicated structure of the alloy. The ingots weren''t uniform, filled with many different internal patterns, including orbs, hexagons, and diamond-like structures.


    But, as I destroyed them repeatedly, I realized that the mana was exclusively held in the hexagon structures. Why, I had no idea. Maybe it was something about the shape, or maybe it was about the inoculation material it required to trap mana.


    "We have a direction to experiment," I declared.


    "Really, that''s good," she said excitedly. "Do I need to put in more mana into the flame?"


    "Not yet," I said. "Actually, you can even take a dinner break while I experiment on the structure."


    "No, it''s too exciting, I want to stay," she said. "Maybe we can finish it tonight."


    It was certainly optimistic, but rather than trying to explain that to her, I started working once again, adding all types of dungeon products that Eleanor had provided me to help my experimentation. Crystallized monster blood, grounded armor plates, and all types of other stuff.


    Some had formed the hexagonal structure I had been searching for, but not when mana was introduced. It just destabilized, refusing to form. "Can you explain to me how it feels to use mana?"


    "In what way?" she asked.


    "I don''t know, just general impressions. How does it feel? Is it a soft sensation, does it fight against your control. How does it feel to use mana through a skill, and how does it feel to use it directly?"


    "And, you think that would help?" she said.


    "Maybe. At least, it wouldn''t hurt," I said.


    She paused for a moment. "Alright. It''s a different feeling, particularly before and after using it. In the beginning, it''s like a soft current, or a calm ocean, still and waiting. But, once I touch it, it turns into a raging inferno, begging to be let out. But, a blast without control lets out nothing but an ineffectual flare."


    With a wave of her hand, she released a weak flash of fire. A second move sent a concentrated blast that melted the stone she had targeted. "Both attempts used the same amount of mana, but the first one was directionless, helpless. The second one was a concentrated blast, working on a pattern," she said.


    "Can you draw the pattern?" I asked.


    "Maybe an outline," she said, suddenly blushing. "I ¡­ I''m not the best at drawing. Too bad you can''t get magic skills as external skills," she said.


    "Why is that?" I asked. "Other than wasting a skill, of course."


    "It doesn''t work. Unless you have corresponding stat points, you can''t absorb the skill," she explained. "Are you sure you want me to draw? It won''t look good."


    "Doesn''t matter," I said, ignoring the implications of what she had revealed. It was another thing I hadn''t known. Instead, I examined the pattern she had drawn carefully. It was a complicated, confusing pattern, but I could see a vague pattern of hexagons at the center. "Does the mana flow from inside to outside?"


    "Yes," she confirmed, treating it as a casual question. It was not. A sudden inspiration hit me. Not the inspiration from Intuitive Forging ¡ª it felt distinct enough to be recognized ¡ª but a more ordinary kind, the same thing that I always felt when a mathematical model clicked in place.


    "Once I reach that ocean, I give it a mental push, and the energy flows through the pattern, getting wilder and wilder until it suddenly transforms into fire."


    "Is it heat, or fire," I asked. This time, it was to distract her as I cut my hand deliberately, bleeding some on the fire. Not just blood, but also as much Health as I could imbue, and the wound recovered immediately.


    [-15 Health]


    "Hard to say. How do you distinguish them ¡ª" she started, only to freeze as she sniffed. "Is that blood?"


    "I was careless. A little work accident," I said even as I showed my hand, the wound had already recovered. "Can you imbue the fire with mana as usual? Your explanation inspired me."


    "Fine," she said, and I repeated the process. I mixed the Health I imbued into my blood as an inoculation agent while I let the hexagon pattern establish, working with a razor-sharp focus. I pulled the small piece of metal from the fire, and put it into water.


    The moment I did so, I felt the familiar feedback from the System. One that confirmed my success even before I read the notification. I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the sense of triumph ¡ª


    One that immediately turned into shock the moment I read the notification. I gaped at the result.


    [Forge (Common) - 23 -> Mana Forge (Rare) - 10]


    I didn''t know what was more shocking: The fact that the skills could transform unaided, or the fact that they could jump two stages directly to Rare. Or that there were Production skills of that rank. Too many questions, enough to make me freeze in shock.


    A shock that transformed into a different kind of shock when I heard the door open, followed by some kind of sharpness that threatened to drown me. I only calmed down when I realized it was Eleanor. "What''s going on ¡­ here," Eleanor gasped, panicked, frowning as she looked at Maria.


    At first, I thought it was because she had a bad day. Then, I followed her gaze, and blushed and turned away. Lost in my mind, I didn''t notice that her robe was rather disheveled. Understandable, as the forge was a hot place, but that didn''t make my blush any less intense. Her cleavage was rather ¡­ impressive.


    "Maybe you should fix your dress, my lady," Eleanor said pointedly.


    "Sorry, it was just getting hot," Maria replied. I avoided her gaze, not wanting to make it any more awkward.


    "Yes, a fire mage got bothered by the heat. Very reasonable," Eleanor said. Her tone sounded sarcastic, but I didn''t understand why. "Sorry Devon. There''s an emergency meeting," she said as she dragged Maria away.


    "Be ready for the leveling trip tomorrow ¡ª" Maria said.


    "No. You have a thing. You can''t go," Eleanor cut her off even as they disappeared, leaving me alone in the forge.


    It had been weird, but soon I pushed it aside.


    I had a new skill to play with.

 Chapter 15

    I couldn''t help but frown as I twirled my hammer thoughtfully. The changes in my Forge skill were fascinating.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) - 10 [Intuitive Forging]]


    Too bad it had come with some interesting but potentially dangerous implications. How dangerous, I had no idea, mostly because I didn''t know what was common knowledge, what was known but kept as a secret for strategic reasons, and what was genuinely secret among the elites.


    I was glad that Eleanor''s awkward yet pointless intervention had been timely enough to give me a chance to come up with an explanation, bending the truth as necessary.


    The first fact was the rank of the skill. The existence of rare skills wasn''t unknown, but every time I had heard about them, it was in the context of external skills, and exclusively as combat skills. That was true for basic and common skills, and especially true for uncommon skills.


    There was a reason why Eleanor was able to give me that skill almost without thinking, yet failed to get even one Uncommon skill for their Blacksmiths despite their urgent need.


    Rare production skills were hard to come by.


    And, now, I had a Rare production skill. It would have been dangerous enough if it was an external skill. But, it was a class skill.


    It was common knowledge that a common class skill was better than an external uncommon skill despite the latter granting more knowledge, for one simple reason. Class skills granted perks, while external skills did not.


    This was why every warrior was obsessed with getting an improved version of their skill, improving their rarity, but still maintaining their Perk advantage.


    I was aware that I didn''t know everything ¡ª a fact that was getting more and more clear with every passing day. Maybe external skills could grant Perks but require higher proficiency. Not many people focussed on improving their external skills. I was familiar with a few people with production classes who decided to focus on combat, and brought their external combat skills to forties without receiving a perk, but it was hardly conclusive evidence.


    But, even if that was true and external skills began getting perks starting from level fifty, it would give my Rare skill two additional Perks, making it far more valuable than another skill.


    And, in addition to all of those factors, my new skill allowed me to create mana-based alloys, which could be strategically very relevant even if the System Shop had been selling them for cheap. And, even if it was not, it was still valuable.


    "Damn, what a complicated mess," I growled. I should be feeling pure happiness rather than frustration. What happened with my skill was potentially dangerous for too many reasons. I decided to keep it a secret until I could interrogate Maria more about skills. That way, even if she didn''t reveal strategic secrets, she would reveal what was common knowledge.


    "But, that''s enough gloom," I said as I slapped my cheeks. "Let''s see what this new skill can do."


    I tapped into my skill by melting an ingot of ordinary metal, which offered me multiple recipes instinctively. Methods that only included the required materials but also a direct infusion of mana.


    The first thing I realized was just how lucky I had been. My crazy weird method had apparently only worked because there was no environmental mana to interact with it when Maria infused the flames. The same technique would have failed if we were in a less hostile location.


    Was that a lucky coincidence? Certainly, but I wasn''t the first scientist or inventor who had gotten lucky. Many products, from penicillin to rubber, had been discovered by accident.


    Luckily, the skill had included many methods to actually use the mana present in the environment during forging, meaning I wouldn''t need to beg Maria in the hope of improving. It also meant that, as long as I was in the camp, I couldn''t do any mana forging, which was a bummer.


    I wanted to play with my new toy.


    "Patience," I muttered even as I repeated the same treatment for other base metals. I had discovered about a dozen different mana ingots, mostly copper and bronze, each designed for a specific type. The variant that was used for swords was absent, and so was any iron-based recipe.


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    Clearly, my skill level was not high enough.


    A problem that I could hopefully solve without mana. It would be very frustrating if it only improved by forging mana ingots from scratch.


    Just to be comprehensive, I started by forging ordinary metal daggers. Naturally, there was no response. I spent my next three hours forging the standard dungeon-based ingots and using them to forge various small weapons.


    My patience didn''t go without a reward.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) - 10 - 11]


    "Excellent," I said even as I stopped using them. Ultimately, the aim of that exercise was to understand whether ordinary materials could improve the skill, or whether mana alloys were a necessity. Confirming that it was not, I happily reached for another bronze ingot and turned it into a dagger, though I still repeatedly touched the swords to give me direction.


    This time, the forging process lasted much longer, more than an hour. However, I was more than happy ''wasting'' time, because the resulting dagger was a fascinating work.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) - 11 - 16]


    "A remarkable jump," I said as I paused, processing the new recipes I had received, the number of them available to me ever increasing. "Should I delay or continue?"


    For once, I didn''t care about wasting ingots. I had already wasted more than the allocated amount, but Maria''s involvement gave me a good excuse for how much I had used. After all, wasting a few extra ingots was better than wasting Maria''s day. At least, that should be convincing for Eleanor.


    I stopped for a simpler reason. I was uncertain whether delaying reaching the next threshold would be a good choice. My previous success with Intuitive Forging suggested that the activities leading to the improvement impacted the perks, and the surprise improvement of the skill further confirmed it.


    But, after considering it for some time, I decided against it. There were still perks I would be allowed to pick from at level fifty to consider if I wanted to modify it. Also, I had no idea what kind of perks it would offer in the first place, making it an even more complicated affair.


    Then, I froze. If skills could change, and the perks at the thresholds could change, then, what about the classes? Was there a way to change them? Improve it, maybe?


    A wild assumption that was supported by nothing, but not an impossibility. And, if it was true, I would learn it tomorrow when Maria escorted me to another leveling trip ¡ª unless Eleanor had her way.


    "I hate testing theories on myself," I said, but my frustration was rather meek. If my theory was wrong, it wouldn''t matter. I would continue being a Blacksmith. But, if I was correct ¡­ I didn''t even want to imagine.


    Six more daggers later, I received the notification I had been looking for.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) - 16 - 25]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Modify / Masterwork / Mana Manipulation]


    "What an annoying reward," I muttered. I had no idea what Modify meant, and while I knew what Masterwork was, I didn''t need it. Mana Manipulation was the best choice under the circumstances.


    I wasn''t particularly worried. If worse came to worst and the perk turned out to be useless, I could always use the Perk Reset stone directly. The price of three gold, which had previously been hovering over me like an executioner''s blade, didn''t even register anymore.


    "How quickly things can change." I couldn''t help feeling conflicted about it. All the benefits were also a warning. Things could improve ¡­ but also turn into disaster.


    "Now, to try the next part," I muttered and turned my attention to the available sources of mana. The ingots, and the daggers. After a momentary thought, I first turned my attention to the leftover ingots that I had destroyed during my experiments with Maria. They were already mostly useless, meaning I could play with them with ease.


    A few smashes later, I had once again breached the mana they contained. However, unlike the previous time, the mana had stuck to my hammer, following it. It was a small, instinctive thing. Next to nothing.


    But, next to nothing was far better than nothing.


    "Let''s see if I can double-dip on the same trick." I brought one of the daggers I had just forged, and started destroying a small section of it. When it was just a deformation, the structure could be repaired by ordinary methods. However, once the mana it had contained leaked, the suggestion of the skill had changed, needing new material to replace the section.


    A suggestion I ignored. Instead, I started steadily demolishing another dagger, trying to use the mana from it to essentially reforge that tiny section with my mana. It had been a slow, wasteful process. Not only had I destroyed five daggers, but also wasted two more fresh ingots in the process.


    Certainly a terrible method to use in a mana-dead location like the camp, but I didn''t care about that.


    All I cared about was the notification that had appeared in front of me.


    [Repair (Common) - 36 - Mana Repair (Rare) - 25]


    "Success," I said. The poetic thing would have been to throw myself into the bed with a happy smile. Instead, I scoured the forge, removing every sign of my successful experimentation. No need to ruin everything due to a bout of carelessness. I didn''t worry about oversleeping. Since my leveling trip with Maria had been most likely canceled, I had a rare chance to spend a morning in bed.


    Too bad I didn''t have a nice cup of coffee to enjoy once I woke up. Sometimes, the loss of the small comforts hurt the worst.


    Dreaming of a steaming cup, I continued to work. In the end, I barely managed to drag myself to bed, but as I slept, I was happier than I ever remembered being since the Cataclysm¡­


    I had missed the sweet taste of success¡­

 Chapter 16

    My dreams of sleeping until noon had been ruined by a sudden stirring. Panicked, I opened my eyes, only to see Eleanor looking at me with a sharp expression. "Explain!" she ordered.


    I froze. I hadn''t expected to be discovered, not after spending the whole night cleaning. Could it be that Maria had revealed something and Eleanor managed to connect the dots.


    One good thing about being forcibly woken up by a scary woman with an even scarier aura that felt like a sword, my exhaustion had dispersed quite easily, my mind working overclocking in panic. The first question was what exactly she knew.


    I had many secrets. Some mild, like the fact that my Forge skill had a perk it shouldn''t have, and some significantly more radical, like my Forge skill, wasn''t just Forge anymore. Answering the wrong question would only make the problem more troubling.


    I decided to pick the safest option first. "I''m sorry. I have used more bronze ingots than we had agreed upon, but Lady Maria said that ¡ª"


    "I''m not talking about it," she growled, her aura tightening further. I knew she wasn''t talking about it, but the challenge was to know what she was talking about. "Tell me, what are your intentions towards her?"


    This time, I didn''t need to fake my expression of shock. I truly didn''t understand what she was trying to say. "Is this about wasting her time by asking for her help?" I probed, confused.


    She said nothing, examining my expression. I had no idea what she was looking for, but she must have found it because her aura receded once more. "Good, you know your place," she said.


    "Of course, ma''am," I replied, a hint of military respect feeling appropriate. I didn''t know what it was, but nodding in acceptance seemed like a safe bet.


    "Good. Now, prepare. You''ll be leaving with Maria soon. No funny business. Understand?"


    With that, she left as sharply as she came. Her sudden intrusion into my living space was annoying, but the camp was similar to a military operation. And, there was no privacy in the military. Especially when I was the weaker party.


    I quickly donned my armor and took my helmet. I touched them, enjoying the wave of new information provided by Mana Repair, allowing me to enjoy the intricacies of the products even more. Multiple enchantments overlapped, creating a confusing overlay, one that I doubted that I could handle even with my current abilities. But, if I could find a workaround ¡ª


    I stopped that line of thought. As much as the idea of playing around with them was fun, I couldn''t afford to do so. Unlike the swords I brought to repair, my new armor and hammer were not disposable assets. Damaging them would attract undue notice.


    And, even if I was willing, I didn''t have time.


    "Ready for another day of adventure," Maria greeted me cheerfully.


    "Always," I replied, this time, not even faking my excitement. I was looking forward to clearing the first threshold, curious what I would find. Not to mention, I had many questions that needed to be answered, and Maria was the best candidate. She was strong and came from a strong family, which meant she knew far more secrets than I did. Combined with her careless approach to secrets ¡ª at least minor ones that didn''t matter to her ¡ª she was the best target for probing.


    I had thought about asking Eleanor, but her erratic behavior this morning had changed my mind.


    For the first part of the flight, we played chess. Maria crushed me even harder than usual, though I was happy. Between moves, I managed to wheedle some stories from her. Mostly stories of previous battles, mostly about how she single-handedly managed to save the day.


    She was clearly bragging, but that didn''t make her stories untrue. I had seen her destroy thousands of monsters without breaking a sweat. I couldn''t even imagine just how impressive she was when she actually faced a threat requiring her to push herself.


    " ¡­ And then, I created a wall of fire, enveloping the monsters as I hit from the side, saving the elites of the guild from certain destruction," she finished another story.


    "Wow, fascinating," I said. "You must have been really proud. I wish that I could fight just as well, saving people rather than ¡­ being a worker." That was so far from my true sentiments that it wasn''t even funny. While I envied the benefits of the stats granted to others, the last thing I wanted was to spend my days on the battlefield, risking myself every day.


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    I much preferred staying in my forge and tinker. It was not a replacement for a proper research project, but it was far better than going around fighting like another grunt. The world had enough of them already.


    "If only I could change my class," I baited. Faking sorrow wasn''t too hard. I just focused on the fact that I was thousands of feet above the ground, and started shaking.


    Maria noticed my distress as she shifted in her seat, hugged me, and patted my back. A surprisingly kind move from her, which made me feel guilty about manipulating her. Still, I was already committed.


    "Too bad the class promotion is not triggered by external skills. You would have made an excellent warrior with your determination," she said, revealing a piece of information that I had been searching for.


    "Yeah, it''s a pity that it only works with class skills," I said, acting like it was something I knew all along. "Worse, it''s impossible to get skills for Production classes."


    "Not impossible, but very difficult," she responded. "There had been one auction for Uncommon skill, though ultimately we weren''t able to afford it."


    "You couldn''t afford it?" I asked, shocked.


    She blushed. "Well, only because this operation is ¡­ well, complicated. Our budget is limited, so ultimately, we decided an Uncommon Repair skill was not worth paying for."


    "May I ask how much it went for?"


    "Two hundred platinum coins," she replied, which shocked me. A platinum coin was worth a hundred gold coins, making that skill worth twenty thousand gold. I thought myself rich just because I had fifty gold coins.


    The new economy didn''t make sense. Though, it was inevitable when money was generated by killing monsters, and used in mysterious shops with even more mysterious goods.


    "Are all uncommon skills that expensive?" I asked.


    She snorted. "Not even close. My own Rare meditation skill had merely cost four platinum coins. It''s just the rarity driving up the price. Some groups are trying to find a way to trigger upgrades for production classes. It''s a waste of effort."


    "Why?" I asked.


    "Because a rare skill is a minimum requirement to trigger a class upgrade," she said. "People worked very hard to trigger class upgrades for production classes during the first days of Calamity.


    "Before we discovered the System Shops," I completed.


    "Exactly. With the shops in place, the production classes are pretty much useless ¡ª" she started, only to freeze. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it like that!"


    "Don''t worry about it. I can''t blame you for telling the truth," I said, once again looking despondent. But, I was very happy with her unintentional insult. It meant that she would be looking for an opportunity to change the topic. "Too bad we can''t upgrade the skills ourselves, right?" I asked.


    "Yeah, it would have been nice not to depend on dungeon drops for rare skills, not to mention anything higher," she muttered in frustration. "You can''t believe how long I had stayed in a dungeon just to get my epic skill."


    "I''m sure there''s a good story there," I responded, changing the topic once more. Her words already confirmed to me what I needed to know. I could ask further, but I decided not to appear too curious.


    I had already received my most important answer. Rare production skills were either unheard of or their existence was suppressed.


    I didn''t know which. There was a possibility that I was the only one that achieved it in the whole world. If I said that to someone else, they would certainly feel like it was arrogance. However, I couldn''t discount the possibility due to a combination of several unique factors.


    First, the fact that I was a genius was an undisputed fact. Otherwise, I couldn''t have been one of the leading figures in my field before my peers could even finish their education.


    Then, there were the three years I spent constantly working as a Blacksmith, which gave me some unique insights that proved very useful.


    In addition, I had been lucky. Extremely so. If Maria hadn''t been a fire mage, if I wasn''t working in a location without environment mana to interfere, the experiment would have failed.


    Yet, the biggest differentiator was a difference in belief. Everyone was dazzled by the benefits of the System, too ready to discard the learnings of the past. Maybe because technology had failed us, they believed science did as well.


    A mistake. Technology was just a tool. If it was broken, you could always just develop a new one. Science, on the other hand, was a way to dissect and understand the world. It helped our ancestors to understand the mysteries of thunder and the seas.


    I had no reason to believe it couldn''t do the same for the System.


    But, ironically, my discovery had given me a reason to keep my head down. Science had allowed us to understand the world, but it didn''t always end well for the scientist in question. Galileo was almost burned at the stake, and Giordano Bruno was actually burned. Many other scientists had been killed, ostracized, or otherwise ruined for revealing the truth.


    Particularly if that truth affected the established economic benefits.


    No, as much as I wanted to reveal the truth, I didn''t dare to.


    "Amazing. Then what," I muttered, not paying attention to Maria''s story other than knowing when to nod and encourage ¡ª an ability I perfected in endless department meetings ¡ª while I charted the next stage of my strategy.


    "Then, we gathered together and ¡­" she said, then paused. "Too bad we have to stop. We have reached our destination," she asked.


    "Of course," I said, then looked around, and realized it wasn''t the same location. "We''re not at the same place, right?" I asked.


    "No," she replied. "Since you are already at level twenties, I decided that we can handle a more dangerous location."


    "Whatever you say. You''re the expert," I said. I wasn''t entirely happy with it, but trying to argue against it was pointless considering she didn''t even ask my opinion in the first place.


    I twirled my hammer. It was time to fight.

 Chapter 17

    The moment we landed, monsters gathered around us like moths to the flame. Then, Maria took action, turning that into a rather unfortunate pun.


    While she fought, I tried to feel the mana around us, but failed. I had managed to feel the presence of mana when I had been working, but that was only through a combination of two of my skills. Without activating them, I couldn''t sense the mana around me.


    I wondered if it would have been different if I spent my time practicing yoga ¡ª or other activities that I wrote off as nonsense ¡ª instead of working on science, but I didn''t really care about it. Too bad I couldn''t just get a skill like Meditation without corresponding Stats.


    However, even as I moved to the first wounded monster, I was thinking of ways to cheat. Luckily, I had my multipurpose hammer with me along with the warhammer. I looked toward Maria, and saw that she was busy with the next wave of monsters.


    It was the best time to experiment. I pulled my multipurpose hammer, and tapped against the surface of my armor, doing my best to activate my Mana Manipulation perk.


    As I did that, the head of the hammer worked like a magnet, some mana gathered to its head. I maintained my focus even as I smashed it against the wounded monster. It dispersed before I could kill the monster.


    "No matter," I said as I moved to the next wounded creature, repeating the trick again and again. My increased Strength allowed me to kill them with much more ease, though my faithful hammer was struggling under the blows.


    Success, however, was fleeting. I was familiar with switching between the effects of the two skills. I had pulled that trick between Forge and Repair many times. Unfortunately, back then, I was pulling that trick between swings, just as a way to check the designs.


    Now, I was trying to maintain the mana around the hammer, which was significantly more challenging. Switch too soon, and the mana dispersed. Switch too late, and the System didn''t register it as a use of Hammer of Might.


    Worse, I was under a time crunch. The first wave of the monsters was the most dangerous one. Distracted by it, she wouldn''t notice my trick with the hammer, but that wouldn''t be true once the number of attacking monsters dropped to a manageable level.


    Just as I was fearing I would have to stop before I could finish my experiments, I managed to switch just in time. The monster died under the blow, and a notification appeared.


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) 7 - 13]


    Success. Well, technically, partial success, as the skill didn''t suddenly turn into a mana variant, but what I got instead was one of the reasonable results. The external skills and the class skills were different, so the lack of an upgrade was understandable.


    This meant that the best-case scenario was out, but that didn''t make the experiment useless. Not only did it confirm the viability of the skill upgrade method for other skills, but also gave me a chance to upgrade my sole combat skill far faster.


    Ordinarily, improving combat skills faster required fighting against more dangerous monsters, just like how repairing more valuable weapons improved repair faster. However, it had certain limits, particularly for someone like me with little experience in combat. After all, killing a wounded beast in one blow didn''t improve it as much as a deadly fight where one pushed oneself to the limit.


    The jump of six skill levels for one blow, when the target was lying helplessly, was incredible enough. It meant that I had a rapid way of increasing my combat skills, which mattered a lot. I might not like fighting, but it was far better to be good with a hammer and not need to use it.


    The post-Cataclysm world was filled with dangers by default. Having a better skill was certainly worth it. Every point mattered, particularly for an uncommon skill, which was harder to improve. Improving six points with one blow was incredible indeed.


    While Maria was distracted, I killed fifty monsters with mana blows successfully, though I attempted many more. Technically, I could push my luck more, but factoring in diminishing returns and increasing risk of getting caught, I decided against it.


    The rewards were rather fascinating.


    [Level 22 - 23]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity]


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) 13 - 53]


    As much as confirming that external skills not granting any perk even at proficiency level fifty was a bummer, I was very happy with the gains. With an uncommon fighting skill at level fifty, I was actually qualified as a decent fighter, the kind that the expedition groups would try to hire rather than me trying to join them. Combined with my improving Strength, I was actually confident of defeating the monsters that were attacking us.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Well, one by one, with breaks in between. If I dared to come to a location like this without Maria''s assistance, I would have been shredded into pieces easily.


    Ignoring the dreams of enacting the life of Conan the Barbarian, I shifted back to using the warhammer, and started demolishing the immobile monsters. Not an epic tale of cutting through the wilderness, but the steady effort of a workman, smashing again and again.


    "How is it going?" Maria asked as she approached. I felt a sense of mana invading my body, one that disappeared just as quickly. "Level twenty-three, very good," she said.


    I realized two things in quick succession. Her identification spell didn''t work on skills, just levels, or she would have reacted in a much more extreme manner. And¡­


    I had just experienced a very close call, one of neglect. I never faced it, but it was not impossible for the others to have skills or spells that could see through not only the level but the other details.


    "A quick question. How does your Identify skill work?" I asked.


    "Nothing too fancy," she replied. "It just shows the level of the target, and nothing else. Unfortunately, a basic one has its limits."


    "Are they even harder to find than Production skills," I asked, always happy to learn more.


    "Basic ones are, but the better versions are much easier to find," she replied.


    "Really?" I asked. "That doesn''t make sense."


    "It does when you factor in the requirements," she said. "The basic one only requires Essence stat, but the common one needs both Essence and Perception. Not exactly a common combination," she replied.


    I nodded, feeling slightly more relaxed. It meant that I wasn''t facing the risk of revealing all my secrets immediately. Especially since it was rude to use Identify on people so it shouldn''t be too big of a risk.


    Still, I made a note not to walk around in the camp. The last thing I needed was to get caught by a spy.


    Inconvenient.


    "So, are you ready to pass the threshold," she asked.


    "Frankly, no. I don''t even know what I need to do."


    "First, you need to prepare yourself for horrible pain," she said.


    "Oh, really?" I asked, chuckling. She wasn''t a good liar.


    "Yes, when the mana hits, it feels like fire going through your veins. It''s the kind of torture you can''t imagine," she said. I gasped in fear, acting like I believed her. She started giggling. "Don''t worry. You don''t need to do anything. It''s like getting a new perk. Once it hits, you get a choice."


    "Even if I have only one option," I asked.


    "Yes. It''s probably a safety measure. Once you trigger it, you start absorbing mana from the environment immediately, which can trigger the approach of monsters. Worse, you can trigger it in the middle of a mana-dead environment. It wouldn''t be pleasant."


    "Is it safe to do it here? Should we go back to town?"


    She chuckled. "Don''t worry. With me defending you, there''s no risk," she guaranteed. "Do you think there''s a monster in a ten-mile radius that can threaten me?"


    "No, you''re amazing," I said, enjoying the way she blushed. For a rude young woman, she was certainly weak to compliments.


    "I ¡­ shut up and continue working. That''s enough for a break."


    "As you wish, my lady," I said, giving an exaggerated bow. She smiled. Now that she warmed up to me, she was easy to deal with.


    [Level 23 - 24]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength,, +1 Dexterity]


    "Another level," I called, after another fifteen minutes of steady monster killing. Working in a more dangerous location was paying dividends. Another twenty minutes later, another notification arrived.


    [Level 24 - 25]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength,, +1 Dexterity]


    [Class Upgrade: Blacksmith / Mana Mender / Mana Crafter / Mana Blacksmith]


    "Well, that''s a surprise," I muttered, once again cursing the necessity of a blind choice. And once again, I was making a choice with little information, solely based on the impressiveness of the name.


    Mana Mender felt like a name for a class that focused on repair work. Carrying the indicator of Mana made it seem more impressive, but it was still enough to be eliminated.


    Mana Crafter felt like a better option, but the existence of a mender implied that it would focus on the production side. More tempting than turning into a repair expert. The ability to mass produce weapons would have ensured a living for me without revealing myself.


    However, ultimately, I chose Mana Blacksmith. The only reason I was able to discover the secrets of the skill upgrade was because I was able to play around with two skills, combining the information they offered. Choosing to prioritize one seemed like a bad idea.


    Especially when level fifty didn''t seem too far away.


    As I chose, another notification appeared in front of me.


    [Class upgrade - 01%]


    I wasn''t able to feel the movement of mana around me, but it must have been intense, as I could actually feel the air reacting with it, slowly circling me. Monsters at a distance started to move more vigorously, only to fall to Maria''s flames.


    She even maintained enough control to leave them wounded.


    "No need to stand still, go kill them," she said. "It''ll make the process go faster."


    "I would much rather try to feel what''s going on with my body," I said. "It''s fascinating."


    "Sure, but it''ll last longer," she warned. I ignored her as I closed my eyes, feeling the mana flow to me. I might not feel it outside my body, but it was a subtle stirring feeling once it reached my body. Merely a tickle and nothing more.


    I decided to follow her suggestion and start killing monsters. Mostly because I didn''t want to make her suspicious. What if better classes required more time to change? By killing monsters, I could muddy that number more.


    By killing monsters, it took ten minutes for class change to complete, and I was barely able to generate an impression of the process. A lost opportunity, but not enough to ruin my mood.


    Not with my new class abilities in front of me.


    [Mana Blacksmith - Level 25]


    [Health 660/750] [Mana 0/120]


    [Vitality 50 / Strength 50 / Dexterity 37 / Essence 13]


    [Skills (4/9)


    Mana Repair (Rare) - 25 [Inspect]


    Mana Forge (Rare) - 25 [Intuitive Forging, Mana Manipulation]


    Meditation (Common) - 1


    Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 53]

 Chapter 18

    "Congratulations," she called as the mana around me calmed down. "Now, you belong to a new tier. How does it feel?"


    I killed another beast and realized that my movements were noticeably smoother. For a moment, I thought that it was my increased Dexterity, but her reaction suggested that there was another reason. "Smooth, like I weigh much less," I said.


    "That''s because stepping over the threshold makes you get more aligned with your stats. It''s very helpful," she said. "You''ll notice the difference even more as you push yourself," she said.


    "Certainly a welcome change," I answered even as I moved on to the next monster. "It feels amazing."


    I wanted nothing more than to sit down and absorb mana now that I actually had the ability to do so. However, I ignored that temptation, for one simple reason. The moment I gained Essence, the world had shifted slightly, giving me the ability to perceive mana. Meaning, that Maria would notice easily if I tried to absorb any.


    It was almost visual, though it didn''t suddenly distort the world with a blanket of blue or something equally annoying. I could just ¡­ perceive it. The quick way I could dismiss developing a completely new sense was a good indicator of just how ridiculous the System was. Miracles lost their quality of wonder once they became commonplace.


    I killed another beast, focusing on other changes. Compared to other things, the slight increase in my Dexterity was less notable, but certainly welcome. A lot of complicated forge work required fine motor control and timing. Dexterity helped with both.


    However, the real surprise was the sudden appearance of the new skill: meditation. The Skill mages used to collect mana.


    I wondered if the appearance of it meant that it qualified as a class skill, or it was just an external skill. I would have questioned Maria about it, but I had already asked too many questions about some potentially sensitive topics. I didn''t want to alert her.


    Especially since I just needed to raise my meditate to level ten to figure that out. No inconvenient questions were necessary. I just needed to show a little patience. I killed another wounded monster instead of using the skill I wanted to use.


    [Level 25 - 26]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity]


    Double points in Dexterity, which was less impressive than getting a point in Essence. It looked like these points arrived in an alternating pattern. Not a particularly useful information, but it was always better to know more.


    Speaking of knowing more, I had one more thing I needed to learn: how Identify worked. Previously, the only thing that I felt was a subtle whisper. I wanted to see if anything would be different now that I had the ability to perceive mana.


    "Look at my level," I declared to Maria proudly, almost smugly.


    "Another upgrade, congratulations," she responded, but I was more interested in the line of mana that stretched from her to me, tickling as it touched me ¡­ and nothing. There were no complicated mana structures that appeared whenever she cast it. Just a touch.


    Then, maybe it made sense. After all, it was a skill, so it made sense it worked similarly to my Inspect perk. That didn''t require any mana either. Mana just being there to create remote contact while the skill handled the rest was an easy assumption to make.


    Whether that assumption was true, I didn''t know yet, but it was how science worked. Make assumptions, design experiments, and then validate.


    "Level twenty-six. Impressive," Maria said, easily checking my level without any further mana fluctuations inside me. Still, it was good that I could detect if someone used it on me. Well, unless my assumption was correct. Then, I would need to be careful when touching anyone. "We might bring you to somewhere around thirty-five as long as we work hard."


    "Well, I''m a hard worker, not to mention I have endless stamina," I declared proudly, mostly to play off her enthusiasm. It might have been the biggest benefit of the System. I hadn''t been a fan of exercising before the Cataclysm, so getting some external help was certainly welcome.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "You do?" she said, but I noticed a blush on her face. Maybe it was due to exhaustion. She must have been pushing herself harder than I had realized.


    "C3," I called, once again starting a chess game. Since she was getting exhausted, I better provide her with some entertainment to keep her going.


    More levels meant more safety. We changed locations multiple times, moving once the monster density had decreased, but as the place was starting to get dark, I reached level thirty-two. Not exactly as high as Maria wished, but more than incredible for my purposes.


    But, before leaving, I wanted to try one more thing. "Hey, do you mind letting one go without wounding it? I want to see if I can take it down unassisted. And, a little combat practice with my new abilities wouldn''t be amiss."


    "Good idea. Skills improve faster when you fight directly," she said as she looked at the horizon. "And, we can still stay around ten minutes until it starts to get dangerous." Then, she frowned. "I''m not ready to listen to another lecture from Eleanor."


    I chuckled, amused that she cared more about Eleanor''s words than the significantly increased danger factor from monster attacks. I had to admit, being strong had its advantages.


    "Thanks," I said. "Do you mind letting go of something strong but slow?"


    "I have just the monster," she answered as she adjusted her spells, and soon, one that looked like an animated tree stump lumbered toward me.


    "Excellent choice," I said as I moved toward it. Slow with incredible endurance, the target was truly a good choice. Especially since I had misled her about the aim of my practice a bit. While I wanted to practice, the aim was the opposite of what Maria had thought.


    I had two objectives. First, I wanted to get used to holding back. Bringing any skill to even twenties was supposed to be a significant hurdle. Bringing it above fifty in less than a day was flat-out suspicious. So, I wanted to get used to sandbagging my physical prowess. And, as an added bonus, if I had to reveal it, I could mention that I had been working hard during my leveling trips.


    It would make a good cover story for anyone but Eleanor. I doubted that anyone but her would go to Maria and ask for the exact time I spent working on my skill rather than leveling.


    "Come on, buddy," I said even as I circled around the beast, my hammer raised high. It lashed against me with one of its branches, but was met with a blow of my hammer. The beast was strong, but I was stronger, easily parrying the attack. "Wow, it feels good not to be thrown away," I said. Blacksmith might not match most Warrior classes in Strength, but we weren''t too far behind them. Double stat points were still respectable.


    But, Strength didn''t exactly translate to combat capability. An Olympic Weightlifter could lift more than a heavyweight boxer, but that wouldn''t have prevented them from being demolished in the ring. Skills were that important.


    And, now, that was not a problem for me anymore. I swung my hammer with a perfect, eerie accuracy, parrying the next two attacks, before I reflexively took a step forward and smashed the trunk twice. Hammer of Might showed its name, demolishing the tree.


    "Damn," I muttered in frustration. I wasn''t planning to take it down that easily, but I wasn''t able to hold the skill back. The sudden improvement had affected me more than I had expected. I looked at Maria, expecting a suspicious gaze.


    "Very good," she just said instead. "All that killing really improved your skill, right?"


    "Yes," I said, more than happy to be underestimated. "How about if you let out something slightly faster?"


    "One large bear, coming up," she said cheerily as she allowed it to pass.


    I chuckled at her callous attitude, like she wasn''t letting forward a beast that would have killed me easily in several blows before my little discovery with the hammer skill. I dodged and parried its attacks easily.


    Multiple times, the skill pushed me to lunge forward to take down the bear. Just as the name suggested, Hammer of Might was a very aggressive style that focused on leveraging the benefits of the Strength to the max.


    Luckily, thanks to controlling my Repair skills for three years, I was familiar with how to ignore the suggestions from the skills selectively. It was harder to apply during a combat scenario, but as I practiced against the bear, I was getting the hang of it. I managed to stretch it to one minute before I killed it.


    However, I did receive a nasty blow while doing my best to keep back. Recovering from it took quite a bit.


    [-42 Health]


    "Careful," she warned. "Do you want to stop, or¡­"


    "Nothing more than a flesh wound," I said, ignoring the fact that, without Health to help me recover, it would have likely killed me from internal bleeding. "We only have a few minutes. Let''s not waste too much time."


    "Good point," she said. A few more fights, and I was having a much easier time controlling it against active targets. From here, all I had to do was to practice alone for a while, and it would give me what I needed. "I think that''s enough for the day," I called. "It has been another amazing day. Thank you very much. You''re amazing," I said, leaning a bit heavily on the compliments.


    But, she certainly deserved it, helping me progress that much.


    "My ¡­ pleasure," she said, her voice surprisingly stilted.


    She must have been really tired of stammering like that. I made a note to find an appropriate gift for her. She deserved it.

 Chapter 19

    For once, I was smiling even as I pulled myself to the back of the griffin despite my trembling hands. The trip had been productive enough that even my phobia couldn''t ruin my excitement.


    [Mana Blacksmith - Level 32]


    [Health 960/960] [Mana 0/160]


    [Vitality 64 / Strength 64 / Dexterity 48 / Essence 16]


    [Skills (4/10)


    Mana Repair (Rare) - 25 [Inspect]


    Mana Forge (Rare) - 25 [Intuitive Forging, Mana Manipulation]


    Meditation (Common) - 1


    Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 53]


    "Do you mind if I ask you a question about a skill you have," I asked. The moment I did, she tensed up. Understandable, as it was rather rude to ask such questions. Of course, using identification magic on people without permission was even ruder, but I wasn''t entirely surprised by her double standards.


    It wasn''t the first time I had dealt with the upper crust.


    "Which one?" she asked, her tone deceptively calm.


    "Just meditation," I replied quickly. "That''s how every mage absorbs their mana, right?"


    "Just the ones too poor to afford a better variant. Meditation kind of sucks," she said with a haughty chuckle. I didn''t care about her unintentional insult. I much preferred that to a tense Maria who would second guess every question. "Why do you ask?"


    "I was thinking of the mana alloy experiment we tried. Maybe if I know how mana behaves, I can develop some new experiments."


    "About that¡­" she muttered. "I will be busy for the next few days. The caravan bringing the new recruits is passing through a dangerous spot, and I have to go defend them."


    For a moment, I considered volunteering, tempted to spend some time in a location that didn''t lack mana, but that thought went as quickly as it arrived. Just because I had gotten somewhat stronger didn''t mean I should turn into a barbarian throwing myself into potential danger.


    Slow and steady.


    "Even better," I said, which surprised her. And, I even saw a hint of hurt on her face. "I need some time designing new experiments and working on some theories. If I prepare enough, I can make sure I don''t bore you with repetitive stuff. Science can be somewhat monotone," I rapidly explained.


    That earned a chuckle. "Don''t worry. I don''t find your company that offensive," she said. "I would have loved to spend more time, but with this damnable challenge ¡ª" she added, then cut herself. "Anyway, you were asking about meditation."


    "Yes. How does it work?"


    "Hmm, it''s hard to describe it to someone lacking mana sensitivity. But, the easiest way to say that, the mana outside our bodies is different, reluctant to interact with us. Meditation allows us to align with the mana outside our bodies and pull it into our bodies."


    "That''s it?" I asked. "Any other use?"


    "No, that''s it," she answered. "It''s a fundamental skill, but that''s it. The rarer variants have more advantages, like selectively absorbing different types of mana and such, but at its core, it''s limited."


    "Interesting. And, are there any patterns as you pull it similar to the structure of the spells you use?"


    She paused for a moment, thinking. From her attitude, I could see that she hadn''t spent a lot of time pondering about it. A waste, but I wasn''t surprised. Almost everyone was like that. Just like most people didn''t know how electricity actually worked before the Cataclysm, most people didn''t really care about the finer mechanics of skills.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    A waste.


    "It''s ¡­ softer," she finally replied. "The spells usually work in hexagonal patterns at the center, surrounded by more complicated mana structures. Meditation lacks that. It''s more like a gentle spiral."


    I wanted to ask a few more questions, but I could see that her frustration was already building up. "Thanks, it helps," I said, ignoring the temptation to ask more. "B3," I called instead.


    "Interesting start," she said as she responded, her mood shifting in an instant.


    "Well, I have to keep you on your toes. Sooner or later, I''ll win," I replied, more than happy to distract her from her earlier failure. I knew that she didn''t like to look weak, and she was proud of her, well, Intelligence and intelligence. She would ponder on the question I asked if only to dazzle me the next time.


    It would work far better than bombarding her with questions she couldn''t answer on the spot.


    Even as we played chess, I could see that it was working. Many times, the mana around her stirred and started flowing to her, only to cease its flow and reverse. Unfortunately, while Essence allowed me to see the way the mana moved, it proved supremely useless to glean anything. No more than I could understand a hurricane by just looking from the outside.


    The mana just gathered around her in complicated patterns before disappearing into her body.


    Still, I was hopeful that, once we landed, she would have interesting insights for me. Too bad those hopes were dashed the moment we landed, and found Eleanor waiting for us. She glared at me. "We have an emergency meeting, my lady," she said.


    "Sure. Devon, do you want to join?" she asked.


    "He has some emergency repairs he needs to finish," Eleanor cut in. I was pretty certain I did not, considering the halted state of the dungeon operations, but her glare was easy to read.


    "True. I need to stay ahead of the curve until the other blacksmiths join in," I replied, not willing to antagonize Eleanor just to join their important meeting.


    "Alright," Maria said. "Have a good night," she said, and I went back to my workshop. A lot of damaged weapons were waiting for me there. A quick count confirmed their numbers at eighty. I could easily repair them in under five hours, even lower if I pulled some new tricks thanks to my improved skills. Enough to finish everything before going to sleep despite my exhaustion, but I did not do that.


    First, Eleanor was still under the impression that it took me just under ten minutes to repair a sword, so it would be suspicious if she arrived only to find the order was complete. More importantly, I had yet to test my Mana Repair and Mana Forge skills properly.


    I had been too busy trying to get rid of any evidence regarding my success to test them properly.


    Of course, I had used them to make a few new weapons and fix a few others, but it was mostly following the directions of the System. Certainly not something I would call a proper test, let alone experimentation. "First, let''s gather some more data," I muttered even as I started repairing the weapons.


    Previously, I wasn''t able to see mana. The Inspect skill gave me a good idea about what I had been doing, but the difference was stark. In contrast, Essence didn''t give me the ability to see the mana trapped in the metal, but I could use it alongside Inspect to change that. Previously, I was using an X-ray, and currently, I was using a combination of X-ray and MRI, giving me a lot more information than I had expected.


    And, with that information, far too many tricks to fix the weapons came to mind. I wondered if I could figure out some kind of cold forging trick with mana. Without a need to continuously heat up the swords, the repair would take even less time.


    Intriguing, and utterly useless for the current situation. After all, the whole reason they needed blacksmiths to repair the weapons rather than using repair spells was the lack of environmental mana.


    Technically, it was not correct. I knew that repair spell took a hefty chunk of mana. I didn''t know the exact numbers, but I had seen mages at work. They had to stop and meditate after a few times. Hard to guess the exact number without knowing their levels, but I would be shocked if it cost less than a hundred mana.


    Depending on how much mana I would need, technically it could still be sustainable even without environmental mana. Of course, that was just a theory. I still didn''t know exactly what a point of mana represented, how much it would take to repair a sword, the cost of mana supplements, the speed of repair¡­


    Ultimately, however, it was nothing more than a thought exercise. Regardless of the result, I couldn''t use it here, because I wasn''t planning on revealing my rare skills. I continued to repair the swords, trying new tricks thanks to my ability to better view the structure.


    A routine task, but not without its rewards.


    [Mana Repair (Rare) - 25 - 26]


    Seeing my class skills improve had always been a nice thing, but it turned into something truly wondrous now that I was aware of the benefits. So, I was more than happy to stretch the work to try new tricks with the hopes of gaining more points. It meant I was once again pushing myself to work instead of sleeping ¡­ but it wouldn''t be the first stretch when I neglected sleep.


    Too bad it made me crave a hot cup of steaming, bitter coffee. Or several.


    I ignored that desire as I worked, discovering some new tricks thanks to my enhanced vision. Some of those tricks even triggered some nice responses from my Repair skill, allowing it to improve far faster than I had expected. As midnight came, I had merely finished repairing ten swords.


    But, the other benefits made it worth it.


    [Mana Repair (Rare) - 26 - 34]


    One of my class skills had improved significantly. Now, it was time to see if I could repeat it with my newest skill.

 Chapter 20

    I took a deep breath in preparation for using my Meditate skill, my gaze already turning toward the only source of mana available.


    The ingots.


    I knew that what I was about to do was wasteful. It was like destroying a brand new phone for its materials, so far below its value it was borderline disrespectful. I still didn''t have a good idea of how much mana each ingot contained in terms of mana points, but if I were betting, I would be betting on single digits.


    Low single digits.


    "Doesn''t really matter," I muttered as I reached the first ingot, heated it up, and started to destroy it methodically. It wasn''t the first time I was trying to extract mana from the ingots, so I was familiar with the process. At first, I destroyed a tiny portion, hoping that it would be enough to trigger the skill.


    It was not. The little mana I managed to generate dispersed no matter how much I tried to interact with it. I repeated the process again, doubling the size of the pieces, but I failed every time. There was not even a response from my Meditation skill. It didn''t even engage with the mana.


    I focused on the remaining half. First, I heated it up more, not just turning it red, but even melting the edge. Then, I raised my hammer, took a deep breath, and demolished it as quickly as I could, turning it into a liquid putty.


    Then, I closed my eyes, and engaged my new skill once more. This time, I felt momentary feedback, similar to the instructions I got when I tried to repair something. I crossed my legs and took a position, but unfortunately, those instructions disappeared before I could pull some mana.


    "Close enough to show viability, but not enough to actually work," I muttered even as I heated up another ingot. The skill required a really strict pose and flow, very different from the ease Maria had displayed while she was gathering mana, but I couldn''t compare myself to her when it came to mana manipulation.


    Not when my skill was just at one point.


    "Let''s try again," I said as I positioned myself perfectly before I destroyed the ingot. The mana radiated freely, and I let the skill run, not bothering to ponder on its impact or process. I just let the skill do its job. Most of the mana still dispersed, but I didn''t care about it, not when a small part of it stuck around me, grabbed by the skill.


    The mana slowly circled around me before it started to approach closer. It took more than a minute, but I was fascinated with the process. The tendrils of mana circulated around me, getting closer and closer as if they were planets orbiting the sun.


    Then, they touched my skin. From there, they disappeared with a soft tingle, replaced by a notification.


    [+1 Mana]


    I tried to understand the process. I tried to touch the reservoir of mana in me, but it failed utterly. Not a surprise. I had Health for three years, and I could barely channel it, and I needed to injure myself beforehand to trigger the flow.


    "Now, let''s see if I can use it," I said as I raised my work hammer, and used my Mana Manipulation perk. A glow appeared on my hammer as I felt a tingling sensation travel through my hand.


    [-1 Mana]


    I tried to absorb it back ¡­ but it just dispersed. All my effort had just evaporated in one blow, but I didn''t let that bother me. Ultimately, it was just another experiment. One that was more expensive than I would have liked, but an experiment nonetheless.


    I destroyed another ingot, once again letting the skill catch some of the mana while the rest dispersed. This time, I paid more attention to the movement of the skill, feeling a sense of rotation inside me, similar to how I felt whenever I used to inspect.


    The mana pulled toward me. It was a slow, painstaking process, too complicated to understand with just one attempt. I let the mana seep into my skin once more.


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    On the next attempt, I tried to interrupt halfway. It worked to give me a better understanding of the process, but the mana that was under my control had dissipated before I could absorb it. A waste, but considering I wouldn''t have been able to do anything with a few points, not exactly a big one.


    I thought about using the last five ingots, but I decided against it. Every ingot represented a chance to improve my Mana Forge skill, which was more important than another ineffectual experiment. I had already understood the basics, and while I wanted to experiment more, I needed hundreds, maybe thousands more repeats. One more repeat wouldn''t help.


    I just needed to decide what to do with the sole point of Mana I had. "I wonder if I can release it by reversing the meditation technique," I said to myself. It seemed like a reasonable risk. I closed my eyes, trying to visualize the same effect, wanting to see if I could control it like my other skills.


    Unfortunately, I failed to engage the skill. Helpless, I destroyed another ingot, the presence of mana allowing me to trigger the skill. I tried to replicate the same effect, but pushing the mana instead of pulling. An operation that was much harder than the summarized description would have suggested.


    But, I did it ¡ª


    [-1 Mana]


    [Meditation (Common) - 1 - 8]


    Any other time, I would be very happy to see seven points of jump in my new skill. But, right now, I had other priorities. Like, the worst pain I ever felt hitting me hard, like someone had been ripping my insides. I pushed my Health into overdrive in panic, trying to fix whatever I had ruined even as I vomited blood, dazed and shivering.


    The discomfort lasted for minutes while I laid on the ground, somehow managing not to shout, but it was a close call. I kept my voice suppressed, and only because I could feel that whatever damage that was done had recovered.


    [-582 Health]


    "Well, that was a way to improve," I muttered as I stood up, realizing just how close I had pushed myself to death. It seemed that I had become arrogant in my recent chain of successes. It was a close call. I had lost almost two-thirds of my Health in one mistake, and that was with all my leveling up.


    I didn''t even want to imagine what such a botched attempt would do to a mage. Most of them didn''t have Double Vitality to absorb the damage of accidental self-harm. And, that was only one point of mana.


    Even though I had improved my skills far more than I had been expecting, I wasn''t entirely happy. The pain had been horrible, and the damage had been devastating. I stood up to go to the small attached pantry, cooking a large piece of monster steak. It would slowly recover my lost Health, but it would take a while.


    So, before eating it, I took one of the emergency concentrated potions designed to replenish Health, filling it completely. Luckily, a workshop was a dangerous place with a lot of fire and sharp objects, so keeping a stock of health potions was always a smart idea.


    A chain of notifications appeared, showing the slow recovery. Even with the potion, it wasn''t exactly an instantaneous process.


    [+1 Health] ¡­ [+1 Health]


    At the same time, I grabbed a second one, preparing myself for another attempt. Painful and risky as it might be, the ability to rapidly increase my Meditation skill was too valuable. Not only did I need to support my two skills, but I also needed to discover its secrets as fast as possible.


    I wanted to see if I could improve it to a higher grade before reaching level fifty, and see if I could get a new class. The risk was acceptable, especially since this time I had brought a second potion, ready to assist.


    First, I destroyed another ingot, using Meditation to absorb it. The initial pattern stayed the same. Some kind of illusory orb inside me, spinning while it captured a point of mana into its orbit, slowly dragging it close. However, the higher skill level allowed me to absorb mana faster.


    [+1 Mana]


    I crossed my legs, taking a deep breath to prepare myself for the torture ¡­ and reversed the flow.


    [-1 Mana]


    [Meditation (Common) - 8 - 11]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Efficient Absorption / Controlled Flow]


    As much as I would have loved to ponder on the new stats, I was too busy vomiting blood as I trembled. For ten more minutes, I lay down, trying to catch my breath as Health did its job.


    [-519 Health]


    "The damage wasn''t as bad," I muttered as I forced myself to accept the pain. It was a good sign. Maybe, someday, I could repeat it without almost killing myself.


    I drank the potion as I stood up. I pondered on which perk to choose, but after a while, I settled on Controlled Flow. Once again, if it turned useless, I could just use a Perk Reset stone. Then, I destroyed one last ingot, absorbing the mana. There was a slight increase in absorption speed, but not enough to be about a new perk.


    Then, I used my mana attack trick, and noticed the gathered mana was easier to control. "Excellent," I muttered. Control was a much better perk than faster absorption for me; both as a blacksmith and as a scientist.


    And, if it made my reversal trick less suicidal, even better.


    I wanted to go and sleep. Depleting my Health twice left me even more exhausted than I had ever been, and the mental load of a close call with death wasn''t any easier to swallow. Yet, before going to bed, I cleaned the forge twice, making sure I got rid of all of the evidence.


    No need to ruin everything due to a bout of carelessness.


    My bed looked even more inviting than I had remembered. I threw myself to its depths. The darkness claimed me before I could hit the bed.

 Chapter 21

    When I woke up, my body was still aching somewhat, reminding me that using Health from the System to heal wasn''t exactly perfect, or painless.


    "I can''t believe I was that reckless," I muttered, my body reminding me of the cost of trying to use a skill without understanding it fully. It was arrogant of me to self-experiment without properly assessing the situation. I had assumed a mere one point of mana wouldn''t be a problem.


    At least, instead of a painful injury, I had received some upgrades to my skill, as well as a valid way to rapidly improve it. Curious to test, I went to the forge, and intentionally damaged one of the swords before repairing it again.


    "Wow, controlled flow is amazing," I muttered as I repaired the weapon. It allowed me to somehow nudge the enchantment to the side while repairing. It didn''t have too much of an advantage when I was repairing the sharpness enchantment, as I had long learned how to bypass it.


    Instead, I had pulled a broken weapon from the pile Eleanor had provided for me to experiment with, one with a simple durability enchantment. I wasn''t able to repair those before, because the enchantment was shaped more like a web, making it difficult for me to work on the metal without breaking the enchantment.


    Now, with my ability to nudge the enchantment to the side without destroying it, I was actually able to repair it. It was a slow process, taking almost an hour of my time before I could even reach halfway. Theoretically, mana blow might have been usable, but with each blow requiring at least one point of mana, it was not something I could test.


    I quit there, because I had nudged too hard, and the enchantment had destabilized.


    However, that was not exactly bad news. A small mana cloud appeared as I destroyed the enchantment. It was less than what had been revealed by destroying the ingot, but with my improved Meditation, it was just enough for me to capture it.


    [+1 Mana]


    "That''s a nice surprise," I muttered, my smile growing. The broken weapons that were here for my experiments were not as valuable as the bronze ingots, meaning I didn''t have to choose between improving Repair, Forge, and Meditation. It was good news.


    "Now, to the not-so-good one," I said as I prepared myself to repeat the same reversal trick. I needed to see if my newest perk would help me reduce the pain somewhat. However, this time, I first went to my bedroom.


    I didn''t want to be caught by a visitor. I closed my eyes, focusing on the flow of the mana, reversing the rotation of the orb as I pushed the mana out. The pain hit, but it was far less than I had expected.


    [Meditation (Common) - 11 - 13]


    [-85 Health]


    "Success through self-mutilation. My psychologist would have had a field day with it." For a moment, I wondered if he was still alive, but that was just a momentary thought. Thinking if the friends from before the Cataclysm were alive or not was a quick road to ruin.


    Especially for someone like me, who had the misfortune to experience the disaster while traveling for a conference on the East Coast, and was caught halfway, surviving only because I chose to drive rather than fly ¡­ away from everyone I had ever known, lost in a town in the middle of nowhere.


    "Focus," I muttered even as I went downstairs once more, picked some more broken weapons, and started destroying their enchantments for extra mana, only to push said mana out of my body.


    Every repeat damaged my body somewhat, but I ignored the potential risks. It was not my usual careful attitude ¡­ but what had following my careful attitude for three years given me? A pile of rejections while I eked out a pathetic living, barely able to afford a room that I could keep my books in.


    No, some risk was inevitable.


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    With that in mind, I repeated the same trick. As meditation reached twenty, I was required to exude three points of mana to increase Meditation once, but considering the damage it created had already dropped to single digits, it had become an acceptable tradeoff.


    By midday, I had reached the point I had been searching for.


    [Meditation (Common) - 24 - 25]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Efficient Absorption / Contained Flow / Enhanced Sensing]


    "Oh, a difficult choice," I muttered as I examined the benefits. Contained Flow was clearly the next step of Controlled Flow, and taking it was tempting. But, in the end, I chose Enhanced Sensing.


    The moment I did so, my ability to read the mana patterns had increased. I could see some surface-level details on the enchantments ¡­ which were naturally incomprehensible, like trying to understand how a computer worked by opening the casing.


    Still, it was better than looking from the outside.


    I broke another enchantment, and confirmed the same thing was true for the mana cloud. Rather than seeing a featureless fog, I found myself looking at ¡­ a fog with slightly more discernible features.


    Well, it was still only a Perk to a common skill.


    The same was true for the absorption. I could see that, as the ephemeral sphere rotated, the mana patterns turned slightly more discernible. And, that allowed me to reverse the rotation smoothly. Three more attempts, and I had succeeded once more.


    "No pain," I said happily. Finally, I was able to repeat that trick without hurting myself.


    Of course, now that I had cleared the next threshold, the improvement of the skill would slow down noticeably. I doubted that I could get it to reach thirty even if I destroyed every weapon and material I had in here, including the forge.


    An acceptable loss, as being able to improve a mana skill in a location with no environmental mana had already been pushing it. I just needed to return to the town, and meditate in my room safely to increase it even further.


    Honestly, a part of me was telling me to quit and go back to town, maybe even migrate to one of the cities with a better environment, preferably with a System Shop. But, one thing prevented me.


    I didn''t know if I would be able to actually use the System Shop. Every city had certain rules when it came to using those shops, as not everything was sold without limit. Eleanor had already revealed that the bronze mana ingots had a certain quota every day.


    No, even if it slowed down the improvement of my newest skill, the opportunity to push my two production skills higher was too valuable. Not to mention, quitting suddenly would anger my new bosses, which was not exactly smart.


    I could always change my mind once I had taught the other blacksmiths how to repair the weapons.


    With that, I returned downstairs, forging another dagger to test the benefits of Meditation and my newest perk. "Beautiful," I muttered.


    Having meditation didn''t change the way I forged the weapon based on the skill, which was not surprising. It was clear that the autopilot of the System was working with far better detection than what it allowed me to access.


    Technically, it meant that Mana Forge drew no benefit from increasing Meditation. It looked like the only reason that I received that skill was to gather mana, and trust Mana Forge and Mana Repair to use it.


    Not exactly a rare event. The origin and the objective of the System were a mystery, but the working principles were not. It clearly expected every user to follow its guidance to rapidly improve. It had certain benefits to it, as I had experienced with my external combat skills.


    Of course, there was the skill upgrade aspect, a great reward for overcoming those limitations, which made the subject a little murkier.


    "Either way, it doesn''t make my new perk any less valuable," I said to myself as I continued forging. Meditation might not benefit Forging directly, but my newest perk allowed me to observe the process even better.


    Especially when I stopped occasionally to use Inspect, which gave me a completely new set of information. With multiple methods of observation in place, I was able to watch the process of the skill more carefully, learning more and more.


    And, observation was the cornerstone of science. It was the seventeenth century when humanity discovered the existence of bacteria, and it wasn''t because we suddenly became more intelligent. No, we simply invented the microscope, revealing the existence of a whole new world.


    From there, many mysteries had been solved one by one. That had been true for X-ray, radar, and heat sensors ¡­ every time our observation methods increased, the developments followed.


    No, I didn''t care if increasing meditation didn''t suddenly enhance my Forging abilities. It made me learn and discover faster, which was all I needed. All I needed was to work with full focus and discover more and more secrets.


    However, when the door opened, I immediately interrupted my work, even smashing the dagger hard enough to ruin my work. I guessed it was not Eleanor, as she didn''t bother keeping the sound down. Meanwhile, servants opened the door carefully, trying not to disturb me.


    Unfortunately, inadvertently, they still ruined it. I immediately threw the dagger into the fire, letting it melt completely. Instead I pulled another sword, acting like I had been repairing them.


    I didn''t want others to realize just how much of my time I spent experimenting on unrelated subjects. I expected another servant to walk forward ¡­ instead, it was a mana cloud.


    A nasty surprise.

 Chapter 22

    I was glad that I chose to fake repairing a sword, as it meant that I could cede control to the skill while I observed the approaching mana cloud ¡­ one with a roughly humanoid shape. Considering they had to open the door to enter, it was less likely to be a spell.


    What was more likely was that they were someone under an invisibility spell. Someone that was most likely holding a weapon, considering the mana cloud on the right was a foot longer than the one on the left. From a purely technical perspective, I didn''t know if the intruder was an enemy.


    After all, there might be a perfectly reasonable explanation for someone sneaking into my forge while I was busy, holding what was most likely a dagger.


    I spent a second glancing toward him, and was barely able to catch some kind of outline. The mana fog didn''t cover it despite overlapping, because despite the way my mind interpreted it, it wasn''t exactly a visual object.


    Once I caught that outline, the figure of a bearded man became visible, like it was one of those pictures with a visual illusion. Some kind of camouflage spell that I would have never caught without Essence helping me.


    And, even with Essence, I would have missed it if the camp hadn''t been in a mana-dead location. The fog of mana that clung to him was weak enough to mix with the background, had the background not been clean.


    I barely held back a gulp as I started going through my options. There were only two. I could raise an alarm and hope that the reinforcements would arrive faster than he could kill me, or wait for five seconds, and deliver the first blow.


    The first option, I might have chosen if it wasn''t for one fact: Hammer of Might was a style that was designed for overwhelming offense. Good at fighting against monsters, but not as good at fighting against another man who might be stronger than me.


    No, I had no choice but to go with the second option. That was where my advantage lay. He was walking directly toward me, with no attempt to stick close to the walls or otherwise avoid me. Clearly, he had no fear of being detected. Not a bad assumption, considering only a chain of flukes allowed me to detect him in the first place.


    He was walking slowly, whether it was the limitation of the spell he used or his arrogance, I didn''t know, but either way, it meant I would have the chance to deliver one free blow. One that was too valuable to pass.


    Even as my mind churned those options, my body was moving under the control of my skill, maintaining the illusion that everything was going well. The only exception was my heartbeat, getting faster and faster as I realized that I had to kill.


    Again.


    One of the worst things about the post-Cataclysm world was that murder had turned far more acceptable. I had to kill twice, both against muggers thinking to make a quick buck over my corpse ¡­ before the discovery of the repair spell ruined my business and I was one of the richer people of the town. Both times, I hated the feeling.


    But, I didn''t hate it enough to let someone assassinate me.


    My hammer repeatedly landed on the surface of the sword as he closed in the distance. He was one step away from me when I flicked my wrist and threw the sword toward him. It was a very effective distraction, as the sword was hot enough to glow red.


    Even with the System, it was nearly impossible to avoid a point-blank attack, particularly if the target didn''t expect it. He still made a valiant effort to lean to the side sharply, his movement ruining the spell protecting him.


    I didn''t even wait until I used my work hammer to attack him. Unbalanced, he wasn''t able to dodge, and the attack landed on his head.


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    And, killed him before he could even make a sound, unlike his head, which shattered loudly. I shivered even as he collapsed to the floor.


    Health cured a lot of things, but a destroyed head was not one of them. I started shivering even as I looked at the door, waiting for the guards to arrive, but they did not. I breathed hard, trying to process the fact that I had just killed someone else.


    I hated the feeling.


    A minute passed, and the trembling of my hands subsided. Still, there were no guards. For a moment, my mind went in a conspiratorial direction, wondering if the guards had been a part of the issue. Then, a simpler possibility occurred.


    They probably ignored the sound. The forge already had good noise isolation, and the constant sound of crashing was easy to ignore.


    I was about to shout when I finally paid attention to the bearded man''s outfit. It had the sigil of a griffin, like the ones the guards had been wearing before Thomas took all of them away. Worse, it was more complicated than what the guards had, and similar to what Eleanor had been wearing. Not exactly the same, but both included enough silver.


    That couldn''t be good news, I realized even as I changed my clothes before walking to the door. One that I couldn''t handle alone.


    When I opened the door, I found the assigned guards squatted in a corner, playing dice.


    As much as I wanted to curse them for their lack of vigilance, I did not. If someone wanted to enter the forge while invisible, they would, and their lack of vigilance only made them more confident. "Yes, sir," the guard said, looking panicked.


    "There''s a small issue with the forge. Please go and get Eleanor. Tell her that it''s very urgent."


    "Are you sure?" the guard said. I nodded. "Your funeral," he said, then looked at me. "It''s not about ¡­ this, right?" he asked, looking at the dice game they were playing. His partner looked equally scared.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," I said with a wink. They looked relaxed.


    I returned, the ordinary discussion calming me down somewhat. I didn''t touch the crime scene but tried to come up with a story to tell. The general events had no problem. Ultimately, I didn''t need to explain why I killed someone who had snuck up on me invisibly.


    But, I couldn''t tell her that I had noticed the mana.


    "The steam," I muttered. It was a good excuse, one that could explain the timing. Quenching a sword created a thick cloud, and claiming that it was a lucky shot came from panic was enough. It just changed the facts slightly, turning into an accident rather than an intentional choice. I actually let some of the steam appear, in case she would be careful enough to check that.


    I doubted it, as Eleanor wasn''t that attentive, but it was better safe than sorry. After it saved my life, I was even more reluctant to reveal my ability to use mana.


    I waited in the corridor, ready to block anyone but Eleanor. Luckily, at this point, she trusted me enough to arrive herself. She looked harried and exhausted. "I don''t know how you heard it already, but yes, there won''t be any new ingots for a while. You have to stop experimenting for a while."


    At any other time, that statement would have earned a bigger reaction. "It''s not that, and we''ll talk about it later. Follow me," I said as I walked to the main forge. She saw the body and tensed. The sharp aura was back.


    "Explain," she ordered.


    "It was an accident," I started.


    "An accident?" she asked. "How? And, why was the steward here talking with you when he was supposed to be gone already?"


    "I don''t know," I said. "He was invisible when he entered."


    Her eyes widened, showing that she understood the implication. "Traitor," she growled. It was a scary word, even when her gaze was firmly on the corpse as she said that. It was scarier when she started looking at me. "Invisible, or camouflaged."


    I shrugged. "I have no idea. I just noticed some kind of weird movement in the steam when I quenched the sword and slammed down my hammer. The aim was ¡­ an accident."


    She looked at me for a moment, before she walked to the corpse, and started to examine the body. "A nice blow," she said, which was not exactly what I was expecting for killing a member of their house, but I was glad to take it. A tasteless compliment was much better than being turned into a scapegoat.


    Her compliment showed that she had accepted my version of the story. I was glad that I didn''t touch the body, which made my version much more credible.


    "Don''t tell anyone what has happened!" she warned as she crouched down, and started to go through his belongings.


    "Of course," I replied. At this point, it was clear that the success of the dungeon operation was linked to some kind of internal political battle, the kind that made assassination and bribery the first tools to be used.


    I wasn''t necessarily happy that I was a part of it, but the moment I killed him, I had become too involved. Now, even if I managed to convince Eleanor to terminate my contract ¡ª which was not a given ¡ª I couldn''t get away. Not after killing one of their members.


    For better or worse, I was a part of the conflict.

 Chapter 23

    Finding myself mixed in a conflict I had no idea about was not a pleasant feeling, but it was far from the worst case. I certainly didn''t expect to end up as a primary assassination target as the sole blacksmith.


    However, the flip side of the problem was equally interesting. Since their conflict was bigger than I had expected, it meant that they would be willing to accept some demands that might otherwise be assumed to be excessive. The more problems I solved, the more I could ask for.


    Assuming, of course, I didn''t reveal my upgraded skills. That particular secret was still too volatile to reveal.


    Since I had decided to show off, I decided to focus on the biggest problem while she continued to examine his pockets. "Would I be wrong assuming that he''s somehow behind our most recent supply problem?" I asked.


    "Supply problem?" she asked, surprised.


    "The bronze ingots. You mentioned it when you arrived before I showed you the body," I said.


    "Ah, right," she said, then paused. "Yes, that''s correct. He was here to refuse our latest request. Apparently, there had been some problems with the System Shop."


    "What kind of problems?"


    "We have purchased the swords and the bronze from the same System Store. It''s in the middle of nowhere, and it''s currently defended by four families. Our Griffin family is one of the five families that have shares in that System Store, which meant we could purchase some of the limited stocks every week. But, the traitor here informed us that there was a dispute about the shares, so the next delivery will be delayed."


    "Supposedly," I said.


    "Right," she said. "Since he proved to be a traitor, that might have been a lie," she said, looking relaxed. "Maybe there''s no problem. I just need to fly and check. It''ll barely take a few days."


    "Maybe," I said, then paused. "Or, there''s actually a problem, and he''s deliberately underselling the importance of it to prevent you from seeking an alternative solution until it''s too late."


    I wasn''t entirely honest in saying that. If the problem was as serious, he wouldn''t have tried to assassinate me. From their perspective, I was just a blacksmith that could work a little faster. I would have been useless without bronze.


    Not a nice thing to do, but it wasn''t the first time I fibbed some of the details to get a bigger grant.


    Still, thanks to a lack of remote communication, it would take a few days to check the situation, and meanwhile, I could use that as an opportunity to push for some new experiments. It wouldn''t be with that particular bronze alloy, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make.


    "You''re right," she said, looking tense. "We have enough stock to keep us going for a few weeks, but if we are delayed, we will have to stop just as the dungeon starts operating. I need to fly there myself."


    "Maybe that''s not a good idea," I said, happy to delay things a bit more. "You''re the strongest person in the camp. What if something happens in your absence." She looked thoughtful. "And, wouldn''t it be better if you kept the fact that you''re suspicious of him a secret? I don''t know exactly what you are dealing with, but I''m sure it''ll be helpful."


    "What do you mean?" she said. "He died in our camp while trying to assassinate someone."


    "Did he?" I asked. "Or, did he leave the camp and disappear?"


    "What do you mean?" she repeated.


    "You mentioned that he had already left. Did you watch him leave, or did you just assume?"


    "I watched him leave on a griffin an hour ago," she replied, then paused. "I see. Since he had already left, and he returned under invisibility, we don''t have to explain anything. We have dozens of guards who would swear that he had left safely. Wilderness can be dangerous, even for someone at level sixty-seven."


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    I couldn''t help but tremble when she mentioned that number. "That high?"


    "Yes. He bragged about it a lot during our meeting. You were really lucky."


    I gulped. I was lucky indeed. If I didn''t follow Maria to that leveling trip, I would have been dead. A good reason to get even stronger. "It makes sense. I''m sure Rosie will be happy to confirm the situation at that shop for a price. She''s good at finding out stuff like that," I said.


    There was no harm in sending some work for a nominal ally, especially since I needed her goodwill. I had a lot of questions to ask her during our next meeting.


    "A good point," she said. "Still, it doesn''t solve the main problem. If there''s a problem with the supply, we''ll be in trouble."


    "What if we can find an alternative to bronze swords," I asked.


    "No. We tried everything. That''s the cheapest alternative we can purchase that doesn''t just melt completely. Anything weaker, and the weapons get destroyed completely. And, anything that''s too strong to resist the effect completely is not enough to make it economically feasible. We calculated them ourselves."


    "That''s probably true, but that''s not what I was talking about," I replied. "What if we forge something ourselves?" I said. "I''m sure there''s a mine nearby, and even if there''s not, there''s too many ways to buy ordinary metal. And, we have a dungeon next to us, providing us with a lot of excess material. As long as we use them to forge weapons, we don''t have to deal with a long and dangerous supply chain."


    "We already thought of that. The dungeon has no material that can be used to make any alloys, let alone one that could resist the corrosion of those damned monsters," she countered.


    "No, that''s not correct," I said. She looked confused. "There''s no material with a recipe that''s already included in the skill," I corrected. "We can experiment and see if there''s an alternative," I said.


    "Would that work?"


    "Maybe," I replied.


    "What do you mean, maybe?" she said.


    "It''s an experiment. I can''t guarantee you results, certainly not in such a short time," I said. Admittedly, I was more interested in the opportunity to experiment endlessly in the next five days than the possibility of success. "But, either way, it''s not a big investment. Some ordinary metal, and a lot of material that you get from the dungeon. And, it''s not like I''m too busy," I said.


    "Makes sense," she said.


    I paused for a moment as inspiration hit. The opportunity was actually greater than I had first realized. "Actually, there''s something else we can do," I said, hoping that she would buy the idea.


    "What?"


    "Well, it''s clear that your opponent wants to prevent Maria from succeeding in her mission. It''s inevitable that they''ll have some spies, and they might do something more excessive if we make any progress. And, we still need a better story for the death of our traitor."


    "He died in the wilderness. It''s good enough."


    "As an official one. But, the one that sent him here knows better ¡­ unless, of course, there''s a better explanation."


    "Spill."


    "We frame it like I have died, and during the process, the forge somehow exploded, burning the building. You can say that there was a second unidentified corpse. Meanwhile, we bring the forge to a basement that people can''t access, where I work alone, hidden from anyone but you," I said. "That way, you won''t have to dedicate a team trying to save me from assassins."


    "And, you would be alright living in a basement without getting to go outside?"


    "It wouldn''t be the first time I locked myself in a dark room trying to solve a problem," I said. "And, there''s a lot of people that walk around wearing helmets. I can always disguise myself as another newly hired guard. A beard and some hair dye should solve everything."


    She looked at me with a frown. "You come up with that plan quickly," she said.


    I couldn''t help but smirk, my mood was admittedly too good for someone who had been just assassinated. But, the idea of a private lab where I can actually experiment to my heart''s content was a good tradeoff. Still, I wasn''t above using guilt to push the limits of science. "There''s something about being assassinated by invisible people that really inspires me," I snarked.


    "Good point," she admitted guiltily. After all, the defense of the camp was her responsibility. If I was found dead with no assassin around, it would be a big black mark against her. Not to mention, without my teaching, there was no guarantee the other blacksmiths could discover the repair trick in a reasonable timeline.


    In both ways, I had saved her ass.


    She pulled a ring from the dead man''s finger and threw it to me. "Put this on, and don''t make any sudden movements," she said. A little morbid, but I still put that on. A weird, fuzzy sensation covered me even as my skin started to show what was behind me.


    An interesting effect.


    I walked a little, careful not to make any sudden move. "Good, now follow me," she said. I did so, staying behind her to not run into anything or anyone. We stayed near the walls, and soon, we were at the center building, which functioned both as a headquarters and a residence for the two.


    Interesting choice, but considering it was the most defended building, it made sense.


    I pulled the ring from my finger and put it in my pocket. It was a beautiful survival tool for emergencies. Eleanor said nothing, too distracted by the next steps to care about an item with limited effectiveness under most circumstances.


    For me, it might be the difference between life and death.


    "You''re familiar enough with the building," she said, clearly unhappy about the fact. "Go to the basement and pick a room that we can fit a forge into. I''ll return in an hour."


    As I walked toward the basement, I couldn''t help but think that she was right. I was too chipper for a man who had just survived an assassination attempt.


    But, the payoff made it worth it.

 Chapter 24

    "And, that''s the last piece," she said as she placed the forge. Thanks to its nature, it had been easy to carry, though how she excused its extraction from the forge building, I didn''t know ¡­ or care. All I needed was to connect the fire to the building chimney, and that would be enough.


    "I''ll start working immediately," I said, looking at the pile of dungeon materials. A lot of crystals, and some herbs, but the most attention-grabbing thing was the pieces of a large shell. "Is this from the dungeon creature?" I said.


    "Yes. That''s the most common enemy. Some kind of distorted bug with a few weak points, that releases some kind of acid spell when dying. It destroys the weapons."


    "And, I''m guessing using hammers is not an option."


    "No," she replied. "If the shell is broken, the System Store doesn''t take the purchase," she said.


    "Do you mind if I quickly check something," I said. She nodded, and I touched the object. Thanks to the meditation, I could feel that the shells contained quite a bit of mana in them.


    "Good," I said, smiling as I examined it.


    "What do you mean, good?" she asked.


    "It''s good material. High tensile strength, probably stress resistant as well," I said. "Promising for experimentation."


    That was patently not true. I was excited because I could use those shells to practice my skills. I didn''t feel guilty or felt like I was really cheating them. I could always pay them back by reducing the repair time even further. To their knowledge, it was still around eight minutes.


    "Don''t expect to have a lot of them," she said. "They are the greatest income source of the dungeon. The System store purchases them without a limit."


    "For how much?" I asked.


    "Twenty silver coins for now," she said. My eyes widened. That was good money. "Hopefully, it won''t drop too much once the number of shells increases."


    "The shops do that?" I asked.


    "Sometimes," she replied. "They can be difficult to predict. Sometimes, the price drop is permanent, and sometimes it just fluctuates."


    "Do you mind if I try something?" I said, curious how the mana would react. I broke a corner, only for a small plume of mana to burst out. However, the pieces still maintained their mana content, That was good news.


    "Excellent," I said.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I have to break them for my experiments," I said. "So, you don''t have to bring me the intact ones. Just bring me the damaged ones. The more, the better."


    "Do you really need that many samples?" she asked.


    "Edison had run more than ten thousand tests before inventing the lightbulb," I replied. It was a gross misrepresentation of the real process, but fibbing the history of technology wasn''t the worst thing I had done today.


    "Alright, the broken shells should still be near the dungeon. I''ll make sure to arrange their delivery. Same with the metals."


    "Excellent," I said, not bothering to hide my happiness. Once she disappeared at the end of the stairs, I was alone in the basement. My smile was even bigger as I destroyed a small corner of the shell. Its mana content was far denser ¡­ but I noticed something interesting.


    The mana from the monsters was a little cloudy. I only noticed that while meditating. Absorbing took almost four times longer, the meditation skill separating some kind of chaff from it. I had no doubt that it would be very inconvenient for a mage, who''d spend a lot of mana fighting.


    For me, it was a benefit, as that cloudy effect made the mana stick together longer. When I destroyed a bronze ingot, I was barely able to absorb a tenth. With the shell, I was able to absorb more than half before it dispersed.


    [+1 Mana]


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    Excellent efficiency. "Maybe I''ll be able to improve the process even further," I muttered. However, as tempting as it was to start playing around, I decided to delay it until the broken pieces had arrived. I needed to look like I was working.


    A tidy workspace was a good first step ¡­ a good step that had paid off in an unexpected way. A familiar surge from Mana Forge skill gave me a recipe for a new alloy, which used two of the crystals, the shell, and one of the herbs to be mixed in for some reason.


    It also required a lot of mana for every ingot, which meant it couldn''t be done in the dead zone efficiently.


    "What an interesting coincidence," I muttered. Along with the recipe, came a lot of information. Information that included some kind of anti-corrosion property. It would have helped the profitability of the dungeon immensely.


    Too bad I had no plans of revealing my mana forging to them as it touched my secrets.


    "But, that doesn''t mean I can''t try to replicate a weaker version of the effect," I replied. After all, they didn''t need a perfect solution, just a workable one. If I could come up with an alloy that didn''t require mana, the other blacksmiths could replicate it easily.


    It shouldn''t be impossible. The System didn''t include any such recipe, but it didn''t matter. It was just like repairing the edge. The System didn''t include any direction that couldn''t be defined as perfect.


    But, even an imperfect copy wouldn''t be easy. I would probably need to start with creating a few ingots to understand the nature of the alloy, not just its final properties, but also the in-between steps.


    Then, I need to turn that into a dagger and test it on the dungeon beasts, as well as the other weapons to understand exactly how the corrosion effect impacts the metal, and see if that could be achieved without mana.


    Which would be followed by hundreds of attempts as I tried to come up with a stable alloy that didn''t shatter immediately and resisted corrosion.


    Still, I was hopeful, mostly because I didn''t need anything that was close to usable in any other context. It can be brittle enough to shatter after a dozen blows, which would have been unacceptable for any other condition.


    But, not here. As long as they could kill four to five beasts without shattering the weapon, it would be profitable.


    "Excellent," I muttered even as I continued to tidy the workshop. The best thing, even if their bronze supply was not cut, it would make sense for them to continue funding my experiments. The money I would consume would be nothing compared to their potential benefit.


    Even better, once I found a method, I could release multiple versions of the same metal, slightly improving its performance every time.


    That trick had been good enough for the academic papers. It would be good enough for this as well.


    "If all goes well, I should be able to make enough money to get a position in the research institute."


    Bribery was not something I wanted to resort to, but it was better than the alternative. However, I didn''t want to hurry up. My previous failure had taught me a good lesson about the importance of emergency funds.


    As much as it rankled me to delay my return to the scientific community, I had learned my lesson. "And, it doesn''t mean I have to delay my research. I can always pay Rosie to collect some data for me, and focus on exploring the System in the process."


    I smiled happily as I got the fire going while I systematically destroyed half of the shell, carefully absorbing the mana that was let out.


    [Mana 14/160]


    For anyone else, that was not a notable amount of mana. For me, it represented my first opportunity to forge a mana alloy. Not even a full ingot, but barely a piece as big as my thumb.


    It was a copper alloy, which was a happy occasion. Copper was one of the easiest metals to process, which was why it had been the first metal humans had used en masse.


    Of course, it was also soft and brittle enough to incentivize the first primitive attempts at metallurgy, forcing the ancient people to actually experiment until they discovered bronze, which fueled our first real civilization, an ancient bronze civilization that sprawled across the Mediterranean sea, with the first global web of trade between Egypt, Hittite, Greece, as well as other European and Asian civilizations, all to ensure a steady supply of tin and copper.


    Unfortunately, once international trade collapsed, so did those civilizations¡­ The Bronze Age collapse was one of my favorite periods to study as I tried to map the impact of a similar collapse on our civilization.


    Three years after the Cataclysm, I was ready to acknowledge the irony¡­


    "Less pondering, more working," I spoke to myself even as I started working on forging a copper mana alloy, following the suggestions from the skill as I melted the copper. The process had been relatively simple. The recipe included two different crystals, both finely ground, one herb, and a coarsely ground shell of the dungeon monster.


    Mix the first crystal to molten copper, then burn the herb right underneath and let the crystal absorb the energy it radiated. Let it cool down to a red-hot state before starting to temper the metal and fold a few times, then start to add the coarsely ground monster shells while folding the metal, using the mana to keep the process stable and grow the crystals, keeping the metal merely red hot at the process.


    The second crystal was to be mixed with the water, and used to quench the metal once the forging was complete.


    A simple process that failed spectacularly, which was not a surprise. Not only did using the recipes from the system not always guarantee success ¡ª the level of the user, in particular, impacted the results quite a bit due to benefit from the stats, and skill level played an even bigger role ¡ª but also I wasn''t following the recipe completely.


    The full recipe required me to make one standard-sized ingot, and I didn''t have the mana to do it. Adapting it to a smaller piece was not a trivial process, as it changed many important details, from the speed the metal cooled to the folding patterns.


    But, that failure meant nothing as I started taking notes, incomprehensible to anyone but me.


    I was already in love with my new working space.

 Chapter 25

    "You look tired," was Eleanor''s first words when she visited me the next morning, pushing a huge cart that was taller than her with ease. It weighed at least three tons, but stats were useful for more than just fighting.


    "I want to make sure I don''t disappoint you," I said, which was once again not exactly the truth. However, keeping the supervisor unaware of the intricacies of the experiment budget was never a bad idea.


    I was simply lost in the excitement of experimentation. The mana from the solitary shell only allowed me to make two more attempts, and only with smaller pieces. Both had been abject failures, but they provided enough data for me to gather some clues.


    I had enough of the first blue crystal and the herb to start experimenting. It wasn''t enough to even get close to success. For now, anything that managed to stabilize was roughly as strong as a sandcastle, but I wasn''t after the end result.


    No, I needed to understand the process of crystallization and the shape of macrostructures. That was only the first step before I could start the real experimentation. Too bad I lacked the necessary background, and relied on a knowledge base that was cobbled together.


    "Good. I hope they will be useful," she said as she pulled the cover of the cart, and showed that it had not only contained all types of metals but also piles and piles of broken shells. "Would that be enough?"


    "Not even close, but it will be good enough to start," I said, not willing to turn down my only mana source. She looked surprised. "I can try to ration them, but using them excessively would allow me to process them faster. Since they are garbage, what''s the harm."


    She frowned. "Bringing them here might be suspicious," she admitted.


    "You''re the commander. I''m sure you can find a good reason," I said, already touching them to test their mana content. A slight frown appeared on my face as I noticed some of them had much less mana than the others. The smaller they were, or the dirtier they looked, the more mana they had lost.


    I realized why the System shop only bought the undamaged ones. The moment they shattered, they started to leak mana.


    "Something wrong?" she asked.


    "No, it''s just that the older ones look like they have decayed somewhat. The fresh ones would work better," I replied.


    "Should I not bother with the old ones?"


    "No, the more, the better," I said. "Maybe there''s some benefit to using decayed ones." It might even be the truth. Using organic materials for alloy making was not exactly a topic that science had covered. Even if someone explored it, it was probably nothing more than a niche field.


    How I wished I still had the internet.


    Once she was done with the delivery, I expected her to leave, but I noticed that she was still waiting with a smirk on her face. "What''s going on?" I asked.


    "I have another delivery," she said as she threw me a backpack. I opened it, only for my eyes to widen. It was filled with papers. Mostly magazines, with several journals mixed in. I pulled out the first journal, flicking it with excitement that I had never shown before the Cataclysm.


    Most scientific articles were boring, derivative articles that merely introduced a fraction of new knowledge while they pandered pointlessly, only minutely different from a hundred other articles I could find with a quick query.


    But, with that option gone, every article represented the crystallization of human ingenuity, with ideas I could never come up with on my own.


    I flipped the first article, reading the abstract out loud. "A two-dimensional mathematical model for a process of solidification of a binary alloy in the presence of an electric field as a free boundary problem."


    "So, useless?" Eleanor asked. I turned to look at her, and she flinched and took a step back. I took a deep breath, realizing that I might have got ¡­ a tad angry. "Not useless?"


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    "Of course not," I said.


    "But, there''s no electricity anymore. It doesn''t work with mana, even in the dead zones."


    What she had said was true. During the first year of the Cataclysm, there had been a lot of attempts to restart technology. Three main targets were steam, gunpowder, and electricity.


    Among the three, electricity had been the one that had been abandoned first, for a very simple reason: Mana didn''t get along well with electricity. Once they mixed in, the results were unpredictable. Sometimes, it fizzled and melted, sometimes it exploded. I didn''t know if anyone properly completed those experiments in mana dead zones, but considering monsters let out mana when they died, I didn''t know how much it would have mattered.


    The gunpowder and steam had been abandoned for simpler, logistical reasons.


    Ironically, the reason gunpowder had been ignored was the reverse of the process it had led to its adaptation. During the fifteenth century, gunpowder weapons were less powerful and less accurate than the bow and arrow, yet it had been adopted because training an archer took years, it required immense strength, and making arrows was much slower than making small metal balls.


    The exact opposite was true for our circumstances. With the System, a decent archer required mere days to turn into a marksman that could comfortably compete in the Olympics, the physical strength came from leveling up, and ammunition could be simply purchased from System shops, and reused for a long time.


    That had been true the first few days, and it was even truer now. At this point, where people could heal from a lot of wounds, gunpowder weapons simply lacked the necessary stopping power.


    The steam engine, on the other hand, could have been technically useful, but a simpler fact stopped it. While steam and fire weren''t as volatile as electricity when interacting with mana, it was still enough to make the idea of a steam engine made of ordinary metal useless.


    The alloys that the blacksmiths could forge could be useful, but that meant a radical increase in cost. A steam engine had to be large to be useful, which meant at least five tons of metal. A ridiculous amount, considering a sword required less than four pounds, and the ingots the System sold were usually between one and two pounds.


    A steam engine took enough metal to arm a whole town. Hardly an acceptable tradeoff, particularly since anyone with high strength could match the power of a steam engine.


    It was for a reason our old technology had been abandoned, which I was more than alright with. It was how technology worked.


    What truly rankled me was abandoning the process of science with it.


    I took a deep breath, suppressing my desire to deliver a long explanation. "It doesn''t matter if electricity doesn''t work. We can''t use the process described in the articles in any case. They are not exactly manufacturing plans. I need them to give me ideas to try."


    "And, it''ll work?"


    "It worked to drop the repair time to eight minutes," I said, ignoring the temptation to inform her that I had already reduced it even more. No, that part could wait. I needed it in case my other experiments failed. "But, as I said, I can''t promise results, not until I can find a proper direction."


    She looked unconvinced, but after a while, she shrugged. "You''re the expert, professor," she said before turning and walking away.


    I could see that she was trying to annoy me by tacking on that last part, but I didn''t care. I was more interested in going through all the books. Not all of them were about material sciences, but related topics. Mechanics, control systems, thermodynamics¡­ None of them were particularly useful for a blacksmith, but I was still happy about their presence.


    More information was not something I would turn my nose up at. Just because they weren''t immediately needed didn''t make them useless.


    My first real disappointment was about the condition of the material. Not all books were intact. Some of them were half-burned, while the others were missing pages, moldy, or dirty enough to make reading a chore.


    It was clear that whoever had them treated them as garbage. "What a disappointing loss," I muttered even as I carefully went through every book and journal, categorizing the information they contained.


    Once that was done, I started reading the first article, a summary of the performance of two different industrial casting processes of aluminum with regard to their final tensile strength.


    The actual conclusion part of the article was useless. First, I didn''t work with aluminum, and even if I did, I was hardly at a point of caring which of the two methods would be more useful, when both processes were optimized to create several tons of metal for every batch, for plants that probably created a thousand tons each day.


    The sense of scale between our old and new world was worlds apart.


    I read it carefully, because the article went quite a bit in detail about the merits of various types of water cooling, and, in the process, went into a lot of detail on how hydrogen bubbles could damage the integrity of the metal, and how a certain combination of iron salts could be used as a solution. The process was roughly similar to the impact of the second crystal.


    By comparing the information provided in the article with what was provided by the System, my mind was churning a lot of new ideas.


    Before even finishing the article, I had six experimental setups I wanted to try, and that was merely the first article.


    "We''re going to have a lot of fun," I said as I looked at the rest of the books. Mathematical sociology might be my one true love ¡­ but sometimes, there was no harm in straying.


    Not when I could feel another revolutionary development ahead of me.

 Chapter 26

    As much as I wanted to spend the next month reading every book Eleanor had brought and carefully learn everything I could, I knew that it wasn''t the best method to go forward. Improving my skills as far as possible by creating mana alloys was the far superior option.


    The amount of information skills contained was incredible, and the perks were even more fascinating.


    So, I restricted myself to reading material science articles that were relevant to my objectives, and merely skimmed the rest before I started to work on the forge.


    This time, I had a large pile of broken shells to keep me going for several days. The best thing was that, it wasn''t really wasteful. I already needed to break them into small pieces to use for forging, so they wouldn''t be useless.


    I stopped only when my reserves had been filled.


    [Mana (160/160)]


    Reserves weren''t enough to forge one ingot, which meant I didn''t have the luxury of following the recipe directly. I could have easily compensated for it with my Mana Manipulation perk, but the lack of environmental mana erased that possibility.


    Meaning, I had to try more than a dozen times before I successfully forged a piece as small as my thumb. Even then, I would have failed if it wasn''t for Intuitive Forging giving me some last minute burst.


    "Regardless, a success," I muttered as I flipped the small piece. It was a sign of progress. The first mana alloy I had ever forged. "Too bad the System didn''t reward me." Still, it didn''t surprise me too much. What I had done was much harder than just using one of the bronze alloys to forge a dagger, but the System didn''t measure difficulty the same way I did. Sometimes, it helped.


    But, not always.


    For Repair, that had been about both the general value of the weapon, and the extent of the damage to an equal measure. But, the sequence of the recipes that had been revealed made me suspect the materials had played even more of a role than I had first estimated.


    Copper clearly didn''t move the needle once the skill passed level twenties, while the bronze alloy''s effectiveness had been dropped. "Maybe I should try working with iron," I said as I walked toward the cart.


    Even a partial success could push my skill higher. There was no harm in trying, afterall.


    However, even as I reached for an iron alloy, I caught a more distinctive glint behind it. An ingot of silver.


    "Surely not," I said, about to ignore the idea the moment it occurred. Silver and gold were not exactly useful material when it came to practical applications, and they weren''t exactly common in the first place. Some people had collected a lot, trying to fake the System Currency, only to fail. Trying to make anything usable out of silver had failed the same way.


    But then, none of those attempts had been done by a blacksmith that could use mana directly. I could have tried to mix the silver with the granules of shell and the other crystals, but I did not. Not when I had an easier option.


    I cut my hand and bled on the molten metal, pushing some of my Health into my blood.


    [-129 Health]


    It was rather ghoulish.


    I started to use mana blow trick, trying to taint the metal with my mana as I shaped it into a rough, thumb-sized cylinder. It was tricky without System directions, but my earlier successes had already taught me enough. Merely fifteen seconds later, I quenched it in water.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) 25 - 29]


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    I was shocked by the ease with which I had managed to improve my skills. A changed attitude and a generous experimentation budget was working wonders. I sighed, realizing just how big of a mistake my earlier desire to seek stability had been. Luckily, it was not too late.


    However, while the skill confirmation had been interesting, the ease with which I was able to embed mana into silver was even more interesting. It was able to crystallize around mana even better than bronze, taking almost ten times the amount of mana without any problems.


    Fascinating.


    "Let''s see if we can turn you into something useful," I said to the silver as I started tapping it gently. It was a spectacular failure, shattering under my blows, but I didn''t care. I just melted it to cleanse it of my mana and blood, and repeated the process, stopping only to replenish my Health.


    Of course, the experiment I was using was not cheap. The food I was consuming to replenish my Health was not cheaper than using dungeon materials for forging, and the resulting metal was barely increased. But, the System counted it as a success, which was all I needed.


    Two hours was all I needed to reach fortyies, and then, the gains slowed down. I could have slowed down there, but I did not. Instead, I went in a simpler direction and changed the material.


    Gold.


    There was no gold in the material Eleanor had brought, but it didn''t matter. I already had gold coins. I immediately melted five gold, forever ruining their ability to be used in System stores. Five gold coins barely gave me ten grams to work with, which, considering the density of the gold, was a tiny amount.


    There wasn''t even any mana that burst out, which was a pity.


    Five experiments, all ending in failure. Probably, it wasn''t enough to trigger the System. I still noted the results as well as I could have managed.


    It was frustrating, but not frustrating enough to slow me down. I was tempted to melt the rest of my coins, but a hundred grams was still not a lot of gold. And, it represented my current fortune, which I might end up having to rely on in case of an emergency.


    I decided to delay that experiment, and try something else.


    "Time to try changing up the experiment," I said as I mixed that tiny amount of Gold into the silver, and repeated the experiment. It absorbed the mana even better, though similarly, it took more mana to count as a partial success.


    I was glad that I didn''t try to experiment with silver or gold at first, or the System might not have upgraded my skill.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) 42 - 46]


    "Let''s see if I can turn you into a weapon," I said. This time, the material had actually been malleable enough not to shatter while forging, though it was not exactly usable. But, it was hard to care when I was rewarded with another notification.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) 46 - 52]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Modify / Masterwork / Creative Forging (Intuitive Forging) / Mana Control (Mana Manipulation) ]


    A tougher choice, this time between Mana Control and Creative Forging. A better mana control was tempting, but considering Meditation was already helping me on that aspect, and that I needed to invent more materials for alloy variants, I chose Creative Forging.


    They might not have been as useful for me, but it was critical for more funding.


    Then, I paused as I put my hand on the silver. "Just like I suspected," I muttered. Once I had reached fifty, some new methods had been unlocked. Some better bronze alloys, but also some simple silver alloys. None of them used pure silver like I tried to, and instead used a much more minuscule amount.


    Checking those processes, I could easily deduce its function. Silver was excellent to hold more mana, allowing the weapons to be more dense. But, even a small dagger forged that way would require thousands of points of Mana to actually forge successfully, which was not something I could do without environmental mana.


    And, that meant that failing to trigger the improvement with gold as my material might not have been about the amount, but the mana density of the alloy. An interesting problem, but one I decided not to solve immediately. The next perk was at proficiency level one hundred, and even with all my tricks, it was inevitable that it would require more mana than I could extract from the broken shells.


    Which meant that improving Repair was the far more efficient option. "Let''s cheat the System again." There was no suggestion from the System on how to repair the damaged dagger, but applying the information I had gathered from forging on repairing was even easier. All I needed to do was to keep the Inspect skill active, so that the System registered the activities as a part of the repair effort.


    "Recycling is fun," I muttered even as I repeated the same process again and again. The only thing I wasted was my Health-enhanced blood, which was certainly renewable.


    Damaging and repairing the same dagger repeatedly was not a fun process, especially when I had to stab myself again and again, but it was easy to endure as I watched my Repair increase.


    And, when I had reached the next threshold, I immediately picked Advanced Inspect as my Perk. The other options looked good, but with the way I used it, getting an even more detailed view of the internal structure of the metals was too critical to sacrifice.


    "Now, to understand mana better," I pondered, wondering whether I could push my Meditation to the next threshold before Eleanor''s next visit.


    Not taking advantage of all that source of mana would have been a waste.

 Chapter 27

    During Eleanor''s next visit, I wasn''t able to bring my Meditation skill to a higher level, but it was close. A few times, I tried to practice my combat skill, but without an enemy to target, its progress was very limited.


    I had ceased my attempt to devour mana and instead grabbed the paper in front of me, making a show of taking notes.


    [Mana Blacksmith - Level 32]


    [Health 960/960] [Mana 0/160]


    [Vitality 64 / Strength 64 / Dexterity 48 / Essence 16]


    [Skills (4/10)


    Mana Repair (Rare) - 62 [Advanced Inspect]


    Mana Forge (Rare) - 59 [Creative Forging, Mana Manipulation]


    Meditation (Common) - 42 [Controlled Flow, Enhanced Sensing]


    Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 53]


    I had to admit, I was fascinated by the development I had made. The only thing that lagged behind was my level, which would have to stay where it was until Maria returned to accompany me for another trip.


    Eleanor returned, pulling another huge cart, but looked shocked when she looked at the pile in front of me. "You have already used more than half?" she asked.


    "Well, yes," I replied. "I told you, experimentation can be expensive. Besides, does it matter? I thought all of them were useless."


    "That might be so, but they are not unlimited. We barely have two more deliveries like this, and we run out of that stock," she said.


    "We can always break intact ones," I said.


    She looked unhappy about that. "We can''t waste our only source of income, not when we''re already running in the red," she said, cutting sharply. "You have already wasted enough. Any more, and you''ll have to hunt them yourself."


    I was about to reveal some kind of partial success, when I stopped. "Wait, is that an option?" I said.


    "Normally, I would have said no, as you don''t have the Dexterity required to stay out of their path but¡­"


    "I don''t need to hit their weak points. I don''t need the shells to be intact," I completed.


    She nodded. "Actually, that might work. You still have the ring of camouflage, right?" she asked.


    I nodded.


    "Good, you can use that to leave the camp with me. And, once we get there, you can disguise as a guild member here to check the dungeon, thinking of joining the camp. That way, we can excuse the broken shells as some kind of sample your guild requires. There are several spots that you can use alone easily, especially with your Hammer of Might. It''s not a permanent solution, but we''re already operating under the dungeon''s limit until Lady Maria returns with the new recruits, so there''s no waste."


    "Excellent. That way, I can also observe those monsters destroying the weapons. It might give me a better direction about my experiments."


    "Nice point," she said. "Unfortunately, even the safe spots are relatively dangerous. You need to increase your hammer proficiency further before you can move alone."


    "It''s already at twenty-seven, is that enough?" I asked. It was half of the real number, but even that was an absurd number.


    A good choice, as her surprise was apparent, but not the point of shock. "Already," she said. "I underestimated you. Let''s give you a new set of armor, pick a couple extra hammers, and we can move," she said.


    "Do they destroy the blunt weapons as well?" I asked.


    "Not at the same rate. The lack of an edge makes them last longer, but eventually, they get destroyed as well. Still, four hammers should be enough to take down about forty, which should be what you can take down and bring in."


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    "Excellent. I just need to bring a few ingots so I can repair my weapons," I said as I followed her.


    "Can you do that without a forge?" she asked.


    "Yes, but it''ll be slower," I said, which was a bit of misrepresentation. Technically, there was a way I could do so, but it would be pointlessly inefficient. I wanted to bring them because I wanted to see if I could use mana forging as a cold forging method. "By the way, do you have a sword skill I can use?" I added. "Something that focuses on defense. I love my hammer, but I don''t think it''s a good weapon to use against an assassin."


    "Hmm, you receive one point to your Dexterity, right," she said. I nodded. "I have an uncommon skill called Stalwart Guard that focuses more on shield than a sword. We purchased several during the initial tests, but it didn''t work as well as we had hoped against the insect monsters."


    "Exactly what I need," I replied as I followed her to the armory once more. She pulled that skill stone from a dusty shelf, showing it wasn''t touched for a long time.


    [Skill Stone: Stalwart Guard (Uncommon)]


    I immediately absorbed it, ignoring the pain and discomfort. While having two melee skills was a waste for most warriors, production classes received too many skill slots to care about that. Having a new style that could help me defend against another potential assassin was worth using a slot.


    Especially since improving it would take much less with my mana trick.


    Once the pain of absorbing an external skill faded, I tested it a bit. One of the gladius-style short swords I had spent most of my time repairing worked wonderfully with it, but only when I had a shield ready.


    "Not bad," I muttered. Paired with a large shield, it could be used against someone with a larger armor. Once that was done, I slipped the ring back to my finger, activating the spell effect. Once that was done, I followed Eleanor to the griffin, and sat behind her.


    She said nothing at first. I grabbed the saddle desperately, wishing for a distraction. But, since I was supposed to not be there, I couldn''t say anything. The vertigo was even worse while watching my skin change color constantly.


    Apparently, the camouflage spell didn''t count the back of a griffin as moving. A weird, arbitrary rule, but at this point, I was used to them.


    "You can remove the ring," she said.


    "Finally," I groaned as I put it in my pocket.


    "You''re getting more used to flying," she said.


    "Y-yeah," I answered, which was all I wanted to say about the subject. "Why don''t you tell me about the dungeon?" I said. While it was important, I was even more desperate for a distraction.


    "Sure. You have been in a dungeon, right?"


    "A few times, but merely for observation," I said, which was true. Dungeons were truly fantastical. Self-sustaining closed spaces that didn''t correspond to their physical surroundings, constantly generating monsters that were capable of dropping items once killed like a video game.


    Unfortunately, they were as fascinating as a venomous snake. They appeared without a distinct pattern. Some of them were easy to handle, and turned into a source of economic prosperity. The others were too dangerous to handle, requiring a dedicated force of experts to delve into the depths and destroy it.


    And, some of them just went undiscovered, growing more and more until they exploded, spewing an army of monsters.


    I had visited a few of them with hired escorts ¡ª when I was reasonably wealthy ¡ª to see what had been going on, but once I realized I lacked the tools to even start penetrating their mystery, I lost my interest.


    The stars were fascinating as well, but I didn''t continuously look at the sky and hoped to figure out how a main sequence star worked.


    "Really? Most people prefer to level up in the dungeons. It''s certainly more efficient, and drops help."


    Another fun detail. Only in dungeons, did monsters drop items. Outside, they just killed and died.


    "No. I didn''t fight most of the time," I said. "It''s rather new."


    "Nothing to be ashamed of. It makes your improvement even more impressive," she said. "Now, the first thing you need to be careful of is that dungeons always have a mist that blocks the view. It depends on the type, but even the best one is merely more than three hundred yards. Our dungeon has a fifty yard range. Not exactly horrible, but enough to remove the probability of ranged combat. We have some flare scrolls for emergencies, but you need to angle them correctly for the people to notice."


    "Understood," I said.


    "The monsters inside are not exactly fast, but they can turn and twitch surprisingly quickly, which makes hitting their weak spots a challenge. Also, be careful about their mandibles. They can cut through armor. And, once you kill them, you have less than a minute before their shell melts, which can be difficult solo."


    "Not for me. I can just rip a large piece," I said. "How about the drops?"


    "Nothing much. Their drops are pretty rare in the first place. Mostly some basic skills, a couple common ones, and a few spell schemas. Nothing that goes for more than a few silver, basically negligible with the current scale."


    "What about the crystals and the herbs?"


    "Those grow on the dungeon walls, and the System Shop buys them. Some of them can even go for a gold or two."


    "I''m guessing they are rare, or they would be the main source of income," I said.


    "Yes. They grow on their own, and require constant exploration. Other than them, there''s not much vegetation in this dungeon. It''s more like a lifeless desert of stone, interrupted only by some shrubbery."


    "Sound drab," I said.


    "I prefer drab over complicated every day. Once, I fought in a jungle dungeon. Trees everywhere, hiding venomous monsters behind. It was pretty much hell."


    I shuddered. She was right. Lifeless desert sounded much better than a jungle.


    "Luckily, it''s merely stuck in a constant twilight rather than darkness, so we don''t have to deal with torches. Now, about the movement of the monsters. The first thing you need to pay attention to is¡­"


    Most of the points she mentioned were obvious, but I still listened to them with rapt attention.


    It was much better than focusing on my current mode of transportation.

 Chapter 28

    "Don''t forget to keep your helmet on, just in case," Eleanor said even as we landed. Only when the movement of the griffin stopped, I opened my eyes once again. "Your beard is impressive, but let''s not take a risk."


    I scratched my beard. Forcing it to grow faster was one of the pointless tricks I could do with Health. I just needed to keep it focused on my face, and it quickened the hair growth. A little bleach, and I comfortably looked like someone in mid-forties rather than thirty-one.


    Not all disguises needed to be elaborate.


    "Sure," I said even as I looked around, taking note of the environment. The first thing that caught my gaze was the gate made of glowing energy, about ten feet tall and half as wide, enough for two people to pass at once.


    Dungeon Gate. The biggest problem Earth had ever faced, but also the biggest source of our growth. Talk about a mixed bag.


    Interestingly, contrary to my expectation, there was no mana around the glowing gate. I had always assumed that they were dense in terms of mana. Another curiosity I wanted to explore, but it was not the time.


    Around it, was a fortress to defend it, garrisoned by merely twenty guards. It was one benefit of mana dead location. The monsters around were much weaker, though inability to employ mages for anything other than emergencies reduced even that advantage somewhat.


    It wasn''t a fully fledged camp, but more of a keep, with merely a few buildings in its limits. From the open gate, I could see a secondary wall outside, currently holding several carriages, probably there to transport the gains to the camp.


    Looking outside, I could see why they hadn''t simply built their frontier camp next to the dungeon. It was on top of a hill, making any large-scale construction difficult. On the flipside, it was easy to defend against the monsters. A benefit, as it was a well known fact that monsters had a tendency to attack dungeon gates from outside.


    A defensible location made a dungeon more valuable. And, one advantage of a mana dead location was that the number of monsters was considerably lesser. No wonder they continued to operate the dungeon even after Thomas took the official guards away.


    However, it was clear that the fort wasn''t relying just on an easily defensible position. It had four large towers, each holding three siege weapons. Large ballistas, to be exact. Their presence was rare, but they were still a part of defending towns.


    I couldn''t help but sigh as I looked at them. The existence of the siege weapons had been another problem that prevented the growth of the Blacksmiths.


    They were just rarely used. A part of it was the cost. I didn''t know for sure how much they cost, but considering our town only had a dozen of them to defend a much larger area, I guessed that they were valued based on platinum coins. Their ammunition was equally expensive, but effective, perfect for taking larger monsters that threatened the stationary defenses.


    Ironically, their use case prevented the blacksmiths'' growth even more.


    One problem was making them. There was no recipe for making siege weapons in our Forge and Repair skills, something that continued to be true for my mana variants. Which meant, no easy construction.


    If that had been the only problem, it could have been bypassed. Ultimately, the design of a ballista wasn''t exactly the most complicated thing. Even if we couldn''t make them as good as the other weapons, as long as blacksmiths could forge them for cheaper, the quantity could be used to cover up quality. Once the walls were covered up with hundreds of ballistas, the towns would be even more secure.


    The real problem with that strategy was that using siege weapons didn''t trigger the System. It meant, no matter how many monsters had been killed by siege weapons, there was no System feedback, meaning no leveling up, and no upgrade of skills.


    And, since the monsters'' attack on the town was one of the safest ways people could level up, the blacksmiths that tried to develop that direction had been quick to abandon that path. It was another reason to believe that, in the larger scheme of things, Blacksmiths were truly useless, even among the other production classes.


    A fact I had also believed up until very recently.


    Maybe I would try my hand on making some ammunition. Making an actual ballista was equally tempting, but since I either needed to coordinate with a woodworker, or forge it purely out of metal, which would take too much material.


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    Not to mention, I could hardly hide it when someone visited.


    "I know it can be stressful to enter a dungeon, but please focus. You''re representing your guild," Eleanor called, pulling me out of my pondering, also reminding me that I was supposed to be an employee for another guild.


    "I was just checking the quality of the defenses," I said loudly. "We need to make sure the dungeon won''t be any trouble."


    "Not to worry. We''re very careful to defend both sides," she said. "Now, follow me."


    I did, and stepped through the glowing gate. A brief vertigo hit me as I was enveloped by light.


    The next time I was on the ground, I was in a land of twilight, surrounded by a thick mist. At the edge of the mist, tall walls rose, far thicker than the ones outside. Sixteen towers rose high, tall enough that I couldn''t see their top, but I had no doubt that they held multiple ballistas.


    As I examined the defenses, I was starting to believe that I might have misunderstood the true power of the Griffin family. It wasn''t just the number of siege weapons. I didn''t know much about the dungeons, but I knew that not many organizations dared to establish permanent encampments inside the dungeon.


    It made the operation far more efficient, but it also required a significant commitment to defend. It explained why Thomas taking the family forces away troubled them so much. Without the encampment, they would have been able to just reduce the number of trips but still work with a somewhat high efficiency.


    Now, with their forces split into three different encampments, they had to keep their operation slow until the caravan could arrive with the new recruits.


    No wonder they were losing money despite the incredible sales price of a shell.


    I began to pay more attention to the operation as I followed her.


    Unlike the other side of the camp, there were no buildings inside, just several open carts and a few workers currently piling them with bloody shells. "For now, you can use our fortress as a staging ground, but when your guild gets here, they need to establish their own fortress near ours," she explained loudly enough for the others to hear. "For now, you can borrow one of our carts, but you have to drag it yourself."


    "That''s agreeable, Lady Eleanor," I replied, playing the role even as I grabbed one of the carts and pulled it with me. It was not a challenging job for a blacksmith.


    We didn''t say anything more as she led me outside, and I dragged a cart with me. Meanwhile, she passed me a small bundle. "In here, there''s a map, and multiple flares. It shouldn''t be any risk unless you go too deep, as the monsters can''t move fast enough to keep up with you, but be careful," she said. "I won''t be able to stay with you. I have a patrol to lead."


    That was not a surprise. Dungeons were treated as a prime leveling spot, mostly because the risks inside were predictable, especially near the gate. Assuming, of course, there were regular patrols deeper to keep the monster density manageable.


    I didn''t answer her immediately, but instead watched a scene at the edge of my vision. At a distance, there were two warriors, facing against an insect that was about two feet tall and five feet long, including the dangerous looking mandibles. One had poked it with a long spear, made of ordinary wood. The moment it poked against the shell, the wood started degrading.


    The monster attacked him with a surprising burst of speed. He dodged the attacks multiple times, carefully leading it to his partner, waiting for an opportunity. Only when he caught the monster in the middle of its attack, he stabbed, sinking the blade to its mouth.


    When he pulled, a sickly glow was around his sword, looking ruined. He probably could use it once more, but it would be the limit. However, the monster was not dead yet.


    It required another stabbing, which turned the sword mostly useless. The two warriors managed to take an insect down in tandem in less than a minute. When it died, a small cloud of mana appeared. It dissipated even faster than usual. Even with my Meditation far higher than usual, I shouldn''t be able to absorb a point.


    I smiled. While meditation wouldn''t have worked, the same wasn''t true for the mana blow trick I had improvised. It latched it to mana directly, so it should allow me to catch some mana.


    I continued to watch as the one that had been playing the bait pulled a few weird looking implements, and used them to pull the largest piece of shell while keeping it pristine.


    Interestingly, once the beast died, touching the shell didn''t cause any damage.


    The shell piece they took was the biggest one, but it was still just a small piece, roughly round, from the center of its back. "They only take one piece?" I asked.


    "That''s the only piece that can be sold for eight silver," she replied. "The other pieces merely go for a silver, and it''s hard to extract them on time."


    I didn''t ask what she meant. When they pulled back, the monster started fading into some kind of weird blue and white light that matched the dungeon''s entrance.


    Another feature of the dungeons. Absorbing the dead monster back.


    Merely two minutes of work, and they were eight silver richer. Of course, minus all the costs, the fee for the access rights to the dungeon for access, and the cut the guards of the System Store would take¡­ Still, not a bad profit.


    "Looks easy," I commented.


    "It is, when they are alone," she answered. "When they are more crowded, properly taking them down is very troubling." Then, she looked at my hammer. "Not for you, of course," she said as she led me away from the camp.


    We walked about half a mile, before she brought me to a rocky area which limited mobility significantly. "This is the best place for you," she said. "Our hunting teams don''t get near here because it''s hard to properly bait them without a proper movement area."


    "But, it''s perfect for me," I said even as I moved toward the nearest monster. It attacked me, but stepping sideways had been easy. I smashed my hammer down and retreated from the path of the attack smoothly.


    My skill might be offensively oriented, dodging was still a part of it. It still took ten blows to bring the beast down, almost a minute.


    Of course, that was without using mana.


    "Excellent. You have eight hours before we return. Don''t get too far away, or do something stupid," she said before she walked away.


    I twirled my hammer. For the first time, I was feeling excited for a fight.

 Chapter 29

    I took down a few monsters while Eleanor walked away, still holding back, ripping the shells carelessly from their bodies. I didn''t absorb the mana from them, both as a test of my abilities without mana assistance, and as a precaution in case she was still nearby.


    Naturally, there was no reaction from the System. The insects were decent enemies, but not enough to help someone around level thirty to level up immediately. By spending about a minute each monster, the leveling efficiency would be much lower than trying to fight outside.


    Then, there was the weapon destruction effect. While it wasn''t as much as directly plunging into the mouth of the beast, every hit to the shell degraded the weapon somewhat. It was impossible to notice it with the naked eye, but with the Advanced Inspect, I could easily watch the damage. That effect got even stronger once a shell was cracked.


    It was some kind of spell, sticking to the surface of the metal to worm itself to the surface, almost working like acid for a second before fading away.


    It was interesting, but I couldn''t focus on it as much as I wanted. Watching one of them bite a huge rock into two was enough to remind me that this operation was not without risk. Maybe I could spend more time testing it if the guards capture and immobilize one.


    For now, it was time to improve my combat skills, and maybe gain a few levels. I first pulled the cart behind a rock. The monsters didn''t seem to care about inanimate objects, but even if they did, I didn''t care. Instead, I moved deeper into the rocky area, holding a broken shell in my hand.


    Once I was sure that no one was around, I smashed it aggressively, and drained its mana.


    [+3 Mana]


    "Well, that was much less than I had hoped," I muttered. Normally, I would be able to drain almost twenty mana from a similarly damaged shell, but it was without the dungeon absorbing it back. Not that I cared much.


    Then, I pulled the map Eleanor had given me, and examined it. The map only showed the first floor ¡ª as there were similar glowing passages that led to other floors ¡ª which was roughly circular.


    With a radius of ten miles.


    And, as if the idea of a pocket universe wasn''t fascinating enough, I also knew that ten miles was relatively small as far as dungeons went. Truly fascinating.


    Too bad I was here, inside an incredible miracle, only to kill monsters like a barbarian rather than exploring it as a proper scientist.


    The map showed the patrol areas and the safe spots clearly. Eleanor had given it to me to keep me from getting into trouble, but I had the exact opposite intention. For me, it represented the best areas to operate.


    "But first, a test," I muttered as I moved toward another monster, and pushed the mana to the head of the hammer. Though, once again, I was able to repeat the trick of mana attack only when I thought of the hammer as a forging tool.


    Though, even as I faced the monster, and barely dodged the attack, I realized a small problem. Focusing on my Forging skill meant that the reflexive footwork didn''t arrive. I was barely able to switch skills before throwing myself to the side, rolling painfully.


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 53 - 55]


    "Note to myself, be careful about switching skills," I muttered as I looked at the corpse of the monster. If that blow didn''t kill it in one hit, it wouldn''t be that easy.


    I sat on the ground, watching the mangled remains of the beast. The mana blow, even if it was just worth three points, increased its effectiveness against the shell significantly. It had turned the loot completely worthless.


    More importantly, since its shell had been destroyed completely, the mana cloud around it was much thicker. More than enough for me to catch some using Mana Blow. Meaning, I could deal with multiple monsters without the need for stopping to replenish my mana.


    I was still stuck near the cart for almost half an hour, hunting the monsters until my mana reserves were full, and killing twenty more insects in the process. Without holding back, I was able to shatter their shells in merely four or five hits even without using mana. But, without mana, there was no rapid skill increase.


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    Absorbing Mana was a slow process, but even half an hour was only possible because of my high Meditation skill. If it was below twenty five, I wouldn''t have been able to take even a drop of mana from the greedy pull of the dungeon.


    I fully intended to use the Mana Blow trick to kill the beasts rather than using my stored mana, but wasting an hour was acceptable for additional safety.


    "It''s time," I muttered even as I moved forward, my hammer flipping in my hand as I left the safe area behind, and moved toward the edge of the dungeon.


    The landscape got rockier and rockier, but I didn''t care about it. I was more interested in the density of the insects. I deliberately positioned myself so that multiple monsters moved toward me at the same time.


    The first one, I killed using my reserves. Unlike trying to reverse the flow of Meditation, mana leaked out of my body smoothly to land on my hammer head.


    [-4 Mana]


    A single blow, and the target had been dealt with. This time, knowing that it would die in one blow, I hadn''t thrown myself to the side in panic.


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 55 - 57]


    Instead, I shifted back to Mana Forge, which allowed me to gather the mana around my hammer far faster than I could with Meditation. A step forward, and another beast died. Killing them unassisted allowed my skill to improve far faster.


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 57 - 59]


    "Let''s go," I muttered as I moved deeper recklessly, especially once I realized that using mana blow prevented the erosion effect from their shell sticking to my hammer, preventing durability loss.


    A dungeon where I didn''t need to share with others was an incredible treasure, especially one that fit my skill configuration perfectly. It was the perfect environment to use the benefits of the System. So, when I drifted away enough to see a swarm of insects, the count easily reaching hundreds, I moved forward.


    The only thing that I paid attention to was not to be surrounded by the swarm as my hammer danced, my movement getting smoother and smoother.


    Once my hammer skill reached seventies, it only started to increase once with every kill. At around eighty proficiency, it started going up once in several monsters. A pity, but not a big one. Having an external combat skill in the eighties was already fascinating enough. After improving my skill so much, I was able to shatter the shell with one hit, even without using Mana.


    The skill didn''t increase my Strength, but it gave me many new tricks to create an unbelievable sense of leverage, which was only possible due to Dexterity helping my body move.


    As I destroyed the insects, their bodies continued to disappear. However, not all of them had disappeared into nothing. Several of them had left glowing orbs behind. Skills.


    However, I didn''t have time to stop and take them, since I was dealing with a swarm of huge insects. Instead, I continued killing, and counting.


    As my skill proficiency passed the hundred and fifty mark, an even more welcome notification appeared.


    [Level 32 - 33]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength,, +2 Dexterity]


    I started moving smoothly. It was even more efficient than leveling with Maria''s help. Experiencing it directly, I could understand why people were charging for dungeon access. Fighting against only one type of enemy made things far easier.


    As I fought, I realized an unexpected situation. As I continued to kill, the surrounding monsters started to get antsy. Still, I wasn''t deep enough for it to be a risk, so I merely decided to deal with the mess.


    I fought for almost twenty minutes without interruption, which was a challenge that would have exhausted any warrior. But, that was another benefit of being a Blacksmith. There were some classes that didn''t even receive Vitality, while most of them only received one point. Blacksmith received double, giving us a considerable endurance even without burning Health to reinforce the muscles.


    As I fought, another reward arrived.


    [Level 33 - 34]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Essence]


    When the onslaught was over, I had killed a total of five hundred and forty six monsters, though there was no sign of it other than a few glowing orbs, the rest had long disappeared. However, I didn''t bother gathering the skill stones just yet.


    While I was curious to check them and see if there was anything useful, something else was far more important.


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) - 100]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Shattering Blow / Smooth Step]


    I was as happy to learn that there was an unexpected benefit to leveling external skills as much as I was happy about leveling once more.


    Too bad it seemed to hit its limit by reaching hundred, not improving further. Another choice." Smooth Step was tempting. It was clearly related to dodging, which was helpful. However I chose Shattering Blow.


    I already had a new skill focused on defense. For the moment, trying to focus on my strength seemed like a better idea.


    That way, even without mana, I could deal with a horde, an ability I could reveal to Eleanor. Not today, maybe, but it would be convincing after a few more trips. It would still be hard to swallow, but I could always spin a tale about discovering my aptitude toward fighting with a hammer, maybe mixing with some kind of desperate battle against ten thousand bugs.


    It was well known that the desperation of death helped skills improve faster.


    It would mean potentially revealing a secret ¡ª that external skills granted a Perk once they reached proficiency one hundred ¡ª but I wasn''t afraid of it for multiple reasons. First, I had a feeling that it wasn''t a big secret. I was sure that bigger organizations had long discovered it.


    Unlike my Mana Skill upgrade, its discovery was far more straightforward. Meaning, it was a secret I could give up safely to improve her impression of me.


    I made a note to proudly declare that I had already reached sixty today. A good lie benefited from a good foundation.


    Then, I started walking toward the glowing skill orbs.

 Chapter 30

    I walked around the battlefield, collecting the skill stones. Not that it took a long time, as there were merely fifteen of them. It meant, about only one in thirty of the beasts had dropped a skill.


    Of those fifteen skill stones, nine of them didn''t react, showing that I lacked the prerequisite conditions to activate them. And, since the dungeon didn''t drop anything truly rare, I guessed it was related to missing stats rather than anything I could match. Perception, Charisma, Wisdom ¡­ and, my biggest achilles heel, Intelligence.


    That, or they might be some commonplace spell schemas or construction recipes that required a specific ability. Then, I started examining the six that I received.


    [Skill Stone: Overhead Strike (Basic)]


    [Skill Stone: Ice Blast (Basic)]


    [Skill Stone: Nurture (Basic)]


    [Skill Stone: Nurture (Basic)]


    [Skill Stone: Swipe (Basic)]


    [Skill Stone: Stab (Basic)]


    Ice Blast had immediately caught my attention among the available skills. A magic skill, something incredibly tempting in more ways than one. However, no matter how tempting it was, I didn''t absorb it immediately.


    A dungeon wasn''t the best place for starting a new experiment. It was better to focus on the one I had in front of me.


    The other five skill stones weren''t as interesting. Nurture was the sole class skill of Farmers, which was a class that was even more unfortunate than Blacksmiths. Not only were they limited to receiving only one point of Vitality, but they also received only one class skill, which could be used to hasten the growth of the plants.


    One that used their Health in return.


    They almost exclusively worked in greenhouses, growing food. While monster meat could be used as a food, metabolizing the enhanced food they produced was faster. The basic variant, in particular, was useless at this point.


    Of the three combat skills, two of them were worthless. At this point, the basic skills were plentiful enough to be picked for a few copper coins, and even a common combat skill wasn''t too different. I hadn''t changed mine before, mostly because I hadn''t been planning to go to the trouble of improving my proficiency from the start.


    Actually, absorbing Stab was tempting as well. Just like how Overhead Strike was a basic hammer skill, Stab was a basic spear skill. Adding another weapon to the mix was an alluring idea, particularly after confirming that I was able to gain a Perk from improving external skills.


    A simple perk, maybe, but only through the existence of my Perks was I able to break through the limits of the skills.


    "One step at a time," I said even as I collected the skill stones, not absorbing any of them.


    Before absorbing them, I needed to confirm that the rapid improvement trick actually worked with weapons other than hammer, which was not a given.


    "Let''s see if it works," I muttered even as I retreated back toward my cart. On the way, I had killed a few insects, but I didn''t bother using any mana. Instead, I focused on collecting their shells to put on the cart. It was better to be safe than sorry.


    When I arrived, the cart had been untouched. I put the shells I collected there as well as all skills except three ¡ª Stab, Nurture, and Ice Blast ¡ª before I changed my weapons to sword and shield. It was finally the time to test the skill properly.


    I attacked the air. My movement was direct, straightforward, and most importantly, incompetent, which was inevitable. One point of proficiency didn''t mean much, and the glaring mistakes were even more obvious after bringing another combat skill to hundred.


    I ignored them, and instead tried to use mana in my storage to attack. It would be easier to use than Mana Blow.


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    [-2 Mana]


    It failed.


    "That''s not good," I muttered. I was very confident that I could use the mana to enhance the attack, but it didn''t even take hold around the sword. I tried the same thing multiple times, trying to modify the shape of the mana.


    Even when I depleted most of my mana, it failed. My unfamiliarity was not helping. "I need to watch a swordsman use mana attacks," I deduced, which was not exactly easy to find. I didn''t know if Eleanor was capable of using mana. She might be depending on the class, as there were multiple hybrid classes. But, I didn''t see her use one. And, I couldn''t ask her about it without looking suspicious.


    She wasn''t like Maria, willing to entertain my random questions. Nor was she careless enough not to realize she would be revealing potential secrets.


    Waiting for Maria was the easiest way. It was likely that she had a melee external skill that she could use for emergencies. I remembered that she carried a dagger. However, I needed to wait almost five days for her. There were other ways to handle things.


    "And, I don''t need mana for the first step, do I?" I said to myself. Just because the mana trick didn''t work didn''t mean I didn''t have any other option.


    I made a simple forward attack with the sword a few times, then switched to hammer, replicating the attack. Of course, the weapons were really different, but so was the difference between one point of proficiency and a hundred.


    More importantly, there was a lot of overlap between two melee skills, just like there was a strong overlap between Repair and Forge. The concept of balance, momentum, maintaining a distance ¡­ all had been a relevant part of it.


    It took merely five swings to improve my skill once.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 1 - 2]


    I was more than happy to discover another way to improve the skill. Clearly, it wasn''t too effective, barely matching the speed of killing monsters, especially with the momentum lacking. I practiced for ten minutes.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 2 - 11]


    The improvement was nice, but not as high as it could have been. It slowed down significantly once I passed the ten point mark. It was barely enough to fight against monsters.


    However, I didn''t rush to fight against them immediately. I only had one shield, and I didn''t want to ruin it with a mistake.


    "Speaking of shields," I said even as I paused, focusing on the skill once more. I referred to it as a sword skill, but it wasn''t, was it? It was a sword and shield skill. Once I reached ten proficiency, several moves that included the shield in a more offensive manner had opened up.


    That put a big smile on my face for one, good reason. In terms of momentum, a shield attack was more similar to a hammer than a sword. "Let''s try it again," I said. I started another round of practice, this time focusing on shield attacks over sword ones.


    The skill continued to rise. Half an hour of practice had been enough to bring my skill to a new stage.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) - 25]


    "Cheating is fun," I said even as I started moving deeper once again. While I had been fighting, I had been interrupted by the occasional monster, but I chose to deal with them using my hammer. It was the first time I was going to use a sword.


    I approached an insect, trusting the skill to do its job. When the beast attacked, I took a step to the side, and slammed it with my shield. Unbalanced, I followed with multiple attacks, a combination of shield and sword, relying on the direction of the skill.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 25 - 26]


    The reward was nice, but the damage to both my sword and shield was considerable. No wonder they dealt with the monster by distracting it.


    Still. It was a reasonable sacrifice. The damage to weapons would explain how I was able to improve the combat skill that quickly. An improvement I wanted to reveal, at least to some degree. It would be less suspicious than suddenly defending myself with incredible proficiency if the need arose.


    "Now, the next trick," I said as I tried to time my attacks with a mana burst.


    It wasn''t like the mana blow. It didn''t impact my attack. However, it managed to interfere with the corrosion effect, preventing the weapons from slowly getting damaged. It was another trick, but not a particularly valuable one. Simply repairing them was easier.


    "Still, it''s always better to know more rather than less," I said, more than happy with my performance.


    After killing a few more beasts, I started experimenting once more, doing my best to correct the skill based on the feedback of the hammer attacks. I occasionally switched weapons just to refresh my memory.


    Soon, another dozen insects fell under my attacks, and I ripped their shells before they faded. Though, even as I repeated the attack, I noticed an interesting detail. The ones with their shells ripped didn''t seem to drop skills at the same rate.


    "Interesting. Too bad it''s not statistically significant," I pondered. I needed to kill a lot of beasts and test it that way. However, first, I wanted to finish improving my sword skill. I continued killing, not only collecting shells, but also improving the skill high enough to ¡ª hopefully ¡ª impress Eleanor without alarming her.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) - 41]


    "Impressive, but not groundbreaking," I finally said. The best part, the way I improved it was actually replicable. She could test it with another hammer expert, and they would get some results.


    Not at the same level, but enough to keep her from getting suspicious.


    I returned to the cart to drop my sword and shield along with the excess shells. Then, I moved deeper, hammer in hand, feeling strangely excited that I would be able to run the experiment myself. The day had been filled with fascinating discoveries.


    Maybe that had been my mistake all along, I decided. I relied on others to collect data, rather than doing it myself.


    I had another experiment to run.

 Chapter 31

    After killing another three hundred monsters ¡ª half with their shells ripped, half left intact ¡ª I had received three rewards, with ascending importance. I had collected six skill stones. I had reached level thirty-five.


    And, I gathered enough data to reinforce the idea that the intact monsters had a higher likelihood of dropping a skill stone. I received two stones from the first group, and four from the second. It could still be a coincidence, but the numbers were still reliable.


    At the same time, I noticed that whenever a skill stone appeared, the glow had been slightly brighter. "Let''s try something else," I muttered even as I found another small group. This time, when I killed them, I made sure to pile their corpses together.


    I expected them to disappear in sequence, but ten of them had disappeared at the same time, leaving a skill stone behind. "I wonder if that''s a coincidence."


    It turned out that, it was not. Whenever I piled at least ten monsters together, there was always at least one skill stone. Even better, they were not exclusively basic, and there had been some common mixed, but the results were tempting. I wanted to try increasing the number, but there was a limit to the number I could pile alone.


    The moment the first one reached the time limit, they all disappeared together.


    For that, I needed to go deeper.


    "I''m probably trying to discover something that''s already known," I pondered even as I moved farther away, not even bothering to bring back the shells I collected. Instead, I just demolished them to replenish my mana as an insurance.


    With an uncommon skill maximized, I wasn''t afraid of the risks of the first floor, but that was not an excuse to be careless.


    This time, I didn''t stop until I found an even bigger swarm. The mist prevented me from counting the full numbers, but their distribution pattern suggested that there were at least five hundred of them. "At least another level," I muttered, but I didn''t attack them directly. Instead, I searched for a nice, defensible spot with a solid rock behind me.


    There were two reasons for it. Fighting without worrying about attacks from behind was more fitting to my style. And, with the monsters attacking en masse, I didn''t need to waste any effort piling them together.


    Once that was done, I went to attack the first one. The swarm reacted as one, chasing me to the spot I had picked. What followed was a man against a thousand monsters, a daring and incredible fight ¡­ or, at least, it should have been.


    Instead, it was no different than repairing a hundred swords at once. Interesting trick, but once it was discovered, the process was almost routine. Mostly, I dealt with them using the standard Mana Blow trick, and whenever the numbers turned tricky, I relied fully on skills, Shattering Blow easily solving the trouble.


    I just needed to let out a point of mana to prevent the backlash from damaging my hammer.


    In the end, I killed almost a thousand monsters, yet gained merely one level, showing that I was already reaching the limits in terms of gaining a level. I doubted that I would be able to gain even one more level today.


    However, I didn''t care about that, and collected the skill stones. I had another fifteen skill stones in hand. Most of it, I wasn''t able to properly read. But what I had received from the largest pile I had managed to gather ¡ª thirty-eight insects ¡ª had already reinforced my assumption.


    [Skill Stone: Nurture (Uncommon)]


    I wondered if there were any uncommon skills in the mix. Too bad I wasn''t able to read most of them. I decided to keep them separate and ask Maria later. Better safe than sorry.


    However, the Nurture skill, I absorbed. I had no reason not to. Unlike common skills, I already knew that uncommon ones could grant a perk, and as long as I act creatively, I should be able to raise it to its limit and get a Perk.


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    [Nurture (Uncommon) - 1]


    And, while having a combat perk was convenient, it didn''t fascinate me as much as getting another trick that relied on production skills. The synergy possibilities were incredible.


    Assuming, of course, I could make it work.


    Curious about how it would go, I moved to one of the rare half-dead thorny plants, and put my hand on it. I felt a familiar energy move inside me, and went through my finger. It was a subtle feeling, one that I would have missed if I hadn''t been playing around with my Vitality for the last three years.


    To my shame, I was not making any progress. The best trick I had been able to discover was to imbue my blood with Health, which only came useful due to sheer coincidence. I never even thought about acquiring a Nurture skill to test.


    Mostly because, up until I had combined Forge and Repair, I hadn''t even thought about using skills to improve each other.


    Sometimes, all it took was a new look to a paradigm shift to open a completely new path.


    As I used Nurture, I could feel my Health moving in a smoothness I could never replicate even as it departed my finger and disappeared into the plant. I repeated multiple times, wasting some of my Health, all without getting any feedback other than the leaves getting greener.


    [-92 Health]


    "That''s enough experimentation," I said even as I left the plant behind. I wasn''t annoyed with my lack of success, as it was only the first impression. It wasn''t even a proper failure. The talk I had given Eleanor was not just for show.


    I was used to tangling with a complicated problem for months without getting a result, persisting. "Looking back, it was the mistake that led me stuck in that dead end job for three years, ignoring the obvious," I pondered. I was so used to succeeding when I had put my mind into it, I didn''t even bother working for the alternative path even as I decided to join the budding research organizations.


    Though, I wondered what my old therapist would say. Maybe something about unhealthy focus on achievements, or something about seeking comfort in familiarity in face of disaster.


    "Maybe one day, I''ll learn," I muttered, wondering if she was alive. A thought that I abandoned once I started killing monsters once again, but with a twist.


    This time, I focused on using the sword. Technically, it was a good piece of equipment, because it stunted my performance significantly. In three hours, I could kill at least three thousand with the hammer, maybe more if I was lucky and find a larger swarm, which would give me not only enough materials to keep going for a long time, but also help me gain at least another level or two, even with the rapidly lessening effect of the weaker monsters.


    However, it wasn''t worth the suspicion it would generate. I couldn''t show an incredible improvement in both techniques during the same day. Showing off my sword skill was not the safer option, but there were certain advantages.


    Like asking her some questions on how to use a sword. Even if she didn''t have the ability to use mana, she still had at least a Rare skill. Any insight she provided might help me improve my second skill even further.


    Also, I had to admit, trying to come up with new ways to deal with the giant insects was more fun than I had expected. I was getting more and more used to weaponizing my shield, and I had the advantage in pure strength as long as I didn''t just try to tank their charge.


    A few shield bashes put them in an unbalanced state, slowing their attack, giving me the chance to deliver a killing blow.


    The only problem with the style was the weapon degradation. It damaged them far more than the method the others had been using. Considering the price and rarity of the ingots that were used for repairs, I would have been operating at a loss even without factoring in the taxes and various expenses.


    However, not caring about making ends meet was truly a luxury. I just repaired them directly while using ingots. I didn''t even need to start a fire, just used mana directly to merge the alloy ingots with the shield and the sword.


    Raising Mana Repair over sixty had opened up a lot of new opportunities. Of course, I still pulled several bushes and set a small fire, just enough to mislead Eleanor.


    I could have repaired them even without using the material I brought along, but that would have required a real fire, intense enough to soften the metal so I could infuse it with mana once again, which was not exactly easy to set up.


    A smirk appeared on my face as I imagined myself in the dungeon, with a huge forge setup, swatting monsters and repairing weapons. A nice dream, but a little bit too noticeable for my taste.


    I continued killing monsters while practicing the skill, but I only managed to gain four more points, showing that I had already depleted the benefits from my other combat skill. So, halfway, I changed focus and started trying to figure out how to use mana attacks.


    Though, once I depleted my mana, I stopped. Eleanor might return early, and I didn''t want to get caught playing with Mana. I still didn''t know if she could use ¡ª or at least sense ¡ª mana, but until I was sure, I would go around with empty mana reserves.


    I didn''t have any success, but toward the end, I managed to time it perfectly to at least protect the sword. It was probably useless, as anyone that could use mana would have been targeting more profitable dungeons. While this dungeon had been a source of fortune for me, ultimately, it wasn''t really anything worthwhile in the grand scale.


    Or, they wouldn''t have used it as a tool for a bet.

 Chapter 32

    Eleanor arrived as I was in the middle of another fight. She walked toward me rather than running, but I could see her freeze for a moment even as I fought against the monster, throwing it around easily.


    It was hard to pinpoint the skill level without some direct tests, but a rough guess was far easier. Even a conservative estimate would put that over thirties. I said nothing as she approached, stabbing the monster through its mouth after a fight that lasted about half a minute.


    "Wow, incredible performance," she said. I was surprised, not by her words, but her smile. It was the first time I saw her lips stretching that much. "How did you pull that off?"


    I smiled, curious if I could leverage it for another advantage, but in the end, I decided to stick to the familiar excuse. While revealing what was possibly a secret rankled me, I was almost certain that it was common knowledge for people at her level.


    There was no way the whole world had missed something that straightforward for three years. "A little luck, a little skill," I replied.


    "What do you mean?" she asked.


    "I''m sure you noticed that a skill improves faster if someone has been more competent if they were familiar with the subject," I said.


    "Of course," she said as she shifted her stance. "You can''t believe how glad I am for picking fencing as a hobby even before the Cataclysm," she said, her sword shifting to a familiar stance, yet lacking the smoothness of a skill.


    It might be the first real personal information I had from her.


    "Exactly, that''s the part of the reason I improved quickly," I said.


    "Really, you did fencing as well?" she said.


    "No, but I had visited my fair share of renaissance fairs, jousting and playing fake knight," I said. She frowned, clearly not finding it reasonable. Not a problem, as that was just there for a later stage, when others failed to copy. "Though, the real benefit had been forging," I said.


    "What do you mean?" she asked, looking confused.


    "Swinging a hammer for three years taught me a lot about how to swing heavy objects the best way, especially with my Hammer of Might as a template," I said even as I used a shield attack. It was an aggressive downward swing, one that was most similar to the movement of a hammer.


    "I see, clever," she said, but I could see her smile fading to a look of boredom. She was not really interested in it. Understandable, as what I had revealed would only be effective for beginning. Three years ago, it would have been extremely valuable, but currently, there were easier ways to increase skills.


    Like finding a dungeon that fitted well with the skill before starting to kill, like the insect monsters and the hammer skill.


    "Of course, I still managed to raise it to forty-five. Even with the similarities, it should mean that I have a talent for the sword," I added, curious whether it would make her interested. Her earlier reaction convinced me that it was a safe move.


    "Forty-five, in eight hours? Impressive," she said even as she raised her sword. "Let''s see how good you are. Defend yourself."


    With that, she dashed forward. She was faster than I had expected, but not enough to keep me from pulling down my shield to parry her attack. I drew my sword as well, defending myself under her repeated attacks, getting faster and faster.


    I didn''t hold back. I couldn''t, not when I had to act reflexively. She started moving faster, her hits getting harder and harder. "You''re relying on blocking too much," she said as she moved her sword faster than I had expected.


    If she had been aiming for my neck, it would have killed me. Health was useful, but it didn''t cure decapitation. Instead, she aimed for the center of my shield, trying to push me back. She succeeded, and I stumbled back.


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    "Interesting, you''re better than I had expected," she muttered, then her eyes widened. "Of course, double Strength. It pairs really well with Stalwart Guard."


    "Probably," I said. "It''s really good for a blacksmith. With it, I''m confident I can defend myself longer against the next assassination."


    "Good to have confidence, but don''t overestimate yourself, nor underestimate any opponent," she said even as she attacked again. This time, rather than trying to break my guard, she moved around me. It took three attacks for her to press her sword against my throat.


    "Noted," I said, making a show of gulping in fear. I already knew that she could kill me easily, but showing some fear was not a bad idea if it would make her feel better.


    After all, she still controlled my experimental budget.


    "Put on your helmet and follow me," she said. She started walking, and I followed her. "So, did you manage to collect enough for your experiments?"


    "Enough for three days, maybe a week if I try to be conservative," I said.


    "Really?" she asked as she looked at the cart, which had been filled with a lot of broken shells.


    "I can stretch it further, of course, but it''ll slow down the experiment," I replied. "Instead of that, why shouldn''t I return tomorrow for another collection."


    "I can''t ferry you with me. I only visit the dungeon once every five days to clean the lower levels to prevent an overrun."


    "You don''t have to. There''s teams moving between the dungeon and the town constantly, right?" I asked.


    "Yes, once every four hours," she said. "It''s mostly to transport the gains."


    "And, would it be suspicious if a guild representative assigned his house while he tested the dungeon? We can even move the forge there," I said. She looked reluctant. Understandable after the assassination attempt.


    Luckily, I had already seen that she wasn''t very happy with Maria spending time with me for some reason. "And, that way, I won''t be living in the same building with Lady Maria. It''s improper," I said.


    "Good point, but I don''t have time to arrange a new residence," she said. "We''ll say that you''re going to stay as a guest in the main building. I''ll set up a new place before Lady Maria returns."


    "Just make sure that we have an excuse to bring in and out a lot of materials," I said.


    "Don''t be too greedy," she warned.


    "I''m not," I said. I was being greedy, of course, but it was not a good idea to say it. "But, while the other blacksmiths learn how to repair faster, I might still need to repair swords. If I have a way, your job will be easier," I said.


    "Good point," she admitted again.


    I was tempted to give her some more ideas, but I could see that I had already pushed her to the limit. "If you don''t mind my asking: Why do you have to come here every five days?" I said.


    She looked at me, surprised. "You know what a dungeon overrun is," she said.


    "Yes. It''s what happens when a dungeon is left unattended too much, and the gate breaks," I said.


    "It also happens between floors," she explained. If the bottom floors left to grow, sooner or later, monsters burst out.


    "I see. That sounds dangerous," I said. "But, why don''t the guards clean the lower floors? Is it that dangerous?"


    "Not particularly," she said. "It''s just inconvenient."


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    "The second floor is similar to the first, but it has two differences. The vision range is merely forty yards, and there''s a second kind of insect with a ranged attack."


    "Is it deadly?" I asked.


    "No. It doesn''t hurt the skin," said. "However, it damages the weapons and armors significantly. A lot of families tried various combinations, but it''s still unprofitable. The lack of mana makes things too hard," she said.


    My mind already went to the corrosion resistant material I could make based on the Rare recipe. Suddenly, that had turned even more valuable. I decided to keep it a secret.


    "How about the other floors?"


    "The third one is even worse. The mist is even thicker, and there are occasional giant insects that are even more dangerous."


    "I''m guessing that they are worth more."


    "Yes. They go for a gold, but it doesn''t matter," she said. "They are not common enough to make their hunting profitable, but still strong enough to kill anyone unprepared. A bad combination."


    "How about the fourth floor?" I asked. "Or are there only three floors?"


    "No, there are at least four floors," she said.


    "What do you mean, at least?"


    "Because it''s not a desert but a bog, constantly rotting weapons and armor. Even high level weapons would be damaged by it."


    "Really, is there no way to resist?" I asked.


    "Not any that makes any financial sense," she said. "It would have been different if the dungeon granted any rare skill, but it''s not worth it. Rare Nurture would have been useful, but the dungeon is too weak to grant anything above basic in a default state. It''s not worth the effort to get the Rare variant."


    Interesting, I thought. Her words implied that my trick of piling the monsters together was well known trick. That, or they had better methods to do the same. Either way, it didn''t really matter. I decided to ask another question. She was in a good mood after I had displayed my sword skill, and I didn''t want to waste it.


    "How about the risk of overrun?" I asked. "What if there are even bigger monsters?"


    "Not a risk," she said. "Even if there are stronger monsters, they would first fill the third and second floors. I would catch them long before they reach the first one," she explained.


    She had just confirmed that no one would go down to the fourth floor because it would be a waste. Not for me, not with my corrosion-immune alloy.


    Suddenly, I was glad that I kept my shut about the possibilities.

 Chapter 33

    "Do you think anyone would recognize you?" she asked.


    "I don''t think so," I said. "To their knowledge, the blacksmith you brought along is already dead. And, I didn''t interact with many people. As long as my beard grows a bit more, no one should."


    "Good," she said. "Then, we''re going to register you as a guild representative of that wretched woman."


    "Rosie?" I asked.


    "Yes. Her guild is already registered here?"


    My eyes widened. While Broken Tankard had always been a very good business, Rosie had never shown an interest in establishing a guild. The sudden change was interesting, but not entirely in a good way. Eleanor and Maria were dangerous on a battlefield, but the same wasn''t true for anything else.


    Rosie was much sharper. Keeping things secret from her would be far more difficult even without being in her employ.


    Guilds were weird entities. Their exact legal standing differed from town to town, especially since every town operated independently, at least when practical matters were concerned. It meant that the legal system was long gone, and disputes were handled in an informal manner.


    Our town, for example, had something similar to an elder''s council, where respectable ¡ª meaning strong or rich ¡ª citizens took collective decisions. I hadn''t interacted with them much, but I had observed the decisions they took.


    More often than not, those decisions showed that they were more than happy to treat the guilds as independent entities, accepting the way they disciplined their members as long as it wasn''t too excessive; and their definition of excessive didn''t exactly match with mine.


    No, I didn''t want to suddenly put myself under the authority of Rosie.


    Technically, I did that with Maria ¡ª and indirectly, Eleanor ¡ª but it was a mere business relationship. I had no doubt that, if I taught their blacksmiths about how to repair fast before disappearing, they would just wish me luck.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea," I said. "If I work for her, she could easily find out everything I bring out." She looked at me suspiciously, probably about the fact that Rosie had introduced me.


    "Really? Didn''t you work for her?" Eleanor asked, surprised. "Don''t you trust her?"


    "No, I worked with her," I said, quick to highlight the difference. I realized that Eleanor assumed the relationship between me and Rosie was more similar to hers with Maria. Knowing Rosie, it was something she implied, but never openly said.


    "She isn''t my employer, but a business partner. I had purchased her services many times before I ¡­ fell to hard times. I trust her as a business partner, but it doesn''t mean I want to declare my loyalty to her," I said. "Oaths of fealty are serious things."


    They were not, but Eleanor was clearly more inclined to that feudal mode of thinking. I wondered if it was the impact of hanging around people with Charisma, or just the natural inclination of seeing a new order in chaos.


    Either way, one good thing about living in a small town, people with Charisma didn''t deign to live in such a small place.


    "Of course, loyalty is a serious thing," she said. "But, that means we don''t have an easy solution."


    "Don''t we?" I said. "With the guards gone, I''m sure you''re interacting with a lot of new guilds. Register me under a new one," I said.


    "Really, you have a Guild Mark?" she said.


    It didn''t feel like a random question. "What do you mean?" I asked.


    "It''s an item that drops from the dungeon, like skill stones. It allows guild members to connect," she said.


    "Really? I never heard of them," I said. "And, I''m pretty sure the ones in our town don''t have any."


    "It has a lot of benefits while operating in a dungeon," she said, then paused.


    From the way she paused, I could see that she didn''t know about those benefits either. So, I didn''t bother asking more. "I''m guessing it''s not exactly cheap?"


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    She chuckled. "Of course not. You need to destroy a dungeon to acquire one. I didn''t even hear of one being sold." She paused again. "Actually, I''m not even sure they can be sold."


    "Then, I''m sure that, as the commander of the camp, you can arrange an unofficial guild for me, and I''ll be the leader."


    She paused, thinking. "Alright, but only temporarily. I won''t let you get everything you want just because you can repair weapons."


    "How about this: I''ll do my best to train the blacksmiths for you like I promised, and in the meanwhile, do my best to handle the overflow. You just need to arrange the delivery for the guild hall secretly until the training is complete, so I won''t get assassinated. And in exchange, you''ll arrange a guild hall that I can use both as a forge and a small team. You won''t have to fund my experiments going forward, and, after three months, I''ll start paying rent just like any other guild."


    She looked surprised. "Are you sure? Even without a Guild Mark, establishing a guild is a serious thing. It feels sudden."


    It was, but only because I didn''t actually expect her to allow it. Letting a guild to be established in town, even a budding, troubled one like their camp was a serious affair. She must have been even more impressed by my fighting ability than I assumed.


    Every other time I asked anything, she had been acting like I was begging for free food. But now, she was actually treating me as a peer.


    "Alright. I''ll even give your guild one person access for a month, but you have to pay tax like everyone. Take it as a gift from me. But, if you want to expand your guild, you have to join the weekly bidding like any other guild."


    "Sounds fair," I said.


    "And, I''ll take the forge away the moment the other blacksmiths arrive. We don''t have a spare. You have to source your own equipment."


    "Tough, but manageable," I said. "But, I still need to use it occasionally to experiment."


    "Only if you''re willing to pay rent and mix in with the other blacksmiths," she said.


    "What about the supply risk?" I asked.


    "I thought about it, and I don''t think it''s an acceptable risk," she said. A sudden change. She must have realized that I had exaggerated the risk to get more material.


    Admittedly, she would be right. I didn''t think they would have tried to assassinate me if they could cut supply.


    It would have scared me before visiting the dungeon. But, now that I had a better understanding of what was going on inside of the dungeon, I was confident that utilizing forged corrosion-resistant equipment was more profitable than importing mana alloys.


    If I played my hand right, I would make enough money to fund my experiments. And, the best part, I was doing something that would benefit them.


    I just needed to make some serious progress beforehand.


    "Fair," I said.


    "You must be really confident that you can find a way to invent a new material," she said.


    It was a reasonable suspicion. "Fifty-fifty," I said. "Of course, I''ll be willing to sell it to you for a reasonable price. Maybe for permanent access spots?" I asked.


    "Sure. We''ll discuss it based on the material''s performance," she said. "As long as it doesn''t cost more than double, I''m willing to pay for it."


    As I followed her, we started talking about other formalities, which I could handle easily. I had managed too many projects as a professor to be slowed down by little details.


    However, the more I discussed, the more I realized her opinion about the new alloy I promised to develop. She was certain that I could actually develop it ¡ª which was true ¡ª but she also had very strict assumptions about its limits.


    Since it was not provided by the System, it had to be strictly inferior.


    That approach irked me, but I wasn''t in a hurry to change her mind about it, and ruin her mood in the process. Since she believed that I was certain to succeed, she could have insisted that developing an alloy for them was a part of the contract, and I couldn''t sell.


    Her goodwill was valuable. It was also the reason I was pushing things at an uncomfortable pace. I didn''t want to miss this opportunity like I had done before. All it would take was another dungeon drop with some stupid new enchantment to ruin my budding business, and I needed to make some money beforehand.


    Of course, while I wanted to make money, it wasn''t the only reason. After everything I had discovered, having a space that truly belonged to me was vital.


    Important enough to push some limits and look suspicious. Luckily, I had excuses in place to distract others from my real secrets. Maria had helped me level up, and Eleanor provided me with multiple valuable skills. Together, they went a long way to explain any casual questions people might have, especially since no one had any reason to interrogate them about the details.


    There were still some risks, but those were acceptable.


    So, I said very little once I stood behind Eleanor while handling the registration details. Though, my eyes widened when I learned when they were purchasing the undamaged shells for only two silver.


    I expected a hefty cut, but that still surprised me.


    "You can always not sell and bring them to the System Store yourself," she countered mockingly. She had a point. They had to be transferred by a caravan, and the nearest System Store was almost two weeks away. "Just one silver," she said, then added. "Even if they are broken."


    It worked for me as well. After all, I wasn''t planning to bring most of them out in the first place.


    Still, it was a successful trip. Not just in terms of gains, but it actually made Eleanor warm up to me. And, that meant I could actually do a lot more than I was initially planning.


    I couldn''t help but appreciate the irony. I had so much to offer, but the two greatest opportunities I had gotten in this Post-Cataclysm world had nothing to with it. Maria helped me far more than necessary because I was good enough to entertain her playing chess, and Eleanor was impressed by the rapid improvement of my sword skills.


    I didn''t expect to end up like one of those useless rich kids that only got the job because they played golf with the CEO.


    Life was unpredictable.

 Chapter 34

    "This is your new house," Eleanor said. "You have until the return of the caravan to make it a livable place and move here permanently."


    "Beautiful place, very airy," I said teasingly. Not an unfair comment, considering I was standing in front of an empty stretch surrounded by a thin wooden rail. I needed to build a building from scratch. I deemed two of my new home''s details to be the most important.


    The first thing was the location. It was outside the walls. However, it was neither a slight nor a revenge attempt. At a distance, I could see a secondary wall building. Apparently, once the caravans arrived, they wanted to push anyone that wasn''t directly employed by them to an outer town, which was a common practice.


    Reasonable as well. While mana dead locations were not as valuable, a large dungeon was still enough to vitalize the place, especially since the loot could be sold directly for silver. There was less potential, but also less danger. I was sure there would be people who would appreciate the opportunity.


    The second, even more shocking thing was the size of the compound that had been given to me. It was larger than I had expected. A large rectangle, almost ten thousand square-feet.


    "You have my trust that you can make a nice place," she said. "I already asked workers to build a small wooden cottage with a stone cellar in addition to a wall around the compound. The rest is up to you."


    Another benefit of impressing her with my sword skills, I guessed. "Sure, as long as you keep the fact that I''m a blacksmith a secret. I don''t want to lose my head to another assassin," I said.


    "Sure, we can say that you''re a Fighter. You certainly fight well enough to be one," she said. "Since it''s our town, no one would check it. Still, just in case, don''t walk around too much until we have other blacksmiths with your quick repair trick."


    "Yes. And, as long as I wear a helmet while teaching, everything will be fine," I said. Maybe it was excessive, but one assassination attempt had done wonders to make me a more paranoid man. Luckily, the conditions of the attempt had been rare enough that it shouldn''t be replicated even if my fake death had been discovered.


    They couldn''t simply send another combatant as capable as Eleanor immediately, and anyone weaker would be relying on an invisibility trick, unaware that I could see them.


    No one would expect me to have Essence stat.


    With that done, we returned to the part of the town that wasn''t under construction. "Are you going to go to the dungeon tomorrow as well?" she asked.


    "I plan to," I replied.


    "Make sure to rest well, then. Dungeon visits can be surprisingly exhausting."


    "Fair point," I said, but once I arrived at my temporary residence, I headed straight to the forge.


    Once I had returned from the dungeon, I immediately started working. I had three immediate objectives, sorted from the most exciting to least. Playing around with Nurture, practicing Meditation, and forging myself two new sets of tools.


    I started with the least exciting option. Forging two sets of new tools. The bigger set was for my own forge, made of iron alloys. Not many blacksmiths could make them, but some could. Most blacksmiths had to make do with such equipment, unable to afford anything better.


    Of course, I had plans of making something more impressive, made of mana alloys, but if I did that right now, Eleanor would rightfully assume that I had used her stock ¡ª which was better than the truth. I still needed to build a proper fire pit and some other stuff.


    But, an anvil, and hammers of varying sizes, and metal tongs were critical.


    Still, I had four days to forge them. I did not finish them as soon as possible, because they were here as a cover for the second, more portable set. One to be hidden in the dungeon.


    Eleanor already suspected that I had made progress with anti-corrosion material, and she might actually decide to check my things, even after I moved to my new residence.


    My solution was simple: Just build a forge on the second floor of the dungeon.


    Her explanation was clear, no one would be there, and as long as I picked a nice concealed spot, no one would really discover it. It wouldn''t be a complicated, fancy forge, but I don''t need anything complicated. I could simply use mana to bypass some of the requirements.


    Once that was done, I moved to the next topic: meditation.


    During my dungeon trip, the thing that slowed me down the most was my Mana reserve. Draining Mana from monsters had been the slowest part of the process. It had been bad enough while fighting, and it would slow me even more once I started to forge mana alloys.


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    It would be even more important once I got a skill for magic. But, I wanted to start practicing with a fire spell. That way, even if it turned useless in every other way, I could still use it for smithing.


    "Now, let''s start," I muttered even as I smashed the first shell, absorbing it greedily.


    [+2 Mana]


    Then, I reversed the flow, pushing it out.


    [-2 Mana]


    "Not bad. Let''s try to increase the intensity," I muttered to myself, curious if I could trigger the growth by using more. However, I didn''t dare to. I still remembered how much damage one mana could cause. I didn''t want to lose control and end up dead.


    Instead, I repeated the same trick again and again, going through all the shells. Luckily, it was not a waste, as the broken pieces could be eventually used for anti-corrosion alloy.


    Twenty minutes and almost three hundred points of Mana later, another notification appeared.


    [Meditation (Common) 42 - 43]


    "Excellent," I said, and continued practicing, ignoring the temptation to pull and release more mana. As long as I could bring Meditation to the next threshold before morning, it was enough. I wanted to have Efficient Absorption at a minimum.


    It was already dawn when I finally reached my target.


    [Meditation (Common) 49 - 50]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Efficient Absorption / Augmented Flow / Purification]


    "Thank god that Perk Reset stones exist," I said even as I looked at the unexpected third entry. After spending all night trying to absorb mana from monsters, I was almost entirely sure that Purification referred to the act of isolating that excess energy from monster mana.


    I picked that.


    "Jackpot," I muttered after I broke another shell. Previously, draining the mana from a destroyed alloy was almost four times faster than draining it from the broken shell. Draining from monsters was still slower, but this time, it was a far more reasonable difference. About twenty percent, I guessed. A more accurate assessment required several experiments.


    "Too bad I have very little time left to test my new skill," I muttered. I only had half an hour before the first group left the town for the dungeon, and I wanted to join them. While understanding how Nurture worked was important, it wasn''t as important as trying to set up a second forge in the depths of the dungeon.


    An idea that had only appeared in my mind because monsters didn''t attack abandoned objects as long as they didn''t block their path, as proven by the cart I brought not getting damaged.


    "Later," I decided even as I looked at three objects that were in front of me. A seed, a broken branch, and a small herb from the dungeon I brought along, each in a separate pot.


    First, I put my hand on the broken branch, and started feeding it with Nurture. As my Health started to slowly disappear, the leaves of the broken branch began regaining their green, but that had been the full extent of the change.


    [-16 Health]


    I continued to feed it, feeling that I could still push, curious of the change. I pushed more and more. And the branch stirred while a small root grew into the vase. The skill was controlling the movement of the Health, which moved in an incredible, impossible to understand pattern.


    I couldn''t even begin to comprehend the movement, and I couldn''t use Inspect to compensate for it either. After all, it was not made of metal, and the System didn''t trigger, no matter how much I tried.


    [-184 Health]


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 1 - 2 ]


    "Not bad." While I hadn''t thought about using Nurture before, I had collected a lot of information about it. While bringing a plant to optimal condition was easy, forcing growth took too much Health, making it economically unfeasible.


    And, most farmers couldn''t casually throw hundreds of Health to a single plant. I moved to the dungeon plant, trying to push it to an optimal state.


    It didn''t even react. Something was missing.


    "Interesting," I said as I moved on to the seed, flooding it with my Health aggressively until a tiny sapling appeared. Incredible, but not when factoring in all the mana I had forced into it.


    [-462 Health]


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 2 - 3]


    Forcefully improving a skill by just spending a lot of Health rather than finding a clever workaround was not as fun, but I still managed to grow it faster than most farmers were able to do in a week. The difference in Health was simply that important. I ate a quick meal before I sat down, picking another seed, this time feeding it slowly.


    The pattern of feeding a seed had been far simpler. Maybe I could get a better idea if I practiced enough.


    However, even as I focused on it, my mind wandered. Mostly to the unfortunate plight of the Farmers.


    While all production classes were unlucky to some degree, none was as unlucky as the Farmers. They were by far the most common production class, which was never a good thing. The more common a skill was, the less valuable it became.


    To make the situation even worse, they received only one Vitality with each level up and nothing more. Their only skill was Nurture, and without Strength, the only combat skills they could learn were the basic ones.


    They should have still been able to make money, especially with the amount of food the world consumed.


    However, the biggest problem was that monsters were drawn to the vitality of the plants. The bigger the farm, the more monsters it drove. It prevented them from just picking a nice mana dead location with weak monsters and working independently.


    In the end, they ended up gathering together near the big cities, working in the huge greenhouses that supplied the consumption while being protected by others that took all the profit. With the food critical to replenish Health, the amount a city consumed was truly incredible.


    Still, there were always more Farmers than was needed, driving the money they could earn even lower, most of them below level five as they labored hopelessly, working hard to keep with their individual quotas.


    Of course, theoretically, the solution to that problem was simple. All it would take for the stronger people was to just decide to support the weak properly. Just let them access a friendly dungeon, and bring them up to a higher level.


    But, similarly, all the problems with Capitalism would have been solved if billionaires were nicer, Communism would have worked if the officials were not corrupt, and Monarchy would have worked too if the kings cared about peasants more than they cared about their glory.


    As a sociologist that had spent my whole life trying to understand how human behavior had worked in aggregate, I knew that it was hopeless. Solitary humans might be merciful and fair, but humanity was not. Or, we wouldn''t have waited to ban slavery until it was financially unsustainable.


    Humanity was selfish, and the individual power given by the System made it only worse.

 Chapter 35

    I let my mind wander even as I moved with the group, walking toward the dungeon, easily matching their pace even as I walked on foot.


    High Vitality meant that running while wearing thick armor barely counted as exercise.


    Using Nurture had reminded me of the plight of the Farmers, which had distracted me. There''s not much I could do for them now, but that wasn''t true for the future. I just needed to experiment more. All I needed was to find a way to upgrade their Nurture skill like I had upgraded my Forge and Repair skills.


    Well, that, and find a way to teach people without getting myself killed in the process. People in charge loved small, incremental developments they could control, but they didn''t like systemic changes.


    At all.


    It was why I revealed my improvement of sword skill easily even though it was exceptional, while keeping Mana Forge desperately hidden. Nothing would change even if all Blacksmiths turned into excellent warriors. At most, we would match a common warrior, operating under the same restrictions.


    Mana Forging already had the potential to reshape the current economic landscape, but I couldn''t imagine what would happen if all Farmers suddenly had better classes.


    While I was not a historian, as a sociologist, I had studied many social shifts in history, enough to know that people didn''t really like it when people upset the apple cart. And, while I didn''t fashion myself a Revolutionary desperate to reshape the world to my vision, I also wasn''t stupid enough to miss how others would see me.


    And, people with such radical ideas didn''t exactly end up well off. They either died in a variety of unpleasant ways, or fought with the society until they won, and ended up in charge. The former was obviously what would happen, but the latter didn''t sound any better.


    It was impossible, of course, but even if it did happen, it was a horrible choice. Despite everything, I was a scientist. There was nothing more satisfying than understanding how the world truly worked. While at first, I hated the System for ruining that, I was slowly coming around.


    It was just another mystery to solve. One that conveniently came with its own toolkit.


    "So, a new guild," one of the guards asked, distracting me from my thoughts. "I thought you were a guild representative. What changed?"


    The guards must have been gossiping. Understandable, as a new guild, one that had been escorted by Eleanor was notable. We didn''t try to hide it, as we decided that an old friend of Eleanor from a dungeon was a good, uncomplicated story most people would buy.


    Unfortunately, that came with a lot of gossip. No one gossiped like patrolling soldiers.


    "I was, but after seeing the dungeon, I realized that it was a good opportunity to make some money, especially since it''s ruled by an old friend. I had some money saved up, which was enough to pay the penalty and still rent a nice piece of land."


    "You''re a more daring man than I am," the guard responded.


    "No risk, no gain," I replied. For the rest of the way, I chatted with the guards. Well, they chatted while I listened. While none of the topics they had been talking about actually interested me, as long as I looked vaguely interested, most people were happy to carry the small talk.


    Another trick I had learned during my decade as a professor. No workplace was free of intrigue, but the academy was particularly egregious on that aspect. Inevitable with a bunch of overachievers fighting for very limited budget and acclaim.


    Trying to keep your head down and focus on your research never worked. Maintaining a friendly distance with the custodial staff paid well for me, since most of my coworkers were more than happy to treat them as invisible.


    Having a few casual acquaintances among the guards would only cost me a few free drinks.


    We continued to chat even as we passed through the dungeon gate, and arrived at the encampment inside the dungeon. "Are you sure you want to go alone?" one of the guards asked even as I moved inside. "It''ll be easier with someone to distract them and get the shell. They won''t take it if there''s even the slightest crack."


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    I shrugged. "Not exactly a problem. I don''t care about a few silvers. I just want to explore the floor and select which part of the dungeon is the best place to set up an operation once I start hiring," I said.


    "Good point," he said, laughing a bit excessively to look friendly. Jokes of rich people always landed better for some reason.


    Acting like I had no financial difficulty was another calculated choice. I didn''t have a lot of money ¡ª forty five golds sounded like an incredible amount, but it wouldn''t last long once the guild started operating.


    But, having a reputation for being rich was a good way to stay under the radar once I started buying some weird skills.


    I still picked a cart to bring with me, the biggest one available. "Wow, that''s an ambitious choice," the guard called. "Someone is having mixed feelings about not needing money."


    Of course I needed money. And, I would have loved to fill the largest cart available with a thousand shells, which would have given me a nice payday of forty golds. Without the need for repair, it would have been an excellent investment.


    But, there were two problems with it. First, I couldn''t explain why I didn''t need to repair my sword. While I could rent them ¡ª there were already a small pile of familiar swords in the corner, which people could change for pristine ones for a price ¡ª it would cut into the profit.


    It wasn''t Eleanor''s fault. I was familiar with the process, I knew that they were already running it near the cost. I had discovered many ways to make the process faster, but that only solved the urgency aspect. Ultimately, it still consumed the same amount of mana alloy, which was more than ninety percent of the cost.


    And, while I could repair the swords myself, bringing a thousand shells without exchanging swords would have been noticeable.


    Of course, that wasn''t the only reason. The real reason was that I couldn''t kill a thousand monsters on my own. Not without damaging the shell.


    Unfortunately, I still needed the cart. More exactly, I needed the material of the cart. It was a mixture of iron and wood, both the cheapest alloys. For me, they represented far more than what they were valued on the market.


    "Not exactly," I said. "I plan on getting some samples from the environment. Broken rocks, soil samples, things like that. You never know what can be discovered in a dungeon."


    "Be careful. You know how the beast could be when we start damaging the dungeon too much," he said.


    "Thanks," I said, happy with the warning. Because, I didn''t know how they could be. "By the way, how much do we need to pay if the monsters destroy the cart?"


    "Five silvers," he warned. My eyes widened, but he misread the reason. "I know, it''s a rip-off. They cost something like eight coppers. But that''s how the dungeons work. Everything is a ripoff."


    He was true about overcharging, but I didn''t care about it. For me, it represented the easiest way I could get some metal for the forge I was planning to build. While I had the most fundamental tools, I still needed an anvil to experiment properly. A proper fire pit would help as well.


    Dragging a cart or two with significant damage that coincidentally broke off their most metallic parts was easier to explain.


    "True, but that''s life," I said. "Maybe one day we can get strong enough to monopolize a dungeon."


    "That''s the dream, but it''s impossible without accessing a good dungeon to level up first," the guard replied. "That, or trying to level up in the wilderness like a crazy person."


    "A wise assessment," I said as I turned my back and left. He had a point about the wilderness. Unless escorted by someone like Maria, trying to level up in the wilderness was a very dangerous affair.


    As I left the small fort, I moved deeper. A monster attacked while I was still in the range of others. I could have pulled my hammer and killed it in one blow, or at least, I could have disoriented it with my shield.


    However, I did neither. Instead, I moved around the beast, relying on the sword attacks to keep it distracted before I picked a moment to stab it through its mouth.


    Having a reputation as primarily a sword user was another part of my new identity. One that was probably even more important than anything else. Connecting an expert swordsman to a poor blacksmith was even more difficult.


    That''s why I took it down, but when I ripped the shell with my bare hands, I saw a lot of people wince. It was a good display, but it still damaged the shell enough to make it useless.


    "What a waste," I heard one of the hunters murmur.


    "Rich people, man. They are all the same," the other replied, though his whisper wasn''t as weak as they first thought.


    I smiled as I walked away, feeling confident that my new identity would hold. Still, even as I moved, I made sure to stop multiple times in the view of the others, getting soil samples, broken rocks, even dried plants, wanting to sell my commitment to understanding the dungeon even more.


    That way, they wouldn''t question when I returned midday to replace a damaged cart.


    With that, I pulled the cart deeper and deeper, until I arrived at a concealed spot that was not near any of the five gates that led to the second floor. I didn''t want anyone to start wondering where I was. Then, I damaged the cart and ripped more than half of its metal, spending some time reforging the edges to make it look like it was destroyed by a monster attack.


    Then, I walked toward the gate farthest away from the entrance. Eleanor''s map helped me immensely. Too bad she didn''t give a map for the second floor as well. It would have made moving around without risking myself far easier.


    With that done, I cut a direct path toward the second floor, the immediate surrounding of the gate empty.


    I switched to my hammer, and stepped through the gate.

 Chapter 36

    The moment I stepped through the gate, I got charged by multiple monsters. I could easily count forty of them around me, making it a challenge. That would have been dangerous enough, but a few of the insect monsters had stopped their charge to spit out some kind of discharge.


    Eleanor had mentioned that their attacks only damaged armor, but I wasn''t willing to test it. Instead, I dodged them first before I turned the momentum into a charge, shattering the armor of the first beast. I was glad that I didn''t rely on the mana blow to deal with them, as it would have made dodging the insects far more difficult.


    Instead, I let expertise from the skill handle the challenge, limiting my involvement only to a strategic level, dealing with the ranged attackers first. Ordinarily, it would have been a bad idea to jump into the middle of a horde of monsters even if they were weaker.


    But a combat skill at its limit was truly wondrous.


    "After dealing with that attack, I understand why exploring new dungeons is such a perilous journey," I muttered even as I took a deep breath. Just trying to get into a new floor was difficult, and that was after it was cleaned by Eleanor just yesterday.


    I couldn''t even imagine the difficulty of facing a completely new dungeon, with no idea of what it might hold. It also explained why they had spent all that money to defend the other side of the entrance.


    "Still, not all is bad," I said. With traversing between floors even more difficult than I had expected, people shouldn''t walk around carelessly, meaning my forge was even less likely to be discovered.


    Only once I dealt with the monsters, did I decide to examine my immediate surroundings. Just as Eleanor had stated, the mysterious mist was blocking more of my sight. I walked, however, halfway in, I pressed my hand on a herb and used Nurture.


    [-9 Health]


    This time, it worked. I moved deeper. The same attempt didn''t work when the plant was outside the dungeon.


    However, while that was another interesting experiment to run, it didn''t have any priority. I needed to discover the entrance to the third floor first.


    I pulled a piece of paper, carefully mapping my surroundings, not wanting to get lost. It was a slow, laborious process, the limited visual range making it far more difficult. I didn''t want to get lost.


    However, as I walked away, I noticed that it wasn''t too much of a problem. Even as the mist had covered the dungeon gate, I could still see its glow. I considered it to be of interest, as it hadn''t worked that way from the other side.


    I wondered if it worked the same way for the main entrance. If it did, the walls had been thick enough to block the sight.


    I walked directly to test its limit, only stopping to kill the monsters ¡ª and spending some time piling them to get better skills. One ranged attack, I deliberately let it deliver a glancing blow. It hurt somewhat, but nowhere strong enough to actually qualify as damage.


    [-5 Health]


    However, it damaged the armor and weapons even more than the feedback corrosion effect.


    "Huh," I exclaimed, but before making a move, I started searching for the gate to the third floor. Amusingly, it had been easier than expected. I just needed to follow the path with the least amount of monsters, making a careful note of every milestone on my way to make sure I wouldn''t get lost, only slowing down to replenish my mana completely.


    Going through the third floor would be even more difficult.


    While walking, I found a lot of crystals and herbs, far more than I could use in a short period. After all, it clearly took a while for them to grow, and the first floor was too crowded for them to be found regularly.


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    Maybe I could make a stockpile near the forge. Once I revealed the anti-corrosion metal, they would be far more valuable. Which was true even if there were other blacksmiths with the same recipe.


    It was better to be prepared.


    Following Eleanor''s path, finding the third gate hadn''t been that difficult in terms of practical matters, but I was confronted by a swarm twice. Three hundred monsters had managed to slow me down somewhat, but I was at the next gate almost an hour later, and that was with stopping enough times to create a map.


    I was not exactly a cartographer, but creating a guide for myself wasn''t that difficult.


    "Now, the real challenge," I muttered as I twirled my hammer. At the next gate, there would be a giant bug, which would have been a troubling encounter even without mixing it with the other beasts. I was tempted to return, and try to convince Eleanor about having a second location to experiment. It would be much safer.


    But, that was my pre-Calamity perspective talking. I tried to stay safe for three years, and where did that get me?


    Nowhere.


    I took a deep breath, tightened my grip on my hammer, and prepared myself for a fight, already making plans on how to handle a giant monster depending on its size and position. Eleanor had mentioned them to be rare, but I wanted to be prepared for the worst case.


    As I stepped to the third floor, I found myself facing another swarm that had gathered around the gate. There were about fifty of them, a mixture of ranged and melee variants, but there was no giant variant. "Excellent," I muttered even as I dealt with them rapidly, slowing down just to kick them into a pile.


    That way, I received Common skills rather than Basic ones. Unfortunately, I had two more Common Nurture skills, one common spear skill, and another that didn''t react to me.


    How annoying.


    "I wonder how rare the giant insects are," I questioned as I tightened my grip further, and started walking forward, once again careful not to lose my way. The second floor was larger than the first, and the third was larger than the second.


    About a mile away from the gate, I faced the first giant insect. "Hey there, buddy," I said while circling the monstrosity, testing its speed. In a straight line, it was faster than its smaller counterparts, but it was slower to turn.


    I approached it from the side and smashed one of its legs. It shattered temporarily, but I could already see it was recovering from the damage. Meanwhile, I could feel my hammer degrade far compared to when I dealt with its smaller counterparts.


    "That''s annoying," I muttered even as I rotated around it, and used Inspect to check the damage. It was a good thing I did, as not only was it damaged more, but there was also a persistent effect that stuck around. A burst of mana stopped it.


    [-1 Mana]


    I deliberately circled it twice, testing its limits. However, I avoided its back, afraid of a nasty surprise. My concern only got stronger once I noticed it trying to reverse direction. Carefully, I rotated around it, testing it a while longer, making sure I wouldn''t be met with a nasty surprise while switching skills.


    [-12 Mana]


    I might not push more than a couple points of mana outside with meditation without killing myself, but things doing that was much easier under the command of the Forge skill. It settled around the hammer, ready to smash the nonexistent metal into pieces.


    One that turned my strike devastating as it landed. The hammer was protected, while the leg stopped recovering. I struck it again and it stopped moving. Another blow and its mandible had been broken. Three more blows, and it stopped moving.


    I pulled back, waiting for it to disappear, not even trying to pull its shell. There was no need to take the risk in case it was playing dead or had another nasty surprise.


    There was none. It faded, leaving behind another skill.


    [Skill Stone: Nurture (Common)]


    "Nice," I muttered even as I twirled it in my hand. Not because I needed another Nurture skill, but because it was the first time a higher rank skill dropped from the monsters without piling them together. Confirming that the giant monsters weren''t too hard to deal with was another benefit.


    After testing my attacks on a few of them, it would probably be much easier. I was immediately struck with a desire to hunt another, this time to rip mana-dense sections of its shell to see if it had other uses.


    But, that was for later. First, I continued moving deeper and deeper, searching for a nice hidden spot for my forge.


    In the end, I found a sharp cliff with almost nothing. One that I could dig a deep hole to set up my forge, and bury whenever my work gets finished. However, I didn''t have anything to dig with.


    Luckily, I was a blacksmith who could forge with mana, and one thing I didn''t lack was mana. I quickly forged a huge pick and an equally large shovel, both designed to put my strength advantage to use. They weren''t as good as it could have been without a proper fire, but mana was a good way to compensate.


    As I dug a pit, I learned the reason for not damaging the dungeon. The more I dug, the more monsters swarmed toward me. Which was excellent news.


    After all, I needed a lot of mana.

 Chapter 37

    "Wow, they are burning better than I had expected," I said as I settled a crude crucible on top of the hearth that held the fire, the iron it held had already turned into a white hot liquid, ready to be purified. Nearby, there was an anvil that was cooling down.


    I was so happy that I could cheat with mana, as otherwise, I would have had to work hard to set up a proper blast furnace. I still might if I wanted to increase my production rate, but for the moment, this was sufficient.


    "Now, let''s gear up," I said and used the available metal to make myself a full set of gear, including full body armor, a large tower shield with sharp edges and a spike that I could drive into the beasts, a war hammer made of pure metal, and a thick, stout sword that was designed to work perfectly with Stalwart Guard technique.


    According to the information my skill had provided, all of them were perfectly immune to corrosion.


    A small part of me couldn''t help but feel disappointed. Letting everything be handled by a skill was very underwhelming, but considering the potential benefits, I was more than ready to ignore that detail.


    It had been merely three hours, which was an incredibly short amount of time; but then, having my Mana Forge skill that high had provided me with many benefits. It would have been even faster, but ¡­


    I lacked water to quench the metal, which meant I needed to use mana to compensate for it, slowing the process. Luckily, with my increased Meditation, I was able to refill my mana far faster, allowing me to bypass my biggest problem.


    At least, for the moment. For the future, I needed to find a reason to bring some more water inside. Maybe I could set up a small garden on the first floor, arguably to test whether I could create a sustainable setup for myself to get some extra Health.


    It wasn''t a novel idea. The current dungeon was hardly the biggest one imaginable. There were other, bigger dungeons, and for some of them, it was more efficient to set up gardens to provide food rather than transport them from outside.


    I doubted that it was the case for our dungeon, considering the desert environment surrounding it, but I just needed an excuse. Between that, and going to the fourth floor just to bring some water, a fake garden was clearly the better option ¡­ once I had others in my guild that could handle that.


    My new, nameless guild.


    "Actually, it might be easier to test the fourth floor first," I said even as I put my finishing touches to the set. After all, the whole point was to stay hidden. It would probably avoid attention for a while, but sooner or later, people would start poking around.


    Still, I didn''t need to hurry up. Actually, it wasn''t even certain that I would be able to find the way to the fourth floor. Not with the way my sight was blocked.


    "I''m trying to handle too many projects," I said even as I started moving. I collected my tools, and left my equipment buried, but left the forge uncovered. I wanted to see if the monsters would attack and destroy it.


    They shouldn''t, but it was better safe than sorry. It wouldn''t bother me if my current setup had been destroyed, but it wouldn''t be the same if they attacked equipment I had worked harder to put together.


    "But first, let''s see if I can get a renewable source of wood," I said. The plants I used didn''t have any seeds, but trying to grow plants using saplings should have been sustainable.


    It worked ¡­ after a fashion.


    [-280 Health]


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 3 - 5]


    "Nice jump in skill level," I muttered. It was a nice surprise, but maybe the damage to the plant had affected the skill development, just as the quality of the weapon affected Repair. However, I didn''t start experimenting immediately.


    I was not exactly happy with the amount of Health it took, and the resulting limited impact. But then, I was trying to force growth in a dead land, lacking any kind of water. Hardly an efficient method. While some interesting ideas popped into my mind, I ignored them.


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    "Nurturing Nurture is not a priority," I said, then groaned, glad that I was alone. It was not a pun I was proud of.


    I moved away from the forge, letting the monsters gather around it again, to see if they would attack it. Luckily, it stayed untouched even when I deliberately drew a small-sized swarm near it. It was excellent news, as this meant that my plans to create a new forge on the fourth floor were viable.


    As long as I confirmed the anti-corrosive Mana alloy worked as well as my skill suggested. I spent an hour cleaning the immediate surroundings of the forge, collecting skills, other dungeon materials, and various samples, but the real aim was to test the anti-corrosive Mana alloy under repeated stress.


    It passed perfectly, even when I deliberately hacked at a giant bug multiple times to push it to its limits. It not only resisted the effects of the smaller insects but also the giant ones'', which had been far easier to deal with without worrying about the destruction of the weapons. It meant that I could slowly hack them to death using my sword and shield combo, the stronger enemy once again speeding up the growth of Stalwart Guard, finally passing the fifty proficiency mark.


    My attempts to figure out the mana attack, on the other hand, didn''t work as well.


    A talk with Eleanor seemed to be necessary to push it to the limit as I had done with the hammer skill. But, that required an opportunity. Maybe after Maria had returned, during another dinner... Assuming, of course, they would continue to invite me.


    However, even as I tested those advantages and made plans, I couldn''t help but wonder about why the dungeons existed. More importantly, why were they so convenient? The biggest challenge the current dungeon provided was the corrosion effect, and it had all the materials needed to solve that.


    And, the recipe it required was conveniently included in a Rare skill, a classification that was supposed to be easy to attain for other classes according to Maria''s ramblings, mentioning categories such as Legendary casually.


    "Maybe I should keep a lid on this anti-corrosive material a bit," I decided. My success was making me a little nervous. It wasn''t always good to be too successful.


    Ironically, that immediately changed my plans in an interesting way. While I hadn''t promised Eleanor that I could invent anti-corrosive material and openly warned her that it might fail, I was very much aware that she took that as a certainty.


    Meaning, I needed to preemptively counter any loss of goodwill she might get from it. The most obvious way ¡­ improving my abilities with the sword.


    "A little trip upstairs is in order," I said even as I cut the trip a little short, even suppressing the temptation to test the shells I took from the giant monsters. It was frustrating because I was looking forward to discovering the differences between the two, curious whether there were any differences other than their mana density.


    I wanted to change the carts and get more metal, and not just because I wanted to prepare for the future. No, I wanted to forge swords of different shapes and sizes and see if they would work. At the same time, as I climbed up, I was examining the Sharpness enchantment on the sword, wondering if it would give me a clue.


    The mana blow from the forging was more like a thick, confusing web that reminded me of a complicated knitting pattern, but the details were a mystery.


    Mana was essentially still a black box for me.


    As I climbed up, I tried to channel the Mana discharge in multiple thin lines, trying to replicate sharpness enchantment in some way.


    I refilled my mana almost ten times during the long trip between the third floor and the first floor, only to fail at every single attempt. It didn''t even give me a new skill point in anything. Not even in Meditation.


    It was the flip side of forcing skills to grow unnaturally. There was no easy benefit to be gained from the routine activities.


    "I''m so lucky that I don''t have to ration my Mana," I muttered even as I arrived at my broken cart, and filled it with mostly random garbage. I dragged it out of its hiding spot, dragging it back to the main area.


    "Hey," I said as I waved at a familiar guard.


    "It looks like your trip has been a little unlucky," he said.


    "Unfortunately," I replied even as a couple of workers arrived to pack them to be delivered to the town. Another service I could use for a limited time. "Why don''t I get a new cart for the second trip."


    "Sure, but I can''t waive the penalty," he said. "It doesn''t matter that you brought the cart back. You still need to pay five silver."


    "Doesn''t matter," I said as I looked around, only to notice a stall nearby. "What''s that?" I asked.


    "A few people trying to sell the skills they got from the dungeon. A total ripoff," he said.


    "Well, it''s better than going back to town," I replied. "Is there anything useful?"


    "Maybe if you want to change your sword style for more efficient hunting, but I don''t think a Common skill is worth it," he said as he pointed at my bulky shield. It wasn''t as big as the tower shield I forged, but it was still big.


    "No. It''s not like I''m going to spend my days killing monsters. I''m here to laze around and watch others make money for me."


    "That''s the dream," the guard replied. However, even as we chatted, I went to the skill rack. Everything they were trying to sell was common and basic. Understandable. While I was able to get uncommon skills, I had to kill a lot of monsters at the same time for it.


    However, it did give me a sad confirmation. I wasn''t able to learn anything above basic when it came to magic skills. The lack of Intelligence stumped me once more. I still spent ten silver there, purchasing one of every skill.


    Including one that I had been trying to get all day.


    [Skill Stone: Fire Bolt (Basic)]

 Chapter 38

    For the second trip, I didn''t destroy the cart completely. While it was a good way to get some extra iron, it would be suspicious if I brought back every single one with significant damage.


    Instead, I spent some time reforging the parts. There were several thick metal bands, which I melted and reforged with a stone core. It was too much effort for something that could be purchased for three copper coins, but the opportunity cost was too critical.


    Only after I was finished with the cart and arrived at the second floor, I actually absorbed my newest skill. My first real magical one.


    [Fire Bolt (Basic) - 1]


    Did I expect it to be useful in any kind of combat situation? Not particularly. Basic skills were basic for a reason. But, I was sure that it would be situationally useful during my smithing. The ability to reheat the metal locally, for example, could be really useful.


    But, the real objective was to give me an idea of how to use mana.


    I was tempted to start playing with it immediately, but I managed to hold myself back until I arrived at the third floor, afraid that someone would stumble upon me. Throwing fire bolts around was not exactly a good way of progressing.


    Still, before trying it for the first time, I made sure to clean my surroundings. I didn''t want to be interrupted. With that, I looked at a rock thirty feet away, opened my hand, and triggered the skill.


    The first time using a new skill was always weird, and it had been even more true for the fire bolt. The mana burst out of my hand, with an intensity I could have never imagined.


    [-100 Mana]


    I tensed even as I felt the mana take shape in my hand, rotating and transforming in a complicated pattern that I couldn''t begin to understand. I had already assumed that the mana blow was complicated. Watching my mana reshape under the control of the skill was nothing less than a true miracle.


    A fire appeared from nothingness and collided against the rock with an eerie precision.


    Well, at least, it was the perspective of my scientist side.


    From a tactical perspective, it was just garbage. It took almost ten seconds for me to channel the spell. It consumed a truly ridiculous amount of mana, and for all of it, I had nothing to show but a projectile attack that moved slower than an ordinary arrow, which could easily be dodged.


    I was glad that I hadn''t wasted a skill slot for Ice Blast the day before.


    Of course, its tactical uselessness meant nothing. I could already imagine a dozen different ways I could use it for my experiments. But first, I needed to push it to the limit and see if I could glean any insights that I could apply to my sword attack.


    My first instinct was to stop and see if I could modify the skill somewhat. With the perks from multiple skills allowing me to interact with mana, it felt like a worthwhile experiment to run. However, I still remembered how trying to do that with Meditation blew on my face.


    "Maybe not now," I muttered even as I searched for another monster. After a few quick takedowns followed by absorption, I was ready to cast again. A few more times, I targeted my skill at the rocks, but there had been no improvement.


    Just like any other skill, it required a lot of repetition. Unfortunately, unlike other skills, every repeat required a lengthy pause as I refilled my mana. Luckily, it took less than five minutes to hunt the necessary monsters and absorb them.


    Before the perks, filling my Mana reserves took closer to half an hour.


    The next step was to target the monsters, but I wasn''t in a hurry to do that. I wasn''t able to even walk while trying to cast the spell, and ten seconds was too long to deal with the monsters. Instead, I stopped by my temporary forge, dropped the new batch of iron I had brought with me, and changed into the anti-corrosive set.


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    Even then, I didn''t attack a monster immediately, but searched for a specific opponent.


    What I was looking for was one of the creatures with the ranged attack. I cleaned their immediate surroundings and used the shield to block their attack, which gave me the leisurely ten seconds I had required.


    [-100 Mana]


    [Fire Bolt (Basic) - 1 - 6]


    "Wow, that''s a nice jump," I muttered. Targeting stronger monsters always helped, not to mention improving basic skills was easier than their better variants. "Now, let''s see what changed."


    Another attempt, once again targeting a ranged monster. This time, the spell gathered faster, something like eight seconds, not to mention flew faster and burned brighter. A nice range of benefits, though mostly incremental.


    A few more repeats and I soon reached the improvement limit.


    [Fire Bolt (Basic) - 23 - 25]


    The casting time had dropped to just below five seconds, which was barely enough to attack the giant beasts. I tried that just to be on the safe side, but it didn''t go up.


    It turned out that people were right about the limits of the Basic skills. Worse, there was no Perk.


    A pity. An extra perk would have been useful.


    Once it reached the limit, I decided to test a few other things. I wasn''t able to move while casting, because it was somewhat anchored in the air. However, my experience with the camouflage ring showed that such requirements were rather arbitrary.


    But, breaking it was a mission for another time. At first, I attempted interrupting spells. It was not as hard as I feared. Nothing like the disaster reversing the meditation technique had triggered. It was easiest when I interrupted once I let out all the mana, but interrupting halfway was also safe.


    It just gave me more resistance, but at this point, I was used to interrupting skills exactly when I wanted to. Three years of practice was truly useful.


    Unfortunately, I couldn''t learn much from the way the mana moved. Despite what I had hoped, it wasn''t the exact same pattern every single time. While it had roughly the same shape, even getting a rough sense was next to impossible.


    Suddenly, I understood what Maria meant by it being impossible to sketch properly. Truly, what she was able to draw was leagues more complicated than what I had been able to even comprehend.


    "Alright, now I understand why they need Intelligence," I groaned. It probably required Intelligence to direct and control the mana, which was a level of multitasking even a skill couldn''t handle alone.


    Well, at least, that was my current working theory, one that I couldn''t examine one way or another. One that I wanted to push more, but could not.


    The trick with the sword was far more important. Unfortunately, I didn''t have a sword technique that was anywhere close to anything I had in my forging techniques. Though, there was a chance it existed, but I wasn''t able to access it.


    Another arbitrary restriction.


    A spear, on the other hand, could be classified as a chisel if one squinted enough. There was no reason for it not to work. I still needed a skill, but that could be mixed with the search for the dungeon door for the next floor. All I needed was for me to slow down slightly to make sure the monsters I killed connected. It didn''t take too many small monsters to make sure every giant bug dropped a skill of Uncommon variety ¡ª which now I could distinguish thanks to a quick talk with the skill vendor.


    Previously, I wasn''t able to get much information on it, with most people hiding the information. Understandable, as when I had the money to buy skills, they were still rare enough that even common ones had required connections to acquire.


    And, once they started to get more common, I was poor enough to be treated as a nuisance. In that regard, my current stage showed a significant difference, in which I looked like an adventurer with a lot of money to throw around.


    Of course, it was still nothing more than a reasonable hypothesis. I fired up the forge once more and started creating a multitude of different chisels, ignoring the limits set by the System. And, if at one point, those chisels had started suspiciously like short spears, it was surely an accident.


    "Not bad," I said as I waved around my ugly chisel made entirely of metal, with a thick wedge at the front.


    "Now, all I need is to set a search pattern," I said as I moved a while. It didn''t take long for me to realize that the density of giant monsters varied greatly based on the direction I picked. Eleanor had already mentioned that the giant ones were mostly spilling from the next floor.


    "Probably the right path," I muttered even as I shifted to my hammer, angling myself to avoid the charge of a giant monster while making sure the second one had been blocked by the first. It was challenging enough even without factoring in the ordinary monsters making things more complicated.


    Luckily, the new armor was allowing me to block the corrosion attacks, or dealing with the combination of monsters would have been a messy challenge.


    But, while it had been difficult, I made sure to slowly immobilize the giant ones first before it disappeared.


    The reward had been equally impressive.


    [Skill Stone: Swift Spear (Uncommon)]


    A short but painful absorption period later, I concentrated, targeting the nearest stone, treating it as a target I needed to shape as a grindstone. The mana pattern appeared in front of it. At this point, switching between attacks was a common trick.


    [Swift Spear (Uncommon) 1 - 7 ]


    "Marvelous."

 Chapter 39

    "And, stay down, ugly bastard," I said even as I pushed my abomination of a spear through the skin of an even uglier giant insect monster, feeling excited and satisfied at the same time.


    After all, I had just brought a skill from nothing to its limit in less than half an hour.


    [Swift Spear (Uncommon) 98 - 100]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Fleeting Step / Charge]


    "I wonder if that''s a record," I said even as I ripped the shell of the giant monster I had taken down, and started my trek back to the forge. Now that the skill had reached its limit, I could create a more fitting weapon than the ugly monstrosity I had created to abuse the mismatch.


    Just like Hammer of Might required a proper heavy-headed hammer to show its benefits, Swift Spear required something tall and with a decent elasticity to properly show its power.


    While I probably couldn''t create something that would show the full potential of the technique without high-grade wood ¡ª as there was a limit to the elasticity that could be shown by a pure metal handle ¡ª I should still be able to replicate it somewhat.


    However, while I was on the way, I made sure to choose a perk option, one that didn''t require even the slightest thought. Fleeting Step.


    After all, I had my Hammer of Might for situations that required power, and Stalwart Guard was excellent when I needed to defend myself. Meanwhile, Swift Spear, true to its name, focused more on mobility. It wasn''t exactly my strongest suit, but considering the effort it required, I was still more than happy to take it.


    Fleeting Step transformed the skill somewhat, giving me an even better ability to dance between the attacks. But, even as I tested it, I could feel that, somewhat, it was my stats that weren''t supporting it properly.


    My guess was that my Dexterity had been barely enough to allow me to learn it.


    "Not that I''m complaining," I groaned as I charged among a small swarm, intentionally letting them surround me, yet dodging them with ease. Not even a splatter of a ranged attack landed on me. I could have dealt with them easily, but instead, I let them attack me, while I limited myself to deflecting their mandibles.


    Just because I had a skill at its limit didn''t mean that I could use it well.


    The skill was fascinating, especially with Fleeting Step mixed in. It allowed me to dance among the attacks from the monsters with the elegance of a dancer. It didn''t make me run faster at longer distances, but it actually helped me to climb the cliffs and other surfaces.


    I couldn''t simply climb a ninety-degree surface, but anything with a rough surface was a fair deal. If a mountain goat could climb it, I had a fair chance. "Fascinating." Of course, in a world where people could actually fly, it wasn''t as fascinating, but that was just the reality.


    It meant I could actually ditch the swarms by using the natural impediments, which was a good thing. That way, I didn''t have to kill the monsters in the first two floors, which should keep the others from getting suspicious about the lack of monsters in a certain direction.


    "And, that''s not the only benefit," I muttered as I switched weapons, and started engaging with monsters using Stalwart Guard. I had already used my lessons from the hammer technique to improve it, and when it came to it, sword and spear had much more in common regarding the fundamentals.


    Which was why, the progress I had made when I had arrived back at to forge was only to be expected. More than enough to impress Eleanor.


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    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) - 57]


    The best part was that I hadn''t even pushed it to the limit. But, for once, I decided to slow down. I wanted it to look impressive, not unbelievable.


    Once I forged myself a new, seven-foot-long spear, I decided to leave everything but my hammer in my forge. Searching the gate for the next floor while running as fast as I could manage seemed like a fitting task.


    One particularly great advantage I had was my Strength, allowing me to break the shell just as easily without waiting for the beast to attack. It was even a better fit for hunting on the first floor without damaging the shell as long as corrosion wasn''t a concern.


    But then, without the corrosion effect, a lot of things were easier.


    As I faced my next challenge ¡ª four giant monsters in one horde ¡ª I was suddenly glad that I decided to add the spear to the mix. Hammer had the necessary power to take down the beast in one hit as long as I could hit a weak spot thanks to Shattering Blow, but reaching that weak spot had been the problem.


    With Fleeting Step, I could simply climb on top of them, the corrosion effect uselessly crashing against my metal greaves.


    Suddenly, the fights were less like a deadly struggle, and more like an action movie. Cheating was truly fun. Once I climbed to their back, all I needed was to switch to the hammer. One blow and the giant insects died.


    Too bad piling four of them together still granted me with an Uncommon skill, one that I couldn''t even use.


    I had been hoping for a Rare one.


    "Maybe next time," I muttered even as I continued my dedicated dash, not even slowing down to pick up the shells or the crystals. The only thing I slowed down for was to take note of the various geographical features to prevent myself from getting lost.


    No, I just wanted to find the gate, and while the density of the giant monsters had given me a direction to search, it was not exactly a compass. And, the twenty-yard vision range wasn''t exactly making it easier.


    The dungeon fog ¡ª which was not a real fog but a weird energy ¡ª was a mixed blessing. Its existence was an inconvenience to be sure, but only because it was there, I had dared to set up a hidden forge.


    "Finally," I shouted in celebration when I arrived at the gate I had been searching for. Around it, there were eight giant monsters, which had been not exactly inconvenient to deal with with the trick of combining two skills at their limits.


    I was able to kill all of them in under one minute. Throwing them together had been the bigger challenge.


    They were not exactly small. Even with my strength, I couldn''t casually pile them.


    "It''s worth it," I said when I found a skill that had been glowing in an unfamiliar pattern.


    [Skill Stone: Nurture (Rare)]


    I examined the skill. It was rare, yet it didn''t have any kind of qualifier. I wondered if it was something that could happen for all skills. Was there an inferior version of Mana Forge that I could get from dungeons, or was it only something that was relevant for the Nurture skill¡­


    Frankly, it wouldn''t be the first way the System discriminated against the Farmer class.


    I was tempted to absorb it, but I decided not to. It was tempting, but it was far from the most urgent task I had in mind. I put it in my sack before I turned toward the next challenge I wanted to face.


    The gate.


    "Unto the breach once more," I said as I took a step forward, finally ready to face the next batch. It was a risky step, one that I would have been far more reticent to take without Swift Spear and Fleeting Step. But then again, it wasn''t the first time the dungeon offered a nice solution to the problem it presented.


    As I landed, the first thing that caught my attention was the mist. Not just the dungeon energy we referred to as such, but a real one, enough to make the vision even more difficult.


    That meant I had no idea how many monsters I had to deal with. But, I could already count six giant monsters mixed with a true swarm.


    They charged.


    I jumped.


    Frankly, I didn''t know what I could call the following encounter. It was a baffling mixture of boring and exciting. My conscious mind treated it as a disaster, wave after wave of insects popping out of the mist to overwhelm me, like I was in a desperate last stand.


    But also, it was boring. The only thing I really paid attention to was keeping track of the death of the first monster of the pile while they routinely disappeared because I had been using them as a platform to fight rather than letting the bog close around me.


    But, their disappearance was not a waste. As, without exception, they all faded into Rare skill stones. Two of them were Nurture, which I recognized without touching. The others were a mystery. However, the endless wave of attack continued, preventing me from checking it.


    The monsters continued to appear endlessly, showing me the reason why Eleanor regularly cleansed the first two floors.


    It was truly endless. I fought and fought, the battle slowly turning into something as routine as forging another weapon.


    I would have complained if it wasn''t for a very welcome notification.


    [Level 36 - 37]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity]

 Chapter 40

    An hour after I had passed through the gate, after killing almost five hundred giant insect monsters, and even more smaller insects, I finally stopped pushing forward, and started to retreat. I might not be physically exhausted, but it was not true from a mental perspective.


    But, being under constant siege by monsters had grown exhausting despite the relative tedium.


    I wondered if it was an ordinary problem, or if it was what happened to a dungeon that had been left unattended for a long time ¡ª Eleanor explicitly mentioned that she wasn''t coming down to the fourth floor to cleanse.


    However, the reason didn''t matter in the short term. Either way, it meant that I had to delay my plans to move my forge into the fourth floor. I might have to spend an even longer time than I had expected.


    Still, even as I retreated back to the gate, I wasn''t feeling defeated. The incursion might have been exhausting, but it was also profitable. I was holding almost a dozen Rare skills, and even more Uncommon ones ¡ª unfortunately, all of them were either unusable for me or another copy of Nurture.


    Then, there was the other, even more concrete benefit.


    [Level 37 - 38]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Essence]


    And, they were not the only discoveries. Some of the rocks I touched reacted to my Forge talent. They contained iron. It wasn''t dense enough to make it worth my while to collect it. Even the richest rock had an iron content of barely more than five percent, which meant that collecting and processing them would have taken a lot of time even if I wasn''t attacked by monsters every second.


    The trick with the carts was far more efficient. Still, it was always pleasant to have an alternative path. Also, it was convenient enough that I didn''t need to go back to the forge or destroy a part of my weapon to forge a large bucket, bringing water and soil samples together.


    The main objective was to test it for forging, to see whether it could be used for quenching the weapons I forged to cool down, freeing me from the need to use mana to compensate. But, that was not the only purpose I had in mind for it.


    I wanted to test its effect on Nurture as well, which was why I didn''t scoop just water, but also the mulch from the bottom. Considering how the other materials worked, it was worth a try.


    It was not a suggestion from my skill that led me to that decision, but my common sense. Well, that, and the memory of my considerable success, using silver and gold to push my Forge skill higher. There was no reason it wouldn''t work on Nurture.


    It wasn''t the first experiment I did. I had already tried that with a half-dead cutting, but the constant corrosion effect had destroyed it before I could even start my experiment. Luckily, it didn''t affect flesh.


    "Now, let''s try it," I muttered even as I dug a small pit, and put a palm-full of mulch and water. Then, I followed up by putting another cutting, ready to fill it with Health through Nurture.


    It failed.


    "Alright. Even that''s too much," I muttered. This time, I decided to reverse the direction slightly. I put another cutting into the ground and flooded it with Health until it started showing signs of growth.


    [-182 Health]


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 5 - 6]


    Once again, a wasteful burst, barely able to turn the cutting into a sapling. But that was the fate of experimenting. I reached into my pocket, ready to take a concentrated food pill ¡­ only to find they had been already destroyed by the corrosive attacks. "Alright, that was an oversight," I muttered. I hadn''t expected it to work that way.


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    The leather pouch survived, but the signs of degradation were still obvious.


    However, the map I created had been destroyed as well.


    Luckily, my memory was still fresh, and I was confident I could go back without being touched, or I would have been in big, big trouble.


    It looked like moving to the fourth floor wouldn''t have been as easy as I had expected.


    However, without the ability to refresh my Health, I needed to stop my plans of pushing Nurture to its limit. "One last experiment," I muttered even as I took a drop of water, and put it in the roots. The small sapling had immediately started wilting.


    I put my hand to its surface. A flood of Health counteracted the corrosion. When it ended, the sapling was slightly taller. Not enough to be worth ¡­ in terms of growth.


    [-133 Health]


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 6 - 9]


    Increasing the skill was a far more valuable benefit. "A note, bring a lot of food to replenish health tomorrow," I said, curious about how far I could push Nurture here, and whether it could grow a small woodland for me to actually benefit from it.


    Also, it was finally nice to discover a trick to improve Nurture. Disseminating it alone would solve a lot of problems Farmers faced. I just needed to find a way to spread that without ending up being assassinated.


    Or, one that would trigger a bloody labor dispute. Empowering workers and lower classes historically had been a bloody affair, and that was before the people with power had the ability to cut metal and summon lightning.


    No, it required a lot of finesse.


    "I know what I will be experimenting on tonight," I said. I had turned the bucket into an anti-corrosion metal, but I made sure to cover it with a more ordinary alloy.


    From outside, it looked like an ordinary water can, which meant, no one would pay attention to it. It was important. While bringing some water samples was not wrong, it would also reveal that I had gone deep enough to reach the fourth floor.


    I still stopped by my forge and buried it with a layer of dirt to keep its presence a secret, and left my other set there, including my spear. However, while I did that, I still broke a thick stick of wood and roughly shaped it until the System started to treat it as a spear.


    Fleeting Step would be useful for getting out of the dungeon.


    Running full speed without slowing down, it didn''t take long for me to reach the gate to the first floor. Just to be on the safe side, I spent ten minutes hunting, collecting enough broken shells to fill the cart, enough not to be suspicious.


    "It''s such a pity," I muttered even as I examined the broken shells. I would have received more than twenty gold for them if they were not broken. However, I didn''t have the ability to remove them without causing damage. Even if I had, carefully removing it would have been too challenging.


    "What if I create a small device for it," I muttered, my mind already working on how to do it. The skill didn''t have any such plan, because it didn''t include any device with moving parts, but as long as I come up with a working design, it should be doable to make a hand-powered device, maybe one with a simple crank and multiple blades¡­


    On the way back, I chatted with the guards. When I arrived back at my temporary residence, however, I didn''t start playing with it. While I had a general idea, I didn''t know how long it would take to create a working copy.


    Or, even if I could.


    As much as I was tempted, pushing Nurture to the next stage was a better idea.


    I once again picked three pots, one with an herb from the dungeon, and two others. While I made the preparations, I ate a quick meal, which replenished my Health, even faster than I had been used to. Still, it took time.


    The first result from the experiment, using the water from the fourth floor made the dungeon herb react. That alone was an interesting output, showing that it was possible to grow those plants outside the dungeon.


    Whether it was worth the effort was a completely different thing. The empirical result was ¡­ underwhelming. Meanwhile, even a small drop of it had been enough to kill the other two plants, and Nurture was not enough to save them.


    "Progress," I said still. In the next step, I used some of the materials I had prepared for forging, mixing them with a drop of swamp water. I didn''t have to work hard or think, because my experiment methodology was essentially a rough version of my anti-corrosion material experiment.


    Some of them, I even flooded with my mana to see if it helped. That, it didn''t. I continued to experiment.


    Was it absurd to try and make a fertilizer almost the same way I tried to prepare an alloy? It certainly should have been ¡­ but an hour into the experiment, I was looking at an empty water bottle and a dozen herbs with various states of growth, which disagreed with the absurdity of my methodology.


    What I had managed to make was more of a poison than a fertilizer. It was certainly not worth the effort from any productivity angle.


    But, from a System enhancement angle, it was a completely different story.


    [Nurture (Uncommon) - 34]


    Amusingly, I had a feeling that what really improved the skill was not the growth aspect, but the poison aspect, while curing it pushed the skill higher. Unfortunately, the water I had brought with me was gone, preventing me from experimenting further.


    I needed to return to the fourth floor for more material first.


    Luckily, I had a lot of other things to do ¡­ including my first prototype of a shell removal machine.

 Chapter 41

    "What are you doing?" Eleanor asked the moment she entered the forge, her gaze immediately locking on the device in my hand.


    "I''m trying to find a way to get the shells off the beasts faster," I said.


    The moment I said that her interest faded. "Already trying to make your guild more profitable," she said, but I could sense a hint of disdain in her tone. I didn''t exactly blame her. Hunters were production classes just like Blacksmiths, but, unlike us, they had a reason to actually be outside.


    That meant that finding Hunters above level twenties was far easier than finding high level Blacksmiths, which meant they didn''t need to deal with the same problem. And, unlike Warriors, they would be more than happy to work in a low-risk, low-pay dungeon. In a world where skills could increase by killing monsters rather than working for years, the value of labor was not much.


    And, more importantly, unlike Blacksmiths, Hunters would be arranged by the guilds, meaning it was not her problem.


    "Not exactly," I said. "It''s just a good way to test the elasticity of the metal while I work on trying to discover something that can resist the corrosion. It helps me focus," I said even as I pointed at the various materials that were cluttered about, trying to convince her that I was focused on helping them.


    "Good," she said as she noticed the fresh sign of experimenting. I had used those to improve Nurture, but she didn''t need to know that. "How was your first proper day as a guild master? Anyone suspicious?"


    "No. The story about an old friend deciding to set up a new guild works well enough. Altogether, very believable. The weapon change especially helped. No one should suspect a genius swordsman to be a blacksmith."


    "Genius? Someone''s feeling arrogant. Come, we need to solve it."


    I chuckled as I followed her. Her desire to have another spar was transparent. I wasn''t complaining. Not only did I want to impress her, but also watching her fight was interesting. I might always learn something from her.


    I still couldn''t figure out how to use a mana attack with my sword. It would have been very helpful.


    This time, she brought me to a sparring room, and threw me a wooden sword and shield. She just grabbed a sword. "It''s going to be painful, isn''t it?" I asked. With a real, enchanted blade, she had to hold back. With a wooden sword, she didn''t have to.


    "I don''t know what you mean," she replied.


    "Well, no pain, no gain," I said as I positioned myself, focusing on the technique. While being beaten painfully was not my ideal midnight activity, I wasn''t exactly complaining either. Sparring with her would be a good way to figure out a few new tricks.


    At least, it wasn''t as ghoulish as constantly cutting myself to bleed on metal, which had been the method I used to push Mana Forge and Repair.


    "Attack first. I want to see just how much you have improved," she said. I attacked, not bothering to hold back the slightest. After all, for that reason, I hadn''t pushed my Stalwart Guard to the sixties. Her eyes widened as she took a note of my improvement, which was the only sign of distress. Her blade still easily blocked everything without even taking a step.


    It felt intentional, so I started to rely on my shield more than it would have been reasonable in another situation. "Fine," she growled as she took a step back, then lunged forward.


    Her sword lashed, but I managed to avoid it ¡­ barely, and only by somehow mixing the Fleeting Step into the mix. It allowed me to avoid her attack.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 58 - 59]


    It was a fascinating feeling. It felt like something clicked for a second, before disappearing. And, it was equally clear that the System had acknowledged it. It was very difficult to improve skills through sheer practice, especially after pushing them higher.


    Her eyes widened once more. "That''s not a part of the Stalwart Guard," she said.


    "I guess not. It was just a stroke of inspiration," I replied. "I tried to copy the way you moved, and it ¡­ worked.


    "You truly have talent. Too bad you''re not a warrior," she said. "Still, once you reach level fifty, I''ll gift you a Rare skill."


    "Is this what''s needed to use Rare skills?" I asked.


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    "Indirectly," she said, and I looked at her. "Unlike uncommon ones, where you just need to have the Stat in question, rare skills have higher Stat requirements. Not all of them are the same, but the ones that are worth using usually require a hundred at their Primary stat. There are very few strength-based styles that would fit your style well."


    "That would be excellent," I said as I nodded, more than happy with the prospect of a hard-to-get Rare skill that would fit well with my style. Especially since it would just replace the Stalwart Guard rather than occupying a new slot.


    "One condition. I want you to bring the proficiency to at least eighty before you reach level fifty."


    "I think I can bring it to a hundred," I replied, deliberately acting proud. After all, since the aim was to impress.


    She just snorted, clearly not believing it. I didn''t blame her. If I hadn''t been abusing the way skills overlap, there was no chance that I could even get close to it. What followed was an hour of non-stop sparring that had been as intense as I had feared. I tried to mix Fleeting Step in as many times as I could manage.


    It didn''t work as much as I wanted, but considering the impressed expression on her face, even that was exceptional.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 59 - 66]


    "Actually, you might be right. You are learning even faster than I expected. You might reach a hundred, easily. Maybe I shouldn''t wait until you reach fifty."


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    "When you push a skill at Common or above to its limit, it gives you a perk," she said. "Usually, it''s not worth going through all that effort for an external skill, but there''s a benefit. When you have a Perk, it brings the requirements down for the next tier skill. That way, either you can get a Strength focused one early, or go with a different Rare skill."


    I made a show of looking surprised. "Then, wouldn''t it be better to learn the Common skill before upgrading it step by step?"


    She chuckled. ''Unfortunately, no. Upgrading a skill through a skill stone resets it," she said. "The perk goes away."


    "Even for class skills?" I asked as it was not my experience. "Not that it''s really relevant for us poor Blacksmiths."


    "Yes, even for them," she replied. Interesting, as in my experience, the Perks stayed. However, maybe there was a difference between making the skill evolve directly and using a skill stone.


    Of course, even if that Perk disappeared, I wasn''t exactly willing to write it off as a loss. It still taught me a lot.


    I decided to change the topic. "I''ll still try to bring it to a hundred. It teaches a lot," I said. "Do you mind if I use the other floors to practice?"


    "Go ahead, if you think you can handle it," she said.


    "Of course, I can," I replied. "Actually, why don''t I clean the gates for you. I can easily deal with the giant ones. After all, I have a hammer to slowly break their legs."


    She frowned. "Are you sure? Ranged attacks can be troubling to deal with, especially with the corrosion effect."


    I smiled. "That''s easy. I just need to make a shield out of stone to defend myself against the ranged attacks. Then, I can just discard it and make a new one."


    "Still, it can be dangerous," she muttered. "Try to defend against this," she said as she took several steps back. I waited, expecting her to pick some stones or other ranged items. Instead, she had raised her sword. When she brought it down, some kind of energy cut through the air, targeting me. It was a thin, weak blade.


    I raised my shield to block it. Before it even landed on my shield, she attacked again, this time moving slower. I defended myself to the best of my effort, doing my best to rely on dodging rather than blocking, which got even harder as she started moving around.


    "Alright, you can defend yourself," she cleared. "You just need to be careful if there are multiple giant insects on the third floor. It''s not likely, but it''s better to be safe than sorry."


    "Good point," I replied. "Still, having stronger enemies should help me to raise my skill faster. And, once I do it, I can take over keeping the gates secure. I owe you one, and you''re too busy to waste a full day there."


    "You would do that?" she asked.


    "Of course. As I said, I owe you," I replied, acting like having access to lower floors wasn''t a treasure for me. "However, I''ll need the maps for the second and the third floor. I shouldn''t get lost."


    She nodded. "Easy. Now, let''s spar some more."


    "Before we start, may I ask what that attack was? Some kind of mana attack?" I asked, despite knowing it was not the case. I wasn''t able to feel any mana in her attack. Yet, it was somewhat familiar.


    "No, it''s a special attack from a class skill," she said. She didn''t mention the perk name of the skill name, clearly intending to keep it a secret.


    "How does it maintain its shape without mana?" I asked.


    "By using Vitality, of course," she replied, which surprised me. I didn''t even think that such a thing was possible.


    "Really?" I asked. "Do you mind if I examine how it works from a close range?"


    "How?" she asked.


    "I think I can use my Analyze skill to properly examine it," I replied. I wasn''t faking my enthusiasm. While it was a big request since it potentially touched the secrets of her skills, the possibility of learning from it was more important.


    "Alright, but never reveal anything about it to anyone else."


    "Of course," I said as I stood next to her, and grabbed the hilt together with her, my fingers over hers to catch the movement of Vitality. She froze, and I noticed that her face was red. For someone of her level to be exhausted, she must have had a tiring day. "Go ahead," I said.


    "A-alright," she stammered as she swung the sword. Meanwhile, I kept my eyes closed, using my best to stretch my Advanced Inspect to the limit to carefully examine the way the sword shifted. The way Vitality had been shaped inside the sword had been fascinating.


    The best part, unlike the complicated patterns of mana, it was easy to understand ¡­ well, relatively. At least, I had a rough idea after she had repeated it a dozen times.


    "I think that''s enough," she pulled. "I ¡­ I have a long day tomorrow."


    "How about the spar?" I asked, but she was already walking away.


    "I''ll just take a rain check," she replied and walked away.


    "Whenever you want," I called, which was a completely genuine reaction.


    Why shouldn''t I be, when that meeting had solved three serious problems at the same time.

 Chapter 42

    As I walked through the third floor of the dungeon, I felt even more enthusiastic. I wasn''t able to see Eleanor in the morning, but thankfully, she hadn''t forgotten to drop the maps of the first three floors.


    She even marked the doors to the fourth floor ¡ª with a note warning me to stay away for my safety ¡ª which meant I didn''t need to search the entirety of the huge area. And, that area was truly huge. Almost thirty miles in radius. Combined with the limited visibility, it would have been torture to search through it.


    I truly needed it. After realizing that my plans of setting a forge on the fourth floor were more infeasible than I had realized, I decided to move my small forge to a new spot. And what better location than the gate that was farthest from any entrance.


    Having a real map made moving easy, and I was strong enough to pull everything ¡ª including the large crucible ¡ª with me easily. This time, knowing I had to move, I brought it with me.


    I didn''t need to leave the cart on the first floor after taking over the gate protection and maintenance. And, having the cart with me, I didn''t need to waste the material from the beasts I killed, piling the broken shells into it.


    When I arrived at my destination, I picked a hilltop a mile away from the gate leading to the fourth floor. After some effort to set everything at the forge, I started digging a small pool not too far away from the gate, and covered its bottom with anti-corrosive metal. It was a thin layer, but it should be enough to maintain it.


    Then, I forged two large buckets, but I didn''t bring them with me.


    Instead, I changed into my combat set, took the spear and hammer with me, and jumped through the gate. After experiencing the sudden onslaught at the other gate, I was prepared for the challenge. However, being prepared didn''t make the challenge easier, particularly since I had been doing my best to rip the broken shells.


    I needed a lot of material for my setup to improve Nurture.


    Since I wasn''t trying to push through the monsters, I filled my oversized buckets before going back, carrying some of the stuff. Several trips later, I had enough water to swim in if I wished, which meant I could experiment as I wished.


    I filled one of the buckets with the best fertilizer with the least poison I was able to come up with, and brought it near the forge. Behind the hill where I set up my forge, there was a small deep valley. One that was perfect for growing an experimental orchard.


    "Let''s try it," I said as I set twenty cuttings from half-dead shrubberies, and fed the first one with a drop before flooding them with enough Health to satisfy the requirement of the skill.


    [-22 Health]


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 34 - 35]


    "Excellent," I said, happy to see a response from the System. I was even happier to see that the sapling had grown considerably, sprouting almost two inches. Not exactly a great amount, but considering it only took a smidgen of health and a drop of poison-fertilizer, the growth was incredible nevertheless.


    While using dungeon water allowed the dungeon plants to grow outside, the actual growth was next to negligible compared to what I had achieved inside the dungeon.


    I repeated the process even as I grabbed one of the vitality-dense bars I had brought along ¡ª this time with enough presence of mind to leave them on the third floor ¡ª to replenish my Health slowly, once again amused that a Blacksmith could increase the skill level faster.


    [-410 Health]


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 34 - 49]


    Still, whenever I repeated it, I focused on the sensation of Health leaving my body, doing my best to get familiar with it. I had already been planning to learn how to use Health directly, to see if I could push Repair and Forge higher by using just silver ¡ª as finding a sufficient amount of gold to forge weapons seemed to be a challenge ¡ª and Eleanor''s attack had only intensified that desire.


    It was a dangerous world, and having an extra weapon was always welcome.


    After several rounds, my Nurture had stabilized in the mid-fifties. Which would have been an easy pattern.


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    Instead, I returned and mixed another fertilizer, this time both the poison and fertilized effect stronger. However, for this batch, I also mixed the purest fertilizer I could manage. After playing around, I realized the best way was to use a stronger poison effect.


    While, at the same time, giving the plant enough material to trigger its growth.


    "It can''t be that easy," I muttered as I replicated the same process with a sapling I had brought from outside for this exact purpose. It ¡­ died.


    Terribly.


    "Not a surprise. It doesn''t have any inherent resistance," I muttered. "Maybe if it''s stronger," I said. I used some water from outside I had brought for this exact purpose and carefully enhanced its growth. Soon, I was looking at a sapling that was two feet tall and looked far healthier than the others.


    It cost me almost ten minutes, and three hundred Health. And, it didn''t even increase my skill.


    Then, I used the cleanest dungeon fertilizer I had discovered. One drop had been enough to make it wilt helplessly. I tried to reverse it, which cost me even more.


    [-219 Health]


    To make it even more annoying, there was no skill improvement.


    "Alright, it''s clear that the dungeon plant has some kind of resistance to the poison aspect," I determined. The mechanics were no doubt interesting, but I didn''t have the equivalent of Repair to properly analyze it.


    "It looks like the theme of the day is pointless repetition," I said even as I increased the number of saplings. Soon, I was feeding them with stronger and stronger fertilizer first, pushing them to a certain size before I poisoned them.


    My Nurture skills climbed higher and higher. Then, noon arrived. I had depleted the small pool I had created, but it was not for nothing. I had reached my glorious point of success.


    "Beautiful, " I said even as I looked at my small, unambitious tree plantation. None of the trees were taller than my height, and they were the ugliest little things I had ever seen with crooked branches and thin, listless leaves.


    But, it represented two things. One, unlimited fuel for my forge.


    Two, another beautiful experiment.


    [Nurture (Uncommon) - 72]


    "Let''s see if you''ll be able to survive the poison," I said even as I used the shovel to carefully uproot it from its place while I stuffed my mouth with some extra food. Then, I brought the tree next to the gate.


    I left the tree behind as I went down, killing the monsters around the gate ¡ª their presence wasn''t as intense, but I still had to kill several giant monsters. Then, I broke their shells into a mixture of small and big pieces and picked a small spot near the gate that wasn''t submerged in water.


    The wet mulch wasn''t too difficult to dig.


    Then, I returned to the third floor and brought the small, ugly tree I had brought with me. The moment it arrived, it started to wilt.


    I immediately put my hand on its surface, pushing as much as Health as I could manage in short bursts.


    [-42 Health]


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 72 - 74]


    Unfortunately, despite that, the tree started to wilt rather than grow. I repeated the attempt multiple times, each attempt slowing down its demise to some extent. But, ultimately, it ended up as a dead, dried tree, and my current health was insufficient to resolve the issue.


    However, while it was a sad loss, there was a great benefit to it as well.


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 99 - 100]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Growth / Harvest]


    "Excellent," I muttered even as I went back to the third floor, once again going back and forth until I had refilled the pool. Not only that, but I had also added a hundred more saplings to my little tree plantation.


    With the skill already at its peak, I was able to grow those saplings far more efficiently, both in terms of Health required and time. Raising a small orchard didn''t even take enough time to reach midday.


    Now, it''s time for another forging experiment," I said. I cut ten of the trees and used them to create a nice cozy fire, capable of easily melting and cleansing the limited silver I had.


    This time, I tried to engage Nurture to push Health directly to the molten metal, followed by slowly feeding mana. It worked enough to hold the material. Unfortunately, suddenly, it was my speed of releasing mana that was a problem.


    "Luckily, it''s not a big problem," I said as I looked at the large pile of broken shells, each representing an incredible amount of mana I could directly use in the form of a mana blow. Especially since the new trees had been able to burn brightly enough to release the mana from the shells completely.


    "Fascinating," I said as I rapidly started to forge the smallest silver daggers I could manage, using the poisonous dungeon water to quench them, and then destroying them just as quickly.


    Now that I wasn''t trying to ration the mana I was able to use, the skill started to rise rapidly once again.


    When it was past midday, I was looking for a beautiful new text.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) 99 - 100 ]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Modify / Masterwork / Rapid Forging / Mana Control (Mana Manipulation) / Durable]


    If there was a further variant of Creative Forging, it would have been a tough choice. Without it, Mana Control was the clear option. Maybe, with that, I might break the limit on my sword skills.


    However, as much as I wanted to try that, improving Repair was more important. So, I forged the strongest, most mana-dense silver dagger I could manage before systematically destroying and repairing it until the skill reached its limit.


    I didn''t even have to think before I chose to improve Advanced Inspect, as it was still my single most important Perk.


    [Mana Repair (Rare) - 104 [Observe]


    Mana Forge (Rare) - 102 [Creative Forging, Mana Control]]


    "Beautiful," I celebrated, ignoring the temptation to tinker with them even more. With the materials in hand, I had already reached the limit. For the next stage, I needed gold, probably in bulk, and likely even more mana than I could get from the broken shells of giant monsters.


    So, as much as I wanted to play with them more, I decided that it was time to fight some more.


    However, not before I completely reforged everything.

 Chapter 43

    Forging a completely new set of gear had been an exciting prospect. Even if the skill didn''t give me a better variant of the anti-corrosive alloy with some silver mixed in, the difference between sixty points and a hundred points was incredible enough to make it worth the effort.


    After all, such a radical jump didn''t just bring with it more materials, but completely new techniques to use. Some of those techniques revealed new ways to use Mana to manipulate the underlying material, while the others were purely physical methods like folding the metal more and more to manipulate its crystallization structure.


    However, I didn''t choose to forge the best weapon that was offered, for one simple reason: It required a long and delicate forging process, requiring me to turn the metal into a sheet before folding it back again and again for hours for every ingot.


    While it would have made the resulting weapon considerably better, I didn''t have a week to forge a weapon and a month to forge a piece of armor.


    No, a set that used most of the silver I had while still being forged in under one hour was the best option. I compensated for some of the weaknesses by using an excessive amount of mana, while the others stayed in place.


    Even this was only possible thanks to Creative Forging and Mana Control, a combination that allowed me to bypass a lot of restrictions inherent to these techniques, though the quality suffered significantly.


    I wondered just how incredible my weapons would have been had I chosen the Masterwork path, but it was just an idle curiosity. Ultimately, my new set was more than enough to handle the challenges offered by this dungeon, and that was all that mattered.


    "Still, it had been an interesting experience," I muttered as I spent ten minutes, and used the last of the available silver to make the shell removal device I had been trying to make. It worked beautifully, but it was not commercially viable.


    Simply because it was too precious. The device I had envisioned last night had many moving parts out of necessity, and they didn''t work very well. Instead, what I forged was essentially three small thin knives with an absurd elasticity and even sharper edges, perfect to scoop under the shells.


    Unfortunately, its materials were too precious, which would be suspicious.


    "I can always keep it with me while showing the prototype," I decided.


    I needed the money it would bring.


    Technically, with my current abilities, there were far better methods of making money. I could go and start forging mana alloys in a mana-dense location. I didn''t know how much a silver mana alloy would go for, but ten gold coins for an ingot was far below the actual price.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t know a way to do so without suddenly becoming a ''guest'' to one of the stronger families. After all, I didn''t just offer rare resources, but a chance to replicate, which was the kind of thing that needed to be monopolized to maximize its impact.


    "Hunting insects is more than acceptable," I decided. Maybe I could try something better once I believed myself to be strong enough, but I still had a lot to do before that step. Even with all the things I had solved, I was still three years behind schedule.


    Even as I started walking toward the fourth floor, I started thinking about how to close that gap. The most urgent step was obvious. Before reaching level fifty, I needed to find a way to improve my class skills to the next stage.


    Which, in turn, would give me a better class once I reached level fifty. Hopefully.


    Of course, I couldn''t exactly experiment blindly. Even with the Mana variants of my two skills, I had a solid direction of where to go. I had worked with mana alloys, and Maria had helped me by infusing mana into the metal. Even then, only the coincidence of being in a mana dead zone allowed me to make that jump.


    For the other possible improvements, I needed direction.


    For direction, I needed information.


    And, for information, I needed money.


    "Let''s hunt," I said, even as I delved into the fourth floor. I had achieved a lot, but I still had some time. And, I wanted to see if the improved equipment helped me against the giant insects.


    The short answer, it did. Immensely.


    Before, I still needed to use a combination of spear and hammer styles against giant beasts, climbing on top of them before using the hammer. It wasn''t slow by any means, taking less than ten seconds.


    But, the difference between ten seconds and one blow was too much. Suddenly, I was able to push the spear art to the limit as I ran through the bog without even slowing down, each blow killing a giant insect. Most of the time, I didn''t even bother changing my path to kill one of the smaller ones.


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    The increased speed had paid off greatly. When I finished the time I had allocated to pure leveling, I had already improved further.


    [Level 38 - 39]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength,, +2 Dexterity]


    [Level 39 - 40]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength,, +1 Dexterity, +1 Essence]


    On the way back, I shifted to the sword, trying to replicate the mana attack.


    To my shock, it took only three tries for me to succeed ¡­ somewhat. It was a combination of a minute amount of silver conducting mana better than I had expected, my new Mana Control perk allowing me to control the flow better, and a greater understanding of how to shape it to get an approximation of a cutting edge.


    [-2 Mana]


    I stopped using the sword once the skill proficiency reached the low seventies, which I had accomplished easily by killing a dozen insects. I slowed it down, once again trying to stay within reasonable bounds.


    With my spear and hammer skill in place, the only function of the sword skill was to impress Eleanor.


    However, as I passed near the dried remains of the tree I tried to raise, I decided that I still had time for one more experiment. And, with the small plantation in place, even if Rare skills proved harder to improve than I initially assumed, I could always go the slow way.


    I went back to the third floor, once again refilling the small pond. Then, I grabbed the Rare skill stone, and absorbed it.


    [Nurture (Uncommon) 100 - Nurture (Rare) 1]


    "That''s a big drop," I muttered even as I started using the rare variant, trying to see how it changed, trying to compare it with the other variants.


    The first thing I noticed was that it was far more effective when it came to dealing with the poison aspects, easily cleansing it from the sapling with a little bit of mana. That had been incredible enough, but also the growth effect was more pronounced.


    Then, there was the final result. The saplings that had been enhanced by the Rare variant looked far more healthier. Its branches were smoother and thicker, and the leaves were brighter. It actually looked like a tree rather than a sorry excuse.


    The only disadvantage was that the skill was slower to grow. The poisoned tree trick had been able to push the old skill to eighties easily, while the Rare variant slowed down at below fifty. Though, considering it was functioning better at that level, it was hardly a drawback.


    "And, it''s not like I don''t have a method to handle it," I said even as I uprooted another tree, refilled my health by eating ¡ª glad that my Vitality made that process even faster ¡ª and went back to the fourth floor.


    "Let''s see how long you''ll be able to survive," I said as I buried the tree that was as tall as me. I injected it with a burst of Health.


    [-22 Health]


    [Nurture (Rare) 42 - 46]


    "Excellent," I said, and repeated the trick, curious just how much I would be able to push it before it died ¡­ but it didn''t take long for me to realize I had made a slight miscalculation.


    The rare variant was better at dealing with the poison aspect ¡­ to a significant degree. Which meant, the tree wasn''t slowly corroding, but actually growing, a pattern that had started to get more and more obvious.


    Ten minutes later, I was looking for a giant tree that hovered above me, taller than twenty yards. An important detail, because I could see its branches without being blocked by the dungeon mist. Interesting.


    [Nurture (Rare) - 82]


    "How curious," I said even as I walked back, only to realize my vision range still included the tree. Only when I walked back, I realized that, effectively, there was a second bubble around the tree, which overlapped with mine. The moment I walked away sufficiently, the mist blocked the way.


    Since I needed to keep things going, I moved back, wanting to add seven more trees around the dungeon gate. Having a better vision around the gate would have made my life much easier.


    Raising seven more trees allowed me to raise Nurture back to nineties, which took another half an hour. A nice surprise. Another surprise followed soon after.


    The insects avoided the fully-grown trees.


    Another fascinating little detail.


    "Incredible," I said, but while I wanted to play around, it was also true that I needed money. A lot of money. For that reason, I went back to the third floor, and used a combination of shell extraction device and the new silver spear with great efficiency.


    Thanks to the device, it took less than a second to extract the shell without damaging it, which was an incredible activity. Extracting a thousand shells took barely more than an hour, traveling took more than the task itself, and even then, it wasn''t much.


    The third floor was teeming with monsters, which gave me more than enough prey. I might have even extracted more, that would have been suspicious even with the extraction device.


    With that, I piled everything onto the cart, and started going up.


    When I arrived, the guards looked at the cart with a shocked expression. "Wow, that''s an ¡­ incredible haul. Particularly since you''re alone."


    "Nothing too much," I replied even as I smiled. "A good friend of mine made this for me. It''s a bit of trouble to maintain, and I paid a hundred gold for it, but it''s worth it." It was not without reason I gave such an absurd number. It needed to look like something that was not affordable.


    "Really, what does it do?" the guard asked.


    "It helps extract the shells," I said. "Also, I was lucky to find a swarm or two, and a few good Samaritans were kind enough to exchange weapons with me so I didn''t have to return every hour."


    "Wow, really," he said.


    "Of course," I replied even as I raised my sword, and told a quick story about how I achieved it while also showing my sword skills. An explanation ¡­ and if someone was having some thoughts, a warning.


    When I left the dungeon, I was thirty gold coins richer. It would have been thirty-two, with some spare silver, but the extra, I left as a tip.


    Well, I let them record as such, at least. Currently, they weren''t paying with coins, but giving some kind of credit, which could be used for services. It had to be redeemed in the town, after all the expenses from repair fees to guild rent had been paid.


    Still, a reputation for generosity wouldn''t harm. Especially when, tomorrow, I would probably borrow at least twenty swords to make things more believable, which was technically against the rules. Everyone could borrow three swords, and had to bring them back in an acceptable condition to get a new one.


    Getting twenty swords would eat into my profits even more, but I didn''t need Eleanor to start wondering if I discovered some kind of resistant alloy this early on.

 Chapter 44

    When I returned to the town, enthusiastic about testing the limits of the improved core skills, Eleanor was already waiting for me. This time, she didn''t say anything even before she drew her sword and attacked.


    "Good evening to you as well," I called even as I drew mine and countered her attack, even parrying hard enough to push her back.


    "I thought that it''s better to check whether you''re slacking," she said even as she attacked again. I countered her easily. This time, it was less about her holding back, and more about where we were fighting. A tight corridor, which was far more advantageous for Stalwart Guard.


    Of course, that advantage wouldn''t be enough for me to win against her if she started fighting seriously, but the fact that she had to take me seriously in the first place was enough to show how much I had grown.


    We fought for two minutes before she pulled back, clearly satisfied. I barely added ten points since our spar, but considering the increasing difficulty of upgrading a skill, it was still incredible. Believably so.


    "I heard that you managed to hunt a lot of insects today," she said.


    "Yes. Trying to take them in one blow is a good trick, especially with the stone shield trick," I replied. "The second floor is not as hard as I had initially feared. Giant ones are even easier to deal with a hammer. Though, it was hell to maintain the little contraption I made. I had to repair it maybe twenty times."


    "That''s what you get for trying to rely on machines rather than proper skill," she said.


    I strongly disagreed with her absurd statement. No matter how convenient the skills were, it was not an excuse to not to attempt recreating technology in some way. However, I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to annoy my boss ¡­ or was she technically my business partner. Maybe a client?


    Then, I shrugged. Regardless of her exact title, she represented my access to the dungeon. I could humor her. "Unfortunately, I need the money to recruit when the caravan arrives. So, unless you have a couple thousand gold coins you want to lend me without interest, I have to play with these devices."


    "Good point," she said. "I would have, but I have put everything I have to bid for the dungeon along with Lady Maria. We even borrowed some from the family. Or, I would have done that easily."


    I thought about asking her just how much it cost, but I held my mouth shut. Being too nosy was not a good idea. "Any plans for the night?" I asked.


    "I need to go back to the town," she replied. "I have another meeting with that b ¡ª Rosie. Do you want to come?" she corrected, her tone signaling that they weren''t getting along. A change from the earlier attitude. My best guess, Eleanor was getting annoyed at Rosie''s business acumen. Not that I blamed her.


    Rosie was a dangerous opponent across the table.


    "Depends," I said.


    "On what?"


    "On how much Rosie actually knows about the dungeon, and how invested she is in its success," I said. "There''s no way a beard and a new skill would make her believe that I''m a new person."


    Eleanor nodded, clearly not having considered that. "She is the one that found us the suppliers for the skills, and she was the one that found the new blacksmiths. Also, she invested a lot in her new guild here. Don''t you trust her?"


    I paused for a moment, considering. Before, I would have said that I trusted her immediately. While she had always looked out for herself, that was not a bad quality in a dangerous world. She had a reputation for sticking to the deals she made.


    I knew that intimately. When I was still using her to collect data about the surrounding towns, I had carefully analyzed the data she provided to make sure it was not fake. Faking data, even with people with Intelligence, was not an easy job, especially against me.


    After a decade of reviewing papers for various journals ¡ª a terrible, thankless part of academia ¡ª I was pretty familiar with how fake data looked. Just to be on the safe side, I even ran some statistical analysis to make sure everything was acceptable.


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    While it was not conclusive evidence, it was a strong positive mark to her case. Combined with her significant investment to the town, it was fair to assume that she could be trusted ¡­ with my identity. Not anything else.


    Especially since there was a good chance that she would be moving here to operate her new guild. Revealing my identity was easier than playing hide and seek. And, with her being aware of my identity, I could start making purchases through her once again.


    The best thing about it was that she was too used to my weird purchases, so a few potentially risky subjects should just go under the radar.


    "Fair, let''s go," I said, hating myself that I was actually volunteering to fly. However, I needed to do so, because I had too many things to do in the town. I wanted to buy new skills, experiment with environmental mana, and even see if I could hire some people to work for me.


    Then, I froze, remembering an important fact. "Actually, do you have anything that can block Identify?" I asked. "We don''t want anyone checking my class."


    "Good point. Wait here," she said as she brought me a bracelet. "Be careful, though. It doesn''t last long. Only activate when you''re suspicious, and turn it off once the situation passes," she said.


    "How does it work?" I asked as I looked at the ugly gold bracelet with emerald and ruby studdings.


    "Just hold it in your hand and focus, it''ll trigger," she said. "But, be careful. It''s an active enchantment, and it''s already mostly drained. It can probably last only for ten more minutes."


    "Alright," I said, ignoring the temptation to just start examining it. I tried that on the camouflage ring, only to end up disappointed. The ring itself was a boring Mana alloy, and everything was done with Mana.


    Which, it had a limited amount of, with no way to refill ¡ª at least no way I could figure.


    Still, it didn''t bother me, I had a good feeling that I could actually block someone''s mana if they tried. I just needed to be careful if someone tried to touch me, and that was it. The bracelet, I just needed as an excuse.


    "Let''s go," she said. I nodded,


    Merely ten minutes later, I had been cursing that decision as I grabbed the griffin, scared out of my mind. I had been a passenger on Eleanor''s griffin twice, and both had been pleasant experiences ¡ª as far as it could be when one flew on top a giant mutated bird with a stupid lion legs that couldn''t even manage to flap its wings smoothly; an opinion I held with absolutely no bias.


    Unfortunately, one of those trips had been between the town and the dungeon, which was a very small distance with constant patrols keeping the wild monsters away. During the other trip, we had Maria dealing with the monsters with her flame attacks.


    Without her, Eleanor was the one to handle them. In melee range.


    It wasn''t the monsters that scared me. I trusted Eleanor to handle them, and even if I didn''t, I could have used Stalwart Guard to protect myself.


    No, it was the fact that our Griffin had been dealing with most of the attacks, which made it jerk and twist, worse than even the worst turbulence. Without strength, I wouldn''t have been able to hold on.


    Eleanor said something, but I wasn''t able to process it as my ears rang, spots appearing in my eyes. I recognized the panic attack easily. I took deep breaths, but it didn''t work.


    I closed my eyes, repeating myself that I wouldn''t actually die if I fell. With Health to recover from, a fall from terminal velocity wouldn''t be deadly unless I landed on my head. Unfortunately, that didn''t work any better than repeating the plane accident statistics in my mind had before the Calamity.


    It was torture.


    Not even the sudden change in environment as we entered a mana rich atmosphere had helped me. When we landed, I threw myself on the ground, my legs trembling badly. "Are you alright?" Eleanor asked.


    "Not particularly, no," I answered, not even in the mood for a lie.


    "Come on, let''s bring you to the town," she said even as she presented her arm. I grabbed it, and let her drag me toward the gate. However, halfway in, my shakes started to disappear.


    Faster than I was used to. It was not normal.


    "What''s going on?" I asked.


    "We have just stepped into the peace zone," she said.


    "Peace zone?" I asked.


    She paused. "I sometimes forget that you don''t really know a lot about big stuff," she said. "Is it possible that you forget that I even said that?" I didn''t even bother answering her.


    "Alright, but keep your mouth shut. It''s a small addition to the formation of every town. It radiates a weak calming effect to prevent stress build up, making sure people don''t go around fighting every day. However, the effect is too weak to actually stop people if they are aware, so it''s not exactly announced. Too bad we can''t really afford it for our town yet. They are cheap, but in our case, we can''t afford to supply it with mana."


    "A reasonable precaution," I said, glad that I had the excuse of being sick to explain the utter disgust in my tone. A permanent calming effect, affecting my mind. Constantly in the air.


    I couldn''t even begin to explain why it was a bad decision to keep people under a constant mind-altering effect. Even assuming that there was no side effect ¡ª debatable ¡ª one thing had been scientifically proven.


    A certain amount of stress played an important role in any kind of innovation, or drive to succeed.


    Looking back, I couldn''t help but wonder if it explained why I had lost three years of my life, limiting myself to sending applications while trying to collect some meager data rather than doing ¡­ anything else. I had always assumed that it was just my old world habits.


    But, was it?

 Chapter 45

    As I followed Eleanor, I did my best to ignore the giant question about having something called calming field over every single town. I failed. Somehow, it nauseated me worse than that horrible flight experience.


    I tried to ignore it, but failed. Something was bubbling inside me. For the first time, I wanted to feel like raging. Worse, now that I knew that there was something to look for, I could feel that anger draining out of me slowly. The weaker my anger got, the smoother the draining had become. Soon, even though I knew what to look for, I couldn''t identify the effect.


    I couldn''t handle the idea.


    "Actually, do you mind if I go kill a few monsters? It''ll calm me better," I managed to squeeze between my clenched teeth.


    "I understand the feeling. Go ahead. I''ll be at the Broken Tankard," Eleanor said.


    I nodded thankfully before I turned and started walking away. The darkness, I welcomed as I moved away from the town, ignoring the road, which was safer ¡ª but not safe ¡ª as I cut directly toward the nearest woodland.


    It was one of the hunting areas maintained for the low-leveled people, with an hourly access fee. At least, during the day.


    It was too unpredictable during the night. Exactly what I needed. I wanted to destroy things without being observed by anyone. For the first time in my life, I wanted to lash out and destroy. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was the reason for my state, obediently sending applications to the new research groups without taking initiative.


    One of the guards shook his hand. "Hey, buddy. You can''t come here during the night ¡ª" he started.


    I just threw him a gold coin. An abject waste of money, but I didn''t want to talk with him. With my hands shaking with anger, I didn''t know how he would react.


    "Alright, but if you have any problem, I didn''t see you," the guard said as he put the coin into his bag before walking away.


    I ignored that as I delved into the forest, my blade dancing to cut and skewer any monster that was stupid enough to come close. I moved deeper and deeper, killing more and more. It didn''t make me any less angry, but gave me a sense of control, enough that I could start processing my anger.


    While the idea that I might have wasted three years of my life was a horrible realization, it wasn''t the reason for my rage.


    Not even close.


    I was furious, because having a calming field effect going on constantly was nothing less than a true disaster. Of course, there were many reasons it was a horrible disaster, like potential impact on brain chemistry, but on those, I didn''t know enough to make a judgment call.


    I could only make a certain judgment from the perspective of a sociologist. And, that judgment was clear.


    It was a disaster, which had the potential to be worse than the Calamity itself.


    Though, I was glad that I didn''t have to tell someone else about that. I doubted that I could realistically convey the significance of it to someone that was not an expert. And even then, it wouldn''t be a simple conversation.


    In a way, stress was like gravity. Without it, thinking that we would be jumping happily was a good dream. In reality, our bodies would turn into malformed abominations with countless defects, because every little biological function we had depended on gravity to shape it.


    Stress had some function for our minds and the society.


    Just like gravity, there were many harmful effects caused by stress. Chronic health problems, impact on productivity, leading social conflicts, aggressions, damaging relationships, burnouts, and many other effects that would take too long to list¡­


    Yet, it was a proven fact that stress, in moderate doses, was a critical aspect of motivation. It sharpened focus and drove the individuals to become better. From a certain point of view, it was also the reason most successful people had been maladjusted ¡ª a list that included me, if I were to be honest.


    It drove people to adapt, grow, and innovate in unpredictable ways. Without that drive, people could still push themselves and excel, but they rarely became exceptional. In a way, it generated excellent accountants and gym teachers, but not many true scientists or record breaking athletes.


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    That alone explained why most people didn''t even think of pushing the limits of the System but obediently followed the easiest path to improvement.


    Of course, fighting constantly against monsters was a stressful activity, but it didn''t make people innovate. Too much stress impacts creativity in a completely opposite manner, stifling it and forcing people to stick to their traditions and habits even more. Especially habits like killing more monsters to get stronger, which was an obvious choice.


    It didn''t exactly happen like that for me ¡­ but then, I could hardly call myself a normal, well-adjusted human being. I was the reason my psychologist had been able to send her child through college without student loans.


    "I hate it," I growled as I destroyed another monster. "We are dealing with a magical disaster and literal monsters, yet we''re still our worst enemy."


    I wasn''t exaggerating. Just by stopping people from experimenting, those calming fields might have killed more people than the first wave of Calamity. A massacre of grand scale.


    That alone would have been horrible enough. But, there were many other critical functions of stress in society. For example, it played an incredible role in social bonding. Stress drew people together, both seeking comfort of the group, and trying to overcome the challenges together.


    Yet, people had been living in relative, forced calm, then went out to fight against monsters to get an enhanced dose of stress, not just from the fact that they were fighting for their lives, but it was likely that they also suffered withdrawal effects from leaving the calming field, at least to a level similar to trying to quit smoking.


    Which meant, any group that worked together had turned even more close knit and loyal. A good thing during a fight, as people weren''t afraid of being abandoned by their fellow fighters. But a horrible thing from a societal perspective.


    "Codependent" was a word that people loved to throw around, but it was a dangerous thing. It made people stay in cults that drained their money and linger in abusive relationships until it killed them.


    In our current situation, codependent was an understatement ¡ª


    "Fuck, that explains why everyone follows people with Charisma like lost puppies," I growled even as I punched the nearest tree, leaving a deep indent. It didn''t break my gauntleted hand. I wish it did. Not only had people turned more loyal, but Charisma was probably able to replicate that effect, at least partially.


    Which meant that anyone with Charisma was essentially microdosing people constantly when they had been struggling with addiction symptoms.


    Combined, it was even more devastating than ordinary. It meant, every guild was some kind of a frat house on steroids, led by what was essentially a cult leader.


    It also explained one of the biggest questions I had, the strong drift on social values and ethics. While I had some theories, I had always been weirded out by how quickly a world built on the idea of freedom and individuality ¡ª at least, to some degree ¡ª had been able to regress back to medieval principles in less than three years.


    The peace fields presented a much better explanation.


    I reacted that badly, because I had already studied the concept before Cataclysm.


    The idea of artificially adjusting people''s emotions and drives to create a ''better'' society wasn''t exactly a new idea. The CIA had famously experimented on the impact of the drugs, not to mention many famous science fiction books examined the concept as a thought experiment.


    Of course, as a famous sociologist that could actually model impacts of such concepts, I had sufficient access to some of the studies that hadn''t been revealed to the public yet. People often underestimated the number of contingencies that the government had for any kind of an emergency, from disease outbreaks to a sudden nuclear attack.


    Ironically, even the Cataclysm was prepared for ¡­ technically. A total collapse of electrical infrastructure along with a hostile invasion sufficiently fit the theme. Of course, it didn''t help even a bit when the Cataclysm hit, because, ultimately, those plans needed to be implemented on time.


    However, they weren''t the only ones that commissioned such studies. There were many eccentric rich people that tried to solve every problem the world had through their sheer genius. Of course, those genius ideas were often one-liners like building a huge underwater city before leaving the ''easy'' part to the experts.


    I remembered it, because I had been harassed by a particularly annoying one years ago. It was called Horizon Institute, and they had been obsessive enough to harass me for a month, offering me a frankly ludicrous amount of money to work for their genius founder.


    But, no money was worth working for a bunch of crazy people, especially since I had been more than comfortable with my finances thanks to a few peripheral projects I had done for tech companies. A few startups had paid in shares, which then appreciated more than I expected, freeing me from the necessity to indulge them.


    It was particularly satisfying to throw the gold watch they had given me as an apology to the garbage. It had been less satisfying when I actually went and paid for a replica to be made when the dean started to nag me about upsetting important donors.


    "Those were the days," I muttered even as I continued to kill, going deeper and deeper into the forest, letting my anger drain out of me while I let my skill lead me. In a way, it was like Meditation.


    A very violent variant.


    I continued, spending some more time before I started to walk back. "It is ironic that the conspiracies about chem-trails had suddenly turned real," I said, but my chuckle sounded dark even to my ears.


    Not a surprise, considering what would happen if I tried to convince people about my conclusions. I didn''t know if the peace fields were some kind of intentional conspiracy to somehow manipulate humanity, or if it was something they used simply because it helped people in power. Ultimately, it didn''t matter.


    It took decades of fighting to limit tobacco usage, where the industry lied, cheated, bribed, used legal troubles, and that had been only one recreational industry. Trying to convince the people that were actually fashioning themselves as feudal city lords and medieval nobles that one of the fundamental aspects of their power was harmful¡­


    There was only one question about what would happen if I tried. Would I be treated as a madman and dismissed, or quietly assassinated?

 Chapter 46

    "Time to return," I said to myself serenely, and started walking back.


    Of course, I knew it was not true acceptance. However, once the heat from the realization was gone, I was able to put it back into the pile of things I would deal with in the future. It was a big disaster, one that could potentially change the world, but it wasn''t something I could deal with blindly.


    And, the first step was to confirm that it was actually the situation. Admittedly, studying it wouldn''t have been too easy. Even the simplest experiment I could think of, which was to give two groups some kind of tricky problem that was disguised as an IQ test, required me to access at least a hundred people, and hold experiments in two different locations.


    Observing the new town was not an option, as there were too many variables to come to a conclusion. Maybe if I had the data from at least a hundred new towns, and a proper computer to process it ¡ª


    "Not the time," I said. While it was tempting to spend the next month coming up with fascinating observation methodologies that might solve my issue, it would have been ultimately counterproductive. Even the cheapest setup I could envision required a lot of money to run. More importantly, it would have been too obvious.


    There was one important question about the peace fields: Whether they were intentionally there to control the society, or if that was just a side effect. As much as I wanted to dismiss the first option as a crazy conspiracy theory, I couldn''t. And, until I could, I didn''t have the luxury of experimenting freely.


    I was even happier that I hid my Mana Forge and Mana Repair after this revelation.


    Instead, I needed to use the opportunity to experiment with environmental mana. We wouldn''t stay here for long, and I had already wasted most of my time. It would be even more annoying if Eleanor wrapped up her business with Rosie.


    Luckily, I could always use the excuse of getting inspired about sword technique if she was angry. It should mollify her.


    Meanwhile, I found a nice concealed corner, leaned against a rock wall, and started using Meditation to gather mana.


    To my surprise, it was slower than using the monster parts to refill my mana. Considerably so, but it didn''t take long for me to understand the reason. I barely ran the technique for a minute before the Mana density around me had dropped considerably.


    That hadn''t been a problem with the monster parts. I could always shatter more.


    I stayed like that, absorbing more and more mana, while the density around me continued to drop. Reaching back up to three digits took more than fifteen minutes. There were certain ways to increase Mana density, that much was common knowledge, but guessing how effective they would be was something else.


    "Alright, that explains why mages don''t stick around in small towns," I said. That fact alone had changed multiple plans I had about my future. However, that didn''t mean my experimentation was over. Instead, I broke a few silver coins even as I dug a pit and snapped a few branches.


    I was just about to reflexively reach into my pocket when I remembered I had a more convenient way of creating fire. And, casting a spell was faster than slowly releasing it back.


    I raised my hand, ready to lose a hundred mana.


    [-68 Mana]


    "Alright, that was interesting," I muttered even as I noticed the relatively small drop in the number. But, I didn''t need to think about the reason.


    Even as the spell was in progress, it started pulling Mana from the environment as well, faster than I could manage with my meditation. Not only that, the spell had actually gathered faster, almost four seconds rather than full five.


    Interesting concept.


    It also explained why they couldn''t defend the town with Maria. I had assumed that it had been just the cost of Mana regeneration items, but clearly, it was also about resource efficiency and casting speed.


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    "Ignore the implications," I said even as I threw the broken silver coins into the fire and melted them, and bled on them with my Health, followed it with mana.


    [-85 Health]


    [-9 Mana]


    "It doesn''t work," I muttered even as I had attempted a few times. But, the same experiment that had allowed me to create a Mana alloy for the first time didn''t work when there was some Mana in the atmosphere.


    Even following the System recipes were harder, forcing me to isolate the environmental mana. It was doable, but even that was slower. An environment without external interference was much better.


    I stayed in the concealed spot for one more minute, draining my remaining Mana in the form of a Mana Blow. For that, environmental Mana had no impact. Mana simply stuck around the blade until it lost its cohesion.


    I practiced until I had made enough progress to support the excuse for my sudden inspiration.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 73 - 76]


    Then, I paused, thinking if there was any other experiment I needed to run. I did not.


    But, I had an observation I wanted to make. On the way back, I drifted near one of the farms that supplied the town with most of its fresh produce.


    "Hey, this is private property," someone warned as I walked toward the nearest tree.


    "Don''t make a big deal. I''m feeling peckish," I said. He looked ready to fight, but when I flipped a silver coin his way, he was quick to change his attitude.


    I went to the nearest tree, and snapped an apple. Meanwhile, I just wanted to examine the tree from close up. The tree was draining some Mana from the environment. Very slowly, probably not amounting to more than a point every hour, but looking carefully, the movement was clear.


    A stronger evidence was the greenhouses deeper into the farm. Unlike open fields, they had multiple guards around them, who wouldn''t have appreciated my presence, no doubt. However, I didn''t need to get closer. Even from a distance, I could see the way Mana gathered toward the building.


    They likely had some kind of enchantment to increase Mana density.


    Of course, I watch not just the greenhouses, but also the way some of the night workers operated, trying to get a better sense of the process of farming. I didn''t learn anything other than Mana also playing a significant role in farming, but it was a good exchange for a silver coin.


    Also, the apple was delicious.


    When I reached the door, the guards didn''t allow me inside because of the curfew. I could have mentioned Eleanor''s name and entered, but it made a good excuse for my disappearance, so I just shrugged and walked back.


    While I didn''t think I could avoid stepping into another peace field forever, I didn''t want to do that. Not before I could properly process the realization that I had been magically drugged for years. Though, the scariest thing had been the effects.


    And, how easy it had been to excuse any stupid decision, staying in the town and working obediently, waiting for a convenient break rather than doing everything I could.


    Of course, it wasn''t some kind of fear that kept me away. I knew that, after three years of exposure, another night wouldn''t be harmful. However, going back into the town also meant talking with Rosie.


    And, that woman was far too sharp to deal with such a thing.


    I wanted to browse some of the Basic and Common skills I wanted, and maybe purchase a few of them, but it wasn''t critical enough to force myself. For once, I decided to be lazy and indulgent, rather than being drugged to behave so.


    While waiting for her, I pulled my sword once more to practice, this time without killing the monsters. It was still more relaxing than calming exercises and ordinary meditation. I hated sitting around doing nothing.


    Eleanor returned almost an hour later, and when she did, I was much calmer. "Hey, where were you?" she asked.


    "Sorry, I know I was supposed to be joining you, but I had been hit by a sudden bit of inspiration," I said, trying my best to sound excited. "It increased by three whole points, reaching seventy-six."


    Luckily, Eleanor was far more excited about the prospect to question the tone of my voice. "Wow, that''s amazing news!"


    I was strangely glad when she drew her sword and charged at me, and we started sparring. It was even better than practicing, as it forced me to focus fully. We sparred for almost twenty minutes before she reluctantly pulled back. "I still have a meeting at the camp about the construction of the second layer of the town. We need to go back," she said.


    "Alright," I said. "How was the meeting?"


    "Typical, filled with more bean counting than I''m happy with; but we do what we must," she said.


    "And, how did Rosie react to my situation?"


    "She didn''t," Eleanor replied, which surprised me. "Since you didn''t come, I assumed you changed your mind about revealing that to her. We can go back and tell her if you want."


    "It''s not really that important," I said. "We can always meet the next time."


    "But, it means that you flew for nothing. I know how you ¡­ don''t like flying."


    "That''s true," I said, amused by her attempt to tiptoe around my almost crippling fear of flying. "But still, I benefited from the visit more than I expected. It''s worth it."


    "You''re right. Three points of proficiency in a couple of hours, particularly when it reaches seventies, is no joke. It''s worth a little distress."


    It was not what I meant, but I wouldn''t have corrected that even if I wasn''t intentionally trying to mislead her. Instead, I joined her on the griffin.


    For the first time in my life, I was actually looking forward to flying. Any distraction from the shocking revelation was welcome.

 Chapter 47

    When the next morning arrived, I moved down the dungeon with a renewed passion, dragging the cart with me at full speed, not even slowing down by anything but the giant monsters. I left the smaller ones behind.


    I didn''t even sleep a wink after my revelation, still trying to process the potential implications of the peace field. A naive part of me was telling me to reveal the truth to the public and trust people. Luckily, that part had been battered even before the Calamity, so it was easy to silence.


    Of course, the real reason I was able to silence it was having a better path, unlike pre-Calamity world, where trying to convince the masses to support me so that I could start working on the problem, with vague hopes of finding definite evidence to prove my conclusion was my only option.


    Which then would have triggered a decade long political battle where utterly idiotic politicians mangled the truth just to score cheap points.


    The System offered an alternative: personal power.


    "Talk about an unhealthy coping mechanism," I muttered as I killed yet another monster that stumbled right onto my path, and stopped next to the forge, which was still on the third floor. I dropped everything there, changed to my silver anti-corrosion set, and passed through the gate, ready for a fight.


    A fight that hadn''t arrived yet. The monsters circled the tree line I had created, looking agitated ¡ª or at least, that was what I assumed was something like anger, insects were not exactly easy to read ¡ª as they circled the tree line, appearing right at the edge of the expanded range provided by the trees.


    However, they were closer to the bodies of the tree than they were the day before, which meant that the effect might be temporary or include other limitations.


    "Still, even if it''s temporary, a forge could be set on the fourth floor. It''s just a matter of picking a nice spot," I said, speaking to myself.


    But, that meant that I needed to make a decision. The spot on the third floor was more than enough as long as I wanted to use it as a personal forge. I had already forged everything I needed, and even if I wanted to improve something, I could keep the forge buried until I decided to do so, along with the chopped wood from the temporary plantation.


    Temporarily, it was alright to keep it on the third floor, but once the town had reached its full capability, things would be different. Sooner or later, someone would want to scope the area and see if there was something useful.


    Which meant that I couldn''t keep my forge out in the open, let alone expanding it further to produce more equipment. Which, I needed if I ever to make enough money to purchase more expensive skills and help others grow.


    Technically, I could set a forge somewhere else. Finding a nice cave or another spot in the wilderness to set a forge was an option, so was setting one up under the guild''s name, but both options had problems. Setting one in the wilderness would mean that the logistics would become more of a challenge. Meanwhile, one under the guild would have spies poking around it sooner or later.


    In comparison, having one on the fourth floor had neither of those problems. The only challenge was to bring metal inside, but even that could be solved by melting the rocks with iron content I had detected. Collecting them would be a hassle, but not to the same degree as trying to smuggle a few tons of metal inside.


    Even my cart trick wouldn''t be sustainable once the scale reached a high enough level. Luckily, silver was much easier to smuggle, as the alloy still required a relatively tiny amount.


    "That means I need to discover a spot rich in iron," I said. Inspect Perk from Repair could be used to examine rocks to see their metal content as long as they had more than a certain percent, and a quick test showed that Observe was even better.


    Unfortunately, it required a touch ¡­ or did it? I couldn''t help but remember the way Maria used Identify, with a line of Mana stretching toward the target.


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    "Maybe I could replicate it," I said as I quickly forged myself several thin silver-iron tubes, trying to expand the sense of Repair. To my surprise, it worked, but after six feet, the amount of details I could get started to drop significantly.


    "Excellent," I said even as I started expanding the test, creating a tube as thick as my thumb, with a hollow center, which was the limit of getting any kind of detail.


    I heard the existence of skills for this exact purpose. Unfortunately, all but the Basic one required Perception, and I doubted the Basic version was worth the attention the purchase of it would bring. I might change my mind if I couldn''t find anything for the next two days, but for the moment, I decided to limit myself to my newfound solution.


    If I could find a decent iron deposit on the fourth floor, everything would be dandy. If not, I could decide which strategy would be the better option.


    However, as I pulled my trick, I couldn''t help but wonder if I could use Observe on the movement of Mana, trying to get a better sense of what was going on. All I would need to do was to create a thinner tube and push the Mana through it.


    It wouldn''t come close to being perfect, but anything was better than the fizzled perception I had. While Essence allowed me to sense it, the Mana was more like a blob with fuzzy edges.


    Hardly enough to make a judgment.


    I was tempted to push that on top of my to-do list. To start understanding the secrets of Mana was just that important. Unfortunately, there were a lot of things to do, including finding an alloy that interacted with Mana the way I wanted it to.


    That alone was a task that might potentially take days, not to mention it was hardly the only challenge in my plan.


    "Focus on setting up the logistics first," I muttered even as I grabbed the thin tube, and pushed it to the ground. I didn''t fear it breaking, as Mana alloys were extremely strong.


    Just to see if there was any possible deposit, I spent twenty minutes checking the third floor, but I wasn''t able to find any. If there was, it was either in a deeper spot, or more localized.


    Then, I went to the fourth floor, and started using the stick every ten steps, covering the area around the gate. I wanted to understand the nature of the area, but in the process, I discovered that the depths of the dungeon had a limited amount of iron.


    It wasn''t high, less than a percent. It meant, a pound of iron would require more than a hundred pound of ores, and that assumed I could extract all of it. However, it was still good news. Especially since I carefully went through the entire area, and discovered two types of underground plants that reminded me of potatoes, and a new type of dungeon crystal.


    A new type of crystal represented the possibility of developing new alloys, making it incredibly valuable for my purposes. And, while the underground plants weren''t immediately valuable, the fact that they were able to survive in the weird environment of the bog was promising enough. I could potentially use these new plants to push my Nurture skill further even if I couldn''t find any use for them.


    I put them in the sample bag before I started moving once more.


    Once I left the protective field of the trees, I picked a direction, started the exciting life of mineral prospecting, interrupted by waves and waves of monsters, enough to raise a lot of people to a new level. "Nice," I muttered as I found my first inferior deposit, which contained a mere five percent iron density. I quickly dug a pit there, mostly as a signpost so I wouldn''t miss it, and continued to go deeper.


    Once again, half a mile later, the dungeon door disappeared behind the mist. I pushed half a mile more just in case before I returned, and started repeating the same thing from a different angle. Ideally, I wanted to set up the forge where the dungeon gate wasn''t visible.


    The harder it was to discover, the better.


    I walked back and forth, killing monsters in the process. However, even as I spent half a day killing giant monsters, there wasn''t a level up, nor was I able to discover any usable skills. I still piled them on top of each other, trying to get Rare skills, but I either got ones that were incomprehensible, or I got another Rare Nurture.


    Still, I continued. It was a tedious task, but persistence was a virtue. And, I didn''t want to settle on that deposit with five percent content. Especially since it was already close enough to the gate, which made it a troubling target.


    Then, I discovered a nice rocky outcropping, one that would be more defensible than anywhere else. I started searching its immediate surroundings more carefully, and soon, I discovered a lovely deposit, one that reached almost ten percent iron content.


    "Beautiful," I said. I knew that such a purity would not be even treated as a mine outside, but I didn''t care. Once again, its value was relative.


    My luck must have turned, because one of the skills reacted.


    [Skill Stone: Quake Hammer (Rare)]


    "Fascinating," I muttered. Any other skill, I might have delayed absorbing it, afraid whether my Mana trick would be able to push it to the next level, but a Hammer skill was different. With the way it synergized with Forge, I would eventually raise it to its new limit.


    It was an excellent test target.


    Especially since I had two more skills that were extremely useful for combat.


    However, despite my excitement, I still returned to the third floor first. No need to get distracted in the most dangerous spot I could currently access.


    [Hammer of Might (Uncommon) 100 - Quake Hammer (Rare) 1]

 Chapter 48

    Once I absorbed the Quake Hammer skill, I didn''t immediately start using it. Instead, I sat down, legs crossed, like I was about to meditate, my hammer on my lap, processing the new set of information the skill had brought about.


    Just like Hammer of Might, Quake Hammer was an offensive skill that relied greatly on the concept of one deadly blow, but it left its user open to retaliation if the attack failed. That, I was familiar with from Hammer of Might. Assuming they would have a similar development pattern, the skill would have some defensive maneuvers as it improved, but ultimately, it didn''t matter much.


    Because, if needed, I was confident that I could employ Fleeting Step to avoid most of the danger the current dungeon might provide.


    Time that I spent running around was paying off.


    "First, let''s give ordinary practice a whirl," I said as I stood up, and swung the hammer several times, merely following its suggestions, even though it had many issues that could easily be fixed. Understandable, as among all the techniques I had, Hammer of Might had seen the most use.


    Learning was much easier when there was a magical force correcting every mistake one might make, but that wasn''t it. I also had two other techniques for different styles, and learning them had allowed me to understand my new skill even better.


    Well, at least as far as how to move my body. The fighting skills used the power from the Stats in a way that defied physics ¡ª or, at least, the classical understanding of it ¡ª which was not something I was able to learn.


    At least, not yet.


    "Still, every little bit helps," I said as I continued attacking the air, doing my best to correct the moves based on my old understanding of Hammer of Might, though I mixed some tricks from my two other styles wherever I deemed appropriate.


    As usual, the reward only arrived once I stopped.


    [Quake Hammer (Rare) 1 - 26]


    "Fascinating," I said, but my words weren''t about the improvement. It was certainly welcome, especially since it gave me a better way to improve stronger skills than mere repetition, which meant I wouldn''t be helpless even if the Mana Blow trick stopped functioning as a cheat.


    No, my interest was a new attack that had been unlocked. I swung my hammer, targeting the nearest rock. It didn''t break, but shattered.


    [-10 Health]


    "My first proper attack," I realized even as I repeated the attack four more times, trying to get a sense of what it was.


    It felt like an enhanced version of the Shattering Blow perk, but with additional benefits. The greatest difference was a rush of vitality, wrapping around the hammer head as it landed, giving it an incredible destructive power.


    It was similar to Eleanor''s ranged attack, but unlike hers, mine didn''t have the ability to modify the intensity of the blows, or use it as a ranged tool. Whether those features would reveal themselves as I improve the skill, I didn''t know.


    Though, if I were the bet, I would have said the first one was far likelier than the second one. A ranged hammer attack didn''t seem intuitive.


    But then, it wouldn''t be the first time the System defied common sense. While the attack seemed effective, it wouldn''t be too useful on the fourth floor. I could already kill the giant monsters in one blow, and more importantly, I couldn''t use my Health as a disposable tool down there easily.


    I still didn''t have a way to bring food or other things without them degrading in a few minutes.


    "Vitality attacks are a problem for the future," I said even as I moved to my next test, and used a mana blow.


    [Quake Hammer (Rare) 26 - 27]


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    [-5 Mana]


    "Alright, that''s bad," I said even as I started moving to the forge. While improving one point of skill with one blow seemed like an excellent improvement, the skill was still merely in its twenties. This meant that, for a Rare skill, mana blow wasn''t as much of a cheat as the previous stage.


    Meaning, no easy push to the peak unless I found a new method ¡ª another experiment I added to the list rather than starting immediately, as it was something I could work on during the night. I just needed to stand in front of the forge while testing the hammer technique.


    I decided to use most of the silver I had brought to create a brand new set of foreign equipment instead: tongs, hammers, chisels, two sets of anvils. The small portion, I had left for further experiments. After that, I used the remaining iron to forge a cart made purely of anti-corrosive alloy.


    Wasteful, but I had a lot of things to carry around, including trees. I couldn''t simply carry them. After everything had been done, I dug a nice hiding spot that was concealed with a rock, and put the old set there. There was a chance they would be useful.


    Then, I created a smaller hiding spot near the gate to put my food, my old equipment, and the other stuff I had to leave on the third floor to protect them until I could find a storage method that protected from the corrosion aura.


    Another item for my ever-growing list. "I need a bunch of doctorate students to make them deal with the nonsense ¡ª" I started, then reflexively corrected myself as I smiled, remembering how angry the others got when I phrased it like that. "No, give them valuable learning opportunities."


    I sighed wistfully, missing the times I could spend my time locked in a room, working on a particularly tricky model for a month straight. Running around killing monsters and building stuff might be something I turned out to be proficient at ¡ª with the System''s extreme help ¡ª ultimately, it was not what I desired to accomplish with my life.


    I was just doing that to create an environment for my research. Just like how I had to deal with a bunch of old men whenever I needed another grant.


    "It''s still better talking to a grant committee," I growled even as I stepped into the gate. Given the choice, I always preferred a giant army of insect monsters over a grant committee. For one, they had a better personality.


    I didn''t drag the cart forward immediately. First, I snapped a healthy looking branch from the tree, and moved toward the spot I picked for my forge.


    It died halfway.


    "Not good," I said even as I went back, wondering what to do. I couldn''t simply uproot a tree¡­ could I? Of course, I could also create a line of trees that led directly to the spot, but it would take too much time.


    Carrying a tree was easier.


    With that in mind, I first went to the forge spot and emptied the cart. I knew the monsters didn''t attack inanimate objects unless their density had reached a certain point. Still, I spent half an hour cleaning its surroundings.


    A part of it was collecting the material. I needed the shells from the large beasts to boost the growth of the trees. Also, it gave me a chance to improve my Hammer skill by using the old trick of chaining mana blows.


    [Quake Hammer (Rare) - 81]


    Unfortunately, even when killing giant monsters, its cheat-like ability started to lose its effectiveness. I could probably push it to a hundred with a week of dedicated effort, but that would be the limit. Of course, for anyone else, that improvement would have been nothing less than a miracle, but for me, it was not worth the effort.


    Assuming, of course, the situation didn''t change radically.


    However, just because the development had stalled below the old skill didn''t mean that I was unhappy about replacing my old skill. The existence of the Health attack alone would have been worth it, as it opened a brand new research avenue for me.


    Then, there was the difference between the Rare and Uncommon skills. Even without the special attack, the Rare skill outperformed my old one significantly.


    It was an unexpected benefit to use the hammer skill as a mining tool, but I wasn''t complaining. I dug a bunch of pits, and filled them with broken pieces of shell, and topped it up with my strongest fertilizer mixture. Then, I went back to the giant tree, uprooted it completely and put it on the cart.


    Even with my strength, dragging it had been a chore. Luckily, as I dragged it, the monsters avoided me. A good benefit, though not one that was worth the effort. I still had to use Health on the tree multiple times to keep it alive.


    Hard work, but certainly satisfying, I thought as I looked at the giant tree hovering proudly. Next, I started picking nice branches that could function as cuttings, and started boosting their growth. After the first time it finished, I realized that I had to make a lot of trips just to eat and replenish my Health.


    I forged a small silver box from the remaining silver, making the best anti-corrosive metal I could achieve. Maybe it would work. I tried that, because otherwise, I would have to spend my time going back and forth just to replenish my Health.


    Air-tight silver box worked somewhat. The next time I opened the box, I found the food starting to show signs of degrading, but it was still edible. However, the moment it connected with air, it started degrading even faster.


    So, I modified the box even further. It was essentially a lunch box with multiple air-tight compartments. Not enough to maintain the food overnight, but just enough to keep my Health up while I explored the fourth floor.


    "Now, let''s get to work," I said. I had a lot of work to do if I wished to be done before noon.

 Chapter 49

    Setting up my new ¡ª and hopefully more permanent ¡ª forge took half of my available time. However, it was certainly worth it. Three layers of trees surrounded it to give me a perfect vision of my surroundings.


    There was even a small farm where the root plants I discovered had been growing en masse. I hoped to use them to replenish my Health. However, I was yet to eat despite feeling the intense vitality it contained, because I still needed an expert to confirm that it was edible and not poisonous.


    System allowed Health to solve most problems, but it didn''t solve every single ailment.


    And, setting the encampment came with its own reward.


    [Nurture (Rare) 92 - 97]


    However, as much as the plants that surrounded my farm were an incredible achievement, it was nothing compared to what laid at the center.


    For once, the main forge was sitting on a raised platform made of iron-covered stone, giving it an elegant feeling. The only reason it wasn''t a full wall was that it would have blocked my view. Even when working, I didn''t have the luxury of staying hidden.


    Instead, I forged a few metal sheets that I might raise in case I''m doing something particularly sensitive.


    Too bad I didn''t know how to make corrosion-resistant glass. Ultimately, Forge and Repair were both focused on metal, limiting the available information I could access. While I was confident that I could figure out a way, glass wasn''t exactly on top of my list of required materials.


    No, that honor went to discovering a lesser variant of the corrosion-resistant material. Well, more accurately, finding a version that was simple enough that I could argue that I discovered it through sheer repetition.


    Too bad I never had a common variant of the Forge high enough to know whether a recipe was included there. If it was, revealing it wouldn''t have any risk.


    Technically, that also meant that my experiment might be unnecessary, but I decided to conduct it nevertheless. Even if it turned out to be useless, it would be a good test run for the experimental procedure so that I could perfect it before I could start with my real experiment.


    My desire to test how various metals and alloys interacted with mana in my desire to understand mana better.


    Currently, I had merely one small shelf, made of pure iron ¡ª as the wood didn''t resist corrosion once it was cut out of the tree. Each shelf had a chart ¡ª once again an iron sheet ¡ª for me to take note of the experimental details and results.


    Even a small shelf used up a lot of material, but I was happy with it. Ideally, I planned to make a hundred of such shelves. After all, a proper experiment required thousands of samples.


    To be able to produce all of it, I needed a lot of material, hence the existence of the thirty-feet blast furnace sitting on the low ground, to refine the iron ore into pig iron. It wasn''t a design from the System. Instead, it belonged to me.


    I didn''t know why the System didn''t have it. Maybe it was a part of a different class, or maybe the System disdained even the simplest type of mass production ¡ª I wasn''t exactly exaggerating when I called System the wet dream of Objectivists.


    Either way, I had to design blast furnace myself completely. Luckily, the working principles of a blast furnace were simple. Create layers of iron and coke ¡ª purified coal ¡ª and burn starting from the bottom. Iron melted and gathered at the bottom, while the waste products floated up.


    However, in medieval times, raising iron to melting temperature couldn''t be achieved by open flames. Hence the blast furnace. It not only used bellows to pump air, but also had a huge chimney, creating a suction effect.


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    Combined, they were barely able to raise the temperature to the necessary level. Luckily, for me, neither bellows nor coke was necessary. Thanks to their intense vitality, the wood from the trees would burn intensely enough.


    Which was good, because making a bellow was very difficult when one was restricted to metal only, without any elastic materials to make things easier.


    "Beautiful," I muttered even as I moved toward the open pit with a raised hammer, ready to gather more ores. Then, I paused, my mood slipping a bit. Despite my attempts, there was already a layer gathered on top. Clearly, there were some water leaks from the bottom, and the more I dug, the worse it would get.


    A pump was necessary.


    "Or, maybe a steam engine," I muttered with an amused smile, mostly because the first steam engines had been used to pump water out of mines. The world had changed, but the problems stayed the same.


    Admittedly, a simple pump would be enough for a surface deposit. Combined with my Strength, it would be far more efficient than a steam engine. Not to mention, it would consume a couple of tons of iron to build.


    Wasteful and pointless, but I couldn''t help but admit that the allure was there, especially if I could link to a conveyor belt to free me from the task of going back and forth.


    "Actually, that might not be a bad idea," I said. The world had abandoned the existence of steam engines because they were not worth the cost. People with Strength could easily use simple pumps for free, and even the simplest alloy was expensive.


    Even the simplest steam engine that could survive in a post-Cataclysm world would cost enough to be measured in gold coins, while the same thing could be achieved in paying someone less than a silver a day ¡ª which would probably be cheaper than the fuel it consumed.


    It was not for no reason the production had been stuck to a feudal balance. Especially since, if there was a need for automation, magic was there to compensate.


    However, it wasn''t out of a principled stance that I wanted to build a simple steam engine. I had a simpler problem. I didn''t have time.


    It didn''t matter that a steam engine wouldn''t be as efficient as me. My current power was still a secret, and I needed to find a way to free myself from simpler tasks if I ever wanted to scale up the production.


    It would be hard work, but when the alternative was to hire people and trust them to keep it a secret¡­


    "First, let''s start producing iron," I said. Ultimately, the whole plan depended on an abundance of iron, measured in tons; which sounded a lot, but considering the pre-Calamity world measured the yearly production in billions of metric tons, it wasn''t as impressive.


    "I wonder if this is the first iron mine in this new world?" I asked myself. Technically, it was possible. After all, the outside world was filled with excess metal, especially when it came to simpler stuff. Why bother going through all that trouble when scavenging was easier?


    I sighed, ignoring the problem as I raised my hammer, ready to shatter the deposit under my feet. Of course, traditionally, a pickaxe was a much better tool to deal with semi-solid rock, but I had a different plan.


    [-10 Health]


    The hammer hit the rock, and about a cubic foot of material had shattered into small pieces. It wasn''t the typical way the rock should behave under such an attack, but the life energy that surrounded the hammer worked wonders.


    A cubic foot of material didn''t sound too much, but considering the material density, it certainly was. Iron was a relatively dense metal, almost eight grams of density, which meant four cubic feet of iron weighed about a metric ton.


    Of course, the raw material wasn''t as dense, but even with it, and the low purity ratio had been factored in, a cubic feet of raw material should give me almost twenty pounds of iron. It was all I could steal from a cart without things getting suspicious.


    There was a reason I spent my precious time creating my current setup.


    Ten blows had been enough to fill the blast furnace for the first few layers. I dragged the cart up, but before going to the furnace, I stopped to chop down a tree.


    Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to prepare fuel beforehand, as the moment I cut the tree, it started rotting. I tried to make charcoal, but it didn''t prevent the process, meaning I needed another experiment just to have long lasting charcoal.


    However, I ignored that necessity as I created the layers, and lit it on fire, once again using my fire bolt. Wasteful, but since it was holding a skill slot, there was no harm experimenting a bit more.


    [-100 Mana]


    I watched as the flames covered the open mouth of the furnace, and a slow wind started to pick up. Soon, the bright red drops of iron were already gathered at the bottom of the bellows, the heat hitting my face hard.


    If I was still below level ten, I would have taken a step back. Instead, I watched proudly as a dark smoke started to rise from the top, along with a sharp, disgusting smell that suggested it was contaminated by a great amount of sulfur.


    Meanwhile, the molten iron glowed brightly as it dripped down from the tap at the bottom along with the slag, finally adding some color to the opening, gathering in the large crucible.


    "Beautiful," I muttered despite everything, including the disgusting smell. It was the first step of success.


    Then, I turned and walked back to the mine.


    I still had a lot of material to excavate.

 Chapter 50

    "Beautiful," I repeated as I looked at the forge area, still feeling surprised by the change I was able to achieve in less than four hours. The huge blast furnace was still spitting out fires, but was at its last batch. At the same time, the number of iron shelves I built had reached more than a hundred, though the number and sizes of their sections varied.


    Some of them even had iron doors in case I wanted to isolate the samples from the environment. It was a poor substitute for a sterilized environment, but it was good enough.


    Still, it was temporary. The next step was to dig down to create a basement for those materials, but I delayed that a bit. After all, I was already digging a huge pit to mine the iron ore. It would be easier to use that rather than trying to dig a second pit.


    However, while those changes had been nice, the real source of pride was the steam engine that sat on top of another iron platform, sputtering as it consumed the last of its fuel. The more I dug, the more water seeped into the resulting pit, so I had to make the pump faster than I had been initially planning.


    As a result, it was a simple atmospheric water engine, an early type of steam engine famous for being inefficient. It had a huge cylinder, which was filled with hot steam to rise to the top, and once that reached the top, it triggered a switch, which cut the steam feed. Another flip opened, spraying some cold water to cool down the steam. Condensing steam created a vacuum, and atmospheric pressure dealt with the rest.


    Then, it repeated the cycle.


    It was inefficient and bulky, but it was also mechanically simple enough that I was able to put it together in mere minutes.


    And, inefficiency was easy to deal with thanks to the intensity of the fire. Too bad I would have to redo the whole setup to add a separate condensing chamber and a flywheel tomorrow, which would require a complete redesign, which would allow me to add a crank to connect to the feeder of the blast furnace, automating that part as well.


    I didn''t do so immediately, because I needed to check the designs. While I knew how such an engine worked conceptually, the exact mechanical details weren''t as clear. And, like anything else mechanical, the System was utterly helpless.


    "There is always a gap between the theory and the application," I muttered even as I walked away. I still had some time to experiment, but not without sacrificing hunting time.


    Today, I wanted to increase the number of shells I collected to fifteen hundred, which would give me a revenue of sixty gold, which would give me the necessary money to build a modest residence and hire some guild members. Technically, I could get away with hiring something like twenty members, and build an elite team that could generate me some income, but I didn''t want that.


    No, I needed to hire as many people as I could manage. The more crowded they were, the more nonsensical tasks I could slip in ¡ª like coming up with some designs for a steam engine.


    Trying to build a tech base was not a one-person job.


    Maybe I should look into hiring farmers in bulk. Not only could I give them a better living, but it would also give me a way to use the excessive number of rare Nurture skills I had while giving me an excuse to move a ludicrous amount of carts around.


    I doubted that I would be able to make a profit, but I didn''t really care.


    I went back to the third floor and used the extractor to start hunting. First few, I killed using my sword, pushing the skill even further


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 79 - 91]


    Admittedly, by increasing that much, I was playing it a bit risky, but the promise of a Rare skill that I could publicly use was too valuable. Especially since I was confident in my method of improvement.


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    "Speaking of methods," I muttered even as I switched to the spear, and started pushing my health through its heft, trying to replicate the Vitality attack without the assistance of the skill. I pushed merely a point or two, trying to shape it.


    Every time I killed an insect, I tried to use that attack. And, I failed. Again and again.


    From a certain point of view, what I had been doing was a waste of time. It wouldn''t take long before I would upgrade both skills to rare, which would give me superior Vitality attacks. However, that was the exact reason I had been trying to do so.


    The Vitality attack from the hammer was even more complicated than the Mana Blow from Forging. And, even Mana Blow, I wasn''t able to properly reverse-engineer. If I ever wanted to discover the trick behind Vitality attacks, I needed better insights.


    "First, the movement," I said even as I paused, trying to put together the impression of the two energies. From what I could tell ¡ª from my extremely limited perception ¡ª Mana behaved mostly like a gas, though there were aspects where it behaved more like a liquid.


    Except for the times it reached certain geometrical patterns and suddenly solidified, which was what enabled the delivery of the Mana attacks.


    Of course, that was just how it reacted in Mana Attacks using the weapon as a medium. I didn''t have the slightest idea what actually happened while casting a spell.


    In comparison, Health was more consistently liquid, but the feeling it gave differed between uses. When it was used for healing, it flowed almost gently. When used as a part of the Nurture, it had a slow, sluggish feel, almost like tar.


    When used to support an attack, it felt more like mercury, rapid yet heavy at the same time. The feeling of my hammer attack and Eleanor''s ranged attack had been similar enough.


    However, it differed at the point of trigger. Mana simply dispersed after the attack ¡ª whether it vanished or simply took a form I couldn''t perceive was another question ¡ª while Vitality, for the lack of a better term, burned.


    However, it wasn''t a sense of burning life flames. Maybe implosion was a better descriptor, but ignition still felt more accurate. However, regardless of the term, the process was clear. The energy dissipated, turning into the effect of the attack.


    At least, that was how the Quake effect worked. The Health spread into some kind of shatter pattern, then at once, ignited to shatter the target. Combined with the blow from the hammer, it shattered the target perfectly.


    "Maybe that''s what I''m doing wrong," I said even as I stood up, ignoring the slight delay it would cause. Ultimately, I was trying to replicate the feeling of a hammer attack with a spear. And, as much as the scientist inside me wanted to argue that it shouldn''t matter, considering the way the System worked, it likely did.


    And, since a hammer attack required that smashing effect, maybe I should try to lean into a piercing concept ¡ª


    "I''m a moron," I muttered even as I slapped my head. I had missed something even more obvious. Yes, a spear method of delivering damage was piercing, but my variant was also about movement. Both the Perk I chose, and the name of Swift Spear implied it.


    I closed my eyes as I ran a few steps, using Fleeting Step to change directions rapidly, climb a steep hill, and even make a few pointlessly complicated dancing moves, replicating a ballet routine perfectly. And, the more I repeated it, the more I realized the distinct concept of the Fleeting Step.


    Just like the Vitality attack from the Hammer Art carried a sense of earthquake.


    "I hope I won''t blow my feet off," I muttered even as I used Fleeting Step again, but this time, I pushed that mercurial variant of Vitality to my feet.


    [-1 Health]


    Pain hit me.


    Yet, I laughed, simply because of the source of pain. It wasn''t my legs like I feared, but my head. I wasn''t able to compensate for the sudden burst of speed and lost my balance. "Again," I muttered as I stood up.


    For the next twenty minutes, I stumbled around like I was reenacting a drunk scene from a terrible comedy. Yet, every repeat only made my smile bigger and bigger. I might not be able to stand on my feet, but it didn''t change the fact that I was able to imitate a Vitality attack, and did so on something that was not actually an attack.


    I was able to use it ¡­ somewhat. It allowed me to burst forward in a straight line, but it was certainly loud. Also, it was hard to maintain balance if I tried to push over twenty yards.


    "Let''s see. What''s the core of a spear technique? A quick, merciless piercing attack," I said, trying to focus on that concept, trying to imitate the shape of Mana as I used a chisel to stab the nearest stone. My spear sank deep.


    "Success," I chuckled. Of course, it wasn''t the fact that I was able to stab through a rock, which I could have done before. No, the proof was the ragged, uneven edge.


    Then, even in success, I froze. Since I could somehow empower the movement perk with life energy, could I do the same with other perks.


    Like Observe?


    I could feel my heart beating with excitement. If that was possible, the implications were incredible.


    It looked like I knew exactly what I would be doing tonight.

 Chapter 51

    I had a large smile on my face, flipping and playing around with a coin in hand, using Observe to examine it. There wasn''t anything other than perfectly aligned microstructures inside the metal, surrounded by a complicated enchantment I couldn''t even begin to comprehend.


    However, this time, my aim wasn''t to solve anything. I just wanted to push Observe to its limit, to get a better understanding of what was going on. It had been easy to empower the spear attack and the Fleeting Step. Ultimately, it was an external object.


    The Observe Perk wasn''t as clear-cut. I didn''t even know where to target. The object I was observing? My eyes? My brain? The latter two, in particular, weren''t exactly easy concepts. I still remembered how close I came to killing myself when I had tried to reverse Meditation.


    Pushing a burst of life energy that I had modified blindly to a weapon was one thing, my brain was something else. Still, even with the risks, it was hard to ignore the temptation ¡ª


    My thoughts were cut short when I arrived at the gate and saw two people waiting. From the way their posture shifted, I guessed that I was the target. I shifted my shield slightly while I looked at them at the same time, trying to see what was going on.


    Unfortunately, due to the dungeon mist blocking my view, when I saw them, they were already forty yards away. Not exactly a dangerous distance, but not safe either.


    "Hello, friend," one of them called loudly, their weapons in hand. It wasn''t exactly a friendly call.


    I didn''t bother hiding my sudden tenseness as I looked at the two. I vaguely remembered seeing them at the dungeon, hunting monsters with a relatively decent success rate. They were not weak. However, unless they were hiding their power very well, they weren''t strong enough to threaten me.


    Even with what I had revealed to the public ¡ª a strong warrior, capable enough to start his own guild ¡ª it shouldn''t be enough for the two to target me. Then, there was another problem. How did they know I would be at this gate?


    It wasn''t the one I used in the morning. I chose to use different gates, as it made cleaning them easier. Then, why were they waiting here, where it was more dangerous, instead of ambushing me when I appeared on the other side.


    It was already suspicious before one of them touched a ring, a thin line of mana appeared, and went through the door.


    "So, what''s this about?" I asked, staying in place, trying to decide what to do. The message explained how they were at the gate, as obviously, they were just on the lookout.


    "Since you are lucky while hunting, we thought that you might share some of your riches with the less fortunate," one declared, trying to sound confident, but unable to hide his tenseness.


    I didn''t need to read his tone perfectly to understand what was going on. This was a premeditated ambush, one that had nothing to do with the shells, or a mere payout of sixty gold coins. While that sounded like an incredible payout at face value, they had used an object that was capable of sending messages across dungeon floors.


    While I wasn''t exactly familiar with the high-end magical item market, even the cheapest communication devices were measured in gold coins, which was the reason the world once again relied on letters and parcel delivery for communication.


    To send messages between dungeon floors, which were famously isolated, would be expensive. Prohibitively so for two robbers who were weak enough to restrict themselves to a low-level dungeon with a hostile environment.


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    Meaning, they weren''t here for the cart. Still, it required one last test. "Fine, take it. I don''t need any trouble for measly sixty gold pieces," I said as I started walking away, though I picked a diagonal route so that their target would be obvious.


    "Hey, wait," they said and started to move toward me, but before they could pick up speed, I was already running back. However, I didn''t run away.


    No, I had a different plan in mind. Whoever planned the ambush was targeting me, and running away meant that I would be blind. Instead, I deliberately took a wide circle, the Fleeting Step allowing me to move easily. When I arrived at the gate, they were still searching for me in the mist, too loud.


    I ignored them as I put the camouflage ring from my pocket, and put it to my finger. However, I remembered how the slight glow allowed me to discover its previous owner, and also hid behind a rock. Also, the camouflage effect was hardly flawless. It wouldn''t fool anyone with Perception if I waited out in the open.


    I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the fact that I might end up taking another life. It was not the first time, and I was just trying to defend myself, but it was still an uncomfortable thing for me. Waiting for them to arrive while the two desperately searched for me made it even worse.


    It felt more like cold-blooded murder than self-defense, and not for no reason. There was neither a judge nor a jury that would classify what I was about to do as self-defense, claiming that I had ample time to retreat. The legal system was long gone, along with the other conveniences of modern civilization, but for three years, I refused to embrace the Wild West mentality.


    I would have retreated ¡­ if it wasn''t for my most recent discovery about the so-called peace wards. I could feel in my bones that their existence was a bane to humanity, but I couldn''t simply rely on past laws as my personal ethical framework.


    But, I was also aware of how bad of a slippery slope it could be. A complicated question ¡­ one that I failed to resolve when six people stepped out of the dungeon door, only to see a full cart, but no sign of fighting.


    The way they dressed was interesting. Their armor looked poor, and they were carrying a sword and a wooden staff, like they were here to hunt in the dungeon. However, the way they walked showed that they felt no danger from the dungeon.


    "What''s going on?" their leader shouted while one of them split from the group, moving to deal with an approaching insect.


    "Sorry, sir. He turned out to be a coward. He escaped," the lookout shouted, and the leader started shouting about incompetence. However, seeing that the two lookouts were alive, their alertness had dropped significantly.


    The two returned, and the leader chewed them up. Meanwhile, I carefully watched the one dealing with the monster, trying to get his measure. It was not a simple task, but as I watched him bisecting a charging monster easily, I could make a few guesses.


    The first was his sword skill. With my own sword skill near the peak, I was able to read it relatively easily. It wasn''t exactly an accurate call, but it was at least a Rare one, with the potential to be even better. However, from the smoothness of his actual delivery, I would guess his proficiency wasn''t too high. Merely in the twenties if it was Rare, potentially even lower if it was even better.


    Something I could use to my advantage. The higher the proficiency of a skill, the more it helped its user deal with more complicated situations, something I knew from experience.


    I stayed hidden, now observing not the one dealing with the stray beasts, but the others.


    Right now, with the distance between me and them, there was no benefit of charging forward. Whether I let them go while staying hidden or wanted to attack, time worked to my benefit.


    Also, if I was being honest, I wanted one of them to confirm that they were here to kill me. Killing people was a more difficult decision than killing mindless monsters.


    I waited and watched, trying to see where they had come from. The leader was clearly not too experienced, as he was wasting time chewing out failure when he could chase me. Of course, it would be the wrong move with me hidden behind them, but he didn''t know that.


    Instead, I turned my attention to their weapons. Unlike their armor, their weapons were works of art. Smooth, made of an alloy I couldn''t recognize immediately, and clearly enchanted with something far fancier than a commonplace enchantment like Sharpness.


    Not the kind of weaponry a bunch of bandits who wanted to make a quick buck would carry, which further confirmed a ploy. Technically, they could be here to make me an offer, but at best, it would be the kind that came with the dreaded ''or else'' statement.


    "Alright, just find him and kill him. I''m sure he went to the nearest gate," the leader called soon enough. I smiled darkly. At least it solved my ethical dilemma.


    I watched, waiting for them to act ¡­ and maybe learn how they discovered my identity.

 Chapter 52

    I watched silently as the group shuffled about. "How should we split?" one of them asked.


    "Call me leader, you arrogant swine," the leader responded, which gave me a clue about the state of their group. They had not been together for a long time. "Just for that, you have to go and find him alone."


    "You can''t be serious. You think you''re my owner just because you got hired a day before us?"


    "I''m the only one that has an Epic skill," the leader declared smugly. "Do you want to come and test it?"


    I listened to them carefully, trying to understand what was going on. They were an interesting choice for a group of hired muscle sent for an assassination mission where someone level seventy had failed before. Though, maybe they had ¡ª rightfully ¡ª assumed that the steward had only died because of his carelessness, and a team of thugs would be able to kill me based on sheer numerical advantage.


    But, if it was the case, they were clearly not briefed fully.


    I wished that I was wearing the silver alloy set I had forged for myself. I left them below to keep under the radar, but it was clearly a mistake. I would have been feeling far more confident if I were wearing weapons that would hold against them.


    Ultimately, as long as they split, and I can ambush the remaining ones, I would be able to deal with them soon enough.


    "Leader, maybe we shouldn''t be taking it lightly. I don''t think he''ll be happy if we fail. It would be bad if he blames you for this moron''s idiocy," one of the others intervened, showing common sense to deflate the tension.


    I respected that attitude. Too bad it marked him as a priority target. The last thing I needed was someone calm and calculating to help.


    "Alright, he can take the two idiots here," he said. "Since they failed their only task, they can redeem themselves. He will be slowed down by the monsters, so you can catch up easily."


    They argued a little more, but I wasn''t able to hear all of it, busy slowly retreating. I kept the camouflage up until I was safely in the mist, and after that, I shifted my location, using Fleeting Step to look for a nice ambush location, merely two hundred yards away from the dungeon gate. I knew the general direction they would be taking, and finding them would be easy.


    I just needed to follow the sound of fighting.


    Still, I was happy that I cleaned the immediate surroundings, or, even with Fleeting Step, I couldn''t have avoided the monsters without making too much noise.


    Once I found a nice ambush spot, I activated the camouflage ring once more, waiting for them to pass under me, shuffling slightly to make sure I would be merely a few yards away from them when I was forced to drop the camouflage field.


    To make my job even easier, they were arguing as they ran, not paying enough attention to their surroundings.


    I waited until they passed me and then attacked, targeting the one with the Rare skill first. To his credit, he managed to react to my assault in time, far faster than I had expected. His Dexterity score must have been amazing.


    Unfortunately, he tried to parry my hammer strike with his sword.


    [-50 Vitality]


    My full-powered attack taught him the disadvantages of doing so immediately. His sword didn''t break, but merely deflected. He tried to throw himself to the side, but it was too late. It might have been different if he was wearing armor that matched his sword in quality ¡­ but he did not.


    The other two weren''t even able to react. Technically, a hammer was considerably slower than a sword in combat, but that was only true when comparing the skills of equal rank and proficiency. They died just as easily.


    "Hey, morons, what''s going on?" the leader shouted. I frowned, unhappy that they had caught on to the fact that something was wrong. A mistake on my part, but I didn''t have the time to regret it.


    "A monster swarm. We''re surrounded, and the idiots are already dead," I shouted back, hoping that the panic would cover up the fact that I didn''t sound the same. At the same time, I grabbed one of the bodies and dragged it away.


    It was a hasty plan, but not a terrible one. It was clear that they had been gathered together recently, and their hiring was obviously a hasty job, meaning that they weren''t used to their tactical acumen.


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    I took the sword, his cloak, and his pouches away, but touched nothing else. I threw the body to the nearest monster that was in a relatively concealed spot, and retreated more, gathering and agitating monsters near a hundred-yard radius, but killed none, deliberately turning them into a swarm.


    Then, I once again ditched them by climbing up a steep cliff using the Fleeting Step. Once again, I activated the ring, watching them from high up.


    "I can''t believe you broke another vial. You''re a disgrace," the leader shouted. "I''ll make sure to deal with you."


    I had no idea what that vial was other than what I could derive from the context. I pulled open the pouches and found one bottle that was glowing with energy. I didn''t know how it worked, but a quick tap on the glass confirmed that it was breakable.


    I threw it to a distance, right at the edge of my field of vision. A small flash of mana spread, and then I was hit by a subtle smell. Just like that, the monsters started gathering wildly. My eyes widened, wondering what would have happened if I used that on the fourth floor.


    Maybe it would have gathered enough monsters to give me an Epic skill. However, at that moment, I was more than happy with wasting it. One against five, each with Rare skills with the exception of their leader, who had an Epic skill, was not a favorable confrontation.


    I would take any advantage I could. The monsters rushed toward them, accompanied by the sound of fighting. Some of the monsters started to attack me despite my concealment.


    "That''s a problem," I said as I started running, ditching them. However, the smell of the potion they had used to trigger the swarm was still enough to make them chase more than they were used to.


    Once again, I circled their approximate location, and once again prepared to attack them from behind. Ultimately, it was my best chance.


    When I found them, they were already dealing with the monster wave, careless enough to spread so that they could deal with the monsters more smoothly. Currently, only two of them were visible due to mist. A mistake, one that I could truly leverage thanks to my newly discovered trick of enhancing Fleeting Step with Health.


    As much as I wanted to, slowly getting close to them under concealment was not an option, as it wasn''t effective against the monsters.


    Instead, I moved forward as smoothly as possible, using my newly acquired sword against the monsters to avoid making loud sounds. Though, it was certainly a smooth experience, both the quality of the sword and the enchantment made the task even easier.


    Notably, even with its apparent quality, it still degraded as I killed the beasts. It was considerably slower, but it still did.


    "Finally, you''re here," one of them began talking as he caught me from the corner of his eye while I approached even closer, the cloak and the sword enough to disguise myself as my past victim. I walked closer, keeping the cloak tight around me.


    Before I could kill the two, I entered the field of view of the third one. It was the one that I identified as the smart one. "He''s an imposter!" he shouted. The speed he noticed despite everything suggested he had perception.


    A big problem. Luckily, without proper armor, they couldn''t just ignore the monsters and regroup. I caught up with the first one before they could. With our weapons equal, the proficiency difference proved deadly.


    Before the others could arrive, I had already decapitated him. "Quick, gather together," the calm one shouted, recognizing the threat. It was too late. I switched to my hammer even as I used the enhanced version of the Fleeting Step for the first time.


    Covering twenty yards in an instant, making a loud noise in the process.


    [-7 Health]


    "He''s not a warrior, but some kind of rogue!" he shouted.


    It was interesting. Not the part that he assumed I was a rogue, as he clearly misread the Fleeting Step. The interesting part was that he assumed that I was a warrior, and not a blacksmith. But, the implications of that, I could think about later.


    He tried to defend himself, but he wasn''t ready for me to switch to a Hammer. And he was certainly not ready for a full blow.


    [-50 Vitality]


    Lack of information was always deadly. Health was useful against monsters, but against people, it wasn''t as effective unless it was paired with a strong set of armor to protect the vitals. Health wasn''t enough to recover from a body shattered into minced meat.


    While the leader, with his Epic skill, was the biggest threat, I hunted the remaining three first, their unfamiliarity with the insect monsters making it a smooth achievement. The way they fought against in the midst of the insect swarm belied their unfamiliarity.


    "You think you can fight against me? I own an Epic skill. I''m untouchable," the leader shouted as I attacked him.


    "Good point," I shouted back even as I moved back, looted the four fallen ones out of their weapons and pouches, and retreated with a loud fanfare, using Health-Enhanced fleeting speed quickly several times.


    At this point, the swarm had grown big enough to exhaust him. I retreated back to the gate, listening to him fight even as I forged myself an iron spear, using the benefits of my advanced Forging to my benefit. It was a thick piece of bulky garbage, but it didn''t look like it. It looked like something a king would use during a parade.


    One with a nasty surprise hidden inside.


    I worked on it until the sound from the insect swarm started to lessen, then, I rushed forward. "You again," he growled, but his eyes widened as he saw my ''amazing'' spear, glowing blue. "A magic spear!" he gasped in fear.


    So, when I threw it against him, he treated it as a deadly plague. That was the other problem with skills. While they gave perfect combat advice, that advice relied on the perception of the user.


    A deep, crackling wave of vitality energy gathered around the sword as he countered the spear, which shattered into pieces. It wasn''t a deadly explosion, nothing more than thin metal shards.


    It was enough to make him close his eyes in panic. I closed the distance with another burst, one last hammer blow enough to bring the fight to an end.


    I pulled his body from the middle of the swarm in case I needed the evidence, and I continued to kill the monsters.


    I needed to come up with a convincing story.

 Chapter 53

    I barely came up with a reasonable method of action once I was done dealing with the swarm, which took more than strictly necessary as I continued to rip their broken shells even as I dealt with the last few monsters.


    Technically, that part was not necessary to sell my story, but I didn''t want to waste the opportunity to bring a lot of forging material back to the guild. While I didn''t need them for my experiments anymore with my new setup, there was no harm in having them.


    I could still use them to run experiments at night. More importantly, they would give me a convenient excuse to explain any sudden development I might achieve.


    Of course, bringing all of it out meant that I couldn''t hide what happened from Eleanor, but luckily, that was not a good strategy in the first place. Most of the details, I had no problems revealing. The only tricky part was to explain how I managed to deal with five people with Rare skills, led by one with an Epic skill.


    Ironically, the shells ¡ª both intact and fragmented ¡ª came in handy when delivering my story. A little story of arrogance, and how they started fighting about who would get what I had collected. So, they only sent one to kill me while the others continued to argue.


    Then, a shield attack broke one of the vials while we fought, triggering a swarm. Their unfamiliarity with the swarm allowed me to pick them off one by one.


    It was a good story. I even had the evidence ¡­ in the form of a half-filled vial.


    Naturally, I kept some for myself. The moment I was sure that the swarm wouldn''t spill upstairs, I rushed down to the third floor, hiding one of the swords and two and a half vials there. And, while I was there, I even forged myself a sixth fake one just to keep the evidence complete.


    Unfortunately, whatever they had used to communicate was a single-use device, and the enchantment was gone, leaving only an ordinary ring behind.


    "A good story, but it needs one last touch to be believable," I muttered even as I pulled my new sword, using it to kill the straggling monsters, mana dancing around the blade.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 79 - 100]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Stout Defense / Determined Swing]


    I completed the progression, because a skill at the limit, alongside a Perk, would make the story of taking them down more convincing. Not to mention, as an added benefit, the exciting life-and-death struggle against the six enemies while being trapped in a swarm was exactly the kind of thing that might push me to my limits.


    As for the perks, I picked Stout Defense. While the idea of having another attack perk was not exactly unappealing, my experience with Fleeting Step had changed my mind. The auxiliary abilities were certainly useful as well.


    Stout Defense was a complicated thing, almost the reverse of Fleeting Step, which focused on enhancing mobility. My new perk seemed like it would allow me to stand against blows that would have otherwise sent me flying. However, it was just a feeling, as it was difficult to test it without an enemy.


    Monsters would have made a good sparring partner to test it, but only if I was wearing my anti-corrosive set. Otherwise, their mandibles would just cut through my shield. Truthfully, even with an anti-corrosive set, it would be troublesome to practice. However, I still wanted to.


    The special abilities were too convenient to be ignored.


    "I was lucky those idiots didn''t have their skills any higher," I said. None of them even used any special attacks, which made it likely that they hadn''t brought their new skills up to twenty-five.


    A stupid enemy was a beautiful gift.


    "A lot of work," I grumbled as I walked to finish the last step, which was collecting the broken glass from the vial. Extra supporting evidence wouldn''t hurt.


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    Once that was done, I finally stepped through the gate, pulling a cart that was filled to the brim with shells behind me. The only reason it didn''t collapse was the few modifications I had added. The good thing was that there weren''t a lot of monsters around the gate.


    It was weird, as with the delay, it was already nighttime, which meant the hunting operations should have ceased. Of course, while the dungeons weren''t affected by the day-night cycle ¡ª at least, to my knowledge ¡ª with the current number of operators, it didn''t make sense to work in multiple shifts.


    And, for the current setup, a certain number of teams working at the same time was critical, or the monsters started to group together, making the process cumbersome.


    So, the sudden decreased density was troubling. I didn''t abandon the cart, but I was ready to do so in case of trouble. Fleeting Step gave me the confidence to retreat, but not enough to feel safe.


    The realization hit when I arrived at the fortress that was defending the dungeon entrance, only to find a scarred mess. The walls were still in place, but I could recognize the deep marks in the stone.


    "Halt," the guard shouted.


    I removed my helmet. "It''s me, Arthur," I shouted, giving the fake name I used, which I was willing to admit was an homage to the famous King Arthur.


    "Wow, you''re alive," the guard responded. "Impressive achievement. Especially with all the load."


    "Well, I got locked in a swarm. I had been fighting for hours," I replied. Together with the signs of insect bites on the walls, I was starting to get a good idea of what had happened. The door opened, and I walked in.


    Was I feeling a bit tense? Certainly. But, I still entered for one reason. If my assassins could control the fort, they wouldn''t have bothered to set sentries at each gate.


    I was trying to find the best way to grill him, when a familiar figure burst in, but her exhaustion was clear. "De ¡ª Arthur. You''re alive!" she gasped, her relief clear.


    "Yes, but it was a close call. I have a lot to tell ¡ª" I started, only for another familiar figure to walk from the mist. This time, one that was not as welcome.


    Thomas.


    The slight delay in his step was one of the two things he showed when he saw me, which would have already been enough for me to guess. But, his gaze lingering on the sword, with an obvious tint of recognition, was even more clear.


    Not that I needed anything to be suspicious. The words of my attackers had already revealed that they were there to assassinate a guild leader and not a blacksmith. That had surprised me when I first heard it, but seeing the state of the fort, I had a good idea of what had happened.


    They triggered an artificial monster wave. It was nowhere near enough to destroy the fort, but it probably killed most of the hunters, especially if they were caught unawares.


    It was a transparent ploy, which was why I said nothing. Eleanor was not stupid, and there was no chance she wasn''t suspecting Thomas. And, she was more direct than me. The fact that he was alive meant that we couldn''t touch him.


    "So, this is your friend that''s ¡­ brave enough to set a guild in this godforsaken town," Thomas said, with clear distaste toward either my apparent age ¡ª I looked in my late forties with the bushy beard and the few silver, bleached hair mixing with the black ¡ª or the fact that his assassination plot had failed.


    Eleanor''s expression twisted in anger for a moment before it smoothed. "I don''t see how that''s any of your business, Sir Thomas," she replied, managing to keep her tone mostly smooth, then she turned to me. "It''s good that you''re alive. Follow me."


    "Wait a second, Eleanor. I want to hear it as well. I want to know how you failed in such a spectacular manner. I still need to report it to the family, along with the disappearance of the steward."


    "The latter is not my problem, Thomas. You have already questioned all the guards under your Charisma, and they confirmed that he left. I can''t be responsible for the security of any visitor," she said, then smirked. "Especially since someone had taken all the family guards for a more important mission. Maybe you should explain that to the family head."


    Thomas didn''t look happy with the accusation. "Maybe I should interrogate him as well, just in case," he said, and a familiar pressure landed on me. Charisma.


    I hated it, but I was happy to note that, compared to the last time, it was much weaker. Previously, I wasn''t the target, yet I froze helplessly. This time, despite being the focus, it was just all of my instincts shouting at me to obey and kneel.


    Being on a higher level helped significantly. Charisma was incredibly useful, but as a tool for subjugation, its effectiveness dropped significantly.


    Admittedly, it was far from something easy to ignore. It was still a primal sensation, begging me to kneel just to avoid the feeling. If I tried to fight against him, it would be an incredibly difficult thing. It was why people with Charisma were treasured and feared in equal measures.


    Yet, a chuckle escaped my mouth. I couldn''t help it. The fear effect felt too familiar.


    It was a weaker version of what I felt whenever I tried to fly.


    Thomas immediately pulled his Charisma at my reaction, his expression showing abject terror. At the same time, his two guards stepped forward, like they wanted to defend him, while Eleanor stood in front of me.


    "I''ll report your failure to the family again, Eleanor. You can''t rely on hired help," Thomas said as he turned and left, the two guards followed, keeping themselves between me and Thomas.


    I watched them, not making a move.


    Wondering what the hell had just happened.

 Chapter 54

    "Follow me," Eleanor said, and we started moving toward the gate.


    "What should we do about the body? It belongs to the attacker," I said.


    "Anything incriminating?" she asked.


    "Nothing except this," I said as I showed her the bottle, not trying to hide it.


    She frowned even as she opened her hand. "A lure potion," she said even as she examined it, then put it in her pocket. The pieces of glass were taken by the guard. "Follow me," she repeated.


    I did. I had enough presence of mind to keep my mouth shut about the sixty gold I was supposed to get from the shells. Everything had its time and place. Eleanor had dragged me to a room and pulled some kind of gem, which radiated a soft blue glow.


    Suddenly, all the voices from outside ceased. "No one can hear us," she said, her voice the most serious I had ever heard. "Now, what was that?!"


    "What was what?" I asked. She looked angry, but I opened my hands in surrender. "I genuinely don''t know. We have too many things to talk about. The death of hundreds of people, the lure potion, the fact that I managed to deal with six dangerous assassins, the fact we had to let that monster go despite it being obvious he had done it?"


    "None of them," she said, her tone getting more and more serious. "It''s about how you rejected the weight of his Charisma. Only people of higher levels can do that. So, either someone trained you for a long time to resist the effects, or you have been lying about your level ¡ª" she started, only to stop.


    Probably because I looked shocked. I had no idea why it was such a big deal. But then, I knew very little about the secrets of Charisma. "Wait, can resisting Charisma be trained?" I asked before I shook my head. "Sorry, scientist reflex. To answer your question, I didn''t resist the effect. I was scared shitless."


    She didn''t seem convinced. "What about that laugh? It was obviously not a fake. No one can really act under Charisma. It must have been genuine, or Thomas wouldn''t have bought it!"


    "Wait, can he read my mind?" I asked.


    "No, but he can sense your emotions," she said, looking even more confused.


    I chuckled again when I realized exactly what had happened. She was starting to look angry. "Sorry, but I promise you, you''ll find it amusing as well," I promised.


    "I doubt it," she replied frostily.


    I couldn''t help it. I started giggling. Realizing that after everything, potentially the biggest part of my problem had been solved by a misunderstanding was funny ¡­ in a hysterical sort of way. "You know how I''m ¡­ kind of tense when flying," I asked.


    "Frozen in terror," she said.


    "Yeah, being under Charisma reminded me of that. With the stress of everything, I couldn''t help but find that amusing." Eleanor looked at me as if trying to see if I was lying. I couldn''t help it, I started to laugh even more. Absent-mindedly, I recognized it as not genuine amusement, but a hysteric release of shock. "Good ¡­ that ¡­ you ¡­ silenced ¡­" I said, trying to speak.


    I collapsed, laughing.


    She watched me like I was crazy, but soon, she started giggling as well. I didn''t know how much time we spent, laughing like a couple of crazy people. I didn''t know how much time passed before we managed to calm down. She shrugged just as much, which was understandable. She was probably even more stressed. At least, I succeeded. She still needed to explain her failure to Maria.


    Though, from what I had seen, Eleanor would have been beating herself far more than Maria would admonish her about an external sabotage.


    The pressure did weird things to our minds.


    "So, my involuntary giggle made him assume that I was a higher level than him," I asked once we finally managed to calm down. She nodded. "But, why did he escape?"


    "Using Charisma like that is an insult. You can challenge him to a duel for it, especially if he did so publicly, and I was there as a witness."


    "And his level is?"


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    "A hundred. It''s a known fact that he''s trying to pass the threshold. He just lacks the necessary resources" she said.


    "People need resources for that?" I asked. "Do I need to prepare anything for level fifty?"


    "No, only level hundred requires resources," She said.


    "What kind of resources?"


    "I don''t know. Family secret," she said. "Apparently, it differs from class to class. But, it''s well known that they are expensive. It''s why we bet everything on this dungeon. Otherwise, we can''t buy them for Maria once she reaches level one hundred."


    As much as I was tempted to question her from about six different directions, most of it related to the level hundred threshold and why it required resources, but I forced myself to focus. "So, they believe that I''m over level hundred, that''s a problem," I said. "I doubt that I can fake it."


    She pondered for a moment. "Maybe not. Thomas doesn''t exactly have a reputation for bravery. We can probably say that you are at level hundred, but you''re unlucky enough to have a Militia class, it''ll be believable."


    Militia was probably the weakest class that was still classified as one. It only received three stats, evenly distributed between Strength, Dexterity, and Vitality. Of course, they compensated for this somewhat by having one melee and one ranged combat skill, which they could upgrade to their preferred weapon with a Stat stone.


    It gave them much better combat flexibility compared to classes like Blacksmith with higher base stat gain, making them much more preferable as guards and other roles.


    As my own experience had shown, Perks mattered. A lot.


    I thought about accepting it, as it would make my situation more secure. That way, I could develop safely ¡­ but would it be truly safe? It had been a close call. "No, let''s not explain it further," I said. "Maybe even let the guards gossip how Thomas had been scared of me."


    "Are you sure?" she said.


    "Yes," I said. "I prefer if he doesn''t send any more assassins. Today, I survived by sheer luck," I said.


    "Good, that was about to be my next question," she replied. "How did you survive a group of assassins? I doubt they were weak."


    "Luck and incompetence," I replied. "Mine, and theirs, in that order." She looked intrigued, and I gave her a long, detailed tale of my imaginary fight. It was more or less what had happened, but some details like using the lure potion had turned into an accident, which allowed me to kill the first one and take their much better weapon, followed by a tough battle where I pushed my sword skill to the limit.


    Including my ability to halfway copy a vitality attack; one with a corresponding tale of how close I had come to death before inspiration struck.


    "Show me," she said.


    "Sure. But, I don''t need to tell you we have to keep it a secret, right," I said. Knowing the Rare skills would come with one at twenty-five proficiency, and how combining it with a Perk helped, it felt like a good compromise.


    With her bias for sword skills, she would have no trouble accepting it. Not only that, but it would also explain the rapid development I planned to show once I upgraded to Rare skill.


    The best part, while it was an impressive achievement, it was nothing more than a pointless gimmick from her perspective. I even had planned a long explanation where I would reveal my Rare Nurture skill and how it had helped me to control my Health.


    She didn''t even ask that, accepting my achievement as a display of my talent. "What a waste it is that you ended up as a Blacksmith," she sighed deeply.


    "And what a waste we don''t have time to spar," I said, happy to end my story without any hard questions.


    "Yes, I have a lot of things to do," she said. "Who would have guessed that bastard can get his hands on pure lure potions."


    "I''m guessing it''s the thing in the bottle," I said. "What exactly is it?"


    "A controlled substance, made from a recipe," she said. "The function is simple. It radiates a smell that draws the dungeon monsters at a certain radius to a target, depending on the dose and amount used."


    "I''m guessing it''s not usually used as a full bottle," I said.


    "No, usually, it''s used as a diluted mix," she said.


    "But it''s not forbidden," I said.


    "No. They are not really a risk to any mature dungeon operation," she said.


    "Because there are not enough monsters to create a swarm in a dungeon with continued hunting," I said.


    "Exactly," she said. "Of course, we were supposed to have sentries preventing exactly that, but with the family guards gone, we''re already overextended. Still, I should have been prepared. I just didn''t expect that bastard to be vicious enough to kill that many people just to take over the command. That''s my mistake," she said.


    She didn''t seem particularly torn up about the deaths, and more about them representing her failure.


    I didn''t like it. I wanted to blame her, but it wouldn''t be fair. She was fighting for a long time, and during that, she clearly saw a lot of death, to the point of losing her sensitivity to it. It was just how the human mind worked, so I couldn''t even blame the System for it.


    We got used to it in order not to go mad.


    She sighed. "I need to go and visit the caravan, to talk with Maria. We have a lot of work to do to keep the guilds investing in the area. But, some of them would try to pull back. Do you mind staying here tonight to keep an eye on the dungeon? It should be over, but I''ll feel better if you''re here as well."


    "Sure, just keep it in mind when I need a favor," I replied, acting like the ability to stay in the dungeon without raising suspicion was not something I wanted in the first place.


    Especially the alternative meant staying in the town, which didn''t feel as safe with both Maria and Eleanor gone.


    "Deal," she said as she squeezed my hand.


    "However, I can only promise help about the monsters. I won''t get involved with the guards. That can get complicated if there''s a spy among them. I need to stay aloof if I''m to convince people I''m really strong. Maybe I can hunt some more monsters. I''ll be even faster with my new Perk," I said.


    "Good point. But, don''t tire yourself too much. We still have to spar once I return."


    I couldn''t help but chuckle as I followed her out.


    She had only one track of mind.

 Chapter 55

    While I was asked to stay in the dungeon, I didn''t have command over the guards. However, I also went to a secret meeting with Eleanor after the crisis. She left in a hurry and I stayed back. It meant the guards had no idea exactly where I stood.


    Thomas running after a confrontation with me complicated things further.


    It was a problem because they didn''t know what they were supposed to do if I gave them an order. Of course, in a fair world, it wouldn''t matter, but life wasn''t fair. Making a wrong choice meant that they would be blamed.


    "Don''t worry. I''m just here to keep an eye on things, and make sure that there''s no accident from the second floor," I said, which simultaneously comforted them and explained my disappearance. "Just give me a new cart, and record the old ones," I said.


    "What should we do with the broken ones?" one asked.


    "Just pack them and send them to the town. They''ll be useful for my guild," I said. "Also, pass me a cart."


    "Do you need swords, sir?" one asked.


    "No, those should keep me going for a while," I said, pointing at the multiple swords I had on my waist. It was wasteful to use them against monsters, but luckily, it was not a problem for me. Their only use was to explain why I wasn''t coming back with a lot of destroyed weapons.


    With that done, I left, dragging my cart away, and preparing myself for a sleepless night. "Well, maybe I can take a nap on the fourth floor if it gets unbearable," I muttered, amused by the unexpected benefit. But, otherwise, skipping sleep for a night shouldn''t be too hard.


    I was used to it.


    However, as much as I wanted to go to the fourth floor and start working, I didn''t disappear immediately. Just in case, I wanted to show myself a few times first, in case there was a spy that would pull another trick.


    Naturally, I didn''t waste my time. Instead, I pulled one of the swords, using Observe to examine the sword. It was a good opportunity to multitask, as not only was I curious about the secrets hidden inside a higher-grade weapon, but I would also be able to finally test Observe properly. I had been running around since I upgraded it, which meant I wasn''t able to test it properly.


    A part of that delay had been a lack of need. Pushing myself to the limit while producing that gold alloy to trick the System had given me enough of a boost that just listening to the System directions and relying on Creative Forging to adjust the designs had been easier.


    Technically, I had used Observe while building the atmospheric steam engine, but it was more about checking the macro details that even Analyze could have caught. Hardly a way to test the limits of my new perk.


    More importantly, I was excited to learn the secrets of a weapon from the System Store.


    However, as much as I wanted to start with something radical, I ignored that instinct. Instead, I started with using Repair, trying to get the path to Repair the weapon.


    There was none.


    It was not a surprise. The reason I was able to repair the other weapons was that the Sharpness enchantment was simple enough to be ignored while repairing a simple weapon, but even the more complicated bronze mana-alloy weapons I had been initially hired to mend required Warm Blow as a prerequisite.


    I had basically bypassed that requirement by doing the repair manually. From the System perspective, what I had been doing was cheating.


    Clearly, for the more complicated enchantments, the Mana Repair variant wasn''t enough, and I needed one ¡ª or possibly multiple, considering I wasn''t receiving a suggestion ¡ª perks.


    I had Mana Control, which was enough to bypass the enchantment and work on the metal without breaking the spell structure, but Repair skill didn''t know that. They both might be Class skills, but the perks weren''t transferrable.


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    A pity.


    Of course, that didn''t mean I couldn''t restore the weapon if I wished to do so. One trick was even obvious. I could strip one of the swords from its enchantments, and replicate the damage on the other one, then use it as a cheat sheet.


    An absurd solution that was too cumbersome to be useful in any situation that wasn''t exactly specific. "Well, not so absurd," I muttered even as I chuckled. Ultimately, what I had been planning to do wasn''t too different. I would strip the enchantment, essentially ruining the sword, then destroy it repeatedly in different methods.


    Just a more comprehensive version of the first model.


    I had to, because as much as I wished, the weapons couldn''t be repaired the same way. The differences between different materials; not just completely different ones like bronze and iron, but also two variants of the same main alloy.


    Problems started at the base material level. Mechanical properties alone had many subsets. Just the ability to deal with external force had many categories of measurement, brittleness which defined the likelihood of shattering without deformation, hardness which defined its surface strength, fatigue which was about resisting repeated and long-term force, tensile strength was about the maximum force that could be applied, resilience which defined its ability to absorb energy while bending¡­


    They were all about the ability to deal with external forces, and it wasn''t even a comprehensive list. There were manufacturing properties, the way it reacted to heat, and chemical features like reacting to rust or other external attempts.


    Those features had changed wildly between alloys, meaning working with a new alloy without the System''s assistance was an incredible study.


    They weren''t exactly a problem for me for two reasons. First, I had been relying on the System suggestions a lot to compensate for any problem. Second, I wasn''t exactly trying to maximize the potential of any alloy. As long as it was workable, I would be happy to use it.


    After all, it didn''t matter whether a fork was made of silver or steel. As long as one avoided making one out of glass ¡ª at least, ordinary window glass ¡ª it would work.


    Unfortunately, all those details meant that I needed to learn how to repair each weapon type from scratch. Some, like the case of bronze weapons, were doable. Meanwhile, it would likely not be really useful for more complicated, unique weapons.


    And, in the case of the weapon I had in my hands, it was a bit more complicated. I had only six numbers, which wasn''t really enough to make it worth the trouble of learning. I could forge pure weapons that could surpass their enchanted performance as long as I was willing to spend the time.


    Unfortunately, bringing them out in public without a source to explain their existence was troubling. I didn''t want Eleanor to be suspicious. While I trusted her about most things, I had no intention of testing her when selling me out would solve Maria''s problem.


    It meant I had to spend time learning about them.


    For the next hour, I used Observe, focusing on learning the nature of the weapon without the benefit of the skill. It was an iron-silver mix, and there was too much silver, enough to compromise the integral structure and base strength of the metal.


    As for other stabilizing materials used, they were a mystery. I could break the enchantment to find out what they were ¡­ but, I could also go with a simpler route instead.


    "An anti-corrosive plating." It was a rough solution, one that would undoubtedly reduce the quality of the swords even more, even weaken the enchantment, but I didn''t care. The whole point was to explain why I could kill thousands of beasts without borrowing bronze swords to Eleanor.


    Technically, I could have claimed the same without adding the plating, but this way, I could lend the other five to my future guild members without it being suspicious.


    It wouldn''t have convinced any spies Thomas had, who would have known about the issue with the swords he had armed his assassins with, but it wasn''t too much of a problem. If he continued to believe that I was near a hundred, new swords weren''t exactly a problem.


    I only needed to go to the trouble to convince Eleanor.


    I spend the next hour at the first level, slowly adding a layer of coating to the sword. Since it was a process that was more reliant on mana than heat, I didn''t bother going down to the fourth floor. The dungeon was kind enough to give me all the supporting material I needed, and the iron, I could always take from the cart. As for silver, I used the fake sword I had brought with me.


    The experiment lasted almost two hours, and the only reason I was able to do that was the Mana Control Perk, allowed me to slowly detach and reattach the mana links between the enchantment and the metal.


    Even then, the first one was almost a spectacular failure. The enchantment lost the link with the metal, which turned completely useless. The enchantment was still there, just useless.


    The others, I had various levels of success with. But, the real success was that I got more familiar with Observe. Not enough to dare trying to overcharge it, but still satisfyingly so.


    "Customization for the win," I muttered even as I walked toward the fort once again, wanting to show myself for one last time for the evening, casually mentioning how the assassins were kind enough to grant me weapons that worked excellently in the dungeon, knowing it would be eventually reported to Eleanor.


    I had some real experiments to run. It was time to get a better understanding of Mana and Health.

 Chapter 56

    Once I had returned to the fourth floor, the first thing I did was add another layer of trees and kill every beast surrounding the forge. The existence of lure potions scared me. All it would take was for someone to throw one into the center, and my forge would be ruined.


    The monsters didn''t even have to attack directly. Just the existence of giant insects, stampeding wildly, would be enough to ruin my work.


    While I doubted that another layer of trees would help, there was no real harm in expanding my safe zone.


    However, once that was done, I started my experiments. My aim was to understand how mana moved at a macro scale. For that, I finally raised the silver and iron pole with an empty center, which I previously used to search for iron deposits, and started my incredible experiment.


    Which was to push mana from one side, and try to observe its movements before it dissipated.


    It was a simple experiment, but it would help me better understand mana in its natural state. Merely observing didn''t help. Only a limited amount of information could be derived from looking at a glass of water. Worse, in my case, that glass was opaque, and I could only look at it from fifty feet away.


    It was impossible to overstate just how bad my understanding of mana was. For example, whenever I broke a shell, the mana cloud disappeared soon after. However, I didn''t actually know what happened. Was it some kind of energy that disappeared completely like light? Maybe it was like heat, and it searched for some kind of equilibrium with its environment, and I just lost the ability to perceive it once it dropped below a certain level...


    There were limits to what indirect observation would bring. I couldn''t even assume that it didn''t disperse just because of the existence of mana-dead locations. After all, heat dispersed, but there were still places that were freezing and boiling hot on Earth.


    Trying to deduce fundamental working principles from macro systems was an extremely difficult task. Admittedly, even direct observation wasn''t easy. Or, the ancient philosophers wouldn''t have had such misguided assumptions about the way the world worked.


    "Let''s start simple," I grumbled even as I pushed some mana to the center of the pipe, using Mana Control to deliver that as a ball, hoping that the mana would follow the pipe''s direction.


    The aim of the experiment was simple. I wanted to understand how mana moved in its natural state. My observations weren''t exactly conclusive. In its free state, it reacted similarly to something in between liquid and gas, however, it was not consistent It changed freely for no reason ¡­ well, no apparent reason, at least.


    However, whenever I used the perk Mana Control, it turned into some kind of extremely malleable tactile material, not unlike some kind of soft plastic. It had been similar to when I used Mana Manipulation, but, for the lack of a better term, it felt more ¡­ liquidy.


    "I wish I studied material sciences more," I muttered. When I had been studying, I had readily dismissed anything mechanical or material-based as an area of study, feeling that they had long reached the bottleneck of development, instead choosing to dabble with computer engineering before I finally picked mathematical sociology as my final direction. After that, I abandoned anything on the physical side, though I still worked on the software part.


    Coding my own models, at least the core components, was always easier than trying to explain them to someone else.


    However, my lack of grounding on the more experimental side of things was coming to bite me in the ass. I probably could have come up with a lot of interesting experiments if I had been more familiar with the more esoteric side of the material sciences.


    Instead, I needed to start from scratch.


    "Let''s begin," I muttered.


    [-5 Mana]


    The setup for the experiment was simple: Maintain a hold on the mana using Mana Control, bring it to the center of the pipe, and shift to Repair the moment I let go of the mana, hoping that it would give me enough time to observe it.


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    It failed.


    Spectacularly.


    The mana just dispersed before I could get a sense of its movement. I repeated the experiment, this time with more mana. The result had been the same, but I didn''t let that stop me. I repeated the experiment a hundred times.


    The only thing I gained, was the dispersion shape of the mana being slightly affected by the pipe. Unfortunately, even that was a bit doubtful, as the silver and iron mixture had let the mana pass through. Whether there was no resistance, or there was only a slight resistance, I didn''t know.


    "Back to the drawing board. I need a material that resists mana better," I said. Unfortunately, due to the way Observe worked, I needed to rely exclusively on metals.


    Worse, while the Mana Forge offered many materials, it didn''t exactly come with an analysis report. I instinctively knew which metal would hold a better edge, and which one would be more durable, but it didn''t index them based on their mana resistance.


    I was curious whether it was not available, or it was something that would be unlocked once the conditions were fulfilled ¡ª whether it was finding the raw materials, or reaching a certain skill proficiency.


    However, that question, at least in the short term, was just one of idle curiosity. I needed far more gold than I currently had in my possession to improve them further ¡­ and, that was assuming I could infuse enough mana to trigger a System response, which was not exactly a given.


    "One step at a time," I said to myself and started on my experiment.


    The first step was easy. I just needed to make a box, put mana in, close the box, and watch its dispersal. It was a simpler setup than the pipe, which, I had to admit, was a bit too ambitious of me.


    The first rule of experimentation was to start from the most basic alternative. And, for that, I had to go back to the third floor, as the ordinary materials would have been just destroyed on the fourth floor.


    Luckily, I had kept my third-floor forge intact, just buried. I made a dozen boxes made of available materials. Copper, bronze, iron, silver, and, with the tiny amount of it I had, gold. All except gold, I had created both pure versions, vitality-only alloys, and mana alloys of.


    Then, I infused several bursts of mana into each material, trying to get a general sense. Of the pure materials, iron functioned the best for my purposes, while gold performed the worst. Of course, another way of saying that was that gold might be an excellent conducting material for mana, but that was currently not the experiment.


    Also, technically, I couldn''t call that effect conduction without a lot more experiments. After all, I still didn''t know whether the mana was disappearing, or just reaching a point below my detection capabilities.


    Then, there was the performance. Across the board, mana alloys performed the worst, letting the mana pass through easily. "Interesting," I grumbled, my mind already wondering whether that fact had anything to do with better mana alloys allowing for stronger enchantments. Maybe it was creating a medium to collect the environmental mana.


    "One step at a time," I said again while still taking notes. One benefit of working on the third floor, it allowed me to use paper.


    Meanwhile, alloys made out of Vitality were more of a mixed bag. Some of them performed better than their pure variant, some of them worse. None of them were good enough to work for my purposes, but it was still valuable. It meant that, possibly, there was a solution.


    "Next, the shape," I said, and forged a hundred different shapes from pure iron, from simple cubes of various sizes and thicknesses to exotic curvy shapes that would have challenged even the most complex 3D printer.


    I didn''t expect much, which was why I was surprised to notice a hexagonal prism performing excellently, somehow forcing mana to linger inside for a significantly longer time. Yet, the moment it started slipping through the surface of the metal, it started dispersing.


    There was no reason I could think of that would cause a hexagon to somehow work better ¡­ but then, that was the point of experimentation, wasn''t it? To understand how things had been working.


    "Let''s find an answer," I said even as I forged a dozen hexagons, of varying sizes and shapes. Then, I started pushing mana inside and observing the results. Soon, I had a sheet of paper in front of me, and I started trying to find a formula that explained the phenomena.


    Unfortunately, it was a very tedious calculation by hand. The simple arithmetic operations didn''t give me any results, but that wasn''t too much of a surprise.


    However, after going through some common formulas, I actually managed to find a good formula. One of the classics.


    Newton''s law of cooling. I first played with the transfer coefficient and transfer surface area, confirming that those two rules held true. Then, I started increasing mana density, and calculated the rate of the mana transfer.


    I found out that, similar to heat energy, the higher the mana difference, the faster the transfer.


    Interestingly, the formula only worked when I assumed that there was a certain gap between environmental mana and what I could detect from the environment, which was very strong evidence for my theory that the disappearance of the mana meant that it was below my detection threshold.


    It had many interesting conclusions, but none of those conclusions were really relevant. Especially since I still wasn''t certain whether the core conclusion I had driven was accurate, or if I was misrepresenting the principles.


    Unfortunately, I didn''t have the luxury of repeating the experiment a hundred times in different forms to conclusively confirm it.


    I still had other experiments to run.

 Chapter 57

    I decided to hold the first iteration of the next experiment on the fourth floor. While I was afraid that the corrosive effect might ruin the experiment, considering the trial and error process I had to go through, I felt that it was an acceptable compromise.


    I could always use the anti-corrosive material on different floors to confirm my conclusion, but the reverse wouldn''t have worked.


    Before starting, I mined another huge pile of iron ores, and refilled the blast furnace. I didn''t need more iron under the circumstances, but it was not an excuse to waste the capacity. I could always store the excess. Also, watching the rhythmic movement of the steam engine was calming, reminding me that my work was not for naught.


    I forged a hundred different variants of anti-corrosive alloys, each shaped into the same hexagonal cylinder with thick walls and a hollow core, and half a foot tall. A boring process, so the reminder was certainly welcome. I only stopped to refill the blast furnace, and occasionally to mine more iron ore ¡ª which was rapid thanks to Quake Hammer.


    Then, I filled each of those containers with five different intensities of mana, noting down the rate of dispersal for each set ¡ª this time writing them on clay tablets as paper disintegrated on the fourth floor ¡ª while leaving the containers on the shelves I had created.


    Once the results were compiled, I picked the ten most promising results and created ten variants for each result. And, I repeated that cycle until I was looking at five hundred different cylinders. Luckily, with my Forge skill above a hundred, forging all those different materials barely took four hours.


    "A good halfway result," I said. Without the skill to help me, even with a modern materials lab, the same experimental cycle would have taken months, and a dedicated team of tab technicians, manufacturers, and assistants.


    I could have continued to experiment, but I decided to visit the first three floors, and maybe even leave the dungeon momentarily to see how it worked outside. For the trip, I only took five cylinders with me, making sure there was a great performance variance between them. I wanted to bring more, but it would be too suspicious.


    Hiding the cylinders wasn''t the only preparation I had made for the trip. I stopped by the third floor and reforged the armor I wore whenever I went outside. Its surface stayed the same, but I added two layers of protection underneath.


    I still remember how easily I was able to kill my assassins due to their poor armor. Just because I was in disguise didn''t mean I had to wear substandard armor.


    With that done, I tested the experimental hexagonal cylinders and observed the dispersal rate of mana change between the third and the fourth floors. Mana dispersed faster on the fourth floor. The difference was significant, but the relative dispersal rate stayed the same between the cylinders.


    That much could have been accounted for by environmental differences, but the mechanics were in doubt. A glass of water cools down at different paces in a room and in a freezer. But, the cooling rate would be different if the glass was in front of a ventilator as well.


    My current setup wasn''t designed to detect the difference.


    "One step at a time," I muttered even as I traveled between the floors, and confirmed that it was true for the first two floors as well. The higher the dungeon was, the slower the mana dispersed.


    And, since I was returning to the camp, I spent some time hunting insects on the third floor, bringing another thousand shells to the guards. Just because I was experimenting didn''t mean I had to stop making money. It was also a good chance to check in with the guards and confirm there was no problem.


    Finding out mana dispersed at different speeds in different dungeon floors had been curious. But, ultimately, the difference had been minor. However, the real interesting phenomena occurred when I walked out of the dungeon to ''get some fresh air''.


    The mana dispersal rate outside was far weaker. Even on the first floor, the mana I pushed in had merely stayed in for two seconds before disappearing completely, while outside, it stayed in the container for almost thirty seconds. The difference was resounding.


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    What was even more interesting was the direction Mana flowed. Inside the dungeon, the mana had dispersed in every direction at the same time. Meanwhile, outside, the dispersal seemed to be moving toward the ground. It was hard to be certain, particularly since I needed to keep the cylinders concealed from the guards.


    My new status didn''t mean I could act with impunity.


    I wished that I could stay out to observe the differences between the dungeon and the outside world more, but I didn''t want the guards to notice anything extraordinary. I could go into the wilderness, but I didn''t want to do so without Eleanor around.


    It would be a pity if I died in another assassination attempt.


    This meant that, the difference between the dungeon and the outside world was added to the list of interesting phenomena I couldn''t explore any further because of more immediate concerns. "Frustrating," I grumbled as I started walking through the empty wasteland of the dungeon once more.


    On my way back, I chose to practice an enhanced version of the Fleeting Step, this time dragging the cart behind me. It was an interesting experience. I fell many times, and broke the cart more times than I wanted to admit, but the improvement had been interesting.


    Once I returned to the fourth floor, I brought my attention back to my material research. However, in the third cycle, the returns started to not be so worth it.


    Still, I had my material. First, I created another thin tube, this time in a hexagonal shape, and kept one end blunt.


    [-20 Mana]


    "Success," I muttered as I used Observe on the tube again to examine the movement of the mana. This time, rather than just slipping out of the tube, it stuck around, dispersing in a directional manner, giving me the chance to get a feel for the mana movement.


    It didn''t teach me anything practical, but that was the nature of scientific experiments. The aim was to reach a better understanding, not to develop anything useful. Once the working principles were in place, the technology would inevitably follow.


    Speaking of technology, I wondered if I could scale up the tubes enough to function as mana storage. I forged two more tubes. From the outside, they looked the same, but one of them was solid, while the other was made of thin layers, kept apart by the thinnest connectors I could forge.


    The layered one kept the mana inside far longer. The difference was between three seconds and eight seconds. At first glance, it felt like an unimportant practical difference, but it was not so.


    At this point, forging required more and more of my mana, which meant I had to take a lot of breaks to destroy the shells. However, maybe I could create a device, and link it to the steam engine. Add in a simple gravity feeder, and it would output mana far more regularly.


    Creating a crank system that would power that device, and making sure it ran constantly wasn''t easy ¡­ but then again, I didn''t need to do so for an experiment. A manual variant was much easier to create.


    Soon, I was looking at another layered tube, with a thick crusher attached to the end. I used it to shatter the shell piece into smaller pieces, and a burst of mana followed.


    With an unexpected result. While the pure mana passed through the layers easily, the same wasn''t true for the tainted energy. It stuck around, unable to penetrate the layer.


    "That''s interesting," I muttered. Up until now, I had been running the experiment using my own mana, as it was far easier to control and measure. And, excited by the progress, I didn''t even consider how the tainted part of it would have reacted.


    From an absorption speed perspective, it wasn''t really important. I already had Purification, which made the absorption much faster.


    However, it didn''t mean it was useless. On the contrary.


    Excited by the process, I immediately forged another hexagonal tube, large enough for me to fit in, and with a hexagonal door that could be sealed from inside. Then, I sealed myself in with my hammer, and with a lot of shells, and started shattering the shells.


    The pure mana escaped easily, but the same wasn''t true for the taint part. Its density started to get more and more intense. Once I destroyed half of the shells, I crouched down, and started channeling my Meditation skill.


    It took fifteen seconds for the first notification to appear.


    [+1 Mana]


    However, rather than stopping, I kept going. I could feel the strain as I ran the skill, which signaled excellent progress. I stopped only after a minute had passed, ignoring the rare notifications of mana alert.


    What was really valuable was the one that appeared once I stopped.


    [Meditation (Common) 53 - 61]


    "Beautiful," I muttered, happy that my research was already paying dividends. I wondered why the jump was so sudden. But, at this point, I was used to seemingly nonsensical ways skills could jump. Luckily, one thing I wasn''t lacking was shells. I repeated the same thing again and again, running the skill longer every time.


    [Meditation (Common) 61 - 78]


    [Meditation (Common) 78 - 92]


    [Meditation (Common) 92 - 99]


    "One more to receive my perk," I said as I repeated the experiment once more. I received my reward.


    Just not the one I had expected.


    [Meditation (Common) 99 - Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) 1]


    "That''s interesting, but it''s a waste of Perks," I examined. I could have always repeated the same thing with Skill Stones ¡­ or could I, I suddenly added. After all, I still didn''t know if I had the prerequisite stats for the Uncommon version of the skill.


    Then, once I checked the skill, I was met with another surprise.


    [Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) - 1 [Controlled Flow, Enhanced Sensing, Purification]


    My perks were still in place.

 Chapter 58

    "Let''s see what''s the difference between the two methods," I muttered even as I focused, and attempted to activate my newly obtained skill. An imaginary orb once again started rotating, though both the speed of the rotation and the pull were far less than I had expected. I actually had to open the hatch and disperse most of the tainted energy that had been collected to succeed.


    [Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) - 1 - 7]


    "At least it improves faster," I said, and I shattered a few more shells. Another minute of meditation gave me two more mana points.


    [Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) - 7 - 19]


    "Well, no perks," I growled. While I didn''t expect more perks, I had still been hoping for that to be the case. I pushed again, which brought my skill''s proficiency to its thirties. The sphere started rotating even faster, already surpassing the performance of the Common variant had on its level fifties.


    However, the more interesting part was that, once I passed level twenty-five, I could feel that it wasn''t a singular method anymore. Instead, I could feel a second option, a sphere with a deep gap around its equator line.


    It was not a straight line, but a wavy gap, almost like a trench, or a water canal.


    Switching between the two had been instinctual, but the actual application of the skill was not. As I rotated, the sphere moved sluggishly, with the foreign energy clogging its flow. It was an interesting experience. The skill was giving me direction, but I failed to actually push it.


    The reason soon became clear. The tainted energy, for lack of a better word, was clogging the structure. I had a good idea of what the function of that line was, so I opened the hatch once again to cleanse the room of the tainted energy, slowly increasing intensity once more.


    The gap at the center almost worked like a centrifuge, the mana was gathered there, while the tainted energy was pushed to the surface, essentially separating the two factors.


    "Interesting," I said even as I focused on the shape of the channel. It felt immutable. But then, as I repeated the process a few more times and pushed it above fifty, it changed. I could feel that I could transform both the surface of the sphere, and the shape of the ditch.


    However, when I tried to do that, I was met with something I hadn''t faced ever before. The Skill refused to engage, like I was trying to lift a weight I wasn''t capable of lifting.


    "I wonder if it''s due to my lack of stats," I muttered. I vaguely remembered the sensation when I had first acquired Mana Forge, but back then, I didn''t have too much time to process it. I couldn''t help but feel excited, wondering whether it would mean I could unlock another Stat while leveling up.


    But, I wasn''t in a hurry for that. I still had a lot of experiments to run. Level fifty was the biggest opportunity I had to upgrade my class once more, and I wanted to maximize the opportunity there.


    Still, while it didn''t rotate automatically, that didn''t mean I couldn''t reshape it. Curious, I transformed it to a simple hexagon and rotated ¡­ it pushed both mana and tainted energy away. "Interesting." I maintained the hexagonal shape and used it to run the process in reverse and discharge my mana.


    It worked far better.


    I ignored it temporarily. I had a lot of time to experiment. Instead, I started gathering and releasing mana again and again, increasing the density of the tainted energy whenever the skill development stalled.


    Soon, another bonus arrived.


    [Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) - 98 - 102]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Advanced Purification (Purification) / Superior Sensing (Enhanced Sensing) / Efficient Absorption / Channeled Flow (Controlled Flow)]


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    I chose Superior Sensing, as it was the one that would help me most when discovering the secrets of mana. I was glad to do so. I could actually see some more details. Unfortunately, they were hard to describe, and that enhanced visibility only worked while I was meditating.


    Soon, the maximum density of tainted energy I could achieve stopped giving me benefits, which meant that the immediate benefits had stopped. Not that I was complaining. I had already pushed my meditation to an incredible level.


    [Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) - 134 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]


    "That''s enough meditation for today," I said to myself, even as I stood up, and left the hatch. With two of my tasks complete, I was about to focus on creating the steam-powered crusher.


    Now that I could refill my mana completely in seconds, breaking the shells actually turned into my biggest problem. However, once I stepped out of the steel coffin I had created for myself, I had to delay that. The reason?


    The density of the insects around my base had increased significantly as if someone had broken a weak lure potion. But, I didn''t start looking for a spy because of it, since the aired-out concentrated tainted energy was a much better explanation for their presence.


    "Interesting discovery," I muttered even as I rushed forward. I chose to use a sword, as it was a good opportunity to work on the mana attack. I was prepared to work hard to create something even halfway usable.


    So, when I bisected the first giant insect effortlessly, I was actually surprised. Unlike my previous attempts, the mana edge solidified around the blade effortlessly, enhancing the cutting edge perfectly. It almost looked like I was using a skill ¡­ but then, it was not. Whenever I used a skill, there was always a slight sense of separation.


    The difference was subtle, like the difference between riding a bike and swimming. Both gave a sense of control, but the former was reliant on the shape of the tool more than the latter.


    In my case, the skill still handled my movements, but the mana around the blade was under my direct influence, changing shape through my control, weakening, and strengthening as I focused on the mana field.


    It didn''t take long for me to understand the source of the sudden improvements. My experiments.


    After all, I had spent several hours working with mana. And, more importantly, it was not mere repetition work, but experimental work that had forced me to interact with mana, both directly, and based on different materials.


    The more I practiced, the more I realized that change came from many different directions. One was simple. By repeatedly using Mana Control to shape and release mana again and again, I had gotten more familiar with the way mana moved, and the uncommon variant of the Meditation had further improved my understanding.


    Of course, what I was doing with the mana blade was nowhere as tight as using Mana Control. Still, using it repeatedly gave me a better instinct for mana''s liquid form ¡ª or, at least, what I temporarily named, as it was not exactly an accurate descriptor ¡ª which translated somewhat into the more solidified form a mana attack used.


    Then, there were my insights on the movement and dispersal of mana, particularly understanding how it roughly followed a similar path to Newton''s Law of Cooling. That alone gave me a better idea of how much mana to push into the structure. More importantly, knowing that there was still a mana cloud around me even if I couldn''t detect it allowed me to compensate for it.


    However, the biggest benefit came from an unexpected source: How the mana interacted with the metal itself.


    During the experiment, I had created hundreds of different alloy variants, focusing on nothing but the way they interacted with mana. Of course, I had just focused on observing the way they kept the mana contained, but since that was done with Observe, I had caught far more minute details than just the speed of dispersal.


    And, after thousands of observations, I had managed to get a better sense of how to maintain that mana field. "Suddenly, I''m glad that I haven''t destroyed the containers," I chuckled even as I continued to cut down the giant insects, trying to angle my attacks so that I could kill the beasts and remove their shells at the same time.


    Of course, that way, I was only able to get a broken shell, and it dropped the skill quality considerably, but I didn''t care for either the sales potential or the skills. The most important thing was to have even more material for my experiments.


    Once the density of the monsters had been dropped to a certain degree, I went back to the shelves, and forged another set of containers, this time going the opposite direction, and focusing on creating a metal that allowed the mana to flow freely.


    What followed was another cycle of experimentation. I alternated between using a hammer, sword, and spear, sometimes using the mana blows through the Mana Forge skill, and sometimes experimenting with it directly. It was another session of experimentation someone else would have classified as boring, but not me.


    No, I was too busy inventing a new mana attack for my Quake Hammer.


    [Quake Hammer (Rare) 83 - 85]


    "Success," I said even as I looked at the horde of monsters surrounding my base.


    But, as I looked at them, I only saw walking proficiency points.

 Chapter 59

    "Too bad I have to stop," I complained even as I smashed another giant insect, and started walking back. I had drifted away from it to hunt even more giant monsters, which had been even easier with my new hammer technique ¡­ especially since, once I got far away from the base, I stopped bothering to collect the shells.


    I hadn''t brought the cart with me, and bringing them back would be an unnecessary chore. However, just because I didn''t bring back the shells didn''t mean that the adventure wasn''t useful.


    [Quake Hammer (Rare) - 142]


    The new variant of the mana attack once again pushed the skill to develop smoothly, until it stalled after one hundred and forty. Reaching a hundred points gave me an even better vitality attack, with its effects spreading to everything in a two-foot cone.


    Unfortunately, it also consumed more than a hundred Health, meaning it couldn''t be used casually. At least, not before I confirmed whether the root plants I was raising on the fourth floor were edible.


    I wanted nothing more than to return to my lab and continue experimenting on mana attacks. Unfortunately, I needed to show my face upstairs occasionally. Which meant, I had to waste another hour hunting the ordinary monsters.


    "I can''t believe how quickly the money loses its allure," I muttered. Now that I was getting richer, I immediately lost interest in working for more money. I wanted nothing more than to stop hunting, and focus on my experiments.


    However, I learned my lesson from the last time when I assumed that money would be coming indefinitely. Even with all the tricks I had discovered, making money wasn''t that simple. I was able to monopolize the dungeon only because nobody else had discovered how to handle the corrosion effect, allowing me to make a ridiculous amount of money every day.


    But, that income could disappear just as easily. All it would take was one of the ploys of Thomas to succeed, or someone else to find an anti-corrosion enchantment or come up with another solution.


    "Maybe I should start delving deeper," I examined. While the idea of finding the entrance to the fifth floor was a very time-consuming adventure, it might prove to be necessary. Unfortunately, it needed to stay an idea, at least for the moment.


    Instead, I once again went to the third floor, about to start the tedious process of hunting, when I remembered how the monsters of the fourth floor had reacted to the concentrated tainted energy. "Why not multitask," I muttered even as I went to the fourth floor and brought the chamber here.


    It weighed more than a ton, especially when it was filled with broken large shells, but my metal cart easily handled that weight, while my strength handled the carrying. Once on the third floor, I closed myself in once more, and started to break the shells. The mana easily escaped the room, while tainted energy stayed in.


    However, I didn''t waste too much time. The moment the mana density had dropped below a certain point, I opened the hatch, and the tainted energy rushed out.


    Which immediately triggered a swarm that wasn''t any less impressive than the one triggered by the lure potion. Luckily, without the need to fight off a team of assassins at the same time, it was far easier to deal with.


    I continued cutting them down, the sword in one hand, the extraction device in another, multitasking to play around with the shape of the sword attack even more. With the number of monsters attacking, extracting all of their shells was nearly impossible.


    I was just about to see if I could modify the mana field around the sword in a way that would allow me to kill the monster and get the shell at the same time, something more interesting caught my gaze.


    Some of the monsters were moving away.


    It was the first time I had seen the monsters actually behave like that, which I felt like an incredible discovery. One that I wanted to observe. However, instead, I just followed and killed them, not even taking away their shells.


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    It felt like letting them go away would have been irresponsible.


    Only after I dealt with every monster that was trying to get away did I start playing with the mana field around the blade, trying to extract the shell and kill the monster in one blow. When the swarm finally calmed down, I was yet to succeed in that, but I made some nice progress.


    Still, I was more excited about the experiment rather than adding another sixty gold coins to my account.


    "So, what''s going on?" I asked as I arrived at the base, and noticed the guards were looking stressed.


    "The news is not good, sir," one of the guards whispered. "I heard that two of the guilds had already pulled back from the operation. And, it looks like others are considering pulling back as well."


    "Oh?" I asked.


    The guard nodded. "Yes, the news of the dungeon disaster has spread, and some of the guilds are already packing up."


    "Really?" I asked.


    "Yes. Everyone fears that we''ll end up getting fired."


    "Don''t worry, the other guilds pulling out is excellent news," I answered, loud enough for the guards to look surprised. "Well, the less guild there is, the more money I would make," I said. Then, I smiled excessively widely. "And, I doubt any other guild masters would be generous enough to tip you guys with gold coins, right?"


    I was speaking loudly to maintain their morale.


    "Right, sir," the guard replied, relieved.


    The world might have changed to an unrecognizable mess, but money still solved all problems.


    "Now, count all of it and record it on my account," I said as I took a new cart, once again going down. Only after I had left the fort behind, I frowned.


    The news of guilds pulling back was certainly not good. If Maria changed her mind about operating the dungeon alone, a lot of plans I had would have been ruined. The biggest reason I was able to achieve everything in such a short order was their lax management.


    I wasn''t sure if I could do the same if they changed their mind and sold the dungeon operations to someone else.


    Technically, my bragging about hiring a lot of people and earning even more money from the dungeon was not a lie. I could do so, but doing so would be troubling. Having only five more fighters, each armed with one of the modified looted swords would make me a lot of money.


    However, expanding that operation further didn''t have the same advantage. Trying to build a guild that could single-handedly operate the dungeon meant that I needed to reveal some secrets, which, in turn, made me an even bigger target for assassination.


    "No need to borrow trouble from the future," I muttered even as I passed through the gate. Ultimately, it was just gossip, and I didn''t know the real scale of the problem


    However, there was nothing I could do about that before Eleanor and Maria returned with the caravan, so I didn''t want to waste my time.


    Instead, I returned to the fourth floor. I had another experiment to make.


    For that experiment, I decided to keep things simple. I went back to my hidden base and created another tree ring just a hundred yards away from the outer ring. Then, I made a cage out of the strongest anti-corrosive material I had.


    Capturing one of the ordinary monsters had been slightly more troubling, but then I dragged it to the center of the woods.


    Then, I made a copy of the container I used to practice meditation. I could have brought the other one back from the third floor, but that would mean that I had to carry that back and forth whenever I wanted to use it to trigger another swarm.


    Assuming, of course, there wasn''t a disastrous consequence.


    Once the container was complete, I positioned it against the cage, and once again broke multiple shells into pieces, periodically leaving the beast under its effects.


    After three bursts, the beast started to struggle, trying to run away. However, the cage was strong enough to hold it back, so after several attempts of breaking out, it started to turn listless. Then, it fell into a coma.


    It was the first time I saw a monster sleeping, or doing anything that could be defined as living. So, I stayed there to watch it, curious about what was going on.


    I didn''t waste my time. At the same time, I started practicing with my sword, once again focusing on the mana field around the blade. Soon, I had already succeeded in spreading it two inches away from the edge blade, which gave it an incredible cutting ability.


    However, it was unnecessarily mana-consuming and unstable. The moment I stopped providing extra mana, it flickered slightly, and it destabilized immediately.


    "But, what if I modify the sword to better channel the mana?" I muttered, already deciding on what to work on next. Maybe I could copy the general shape of a sharpening enchantment, adding some hexagonal tubes into the metal to channel the mana better.


    Such a modification would have made the sword weaker, but still, it was a worthy experiment.


    However, those thoughts had been interrupted when the monster woke up, only to attack me with a ranged spit.


    I didn''t expect monsters to be able to evolve.


    This had implications¡­ but exploring this revelation would take some preparation, as triggering that evolution had been very wasteful. It used the material from almost ten giant insects. Hardly cost-efficient for practical purposes.


    The mystery behind this occurrence, on the other hand¡­

 Chapter 60

    "I need to find a way to contain mana for longer," I muttered as I returned to the forge, and started working. Which meant that I needed more materials, which in turn required more time spent on mining and operating the blast furnace.


    With my Quake Hammer, the actual mining didn''t take too much time. Carrying the ore to the blast furnace and loading it, on the other hand, took much longer. "No, I need to automate things. I continued working on another steam engine.


    This time, it was the improved version, with a separate condenser chamber, meaning the steam cooled down in a separate chamber. That way, the cylinder didn''t have to heat up and cool down repeatedly. Therefore, not only did the power strokes move more regularly, but it was also more power efficient.


    The trickier part was to connect the power arm to a set of gears and power shafts to convey the power into other materials. Originally, it was not that difficult. Just a thick fabric line would be enough. Unfortunately, here, the fabric didn''t survive long under the constant corrosive effect.


    "It looks like I have to forge a lot of gear," I said and began working. An hour later, I was looking at a brand-new steam engine, with multiple moving wheels, and gears to transfer power. Then, I started forging a conveyor belt. Unfortunately, I needed to make the moving parts out of thin metal plates rather than another simple fabric.


    It was wasteful, but I didn''t have any other options. Inventing new materials wasn''t as easy without the skills helping me to skip some critical stages midway. A few tricky mechanical parts were difficult to work out without any rubber or plastic, but I managed to do it.


    Barely. However, it was more or less the limits of what I could achieve mechanically without additional effort.


    The ultimate setup was simple. I had connected the new steam engine to multiple gears, allowing it to take over three critical roles at the same time. Working the conveyor belt, which was connected to a large reservoir into which I piled the raw iron ore I mined. Pumping out the water from the mining pit to keep it easy. And, feeding the blast furnace with materials and bringing away the excess. Well, blast furnaces, as I had built two more to benefit from the automation, which allowed me to stockpile refined iron, just in case.


    As for the old atmospheric steam engine, I moved it next to the forge and fashioned it into a simple crusher that would destroy insect shells. It had a main output line, which would channel most of the mana toward the forge so I could use it to reshape metal.


    I tried to come up with a way to channel the excess tainted energy toward the secondary experimentation area, but I failed. While the metal contained the tainted energy much better than mana, it was still not enough for it to reach the target almost two hundred yards away.


    I might have tried to figure out a method of somehow forcing the monsters to evolve into something more profitable, but I did not. It was just an experiment to understand the dungeon''s secrets better, not to mention it was a good way to prepare for the fifth floor.


    So, instead of creating a pipe System, I just created an inner cage to hold the foreign energy from the broken shells, which I could carry manually.


    With that done, I started another set of experiments. A whole new set of containers, this time all made from the same alloy, but integrating hexagon shapes in different ways. Some, I etched the metal with hexagon shapes. Some, I created overlapping layers of thin containers with nothing but air in between.


    As I worked, I periodically visited the cage to feed the monster with the tainted energy, watching it get more and more agitated. Since I expected it to transform into a giant insect, I even forged a new, reinforced cage.


    Of the two experiments, the container one was the first to give a positive result.


    The best performer was the one that I had shaped as a modified beehive, with the hexagon structure spreading not only as a layer but as a three-dimensional structure. It had outperformed any other container significantly, holding mana inside for more than a minute before it dissipated completely.


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    It had potential.


    "I wonder why hexagons contain mana so much better," I thought to myself. Unfortunately, when it came to science, why was often far more difficult to discover than how. Repeated experiments could discover the latter, but the former required a much deeper theoretical approach.


    And I lacked the information necessary for that.


    In the end, I decided to take the beehive pattern as an interim success, and start working on a way to mass produce it. While experimenting, I basically etched every hexagonal pattern directly with mana, which allowed me to forge them perfectly.


    Unfortunately, it was difficult to make anything truly large-scale using that method. I tried to simplify the design. In the end, I came up with the idea of casting two thin sheets of metal: one smooth and one with a beehive pattern. Then, I would layer them multiple times, and then cut the whole layered sheet into six pieces and weld it together as a hexagonal cylinder.


    However, creating a setup for casting was a level of automation I wasn''t ready for. Instead, I had forged one by hand, enough to confirm that the principle worked well enough.


    "Mass production is not urgent," I muttered as I grabbed another container filled with tainted energy and rushed toward the captured insect. During the last blast, it started trying to get away, so I was hoping to trigger the next development.


    It did, but to my surprise, it didn''t transform into a giant one, but a flying one.


    "Well, that''s not good news," I said even as I watched the monster fly with surprising effectiveness. The biggest weakness of the ordinary monsters had been their mobility. However, their flying variant clearly didn''t share the same flaw, which was not encouraging for the future.


    Even I wasn''t sure whether I could handle them if they collapsed around me like some kind of three-dimensional swarm. Not unless I had a better attack.


    "Alright, creating a ranged mana attack is back on track," I said as I walked back to the forge.


    Of course, this meant that I needed to start my containment experiments from the beginning, this time to find the best patterns to actually increase mana conductivity.


    After all, I was still a Blacksmith, and making tools to enable ranged attacks first was much better than blindly practicing the same technique again and again.


    ***


    Just like that, with the absence of Eleanor and Maria, I found myself locked in a routine for the next two days. I stayed in the dungeon and didn''t go back to the town. Most of my time, I spent in my hidden base, alternating between trying to discover new variants of monsters and new materials, and restructuring the base, utilizing the wide availability of materials.


    Though, several times, I went upstairs to bring ever-growing piles of monster shells. I had managed to figure out how to cut the shell with a mana attack directly, which allowed me to make almost a hundred gold with each trip. Three trips a day, and two days later, my account had almost reached eight hundred coins, a level of money I couldn''t have imagined before.


    However, making more money had been the least interesting part of my time.


    Experimenting with monsters was far more interesting. I had discovered two new variants of the normal-sized creature, which included a faster melee variant, and an armored one; and three variants for the giant one, one with an even thicker shell, a ranged variant, and one that looked like a burrowing type.


    And, while I was experimenting with that, I also discovered why the monsters had been gathered whenever parts of the dungeon had been destroyed. Whenever it was destroyed, the same tainted energy was free, though the amount was not enough to be noticed by my Meditation. The Observe caught it, but only barely.


    While it was interesting, the emergence of the new monster types was dangerous and, therefore more important. The potential existence of a flying one was problematic enough, forcing me to make some significant modifications to my base. I had not only created a roof over the forge, but also turned it into a roof garden to dissuade any possible attackers.


    The potential risk of the burrowers had been easier to handle. I had just added a thick metal floor to the base to make sure there wouldn''t be any nasty surprises if the dungeon started to have more monsters.


    The trick with the lure potion had been dangerous enough, I didn''t believe that it was the only way people discovered to sabotage dungeons, not even for a second. While I didn''t like the general attitude of this new world when it came to research and discovery, not for a moment did I believe that the same negligence applied to dungeons.


    Dungeons had military implications with an immediate return, and no research that offered short-term improvements to the military had funding troubles. I had no doubt that the new research institutes I had been applying to ¡ª unsuccessfully ¡ª were focusing more on that than anything else.


    However, while redesigning the base and experimenting with the monsters had taken a lot of time, it wasn''t the end of my research. I had also experimented with metals, which gave me an iron-silver alloy that was particularly good at conducting mana.


    After several more experiments, I was able to discover that while hexagons were good at capturing mana, triangles were good at directing.


    All that remained was to weaponize it.

 Chapter 61

    As much as I wanted to start forging the sword that could potentially allow me to use better mana attacks by leveraging the new materials and properties I had discovered, I didn''t do so immediately.


    Instead, I sat on the ground and started working on a conceptual design and making some rough calculations based on my observations. It wasn''t particularly easy to figure out the necessary design. I tried to do my best to get inspired by electrical system structure. It could have even worked if I was dealing with a perfect insulator and a perfect conductor, but neither material had been perfect for their role.


    And, my skills were singularly unhelpful. Every single design I could access relied on one type of material, whether it was an alloy or a pure metal. What I was trying to do with the sword was more of a composite material, with layers of different alloys and shapes.


    While the rough calculations helped, there was a limit to what I could achieve without a computer to do anything computationally intense. In the end, without any supporting materials, at best I could come up with a rough design.


    It was a short sword, nothing too complicated. A shorter, thicker scimitar, to be exact. The one end had been made entirely of mana-resistant hexagonal pattern, as fine as I could manage, to prevent the leakage, and the main body also had a similar outer layer. However, there was a thin layer of conductive silver-iron alloy that started from the center, and went forward to reach the center.


    Forging it hadn''t been fun ¡­ because, with every move I made, I had to ignore the asinine suggestions of my skills to ''correct'' the process, which would have ruined everything. It registered the composite approach as a mistake, and Repair was even worse.


    Still, I bit my lips ignored the intense sense of wrongness, and managed to finish it.


    "What a piece of junk." I examined the sword with a big smile. Admittedly, it was not for no reason that my skill had been giving me an incredible amount of negative feedback about my invention. It was thick, poorly balanced, and unwieldy. I doubted whether it could survive even one hit, as the hexagonal gaps had destroyed its integrity. And, the conductive alloy I discovered was too soft to support the center.


    Still, it didn''t matter. It was just a training wheel equivalent.


    "Let''s try," I muttered even as I focused on my mana. A mana glow immediately appeared around the blade, extending two inches without problem. More importantly, it was stable. I swung the sword a few times more, shifting between skills to get a better understanding of the flow.


    It was a beautiful process. I was able to extend the mana flow almost half a foot before it destabilized. "Excellent work," I muttered even as I tried a ranged attack. And failed.


    It didn''t matter.


    I went back to the drawing board, and changed the design multiple times, trying to find a way to achieve ranged attack. Unfortunately, I was soon met with an unfortunate realization. I had reached the limit. Not the material, but the technique. Just like swordsmanship gave me better control and tactical awareness, Forge gave me better control of the minute details. And, I needed to improve it to get finer control.


    For that, I needed gold.


    I looked at my remaining gold coins, wondering if it was worth the sacrifice to enhance the speed of improvement. Eleanor and Maria should arrive in one or two days at most, and I could probably arrange the delivery of pure gold, which must have been cheaper than system gold coins.


    I just needed to wait two days, maybe one extra for material delivery. Was it worth wasting forty coins, especially since there was no guarantee that the amount would be enough to trigger the System and improve the skill further?


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    I was reluctant because it meant losing all my money. While I already had eight hundred coins in my account, it was just a promissory note. There was no bank to cash it, and there was no government I could sue them to get if they decided to hold it.


    There was a reason most transactions were based on cash, and even that was only because of the existence of the System-backed coinage.


    However, delaying three days, when I had solved every other problem standing in my way, was unbearable. "Why wait," I concluded even as I pulled the coins and destroyed them, turning them into raw material with confidence.


    Then, I went to the forge and forged a small stiletto dagger made of pure gold, the smallest weapon I could imagine. The System didn''t respond. I tried again, this time once again bleeding over it and using the Health trick, and pushed all the mana I had in my reserves.


    [-200 Mana]


    It didn''t trigger again.


    "Let''s see if you will work," I said even as I looked at the steam-powered crusher I had in place.


    I spent easily two thousand points of mana. It failed again. "Alright, no surrender," I said even as I repeated the experiment. This time, I made a couple modifications to the setup, expanding the crusher area to make its mana output even more intense, started it, and forged another gold dagger.


    It only responded when I spent roughly twenty thousand mana points, something that would have taken a lot of time to crush by hand and interrupt my forging repeatedly. The forging alone took ten minutes.


    The reward was worth it.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) 102 - 117]


    "Industrialization for the win," I muttered even as I looked at the small, beautiful dagger in my hand. Curious, I tried to use it to create a mana edge. It conducted mana better than the alloy I discovered, but my sword maintained a better edge.


    Confirming the viability of my composite design and my path to improve the class skills at the same time.


    I once again started with the repetitive act of forging, damaging, repairing, and destroying. With my setup in place, I was able to extract mana easily. As an added benefit, the tainted energy was collected in a container, so whenever I ran out of material, I just needed to go to the edge of the base, open the container, and fight against the resulting swarm.


    I was glad that I came up with a way to cut the shell with a mana blade, as it made the process far faster. And, I didn''t even need to carry them back. I just needed to put them in the conveyor belt, and they would go back on their own.


    Excellent work.


    Too bad the conveyor belt was too much work to expand even at moderate distances. Conveying power mechanically had its limits, not to mention every yard of metal belt took some time for me to forge and assemble.


    Not the best use of my time, especially when the monsters were kind enough to visit my base in the first place.


    As usual, improving the skill got harder the more it improved, and the incredible amount of mana it required to trigger made it even more difficult. However, in the end, I received my reward.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) - 202]


    [Mana Repair (Rare) - 201]


    The perk selection had been almost trivial. Advanced Observe was a no-brainer. And, while I might have been split between Advanced Mana Control and Advanced Creative Forging, I only received Advanced Creative Forging as an option, which I accepted.


    Advanced Creative Forging didn''t allow me to forge the composite weapons, but every little bit still helped.


    "I wonder when I will be able to push it to the next stage," I muttered, feeling impatient. It was greedy, I knew, but I didn''t care. Now that I had discovered the method of improvement faster and faster, I couldn''t ignore the addictive pull of its sensation.


    I wondered if platinum would have given me the same boost gold did. Admittedly, the only reason I believed that was the fact that the next coin in the System was the platinum coin. Still, the theory was worth experimenting with.


    But, even if it did, I couldn''t even imagine how much mana it would consume in the process. The mana requirement between silver and gold to trigger the system had gone up almost thirty times. I didn''t want to even imagine how much it would require for platinum, assuming the original trick held true in the first place.


    Which, unfortunately, was not guaranteed.


    "Prioritize," I grumbled, reminding myself about the more important problem. One step at a time. I still needed to solve the issue of the ranged mana attack. However, instead of making a new variant of the sword, I started experimenting with gold, wanting to utilize its superior conductive properties.


    With the setup in place, it didn''t take too much time to design a gold variant that conducted mana far better. Then, I simply replaced the silver core with the golden one, focusing on the hexagonal structure at the back of the scimitar.


    An hour later, I was looking at a successful ranged attack. It barely went five yards before it dissipated, but I didn''t try to improve it. Instead, I destroyed the sword and instead started to work on a new weapon based on the same principles.


    A hammer.

 Chapter 62

    For the hammer, I wasn''t exactly designing a ranged attack the same way I did with a sword. I could, but there wasn''t too much of a point. It wouldn''t give me any benefits. Instead, I picked a different direction.


    Namely, the quake attack.


    For that, I designed a new hammer. Its surface was covered with hexagons, gold and silver conductive patterns etched inside it like wires to not only carry the mana, but also distribute it in the same pattern as the Quake attack.


    With this brand-new toy, I was able to create a weaker version of the quake effect. To test, I was once again at the mining pit, using the hammer to steadily destroy ore deposits, replenishing my reserves at the same time.


    I tried to use it on the monsters. Unfortunately, the weapon proved too fragile, shattering upon impact. And, since I had a limited amount of gold, I couldn''t make a dozen hammers to bring it with me.


    But, since I needed to replenish my ore reserves in the first place, I just continued crushing ore and loading it to the main feeder for the conveyor belt. Occasionally, I went back to the forge to redesign the weapon.


    Of course, from a single-attack perspective, there were not many benefits to actually creating a mana attack, as the vitality attack was already superior. Yet, I focused on mana attacks first despite that.


    While the vitality attacks were strong, they were also costly.


    Of course, mana attacks cost even more to achieve a similar effect. Combined with the fact that my mana reserves were much smaller, its utility was supposedly limited.


    If it wasn''t for one important fact: Cleansing Meditation allowed me to absorb mana far faster than I could replenish my Health. While my high Vitality allowed me to metabolize the food faster to replenish my Health, all but most concentrated extracts required several minutes to refill my reserves of Health. I just needed to stand still for five seconds to replenish my mana.


    And then there was the fact that Health was a literal tool for survival¡­ Armor could help to survive a lot of things, but it didn''t make me impervious. Blunt force trauma, in particular, still required Health to recover from.


    However, the biggest part was that I didn''t have the research on vitality that I had on mana. I needed to once again experiment on many materials to understand how they worked when interacting with solid materials.


    And, the recovery speed of Health meant that I couldn''t easily replicate it.


    Not without a large number of assistants.


    With all those factors included, trying to develop a mana attack was the better path until I had the necessary manpower.


    I swung my hammer again, this time crushing a shell into pieces, and used meditation to absorb it. Five seconds of standing still, and my mana was replenished once again. "Maybe I should try and see if I could figure a way to meditate while moving," I muttered even as I swung my hammer again, destroying another small section of the ore mine.


    [Quake Hammer (Rare) 184 - 185]


    So, I started trying to activate the meditation effect whenever I tried to move around, but it didn''t work as well as I had hoped. Whenever I tried to move, the mana shape destabilized or stopped rotating, which made the process of figuring out how to Meditate while moving rather annoying.


    I could maintain the existence of the orb, but without the movement, it didn''t work.


    However, repeated attempts failed to give a result. "Well, do I actually have to," I suddenly realized. After all, I had already realized that mana had been reacting to the shapes. Why not transform that orb into a different shape.


    But first, I decided to finish improving Quake Hammer to its limit. As much as the idea of experimenting with Meditation had been tempting, I didn''t want to do so immediately. Instead, I chose to focus on Quake Hammer.


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    It required two more trips to the forge to optimize the structure of the hammer based on trial and error before I could actually start delivering a decent facsimile of the first vitality attack, but it still depleted all my mana.


    [-200 Mana]


    [Quake Hammer (Rare) 199 - 200]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Persistent Tremor / Shatter / Swift Dodge]


    "What a tough choice," I muttered. Swift Dodge was easy to ignore, as I had long adapted to using Fleeting Step without using the spear art as a crutch thanks to repeatedly using it to move around. The choice between Persistent Tremor and Shatter, on the other hand, was harder to decide on.


    I had a feeling that, with my combat style, Shatter would be more useful, but I still chose Persistent Tremor. The implication was that it would create a lasting effect, and the experimental value of such a thing was too important.


    "Let''s try," I said as I used it on a thick section of ore.


    [-300 Health]


    "Well, that''s expensive," I muttered even as I examined the surface. Unlike Quake Hammer, the attack didn''t disappear at once, but maintained its presence between the shattered pieces, throwing them around wildly.


    It still had a mere two feet radius, but the devastation was incredible. It would work incredibly against a monster ¡­ or an armored human.


    Though, I didn''t want to imagine how the remains would look.


    I first moved back to the forge and activated the crusher. Then, as the mana flowed around me, I activated the meditative orb, but I didn''t rotate it, curious if it would absorb. It did, just very slowly despite the density around me.


    I turned that into a hexagonal prism, and, even without moving, the effect of rejecting mana was displayed, but it was weak. It implied that, along with the shape, the movement was also important. Soon, I added a triangle to the intersection point, and it started channeling mana inside, once again with an absurd slowness, certainly not enough to make it worth it.


    I added a triangle to every corner, but after a certain point, I was struggling to maintain the shape of the entity even without rotating it, as if I was trying to juggle a dozen balls in the air. Trying to maintain the shape of the orb was an interesting experience. I couldn''t just do something and start ignoring it.


    Every piece of construct required me to maintain it separately while rotating seemed to be using something completely different.


    I reduced the number of triangles and started rotating, but it failed. While the sphere ¡ª which I was starting to realize was not exactly a smooth structure, but the surface details were a mystery ¡ª was able to function better the faster it rotated, the triangles lost their effectiveness.


    The lack of stats, I realized. No wonder Intelligence was a critical requirement for every mage. The sheer focus necessary to maintain even half a dozen shapes was incredible.


    I stayed like that for hours, repeating various methods to increase mana absorption, but the best I could get was one point of mana in twenty minutes. Hardly groundbreaking.


    Maybe the research institutes were right in rejecting me ¡ª


    "Nonsense," I growled even as I shook my head. It was absurd to feel depressed, especially after my string of successes. Absurd enough that I would have suspected that there was some kind of spell over me. But, an easier guess was in place.


    It was the side effect of what I was doing with the meditation.


    When I stood up, I felt tired and drained, like I had been lost in the deepest recesses of a dark depression, tired in a way I had never felt before. "Alright, that''s enough experimentation for today," I muttered as I started tidying up everything.


    It was the second time Meditation had caused some kind of trouble. Maybe I shouldn''t play around with it without consulting Maria first.


    While I was mentally drained, I felt fine physically. So, I chose to pick the cart and went back to the third floor. However, after a few attempts of removing the shell with a mana attack, I realized that trying to use Mana turned out to be much more difficult. So, I stopped that as well and instead relied on the ordinary spear and extractor combo to collect.


    I was exhausted mentally, but I didn''t feel like sleeping. Some pointless, mind-numbing physical activity might have been exactly what I needed.


    And, if I could make more money in the process, even better.


    Since I had been distracted by the latest set of experiments, I decided not to go up before collecting around four thousand shells, which would explain my longer-than-usual disappearance.


    I could always say I took a trip to the third floor.


    As I fought, I could feel that weird exhaustion disappear slowly. It wasn''t completely gone, but the sudden listlessness had disappeared. Still, I didn''t stop until I collected the target number of shells.


    I went back to the fort, only to be greeted by smiling guards. "Good news, sir," one of them declared happily. "We have just received the news. The caravan will be here in just an hour."


    "Excellent," I said as the guards rushed toward the cart, enthusiastic about processing it. My habit of leaving big tips was already doing wonders.


    Hopefully, it would also help when it came to recruiting. My experiments needed help. Just a few people would be enough, but finding someone trustworthy seemed like a challenge. Instead, I could just hire a bunch of people to work in the dungeon, both to help me make money, and to allow me to identify trustworthy assistants.


    I wanted nothing more than to rest, but with the arrival of the caravan, things wouldn''t be as simple.


    "So, does anyone have any interesting stories about the first days of this dungeon?" I asked, which was just an opportunity to question them.


    Now that Eleanor and Maria had arrived, I needed to decide on a solution that was just innovative enough to help without being too suspicious.


    I much preferred experimenting over killing monsters¡­

 Chapter 63

    While I knew Maria and Eleanor were on the way, I stayed in the dungeon nevertheless, talking with the guards to learn about the various methods that they had used to explore the dungeon. It started as listening to them about the stories, but soon it turned into a Q&A session as they proved very willing to answer my questions, where I started to ask very pointed questions about the tactics they had used to first explore the dungeon and determine its profitability.


    At first, I was surprised by the candid way they answered the questions, even with Eleanor leaving me in charge unofficially. At first, I assumed it was my generous tipping that had earned me this privilege, but even that felt a bit excessive.


    Then, it clicked. It was my power. More accurately, their perception of my power. From their perspective, I was already at least level hundred ¡ª with the gossip split equally on whether I had passed the threshold ¡ª and with that power, came respect.


    It was just that I underestimated the intensity of it.


    It was my mistake considering my job. While equality had always been more of an idealized concept than a true reality, it didn''t change the fact that, before the Calamity, all people had been in the same baseline. Yet, even then, people had a tendency to idolize the strong and the famous. It was inevitable.


    Ultimately, humans were social beings, and the more complicated the society, the more we relied on heuristic patterns of thought. In the past, the rich, the strong, and the famous had been revered.


    Here, a sufficiently high level meant all three. Levels meant power, in a direct, visceral way that was impossible to ignore. Then, with the world economy regressing to a primitive level, power also meant riches. It was a reason that there wasn''t anyone above level fifty trying to get into this dungeon. They had better dungeons to make money from.


    Dungeons that didn''t require them to get away from what passed for civilization.


    More importantly, the ones that didn''t put them in the middle of a political dispute.


    This meant that, other than Eleanor and Maria, I was perceived to be the only high-level person here, and with that, came respect. However, it was one thing to acknowledge it in theory, another thing was to live through it. Even as a professor, I wasn''t used to it, though that was mostly due to my age making it difficult for my students to respect me.


    Suddenly, I was glad that I didn''t have to deal with it for long. Arthur was a fake identity, one that I would abandon as soon as I made enough money. But, that was for the future. I still had too much to learn here.


    I continued questioning them, trying to learn the tactics they had used. It seemed that they had already utilized some of the more obvious methods. Spears had worked to kill, but their wooden handles degraded even faster under the corrosive effect.


    As for bows, the cost of ammunition made it unsustainable. Special arrowheads were required to penetrate through the thick shells of the monsters, which inevitably ruined the arrow itself, making it more expensive.


    I questioned whether they tried to raise some native plants. They confirmed that they tried and abandoned it quickly. Apparently, the native dungeon plants pushing back the dungeon mist was a known trick, but it wasn''t well explored, because there were better magical alternatives that could dispel that mist and reestablish better visual clarity.


    Alternatives that didn''t work in a region that lacked mana ¡ª or, as my experiments showed, had a low mana density. And, according to them, the desert nature of the dungeon meant that growing any kind of plant was not worth the effort.


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    It meant that no one had bothered to experiment with the water from the fourth floor, at least properly. I could have revealed that, but it would have told Eleanor that monopolizing the fourth floor was possible despite the corrosive effect, which would ruin my business model.


    Instead, I wanted to try something simpler.


    "Lend me your bow. I want to try something," I asked one of the guards. While they didn''t use them for hunting insects as it was expensive, some of them were still armed with bows to defend the fort.


    Not many of them, which was probably why Thomas'' trick had been that devastating.


    He passed the bow immediately, but I noticed the hesitance as he passed the arrows. "Just two arrows is enough," I said. "And take ten shells from the latest order. It should be enough, right?" I said. I knew it was overpaying, but it was always better to keep people happy while asking for a favor.


    I went back into the dungeon, once again relying on the mist to hide me from the view. But, instead of targeting them directly, I reached into my bag, and pulled a skill stone ¡ª one of many I carried with me ¡ª which I had been planning to consume.


    [Skill Stone: Shoot (Basic)]


    "Let''s add a ranged attack to the mix," I muttered even as I consumed it. The sensation of absorbing a skill was disorienting as always, but a basic skill was easy to ignore.


    [Shoot (Basic) - 1]


    The first few times, I used the bow to aim at the rocks, testing the skill. Just like the other basic combat skills, shooting only came with the most basic motion, nothing else. It gave me a general understanding of how to hold, how to pull back, aim, and shoot.


    Even with the skill barely at one, I was able to hit a target accurately from ten yards away. Dexterity helped me with aiming, but the greater the distance, the more inaccurate my aim became. Compensating for that inaccuracy was possible, but it slowed the process of aiming even more.


    There were several reasons that most people preferred melee over ranged. The first was the logistic challenge. While arrows could be used multiple times, they were still more fragile than weapons. They broke and got lost, and collecting them was a significant chore. Not to mention, it meant it was harder to replenish them during longer expeditions.


    Especially since the best arrows came from the System Shops, like everything else.


    As a result of all these factors, not only was killing monsters from the range more expensive, but it was also more challenging. Stronger monsters were either armored, which made arrows a very bad ¡ª or expensive ¡ª method of dealing with them; or they had been agile enough to avoid arrows even after they were shot, making the task of hitting them at a distance impossible.


    Sometimes, they had just excess vitality, requiring an absurd amount of arrows to take down.


    They were not really useful other than for support ¡ª unless someone had a special class ¡ª because magic was much more effective as a ranged weapon. Stronger, more accurate, and, most importantly, cheaper.


    Well, cheaper anywhere with abundant mana. But, even in mana dead zones, it was probably a close call. Of course, the biggest reason for their relative lack of use was that they required Perception, even for their Common variant, which was not exactly a common stat.


    And then, there were even fewer classes that had Perception and Strength at the same time, the second stat necessary to use bows with higher draw weight. Of course, they were still useful in many circumstances, especially near settlements, and more expensive crossbows with certain enchantments removed some of those drawbacks.


    When all those facts combined, it explained why they were not as popular as melee while exploring dungeons, even in ones like ours.


    "Now, let''s improve it," I said. I could have practiced it again and again until I was confident in taking down the beast. Instead, I touched the arrow I had borrowed, and modified its surface with my mana, adding a few hexagons and arrow structure to make it better to hold mana.


    Then, I pumped it with mana, treated it as a spear, and shot it to a nearby target. The rock I targeted had been demolished.


    [-9 Mana]


    [Shoot (Basic) 1 - 25]


    One step was enough to maximize the basic skill. "Excellent," I muttered even as I used the other arrow to practice a few more times, getting a better sense of the abilities and limitations of the skill. I quickly made a few simple bows and crossbows, all made purely of metal, reusing the bowstring from the bow I had borrowed.


    Of course, those bows were useless garbage. Pure metal was not a good material for making bows. However, since my aim was to understand which weapons triggered the basic skill, it still worked.


    And, a smile popped on my face when I noticed crossbows were included on that list. It gave me an idea for an interesting pitch. I broke down the weapons I forged into base metal ¡ª mana once again allowing me to bypass very cumbersome steps under automatic control of my skill ¡ª and returned to the fort.


    Eleanor was waiting for me there.

 Chapter 64

    Eleanor didn''t say anything material until we were once again riding the griffin.


    "I didn''t miss the sensation of flying," I said, grabbing the saddle tightly.


    "We can walk if you want," she offered.


    "No. I like being assassinated even less," I replied.


    "Sorry about that," she said. "It was our mistake. It won''t happen again."


    I nodded. That promise was worth nothing, but I appreciated the intent behind it. "So, how was the recruitment?"


    "Good," she said. A one-word reply was not out of the ordinary for her, but I was able to catch a chipped tone, which meant it wasn''t particularly good.


    That would have put a smile on my face if we weren''t currently mid-flight. Unfortunately, it took something far more incredible than the prospect of great riches to put a smile on my face while I was being tortured by the fact that there was no solid ground under my feet.


    I kept my mouth shut as we covered the short distance between the town and the dungeon. I wanted to close my eyes as well, but the ability to catch a glimpse of the caravan that approached was too important to neglect.


    It was a significant crowd, more than I had expected. Even a rough head count suggested at least ten thousand people, maybe even more. However, their subpar equipment ¡ª along with Eleanor''s dissatisfaction ¡ª suggested that there weren''t many elites among them.


    Once we landed, we immediately walked toward the headquarters. Some distance away from us, I could see many blacksmiths going on a building that was no doubt the new forge, but this time, there were many more guards.


    My failed assassination ¡ª the first one ¡ª had taught them the importance of security.


    Maria was in her office, with a dark expression on her face. It immediately turned into a shocked expression, which was followed by a giggle. "D-Devon?" she asked, shocked by how I looked. I didn''t blame her. The thick beard and long hair looked ridiculous, but it was a good disguise. "You look ¡­ distinguished."


    "The word you''re looking for is old," I replied as I sat across from her. Technically, my action was a little presumptuous for the medieval culture people were insistently pushing. A week ago, it would have earned a very disapproving glare from Eleanor. Two weeks ago, Maria would have punished me with second-degree burns.


    Neither of them even blinked, showing how much progress I made in turning myself into a critical part of the town management. It was good, as that was the only reason I was willing to stick around a location where I was facing the risk of assassination.


    "As much as I want to mock Devon for his horrible beard, we have more important things to talk about," Eleanor said as she sat next to us. She didn''t wait for an invitation either, though it was more about the relationship between Eleanor and me. She was a stickler when it came to propriety around the other people, and the fact that she was willing to relax near me meant a lot.


    Their trust might have made me feel bad for tricking them, but luckily, I was able to come up with a method that would actually help them.


    "True," Maria said, with sadness back on her face. "All but six of the guilds have pulled back from the agreement, and of that six, five of them had reduced their investment."


    "Only that annoying woman is willing to stay. She even promised to increase her investment," Eleanor said, talking about Rosie.


    "What about all those people?" I asked.


    "Support staff," Maria replied. "Almost eight thousand of them are Farmers, and most of the rest are the various classes here to build the second wall, secure the farms, and do other support work. We barely had three hundred people to join the dungeon, meaning it was only a hundred and fifty teams. Slightly more than what we had before Thomas proved what a monster he is. And, almost half of those teams work for Rosie."


    "Is it a problem?"


    "Somewhat. They are low-leveled, so it''ll take a while for them to get into the rhythm."


    "We can''t support the town with that much operation. We couldn''t before, and we certainly cannot now."


    "Really, that many Farmers?" I asked. "That''s surprising."


    "Not really," Eleanor replied. "The current batch of food we have came from the city, and they are dense enough to make logistics not a problem. But, we can''t keep importing food. Maintaining such a long trade route through wilderness is next to impossible."


    "That, and it''s really difficult to grow food on a mana dead zone," Maria completed. "Even in the mana-rich areas, the best farms rely on mana-gathering wards to feed the plants."


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    "I didn''t know farmers could use mana," I commented, acting unaware of the secrets, which would allow me to ask follow-up questions.


    "They can''t, but the plants absorb it. The poorer the environment, the more Health they need to grow the plants. At one point, they spent more Health than they could get from the food, making it a problem."


    "I see," I replied. "Can''t we use some of them to plant trees in the dungeon, then? I''m sure it''ll be helpful."


    "We tried, but alchemical fertilizers are required to do anything in the dungeon, and they are too expensive to be used in scale, especially in a hostile dungeon environment like a desert."


    I wondered if it was Eleanor and Maria''s inexperience that was making them miss the obvious solution of mixing them by hand and experimenting, or was it the dependence on the System that made people ignore the common sense solutions?


    Admittedly, both were possible.


    As much as I wanted to let them talk a bit more to despair so that they could appreciate my solution more, I decided to give them an alternative. "Actually, I might have a solution for you?"


    "Really?" Maria had gasped.


    Meanwhile, Eleanor smiled. "Yes, I forgot about that," she said as she turned to Maria. "Our sword genius here can actually kill a thousand monsters in a day. While it''s not enough to keep us going, it should be enough to bridge the gap. As long as we delay the promised payment for the Farmers, and delay a few payments, we should be able to work until we hire a second batch."


    "But, what about the Blacksmiths," Maria replied. "We need Devon to train them, so that they can learn how to repair the swords the same way."


    "We need to cancel that plan," Eleanor said. "It''s a waste for a sword genius to waste his time in the forge. He needs to spend his time developing his Rare skill," she said.


    "Rare skill?" I interrupted.


    Eleanor passed me a small box. "Surprise," she said, her smile wide. "Finish learning it, and I''ll do my best to find you an Epic one."


    Maria seemed to be unhappy about that. But, why, I didn''t know. My best guess was that she didn''t like Eleanor changing her plan without consulting, but even that was sketchy. Maria trusted Eleanor more than that.


    "Actually, I have a better plan. One that not only solves both our problems but can actually increase the dungeon production significantly. However, I need you to trust me on how to handle it," I said. Both turned toward me. "I have discovered a way to make corrosion-resistant material."


    Their shocked gasps were a thing of wonder. "That changes everything. If we can arm everyone with swords made of them ¡ª"


    "No, that doesn''t work. The material shatters quickly," I said, quickly cutting that path. "But, it''s good enough to make arrowheads."


    "So, are you going to teach it to the other blacksmiths," Maria asked.


    "No, we can''t do that," I said. "Whatever family dispute you have leading Thomas to sabotage you, it''s clear that he''s determined to pull something even harder. If we reveal that we can forge arrowheads that could be used in the dungeon, he might escalate."


    "What''s your plan?" Eleanor asked, but from her gaze, I could see that she was already convinced. And, I was sure that it had nothing to do with the plan, and everything to do with my melee performance.


    "What would Thomas do if I occasionally received a box from the outside, filled with arrowheads," I asked.


    "He''ll do his best to find the delivery and rob them," Eleanor said.


    "That, or he''ll find which System Store you''re purchasing the arrowheads from, and bribe them to stop doing business with you," Maria added.


    "And, it means, he won''t have that much time sabotaging the camp," I said. "However, I need both of you to swear that you''ll never reveal I''m the one forging them. Not even to the rest of your family. Let''s just maintain the fiction that I''m an old warrior friend. I don''t want to die to an assassin''s blade."


    "That''s a good idea," Eleanor accepted. Technically, I didn''t know just how sensitive that ploy was, but I wasn''t willing to take the risk. "But, how are you going to forge them?"


    "Easy," I said. "I''m going to set up a forge in the depths of the second floor, and forge them there. The boxes will only have the raw materials. As long as you order the guards not to search me, it''ll be enough."


    "That sounds good. What about the blacksmiths?" Maria said. "We still need them to repair swords."


    "Easy," I said. "I will write them some notes, as well as forge you a set of weapons from bronze ingots without enchantment. They can use it to quickly level up their repair. Just don''t forget to have them sign better contracts this time."


    "Sounds good ¡ª" Maria started, but Eleanor interrupted.


    "We can''t afford it," she said. "We''re already deep in red, and mana alloys are expensive."


    There, I smiled, ready to deliver the big stuff. "What if I sell the intact shells to you for two silvers each," I said. It would have been a terrible sacrifice on my part if I hadn''t been earning far more from the dungeon itself.


    "Really?" she asked. "And, will it be profitable at that level? We don''t have many sharpshooters."


    "The recipe I discovered requires some silver, so no. I still need you to purchase it for me secretly. I won''t be able to break even, but I should be able to keep going as long as I spend half a day hunting," I said, which was another lie. Using an iron alloy would be more than enough for the arrowheads, and I certainly didn''t lack that.


    But, I needed an excuse to bring piles of silver inside the dungeon, so a little lying was inevitable. Especially since, the more profitable I made it for them, the less incentive they would have to try to get the recipe and teach it to other blacksmiths.


    "And, everyone will think that we''re paying you four silver, so we can earn more money than people expect. It will give us an edge during the auction."


    "You can even tell that we have a deal, and you''re purchasing the shells from me for five or six silvers," I said. "That way, it''ll be more believable that I''m a level hundred."


    "Good idea, professor," Maria said. "Too bad you''re still garbage at chess."


    "I''ll defeat you one day," I responded, more than happy to play into her enthusiasm and entertain her.


    "That still doesn''t solve the problem of recruitment," Eleanor interjected. "We need to have a lot of archers."


    "No, we don''t," I said. "I just need permission to recruit among the farmers while one of you went to the nearest town and purchased a lot of crossbows for me."


    "But, they still need the strength to pull back."


    "Not if I hire a couple workers with Strength only tasked to rearm the crossbows," I replied. I was confident that I could figure out a small device that could figure it out, but no need to overwhelm them with too many ideas at the same time.


    Maria looked at Eleanor, and they shared a pointed glance showing agreement.


    Just like that, my first step to monopolize the dungeon was complete.

 Chapter 65

    The meeting didn''t end after we agreed on the details of my guild. There were still a lot of small details that needed to be determined. They were unrelated to me, and most of it was exhaustingly monotonous like the town layout and patrol schedule, but I stayed.


    Having even an unofficial say in the town''s development was too important to be ignored. Since I seemed to have been defaulted into the management of the town, I was happy to embrace it.


    Once the meeting was done, we split. Eleanor went to meet with the guards to arrange the new patrol schedule, trying to make sure there would not be any problems. Maria flew to the nearest city to purchase as many crossbows as she could carry on a griffin along with some alchemical fertilizers. I didn''t need it since I had a better alternative, but I had requested some in order to have an excuse for keeping those plants in my possession.


    Meanwhile, I stayed at the headquarters for a while, writing notes on how to improve Repair quickly, then forging a set of weapons in increasing complexity that could be damaged and repaired at the same time.


    They should be able to use that combination to quickly push their Repair skill to forties, which, combined with the Warm Blow perk, would allow them to repair the enchanted weapons. I didn''t write down my own Repair trick, instead derived a full set of simpler tricks that could be used with Warm Blow.


    The situation was complicated enough without another Blacksmith stumbling their path into Mana Forge.


    As for the recruitment, I asked the guards to handle that, and ask for volunteers. Knowing how the warriors could treat the production classes, I made it very clear that I needed volunteers, and not coerced farmers.


    If none of them wanted to join me in the dungeon, which was possible considering the danger, so be it. I could always find a different method. I wanted to improve, but not through forced labor.


    Not when I could finally do something about it.


    Once I stepped out, I found a sergeant I was familiar with from the dungeon waiting for me, but I couldn''t remember his name. Luckily, my new status meant that not remembering people''s names wasn''t treated as something rude. "What was your name, sergeant? Sorry that I''m bad at names."


    "Harold, sir," he said. I wondered if it was his real name, or if he was one of the people that changed theirs for a more old-timey feeling. But, I didn''t ask. It would have been pointlessly rude. "The potential recruits are waiting for you, sir," he said.


    "Where are they?" I asked.


    "They are at the farm. I thought bringing a crowd here might be too much."


    "A crowd," I asked. "You remember what I said about no coercion, right?"


    "Of course," the sergeant said, looking surprised. "I actually had to turn down bribes to bring them forward," he declared.


    "Really?" I asked. "I would have thought that Farmers wouldn''t have been willing to risk themselves in a dungeon."


    "Not when you offer them double what they are already getting."


    "What?" I said. "I thought I offered them only a silver a day, with performance bonuses?"


    "Yes, double what they are making," Harold said. "We offer them half a silver, plus food and residence. Honestly, Lady Maria''s offer was already generous enough. Apparently, they had almost fifty thousand farmers respond to the application, so they were able to pick the best."


    "What about the danger?" I asked. I had known that farmers were struggling, but not to the point of moving to a potentially dangerous new town.


    "Well, some of them. The money is already more than what they earned in the city. After removing costs, they are lucky to earn a silver a week in the city. Most barely break even," the guard explained. "More importantly, it''s hard to level up in the city. They have to save for months to get access to even the simplest dungeon."


    "So, my offer to work in a dungeon¡­"


    "Frankly, you can probably find volunteers that would work for free. It''s a waste of silver," he said.


    "Interesting," I said. "No wonder they didn''t even ask about how much I will pay for the bonus," I said, which made the guard skip a step. "What''s wrong?" I asked.


    "The performance bonus? That''s more money?" he asked, surprised.


    "Well, yes. What did you think it was?"


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    "I thought it would be the right to kill monsters so that they can level up," he said, surprised. "That''s the traditional way. The opportunity to be protected by someone at level one hundred while doing so¡­"


    I frowned. I knew that the situation with the Farmers was bad, but I had clearly underestimated the extent of their plight.


    "I didn''t know that," I said. Suddenly, I realized that my offer of letting them hunt monsters with ranged weapons was more attractive, enough that I could probably make them pay for the privilege through weeks of physical work.


    Not that I had any intention of actually doing that. What was the point of such cruelty? Just to keep salaries low? It was like the worst parts of capitalism and feudalism mixed in to create an unholy abomination.


    Humanity¡­ somehow always capable of making a bad situation worse. Even when there is no need.


    I said nothing as we left the town, and started walking toward the farming center, where the farmers were working hard to tile the land and plant, leading the horses. The part nearest to the town was being turned into an orchard, while the more distant parts were being tiled to the beast land.


    With the beasts pulling the plows, the process was fast. While Farmers only had Vitality as a stat which didn''t give them the ability to deadlift half a ton with ease, it was still enough to raise their endurance to an inhuman degree. They tiled the land with a steady pace, showing more enthusiasm than I had expected.


    However, as I came closer, I realized that their steady work had a frantic edge, and I could already hear a few whispers about the guilds leaving the caravan to go back. They were probably assuming that some of them would be fired and sent back.


    Admittedly, it was a realistic fear. Without my intervention to save the finances, Maria was already considering delaying the payment, and firing some of them to reduce the cost was the logical next step. Especially, with the number of guards gone, it would be a reasonable setup.


    "The volunteers for the dungeon, gather around," the sergeant shouted. "Sir Arthur is here to make the selection for the team that''ll join his guild."


    The workers froze before they all started to gather, already pushing each other. "Anyone that creates a commotion will be disqualified. I don''t want a stampede!" I shouted, which had been enough to freeze them. "No running. Walk calmly, and don''t push each other."


    Even as I shouted at them, I didn''t blame them. I knew exactly where they were coming from. It wasn''t even two weeks ago that I would have been a part of a similar group. Not for a silver coin, maybe, but five coins would have made me just as desperate.


    While they gathered in a calmer manner, I climbed on a rock so that they could see me, and looked at Harold. "Listen to the rules well. I don''t want any guard violating them either," I warned him.


    "Understood, sir," he said enthusiastically.


    Machiavelli might have had a dubious reputation for his statement about it being better to be feared than loved, but his book had another, lesser-known quote that was certainly true. If one could arrange it, it was best to be loved and feared at the same time.


    Luckily, the inherent threat of someone level one hundred ¡ª even if it wasn''t exactly true ¡ª and my new role in the inner circle handled the fear part, and my generosity worked well for the loved part.


    "I''m sure the guards had mentioned what I want to do. I need people who will accompany me to the dungeon. I have already arranged with Lady Maria, so I can borrow you for a day or two before you return to your tasks," I said. "Since we have that many volunteers, I want to make a few changes."


    "I''m willing to work for free¡ª" one of them shouted.


    "I''ll pay a silver as long as I can spend five minutes hunting in the dungeon!" another one shouted.


    "I will ¡ª"


    That looked like it could turn into a stampede. "Enough. No commotion," I shouted. While I didn''t want to act like a jerk, trying to explain something to eight thousand people at once was not an easy thing. That was why I didn''t explain the exact details of the offer. They seemed to be ready to kill each other for an opportunity to visit the dungeon and kill a few monsters after a full day of work.


    I didn''t want to see what they would do if they learned the job was to kill monsters from a safe distance.


    From a pragmatic perspective, I could have easily convinced them to work for a pittance, or even sign some very punishing debt contracts, which I could easily enforce because of my direct contact with the management. I had no doubt that many in my place would have done exactly that.


    It was pointless. I paused for a moment, which both allowed them to process the importance of the moment, while also giving me a chance to adjust my recruitment plan. My initial plan was to just hire the volunteers to join my guild, but I decided against it.


    Not only could it turn messy to give them the opportunity, but it was also a waste. The higher their level, the less benefit they would get from killing monsters. I expected them to reach level fifteen quickly, and progress to twenty-five at a reasonable pace, only to be stalled during their class upgrade due to the lack of mana.


    I decided to level up all of them. While it might slow down setting up my operation, it would give Maria a bunch of farmers who could work longer and produce more food. Selling it back would have been cumbersome, but it would mean the town could grow without expanding the number of farmers, which would be a bonus.


    And, I doubted she would have a problem with increasing the self-defense capabilities of the farmers. Giving them both Stab and Shoot, which was produced in the dungeon, would make things very easy.


    I just needed to prepare a set of armor for all of them so they didn''t die in an accident.


    "Now, let me explain the rules. We''re going to set up a small raffle, and every volunteer will have a number. We will be rotating the dungeon workers, so all of you will have the opportunity to level up. The ones that impress me in the dungeon will have the chance to join my guild directly for even more payment. But, anyone who risks their fellow farmer''s life in the dungeon will lose that chance. Safety first!" I warned. "Feel free to change your mind if that''s not attractive."


    No one answered, their enthusiasm growing. I was about to stop when I realized how people could act when faced with such opportunities. "There will be no buying and selling your places in the line, and anyone that tries to force others to give up their place or anything else, I''ll deal with personally," I warned.


    Then, I pulled my sword as I jumped down, cutting the huge rock I had been standing into smooth pieces with a few Vitality attacks.


    Sometimes, the best way to avoid punishing anyone was to show the power to do so.

 Chapter 66

    I stayed with the Farmers while the raffle was being prepared, and watched while the schedule was set. I even made a copy of it in the view of everyone. I had no intention of checking the schedule of eight thousand Farmers, but just having that opportunity would intimidate some with bad intentions.


    I didn''t have the time to micromanage them, so such subterfuge was necessary. Then, I left, leaving the task of arranging the operational details to Harold. I needed to rely upon him a lot for this task.


    There was a benefit to handling the management of the Farmers through Harold. It was a well-known fact that not being seen too many times helped reflect a sense of authority, which was why even the generals before the Cataclysm didn''t fraternize with the rank and file, but it wasn''t the reason I didn''t stay with them.


    No, I had a simpler reason. I had a lot of work to do in the dungeon.


    Since I had officially mentioned to Eleanor that I would be building a forge in the dungeon, I needed to do so. For that, I would have to set up another forge, this time in a hidden corner of the second floor, maybe dig a cave for it. Admittedly, I had no intention of actually using that forge. It would be entirely for show.


    I just needed a location for Eleanor if she wanted to visit.


    Meanwhile, I would be splitting the actual task of forging the required materials between the third and fourth floors. The armor and the spears I planned to forge had to be made on the third floor, as they would be made of ordinary materials, and just staying on the fourth floor would destroy them.


    Luckily, the arrowheads would be corrosion-resistant, so I could handle their forging on the fourth floor.


    It was important. Unlike the armor sets and spears, I would be forging an absurd number of arrowheads, and on the fourth floor, I could use the steam engines to make the process even faster. And, the less time I spent on routine tasks, the more time I would have to explore the fourth floor without people getting suspicious.


    I was glad that I had revealed part of my subterfuge to Eleanor and Maria. Not having to hide everything from them meant that I could do much more. Just the fact that I could bring sealed boxes in and out of the dungeon was a game changer.


    "Now, the hard part," I muttered as I left the town behind, and started walking the road between the dungeon and the town, alone. I wasn''t walking because I was suddenly unafraid of another possible assassination, but because I was afraid of them.


    It was a simple bluff. The thing that was keeping me safe was Thomas'' erroneous belief that I was above level hundred. Even if he suspected that there had been something wrong with using Charisma, he would still believe that I was near that point.


    It would make assassinating me the worst way to sabotage the town, especially when Maria and Eleanor were around. Luckily, my earlier stay in the dungeon could easily be explained as staying to protect the dungeon rather than trying to stay safe.


    "I just hope he''ll think like that," I said even as I left the road and started to walk in the wilderness. Naturally, many wild monsters attacked, but they were not even a challenge to my Stalwart Guard, let alone my Quake Hammer.


    With its proficiency at its limit, the skill was truly amazing. For example, I could confidently face a team of assassins even if they chose to attack together. I wouldn''t, of course, not if I had any other choice. Why should I have suffered a brave last stand when I could easily ambush the enemy?


    If it wasn''t for my confidence to defend myself ¡ª or at least, escape ¡ª I wouldn''t have dared to walk into the wilderness. After all, there was a chance that Thomas could ignore all the reasons that made me a bad target and attack me.


    "Now, let''s get to work," I said to myself even as I found a small cave and entered it. After killing the monsters inside, I paused for a moment and used my Cleansing Meditation to absorb the mana they let out.


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    [+15 Mana]


    Monsters outside didn''t have that much mana in them, so killing almost thirty of them barely gave me fifteen points. No wonder mages didn''t want to live here. However, I noticed something interesting, which was only possible thanks to Cleansing Meditation.


    The monsters outside also had a minute amount of tainted energy. Not as intense as the monsters in the dungeon, and likely not the same kind. But, it was an interesting detail. However, it wasn''t the time to explore that.


    I started digging a tunnel through the dungeon floor, my Strength allowing me to handle that task at a quick pace, especially when I could use Vitality attacks against any rocks. Using mana would have made things easier, but I wasn''t entirely sure that I had no one following me.


    I traveled almost a thousand yards like that, and, at my point of exit, I used the camouflage ring to walk another three hundred yards, found a new cave, and repeated the pattern twice.


    Once I finished that, I modified the surface layer of the armor completely. The shape, the patterns, everything. Luckily, I had long designed my armor to be two-layered, with the top layer only there as a distraction, so it worked well enough.


    I even created a new, large spear to give my alter ego a different identity. Of course, it was not actually a spear, but a hollow tube, which I used to check for mineral deposits. Luckily, iron oxide was easy to recognize. And, since I was merely searching for something with around five percent purity, rather than above fifty percent like any sane commercial operation would, I was able to find enough material to forge my boxes.


    Not having the necessity to carry boxes of iron helped.


    The reason for my complicated travel plan and disguise, which included even some material sourcing, was simple. Once I started arriving with the mysterious metal boxes, people would start looking for them. I needed a reasonable excuse. So, once I was deep in the wilderness, I used the ores from the surrounding area to create a simple, sealed metal box that was larger than my body.


    The box had two features. On its surface, there was a stamp, with the text of Mystery Delivery. And, inside, there was another stamp, with the phrase ''Better luck next time''. The trick was simple. Once I started arriving at the dungeon with boxes that were supposedly filled with treasures, people could start looking for them.


    I created those boxes as a simple trick. Once I buried enough of them, it would give them a good idea about the method. My secretive supplier would bury hundreds of boxes around, and supposedly inform me about the correct delivery.


    For that reason, the boxes I forged were nothing I couldn''t do when my Forging was merely at ten. After all, they were merely decoys.


    That, along with my growing reputation as someone supposedly at or above level hundred, should be enough to deflect the attention.


    For the next eight hours, I went deeper and deeper into the wilderness, using Fleeting Step to move faster than should have been possible, leaving boxes in the hilltops and valleys, each far away from one another, creating a very complicated treasure hunt. I could have done so without much fear because the monsters in the mana dead zones weren''t as dangerous.


    Of course, that should make living in mana dead zones a better option. It meant the area was more secure. However, the economic disadvantages created by a lack of environmental mana ¡ª like the fact that we needed almost ten farmers just to support one warrior operating in the dungeon ¡ª were obvious. Then there was the even more important fact that leveling was difficult.


    Technically, both could be bypassed. Unfortunately, the security was not always guaranteed. It was safer under normal circumstances, but not during exceptional events. There was always a chance of a dungeon break from an undiscovered gate, or a monster horde could drift near while they were migrating.


    There was a reason that our current town had many expensive and rare siege weapons.


    Well, that, and the nighttime was still dangerous.


    Once I had arrived near the dungeon, I modified my armor back to its previous state, once again using mana allowing me to bypass some cumbersome steps. I created ten of those delivery boxes, and even created a fully metal cart I could pull along, and arrived at the dungeon.


    In front of the dungeon, there was a line, where the guards were carefully patting down every entrant to make sure there wasn''t anyone smuggling dangerous lure potions or other items of sabotage.


    "Hey, why''s he not being searched? He''s bringing that much stuff inside ¡ª" one of the new arrivals questioned. A guard silenced him by poking him with the end of a spear. The others in the line were quick to get the message.


    I deliberately acted arrogant and aloof, different from my attitude around the guards. With my fake identity getting more and more complicated, the less interaction I had with the others, the more I could maintain that.


    The guards said nothing even as I brought a huge delivery into the dungeon. I moved at a leisurely pace, ignoring the people trying to follow me without being too suspicious. After all, they didn''t dare to follow me to the second floor immediately. And, the moment I arrived at the second floor, I demolished the cart and the boxes back into ingots.


    I used Fleeting Step to disappear into the dungeon mist, making it impossible for anyone to follow me even if they were inclined to do so.


    I had a full night to forge everything I needed.

 Chapter 67

    I first stopped by the fourth floor to bring a large cart filled with iron ores. These ores would be used for all the necessary materials, which came in three main categories. Namely, armors, weapons, and various other implements ¡ª farming, construction, shell removal, and arrow making.


    The function of each category was obvious. However, their design was not straightforward. As long as I had the silver, I could easily forge fifty copies of my armor that would keep them safe from anything that the first three floors could throw at them. But, that was not an option because of the nature of my cover story.


    While everyone else should believe that I was getting deliveries from an enigmatic delivery company, Eleanor and Maria were aware of the truth. So, if I armed the Farmers with a high-quality silver-iron mana alloy set, they would catch on that something was wrong.


    Luckily, that level of defense was not exactly necessary for the first and second floors, considering they would be armed with crossbows. It just needed to survive one or two attacks from the monsters.


    Instead, I decided to use a design from the System: a loose plate armor, which should be useful against both insects and human threats without hindering their mobility too much. I had used the design from the skill wholesale, without making even the slightest change.


    These sets of armor were similar to those that could be purchased from a System Store. Yet, it was something an ordinary Blacksmith should have been capable of, as long as he spent a lot of money and consumed a lot of materials to improve his Forge skill, which should keep Eleanor and Maria from asking too many questions.


    Creating fifty of them in one night was a bit excessive, but I could always claim that I had spent the last week doing that. However, those fifty armors were barely worth a few gold coins when purchased from the System store, so there would be no such questions.


    There was a reason people didn''t care much about Blacksmiths. The System Store always had better and cheaper alternatives.


    Unless, of course, one decided to be a little unconventional.


    Of course, the desire to make them look like System store purchases wasn''t the only reason I stayed loyal to the design of the skill. Using the skill directly meant that I could forge the armor far faster. A part of it was the high proficiency, making the earlier steps easier. The other part of it was the skill guiding me on exactly how to use mana to bypass many steps, from the alloy structure settling crystals, to proper cooling.


    It was hard to keep track when I could easily forge an armor in less than a minute. An absurd speed that was only possible because the material wasn''t mana alloy. Forging those still took far more time.


    However, speed wasn''t the only reason. Quality played a role as well. While I was able to come up with a lot of specialized designs, from a more generalized perspective, they were still extremely inferior.


    The same was true for the first set of spears I had designed. They were made of the same iron alloys I used on the armor, which would work well against any threat, including humans.


    Once that was complete, I went to the fourth floor, but I didn''t immediately start forging arrowheads. It would be faster for a day, but considering the amount and the scale I required, I didn''t want to spend an hour every day wasting my time on repetitive work.


    Instead, I created myself a nice setup. It had three steps. First, in a large cauldron, I would mix molten iron with the dungeon crystals and finely ground giant monster shell ¡ª which I could hunt en masse believably thanks to my improved sword skill ¡ª while I used my mana to stabilize the process, giving me the necessary raw material.


    After that, I would pour the mixture onto a large tray, with arrow-shaped holes in it, with a lid that overlapped. Together, they functioned like a traditional sand casting. Of course, in that traditional casting, sand was used, because the molten metal would meld together.


    Then, I put that tray into specialized shelves to cool down, and worked on a second tray.


    For that, I covered the bottom layer with a layer of sand, so it could be separated easily, and the top part could be pulled. Once I did so, the arrowheads came as one connected sheet. To deal with that, I designed a huge scissor, made of composite structure. It allowed me to use an oversized mana blade to cut the arrowheads from the bottom.


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    The system was still primitive, but only the first part required me to use the Mana Forge skill.


    As long as I had the materials ready, I would be able to forge tens of thousands of arrowheads at once.


    The ability to use Mana during forging was just as big of a game changer as using it during combat. Too bad I couldn''t sell my products openly without turning myself into a target. If I could, I would have just moved to a city and worked from the safety of a proper workshop rather than in the middle of a dungeon with a permanent corrosive mist that destroyed everything that wasn''t designed for its unique nature.


    Once the arrows had been completed, I brought them to the third floor before sealing them inside identical iron boxes, to be used in the morning.


    With that, most of the preparation had been completed.


    The next task was simpler. I finally opened the box Eleanor had brought for me.


    [Skill Stone: Blade of Retribution (Rare)]


    It was a domineering name, which was the only thing I knew. When I asked Eleanor about it, she had just smirked playfully and asked me to trust her. I chose to do so, particularly since it wasn''t exactly as critical of a decision as she might have considered.


    Ultimately, for me, a sword was a supporting weapon at best.


    Of course, there was no reason for Eleanor to sabotage me, particularly through an expensive tool like a Rare skill. I had no idea about the current state of the skill market, particularly when it came to the more expensive skills.


    Without thinking any longer, I accepted.


    [Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 100 - Blade of Retribution (Rare) 1]


    After the discomfort had disappeared, I once again grabbed the fragile composite sword with gold filling, designed for ranged attacks. A few mana attacks were enough to push the skill to a high level.


    [Blade of Retribution (Rare) 1 - 79]


    As the information flowed into my perception, I started analyzing the merits of the fighting style, and the first thing I could say was that Eleanor had picked well. The sword was truly excellent for a Blacksmith who decided to embrace the blade over the hammer.


    In a way, it was not too dissimilar to Stalwart Guard, as it relied on defense and strong counterattacks, relying on the pairing of a shield and a sword, but there were significant differences as well. It was optimized for a bigger, almost oversized sword ¡ª though it could still function well with a smaller one ¡ª and it was more mobility-dependent than Stalwart Guard.


    I had to admit, even without the advantages that came from the tier upgrade of the skill, Blade of Retribution was a much better style. Stalwart Guard was better for fighting as a part of a small team maintaining formation while relying on the shield. Blade of Retribution was more reliant on mobility and footwork.


    It was even better for my case, as my Dexterity was higher than an ordinary Blacksmiths'', which meant I could fight better.


    "Now, to improve, or not to improve," I asked a tree. Unfortunately, it didn''t answer, leaving the decision to me. The decision was tricky. Improving meant that I could defend myself better, particularly against public threats where I might be reluctant to show my Quake Hammer.


    And, it wasn''t just another assassin I was thinking of. If I were Thomas ¡ª or, one of his advisors ¡ª I might have bribed a few other people to find a reason to fight me. Unfortunately, for a warrior and a guild leader, there would be times I couldn''t refuse such challenges, particularly if they were nonlethal.


    Not without raising a lot of questions that are best left unasked.


    Alternatively, I could have kept my improvement slow, which would be more convincing to Eleanor. In the first half, I could claim that it was the learnings from the Stalwart Guard, but anything above a hundred would be a harder sell.


    A tough decision, indeed. Though, I had to admit, even the ability to ask such a question was a luxury in the first place. It was only my systematic approach and my extensive preparation ¡ª mixed with some considerable luck ¡ª that had allowed me to ask such questions in the first place. Anyone else had to improve the old-fashioned way.


    It was easy once I figured out the trick behind it ¡­ but then, I wasn''t exactly sure that was the case. I claimed the same when I was eleven and started learning college-level math questions on my own.


    In the end, I decided to maximize the skill. On one hand, failure meant I needed to find an excuse to give Eleanor, while on the other, failure might mean death. "I just have to refuse duels for a week or two," I decided. Hopefully, exhaustion and being busy setting up my guild would be a good excuse. She should be busy as well.


    Even if we were available, I could still try to sandbag the duel. It would be hard, but the closer our skill level, the more believable it would be.


    In the end, anything under a month to max out a Rare skill would be suspicious, so I didn''t even bother to try.


    Instead, I spent an hour practicing everything that was granted by the Rare variant to make sure I had a good handle on what it offered below a hundred, before I went near the trees, and started targeting the insects with the ranged mana attacks.


    Those ranged attacks were significantly worse than just cutting them directly, but the fragile blade couldn''t handle it. And, the aim wasn''t to kill them, but to maximize the attack.


    [Blade of Retribution (Rare) 196 - 200]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Strike of Retribution / Swift Step / Unbroken Guard]


    "Difficult choice," I said even as I read the available options. Strike of Retribution and Swift Step were both equally appealing. In the end, I decided to choose the Strike of Retribution, which turned out to be a ranged vitality attack.


    It merely consumed forty Health, and delivered a smooth cut. I was happy with its existence.


    But, even as I practiced, I realized that I neglected to check one important piece of information. I didn''t know if Perk Reset stones worked on higher-tier skills.


    "Another problem for the future," I muttered even as I started working on a new sword design, my new Perk already teaching me new things.

 Chapter 68

    The rest of the night had gone well. I even had a chance to catch a short nap. One that barely lasted three hours, but it was all I could get sleeping in the dungeon.


    Once that was done, I went to the third floor, piled everything into a new cart ¡ª which included a small batch of fertilizer mix ¡ª and went back to the second floor, then the first floor, deliberately using the gates at the opposite sides. The gate was a good place to camp. It was away from the operations, while it was also fitting to expand the operations between two floors.


    When I arrived at the first floor, I found Harold, along with fifty farmers, each holding a crossbow, practicing with targets they had set in a corner. "Good initiative," I said to him.


    "My pleasure, sir," he replied, while the rest of the Farmers looked settled into their roles.


    "Take four guards with decent Strength, and follow me," I said. "You''ll be responsible for the defense of the new camp." That was not a part of the agreement I had with Maria, but sometimes, it was better to ask forgiveness than permission.


    Not that they would have refused. Our deal was heavily skewed to their favor ¡ª something deliberate on my part ¡ª while five guards were nothing they couldn''t give up.


    I wanted them for two reasons. First, they would be responsible for cranking the crossbows until I could make a device that could handle it, but, more importantly, they were there to prevent any possible harassment from other guilds.


    The guards might have refused, but my reputation for generosity proved useful. Instead of trying to get away from the task, the guards were competing for the opportunity. And, the best part, they still worked for Eleanor.


    No other guild''s freelance work would have been treated as such an advantage. Admittedly, I would have shared that opinion a week ago, when I was trying to scrape funds for my experimentation, but the current situation wasn''t the same.


    "Gather together, and don''t make too many sudden movements," I warned the farmers. "We will protect you, but if you panic and run away, I can''t guarantee your safety."


    Then, I left the command to Harold, who was far more capable when it came to handling things while another guard started pulling the cart I had brought. Meanwhile, five of the farmers were dragging a large, wooden water tank with wheels, which was necessary to slowly grow the trees.


    I took the point, killing the monsters with a slash while I used the extractor ¡ª the old, clumsy one made of bronze ¡ª to remove the shell.


    "Watch carefully, you''ll be doing that as well," I warned them even as we slowly traversed for a distance.


    It was a good chance to show the process and remind them about my capabilities at the same time. The Rare skill flowed even more smoothly, enough to fascinate them. I was so lucky that Thomas had sent his assassins without proper time to practice, or my fate could have been different.


    "We''re here," I said as we finally arrived at the spot I had picked as my guild''s permanent camp. The epicenter was just a hundred yards away from the dungeon gate leading to the second floor. Meaning, we didn''t have to deal with it currently, but as we expanded, the small fort could grow to take it in, with a corresponding defensive structure on the second floor.


    With the ability to easily produce arrowheads, it should be easy to scale up. I just needed to purchase more crossbows.


    The rigidity of metals didn''t allow me to make a bow out of them entirely.


    "Now, I want you to be responsible for the camp security while I handle the construction," I said to Harold and the guards while I passed them five swords I took from my assassins, which I had modified further.


    "Sir, are you sure?" Harold asked as he grabbed the sword, his expression wide. "These must cost a fortune."


    "They are valuable because I won them in battle," I responded. "So, I won''t be happy if they leave the camp."


    "Wouldn''t it be better to use them to hunt directly," he asked.


    "Not unless you''re confident you can kill two thousand insects a day," I responded. His widening gaze told me that it was not exactly a viable strategy. It wasn''t a surprise. Any guard that was willing to join a new dungeon where they could only level up to thirty ¡ª well, forty was the absolute limit, but that was hardly efficient ¡ª wouldn''t have a valuable class.


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    And, getting Rare skills wasn''t exactly easy, even with my setup. It required piling multiple giant monsters, and then it needed to give a combat skill rather than Nurture, which seemed to be the most common skill stone.


    "Still, wouldn''t it be better to find five elites and rely on the swords to finish the dungeon?"


    "No," I said, but I didn''t bother explaining further, maintaining a sense of mystery. "Just kill any beast that gets near," I said. The guards looked hesitant. "Don''t bother trying to keep the shell intact. Just cut them, and shout if there''s any sign of a swarm," I said.


    I cracked open the first metal container, one with farming implements and other construction tools, though they were made of more ordinary alloys. "Now, grab a shovel, and start piling the dirt to the side," I ordered while I started digging a deep pool, which not only started to agitate the nearby monsters but also the farmers.


    "Sir, shouldn''t we be responsible for manual labor?" one of them asked hesitantly.


    "It''s faster this way. Just grab a shovel, and start piling them to the side. I want a square, with twenty yards on each side, to my left." For now, it was just a slightly elevated ground where the crossbowman could stand.


    It was small, but once completed, it would function as intended.


    Once the pool was deepened enough to easily hold all the water we had brought, I let it pour. It was not the ideal way, but since it was going to be a temporary one, it should function well enough.


    Sometimes, good enough is all that''s needed.


    "Now, who has the highest farming skill," I called. They looked hesitant. "Anyone with Farming above twenty-five," I asked. None of them raised their hands, but their regretful expression showed that they were not happy about it. "Fifteen?" I asked. This time, three people raised their hands.


    While that number was low, I couldn''t blame them. After all, didn''t I suffer from the exact same thing when I was trying to improve Repair and Forge?


    Production classes required a lot of resources to improve. And, if they were valued enough by their previous employer, they wouldn''t have accepted Maria''s offer to come to a mana dead zone.


    "Good, how about Perks," I asked. While asking about the Perks might be considered invasive for the combat classes, production classes didn''t share the same concern. Particularly the Farmers. "Tend," two of them answered. "Resistance," the third one answered.


    "Alright, all of you, come here," I said even as I pulled three potted bushes I had brought from the third floor. I wanted to see how their abilities stacked.


    For two of them, I put some alchemical booster and watered them well. At the same time, I used some of the broken shells that the guards had collected in the process to the base of the plant. For the third plant, I didn''t add any alchemical boosters and assigned the one with Tend to it.


    "Now, I want you to use thirty Health on the plants," I said. They did, looking exhausted in the process.


    The two plants only got slightly greener, while there was no reaction with the one without an alchemical booster.


    "I ¡­ I gained a point of proficiency," one with the Resistance perk gasped. One of them with Tend shared the same expression, while the one without the alchemical booster looked disappointed and fearful at the same time.


    "No need to panic, we''re just testing," I said. "Go and eat something," I said even as I called two more with Tend perk. "Now, I want you to spend all of your Health to keep the plant alive," I said. Then, I added a few drops from my alchemical mixture.


    The plant died, while the two who tried to save them looked shocked and guilty at the same time. "We''re sorry, sir ¡ª" they started, their panic obvious, only to fall silent when I gestured.


    "Don''t panic every time," I said. "We''re just trying something here. Now, is there any improvement?"


    "No, sir," they said, which didn''t surprise me. A dead plant was a clear-cut failure, and skills rewarded success. It might have been different if they could have improved the plant until they stopped feeding Health, but even as they used the skill, the plant died.


    "Should we set a Nurture circle, sir?" one of them asked.


    "Nurture circle?" I asked.


    "We pick a plant, add a lot of fertilizer, and use our Health one after another to enable the growth. It''s the fastest way to grow plants."


    "Interesting, but we don''t need to waste time on it for the moment," I said. Instead, I uprooted one of the bushes, and put my hand on the other. "Just set a bucket chain."


    "S-sir. Too much water without a Nurture circle would kill the plant ¡ª" he started, only to gasp when I put my hand on the bush, and fed it with my Health.


    [-42 Health]


    The difference between Common and Rare Nurture showed a difference. I didn''t spend any more Health than they did, but the bush not only grew, but it also transformed, its misshapen branches straightening as it turned into a tree.


    It was good, but not as good as using the poisonous water from the fourth-floor swamp.


    The farmers around me froze, gasping in shock as the newly apparent tree had grown to an incredible size. "You have Nurture, sir?" Harold asked, shocked, who was close enough to watch the show.


    "Of course, you never know when you''re going to need some emergency food in the wilderness or a dungeon," I answered.


    "Well¡­" he started, but I could see the hesitancy in his face, often when people were about to say something extremely insensitive. I guessed that there was some prejudice about warriors ''wasting'' a skill slot.


    "We can talk about it later," I said. "Now, you bunch look like you have a question."


    "S-sir. If we''re not needed to grow plants, why are we here?" one of them stammered, no doubt afraid to be discarded. I hated the way poverty and discrimination ground people''s will into dust. But, fixing it would be a slow process.


    Especially since the people in power preferred it to stay that way.


    "You''re here to kill monsters, of course," I responded. "Why do you think you''re training with the crossbows," I said. The shift of emotion was fascinating. "But, you can''t start leveling before we finish growing these trees. Now, buckets!"


    This time, they moved at a fascinating speed.

 Chapter 69

    "Not bad," I called twenty minutes later, examining the tiny orchard we had created, though speaking out loud was mostly for the benefit of the new hires, as they still looked skittish.


    After all, the orchard was underwhelming compared to what I had created, there were merely ten trees, and only one of them was as tall as me. Nine of them were smaller. I could have triggered their growth just as easily, but the water we had brought was mostly gone, and the rest was earmarked for the next experiment.


    Technically, Nurture was incredible enough to force their growth even without water and other nutrients, but then it would have slowed down enough to be completely pointless.


    "Next, break a branch, and heal it with Nurture," I said. Alchemical fertilizer Maria had allowed the tree to generate a new branch, but it was slow progress. My mixture worked much better this time since the tree was strong enough to handle the poison.


    "T-three points," one of the farmers gasped, looking shocked, while all the others looked regretful.


    "Don''t worry, all of you will have a chance to improve your skill to at least twenty-five," I said, underselling the potential significantly. Luckily, improving a common Nurture skill was hardly extraordinary.


    People did not try to optimize it, because there was no strategic value to it, not when Farmers were the cheapest talent in the market.


    I thought about offering them one of the Rare nurture skills, but I decided against it. While it might be the cheapest Rare skill, it was still a rare one, and I didn''t have hundreds of them. Keeping them for the ones that I eventually wanted to hire was a better option.


    Once the branch was ready, turning it into a crossbow bolt was easy. I already had the device to cut it into the perfect shape, and plugging it in place was just as easy. More common arrows would have used some special glue, screws, or another solution to make sure the connection stayed secure. Since our arrows would shatter at one attempt, there was no reason to risk it.


    As for fletchings, fashioning one out of wood was enough. It wasn''t the ideal material, but it didn''t need to be. With the mist in place, we were only trying to hit targets at thirty yards. Even without a skill, that was an achievable target.


    With a skill guiding the attack, against a monster that only charged at a straight line, missing was harder than hitting the target. And, with the material of the arrow especially effective on them, it was inevitable.


    "Now, try and see if you can pull the bow back," I said. Unfortunately, without Strength, only two of them were capable of it, and both of them struggled for almost a minute. I made a note to put together a simple device to assist it.


    "No matter," I said even as I quickly cocked every crossbow, the pressure as light as a feather under my touch. "Harold, leave one direction free and come here," I said. "You''re responsible for reloading the crossbows."


    "Yes, sir," he said, but I was able to catch his slight dissatisfaction. It might be a while since I had to deal with a bunch of overeager doctoral students, but I knew exactly how people looked when they received a task they disdained.


    A problem that was best nipped in the bud. "Look, they are still a bunch of people with no combat experience. I need someone excellent to command them from up close, someone that can keep them alive." It helped that I was being honest. His role wasn''t exactly glamorous at this point, but very important.


    Harold had the necessary common sense to manage the situation.


    "I won''t disappoint you, sir," he said.


    I nodded before I returned to the front line, where five farmers were looking scared and excited while they held the crossbows. "A-are we really going to kill monsters, sir," one of them asked, like he still couldn''t believe it.


    I didn''t blame him. Dungeon access was an expensive luxury. Well, at least ones as smooth as our current one, with an open, straightforward surface. Based on what I had collected, the really dangerous ones ¡ª the ones that were even more hostile than the fourth floor ¡ª worked in reverse, with guilds getting paid to control them. But, those were not relevant for Farmers.


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    "Yes," I said. I thought about mentioning that I planned to give some of the profit as well, but I kept my mouth shut about it. No need to overwhelm them.


    We waited a bit, and soon, an insect drifted forward. All of them shot at it at the same time, and two of them missed in a hurry. Still, three bolts were enough to kill the insect as they shattered inside it.


    It wasn''t a coincidence. I had already tried it before, and anti-corrosive material functioned akin to poison for these monsters. It penetrated through the armor only due to its unique properties, shattering in the process. And, the pieces worked like poison, because they were made from the shells of the giant variants.


    "I ¡­ leveled up," one of the farmers gasped.


    "Good, but next time, wait until it gets into thirty-yard range before shooting, and use your skill properly. Also, don''t shoot at the same time, but take turns. No need to get too excited."


    "Now, bring the crossbow to Harold, and pick a new one," I said, and watched them kill the monsters as they got near.


    "Should we extract the shell," one of the others asked.


    "It''s not urgent," I replied. "I don''t want you to start extracting before you put on armor. I don''t want friendly fire," I said.


    I let every single of them kill a few monsters, before I asked another question. "Is there anyone that''s still below level ten?" I asked. No one answered, but their smiles were a bit silly, like they were drinking. I didn''t blame them. The sensation of leveling up was fascinating, especially in the lower levels. And, for people who were unlucky enough to receive Farmer class, it was even more incredible, as most of them weren''t even level five.


    They might be receiving only one Vitality and nothing else, but it still meant twenty Health points, and faster conversion of food, both critical for their farming abilities. Also, I was observing them. While the lack of stats meant that their outward potential didn''t match what others were showing, Vitality still gave them a general improvement.


    For example, they were able to load their crossbows without assistance. It was still slow, so using the guards as a chain was still better, but I was hopeful that it would turn unnecessary soon. At least, for the current ones, which were pretty much the weakest on the market.


    I would still need to figure out a solution if I were to ever upgrade them.


    I didn''t allow them to start collecting before every single one of them donned the armor, and got used to moving in it. Luckily, the System design was lightweight, ergonomic, and adjustable, making the process easy.


    Only then, I allow them to start collecting the shells, the extractors working just as well as a hunter using his skills. "Excellent work," I said even as I started assigning tasks. "Now, we''re going to have five teams. Hunters, construction workers, farmers, arrow makers, and a reserve force. To start, fifteen will be hunters, and ten will be in the reserve force."


    "What is the job of the reserve force, sir?" a farmer asked.


    "For the moment, collecting shells and making sure crossbows are loaded. However, in case of a swarm, I want you to be able to distribute crossbows to everyone while you all pull back to the fort."


    "A swarm. Is that likely, sir?" another asked.


    "Maybe," I responded. "But, it''s nothing that can''t be handled as long as we build the keep. And, with me here, there''s no need to fear any swarm," I explained.


    I waited until the farmers started operating, and soon, they started collecting shells. The numbers were not particularly impressive ¡ª well, by my standards, as I had no doubt that they would easily surpass any other guild''s output with ease ¡ª but it didn''t bother me.


    After all, it was just a proof of concept, one that had worked. The first floor of the dungeon wasn''t teeming with monsters, so the number of monsters that chose to attack us was the main limiting factor. It would change once I was confident enough to let them roam without supervision, and it would get even better once I let them establish another fort on the second floor.


    As the hunting team and reserve team spread around the base, the guards stayed back, doing nothing but watching with their swords in hand.


    "It looks promising, sir," Harold said as he got near me. "But, wouldn''t it be better if we can find hunters? That would be far more efficient I think."


    "Sure, as long as you can find me a thousand hunters in less than a week, we can do that," I replied, and his eyes widened.


    "A ¡ª a thousand, sir," he gasped.


    "A thousand, for each shift, rotating with eight-hour patterns," I added, which made his eyes widen.


    "I ¡­ I don''t think that will work, sir," he said, looking reproachful. "Not unless Lady Eleanor allows you to monopolize the first floor, and even then, it won''t be efficient. There''s a limit to the number of monsters. Maybe a thousand in total, rotating in three teams?"


    I chuckled. "Oh, I didn''t know the dungeon only had one floor," I responded. His eyes widened as he realized what I was talking about. And, once pointed, he didn''t question it. After all, the biggest challenge on the second floor was the presence of the ranged attackers, easily destroying armor and weapons.


    Crossbows had better range.


    "What''s next, sir," he asked.


    "Three things," I said. "I want you to arrange for professionals to build a two-layered defensive encampment around the warehouse. Nothing too tall. Just five feet would be enough, but make it thick so that monsters couldn''t chew through it easily. I want another wall around the dungeon gate in case of an emergency."


    "And, the third one, sir?"


    "I want you to come up with various scenarios. Assassination, monster swarms, fighting with other guilds, each solution prioritizing the lives of the guild members over material savings. And, make sure to train everyone on how to respond."


    "I won''t disappoint, sir," he said.


    "I hope you won''t," I answered even as I grabbed the empty cart, and walked toward the gate leading to the second floor. "Now, you take the command while I go and hunt on the second floor."

 Chapter 70

    Going to the second floor and leaving the operation alone was deliberate. While I wanted to set up a sustainable hunting operation, I didn''t forget the real reason for it. Money was nice, but it was still a side benefit. A space I could freely experiment in was the part I truly valued.


    Yes, I could stay there to improve the camp far faster, but the more I stayed with them, the more dependent on my orders they would become. It was another lesson I had learned from my old career as a professor, trying to lead the doctorate students. I might be able to answer their questions far faster than they could come up with on their own, but that meant they couldn''t solve problems on their own.


    I needed them to operate independently. I deliberately added the task of designing emergency drills to Harold, as a challenge and a test. After all, I needed someone to deal with the guild operations, and he seemed to have the right mixture of deference and initiative. As an added benefit, it was someone trusted by Eleanor enough to be put in a position of command.


    Amusingly, I was the only guild leader who would classify that as a benefit. In the end, guilds and the town had a complicated relationship, a mixture of both economic and military forces. Hiring one of the guards would reveal a lot of secrets that a guild would have liked to keep hidden.


    Information asymmetry was a more dangerous weapon than any sword.


    That was not the only disadvantage of my operation. Technically, by letting the operation develop in a way that didn''t require me to solve the problems directly, I was potentially creating competitors. Now that I had revealed the arrowheads, it wasn''t impossible for someone to reverse engineer it ¡ª or, failing that, start purchasing similar equipment from System shops to test it. It might mean some of my guild members splitting to build their own guild.


    Luckily, that was not a concern for me. The more guilds operated in the town, the stronger the town would get, which meant I could operate more freely. And, if I really wanted to make money, I could easily sell it to other guilds.


    With the ability to mass produce, it would be much easier.


    While it was not a problem for me, it was one for the other guilds. I didn''t know how bigger guilds handled that risk. Eleanor had mentioned that there was some kind of method that the bigger guilds had to prevent it, but even she didn''t know too much about it, making it a difficult solution to implement.


    "It''s hunting time," I said even as I rushed to the fourth floor at full speed. There was a reason for my hurry. Now that I had established a guild, I was responsible for it. I didn''t particularly care for the efficiency of the operation, as I could already make the necessary ammunition en masse, which meant that, even with all the potential problems, it would still be profitable.


    Their security, on the other hand, was a completely different matter. Even without possible interference from Thomas, the other guilds wouldn''t be happy to see us succeed. And, the dungeon was a dangerous place.


    My presence could easily intimidate them, but if I made a habit of staying away from the base for a long time, they might start to get ideas. It meant I had to show up often, preferably with a random pattern, to make sure they couldn''t plan around my absence.


    For that, Fleeting Step helped, but I couldn''t help but wonder if the advanced version of Swift Spear included an even better variant.


    So, when I arrived at the fourth floor ¡ª switching to my best set in the process ¡ª I stopped by the base just enough to get my crusher, before I moved to the other side of the second ring, which I created to capture the beasts. There were already a lot of giant monsters, but they weren''t enough for my purposes.


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    I tightened my grip over my hammer, crushing a few shells to replenish my mana completely. Then, I opened the box, triggering an artificial monster swarm. Then, I killed thousands of monsters, my hammer moving like I was in front of an anvil, not bothering to remove their shells, knowing that it affected the skill drop rate significantly.


    I was glad that I had long learned to use a weaker version of Fleeting Step without the assistance of the skill, as it allowed me to stick to using Hammer while I dealt with the horde. It was critical, as without the vertical mobility it gave me, allowing me to climb on the monsters with ease, I might have ended up buried under their bodies.


    The utility of mobility was difficult to overstate. For once, I was glad that the Stats were not very well defined. While every Stat had a role based on the class, Blacksmiths received Dexterity to improve hand-eye coordination, but it also increased footwork and general flexibility as well.


    It was certainly beneficial.


    As I killed thousands of monsters, I made sure to leave them in piles of fifty, which guaranteed the drop of a Rare skill, their shape and glow making them easy to distinguish. Unfortunately, that ease didn''t apply to the content.


    After an hour of steady hunting, I managed to collect a hundred skills, and sixty of them were Nurture. Of the remaining forty, I had two more Quake Hammer and the rest was incomprehensible because I lacked the prerequisite stats.


    "Frustrating," I said even as I created another pile of monsters. It truly was, especially since I couldn''t level up no matter how many monsters I had killed. I wondered if the other types of monsters could help me level up. Unfortunately, I didn''t have the opportunity to experience that. Maybe if I could find the fifth floor ¡ª


    My thoughts had been interrupted by the new skill stone that appeared, which gave me exactly what I needed.


    [Skill Stone: Breeze Spear]


    The moment I got that, I went back to the base and absorbed the skill. At this point, improving a Rare combat skill was something I had already optimized. A composite spear to allow me to use mana attacks in ranged form was all I needed.


    It took me barely twenty minutes to improve it to the peak of nothing. I was happy to note that Breeze Spear was even more reliant on mobility. Combined with what I had learned from my Fleeting Step, it allowed me to move even faster.


    [Breeze Spear (Rare) 197 - 200]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Floating Stride / Hurricane Stab / Mercurial Dodge]


    "Please no," I gasped even as I read the Perk options. One in particular caught my eye:. Floating Stride. I wanted to ignore it and choose Mercurial Dodge, but in the end, I still chose it. The ability to move faster was exactly what I needed.


    "Surely not," I said, trying to convince myself, but the moment I used it, two things happened. I lost a hundred health.


    And, my skill took over my body and I jumped. Soon, I found myself floating twenty yards in the air, my body clenched with fear. The fear was intense enough to forcibly disturb the control of the skill, and I landed on the ground with a loud crash, the metal armor and the metal floor creating a very explosive sound.


    "That wasn''t so bad, right?" I asked myself. "Merely twenty yards, and even landing on a metal surface didn''t damage me. Harmless."


    Unfortunately, my amateurish attempt at self-therapy didn''t work as well. I still sat on the ground, my hands trembling badly while I breathed in and out, trying to stave off a panic attack. Doing that with my skill should have felt safer than relying on a griffin or a plane.


    After all, I trusted the skills enough to deliberately trigger a swarm of monsters consisting almost exclusively of giant insects and fight against them. Why couldn''t I trust them to give me a vertical jump ability of twenty yards, with some kind of floating mixed in?


    It was only rational, right?


    Unfortunately, as much as we wanted to believe otherwise, we were not rational creatures. Hell, as a sociologist, I made a living out of studying how that shaped our society.


    It took five minutes for me to even stand up. "I''m so glad I need to visit the first floor," I said to myself even as I went back, the attacking monsters were merely a nuisance. Once I was on the second floor, I started hunting, once again using the mana trick to quickly kill the monsters and remove their shells with one hit.


    Ideally, I should have been trying to integrate the Floating Stride into my moves. It was an excellent time. Instead, I relied on the movement trick I developed based on Fleeting Step, unable to bring myself to repeat it.


    I remembered my old therapist likening facing my fears to fighting monsters. It turned out that she was wrong.


    Fighting with monsters was easier.

 Chapter 71

    When I stepped through the gate to return to the first floor with another cart holding five hundred shells, I met with a welcome sight. The small outpost had progressed far more than I had expected.


    The internal fort I envisioned was already completed with solid bricks, perfect enough to suggest the involvement of a specialized class, and the second ring was already half complete. And, that wasn''t even the only change. Nearby, there was a pool that was almost ten times larger than what I had dug that was also considerably deeper. From that pool, a half-completed water canal stretched deeper.


    As I drifted closer, I started to be able to capture more details. Soon, I came to an expanded tree plantation, with almost a hundred saplings in place, though the growth of the new ones was much lower. Those changes were based on my orders, yet, the progress was surprising.


    Then, there were the ones I didn''t order. The first thing that surprised me was the number of people in the camp. When I left, there were exactly fifty-five people there. But, as I approached, I could easily count a hundred, with more out of my view.


    Most of the new additions were Farmers. The number of hunters and reserve forces was leveraged as fifty. And, with all of them committed to the hunt, their hunting efficiency was high. A few people were running into the deep, only to return with two or three monsters chasing them, their movement too fluid for them to not have Dexterity.


    Once the monsters they brought along drifted into the range, the crossbowmen took them down.


    The extra runners weren''t the only additions. Outside the second wall, there was a second team of farmers, growing an orchard of fruit trees, with smaller plants like tomatoes spread in between. Outside all, there were twenty guards defending the encampment.


    While I took in the changes, Harold approached. He silently gestured to the cart, and the workers rushed forward to take and empty the cart. "An excellent haul for an hour of work, sir. Almost half of ours," he said.


    An obvious way of underlining his success, but I could see that he was tense. The reason was obvious, the development of the outpost was outside my orders, and he was afraid that I would disapprove. "Good work," I said, removing that fear. "How are the contingency plans coming along?"


    He paused. "T-they are in development, sir," he said. As he said that, he glanced at the extra guards that were standing around, implying that the security was not in doubt.


    "It''s good that you prioritized the development, but don''t do that at the expense of security. Once you finish the second wall, start drilling the emergency plans. I want to see something impressive when it''s time to change shifts."


    "I will do that, sir," Harold replied.


    "I like people that show initiative. Work for me well, and you won''t be disappointed. Just make sure to protect anyone that works for us, and don''t shortchange them for their efforts," I said.


    "Yes, sir," he said. His desire to argue against the second part was apparent, but he kept his mouth shut. I had a feeling that my reputation for needless generosity was proving useful.


    With that done, I didn''t say the farm that was growing food. It was working well, and considering the constant consumption of the farmers to raise the dungeon trees, having a local source of food was a good idea. Especially since we would soon have hundreds of farmers around.


    "Continue the operation. I want to check the tree plantation," I said even as I walked toward there.


    "Sir," farmers called, treating me like royalty. It annoyed me, but considering the alternative was dealing with constant assassination attempts, I decided to keep quiet. I ignored them even as I checked the base, wondering if I should raise the trees to their maximum height.


    Having the ability to see more than fifty yards would have made the challenge of running the farm easier. However, it would also require a lot of alchemical boosters, which I currently lacked. And, for the moment, it was better if people didn''t realize the benefits of the water from the fourth floor mixed with the giant insect shells.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    At least, not until I could move my forging base to the fifth floor.


    I said nothing even as I used my own fertilizer to quickly trigger the growth of the trees on the plantation. It consumed half of the water, but provided enough trees to sustainably support a thousand crossbowmen I envisioned as long as farmers continued to tend to them.


    Farmers watched my performance, split between fascination and jealousy. I wanted to talk with them, but I was afraid that talking too much would reveal some of my secrets. "Continue," I said with a gesture instead and went back to Harold.


    "I need a better cart, something I can work with pedals," I said. "Though, make sure that it stays simple, I need to be able to fix it," I said.


    "Yes, sir. I''ll work on it immediately," he said.


    "Not you. You have a more important task. Delegate it to someone else," I reminded him. "Actually, delegate it to three different people, and let each of them bring one. A good way to pick trusted workers, right?"


    "You are wise, sir," he said. It was a bit excessive, considering I just wanted an excuse to have three different designs I could examine for my own eventual take. I could have done it myself, but it would be a loss not to use resources when available.


    "Good. They don''t have to be perfect, just make sure I can move on it faster," I said.


    With that, I once again left the growing outpost behind, thinking about my next step.


    Moving to the fifth floor.


    Asking for the designs I could work with pedals was a part of it. After all, if it could work with pedals, it could work with a steam engine powering it, meaning I could bring most of my base, including the metal paneling, at once. I could maybe even uproot a few trees if I could properly put it in place.


    Combined with some kind of rail I could lay on its path and collect once the cart passed, such a model seemed to be viable for a one-time move.


    Ambitious, but achievable. All I needed was to find the dungeon gate leading to the next floor, which wasn''t exactly easy, especially alone. The dungeon mist had reduced the visual range to twenty yards, and the fourth floor was huge. I didn''t know the exact size, but considering the third floor was somewhere between thirty and forty miles from one end to another while the first floor was merely ten miles, even my most conservative guess was around fifty miles, and eighty miles was not out of the question.


    "And, can I travel to it repeatedly even if I discovered it," I thought even as I considered the possibilities. The first three floors had unique cliffs, rocks, and other features that could be used to navigate, but the fourth floor was not like that.


    It was difficult to separate one pile of wet dirt from another, and even worse, it was not exactly stable. Unfortunately, the only method I currently had in mind would increase the chance of discovery much further. I needed to decide which was more important in the short term: Discovering the fifth floor, or keeping my forge hidden on the fourth floor longer.


    "The fifth floor," I decided even as I once again moved deeper into the fourth floor, using the mana separator, once again using it to trigger a monster wave, this time using Breeze Spear to get used to it in combat ¡­ while, of course, not using the perk I had received.


    The increased number meant that the dead monsters were piling up larger and larger. However, as much as the prospect of getting an Epic skill was exciting, it wasn''t my priority. My plan was simpler. I knew that, once the previous floors were filled with monsters, some of them started to spill to higher floors.


    Four times, I repeated the trick, going in around my base in a circle, but all those attempts failed.


    Either there weren''t any different types of monsters on the fifth floor, or I was too far away from the gate leading down. Since my experiment already showed the existence of other types of monsters, I was more inclined to believe it was the latter.


    Though, either way, it needed to be tested. I needed to get deeper into the dungeon. And, the fastest, most secure way was to create a path of trees going deeper into the dungeon.


    While that was a viable path, it had two disadvantages. If someone stumbled upon its existence, it would lead them right to my base, but it could be handled by leaving some gaps and false trails. It would still be a risk, but considering the other guilds were yet to send their main forces, the time was the safest for it.


    Once they took note of the money my guild was making, they would inevitably send more forces, and some of them would inevitably explore the dungeon. As long as they were willing to spend money, corrosion could be defeated.


    By using sufficiently strong equipment, if nothing else. The corrosion effect was strong, but it lost its effectiveness against better equipment.


    I needed to discover the fifth floor before that happened. Whether to move my base deeper, or just to visit and level up further ¡ª hopefully ¡ª was to be seen.


    However, that brought me to the second problem. Currently, I had only one method of traversing the dungeon. Creating a line of trees that was miles long. And, it would be a slow and laborious process¡­


    "Unless, of course, I decided to upgrade my skills," I said as I looked at the three identical skill stones, their glow more intense than all the Rare ones. Epic skills, and while I currently couldn''t see which skill they were, considering the drop rate, they were certainly Nurture.


    And, I just needed to push my current Rare variant to its limit before I could explore its abilities.


    "It''s experimentation time," I said to myself.

 Chapter 72

    Before I started experimenting, I visited the first floor to show my presence and keep the area secure, again with a cart filled with shells. This time, there were no surprises. The defensive walls were sprouting at an impressive speed that would make a Roman legion proud, while the others were already in place.


    Everything was perfect. All I needed was to purchase more crossbows, and the corner of the first floor would belong to my budding guild. I could probably take over all of it, but expanding into the second floor was the better option.


    If I took over the first floor and made a lot of money, it would either push the other guilds away completely or encourage them to explore the lower floors to make money like I did. Neither option was good for my objectives.


    I returned to the fourth floor, my mind already churning on how to improve Nurture. The pattern of improvement was simple. I just needed to use the poisonous variant of the energy while I used my Nurture skill.


    It was a simple plan, but there was one practical challenge. The only reason I was able to push the growth of the Nurture was the poisonous nature of the swamp water, which allowed me to push it further. However, just like any other challenge from the System''s perspective, its improvement effect dropped off significantly after a certain point.


    I tested to see if the tainted energy worked as a better poison. Unfortunately, it did not.


    "Let''s start doing some chemistry experiments," I said. When it came to chemistry, I knew even less than material science. The latter, I worked hard to educate myself after the Calamity, and working as a Blacksmith for three years gave me a lot of practical experience.


    Chemistry, I knew nothing about. I couldn''t even start guessing if the poison was some kind of organism or disease, a type of metal poisoning, or some kind of magic effect that bypassed the easy methods.


    "Luckily, that doesn''t mean I can''t learn," I said. It was the whole point of science. Experiment and learn.


    And, with the abundance of materials available, setting up the experimental setup was easy. I thought of three easy directions. Boiling, straining, and spinning. Three easy methods to get a general idea about the direction I should follow.


    Boiling was straightforward. I just needed to get a container full of muddy water, boil it, and see if the evaporation concentrated the poison. Considering the number of open fires I had in place with the blast furnaces constantly running, preparing the necessary environment barely took a minute.


    I even set up an angular metal plate over it to catch the steam and direct it to a secondary container, just in case the poison component moved with the steam.


    While that boiled, I forged a number of metal sieves, each with different mesh sizes. For a few of them, I even went to the trouble of creating hexagonal gaps in case it had some kind of mana effect that would be affected.


    Hexagon patterns didn''t help, but the material choice did. Using silver somehow reduced the poison effect, while iron, even the anti-corrosive variant, didn''t destroy it.


    Third, I created a centrifuge. At least, a simple variant. The top-tier scientific centrifuges before the Calamity could rotate over a hundred thousand times per minute. I knew that, because I remembered one of the geneticists bragging for a whole meal about getting a grant to purchase one with an RPM of over two hundred thousand with some other specifications as well, with a price tag of over a million dollars.


    Instead, even with my skills helping me, I was lucky to reach 300 rotations per minute on my current device. While my forging skills helped me to handle the material challenges, the real challenge came from the mechanical aspects. It was not as straightforward.


    Still, it should be enough to work.


    Once my setup was complete, I ran a set of experiments, which gave me three inputs. First, boiling destroyed both the fertilizer effect and the poison, leaving something closer to pure water. Not enough to drink it, but then the setup wasn''t exactly designed for pure isolation.


    A more rigorous distillation setup might have given me pure water. Not exactly critical under the circumstances, but nice to know in case of an emergency. It meant that even if I got lost, I wouldn''t die from thirst.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The second set of experiments was simpler. Using sieves was somewhat helpful. It wasn''t exactly perfect, as the material on both sides contained both fertilizer and poison effect. The ground particles had worked more as a fertilizer, while the water acted as a poison.


    I still put both materials on the centrifuge, which allowed the dirty water to coalesce even further. Once again, the water part carried the poison part. However, separating it from the water didn''t exactly make it more potent.


    I created several large iron trays, and poured the water into a thin layer to make sure it evaporated faster, and kept that tray away from the flame, barely bringing it to a low simmer. Not enough to boil it, but enough to hasten the evaporation.


    That was the closest to the flame. The others, I kept farther away to better understand the impact of the heat.


    And, once I set those trays and left them to evaporate, I went upstairs once more, dropping another thousand shells and watching the operation a bit. Then, I went to the second floor, and five minutes later, I returned with a broken cart and picked a new one. Maybe it was slightly paranoid, but considering Thomas killed more than a hundred people in his latest attempt, I didn''t consider it below him.


    It was better to keep any potential spy guessing.


    Once I returned to the fourth floor, I started experimenting with the water in the trays. The damage to the plants confirmed that evaporation was a good way to increase the poisoning effect on the plants, but heat somewhat damaged the process.


    "How fun," I muttered. The effect of the heat made the creation of poison water difficult, but not impossible. Luckily, I had the steam engine to provide constant motion.


    First, I created a huge water reservoir, made of entirely metal, with an adjustable sieve at the bottom. It had a channel, which constantly dripped water into a centrifuge powered by the steam engine, which rotated at around 400 RPM. As the centrifuge rotated, the particles moved toward the edge, but spilled only when the water amount had turned too much.


    Meanwhile, there was a small gap at the center, which allowed the purer ¡ª poisonous ¡ª water to flow to another channel, which led to multiple, layered trays that collected the water. Each layer, except the bottom one, had a Pythagorean cup setup, meaning water had been collected slowly in a layer, and once it reached a certain height, it started to drain until it reached the minimum level.


    Not too different from using a hose to drain a gas tank.


    And, to complete, there was a ventilator attached to the steam engine, creating wind to enhance evaporation speed.


    As each layer evaporated, the ones at the lower layers started to gather denser poison. That way, the process was sustainable without constant supervision ¡ª other than cleaning the sieves occasionally ¡ª giving me a selection of poisons of different concentrations to choose from, which I could use to improve my Nurture skills.


    Since I needed to improve my Nurture ability quickly, I built the tray system larger than necessary. It consumed almost fifteen metric tons of corrosion-resistant iron, with each tray spreading almost a thousand square feet, which was the size of a decent three-bedroom apartment. Connected to each tray, there was a reservoir that didn''t drain even when the suction setup was triggered, allowing me to get a sample from whichever layer I wished.


    As I worked on adding more trays to the bottom, the first layer reservoir and the tray had been filled, and the tray section had been drained thrice, while the second reservoir had collected a decent amount.


    Unfortunately, the evaporation process required some time, meaning I needed to work more.


    "Let''s try it," I said even as I scooped a small bucket from both the first and the second reservoirs. And, I used the first one on a mature tree.


    [-48 Health]


    [Nurture (Rare) 97 - 99]


    "Not bad, but it could be better," I said even as I took a cutting from the tree, and grew a new one.


    [-123 Health]


    [Nurture (Rare) 99 - 106]


    "Much better," I said even as I repeated it a few times. The poison from the first layer lost its effectiveness at just above a hundred and thirty attempts, while the second one kept me going a bit more. When I finished, my Nurture skills had developed significantly.


    [Nurture (Rare) - 152]


    It was promising. Once the fourth reservoir had enough poisoned water, I should be able to complete it, but I had no intention of breaking the setup once I completed it. After all, since each layer constantly evaporated, it would take longer and longer for the lower layers to be filled with water.


    Without a doubt, the Epic variant of the skill would require even more potent poisons.


    There was another benefit of keeping the setup. It could be used to rapidly increase the skills of the other Farmers, which might actually unlock better variants if we pushed it far enough. Maria had already confirmed that class upgrades were not a secret.


    However, I didn''t know if there was any difference between doing that through skill evolution and skill stones. Testing that with a few volunteers might actually help. However, at this point, I couldn''t do that with the eight thousand farmers currently working. I had already rocked the boat enough for the moment.


    Once again, just because it was an open secret for the powerful families didn''t mean I could reveal it without putting a target on my back.


    Well, another target.


    "Patience," I said even as I moved toward my mining pit to crash some more ore, refilling the ore feeder for the blast furnace. However, I noticed that the deposit was running out.


    It was good that I was planning to start an expedition once I improved my Nurture skills to the limit. Since I was going to create a path with the trees, adding some rails and a small, steam-powered engine to bring back the ore wouldn''t be too difficult.

 Chapter 73

    "Code red sixteen," Harold shouted, and the hunters immediately released their arrows before retreating, while all the farmers currently in the garden retreated into the first layer, each grabbing a spear as they climbed the walls.


    A few more orders, and the outpost was ready to face a vicious swarm.


    A successful drill.


    "Very good," I shouted. "Speedy response, and excellent work. You can return to your jobs."


    Harold gave several orders before he approached me. "How was it, sir?" he asked.


    "Good, but it can be better. Make sure to continue practicing, especially with the new intake. I don''t want them to die halfway."


    "Understood, sir," he replied. "By the way, the carts you have asked for are already here. Would you like to see them?"


    I nodded, and he brought me inside the second wall, where three different carts were waiting for me. The cart portion was done well, but the same couldn''t be said for the connection between the pedals and the wheels.


    It looked like I wasn''t the only one struggling with the more mechanical aspects. It was workable, but in a way, it struggled with the same problem most of my equipment did, high-quality material used to replicate smart design principles.


    It looked like I either needed to find someone that was trained as a mechanical engineer, or start studying the mechanical engineering aspects more seriously.


    Before I could leave the outpost for another trip, a guard had called. "You''re here, sir Arthur. Excellent. Lady Maria requests you for a meeting."


    I looked at Harold. "Make sure that everything goes well. Make sure to add another pool to expand the gardens, and handle the shift change," I said. "Also, be extra alert for the possibility of sabotage when I''m not in the dungeon."


    "As you wish, sir," he responded. I nodded. I appreciated Harold''s efficiency. He was competent enough to rely on for a lot of things.


    I ditched the guard, not wanting to lose too much time moving at a slow pace. While I couldn''t improve Nurture to the degree I wanted, it didn''t mean I had nothing to do. If nothing else, I could try to get more Epic skills. While I probably couldn''t activate Quake Hammer before my Strength reached a hundred, making preparations wouldn''t hurt.


    Then, there was the issue of the iron ore deposit about to be depleted. I could recycle some of the equipment like the old experimental devices if needed, but I much rather find a new one.


    Just like my primitive poison refining setup had shown, I didn''t know when I would suddenly need a lot of iron for another step. Not to mention, as the arrow consumption increased, I would need more and more of it.


    The trip back to town was not eventful. I used the facsimile of the Fleeting Step I had long learned thanks to the Perk guiding me, and merely ten minutes later, I was at the town. To my surprise, Maria was not at the headquarters, but at the outer town that was going through rapid construction, watching the show.


    "Impressive, right?" she asked.


    "It certainly is," I said, but truthfully, I wasn''t sure. Yes, watching the people juggle weights measured in tons through direct application of their physical might was impressive, but it couldn''t rival what we were able to achieve before the Cataclysm had destroyed our technology.


    Even before, I felt that we had been too hasty to abandon that path, and my own experience in the dungeon had only confirmed it further. Yes, the skills were amazing, but that didn''t mean we had to give up on the benefits of the scientific method.


    We watched the show silently before Maria waved her hand, and created a bubble to block sound. "I have good news and bad news," she said.


    "Let''s start with the bad," I said.


    "Alright. We were only able to get three hundred more crossbows."


    "Really?" I asked, surprised. "It was not a problem I expected to encounter. Was it Thomas?"


    Maria sighed. "This time, no. We underestimated the guilds that are trying to get involved. They swept the market and purchased all of them. A few of them are trying to sell them with absurd markups, while the others want us to sell them arrows."


    "Still, buying all of them¡­"


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    She shrugged. "Crossbows are rare weapons to begin with. Often, magic or melee are the better options. Moreover, most archery classes prefer a bow. They are much more efficient."


    "True," I said. "Still, altogether, it''s not too bad. The first problem is a bit annoying, but could be acceptable depending on the markup. If they want to purchase arrows, it''s even better. I can even sell them to you in bulk, and you can resell them. However, just note that my stocks are not infinite, so don''t sell them cheaply," I said.


    "But, it would reduce your profits."


    "Not necessarily. As long as I can add a little profit to the sale, I should still be making enough to sustain the guild. Don''t forget that I''m only earning two silvers from each shell, which is just above my cost. As long as you sell it for two silver coins, I''ll be making a small but sustainable profit. And, I doubt that even if you''re willing to sell, an agreement can be done in a few days."


    "True," she said with a chuckle. "They are pushing their luck a lot, thinking that we have no choice but to fold to their demands just because most guilds are not interested in a weak dungeon that''s too far away from the trade routes. We''re lucky that the System shop that accepts the shells is not too far away."


    I paused. "I recommend searching for alternative System shops that might purchase those shells. Now that the production issue is solved, it''s the best point to exert pressure from."


    She looked tense. "Do you think that will work?"


    "Maybe. Better safe than sorry," I said. Silence stretched for a moment while she considered my words. "So, what''s the good news?" I asked.


    "The silver delivery is arranged. Five tons. Moreover, I managed to get almost two hundred pounds of raw gold for you to experiment with, though I had to pull a few favors. I even went to the trouble of bringing the gold with me. The silver will be delivered with the next caravan."


    "That''s excellent news," I said. "How about raw platinum." However, even as I asked that, I wasn''t very hopeful. She would have mentioned it if she had managed to acquire that.


    "Unfortunately, we failed to find any," Maria responded. "The price at the System shops is simply too high, all the platinum had been long sold. That''s true for the gold as well. You''re lucky that using gold as decoration is back in fashion, so it''s not impossible to find."


    I nodded. While the absence of platinum was a bummer ¡ª I was looking forward to using it to push my skill forward aggressively ¡ª the gold delivery was excellent news. I should be able to create a setup that would allow me to push it to the limit, which would hopefully trigger another evolution.


    I needed that before I reached level fifty. The opportunity for a class upgrade was simply too valuable.


    "Speaking of the dungeon, is there a way to trigger class upgrades for Farmers?" I asked. "I have a few Uncommon and Rare Nurture skills I collected while exploring. I wouldn''t want them to go to waste."


    "You can, but I wouldn''t recommend it," she replied.


    "Why?" I asked.


    "Not really worth the effort," she said. "Even if you use Rare Nurture for class upgrades, the results are underwhelming."


    "How bad?" I asked.


    "One point of Strength or Dexterity for every five levels bad," she said with a shrug. "Not exactly worth the effort."


    "And, how about pushing the skill to the limit," I said.


    She shrugged dismissively. "Who would go through all that trouble," she said. "Ultimately, Nurture is the cheapest Rare skill you can find on the market by far, merely going for a few gold coins. Also, Rare skills grant better perks."


    I thought about asking for more, but I could see that she was already getting bored. I decided to end that talk. "It''s disappointing. Still, even a point every five levels is useful, at least for the ones I hire for my new guild. At least, I could do some proper hiring. No need to waste time."


    "Your call," she said, utterly uninterested.


    "How about a chess game or two before I returned to the dungeon," I offered, and her disinterest was replaced with a smile.


    "Perfect. But only a few games. I have a lot of work as well. B3," she said, starting the game with an unconventional opening. I responded, and our discussion had shifted away from the dungeon operations.


    I was happy with her lack of interest in the potential of the Farmer class. Once again, her bored answers allowed me to understand what was common, and what was not. Just the confirmation that Rare Nurture could be used to give them Strength or Dexterity was valuable enough.


    It meant that I could help them improve their class without raising suspicion.


    Dexterity would make it so they can use Basic Shot more efficiently ¡ª too bad the Common variant required Perception ¡ª while Strength meant that they could actually use Combat skills. In this dungeon, especially, having a Hammer skill could be a lifesaver against a swarm, as I knew from first-hand experience.


    Especially if I armed them with weapons of my own making. Together with some stronger crossbows, they could actually operate independently on the third floor safely, opening a lot of interesting possibilities.


    Of course, while she dismissed the value of letting Nurture develop naturally, I wasn''t exactly sure. My meditation had evolved automatically, maybe due to the adverse conditions. It meant that the setup I had created to increase the concentration of poison from the swamp could be used to make their skills evolve as well, maybe even unlocking better classes in the process.


    However, that couldn''t be used without a basis for trust ¡ª and before I understood just how big of a secret it was.


    Between the first and the second games, I decided to ask her another question. One that I couldn''t ask the guards without ruining the identity of an experienced dungeon delver. "Quick question. Is there any way to see more through the dungeon mist?"


    "Without spending a lot of mana, or spending a fortune on alchemical boosters?" she asked. I nodded. "No, not for this dungeon," she said.


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    "In other dungeons, you can always travel to the last floor to kill the domain creatures, which gives you a crystal. This crystal, when absorbed, allows one to see farther through the dungeon mist, but with the way the fourth floor is, it''s not really a viable path," she said.


    "Can''t you just use the crystal from a different dungeon?" I asked.


    "No, that''s unique for each dungeon," she said.


    I nodded, adding that to the topics to be researched.


    But, that was for the future.


    Tonight, I had another date with my skills, to see whether my Mana Forge or Nurture would reach Epic first¡­

 Chapter 74

    I left the dungeon with another cart, accompanied by five hundred farmers and ten guards who were about to join the operation. Part of the cart was filled with the crossbows Maria had purchased for me.


    Unlike what she had thought, I wasn''t particularly disappointed with the situation. While I welcomed the extra income the expanded hunting operation might grant me, at this point, I could leave the dungeon naked, and I would still consider the expedition to be a huge success.


    At this point, Maria needed it far more than I did, meaning she had to be the one to visit the various towns and purchase crossbows. And if I needed it ¡­ I could always try to figure out a way to create a composite bow.


    My Skills didn''t include woodwork, but that didn''t mean that I had to stay incapable of it. All I needed was to figure out how to make a half-decent bow part out of wood, and the rest could be made entirely of metal.


    As for bowstrings, purchasing them was still viable. The guilds might purchase all crossbows around the nearby towns to pressure Maria, but purchasing all of the bowstrings was a move of a completely different scale.


    Of course, the cart didn''t only contain the crossbows, but also several sealed empty boxes. The gold Maria had brought wasn''t a part of it, as I decided to just turn it into a thick plate and wear it under my armor. Considering its importance, I didn''t want to take any risks.


    It was possible, while three hundred pounds of gold sounded incredible, from a pure volume perspective, it wasn''t too much. If liquified, it would be around one and a half gallons. It was heavy, but my Strength allowed me to carry it easily.


    Admittedly, once I arrived at the dungeon, it proved to be an unnecessary precaution, but better safe than sorry. I led the crowd to our outpost, which had grown even more in my absence. "Sir," Harold greeted, followed by a quick summary of the operation.


    The performance was decent enough. I could identify several points that I might have done differently, but I ignored the temptation of turning into a micromanager and let him deal with those details, only adding a few strategic commands, both in terms of how to handle the old operation, and how to expand the new ones.


    "Should we expand to the second floor?" he asked.


    "Not yet. But, make sure to identify the best performers, and let them join the guild directly. Twenty of them for now," I said, and passed Harold twenty Rare Nurture skills.


    "We''re trying for the class upgrade, sir?" he said without any prompting.


    "Yes," I said, unable to help but sigh, realizing that it was not a feature that was particularly hidden like I had first assumed, at least, not three years after the Cataclysm. It was probably a bigger secret when I still had the money. "Just make sure to pick good candidates. Calm, smart, ambitious but not too ambitious. Most importantly, smart enough to keep their mouths shut about secrets."


    "Perfect foot soldiers, I got it," Harold said.


    I nodded. After all, he wasn''t wrong. While I had no intention of letting the ones Harold picked learn my true secrets ¡ª even Maria and Eleanor wouldn''t be able to touch house secrets, let alone Harold or the people he picked ¡ª letting them operate on the second floor already required revealing some secrets that were best kept under wraps.


    I didn''t expect those secrets to be kept away successfully. Even without magical means like a camouflage ring, there were too many ways to dig out secrets, including simple bribery.


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    However, there was a difference between an ambitious recruit selling secrets for several gold coins, and an arrogant one bragging to everyone after a night of drinking. I couldn''t prevent the former, but the latter was easier to deal with.


    "Excellent. Make sure to work them hard. Tomorrow, we''ll start building an outpost on the second floor," I told him.


    With that, I left him to organize the operators while I immediately rushed to the fourth floor. The first thing I did was to remove all the gold from my armor, and place it into the forge. It was tempting to start working on forging gold items immediately, but I turned my attention to the poison refinement setup.


    With some poisonous mix already gathered on the sixth tray, I had an easy way to push Nurture to the limit. It merely took half an hour, and the poison at the fifth tray had been enough. All I needed was to repeatedly poison and cure a tree.


    [Nurture (Rare) 196 - 200]


    [Perk Options ¡ª Bountiful Growth / Efficient Harvest / Lingering Tend]


    I picked Bountiful Growth, spending a few minutes to test its effect. It helped me to grow the trees far faster.


    Too bad I didn''t even begin to understand how it affected the original setup. And, without understanding, I couldn''t reverse engineer it. A great loss. I might have done so if I had a few months to delve deep into the secrets of Nurture.


    Unfortunately, that was simply not an option.


    Instead, I pulled one of the skill stones I couldn''t have deciphered before, and smiled at the notification.


    [Skill Stone: Nurture (Epic)]


    I absorbed it. What followed was not exactly pleasant. I had absorbed many different external skills, which gave me a general sense of what to expect. However, the sensation of absorbing an Epic skill was still more unpleasant than I had expected.


    [Nurture (Rare) 200 - Nurture (Epic) 1]


    However, the reward was worth it. "Let''s try it," I said even as I moved toward a tree that was completely grown and touched its bark, trying to use only one point of Health, wanting to understand the differences.


    [-5 Health]


    To my surprise, I wasn''t able to use one Health. A few more attempts showed that the least I could use had turned to five health, and it only increased in multiples of five.


    That was not the only difference. The Health, for the lack of a better term, felt different. In a way, it was similar to how Vitality attacks had changed the form of the Health, but instead of turning solid and sharp, it transformed almost the opposite manner, soft and docile.


    The difference was interesting. The impact, however¡­


    "Incredible," I gasped even as I watched the tree grow after one continuous burst of Health.


    [Nurture (Epic) 1 - 14]


    Due to the poisonous nature of the environment, I wasn''t expecting to succeed at growing anything before I visited the third floor and pushed the skill to a certain, high level. To my surprise, it worked better than I had expected.


    Some more practice with Health showed that I could still use the old form of Health for Nurture, but it had no effect on improvement.


    I raised several trees. The effectiveness of the skill had grown further, and I slowly lost the necessity to improve the amount of Health I used by multiples of five, but I was still unable to drop it lower. Even more surprising, the growth of the skill had stalled barely at its forties. And, even after I had started using the six different intensities of poison I had collected, I wasn''t able to reach a hundred.


    [Nurture (Epic) - 92]


    However, that inability didn''t mean failure. Even with Epic Nurture barely below one hundred, I was able to grow trees effortlessly, both in terms of time, and in terms of Health required. Epic Nurture was more effective when dealing with the corrupting influence of the poison water, meaning the trees could grow far more cheaply without being restricted by the swamp, allowing me to explore the region faster.


    However, it wasn''t the only benefit I had derived from my Epic skill. While Rare attack skills had various Health-based special moves, they all worked in similar manners. Epic Nurture allowed me to work with Health in a completely different manner.


    After an hour of practice, I was able to create that denser variant of Health more smoothly, and it had some interesting implications, particularly for Fleeting Step. Some experimentation later, I was able to create a variant that allowed me to move smoother.


    When using the softer variant of Health, the movement wasn''t as fast, but it was far more flexible. With those benefits combined, it was obviously the correct decision to improve Nurture.


    Too bad I couldn''t improve my other skills to Epic before I reached level fifty, which was why I hadn''t focused on hunting beasts for Epic skills. Even with my skills maximized, I still needed a hundred points in my stats to be able to absorb Epic skills.


    But, with the prospect of my class tempting me, I decided not to hurry up when it came to leveling up.


    Not before I pushed Forge to Epic level.


    Or, maybe more.

 Chapter 75

    [Mana Repair (Rare) 293 - 297]


    "Well, that was straightforward," I called even as I finished forging a very intricate silver-gold sword that gleamed densely with mana. To my surprise, improving Forge hadn''t required anything particularly clever. I just needed to forge various types of pure gold equipment and push the skill higher and higher.


    That way, I was able to bring both skills to the threshold before dawn, even when I took multiple breaks to show my face upstairs, making sure everything was going well.


    During the forging process, the only change I made was to stop bleeding into the molten metal. Unlike the earlier bursts, the denser Health I learned thanks to Nurture was easier to control, staying in the metal and allowing Mana to latch on easily.


    That, combined with my steam-powered Mana crusher providing a Mana density that could hardly be matched outside, allowed me to rapidly push Mana Forge near the limit in less than eight hours. The ability to monopolize a dungeon floor was certainly an incredible opportunity.


    It had been a shockingly efficient process, even when I didn''t neglect to improve my Repair skills in the process. Currently, both skills are at the edge of improving.


    "Let''s just hope improving them again won''t be too hard," I muttered even as I forged another weapon, this time pushing Forge to its edge.


    [Mana Forge (Rare) 299 - Mana Forge (Epic) 1]


    The sensation of improving a Class Skill was much smoother than absorbing an external skill stone, but that wasn''t because it contained any less information. The biggest thing, the Forge skill came with its own way of condensing Health, one that was different from both Nurture and combat skills.


    It was closer to Nurture when it came to feeling, but with more viscosity. It felt heavier and moved slower. The differences were noteworthy. The modified energy worked far better to bond with the metal. And, more importantly, it was under the direct control of the skill, meaning the improvement in the skill quality was incredible.


    But, all this improvement came with a very unfortunate side effect. Just like it had been the case for the previous mana attack trick, its effectiveness to improve had dropped considerably. Luckily, that was not my only trick.


    While the skill was at one, it only contained the recipes for copper. Instead of forging them again and again, I once again used Nurture to imbue gold with mana, pushing my skill forward once again. It wasn''t as rapid as the previous attempts, but it was rapid enough.


    Unfortunately, its effectiveness stalled when I finally reached a hundred and unlocked the proper forging recipes for pure gold. A big problem, but I preferred to focus on the benefits first.


    For one, I learned that the different types of metals actually required slightly different types of Health to maximize their potential benefits. It also meant that there might be other ways of using Health that created some unusual patterns.


    That was a research direction that required far more than just a day to explore comprehensively.


    Worse, I was afraid that it was too much for one person. Unfortunately, I wasn''t in a position to hire people, not without opening a dangerous box that I might not be able to close back up.


    I repeated the same effort with the Mana Repair, and soon, both my class skills were Epic Grade. Interestingly, unlike Meditation, the skill name didn''t change. I had a feeling that, just like the Perks, it changed by the actions leading to the improvement.


    Unlike External Skills, Class Skills seemed to have a memory for the actions leading to their improvement.


    [Mana Repair (Epic) - 101 [Advanced Observe]


    Mana Forge (Epic) - 102 [Advanced Creative Forging, Mana Control]]


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    However, even as I looked at the incredible development of my skills, I had a frown on my face. My trick of forging with the environmental mana had stopped working even when I was working on gold.


    The reason for it was simple. Epic Mana Forge didn''t just have a method of condensing Health, it had a way of condensing Mana as well. From a certain point of view, it was excellent news, as it allowed me to forge incredible weapons.


    Like the tiny spearhead in my hand, which was a unique iron-silver-gold alloy, based entirely on the new condensed Health and Mana I was able to utilize. It was superior to anything else I had in my possession. Not only was the material stronger and more flexible, but it also maintained an absurdly sharp point that could pierce through a rock without using any Vitality or Mana to reinforce the attack, and the thin wings it had on the side had an edge sharper than anything I had forged previously.


    These attributes alone made the weapon incredibly valuable, but those paled compared to its real features. It enhanced the impact of Vitality and Mana attacks to a shocking degree. Not only was it easier to use those attacks, but also the damage was stronger than I was able to forge previously.


    Several times stronger.


    However, despite all the newfound advantages, its inability to use environmental mana was a deadly drawback. It meant I had to stop, absorb the Mana, deplete it back in just two blows, and repeat the process. It meant repeated pauses while working.


    And, for the tiny spearhead I was holding, I had to stop almost two hundred times, which had extended the time of forging drastically¡ª and this new method of forging was hardly time-efficient in the first place. Even the tiniest weapon I could think of took almost three hours to make. Forging a sword would take a full day, and I couldn''t even imagine how long it would take to put together an armor set.


    That timeline didn''t annoy me from a practical perspective, though. I was sure that this tiny spearhead I was holding would go for an absolute fortune if sold in an auction. It would probably be enough to buy the dungeon I was currently in.


    It was a bit of a stretch, but I was confident in my assumption. I had already used Observe on Eleanor''s sword back when I was learning the Vitality attack from her, and it was not made of anything that could compare to what I had in my grasp. And, Eleanor was rich enough to be a minority investor. If she was able to purchase something made of my alloy, she would have.


    Knowing her, she would never turn away the opportunity to purchase a better sword.


    More importantly, she was part of a large family, and worked as a bodyguard for one of their core members. I suspected that the family purchased a sword like that for her if it was possible. Meaning, either they didn''t have the access, or it was valuable enough not to be given to a guard.


    Either way, it meant I needed to be even more careful. The previous ones, I was afraid of revealing because I didn''t want them to affect their profits. However, my new creation was of strategic significance.


    That kind of importance could get assassins involved, and not the ragtag bandit Thomas had sent. Professional ones.


    Admittedly, my experiences with Assassins were limited. Most of my knowledge came from the Pre-Cataclysm era, when I had temporarily joined a government project as a consultant. While my role as a sociologist was merely peripheral, I still had to go through a weeklong training to avoid assassinations due to regulations.


    The number of ways someone could be assassinated was truly shocking, and that was before magic turned into a part of the world, adding thousands of other methods. "I wonder if there''s an Assassin class," I said with a deep sigh, but stopped wondering.


    Ultimately, I was not ready to reveal my secrets before I got a better understanding of the landscape, and that hadn''t changed.


    Unfortunately, the need to keep a secret wasn''t my biggest problem. No¡­ My biggest problem was a simpler one.


    It would take a long time to improve Mana Forge to its limit.


    I lost the ability to rapidly improve my skill by forging hundreds of weapons in quick succession. I had tried a few tricks, but the moment recipes with gold appeared in the skill, none of those worked. It seemed that I had to use the methods in the skill to forge the weapons.


    And, even the simplest weapons were requiring tens of thousands of mana to be forged. I would be lucky if I got a skill point in three hours, and it would probably get more challenging as I improved.


    "How quickly one gets spoiled," I sighed, mocking myself. A month ago, I was happy to increase one proficiency point in less than a month.


    Now, I was turning my nose to improving my Epic skill because a day would mean improving it only in single digits. I was still hopeful that platinum would benefit me the same way gold did, but I needed to work harder to get my hands on some.


    Alternatively, maybe I could figure out a way to automate a portion of the process, or try to see if the more dangerous dungeons contained materials that could allow me to bypass some steps.


    "Let''s shelve Forge and Repair for the moment," I ultimately decided even as I started forging myself a collapsible spear shaft, steel with a gold core, though it was made with the old methods.


    Since I had already created myself a superior weapon, there was no harm bringing it around for safety. And, once that was done, I went upstairs.


    I wanted to be there for the creation of the outpost for the second floor.

 Chapter 76

    When I arrived at the first floor ¡ª as usual carrying a huge cart filled with shells to the brim ¡ª everything that was required to move to the second floor was already in place. I saw several carts filled with construction materials, escorted by workers, which meant the second-floor encampment could be built even faster.


    I didn''t arrange any of them. It must be Harold who handled it all, which was fortunate. I walked further, only to see Harold talking with someone. His posture suggested that whoever he was talking to, wasn''t pleasant.


    "What''s going on," I said even as I approached.


    "Sir. We have a representative from the guilds gracing us with their presence," Harold said, but his distaste was clear.


    "Speak," I said.


    "Honorable guild leader. I''m just here to deliver you a letter," he said as pulled an envelope.


    "From whom?" I asked.


    "It''s from a few other guilds that are looking to establish a local chapter in the dungeon, sir," he said as I opened the letter. I didn''t need to fake a frown as I read the long and meandering letter. On the surface, it was just asking for an informal dinner where the guild masters could meet and discuss strategies, to be hosted in the town in a few days.


    However, reading between the lines, there was another message, one that was not particularly hidden. It suggested that I keep the dungeon operation light until we could have a meeting.


    While there was no other explicit mention of their plans, the intent was obvious. They wanted to establish a small cartel, one that could pressure the town into giving them a higher share of the profits.


    "Tell them that I will attend the meeting," I said. The nameless messenger smirked while Harold frowned. I turned to him. "Start working. We have to start building the outpost on the second floor. The sooner we start, the sooner we can start making a fortune," I added loudly.


    Just like that, their expressions changed. "Sir," the messenger started, but froze when I looked at him.


    "What, do you want me to give up a fortune just because of a letter," I said. "I''m not here to make a pittance."


    "I''ll deliver that message, sir," he said before he turned and left.


    Harold said nothing as we watched him move away. I could see him tense, and I didn''t blame him. I wasn''t feeling too different. In a more ideal world, I might have actually accepted their offer and maintained a low-key position.


    Unfortunately, at this point, my wagon was firmly hitched to Maria''s side. A part of it was I owed them. Not all of their assistance had been intentional, but without their initial help, my life wouldn''t have been so easy.


    Though, even ignoring that, supporting Maria was clearly the better option for me. They not only represented my only source of income, but they provided me unrestricted access to the dungeon, one without many uncomfortable questions being thrown around. Those two advantages were the cornerstone of my incredible development, and I wasn''t ready to give them up.


    Unfortunately, this meant that we had made some very determined rivals that would benefit from our failure.


    "We should reinforce the security, sir," Harold said.


    "Do that. Feel free to invest eighty percent of the profit back to security. And, purchase anything Eleanor is willing to give up based on credit."


    "Isn''t it a bit daring, sir? If anything goes badly, we might lose most of our income."


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    "No risk it, no biscuit," I replied confidently. Admittedly, it was a significant diversion from my earlier attitude, as I was hoping to get a nice egg''s nest in case, but the latest transformation of my skill had changed my mind.


    That qualitative improvement meant that, one way or another, I would make money in a way that wouldn''t be ruined by a new dungeon drop. A few extra golds I would be getting from the dungeon had suddenly turned useless.


    It was a nostalgic feeling, one that I had lived through before. Back then, it was a trivial algorithm for a dating app that had unexpectedly given me a fortune that had allowed me to focus on my work rather than pandering to every little boring old man who thought themselves to be geniuses just because the university needed their donations.


    And, this time, it was the Forge skill that gave me an opportunity for financial independence, the kind that not only allowed me to not have to worry about my personal income, but also research grants.


    The irony was that both options ¡ª mathematical sociology as a discipline, and Blacksmith class ¡ª had been treated as useless options that could never be used to make a living by society.


    Sometimes, stubbornness paid off.


    I let my mind linger on the other things as I watched Harold organize the operation. The temporary construction workers were already separated into teams, but, to my surprise, only sixty crossbowmen split from the group. I would have expected him to pick more.


    I asked about that when Harold walked to me once again. "They are the ones I preliminary picked for the guild, sir."


    "The reason?" I asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.


    "They are the only ones that show the mixture of initiative and the obedience we need," he said. "I thought it''s better to expand a bit slowly rather than hiring people that would wash out after a few days."


    A good point, but I was curious about his rationale. "And, you know that, how?"


    "I was a marine before the Calamity, sir. A sergeant, to be exact. It helps me to see who will stick out and who won''t."


    "A good point," I said. "But, it must be hard to see the country you have fought so hard for disappearing into nothingness."


    "Nothing I could do, sir," he said before he started explaining exactly how he picked up the candidates he had chosen.


    The ease with which he had dismissed the value of his service and his country was interesting, mostly because it was a widespread phenomenon. I had tried to study that during my first days, but unfortunately, it was more of a psychological study than a sociological one. During the first days, I had just assumed it was the sheer impossibility of the Cataclysm breaking the old world order irrevocably.


    But, now that I had discovered the Peace Field affecting every single town, I couldn''t help but wonder if there was any external reason for people so easily abandoning their old-world allegiance and higher concepts.


    And, if there was one, whether it was accidental ¡­ or intentional.


    I sighed even as I shelved that track of thought as yet another topic that I would look into when I had time. Or, as it exceedingly became likely, if I had time. The number of research topics I wanted to explore was getting more and more bloated.


    I missed having doctorate students whom I could throw those low-priority questions at. Maybe I should start looking for a similar arrangement now that I had the necessary resources. Maybe I should pay a visit to one of those research institutes that kept rejecting me and poach a few people. Poaching their best members with excessive payment would have been a fitting payback.


    However, as much as I wanted to create a recruitment roadmap that doubled as a revenge plan, I had other things to focus on. Things that might not be as important in the grand scheme of things, but were certainly more urgent.


    With the decision made, I focused on questioning Harold about the general direction for his recruitment and the security protocols as we walked toward the gate that connected the first and second floors.


    And, I added a few twists of my own.


    "Really, sir? Don''t you think large silver murals on every wall are a bit excessive? It would take several tons of silvers at the minimum. It won''t be easy."


    "Showing off wealth helps display confidence," I said. "Not only do I want silver, but also I want you to cover the inner chambers with gold."


    I could see just how bewildered that request made him. I didn''t blame him, trying to make a dungeon fort pretty in such a gauche way was not a good statement. Unfortunately, the real reason was too important to reveal.


    My Observe perk could only be used through metal. Silver and gold were much better than iron. Covering the walls with ugly murals would mean that, with little effort, I could establish an impressive scale of security.


    Not to mention, having a near-unlimited source of silver and gold around would certainly be useful at some point.


    "That''s enough strategizing," I said even as I stood at the dungeon gate. "It''s time to fight."


    "Shall I go first, sir," Harold offered.


    I thought about letting him do so in order to see his potential, but I decided against it. In a world where individual combat capability was the most important asset, a leader had to lead from the front to have even the slightest hope of fostering loyalty.


    Even if the enemy was a bunch of insect monsters I could swat as easily as mosquitos.

 Chapter 77

    "[Nurture (Epic) 109 - 110]


    I sighed as I used another concentrated dose of swamp poison to further push Nurture to a higher level, earning twenty more points in the process. However, that was not the only thing I gained. As the proficiency of my Nurture skill passed one hundred, it experienced a qualitative improvement, allowing me to choose between growth and other options like better fruit yield, stronger structure, and other features.


    It was not helpful for the task next in line, which was to create a path of trees toward the possible direction of the fifth floor that would also function as a mining path, but eventually, it would be useful.


    There was never any harm in more utility.


    My process of exploration was direct. First, I created a huge mining cart, and temporarily added a simple lever so I could use it directly. Ultimately, I wanted to add a steam engine to make it easier to pull, but that could be delayed until it was necessary.


    Then, I forged a huge number of railway tracks, which was easier to do once I created a casting system similar to the one I had used for the arrows. The Epic grade Forging skill allowed me to handle it even faster thanks to the increased mana control.


    A realization hit me. "I don''t actually need to create trees all along the path, do I?" I said excitedly. All I needed was to bury those tracks under the swamp, which would allow me to find it without creating a giant path of trees that would be visible.


    That didn''t mean the effort I had put into Nurture was useless, as I still needed the roots of the trees to solidify the ground under the tracks enough that my tracks wouldn''t simply sink down, not to mention keeping the insects away was a critical step while I used the steam engine when I eventually brought the base to its new location.


    Not to mention, considering the number of times I had to go back and forth, running without worrying about monsters would be useful.


    However, It also meant that, once that was complete, I could cut the trees to prevent the others from easily discovering my new base. It was particularly important since I had managed to turn the other guilds into a potential enemy when I refused their offer to establish a cartel.


    Once preparations were done, I finally started moving away from the dungeon gate, laying a new railroad, with two layers of trees on each side of the path, with Epic Nurture allowing me to raise these trees in seconds.


    As I moved deeper, I was also doing two additional things. Every time I laid a track, I checked the ground for iron ore. I had discovered a few deposits with five percent purity, but I just marked them before moving forward instead of excavating them. I was hoping for a higher purity.


    At the same time, after every ten rails, I crushed several shells in the separator, then, released the tainted energy, triggering yet another monster swarm. That way, I was able to check the monster density and direction, which allowed me to adjust the route slightly, always going toward the direction where the monsters were the thickest.


    As an added benefit, I was able to test my newest spear. It was amazing. Be it Mana or Health attacks, all flowed smoothly, allowing me to kill even the giant insects from a distance with one blow.


    "I need to forge a whole set for myself," I said. I was thinking of not only weapons, but also a thick full-plate armor set that increased my safety factor significantly. "No, two sets," I added as I realized that I still needed to wear my old armor outside. I could modify the inner layer of the armor, but the outer layer had to stay the same.


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    I could probably get away with one sword as long as I made it look identical to the looted sword I carried with me.


    Just like that, I found myself lost in another routine, and a week passed, where I split my attention between exploring the dungeon deeper, forging myself a new set, and repeatedly visiting the first two floors to keep an eye on my growing guild and make some preparations for some unfortunate eventualities.


    The exploration part was a modest success. Since the fourth day, I was getting attacked by the flying insects at an increasing frequency, which gave me the hope that I was going in the right direction. Unfortunately, considering my process of exploration required me to constantly lay down rails, it was slower than I''d have preferred.


    For that reason, when I discovered a new iron deposit near the railroad I was creating, I created a simple steam engine to move my old base. The move took less than I expected for a simple reason: While I carried the forging equipment and other sensitive items, I left most of the iron behind.


    I used that iron to create an underground chamber filled with various weapons, from iron javelins to a sealed iron tunnel with several half-complete traps that required a touch of Mana to be completed. It was a good mixture of an escape tunnel, a safe house, and an underground fortress that I could use defensively.


    Having near-unlimited anti-corrosive steel was useful for more than one purpose.


    The concept was nice enough that I built another underground base on the third floor, but kept the entrance buried, just in case I had to deal with assassins again.


    Of course, while working on all of that, I had constantly visited the outposts, and even started sleeping at the fort on the second floor. At the surface, it looked like overconfidence, as a dungeon could be a dangerous place, but for me, it was much safer than the town, especially since the first version of the guild building was already complete, and I didn''t have an excuse to sleep at the headquarters without raising some problematic questions.


    Not to mention, we didn''t have enough people to defend both locations, so prioritizing the dungeon was the obvious decision.


    However, what took the most time was forging my new equipment that was based on the new capabilities of my Epic skill. It took a week for me to create a full set of armor, modify the other one that I was wearing outside, and create three weapons. The hammer, in particular, took a lot of time due to it requiring a lot of metal, but considering how important the hammer was to deliver a devastating amount of damage to any insect I might face on the fifth floor that might be armored enough to shrug off my other attacks, I didn''t want to take a risk.


    I liked my new weapons. Unfortunately, while that intense session of forging took almost half of my time, it only contributed five points to my Mana Forge skill, which was absolutely glacial compared to my old progress.


    On the other hand, my Epic Nurture was growing leaps and bounds. It was already nearing a hundred and ninety, which was significant progress considering its nature as an Epic skill. The poison distillation setup I had was working well enough.


    I was already working on the design of a second one, though this time, I would probably integrate a better filtration mechanism, and a more decent centrifuge, aiming for at least ten thousand RPM.


    The last thing I did was to practice the Floating Step despite my distaste for flying, as the deeper I went into the dungeon, the more critical my traveling time was getting. Luckily, I had found a workaround when I was working on my metal safe houses. As long as I practiced it in an enclosed space, the Floating Step kept me from flying upward.


    It resulted in some very painful collisions, but that pain was much better than actually floating into the sky like a balloon with a snapped string. I was yet to make as much progress as I had wished, but even with limited gains, I was able to make the Fleeting Step faster.


    It was worthwhile as the distance I needed to travel across the fourth floor increased more and more.


    "Too many things to do ¡ª" I started to complain, only to freeze when I met a very welcome view. A sudden, glowing gate, right into my vision.


    The fifth floor.


    While it was an exciting prospect, I didn''t rush immediately. I started by surrounding the gate with five rings of trees, just in case there was a nasty surprise waiting for me on the fifth floor.


    One that followed me.


    However, that was not the extent of my preparation. On the railroad, I had been dragging a large cart that was filled with iron tracks. With my tools, turning the remaining iron into some kind of war wagon that was covered with iron spikes was not a difficult task.


    I could use that war wagon as cover, a platform to climb on, or even a safe box if necessary.


    I pushed the box, and followed in.

 Chapter 78

    The moment I stepped on the fifth floor, I was greeted with pain. It wasn''t sourced from an attack ¡ª not for the lack of trying, as every inch of me had been surrounded by monsters. Flying insects, giant monsters, armored ones, crowded enough to cut each other''s path.


    No, it was the very breath I had taken that had hurt me, burning my lungs like acid.


    [-17 Health]


    That wasn''t the only source of pain, as the moment I stepped in, I found myself in waist-deep water, and the amount that slipped burning like acid. Luckily, I was prepared for that, and jumped on the metal wagon I had created. That way, not only did I not have to fight buried in waist-deep water, but I was also safe from the underground attacks.


    I appreciated it. While the underground attackers weren''t any stronger than the others, their attacks came from a different vector, forcing me to pay attention to them as well. The situation was complicated enough, with my vision dropping to almost three yards.


    Things would have been far more complicated if my armor couldn''t just shrug off all the ranged attacks. I danced with my spear in hand, the improved alloy easily piercing even the armored shells thanks to the blue glow sticking around the weapon.


    I stayed on top of the wagon, fought with a speed I had never done before as I pushed my Rare skill to the limit, not even finding a moment to grow a plant. The monsters were simply too many in numbers. Maybe I should return to the fourth floor to replenish my Health, to avoid a dangerous situation. It was difficult to count, but I might be killing a dozen monsters every second.


    But, before I could make such a move, I was greeted by a very welcome notification.


    [Level 40 - 41]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity]


    That was enough reward for the first expedition, I decided as I jumped through the gate, returning to the fourth floor, to adjust my plans.


    The first thing I did was to open one of the silver containers to consume a dense nutrition bar, replenishing my Health. The fact that the very air of the dungeon was dealing damage to me was not something I had expected.


    I couldn''t help but shiver as I imagined what would have happened if my weapons and armor weren''t immune to corrosion. Would have they just melted away and left me defenseless against the monster horde, all the while the very air itself burned my body.


    Yet, even as I processed all the ways I had gotten close to the dungeon, one thing was clear. The dungeon was not unlike a puzzle, with each level increasing the difficulty, but one that was easily dealt with as long as one learned the appropriate lessons from the earlier floors.


    The only problem was that I wasn''t entirely sure I was learning the ''right'' lessons. Even as my skills improved, which unlocked new, more complicated recipes, every single one of them had been designed for usage by individual warriors. Not even a siege weapon, let alone anything more complicated. Even the carts and other logistic items were not included.


    "No time for such pondering," I spoke aloud, disrupting my own train of thought even as I stood up, ready to prepare for the second invasion. As much as I wanted to return to the base and create a few plans, I needed to confirm a few more details about the fifth floor.


    However, first, I needed a mask. Luckily, I had already experimented on the poison while I was trying to isolate it, and knew two things about it. Silver worked well to neutralize it, and so did heat.


    Fashioning a breather based on those two principles wasn''t too difficult. The silver part was trivial, and even the heat part was not too difficult. I just made sure to heat up the outer layer and add an insulating layer in between.


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    I made the silver part detachable as well, so, if needed, I could always use my sole magic skill to heat the mask back up. I didn''t see that coming up, but there was no harm in being prepared.


    "Now, the tedious part," I said even as I went back to the fifth floor, once again resisting the pile-up of the monsters. My breathing was once again uncomfortable, but this time, not every breath resulted in a loss of Health, so I chalked it as a success.


    So, I stood on top of the war wagon, fighting against a veritable horde, their corpses piling around before they disappeared periodically. They presumably left skills behind, but I didn''t have the time to check the waters for those.


    None of them were able to touch me, but that didn''t make their presence any less intimidating. As I fought against them, I started to understand why dungeon breaks were such a dangerous subject even more viscerally.


    Alone and wearing the appropriate gear, the insect monsters were not a threat despite their great number. After all, there was a limit to the number of beasts that could attack me at once, and the disparity in equipment and mobility prevented that from turning into a problem.


    Yet, I could easily imagine the same amount of beasts overwhelming the defenses of the town with ease. I sighed even as I continued to fight, dealing with the endless swarm I had triggered. Thrice, I needed to return to the fourth floor to rest, and during one of them. I went back to the second floor to check the dungeon hunting.


    I was still afraid of a sabotage attempt from the other guilds.


    During the third trip, the numbers in the swarm finally started to lessen, but it wasn''t the only pleasant surprise. Another pleasant notification appeared.


    [Level 41 - 42]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Essence]


    "Finally," I cheered when I killed another beast, only for it not to be replaced by another attacker. At least, not a melee one. The ranged attacks continued to rain over my armor, but they were easy to shrug off.


    I could have moved to hunt them, but instead, I returned to the fourth floor brought back a large sapling, and used Nurture to grow it.


    [-96 Health]


    [Nurture (Epic) 96 - 97]


    Soon, I was looking at another towering tree. The additional notification was welcome. However, the moment I pulled back, the tree started to die, which showed that the same tree wasn''t able to resist the corrosion of this level.


    "That''s not good news," I muttered. Exploring the fifth floor without the assistance of the trees was not acceptable.


    Luckily, its degradation was not instant. So, I quickly raised six more trees, surrounding the gate with a nice field, which finally expanded my vision. It was a welcome change, as it meant I wasn''t fully blind.


    With the expanded vision, dealing with the ranged attackers was easier. The only problem, I had to periodically cure the trees. The expanded vision was worth the trouble, and the occasional points I received from the skill were well worth it.


    Unfortunately, there was no chance that the trees would survive in my absence, which was not acceptable. I needed a more permanent solution.


    However, before I started that, I made several quick trips between the fourth and the fifth floor, using the excess iron to create a raised metal platform surrounding the gate, not unlike a pier.


    Constantly walking through corrosive mud was not my idea of a good time. Only after I had finished setting up the area, I turned my attention back to the trees. I was tempted to try using Epic Nurture to somehow increase the poison resistance of the trees. I knew that was possible, as some of the farmers had that as a Perk.


    But, after helplessly trying that for half an hour, I paused, realizing the obvious pitfall I had fallen into, constraining myself to the System because of convenience.


    Why not use a technological solution, one that many startups had been trying to implement on the scale before the Cataclysm.


    Hydroponic farming.


    I created several huge metal boxes, and filled them with soil from the fourth floor. Then, I set up another steam engine to pump water through silver heated filters, weakening the poison considerably.


    The anti-corrosive floor meant that the roots of the tree couldn''t grow just as deep, but that deficiency was easy to deal with using Epic Nurture. Which meant, an hour of effort was enough for me to create ten layers of trees, allowing me to set up a base successfully.


    Once that was done, I scooped the skills from the water. Every single one of them was Epic, and none of them was currently usable for me.


    I stored them back on the fourth floor before returning to the fifth floor, spending most of my time working on my base. After all, with the way things were, trying to explore the fifth floor was not exactly a time-efficient action.


    Especially since I couldn''t simply spread the trees.


    However, my plans had been disrupted when the dungeon mist had suddenly split into two.


    Revealing a gargantuan insect, charging forward!

 Chapter 79

    "God damn it," I growled even as I threw the work hammer to the side, grabbed my spear, and moved aside. The last thing I expected was to be attacked by a gargantuan monster, tall enough to tower over me in a suffocating manner.


    A desperate dash was not exactly the ideal way of measuring, but roughly eyeballing it, I measured it to be somewhere around two hundred yards tall, and about forty yards wide. An absurd size, reminding me of a battleship rather than a land animal.


    A beast of that size shouldn''t have been possible without being crushed under its own weight, particularly as an insect ¡­ but then, I was in a pocket dimension, using magic to hunt giant corrupted monsters.


    It was three years too late to talk about what was possible or reasonable.


    I turned my attention to more practical concerns, trying to understand its physical capabilities. It was huge, yet, despite its size, it reacted to my escape with shocking speed, adjusting its charge. Without the Fleeting Step, I would have ended up between its mandibles. I was glad I didn''t have to test the durability of my armor in such a way, not with the way the ordinary anti-corrosive iron from the hydroponic garden snapping under its weight.


    I didn''t optimize the metal I used on the garden for durability, but even without it, it would have tanked the attack of an ordinary giant insect with limited damage. Yet, against the gargantuan variant, it wasn''t able to resist the slightest.


    Worse, as it drifted closer, the air I breathed gained an acrid quality, like I had forgotten to replace my silver air filter after using it for an hour. And, since that bitter smell got more intense the closer the beast got, it was easy to assume that the beast radiated some kind of intense corrosive aura.


    The speed at which the distant trees wilted confirmed my theory.


    Dodging didn''t mean my problems were over. As I moved away, I was attacked by the other monsters. The burrower variants burst out of the ground, and the fliers fell down, trying to suffocate me, while the giant ones charged. However, there was something unusual in their approach.


    Up until now, during every single encounter I had, the beasts had been attacking me recklessly, always picking the closest path possible with the exclusion of everything else. This time, it was different. The fliers circled around me in confusing patterns, the giant ones attacked in a way that forced me to a certain direction, and the burrowers did their best to block my path as they burst out of the water.


    They were showing tactical acumen. It was elementary, but due to the numbers they attacked with, it was still effective. And, as if the situation wasn''t complicated enough, their new tactical awareness meant that they could ignore the fear effect that was spread by the trees. Combined with the rapid destruction of the metal platforms under the mandibles of the gargantuan monster, the defenses I had created for myself were being destroyed with incredible ease.


    In response, I drew my sword and released several ranged mana attacks, each attack cutting through several flying bugs before dispersing. As I did that, I jumped on the back of one of the giant monsters, using it as a platform, which prevented the borrowers from tangling with me.


    Five ranged attacks were all I could throw out before my Mana drained completely. There, I switched to my spear, one hand slashing with ease. At the same time, I used my feet to roughly crush the mana-dense shells of the slain beasts, using the opportunity to replenish my mana.


    Luckily, their tactics were not only elementary, but also rigid. As I jumped between the giant monsters, the attacks of the swarm slowed down, and their movement shuffled in a manner that could be called confused.


    The gargantuan one didn''t appreciate it, doing its best to turn to face me.


    Luckily, for some reason, the mist around it was gone. It was similar to the effect of the trees in terms of the end result, but the process was clearly the opposite. In practical terms, the trees repulsed the mist, while the gargantuan beast was pulling it toward itself, devouring it, similar to using Meditation in a Mana-dense location.


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    I circled around it, leveraging its most obvious weakness, which was its turn speed. However, calling it a weakness was a stretch. It rotated remarkably well for a monster that was the size of the warship. Even with my improved Fleeting Step, taking advantage of that required me to stick close to it.


    And, the closer I got, the more disgusting the smell started to get, warning me that my filter was reaching its limit.


    I couldn''t help but shiver even as I split between circling around the beast and dealing with the swarm, afraid to imagine dealing with the gargantuan beast without my long list of advantages. I stayed away from its attacks even as I focused on thinning the swarm, focusing exclusively on the fliers.


    Whenever I filled my reserves, I used Mana attacks to whittle their numbers, or I switched to spear. Reducing the tactical complexity of the situation before I tested the endurance of the titanic insect seemed like a good idea.


    However, despite my successful focus on fliers, the swarm showed no change of pattern, suggesting that their new tactical acumen was not only elementary, but also quite rigid. Another welcome change.


    Only when the density of fliers reached a point where I could ignore them, I jumped on top of the gargantuan beast. The moment I stepped on its back, my lungs started to ache, its corrosive aura surpassing the limit of my filter.


    [-6 Health]


    It did not matter. I stabbed its back with the spear, first without covering it with mana. It sank well enough. Unfortunately, the beast was far too large for it to be effective. The sword reacted in a similar manner. Neither result surprised me. I switched to my hammer.


    It was time to show it how a Blacksmith fought.


    I brought down the hammer, using the mana attack I had designed based on my Quake attacks, depleting all of it in one attack.


    [-210 Mana]


    A large part of its shell shattered, and for the first time, it let out a sharp sound, one that I recognized as pain. It was good, but the even better part was the burst of mana that spread as I shattered its shell, allowing me to replenish my mana in quick order.


    Its mana was far more dense in what I called tainted energy, but my Cleansing Meditation skill allowed me to separate the two efficiently, allowing me to replenish my mana as I delivered another attack ¡­ and another.


    I had a feeling that the battle against the gargantuan beast was supposed to be an incredibly difficult battle. And, without the gear I had created with my Epic Skill, which allowed me to resist its corrosive aura almost completely, it would have been.


    Even the iron I tagged as anti-corrosive proved to be only corrosion resistant, the broken remains of the platforms darkening and rusting at a shocking speed. Instead, it turned into a steady, almost tedious, process, not unlike another forging session. My hammer landed again and again, using its mana against itself.


    Its shell recovered from the damage, but not at the same speed I could damage it, slowly weakening under my attack.


    Yet, even with all my advantages, an hour after I started, I was still attacking against it. If it wasn''t for the weakening of its corrosive aura as its shell got more and more damaged, I would have to retreat back to the fourth floor to replenish my Health.


    Instead, I stayed on top of it, steadily destroying its shell and the flesh underneath, my hammer landing on it again and again ¡­ until the beast stopped moving, and burst into a sudden blast of light.


    The sudden disappearance of the beast meant I found myself falling down. My limbs clenched in fear as I found myself in free fall, barely able to pay attention to the movement of the light. It gathered into a point, almost like it was about to turn into a skill stone, but when I got near, it turned into light back again, and infused my body.


    It was a weird, ephemeral sensation, like there was some kind of connection between me and the land around me. It didn''t last long, but when it faded, it left me with a nice surprise.


    My range of vision had just doubled.


    "So, it makes the gargantuan beast a dungeon boss," I said to myself even as I started dealing with the remaining swarm. It wasn''t exactly a big surprise, as the length of the battle, along with all of its abilities, suggested that to be the case.


    But, confirmation was always welcome.


    I went back to the fourth floor, as I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Not to mention, I needed to replenish my Health.


    When I arrived on the fourth floor, I was greeted by a very welcome surprise. My vision range wasn''t increased by three more yards as I had feared but directly doubled. Excited, I returned to the earlier floors, and realized that the same pattern held true.


    I gulped, realizing its importance. An expanded range of vision would be useful while exploring the fourth and fifth floors, but it wasn''t what excited me the most.


    No, that honor went to the tactical flexibility provided by the ability to see more than the other people in the dungeon. It would solve my biggest fear, which was to be ambushed.


    Maybe I should see if I could tempt the attacks from more dungeon bosses before I went back.

 Chapter 80

    In the end, I was able to kill three more gargantuan beasts before exhaustion won over me.


    To my surprise, finding them had been the easy part. All I needed to do was to grow a lot of trees, and once the number had passed a certain point, a gargantuan beast attacked. While the reason for their hatred was a mystery ¡ª the disruption of the mist was my best guess ¡ª the effect was not disputable.


    It helped me to draw them closer, and my vision expanded significantly in the process.


    As I absorbed the resulting light, my vision increased even further. Session one added three more yards to my vision, the third one added almost four, and the last one added slightly more than five, which was more than I had expected.


    Compared to that, the excitement from another level up, bringing me to level forty-three, faded in importance.


    Initially, even my most optimistic assumption was for it to turn into some kind of additive effect, with each boss monster expanding adding some more to my view, while the more realistic assumption was for its effect to lessen with each consumption.


    The quasi-exponential growth it was displaying was certainly welcome.


    I was tempted to hunt a couple more, but my need for a nice, long sleep proved to be more important. I was exhausted.


    Walking around in the dungeon with a significantly expanded range of vision felt amazing. Even with my skills and armor ensuring my safety, walking around blindly in a monster-filled pocket dimension was not a comfortable feeling.


    Especially since I had already dealt with two assassination attempts.


    Once I reached the second floor, my range of vision barely surpassed two hundred yards, which was an incredible benefit against any potential assassins. And, that advantage would expand even more as I continued to hunt for the gargantuan beasts.


    With every day, the dungeon was starting to feel like home.


    Once I reached the outpost, I decided to check the immediate surrounding area, making sure to stay outside the view of the hunter teams, watching the way they operated. I had checked their operation many times, but the benefit of distant observation was valuable.


    I immediately caught two problems. The new recruits who had classes other than farmers were bullying the farmers. It wasn''t anything too extreme, mostly slurs, mixed with occasional pushes and shoves, but I decided to nip that in the bud.


    I might lack the power to fix that anywhere else, but I wouldn''t allow that to happen in my own guild.


    The second thing I noted was several farmer teams, doing their best to steal some of the shells, embezzling from my profit. That, I decided to ignore. It was not ideal, but there was a limit on how much I could pay them before my actions started to be treated as not just stupidly generous, but actually suspicious.


    And, I had too many secrets to handle such a suspicion. Letting them steal a few was a good idea. Maybe I should ask Harold to create a semi-official channel so that they weren''t ripped too badly by the other guild members.


    Harold was not in the base, so after a quick walk in the base, I returned to my room. "Let''s see," I muttered even as I put my hand on one of the silver murals that covered my walls, using my Advanced Observe Perk to check every place that was connected to it, checking the existence of various metal seals I had created.


    It was not paranoia when I had multiple enemies, with one of them already showing a willingness to kill me.


    Then, I moved to the next stage, which was sealing the room. Locks, even the intricate ones that could have been used as a bank vault, were not secure in a world with both Dexterity and Perception. However, as a blacksmith, I had a much easier trick. I welded the door shut.


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    It was not impossible to breach the reinforced door, but it was impossible to do so without alerting me.


    Only after that, I laid down, not removing my armor. Sleeping in armor was not comfortable, even with Health to resolve the worst of my stiff body, but it was another sacrifice I had made for my security. I closed my eyes, letting sleep claim me, my overactive mind replaced by restless dreams that were impossible to remember.


    However, even that restless sleep proved to be a luxury, when I had been woken up by the insistent ringing of a bell.


    "What''s going on?" I asked.


    "L-lady Eleanor is here for an urgent meeting, sir," the unlucky member said.


    "Really, what a bad timing," I grumbled in frustration. "Just as I was trying to sleep," I added, and caught a surprised expression, one that he schooled immediately.


    "Spill," I said.


    He looked uncomfortable. "I don''t know what you mean, sir," he said, looking panicked.


    "No, you clearly wanted to say something. Speak," I ordered.


    "I ¡­ It''s just that I didn''t see you work in your chambers for so long, sir. Ordinarily, you leave the paperwork to Sir Harold."


    It felt weird, before I remembered to ask an important fact. "How long have I been in my room?" I asked.


    "About two days, sir," he said.


    "Working on new tactics is time consuming," I said, throwing out a simple excuse for the situation, one that might not have been entirely believable, but hierarchy had its benefits. People not bothering to ask questions was one of them.


    I said nothing else as he led me outside, where Eleanor had been waiting for me. Her expression, more enthusiastic than anything else, suggested that she was here for a spar more than anything.


    Luckily, it had been more than ten days since I had received the skill from her, so there was no harm in showing my great progress. Whether to reveal the full extent of it was a different question, which I would decide based on her reaction.


    "Follow me," she said, her impatience clear. From anyone else, that dismissive attitude would have been a grave insult, but I knew that she was obsessed with the art of the sword as much as I was obsessed with my studies, so I understood her frustration.


    I would have been equally irritable if I had been distracted by a week of non-stop meetings in the middle of my studies.


    I managed to keep my desire to tease her suppressed until we left the outpost behind, knowing that teasing her in front of the guild member would affect the authority we had been reflecting. It had been a fact I had dealt with for a long time.


    "So, how was your week," I asked even as we moved deeper into the dungeon. She groaned in frustration. "Come on, it can''t be that bad."


    "No, it''s worse," she said, making a face. "Now that we''re making some money, there''s a lot of purchases that need to be done. More siege weapons, construction material for the town, new skills¡­"


    "Sorry about that. I know it''s all my fault ¡ª" I teased her, which she interrupted by throwing a rock at me.


    "Don''t be a smartass, or I''ll bring you with me next time."


    I chucked. "Hey, it''s not like I had a better time," I said. "I spent most of my time forging the arrowheads, which left time for nothing else."


    "Really?" she said, but I could see her disappointment.


    However, her disappointment only made me amused. I chuckled even as I drew my sword and attacked her. She drew hers to parry mine, which launched a short yet intense duel where she stayed defensive, letting me show my abilities.


    "Impressive," she said as she shifted from the defense to offense, and I found myself defending, while her attacks escalated more and more, her frown turning into a big smile.


    I didn''t hold back, but I didn''t push myself to my full capacity either, and just relied on the sword skill.


    A reasonable time had passed since I had received the skill, and even if she had realized that I had reached the limit of the Rare skill she had gifted to me, I could explain it. She already believed that I was some kind of sword genius, and even if she found that unconvincing, I could reveal the existence of the composite swords I designed to make the attacks more reliable.


    "Not bad. You have worked hard," she said even as she started putting in an actual effort. She was nowhere near the real limit of her skill, but it was an actual challenge. In a way, the situation was very similar to the chess games I played with Maria.


    I had no chance of victory ¡ª as long as we relied on swords only ¡ª but unlike Maria, Eleanor didn''t enjoy a one-sided beatdown. Instead, she limited herself in certain ways to make our sparring an actual challenge.


    However, just as we fought, I noticed something distressing. Two people, both dressed in black cloaks, approached us silently, paying more attention to the ground than their surroundings. Interestingly, the monsters around them ignored their presence, which I suspected to have something to do with the subtle blue glow surrounding them.


    And, once they were about a hundred yards away from us, they stopped, waiting for something. My guess was that they were waiting for us to speak and confirm our identities.


    It was not good news. I realized that, without exploring the fifth floor and killing the boss monsters, there was no chance for me to notice them. It was that confidence that made them act like that. "Try not to overemphasize the defenses of your extremities," Eleanor said even as she attacked from below.


    "I don''t want to lose a leg," I said while I defended and retreated at the same time, but my focus was on the unexpected presence of the two. The moment Eleanor and I spoke, confirming our identities through the mist, they started moving back.


    Leaving me with a decision to make.

 Chapter 81

    Even as I watched the two spies disappear into the mist, I didn''t interrupt our sparring immediately. I didn''t know the reason why they were here, and even though their presence was suspicious, I couldn''t simply attack them. And, not just due to ethical reasons.


    Information asymmetry was valuable in any circumstance, and had I attacked them, they would have realized that I possessed a way to see through the mist. Every other method I managed to learn about worked similarly to the effect of the trees, dispersing the mist to increase the range of vision, which worked for both sides.


    Killing the dungeon bosses was the only method ¡ª that I knew of ¡ª that expanded the range of vision for the observer only. It was a strategic advantage I was not ready to give up. This meant that I continued to practice even as I wondered who was the target of the cloaked scouts: Me, or Eleanor¡­


    My mind wandered even as I called my System. It was unnecessary, as I knew everything it would show. Still, I needed the confidence it would provide as I prepared to face a potential battle.


    [Mana Blacksmith - Level 43]


    [Health 1290/1290] [Mana 210/210]


    [Vitality 86 / Strength 86 / Dexterity 65 / Essence 21]


    [Skills (8/13)


    Mana Repair (Epic) - 102 [Advanced Observe]


    Mana Forge (Epic) - 107 [Advanced Creative Forging, Mana Control]


    Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) - 139 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]


    Nurture (Epic) - 219


    Quake Hammer (Rare) - 200 [Persistent Tremor]


    Blade of Retribution (Rare) - 200 [Strike of Retribution]


    Breeze Spear (Rare) - 200 [Floating Stride]


    Fire Bolt (Basic) - 25


    Shoot (Basic) - 25]


    My distraction was punished by a ringing sound as the flat of Eleanor''s blade slammed against my helmet. "You''re getting lost," she warned.


    "Sorry, I''m just getting used to the new skill," I said. "Fighting against the monsters is a different experience."


    "That''s why we have to practice," she responded. "You''re lucky that I''m willing to waste my time helping you."


    I couldn''t help but chuckle. "And, it has nothing to do with the boredom you have accumulated through endless meetings."


    She avoided my gaze, and a shy giggle left her mouth. "Anyway, you have improved quite a bit," she said, changing the topic.


    "The dungeon is working for me," I responded, suddenly feeling encouraged. "Having access to endless materials is proving to be quite a boon. I came up with a few inventions, including one that allows me to catch if someone gets near," I said.


    Technically, it was true. As long as I used a silver-gold alloy, I was able to expand the detection range of my Observe Perk quite a bit.


    "Really, can you teach me?" she asked.


    "Unfortunately, no," I said. "It requires me to use a perk I had received from the Repair skill, but it''s still quite useful. By burying a silver web, I can detect the presence of monsters and people alike."


    "Really, you did that through the Repair skill?"


    "Yes. Is it a problem?"


    "No," she said. "I just never imagined a production skill having combat application." She paused, and sighed deeply. "I can''t believe just how big of a misfortune your class is. You''re a natural-born warrior. You working as a blacksmith is a waste."


    "Don''t worry about it, I appreciate the variance," I said even as I walked to the perimeter, and buried a long piece of silver string ¡ª which I created in my pocket by manipulating mana. At the same time, I watched Eleanor very carefully, trying to see if she noticed my ability to manipulate mana.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    It was a risky test, but with the prospect of an ambush, I wanted to see what I could and couldn''t do near her without raising suspicion.


    I was tempted to retreat, but after some consideration, I decided against it. I didn''t know whether the potential ambush was targeting me or Eleanor, but either way, acting unaware of the potential ambush was the better option than scaring them away.


    If I were to fight against these spies, I much rather do that in the depths of the dungeon. Even before I started hunting the dungeon bosses, I had the home-ground advantage in the dungeon thanks to all the buried defensive bulwarks I had prepared for this exact eventuality.


    My ability to see through the mist was even more important


    "Handy," Eleanor commented once I finished burying the silver string, and returned. Technically, what I buried wasn''t enough to catch any interloper, but it was good enough to make my warnings credible if they returned. Even if they didn''t return to attack as I feared, I could still warn Eleanor about potential assassins.


    I wanted to keep my secrets, but not at the cost of letting Eleanor walk into the blades of a hidden assassin if I could help it. At this point, despite the number of secrets I had to keep from her, Eleanor belonged to the small list of people I could call a friend.


    Speaking of friends, I wondered where Rosie was. Her guild was operational, but she was yet to return.


    I elected not to ask Eleanor about it, but instead attacked her again, continuing our sparring session. I appreciated it, as even at the peak of the skill, the spar taught me a lot about fighting another human, particularly one that was flat-out better.


    As we fought, the situation was interrupted by a sudden rumbling, and at a distance, the same two cloaked agents appeared at the edge of our range of vision once again, drawing a swarm behind them.


    "Another stampede," Eleanor gasped as she pulled out of an attack. "Natural or manmade," she said.


    "Definitely manmade," I said. "There''s two people just at the edge of the swarm," I said.


    "Not for long," she said even as she dashed forward to meet with the swarm. I bit my lip, holding back a curse as I followed her. She was as fast as me when I used Fleeting Step to the limit, making me glad I had gone through all that trouble to integrate Floating Stride into my repertoire.


    Still, I let Eleanor ditch me before I started following her. "Wait for me, I can''t move as fast as you," I shouted.


    "Then, you can clean up!" she shouted, her attitude showing that she didn''t feel the slightest hint of threat from the ambush.


    While I understood where her sense of invincibility came from ¡ª I was dealing with a version of it myself ¡ª it didn''t mean I approved. Especially since the enemy knew about both Eleanor and me being here, but despite that, they attacked.


    As Eleanor went forward, the cloaked figure went behind the swarm, mana around them once again making the swarm ignore them. Eleanor burst forward, trying to engage with them. The swarm barely slowed her down, but she still failed to engage with the cloaked figures.


    Despite that, the cloaked figures didn''t try to ditch Eleanor. Instead, they retreated in a smooth manner, slowly drawing her to a certain location.


    It was not something I was willing to allow. I started rushing forward, only for ten figures to appear from the mist. Nine of them were clad in pitch-black armor, while the tenth one was cloaked as well.


    The cloaked one, who was clearly some kind of scouting class, directed the rest. I changed my direction slightly to catch up with Eleanor, only for them to cut my path.


    I wanted nothing more than to retreat, but I couldn''t do that without revealing I had detected their presence. And, at this point, it was not an acceptable sacrifice, so instead, I moved forward, but didn''t show my Fleeting Step.


    Soon, I found myself face-to-face with the three armored figures. "Get out of my path, or die," I called in faux anger even as the nine armored figures spread out, ready to cut my path. Their formation was enough to reveal what they had been trying to do.


    It wasn''t a formation designed to surround someone, but to support each other in case I tried to ignore them and push forward. That alone was strong evidence to suggest that they were trying to delay me.


    Their armament suggested it as well. Their armor was heavier than I expected, and every single one of them carried shields. Their equipment was identical, making them look like some kind of an assassination squad.


    I didn''t want to engage with them, but I needed information. So, I rushed forward, and attacked the one at the center of the formation, my sword covered with Vitality. The shield was sturdy enough to resist the blow, giving them a chance to counter-attack if they wished.


    It was a risky move, but a necessary one, because, during the brief contact, I managed to use Observe, which gave me a brief, yet accurate snapshot of the shield. I attacked a second one before the first recovered, ready to retreat before they closed around me.


    To my surprise, instead of leveraging the opportunity, they stayed spread in their formation, showing their intent to delay me. That alone had granted me a very important piece of information. They didn''t want to kill me but wanted to split me and Eleanor up.


    I paused for a moment before I attacked the line again, but my intent was more about testing their equipment. It was new, not showing any sign of damage from anything but very brief sparring. No one had touched them since they had been purchased from the System Shop, not even to cast a repair spell ¡ª which was something I could distinguish at my current skill level.


    They were also thick, heavy, and most importantly, optimized to resist sword attacks. As long as I used a spear or a hammer, I could have easily killed them.


    It was purchased to delay a certain guild master who had famously only used swords. They targeted me, and not Eleanor, as Eleanor was too fast to be restricted by them.


    Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to set up a unit to delay me. The only question, was whether they were trying to split Eleanor so they could kill me ¡­ or the other way around.


    Ironically, I found myself desperately wishing that it was the first version, as that was destined to fail. At this moment, I had too many hidden advantages for such an attempt to succeed as long as I stayed in the dungeon.


    Eleanor''s abilities were not as much of a secret.


    I needed to make a decision, and I needed to make it immediately.

 Chapter 82

    "You bunch of whipper-snappers think that you can kill me," I laughed boisterously even as I suddenly started running away, but limited myself to ordinary running speed. "I didn''t get to my age by stupidly letting people ambush me."


    Before they could make a decision, I had passed the forty-yard mark. The cloaked one followed me from a distance, using hand signals to command the other armored figures. Once again, I enjoyed the luxury of having a better range of vision, as it allowed me to see their movements clearly.


    They were happy to keep me separated from Eleanor.


    That left the question: why bother setting things like that in the first place? Couldn''t they have just ambushed Eleanor when she was alone?


    I didn''t waste too much time thinking about that, and instead focused on my first problem. How to ditch the cloaked scout, who was constantly updating the rest on my location. Then, I turned my gaze toward a nearby cliff.


    At this point, I was familiar with Quake Hammer enough to create the same effect with a punch. It shattered the cliff, which came tumbling down.


    That had two advantages. First, it was very loud, enough to confuse the scout who relied on his hearing. More importantly, the destruction of the dungeon fixture released the tainted energy that was captured in the dungeon, which pulled the nearby beasts toward me.


    The scouts were able to prevent the monsters from attacking them by using some kind of item ¡ª which was another suspicious point, as I had no doubt such an item was extremely expensive, or it would have been a common gear for the dungeon guards ¡ª but the armored ones didn''t have it.


    This meant that, with the swarm between me and them, I was free to retreat.


    The scout tried to follow me, but I didn''t let him succeed. He was fast, but nowhere as fast as my modified version of Fleeting Step, which incorporated some principles from Floating Stride. Still, I made sure not to show that fully as I retreated back, bringing down two more cliffs on the way.


    Then, I circled the whole area, moving at full speed, doing my best to calculate Eleanor''s current position.


    A minute later, I was looking at Eleanor, still chasing the two scouts. There was no threat there, so I moved forward, wondering what kind of trap was awaiting her.


    I moved forward, hoping that the commotion Eleanor was creating to conceal my approach. Though, I didn''t have to move too far. Following the path the scouts had been drawing Eleanor, I had found a relatively deep canyon. On both sides, there were two ballistas, ready to be launched.


    Of course, that was not the full extent of the ambush. I could see almost a hundred people, their blades ready. I was able to recognize most of them as members of the various guilds, including a few leaders.


    Seeing their identity, their ploy had turned apparent.


    They wanted to kill Eleanor, and blame me for it. After all, Eleanor had publicly visited me before we left for the dungeon.


    I had to admit, if they were trying that, it was a good ploy. It would not only weaken Maria''s support significantly, but also force her to distance herself from her biggest supporter, forcing her to rely on the other guilds.


    Assuming, of course, Maria was able to handle the loss of her best friend. Knowing her, abandoning the dungeon to her family while she left to harrow in her depression was a much likelier option.


    However, while the plan offered a lot of benefits, trying to target both me and Eleanor at the same time made the plan unnecessarily dangerous. From the perspective of the guilds, safely dealing with Eleanor was safer than the alternative. Refusing their offer to collaborate wasn''t that big of an insult.


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    Then, there were the resources that they had committed to the attack. The team I fought against before had been equipped to defend against me, which was a significant level of financial commitment.


    I suddenly had a hunch as I circled the group, trying to see the face of a figure who seemed to be in charge.


    A bodyguard of Thomas.


    I had no intention of directly attacking the group. The existence of six ballistas alone was enough to make the position unassailable, let alone the forty extra fighters ready to intervene.


    I reversed the direction, using Fleeting Step to cut the path of the two that had been pulling Eleanor into an ambush, and managed to cut their path about four hundred yards away from the ambush spot. I rushed with the full speed of the Fleeting Step, and cut their path from the opposite direction.


    They were fast enough that I couldn''t take them down easily, but I didn''t need to do that. I just needed to slow them down. Eleanor caught up with them, her blade glowing with vitality, and a few slashes were all it took to kill them.


    "What''s going on?" she asked. "How are you this fast?"


    "I also learned an Uncommon spear skill to surprise you during our spars," I said, quick to explain and give an excuse even as I focused on killing the swarm around us. "But, the ambush forced me to reveal my hand."


    "I know. They are not as subtle as they think they are," she said.


    "And, you''re moving toward it regardless," I said, unable to suppress my shock.


    "Well, yes. How else would I deal with them?"


    "And, you''re not afraid they have a force that''s overwhelming enough to take you down?" She snorted dismissively. "Even if they have siege weapons?" I asked.


    That made her eyes widen. "No, that''s impossible. How do you know?"


    "One of my attackers slipped it as I was retreating, trying to taunt me," I said, inventing a credible source to what I had seen.


    "Your attackers?"


    "Yes. My attackers. The moment you left me behind, ten more warriors appeared to cut my path, geared specifically so I couldn''t support you."


    "Still, I''m sure that together ¡ª"


    "No," I cut her off. She looked frustrated, ready to refuse. Her attitude was radiating confidence to the point of recklessness. The fact that she was killing the monsters around us with incredible ease just reinforced the image.


    I had to admit, her arrogance was not entirely unjustified, but the ambush that was waiting for her was too significant, particularly with the ballistas in place. But, I didn''t know how I would convince her without telling her I had already seen it.


    I was afraid that I had to reveal I had already killed a few dungeon bosses to convince her. It was not something I wanted to reveal, but it was better than letting her walk into a deadly ambush. My secrets were important, but not to the point of letting her walk to her certain death.


    I would reveal it if I had to. But, before that, I had one more thing to try. "Please," I continued. "If you follow my lead, I promise that I''ll spar with you every day for a week."


    Bribery worked where honesty and common sense failed. "Alright. Don''t forget it. Even if Maria wants to play chess, sparring takes priority."


    "Deal," I said, doing my best to ignore the two bodies that we had left behind. "Now, follow me."


    With that, I led her back to the initial ambush location. The squad was not there, but finding them hadn''t been too difficult. Their scout had tried to bring them away, which was a valiant, but ultimately useless effort. My range of vision meant that I was able to see them even when they were trying to hide.


    I still made a show of searching for them by going in the wrong direction first before switching. "Good instincts," Eleanor said as she dashed forward. "Take the scout while I deal with the armored ones."


    I had no problem with that assignment. The scout split from the group, while the armored ones gathered together.


    The moment I got out of Eleanor''s range of vision, I sped up even further and caught up with the scout. I hurried up, because their actions made it clear that they were using a method to communicate with each other.


    They acted like they had been promised reinforcements. Technically, it could be a lie, but I wouldn''t bet on it. The enemy had invested too much into their ploy to turn back immediately.


    I attacked the scout, using my Strength advantage to the limit, his lack of metal armor putting him in an even more disadvantageous position. The skill difference between us was stark enough that I could just rely on the skill to deal with him, which meant I could split my attention between my fight and Eleanor''s massacre.


    She was good. Intimidatingly so. I was aware that she had been holding back during our spars, but I clearly underestimated the extent of it. Her blade danced with an alacrity that I could never imagine matching.


    I wondered if her Dexterity was that high, or if it was a difference due to the perks. Either way, she danced around the nine armored figures, making sure that their presence was more of a restriction to each other than actual benefit.


    One of them had already fallen, and two others looked in critical condition.


    Since she seemed to be in control, I once again rushed forward.


    I needed to see what the main group was doing.

 Chapter 83

    Finding the main group had been easy. I didn''t have Perception, but the rushed movement of forty people, particularly when it was accompanied by a monster horde, was not too difficult. Luckily, not every single one of them had a movement ability, so they had to split their forces into two.


    The main group, the bigger crowd, had rushed forward, while the second team, consisting of merely ten members, with six of them pulling the carts the ballistas were placed on, trailed behind them.


    Their burst of speed confirmed that they were in communication with the other group, doing their best to catch up with Eleanor before she could finish with the armored team.


    What I wanted to do was to talk with Eleanor and convince her to retreat, but I doubted that she would follow that suggestion. She was too confident, too headstrong.


    I needed to equalize the stakes. The distance between the first and the second group wasn''t far enough for me to deal with all of them before the reinforcements could arrive ¡ª the distance between the two groups was merely two hundred yards, and I didn''t have the luxury of delaying them.


    Luckily, killing them wasn''t my objective.


    I attacked them from behind, which cost them a valuable second before they could raise an alarm. They tried to put a defensive line around the ballistas as they shouted, trying to raise an alarm, but it was too late.


    I was already on top of the carts, and delivered the mana variant of the Quake punch, figuring out if it would be enough to destroy an immobile target. It was not. The siege weapon was able to resist the attack better than I had expected.


    Thankfully, letting out a secondary blast of mana, this time under the control of Mana Forge, had been enough to deal with them. An Epic skill, even if it was merely a production one, was an incredible asset when used correctly.


    I didn''t even need to destroy them completely, just damage the main shaft and add a large crack ¡ª one that I could repair just as easily if the need arose.


    They made an attempt to catch me, but none of them had the necessary speed. I retreated, not only leaving them with their precious ballistas, which were turned into expensive junk, but also dragging a large box of ballista bolts with me.


    I departed in a hurry, as I saw ten people splitting from the main group, including Thomas'' bodyguard and three of five guild masters I had recognized. It was an elite force, one that I wasn''t ready to confront.


    I didn''t expect Thomas'' bodyguard to be as strong as Eleanor ¡ª or he wouldn''t have gone through all that trouble to set up such a huge ambush ¡ª but that didn''t mean he wasn''t as strong as me. And, supported by three guild masters and a few other soldiers, he had an overwhelming advantage.


    Unless, of course, I changed the equation somewhat.


    I picked a route that was almost perpendicular to Eleanor''s direction, which, as an added benefit, allowed me to stay near her without restricting my escape path. But, the real benefit was that it was on the path of the safe houses I had created, which also doubled as an armory, filled with javelins.


    Manipulating their pursuit was easy. Several members of their party were faster than me unless I used Floating Stride, which was still not something I could use, but they didn''t dare to confront me without the rest. So, they moved near the group, spread to cut my path in case I wanted to make a beeline for Eleanor.


    I changed direction occasionally, acting like I was trying to do that to make the scouts'' job of trying to find my location harder. Even with the help of Perception, tracking the location of someone solely by sound was not easy, especially when the man in question could incorporate wind into his steps, and monsters were hardly silent either.


    When combined, my advantage in vision allowed me to easily avoid the traps they tried to place. I had to admit, their attempts weren''t half bad both in terms of creativity and robustness.


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    In a way, it was like playing chess with Maria, where every move was done with a strategic robustness that I couldn''t come close to matching. Unfortunately for them, it wasn''t a chess game, where both sides had equal resources and equal information, where pure calculation ability of the stat and mindless repeating solved their problem.


    It required them to systematically analyze the information granted by the Stat and direct it efficiently. Without a deliberate restriction and being pushed in the correct direction, the Stat didn''t work. A classic garbage-in-garbage-out problem. They were not even able to understand the reason for their continued failures, still under the assumption that we shared the same range of vision, just setting even more elaborate traps.


    In any other situation, I would have lamented about it being a waste, but coming from my enemies, it was always welcome.


    It was appropriate to add some more complexity to their plight. I opened the box I had taken and pulled one of the bolts. It was mostly metal, but a quick check with my Repair skill showed me that the metal was nothing more than a relatively ordinary iron alloy, once again there to hold the enchantment in place.


    And, the enchantment was far too complicated to even start making sense. I didn''t waste any time before I threw it toward my enemies. It managed to catch them in surprise even as it hit one of them in the chest ¡­ only to bounce helplessly.


    Whatever enchantment was on the bolt, it didn''t trigger when I threw it by hand.


    I threw two more, and they bounced off nearby rocks, and their lack of reaction implying that my method of using the bolts was utterly useless. Still, I threw a few more until I had reached one of my safe houses. I pulled the hatch to enter, placed the remaining ballista bolts there, and grabbed a bunch of throwing spears, as well as the spear-thrower I had designed.


    Well, "designed" was a big word. A spear-thrower, or atlatl as my anthropologist friends insisted to call it, was one of the first inventions the early humans had ever come up with, believed to be in use for almost thirty thousand years.


    It was attached to the bottom of the spear and folded against it. Then, the spear was thrown by the action of the upper arm and wrist. Atlatl acted as a low-mass, fast-moving extension of the throwing arm, increasing the length of the lever, and allowing the thrower to impart force to the dart over a longer distance, thus putting more energy and allowing for higher speeds.


    Though, in my case, there was one other advantage. I designed the atlatl to hold my mana so that I could imbue the javelin as I wanted. Not only did it cause more damage, but, as an added benefit, it might have caused an outside observer to mistake the source of the attack, and assume that I had some kind of magical device rather than Essence Stat.


    It wasn''t a guarantee, but I had done all that was needed to do so, including making the atlatl needlessly ornamental, with gold and silver fittings on the surface. It did look like a weapon purchased from the System shop.


    Now, it was time for a field test. I moved away from the entrance, zeroing in on my first target: The scout. Not only was he not wearing heavy armor, which made him a good target for the ranged attack, but also his direction was a critical part of their strategy.


    I channeled some of my Mana to the spear, weakening its structure appropriately as I targeted him, and released it.


    [-40 Mana]


    To his credit, the scout tried to dodge the attack. The combination of Dexterity and Perception gave him a chance despite the mist significantly restricting his vision. When all of it added up, however, even his supernatural abilities didn''t help.


    The spear not only hit, but the weakened structure started to shatter into razor-sharp, mana-soaked shards as it hit his chest with enough momentum to shred his clothing. The damage was severe, but Health was already helping him to recover.


    [-37 Mana]


    [-28 Mana]


    Two more spears, one targeting his head, stopped that recovery. I couldn''t help but wince as I killed another man. It was not a good way to go.


    "Take cover," one of them shouted in panic. The one with the Intelligence tried to give some orders to change it, quick to realize that ranged attack had only been effective on the scout because of his lack of armor, but his command went unheeded as the orders conflicted.


    One disadvantage of mixing the various guilds.


    I decided to fuel their worry even further. I threw another spear, but this time, the mana worked the opposite way. Rather than spreading through its structure to weaken its integrity, it focused on the spearhead, reinforcing the impact point as much as possible.


    [-95 Mana]


    Then, I threw it to the one with Intelligence, one that was doing his best to control them. The spear sank into his right elbow, making him drop his sword in pain.


    Loss of the only calm voice didn''t help their panic. It was a good moment to attack them ¡­ if I had the ability to deal with a team of armored soldiers. Unfortunately, I did not. Health made that process very troubling.


    Even with the hammer I used against the gargantuan monsters, it wasn''t a challenge I would be willingly embracing. Without it, it was hopeless. Instead, I had just absorbed the mana from a few shells while they tried to recover, threw two more spears at the stragglers, and forced them to gather together to defend against the inevitable assault.


    Then, I ran away to meet up with Eleanor.

 Chapter 84

    I found Eleanor fighting a surprisingly effective hit-and-run battle, using her speed and Dexterity to the best of her ability. She wasn''t incredibly fast. I could see that her speed was somewhat comparable to Fleeting Step, though it was considerably more flexible. She was making movements too sudden for me to replicate even with Floating Stride, and it helped her to be never surrounded.


    However, while that ability helped her to never be surrounded, it wasn''t helping her to actually deal the finishing blow. The reinforcements ¡ª the ones that failed to distract ¡ª had arrived, their numbers ensuring that Eleanor couldn''t focus on one enemy at a time. There were a few bodies on the ground, but it was likely that they had been slain before the reinforcements had arrived.


    And, whenever an exhausted one retreated back, the potions and concentrated nutrition bars were in place to help them recover their Health.


    Eleanor was incredible as she danced around them despite the numbers, her confidence not faltering even for a second, but I could see that her fighting style had been geared more toward evasive action and defense than stopping power. Not shocking, considering stopping power was one thing Maria didn''t lack. She just needed to keep Maria safe against the enemies while she spread destruction.


    Unfortunately, without Maria, her lack of stopping power, particularly against armored figures, was showing. Her ranged attacks weren''t enough to easily pass through the high-grade armor. Not that she was using them often, no doubt careful about depleting her Health.


    Admittedly, I was tempted to just turn my back and leave. I didn''t know what encouraged ¡ª or forced ¡ª Thomas to pull such an intense ambush, but it was certain that this wasn''t the end. From what I could derive from my limited interactions in mind, he seemed entitled and greedy. A bad combination, particularly when confronted with failure.


    Back before the Cataclysm, I had dealt with people like him a lot, often in the form of trust-fund students who were under the impression that their family money should somehow afford them a passing grade. But, occasionally, I had dealt with them as a part of a disciplinary committee ¡ª yet another pointless time sink I had to deal with before the Cataclysm ¡ª where I had to examine their ''discretions'' quite a bit.


    Rich and popular, they were not used to losing on topics they cared about, feeling entitled to success. Some just threw a tantrum before avoiding the topic of failure, while others doubled down.


    Thomas clearly belonged to the second category, the kind that would take such a loss personally. Another attack would inevitably arrive.


    In that attack, it was certain that he would escalate things further. Yes, I had my setup, but now that the proof of concept of dungeon exploration was in place, I could easily move my things to another location. It was a smart decision. Looking rationally, no one could claim that I actually owed Maria or Eleanor anything. Anything I took, I had paid back more than tenfold.


    Yes, I earned a lot, but I didn''t owe them for the benefits they hadn''t intended to give.


    However, it didn''t change the fact that, since the Cataclysm, they were the first people I had truly bonded with. Hours of playing chess with Maria despite being demolished repeatedly, Eleanor''s constant badgering for another spar, the long dinners whenever we managed to get some time from our busy schedule.


    "God damn it," I growled as I had committed to a stupid, short-sighted, sentimental decision that I was sure would give me an endless amount of trouble.


    I swung my arm, bringing the atlatl down.


    [-46 Mana]


    Another spear let loose. This time, I wasn''t targeting a scout, on alert against the possible attacks, but one with his back turned at me, unaware of the risk. The spear exploded and took him from the back of his head.


    The result wasn''t pretty.


    Once again, the dungeon mist worked to my benefit, especially since the scouts had been working hard to stay out of Eleanor''s way, spread at the outside of the formation to track Eleanor to limit her mobility advantage. It meant, they weren''t able to see each other, the shocked cries of the other fighters weren''t enough to inform them about the true nature of the threat.


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    Before the crowd could even realize what had happened, I moved around, taking down all of the scouts. Eleanor looked equally surprised about the development, but it didn''t prevent her from moving forward to take down the surprised attackers.


    I stayed outside their range even after I had finished dealing with the scouts, this time aiming for the armor joints. The damage from the armor-piercing variant might not be as dangerous, but it still blocked their mobility enough to give Eleanor an opportunity. The tacit cooperation was enough to allow us to take down six more permanently before they pulled back into a defensive formation that made my throwing spears useless.


    Since only two spears remained, it was not exactly a great loss.


    Eleanor, realizing the situation had reached a stalemate, pulled back. I approached her from the other direction, and once I walked her into her field of view. She looked at me in shock, which was to be expected. What I was afraid of was to find suspicion or hostility. Luckily, those emotions were absent. I was sure of it, as Eleanor wasn''t a particularly difficult person to read.


    A part of me was glad that it was Eleanor and not Maria I had revealed it. While Eleanor had a sense of directness that didn''t appreciate subterfuge, she was grounded enough not to take my sudden reveal personally.


    At least, under the current circumstances.


    She had enough presence of mind to not speak at the earshot of the others as we retreated back. She just made a questioning gesture, but when I gestured for her to follow me, she didn''t complain, moving full speed as she followed me.


    I didn''t know whether it was the reveal of my surprise, or the overwhelming number of enemies that convinced her to retreat without complaining, but either way, I was too happy with the outcome to question it.


    "Someone has been keeping secrets," she said, but only after we had put almost a mile distance between us and the hostile party.


    "I have been told a little mystery looked good on a man," I responded even as I gave her a comical pose with my sword. With my bushy silver beard, no doubt ridiculous, but she didn''t laugh. I shrugged. She must be still under the effect of the adrenaline.


    She spoke almost a minute later, when we stood at the dungeon gate leading to the third floor. "Why are we going down?" she asked. "Shouldn''t we return to the first floor?"


    I was glad that she was asking about it rather than ordering what to do. I must have really impressed her. "Not before we pick some gear from my stash. We don''t know if they have any other nasty surprises." With that, I stepped through the gate.


    "Nasty surprises, like what?" she asked.


    "Well, the ballista squad, for one," I commented casually, only for her to actually stumble.


    "Ballistas, really?" she asked, shocked. For once, she actually looked unsettled. I didn''t blame her. A lucky ballista shot might not have killed her, but it didn''t need to. All it would have taken was for it to impair her mobility for a while, and the fight would have ended very much differently.


    "Yes, all organized by a bodyguard of Thomas, I have seen him," I said, then gave her a quick summary of everything that happened, all while still running at her maximum speed, easily killing any monster that we came across.


    She listened to me without interruption, but I was too familiar with her to miss her growing suspicion. I didn''t blame her, as she lacked one critical piece of information that explained how I was able to outplay the enemy with such ease.


    "Is it the camouflage ring?" she asked, finally interrupting me toward the end of my story, only to pause. "No, it doesn''t make sense ¡ª" she continued, only to gasp in shock. "No, you can''t be serious," she said even as she put some distance between us.


    It wasn''t the fear that made her retreat. Instead, she just raised two hands and raised six fingers from fifty yards away ¡­ a distance that I wasn''t supposed to be able to see her.


    "Four and two," I said, unable to keep a smirk away even as she looked absolutely shocked. I wasn''t stretching the reveal to mock her. Instead, I was letting her piece things together on her own, hoping that it would help her to process the other secrets I was planning to reveal.


    I didn''t know if I would reveal all my secrets, but any decent subset would be shocking enough to be worth wasting a few seconds here.


    She showed me a few numbers, and even wrote a few words in the air for me to read, which I told her with ease. As her shock melted into acceptance, she made one last gesture. "And, what''s this number?" she asked.


    It was one. A special one. "Well, that''s just rude," I said with an exaggerated offended tone.


    "Sorry, professor," she responded with a soft laugh even as she closed the distance, and we started moving once again. "So, you have managed to kill a dungeon boss," she commented.


    "No," I said, and she looked insulted. It was a mean way of extracting information from her, but her disbelief just confirmed that there was no way of expanding the vision range without actually dispelling the mist ¡ª at least, to her knowledge. Old habits die hard. I quickly amended my statement. "I have killed four of them."


    She fell into silence once again, thinking for a long while. "You consumed the crystals yourself, right?" she asked. I nodded. "No wonder you were able to outplay the ambush so easily," she commented. "Surprising."


    I nodded. She was right. It was surprising, but she was handling it well. I must have impressed her more than I had expected for her to so easily accept my claim of soloing a dungeon boss, let alone multiple.


    I just hoped that she would be just as accepting of all the other secrets I was about to reveal.

 Chapter 85

    Soon, we were standing in front of the cave that held my best gear. I could have gone in and grabbed my weapons immediately, but before doing that, I turned to her. "I need you to promise me something."


    She gestured for me to continue. "Go ahead."


    "I need you to swear that you''ll keep what I''m about to reveal to you a secret. It''s a matter of life and death," I said. For a moment, she looked affronted, like I had just asked her to deface a monument to her religion. It clicked. "Except Maria, of course," I added. "I know you two come as a package deal. I won''t ask you to keep secrets from her."


    I would have if it had any chance of working, but it was a moot point.


    She lost her tenseness. "Better," she said. "But, I won''t make any promises in her place."


    "As long as you help me convince her to keep it a secret," I bargained. I wasn''t entirely sure if it working, but I wasn''t under any delusion. The moment I decided to help Eleanor openly, I knew that they would pay more attention to my actions.


    It was inevitable. Previously, no matter how much potential I had offered, I didn''t represent an actual threat. What I had displayed while helping Eleanor proved that I was able to fight on the same stage as them. It meant attention, which would eventually lead to the reveal of my secrets.


    Voluntarily revealing them looked much better.


    "Let''s see what makes you so tense," she said even as I swiped the rocks from the entrance and revealed the safe house to her. There were several notable items, but at the center of the room stood my armor, placed on a mannequin, and next to it, stood my three weapons.


    "Looks pretty, but hardly a big reveal," she commented even as I walked toward the stand. "I was kind of suspicious that you''re holding back a new alloy based on the number of shells you collected without the assistance of your new guild, but mentioning killing a dungeon boss pretty much settled it. You need to be able to ignore the corrosion completely to actually spend that much time on the fourth floor."


    "Fifth floor, actually," I corrected, which made her look at me with a sudden shock, which made me believe that it was a big deal. Admittedly, considering the difference between the fourth and fifth floors, it was certainly a big deal, but I seemed to guess that just by the mention of the fifth floor.


    I needed to learn what was common knowledge and what was not.


    "How?" she asked.


    "Well, I''m sure this will answer some of your questions," I said as I threw her the sword, hilt first. She caught the sword, almost absent-minded, but the moment she swung the sword absentmindedly, she froze like she had been struck by thunder.


    "Impossible," she gasped as she let Health cover the sword, which stretched significantly. "I ¡­ just¡­"


    I smirked even as I realized the best way of getting rid of her. "Why don''t you go out and test it for a moment and meanwhile, I can change."


    She didn''t even deign to answer my question even as she stepped out. I changed into the other armor, grabbed my hammer and spear, and went out. On my waist, I still had the sword I used publicly, which wasn''t as good as the one I had given to Eleanor.


    I wasn''t stupid enough to try and get back the sword from Eleanor ¡­ at least, not before I forged one of her own that fit her style even better. I shrugged. I still had my hammer and spear, which was already more useful against the upcoming battle.


    The hammer in particular. I could hardly wait until I smashed their faces and ¡ª


    I paused, my own smug satisfaction made me do a double-take. I was thinking about killing people. It was a deep, solemn event. But, I was treating it as a challenge to be cleared, almost like an exciting problem.


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    I wondered if it had something to do with the fact that they were determined to ambush us, or if was I simply getting too used to violence because I had spent my days in violence. Yes, it was against mindless monsters, but it was clearly making me more callous to death.


    "Maybe I''m the crazy one for actually trying to treat life as something sacred," I muttered as I continued to put on my armor. After all, people had been doing their best to treat life as a currency ¡ª and not a particularly valuable one ¡ª as they tried to climb the ladder of power, both the system and the social kind.


    However, the moment I finished putting on armor, I abandoned those thoughts. Not permanently, but there were better ways to handle a potential ambush. Regardless of my own feelings ¡ª or lack thereof ¡ª the ones that ambushed us needed to be dealt with.


    I was afraid of what they would do next.


    I replenished my throwing spears, and left the hideout. Outside, Eleanor was practicing her skill attacks, her face contorted in a familiar excitement while the life aura around her sword was thicker than I had ever seen. "Let me guess, you have earned a few skill points."


    "Try a lot instead. I have gained six points. It''s absurd," she responded even as we started to run back. "Is this how you managed to improve that much in such a short time? I can see why you want to keep this a secret."


    "Yes, I don''t think a lot of city lords would appreciate the prospect of lower classes getting stronger," I said.


    "But they would love to have those swords," she commented, looking confused.


    "Enough to keep me a guest forever," I responded. "Before I make any kind of decision, I want to be strong enough."


    "Then, why did you come here in the first place and play along," she said. "Aren''t there better ways to access a dungeon."


    "Well..." I said, realizing that she misunderstood the timeline of my development. I wanted to let her continue believing in that. Not due to any practical reason, but solely because I was ashamed. But, even the harmless lies had a way of coming out, and the last thing I needed was for her to believe my presence to be some kind of conspiracy.


    So, as we traveled back, I gave her an abridged version of my story, up until their recruitment. It didn''t take long, as it was hardly a riveting story. "Really?" she said, chuckling in amusement. "The genius professor wasted three years of his life doing nothing but sending applications."


    I shrugged. As much as I wanted to defend myself about the impact of the peace field and how it potentially impacted people who lived in towns, I held back. Not because I wanted to keep it a secret, but because that particular topic needed far more time than we currently had to properly explain. "I have to admit it was not my finest moment, but it worked out. Without your help, I doubt I could improve my combat skills in such a short time," I said. I wasn''t sure if it was entirely true, but being generous with credit was almost always a better choice.


    "Yes, you owe me," Eleanor said, her smile widening. "Wait until Maria learned I managed to help you more than those silly experiments."


    "I wouldn''t go that far. After all, it was her experiments that allowed me to unlock Essence. Without her, I couldn''t use Mana ..." I continued, only to stop when I noticed Eleanor had stopped, and was falling behind me.


    "Y-you can use mana," she gasped in shock.


    There, I realized that I had yet to mention that fact. "Well, yes," I said even as I raised the sword, and let the mana gather around the edge, which turned mana into something actually visible rather than something that could be sensed through Essence.


    "How?" she repeated. "The only way to unlock new stats is to upgrade class skills, and the skill stones that allow it are nearly impossible to find," she said.


    "Maybe, but it doesn''t exclude upgrading the skill directly," I said. She looked at me blankly. "I''m sure upgrading the rarity of the skills through practice is not a secret."


    "Well, no," she said. "But, it only upgrades to the rarer variant of the same skill."


    "Not always," I replied, remembering my own experience with Meditation, which upgraded to Cleansing meditation. "And, sometimes, achieving something incredible, like creating a mana-infused metal alloy can actually upgrade the skill to a rarer variant."


    She gasped. "T-that''s a game changer."


    "Believe me, I''m aware. Why do you think I''m keeping all those secrets? People kill for much less." I didn''t have any concerns about revealing that to Eleanor, as paradoxically, it would help her to keep my secret even better.


    Ironically, the bigger the secret, the harder it is to sell. My ability to forge weapons that even Eleanor couldn''t access from the market was a secret she could have sold for a king''s ransom.


    The potential to upgrade production classes ¡­ was the kind of secret the buyer would have killed everyone just to prevent any accidents.


    Hopefully, Eleanor was smart enough to realize that as well.


    She stood silent for a while, her expression shifting. "We will talk about it later," she finally declared. "We have a battle to win."


    "Don''t worry, we will," I said, feeling excited at the prospect. The information I managed to glean from both of them allowed me to improve significantly. I was enthusiastic about what a true collaboration could bring.


    But first, we had a battle to win.

 Chapter 86

    "What do you see?" Eleanor whispered two minutes later, as we stood a distance away from them. Finding them hadn''t been too difficult, as they retreated back to the canyon they previously wanted to use as an ambush spot.


    "As far as I can tell, all of them are here, and they look tense," I said. "My best guess is, they are afraid of another attack."


    "Good. They should be," she added even as her sword ¡ª well, technically my sword, but the more I watched her, the more I was convinced that it wouldn''t matter ¡ª flashed, and another monster died without making a sound.


    Her ability to kill the monsters silently was one reason we had managed to stay concealed despite our relative closeness. Two hundred yards wasn''t close, but it wasn''t that distant either. Luckily, without their scouts, it was much harder for them to hear anything.


    Also, it helped that most of the monsters in the immediate vicinity had already been killed during either the earlier swarms or their return, and the few that remained fell to her attacks easily, her vitality attacks cutting the monsters'' shells like butter.


    "I would have said that we should return to the first floor and get some reinforcements, but I don''t like their attitude," I said.


    "What do you mean?" she asked.


    "They are tense, but not really fearful. It feels like they are waiting for something."


    "Maybe reinforcements?" she asked.


    "Maybe," I said, then paused, thinking for a moment. "Actually, it might be risky, but I have an idea," I said. She looked at me questioningly. "I need you to attack them, but retreat just as quickly."


    She smirked. I was glad that I was not the target of that smirk. "Well, I was looking for an excuse to test my sword properly," she said.


    Her unilateral declaration would have been annoying if the sword was actually a rare commodity, but considering I merely require half a day to forge another, it turned into something endearing. "Unfortunately, no," I said to her. "You need to use your old sword."


    "Why?" she complained, her tone uncharacteristically childish. Luckily, she had the presence of mind to not shout.


    "Because we don''t want to give out precious information during a probing attack," I explained. Despite not having the strategic awareness of a general, even I could recognize the fact that, with the System in play, every battle was like a puzzle game. A tense, deadly puzzle game where both parties held certain cards, and a surprise could be the difference between a win and a loss.


    "Fine," Eleanor responded. "I''m going to attack first, then retreat, right?" she asked.


    "Yes, just wait for my signal," I said.


    "Which is what?" she asked.


    "I''ll attack them by throwing spears from the other side," I said. "Once you hear the cries of pain, attack unless I shout for you to stop, but be careful not to be surrounded," I said. "We need to make it look like a botched assault. And, I''ll smash a rock with my hammer when it''s time to retreat, which should still trigger a swarm. That way, you can retreat easily."


    "Is it really necessary?" she asked.


    "Humor me," I responded. "It''s suspicious that they are staying in place rather than trying to escape. It doesn''t make sense."


    "Maybe they are over-confident. They might believe that, as long as they are in a group, we can''t defeat them without reinforcements. Not that we will have any worthwhile support. Maria is not in town today, and none of the guards would be of use."


    "Assuming some of them weren''t bribed by them in the first place," I commented, and Eleanor nodded. "They would probably have agents at the dungeon entrance, ready to warn them if that was the case," I theorized.


    "That''s probably why they are overconfident, and think that they can survive. We have the advantage, we should press on," she said, and then her smile turned vicious. "With my new sword, I could carve through their armor easily, so their tactic wouldn''t work."


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    "Still, if there''s one thing I learned from chess or other games, it is that assuming the enemy is making a mistake without checking can backfire badly. And, since they already expect an ambush, we''re not really losing a big opportunity," I said.


    I was glad that I had taken the opportunity to destroy the ballistas, or such a probing attack would have been impossible.


    Too bad they had already collected the wrecked ballista. Currently, they were at the side of the canyon, discarded like garbage. Their enchantments were still in place, and I could repair them just as easily as I destroyed them.


    I should have dragged one of them away when I had the chance. A pity. Just as I was about to move, my instincts, which had been used intensively during my days as a professor, had tingled in warning. "Try to be on the side of caution. It''s just a probing attack. No making excuses to test your new sword," I warned her.


    "I wouldn''t do that," she hissed, but I was sure that I didn''t imagine the guilty look on her face.


    "Then, we have no problem, and I don''t need to threaten you with not forging you a matching dagger," I smirked back, enjoying her affronted expression. Now that we were on a more equal footing, she was surprisingly easy to tease.


    I carefully circled the group before I once again pulled my atlatl, and released three short spears in quick succession. I aimed all three to their heads, as just because it was a probing attack didn''t mean I was against thinning their numbers a bit.


    Unfortunately, ranged attacks were much harder to land without a battle to distract them. The first spear was the closest it came to hitting the target, but even then, the guard was able to deflect it with a shield. The other two missed completely.


    Meanwhile, from the other side, Eleanor charged silently and engaged with four guards. I expected the rest to respond immediately. Instead, the guards retreated back like they were overwhelmed. It was an obvious bait.


    My attention was grabbed by Thomas'' bodyguard, who, rather than joining the fight, had moved away from Eleanor before he pulled some kind of device and activated it. The resulting mana flare reminded me of the other attempts to communicate through dungeon floors, turning into a straight blue line before it stretched away ¡­ only significantly more intense.


    Following that, he went forward, and called for Eleanor. "It''s fun to see a familiar face," he called loudly as he removed his helmet. Too bad he was too deep into his camp for me to hit him with a spear.


    "Georg," Eleanor called even as she stopped fighting and took a few steps back. "I should have known it was you from the smell."


    "Well that''s uncalled for, Eleanor," he said. "Just because we are working for different bosses doesn''t mean we need to be rude to each other. It''s just business." Eleanor snarled mockingly. "We''re not here to hurt you, but to kill an enemy of my master. We were just trying to keep you distracted."


    As they spoke, I circled the group once again, standing behind Eleanor in a position where she could see me, but the others could not, and gestured for her to continue talking, hoping that they would reveal something.


    "You were just trying to kill my ally. Oh, that makes things so much better," Eleanor snarled in annoyance. "I should be thankful to your snotty master, then?"


    For the first time, Georg looked angry. No, he was furious. A religious zealot fighting with another one style furious. He clearly took the insult to Thomas personally.


    It didn''t surprise me too much. I already had enough evidence to conclude that Charisma had an insidious effect. And, Georg had probably spent the majority of his time glued to Thomas, constantly under his Charisma. Add in the fact that he followed his orders daily, which was a good way to foster loyalty and dependence even without mixing in a supernatural pseudo-drug like Charisma.


    I had a feeling that it would be useful. However, while he might have been zealous enough to defend his master''s honor, that didn''t mean he was foolish enough to rush forward recklessly.


    "If you insist on intervening, I''ll treat you as an enemy as well," Georg said in a chippy tone, acting like Eleanor wasn''t the target for assassination in the first place. It wasn''t convincing, but he was too angry to act in a convincing manner.


    "Like you weren''t going to before," Eleanor scoffed as she rushed forward to attack again, going further into the formation than I had requested. I signaled her, but she ignored it, moving deeper into the formation, where the enemy could surround her if they wished. I tightened the grip on my hammer, ready to rush forward if needed¡­


    But, to my surprise, they only defended even as Eleanor pushed her luck. The reinforcements they had called must have been even stronger than I feared for them to miss such a golden opportunity.


    Facing an unbreakable defensive line, Eleanor pulled back less than a minute later, and returned to my side. Together, we retreated enough not to fear them eavesdropping. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked.


    "I might have found even more," I responded. "They called for reinforcements, and I feel that it''s not good news."


    "What do we do? Retreat?" she said, her distaste clear.


    While that was a tempting idea, there was one problem. My guild was still there. They hadn''t targeted it yet, probably because it was just a bunch of farmers, which made them a low-value target, not worth risking the ambush. But, if we tried to retreat ¡­ they had already shown that they had no problem killing hundreds of unrelated people just to inconvenience Maria.


    "No," I said, my voice sharp enough to surprise myself. "They still don''t know I can see through the mist. We go and intercept their reinforcements."


    "That''s more like it," Eleanor smiled viciously. Any other time, it would have been worrying. This time, it was the opposite.


    I could acutely feel that I was changing, a scary concept in and of itself.

 Chapter 87

    While deciding that ambushing the arrival would be a good strategic concept, it wasn''t that simple tactically, mainly due to two factors.


    We had no idea about the nature of the reinforcements. More importantly, if we left them alone for too long, they would inevitably alert the reinforcements, who would be ready for an attack.


    "So, what do we do," Eleanor asked. "Do we just go and camp at the nearest dungeon gate, hoping to catch the reinforcements?"


    "No, I don''t believe that''s the most efficient plan," I said, but didn''t immediately declare it a bad plan. Until very recently, she had been my superior, and while she currently saw me as an equal, a little delicacy wouldn''t hurt. No one liked an upstart with a lot of new ideas.


    It was a lesson I had learned when I first joined the faculty.


    Luckily, while she frowned at my declaration, it wasn''t the deep, affronted expression that I feared. I didn''t know if she respected my acumen more than I had realized, or if it was still the good mood from her new sword. The former would have made me happier, but I would still take the latter as well.


    "That''s not exactly an efficient plan. They might just use another gate to arrive here, and we would be screwed. And, we need to stay near to harass them. I don''t want them to get the idea of targeting my guild to draw us to a fight."


    "What do we do, then?" she asked.


    I bit my lip as I thought, then my gaze flipped to the ruined ballistas. "We''re going to use their original tactic, and destroy them with the ballistas," I said.


    "How? We can probably take them, but they would realize that there''s something suspicious."


    "Not if we bury them," I responded. "Since they seem determined to attack


    "Can''t we just kill them?" Eleanor asked. "This new sword is incredible, and I''m guessing you''re not too shabby with that hammer, or you couldn''t have soloed dungeon bosses no matter the trickeries you used."


    "True. I''m sure we can take them, but I doubt we could catch all of them if they decided to escape. And, more importantly, it would mean their reinforcements would stay hidden, looking for an opportunity. Wouldn''t it be better to get rid of them all at once?"


    Eleanor paused, thinking carefully. "Alright, professor. You have one chance to put your plan into action before we go with mine."


    I smiled, doing my best to ignore that we were planning how to massacre about forty people, plus an uncertain number of reinforcements. That ignorance came easier than I was happy with, but once again, the immediacy of the situation forced me to ignore my own warping psyche and focus on practical matters.


    Like, how to conceal my action of hiding my assault. The first step was to lure them into a false sense of security. Luckily, with the reinforcements on the way, they were also trying to kill time, giving us enough time to prepare.


    During the first assault, Eleanor attacked from the front alone, still using her old sword to limit her threat level, while I supported her with several ranged spears. When Eleanor pulled back, she was already frowning. "I hope you''re confident in your plan. I''m not used to failure," she warned me.


    "Don''t worry. It''s clear that they want to kill time, and it gives us an opportunity," I said.


    "If you say so," she said even as I accompanied her for another rush. "Huh, are you still using your sword?" she asked.


    "Don''t worry about it," I said even as I joined the assault, charging the mess from the opposite direction, expecting to fight in a combined manner. It worked well. I wasn''t as good as Eleanor, but a maxed-out Rare skill, particularly one that worked well with my Strength build, was enough to keep the five guards that attacked me busy.


    Then, I noticed that one of the guards engaging with Eleanor was struggling. I pulled a spear from my back and threw it with a smooth motion before the others could realize it.


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    I wasn''t able to infuse it with mana in the middle of combat, but it didn''t need to. The guard who was trying to engage with Eleanor did his best to dodge the spear that he noticed at the last second. Unfortunately for him, Eleanor was too experienced to let such a mistake go unpunished. Two attacks were all she needed to destroy his guard completely before decapitating him with the third attack.


    Georg seemed to be uncaring of the loss, but the same wasn''t true for the guild leaders. "Screw your plan," one of them growled as he rushed toward me, and five from the inner line joined him, all moving toward me.


    "Idiots," Georg growled even as he quickly barked a few orders. The majority of the reserves attacked me, while Georg rushed toward Eleanor.


    I stomped my foot to the ground twice, as Eleanor was too far away to see me, signaling her to continue with the plan. "Finally, little cowards joining the battle," I said, louder than necessary even as I took a step to the side, positioning myself at the edge of the hill.


    "You have pushed your luck, Arthur," yelled the enemy guild leader, who I remembered talking to once or twice ¡ª though only if veiled insults and threats delivered by him while I gave one-word responses counted as talking.


    "Oh, brave man," I responded, forcing a joviality to my tone. "And, it took only the support of a dozen warriors to face me," I said. Actually, an equal number of warriors were also trying to circle around me to pin me in place, but I acted unaware of that.


    After all, they were supposed to be concealed by the mist.


    He just growled in anger and attacked. Unfortunately for him, the skill mismatch was enough to keep their blades from ever touching me, and even if it wasn''t my current armor was strong enough to take any blow that might slip.


    None of the blows actually slipped, but it was the difference between trying to do rock climbing with a safety tether on, and without it. The former was much easier. I pushed forward ''recklessly'' which positioned me between the two parties.


    And, coincidentally, near the broken ballistas.


    "Oh, big brave guild master can''t defeat poor old me with just a dozen soldiers, and require more," I shouted as the second group joined the mess. "Too bad," I called even as I took a step back and switched to my hammer, ready to devastate the hill we were fighting on.


    [-100 Health]


    As I slammed my hammer on the ground, six different attacks hit me, but all bounced off helplessly. I didn''t even feel them enough to actually require Health to cure me, but I still made a show of grunting in pain.


    Quake hammer destabilized the edge of the hill we were fighting on, which created a landslide that had three consequences, two of them intentional. The first two consequences were bringing me away from the ambush as I used Fleeting Step to surf over the wave of rubble, and burying the ballistas as intended.


    The third one, however, had been a welcome surprise. The guild leader and five attackers, who were responsible for the ineffective attacks against my armor, had tumbled down with me. And, unlike me, they lacked the skill to help them keep their footing on such unstable ground.


    Before the landslide calmed down, my blade flashed several times, making sure they could never stand up. Not exactly an honorable victory, but considering how things had developed, I wasn''t exactly burning with a desire to give them a fair fighting chance.


    When the dust settled, I found the others looking at me from the fresh edge of the hill, looking horrified. I didn''t blame them. One against twenty was supposed to be the odds for a decisive victory, especially once I recklessly pushed in between them.


    The loss of six of their members, including one of the guild masters, when the best they could do was to scratch my armor was not that.


    Though, while thinking that, I glanced down, only to see my armor completely pristine, without even a scratch, making me realize that they weren''t even able to achieve a scratch.


    Fascinating and scary in equal measures.


    I pulled back, and Eleanor managed to ditch Georg with relative ease as she had the advantage in mobility. Though, watching them fight, I had seen that Georg wasn''t any weaker than Eleanor, likely possessing a well-developed Epic skill, so I made a note not to confront him directly.


    With everything in place, stealing the ballistas under the rubble went without a hitch. Eleanor continued attacking, while I split my attention between supporting her from range and using one of the most famous siege strategies in the ancient world.


    I dug a tunnel.


    Thanks to a combination of mana and Strength, digging that tunnel barely took me a minute, and the constant sound of battle kept that activity concealed.


    Soon, we were looking at six ballistas, pristine after a few touches, hidden behind a rock. A quick supply run to the safe house meant that we had the ballista bolts back, not to mention a fresh batch of throwing spears.


    "Not bad, professor," Eleanor said before as she started giving me a crash course on how to use them, which seemed simple enough with enchantments handling most of the work. "All we need to do now is wait for the reinforcements to arrive. Speaking of them, why do you think they have them?" she asked. "Wouldn''t it be better if they had been a part of the ambush in the first place?"


    "Not necessarily," I responded. "Don''t forget. While setting the ambush, Thomas suspected that I might be over level hundred, which meant I was harder to target. With the visibility in the dungeon, they weren''t sure to take both of us down. That way, once I retreated away from the dungeon, they could ambush me outside. Which means, we''re going to have a difficult fight even with the ballistas."


    Her smile was positively vicious even as she grabbed the hilt of her new sword. "It''s good that I''m properly armed, right?"


    I was glad she was on my side.

 Chapter 88

    Just because we were waiting for reinforcements didn''t mean we stopped attacking once the ballistas were ready and in place. On the contrary, we continued attacking even more, forcing them to defend themselves.


    Their attitude changed from baiting us to defending earnestly, the recent loss of another guild master forcing their hands. They simply didn''t have an option. Currently, the only one that could fight against us on an equal footing was Georg, meaning, whenever we attacked from two opposite directions, he had been forced to engage with Eleanor, while the remaining guild masters tried to defend against me.


    With them focusing fully on the defensive and us holding back our trump cards, the battle had been locked into a stalemate. We attacked in bursts, allowing us to replenish the Health we consumed during our special attacks.


    And, whenever we retreated, Georg sent another magical message to his allies. The intensity of the mana flare from those messages didn''t match the first one, leading me to believe that the reinforcements were already in the dungeon. So, whenever we pulled back, I made sure to circle around the two positions to see if I could catch the reinforcements.


    Which I finally came across them nearly ten minutes later, but their size surprised me.


    More than a hundred people.


    Admittedly, the numbers alone weren''t that scary. The performance they put against the monster attacks showed that they weren''t particularly strong. They were probably the rest of the guild members, the ones too weak to contribute anything other than a momentary distraction.


    However, the same didn''t apply to the eight that were at the center of the formation, each wearing pure black armor. They felt ¡­


    Dangerous.


    Clearly, I wasn''t the only one who felt this way, as none of the guild fighters walked near them. Whatever that was going on with them, it was not good news. They radiated some kind of primal fear. I would have almost suspected that they had Charisma, but it was not the same.


    When Thomas used that, I could feel some kind of external pressure wrapping around me and pulling my fear to the surface ¡­ Here, it was a primal sensation, like I just came across a rabid dog, foams covering its mouth.


    I gulped even as I retreated, suddenly glad that we had gone through all that trouble to steal and repair the ballistas. When I returned, Eleanor was just finishing eating another nutrition bar. "You''re early," she said.


    "They are here, just half a mile away, and getting closer," I said.


    "Finally," she said with a sharp smirk. "What''s the layout?"


    "About a hundred guild fighters, low-leveled, and eight ¡­ I don''t know who they are, but they felt ¡­ wrong." I didn''t like the way I sounded plaintive, but I had no choice. I was basically trying to warn her against something that I didn''t even know myself.


    "Wrong, how?" she asked, her expression serious.


    "I don''t know how to describe it. It''s more of an ephemeral feeling. But, it''s intense enough that I want to target four of the six ballistas to them."


    "Even if it means we can''t catch all of them at once and most of them escape? You were the one afraid of it. Once they start to retreat, we won''t have the chance to reload them."


    "Yes, even then," I said. I wasn''t exactly someone big on instincts, but what I was feeling from them was too intense to be ignored. "Now, let''s conduct one last attack. We can''t afford to alert them when we''re so close to victory."


    She stayed silent for a while, then nodded, approving the last-minute adjustment to the plan. It was good news.


    "Stay with the ballistas and support me from range," she said as she tensed. "I''ll switch to the sword the moment you release the first attack."


    "I''ll target the newcomers first. Just retreat when I launch the first one. It won''t take long to release every single one of them."


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    "And, once two of them land, I''ll switch to ¡­ your gift to me," she said, smiling surprisingly.


    "Yes. I knew the moment I gave it to you I won''t be receiving it back," I said, trying to sound exasperated rather than glad. I could see that she was trying to calm me down about what I had felt from them.


    Eleanor rushed forward, and I started supporting her with spears I released through my atlatl, keeping an eye on the attackers. Attackers gathered on my flank, ready to spread to envelop me. They seemed ready to take me down.


    Before they could even start their assault, I aimed the four ballistas toward the center of their formation, where the eight scary ones were still gathered reasonably close, and released the four bolts at the same time.


    The difference between using the bolts on the ballistas and releasing them directly was like the difference between night and day. The moment I triggered, the complicated enchantment on the ballista flared to life, linking with the one on the bolt.


    The bolt radiated mana as it flew toward its target, slower than I expected, which was a scary proposition as it had been accompanied by a loud buzzing noise. Combined, I could have dodged it if it was used against me, and so would Eleanor as long as she wasn''t occupied.


    No wonder they had set an elaborate trap to draw her out.


    However, those thoughts were only on the passing. I was more interested in the way each bolt skewered its target before exploding into fragments, accompanied by a wave of mana, which started burning black.


    Scary effect. Eleanor hadn''t mentioned that detail.


    It was an unexpected effect, but I didn''t have time to waste on it. Eleanor had already retreated from her engagement, so I released the last two ballistas. This time, I aimed it at the hill, destroying their formation and footing before killing some of them.


    Georg might not be as fast as Eleanor, but I still didn''t want to risk targeting him with the siege weapon, and the rest wasn''t exactly a priority target.


    The moment I released the last two, I rushed forward. Reloading them was not an option since the enchantment required time to recover. So, I stopped with the ranged attacks, grabbed my hammer, and rushed forward.


    I took several steps before the bolts had reached their target, exploding in a dangerous cloud of dust and ¡­ no flame. Certainly no black flame. I couldn''t help but glance to my right, where the black flames were still burning strong.


    But, at this moment, Eleanor had already jumped to the cloud of dust, and required my support ¡­ or at least, that was what I assumed before the cries of pain reached my ear. The sword, combined with the limited visibility worked to her benefit if the number of interrupted cries was any indicator.


    However, before I could think a lot about it, Georg burst from the cloud, wanting to escape. "I got him," I shouted at Eleanor even as I closed in the distance, Floating Step making me even faster.


    "You think you can defeat me," Georg growled as he turned to catch me. "I have seen the way you fought. You''re clearly not as good ¡ª" he started, only to realize I was not wielding a sword, but a hammer.


    A hammer that glowed with an intense blue hue. "Impossible," he shouted even as he raised his sword to parry.


    I had to admit, it was a perfect parry. Sharp, strong, and angled perfectly to keep his weapon safe from any attack. I was sure that, even if I used the strongest hammer attack given by my Rare skill, it wouldn''t have worked.


    Unfortunately for him, that mana glow wasn''t from Quake Hammer, but the enhanced, denser mana from the Epic Mana Forge, designed to purge the mana out of his sword.


    [-10 Mana]


    It wasn''t a perfect method. Even the weakest external mana flow would have destabilized it. Luckily for us, the dungeon lacked such a fluctuation, allowing the mana to stick to his blade longer without my control.


    "You think that being an Essence Warrior would save you," he growled. "Once those monsters arrive, you won''t survive," he declared arrogantly. But, even as he declared that a cry reached my ears. A loud, bloodcurdling cry, one that I hadn''t heard since the first days of the Cataclysm, when the concept of monsters was new.


    The moment that cry reached my ear, I expected Georg to look arrogant and confident. Instead, he looked afraid, and hesitant. "No, don''t tell me you attacked them with ballistas," he asked, with fear coloring his face. He took a step to escape.


    Anyone else, I might have considered letting them go, wondering whether their intention was genuine, or they were acting. But he was the main person responsible for our plight, and even if his desire was genuine, it was too late.


    I swung down my hammer, this time delivering a quake attack.


    [-50 Health]


    [-25 Mana]


    He tried to parry again, but his weapon, already degraded by my earlier trick, was unable to handle the blow. His helmet managed to resist, but the quake aspects of it bypassed his armor sufficiently, enough to make him bleed through his eyes and ears, stunned.


    I delivered another blow, finishing him off, for once happy with my own distorted perspective, allowing me to kill without hesitation.


    I turned to support Eleanor, only to freeze. The initial dust cloud had settled enough for me to see her ¡­ and only her. Of the thirty-five remaining warriors, none of them were alive.


    It would have been enough to celebrate, if it wasn''t for the cries that were reaching our ears. "What''s going on?" I asked even as I rushed to her side.


    "I don''t know," she said. "All I see is some kind of black flame that makes me very unsettled."


    "Wait, you can see it as well? But, it''s almost a hundred yards away," I asked.


    She nodded grimly.


    I paused, looking past the black flame, focusing on the edge of the mist ¡­ which had become jagged as if it was being siphoned.


    Eerily similar to how it was around the boss monster.

 Chapter 89

    "Good news is that we know why they wanted to ambush you outside," Eleanor said even as another pained cry reached our ears, only to be cut halfway. I wanted to admonish her, but the uncharacteristic tenseness in her tone stopped me. It was clear that she was trying to handle the shock in her own way.


    Instead, I watched, trying to understand what was going on. The black flames were calming down, but the speed at the mist was gathering ¡ª which was something I had only seen on the boss monsters ¡ª had only hastened, increasing the visibility around us.


    All except the black flames, which were letting out an equally black, suffocating smog, making me glad that my helmet had an integrated filter. Eleanor was already coughing.


    I grabbed one of the spears I had yet to throw, and a flash of mana melted the iron, which I then used to fashion a breather filter, which would hopefully be enough to handle what was going on.


    Even as I created that, I watched through the smog. We weren''t able to see much, just several shadows, most trying to escape ineffectively, while the other shadows followed.


    "What do we do?"


    "I ¡­ we need to kill them," she said. "I have never heard of people being able to absorb dungeon mist, but it can''t be good news. And, we need to do that now," she said as she took a step forward.


    I grabbed her shoulder. "No," I said.


    She looked at me, disappointed. "You can go if you want. We need to warn the fort, after all," she said, doing her best to hide her disgust. She wasn''t very successful.


    I appreciated the effort. "I''m not saying to retreat, but we can''t just rush forward blindly," I said even as I started dragging her toward the ballistas. Her expression was alighted with understanding. "How long would it take for the ballistas to recover?" I asked.


    "In a mana-dead dungeon? A lot," she said.


    "What if we can supply it with more mana?" I asked.


    "A minute, maybe two?" she responded.


    "Good, keep the ballistas safe. I''ll be back in a moment," I said as I turned, ready to use the Fleeting Step, hoping that I would be fast enough to go to the nearest safe house and return just as fast. I was already doing my best¡­


    "A-am I," I found myself suddenly asking. The modified Fleeting Step was fast, but it wasn''t the fastest thing in my arsenal. No, the fastest Perk available to me was the Floating Stride. One that I couldn''t use due to my fears. And, now, Eleanor might die because of it.


    "Come on, Devon. For once in your life, ignore your stupid fear," I growled, pushing myself. My hands trembled, and my legs lost their strength, but I bit my lips, the taste of my own blood filling my mouth. "Come on," I growled again.


    And jumped.


    The sensation of flying was as disgusting as I remembered. My whole body was locked in place, and I had been hit by a sensation of falling that played a part in some of my worst nightmares.


    The desire to save Eleanor didn''t suddenly cure me of my phobia. The sensation of flying was just as hateable and disgusting as I remembered, and not having anything underneath me made it ten times worse. Luckily, Floating Stride didn''t require any input from me until I landed.


    Well, landed was a generous description of what had happened. Crashed was a better descriptor, but my armor was there to take the worst of the damage, and my Dexterity meant I was able to roll to my feet with fascinating alacrity.


    I jumped again. Then, I crashed again. And again¡­ It was ridiculous, horrifying, and humiliating at the same time, but where a second might be the difference between Eleanor''s death and survival, none of it mattered.


    When I reached the safe house, I picked a huge pile of shells I had placed there for safety and a manual crusher. When I had been putting them there, I was certain that I was being excessive and paranoid. Now, I was furious that I hadn''t littered the whole floor with them, maybe even with steam-powered variants.


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    Unfortunately, as usual, hindsight was the greatest strategic planner.


    The return trip was more of the same, which meant I arrived at Eleanor''s side with an undignified tumble. It would have been a horrible shock if it wasn''t for one important detail.


    Eleanor was surrounded by four men ¡­ no, monsters would have been a better descriptor. They were roughly man-shaped, but their skin looked like melted messes, and the way they fought was no different than beasts.


    Very strong beasts, faster and stronger than Eleanor. Her armor was already half-ripped, with her recovery working overtime to cure her wounds. Her only advantage was the lack of coordination they had been showing. They were faster and stronger, but one thing they lacked was smooth control.


    Suddenly, I was very glad that I had pushed myself, as she was already at her limit.


    "Tag," I shouted even as I jumped to the mix, my hammer already dancing.


    "No, they are too strong ¡ª" she shouted in panic, ready to help me when one of their attacks threw me away, but barely managed to dent my armor.


    [-14 Health]


    "My armor can hold them back, don''t worry," I said. "Just fill the container with the shells, point the mouth to the ballista, and rotate the crank ¡ª" I explained, my words interrupted by another hit that threw me away.


    They were strong enough to throw me around like a rag doll.


    "Be careful, they are getting stronger," she warned even as she followed my command, which was something I was glad for.


    "Noted," I said as I switched my weapon, donning my spear. The fact that Eleanor couldn''t put them down even with her new sword meant that they were able to recover from a horrifying amount of damage. My hammer might have been capable of delivering that, but on a straight line, they were too fast.


    Breeze Spear focused on mobility. As I shifted to it, I was able to dodge their attacks far more effectively. Not enough to avoid every attack, but maybe reduce their hits by sixty percent. For the rest, I relied on my armor, being thrown around like a toy.


    However, as I fought with them, I understood why Georg had been very reluctant to bring them into the dungeon. Whatever their ailment was, it was getting stronger the more dungeon mist they consumed. A part of that transformation was them getting faster and stronger in real-time.


    Luckily, that growth was accompanied by an even greater loss of control, which meant that, as time passed, it got easier to avoid their attacks. I started paying attention to the damage my weapons had been causing, expecting it to recover faster and faster.


    To my surprise, the opposite was true. As for what was responsible, a hypothesis drifted to the top of my mind the moment I sensed a familiar aura around them, one that reminded me intensely of the fourth floor.


    The mist was transforming them into something closer to the monsters of the dungeon, along with giving them the same weaknesses.


    I wondered if I let the transformation go long enough, could I kill them alone. But, that curiosity wasn''t strong enough to countermand when Eleanor warned me to pull back. I retreated, and the twang of the ballista followed.


    A direct hit, reducing their number to three.


    "Good work," I called even as I attacked them with mana, distracting them from ballistas. I did my best not to be distracted by the body, which started burning with the same black flames. I couldn''t afford the distraction.


    As I engaged with them once again, I was able to notice another, fortunate familiarity they had with a rabid beast. Their intelligence wasn''t too far away. The pain from my spear suitably distracted the remaining three.


    More importantly, dealing with the three of them was markedly easier than resisting four. The number of blows I was receiving had dropped significantly, then turned into nothingness when Eleanor shouted again.


    I pulled back. Another twang of a ballista, and their number dropped to two. Then, yet another, and one remained.


    To my surprise, once he was alone, he turned to escape. "Keep him back," Eleanor shouted. "We can''t let him go free."


    "Open the container!" I shouted even as I chased him ¡ª or was it a better descriptor at this point?


    Eleanor seemed surprised by my shout, but luckily, her shock didn''t prevent her from following that direction, as we lacked the time necessary for me to explain why. The transformed monster in front of us was too fast on a straight line for us to catch up.


    And, I didn''t want to imagine what might happen once it got loose in the dungeon.


    The container parted open, and concentrated tainted energy radiated from the box. Just like the dungeon monsters, the transformed man seemed captivated by it, ignoring his ¡ª its ¡ª previous survival instincts to rush toward the box.


    Under the tainted energy, its transformation started to hasten as it started to grow, as a disgusting mixture of a monster and a tumor.


    "Focus on its limbs, and keep it immobile," I ordered Eleanor as I switched to my hammer, and we started attacking it. The concentrated dose of tainted energy hastened the transformation exponentially, but it also exacerbated its weaknesses to our silver weapons, which I had designed explicitly against the corrosive aura.


    As we fought, Eleanor''s armor, despite all the enchantments it had, didn''t survive against the transformed creature''s corrosion aura, slowly turning into a rusty mess.


    Even then, it took almost half an hour for us to kill it properly. Its remains disintegrated, just like the other corpses, once again catching that distinctive black flame.


    We collapsed to the ground, listless. There was a lot to be done, but none of them was as important as breathing¡­


    "You owe me an armor," she growled between her desperate panting.


    I just grumbled an answer. I was too spent to do anything else. But, I had to admit, after what had just happened, spending a day at the forge, working with metal sounded very tempting.

 Chapter 90

    "And, that''s the last of it. The dungeon is officially closed until further notice," Eleanor said the moment she returned to my side, sealing the dungeon gate.


    "Everything done?" I asked.


    "Yes, we evacuated every guild and the guards are on high alert, ordered to attack anyone that dares to breach without invitation. The only problem is that it''ll take at least a day for Maria to return," Eleanor explained in quick order.


    I nodded, admiring her efficiency. Merely an hour had passed since our close call, which was all she needed to put the dungeon on high alert and stop the operation. For someone who preferred direct action above anything else, her capacity to set up an organization was admirable.


    I suspected it was Maria''s flighty attitude to such aspects that had forced her to learn.


    "I''m still not sure about closing the dungeon," Eleanor said. "We have handled the crisis well enough. Is it worth losing all that money just to trick them?"


    "We have already discussed it. It''s better to let them believe they had managed to cause some significant damage, maybe even that one of those ¡­ whatever they were ¡­ was loose in the dungeon. At least, until Maria returns and can make a decision."


    "Fine," Eleanor said. She didn''t look entirely convinced, but she assented. "But don''t forget your promise. First, you''re going to adjust this monstrosity into something more elegant," she said as she displayed her new sword.


    I made sure to hide my smile, amused by the ease with which she was convinced to follow what she believed to be a wasteful plan. I must have been underestimating the value of my new sword to a significant degree. "Let''s go," I said.


    Both of us were fast enough to ignore the presence of the weaker monsters, so I didn''t expect the trip to take that long. I was wrong. She killed any insect we came across, using vitality attacks, with a fascinated expression on her face.


    It slowed our descent significantly, but I said nothing. The pleasure of watching a skill improve was unmatched even after doing that to more than half a dozen skills. For Eleanor, it was a new experience. I didn''t want to interrupt her, but after her third detour, I had to speak. "Come on, miss swords master, we are wasting time," I warned her.


    "No we''re not," she said, her voice determined.


    "Look, the faster we arrive at the fourth floor, the faster I can design you a sword that might give you a mana manipulation skill," I said. "But, if you want to waste that opportunity, it''s your choice."


    "Wait, you can do that," she said.


    "Maybe," I responded, leery to commit it fully. "I have several ideas in mind, but whether they will work immediately or not, I don''t know. We need to experiment a lot."


    "Like how you have been experimenting with Maria," she said. For some reason, her tone was suspicious. Only when it was followed by a sudden realization, I understood where she was coming from.


    "Yes. I might have slightly obfuscated how necessary those experiments were to help me repair the swords faster," I said, avoiding her gaze. I had no problem with that decision itself, but admitting the act of lying was never comfortable.


    "You have a lot to atone for," she said, trying to look stern, but her smile was hard to hide. She didn''t seem to care a lot about it, which didn''t surprise me. After all, it was that act of lying that saved her life just an hour ago.


    "So ¡­ a dagger as well?" I countered.


    Her smile slid away. "If you think you can get away with a mere dagger, you''re delusional. I need a full set of armor. Non-negotiable."


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    "You drive a hard bargain," I said, somehow maintaining a serious expression. "Now, let''s go. We have dungeon bosses to hunt."


    With that done, we started running full speed to the fourth floor. "So, you also use a spear," she commented as we moved.


    "It''s good to have a style that focuses on mobility and deflection," I responded. "You might think to add that as an external skill, assuming you have an empty slot."


    "I do."


    "Good, " I said, then paused. "Then, why didn''t you learn one? It wouldn''t be as strong as your main style, but even with all the advantages, an additional style can be helpful."


    "Mostly because of a lack of time. Focusing on my main skill was the more efficient approach. Anything below Rare is too useless, and developing a Rare skill requires months even with access to a fitting dungeon. At least, it was supposed to," she corrected.


    "Well, we just have to replicate it for you," I said. "I have struggled with that a lot as well, but it''s not that difficult once one discovers the trick behind it. We can try it once we arrive at my base. I have a few Rare Breeze Spear samples. And, I still need some time to forge your armor." She looked hopeful. "Not one based on my Epic skill, that needs two full days," I corrected. "But, you still need an armor set that can resist the natural corrosion of the fifth floor."


    "Fine. I guess it''s a good way to utilize that downtime," she admitted.


    I smiled, happy to see that her obsession with improving her sword skills didn''t mean she refused a chance to diversify her abilities. And I knew that, with her Dexterity, her own variant of Breeze Spear would turn into a devastating weapon that could easily surpass mine.


    Especially since she lacked a phobia that turned its biggest advantage useless.


    We chatted even as we passed through another gate and arrived at the fourth floor, and a thicker mist surrounded us, making me glad for increased visibility. Though, not as much as it would have if it wasn''t for the fog that hung above the swamp, which was annoying.


    "Disgusting place," she growled even as her feet sank into the mud. "I was so glad when we discovered the corrosive effect would prevent us from exploring the place."


    "Understandable," I said. "Wading through mud is not exactly my idea of a fun time either."


    "Yet, you decided to build your base here," she said.


    I shrugged. "Not because I love the environment," I said. "But, as a Blacksmith who can forge equipment that can resist the corrosion of this place, its strategic value is far more important than the less-than-pleasant environment."


    "Fair. And, how the hell do you manage to find your path here? There''s nothing for wayfinding."


    "Here," I said as I crouched, pushing the mud away to show her the rails I had buried. "I laid them before. My skills allow me to detect their presence."


    "You went through all that trouble just to find your path."


    "No, it helps to move the carts around," I said.


    "Carts, really?" she said even as we continued to run despite the mud. "Do you really need that much effort just to move a bunch of arrowheads around," she asked.


    "Well, no," I said even as we continued to move. "But that''s not the only thing I move around. After all, I have a proper base here."


    "Calling a dinky little shack a base is a bit grandiose even for you, professor," she teased.


    "Maybe," I said, letting the discussion linger as we continued to move until we finally arrived at my base. The moment her vision range touched the edge of the trees, a gasp escaped her mouth. "Not bad for a dinky little shack, is it?" I asked smugly.


    "Well ¡­" she said as she gazed upon my base, impressed. Her reaction was understandable, as the structure rose from the swamp as a single, monolithic structure, surrounded by multiple blast furnaces and steam engines. And, around them, there were almost ten discrete rings of trees to keep the base safe from the monsters.


    It looked good, mostly because I had decided to put my excess of available metal to good use. Knowing that the fifth floor was too hostile to set up a permanent base ¡ª the persistent attacks from the boss monsters and air that put a vat of acid to shame was decisive enough ¡ª further incentivized me to put some more effort into my base.


    Eleanor''s shock was a nice side benefit.


    "I have to admit, it''s not as horrible as I imagined," she responded, then smirked. "For a dingy little base, of course."


    I didn''t bother answering her even as I disappeared inside, and came out with two things. A modified weapon, halfway between a sword and a spear to help her switch between the skills, which I threw at her, handle first, and as she grabbed that, I threw a copy of Rare Breeze Spear skill. "I''m sure this will keep you busy for a while."


    "Explain how I am going to power-level the skill first," she said. "And, what''s this abomination?"


    I shrugged. "Simple," I said as I raised my hand. She threw it back. "Just start treating it as a sword, and start channeling a vitality attack. Then, halfway in, switch to your spear skill, and complete that attack. Considering you''re using an Epic skill as a template, it should work."


    "That''s it?" she said.


    "Yep, that''s it. Trivial," I said. "Now, why don''t you play with it while I go and start working on your armor." Seeing her enthusiasm, I had to quickly add a correction. "The temporary one."


    "Fine," she growled playfully as she raised her hand, and the skill orb disappeared. She grunted as she closed her eyes, her discomfort clear.


    I left to forge her armor.

 Chapter 91

    I was happy to leave Eleanor outside while I worked on her armor. It wasn''t that I had disliked her presence, but as I got better and better as a smith, it turned into a calm, meditative practice. Exactly what I needed after the ambush that we lived through.


    An ambush where more than a hundred other people didn''t survive.


    Even as my hammer danced against the anvil with a steady rhythm, I pondered on my reaction. Or, more accurately, lack thereof. I had played a role in such a massacre, going as far as killing many of them with my own hands, yet I didn''t feel any guilt.


    There were no trembling hands, no wandering thoughts replaying the same event again and again.


    It wasn''t that I was struggling with the idea of killing them intentionally. They were the ones who had decided to plan an ambush for the express purpose of killing Eleanor and framing me, which would have driven me to an ambush of eight ¡­ whatever those were.


    I was just rattled by my own lack of reaction. It wasn''t natural. Yes, it was possible to make people more accepting of taking lives ¡ª hell, the militaries of all nations across history had many such methods ¡ª but those methods required a dedicated application.


    Unfortunately, I had too many candidates to suspect. Maybe it was just a natural aspect of the System, somehow transforming my perspective as it got stronger ¡ª a scary thought if it was true. Spending so much time in the dungeon was another suspect. I had been spending a huge portion of my time fighting against mindless monsters, and it might have impacted me.


    Even the crystals I received from the boss monster were suspects. Or, maybe I was dealing with a completely different issue.


    "Maybe I can actually run experiments about it," I said, a genuine smile appearing on my face. It wasn''t even too difficult. I just needed to create a detailed questionnaire, devise a few tests, and collect the data from the farmers every day, measuring their responses.


    It should give me direction.


    My smile widened as I realized just how big of an advantage I had. For three years, the best I could do was to hire a few people to do interviews, their answers suspect for many reasons. Now, I had access to a great number of subjects who would be happy to answer my questions.


    My mind wandered over which principles I needed to adhere to so that I could collect the most accurate data without violating the ethical boundaries of science. The last thing I needed was to resurrect a scientific approach, only to immediately replicate shameful episodes like the Stanford Prison Experiment, or worse, the Monster Study.


    My hammer danced, mingling with my mana to handle the creation process of the chainmail, every ring perfectly aligned, imbued with the right amount of mana and dungeon products, balanced perfectly to resist the corrosion effect of the fifth floor. The armor I forged for Eleanor might not be on the same tier as mine since I lacked time, but that didn''t prevent me from creating the best one I could of a previous tier.


    Luckily, with Advanced Creative Forging helping me handle most of the small details, I was able to split my attention between my work and my ethical principles for the upcoming experiment. It was a good feeling to have many thoughts flying in my head, designing the core principles.


    The first principle was informed consent. It would be wrong to use people as scientific curiosities just because I was effectively their employer. They needed to understand what I was doing, and why. Also, they needed to understand that they had the right to opt out with no repercussions, and that their dungeon access was not dependent on their assent.


    Then, there was the matter of confidentiality. In a world where magic worked in ways I couldn''t fathom, I couldn''t just rely on keeping my notes hidden to ensure privacy. I needed to devise a way to collect their input truly anonymously ¡­ even if that could potentially risk the accuracy of the collection.


    A necessary sacrifice to maintain my ethical principles.


    Finally, I had to ensure my research was just; which was not exactly an easy principle to define, let alone adhere to, in a world where people had been ruled by their inherent differences. It had already reached an unhealthy degree, as evidenced by my own experience of being rejected just because I didn''t have what they deemed necessary.


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    I needed to be vigilant that any potential result shouldn''t further the divide ¡ª regardless of the temporary practical benefits.


    Of course, the ruling principle was still non-maleficence, the commitment to do no harm. Just like my discoveries relating to the system, I simply lacked the context of the potential implications of my discoveries, meaning I needed to be very careful about the ultimate aim of those studies ¡ª


    My thought process was interrupted by Eleanor slamming my door open. Considering both the door and the wall were made of metal, it was ¡­ loud.


    "I didn''t know knocking on the door required a skill," I said bitingly, annoyed by her approach. Sarcasm was not the most ideal way of communication, but I didn''t enjoy being interrupted while working on my real job.


    Eleanor flinched at my words, and for a moment, I feared her anger. After all, she wasn''t a post-doc trying to stay in my good grace. Luckily, she seemed not to be as arrogant as I feared. "Sorry, I didn''t think. I was just ¡­ frustrated. I can come later."


    "Not a problem. Just remember to knock the next time," I reminded her. I could have asked her to leave, but I had already lost my train of thought, and trying to reestablish it was not worth the effort, especially since her armor was halfway done. "Now, what drove you that mad," I asked.


    A frustrated growl escaped her mouth. "The method you told me, switching the skills. It''s not working," she said.


    "Show me," I said, my hammer still moving rapidly, curious why it didn''t work.


    She raised my hybrid weapon, and it glowed with her vitality attack. Yet, a moment later, she paused, and the vitality dispersed. Only after five seconds, she managed to hit.


    "Why are you lingering that much? Just switch between skills."


    She looked at me, frustrated. "What do you mean, just switch between the skills. I''m trying. That''s the fastest I can manage. And even that is painful."


    "Really, painful?" I asked, surprised. I had been switching between skills for a long time, and it never caused pain.


    "No, painful is not the right word, but I don''t know how to describe it," she said.


    "Uncomfortable?" I suggested.


    "In a way, but uncomfortable doesn''t feel like an intense enough word. It''s far more intense. Almost like ¡­" she started, only to fade. "I don''t know. It''s just difficult. Show me how you do it."


    "Fine," I said, glad that I was making a chainmail for her, which was easier to interrupt for a moment. She threw me the hybrid weapon, and I pushed my health, covering the edge near the tip with Health.


    [-10 Health]


    I started a slow piercing attack, only to switch halfway, with only a momentary pause, finishing it as a spear attack. "That''s how I do it."


    "Is this the fastest you can manage?" she asked.


    I was so glad I didn''t have to consider the implications of every single detail I revealed to her anymore. "No," I said as I repeated the action, the delivery even faster.


    "How can you do it that fast?" she asked.


    I shrugged. "Probably practice," I said.


    "Really, were you using that switching trick for a long time?"


    "Not the switching trick itself," I admitted, feeling frustrated. If only I had been experimenting with the System properly since the day I had received it. "My life would have been much easier if I managed to discover it earlier. But, while using Repair on damaged weapons, I often ignored the suggestion from the skill. It''s always a grating and uncomfortable sensation. Maybe I just got used to it."


    "That''s your answer? Practice for three years? We don''t have the time for that. Don''t tell me I wasted a precious skill slot for a Rare skill I can''t develop."


    I did my best to hide my smile, aware that Eleanor would take it the wrong way. I was familiar with her brand of freak-out. I had many high-performing students react that way when they finally faced a topic that they didn''t immediately resolve.


    Admittedly, it was also a habit I had to break through, back in the far-away days when I was still a student, which felt a lifetime away ¡­ well, two lifetimes.


    "How about we solve the issue of improving your skill first, and work on switching skills later?" I offered.


    "You have another way to improve skills quickly?" she asked.


    "Not all of them, but it''ll work for this one," I said even as I stopped working on her armor, and instead started forging a spear, using the composite method, following the pattern of the skill. Since I owned the skill, I knew exactly how every attack of Breeze Spear worked, which should be enough for Eleanor. "Try pushing your Health without shaping, and complete a basic attack," I suggested once I passed her the first spear.


    "Just a simple attack. Are you sure?" she said.


    "There''s no harm trying, right?" I asked even as I started working on a second spear.


    She nodded as she made the attempt, her burst of smile enough to confirm the efficiency of the method.


    Forging the spears and occasionally guiding her about the Breeze Spear slowed my armor-making somewhat, but even then, it didn''t even take half an hour to finish everything, and started traveling toward the fifth floor.


    Eleanor insisted on bouncing around like a kite, using the Floating Stride. "Wow, you''re right. This perk is excellent," she said even as she took another great stride. "Too bad I can''t seem to switch skills as quickly as you. It would have been an excellent combination with my sword skill."


    "We''ll work on it once we take down a few gargantuan beasts and return to the first floor."


    "Promise?" she asked.


    "Yes, promise," I replied.


    After all, I wouldn''t have turned down the opportunity to have her willing cooperation.

 Chapter 92

    "Wow, you really undersold just how disgusting the fifth floor is," Eleanor said the moment we appeared, and landed on the metal platform. Her voice was muffled due to the silver air cleanser, but it was still comprehensible.


    Despite the loud rush of the insects that surrounded us immediately.


    "You''re lucky that I already installed the metal platforms," I replied even as I used my spear to deal with the fliers, leaving the giant ones to her. "It''s not fun to drop deep enough to bury you to waist level."


    "Oh, can we remove the platforms before we bring Maria here, please," Eleanor begged. "She hates her clothes getting dirty."


    "We''ll see," I said, both amused and heartened by her attitude at the same time. Amused, as it was a good prank. A touch mean, maybe, but not cruel. However, I was heartened by it for a more obvious reason. If there was one thing Eleanor was obsessed about, it was her protectiveness about Maria. Asking for my cooperation to prank Maria was the true proof that she had accepted me as a part of their little group.


    I smiled, happy with the development, and not just because of the practical implications. A plight of growing up skipping classes was that having friends of my own age was more of a fantasy than anything else. It was childish to get excited at the prospect of a prank, but it didn''t make it wrong.


    Though, even I had to admit, planning a prank while buried under a monster swarm was a bit excessive.


    "So, how do we go around finding a boss monster," she said. "This place is even more of a mess compared to the fourth floor, and I have no doubt that it''s huge. Even in a newly discovered dungeon like this, finding one would take hours even if we''re lucky."


    "What if we don''t find one?" I asked, and she looked surprised. "What if they find us?"


    "Explain," she said.


    "It''s a trick I discovered, more out of a coincidence than anything," I said. "Keep the monsters busy for a moment."


    "Sure," she said and walked closer to me, dealing with any monster that got near. Even as she fought, I could see her proficiency increasing noticeably, showing the benefits of her improved gear. It had many strategic implications, but I ignored them momentarily, instead focusing on repairing my primitive hydroponic farm setup which had been destroyed by the latest gargantuan monster.


    Putting back the pieces took far less than creating a new one, and once it was properly repaired, I looked at her. "I''ll disappear for a second," I said even as I went through the gate, and returned with a huge branch I turned into a sapling.


    [-48 Health]


    At this point, growing the trees had no impact on my Nurture skill, which was already above two hundred. "Wow, that''s some rapid growth," she said even as she watched me grow a tree from nothingness in less than a minute. That allowed it to intimidate the insects somewhat, slowing their attacks.


    "Really? You think so?" I asked.


    "Yeah. I have never seen a farmer actually grow anything that fast, even with the assistance of the mana wards and alchemical fertilizers."


    "That''s because no one really cares about helping them increase their class skill. Even as an external skill, it has quite a bit of value."


    "Really, that''s just Nurture? Nothing else?" she asked.


    "Yes," I said even as I cut a branch, turning it into firewood to feed the steam engine. With that started working, the water of the hydroponic farm started to flow properly, which was enough to counter the decay effect on the tree without me constantly healing it.


    "Really?" she added.


    "Yes," I said. "Well, Epic Nurture, but it''s still Nurture," I said.


    "Epic Nurture. And, you spent all that time to improve that to a usable level ¡ª" she started, her tone surprised, but undecided between angry and fascinated. At least, until it died halfway to her buildup. "Wait, you found a way to cheat somehow, right?"


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    "Cheat is such an ugly word," I said, unable to keep back a chuckle. "Creative innovation was a much better descriptor," I said.


    "How?" she asked. I gave her a summary of what I did, skipping a lot of pertinent details relating to the process. Not because I wanted to keep it a secret, but because I didn''t think Eleanor would care about the ideal centrifuge design, or how the natural corrosive poison interacted with heat. She frowned once I finished explaining.


    "Sounds simple, right?" I said even as I finished linking the crusher with the steam engine, pumping the excess mana into the water. With the proper nutrition and mana balance integrated, the time I required to grow trees dropped to mere seconds, their presence sheer and overwhelming.


    "Well, yes," she admitted. "It seems like a simple idea. It makes sense that someone else would also discover it."


    "There''s a simple explanation," I said. "The amount of metal I used in that setup, I could have forged a thousand swords easily, and sold every single one of them for at least ten gold."


    "And, for ten gold, you can hire a thousand farmers for a day easily," she completed, realizing the scale.


    "Exactly. Farmers are the single most common class, and no one cares about their situation. For most city lords, it''s better to have a pool of employees desperate for work than a small cadre of capable elites."


    "Well, that makes sense," she admitted. "You don''t seem like you agree."


    "Yeah, I''m weird like that," I said, dismissing the topic. As much as I wanted to lash out at her for ignoring the plight of people, I held back. I still didn''t understand the true source of the cultural shift, but considering that its source was almost certainly supernatural, I didn''t feel like blaming her.


    It was an inevitable fight, but I rather have that discussion with some concrete information under hand. Just as I was thinking about how to change the topic, I noticed the tree leaves trembling. "Be ready. Boss monster will be here in less than a minute."


    "Really, are you sure?" she said as she pulled near me.


    I nodded even as I switched to my hammer. Its weight felt reassuring in my hand, even as the air grew heavy with the distinct smell of the boss monster, damp and decaying. Beside me, Eleanor tensed, showing the quiet precision of a predator, ready to lash out.


    "Join me on top of the boss monster, and focus on the fliers first," I said. Just as she nodded, the gargantuan monster burst into the opening, causing destruction in its wake as it uprooted the trees and crushed the metal container.


    However, no matter how big of a terror it was, the moment we arrived on top of it ¡ª Eleanor with one smooth Floating Stride, me with several short jumps over other insects ¡ª its biggest weapons turned useless.


    "Don''t forget to pass me the shells," I reminded her even as I brought down my hammer, shattering a great portion of the shell.


    [-100 Mana]


    "Wow, nice hit," she said. "Why didn''t you use it during the fight?"


    "Because we didn''t need it," I said. "Too early, and we would have alerted them. And, once those ¡­ things joined, ballistas were the better option. Sometimes, the best card is one that is yet to be played."


    "I don''t think I could have kept myself back," she said.


    "Don''t sell yourself short. You managed to suppress the temptation to use my sword for a long time."


    "I don''t know what you are about. This is my sword," she responded even as she continued to cut down the fliers. I chuckled, appreciating her presence. With all the advantages I had managed to collect, killing a boss monster was almost completely safe, but considering it took almost an hour, it was boring.


    Having someone to chat with was as valuable as her dealing with the constant annoyance of flying insects.


    "Feel free to join me," I invited her once the number of flying insects stopped crowding us.


    "My pleasure," she said even as she started to add her own slashes. I noted that her vitality attacks were able to penetrate the flesh of the beast more than mine, and the damage it caused lingered more. However, I recognized the dense nature of her vitality, similar to the one provided by my Epic Mana Forge skill. Though, it flew better than I expected.


    "Is it an Epic Skill, or a Legendary one?"


    She paused for a moment, looking like she wanted to refuse, then answered. "Unfortunately, merely Epic," she answered. "Legendary Skills that fit my particular stat distribution are hard to find," she explained.


    "I''m sure we will be able to figure something out," I responded even as I continued to work on the dull, mottled green carapace. "Feel free to go back to the fourth floor to replenish your Health if you need it, by the way. I can handle it alone."


    "That would be excellent," she said as she disappeared, and returned a minute later. When she returned, she attacked with renewed intensity, her attacks cutting the beast hard.


    Twice, she had disappeared to replenish her Health, but even with that, it took merely ten minutes for us to take down the boss beast, nowhere near as time-consuming as doing it alone.


    When the boss started to topple, I retreated, letting her absorb the energy alone.


    "Wow," she said as the glow faded. "That was by far the easiest boss fight I have been a part of. No risk, no hassle. Perfect."


    I smiled even as I started repairing the metal. "Production classes can come in handy from time to time."


    "True," she said, then smiled back. "Let''s see if we can take down the next one without letting it destroy everything. I''ll cut its legs, and you focus on its head. What do you think?"


    "Worth the effort," I responded, smiling wide.


    I certainly wouldn''t say no to killing more. Today''s events had already proven the value of a better range of vision.

 Chapter 93

    "And, that makes it ten," Eleanor said even as she absorbed another crystal, her smile widening. She was referring to the number of crystals she had absorbed, and I had absorbed an equal amount, each consumption increasing our vision even more.


    With her tactic of cutting the limbs of the gargantuan beast ¡ª something she could achieve without any risk thanks to her absurd Dexterity ¡ª keeping my hydroponic garden mostly intact, I was able to expand it more, which drew more gargantuan beasts to us. Combined with the speed at which we dealt with them, killing twenty of them didn''t even take half a day.


    It was good to finally cooperate.


    "Maybe we should aim for twenty, each?" she suggested.


    "No, you said Maria might return early. We should be ready, just in case they target her."


    That made Eleanor snort. "Yeah, targeting her directly. That''s funny," she said. "You have never seen her fight, right?"


    "I have seen it when she helped me level up."


    It made Eleanor actually laugh, though, with the filter on, she sounded quite weird. "Oh, yeah, that. Believe me, that''s nothing."


    I shrugged. While it was hard to treat Maria as truly dangerous since the performance she revealed to me was something I could match if I forced myself, I couldn''t ignore the fact that I had no true baseline on how strong she was. But, considering how our enemies had never created any trouble while she was in the camp, I was willing to take Eleanor''s words at face value.


    "Still, we can take a break and see if she has arrived. Not to mention, we better open the dungeon before people start getting too antsy. The sudden disappearance of multiple guilds will be difficult enough to explain," I said, then gestured. "Unless you want to spend even more time on the fifth floor."


    "You''re right. A break will be useful. Even with the filter, it smells disgusting," she said. With that, we passed through the dungeon gate, stepping onto the fourth floor. "Finally," she said, removing the filter. "So, what do we do now?"


    "Nothing, we just go back to the first floor."


    "We can practice skill-switching. I want to get a hang of it."


    "Sounds good. Multitasking is never a bad idea," I said. "But, just to be on the safe side, don''t practice that when I''m not around, alright?"


    "Why?"


    "Because I almost killed myself while experimenting with Meditation," I explained.


    "Really?"


    "Yeah," I said, shivering as I gave her a quick breakdown of just how close I got to death due to my own mistake. That was what I got acting like a sixteenth-century alchemist, recklessly experimenting on myself without any proper procedures. Desperation was a dangerous drug.


    "Alright, I''ll be careful," she promised, which I appreciated.


    "Good. The System is still a mystery with some really weird restrictions, but it''s clear that at least some of the restrictions from the skills are here to protect us. Unraveling them requires a much more careful methodology."


    "Don''t tell me that you''re going to abandon us for one of the research institutes you''re talking about," she said.


    "I had such thoughts before, but my recent success gave me a better direction."


    "Do you think you can do a better job?" she said.


    I paused, thinking how to present it. I thought about hiding my opinions, but I changed my mind. Maybe a secondary perspective would help. "Not that. The opposite, actually. I''m a lone Blacksmith, yet all I needed was to monopolize the dungeon for a few weeks to transform the whole town. Why wasn''t it copied anywhere else?"


    "But, you''re the one that said gaining a mana skill was a lucky break."


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    "True, but even without it, I could have scaled up easily. And, that was with me alone. Cooperating with other people ¡­" I added, then my voice faded.


    "You suspect something," Eleanor said.


    "I suspect many things, but talking about them has no point until I get some evidence to support them," I replied. "Maybe all of them are wrong, and I''m a once-in-a-generation genius who solved the System, and people will adapt my discoveries happily, and we''ll defeat the monsters that are challenging us."


    "You don''t believe it," Eleanor said, though she didn''t exactly sound shocked.


    "Of course not. How many high-ranking guild masters, family heads, or city lords that you know would be happy that their new position suddenly got less powerful."


    "It would?" she asked. "Wouldn''t people getting stronger increase their power?"


    "It''s a bit complicated, but not necessarily," I said.


    "Why?"


    I paused, thinking how to explain it without it turning into a lecture. Not that I didn''t like teaching, but the middle of the dungeon was not a good place to explain the history of governments and how it related to individual power¡­ especially since it was a loaded topic with many distinct opinions in academia, with significantly different views, from general principles like social contracts and constructs, ideas of enlightenment, labor theory, economic collectivist theories, class struggle, impact of technology.


    It was closer to a complete undergrad degree than a lecture.


    "I''m going to oversimplify it wildly, but we can summarize the current power struggle as a game. Currently, the ones holding power have four major advantages. Do you want to guess what those are?"


    "Individual strength is the most obvious one," she said. I nodded. "And, I''m guessing having the elite military following their orders is another one."


    "Partially," I said. "It''s not just having the most elite forces. Back in the day, Roman Emperors had the elite Praetorian Guard, but those guards were responsible for more deaths and deposition than any enemy forces."


    "They have the charisma to ensure their loyalty," she said.


    "Exactly. I don''t know how it works, but I''m guessing it''s easier to use it to raise a small but elite guard utterly loyal to their leader than controlling the whole city."


    "True," she said, confirming it. "Economy is probably the other one? What about the fourth?"


    "Knowledge," I said. She seemed to scoff at the idea. I wasn''t surprised by her attitude, as most people shared that dismissiveness. Mostly because, it was easier to underestimate the value of the knowledge they already possessed. It was why I was able to learn a lot from them without them realizing I was interrogating them. But, I needed to correct it. "Oh, so you think the knowledge on how to improve your new Rare skill was completely useless?"


    "Well, no," she said.


    "Then, how about the working principles of the dungeon? How, how to upgrade the class? What about ¡ª"


    "Alright, professor," she said, cutting me off. "I got it. Knowledge is important. Still, I don''t see why the city lord would react badly to having better weapons."


    "Because they can''t control the source," I said. "The System Shops might be expensive, and their wares might be limited, but they are under their direct control. They don''t suddenly come out and demand civil rights, better living conditions, or a say in the ruling matters."


    "I can''t believe it," she said. "That means they are letting all those people die just because they want to keep their power. Did System really corrupt us that much?"


    I couldn''t help but chuckle. "Believe me, if you study history, you''ll learn that we didn''t need the System to not care about the deaths of millions of people. History is filled with kings and emperors sending their men to die just to invade territory that they would never step into. Or, if you''re looking for a more recent example, look at the billionaires letting people work in conditions that were similar to slavery just to buy another yacht that they could show off to their other billionaire friends."


    "It still feels unbelievable."


    I shrugged again. "Frankly, it''s just a hypothesis, one that I wasn''t able to start exploring mathematically."


    "How does math relate to all of it?" she said.


    "Well, that''s what I was working on before the Cataclysm struck. Mathematical sociology. Everything I just explained to you can be represented in a mathematical model. And, assuming the existence of enough granular data and a sufficiently strong computer, it''s possible to predict how things might work."


    "Does it work?" she said.


    "Somewhat. At least, it helps to evolve sociology into a proper science. It''s better than just writing books that were only read by other academicians ¡ª" I started, only to realize Eleanor was not exactly the correct target for that rant.


    Old habits die hard.


    "Yes. At least I believe that it can be used to understand some of the core principles of the situation, allowing us to look in the right direction. It should be helpful. But, first, I need to do some experiments."


    "Experiments?" she asked, looking tense. She wasn''t hard to read. I had no doubt she was thinking about the ¡­ things that we had fought, transforming into monsters halfway.


    "Letting people fill some surveys, after a day in the dungeon, or after leveling up. Maybe some interviews after teaching them a new skill, and understanding how their perspective changed. A proper, scientific observation. Nothing crazy."


    "Good," she said. "Because if those¡­"


    "Believe me, I share your concerns," I said. "Ethics are an important part of science, and ignoring them for quick progress is not a good direction to go."


    "Alright, that''s enough talking. Teach me how to switch between skills faster," Eleanor declared. "Regardless of the potential danger, it''s better to have a brave warrior to protect your big brain."


    I chuckled, happy with her declaration. Her words might be flippant, but I had learned enough about her to know that the intent behind it wasn''t as flippant.


    Though, I doubted she understood the potential enormity of her commitment.

 Chapter 94

    Unfortunately, working on switching skills wasn''t going as smoothly as I expected. "Umm, do it faster?" I suggested.


    "Really, do it faster?" Eleanor grumbled even as she repeated the attempt, which was not any faster than her previous hundred attempts. The only thing that changed was her condition. She looked exhausted, unnaturally so. It reminded me of the time I pushed myself trying to modify my Meditation skills.


    It was a good idea to stop it. I just needed to find a way to present it to her, which was hard, as every failure was making her more frustrated. "Is this all you have? I thought professors are supposed to be good at teaching."


    I couldn''t help but blush. "Actually, no," I said. "I''m not exactly a good teacher of basics."


    "Really? But, you were a professor for a decade. Don''t you need to be a good teacher for it?"


    "Not entirely. Being a professor has very little to do with actual teaching. That''s especially true for my case, where research was more important."


    "But, you were able to teach me how you have combined your hammer style with Stalwart Guard perfectly. And, there were the plans you prepared for the Blacksmiths, and they were able to learn from it."


    "That''s different. With the other Blacksmiths, I knew exactly what they knew, and what they didn''t know since we share the same skill. Discussing martial skills with you is similar. You''re the expert, which is something I could keep up with easily. Teaching the basics to someone is different."


    "I hope it''s not an excuse to stop teaching me," she said.


    "Certainly not. Having a stronger protector is a necessity for a poor weak production class member like me," I said, which earned a snort from her.


    "Yes, you''re the epitome of weakness. Not even level fifty, and already soloing dungeon bosses."


    I chuckled. "Speaking of making you stronger, I have a different exercise in mind."


    She looked at me stubbornly. "I don''t want to stop it before I can perfect it. It''s more valuable. I don''t care what else you have in mind."


    "As valuable as gaining the ability to use mana?" I asked.


    The way her expression froze was beautiful. "But again, you''re the teacher. I should listen to you, right?" she responded, as if she wasn''t the one that declared it earlier.


    "Let''s go and open the dungeon first. Then, we can work while watching the place. We might even catch a few spies."


    "We don''t want to reveal our training ¡ª" she started, then corrected herself. "We don''t have to. We can just climb on top of one of the hills and watch everyone without obstruction."


    "Exactly," I said as I glanced around, measuring just how much my range improved after consuming thirteen crystals in total. I was glad to note that my vision had increased exponentially. Even on the third floor, I could comfortably see farther than a mile. "Our enemies will have a nasty surprise the next time they try to infiltrate the dungeon."


    "Yes, they will," Eleanor said.


    "Why don''t you go and reopen the dungeon while I pick up the necessary equipment," I said.


    "Equipment?" she asked.


    "Yeah, I need to bring a small forge to the first floor. Maybe some excess gold and other equipment wouldn''t be amiss."


    "And, do you think it would be enough?"


    "Frankly, I don''t know," I answered. "It''s not like I have any baseline other than experiencing it myself. There was a chance that your Epic skill would make it easier. Or, maybe it would be the opposite, and it''ll slow us down. Either way, we need to experiment and see."


    "Fine," Eleanor said, disappointed by my lackluster commitment.


    "See you in half an hour," I said.


    "With one condition. We focus on teaching me how to use mana above everything else."


    "Except for an actual emergency," I added, curious exactly why she had been focused on that aspect.


    "Well, obviously," she responded, her smirk making me think that I had missed something. "Now, anything else?"


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    "Actually, yes," I said. "I want you to use every attack given to you by your skill while I observe the results."


    "Do I have to walk closer?" she asked after a slight pause.


    "No need," I said even as I passed her a small, thin gold chain. "Just wrap this at the hilt of your sword, and it''ll be enough," I said.


    She nodded even as she followed my direction. "Every single attack?" she asked.


    "Yeah, from the simplest to most complicated, as slow as you can manage," I directed. "I''ll signal you to stop once I get a good handle on their structure."


    She cycled through her attacks, and each slowed down as I requested. Even as I did my best to memorize the attacks, I appreciated the display of trust she was showing. No matter what, the exact workings of her skill were a dangerous secret to give. I could design an armor to counter the special features of her vitality attacks, which would''ve made her life much harder in combat.


    It was a good feeling to be trusted.


    However, rather than lingering on that warm feeling, I focused on the concrete details of her skill to be able to help her properly. Not only would it be a good reward for the trust she was extending, but it would also help me.


    A stronger Eleanor meant a safer dungeon.


    Her attacks were interesting. Similar to my own Epic Skills ¡ª though in my case, they were limited to forging and farming ¡ª her sword skill had two types of release, which I temporarily named ordinary and dense releases. The ordinary release was mostly similar to my own combat skills, and the dense variant worked with similar principles, only more solid and damaging.


    "I think I have learned enough," I said. "I''ll pick up the necessary equipment while you handle the operation."


    "Fine. But, you only have half an hour, alright," she said, unable to keep her enthusiasm down. I didn''t blame her.


    As we split, I went back to the fourth floor, and filed a large cart with necessary items. A set of tools, some vitality-dense wood to create a fire, a manually-operated crusher to create the necessary mana density, several portable mana-resistant plates I designed to create a portable room, a thousand pounds of iron, split equally between ordinary and anti-corrosive, and some silver and gold.


    It was significant extra work to carry everything to the first floor rather than experimenting here, but after the most recent ambush, it was much preferable to keep an eye on the dungeon entrance. Especially since our increased vision had made that task much easier.


    Since everything was organized on the fourth floor, piling up the necessary equipment didn''t take as long as I expected, so I decided to forge several swords before leaving. I didn''t expect them to work immediately, but having a prototype would be useful.


    I closed my eyes, remembering that fateful day I managed to attain Mana Forge, trying to isolate the steps. I had captured the mana from the fire that Maria had kept, perceived its presence through Analyze, and then connected it through Health I had forced into the metal with my blood.


    And, it worked, because the absence of the environmental mana allowed the weak pull of my Health to connect with mana.


    "The absence of Analyze is going to be the biggest challenge," I decided even as I started forging multiple composite swords, ones that would transfer the mana in a similar shape to her attack. Trying to create an artificial mana conduit similar to her vitality attack might be useful.


    At least, her ability to freely use vitality attacks meant that I didn''t need to make her bleed constantly. That had been macabre enough when I was doing it on my own, but asking someone else to do the same was too much of a mad scientist''s demand for me to feel comfortable with.


    It was a good red line to embrace.


    Once everything was done, I pulled the cart through the familiar path, curious how much my view had increased. On the third floor, it was already more than a mile. On the second floor, it was almost three miles.


    On the first floor, the dungeon mist didn''t block my vision in the slightest, allowing me to see everything as long as I climbed to a high enough place. "Excellent," I said even as I watched a dungeon monster come into existence. It wasn''t too different from the way they evolved. The mist coalesced into something denser, followed by a bright intensity, and they came into being.


    Leaving me even more curious about what a dungeon was ¡­ unfortunately, that was not a topic I was qualified to understand yet.


    Instead, I picked up a nice steep hill, about three miles away from the entrance, a good place both as a hidden safehouse and an observatory which was tall enough that even the occasional explorer wouldn''t see us at the top.


    Eleanor returned before I finished setting everything up, though her mood wasn''t as good as I expected. "What''s wrong?" I asked once she arrived on top ¡ª with just one step thanks to Floating Stride, which I couldn''t help but feel jealous of as my phobia prevented me from using it as freely.


    "The guilds, they have left the town," she said.


    "All of them?" I asked.


    "Yes ¡ª" she started, but stopped as quickly. "Well, all but one. That annoying woman''s guild stayed, but their numbers are nowhere near enough to keep the dungeon working."


    "How about the Farmers?" I asked.


    "Well, they are still here, but we can''t keep the dungeon working with only them, not unless we can find a lot more crossbows," she said. Then, she paused again. "Why are you smiling?"


    I felt giddy at the opportunity. "Tell me. Financially, how long you can keep the dungeon going without selling anything to the System Shop."


    "Two weeks, and that''s with stopping all purchases."


    "And, how about if my guild continues to operate at the same pace?"


    "We should be able to hold back quite a while, at least until the first payment for the debt is due," she said. "About three months."


    That made me chuckle. "There''s nothing to worry about, then. I could easily surpass the number of shells the other guilds could produce, with no additional cost. All I need to do is to figure out how to make a decent crossbow. It can''t be that hard. A day, two at most."


    "True," she said, looking thoughtful. "Why do you ask about the payment schedule, then."


    "Because, wouldn''t it be better to stockpile them while letting Thomas believe that his plot to hurt us succeeded to some degree? That way, he won''t be in a hurry to plan his next attack."


    "Makes sense," she said. "And, in the meanwhile, if I can figure out how to use mana attacks¡­" Her smile widened as she fell silent, considering possibilities as she grabbed the hilt of her new sword, excited.


    I smiled as well, imagining the way her face would look once she realized she wouldn''t be using her precious new toy.

 Chapter 95

    "How do we start," she asked as she drew her sword, her smile bright.


    "By sheathing that back," I responded.


    "What, why?" she said. "You promised that we are going to focus on this above anything else except an actual emergency. There''s none."


    I couldn''t help but chuckle even as I watched her attitude. "We are, but there are two things to take note of. First, we''re going to start with a lesson on how I achieved what I did, so that you have a general idea of direction. Then ¡­" I added, forcing a serious expression. "I''m not sure I''m supposed to say it."


    "Is it bad?" she asked, tense.


    "Yes, it''s terrible," I said, barely keeping a smile down as I reached to the pile and threw her a sword. "This is the sword that you''re going to use."


    She already had a dubious expression on her face, but it transformed even further when she grabbed the hilt. Her expression of shock finally broke my determination not to laugh, and I fell down chuckling. "Alright, the joke is over. Give me the real sword," she grumbled.


    "It''s not a joke," I said, but she just looked at me with disbelief. "At least, the sword is not the joke part. Try using the simplest attack you have used. You''ll understand what I mean."


    Her expression didn''t shift until she had attacked once, and even then, her expression turned even stonier. "You''re serious," she said as she realized the general gist of the design. I nodded. "But, this is garbage. Poorly balanced, structurally weak, unwieldy. It''s not even a sword."


    "It''s enough of a sword to trigger your skill, which is all we need," I said with a shrug. "That''s something you have to deal with. At least, you don''t have to start it immediately, as we need to start with a lesson on theory."


    That didn''t alleviate her frustration in any way. "I had forgotten about that part," she complained. "Can''t we start with using this," she said, raising the composite sword. "I promise I''m not going to complain."


    "Unfortunately, we can''t do that. I need to understand how your skill works, and what perks you have to develop a better approach."


    "What does it have to do with the Perks?" she asked.


    "It''s how I achieved my own upgrade," I said, giving her a summary of how I achieved my own breakthroughs. "As you see, without Analyze creating a bridge to sense mana, I couldn''t have done it."


    "But, I don''t have a Perk like that," she said, looking panicked. "Does it mean that I can''t use your method?"


    "I''m hopeful that we can achieve it," I said. "We just need to make sure to create a basis. And, even without a Perk, I have some ideas that can be useful."


    "Fine," she said. "I have three Perks, one upgraded, two baseline. The upgraded perk allows me to read and react to melee attacks better. One of the normal ones allows me to spend less Health on each attack, and the other increases my mobility."


    "Doesn''t sound ideal," I admitted without sugarcoating. "But, it doesn''t mean we''re helpless. Let''s start with something simple," I said. "I''ll manipulate the mana to match your skill."


    "Would that work?"


    "Most likely not," I responded. "I would be shocked if it did."


    She looked confused. "Why are we trying it if you don''t expect it to work?"


    "Because there are certain basics I want to try, and it seems like the quick way to test some assumptions," I said, and once again attached the chain to the hilt of her sword. "Now, the same attack," I said even as I pushed mana through the chain, filling the gap.


    Luckily, Repair allowed me to control mana just as well, meaning I could do so while using Advanced Observation. She used her vitality attack ¡­ only for it to cut through the mana, dispersing it. "Was it supposed to do something?" she said. "It felt the same."


    "No. It''s just a test. One of many," I said even as I started taking notes on a clay tablet.


    "What''s this? A spell?" she asked.


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    "No," I said, but chuckled. Her confusion was understandable. I was trying to take notes about the way vitality and mana interacted, which was a complicated topic. It was more symbols than numbers. Half of these symbols were esoteric mathematical symbols unfamiliar to anyone without a doctorate on the topic, and the other half, I had invented during my experimentation. "It''s a way to record how my mana reacted to your vitality attack as a function of various stimuli."


    "Why are you not using a paper?"


    "Habit. The paper doesn''t keep well on the fourth floor. This symbol, for example, refers to the fluidity of mana," I responded as I continued writing, expecting a follow-up question, excited to share my findings, which turned out to be a mistake.


    Eleanor stopped paying attention the moment I finished my explanation, her interest wandering away. Instead, she turned her attention at the entrance, watching the movement of the guards, and the few guild members that stuck around.


    I let it pass. She was not someone academically inclined, and trying to force the issue was useless. Instead, I focused on running the experiment repeatedly, asking her to shift to the other swords, trying to get a general sense of what was going on.


    Then, I ran the whole set several more times, this time after putting her into that enclosed room and pumping it with various densities of mana, trying to understand how the density affected it.


    "That''s it," I called her.


    "What do you mean, that''s it? You can''t be serious," Eleanor said.


    I sighed in amusement. "I mean, we have to stop for a while, so I can do some rudimentary calculations and understand how your attacks react with vitality, compare it with my own attacks, and see if I can get a generalized relationship."


    "Sounds complicated," she said.


    "Well, you''re not wrong," I said, which was an understatement. For all intents and purposes, I was trying to invent a whole new technological path, which was the kind that ordinarily took centuries. Without the System allowing me to skip some critical steps, I could have never had even a hope of succeeding.


    "What do I do in the meantime?" she asked.


    "I don''t know. The calculations would probably take several hours, and there''s nothing you can work on ¡ª" I started, only to pause as a wild idea occurred to me.


    I wondered if it was possible to sense mana without Essence. At face value, it sounded absurd, but maybe it wasn''t a waste of time. After all, Strength, Dexterity, Vitality, Intelligence, Perception, and Wisdom; every single of them correspond to things that exist in the human body. Even Charisma did, after a fashion.


    Was it possible for Essence to be the only exception? Well, yes, but it was still worth the effort. But, if that was the case, was it possible to leverage it somewhat? Maybe I could reverse-engineer meditation somewhat, at least in general terms? Would it be possible to break down the concept of ¡ª


    "Devon," she said as she shook me. "You haven''t said anything for the last fifteen minutes. Are you alright?"


    "Sorry, I just had an idea," I said, smiling sheepishly. "Sometimes, I do that."


    "Anything you would like to share?"


    "Actually, yes. Meditation," I answered. "I have an idea. It has a low chance of working, but we can multitask."


    "But, I don''t have the skill," she said.


    "I know, but I''m not entirely sure the skill, or the stat is necessary. After all, farmers don''t have Strength, but it doesn''t keep them from lifting rocks, right?"


    "If you think it''ll help," Eleanor said, quick to accept the modified plan. "Now, what do I do?"


    "Let''s start with something simple. I''ll set the crusher, and also create four pipes, mana only flowing out from one of them. Just close your eyes, and try to point one whenever you feel something."


    "Why four pipes?"


    "It''s a classical blind experimental setup," I said. "That will allow me to statistically establish that you''re not making a random choice."


    She shrugged again. "You''re the expert," she said, showing her disinterest in the finer parts of the experimental design. "Anything else I need to do?"


    "No," I said even as I made the necessary additions to the crusher, and created the setup. She sat cross-legged on the ground, her eyes closed, trying to calm down.


    I smiled as I watched her fidget. She could easily sit down and handle a meeting, but meditating meant she had nothing to distract herself from it. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried to force herself to meditate.


    "Take deep breaths, and don''t focus on the act too much. Just let your mind wander while counting your breaths," I said. "Meditation is not a competition, but an inner introspection. There''s no hurry," As I spoke, she opened her eyes, looking at me suspiciously. "What''s wrong?"


    "It''s weird," she said.


    "It can be at the beginning. But, spend enough time, and it''ll get more familiar."


    She smiled. "No, not the meditation part. Focusing on the inner self, staying calm, vague instructions¡­ And, since when are you telling other people not to hurry?"


    "Well¡­" I said as I avoided her gaze, finding myself blushing. "I might have been repeating the way my therapist guided me during my sessions, back before the Cataclysm."


    "And, did it work?"


    "It wasn''t completely useless," I said, though even that was a generous description. Eleanor''s chuckles showed that she realized the same, but she still closed her eyes, which was all I could ask for. Then, after a few seconds, she opened her eyes. "What now?"


    "Do you mind answering a question? A personal one?" I nodded. "Why do you mention the pre-Cataclysm world so much? You''re the only one that I know that mentions it regularly."


    "That''s not the correct question," I said. "The real one is, why is everyone so determined to act like the System existed for centuries rather than three years?" Eleanor''s eyebrows furrowed once again, but I could see that my statement didn''t resonate with her. "Just chalk it to me being nostalgic," I said instead. "For now, let''s focus on your meditation, and let''s see if we can surprise Maria with it."


    "Good point," she said as she closed her eyes again, leaving me to ignore that niggling question and focus on the practical problems.

 Chapter 96

    We spent the next three hours working on the same issue. I forged a set of swords, she practiced with them, and while I worked on the data, she meditated. Unfortunately, for every five minutes of practice, I was spending an hour doing calculations.


    I never wanted a computer more. Doing the calculations by hand was truly torture. Even the most basic calculations to lay down the basic statistical data like standard deviation and correlation took a considerable amount of time, especially since I had to split the dataset in different ways to identify some of the variables. Doing the same basic calculations again and again was very boring.


    However, it was true that misery loves company.


    I wasn''t the only one struggling. Eleanor was more of the same. As I watched her, she shuffled in discomfort, meditating as she tried to somehow attune herself to mana. She was a woman who was used to resolving her problems through action, not inaction.


    "Take a deeper breath ¡ª" I started.


    It worked the opposite way. She exhaled sharply, the tension in her shoulders betraying her frustration. "I''m trying," she muttered, cracking one eye open to glare at me. "This isn''t exactly my thing. Can''t I just kill monsters until I get a new perk like you did."


    I chuckled. "Technically we can, but we only have two shots in that. If you''re willing to waste that opportunity¡­"


    "Fine, be reasonable," she said as she closed her eyes again, her jaw set in a stubborn way that told me she was far from giving up. Unfortunately, it was also not helpful ¡­ or at least, I assumed it was not. I leaned back, watching her intently as she once again pointed at one of the four pipes.


    Wrong one. Again.


    I didn''t feel like she was making any progress. Unfortunately, I had no idea whether it was the wrong method, or it was the lack of time. I sighed as I returned to my calculations.


    "How about we take a break," she asked a minute later. "I don''t think I have sat down like that for a long time. A visit to the town is a good way to stretch my legs."


    "Sure, a little movement would do you good."


    "Do you want to come?"


    "Tempting, but I should visit the outpost instead. I trust Harold to keep things under control, but my presence should make it easier. We don''t want them panicking."


    "Good point," she said as she stood up, but didn''t start walking immediately. "If Maria returns, should I have a talk with her alone?"


    "That''s going to be a fun talk," I said.


    "Yeah," Eleanor said. "She has a tendency of ¡­ overreacting when surprised."


    I was tempted to ask her to handle that discussion. Very much so. Unfortunately, I feel like I owed Maria enough to have that talk face-to-face. "No," I still said. "I''m the one that chose to keep it a secret. The best thing I can do is to be the one to explain it to her."


    "Do you think that''s a good idea?"


    "Hell no," I answered, making her chuckle. "But I still need to do it."


    "Your call," she said as she prepared to jump.


    "But, I won''t say no if you soften her up a bit," I added. She just smiled before she hauled herself away with a big jump, pushing herself faster than I expected, but rather than picking a direct path, she landed, and started killing the monsters on her path.


    She must have been even more frustrated than I had realized. Suddenly, I felt pity for the wildlife around the town.


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    I went the opposite path, approaching my guild outpost. I expected a tight, tense environment. I trusted Harold, but with all but one other guild pulling back from the dungeon immediately after the mysterious death of multiple guild masters and more than a hundred members, it was the most rational outcome.


    But, as I got closer enough to distinguish their mood, I realized I had misread the situation significantly. Instead of the dark and morose atmosphere I had been expecting, I met with people running around with purpose. Calling them cheerful would have been a stretch, but being excited and dedicated certainly would fit the bill.


    The people saluted me as I approached, and I gestured for them to stand down. As I approached, Harold arrived from the gate, probably alerted by the guards about my arrival. "Guild master," he greeted as well.


    "Follow me," I said as I moved some distance away from the crowd.


    "Sir, may I ask what had happened in the dungeon? The official news says that¡ª"


    "I know what exactly the official news says," I said, as I was the one who suggested the official story about another dungeon swarm trigger, this time enhanced. It was an obviously fake story, but there was no real point in examining it. "A few people tried to assassinate me and Eleanor, and failed. Simple as that," I said.


    "It''s good to see everything is well, sir," he said.


    "What about the guild?" I asked. "They look enthusiastic. I expected them to be stressed out after all the deaths."


    He chuckled. "The opposite. The other guilds had been posturing a lot for a long time, so they were expecting the attack. Now that those posturing guilds suddenly ¡­ encountered a misfortune, they are even more confident about their position."


    "Really? They were expecting to be attacked, and still volunteered?" I asked, surprised by it. After all, it was not a simple decision. For me, it took almost three years to finally change my attitude.


    He shrugged. "They are Farmers. They know that this is the best opportunity they have to level up, and actually developing proficiency in a combat skill is a bonus. Combined, it''s the best offer they could get."


    "Still, all of them¡­"


    Harold smiled. "Sorry to be harsh, sir, but you don''t know what it''s like to have a production class. For them, any chance to level up is a treasure. Either they need to pay a fortune for dungeon access, working for a whole year to just visit it once or twice, or they need to join an expedition. And, the ones that hire Farmers are more likely to use them as disposable scouts than anything else."


    "Good point," I said, smiling at his assumption that I didn''t know the plight of the production classes. But he still had a point. Even without my most recent bout of luck, my situation had never been that bad. Blacksmiths were not the luckiest class, but our situation was nowhere as bad as the Farmers.


    For a moment, I was surprised by the general attitude, but then remembered every Farmer that had joined the camp was a volunteer, determined to seek their fortune. In such a situation, death was to be expected ¡­ and there was nothing if that expected death visited their enemies rather than them.


    "Would you spend some time with them, sir? I''m sure your presence will be appreciated."


    "I can''t stay for long, but give me a tour of the latest changes," I asked. Since they seemed to believe that I was responsible for their deaths ¡ª not wholly accurate since those transformed men were responsible for most of the mayhem, but the difference was academic ¡ª showing them that I was walking around strongly should help.


    As Harold guided me through the encampments on both floors, I was already making plans to scale our operations up. Now that the secret was finally out and I didn''t need to hide the truth from Eleanor, I could actually arm them with proper anti-corrosive alloys rather than the weak variant that only worked on arrows.


    With a ten-foot spear and proper plate armor, even farmers should be able to dominate the first three floors with ease, especially if we set another beachhead on the fourth floor, and use the water to grow the trees fully and create safe zones to avoid the occasional giant variant.


    Yet, I didn''t hurry to implement that, for two reasons. First, I wanted to finish the experiment with Eleanor. I could already help them by bringing their Nurture higher, which would trigger better classes. Even a partial stat bonus like Strength would have been a treasure.


    As for unlocking their Essence¡­


    I had to actively stop myself from imagining that. I didn''t even know if it was possible for Eleanor, let alone integrating that at a mass scale. And, more importantly, I had a bigger impediment facing me. Maria''s reaction was still a mystery, with a whole spectrum of possibilities from glad to furious.


    It was also why I wasn''t using the time to forge a thousand spears to arm them. I wanted to ask for Maria''s ''approval''. I knew what her answer would be, but sometimes, letting the leaders make the obvious decisions was the best way to keep their mood upbeat after doing something to challenge their authority.


    Luckily, Maria wasn''t a particularly invested leader, so I didn''t expect that to be too big of a problem. The personal sense of betrayal was the likelier reaction, the fact that I saved Eleanor''s life would be enough to prevent her from feeling betrayed.


    Should¡­ Hopefully¡­ Because, I had just seen Eleanor at a distance, accompanied by a robed figure, her redhead distinct even from a distance.


    "Make sure to keep an eye on everything," I said to Harold as I started walking away. "I might not be around for a while."

 Chapter 97

    I waited for Maria at the peak of the hill, ready to work on the next set of swords I would give Eleanor, just another little thing to keep her mood up. Eleanor could see me thanks to the bosses we had hunted, but Maria could not.


    A little perfunctory, maybe, but doing my best was a good idea when facing a mercurial woman who could literally kill me with her gaze.


    When they arrived at the bottom of the hill, Eleanor presented her arm. Maria grabbed, and then with a jump, Eleanor cleared the whole hill. "Hey, boss. Long time no see," I said, trying to sound casual. From the way Eleanor winced, I guessed that I wasn''t particularly successful.


    She looked at me, her gaze tightening. Then, she looked at Eleanor. "I''m guessing that you have skipped a few details in your story," Maria said.


    "Well, not exactly," Eleanor answered. Maria''s expression tightened."But, I might have neglected to mention just how close we came to losing if it wasn''t for the surprise Devon was keeping."


    "You almost died!" Maria gasped.


    The shift was incredible, and scary. Up until now, Maria had always been the cheerful boss. Yes, she was arrogant, but it had been the spoiled kind of arrogance that I had gotten used to from my old job, falling somewhere between annoying and charming depending on the day. That hadn''t truly changed even when she helped me level up.


    But, the moment Eleanor admitted how close she got to dying, she lost that cheeriness. Her presence shifted ¡­ changed, a pressure radiating from her. It wasn''t like Thomas, using Charisma. That was an unnatural, insidious feeling.


    It was different for Maria. The pressure felt like the sudden turn of the weather right before a record-breaking storm, only this time, the pressure was truly suffocating. It was already intimidating before air started churning around her, surrounded by a faint shimmer of heat.


    I was glad that she was looking at Eleanor. Eleanor avoided her gaze, shuffling on her feet. "Well, I didn''t expect them to somehow bring six ballistas without alerting us. They set up an ambush. But, nothing happened. Devon made sure of it."


    "Six ballistas?" she said, her voice tightening. "And, you didn''t mention them before."


    "I didn''t want to talk about that in public," Eleanor said. Behind Maria, I nodded at her in appreciation. She was doing her best to present my secret as an absolute boon, which I appreciated. She could have easily twisted the situation badly just by shifting a few words around.


    That sword was a well-deserved reward.


    Maria looked like she wanted to continue, but after glancing at me, she decided against it. "We will talk about it later," she declared. Then, she turned at me, her gaze sharp, assessing, reminding me that, for all her frivolity, she still had a sharp mind unrelated to her stat distribution. "It must be an interesting secret to play a decisive role in a battle with six ballistas."


    I thought about mentioning that I managed to hunt one of the gargantuan insects and expanded my range of vision, which was the method I had discovered the ambush. It would be the correct answer to her question, but I doubted trying to hide behind the technicalities would have helped.


    Instead, I raised my hand.


    [-20 Mana]


    The sense of tension around her dissipated, but only because she was truly shocked. "How?" she gasped, looking surprised. Then, her gaze tightened, and she started to look actually angry. The shift surprised me, and then she spoke. "Who bribed you you bribe with that skill stone?" she growled, and the pressure returned, this time with revenge.


    She didn''t need to mention her thought process for me to guess what happened. Immediately after an ambush to Eleanor, she must have been thinking that I had been bribed to ambush Eleanor, only to change sides at the last second. A reasonable conclusion. Utterly wrong. But reasonable.


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    "Calm down and listen," Eleanor interrupted, probably coming to the same conclusion.


    "I''m not in the mood to listen to a traitor," she started, and the opening we were in actually started to get hot.


    "Do you remember the time you helped me to experiment on how to forge mana alloys," I commented.


    The comment was random enough to distract her from her anger. "Yes, but ¡ª" she started.


    "And, did you ever wonder why I didn''t ask your help for the same experiment again?" I continued, careful to keep my hands out in the open.


    "I assumed because you learned all you needed from it," she said.


    "In a way," I said, which didn''t help her confusion at all. "And, I''m sure you know once a class skill is pushed to the maximum, it evolves automatically."


    "Not automatically, there are quite a few conditions, but yes," Maria said, which surprised me. I had assumed it to be automatic. That statement alone triggered dozens of questions, but I had a feeling that it wasn''t the best time to ask them.


    "And, did you know that class skills can also transform when you achieve something out of context," I added. "Something like actually managing to forge mana alloy without having any Mana?"


    That made her pause. "You can''t be serious," she said. "Experimenting with mana, without having Essence, is a fool''s errand. It''s impossible."


    "Not exactly," I said. "I managed to use my vitality as a catalyst to somehow link with mana, which helped me to create a mana alloy. A garbage one, I have to admit, but it was enough to trigger my skill."


    She frowned. "Impossible. The interference alone ¡ª" she started, but I cut her off.


    "Which is not exactly a problem in a mana-dead location," I corrected. Technically, my experiments showed that it was merely mana-sparse rather than mana-dead, but it was not the time to fix that particular misconception.


    "It''s not possible," she said, dazed and confused.


    "Which part?" I asked, feeling better. A confused Maria was a much better alternative than a murderous one who was under the mistaken impression that I had sold her best friend to her enemies for an extremely rare skill stone. "The part where I have managed to jump two rarity levels with one experiment, or the part where I managed to manipulate mana without Essence."


    "Well¡­" she said, looking dazed.


    I grabbed one of the swords I created for Eleanor and walked to her, which was also a small test. She didn''t even flinch as I approached her with a bladed weapon, which was good news in terms of her trust. I flipped the sword and passed it to her. "Try it," I said.


    "Why?" she asked.


    "Just push your mana through it. You''ll see."


    She did so, and a glow covered the sword. It wasn''t a particularly stable glow, the edges of it were fraying. But, it was still a mana attack. "Impossible," Maria gasped as she examined the way her mana reacted.


    "Well, yes," I said, and couldn''t help but feel smug. At least, for the first few seconds. As she continued to examine the sword, the frayed, fragile glow around the sword straightened into a perfect edge, which then lengthened, its brightness not something I could match even if I put all the mana I could store behind it.


    Then, she turned that into a ranged attack, flying away. A trick that took me days to perfect, and she learned it in seconds, without even trying.


    No, I wasn''t jealous ¡­ much.


    "And, this happened before you reached level twenty-five, so you got a new class," she said.


    I nodded. "Yes, a class called Mana Blacksmith. It gives one essence for every two levels," I said.


    "That''s not much, is it?" she said, looking a bit surprised.


    This time, it was Eleanor that spoke. "Not everyone is as perfect as you, Miss Legendary," Eleanor teased, making Maria blush. "I will be happy to get one point every four levels."


    I chuckled alongside them, realizing that the biggest threat had passed. I had a feeling that being mistaken for a traitor helped quite a bit, channeling the worst of the betrayal Maria might have felt for keeping secrets.


    After all, what was a small secret compared to such a heinous crime?


    Maria nodded for a moment, then her eyes widened. "Wait, what? What do you mean?"


    Eleanor nodded eagerly. "Exactly what you''re thinking. We''re trying to copy his method to see if I can somehow get the mana variant as well. We weren''t able to make much progress yet, but we were only trying for a few hours."


    Maria cut her off with a raised hand, her gaze locking on me. "You''re helping her with mana?" she asked. Her voice was calm, but I could catch an undercurrent of excitement. "Is it possible?"


    "Frankly, I don''t know," I said. "But, there''s no reason for it to be impossible. I already have several paths in mind, from forcefully melding her vitality attacks with mana, to meditation."


    Maria''s eyes widened as she turned to Eleanor. "You ¡­ meditating?" she said, followed by a chuckle. "That I need to see."


    "Oh, it''s just as amusing as you think it is," I commented, joining her in laughter. It would have been an excellent, calculated moment to join her, and use humor to deflect any remaining frustration she might have been feeling toward me.


    Luckily, it was not necessary, as Eleanor trying to meditate was one of the funniest things I had been dealing with for a long time ¡ª not that there was much competition considering most of my time was spent locked in the dungeon, hunting monsters.


    "Shut up," Eleanor grumbled as she crossed her arms, turning away from us. Maria caught my gaze, and we started to laugh even louder. And, soon, despite her grumblings, Eleanor joined as well.


    It felt good¡­

 Chapter 98

    "So, what do we do?" Maria asked a while later, playing with my backup sword, examining the sword I created based on the epic skill. Once we calmed down, Eleanor started meditating once more, while I helped Maria to catch up with the secrets I had been hiding.


    "I still want to keep my abilities a secret as much as possible," I said. "We don''t know how the world will react, and I don''t want to test it before gaining enough power. I don''t want to get experimented on or captured."


    "I would have disagreed, but¡­" she said, letting her voice linger. She didn''t say it, but what she was saying was clear. The fact that Thomas could pull such obvious attacks meant one of two things. Either he was relying on some kind of external support that meant he wasn''t afraid of her family''s response, or her family was implicitly supporting his actions. "Things will change once I break through the barrier."


    "And, I''ll do my best to help that," I responded, and she smiled gratefully. "Whatever you need."


    "I need you to supply your guild members with actual weapons, and not just arrows. Can you do that?" she asked.


    "Easily, but we need to be careful about it," I said.


    "Why?"


    "With the guilds retreating, your enemies believe that they have succeeded, at least partially. It''s to our benefit to let them maintain that belief. Instead, they will focus on blocking our acquisition of crossbows and intercept the delivery of the arrowheads."


    "And, since we can finally kill the bosses, we can catch any spy trying to infiltrate easily. Eleanor could defend the dungeon, while I stay in the town" she added, then looked at my crusher. "Especially if it''s not that hard to replicate your machines. If we can generate enough mana to let me show a fraction of my true capability.."


    "And, how much mana do you require to fight near peak efficiency, thousands of points?" I asked.


    She chuckled. "Oh, not even in that ballpark. But, it''s more complicated than just having mana. The distribution, the density, the nature of mana, the placement of other mages, all of them play a role," she said.


    I bit the question that I wanted to ask down. But, this time, it wasn''t about keeping it a secret, but more practical concerns. That question would release a thousand more, and the situation was still too complicated to indulge that way. "Yes, I can replicate them. It''s not that hard," I said. "That way, storing the shells would have two functions."


    "We need to be careful. Releasing too much of the Dungeon Pollution outside can have dangerous effects on the wildlife. It''s a method that''s only fit for emergencies before it gets too much."


    "And, there''s no such risk in the dungeon, right?" I asked.


    "Not unless one got truly excessive. Dungeons can absorb it back."


    Once again, I did my best to suppress the questions I wanted to ask. "Good. Then, as long as you think it''s alright, we can move a large group of Farmers to the second and third floors permanently and start hunting on a truly large scale."


    "But, what about keeping it a secret?"


    "We can forbid them from going out," I said, and immediately, she looked angry.


    "I don''t condone imprisoning them," she said.


    I shook my head, but I smiled. It was good to see her caring about their status. Admittedly, not imprisoning hundreds of people in a forced labor camp was the bare minimum, but sometimes, one had to grade on a curve. From what I had seen, there were not many in the ranks of power who wouldn''t make that decision.


    And, to be fair, I couldn''t even blame that on the System. We had been the same even before the System, with countless examples both ancient and modern.


    "Don''t worry. We''re not going to imprison them. We''re going to recruit from a team of volunteers only, and explain to them that they will be on a six-month dangerous mission that they are forbidden to contact with anyone else, but with equally high rewards. Levels, Rare skills, and helping them to access better classes. Throw in a nice bonus of fifty gold at the end of the enlistment, and they will accept. It''ll be like a Navy mission. And, we can claim that we sent them to set another outpost in the wilderness."


    "Fine, it''s a good idea. But, what about supplying them with food."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "That''s even easier. It''s an army of Farmers. Setting up a garden inside the dungeon is the easiest thing to do."


    She nodded, and we spent the next ten minutes discussing the details, focusing on information security over anything else, including how to store collected shells safely in the dungeon. Eleanor listened to the discussion, but she let me take the lead.


    At first, it surprised me ¡­ only when I noticed her smirk, I realized what she was doing. She was simply unloading the job she hated the most to me, leaving me responsible for the logistic details, more than happy to have more time to focus on her skills.


    Especially with the prospect of gaining the ability to use mana.


    "Too bad that there''s no way to close doors for the dungeon," I said.


    "Actually there is," Maria said. I looked at her expectantly. "Unfortunately, I don''t know how," she admitted. "It''s too big of a secret even for our family. It took a fortune for us to hire someone capable of doing that for the family dungeon, and even then, we had to close the dungeon for a week for them to do whatever they needed to accomplish to close the excess gates."


    "Good to know," I said. Hiring such a service was out of the question both in terms of price, and in terms of trying to keep secrets, but knowing that such a thing was possible was already a benefit.


    In science, sometimes, knowing if something is possible is the biggest part of the discovery. Not that dungeon landscaping was anywhere near the list of priorities, but knowing more was always welcome.


    "I think that''s enough about logistics," Maria finally cut it off. "You clearly know what you''re doing. Let''s talk about the important things," she said, her gaze turning to Eleanor.


    I would have called it selfishness, but my most recent experience in combat refreshed my understanding of how important high-ranking combatants were. With her new sword alone, Eleanor could have dealt with everything but the weird transformed monsters. And, adding mana to her repertoire would increase her capabilities significantly.


    Combined, she alone represented a bigger threat than all seven thousand Farmers even with their upgraded classes, so I couldn''t claim her sense of priorities was inaccurate.


    "Yes, how to improve her skill to the mana variant," I completed.


    "Yes, let''s discuss," she said, letting me take the point. I nodded in appreciation. Things would have been far more difficult if she insisted on leading the discussion. "We can say that there are three critical variables for my case. An act that triggered the skill, Health acting as a medium to let the skill register the action as my achievement, and a way for me to control the process."


    "The first two parts are obvious," she said. "But the third¡­"


    "Yeah, it was Analyze, a perk of my Repair Skill back then, that allowed me to trigger it. I don''t know if there''s a similar perk available for her skills."


    "Is that why she has to act like a vase ¡ª" Maria commented.


    "Hey, I''m not deaf," Eleanor interjected.


    "Yes, but you''re supposed to ignore the external factors. That includes the juvenile, poorly thought-out insults."


    "Hey!" This time, it was Maria who exclaimed while Eleanor chuckled.


    "To continue. Yes, that is indeed the reason. I don''t know if it''ll actually work, but it''s a pretty harmless experiment."


    "Of course. Only an idiot experiments on herself if there''s a risk," Maria commented. I couldn''t help but blush when she said that, which made her eyes tighten. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked, her tone sharp.


    "Well, no," I said. Her eyes tightened. "I don''t want to say it," I added. Maria said nothing while I avoided her gaze. I felt less like a capable genius, and more like a naughty child. Admittedly, it was less about the sense of authority she radiated, and more about the enormity of my own mistake.


    There was no good way to admit that I almost killed myself during a poorly designed experiment ¡ª if it even deserved to be called that. "I might have ¡­ rotated my Meditation skill in reverse." Her eyes widened. "When it was still below twenty-five."


    She gasped. "How the hell are you still alive," she gasped.


    "I have to admit, double vitality did most of the work of keeping me alive," I said, which didn''t help Maria''s sharp gaze. "But, I learned my lesson. I promise," I added.


    "We will see," she said, her tone suggesting that she had just appointed herself as the safety officer for my experiments. I had to admit, it was not a bad existence. To be honest, it was a required position.


    "Let me show what I gathered until this moment," I said even as I pulled the clay tablets that I used to take notes.


    "What is this?" she asked, confused.


    "They are the notes I took on the interaction between her vitality attacks and mana," I said. "I''m trying to create a sword that will overlap the mana component with her vitality attack, combining it into one devastating hit that would hopefully trigger her skill to ¡ª"


    "No, I don''t mean what''s the function. I mean, what is it?"


    "Oh, that," I said. "It''s a mathematical model of the interaction between the Health and mana components, but it''s an ongoing process. Unfortunately, without any literature, I was able to access, I had to invent some new symbols, and most of the models are pretty esoteric."


    "And, this actually works?" she asked.


    "Depends," I said.


    "Depends on what?" she asked. "It either works, or it doesn''t, right?"


    "Not exactly. There are many functions for mathematical models. Accurately recording the available observation is one of them, predicting future behavior is another," I explained. It was quite a bit of simplification, ignoring several use cases, but I had to stay practical. "It works well enough to record what I can see, but actually predicting the behavior of alternate cases requires some work."


    "What''s the benefit of it?" she asked.


    "How about sharing exactly what I can detect with my Advanced Observe Perk whenever Eleanor uses an attack, be it Health or mana?"


    She paused for a moment, her eyes widening. "Teach me," she said, her tone conveying her enthusiasm.


    "With pleasure," I said and started explaining to her every symbol I had used, regardless of whether I had invented it or not, as it was not fair to expect her to know esoteric symbols I dug out from areas like functional analysis and information theory.


    A detailed primer class was in order¡­

 Chapter 99

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Maria finally called. ¡°My head is actually aching.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but you have made excellent progress,¡± I said. It was not an exaggeration. We were on it for almost four hours, and in that short amount of time, she had made enough progress to make even the most overachieving student proud as long as they had managed to replicate it in a week.


    A part of it was about the Intelligence helping her, but not all of it. Her effort and general understanding also helped. Intelligence might not be able to help her internalize her learnings, or even memorize any faster ¡ª that apparently required Wisdom, which her class lacked ¡ª but it still helped her to keep many things actively in her mind, helping her to contextualize things faster than I expected.


    ¡°Really, it doesn¡¯t feel like it,¡± she said. ¡°Nothing I learned was useful.¡±


    ¡°You can already read my equations, and help me do the statistical calculations. Alone, running those analyses would have taken me a month at minimum,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really?¡± she said. ¡°A month?¡±


    Eleanor intervened. ¡°Sometimes, you¡¯re forgetting the value of having five hundred intelligence.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were supposed to be a vase. Shut up,¡± Maria said, blushing slightly.


    I watched them argue, split between feeling shocked and happy. Shocked, because five hundred intelligence was shockingly high. For me, receiving double stats was already impressive, and that was with Strength and Vitality, the two most common stats.


    The happy part came from Eleanor casually revealing one of Maria¡¯s important secrets, and Maria not caring the slightest. It was a great way to show acceptance, especially since it was clear that they had done so immediately.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± Eleanor asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I have to sit down like this for another hour? Because I need to visit the town and make sure everything is in order.¡±


    ¡°Well, no,¡± I said as I checked the results of the calculations. ¡°I have a few ideas, but I¡¯m not sure if I could implement them based on the equipment here. I have to forge a sword using the Epic skill to test it, and for that, I need my real forge. It¡¯ll take at least half a day, so you can do whatever you need, even catch your sleep.¡±


    ¡°Really? Half a day? Is it that far away?¡± Maria interjected.


    ¡°Not really. That part merely takes a few minutes at full speed,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s the forging that¡¯ll take the time.¡±


    ¡°Then, how do you forge all those arrowheads?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡±It¡¯s about how Epic Skills, at least the ones I have, work. It creates what I termed dense mana.¡±


    ¡±That, we know,¡± Maria said. ¡°It¡¯s how every Epic skill works. But, I don¡¯t understand the difference it makes. Doesn¡¯t the skill handle all of it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s less about the Epic, and more about how I handle the forging ¡ª¡± I started, only to realize that, during the experimentation, I always absorbed mana first before creating the composite sword, as it was easier and more efficient as long as I forged just one or two items. ¡±Let me show you,¡± I said even as I dragged the crusher next to my tools, and rapidly forged ten swords, each taking merely half a minute, manipulating the mana indirectly.


    ¡°Is this how you managed to climb to Epic quickly,¡± Maria said, her eyebrows creased.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s even easier to use Mana Control in mana-dead locations. Crushers provide me with a lot of mana. Once using material above the skill limit lost its effectiveness, I was able to increase my skill by mass-producing gold daggers.¡±


    ¡°Ingenious,¡± Maria said. ¡°Is this why you asked for platinum?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Since there¡¯s a clear link between copper, silver, and gold, it¡¯s worth testing platinum as well.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Maria frowned. ¡°Too bad I don¡¯t have any platinum coins remaining, we could have at least tested it.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°True. I wouldn¡¯t say no to an even better skill.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can try selling a few swords. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll fetch a fortune,¡± Eleanor suggested.


    ¡°No ¡ª¡± Maria and I responded at the same time. She chuckled as she continued. ¡°We don¡¯t have the channels to sell them while keeping it a secret.¡±


    ¡°How about the auction house?¡± Eleanor asked.


    ¡°Not really a secure channel,¡± Maria said. ¡°Any sufficiently strong family could pressure an auctioneer to reveal what is being sold. It¡¯s not a good method to sell things secretively.¡±


    ¡°Alright. This is where we split, then,¡± I said.


    Eleanor nodded as she started walking away. Maria didn¡¯t follow. ¡°Maria?¡± Eleanor asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do in the town, so it¡¯s a good time to kill some dungeon bosses and level up, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Eleanor asked, sounding a little frustrated. Maria nodded. ¡°Maybe I should come with you, just in case.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Maria dismissed. ¡°I¡¯m sure Devon could protect me in case of any danger arising.¡±


    That made me snort. The sheer pressure she created in her anger was still vivid in my memory. And, since the dungeon was filled with mobile sources of mana, I couldn¡¯t imagine her somehow falling against any threat.


    ¡°Still, better safe than sorry, right?¡±


    ¡°No. You mentioned that you have important things to handle,¡± Maria said. ¡°We can¡¯t neglect the town.¡±


    Eleanor looked like she wanted to disagree, so I intervened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep her safe ¡­ not that she needs it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Maria said, smug. Eleanor looked frustrated at first, but as she looked at my face, her expression shifted to something close to mirth.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back here in ten hours.¡± With that, she jumped away.


    ¡°Is she gone?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said even as I started putting the equipment in the cave I dug, making sure people couldn¡¯t stumble on it easily.


    ¡°Good,¡± Maria said as she looked at the distance. ¡°Dungeon Mist is really frustrating. I¡¯m glad that I won¡¯t have to deal with it for long.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± I chuckled even as I put the last item into the cave. ¡°Trying to explore the fourth floor while my range of vision dropped below twenty yards was an experience, especially with monsters popping out endlessly.¡±


    ¡°How did you handle it?¡± she said.


    ¡°I discovered that I could use the trees to push away the mist,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the cost of keeping everything a secret,¡± she said. ¡°You have to discover everything on your own.¡±


    I gave her a sheepish smile. ¡°I have to admit I might have been a tad too obsessive with secrets,¡± I said. ¡°In my defense, if the wrong person learns it, I might end up locked in a comfortable prison, working all day to create weapons for them.¡± That was if I didn¡¯t end up in a shallow grave, but that was a tad too morbid, so I didn¡¯t mention it directly.


    Maria sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure my conflict with my family didn¡¯t fill you with confidence either,¡± she said.


    ¡°It did play a role,¡± I admitted. ¡°Now, everything is in place,¡± I said. ¡°We just need to swing by the outpost so I can tell Harold to start recruiting volunteers, and then we can go,¡± I said. ¡°Now, do you have a way to travel fast?¡±


    She paused longer than that question deserved, which surprised me. ¡°I do, but it¡¯s a bit wasteful in terms of mana. We don¡¯t want to stop and replenish constantly.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± I said even as I pulled the cart from the cave. I could have pulled her like a rickshaw driver, but I had a better idea. ¡°Do you mind helping me with the calculations?¡±


    ¡°What calculations?¡± she asked, but she still helped me with them. After resolving a few critical design questions, I was able to link a small steam engine to the cart through several gears and a metal chain. However, most of her calculations had been used to design a more efficient steam engine than the rest of the car.


    Putting a ten-ton monstrosity into a car ¡ª even a facsimile of it ¡ª was too much.


    ¡°Welcome to my automobile, milady,¡± I said, pointing at the ugly device that didn¡¯t deserve the name of a car.


    ¡°A car, really?¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, if you squint hard enough,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s more like a steerable steam engine, it¡¯ll be an absolutely horrid ride as it doesn¡¯t have a suspension mechanism. For some reason, System has no spring recipe.¡±


    ¡°Really, why not?¡±


    ¡°Well, springs are surprisingly a modern invention. Maybe it doesn¡¯t fit the medieval concept the System seems to be in love with,¡± I said.


    Maria looked confused at my statement. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯m just complaining,¡± I said, not wanting to go on a tangent about how the System was potentially affecting our perspective. Not without some concrete evidence, at least. ¡°Now, are you ready for the ride?¡± I asked.


    ¡°And, how are you going to bring the car down from the top of the hill,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Easy,¡± I said as I grabbed it, then used the Fleeting Steps to easily scale down the hill. Admittedly, carrying the car, faster than its full speed kind of showed its relative uselessness for this use case, but the ability to design one was more important than its function.


    Maria chuckled as mana flared around her, and she floated down with ease, sitting next to me. ¡°Alright. Show me how fast it goes, then,¡± she said.


    I chuckled as I pressed the gas pedal, feeling playful. The car itself was just as slow and uncomfortable as I had expected, barely going thirty miles an hour, with a horrible fuel efficiency. But, what it represented was far more impressive.


    Also, it was fun. At least, initially.

 Chapter 100

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. We¡¯ll walk the rest of the way. We¡¯re not riding a car before you figure out how to make springs,¡± Maria said the moment we arrived at the third floor. I didn¡¯t blame her. While creating a car with her help to deal with the technical challenges had been a fun exercise, the same wasn¡¯t true for the ride itself.


    Calling it uncomfortable was like claiming the dungeon boss of the dungeon was a bit bigger than ordinary insects. The brief stop we had at the outpost ¡ª as I parked the primitive car a distance away ¡ª to talk with Harold about collecting volunteers felt like heaven compared to the ride itself.


    So much so that, when given a choice between riding it for an extended period and flying, I didn¡¯t know which one I would pick.


    Me.


    ¡°Making the springs isn¡¯t the biggest problem,¡± I said even as I placed it in the safe house. However, rather than leaving it like that, I disassembled the whole structure, turning it back into an ordinary metal cart, and took the small steam engine with me.


    Carrying it on my back was not that hard. We started running. Well, I ran, while Maria floated next to me, flames dancing underneath, looking surprisingly solid. I didn¡¯t try to decipher the shape of the mana, as it was far too complicated.


    I was yet to succeed in reverse engineering my poor fire bolt spell.


    ¡°And, what is the biggest problem?¡± she asked, her tone showing no exertion.


    ¡°The lack of tires. I really need a rubber equivalent. Still, it was a fun proof of concept. It¡¯ll be better once I tinker with it.¡± Her smile disappeared. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she said. ¡°It just hit me how you will destroy the business of many families, including mine.¡±


    ¡°Yours?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The Griffins. That¡¯s what makes my family a powerhouse. We have a dungeon that produces a skill that helps us to raise and tame wild beasts. Griffins are our best product, but they are not the only ones. We sell a great number of tamed beasts of burden, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuel for a steam engine is far cheaper than raising and feeding one of those beasts,¡± I completed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, still looking surprised at the revelation.


    I didn¡¯t blame her. It was one thing to understand something in general terms, but understanding that it would have a direct impact on her livelihood was something else. It was a natural response. ¡°However, you don¡¯t need to worry too much,¡± I added. ¡°There¡¯s a long, long time until we can create an industrial base that can replace it.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why?¡±


    ¡°Three reasons,¡± I said. ¡±First, there¡¯s no guarantee that it¡¯ll actually work in more mana-dense locations,¡± I said. ¡°I know that mana reacts weirdly when subjected to external stimulation, heat included, and not always in a predictable manner. I have no idea if an enclosed, high-pressure steam container would work in a location with more ambient mana, or a dungeon with different conditions.¡±


    ¡°And, mana-dense locations are the ones with the real economic value,¡± she said.


    ¡°Economic, military, and political,¡± I added, though under the circumstances, it was kind of redundant. In a world embracing feudality, the three overlapped inevitably to an extreme degree. ¡°Then, there is the problem with metal production.¡±


    ¡°I thought you solved that.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I responded. ¡°Yes, my setup helps me to produce several tons of metal every day, but ultimately, I¡¯m still using my skill to facilitate it. Truly scaling up requires solving several technical challenges. Until then, using the metal to produce swords, arrows, and other personal items is more efficient. The metal we used for the car could be used to forge a thousand swords.¡±


    ¡°And, what about the third reason?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The obvious one. I can¡¯t reveal them without ending up assassinated. It represents a shift of power that¡¯s unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°Then, how did such things happen in the old world,¡± she said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t kings and other feudal lords be against it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent question,¡± I said. ¡°Unfortunately, the answer is not that straightforward. I can give you a ten-hour lecture, or a five-minute one, which one do you prefer?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    That earned a chuckle. ¡°Those seem to be two wildly different options. Is there no third thirty-minute class?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s pointless. Five minutes is all I need to give you the key aspects and the general principles. Anything more requires a solid, structured background in history behind every topic, which will take at least ten hours, and that¡¯s with your Intelligence helping you to learn faster.¡±


    ¡°Really. And, without it?¡±


    ¡°With the pacing of a good student? Probably two semesters, three to be on the safe side, with a reading list of twenty books.¡±


    ¡°Always a professor. I¡¯m actually tempted to listen to the ten-hour version, but for the moment, the five-minute one will have to be enough. We have too much to do.¡±


    ¡°Fine. The way technology has spread has to do with timing as much as anything else. Before the Industrial Revolution started, the power balance between the feudal power, mercantile class, and kings had already changed due to the combined effect of gunpowder weapons and geographical discoveries. Combined, those led to the loss of power for many old authorities. The power of the kings had been enhanced enough to stop the feudal powers, leaving that social space for the newly rising merchant class.¡±


    ¡°Really? That simple?¡±


    I chucked. ¡°Of course not, but I¡¯m summarizing aggressively. Spain had appeared as the first candidate for global power, but it bungled that opportunity through a series of ill-advised political moves, ending with a disastrous invasion by Britain, which left the British as the premier naval power, who used it to create the first real globe-spanning trade path. They invaded India, using the precious fabrics as a tool to fund their navy and purchase African slaves. They used those slaves to produce cotton in their new colonies in America. And then, they moved that cotton back to produce even more fabric.¡±


    ¡°Sounds vicious,¡± she commented.


    ¡°Without a doubt. Enlightenment and philosophy love to claim that the more we develop, the more moral humanity has become, but it¡¯s nowhere near accurate. It¡¯s more an application of incentives than anything else ¡ª¡± I added, then stopped myself.


    A five-minute summary shouldn¡¯t include a sidebar to explain economic determinism, game theory, and macroeconomics.


    I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts. It was a good place to pause, as we were looking at the gate leading to the fourth floor. ¡°Be careful about the mud and water,¡± I warned her.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said as she floated higher. I passed through the gate first, quickly dealing with the insects that surrounded it. She followed, but seeing that I was able to deal with all of them immediately, she refrained from attacking.


    I continued to explain as I led the way, cutting down the monsters with ranged attacks with ease.


    ¡°Anyway, the setup I had described created a unique economic situation where one country with a limited population suddenly wanted to increase the production of one commodity more than it was possible with its limited population; and a new batch of industrial powerhouses that was incentivized to solve it were born.¡±


    ¡°And, that led to technological development?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though luck played some part in it as well.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°Independent of other political aspects, England had already a patent system, which was initially used to grant favored people monopolies in core products like salt production, but that had been abolished due to public pressure from the new merchant class, leaving a diminished version that only granted temporary monopolies for new inventions.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said.


    ¡°This meant that, through a number of factors, the British isles suddenly had a trifecta of rare events. A need for unlimited production borne from excess raw materials and unlimited market access, a new ruling capitalist class that desperately supported new developments to further their power, and a suitable legal landscape. Together, it meant that, for the first time, educated people had significantly more to gain from exploring new avenues than just serving as tutors and courtiers for the rich.¡±


    ¡°That sounds simple. But was all that really necessary?¡±


    ¡°It absolutely was. Those developments had turned Britain into the first real global superpower, however, it also created untold tragedies, both for its citizens and other countries. But, since it helped the ones in power, they pushed relentlessly.¡±


    ¡°And, you expect it to be the reverse.¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt,¡± I said. ¡°One of the key aspects of what had been going on was the absolute military dominance of the British Fleet. It meant that, during all of it, none of the other powers, internal or external, could intervene with the process, no matter how much it hurt their position. The only way the other countries could even fight it was to embrace industrialism.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you expect that to happen here? If a city lord embraces it, the others would too?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Here, we have elite forces, their power coming from monopolizing System Shops and best dungeons, each locked in their feudal domains, doing their best to prevent their rivals from getting stronger.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no indomitable British fleet to protect you when the developments are in its cradle,¡± she said. ¡°Is that why you think no one else has done what you have done?¡±


    For a moment, I thought about sharing my other doubts, like the impact of peace fields and how I expected the System to transform our perspective, but decided against it. ¡°Partially,¡± I admitted instead. ¡°I have some other suspicions, but I don¡¯t want to share them before I collect some data.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, sounding put out.


    ¡°Because I trust you, and I don¡¯t want to taint your thought process,¡± I said. Which had the added benefit of being somewhat true. ¡°That way, once I collect the data, we can work on it without bias.¡± She nodded. ¡°But, enough talk,¡± I said, pointing at the gate we had just arrived at, leading to the fifth floor.


    I passed her the breathing filter, but she waved off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you said that the heat neutralizes the poison. I can handle it.¡±


    It looked like an unnecessary risk to me, but since she was the expert when it came to the dungeon threats and her own fire magic, I kept my mouth shut.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for some action,¡± I said as I stepped through the gate.

 Chapter 101

    The other side of the gate was as I had expected, filled with an army of insects that rushed forward, threatening to drown me, which I cut down rapidly with ease to create some space.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± Maria said the moment she arrived, a red shield of mana hanging around her like a bubble, then she waved her hand, and a ring of fire exploded outward, killing hundreds of insects at once, burning them to ashes.


    Which, incidentally, destroyed their shells as well. Their mana puffed into existence for a moment, only to be drawn in by the dungeon in quick order. ¡°Thanks for the assist, but don¡¯t forget. We need to preserve the shells for mana recovery.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she said with the slightest blush. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll be more careful.¡±


    ¡°By the way, how much mana do you have to throw around like that, if it won''t be a private question,¡± I asked, surprised by the ease she had done so.


    ¡°It is,¡± she said, but she continued to smile, so I wasn¡¯t scared of her reaction. ¡°Just above forty thousand.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± I gasped. Considering she was level hundred, I was expecting a lot. But, forty thousand¡­


    ¡±My class gives me ten Essence each level, which is enough to raise the number in the first place. Then, there is an item to increase my Essence further, and another to enhance mana points that it grants by every level¡­ Combined, it goes up significantly.¡±


    ¡°Impressive,¡± I said, though I couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. It was a scary amount of mana. No wonder she didn¡¯t need to stop to replenish her mana. ¡°So, I¡¯m sure I can leave you here safely for a second,¡± I said. She nodded, and I disappeared to the fourth floor to get another sapling.


    Once I returned, setting up the hydroponic garden took only seconds, the process getting more and more familiar.


    ¡°So, you have Nurture as well,¡± she commented. ¡°I can arrange for a skill removal stone if you want. We have several in storage, and now that you have thousands of Farmers to call upon, it¡¯s a waste of skill a point.¡±


    ¡°It comes in handy too often,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you sure? It¡¯s ¡­ Nurture,¡± she said, her disdain clear.


    ¡°Once we finished with the dungeon,¡± I said, deflecting the request. I had no intention of doing so, as Nurture was a very useful tool, but I didn¡¯t want to spend time convincing her of that. At least, not here.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°So, does the boss monster really just come rushing in,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes. Should I assume it¡¯s not common?¡±


    ¡°Might be,¡± she said. ¡°But, the dungeons I operate in are usually split into two categories. Either the boss monsters are valuable enough that they are hunted the moment they are born, with the various teams competing for it, or the last thing you want is to come across them.¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± I said even as I finished setting the web of trees, including the steam-powered crusher, and piled it with mana. Adding a secondary mana exhaust that poured pure mana toward her while pushing the more tainted portion to the trees was easy.


    She closed her eyes as the mana flow hit her, only to open them back again, surprised. ¡°The mana ¡­ it¡¯s pure,¡± she gasped.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I have a filtering mechanism there to separate the two portions. It¡¯s not that hard.¡±


    ¡°Really? There are wards capable of doing that, but they are rare and expensive. This could be a game changer for dungeon exploration.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°As long as we find a way to spread it around without accompanying assassination attempts,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good point,¡± she said, and focused on absorbing the mana with enough speed to shock me. A rough calculation told me that it would take less than five minutes for her to refill her mana reserves completely, and that was with her taking in every drop of mana the crusher produced.


    Her true limit, I had no idea, and that was with her yet to pass the level hundred barrier ¡­ which was supposed to improve her abilities in a material manner.


    It was a good realization, snapping my growing bubble of arrogance. I had improved a lot and gained some impressive victories, but it wouldn¡¯t do well to forget that all of those victories came from situations I could manipulate to my benefit.


    Someone like Maria could still kill a hundred of me with a spell in an open field of battle. And, from the speed with which she devoured mana, it seemed like that one spell wouldn¡¯t be her limit.


    I busied myself with adding more trees to the hydroponic garden, distracting myself from the sudden sense of inferiority. It wasn¡¯t exactly fair, as not only did my class have very significant drawbacks when it came to combat potential, but I was also significantly behind her in terms of schedule.


    I made sure not to let her realize any of it, as my personal crisis was hardly her problem. ¡°The first boss is almost here,¡± I called her soon. ¡°Should we discuss how to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°No need. Just give me a signal when it¡¯s five seconds away, and leave the rest to me.¡±


    I wanted to argue against it, as it seemed silly to fight a battle without a plan in place, but the way she told me that gave me pause. She seemed confident enough.


    I decided to hold my complaints to myself, as there were two probabilities. First, her spell would put us in a dangerous position, but with several layers of trees around us, it would be easy to compensate. The second, she actually knew what she was doing.


    Her confidence didn¡¯t fill me with confidence, but I chose to trust her expertise.


    ¡°Now,¡± I said once the gargantuan beast approached the line with sufficient speed, and the mana started to gather in front of her. It was bright enough to signal that it was going to be a strong spell, but its structure was packed tight. I didn¡¯t have the experience to measure the amount of mana she was putting into her casting.


    But, it should be enough to wound the beast significantly. I still wished that we discussed tactics beforehand, but I could also see where she was coming from in terms of confidence. I prepared to rush once her spell went off, focusing on distracting the boss while she cast another spell.


    ¡­ Only for it to turn unnecessary when the gargantuan monster had collapsed against the edge of the tree line, a giant flaming spear skewering through its center.


    One spell. It was all it took to kill the giant beast, while I had to whittle at it slowly for an hour.


    ¡°How was that?¡± Maria said as she turned to me proudly.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± I said, which was certainly not an exaggeration. ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°My strongest single-target spell,¡± she said. ¡°Too bad it takes almost half of my mana to cast it once here,¡± she said as she moved near, and then absorbed the crystal that the dungeon boss had turned into.


    While I wanted to watch her, gaping in shock, I had more important things to do. Like hunting the swarm that it brought along to supply the crusher. ¡°So, you can take it down with one spell,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, then frowned. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s hard to use against smaller targets. It¡¯s slow to cast, expensive in terms of mana, and its range is not particularly impressive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a hundred times more powerful than the siege weapons,¡± I said.


    She waved her hand. ¡°Yeah, siege weapons are hardly worth using anywhere except when defending towns against monster hordes. Nothing that can rival a proper mage.¡±


    I would have argued if it came from anyone else, but as someone who might match the devastation potential of a ship full of napalm, she had a right to make that comment.


    ¡°If the mage in question is you, certainly,¡± I said, which earned a big smile.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she said. ¡°Now, it has been a while since we had a proper game. Why don¡¯t we have one while waiting for the next boss? I missed playing with you. You know how to make the games interesting.¡±


    ¡°Knight C3,¡± I called in response even as I continued hunting the beasts. Luckily, at this point, even using mana attacks was mostly automatic, allowing me to focus on the game even as I got piled on by the leftover swarm.


    Too bad my full focus only meant a slower descent to inevitable defeat. Not that I was complaining, as it was far better than focusing on the fight. Nothing except the boss monsters came close to providing me with a challenge ¡­ and with bosses no longer a problem with her attacks, even that was not the case anymore.


    So, trying to put up an impossible defense against her attacks seemed like a good way to pass the time as I expanded my little hydroponic forest, to see just how many boss monsters I could pull to fight us.

 Chapter 102

    ¡°I think we hit the limit,¡± Maria said once we spent fifteen minutes uninterrupted by any boss monster despite the size of the forest.


    ¡°Looks like it,¡± I responded. ¡°Still, we must have killed almost fifty of them. Is that normal?¡±


    ¡°For a dungeon that has been left unattended as much as this one, certainly,¡± she said. ¡°Every dungeon has its own limitations, but most spawn a new boss monster between a day and a week. To my knowledge, exceptions are rare, to both extremes.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe you should have taken more of them.¡±


    She waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Nonsense. Ten of them are more than what I need, which should give me all the advantages I need even for an emergency. Ultimately, you will spend the majority of your time in the dungeon, so it makes strategic sense,¡± she said.


    I nodded in appreciation. The thought process was certainly reasonable. ¡°Still, fifty dungeon bosses in less than two hours. It has been a productive session,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I still need to forge a few practice swords for Eleanor,¡± I said. ¡°Do you mind helping me?¡±


    ¡°How? I don¡¯t have the skill,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, the last time you helped me, I managed to unlock a new skill, so I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t hurt,¡± I said, which was true. I already had several ideas, and even if all of them failed, she could still help me with the calculations.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m sure Eleanor can keep things going for a while,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she can, too. Whether she would enjoy it is a completely different issue,¡± I responded, which earned a chuckle.


    ¡°We all make sacrifices,¡± she said, smiling wide. We played only one game of chess until we arrived at my private workshop, which was close to the dungeon gate.


    ¡°Wow, better than I expected,¡± she said once I gave a tour of the place. ¡°Though, all those tubes¡­¡±


    ¡°Proper experimentation takes time,¡± I said. ¡°But, it did help me make a few interesting discoveries, like the fact that not all mana-dead locations actually lack mana. It just drops below our ability to detect.¡±


    That made Maria cross her eyebrows. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true ¡­ is it?¡±


    ¡°To be fair, I didn¡¯t do any experiment to collaborate the results, so it might be wrong, but the observation is solid,¡± I said.


    ¡°But Essence allows us to detect mana,¡± she said.


    ¡°Think of it like hearing. Just because you can hear doesn¡¯t mean you will hear someone whispering at the other end of a corridor.¡±


    Maria paused, looking unconvinced. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Let me explain the process, then,¡± I said, which turned into a lecture on Newton¡¯s Law of Cooling. Luckily, I didn¡¯t throw the tubes I had experimented away, meaning there were hundreds of samples to test the theory, so once I finished explaining the core principles, I let her do the experiment alone while I tended the various chores like cleaning the blast furnaces, refilling the feeders, chopping wood.


    Once I completed all, Maria was still working with the tubes, her frown even deeper. I didn¡¯t interrupt her. While I was sure I could convince her of my conclusion if I insisted enough, letting her see it on her own was a better way.


    Not to mention, it was always a good habit to let one¡¯s peers repeat the experiments. The history of science was filled with people who thought that they had made a groundbreaking discovery, only for someone else to point out a systemic mistake in their experiment setup.


    And, while she was busy with that, I focused on creating the casts for the other mass-production items. For weapons, I decided to focus on spears, as it was simple enough to be used even without a skill, especially when against monsters that loved to charge in a straight line. Also, a shorter handle would turn them into throwing weapons, which was an adjustment they could make as needed.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The armor was a bit more problematic. I thought about making breastplates, but it would consume too much metal, and adjusting it would be troubling as well.


    Instead, I decided to create metal strips that they could add to their clothes as they wished. Not the ideal protection, but it had the flexibility advantage. I had already produced hundreds of spearheads by the time Maria returned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she mumbled.


    That confused me. ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she repeated, louder.


    ¡°No, I heard you. I just don¡¯t understand why,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Are you going to make me say it?¡± she said, looking a bit put out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I doubted you.¡±


    Only then, it clicked. ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for,¡± I explained, but she didn¡¯t seem to be convinced. I stopped what I was doing, and looked at her. ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious,¡± I said. ¡°What I had was an observation based on only one experiment. The model makes sense, but it doesn¡¯t mean that my conclusion was true. It¡¯s always good for someone else to run the same experiment.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she said, perking up a little.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how we progress,¡± I said.


    ¡°And what if you had been wrong. Would you still have been happy?¡±


    ¡°Depends,¡± I said.


    ¡°On what?¡±


    ¡°Whether it was a silly mistake on my part, or I missed something fundamental. The former is never fun, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t have been your fault. The latter could be even more interesting depending on what that fundamental detail would have been, and whether it could result in a more interesting conclusion.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have made some of my important discoveries on the back of such mistakes. The key is to keep an open mind. Science is not about being right, but discovering the truth.¡±


    ¡°That sounds ¡­ interesting.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I have to admit, it can be boring, or humbling, but ultimately, it¡¯s a rewarding process. I would have done better if I hadn¡¯t lost that approach after the Cataclysm.¡± A sigh escaped my mouth. ¡°But, that¡¯s enough talking. Let¡¯s start working on Eleanor¡¯s sword. I don¡¯t want to explain to her that we have forgotten it.¡±


    ¡°Good point. She can be a bit touchy when it comes to her toys,¡± Maria chuckled. ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°The first thing I wanted to see is if you could copy the denser mana of anEpic skill,¡± I said.


    ¡°Show me,¡± she said. I did. ¡°Again,¡± she asked, which turned into several repeats, occasionally interrupted by the refillment of my reserves. ¡°You need something to expand your reserves,¡± she commented. ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t have the resources for it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not critical,¡± I said, which was partially true. Expanding my reserves by a certain percentage wasn¡¯t critical, but I would love to have one such item and examine it, trying to figure out how it worked. I showed the mana blast again. ¡°Do you think you can repeat it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she said as she closed her eyes, which started another chain of attempts. ¡°How about this?¡± she asked once it looked similar enough.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you mind channeling it through a piece of metal so I can use Observe on it,¡± I said. She did, and I realized we were on the right path. ¡°It¡¯s good. Far better than I had expected,¡± I said. ¡°The last time we practiced, you were having trouble pushing your mana out without the control of a skill.¡±


    ¡°Once I did that, I realized it was a good way to challenge Meditation, so I ran it repeatedly,¡± she said. ¡°Though, I didn¡¯t almost kill myself in the process,¡± she added, admonishing me.


    ¡°Yeah, looking back, it wasn¡¯t my best moment,¡± I admitted. ¡°Still, I can see that the practice is helping you,¡± I said. ¡°Do you mind changing the flow like ¡­¡± I said, only to pause before I grabbed some clay and turned it into a tablet, and wrote a mathematical line.


    It was a long, complicated formula, but even before I could start to explain it, her eyes brightened. ¡°I see,¡± she said as she repeated the mana burst.


    I knew that she wasn¡¯t trying to fake understanding, as her corrections turned the flow far too similar to mine. And, the differences were resolved after a few practice sessions. The only problem was that it stabilized faster than I had expected once she stopped controlling it, making it harder for me to take over through Mana Control.


    ¡°We need to get the process right,¡± I said. ¡°I need to capture it before it gets destabilized. Maybe if we can add a temporary layer outside, kind of like a string around a bundle of sticks, keeping them together.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± she asked.


    ¡°How about this?¡± I asked, writing a line of formula.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t work. It doesn¡¯t fit well with most of the data,¡± she said. ¡°How about this?¡± she replied, writing one of her own, which, unlike mine, included the calculations jotted down underneath as well. I nodded in appreciation, as I couldn¡¯t calculate the results with a glance.


    ¡°Looks more promising,¡± I said. A few more tries, and we managed to create a variant of the same mana flow, which stayed stable for a fraction of a second once she ceased her control. It was still a tight window, but luckily, timing was something that could be perfected with enough practice, especially since Maria was kind enough to help me without getting bored.


    An hour later, we were looking at a small, completed dagger ¡­ well, Maria was looking at it.


    I was more distracted by the notification I had just received.


    [Mana Forge (Epic) 107 -> 108]


    ¡°Good news, it also gave me a skill point,¡± I said.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Maria said. ¡°Now, to our task.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± I said. With her help, I didn¡¯t need to limit myself to only one sword. I could forge multiple ones, which would not only help Eleanor get a hang of it fast, but also it would give me some skill points.


    A perfect mutual victory.

 Chapter 103

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day,¡± I said as I finished forging another piece, this time a large cuirass to complete the armor I had prepared for Eleanor, completing the set. Maria was wearing one of her own under her robe, a thin chainmail that could resist not only physical, but also magical attacks ¡ª as tested by Maria herself.


    [Mana Forge (Epic) 128 -> 130]


    ¡°Really, that early,¡± Maria said, looking disappointed. ¡°We were just getting a hang of it.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I want to stop even less than you do,¡± I said. ¡°Your help is truly invaluable.¡±


    ¡°And, don¡¯t you forget it,¡± she said. Then, she sighed. ¡°But, you¡¯re right. Eleanor must have finished with the town, and we shouldn¡¯t keep her waiting.¡±


    I nodded, wondering who would be more enthusiastic about the success of the experiment: Eleanor or I. For her, it represented significantly more power, a perfectly understandable desire considering the nature of the world we lived in, where power meant security, riches, and social credit, all at once.


    But, for me, it represented validation for my approach, showing that I didn¡¯t need to rely solely on blind attempts, hoping to get lucky. That my method was not just a line of coincidences, but actually had value.


    I wasn¡¯t under any illusion that I had unraveled the secrets of the mana. Not even close. If mana was electricity, a concept capable of supporting the modern world, I was a kid who was stabbing a lemon with random pieces of metal, trying to get a reaction, trying to make sense of the occasional tingling sensation. What I achieved was nothing compared to the potential of mana. It was a deep ocean, and even the surface would have taken a lifetime to explore.


    While I still hoped to get Intelligence during my next class promotion, I didn¡¯t believe that I could do it alone. Human progress was not something that was built on the backs of one person¡¯s genius, no matter how appealing the idea was.


    Though, I had to admit, my most recent chain of successes was enough to make me forget it momentarily. With the System helping me to connect the dots and work out the more complicated aspects, it was easy to forget.


    Luckily, I wasn¡¯t alone anymore, I thought even as I looked at Maria, who had been happily examining the dagger I had forged for her, a dagger whose mana had been provided by her, far more efficiently than anything I could have achieved.


    After all, the biggest burst of mana I could create was limited by my own Mana Pool, and then I had to stop, meditate to refill it, then restart. And, such a slowing down was no different than traveling with a car, only to slam the brakes every few seconds. Doing that didn¡¯t just reduce the average speed to fifty from a hundred, but to a few miles.


    Her continuous mana output meant that I could finish something in minutes rather than hours ¡­ and that was with us nowhere near peak efficiency, giving me the method to push to the peak of an Epic Skill, or maybe even higher.


    Only possible thanks to my new mathematical notation. Without it to communicate, I didn¡¯t want to imagine just how long it would have taken to explain to Maria the exact shape of mana I had required. The method was nowhere near enough to truly replicate what I was generating, but if there was one thing my skills were perfect for, it was fixing thousands of small mistakes.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to move?¡± She mentioned once I piled everything into one of the railroad carts I had prepared, and added four wagons behind, each piled with armor and spears ¡ª which I was able to forge more than the necessary number in the process.


    ¡±Not really,¡± I said. ¡°The rails buried under the mud help a lot. I just need to slide it back whenever it slips. You can ride on it if you want?¡± I invited them with a smile.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°No thanks. One ride was more than enough,¡± she answered as she floated next to me, wasting her mana in the process. But, with the threat of the dungeon decreased to virtually zero after cleaning the fourth floor, again and again, it didn¡¯t really matter.


    Once we arrived at the fourth floor, I unlatched the wagons from the steam engine, and started to drag them with my own power. ¡°Is this really necessary,¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier than bringing the engine back,¡± I said even as I started pulling it away.


    ¡°Where are you doing? I thought you were going to set the new base up at the dungeon gate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not this one,¡± I said as I started pulling one to the opposite side. ¡°This gate is the closest one to my private base. I don¡¯t want to make it easy for others to stumble upon it.¡°


    Then, I looked at the horizon, where a crowd was already waiting for me, one that I could only see thanks to my vision, which had expanded once more. Dungeon mist was no longer an impediment on the fourth floor either ¡ª though the ordinary swamp miasma was more than enough to block my view instead ¡ª and the third floor was perfectly clear.


    ¡°Actually, Harold is already there with the volunteers,¡± I said. ¡°Which one would you prefer, joining me while I deliver the explanation, or going upstairs and start working with Eleanor.¡±


    ¡°I have had enough of dealing with everyone in the town, you can deal with your own guild,¡± she replied as she floated once again. ¡°See you on the first floor.¡± Then, before she got too far, she turned to me. ¡°And, make sure everyone actually volunteered, or we¡¯ll have a problem.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. I understood her disdain for dealing with people perfectly. Spending my time leading people was not exactly what I wanted either. As for her warning about making sure people were volunteers, I wouldn¡¯t have cared about it in the slightest if I hadn¡¯t had the same intention.


    Yes, she wanted to help them, but it was more of a general sentiment than a dedicated effort, more similar to a mayor who was visiting the soup kitchen to serve food once a month. It showed caring ¡­ but it was neither her best effort, nor was it the most efficient application of her time.


    I didn¡¯t really begrudge her for it, and not just because of our growing closeness. At least, it was better than what a lot of people were doing.


    As I approached closer to the gathered crowd ¡ª almost two thousand people, more than I had expected ¡ª I slowed down, carefully watching the general attitude of the people, once again using an underrated ability I had developed back in my days as a professor.


    Measuring the general attitude of a crowd. People reveal a lot through their general attitude when they think they aren¡¯t being observed. It was surprisingly effective while teaching, during a conference, or even during a department meeting where someone had been trying some kind of low-impact white-collar ploy to get a modicum of power.


    It was even more effective under the circumstances, as of the gathered two thousand farmers, most had been gathered in smaller groups, thinking that the thirty-yard visibility range of the mist protected them from observers, which made them free to discuss their plight with their friends.


    I saw nothing but unbridled hope and excitement, with none of them showing even the slightest concern about the weight of living in the dungeon for the foreseeable future.


    Not that I was surprised. I could understand the allure of power incredibly well. As I approached, I made sure to circle the group twice, making sure there was no one who was trying to hide their attitude. It was not a foolproof method, but it had to do for now.


    I approached Harold, who had been patrolling the crowd, making sure to keep it safe. ¡°Sir,¡± he greeted me once he was able to see me.


    ¡°How many volunteers have you managed to collect,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two thousand, and that was with me picking and choosing. More than half of the available candidates wanted to join,¡± he explained.


    ¡°And, there¡¯s no problem with the rules,¡± I asked.


    ¡°No sir. Every single one of them is happy to stay in the dungeon for an extended period, especially since you promised to help them promote their classes,¡± he said. ¡°But, wouldn¡¯t it be difficult to collect that many skill stones?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said. ¡°How about the other condition?¡±


    ¡°Which condition?¡± he asked, only to have a look of realization when my gaze tightened. ¡°The surveys?¡± I nodded seriously. ¡°Of course, they don¡¯t have a problem,¡± Harold said. ¡°Half of them are willing to give their firstborn for this opportunity, let alone filling a few sheets of paper every day.¡±


    ¡°But, have you asked explicitly, and received their consent,¡± I said, not wanting to do my first large-scale experiment without informing them. They didn¡¯t know exactly what I was looking for, but that had been a widely acceptable experimentation strategy for social sciences ¡­ as knowing the subject was enough to distort the experiment results.


    ¡°I have followed your instructions to the letter, sir,¡± Harold answered seriously.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Then, follow me. We¡¯re going to start setting the base properly,¡± I said, then gestured at the carts behind me. ¡°But first, arrange the guards to sort through the equipment, and prepare everything for my speech. Once the speech is complete¡­¡±

 Chapter 104

    Fifteen minutes later, the whole vibe had changed by the courtesy of two layers of trees I had grown, finally allowing the gathered two thousand people to see each other.


    ¡°You all gathered to address the call for a mission, one to keep our world a safer place, so that one day, our children don¡¯t have to live in fear of monsters. I applaud your bravery!¡± I declared loudly, enough for the crowd to hear it.


    The crowd shuffled, surprised by my declaration. ¡°I have fought against untold dangers since that fateful day three years ago, and if there¡¯s one thing I have learned, bravery doesn¡¯t come from fancy Classes or impressive skills. There¡¯s no Stat called Bravery or Courage. No, it comes from the people that dare to embrace the danger, regardless of their disadvantages, braving the unknown so that one day they can be strong enough to stem the tide. Here, I¡¯m looking for two thousand such people!¡±


    They watched me, some with doubt, others with a flicker of hope. I could see the shift in their eyes. It wasn¡¯t my trite speech that was making the difference, but the display of respect from someone that they thought to be strong enough that they could never reach.


    In a way, it wasn¡¯t too different from receiving a compliment. It might be the lamest, the cheesiest compliments one could imagine, but if it came from a celebrity, it would still be enough to turn into a story they would tell to their children.


    In a way, it was what was happening here. I was no different than a celebrity in their eyes, especially with all the gossip going on around me. I decided to reinforce it a little more. I drew my sword, and waved once, a mana blade rushing toward the tree line to cut down an insect.


    The whispers of awe filled the opening, which even included the guards. My discussions with Eleanor had informed me of just how rare the existence of a magical warrior was, and since they would be staying here for the next six months, separated from the rest of the world, revealing that ability was a better idea than hiding it.


    ¡°People say that, since you¡¯re Farmers, you don¡¯t matter. That you¡¯re only good for growing food. I say that¡¯s wrong. You¡¯ve faced bad seasons, monsters, bandits, and many bullies who wanted to squash you just because they were lucky enough to get a better class!¡± I continued, my gaze sweeping across the crowd. ¡°I say no more! Here, I promise to help every single one of you to advance your classes!¡±


    I paused, letting the words settle. ¡°Harold, come here and explain to them how to improve their class,¡± I said as I stepped down from the rocks.


    I could have done so, but I wanted to keep my speech short and impactful, while leaving the practical details to Harold.


    As Harold started explaining it, I used the nearby gate to the fourth floor. After cutting down the monsters that had surrounded the gate, I rapidly grew ten lines of trees with ease.


    I returned to the third floor with a cart filled with iron barrels, each filled with swamp water. I didn¡¯t set a condenser, as the first stage of the process required diluted water from the fourth floor. Only when their skill reached Rare, would they require the help of the condenser.


    When I returned, I gestured at two guards to take over the pulling of the cart, and two others rushed to dilute the water based on the previous requests. It was good to have competent assistance dealing with the minutiae of the activities.


    With them accompanying me, we walked toward the center of the formation. Harold had not only finished his explanation, but also gathered the twenty volunteers that were closest to reaching level twenty-five.


    ¡°Let me show you how to improve your Nurture skill quickly,¡± I said even as I placed a small sapling on the ground, putting one drop of diluted swamp water underneath, following it with a blast. ¡°As simple as this,¡± I said. ¡°Try it,¡± I said even as I pointed at the next one.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the first one said, and replicated my trick ¡­ poorly, pushing with his Health long after the little drop of water had been drained, which only wasted his Health.


    ¡°With shorter bursts,¡± I reminded him. ¡°Did you deplete your Health?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± he said, panicked. ¡°I just wanted to show ¡ª¡±


    I waved my hand, cutting his words. ¡°Look, just eat something, and go back to the end of the line. Mistakes happen,¡± I consoled him. ¡°There¡¯s no harm. It¡¯ll take a while to get it. Just remember to keep the skill usage to short, intense bursts. That¡¯s how you¡¯ll get the best result.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you, sir,¡± he said as he moved back, looking enthusiastic.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name,¡± I whispered to Harold.


    ¡°Terry. He¡¯s a good kid. Smart and ambitious, but with a good head. He¡¯s a bit too enthusiastic though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good combination for the youth,¡± I whispered, then gestured for the next one to walk closer. Even as they rotated, I continued to explain to them how to best use their Health to maximize the skill point gain, which was clearly not something they had prioritized before.


    It was not a surprise. Production class skills improved rapidly as long as the appropriate materials existed. All the tricks I had applied just made the process faster.


    Merely ten minutes later, every single one of the first twenty had their Uncommon skills, celebrating while the rest watched in fascination. ¡°Should we start working on leveling, sir,¡± Terry asked, who seemed to be a natural leader in the group.


    ¡°Really, is that the extent of your ambition? Only Uncommon skills? How about Rare? Epic?¡±


    ¡°W-we can?¡± he gasped.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°But, not for free.¡± His expression steeled, expecting me to ask for something truly extreme. ¡®Help me organize the rest, and teach them,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he said, looking shocked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± I said, amused by his shock before he bounced to his mission with great enthusiasm. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to make everyone fill out their surveys before and after,¡± I said.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel amused. I had tried to collect information about the System before, but even when I bribed my subjects with most of my available fortune at that time, their reluctance had been clear. A great contrast to the current situation.


    I didn¡¯t remember anyone following my teachings with such enthusiasm even before the Cataclysm, when I was a professor, despite my globally renowned credentials.


    And, now, a couple layers of obfuscation and a display that I could have easily faked worked wonders.


    Entertaining indeed.


    But soon, I noticed some kind of argument toward the edge of the crowd. I walked toward it. ¡°You must have been doing it wrong. Do it again!¡± one of the trainers growled, while another one infused the sapling with his Health, his fingers trembling.


    I approached slowly, trying to understand what¡¯s going on.


    ¡°Again,¡± the trainer ordered, looking tense, but not as much as the student, whose fingers were trembling even worse.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°S-sir, nothing,¡± the student gasped. ¡°Please don¡¯t send me away.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to send anyone away,¡± I promised. ¡°Now, tell me.¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know. No matter what I do, my skill is stuck at ninety-nine, and it¡¯s not improving.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said. ¡°Is there anyone that¡¯s stuck at ninety-nine, unable to improve,¡± I asked, my voice booming. A sudden silence filled the area. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kick any of you out. I swear on my honor!¡±


    I had no problem giving that promise. Why would I, when they represented not a burden but an opportunity. Something unknown, one that I could use as leverage to expand my understanding even if just by a bit.


    Even with all the credibility I had built, it took a while for them to start believing me, and I had to add a warning about punishment if they hid information. Ultimately, the crowd had split, and I noticed only two hundred out of two thousand had been unable to upgrade their skills naturally.


    ¡°W-what are we going to do, sir?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°A torture awaits you ¡ª¡± I said, a habitual joke about paperwork leaving my lips before I realized the abject terror on their faces. ¡°A joke about doing a lot of paperwork,¡± I corrected rapidly, realizing that jokes that were appropriate in an office environment might not be becoming of a guild master.


    I threw a Rare Nurture skill stone to the leading tone that spoke. ¡°See if you can absorb it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Do it,¡± I said, and he did so, which had been enough to dissipate the fear of the situation. ¡°Now, as you can see, eventually, every single one of you will receive a Rare Nurture, no matter what, so you don¡¯t need to feel stressed. But, before that, I want every single one of you to fill in even more paperwork,¡± I said.


    Then, I turned toward the others, who had progressed their skills successfully. ¡°Every single one of you!¡± I repeated.


    After all, I needed data from both sides to identify the variable causing the difference.

 Chapter 105

    ¡°You were gone for a long time,¡± Maria said once I climbed up the hill with a few jumps. Eleanor was there as well, but she didn¡¯t interrupt her task, her blade dancing between different forms, deaf to the world. ¡°And, what¡¯s in that huge bag?¡±


    ¡°There was a small development. Not all Farmers were able to upgrade their skills naturally,¡± I explained even as I put the bag down.


    ¡°How many of them?¡± she asked.


    ¡°About ten percent,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Maria shrugged. ¡°Then, they can stay there and deal with the logistics or something. We don¡¯t need to replace them,¡± she said.


    I paused. ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because they can¡¯t upgrade their classes,¡± Maria said. ¡°But, with all the secrecy you insist, we can¡¯t do that. They have to stay there for the whole six months. We can¡¯t afford to have a second location.¡± I continued to look at her, unable to contain my shock. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I mean, why would I want to replace them,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity.¡±


    Maria looked at me in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that some people couldn¡¯t naturally upgrade their skills even if they hit the limit?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, no,¡± she said. ¡°But, it wasn¡¯t exactly something I explored. Getting the skill stones is almost always the better option,¡± she said.


    ¡°Assuming you can purchase the exact skill you want, of course,¡± I completed.


    ¡°Naturally,¡± she said, tensing slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a personal attack,¡± I said. ¡°Believe me, I much rather get the best option rather than accidentally killing myself experimenting.¡±


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s focus on why it¡¯s an opportunity,¡± Maria said. ¡°It¡¯s probably just their perks or something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the interesting part, it¡¯s not,¡± I said. ¡°I have already checked the most obvious suspects. It¡¯s not the level or the perks,¡± I said even as I opened the bag, showing the pile of paper inside.


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to read all of it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said, affronted, pulling a small booklet. Like I would never try to do a presentation without a handy little summary. Having two thousand people that I could order around made tabulating the data much easier, especially since I didn¡¯t need to deal with the guard schedule, thanks to the trees being enough to keep them safe.


    Naturally, I asked them not to pass level twenty-five, as the higher their Nurture, the better their new class would be. There was no punishment for refusing to listen, as all of them were adults. If they wanted to waste the potential opportunity in front of them, I couldn¡¯t do anything.


    The presentation included all the data I was able to collect. ¡°As you can see, there¡¯s no meaningful correlation between their levels, perks, or core demographic data.¡±


    Maria looked confused as I showed all the ways it was unrelated. ¡°And, is that ¡­ good? Why are you so excited about being unable to find the result?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. It means there¡¯s another variable that affects everything,¡± I said, then paused. ¡°Well, either that, or I have committed some kind of systematic error somewhere in the process, resulting in useless data.¡±


    ¡°Is that likely?¡± she said. ¡°It sounds obvious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s far more common than you can imagine, especially when dealing with people,¡± I admitted. ¡°For example, about the experiments about learning patterns ¡ª¡± I started, ready to share some interesting anecdotes, only to be interrupted by a cheerful cry from Eleanor.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she shouted.


    Once I turned toward her, the source of her excitement was obvious. A sharp edge of mana, was noticeably under control as it extended from her blade, absorbing it from the steady flow of the crusher.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Maria shouted even as she moved to hug her. I chuckled as I watched them from a distance, happy with the success.


    Eleanor looked at me. ¡°What are you doing there, come here,¡± she ordered.


    ¡°Thanks. It won¡¯t be comfortable when I¡¯m dressed like this,¡± I said as I knocked on my armor.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± she said as she moved to my side with one step, Maria still hugging her. She pulled me into the hug, which was one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life, for the simple reason that all three of us were wearing armor. The sound we made was not too dissimilar to a car crash.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    They didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°So, did you receive A new skill?¡± Maria asked enthusiastically once we were separated.


    ¡°Well, no,¡± Eleanor said. ¡°But, since I achieved a mana attack, I can¡¯t be too far off, right?¡± she said even as she moved in front of the crusher, and repeated.


    I strongly doubted that was the case. I had three examples for that skill upgrade. Two of them happened on the first attempt, but my third one, Cleansing Meditation, only happened once I had pushed it to the limit.


    Still, I said nothing as I watched Eleanor repeat her attack, her cheerful mode slowly dissipating into panic. ¡°Why ¡ª is ¡ª it ¡ª not ¡ª working,¡± she growled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a breather,¡± I called, stopping her.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Maria asked as she looked at me, and Eleanor wasn¡¯t too far away.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I said, gesturing for Eleanor to sit down. She looked frustrated, but under my sharp gaze, she followed my invitation. Maria did that as well. ¡°Now, before we start talking, I want you to remind both that Eleanor has just achieved a mana attack, and that¡¯s a great win.¡±


    ¡°Using a specialized weapon that would shatter against any half-decent opponent, and with a giant machine behind my back,¡± Eleanor replied. ¡°Hardly a useful trick.¡±


    ¡°I disagree, but let¡¯s not focus on that for now. I just wanted to remind you that, we¡¯ve been working for merely a day, and we¡¯re already seeing results. Under any sane metric, that¡¯s an incredible achievement.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Eleanor muttered, while Maria nodded at me in gratitude.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s discuss why there¡¯s no upgrade in your skill,¡± I said. ¡°The worst case is that it¡¯s a method that only works on Common skills, or using a skill stone somehow invalidates that path.¡±


    Eleanor looked tense at the possibility, but Maria spoke first. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± she said.


    ¡°Possible? Yes. Likely? No,¡± I said. Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t exactly confident in that conclusion, but I didn¡¯t want to demoralize Eleanor any more than necessary. ¡°That¡¯s just the worst-case scenario, and I wanted to mention it.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°What you have used is the simplest form of a Mana attack, with a density similar to my Rare Mana Forge. Every different skill has a distinct way of using Mana and Health with every upgrade after Rare. There¡¯s a chance that we have to copy the Epic or the Legendary variant of a mana attack to trigger the skill.¡±


    ¡°That sounds complicated,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not simple, particularly since we don¡¯t have a sample for it. But I¡¯m sure we can figure out a way around it if things come down to that.¡±


    ¡°It means you have another idea,¡± Maria said.


    ¡°Yes. My own experience mainly relies on how I managed to improve Mana Forge. At that time, not only was my skill Common, but it was also still below twenty-five. And, even when I had upgraded to Rare, successfully creating a mana alloy gave me several points of skills.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, the Common variant counted that as an even bigger achievement,¡± Maria completed, understanding what I was getting at. Eleanor looked at her, looking confused. ¡°He¡¯s saying that, there¡¯s a chance for an upgrade if you manage to get several points in one attack.¡±


    ¡°So I have to use it in combat,¡± Eleanor said, her forlorn expression immediately replaced by a vicious smile at the possibility of solving the problem in a way she favored. She stood up, ready to jump.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± I said, stopping her again.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We still have things to discuss,¡± I said. She looked at me, impatient. ¡°What if attacking the boss monster is not enough to solve the problem, and increasing your skill further only makes it harder,¡± I suggested.


    That probability was enough to make Eleanor sit down, but I could see that it was a close call. Without the credibility I had built up on her, it might have easily gone in a different direction.


    Though, it wasn¡¯t enough to stop her from pouting.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°We have three paths, which could be run in parallel. First, we¡¯re going to work together and see if we can design an Epic Grade mana attack,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you think we can do it?¡± Maria said.


    ¡°Yes, especially since the System is not really stringent when it comes to measuring success,¡± I said. ¡°Half of the alloys I created while I was speed-leveling my skills weren''t fit to be used even as a butter knife. But, since they were made of a metal the System treated them as a higher level, it still gave me points.¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Maria said. ¡°That easy?¡±


    ¡°Is it any easier than killing monsters that others have wounded,¡± I said. ¡°Every class has its advantages,¡±


    ¡°Fair,¡± Eleanor cut in. ¡°What¡¯s the other method?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to try to understand the factors behind the skill upgrade,¡± I said. ¡°If we can isolate the critical variable behind it, maybe we can focus on that aspect.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Maria said. ¡°What¡¯s the third method?¡±


    ¡°Before suggesting it, I want you to remember you can easily veto it, and I won¡¯t be offended, alright.¡±


    Maria looked at me, suddenly tense. ¡°It better not be¡­¡± she growled.


    I had no idea what she was thinking, but I decided to go fast just in case. ¡°Improving my Forge skill is another option,¡± I explained hurriedly. ¡°That way, not only will we see if skills could be upgraded above Epic, but if I can reach Legendary, I can forge even better weapons, which should be helpful for better attacks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Maria said, her growing fury replaced with a smile. ¡°It makes perfect sense. Why did you look so tense?¡±


    ¡°Because it kind of benefits me too much, and I don¡¯t want to come across like I¡¯m trying to benefit from the situation,¡± I said. Also, it was my guilty conscience speaking about my previous actions, but I kept that part silent.


    No need to go poking around healing wounds.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it like that. The stronger you are, the better,¡± Eleanor said, giving her entirely unbiased opinion, even as she caressed the hilt of her new sword.


    Maria noticed that as well if her chuckle was any indicator, but she let that slide. ¡°Exactly,¡± she said instead, then looked at Eleanor. ¡°Of course, it means you have to go around helping the farmers upgrade their skills and collect their data while we work,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Eleanor said.


    ¡°Of course you can. You just need to be careful of a few principles while you help them and record the results,¡± I said. ¡°Let me write that down.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Eleanor said, smiling, but as I quickly filled one paper and moved on to the second one, that smile trembled a bit. It turned into a neutral expression as I filled the second paper, and a frown replaced it as I was filling the fifth. ¡°Is it too late to change my mind?¡± she asked, exasperated.


    I just chuckled, but continued writing.


    After all, a solid experimentation protocol was important.

 Chapter 106

    ¡°So, how much of the instructions you gave to Eleanor were actually necessary?¡± Maria asked once Eleanor left.


    ¡°Oh, all of it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really? All twenty pages of it? And, your handwriting is so tiny¡­¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°As I was explaining before Eleanor¡¯s success interrupted us, it¡¯s too easy to introduce bias to experiments. If I wasn¡¯t going to run that experiment again later, I wouldn¡¯t have let her run it. Her attitude alone might ruin the experiment.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°If you say so,¡± she still agreed as she crossed her arms. ¡°But, for the moment, should we go to the fourth floor?¡±


    I paused for a moment, considering the merits of setting a fully-fledged base here, but decided against it. The first floor didn¡¯t have enough monsters to keep us supplied with mana, considering the scale I planned to work at. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go,¡± I said.


    Security was a concern, but not a big one. All I needed was to check the second floor once every half an hour. Without the mist to block my gaze, keeping the dungeon safe was considerably easier. There would be no ambushes prepared that could avoid my notice.


    As we moved down, we discussed upcoming technical challenges, and how we could improve our coordination even further. ¡°Too bad we can¡¯t sell what we craft without creating a commotion,¡± Maria admitted with a sigh. ¡°I might try to reach my contacts, but most of those contacts I acquired through my family and¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know which ones you can trust, and which ones will immediately inform Thomas,¡± I said. ¡°Understandable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid of that little snot,¡± Maria said. ¡°But, his external support scares me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re referring to those men that had transformed into monsters,¡± I said.


    ¡°Exactly. I have never heard of something like that before. He always had shady friends, but something like that¡­ no, it¡¯s above his grade.¡±


    I just nodded. Ultimately, I knew too little about her family situation and the rest of the world to even help her brainstorm, let alone actually help her come to a useful conclusion. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste our time theorizing about a motive,¡± I said. ¡°We just need to focus on how to get stronger. So long as we can do that in secret, we can shatter their plans.¡±


    Maria nodded. ¡°Yeah. Even if we can¡¯t figure out a way to give Eleanor Essence, having better weapons would multiply her combat efficiency.¡±


    ¡°In the worst case, we can help get her a Legendary skill,¡± I added.


    ¡°As far as consolation prizes go, that¡¯s a good one,¡± she agreed. ¡°Finding a Legendary skill that fits her style is already enough of a challenge. Then, there¡¯s the Stat requirements to absorb those skills¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°Still, we need to figure out the best way to help her. We¡¯re still poking around blindly, and developing a proper theory would take a significant time.¡±


    ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t have too much time,¡± Maria said. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for his last trick, I would have assumed that Thomas was at his limit and would be leaving us alone, but that¡¯s clearly not the case. Those men that were somehow able to absorb the dungeon miasma is not something our family knows of.¡±


    ¡°You suspect external support.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, but I could see her hesitancy. She clearly didn¡¯t want to vocalize her other suspicion, which was that his supporters were a part of the Griffin family. I let that slide. As long as she was aware of the possibility, there was no point talking about it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll come up with something even more devastating next. We probably have at most a month before we start selling the shells, and it¡¯ll make whoever this mysterious supporter will push him to attack again.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I said even as I took a step to the side, dodging another monster as we moved deeper into the dungeon. ¡°But, a month should be enough to qualitatively improve our power, enough to deal with whatever nasty surprise he has.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°You think so?¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes. With the dungeon tamed, we can operate all three floors with ease, and even systematically exploiting the fourth floor is sustainable, meaning we could improve all two thousand to above level twenty-five with upgraded classes, with all of them armed with at least an Uncommon skill, each armed with the gear I made for them.¡±


    She paused for a second, no doubt running the calculations far more accurately than the rough calculation I had done. ¡°Unless we have to collect Rare Nurture as skill stones,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, that assumes a significant portion will be able to improve naturally,¡± I replied.


    ¡°What if none of them can?¡± she countered.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll have less of them. Maybe five hundred?¡± I said. She nodded, showing that the number made sense. ¡°It¡¯ll be worse, particularly if their next attack is against the town.¡±


    She paused. ¡°I wanted to say that even he isn¡¯t that much of a madman, but¡­¡± she said, her voice fading. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to deliberately trigger a monster horde against us.¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult?¡±


    ¡°Against a proper town, it¡¯s very difficult. Collecting and directing enough monsters to overwhelm the defenses is enough of a challenge, especially since the other towns would send out their elites to deal with it, to prevent their town from being the next one.¡±


    ¡°And, since we¡¯re so far away from the other towns, no one has to support us to keep themselves safe.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason we were able to take over this dungeon on the cheap,¡± she said. I didn¡¯t ask her what she meant by cheap, as I had a feeling the number would have scared me. After all, there was a difference between a cheap dinner and a cheap yacht. I didn¡¯t want to distract myself with a pointless tangent.


    ¡°How long in advance do you think we would get warned against a monster horde?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two weeks at a minimum,¡± she said. ¡°We have daily patrols in the sky, and even the smallest monster wave is not stealthy. We would catch them easily.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I muttered, then I paused, wondering just how easily I could help people level up. ¡°How far away is the nearest location with environmental mana?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If we¡¯re willing to brave through some dangerous locations, four hours at this pace,¡± she said.


    I nodded. This meant that, as long as we traveled light, an overnight trip should be enough to help the farmers level up. And, with a two-week notice, we should be able to level all of them up as long as I armed them properly and brought them to the fifth floor.


    Not exactly an ideal option, as the moment we showed our advanced weaponry, the secret would be out. I wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that I could convince two thousand people to keep it a secret, and the moment they realized we could access the fifth floor, they should realize we had killed multiple dungeon bosses.


    The vision advantage was good, but it was hardly a decisive advantage it had proven to be so far if the enemy prepared for it.


    ¡°The ability to rapidly help them acquire better classes means that we should be able to raise enough forces to deal with any monster waves,¡± I said.


    ¡°At least, the ordinary ones,¡± she said. ¡°It would be harder to deal with the giant ones,¡± she said. I curled an eyebrow. ¡°You can think of them as the equivalent to a dungeon boss. Large, stronger, often with some kind of dangerous ability,¡± she said. ¡°The lack of environmental mana means that they won¡¯t be as dangerous as they could be, but still, they might be problematic, especially if they came with abilities that can counter me.¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for her performance against the dungeon boss, I might have assumed that she was exaggerating a bit. With that, even her offhanded mention took precedence. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s likely?¡± I said.


    ¡°In a natural monster horde that would approach our town, next to impossible,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s no location with enough mana to actually support that kind of a monster, so it requires a lucky dungeon break. But, if it¡¯s an artificial one ¡­ it feels almost inevitable.¡±


    ¡±And, how would it counter you? Some kind of magic resistance, enhanced mobility, invisibility.¡±


    She sighed, forlorn. It was the first time I saw her in such a deep loss. ¡°Frankly, all of them are possible. Maybe I made a mistake trying to force the issue of breaking through the level hundred barrier. Maybe we should stop this venture before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    A part of me was tempted to encourage her to do that. Unfortunately, I genuinely didn¡¯t think that it was the best path. Not for her, not for myself. Not even for the thousands of farmers who chose to risk their lives to join a new town.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Two weeks is more than plenty to develop a special counter. If we can help Eleanor figure out how to use mana, her lethality would multiply significantly. Together, we should be able to deal with any beast that relies on invisibility or mobility.¡±


    ¡°What if it has other abilities,¡± she said.


    ¡°Then, we can find a different solution. Like siege weapons.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t purchase more, at least not the kind that could help against the kinds of beasts we¡¯d need help dealing with,¡± she said. ¡°They are good against the weaker mobs, but against stronger monsters, they quickly turn useless.¡±


    I thought about offering to start coming up with better variants, but after some thought, I decided against it. Finding the secret behind the natural skill upgrades, improving my class skills, figuring out the principles behind the mana attacks, developing a better system of mass production, designing better defenses for the town ¡­


    No, my list of activities was already too crowded. But, it might change if I could reach Legendary Forging.


    Hopefully.


    The rest of the journey had been filled with various topics of strategic significance, where we did our best to discuss the processes necessary for the next steps.

 Chapter 107

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to take a break,¡± Maria said, looking exhausted after hours of forging.


    ¡°It¡¯s a very well-deserved rest, you were amazing,¡± I said. Considering she was still my boss ¡ª nominally ¡ª and someone who could evaporate me with a wave of her hand, any observer would have believed that I was doing it to get in her good graces.


    It couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Calling the day productive would have been an understatement. With Maria helping me condense mana, I was able to establish my old production line again. My Mana Forge skill had improved by almost two hundred points, which was an incredible improvement for an Epic skill.


    Alone, with my old setup, it would have taken at least a year, maybe longer.


    Too bad once we passed the three hundred thresholds, the improvement slowed down once again, even with her help.


    [Mana Forge (Epic) - 304 [Advanced Creative Forging, Advanced Mana Control]]


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the situation?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s as we feared,¡± I said. ¡°Once we hit the barrier, the gold alloys don¡¯t let me improve rapidly.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, we¡¯ll have to get some raw platinum. I¡¯ll do my best,¡± she said.


    I nodded in appreciation even as I looked at the pile of gleaming weapons, mostly spearheads, though there were some swords mixed in. Technically, daggers would have been more time efficient in terms of skill improvement, but considering their relative uselessness on a battlefield, we focused on spears, with a small smattering of swords for elites with the necessary skill.


    There was no harm in multitasking, and we had forged enough to supply a small army. Even without proper enchantment, they would be enough to create an elite force that could deal with a small monster horde.


    My class might not have been as flashy as hers, but that didn¡¯t mean it was useless.


    ¡±That¡¯s an option,¡± I said as I looked at her, watching the way her face was showing exhaustion. The signs she was showing looked oddly familiar. It was the way I had looked when I had tried to reshape meditation.


    Comparatively, using the Perk to manipulate mana, I was nowhere as exhausted.


    ¡°And, what is the other option?¡± she said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it as we walk,¡± I said. ¡°You have exhausted yourself, and we better rest. And, I can use the opportunity to work with the farmers again.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said as she stood up. ¡°But, don¡¯t deflect. I want to listen to what you have to say.¡±


    I nodded as we started walking. ¡°System rewards behaviors that it treats as exceptional,¡± I said. ¡°For warriors, it¡¯s killing monsters above their level, and for me, forging material that the System treats as over my level. One way to do that is to find the materials the System treats as higher level, but the other way is¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to forge something using a denser type of mana,¡± she said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too ambitious,¡± she said. ¡°We can¡¯t just use my spells and hope that it works.¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said. ¡°But, there¡¯s nothing that stops us from theorizing a denser mana structure for Forging and copying that, right?¡±


    ¡°That sounds fanciful,¡± she said, but even with her exhaustion, I could see her eyes alight with interest. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s really possible?¡± she asked.


    ¡°If you mean whether it¡¯s possible, I¡¯m certain it is. Anything that skills do, it could be replicated without them, only with far more effort ¡­ or, the correct techniques. Whether only two of us could achieve it, or whether we could achieve it on a reasonable timeline is a different question. But, it¡¯s still worth trying.¡±


    ¡°What if we can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Simple,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We get more people involved. No matter the problem, once enough dedicated people start working, it¡¯ll be solved eventually.¡±


    She paused, a pondering expression on her face. ¡°But, how do we keep it a secret once more people get involved.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s the easy part. We don¡¯t,¡± I answered.


    She looked at me, shocked. ¡°You, mister secrets, want to reveal it.?Then, everyone could just use the same knowledge to get stronger. Where would be your advantage?¡±


    ¡°Of course I want to reveal it,¡± I replied. ¡°I want to keep things a secret because revealing them would get me killed. Once I¡¯m reasonably sure that I won¡¯t die to the blade of an assassin, that will change.¡±


    ¡°Reasonably sure,¡± she said, looking surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit of a low bar when your life is concerned?¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    I sighed, closing my eyes. ¡°Maybe, but we¡¯re living in a dangerous world already. Monsters are everywhere, people are quick to rely on violence, assassination was once again a socially acceptable dispute resolution, and dueling is acceptable for even the smallest slights. I''d rather die for a worthy cause than hide knowledge like a squirrel preparing for winter¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± she started, only to pause. ¡°You really believe it.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I had never been a big believer in the philosophy of enlightenment, that civilization is something that always progressed toward a greater form, but if there was one thing I loved about it, the information was shared freely. Inefficiently, maybe, with many pointless steps in between to calculate the credit and rewards, but it was still shared freely.¡±


    ¡°And, you think it¡¯ll make that much of a difference?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The last two centuries of human development skyrocketed because we can share information with ease, and more accurately. Now that every one of us has superpowers, it¡¯s absurd that we can¡¯t repeat it.¡±


    She paused, her eyes tightening. ¡°You are keeping something secret,¡± she said, her tone harsh.


    I raised my hands in mock surrender. ¡°I¡¯m not keeping it a secret, but I didn¡¯t want to share it before I gathered some data to give it some validity. I¡¯m not even sure about the source. I can tell you, but I have one condition.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You are going to listen to me without interruption. Questions to clarify are right, but I don¡¯t want to turn it into a debate. At least, not when I¡¯m explaining it for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I promise,¡± she said.


    ¡°Have you ever thought about how our culture has changed since the Cataclysm? Suddenly, we have collapsed into a feudal state, with every value we had accepted disappearing,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, but isn¡¯t it natural? The world changed completely. Technology has disappeared, many people died, and the government is gone. We still don¡¯t know if any of the major cities are intact. Such a radical change, isn¡¯t it normal for the people to embrace a new direction.¡±


    ¡°Yes and no,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Very clear, professor, thank you very much,¡± she said.


    ¡°No sarcasm in the classroom,¡± I declared, which earned a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m trying to say that while a significant cultural drift is to be expected, there are two problems. The speed, and the direction.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s a lecture incoming,¡± she said as she shuffled, leaning forward.


    ¡°A summary, at least. Just enough to convince you that I know what I¡¯m talking about. Cultural change, particularly relating to the aspects relating to power, might be one of the most studied phenomena in history, centuries before sociology had even been studied as a distinct scientific discipline. Countries like Rome had mastered the art of integrating the cultures of others into their own, while philosophers ranging from Plato to Confucius, Ibn Haldun to Hobbes studied the topic to understand the theoretical and ethical basis. And, from their hands, we have surprisingly well-preserved historical records. Similarly, we have countless modern studies on the topic, ranging from banal, small-scale topics like company cultural transformations, to modern immigration.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± she said, looking confused.


    What followed was a compressed history of cultural transformation across the ages, going in-depth about the various aspects driving such transformations.


    ¡°If there was one thing that was common across all those topics, it was that culture, particularly when it came to adults, is one of the hardest things to change,¡± I concluded. ¡°The adaptation happens slowly, with significant friction, people clinging to the older traditions even tighter and turning into extremists just to maintain their identity¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Charisma explain that?¡± she interrupted, confident. I wanted to remind her about her promise, but since I had seen her holding back during my lecture several times, I decided to give her a chance to address her concerns. ¡°It¡¯s well-known to have long-term effects.¡±


    ¡°Is it why using it on someone grounds for a duel,¡± I asked, to which she responded with a nod. I continued ¡°The problem is twofold. First, I had spent more than a year trying to understand how the world has been changing, as a kind of pre-research


    ¡°To a degree, it explains the speed,¡± I said.


    ¡°To a degree?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Do you remember me mentioning I had been collecting some observational data before a dungeon nearby started to drop Repair spells and ruined my business?¡± I asked. She nodded. ¡°I seem to remember that there was some data supporting the other direction, but it has been a while, and I don¡¯t remember the results well enough,¡± I said. ¡°But, even in the enclaves without people with Charisma, we saw a similar pattern.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they just stayed hidden,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly a possibility,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s one of the challenges of trying to make conclusions relying on self-reporting. There¡¯s always the risk of lying, especially on sensitive topics. But, even if that¡¯s the case, it doesn¡¯t explain the direction. We suddenly have people in an apocalyptic situation, without contact, and with superpowers that include brainwashing. The world should have been in chaos, with crazy cults and weird religions popping out of every corner. Yet, we have a society that has pretty much homogeneously transformed to a new direction.¡±


    ¡°And, you think that¡¯s unlikely? Why?¡± she said, but she was more curious than confrontational.


    ¡°Part of it is historical observation. When the opportunity presents itself, there are always ambitious people wanting to leave their mark, and once they succeed, they tend to be ¡­ creative. In this case, however, it happens the same way in hundreds of enclaves similar enough to be carbon copies. This level of convergence doesn¡¯t make mathematical sense. It¡¯s improbable.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly a convincing argument, right,¡± she said. ¡°Improbable doesn¡¯t mean impossible. Look at the world we live in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± I said. ¡°Imagine rolling a dice a hundred times. If all hundred rolls showed the same number, would you just shrug and assume that you¡¯re lucky, or suspect that you¡¯re playing with the loaded dice.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Do you suspect that we¡¯re playing with a loaded dice?¡±


    I snorted. ¡°Suspect is a major understatement. The more I dig, the more convinced I get. The real challenge is to understand where it¡¯s coming from. It even makes mathematical sense. Let me model the situation for you. We have ten different groups, with an equilibrium model¡­¡±


    She stayed silent, no doubt struggling to accept the conclusion. I had a feeling that, if it wasn¡¯t for my recent string of successes, she wouldn¡¯t have entertained it.


    It reminded me of the story of Linus Pauling. He was one of the most authoritative people in the field of science as the only person in history who had received two unshared Nobel awards, turning him into an authority ¡­ but, as he got older, he used that authority to support several unsubstantiated claims, which then turned into common public misunderstandings, including Vitamin C being some kind of super cure.


    ¡°You gave me a lot to think about,¡± she said once we arrived at the first floor, looking at the keep at the main dungeon entrance. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to rest?¡±


    ¡°We still have too much to do,¡± I said and turned back, ready to have another meeting with the Farmers.

 Chapter 108

    As I arrived at the third-floor outpost, I once again planned to stay outside, ready to observe the general mood. Admittedly, with the trees planted all around the base, they no longer had to deal with the dungeon mist blocking their view, so their behavior wasn¡¯t as unfiltered.


    There still was a difference between that, and how they would act with their ¡®boss¡¯ walking among them.


    However, the moment I approached the outpost enough to catch the details, that plan had changed. I got caught flat-footed by the sheer transformation. The first thing that I noticed was the scale. The outpost now spread roughly as a circle of a mile radius. Every inch had already transformed.


    Admittedly, while the scale was significant, it wasn¡¯t truly impressive. I could probably achieve that scale alone if I pushed myself. Considering there were two thousand Farmers living there, transforming less than one square mile wasn¡¯t exactly a miracle.


    But, the way they had transformed¡­


    I had trouble convincing myself that it was still the dungeon, the hostile place that regularly spammed monsters, and not a small corner of heaven. The rough desert of the third floor had been transformed into a beautiful garden. Every inch of ground had been covered with some kind of plant, be it flowers that had colors brighter than anything I had ever seen before, sprouting from between the blades of grass that looked sculpted.


    The air was crisp, tinged with a complex scent that felt heavenly compared to the dust and dry smell of the third floor, let alone the swamp of the other two floors. I took a deep breath, feeling the life of the place fill my lungs.


    It was overwhelming.


    The farmers, in just one day, had carved a small paradise out of the wilderness. The terraced gardens sprawled on any cliff, and under each tree, there were gardens. Most of the gardens showed flowers and other decorative items, but the occasional plots dedicated to food looked equally impressive. Wheat and barley swayed gently, taller and more golden than I¡¯d ever seen, while rows of vegetables and herbs flourished in neat, orderly lines, enough to satisfy anyone who suffered from OCD.


    The trees caught my attention the most. They were tall and mighty, which wasn¡¯t exactly a shock. After all, it was the way I had raised them, but any tree I had grown was wild, with branches sprawling in every direction. Their trees looked gentle and orderly without losing anything of their might.


    Also, they looked three times as tall as the ones I had grown. Whether it was a perk or something else, I didn¡¯t know, but either way, it looked amazing, especially with multiple tree houses poking out of them, their roofs covered in moss and wildflowers that looked rustic yet amazing.


    Yet, the most interesting detail, among everything else, was the happiness of the Farmers as they walked around, the slight stumble in some of their steps showing that they were somewhat drunk. They were clearly in a celebratory mood.


    I didn¡¯t blame them. After all, they were under explicit orders not to hunt monsters until we brought their Class skills to the limit.


    Still, as I watched them, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much of their relaxed attitude was about my order to Harold and the other guards to not to enter any deeper than the perimeter. Initially, it had been a way to let them relax, as I had noticed just how tense Farmers acted around the other classes.


    Not that they weren¡¯t justified in feeling that way. After three years of being dismissed and treated like dirt, I didn¡¯t even want to imagine how bad they had been feeling.


    Thinking that, I approached Harold first once he moved away from the perimeter. ¡°Sir,¡± he greeted me even as he threw a hesitant glance toward the new state of the outpost.


    ¡°You look tense,¡± I said as I gestured for him to walk closer, not wanting to alert the rest of the camp to my presence yet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He looked hesitant. ¡°Are you trying to see whether I¡¯ll blame you for the situation of the camp?¡± I asked.


    He nodded hesitantly.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I asked you to stay in the perimeter. I want them to feel comfortable.¡±


    ¡°Is this some kind of test? To see who would continue to work hard to grasp the great opportunity you¡¯re offering.¡±


    ¡°Nothing so complicated. It¡¯s just that, for the first time in a long time, they had a chance to relax while having a reason to look positively towards their future. Just let them relax for a few days.¡±


    ¡°If you say so, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just stick to the perimeter, and don¡¯t interfere with their schedule. I have my own reasons.¡±


    That put a smile on his face as he accepted the answer, and we started talking about other details. Signaling the existence of some kind of future conspiracy addressed his concerns better than claiming that I was treating Farmers like humans.


    I wondered if it was just another part of the nebulous indoctrination, or just the base human ugliness that always wanted to elevate ourselves higher by putting others¡¯ pure worth as a living being into a debatable concept.


    On the grand scale of the new social norms, Harold¡¯s attitude was the best I could hope for.


    A sigh escaped even as I finished the discussion with Harold, and circled the enclave, getting a more detailed breakdown of their activities, immediately noticing that Harold¡¯s comments were biased. As I got closer, I noticed a training area which I hadn¡¯t noticed before since it was on the other side of the outpost.


    It was an open-air structure, where the Farmers had been practicing with their spears. Almost three hundred of them were there, using their dummy spears to practice, half of them without a skill.


    Their actions were crude and shaky, showing their limited experience wielding weapons, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for their determination.


    At the center of the formation were five Farmers I had recognized from the first batch of volunteers, doing their best to teach them Basic Stab. A good preparation for the future.


    I had initially thought about staying away, but even from a distance, I couldn¡¯t help but wince as I watched them. Their intention was good ¡­ their performance, was not so much. Repeatedly showing the same attack and asking the others to repeat was suboptimal at best.


    Yet, I managed to suppress the desire to rush forward and correct them, afraid that my intervention would ruin the small yet efficient setup they had managed to put together. Even if they didn¡¯t stop their training, their instructors would without a doubt lose their courage to take the lead.


    In the long term, it would hurt more than it helped. Instead, I stayed outside the tree line, taking some mental notes about how they could teach better, my own experience with the spear helping me to put a better schedule.


    And, those spear-wielders were not the only group working hard. Another, smaller group had gathered near the edge, close enough that I could listen to them. There were merely fifty of them, but they were debating intensely about how to best modify the colors of the flowers, whether it was better to make that change once the flower had grown, or if it was more appropriate to adjust its growth continuously.


    ¡°Clever,¡± I noted even as I listened to them, the way they had used the skill was completely novel. From the application of their skills, I could easily assess that most of them were still at the Uncommon stage, and even with the added flexibility given by the Perks, I should be easily able to copy what they had been doing.


    Just like, theoretically, someone receiving Repair as an external skill would theoretically be able to copy what I could ¡­ but just like how I got familiar with my skill, they had worked on theirs.


    And, now that they finally had the opportunity to advance their skill, they wanted to take advantage of it just like I did.


    I continued to listen to them from a distance, glad that they didn¡¯t keep their voices low. It was a rare thing, to see people discuss their skills openly, but I could see why they had a different outlook. Nurture was not an offensive skill, or a valued production device. Its biggest value came from unlocking a chance to upgrade their class.


    It meant that, for them, trying to hide the secrets of the skill represented something far lesser than what other people experienced. Not to mention, since I was the one who ¡®gifted¡¯ the method, they probably didn¡¯t have the sense of ownership the other people had toward their skills, making it even easier to share their information.


    A smile popped onto my face as I continued to listen, but soon, I decided to multitask. The fact that they were sharing information was a good thing, but the process they used for it was horrible.


    As an academician with a decade¡¯s experience who often had to manage my own research teams, I was used to organizing such processes. Moreover, since my mathematical sociology discipline had been a relatively new area that lay in the intersection of multiple disciplines ¡ª practitioners of which disdained each other ¡ª I was used to managing all types of conflicts.


    However, while designing a better debate environment was easy, actually delivering that was a harder challenge. I was afraid that, the moment I showed some interest in the topic, it would distort whatever that was developing among them naturally.


    Then, my gaze fell on Terry, the same young man who had distinguished himself during the earlier experiment. Unlike the other farmers, he wasn¡¯t intimidated by the sheer prospect of talking with me, and he looked magnetic enough to convince the others.


    Maybe I should arrange a meeting with him, and see if he was willing to take a new role.


    It had been a while since I had a teaching assistant.

 Chapter 109

    I wanted to talk with Terry, but I didn¡¯t approach him for two reasons. First, singling out someone like that in a complicated situation was a bad idea. It already caused problems in my undergrad classes when I was a professor, and the current situation was far more complicated than a classroom.


    Also, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure that he would be a good candidate for the task I had in mind yet. I thought he was, but I had the luxury of time, at least until I could reach the next stage, and see if pushing them to Epic level was a viable option.


    So, after stopping by Harold and asking him to gather them on the outskirts, I went to the fourth floor again. This time, I didn¡¯t just bring the poisoned water from the swamp, but also the concentrated variants from the condenser, each bucket labeled with the concentration percentages.


    ¡°I need to upgrade it,¡± I said to myself on the way back. The machine was enough for my purposes, but not for two thousand farmers. I could just build up twenty copies to handle the consumption, but optimizing the design with Maria¡¯s help seemed like the much better option.


    When I returned, all two thousand of them had been gathered, their expressions ranging from excited to anxious. ¡°There are some changes at the outpost,¡± I started. ¡°I have never seen a dungeon so beautiful.¡± Some of them smiled, but even more of them tensed, as if they were afraid that I would follow with some kind of punishment. ¡°Excellent work. Keep it up.¡±


    It was good to see them relax, but the intensity alone was enough to show the extent of their terrible relationship with authority. Not that I blamed them. I partially blamed the System, but an even bigger fault was ours. As humanity, we were following our usual pattern of climbing over the downtrodden, uncaring of what we could achieve if only we were willing to give up a fraction of our selfish desires.


    A part of me wanted to talk to them, tell them that they could feel safe here. However, I did not. First of all, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if that was a promise I could fulfill. The world we lived in was a dangerous place, and for all my improvements, I was still a character at the periphery. Just one person over level hundred would have been enough to demolish everything I had built with ease.


    Then, there was the more practical reason. There was nothing that put people more on edge than someone insisting that they were safe, and he could be trusted.


    ¡°You know the drill,¡± I called. ¡°Twenty volunteers first, fill out the surveys, and let¡¯s see how far we can push those skills,¡± I called.


    As they lined up, a hand rose. ¡°Go ahead,¡± I said.


    ¡°S-sir. S-should we join as well?¡± he asked.


    ¡°When you say we you mean..?¡± I asked.


    ¡°T-the ones that failed to upgrade their skills,¡± he stammered.


    ¡°Sure, there¡¯s no harm,¡± I called. ¡°Just make sure to fill the surveys correctly. And, don¡¯t worry, even if you can¡¯t achieve it, I¡¯ll eventually get Rare skill stones for every single one of you. It¡¯ll just take longer.¡±


    He nodded, as if speaking that had consumed all his willpower. The promise relaxed him, but not significantly. I watched a group of them gather together, noting that they acted significantly meeker than the others.


    I noted it down, and wanted to check the surveys accordingly. It might be just about them feeling depressed, or it might be something important.


    However, for the moment, I ignored it, and focused on teaching them how to use the different concentrations of poison and fertilizer to improve. With my own experience as a guide, calculating the ideal number of drops and the sequence was trivial. I just needed to solve a partial differential equation to decide which level of concentrate was appropriate for each skill level, optimizing the usage.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The amount that had been accumulated showed that it should be barely enough to bring everyone to Epic, but it was not enough to allow them to develop there. Which seemed like it would be a problem as the first twenty volunteers started to report their success.


    Of the twenty, twelve of them managed to upgrade their skill.


    ¡°Very good,¡± I called, even as I started to tackle the latest problem, and how to increase the production of both the fertilizer and the stronger poison concentrates as much as possible. Not that it caused any frustration. It was a very good problem to have.


    Unfortunately, it turned out that I got excited prematurely. The first volunteers had managed to achieve the desired rate, for the rest of the eighteen hundred with Rare Nurture, the success rate was slightly more than two percent.


    I was disappointed, yet excited at the same time. Disappointed, because a thousand Farmers with Epic skills would unlock so many steps for the future, with great strategic importance.


    Excited, because the difference was too big, and the sample was too large for it to be just a statistical glitch. It meant that there was a link between the act of volunteering and the ability to rank up.


    ¡°Good performance, everyone,¡± I called as the fifty farmers that had managed to reach Epic Nurture without skill stones gathered to the side, while the rest looked disappointed. ¡°Now, for the ones that failed to improve, you have a choice. You can choose to upgrade your class and start fighting, or you can choose to delay your progress. You¡¯re free to choose either, with no consequence. Your places in the outpost are not in danger either way.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the best way to conduct a healthy experiment. A part of me wanted to split them randomly, and assign every single one of them a task. That way, I could conduct a proper blind study.


    But, I couldn¡¯t forget that, for them, it was a choice that would permanently affect their lives. And, the least I could provide was to give them a choice. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to decide,¡± I called once I realized some of them were panicking. ¡°Even if you want to level up, you can wait until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What if we choose to wait, but still can¡¯t improve further, what then?¡± another asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no consequence for delaying. If it changes, I¡¯ll personally help you in your leveling journeys,¡± I promised.


    ¡°What if all of us choose to delay,¡± one of them said.


    I shrugged. ¡°Then you¡¯ll stay here for six months and we work together to understand why it doesn¡¯t work,¡± I said. ¡°Even then, I¡¯ll help you break through level twenty-five before you leave the dungeon, as long as it is what you want.¡±


    I heard a scoff, one that came from one of the fifty that had managed to reach Epic. It was a woman in her early fifties as far as I could tell. ¡°And, are we supposed to believe that you¡¯re doing all of it for nothing?¡± she asked.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her abrasive tone. Unfortunately, any entertaining answer that I could give was prevented by the presence of two thousand farmers listening to us. Not because I was afraid of a riot or something, but the exact opposite. They flinched in fear and looked at the old lady, like she had just opened the door for a serial killer.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said. ¡°I have my own conditions for allowing such freedoms,¡± I said. ¡°I want you to gather as a group every day, discuss all the new ways you can use Nurture, and write them down,¡± I said.


    Everyone looked surprised. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not, you¡¯ll learn in the future. Now, disperse,¡± I answered, my voice abrasive, as if she had touched a secret. She did not, nor was I feeling angry. The opposite. Unfortunately, I could see that the rest of the Farmers were panicking.


    Claiming that I had some unspecified orders for the future calmed them down.


    I could see where they were coming from. Sometimes, the free gifts came at the greatest of costs. I wanted to sit down and explain to them how important their help was for me, and what could be potentially achieved, but I held my mouth. Instead, I acted like I had a hidden agenda.


    Though, I paused. Considering I was preparing them to defend the town against some unspecified threat, it was not exactly a lie, was it?


    As the rest dispersed, I closed my eyes, doing my best to ignore my guilt. I didn¡¯t want to be responsible for the lives of thousands of people, but yet stupidly, I had already taken that responsibility upon myself. And, now, it was too late to change my mind.


    I just needed to do my best.


    Once they dispersed, I turned to the fifty that had managed to attain the Epic variant, trying to decide the best way to explain to them how to continue progressing with their skill. The amount of swamp poison and fertilizer wasn¡¯t enough for them to push to the limit of Epic, but any progress they made would be useful.


    ¡°I want one thing from all of you,¡± I said as I looked at them. ¡°Since you have the Epic skill, you¡¯re responsible for the practice groups,¡± I said. ¡°But, don¡¯t forget to take notes on the process.¡±


    A hand rose. It was Terry. ¡°And, how would we do that, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Good point,¡± I said. ¡°Pick something to take notes on, and gather around.¡±


    It looked like I was about to give a lecture.


    It had been a while.

 Chapter 110

    ¡°¡­ And, that¡¯s the last thing you need to pay attention to while helping members of your group develop their skills,¡± I continued explaining. ¡°It¡¯s easy to push yourself too much and expand all your Health to improve your skill, but don¡¯t forget that, we¡¯re still in the dungeon, and we have enemies. Safety first,¡± I added, which finished the long list of guidelines I wanted them to follow.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they responded in concert, and for a moment, I felt like I was back in the classroom, and hit by nostalgia. Amusingly, I had always hated teaching in the classroom, treating the education of the undergraduates similar to a necessary chore like paperwork.


    It was amusing that what I treated as a chore could turn into a fond memory. Benefits of a literal apocalypse, I supposed.


    Though, that nostalgic feeling was not an accident. What I had initially planned to be a twenty-minute long tutorial had turned into a three-hour-long monster orientation session similar to what I held for every batch of grad students.


    Despite the reminiscence I had felt, I made sure to take multiple breaks, giving them time to discuss and recover, and I used the gap to check the first two floors. It was fun to teach again, but I didn¡¯t want to neglect security just because I was doing something comfortable.


    And, to their credit, it looked like they learned what I was trying to teach better than a bunch of post-docs with over-exaggerated senses of their own importance in the world.


    ¡°Everything clear?¡± I asked. They said nothing, but I caught a few hesitant glares. ¡°I¡¯m not going to get angry if you missed something, or want some clarification,¡± I said. ¡°None of you are children, and I don¡¯t want to treat you as such.¡±


    Even with that guarantee, it took a while for one of them to raise a hand and ask a question. ¡°How are we going to check people¡¯s Health?¡± he asked. ¡°We don¡¯t have any skills to do that.¡±


    ¡°Good question,¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to keep an accurate measure. Just roughly keep an eye on the impact, and occasionally remind them about the security.¡± They looked surprised, but I had a feeling it was less about the answer, and more about the delivery.


    One problematic thing regarding the prevalent Feudal perspective was that people didn¡¯t really appreciate questions from their ¡®lessers¡¯. Though, once again, I wasn¡¯t sure how much I could blame I could put on the System, and how much of it generally fell onto our general human nature.


    After all, I had seen many of my coworkers acting like they were insulted when asked questions. And, they were professors. Answering questions was an explicit part of their job descriptions.


    That triggered a wave of question and answer, covering everything I had been speaking about during the last three hours. That was good news. It showed that they had listened. It was always a pleasant surprise to see students actually listen and learn, rather than sleeping in the class until the exam week before panicking about exam questions.


    The Q&A session lasted equally long. ¡°Then, let me ask a question of my own,¡± I said. They tensed, which made me chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s easy. How do you make those flowers bloom with such incredible colors?¡±


    They looked at me, surprised. ¡°What do you mean, sir? We just ¡­ do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what are the steps that you follow?¡± I asked. ¡°Do you let the flower glow first before focusing on the color? Or, is there a way to combine the two?¡±


    All of them looked at me, surprised. Well, not all of them, I corrected. Just most of them. ¡°Sir?¡± Terry spoke. ¡°It might be different for advanced combat skills, but that¡¯s not how Nurture works.¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a difference between an external skill and a class skill,¡± I said. ¡°Explain to me how you do it.¡±


    ¡°I create an image and impose the changes I want. And, the skill handles the rest,¡± he said, like talking about how to breathe.


    ¡°And, is this like this for all of you?¡± I asked. They shared hesitant glances. ¡°I¡¯m asking, because, for me, it¡¯s more like a numbered action list,¡± I said.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Mine is more similar to that,¡± one of them admitted, then three others joined.


    I paused for a moment, feeling shocked and annoyed at the equal measure. ¡°S-sir,¡± Terry spoke, hesitant. I noticed the others looked at me, looking tense.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing you did,¡± I said. ¡°I just realized I had missed something fundamental. Let me think about it for a minute,¡± I said as I stood up, and started walking.


    Moving helped whenever I dealt with it.


    After three years of trying to study the implications of the System, I realized that, not for once, had I asked any questions regarding how other people interacted with the System, assuming that it was the same way for all. For me, it was almost a step-by-step action list, one that I could modify as I wished.


    I had just assumed that everyone worked the same way.


    In a way, it reminded me of the time I had learned about aphantasia, which meant some people were utterly unable to imagine something visually. It was a condition that was about brain development, which meant people who belonged to that category couldn¡¯t picture anything visually.


    Of course, just because it reminded me of aphantasia didn¡¯t mean that it was fundamental. Maybe it was just some kind of habit. And, there was a chance that it didn¡¯t affect anything. And, even if it did, the discovery was something beneficial.


    No, I was annoyed, because after three years of trying to study the System, I hadn¡¯t even thought about questioning people about it.


    Admittedly, the way people perceived the world was not something we questioned often, and even if we did, finding the right questions could be difficult. It was why, let alone complicated, abstract conditions like aphantasia, even simpler ones with actual life impact like color blindness or dyslexia could be challenging to discover.


    However, it was a good lesson. Just because I had achieved some success in my solo research didn¡¯t mean it was the best way to develop.


    I chuckled. Just yesterday, I was smugly explaining to Maria about the importance of cooperation for science and human development. And, today, an impromptu workshop that I had treated as a chore ¡ª an important chore, but a chore nonetheless ¡ª allowed me to make a major realization about the way we interacted with the System.


    Admittedly, I had no evidence to believe that it would be important. Maybe, ultimately, it would be as trivial as aphantasia ¡ª at least, to my knowledge as a layman, as I was not a neuroscience expert ¡ª or maybe, it would prove to be fundamental.


    But, regardless, it represented an avenue of research.


    And, it was time for the first experiment.


    ¡°Alright, sorry for the interruption,¡± I said as I returned. ¡°Terry, you were telling me how to change the color of a flower,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, hesitant. Still, he went through his simplistic explanation again, while another one passed me a flower seed. I placed it on the ground, closed my eyes, and imagined how it would look once it grew.


    A simple flower, with alternating white and black leaves.


    [-4 Health]


    It was a different feeling, as if I was trying to force a square peg through a round hole. Disorienting, but nowhere as disorienting as trying to quickly switch skills.


    Or worse, trying to reverse Meditation.


    When I opened my eyes, a flower of my exact specifications greeted me. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at my success.


    ¡°Very good sir,¡± they congratulated me, but I could see that it was more about my position than the achievement. Not that I blamed them. It wasn¡¯t the fact that they could do better, but also they had seen me raising a small forest in one breath. Compared to that, a little multicolored flower was not exactly a great achievement.


    I ignored them as I repeated the same experiment, but this time, imagining white leaves, with little black straight lines going across.


    [-4 Health]


    This time, the results weren¡¯t as impressive. The leaves were mostly white, but with most of the black straight lines had instead come out as gray blotches. However, the failure made me smile even more.


    Was this the difference between me and the other blacksmiths when it came to modifying recipes and switching out steps? Maybe, maybe not¡­ Either way, it was something to be followed up on later.


    I thought about my team of pseudo-assistants, thinking about asking them to repeat the same test, maybe even repeat it for all two thousand. But, after a moment of deliberation, I decided against it. I was already asking them something outside of their comfort zone, and from experience, I knew that adding too many items to that list could backfire.


    ¡°Thank you, Terry. It was very helpful,¡± I said, which made him smile. Positive reinforcement was a critical weapon for any educator. ¡°Now, I think I have burdened you with enough extra tasks. Why don¡¯t I leave and let you go on ahead with them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± they said as they stood up and dispersed.


    I was happy to see them act more confidently in my presence. They were slowly stopping to act like they expected me to flip at them for the smallest mistake like an incompetent sergeant.


    However, while that made me happy, my mind shifted back to my latest discovery the moment I left the camp, measuring the relative merits of the two approaches. The benefits of mine were clear. Without that systemic approach that dissected the System feedback into smaller steps, I could have never achieved what I did.


    But, it was clear that their method had advantages as well. And, it was for me to find out how to maximize it for every skill.


    As soon as I finished some of my ongoing projects¡­

 Chapter 111

    The temptation to start playing with my skills to see the impact of the most recent discovery was difficult to resist but I managed to hold on and focused on the problem that was most urgent, with the data available to me.


    What determined whether people could advance their skills naturally or not?


    The data I had managed to collect, along with the other observations, suggested that it was not an accident. It seemed like there were some seriously strong correlations in terms of certain behavior patterns, like being outspoken, taking initiative, and general courage.


    But, I did my best not to make a rash judgment. The correlation was clear, but one statement held true. Correlation didn¡¯t equal causation. A simple sentence, but very hard to comprehend, and very dangerous when not applied properly.


    Therefore, I ignored my desire to come to a quick conclusion just because I had noticed a beautiful statistical link and instead started to outline all the different analyses I needed to run once Maria returned, and how to process the data I got from Eleanor. Which variables to dig deep into, the possible causation links, and the data required to prove them¡­ everything.


    I was on the first floor, taking a large pile of notes, sitting at the same hilltop that we had used for other experiments, enough to make me glad that Dexterity also helped with the speed of my handwriting significantly.


    I probably worked on the data for more than half a day, deciding all the ways to dice the survey results when I got interrupted by the arrival of Maria and Eleanor.


    ¡°Wow, you look busy,¡± Eleanor started as she arrived at the hilltop in one smooth jump, even swatching her giving me a sense of vertigo, carrying Maria at the same time.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of data to go through,¡± I said.


    She looked at it, but then I caught a hesitant glance on her face. ¡°Would you be angry if I told you all your work here kind of went to waste,¡± she said.


    I looked at her, suddenly afraid. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, afraid that she would admit tempering with the data as a joke or something equally asinine. Over my career, I had to deal with that particular ¡®joke¡¯ a few times during my career, by people who didn¡¯t understand that I would have been more accepting if they set my bed on fire ¡­ while I was sleeping on it.


    ¡°Well ¡­ I kind of already solved the mystery of skill upgrades.¡±


    ¡°And, you expect me to be angry about it?¡± I asked, looking surprised.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she added hesitantly, looking surprised. Next to her, Maria had a similar expression.


    I chuckled. ¡°The whole point of what we¡¯re doing is to discover something. If you actually solved it, I¡¯ll be happy.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course. Especially since we¡¯re not working for a university that would fire me because I don¡¯t have my name on the paper,¡± I added, shivering slightly. Publish or perish culture had been scarier than the dungeon monsters.


    ¡°That¡¯s an admirable perspective,¡± Maria added.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s this solved mystery?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the dungeon,¡± Eleanor declared confidently.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Easy,¡± she said. ¡°I have helped five hundred farmers to improve their skills as you asked. Eighty percent of the ones that entered the dungeon had managed to get the skill upgrade, while the ones that did not, only thirty percent achieved it.¡±


    ¡°How about the nearest town?¡±


    ¡°Even better. Only ten percent of them succeeded,¡± she said. ¡°It proves that ¡­¡± she said, but then paused. ¡°Right?¡± she added, probably due to my soft smile.


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said as I gestured for her to sit down. ¡°What you have discovered here is called correlation, as in the relationship between two numbers. That''s not enough to conclude that something in the dungeon allows them to break through their skill.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal,¡± I said. ¡°What you did is common sense, and for most cases, it¡¯s enough to go through life. We take what we know, and link them together. Let me give you an old-world example, what would you say if I said ice cream caused heat strokes? If we check the data, the more ice cream sold, the more people are admitted to hospital.¡±


    ¡°That it¡¯s total nonsense, of course,¡± she said. ¡°People eat more ice cream when it¡¯s hot outside. But, that¡¯s obvious.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I said. ¡°But, you know that because it¡¯s an example where we know why people get heat strokes. However, what if you don¡¯t know the link in the first place. What if I told you that children who know how to play an instrument get into better colleges. Does it mean learning an instrument makes people smarter? Or just that they come from richer households that can afford to send them to private lessons. Or, maybe admission committees like it on their CVs.¡±


    This time, both of them frowned. ¡°But, it makes sense,¡± Maria interrupted.


    ¡°It does, because dungeons mean faster leveling and a lot of resources. Dungeons somehow influencing the level cap is believable as well,¡± I added.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe it,¡± Eleanor said, sharp enough to see what I was getting at.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I have my own hypothesis about why.¡±


    ¡°And, what makes yours better?¡± she asked, challenging.


    I liked her tone. ¡°Nothing,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Nothing?¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, nothing at the moment. What we both have is a bunch of observations, run through our common sense. It makes a good hypothesis, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Then, what do we do now?¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a reason I made them fill all those surveys. We¡¯re going to check all the data and see if we can find some stronger correlation, and from there, start designing experimental and observational setups that might discover the causation ¡ª¡± I said, then I noticed that Eleanor looked ashamed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me,¡± I gasped.


    Her bag wasn¡¯t big enough to hold all the surveys I had asked her to collect.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I collected them all. I just didn¡¯t bring them with me, and left them at home.¡±


    I let out a relieved sigh. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Does it mean I have to go to the town and collect them?¡± I just nodded. ¡°Not fun,¡± she complained.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s only if you want your mana skill. If you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she grumbled before she left, leaving me alone with Maria.


    Maria waited until Eleanor was far away before she started speaking. ¡°You seemed pretty confident when you dismissed Eleanor¡¯s assumption. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of the same patterns I had noticed while helping the group at the third-floor outpost level up. Did you know the more outspoken they are, the higher their rate of skill upgrade appears,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡±


    ¡°Silly, absurd, nonsense?¡± I completed her sentences.


    She blushed slightly. ¡°Well, something along those lines. You¡¯re claiming that the more courageous they are, the easier for the skills to upgrade.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes and no,¡± I said. ¡°There seems to be a strong correlation that explains a lot, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it turns out to be complete nonsense.¡±


    ¡°What a waste of time,¡± she said, then paused. ¡°Sorry. It just feels like¡­¡±


    ¡°A lot of wasted effort,¡± I added. She nodded sheepishly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s not an insult. There¡¯s no scientist that hasn''t come up with hundreds of nonsense, absolutely stupid ideas with absolutely nothing to do with reality, that any sane person wouldn¡¯t have entertained for a second, achieving nothing but wasted time.¡±


    ¡°And, that¡¯s useful?¡±


    ¡°Yes, because, occasionally, some of those ideas lead to the discovery of a fungus that can kill bacteria, saving billions of lives.¡±


    ¡°And, how do we separate those groundbreaking ones from hundreds of nonsensical claims?¡±


    ¡°We come to the fun part of science. There¡¯s no easy way. We will constantly build hypotheses, check the data, validate results, and start with a new set all along, all the while hoping that we¡¯re going in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Sounds inefficient.¡±


    ¡°It is. Science is a lot like prospecting. A structured approach means that, instead of just digging blindly, you use advanced methods to check the ground. But, no matter how advanced your methods, you can¡¯t find anything if there¡¯s nothing there.¡±


    ¡°And, you are hopeful that courage is the answer for it. And, you can¡¯t be serious in expecting the results in Eleanor¡¯s data.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I somewhat did,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s a little more complicated than that. But, before I go deeper, let me share with you an interesting anecdote. Back in the old world, children born in the first three months are almost twice as likely to become a pro than the ones born from October to December.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°If you come to me with some horoscope nonsense¡ª¡± she started.


    I chuckled. ¡°Not in the slightest. The mechanism is simple. We have split youth leagues based on age, which meant, from an absolute perspective, children born in January always had several months of development advantage. It means they get better opportunities, which snowballs into an overrepresentation.¡±


    ¡°And, how does it link back to the great difference between the ones that have accessed the dungeon, and those who did not?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Simple. It¡¯s a tainted sample, similar to youth leagues. The farmers that joined us are volunteers.¡±


    ¡°The ones that are brave enough to leave the city and potentially risk themselves in a new town, joining people they knew nothing about,¡± Maria completed.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said even as I pushed a thick stack of papers in front of her.


    ¡°Are these your conclusions or something?¡± she asked.


    I laughed. ¡°No. Those are all the different analyses that we need to run. Each page describes an analysis, the method of calculation, and possible follow-ups based on the results.¡±


    ¡°B-but, there has to be at least five hundred pages here,¡± she said. ¡°Even with Intelligence, it¡¯ll take hours.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I smiled, feeling excited that I was finally doing proper research work. ¡°Isn¡¯t science fun?¡±

 Chapter 112

    After another half a day filled with the most exciting of all sacred and forbidden arts ¡ª statistics ¡ª Maria let out a sudden, frustrated growl. ¡°Alright, I surrender. Your theory about courage makes perfect sense,¡± she declared.


    I had to admit, I was impressed by her development. She was getting impressively capable when it came to using various mathematical models, far better than any undergraduate student I had the pleasure of teaching. As for doctorate students, it was not exactly a fair comparison, as their general math competency needed to be quite high to be accepted to work with me.


    Yes, Intelligence was helping her to do the calculations faster, but it didn¡¯t give her instant comprehension, and unlike her, my students had the advantage of modern software suites.


    ¡°You have come a long way in merely a few days,¡± I said.


    She shrugged. ¡°What can I say, you¡¯re a good teacher,¡± she said.


    I chuckled. It was a rare compliment for me to receive even before the Cataclysm. I wanted to tease her about it, but too bad I wasn¡¯t able to extract myself from the latest problem.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m learning what that expression means. Spill,¡± she said.


    I sighed as I pushed her two sets of hand-drawn graphs, displaying the relationship between various personality traits and skill improvement performance. ¡°Check them first,¡± I said.


    She did so, looking unaffected. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s confirming what we had guessed. Brave people show better skill development.¡±


    ¡°Not that,¡± I said. ¡°Do you mind creating another graph, but this time, I want you to graph only the standard deviation of every single personality trait we have surveyed for.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the point¡­¡± she started, only to pause. ¡°The variance for the people that manage to improve is much greater than the others,¡± she said. ¡°But I have no idea what this implies. Something good? Something bad?¡±


    ¡°First, some background,¡± I said, wanting her to understand my point. ¡°You have already seen the personality tests I had put as a part of the surveys I asked them to fill out,¡± I said. ¡°The one I used here is based on the five-factor model, which is the one we had commonly used for our past experiments. It¡¯s not perfect, but it''s still sufficient enough to be used for most general-purpose research projects that rely on self-reporting.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, you¡¯re familiar with the results it should have produced,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes, and the variance for the people that¡¯s unable to upgrade their skills is low. Absurdly low,¡± I said.


    ¡°How absurd?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have worked closely with several psychologist friends during my career, including some studies on how various personality scores are affected by being members of self-selecting groups with strong self-reinforcement effects. The groups we examined ranged from fraternities to social support groups, and we even managed to work with a couple of religious groups that technically qualified as cults.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The results of these groups were significantly lacking the general variance of the society, but none was as unified as the Farmers that failed to upgrade their skills,¡± I said. ¡°Frankly, if I wasn¡¯t the one that administered the tests, I would have assumed that they were a practical joke.¡±


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I have a wild theory, but before I go further, I want to apply the same process to the guards,¡± I said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough guards with Common skills,¡± she said. ¡°We already gave every single one of them an Uncommon skill as a joining bonus.¡±


    ¡°And, unraveling my weapons that help them to improve their skills rapidly is too risky,¡± I continued, agreeing with her. ¡°We need to be back in town to run that experiment,¡± I added.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°We can¡¯t. Not with everything here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Not right now,¡± I admitted. ¡°For the purposes of assisting Eleanor, the experiment could be declared tentatively successful. We can focus on more practical tests for the moment, like whether we could teach how to use Mana to one of the farmers.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Eleanor is already able to use mana reasonably well, and we can¡¯t delay it too much. Ultimately, the objective of the third-floor outpost is to validate whether a natural upgrade of the skills is a valid method. We have already confirmed the first part. Now, we just need to see if it can be applied to mana.¡±


    ¡°Really, that¡¯s the objective of the whole outpost? How about hunting for more beasts,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, that as well,¡± I said, waving my hand dismissively. While I appreciated the potential fortune and the welfare opportunity it represented intellectually, it hardly excited me on a personal level. ¡°I have already identified a few candidates that are sharp enough to recognize this is a valuable opportunity and won¡¯t blab about it easily,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you want to bring them out immediately,¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I would rather not. Not immediately,¡± I said. ¡°Actually, I have a few questions for you first, about Meditation.¡±


    Her expression tightened. For a moment, I was afraid that I had annoyed her by asking her about her secrets. ¡°Why? Are you thinking about another suicidal experiment?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, but under her gaze, I couldn¡¯t help but wilt a little. ¡°Not this time,¡± I said. ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but no experimenting without my presence, no matter how simple. Meditation isn¡¯t as simple as it looks.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± I said, appreciating her concern even though the way her stern gaze lingered on me for a moment longer was annoying like I couldn¡¯t be trusted. Then again, she did have a reason to fear that, right? ¡°No experiments without you around.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, her posture relaxing slightly. ¡°Now. Meditation isn''t simple still. As the rarity improves, it starts to have a lot of variants that work better under certain situations, though the stat distribution helps as well. Some of them work better with Intelligence, while others are more fitting to be supported by Wisdom.¡±


    ¡°Any difference between the two,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Please no interruptions until the end of the class,¡± she said, though her smile showed it was more about mocking my teaching habits than anything else. Admittedly, another deserved blow. I chuckled. It was a good joke. ¡°There are too many differences, but knowing how your mind works, you¡¯re most interested in this: the ones reliant on Intelligence focus more on complicated shapes and rotation patterns that optimize the mana movement based on the environment, while Wisdom-based ones rely more on conceptual transformation.¡±


    ¡°Conceptual transformation?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, you had the Common one, and now you have the Cleansing Meditation. It¡¯s a good example of the shape-dependent transformation, though it¡¯s rarely used,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because, not everyone is crazy enough to optimize how to get mana out of dungeon products. They are too valuable to use like that by any sane person,¡± she said.


    ¡°So, does it mean it¡¯s useless?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± she said. ¡°Though, it¡¯s certainly specialized. Some dungeons, particularly in deeper levels, only contain mana deeply mixed with the taint. So, it¡¯s still a popular choice for specialized dungeon explorers, especially since it works well enough with just Essence.¡±


    ¡°And, how about conceptual?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That works on a completely different principle,¡± she said. ¡°Instead of a spell-like pattern, it often relies on a mental image of one strong concept, and then overlaps it with one¡¯s center.¡±


    ¡°Patterns like what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, it depends on the specific variant and the class, but I know some simple concepts like a raging fire, a calm lake, or an evening rain are all possibilities.¡± She interrupted me with a raised hand. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know much other than the general idea. Since my class is purely Intelligence-driven, I didn¡¯t go any deeper. It¡¯s just the nuggets from campfire chats as we attacked dungeons or tried to defend against monster waves. Nothing more.¡±


    ¡°So, no experimenting,¡± I said, realizing what she was driving at.


    ¡°No experimenting,¡± she said. ¡°Not even with me. I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start. As for the Intelligence-based meditation ¡­ it¡¯s harder to describe. It constantly shifts according to the environment, not unlike a combat skill. It¡¯s hard to explain.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said, pausing. ¡°How about writing it as a formula?¡±


    ¡°As a formula? How?¡± she said.


    ¡°Good question,¡± I said. ¡°You remember my experiments with the hexagons,¡± I said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. That doesn¡¯t even begin to describe the complexity of it.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s just where we start, and even with more empirical evidence, I could hardly build a reliable model of mana flow as a function of fluid dynamics. It¡¯s very far from my area of expertise. But, as long as we get a general basis, it should work.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it will?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason it shouldn¡¯t,¡± I said, which, admittedly, was quite a bit of optimism. ¡°And, even if we fail, spending a few days studying mathematics is never a loss.¡±


    That earned a chuckle from her, before I started giving her a crash course on topology and algebraic geometry. It was a lesson I would have happily extended for a few days, but merely a few hours into our new topic, we were interrupted by Eleanor rushing from the keep.


    And, she was too fast for someone bearing good news.

 Chapter 113

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Maria asked the moment Eleanor arrived. Eleanor said nothing, just passed a letter to Maria. From the way her face fell, I doubted that it was good news. Then, I noticed the familiar seal, a tankard with a crack, signaling that it was a letter from Rosie.


    I said nothing until Maria passed the letter to me, and I read it quickly. ¡°An undiscovered dungeon? Only three days from a breach?¡° I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Maria said, looking tense. ¡°Can we trust her?¡±


    I first thought that she was asking Eleanor, but they both turned to me, which was not particularly stress-free. It was a difficult call. I had worked with Rosie before, and she had never steered me wrong. While she had been a consummate businesswoman with an incredible ability to bargain, she had always followed her deals. Not just in the letter, but in spirit as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to believe her,¡± I decided.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°She already had a good chance to betray us during the earlier debacle if she was so inclined,¡± I said. ¡°Or, if she is hedging her bets, she would have pulled back her fledgling guild with the rest. It could be that she¡¯s working for Thomas, and that they are pulling a dangerous double-bluff, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely,¡± Maria admitted. ¡°She had been a key supplier during all of this, even more so than what we expected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said, then paused.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Eleanor interrupted.


    ¡°Not really,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just that Rosie has always been a very careful player. I had seen her fight. She could have done better than operating a busy inn in a small town, but she had limited herself. I had always thought that she was holding back because she lacked grand ambitions. But, maybe she was waiting for an opportunity to make a big play.¡±


    That didn¡¯t enhance Eleanor¡¯s mood in any way. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me trust her anymore.¡±


    ¡°And, I¡¯m not trying to,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just sharing my impression. Ultimately, my interactions with her are wildly different from what you have. But, sometimes shared benefits are all that¡¯s needed to establish a good alliance.¡±


    ¡°And, sometimes, it¡¯s not,¡± Eleanor said. ¡°If she wants to forge a closer alliance, why is she not here?¡± I shrugged. After all, she had a point, and I didn¡¯t feel particularly compelled to defend Rosie, especially since I had no idea what her plan was, only that she had one. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have sent me here, asking for a detailed report about the dungeon.


    It felt like that was such a long time ago.


    ¡°Enough,¡± Maria cut in. ¡°What she wants in the long term, or what we can put together doesn¡¯t matter. The important thing is, do we believe her about the dungeon warning?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Eleanor admitted reluctantly. I nodded as well.


    ¡°Then, we need to decide what to do. Three days doesn¡¯t give us a lot of time to move around.¡±


    ¡°How far is the dungeon?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Flying, merely half an hour, but if we¡¯re to bring an army there, we need to move in a few hours at most,¡± Maria said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to ask for reinforcements?¡± Eleanor said.


    Maria looked conflicted. ¡°We should, but from whom? It¡¯s clear that my family put their support behind Thomas. We won¡¯t receive anything but excuses from them. As for other guilds or nearby towns¡­¡± she added, not even bothering to finish her sentences. ¡°No, we have to bring an army there and deal with it.¡±


    ¡°What if they use it as a chance to attack the town?¡± I asked. ¡°Or, they ambush us while we¡¯re dealing with the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°You suspect that it''s bait. I thought you trusted Rosie.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Not necessarily a bait,¡± I said. ¡°And, it¡¯s not about how much I trust Rosie. She¡¯s not omnipotent, and I¡¯m assuming a dungeon could be discovered in many different ways.¡±


    Maria nodded. ¡°Yes. There are some products from the System shop that could detect the presence of a dungeon, especially if they are close to a breach and leaking dungeon miasma. But¡­¡±


    ¡°But, what,¡± I asked.


    ¡°They have relatively limited range,¡± Eleanor continued. ¡°It¡¯s rare for them to extend any more than a few hundred yards, and even the best one we used extended to merely half a mile. So, she has to know about it.¡±


    ¡°Or, she expected the probability, and sent scouts to check. Scouts that found what ours had missed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they should have found it,¡± Eleanor added. ¡°It looks like we have more traitors, hiding reports.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I interrupted. They looked at me. ¡°Is it fair to assume that the patrol schedule is quite hectic since the guilds have retreated?¡±


    ¡°If anything, that¡¯s an understatement. Especially with some of them assigned to your forces.¡±


    ¡°Trying to conceal scouting reports when the scouts rotate frequently is bound to be difficult, and even for Thomas, it¡¯s a bad plan. It¡¯s easier to just sabotage the devices used for detection.¡±


    ¡°You have a point,¡± Maria admitted. ¡°Those enchantments are complicated, and it wouldn¡¯t take a lot to break them consistently.¡±


    ¡°Should we check them?¡± Eleanor asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good way to validate the report before we mobilize the case. That way, we have another evidence for or against before mobilizing.¡±


    ¡°Are we sure we want to alert them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Maria said. ¡°Does it matter? They will realize what¡¯s going on once we mobilize either way.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Are we sure we want to mobilize our forces openly?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the alternative? Are we going to let the dungeon burst?¡± Eleanor asked.


    Maria paused, her eyes widening after a second. ¡°I see. Actually, it might not be a terrible idea,¡± she said. I smiled, while Eleanor looked shocked.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± she said.


    ¡°Maybe. This is a mana-dead zone, so the danger-orienting from the dungeon shouldn¡¯t be as bad. It¡¯s probably something similar to ours. And, once it bursts, it¡¯ll elevate the danger we¡¯re in, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be as bad as splitting our forces and sacrificing our tactical flexibility,¡± I added. ¡°The moment we spread our forces to two locations, we¡¯ll give up strategic flexibility completely, and they can attack us however they wish.¡±


    ¡°What if the dungeon is more dangerous than we expect? Or, worse, it has a difficult-to-overcome ability like the corrosion we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± I said. ¡°We just need to send someone to check the dungeon, check the nature of the creatures, and understand if they pose any danger ¡ª¡± I started, only to pause. ¡°Damn, I have to be the one to go, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No!¡± The answer came from both of them. ¡°It¡¯s too risky,¡± Maria continued.


    ¡°Not that risky. I have a good mixture of combat potential and mobility, and since I¡¯m expected to be in the dungeon, my absence would go unnoticed,¡± I argued, which was the exact opposite of what I should be doing. They should be the ones who were pushing me to scout the area while I argued for my personal safety.


    It was absurd, but it seemed like my new reality.


    ¡°But, what if something goes wrong? You¡¯re strong, but¡­¡± Eleanor said, the silent implication being I was the weakest of the three of us.


    ¡°True,¡± I admitted, feeling no shame not being as strong as the two of them. I was closer to Eleanor, but as long as we were wearing comparable equipment, she was still better than me at a straight-up fight. ¡°However, I¡¯m not too far behind you, and we can¡¯t send Maria to a secret mission alone.¡±


    ¡°Why not,¡± Maria argued. ¡°I¡¯m more capable than both of you, and as long as I bring along one of those crushers, I can replenish my mana easily.¡±


    I said nothing, just turned at Eleanor. She coughed pointedly. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not exactly ¡­ sneaky,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can be sneaky,¡± Maria claimed.


    ¡°Not when you¡¯re fighting,¡± Eleanor answered so that I didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Maria said, her pouting too childish for a woman who could do a convincing cosplay of a forest fire. ¡°But, it still doesn¡¯t mean that you should be the one to go.¡±


    ¡°No, it does,¡± I said. ¡°Eleanor is right. What if the dungeon beasts come with a similar drawback. I¡¯m the best candidate to assess it accurately.¡±


    ¡°Maybe both of you should go,¡± Maria countered. ¡°I can hold the fort alone.¡±


    Eleanor looked split at the suggestion, but luckily for her, she didn¡¯t need to come to a decision. ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure she has spies who are watching her moves. Any long disappearance might alert them, and it¡¯ll make it harder to approach the dungeon then. Going alone will give me better flexibility.¡± Eleanor looked ready to argue.


    ¡°And, we need you here to train the Farmers about the class,¡± I continued. ¡° I promised that I wouldn¡¯t force them to upgrade early, but I still expect half of them to accept the offer and push for the class upgrade. We need you to train them to use their skills. We have three hundred spears ready, with some swords mixed in. It¡¯ll be enough for them to use when leveling up.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to leave?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°That makes the most sense,¡± I admitted. ¡°But, before leaving, let¡¯s forge another five hundred spears just in case,¡± I added.


    ¡°In case of what?¡± Maria said, her tone sharp.


    ¡°In case I have to take a detour,¡± I replied, giving the most confident smile I could muster. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have every intention of coming back safely, but I will feel better if there¡¯s no task waiting for me, forcing me into a disadvantageous timeline.¡±


    They nodded, looking as frustrated as I was feeling. The last thing I wanted was to gallivant around, but unfortunately, the situation didn¡¯t allow for anything else.

 Chapter 114

    ¡°And, this is the last one. Five hundred pieces, ready for any emergency,¡± I said, annoyed that all that work didn¡¯t give me even a handful of points. It wasn¡¯t surprising, but that didn¡¯t prevent the blooming annoyance. ¡°Along with the upgraded condenser, we¡¯re ready to help the farmers improve as necessary. It¡¯s time to leave.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to take this risk?¡± Maria suddenly asked.


    I sighed. While forging, Maria had asked the same question in various forms almost fifty times. In an abstract sense, having someone to care about my safety was nice. Unfortunately, that abstract acknowledgment didn¡¯t prevent it from getting annoying. ¡°No, Maria. My answer hasn''t changed in ¡­¡± I said, making a move of checking my nonexistent watch, ¡°the last two minutes.¡±


    ¡°No need to be sarcastic,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°I disagree. This is the perfect time to be sarcastic,¡± I said, a little snippier than I had expected. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just the best way, and we live in a dangerous world. There¡¯s no truly safe option.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I get it. I just don¡¯t like it when you¡¯re putting yourself at risk for me.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Not much we can do about it,¡± I said even as I started packing my stuff. I had to travel light, but I still wanted to bring a full set of tools, several ingots prepared based on an epic recipe, ready to be transformed as necessary, and about a dozen javelins made of the same material. And, after some thought, I put two full lure potions I had looted from the previous dungeon attack.


    It was one advantage of being a superhuman blacksmith. Anything else I needed, I could prepare on the field.


    Together, we moved back to the first floor, focusing more on the practical side, including how to set a second


    ¡°Before you leave, I have a gift for you,¡± she said.


    ¡°A gift?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, a gift,¡± she said as she pulled a paper, and started writing on it. A bunch of partial differential formulas, mixed with some topology. I quirked an eyebrow. ¡°This is how I fold my mana while I help you,¡± she said. ¡°I have done my best to turn it into a formula in case you face any danger. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡± a gasp escaped my mouth, only to freeze. This was a big gift. No, more than just big. Incredible. I didn¡¯t even have an idea how to start mapping the flows. When it came to physics, I was a novice at best, and fluid dynamics was one of the most troubling problems that plagued modern technology, often requiring supercomputers to solve most of the time.


    And, in the old world, physics had been working with materials that didn¡¯t suddenly decide between being liquid and gas for absolutely no reason.


    While I examined the lines of the formula, trying to comprehend it, she finished writing another set of formulas, but she folded it up before I could read it. ¡°This is the other part of my gift. But, I want you to promise you won¡¯t open it unless it becomes absolutely necessary, and even if you do, you¡¯ll do your best to be careful.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My meditation formula,¡± she added, then paused. ¡°At least, the best approximation I had.¡±


    I paused, not knowing what to say. It was an incredible gift, far bigger than the previous one, which was only a representation of my own skill, just in the form of a more generalized formula. This one represented one of her core secrets.


    One that could potentially prove deadly to her if leaked, considering how fragile meditation skills were.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± I muttered.


    She gave me a gentle smile even as she put it into my hands. ¡°Then, don¡¯t say anything. Just make sure to return safely.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Before I could even figure out how to respond, she turned her back, and sped up with a flare of her mana, leaving me behind. I sighed as I watched her leave, trying to wrangle my own confusing feelings. This might be the single most thoughtful gift I have ever received.


    And, I had no idea what I was feeling.


    I let out a sigh even as I put both papers into a special container under my armor, securely fastened. Strangely, I felt no temptation to open the sealed letter, when a few weeks ago, the prospect of getting stronger would have been enough to treat that as a wish that was easily ignored.


    I sighed even as I moved toward where Harold was waiting for me, with a metal box that previously held arrows. ¡°Hello, sir,¡± he greeted me when I approached.


    ¡°Harold,¡± I greeted back. ¡°Everything ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s as you have guessed. We detected another attempt, but this time, I decided to change the pace a bit. Let¡¯s see how they¡¯ll deal with an ambush,¡± I said, doing my best to look more confident than I was feeling.


    Luckily, the longer my list of victories got, the less my acting mattered. Harold nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s good, sir. But, what about the sudden change with the Farmer? I didn¡¯t expect Lady Eleanor to help.¡±


    I did my best to look smug. ¡°I managed to convince her to train a team of elite fighters out of them, using a secret method,¡± I said. ¡°That way, when I return, I¡¯ll have a thousand elite warriors waiting for me in my guild.¡±


    It was a lie, but it had enough truth mixed in to keep Harold focused and pacified. I didn¡¯t like lying, but under the circumstances, the emergence of the dungeon was one.


    ¡°That¡¯s ambitious, sir,¡± he said. ¡°But, isn¡¯t it a bit risky?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s a reasonable precaution, and if it helps my finances somewhat, even better.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Is there any way I can help?¡±


    I was about to refuse, when I realized we had missed one detail. ¡°Actually, yes,¡± I said. ¡°You can make several plans, outlining the process of evacuating the town directly to the dungeon, and share them with Eleanor. The more serious we take the threat, the harder she would work to train our members.¡±


    He nodded, looking like he had accepted my rationale. ¡°And, are we going to maintain the same hands-off approach when it comes to the ones that don''t want to upgrade their classes, sir? Maybe we shouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t change anything for the moment. I have made a promise to them. Anyone who wants to focus on their skill improvement is free to do so. Don¡¯t pressure them indirectly either.¡± Then, I paused. ¡°Not that I expect too many of them to persist once the first batch of farmers return with their improved stats and show off,¡± I added.


    Harold¡¯s expression shifted into a big smile. ¡°I see, that¡¯s your plan all along. Very clever, sir,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to hunt on the fourth floor and gather more Rare Nurture skills.¡±


    It was not my plan. On the contrary, I was sad that the excellent experiment I had in place had been ruined in merely a few days. I could have convinced Maria that the experiment was too important, but it didn¡¯t feel right to manipulate the situation to keep it going.


    Not when it could affect their survival. We had initially planned that experiment to take six months, because we were under the impression that the worst thing that could happen was a monster wave, which would give us two weeks to prepare.


    A surprise dungeon nearby was something else. I wondered just how much of it was pure misfortune, and how much of it was a part of Thomas¡¯ ¡ª or more likely, his supporters¡¯ ¡ª plan.


    My best guess was that it was fifty-fifty. The appearance of the dungeon was pure misfortune, but I would be willing to bet a lot that the timing of the breach had nothing to do with its natural lifecycle. It was more likely that they had a way to prematurely shatter a dungeon.


    However, ultimately, it didn¡¯t matter. I just needed to find a way to infiltrate the dungeon, or should I fail at that, stay near until the breach occurred so I could get a glimpse of the monsters that it spewed.


    ¡°Yeah, a storage of Rare Nurtures wouldn¡¯t be amiss,¡± I said. ¡°Make sure to stockpile them. The more, the better.¡±


    ¡°Even if we collect a thousand?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything even if you collect a hundred thousand, as long as you don¡¯t neglect your other tasks,¡± I said even as I started walking toward the large metal box. ¡°Now, that¡¯s enough chit-chat. Seal me up.¡±


    He did so, and I ended up in the dark. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the violence to come, once more against an enemy of unknown caliber.


    This time without the home ground advantage our dungeon had provided.


    I called in the System, hoping for a sense of security.


    ¡ª


    [Mana Blacksmith - Level 43]


    [Health 1290/1290] [Mana 210/210]


    [Vitality 86 / Strength 86 / Dexterity 65 / Essence 21]


    [Skills (9/13)


    Mana Repair (Epic) - 102 [Advanced Observe]


    Mana Forge (Epic) - 313 [Advanced Creative Forging, Advanced Mana Control]


    Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) - 139 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]


    Nurture (Epic) - 219


    Quake Hammer (Rare) - 200 [Persistent Tremor]


    Blade of Retribution (Rare) - 200 [Strike of Retribution]


    Breeze Spear (Rare) - 200 [Floating Stride]


    Fire Bolt (Basic) - 25


    Shoot (Basic) - 25]

 Chapter 115

    Once I felt the tapping pattern at the crate, followed by a shift, I counted to thirty before I pushed open the hatch, and stepped into the ditch.


    As far as plans went, this was a simple one. Once I hid in the crate that was mixed into a bigger delivery to the town, Harold brought me out, only to drop the crate into a deep ditch when the vision around them was blocked.


    Just to be on the safe side, I dug a tunnel from the bottom of the ditch rather than climbing directly. Luckily, mana attacks were equally excellent at digging through hardened Earth as it was at killing monsters. I dug for almost half a mile before I finally arrived at the surface. And, once on the surface, I used the Fleeting Step to move in a straight line, almost perpendicular to my destination.


    My little detour added some extra travel time, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. Since I suspected the sudden timing of the dungeon break was not a coincidence, it stood to reason that they had some people inducing the dungeon to break, and if there were, they would have scouts, particularly on this side of the town.


    ¡°However, the implications¡­¡± I muttered, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by what it would mean if my assumption that the dungeon break could be induced artificially was true. Did it mean that it was being used as a weapon, to get rid of the troublesome towns, or deal with enemies?


    I wanted to say that humanity would never do something so cruel ¡­ but sometimes, knowing history was more of a curse than a blessing. Humanity was capable of incredible cruelty, particularly when there was a layer to isolate them from the action.


    Like letting dungeon monsters loose.


    ¡°We will see,¡± I said to myself as I ran, dodging the monsters I faced. After all, the beasts outside didn¡¯t share the dungeon monsters¡¯ convenient feature of disappearing once they died, so killing them would create an inconvenient track. Luckily, I was fast enough to dodge most of them, helped by the fact that the surrounding area was cleaned regularly by the patrols.


    During my journey to this unknown dungeon had a lot of time to think, particularly since I was taking the long route. So, I pulled the long page of formulas Maria had written, trying to model the way the mana moved. It was not accurate, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be.


    Mathematical modeling was a tricky process even though it didn¡¯t look that way to a layman. It required a choice between abstraction and accuracy, particularly when studying systems with discrete parts that couldn¡¯t be predicted easily, like turbulent fluids¡­


    Or, people.


    It was the whole idea I had based my career on, that as long as driving factors could be understood, the development of society could be predicted. Not in a perfect manner, but enough to guide the actions of the decision-makers about complicated topics. At least, the rare times they chose to care about the benefits of the people rather than the election results.


    ¡°Oh, the irony,¡± I said even as I continued to read all the formulas Maria had written for me. Before the Cataclysm, I often read various physics and math papers, trying to find ones that I could use for my own discipline. And, now, I was doing the exact opposite.


    Well, the exact opposite as long as we assume mana was a phenomenon of physics, which was an assumption the jury was still out on.


    However, the best part about this step was that it didn¡¯t require a computer. It was required for the initial collection and processing of the data, but ultimately, that was what Maria had given me. But, once that data was collected, the benefits of computers dwindled to nothing.


    Conceptual modeling required a very rigorous mathematical background, reinforced by clarity of thought and inspiration. It was why, even when computers were an option, I preferred to work with pen and paper.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    As I got further away from the town, the density of the monsters started to increase, enough that I had to pull my spear to kill the occasional beast that was too fast to be ditched easily. But, even then, I held the papers in my right hand, trying to find a general function that not only confirmed the general objectives but was also simple enough to be useful.


    It was a far trickier process to handle.


    For example, asking for someone to pick an apple. While it was too simple to be classified as such, ¡®one apple¡¯ could be treated as a mathematical model. It was certainly an abstraction. It was certainly useful when asking one¡¯s roommate to bring one from the fridge, however, it was less useful as a part of a recipe, where ounce and pound served as a much better representation.


    And, it carried no information when it came to many other features, from whether it was rotten or not to taste. And, that was just what we called a descriptive model, arguably the easiest mathematical model to construct.


    What I was trying to do was not a descriptive model, but a predictive one, one that could allow me to push the mana into that state without assistance from Maria. Even if she was willing and able to help me ¡ª which was not a fair demand in the first place ¡ª the process I used currently created a significant bottleneck for the production of epic-grade metal.


    It was alright for making spears and daggers, but less so for swords and hammers. As for armor, it didn¡¯t come close to being enough, and my experience against those transformed monsters had shown how critical of a role armor could play.


    Then, there was the skill improvement aspect. Finding a way to artificially create ¡®dense mana¡¯ was critical if I wanted to reach Legendary before I reached level fifty and faced another opportunity to upgrade my class.


    The trip to the area took almost six hours even at my full speed, as not only did I take an indirect path to the area, but I also did my best to stick to the forested areas and other canopies in case they had a flying scout, which gave me enough time to study the formulas she had collected, meaning it was the time to test them.


    When it came to testing, my first reflex was to mentally complain about the lack of a computer once again. After all, the validation process of the model was as critical as the initial model, and only detailed simulations allowed to ¡ª


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a moron,¡± I growled as the realization hit. In sociology, I had to rely on computer models, because for the topics I worked on, experimentation ranged from merely extremely unethical to plain impossible.


    The same wasn¡¯t true for smithing.


    I had to admit, it was tempting to drop everything and start testing, to see if it worked. And, if I was dealing with a lesser threat, I might have actually done that.


    Unfortunately, for the threat I was facing, that was clearly not the case. The only exception I made was to pause for a few seconds and write down my insights. I didn¡¯t expect to forget them, but it was better safe than sorry.


    Once I put my notes inside my armor, I stopped thinking about it, and instead checked the map given by Rosie. It didn¡¯t pinpoint the location of the dungeon, just identified a valley as a potential target.


    Curious, I had used a metal tube to check the content of the air, and noticed the presence of dungeon taint. It was light enough that I would have missed it if I had merely used Analyze, but Advanced Observe was much better for it.


    And, the density increased as I got closer to the valley.


    ¡°As far as confirmations go, that¡¯s a good one,¡± I murmured as I paused, doing my best to examine the geography of the place.


    The valley was a double-edged sword for them. It concealed them from airborne griffin scouts and allowed them to funnel anyone who might stumble upon them accidentally, but it also gave me an angle to approach them without being noticed.


    The climb was slow, almost tedious. As I approached, I was prepared to kill any wild beast that came close, but to my surprise, the mountain was empty. At first, I thought it might be the scouts that killed them, but then it clicked.


    Tainted energy was a good way to lure the surrounding monsters.


    Sneaking to a random mountain that was empty yet, teeming with monsters, would have been impossible. But, the situation was similar to the town, where most of the surrounding monsters had been killed, likely by attacking toward the dungeon gate, lured in by the energy from the dungeon that was about to break.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take any advantage I can get,¡± I muttered even as I climbed the steep surface of the hills with the surety of a mountain goat, glad that my phobia for flying didn¡¯t trigger as long as my feet were on solid ground.


    It didn¡¯t make much sense, but no phobia truly did. However, I didn¡¯t have any time to ponder upon the situation, as once I reached the peak, I looked down the valley.


    Only to see a small, enclosed fort at the center.


    I had my target.

 Chapter 116

    Once I saw the fortress that was built deep into the valley, with enough effort put into its construction to make it difficult to notice from the sky, I didn¡¯t rush down immediately no matter how tempting it was.


    Instead, I first picked an empty cave with a concealed entrance halfway down the mountain where I could drop down without being noticed, and started watching the place. My job was made easy by the fact that they didn¡¯t have any patrol running at the side I was. There were several guards, but they were concentrated on the other side.


    It was negligent, but it made sense. The biggest thing they feared was accidental discovery, and having hundreds of soldiers running around would be counterproductive to that aim. After all, even with a cursory aim, they could have noticed my presence easily.


    The darkness of the night wasn¡¯t too far away, so I decided to spend my time observing the area, trying to pick a vector to approach from. If it wasn¡¯t for the advantages granted by Perception ¡ª which I suspected a considerable portion of the scouts would possess ¡ª I might have tried to sneak in, but I chose to wait, watching from a great distance.


    Unfortunately, that was not a good way to gather information. The patrols didn¡¯t change, but that was a poor way to make a judgment. So was the size of the fortress. Admittedly, the fortress looked too small to host more than a few dozen people comfortably, but with a dungeon gate there, that was not a good way to make a judgment either.


    There might be just a dozen people like I suspected, or they might have an army hidden inside. I had absolutely no way of making sure.


    ¡°Maybe a little trick is in order,¡± I muttered as I went out to pick a small branch from a tree. Cutting one might get their attention, but growing one inside would not.


    Once inside the cave, I used it to grow a few trees before cutting them into pieces. Soon, I was looking at a hundred human-shaped cutouts. Not enough to trick anyone during the day, but the same wasn¡¯t true at night, which wasn¡¯t too far away.


    Though, the real trick was that, a few of them had tiny metal amulets, which would slowly radiate mana if I put a crushed piece of shell inside, radiating the sensation that someone was using magic against someone with Essence.


    The rest of my time, I spent digging a tunnel to the bottom of the valley, right under a very sharp cliff where I couldn¡¯t be seen from outside the moment I stepped out. As I worked, the night arrived, covering the valley in darkness. Afraid of being noticed, they were using no illumination sources.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how they¡¯ll react to fear,¡± I muttered. Sneaking into the fortress was a challenging option. Unless, of course, they had something they feared distracting them. And, since they were plotting to take down a fire mage, what better way to do that.


    ¡°Time to test how effective my new trick is,¡± I said as I grew another tree in the cave, but this time, I focused on one idea.


    Flammability.


    The results were spectacular, creating a tree that did a nice impression of a chemical fire starter. I grew ten logs, and positioned them correctly. Yet, before making a move, I did one more thing. I dug several areas on the face of the mountain, doing my best to destabilize the whole structure.


    Only after I activated the metal talismans, I lit them on fire.


    By using my neglected Fire Bolt skill.


    [-100 Mana]


    It wasn¡¯t just a sense of poetic justice that made me use that spell. It was likely that they had someone who could feel mana, and a fire spell, however basic, was a good way to alert them. And, with them raising the alarm, the guards would be met with several huge cylinders of fire.


    It was like an old-fashioned magic trick, giving a hint, and letting the audience come to the wrong conclusion. Only, in this case, the reward for their cooperation was not entertainment.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    The logs blazed into life as they rolled down the hill, creating an incredible commotion. Even as shouts of alarm rose from the fortress, I delved into the tunnel I had dug, rushing to the bottom of the valley while staying hidden, unable to help but feel tense, afraid that I would find enemies waiting for me at the end of the tunnel.


    Unfortunately, there was no such thing as absolute safety in battle.


    When I arrived at the bottom of the valley, I was met with a small army spilling out of the fortress, confirming my worst fear. Especially since, their presence didn¡¯t mean that I could simply retreat.


    The only good thing was that they didn¡¯t look like a regular army. They wore familiar black armor, and the weapons they were wielding were equally impressive, but the way they moved didn¡¯t feel like an army that was familiar with working together.


    And, currently, they were between me and the fortress.


    I switched to my hammer, and swung it against the face of the cliff I picked for this exact purpose.


    [-25 Mana]


    The modified move from Quake Hammer did wonders destroying a large section, but I moved as fast as I could to deliver three more attacks, hoping that it would be enough even as I depleted my mana to merely ten points.


    It was.


    The whole face of the mountain, with the vegetation on fire from the earlier logs, shifted down, creating a minor landslide. Unfortunately, while it could have easily taken down a mundane army, it merely inconvenienced the current one.


    After all, I wasn¡¯t the only one with supernatural abilities.


    However, it was enough to create chaos. Some of the army had dispersed despite the orders, running away in fear. Some rushed to the mountaintop, moving around the small landslide I had created, toward the shadows that they could see at the hilltop.


    Several people delivered orders at once, while the force split into multiple smaller ones as they tried to position themselves against the threat.


    Meanwhile, I quietly modified my armor to look similar to theirs, renewed my mana by cracking a shell, and dropped my spear and hammer alongside my pack, bringing only a small satchel. I looked like just another soldier. I rushed forward, the cacophony allowing me to mix in with the group that looked the most disorganized.


    It was an absurd trick, one that shouldn¡¯t have worked, but I moved forward, aware that I had only one chance. Of course, I dared to do so because I could see that the general makeup of the army wasn¡¯t too different from the ones that attacked me and Eleanor.


    Should it come to that, I was confident that I could cut a path through them and escape, even if they had someone who had people that could rival Eleanor before she received my sword. The same wasn¡¯t true if they had someone that could rival Maria ¡­ but, if they were willing to commit such an asset, they would have approached in a more direct manner.


    It wasn¡¯t a perfect analysis, but sometimes, pretty good was the limit of what one could achieve.


    I moved in, the chaos of a poorly organized army helping me to hide my presence, particularly since I could see even more people, and the high amount of people attempting to leave the dungeon didn¡¯t make doing so any easier.


    Luckily, with the ongoing chaos, no one really paid attention to me even as I entered the fortress ¡­ only to freeze. I was expecting a dungeon gate.


    Instead, I found two.


    One of the gates was identical to the dungeon gates I had been passing repeatedly. A glowing, ethereal light.


    The second was interesting. For one, it was larger, with more intense energy, but the more surprising part was the lines of energy: pure black in a way that reminded me of tainted energy. The process was equally interesting. The dungeon mist was roughly visible at the cracks, but it didn¡¯t spill out.


    What spilled out was tainted energy.


    Then, right at the gate, stood a man wearing robes, radiating mana even as he kept his hand on the dungeon gate, using it to slowly widen the cracks. He looked lost in his task. Though, even as it spread through the cracks, I couldn¡¯t help but be disgusted by his mana.


    He had four guards, each looking more formidable than the ragtag army that was busy panicking, ignoring the crowd. They didn¡¯t look like tangling with them was a good idea. Luckily, they seemed to be distracted by the commotion outside, one of the guards asking the robed man to stop. But, it looked like whatever he was doing wasn¡¯t something that could be interrupted with ease.


    Even as I glanced at the situation, I wondered what it meant for them to do what they were doing so openly. Were they that confident that their ragtag army would keep it a secret? Were they not concerned about their secrets being revealed¡­ Maybe they were confident that, as long as Charisma was used, their secrets would stay safe.


    Or maybe, they planned to silence the whole army to keep their secrets hidden once they outlived their usefulness.


    That last one, in particular, was too horrifying of an idea, but from what I had seen, Thomas didn¡¯t seem to be particularly respectful of human life.


    The forces that we suspected to be behind him, were even less so.


    I paused, thinking of my options. I could limit myself to the safe gate. But, doing so would rely on one very dangerous assumption: that the two gates lead to the same dungeon. An assumption that would cost us dearly if it wasn¡¯t true.


    I decided to check it first.

 Chapter 117

    After the familiar sensation of slipping through the gate, I stepped on a smooth, stone floor, radiating heat. A dry, hot wind that felt like I had just opened the lid of an oven. Calling it uncomfortable would have been an understatement.


    The dungeon mist here was a familiar sight, blocking my view of everything above seventy feet to the side, but what I could see was enough to make a judgment about the nature of the dungeon.


    It was a volcanic environment, which had many dangerous implications. But, even before I could focus on that, something else scared me.


    Ahead in the mist, there was another glow of a dungeon gate, cutting through the mist the way the others that led outside had been cutting. It was a dungeon gate leading outside. My heart chilled at the implications.


    What if they could open multiple gates that were going in and out. The strategic implications alone¡­


    ¡°Focus,¡± I muttered to myself as I rushed in the exact opposite direction. The chaos I had created would inevitably calm down soon. I had limited time, and checking whether that gate was leading to a different location as I suspected was not something I could afford at the moment.


    Especially since the nature of the dungeon made it very likely that we were facing the worst-case situation. The dungeon here was picked specifically to target Maria. Just bringing the news would have been critical. Maria was our greatest strategic asset, and just knowing that her magic wouldn¡¯t work rather than having to treat it as a worst-case scenario was enough to justify my expedition.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean it was the only thing I could do. I moved deeper into the dungeon, ignoring the sensation akin to moving deeper into an oven.


    The environment didn¡¯t change as I moved, the smell of sulfur and ash filling my nose. I saw no sign of lava or open fire, but I wasn¡¯t too surprised. After all, this was only the first floor.


    I searched for dungeon crystals and beasts, but both of them proved rarer than I had hoped. Considering a small army had been loitering here, the lack of both wasn¡¯t a big shock. Instead, I focused on collecting other things.


    I picked a few rocks, only to be surprised when I caught hints of silver and iron within their structure. Too little, not worthwhile extracting, but its existence alone suggested there might be a deposit with higher purity.


    Unfortunately, prospecting for it would not exactly have been a worthwhile use of my time.


    Next, I focused on the plants. There weren¡¯t many, but similar to our insect dungeon, I came across a few dead bushes that looked burnt, but still had living seeds. I collected both the seeds and branches.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have time to actually test their growth, not without wasting some precious time. I probably had less than a minute before they caught onto my subterfuge, which would have made it far more difficult for me to escape.


    The obsidian and ash crushed under my feet as I continued, desperately searching for a monster. Just one would have been enough, one that I came across soon enough.


    A giant lizard, standing at the edge. ¡°Let¡¯s experiment,¡± I said as I raised my hand, my mana flowing out in a pattern that was getting useful.


    [-100 Mana]


    The fire bolt flew toward the monster with eerie accuracy ¡­ and splashed against its skin uselessly, barely enough to get its attention. With a hiss, it rushed toward me, showing no hint of intelligence, similar to the insects I had gotten used to dealing with.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    However, just because it wasn¡¯t intelligent, didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t dangerous. The biggest weakness of the insects was their lack of mobility. They relied on their armor and corrosion effect, which were easy to deal with as long as one was armed correctly.


    The giant lizard, on the other hand, was fast and agile. It rushed toward me with an uncertain path, easily dodging my first spear attacks to claw at me. Admittedly, those attacks were deliberately slow and telegraphed, but it was still more than what the farmers could achieve.


    Worse, that was not the full extent of the problem. As it smashed against my forearm, I was met with a very unfortunate notification.


    [-5 Health]


    It had some kind of a heat attack, not entirely unlike the corrosion attack of the giant insects. Five points of health was nothing significant, but considering it was the result despite my armor that had managed to handle most attacks with ease, it was not good news.


    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t ready to remove my gauntlet and see how much it would damage if I was wearing substandard equipment.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± I muttered as I slashed my weapon, killing it with a single attack. A quick examination showed that its mana was concentrated at his front claws. A rapid slash later, I had two in my possession.


    I didn¡¯t wait for it to disappear, as the minute it would take was too precious to be wasted. Instead, I continued running at full speed in a straight line, killing six more before I came across the first dungeon crystal.


    ¡°Hopefully, they¡¯ll be enough to reverse engineer an attack,¡± I decided as I turned back to the gate, hoping that it would be enough to return.


    It was not.


    When I had reached the dungeon gate, I could already see several people around the gate. At first, I assumed that they were pulling back the army, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    They seem to be guarding the gate against a possible infiltration. I thought about trying the other end of the gate, but considering the complete unknown it presented, I didn¡¯t dare to.


    Instead, I decided to pull a small trick. I changed my posture as I started walking toward the door with contemptuous disregard. ¡°Emergency orders, let me pass through,¡± I said to the guards that were holding the line, and pushed one of them.


    ¡°Hey, careful ¡ª¡± he gasped, but I ignored him as I continued to walk toward the glowing gate. It was a simple, absurd trick, one that wouldn¡¯t have worked against a more disciplined army, but I stepped through the gate, once again arriving at the valley, feeling like I was about to be saved.


    The robed figure must have managed to stop whatever he was doing with the other gate, and was walking toward the current one. His bodyguards were with him, but all of them were looking at the other side.


    They were clearly expecting the enemy to come from their other side.


    Opportunity.


    Even as I took a step forward, I pulled my sword, and used Fleeting Step to cover the distance. It was a risky call, one that would make my retreat far more dangerous, but whatever he was doing to the gate was too dangerous to be ignored.


    I was willing to bet that, even for Thomas or the forces supporting him, someone who was able to manipulate gates was not something that could be replenished easily.


    As I swung my sword, I could see his expression turning contemptuous, as if what I was doing was completely harmless. That same expression twisted once a thick blue glow covered my sword, but only after it shattered some kind of invisible shield with ease, it turned into panic.


    Then, it was too late. He didn¡¯t have a head anymore.


    His guards reacted at once, but the way they were split, they couldn¡¯t intervene fast enough. I rushed forward, ripping the satchel on my target¡¯s waist even as I moved full speed. To their credit, the guards had reacted fast, closing on me with impressive speed.


    One against four, I didn¡¯t fancy my chances, even with my armor. They didn¡¯t have to kill me. Just slowing me down was all they needed. Luckily, the fortress gate was still open.


    [-20 Mana]


    I used Floating Stride, levitating even as I rushed through them, trusting my armor to hold against their hurried attacks, betting that they would be only able to deliver glancing blows.


    My sudden flight caught them by surprise, enough so that I was able to jump out of the gate, though even the fear for my own life didn¡¯t prevent my body from locking in fear due to floating. As a consequence, I rolled on the ground in a very undignified manner.


    That seemed to surprise the four guards enough to slow them for a second, which was all I needed to dart directly to the spot where I had hidden my supplies. It was less about their direct value ¡ª as they merely represented a couple hours of work at most, as long as Maria helped ¡ª and more about my acute need.


    With the mountain filled with an army, I needed the full range of my abilities.


    Especially since I had seen one of the bodyguards remove a familiar device and send a message.

 Chapter 118

    The moment I picked up my equipment, I rushed out, ready to cut a path. Behind me, I could see the four bodyguards trying to chase me, but it was clear that their full speed wasn¡¯t enough to match mine. Without an obstruction, they wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up with me.


    Unfortunately for me, with an army positioned around the fortress, they had plenty of obstruction. If I could use the Floating Stride efficiently, I might have a hope of ditching them, but the last thing I needed was to end up rolling down the hill.


    Similarly, trying to find a cave to somehow ditch the observers was not an option. I could conceal myself from them when I was at the peak of the mountain, and they were looking in the wrong direction for any possible visitor, but against people that were actively looking for me¡­


    No, running in a straight line was the best option.


    ¡°Anyone that slows him down earns an Epic skill!¡± one of the guards shouted, which changed the attitude of the army significantly. Several people proved fast enough to cut my path, especially since their position was more favored.


    Running around them was likely a better option than fighting, but killing them would have been a more intimidating option. I switched to my hammer even as I closed in the distance, Mana covering its surface. However, it wasn¡¯t a blow of Quake Hammer, but Forge skill.


    [-40 Mana]


    One blow had been enough to distort and ruin the integrity of the armor, so the following Quake Hammer devastated his body. I didn¡¯t know whether he was dead or alive. Either way, the visuals worked well.


    Especially since the only thing that illuminated the valley was the ongoing forest fire I had triggered ¡­ was it five minutes ago, maybe even shorter.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take a lot to get that Epic Skill!¡± I shouted as I continued to run forward, their hesitation was all I needed was to dash forward. Looking down, I could see that the bodyguards didn¡¯t have the same mobility through the rocky surface.


    For a moment, I thought that I would be getting away freely. Then, things changed. Everyone in the army paused for a moment.


    It was too ominous for me to simply write it off. I pushed myself to run even faster, only for the people in the army to spread again, their sudden pattern of movement difficult to comprehend. Some of them moved to cut my path, while others took alternative paths to cover the gaps.


    It was hard to describe, but it was as if I was playing a computer game, and I switched from easy to brutal. Even as I was trying to comprehend that, a distinct cry of a Griffin reached my ear.


    Charisma, I realized even before I looked back, so it wasn¡¯t a shock to see Thomas riding a griffin that had just burst out of the fortress. He wore a helmet, but his decorative armor was too distinctive for me to forget.


    I knew it was a problem, but the full extent of it I only realized once the first three fastest soldiers caught up with me. Even as I smashed down one of them with my hammer, the other two rushed to tackle me, uncaring for their safety.


    A kick threw one of them away, while a switch of direction enabled me to avoid the second. Unfortunately, even with the hammer attack caving half of his head, the third one managed to grab my leg. I switched to my sword, and a blow to the weak shoulder joint of the armor solved the issue, but not before the second wave caught up with me.


    Reflexively, I slammed my hammer to the ground, triggering another landslide.


    [-100 Health]


    That created enough of a gap for me to ditch them, but a bigger part of the army was closing in.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    I picked the least crowded part and continued to dash wildly toward the peak, I started to understand why people with Charisma had been treated like such a threat. The only thing that gave me even a fighting chance was the dispersed state of the army.


    Otherwise, I would have hated to fight against even ten people who were ¡®encouraged¡¯ by Charisma. The perfect coordination and all the self-preservation instincts of a zombie were an overwhelming combination.


    I continued to climb, glad that I was already out of their envelopment. Ten more seconds and my fate may not have been as bright.


    Thomas must have also realized that, as suddenly, the army had lost their cohesion. Realizing what was about to happen, I immediately pulled one of the epic javelins I had prepared, pumped it with my remaining mana, and threw it at Thomas¡¯ mount.


    Just as I did that, a primal sense of terror hit me. It was hard to resist such pure and instinctual fear, when one¡¯s body refused to listen to their orders. Luckily for me, I fought against a similar sensation whenever I stepped on a griffin, or used Floating Stride.


    And, my phobia of flying was stronger.


    I ran, refusing to allow the artificial fear of Charisma to have a hold on me, even if it slowed me down, and interfering with my ability to focus on the technique I had learned.


    It seemed like he couldn¡¯t use the two effects simultaneously, which made my life considerably easier. The shout from his griffin, filled with pain to confirm I had hit the target, encouraged me to run even faster. I refused to look back, as I doubted that I could handle the sight of someone trying to fly with an injured mount.


    Unfortunately, Thomas¡¯ pressure didn¡¯t disappear even when the sound of hitting on the ground reached my ears. A glance back showed a bloody, unmoving griffin, proving that the attack worked, while Thomas¡¯ figure was difficult to pick.


    ¡°Let¡¯s add some more confusion,¡± I said as I staggered. I rapidly grew another extremely flammable tree, this time focusing on creating even more smoke, the farming tricks I had picked from the study group working wonders.


    Some, I rolled down the hill. Some, I left burning in place, releasing plumes of smoke into the air, creating thick clouds that were impossible to see through. It turned out to be a good choice, as soon I heard the angry cries of several griffins, indicating that more reinforcements had arrived.


    ¡°What a trap,¡± I muttered as I reached the peak and continued to run in a straight line, stuffing my face with Health dense food. Giving into my arsonist tendencies and burning even more trees was fun. I had deliberately spread it at the cost of slowing down, as just one path of smoke was equally easy to follow.


    However, as I did that, I wasn¡¯t sure whether Thomas would dare to follow with his army out of position. He didn¡¯t seem like a person who would brave the risk of facing a person who took down his griffin mount with just one attack with limited support.


    If he was, he wouldn¡¯t have run away with his tail between his legs during our earlier confrontation, where he accidentally reached the conclusion that I had broken through the level hundred barrier.


    That assessment turned out to be true. He could have switched to one of the other griffins and chased me, but instead, the griffins were ridden by the four bodyguards and some scouts.


    Unfortunately for them, the forest canopy was too thick to catch me, particularly in the middle of the night. They might have succeeded if the area lacked vegetation, or if it was still daytime, but their failure suggested that even Perception had its limits.


    At least, with the amount they seemed to have.


    Ditching them wasn¡¯t too difficult. Trying to use griffins on a moonlit night was yet another tactical error, allowing me to pinpoint exactly where they were against the starry sky, allowing me to adjust my route. I was ready to take down their mounts with the javelins I had prepared, but luckily, it seemed to be unnecessary.


    Once I got away from the mountains, I started encountering beasts, their aggression significantly more overwhelming during the night. Luckily, in a mana-dead location, they weren¡¯t too dangerous. Some still managed to deliver hits that would have been devastating if it wasn¡¯t for my armor, but even those merely caused a few scratches.


    When I was sufficiently away, I had removed the disguise from the surface of the armor.


    I had no idea whether they could follow me back to the town, and whether my little concealed trick would hold, but either way, I would lose nothing by trying that.


    It was near dawn when I managed to return to the town. I didn¡¯t go inside immediately. Instead, I moved to a nearby hill, and cast a Flame Bolt to the sky, a signal we had agreed upon with Maria ¡­ one of many. The flame bolt wasn¡¯t the most urgent one, but it was close.


    Maria and Eleanor appeared there a minute later. ¡°You¡¯re alright,¡± they declared happily.


    I smiled, trying to look more confident than I was feeling. ¡°Of course. I said I can handle it,¡± I said. Looking at their worried state, I decided that they could live without hearing just how close of a call it had been. ¡°But, let¡¯s go into the dungeon. We have a lot to talk about.¡±

 Chapter 119

    ¡°Welcome back,¡± Eleanor said even as she pulled the box open, and I once again found myself in the dungeon.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied, then took a deep breath, finally feeling safe now that I was in a location where I had the absolute advantage. Though, the irony of feeling like that in a dungeon was rather amusing. ¡°It has been ¡­ an interesting journey.¡±


    ¡°How interesting?¡± Eleanor asked.


    ¡°Not much. I was lucky enough that they weren¡¯t very well organized. Once I rolled a few burning logs, they were so sure that Maria was attacking them, they scattered in chaos, allowing me to go in and out with minimal fuss.¡±


    I could see that they wanted to talk about the minute details relating to my safety, but after everything I had seen, focusing on the implications was more critical than discussing the unimportant details of my escape. ¡°So, do you want the bad news first, or the horrible ones?¡±


    ¡°That bad?¡± Maria asked. I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s just start from just bad before moving to horrible.¡±


    ¡°Fine. The dungeon creatures are resistant to heat. It didn¡¯t even register the presence of a Flame Bolt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly a spell,¡± Eleanor commented. ¡°I¡¯m sure they can¡¯t resist Maria¡¯s attacks.¡±


    ¡°True, but it was just the weakest monster. The stronger ones will be even stronger when it comes to that.¡±


    Eleanor paused. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. If the dungeon is about to break, you can¡¯t just encounter the weakest monsters on the first floor.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Maria said, but her tone lacked the relief Eleanor showed. ¡°But, I¡¯m guessing that part relates to the horrible part of the news.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°Whoever is supporting Thomas is more influential than we think. They have arranged for someone to manipulate and modify the dungeon.¡± Maria¡¯s eyes widened as I gave her a summary of the salient points, the dungeon''s nature, the two entrances to the dungeon, and his attempts to shatter the gate.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Eleanor gasped. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think that dungeons could have multiple gates leading outside.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± Maria said. ¡°The team we called only adjusted the internal gates. Are you sure that it led outside?¡±


    ¡°Most likely,¡± I admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t check it, but every other detail looked that way. Not to mention, the way Thomas appeared lends credence to it. But, we can find out,¡± I said, and removed the satchel from the bag. ¡°I managed to pick it up while retreating. His personal bag.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Maria asked. ¡°The team we called to modify our family dungeon acted like they would defend their secrets with their lives.¡±


    ¡°Well, he kind of ¡­ did,¡± I said.


    ¡°Devon,¡± Eleanor said, her tone suddenly sharp. ¡°I distinctly remember you saying that you went in and out with minimal fuss merely a minute ago. Fighting against a mage is not a minimal fuss.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fight,¡± I said. ¡°I was running away from the dungeon just as he was trying to retreat inside. He was already exhausted from whatever he was doing, and his bodyguards were positioned to defend against the attacks from the outside. He tried to rely on his magical defenses, and they failed against my mana attack.¡±


    ¡°And, your escape afterward,¡± Maria said, catching on my deflection.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I muttered, realizing that trying to let them keep focused on the topic was only making them more determined to get the full details of the story. Admittedly, a part of me was glad for it. It had been a while since someone worried for me while ignoring the material benefits.


    So, I told them the full story, from the initial distraction to how I escaped from the dungeon, though I still made sure to undersell just how close It had been to a total disaster, particularly where I escaped from the fortress, and how Thomas¡¯ arrogance of flying letting me get away from a potentially deadly envelopment.


    At the end of the story, Eleanor spoke. ¡°There¡¯s no individual adventure for you in the future. You can¡¯t be trusted to take care of yourself,¡± Eleanor declared. Maria nodded seriously.


    I nodded, seemingly accepting it. I wasn¡¯t exactly burning with a desire for adventure in the first place, and if the situation required it, we could discuss it then. ¡°We have more important topics,¡± I said even as I passed the satchel to Maria. ¡°Do you mind seeing if you can break the magical defenses on it? It might have something valuable.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Maria said, then closed her eyes. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not a complicated one. Do you want me to teach you how to break it?¡±


    ¡°I would have loved it, but we better not waste time,¡± I said even as I pulled the crystal and lizard claws from my bag. ¡°I want to forge a metal to resist the heat aura of those beasts.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use?¡± Eleanor asked. ¡°With that much, we can only forge a few swords. Maybe a set of armor at most.¡±


    ¡°Two things. First, it¡¯s never a bad idea to confirm the usefulness of such an item. And, once we do it, we can try to reverse engineer to create that effect manually somewhat,¡± I said.


    ¡°And if we can¡¯t,¡± Eleanor asked.


    ¡°Then we can see if we can purchase anything that has the same ability from a similar dungeon, and having a sample will still help. At worst, we¡¯ll know raiding the dungeon for some extra material will be a valuable strategy.¡±


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± Eleanor said. ¡°You just escaped there. Do you want to return there?¡±


    ¡°Oh, believe me, that¡¯s the last thing I want,¡± I replied. ¡°But, I don¡¯t want to see the people of the town being burned alive by the presence of the monsters even less. I just fought against a weak monster, and it managed to hurt me despite my armor. I don¡¯t need to see to know how the guards will fare against them.¡±


    That silenced Eleanor for a moment. ¡°Fine,¡± she grumbled in frustration.


    We fell silent, and I focused fully on the forging process. It was too similar to forging anti-corrosive material. The parts from the beast carried the effect, and the dungeon crystal helped to stabilize it.


    I sighed. If I had the necessary raw materials, I could have created enough armor and weapons to equip the whole town in less than a day. Unfortunately, that particular ¡°if¡± was not something that was easy to solve.


    It wasn¡¯t like we could just go visit every dungeon and ask for their materials. Not when I suspected that doing so would create even more enemies.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± Eleanor asked as I passed the cooled-down material to her.


    ¡°I think so,¡± I said. ¡°Do you mind putting it against the rock?¡±


    ¡°Just cast it, it¡¯s not like your spell will hurt me,¡± she said.


    I frowned. ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s not a good habit to make the experiments any riskier than they have to be. Not when we¡¯re literally playing with fire.¡±


    Eleanor looked at me, but I had no intention of complying with her ideas. ¡°Fine,¡± she said with a frown and put it on the ground, and when I gestured to her, she pulled back. Only when she was behind me, did I raise my hand and throw a Fire Bolt.


    [-100 Mana]


    One that had been dispersed an inch before it could even touch the metal. ¡°See, no harm,¡± she said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said even as I approached the metal, and touched it. The lack of damage was not surprising, as my sole magic spell was hardly an object of danger. I didn¡¯t know if it was more about my limited Essence ¡ª which was pitiful when compared to Maria¡¯s overwhelming numbers ¡ª or the low quality of the skill.


    It was a question I wanted to answer, but with everything going on, I always had more important experiments.


    Due to the limited impact of my spell, the lack of damage was not surprising. However, there wasn¡¯t even a hint of damage, not even some heating up ¡ª which I would have identified with Observe.


    It would likely resolve the impact of the dungeon monsters as smoothly as my anti-corrosive metal. Too bad its production was entirely reliant on dungeon material. If I had a sufficient amount of material, it would have taken me merely a day to create enough equipment for everyone in town.


    Unfortunately, unlike anti-corrosive alloy, I didn¡¯t have unlimited access to the necessary materials. I could probably fashion a sword or two, maybe a full set of armor at most, but it would be the limit of it.


    However, I didn¡¯t focus on that for the moment. Hopefully, Maria and I would be able to come up with a method if we cooperate properly. If not ¡­ Well, that was a topic for the future.


    ¡°¡­ So, this is the metal that¡¯s supposed to protect us against those flame lizards,¡± Eleanor said as she twirled the material in her hand.


    ¡°Yes. Hopefully, we will find a way to replicate it without dungeon materials now that the dungeon is not as big of a threat ¡ª¡± I started, only to freeze, and start cursing.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Eleanor asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t delayed the breaking of the dungeon for as long as I thought,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡ª¡± Maria intervened, before she gasped, her eyes widening. ¡°I see,¡± she said, immediately catching what I was leading at.


    ¡°Spill it,¡± Eleanor said.


    Maria spoke. ¡°Rosie¡¯s letter warned us that the dungeon would break in three days, but that likely assumed that it was a natural break. Since it was an external intervention, it will be shorter.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I intervened. ¡°It¡¯s possible that whatever he did to that dungeon entrance hastened it, but there¡¯s a chance that it¡¯ll take longer.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to go there again?¡± Eleanor said.


    ¡°Hopefully, the answer is there,¡± I said even as I looked at the satchel in Maria¡¯s hand, the enchantment half broken. Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t sure it would be enough. Even assuming there was a conclusive answer in there, there was no guarantee that Thomas¡¯ supporters wouldn¡¯t just send someone else to break the dungeon.


    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take to break?¡± Eleanor asked.


    ¡°Probably another hour,¡± Maria said. ¡°The enchantment is simple, but a mistake is enough to destroy the contents. We can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I said, then looked at Eleanor. ¡°Maybe we evacuate the town into the dungeon as a precaution?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s necessary? We have invested a lot in the town. We can¡¯t just abandon it.¡±


    ¡°At least, let¡¯s evacuate the farmers, claiming that we discovered a way to make it more productive or something. We can leave the task to Harold, so it won¡¯t be too suspicious. And, in case of an emergency, we can quickly level them up as well.¡±


    Eleanor looked at Maria, who nodded. ¡°Fine, we can do that,¡± Eleanor said. ¡°I¡¯ll inform Harold.¡±


    She took off, leaving us to our tasks.

 Chapter 120

    As Maria worked on her magic, I started examining my own creation, hoping to find a way to replicate it. The only problem was that, I didn¡¯t have an idea where to start. ¡°Do you mind helping me for a second,¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s more important than the contents of the satchel.¡±


    ¡°Potentially, yes,¡± I said. ¡°I need your opinion on how the special effect works. Maybe we can replicate it.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°Give me a minute so I can stabilize the enchantment,¡± she said, and suddenly, the mana web around the enchantment started rotating, giving me the impression of the world¡¯s most confusing puzzle.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure whatever going on was limited to three dimensions. Just looking at it made me dizzy.


    ¡°Now, what¡¯s the problem?¡± she said once she put the satchel down.


    ¡°The recipe for the initial creation of items is obvious. The monster material gives us the main concept, while the dungeon crystal stabilizes the effect,¡± I explained even as I slowly forged another piece of metal, though I used the shells in order not to waste my limited stock of materials.


    ¡°Most of it, I can¡¯t really understand. Whatever that¡¯s going inside is too complicated,¡± she said. ¡°Do you have a method to describe the process like you do with mana flow?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Unlike mana flows, there¡¯s too many changes going on with the metal, and I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡±


    ¡°Can you at least repeat the process in the open, without the metal so I can watch it directly. That way, maybe I can see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    I paused, remembering my own attempts, which had ended pretty uselessly. A small corrosive field explosion, covering a space as much as my fist.


    ¡°Not very impressive, is it?¡± she said. I shrugged. ¡°Do you think it can be weaponized?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s certainly something to work on, once we have a few weeks we can work on it leisurely. Having armor-destroying grenades might be useful. But, before finding new uses, let¡¯s focus on our current problem.¡±


    She nodded. I continued to repeat the effort, while she cast several spells around, some increasing the destabilization, while the others slowed it down. ¡°It¡¯s too difficult,¡± she admitted. ¡°But, I feel it¡¯s more conceptual than structural.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, we need Wisdom to deal with it?¡± I said, remembering her last explanation about Meditation.


    ¡°Probably. At least, I need a better framework to understand what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°But, you think it can be stabilized without the crystal?¡± She nodded. ¡°And, would you work better if we work on something you¡¯re more familiar with?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the claws,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier, that much is certain,¡± she admitted. ¡°Unfortunately, easier doesn¡¯t mean it can be achievable easily.¡±


    ¡°No harm trying,¡± I said.


    ¡°Even if it wastes material,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have enough to be useful in any case,¡± I said. ¡°Trying to figure out how to forge without crystals is more valuable.¡±


    She paused for a moment before her eyes widened. ¡°Because if the breach happens, we will have a supply of claws, but not the crystals,¡± she said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said even as I raised one of the claws, and essentially repeated the forging process without any metal. Just like the corrosion effect, it flared, turning into a tiny fireball. She frowned, but her focus was too intense for me to interrupt.


    For a minute, she said nothing before she raised her hand. ¡°Repeat it,¡± she said. I did so again and again, not saying anything even as we depleted all the crystal. Luckily, that still left some claws to work with. Once finished, she closed her eyes, no doubt going through calculations.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Alright, I think I can stabilize it without a crystal,¡± she said. ¡°But, try to keep it not as intense.¡±


    It was a good thing that we had already worked on how to forge together. It meant that, it didn¡¯t take long for us to adapt the mana flow she had in mind into something workable. It was nothing compared to figuring out how to handle epic-grade forging.


    Ten minutes later, I was looking at a plate with a warm center as my spell hit. ¡°Failure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, it dispersed the effect, just not as strong,¡± she commented. ¡°Not as good as I had hoped¡­¡±


    ¡°Still good enough to make arrowheads,¡± I said. ¡°And, we can still improve it.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to try again?¡± she said as she pointed at the last two claws.


    ¡°No, I want to work on it first. Do you mind writing the formula for how you stabilized it?¡±


    ¡°Like how I did for the dense mana?¡± she asked. I nodded. ¡°My pleasure,¡± she said, and quickly scribbled it. While she returned to work on the satchel, I started examining the formula, and comparing it with the generalized epic formula I had derived.


    It was not easy, especially since the formulas I had been using were mostly random effects. On a theoretical level, math seemed to be absolute and consistent even when magic was factored in, proving its role as a universal constant for science.


    Though, I had a feeling that I was already pushing the limits of basic Euclidian math. Just like how we had to leverage Riemann Geometry to solve general relativity problems, or Quantum theory required a completely novel approach, mana seemed to require its unique methodology to solve it.


    And, that was not something that could be resolved easily. Luckily, for the problems I had been working on, the disgusting abomination of Euclidean geometry, mixed with various other methods worked well enough. It was not robust, but it was workable. Too bad the bastardized version was enough to annoy even an undergraduate student.


    While Maria worked on her part, I worked mostly with pen and paper to model theoretically, occasionally switching the mana to see if I was on the right path. The pile of paper in front of me started to grow larger and larger as I did my best to put her observations about the flame-stabilizer structure ¡ª as I had decided to call them temporarily ¡ª together as I repeated the same method again and again.


    The experiments would have been much easier if I had a large pile of claws, but even without it, I wasn¡¯t helpless.


    I did my best to search for a more ¡®elegant¡¯ mathematical solution, the favorite pastime of theoretical physics that most other disciplines loved to tease them about.


    But, now that I was facing a dearth of materials and a tight deadline, their method had benefits. I even took a few breaks, casting a few flame spells through a tight tube to watch the way the flame spells moved, the observation allowing me to catch some observations.


    Turning these observations into generalized formulas like Maria did was not something I could do without Intelligence ¡ª or a computer ¡ª but validating the results was much simpler.


    At least, while mana was complicated, and unruly, it seemed to follow its core principles perfectly. I leaned over the papers, trying to peel back the layers from the formula to develop a more coherent approach.


    As I fell into the pattern of scribbling notes, experimenting, and refining the formulas, the dungeon gate started to show movement. The rest of the farmers, under the leadership of Harold, had arrived at the dungeon. Though, unlike the volunteers, they were moving to the outpost on the first floor.


    Their orderly movement suggested that my presence was not necessary, so I happily continued to work on my problem, trying to come up with a more generalized differential equation for stabilizing spells.


    However, as I worked, I was glad that I wasn¡¯t trying to find a perfect solution, but a good enough one, just enough to register with the Forge skill so it could handle the rest. ¡°Maybe if I transform them into a smooth manifold ¡ª¡± I muttered, feeling that I was close.


    Only to be interrupted by a cheer from Maria. ¡°Finally,¡± she called. I looked at her, amused by her cheer. ¡°Well, the enchantment is finally dealt with,¡± Maria called. ¡°How about your side?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea, but I need your assistance. Do you mind if we try that before we open the satchel? I have a feeling that whatever is in it will distract us.¡±


    She nodded. Luckily, she was familiar with my notation enough that processing my conclusion only took a minute. She sent another line of mana as I forged, embedding the claw into another alloy sheet. One that managed to disperse my Fire Bolt almost perfectly.


    ¡°More than workable,¡± I said as I caressed the metal, my heart beating as I realized what it could solve. It held answers to not just our current dungeon break, but all of them.


    ¡°This has potential,¡± Maria said, smiling.


    Unfortunately, the moment my gaze fell on the satchel, I felt my enthusiasm evaporate. ¡°It would have been more exciting if we didn¡¯t just learn that at least some of the dungeon breaks are artificially induced,¡± I said.


    ¡°True,¡± she said while she reached for the satchel. There were multiple skill stones there, their glow showing that they were likely Epic. She put them to the side, which I didn¡¯t blame her for. They weren¡¯t that interesting, and neither was the money pouch or other sundry.


    There were two things that caught our attention. One was a handwritten notebook, looking like personal notes.


    The other was a leather book that she threw the moment her fingers touched it. Any other time, I would have gotten angry at the treatment of the books, but this one, I was willing to make an exception. Even from a distance, I could feel a subtle yet disgusting sensation radiating off of it.


    One that reminded me of the same energy that was being used to destroy the dungeon gate¡­

 Chapter 121

    ¡°¡­ So,¡± I muttered after a long silence, during which we stared at the book on the ground, radiating a disgusting yet dangerous feeling like I came face to face with a monster I could not fight back against. ¡°I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re not touching that.¡±


    ¡°Depends on what we find in the notebook,¡± Maria answered. ¡°I want to burn it completely, but ¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t take the risk, not when the notebook could be empty. Do you want to do the honors?¡± I said.


    ¡°Really, do you want me to read? I thought you would argue to be the first one.¡±


    ¡°If we weren¡¯t operating under a very tight restriction, I might have done exactly that,¡± I said. ¡°Under the circumstances, I¡¯m happy to temporarily limit myself to second-hand information,¡± I said. Technically third-hand, as that notebook looked more like a personal collection than anything else.


    She gave me a small smile as she opened the notebook, flipping through the pages with a speed that was impossible for me to match. More than two hundred pages, and she finished it in less than five minutes, and most of that time was spent taking notes on the margins. When she raised her head, her thoughtful expression didn¡¯t give much away. However, watching her grab the corrupted book and place it back in the satchel was promising.


    ¡°Good news?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Better than I feared,¡± she said. ¡°Apparently, the book only describes how to break the dungeon gates, and not how to open new ones. We don¡¯t need to touch it for the moment.¡±


    ¡°And, how about the dungeon gates?¡± I asked.


    She paused. ¡°That¡¯s a bit more problematic. He¡¯s not a good note-taker, and I have a feeling that whoever taught him did a bad job in the first place. But, he has the core methods written down.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± I asked.


    She smiled. ¡°The biggest part is to create an alignment with the dungeon by killing the boss monsters,¡± she said. ¡°Apparently, one needs to kill multiple boss monsters to establish a preliminary connection, before establishing a contact through various magical conduits.¡±


    ¡°Conduits?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Simple mana constructs, and he had descriptions of them. They have several fail safes to keep the connection limited, which seems to be an important part of what he was focusing on. But, why, he doesn¡¯t go into so much detail.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it causes some kind of backlash while breaking the dungeon,¡± I said. ¡°Or, it¡¯s only possible to connect with one dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± she said even as she raised her hand, and a very complicated pillar of mana appeared.


    ¡°Wait! Are you going to do it immediately? We only have a few notes from the notebook. It¡¯s too risky,¡± I said.


    ¡°As risky as sending you to an unknown dungeon as a scout with no support, where you fought with an army just to escape,¡± she countered as she continued to build the very complicated mana structure, one that I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine building unassisted, rotating and shifting.


    ¡°Good point,¡± I admitted. I wanted to argue more, but she was not only determined, but also it was far closer to her expertise. ¡°If you think the risks are acceptable, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± she said. ¡°The notes are clear that an unclaimed dungeon is easy to take over as long as two or three dungeon bosses have been slain. Since I have killed about a dozen, it should work perfectly ¡ª¡±


    She was interrupted by a deep scream, one that I realized was coming from me. The moment her mana structure sank into the ground, a sharp pain hit my whole being, forcing a cry. I never remembered feeling something this intense.


    As if something was being ripped out from my whole soul.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    When I stopped trembling, I found both Eleanor and Maria hovering above me, signaling that it had been a while. ¡°What happened?¡± Eleanor said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Maria said, panicked. ¡°I was trying to connect with the dungeon, but he cried in pain.¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I think I know,¡± I muttered, barely able to whisper. ¡°But, just to remove my doubts, do you mind explaining how the connection with the dungeon works in simple terms.¡±


    ¡°From what I could understand, the absorbed boss crystal works as some kind of guidance, allowing the recognition from the dungeon, while the mana pillar works as a way to connect with it. However, the notes were clear that more pillars were required to make more complicated changes.¡±


    ¡°And, only one person could bond with a dungeon?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Maria nodded, quick to catch up where I was leading. ¡°You think you already started the process?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It looks that way.¡±


    ¡°But, the notes are pretty clear on the next steps of bonding with a dungeon. It requires a lot of very careful meditation, one that relies on a very specific way to meditate while using the pillar as a channel. The multitasking it requires is enough to challenge me. Not something that could be done accidentally.¡±


    ¡°Even if someone absorbed more than fifty dungeon boss crystals, raised a veritable forest across multiple floors, absorbed thousands of shells, and then went ahead and slept in the dungeon continuously.¡±


    As I counted, Maria frowned. ¡°Maybe,¡± she muttered. ¡±I can easily imagine the trees functioning somewhat similar to the mana pillars, especially with the way they affect the dungeon mist. The notes are clear that the number of boss crystals absorbed makes the process easier. And, as for sleep¡­¡±


    ¡°They had been filled with weird dreams since I absorbed the boss crystals, and I slept longer. I was willing to write it off as mere exhaustion, but...¡±


    ¡°The timing of your pain is conclusive,¡± Maria said. ¡°We need to find a way to fix it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Do we?¡± I asked.


    Maria frowned. ¡°Of course we do. It¡¯s a complete unknown, and too risky to be left untouched.¡±


    ¡°And, do we have any idea how to safely separate it now that I used thousands of trees instead of carefully designed mana pillars?¡± I countered.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± Maria growled.


    ¡°What does he want?¡± Eleanor interrupted.


    ¡°He wants to deepen his connection with the dungeon,¡± Maria commented. ¡°It¡¯s madness.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Look, the last thing I want is to experiment on myself. But, we have no idea how to separate it safely, and I doubt that we could afford to purchase that information.¡± She looked ready to argue. ¡°Just answer me. True or not?¡±


    ¡°True,¡± she said reluctantly.


    ¡°And, the way I reacted shows that a fragile bond is a weakness that could potentially be leveraged easily.¡±


    ¡°Also true,¡± she said, this time in resignation. ¡°But, what you¡¯re proposing is a complete unknown, and too risky to be left untouched. We have no idea what kind of influence the dungeon might exert on you through an unregulated connection.¡±


    ¡°Unlike your experiment, where we were perfectly aware of what would have happened?¡± I countered.


    ¡°Wait! What?¡± Eleanor interrupted, looking at Maria angrily. ¡°I thought we agreed on being careful. What¡¯s with you two? I was away for only an hour.¡±


    I raised my hands in surrender. ¡°In my defense, I had no idea that sleeping in the dungeon would result in such a dangerous side effect.¡±


    It was a good point, but Eleanor didn¡¯t seem to be ready to accept it. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. You need to be more careful,¡± she ordered. I nodded sheepishly. ¡°Now, what are we going to do?¡± she said.


    Maria paused for a moment, her expression twisting like she had just eaten something foul. ¡°I hate to admit it, but it looks like he has a point. He has already bonded with the dungeon somewhat, and breaking it would be unnecessarily risky. Reinforcing the connection in a more controlled manner seems like a better idea.¡±


    Eleanor looked ready to argue, but I had no intention of backing down. ¡°I understand the risks, Eleanor, but think about what we¡¯re dealing with here. I¡¯ve already been connected to the dungeon, whether by accident or through my actions. And, with the danger of their assault getting closer and closer, we don¡¯t have a real choice.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know that there¡¯s going to be an attack now that we have discovered their plans. Maybe they will just pull back. I want to scout the dungeon entrance myself. That way, we will know if it was broken or not.¡±


    ¡°A fair offer,¡± I accepted. It was more than fair. After that horrible pain, I wasn¡¯t enthusiastic about the attack, but the prospect of another attack like that was even scarier. I could do my best to defend the first floor, but recent events had shown that we didn¡¯t know enough about the dungeons to properly understand what was going on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± Maria said. Eleanor looked ready to argue, but Maria waved her finger. ¡°No, if there¡¯s a break, I need to be there to restrain their aura,¡± she added. ¡°The flame nature goes both ways.¡±


    Eleanor nodded in acceptance. ¡°No experimenting while we¡¯re gone,¡± she said.


    ¡°Deal,¡± I replied as I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll just read the notebook to get a better sense of what was going on.¡± But, just as they turned, I also pulled the sealed letter from Maria, one in which she had written the secrets of her meditation art into. ¡°And, maybe this as well. I have a feeling the insights will come useful.¡±


    Maria looked torn in indecision, but after a while, she sighed. ¡°I see your point,¡± she grudgingly admitted. ¡°But, no experimenting before I return. On either.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± I said, which I meant completely. The pain I felt earlier was a good enough reason for me to be dissuaded.

 Chapter 122

    As they left the dungeon for an aerial scouting trip, I flicked open the notebook, my fingers brushing over the cramped handwriting. It was clearly not written by someone who was concerned with precision ¡­ or any kind of order.


    The notebook was filled with half-complete sentences, random observations, and weird formulas. I was glad that Maria¡¯s earlier explanation had given me some kind of a basis, or I might have just skipped all of the relevant sections.


    However, as I read, I couldn¡¯t help but frown. In many places, I could see the references to the connection with the dungeon staying weak and controlled, even with a few sentences that implied that the weak connection significantly limited the potential connection with the dungeon.


    But, as he described the way it worked, I couldn¡¯t help but close my eyes, and focus inwards to create the simple rotating feeling from Meditation, which didn¡¯t count as a part of the no-experimentation rule, as I had repeated that trick thousands of times.


    I repeated it, simply because the pain I felt from Maria¡¯s botched attempt was very similar to what I felt when I botched Meditation while trying to reverse it ¡­ at least, the first portion. The Health damage was absent, but then I hadn¡¯t let mana loose in my body.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t experimentation, just observation,¡± I muttered, though I was glad I didn¡¯t need to explain it to them. I had a feeling they wouldn¡¯t appreciate the distinction I was making.


    I carefully examined the surface for any imperfections, but there were none. However, as I examined it more and more, I finally felt something.


    A direct connection to the center of the sphere.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be good,¡± I said even as I mentally touched the bond for a fleeting second. The bond felt faint ¡­ but it wasn¡¯t weak. It was like touching one of the invasive weeds with twenty feet of root into the ground.


    I ignored the temptation to touch it more, and opened my eyes. ¡°The connection is ¡­ intense,¡± I muttered, glad that we didn¡¯t try to cut it easily. I had a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t do any good.


    However, I had a feeling that I was already beyond the method described in the book. The unfortunate mage¡¯s method had taken great care to avoid the deeper connection, emphasizing the importance of keeping the bond weak, keeping it as one way as possible.


    I couldn¡¯t say I blamed him, especially since, across all the notes, he treated the dungeons as an extremely dangerous and volatile entity, and rightfully so. I still didn¡¯t have any idea about where the dungeons came from, but anything that casually violated the rules of time and space couldn¡¯t be something trivial.


    Not even in a world where magic was commonplace.


    ¡°I have a feeling I have to look for something more permanent,¡± I muttered. It was a baseless statement, more of a hypothesis born out of sudden inspiration than anything else.


    I flipped to another passage, reading about how he planned on using pillars of mana to stabilize the temporary connection, hoping to find some inspiration. As I read, I was glad that Maria had dealt with it first. The notebook didn¡¯t have a coherent approach, and without the notes she scribbled on the sides, using my notation, I would have required months to properly decipher what was going on.


    I didn¡¯t bother with the calculations, trusting her to do them better than me, and instead focused on the core, repeating principles of control, containment, and caution.


    I leaned back, tapping my finger against the notebook¡¯s edge. The logic was sound, but it was built on a foundation of a temporary approach. It was clear that he saw the connection as something negative, something to be dismissed once the dungeon was breached.


    ¡°I just hope that it means a permanent connection is a good idea without that need,¡± I muttered. It was a bit of a stretch, but it implied that the technique was initially designed for a more permanent connection which was modified by his destructive usage.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    It was not exactly an incredible piece of evidence, but considering the bond was already in place with no idea on how to sever it, I chose to believe it.


    Flipping back to the earlier sections of the notebook, I scanned the notes on the initial bonding process, this time focusing more on Maria¡¯s notes to better understand how to regulate the connection between the individual and the dungeon.


    I sighed even as I started taking my own notes. Unfortunately, those notes were less about clever adjustments and solutions, and more like a long list of questions I would ask Maria.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to switch,¡± I muttered at one point, and instead opened Maria¡¯s sealed notes about her meditation technique. Her notes were far more impressive than the ramblings of the enemy mage, especially since she had gone through enough effort to write everything based on our shared notation system.


    It was a far more acceptable challenge, even though I sincerely doubted I could actually apply even a part of those transformations to my own abilities. Maria could use them, because she had both the skill and Intelligence to guide her.


    In their current form, it was impossible to implement them. ¡°But, that doesn¡¯t mean that there¡¯s no alternative method,¡± I muttered even as I started working on the formulas, trying to find a more generalized expression.


    The only reason I even dared to do it was that math was still holding up as a universal constant. Unfortunately, considering I didn¡¯t know how it held up at the extremes, some of my favorite methods, like proof by contradiction or induction, were not available.


    In the end, I found myself mostly relying on constructive proof, which was to create a wider expression, before going back to check if it worked for every unique formula she had provided. Which, even with my familiarity with high-level mathematics, was not exactly easy.


    I never liked constructive proofs, as they were usually not ¡®elegant¡¯, a word that every doctorate student of mine hated. Also, finding the right construction was never trivial. Sometimes, it took weeks to come up with a valid construction, and then it took months to prove that generalization held true¡­


    ¡°At least, it¡¯s not proof of exhaustion,¡± I muttered. It was one method I was happy not to be using.


    However, the more I worked, the more I found myself lost in various topological transformations. Ultimately, the practical applications of mana were utterly reliant on mana. Of course, Maria¡¯s constructions were always focused on three dimensions, but it was hardly the only way.


    I found out that inventing extra dimensions to resolve those structures was surprisingly stable. At least, at the first glimpse. Actually solving them was not exactly something I could achieve. Maybe, if I could prove that Group Theory holds correctly¡­


    ¡°What about ...¡± I muttered even as my pencil started to dance on the paper with sudden inspiration: a formula to reconcile the flow of mana with the higher-dimensional theories that theoretical physics loved so much.


    It was so tempting to try. I might have even ignored my promise if it wasn¡¯t for the excruciating pain I felt when Maria managed to take over the dungeon. I was still reluctant to put a name to it, but it was clear that Meditation and Dungeon Connection relied on the same thing.


    And, I almost killed myself trying to reverse the direction of Meditation in the past. Trying to somehow project it with more dimensions than we could perceive didn¡¯t seem like a good idea.


    ¡°But, creating a denser mana structure is different,¡± I muttered as I suddenly went back to the generalized solution for the dense mana I had created for my skill. If I combined the two, there was a chance that it could help me create another, stronger variant of epic alloys.


    One that could potentially unlock the next stage of the skill.


    I began to trace in the air, trying to envision the idea in a way that was more than just a formula. A mere n-cube alone, even as its most common expression as a tesseract was not trivial, and I didn¡¯t dare to actually form that as a core for my meditation.


    However, the principle idea was very simple. A two-dimensional cube was merely a square, and a three-dimensional one was an ordinary cube. A tesseract was a four-dimensional cube.


    Mathematical properties were easy to define. Where a cube had eight vertices, a tesseract had sixteen. A cube had twelve edges, whereas a tesseract had thirty-two. A cube had six faces, whereas a tesseract had twenty-four.


    Unfortunately, trying to imagine it as an actual construct was far more difficult.


    ¡°I feel like a poor student,¡± I muttered even as I tried to tangle with the idea, like some of the visual learners did in more complicated undergraduate math classes, only to learn that, without the abstraction the mathematics provided, some of those concepts were plain impossible to comprehend.


    Too bad merely experimenting on the idea would have likely killed me. I returned to the safe world of formulas and abstractions, once again hunting for a more generalized solution ¡ª


    Only for my thoughts to be interrupted when Maria burst into the dungeon, her clothes ripped and bloody, not even bothering to step down from her griffin. And, it was sooner than I expected.


    My eyes widened.


    It was clearly not good news.

 Chapter 123

    Watching Maria approach while carrying clear signs of battle damage, while Eleanor was absent, was not good news. However, as she approached closer, there was no grief on her face, which prevented my mind from going to the worst place.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± I asked as the griffin landed near, looking worse for wear.


    ¡°I- it¡¯s bad, I need mana,¡± she called. ¡°Quick!¡±


    My eyes widened as I quickly activated the crusher, glad that we were prepared for this exact eventuality. Only when she was at the center of the flow, pulling the mana in rapidly, I questioned her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Her expression turned grim. ¡°The dungeon is already breached, and the gate you discovered isn¡¯t the only one. We¡¯re cut from every direction, and¡­¡±


    ¡°And, what?¡± I asked, realizing it must be something really intense to make her hesitate like that.


    ¡°Ascended warriors, multiple of them,¡± she said. I tensed up. Ascended, meaning above hundred. I had no idea how strong they were, but I wasn¡¯t willing to risk it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I managed to take down their mounts,¡± she said. ¡°Even if they could replace them easily, we have enough time to evacuate the town into the dungeon.¡±


    I paused, realizing that she was about to leave. ¡°Are you needed outside?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There might be other dangers,¡± she said.


    ¡°True, but those ascended warriors would eventually arrive here, and we can¡¯t hold them on the first floor.¡±


    She looked at me, looking disappointed. ¡°You can¡¯t ask us to escape. Not after everything. We have thousands ¡ª¡±


    I interrupted her, appreciating the concern she was showing. ¡°No, the opposite,¡± I said. ¡°What if we can change the destination of the entrance? Do you think it¡¯ll be easier to defend against them on the fifth floor, with their weapons and armor getting damaged every second?¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°You want to push for a decisive battle.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s the best option, right? No need to bring thousands that couldn¡¯t even slow them down. Or trying to escape, only to end up in a hopeless chase through wilderness that we would eventually fail.¡±


    Not to mention, I felt responsible. I remembered the panicked way Thomas reacted once I killed that mage who had been trying to break the dungeon. The sudden appearance of warriors who could have dealt with us with ease didn¡¯t feel like something Thomas could mobilize on his own.


    It looked like I had poked the beehive.


    ¡°It¡¯s too risky,¡± she countered.


    ¡°Riskier than trying to fight ascended warriors on equal footing?¡± I asked. She looked like she wanted to say yes, but she could not. ¡°Fine,¡± she said even as she looked at me. ¡°Sit down. I¡¯ll guide you based on what I have understood.¡±


    ¡±Good,¡± I said as I crouched down as she had requested, focusing on the center of the orb created by my Meditation skill. ¡°I can feel the connection through Meditation,¡± I said.


    ¡°You can?¡± she said. ¡®There¡¯s nothing about that in the notebook.¡±


    ¡°Check my notes,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s a tesseract ¡ª¡± she started, then gasped.


    ¡°Not those, and not now,¡± I said as I ripped the papers from her hand. ¡°One potentially deadly experiment at a time!¡±


    ¡°But, what you have written there ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Completely theoretical, and potentially enough to evaporate you from the face of the earth if there¡¯s a mistake about the theory. The idea that the same pattern of behavior works just as well in the fourth dimension is just a raw theory!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. She put her notes down, and instead focused on the others. Her expression of surprise wasn¡¯t any less than the previous notes. ¡°You want to further stabilize the connection,¡± she said.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Makes sense for an emergency attempt. Everything in his notes is based on the idea of breaking the dungeon entrance before cutting the connection. We don¡¯t have the luxury.¡±


    ¡°But, what if it turns permanent?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°We can think about it then. Please, just make sure the process is internally consistent, and won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Silence ruled as she went through my notes. I looked at the horizon where people were entering the dungeon in a hurry. Only when they stopped did Eleanor arrive, her armor carrying several black patches like she had been subjected to flame attacks.


    ¡°The idea seems consistent. It won¡¯t kill you, as far as I can tell,¡± she admitted, showing her reluctance.


    ¡°Good, then, guide me,¡± I said even as I closed my eyes.


    ¡°Focus on the connection,¡± she said. ¡°It must be a weak, fragile link. Try to reinforce it slowly with your ¡­ Health is probably the better option for what you are trying to do.¡± Then, her hand landed on the back of my head. ¡°Just one point, nothing more!¡± she added. ¡°I need to see there¡¯s no adverse effect.¡±


    The link wasn¡¯t weak or fragile like she described, but I didn¡¯t exactly have a point of comparison. Either way, following her clues was a good idea. I did, pushing a sole point of Health through the connection.


    [-1 Health]


    In response, the dungeon around me ¡­ pulsated. ¡°Did you feel that?¡± I said.


    ¡°Feel what?¡± she said.


    ¡°The dungeon, it shifted,¡± I said. ¡°Or, was it just my perception?¡±


    ¡°Probably the latter,¡± she said. I felt her mana exploring my body. I could have pushed it out despite the great difference in stats, but I let her. ¡°There¡¯s no side effects that I can feel. Another point,¡± she followed.


    We repeated the same trick five times before I interrupted her. ¡°We probably need to be faster,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want to hurry a potentially dangerous process, but the idea of fighting against people who actually intimidated her on a battlefield was even less palatable.


    ¡°Fine. Ten points, nothing more,¡± she said.


    [-10 Health]


    This time, I felt a shift in my body. It was weak, almost impossible to detect, but my mana got ¡­ slower.


    Dirtier.


    It was a subtle, but familiar feeling. I had no doubt that, if I hadn¡¯t forged tens of thousands of pieces of equipment, each carrying the properties of anti-corrosion, I would have missed it.


    ¡°I can feel something shifting. The dungeon energies are getting more familiar,¡± I said. As much as I wanted to keep it a secret to keep her from worrying, considering her current role, it was a very unwise idea.


    ¡°How so?¡± she said. I briefly explained the details. ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± she asked. ¡°I won¡¯t blame you if you change your mind.¡±


    I pushed more of my Health through connection as an answer.


    [-20 Health]


    ¡°I get it,¡± she said as her grip tightened. ¡°But, I¡¯d prefer less dramatic answers next time,¡± she warned.


    ¡°Noted,¡± I said, unable to help but chuckle. It felt somewhat hysteric. The experiment was similar to what I had pulled with Meditation, but there, I had at least had the response from the System, confirming that I was on the right path.


    The thing with the dungeon didn¡¯t seem to register on the System.


    Under her guidance, we repeated the same process with mana, until we turned it into an alternating pattern of Health and mana, which seemed to work the best. I could feel the connection getting stronger.


    No, stronger was the wrong word. The connection had been plenty strong already, whether due to my misguided forestation project or the absurd number of boss crystals I consumed, I didn¡¯t know. But, the connection turned more focused, like an old TV, with reception getting clearer as one adjusted the antenna.


    ¡°I think we need to use the Epic variants for mana and Health,¡± I suddenly said.


    ¡°You sure?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded. ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe, but the connection is more conceptual than I had expected. And, the denser variants have more ... Conceptual weight.¡±


    ¡°For a professor, you enjoy throwing around words without truly understanding their meaning,¡± she grumbled. I wanted to say she was wrong, but I could not. She was right, after all. I just chuckled. ¡°Fine, try it,¡± she said.


    I did so, and the connection got even stronger in my mind. Consequently, I could feel my Health and Mana getting even dirtier with the concept of corrosion.


    The risk was obvious. The dungeon was dangerous. I wondered if I could have dared to establish such a connection if it wasn¡¯t for the feeling about the dungeons. If the system was a game ¡ª a deadly, aggressive game with horrible consequences ¡ª then the dungeons were its tutorials.


    Equally inefficient, aggressive, and horrible. Fitting.


    I was aware that the connection could easily kill me. Somehow creating a connection with an external object that seemed to cover hundreds of square miles was intimidating.


    It was ironic that, even when facing that idea, I was more afraid of releasing discoveries publicly. Human nature was scarier than the potentially deadly eldritch construct that seemed to operate in its dangerous but rigid rules.


    As we repeated our process, things shifted. I could feel my body change, but it paled in comparison to the other changes. I had a certain awareness of the dungeon, with some aspects being easy to change. ¡°Is the evacuation complete?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Maria replied. ¡°Eleanor has walked in with the rest of the guards.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said, and sent a mental command. One that came as easy as breathing. She gasped. I didn¡¯t need to open my eyes to know, but I still did, and saw the gate was gone.


    Victory. However, no matter how much I wanted to smile, I could not.


    As, not only did the connection with the dungeon feel irreversible, but a deep exhaustion settled over me the moment I changed the location of the gate.

 Chapter 124

    Maria looked at me, her concern clear, so I forced a smile on my face. ¡°Success,¡± I said, trying not to show my exhaustion too much.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s still not too late. We can find a way to¡ª¡± she started.


    I cut her off. ¡°No need, everything is perfect,¡± I said. ¡°We have done this for a reason. Now, why don¡¯t you go and talk with Eleanor before they start panicking about the disappearance of the gate,¡± I said.


    ¡°And, where did it go?¡± she asked. ¡°Closed?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± I said. ¡°I just shifted it to the fifth floor, so if they try to enter, they will end up in the middle of the swamp. Hopefully, the mist and the corrosion aura would slow them down and give us a chance to attack.¡± She opened her mouth, her curiosity obvious. But, she managed to hold herself back when I raised my hand. ¡°Talk with Eleanor first while I catch my breath¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you alright,¡± she asked again.


    ¡°Good, just exhausted,¡± I muttered even as I took a step toward the nearest rock, which turned into a stumble. The exhaustion must be worse than I realized. Maria still looked worried. "Don¡¯t worry. I have felt the same when I pushed myself using Meditation,¡± I said to her.


    Her expression showed that it was not the best explanation. ¡°You almost killed yourself while playing with Meditation. Was that supposed to make me feel better?¡±


    ¡°Not that time,¡± I said. ¡°I tried to reverse the flow when I almost killed myself. Exhaustion was from when I experimented on ways to push it further.¡±


    She looked even more worried.


    I paused for a moment, realizing that I wasn¡¯t making a particularly compelling case by listing all the different ways I hurt myself while experimenting with Meditation. ¡°Please,¡± I added. ¡°I just need a minute to rest. I can always signal to you if I need you to return urgently.¡±


    It didn¡¯t prevent her from putting her hand on my temples and sending another wave of mana through my body. In any other situation, it would have been rude, but I could see that she did it from a place of care, so I held my tongue. She pulled back, her frustrated silence showing that she wasn¡¯t able to find anything. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a minute. Do nothing,¡± she warned.


    I chuckled even as I waved at her, and watched her fly away faster than I had ever seen her.


    Despite everything, it was good to have friends that worried about me.


    I closed my eyes for a moment as I sat on the rock. Not to meditate, as the last thing I wanted was to activate a skill as the exhaustion washed over me. No, I just wanted to catch my breath ¡­ though even that was a bit of a misnomer.


    The type of exhaustion I felt had no physical implications. I felt like I could run for hours, and work on the forge even longer. But, the prospect of using Meditation to refresh my mana felt like an impossible chore.


    I wanted to call it mental exhaustion, but it wasn¡¯t exactly that either. I was familiar with that, often when I locked myself in an office to deal with a particularly complicated problem. It left me feeling depleted and exhausted, but what I was feeling seemed to be something more fundamental.


    I wondered whether it was more about the bond itself, or if changing the gate took more from me. Though, my curiosity wasn¡¯t enough to make me repeat the attempt, not before I started to feel better.


    If I started to feel better.


    I took deep breaths, wishing that the situation allowed me to sleep. Unfortunately, that was not exactly an option under the circumstances. We would still be attacked soon, and even with all the advantages afforded by the fifth floor, what awaited us was not an easy battle.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I wished that I could just remove the gate and turn the dungeon into some kind of a secret demesne, but the brief impression I got when I switched the door told me that it was impossible.


    As I pondered on that, Maria returned, accompanied by Eleanor. ¡°Are you alright? You look terrible?¡± Eleanor greeted.


    I chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good yourself. Did someone pay you to swipe a chimney?¡±


    Eleanor turned to Maria. ¡°He must be in a really bad state to make such a horrible joke,¡± she said.


    ¡°What a burn,¡± I chuckled, looking at the state of her armor as I did that. It was easy to make those jokes with her state being that strong.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°Better now that I was able to catch my breath. The exhaustion is here, but it¡¯s not getting worse. I feel like it¡¯s about changing the location of the dungeon gate rather than our meddling with the connection itself. Feels like it impacts the body exactly the way Meditation does.¡±


    ¡°Directly in the soul?¡± Maria said, looking alarmed.


    I paused. ¡°Soul?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s common knowledge, right?¡± Maria said. ¡°Meditation has nothing to do with the body. Ergo, it¡¯s done by the soul.¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes,¡± I agreed, swallowing about a hundred arguments I was ready to deliver about the existence of the soul, especially when it came to such a simplistic conclusion regarding it, but I held back. It was a fun discussion to have when we had hours to kill, not when we were trying to come up with emergency plans to defend ourselves against a potentially overwhelming enemy. ¡°We better decide on what to do. Unless, of course, we think that the fifth floor will be enough to dissuade them from attacking.¡±


    Their matching frowns answered my rhetorical question. ¡°If it was a raid for profit, it would have,¡± Eleanor started.


    ¡°But, you don¡¯t deploy ascended warriors to make a profit,¡± Maria completed. ¡°Not to a location like this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It takes a fortune to make someone ascend, and sending them to battle leaves them vulnerable to enemy assassinations. Also¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know why, but some ascended are reluctant to act while others are happy to fight every day,¡± Eleanor added. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between ascension methods, but we don¡¯t know much. They keep that information secret.¡±


    ¡°I thought your family had ascended people,¡± I asked.


    ¡°We do,¡± Maria admitted. ¡°But, my situation is a bit complicated. They are not exactly lining up to reveal secrets,¡± she admitted, then made a general gesture. I nodded, understanding her point. If it wasn¡¯t for her ¡®complicated¡¯ situation, she wouldn¡¯t have been on the outskirts, trying to operate a low-grade dungeon in the first place after reaching her level limit.


    ¡°So, the ascended warriors are here for revenge, meaning I have screwed up royally when I killed that mage,¡± I said.


    ¡°No,¡± Maria said. ¡°The fact that they deployed someone like that alone means that eventually, they would have deployed similar forces. At least, this way, we¡¯re not caught surprised.¡±


    I appreciated her statement, even though it was not an honest assessment of the situation. ¡°Well, let¡¯s look at the positive,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s one?¡± Eleanor asked, chuckling.


    ¡°Of course. Intentional or not, we crossed the Rubicon. At this point, we are committed to defending ourselves, which means there¡¯s no point hiding every little secret.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Eleanor said.


    I paused. ¡°First, a question. What¡¯s the force any of the city lords could send to such a distant location without risking a potential attack from their opponents,¡° I said.


    Maria paused. ¡°Tough call,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sure, if they are determined, they can easily mobilize a dozen ascended mages and warriors, something like a couple thousand elites without risking themselves. Maybe more. I¡¯m not exactly familiar with the highest echelons of power.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bit more than I had expected, but still. Do you think they would commit to it if there was a risk of losing that force?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she replied quickly. ¡°Especially not to a mana-dead location where most of the advantages of their ascended mages would be blunted. No matter what, it¡¯s not a small commitment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our silver lining,¡± I said, unable to hold back a smile. ¡°If we can defeat a force that has already committed multiple ascended warriors, it¡¯ll be enough to signal to them that tangling with us is not a safe idea. Especially since they have to travel a long distance and leave themselves exposed to attacks from the other forces.¡±


    Maria looked excited at my description, quick to realize the advantages of the situation, as we had discussed several ways to leverage the excess metal production into a mini-industrial revolution.


    Eleanor didn¡¯t seem to be as quick. ¡°Would no longer hiding everything really matter that much,¡± she asked, dubious.


    Maria answered faster than me. ¡°Oh, believe me. It¡¯ll be a game changer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to get excited, but first, we need to go to the fifth floor,¡± I reminded them as I prepared to jump, but even the attempt to mobilize my Health to use the Fleeting Step sent a stab of pain through my whole being. A gasp escaped my mouth.


    ¡°It looks like someone has to carry me,¡± I admitted, unable to prevent my blush.


    Asking for a piggyback ride was a rather undignified request, but the situation was too urgent to allow pride to rule me.


    As much as I wanted to blame Eleanor and Maria for their chuckles, I could not.

 Chapter 125

    As we moved around on the fourth floor, I said nothing other than pointing directions, which was only partially about the undignified nature of my current transportation.


    It was more about getting a sense of my new connection with the dungeon. Just the act of passing through the dungeon gate had turned into an adventure that was hard to describe. There was the usual sense of weightlessness, but there was more as well.


    As I shifted floors, I realized that I had some kind of connection with the floor than the dungeon. It wasn¡¯t very intense, even the barest hint required my full focus, and processing that information was equally challenging.


    But, as we reached my fourth-floor base, some of the details were obvious. The sensation from the floor I was currently on was the most intense, while the sensation from the other floors was muted. Yet, even muted, the sensation of people using gates was one I could identify.


    Now that I was on the fourth floor, it was hard to distinguish whether that movement was on the third floor or the second one, but knowing I would feel any possible interloper on the fifth floor felt promising.


    Assuming, of course, they didn¡¯t have a way to block it, which was not out of the question.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan,¡± Maria asked once we arrived at my base.


    ¡°I think I can feel them entering through the gate, but I¡¯m not a hundred percent sure,¡± I admitted. ¡°I think the first thing we need to do is to discuss the capabilities of the ascended warriors,¡± I said. ¡°That way, I can contribute to the situation.¡±


    Eleanor paused. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to define them as ¡­ better in everything,¡± she admitted. ¡°Their stats are more effective, their external attacks are stronger be it vitality-based or mana-based, and even their skills are better.¡±


    ¡°An all-around improvement,¡± I said, frowning. It was not exactly good news. ¡°When you say their external attacks are stronger, do you mean similar to Epic skills?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Maria answered. ¡°The denseness of an Epic skill comes from the way the mana is folded and structured. The ascended people just have ¡­ a different kind of Health and Mana.¡±


    ¡°Superior?¡± I asked.


    Eleanor nodded while Maria shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s superior, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eleanor questioned, looking at Maria.


    ¡°Well, before I started working with Devon, I would have called it simply superior as well, but it¡¯s not as simple. Their mana is certainly more impactful, but also less flexible.¡±


    ¡°Less flexible like solid?¡±


    ¡°No. You would have defined it as higher viscosity,¡± Maria corrected. ¡°It¡¯s still flexible, but it feels more determined to stay liquid rather than shifting between gas and liquid. Also, it feels harder to transform,¡± She added, blushing. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not an ideal description.¡±


    I waved my hand. ¡°You watched them in a battle. It¡¯s not fair to expect you to have a perfect analysis report,¡± I said. Unfortunately, the practical implications of that information were limited. ¡°What about the practical side of things? Is it too different from the Epic variant?¡±


    ¡°More potent but less flexible,¡± she admitted. ¡°But, the quality doesn¡¯t look the same between different users. But, as long as I can replenish my mana, I think I can defeat one of them easily. Maybe two of them.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the class difference,¡± I asked. Maria nodded proudly. ¡°Good news,¡± I said. ¡°We already have the vision advantage, and it¡¯s far stronger on the fifth floor. Hopefully, they won¡¯t come with a counter to corrosion effect, and we can deal with them.¡±


    ¡°Do we need to discover the gate,¡± Eleanor asked. ¡°If so, we need to start moving.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    It was a good question. I closed my eyes, and focused on the connection once more. This time, I didn¡¯t focus on the movement, but on the floor underneath us ¡ª assuming that it was actually underneath, which it might not have been.


    ¡°Give me a minute,¡± I said instead. ¡°I think I can feel the location of the gates.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Maria requested. Eleanor clearly had the same idea.


    I did my best to give them an assuring smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Now that I rested, I¡¯m feeling better,¡± I said. It was an exaggeration to say that I was feeling better, but at this point, we couldn¡¯t afford to wait. The moment I bonded with the dungeon, retreat stopped being an option.


    And, the situation in the dungeon was a siege. An unconventional one, maybe, but still a siege, and their attempt to breach the defenses was our greatest advantage. We couldn¡¯t afford to delay reinforcing that point just to keep me safe.


    I nodded before I closed my eyes, pushing deeper into the connection. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. In a way, it was like trying to play with a poor VR set, causing dizziness more than anything.


    My awareness of my immediate surroundings faded, replaced by an abstract sense of the dungeon. I could feel all five floors at once, each with a different intensity ¡­ almost a different taste.


    I pushed some more, and that abstract awareness turned into something more real. I could feel every single gate connecting the floors ¡­ not only that, but also the energy flowing between them. The tainted energy circulated inside the dungeon, going between the floors.


    The moment I focused on the energy, I could feel that it was something that the dungeon treated as hostile ¡­ no, not hostile, I corrected, but something to deal with.


    However, it wasn¡¯t the only thing that was going on. The tainted energy came from the gate leading outside, while the mana entered the dungeon from the certain nodes on the fifth floor, rotating in the dungeon.


    It was an early, weak conclusion solely based on nebulous feeling, but I had a feeling that, by opening the gate on the fifth floor, I had interrupted something critical in the way the dungeon functioned. As if I had closed the air intake valve for a mine, which interrupted the breeze that was needed to let out the methane.


    However, it was just an impression. I was careful not to make any rapid judgment.


    Having a direct connection with the dungeon was an interesting thing, giving me an instinctual understanding of what was going on inside just like how people had an understanding of their bodies. But, just like our bodies, I couldn¡¯t be sure the instinctual feedback I had received was correct.


    There was a reason it took thousands of years for medicine to develop. We couldn¡¯t trust every sensory feedback.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean I needed to ignore and write them off either, certainly not during an emergency. I still wanted to shift the dungeon entrance back to the first floor as soon as possible, as when in doubt, maintaining the status quo was the smarter short-term solution most of the time.


    Then, just as I focused on the fifth floor to pinpoint the location of the new gate, I noticed something interesting.


    The corrosion.


    Up until now, I had always assumed that the corrosion was just a side effect of the tainted energy, a hostile part of the dungeons like the creatures ¡­ but it was not. Nor was mana its source.


    It was hard to describe, but I could feel the way the flow moved. It felt like an inherent part of the dungeon, one that seemed to be breaking down what we called tainted energy. Unfortunately, it was once again a brief sensation more than anything else, meaning I couldn¡¯t be sure that what I felt was accurate.


    Understanding the process was even more of a pipe dream, at least in the short term.


    I ignored both, and focused on the gates, trying to feel their positions.


    The fifth floor was huge, almost a hundred-mile radius ¡­ which I found absurd even with everything else that came along with the System, but since we were under an imminent siege, I had to focus on the location of the gates.


    Which was easy to discover. The gate leading outside was in the middle of the wilderness, almost ten miles away from the nearest gate, which was apparent on the map I had drawn on the ground.


    ¡°That looks far away. We need to move before they enter,¡± she started.


    ¡°We do,¡± I answered. ¡°I feel like I can open another gate near them, but ¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not sure whether you can close it on time,¡± she added.


    I nodded. ¡°It looks like a risky experiment to avoid traveling a few miles through the swamp.¡±


    ¡°Should we bring some of the guards?¡± Eleanor asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I responded. ¡°I expect they will lead with the ascended, and considering the way we fight, their presence will make little difference. It¡¯s better to let them level up.¡± I was reluctant to use anyone as sacrificial lambs, but it was not why I said that.


    For what was about to come, their presence would be a hindrance.


    At least, for the first wave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Eleanor said, but I gestured for her to wait, and started to pile all of my available metal that could resist the corrosion of the fifth floor into a cart, which was more than a hundred metric tons, some shaped into simple a form, some as a raw pile. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡± she gasped.


    ¡°Why waste the opportunity to properly reinforce the entrance,¡± I responded, my smile wide despite my exhaustion.

 Chapter 126

    When I stepped on the fifth floor, the first thing that greeted me was ¡­ homecoming. At least, it felt like that. It was not something I expected to feel in a dungeon, particularly at its most hostile location. Yet, I did.


    I closed my eyes, and made a pushing gesture before I removed my filter. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Eleanor asked, looking shocked.


    ¡°I can remove it as well,¡± I told her. ¡°I can ¡­ control the corrosion aura,¡± I said, feeling fascinated. It was a weird sensation. In a way, it felt like controlling mana, but slightly wilder. I wasn¡¯t suddenly controlling all of it, but my immediate surroundings were different.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± Maria asked.


    I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re not exactly in a position where we can be careful,¡± I responded. ¡°Not with the enemy we¡¯re about to face. How much time do we have?¡±


    ¡°An hour? Two at most?¡± Maria said. ¡°Even if they don¡¯t replace their mounts, they can just run here.¡¯


    ¡°Exactly ¡ª¡± I started, only to pause.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°We need to set the crusher,¡± I said hurriedly. ¡°Maybe even some defenses.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Because I can feel at least twenty boss monsters rushing toward us, and they seem agitated,¡± I said. ¡°They clearly don¡¯t like my presence.¡±


    ¡°Twenty?¡± Eleanor said. ¡°That¡¯s a bit much, even for us, right?¡±


    ¡°Not that much,¡± I said. ¡°They won¡¯t arrive together. We¡¯ll have several seconds between each arrival, which will give us time to deal with them,¡± I said. ¡°If we didn¡¯t have Maria with us, however, things would have been much harder. It looks like taking over a dungeon is more challenging.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should go back, and let the invaders deal with the boss monsters. It¡¯ll soften them up, and if we can pin them down between the boss monsters and the gate between the fourth and fifth floor¡­¡±


    ¡°Tempting, but I don¡¯t want them getting the crystals. It was not fun when Maria tried to connect with the dungeon, and I don¡¯t want them to repeat it.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Eleanor said, then paused. ¡°Also, there¡¯s no guarantee that they would find the gate we¡¯re waiting for them at. Things can get really bad if they pick an alternative direction. What are you going to do with the crystals?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll absorb them. For better or worse, the connection between me and the dungeon feels final. It feels like reinforcing it is a better idea than just letting it grow on its own, right?¡± I replied as I finished setting up the steam-powered crusher for Maria to replenish her mana quickly, though it took some of my reserves.


    However, setting it meant I had to spend some mana, which I was reluctant to do, as I didn¡¯t know if I could use Meditation to replenish it.


    [-45 Mana]


    My eyes widened when I checked my mana reserves.


    [Mana 210/210]


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°My mana,¡± I responded. ¡°It replenished instantly once I used it.¡±


    ¡°Because of the dungeon connection?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°Most likely,¡± I responded. Suddenly having unlimited mana sounded like an excellent advantage, but I was still afraid of the side effects. ¡°But, focus. The first monster will be here in a minute.¡±


    She nodded, and we turned toward the boss monsters. The battle that followed was ¡­ boring, not that I was complaining.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Attacked by twenty dungeon bosses in less than ten minutes would have been a very dangerous siege if Maria hadn''t been able to take them down easily with one spell, making the process far easier. Thinking about the implications of my connection was far more stressful.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, for now,¡± I said as I absorbed the last crystal, once again quickly piled everything into the cart, which was being pulled by a steam engine.


    ¡°For now?¡± Eleanor asked, surprised.


    ¡°I can feel even more dungeon bosses moving toward us, but they are quite some distance away. Only two should arrive before we reach the gate, so moving to set the defenses is the better option.¡±


    Eleanor nodded as she helped me pile everything up on the cart, and then we started to wade through the corrosive mist.


    As we moved, Maria approached. ¡°So, you have infinite mana?¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said even as I raised my spear and used a few mana attacks. The notification of mana dropping appeared repeatedly, but my mana never dropped. ¡°It feels more like my mana is being replenished immediately after it¡¯s used. I¡¯m probably pulling from the dungeon reserves.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± she said. ¡°Can you still use Meditation?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let me see,¡± I said as I paused for a moment, closed my eyes, and meditated.


    It was the biggest mistake of my life. A pain hit me, with an intensity that I had never felt before, invading my whole being. A part of me realized that I was drowning as I thrashed, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a big problem.


    No, it felt like a solution. Instead of feeling that pain, I would much rather die. Unfortunately, a pair of arms tried to pull me from the water to stop it, one that stopped just as quickly as they flew away. Yet, I found myself floating ¡­


    I could hear shouts and cries ¡­ but they faded a long time later.


    What replaced it was¡­ A dream? A vision? A new reality? I didn¡¯t know which. All I knew was that I stood at the edge of a giant mountain, looking at a battlefield.


    The sky itself was torn apart, and great monsters spilled through it. Monsters so horrendous, even the largest, most dangerous monster I had fought was nothing against them. Those creatures radiated something alien, something that could best be described as the antithesis of life.


    Darkness. Madness. Evil. Chaos. I had no idea what to call it. All of them fit equally. Or, maybe, didn¡¯t.


    The planet itself was an alien entity, one that was filled with an aura of decay so thick that it should have evaporated me immediately. Yet, it did not. Instead, it was a part of my breathing. I raised my hand, only to see a chitinous carapace rather than an arm.


    It should have scared me, but it did not, not when I looked down, seeing an army of insectoids. They weren¡¯t like dungeon creations, reckless and mindless. What I saw was an army that wielded the decay energy with impossible precision as they defended themselves against the entities of darkness that tried to invade them.


    A hopeless battle, with the remnants of a once-great civilization in ruins around them, their magic ineffective against the wave of darkness, the creatures endless and overwhelming at once.


    One insect stood tall among the others, tall enough to be a skyscraper, its carapace filled with intricate golden and silver patterns. Yet, it didn¡¯t move like a monster, but carried a staff on each of its four arms, glowing intensely.


    Unlike the other attacks, every blast of light from its staff took down one of the invading beings, but their numbers were endless.


    Tens of thousands of insectoid warriors swarmed against the monsters, their exoskeletons gleaming under the strange light of the torn sky. They were disciplined, their movements precise as they formed ranks, their shields raised and weapons ready.


    Despite that, I could feel a desperation in their stance. Every single one of them knew the hopelessness of the battle, yet they fought as their lines were overwhelmed by the endless monster waves, their numbers endless. The insectoid army got smaller and smaller, and the very land started to collapse against the weight of the darkness.


    Soon, the giant insectoid was the only one left, yet it wielded the very concept of decay to the limit. With each movement, with every sweep of its staffs, everything around it corroded...


    Until it fell as well. The planet I was on shattered, and I floated with that piece. Then, that piece was captured by something and ¡­ disappeared. I found myself floating in nothingness. The vision was gone, leaving only pain behind.


    I wanted to die ¡­ but a stubborn part of me refused it. I could not. Why, I didn¡¯t understand. But, I could not.


    I didn¡¯t know how long the pain lasted. My best guess was months. Maybe years. My eyes were blurred with pain, but I managed to read something despite that.


    A notification, my mind supplied.


    [Cleansing Meditation (Uncommon) 134 -> Meditation of Decay (Mythic) 100]


    When I opened my eyes, I found myself looking at Maria and Eleanor, their faces filled with worry. ¡°H-how long?¡±


    ¡°How long what?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°How long was I unconscious for?¡± I asked, my voice surprisingly smooth.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Maria said. ¡°You were walking, then you suddenly started to thrash. Ten seconds?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I muttered as I pulled myself onto my feet, expecting myself to be hurting badly. But, there was no pain. ¡°I think I have just upgraded a skill above Legendary,¡± I muttered. I wanted to smile at their astonished expression, but even the memory of that pain was too strong.


    ¡°Really?¡± Maria asked, shocked.


    ¡°Yes. But, I can¡¯t recommend repeating the process. It¡¯s not a fun experience. At all,¡± I muttered as I stood up. ¡°We still have a siege to deal with,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you¡ª¡± they started simultaneously, but I cut them off.


    ¡°Yes. I need a distraction,¡± I said, determined.

 Chapter 127

    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 ¡ª¡± 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 ¡ª¡± 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 ¡ª¡± I started, only to suddenly wave my hand reflexively. Suddenly, one gate split into two, three hundred feet apart.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°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 ¡ª¡± 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.

 Chapter 128

    I nodded at Eleanor, and with the signal we both rushed forward while Maria used the crusher to replenish her mana. She only needed a few seconds to replenish her reserves, but the three ascended we faced were more than fast enough to take advantage of it if we didn¡¯t slow them down.


    The idea of facing even one ascended warrior was a scary idea, let alone three. Luckily, we didn¡¯t need to actually fight with them. Just delaying them for a few seconds, until Maria could replenish her mana, was a valuable strategic objective.


    Especially since they were busy trying to return through the dungeon gate after having met an uncomfortable environment, only to realize that it was not an option.


    It cost them a dangerous second.


    My hammer was glowing with all the mana I could channel ¡ª which was unfortunately still limited by my Essence ¡ª as I caught up to the first one, and brought it down.


    [-210 Mana]


    His reaction speed was incredible. Even as I burst out of the mist, which he could only see three yards through, he still managed to twist and react. My hammer landed on his shoulder, and his blade landed on my chest. My hammer strike, even at full strength, didn¡¯t manage to damage him a lot. His attack, on the other hand, sent me away flying.


    Unfortunately for him, I had two advantages. One, the disparity in equipment was as wide as our power. More importantly, as I was delivering the mana attack, my mana transformed into the aura of decay. His ascended Health was strong enough to deal with it.


    His armor wasn¡¯t as lucky.


    Meanwhile, Eleanor was more successful than I was, able to parry the attack against her. I righted myself even as I hit the water hard, and dodged the next attack by moving away. ¡°Stop running, rat,¡± he growled.


    Unfortunately for him, that was all he was able to say. That exchange was all Maria needed to replenish her Health. The flash of a fire attack was all that was needed to evaporate him, his ascended nature wasted.


    Showing what a dangerous world we live in.


    The one that was tangled with Eleanor was unable to retreat, while the third one proved to be faster, running to the opposite side. Unfortunately for him, I was able to chase him, especially since the mist didn¡¯t hide him.


    Two hits from my spear were enough to destroy his armor and weapon, and the newly acquired decay attack was enough to deal with him. It was a fortunate benefit. Not worth the torture I had gone through to acquire it, but a silver lining was better than dark, suffocating clouds.


    With his equipment gone, he had two options. Either turn and fight, risking a quick death. Or escape, and risk a slow, torturous one as he ran to the fifth floor, the corrosive aura slowly burning him up.


    He chose the former, and proved that, even with his bare hands, an ascended warrior was very dangerous. A bare punch threw me back like a rag doll.


    But, it hurt far less than the flash of intense fire from Maria. Then, another. And, just like that, three ascended warriors, each dangerous enough to threaten a town in their lonesome, were gone.


    Eight still remained.


    I noticed Maria was flying toward the exit gate once more. ¡°Stop!¡± I called hurriedly.


    ¡°Why? We already dealt with three of them. We can destroy the rest!¡± Maria shouted, more angry than excited. I was guessing that she had a story with that frost mage.


    A story that was making her miss our great advantage. ¡°No. If you appear there alone, they will know that something is wrong, and that this is more than a desperate last stand,¡± I said. ¡°And, we certainly can¡¯t hunt them outside the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°What are we to do, then? Just wait?¡± she asked sarcastically, confirming my guess about personal hostility.


    ¡°Exactly that,¡± I said. ¡°They have sent the three ascended warriors to chase you, and they should be expecting them to have the absolute advantage since they didn¡¯t choose to return. We can deal with them at once.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Good point,¡± she admitted. ¡°Are they still approaching?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°They will be here in less than a minute. Let¡¯s take our positions.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she said, then paused. ¡°What was that attack?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s like the attack of the dungeon monsters, only better,¡± I said. ¡°Now that my connection with the dungeon is reinforced, I can impose a stronger variant of the corrosion aura to my attacks,¡± I explained, then paused, wondering if I could focus it even more.


    ¡°It was weird. It lingered out for a while before it dispersed. As if the dungeon doesn¡¯t absorb it back.¡±


    I paused, realizing that she was right. I had just missed that detail while being thrown like a toy, surviving only by the merit of my armor. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said as I rushed toward the gate they would arrive, raising my hand, the mana flowing out boundlessly.


    The dungeon wasn¡¯t absorbing it back, and the aura of decay stuck around at the entrance, but without my control, it was already dissipating. It was a devastating attack, one that was only possible to deliver under the very rare strategic conditions I had been dealing with.


    Including the gate allowing me to know exactly when to retreat.


    ¡°A question, is that frost mage ascended?¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, no,¡± Maria admitted. ¡°If he were, things wouldn¡¯t have gone that smoothly. He¡¯s an old enemy.¡±


    I would have loved to ask more questions, but there was no time. ¡°Two seconds,¡± I declared as I watched the other eight ascended and position themselves toward the entrance, while I stood in front of the metal bulwark, side by side with Eleanor.


    With the combined aura of decay and corruption, the eight ascended warriors had met with a very unfortunate situation. Their armor and weapons melted like they were made of ordinary iron dipped in sulfuric acid.


    Their bodies, with the assistance of their elevated effectiveness of Health, managed to resist it better, but it still caused some damage, enough to leave them vulnerable to Maria¡¯s attacks. With a burst of fire, one of them disappeared, making me very glad that I had picked the path of friendship with Maria.


    She was a good friend, an almost scary ally, and an absolutely terrifying enemy.


    Even with all their disadvantages, the ascended warriors rushed forward, realizing the precarious nature of their situation, with their possessions already destroyed.


    Eleanor was fast enough to dodge them in close quarters, while I stuck to my spear, maintaining the distance. Occasionally, an explosion would reduce their numbers, but at one moment, I rushed forward, my spear carrying the energy of decay.


    Just as the frost mage appeared at the gate.


    I knew that he was a dangerous enemy, but I also knew from experience that equipment played a big role when it came to the strength of a mage. One hit, along with the leftover aura of decay I had pumped, had been enough to destroy his armor.


    A good thing, as the immediate spell I received in response was devastating enough. I found myself frozen in the water. A desperate blast of decay aura destroyed the ice and I jumped away, just in time for a jagged blast of icicles to pass through where I was standing.


    But, that was all he was able to do before Maria flew toward him, her hands burning. ¡°Finally. You¡¯ll pay for your betrayal,¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Wait. I can ¡ª¡± he started as he flew away, but Maria had the decisive advantage. I prepared myself to rush forward ¡­ only to see another amazing sight. Eleanor, dancing between four ascended warriors, the mana from the crusher wrapping around her sword, increasing the devastation she delivered several times.


    It would still have been a desperate last stand followed by a defeat if it was a fair duel against any of them. That much was obvious. However, she was fighting against four barehanded naked warriors that had been softened by Maria¡¯s fire spells.


    The fate of the battle was inevitable.


    I rushed toward the gate, making sure to cut their path even if Eleanor failed to deal with them. The last thing we needed was one of them escaping.


    We couldn¡¯t let our enemy learn just how much of a close call our victory had been, and not just in terms of our most recent power-ups. If the enemy showed even a modicum of care while entering the dungeon rather than chasing us piecemeal, things might have been horribly different.


    Soon, Maria landed, a vicious smile on her face. ¡°Carla has been avenged?¡± she said, earning an equally vicious nod from Eleanor.


    ¡°What next?¡± Eleanor asked.


    Maria looked at me with hesitation. ¡°You¡¯re going to leave, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We have to,¡± she said. ¡°The fact that this bastard is working with Thomas is not good news. We need to go back to my family compound. It¡¯s not normal.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I nodded. I understood where she was coming from, and even if I didn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t like I could imprison her. And, I could sense her urgency. Also, it was a good time for her to leave, before the dungeon creatures spread too much to cut her path completely.


    ¡°But, before you do, I want you to promise something,¡± I added.


    ¡°Like you promised not to experiment on yourself.¡±


    Despite everything, I smiled. ¡°Hey, I fulfilled my promise and didn¡¯t experiment with Meditation before I received your approval.¡± Then, I looked at her seriously. ¡°I want you to travel in disguise, and if possible, don¡¯t go back before ascending.¡±


    ¡°But, what about the money ¡ª¡± Eleanor started.


    ¡°You can sell the spears and other equipment we forged. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll earn all you need and more.¡±


    Maria looked hesitant. ¡°But, your concerns about the city lords targeting you,¡± she asked.


    I chuckled as I glanced at the dungeon around me. ¡°I have a feeling that it won¡¯t be my biggest problem anymore,¡± I admitted. ¡°But, if you¡¯re worried, return as quickly as you can. I have a feeling that I will need a lot of reinforcements soon.¡± Then, I paused, thinking about how an organization would react to an unexpected but devastating loss of such a strong lineup. ¡°But, not too soon,¡± I added.

 Chapter 129

    Thirty minutes later, I was outside the dungeon, watching Eleanor and Maria disappear into the horizon. Eleanor was running, using the Floating Stride while also carrying a huge crate of equipment, while Maria sat on top of the crate, both wearing thick cloaks to hide their identity.


    Maria could have flown, but it would have made it difficult for them to hide.


    ¡°I just hope they stay safe,¡± I muttered as I glanced out, watching the way the flame monsters spread. Only twenty minutes had passed since the devastating battle against a full team of ascended, and the flame lizards had already spread enough to cover half of the horizon.


    Looking out, I wasn¡¯t sure whether their presence was a curse or a blessing. Yes, they would make the immediate surroundings extremely dangerous, but also it should make any scouting attempt far more dangerous.


    Especially since there was a considerable number of flying lizards at a distance, each larger than the boss monsters I had dealt with, making an aerial approach just as big of a challenge. I could see why they expected that dungeon to significantly hamper our development.


    Of course, my assassination had thrown everything out of whack.


    ¡°All that remains is to understand whether eleven ascended warriors represent a significant force for our enemies, or just a small assignment,¡± I muttered.


    Technically, there were two options. Either they represented a significant investment for the force I had managed to anger, preventing them from replicating a similar attack; or it was their attempt at gunboat diplomacy, and they still had a full fleet to take revenge for their inconsequential loss.


    I feared that the second was the case, mostly due to the combat potential they had displayed. Yes, they were ascended, with both their Health and their other stats functioning far better than I had expected, but from the way they fought, it was obvious that they had some of the most common fighting classes, and their skills weren¡¯t particularly impressive.


    Likely there was a reason for it. My research results regarding natural skill upgrades had already shown that there was a hidden variable that I had yet to identify when it came to natural skill upgrades, and it wasn¡¯t a stretch to assume that a similar ¡ª or the same ¡ª variable affected ascension, allowing weaker classes to ascend with a lower material cost, if not directly.


    Of course, it was nothing more than another wild theory among hundreds that needed validation at this moment.


    I walked forward, curious if there were any effects to me getting farther away from the dungeon gate.


    There was. I could feel my connection with the dungeon strain. It wasn¡¯t much, more similar to the strain of picking a half-empty water bottle more than anything, a strain that slowly got stronger as I walked further away.


    Surprisingly, the possibility of not leaving the dungeon didn¡¯t annoy me that much. With the most recent enemy I had created for myself, leaving the dungeon to travel wasn¡¯t on the plans for me anytime soon. Not when I had no idea about what magical methods they might have to follow me.


    I turned back, feeling the exhaustion.


    I was so glad that Eleanor visited the upper floors to explain the situation to them, meaning I didn¡¯t have to go and talk with them, leaving me free to work in solitude and understand what my newfound connection with the dungeon meant.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I stepped through the gate, once again finding myself on the fifth floor. A wave of my hand, and two gates appeared. Another wave and it went back to the first floor. Surprisingly, that didn¡¯t exhaust me. Maybe it was like the difference between pushing a boulder up a hill and rolling it down.


    I closed my eyes, focusing on the changes as it went back.


    The first change I caught was a flow. Something from outside entered the dungeon from the first floor. It wasn¡¯t the tainted energy, at least, not in the form that I interacted with it. It was the raw material the dungeon used to create the tainted energy, breaking it through the concept of corrosion to create the dungeon mist ¡­ but it felt like it mixed with another energy in the process.


    Dungeon mist turned into monsters, which then provided mana and tainted energy.


    I wondered if that raw form of energy would be more during the day. Based on the behavior of every other monster, I guessed that it would.


    ¡°It¡¯s like photosynthesis, with products we need to kill to work properly,¡± I muttered. I tried to understand the process. Of course, once again, my understanding was limited. Connection was like skills in that way, giving me the outcome, with no real information about the process behind it.


    I had a feeling that killing was not a necessary part of the process, but an arbitrary step that was included due to the warped nature of the System itself.


    I might be a bit biased on that.


    For once, I was too tired to feel enthusiastic about revealing the mysteries behind it. Instead, I went back slowly without bothering to gather the metal bulwark, killing a lot of insects on the way ¡ª a process that resulted in several new skill stones.


    To my surprise, Forge and Repair only went up until Common even when I piled the monsters together, while Meditation went up to Rare, though both were limited to ordinary variants.


    ¡°Finally,¡± I muttered once I returned to the fourth floor. While the corrosion started to feel far more comfortable since I had received my skill, it did nothing to make wading through a deep dead swamp while being sieged by monsters any easier. Once I went back to my fourth-floor base, I sat down. Not to explore the dungeon. Not to plan.


    Just to rest.


    I closed my eyes and crossed my legs, trying to calm down. It was hard. It was hard to believe that merely a full day had passed since we had received the warning from Rosie. The fight had been dangerous, but at this point, it was getting too common.


    Even the battle against ascended, though dangerous in theory, hadn¡¯t felt emotionally impactful, especially since I was confident that they wouldn¡¯t be sending more soon ¡ª and if they did, it wouldn¡¯t be weak enough for us to beat them, which was why I didn¡¯t argue with Maria to convince them to stay.


    None of them impacted me as much as the unintentional skill upgrade I had gone through. The pain alone was horrible, one that left surprisingly little impact. Having a meditation skill that could potentially absorb tainted energy alongside mana was beneficial, but I was afraid of the implications.


    It didn¡¯t feel like it was stronger than the other, more generic skills.


    I could feel the faint connection to the dungeon pulsing at the edge of my awareness as I breathed in and out. At this point, I didn¡¯t need to focus to feel it. The opposite, actually. I had to focus to ignore its presence.


    I took a deep breath, trying to calm down and focus ¡­ only to find myself focusing on the more immediate problems.


    Like leveling.


    ¡°I wonder what kind of class I would receive once I level up,¡± I wondered. I stood up and started walking around the base, hoping that the movement would help me to calm down slightly.


    It did not.


    I sighed, and changed my direction toward the forge. Since it didn¡¯t look like I could calm down, why not experiment on forging. However, as I stood in front of the forge, my fingers around the hammer trembled.


    I was afraid of pain.


    ¡°Come on, Devon. Take your medicine,¡± I muttered as I closed my eyes, trying to focus on the moment. I was afraid of the consequences, but there was nothing I could gain by avoiding it. I needed to see if I could still use Forge.


    Not to mention, with the dungeon suddenly dropping copies of my class skills, there was even more of an urgency to improve them.


    Too many lives depended on it.


    As much as I was afraid of experiencing the same extreme pain, I tightened the grip on my hammer.

 Chapter 130

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    Bringing down the hammer was a scary experience. I was tense, afraid of the pain that might arrive. Luckily, it was easier than facing my fear of flying. All I needed was to trigger the skill, and my hammer landed on the metal.


    I wasn¡¯t forging anything fancy. Just an ordinary iron dagger, but even as every blow helped it to bring to completion, my fear was in place. Only when it was completed, did I let out a relaxed sigh, enjoying the absence of pain.


    ¡°It went well,¡± I muttered as I examined the edge of the blade, stopping to appreciate my masterful craftsmanship. It was smooth, incredible, and utterly perfect. ¡°Enough to sell for at least five silver coins,¡± I muttered in amusement. Not that long ago, it represented a small treasure for me, and earning that amount would have been an incredible profit.


    And, now, I had a dungeon of my own and a provisional army, preparing to deal with dangers I couldn¡¯t properly foresee.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting how quickly things can change,¡± I muttered. I put the dagger to the side. The moment I took a step back, it started corroding, as it wasn¡¯t forged by dungeon products, and it was my presence that had been preventing its destruction.


    I sighed. Watching the dagger slowly corrode felt oddly poetic ¡­ in a pointlessly edgy artistic way. I wanted to sit down and rest, but I couldn¡¯t afford to, not when I had to deal with the management of the dungeon ¡­ and the absurd number of issues that came with it.


    There were the management issues that I had to deal with now that Maria and Eleanor were gone, the monsters outside the dungeon that were growing in numbers every minute and needed to be addressed, the concern regarding how to handle the sudden presence of skill stones such as Meditation and Forge, both rare to acquire in their own right, the improvement plan for the farmers, the possible retaliatory strikes from the enemy¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of work,¡± I grumbled as I grabbed another chunk of ore, and turned it into another dagger.


    [-10 Mana]


    [-10 Mana]


    [-10 Mana]


    [-10 Mana]


    [-10 Mana]


    Another success. This time, it was a mana alloy, but not the Epic variant. In that particular experiment, I decided to delay for the moment, as I needed to forge a lot of fire-resistant equipment to prepare for the intensity of the upcoming fire monsters.


    I didn¡¯t know what would happen when the monsters arrived at the dungeon entrance, but I much rather be prepared than the alternative.


    Now that my horrible exhaustion had recovered, I was able to run to the first floor with ease. I found Harold there, along with the other guards, defending the perimeter intensely. ¡°Sir,¡± he greeted me.


    ¡°Follow me to the third floor, and bring every guard there. It¡¯s time for a meeting,¡° I said.


    ¡°What about the security?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I replied. ¡°No one could come in and out without my notice so long as I keep my focus,¡± I said. He just nodded in acceptance, which surprised me. ¡°Really? You believe that. Just like that?¡± I said.


    ¡°Sir, merely half an hour ago, the gate had disappeared and reappeared again. What you say is not exactly a stretch.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± I answered with a chuckle. Just as I was about to lead them to the third floor, I decided to experiment. I closed my eyes and once again focused on my connection with the dungeon. Another gate appeared, this time leading directly to the first floor. ¡°Gather them quickly, I don¡¯t want to waste time,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said, looking even more impressed.


    I hadn¡¯t impulsively decided to show off. I wanted to give him a reminder of my power, which was a good way to assure him and the rest of the guards that all was well. I had read too much history to miss the importance of morale.


    Though, it was not just a tool of assurance, but also intimidation. One that was required as I was considering revealing my true class as a Blacksmith.


    I sighed, wishing that Maria or Eleanor were still here to discuss the idea. After finally having some peers to discuss my plans, going back to the silence of my head was not fun. Especially when it came to revealing my class.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    There were a lot of cultural expectations around classes, expectations that I was starting to suspect weren¡¯t all natural. But, regardless of its source, one thing was clear: people were set in their expectations and roles when it came to production classes. The moment I revealed it, I would open Pandora''s Box.


    Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t comfortable with the idea, but I felt that the moment the dungeon started creating Forge, Repair, and Meditation skills, hiding it from our enemies was likely impossible. I couldn¡¯t isolate the dungeon forever.


    The benefits of revealing my identity as a Blacksmith were significant, but so were the drawbacks. Admittedly, if hiding it from my enemies was still an option ¡ª which it no longer was considering the dungeon had started dropping Forge and Repair ¡ª I would have erred on the side of caution.


    I thought about actually trying to maintain a double identity, but I couldn¡¯t pull it off. I wasn¡¯t that good of an actor. I was able to convince everyone as ¡®Arthur¡¯ mostly because no one had interacted with me in my true identity other than a few dismissive talks before I ¡®died¡¯.


    ¡°At least there''re a lot of magnificent benefits,¡± I muttered. It was one thing to work alone, conducting every experiment alone, but potentially having hundreds of assistants to help me test my hypotheses ¡­ would be incredibly useful.


    Just by replicating the work I had done and handling the more common parts of my research, they would multiply my efficiency. More importantly, that was the smallest benefit they would provide.


    While I had made great progress during my expedition from a practical perspective, most of the practical benefits came from a few clever tricks that allowed me to upgrade my skills, which then allowed me to unlock the benefits of the dungeon.


    Essentially, I was not too different from a landowner who got rich because he discovered an oil field under his farm.


    Hopefully, once I had hundreds of people that I could work with, we could put together a more decent outline.


    Then, there was the issue of mass production. The current method I had was enough to supply the dungeon with medieval tech, but the same wasn¡¯t true if I wanted to start making something closer to modern.


    I needed that because the most recent battle had been an amazing wake-up call. My current skills allowed me to bring out the benefits of my class in an incredible way, allowing me to fight above my potential.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t that impressive in a practical sense when my combat potential was equivalent to that of a flyweight, and I fought against featherweights. Fighting against heavier weight classes was impressive, but not when the world had the equivalent super heavyweight boxers like Maria, able to literally evaporate me.


    ¡°Man, I¡¯m happy I didn¡¯t use that metaphor against her,¡± I muttered in amusement, knowing she wouldn¡¯t take being compared to a two-hundred-and-forty-pound man. Instead, I watched the guards pass through the gate.


    I doubted a comment about weights would have gone well.


    Unfortunately, the amusement I derived from the imaginary interaction wasn¡¯t enough to sustain my good mood when the implications of the last fight were significant. Not just in terms of fighting against the force behind Thomas, but more in general.


    What Maria ¡ª and her unfortunate rival ¡ª had shown had been incredible. Even on an extremely favorable battlefield, I would have failed against them in anything but outright assassination.


    And, they were not the strongest combatant the world had to offer. Not even close.


    I needed to change my way of thinking. Modern weaponry was tempting. Unfortunately, unless I came up with some incredible adjustments, most of the small weapons that changed the modern battlefield, from machine guns to artillery, weren''t exactly effective. With everyone having Health, their area effectiveness wasn¡¯t as high, and their lack of mobility was deadly in a world where people could fly and turn invisible while also easily dealing damage that would be measured in kilotons.


    I needed something armored, mobile, yet hard-hitting. Or, in other words, tanks.


    Unfortunately, such a device was filled with complications. Just the material alone was prohibitive. Every tank alone would require somewhere between fifty to a hundred tons of metal, enough to make tens of thousands of swords.


    And, considering all the effects, making it from ordinary alloys was not feasible. Mana alloys were required at a minimum, but Epic alloys would be better. Alone, it was impossible.


    But, it might be different if I had hundreds of people to assist me, especially if we could put together a decent production line together.


    My thoughts were interrupted again when the guards finished passing through the gate. Only Harold was left, but I gestured for him to stop. For all intents and purposes, he was my second-in-command, and I didn¡¯t want to ambush him with it, no matter how starved of time I was.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said.


    I took a deep breath, trying to find the best way, before I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s about my class. I¡¯m about to reveal that I¡¯m a Blacksmith.¡±


    I saw his eyes widen at the mention, followed by a revulsion, as I had just admitted a disgusting secret. It was a deep, instinctual shock, one that supported my theory about the System coming with some kind of cultural indoctrination.


    To his credit, he was able to suppress that reflexive reaction soon. ¡°I see, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°No questions?¡± I said, surprised.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m curious about the timing, but it¡¯s not exactly an urgent line of questioning,¡± he admitted.


    I chuckled. ¡°And, no problems following someone with production classes?¡± I added.


    ¡°Not particularly, sir,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°I have seen you spar with Lady Eleanor. You can still take me down with ease.¡± Then, his expression tightened. ¡°More importantly, you are doing your best to keep everyone that follows you alive. I can¡¯t imagine a better quality in my guild master.¡±


    I nodded in appreciation. ¡°Do you think the other guards would accept it just as easily?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I think a demonstration about your capabilities might be in order.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°That, I can do.¡±


    With that, we turned and walked toward the gate, my mind already occupied with how best to deliver that reveal.

 Chapter 131

    Soon, I was standing before the residents of the dungeon, split into four distinct groups. The most crowded group was the farmers, more than seven thousand of them, pushing together tightly, understandably looking tense.


    It had only been hours since they were evacuated, and they hadn¡¯t received a proper explanation other than it being a monster wave.


    The second group was the guards, with Harold strategically positioned in front of them, seeming ready to support me. I wasn¡¯t afraid of a double-cross. Technically, it was a great departure from my hesitancy to trust people. I would have loved to say that I had learned to trust people more.


    Harold had been the highest-ranking guard for less than an hour, which was one of the things Eleanor and Maria arranged before their departure, and with his track record, I could leave the dungeon operations to him confidently.


    Though, if I was being honest, it was easy to be trusting when one had the advantage in power. Even without the unlimited mana from the dungeon, and the decay attack, I was confident that I could take down all the guards single-handedly.


    The third group was the various production classes hired in the city: a few blacksmiths had been hired, a few masons, and a smattering of other classes that I didn¡¯t have the full list of. For the moment, they were easy to ignore.


    Then, I turned my attention to the fourth group, the most confusing one among them all. The meager guild of Rosie, which had suddenly turned far more enigmatic after the warning message we received from her, triggered an unexpected chain of events.


    I ignored the second, third, and fourth groups for the moment, and turned toward the largest, and the most fragile group. Their faces were etched with exhaustion and uncertainty, which was understandable. Sometimes, worry was far more exhausting than hard work.


    I could see the doubt lingering in their eyes, fueled with a sense of powerlessness. A look that I was intensely familiar with from seeing it in the mirror, one that I felt whenever one of my applications had resulted in a rejection.


    It was time to see if I could change it.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± I began, my voice steadier than my confidence justified. ¡°First of all. Let me inform you that the greatest dangers we are facing have been resolved, and we have destroyed a cowardly enemy force, consisting of several hundred level warriors, but not before they had cravenly destroyed a nearby dungeon, filling our land with monsters.¡±


    I could see fear, hope, and disbelief mixing on their faces. Some believed, while others clearly thought it was nonsense. But, none of them interrupted, which was the best I could hope for.


    ¡°But, they made a mistake. The army of monsters they let out, hoping to destroy us, is actually a whetstone to sharpen your edge. When we finish dealing with it, every farmer that¡¯s willing to face the dangers will turn into a powerhouse that can single-handedly clean a dungeon.¡±


    That statement was met with disbelief. Farmers just gaped in shock, while the guards reacted to it with mocking disbelief, treating the idea of farmers getting stronger as a joke.


    It was the judgment time to see if my idea of a grand reveal would be useful.


    ¡°I know you can do it. After all¡­¡± I paused even as I reached for my belt and pulled a smaller hammer, one that clearly didn¡¯t belong to the battlefield. ¡°As a Blacksmith, I know the limits you can reach intimately!¡±


    The sudden shock in the air was beautiful. The utter disbelief on the faces of the farmers, the shock of the guards and other town workers¡­ and the late, feigned shock from the members of Rosie''s guild, which was something I was happy to act like I hadn¡¯t noticed.


    A murmur rippled through the crowd, confusion and surprise spreading through the farmers, but the guards looked angry.


    I could see Harold whispering several sharp orders to the ones that were looking the angriest to prevent an outburst.


    Shouting for silence was an option, but I decided to go for something showier. I raised my hammer, and used the Quake attack on the nearest rock, which turned into dust while the sound exploded like thunder.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    [-210 Mana]


    The visible explosion of ability was enough to quell even the angriest-looking guard. Even with ¡ª likely supernaturally enhanced ¡ª prejudice toward the production classes, it was hard to stop themselves from imagining in the place of the rock and testing how they would fare.


    It probably wasn¡¯t enough to dissuade them forever, but I would take every second.


    ¡°As you can see, the idea surrounding the production classes, that they are useless, is nothing more than nonsense. What you lacked all along was an opportunity. An opportunity that was granted by our foolish enemies.¡±


    I paid only a glance to the guards to confirm Harold was able to maintain discipline after my display before I turned back to the Farmers, whose disbelief was starting to mix with hope. It was better than I had hoped.


    Maybe my help with their Nurture skill was more effective than I had been hoping for.


    ¡°The dungeon will give you the skills you need, while the monsters outside will allow you to improve your levels and upgrade your classes, and soon, you¡¯ll be strong enough to fight against many warriors,¡± I declared.


    Their expression turned into hope, while I reached my bag and pulled out an alloy. I could have reshaped it with my hammer, but instead, I hit it several mana blasts in quick order, turning it into a beautiful sword, one that I flicked toward Terry, my prospective assistant. He grabbed it, looking fascinated. ¡°How about it, Terry? Do you want to show the world that even with the Farmer class, you can fight for a place for yourself?¡±


    ¡°W-we really can?¡± he asked, hesitant.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said as I turned to Harold. ¡°How about a little demonstration about just how strong a mere blacksmith can be, acting commander of the guards,¡± I said.


    ¡°As you wish, master,¡± he replied, his choice of wording, along with his bow leaving him no doubt about how he saw his position even after the reveal. The other guards looked at each other, no doubt coming to some conclusions about his knowledge and his most recent promotion.


    It wasn¡¯t entirely accurate, but I was never shy to use information asymmetry to my benefit.


    ¡°A light demonstration is all we need,¡± I said. ¡°So, pick twenty guards to fight against me at once,¡± I said.


    That earned a gasp of shock. Not everyone had seen me fight, and the declaration of my true class had created some misunderstandings. A reminder was required to teach them the truth.


    In general, the guards were about as strong as the ordinary members of the team that tried to ambush me and Eleanor in the dungeon, but their weaponry was significantly inferior, while I was significantly stronger.


    The ability to use mana attacks recklessly with each hit rather than rationing them carefully alone was a big game changer.


    Harold looked hesitant at the declaration, but he still turned to the guards, who numbered around a hundred. ¡°Any volunteers, boys?¡±


    About half of them raised their hands, while a few of them, including the previous commander who had suddenly found himself as the second-in-command of the guards, just took a step forward, showing their intent to challenge me.


    ¡°Well, since all of you want to fight, feel free to come at me all once,¡± I said, which made the guards even angrier. ¡°Just one reminder. If any of you have weapons or armor that you cherish for personal reasons, leave them behind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be a problem, sir,¡± the old commander said. I had to admit, I was impressed. I had never heard the word sir being pronounced like the f-word.


    I was happy with it. It was not only a chance to reinforce my authority, but also a way to give Farmers hope. With the monsters around the dungeon getting more and more crowded, I didn¡¯t have days to waste.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± I said even as I switched to my war hammer. Technically, the spear would have been more efficient to deal with a crowd, but hit-and-run tactics wouldn¡¯t give the real image. ¡°First, let¡¯s make sure that everyone can watch the battle easily,¡± I said as I waved my hand, and the dungeon mist dispersed in a wide area, earning shocked gasps.


    A little showmanship never hurt. I could already see several guards looking hesitant, and a few quickly changed weapons, showing that they took my warning seriously.


    ¡°Attack,¡± the old commander ordered, frustrated, and the fifty guards rushed me without a plan, hoping to overwhelm me with numbers. I didn¡¯t know whether it was the arrogance that led them to not put together a proper plan, or the fact that a careful, strategic approach where fifty guards turtled carefully to defeat me would have been the admission of their inferiority in the first place.


    Not that it truly mattered.


    What followed was a total beatdown, where I systematically destroyed their armor and weapons and and armors ¡ª and breaking the arms and legs of the stubborn people, but without using mana to make sure they could heal easily.


    ¡°I think I made my point,¡± I said as I looked at the old commander, who looked at me with frustration as he sat helplessly on the ground while his Health helped him to recover from a broken leg. He didn¡¯t look angry at his wound, probably because he knew that I could have vaporized his leg if I wished.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief, but mixed with respect.


    Production class or not, a beatdown was quite memorable.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said, then I looked at everyone. ¡°Like before, everything is on the basis of volunteering. If you don¡¯t want to fight, level up, or don''t want to take a certain skill, you don¡¯t have to,¡± I said.


    With that, the excitement was turning palpable.


    ¡°What is the first step, sir?¡± Harold asked.


    ¡°Simple,¡± I said. ¡°I want a hundred volunteers to learn smithing from me. We¡¯re about to fight a war, and the first thing we need is more weapons!¡±

 Chapter 132

    Silence ruled at the declaration before Terry raised his hand. I appreciated his initiative. ¡°Is it open for the farmers as well, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied, then looked at the guards as well. ¡°Farmers, guards, the other classes ¡­ anyone that¡¯s willing.¡±


    ¡°What about the lack of Strength?¡± Terry asked. ¡°We can¡¯t even learn the common variant without it.¡±


    ¡°You can still learn the Basic variant, so it¡¯s not a problem,¡± I replied. I thought about making a comment on Meditation as well, but I held back, not wanting to confuse things. Eleanor¡¯s success with upgrading her sword skill to the Mana variant was promising, but it wasn¡¯t something that we could leverage in a few minutes.


    I could see many people looking thoughtful, including a few guards, which surprised me. It looked like my beatdown gave them the wrong impression when it came to Forge skill, but I let that particular point go untouched. Any explanation would make my point weaker.


    And, it wasn¡¯t like having Forge or Repair skills was terrible. As my own experience had shown, they had significant advantages on the battlefield, from rapidly creating traps to actually identifying weaknesses of the enemy weapons.


    ¡°I will give you a moment to think,¡± I said, then waved my hand, creating another temporary gate, this time to my fourth-floor base, and filled multiple carts with excess available metal and ore, and I even loaded one of the blast furnaces to the carts before I transported them back to the third floor.


    They watched in silence as I rapidly set up a small production line, the combination of my Strength and unlimited mana making it even faster. Soon, I was forging mana swords made of mana steel without using the denser Epic mana.


    With the unlimited mana from the dungeon, it merely took a minute for me to finish forging fifty swords, bypassing most steps with mana. ¡°Anyone that lost their weapon can take one,¡± I said.


    The guards approached reluctantly, no doubt expecting to receive inferior copies, only for their expression to twist in shock once they tried. ¡°S-sir, this is much better than what we had before,¡± several of them gasped in shock.


    ¡°And, you¡¯ll receive far better weapons once you prove yourself,¡± I promised. It was an easy one to fulfill. I turned around. ¡°Now, again, a hundred volunteers at first,¡± I declared.


    This time, thousands of hands rose, not just from the farmers, but also from the guards. Meanwhile, the auxiliary workers all raised their hands, while the blacksmiths looked shocked. ¡°Much better,¡± I said with a booming voice. ¡°Everyone that wants will have their chance, but for the moment, we only want a hundred volunteers,¡± I said. ¡°Arrange a lottery for the first candidates,¡± I said


    Most hands went down, but one hand, belonging to one of the guards, stayed up. ¡°Ask away,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t understand why you need us,¡± he said. ¡°You can already arm everyone alone, and it wouldn¡¯t take a day.¡±


    ¡°True, if we¡¯re speaking of swords,¡± I said. He looked hesitant. ¡°You¡¯re about to say that axes and hammers should have a comparable time, even full plate armors should take less than a week,¡± I added. He nodded, looking even more confused. ¡°Can¡¯t you imagine having better weapons?¡± I said.


    ¡°Ballistas?¡± he said hesitantly.


    ¡°What about cannons? Tanks? Planes? Warships?¡± I asked, each repeat making him look even more shocked. It was clear that they were happy to limit themselves to the offerings of the System, and the idea itself was shocking.


    Not just for him, but for everyone.


    I was barely able to hold back from letting out a derisive laugh. They were accepting my words with little to no resistance, but it had nothing to do with the actual viability of the idea, and everything to do with the authority I had established by beating them. If it wasn¡¯t for my previous display, I could have made the same pitch for days, only to be refused.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I was speaking from experience. I had been laughed out for far more reasonable ideas. The sheer temerity of modifying the suggestion from the skills during the repair had been enough.


    I felt like one of the billionaire entrepreneurs back before the System, my ideas were treated as genius regardless of their actual viability. The excitement that spread through the crowd was palpable.


    While Harold dealt with the lottery, I walked toward Terry. ¡°I need you to do something for me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Organize the farmers with at least Rare Nurture skill. I need you to work on modifying the trees to create a material that is close to plastic.¡±


    He looked hesitant. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know how, sir,¡± he admitted, still hesitant to talk with me.


    ¡°Experiment, and make sure to write down every process you use,¡± I said. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll do my best to help if you can¡¯t come up with a solution in a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said as I walked away, happy that I could simply give orders with ease. Before making another move, I closed my eyes, checking the exterior of the dungeon, trying to guess how much time we had before the monsters were at the entrance.


    We still had several hours, which might as well be an eternity when the situation was considered. Then, while Harold dealt with the lottery, I focused on my next task: searching for mining opportunities. ¡°Let¡¯s see if it works,¡± I muttered as I closed my eyes, trying to use the connection to discover the locations.


    Unfortunately, there was no convenient map of every metal deposit that came from the connection, meaning I had to rely on the old method of using the pole with the gap in the middle. It didn¡¯t take long for me to find an iron deposit with around ten percent purity, which was enough for the current purpose. I slammed my hammer several times, happy to use my unrestricted mana to turn the area into an open field mine that they could simply fill the carts at and bring them back.


    The third floor wasn¡¯t as rich as the fourth floor when it came to metals, but the deposit I discovered should be sufficient to teach them while creating the necessary armament.


    I grew a line of trees on the way back to show the direction. When I returned, Harold was standing in front of the group of one hundred that were dealing with the aftermath of the skill stone. At some distance away, Terry was leading a team of farmers in their efforts to modify the trees to create a product similar to rubber or plastic.


    ¡°These are the first set of volunteers,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said. ¡°They are the lucky ones.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I have discovered a mine for iron ore. Arrange a team to load them onto the carts and bring them back,¡± I asked, then looked at the ten Blacksmiths that Maria had managed to hire before things had turned into a mess. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me set up a proper production line while they absorb their new skills properly,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they said in tandem, their fervor a bit too religious for my liking, but I didn¡¯t say anything. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for people to feel a sense of unity with the members of their own Class, not too unlike people traveling internationally feeling closer to people of the same hometown despite not knowing them.


    The fact that I achieved all of it as a Blacksmith explained the way they looked.


    ¡°The first thing we¡¯re going to do is set up a blast furnace, create an automated feeder line, and connect it to a line of output, allowing us to create a constant flow of molten iron ...¡± I started, giving them a quick breakdown of the process. Following that, I showed them how to create a blast furnace, a steam engine, and the connectors, which was easy with the example in front of them.


    Especially since, for once, no one argued about the products not being exactly to the System¡¯s specifications. It was convenient, but annoying at the same time. I preferred an inquisitive approach rather than the abject worship they were displaying.


    While they were in place, I rapidly turned the newly created iron into mana alloys in bulk, not working hard to make them particularly high quality, prioritizing speed. They were essentially low-quality consumables that would allow them to quickly raise their skill level before we started doing something more practical.


    ¡°Start with daggers,¡± I recommended as I put together a long list of instructions, from the ideal temperature to start working on the daggers to folding and quenching patterns. ¡°And, once you feel that your skill has hit a limit, use the casts like I had shown, and start forging railroads. We need to be able to move a lot of ore to keep all those blast furnaces busy. And, don¡¯t forget to show the new recruits the ropes. I want all of them at the peak of their external skills when I return, and I want you to reach at least Uncommon. Understood?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be here, sir?¡± one of the blacksmiths asked.


    ¡°No, I have other things to handle for the next hour or two,¡± I replied.


    Things such as hunting enough lizards to forge fire-resistant armor and extra effective ammunition before the bosses arrived.


    Once I delivered the instructions, I went to find Harold, and explained what I had in mind. ¡°Do you want me to come with you, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. I want you to stay here and keep an eye on things just in case,¡± I said. For the next experiment I had in mind, I needed to be alone.

 Chapter 133

    Soon, I was on the first floor, which was currently empty, leaving the team on the third floor to operate alone. While it was a risk to leave them unattended, it was nowhere near enough to let them fight against an unknown threat without my presence. The guards weren¡¯t exactly strong, especially since we hadn¡¯t trained them through the new methods properly.


    However, even with my control, I wasn¡¯t sure whether to train them to their full capability yet. I had a strong strategic advantage granted by the dungeon, especially my new ability to open temporary gates between floors. Together with my vision range and other advantages, I was confident to keep things in control in the dungeon, but I was still reluctant to fully commit to it.


    Trying to control a hundred guards, each with a developed Epic skill seemed too dangerous to risk.


    ¡°I can decide that later,¡± I muttered as I stopped at the hill where we had the experimental products. The metal there wasn¡¯t good enough to make a good replacement for my armor, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t fashion a chainmail I could wear above mine.


    It was clunkier than I would have liked, but I didn¡¯t want to go out without the ability to block their fire effect that could bypass armor. I also fashioned a spear from the remaining metal, which seemed like the best weapon to have against them.


    I didn¡¯t expect the first wave of monsters to be a challenge for me, but that wasn¡¯t a good reason to be unprepared.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see how far away from the dungeon I can move,¡± I muttered as I stepped out of the gate, looking at the burning landscape.


    It was a pity. Just yesterday, the hills and plains that surrounded the town were a beautiful green, but now it had turned into a red and black-landscape. The presence of the lizards had been enough to turn the area into a mess.


    Once I was a hundred yards away from the dungeon, I used a mana attack, depleting my mana.


    [-210 Mana]


    It was filled back, but it wasn¡¯t instant like it was in the dungeon. It took a fraction of a second to refill, but still, the distance was clear. I moved another hundred yards away from the dungeon gate and repeated the effort, only for it to slow down even more, but it still stayed well below a second.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad,¡± I growled as I kept moving farther away from the gate, carefully splitting my attention between my surroundings and the connection. I didn¡¯t know if suddenly getting ambushed or snapping the connection would be worse, but I wasn¡¯t in a position to test that.


    Nor did I want to. Instead, I focused on the connection I had, trying to focus on the sensation of opening another gate, one that I knew to be possible from my earlier encounter in the volcanic dungeon. The sensation was hard to describe, but I could feel that, if I gave a push, I could open a gate. But, the effort that was required felt more significant than just opening a floor between the dungeon floors.


    ¡°Nice to know,¡± I said, but I didn¡¯t continue with it, not willing to exhaust myself.


    Instead, I focused on my task. I didn¡¯t move down too much, merely five hundred yards away from the dungeon, a distance where the sensation of stretching was already turning out to be uncomfortable.


    I ignored that and pulled a small crusher I had brought and demolished a few shells from the monsters, separating mana from the shells before I opened the box, trying to bait the nearest lizards toward me.


    I needed that since, even though they crowded the outskirts of the mountain, they weren¡¯t climbing quickly.


    The trick didn¡¯t work, but due to an unexpected reason. The dungeon gate pulled the tainted energy back inside, with a stronger velocity than I had expected.


    I reduced the distance to half, and repeated the trick, watching the strength of the pull, which seemed to double. ¡°A linear relationship, not the hardest to beat,¡± I said as I moved back to the earlier spot, fashioned a new box with a deliberately fragile shell, and once I trapped the tainted energy inside, I threw the box as far as I could manage.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Strength allowed me to throw it high, and the fact that the dungeon gate was on the top of the mountain made it even easier.


    The fragmentation spread the energy even more, and the monsters reacted to the presence of tainted energy by rushing to the point of impact, their hiss of fury loud. I expected only the lizards nearest to the effect to rush toward the tainted energy, as I had a good idea about the general distance of the taunt effect.


    To my surprise, fire lizards reacted to the tainted energy more intensely than I had expected. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the change they had when dying outside,¡± I said. My general dungeon lore was limited, but it was well-known that the dungeon beasts that died outside didn¡¯t disappear the same way, and showed far more aggression.


    It was absurd to think that the change would be limited to just that.


    I threw a few more fragment containers to drive them closer and closer, expecting them to rush toward me. To my surprise, once they reached a certain distance to the dungeon, they stopped their approach, suddenly showing signs of fear and anger ¡ª as much as a group of weird lizards could show it.


    I examined their behavior, frowning. Technically, their avoidance was good news. I hoped that they would continue to avoid the dungeon entrance, but I wasn¡¯t sure. The way they acted reminded me of how the giant insects reacted to the trees, only at a wider range. But this also meant that they might end up ignoring their fear once their numbers got high enough, the same way the insects ignored the presence of the trees.


    If that was the case, I needed to be prepared.


    Luckily, it was an easy test to conduct. I created several more containers and baited more and more lizards, turning their group into a horde. As their numbers increased, they moved closer to the gate, but didn¡¯t get daring enough to rush forward.


    I used my new spear to cut through them. Since the lizards were the weakest variant, their defeat came with ease. One blow, particularly from the metal forged from their materials, was enough to demolish them with ease.


    But, while fighting, they didn¡¯t start running away despite their numbers being reduced.


    ¡°Good news,¡± I said as I finished killing them. While I didn¡¯t need that particular advantage against the weak lizards, the dungeon had thousands of people who didn¡¯t have that luxury. Not to mention, I would still welcome that advantage against the boss monsters.


    There were about three hundred lizards that were outside the dungeon, which had been easy to demolish. I quickly cut their claws while leaving the rest on the ground, and returned to the dungeon with them.


    Once at the dungeon, I used a temporary gate to go to the third floor for a quick check, but I deliberately targeted a hill half a mile away from the newly built forge complex. I wanted to check the situation without showing myself.


    Things were going better than I had expected. The first set of apprentices were already working at the forges, some forging daggers from mana alloys while others worked on creating railways, while a bigger crowd was already laying tracks between the mine and the forge.


    The situation seemed to be in order, so I went back to the first floor. The experiments with Maria were useful, as I was able to turn the claws into weapons and armor rapidly enough, enough to arm thirty people. Not an army, but enough to hunt for more lizards as a team.


    But, I didn¡¯t use all of the claws during forging. I kept one, and demolished it in a crusher. Then, I used advanced Observe to see what would happen. Something about the reaction of the lizards had alarmed me, and I wanted to see if my vague worries had any basis. I hoped that I was just being needlessly cautious, as I already had too many projects to deal with.


    It turned out that I was not, and my worries were more accurate than I had hoped.


    If it was a shell I had demolished, the mana would have been absorbed back by the dungeon rapidly, while the tainted energy would follow the same path, only slower.


    The mana acted as I expected and was absorbed by the dungeon. The tainted energy ¡­ not so much.


    Instead of slowly slipping out to be absorbed, it started a silent conflict at the edge of the box. The speed of it wasn¡¯t high, nor was the process showy, but the dungeon mist ¡­ fought against the taint, destroying it slowly while spending itself.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± I said with a frown. I might have been happier if it had been earlier, before my connection with the dungeon gave me a better sense of its internal process, showing that both the mist and the tainted energy were critical parts of the dungeon''s operation.


    The reaction between the different dungeons showed that their energies were not compatible, so the situation was even worse. It meant that we couldn¡¯t ignore the lizards that were outside. Eventually, they would climb the mountain and attack the gate.


    And, I had a feeling that I wouldn¡¯t appreciate their presence inside the dungeon. This meant, I needed to put a defensive line outside, which would create significant defensive vulnerabilities¡­


    Unless, of course, I could find a way to isolate the lizards once they stepped into the dungeon.


    I sighed in exhaustion before I went out to draw another group of lizards to attack the dungeon. This needed further experimentation.


    Like I didn¡¯t have enough problems.

 Chapter 134

    Repeating the trick with the fragmenting container, I drew another batch of lizards toward the entrance, which had been simple enough. I killed them all, but the weakest one, which I wrapped with a chain, and started dragging it toward the dungeon gate.


    The more I dragged it toward the gate, the more it reacted in agitation, but ultimately, I was able to drag it to the entrance. The moment it touched the gate, the lizard started thrashing even more, but the chains were able to keep it immobile.


    To my surprise, it was able to enter the dungeon, but I felt the dungeon lashing against its presence. The lizard started to act weak and listless in the presence of the dungeon mist. It looked harmless, but using the chains as a medium to use Observe, I could see that it actively consumed the dungeon mist to affect the lizard-like.


    ¡°Damn,¡± I said as I killed the lizard, but left the claws on, watching the mist slowly attack the body. A minute later, it disappeared just like an insect''s body. Visually, there was no difference between that and the way the insects disappeared, which was probably why Maria approved the strategy to get inside.


    From her perspective, even if the monster density reached a point that they were willing to enter inside, dealing with them would have been much easier. So, in the brief time before her departure, she focused on more important topics.


    The reality differed. Admittedly, the difference was slight, enough that I doubted that I would have looked for it had my connection with the dungeon not given me a new perspective about how it functioned.


    When the insects had been killed, the mist decomposed them back into their magical entity, returning to the dungeon to create more monsters. That way, the dungeon continued to provide more monsters efficiently.


    Of course, that also meant that constantly bringing the shells or other materials outside to sell was a good way to weaken the dungeon. Whether that was intentional or not was another question, but not an urgent one.


    I was more concerned about the implications of letting the lizards enter the dungeon. The more lizards entered the dungeon, the weaker the dungeon would get. Considering how critical the mana from the dungeon was¡ª both coming from the shells, and through my direct connection to it ¡ª letting it weaken would be a bad idea.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s the issue of my connection with the dungeon,¡± I growled. With that, I didn¡¯t know if it was better to make the dungeon stronger, or weaker. I sighed. At least, if I decided to do the former, I had a method. Just import cheap dungeon products from other dungeons break them inside, and let two different types of tainted energy neutralize each other.


    Another thing for the future.


    ¡°I need to figure out a better way to defend the dungeon,¡± I muttered, frustrated. The whole idea was to keep everyone inside, and whenever there was a significant attack, temporarily switch the dungeon entrance to the fifth floor to use the corrosive land.


    It had been a simple yet effective strategy that gave me the confidence to handle the situation in their absence. Unfortunately, it turned out that the fundamental assumption we based that strategy was faulty.


    I sighed as I piled the claws I had extracted, bringing them to the first-floor workshop. A gate to the fourth floor to pick some extra ingots, and I rapidly turned them into another set of weapons, predominantly spears, but I also forged a thousand arrowheads to give our troops a ranged option.


    They weren¡¯t very good weapons, but they were workable.


    As for creating Epic quality weapons, I didn¡¯t dare to yet, still afraid of an adverse reaction.


    Only after I finished turning the second batch of claws into weapons, I opened another gate to the third floor, this time directly to the base. I glanced around, happy to notice that there was a second mine that was already being dug. It was a good show of initiative.


    Harold approached me the moment I appeared. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± I asked Harold.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°We have discovered a second mine, sir, and the production line is updated as you asked. Currently, we produce about fifty tons of iron every hour, but we expect to triple it once the rails connect with it,¡± he added.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said. ¡°How did you discover it?¡±


    ¡°It was Terry, sir,¡± he said, pointing toward the young man who was at the center of the group. ¡°He managed to use the roots of the trees to explore the area and discover a mineral deposit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said, and listened to the rest of the report, which had nothing particularly unexpected. While he was going on through the report, I paid closer attention to the crowd, trying to see if there was anything problematic about the situation.


    There was not.


    ¡°Excellent work,¡± I said, then looked around. ¡°I need a team back on the first floor to hunt the fire lizards to keep their numbers low,¡± I said.


    ¡°Should I mobilize the guards, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not all of them,¡± I replied. ¡°Make sure it¡¯s a mixture of the guards and the farmers that want to upgrade their class. Prioritize the ones that had to use Skill stones to upgrade their class skill,¡± I added. While I was yet to identify the reason for people¡¯s inability to upgrade their skills naturally, assuming the same variable had played a role in upgrading to the mana variant was a reasonable guess, fitting to Occam¡¯s Razor Principle.


    If one had two competing ideas to explain the same phenomenon, the simpler one was preferable.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that the simpler explanation was the correct one, which was why Occam¡¯s Razor should be used to pick a sequence to test various theories rather than pick the simpler one like I was doing. The history of the world was filled with dangerous misunderstandings based on trying to use it like I was doing.


    Unfortunately, with the situation forcing my hand from many different directions, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of making optimal decisions.


    ¡±Are we sure, sir?¡± Harold asked, interrupting my thoughts. ¡°It won¡¯t be safe to hunt the lizards. I have seen them from a distance, and they are quite mobile. I¡¯m not sure the farmers could handle them. We can¡¯t risk their lives.¡±


    I smiled, realizing that he misunderstood the source of reluctance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the team doesn''t have to get away from the dungeon gate. As long as they stay next to the gate, behind the fortifications we¡¯re about to build, the risk would be minimal. Then, they can just limit themselves to ranged weapons until we upgrade their classes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really, sir,?¡± he asked, then paused. ¡°Has the number increased that much already,¡± he added.


    I sighed. His response made it clear that the way the dungeon monsters reacted to other dungeons was another common knowledge I had missed.


    ¡°I have a way to bring the lizards closer to the dungeon. Just arrange the team. The rest will be easy,¡± I promised.


    He nodded, accepting my conclusion. I was glad that, apart from hiding my class, I didn¡¯t give any reason for him to not trust me. ¡°I¡¯ll lead them personally, sir,¡± he promised.


    ¡°No. Pick someone you trust to lead that team. You have a different task,¡± I said.


    He looked around. ¡°You¡¯re right, sir. I need to stay here and make sure everything goes well.¡±


    ¡°Not that,¡± I said. ¡°With Eleanor gone, I need someone that I can trust to hold the front line. So, we¡¯re going to make sure you are suitably equipped for the task, including the appropriate external skills.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I hate to admit, but I¡¯m not exactly a fast learner when it comes to combat, sir,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. That won¡¯t be as big of a problem as you think it would be,¡± I said. ¡°Just focus on collecting the team. I need them to start hunting so that I can automate the production of the equipment,¡± I said.


    While Harold arranged that, I went toward the blast furnaces. ¡°Every Blacksmith has already upgraded their skill to uncommon, sir,¡± he declared.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said. ¡°How about the apprentices?¡±


    ¡°They have already reached the limit of their external skills and are ready to work, sir,¡± he added, then paused. ¡°Many farmers also want to join the team. Should we allow them?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, but keep it limited to three hundred for the moment,¡± I said, both surprised and impressed by the efficiency the things had been moving forward with. But then, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been. I was alone, yet it merely took days for me to create a primitive workflow that allowed me to refine several tons of iron every day. Here, not only did they have the equipment I created to copy, but they also had the cooperation of hundreds of people.


    No wonder it was impressive. I threw him an ingot. ¡°What¡¯s this, sir? It feels more volatile, almost like it can shatter with a hit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s an alloy against the lizards, ready to shatter against their skin. I want you to try and make arrowheads from it.¡±


    He nodded, and a minute later, I was looking at a dozen arrowheads.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t need their assistance to make arrowheads, as that was easy to standardize, but it felt like a good point to start. ¡°Now, what I want from you is to build a production line like this¡­¡± I said as I quickly drew a structure, which would allow me to quickly turn thousands of claws to mana ingots in quick order.


    That way, I didn¡¯t have to spend all my time creating armor and other equipment. I could just create the ingots in bulk, while our team of blacksmiths would handle the rest.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be done, sir,¡± he promised.


    Once that was done, I returned to the team that had been collected by Harold.


    I had a defense to plan.

 Chapter 135

    I said nothing until l opened another gate back to the first floor. Harold led the team he had collected for me. Six hundred people in total; a hundred guards, supported by five hundred Farmers.


    ¡°How are we going to handle the class upgrade, sir?¡± Harold asked me as we watched the rest of the team arrive.


    ¡°We¡¯re just going to use the Mana from the claws for the first one, then revisit,¡± I said. I had multiple concerns relating to how the dungeon operated still, but one thing I wanted to do was to limit mana spending if possible.


    Yes, the dungeon created mana, but before I could get a better understanding of its actual limits, lowering the consumption was a better idea. An easy decision to handle when I had an alternative delivery method that brought themselves to my feet.


    Harold nodded. ¡°It feels weird to destroy all of them rather than sell,¡± he admitted with a sigh. ¡°I have no idea how much money the claws would go for, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a fortune. Those will be the most expensive class upgrades for Farmers in history.¡±


    ¡°We need to stay alive to spend the money,¡± I said. It was easy to dismiss the financial ramifications when we lacked an opportunity to actually use it for our benefit.


    Then, while Harold was busy assigning the weapons, I went back to the workshop to quickly fashion two hundred containers. The mechanics of it were simple. A button to compress the metal to crush the shell inside the box, while the walls of the box had been optimized to separate mana and the tainted energy. All they needed was to press and throw.


    While they put on the equipment, I created some fragmentation boxes for them, which should be enough for a while.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked once I arrived.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Harold replied. ¡°The first team, ready!¡± he ordered, and two hundred people split from the crowd, predominantly the guards. The others also lined up, ready to follow.


    They looked around at the broken fortifications ¡ª demolished by the ascended warriors during their initial approach ¡ª before Harold shouted. ¡°Attention!¡±


    ¡°Dealing with the lizards is not too hard, at least for the moment,¡± I shouted. ¡°They are more agile than the insects, but they lack their defense. Shooting at them from range shouldn¡¯t be too hard as long as ranged attacks are used in waves. As for drawing them closer, watch me carefully,¡± I ordered.


    Then, I repeated the earlier trick, using four boxes to draw them to a reasonable distance before I moved forward and dealt with them. While dealing with them, I made sure to dodge their attacks for a while to give them a chance to observe the attacks.


    However, once the number of lizards had dropped to half, I shifted to my sword. Behind me, I could already see the guards watching me, disdain creeping to their faces. I would have found their rapid loss of respect weird considering my earlier display of dominance, but with my suspicions about the System, I decided to treat it as a constant hostility.


    I just needed to show off constantly to remind them of my power.


    I smirked as I let the mana gather around my sword, amused by the ironic familiarity of the situation. Back before Cataclysm, I had to deal with many professors who assumed their age somehow made them better than me, meaning the only way to keep them reasonable was to constantly remind them I was better than them.


    At least, I had the tools to make it easy.


    Instead of letting the mana attack go at once, I gathered it until it had been gathered thick enough to gain an intense glow, and then let it out as one ranged slash, killing all that remained. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough to teach you the movement patterns,¡± I said in a casual voice, like it was just a casual attack, not something I pushed myself to do.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    But, seeing the disdain replaced with a healthy dose of respect and awe, I was happy with the subterfuge.


    ¡°It better have been, sir,¡± Harold said, quick to catch up.


    ¡°Good, then the command is yours,¡± I said as I went back into the dungeon. I wanted to stay and watch, but the way the expressions of most of the guards had changed convinced me that it was not a good idea.


    Naturally, I still stayed near the entrance, watching them through the dungeon connection, ready to intervene in case of an emergency. Harold proved himself to be a capable commander, and I trusted him to handle the situation, but with all the unknowns we had been dealing with, it was still a challenge.


    But, just because I was on standby didn¡¯t mean I was wasting my time. I spent the time writing a treatise on how to develop mana variants of the skills, which included a combination of my own experiences and Eleanor¡¯s attempts.


    Luckily, the fact that the dungeon produced Basic Meditation, which could be absorbed without any precondition, should help people get used to the concept of mana more easily. A few specially-designed devices from my side to support their skills, and having a small cadre of mana-capable people was not out of the question.


    But, as I completed the booklet, I realized that it was not the best idea.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hurry up,¡± I muttered as I watched the guards and farmers battle against the monsters, the gap between the classes clear even when fighting a common enemy.


    We were isolated, away from any major population centers, constantly being assaulted by hordes of monsters that would inevitably grow further. Our situation was already complicated enough, then there were other variables, such as the potentially brainwashing powers of the System, and my hasty decision to rekindle modern technology in the form of industrial production.


    A critical variable like widespread mana usage could wait a few days, especially since, ultimately, mana was still a restricted resource. It did feel like a limitless resource as long as I was the only one who constantly used it, but I doubt it would be the same when we had hundreds of users ¡­ let alone thousands.


    But, there was still one critical question. What to do with Meditation. With the monsters starting to drop that skill, I doubted that I could exert any meaningful amount of control unless I integrated a police-state level control that would have made Stalin jealous.


    I sighed and decided to let that be. Letting people experiment instead of trying to control was the better idea. I doubted that without my guidance, there would be hundreds of people, mostly due to people¡¯s attitude toward experimenting.


    I hoped that I wouldn¡¯t underestimate people since, if I was wrong, I would be dealing with the consequences directly. I folded the notes to keep them in a corrosion-resistant box and brought them to the fourth floor before I returned to the first floor.


    After ten waves, Harold returned to the dungeon, bringing a cart full of claws, enough to arm every single occupant of the dungeon with weaponry that could deal extra damage against the lizards.


    ¡°Here they are, sir,¡± he said before launching a report of what had happened. I had watched it, but I still let him deliver the detailed report, as it was a good habit.


    Meanwhile, I quickly sorted the claws, making plans for the next step.


    I had to admit, that the ability to assign hundreds of people to the task rather than doing every single step myself was certainly liberating. The cart was filled to the brim with claws, and alone, it would have taken me at least a day to collect that amount. And, even more to process and turn them into weapons, which was another chore I didn¡¯t have to deal with. Not with hundreds of apprentices I acquired, each enthusiastic to put their newest skill to use. I just needed to turn them into ingots, and the rest would be handled by them.


    Of course, arming everyone was just the beginning. While the number of claws that I possessed was enough to arm everyone, it was only true when the weapons in question were limited to medieval tech.


    ¡°Excellent work,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± he said happily. I was glad that, unlike the other guards, he wasn¡¯t showing any sign of disdain toward me.


    ¡°I think I promised you a reward,¡± I said. He nodded, trying to hide his enthusiasm, but failing. I passed him a sword, connected with a chain so I could check his skill in detail. ¡°Use every attack your skill has,¡± I said as I closed my eyes, glad that his class skill was a sword art.


    Thanks to Eleanor, I was familiar with the variations of it. Even without his explanation, I could see that it was a Rare skill, probably just below a hundred in proficiency. It was a more balanced style, relying on Strength and Dexterity in equal amounts. It only had one Vitality attack, one with no special features.


    Designing a composite sword to follow the attack path to supercharge the skill growth took me less than a minute. ¡°Try to keep this sword hidden,¡± I said as I passed it to him.


    He used it once, using a Vitality attack, only for his eyes to widen. He swung again, the smoothness of the attack showing a marked improvement. Then again. ¡°Good, it¡¯s working. Come talk with me once the growth slows down,¡± I said and opened a gate to the third floor.


    I still needed to create enough weapons to keep the dungeon safe before I experimented with my epic forging properly.

 Chapter 136

    After handing him the key to improve his skill rapidly, I left Harold on the first floor and pulled the cart filled with the claws to the third floor, directly toward the production as I had prepared.


    ¡°Sir,¡± the blacksmiths greeted me excitedly, standing in front of the production line for the ingots I had asked them to prepare.


    I said nothing as I touched the devices one by one, using Observe to check the production line. ¡°It¡¯s good work, but you missed several spots,¡± I said and corrected them with bursts of mana, preparing to explain how I fixed them in the process.


    Any other time, I would have pointed out the mistakes and let the students fix them as an educational experience, but with all the potential enemies we had tempted, every second was valuable. I didn¡¯t have the luxury to turn it into the ideal teaching moment.


    ¡°The first thing you need to remember,¡± I started as they gathered around me, watching intently as I moved from one device to another, taking note of all the mistakes before I decided which part to explain. I preferred to explain every mistake in detail ¡­ but once again, I lacked time. ¡°Production lines are all about consistency and precision. It¡¯s a chain that needs to be able to connect without missing a step,¡± I added. ¡°For example, here,¡± I said as I used one of the machines to shape the alloys, rapidly creating ten sample alloy bars. ¡°There¡¯s a difference of a tenth of an inch between the thickest and the thinnest of the bars.¡±


    I could see their hesitation as I explained. I pointed at one of them, provoking him to speak. He looked hesitant to speak, but he still went with it. ¡°Would it make that much of a difference, sir?¡± he asked. ¡°We¡¯ll still be softening them before using them in our forging.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t necessarily matter that much for the current task, but what about in the future, where we implement automatic steps? Such a discrepancy could ruin the whole batch. It¡¯s a good habit to work on our precision, at least as long as it takes a reasonable amount of time.¡±


    He nodded, but he didn¡¯t seem particularly convinced. ¡°When we forge by hand, every stroke of the hammer is instinctive under the control of the skill, so making small adjustments is trivial,¡± I added. ¡°But here?¡± I gestured toward the machines surrounding us. ¡°We¡¯re relying on mechanisms. That means if something is off by even a fraction, the mistake might ruin the entire batch, wasting material. It might even ruin the machine. And, with the enemy approaching fast, we don¡¯t have the luxury to waste time,¡± I said.


    Another nod, this time far more honest. I could see that the explanation had worked. I itched to ask a few questions to make sure he got the correct point, but after a momentary consideration, I decided against it. We didn¡¯t have time for a debate at the moment. Maybe in the future.


    Instead, I moved to the core smelter, which was far larger than the blast furnaces I had, ready to operate. But, I frowned as I traced the pipes that existed to feed the mana to the core of the crusher. ¡°Look here,¡± I said and pointed at the pipe. ¡°There¡¯s a tiny crack here.¡±


    The crack itself was barely visible on the surface, but it warped the layers of internal structure, which was a considerably bigger issue.


    They all turned toward another blacksmith, who had a shocked expression on his face. ¡°I made sure to install it perfectly, sir,¡± he said panickedly.


    ¡°Maybe, but did you check it once it cooled down properly?¡± I asked. He shook his head hesitantly, though he wasn¡¯t the only one that had the expression. I sighed. ¡°This is a composite material,¡± I explained. ¡°They are far more fragile than the weapons you create based on System recipes. You can¡¯t just let them be after quenching and hope they don¡¯t warp. You need to check them regularly for damage and warping.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    They looked hesitant, and a touch rebellious as well. But, they lacked the confidence to ask questions.


    I sighed as I decided to explain it despite my hurry. Considering the work I wanted them to do, the last thing I wanted was for them to be afraid of asking questions. ¡°A crack like that would have been trivial if we were working with liquids, but it¡¯ll let mana leak more than you think. This tiny crack alone would probably reduce the mana efficiency by ten percent.¡±


    This time, nods were more emphatic, but their fear was equally intense, particularly the one that made the mistake. I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not angry or disappointed. Just be careful next time,¡± I said. ¡°Now, that¡¯s enough checking. I¡¯m going to start creating the metal. Gather all the apprentices to help with the forging.¡±


    ¡°All of them, sir?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°Yes. We are going to create at least ten thousand sets of armor and weapons, not to mention arrows and other consumables.¡±


    With that, some went to gather, while others stayed with me to help with the set-up.


    Admittedly, the structure was not too complicated. Instead of the blast furnace relying on the natural airflow, we had steam-powered pumps to send high-pressure air to the fires, reaching a degree that could liquify several tons of metal at once.


    Then, there were multiple crucibles to melt the metal, so that we didn¡¯t have to wait. The apprentice blacksmiths dealt with the preparations, which allowed me to focus on imbuing the molten metal with the energy from the claws, and then move the material to the casts to turn them into industrial bars.


    If we had the dungeon crystals to assist the stabilization, processing the required metal would have cost me merely minutes. Unfortunately, without them, the same process would probably extend to three to four hours, maybe even longer if there was an inconvenient accident.


    However, the moment the casts cooled down, my work was over. I didn¡¯t even remove the ingots from their casts, leaving it to apprentices, focusing on the two steps that I couldn¡¯t outsource. The apprentices with the blacksmith skills gathered at the other end of the production line, and the sound of hammers filled the opening.


    It was loud, but also comforting. It was better than working alone.


    Despite the urgency of the task, I took a break every ten minutes, walking among the workers, fixing the most egregious mistakes I caught. ¡°No. You need to heat up the metal more, or you¡¯ll waste too much time,¡± I corrected one of the farmers, speaking louder than necessary to let the others hear as well.


    ¡°B-but, the skill ¡ª¡± he started.


    ¡°I know what the skill says, but you don¡¯t have the prerequisite Strength to deal with it quickly,¡± I said. ¡°That way of dealing assumes a certain support you won¡¯t have until you upgrade your class. Heat up the metal more to hasten the process,¡± Unfortunately, this was the case. Temporarily, the farmer volunteers were limited in their efficiency.


    Of course, the limited efficiency was relative to my new understanding. Compared to my capabilities back when I was still in the town, they were considerably better. Their Basic skill was already at twenty-five points of proficiency, and they had much better equipment than I had been limited to. That combination already gave them a significant advantage.


    He followed the directions as I explained, only to frown. ¡°I feel like the metal will be too weak if I continue like this,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not a big disadvantage,¡± I explained. ¡°This type of arrow is designed to target the larger lizards. If they shatter after penetration, it¡¯ll only make the wound deadlier,¡± I explained. ¡°You just need to reinforce the tip slightly to make sure it¡¯s strong enough to penetrate through their scales.¡±


    He nodded thoughtfully. A glance confirmed that he was not the only one sharing that expression, showing the effectiveness of my impromptu lesson. I continued walking around and fixing the most obvious mistakes, giving some tips, and even making sure to compliment particularly creative ideas.


    Hopefully, it would show them that I valued creativity above rote repetition of what their skill was suggesting.


    It was not the most ideal way of educating them, which I knew well as a career professor. But then again, it was far from the only topic I was taking shortcuts around, which unfortunately was inevitable due to the circumstances. Impromptu teaching sessions had slowed down the progress somewhat, but looking at the speed they worked, I concluded it to be an acceptable sacrifice.


    Five hours later, I was looking at a pile of gleaming ingots of various sizes, only a fraction had turned into weapons. The amount of raw material should keep them busy for three days at a minimum, arming everyone in the process.


    ¡°Continue with your forging tasks. Our safety relies on you,¡± I ordered once I finished with my part. As much as I wanted to stay and guide them, I had something more important to address.


    To see if my epic forging was working properly¡­

 Chapter 137

    Once I arrived at the fourth floor, I didn¡¯t start working immediately. Instead, I closed my eyes and observed what was going on at the main dungeon gate, examining the battle.


    Harold was back in the mix, leading the team against the hordes. I noted that he was using a spear rather than his sword, which was likely an attempt to hide his most recent skill improvement. I hadn¡¯t asked him to, but I appreciated the initiative nonetheless.


    The last thing I needed was for the other guards to start asking the same for their class skills, something I was reluctant to give before rebellion stopped being an immediate concern. I ignored the temptation to go and help them.


    The nightfall was not too far away, and with it, the escaped dungeon monsters received another boost while getting more aggressive, which had something to do with the energy that the dungeon separated further to create the tainted energy and mana, but I had no idea why the intensity differed between night and day.


    ¡°I wish I could explore that instead of testing Forging,¡± I said as I prepared the material. I still remembered the pain I felt when my Meditation skills had been improved. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the second one.


    I pulled one of the equipment I had forged out of dense mana, one with the slightest of blemishes. I took a deep breath before I raised my hammer, brought down the surface, and started to work.


    [-210 Mana]


    [-210 Mana]


    [-210 Mana]


    [Mana Repair (Epic) - 102 -> Mana Repair (Epic) - 103]


    ¡°Alright, that was good.¡± I examined the repaired equipment, its surface gleaming with no fault. Unlike Meditation, my forging didn¡¯t evolve immediately, which was good news, confirming that it was the unique connection between the Meditation skill and the dungeon that had forced the transformation.


    I repeated the same thing with Mana Forge as well, and even as I held a gleaming spearhead, the skill didn¡¯t transform, which was good. My skill didn¡¯t improve, which wasn¡¯t as good of news, but that part wasn¡¯t a surprise.


    After having raised it to its current level, further development was difficult.


    Once I confirmed that the skill was working as expected, I went back to the entrance, taking another batch of claws to bring them to the lab, forging myself a new set of armor, as well as new weapons, each designed to damage the lizards.


    Admittedly, the quality wasn¡¯t as high as I had hoped, as stabilizing the material for epic-quality equipment without the dungeon crystals was harder than doing the same for ordinary equipment.


    Luckily, the dungeon provided me enough mana to make the process viable. Once I finished them, I forged fifty spearheads and twenty swords, all epic quality. But, I didn¡¯t distribute them immediately. They were to be used in the case of an emergency.


    I didn¡¯t want to stay at that point, but as I started forging the weapons, I started to feel a sense of being overdrawn from the dungeon, which signaled that I might have overdrawn its capacity somewhat. It wasn¡¯t too much of a surprise.


    Even before building that connection, I had been using the dungeon products a lot, from using the shards to mana to aggressively hunting the insects, each costing the dungeon some mana. Then, there was the fact that there were already ten thousand people in the dungeon, aggressively hunting on the first three floors.


    Not to mention, Maria had consumed a truly shocking amount of mana during the short yet memorable defense against the ascended, which was also significant.


    I didn¡¯t know where the limits of the dungeon lay, but I decided to play it safe. The dungeon seemed to use mana as a critical step during the breakdown process, and draining its reserves might have slowed down the renewal.


    It wasn¡¯t like I could freely arm everyone with epic-quality equipment. My armor was the biggest source of safety, and arming the guards with weapons strong enough to damage it might be a dangerous life choice.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°No wonder the city lords all rely on Charisma,¡± I said as I put the handles for the spears. I would like to believe that I wouldn¡¯t have used Charisma to brainwash people even if I possessed it, but it was one temptation I was glad I didn¡¯t have to deal with.


    Once the weapons were forged, I went back to the first floor, carrying the weapons in a sealed box, to be used in case of an emergency. An emergency might occur while the farmers leveled up, which they had been delaying until my order.


    Initially, I had been planning to leave the leveling to tomorrow, but now that my own experimentation had gone smoother than I expected, I could move that forward before nightfall. But, either way, I needed to be there.


    There were several reasons for that. If I was being honest, curiosity was a big part of it. I wanted to be there to observe the process seriously.


    However, that was far from the only reason. Safety was a much more important concern. My own experience with the class upgrade ¡ª which felt like ages ago ¡ª had shown that monsters reacted to it badly. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t know how much of it was about the class upgrade, and how much of it was due to mana fluctuations which wouldn¡¯t be a problem for us, but either way, it seemed like an idea that was worth taking precautions against.


    Then, there were the more practical concerns, such as how much mana it would take in terms of claws, and what would happen if we released all that tainted energy at once.


    But, above all, I needed to see how the freed tainted energy would act. While my brief experiments had shown that the tainted energy from broken claws had been repelled by the dungeon gate, there was no guarantee that it would react the same way if the tainted energy was from hundreds of claws at once.


    I left the box filled with epic weapons on the first floor, ready to be leveraged in case the lizards reacted worse than I had expected, and stepped into the opening. ¡°Everything going well?¡± I asked Harold.


    ¡°Excellent, sir,¡± he said as he pointed at the huge pile of claws. ¡°The weapons are truly making a difference.¡±


    ¡°Good. Do you think you can handle the night equally easily?¡±


    That made his smile fade. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, sir,¡± he said. ¡°Nighttime can be tricky, especially near a breached dungeon,¡± he said. ¡°We have the weaponry for it, but it won¡¯t be easy without a proper defensive fort. It won¡¯t be too bad for the first few nights, but still¡­¡±


    I paused, wondering how long it would take to fashion some walls out of metal that could resist their flame aura. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard. ¡°A portable encampment could be arranged,¡± I decided. ¡°It won¡¯t hold back truly strong ones, but it should work against the ordinary monsters.¡±


    With the production line in place, we should have enough to coat the stone walls with metal, which should work as a stopgap measure.


    ¡°That would work, but¡­¡± he said as he looked at the farmers at the center of the formation.


    ¡°You need them to upgrade their class,¡± I said.


    ¡°That would allow them to at least use Common Skills,¡± he said. ¡°Not to mention, finally having Strength will increase their combat potential significantly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here for that,¡± I said and glanced around, deciding where to place the crusher. In the end, I decided that the edge of the base was the best choice. ¡°Bring the first candidate while I set it up,¡± I said before walking toward the corner.


    As I walked, I looked toward the horizon, where the sun was about to disappear, and tightened my grip on my new weapons. I hoped that there would be no beast wave, as we were not prepared for it.


    While Harold picked the first candidate, I quickly built the crusher, with two extra rooms. The one that was leveling to step in, so that the structure didn¡¯t waste any mana, while the second had several thick layers to keep the tainted energy in.


    ¡°S-sir, thank you for the opportunity. I won¡¯t disappoint,¡± the farmer said as he stood in front of me. A man in his thirties, with a weary, yet hopeful face.


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t,¡± I said, not knowing what to say. I understood his emotions, but finding the appropriate reaction was difficult, especially with the guards watching for the signs of weakness to pounce. ¡°You have Rare Nurture, right?¡± I asked. He nodded. ¡°What are the class options?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Advanced farmer only, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good, step onto the door, and when I tap the door, activate the class upgrade,¡± I said. He followed my direction, and I activated the crusher and gave the signal.


    Inside the metal room, I could feel the siphoning of the mana easily. I continued to crush the claws in small groups as I watched the perimeter.


    There was no sudden increase in monster attacks, which suggested that the commotion during my leveling was more about the shift in environmental mana than a direct impact. Then, I turned my attention to the tainted energy that had been gathering at the container, which was significantly denser at the side away from the dungeon gate, but as it gathered more, that repelling effect started to work less, showing that increasing density gave them an additional feature.


    An interesting feature, one that I couldn¡¯t experiment with for the moment.


    Instead, I replaced the sealed box once the crushed claws reached a hundred, and continued the process. I had to crush almost four hundred claws before the siphoning had ended. I opened the door, and he stepped out.


    It was more than I had expected, making that class truly an expensive endeavor. Especially since we could move somewhere with atmospheric mana to achieve the same for free.


    But, those thoughts stopped when the farmer stepped out, only to bow at me.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± he said and bowed. ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll be loyal to you forever.¡±


    ¡°Just defend your fellow farmers well. That¡¯s all I ask,¡± I said, feeling self-conscious. I looked at Harold. ¡°Give him a skill, and send in the next one,¡± I said. ¡°We can handle a few more before nightfall.¡±

 Chapter 138

    While Harold sent in the next candidate, I turned my attention to the tainted energy, split between four boxes. Even with the several layers of protection, they were still letting out some, which was dispersed by the dungeon gate with great speed, confirming that leaving the boxes alone to slowly evaporate was a valid strategy in small numbers.


    Not exactly the greatest method, but a method nonetheless, which was better than doing nothing.


    I cracked open one of the boxes, watching the tainted energy disperse, only to notice that the tainted energy leaving the box as a thin line, but still being pushed away. I closed the gap, and instead repeated it to leave in the form of smaller pieces, and watch them disperse.


    Analyzing it like that gave me a good way to disperse the energy, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that was true. Yes, it didn¡¯t immediately summon a horde of monsters, but that might have been more about the fact that they had been throwing down boxes filled with tainted energy all day, keeping the mountain clean of lizards for the moment.


    One match wouldn¡¯t have melted an igloo, but the same wouldn¡¯t be true for a full bonfire.


    As for opening the boxes, I decided to leave it at least until the number of upgraded farmers had reached a certain point, maybe even after they had improved their competency somewhat. Handled well, they should be able to use Uncommon skills after the upgrade, and I had experienced just how effective a maxed-out uncommon skill could be.


    I just needed to maximize their skills without doing the same for the guards, at least not until Harold managed to identify some trustworthy ones.


    But, as I watched Harold handle the raffle to pick the next lucky five, I decided to do one more experiment. One skill that might give me a way to handle the tainted energy.


    [Meditation of Decay (Mythic) - 100 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]]


    I distinctly remembered it pulling both the mana and the tainted energy when I activated it, unlike the ordinary meditation that had separated both.


    Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t looking forward to that experiment, but I was in a bit of a pickle. With the night not too far away, keeping hundreds of boxes out to slowly evaporate was too risky. Unfortunately, delaying the class upgrades until morning was no less risky.


    Initially, I had been using the mana from the dungeon to handle the class upgrades, but that was before realizing how dangerously low the mana reserves of the dungeon had gotten.


    I sighed even as I let another glob of tainted energy from the box, but this time, I activated my meditation to draw it to me, ready to stop at any time.


    My new meditation skill was certainly unique. Instead of a rotating sphere relying on the movement to somewhat separate and draw in the mana, it pulled the tainted energy to itself directly. There was a brief clash before the tainted energy had disappeared, devoured by the aura of decay conjured by the skill.


    The process was too fast to truly understand what was going on, but one thing was clear. A tiny amount of mana, probably merely a point¡¯s worth, had just gone into the dungeon through our connection.


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± I muttered, but then, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. Mythic-level skill was something even Maria lacked, and it clearly came with its own advantages. Too bad I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand how it worked.


    However, as much as it rankled my curiosity, I had to admit that the fact it worked was enough. The mythic grade skill not only gave me a direction to handle the fire-natured tainted energy from the lizards, but turned that into mana to refresh the reserves of the dungeon.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    However, the latter would only matter if I could apply that in scale, which was not a given.


    I let one of the boxes open to let increasingly larger pieces of tainted energy out, and activated the skill once again. The larger spheres of tainted energy had been immediately pulled toward me, covered by the aura of decay provided by my skill.


    Soon, I started to see the limits. First, the skill was only able to catch the tainted energy from about three claws at once, and properly breaking down the energy from a solo claw took about a second. Measuring the mana result was harder, but it felt like an ordinary claw gave about fifty points of energy when absorbed.


    The results were middling. It meant I could facilitate the class upgrade of nine farmers every hour, and gain about just a hundred thousand points of mana in the process. The first part sounded good, but the second part was not as impressive as it first appeared.


    That much mana was barely enough to forge two or three epic spears.


    Once I realized the limits of the skill, I quickly set up a larger leveling room, with several containers that were buried underground to hold the tainted energy and channel back as necessary, intersected by helping the farmers level up.


    It went smoothly. To my surprise, constantly running the meditation skill didn¡¯t exhaust me as I had anticipated, but that might have been about the fact that I followed the suggestion of the skills strictly, without making the slightest change.


    That was an easy temptation to ignore. Blindly modifying Common Meditation had almost killed me. I wasn¡¯t ready to repeat the same adventure with a Mythic skill yet. Not when I doubted that I could survive the process.


    Instead, I focused on helping the farmers class up until darkness fell. As a reward for our efforts, we had twenty Advanced Farmers, currently practicing their newly acquired common spear skill under Harold¡¯s guidance.


    With some little extra assistance from the special weapons I had designed, giving a small edge for the improvement.


    A small edge wasn¡¯t the limit of what I could provide them. I could have easily distributed composite weaponry designed to improve their skills, but I preferred that to stay a secret for some more time. A slight edge could easily be assumed as Harold¡¯s extraordinary competency as a teacher.


    ¡°Be ready, the night is upon us,¡± I shouted as I watched the sun finally disappear at the horizon, ready to stay outside for a while to both test the monsters, and continue helping the farmers level up.


    However, the moment the dungeon stopped working, I caught a strong dip in the dungeon¡¯s mana via my connection, which made me fearful before I realized it was being drained to bind the primal form of energy that would eventually turn into mana.


    As I focused, I could feel the energy moving through the dungeon floors, each step modifying the energy somewhat, but the real transformation occurred on the fifth floor, where it had been reduced into its components.


    The absorption speed soon hit a limit, which was likely either due to the capacity of the dungeon entrance, or the dungeon¡¯s ability to handle that much energy at once, but once again, discerning was difficult.


    ¡°How¡¯s the training going, Harold?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Going well, sir. Soon, we¡¯ll hit the limit of the Common skill, which should allow them to take the Uncommon variant.¡±


    ¡°Good news, indeed,¡± I said while focusing on the connection to check the amount of tainted energy in the containers, which was still enough to keep me occupied for an hour. ¡°Make sure they reach at least twenty proficiency before joining the battle.¡±


    ¡°Will be done, sir,¡± he said.


    Once that was done, I turned my attention to the outskirts of the mountain, where the lizards had suddenly started to gather in much greater numbers, the remaining foliage that they burned adding an intense brightness to the night.


    The light allowed me to watch them. This time, they were not only the ordinary variants.


    From a distance, I could see that they didn¡¯t have too much variance when compared to the insects. There were some ranged variants that just spewed fireballs from some range away, with an unknown upper range. Then, there were the flying variants, not to mention a few giant ones, large enough to be seen from afar.


    Luckily, there were no burrowers at the moment, but that didn¡¯t prevent me from adding a metal floor for the plans of the encampment.


    I decided to act when Harold gave me the signal that the training of the first batch had reached a satisfactory level.


    ¡°Be ready for the first wave,¡± I said as I let one of the containers open, which triggered a small stampede as the monsters that were gathering at the edge of the mountain rushed up. It was dangerous, but ultimately nowhere near as dangerous as letting them gather into one big ball of death.


    And, the extra material would be useful for building the encampments.


    I raised my spear, ready to fight¡­

 Chapter 139

    The wave of fire lizards climbed the mountain as a devastating tide threatened to drown us. The rain of arrows from the crossbows reduced their numbers somewhat, but they were still abundant enough to send tendrils of fear through defenders.


    Thousands of lizards climbing the mountain was a scary sight.


    I shifted to my sword, which was the best to deal with the enemies like the lizards. I sent multiple slashes, each.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I called while I slashed my blade dozens of times, each attack carrying my full power. While I didn¡¯t want to waste too much mana, it was better than risking lives. Especially since we were yet to understand the limits of the new variants. There was a chance that some of the lizards looked near-identical from outside, but had much greater speed or strength.


    And, it wasn¡¯t like it was a great loss, as the claws would be able to replenish the losses easily.


    [-210 Mana]


    ¡­


    [-210 Mana]


    Now that there was a significant density of beasts attacking, each attack took down hundreds of lizards, reducing the number to a more manageable level, which had been only achieved once thousands had fallen. I was ready to take down a few more, but a notification distracted me.


    [Level 43 -> 44]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Essence]


    I paused. It was not exactly a problem I had been expecting, but maybe I should have. I remembered Eleanor explicitly mentioning that the monsters outside didn¡¯t have the same hard limit the dungeon monsters had.


    ¡°Well, that was not a problem I expected,¡± I muttered even as I checked the remains. ¡°Harold, you¡¯re up. Show me how good your trainees are,¡± I ordered loudly as I retreated back, ready to intervene if necessary.


    As he took over, holding the front line with the twenty newly upgraded farmers he had been leading, I moved to the back, ready to intervene in case of an emergency. But, there was none, which left me free to focus on my next problem.


    My class upgrade.


    It was not a problem I had thought about for a while, mostly because I assumed that it couldn¡¯t be solved in short order. Of course, that was before I realized I could use the dungeon as a source of infinite mana, which gave me the ability to kill monsters en masse.


    Thousands of monsters fell under my power in less than a minute. I paused for a moment, making a few rough calculations. I didn¡¯t know the exact curve of effectiveness when it came to higher levels, but any reasonable estimate indicated that, unless I retreated back to the dungeon, I could push to level fifty.


    Potentially settling for a weaker class in the process, since I hadn¡¯t pushed Forge to the next level.


    It was a tougher decision than I had expected, owing to my Meditation, which was already at its Mythic variant, which should have given me a class that was significantly stronger than the one I had, potentially with some mental stats to compensate.


    The mere thought was enough to excite me. Having access to Intelligence could potentially open a new world to me, one where I could truly start experimenting with mana. But, to make that more likely, I needed to push my Mana Forge and Mana Repair skills above epic.


    Frustratingly, it was actually possible. A week, maybe two at most, and I could actually achieve it. But, that would mean monopolizing the mana from the lizards, which would mean no widespread class upgrades for the farmers.


    Not even new weapons, as that would mean I would have to focus on weapons that were complicated to the point of uselessness in the hopes of triggering the System, even co-opting a great part of the new blacksmiths to understand the way the System behaved.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Doing so would mean casualties. Many of them. Without me to whittle the large portions of the waves, the defenses wouldn¡¯t hold.


    A big part of me wanted to ignore those deaths. Why would it matter if a few hundred Farmers died while enabling my growth? Would that really matter? Didn¡¯t they owe me for saving their lives and providing all those opportunities in the process? If they joined any other expedition, their death rate would certainly be more than half, so it should mean that I was morally in the clear, right?


    Not to mention, it was a strategic decision every general could understand, sacrificing a portion of their forces to ensure ultimate victory. My abilities were the only thing that was keeping them truly safe, and making sure my improvements were significant enough mattered even more.


    I had no doubt that I could explain it to Maria and Eleanor, and get them to admit that I made the right decision. It was a simple decision, one that resonated with me both rationally and emotionally.


    I watched the newly improved farmer-warriors finish the last of the lizards, coming to a decision.


    ¡°You have five minutes to gather all the claws,¡± I shouted. ¡°We will have a second wave soon. We can¡¯t let them pile up!¡± Then, I turned to Harold. ¡°Pick twenty more farmers for me, we will need another squad soon.¡±


    I had made my decision.


    A stupid, inefficient one, one that didn¡¯t make sense under the circumstances. But, as I looked at the Farmers, I found myself unable to do anything else.


    I had asked them for their loyalty and hard work, and I promised them protection. I couldn¡¯t violate that, not in such a ruthless fashion.


    While Harold arranged the next batch, I went back into the dungeon, but only to pick about a hundred tons of metal, which took multiple trips. Only about ten tons of it was anti-fire, while the majority of it was anti-corrosive iron.


    Not due to any special strategic reason, but because we had an abundance of it. I also brought along a few blacksmiths to handle building the encampment ¡ª which was merely a low wall and metal floors ¡ª and while they were busy setting the defenses, I started creating a larger crusher to enable leveling, which had three critical features.


    One, it allowed leveling up to twenty farmers at once, which was enough for our purposes. Two, it had several layered storages buried deep underground with enough units to hold the tainted energy from almost a hundred class upgrades at once, which was a significant upgrade.


    Three, it had the ability to channel out both the mana and the tainted energy. Another quick experiment showed that the dungeon gate was more than happy to take in the pure mana as long as it was brought right underneath it, while it had multiple exhausts for tainted energy to make the act of drawing the lizards toward the gate easier.


    It was a simplistic structure, mostly underground pipes I built directly with my mana, but it didn¡¯t make it any less useful.


    Once that was complete, the rest of the night passed in an acceptable, predictable pattern. I used the excess tainted energy to bait the lizards from a great distance, used the mana to cut them aggressively, including their giant variants, used their claws for mana while rolling their bodies down the hill for the other creatures to feast on, keeping them close to the mountain.


    I had a few breaks, where I went back to the third floor with a cartful of claws to rapidly create some extra metal, some of it to be used for the defense, while the rest had been left behind for extra weapons and arrows.


    But, even during the rush, one certain notification continued to ring.


    [Level 44 -> 45]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity]


    [Level 45 -> 46]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Essence]


    [Level 46 -> 47]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity]


    [Level 47 -> 48]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Essence]


    [Level 48 -> 49]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity]


    I continued to fight against the waves as dawn set, which was not exactly accidental. After several levels, I was able to calculate how many new lizards were required to level up ¡ª the answer being in low ten thousand ¡ª and used the extra time to focus on creating some extra materials for the other blacksmiths, help more farmers level up, and even adding several contingency plans in place.


    Between two breaks, I gestured at Harold, bringing him back to the dungeon to prevent eavesdroppers. ¡°How can I help you, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be away for some time. It shouldn¡¯t be more than a few hours, but in case it gets delayed, I have some orders for you,¡± I said, and gave him several directives, including where I hid the weapons I designed to quickly level up the common and uncommon combat skills dropped by the dungeon.


    ¡°You can trust me, sir,¡± he promised.


    I nodded, hoping that was the case. Not that I had any other options. He was literally my only option.


    With that, we returned back to the plains, the guards looking exhausted after a night of fighting, but none of them complained. Though, that had nothing to do with my sudden expertise as a leader. As guards, their levels were not yet fifty, meaning they benefited from the killing just as I did.


    Not enough to level up six times in one night, but then they weren¡¯t killing lizards by the hundreds ¡ª


    No, I corrected it. Seven times.


    [Level 49 -> 50]


    [+2 Vitality, +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Essence]


    [Class Upgrade: Mana Blacksmith / Master Blacksmith / Expert Mana Mender / Smith of Decay]

 Chapter 140

    Lost in excitement and fear in equal amounts, the decision to stay near the dungeon until the sun had risen properly to disperse the energy of the night was easy to make. Only after no lizard waves had been triggered despite releasing multiple blasts of tainted energy ¡ª both fire and corrosion ¡ª I decided to retreat.


    ¡°Good work, everyone,¡± I called. ¡°Be proud of defending your home against the monsters. Tomorrow will be much easier!¡±


    It was a short speech, but it didn¡¯t matter. The guards, led by their instinctive revulsion at being ruled by a production class member, wouldn¡¯t listen, and the mood of the Farmers was too high to care about speeches. The gains they had achieved, both in terms of level and combat skills, were enough to keep them happy for a few days.


    And, I doubted that I could give a proper speech, not when I was occupied by the choice in front of me.


    Not that there was any other real option for my ultimate choice despite the creepy name. There was only one class that carried the name of my overpowered Meditation skill that almost killed me, one that leaned even more into my connection with the dungeon.


    It was another blind choice, but at this point, I was getting used to it.


    Once I entered the dungeon, I directly opened the gate to the fourth floor, which was the safest place to go through the class upgrade under the circumstances.


    And, I chose Smith of Decay.


    [Class upgrade - 01%]


    Immediately, I felt the mana drain, this time moving to the opposite side, draining the dungeon of it. I expected to stay still while the class upgrade progressed calmly, but that was not the case.


    Instead, my gaze faded, and I once again found myself floating in a dream. It was different this time. Not a grand, cataclysmic battle like before, but something more intimate, more focused. I stood at the edge of a dense, alien forest, the air filled with the hum of insect wings. Around me, strange trees reached toward a sky that shimmered with a perpetual twilight. Their bark glistened with a bioluminescent glow, casting eerie shadows over the land.


    A sight that felt strangely homely despite looking like a landscape from a horror movie.


    However, while it was not a battlefield, it was not free of violence either. Two groups of humanoid insects were fighting. One group was the one I had seen in my dreams, their carapaces were decorated intricately, and they fought with precision. Each one carried weapons crafted from various materials, ranging from metal to obsidian, and their formations were as precise as their weapons.


    The other side, however, was far more animalistic. They carried no weapons, nor did they show any kind of tactical brilliance. They just rushed forward relentlessly, their weird cries enough to unsettle me.


    However, one thing was clear. Despite their horrid mutations, it was clear that both groups belonged to the same roots, not changed by the chaotic abandon.


    The battle unfolded as I watched, the alien war cries mixing with the death cries of the insects. The defending side was winning, but not without taking some losses. More importantly, I could read a sense of familiarity from the way they fought, one that signaled that it wasn¡¯t the first time they were experiencing that battle.


    Yet, even with their losses, they didn¡¯t despair. Instead, they fought with a fluidity that suggested years of practice. Every thrust of a spear, every block with a shield, was calculated. When one warrior faltered, another stepped into their place without hesitation.


    A tragic battle, one that looked like it would go on forever as the corrupted ones threatened to overwhelm them in great numbers. For everyone that fell, two more took their place. The creatures swarmed like a plague, forcing the disciplined warriors to retreat step by step, their tight formation fraying under the relentless assault.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Until, a familiar figure appeared. The giant insect with the staff, was one that I had seen during the earlier battle. It wasn¡¯t as large, and the golden runes over his carapace weren''t as bright, but somehow, I was confident that it was the same insect.


    I watched from a distance as it waved the staff, and a suffocating aura of decay destroyed the corrupted insects en masse. I couldn¡¯t help but feel fascinated by the display, especially since I had my own Meditation skill modeled after it.


    The spell was far more intense than the decay I had sensed in my Meditation skill, not to mention far more layered.


    Once the battle ended, I felt the world shift, and I found myself in a vast, underground chamber, covered with obsidian walls, intersected with the same bioluminescent wood that grew in the forest, providing a dim light.


    It was a council meeting.


    I couldn¡¯t understand the language, if it was even a mainly audible language in the first place. I could only read their body language, their posture and gestures barely hinting at the emotions behind their discussions.


    At the center, the same giant insect I had seen earlier stood rigid, in a way I read as defiance. It gestured around the others who circled around him, who seemed to treat the discussion negatively.


    It was not much, but understanding that much alone was something impossible. I shouldn¡¯t have been able to read their completely alien body language, but I somehow caught the general perspective.


    It was highlighting a sense of emergency, a plea for assistance.


    Another leader stepped forward, its carapace a deep obsidian black. It radiated authority, though its posture was even more rigid than the others, his position clearly negative.


    Both parties had supporters and detractors, the discussion growing more heated, until finally, the one with golden runes declared something, threw down his staff, and left the council room.


    No other insect followed, but the shock that defined the room was palpable. Whatever had happened, it was big, incomprehensibly so, though whether the trespass was political, social, or religious, I had no idea.


    Maybe a combination of all three.


    I had a feeling that he would get back that staff, as both its age and its position indicated that the desperate last stand I had watched belonged to a later timeline.


    But, before I could receive an answer one way or another, the world shifted once more, and I was back on the fourth floor, at my lab, breathing hard. But, unlike the last time, I wasn¡¯t writhing in pain, which seemed like a big victory.


    Before doing anything else, I closed my eyes, focusing on the dungeon entrance. It was midday, but a quick examination showed that at least one day had passed.


    Still, the defenders were calm and orderly, showing that the passage of time hadn¡¯t caused any devastating losses, which was more than what I could have hoped for.


    But, even as I glanced through the connection, I noticed the sight was clearer, requiring far less effort. The same was true for my surroundings. Everything was the same ¡­ yet different. I didn¡¯t require my full genius to guess it likely had something to do with my new class.


    I summoned the screen, only to gasp in shock.


    [Smith of Decay - Level 50]


    [Health 3000/3000] [Mana 2500/2500]


    [Vitality 250 / Strength 200 / Dexterity 150 / Essence 250 / Wisdom 150]


    [Skills (9/15)


    Meditation of Decay (Mythic) - 100 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]


    Mana Repair (Epic) - 103 [Advanced Observe]


    Mana Forge (Epic) - 313 [Advanced Creative Forging, Advanced Mana Control]


    Nurture (Epic) - 219


    Quake Hammer (Rare) - 200 [Persistent Tremor]


    Blade of Retribution (Rare) - 200 [Strike of Retribution]


    Breeze Spear (Rare) - 200 [Floating Stride]


    Fire Bolt (Basic) - 25


    Shoot (Basic) - 25]


    My gasp of shock was followed by a chuckle. Somehow, after dreaming of Intelligence for years, I ended up with the other mental stat.


    Wisdom.


    ¡°Okay, what do I do with it?¡± I muttered though those words weren¡¯t some kind of reluctant rejection. I had no doubt that it was a treasure. No stat was useless, that much was clear, and receiving such a strong variant was certainly an incredible opportunity.


    However, it was also one stat I had no idea how to handle, so I tried to focus on the others I could comprehend first. It was a good habit to experiment. When facing a complicated topic, I preferred to focus on parts I could understand first.


    Here, the problem ¡ª if I call it that a problem in the first place ¡ª was that I knew exactly how to handle the other stats. Strength would allow me to hit harder as well as help me to work with the metal smoothly, Essence would allow me to handle more mana, Dexterity would make me more flexible both in a fight and during work, and Vitality was equally clear.


    Yes, there were many strategies I could focus on, but for once, I found myself unable to focus on anything but the unknown, my methodological approach failing me.


    It was experimentation time.

 Chapter 141

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with something simple,¡± I said then closed my eyes, doing nothing. The simplest thing was to test the rawest representation of the Stat. For Strength, it was punching things. For Intelligence, it was calculations.


    For Wisdom, it was memory.


    I closed my eyes, and focused on the moments from the past.


    Ever since I was a child, I have been smart in a conventional sense. A part of it was the ease I had with numbers and complicated concepts, but my memory had played quite a part as well. I just needed to read something a few times to commit to my memory, and the core stuck with me.


    But, comparing that with my current experience was impossible. I just needed to close my eyes, and every book I had read, including the adventure novels I had read as a child, popped with perfect recall.


    It was a fascinating feeling ¡­ but also a disquieting one. Yes, I was familiar with the ways the Stats had transformed me fundamentally, but there was a great difference between the ability to casually carry weights measured in tons and one that fundamentally changed the way I had processed information.


    The worst part, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to be unhappy about it. Not when it would give me an incredible advantage in everything I was doing. Suddenly having a perfect recall meant that everything I had learned, including the offhand discussions between two unrelated academics could be turned into assets.


    More importantly, it was far from the only way it helped. I raised my finger, and a tiny glob of mana appeared on my finger. Before, I could barely manipulate it through my full focus, often using the composite weapons as a guide for more complicated tricks.


    Yet, the mana danced over my fingers, transforming between states. Not just between more gaseous, liquid, or denser states, but actually turning into decay and back. A completely new type of understanding, one that ran contrary to everything I had been experimenting with.


    Up until now, every single experiment I had conducted had treated mana as a material, one that required external forces to be controlled, be it shapes, pressure, or sheer willpower, all based on Intelligence-based spell casting. But, looking from the perspective of Wisdom, I could feel that it was more.


    Far more.


    Instinctually, it felt like conceptual manipulation was far superior to the alternative ¡­ but it was a baseless thought, built upon a sudden sense of empowerment. That much, I was sure of, especially since my memory allowed me to recall the sheer devastation Maria was able to create.


    It was a difficult piece of evidence to clear.


    I continued to sit on the metal floor, breathing deeply as I tried to separate the real from the elation from acquiring new sensations. It was difficult, as the influence of Wisdom was pervasive across my thoughts.


    I felt like it brought me comprehension, an instinctual understanding of the ¡®truth¡¯ but I was very reluctant to believe that. I had spent my whole career fighting against other people¡¯s ¡®trivial and obvious¡¯ conclusions about the concepts that they claimed to understand.


    Admittedly, I might be wrong, and the understanding from Wisdom might actually be true, but I doubted it. It almost certainly had some critical weaknesses. Maybe it was weaknesses that could be bypassed easily, similar to the way Maria played chess, her strategic mistakes easily covered by her tactical acuity.


    Or, it might carry a much bigger blind spot. One that I was reluctant to truly assess.


    I wished someone I could trust was here. Maria would be my first option, her strong magical competencies allowing me to delve deeper into the concept of Wisdom, with Eleanor being a close second. Ironically, I found myself wishing that Rosie was here as well, who seemed to be aware of more things than I had expected ¡ªThe narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    That train of thought had been interrupted by several memories. Admittedly, being interrupted was a bit of exaggeration, as it wasn¡¯t a sudden, intrusive flashback, but a gentle remembrance. Just like how mentioning something is sometimes accompanied by older memories.


    In my case, remembering Rosie¡¯s name had brought along a deluge of memories, which, admittedly, was the case for Eleanor and Maria as well. The ones about Rosie made me freeze for one simple reason.


    They were from before the Cataclysm.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s ¡­ something,¡± I muttered even as I closed my eyes, focusing on the past, and the memories that came with it. If it wasn¡¯t for the flawless recall, which had allowed me to reconstruct the scenes with an accuracy that I could never have imagined to be possible, I was ready to dismiss them as nonsense.


    But, it was not. I could remember many times Rosie was in the background as I walked around the campus. I might have been willing to believe that it was a coincidence, that she was a student of another department and nothing else, but two things changed my mind.


    First, she only appeared six weeks before the Cataclysm, with no sign of being on campus beforehand. I was sure of it, because Wisdom didn¡¯t only give memory, but also a strong recall ability, one that allowed me to search for relevant memories with relative ease.


    Then, there was the number of times I could remember her in the background. Treated alone, every single of them could be written as a coincidence, but looked together, the pattern was clear.


    Every single one of those memories, she was in the background, alone, busy with a perfectly innocent task, but her gaze was always following me.


    ¡°What a mess,¡± I muttered. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t know if it was actually true, or even if it was, what it actually meant. I didn¡¯t even know if the memories of those scenes were completely accurate.


    I didn¡¯t expect the memories to be complete illusions, but the way we remembered the past, especially when it came to audiovisual memory, was sketchy at best; that much I knew even if it wasn¡¯t my field of expertise.


    And, even if it was accurate, just by pointing me to Maria and Eleanor, she deserved an earnest discussion. Even if she had an ulterior motive, she had earned that.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it any less confusing,¡± I muttered before deciding to ignore it.


    Once again, I focused inward, but this time, my focus wasn¡¯t on my memories, no matter how fascinating it was to summon every scrap of knowledge I had touched. It was distracting. Maybe I would stop and try to develop that famous mind-palace to keep those intrusive thoughts more organized.


    Yet, the moment I thought that, the flow of random memories ceased, showing that it was easier to control than I had expected.


    ¡°But then, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. After all, Strength didn¡¯t make us break every single wall by accident like a drunk superhero,¡± I said while I turned my attention to the other benefit.


    The ability to transform mana. I tried to shuffle its shape rather than nature, trying to create the complicated patterns that I had seen from Maria, but those were outside my reach. Admittedly, I could shape the mana smoother, but it was similar to how Farmers were able to lift more when their Vitality increased, but not to a point that could rival Strength.


    Similarly, I could feel that my improved Essence gave me more flexibility, but not in any way that could rival Intelligence, especially not at the level Maria had displayed.


    I still experimented with altering its form, shaping it into complex geometries, and weaving it into intricate patterns, but the limits soon became obvious.


    Yet, when it came to transforming the nature of the mana directly, it was incredibly effective. I raised my hand, using my Fire Bolt skill, which still took the same amount of time to occur. Its impact was somewhat elevated, but not enough to justify its great impact.


    Then, I raised my finger, and focused on replicating the same effect without all those patterns. I just infused the idea of fire to the mana, and it flew forward.


    [-100 Mana]


    It hit against the metal, only to actually melt the metal I had targeted.


    I gulped. ¡°Well, that¡¯s more than I had expected,¡± I muttered even as I examined the results. It wasn¡¯t made of the fire-resistant material, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that it was not only metal, but a supernaturally-enhanced one, and melting such a thing wasn¡¯t exactly easy.


    Yet, my offhanded experiment was enough to achieve such a result. But then, maybe my shock was misplaced, as a few points of any stats were enough to fundamentally change everything, and the Wisdom I had received was hardly a few points, meaning it was more of a fundamental transformation than just an experimental one.


    I needed to be careful testing its limits ¡­ later. As much as I wanted to experiment with my latest stat, I was receiving the constant signal of mana deficiency from the dungeon, which was surprisingly similar to thirst.


    I rose from my meditation with a renewed sense of purpose. There was much to be done, but with my latest upgrade, which had been far more impressive than I had expected, I felt equipped to actually deal with them.


    I opened another gate.

 Chapter 142

    When I arrived on the first floor, I was met with a surprise. Not an unpleasant one. Far from it.


    I could see fifty people, a combination of farmers and blacksmiths, led by Terry, working around a new workshop, with endless wooden shelves near them, filled with both bows and crossbows and at least a dozen ballistas.


    ¡°Someone has been busy in my absence,¡± I said. Every worker flinched in surprise.


    ¡°Sir,¡± several gasps rose, shocked by my presence. Not that I blamed them, the sudden visit from one¡¯s boss was never pleasant, especially since that boss had the power over their life and death. I could feel most of them radiating fear, while Terry and a few others radiated excitement ¡ª


    That brought me to a stop. ¡°Something wrong, sir?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°No, just examining the weapons,¡± I said as I walked toward him. ¡°They look good,¡± I added while I touched the first crossbow. My words were just to distract them from my awkward pause, but ultimately, it wasn¡¯t a lie. The crossbows looked impressive enough. The metal parts were easy to understand, but the same wasn¡¯t true for the wood or the string. ¡°Explain to me how you did it.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure, sir,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have no need for an explanation when it comes to metal parts,¡± he said. I nodded. I detected their structure already, and they were merely a copy of the other crossbows we were able to purchase. ¡°The real challenge was to create a type of wood that maintained the necessary strength and endurance while also not burning up when the lizards with fire aura drifted closer,¡± he explained.


    I nodded, acting like I was aware of the lizard variant he had mentioned.


    I was not, but it was reasonable progress, and asking follow-up questions would mean revealing unnecessary secrets.


    Instead, I listened to him talk about how they created an assembly line to optimize production, busying myself with a sudden new understanding when it came to the emotions of others, which was clearly another benefit of Wisdom.


    Which, admittedly, had been a little problem I had. It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t understand people, but it was one I had cultivated through working in a hostile work environment for a decade, where I had learned to pick up micro-expressions carefully rather than the kind of instinctual understanding people had. I had gotten pretty good at it, but that was nothing compared to the instinctual understanding Wisdom started to provide.


    It was an interesting experience, but ultimately, it didn¡¯t matter too much under the current circumstances, particularly since my position in the dungeon meant that everyone''s feelings toward me were quite intense. People who disliked me did it intensely, while the ones who were in favor of me were almost fanatical in their expression of their fascination.


    However, I had a feeling it would get useful when we had to deal with the inevitable spies ¡­ I just hoped that we could survive enough that spies became a problem once more.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± I said once he finished his explanation. Wisdom proved useful once more, helping me to not miss anything he had spoken despite letting myself get distracted. It wasn¡¯t as impressive as the multitasking from Intelligence, but a stronger memory allowed me to repeat the same thing. ¡°But, you need to be more careful about the production line,¡± I said after pointing at several mistakes. Some of them were one-offs, some persistent. ¡°Maybe think of implementing quality checks for individual pieces before the assembly.¡±


    ¡°A good idea, sir,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe that can help us with the ballistas as well. We¡¯re having trouble getting them right.¡±


    I recognized the implied request for help. ¡°Work on it another day, and if you still can¡¯t figure it out, I¡¯ll have a look,¡± I promised before walking away, which had two objectives. One was for the tasks to fit into my rather tight schedule. Helping the dungeon recover its mana was critical, and so was exploring the advantages ¡ª and possible blind spots ¡ª of Wisdom before I faced a dangerous situation.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    More importantly, I was already impressed with the initiative they were showing in creating the crossbows and the ballistas. Admittedly, I much rather see some kind of steam-powered bolt launcher than an inferior ballista, but every bit of initiative was welcome.


    Once outside, I met with an improved encampment, with Harold leading the construction of an outer line. ¡°It looks good,¡± I called.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Harold said, his attitude stern, but with Wisdom, I could also feel his sudden relief at my appearance, which contrasted greatly with the disdain and the disappointment of the other guards.


    ¡°Come here and give me a report,¡± I called loudly, and he approached. I led him back into the dungeon, away from the others before we started speaking. ¡°First question, how long have I been gone for,¡± I asked.


    ¡°You were away for one night, sir,¡± he answered professionally. He did look somewhat surprised, but not too much. After all, there were too many credible reasons to suddenly lose a day when magic was concerned.


    ¡°Good. Is anything worthwhile to report? Start from the good news.¡±


    ¡°The best news is that we managed to handle the night with no losses, and we have another thousand farmers ready to upgrade their classes,¡± he said. ¡°The new ranged weapons, in particular, are coming in quite handy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news indeed,¡± I said. ¡°How about the lizard claws, do we have enough to help them level up?¡±


    ¡°The last time I checked, the number was just below two hundred thousand, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°That much, yet no losses. Very impressive,¡± I said, but my compliment didn¡¯t change his attitude. ¡°And, the bad news.¡±


    ¡°The guards, sir. They are getting ¡­ restless. Lady Eleanor¡¯s orders are enough to keep them obedient for now, but not forever, especially as they level up,¡± he said. ¡°They are getting more confident, and with that¡­¡±


    ¡°They believe that they should lead the camp rather than an upstart blacksmith,¡± I added. He looked ready to argue, but I waved it off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not bothered,¡± I said. ¡°But, we might need to look toward improving your capabilities faster,¡± I said. ¡°As long as you¡¯re strong enough, they should be dissuaded.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably not a good idea, sir,¡± he said, which was impressive because I could feel his excitement toward the idea. ¡°I¡¯m doing my best to hide the full length of my improvements, but sooner or later, I¡¯ll slip, and they¡¯ll get suspicious.¡±


    I paused. He was right, and while after my class upgrade, I was considerably more confident in holding the dungeon under control, it didn¡¯t mean that inviting trouble was the smart thing to do. ¡°Alright. Pick an external skill, and we¡¯ll make sure to improve it further,¡± I said, making a note to do the same as well.


    With my Stats upgraded, I could equip Epic skills at a minimum, and maybe even Legendary ones might be possible ¡ª assuming the current dungeon created them in the first place.


    ¡°That makes sense, sir. That way, I can keep it concealed easily,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Good. Now, go and arrange farmers for me to level up. Ten at a time,¡± I said, then went out once more.


    None of the other guards approached me, their fear and disdain keeping them back, not that I blamed them.


    Not with my suspicions about how the System affected our mentality.


    I started operating the crusher before Harold came with the first farmers, not wanting to lose any time. The pipe leading to the gate pumped the mana directly toward the dungeon gate, letting the dungeon refresh its mana.


    I sighed. With my connection with the dungeon, it felt similar to finding water after getting lost in a desert for a week. Too bad I needed to drink a lot of water. With what my class change had consumed, it would take at least a week to replenish the reserves ¡ª


    Or not, I corrected the moment I ran my Meditation skill, expecting the tainted energy from the claws to stick at the cloud of decay for a second before it disappeared, only for it to happen instantaneously.


    My eyes widened as I let larger and larger amounts of tainted energy, only for them to disappear instantly. Then, I slapped my head, realizing I had missed something completely obvious.


    That my meditation technique was a conceptual one, empowered by Wisdom. Significantly so, if the performance was any indicator. I was expecting to spend at least one second per claw, which would mean that, even if I dedicated a full half of my day to it without a pause ¡ª the most I could reasonably do with everything else I needed to address ¡ª it would have meant I could process forty thousand a day at most, likely less considering all the miscellaneous steps slowing me down.


    But, empowered by Wisdom, the Meditation technique operated with a speed that was worthy of its rank, devouring the tainted energy instantly while I increased the rate. I continued to crash the claws. Some of it I used to help the farmers to advance their class, but the most, I just crushed to support the dungeon, which had worked wonders to not only replenish the reserves out of the dangerous point it was in, but also give me enough mana to experiment.


    I saved only about ten thousand claws, which I planned to bring with me to the fourth floor for experimentation.


    I returned to the dungeon an hour later, for once glad for my unwanted leadership position. While many details were a big chore, one thing was certainly valuable.


    I didn¡¯t need to argue for days for grants and resources.

 Chapter 143

    Once I was on the fourth floor, I was ready to experiment once more. And, my first objective was to figure out a way to use mana offensively.


    It didn¡¯t look like the most effective strategy at first glance, but I had seen Maria fight. More importantly, with my class suddenly giving me more Essence than Strength, and with enough Wisdom to match Dexterity, I could actually be an effective mage.


    One that is more than merely effective even, considering the amount of mana the dungeon could potentially supply me.


    ¡°If only there were no drawbacks to the connection,¡± I muttered. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t know what side effects there were, except for the fact that I couldn¡¯t move too far away from the dungeon, but I was almost certainly sure that there were many.


    Otherwise, the dungeons would have been even more valuable commodities.


    I raised my hand to target a thick iron wall, not willing to spend time on baseless theorizing when there was practical experimentation to be conducted. First, I started by targeting the wall from some distance, throwing simple balls of mana, more as a control group than anything else. Soon, I was forcing the mana to change shape, which didn¡¯t go as well as I had hoped.


    Even sending a simple slash, which I could achieve through my sword easily, proved to be more useless than expected. Which was a surprise.


    ¡°Maybe the skill was doing more of the work than I had realized,¡± I muttered. Just to test it, I created a dagger that was too small to trigger the sword skill before I repeated the trick.


    Only for a slash to bite deep into the wall.


    ¡°Or, the weapon is doing more of the work,¡± I realized, correcting my thoughts. Before gaining Wisdom, I would have just written it off as the dagger somehow imbuing a sharp edge, but the Wisdom allowed me to notice something interesting.


    Even without the skill, the weapon was adding something to it. A metaphysical weight that I could detect through Wisdom.


    I sighed, letting my mind wander as I tried to understand the additional reality. Everything I had done until today treated mana as a natural force, not unlike electricity. Yes, it was more mysterious and more unstable, but ultimately, it was merely a medium of energy. An idea that was helped by the fact that both Maria¡¯s spells, and every single enchantment I had been able to get my hands on working on the same principles.


    ¡°Maybe I was wrong.¡± Once again I sat down, trying to understand. Yes, I could repeat the various mana tricks hundreds of times to get a better sense, but that would be the approach of a barbarian.


    Instead, I started pondering upon the simple idea. What was a concept? ¡°Or, is a concept even an appropriate definition in the first place,¡± I muttered, realizing that I was falling for a dangerous fallacy. It was Maria who referred to Wisdom-based casting as conceptual casting, and while it didn¡¯t seem like an inaccurate description, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that it fulfilled the whole range.


    Unfortunately, a brief check of the skill stones didn¡¯t reveal any new available skills -- well, other than the upgraded versions of the ones that I already had ¡ª which meant that there was no Wisdom-based casting available.


    My Meditation was the only Wisdom-based skill I currently had, but I was reluctant to experiment with it, afraid of how things might end up.


    ¡°Back to the drawing board.¡± I moved to the anvil. Just because I had a new stat that was linked with the idea of sudden philo.optical enlightenment didn¡¯t mean I would start sitting under a waterfall searching for epiphanies.


    I was a scientist, and a fancy new stat didn¡¯t change it.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    And, like every experiment, a granular, systemic experimentation was the way to start. The daggers were a good basis, especially since I realized that the slash had some kind of conceptual existence. I had forged four types of daggers ¡ª single-edged with a curve, straight double-edged, modern combat knife, and stiletto ¡ª three different base materials ¡ª copper, iron, and silver ¡ª and four different qualities ¡ª ordinary, with dungeon materials, ordinary mana alloys, and epic quality.


    Admittedly, it was a trivial experiment. My earlier experience had shown that epic daggers were much better at conveying stronger mana attacks, which implied that they would be the obvious winners; but that was not a good excuse for a lack of scientific rigor.


    Sometimes, experiments existed to create a baseline ¡ª


    ¡°And, sometimes, they existed to teach arrogant scientists a lesson,¡± I muttered as I finished a mana attack from the first set of knives ¡ª copper, straight double-edged ¡ª only to find a very surprising result.


    The ¡®conceptual weight¡¯ ¡ª which I decided to continue using until I could find a better definition ¡ª from the ordinary dagger was the strongest, while the epic dagger was the weakest, which promptly threw my assumptions into the garbage bin.


    It didn¡¯t mean that the mana attack from the epic dagger was any weaker. It was still by far the strongest, the most damaging, but for some reason, the conceptual weight I could feel was weaker.


    It had multiple possible reasons for it, the simplest two being the stronger attacks shadowed the conceptual weight and made it harder to detect ¡­ my theory was completely wrong, and it had nothing to do with the ranged mana attacks from the weapons.


    Naturally, those two reasons were nowhere close to creating a comprehensive space for all valid reasons, but they had a good start to explore. Even if they didn¡¯t give me the rule I had been trying to unearth, they would point me in a better direction.


    ¡°At least, they should,¡± I muttered, but before I moved to the next set, I used every other dagger I had crafted, even repeating the process with attacks of different strength.


    As I worked, I realized another nice benefit of having Wisdom. I didn¡¯t actually need to write down the experiment results. They were clear in my mind, like I had spent a night working hard to memorize them verbatim before a critical meeting.


    I still wrote them down, including the appropriate notation and labeling, and I even placed them on a new shelf with the appropriate daggers.


    Having magical stats wasn¡¯t a good excuse to bypass proper experiment procedures. History was filled with people who decided they were too good to benefit from proper scientific procedures, often ending in humiliation.


    And, with the way the world was, I doubted that my bad end would be limited to career death.


    Once the experiment was completed, I noticed some interesting details. The type of metal didn¡¯t play a role when it came to conceptual weight, but whether it was magical or not, or whether it included dungeon materials did.


    Why, I didn¡¯t have the slightest idea.


    Meanwhile, by alternating the mana strength of the attacks, I was halfway convinced that the attack strength or integrity didn¡¯t conceal the conceptual weight, nor did it exactly enhance it. As for whether it had anything to do with the damage, it was harder to test.


    ¡°How about a composite dagger,¡± I muttered after sitting for a minute, remembering how I used various weapons with gold and silver cores with various geometric shapes to channel the mana and vitality, therefore enhancing the efficiency significantly.


    They allowed me to use more complicated attacks, which allowed me to improve my Rare combat skills rapidly. It was time to use them to increase my understanding of concepts. I rapidly forged one composite dagger and used it for a ranged mana attack.


    It didn¡¯t go exactly as smoothly as I had expected.


    The attack from the composite dagger had an even weaker presence. Significantly so, to the point of being shocking. The conceptual weight was not something that was easy to quantify other than identifying them as lesser and greater in intensity, but if the conceptual weight of an ordinary dagger was a hundred, the epic one had a weight of about seventy.


    The composite dagger, which had created a beautiful curved mana slash that had cut even deeper than the epic dagger I had used earlier, only had the presence of one.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± I muttered, frustration battling with excitement. Frustration because my initial hypotheses that seemed obvious, to the point that I only checked them to fulfill the principles of scientific rigor rather than expecting them to be inaccurate, turned out to be flat-out wrong, in a way that didn¡¯t make any sense.


    The excitement was there, because such surprising results had the potential to turn into something truly incredible.


    Unfortunately, there was also a drawback. Predictable results meant experimentation horizons were equally predictable, while radical results represented a quagmire, the kind that consumed the lives and the ambitions of the scientists.


    I wasn¡¯t afraid of tackling that, of course, but the growing number of lizards, not to mention the other threats meant that I didn¡¯t have the luxury of ignoring the low-hanging fruits that could improve my combat potential.


    It was time to move to the fifth floor to hunt.


    I needed more skill stones.

 Chapter 144

    ¡°Well, this is intense,¡± I muttered as I stepped onto the fifth floor, only to be hit by the presence of ten boss monsters rushing toward me, fully intent on destruction. Based on the dungeon¡¯s speed of production, their numbers should have been lower, but it seemed that there was a benefit to all that extra mana I had been pumping inside.


    A good thing to know.


    Their combined presence might have been scary before, but, right now, I was more inclined to treat them as an opportunity to create Epic and Legendary skills. Not the boss monsters themselves, as they had turned into the crystals that allowed me to strengthen my connection with the dungeon, but the giant horde they conveniently brought along.


    Now that I had the mana to spare, I could easily deal with them. Ironically, piling them together before they disappeared was the bigger challenge.


    Luckily, there was enough metal from my old hydroponic gardens to repurpose for a simple angled platform, where the monster corpses would just slip to the center to make sure they stayed touching each other.


    With preparations done, all that remained was to wait for the boss monsters to attack. I continued to twirl my sword in hand, occasionally slashing the insect groups that arrived first, for once completely unafraid of their numbers even when ten gargantuan insects, along with their protective horde, approached me.


    My lack of fear had two reasons. The first was the near-infinite mana that was under my command. Previously, I had to struggle for a long time against the gargantuan insects for a simple reason. I had to absorb mana between attacks, which allowed the boss monster to recover significantly, making it a battle of endurance, which they had in excess. With the infinite mana reserves allowing me to cast several full-strength attacks in a second, I was already confident that I could take that many enemies down at once.


    Then, there was my improved Essence stat, which increased the upper range of my attack significantly. A full-powered attack, carrying the full might of two thousand and five hundred mana points at once could take down the boss.


    ¡°I just need to prevent it from destabilizing,¡± I muttered as I slashed my blade again, only to realize that, when the mana I put into the attack surpassed five hundred, it destabilized no matter how much I tried. Moreover, even before stabilizing, it was actually weaker, with its peak performance at around four hundred mana.


    Why, I had no idea. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when one takes shortcuts,¡± I muttered even as I tried to improve the attack, only to fail again and again.


    Not a big surprise when my approach to the mana attacks was to essentially pump mana to the attack in the correct shape, and let the weapon and the skill do the heavy lifting. It was a practical approach, useful as well considering my performance against various enemies, but it also meant that I lacked the necessary understanding to modify it when I faced a problem, like the one I had been facing.


    Some options, like getting an epic skill, or a better quality epic or composite weapons were obvious, but how effective they would be was a question that would be answered once I dealt with the enemies and got a nice selection of skills that I could use.


    When the first boss monster appeared, I aimed at its legs with repeated slashes, and once it lost the ability to move despite its regeneration ability, I focused on its body, the damage I was able to deal easily surpassed its limits.


    Once the boss monster was down, I absorbed the crystal, and then dealt with the horde, piling them at the center, with their bodies fading away to turn into skill stones. I had done it happily, as killing monsters inside the dungeon, especially without separating the shell, was a good way to convert tainted energy to mana.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    And, the dungeon even absorbed some of the mana slash, which didn¡¯t disappear completely, so the act of farming skill stones was pretty sustainable.


    I went down to the bottom of the artificial pit I had created, excited to see which skills I would find¡­


    Four skills. Repair, Forge, Meditation, and for some reason, Nurture. Of the four, Repair and Forge were exclusively Common, and Meditation had two Epic ones mixed in, but most of them had been Rare or Uncommon. Only Nurture had gone high enough to reach Epic.


    It surprised me. I quickly dealt with the other nine dungeon bosses, their crystals reinforcing the connection further, but the hordes that accompanied them gave nothing else. ¡°Maybe the fifth floor had changed somewhat,¡± I muttered as I moved back to the fourth floor, then the third, then the second ¡­ until I was looking at a simple explanation.


    Any creature killed by me was giving those four. Was that about the strength of my connection?


    I went to Harold, who had a worried expression on his face when I found him, on the first floor. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, yes, sir,¡± he said. ¡°The dungeon mist is getting thicker, and I¡¯m afraid that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that part. It¡¯s a part of my arrangements,¡± I replied. As dungeon mist was a part of the way the dungeon operated, the additional mana was put to use, enhancing the mist as well. ¡°I want to know about the skills.¡±


    ¡°What about them, sir?¡± he said, looking honest.


    ¡°Was there any change on them, including their drop rate?¡± I asked.


    Harold paused. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, sir. I have some teams hunting for skills. While we have enough reserves, having excess is never a bad idea, and they haven¡¯t reported any changes.¡±


    ¡°But, you haven¡¯t checked?¡± I pushed.


    He looked reluctant. ¡°No, sir ¡­ but, it¡¯s an open secret that even when sent to such a mission, the teams would pocket some of the best skills. I can put a tighter control mechanism if you need, but I advise against it.¡±


    I sighed in frustration. I could understand the reason for his hesitation. ¡°No, the last thing I want is more Meditation skills,¡± I said. ¡°Come with me for a moment,¡± I said as I opened a gate to the fourth floor, in the middle of the monsters. I stepped in first, growing a tree quickly to keep the monsters away. Harold followed a second later. ¡°Do me a favor and kill a few hundred insects for me,¡± I said as I passed him my spear, as it was also a good time to raise his skills.


    He nodded and followed my direction, killing the monsters under my gaze. I asked him to stop once he reached fifty. He brought me the skills, frowning. ¡°They are¡­¡± he started, looking confused.


    ¡°Forge, Repair, Meditation, and Nurture,¡± I said. ¡°Any idea why the dungeon suddenly stopped producing different skills?¡± I asked, just in case it was another common knowledge I missed.


    He shook his head, stumped. ¡°I have no idea, sir,¡± he admitted. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that I didn¡¯t even realize it¡¯s happening ¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± I said. ¡°I have piled enough tasks on you already. I know that it wasn¡¯t like that before I took my trip,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s have a talk with the guards to see why it¡¯s the case.¡±


    Harold nodded, and we went back to the third floor to talk with the guards responsible. They tried to deflect the situation, but they soon realized that, somewhere near dawn, the dungeon stopped dropping any of those skills but four.


    They hid it because Meditation and Forge was potentially worth far more than the combat skills. To explain the discrepancy, they decided to put some from their personal stocks to replenish it.


    ¡°Should we punish them, sir?¡± Harold asked.


    ¡°Yes, but something mild,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not worth creating chaos. Instead, I want you to use the four skills that the dungeon drops to put in exchange for the combat skills they have in their possession. One to one is okay.¡±


    Harold paused. ¡°You would make a great loss, sir,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Believe me. Money is the last thing we should care about currently. Those skills just turned into a strategic resource, and we need to ration them. You have the full responsibility there,¡± I said.


    With that, Harold departed, ready to handle his most urgent tasks, while I went back to the fourth floor, wondering whether it was a side effect from my Class Upgrade, or whether it was a strategic meddling from our mysterious enemies.


    The timing was in favor of the first case. ¡°Let¡¯s assume it¡¯s the second,¡± I decided. The ease they had manipulated and weaponized the other dungeon had already suggested an advanced level of knowledge, and the fact that only Nurture remained was suspicious.


    It was too convenient as a move to weaken our dungeon, especially by an enemy that wasn¡¯t perfectly aware of the details.


    ¡°Ultimately, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said as I flipped open the storage I had been keeping the skills I had collected during my earlier adventures, the ones I couldn¡¯t read earlier on a different location.


    It was time to upgrade my capabilities.

 Chapter 145

    ¡°I should have collected more skills,¡± I muttered even as I looked at the notifications from my chosen skill stones, which I hadn¡¯t been able to read properly before my Class Upgrade.


    [Skill Stone: Hammer of Avalanche (Epic)]


    [Skill Stone: Spear of Storms (Epic)]


    [Skill Stone: Blade of Bulwark (Epic)]


    [Skill Stone: Nurture (Legendary)]


    My first disappointment was that there was no Wisdom-based spellcasting. If there were any, with my stats, they would have turned apparent.


    For Epic skills, the ones in front of me weren¡¯t my only options. However, I decided on them since they were the upgraded versions of the two I had possessed, while the third one was the upgrade of the Uncommon skill I had.


    Unfortunately, there was no upgraded version of the Relentless Blade, a valuable skill Eleanor had gifted me, but I was ready to make the change. While it had its unique advantages, of the three external skills I used, it was the one that I could sacrifice without feeling its loss.


    Not to mention, while Relentless Blade worked excellently against monsters due to its aggressive style, it was not exactly the best against other people. Not to mention, assuming I figured out how to use Wisdom-based spells, having a defense-oriented style would fit me better.


    Together, the three of them had made a strong, comprehensive fighting style. A relentless, offensive hammer that was perfect against armored enemies and giant targets with low mobility, a spear that prioritized speed and precision to deal with dangerous enemies while maintaining a healthy distance, and a sword style that fit well to fight against other people while relying on the superior stopping power of my own armor.


    While, technically, I could try to find a better combination, I didn¡¯t have time to experiment with other styles to see if they worked any better, especially with the threat from the lizards growing every day, not to mention the existence of the mysterious enemy that would almost certainly attack again, possibly soon.


    Also, I wasn¡¯t sure I could use tricks like Fleeting Step that I had learned without the support from other skills. I was able to copy them with ease without the Perk, but the skill that it was based on was still there.


    Compared to the others, losing access to Strike of Retribution was more acceptable, weakening the ranged blade attack somewhat.


    A good exchange for better defense.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time,¡± I said to myself as I grabbed Blade of Bulwark first. Absorbing the skills took some time, not to mention causing pain. I didn¡¯t have time to waste, as I needed to not only absorb them before nightfall but also improve them to the point of disguising their nature.


    [Relentless Blade (Rare) 200 -> Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 1]


    I was prepared for the pain, but to my surprise, there was no pain. It went far smoother than I had expected, making me wonder if it was the impact of the Wisdom or the connection with the dungeon.


    However, it might be simply that the painful process of receiving my only Mythic skill had changed something irrevocably as well.


    ¡°Either way,¡± I said as I raised my blade, and started going through my well-established routine of forcing skill growth, with mana attacks.


    [-40 Mana]


    [Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 1 -> 3]


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s to be expected,¡± I muttered as I examined the growth of the skill. If it was a Rare skill, the same mana attack would have comfortably raised it to double digits. However, under the circumstances, it barely raised by two points.


    ¡°No matter,¡± I said, then I went back to the fifth floor, and started targeting the insects. Facing an actual enemy, the growth of the skill increased significantly. Half an hour later, it was already nearly a hundred. I might have bypassed that point, but I slowed down, instead focusing on testing the limits of the mana attack.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The first thing was the shape of the mana attack. Instead of a sharp, wide, devastating wave, it turned into a shorter, stockier slash. As my skill was about to reach one hundred, it wasn¡¯t as deadly as my previous attack, which was quite telling.


    Relentless Blade had been truly a treasure among the Rare skills. Its disappearance was indeed a loss.


    However, even with the reduced offensive potential, I was happy with the exchange. Ultimately, Blade of Bulwark was still an Epic skill instead of being just merely Rare, which meant an all-around improvement.


    Another difference was the conceptual weight of every attack. The presence of my mana attacks was not only weaker ¡ª though it had been steadily climbing up as the skill had continued to improve ¡ª but also the general nature was subtly different.


    Relentless Blade attacks radiated a feeling that deserved its name, sharp and unyielding, if a little bloodthirsty. In comparison, the Blade of Bulwark carried a restrained, steady sensation, which didn¡¯t fit well with the concept of a ranged slashing attack, to the point that, for an equal amount of mana, its damage was considerably lower.


    If it wasn¡¯t for my newly acquired Wisdom, I probably would have wasted quite a bit of time trying to change the shape of the attack, which would have been a wasted effort.


    Increasing its proficiency would help, but even at its completion, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the ranged attack stayed inferior to my old skill. And, even if it surpassed, the increase would have been small and incremental, rather than the intense improvement I expected considering the chasm between Rare and Epic.


    The significant weakening of the ranged attacks was a big loss. Or, it would have been if the skill didn¡¯t come with its own significant benefits, including its own dense Vitality tricks from its Epic quality ¡ª which I certainly needed to find a better name for.


    Tricks that I had yet to try. They were more focused on defense rather than offense, including various ways to use the Vitality to enhance both my armor and shield, turning what might be a deadly attack into a gentle bruise.


    ¡°At least, that¡¯s the theory,¡± I muttered even as I flicked my sword, taking down half a dozen giant insects that were rushing toward me, leaving only an armored variant alive.


    [Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 94 -> 95]


    One disadvantage of testing defensive skills was that I needed someone to attack me. Eleanor would have been an excellent sparring partner if she was here, but in her absence, the charging insects had to do. I raised my shield ¡ª which I created easily thanks to all the material lying around ¡ª letting my Vitality cover the front.


    [-100 Health]


    The attack wasn¡¯t intense enough to throw me back despite my improved Strength in the first place, but I didn¡¯t feel even the push from the slam. The vitality not only took the damage, but it also somehow dealt with the momentum.


    I had no idea how the mechanics of it worked, but I didn¡¯t truly understand the other Vitality attacks either, but that hadn¡¯t prevented me from creating mana variants ¡ª mostly relying on the skill as the basis.


    Before my class upgrade, I would have created several composite weapons replicating the energy flow, and spend half a day or so to get a general proficiency. My newest stat gave me a faster path. I didn¡¯t need to create composite shields in double digits, because thanks to Wisdom, I could memorize the flow and transformation of Health accurately.


    Forcing my mana to flow those exact patterns was a bit more difficult, but even that could be achieved by a few mana flares. It took me ten minutes to achieve an inferior effect through the application of my mana. It was not the dense variant, but with the amount of mana I had in my command, an inferior copy was enough to serve most of my needs.


    ¡°Now, to improve this skill, or upgrade the other two?¡± I muttered, but after a brief consideration, I decided to upgrade all three of them. Since both the hammer and spear skills were natural progressions, upgrading would keep the old trick available, while also unlocking new dense Vitality attacks I could employ during emergencies.


    And, Blade of Bulwark had shown me that an Epic skill just below a hundred was better than a Rare one at two hundred, which was aligned with my old experience. Since I was confident that I could bring them to that level before nightfall, there was no substantial risk.


    Also, it would allow me to enhance them further while fighting outside ¡­ something I was excited about, as it would give me a chance to level up further, something that I was very enthusiastic about since each level represented even more stat points.


    And, since I was absorbing all the others, I also absorbed the Legendary Nurture, which, unlike the others, caused a slight discomfort. However, that momentary discomfort was easily ignored as I examined my latest class display.


    [Smith of Decay - Level 50]


    [Health 2900/3000] [Mana 2500/2500]


    [Vitality 250 / Strength 200 / Dexterity 150 / Essence 250 / Wisdom 150]


    [Skills (9/15)


    Meditation of Decay (Mythic) - 100 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]


    Mana Repair (Epic) - 103 [Advanced Observe]


    Mana Forge (Epic) - 313 [Advanced Creative Forging, Advanced Mana Control]


    Nurture (Legendary) - 1


    Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) - 1


    Blade of Bulwark (Epic) - 95


    Spear of Storm (Epic) -1


    Fire Bolt (Basic) - 25


    Shoot (Basic) - 25]

 Chapter 146

    ¡°I¡¯m spending too much time in swamps, wading through knee-deep water,¡± I said and took a shallow breath. While my connection with the dungeon had allowed me to push away its corrosive aura and keep myself safe, that did nothing to the ugly feeling of breathing swamp fumes. And it certainly didn¡¯t smell like a rose garden.


    Nor did it help the ugly sensation of my feet sinking into the mud, the texture enough to annoy me. The fifth-floor swamp was truly an ugly place. However, as I walked forward, I couldn¡¯t help but compare it with the other swamps I had seen in those weird dreams. Those looked much better with their glowing plants and lively environment.


    ¡°Unfortunately, terraforming thousands of square miles of land is not my first priority,¡± I said. Not only was my newly acquired Legendary Nurture not the first skill I wanted to improve, but even if I did, I had a much better way of achieving it.


    Instead, I twirled my hammer while doing my best to ignore the annoying sucking sensation under my boots, and searched for the next batch of insects. For once, on the fifth floor, I had to search for them rather than the opposite; which was a side effect of practicing an Epic sword skill for a while while expanding a lot of mana, not to mention my earlier experiment where I killed ten boss monsters back to back.


    I probably destroyed tens of thousands of insects in less than four hours. One good thing came of the process: it gave me a lot of Epic Nurture that the farmers who couldn¡¯t improve their skills naturally could use.


    Despite the damaged insect population, the fifth floor was the perfect place to test my new skills. I had spent the past few hours familiarizing myself with Blade of Bulwark, which had already given me a better idea regarding how to improve an Epic combat skill to the first stage.


    Luckily, even with the dungeon¡¯s population significantly damaged, it didn¡¯t take long for me to find a new swarm, which emerged from the fog ¡ª the ordinary kind ¡ª with their usual rage, their carapaces glistening in the dim light, their mandibles clicking threateningly.


    I held back my desire to make bad hammer puns as I raised my Hammer high, pumping my mana to its head as I waited for them to get closer. Only when the one at the front was merely a yard away, I brought the hammer down.


    [-120 Mana]


    The quake attack was different from mana blades. It didn¡¯t have the great, steady range of the blade attacks, nor did it have the gentle effectiveness of the spear attacks. It spread like a cone, barely spreading ten yards before it lost its power, meaning most of the horde was still alive. If it was a blade attack, all of the insects would have died.


    What it had was power. Pure, unbridled power. The attacking insects, regardless of their type, turned into small chunks as they spread around, making me glad for the self-cleaning feature of the dungeon.


    The reward was equally eye-catching.


    [Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) 1 -> 34]


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I muttered, swinging the hammer again, this time channeling Health to its direct capabilities rather than using the attacks that I had adopted from its Rare variants.


    [-250 Health]


    [Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) 34 -> 45]


    The results were even more spectacular. Unlike the previous attack, the shockwave spread in a more controlled manner. Not just a wild cone, but as a line, extending the area it affected significantly. But, its restrained nature didn¡¯t limit its destructive power. For an outside observer, it would have looked like the middle portion of the horde had simply disappeared.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± I said happily, realizing that I had underestimated the change between the Rare and Epic skills because of the lackluster performance of Blade of Bulwark; but it was just misjudging the balance of offense and defense of the skill.


    I realized that I could probably defeat Eleanor without her mana skill with relative ease. A great growth, too bad it came in a way, that guaranteed to make even bigger enemies.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    After testing the hammer skill, the rest was easy. Just move around the dungeon, occasionally spreading tainted energy to trigger their approach. Half an hour of commitment gave me enough improvement to bring it to a satisfactory point.


    [Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) - 92]


    However, the constant improvement of the attack wasn¡¯t the only benefit. Switching between two skills gave me another opportunity to understand the conceptual weight of the attacks. With my earlier experimentation failing to yield any practical results, observation ¡ª the ordinary kind, and not the perk kind ¡ª turned significantly more valuable.


    ¡°Let¡¯s add some more samples,¡± I said as I switched to my spear, and pierced the nearest insect, the mana sticking around its tip rather than turning into a ranged attack. Naturally, it was not an ordinary coating, but one that cycled and rotated in a complicated pattern that I learned from Breeze Spear.


    [Spear of Storms (Epic) 1 -> 8]


    The sudden burst of improvement wasn¡¯t as impressive, but it was inevitable. The ranged attacks from the spear were not particularly impressive, its true value lying in its mobility value. ¡°At least, flying is not a default part,¡± I muttered in relief even as I darted forward, using its natural mobility.


    Even without any enhancement from Health or Mana, the agility it provided was enough to surpass my earlier Fleeting Step, but the method was quite similar. The more I interacted with the perks, the more I got convinced that they were merely a unique subset of abilities from the more advanced form of the skill.


    Meaning, that all my efforts learning the applications of the perks could be deemed a waste, at least from the perspective of measuring only the outcome. However, it was just an absentminded mental flicker, as I always believed that methods taught people more than the outcomes.


    My rapid development only confirmed this notion.


    ¡±Focus,¡± I admonished myself, taking down several insects at once as I swung my spear as an arc. Technically, not the ideal way of using a spear, but with its body glowing with mana, it didn¡¯t matter.


    [Spear of Storms (Epic) 8 -> 21]


    As I continued to enhance the skill, I realized that, unlike the previous two variants, the name Storm not only referred to the movement speed of the style, but also to the destructive potential it contained. Once I used the Vitality attack, the energy crackled around the spearhead threateningly.


    It wasn¡¯t truly electricity, but an approximation of it, almost a conceptual copy. I didn¡¯t know just how strong the attack was ¡ª the insects didn¡¯t make the best measure of endurance since they died by one stab either way ¡ª but I guessed it wasn¡¯t low.


    As for whether Hammer of Avalanche or Spear of Storms had the higher destructive power, it probably depended on the nature of the enemy.


    However, it was just another item to the long list of questions that needed to be answered.


    I continued to move through the swamp, dealing with the insects through various attacks, and soon, their numbers were in the low nineties as well. I paused, wondering about the relative merits of pushing the skill higher versus letting it stay at its current level and focusing on other tasks before nightfall.


    It was a difficult choice, particularly since I expected it to show some fundamental improvements once they surpassed three hundred. Every other skill did so, sacrificing another hour for another twenty skill points, spread across the three skills was worthwhile.


    Luckily, before I could make that decision, a distinct feeling warned me about the birth of another boss monster. ¡°Right on time,¡± I muttered even as I started running toward the beast, which rushed toward me with an equal display of anger to erase me.


    Soon, I was facing another gargantuan insect with its thick, armored shell. The perfect target for testing my new skills.


    ¡°First, the offense,¡± I said to myself and rushed forward, dancing around the beast as I applied several choice attacks, a mixture of Vitality, dense Vitality, and ordinary mana. I would have loved to use the dense mana equivalent of it as well, but that was temporarily outside my capabilities.


    Maybe if I could forge an appropriate composite weapon¡­


    I soon shifted to the hammer, repeating the same, focusing the immense destructive power to completely destroy its legs before I switched to the sword and shield combo. It was intentional, as, unlike the others, I wanted to test its defensive potential, and the best way to do that was when the boss monster was too injured to unleash a full-powered attack.


    With my shield flaring with dense Vitality, the beast smashed against me, only for its attack to be completely wasted. Blade of Bulwark took the first step into proving itself by taking an impaired charge from the boss monster.


    Then, I switched to mana, replicating the effect, which worked well enough until the boss had recovered its full might. The next few attacks showed that my variant with mana could only take down attacks when it was weakened, while dense Vitality was able to tank even full-powered charges, ignoring the gap between our relative mass with ease.


    Once that was confirmed, I started cycling between the different weapons, until I finished the battle with a devastating hit from Hammer of Avalanche.


    ¡°Not a bad visit,¡± I said. The fifth floor might be a disgustingly unpleasant location, but the benefits of a visit were hard to argue against.


    [Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) - 125


    Blade of Bulwark (Epic) - 123


    Spear of Storm (Epic) -122]


    Now, it was time to put them to a more hostile test, one on the outside¡­

 Chapter 147

    I thought about visiting the fourth floor to experiment until nightfall, but after a momentary consideration, I decided against it. I didn¡¯t have a realistic path to follow. Instead, I moved to the fourth floor, where my condenser lay, to improve my last remaining skill.


    Legendary Nurture.


    There were two reasons for this. For once, it would be my first Legendary skill. While my Meditation was leveled even higher, considering the way it changed, it had no real value as a benchmark. I didn¡¯t even understand what it was doing, let alone compare it with the other stages of Meditation to get a better sense of changes between levels. Improving Legendary Nurture would give me a better idea.


    Also, I couldn¡¯t just assume that Nurture wouldn¡¯t be useful. It might not have an immediate combat impact, but that didn¡¯t make it useless. During the assault on the flame dungeon, things would have been far more difficult if it wasn¡¯t for the flammable trees I had grown in a hurry, allowing me to trick the army that Maria was there.


    Chances were that something like that wouldn¡¯t happen, but considering I still had somewhere just under an hour before nightfall, it was a good way to spend my time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the classics,¡± I said and moved to the condenser, which had several different concentrations of poison water from the fifth floor, collecting for eventual usage. But, I didn¡¯t start with it. Instead, I broke a branch from the nearest tree, moved deeper into the fourth-floor swamp, and put my new skill to use.


    [-150 Health]


    [Nurture (Legendary) 1 -> 4]


    ¡°That¡¯s not as much growth as I had hoped,¡± I said while I examined the fully-grown tree. But, it didn¡¯t surprise me. Just like how the Epic variant had been more efficient than the Rare one when it came to neutralizing the poison, the same was true for the Legendary one.


    I grew a few more trees ¡ª which didn¡¯t even raise it to ten ¡ª before I returned to the condenser and started replicating the same with higher poison concentrates. It worked, for a while. When I was at the fifth level of concentration, Nurture had reached forty, giving me the hope that it could work.


    Unfortunately, the other five levels of concentration barely improved it further.


    [Nurture (Legendary) - 51]


    ¡°It looks like I have exhausted the potential of yet another method,¡± I muttered. I examined the condenser, wondering if it was worth trying to improve it further. After all, its design was primitive at best. Building a better centrifuge, or a way to hasten the condensation further might help it further.


    But, once again, it would mean dedicating some of my precious time. For all intents and purposes, the Legendary skill should be enough for my goals.


    Instead of trying to examine it further, I focused on noting down my discoveries, the biggest one being the dense Vitality.


    Legendary skills still used the same dense variant.


    The lack of a superior variant was a mixed bag. On the positive side, it meant that the formulas Maria worked so hard to derive were still useful. However, it also meant that raising my Forge skill to legendary wouldn¡¯t be the transformation I had been hoping for to further put the game to my benefit.


    ¡°Well, not all hands can be winners,¡± I muttered while examining the new forest I had created during the experiment, and focused on one topic I had been neglecting: How the dungeon was reacting to the plants. That and whether it was truly helping or not.


    I tried to understand that before, but back then, I didn¡¯t have the Wisdom to translate the nature of the conceptual transformation. With it, I could watch the minute details of the energy breakdown better. After examining some, the answer was clear.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The trees slowed down the conversion process of the dungeon. Significantly.


    The mechanic of that slowing down was simple. Where the dungeon mist touched the ground ¡ª or water, when the situation was like the fifth floor ¡ª it created a surface for whatever magical reaction was happening to propagate more mist, which was a very critical part of the dungeon operation. The trees pushed the dungeon mist back, which meant they slowed down the generation of new dungeon mist.


    I took a note to warn Harold about not letting farmers expand the tree coverage too much. Ten percent of each dungeon surface seemed like a good rule of thumb.


    Then, I turned toward the strategic implications. Having the ability to impair the dungeon¡¯s operation could be a decisive advantage in containing the dungeon breaks. Admittedly, I would have been more excited before learning at least some of the dungeon breaks were artificially induced, but it certainly couldn¡¯t be the case for every dungeon.


    And, even if they were, this could give us an easy way to get them back under control. Including ones like the Flame Dungeon.


    ¡°If we could survive long enough,¡± I added with a sigh.


    The idea of sending an expedition was tempting, but two major problems stood in our way: One was my bond with the dungeon. While I was yet to truly test its limits, I doubted it would allow me to go that far away.


    And, even if it did, the path was no longer safe. Instead, it was filled with lizards, which would no doubt get much worse the closer we got to the location of the dungeon. Going back would be a multi-day journey, one that held no hope of hiding, making us sitting ducks against any assassination attempt.


    We won¡¯t be dealing with the source anytime soon.


    With that done, I finally went back to the first floor of the dungeon. The nightfall was minutes away, and I wanted to be there when it started. The ability to level up further was tempting.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Harold greeted me once I arrived outside.


    ¡°Give me a report of the defenses,¡± I said, and Harold started giving the report. Admittedly, I didn¡¯t need a long report. Every part of the new encampment was covered with metal to benefit from their flame-resistant properties, which meant I could use my Observe perk to get an accurate glimpse of anything that was in a ten-yard radius around me.


    It was certainly beneficial.


    ¡°And, there¡¯s the new highlight of our defenses. The ballistas,¡± he said proudly as he stood next to one of the newly erected towers.


    ¡°They finished it?¡± I asked, pleasantly surprised. Earlier that day, they still had several major technical hurdles. My estimation was that they wouldn¡¯t have been able to resolve it in a day, but I just asked them to challenge themselves.


    It was one topic I was happy to be wrong about.


    ¡°How about the claw stocks?¡± I said.


    ¡°We have collected about thirty thousand during the day,¡± Harold said.


    ¡°That¡¯s more than we expected,¡± I said, frowning slightly. ¡°Did you send teams to hunt?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. Not yet,¡± he said. ¡°However, the number of lizards is increasing more than we expected.¡±


    ¡°Meaning, either the dungeon is letting out even more than we realized, or¡­¡±


    ¡°They are somehow leading more of them toward our dungeon,¡± Harold completed my thought, his expression confirming that it was the likelier option. ¡°And, if that¡¯s the case, they might have a team ready to attack.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I said, wondering what would happen if just one high-level mage got near us while we were fighting against the lizards. The answer was not good. ¡°We need to upgrade our defenses significantly.¡±


    He paused. ¡°There¡¯s not a lot we can do as long as we have to defend the dungeon from outside,¡± he started.


    ¡°True. But, we have to ¡ª¡± I started, only to pause. We didn¡¯t have to, not anymore. Previously, we had to, because any lizard that entered the dungeon meant a loss of mana and dungeon energy. But, now that I could transform their tainted energy directly thanks to Wisdom, it meant that I could compensate for the losses.


    Especially if I could combine it with the ability of the trees to keep the dungeon mist away. That way, a zone where we could kill the lizards while still making a net gain was possible. The only disadvantage was that I needed to be there to absorb the resulting tainted energy in real time.


    ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t have to,¡± I said to Harold. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the defense against the lizards tonight. I want you to build a strong defensive castle on the first floor, its immediate surroundings covered with trees.¡±


    ¡°Around the gate?¡±


    ¡°No, build it somewhere near the edge of the first floor,¡± I said. ¡°I can always shift the gate there in case of an emergency.¡± I didn¡¯t want to block the natural flow of the dungeon energy any more than necessary.


    For the next twenty minutes, we discussed the technical details of the new defenses, which also gave me ideas on how to build a similar defensive scheme for the fifth floor as well. We only stopped when the sunlight outside disappeared completely.


    Harold went to build the new defenses for the alternative first-floor entrance, while I walked through the gate, ready to truly test my skills outside.

 Chapter 148

    ¡°Sir,¡± one of the guards spoke as I walked out without Harold. ¡°Will you be leading us tonight?¡±


    To his credit, he tried to hide his distaste, but even without the new emotional sensitivity granted by my Wisdom, he had no chance to succeed. ¡°No, Harold will return in a few hours. Meanwhile, maintain your usual command. I¡¯ll be exploring the mountain for a while,¡± I replied and walked forward.


    The more I interacted with the guards, the more I was bothered by the mental manipulation. Maybe I should put my Wisdom to better use by examining their emotional responses in a way that couldn¡¯t just be captured by a survey.


    However, even without it, I had suspicions that classes were the source, with my earlier surveys from the Farmers not only confirming the idea but also leading me to believe that there was some kind of hidden variable that was in play also affecting natural skill upgrades.


    The surveys had already confirmed that the farmers who lacked that hidden variable ¡ª or possessed in excess ¡ª were also lacking in courage and initiative.


    Too bad I couldn¡¯t apply the methodology with the guards, not without empowering a bunch of guards to the point they treated rebellion as an achievable option.


    The guards said nothing as I left them behind as I moved down the mountain, easily stabbing the lizards that started to climb the mountains. My climb down wasn¡¯t just a blind courage, I wanted to test three critical abilities at once.


    The most important one, I wanted to test if opening a second dungeon gate between Earth and the dungeon was possible. While the connection between me and the dungeon came with some instinctual information, it was not even as good as what the skills were providing. Often, only when attempting something was I able to figure out if it was possible or not.


    However, while it was the most important objective, I didn¡¯t immediately try it. If possible I would have liked to keep it hidden from the guards, which meant I needed to be away from the mountain peak, preferably with something to block the view.


    This brought me to my second objective, figuring out how far I could get away from the dungeon before the connection between me and the dungeon prevented me from moving further away. It was a critical piece of information that would change my strategy going forward.


    Additionally, I wanted to kill more lizards, which had multiple benefits. Leveling up was one. I also wanted to test my combat skills against a more challenging opponent and gather even more shells, but those benefits didn¡¯t make the third one as important as the first two objectives. However, the number of lizards that started to climb the mountains desperately told me that it was the case.


    My spear danced as I moved down the mountain with great speed, each lizard lasting only one hit. The weak variants didn¡¯t help me improve my skill even by one point, but that was to be expected.


    About a mile later, I paused, examining my connection, which pointed toward the dungeon gate. The more I got away, the more uncomfortable the connection was getting. Not painful, but merely discomforting like trying to hold a box for a few minutes too long.


    It was hard to mathematically calculate something as vague as discomfort, but even my most optimistic estimates were below a ten-mile radius.


    The dungeon connection was both a lifeline and a chain.


    After a few attempts, I stopped trying to absorb the energy from the claws, as the strained connection meant the process was considerably slower. I could still break down the fire-natured tainted energy easily, but just like how the speed of mana recovery had slowed down as I got away, the reverse was also true.


    Making the process too slow to be replicated, meaning straying away from the dungeon to kill the lizards wasn¡¯t an effective way to reinforce the place.


    ¡°One last item to be tested,¡± I muttered as I moved farther away until I found a nice cave for myself. Once I threw a rock at the entrance and blocked it, I flooded the cave with mana, more as a precaution than anything else.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    From there, I used the old digging trick to move about half a mile beneath the ground, creating an artificial cave away. It was most likely unnecessary, but, better safe than sorry.


    Only then, did I reach into the connection, opened a new gate, and a blue glow appeared in front of me. ¡°Nice,¡± I said as I was hit by exhaustion. It wasn¡¯t as intense as what I felt when I had shifted the other end of the gate from the first to the fifth floor, but it was significantly more than opening gates between different dungeon floors.


    I was happy despite the exhaustion, because the moment I had done it, I could feel that my connection had been snapped back to full power. I used another flare of mana, and my mana replenished immediately rather than the slight delay I had experienced earlier.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if it works both ways.¡± I crushed some claws I had with me, absorbing them with ease. The mana went into the dungeon without the slightest delay, which was good. The way the fire-natured tainted energy moved, was less good.


    Next to the dungeon gate, any tiny scraps would have been blown away by the gate¡¯s repelling effect. My new gate also had a repelling force, but it was much weaker. The new gate wasn¡¯t as strong as the main dungeon entrance. It was flimsier, but how much was about my subconscious impression that it would be temporary, and how much of it was the nature of the additional gates, I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°One last experiment,¡± I added while I focused on the gate, giving it the mental order to close. I was able to do it, but closing the gate was more exhausting than opening it in the first place.


    Moreover, I could feel that even after I had closed the gate, I could feel its presence. It wasn¡¯t that the gate was on standby, but there was, for lack of a better word, a mark. The sensation was curious enough to change my plans about adding another experiment.


    I touched my connection, and the gate appeared in place again, this time considerably easier. However, closing it was still just as exhausting.


    ¡°I wonder if I could reopen it from inside the dungeon,¡± I said as I climbed through the same tunnel I had disappeared from. I didn¡¯t know if it would be possible, but if it was, it could be a significant strategic advantage.


    ¡°I guess we will see,¡± I growled as I arrived at the original cave, carefully covering the tunnel behind me once more. I even used Nurture to regrow the wild plants around the tunnel to hide the spot I dug in the first place.


    Once out, I moved down the mountain some more, which was more in an attempt to confuse any potential spies than any practical need. The trip had already served most of its purpose.


    However, instead of climbing back, I continued to descend down, killing more lizards. All but one regarding my ultimate limit of travel from the gate, which I was reluctant to push my luck about by increasing the distance too much. In the end, I traveled three miles away, and even then, it was because of my newly discovered ability to open more gates in case of an emergency.


    Whether that emergency came in the form of a sudden snap in the power of the connection, or an assassination attempt from the mysterious organization that was backing Thomas.


    I returned to the gate once that last point was determined. Since the distance prevented me from absorbing the claws properly, there was no point in expanding my reach for the moment. Instead, I returned to the dungeon gate. When I returned, Harold was already back outside, leading the defenses.


    ¡°I hope it was a fruitful trip, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°It was,¡± I replied. ¡°I have seen enough to understand the danger around us. Do you think our new recruits could handle some more action?¡± I kept my tone jovial, but Harold knew me enough that it was not a frivolous request.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they would appreciate a proper challenge, sir,¡± he replied. ¡°And, it¡¯ll be a good opportunity to test our new siege weapons.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said even as I flipped my hammer in hand, curious how far I would be able to push my new skills in one night of endless combat. It annoyed me that staying outside to fight was the best way to spend my time despite having multiple critical tasks to accomplish, including something as monumental as understanding how Wisdom worked, but there was no helping it.


    The advantages of staying outside were too vital. For one, my presence and mana attacks would allow us to draw far more lizards toward the defenses and deal with them directly. Their claws were critical to reinforce the dungeon further while also helping me to level up.


    Killing tens of thousands of them ¡ª maybe even more ¡ª directly would improve my skills somewhat, but that side benefit at best. Improved skills would be beneficial, but if my past experience was any indicator, learning how to use Wisdom would be a much better path to improve them.


    Also, there was another benefit. Fighting all night would allow me to observe thousands of people fight all night, each attack carrying a varying amount of ¡®conceptual weight¡¯. While observation was not the best way to figure out such things, it would give me a good basis, which was all I needed.


    The sum of those reasons equaled another sleepless night for me.


    But, I had one more thing to do. Before the battle started, I went back into the dungeon, and focused on the gate I had opened earlier. I could feel the presence of it, even though it was somewhat faded. It felt like I could reopen it like I had suspected.


    But, instead of testing it, I returned. I had experimented enough for the moment. Now, it was time to level up.

 Chapter 149

    ¡°Incredible work. I¡¯m proud of all of you,¡± I called as I stood in front of the dungeon gate, making sure my armor caught the light of the dawn perfectly, knowing that it would impress them, particularly after a night of fighting where I had killed more than three hundred thousand monsters single-handedly.


    An absurd number that was only possible thanks to the wide area mana attacks.


    I could feel even the guards looking at me with renewed reverence, showing that my extended display somehow managed to push through their supernatural discrimination.


    ¡°I wonder how long it will stick this time,¡± I muttered after I stepped to the fourth floor. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had impressed them with my battle prowess. It faded relatively quickly in previous times, making me wonder how long it would last this time.


    But, I shrugged. Among everything I had been trying to achieve, impressing them wasn¡¯t even on the list.


    Speaking of benefits¡­


    [Smith of Decay - Level 53]


    [Health 3180/3180] [Mana 2650/2650]


    [Vitality 265 / Strength 212 / Dexterity 159 / Essence 265 / Wisdom 159]


    [Skills (9/15)


    Meditation of Decay (Mythic) - 100 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]


    Mana Repair (Epic) - 103 [Advanced Observe]


    Mana Forge (Epic) - 313 [Advanced Creative Forging, Advanced Mana Control]


    Nurture (Legendary) - 53


    Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) - 123


    Blade of Bulwark (Epic) - 172


    Spear of Storm (Epic) -133


    Fire Bolt (Basic) - 25


    Shoot (Basic) - 25]


    I called the status screen, taking note of the changes. I had gained three levels, which was unfortunately less than I had expected. Comparatively, I had killed even more than the previous expedition that gave me seven levels, but, I had only gained three this time.


    I sighed. I had anticipated a drop, but not that much. With the exponential nature of the drop, it meant that pushing above level sixty would be next to impossible ¡­ well, until the lizards got even stronger, but that would come with its own problems.


    Comparatively, the improvement of my skills was more in line with my expectations. This time, I relied mostly on my sword, as its slashing attacks were still the best method to deal with larger groups without destroying their claws.


    Crushing and absorbing them went a long way to refill the reserves of the dungeon, enough that helping several hundred Farmers improve their classes didn¡¯t even register as an expense. My Mythic meditation was paying incredible dividends.


    But, none of them was as valuable as the observations I had made as I watched the others, one that led me to think of something I hadn¡¯t considered before.


    The quality of the weapon impacted the conceptual weight of the attacks.


    Even now, it felt like an absurd idea, the craftsmanship of the weapon somehow affecting the power of the attack. But, after watching more than a thousand people fight all night, each using weapons made by different people, the observation was clear.


    Naturally, it wasn¡¯t a conclusion. Unlike performance, quality was not something that could be defined easily. Maybe, quality was not even the correct word to explain what had been going on there. But, the accuracy of the word didn¡¯t matter.


    What mattered was to have a direction for my experiments.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I started to work with a simple, cast-iron blade, one that would shatter with a bad blow. Then, I forged a second, properly forged dagger. Third, I folded the iron almost a hundred times, turning it into a proper impressive weapon.


    The following ranged attacks confirmed that the better dagger actually had a stronger presence. Significantly so. It was not a proper, statistically significant sample, but it was promising.


    I forged five sets of each, just to confirm that it worked ¡­ only, it didn¡¯t. ¡°Really,¡± I muttered in frustration as I tested the new set of daggers, only for them to lack the presence completely.


    I closed my eyes and examined the daggers, using Observe to examine their structure. The edge of the blade was the same, the crystalline structure had the same general properties, even the way the hilt and the blade connected was the same. So, what was the difference¡ª


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that, right?¡± I paused, realizing that there was one big factor I hadn¡¯t considered before. For the first set of blades, I didn¡¯t use mana to take any shortcuts until the quenching process. The second set, I did. ¡°It has to be wrong,¡± I muttered.


    It has to be. After all, why should the method of creation have any impact on the weapon, as long as the resulting product was the same? It was silly, and illogical, like believing in horoscopes. ¡°It¡¯s absurd,¡± I muttered in frustration.


    However, no matter how absurd the idea was, I still tried it. I had forged multiple daggers, as identical as possible. But, for one group, I mined a fresh set of ore, doing everything by hand. The other, I used mana for each step.


    The daggers in the first group had stronger presences without exception. And, it wasn¡¯t a slight difference either. Instead, the difference could be determined to be significant.


    I frowned, wondering whether it was the mana that was responsible for it. Maybe the involvement of mana was somehow ruining the conceptual integrity of the dagger, it''s touch enough to change it so drastically. Maybe it was Wisdom¡¯s function, to keep the conceptual existence strong despite the additional mixture.


    Testing it was easy. I forged another two groups of daggers, this time from the mana alloy, but otherwise doing my best to keep their quality equal to the first set.


    The results of that test were enough to invalidate my earlier thoughts. The conceptual weight of the first set was strong enough to rival the other handmade sets. There were some minute differences, but not enough to make it significant.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± I growled, trying to understand what was going on. I could feel that I was close, but I failed to pinpoint it. I had a feeling that I was missing something obvious ¡­ but what.


    But, instead of trying to brute force it, I decided to go for a walk to the third floor. Maybe watching the other blacksmiths operate would help.


    I could have opened a gate with a thought, but instead, I decided to run the distance, which was a good way to stretch my legs while also examining my new movement style that came with Spear of Storm, testing its capabilities when it came to sharp turns, acceleration, and other technical tricks.


    There was no harm in being prepared.


    However, as I covered the distance, I noticed something interesting. I had come across the occasional giant insect, which shouldn¡¯t be appearing on the third floor. ¡°Probably a consequence of all that extra mana,¡± I decided. Luckily, the residents had long passed the point of being threatened by them. Still, I made a note to alert Harold.


    Once I arrived at the third floor, I didn¡¯t approach the production line, but instead picked an empty hill that I could observe them from.


    It was harder to feel the presence of the weapons from a distance, but it didn¡¯t matter. I was here to brainstorm rather than to collect data. I watched the large group of workers, their numbers already above three hundred, working intensely.


    My Wisdom-enhanced memory helped me to recognize quite a bit of them had been outside, fighting to level up. Not that I blamed them. Leveling up gave them Strength, which in turn allowed them to absorb Common Forge.


    Looking at what they had achieved, I had no intention of complaining. Half a dozen railroads spread from the center, steam engines pulling wagons filled with ore to the large blast furnaces to be melted, some used by the blacksmiths to forge corrosion-resistant alloys which then turned into various weapons and machines, while some had been stored, waiting for my attention to be turned into the flame resistant variants.


    However, after spending a minute watching them, I slapped my head. ¡°Of course,¡± I growled as I returned, forging another set of daggers. This time, I didn¡¯t use mana, but automated the process through machines as much as possible.


    The result was ¡­ there was no difference ¡ª at least, not one I could currently measure ¡ª between using mana and using machines to shortcut certain steps, both damaging the presence of the weapon significantly.


    I paused, wondering whether I discovered something truly groundbreaking, or if I had made the world¡¯s most obvious discovery. ¡°Either way, I have a practical benefit,¡± I said while I started forging a new sword out of dense mana.


    One, that was shaped perfectly to serve my Blade of Bulwark, which took more than two hours to forge even with the infinite mana that was provided by the dungeon. But, as I quenched it in water, water bubbling, I had a good feeling about it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put you to the test,¡± I muttered as I waved my sword, and a deadly arc of mana cut through the air, disappearing into the distance.


    [-900 Mana]


    [Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 173 -> 175]


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I muttered. I might not have made any real progress scientifically about what the concept was, but a devastating new attack was an excellent in-progress result ¡­ especially when it came with a way to hasten my skill growth once again.


    I didn¡¯t return to experimentation immediately, instead forging myself a new set of equipment. It meant I would spend half a day where I could experiment, but considering I might get attacked anytime, it felt like a reasonable precaution.

 Chapter 150

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    It was already dusk before I could start experimenting again, but I couldn¡¯t say that the day was wasted. One reason was that I had forged myself a set of anti-corrosive armor out of dense mana, a chainmail made of anti-flame metal I could put over my armor; and two sets of weapons, one anti-flame, and one anti-corrosive.


    I had considered limiting myself to only one set of anti-flame equipment, but I decided against it after testing the performance of the two pieces of equipment. The dungeon crystals allowed me to forge a much better alloy, which translated into infusing more mana into my attacks.


    Considering the possibility of facing human enemies, it felt like a reasonable time investment even if it prevented me from experimenting.


    Luckily, my new weapons allowed me to upgrade my skills quickly. I just needed to hunt a dozen bosses before I was looking at a very welcome screen.


    [Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) - 300 [Shattering Strike]


    Blade of Bulwark (Epic) - 300 [Adamant Stance]


    Spear of Storm (Epic) -300 [Mercurial Movement]


    As much as it bothered me to not understand the mechanic behind why automating the process ¡ª be it with mana or with machines ¡ª weakened the presence of the sword, that did nothing to steal from the enjoyment of discovering another trick to improve my skills, this time completing their Epic nature.


    Selecting the perks had been simple. A devastating new strike for the hammer, a defense-focused perk for the sword, and another movement perk for the spear, a familiar setup. All that remained was to test them.


    But, before I did that, I used the dungeon connection to check the area around the gate, only to be met with a sight that changed my mind.


    The defenders had been split into two groups, looking like they were about to come to blows. On one side, almost all of the fighting classes lined up, their weapons drawn, and several carts piled up with supplies behind them.


    At the other side, stood Harold, supported by a team of Farmers brandishing their weapons.


    ¡°I wonder whether to call that good timing or bad timing,¡± I muttered. I was annoyed that it interrupted me before I could properly test my new Perks. But then, I was also glad. Having the skills at the limit meant that I was ready to deal with any application of force if they wished so.


    I opened a gate to the first floor, and stepped outside, wanting to join before the situation escalated.


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect us to stand and fight just to save a bunch of worthless farmers,¡± one of the guards shouted. ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body ¡ª¡± Harold replied, his blade drawn.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked immediately as I arrived.


    ¡°Nothing important, sir. We¡¯re having a slight disagreement, but as soon as I explain to them the folly of their actions ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough. Stop treating that upstart Blacksmith like a noble. He¡¯s nothing more than a servant who got a few rare skill stones by getting into the good graces of a noble. I¡¯ll die before I listen to him! And, you¡¯re a fool if you think I¡¯ll risk my life in a beast wave for him!¡± the guard declared, somehow looking confident despite the situation.


    I could see the source of his confidence. About ninety percent of all guards stood behind him, clearly supporting his decision. As for the emotional empathy granted by Wisdom, it only made the situation worse. Their disdain toward me was intense, far more than I had expected.


    More importantly, I could feel that their determination was solid. Far more solid than I expected. Why, I didn¡¯t know ¡ª


    A flash of epiphany interrupted me as I realized the possible source of it. They leveled up.


    The guard force was cobbled together by Maria and Eleanor, and as a result, they were low-leveled; yet the special nature of the dungeon meant that they didn¡¯t use it to level up rapidly. But, things were different at the dungeon entrance, where each guard killed likely thousands of lizard monsters, allowing them to level up aggressively.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    At this point, I had long realized that the classes were somehow indoctrinating us to a certain set of behaviors, but I hadn¡¯t considered what the impact of leveling would be. And, if the situation in front of me was any indicator, leveling up enhanced the indoctrination effect.


    I would have been happy with that discovery if it hadn¡¯t arrived in the form of a rebellion.


    Admittedly, I wasn¡¯t sure how much of it I could blame on the System. While it clearly played a role, there was more than enough ordinary discrimination going on. Moreover, I had been doing my best to improve the fighting capabilities of the Farmers despite their class, which wouldn¡¯t help.


    That was the dangerous thing about prejudices and discrimination. Any evidence to the contrary, rather than damaging their warped beliefs, actually made them stronger.


    Cognitive dissonance was a dangerous phenomenon.


    ¡°You want to leave?¡± I asked, feeling a strange sense of resignation at my failure.


    ¡°Of course, you worthless manwhore,¡± he declared, his anger and disdain bubbling to the surface, once again repeating his comments.


    I didn¡¯t bother to defend myself against his absurd statement, knowing that it would be useless. I paused for a moment, considering the implications. ¡°Even with the risk the wilderness possesses,¡± I said. Though, as I said that, I knew that it was about the news of the beast wave.


    Even without talking with Harold, I could guess that the beast wave had something to do with some kind of a boss monster. And, if my experience with the gargantuan insects was any indicator, I knew they could control the beasts that were around them. The beast wave probably cut the arrival of the new lizards from the dungeon. It would give them an opportunity to escape.


    One that they probably considered as their only chance.


    He just spat on the ground. ¡°Are you going to let us go, or are we going to fight?¡± Behind him, the other guards nodded, looking excited at the prospect.


    It looked like their recent leveling filled them with unfounded confidence.


    It was not an easy decision. Ethics was one challenge. A part of me wanted to dissuade them from risking their lives pointlessly despite the intensity of the situation, but I didn¡¯t have an option. I had clearly underestimated just how much they would hate the idea of being commanded by a Blacksmith.


    Maybe keeping them forcibly was the correct decision, but I wasn¡¯t able to bring myself to it.


    Another part of it was the secrets. They knew not only my true class, but the existence of the factory underneath, and my ability to mass-produce mana weapons. Letting them go would mean the dissemination of that information on a large scale.


    However, the moment I revealed that secret to the thousands of people that currently occupied my dungeon, it had stopped being a secret. While I would have preferred to keep that under wraps for a while more, it would inevitably leak.


    Similarly, I could find dozens of reasons to keep them in, but none of them were strong enough to keep a potentially violent group of dissidents as a part of our group. And, there were perks to it as well. At this point, I was confident in our ability to defend the dungeon against the forces the city lords might presumably send, and making some kind of trade deal might be possible.


    Especially if I was willing to sell Forge and Meditation skill stones cheaply, something I was more than happy to do.


    ¡°Fine, you can leave,¡± I said, coming to a quick decision. Next to me, I could see Harold look at me in shock, but he managed to keep himself from interjecting. I appreciated it.


    ¡°Good. We just need a bunch of farmers to keep us fed during the journey, and we¡¯ll be out of your hair ¡­ sir,¡± he said, the last word delivered with all the smug satisfaction of a schoolyard bully.


    ¡°And, you have volunteers?¡± I asked.


    He smirked. ¡°Give me a minute, and I¡¯ll find hundreds of volunteers ¡ª¡± he started.


    I didn¡¯t need the emotional reading from Wisdom to guess he was planning to forcibly drag them away. I could have argued for a long time. Instead, I raised my foot, and slammed on the metal floor as I tried to deliver an inferior copy of my hammer skill. It was a trick I had discovered some time ago, though it was more of a parlor trick than anything. Without a weapon to properly engage the skill, the effect was a pale imitation at best.


    [-100 Mana]


    The whole defensive encampment shook as the tremble spread through the metal, making them take a step back.


    They looked shocked, but I didn¡¯t blame them. I was equally surprised. The attack came out far stronger than I had expected, and somehow, I knew Wisdom was responsible. It looked like I had discovered my first clue on how to actively leverage it.


    Too bad I couldn¡¯t focus on that for the moment.


    ¡°Try that, and I might decide to change my mind,¡± I threatened.


    ¡°You think ¡ª¡± he started, but I interrupted him again, this time with a flash of my blade that turned into a real ranged attack, destroying one of the carts they had prepared.


    [-200 Mana]


    However, the choice was not random. The floor was metal, and the carts had enough metal content as well. Together, it was enough for me to identify which cart was filled with skill stones, and I destroyed it.


    ¡°How dare ¡ª¡± he started, but I slashed three more times, each passing near the carts that were filled with their supplies. I didn¡¯t destroy them, but the display was memorable enough.


    ¡°I promised Maria to let you bunch leave without intervention. Don¡¯t make me reconsider it,¡± I said as I raised my blade to tap to his throat.


    He let out a threatening growl. ¡°You¡¯ll regret this,¡± he challenged, but considering he was already retreating, I decided to let him do so.


    I watched as they pulled their carts down the mountain, glaring at them to make sure they didn¡¯t pick the discarded skill stones. Only after they were down the mountain, I turned to Harold.


    It looked like we needed to have a talk.

 Chapter 151

    Watching the guards leave the mountain was a bitter feeling, especially since, even as I watched them disappear, I wasn¡¯t sure whether I did the right thing by letting them go. A part of me wanted to imprison them ¡­ and a darker part of me wondered if it would have been better to just kill them and be done with it.


    I hated those voices.


    But, whether I let them go or kept them back didn¡¯t change the nature of my mistake. I had screwed up big time, and without the looming threat of a rebellion, I was free to process it in its entirety.


    One thing was apparent: I had been arrogant. Despite knowing that their classes affected their personal perception, I simply believed that the occasional displays of power would have been enough to keep a lid on their discontent, not understanding the possible impact of their leveling.


    And, I should have. Even without leveling somehow increasing the mental manipulation that the classes exerted, it still would have caused a problem. I knew from firsthand experience that the power boost from leveling up several times in a row could give a sense of invincibility.


    Failing to predict that sense of invincibility would destroy the authority I had displayed on them was an abject failure on my end. I might have not wanted to be a leader, but it was not an excuse to do such a terrible job.


    I needed to be better.


    And, I needed to start that by focusing on the people behind me, their fears already growing as they watched the departure of our strongest fighters.


    I turned to them, and looked at them. ¡°You are free to leave with them if you want,¡± I said to them. With Wisdom, catching the flare of panic at my words was easy, which still felt weird. ¡°It¡¯s not a trap.¡±


    One of them raised his hand. ¡°Not unless you order us, sir,¡± he said. ¡°We know how we will be treated with them. Beast wave or not, we would like to stay.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll make sure that you all are strong enough to deal with the beast wave,¡± I said, which seemed to be enough to gain their acceptance. ¡°Now, take your posts. It¡¯s almost evening, and the beasts will soon start their attack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they said in concert before dispersing, leaving only Harold, looking tense.


    I took a deep breath at their obedience. Their quick acceptance didn¡¯t surprise me. I already knew that Farmer class came with its own set of mental suggestions, and a certain meekness and obedience to authority was a part of it.


    ¡°Do you have a minute for a private chat?¡± I said as I gestured toward the dungeon entrance. He nodded, disappointment rolling off him in waves, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    I walked to the dungeon, and he followed, until we were half a mile away from the dungeon gate, his sense of disappointment turning into rolling waves, suffocating, overlapping with my own sense of inadequacy. I was disappointed with myself enough, and what I could sense from him was making it even worse.


    ¡°What a failure of leadership, right?¡± I asked. As much as I wanted to avoid the topic, I didn¡¯t deserve it.


    ¡°True, sir,¡± he said, his expression stony, but his sense of disappointment was getting stronger.


    I took a deep breath, not sure what to say. It had been a long while since I had failed to this extent. My failure to expect the disaster despite having all the necessary pieces not only compromised our defenses, but also risked the lives of hundreds of guards needlessly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have been such a terrible leader,¡± I said.


    I expected Harold to look even more disgusted, but his expression turned to shock. ¡°Wait? What?¡± he asked, shocked. ¡°You¡¯re sorry, sir?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Well, yes. I should have predicted what was going on.¡±


    He caught my gaze. ¡°Respectfully, sir, that¡¯s bullshit.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°You trusted me and put me to lead them while you dealt with more important matters. I¡¯m the one that failed.¡±


    I paused, surprised by his declaration. I had expected him to insult me, not act like he had just committed the greatest crime.


    Also, absentmindedly, I took a note not to trust the emotional empathy I got from Wisdom too much, as it was clearly not an infallible indicator. Just because I knew what someone was feeling didn¡¯t mean I could read their thoughts accurately.


    ¡°As much as I appreciate the thought, there are some details you¡¯re not aware of,¡± I said.


    ¡°Like what, sir?¡± he asked. I gave him a relatively condensed breakdown of what I had been suspecting about the System and how it affected our mind, limited to five minutes. ¡°Is this why people never think about the old world?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s my theory, at least,¡± I said. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how it affects us truly, and why it¡¯s stronger in some people than others. I didn¡¯t think that rapid leveling would have an impact.¡±


    Harold paused. ¡°Is this why you let them go rather than imprisoning them,¡± he said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t approve?¡± I asked. ¡°Are you also afraid that they won¡¯t survive the wilderness?¡±


    To my surprise, Harold actually spat on the ground at the idea. ¡°God no. I couldn¡¯t care less about a bunch of cowards that didn¡¯t blink before betraying their promises and risking thousands of lives just because they are afraid of a beast wave.¡±


    ¡°Even if their classes affected their thoughts?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head. ¡°Frankly, sir, I think you¡¯re overestimating the impact of their class on their final decision. Most of them were too used to living in their little corner of the world, too concerned with their little benefits. The only reason they signed up for this mission was because it was safe and lucrative. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have waited until the perfect opportunity to get away. The moment they heard about the beast wave, they must have started packing.¡±


    ¡°Is that why we have been surprised by it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, ashamed of his lapse. ¡°I had been too busy arranging the supplies to realize that they had been packing for their own travel rather than preparing for the beast wave. Their decision caught me unprepared.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty about it,¡± I said. ¡°I know from experience how overwhelming trying to handle several critical tasks at once could be. Hell, I almost killed myself multiple times in the process.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°It still doesn¡¯t lessen the impact of my failure, sir. They are privy to a lot of secrets, and I know you wanted to keep them under wraps. And, now, I ruined it.¡±


    He had a point, but not as much as he believed ¡°Not much we could do on that. The moment I had given that speech, I was ready for those secrets to be revealed. There¡¯s no such thing as a secret that could be kept by thousands of people. And, as far as reveals go, this is not the worst case.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that they could keep their mouth shut enough to sell this information to the highest bidder?¡±


    ¡°No. Assuming that they could return safely, they¡¯ll probably babble their woes to every listener that¡¯s willing to buy them a beer, and how unfair it was that they were not the top dogs as they deserved.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯ll help us.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± he said. ¡°The more people know about the potential profit, the worse for us, right?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s certainly better than just one city lord learning about it. If it was a secret, they might send a strong force in secret to take over the dungeon, hoping to monopolize the production.¡±


    He paused for a moment. ¡°But if there are multiple parties¡­.¡±


    ¡°They will have to make sure their rivals aren¡¯t the ones that take advantage of the situation, meaning they have to factor in other risks like a potential ambush. That way, we might find a way to turn it into a negotiation.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound too sure,¡± he said.


    I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not, because it¡¯s equally likely that they¡¯ll destroy us first before they start bargaining. We might end up like the Occupation of Czechoslovakia.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with it, sir,¡± Harold said.


    ¡°To summarize it somewhat inaccurately, before the second world war, the nazis tried to annex a significant part of Czechoslovakia, and after some events, German, French, British, and Italian representatives gathered together for a conference, which they didn¡¯t invite Czechoslovakia government. They just took the final decision, and forced it upon them, carving their country in several pieces.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid that various guilds and cities will decide on how to split the dungeon without consulting us,¡± Harold said. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s likely?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly on the table. Unless, of course, we can show them such a deal is worse than the alternative.¡±


    ¡°And, for that, we need more power,¡± Harold admitted, his expression dancing between hope and disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s enough discussion about future stuff. Let¡¯s discuss this beast wave. None of the other stuff will matter if we can¡¯t survive it.¡±

 Chapter 152

    His spine straightened as I asked a practical question about the upcoming beast wave, providing a distraction from the self-incrimination he was dealing with.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know much about the beast wave other than the usual, sir. We started suspecting its presence late afternoon, when the number of beasts around the mountain experienced a sudden drop, and the ones we could see started to migrate toward a certain direction. I led a team of scouts exploring, only to see a huge gathering of monsters, standing still. Then, I returned and¡­¡± he said, before his words faded, his guilt spiking once more.


    ¡°Then, what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I decided to inform everyone to start preparing the defenses rather than trying to warn you about it,¡± he added. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been that hasty, maybe we could have prevented the defection ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I asked you to prioritize the defenses, and you did exactly that. It¡¯s my mistake. I should have given you a better tool to warn me during emergencies. That way, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up making such a bad choice,¡± I admitted. It was ironic that, in an effort to outsmart our enemies, I had managed to outsmart myself. ¡°But, let¡¯s focus on the more urgent matters first. We can discuss who has more to be blamed for once the biggest threat has been dealt with.¡±


    ¡°You have a point, sir,¡± he admitted. ¡°But, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s the only information we have about the beast wave. That it exists, and it¡¯s currently gathering about fifty miles away from the dungeon. It¡¯ll arrive sometime just after midnight,¡± he added, then paused, looking afraid. ¡°At least, I hope it will.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. He looked surprised regarding my question, making me believe that I was missing yet another nugget of knowledge that had become common after the Cataclysm. ¡°Actually, scratch that. Tell me everything you know about the beast waves, even the most obvious aspects.¡±


    ¡°Everything?¡± he asked, and I nodded. ¡°Admittedly, I don¡¯t know too much either.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Just tell me everything you know.¡±


    He paused for a moment, collecting his words. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about why they occur, other than the fact that a stronger-than-usual monster is exerting an influence similar to Charisma and gathering them together. But, usually, their collection range is measured in miles, and not yards like Charisma.¡±


    ¡°I see. And, why did you say that you wish that they attack around midnight? Are you afraid that they will come sooner?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, the opposite,¡± he admitted. ¡°A beast wave moves slowly during its growing phase. Only when it reaches the limit, does it pick up momentum.¡±


    ¡°The longer it waits, the more dangerous it gets,¡± I completed. ¡°And, do we know that it would attack us, assuming it is a natural beast wave,¡± I said. Even for a second, I didn¡¯t believe it to be a natural occurrence, but it was worth asking either way.


    ¡°Very likely, sir. It¡¯s not always a given, but they target the dungeons often enough to make building a town too close very unsustainable.¡±


    ¡°Any idea about the capabilities? Do you think it would be limited to lizards?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, sir. That¡¯s what makes the waves so dangerous. That many monsters together ¡­ We have no idea how they would evolve. The lizards would probably make up the majority, but the other mix would be dangerous enough.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can survive it?¡±


    ¡°Depends,¡± he said.


    ¡°On what?¡± I asked.


    ¡±Whether you have more surprises for us, sir. If you¡¯re limited to what you had shown yesterday during the defense, we won¡¯t prevail. The ballistas are useful, but not enough to take down any of the most dangerous beasts. You can eventually whittle one or two down, but the rest would simply demolish our defenses.¡±


    Interestingly, even as he delivered that grim declaration, he wasn¡¯t despairing. He must have been confident in me revealing more surprises.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Luckily, he was right. My newest set of Epic skills alone could change such a battle significantly. I had yet to test its perk properly, but even without it, Hammer of Avalanche represented a devastating attack-over-area, which, when combined with the dungeon continuously replenishing my mana, could resolve most of the trouble the beast wave could provide.


    When it came to spreading area-effect devastation, I might not be too far behind Maria at this point.


    Naturally, I had no intention of limiting myself to that. I had hundreds of students ready to support me. Together, we could start creating modern weapons. A steam-powered artillery shouldn¡¯t be too much trouble. A few valves, and a strong pipe system would be enough for the delivery system. Though, even if it failed, we could refocus on the ballistas.


    The real challenge would be developing the correct type of ammunition. The ballistas that had been purchased from the System shop worked, because their enchantments were exquisite and complex enough to imbue the ammunition with great power.


    We couldn¡¯t replicate that, meaning we would need a new direction. Maybe I could replicate the fragmenting javelin trick I had used, but only on a wider scale.


    Then, there was my most recent discovery during my confrontation, a sudden insight into exactly how Wisdom could be used to enhance the concepts behind the tricks.


    ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± Harold said, distracting me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Sorry, got distracted by the plans,¡± I said. ¡°And, you know you don¡¯t have to call me sir every time, right?¡±


    His expression tightened. ¡°I think I do, sir,¡± he replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t know why until your earlier explanation about the class and how it subtly changes us, but it helps me to remember the correct chain of command.¡±


    ¡°By reminding you of your days in the marines?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± he said, then paused. ¡°Is the System why I rarely think about the old days?¡±


    ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t know. All I have is a bunch of half-baked theories that seem to support each other, but it¡¯s too early to claim that they are accurate. Maybe they are, maybe they are not. But, it¡¯s a topic we can discuss once we deal with the latest threat, preferably with some strong alcohol.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like an excellent idea, sir,¡± he said. ¡°I was asking whether you had any other surprises while waiting for the enemy to arrive.¡±


    ¡°I have some, like this,¡± I said as I raised my hammer toward a nearby hill, and swung my hammer, focusing on my Wisdom, doing my best to envision the concept of the landslide; similar to how I did earlier with my punch.


    It was difficult. Using a Stat externally wasn¡¯t simple like using a skill. Even with Strength and Dexterity, I had struggled at first. And, there, I had my skills to guide me. And, I lacked that for Wisdom.


    I probably owed a drink to the departing guards. If it wasn¡¯t for the epiphany I experienced facing them ¡ª helped by all the practice I had with various ranged attacks and presence ¡ª I had no idea how long it would have taken for me to take that step.


    The feeling of using Wisdom actively was sublime at best. It wasn¡¯t exactly a mental push, but what it was was hard to describe. The closest analog I could get was painting, where Wisdom gave me the ability to color what previously was just line art.


    Luckily, since the attack and the skill already carried the concept of an avalanche, all I needed was to pick the correct colors and follow the guide. The mana followed the pattern of the attack, spreading mercilessly.


    [-100 Mana]


    The dust cloud that rose in response had been suffocating, enough to make me glad that I held back, and only used a hundred mana rather than my full reserves. I didn¡¯t fancy damaging the first floor that much.


    ¡°Y-yes, sir. I think it will be enough,¡± he said with a shaky breath. I didn¡¯t blame him, as I had been equally shocked. But then, maybe I should have been. It was true that I had just received Wisdom, but what I received wasn¡¯t just a few meager points.


    ¡°Good ¡ª¡± I started, only to pause. While the beast wave was dangerous, it would be stupid to assume that it was the only threat. It was almost certain that the same mysterious organization that had sent the ascended warriors to hunt us was behind the beast wave.


    Meaning, they might have other surprises for us. Surprises that I needed to be prepared for.


    ¡°It might not be that simple,¡± I said instead, and gave him the full story of what happened after the evacuation, including the battle against the ascended warriors. To his credit, he didn¡¯t call me a liar, or interrupt me. He just listened with a grim expression.


    ¡°So, we have to not only prepare for an attack from a beast wave that could have some unexpected surprises, but also be prepared for an ambush from ascended warriors.


    ¡°Simple, right,¡± I said in a deadpan tone, forcing a humorous tone I wasn¡¯t exactly feeling. But, I could sense it working. My display of confidence boosted his significantly.


    ¡°Truly so, sir,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a tough strategic question. Shall we discuss?¡±


    ¡°Not now,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Two reasons. We don¡¯t know the size of the beast wave we will face. More importantly, we don¡¯t know our own capabilities. Speaking of which, how¡¯s your progress?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck at the peak of Rare, sir,¡± he answered before he stopped, realizing the question wasn¡¯t exactly random. ¡°You mean¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re free to use the same tactic to quickly improve everyone¡¯s skills. The only reason I had been holding back was because I was afraid the guards would act out, and that¡¯s not a problem anymore. Holding back against such a threat doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡±


    ¡°Will you be supervising us, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It would be fun, but I have other plans. I think it¡¯s time to focus on my promise of resurrecting modern warfare. Don¡¯t you think so, mister marine sergeant?¡±


    His smirk matched mine.

 Chapter 153

    As I opened a portal to the third floor, leaving Harold behind to organize the defenses, a part of me resented the need for it. I had just gotten an inkling of how to utilize Wisdom properly, but instead of experimenting with it, I had to deal with creating a whole new set of weapons.


    It wasn¡¯t that I had been considering abandoning them to their fate, but it didn¡¯t prevent the necessity from being annoying.


    I never liked being interrupted when I had something to focus on.


    However, the moment I arrived at the third floor, next to the open-air forge complex, some of my annoyance evaporated. A part of it was the sheer volume of discord from hundreds of hammers slamming together, mixing with the sound of the belts and other effects. It was a mismatched cacophony, yet I found it relaxing.


    I wondered if it had anything to do with my class, or was it simply a habit ingrained into me after spending most of my time in a forge one way or another. Either way, the smell of iron mingled with burning wood smelt like home, and it was enough.


    Another part that helped my mood was the attitude of everyone who was working around the forge complex. Even without speaking a word, I knew that both the news of the beast wave, and the departure of the guards had reached their ears. Their acute anxiety left no place for anything else.


    Yet, instead of panicking, they had gathered around the complex. People with Forge skills worked without a break to create both weapons and ammunition like arrowheads and ballista bolts, while the others worked hard to keep them supplied and deal with the products.


    It was chaos and not one that was run particularly well, but I didn¡¯t blame them for it. They didn¡¯t have the time to develop a proper approach.


    Though, my presence worked like a stone against a calm lake surface, only instead of waves, it was silence. ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone has heard about the beast wave and the departure of the guards,¡± I said. A hesitant murmur passed through the crowd.


    A part of me wanted to apologize to them for what I still saw as my failure. But, I couldn¡¯t do that. Not when I could feel the spark of hope that alighted in them the moment I had appeared.


    I decided not to take the risk of admitting my failure. Not because I was ashamed, but because it seemed the situation was not exactly ideal to have a heart-to-heart where I confessed my failings. After my failure with the guards, I much rather err on the side of caution.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about just because a few cowardly guards have abandoned our fight. I promised you victory, and we¡¯ll start with the beast wave!¡± The speech was short, and not particularly inspiring, but it still worked. ¡°Now, continue with your tasks for the moment while I work on a design of my own.¡±


    My design was a steam-powered cannon.


    It was an ambitious design. Not because it was particularly complicated, at least in principle. It would be like any other steam engine, but instead of using the steam generated to constantly move the piston, it would push the loaded projectile toward the target. Not unlike an air gun toy, only stronger.


    It was an inferior solution compared to gunpowder. Not only was it not as mobile, but it was also mechanically complicated. But, it had one advantage over gunpowder in the post-Cataclysm world.


    It had no chance of spontaneous combustion due to a mana fluctuation.


    Ultimately, the creation of gunpowder was not complicated, nor was it a great secret. It was also relatively easy to replicate. Where the challenge was to find a balance between stability and explosiveness, which had proven itself to be too expensive to be workable, especially when combined with the other options.


    Guns weren¡¯t particularly impressive compared to bows when bow users had supernatural powers to imbue their weapons. It was something that I was even more sure of after I realized the interplay between the skills and weapons was more complicated than I had first given it credit for.


    But, I wasn¡¯t making steam guns. I was making steam cannons, ideally to deliver frangible explosives from a distance of several miles rapidly. I was under no misconception that it would work well against stronger monsters, but as long as we created a payload that would shatter explosively upon impact, it should be enough to deal with the weaker creatures attacking in waves.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Leaving the Farmers free to deal with the stronger monsters, which was only possible due to their rapid skill development. As long as they were armed with fully developed Uncommon spear skills, they would be able to attack the stronger monsters in teams.


    While the rest worked, I focused on the schematics, which went smoother than I had expected thanks to Wisdom. The enhanced memory was an interesting concept, allowing me to remember everything I had read.


    Of course, that act of remembrance didn¡¯t mean I suddenly comprehended everything I had ever read. I still had to consciously recall the information before mentally perusing through it. It was almost like rereading, but with two advantages. The first was obvious, as I had no chance to read most of these books and articles again. I didn¡¯t know if they even existed anymore.


    The second advantage was faster comprehension, whether it was the ability of Wisdom, but it was the act of processing the information again and again making it stick. It would be a lie to say I was uninterested in the exact mechanisms, but for my current task, it didn¡¯t matter how it worked.


    Only that it did.


    I quickly worked on several drawings, far more detailed than anything else I had created. The steam cannon was simple in principle, but it had one challenging requirement. Its release mechanism. It would not only have to release the pressure in its tank immediately, but it also needed to be strong enough to hold in the pressure.


    Luckily, while lack of access to modern technology made things harder, there was one advantage. With the methods we were using, every blacksmith could easily create bits of metal that would make even the strongest modern alloys look like soggy biscuits.


    Though, as I finished it, it resembled less of a cannon, and more of a mortar ¡ª albeit with a rifled barrel to make sure it maintained velocity. The difference between the two was that a mortar threw the projectile in a high-arching ballistic trajectory, gaining range while suffering when it came to accuracy.


    But, I imagined that a beast wave would be easy to aim at.


    As I finished the drawing, I didn¡¯t even bother making a prototype. Instead, I gestured for one of the blacksmiths to come closer. ¡°Gather the team that had worked on the ballista project,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said excitedly.


    I gave him an approving nod before turning my attention back to the blueprint spread out on the table beside me, adding some notations to it. Ultimately, the design was mostly completed except for the release mechanism, which should be an appropriate challenge for the development team.


    Meanwhile, I had shifted my attention to the real challenge. The ammunition.


    While the delivery mechanism was important, it wasn¡¯t what would make the weapon deadly. Throwing chunks of metal like an advanced trebuchet would hardly make a dent in a monster wave. It would have been different if I had the ability to add enchantments similar to the siege weapons purchased from the System stores, but without such enchantments, fragmentation was my best bet.


    Though, my challenge was whether to feed the mana directly, or through an intermediary mechanism like the crushers so that the others could use the cannons as well.


    My thoughts on the ideal ammunition were interrupted when the group I summoned came in, led by Terry. ¡°How can we help you, sir,¡± he said, acting as a spokesperson.


    I appreciated his initiative. ¡°I need some assistance forging the prototype. Since you all worked on the ballista, I thought you could handle the task.¡±


    They looked excited at the opportunity. ¡°Thank you for trusting us, sir,¡± several of them said in concert.


    ¡°We¡¯ll create your design perfectly.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the point,¡± I said. ¡°Feel free to make any changes you feel appropriate, but make sure to document them. That¡¯s the whole point of working together. We need to learn from each other.¡± Ideally, I would have loved to tackle the project as an orderly challenge, but the situation was too urgent to focus on such aspects.


    While they busied themselves creating a few prototypes, and linking them with boilers, I focused on the ammunition design. It wasn¡¯t too difficult. I created something similar to modern mortar shells to maintain some aerodynamic advantage while still keeping it simple enough to make casting possible, weighing around thirty pounds. The metallic alloy I used was a variant of the fragmenting javelins I had used against the foes without armor.


    At the same time, I had been doing my best to give feedback on the prototypes they were creating. ¡°You need to be more careful with the boilerplates, Liam,¡± I said as I examined the structure, appreciating one underrated advantage of Wisdom.


    It made remembering the names easier.


    ¡°But, it resists double the maximum pressure with ease, sir?¡± he replied, but the moment I corrected his design, I could sense his panic, like he had committed a great crime.


    ¡°Good point,¡± I started, making sure to pause and smile at him to make sure they weren¡¯t afraid of making mistakes. ¡°But, sometimes, mana reacts unpredictably when faced with extreme situations, and high-pressure steam is one of those extremes. Some extra caution wouldn¡¯t go amiss. But, excellent initiative.¡±


    Liam nodded earnestly before departing to fix his design. ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the only question I faced, but I made sure to address every question as gently as possible. Even the obvious ones. The last thing I wanted was to scare them from taking the initiative and asking questions.


    I was finally a part of a proper research team, as embryonic as it might be.

 Chapter 154

    Half an hour later, I was looking at a dozen prototypes, each able to launch a thirty-pound mass by a mile. That distance was far from enough, but that was just a part of it.


    At the same time, I finished the design of not only the ammunition, but also a mechanism that they could use to imbue them with mana using the crushers. It wasn¡¯t as effective as me doing it directly, but considering I couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once, efficiency tradeoffs were more than acceptable.


    However, the ammunition that the prototypes had been using wasn¡¯t forged by me, but by the other blacksmiths. They were essentially chunks of iron, and nothing more. Having live ammunition that would fragment violently seemed like a bad idea for tests.


    Those I would forge separately. I tightened my grip on the hammer, suddenly excited. I was curious whether I could use Wisdom on forging.


    ¡°Terry, you¡¯re in charge. Continue testing the variants. I want one that could launch thirty-pound ammo at least three miles without reducing the rate of fire below six a minute, but if it can¡¯t be solved, prioritize range.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just for an hour or so. I have something urgent that needs to be addressed,¡± I replied as I opened a gate and returned to the fourth floor.


    I wanted privacy for my next experiment. It would be my first attempt at using Wisdom for forging. Not only did I not want to reveal I could do it unless it was necessary, but I was also not sure if it would be entirely safe. With my Health and armor, I could handle most physical accidents.


    Others could not.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with something simple,¡± I muttered while I started creating a dagger, a weapon that I had lacked the skill to use, which was a good comparison point. As I forged it, I made sure to focus on my Wisdom, trying to immerse myself into the same ephemeral mode I had achieved while using it to empower the avalanche attack.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work. The attack was one explosive push, laced with my mana. Meanwhile, I was creating the dagger through ordinary forging techniques, not even sure I was using Wisdom properly.


    The result was ¡­ interesting. It wasn¡¯t a failure, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a success either.


    ¡°What a fascinating weapon,¡± I muttered as I held the dagger, which radiated a sense of ¡­ dagger. It was a subtle feeling, but not an unfamiliar one. I had already felt it before, but only while launching the attacks. It might be weak, but the fact that I could feel it during its passive state was promising.


    The test with a few attacks showed that it actually worked as intended. The improvement was significant.


    Then, I repeated the same with a sword. Once again, in its passive state, there was a sense of radiating energy. However, unlike the dagger, there was little difference between the attack, negligible compared to the energy that could be imbued by the skill itself.


    ¡°Now, to the real test,¡± I muttered as I forged twenty daggers, but this time, I used mana to hasten the process. Previously, it had been enough to completely ruin any conceptual weight that the weapons had carried.


    This time, by trying to concentrate on Wisdom, the results were better. Not as good as I had hoped. There was no distinct presence I could feel while the dagger was resting, and even when attacking, the presence of the attack was weaker than a handcrafted one.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I started as I forged a mortar shell rapidly, strictly by hand to test its presence before I could mass produce it.


    Unfortunately, once I finished it, I was met with an unpleasant surprise. Even handcrafted, there was no hint of presence in mortar shells. I tried to make them smaller, stronger, made of pure metals, with various alloys¡­ None worked.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    I sighed. While I was glad that I had made some progress when it came to using Wisdom, I still had no idea about the core process.


    It started from the core of the principle. What was an individual object in the first place? Was it some kind of philosophical entity like metaphysics philosophers, going as far back as Plato ¡ª maybe even more ¡ª theorized about, akin to Forms and Ideas.


    Forms refer to the non-physical, timeless, absolute, and unchangeable essences of all things. The physical objects in the real world were supposed to be just mere imitations of those ideas.


    Up until I received Wisdom and started to feel some kind of conceptual weight behind certain items, I would have never even considered such an idea. Even after the Cataclysm, I continued to believe they weren¡¯t real. Yes, mana and magic might have come into existence, but those were just another physical phenomenon that we were yet to define.


    What I was feeling from Wisdom, and the results of my own experimentation, challenged that.


    ¡°Take a deep breath,¡± I ordered myself as I felt my breathing quicken in a way I only experienced when I faced an existential crisis like imagining death ¡­ or facing the prospect of an upcoming flight. For a moment, I just focused on my breathing, trying to attain some kind of calm.


    One that I attained far easier than I had expected. Paradoxically, it pulled me out of that calm, as I realized Wisdom made it easier to attain that mental space.


    ¡°No need to panic,¡± I repeated. Yes, it might be true that everything I believed about the sheer existence might be wrong ¡­ or I might be just extrapolating something simpler, like the act of forging and interacting with the System. It might be just a restricted version of the Form theory, where my actions were simply being fed by some kind of System library.


    The fact that there was no presence of the cannonballs supported the second idea.


    Too bad it was all I could do at the moment. I prepared to leave. Without a skill to give me some ideas on how to apply Wisdom, it was difficult to get an immediate solution. And, I lacked that skill ¡ª


    ¡°Or, do I?¡± I muttered. I had always acted like I had no Wisdom-based skills, but that wasn¡¯t true. I had one.


    Meditation of Decay.


    I had ignored it, mostly because of my multiple near-death experiences while trying to use it. That, and what had been going on was too complicated for me to understand.


    But, that changed after several experiments gave me a better idea of what Wisdom had been doing. Maybe I could combine it with my class skills¡­


    I took another deep breath, temptation battling with prudence. I still had no idea when the beast wave would arrive, but we had some critical research to be completed. And, I was afraid that leveling up would change my forging skill fundamentally.


    After all, that was what had happened to my Meditation.


    I didn¡¯t have Intelligence back then, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that my Meditation operated based on the same general principles as Maria¡¯s meditation, which was the direct, modular manipulation of mana based on flow and movement, almost like an arcane mana flow. And, the same was true for my Mana Forge and Mana Repair.


    Looking back, maybe it was about the fact that I upgraded those skills with Maria¡¯s assistance ¡­ Yet another interesting question I wasn¡¯t able to answer immediately.


    I paused, wondering if this was the best time to test it. While I had hundreds of assistants, currently, none of them were capable enough to mass produce the shells required for the new cannons. And, there was a risk that the transformed skill would lose some of its earlier features.


    ¡°Maybe I could start with Repair,¡± I muttered even as I grabbed one of the Epic spearheads I had created, considering damaging it before trying to repair it by using Decay. Maybe it would trigger the development. Between Forge and Repair, the latter was the one I could sacrifice more easily.


    But, it carried the risk of changing how Observe worked, which I relied on for a lot of things.


    It was a tough call. On one hand, having a Wisdom-based skill ¡ª one that I could poke around with without potentially killing myself ¡ª might prove very beneficial. On the other hand, the change might temporarily render my production skills useless.


    ¡°A compromise,¡± I decided. First, I went to the first floor, where Harold was training our new army, and forged a hundred of each type of weapon to improve uncommon skills, and ten each to maximize the Rare skills.


    Then, I picked all the available claws and turned them into the alloy that other smiths could shape into shells if necessary. I even set up a dedicated production line and visited the prototypes for the steam cannons.


    Then, I visited the team working on the cannons. ¡°More than enough for the mass production,¡± I said as I watched the show, where they used the steam-cannon to launch shells almost five miles away on plains. Considering we would be launching them from on top of a mountain, seven miles was not out of the question.


    ¡°How many do we need, sir?¡± Terry asked.


    I paused, thinking for a moment. ¡°How about a hundred?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A ¡­ a hundred? Wouldn¡¯t that be a little excessive?¡± he asked, shocked.


    I shrugged. ¡°When fighting against a beast wave of unknown size, there¡¯s no such thing as overkill,¡± I replied. ¡°Just make sure to produce enough shells to sustain a long bombardment.¡±


    With that, I returned to the fourth floor, feeling confident to focus on my next task.

 Chapter 155

    I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the forge once more, looking at the damaged spear in frustration. I had tried dozens of times, but using the Decay in conjunction with repair proved to be more difficult than I had hoped, leaving me with another choice. Either abandoning the project altogether or using it in combination with Forge.


    ¡°No risk it, no biscuit,¡± I said and made a quick decision. I would go forward with the experiment.


    It was a quick decision, but not a poorly-conceived one. Even if my skill had transformed and I lost access to some of the common benefits, there would be no loss in the short term. And, the opportunity to figure out how to use Wisdom before the inevitable attack seemed too valuable to miss.


    Especially since the beast wave had yet to show any sign of moving, indicating an even bigger attack than we had presumed.


    I took a deep breath as I sank myself into the concept of decay. It would have been a difficult concept to envision if I didn¡¯t have three different sources of reference, my Meditation skill, the dungeon itself ¡­ and the mysterious dreams; all three containing similar yet different features.


    I immersed myself completely and began forging daggers, combining my hammer and my mana in equal amounts. The first attempt failed. So did the second one. But, the third one resulted in a slightly transformed dagger.


    One that had radiated not only the sensation of a dagger, but also a promise of corrosion. Once again, it was a faint feeling, difficult to notice, only clear thanks to my Wisdom. I launched an attack as a test.


    [-10 Mana]


    It was promising. For the first time, the attack wasn¡¯t a pure wave of blue mana, but a promise of decay. One that reminded me of how I anchored the corrosive aura at the fifth floor around the gate, even if only temporarily.


    There, I had just moved the effect that belonged to the dungeon. Here, I created something directly.


    I stopped forging for a moment, and instead, launched several attacks through the dagger, using the faint aura of corrosion on the dagger as an anchor, pushing the effect further.


    The result was surprisingly good, enough to actually melt the dagger in my hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s progress,¡± I said and returned to the same cycle of creating daggers, launching attacks until destroying them, then repeating it. Every attempt gave me a more acute sense of how Wisdom interacted with the act, allowing me to apply it even more strongly.


    Around midnight, I was able to create daggers that radiated the sense of corrosion with an intensity that reminded me of the weakest insect attacks. ¡°Progress,¡± I said, though I wasn¡¯t entirely happy. I had been hoping to force the skill to transform, but it had not worked.


    I didn¡¯t need to search for a reason. In the process of giving Eleanor the mana variant of her skill, I had already discovered that the transformation required a significant jump, the kind that would put us several stages ahead. Considering my current Mana Forge was an epic skill, even gaining a point was a challenge, let alone jumping it several steps ahead.


    ¡°Suddenly, I¡¯m glad that I had been neglecting to improve Repair,¡± I muttered. Maybe that, combined with my other Epic tricks, could make the difference. But, I didn¡¯t start working on it immediately.


    First, I needed to understand the limits of it. I had forged another dagger, but this time, I actually used the shells from the insects, using Wisdom to enhance the effect ¡ª


    The dagger exploded, the pieces bouncing off my armor.


    ¡°Well, at least that proves it was a good idea to work on it alone,¡± I said to myself. A little pause to think, and I detected my mistake. The recipe using the shells was designed to ward off the impact of the corrosion. Trying to forcibly infuse it with the same corrosion naturally ended in an explosive state.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    I tried again, but this time, I focused on the pieces of the shell, trying to empower their effect. It worked ¡­ for a second. The moment I pulled away my mana, the balance between the crystal and the shell had been disturbed, and the dagger lost its form. This time, there was no explosion.


    So, progress.


    I repeated the same trick, then realized the effect was very similar to trying to use the lizard claws without the dungeon crystals from their dungeon. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have a solution,¡± I said and made the necessary calculations before I forged another dagger.


    It worked.


    I forged several more, increasing the mana I had been infusing into the structure of the weapon with each repeat. Once I was confident that I got a hang of it, I moved on to the next step. This time, I stopped using dungeon crystals, and just used the shells to give me a basis for empowering corrosion.


    However, this time, rather than simply empowering their default effect of protection, I did my best to take hold of it and reverse to follow the concept of Decay more closely, turning it into an offensive attack.


    Several attempts had been cut halfway as the dagger disintegrated. I adjusted the calculations as much as I could manage, and then repeated them. Each attempt brought me closer to success, until one actually did.


    ¡°Disgusting,¡± I said, but with a huge smile. The moment I completed the dagger, it started radiating a familiar aura, one that reminded me of the fifth floor. Curious, I stabbed a nearby tree with it, only for it to start showing signs of death like I had transplanted it to the fifth floor.


    Success had never smelled so awful.


    For a while, I played with the dagger, once again using the opportunity to get more familiar with the concentrated sense of corrosion. I also used Observe on it repeatedly, which, unfortunately, showed nothing different between it and any other dagger. At least, nothing I could point to as the result of the change.


    ¡°I wonder if I can impart it to a weapon based on dense mana,¡± I muttered. However, this time, instead of a dagger, I created a sword, using both gold and silver liberally on its structure. It took several tries, but having near-infinite mana certainly helped.


    An hour later, I was holding a sword that radiated an intense feeling of corrosion that was even stronger than the fifth floor, though not intense enough to match the decay of my Meditation. However, I was happy with the result.


    It wasn¡¯t even about the practical results. Not when I had received a very welcome notification.


    [Mana Forge (Epic) 313 -> 314]


    Seeing my skill move once again was certainly welcome. Curious if it was just a general accumulation, I forged another weapon, this time a spear.


    [Mana Forge (Epic) 314 -> 315]


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said, feeling giddy, but instead of stopping, I forged two more weapons, one hammer to be used in combat. And another sword, which then I promptly damaged.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if I could upgrade my Repair skill,¡± I said and looked at the weapon that lay on the workbench, feeling amused. A month ago, I would have been sure that it would be a wonder that could only be purchased from a System Shop.


    ¡°Another sword to repair,¡± I chuckled. There was a certain amount of irony embedded, considering I had been hired at first to repair the swords that had been used against the insects. It was certainly appropriate.


    I heated up some ordinary silver, and started building a new edge, each blow of my hammer infusing the ordinary metal with not only dense mana but also the concept of corrosion. The juxtaposition of imbuing a metal with an effect that was supposed to destroy should have been confusing ¡­ but somehow, it was not.


    It felt natural. Maybe it was the effect of my class. Maybe it was all the time I had spent in the dungeon ¡­ or maybe, it was my connection with the dungeon itself.


    It didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was that I could feel it working. And, I was glad that I had all three advantages, as without it, even with Wisdom helping, I doubted that I could make any progress. Instead, I steadily worked, each blow giving me a deeper understanding of what I had been doing.


    With a sudden insight, I doused the sword with my mana as I sank the metal into the depths of the forge, pulling only when it was red hot. As I continued to work on it, each blow not only melded the new material into the old one but also solidified the concept of corrosion on the sword.


    I could feel that I wasn¡¯t just repairing it anymore. I was elevating it¡­


    When I had delivered the last blow, a sense of happiness spread through me, knowing that, even if it had no impact on the skill itself, it didn¡¯t matter.


    But, the sudden familiar pain that followed, intense enough to put me on my knees, told me that I was worrying for nothing.


    [Mana Repair (Epic) 103 -> Reformation of Quintessence (Legendary) 1]


    My eyes widened as I read it. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. The skill proficiency was supposed to stay at a hundred, not regress back to one, as it had been the case for every other time.


    It looked like I had yet another line on my ever-growing list of discoveries to be researched further.


    A scientist¡¯s job was never done.

 Chapter 156

    ¡°I hope I got to keep my perks,¡± I said while I summoned my status screen, examining the line despite the pain that was still radiating through my entire body. Even the prospect of receiving more relevant perks wasn¡¯t tempting, not with the number of critical ways I depended on the existence of Observe.


    [Reformation of Quintessence (Legendary) - 1


    ¡°Good,¡± I sighed in relief and dismissed the screen to sit down, breathing hard to process the pain. Experimentation could wait now that I had confirmed that my Perk was still in place.


    Just because I didn¡¯t use my skills didn¡¯t mean I wasted time. I started thinking about why the skill upgrade had violated some of the rules I had identified, the biggest being the proficiency score.


    Maybe it was about the name change. Unlike the other transformations where the main skill name persisted ¡ª including my Mythic Meditation upgrade ¡ª Repair was gone, replaced by Reformation.


    ¡°That¡¯s a complicated name,¡± I muttered, thinking of the implications. Reformation alone was a promising word, one that suggested that it was not about just fixing the mistakes, but actually elevating whatever it affected. Maybe I was wrong, but I didn¡¯t think so.


    Quintessence was a more loaded word. From the top of my mind, I could remember two different definitions that might be relevant. The first definition was that Quintessence referred to the theoretical existence of ether, the supposed mysterious fifth element of existence, following the four of the material plane; air, fire, earth, and water.


    The second referred to the perfect embodiment of an object or substance.


    I was more inclined to take the second definition as the basis, as it fit what I had observed about Wisdom better. However, I didn¡¯t make any early judgment.


    Overly relying on the definitions of the words could be dangerously misleading, as I had no idea where the language of came from. Was it some kind of aggregate understanding of humanity, or did it take some kind of dictionary as a basis?


    Or, maybe, it infused the meaning behind the words to us, and the translation was done by our mind.


    Whether that translation was suspect or not wasn¡¯t a problem when the words I had been dealing with were either simple, common words; or concepts like Mana that were so abstract that it implied nothing, but words like Decay or Quintessence were making it more of a priority.


    ¡°One thing I was missing was having to do linguistic research,¡± I growled in frustration while resting, adapting to my new skill.


    When the pain finally faded, I spent a moment checking the dungeon entrance remotely, only to see that Harold and the Farmers were working steadily, while Terry and the team were installing a multitude of steam cannons ¡­ and other machines that looked like steam-powered ballistas.


    Good initiative.


    Most importantly, they were not showing any sign of hurry, which meant the beast wave was still not moving, meaning I had time to work on other things.


    Despite the temptation to start testing my skill immediately, I waited until the pain faded before I stood up and grabbed a dagger from the pile. It was one of the ordinary daggers that I had forged with the shells while reversing their effect, turning the corrosion into an offensive effect.


    It seemed like a good subject to test my new skills on.


    First, I used my trusty Observe on the dagger, only for my eyes to widen at the result. I could still feel the structural aspects of what I had been using, like I was examining it through an amazing microscope, but it wasn¡¯t the only thing I got.


    I could also feel ¡­ for lack of a better word, conceptual cracks, where the aura of the dagger or corrosion broke. But, it was not the same as a physical crack, nor was it a localized problem. Its effects were everywhere, yet nowhere.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I should have paid more attention to philosophy classes,¡± I groaned in frustration, trying to contextualize what I was getting. But, just like how using ordinary Repair on a weapon didn¡¯t provide me with the theory of alloy crystallization and material analysis, the new variant didn¡¯t suddenly enlighten me.


    Not that I was complaining. Confusing and automatic it might be, the skill still offered me a way to repair the dagger.


    Well, it would, hopefully. The restriction of material seemed to apply to it still, and there was no direct feedback on how to repair it.


    Luckily, all I needed was to pick some copper from my material storage and create a dagger, then, repair it. Each blow did ¡­ something. I could feel Wisdom getting engaged, but the details, I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand.


    If my earlier attempts of using it were a simple physical push, the way the skill was engaging it was a complicated acrobatic display that would have won the gold medal at the Olympics. Or would a masterpiece of painting be a better analogue?


    ¡°In the end, it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said as I looked at the simple copper dagger in hand. Calling it repaired would have been the understatement of the century.


    The application of the skill was rough and clunky, which was an inevitable side effect of having it at merely one point of proficiency. Yet, clumsy didn¡¯t mean useless or ineffective. The dagger was not just ¡®repaired¡¯ but completely transformed.


    The results were impressive. Not only it had been brought back to a physically perfect shape, but also its conceptual presence. Not just the corrosion, but also its nature as a dagger, both aspects shining far stronger than I had ever achieved.


    It was fascinating how effective one-hundred-and-fifty-nine points of Wisdom could be when creating a relevant weapon, particularly when combined with a Legendary skill.


    The only negative aspect was that I hadn¡¯t experienced any proficiency gain, suggesting to me that improving it would be a challenge, but I ignored it. Instead, I swung the dagger, and despite the lack of relevant skill, the mana attack destroyed the tree I had targeted with ease.


    Fascinating. I tried to use the skill on it again, but there was no recursive improvement, which I didn¡¯t expect to be the case.


    I turned my attention back to the dense-mana sword I had created, wishing that I could apply the same method to it, but it was temporarily out of the question. Instead, I chose to fall into a predictable rhythm, repeatedly forging, ¡®repairing¡¯, and destroying the same dagger.


    It felt comforting.


    It was likely about the ordinary nature of the dagger, but more than a hundred repetitions of the cycle didn¡¯t even give me one point of progress. Not that I cared, as improving the skill was not my first objective.


    Understanding how to employ Wisdom more accurately was, and repeatedly using the same skill was certainly helpful. I might not understand how to apply the mental effect of Wisdom in such a complicated pattern, but just knowing what kind of achievement was possible would have helped immensely.


    However, I was deliberately using the same cycle hundreds of times rather than creating different weapons and applying them the same way.


    If I had been restricted to learning how to punch from watching a world-class boxer, I much rather prefer to watch him punch the same sandbag hundreds of times with a straight punch rather than watching a professional match.


    People underestimated the value of constant repetition ¡ª admittedly, I should have been counted in those ranks without my own recent experiences; otherwise, I would have used the three-year period since Cataclysm far more efficiently.


    And, what I had been doing was far more involved than just watching someone from a distance. The skill made my body and my mana move automatically, but it did nothing to deaden my senses, the repeats giving me a better sense of what was going on.


    I only stopped after forging, reforming, and destroying the dagger a full thousand times. Luckily, thanks to my stats, that repetition cycle lasted three hours, as opposed to the months it should have taken.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if it was a waste of time in such a critical time or a smart investment,¡± I said as I raised my sword, which was the most reasonable tool to test. I moved to the fifth floor before I tested it.


    The moment I arrived, the multitude of gargantuan bosses that had spawned all around the dungeon rushed toward me, their presence bright. I raised my sword, took a deep breath, and swung the blade, doing my best to apply everything I had learned through repetition.


    I found it easier than I had expected. Ultimately, weapon skills weren¡¯t too complicated, and finally understanding how to employ Wisdom to redefine some aspects of the attack selectively rather than blindly pushing it, I was able to modify the ranged attack.


    Adding both stability and a sense of destruction, all still wrapped in the idea of a sword.


    [-2650 Mana]


    A dark blade of mana parted the bog of the fifth floor, disappearing in the distance. A second later, one of the presence of the boss monsters faded.


    ¡°Success,¡± I muttered as I moved there, my Epic skill making that job easy. Since I had arrived, there was no harm in absorbing the crystals to further reinforce my connection with the dungeon.


    As I hunted the remaining boss monsters, my mind was already on how to best leverage my newest improvements against the upcoming enemy.

 Chapter 157

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    After I had finished dealing with the boss monsters, reinforcing the connection between me and the dungeon further, I faced a plethora of options, ranging from trying to improve my new repair variant to going up to have a talk with Harold, each important in their own way.


    ¡°Maybe I should take another trip outside, a secret one,¡± I muttered, remembering the gate I had created in the cave. Using it, I could sneak out for some extra observation. ¡°Or, maybe not,¡± I added once I focused on that direction, but failed to find the mark of the temporary gate.


    It showed me that it was a temporary effect, which I was happy to learn sooner than later.


    Returning to the defensive encampment for a small break was still a good idea. If I could use it to open a second secret gate leading outside, even better. A brief focus on the connection later, I was on the first floor, where Harold was busy training another batch of hundred in spear usage, their rapid improvement visible.


    Visible, but not exaggerated. Without actively using their Health or Mana, their improvement speed was limited. But, considering it was merely taking hours instead of minutes, I let that slide. Since they were unable to absorb the Rare variant due to their limited skills, it felt appropriate.


    Especially since, only due to bringing the Common variant to completion, were they able to absorb the Uncommon one. Rare variants would only be possible if they could push above level fifty, which was not exactly viable considering the nature of the enemies, and how hard it was to level up after thirty-five.


    I had, but only by killing more than a hundred thousand monsters. There were not enough monsters to bring everyone to that level ¡­ thankfully.


    ¡°Move faster, you little children! We still have fifteen minutes until the next break!¡± he shouted.


    I watched, noticing something interesting. The more time that passed, the less I was seeing Harold the Guard, and more of Harold the Marine Sergeant. But, I didn¡¯t know what to make of it, especially because I still had no idea about the mechanics of how Class affected our thought process.


    Instead of spending my time there, I moved outside, where the smiths were still working hard to install the new defenses. ¡°Sir,¡± they greeted me excitedly as I arrived.


    ¡°Looks good,¡± I said as I glanced at the area. Twenty cannons had already been installed, ready to go, with the others in the process. But, they were not the only ones. ¡°Go over what this is,¡± I said as I pointed at another steam device.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bolt launcher, sir,¡± Liam declared loudly, trying to look confident, but uncertainty was present as well. It was the pride of a student that had managed to solve a complicated problem, but wasn¡¯t sure whether the solution was actually correct or not.


    ¡°Explain to me what it does,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a weapon against flying enemies, sir,¡± he added, my lack of visible excitement quick to demolish his fake confidence. I sighed. Useful as it might be, life was easier before I could catch every single emotional fluctuation people experienced.


    However, seeing he still went through his explanation, I said nothing, letting him continue. Just because I could feel him getting stressed didn¡¯t mean I needed to coddle him while he was giving a simple presentation.


    He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts as he stepped closer to the bolt launcher. ¡°Well, sir, the bolt launcher is designed specifically to target airborne enemies,¡± he began, but seeing no reaction from me, his explanation hastened. ¡°It¡¯s not a waste of resources. I swear. I know that they hadn¡¯t been too much of a problem until now, but there¡¯s no guarantee that they won¡¯t ¡ª¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I know, Liam. It¡¯s a reasonable caution to develop enemies that might appear. Continue.¡±


    He took another deep breath, trying to calm down. I wondered if he was naturally skittish, or was it the System somehow making him fearful.


    He continued. ¡°So, we believe that having a weapon that can fire bolts like a ballista, but with a similar steam-launcher to the cannons is a strong advantage.¡± He pointed to the main body of the device, a sleek construct of metal, with some unnecessary wood plating that nonetheless looked very good. They clearly went a long way to sell the idea to me.


    Unnecessary, but I refrained from pointing it out. Liam was clearly proud of the wood paneling, and he was too excited to take any criticism at face value. And, finally seeing someone showing a hint of innovation, I didn¡¯t want to ruin their mood. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± I said approvingly, gesturing for him to continue explaining.


    At the same time, I used the touch to Observe it, which instantly gave me the internal structure. There were no accompanying methods to elevate its conceptual presence, but whether it was about the nature of the device, or the low level of my new skill, I didn¡¯t know.


    What I did know was I could feel that the device had been forged by eight different people, their presence somehow lingering on the parts they created, but already fading, unlike the weapons I created ¡ª even the ones I created before I had received my Wisdom.


    Another interesting point.


    ¡°The launcher uses a high-pressure propulsion system, which then releases to propel the bolts at high velocities, giving them enough speed to hit the target before they dodge.¡±


    I nodded, encouraging him to continue. ¡°Go on.¡±


    He moved to the side of the launcher, pointing out a complex arrangement of gears and levers. ¡°We¡¯ve integrated a targeting system here. We¡¯re still trying to figure out how to aim it better, but once we do ¡ª¡±


    ¡°A question,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Have you tried to see if you can combine it with a shooting skill?¡±


    ¡°No, sir,¡± he said, looking confused. Curious, I moved behind the device, engaging the boiler until it built enough pressure, before I launched a few attacks, focusing to see if it could be done.


    But, no matter how much I tried, it didn¡¯t work, which didn¡¯t surprise me too much. I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to state it was impossible ¡ª it was a question that was best explored while there was no emergency going on ¡ª but it was not a quick project.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good first attempt,¡± I admitted, and his expression immediately fell. ¡°But, you haven¡¯t considered the full implications of the device, have you?¡±


    His excitement immediately turned into dread, but this time I ignored it. Not puncturing his enthusiasm was one thing, but actually producing something impractical was something else. I was tempted to give him a full explanation ¡ª my massively improved memory allowing me to pull some really niche details of the modern theory of warfare ¡ª but I didn¡¯t do it.


    Instead, I called Harold, even though that meant that he had to leave the trainees alone for a moment, and turned to Liam. ¡°Now, present the device to him as well.¡±


    Liam delivered the same explanation, though considerably more hesitant, and then I turned to Harold. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Is it possible to increase the rate of fire,¡± he asked. ¡°The flying hordes are rare, but when they arrive, their numbers are the true menace. An increased rate of fire will help much more.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t. Attacking too often will ruin the aiming mechanism ¡ª¡±


    ¡°So what,¡± Harold asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need to aim when we¡¯re dealing with a true flying horde. There¡¯ll be thousands of them flying, and every attack will eventually hit one.¡±


    I looked at Liam. ¡°I like the initiative, but sometimes, talking with the potential users before starting can help, as long as you don¡¯t let it sway you from your vision too much,¡± I said. ¡°Trust yourself, but validate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said.


    I looked at Harold. ¡°I¡¯ll take over the training while you work on the design,¡± I said as I moved toward the farmers who had been working hard to improve their skills. ¡°Continue working. I¡¯m only here to observe,¡± I said, which did little to cure their nerves.


    However, occasionally giving them advice on aspects that weren¡¯t included in the current rarity of their skill was different, which helped them to improve even faster. I had two aims in teaching them. First, after the disaster with the guards, I decided to interact more with the little ragtag army we had to prevent alienation.


    Though, more importantly, I was looking for an opportunity, one that had appeared while a team had ripped a portion of the floor to set a proper foundation. While they were distracted, I opened a gate, only to close it immediately. Seconds later, they sealed the area again to turn it into a foundation, building a thick wall on top of it.


    Giving me the secret entrance I needed to leave the dungeon.

 Chapter 158

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    Once Harold returned to lead the training, I went back into the dungeon, even if only temporarily. The moment I was out of the view of the others, I immediately opened the weakness I had created earlier under the foundation to move down.


    The moment I appeared in the mountain, I closed the gate behind me and started digging, holding my breath as I moved down the mountain. Slowly at first, both to not make any noise that would make people suspicious and to use Nurture to grow some underground fungus to make the area untouched.


    For a secret exit to work, it needed to be secret.


    Despite my speed, I didn¡¯t dig too much, merely two miles. I stopped when I came across a large underground cave, and opened another gate. Opening another gate was easier than I had expected, showing that constantly killing boss monsters to enhance the connection further helped. I made it lead to the fourth floor, but it immediately slowed down the speed the dungeon had been processing that mysterious energy that gathered during the night.


    That wasn¡¯t the only interesting finding. There was also no flow of that ¡®darkness¡¯ when it was underground. ¡°Curious,¡± I said as I processed the details I had just realized. When I had opened the gate earlier, there had been a distinct flow inside. It was either about the fact that it was on the fourth floor, or deep underground.


    Considering its dependence on the day and night cycle, both were distinct possibilities.


    I shifted the entrance to the workshop on the first floor I had been using before I went there, but there was no flow there either.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said as I built a thick metal casing on both sides of the gates to prevent unauthorized access which can only be unlocked by breaking it by brute force, or by opening a very complicated key mechanism that I had built.


    One that I would have had trouble remembering if it wasn¡¯t for Wisdom helping me to remember.


    Soon, I had my secret exit, though I still needed to dig a tunnel to get out if necessary. ¡°Well, since I already have it,¡± I said while I dug a few extra rooms around the entrance, bringing the resulting dirt inside the dungeon.


    The cave was already large, and by adding some extra room, it could be used as a waypoint for evacuation if necessary. As much as I was encouraged by my latest power boost, I didn¡¯t want to assume that I would be able to handle the next attack.


    However, the fact that they had triggered a beast wave was good news. It meant that they didn¡¯t have hundreds of ascended warriors that they could send for a second attack casually, and instead spent time probing the situation.


    It wasn¡¯t as good as them leaving us alone, but I would take what I could. Still, none of it was a reason to not prepare, so I dug a large space at the edge of the cave, glad that my strength allowed me to tackle that task in minutes rather than days and weeks it would have otherwise required.


    It would barely hold the current population of the dungeon if the people were stuffed like rush-hour trains, but it was enough. If we needed to use it, we could always expand it further.


    ¡°Now, what to do with you,¡± I said as I looked at the pile of dirt I had brought inside the dungeon, their fresh look suspicious. ¡°An excuse to use Nurture,¡± I decided, wondering if I could use it together with Mana.


    Up until now, I hadn¡¯t tried to use mana with Nurture, only Health. Even in my hydroponic gardens, mana was there just like water and fertilizer, applied indirectly for the plant to absorb. I tried to replicate the method of using mana attacks through weapon skills. Focus on the skill, and push out the mana, letting the structure do the rest.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    [-10 Mana]


    My first attempt killed the sampling. So did the second, tenth ¡­ and, the hundredth ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not that simple,¡± I muttered, stopping my efforts to push things blindly.


    Ultimately, what I had achieved with Forge had looked simple, but it reflected the endless smithing combined with months of studying everything I could get my hands on about material science. I lacked the same preparation for farming.


    ¡°But, I¡¯m not alone anymore,¡± I said as I grew several trees to cover the displaced earth from the cave. The project to teach them how to use Mana had suddenly climbed to the peak of my list of priorities, even above the beast wave.


    After all, the farmers that had been able to reach Epic naturally were yet to upgrade their classes, on my orders. And, if we could figure out a way to do that before the beasts arrived, even better.


    I visited the third floor, asking them to gather all the farmers who had managed to reach Epic on their own. Then, I sat down to wait for them at the edge of their encampment.


    While waiting, I closed my eyes, taking note of the differences between Epic and Legendary Nurture. My enhanced memory helped me to do so with relative ease. But, noting the changes was one thing. Actually putting them to use was something else. Especially since I hadn¡¯t worked too hard to analyze Health before, which had completely different working principles compared to mana. Not something I could solve in a few minutes.


    ¡°But, I don¡¯t necessarily have to, do I,¡± I asked even as I moved to one of the empty forges nearby, planning to forge a simple set of gardening tools, maybe a watering can, a trowel, a hoe, or even pruning shears.


    Things would have been harder if I had tried to copy my work with the swords back when I was trying to figure out ranged attacks, which required me to know how to channel Heath correctly through a tool. Instead, I applied my earlier learnings to focus on the action behind every piece of gardening equipment while engaging my Wisdom.


    The forge I used glowed softly in the permanent low light of the dungeon. I examined the embers as I tried to focus on the purpose of every item, frustrated that, unlike weapons, my skill didn¡¯t have any convenient epic plans that I could leverage.


    Yet another sign that the System had treated Farmers as the lowest class.


    ¡°Focus,¡± I muttered as I did my best to ignore the socioeconomic weight of the situation, instead focusing on the concept behind every single piece of item. Luckily, I was familiar enough with Nurture to have a good idea of how it worked.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to give me instant success. The first attempt had been an abject failure, and so was the second one. I stood before the anvil, the rhythmic sound of bellows helping me to concentrate on the purpose of each item, trying to find a common line.


    A watering can seem like a perfect tool, allowing the user to slowly infuse their Health to trigger Nurture, but I failed to marry the concept with how Nurture worked. It had been the same for a rake or a spade, though neither, I tried too much to make work.


    Because, after the third try, I had found my point of entry. Pruning shears that I was holding on my hand, which was somehow able to channel Nurture better than I had expected. I carefully examined its structure, the newly transformed Observe helping me to understand what I had created better.


    ¡°Fascinating,¡± I gasped as I examined its conceptual aspect, and realized how I had succeeded. Ultimately, a pruning shear worked differently than the other equipment I was trying to create. It didn¡¯t just help the plant to grow but incised the attributes that weren''t desired by the farmer, cutting them permanently.


    A concept that meshed well with all the swords and other implements of destruction I had gotten used to creating. It was not perfect, and without a corresponding recipe, I couldn¡¯t simply use my new skill to elevate it further.


    So, I forged several more, focusing on a clearer image. Now that I had a better idea of what was going on, I was able to focus on the idea of Nurture on top of the clearer image of cutting that came with the skill. It was a form of renewal, clearing away the old to make room for the new.


    After several tries, I ended up with a shear that actually worked to empower Nurture when channeled through it. The amount it empowered was ridiculously low, but it was still a success. I was tempted to play with it more, but at a distance, I could see farmers I had summoned walking toward me.


    It was time to see if I could assist them in turning into Mana Farmers¡­

 Chapter 159

    ¡°We¡¯re here, sir,¡± Terry reported, looking less nervous than the others as he took the lead once more.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said as I looked at him, and the rest. ¡°That''s all that¡¯s able to improve your farming skills naturally, right?¡± I asked, as there were ten more than I had expected.


    ¡°Yes, sir. Several people managed to upgrade it through hard work as well,¡± he said. I nodded, even though I was surprised considering my theories about the hidden variable that affected the skill upgrade.


    But then, considering how little I knew about what that variable was, I couldn¡¯t discount it either. Maybe it was something that could grow. Either that, or there were certain conditions that allowed the skill to require less from the hidden variable.


    I wondered if it was how the alchemists of the fifteenth century felt, trying to explain something they barely understood while working hard to turn lead into gold.


    ¡°May I ask you why you summoned us, sir?¡± Terry asked, breaking my fugue.


    ¡°Right. I have a plan, one that will potentially make you even stronger, but it¡¯s risky.¡±


    ¡°How risky?¡± he asked, while quite a few of the others looked alarmed at the mere prospect of him talking back. Some of them were able to hide that panic well enough that I only noticed thanks to my Wisdom, but that didn¡¯t change their feelings.


    ¡°Potentially deadly,¡± I admitted, not willing to sugarcoat the case. As much as I had no dangerous experiment in mind, there was no doubt that Meditation was dangerous. Even the basic variant could be deadly if approached wrongly. ¡°That¡¯s why, I only want volunteers. There will be no repercussions if you refuse. That, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should discuss it alone for a minute, sir,¡± Terry replied.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± I said, appreciating his initiative. Young as he might be, he was doing his best to take the lead, which I appreciated quite a bit. I had several methods to listen in, but I refused to apply them, giving them the privacy they deserved.


    Instead, I busied myself with forging another set of shears, once again out of ordinary metal, but this time, adding some nature-themed decorations around it, vines dancing around the blade, leaves around the handle, and other small things.


    To my surprise, it actually worked. While the previous shears had been leaning toward the concept of cutting more, the current shears had a more robust growth concept. Of course, stronger was a relative term. Even in their current state, I doubted that it would provide a noticeable benefit to anyone with even Common Nurture if it was above ten. Ultimately, the relationship between the weapon and the skill was more additive than multiplicative, and such a weak presence had no practical benefit.


    Still, progress.


    I had been considering whether it was worth it to try crafting an epic variant when they returned, split into two groups, roughly in half. ¡°We have decided, sir,¡± Terry said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said as I looked at the second group. ¡°You¡¯re free to leave. Continue working hard, and don¡¯t forget to fill out your surveys twice a day,¡± I reminded them. They walked back in relief. At the same time, I could feel an intense sense of regret radiating from most of the remaining ones. They clearly accepted only because they were afraid of me, and seeing the others leave without consequence, they regretted it. ¡°Anyone that¡¯s having second thoughts is free to leave as well,¡± I said.


    They didn¡¯t move until I started making eye contact with the ones that were feeling most afraid. ¡°I ¡­ I think I will give this one a pass, sir,¡± he admitted and left.


    ¡°I think I will as well,¡± a woman added, which acted like a dam breach. Ultimately, almost all that remained left, leaving only seven of them behind. It didn¡¯t surprise me too much. When I gave a similar option before, there would be hundreds of volunteers. But, that was when they were desperate with no hope for the future.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Currently, they had a path to upgrade their class well above what they were expecting, with training to help their external skills progress quickly. In a way, it was similar to the middle-class trap. They had enough that losing it was a dangerous prospect.


    Could I have pressured them to accept the experimentation nonetheless? Certainly, but even when lives were on the line, I felt like that would have been a step too far. Maybe it was the wrong decision, just like it was the wrong decision to let the guards go freely after their inept rebellion.


    I was willing to live with such mistakes. Even if the world was harsh, there had to be some limits.


    ¡°Alright, last chance to back out,¡± I said as I looked at the remaining seven, whose determination was intense. Seeing that they had no intention to take that option, I waved my hand to create a gate, leading to the fourth floor, one that was right at the edge of a gate leading to the first floor. ¡°Follow me,¡± I said as I stepped in.


    As usual, insects rushed toward me, but this time, I just needed to slash with my blade, the effect enough to destroy any insect that was a hundred yards around me. Then, I took a seed from one of my pouches, and grew a tree.


    Just as it finished branching, they arrived one by one. Once the last one arrived, the gate disappeared. ¡°Thank you for volunteering,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s who needs to thank you, sir,¡± Terry replied, still acting like the spokesperson.


    I waved my hand dismissively. ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter. Now, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re excited about what¡¯s this secret plan,¡± I said. They nodded, tense but curious. I didn¡¯t blame them for their tenseness. ¡°We¡¯re going to work hard to see if we can transform your Nurture skill to a mana variant.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s possible?¡± one of the others gasped.


    ¡°We have achieved it with other skills, but whether it¡¯s possible or not with Nurture, I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why it¡¯s an experiment in the first place,¡± I replied. ¡°But, before we start, let¡¯s meet properly. I¡¯m Devon, a college professor who found himself a blacksmith in a world that has gone bonkers.¡± That earned a couple chuckles, but even more shocked glances. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for anyone to introduce themselves as who they were before the Cataclysm, sir,¡± another one answered. ¡°Especially anyone ¡­ strong.¡±


    ¡°Interesting point,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°But I still see myself as an academic who¡¯s forced to get a second job due to some funding issues more than anything else.¡± Then, I paused. ¡°And, arguably a third and a fourth as well,¡± I added. I was not just a blacksmith, but also a warrior and a leader, which listed my jobs not only chronologically, but also in terms of my enjoyment.


    The leadership, in particular, I hated with a great passion. If only I had a good candidate to shunt all of it at. Harold would have been a good successor, but the nature of the System threw some unnecessary complications to that particular line of thinking, as taught by the most recent rebellion by the guards.


    ¡°I should go first,¡± Terry said. ¡°I¡¯m Terry, a Farmer, and before all this mess started, I was a student.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Spencer, and I was an accountant,¡± the one that answered me first added. I guessed that he was barely into his thirties like I was. He was of medium height and had brown hair.


    ¡°My name is Rebecca, and I was a nurse,¡± the third one said. ¡°Well, a student at a nursing school, at least,¡± she added quickly. She was short and had black hair.


    ¡°Logan. I worked at a supermarket,¡± he said. It probably had a story, as he looked as young as Terry, meaning he was barely sixteen when the Cataclysm arrived.


    ¡°Jennifer,¡± the fifth one said with a chippy tone. She was probably in her mid-twenties, with a perpetual scowl. She didn¡¯t want to volunteer more information, that much was clear. I nodded as I turned to the next one, as it hardly mattered.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ryan, and he¡¯s Soren, my brother. He doesn¡¯t like to talk,¡± the shortest one said, pointing at the towering tall guy next to him, even taller than me. He was probably about six and a half feet. Soren nodded dumbly, which I had to admit, was good acting, as I could sense a hint of amusement from him, one that had been buried under fear of getting caught, and the satisfaction of a job well done. The same emotions that had been echoed by Ryan in some way.


    Without Wisdom, they could have pulled it off easily. I had no idea why they acted like that, but I decided to let it go. Maybe I was over-relying on Wisdom, but I could sense that whatever plan they had in mind was not something nefarious.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said. ¡°Now, take a seat, and let me teach you about mana before we progress.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Jennifer said, caught by surprise.


    ¡°Unless you want to tell us your life story,¡± I teased her, which earned an even bigger scowl, one that was matched with genuine annoyance. I had to admit, it felt refreshing after the annoying mixture of adoration and hatred I was dealing with. ¡°Excellent,¡± I said as I touched the tree, and a root burst out to turn into a seat. A little peace offering, showing that I took Nurture as seriously as them.


    ¡°Create a seat for yourself, and we can start,¡± I said. They all did, but I froze. All of them had used the same skill, but for some reason, Soren¡¯s felt different. It was subtle, which I barely caught thanks to Wisdom, but the presence behind it was slightly more lifeless.


    An external skill.


    The class was yet to start, and immediately, there was a complication.

 Chapter 160

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    ¡°So, how do we start?¡± Terry asked as every single one of them got seated.


    ¡°Sorry, I often get distracted while thinking. You¡¯ll have to get used to it,¡± I said, which was merely a distraction as I stopped myself from looking at Soren. For some reason, he had volunteered despite having an external skill.


    After a momentary consideration, I decided to ignore it. If he was an enemy, he had better options. While information leak was a possibility, I was not exactly in a position to care about it. On the contrary, the more information leaked, the better.


    It would give the established powers something else to care about.


    I expected Jennifer to have some kind of comeback. Her annoyance implied that she had one, but the fear that followed stopped her. It looked like she remembered our relative power difference made her attitude a bad idea. Too bad, I was enjoying it.


    ¡°Now, the first thing you need to know is that I¡¯m still exploring what Mana truly is, and my information is about as developed as a caveman¡¯s perspective on fire. I can use it skillfully, but that¡¯s it.¡± Admittedly, that was underselling it, but not by as much as I wished it to be true.


    I expected them to scoff, but none of them did. ¡°Mana is a curious thing, it works both as a substance and energy, yet it reacts to our thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just the System, like Health?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°Yes ¡­ and no,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s helpful,¡± Jennifer scoffed.


    That earned a smile from me. ¡°Not supposed to be,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m used to teaching doctoral students, not kindergarteners, and there¡¯ll be many times I¡¯ll have unclear answers. Get used to it.¡±


    Amusingly, my reaction made not only her, but the others relax as well. Maybe it was the fact I didn¡¯t start threatening her with violence the moment she stepped out of the line. It shouldn¡¯t have been a relaxing fact ¡­ but in the world we lived in, it was.


    ¡°Would you mind going a bit deeper, sir?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°Call me professor while I¡¯m teaching,¡± I said, which was not entirely necessary, but I hoped it would help them relax. I didn¡¯t know if it would work, but it was worth a try.


    ¡°As you wish, professor. The answer?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Better. Yes, because just like mana, Health can operate outside the strict control of the System. No, because the way they work is different. If Health is water, mana is gasoline, which is not only more potent, but also potentially explosive.¡±


    ¡°Is this why you had warned us?¡± Spencer asked.


    ¡°Exactly. I almost killed myself while experimenting with mana, and I don¡¯t want you to ignore that it could easily happen to you as well. Be careful.¡±


    That earned nods, but the intensity changed, from a perfectly solemn nod from Spencer, to a confident, bordering on dismissive one from Ryan.


    I didn¡¯t need Wisdom to know that he would be a problem student.


    Instead of saying anything, I raised my hand, and let a glow of mana surround my palm. ¡°None of you can see anything, right?¡± I asked. They nodded. I focused on mana, and turned it visible.


    ¡°Now we can see,¡± Rebecca said. ¡°Does it mean mana is normally invisible?¡±


    ¡°In a way,¡± I said. ¡°The mechanics behind it are more complicated. I¡¯m not just turning it visible, but actively using it, which turns it visible. It doesn¡¯t act entirely the same in its natural state, but it¡¯s a good approximation,¡± I said. ¡°Now, touch it.¡±


    I observed them as they looked at the mana, knowing that it would be a good way to assess their personality. A lifetime of teaching had already given me a good idea of how to manage them, and Wisdom was essentially a cheat code.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    They reached, hesitant. Well, mostly. Ryan was unhesitant, yet Logan was still the first one to touch. Jennifer almost had a challenging frown as she touched, while Rebecca was hesitant. Terry was trusting. Spencer was the last one to touch, but I could feel that it wasn¡¯t the fear that held him back, but a habit.


    Yet, it was Soren that was most interesting. He managed to disguise it, but he had managed to be the fourth one to touch, staying in the middle to look unremarkable. Ironically, with my earlier suspicion, it was even more attention-grabbing.


    ¡°It feels weird,¡± Terry spoke, once again showing initiative. ¡°Like it doesn¡¯t exist, yet somehow does.¡±


    I let it disperse. ¡°Now, have any of you used one of the basic Meditation skills?¡± Two hands rose, Logan and Rebecca, both hesitant.


    ¡°Did it help?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not really,¡± Rebecca said hesitantly.


    ¡°Explain to me how it felt,¡± I said.


    She bit her lip, looking hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, flinching as she did.


    ¡°Calm down and take a breath,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing bad will happen. Just answer my questions. When did you first take the skill?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday,¡± she admitted. ¡°The others that absorbed it already claimed that it doesn¡¯t work, but I hoped that for me it would,¡± she said. ¡°I purchased ¡ª I mean I went out to hunt a beast ¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not blind. I know that there¡¯s a black market selling and buying them,¡± I said. I thought about mentioning I was the one who had sent orders for it to be set up, but I let that slide for the moment. Not because it was a huge secret, but because I didn¡¯t want to distract them further. ¡°Now, how long did you use it?¡±


    ¡°At once, probably twenty minutes, but it makes me very sleepy,¡± she said. ¡°In total, probably something like two hours.¡±


    Interesting. That was somehow aligned with my experience, but I only got tired once I transformed it into the uncommon variant and actively modified it. Though, I had Essence helping me, so it was not exactly a fair comparison.


    ¡°No one reported any deaths to me, but sometimes, those things can get into reports. Do you know anyone that has been harmed by Meditation?¡± I asked.


    Matching shakes. ¡°Not to our knowledge,¡± Terry verbalized.


    It meant no one was as crazy as me to try to run an unknown skill in reverse, which was good. ¡°Any mental image while using the skill?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Just a sense of calm, but it¡¯s weird. Almost like ¡­ the world loses its color.¡±


    Logan nodded. ¡°Everything just gets silent for me,¡± he said. ¡°But, it¡¯s not a comfortable silence.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said, then looked at the others, disappointed that I missed the chance to get their unaltered views, but I had been expecting everyone to have the same rotating sphere as I did, which was also aligned with Maria¡¯s descriptions.


    But then, it was likely that my initial Meditation skill was still Intelligence-based since she was the source of it, and there was no guarantee that it would be the same, as they might very well be based on Meditation of Decay. It might be that they are Wisdom-based.


    Possibly even carrying the concept of decay somewhat.


    Unfortunately, the lack of time between the beast wave and mysterious enemies meant that I had to cut some corners. It was regrettable, but between losing some information and turning the experiments into unethical monstrosities, I would always pick the former.


    Rebecca continued to explain how she felt while using the skill some more, but ultimately, even with Logan chipping occasionally, there hadn¡¯t been any more useful information mixed in.


    ¡°Good enough,¡± I said. ¡°Now, who among you wishes to absorb the skill,¡± I said.


    ¡°Want?¡± Jennifer scoffed. ¡°Do we have a choice?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said sharply, happy with the question. It gave me a chance to reiterate my perspective. I didn¡¯t expect it to stick, but repetition wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Any time you wish, you can skip certain steps that you feel uncomfortable with, or stop completely. Just because you accepted the initial offer doesn¡¯t mean you have to follow everything I have in mind.¡±


    ¡°But ¡­¡± she started, then paused.


    ¡°Well, if all of you refuse, the experiment will not progress. It¡¯ll probably mean failure,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then, nothing will change,¡± she said, but I could feel her anger was mostly performative, mostly mixed with fear. She was testing me, and in doing so, she was actually afraid of death. Admittedly, seeing how other people operated, I couldn¡¯t say that it was a misguided general worry.


    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°Hence the part I asked volunteers while explicitly mentioning the risk of death. If you think my ideas are too dangerous to even try, we¡¯ll stop the experiment, and see if we can empower you in a different way, like pushing Nurture further,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll still help us even if we ruin your experiment?¡± she asked in disbelief, ignoring Rebecca poking her from the side in actual fear.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. I could see that she didn¡¯t believe me, which I didn¡¯t blame her for. From their perspective, the situation was hardly easy. They had accepted a job offer to move to an expedition to a new town, then accepted an offer for semi-permanent residence in the dungeon ¡­ only for the rest to join anyway before the guards abandoned them.


    All the while they were being ruled by me, a mere Blacksmith that could fight against hundreds of guards, all the while resisting another dungeon break.


    Her doubts were certainly understandable.


    I let the silence rule for a moment before I repeated my offer. ¡°Feel free to refuse it,¡± I added, but I could feel that none of them truly believed me. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have several days to slowly let them process my intentions, not when the situation continued to force my hand in many ways.


    None of them did. All absorbed a Basic Meditation. I watched them in silence, waiting for them to finish absorbing the skill, though, since it was a Basic one, it didn¡¯t take too long.


    Now, it was time for the real lesson.

 Chapter 161

    After the initial absorption, I let them get familiar with the skill while I created a simple crusher and mana container setup that would allow them to practice alone.


    While staying with them to guide every step was tempting, it was also not possible with everything I needed to do. I prepared to explain to them exactly how I had acquired the skill ¡ª


    Something rebelled inside me.


    It was a deep, visceral feeling, hating the idea of giving up such a valuable piece of information for free, in a way that I couldn¡¯t control its further dissemination, which would cost me a valuable chip. I could use it to raise an army, bargain with any city lord that might show interest, or even ¡ª


    ¡°No,¡± I suddenly growled. I didn¡¯t know where that line of thought had come from. Maybe it was the System, maybe it was just plain old corruption from power humanity had dealt with since eternity. It didn¡¯t matter, even if it had some really important, valuable points. I was not a general, a warrior, or a politician for any reason other than pure necessity.


    I was an academician.


    Treating knowledge as something to be hoarded and hidden away was a reprehensible thought. Yes, I had been hoarding the information I had unearthed desperately, but that was because I was afraid of being silenced when I showed my hand. That was not a concern anymore ¡­ too bad it was because I had made enemies that were willing to sink a lot of resources to kill me even without it.


    Was it still a risk? Yes. But, in a world where death had become a constant companion, I would rather die sticking to my true ideals than trying to build another tiny city-state where I had to hoard every little bit of knowledge¡­


    Speaking of it, I might need to find a way to spread my discoveries widely in case my life ends in tragedy¡ª


    ¡°Sir,¡± Terry spoke, interrupting my sudden spiral. ¡°What exactly did you mean by ¡­ no?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking out loud about the best way to teach,¡± I said, seeing no reason to explain the sudden epiphany I had experienced. But, once the decision was made, I could feel myself getting lighter, yet more determined.


    I had chosen my path.


    ¡°And, what exactly is that path,¡± Jessica intervened, her tone chippy once more. I smiled, appreciating it.


    ¡°First, I¡¯m going to tell you how I achieved my own development,¡± I said. ¡°It all started with my Repair skill, and Analyze perk¡­¡±


    With that, I gave them a short summary lecture on how I used material science knowledge to create a primitive replication method to forge mana alloys, and how it allowed me to upgrade my skill to its mana variant.


    At the same time, I was multitasking by filling a small tome with my insights on mana, doing my best to digest it down to a beginner''s perspective, and only adding a few open-ended questions. I encased it with enhanced silver to prevent the dungeon corrosion from affecting it.


    ¡°Do we need to learn all that stuff as well?¡± Ryan asked, looking intimidated at the prospect.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s only really valid for blacksmiths. So, no,¡± I replied, then paused. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think so. Even if you want to replicate the same method, it should require a knowledge of botany or biology rather than material science, which we don¡¯t have access to at the moment.¡±


    I could probably cobble up something thanks to the enhanced memory given to me by Wisdom, allowing me to remember a lot of classes from back then, but it wasn¡¯t exactly simple. I could transcribe and summarize the lessons easily, but actually comprehending them enough to teach others ¡ª particularly people with no background ¡ª was a significant time investment, probably measured in weeks if not months.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Instead, I decided to give them a different approach. ¡°Now that all of you have access to basic meditation, let me tell you the two distinct methods of using the mana,¡± I said, thinking of the best way to frame it. ¡°The form, and the shape,¡± I decided.


    All seven listened to me intensely. ¡°Once again, a disclaimer. My understanding of how both methods work is extremely limited.¡± That earned another set of nods. ¡°The easiest way to explain the difference is to explain the difference between Wisdom and Intelligence. Intelligence allows the mage to create very complicated patterns through mana, which in turn has certain effects.¡±


    ¡°Like a computer,¡± Spencer commented calmly.


    ¡°A good analogy. While mana works in more chaotic patterns than electricity, the general idea is the same. Certain patterns interact with mana uniquely. And, just like how putting millions of zeros and ones together on a chip made computers work, these patterns make spells work.¡±


    To display, I raised my hand, and cast a firebolt, though I made sure to slow down the casting so that they could watch it come together.


    [-100 Mana]


    ¡°So it¡¯s possible to change spells,¡± Spencer commented.


    ¡°Presumably,¡± I said, happy with the glint of interest he was showing. The realization on his face was clear, and so was the enthusiasm. Not bad for an accountant. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much time to focus on that line of research, but it sounds viable. I already had some promising intermediary results.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the other version,¡± Terry asked.


    I raised my hand, once again summoning a ball of mana, which then turned into a sickly brown color, showing concentrated decay. ¡°That¡¯s the form, changing the nature of the mana by imposing a certain idea.¡±


    ¡°And, that¡¯s what you picked,¡± Jessica commented in shock.


    ¡°Corrosion. It was an easy concept to understand,¡± I said, gesturing at the area that surrounded us.


    ¡°Fair,¡± she commented.


    ¡°Does it mean we can change mana to anything we want,¡± Ryan asked enthusiastically.


    I was curious about it as well, as my experience with experimenting directly was limited. I summoned another ball of mana, and focused on the next easiest concept. Fire. A few concentrated seconds later, the mana ball turned into fire, bubbling in my palm.


    It was smoother than I had expected, though the reason was not hard to guess. My first instinct was it was the fire skill to give me some kind of advantage, but I was quick enough to dismiss that. While replicating the Quake effect, I felt the skill resonating somewhat. Here, there was no such interaction, likely due to the Intelligence-based nature of the skill.


    It was the familiarity of the flame that clued me in regarding the ease of my success, which felt like the attack of the lizards. Not a surprise, I decided. Since the dungeon break, the number of claws I had absorbed was well into six digits. Feeling their flame nature destroyed by the Decay every time had given me a good understanding of it.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Soren said, his tone excited. I could sense that his excitement was not a lie, though the silly expression he wore certainly was. I was curious as to why he acted that way, but the lack of malice was a good reason to hold back.


    Even if it was a spy, I wasn¡¯t concerned, not when I was already planning ways to disperse the same explanation across the region the moment I was convinced it wasn¡¯t a deadly process.


    ¡°Feel free to ask me more questions,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you think we can speed up the growth of the trees with mana the same way, professor,¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any relevant sample that could guide us, but I don¡¯t see a reason for it to be impossible,¡± I said. ¡°With your Nurture at Epic level, you should already have enough control over your Health to create the same type of pattern that can hold mana. Maybe it will work.¡±


    My answer triggered a set of questions, which I answered while I continued to write the small book, glad that Dexterity was allowing me to write at inhuman speeds.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for the moment,¡± I said. ¡°You seven will stay here for the moment, isolated. Feel free to read the booklet I have prepared. I did my best to differentiate between facts I had directly observed, my theories, and the possible explanations,¡± I said, going through my notation. I also thought of bringing the book on how to quickly improve the skills, but after a momentary thought, I decided against it.


    It would only overwhelm them.


    ¡°That matters?¡± Logan asked.


    ¡°It does,¡± I said. ¡°In the scientific method, it¡¯s always a good idea to distinguish them. Even more importantly, it¡¯s important to remember no experimentation is perfect¡­¡± I paused upon realizing their confused expressions. They were getting too overwhelmed. ¡°A seminar on scientific methods, while useful, can wait until we¡¯re not dealing with an army of fire lizards. For now, focus on finding a way to integrate mana with Nurture.¡±


    That earned half a dozen nods, followed by Soren¡¯s slightly delayed one. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn¡¯t help but smirk, feeling strangely giddy as I opened a portal to the first floor.


    For the first time in a while, I felt like a true academician once more.

 Chapter 162

    A quick trip to the surface confirmed that things were in order. The core of the defenses was set, with the first set of steam cannons already up and in place, and the first ring of metal walls and retractable ceiling in place, workers busy with the second wave.


    In the same vein, the training of the spear corps was going well, a glance enough to confirm that their proficiency was ranging between seventy and ninety under Harold¡¯s lead.


    The only true problem was the beast wave, which was showing no sign of moving, confirming that they would arrive in a deadly wave.


    The only silver lining was that I didn¡¯t know who was getting stronger faster: the beast wave, or our defenses. I guessed it was to be seen.


    A quick trip to the center allowed me to absorb the extracted claws, which enhanced the mana reserves of the dungeon even further. ¡°Make sure to spread the metal floors even further,¡± I asked after a brief visit to the cannon installments before I went back inside.


    Though, I was surprised to learn that the dungeon had yet to start dropping Uncommon Repair skills. Either copying my skills was a one-time event, or there were some conditions to be fulfilled ¡ª and, considering the dungeon stopped dropping other skills with very suspicious timing, I couldn¡¯t discount that condition to be triggered externally either.


    ¡°Tough decision,¡± I said once I returned to the fourth floor, checking my prospective researchers ¡ª a bit grandiose to call them that, but not entirely undeserved ¡ª from a distance before I returned to my own lab, ready to experiment with my Reformation skill.


    The experimentation was simple. I would focus on the creation of an ingot, just large enough to create a sword, flame-resistant. At this point, the flame-resistant metal I created was measured in tons, but there was one important difference.


    I didn¡¯t use any claws. Instead, I focused on applying the same flame effect I had applied to my mana trick earlier. In a way, it was similar to what I had done with the shears, and roughly as successful. I lacked the skill to guide me, but the experience from all flame-resistant metal was a good compensation. Soon, I was looking at a subpar, yet workable sword.


    Not my best work, but considering it was an experimental process, I had no room to complain. Physically, there was nothing wrong, though the same wasn¡¯t true from a conceptual perspective. The anti-flame properties were in place, intersecting with the concept of the sword haphazardly.


    Curious, I reformed the sword through Reformation, which was enough to address those flaws, and soon, it was nearly impossible to distinguish from one forged from claws. Of course, while successful, in its current form, it gave no practical benefit. It wasn¡¯t like I was lacking in materials. It was just a preparation for the next step.


    To see if I could reverse the effect of the items.


    Be it the claws or the shells, both imbued the weapons with certain resistances and effective damage against the same type of creatures. While it was a convenient feature, it meant they had no inherent advantages against human enemies.


    And, I had a feeling that going forward, we would have a significant number of human enemies to deal with.


    Still, before starting, I had forged twenty flame-resistant and twenty corrosion-resistant weapons, examining both the process and the results more carefully, noting their properties and deficiencies, and archiving the results.


    Process-wise, it was far less rigorous than I would have liked. Ideally, I would have liked to spend a week, varying the process to pin down the related variables, but with the attack imminent, I needed to be practical.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with corrosion,¡± I said while I flipped the hammer in my hands, standing at the heart of my forge, the air thick with the ever-present existence of corrosion. However, instead of starting immediately, I did my best to delve deeper into the concept of corrosion.


    My immediate surroundings were filled with anti-corrosion metal, a substance that was critical to establishing a permanent base on the fourth floor, its innate properties providing longevity and durability.


    I expanded my senses, trying to understand how it resonated against the constant presence of the corrosive aura. At the surface of the metal, I could feel the corrosion being pushed away with ease, though the interaction was subtle. Without Wisdom, it would have been nearly impossible to distinguish.


    I pondered on the implications, trying to grasp a way to create the offensive variant on the metal, inverting its protection, turning it outward, transforming a passive defense into an active offense, one that would destroy any weapon they clashed with.


    If achieved, it would have been devastating. The biggest example had been the battle against the ascended warriors, who were supposed to have all the advantages. But, once their weapons and armor had been destroyed, the odds had flipped dramatically.


    I forged another sword, once again without any auxiliary material, but this time, I wasn¡¯t trying to imbue the anti-corrosive features to the weapon, but a purer corrosion factor. The mana transformed and intertwined with the metal at a fundamental level.


    I maintained this conceptual focus as I delivered blow after blow, each strike of the hammer shaping both its physical form and its conceptual nature. The blade began to take shape, long and slender, with a subtle curve that hinted at agility and speed ¡ª


    Until it started to actually rust.


    ¡°It seems it¡¯s not exactly easy,¡± I said as I examined the result, took the notes, and forged the next set. Then the next one.


    After ten failures in a row where I failed, I decided to stop. ¡°Alright, corrosion might not be the best way to experiment,¡± I admitted. I didn¡¯t even know if an offensive variant was possible, but even if it was, corrosion wasn¡¯t an easy concept to combine with metal.


    Pity. I had been hoping to use my familiarity with the dungeon operations to my advantage.


    There was no immediate success when I repeated the same tactic with fire, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. At least, the failures didn¡¯t occur as quickly, and each repeat brought me closer to success. ¡°Now, the last step,¡± I said and stood in front of the barrel of water, ready to quench the sword.


    I sank the blade, only for a cloud of steam to cover the area. It wasn¡¯t entirely shocking.


    [-19 Health]


    I ignored the burns from the steam, focusing on the blade as it slowly settled on its final form, its hilt too hot to hold without insulating gloves. The entirety of the blade, including the hilt, had been radiating an uncomfortable amount of heat, cooling down slowly.


    Curious, I pushed a few points of Health into the blade, only for it to heat up again, treating it as fuel. The same was true for mana. I pumped more and more mana, but at some point, it started melting under its own heat.


    ¡°Not a bad start,¡± I admitted, taking the necessary notes. I then used Reformation on it, curious if it could be used to make it more effective. It did. Under the application of my Wisdom-based repair, not only was the weapon restored to its pristine state, but its flame concept got stronger, and more flawless.


    Lifting the sword, I observed it carefully. The metal was smooth, almost mirror-like, but as I moved it through the air, faint ripples of haze appeared along its edge, like waves distorting the reflection. ¡°Beautiful,¡± I admitted as I finished examining the outlook.


    Then, I plunged the heated blade into the water again, testing its heat output and other qualities, and taking copious notes. Then, I sealed the weapon to a mana-resistant box, with a layer of earth around it, and put it inside a different storage.


    I didn¡¯t want to melt down the other products by accident.


    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting result,¡± I admitted. The product was not in a usable state, at least not directly. Without a way to direct and channel the heat, the sword could hurt its owner just as much as its enemy, if not more. Even as a composite weapon with some adjustments, it wasn¡¯t exactly usable.


    That didn¡¯t mean it was useless. Even in its uncontrolled state, there were dozens of different ways to integrate it into steam engines, making them more compact and mobile. And, if I could actually figure out a way to add controllable limits.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have any time to properly explore it. When I checked the dungeon entrance ¡ª something I had made a habit of doing every five minutes ¡ª I realized Harold was giving me the signal.


    The beast wave was on the move. Just as dawn was appearing, which was an interesting choice.


    I created another portal.

 Chapter 163

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    When I stepped outside, Harold was already putting the defense in order. ¡±What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The beast wave is on the move, sir,¡± Harold said, pointing at the distance.


    I frowned. ¡°Wait¡­ That doesn¡¯t make sense. I thought they only attacked at night.¡±


    ¡°It should be the case, sir. It¡¯s when they have the advantage, but¡­¡±


    ¡°They are still moving. They must have a reason for it,¡± I said, but I didn¡¯t ask Harold another question immediately. ¡°Pass me a spyglass,¡± I said. Medieval variant it might be, with its subtle enchantment, it worked better than binoculars.


    He did so, and I used to look at the horde. I wasn¡¯t able to see much. It was a huge army of beasts at the horizon, likely thirty miles away, most of the details lost behind the dust cloud they raised, and the rest was behind the cloud of the flying beasts.


    An army that consisted exclusively of lizards. I turned to Harold. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the beast horde supposed to consist of all types of beasts?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Harold said, but once I passed binoculars back to him, a jolt of shock passed through him, showing that he had missed that detail. ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± he commented.


    ¡°Yet it clearly is. Maybe it¡¯s about the timing of the attack,¡± I suggested. ¡°Is there a way to control a horde like that?¡±


    ¡°None that I know of,¡± he admitted, but he was clearly confused.


    I paused, thinking of the possibilities. The single-type nature of the dungeon had some dangerous implications. ¡°You have fought against other hordes, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mostly as a reserve force and cleanup duty,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°You¡¯re still familiar with the way they acted,¡± I suggested. He nodded. ¡°Watch them carefully. Aren¡¯t they moving in a little too orderly? Is that normal?¡±


    He frowned. ¡°It looks that way.¡±


    I nodded. It was an interesting bit of data, but there was no point wasting too much time on that observation. ¡°Alright. Organize the defenses, but be ready to evacuate back into the dungeon if the worst happens.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Should we start shelling them the moment they are in range?¡±


    ¡°No. For the moment, let¡¯s keep that as a surprise,¡± I said. ¡°Keep everyone close to the gate. I¡¯ll patrol the perimeter.¡±


    ¡°Alone?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the best way,¡± I replied. ¡°I have both the mobility and the stopping power.¡±


    After a second he nodded, which didn¡¯t surprise me. Leading from the front was an accepted practice post-Cataclysm. He went to his tasks, while I moved forward, glad that they had followed my recommendation to cover the ground with metal. It allowed me to extend my Observe through it, particularly since the range had expanded significantly through Wisdom.


    It was a good way to catch any possible invisible interloper. It wasn¡¯t a perfect solution, nor did it allow me to check the whole area immediately, but it was still useful. Even with the ability to open dungeon gates giving me options to escape, I much preferred not to be ambushed in the first place.


    However, the ability became useful sooner than I had expected. After moving a mile away from the gate, I had caught the presence of a man, lying on the ground, camouflaged perfectly. Interestingly, his camouflage didn¡¯t radiate any mana to alert me, signaling that it was either not magical, or it had a much better tool than the camouflage ring I had dealt with.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Like any other tool of camouflage, once noticed, it was much easier to examine it. Curious, I drifted closer, ready to retreat or defend myself as needed, wondering if he was a scout or an assassin.


    But, as I drifted closer, I could see his hands trembling in fear, suggesting that he was most likely a scout. I could have killed him easily, but I decided against it.


    It was a tough decision, but it had nothing to do with mercy. I wanted to understand why the enemy bothered to send a scout, a weak one at that.


    Of course, calling him weak was relative. As far as I knew, he might be easily above level fifty with a decent class, which counted plenty strong in the larger scheme of things. But, one thing was clear. He wasn¡¯t ascended, which meant it was unlikely that he was a threat to me.


    That opened up possibilities, giving me more efficient options than just killing. Dealing with him directly had limited benefits, particularly since I doubted he was the only scout. He was likely only a forward scout, with others at a distance, meaning it wouldn¡¯t help me with keeping secrets. Besides, killing him would also reveal I could detect him.


    Instead, I decided to use it to feed false information. Some information, like the rapid development of the farmers, was impossible to hide truly, and there were other secrets that had leaked out once I had mismanaged the situation with the guards, but that didn¡¯t mean they knew everything.


    Misleading them on certain aspects, like the effectiveness of our new cannons, could be critical.


    I checked the perimeter, and soon, I noticed two more scouts on the metal, which showed that my earlier guess about multiple scouts was correct. As much as I wanted to capture and interrogate them, letting the enemy underestimate our abilities was far more important.


    Soon, as the beast horde continued to get closer, a smaller group split from the main group, approaching far faster. Yet, despite splitting, they didn¡¯t act too chaotic.


    I frowned. It was an obvious probing attack to test us.


    I interrupted my scouting trip and went back to Harold, dragging him inside the dungeon for a secret strategy meeting. ¡°The probing attack, that¡¯s not good news,¡± I said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to deal with them in pieces,¡± Harold said. ¡°That gives us the strategic advantage.¡±


    His thought process was easy to understand. The smaller the group, the easier we would deal with it, reducing the risk. ¡°No, it gives us the tactical advantage,¡± I corrected. ¡°And, I don¡¯t like what it reveals.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡ª¡± he started, only for his eyes to widen. ¡°They can control the beast horde accurately,¡± he commented. ¡°How did I miss this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s expected. You have dozens of other details you need to pay attention to,¡± I responded. ¡°It¡¯s easy to miss important details when one is bogged down in minutia.¡± That was certainly the case, which was one of the reasons I didn¡¯t want to lead the defenses directly.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to undersell our abilities,¡± I said.


    ¡°Keeping the artillery in reserve is easy,¡± he said.


    I shook my head. ¡°No, that will only show them our confidence in our new weapon. We¡¯re not going to start using the artillery until the enemy drifts closer than five miles, and even then, keep the rate of fire low,¡± I said. After a secondary thought. ¡°Also, I¡¯m going to modify a set of shells to reduce their effectiveness. Until the main horde steps well into the range, use only the weak ones.¡±


    ¡°A simple plan, but an effective one,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°It¡¯s better if we don¡¯t get too fancy. Our forces are not trained enough,¡± I said, agreeing with his perspective. ¡°We just need to draw the horde closer and deal with it directly. Still, be ready for surprises. We have no idea what kind of destruction they might bring.¡±


    ¡°Will you be fighting, sir?¡± he said.


    I paused, pondering between the merits of staying behind and rushing forward. Meeting with the enemy directly would put me in a more vulnerable position than I was comfortable with, but I had too many advantages for it to be truly dangerous.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly safe, but it was far better than my trip to explore the other dungeon.


    Decision made, I spoke. ¡°I will fight with them first,¡± I said. ¡°If worse comes to worst, I could always retreat underground,¡± I admitted. If that failed, I could always open a portal to escape, but I chose to leave that as a secret for the moment. Operational security was still a valuable commodity.


    ¡°If you think that¡¯s the more viable path, sir,¡± he admitted. ¡°Do we have anything else to discuss?¡±


    ¡°No, just make sure everyone outside knows their mission,¡± I said as we left the dungeon. After a brief stop at the ammunition storage where I used my Reformation skill in an unexpected manner ¡ª weakening the conceptual weight of the shells to make them weaker ¡ª I moved away.


    Ready to greet the first wave of attack.

 Chapter 164

    I put some distance between me and the fortified walls, but I wasn¡¯t feeling as confident as my rapid footsteps implied, not that it was a hard feeling to understand. I was moving forward alone with no support, my view was filled with the great horde of lizards. There must have been millions of them, which was more than the amount we had dealt with until the moment.


    Moreover, they didn¡¯t look as weak, with several gargantuan ones that looked big enough to overshadow the boss monsters of my own dungeon, representing a dangerous presence. The area around them shimmered as their fire aura overlapped, creating a desert mirage.


    No wonder dungeon breaks were the scariest natural disaster imaginable.


    ¡°At least the first group doesn¡¯t have any large beasts,¡± I said as I examined the smaller group that split from the main group to test our defenses, numbering around fifty thousand, alternating between the blade and the hammer as the first tool. After a moment of consideration, I decided on the sword, the sweeping mana attacks would allow me to deal with the crowd faster than I had expected.


    ¡°Here I come,¡± I shouted even as I closed in the distance, acting like a reckless warrior to show off even more. Just as I attacked the ones in the front line with a sweep of my sword, the shells started to rain, aiming for the back portion of the initial attack force.


    Everywhere the shells landed, lizards fell by dozens. Technically, it was nothing compared to hundreds that fell with my blade with every swipe, but that didn¡¯t ruin my mood. Not only was the artillery using weakened shells to mislead the enemy, but also it was easier to scale.


    The true impact of my power was coming from my link with the dungeon, which not only had its limits but was also unique to me ¡ª as far as I knew. That meant it was not scalable, unlike the cannons that were spitting out shells, their numbers could easily be scaled up.


    ¡°The first step to free us from the yolk of the monsters,¡± I grunted as I swiped my blade, taking down another group of lizards with ease. ¡°If only I could believe people wouldn¡¯t kill me just for revealing its existence.¡±


    [-350 Mana]


    I continued swinging my sword, slowly reducing the number of the lizards I had to deal with, skittering around the group.


    Until I couldn¡¯t anymore. A bright energy shone over me, too fast for me to avoid without using my full speed. I dodged, or thought that I did, but it followed me. Worse, it ignored my hastily raised mana barrier, which was scarier than actually breaching it. Then, it hit me, but after a moment of dizziness, nothing happened.


    ¡°What was that,¡± I muttered in shock, absentmindedly patting myself for damages, but there was no change. I frowned, ready to retreat. Maybe it was just a fake attack, but with the first horde decimated enough, it represented a little risk.


    But, when I tried to move back, using Fleeting Step as usual, I stumbled. ¡°What the hell,¡± I muttered, shivering as I recovered from the stumble with a maneuver that would have been impossible if it wasn¡¯t for my Dexterity.


    It had been merely a second, but it was enough for the first attack group to reduce the distance significantly. I still didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but the sight of the main horde suddenly picking up speed was not good news.


    I swung my sword, deciding to destroy the first attack group before the situation had been dealt with. I swung my sword.


    [-1000 Mana]


    ¡­ And a mess of blue energy burst forth, losing its consistency merely after ten yards rather than significantly diminishing the attacking group. My eyes widened at the failure of the attack, as well as the clumsy manner I had swung my sword.


    Something was wrong. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Panicked, I summoned my System screen.


    [Smith of Decay - Level 53]


    [Health 3180/3180] [Mana 2140/2650]


    [Vitality 265 / Strength 212 / Dexterity 159 / Essence 265 / Wisdom 159]


    [Skills (9/15)


    Meditation of Decay (Mythic) - 100 [Controlled Flow, Superior Sensing, Purification]


    Reformation of Quintessence (Legendary) - 1 [Advanced Observe]


    Mana Forge (Epic) - 314 [Advanced Creative Forging, Advanced Mana Control]


    Nurture (Legendary) - 53


    [Hammer of Avalanche (Epic) - 300 [Shattering Strike]


    Blade of Bulwark (Epic) - 300 [Adamant Stance]


    Spear of Storm (Epic) -300 [Mercurial Movement]


    Fire Bolt (Basic) - 25


    Shoot (Basic) - 25]


    There was nothing wrong. All my skills were there. I just couldn¡¯t use them. Yet, monsters got closer and closer. I rapidly switched to my spear, which had been equally unresponsive. I raised it to trigger Fire Bolt, but it failed as well.


    ¡°This is bad,¡± I grumbled in shock. I had no idea what they had done, but clearly, my initial attack had been predicted and countered.


    Luckily, it wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been. My Stats were still in place, or I would have collapsed by the weight of my armor alone.


    I would have loved to have time to ponder on the changes I had just experienced, but I lacked the time for it. Instead, I had to deal with the sudden appearance of a man, appearing from behind one of the larger lizards, rushing toward me with a shocking speed, encased in thick armor that radiated a shocking amount of enchantments.


    Luckily, despite his fancy armor, he didn¡¯t give me the same oppressive feeling the ascended warriors had been radiating, which meant I didn¡¯t have to open an emergency gate and escape, which was one secret I wanted to keep.


    I decided to fight.


    I switched to my hammer even as I prepared myself for his assault. I chose my hammer, as not only was it the easiest weapon to use against an armored foe, but it was also the weapon I could use the easiest without the assistance of a skill.


    At the same time, I sent a mana flare to the sky, one that signaled Harold to switch to real shells. Faking weakness to drive the horde closer had been a good plan when I had my skills, but with the way they were blocked ¡ª hopefully temporarily ¡ª some adjustments were necessary.


    ¡°Nasty spell, blocking my skills like that,¡± I said as I raised my hammer, absent of mana. Not because I could not. Thanks to discovering the tricks of the Wisdom, I knew I could use my weapons as a bridge to attack with the help of the quality of my weapon.


    ¡°That¡¯s your punishment for trying to delay the arrival of the true Divine,¡± he growled back, his blade lashing out with a Vitality attack ¡­ one that felt extremely weird, yet somehow familiar. However, a burst of mana was enough to shield me from it.


    Then, the first wave of the real shells landed between the lizards, eviscerating the majority of the first wave in one salvo. I would have loved to examine the reaction of the main wave, but my sole enemy covered the distance, and without my skills to help me, I didn¡¯t have the luxury of not paying attention.


    I was tense. Without my skills, I was vulnerable in a way I wasn¡¯t ready for. So, I kept my focus on my attacker, which was good, as it helped me to see him gasp in pain as the shells shredded the majority of the attacking wave.


    It was a perfect opportunity for me to deal with him. I slammed my hammer down, delivering a mana blow. After all, while skills helped, they were no longer a necessity to deliver a direct attack. It was weaker, certainly, but that didn¡¯t matter much when I delivered the attack with the support of my full Strength, directly against his head.


    He survived thanks to his armor. Well, the enchantments layered on his armor, to be more accurate. I could feel that, even before the contact, the power of my blow was being sapped, and the helmet he was wearing was good enough to disperse the rest of the momentum, and his Health likely handled the rest.


    However, while it prevented the attack from being a death blow, it didn¡¯t prevent him from staggering. Even with Health, such a blow to the head was not a simple thing.


    Too bad I had no idea how his armor worked without my skills to help. As I pulled back from the contact, I reflexively tried to use Observe ¡­ which, to my surprise, actually worked.


    My eyes widened as I realized the possibility, and doused his armor with my mana, using my Forge skill to solidify the joints of his armor. It didn¡¯t work, but only because one of the many enchantments on his armor repulsed the mana. From my side, the effect worked perfectly.


    Despite my failure, I smirked. My Class Skills were still working. It confirmed that whatever trick he had used only worked for External Skills.


    It meant I still had many options.


    Instead of pulling back to deliver a full blow, I used my Meditation of Decay as a bridge, transforming the mana around my Hammer to the strongest decay effect I could manage.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to destroy his armor completely, but it melted a portion of his helmet, as well as spreading across his armor somewhat before he recovered enough to move back to put some distance. Without my skills to help me move, I couldn¡¯t chase him.


    Especially not when I could see several flying lizards separating from the main horde, with other armored people on their backs.

 Chapter 165

    I took my first step before he could even realize what was going on. I focused on my Mana, doing my best to replicate the effect of the Fleeting Step. With the skill completely blocked, it was nowhere near as smooth as I had hoped, but I still managed to move with a big burst of speed that carried me a hundred yards, even if I ended up falling down at the end.


    Once again, Dexterity saved me. I rolled back on my feet with the smoothness of an Olympic athlete, and repeated the same trick, but I was aware that he would catch up to me, and soon. Unlike me, he still had access to his skills, and moved far more smoothly than I could.


    He wasn¡¯t as fast as Mercurial Movement allowed me to go, but under the circumstances, it didn¡¯t matter.


    As I fell again, I could see my enemy approaching. By the time I was back on my feet, he was merely five yards away, leaving me in a bind. Using the fake Fleeting Step again was not a good idea, as he would catch up with me before I could stand up. I wasn¡¯t afraid of fighting with him, but he had the advantage of mobility, which meant he could delay me until the reinforcements arrived.


    However, even as I struggled to decide what to do, I didn¡¯t regret attacking the first group. The ability to block my External Skills was a nasty surprise, and things would have been far more terrible if they had been patient enough to wait until they had a sizable force surrounding me.


    It wouldn¡¯t have killed me. My connection with the dungeon was still in place, meaning even if their ambush hadn¡¯t been ruined by my ¡ª admittedly reckless ¡ª strategy, I could have still escaped. But, not before potentially revealing another secret.


    Of course, they knew that dungeon gates were possible, but there was a good chance my ¡®retreat¡¯ would convince them that I didn¡¯t have the ability to open them outside.


    With that in place, the best thing to do was for me to deal with my pursuer before he could slow me down. I reversed the direction and covered the distance, switching to my spear halfway, which gave me the range necessary to tag him with another blast of decay, ruining his armor even further.


    Then, just as he tried to retreat, I used my poor imitation of Fleeting Step again to cover another hundred yards.


    There were two benefits to my decay attacks. First, every hit weakened his armor, making him less resistant to physical attacks. More importantly, the enchantments were anchored to the armor, and damaging it significantly weakened the enchantments as well.


    When I rolled, he was on top of me, too close for me to use the spear, and not giving me a chance to switch weapons.


    Too bad for him that I didn¡¯t need to. I didn¡¯t even bother trying to stand up. I just grabbed his leg and pulled him down, pumping his armor full of decay mana, and fast. His armor resisted it well, but at this distance, the dungeon replenished my mana pool every two seconds.


    In grappling range, he wasn¡¯t able to use his sword, leaving him bare-handed. And, unlike me, he didn¡¯t have any tricks as his armor slowly turned to dust around him.


    I pinned him easily ... For a moment. Once the part of the helmet was gone, I was met with a scaly skin. For a moment, that scaly skin merely looked like poor skin care, but that was only for a second. The scales started to gain prominence, rapidly transforming into the same bright red color the lizards had. Not only that, but his teeth were also getting sharper, and more monstrous.


    His desperate wail suggested that it was not an intentional transformation, but a side effect of losing his armor. Some of the ruined enchantments must have been suppressing that transformation.


    It reminded me of the unfortunate assassins that had been transformed in the dungeon once their armors had been damaged by ballista attacks ¡­ only, the transformation he was showing was far faster. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    It was bad news, especially since his Strength was spiking as well, so much so that it was enough to take away my advantage when it came to grappling, suggesting that he would soon turn the tables.


    Unfortunately for him, I still had my tricks. I hit him with another blast of mana, this time directly using my Mana Forge, transforming the joints of his armor like I had tried earlier. With the protective enchantments weakened, it was enough to lock him in place.


    As I stood up, his damaged armor was already creaking under his strength, suggesting I only had a second to deal with him.


    It was enough for a decapitating strike.


    I immediately turned and jumped another hundred yards, not even bothering to loot his body. My decay trick had been useful, but it was also enough to ruin anything else that was in his possession. I might have taken the risk if my External Skills were accessible, but without it, I didn¡¯t want to carry any extra load.


    ¡°That was close,¡± I said as I repeated the same move three more times, switching to ordinary running once I had noticed the reinforcements on top of the flying lizards slowed down. I was still prepared for the ambush of their hidden spies, but either they were already extracted, or they preferred to stay hidden.


    Which meant that I was free to watch the effects of my shelling attack on the main force of the beast wave. The shells rained, and the smaller lizards were shredded down by a touch. Unfortunately, the same didn¡¯t apply to the larger variants, some tanking multiple shells before going down, some shrugging it off completely.


    Not that I was unhappy with the results. The smaller variants still made up the clear majority, and without them, we could focus on the boss monsters once they approached.


    Even though my sudden trouble with the blocked External skills. It made using ranged attacks troubling, but melee attacks were still an easy option. And, unlike the human opponents, the giant lizards couldn¡¯t dodge me.


    Was it ideal? No. But it was far better than the alternatives.


    When I returned to the defenses, the first line of the main horde was already at the outskirts of the mountain despite the constant shelling, accompanied by a cloud of flying beasts. ¡°Sir, is everything alright?¡± Harold asked, no doubt concerned with my performance.


    ¡°I¡¯m just faking weakness to draw them closer!¡± I said loudly even as I gave him a discrete signal to reflect it was not the case. It was a lie, but a useful one, enough to ease the worried expression of the surrounding Farmers. ¡°Now, what¡¯s the situation,¡± I asked.


    ¡°The shells are working even better than we had expected, sir,¡± he admitted. ¡°Once they start climbing the mountain, it¡¯ll turn into a natural chokehold. Combined with the other weapons, we should be able to hold it ¡­ as long as the boss monsters are not a trouble.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°You still have the command. I need to go back to my workshop for a few minutes to fix ¡­¡± I started, only to stop when I caught his worried expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Can you make the necessary changes using the emergency forge, sir?¡± he asked as he pointed to the field forge that was there for repairing cannons. ¡°Your absence might impact morale negatively.¡±


    My eyes widened as I realized that he had an excellent point. ¡°Excellent catch,¡± I admitted, realizing that I almost made another spectacular mistake, one that would have probably had worse consequences than my blunder with the guards.


    I might be a decent fighter, but I was truly a terrible commander.


    Luckily, what I lacked in those aspects had been compensated by my core competency as a researcher. I was very glad I had worked hard to understand the interplay between Wisdom, Skill, and weaponry in the context of ranged attack.


    It meant I didn¡¯t need to fumble desperately in order to find a way to fight without my External Skills. I just needed to modify one of my weapons using my Reformation skill, empowering its conceptual weight at the cost of its other features, maximizing the ease of ranged attacks.


    ¡°Who here is dealing with a non-critical task,¡± I bellowed loudly as I approached the forge. Normally, I would have been more kind, but the situation was more urgent than I wished.


    Several hands rose, and I moved to the closest spot. ¡°Pass me the hammer,¡± I ordered. He did. I grabbed the handle, thinking about which weapon to modify.


    In the end, I decided to modify the sword. With my accuracy suffering, the wider range of the attack would inevitably be more critical. I doused the sword with mana as I rapidly worked to change its nature, taking some really dangerous shortcuts as I empowered the conceptual weight of the sword at the cost of durability and ease to wield in melee.


    These ugly compromises, but ones I needed to make as the beast wave got closer and closer, not slowing down in the slightest. The first line was merely half a mile away when I finished my modification despite the constant shelling.


    I just hoped that their hurry to capitalize on my weakness meant that the block was temporary.

 Chapter 166

    When I reached the frontline, the lizards were merely three hundred yards away, and rapidly closing in. ¡°Be ready for the attack,¡± Harold shouted as I approached him, then looked back at me. ¡°Is everything in order, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded. ¡°Keep a lookout for the armored men hidden among the lizards, and don¡¯t forget to raise an alarm whenever you meet an irregularity,¡± I said even as I glanced at the lizard army. The normal variants were almost non-existent, shredded by the artillery strike. Their numbers were lowered, but their threat was elevated.


    Still, it was better than drowning under sheer numbers.


    ¡°We have all the scouts with Perception at the center, sir,¡± Harold said.


    I was about to respond that we didn¡¯t have any, but then I remembered we did. As the members of our last remaining guild. Rosie¡¯s team.


    ¡°Good, handle the operation. I doubt I¡¯ll be able to focus,¡± I said. As much as I wanted to talk about my latest oversight of trusting Rosie¡¯s guild members in such a critical spot, I couldn¡¯t say much. Not under current circumstances.


    I didn¡¯t waste my time before raising my sword, and slashed.


    [-250 Mana]


    A mana slash spread horizontally, taking a good number of lizards out, some as big as an elephant. I was happy to see it was effective enough. I followed it with several attacks, each slightly stronger.


    [-300 Mana]


    [-400 Mana]


    [-500 Mana]


    Each attack was stronger than the previous one as I tested the limits of my attacks through my hastily-modified weapon. Thankfully, the combination of Wisdom and the concept of the sword worked wonders together, especially when synergized with my previous training.


    I sent several more, even stronger attacks. It worked, but the coherency of the attack suffered. I could feel that five hundred mana was a practical limit of efficiency under the circumstances. I could have upgraded the attack if I had the time to practice ¡­ Unfortunately, the wild army that got closer and closer meant that I had no such luxury.


    I used Fleeting Step to move, but this time, I merely moved twenty yards, which meant I managed to stay upright. My blade flashed, taking another hundred large lizards ¡­ then another.


    Then, I received a very welcome surprise.


    [Level 53 -> 54]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    The larger variants might be far more dangerous, but there was no questioning the rewards they provided either. I took a deep breath to ignore the sudden sense of empowerment that hit me as I repeated the same trick again.


    For the first wave, I could have killed every single large lizard, but I decided to let some pass. After all, every single successful kill meant at least one, maybe more, for the rest of the army.


    I had a feeling that those levels would become useful sooner rather than later.


    As I moved around, throwing mana attacks, I also paid attention to the flying forces. The lizards that had been carrying the armored figures pulled back, while the rest of the flying forces started to approach as well.


    Only for our steam-powered air defenses to respond in a devastating manner. The raining lizard bodies didn¡¯t exactly help the situation. I attacked again and again, dealing with the large lizards. My dedicated performance soon had another reward.


    [Level 54 -> 55]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Despite everything, it was hard to argue about the convenience of rapid leveling. However, this time, as the warmth spread, I felt a sense of tightness around myself, one that was difficult to point out. It was not physical. It was very similar to the pain I felt when Maria tried to connect with the dungeon. But, that was actual torture, whereas this was merely a passing discomfort, like trying to put on an old shirt after gaining ten pounds.


    Something was amiss.


    Another detail for me to ignore for the moment, I decided while I shook my arms, and continued to deal with the attacks. Since the enemy was happy to maintain the status quo, I fought, and the rest of the army was steadily leveling up with me.


    However, even as I dealt with it, I couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated, wondering about their sudden lack of reaction. Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to send the boss monsters in the front and overwhelm the defenses at once, rather than letting me get stronger and stronger ¡ª


    Then, a thought flashed in my mind, realizing that, most likely they were overestimating my level, thinking my constant fight was giving me nothing but a slowly growing mental exhaustion. Not only that, but I was repeatedly using ranged mana attacks, maybe enough to convince them whatever happened to my External Skills had already expired.


    A big mistake on their part, but after all the strategic blunders I had committed, I was due a break like that. Soon, I fell into a routine ¡­ if one could call delivering three attacks every second such.


    [Level 55 -> 56]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    Another level, and a similar sense of tightening that disappeared equally soon. I continued to fight, letting more and more large lizards slip through my defenses. Partially, I wanted to convince our attackers that their efforts were paying dividends, and letting the farmer corps improve their levels was a bonus.


    At the same time, the shells continued to cut through the horde on the outskirts of the mountain, preventing them from creating an overwhelming majority.


    [Level 56 -> 57]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    Things were going good ¡­ until I noticed something unfortunate. The mana reserves of the dungeon started to dwindle, faster than I had estimated. I cursed. I was already aware that the dungeon was also using mana, but it was clear that the extra mana reserves increased that consumption more than I had expected.


    Either that, or the storage was not perfect.


    Ultimately, it meant that, when I finally saw a gargantuan lizard, at least twenty yards tall and a hundred and fifty yards long approaching, I had another excuse to close in. ¡°Make sure we don¡¯t have any attacks,¡± I said as I noticed the armored figure on top of the lizard, and rushed forward.


    As I closed in the distance, a bright light targeted me once more. Knowing I couldn¡¯t escape, I didn¡¯t even bother making an attempt, but it didn¡¯t mean I would let it slide.


    It was time to see how effectively I could bluff.


    [-2500 Mana]


    As the ray of light hit me, my hands were already raised, pushing my mana. It was mostly empty, wasteful mana. But, out of my sword, I managed to add an effect of fire, and from my left, a burst of decay-natured mana.


    It was a mere illusion. I had used too much mana for it to be truly effective. Combined, they created a beautiful commotion of light, one that might be enough to convince the enemy that I had blocked the light.


    While, in practice, it resealed my already sealed skills. Hopefully, whatever effect it was didn¡¯t stack.


    But, even before the commotion dispersed, my mana was recovered, and I responded with multiple ranged attacks. Only the first one targeted the man on top of the boss monster, carrying as much decay as I could pack in my quick attack.


    He must have been confident that it would work, because he failed to avoid the first attack. It didn¡¯t help when the next three attacks all hit the right leg of the huge lizard, cutting it off.


    It was merely a temporary problem for the boss monster, but it was enough to ruin the balance of the man riding the lizard, suggesting that he lacked Dexterity. Convenient, I decided as I targeted him with multiple decay attacks. Falling, he lacked the leverage to dodge, and focused ranged attacks were enough to ruin his armor.


    When he fell to the ground, his armor was already ruined, once again showing signs of transformation. To my surprise, the lizard breathed fire on my path, trying to cut my way. It was strong enough to damage the metal floors, but my armor was made of higher-grade material.


    It tried to cut my path physically as well, trying to protect its rider, but its leg was cut leg, albeit recovering rapidly. But, the recovery wasn¡¯t fast enough to prevent my approach. As I got near the giant lizard, the air turned uncomfortably warm, similar to insect bosses and their decay aura.


    Things would have been far more troubling without my armor protecting me from getting cooked.


    As I arrived next to the fallen man, struggling with his painful transformation, I had already switched to my hammer. With his armor gone, one hit was all I needed to finish him off.


    Once I killed him, I was prepared to turn my attention back to the boss monster, but I was caught flat-footed with a surprise. All the lizards around me ¡­ went crazy, losing their driven mad, going so far as to attack each other.


    ¡°Convenient,¡± I muttered while I was hit with the realization as to why they were sending men suffering through a transformation that they had to keep in order. The mutation process was likely a critical vector of their control.


    It gave me an interesting thing to focus on, one I wanted to handle as soon as I dealt with the boss monster in our midst.

 Chapter 167

    Behind me, I could see the defenders panicking, but I didn¡¯t care about it as I used my favored tactic of dealing with a boss monster.


    I climbed on the back of this maddened, rocking beast, which counted as the craziest rodeo of my life ¡­ yet.


    Even without the assistance of the spear skill, the climb had been smooth, a reward for my Dexterity. Soon, I was at the top of the beast, my hammer glowing with mana as I slammed it down to its neck, each blow accompanied by bursts of mana.


    [-2850 Mana]


    [-2850 Mana]


    [-2850 Mana]


    The attacks were stronger, as I was relying on a beautiful old mana blow trick, courtesy of my Forge skill, just like I had first used during the leveling trip in the wilderness.


    Fighting like that wasn¡¯t as good as relying on Hammer of Avalanche overall, as the skill came with a lot of strategic considerations, allowing me to fight better. However, surprisingly, when it came to damage dealt, Mana Forge was actually superior.


    Yes, the transformation of mana from Avalanche was an important part of the attack power, but where Mana Forge lacked that, it compensated for it by sheer presence. It allowed me to use the full capacity of my mana pool, pushing it outside immediately, which then I took control of with Advanced Mana Control and transformed slightly to maintain a sharp edge.


    Wasteful in terms of mana, certainly, but still devastating. If I had full access to my external skills, I could have killed the raging boss by spending far less mana, but it wouldn¡¯t have been faster ¡ª at least, not from my current position.


    [Level 57 -> 58]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    Ten seconds. Ten seconds was all it took to take down the dungeon boss, before the enemy forces could even react to my presence. As I jumped down, I meditated for a moment. Thanks to the constant fighting, the flame-based tainted energy had covered the area to a suffocating degree, not helped by the fact that the constant area attacks always damaged the claws.


    The sudden loss of cohesion when I killed the mutated warrior meant I didn¡¯t have to return in a hurry. I activated my meditation, standing still while I absorbed the tainted energy that covered the area, absorbing it to replenish the dungeon.


    Soon I ended up moving away from the boss. The tainted energy from the boss was stronger than the one the smaller lizards let out, slowing down the absorption significantly. Moving deeper helped, as tainted energy had reached a devastating amount, covering the area.


    After passing the critical level, tainted energy didn¡¯t evaporate, instead sticking around together. If it wasn¡¯t for my ability to absorb it, it would have been a true and persistent environmental disaster like an oil spill. Instead, it made it much easier for me to solve my biggest problem.


    I stayed there for five minutes, which, with the assistance of my Wisdom, went a long way to solve my lack of mana.


    Too bad I was interrupted by a signal from the defenses, warning me that there was a significant amount of enemies approaching from the other side.


    Unfortunately, I decided even as I prepared to return without accomplishing all my objectives. But, I wasn¡¯t returning empty-handed. I moved to the huge boss monster. Dragging it with me would have been hard. Luckily, the ground was covered with metal. A flare of mana was all that was required to turn the metal into a primitive cart, complete with wheels, allowing me to drag it with me. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    As I returned to the defensive line, I could see the fascinated gaze of the soldiers, which was a nice benefit. As much as I didn¡¯t like their hero worship from a personal perspective, it was hard to argue that it was useful considering the circumstances.


    ¡°Keep an eye on it, it¡¯ll be useful,¡± I said to Harold as I dropped the large lizard there. The corpse of a boss monster was a valuable research subject in many ways. The energy it radiated, the potential to forge material.


    Whether they still contained those crystals that appeared once they had been destroyed¡­


    I left it behind as I went to the center, where our scouts watched the battlefield with a spyglass in hand. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    Their leader turned to me. I could feel his tenseness. ¡°Once you left the base, a flying team started to approach ¡­ but they retreated when you returned, sir,¡± he admitted. ¡°We didn¡¯t expect it to be a bluff.¡±


    That explained his tenseness. Technically, his alarm ruined my strategy, which could be argued as a mistake. ¡°You made the right call,¡± I said instead. ¡°It was not a bluff. If I wasn¡¯t approaching, they would have attacked the base. Keep up the good work,¡±.


    Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It seemed that my little trick with the fake mana barrier had worked, and they were convinced that not only were my External Skills available once more, "but that I also had a way to repel their trick".


    I would have found it more surprising if it wasn¡¯t for my training with Eleanor and Maria, who, despite their power, never bothered to truly examine and explore how their skills worked and, therefore had no chance to replicate it if they suddenly found themselves lacking.


    With that, I left the platform they were using as an observatory, and went back to the carcass of the boss monster, leaving the defense to the others. The chaos at the line was still ongoing, so it was a good opportunity to examine my big catch.


    Once I returned to the hulking remains, I turned the cart into a metal dome, wanting to hide what I was doing.


    First, before doing anything else, I climbed on top of the boss monster, and started absorbing the tainted energy, testing its limits. It was denser, which made it harder to digest, but it provided more mana as well.


    Then, I started butchering it, separating meat from the scales, each carrying a much more condensed expression of the flame concept, and just like its ordinary variants, the claws contained a particularly dense expression.


    However, even the auxiliary scales were stronger than the claws of ordinary lizards. As for the two claws, I wondered if I could forge a superior weapon out of them.


    Meat, I separated it in large chunks. A few, I sealed in separate containers for further examination, but the rest, I smashed completely, releasing both the mana and tainted energy they contained. It provided enough of both to make it worth the effort.


    Then, a surprising notification popped.


    [Meditation of Decay (Mythic) 100 ->101]


    My eyes widened as I finally saw a hint of improvement in my strongest skill, though I suspected the challenging nature of the tainted energy was the reason for it. It took most of the energy a boss monster could provide without destroying the claws, to trigger a mere one-point upgrade.


    I faced a temporary temptation to crush the claws to gain another upgrade, but I kept myself back. Instead, I sealed them and continued butchering the behemoth.


    The claws and scales were too valuable as a crafting item to be wasted, especially since there was a chance I could use them to push my Mana Forge into the next stage.


    I continued butchering until I came to the heart, where I finally found the last thing I had been searching for. A crystal ¡­ and an unstable one, already half melted. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± I said as I pressed my hand, and activated Meditation.


    What I met was an even stronger variant of the tainted energy. No, I corrected myself a moment later. It was not stronger, it was just solidified. I absorbed it ¡­ only to feel the flicker of a connection, similar to what I had with my dungeon, but the connection felt untethered, like there was nothing holding on the other end.


    But, even though the tether had disappeared, the crystal had left a lingering sense of warmth somewhere inside, one that had been drowned by a more familiar energy.


    Decay.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± I said as the crystal disappeared in my hand, wondering where the sense of rejection had come from. Unfortunately, there were many options. My Meditation of Decay, my connection with the dungeon, even all the boss crystals from the dungeon I had consumed¡­


    Unfortunately, with the enemy having endless numbers, I didn¡¯t have the option to sit down and consider that fascinating question for hours. I had to be happy with the benefits it provided.


    I destroyed the dome, revealing myself, surrounded by several boxes. I immediately turned to look at the enemy, their temporary chaos about to come to an end as a new group of lizards climbed, but there was no boss monster nearby.


    ¡°You three,¡± I ordered, pointing toward the three from reserve forces. ¡°Carry the boxes to the first-floor workshop, and no one touches them without my express order.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they said in unison and started working.


    I once again started circling around the base, throwing mana attacks, wondering what would be the next step for the enemy.

 Chapter 168

    For the next half an hour, the siege continued without a break, the beasts attacking us regularly, one that gave me some highly coveted rewards.


    [Level 59 -> 60]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    The sensation of tightness whenever I leveled up was certainly annoying. However, every time I leveled up, the sensation affected me less, making me hopeful that whatever was in place to prevent me from using my External Skills would eventually disappear on its own.


    However, despite my improving level, I wasn¡¯t feeling particularly happy, for one important reason. The mana levels of the dungeon had already dropped below what I was comfortable with, forcing me to be more selective with my ranged attacks.


    Luckily, at this point, every soldier had reached to high thirties in terms of level, some of them were already in forties, which meant they worked well.


    Though, it was a pity that the kills from the steam cannons didn¡¯t register as kills, or things would have been much simpler in terms of leveling up everyone.


    I wanted to replenish my reserves, but every time I moved to drain some of the tainted energy, the flying forces moved closer to the base, forcing me to return before I could get anything worthwhile.


    I had to admit, it was a good strategy. It wasn¡¯t even wasteful considering all they were throwing at us was endless monsters that were provided by the dungeon. All they needed to do was to stay there, and continue to send monsters against us until the mana of the dungeon was depleted.


    I needed to find a solution for it, I decided as I tapped my feet carelessly, the echo of the metal giving me comfort.


    During a relatively calm moment, I moved to Harold, and raised another dome to discuss strategy. Once I explained the situation, he looked stumped as well. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can do much, sir,¡± he admitted. ¡°The moment you disappear, they will attack, forcing us to react. And, we don¡¯t have the elite to block them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the situation is bad,¡± I admitted. ¡°We¡¯re already lucky that they don¡¯t have any mages to attack from a distance, nor did they bring siege weapons of their own.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± he admitted. ¡°If only we had a way to collect the energy from a distance. But, any force we send will be harassed before they could make too much difference unless you lead them, and if you do¡­¡±


    ¡°They will attack the base,¡± I completed, feeling trapped. It was frustrating that, even with all the tricks we had developed, I was feeling helpless, enough that I was considering the merits of abandoning the gate. However, doing so would cede our biggest advantage.


    I was not ready for it.


    ¡°Too bad we can¡¯t just install pipes to collect the energy, sir,¡± he commented.


    ¡°Yeah, too bad ¡ª¡± I started, then stopped. ¡°Or could we?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Continue leading the defense. I think I solved it,¡± I said, then dropped the dome, even though I growled in frustration. Sometimes, I truly missed the most obvious solutions. I had already worked with tainted energy enough to know the ideal patterns to contain and direct their flow.


    All I needed was to modify the plates into a transmission line carrying tainted energy. Two outer layers to contain, with one core line to enhance the spread, not entirely unlike an underground water pipe. It would be slow considering the viscosity of the tainted energy, but as long as I created multiple lines, each with a large container attached at the end, it should work.


    And, since the floor was already covered with metal, I actually had the hope of achieving it without alerting them.


    I moved forward, using my feet to deliver the necessary mana to make the changes. Soon, I passed the front line, where the thick tainted energy continuously accumulated. Naturally, the scouts raised an alarm, signaling the approach of the flying forces, and I returned.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    My smile was hard to hide as I did so, as under my feet, I could sense the flow of the tainted energy. Once I arrived at the defensive line, I created a large area to slowly collect it ¡­ and moved to the next area.


    It turned into my new routine. Every few minutes, I would rush forward, only to be ¡®forced back¡¯ by the flying squad, using that to add multiple underground transmission lines, working only thanks to the suffocating levels of tainted energy.


    With that, the battle had fallen into a new rhythm. Whenever I stood above one of the storage spots, I surreptitiously consumed the tainted energy that had been collected, not only replenishing the mana I had spent, but actually refilling the reserves of the dungeon.


    It was the kind of deadlock I appreciated. I was especially glad that I had done my best to create an effective deadlock, in which the enemy spent more and more resources while my reserves kept getting replenished.


    [Level 60 -> 61]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    When another level hit, I felt something inside me tighten, almost shattering before tightening once more. I hoped that it meant whatever was keeping my External Skills unusable was about to disappear.


    And, the enemy seemed to continue reflecting the same attack, which I was starting to get suspicious about. So, when there was a lull, I retreated back to the observation tower.


    ¡°Status?¡± I asked as I gestured at them to pass me the spyglass, listening to the roar of the steam cannons. They might not have gunpowder, but it didn¡¯t exactly make them silent.


    ¡°The main horde already lost a fourth of its numbers, but we have counted over a hundred boss monsters, seven of them flying, which seems even more advanced. All but one are close enough to engage with us if necessary.¡±


    It was kind of scary with all that effort, and we had barely managed to take down only a portion of the wave, the weakest portion at that. They seemed to be happy trying to finish our shell reserves, which, luckily, was not even a concern. It was the one advantage of having a modern production line run by workers with supernatural abilities.


    Still, the battle was nowhere near coming to a close. I wondered about the seven flying bosses, and the situation regarding them.


    ¡°Interesting, point me to the one that¡¯s staying away,¡± I asked, suspecting that it would have the leader of the attack. The asking was necessary, as the beast horde was simply too crowded for me to pick the right direction, and the constant haze, dust, and ash clouds hardly helped.


    One of the scouts pointed, and a little adjustment later, I saw where he was pointing. Zoomed all the way, the spyglass allowed me to catch the gargantuan flying lizard, reminding me more of a dragon than a lizard.


    As it moved, it was hard to catch the presence of the people on top of it, but after a few seconds, I managed to catch a glimpse of a familiar face that shocked me.


    Thomas.


    It wasn¡¯t his identity that shocked me. The whole reason his backers had targeted us was his presence. What surprised me was his face, currently visible since he didn¡¯t bother to wear a helmet. His face was familiar, but the occasional scales on his neck were not.


    He had gone through the same transformation despite the very obvious drawbacks.


    The fact that he went through the same transformation scared me, but not due to the most obvious reason for increasing his personal threat. The biggest threat he offered was Charisma, and I didn¡¯t know how it interacted with the mutation.


    And, I certainly wasn¡¯t scared of his tactical acumen. Charisma might allow him to command his forces with scary accuracy, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was a terrible general. He might be a good tactical commander in a dungeon ¡ª at best ¡ª but he lacked the personality for a true battlefield. Worse, he was the kind of commander that thought himself smart. Combined with his cowardice that overestimated every single power display to the point of uselessness, his strategy actually worked against him.


    Honestly, things would have been much harder if he just let all the boss monsters attack at once. I probably could have killed all of them, but not before those boss monsters killed half of my forces.


    But then, he likely didn¡¯t care about it. After all, why care about a bunch of farmers. For once, I was happy with his disdain.


    Despite everything, his presence and current situation still scared me, because he went through the transformation in the first place.


    While my direct interactions with him were limited, indirectly, I had a very good idea of how he operated. Ultimately, he was a coward, and a spoiled brat at once, not willing to take even the smallest risk. If he was remotely competent, the town and the dungeon would have long fallen under his control.


    That cowardice meant that he was the last person to risk himself to take revenge for his compatriots, or risk himself on a desperate mission. If the organization that supported him lacked the forces to support him, he would have turned his back and left.


    His transformed presence meant one of two things. Either the organization was punishing him by ordering him to attack, or he was afraid of the punishment enough to be proactive rather than merely running back to his family.


    Either way, it only confirmed that the organization I made an enemy of was a truly dangerous one.


    ¡°Back to war,¡± I started, but just as I was about to do so, I felt a small mana flare from one of the scouts, one that came from his pocket.


    I did my best not to react, but he called me. ¡°Sir,¡± he said with a trembling one.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± I said.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s the guild master,¡± he said. ¡°She wants to talk.¡±

 Chapter 169

    Rosie wanted to talk.


    Saying that the prospect of talking with her made me feel some complicated feelings would have been a gross understatement even without counting the complications of the siege.


    The first part of that relationship was easy to discount. Our relationship through Broken Tankard had been interesting, but ultimately, even if that resulted in my presence here, it was inconsequential.


    Even if she had thrown me into a troubling situation knowingly.


    If true, it would be a very invasive case of manipulation, but not something I couldn¡¯t accept. In a way, it would be similar to what I did to Maria. Deliberate manipulation was not exactly a good feeling, but it was far easier to accept when it came with rewards rather than losses. And, ultimately, even as I risked my life, I couldn¡¯t say I was unhappy with the situation.


    Especially since I could have easily run away once I had upgraded my class rather than staying here. For good or ill, ultimately, I was the engineer of my own situation.


    The second part of her ploy, with her small but surprisingly helpful guild operating here, was not as inconsequential, especially since she was here. I had already examined similar communication crystals in action, and I had a good sense of their limitations. She was likely near enough for the crystal to work, meaning she was about to join the game, regardless of whatever plan she had in mind.


    It was scary, because I had no true idea about her other than her being a small business owner that somehow managed to make it work in a new town. Not her class, not her objectives¡­


    Not even why she was in that tiny town in the first place.


    That brought me to the third, and the most complicated point. Why was she there in the first place, and what did she want? The memories of her trailing me for a long time back when I was a professor were clear in my mind thanks to Wisdom, based on her role as some kind of undercover agent, which added a lot of questions.


    Especially since she refrained from even mentioning it for years, but still lived in the same town as me, interacting constantly without truly assisting or hindering me one way or another.


    Talk about complicated¡­


    I once again created a metal dome around me to prevent eavesdropping as I activated the crystal. ¡°Hi, Rosie,¡± I said.


    ¡°Devon,¡± replied a familiar voice, though it wasn¡¯t particularly clear. ¡°Or should I call you Arthur?¡±


    Despite everything, her teasing tone managed to extract a chuckle out of me. ¡°Whatever you want,¡± I replied. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to give her a teasing answer, the situation would not allow me to disappear for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that you¡¯re near?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just twenty miles away,¡± she replied. ¡°Nice fireworks. You have been busy since we last met.¡±


    ¡°I did alright,¡± I responded. ¡°Tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?¡±


    ¡°I was here to help, but unfortunately, the situation is a bit too complicated for that,¡± she said. ¡°I was expecting an ordinary beast wave. Not ¡­ this.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Are you alone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she admitted readily. That was telling. After the memories, I had started to suspect that she was much stronger than she let on. Considering the size of the army we were dealing with, her inability to help didn¡¯t disprove it.


    The fact that she came here, expecting to help against an ordinary beast wave indicated a good deal of strength. Maybe not enough to match Maria, but enough to rival Eleanor at a minimum.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°First, I¡¯m going to ask a few questions, just as a precaution. What was the first business deal we made to collect data¡­¡± I started, asking several questions to validate I was talking to her just in case.


    She answered them quickly, not wasting any time. Several questions later, I was reasonably confident that I was actually talking to her, and not someone that was faking her voice through the crystal. It was still not a guarantee, but nothing truly was on a battlefield.


    ¡°Now, is there a way you can cut through the beast wave to arrive at the base, if we assist you,¡± I said.


    ¡°No,¡± she said.


    ¡°And, what if you only had to deal with the lizards,¡± I asked.


    She paused for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s doable,¡± she said.


    ¡°Alright. One last question. Do you know a way to block External Skills from being used?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I have heard rumors,¡± she admitted, whether as a lie or not was a different question.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°Be ready to approach from the West side, and wait for my signal, alright?¡± I asked.


    ¡°And, what will be your signal?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know, but it¡¯ll certainly be flashy,¡± I replied. ¡°Be ready.¡±


    ¡°Deal. Over,¡± she said, and the crystal stopped glowing. I removed the metal curtain and once again started repeating the pattern of killing beasts and replenishing dungeon mana. I didn¡¯t have a concrete plan on how to create an opportunity, but I had several ideas, and each of them relied on the same simple pattern.


    I needed my External Skills back.


    The decision to help her cut through the defenses to reach her was quick, but not hasty. I was very well aware of the situation I was dealing with, and sooner or later, Thomas would catch on to the uselessness of his current tactic, and attack with everything he had.


    In such conditions, victory was possible, but it would be a bloody one. Things would be different if I had a true elite warrior helping me, especially if her equipment was only as good as what Eleanor had before I intervened.


    As I continued that, I visited the observation tower twice more, locating the warriors that might block my skills once more, as I didn¡¯t want to lose access to them immediately. I had ways to return back quickly, but that would be best left a secret.


    I also used it as an opportunity to visit the steam cannons, using the excuse of checking them to modify two of our anti-air weapons into something that would work better against larger lizards, with better range, with strict instructions not to use it before the flying lizard squad was practically on top of them.


    Once that was done, I visited Harold. ¡°I have a mission for you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said proudly.


    ¡°I need you to be ready. Somewhere in the next five minutes, I¡¯m going to attack and kill at least two boss monsters. I need you to defend the base against the harassment force. Not for long. Just for a minute,¡± I answered.


    I planned it to be even less, as even if my skills were blocked, I could always use the portal to return. Not ideal, as it would potentially reveal a card I wanted to keep hidden, but it was better than letting people die.


    After discussing a few more quick details with Harold, I once again returned to my task, killing the lizards and dealing with the enemies. I didn¡¯t neglect occasionally making fake attacks forward to add even more conduction plates.


    Regardless of the circumstances, gathering more mana was never a bad idea.


    It also gave me a chance to observe the current layout of the wave, allowing me to map the boss monsters I would target. They would be at the West, both to open a path for Rosie, and to make sure the flying squad would position themselves the other way. Together, it would be a good way to attack.


    With that, the pieces were in place, and all that remained was to wait for the return of my full faculties.


    [Level 61 -> 62]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    Another notification, another tightening ¡­ but this time, something snapped. Once again, the change was sublime, but all I needed was to try using one of my External Skills to confirm it was working.


    Whatever that was blocking me from using those skills, was gone.


    It was time to act.

 Chapter 170

    It was time to begin the offensive, which I decided to start by creating a large, pointlessly complicated glow of mana around me as I stood away from the main defenses. It alerted the enemy that there was something extraordinary going on, but it was an acceptable trade to hide the sudden burst of speed.


    The complicated fractal patterns of mana spread and faded, and then I threw myself toward the nearest boss, a mile away from the defenses, with no armored figure riding it.


    I moved far faster than I had ever displayed, and at the same time, I kept pumping out mana from my boots, once again selling the idea that it was not a combination of skill, perk, and extremely high stats, but an item.


    Their ability to block the External Skills, and my own fake blocking forced me to pull some tricks. Against another enemy, it would have likely failed, but luckily, Thomas was far too willing to believe my extreme abilities before believing his own incompetence holding him back.


    As I ran, I also used Observe through the metal, doing my best to catch any potential hidden enemy mixed in with the lizards. The last thing I needed was to be ambushed by another skill blocker.


    My increased Wisdom allowed me to identify two assailants, but luckily, they were weak enough to die under one mana attack, concealed among many similar attacks that had been targeting the lizards.


    Eight seconds later, I was in front of the first lizard. A rapid climb, combined with several rapid blows was all that was needed to take it down, and the lizards surrounding me went crazy. The moment it fell, I cut through his heart and pulled the crystal, this time intact, slowly degrading.


    I didn¡¯t even have the time to take the claws before I ran toward the next boss, absorbing the crystal on the way.


    It worked the same as the other crystal, but with two differences. One, the skill reward was considerably higher.


    [Meditation of Decay (Mythic) 101 ->103]


    Second, the sensation of fire that it created inside me didn¡¯t fade away completely after it flared, instead staying there like a soft flame, making me wonder if I was pushing my luck unnecessarily. However, I ignored that risk, and moved toward the next boss monster, deliberately moving away from the armored soldiers moving to confront me.


    It seemed that they didn¡¯t expect me to cut that deep, which was an obvious mistake. One that I gladly punished by killing three more bosses, but this time, I chose to seal the crystals rather than absorb them.


    The burning sensation in me still lingered, so I didn¡¯t want to risk it.


    [Level 62 -> 63]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    At a distance, I watched the modified anti-air take down the flying mounts of the response force. With the mountain peak blocking me I couldn¡¯t see their actions, but it was still time to return. With the lizards going crazy, I hoped that I had given Rosie all she needed to sneak in.


    If not, I could have ended up having to find a way to dig a twenty-mile tunnel.


    Another fake flare of mana, and I rushed back to the defenses, only to see a scary sight. The enemy squad had already engaged with our forces, wreaking havoc. Already, a great number of them had to retreat with their armor ruined. Yet, if it wasn¡¯t for the superior defensive capabilities of my work, the situation would have been much worse.


    But, even with it, I doubted it would have held without Harold¡¯s lead.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Team three. Delta position. Team five, defend the fallen!¡± Harold shouted even as he did his best to fight against three enemies at once, pushing his armor¡¯s absorption to the limit. He was brave. The enemy seemed reluctant to split in a way they couldn¡¯t defend each other, and Harold¡¯s presence meant that they didn¡¯t have to.


    Still, without their flying mount, the greatest threat they provided was negated.


    Unfortunately, once I returned, I could see the boss monsters already starting to move. Not all of them, but enough to be a disaster.


    I needed to force them away before they managed to kill half of my forces.


    I moved forward. Unsurprisingly, I was hit by five of those skill blockers at once, and I once again felt my skills being locked, removing my mobility advantage once more.


    [-3000 Mana]


    I used another fake mana block, but I didn¡¯t need to retreat, not when I had my blade ready. I started attacking them with full-powered mana attacks, giving them two options. Stay together and tank the attacks, or dodge.


    Unsurprisingly, they chose the second.


    ¡°Siege weapons, focus on the left,¡± I ordered, hoping to pin at least one of them despite the approach of the beast wave. Four approached from my field of view, with a flying one approaching from the sky, rapidly closing in. Listening to the alarms of the sentries, I guessed at least twenty boss monsters were moving in.


    Enough to destroy the rest of the defenses if I was determined to kill them.


    ¡°Let them go,¡± I called Harold, who was busy dueling with one of them, tangling with him to prevent his escape. Luckily, Harold followed my order. With the squad already retreating, I knew that I couldn¡¯t hunt them and kill boss monsters at the same time. The best strategy was to let them go, and hope that Thomas would once again pull back his forces.


    But, it didn¡¯t mean I would let them go without a price. Even as Harold pulled back, I targeted his opponent with a chain of attacks, hoping to destroy his armor. Busy watching Harold, he reacted too slowly.


    Only one of the attacks delivered a glancing blow, which had been enough to trigger his transformation before his allies grabbed and dragged him away, too fast for me to chase.


    With that, I shifted my attention to the approaching boss monsters, once again prioritizing West to provide Rosie with cover.


    Boss monsters were too fast for me to catch all of them, but one, I managed to cut its leg with ranged attacks, which meant it was immobile for the next second. That was all I needed to climb on top of it to deliver the coup de grace.


    Altogether, a surprisingly smooth operation, especially when I felt the approach of a cloaked figure, half-invisible as she ran toward me, dodging the attacks of the lizards without killing them. I chose to believe it was Rosie even as I pulled both boss monsters back with me on another cart I manufactured.


    That had been confirmed when I felt her climb the cart through observation, hidden next to the boss monster.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. Her arrival had been great news, but the fact that she managed to do so while keeping it a secret from the enemy was even more valuable.


    A hidden dagger was always more valuable than a revealed one.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to butcher it again, be ready to carry it back to the workshop,¡± I called once I heard the signal of the sentries, confirming that everything was alright. As for the wounded, I trusted Harold to handle it.


    Just like before, I butchered the boss rapidly, sealing the scales, claws, and crystals in metal cases, but I kept the crystals with me while the rest were sent into the dungeon. And, if one of the metal boxes had a large gap, enough to comfortably accommodate an adult woman, with a latch to open the box from inside ¡­ Well, that certainly sounded like a coincidence.


    The situation was as good as it could be, even if the squad that escaped went back to the sky, riding another group of lizards, ready to harass us once more. Between attacks, I went to talk with Harold, who was once again leading the defenses. ¡°Everything alright?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said, but he looked shaken. ¡°But, it was close.¡±


    ¡°I know. But, we managed to do some damage,¡± I said as I pointed at the enemy forces. The lizards continued to attack, but the boss monsters had pulled back considerably.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but I¡¯m afraid of reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± I replied. ¡°We might have to send some teams to collect claws and other broken parts,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°That would cause losses,¡± he said.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I replied. ¡°For now, maintain pace,¡± I continued, then got interrupted by the approach of another soldier, one that was not a farmer.


    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s an emergency,¡± the familiar voice said.


    Harold frowned. ¡°Not the time ¡ª¡± he started, but I gestured for him to let it go.


    ¡°It must be important,¡± I said, which, combined with the gesture, was enough for Harold to realize what was going on. ¡°You need to handle the defenses for a few minutes. Give me a signal if things go badly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said, and I created a metal dome to surround me.


    When I turned to look, the ¡®soldier¡¯ had already removed her helmet. ¡°You have done well for yourself since I have last seen you,¡± Rosie said with a smirk.

 Chapter 171

    Being locked in a metal dome with a dubious ally with nebulous objectives should have been a source of discomfort, but surprisingly, it was not. A part of it was familiarity. Suspicious it might be, but our connection went a long way back, which was a relief.


    Then, there was the way she looked at me. After Maria and Eleanor¡¯s departure, almost every single person I interacted with had treated me either like a savior or a dangerous snake. The first batch of students I had acquired seemed like they would be the exception, but that required time, and Harold was too focused on being a capable second-in-command to act like a peer.


    Combined with the responsibilities I had heaped upon myself, the situation had turned rather suffocating.


    Ironically, my sudden ability to read people better thanks to Wisdom only made the situation worse.


    Rosie felt different. There was no deference in her stance, nor any hint of fear like one would feel approaching a caged tiger. She just had her usual mocking smirk, and casual stance. There was a certain tenseness in her posture, but to be fair, the situation deserved it.


    Admittedly, I didn¡¯t know if it was what she truly felt, as Wisdom wasn¡¯t exactly mind-reading, or even pure emotion sensing ¡ª like I had first thought.


    It was more like an improved sense of empathy, which had felt wondrous because I had been particularly lacking when it came to reading other¡¯s emotions.


    ¡°Good to see you too, Rosie,¡± I said with a sigh, feeling relief more than anything, which earned a tentative, more honest smile from her.


    She still paused for a second. ¡°I expected more questions,¡± she replied.


    I chuckled. ¡°Oh, I have many, but I think they can wait until the current disaster has been dealt with, so let¡¯s focus on the practical. Show me your weapon,¡± I said.


    She did, only for me to do a double-take. ¡°What an affront to craftsmanship,¡± I said even as I examined the weapon, which was a true affront to any kind of object. Even without touching, I could sense the presence of a dagger, but that was not all I could feel. It was also mixed with a sense of spear.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s the best weapon I had,¡± she said even as she passed it to me.


    I said nothing as I touched it, examining it. What I detected was even less surprising. ¡°So, you managed to meet with Maria,¡± I said once I used Observe, confirming that the dagger previously had been one of the spearheads I had passed to them to fund Maria¡¯s ascension.


    I was annoyed not because someone had repurposed one of the spears like this, but because of the shoddy job they had done. Whoever had done it had no idea what they were doing, and they had just shaped the outer shape of the dagger rather than properly reforging it, which meant that not only was the presence of it confirmed as a horrible abomination of two different weapons, enough to impair her skill usage, but also the metal itself would impair any kind of skill usage.


    There were a couple enchantments on it, but it was as if they were trying to hold a collapsing building with duct tape, essentially useless. I suspected that it was not a Blacksmith that had done it, but a mage casting a spell.


    ¡°I met with them, but it¡¯s complicated,¡± Rosie replied. ¡°Do you want to hear it now?¡±


    ¡°No, later,¡± I replied as I examined the weapon another second, then, with a frown, melted it back to raw metal.


    ¡°Hey, who told you to destroy it ¡ª¡± she started.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless garbage,¡± I said, which would have been true if it was any better. Ultimately, the dagger was made of anti-corrosive metal, which had no particular advantage against the enemy we were facing.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best weapon I ever used,¡± she said while I crouched and touched the floor, which was made of anti-flame metal.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    [-3000 Mana]


    I rose back with a pair of daggers, shaped exactly like the previous one, but with a proper structure. When she grabbed it to swing, her eyes widened, shock radiating off her. ¡°Alright, I might have been slightly hasty when I mentioned it,¡± she said. ¡°These are ¡­ slightly better.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°They should hold for a while until I can fashion anything better,¡± I said, enjoying her shock.


    ¡°Better?¡± she asked, shocked. ¡°But, this dagger is already better than those spears you sent.¡±


    It was an accurate assessment, but the class upgrade had truly allowed me to modify my approach. I had to admit, I was happy to surprise her so much. It seemed that, despite the reports from her spies, she had underestimated my abilities. ¡°Yes, better,¡± I said, smiling at her shock. Unfortunately, the situation was too urgent to push the issue further. ¡°All that remains is what you can do.¡±


    ¡°With these, or even better weapons?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Both.¡±


    ¡°With these, I can hunt every single gargantuan lizard that approaches us, or hunt them one by one, easily,¡± she said. ¡°With better weapons¡­¡±


    I paused, pondering which one was the better idea, but felt locked. I had too many things I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s better to force them to retreat, or draw them into a trap to deal with them all at once. But, if we draw them toward us and they have a nasty surprise waiting¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you open to advice?¡± she asked, hesitant, seemingly careful about pushing her authority the moment she arrived.


    I appreciated her concern, and under different circumstances, I might have been more worried about setting a precedent. But, at this point, her assistance ¡ª unasked but appreciated ¡ª already proved critical many times that extending trust was not a chore. ¡°Go ahead,¡± I stated.


    ¡°It depends on what else you can produce. If what I see is the full extent of what you can create, then dealing with the enemy is the better idea. If not, we are better off forcing them to retreat.¡±


    ¡°The reason?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The lack of true heavy hitters,¡± she said. ¡°Since they don¡¯t already have a hundred false-ascendants directly breaching the dungeon, it¡¯s clear that whatever that¡¯s happening here has not been reported, probably to hide their catastrophic failure. If we force them to retreat, they will attack soon, but only with what they can gather with their personal connections.¡±


    It took all my willpower to not pester her with hundreds of questions, as her careless statement raised far more questions, from the possibility of a direct dungeon attack ¡ª which told me that my bunker strategy wasn¡¯t as good as I had thought ¡ª to the statement regarding the false-ascended. ¡°Sounds much better,¡± I said. ¡°What can we expect?¡±


    ¡°My best guess: a stronger team of elites, more gargantuan monsters, and some kind of ward to block your cannons,¡± she said. I looked at her questioningly. ¡°They are good against the unprepared, but you¡¯re not the first one that tried to adapt modern weaponry. You¡¯re lucky that you¡¯re in a mana-dead location, or one mediocre mage would have been enough to already solve it.¡±


    I shrugged. While I didn¡¯t agree with her assessment completely, it wasn¡¯t time to argue about the finer parts of the military strategy. ¡°Fine. As long as you can bring the claws from the dungeon bosses, I can guarantee significantly better weapons.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Good, take down the barrier,¡± she said as she put her helmet down.


    Just as I was about to do exactly that, I paused. ¡°Actually, can you hide your presence as you take down the gargantuan beasts?¡± I asked.


    She nodded. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of using some kind of fake ranged attack. I can blanket the area with a dangerous-looking mist, and if they think I can take them down from range¡­¡±


    ¡°During the next attack, they¡¯ll come prepared for the wrong thing,¡± she said. ¡°But, that would mean I won¡¯t be able to loot the claws.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a risk we have to take,¡± I responded. ¡°I¡¯m going to start targeting the boss monsters from the East, going clockwise,¡± I said. She nodded, and I pulled down the metal curtain.


    Soon, I lost track of her, but I was happy about it. It would mean the enemy would have trouble catching her as well. Since she had been capable enough to handle the threat, I decided that it would be put together.


    Instead, I moved to one of the cannons. A blast of mana was all that was needed to forge a hundred new shells, carrying the concept of decay. They weren¡¯t particularly strong, nor did they need to be.


    After all, it was merely an inefficient container, a prop to my little show of illusion, like I was a stage magician.


    [-3000 Mana]


    I kept the rate of fire low, which was mostly to give Rosie a chance to move between the targets, but putting a show for Thomas was not out of the question, especially since the cannons were out in the open, so I would be visible through spyglasses.


    Each shell exploded into a sickly cloud, giving Rosie the cover she needed to deal with the task, while I made a show of panting hard. Occasionally, I even bit the inside of my cheek to spit out blood, like what I was doing was a great sacrifice that I was only doing because I was hopeless.


    Thomas didn¡¯t disappoint, once again proving the value of an enemy we could predict. Once ten boss monsters had fallen, the rest of the horde pulled back almost twenty miles, well outside the range of the cannons ¡ª at least, as far as the current iteration was concerned.


    A victory.


    Temporary as it might be¡­

 Chapter 172

    ¡°Harold, you have the command! I have to rest!¡± I said as I stumbled toward the dungeon gate. ¡°Send the signal should the enemy move.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± he shouted, while the rest of the army cheered, happy with their victory. I wish I had shared their happiness, but knowing the overwhelming monster wave was the tantrum of a spoiled noble of a world that no longer made sense, it was hard to feel the same way.


    Knowing that the beast wave was a mere drop compared to the storm that was destined to follow, joy was not a luxury I could partake in.


    Rosie¡¯s earlier words about a hundred ascended ¡ª false-ascended, even ¡ª like they were a trivial and expected response had been a nasty surprise, especially since her tone implied that it would be just a casual delivery. It implied such might was even more common than I had expected.


    I waited at the entrance, and unsurprisingly, Rosie returned a minute later. However, without the advantage of a metal floor to constantly use Observe, I only noticed her when she was merely five paces away.


    A scary situation.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± I said and opened a temporary gate. She paused, her surprise obvious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have such a strong soul,¡± she replied. The comment surprised me, but only for a moment. I didn¡¯t exactly know how the connection with the dungeon worked, but calling that inner space soul was not absurd. Maria had also used the same term.


    Before the Cataclysm, the existence of souls would have been a long, potentially entertaining debate. Here, it was just another mystery to unearth when I had time, rather than an idle question.


    Calling it a ¡®soul¡¯ might not be correct, but it was certainly plausible.


    Yet, what she followed her statement up with surprised me more. ¡°A pity you have ruined your potential,¡± she added, rueful, yet seemingly accurate.


    ¡°In what way,¡± I asked as I stepped through the gate, and Rosie followed me a second later. We ended up in the depths of the mountain.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± she asked, her surprise apparent. Although, I didn¡¯t know whether her surprise was about my lack of knowledge, or the underground bunker we had found ourselves in.


    ¡°Not as such,¡± I said.


    ¡°Binding yourself to a dungeon prevents ascension,¡± she said. I was surprised for a moment, then shrugged. It was nasty news, certainly, but it was as impactful as informing a drowning man about losing his whole fortune in a market crash.


    Devastating in any other circumstances, yet lacking impact in the face of a more urgent disaster.


    It was true for my circumstances as well. While the idea that I would be forever limited to level hundred was supposed to be scary, it had no impact.


    Instead, I focused on the particulars of the next step of my plan. I wanted to cut a path outside the dungeon, preferably leading to a nice cave where I could both watch the enemy and absorb the tainted energy. It was risky, particularly if Thomas detected it and decided to attack, but with Rosie¡¯s assistance, I was confident that I could defend a two-pronged attack.


    A true luxury.


    With that in mind, I let Rosie process her shock as I reached the edge of the bunker, and started digging, though picking a diagonal path rather than directly vertical. ¡°How did you not know that yet know how to bind a dungeon?¡± she asked, shocked.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t asked Maria about it?¡± I said.


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Secrets of the dungeons are too valuable, and I wasn¡¯t in a position to offer a comparable price.¡± She paused. ¡°I¡¯m still not.¡±


    ¡°Even with what I owe you for your help,¡± I responded. Her eyes widened slightly enough that I barely caught it. Without my absurdly high Wisdom helping me, it would have gone unnoticed.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Yes, even with that,¡± she responded, though hesitant. ¡°I have a more critical boon to request,¡± she responded.


    It was interesting. Her words alone showed that Rosie knew much more about how the higher levels worked than Maria did, which was both promising for my future plans, and scarier considering her past with me was rather dubious.


    Still, I hoped that her knowledge about binding dungeons and ascension was not accurate. Another thing for the future.


    ¡°Unfortunately, our information about dungeon binding had been ¡­ spotty,¡± I said. I could see her curiosity, but she didn¡¯t ask more questions, aware that it was not exactly the situation. ¡°Tell me about invading dungeons directly. How much of a risk is there when doing so,¡± I asked.


    Once again, I could feel her surprise at my lack of knowledge, hidden well. I wondered why she expected me to know more. If it wasn¡¯t for my very difficult-to-remember memories, it would have been about Maria telling me.


    But, I had a feeling that there was a different reason for her expectations, one that was about why she had been around me since before the Cataclysm. I just needed to find a way to breach it when we weren¡¯t counting every second to deal with the enemy.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much considering it¡¯s a four-floor dungeon,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really?¡± I said, surprised by her misinformation. Unless it was an excellent bluff, it confirmed that she and Maria had little to talk about. Even more surprising was that somehow her guild members were unable to discover that there was a fifth floor. ¡°Does the number of floors make a difference?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t know that either?¡± she asked, looking disappointed. I shrugged, not bothering to answer as I continued to dig. ¡°I¡¯m going to expect equal payment,¡± she said. I nodded. ¡°Yes, the more floors a dungeon has, the easier it is to breach from outside. Lower the floor, easier it is to break its boundaries.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Not something I understand,¡± she said. ¡°Something about the boundaries of existence.¡±


    I would have questioned her more about it if the only thing I could feel from her was utter disinterest. ¡°A quick correction, then. The dungeon has five floors.¡±


    That made her freeze for a second. ¡°That changes things,¡± she replied. ¡°It has just become more dangerous. Luckily, the dungeon is in a mana dead zone, so we have that to our advantage.¡±


    ¡°No, I have been using my Meditation to pump the dungeon with a lot of extra mana,¡± I said.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she replied. ¡°Ultimately, the siege consumed far more than what you could ever put in.¡±


    I was starting to get a sinking feeling. ¡°Assume it isn¡¯t the case, and I have managed to pump enough mana into the dungeon to cause certain changes.¡±


    ¡°But, that¡¯s impossible. Even if your new class gave you Intelligence ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wisdom,¡± I corrected her. Not a secret I revealed gladly, as it was a valuable advantage, but considering how critical her assistance would continue to be, trying to hide my abilities didn¡¯t make much sense.


    Especially the ones that were impossible to hide from a discerning eye.


    ¡°Wisdom?¡± she said, nodding slightly, before I caught another sign of shock from her.


    ¡°Yes, Wisdom,¡± I said, glad that she had already made the connection. I was tempted to push her on the topic of why she had been following me before Cataclysm, but I did not. ¡°That helps me to process tainted energy rapidly, helping the dungeon to process it.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she whispered. ¡°And, since it¡¯s a five-floor dungeon, the process is actually fast enough to make a difference. We need to evacuate the dungeon. The sooner, the better.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about turning the mountain into a bunker-maze and moving everyone underground?¡± I asked, then stopped.


    ¡°Why did you pause?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I can feel tainted energy, so we¡¯re almost at the surface. With your Perception, you can find us a nice cave without digging, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said as she focused, then gestured to the left. I changed direction as she asked. ¡°Underground bunker idea is not bad, especially against the heretic worshippers,¡± she said. I looked at her questioningly. ¡°They don¡¯t perform well underground,¡± she said. ¡°Especially their pseudo-ascended pawns.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the expert,¡± I said.


    ¡°The problem is building the defenses. Without an accomplished ward master to help us, we have to rely on physical defenses, and it¡¯ll be difficult to build enough defenses to protect everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Even with all the metal I could provide?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Even several hundred tons wouldn¡¯t be enough. What we¡¯re going to build is nothing less than a modern battleship. We need tens of thousands of tons of metal.¡± Then, she pointed at the wall. ¡°We have a cave here.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said and dug through, getting a whiff of fresh air, ignoring the suffocating presence of the tainted energy. ¡°I can give you that, as long as you¡¯re willing to handle the defensive side of the business.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, shocked. ¡°But, the reports¡­¡±


    ¡°Are about what I had managed to put together in a hurry in response to a sudden threat. It¡¯s not the limit of what I can really achieve. As long as you stay here and deal with the threats, I can handle the rest,¡± I said while I activated my Meditation, and started devouring the tainted energy thick enough to feel endless thanks to the siege.


    ¡°All threats?¡± she asked. Meanwhile, she moved to the mouth of the cave, using the vantage point to watch the enemy, her presence once again turning ephemeral. Not invisible ¡­ but hard to notice.


    ¡°No, just the high-level saboteurs. The rest, the army can handle, and with appropriate warning, I can give a hand,¡± I replied confidently. ¡°In case of trouble, I will always be there to assist.¡±


    ¡°Really, that simple?¡± she asked.


    I nodded, deciding I had given her enough time to recover. I kept the meditation active. ¡°That simple,¡± I replied. ¡°Assuming, of course, you have a good explanation for why you have been following me for years. Since before the Cataclysm.¡±

 Chapter 173

    For a moment, silence ruled the cave. She was tense, but not surprised. No, she expected that question to arrive the moment I mentioned Wisdom.


    ¡°So, you want that discussion to happen now,¡± she asked.


    ¡°It makes sense, before we decide on exactly what you¡¯ll be responsible for here,¡± I said. A simple statement, but a loaded one. A threat, and a promise at the same time. If she skirted around the issue, or I caught too many lies, I would do my best to ice her out.


    And, the reverse was equally true. I had no problems giving her the full support I could afford, as long as I trusted her intentions. That, and providing the most valuable asset I required.


    Information.


    Was I comfortable with it moving this fast? No. Absolutely not. But one thing was clear: She had been around me for the last three years, and with the power she had, she could have been far more heavy-handed to get what she wanted ¡ª assuming it was something she could have gotten in the first place.


    As far as dubious alliances went, that was by far the best one on the board. Especially with Wisdom helping me. I didn¡¯t think it was some kind of omnipotent lie detector, but it helped to contextualize a lot of smaller things and general intent, which was the best I could hope under the circumstances.


    She sighed. ¡°Before Cataclysm, I was working for Interpol,¡± she said, which, as far as I could sense, was the truth, and not a deflection. Then, she paused. ¡°You¡¯re not surprised.¡±


    That earned a shrug. ¡°Not much. I guessed you were from one of the alphabet agencies, or someone would have interfered with you,¡± I said. ¡°Admittedly, I expected the CIA.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Peripheral they might be, but my projects were technically relevant to national security, so it¡¯s not too surprising. Several of my coworkers had dealt with them, just because they talked to the wrong pretty girl who had too much interest in their subject or such. But, since you¡¯re not CIA, or Homeland Security, it¡¯s not one of the projects I did for my government. So, I¡¯m guessing it was my collaboration with the universities in Saudi Arabia, about their changing socio-demographic structure,¡± I commented.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, it was not,¡± she said.


    I shrugged. ¡°Fair. What¡¯s the thing that triggered the spooks, then?¡± I asked dismissively. Ultimately, it was mere curiosity. It wasn¡¯t like anything that happened before the Cataclysm had any kind of significance.


    I expected her to simply answer, or dismiss it as irrelevant, so I was surprised when she was tense. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I was in some kind of black book of assassination,¡± I joked. It didn¡¯t feel good to watch her tense even more.


    She took a deep breath before delivering one statement. ¡°Horizon Institute.¡±


    My eyes widened as I processed the information. Horizon Institute, a toy of a spoiled rich man, or so I assumed at the time. The fact that it triggered some kind of spy alert wasn¡¯t surprising. Back then, I had detected enough weird vibes to stay away, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were some kind of dangerous cult.


    Yet, she hesitated before saying their name, which didn¡¯t make sense if that had been the case, meaning there was something greater that was in question.


    My eyes widened at a very dangerous realization. So-called peace wards, a tool that had been very similar to the research they had asked me to complete. ¡°I think I understand,¡± I managed to say in the calmest tone I could manage. ¡°But, why don¡¯t you give me the full picture, just to be sure.¡±


    ¡°Always so sharp, professor,¡± she said with a sardonic smile. ¡°It all started when I received an assignment.¡± She paused, sighing. ¡°It was my first field assignment, actually, more of a test than anything else. After all, the target was a weird genius professor that contained no risk.¡±


    ¡°And, I¡¯m guessing that Horizon Institute wasn¡¯t too big of a target either?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Surprisingly, she shook her head. ¡°No, they were the biggest case that we have been dealing with. A weird organization with seemingly unlimited funding, making contacts with many different people, with little rhyme and reason that we could discern. They were a priority case, but they had too many politician friends to prevent us from a raid. So, Interpol decided to cast a wide net.¡±


    ¡°Enough to assign a full-time spy on little old me,¡± I said, trying to process what I had just heard. I was starting to have a very bad feeling, but I didn¡¯t want to interrupt her with theories, so I nodded to her to continue.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Unfortunately, you were squeaky clean, so it was starting to be a very boring assignment. Even your computer had nothing weird, with your internet history being clean ¡­ well, mostly,¡± she said.


    I couldn¡¯t help but blush. Even after three years, that particular blow hurt. ¡°Low blow. A man¡¯s internet history is sacred.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I was a spy on my first assignment, dealing with the world¡¯s most boring target. Which is why I decided to get creative.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Since I had already hacked your personal computer, I could easily block and intercept your emails. So, I intercepted your communication for the conference, to make sure you would leave two days early.¡±


    ¡°You knew that I would drive there¡­¡±


    ¡°Not a difficult prediction. I followed you with my own car.¡±


    ¡°What was the plan?¡±


    ¡°I was going to sabotage your car in the middle of nowhere, and try to get you to talk,¡± she said.


    I was tempted to ask her whether she was prepared to use ¡®enhanced interrogation¡¯ or if she had something softer in mind, but I decided against it. At this point, it wouldn¡¯t have made any difference. ¡°But, something else sabotaged my car first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Cataclysm,¡± she said.


    The silence stretched for a while. I was glad that my Meditation gave me something to busy myself with.


    ¡°But, before everything went crazy, I had received one last message from my work phone. An emergency message.¡±


    ¡°What did it say?¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Nothing. Or, it might as well be nothing. It only said that Horizon had succeeded, and asked us to go deep undercover, and wait for orders.¡±


    ¡°And, since I was a person of interest, you decided to stick around,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. It was why I stuck around that little town in the middle of nowhere, observing you,¡± she said. ¡°That way, once Horizon inevitably came to collect you, I would be there. But, they never came. I still don¡¯t understand why. Anyone else that had been marked has been collected. Just not you.¡±


    ¡°Marked how?¡± I said, then remembered the gaudy present that I was forced to wear. ¡°That stupid watch.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, then looked at me suspiciously. ¡°When they were first distributed, we stole some and analyzed them. They had nothing extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°Other than being enchanted, I¡¯m guessing.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Unfortunately, we learned that too late. I only pieced it together three months after the Cataclysm, based on testimonies. Once Cataclysm hit, it acted like a beacon, and the agents of Horizon arrived to kidnap them.¡±


    ¡°And, were they only targeting scientists?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. Their targeting, at least on the upper crust, had a certain pattern that we were able to decipher, one that only makes sense in hindsight.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°They almost exclusively targeted the people with exceptional achievements, in a way that didn¡¯t make sense. Athletes from sports of lesser renown, researchers who didn¡¯t fit the mold, self-made businessmen, maverick generals and politicians. It only makes sense in hindsight. They were hunting for signs of exceptional strength of soul¡­¡±


    ¡°The people that can push back against the System¡¯s brainwashing,¡± I said, connecting it with my own observations.


    She nodded. ¡°Exactly. Once the System was activated, anyone with both the will and the authority to put some kind of order was hoisted away ¡­ and any that had been missed, they hunted and kidnapped later, leaving the world to suffer.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± she replied, sounding exhausted. ¡°I have received some messages since then, but only as a part of some larger piece of missive that had been spread across the region, and it only carried extremely important, but very limited information, like keeping our head down. Or, just three months ago, telling us that their methods to reach our region were temporarily blocked, so we can act as we saw fit.¡±


    ¡°Hence, my employment with Maria.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I had thought that it was a good way to start small. Finally, establish a guild, and use it to expand my reach systematically¡­ but, you didn¡¯t behave in the way I had expected. After three years of doing nothing, you came here ¡­ and the next thing I learned was that you somehow angered the heretics enough that they moved a dungeon to deal with you.¡±


    I closed my eyes, realizing that things had been even more chaotic than I had expected. In my defense, in all my theories, I hadn¡¯t expected humanity to be stabbed in the back.


    ¡°How did you avoid it?¡±


    Surprisingly, her tone was more curious than suspicious. But then, she had spent three years observing me, so it made sense for her to trust me to a certain point. And, despite some questions of my own, I trusted her as well. ¡°Simple,¡± I said with a dark chuckle. ¡°It was ugly, so I tossed it into the garbage the moment I received it.¡±


    ¡°But, you were wearing it,¡± she argued.


    ¡°No, I was wearing a copy, because the dean had annoyed me about the fragile egos of big donors to make me order a copy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ absurd,¡± she said, with a bitter chuckle.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, unable to disagree with her. ¡°It is.¡±


    Silence lingered once more. I had many more questions, but not before I calmed down.

 Chapter 174

    I spoke almost five minutes later. ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary with the enemy?¡± I asked, breaking the silence.


    ¡°No, their soldiers have pulled back, and the beast army has settled almost twenty miles away. My guess: they¡¯ll only move after the arrival of reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Good news,¡± I said. ¡°It gives us time to continue talking about important things. You told me that we¡¯re free from the risk of being attacked by Horizon,¡± I said. ¡°Any details on that?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± she said. ¡°The messages I can receive have been very limited, often one or two lines.¡±


    ¡°How do you receive them?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Usually as a part of the orders that every town receives from the cities, sometimes in other documents about dungeon discoveries sold by other organizations, or similar structures. They are encrypted in various parts of the document.¡±


    ¡°Code word, or algorithm?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Code word,¡± she said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust an algorithmic method, not with Intelligence being so common,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s begging to be reversed. Even with the code words, it''s a one-time use.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. It was a method that was far from foolproof, but at this point, it was convincing enough. ¡°It means some of your bosses managed to survive and are doing their best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the hope,¡± she replied. ¡°There¡¯s also evidence of their success. My information is limited, but I know they are doing their best to prevent heretics from taking hold. If they were around, we wouldn¡¯t be facing the army outside. Too bad their enemy is still our enemy. We could have used a friend through transition.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they don¡¯t radiate a sense of trustworthiness,¡± I replied. ¡°Anything particular about their capabilities?¡±


    ¡°Not much, I¡¯m afraid,¡± she said. ¡°I just know that they have their own web of connections providing them with resources that should be exclusive to Horizon.¡±


    ¡°Like that external skill blocker,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Excellent bluff, by the way. You are truly full of surprises.¡±


    ¡°I''ll try my best,¡± I said. I thought about asking more about their capabilities, but first, I had a more important question. ¡°You have told me something about having a strong soul? What is that about?¡±


    I already had a general idea of how it worked, assuming it was the same thing as my hidden variable, but there was no harm in asking. ¡°Unfortunately, surprisingly little. I did my best, but guilds and city lords kept the particulars of it very tightly hidden. Trying to get that information is not easy.¡±


    ¡°Give me what you know,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know that people have souls of varying power, and the stronger the soul, the easier it is to upgrade skills naturally. It also seems to affect leveling speed past a certain point, and external skills consume a certain amount of soul power, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that makes sense. It¡¯s roughly aligned with my own observations.¡±


    She paused. ¡°And, how did you achieve that?¡± she said. ¡°I know that there are methods to measure soul power, but they are hard to find, and even harder to use.¡±


    ¡°Good old scientific method,¡± I said, giving her a very brief summary of my approach with surveys. ¡°It¡¯s probably not perfect, but it gives a good baseline to operate at least.¡±


    ¡°So that was why you were making people fill forms every day. My subordinates were unable to understand it.¡±


    ¡°Any way to enhance it?¡± I asked.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Not as far as I could gather, no,¡± she said. ¡°To avoid any attention, I always kept a low profile, only sneaking into the less popular dungeons to level up.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have been easy,¡± I commented.


    ¡°It was not,¡± she said. Considering she had been very happy to use that modified spear as a dagger, I didn¡¯t doubt it.


    ¡°And ascension?¡± I asked.


    That question earned another shrug. ¡°Nothing about its mechanics. I know several trustworthy contacts for handling it, and I put Maria in contact with them, but they were very careful about keeping the details hidden.¡±


    I closed my eyes, focusing on the dungeon for a moment to sense its reserves. It was nowhere near full, but it was not at the edge of a disaster as well, which was the best I could hope for. ¡°Your answers are frustrating,¡± I admitted. ¡°They are spawning more and more questions.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she said vindictively, her smile genuine enough to trigger one of mine. ¡°You deserve some suffering of your own. Imagine how panicked I was getting all those reports of disaster. Strong soul or not, a mere blacksmith shouldn¡¯t have been able to do everything you have done, certainly not in such a short time. How did you manage to get the Mana Forge skill? Anything to do with mana variant skills, city lords doing their best to monopolize. It¡¯s even worse for production skills.¡±


    ¡°And, you¡¯re sure that Maria didn¡¯t provide it to me.¡±


    ¡°No. If she had it, she would have auctioned it before purchasing the dungeon rights. It is both precious and risky. She wouldn¡¯t have wanted to risk an assassination.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, her offhand remark fitting to my own understanding when it came to the power balance between cities. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have let those guards go and spread the news?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s done is done. Also, it doesn¡¯t matter. Not with the defenses you set up. Enough mana alloys to cover the floors couldn¡¯t have been explained any other way. Such information couldn¡¯t be kept hidden forever.¡±


    ¡°On the subject of information security, you¡¯re the expert,¡± I said, glad that my impulsive decision wasn¡¯t as much of a disaster as I had feared. ¡°The next topic. What¡¯s this about fully realized dungeons?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Finally, a question I can answer properly,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a secret?¡± I said. ¡°Then, how come Maria didn¡¯t warn me about it, then?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a secret as long as you¡¯re operating within the correct circles,¡± she said. I curled an eyebrow questioningly. ¡°Jumping between dungeons is a good way to deal with ¡­ problematic individuals.¡±


    Assassinations, I realized. An ugly word, one that I would have reacted badly if it wasn¡¯t for my kill count long stepping into three digits. Four digits if I count all the people who died due to my incompetence. ¡°And, how does the strength of the dungeon make it easier to breach?¡±


    ¡°Because it gets easier to find them,¡± she said. ¡°The dungeons are not fully in the physical plane.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but what does that mean?¡± I said. ¡°Are they some kind of alternative dimensions like some physics theories predicted, or ¡ª¡±


    ¡°I have absolutely no idea,¡± she cut in. ¡°Nor do I care. What I know is that the stronger the dungeon, the easier it is to discover its location. Probably not helped by the fact that its borders get ¡­ fuzzy once it starts to grow and change. With the correct set of items and spells, it¡¯s possible to breach it from a nearby dungeon, but it¡¯s not a preferred method.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°Sounds convenient.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s easiest to breach into the lowest floor. Any dangerous direction, it¡¯s not exactly a good idea to step directly on a floor crawling with boss monsters.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said. It was easy to imagine how inconvenient it would be to deal with a bunch of assassins in an ordinary dungeon, but not in mine, where I had a lot of advantages. In my case, I much preferred them to approach that way than from the surface. ¡°That¡¯s a risk, but not enough to evacuate the dungeon, right?¡±


    ¡°It would have been, if that was the only risk. But, the dungeons are mutable, and it¡¯s not exactly unheard of for the dungeons to ¡­ overlap.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask her to explain what that meant, at least not immediately. The concept of overlap was self-explanatory, and the more technical questions could wait. ¡°And, you fear that they are capable of weaponizing such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Not for certain, but I didn¡¯t think they were capable of actually moving a dungeon before they somehow brought the perfect dungeon to deal with Maria to your footsteps,¡± she said. ¡°And, if they are capable of it, they might be capable of creating an overlap forcefully as well. Especially with your dungeon getting stronger, making it easier to discover.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± I said. ¡°So, we need to evacuate.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no choice. You¡¯re not the only one who decided to turn a dungeon into a defensible base. It doesn¡¯t end well.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± I said. ¡°How should we do it? Emergency exit, or surface.¡±


    ¡°I recommend the surface. Maybe even moving the second gate even deeper into the mountain,¡± she said. ¡°That way, we can keep the secondary gate a secret for as long as possible while we turn the peak into a true fortress. Assuming, of course, you can produce as much metal as you promised.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the easy part,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good,¡± she replied, falling silent, letting me process the information dump I had to deal with, some just as I had expected, others completely revolutionary. Still, the idea that only by pure luck I wasn¡¯t captured by some kind of mysterious cult, which, for all intents and purposes, wanted to destroy the world was a nasty realization.


    Well, luck, and enough fashion sense to hate a pure gold watch.

 Chapter 175

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time to return,¡± I said fifteen minutes later, when the mana reserves of the dungeon had recovered significantly, breaking our conversation about the operational details of our strategy.


    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Rosie said. ¡°So, we¡¯ve agreed on the general plan.¡±


    ¡°I build a new factory underground, and you and your team handle the scouting, simple,¡± I replied. ¡°Just give me some time to forge you a new armor, and new weapons. Do you have any preference for a ranged weapon?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say no to a crossbow, maybe some decent arrows,¡± she said.


    I nodded. ¡°Do you have a mana attack, or should I optimize the arrows for vitality strikes.¡±


    ¡°Vitality,¡± she said with a despairing sigh. ¡°Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t lucky enough to acquire a fitting mana skill that could have helped me to transform my class,¡± she said. ¡°There are some methods to override a developed class skill, but not without significant drawbacks.¡±


    I paused, realizing that the discussion of my own mana variant had been diverged before I could answer properly. ¡°And, what if I had a method to upgrade the class skills to their mana variants,¡± I asked.


    That earned a deep inhale. ¡°It would be a game changer,¡± she said.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll start working on it the moment we have dealt with the danger,¡± I promised. ¡°It should be done in a few days at most.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really full of surprises, aren¡¯t you?¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you kept me alive for the last three years, then,¡± I said. Technically, she didn¡¯t come out and admit it, but reading between the lines, it was obvious that I owed not only my survival, but also my opportunity to develop to her.


    There was a good chance that I would have been dead if I joined an expedition like I had been planning to.


    ¡°You¡¯re not bad company,¡± she replied, her tone somber. I didn¡¯t blame her, as the last half an hour had been filled with many changes and revelations.


    Once again, silence stretched until we returned to the dungeon. Another portal, and I stepped into the fourth floor, but not before I picked some materials. The class from the larger lizards was one, but I also dragged the two sets of claws I managed to get from the boss monsters with me. Rosie followed. ¡°A bit dreary, isn¡¯t it,¡± she asked once she stepped onto the fourth floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best way to ensure some privacy,¡± I replied even as I touched the forge, a flare of mana enough to create ten different types of daggers. ¡°Which one is your favorite,¡± I asked and I turned my attention to the next task, forging a crossbow, some arrows, and even putting together a decent armor set. All that work barely took a minute.


    ¡°You work fast,¡± she said and showed me the dagger she had picked.


    ¡°Not a bad choice,¡± I said. One stiletto, perfect for stabbing through armor, and a wide knife that could almost pass for a short sword. Another minute, and I forged her the epic variants. ¡°Don¡¯t get too attached to them,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why, are you going to deprive a poor innkeeper of her weaponry,¡± she said with a sudden playfulness.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sudden switch. If I was meeting with her for the first time, it would have thrown me out of a loop. Like I needed any reminder that, despite having a shared objective, she was a dangerous woman.


    She had been, long before the Cataclysm. I was proof that proper education could provide a decisive advantage. She had one such education, one that earned her a post as an international undercover spy. Combined with the System ¡­The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I was just glad that I didn¡¯t have to experience it firsthand. Observing her as she wreaked havoc on the enemies was excitement enough.


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want their superior versions, created from even better materials¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, spoil my fun,¡± she replied playfully once again, then her expression turned serious. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°You start with your patrols, while I handle the design of the factory,¡± I said and opened a portal, and once again carried us to the first floor, my mind already busy with the plans of the larger furnaces and other systems that I could design.


    Then, I summoned Harold.


    ¡°Harold, this is Rosie, the reinforcements we had been hoping for,¡± I said once Harold arrived.


    He looked suspicious while Rosie gave a playful nod. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± he said. ¡°How will the command work?¡±


    ¡°You still have the overall command,¡± I said. ¡°But, Rosie will be acting independently. In case of any problem, feel free to alert me,¡± I said.


    ¡°And, where will you be, sir,¡± Harold asked.


    ¡°Redesigning the defenses,¡± I said. ¡°Apparently, the dungeon is not safe anymore.¡±


    That was enough to widen his eyes, and the following explanation, summarizing what I had learned from Rosie, didn¡¯t solve his shock. ¡°I understand, sir,¡± he said. ¡°I will go over the evacuation plans.¡±


    ¡°That would be fine,¡± I said. They departed, already discussing the details of the defensive, while I summoned Liam, who was effectively working as the foreman of the design efforts. And, while he was on the way, I was already working on the rough plans.


    ¡°Sir ¡ª¡± he greeted, only to gasp when he noticed the sprawling plans. ¡°Are these ¡ª¡±


    ¡°The emergency plans to turn the mountain into an impenetrable fortress, yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± he murmured. ¡°The amount of metal we need to properly build them¡­¡±


    ¡°Is a lot. That¡¯s why we need to build these steam-powered machines in an instant,¡± I said, showing him the general outline of steam-powered drills, sorters, and other devices. ¡°I¡¯ll also open portals from every discovered mine to transfer the ores to the surface, where you can process them.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir,¡± he said. ¡°Should we also dig the mountain for mineral deposits?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°What do you think about putting together some tracks, enough to put some trains,¡± I said. It was an impulsive thought, but one that had certain advantages, particularly if we expand it to every direction.


    Either Thomas would be forced to mobilize again to deal with it, or we would have a way to move around our forces without forcing them to split. It would be even better if we could load the cannons on the railroad, gaining a limited ability to strike from a distance without sacrificing our assets.


    Also, building the railroads would give me an excuse to install better transmission lines for tainted energy, which would be useful in case of another attack.


    Several other artisans had joined us, and what followed was a long discussion to completely overhaul our production line and defenses, including the best ways to move a staggering amount of material and reinstall the entirety of our defenses.


    What followed was a frenzy of activity as I turned my attention to construction, leaving the planning duties to the others, as my ability to take shortcuts by using mana proved critical to hasten construction, especially when I started cannibalizing the existing defenses, the metal reshaping under my command like clay.


    With that, we steadily dug under the mountain, replacing the stone and earth with metal, including the installment of even better weapons that would turn any grand horde into minced meat.


    The first set of railroads was installed. While they merely went two miles in every direction, it was enough to send workers to collect the broken remains of claws and other loot, a critical material to smelt all the metal we required.


    At the same time, the evacuation efforts were already underway, emptying the dungeon of anyone except the miners who were busy digging through every single deposit they had discovered, already busy building a living space deep underground, forcing me to close down the dungeon gate I created for the moment, wanting to keep that ability a surprise for some time more.


    One welcome news during all that proceeding was that the blocker that was preventing me from using external skills had faded on its own, but without assistance from leveling, it almost took four hours.


    All the while, there had been a few attempts to harass our construction efforts, but Harold was able to handle almost all of them, with no problem. Two of them had had potential to be dangerous due to elites that had been hidden among the forces, but Rosie dealt with them with ease.


    All the while, I continued to drain the thick cloud of tainted energy to fill the mana reserves of the dungeon to the brim, building another arsenal against the potential attack of Thomas.


    When the night had finally arrived, I returned to the dungeon. The new defenses were nowhere near complete, but enough of it was in place to finally turn my presence from a necessity to a ¡°nice to have¡±.


    I returned to the dungeon.


    I had students to visit ¡ª who I had yet to evacuate ¡ª and experiments to conduct.

 Chapter 176

    Even as I appeared on the fourth floor, I didn¡¯t feel any sense of stress. For the last several hours, Liam and the rest of the apprentices had proven that they were more than capable of handling the establishment of a proper factory. Once the main blast furnace was created to resemble something modern rather than an oversized medieval contraption, my assistance had turned unnecessary.


    First, I appeared near my students, who were the only ones who were yet to be evacuated, but after seeing them working hard, I decided to leave them untouched for the moment. Evacuating them in an emergency wasn¡¯t out of the question.


    Instead, I went to my forge, ready to experiment with the claws of the boss monsters. I had a feeling that they were holding the key to improving my Reformation skill further, maybe even upgrading Forge alongside.


    ¡°All I need to decide on is whether to keep Forge as a primarily intelligence-based skill, or force a transformation,¡± I muttered. On one hand, the transformation of the skill would finally give me a better idea of how to use my Wisdom offensively, not to mention finally allowing me to fully apply the potential of the Wisdom.


    But, I was also afraid that I would be losing some of the recipes that I had long gotten familiar with.


    A difficult transaction, but an inevitable one, I decided. I positioned myself in front of the forge, ready to leverage the claws I had received from the boss monsters.


    Claws that seemed significantly stronger than anything the boss monsters of my own dungeon had produced, by a significant margin. Luckily, they were also absurdly large, so using them didn¡¯t mean I only had two chances.


    No, these claws would provide me with ample opportunities.


    That was good, as my first attempt ended in seconds ¡­ explosively at that. ¡°It would have killed me back when I was still at single digits,¡± I muttered as I noted the results before I swept everything away, then repeated.


    It took ten attempts to adjust the formulas I had been using to forge the metal, and even then, it barely lasted halfway to completion before another explosion.


    ¡°You¡¯re as ferocious as your raw state, right?¡± I said as I looked at the giant claws, as if they were still carrying the wild ferocity of the boss monsters they had belonged to.


    Yet, I needed to find a way to turn them into pliable materials. Any other time, I would have been happy with the challenge. Trying to find new ways to manipulate the material was a challenge I loved, but the presence of an enemy outside, knocking on our door, changed things.


    At best, I had until morning before we had to deal with a renewed assault. One that would likely include some nasty surprises that would hamper the effectiveness of the cannons. They had been even more effective than I had hoped, but I had a feeling that, with the correct magical protection, they would be easy to prevent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try again, this time without rushing it,¡± I said as I took another piece of claw, this time mixing it with metal that had already been tempered with pure mana, hoping that it would be more effective at holding the impact.


    I was careful. Too much heat, and it might crack or lose its innate mana properties. Too slow, and the claw wouldn¡¯t have the chance to mix with the metal.


    A delicate dance.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be perfect. It just needs to work,¡± I decided, as I still had my Reformation skills to assist me. I just needed to achieve success. I activated my forge¡¯s bellows, sending a steady gust of air into the flames rather than taking a shortcut with mana.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The charcoal glowed brighter, shifting from a dull orange to a near-white brilliance. Using a pair of long tongs, I maneuvered the claw fragments into the heart of the forge, and wrapped it with the molten metal.


    This was where I had to be careful¡ªtoo much heat, too fast, and I risked losing the very traits that made the claw valuable, likely with a nasty explosion.


    ¡°Calm,¡± I muttered, then started working, knowing that the next few minutes were critical. I gently worked the bellows even as I flipped the metal like an anxious cook, actively using Observe to maintain a perfect balance.


    Bit by bit, the rigid structure of the class started to soften, sinking into the metal. Once it was malleable enough to work, I used the tongs to lift it out and place it on the anvil.


    It was the time to work with the material properly. I ignored everything my skill was suggesting, and focused on one singular task, one that I had used when I had first tested the mana attacks.


    Letting the metal crystallize by using the claw fragments as a nexus, my hammer danced, its weight comfortable after the day I went through. I much preferred working on a forge to fighting. Especially when I was trying to achieve something new.


    Precise strikes rained on the metal, each blow accompanied by a thin layer of mana to keep things stable, until the nascent crystals stopped trembling like a bomb about to go off. Bit by bit, the energy of the claws had been subsumed by the metal.


    When I stopped, the metal didn¡¯t suddenly flare or explode like I had feared. Instead, it started to glow slowly, and the surface of it started to get warmer.


    Success ¡­ almost, as the results were merely a thin, unstable plate of metal, as big as my palm.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to cheat,¡± I said with a chuckle while I tightened my grip once more as I reached my Reformation skill, each blow costing me a surprising amount of mana.


    [-1200 Mana]


    [-1200 Mana]


    [-1200 Mana]


    [-1200 Mana]


    [-1200 Mana]


    But, the rewards were worth it.


    [Reformation of Quintessence (Legendary) 1 -> 2]


    ¡°Well, finally,¡± I muttered as I finally saw the result, which, admittedly, hadn¡¯t been too surprising. Just like how my Meditation only showed any improvement thanks to the boss monster, Reformation also required a higher grade of material.


    The resulting metal had been even more fascinating. Black, sleek, and gleaming with potential, it was clearly a higher level of product compared to what I had been creating, though the jump wasn¡¯t as radical as the difference between ordinary and epic alloys.


    In some ways, the metal was inferior to my usual epic alloys, more similar to the common mana alloys I created ¡­ but in other ways, the plate was a significant improvement.


    I had a feeling that it was the difference between the ordinary products, and the assistance of Wisdom.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said, as the other benefit of Wisdom was to give me a much better idea of how to capture the boss monsters¡¯ essence within the metal. Not by complicated crystalline patterns, but by actually transforming the metal in a way that would align with the concept of fire better.


    No, not just fire, I corrected myself as I continued to use Observe on it. It was more similar to ash in terms of feeling. Related to fire, yet inert enough to refuse the hold of fire.


    ¡°All that remains is to copy the effect,¡± I said. For my next experiment, I used claws from ordinary lizards, doing my best to replicate the same effect.


    Amusingly, my most recent fight helped, but not the way I had expected. After using Decay in combat outside the dungeon, I had a much better idea regarding how to engage the potency of Wisdom as I cast spells.


    It wasn¡¯t perfect. I had a feeling that I was barely using a few percent of my full potential. Luckily, my Wisdom was high enough to make it worthwhile.


    After several attempts, I once again faced the real trial, a large piece of claw carefully enveloped by the metal, this time much larger, sparks flying as I hammered it into oblivion. But, this time, every blow transformed both the metal itself and the claws.


    I lost myself in the process. Heat, fold, hammer, and infuse, each chasing the other, each cycle forcing the metal into compliance, turning into a beautiful hammerhead. Sparks danced, flames raged, and I hit again and again, each hit giving me a better hold of my Wisdom. Nowhere near perfect ¡­ but improving.


    Despite my physical strength, I could feel sweat pouring into my armor. It was exhausting, but also exhilarating. This was forging in the truest sense, merging the metal and the mana to create something entirely new.


    All the while, I maintained the conceptual presence of the hammer, not forgetting the objective, purifying not just the material, but also its purpose.


    Until a notification popped up.


    [Mana Forge (Epic) 314 - Shaper of Quintessence 1]

 Chapter 177

    I wore a big smile, ignoring the temptation to activate Reformation to reshape the hammer into something greater. There was no need. Not even when the metal started bubbling helplessly without my touch.


    I had finally upgraded my Forge skill into a variant that worked with Wisdom, even though the name of Shaper had been an interesting twist. It felt simple, yet grand at the same time.


    I was excited to start working on even superior equipment immediately, but I refused the call. ¡°No,¡± I said to myself. ¡°First, focus on the basics.¡±


    I had simply started with a mere ordinary dagger, each blow refining the metal and the concept at the same time ¡­ yet, the change had been incredible. Previously, I needed to maintain an absolute focus on the idea of a dagger to leverage even a portion of my Wisdom, like I was trying to wrestle from a pinned position.


    But, right now, each blow carried the idea perfectly, and the ¡®daggerness¡¯ of the weapon shined in a way I couldn¡¯t imagine before. And, it had been translated into the results.


    Before, when using an ordinary dagger, I had struggled to maintain the coherency of mana attacks once they reached ten. Now, throwing attacks worth a few hundred mana was trivial¡­ I couldn¡¯t wait to test the epic variants.


    ¡°What a fascinating upgrade,¡± I said, then frowned. While the weapon was clearly superior to anything I had created with similar materials before, the upgrade wasn¡¯t comprehensive. There was one aspect it was weaker at.


    The material integrity. The weapon lacked the nearly perfect crystalline structure of the other weapons I had developed with the epic Forge variant.


    ¡°Is it the difference between Wisdom and Intelligence variants?¡± I asked absentmindedly. One focused on design and calculation, the other on spirituality.


    ¡°Highly likely,¡± I decided. As much as the potential loss of capability hurt, what I had gained was more than worth it.


    Even when my new skill was merely at level one, it functioned better than Epic Forge with over three hundred points, which hadn¡¯t been the case with the other skill because of Wisdom¡¯s assistance. And, it would change even further once I created something new.


    Things would have been different if I had been reliant on enchantments, I realized, as their whole existence relied on the pure, robust metal being strong enough to house their complex presence. Luckily, I had no such enchanter to disappoint, so it didn¡¯t matter.


    Satisfied with the first step, I continued with the experiments. I created a mana alloy dagger, then one that was worth being called an epic variant. The same results held. The performance of the weapons had been improved greatly, while the structural perfection had been sacrificed to some degree.


    ¡°I wonder how large the gap would have been had I possessed Intelligence,¡± I questioned, but not for long. As things laid out, actually acquiring Intelligence in the short term was impossible.


    Maybe even in the long term if Rosie¡¯s theories about dungeon connection ruin my chances of ascension ¡ª


    My thoughts froze as I tested my most recent product: the mana container, merely made of a hexagonal honeycomb pattern, designed to hold mana. I had been expecting it to hold mana merely three seconds before it dissipated.


    Not hold it for almost a minute.


    ¡°Did I just imbue the idea of containment,¡± I said as I examined the structure. It had promises, including a complete redesign of many devices I had used back when I possessed a meager amount of Essence to assist me.


    I needed them no longer, but the same wasn¡¯t true for the other blacksmiths. If I could provide them with the correct set of equipment¡­Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Not only that, it also reopened the potential of composite weapons, not just tools to rapidly enhance skills, but actually creating battle-worthy equipment that ordinary soldiers could use. Things would be very different if the ordinary farmers could use mana attacks stored in their weapons, especially if I could figure out a superior container.


    Then, there was the potential redesign of the cannons¡­


    ¡°Things will change once we deal with the siege,¡± I said happily as I moved on to the next task. Forging a dagger using the insect shells. And, like everything else, the change between the old and the new process was significant.


    Previously, I had been doing my best to create a facsimile of the product that was being created with the assistance of dungeon crystals, which only came in the form of a passive defense. But, with the new form of the skill, other expressions of it were possible.


    All it took was a mental push to turn the dagger into a sickly green implement that would work offensively to deliver the corrosive effect of the dungeon, yet maintain enough passive defense to protect itself from the same effect.


    A little trip to the fifth floor later, I killed the boss monster from my own dungeon, this time forcing the shell apart before it faded ¡­ but to my surprise, once the rest of the body turned into the light, so did the shell, disappearing from my hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s inconvenient,¡± I muttered. My attempts to contain the crystal had failed in the same way.


    ¡°That means no easy way to progress the skill, then,¡± I said even as I returned to the fourth floor, and started forging weapons.


    I started with the simplest thing. New spearheads, to arm the farmers, focusing not only on their anti-lizard properties but also the concept of Storm Spear, to support their current skill even further.


    Admittedly, the initial plan was not to give them weapons too strong and hide our capabilities, but at this point, that particular ship had been long sailed.


    A situation that had been further highlighted by Rosie¡¯s explanation about the situation behind Horizon Institute, and the pure chance that allowed me to avoid a fate in their hands.


    The first spearhead, made of pure copper, gave me two points of proficiency increase. So did the second. Though each cost me almost five thousand mana each. Not a lot of mana in terms of high-grade weapons ¡ª I certainly needed a better classification system ¡ª but enough to make me struggle if it wasn¡¯t for the dungeon providing me with more constantly.


    [Shaper of Quintessence 1 -> 3]


    [Shaper of Quintessence 3 -> 5]


    However, the lack of speed when it came to forging was annoying. Creating proper spearheads took twenty minutes each. Admittedly, it was nothing compared to what I had been dealing with in the past when I was living in the town, but once one got used to speed, it was hard to go back. The speed of creation lagging behind was hard to get used to.


    Also, as I got used to the process of creating with Wisdom, I would figure out at which steps I could use tools to hasten, which ones I could skip by using more mana, and all the other sundry.


    Until then, I had no place to complain. Ultimately, I was still leveraging the benefits of a dungeon, one that had its mana reserves constantly replenished thanks to my enemies.


    ¡°Work, work,¡± I muttered.


    The next forging only gave me one point, and so did the one after.


    [Shaper of Quintessence 5 -> 6]


    [Shaper of Quintessence 6 -> 7]


    The last three points had been only possible after half a dozen more spearheads.


    [Shaper of Quintessence - 10]


    Just like that, the number of recipes I could access expanded to include Bronze as well. Not the best material on its own, but not the worst either.


    In conjecture with all the potential my new Shaper skill allowed me to pack in¡­


    ¡°Too bad I¡¯m about to run out of material,¡± I said. Ultimately, I had only four claws with me, acquired from two boss monsters, and even when using them carefully, they were mostly consumed between the spear heads and the earlier experiments.


    However, I still had enough to reforge my three weapons, Rosie¡¯s daggers, and even a proper sword for Harold, all made of bronze, but gleaming with an inner heat that couldn¡¯t be explained by the color of the metal.


    I took a quick trip to the fifth floor to test the new weaponry I was able to forge with my skill. I traveled until I met another boss. One slash, and it went forward, carrying the full size of my current reserves, yet not empowered by my Wisdom explicitly.


    [-3150 Mana]


    ¡°Success,¡± I celebrated as I watched the boss monster topple down with only one hit, split into two, dead. And, that was not my full potential ¡­ not in terms of applying my stats, or actually pushing my Legendary forging variant, let alone actually conducting research to explore the mysteries behind conceptual forging and push it even further.


    Even with the prospect of stronger and deadlier enemies, I felt the courage to face them. Not that it was an excuse to stop practicing, I decided as I switched weapons, ready to repeat.


    My new Legendary skill, and everything that it represented, was just another step in the long road of progress.

 Chapter 178

    Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to test my newfound abilities as much as I wished. An hour after I started practicing with the new weapons, I was interrupted by an alert from the entrance, signaling movement. It was slightly annoying, as it meant I didn¡¯t have time to test the changes I made in my armor.


    I opened another portal, and went back to the first floor. At the same time, I opened another portal to the fourth floor, sending a warning to my students to leave. I watched all seven appear on the first floor. ¡°Stay here, and be ready to evacuate in case of danger,¡± I warned them. The warnings of Rosie about dungeon attacks were clear, and I didn¡¯t want to lose them by accident.


    ¡°But ¡ª¡± Terry started, which I silenced with a gesture.


    ¡°No time to discuss it,¡± I said as I left the dungeon. Once I left, I started examining the transformed layout.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of changes,¡± I said to Harold, who immediately arrived at my side. ¡°Let me check the defenses first while you test your new weapon,¡± I said as I gave him the sword.


    ¡°This is amazing, sir,¡± he replied while he pointed at the giant furnace, and the army of workers, almost a thousand of them, around it, had all gathered a few hundred yards away from the dungeon gate, safely in a secondary layer of defense.


    The giant furnace of my own design laid at the center, already able to complete the initial mixture of shells and the dungeon crystals, reducing the workload of the workers considerably. Meanwhile, a second team of smiths was working to turn them into finished products, combining their system skills and the auxiliary steam-powered devices to hasten their workload.


    A worthwhile process, as not only had they managed to lay three different defensive lines, but also managed to expand several railroads down the mountain, able to be used both for material extraction and for rapid deployment.


    The number of canons was tripled, with several new models in place, both larger and smaller varieties. Though, they were not the only change. The anti-air weaponry had gone through significant changes as well, gleaming beautifully.


    The sight before me was a testament to how quickly things could change when people were allowed to show their capabilities freely.


    I used Observe, feeling the vibration of the metal as the superheated steam passed through like a central line of electricity, ready to power the devices as needed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the status of the army?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We have over five thousand advanced Farmers, each with a combat skill,¡± Harold replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°I thought their numbers were much lower.¡±


    ¡°It was, but we used the railroads to deploy them down the mountain, hunting the lizards that had been wandering freely. They had been enough to level them up.¡±


    ¡°Good news,¡± I said. ¡°How about the cannons?¡±


    ¡°They are installed and ready to go, though we need more metal made from lizard claws, which they couldn¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with it,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s the status of the underground shelters?¡±


    ¡°They are already complete. The shelters are buried six hundred yards into the mountain, surrounded with thick metal walls, and we have a dozen scouts checking the perimeter to catch any tunneling attempt.¡±


    ¡°Even better news,¡± I replied, walking toward the forge. While my new forging variant didn¡¯t allow me to mass-produce metal, but then, my old skill did not either. I had been producing them based on Maria¡¯s formulas, which I was more than capable of applying.


    Five minutes of determined focus was all I needed to provide the material for the shells. The rest was for the other smiths to deal with.


    ¡°How about the enemy?¡± I asked once I finished it.


    ¡°They are on the move once more, sir. It¡¯s slow going, but we expect them to arrive at dawn unless they have another surprise waiting for us.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that they will have a method to neutralize the shells. Are the soldiers ready in case they have to deal with the lizards more directly?¡± Harold nodded. ¡°Excellent,¡± I said, then passed him the other bag, with ten spearheads. ¡°Give them to your best soldiers, and spread them around. Just in case.¡±


    Another nod, and Harold departed. I moved forward, focusing on the steam engine that was in front of me. While it looked ugly, that had nothing to do with its potential. It had thick metal walls, several steam-based machine guns, and enough space to carry a hundred soldiers at once.


    It was ready to deal with anything but a boss monster with ease.


    While I examined that, I felt a presence behind me, digging into my bag. A familiar presence. ¡°Rude,¡± I said. Rosie pulled back with the twin daggers I had forged for her.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame a girl for being excited with her new toys,¡± she replied, her tone playful once again, which turned into wonder as she swung her new daggers. ¡°This¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not bad, right,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± she said, looking at me seriously. ¡°Do you want to keep it hidden?¡± she added.


    ¡°Is that even an option?¡± I asked, not expecting an answer. Ultimately, it was a rhetorical question. Even if I wasn¡¯t magically bound to the dungeon, leaving was not on the table.


    ¡°Not after things have reached this point. Horizon Institute on one side, heretics on the other¡­¡±


    ¡°At least we¡¯re not unprepared,¡± I said as I pointed at the cannon venting its excess steam once it sent its payload in a parabolic arc, easily clearing five miles even in test settings. ¡°We have enough defenses in place to make any victory Pyrrhic for our enemies, unless of course true ascended are even stronger than I fear.¡±


    ¡°They might be, but I doubt they will be sent here. Without support, they will be left weak for any assassination attempt,¡± she said. ¡°With the right preparation, no enemy is unbeatable.¡±


    From her tone, it was obvious that it was not a theoretical statement.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to make it easier?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A shiny target would be nice,¡± she said.


    ¡°That, I can provide,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°Do you want to start now, or should we do our best to keep Thomas around?¡±


    ¡°We have to deal with him,¡± Rosie said. ¡°I scouted his forces a few times, and from what I could see, he had already committed every favor he could call. If he fails again, I expect him to retreat and report his failure, and the last thing we need is a fake-ascended Charisma user along with whatever force the heretics will throw our way.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± I replied. I still remember how unpleasant it was to be on the other end of his Charisma pressure, difficult to move. Having him near the defenses could throw everything askew. ¡°Unless you have anything else, I have some last-minute adjustments.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. Just make sure to give me an angle to attack.¡±


    I nodded, then moved toward the pipes I had created to drain tainted energy from fallen lizards, and started reinforcing. With Wisdom, it was easy to hold and transfer tainted energy. I moved forward, once again channeling mana from my feet as I moved farther away from the base.


    At the same time, the enemy army had been approaching closer, and the moment dawn arrived, they picked up speed, making me suspect that the mysterious effect that was strengthening the monsters also made them harder to control.


    We hadn¡¯t been in a position to benefit from that fact for the moment, but that wouldn¡¯t be the case in the future.


    Once they passed the ten-mile mark, the first set of cannons started raining shells. The first few were on target, causing devastation.


    Unfortunately, this time, that success proved temporary. Just like I had feared, a blue bubble covered the enemy army. The mana shield handled the barrage with ease, showing no sign of buckling or shattering.


    It didn¡¯t surprise me. Ultimately, the current version of the shells was not designed to handle various magical defenses that could be employed. I could return and pump the shells with as much mana as I could afford in the hopes of breaking the barrier. Indeed, if it hadn¡¯t been for the changes in my weaponry, it would have been my best option.


    Instead, I tightened the grip on my hammer, and started waiting for the arrival of the army. After my latest attempts, imbuing as much as my skills onto my weapons, I wasn¡¯t afraid of them blocking my attacks. And, if I miscalculated, retreating was not an option.


    I stood alone, watching the lizard army climb the mountain under the cover of the blue shield. As they got closer, I saw that the number of ordinary lizards had been reduced significantly, replaced by the larger variants, and the number of boss monsters ¡ª both the landbound and the flying kinds ¡ª had increased significantly.


    ¡°Bring it on,¡± I whispered as I tightened my grip on my hammer and moved forward recklessly. I caught the first line of the lizard army, at around the six-mile mark, protected by the giant blue shield.


    I brought down my hammer, its head shining with a blinding amount of mana. I focused on the concept of Avalanche for a fleeting second, pushing both my Wisdom and my Strength to the limit before I brought it down.


    [-3150 Mana]


    The shield held, but unlike the rain of shells, it didn¡¯t do so smoothly. It buckled and cracked. A blue energy spread through the shield, repairing it.


    Unfortunately for them, the speed of repair wasn¡¯t as fast as the speed of my mana replenishment. It took four swings for the whole blue shield to shatter like an eggshell, allowing the shells to wreak havoc through the army once more.


    Just like that, I saw all the boss monsters rush toward me. I switched to my sword, retreating slowly, glad with the result.


    After all, I was supposed to be the flashy distraction.

 Chapter 179

    To my surprise, even as I started cutting large swathes through the lizard army with my ranged blade attacks, there were none of the light attacks to block my external skills. It seemed that my fake shield trick had worked even better than I had expected.


    The first boss to catch up with me was a flying one, its humongous body enough to cut down the light of the dawn, replacing it with the red color of its flames. Flames that bounced ineffectively off my armor, once again proving the benefits of the correct armament.


    Two swings of my blade were all it took to cut its wings off, letting it fall down like a brick.


    [-3150 Mana]


    [-3150 Mana]


    On top of it, four soldiers attacked, which didn¡¯t go as smoothly as I had hoped. Only one of them was wearing their restrictive armor, the other three had already turned into some kind of hybrid monster with misshapen wings that didn¡¯t seem to give them the ability to fly.


    However, they didn¡¯t need to, not with the speed at which they closed the distance, their bestial cries indistinguishable from the other monsters.


    Knowing I needed to rely on my armor, I switched to my hammer, the head once again glowing with the full might of my reserves. Just as it swung its mutated claw, I brought down my hammer, exchanging blows.


    [-3150 Mana]


    It was not a fair exchange, as all I received was a bump on my modified armor, while it evaporated completely, bypassing its ability to recover.


    [Level 63 -> 64]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    The notifications, declaring a level-up, were just confirmation that they deserved to be treated as animals, their mutation enough not to count them as people anymore even by the System.


    ¡°Pull back!¡± the armored figure shouted, but the other two were too far gone to register it, attacking like rabid animals.


    And, they were put down as such.


    [Level 64 -> 65]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    Power spread through my body, but I didn¡¯t have the time to enjoy it, nor the speed I leveled up by hunting the transformed variants. Not when the flying lizard had already regrown its wings enough to liftoff, still under the control of the last soldier.


    Instead, I raised my left hand, and focused on one concept I was extremely familiar with.


    Decay.


    [-1400 Mana]


    The burst of mana was not as focused as I had wished, but it was enough to corrode the armor in parts, far stronger than my attempts during the previous battle. And, with its armor damaged, so too was its protection. The transformation hit him, and along with it, rage.


    The flying boss stayed still for a second, which was all I needed to behead then bisect it, taking it down in seconds.


    With my performance, I expected the enemy to retreat and regroup. Instead, the whole army moved toward me, ignoring the defenses behind. The temptation to fight them was there ¡­ but before I could make a decision, fear hit me.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    I froze for a second, glad that the shells were raining on the army to keep them from swarming me. The fear was familiar, the same one I had felt whenever I tried to fly.


    Thomas was in battle.


    However, things weren¡¯t all bad. The previous time I dealt with him, I wasn¡¯t even level fifty, and right now, I was level sixty-five, and the oppressive sensation it triggered was quite different. It was still enough to ruin my focus. In conjunction with an external skill blocker, it might have been truly devastating.


    Yet, they didn¡¯t use it, and I trusted my Spear of Storms to carry me back. At the same time, my gaze searched for Thomas, and saw him almost a mile away, on top of another flying boss.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed by the range at which Charisma could be utilized, while also understanding why we didn¡¯t have to fight against it before. He was too cowardly to take the front line.


    Things would have been very different if he had not. As I retreated, I sent several attacks, but another blue shield appeared around him, far stronger than the shield he had used for his own army, deflecting them.


    Not a surprise.


    I had some ideas that could be used against such a shield, but experimenting with them required time, which I lacked. Using decay was easy, and I had a feeling trying to use fire attacks would be relatively smooth as well, but that was once again due to my familiarity with the concept, both from my forge, and all the materials that had been sourced from the lizards.


    Instead, I retreated to the three-mile mark, every step closer to my dungeon allowing my mana to refill faster.


    The lizard army moved forward as well, but the artificial fear didn¡¯t repeat itself, showing that Thomas chose to stay back.


    The mana shield over the army had been replenished a few seconds later, but I went forth and shattered it again. In response, the lizard army spread, attacking our defenses from all directions.


    I was tempted to retreat, but I was afraid of the consequences, should Thomas come too close to our defenses. Instead, I stayed ahead, letting the monsters surround me. Behind me, I saw a boss monster fall without a reason ¡ª a visible one ¡ª showing that Rosie was putting her new blades to good use.


    I focused on the boss monsters as well. As my level went up, their effectiveness had dropped significantly. Luckily, Thomas was kind enough to bring a lot of them. They fell by the dozens, creating chaos around them.


    [Level 65 -> 66]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    [Level 66 -> 67]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    However, while the boss monsters repeatedly fell around me, there were no mutated men to accompany them, which meant they were somewhere else. So, I did my best to fight with one eye on the camp, ready to return or open a portal in case of a disaster ¡ª


    Only to feel an intense pain, one that was enough to make me feel like I was about to spit out blood, yet for some reason, there was no effect on my Health. Nor was there any physical reaction, I realized. I swung my blade again, taking down another boss monster.


    It was as if I was injured, yet I was not at the same time. I prepared to ignore it¡ª


    Another stab. This time, I caught it better. It was a sharp, visceral sensation, like I was being stabbed by a blade of fire ¡ª


    Repeatedly, it seemed.


    I did my best to ignore the pain, assuming it was some kind of pain spell to keep me distracted. Instead, I killed another boss monster.


    [-3200 Mana]


    Only to meet another, a less welcome surprise. My mana was being replenished slower than I had expected. Much slower. This close to the dungeon gate, it should have taken a fraction of a second to replenish, yet it took almost two seconds.


    Not a devastating problem on its own. The boss monsters Thomas was throwing my way might have turned into a siege if all targeted me, but split between me and the defenses, it was possible to be replenished.


    Yet, I felt another stabbing, and the speed at which I was recovering mana slowed down even more. This time, I could discern the location of the attack. It was where my connection with the dungeon lay.


    Or, according to the more common way the others called it: my soul.


    It was not good news, especially with the effect of slowing down my mana regeneration. Soon, my mana reserves slowed its recovery even more, and stopped.


    Whatever it was that was going on, it was ruining my chances of recovering my mana.


    It could have been a very devastating strategic blunder. Luckily, at this point, the tainted energy cloud had already turned into a thick cloud around me as an army of lizards fell, giving me a chance to recover.


    I activated my Meditation for a second, expecting it to stop the moment it hit its limit. Every other time I used my meditation, it worked that way.


    This time, it did not. Instead, it flowed back into the dungeon, just like how it did when I had been helping the dungeon to recover its reserves. My eyes widened even as I created a cloud of mana, one that was a mixture of decay and fire. Perfect for hiding me from view.


    Then, despite it being a terrible idea on the battlefield, I needed to close my eyes for a second and focus inward.


    I had no other choice. I needed to understand what was going on!

 Chapter 180

    I kept my meditation skills active, closing my eyes. A part of it had been about supplying the dungeon with mana, as no matter what was going on, it was clear that the dungeon required such strength.


    Also, it kept me focused on my ¡®soul¡¯ allowing me to see what was going on better than otherwise. As I turned inward, the first thing I felt was a sensation of fire, spreading. However, as I focused, my sensation of the dungeon turned sharper despite staying outside.


    Five floors, layered on top of each other in a matter yet connected ¡­ but this time, my first focus was on the fifth floor, the source of my pain.


    I couldn¡¯t discern much, just the fact that all the mana the dungeon had stored was rushing to the fifth floor in a desperate attempt to reinforce it against whatever danger it was going against. A danger that was giving a desperate burning feeling.


    My best guess: it was the dungeon breach Rosie had warned me about.


    I was very glad that I took her warning seriously and evacuated the dungeon, but that didn¡¯t solve the problem at hand. The sensation of pain might be just a phantom pain, but even if that was true, I couldn¡¯t just let the dungeon be damaged. The strategic value it provided was simply too high.


    I opened my eyes again, and burst out of the cloud I had created, pushing my speed to the limit as I suddenly reversed my direction. Strategically, it was a bad move. I was forcing myself deep into the enemy formation, which not only put me in the middle of the lizard army, but also gave the enemy many angles to attack me.


    I was betting on the cowardice of my enemy.


    I ignored my beating heart as I barreled toward the densest part of the enemy formation, with several boss monsters packed together, no doubt preparing for a dangerous strike. What better way to rattle the enemy formation than destroying their next weapon.


    Without the constant mana replenishment from the dungeon, the reckless attack was nowhere as effective as I tried to represent it to be. My crazy gambit was nothing more than a high-stakes game of chicken, which felt ill-advised at best.


    Unfortunately, in a desperate battle, good options were a luxury.


    I charged deeper, ignoring the cloud of tainted energy and the stench of charred scales at once. The lizards hissed and raged as they rushed around me, their sheer presence enough to cook me in my armor if it wasn¡¯t for the blocking effect.


    I pressed on, leaning into my speed, darting around so that each blow had to injure at least two bosses while killing one.


    [Level 67 -> 68]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    The increased level was welcome, but the ambush that followed mere seconds later was less so. A squad of armored figures came down from one of the bosses that had drifted too close, every single one of them releasing that bright white light.


    I had enough time to fake my shield, but that didn¡¯t prevent that energy from wrapping around what I tentatively called my soul, cutting my connection with the External Skills as I feared.


    Luckily, this time, I was prepared. With my weapons forged to replicate my skills as much as possible, I was able to fake not being affected far more effectively. I closed the distance, not willing to let a full squad retreat safely.


    The nearest boss monster attacked me, but I had enough mobility to dart between its snapping jaws, using the angle to take it down perfectly, an arc of mana enough to kill it with no chance of regeneration. I kept my gaze fixed on the prize.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    But, before I could close in the distance, their leader raised a large orb, filled with a dark red, suffocating energy. I prepared to defend myself, but he slammed it to the ground. In response, a dungeon gate appeared.


    It was an unusual gate. Not a gentle circle of stable blue energy, but a pitch-black one with jagged, unstable edges, radiating danger.


    Another phantom stab hit my soul as it appeared, giving me a good idea of what the others were.


    Having an excellent guess about where it connected, I didn¡¯t try any suicidal moves like jumping through it. I felt even more glad for my intuition, as the gate collapsed a second later, leaving two of their members behind ¡­ well, two and a half.


    It was not an appealing sight.


    In its place, I could feel some kind of gap, similar to the effect that had been left over whenever I closed a gate from outside. But, the sensation of that wound was similar to the shape of the gate. Dark, jagged, and revolting.


    I pressed forward, cutting down the last two members before they could use their backup plan. Ultimately, the objective was to force Thomas to retreat, giving me a chance to return to the dungeon, and watch the invasion in a more direct manner.


    Once I killed the two, I smashed a boss monster¡¯s claws, absorbing the tainted energy. While it was wasteful to ruin a high-value crafting material, the intense burst of energy it supplied was critical to reinforcing the dungeon, while replenishing my own mana as well.


    [Meditation of Decay (Mythic) 103 -> 104]


    I funneled as much of my own mana as I dared through my meditation. Tainted energy was not a restricted resource, but the time to stand still without being buried under a horde of monsters was.


    I should have spent more time learning to use Meditation while fighting.


    I ran forward, directly toward Thomas, whose location was easy to identify thanks to the thick blue shield he maintained since my first attack. However, his flying mount was very useful when it came to dodging. He both picked up altitude and retreated back.


    It was not what I wanted. I needed him to retreat. Trying to maintain a dual focus of constant fighting while also supplying the dungeon with mana was difficult enough, and the constant phantom stabs weren¡¯t helping.


    Another bluff, I decided. ¡°Come on, little Thomas. This time, there¡¯s no Eleanor to save you from your disrespect. Sooner or later, you¡¯ll run out of an army,¡± I said and dashed forward, ending between ten boss monsters.


    Which I dealt with by covering my hammer with mana. This time, I didn¡¯t spend it all, but maintained an aura. Each blow shattered a head, destroying their claws in the process.


    [Level 68 -> 69]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    As I killed it, the tightness around my soul tried to constrain me, only to stretch ¡­ but, compared to the previous times, it was weaker, reinforcing my earlier guess about it being less effective on higher-level targets.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to shatter it completely, but two more levels, and it would disappear immediately.


    Assuming, of course, they didn¡¯t have another ambush waiting for me.


    I climbed on top of the small hill, created by the remains of ten shredded boss monsters piled together, and absorbed the combined mana and tainted energy they radiated. As I did that, I kept my hammer high in a threatening pose.


    It seemed to work, as no one had attacked me while I finished absorbing the majority of the released energy.


    [Meditation of Decay (Mythic) 104 -> 110]


    The mana I had provided doused the burning sensation I had been dealing with for the moment, which gave me the chance to focus on the flying object.


    I needed one last step. Maybe a bluff, but for that, I needed metal, and unfortunately, the metal plating hadn¡¯t extended to this point. I returned to where I had slain two armored figures. All I needed was a touch to treat their armor like putty, and the area had more than enough claws to create a weapon.


    Together, I fashioned a giant spear, one that I pumped with all my available mana. Fragmented javelins. One of my favorite tricks.


    Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have a way to simply bypass Thomas¡¯ shield. I needed to intimidate him in another way.


    So, with the large javelin in one hand, I dug a tunnel, five yards down, then a hundred yards forward. When I burst out, I didn¡¯t throw the javelin immediately, but waited for one of the boss monsters to attack me from behind. This deep into the enemy army, I just needed to wait a second. It gave me all the excuses I needed to miss.


    Instead, the javelin smashed against another flying boss, shredding not only its wing, but a majority of its torso, making it fall.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky, Thomas,¡± I shouted, loud enough to be heard even with the cacophony of the battle. At the same time, I waved my hand once again, and a glowing mana appeared. I didn¡¯t have metal to create another javelin, making it useless, but considering my aim, that didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Let¡¯s see how many times you can avoid it,¡± I said, and disappeared underground again.


    This time, I dug down directly, and a hundred yards in, I shattered the ground with an Avalanche strike, making it very difficult to track me.


    And, I opened a portal directly to the fifth floor.


    I just had to hope that my gambit would give me enough time to deal with the incursion.

 Chapter 181

    A step through the gate brought me to the fifth floor, yet had it not been for the distinct feeling I had received from the dungeon, I would have questioned whether I was in the right location, or if I accidentally arrived somewhere else.


    My surroundings had changed significantly. For one, there was no thick aura of decay, threatening to erode anything into an easily digestible slop. Nor was there a cloud of bad-smelling vapor blocking my view, replaced by a raging, hot gust of wind, one that I suspected was responsible for changing the weather.


    The constant dry wind seemed to be the only change in the environment, as it was otherwise covered with waist-deep muddy water.


    However, there were other, more important changes, like a stampede of dungeon monsters, from the smallest insect to gargantuan boss beasts, each moving in the same direction at their full speed.


    [-63 Mana]


    A flare of mana was enough to turn the metal platform under my feet into a tower, which I hastily climbed to see where they were going. With the fog gone, I had the chance to see ¡­ a move that was necessary due to the overwhelming size of the fifth floor.


    From the vantage point I created, I finally saw where the beasts had been rushing toward. Every floor of the dungeon, including the fifth one, was supposed to be surrounded by a thick cliff, but when I looked in the direction monsters were rushing, I wasn¡¯t able to see that cliff.


    Instead, I saw a thick cloud of dungeon mist, spreading as a rolling cloud, something that was supposed to be no longer a barrier to my vision, but it clearly only applied to the mist of my own dungeon. As for the source of the new mist, it was apparent due to the number of lizards that were spilling from it.


    Ahead of the breach, there was a horde of mutated men, easily in the hundreds ¡ª though it was hard to get an accurate count as they went in and out of the mist as they fought against the insects.


    There was only one silver lining? The monsters spilling didn¡¯t have any boss monsters included. Though, I didn¡¯t know whether it was about the size of the breach not allowing them to arrive, or whether it was about Thomas already mobilizing all of them was a mystery. One that needed to stay unanswered with the battle going on outside.


    I needed to respond rapidly.


    I opened a gate for quick travel and stepped through, only to frown. My target had been the immediate edge of the mist, but the gate appeared almost a mile away. Not a difficult distance to cross, but still frustrating.


    As I ran, however, my senses prickled, feeling an alien sensation. I was in my dungeon ¡­ yet I was not. The area I was running through felt like contested ground. However, once I got close enough to see through the fire dungeon¡¯s mist, I realized it was more literal than I had first thought. Under the new mist, there was no water or mud, replaced by a raised obsidian platform, gleaming with an unwelcoming heat, ready to cook any insect that stepped over.


    Not that the insects had the chance with the mutated men ripping through their ranks. Even with their speed, along with the haze that surrounded them, it was easy to see their transformation had progressed even further than the ones I previously faced.


    No wonder there was none on the surface.


    I had to admit, it was a good plan. It was clear that the breach between dungeons had many restrictions ¡ª at least in the form I had been dealing with ¡ª which made the allocation of troops reasonable.


    As long as they dealt with the existing boss monsters, the other lizards could spill and overwhelm the dungeon, especially since my dungeon was struggling to deal with the breach.


    My pulse soared as I rushed forward, brandishing my spear, which gave me superior mobility as I prepared to deal with the mutated fighters. One that I had to be careful against, as I didn¡¯t have endless mana to replenish my reserves, whether from the dungeon, or from the cloud of tainted energy.


    I approached the mutated enemy, their transformation even worse than the others, their eyes flickering with madness and frenzy.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    As I speared the first one right through the head, the others were already circling around me, pouring from every direction. Once I pulled the spear back, I noticed he was yet to die.


    ¡°Inconvenient,¡± I decided, covering my spear with Mana, ready to dip into my suddenly-precious reserves.


    [-150 Mana]


    The second stab was enough to finally kill it, though only because I had reforged my weapons with boss monster material, designed to be effective against the lizard monsters. Without the correct armament, the battle would have been far more difficult to deal with.


    As they attacked from every direction, I focused on killing them at the cost of receiving damage, trusting my armor to handle the most. I just focused on not being grappled, which would end badly. However, soon I realized that with the spear, things would last too long.


    I switched to my hammer, relying on overwhelming might, using my Strength to rip through their grip whenever they managed to get a hold over me.


    [-163 Health]


    [-143 Health]


    It was not a perfect defense. Some parts of my armor were inevitably weaker than the others, and some of the attacks inevitably landed on those spots. Things would have been much worse if they had the presence of mind to continue targeting those spots, but luckily, only some landed there, while the rest continued to land on stronger spots.


    I accepted the damage as I continued to destroy them with my hammer, using a chance to devour a nutrient bar.


    Once I had slain twenty, another notification appeared.


    [Level 69 -> 70]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    I continued to kill them as I drifted deeper into the mist. It was dangerous, but I didn¡¯t have the luxury of safety. I needed to see exactly what was going on.


    I walked through the obsidian surface, doing my best to kill the mutated fighters and observe my surroundings, knowing that my bluff wouldn¡¯t hold for too long. Things would have been much harder if they had enough sense to actually stay back, forcing me to chase them.


    I killed without stopping, until I had reached the cliff, which was supposed to be the border of the dungeon, only to face a large gap at its surface. It didn¡¯t look like a natural breach, more like where the space itself got ¡­ fuzzy.


    I lacked the words to explain the phenomenon I was facing, but the combined force of the rolling mist and the lizards was hard to miss. However, I didn¡¯t push through. I didn¡¯t dare to.


    Not when two forces, decay, and blaze, were fighting at the edge, looking for superiority.


    I didn¡¯t need any experiment to see whether it was dangerous. As two forces fought, the after-effects were enough to completely demolish any lizard that drifted too close, particularly when it flared.


    That wasn¡¯t the worst news. That honor went to one simple fact.


    My dungeon was losing.


    That also explained why I couldn¡¯t feel the overwhelming sense of decay, or why my mana supply had been disrupted. I didn¡¯t know whether it could be solved by pushing all the mana I could supply to the dungeon, or whether it required something more creative.


    Unfortunately, that was a problem for the future. For the moment, I focused on killing all the mutated fighters I could find, and hoped that the dungeon monsters could at least slow down the process somewhat, like some kind of horrifying, eldritch immune system.


    I couldn¡¯t stay here, not when every second counted. Thomas was a coward, but he wasn¡¯t a complete idiot. He must have realized something was wrong once I disappeared for so long. If I return now, I still convince him that my disappearance was about retreating to the main defenses rather than arriving here.


    Therefore letting him believe that his plan with the dungeon worked perfectly.


    One of the transformed lunged. I deflected with a kick even as I brought down my hammer, removing another threat. Another attacked, landing a hit that would have knocked me back several meters if it wasn¡¯t for my Dexterity, and the way it helped me to stay on my feet that defied the rules of physics, something that was only possible thanks to my class upgrade.


    A nasty reminder of just how many coincidences were required to keep me safe ¡ª even if that safety came in the form of an unfair fight against mutated creatures in an extradimensional space, which I needed to finish to reinforce another defense against literal building-sized monsters.


    I pivoted, the hammer dealing with another mutated man.


    [Level 70 -> 71]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    The sensation of pressure around my soul tightened, then shattered, giving back access to my External skills, and allowing me to move even faster. Weapons worked as proxies well, but they required my full focus.


    Meaning, I was able to split my focus and check the dungeon entrance. Deep in the incursion area, the mere act of peering through was harder than I had expected, but I could still observe the situation. Our defensive force was already dealing with attacks from all four directions, meaning my delaying action had already run its course.


    The only benefit was the absence of Charisma, indicating that my bluff to keep Thomas in place had worked. As for how long it would hold, that was a different question.


    ¡°I need to make a decision,¡± I said while I looked at the dungeon border, where two energies had been fighting desperately to ensure victory in a process I didn¡¯t understand. Staying here, trying to decipher it was an option, but that would only risk lives.


    Returning was the safer option. ¡°But, not without pulling a trick,¡± I said. I reached into my pouch, and pulled a sapling from the dungeon tree, which I carried habitually.


    Wondering if I could establish a perimeter.

 Chapter 182

    I took a deep breath, trying to determine the best path for my hasty battlefield experiment. I lowered the tiny sapling against the obsidian, only my protection preventing it from burning immediately, wondering whether what I was about to do was possible in the first place.


    My experiment was hasty, but not baseless. My first reliance was what I had observed from the thousands of farmers who had lived in the dungeon. I had watched them play with the nature of many different plants with ease, their changes ranging from cosmetic to fundamental.


    Then, there were my own experiments from Wisdom forging, allowing me to imbue and transform the metal with various concepts, which I could do even without the assistance of the dungeon materials, though their presence helped.


    However, even with both of these advantages, I wouldn¡¯t have tried it if it wasn¡¯t for the assistance of my Wisdom. It had already surpassed two hundred at this point, providing me with the necessary burst.


    With three advantages combined, I was hopeful about the success of my rapid battlefield experiment. I pressed my finger against the sapling, but didn¡¯t provide any mana before I killed a lizard and dragged its body toward it, hoping that it would make good fertilizer.


    Only then, I provide the seed with a blast of Health, doing my best to focus on repelling the fire-tainted energy. As I did that, I brought my Wisdom to the surface, doing my best to empower the effect, just like I did when I used decay as a casting method.


    [-100 Health]


    The small sapling burst into life in my hands, its roots spreading through the lizard rapidly, and started using its mana as a basis for growth, while repelling its tainted energy at the same time.


    However, as it grew, I maintained my focus on its conceptual refinement rather than its actual growth, hoping that it would work, similar to how I used Shaper to create my newest weapons, always containing and sharpening the concept.


    As the tree grew, it started to warm up, but it was different from the scouring heat of the dungeon, more similar to the warmth of a campfire than a reckless volcano.


    The tree continued to grow, especially when I threw a few more carcasses to supply it with energy. Merely half a minute later, I was looking at a completely new tree, one that reminded me of a redwood, which had already passed my height.


    ¡°Passable,¡± I muttered as I spent a moment analyzing. It didn¡¯t truly repel the scorching wind from the other dungeon or the tainted energy, but it did weaken the aura. Considering the speed of the experiment, it was all I could hope for.


    Most importantly, it didn¡¯t repel the insects.


    I snapped a large branch, and used it as a source for saplings to rapidly create a half-circle around the breach at the cost of depleting all of my mana and half of my Health.


    The change was visible. Immediately, the sensation of decay started to recover. Not a lot, as it was still significantly below the level of the fourth floor, but the change was good news. I thought about adding a second line, but a peek at the dungeon entrance was enough to dissuade me.


    The fighters of the third wall on the Northern side were running away. I could imagine one method of triggering such an escape.


    Thomas had decided to join the battle.


    I retreated away from the obsidian before I prepared to open a gate, but just as I prepared myself, I realized that I had a choice. Should I open a gate to where I had last disappeared, using it as an attempt to ambush Thomas, or join defenses directly?


    But, as I watched Harold somehow maintain a semblance of order even in the chaos, I decided to pick the first path.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    My discussion with Rosie was correct. We had to deal with Thomas, once and for all. He might be a cowardly general, but in the right hands, he could be a very dangerous weapon. He needed to be dealt with.


    I opened the gate to where I had just disappeared, ready to fight. But, to my surprise, there was no enemy around, allowing me to move underground toward the target, using the same view to watch Thomas. It was harder to see through the dungeon gate when I was outside, but it was still possible, which was how I understood exactly how things were going.


    At this moment, Harold was bravely handling the retreat into the second walls, while Rosie had been darting between boss monsters, ensuring that the defenses were not overwhelmed.


    Before I could burst out from under them, a surprise appeared. Thomas¡¯s mount had suddenly lost its life, which happened without any outward sign. It was almost certain Rosie was responsible, but how, I had no idea.


    I was very glad that she was on my side.


    Unfortunately, it looked like a flying mount wasn¡¯t Thomas¡¯ only reliance. Even as it continued to plummet, Thomas levitated using his power, retreating rapidly, still surrounded by a shield of mana as he tried to get away.


    Too bad for him that he chose the most direct path, causing us to cross paths. Instead of digging desperately forward, I moved upward, right under the metal floor, and took a second to absorb enough tainted energy to replenish my mana.


    Then, I ripped a piece of metal, and started pumping it with all the concept of decay I could afford. Thomas was reliant on his artifacts, and what better way to deal with him than finishing him off.


    When he was above me, I burst out, throwing the new javelin directly at him. It was an easy hit, and his magical shield gained a greenish hue. More importantly, he started dipping down.


    ¡°No, help me!¡± he shouted in panic. Which was easy to ignore ¡­ but the reaction of the rest of the lizard army was not so much. The horde of beasts that was trying to close in on our defenses changed direction, all chasing me.


    Whatever allowed his flight had been hampered, but not ruined. He continued to move away even as he lost altitude. I did my best to chase, but with every single beast and man targeting me, it wasn¡¯t as easy. Especially since a literal wave of beasts seemed determined to cut my path.


    I still tried to cut a direct path, but a thick blue shield appeared in between us, stalling my progress. Once again, it only took several blows from my hammer to take it down, but it was enough to let him retreat a greater distance.


    I needed to slow him down, I decided as I slammed the ground, fashioning several glowing javelins, and throwing them ahead of him, the explosion enough to stop him from flying. But, another flying boss monster caught up, giving him another mount.


    One that died even before it could pick up speed.


    I wasn¡¯t too surprised. Thomas committed his latest mistake when he pulled the whole army to cut my path, which freed Rosie from the task of keeping the boss monsters away.


    With his new mount down, it gave me a chance to strike with another javelin of decay, forcing him to come down even faster. ¡°No!¡± he shouted again, the beasts gathering around him like a wall.


    A wall that was far weaker than he could imagine. I moved forward, brandishing my hammer, each full power blow killing at least one boss and injuring several as it spread. Soon, the wounds started to accumulate, each blow killing multiple boss monsters.


    A siege, but this time, he was the one that was desperately defending. His attempts to fly away were prevented by Rosie, while I shattered his defenses before he could complete them. With that, Thomas was locked in his place, surrounded by nothing but monsters.


    He tried to send a message. What and how, I had no idea, but blocking it had been easy, as its destination was the path of the broken gate that his men used to invade the dungeon. Just to be on the safe side, I blocked it with a subtle flare of my own, which went unnoticed.


    Once he sent his message, he changed his strategy, and doubled down on his defenses. He hid behind several layers of overlapping mana shields, and threw even more dungeon bosses at us. His strategy was clear, force the destruction of the dungeon, which would in turn force me to abandon him.


    Unfortunately for him, he had no idea I had already dealt with his team of mutants.


    However, while his defenses were ultimately futile, they were good enough to delay us several minutes. Not that it didn¡¯t come with certain rewards of its own.


    [Level 71 -> 72]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    [Level 72 -> 73]


    [+5 Vitality, +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +5 Essence, +3 Wisdom]


    [Meditation of Decay (Mythic) - 121]


    Levels and one skill improvement weren¡¯t the only benefits. The long battle had been enough to supply the dungeon with enough mana until it actually started replenishing my mana. Slower than usual, which indicated the danger continued, but at least, the worst had passed.


    ¡°I surrender ¡ª¡± he started once the last shield shattered. Unfortunately for him, I had no intention of accepting it. I could have justified it as his Charisma making him a dangerous prisoner, or his connection giving him too many options.


    The issue was simpler.


    After everything he had done, he deserved no mercy.


    One last hammer blow, and the war ended.


    At least, the current one.

 Chapter 183

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that was a bit too fast?¡± Rosie asked, appearing from nothingness. ¡°Maybe we should have interrogated him.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°If you thought that, you would have already stopped me,¡± I said.


    ¡°True,¡± she declared, then pushed Thomas¡¯ ruined armor to the side, showing scales. ¡°He had already started his transformation. All he needed was some time to complete it, and he would have had a chance to respond.¡±


    I paused, examining his scales, which were different from the others I had dealt with. The other mutations had always looked wild and chaotic, while Thomas¡¯ scales, spreading from the heart, looked far more smooth and orderly.


    ¡°There are different ways of heretic transformation, some more controllable than the others,¡± she added, realizing my unasked question.


    I nodded. It was not good to hear, especially since their revenge was inevitable. I would have expected it even without Rosie¡¯s warning. They didn¡¯t act like calm and collected people who would accept a strategic retreat in good humor. ¡°How much time do we have?¡± I asked.


    That earned a shrug from her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks. I don¡¯t know much about heretics. It depends on who was supporting Thomas.¡±


    ¡°Then, I leave him to you. Do your research. I have a dungeon breach to address,¡± I said.


    ¡°Already?¡± she said. I nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the scale?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s large enough to allow boss monsters to pass through, but the conflict between the two dungeons is making it impossible for the moment. As for the rest, I have no idea. Do you?¡±


    ¡°No. Ordinarily, the stronger dungeon would shatter the weaker one in quick order, but this is the first time the weaker one has an owner. You probably have a better idea of what''s going on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not much,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m doing my best to assist mine, but the disparity is strong. For the moment, I can make up for the difference thanks to all the tainted energy that¡¯s sticking around, but ¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll eventually consume all of it,¡± she completed.


    ¡°Exactly. It means, I need to find a solution.¡±


    She paused, examining me. ¡°You don¡¯t look as worried as I expected,¡± she said.


    ¡°I have certain ideas. Some of them are bound to work,¡± I said.


    ¡°Anything I can do to help?¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye on things, and establish a perimeter like we discussed. Also, maybe help the settlement of a few mining bases. I much rather not rely on the dungeon for mining, especially when we have such a wide expanse to exploit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± she said. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a better idea to expand the defensive perimeter at the outskirts of the mountain, away from the main gate, and turn the mountain into a bunker of last resort.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It gives too big of a target while limiting our mobility,¡± she replied. ¡°We will have more strategic flexibility if we have many bases that we could reinforce or retreat depending on the enemy we face. There are simply too many possibilities,¡± she said.


    ¡°Discuss it with Harold. He has a much better idea of how to deal with it, especially since our armaments are slowly having more modern pieces,¡± I said. ¡°Just make sure to prioritize the safety of people. I don¡¯t want people to turn into sacrificial pawns.¡± It was a redundant warning, as the last three years might be filled with subterfuge, but nothing she had shown indicated that she treated the people as disposable tools.


    She nodded seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± she said. ¡°However, I can¡¯t guarantee their safety if we send a team to weaken the fire dungeon.¡±


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    ¡°Let¡¯s keep that as a backup plan for the moment,¡± I said. ¡°We can look into that if my initial plans don''t bear fruit.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one more question,¡± she said. ¡°We need to decide on our trade policy going forward.¡±


    ¡°The weapons, or the skill stones?¡± I said.


    ¡°Both represent rare products,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why is that, by the way? Why are there so few skill stones for production classes available?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°My best guess is that any stones that provide them were destroyed in their infancy by Horizon, but since I was trying to keep my head down, I didn¡¯t try to confirm it.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of the reason, spreading them will raise eyebrows,¡± I commented.


    ¡°You should have thought of that before letting the information spread. It¡¯s too late to hide,¡± she said. I nodded, accepting the admonishment. I was the first to admit that I didn¡¯t handle my sudden leadership position the best, particularly relating to the rebelling guards.


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± I replied. ¡°Still, the Meditation skill should be a safer thing to trade.¡±


    That earned a nod. ¡°That, and some of the simpler mana alloys could be moved without raising too much suspicion. I have some channels that could be used in that direction. All that remains is what you need in return.¡±


    ¡°I need five things in return. First, information on the System, particularly linked to the dungeons and soul, is the priority.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee the validity of such information. People are secretive, and I can¡¯t really distinguish them, especially if my contact believes them to be true.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be careful, then,¡± I said. ¡°The second thing we need is external skill stones. The more varied, the better. Though, it¡¯ll be good if we can source some Rare or higher combat skills that are fit for our current soldiers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more doable.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°The same applies for dungeon products, but we need to be more distinctive on that.¡±


    ¡°For mana recovery? I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work,¡± she replied. ¡°Mana alloys go for a high price, but only due to rarity. Once we start selling them in higher volume, the price will come down significantly.¡±


    ¡°No. Mana recovery is not the first objective. Logistics of it is not viable, at least, not unless we can find a source that¡¯s cheap enough to make it viable. I need more variants to experiment with different varieties of products.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easier to achieve,¡± said. ¡°That makes three.¡±


    ¡°I need more metals, particularly platinum, and gold, though I won¡¯t say no to a sustainable source of silver. Higher-order metals will become very useful,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s harder. Silver is one thing, but it¡¯s difficult to source gold and platinum, especially if you want it to be measured in tons, and not pounds. I¡¯ll do my best, but¡­¡± she said, then sighed. ¡°What¡¯s the last one?¡±


    ¡°Pre-Cataclysm books. Any topic is fine. As long as we don¡¯t have it in the library, we can pay a lot of money for it.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a surprise. Still, I¡¯m surprised that you didn¡¯t ask me to collect any information on how society is developing. Did you finally give up on your research?¡±


    I smiled viciously. ¡°Certainly not,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you ask for it?¡±


    ¡°Simple, I can¡¯t trust it. Even if we can trust that the source is doing their best, there are a hundred ways to ruin the data. If I want to truly understand how the world is shaping, I need reliable data, meaning we¡¯ll have to collect it ourselves.¡± I paused, looking in the direction where the fire dungeon lay. ¡°We just need to survive these so-called heretics first. By the way, why exactly are they called such?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t really know. Not something I invented. The others referred to them that way, and you have to admit, it fits.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, weird cults that transform people until they turn into mad beasts. Hard to argue against,¡± I replied, then looked at the mountain. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough of a strategy meeting. I still need to go and make sure everyone is calm before I disappear for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to give a speech?¡± she said.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°Luckily, with a Wisdom-Enhanced memory, I have far too many sources to plagiarize.¡±


    Rosie smiled before she faded from the view once more, and I climbed the mountain. ¡°Welcome back, sir!¡± Harold greeted, and the rest of the soldiers raised their spears at once.


    ¡°We are victorious yet again!¡± I shouted loudly, and followed it with a long, if a touch cliche speech that I gave perfunctorily. A magnetic leader, I was not, but luckily, they had just watched me absolutely demolish hundreds of giant monsters without taking a break, which had gone a long way to assuage their worries.


    The fact that we managed to handle the disaster without a single death was even more fascinating, the combination of high-quality armor and organized defense making a great difference, though I doubted we would be that lucky forever.


    A thought for another time.


    Once they had dispersed to celebrate, Harold approached me. Under another metal dome, he looked at me. ¡°This is not the end, is it, sir?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. We don¡¯t know when, but their revenge will come. However, we¡¯ll be ready,¡± I said, followed by the summary of my discussion with Rosie, and our next set of priorities. ¡°Until then, coordinate with Rosie, but don¡¯t forget that you have the command.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, sir,¡± he said. ¡°I will continue to protect them.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said, and let the metal dome fall. He went to deal with his tasks, and I started to walk toward the dungeon.


    I still had a crisis to manage, one that was going to double as a good teaching opportunity.

 Chapter 184

    When I returned to my team of students, I found them gathered in a circle, a worried expression on their faces. ¡°How¡¯s everyone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I would have been better if someone just hadn¡¯t evacuated us without saying anything,¡± Jennifer spat out angrily. The others looked at her, trying to calm her down.


    ¡°I deserved it,¡± I said, smiling. While her attitude wasn¡¯t entirely deserved considering the situation, I preferred that to the way people looked at me outside, like I was a celebrity, or worse, an object of worship. ¡°Still, it was an emergency, and it¡¯s not solved completely.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem, professor,¡± Terry asked, looking enthusiastic to help.


    ¡°Just a little mishap at the dungeon,¡± I said as I waved my hand, and a gate opened. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    I was bringing them along both because their help would be useful, particularly when it came to insights about Nurture, and to use it as an opportunity to work with them. Together, we might actually make a significant improvement.


    When I arrived at the dungeon, I was met with a calmer view than I had been expecting. The insects and the lizards were still fighting, but the line of trees I had created had not been breached. The insects and the lizards tore each other apart, though I noted that there were no boss insects in sight.


    Whether they had all fallen, or they succeeded in passing through the breach to the other side was a different question. For that, I needed to get closer.


    Still, the aura of decay in the dungeon had recovered somewhat, likely due to the mana I had provided generously, giving me hope that I was on the right track. However, the gap was not visible due to the dungeon barrier.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re dealing with a dungeon invasion,¡± I started, giving them a quick breakdown of the situation, including the trees I had created hastily.


    ¡°Can I have a look, sir?¡± he said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move together,¡± I said. They neither had the level nor the equipment necessary to be safe alone. ¡°I want all your opinions on the direction it could be improved.¡±


    That earned enthusiastic nods from all of them, which didn¡¯t surprise me. After all, all of them had accepted my offer to teach them despite the risk of death I had highlighted several times. Compared to that, approaching a dangerous location under my protection didn¡¯t register as risky.


    Once we reached the tree line, they put their attention on the trees, touching it in turn as they used their skills to analyze what I had done. While they were busy with it, I turned my attention toward the breach.


    The first thing I noticed was the about two dozen crystals near the breach, explaining what had happened to the boss monsters. They probably had died in their reckless charge, eviscerated by the constant flares.


    I collected them at once, feeling my connection with the dungeon strengthen even further. Unfortunately, that increased connection didn¡¯t come with an instant solution to my problem.


    The next thing I examined was the conflict between the two dungeons. It was still dangerous and chaotic, but less so compared to earlier. The breach seemed to be stabilizing, which was both good and bad news. Good news because hopefully it would stop consuming all the mana I had provided.


    Bad news, because if it stabilized like that, it would mean a constant connection between two dungeons. And, every single indicator was showing the other dungeon to be the stronger one. Not exactly happy news.


    Maybe I could turn that into something beneficial.


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    ¡°Professor,¡± Terry called, bringing my attention back to them. ¡°We think we know how to adjust it.¡±


    ¡°Easily, I might add, professor,¡± Jennifer added. ¡°Real shoddy work.¡±


    ¡°I was in a hurry,¡± I said. ¡°Show me.¡±


    Terry cut a sapling placed it on the obsidian floor, and started feeding it with his health. I touched its branch, my gauntlet allowing me to use Observe at the area I touched.


    Observing the changes was a true delight. His skill was merely Epic compared to my Legendary. However, it was also a class skill, which came with significant flexibility, almost alive compared to the static external skills.


    However, as I watched the tree change under my touch, I could sense that the difference in external and class skills wasn¡¯t the only source of the change. Ultimately, my approach was heavily based on my learning as a blacksmith. I did my best to control each step as I sculpted the concept, while Terry coaxed and directed gently.


    He could not have achieved what I did by transforming the concept of the tree, but that was more about the power I could put behind those changes.


    Soon, I was looking at a tiny, yet much purer sapling. ¡°Let¡¯s see if it works,¡± I said as I touched it, boosting its growth.


    [-1290 Health]


    As the tree grew, the dungeon mist spreading from the fire dungeon had been pushed back immediately. A complete success.


    ¡°Good work,¡± I congratulated. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if it works on a bigger scale.¡±


    Luckily, the environment had enough dead lizards ¡ª which didn¡¯t disappear unlike the insects ¡ª to act as fertilizer, so growing a full line of trees, each hovering high enough to completely block the presence of the fire dungeon, didn''t take much time. I even prevented any overflow from the sky by focusing on the growth direction of the branches, letting them spread high enough.


    I wasn¡¯t under the impression that it had solved the problem completely, but it was an excellent stop-gap measure.


    When I returned to my students, I found them in the depths of an intense discussion. ¡°¡­ It has to work,¡± Terry said. ¡°That gives us the ability to modify the concept directly. Therefore, a skill upgrade is likely.¡±


    ¡°I still think it lacks robustness,¡± Spencer replied, his tone calm, but with the assistance of Wisdom, I could sense that his passion for the subject wasn¡¯t any lesser. ¡°If we go at it your way, it¡¯s impossible to achieve controlled growth.¡±


    ¡°But, that just means losing the biggest advantage of growth, ¡± Terry replied, which triggered Spencer to reply. Curious, I stayed away, wondering how the debate would go. Unfortunately, it devolved into a quick squabble, raised voices and pointless repetitions.


    It reminded me of every fruitless argument I¡¯d ever witnessed between academics when they forgot what they were searching for was the truth, and focused on winning. I could see it, in their eyes. Moreover, I could see the others ready to join the ¡®debate¡¯, which wouldn¡¯t have ended nicely.


    Still, there were no snide personal insults mixed in, so it was better than what I could have hoped for.


    I cleared my throat as I approached. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a small break,¡± I called.


    ¡°Sorry for the commotion, sir,¡± Spencer said, quicker to recover.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I understand the passion of defending one¡¯s idea. But, your method needs work.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s more on the objective than anything else. There¡¯s a fundamental difference between debating to win and debating to explore ideas, and you two were too focused on the former.¡±


    ¡°Does it make any difference?¡± Jennifer interrupted. ¡°Ultimately, debating is debating, right?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I replied. ¡°When you debate to win, you¡¯re focused on proving your argument superior. You cling to every detail that supports your perspective, and as a result, you end up ignoring or dismissing anything that doesn¡¯t support your point.¡±


    To my surprise, the next question came from Soren, despite his apparent desire to fade into the background. ¡°And, how does debating productively work?¡±


    ¡°The core difference is the objective. Your focus needs to be on your own argument, as you¡¯re the one who knows it the best. The arguments of others are opportunities to catch the weaknesses you can identify so that you can refine your argument.¡±


    ¡°What if we realize it can¡¯t be fixed.¡±


    ¡°Then you throw it out and start searching for a new hypothesis. Ultimately, our objective is not to win, but to search for the truth. That¡¯s how science works.¡±


    Though, even as I delivered that, I felt a touch dishonest. After all, it never worked like that. There were too many academicians who were happy to push points that they knew to be wrong, just to collect more grant money or have more postdoc researchers. Power mattered more than truth.


    Which was a sad facet of the world.


    ¡°Don¡¯t frown,¡± I continued. ¡°How to debate constructively is another thing you need to learn as my students alongside how to manipulate mana and kill monsters more effectively.¡±


    ¡°A true classical education,¡± Spencer quipped.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said even as I opened the gate. ¡°But, before that, we have an even better tool to use when exploring the truth.¡±


    ¡°And, what¡¯s that?¡± Jennifer asked.


    ¡°Experimentation, of course,¡± I said as I took a step through the gate, and they followed. On the other side, my workshop awaited.

 Chapter 185

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    ¡°This is ¡ª¡± Terry muttered as he looked around.


    ¡°My workshop,¡± I said as I pointed. Not just the forge, but countless shelves that could be seen from an open door, each keeping the record of a certain experiment.


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ not what I imagined,¡± Rebecca commented.


    ¡°It¡¯s too mundane, right?¡± I said, to which she nodded, albeit not entirely convinced. It was hard to blame them, not with the way I had been developing. They expected something fancier.


    However, in practice, the skills were already handling the most complicated steps in my experiments. Or, it was more accurate to say that I had been forced to direct my experiments in a direction that would be supported by my skills.


    An inevitable situation. Up until now, I was alone in my research other than the brief collaboration with Maria and Eleanor, which made the research direction inevitably linked, depriving me of the real direction I wanted to explore.


    In the end, I still wanted to understand how the System is shaping our society, and how it could be directed ¡­ an idea that only got more critical once Rosie revealed the true nature of Horizon Institute.


    The idea of Cataclysm as a natural disaster had been horrible enough, but the fact that it was being subverted by a shadowy group as a giant social engineering project that would have made even the most determined totalitarian cry in despair was something else.


    There were even worse possibilities about Horizon and the Cataclysm, but I chose not to follow that line of thought.


    At least, for the moment.


    ¡°Can we walk around,¡± Jennifer asked.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± I said. After all, once I had brought thousands of people to the third floor, I had prepared for anyone to snoop around, and removed anything secret. As for personal items ¡­ Well, it had been a long while since I carried along anything that wasn¡¯t utilitarian in nature.


    While they wandered around, shuffling between the shelves and experiment notes, I prepared the forge once more, ready to create the tools for the experiment I had in mind.


    Their debate might have been more argumentative than I would have liked, but from the nuggets I had heard, I could feel that both had their own useful perspective. All that was needed was for them to have a chance to gain several skill points at once to transform their skills, which would confirm the validity of their processes.


    Especially with me there to assist them with mana control. After all, both mine and Eleanor¡¯s success had been possible with Maria¡¯s assistance.


    I let them wander around while I prepared the materials, even going to the first floor to pick some boss monster material.


    ¡°Gather around,¡± I called once everything was in place. ¡°Spencer, let¡¯s start with your method. Explain to me exactly how your approach works.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s based on the core geometric shapes you have given us,¡± he said, pointing at the direction of the shelves holding the results of the exact same method. ¡°I have experimented with several plants, and it¡¯s possible to control the growth of the plants that would carry those shapes naturally, which allows them to interact with free mana more naturally,¡± he said.


    ¡°Show me,¡± I said.


    He quickly grew a small plant, its structure robust and ordered, filled with geometrical patterns, more like a statue than an actual plant. The others didn¡¯t look impressed with the plant. ¡°This approach isn¡¯t just scribbling lines,¡± he muttered, his voice lacking his earlier determination. ¡°It¡¯s designed to systematically channel mana through mathematical ratios. The angles and arcs correspond to structure and your notes, designed to channel mana.¡±


    Once I radiated some mana through the roots, the plant acted like a pump, confirming his hypothesis. ¡°Interesting. It works as designed,¡± I said, focusing on the feeling. ¡°However, you need to come up with a design that not only channels it, but actively uses some itself, or it might not work.¡±


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    That made Spencer frown. ¡°Good point, professor,¡± he admitted. ¡°But maybe we can still try.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, but make sure to stop if you improve your skill by ten points at once, yet it still doesn¡¯t transform,¡± I said. Then, I forged a small gardening knife for him, designed to assist him in infusing mana, with a hold in its handle to slowly release it.


    He shifted his weight uncomfortably as he touched the gardening knife, realizing the quality. ¡¯Thank you, sir,¡± he said.


    I turned to Terry. ¡°What¡¯s your method,¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s more aligned with what you have done with the dungeon plants,¡± Terry replied. ¡°Actually, it was your method that allowed me to find the answer to what I had been searching for.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± I said.


    ¡°What I have in mind is to trust the inherent nature of the plant, but adding some reinforcing concepts behind it. Concepts that require utilizing mana actively. That way, my skill only has to guide the growth from the side while interacting with the concepts. It¡¯s similar to how Basic Meditation works.¡±


    ¡°Show me on a small scale,¡± I said.


    He grabbed a sapling, and focused on it. The sapling didn¡¯t grow much, just an inch ¡­ but touching it, I could sense the concepts of two dungeons mixing together, almost like a spiral. I had a feeling that it would repel the mist from both dungeons.


    ¡°I see your point. Interesting concept ¡ª¡± I started, only for the small sapling to interrupt me by catching free.


    ¡°It needs some practice, but I believe that¡ª¡± Terry responded in panic, trying to convince me.


    ¡°Calm down, this already counts as a successful experiment. Do you have any idea how many explosions I had caused trying to discover a way to stabilize the first iteration of anti-fire metal? I can already sense the stability of two concepts, and it¡¯s interesting.¡±


    Too interesting, even, which could potentially be helpful for my forging. Up until now, I had been trying to perfect only one type of concept in my forging. Trying to embed both decay and fire might have interesting potential.


    Well, probably not decay and fire in a practical sense, as it was hard to imagine two of them actually being useful together. Maybe as an experiment, until I could find something more efficient.


    ¡°Let me see if I can create a better ratio,¡± I said as I started forging. A few exploding knives later, I managed to actually find an interesting balance thanks to the guidance of my Shaper skill. Instead of two equal concepts trying to maintain balance, it kept the corrosion concept as a source of resistance, while it turned the fire concept offensive in a diminished way, like a satellite.


    Resulting in a weapon that would resist the corrosion while doing extra damage to all targets, and not just the dungeon insects.


    It was not particularly useful in practical terms, but the validity of the concept was more important. I explained the weapon to them. ¡°Now, all we need to find is a way to transfer those concepts to Nurture,¡± I said.


    It triggered a surprisingly effective discussion, and soon, we were looking at several small plants, the most successful one actually stable enough to not catch fire or spontaneously rot for almost three minutes, which also triggered a surprisingly upbeat mood.


    They were too lost in excitement to notice Spencer¡¯s sudden sadness, but I caught it. Since he seemed not to want to talk about it, I just nodded at him, and he stayed in the background, acting like he was still experimenting.


    It wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t understand where he was coming from. Failing an experiment was never fun, especially while watching a friendly rival succeeding at the same time.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked Terry once I fashioned a similar gardening knife for him to channel his skill.


    He nodded, and turned his attention to the sapling in front of him. He activated his nurture while the knife provided the mana passively. The sapling started to grow in front of him, its body showing a green rot while its leaves smoldering with fire.


    ¡°Come on, come on,¡± Rebecca whispered excitedly, her fingers crossed.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to catch fire ¡ª¡± Ryan muttered, only to be interrupted by his brother poking.


    ¡°It¡¯ll work,¡± Jessica commented, while Spencer and Jason stayed silent. Spencer was still depressed by his failure, while Jason was showing his usual stoicism.


    Terry only stopped once the tree surpassed my height, finally stopping, a shocked expression on his face.


    ¡°Tell me, did it work,¡± Jessica growled in frustration.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Terry gasped in shock, excited. ¡°I ¡­ I have a magic skill. Incredible.¡± He turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m ready for a class upgrade, sir,¡± he said.


    ¡°Are you sure,¡± I asked. ¡°We could actually try to push it to the next level before doing that to give you a better class upgrade.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll work without my own essence to help me?¡±


    ¡°For a Legendary skill? No, probably not,¡± I replied. Even with all the tricks to assist such a process, I wasn¡¯t sure I could push a Legendary skill to its limit easily.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go through with it, professor,¡± he said. ¡°I have only two options, Farmer, and Tender of the Land. And Nurture had changed into Mana Tend. It¡¯s Legendary.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t particularly incentivized to encourage him either way.


    Facilitating his class upgrade was easy. With the dungeon filled with monsters, helping him reach level twenty-five took less than ten minutes. A steady supply of mana and ten minutes later, he walked out of the container.


    I didn¡¯t need him to say anything, not when he crushed a nearby shell, and absorbed its mana.


    Success.

 Chapter 186

    ¡°Are we due for a celebration?¡± I asked once I noticed Terry was too excited to speak, while the rest held their breath. I could have announced his success after watching him absorb mana directly, which was only possible with Essence giving him reserves, but I chose not to.


    He deserved to announce his own success.


    Still, as he trembled in excitement, I couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly. While I always saw myself more as a researcher than a teacher, the unique joy of guiding a student into their own path was hard to replicate any other way.


    Then, there were the other implications. While my own experience had shown that the production classes weren¡¯t as helpless as the others wanted to believe, it was the first confirmation we had, which was inherently promising.


    ¡°I ¡­ I succeeded. I ¡­ I have both Essence and Wisdom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s excellent news,¡± I admitted. Having both Essence and Wisdom was more than I had expected, as both of my class upgrades only granted one of each. Meanwhile, the lack of physical stats was frustrating, as it meant very limited combat potential until we figured out more offensive aspects of spellcasting. It was not a problem when we considered just Terry, but it meant it wasn¡¯t an ideal path to scale and distribute. However, those I didn¡¯t mention immediately. ¡°What¡¯s the scaling?¡± I asked instead.


    ¡°One point every two levels,¡± he said. ¡°But my Vitality gain doubled.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly good news,¡± I said. ¡°Any new skills?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said with a shake of his head. ¡°But my Meditation evolved to Common.¡±


    ¡°Probably because it has turned into a class skill. We¡¯ll experiment on it later,¡± I said. ¡°How about the proficiencies?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more complicated. Meditation kept the points, but Tend went back to one, but my Perk is still there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it works,¡± I said. While further experiment was required, it fit with my own observation well enough. I turned to the rest. ¡°What do you guys think? Our first success and no one had to die.¡±


    It was not a good joke, but ultimately, I just wanted to use it to check their excitement. Interestingly, only Rebecca and Ryan seemed truly excited at the idea. Jennifer and Logan were more neutral, while Soren was tense.


    I made a note to ask Rosie to tail Soren. While I was confident that he had no ulterior motive that was dangerous to us, there was no harm in making sure.


    Meanwhile, Spencer was thoroughly disappointed. ¡°A great occasion,¡± he said, doing his best to hide his disappointment. It wasn¡¯t a particularly impressive attempt, but it still worked, if only because the rest was lost in their own concerns.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied, which surprised everyone. ¡°Well, not unless you want to,¡± I continued. ¡°While we have found a path to improve, it¡¯s not the only path. The lack of physical stats alone is a significant restriction, so you don¡¯t have to pick the path if you don¡¯t feel comfortable with it.¡±


    That made them pause, but then Jennifer cut in. ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t this why you gathered us in the first place, to find a way to create mage farmers. We succeeded¡­¡±


    ¡°We succeeded in discovering one particular path,¡± I said. ¡°It already gives us a potential method to assist the other farmers as long as we can find good candidates, therefore verifying the method¡± I said. Unfortunately, that was not as easy. While the unintentional selection method allowed farmers with stronger souls ¡ª as the others called it, though it still bothered me ¡ª to join us, the same didn¡¯t apply to the other classes.


    My brief test with the blacksmiths had shown that none of them were able to go above Uncommon naturally, which seemed to prevent the acquisition of Mana Forge. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t sure if my method of teaching was at fault or not.


    It certainly seemed to be a possibility.


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± Spencer interjected. ¡°For us, I mean,¡± he added.


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    ¡°It means you¡¯re free to continue following your own paths, to discover ones that are valuable to you.¡± Then, I looked at Rebecca, who had been excited by the prospect of gaining the ability to use mana. ¡°Or, if you feel like having Wisdom will help you with your path, you can follow the path Terry has validated.¡±


    ¡°But, that means losing the opportunity to discover a new path,¡± Rebecca commented sadly.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± I said. ¡°Having someone else with the same skill, exploring the possibilities will have certain advantages as well.¡± I shrugged.


    Jennifer interjected. ¡°Why are you making so many sacrifices for us?¡±


    That earned a chuckle. ¡°Really, am I?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said. ¡°You have shared a lot of secrets with us; Secrets that others would kill for, yet you¡¯re helping us more. All the material, assistance, the opportunity¡­¡± She pointed at the gardening knife Terry used. ¡°This alone. If sold, how many gold coins it will get. Hundreds?¡±


    ¡°Likely thousands,¡± I admitted, which seemed to shock some of them. I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re thinking it wrong. Yes, technically it could be sold for that much money, but ultimately, it¡¯s nothing more than a minute of my time. Nothing I had shared with you except the information is.¡± I sighed. It was something that annoyed me.


    For the first time in three years, I finally had the opportunity to act as a professor, only to be forced into endless battles.


    ¡°As for the information, I admit that they are valuable, but ultimately, I plan to make it public. It¡¯s just about finding a safe opportunity. So, from that perspective, nothing I give is something I can¡¯t part ways with. And, in return, what I learn from you is equally important. I have managed to upgrade my own repair skills partially based on what I learned from you about how to utilize Nurture. So, no. Giving you a few extra days to make some more discoveries is not a great sacrifice on my part.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Jennifer said, insistent. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to; isn¡¯t it better for you, for all of us, to work together and explore the class?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a better question,¡± I said. ¡°However, we¡¯re working on something we barely understand, both in terms of potential and application. So, it actually works for me that you feel passionate about and understand, instead of blindly copying another path just because it can generate quick results. Especially when this class upgrade offers so few results.¡±


    And, that was not an understatement in the slightest. Yes, it was amazing for him to receive two magical stats at once, but it was nowhere as impactful as it would have been if he had physical stats to support that development. It was problematic, considering that upgrade was only possible with the assistance of the Legendary variant of a skill.


    The System was really determined to screw over the farmers, even worse than the usual poor treatment of the production classes.


    ¡°So, what does it mean for us?¡± Jason asked again.


    ¡°It means that you need to start working on how you want to evolve your class and find a way to transform Nurture into it,¡± I commented. ¡°Naturally, I¡¯ll do my best to help, but ultimately, with everything going on, most days, the best I can do is to drop my notes about my new discoveries and answer a few questions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough,¡± Spencer commented.


    ¡°So, have you had any choice on how to change your classes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Something suited to combat,¡± Jennifer replied immediately. ¡°Something that provides better than half a point of Strength that Advanced farmer gives out.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Jason added.


    I understood where they were coming from. I had certainly benefited from my own close combat focus more than once.


    ¡°I¡¯m determined to discover if an Intelligence variant is possible,¡± Spencer said. ¡°As an accountant, it fits better the way I think. More importantly, I know you need an assistant to help with all those calculations, more than another spell caster.¡±


    ¡°I can definitely use someone like that,¡± I said. I understood where he was coming from, as while Wisdom had its incredible perks when push came to shove, I would have preferred to get Intelligence as well.


    All that remained was whether such a transformation existed for Farmers, but spending a month exploring that possibility was certainly worth it.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go with the Wisdom variant,¡± Rebecca commented. ¡°I want to become a healer, and the ability to transform the nature of mana seems like a good way to achieve that.¡±


    ¡°An honorable call,¡± I said, then I turned to Ryan and Soren. ¡°How about you two?¡±


    Ryan turned to Soren questioningly before he sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, and my brother doesn¡¯t either. We were so focused on finding a way to use mana that we didn¡¯t even consider having a choice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair. After all, before Terry¡¯s success, we didn¡¯t know for certain that such a transformation was possible in the first place. It¡¯s the nature of true research.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s challenging,¡± Ryan admitted.


    ¡°It is,¡± I replied. ¡°Research is not a path for everyone. Either way, with the disaster of the beast horde finally solved, we have some free time until the next disaster. It should be enough for you to think.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of having time, where are we going to go?¡± Jennifer asked.


    ¡°You have two options. You can go outside and join the new settlement, or move back to the third floor,¡± I said.


    ¡°Which one do you recommend, professor?¡± Rebecca asked.


    ¡°I think that, despite everything, the third floor is safer,¡± I replied. ¡°Outside, you¡¯ll make a good target for any enemy that wants to hurt me.¡±


    ¡°Third floor, it is,¡± Soren cut in, sharp even as he threw a subtle worried glance my way, no doubt afraid that his determination would alert me to his secrets. I acted unaware of it, busying myself to open a portal. Five of them left, leaving only Terry and Rebecca behind.


    ¡°Now, we have another class change to induce, before the real work begins.¡±

 Chapter 187

    Once most of the team had departed, things had gone smoother. Walking Rebecca through the same steps had been easy, especially since I had Terry¡¯s skill as a template to create better items to assist her.


    And, while she was going through the class upgrade, I went upstairs to consume even more of the tainted energy cloud around the dungeon, replenishing its reserves to the limit ¡ª and using the opportunity to add several hundred tons of flame-resistant metal to our stock. Unfortunately, replenishing the dungeon was only a temporary measure, one that would stop once the giant cloud of tainted energy eventually dissipated.


    I needed a better solution. This was why, when I returned, I was already planning to build a giant metal dome around the breach. Rebecca and Terry were lost in their talk as they experimented on their newest skill, so they didn¡¯t notice me before I spoke.


    ¡°Any sudden epiphanies,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately not, professor,¡± he said, then frowned. ¡°You look ¡­ distressed.¡± He paused. ¡°It¡¯s weird.¡±


    I was about to deflect it, when I realized the reason why he said that. It was Wisdom, helping him read others¡¯ body language better, just like I did. I lacked his uncertainty, but then I had started with a hefty burst of one hundred fifty, while he had received only twelve. Some major differences were to be expected.


    ¡°One of the advantages of Wisdom is to read people better,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. But, try not to blurt it out. It¡¯s rude.¡±


    Terry blushed. ¡°So, you are distressed,¡± Rebecca commented hesitantly. ¡°Is it something we can help with?¡±


    ¡°No ¡ª¡± I started before I stopped, realizing that there was no benefit to deflecting their offer to help. Yes, they had just received their new classes, and they needed time to adapt, but there was no reason not to multitask.


    If nothing else, they could help me brainstorm on how to use mana to deal with the giant breach. Then, there was their Legendary skill, which came with a completely new set of information. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the giant breach on the fifth floor,¡± I replied. ¡°While I¡¯m currently plugging it with the help of the mana from all those slain lizards, the benefits are temporary. I need a better way to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Any ideas?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°For now, I¡¯m considering building a giant dome, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯ll work as well as I hope,¡± I said. ¡°It would have worked if all that I needed to worry about were the beasts, but eventually, our enemies will use that gap to attack. I don¡¯t want to end up locked in a two-way battle, especially when dealing with a wound that¡¯s constantly bleeding mana.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the other dungeon deal with the same problem?¡± Rebecca asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied. ¡°The energy flow between dungeons is one-sided, which shows that their dungeon is stronger. Is it too much to hope that your skill has a nifty solution lying around?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­¡± Terry started. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I can find a way to generate a weaponized version of the plant we added at the entrance, one that we can throw to the other side. That way, we can weaken it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I replied, pausing in consideration. ¡°Unfortunately, the dungeon bosses react to such presences violently. Unless we can make them strong enough to resist them, it won¡¯t work. Even then, all it would take to deal with it would be a visit from our enemy to clean it.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Terry replied.


    Before I could come up with another idea, I noticed Rebecca raising her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not a classroom, feel free to give your opinion,¡± I said, as kindly as possible due to her obvious hesitation.


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    ¡°W-what if we did the reverse?¡± she asked.


    I frowned, not understanding what she meant. ¡°Reverse as in attacking the first floor? That would have worked if we had the protection of the other entrance, but ¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she cut in. ¡°What if we improved our dungeon,¡± she said. ¡°Once you planted the trees, the fifth floor started to radiate a heavy aura of¡­¡±


    ¡°Decay,¡± I completed, my eyes widening. It was a simple solution, but a potentially effective one. ¡°That might work. It¡¯ll take some time to forge a strong pillar radiating the necessary aura, but if I set up ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Professor,¡± Terry interrupted. ¡°I think Rebecca means to create a plant that will handle the same job. That way, not only will it be easier to copy, but we would also have thousands of farmers that can assist with the implementation.¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°Thanks. I have a tendency to miss the obvious from time to time,¡± I said, though that didn¡¯t prevent me from wondering whether it was my habit of complicating the problems, or my class.


    I had a strong suspicion that it was the second, especially with the rapid leveling I had just experienced, which was bound to have some effect.


    ¡°What exactly are we trying to create,¡± he asked.


    ¡°We want some plant that will copy the effects of the fifth floor,¡± I said. ¡°Something like this.¡± With this, I forged a small pole, one that radiated the exact same aura as the fifth floor. Then, I fed some mana through it, and the aura got even stronger.


    ¡°Essentially, that¡¯s the aim,¡± I said even as I moved away from the trees, and sank the pole to the ground before pulling back, testing the results. Immediately, several insect monsters rushed toward the pole, but contrary to my expectations, instead of attacking it, they just took a position near it, as if they were enjoying the comfort it provided.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a success,¡± Terry said as he looked at Rebecca. ¡°Amazing work.¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I did nothing. It¡¯s just an idea,¡± Rebecca replied, blushing.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a potential solution, and it¡¯s worth a lot,¡± I said. ¡°Especially with the time constraints that we¡¯re working with. Now, stay here and start working on the seed,¡± I said, then pointed at the large pile of shells and the giant claws. ¡°Feel free to use them to rapidly improve your skill as well if concentrated poison doesn¡¯t work as well,¡± I added. ¡°Three claws each should give you the boost you need. If that¡¯s not enough, we can discuss it when I return.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do, professor?¡± Terry said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a quick trip to the fifth floor, testing the viability of the solution,¡± I commented. ¡°We might not have the time to build enough pillars to make a difference for the whole dungeon, but we could build enough of them to have a limited effect,¡± I said. ¡°Especially if I throw enough mana to make a difference.¡±


    With that, I left the two to their discussion while I moved to my forge, and put my new skill to use by forging seven pillars, each embodying the concept of decay to the best of my ability.


    And, when it came to decay, my best was quite impressive, as not only was I bound to the dungeon of the same concept, but I also had a Mythic skill and a Class named after it, not to mention all the time I had spent in the dungeon.


    I left one of the pillars to them, and brought the other six with me. My first destination was the corner of the first floor. I killed the first swarm I came across until I left only one insect, and sank the six pillars around it, creating a hexagon pattern.


    The moment I did so, the insect had calmed down ¡­ almost tamed. It made no moves to breach the pillars, but it wasn¡¯t the fearful response it shared toward the dungeon plants. Instead, it stilled.


    Curious, I started pushing my mana through the pillars, enhancing the decay effect even more. The insect trembled in excitement ¡­ and started absorbing dungeon mist more aggressively. While the dungeon mist no longer blocked my sight, I could still sense it, just like how I sensed mana.


    I intensified the decay effect even more, and five minutes later, with an intense glow, it transformed into its armored variant.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± I said. Technically, what I had achieved here was extremely wasteful, but I didn¡¯t care about that. Not when it confirmed the viability of my method. Curious, I went down to the other floors, visiting them one by one to see if there were any immediate side effects.


    Admittedly, my experiment ¡ª if it deserved to be called that ¡ª was too short, but it was enough to see it had no direct impact.


    As for the show of benefits, it was even more apparent on the fifth floor. Weakened it might be, but the fifth floor had already contained the concept of decay, and the pillars reinforced the aura enough. A few tests with the larger variants of insects confirmed that the transformation effect worked just as well.


    Which meant that I had completed almost all of my preliminary checklist. The only problem was the reaction of the dungeon bosses, which had yet to spawn after their earlier destruction. ¡°Curious, it should have spawned more,¡± I said. But then, the breach was sapping the energy of the dungeon significantly.


    Maybe it was significant enough to prevent spawning more bosses.


    Either way, I had learned enough. I opened another gate, ready to go back to the fourth floor, hoping that Terry and Rebecca had similar results.

 Chapter 188

    I found Terry hunched over a makeshift worktable near the corner of the trees, while Rebecca was at the center, slowly growing a tree that had its branches wrapped around a claw from a lizard boss.


    Not wanting to interrupt her attempt to improve her skill, I walked to Terry, who had a focused frown on his face, lips pressed together in concentration. His thoughts were apparent, and so was the row of plants in front of him radiating the familiar aura of decay.


    He didn¡¯t only have a tree, however. There were several different types of plants, including reeds, mushrooms, and moss. Every single one of them radiated a faint yet discernible aura of decay.


    I approached quietly, curious to observe his progress as he put his new skill and stats to the test as he tried to balance growth and decay together. But then, my dreams were enough to remind me that such a thing was not as impossible as I wanted to believe.


    In my dreams, decay was as ubiquitous as electricity was before the Cataclysm.


    As I approached, I watched him snap a piece and throw it toward the insects, watching their reaction, which was mostly indifference. Not a surprise, as the faint aura of decay dispersed the moment the plant had lost its connection.


    ¡°Looks promising,¡± I commented as I approached, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Professor,¡± he said as he jerked in surprise, but it was quickly replaced with sadness when his gaze dipped down. ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with my approach. The plants are not as strong as I want them to be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be worried about. You just started experimenting,¡± I said.


    ¡°But, it shouldn¡¯t be like that. Not with a Legendary skill. Your pillars are much stronger.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting that not only did I have much more time to practice, but also I have a significant stat advantage over you. Then, there¡¯s my familiarity with the concept itself. Altogether, it¡¯s inevitable that the decaying aura will differ.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, dejected.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You have been sacrificing all this time to protect us, professor,¡± he said. ¡°You could have left us to die and left with the guards, but instead you stayed here. I had just hoped that I could pay you back.¡±


    ¡°And you have,¡± I said, patting his shoulder. ¡°Even before the class upgrade, your help was already valuable. You helped to organize the farmers when they were panicking, and you helped me run several initiatives. They might not have had flashy results, but they helped me to understand the System better, which in turn gave me some very valuable abilities.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡± he muttered.


    ¡°You want to have a more visible impact, at the frontlines,¡± I completed.


    He blushed. ¡°When you say it like that, it sounds bad. Like I¡¯m ungrateful.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said. ¡°The world is a dangerous place, and even without the suggestions from the System, it is easy to see the value of fighting against the monsters directly. It¡¯s one way to make an impact.¡± He nodded. ¡°You just need to remember that it¡¯s not the only way.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, professor,¡± he said, relief flickering in his eyes.


    I smiled as well, surprised by my own performance when it came to giving a pep talk, which was something that I was bad at in the past.


    But then, it was like the speech, wasn¡¯t it. He was affected not because of my words, but because of my achievements. I shrugged. It was an inevitable situation. ¡°Tell me. What exactly is the problem,¡± I said.


    ¡°They are not reacting to the presence of the plants the way I expected them to,¡± he said.


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    ¡°What if we empower the effect,¡± I suggested. ¡°Show me exactly what you are doing,¡± I said. ¡°Particularly, how are you using mana to raise the plants?¡±


    ¡°Like this,¡± he said and grew another reed, a choice I appreciated. Ultimately, the fifth floor was still a swamp, and reeds would fit the environment much better than the trees I was growing there forcibly.


    I carefully watched the process, not caring much about the mana movement, as my aim was to design a nice container that would allow me to use Observe. After all, why waste the opportunity to involve my Perk?


    ¡°Did you get it, professor?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. I repurposed one of the many useless metal items I had lying around, turning it into a thin box. ¡°Grow it again, here. The metal will allow me to use my Perk and watch it better.¡±


    He nodded, then grew another reed. This time, I closed my eyes and watched the process step by step. It was an interesting process. With forging, the main contribution of mana was to solidify into the crystalline structure, reinforcing it. However, the way Wisdom operated changed it somewhat, imbuing those same structures with a complicated web of features.


    The growth of the plants was different. The mana didn¡¯t create solid structures, nor did it just turn into nutrients like Health did whenever it was blasted directly. Instead, it split into several smaller streams, and imbued the necessary concepts with the plants. It was elegant, but complicated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change its nature. Just make it grow faster, use as little mana as you can manage,¡± I said.


    ¡°I just need to refill my mana first,¡± he said. Understandable, as the new classes came with pretty limited reserves.


    I could have grabbed a shell, but I paused. ¡°Wait a second,¡± I said and focused a yard ahead of him. Since the dungeon replenished my reserves constantly, yet absorbed all the mana from the environment, I wondered if I could create a small area with the reverse effect.


    I had to focus quite a bit, but it didn¡¯t work. Maybe I could try again with some kind of item, but for the moment, I had just pushed my mana out, turning it into a column. ¡°Just absorb it,¡± I said. It would have been wasteful, but since the dungeon recycled the rest, nothing was lost.


    ¡°You want me to grow it as slowly as possible?¡± Terry said, his brow furrowed. ¡°Similar to how we did with normal crops back then?¡±


    ¡°Essentially, yes. I need to understand how Tend differs from Nurture, as well as where mana gets used in the process. I can¡¯t copy it without first understanding it. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, professor,¡± he said, and grew another reed.


    ¡°Again,¡± I said.


    He repeated the same process a few times, each repeat giving me a better idea. For one, the transformation was interesting. Mana transformed into something softer, reminding me of the way Health changed under the influence of Legendary Nurture, but different as well.


    Ultimately, Health was ¡ª to the best of my understanding ¡ª a concentrated life force, which fitted perfectly with the plant. And, that assistance allowed the plant to devour the environmental mana alongside other fertilizers.


    However, under the control of the Tend skill, mana operated differently. It was focusing on certain parts of the plant, melding with certain parts of the cellulose structure while ignoring others, assisting the growth of the plant in a more controlled manner.


    Tend as a skill truly lived up to its name, granting a finer control than Nurture. Admittedly, it was probably overkill for a simple plant, especially if one was growing it ordinarily.


    ¡°Another, but this time, turn it into a spear as it grows,¡± I said.


    He paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can achieve it.¡±


    ¡°Try it anyway,¡± I said, once again watching the process. This time, mana not only focused on very different locations, but also maintained a much more significant activity. ¡°Now, fire resistance,¡± I switched, which was followed by several different tricks.


    Admittedly, the details were too complicated to understand at a glance, which meant my understanding was limited, but with the memory enhancement from Wisdom, it didn¡¯t matter.


    I just memorized the different methods, to be analyzed more in detail as I experimented.


    I had many different tests, so before they were complete, Rebecca arrived, her previous task complete. ¡°How was the improvement?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°It has just reached twenty-five,¡± she declared happily. ¡°You were right. The more complicated the nature of the transformation, and the bigger the project, the bigger the reward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± I said, somewhat frustrated that my own skill was still lingering somewhat behind. But then, it was to be expected, as Nurture was easier to raise than Forge as well. ¡°Do you want to take over for Terry while he takes a turn improving his proficiency?¡±


    ¡°Yes, professor,¡± she declared happily, enthusiastic to help.


    Terry looked reluctant to stop, but I spoke before he could reject the offer. ¡°Go and improve your proficiency. The stronger your skill, the more you can guide me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, professor,¡± Terry said, slightly miffed, but not enough to argue. He turned and left, leaving Rebecca behind.


    ¡°What¡¯s the task, professor?¡± she asked, excited.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do your best to display various tricks of your skill to teach me,¡± I said. ¡°Boring, I know, but useful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to help you, professor,¡± Rebecca said excitedly.


    I barely suppressed a frustrated sigh. As much as I appreciated their helpfulness, the overly respectful attitude was getting annoying.


    Maybe it would get better as we interacted more.

 Chapter 189

    For the next hour, Rebecca and Terry took turns using their Mana Tend skill in various ways, allowing me to learn it. Naturally, what I had learned was nowhere near the full capabilities of what the skill offered. Each plant type had a different way of growth, which was then complicated further by the objective.


    I learned how to copy some of their tricks at best, and even that was only possible due to the combined assistance of Wisdom-enhanced memory as well as the experiments with my own Legendary Nurtu re.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for a test,¡± I said. ¡°Feel free to correct me for any mistakes.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, professor,¡± Terry declared.


    I touched the seed that was supposed to grow into a reed.


    [-25 Mana]


    The reed started to grow from its tiny seed, before a blast of rot spread over its surface, and it collapsed into a sludge.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fair to say that was a failure,¡± I said. ¡°Any idea what happened?¡±


    Rebecca approached it first, examining it closely. ¡°The decay was too strong, and it overwhelmed the organic material.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably the fault of my Wisdom, adding some extra power,¡± I commented even as I repeated the same process, amused that, just a day ago, I was trying to find a way to apply Wisdom, and now I was dealing with the opposite problem.


    Three more attempts where I increased the amount of mana I was pushing while reducing the conceptual intensity, and I ended up with a reed that was glowing with a strong aura of decay, no worse than the attack of an ordinary insect. ¡°Success,¡± I celebrated.


    One that came with an external reward.


    [-125 Mana]


    [Nurture (Legendary) 53 -> 55]


    I stood and examined the result, scratching my chin thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s a good preliminary result.¡±


    ¡°Sir, that¡¯s ten times better than our best work,¡± Rebecca commented. ¡°All we need now is to find a way to transfer those properties to the seed, and we can ¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s only because of the stat advantage,¡± I commented. ¡°The process is still raw. We have created this in less than an hour. Why not spend a few extra minutes and get a better product before we start propagating it..¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Rebecca admitted.


    ¡°Any idea how to progress from here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Maybe we can heal it as we go along?¡± Terry suggested. ¡°That way, it can get sufficiently strong before letting things go.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rebecca cut in. ¡°If we go at it that way, the plant will continuously heal the damage it causes, which will significantly reduce the potential. It would have worked for a small garden, but I think the professor needs it for much larger areas.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I responded. ¡°It¡¯s more important to have them propagate easily rather than being singularly great.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can layer the decay effect slowly before letting it grow fully, and use the seed to raise the next generation,¡± Rebecca replied.


    ¡°Some kind of selective breeding. Excellent idea,¡± I said. For a biologist, even with the fastest-growing species, it would have taken years. For us, it took less than ten minutes.


    Unfortunately, the results were not as good as we had hoped.


    ¡°No, the changes don''t translate to the next generation,¡± Terry admitted in frustration after he examined several tenth-generation products. ¡°No matter how we modify it, the seed is identical to the mother plant.¡±


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    ¡°Meaning, all the changes we do are at a surface level,¡± I said. ¡°We might need to find a better way. Maybe we can create a stronger variety with cross-breeding before modifying.¡±


    Terry frowned. ¡°That complicates things. We don¡¯t know what helps a plant to resist the magical rot,¡± he admitted. ¡°It¡¯ll take a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the way things go sometimes,¡± I said. ¡°Not all projects have immediate results. We have discovered a quick way to maximize Nurture, which is a Legendary skill, with the potential to adapt to other farmers through various tools. And, once we find how to carry those traits generationally, it¡¯ll be another amazing breakthrough.¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Yeah, I just need to create an experimental setup like you described in your notes ¡ª¡± he started to admit.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Rebecca cut in. We both turned toward her, surprised by her uncharacteristic burst. She blushed. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Terry asked.


    ¡°You have something in mind,¡± I stated instead. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    She blushed even more under my attention, but still continued. ¡°Can¡¯t we just copy the way you handle the giant furnaces,¡± Rebecca asked. ¡°I have watched how they operate. The other workers handle the critical processes, from mining to melting. You use your mana to transform the molten mixture, and the others handle the final shaping.¡±


    ¡°True, but with the modifications not transferring ¡ª¡± I started, only to slap my head for missing the obvious. ¡°I can just transform the seeds en masse, and leave the rest to the farmers,¡± I added, realizing what she was going for.


    ¡°Well, either that, or we focus on propagating through cuttings, we just need to create another tree that will function well in the deep swamp,¡± she added. ¡°Isn¡¯t it faster than trying to find a way to modify the seeds?¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Terry responded, defeated. ¡°I was just too excited about the idea.¡±


    ¡°It happens to every scientist,¡± I said. ¡°Sometimes, the excitement of discovering something is too important. But, you don¡¯t need to sound that down. You still need to conduct your research.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s like how I¡¯m still working on how to create a method that could go without my involvement. Removing critical bottlenecks like that is always a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We can start with a plant nursery ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Later,¡± I cut him, chuckling at his enthusiasm. ¡°For the moment, we need to focus on the quick solution to see if it can help the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you have in mind to follow up on your great idea?¡± Terry asked Rebecca.


    She shook her head in panic. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that great. I¡¯m sure you would have come up with it eventually.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± I replied. ¡°Your intervention was necessary. I have a tendency to get lost in complex ideas, and it looks like Terry does as well. There was every chance that we would have focused on solving the complex issue and missed the quicker solution.¡±


    That made her blush even worse. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that important.¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± I said, realizing her lack of self-confidence was something that needed to be addressed gently. Once again, I was glad for Wisdom, helping me to catch the underlying problem that I could have missed just as easily.


    If I had that ability back before the Cataclysm, maybe I might have maintained a better research group. Looking back, I wondered how many problems could have been prevented if I was able to catch these types of problems in time.


    Not that it mattered at this point, other than helping Rebecca feel more confident. ¡°You have already identified the similarities between my mass-produced production and this. Just continue on that line of thought.¡±


    She paused for a long while before she spoke. ¡°What if I¡¯m wrong?¡± she added in a soft tone.


    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in that. That¡¯s the point of working together. Just like how I missed the most obvious point earlier, you¡¯ll make mistakes. The important part is to accept the mistake, pay attention to the result, and do your best to fix it.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she admitted. ¡°We first need to test your power on both a tree, and the reeds, to see if there¡¯s a better method to grow the plants. Then, once you modify the seed, we can set up a large plant nursery where a team of farmers will work on rotation, using their Health to enhance the growth until they reach a sufficient size, and another team transplants them to the target location,¡± she said.


    ¡°A good start,¡± I said.


    ¡°A start?¡± she asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it work?¡±


    ¡°It will, but there are many operational details to be handled. Since Terry will be busy with his project of hereditary transference, you have to be responsible for managing the plant nursery. Do you think you can handle it?¡±


    She was hesitant, but she still nodded. ¡°I can,¡± she declared.


    Her attempt to sound confident was an abject failure, but I let that slide. ¡°Do you have any ideas about the structure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Do we have to focus on swamp plants?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not necessarily. Why?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Even equipped, the fifth floor will be too dangerous for most of the farmers, but the same isn¡¯t true for the first floor. That way, the teams can operate without your supervision as well.¡±


    I was about to refuse, but then I stopped. Ultimately, the dungeon floors were not truly independent, and strengthening the other floors could have beneficial effects on the fifth floor as well. And, even if it did not, enhancing the monsters¡¯ strength would still help improve the power of my not-so-small army.


    A beautiful situation all around.


    ¡°Excellent idea, but let¡¯s focus on the third floor rather than the first. We don¡¯t want to make the entrance too dangerous just in case. Now, let¡¯s talk specifics,¡± I said.


    This time, Rebecca¡¯s smile was more honest.

 Chapter 190

    ¡°It¡¯s fascinating how much can change in a day,¡± I whispered as I watched several different teams operate in the previously barren land of the third floor.


    I didn¡¯t have the chance to help Rebecca after she was assigned her task once we completed her initial set of experiments, forged the necessary equipment, and approved the assignment of the workforce under her command. It would have been fun, but I had more critical tasks, like actually working on my own skills. With the availability of boss-grade material, I was able to focus on both Reformation and Shaper, gaining quite a few points in both.


    [Reformation of Quintessence (Legendary) - 44


    Shaper of Quintessence (Legendary) - 57]


    And, as an added benefit, it had expanded our reserves of high quality weapons significantly.


    I started examining the operation more in detail. The first teams operated steam-powered farming trucks, digging deep holes every ten yards, while following tankers filled them with water, which they brought from outside the dungeon. Together, they had prepared the land for farming, where a third, more crowded team followed with steam carts, each filled with two-foot tall cacti, each radiating an impressive aura of decay. All the while, a fourth team circled around the whole operation, making sure there was no beast swarm causing trouble.


    Smart allocation. While every single worker was armed and armored, there was no point risking lives. The last thing we needed was the sudden appearance of a swarm attacking them.


    Altogether, there were almost five hundred farmers toiling the land, a dark, sickly green spreading through the previously barren land, a growth that was as beautiful as it was dangerous. Already, I could feel the spread of the concept of decay that surpassed the fourth floor. It had not yet reached the fifth floor¡¯s standards, but I could sense that it was not too far off.


    Too bad five hundred people were all I could allocate for the operation.


    I wished there were more workers to help with our experiment, but the situation didn¡¯t allow for it. Outside the dungeon, the relocation efforts were already going on, as well as the construction of six different settlements at the outskirts of the mountain, as well as the web of railroads that connected them ¡ª with plans to further connect them through dungeon gates, which increased their security significantly.


    It was another project that was progressing well without the slightest intervention from me.


    Technically, I could have allocated more, but ultimately, it didn¡¯t seem critical to assign such a force to the third floor, not when it was still an experiment.


    And, for the fifth floor, we had a different plan. Speaking of it, I changed my direction toward the large building right next to the gate leading to the second floor. It was time to see if the material necessary for my plan was ready.


    Covering the distance didn¡¯t take long, and soon, I was in the prototype plant nursery, which currently only had one main hall, where Rebecca and sixteen other farmers were working on two plant beds, one large, the other small.


    Just as the tools they had used, the metal beds were perfected after working together with Terry and Rebecca for another four hours, creating a workable path for different plants.


    For cacti, the best path was for me to imbue a large batch of seeds at once. It didn¡¯t result in the strongest plants due to the limitations of the project, but it allowed me to check out the process after imbuing a huge batch.


    The rest had been handled in two steps. A small group, under the leadership of Rebecca, focused on growing the cacti to a certain size carefully, and then a second team took over their planting.


    It would have been better to do it in one step, but there, we had hit a snag. The number of Farmers that were capable of handling the first step was surprisingly low. Admittedly, it wasn¡¯t a surprise, as I had long ago realized that most people weren¡¯t capable of selectively ignoring the suggestions from their skills, which was partially about their inherent strength, but mostly about their way of thinking.


    It was why we split the operation into many steps, complicating it needlessly.


    This time, Rebecca wasn¡¯t working with cacti. Instead, she was standing in front of several large, healthy saplings that were taller than a yard, alternating between pushing her mana to it and Meditating.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°It looks like progress,¡± I said, interrupting her thoughts. She just flinched in surprise, while the other members of the team took a step back, giving a hasty bow in the process. I just nodded at their exaggerated display, knowing that speaking wouldn¡¯t help.


    ¡°Professor, you¡¯re here just in time. I was going to send you a message.¡±


    ¡°Good news, I hope,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t have any doubt about it, not with the way she had been shivering with excitement.


    ¡°Yes, professor,¡± she declared. ¡°I think I have cracked the changes that are needed for mangrove trees,¡± she said as she pointed at the large tree. ¡°Well, pseudo-mangrove is a better name, properly, as I started with a willow tree before modifying it to work better in a swamp.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°But, I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s not the only change you have made, or it wouldn¡¯t have worked. What other surprises do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°I decided to go with grafting,¡± she replied. ¡°The main trunk still comes from the modified willow trees, but I had noticed that surgically adding a small sliver from the anti-corrosion to the core significantly strengthens its resistance, so even without enhancing its vitality, it works.¡±


    ¡°Sounds interesting. Any problem?¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Only that it takes several minutes to prepare each sapling, and it requires Tend to be used at every step. I hope the others can learn, but it¡¯s a work in progress.¡±


    ¡°Let me test it,¡± I said before dousing one of the saplings with my mana, transforming its nature as we had figured. It started to strongly radiate decay. More importantly, it didn¡¯t collapse once I pulled back. ¡°Excellent work,¡± I replied, amused that it was so similar to my own composite work. ¡°Once I confirm that they work as effectively as we hope, I can try crafting some tools to help the others copy the process.¡±


    ¡°Until then, I¡¯ll focus on creating more saplings, professor,¡± she declared.


    ¡°A good idea, but don¡¯t neglect improving your abilities in the process. Don¡¯t rest on your laurels after one success,¡± I warned her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t sir,¡± she added proudly. It was good to see her act more confident after her first, admittedly impressive, research project.


    As much as I wanted to stay and chat, maybe even figure out the exact details of the grafting process, confirming the validity of the process was more important. I opened a direct gate near the breach, gathered sixty of the saplings, leaving only three behind, and went through the portal.


    And, ended up facing the breach.


    Things had calmed down since my previous visit. The initial line of trees, repelling the fire mist, was doing their work well enough to give me a direct view of the breach even from a distance. The size of the breach had long stabilized, and the destructive energies at the edge of the breach had been reduced significantly. It was still not large enough to allow the passage of a boss monster, but it was close.


    I hoped my new trick would work, because the last thing I needed was the attacks from boss monsters ruining my fragile defensive line. A big problem, especially since, for the last day, there had been no new boss monster generated by my dungeon. Nor had the aura of decay reached its earlier state.


    ¡°Hopefully, you¡¯ll solve at least one of those problems,¡± I said to the first sapling as I buried it in the swamp. Any other plant would have started to rot the moment it touched the land that was packed with the harmful magical energies of Decay, but I could feel the sapling perk up. Even without my energy, it would have grown to a certain degree.


    Not that I had the time to allow that. I closed my eyes, focusing on the method I had practiced with my two students. Both my mana and my Health flowed toward the target, the former to change its nature, and the latter to boost its growth and enhance its vitality.


    As the combined energies infused its being, the sapling rapidly turned into a giant tree, one that radiated a strong aura of Decay, enough to create a localized aura of it, stronger than the natural environment.


    Significantly so.


    [-622 Health]


    [-3000 Mana]


    [Nurture (Legendary) 83 -> 97]


    ¡°First step, success,¡± I said and I ate a nutrient bar, glad that my Vitality had reached a point that recovering that much Health didn¡¯t take too much time. I didn¡¯t even wait to recover it fully before I moved fifty yards away, and buried the second sapling in place.


    [-532 Health]


    [-3000 Mana]


    [Nurture (Legendary) 97 -> 103]


    As I had focused on growing the second tree, a group of insects had already circled around the first one. I watched, afraid that they would attack, but instead, the terrestrial insects gathered around it, while the flying ones perched on its branches, similar to how they would react to the presence of a boss monster.


    I focused on my work, but before it reached completion, I had to pause. As a long-ingrained habit, I was constantly checking the dungeon entrance remotely, only to see one of the agreed signals. A situation of the highest importance, but not one that needed to be responded to immediately.


    I decided to respond to it once I finished growing the tree line.


    Once I finished growing all sixty of them, each radiating a thick aura of decay, I examined the breach once more, happily noting that the energy flow between the two dungeons had changed. The flame dungeon was still the superior one, but the difference had been flattened somewhat. My skill improvement was an ever-welcome benefit as well.


    [Nurture (Legendary) - 163]


    ¡°A thousand such trees should reverse the trend,¡± I said as I examined the flow, making a small adjustment to the plan. I stopped by the forge for a few minutes, forging a new set of equipment that was designed to assist the grafting process.


    Only after dropping them off with Rebecca, did I move outside, and saw Harold already waiting for me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We have envoys, sir,¡± he said. ¡°Our scouts report that the closest party will be here in an hour at most.¡±


    ¡°Closest party?¡± I asked.


    ¡°As far as we can detect ¡­ there are five different groups approaching us, sir.¡±


    I sighed. It looked like I would finally be dealing with politics. How distasteful¡­

 Chapter 191

    ¡°So, do we have any idea about the identity of the arriving parties,¡± I asked Harold as we moved down the mountain, riding one of the primitive trains. It was good to see the mountain housing multiple railroads, each leading to one of the six towns on the outskirts ¡ª which I eventually planned to turn into a giant mana trap, assuming I solved some of the technical challenges.


    At this point, only two of those rail lines had been completed enough to allow movement, and we were riding one of them down.


    ¡°Until now, we are only able to identify the flag of the Asterion City, sir,¡± Harold replied as he looked down. ¡°Their culture is what you¡¯ll call ¡­ regressive,¡± he said. ¡°Things are different between frontier towns like you have been living and true cities. Unlike the towns, they had embraced the transformation radically.¡±


    That didn¡¯t surprise me. I had already determined that the cultural assimilation effect from the System is dependent on levels, so the cultural drift was something I had predicted. However, that didn¡¯t mean I had the details.


    ¡°Give me a summary of what you know,¡± I asked. I was annoyed at the naming sense. It was another sign of abandoning our culture wholeheartedly to adapt to some kind of medieval fantasy, and not even one that reflected our own medieval times.


    ¡°They are built deeper inland. The main city is built in a valley surrounded by a mountain range. There are multiple famous dungeons around them, but that¡¯s all I know, as no one but people that they deemed to be of noble rank are even allowed to approach.¡±


    ¡°How about their military?¡±


    ¡°They are famous for their knight legion, but whether it¡¯s a Class or just a social rank, I don¡¯t know. The opinions are split. I had previously believed it was just a rank, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Considering what I had learned about class transformations and other opportunities, it¡¯s likely that it¡¯s about Class. There were rumors of them recruiting certain classes, but only if the target was sufficiently low-leveled.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°I know that their outer city is not a fun place to live for anyone, regardless of class, but that¡¯s all I know. If I may, I have a question of my own.¡± I nodded, allowing him to speak. ¡°Are you determined to host them in a tent away from the towns? It¡¯ll be taken as an insult.¡±


    ¡°Likely so,¡± I replied. ¡°But, I can¡¯t have a bunch of fighter classes walk around and ruin all the progress I had made about the System-indoctrination. Our Farmers are finally feeling confident enough to show initiative. I don¡¯t want to ruin it.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, sir,¡± he replied. He looked unconvinced, but he didn¡¯t repeat his argument. Which was good, as it was one point I wasn¡¯t willing to budge on. While I had no intention of maintaining such a separation forever, I could until I had the time to analyze the phenomenon more.


    And, I could certainly pick better candidates than a group of medieval knights known for their classist attitude.


    We rode the train to the town, ignoring the landscape. The lizard remains were gone, collected, and stored in large warehouses for future projects, but the devastation that they had left behind was still there. The landscape was still covered with the ashy remains of the endless fires they had triggered with their aura, and the tainted aura still clung around the mountain like a dark cloud despite my aggressive consumption to maintain the dungeon.


    It was also one of the reasons why I was traveling with a train rather than running down myself after talking with Harold. Standing still, I was able to activate my Meditation, which allowed me to absorb and transform tainted energy ¡ª which went significantly faster with my increased Wisdom and improved skill.


    ¡°The construction is going well,¡± I said as the train stopped outside the walls, and we stepped off.


    ¡°It¡¯s going better than expected,¡± Harold said. ¡°With the third industrial furnace in operation, we have an abundance of metal, and all the farmers with Rare skills means our lumber resources are even more abundant.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I said as I looked at the town, which was already more complete than the previous town that had been destroyed by the monster horde after evacuation. A part of it was the level difference, but not the biggest one.


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    No, that honor went to the enthusiasm of the people. Every single person who stayed had just put their best against an overwhelming monster horde, still riding the high of their success. Moreover, they were aware that they weren¡¯t constructing just another frontier town just there to fund the expensive items of a few spoiled nobles. No, they were building a home.


    There was no better source of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Should we move to the tent, sir? That way, you can check the preparations before the envoys¡¯ arrival.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can cover the ground with metal plates ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Already done, sir,¡± Harold said.


    ¡°Good thinking,¡± I said. ¡°And, is the central room I asked for ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Those, I supervised myself.¡±


    ¡°Good work,¡± I said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you check the security around the tent while I make a small change there.¡±


    Harold nodded before he moved toward there, while I entered the town. All around me, people bowed and saluted, which was annoying, but I let it slide. My failure with the guards had shown me the risks of careless social management, so I left it alone until I could allocate some proper attention and solve the problem.


    Soon, I arrived at the center of the town, where the building I asked for lay. Though, calling it a building was a stretch at best. It was more of a giant safe. ¡°Sir,¡± greeted the guards.


    ¡°At ease. I¡¯m just here to check the construction for a moment,¡± I said as I put my hand on the safe, opening the first door. I stepped in, but before I could close it, I felt a familiar presence. ¡°Welcome,¡± I greeted her once I slammed the thick metal door shut, leaving me alone with her.


    ¡°You took your time,¡± Rosie said as she appeared without obstruction once more.


    ¡°The alert was for non-emergency, so I finished the tasks in hand,¡± I said as I unlocked the second and the third doors.


    ¡°Still ¡ª¡± she started, but I gestured to her to stop.


    ¡°Give me a second. This is the first time I¡¯m opening a gate so far away from the main one,¡± I said. At this distance, the replenishment rate from the dungeon had dropped below five seconds, which was not ideal considering the risk of the diplomatic encounter not staying entirely peaceful.


    I had no idea how the cities would react to my position. If we were going on exact technicalities, there should be no problem. The situation still roughly followed Maria¡¯s initial agreement. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t naive enough to have that hope. The moment stakes had changed, all those nice agreements were null and void.


    Yet another problematic aspect of humanity that I couldn¡¯t blame the System for. How could I, when the history was filled with such examples, from aggressive business takeovers to actual genocides.


    So, I wanted to open a gate as insurance, which could not only be used to evacuate the town if things developed according to the worst case, but it would also supply me with more mana.


    I closed my eyes, reaching for the dungeon to create another gate. Just as I expected, greater distance meant it was harder to open a gate. I had to stand still for almost a minute before the comforting blue gate opened, leaving me slightly tired.


    But, the reward was worth it. I felt my connection with the dungeon snap back to full force, giving me the confidence that my mana would be replenished in an instant. I touched the floor, pushing out my mana to reinforce the metal walls far above my apprentices could handle.


    With my Shaper above fifty, I had many new options to reinforce the walls. I had focused on general durability above anything else, planning to melt the doors back into the walls once I left.


    ¡°Since I arrived late, you should have already checked all approaching forces. What¡¯s the status?¡±


    ¡°We have representatives from four cities approaching, and a fifth force that I¡¯ve yet to identify,¡± Rosie said, the last part underlined with frustration.


    ¡°Who are they, and what¡¯s their arrival status, and how much of a problem will they be?¡±


    ¡°The first group is a team of mounted knights from Asterion. They¡¯ll arrive in less than an hour, while the rest can range from a few hours to a few days depending on their speed, and whether they will want to join to turn it into a larger diplomatic event, or wait for the results first,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is that likely?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Asterion isn¡¯t the closest city here, so the fact that they are the first arrival might not be a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°The others have positioned themselves close enough to intervene if Asterion made headway, but far enough away that they have a chance to adjust. Why doesn¡¯t Asterion do the same? They could have arranged a team from one of the towns, right?¡±


    ¡°Knowing them, they sent a team of spoiled scions with overblown egos that refrain from such tactics.¡±


    ¡°Harold already gave me a general breakdown of them, so that doesn¡¯t surprise me. They seem to be quite elitist. Wouldn¡¯t it be a problem that I¡¯m a blacksmith?¡±


    ¡°Not if you threaten to melt their armor. They value them pretty highly,¡± Rosie guaranteed.


    ¡°How about the other teams? What kind of forces have they brought along?¡±


    ¡°Apart from the unknown, we have a full cohort from Drakka, who will be considerably finickier to handle. Vessalia has sent a team of mages with their bodyguards, which is not too big of a problem in a mana-dead location unless they are equipped with expensive mana storage items. And Tristelion ¡­ well, that¡¯ll be a complete surprise depending on which guilds have the upper hand currently.¡±


    ¡°Sounds complicated,¡± I said as I moved to leave the room, gesturing for her to follow. Once she stepped out, I had bathed the doors with my mana, melding them into the walls so that brute force was the only option to breach.


    ¡°Do you need a detailed summary of each city?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That will be exceedingly helpful,¡± I replied, ready for a lecture¡­

 Chapter 192

    ¡°So, you need a breakdown of the cities,¡± Rosie said. ¡°Beware that what I know is limited, and mostly from indirect sources. I know that Horizon has connections with some of the cities, so I did my best to stay away from them.¡±


    ¡°Limited knowledge is better than no knowledge,¡± I said. ¡°The best I have is a pile of rejected applications from research institutes ¡ª¡± I started, only to notice Rosie reacting to that reference more than I expected. ¡°Spill,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not all of your applications might have reached the research institutes,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°I see,¡± I said as I looked at her, feeling frustrated. I wanted to feel angry, but unfortunately, the mention of a possible connection with Horizon was enough to answer my unasked question. She blocked them to keep me hidden from them, probably due to a mixture of protective instinct and distrust rolled together.


    Moreover, I actually believed her argument about Horizon having connections with the cities. The peace wards didn¡¯t just spontaneously appear.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t blocked all of them. Mostly, I have just intercepted them to change the name and some of the details, enough to make it difficult to identify,¡± she clarified quickly.


    I sighed. ¡°That, I can understand. It¡¯s not like they would have bothered to hire anyone without Intelligence in the first place. I had been stubborn back then.¡± A supernatural stubbornness, related to the constant brainwashing magical effect, but who cared about such details. ¡°But, let¡¯s focus on the present: our approaching envoys. Harold already gave me a breakdown of Asterion, about how they operate based on some kind of knight culture. Do you have anything to add?¡±


    ¡°They will be the ones most interested in the metal you produce, not anything else,¡± she said.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said.


    ¡°Unfortunately, they will probably try to get it as some kind of tribute rather than doing actual trade, not to mention demanding to bring some of the blacksmiths back with them.¡±


    ¡°Would it be too naive to assume a good salary is on the table,¡± I asked.


    She snorted. ¡°Good one,¡± she said. ¡°They are not exactly famous for being kind to their production classes, not that they have many other than their farmers. They are lucky enough to have multiple dungeons that drop a lot of currency, and several known System stores. But, mana alloys will be attractive for them. For repairs if nothing else.¡±


    ¡°So, beat the spoiled kids they send to meet with us and hope that they send adults next time instead of a subjugation force.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Rosie said. ¡°Luckily, none of the parties actually sent any ascended.¡±


    ¡°How certain are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Very. True ascended have a subtle presence around them, one that I would have caught unless they managed to get their hands on some pretty rare artifacts,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s as certain as we can hope for in our situation.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re lucky,¡± I said.


    ¡°More than you think, but not the way you think,¡± she said.


    ¡°How so,¡± I said.


    ¡°The guards you have let go,¡± she said. ¡°I managed to eavesdrop on the Asterion envoys. It seems that they have managed to capture some of those guards and interrogate them.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    ¡°Their reports revealed nothing more than a ragtag group of farmers led by an upstart blacksmith, the kind of force that would have been squashed under just a couple of boss monsters, not repelled by an army of them. So, they are pretty convinced that you have a hidden force of elites you had never revealed to those guards, which you released as bait.¡±


    I nodded, not knowing what to think. It was a weird feeling to benefit somewhat from one of my greatest failures. Of course, that didn¡¯t make it a good move. Rosie didn¡¯t say it openly, but the underlying message was clear.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    I wouldn¡¯t have been dealing with the other cities so soon if I handled that situation better. Compared to that, not dealing with ascended elites was a consolation prize at best.


    ¡°How about the other cities,¡± I asked. ¡°You mentioned something mixed about Drakka.¡±


    ¡°They are more of a military dictatorship above anything else. They are near the sea, which means they are dealing with stronger beasts regularly,¡± she said. ¡°That led to a more structured command culture, but lacking flexibility,¡± she said. ¡°Imagine a fifteen-year-old idea of ancient Rome.¡±


    ¡°Sounds unappealing,¡± I said.


    ¡°Because it is,¡± she said. ¡°The only good thing is the distinction between combat and production classes is relatively more even. Unfortunately, both are treated as plebs by anyone lucky enough to have Charisma, who therefore get an automatic promotion to Commander.¡±


    ¡°A city full of Thomas clones?¡±


    ¡°Not that incompetent,¡± she said. ¡°Their proximity to the sea is a bigger problem than you realize. The area near the ocean is truly vicious, so anyone that incompetent doesn¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°Why do they stay that close to the sea?¡±


    ¡°Because there are multiple hard-to-access System stores near the shores, enough to make the sacrifices worth it. Both combat and production classes are subject to conscription to escort their trade caravans.¡±


    ¡°Hence the military discipline,¡± I said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she replied.


    ¡°How about Vessalia?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have many System shops or high-quality dungeons near them. However, they are lucky enough to be situated at a crossroads between three leylines.¡±


    ¡°Leylines? What are those?¡±


    Rosie shook her head. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s hard to keep track of what you know and what you don¡¯t. Leylines are some kind of natural mana veins, carrying a lot of mana. With unrestricted access to three of them, Vessalia might be the only location that truly has an excess of mana.¡±


    ¡°So, they will want the Meditation skill stones.¡±


    ¡°Almost certainly. They are not exactly Rare, but the amount we can produce here is truly significant.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°They are isolationists,¡± she said. ¡°Lack of dangerous dungeons and excess of natural mana means their wards are strong enough to hold most of the threats behind. However, as a consequence, anyone not a mage is second-class.¡±


    ¡°How will they react to me?¡± I asked.


    She let out a frustrated growl. ¡°I have absolutely no idea,¡± she said. ¡°There''s an equal chance that they will respect you as a fellow spellcaster or treat you dismissively like some kind of abomination. What I know about them is very limited.¡±


    ¡°That only leaves Tristelion and the unknown party, then,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Tristelion is the city I know the most about, mostly because it was my strategy to expand there until ¡­¡± she added, pausing as she gestured toward the mountain, ¡°everything happened at once ruining it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The political landscape. Technically, the city has a lord, but it¡¯s by far the weakest one.¡±


    ¡°Does every city have a lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°It has something to do with some kind of special ruler class, but I don¡¯t know much about it,¡± she said. ¡°I tried to learn more, but failed spectacularly. They are pretty secretive about the details. Which is why Tristelion still has one, even though the true power rests with a large number of guilds, each controlling different aspects of the city. It¡¯s chaotic, with an ever-changing web of alliances, but¡­¡±


    ¡°That chaos creates opportunities for growth,¡± I guessed. ¡°Especially if one could monopolize a profitable dungeon, and some elite members like an exceptional fire mage.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Rosie admitted with a shrug. ¡°Maria is pretty much a diamond in terms of available recruits. Rare class, strong combat ability, and a cooperative personality. She¡¯s the kind of talent impossible to find without being attached to one of the forces.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t blame her. Knowing the details, the situation of Maria was pretty unique. I just hoped that her trip was going well.


    ¡°Any drawbacks about Tristelion?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only city where you have to worry about being shanked while walking in the streets,¡± she said. ¡°It has a lot of accessible dungeons, even the high-level ones, but not a lot of System shops, which creates a lot of dangerous fighters willing to throw down for market access.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been in a System shop?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, they keep them tightly locked,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to access without taking far bigger risks than I had been willing to. I don¡¯t even know how they look.¡±


    ¡°Frustrating,¡± I said. ¡°The world is changing around us, but we¡¯re still trying to squirrel away the tiniest benefits like rodents preparing for winter.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you really think,¡± Rosie laughed.


    ¡°Sorry, I can get emotional about it,¡± I replied. ¡°But, shouldn¡¯t you have a better idea about what to expect from Tristelion, with all the contacts you have?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s hard to know. The envoys are carrying the colors of the city lord, but it¡¯s certain that they are answering to one or two guild alliances. The trick is knowing which one.¡±


    ¡°Lovely,¡± I said. ¡°And, we have no idea about the identity of the last team?¡±


    ¡°Not the slightest. Luckily, they will arrive last, so we¡¯ll have time to check. But, we have wasted enough time. Let¡¯s move to the tent.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any complaints about it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s better to keep them away from the town. You¡¯ll fight better if there¡¯s no collateral to worry about.¡±


    ¡°What a resounding vote of confidence for a diplomatic meeting,¡± I responded.


    She just smiled ruefully.

 Chapter 193

    ¡°Do you want me to stay for the meeting, or disappear?¡± Rosie asked once we had taken our seats in the tent, waiting for the arrival of the envoys, who were about to arrive. We had continued to talk about the cities while we waited for them, but focused on more pertinent details, like what they would demand, and what they could give.


    ¡°You need to stay,¡± I decided after some consideration. ¡°I still know too little about the dynamics of the cities to navigate it without warning, not to mention dealing with any possible trade offer. And, I have a feeling a bunch of self-styled knights won¡¯t respect someone trying to make trade deals.¡±


    ¡°An accurate point,¡± Rosie reflected, then paused. ¡°It¡¯ll be tough enough for them to accept you as a lord ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Regent,¡± I cut her off. ¡°I changed my mind after listening to your explanation. I¡¯ll call myself the regent.¡±


    ¡°Why the sudden change?¡± Rosie asked. Harold, waiting at the entrance, said nothing, but his gaze showed the exact same attitude.


    ¡°Expediency based on the cities that are visiting us,¡± I said. ¡°Asterion is a city of knights, so they will probably see being defeated by a mere regent more shameful than challenging the ruler of a town,¡± I said. ¡°Also, it will probably make my status as a blacksmith more palatable.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Rosie admitted. ¡°And, I can see how it¡¯ll affect Vessalia. Declaring that the town is still ruled by an elite mage should be helpful for their pride. However, Drakka might act negatively about it. They will have treated you better if you¡¯re a lord ¡­ well, as much as anyone that couldn¡¯t command troops in battle.¡±


    ¡°That seems inevitable unless we have kept Thomas alive as a puppet,¡± I replied. ¡°How would the guilds react?¡±


    ¡°They will probably appreciate it,¡± Rosie answered. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone that understands ruling through a proxy, it¡¯s them.¡±


    I nodded, but before I could answer, Harold cut in. ¡°They are almost here,¡± he said.


    Rosie stood up and moved behind me. ¡°It¡¯ll look better if you were to greet them,¡± she said. Harold gestured to one of the guards to raise the flaps of the tents, allowing us to see their approach.


    I examined them as I sat at the head of the makeshift table in our diplomatic tent, my seat slightly higher than the others. I felt tenser than I did before I dived headlong into the monster army. At least, back then, there were no questions about how to act.


    Right now, I was about to meet the envoys that represented a military power whose limits I had no idea about. A perfect definition of being unqualified.


    Unfortunately, there was no one else that could take over. Eleanor and Maria were still away, Rosie was far more effective with her abilities without being pushed forward, and Harold lacked the raw power to handle the position.


    As for putting one of my students ¡­ they would have been eaten alive.


    I continued examining the group. It was smaller than I had expected. Twenty-three people, though based on their armor, only three of them seemed to be the actual diplomatic party, rest of them were the guards. The guards wore solid plate armor, with the only ornament on their right shoulder, displaying a black sword in front of a shining sun.


    As far as the symbolism went, it was quite obvious.


    I turned my attention to the three that wore silver-alloy armor with large, lavish tabards carrying the same symbol, with only the color of the sword changing. For two of them, the sword was silver, while for the last one, it was gold.


    Their attitude confirmed that it reflected the hierarchy between them.


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    Curious whether that extended to their armor, I silently used Observe on them, doing my best to channel through the metal floors, careful to keep the intensity low, as I had long learned that using them directly was disrespectful. While I was not examining their levels, just their armor, the same principle still applied. But, the newly constructed floor had enough mana fluctuations to hide it. And, since they had no mages with them, it was an acceptable risk.


    Unfortunately, it only worked for the guards, as the other three had some kind of magical effect to bounce it. Not a surprise. I spent a few seconds examining their armor before I stopped the effect.


    My first judgment. It was good enough to surpass my works before I had upgraded to Shaper, with several additional enchantments to make it even more superior.


    No wonder they were famous for their armor.


    As much as I wanted to examine their armor in more detail, I had to turn my attention to the leaders of the party. All three were young, probably younger than twenty, which I would have appreciated if it wasn¡¯t for the smug curl of their lips as they looked around. The condescension in their attitude couldn¡¯t have been more obvious if they shouted.


    Young and arrogant. Never a good combination, but it was particularly ill-fitting for a diplomatic meeting, which gave me a good idea of how they positioned the situation.


    Harold cleared his throat, preparing to announce them, but one of the two with the silver blade symbol spoke first with a sharp sneer, just shy of disgust. ¡°We are Sir Roland and Sir Evan, envoys of the glorious city of Asterion. And, this is Lord Leona Asterion, the glorious leader of our mission.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome under the flag of parley,¡± I said. I gave Harold a signal to pull back. I didn¡¯t know the exact social structure of the city, but either way, having a young lord carrying the same name as the city was not good news. ¡°As the regent of our town, I promise no blade will be raised as long as you respect our peace.¡±


    ¡°Are you the blacksmith?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, my Lord. I have that fate,¡± I replied.


    The disgust that appeared on the face of Leona Asterion didn¡¯t fill me with confidence about finding a satisfying diplomatic resolution, nor the speed his expression twisted. ¡°Where¡¯s your Lord, so that I can discuss his annexation properly,¡± he declared, not even bothering to take his seat.


    And, just like that, the embers of my hope had died as well. ¡°Unfortunately, my Lady is currently not in town, and I¡¯m not authorized to make such decisions,¡± I said.


    ¡°What if I insist,¡± he said as he took a step forward threateningly, his hand on his blade. At the same time, a pressure slammed at me, which I recognized as Charisma. I felt my body tighten as the fear invaded, making it difficult to focus.


    Behind me, I could feel Rosie ready to act, but I was able to move enough to give her a signal to stand down. His Charisma was significantly more intense than Thomas, but that didn¡¯t mean I was helpless. Especially since he didn¡¯t block my External skills.


    Also, as I didn¡¯t collapse under his spiritual pressure, his disgust was lessening significantly, which I counted as a benefit.


    I decided to push my luck to one bet, one that relied on that he was just as brash and arrogant as he had been displaying, and it was not a gambit. The emotional awareness given to my Wisdom told me that it was a genuine reaction, but I couldn¡¯t assume it to be absolute.


    ¡°Then, with my great regret, I would have to take that as a declaration of war, and act accordingly,¡± I declared.


    ¡°You think you can stand against the might of Asterion!¡± he declared, his voice sharp. Roland and Evan joined him with their glare, but without the metaphysical pressure of Charisma, it was easier to ignore.


    ¡°No, Lord Asterion, I expect to die, along with every single person in the town,¡± I responded. ¡°But the honor my lady extended by declaring me her regent deserves nothing less.¡±


    Naturally, if it came to that, I fully expected to stay alive and protect them, but I was betting that they wouldn¡¯t risk killing me, not when they had come here for those resources, and playing the honor angle would suddenly turn any attempt to take over the town into a total war.


    His flash of frustration confirmed the viability of my path, one that I could have detected even without the assistance of Wisdom, which further confirmed his poor viability when it came to diplomatic activities.


    That said, I couldn¡¯t help but question why I was dealing with him rather than any other opponent. Was it a good way to send a future leader away to get some experience, or a way to keep him away from the city?


    ¡°I accept those terms, but you have to face one of my soldiers in a duel. Of course, I¡¯m not an unfair lord. All you have to do is last for a minute. If you can¡¯t even that much, there¡¯s no point in waiting.¡±


    Immediately, I was sure that the threat of annexation had been delayed until the return of Maria. I didn¡¯t expect to be defeated. Also, if I could be defeated in single combat despite all the advantages I stacked, there was no point trying to resist either. As for resisting for a minute, it was a given. Their weapons wouldn¡¯t be enough to breach my armor, so unless they had Mythic skills, there was no risk.


    ¡°As you wish, honored lord,¡± I replied as I stood up, wondering who I would face.

 Chapter 194

    Five minutes later, we stood outside the tent, still waiting for them to pick who I would face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the disrespect,¡± Harold murmured in frustration, the source of which was clear. The argument was not about who would have the honor of fighting with me, but who would have the disrespect of having to fight against a Blacksmith, as if the mere idea of fighting against me would dirty them forever.


    There was a silencing field around them, but that wasn¡¯t enough to hide the obvious argument, nor its true nature.


    ¡°Calm down, Harold,¡± I said. ¡°Our honored guests naturally have their own concerns,¡± I said, accompanied by a pointed glare to keep his mouth shut. The last thing I needed was for them to take offense. Then, I turned to Rosie. ¡°What do you think,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for our gracious betters to give us this opportunity,¡± she said. ¡°We just have to respect their traditions and fight. Hopefully, you¡¯ll last for more than a minute, and will be gracious in your win, especially without using mana.¡±


    ¡°Of course. That would be disrespectful to the martial honor we hold the duel under,¡± I replied, and she nodded, confirming I got what she was leading at.


    Basically, try not to use mana unless absolutely necessary, and don¡¯t humiliate them too much. Understandable, as we wanted them to respect us, and not get scared enough to ask for reinforcements, which they were fully capable of.


    But, she was also asking me to win.


    While they continued to discuss, I wondered about the weapon choice. Technically, the spear would be the best, putting my mobility advantage to the limit while I slowly destroyed their armor with decay, but I feared that it wouldn¡¯t be treated as honorable.


    Using a sword was tempting, especially since each carried one, but two things pushed me away. One, my fights with Eleanor had taught me that Skill advantage mattered a lot with the swords, so that might actually put me at a disadvantage. Also, they might take offense to me using the same weapon as them.


    Hammer it was, then, which had the added benefit of reinforcing my identity as a blacksmith. Their leader seemed to warm up to that fact once I resisted his Charisma without capitulating.


    Once the decision was made, one of the guards split from the rest. ¡°I¡¯m honored to face the honorable regent in the field of combat,¡± he said, though every single part of his body language radiated disdain. He hated the idea, and he wasn¡¯t trying hard to hide it. Lord Leona either didn¡¯t notice, or didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°The honor is mine,¡± I replied and moved forward, pulling my hammer readily.


    My weapon of choice made him hate me even more, to the point that his lips curled under his helmet, but I was more concerned with the faint sense of approval I felt from Leona, which was far better.


    ¡°Begin,¡± Leona called, and with that, my opponent lashed forward.


    He was fast, but not as fast as I had expected. Also, his attack was more direct than I expected even as his weapon was surrounded by Vitality. I used the handle of my warhammer to deflect the attack, activating Adamant Stance, which was available even without using a sword.


    His attack bounced while I stayed in place. He didn¡¯t appreciate that fact much.


    He was unaware that I used the contact to get an even better analysis of his weapon, and more importantly, his skill. It was hard to distinguish the details perfectly from the impression I picked from one attack, but I was reasonably sure that it was merely Epic, and not a particularly progressed one, which was rather surprising.


    Not only that, but also his stats weren¡¯t too impressive. It depended on his level, but to my best guess, he received two Dexterity and two Strength for every level up. Eleanor when we met would have slain him easily ¡­ assuming they were equipped with the same quality. If she was actually using her equipment back then, he would have won.


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    After my class upgrade, wearing the armor I currently do, he was nothing more than a nuisance.


    Naturally, I didn¡¯t show that. Instead, I used Vitality to cover the head of my hammer, and fought defensively. I still pushed my hammer skill to the limit, but the defense was not the strong suit of Hammer of Avalanche.


    To his credit, he adapted well. Under the guidance of his skill, he fought in a way that limited my advantage in Strength, and turned our duel into a battle of speed and flexibility. Our Dexterity was not too far apart, and the style meant that he was the one attacking while I defended.


    He had scored several attacks on me, which bounced off my armor ineffectively, not good enough to even leave a scratch.


    Just like that, a minute had passed.


    ¡°Really, Jordy, you can¡¯t take down a blacksmith ¡ª¡± one of the guards declared in disdain.


    Leona interrupted. ¡°Silence, cretin! Respect the sanctity of the duel,¡± he declared.


    Not the best move, insulting his own guards with little provocation, which was made apparent by the sudden shift of attitude in guards. They suppressed it soon after, but I had a feeling that he was not well-loved.


    A bad strategy even with Charisma helping him maintain control.


    I watched their attitude with great interest. I had already developed a theory on Charisma fostering a weird drug-like dependency cycle. And, based on that, and the difference in attitude between the two high-ranked followers and the guards, I could see that the guards were assigned to him not too long ago. Maybe they were just there for the mission.


    Interesting details that might prove useful, so I took note.


    I continued to fight, more than happy to play for time. I could have revealed more of my abilities, or taunted him openly to force a mistake, but I did neither.


    Time was on my side.


    Unsurprisingly, before the fight had reached the three-minute mark, his attitude switched, turning more aggressive, aiming for the truly vulnerable spots I had, like my eyes and mouth. But, attacking those spots against someone wasn¡¯t easy. A hammer might have been disadvantageous in battle, but not to such an extent.


    And, every overreach, I punished with a devastating hit on his armor, targeting the strong parts like shoulders and chest, each shot ringing loudly as I slowly distorted its structure.


    His armor was good, but not good enough to deal with my hammer.


    Watching his armor slowly get damaged under the attacks of a mere blacksmith, he got even more aggressive in turn, until he overextended too much. And, with a slam of my hammer, I disarmed him, then pointed at him with my hammer as I stepped on his sword. ¡°Yield,¡± I called.


    He looked at his lord first. Leona nodded. ¡°I yield,¡± he squeezed between his tight jaw. His fellow guards looked at him in disdain, clearly under the impression that they could have done better. It was either System-induced discrimination, or pure arrogance from a recent power-up.


    Either way, it affected my opponent very much. Watching him as he picked up his sword and retreated while throwing glances at me, I was sure that I had made an enemy for life.


    Too bad he didn¡¯t even make it to my list.


    ¡°I hope my display didn¡¯t shame my home too much, my lord,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, watching a mere blacksmith adapt to the martial path is something to be proud of,¡± he declared, probably not even registering his words as an insult. But, I would happily bear that insult to not deal with the ascended from the city.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± I said. ¡°May I ask what are your plans while we wait for Lady Maria¡¯s arrival. Please note that it might take a few weeks. She had departed on an important journey.¡±


    ¡°A few weeks,¡± he declared in distaste, and for a moment, I hoped that he would turn and leave, a diplomatic party with an opening offer of annexation was not my ideal neighbor. ¡°We have to rely on your hospitality, then.¡±


    Those hopes were quickly dashed.


    However, when I looked at Rosie, I caught her barely hidden glee. It clicked. I was focusing on the threat they represented, but their reckless arrogance could easily be turned into an asset. If utilized well, they would be a perfect shield against the other diplomatic parties once we dropped the ¡®suggestion¡¯ of annexation.


    With the ¡®suggestion¡¯ on the table, the others would be more careful to push. It was a chance to play them against each other and stay safe.


    I just needed to be careful. History was filled with the tragedies of minor powers that tried to play off major powers against each other.


    ¡°Rosie, why don¡¯t you arrange a residence that¡¯s fitting for their dignity, one that they don¡¯t have to deal with mere production classes,¡± I said. ¡°And, I trust the honor of the name of Asterion that they won¡¯t raise their swords against any of the citizens. I¡¯m honor-bound to defend them, after all.¡±


    While their presence could be useful, I had no intention of letting those arrogant knights mix with my people, and I had no problem baiting their immature lord with his own honor.


    ¡°Of course not. Any that tries to impugn my honor, I¡¯ll cut down myself!¡± he declared.


    Excellent.

 Chapter 195

    I expected the duel to be the last time I had to talk about anything from the diplomatic party for a while, but Rosie chose to interfere. ¡°My lord regent, maybe you can give Lord Asterion a tour of the dungeon while I escort the rest of their party to their residence.¡±


    ¡°What an excellent idea,¡± Leona declared happily before I could say anything.


    ¡°It would be my honor, my Lord,¡± I said, wishing that I had the luxury of looking at Rosie angrily at the suggestion. I understood where she was coming from. Spending time with him would give us a much better insight into their status, and I was the only one that he would actually talk to.


    Understanding the logic didn¡¯t solve my frustration. I still had three envoys to meet.


    ¡°Roland, Evan, you two go with the guards and make sure everything is in place,¡± he declared. ¡°I will visit this place and see what¡¯s so important.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord,¡± Roland said, his rapid acceptance suggesting that, unlike the rest, he had been accompanying Leona for a while. His rapid acceptance was too similar to the attitude of Thomas¡¯ bodyguard to be anything else.


    The rest of the group disappeared, leaving me alone with Leona. I gestured for him to walk, which he accepted. Luckily, he wasn¡¯t insisting on some kind of elaborate ceremony, probably assuming that I wouldn¡¯t know it.


    He would be right.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of metal,¡± he commented as we approached the town.


    ¡°With the dungeon producing Forge in sufficient numbers, we have an abundance of metals compared to the other dungeons,¡± I explained, then gestured at the burnt landscape. ¡°Especially after our enemies were kind enough to send us plenty of supplementary material.¡±


    ¡°Yes, a beast wave. It¡¯s impressive that you were able to hold even a minor one,¡± he commented.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t feel minor to us, but it might be more about our limited capabilities,¡± I commented. His careless comment was enough to tell me that they had no true idea about the scale of the attack, which meant the so-called heretic involvement was not known as well.


    ¡°Be proud, it¡¯s still impressive,¡± he declared. ¡°It must be difficult after those traitorous guards had abandoned you to your fate.¡±


    However, his not knowing our circumstances gave me an option on how to play. I could lead him away from the details of the battle ¡­ or I could do the opposite.


    ¡°They were merely employees that didn¡¯t want to risk their lives, not bound to their oaths. We can¡¯t expect knightly courage from every vagabond with a blade,¡± I commented in apparent generosity. I might have not known him for long, but treating him as a spoiled legacy student I shouldn¡¯t feel anger because of his father¡¯s generous donation seemed to work well.


    Maybe revealing the true nature of the threat we had faced could tip the details, especially since it was inevitable that they would do so. Even if the Asterion party was too arrogant to gather proper information, the battle had been too important for the farmers to not mention the details.


    And, the involvement of hundreds of giant boss monsters was not an easy secret to keep even if we were inclined to do so.


    ¡°Would you like to see the weapons which allowed us to resist them,¡± I offered.


    ¡°Weapons?¡± he asked, once again surprised.


    ¡°I assumed they were at least a part of your generous offer of annexation, my lord. Or was it just about the dungeon skills?¡± Another question that any diplomat or merchant with the slightest experience would have realized to be a trap.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s the metal we value. The guards spread the word around that there are blacksmiths capable of producing great amounts of mana alloys, but¡­¡± he said, gesturing at the construction efforts. ¡°It¡¯s even more than I had expected.¡±


    ¡°Once the threat of the beast wave and the other enemies are dealt with, we have been able to expand our production,¡± I replied. Since there was no hiding our giant furnaces from even an incompetent spy, I decided to display them.


    That way, we wouldn¡¯t have received the greatest price from them, but considering the production cost was near zero, it was not a grand issue.


    ¡°Really,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe we can send the city some while we wait for Lady Maria to return. My uncle would probably like that.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s certainly doable, and I would be more than happy to extend a favorable price,¡± I commented.


    ¡°Really, how much?


    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Trade is not something I¡¯m capable of. But, I¡¯ll give Steward Rosie express orders to ensure the lowest possible price. One that doesn¡¯t violate my oath as a regent, of course,¡± I added, once again shamelessly using his perception of honor as a shield.


    I might not like the artificial medieval culture that seemed to be on the rise, but I wasn¡¯t above using it to my benefit.


    ¡°As it is proper,¡± he commented.


    ¡°Too bad we are still facing a lot of limitations to truly ramp up the production,¡± I added. I was treating him as a donor back when I was still working as a researcher, and like any potential donor, he needed to see a good mixture of our capabilities, but also our needs.


    ¡°Really?¡± he said as he gestured toward the town. ¡°That¡¯s not your limit.¡±


    ¡°Not even close,¡± I admitted. ¡°There¡¯s some value in mixing modern technologies with some of the System benefits.¡±


    He paused for a long moment. ¡°Modern, as in ¡­ technology?¡± he asked. ¡°I thought it to be useless.¡±


    ¡°Not even close,¡± I responded, although I found his pause weird. ¡°There is value in exploring it. Previously, we were being held back by material restrictions, but now that our production capabilities are once again measured in tons rather than pounds, we can explore.¡±


    I let him look around as I brought him to the rails. He seemed like a good target for measuring how this new nobility would react to the reappearance of the technology. Especially through a source that they could control.


    Well, one that they would think they could control.


    ¡°And, this is a ¡­ train?¡± he asked once we arrived at the railroad.


    ¡°Yes, we managed to recreate the steam engine without the risk of explosion, though we still need to test it in mana-rich locations. We don¡¯t know how steam would react to long-term mana exposure under high pressure.¡±


    The train started to move, only for him to radiate surprise. Frankly, he was far more surprised than I had expected, as he had never seen a train before. The system¡¯s effect should have been even more intense in terms of alienating people to the past, as he was the only one who had reacted to the recreation of trains like this.


    Curious, I thought. We continued to climb up. On the way, I pointed at the cannon battery that was being installed on the surface, with a rail system so that they could be pulled back to the mountain as needed.


    ¡°And, that¡¯s one way we were able to resist the beast wave. They have been instrumental when dealing with the weaker monsters, allowing us to focus on the stronger ones.¡±


    ¡°That is?¡± he asked.


    ¡±Steam cannons,¡± I commented. ¡°They are not as good as traditional gunpowder ones, but less risk of catastrophic explosions,¡± I explained. I was surprised when he wasn¡¯t able to recognize it, as even steam-based, the shape was apparent, but his confusion was too intense.


    I was ready to write off his surprise when it came to the train, but its repeating with the cannon stood out too much, almost like he didn¡¯t recognize cannons in the first place.


    Which was absurd enough to send me down a rabbit hole of theories, including more complicated theories, but I kept them contained for the moment.


    ¡°Oh, right. Cannons,¡± he commented, once again trying to play it off.


    Once we reached our destination, the giant furnace, filled with a hundred tons of molten iron too big to miss, which was one of the reasons I had been open about its existence. Why bother keeping it a secret when an aerial scout could see it all.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°This is our main furnace, where we produce all the metal,¡± I explained, hoping that it would be taken as a goodwill gesture. ¡°While it still requires the involvement of the junior blacksmiths, it allows for faster production.


    ¡°No, not that,¡± he said as he pointed deeper. I traced the direction, and saw the boss monsters. Ten of them, currently being butchered systematically to maximize their benefits. While the other parts combined weren''t as valuable as the claws, they still had a lot of functions.


    ¡°The part of the wave. We had a few hundred of those boss monsters from the dungeon break,¡± I said, realizing the source of his shock. I had been planning to reveal it after the furnace since the metal was their goal, but there was no harm in changing the schedule a bit. And, previously, I had shown our value. Now, it was time to show capabilities.


    The trick is to show those capabilities without turning myself into an actual threat.


    ¡°And, how did you deal with them,¡± he asked, shocked.


    ¡°My martial talent is not the only one I have,¡± I said as I pulled my sword, closed my eyes while I gathered the mana around it for half a second, and slashed.


    [-300 Mana]


    It was neither the strongest nor the fastest attack, but it was enough to take the boss monster down in one blow. Yet, the attack was already predictable in terms of path. Adding in the slight delay meant it was even less of a threat against a strong opponent.


    Or a properly armored one, like his guards.


    A reasonable mixture.


    ¡°You¡¯re filled with surprises for a blacksmith,¡± he admitted. ¡°Too bad that skill seems to be very low grade.¡±


    I nodded, happy that that was his comment, rather than asking why I didn¡¯t use it against his guard. His focus on martial arts didn''t directly discount the existence of magic either, which was also a blessing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as high as I would have liked from an external skill,¡± I commented without revealing the exact level. Epic shouldn¡¯t be treated as a low-grade one, but then, the mana attack part didn¡¯t directly come from it, and that part, I wanted to keep secret. The difference between having a skill and independently mastering the secrets of mana attacks were two very different things. ¡°We do our best with what God gives us,¡± I said, hoping that acting religious would give me another point.


    ¡°Gods,¡± he corrected me with a sharp voice, almost automatic.


    ¡°Naturally, gods,¡± I accepted, even though I added it as another oddity to be examined. Was every city resident this weird, or was he the exception? A question to be explored later, which was already piling up once again.


    Too bad I lacked the time to dig into them properly.


    I did my best to look bashful rather than calculating. ¡°I hope it has been an enlightening trip, but we have another envoy approaching, and with my position, it would be a disrespect if I was not there to greet them.¡±


    ¡°We can return for now. But, I want a trip to the dungeon another day,¡± he asked.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡±

 Chapter 196

    ¡°So, you have a mana attack,¡± Leona asked, once we were riding the open wagon down the mountainside once more.


    ¡°I do. I hope it¡¯s not a problem,¡± I replied, still playing the part. ¡°I don¡¯t know much. I hope it¡¯s not against martial honor.¡±


    ¡°No. Having mana is just another weapon, though not one that¡¯s very useful,¡± he said. ¡°My family has learned that it¡¯s better to rely on Vitality. Unlike mana, vitality can be replenished in every environment.¡±


    ¡°I thought Asterion is located at a mana-rich location?¡± I asked.


    ¡°True, but not every location we get called to defend has that luxury,¡± he answered. ¡°The city is pretty much the exception. Almost a holiday spot,¡± he added.


    I wanted to question him more about it, but the moment he finished that sentence, he tensed, signaling that it was not a good topic to pursue. I changed the topic. ¡°Would it be acceptable to use that mana skill in the duel back then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Acceptable, yes. Honorable, not so much,¡± he responded. ¡°Especially not in a friendly duel that was there to test your skills. You have done the right thing relying on the martial might of your hammer.¡±


    I nodded, happy that my distraction had worked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like I had the option. My mana attack is too clumsy to be used against a skilled opponent. It works better against monsters. Things would have been different if I had a better skill, but¡­¡± I let out a deep sigh, putting up a show.


    ¡°Too bad. You deserve it,¡± he said. ¡°Not many people can change the destiny bestowed upon them by their class as efficiently as you did.¡±


    I expected it to be an idle comment, which was why I was surprised when he reached under his tabard, and pulled a glowing stone. A skill stone, and if the glow was any indicator, a Legendary one. ¡°Is that¡­¡± I asked, my voice lingering.


    ¡°A recent personal acquisition of mine. It was supposed to be a gift to my cousin, but you deserve it more,¡± he said.


    ¡°Still, something this valuable¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a gift, but also an investment,¡± he said. ¡°I have no doubt that the other envoys would have a lot of other demands. Giving you the ability to resist will work to my benefit.¡±


    I looked at him, surprised at his naivety. While what he said was technically true, that power I could also use against them. Admittedly, merely the mention that it was a personal gift he prepared meant they had stones of higher quality.


    Still.


    Then, he smiled. ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be for free.¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s something I can afford with my personal funds,¡± I answered, still not breaking the character. Despite the situation, I decided that I liked him. I hoped that we could solve the situation in a way that didn¡¯t turn us into enemies.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you to forge me a sword,¡± he said. ¡°A proper one, once your skill is developed completely,¡± he said.


    The unintentional dig to my honor might have hurt me if it wasn¡¯t for the state of my weapons. They were effective, but the material was not of the best quality. Also, I had used too many time-saving tricks that affected the final result. Still, even if the comment had been undeserved, getting a Legendary skill in exchange would have been more than acceptable.


    And, he was just giving it to me.


    [Skill Stone: Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary)]


    For the rest of the way, we didn¡¯t talk about anything of substance. Once we stepped down, he nodded. ¡°It has been a pleasure,¡± he said. ¡°The trip gave me a lot to think about.¡±


    ¡°For me as well, Lord Asterion,¡± I responded, giving a subtle, respectful bow. He departed for their temporary residence, I went back to the tent, once again pulling the skill stone, wondering whether to absorb it. But, Rosie arrived before I could do so.


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    ¡°Is that¡­¡± she asked.


    ¡°A legendary skill stone, one that supposedly has a comprehensive mana attack method,¡± I said. ¡°Lord Leona found my technique too insufficient to defend his holdings.¡±


    ¡°Interesting move,¡± she replied. ¡°Do you think he knows your ability to raise your skill rapidly? Otherwise, a new skill would reduce one¡¯s combat capacity.¡±


    ¡°No, he probably assumed that I have only a poorly developed Rare skill, so a Legendary one would still be an upgrade.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. You have handled yourself well for your first diplomatic crisis,¡± she said.


    ¡°Better than you expected?¡± I asked sardonically.


    She chucked. ¡°That would not be an inaccurate characterization. Still, I can¡¯t help but wonder how you learned all that after the Cataclysm.¡±


    ¡°Who said I learned them after the Cataclysm,¡± I replied. ¡°The process is not too different from the academic world. It just has a different veneer, especially since our opponent gives us such a simple hook to twist them. Especially one that didn¡¯t even bother to do their homework. He wasn¡¯t even aware of the true nature of the monster horde.¡±


    ¡°We lucked out with Asterion,¡± she admitted. ¡°But, we need to be careful. The others won¡¯t be that easy.¡±


    ¡°That, I have no doubts about. The fact that they slowed down enough to observe the state of the Asterion party is enough to show they know more. They wouldn¡¯t have been spending time observing us if they didn¡¯t believe us to be a threat.¡±


    Rosie nodded. ¡°At least they had loose lips. They pretty much admitted that the mission was just a way to send Leona away from the city. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t very popular.¡±


    ¡°Any reason?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m confident they don¡¯t know either. Even the two guards are unaware of it. Apparently, Roland and Evan had been assigned to him merely three months ago, and the rest of the guards were just along for the trip.¡±


    ¡°There is something weird with Leona. He was getting shocked by some of the things he shouldn¡¯t be surprised by.¡±


    Rosie frowned. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Something on your mind?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°He¡¯s not the only one that acts like that. Back when I visited Tristelion, I had noticed the city lord, as well as some of the stronger guild leaders, acted that way. It¡¯s like they had never actually walked through a modern city.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°No. With my status as an outsider, I didn¡¯t dare to poke around. My best guess is that Horizon wasn¡¯t the only one that knew about the arrival of the System, but some of the groups that knew it lived in remote locations, preparing for the Cataclysm.¡±


    ¡°That way, they adapt to a world that¡¯s ruled by personal might rather than technology much faster, giving them all the advantage they need to take over the most critical resources. A solid theory,¡± I said. Unfortunately, as interesting as it was, we didn¡¯t have the luxury of spending more time on it. ¡°So, who¡¯s our next visitor, and what¡¯s the status of the others?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Representatives of Drakka suddenly picked up speed while the Tristelion party has stopped completely. And, so did the fifth group we had failed to identify. Moreover, based on their speed, Vessalia probably would arrive at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Coincidence?¡± I followed.


    ¡°Certainly not. Probably a reaction to Asterion staying. They want to make a point. That might turn into a boon if we leverage it correctly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only potential benefit we¡¯re looking at,¡± I responded. ¡°Offer them a favorable trade deal with them for the metal, they seem to be receptive to it. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll do my best to dig some information from Leona. He is too careless with his tongue. Maybe we can get something about Horizon.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she said.


    ¡°Should we call Harold?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Drakka doesn¡¯t do ceremonies, and Vessaria wouldn¡¯t be impressed by anyone that couldn¡¯t use mana.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°And, how far could I push them back if they try to pressure me.¡±


    ¡°Hard to say, but I would say they might require a firmer hand than Asterion. Particularly Vessalia.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the risk of getting invaded if we push our luck too much?¡±


    ¡°From Drakka, very likely. From Vessalia, not very much, as they are dedicated isolationists, and they would likely not bother to make a move, particularly for a mana dead zone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be tricky, then,¡± I said, thinking of ways to counter a combined stance. ¡°The alliance between them, it¡¯s merely one of convenience, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Most likely,¡± she answered. ¡°At least, they shouldn¡¯t be pushing for annexation like Asterion did. I will go and check if there¡¯s anything out of order.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we have at least an hour?¡±


    ¡°You want to absorb the skill?¡±


    ¡°Just in case,¡± I replied. ¡°The fact that they chose to cooperate is not good news. I¡¯m confident that I could push the skill above a hundred in less than an hour¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to make it look like Asterion has a far stronger investment in us than it seems.¡±


    ¡°If it comes to a fight, yes,¡± I said. ¡°Making them have second thoughts is a solid strategy.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you an hour, but make sure to check the entrance for the note about the meeting time.¡±


    I nodded, and the moment she left, I pulled the skill stone again.


    [Skill Stone: Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary)]


    ¡°Now, all I need is to resist the pain,¡± I said as I absorbed the skill, expecting a horrible stress headache. But, that didn¡¯t happen. Instead, the skill was absorbed like a whisper, and the notification appeared.


    [Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 300 -> Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary) 78]


    For the first time, an external skill didn¡¯t reset to the beginning.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s new.¡±

 Chapter 197

    [Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary) - 73]


    For a few seconds, I said nothing as I examined the notification, surprised by both the smoothness of the absorption, and the fact that the skill had started half-developed.


    ¡°At least I can increase my estimation of Leona¡¯s intellect,¡± I said absentmindedly. Now that the skill hadn¡¯t reset to zero proficiency, it was fair to assume that he knew about it, which made his decision to grant it to help me resist the other cities more reasonable.


    However, his lack of warning added another question. Was such a thing common for the cities, at least for the ruling cadre? Neither Rosie nor Maria mentioned such a thing, but their general knowledge was limited at best.


    I was happy with the results, though it was more about the external perception than the benefits. Since the skill had started at such a high point, I didn¡¯t need to start a complicated campaign of disinformation back when Eleanor had provided me with the necessary skills. I could show my new skill quite a bit before it started to get suspicious.


    Naturally, that was not a reason to stop me from practicing. I went back to the town, using the gate that was there to step into the dungeon.


    Only to be greeted by a different feeling. Something had changed in the dungeon. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sensation.


    ¡°Marvelous,¡± I muttered a moment later. I could feel that the mana bleed had almost completely recovered, which couldn¡¯t be achieved by the small patch of forest I had raised on the fifth floor. It meant that reinforcing the third floor was even more beneficial than I had hoped for strengthening the dungeon, which in turn made it easier to resist the invasion from the breach.


    I smiled. The results were satisfactory. Unlike what the rest of the world believed, having a force that consisted entirely of farmers was not some kind of burden, but a great opportunity.


    Too bad that with the visitors I needed to meet, I didn¡¯t have time to return to the third floor and discuss improvement methods. Instead, I opened a portal to the fifth floor, my blade in hand, curious to see how far I could bring my new style while waiting for the arrival of the envoys.


    Maybe two hundred was a possible target.


    I stepped into the dimly lit swamp, near the breach, only to see another welcome detail. A great number of insects had gathered around the modified willow trees, basking under the aura of decay, their lineup stronger than usual.


    If the aura they radiated had been changed, I might have questioned whether the benefits I detected came from here or the third floor. However, the general aura of decay that radiated from the trees was mostly unchanged.


    It might change when the boss monsters appeared once more, but until then, the third-floor resettlement effort would be the major driver. With that, I turned, walking closer to the breach. The lizards might not be a threat with the numbers they were arriving at, but they made good targets.


    Even before I arrived at my destination, I pulled my blade and focused on my skill. The idea of reaching the most damaging mana attack I could use was tempting, but I first focused on the general movement pattern, starting from the simplest blows and maneuvers.


    And, my initial judgment was that it was impressive, though skewed. From the name, I expected a more offensive style, but what I found was more intense than I expected. It focused almost entirely on offensive, with little concern for personal protection.


    As if the skill eschewed the very idea of being unable to take down the enemies it faced. Luckily, even with the Blade of Bulwark gone, I could still use what I learned from mastering it through the items I had forged to add more balance if necessary.


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    I trusted my armor, but having options never hurt.


    As I continued to use more complicated moves, I started to get a better idea of what the skill offered. Its offensive capabilities were skewed as well, putting a lesser focus on facing a single opponent than I expected, instead optimized for dealing with larger crowds.


    I wasn¡¯t complaining. Considering my situation, such an encounter was very likely, whether against monsters or people.


    Or the things in between, as I had learned acutely.


    [-10 Health]


    ¡°Now, the next thing,¡± I said as I let Vitality cover the sword, ready to test its next stage. Contrary to my expectations, there was no sudden burst of flame or even the sensation of warmth. Instead, what I could sense most was ¡­ punishment.


    ¡°It seems the name is more metaphorical than I expected,¡± I said. I might have felt sad about the lack of flames that I might have used to base my attacks on, but I could sense something far more valuable.


    [-1000 Mana]


    I cast a mana barrier in front of me, only to destroy it with one smooth slash, with a move that I didn¡¯t even exert myself. So close to the breach, I had some excess metal lying around, which allowed me to create a few sheets of metal that I tested with the skill active and inactive, confirming that the feature I had detected wasn¡¯t limited to mana barriers, and applied physical barriers as well.


    ¡°Such a strong penetration capability,¡± I muttered. ¡°No wonder the technique is almost entirely focused on offense.¡±


    If the guard I faced earlier had the same ability, he would have put up a much more impressive battle, maybe to the point of forcing me to use mana.


    [-10 Mana]


    I let the mana cover it. For once, it was not solid blue, but with a red tinge. ¡°Is this why they call it radiant flame,¡± I muttered as I examined the blade. If so, it was not as impressive as I expected, though that only applied to visuals. The subtle hum resonating along my arm promised intense devastation that I could feel before even swinging the blade.


    Then, I swung the blade to create a dangerous attack, one that not only cut through the air with a hiss that promised devastation, but also gave me the first inkling of why it was called Blade of Radiant Flame. It left a faint red streak behind, one that reminded me of an out-of-control fire before it faded.


    [-400 Mana]


    I swung it again, this time all that remained was a crackling dance of red light. ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± I said as I examined the effect. And, it was not just the vanity talking. The most recent battle had taught me the importance of morale, and as the acting leader, the more impressive my attacks were, the more reliable I would look.


    ¡°Time to test it against actual opponents,¡± I said as I moved toward the breach, as close I could get without turning fearful of the results of collusion between the two dungeons.


    The battle itself was not hard, as lizards ignored my presence, instead focusing on the army of insects that gathered around the decay trees, their bodies glistening with their fire aura.


    [-25 Mana]


    I threw several ¡®weaker¡¯ attacks their way, each wreaking havoc. The difference between what I had designed based on Epic skills, and a proper skill on how to use mana on attacks was significant. Just the test attacks had been enough to show me that I had been taking significant shortcuts on their nature, brute forcing based on a conceptual attack.


    Blade of Radiant Flame, on the other hand, balanced the mana perfectly between the concept of ¡®retribution¡¯ ¡ª which was the best thing I could identify it as for now ¡ª and the sword, just the sheer practice enough to open many new pathways.


    However, understanding the general nature of it hadn¡¯t been too difficult, nor was it difficult to overwhelm both concepts at once.


    [-3000 Mana]


    [Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary) 73 -> 95]


    The resulting attack might have been wobblier than I expected as it disappeared through the dungeon gap, but it was enough to give me a huge jump. More than I expected, which was likely due to Wisdom helping me to trick the skill.


    Developing a way to cheat through skill improvement had been proving to be an excellent decision.


    ¡°Too bad I only have half an hour remaining before I meet with the envoys,¡± I said once I checked outside, and read the message Rosie had left at the entrance. In a day, I was confident to not only maximize the skill, but also develop some better mana attacks for my other weapons.


    Maybe even a proper spell was possible.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how far I can push myself,¡± I said as I flicked my wrist, forging a wave of mana that left a simulacrum of flames behind as it destroyed every single lizard on its path, disappearing through the gap once again. Not for no reason, as once I attacked, I felt the energy from the other dungeon dimming slightly, giving me hope that those attacks were not wasted.


    [Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary) 95 -> 109]


    An excellent opportunity to multitask.

 Chapter 198

    Once I had returned to the diplomatic tent, waiting for the arrival of the two envoys, I called my System again, focusing on my most recent acquisition.


    [Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary) - 221]


    I still wished I had more time, but even with the limited time I had, I was able to improve the skill enough to turn it into a veritable threat. As usual for any skill, the improvement not only unlocked better, more devastating abilities, but also increased the general proficiency of the basic ability.


    And, that comparison went a long way to give me a good idea of how that ¡®retribution¡¯ concept of the skill worked, enough that I was confident to forge weaker variants.


    Arrows that were made from it would be a devastating addition to Rosie¡¯s arsenal, while the weaker mass-produced variants would fit perfectly well with the machine gun variants we had installed for each town.


    Of course, for that, I needed a way to mass-produce such items. I was able to mass produce fire-resistant metal with ease because the dungeon material provided the core, and I just needed to manage the bonding process.


    Even with my growing Wisdom, this new retribution concept wasn¡¯t as easy to copy.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the only benefit I received from my new skill. The more important part was that I had a new way to deal with armored enemies other than slowly corroding their armor through several attacks, which was something my enemies would be prepared for.


    In the end, I was very grateful for Leona¡¯s excessive generosity. The new skill was a true force multiplier ¡­ one that might come useful faster than I would have liked, I decided as I watched Rosie approach with two representatives in tow, her attitude reflecting deep dissatisfaction.


    The attitude itself was subtle, one that would have gone unremarked if it wasn¡¯t for Wisdom helping me to peer into her mood, along with my familiarity with her. She was nowhere near this distressed even when we were facing the siege.


    I prepared myself for a bad experience while a squad of soldiers approached the tent, riding some kind of beast that roughly resembled a horse, but with teeth sharp enough to identify as carnivorous. Each wore identical black scale armor, carrying spears and tower shields, none of them carrying any symbols except the leader, and even that was a simple silver spear on his shield.


    Behind them, a carriage of a completely different style followed, though the sigil of Vessalia, the mage city, was very recognizable. To my surprise, when they stopped, no one stepped out of their fancy carriage.


    However, where they had stood was rather pointed. Right between the tent and the temporary residence we had created for Asterion. I doubted it was an accident. Especially when I saw a subtle yet strong shield appear around the carriage.


    It was a silent declaration, showing that they were supporting Drakka in what they were about to request.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome under the flag of parley ¡ª¡± I started.


    ¡°You dare to declare parley while wearing a sword,¡± the one carrying the sigil of a spear barked. ¡°Respect your superiors.¡±


    I inclined my head mildly, showing no explosive reaction. However, I had a sinking feeling. The Asterion party was abrasive as well, but it stemmed from seeing us as inferior to them. Ironically, that was a much better state than what I was getting from the Drakkan party.


    Those were not the gaze of people who were just secure in their superiority. No, it was the attitude of a man that was looking for battle.


    ¡°We¡¯re prepared to show the courtesy your rank demands. In the same breath, we hope you¡¯ll show equal courtesy to our people. We are still an independent political entity, and you¡¯ll respect us as such.¡±


    A dismissive snort escaped from him. ¡°We shall see how long it¡¯ll continue,¡± he said, his gaze scanning the tent, eyes lingering on every detail, clearly looking for a threat or a trap.


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    Once seeing none, he commented. ¡°This is the best you can do arranging for your betters?¡± he asked.


    Rosie tensed at that insult, but she gave no sign that the envoy could detect. Though, considering he didn¡¯t treat her as a possible threat, I doubted he would have caught it even if she reacted more obviously.


    However, I found myself in a dilemma before answering. It was obvious that he was baiting us, but I wasn¡¯t sure what would serve our interest better; anger or subservience. I suspected part of our success hinged on not letting these envoys bait us too easily, but that didn¡¯t mean rolling over for them.


    Especially since the Drakkan party¡¯s attitude was exactly what I feared how those cities would react once I revealed a resource that might threaten their monopoly. I was immeasurably stronger compared to back then, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°This arrangement suits us,¡± I replied calmly, picking a middle road to delay for some time, mixed with some subtle posturing. ¡°We prioritize function over luxury, but if you require more comfortable accommodations, you can always return later, when we manage to get some better purchases through our esteemed trade partners.¡±


    At the mention of trade partners, his eyes flipped slightly toward the direction of Asterion camp. I sensed a hint of apprehension from him then, signaling that he was afraid of a possible interference. Unfortunately, apprehension disappeared just as quickly when his eyes focused on his Vessalian allies.


    ¡°No need. We won¡¯t be staying in this dump for long. We¡¯re just here to bring your orders,¡± he said and threw a tied scroll at me. From the way his hand tightened around his spear as I touched the string keeping it tied, I guessed it didn¡¯t contain good news.


    I didn¡¯t open it immediately, wanting to test him more before I committed to one direction. Especially since the lack of a seal, magical or ordinary wax was an interesting detail, indicating it was a last-second effort to look more official; likely an attempt to handle the Asterion party.


    ¡°An order?¡± I asked, deliberately acting obtuse. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize we were already under the command of your city. I should ask Lady Maria once she returns from her trip.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be obtuse. You¡¯re a mere town. You have no right to refuse our demands.¡±


    A tough stance. ¡°Let¡¯s see those demands, then,¡± I said, unfurling the scroll, hoping that it was just some extreme trade delivery, and nothing else.


    Only to freeze. ¡°Is this a joke,¡± I responded, unable to prevent my anger from spiking.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± he declared, his hand tight around his spear. ¡°You either follow all of those demands, or we declare war.¡±


    My shift in attitude made Rosie¡¯s eyes widen. I threw the scroll to her. ¡°Read it,¡± I said.


    ¡°The execution of every blacksmith apprentice that consumed the skill stones, with no exception. Execution of every farmer that had gone through class upgrades, with no exception. Limiting weapon production to personal weapons only, with sales only possible through Drakka. Granting a monopoly of Forge and Repair skill stones to Drakka and Meditation to Vessalia, with any violation to be punished by execution¡­¡± Rosie read, each word chilling her more.


    ¡°Then, war, it is,¡± I declared as I stood up, putting my hand on my blade. I did not pull it out, but it was a close thing. The anger burned in me.


    That seemed to be enough to shock him. ¡°War. Against Drakka? How dare you?¡± he roared, his declaration accompanied by a metaphorical pressure, which I recognized as Charisma. Only, much weaker than I expected. ¡°We¡¯re already being generous enough to let you live. You should be on your knees, thanking us. Yet you complain because we want to get rid of a bunch of farmers.¡±


    ¡°You expect me to execute the people that decided to entrust their lives to me, and thank you for it?¡± I asked. It was a genuine question, because it was too absurd. With Wisdom, I could sense his anger to be genuine. The fact that I refused his offer had angered him.


    ¡°A mere blacksmith, daring to refuse me!¡± he responded, his spear glowing with Vitality threateningly. ¡°Just because you have managed to defeat a bunch of heretics, do you think it gives you the right to bargain with us?¡±


    I caught Rosie¡¯s gaze at that mention. The declaration meant that, unlike Asterion, they had put some effort into scouting, at least enough of it to have a general idea of what we were capable of. Yet, despite that, he was determined to force us into a corner.


    It was everything I had feared when I first started making my discoveries ¡­ yet, once it happened, I couldn¡¯t help but feel scandalized.


    One last gambit. I pulled my sword, using my recently acquired skill as mana covered my blade. I moved it slowly, making sure it wasn¡¯t taken as an attack, but still leaving behind that distinctive red track, enough to show my expertise in the skill.


    ¡°Radiant Fire,¡± he spat out in anger. ¡°Asterion dog. No wonder you¡¯re so arrogant. But, if you think that¡¯ll dissuade us, you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    With that, he stamped his spear on the ground. All his soldiers raised their spears while moving forward in perfect coordination.


    At the same time, I felt mana gathering at the Vessalian cart, slowly turning into a spell. I didn¡¯t recognize the spell, but the size of it was equal to the strongest spells I had seen Maria use.


    It seemed that, merely three days after dealing with Thomas, we were at war again. The fact that I predicted it happening the moment I revealed my secrets was not particularly comforting.

 Chapter 199

    Even with the clear hostility the envoys had been displaying, I hadn¡¯t expected things to take a turn for the worse this quickly. At this point, whether there was something I could do to slow things down was inconsequential.


    I needed to act.


    My first target, the spell that was gathering power behind me, was hidden behind their shield. I had no idea what that spell was, but from the shape of mana, I could see that I only had seconds to break it. Yet, in front of me, I had a full squad of spearmen, already moving toward me with their shields locked.


    ¡°Distract them,¡± I ordered Rosie. I would have loved to give a wordless signal, but one of my hands was occupied with the blade I was holding, while the other was covered with a ball of mana, ready to lash out with a pseudo-spell.


    Just as Rosie disappeared, I slashed my blade down, letting out a horizontal mana attack that slammed against their shields, one that managed to hit hard, but not hard enough to breach their enchantment.


    [-650 Mana]


    Good, I decided. Even at this point, I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to kill them. Not due to any ethical concerns ¡ª their diplomatic identity didn¡¯t matter when they had committed violence ¡ª but if possible, I would have preferred to keep them as prisoners.


    They were worth more alive than dead.


    For that reason, a fraction of a second later, I waved my left hand, sending a thick cloud of decay that impacted their shields. Surprisingly, the moment the decay hit, I could see the shields beginning to corrode, suggesting that my decay abilities synergized surprisingly well with my newest skill.


    It looked like I owed Leona more than I expected.


    [-1720 Manaa]


    One advantage of fighting together with Rosie, I had no doubt about how she would operate, so I was confident to turn my back to the spearmen and dash toward the mages from Vessalia. With the mana they were seemingly committing to their spell, I had no intention of letting it be completed.


    As I rushed forward, I found myself facing a dilemma: just how much of my ability to display. Show too little, and I might fail to stop them in time. Show too much, and not only would it reveal my hand for the future, but it could also alert the Asterions.


    However, as I found myself at the edge of the mana shield they erected, a surprised smile bloomed on my face. Their shield was only a half-sphere, not blocking the ground, likely because it was solid, enchanted metal.


    Too bad for them that it was metal I had created, and I knew exactly how to break it as well. I slammed my foot on the ground, parting it just enough to create a tunnel, and a second later, I was inside the shield.


    The carriage was strong, radiating mana, but nowhere as strong as the shield they had. More importantly, as a moving device, some parts were weaker than others, like the hinges of the door.


    [-2000 Mana]


    A burst of decay was all I needed to rot them before I pulled the door open, coming face to face with four robed mages gathered around a circle, casting some kind of combined spell, the patterns confusing and magnificent at the same time.


    One of the four had turned away from the spell, doing his best to react to my presence, leaving the other three to control the spell. From the way their knees buckled, I could see that it was not an easy spell. Used in any other situation, without the great hurry they had shown, it could have been devastating.


    It was a good lesson for me as well. The backlash from clever strategies could be equally devastating.


    The mage that left the formation was already gathering his mana for a quick spell, but I had sparred with Maria enough times to know not to miss such an opportunity. Moreover, the way he moved showed he had neither Dexterity nor Strength. I closed the distance, a punch to the sternum was all that was needed to break his concentration, sending him down, coughing desperately.


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    Then, I pointed the same hand to the center of their spell, and pushed more decay mana to the center of the formation. Intelligence-based spells were devastating and wondrous, but their complicated construction wasn¡¯t the only way they resembled computers.


    They were also fragile enough to be devastated by a burst of decay mana right at the center, particularly since they were trying to balance whatever spell they were trying to build.


    The spell fizzled while they started vomiting blood, showing the cost of failure.


    As much as I wanted to return to support Rosie immediately, I could not leave four mages, even seemingly neutralized, alone. So, instead, I threw all four together, used a discarded blanket to wrap all four into one bundle, and carried them out.


    Altogether, it wasn¡¯t even ten seconds before I returned, but it had been enough for the battle to develop. Of the ten spearmen, three lay on the ground, blood flowing out of their necks as they desperately used their Health to recover, but the wound resisted the recovery efforts.


    One of them was their leader, who Rosie probably took down first, removing Charisma from the board. It was hard to command people with a bleeding neck.


    The other seven tried to circle Rosie, yet despite their best efforts, Rosie was circling around them, her daggers finding the weaker parts of their armor as she ducked under their spears and reached around their tower shields.


    ¡°Tag,¡± I called Rosie, pointing at the mages.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± she called, pulling back as I moved forward. I could have killed them easily. Instead, I focused on their shields and weapons, shattering them one by one by using Blade of Radiant Flame, mixed with decay attacks.


    ¡°Surrender, or die,¡± I declared.


    At this point, their leader had somewhat recovered. I felt the pressure from Charisma once again as he struggled to stand up. ¡°We''d rather die than surrender ¡ª¡± he started, but he found out that a boot smashing against his chin, breaking the majority of the bones on his face was a good way to silence him.


    ¡°Anyone else having that opinion,¡± I said, swinging my blade again. The attack didn¡¯t hit anyone, but it left a thick gash on the metal floor, stretching almost a hundred yards. ¡°It can be arranged.¡±


    One by one, they threw their weapons down.


    ¡°Can you give me some chains,¡± Rosie asked.


    ¡°With pleasure,¡± I said as I touched the metal floor, creating several thick, reinforced chains, perfect for restraining enemies. I even added some mana-repelling patterns for the four mages, three of them still vomiting blood, still struggling after the backlash of their spell, one of them bad enough that Rosie fed him some food to recover his Health.


    I watched alert while Rosie tied them down, making it impossible for them to move, but I didn¡¯t feel victorious. The enemy we faced was not strong enough to be a threat even before my latest legendary skill made things easier.


    Unfortunately, the same didn¡¯t apply to the power that they represented; capable of erasing us from existence if they wished, with their capabilities as the only thing in question.


    While Rosie finished tying them, Leona reacted, accompanied by his soldiers as they rapidly closed in the distance. ¡°What happened here?¡± Leona asked. I said nothing, just passed the scroll to him. His eyes widened as he read as well. ¡°This is a travesty,¡± he said angrily as he looked at the imprisoned Drakka leader, pressure radiating off him. ¡°How dare you act like this!¡±


    Despite his bloody state, the Drakkan diplomat responded with a dark grin. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s your place to react like this, young lord? Don¡¯t your family have enough problems on the other side without mixing in with our business ¡ª¡±


    That was all he was able to say before Leona¡¯s oppressive aura focused on him. In his wounded state, he wasn¡¯t able to resist it, fainting as a result. However, behind him, I could see his guards surprised as well. Whatever had been declared, it was not good news.


    ¡°I will bring them with me to Asterion for interrogation,¡± Leona declared. ¡°But, I¡¯ll leave some of my guards to help you secure the town until I return.¡±


    His determination to protect the people of my town was more appreciated than his universal decision-making.


    ¡°It¡¯s better if you bring them with you,¡± I responded. The last thing I needed was an arrogant guard who would try to meddle with the town while spying on me. I might have reacted differently if Drakkan diplomats hadn¡¯t written off Asterian involvement so quickly, but under the circumstances, having an observer-spy-guard was not a worthwhile trade.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡ª¡± he started.


    ¡°You have prisoners of war with you. What if someone attacks to assassinate them. It¡¯ll impugn on your honor,¡± I delivered, hoping his concerns on his honor would be enough to take the guards with them.


    ¡°You have a point,¡± he said, then paused for a moment. ¡°Until we meet again,¡± he said. Organizing his soldiers so that they departed in quick order with the prisoners took only a few minutes, eventually leaving Rosie and me behind.


    ¡°That was messier than I expected,¡± she said, trying to inject some levity in her tone, despite failing spectacularly.


    ¡°Understatement of the century,¡± I said while I turned my gaze to the only thing that was left behind.


    The carriage the mages had used¡­

 Chapter 200

    ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Rosie asked while we watched the Asterian party disappear on the horizon, leaving us in a bind. ¡°I would have suggested evacuation, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave, not with my bond with the dungeon,¡± I said. I sighed. ¡°Ironically, not much has changed. Our entire plan is based on defending the town against another attack. We are just going to reinforce our area to the best of our abilities, and hope that Asterion¡¯s involvement provides some kind of passive threat that prevents them from committing their heavy hitters.¡±


    ¡°You know they won¡¯t help, right? Even without that mysterious mention of the troubles his family is going through, all we have is a politically ill-advised move from a family member that was out of favor. It¡¯s not the kind of chip that could intimidate another city.¡±


    ¡°I know. But I have to hope that it¡¯ll give us some time. Every day, we get stronger.¡± A desperate sigh escaped my mouth. ¡°I want to offer a way for the others to retreat, but I know it will end badly.¡±


    ¡°Now that the cities pay attention to us, there¡¯s no way to succeed,¡± Rosie said, agreeing with my conclusion. ¡°Things would have been different for a few people, but thousands ¡­ We have neither the connection nor the logistic capabilities to achieve that unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°Then, we need to bunker down even more aggressively,¡± I said. ¡°At least I have solved the dungeon breach problem.¡±


    ¡°You did? That¡¯s a relief,¡± she responded. ¡°The dungeon is our only strategic advantage, and we couldn¡¯t afford to lose it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that. We had several advantages, like my abilities as a smith and a mage, the growing effectiveness of the forge, with weapons getting stronger and stronger, and even my students discovering new ways of using mana; but ultimately, each ability depended on the dungeon to truly shine, reliant on both mana and the materials.


    Without those benefits, we would have been long dead.


    ¡°Any idea about what drove Drakka to act in such aggression?¡± I asked.


    Rosie sighed as she looked at the horizon, looking more lost than I had ever seen her. ¡°My best guess?¡± she asked, and once I nodded. ¡°We were likely a victim of someone targeting the Asterian family.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, surprised by her conclusion for a moment before it clicked. ¡°Because Drakka knew about the troubles of the Asterian family even though his own soldiers were unaware.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°They were probably hoping that Leona would bungle the overreach and attack us, and they could swoop in and take over.¡±


    ¡°And, when I acted like I would accept their offer¡­¡±


    ¡°They contacted Drakkan and Vessalian parties, and convinced them that approaching in a heavy-handed way was the better idea. The only thing I don¡¯t know is whether they expected the combined efforts of two groups would be enough to defeat us, or¡­¡±


    ¡°Or they knew that we would be able to take them down, and hoped to isolate us,¡± I completed. ¡°Do you think heretics are responsible for it?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Not necessarily. It can easily be Tristelian guilds, one of the stronger towns stirring the situation, knowing that we¡¯re capable of repelling an enemy of such a degree. It¡¯s a good way to suddenly turn it into our only option.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the aim, they succeeded,¡± I said. Yes, the confrontation might be their fault, but I wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that cities would care much for that particular fact. It was more likely that we made two enemies who were determined to erase us from the map to show their strength.


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    I would love to be wrong about it, but I didn¡¯t think I was.


    ¡°I¡¯ll order an increase of patrols,¡± she said. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll move the carriage to the dungeon and check if I can get anything from it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Any realistic expectations?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No. Four of them moved together in one vehicle, so I expect everything to be locked in privacy wards, and those require another mage to slowly decipher. Breaking it would destroy the contents.¡±


    It made her chuckle. ¡°Nothing is easy around you, is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of my charm,¡± I responded in kind, forcing a levity I didn¡¯t feel into my tone, but that was just a part of the leadership burden.


    I was about to drag it further when she paused. ¡°Are you sure you want to bring it into the dungeon? What if they have a method of sabotaging or reaching it,¡± she said.


    ¡°Good point,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t take that risk. Just let me check, then arrange it to be dragged to a cave away from the town, and collapse it on top of the carriage. We can check again once Maria finally returns.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s safer,¡± she agreed.


    I went through the carriage, but it seemed that my estimation was mostly correct. Other than five skill stones neither I nor Rosie could activate, the only thing that wasn¡¯t behind the privacy spells was the focus they had used to activate the mana shield around the carriage, which I took with me.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± she asked, looking at the five glowing stones and a plate of metal with its surface covered with arcane symbols.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± I said. ¡°They might have something else on their bodies, but it wasn¡¯t worth risking Leona¡¯s anger.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Rosie said, then smirked. ¡°She¡¯s a good kid, but those honor types are difficult to decipher.¡±


    ¡°She?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah. Leona is a girl,¡± she said. ¡°Very good at acting as a man, I¡¯ll give you that. She had practice, so it¡¯s not something she had just decided to do on a whim.¡±


    ¡°A disguise?¡± I asked. ¡°But, I didn¡¯t feel any kind of magic from her.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± she shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not a given that you can sense every single type of magic. Also, it might be some kind of vitality-based ability, which means there¡¯s no mana to sense. Or, it was just really good makeup.¡±


    ¡°And you still noticed it. How?¡±


    ¡°A combination of Perception and my professional training,¡± she said. ¡°No matter how good a disguise is, there¡¯s always tells. But, hers were concealed enough that I was only able to catch them with Perception.¡±


    ¡°And, you didn¡¯t mention it before, because¡­?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to act differently and alert her. We don¡¯t know why she¡¯s hiding her gender, and immediately telling you might reveal it. I planned to tell you once things had calmed down.¡±


    ¡°But they did not,¡± I said. ¡°You have a point, there was no need to tell me that at the time, and things would have been a lot different if I spooked her and she hadn¡¯t given me that skill.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was useful, but you¡¯re lucky that she hadn¡¯t seen it, or she might have asked some very dangerous questions. We just have to hope that she doesn¡¯t interrogate them about the exact method of our victory.¡±


    It was my turn to surprise her. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you revealed to her your ability to rapidly increase your skills. That¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    Despite the seriousness of the situation, I smirked. Rosie was always in control, so surprising her was always a pleasure. ¡°No. The skill she gave me was not normal. It started at seventy-eight proficiency, and it was absorbed far more smoothly.¡±


    ¡°And, you know it¡¯s about the skill and not you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not the first external skill I absorbed. I¡¯m as certain as I could be,¡± I said. ¡°Which makes sense because she had mentioned that it was to be a gift to a family member. What better gift than a Legendary skill that they can immediately use in battle.¡±


    ¡°You have a point,¡± she said. ¡°Then, we have only one question: What are we going to do about the other approaching parties?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re at war with two cities at once. Any group that steps closer than twenty miles, inform them from a distance that we¡¯re currently at war, and approaching unauthorized is not allowed, and we¡¯ll treat them as hostile parties unless they accept to be disarmed and immobilized.¡±


    ¡°Harsh. It¡¯ll be hard to have any kind of trade with those conditions.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± I said. ¡°Anyone that needs us enough to risk the displeasure of two cities would accept those conditions. And, they can always make the exchange at the border.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll organize the guard,¡± she said. ¡°Do you want to talk with the soldiers, to calm them down?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, let Harold do it, and tell him to act like it is not a bigger threat than the monster horde. The farmers come from the towns, and they don¡¯t have the proper context. Let¡¯s not create panic until we see the forces they commit against us.¡±


    ¡°And, what will you do?¡± she asked.


    I felt my lips tug into an angry grin. ¡°I¡¯ll try and see if I could bestow my new nifty ability to break through shields into javelins. If I can¡­¡±


    ¡°The Drakkan legions will have a very nasty surprise,¡± Rosie completed, her smile matching mine in viciousness.


    It was good to see I wasn¡¯t the only one feeling vindictive.