Snow gazed up at the walls, she noticed that the Players seemed to defend the walls a lot more easier. The booming of the cannons went off, bringing with it destruction upon the monsters that tried to scale up the very wall. She was pleased to see the light energy that protected the very walls of the fortress itself, telling her that the barrier was doing its job. She felt a bit of weight lift off her shoulder.

She looked over to see that the blacksmith was still next to her. Interested in the blacksmith, she had heard many good things about him and his accomplishments. His specialty mainly lies in weapon and armor creations.

   "You are Falcon, correct?" Snow asked.

   "Well, some called me that, I don't mind if you call me that as well," Falcon replied, he was shaking his head at Lily's departure. "I can see that she will be a problem."

   Snow followed his gaze, realizing what he was looking at. "I don't know why the higher-ups have sent her to me." Snow replied. She can feel a growing headache from thinking about her. "I just need her to get out of my hair."

   "That wouldn't be easy." Falcon laughed at her, "she works under you."

   "I know that's why it sucks." Snow half-heartedly laughed, knowing that she had to make the most of it. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

   She had seen him often working in his smith, but they never interacted until now.

   "Go ahead, Lass," Falcon replied, crossing his arm in front of him as he took a look at Snow and then turned around. He motioned her to follow.

"What do you want to ask?" Walking over to one of the late-night stands, he pulled out a few copper coins.

   Falcon motioned his head at her if she wanted one. She nodded, no.

   "One Ale please and some beef jerky," Falcon asked, the cook handed him a cup and a plate full of beef jerky. Taking a deep drink, he let out a satisfied gasp. They went over to an open table. "So?" he was getting a bit impatient.

   "Why are you here? You aren't a player, but an actual native." Snow asked.

Many natives came into the dungeon for profit, but it was considered a death warrant. So far, a third of the Natives that came in were condemned inmates with a bracelet around their neck. They couldn't escape. Every one of them was contracted out by different companies as some didn't want to send their employees out in such a dangerous place. They were here to serve their time. There was no way to tell when the dungeon would end, which meant that if the dungeon didn't break, they would die.

Falcon looked at her, he laughed boisterously. "There is a time to live and a time to die." He replied, taking another chug at his drink and slammed it onto the table with a hearty pleasurable sigh. Reaching over to his plate of beef jerky, he took a bite and ate it. "I choose my place to die, Ms. Snow."

"So, you are saying you will die here?" Snow was confused. Lately, she has been having some dark thoughts about the dungeon. The same monotonous war with constant raids did bring a feeling of eternal doom that tired every Native's soul and mind. While the Players had a chance to escape the life of the dungeon raid and come back whenever they felt like it.

Many of the dungeon divers that came to the front line were all war fanatics or guild members, who could take on the grind and the constant tension.

"Are you kidding me?" Falcon gave her a disappointed look, "Ms. Snow, I know you aren't here to roll over and die."

"Absolutely not." She quickly replied unconsciously.

"Good," Falcon replied, satisfied. He took another chug. "The real battle is in mind, Ms. Snow.

"Everything out in front of us is secondary; if we lose the battle in our mind, we lose out here." He tapped his head a few times and, eventually, his heart.

Snow understood, her feeling of a hint of depression that she had suppressed in the past weeks were washed away. Her resolve hardened, blowing away her dark thoughts that always cropped up in her mind. It was a battle she needed to win every time she woke up, she wasn't going to stop.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I see that spark in you." He chuckled, pleased with her reply. "I am here to live, Ms. Snow, and this place will not be my grave."

Snow felt a kindred spirit in the blacksmith, no, in all of the natives that decided to stay here in the front line. "I'll make the best of it that we get out of here alive."

"I know you will." Falcon smiled. "My second motivation is to make money and find some rare items to create amazing weapons and armors. Where, but here can a blacksmith become a legend?" He waved his hand in a full arch, accentuating the dungeon.

"Must you take a dangerous route to be at the front line?" Snow asked, she reached over and took a beef jerky that he had pushed for her to eat.

"Absolutely. All the best material goes first through the hands of the Players themselves. The bodies they bring back to the first floor lose its quality." He harrumphed. "Some of these materials must be handled with care. Like the Crystal Raptor's crystals. You can not just break it into pieces, or it loses vitality."

Snow has heard about the Crystal Raptor's crystal. Every time it was mishandled, the crystal spewed out dangerous electric energy that could burn their very hand, leaving behind a bad third-degree burn. Other times, it would create a small mini bomb harming the people around it.

There weren't many who could handle the Crystal Raptors without setting it off, Falcon was the few blacksmiths that would work with the butchers to cut away the pieces that they needed.

"Not only that, they would blow up if mishandled incorrectly. A few days back, one of the butches cut it in the wrong angle, causing it to cause a small scale explosion. He had lost his right hand, that poor fool." Falcon shook his head. "But, those crystals had been a great help."

"Yes, they have." Snow agreed with what Falcon had said. With the assistance of the blacksmith and Red, they were able to create potent weapons and armors. This was one of the reasons why they were able to survive for so long, plus the adaptability of the Players themselves made it possible.

"Red has been useful but annoying." Falcon shook his head, remembering the things that she had done. "I don't get how such a small lass can create such a powerful enchantment. I thought I had peeked into the gateway of a master blacksmith, but with her help, I saw that door opening wider and wider." He chuckled, his eyes lit with fire.

"Do you think you could help me one day create a masterpiece?" Snow joking asked. She wasn't hoping for anything, but she couldn't deny that she wanted an armor that could protect her against these monsters. The armor that she wore so far was decent enough to handle against the monsters that came at the wall, she didn't know when it wouldn't be enough.

"Absolutely."

"You can't take your words on that." She chuckled. "One more ale, please." She called.

The waiter came over to refill his beer.

"You know me too well." Falcon winked at her, glad to get another drink. "Our blood is made out of beer. Without it, I wouldn't be alive today." He replied. "If you got the materials, I got your back."

Snow nodded pleased at their agreement. "Though, do you only do medieval types of upgrades and creations? I know the Players like those kinds of things."

"Ah, that." Falcon grimaced, realizing what she had said and asking for. "I am for the past generational weapon and armor creations, but I specialized in more modern-day weapons and armors. It's just that these Players like to dress up." He rolled his eyes.

With a bark of laughter, Snow understood what he was feeling. It was weird until she finally got used to it. Which, she secretly still felt was odd.

"It's a bit strange." Falcon replied, "But it works, so that's all that matters to them."

"True, but the weapon technology for this day is a lot more advanced, I noticed that you mix it with your work."

"I wouldn't just rely on one technique to change things over the past centuries. Do you know how stupid that is? Not keeping up with the time?" He grunted.

   Snow shrugged, not understanding the intricates of blacksmith work, all she could do was listen.

   "There was only so much armor, and a weapon could handle, but the olden techniques are still considered one of the best to use in certain aspects. Just the materials nowadays are different. I just couldn't get the good stuff until these dungeons appeared. The amount of wealth one has here is astronomical. It's a blacksmith heaven."

Snow wasn't sure if this place was even called heaven, but she could see why he looked at this place with wonder and excitement. The number of monster materials to minerals found in the dungeon itself was something that couldn't be found in the outside world anymore.

"With the mixture of the old and the new, I am sure I can make the legendary items of the olden days. Maybe more godly than before." Falcon said with excitement, "my name would be written in history."  

Snow got up, taking a look at Falcon. "Anyways, I got to go." She gently bowed, realizing that she activated the black box. Walking back to the wall, but before she could leave, Falcon called her out.

   "Lass." Falcon raised his cup of mug in the air to stop her.

   "Yes?" Snow turned around, wondering what he wanted.

   "Take this." Throwing a small amulet, she caught it in midair. It was a crystal cuff that fits nicely on her right wrist. She looked back towards him, asking what it was.

   "This is?" Snow asked, examining it. It was intricately designed with sharp edges and geometric patterns. There were Blue crystals inlaid in the bracelets itself, showing her that it was made from the Crystal Raptors minerals.

   "It's quite popular with the Players," Falcon replied. He took a sip of his drink and wiped it out of his mouth. "You're going to like it. It's just a simple enhancement."

   Snow knew what it was, a power multiplier, but there wasn't much of it. She knew that there weren't many of it made.

   "Thanks," She left Falcon alone, leaving him to drink by himself.