dirk_grey

Blacksmith vs. the System 310

“Sir, what’s going on,” Liam, the nearest commander near me, shouted in shock as we watched a ray of energy rippled in the sky, as if an earthquake was targeting the clouds.

“I’m keeping an eye on it; focus on your task,” I responded, my gaze split between the sky and the crystal detector that was going crazy. It looked like we had our answer as to whether the device was malfunctioning. “But, be ready to retreat back to the gate if I give you the signal.”

“Yes,...

Blacksmith vs. the System 309

I watched the roar of the cannons, raining death on our enemies, the corrupted and the heretics on one side, the sea monsters from the other side. A grand battle, one that we were able to sustain without a single casualty.

That equation came with a truly shocking use of shells, already surpassing a hundred metric tons of high-grade mana alloys. We were probably the only city that would find that equation acceptable, as for others, sacrificing a few people to maintain stores would be be...

Blacksmith vs. the System 308

While Harold led the army to take their post, I moved outside the castle, and moved toward the giant shark. I could have flown there, but I didn’t want to waste an opportunity to modify the battlefield.

I walked on the ocean, and every time my foot connected with the water, I radiated a giant burst of frost energy, turning the shore into an icy platform. From a practical perspective, it was wasteful. I could probably have killed the giant shark with a similar amount of mana, but I st...

Blacksmith vs. the System 307

I had expected the ocean habitat to react to the dungeon gate, but the intensity still shocked me. I could already see the giant shark, larger than the biggest whale before the Cataclysm, its size alone a dangerous tool for intimidation.

That was not the only change. The closer it got, the higher its presence had turned, the ocean rising along to provide it with a platform. The mana gathered around it, turning into a threatening spell. That alone would have been scary.

Yet, at s...

Blacksmith vs. the System 306

The ocean was magnificent.

I had always enjoyed the trips to the shore, the calming tone of the waves, the constant tides, full of life and wonder. But, it had been three years since I had last visited the ocean for … well, obvious reasons. For a moment, I stood there, enjoying her majesty.

A deep breath filled my lungs with the wind from the ocean, the salty aftertaste clear. Before the Cataclysm, night at the shore would have been calm, almost mechanical, a metronome of swel...

Blacksmith vs. the System 305

“So, what do we think?” I asked Rosie after I poured myself a drink.

“Nasty,” she growled. “We knew that Horizon was in trouble, but…”

“We assumed that they were merely local collaborators. Maybe a magical variant of a cargo cult that had overestimated themselves,” I completed. “Not that.”

Rosie nodded. “The idea that they have tricked multiple independent forces, only to be able to intimidate them once they arrived, does not bode well. How did the...

Blacksmith vs. the System 304

I didn’t start questioning him immediately. Instead, I first created a dark little corner on the third floor of the decay dungeon, buried deep underground, surrounded by several alternating layers of enchanted steel and wards, perfect for a long-term stay.

Only after everything had been arranged, did I sit across from him in the room, which was far too luxurious for a prison cell. “Ambassador,” I said even as I poured him a nice wine, yet my smirk seemed to intimidate him more th...

Blacksmith vs. the System 303

I expected a lot of problems when it came to the ambush. A dangerous confrontation with the bodyguards, a double-bluff that led me to a dangerous battle, or even a counterattack to a dangerous location when I was busy with the attack.

Yet, none of that happened. I stayed under a tight, controlled ward while the ambassador ran fast, his bodyguards left behind a few miles. All that was needed was to trigger a bunch of buried mana bombs, one that had been purchased from the market, and le...

Blacksmith vs. the System 302

“We have our spy ready for questioning,” I said once I made sure that every ward around him was holding. Only then, I had removed the silencing spell that was keeping our unfortunate spy silent.

“I appreciate it,” the young man said before he turned toward the spy. “Who sent you to interfere with me? My cousin? My uncle? A rival family?”

It took quite a bit of effort for me to hold back a sigh. An effective interrogator, the young man was not. Still, I watched. Bad ...

Blacksmith vs. the System 301

I stepped through the gate, bringing me to the fourth floor of the dungeon while the spy floated next to me, and the young man followed, making me wonder if his ring was even stronger than he realized.

Or maybe he was even more naive than I had assumed. Difficult to truly judge.

“You do know that it wasn’t a spell that he used on me, right?” he asked.

I might have deflected it, but his attempted probing was hardly as secretive as he had hoped. “Oh, are you sure ab...

Blacksmith vs. the System 300

As I stood in front of the shockingly mysterious heckler without saying anything, he watched me in amusement, his confidence surprisingly robust.

It contrasted with the room, which had been filled with a relaxed atmosphere of a dinner that was about to reach its completion, the weight of food mixing with alcohol just moments ago, turning into something tense, something brittle.

No one spoke. My people stayed silent, reliable enough not to interrupt me recklessly when I looked like...

Blacksmith vs. the System 299

The Tristelion ambassador didn’t stay for long once he convinced me that I would support him in his desire to get rid of his bodyguards, though in his case they were more like wardens. I wasn’t sure how to handle him exactly, whether by just snitching on him to his bodyguards or using the opportunity to turn him into a prisoner once he conveniently brought himself to a concealed spot, but I didn’t have much time to decide.

The moment he left, I had to deal with a deluge of other v...

Blacksmith vs. the System 298

I wasn’t the only one who watched the approach of the Tristelion envoy. He moved alone, but everyone else watched him like a hawk. Including his five bodyguards, each looking more formidable than the previous one. Noticeably, each bodyguard carried the sigil of a different guild. Combined with his distressed state, I guessed that things were not going well in Tristelion.

“Your Majesty,” he greeted me once he stood in front of me, bowing to show respect … somewhat deeper than an...

Blacksmith vs. the System 297

The moment I arrived at the meeting room, well, more of a building that had been built specifically for diplomatic purposes, one of the guards bellowed. “His Majesty, the Protector of the Land, Limitless Mage, Brave Blade, Hammer of Endless Creations, the King of Steel is here!”

As the declaration rang in the room, a stab of shame danced in me. The declaration was loud and pretentious, especially with the extra titles, but I didn’t comment. It was another impossible battle.

...

Blacksmith vs. the System 296

When Rosie stepped in my forge to interrupt me, I was working at the forge, enjoying the simplicity of working with my hands, four different elements from the dungeon mixing together in a confusing tapestry, the hundreds of tiny runes around them the only thing that was holding back.

Rosie said nothing until I finished my work, and threw the dagger at the target … only for it to shatter into pieces and explode, destroying not only the target but also a significant part of the wall beh...

Blacksmith vs. the System 295

Once I returned to the City of Steel, I found myself lost. A part of me wanted to take several pieces of the ichor that we were about to receive, but I pushed that temptation down. I had too many things to focus on without adding another critical line.

Instead, after walking around to show my presence, I retreated back into my dungeon hideout.

I could focus on it, because against Drakka, my staying hidden was a much greater threat than my standing in a specific place, especially ...

Blacksmith vs. the System 294

While the only remaining step in our grand plan to grow the City of Steel was to establish a seaport, it was not a task that we could take immediately. The ocean was truly teeming with all kinds of monsters, and we weren’t confident enough to split our attention between the sea and Drakka.

Especially since Drakka had decided to attack us with a surprisingly large force of ascended once again. While we handled that attack with no losses on our side, the attack itself was by no means t...

Blacksmith vs. the System 293

The second volley of cannons targeted the approaching ascended, a hundred simultaneous roars exploding, the new powder’s smoke lost in the spreading frost from the shells. The shells bounded away, leaving a glittering, icy aftermath, but I doubted the enemy ascended had the ability to appreciate the sight, spreading to avoid damage.

They split far more effectively than I had expected. A perfect grid, maintaining the perfect distance to limit the damage without losing the support of t...

Blacksmith vs. the System 292

“You’re here, perfect,” Rosie told me when I arrived at the tent they were using as the battlefield command, only accompanied by Eleanor, just outside the frost dungeon we had acquired.

“I’ll keep an eye on the situation; you two make a decision,” Eleanor said and left, leaving me alone with Rosie.

“What’s the situation?” I asked.

“A team of ascended is approaching our forward base, one that we built next to the new dungeon we had acquired,” she expl...

Blacksmith vs. the System 291

The next stage of our plan had three simple steps, each requiring my involvement. Finish handling the void energy overflow, connect the second dungeon to the core, and lead the team to the shore. But, before I could finish the first step, I had faced an interruption.

Harold.

“I have failed you, sir,” he said, depression radiating off him strongly. “For that, I would like to resign from the Council.”

“Harold, please,” I said, glad that we were having the talk i...

Blacksmith vs. the System 290

When Rosie returned, she was shocked enough to actually skip a step. “Well, that’s not what I expected.”

I chuckled. “I’m not called the Steel King for nothing,” I said, gesturing to the metal fort that spawned around us, complete with several steam cannons and shells against the frost monsters ready to go.

“I didn’t expect a turnkey keep in merely ninety minutes,” she said, looking around.

“Just add water, and microwave for two minutes,” I said with...

Blacksmith vs. the System 289

After Rosie left, I started working on my plan. The first step, collecting raw materials.

It was not the first time I had tried to search for metal deposits in a dungeon. The steps of the process had stayed the same, but the scale had changed. Back when I was first setting up the operation, I had used a metal stick and Observe, and assessed a tiny space, forcing me to test every ten yards. In that way, finding a substandard ore pit floor would have required a few days, and a decent bit...

Blacksmith vs. the System 288

An hour after my entrance, the dungeon gate fluctuated, and Rosie stepped inside. She glanced around. “Wow, this place is a mess,” she said. “I expected you to be deeper into the dungeon.”

“I promised I wouldn’t,” I said, though I couldn’t blame her for saying that. I wasn’t entirely reliable.

I had been here for an hour, still where I started, with no progress. But that was inaccurate. The biggest gain was the state of the dungeon, finally showing a flicker of...

Blacksmith vs. the System 287

Once the steam car arrived at the destination, I slipped away from the squad and searched for Rosie. My search brought me to the entrance of a dungeon gate. One that gave me a dangerous, bloated feeling, like it was about to shatter. Rosie was near, watching it carefully, accompanied by Jessica and Spencer.

I didn’t immediately call for them, not wanting to alert a possible spy. Instead, I used Void Sentry on the dungeon gate. The sight was even worse, with void energy spilling out of...

Blacksmith vs. the System 286

Adding a new skill stone to the dungeon had been smoother than I expected, but it only went easy because I had been able to bond deeper in my desperation to save Maria. I thought about adding a second skill, but decided against it . Like most things related to dungeons, it exacted a price from my soul, and I was already exhausted beforehand. I didn’t want to risk another coma.

Not when I might be deployed in battle any moment.

Instead, I wrote a note to Liam, letting him take ...

Yet another announcement

Hi everyone,

I'm sure you all are annoyed with the constant adjustments, warnings, and other stuff that's coming from my side. Unfortunately, I have another one.

I got fired. Kinda.

More precisely, in my company, the department I have been working for has been closed. Luckily, I was able to get a temporary transfer to another city, which was also the reason for the delay at my latest update. So, I still have a job until January.

Now, about how it'll impact. To secu...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 45

While Elder Kai was away, I went back to the training room, and explained to the kids what had just happened. They listened, nodded, and made no comment. I had no concerns about Su Mi. She clearly understood my reasoning. Yu Xing, not so much.

I sighed. “Ask questions when you don’t understand something.”

Yu Xing looked at Su Mi, who decided to take pity on him. “I don’t see why you did it, master? If we’re looking for an ally, couldn’t we get someone stronger yet ...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 44

I decided to host the visitors in the study; the same room that had been destroyed during the attack, a not-so-subtle point to make about the general security. Elder Kai and Hun Chu, I was familiar with. The three Bone Forging Experts stayed outside, but I had recognized their presence from a distance.

The Organ Refinement Expert was the only unknown party.

“Lord Steward,” Elder Kai greeted me. “This is Elder Yan, one of the great protectors of Iron Mountain.” I had to a...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 43

I had been reading the book about shadow-based martial techniques for half a day to understand the nature of the Connate Realm, when I was interrupted by Su Mi. “I’m ready, master,” she said, though her tone was resentful. The one responsible for that frustration was Yu Xing, who had decided to be a stickler for details while teaching her.

I didn’t interfere then, as the last thing I wanted was to be a part of their little spat. When she declared that, I turned to Yu Xing, wait...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 42

I took ten minutes to give Su Mi a detailed explanation of what had just happened with her internal energy, and how it was radically different than any other martial artist who used their breath as a medium to transform their internal essence to give it an offensive quality that internal energy lacked in its usual state.

She listened carefully for a long time before asking her first question. “What does it mean?”

“Well, we do know that your nature has something to do with ...