Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Chapter 1286: Thereʼs time to spare.

It was nice getting in some exercise, but last nightʼs battle had kinda ruined the vacation feeling. For the last day, they had no interest in running around in the spring city and decided to stay at the resort. The penthouse had been cleaned up and restored overnight, so they returned there for the day, spending most of it soaking in the hot spring and watching TV afterward. They needed a break from vacationing.

Buggy never returned from his mission, instead Lydia contacted him early in the morning, informing him that they had found one of the hiding spots, thanks to what seemed like an internal fight. After observing it to the end, they swooped in and finished off the rest. He could guess what happened to Buggy. At least he died convinced of a greater cause. Friendship was beautiful.

With a day of just lazing around and enjoying their company, their vacation came to an end and it was time to return to Delta. Seth had a lot of stuff to do now, he had been pushing off for too long.

“We will stay here and help with the scouting,” Mina suddenly revealed. It was evening and they were just speaking about returning to Minas Mar the next day. Fin also seemed determined. Seth looked at them for a long moment.

“Why?” he simply asked. Of course, he didnʼt want them to stay and take part in something with such a high risk, but they also knew this. Since they wanted to stay anyway, they probably had their reasons.

“We also need to become stronger!” Fin exclaimed with a raised fist. Fin and Mina were lv.108 and lv.111 respectively. Unlike Seth, who was able to gain power of existence through his creations and growing his fame through them, they had warrior specializations. They needed martial feats to grow their legends. As much as he wanted to stop and shelter them, he knew where they were coming from...

“Tsk,” he leaned back in his chair, defeated. “ Fine, but take the named golems along. You no longer have Bazilith with you, “ the blacksmith insisted. Since the golem had become the Horseman of War, he had become important to Deltaʼs defense strategy.

From moment to the next, Delta had once again become the capital of Urth, although humanity had downsized quite a bit. However, since it became the prime target, they needed their trump cards there, in case something happened. Long story short, they couldnʼt just put Bazilith in Minaʼs inventory as her bodyguard, anymore. Another point on the checklist of things Seth had to deal with in the foreseeable future.

“How are the eggs?” he suddenly asked, as he worried about their safety. Depending on the growth of these pets, a bodyguard might become unnecessary. The Archwolf and the Behemotling were impressive beasts and had great potential.

Although Seth had the bodies of the semi-legendary undead still stashed away in his workshop, any golem he created of them, would probably end up as a temporary measure, once these pets grew up. But first they had to start growing.
“We only unsealed them this morning, how are they supposed to be? Still an egg,” Mina doubted the point of his question, but still answered with the status of the egg. They had wanted to do the egg business yesterday after they returned, but because of unforeseen interference, they ended up doing it in the morning.

The process was nothing spectacular. unlike when Seth met with Puffles or Tatzel, they didnʼt communicate with the eggs, or make a deal beforehand. Following Edgarʼs instructions, they simply unsealed the eggs using the scrolls they got from him and were able to register them as either a pet or a mount.

All that was left now was to wait for them to hatch and then see how they would grow. It would probably take a few years before they could protect Mina or Fin to the same extent as Bazilith, but thatʼs what the golems were there for.

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“Itʼs a shame you canʼt make them grow up faster,” the blacksmith lamented. But even if pets grew faster with grinding levels through the system, it was probably too much to ask for them to become powerhouses in a matter of days.

“We also have Lydia and Duhu with us and Duhu is almost lv.140. You worry too much,” Fin said dismissively. The fairy brute was overflowing with confidence, despite facing an opponent she couldnʼt beat just last night.

Even as a chosen of a god and legendary equipment, it wasnʼt easy to kill an opponent this many levels higher than oneself, especially above the lv. 100 mark, as people could develop weird and terrifyingly strong skills based on their path.

This was still the case even for cultivators who followed a different power system. Again, even Seth only dared to do so, because he had his armor to tank almost anything and throw part of his back, in addition to his own attacks.

“Fine, fine, I get it. But you have to listen to Lydia while youʼre here,” he insisted. Once the two agreed, they ended that topic. The last evening of their vacation was too precious to be squandered on such discussions.

Seth rather used it to give them a proper farewell, all night long.

....

The furnace was blazing and the sound of hammers filled the large room. The blacksmith had returned to his workshop, where his supporters, the small golden dwarf Sivri and the massive three-faced golem, Cerberus, were tirelessly working to create items for Minas Mar and grind his skill proficiency.

Even the newest entry to his line of automation, Neloth the Alchemy Station was diligently brewing a potion, being regularly fed with ingredients by one of the apprentice alchemists that usually worked and learned under Alison.

Since Neloth began working, his has risen from Craftsman lv.3 to Craftsman lv.4, without Seth even brewing any of the potions himself. Now, that he had a proper catalyst, he would also be able to grant Neloth his own inventory, then the apprentice alchemists wouldnʼt have to come as often.

The loud sound of the big hammer stopped first. Then Sivri looked up from the jewelry she was working on, realizing that the owner of the smithy had finally returned. Although she was not the first to see him, she was the first to speak up.(Since Cerberus was mute)

“Seth, you are back from vacation?” she exclaimed happily. “How was it? You have to tell us everything!” she started speaking all bubbly. He didnʼt even get the chance to ask her anything before he was caught in a conversation about the trip.

Although the blacksmith had returned in the morning and successfully dodged any long, tedious briefings with Leana, he ended up being interviewed by Sivri, who was eager to hear his stories about the things they had seen and bought.

“You gave away that cursed thing?” the golden dwarf exclaimed, shocked, when Seth told her about Erkaʼs Specialty Shop and how he traded away the legendary cursed weapon.

“Yup, I exchanged it for a truckload of medicines to permanently increase attributes and stats,” the blacksmith admitted with a smile.

“So?” Sivri asked expectantly.

“So what?” Seth asked confused.

“How much did you gain?” she rephrased her question, asking how much Seth had gained from all those medicines.

“Nothing, yet? Iʼm not going to pop those like candy. Except for the ones I have double, I will keep them so Alison can analyze and copy them,” the blacksmith explained, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Seth hoped they would be able to make these medicines themselves, if Alison managed to analyze the recipe. Then all of Minas Mar would be gaining a lot.

“I see...” the golem said enlightened. Seth continued recounting. After the short interruption, Seth kept talking about the procession and meeting Senior White. When he started talking about the next day, he finally got around to mention the pet eggs, when talking about “Eggcellent Beasts”

“Pet Eggs?” Sivri asked curious, prompting Seth to keep explaining about the pet egg business they had found in Spring City. Since she had never heard of this either, Sivri was especially curious and kept asking about the grades and the device Edgar used.

“Now that I mention it, I will have to visit Evan later, to give them to him.”

Seth and Sivri talked all the way until early noon, when Seth finally ended his tale. For a moment he deliberated to start working or visit Evan first and decided on the later. It was not like he was pressed for time right now and he wanted to finish all the quick errands on that matter.