Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Over the following days, the four field teams that had gone out to train in their new constellations slowly returned to Minas Mar to receive their copy of the little booklet. Much to Seth's joy, Mina and Fin also returned.

The blacksmith had spent these days with exploring different enchantments using <Blueprints> before testing the final enchantments on the prototype to make sure all worked together like in the simulation.

The enchantment he had come up with was something inspired by a work of Forgebrand. The Spear of Bitter Mercy, the weapon Ceres' soul was trapped in previously. The weapon had the ability to deflect magic attacks during a stabbing attack.

With today's knowledge, Seth understood that this was partially possible because of the special characteristic of the <Ithildin> used for the spear. It seemed that the material his predecessor had used was especially good for enchantments and the conduction of magic power. Even better than the baseline of <Ithildin>.

Even when the <Ithildin> of Urth was not as good, Seth was working on a whole armor, not just a spear. Inspired by the spear, the blacksmith had worked out an enchantment that had a similar effect if engraved and interconnected across the whole armor set.

The best part was that, on the level of the individual armor piece, this engraving only took the space of a single, complex circuit. This meant he could still add a few more sizable enchantments in addition to the set effect on each armor piece. He felt quite accomplished having finally created something worth his status as a master enchanter.

Being able to spend time with his girlfriends again lifted his mood after the disappointment he felt with the booklet. With their boost, he felt a lot more motivated to finally start on the first Armor of Lunacy.

As he started forging the first armor piece an almost happy song rose to the rhythmic clanks of his hammer. It carried visions of excess and feasting, of people following their carnal desires. This was the song of Harut and Marut, who taught people magic to tempt them and finally fell victim to their own desires.

As the song played, only accompanied by the beat of the hammer forging the metal, the blacksmith finished one piece of armor after the other. This one was meant for Alison, so he made them to size from the start. The alchemist had decided to aim for the path of Legendary Alchemist, which was why this armor fully aimed to increase her magic power in battle.

Since they were tight on time, Seth didn't bother slowing his forging speed artificially to gain more proficiency. No, this time he used his crafting stations to their full extent and finished the armor set in a record time of six hours.

With trembling hand, he finally put the hammer aside and stopped the song he had been belching on repeat for the full six hours. Sweet bliss filled his head when the cool stamina potion drenched his parched throat. Keeping all his skills from <Channeling> to <Singing> to <Energy Manipulation 3> activated for this long took a toll even on him.

The reason he went this far was that he needed all ten pieces of the set to continue with the next step. To engrave the enchantment that would add the new set effect, he needed all ten pieces to make sure that the individual parts of the circuits would be able to line up and work correctly together.

As he was taking a break, Sivris approached him carefully. A few days ago he had given her some legendary silver and the Sun Bead to make a legendary item for Lynri. It was a test, but it was also because he didn't want to taint the holy aura of the bead with demonic enchantments.

The result was impressive and not any worse than what Seth could have done. Despite doing nothing, the description still mentioned it being a collaboration between him and her, since he was the owner of the skill that summoned her.

After the golden dwarf had proven her skill as a goldsmith, Seth had entrusted her with the small rest of <Olympian Silver> that was left, the special rated <Bones of Seth>, and the various item that was worth being used together with it in jewelry, like the Orb of Dusk, the Salamander Core and the other elemental crystal aside from Maltus'.

"Sivry, are you already done with the items I gave you?" Seth asked her surprised when she approached him.

"N-No, I just wanted to make sure you are okay. I was worried since you went on for so long..." she said shyly.

"Thank you for worrying," Seth answered with a smile. Usually, he was all alone here, except for Cerberus, and Cerberus didn't speak. Seeing someone suddenly show concern was a little touching, even when he was just fine.

"If you really want to help me, please keep teaching the others as you did so far."

Seth had noticed that Sivri had gotten friendly with the other blacksmiths and goldsmiths here and would often put her work away to go around and give them advice on things. Especially Orry Abell, the man Seth had taken in as a student, was showing signs of improvement with her care.

After the care he received in Minas Mar, he was now close to reaching the craftsman tier and Sivri's advice helped polish his skills where he was still lacking. Having her go around in the role of an assistant teacher lifted another burden from Seth's conscience since he didn't really have the time to guide them as a teacher should.

"You knew? Is it really okay?" she asked surprised. "Of course, just keep doing as you did so far."

After their little conversation, he stayed seated and ate a little snack until he felt rested enough to continue. For the next step he needed a mannequin, so he directly ported to Alison's Laboratory.

"Oh fairy of the lab, are you busy right now? Please bless me with your presence in my realm of fire and smoke," he warbled jokingly.

The door flew open, the entrance of the scarecrow.

"The heck are you talking about? What do you want?"

For a moment Seth really had a hard time recognizing that it was actually a grumpy Alison who had opened the door. She looked tired. Her face was encrusted with black soot and her hair stood up in all directions. The alchemist looked like she just wandered out of an explosion...or she slept inside a chimney. Seth was still unsure whether it was explodie hair or just bed hair.

"What do you want Seth?" she reminded him that he was holding a conversation.

"World peace." "From me. What do you want from me?" she grunted unnerved.

"That you come down to my workshop with and hold still while I touch you all over."

Her expression didn't change even a little bit as she looked at him in silence.

"-To fit your armor correctly. You are no fun when you are sleepy."

"You think my reaction would be different if I wasn't up all night?"

Seth pursed his lips pondering.

"...Probably not. Let's go. The quicker we do it, the quicker you are back in your lab."

"Fine.." she gave in and they teleported back into Seth's workshop.

"Like I said, you just have to stay still and let me put the armor on you."

Defeated, she unequipped her robe and shoes, leaving her standing in the middle of the workshop only wearing an undershirt and sweat pants. Seth squinted at her.

"When was the last time you ate something proper? You look like you lost weight when were as thin as a reed, to begin with."

"What? Are you my grandma now? Don't tell me you are going to pep me up. I'm not some- Hump!"

She was rudely interrupted by a chocolate bar that was shoved in her mouth.

"Zip it. I bet you didn't eat anything for days and survived on stamina potions or something like that. A potion can't substitute a good meal for long. At least eat that while I'm fitting the armor to your scrawny existence."

She didn't counter anything. She simply ate the chocolate in silence and cooperated like a dress-up doll while Seth put a patted shirt, pants, and armor pieces on top of her current outfit.

"Urgh! Isn't this a little tight?" she asked blushing when he tightened the cuirass.

"It's not like you have anything that could be squished," he teased her with a smirk but widened the setting of the leather straps again. "How does it feel now?" "...Better."

"How does it fit?" he finally asked after putting the full armor on her.

Alison now looked like a slender night in a delicately worked full-plate armor, set with moonstones. The only difference from an armor was that she wore a circlet, instead of a helmet.

"It feels surprisingly good! Especially the boots and gloves," she answered in a much better mood.

She spoke of the boots and gloves that were the foundation for the armor plates. Seth had asked Neeco Boos to prepare them, using twilight wing leather from the dungeon he raided.

"Good, just let me sketch in where to put the enchantments. Then we can go to the cafeteria and grab a bite," Seth answered concentrating as he started sketching on the armor plates.

"Alight!..- Ah! You tricked me!"

"But you will come along and eat something proper, okay?"

She sighed.

"You won... but let me go wash up first." the soot-covered alchemist bargained.

"I will graciously allow you to make yourself presentable."

They met Mina and Fin on the way to the cafeteria, who were coming to get the blacksmith. After having a meal and making sure Alison actually ate her fill, Seth decided to finish for the day and left with the two and planned to continue the next day.