Chapter 4: Vargar (2)

“Ye ready?” Vargar asked.

“I am,” Blake replied with a firm nod.

Gazing down the road, Blake estimated it would take them at least four, maybe even five hours to navigate the snowy path.

That was his best guess, but he could easily be wrong since he'd never been part of an information-gathering team before.

In battles, he relied on the intel provided to match his opponents and guide his teammates toward certain victory. This dynamic changed significantly when Blake reached the top and no one else could match his vision and pace.

“Will we have a dispute at the top?” Blake asked.

“Ye can take the piece of the crown if we find it. Too much hassle and responsibility for a wandering blacksmith like me! I'm more interested in the natural resources up there!” Vargar replied. “Ye're quite honest about it, though.”

“I'm terrible at reading the room,” Blake admitted. “I'd rather be straightforward these days.”

“I see, I see.”

As the two conversed as equals, Blake learned more about The Lost Kingdom and the art of blacksmithing. Both subjects intrigued him greatly since he knew little about them and only had some knowledge of The Lost Kingdom from his time as a beta tester.

Time passed more quickly now that they shared common ground.

Before long, the skies darkened, and the snowfall intensified into a blizzard.

Vargar's backpack opened on its own, releasing a red-framed lantern containing a brightly shining magical stone. Catching the lantern with practiced ease, he pressed onward.

Eventually, the duo reached the end of the road, which lay far below the spire. A wall of snow loomed before them, but Vargar pulled out a shovel without hesitation and began digging through the obstacle.

“Let me help,” Blake offered.

He grabbed the second shovel and tackled the snowy barrier. He wasn't as fast or strong as Vargar, but he still eased the dwarf's burden.

After a while, Vargar struck something solid.

He leaned in and brushed the snow away with his hands, revealing a metal door adorned with intricate carvings, none of which he understood. He tried to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge.

“Well, that's foolish of me since ye're the key,” Vargar said, turning to glance at Blake, who had been beside him the whole time.

Placing his hand on the cold frame, Blake gave it a gentle push, and the door yielded. It screeched from years of neglect and being buried under snow before swinging open to reveal a dark interior.

Vargar extended his lantern inside, illuminating parts of the room. His eyes sparkled upon noticing a workbench, an anvil, a forge, and tools hanging on the brick wall.

“This must be The Lost King's first smithy!” Vargar exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Blake finally received his first quest.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

This quest laid the groundwork for Blake's skills.

He didn't have any blueprints for weapons or armor, meaning he could improvise, search the smithy for useful items, or seek guidance from Vargar.

For the second objective, he could rely on himself.

The third one... seemed the easiest.

While Blake weighed his options, Vargar explored the smithy and fortunately found a switch for the lights, which he activated.

Caught off guard, Blake instinctively covered his eyes and dropped into a fighting stance.

“Calm down. It's just light,” Vargar chuckled.

Rubbing his eyes, Blake adjusted to the brightness and clicked his tongue. “Next time, warn me before you turn anything on.”

In a corner, there was a large double chest that Vargar opened, revealing various ores and limestone inside.

Blake joined him and peeked inside, not understanding much.

Noticing his confusion, Vargar explained, “This one's copper, this is tin, and that's iron ore. The limestone is crushed into flux and added to the ore before smelting to extract metals. Tin and copper make bronze. Iron is useful on its own but can also be made into steel, though I don't think ye're at that level yet.”

Blake scratched his chin, pondering these resources. There was clearly much more to blacksmithing that he needed to learn.

It would be best to have Vargar's guidance.

“Please, make me your disciple!” Blake asked earnestly.

He had been feeling an overwhelming desire to fight monsters and level up, which he tried to suppress through conversation. But now he genuinely wanted to forge his own weapon and armor, to focus more on self-improvement.

Before he began forging, he channeled his battle urges into his crafting ambitions.

“Aye, aye,” Vargar said, stroking his beard. “If ye promise to work with me in the future back in The Dwarven Kingdom! It's an honor to be the master of the future Lost King, but ye must know the other title The Lost King received from the world.”

“Which is?” Blake asked.

“The Hollow King. He became so self-sufficient that he never relied on his people and only sought to make the kingdom the best place for them, which led to him ignoring them. He alienated himself from his subjects. In the past, The Lost Kingdom had a strong significance despite the word 'lost,' as they were so advanced that people claimed they came from the future and were lost in the current era.

“I don't want ye to become The Hollow King,” Vargar said, turning away. “It'd be such a loss to lose ye.”

Blake looked down. 'Did you know about this, Edward? This is eerily similar to my situation.'