“Is there really no other way?”

“ (•̀ᴗ•́ )و “

“You promise not to drop me? I’m not really talking about that Gleam.”

A somewhat frustrated living armor gave out a sigh in a very human way before turning towards a white ball of light. Since receiving advice from the Demon King, some time had passed, and both Rusty and Gleam had been occupied. The plan for escaping this place was deemed somewhat dangerous and wasteful, prompting Rusty to explore the area in search of alternative options thoroughly. Ultimately, he even reached out to the Hero, hoping to hear an opposing viewpoint.

“I’m not sure, depends if you are in a rush?”

“Well… there aren’t any monsters left here, it does feel like a waste of time to remain… Right Gleam?”

“ ( `−ㅿ−´) “

“Yeah, it has gotten boring with no one to fight, you’re right.”

The two turned to the white ball of light, seeking advice on this predicament. It was evident they were eager to depart from this place. While Aburdon’s idea wasn’t without merit, it entailed abandoning his lair and the resources they had painstakingly gathered. There remained a substantial amount of mana crystals, copper ores, and various other valuable resources that would need to be left behind. For Rusty, who had invested considerable effort to reach this point, this was a sobering reality to confront.

“I guess we could wait a bit more but how long do you think that could take?”

Rusty turned to the orb of light for some guidance and the Hero responded quickly.

“I’m not sure but there are two possibilities. Either those insectoid monsters gathered here when they were much smaller, like the ants you faced that were G-rank.”

“Would that change anything?”

"Yes, they would be much smaller and able to travel through smaller tunnels. This is only a theory, but they could have fled from something like the spider monster you encountered and crawled through one of those openings in the walls you found."

“That’s a possibility…”

Rusty arrived here after falling into a large chasm and then had to run away from a strange creature there. He managed to land on a small ledge and then crawled inside of one of the tunnels created by the ants. Together with Gleam they had retraced his steps and arrived at that area but it wasn’t the only one, there were several other ways in that all led out into that great big hole.

“What’s the second possibility?”

“The second one, could be a now collapsed tunnel, I think you’ve seen a few of them while you were trying to find a way out already?”

“Oh those, yes some of them looked unstable…”

After receiving the idea from the Demon King, Rusty embarked on a search for an alternative escape route. He dedicated several days to exploring the tunnels and meticulously mapping out the area. With Gleam's assistance, they also unearthed pockets of tin and copper, which they mined diligently.

However, their efforts failed to uncover any viable escape routes that Rusty could fit through. If the second theory held true, it suggested that the monsters had traversed a larger tunnel that later collapsed, leaving them trapped in this area. The only apparent exit appeared to be the chasm infested with spiders. While the ants might have been capable of climbing back out, the shadowy arachnids would have swiftly dispatched them.

“If this were true, then there is a possibility that you could eventually mine yourself out of here and it’s probably the safer way out of here. But, even when your body doesn’t tire you might have to mine for weeks, maybe months, or longer…”

“Months sound long…”

To someone who hadn't even existed for a year, the prospect of mining for a month seemed daunting. Adding to the challenge was the issue of direction, with multiple seemingly collapsed tunnels complicating matters even further. They had no clue where to even begin, and without knowing the correct path, this endeavor could be futile. Even Gleam's scouting through the smaller ant tunnels yielded no results, making this option less promising.

“Yeah, it does sound long… and we don’t even know which way to start mining…”

“ ( •̀ - •́ ) “

“You want to go with Aburdon’s suggestion? But it could get dangerous, without my body I won’t be able to help you with those spiders.”

“ (•̀ᴗ•́ )و “

“I’m glad that you are confident in your abilities but let me think it through…”

Rusty began contemplating as in the end, it was up to him to make the decision. He was given two options, one that seemed faster yet more dangerous and the second one that could take forever. There wasn’t a need for that much contemplation, as he knew that one choice seemed more promising for various reasons.

“Hm… I have decided!”

"That was quick. I suppose you don't need me anymore, but before I leave, could you tell me your choice?"

“We will… follow Aburdon’s plan!”

“Hah…”

The hero of light gave out a sigh as if he was disappointed with the answer and then quickly posed a question.

“Is there something wrong with that choice?”

“I’m not sure, why did you decide on it?”

“Hm…”

Rusty looked up at one of the glowing crystals and tried to think. While mining was safer, it would also be extremely boring. With no monsters around, there was no one to fight or to train their skills.

“It wouldn’t be that exciting or fun… I think. Is that a good reason?”

He wasn’t sure if there was a good enough reason to put himself and Gleam in danger but for some reason, the faster route sounded more appealing to him. Even the ant started dancing around, taking his side.

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“I see, it’s more exciting, I guess that’s a good enough reason.”

“Is something wrong? You sound … weird.”

Ever since he called the Hero here previously, he has been acting a bit strangely. When they were in the Soul Forge, he was way more eager to teach him the basics of smithing but now he sounded sad and without energy. The Demon King on the other hand, always talked with a lot more energy as if he had some underlying goal which the Hero lacked.

"Weird? Well, this whole situation is bizarre. I suppose you reminded me of the past. There was someone I knew who also rushed into things… Never caring what the future might bring… "

“Oh, there was? They sound like a fun person to be around!”

The Hero chuckled softly, and if he had a face then a wistful smile would be crossing it.

“I’m not sure about that, they were quite reckless and an idiot… But, anyway… I think this is fine right? You should probably conserve your mana for your great plan.”

With a nod, Rusty acknowledged the Hero's words. Despite the strange shift in the Hero's demeanor, he felt confident in their decision. Gleam, too, seemed eager to proceed with their chosen path. Their resolve was firm and they were almost ready to venture into the depths of the chasm. However, there were some things to prepare before their departure and there was one last issue he needed to discuss with the Hero.

“Wait, before you go Hero, how about you tell me your name?”

“My name?”

“Yes, you’re the only one without one, I have one, Gleam has one and we even know that Aburdon is Aburdon, you’re the only one left without a real name.”

The Hero fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. When he spoke again, his voice carried a tinge of nostalgia.

“My name… Do you wish to know the first one or the second one…”

“First and second? Someone can have two names?”

“Well… not really… Just forget that I said anything, I guess here they called me Alexander.”

With the Hero's revelation of his name, Rusty felt that for some reason their connection was deepened.

"Alexander... It's a great name.”

Rusty felt a mix of emotions. He was somewhat pleased, yet also a tad envious of the impressive names those around him possessed. The Demon King's name exuded strength and power, while the Hero's name evoked bravery and heroism. And then there was him, named after the mundane phenomenon of rusting.

“I suppose it wasn’t bad. Take care of yourself Rusty and try doing what I’ve mentioned before, it might save you some of those precious resources you seem to love…”

With those last words, the orb of light vanished and left the ant and the living armor glistering in the crystal light.

“Now that the choice is made, we should start preparing, I refuse to waste all of these resources.”

" ( – ⌓ – ) “

“No, I’m not going to leave them. Instead, I’ll use them all up, not like we’ll be coming back here… at least not for a while…”

There was a strange hint of sadness when he thought about leaving this place. This was the area where he found Gleam and reached E-rank. However, his adventure needed to continue, and going up and back towards the dungeon was the fastest choice. He regretted leaving behind the ores he had mined and the ingots he had processed, but both his stash tab and warehouse had reached their limits. This left him with only one choice, and that was to use up as much bronze as he possibly could.

“I’ll just reproduce all the weapons and make multiple copies until it’s all gone! I can stick a lot more into the warehouse”

“ ( ¬_¬ ) ‘

Gleam wasn't as thrilled as her bronze companion; this departure left her with little to occupy herself except watching him consume his SP. It was a lengthy process as waiting for it to recharge his SP was a must. Eventually, a large arsenal had been crafted and stored in his system for future use. Some raw ores remained, but at least half of his stash had now been depleted.

With their preparations complete, Rusty stood before the entrance he squeezed himself in. On the other side awaited a small ledge, upon which Gleam would carry him to a new location. He patiently awaited her return from a scouting trip, occupying himself by scrutinizing his inventory screen. There, he readied himself for a unique maneuver that the Hero had mentioned.

“ ( •̀ ᴗ •́ ) “

“Welcome back, Gleam. The cost is clear you say?”

At first, Rusty harbored doubts about the plan because he deemed himself too large for Gleam to carry. At her current size, he would be able to fit her into his chest cavity. Yet, his uniqueness helped in this scenario. He was a living armor and his monster core was situated inside of his helmet. Aburdon's strategy was straightforward: affix Rusty's helmet onto Gleam's back and have her transport him like a backpack up the chasm.

The plan was relatively straightforward as Rusty could utilize bronze ingots to restore himself, provided he had six on hand. However, the main reason he hesitated to execute this plan was the necessity to expend a whole six of them. Fortunately, the Hero proposed an alternative, which he was eager to test out now.

“First, the harness, how does it feel?”

“ (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) “

“It’s a little itchy but it’s fine? Good. ”

Fortunately, the backpack he fashioned within the Soul Forge came equipped with some straps that he could adapt for this purpose. Interestingly, it wasn't always necessary to gather the exact resources for recreating items; for instance, monster tendons or fur could serve as substitutes for bow strings. Thanks to this, Rusty managed to affix his helmet to Gleam's back which would allow her to focus on climbing.

“ ( ó﹏ò ) “

“Don’t worry Gleam, we aren’t going to leave my body behind, look at this.”

To minimize resource wastage, Rusty had cleared out his stash tab, which now held no weapons. The hero proposed a clever idea: since Rusty's body was essentially perceived as armor, he could will his body parts into the stash tab, leaving only his helmet behind, which he couldn't move. This advantage hadn't occurred to him before, and he was grateful for the suggestion.

" ( °ㅁ° ) "

"Everything's fine, Gleam. I'm just stowing away my body parts!"

From the outside, it looked rather peculiar as his limbs began to vanish. Initially bathed in a grayish light, they gradually disappeared. Once all his parts were tucked into the stash tab, his body vanished as if it had never existed in the first place. The only thing that remained was his helmet which was secured to Gleam’s back. Gleam chirped excitedly, her antennae twitching with anticipation as she prepared to embark on their next adventure.

“Alright Gleam, let’s do this! Up we go!”

After squeezing through the opening they arrived at the ledge he descended to. That time he had been fleeing from a mysterious, shadowy spider, something Gleam would do well to avoid. Finally, Gleam began her ascent, her insectoid legs gripping the rocky surface of the chasm with ease.

“You are doing great, Gleam! Keep it up!”

“ (•̀ᴗ•́ )و “

The climb was rather smooth as Gleam skittered up the steep wall. Despite the absence of light, her ant-like senses enabled her to navigate skillfully in the darkness. Everything seemed to be going fine and he even felt a gentle breeze against his helmet. The shadowy spiders remained hidden, and his guides had assured him that as long as they avoided touching their webs, they would not appear.

However, the gentle breeze that was hitting his helmet began to intensify. It switched from a soft caress to a forceful gust, threatening to knock Gleam off balance. Her movements became more erratic and her antennae twitched with confusion.

“ ( ó﹏ò ) “

“What’s wrong, Gleam? Is everything okay? Do you need to take a break?”

Rusty couldn’t really see what was happening as he was just a helmet strapped to a silvery ant. Although he couldn't see much, he sensed the increasing strength of the winds and noticed his small companion beginning to slow down. Gleam, being only an F-rank monster primarily suited for spellcasting, lacked the stamina typical of other creatures as her focus leaned towards mana instead.

“If you’re getting tired, then look for a ledge, let's follow the instructions!”

There was nothing to worry about as they had come prepared. Aburdon had cautioned that if the climb proved too tedious, Gleam might exhaust her stamina. In such a situation, they were instructed to seek out a ledge where she could rest. Fortunately, luck favored them, and a small cavern appeared not far ahead and would provide a welcome respite from the strong winds. Gleam hastened towards it, her movements becoming increasingly sluggish with fatigue, but she persisted through the discomfort.

“ ( – ⌓ – ) “

“You did great, how about we rest a bit… or perhaps could this be enough? I might be able to bring out my body here, Gleam could you make some light?”

For some reason, even his gaze couldn’t pierce through the darkness here so some magic was needed. Gleam didn’t hesitate as burning mana didn’t affect her stamina recovery. Soon a tiny light appeared and that was when the two realized that they had probably made a mistake. Instead of an empty cavern, they were greeted by many sets of multiple eyes, which were now directly staring at them…