“Now Gleam, use it while I distract the Matriarch!”
“!”
The sound of an insect exoskeleton against bronze echoed as a large centipede monster species collided with Rusty’s shield. Gleam, now transformed into a Lesser Gleaming Mana Ant, stood behind the long monster, ready to unleash her newfound spellcasting abilities. Rusty engaged the Matriarch in combat by deflecting its strikes with his shield and counter-attacking with his sword. Meanwhile, Gleam focused her energy, conjuring a ball of vibrant blue mana between her antennae.
As the Matriarch lunged forward with its jagged mandibles, Rusty sidestepped and delivered a swift strike to its exposed flank. The creature recoiled in pain, giving Gleam the opportunity she needed. With a flick of her antennae, she released a condensed bolt of mana. This bolt of energy crackled and streaked toward the Centipede Matriarch.
The spell struck true, engulfing the centipede in a brilliant explosion of arcane energy. The Matriarch screeched in agony as the mana bolt tore through its chitinous armor and burrowed itself into its flesh. Rusty could tell that this was an opportunity to strike and seized it. His blade was engulfed in a radiant haze before he plunged it into the monster's mouth. Then, with a resounding boom he discharged the radiant energy into the centipede’s throat.
Immediately after, a cascading effect took place and the inside of the elongated monster started expanding. The energy injected through its mouth started exerting pressure from within and burst out through the wound Gleam had inflicted.
The Centipede Matriarch thrashed and convulsed as the energy tore through its body, causing it to thrash wildly in pain. Rusty and Gleam watched as the creature's movements gradually slowed until it finally collapsed to the ground, its body now lifeless. The cavern fell silent once more with only the crackling of residual mana energy dissipating into the air.
You have gained +146 experience points.
As the system's sound echoed, the cave they inhabited remained silent. Sprawled out around them, were the bodies of defeated centipedes. They were futile in their attempts to aid their leader as it was thwarted by the combined might of the living armor and his ant companion. Despite their victory, the metallic figure didn't appear entirely pleased with the situation.
“?”
“Oh, sorry Gleam, I was just thinking that it's becoming a lot harder to level up… Even after defeating so many of them, I’m not even level three…”
“! ~”
“Well, some of us can’t get levels that fast!”
Gleam performed her happy dance as she was eager to showcase her achievement of reaching level four, while Rusty remained stagnant at level two. He attributed this to two factors: firstly, as an E-rank monster, he found that the F-rank opponents didn't offer much experience. Secondly, he had to share all of his points with the ant, who seemed to be rapidly progressing through the levels.
After attaining three additional levels, Gleam could cast her attacking spell without risking exhaustion. During the battles, Rusty discovered the difference between spells and skills. Skills proved superior mainly because they didn't require concentration to cast and couldn’t be interrupted. Spells, on the other hand, appeared as inferior versions of skills, limited by various strenuous requirements. The main one, was a long casting time and the need to remain still in place, which could be deadly during battle.
This was why he decided to take on the tanking role in this party of two. He would bring all the attention to himself, while Gleam aided him from afar. Nonetheless, Rusty couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy that he couldn't perform spells. From what he knew, it was possible to learn these abilities not only through the means of leveling up. At least that was something his fragmented memories were telling him but he would need to ask his two guides to confirm it.
“Hm, did you learn a new spell or skill?”
Mana Bolt
Spell
The simplest attacking spell that produces a bolt of mana. The higher the Intelligence attribute, the higher the attacking power becomes.
Dancing Lights
Spell
The caster can create up to four torch-sized lights. They will hover in the air for up to a minute and can be moved around.
“Mana Bolt was the old one… So Dancing Lights is the new one.”
Gleam did something akin to a nod before attempting to get the hang of the new spell. However, before she could produce the effect, Rusty decided to raise up his hand in protest. This wasn’t the first time she did this but his ant friend tended to forget about her mana pool. At the time being, it was rather small so he was sure that she would pass out after already having cast Mana Bolt before.
“Don’t do it Gleam, you’ll go to sleep again!”
“~?”
“The mana crystals? Well, yes we could use them but we should conserve our resources! What if we get ambushed while we are going back, there could be other monsters lurking around!”
“... >_< ”
Gleam communicated through movements of her antennae and mandibles, prompting Rusty to presume that the bonding contract had bestowed upon him some form of skill enabling communication between them. Despite the absence of audible words, information seemed to flow effortlessly into his bronze head.
“Don’t worry Gleam, how about you see if we can find something here, maybe there will be some tin or copper here?”
“!”
Rusty pondered over what to do with the remains of the defeated monsters. It seemed wasteful to leave them lying dead on the ground, destined to decompose without purpose. Some parts looked interesting, like the monster's large jaw that could even damage his armor. He couldn't shake the feeling that they held some value, although he wasn't certain what. A decision was made to ask one of his guides for some advice and this time around, it was the hero’s turn.
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Thus, while Gleam scoured the surroundings for mineral deposits, Rusty patiently waited until his MP recharged to a certain point. Then when the time was right he spent the points required for the skill to activate. Once again, the orb of light materialized before his visor, casting a radiant glow that illuminated the whole underground cave.
“I’m out?”
The hero was a bit confused while looking around but quickly realized that he was still just a spirit tied to a living armor. Rusty could hear him sighting before posing a question.
“Can I help you with something Rusty?”
“Indeed, hero. I seek your guidance regarding the remains of these defeated monsters. They seem to possess some value, but I am uncertain how to utilize them.”
The hero pondered for a moment before responding to the question that he was compelled to answer.
“Well, Rusty… They are probably useless to a mons… being like you.”
“They are? But I think they should be good for something… like those large mandibles or those poisonous claws?”
The monster’s head was larger than on the smaller variants and it had a set of large poisonous claws. Rusty knew that poison could be used in various ways to help him achieve victory.
“This species of centipede typically possesses a poisonous gland, but it appears you've already destroyed it. Without the gland, even if you were to stab someone with those claws, it wouldn't be very effective. If you were an adventurer, you could likely sell some of the parts at the guild and then exchange them for something worthwhile... The poison gland could fetch a good price at an alchemist's shop.”
“I could exchange them for metal?”
“Not really, you’ll be dead before you even enter the city… Do you think they would let a monster wander in?”
“I guess … I killed a few adventurers? But I was just defending myself…”
“Were you really? If I remember correctly, you prepared traps and even used poison against them. But, that doesn’t matter, monsters and people see each other as enemies. Don’t think too much about it.”
“I’m not sure that I understand…”
Rusty was a bit perplexed. He was a monster, an armor with a mind of its own. He didn't harbor any remorse about defeating those humanoid adversaries. However, he also didn't feel that they necessarily needed to be enemies. Since forming a bond with Gleam, it seemed that cooperation was indeed a possibility.
“Could you be growing a… no that’s impossible, you’re just a monster like the other ones.”
“Growing a what?”
“It doesn’t matter but if you have to, with the inventory and warehouse now operational, you should be able to store some of the monster parts there. Then, if ever needed, you'll be able to retrieve them."
The hero seemed to want to tell him something but he quickly changed the conversation and Rusty wasn’t that interested in prying. Instead, he focused on the monster parts that were seemingly gatherable. Previously he assumed that he would only be able to retrieve metallic parts. There was no reason to fill out his empty warehouse if it was a possibility, perhaps later he would have a place to use some of these parts.
“What should I keep? What are the best parts?”
“That’s usually the fangs and claws of a monster, anything that looks sharp or sturdy is probably worth something… Besides that, you’ll probably want the monster core, that’s usually the most important part from a monster.”
“A core, just like mine?”
“Yes, you’ll find it somewhere inside a monster's body, they usually only start appearing in monsters of E-rank and above. Don’t ask me where though, it’s usually in the head but the area can vary.”
Rusty glanced at the dead monster with its numerous legs sprawled out. Cutting through them all seemed like a chore, but he didn't appear to be in a hurry for anything. However, as he prepared to start cutting, the Hero orb called out to him.
“Can I go now?”
“You wish to go?”
“Yes, I think I’ve answered your question.”
“...”
There were quite big differences between the white and black balls of light. The Demon King seemed to want to stay longer and talk. Rusty wasn’t sure about trusting him fully but he was unable to tell lies which fixed this issue. On the other hand, the hero seemed less amused by the situation, showing a reluctance to remain. It appeared as though he had reasons for not wanting to be there or just didn’t like his current situation of being a monster’s underling.
“I still need one thing answered, you seem to know more about this system and inventories than the demon king!”
“Yes, it was one of my blessings, It’s not something just anyone can have.”
“Great, then can I do something about this?”
Before releasing the hero from his guide work, Rusty pulled out a knife. It was the same one that he had made as his first creation. The hero glanced at the blade and instantly could tell that something was off.
“It looks to be chipped in a few areas.”
Rusty nodded as this was the crux of his problem, his weapons were deteriorating.
“I knew you’d be able to tell!”
“Sure, so what did you want to know about it?”
“I was wondering if there is a way to sharpen it again, I’m not able to make a grinding wheel nor can I make whetstones…”
The bronze weaponry and tools weren’t the strongest and all of them were slowly dulling. It was the same with his sword and even shield which already had a few dents. While he could make new ones with bronze, it felt like a waste of resources.
“I’m not sure if I can help you with that, without a proper smithy and tools, it will be impossible to repair those weapons. Eventually, they will break.”
“Is there really no way? Even when they break… shouldn’t I be able to melt them back into bronze?”
Rusty had become knowledgeable about the crafting process. In theory, he should be able to melt some of the bronze items he created to make new bronze ingots from them. Even if he had a large quantity of them now, this could always change.
“Sure, but you’ll need access to the smelter inside of the Soul Forge but I don’t think you can enter it at this time… at least not yet?”
The hero paused as if there was a possibility of this changing and Rusty caught on to that.
“Yet? Does that mean that I will be able to?”
“Perhaps… I’m not sure. This Soul Forge is different, it’s much larger than the one I had… but the possibility is there…”
“So you’re telling me, that there is a chance?”
“Maybe, if you evolve further and have enough mana.”
It all started making sense. Rusty started assuming that just like the Call Guide skill, one that allows him entrance to the Soul Forge could exist. Maybe if he became stronger, eventually the path would become open and he would be able to restore his deteriorating gear at a later date.
“Thank you, Hero.”
“Good, can I go now?”
“Sure… but are you feeling fine? You sound… what’s the word… sad?”
“Sad? I’m not sad… just having a hard time processing this situation…”
“Processing?”
“It means to stomach something… I guess you don’t have one… It means to accept an unpleasant occurrence or feeling.”
“Oh, do you want to talk about it?”
The hero orb didn’t know how to respond but just gave out a sigh.
“I’ve fallen so low that a monster is feeling bad for me… No, it’s fine Rusty, I just need some time alone.”
“Fine, you can leave then, I’ll call you when I need some advice later!”
“Thanks.”
The orb of light replied and soon after the skill calling it here had ended. With the hero's departure, Rusty turned his attention back to the task at hand. Gleam had returned from her exploration, without finding anything of interest. It didn’t seem that this place had any ore deposits or crystals they could use.
Gathering the monster materials turned out to be relatively straightforward. Rusty simply needed to disassemble the monster by cutting it apart, and then, by spending SP, he could transfer the materials directly into his warehouse. The cost varied depending on the size of the object he wished to collect. Additionally, he could bundle certain parts together, such as the centipede legs, taking three at a time for just one SP.
Rusty disassembled the monster with the use of his bronze knife and sword. Slicing through the tough chitinous exoskeleton presented a challenge, but it offered an opportunity to learn something new. As he dissected the creature, he stumbled upon the damaged poison gland with its contents spilling out. Fortunately, his metallic form rendered him immune to such toxins. Meanwhile, Gleam who was ever eager to assist, utilized her now enhanced mandibles to gnaw off the monster's legs, which Rusty then deposited into his inventory for later use.
After they harvested enough materials and his SP was drained, he found himself covered in various monster liquids. Gleam, who had a sense of smell Rusty lacked, kept her distance, which saddened him slightly. Soon, the two companions ventured outside of the cave system and made their way back to the main watering hole. The once bustling place was now eerily deserted, with three species eradicated in Rusty's pursuit for strength. Only the largest of them remained and he wondered if their leader would pose a bigger threat than the trio he already defeated.
“!!!”
“Fine, I’ll clean myself off!”
Rusty found himself getting pressured into taking a bath. During their walk back home Gleam was insistent on gnashing her mandibles in disapproval. Fortunately, since the watering hole was no longer used by anyone, he could easily submerge himself to cleanse his armor of all the lingering monster residue. Only after Gleam approved did he leave the watering hole and soon both of them would go after their last target. Once that was done with, Rusty intended to set his metallic sights onto other things and perhaps soon, he could emerge back into the dungeon he fell from…