A day after Earl handed over the documents to Guild Master Gray, I decided to visit the foundry and speak with Blacksmith Ori.

The scent of burning coal and iron wafted through the air, nearly singeing my nostrils.

The intense heat emanating from the furnace greeted my skin as I ventured further inside.

The rhythmic clanging of the hammer against the glowing red iron on the anvil filled the air.

I was just about to call out to the robust, bearded man when he abruptly ceased his hammering and turned his gaze in my direction.

His face, covered in black soot, revealed a distinct white beard. His eyes seemed to anticipate my presence.

"What can I do for you, young Asriel?" he asked with a robust, manly voice.

Regaining my composure, I checked my inventory.

"I have a few souvenirs for you, Old Man Ori," I said with a cheerful tone.

I began pulling out one stone after another.

After a while, several dozen iron and steel ingots lay on the stone table a few meters away from the blazing furnace.

The old man's eyes widened, giving me a quizzical look as if to ask, "Is this really why you came?" A sigh escaped my lips, acknowledging that Old Ori could see through my intentions.

Placing two unique items on the stone table beside the ingots, an eye-shaped marble and a scarlet stone, I revealed my purpose.

"I want you to create a new weapon for me, Old Man Ori, using these two rare items: the Heart of Bloodred Salamander and the Eye of the Cyclops," I requested.

The old blacksmith, with his hoarse voice, inquired, "What kind of weapon, young lad?"

"A chain and a sickle," I replied, adding 10 Titanium ingots to the mix.

Walking towards him, I handed over a parchment, a rare drop from the Cyclops, which happened to be the blueprint for the Scarlet Blood Scythe.

He studied me for a moment, perhaps wondering about my intentions for the weapon, before placing the parchment into his blueprint inventory.

"When do you need it to be finished, young lad?" he asked.

"No rush, Old Man Ori. You can work on it during your free time, but keep it quiet," I responded.

Trusting Blacksmith Ori, the elder brother of Old Man Gray,

I had provided him with most of the blueprints needed for crafting weapons and armor for the adventurers in town.

"Old Man, thanks to the dozens of Steel Swords and Iron Plated Armors, they came in handy in clearing the Slumbering Marshland," I informed him.

"I told you, right? They'd come in handy," he chuckled.

"Visit again after some time, young lad," he said as I exited the foundry.

Late in the morning, Earl returned from Castor Town.

I suggested we have lunch at the Bellflower Diner before embarking on our journey to the Southern Mountains to confront Emeth.

Placing an order for two sets of my usual meal with Uncle Ed, I noticed him pause for a moment.

"I thought you had a group expedition this morning at Arachnia’s Cavern, Asriel?" Uncle Ed inquired, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Some professor didn’t want me to be part of it, since I can already solo clear the cavern," I replied, expressing a bit of discontent.

"Don’t worry Uncle, Professor Klein and Professor Laila are with them," I reassured.

"You're right, Asriel," Uncle Ed nodded before heading to the kitchen to prepare our order.

While enjoying my favorite food, I couldn't shake off a bit of worry about the group in Arachnia’s Cavern, not because of the higher-level monsters, but due to Lucas' involvement.

Clearing a challenging dungeon at your current level with a group you lack experience with might prove problematic.

I tucked this concern away as I savored my meal.

We delved into Earl's leveling plan, considering that he is currently at level 35.

To successfully face Emeth alone, he needs to reach at least level 45 or higher.

Before directly confronting Emeth, our strategy involves eliminating hundreds, if not thousands, of Dark Knights at level 40 guarding the entrance and inside the Palace.

Our roles remain consistent: I'll act as the tank while Earl focuses on dealing damage to the monsters.

This approach proves to be the most effective for leveling up, as higher experience is gained when dealing greater damage than your party member.

However, this method is primarily suitable for ranged classes with decent damage output, as they can be easily overwhelmed by monsters if lacking damage.

I could sense that Earl wasn't particularly thrilled about level boosting, but currently, it's the only viable way to reach his Advancement Class in a few weeks.

The Archmage class is crucial for the defense of Castor Town, and Earl likely understands that the impending monsters next month will be more powerful than a horde of Lizardmen and Bloodred Salamanders.

By 2:00 pm, we reached the foot of the southern mountain ranges and entered a cave-like opening, eventually stumbling upon a ruined castle.

Within the Ruined Castle of Emeth, a group of about 20 Dark Knights guarded the entrance.

“Class Change Enchanter,” I announced, swiftly casting Stone Skin, Status Boost, and Spell Boost on both of us.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Observing Earl already in position, initiating his spell enchantments, I activated Aura Stone, providing a defense boost and natural HP regeneration.

To divert the attention of the nearby monsters, I cast Provocation, a tank taunt skill available when I used Stone Aura, drawing the monsters aggro toward me.

A swarm of Dark Knights launched their attacks, but my HP remained stable at 80%.

Amidst the battle, I heard Earl chanting , Flashing strike, Rumbling thunder, By my command; Lightning, crackle through the air, Again and again, Strike my enemies Chain Lightning.

A thunderous roar echoed as bolts of lightning struck the Dark Knights.

It was the level 35 Mage Spell, Chain Lightning.

Although the lightning also grazed me, the damage was minimal.

The Dark Knights were paralyzed, and before they could recover, Earl commenced his spell once more, unleashing another Chain Lightning within seconds.

Thanks to Stone Skin the horde of Dark Knight’s physical is mitigated while the Enchanter’s inherent magical and ailment resistance reduced Chain Lightning effect on me.

Earl's glass cannon stats build combined with Spell Boost, two Chain Lightning spells were sufficient to vanquish the hordes of Dark Knights.

Glancing at my health, it was around 77% when the Dark Knights met their defeat.

Earl gained several levels through the encounter, and we persisted in defeating Dark Knights until he reached level 39.

Although we had cleared 70% of the area, the Transport Gate remained elusive.

As the sun set, we decided to camp in the nearby woods.

Earl erected three Stone Walls to establish a secure space for us.

Using the damp firewood I gathered, Earl conjured a fireball, and we enjoyed a meal with the packed food from the Bellflower Diner.

Leaning against the wall, I felt the warmth of the burning wood on my skin.

A sudden gust of cold wind made Earl shudder, prompting me to provide him with a forest wolf fur blanket.

He expressed gratitude with a nod and soon fell asleep, using his now-deflated backpack as a makeshift pillow.

The backpack, once brimming with mana potions, had noticeably thinned.

My gaze shifted to the dark sky, pondering how my friends were faring.

As Uncle Ed's worried visage crossed my mind, I slowly succumbed to sleep.

The next morning, we resumed hunting Dark Knights, finding that most of the defeated monsters from the previous day had already respawned.

As evening descended, Earl reached level 45, unlocking two new skills: Mana Shield at level 40 and Gale Storm at level 45.

Mana Shield provides the user and their party with magical protection by consuming mana based on the received magic damage.

It deducts one mana for every two points of magic damage while also boosting the user's maximum mana by 50%.

Meanwhile, Gale Storm allows the user to summon four towering tornadoes that deal wind damage over a wide area, affecting both allies and foes.

With Earl reaching level 45, he gained the ability to cast Chain Lightning instantly.

We abandoned the idea of using the level 30 Meteorite skill to defeat Emeth, as it posed the risk of rockfalls due to the impact of the meteorites, potentially creating our very own tombstone.

Amidst the aroma of burning wood and grilling Red Boar meats, Earl prepared our meal over the fire.

I took charge of cooking rice for both of us.

This marked the second night of our camp, and we had relinquished our attempt to challenge Emeth earlier, fully aware of the heightened danger of nighttime monster encounters.

Monsters tended to be several levels stronger during the night.

Expressing my concern, I told Earl, "Tomorrow morning, after we defeat Emeth and locate the Transport Gate, I'll be heading back to Maceria to check on my friends."

"Sure, Big Bro. I'll stay here for a few more hours before heading back, as there's something I wanted to check out in the Ruined Castle," Earl replied.

As the sun began to peek over the horizon, we made our way to the boss room where Emeth awaited.

Emeth, a formidable Dark Paladin, possessed high physical defense, considerable HP, and the ability to heal using Dark Arts.

Equipped with a towering shield and a giant mace, Emeth posed a significant challenge.

I observed from the sidelines as Earl strategically cast Mana Shield before engaging Emeth.

With precision, Earl unleashed Ice Shards at Emeth's feet, momentarily impeding its slow mobility.

Seizing the opportunity, Earl swiftly erected four medium-sized Stone Walls just above Emeth's hips, creating an enclosure.

Following this, Earl unleashed a barrage of Fireballs onto the Dark Paladin.

Though the Ice Shard melted into water, it remained trapped within the enclosure.

Earl then executed Chain Lightning, inflicting paralysis on Emeth and dealing double damage due to the elemental combo of water and lightning.

Earl persisted in casting spells until Emeth knelt, with the water rising to his neck.

The freeze and paralysis combination had rendered Emeth unable to cast spells or launch attacks, a feat that seemed technically impossible without the Quick Cast ability.

Earl skillfully used drank MP pots between spells, ensuring his mana remained above half.

In due time, Emeth's frozen and burned body collapsed to the ground.

As anticipated, my cousin demonstrated a keen understanding of how to maximize the potential of his skills and items.

He should be in good shape now, I thought.

"Big Bro Asriel, I found the transport gate!" Earl's voice echoed as he peeked into the next room.

I promptly activated the transport gate, but before I could say anything, I heard Earl's assurance.

"I'll be fine now, Big Bro. Go check on your friends," he stated.

Stepping through the Transport Gate, I uttered, "Transfer: Maceria."

I gave Earl one last wave before finding myself in Maceria.

Near the guild hall, a few people had gathered, and as I approached, I noticed Uncle Ed and Aunt Marie engaged in conversation with the Guild Master.

After observing the expressions on the faces of the people gathered, I recognized the parents of my entire group.

My heart sank momentarily, but I mustered the courage to inquire about the situation.

"Old Man Gray, what is going on?" I asked, a tinge of fear evident in my voice.

"Lucas's group conspired with a professor, holding your friends and Laila captive at the quarry near the Abandoned Mines," Old Man Gray conveyed in a somber tone.

"Klein delivered the message just before he passed away at the northern gate entrance.

He had a dagger stabbed in his chest and a missing arm," he added.

A wave of emotions surged through me as I absorbed the shocking news.

Guilt, anger, and sadness intertwined in my heart, and amidst this emotional turmoil, I managed to voice a few words.

"What do they want in exchange for my friends and Miss Laila?" I questioned.

"They want your Unique Class Card Enchanter and your sword in exchange for the lives of your friends and my daughter," Old Man Gray replied, his voice filled with sorrow.

Without hesitation, I swiftly made my way towards the quarry near the Abandoned Mines.