Rise of the Living Forge - Chapters 507-508

“What is this?” Rodrick asked.

Two looked back at the other man with weary eyes. He was so tired that he could barely think straight — but he could think just enough to realize just how dense he’d been.

It should have been obvious a long time ago. The signs were all there. But he’d stubbornly ignored every single one of them. There were all sorts of reasons he could come up with as to why, but it boiled down to just one.

Two had been too damn focused on the rules. He’d always prided himself on his flexibility and talent at adapting to situations, finding ways to deal with problems that arose without forcing One’s own hand into play.

None of that had happened this week. He’d been acting like a fool. All that focus he’d put on ensuring nobody would ever enter the Leyline unprepared to face its might had stopped him from actually taking a step back and seeing the forest from the trees.

He’d convinced himself that Rodrick just had abnormally high mental and physical resilience. But that, of course, wasn’t enough. The Leyline wasn’t some mere static component. Nobody could simply reach a certain level of strength and then step into its beam harm-free. The intensity that everyone faced was different.

The purpose of the preparations were to push somebody to their limits. Their personal limits.

And then it was to break them. To train them on how to react when they did, inevitably, fail. Because the Leyline would break them. It always did. Pure, raw magic was too much for any normal being to withstand.

The more one could resist, the more they would face. The more the Leyline would have to break away in order for their class to be renewed.

Arwin and Lillia were different. They’d already been broken. But Two had convinced himself that Rodrick was just like everyone else — and that meant that he had to find a way to break him.

If he couldn’t break Rodrick, then Rodrick would be broken for the first time when he entered the Leyline. And then he would fail.

And that was where Two had been blind. He’d been blind to the fact that Rodrick had already known every single damn trial he’d tried. He’d been blind to the fact that Rodrick somehow knew more about torture and suffering than anyone else he’d ever met.

Rodrick wasn’t some superhuman freak of nature that naturally had the resilience to ignore Two’s best attempts at readying him for the Leyline.

No. Rodrick was a man that had already been broken by every single one of the things he’d tried. So many times that Rodrick had disassociated the very instant the tests had started. Though disassociated wasn’t quite the right word either.

Using it would have been a disservice to the other man. This was something else entirely. It was almost as if Rodrick had somehow managed to separate his consciousness for his actions. That, of course, should have been impossible.

To be human was to have emotion. Man could not completely separate any aspect of themselves. They weren’t machines that could set themselves on a single specific task and lock into a mindset so hard that no distraction could so much as shift them from their path.

But that was the only explanation for Rodrick’s concentrated advance. The man wasn’t an idiot. Two knew that well, even in his sleep-addled state. Rodrick was a master of gathering information. He certainly wasn’t dense.

But if he’d approached this problem expecting to find a near-impossible task of training that would take the average man more than a month… the most logical move was to focus as much as possible to reduce the time it took to prepare.

To focus to a point where nothing else in the world mattered. To where his only goal was passing every trial that Two could set before Rodrick, regardless of how ridiculous or senseless they may have been.

Such a single-minded focus could have almost been considered an incredibly advanced form of meditation. A meditation beyond the abilities of any normal man. Two had only heard of such a skill once before, and only from One himself.

It was the final ability that the highest ranking members of the Secret Eye’s Inquisition learned. A devotion to a task so immense that nothing but death itself could stop them.

There was no magic involved in the skill whatsoever. It was simply the complete and utter mastery of one’s mind.

And the only way to learn such a terrifying skill was to go through everything. To experience adversity at a level that no normal human could dare to endure.

That was why Rodrick hadn’t so much as blinked at a single thing Two had tried.

He’d been through everything. All of the preparations that Two attempted, Rodrick had seen. Two’s fear and arrogance had completely blinded him. His certainty that he alone knew what could prepare someone for the Leyline had stopped him from realizing that Rodrick had been prepared a long, long time ago.   

Godspit. There’s no doubt about it at all. Rodrick… he’s somehow gotten access to the Secret Eye’s ultimate skill. Did they put him through it? Or did he do it to himself? And either way…

How is he still sane?

“This,” Two said as he finally found his words again, pointing down at the tantalizing maw of plumped white pillows in the small room before them, “is a bed.”

“Poisoned needles sewn into the sheets?” Rodrick guessed.

“No,” Two said. “It is a bed. A normal bed. One without any traps or poisons. It is meant for sleeping and recovery.”

Rodrick’s brow furrowed in confusion. “…why?”

“What kind of question is that?” Two asked. “It is to be used. By you.”

“That still makes no sense,” Rodrick said. “I don’t need to waste time sleeping right now. I’m more than capable of handling the preparations—”

“No,” Two said. “You do need to sleep. Just because you can endure something doesn’t mean it’s the best move, and going to the Leyline unprepared is the worst possible thing you can do. The only thing left to you is to recover.”

“Huh?” Rodrick blinked. “But we haven’t even gotten started with the trials. What happened?”

“You passed. A long time ago, I’d imagine. And I didn’t even realize,” Two said. “The skill. You’re using an advanced focus technique, aren’t you?”

Rodrick’s eyes narrowed. Then, a moment later, he nodded. “Yes. I am. It is the best way to endure torture and intensive preparations without breaking. You do not need to be concerned about my capabilities. I have not lost control of my senses in a very, very long time.”

“That’s the problem,” Two said with a sigh. “And it’s my fault. I take responsibility for not noticing. None of the tests we tried were fake, Rodrick. That was the actual training and preparation I put every one of our prospects through… and well beyond it. But I was so focused on finding a way to break you that I didn’t realize it was an impossible task — and you were so focused on enduring that you didn’t even consider the fact that I was accomplishing absolutely nothing at all. If you allow your mind to relax, you will realize that I haven’t managed to so much as discomfort you the entire time you’ve been here.”

Rodrick stared at Two for a long second. Then his head tilted to the side. Something behind his eyes shifted. Two could practically feel the weight of Rodrick’s gaze change. Something… more arrived within it. As if he’d only been speaking to the tiniest fragment of a shell of the man before, and now he stood before the real thing.

He finally dropped his defenses.

“This is it?” Rodrick asked, aghast. “You’re serious?”

“Yes,” Two said. “Whatever you’ve been through… I can’t touch it. The purpose of these trials was just to show you how to be broken and rebuilt again. You already know that. Better than I, I imagine. If I’d been a little less egotistical and densely focused on what I thought to be best, perhaps I would have realized that earlier. I apologize. I have wasted your time.”

“Then…” Rodrick looked down at the bed. “Can we just go ahead and—”

“No,” Two said firmly. “This, I will not budge on. You will rest. I did not properly prepare for someone of your capabilities, Rodrick. I cannot break you. But tomorrow will. And you must be properly rested if you are to rebuild after being broken.”

Rodrick considered Two for a second. Then he inclined his head. “Very well. Does this mean that we can move to the next step?”

After I get myself a night of rest as well. I think I’ll actually die if I try to force myself to stay awake any longer. When the next member of the Menagerie comes after Rodrick, I will be properly prepared for them. I had thought that Arwin and Lillia were exceptions… but it seems the entirety of their guild will be abnormal.

I will not allow myself to become a roadblock again.

“Yes,” Two replied. “Tomorrow, come sunrise, you will Sunset your class.”

Chapter 508

The crack of lightning tearing through a dark room split the din of battle. It was followed an instant later by the dying screech of a Ogreling. The huge, flabby monster collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash, smoke coiling up from its remains.  

 Michael didn’t waste time celebrating the minor victory. He gathered his magic once again, turning his attention to the remaining monsters filling the huge boss room. There were only two of them, but that was still more than enough.

The Ogre Chieftain and his Matriarch. The final two monsters in the Expert Tier Dungeon, and both of them at a terrifying Expert 5. Sweat prickled against his back and exhaustion pulled at his limbs.

“Formation 3!” Maya yelled, jumping back as the Ogre Chieftain’s huge club slammed into the ground where she’d been a moment ago. The spry rogue vaulted off her hands and landed beside Michael, drawing a throwing dagger from her side in the process.

“Bit busy at the moment!” Blaine yelled. The huge man, who had somehow managed to keep the attention of the Ogre Matriarch the entire fight entirely on his own, yelled. His armor was dented and scarred, and the shields he held in each hand were on their last legs. “If I disengage, I get splattered!”

“Just hold off a little longer,” Michael called to him, pressing his palms together and drawing in a deep breath. He ignored the thick stench of battle and blood that filled the air. Power welled within him and he thrust his palms forward, letting it scream free as he activated [Storm Surge].

A torrent of lighting exploded free from his body. It screamed through the air and slammed into the Ogre Chieftain’s face. The monster let out an agonized scream. Its back hit the wall with a loud crash and it swung its club blindly, nearly catching Blaine in the side on accident.

Though the monster’s face had been blackened and warped into a melted mess from the intensity of Blaine’s attack, he knew the damage wouldn’t last. Right on cue, the Ogre’s flesh rippled like a horrid green lake.

The damage he’d done shivered and the ogre’s eyes bloomed from the ruined remains of its skin. New green scars replaced burn marks as the monster rapidly started to regenerate.  

Maya cursed, then flung her dagger. The blade flashed through the air in a blurred streak — shooting right past the monster’s shoulder.

The instant it was behind the creature, Maya vanished. She appeared behind it, her hand wrapped around the hilt of her dagger once again. Spinning midair, she drove the blade into the base of the huge boss’s skull with a meaty thunk.

It let out a pained scream and stumbled forward. The Matriarch roared in response. Her hand flashed out, catching Blaine in the side and launching the large man out of the way like he were a toy doll.

He slammed into the wall and dropped to his feet, already running toward it again, but the Matriarch was faster.

She swung her club at Maya.

Michael called out a warning, but it was pointless. She’d already flung her dagger — right at him.

An instant later, Maya appeared an inch away from Micahel’s face.

A resounding crash echoed through the room as the Matriarch’s club slammed into the wall, just barely having missed its target. Both of the ogres let out furious roars.

“Shit,” Maya said. “That was too damn close. This dungeon is way too strong. Why is something this powerful so close to a town like Milten?”

“Have you seen the other adventuring teams around the area?” Michael asked. “It’s the Menagerie. I’m telling you. It’s full of beautiful women. Strong ones. They deliver food.”

“Are you still going on about that? I’m starting to think you only came here for the women,” Blaine yelled.

“No. I’m not that desperate. We already have one in our party. But a few more couldn’t hurt,” Michael called back. He thrust his hands at the Ogre Chieftain once more, sending another thunderous blast of lightning into the monster’s skull and slamming it back against the wall. “But really, think of the rewards we’re going to get when we wrap this up. Who would have thought there would be enough adventurers getting themselves killed here to spawn dungeons this powerful?”

“I still find it hard to believe that this egg thing of yours is actually going to summon beautiful women to back us up mid-fight,” Maya muttered. “Maybe we should start thinking about backing us up. It’s nearly been thirty minutes. We timed the fight specifically so they’d show up on time according to what you were telling us, but I’m not so sure they’re coming.”

“Maybe they figured out idiots like Blaine were using them as a way to clean up dungeons,” Blaine said as he moved to stand between the Ogres and the others. “And I think Blaine is dreaming. The only way a beautiful woman is coming for him is if she’s getting ready to cut his head off after he nicked her coin purse.”

“Hey!” Michael protested. “I am a man of many admirers! Perhaps I’ll be able to woo our rescuers when they arrive. The rumors are that they make something around 70% of their deliveries on time — and they still complete the others, even when they’re free. That’s a crazy high percentage. I’m sure they’ll make it.”

The ogres roared again, charging toward Blaine. The man drove his shields down into the ground. A golden aura enveloped him with a brilliant chiming note. He raised his shields once more as the two monsters both swung at him in unison.

There was a resounding crash as both clubs slammed into him. Streams of light exploded from Blaine’s shields, but he didn’t even move an inch.

These enemies were strong, but they were far from the most powerful ones that their team had gone up against. A group didn’t reach Expert Tier without having gone through a few good fights of their own.

That said… two Expert 5 Bosses was a lot. This dungeon was disproportionately difficult. It wasn’t one he normally would have challenged. They could probably back out and survive, but it would have been a shame to give up so close to the end.

“I don’t think your beautiful women are coming,” Maya said dryly. “Time to think about retreat, Michael. We’re not going down here. Both bosses are badly weakened, but so are we. It’s not worth it.”

The mage gritted his teeth. Then he nodded. Living was better than losing somebody for a worthless victory. “Yeah. I suppose you’re right. Blaine, taunt the monsters out of the way of the door! We’ll run past you. Then follow after us! We’re going to have to—”

A resounding crash tore through the room as the door behind the ogres slammed open. All the blood rushed out of Michael’s face. His insides churned in unease as a wave of unnatural fear drove into his gut like a physical blow.

He took a step back despite himself.

A man wearing could have only been described as the body of a devil forged into metal charged into the room. Two savage horns curled from his helm, framing a faceplate complete a hinged mouth full of jagged metal spikes.

Pauldrons that almost looked like they were forged from living flame framed a heavy chestpiece that shimmered with so much raw power that it felt like it would consume Michael on the spot.

The man wielded a huge hammer weeping black magma in one hand — and a covered metal dish in the other.

Before he could even properly process what had happened, both ogres spun toward the newcomer.

His form blurred. The ground where he’d been standing cracked as he slammed into the Ogre Chieftain, his hammer slamming into the monster’s skull with such force that it caved the weakened monster’s head straight in.

It pitched to the ground and landed with a crunch. The ogre didn’t move again. It didn’t even seem like the newcomer had noticed. He had already moved, arriving before the Matriarch in a blur to swing his massive hammer once more.

The weapon slammed into her leg, shattering it and sending a wave of magma splattering across the ground around them. She let out a pained scream and dropped to one knee, reaching for the armored man — only to catch a hammer to the chin.

The monster’s head snapped upward, bones shattered and flesh sizzling. She tipped back to the ground with a earth-shaking thud and joining her husband in death.

Michael stared in disbelief. His throat felt like it was parched. He couldn’t even swallow. They’d heavily weakened the monsters, sure, but the sheer damage that the man had put out with his hammer was practically inconceivable. Either he or the armor he wore was incredibly powerful.

He has to be at least Master Tier. Maybe higher. What is a monster like that doing in Milten?

And why is he here?

The man strode right toward them. Michael took a step back despite himself, and Maya did the same. The hair on the back of his neck rose on end. The unease and fear churning in his gut grew stronger.

Blaise’s limbs trembled as they fought with his mind in an attempt to move.

His mind won.

The man remained frozen in place, unable to do anything but watch in terror.

Michael felt the wall meet his back. There was nowhere left to back up. He swallowed again, trying to muster up words.

What does he want with us?

Finally, the terrifying man came to a stop.

He was definitely outfitted for a war. This was the kind of armor that had place only upon a brutal battlefield, against the most powerful enemies within the Monster Horde. And, for some reason, it was here in Milten.

There was an instant of silence. Then the man lifted the covered dish he held in his off hand.

“Delivery. Hope I’m not late. I’m a bit new to this.”