Blacksmith vs. the System 294

While the only remaining step in our grand plan to grow the City of Steel was to establish a seaport, it was not a task that we could take immediately. The ocean was truly teeming with all kinds of monsters, and we weren’t confident enough to split our attention between the sea and Drakka.

Especially since Drakka had decided to attack us with a surprisingly large force of ascended once again. While we handled that attack with no losses on our side, the attack itself was by no means trivial.

That was why Rosie found me in the dungeon to discuss the next steps, triggering an impromptu meeting.

“So, what do we do now?” Rosie asked. “Do we focus on the sea, or focus on building our defenses first?”

I paused, sighing. “What do you think?” I asked.

“I’m in favor of delaying,” she responded. “The attack from Drakka spooked me. We won easily, but…”

“If they had used a different concealment spell, we might have ended up in a true disaster,” I responded.

“We were lucky, but there’s a chance they won’t buy it the next time. And, if they time it with a beast wave from the sea…”

“You’re right,” I said. “Let’s delay the port establishment for a while, but order the teams to continue creating high-grade alloys, and don’t use all the fortifications. We might as well build several ships at once after we reach the sea.”

She nodded. “Good call. We are still running a surplus in terms of mana production, especially now that we have four dungeons.”

I chuckled. “Correct. Though, ironically the only reason we’re holding on is the excess corruption. Without turning the void energy into mana, we would be singing a different tune.”

“Certainly,” she responded, then sighed. “We still have another problem.”

“Let me guess, ichor,” I said.

“Exactly,” she responded. “Our stocks should be running out.”

“With three other dungeons supplying void energy? We will run out before dusk,” I responded.

“That means we have to contact Asterion,” she responded. “They won’t send it for free again. Not with the battle already turning to their advantage. The latest news shows that the Drakkan siege is already faltering. I just don’t know what kind of price they will ask.”

“Send them one of the runic swords I forged,” I said. “Our last interaction made it clear that they lacked a truly capable blacksmith. We should be able to get a decent trade, especially since they still need us to distract Drakka.”

“Which one did you forge for us, or the other ascended?” she said.

“Let’s go with the standard ones first, and we might change it depending on the situation. They are more time-efficient to work with, and I’m already stretched thin.”

Rosie nodded and took the dungeon gate, traveling upstairs. Meanwhile, I stayed in the dungeon, concentrating on the feeling, trying to get a better sense of the concept hidden in the dungeon.

Wind.

On the surface, it was a familiar feeling. After all, I had my Spear of Storm and its previous incarnations, and they had been highly reliant on the wind energy to deliver their unique twist. However, that only gave me a starting point.

In a way, it was like the flame dungeon, which looked like ordinary fire on the surface, but delving deeper, it diverged. Not a tame flicker, not even a forest fire, but the unrestrained breath of a dragon. To this day, I was yet to replicate it perfectly.

The concept of the dungeon differed from the spear skill in a similar vein. Not just a common natural occurrence, but something more. It didn’t rage like a storm, nor did it devastate and howl.

No, it threaded. The wind from the dungeon was a gentle breath, soft enough that, at first glance, one might mistake it for harmless. Such a mistake would be deadly.

One only needed to look at the flying menaces that constantly swooped down from the dungeon skies, the wind around them hiding their presence until the last moment.

An assassin’s tool.

I stood for a long time on a cliff of stone, the dungeon wind dancing around me. “Why not?” I muttered as I let the wind energy wrap around me … and I started to float.

A part of me still panicked at the activity. Regardless of the reason, a phobia that ruled two decades of my life couldn’t be erased like nothing. But, I didn’t get locked in blind panic as I started to move in the dungeon sky, which was an improvement.

The lowest floor was designed for swooping birds of prey, a lot of cliffs and canyons, spires drilled with vents, gullies that narrowed to throats, even fins of rock that sang when the air passed, their beautiful sound hiding the whisper of a diving predator. I moved, following those paths, with a soft pressure around me as the wind danced.

I raised my hand and cast a spell.

[-10 Mana]

A weak spell, at least in terms of mana spent. It carried my full focus, which under no circumstances could be dismissed with ease. The wind wrapped around me tighter, my flight picking up speed.

Such an achievement wouldn’t have been easy outside, but here, with the dungeon to focus it further, it was devastating.

“Liam is going to love the wind materials,” I said to myself. With the wind affinity, his wide range of flying devices would turn even more devastating… “Maybe even enough to put something truly significant in the air,” I suddenly added, my mind going to a piece of technology that had been abandoned for a while.

Zeppelins.

It might be an interesting path to explore, especially if the wind materials from the dungeon could increase their maximum speed without compromising their durability too much. Back in the early twentieth century, they were abandoned due to their suboptimal combination; fragile and slow.

If even one of those problems could be fixed, it would provide a niche usage. If both were fixed, we might even need to consider establishing an air fleet that could rival our future navy.

My fingers cracked as the thoughts filled my mind, already wanting to experiment … but I held back. I had too many other things to focus on, but for once, I didn’t feel the usual agonizing pain after abandoning a viable path.

Finally equipped with the Mana Forge, I trusted Liam to handle it even better than I could.

I was testing my ability to dive from the sky when Rosie returned. I dove toward her, planning to pull back at the last moment. I miscalculated, hitting the ground painfully. I expected her to make a quip, but she did not.

It was enough to alarm me. “What’s wrong?” I asked, seeing her dazed.

“I have contacted Asterion,” she said, still looking somewhat out of it. “They agreed to send ichor to us.”

“Your tone implies that it’s good. What’s the rate they are willing to follow.”

Rosie caught my gaze. “No trade. They are willing to support us with another batch of ichor, this time five hundred pieces. A gift.”

I frowned. “That’s too good,” I said. “We’re allied, but that doesn’t explain it,” I said. “Even with the occasional failure, we should be able to get at least three hundred more ascended out of it in around two weeks. That’s a significant force.”

Rosie frowned, her earlier daze sharpening into something threatening. “That’s what concerns me. The news is clear. The siege is about to be broken. It’s a bad time to support an ally, especially one like us with dangerous potential.” She sighed. “Things would be so much easier if I could believe it’s an idiotic decision.”

“If it’s not, then there are three possibilities. It might be that they are far stronger than we realized, and they are not afraid of us even if we add three hundred ascended to our ranks.”

“Or, it’s a trap. They want us to pose a credible threat to Drakka, creating an easier target for them, thereby freeing Asterion.”

I sighed. “That’s also a valid possibility, but it doesn’t matter even if it’s the case.”

“True,” Rosie admitted. “Even if it is a poisoned chalice meant to intensify the war with Drakka, we can’t turn it away.”

While the wind continued to rage around me, I paused. “Honestly, it’s still better than the last possibility. That they don’t care about Drakka, and are already focusing on the next threat.”

“Void?” Rosie asked.

“Maybe. It might be Horizon, another interplanetary enemy, or a huge beast wave. The type of threat doesn’t matter. What matters is that if it’s the case, they believe we need three hundred more ascended to stand against it.”

“A good assessment,” she responded.

“So, what do we do?” I asked.

“Nothing,” Rosie responded.

“Nothing?”

“Exactly that,” Rosie responded. “If they follow their promise and deliver the ichor, we don’t need to do anything but help people level up for quick leveling, and you’ll be busy forging the weapon and armor for all the successful candidates.”

“We’re playing for time. Until when?”

“Until either Asterion or Drakka decides to force our hand...” Rosie started. “That, or if our mana budget starts showing a deficit. It’s too passive for my taste.”

I shrugged. “It beats the alternative.”