Rise of the Living Forge - Chapters 523-524

Everyone split off immediately. Arwin, along with Olive, Anna, and Kien, headed up with Lillia to the main floor of the Devil’s Den. She then headed up the stairs to the second floor of the tavern. Lillia returned before so much as a minute had passed, the crown cradled in her hands.

“Here it is,” Lillia said as she handed Arwin the crown. “Rodrick tested it a while ago, back before he got chosen to Sunset. “The dungeon isn’t too far, but you’ll have to move fast. It’ll probably be around twelve hours of travel each way from what he said.”

“Thank you,” Arwin said. He took the crown from Lillia and examined it for a moment. The Mesh shimmered above the golden circlet.

Band of the Vaultkeeper: Legendary Quality

[The Map]: This item was carved from the very door of the [Legendary] vault from which it is bound. The connection between it and the vault will persist regardless of the distance between them. Whoever wears the Band of the Vaultkeeper will sense the location and direction of the vault.

[The Key]: Inserting this band into its door will cause the door to unlock, destroying this item in the process. 

“What about entry to the dungeon?” Anna asked. “Do we need a key to the dungeon itself? Will the crown work?”

“Rodrick’s sources found a dungeon already in the area that the crown indicated,” Lillia replied with a shake of her head. “Shouldn’t be any trouble there. It’s just a standard dungeon. The vault itself is the important part, and the only way in should be that crown.”

“So we probably shouldn’t lose it,” Olive said dryly. “That would be a bit unfortunate.”

“Don’t tempt fate. It has a way of playing with your words,” Kien warned, but there was a slight smile on his grizzled features. “Rodrick manages to help even when he isn’t here. Quite the man.”

“You don’t have to tell me that,” Anna said with a small smile. “But we’ll only have a day to both clear the dungeon and rest enough that we aren’t exhausted. That’s a tight schedule. A very tight one.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t have turned down Esmerelda’s offer to make us energy potions,” Olive said with a frown. She scratched at her wooden arm with her real one, then scrunched her nose. “Then again, those probably would have turned us into frogs. Or something.”

“Don’t give her any ideas,” Arwin said. He examined the crown for a moment. The idea of actually donning it felt a bit… uncomfortable. It obviously didn’t grant any degree of rule, but such a showy piece really wasn’t his style at all. The crown likely would have been far better suited to Madiv’s fashion sense.

After a moment, Arwin slid the crown along his arm and up to his bicep, pushing it until it fit snugly into place as an armband. Magic prickled against his skin like an electric current. A golden shimmer passed through the air before him, pouring down like sand to form into a dim path at his feet.

At the same time, a dull pulling sensation gripped at the back of Arwin’s mind. It wasn’t too dissimilar from his [Dragon’s Greed] ability. He could vaguely make out the location and direction of the dungeon they were heading toward.

Arwin honestly wasn’t sure how long it would take to arrive at the dungeon. Rodrick’s guess seemed just as reliable as any he could make. There was no reason to doubt it.

“There’s no way that actually works,” Olive said. “It’s supposed to go on your head, Arwin.”

“I don’t want to put it on my head,” Arwin replied. “And yes. It works.”

“Is it humble to avoid being a king, or is it bragging that your arms as big as a lesser man’s head?” Kien asked in a wry drawl. “Though I suppose it doesn’t matter either way. All that matters is results. Let us go.”

“Both is good.” Lillia’s eyes lingered on Arwin’s arm for a moment. Her lips curled up and she pulled her gaze back to meet his eyes. “Get moving… unless you want to get delayed for considerably longer.”

“We’ll see you in two days,” Arwin said, coughing into his fist. “Take care of the street for us.”

“You know I will,” Lillia replied.

And then they were off.

***

Arwin’s group made fast progress. Following the crown proved strikingly easy. It worked — well, exactly how it said it would. The path along the ground told them exactly where to head in order to make their way toward the Vault.

They set a brisk pace that would have been unsustainable for anyone whose body hadn’t been reinforced by the Mesh. For Arwin, it felt too slow. He couldn’t remember the last time his body had felt so powerful.

Moving was a hundred times easier than it had been. His stamina made what he’d been working with before feel pathetic at best. Even when he’d been the Hero and magnitudes of levels higher, his form hadn’t felt this… refined.

His Hero class had given him an enormous build with muscles that now felt like they’d practically been more for show than for purpose. And while he’d definitely been physically stronger back then, that strength definitely hadn’t been this optimized.

Arwin’s entire body had advanced. It wasn’t just his strength and stamina that was improved. He could feel every step he took bearing less of a toll. His lungs needed less oxygen to be satisfied, and his coordination was easily twice as good before.  

Hours slipped by. And, while everyone started off at roughly the same pace, at around the six hour mark, they eventually had to pause for a break in a grassy field dotted with large boulders.  

Arwin wasn’t even out of breath.

He wasn’t the only one that remained standing. While Anna flopped down to the ground with a groan to massage her legs, Kien and Olive both remained upright. But that wasn’t to say they weren’t tired.

Kien hid it well, but there was faint weariness clear in his posture and accelerated breathing. Olive’s forehead was sleek with sweat. While neither of them were anywhere near exhausted, the run had definitely taken a toll.

It didn’t take them long to notice the odd one out.

“What kind of training are you doing in the forge, Arwin?” Olive asked in disbelief. “How are you not even sweaty?”

“It’s not the forge,” Arwin replied with a sheepish grin. “At least, I don’t think it is.”

“Then Lillia must really be giving you a run for your money at night,” Olive muttered. “I need to tell Reya to up her game. This is just—”

“It has nothing to do with that,” Kien said without a hint of amusement. “Such things can train stamina, but not to this degree. I have tested all methods of training to find the most optimal ones… and this degree of stamina is abnormal. These changes must be due to the procedure Arwin underwent.”

Arwin nearly choked at Kien’s completely straight face.

Better than them thinking boinking is somehow making me a superhuman, I guess.

“It is. I didn’t realize quite how significant the changes were,” Arwin admitted. “I think the difference is considerably greater than we initially thought.”

“You don’t say,” Anna said, pushing herself up from the ground with a grimace. “Bummer. I would have preferred the alternative option as to how you got this strong. Would have been more fun. Think we can lie to Rodrick and say it has nothing to do with Sunsetting?”

“Somehow, I doubt you need help there,” Kien said. “The walls still aren’t nearly as thick as they should be.”

Anna just smirked.

“How do I volunteer to get Sunsetted?” Olive asked. “It was limited, right? I don’t want to force my way in, but if there’s a chance to get that much stronger…”

“We’ll figure that out later,” Arwin said. He leaned against a boulder, more out of the desire to reposition than any need for rest. “I don’t want to make promises right now. I think we’re going to need to come to a deal with Setting Sun. I don’t think it should be too difficult as long as we can prove we’re worth it. We’re working for the same goal, after all.”

“That’s fair,” Olive said. “Just remember I’m down for it.”

“I would imagine most of the Menagerie would be,” Kien said. “I certainly am. I have nothing to lose.”

“We don’t even know what your class is,” Olive grumbled.

Kien just smiled in response. “Such information must be earned.”

Not even I know what his class is beyond the fact that he’s a terrifyingly effective frontline fighter. I suppose that’s a bit weird, but who among the Menagerie isn’t?

“Just focus on resting for now,” Arwin said. “I don’t want to pause for long. We should get moving again in around thirty minutes.”

The others all nodded their understanding.

Arwin crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked up in thought. The changes to his body were even more than he’d initially thought.  

And that isn’t even mentioning that I’m far lower in level than I was back then. Sunsetting is incredible. The difference isn’t even quantifiable. I… wait. Has the Mesh quantified my advancements? I did technically spend energy to get stronger, but I never actually checked my level.

He summoned his status with a thought. Arwin didn’t need to see his skills — he already knew all the changes that had happened there — but his gaze never even got a chance to drift down to them.

His eyes went wide.

What?

Name: Arwin Tyrr

Class: Living Forge (Unique)(Tier: Adept 9)

Specialization: Forbidden Soulmancy

Arwin nearly choked. His Tier had gone up by 6 ranks. It was little wonder that he’d gotten so much stronger. That said, this was still far from where he’d been back as the Hero. It hardly mattered. He was still vastly proportionately more powerful.

Holy shit. What a huge advancement. And I don’t even have to worry about missing achievements or titles anymore. The stops on my progress have been completely removed.

A cold, determined smile slowly crawled across Arwin’s lips. The Adventurer’s Guild time was coming faster and faster than ever. It wouldn’t be long before he caught up with his former power and surpassed it.

But first, there was a dungeon waiting to be cleared… and he was quite eager to see how much more powerful he’d truly gotten.

Chapter 524

Arwin’s team arrived at the dungeon around 11 hours after leaving Milten. Their trip went surprisingly well. There wasn’t a single incident the whole way over. Either they’d gotten incredibly lucky or Art had arranged to make sure nobody would follow them from Milten.  

He was partial to believing the second option. Arwin wasn’t a huge believer in coincidences.

The dungeon in question was situated at the top of a small valley and surrounded by looming mountains whose shadows cast the dungeon and the valley beneath it into chilly darkness.

There had been no attempt to hide or conceal the entrance of the dungeon. It was a large marble structure roughly the size of a two-story house. Thick beams of white stone rose up around the entrance to support a plain but grand roof. The dungeon had no walls, allowing them all to see the twisting white portal waiting behind the pillars.

Nobody else seemed to be in the area. That wasn’t a huge surprise. This dungeon was quite out of the way. Even though Arwin’s knowledge of local geography was poor at best, he knew Milten was pretty out of the way.

There weren’t going to be many people hunting for dungeons this far away from the city. Espeically when there were quite a number of them much closer, and most of the adventurers visiting the area weren’t so obscenely powerful that they had to look for something this far out.

That didn’t mean somebody couldn’t show up. There was always a chance, and dismissing it would only lead to being surprised. It was far better to prepare for the worst than to expect the best.

“Everyone take some time to relax,” Arwin said. “We don’t want to go in there exhausted. We're about an hour ahead of schedule. I’m confident we’ll be able to clear the dungeon quicky, but let’s not take any risks. Rest up with the time we’ve bought ourselves.”

Nobody argued with him.

An hour wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things, and it was well worth the time to rest instead of pushing ahead like idiots and getting hurt because of it.

Arwin kept watch while everyone else relaxed. There still wasn’t anything out of the ordinary that he could make out. [Dragon’s Greed] didn’t find anything beyond what was inside the dungeon itself.

It wasn’t long before all of them had recovered. There was nothing left between them and the dungeon. So, with little more than a round of exchanged nods, the four of them advanced into the dungeon.  

Pale, bluish-white stone materialized beneath Arwin’s feet the moment he stepped through the portal. He was instantly hit with the scent of something very, very old. It was something between a damp moss and a slightly sickly earthy smell.

They stood in a looming hall, the portal they’d just stepped through at their backs. The arch of the hall was nearly twice the height of a normal ceiling, as if it had been sized for people far larger than normal humans.

A faint glow emanated from the stones. It was dim, but since every single surface in the dungeon seemed to be made of the same stone, it was more than enough to see by for the time being. There were rectangular holes within the walls to their sides, as if something long had been meant to be stored within them, but all were empty.

The hall almost immediately branched off in two directions just in front of them. There didn’t seem to be any real difference between the two paths — except for the fact that the golden pathway illuminated by the crown clearly headed off to the left.

“Whoa,” Olive whispered. “It’s pretty. In a creepy way. Kind of like ghost stones. Do you think we could steal a rock on the way out?”

“Let’s see how things go first,” Arwin replied. “We don’t want to somehow trigger a trap and bring the whole dungeon down on ourselves before we have what we’re here for. Follow me.”

He started off toward the left path.

“We might be dealing with undead,” Kien warned in a low tone as they walked. “This lighting scheme is common among such dungeons.”

“The lighting scheme?” Olive asked. “You’re telling me ghosts have group meetings to decide on décor?”

“Probably not ghosts. They prefer a deeper green hue,” Kien replied. “But there could be some wraiths present. And yes. Undead like pale colors. Blues, muted greens, things that feel peaceful or remind them of the earth.”

“…seriously?”

“Yes,” Kien said. “Do not forget that many dungeons attract wandering monsters. It would only make sense for monsters to be more drawn to dungeons that suit their desires for a home. Would you want to live in a barn?”

“What kind of barn is it?” Olive asked.

“Perhaps I should have expected that answer,” Kien grumbled, a small smile pulling at his lips. “But—”

A faint click echoed through the hall. Kien’s broom rose instantly as he spun toward the source. Something blurred from the walls. Arwin caught a flicker of gray heading straight for Anna’s back.

Caldera materialized in his hands in an instant. He didn’t even spend time to see what the blur was before the hammer was already hurtling through the air with a shrill scream. There was a heavy crunch followed an instant later by a clattering crash as a skeleton smashed into the wall across from them.

At least, it had once been a skeleton. What remained now were a thousand different shards of bone that glowed the exact same dim blue as the stone surrounding them. The monster’s body had been completely obliterated. Large chunks of it were melted from the heat rising from Caldera’s head, and there was no sign at all of its head or upper body.

No identification from the Mesh rose. The monster had died before it had even had a chance to be announced.

They all stared at the monster’s pulverized remains for a second.

“Shit,” Olive muttered. “What did they put in your cereal, Arwin?”

Arwin just shook his head. He’d barely even felt the impact of the strike.

“Look,” Kien said, stepping past Arwin and touching his hand to the wall where the skeleton had come from. There was a suspiciously skeleton-shaped hole in the stone. “It was melded into the wall. Our enemies could be anywhere.”

“That’s problematic,” Anna said grimly. “We could already be surrounded. And the deeper we go…”

Arwin frowned. He was actually less worried about their chances against a single powerful monster as he was a horde of average-strength ones. There were only so many places he could be at once.

“What do we do?” Olive asked. “The mosnters can’t be that smart. One just attacked out of nowhere. But if they can communicate or saw what happened, they could try to ambush us.”

That’s annoying. I almost wish I hadn’t killed it so fast. If I knew what rank the thing was, it would make it a bit easier to figure out where to go from here.

“We need to make sure not to leave any behind us,” Kien said. “Otherwise, we risk a horde bearing down on our backs. This is a high ranked dungeon. That risk is not one we can ignore.”

He’d mirrored Arwin’s thoughts exactly.

Arwin studied the stone intently. The monster had been melded perfectly with the wall. If it hadn’t attacked, he was pretty sure they would have had absolutely no way to know it was there.

“Ah,” Arwin said. His eyes lit up as an idea struck him. “Okay. I’ve got it.”

“Really?” Olive asked.

“You don’t have to sound so surprised,” Arwin said. “It’s a little offensive, actually.”

“Sorry,” Olive said sheepishly. “It’s just Lillia or Rodrick usually come up with the plan. You usually just smack things. I’ll work on being more open minded.”

“So… what’s the plan?” Anna asked.

Arwin glanced from the others back to the wall. Then he adjusted his grip on Caldera. Dungeons were remarkably durable. It was incredibly difficult to deal damage to them due to all the magical power infused into their very being.

But if monsters were hiding in the walls… well, that was a lot easier to damage.

Arwin activated [Scourge]. He felt familiar magic course through his veins like liquid adrenaline, filling him to the brim. Kien’s eyes widened. He took a step back, pushing the others away with his broom.

Then Arwin swung his hammer. Caldera transformed into a streak of molten black motion.

The weapon slammed into the stone to Arwin’s side with a deafening crash. The ground bucked beneath his feet and a huge tremor rolled through the wall.

Two skeletons in front of them were physically thrown free from their hiding spots and smashed into the far walls of the hall. This time, the Mesh actually had a chance to identify them.

[Palebone Skeleton – Expert 3]

The monsters charged, but Arwin was already swinging. Caldera slammed into both of the skeletons in the same strike, sending them both smashing into the wall with yet another enormous crash.

Bone fragments flew in every direction as the two skeletons were pinned and crushed in an instant. The parts of them that hadn’t been melted into the stone clattered to the ground in a ringing rain.

Everyone stared at Arwin.

“I take my apology back,” Olive said, staring at him with equal parts awe and disbelief. “Your solution was hitting the dungeon?”

“What?” Arwin asked. “It’s a good plan. It worked! And hey, now you get to take some pieces of shiny stuff back. You don’t get to complain.”

Olive looked down at the remains of the pale, glowing skeletons on the ground. Then she quietly crouched and scooped a few into her pouch.

“Okay. Fair point,” Olive said. “But what now? You can’t mean to…”

Arwin smiled in response. “Oh, I most certainly do. I have no interest in creeping silently through the dungeon at this point. None of us have a way to locate the monsters in hiding, so I’ll just be forcing them out.”

“I suppose this will give the monsters a fighting chance.,” Anna said meekly, still staring at the remains of the two Expert Tier Skeletons.

“No,” Kien said, shaking his head grimly as Arwin hoisted Caldera once more. “I don’t think it will.”