She stepped carefully over a platforms above and pulled herself above a stone house to take a better look. She activated Mana Sense, scanning for any hint of more Corrupted Molten Wasps.
What immediately got her attention was a series of pillars made of black metal all around the place. They had fine engravings that made her raise an eyebrow.
It’s so hot that stone is literally melting—then why are those things looking cool?
She neared one of the large black pillars and put a hand on its dark metal.
Indeed, it was cold.
“I wonder what they’re for,” she muttered, squinting at one, the closest to the entrance, and then reading out loud. “Forging.”
It was a single word.
Then, she moved toward the next.
“Temperature Control.”
Then another one.
“Smelting.”
And another one.
“Hammering.”
Monica looked at the four pillars thoroughout the place with a raised eyebrow and then scanned the market again.
There was ore everywhere, smithing tools, and the likes.
She wished she had asked Gromorlig more about crafters, but she had a hunch about this.
But the fact that they didn’t react to her touch or her Mana meant that they were either inactive or that she couldn’t activate them for now for whatever reason.
She looked at a Dwarf standing in front of one of the stalls and got closer to him.
It was a broad-shouldered dwarf wearing a smith’s apron singed at the edges, his beard braided and decorated with iron beads.
She looked at her Inventory and then gritted her teeth.
“I could just wake up this guy, but… if this only the marketplace, I should probably find someone better. I don’t have that many vials and we still don’t know what’s going to be on the third level.”
Monica decided to leave the place and move forward, deeper into the main tunnel.
The forges shouldn’t be too far.
Indeed, they weren’t. Barely half a mile away from where she had left the marketplace, she found a gigantic copper-red metallic statue of a Dwarf holding a hammer.
Monica had already seen the guy
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“One of the two New Gods that belonged to the Dwarves,” she said. “The Blacksmith God.”
But the problem was that just a few minutes of walking from the statue deeper into the tunnel, she discovered a massive brood complex—an entire hive-like structure built from hardened molten resin.
She looked at it and walked its length, realizing it completely obstructed the passage to the Blacksmith quarters.
“Maybe my flames can cut the resin open?” she whispered under her breath. The brood structure seemed to coil around the dwarven stone in multiple layers. She quietly invoked her Obsidian Flame, letting the black fire roll across her palms. She touched a chunk of resin near the edge, watching as her destructive flame tried to eat through the material.
After two minutes, she had barely done any damage.
Nothing.
Her Obsidian Flame might have eventually corroded it if she could stand there for hours, but that wouldn’t have been enough to get to the other side.
Monica swallowed hard. “So this is it,” she said in a low voice, stepping back from the brood barrier. “If I can’t open that sealed gate or burn this brood, I can’t move deeper into the blacksmith district. I can’t find or reforge the Spear. The second floor is worthless if I can’t get past this wall of shit.”
Now, she really wished she could have raised the Obsidian Flame’s Skill Efficiency.
Then, all at once, something hit her and she opened the description of the Classes she had been offered.
Phoenix Blaster (Rare)
+6 WIS, +6 SPI, +6 INT, +2 CHA and 0 Free Attributes per Level
You harness both the Obsidian and Golden Flames to devastating effect, channeling their duality into raw destructive power. A Phoenix Blaster excels at ranged spellcasting and high burst damage, at the cost of defense and stamina. Beware of overextending, as maintaining these potent flames can be draining for both body and mind.
Necessary Experience to Advance the Class (Modifier): x5
Class Malus:
-10% Physical Defense
-10% Endurance Regeneration
Magma Guardian (Rare)
+12 END, +6 VIT and 0 Free Attributes per Level
A stalwart shield against the most brutal assaults, the Magma Guardian channels molten power to bolster physical and fire-based defenses. You become a towering bulwark on the battlefield, shrugging off damage with ease. However, this unwavering resilience comes at a cost of reduced mobility and agility.
Necessary Experience to Advance the Class (Modifier): x5
Class Malus:
-15% Movement Speed
-15% Attack Speed
Spirit of War (Epic)
+8 STR, +8 DEX, +4 END and 0 Free Attributes per Level
A martial path steeped in combative fury. By channeling the Phoenix’s emboldening power into your body, you gain fearsome offensive prowess and faster Attack Speed. The Spirit of War thrives in close-quarters combat and relentless assaults, but sacrifices magical affinities in the process.
Necessary Experience to Advance the Class (Modifier): x10
Class Malus:
-20% Spell Efficiency
-20% to Mana Pool
Phoenix Forge (Epic)
+30 VIT and 0 Free Attributes per Level
The Phoenix Forge focuses on creating and enhancing equipment via unique flame-infused techniques by combining their life and death with their creation. The Phoenix Forge offers insights on the flame.
She focused on the last line of Phoenix Forge.
The Phoenix Forge offers insights on the flame.
Monica smiled crookedly.
*Ding*
Would you like to select Phoenix Forge (Epic) as your second Class?