Heavy Metal [ A Monster Evolution LitRPG ]

Chapter 114 – Time To Craft.

Rusty stared at the display in front of him. On it was the image of a gloomy-looking girl - the summoner he had interacted with earlier. Her picture was grayed out, leaving him uncertain about its significance. Fortunately, Alexander seemed to have some understanding of these strange contraptions, so Rusty decided to ask him.@@novelbin@@

“Do you know what this might mean?”

“Hm… It could be that after you successfully complete the quests, you can be summoned again by a summoner you’ve interacted with before. Though, I might be wrong…”

“Is that so? But it doesn’t seem to be working right now.”

“Well, she probably needs to attempt a summoning first. But it might also just be some kind of record of summoning missions and nothing more. We’ll probably have to wait and see.”

“Was there any mention of this in that manual?”

After Alexander shared his speculation, he turned to Aburdon, who had previously gone through the entire manual.

“Hm, there wasn’t anything like that mentioned before. How strange…” 

The three decided to revisit the manual. When they brought up the interface, to their surprise, an additional section had appeared. The new section confirmed Alexander’s theory: after a successful mission, the connection with the summoner would be saved, and future quests involving that summoner could become available.

“How interesting, this means that if you, dear Rusty, complete multiple missions with a particular summoner, you may form a deeper connection - something akin to a bonding contract.”

The manual was somewhat vague on the details, but it hinted that Rusty might be summoned to battle monsters on behalf of the young girl. While the prospect of fighting for her didn’t particularly interest him, the potential quest rewards certainly did. However, Rusty couldn’t help but wonder how this arrangement would work, especially given his limited access to the Soul Forge, which was only possible during evolution.

“Hm… I think there might be nothing more for me to do here…”

The summoning chamber was vast, but there wasn’t much Rusty could interact with beyond the console and the now-dimmed summoning circle. For a moment, he wondered where exactly he had been summoned to and whether the time spent in the summoning chamber still aligned with the Soul Forge's temporal flow - or if more time had passed in the real world, where Gleam was waiting for him.

With those thoughts lingering, Rusty made his way back to the main forge chamber, where the three lifeless bodies awaited him. There he noticed one oddity, the summoning chamber sign was also dimmer now, probably indicating that it was out of order. Soon, he headed not to the smith part of the soul forge but to the library instead.

Rusty was now permitted to use twilight steel as his primary resource for crafting new bodies and weapons. Previously, he had created a lankier version of himself and a larger, heavier variant. This time, he planned to do the same, making only marginal improvements to the designs since he hadn’t had much time to study.

He reminded himself that the library offered new guides and knowledge on advanced smithing techniques. With access to these resources, he could likely level up his basic smithing and forging masteries - perhaps even evolve them further.

Rusty entered the library, his metallic footsteps echoing softly against the polished stone floor. The vast chamber stretched out before him, with towering shelves of books and manuals. He noted that this place had become larger than before, with bookshelves that he had not seen before and it seemed that he had his work cut out for him.

He approached a section that used to contain crafting manuals and noticed that another case had appeared which contained new crafting manuals specifically dedicated to Twilight Steel. The shelf gleamed faintly as if resonating with the energy of the material it detailed. Rusty scanned the titles quickly, picking up one labeled "Fundamentals of Twilight Alloy Forging" and another titled "Mastering Blacksmithing Techniques: Twilight Steel and Beyond."

“These sound oddly specific, different from before.”

The instructions were more about handling the new alloy and how to shape it correctly and went past the fundamentals that he had already studied before. He settled at a nearby table, its surface already equipped with tools for note-taking and sketching designs. Rusty opened the first manual, its pages illuminated by the soft candle glow of the library. 

Aburdon didn’t say much as he immersed himself in the books, scanning through their pages. Meanwhile, Alexander remained outside, inspecting the forge and taking a keen interest in the newly improved smithing tools.

Rusty, however, stayed focused on the fundamentals of working with twilight steel. These detailed guides explained methods for achieving balanced forging with this advanced material. Twilight steel, he learned, was still based on iron but included an essential addition called high-carbon. This alloy was created by combining iron with altered carbon in a process involving something called a blast furnace.

Although pre-prepared ingots of twilight steel were readily available for his use, Rusty recognized the value of understanding the entire process. He couldn’t always rely on the system to handle everything for him - mastery of blacksmithing required a deep awareness of every step of the craft.

“The melting point is a lot higher for twilight steel than regular steel, interesting…” 

One thing quickly became apparent: his new body would still surpass regular steel in strength. From what he knew, steel-based Living Armors would be somewhat weaker than his old iron body, while this new form made with twilight steel could rival even a D-rank monster at least when it came to durability. 

He was eager to begin crafting weapons and his new suit of armor, but he understood the importance of thoroughly reviewing all the books before experimenting. Rusty recalled his earlier attempts at working with iron, which had resulted in multiple failures. This time, he was determined to approach the process with greater speed and efficiency.

Rusty absorbed the crafting manuals like a sponge, focusing on every nuance of twilight steel forging. Each page revealed new complexities about the alloy - its propensity for retaining enchantments, its resistance to extreme conditions, and its compatibility with mana infusion. This point in the manual stood out the most as it implied that this alloy was well suited for enchantments but this was not something he was capable of doing, as for that he would require mana skills similar to Gleam’s.

‘The mana conductivity will still increase my twilight skills though

The manuals offered step-by-step instructions for advanced forging. Rusty paid particular attention to the section on tempering methods, noting that twilight steel required a precise cooling technique to stabilize its mana-conductive properties. Cooling it too quickly or too slowly could result in brittle fractures or diminished magical resonance.

Rusty paused at a detailed diagram showcasing a forge setup designed specifically for working with twilight steel. The illustration depicted a secondary bellows system, which introduced a steady stream of infused mana vapor into the forge’s flames. This innovative design ensured that the material remained malleable without sacrificing its innate magical properties. It was fascinating, and Rusty made a mental note to recreate something similar when he eventually built his forge in the city.

While Rusty could recreate ingots and weapons using the system, he still needed to forge them manually first. Time within the Soul Forge was limited, and the duration required for each evolution would only grow longer as he progressed.

If he wanted to advance efficiently, he needed to forge better weapons and armor components outside of this place. The Soul Forge offered immense advantages, but it also had its limitations. To complicate things, some stronger materials available in the real world might not be recognized by the system, making it crucial for Rusty to expand his skills beyond the forge’s boundaries. 

Time seemed to fly as he worked through the books, spending several days poring over new and improved schematics for weapon designs. While none of them matched the intricacy of the Advanced Axe Schematic, they were just a step below in quality. Once he had absorbed all the knowledge he could from the manuals, Rusty moved on to the next phase of his plan: crafting his designs.

The forge provided Rusty with pen and paper, and his now more dexterous fingers allowed him to make use of them. Inspired by watching Aburdon draw up schematics, Rusty decided to try his hand at it. While his guide could wield a brush with ease in the Soul Forge, Rusty knew this wouldn’t be possible in the real world. Just like smithing, he needed to master the skill himself.

At first, his efforts were clumsy. His metallic fingers wobbled, and the lines he drew rarely matched what he envisioned. However, after several attempts, a system window appeared:

After hours of trial and error, Rusty unlocked these two skills. With them, his metallic fingers grew steadier, and he managed to recreate some of the schematics Aburdon had shared. Though his versions lacked the same level of precision, they were a large improvement over his earlier attempts. Rusty persisted, consulting his guides and practicing relentlessly until his skills leveled up further. Finally, he produced two armor designs that he felt genuinely satisfied with.

The first design was the bulkier model, which he decided to name ‘Ogre’ Variant. It had a greater size than the previous model and retained its imposing bulk, but Rusty had managed to incorporate advanced joint mechanisms that allowed for more fluid movements without sacrificing durability. The Ogre Variant's plates were interconnected using a combination of reinforced twilight steel and a more flexible alloy version that he still needed to produce. This enhancement would grant the suit slightly more mobility, even for its massive frame. Rusty added spikes and reinforced edges to critical areas, ensuring it could double as a walking fortress and an offensive powerhouse. 

The second design, which Rusty named the Wraith Variant, was tailored for agility and unconventional maneuverability. He meticulously reworked the framework, making it even lighter by thinning the twilight steel plates without sacrificing structural integrity. To enhance its mobility, Rusty developed an intricate joint system, enabling the Wraith Variant to twist and bend in ways that were unnatural for most humanoid forms. The segmented limbs further contributed to its flexibility and range of motion.

As a finishing touch, Rusty incorporated specialized hooked hands and feet, allowing this form to climb with ease. This addition eliminated the need for Gleam to carry his helmet around everywhere, making the Wraith Variant an efficient and self-reliant design. Both designs incorporated the newfound knowledge he had gleaned from the crafting manuals and now it was time to rebuild himself from scratch. 

Rusty returned to the forge chamber, eager to bring his designs to life. The dim, fiery glow of the smithing area surrounded him as he began assembling the materials. Twilight steel ingots sat in neat stacks, their surfaces shimmering faintly. He pulled up the schematics for both the Ogre and Wraith Variants and stuck them to a board on the wall.

“Are you ready Rusty?”

“Yeah, let’s do this!”

Rusty answered Alexander who had joined him in the forge. This guide had also gone through this and could offer him some pointers while he worked. Soon Rusty started, the Ogre Variant would be first. He began by heating the twilight steel ingots until they glowed white-hot. The forge tools, upgraded specifically for twilight steel, exuded twilight energy as Rusty hammered the molten metal into shape.

The bulkier plates for the chest, shoulders, and legs were the first components he tackled. He followed the tempering instructions meticulously, using the secondary bellows to infuse mana vapor into the flames. This kept the metal malleable while preserving its magical properties. While he failed a couple of times to keep the mixture right, eventually he succeeded. As the plates cooled, they retained a deep, metallic grayish sheen, a hallmark of perfectly forged twilight steel.

Next, Rusty focused on the joint mechanisms. These were critical to improving mobility. Using a combination of twilight steel and the flexible alloy he’d learned to create, he crafted interlocking components for the shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles. These joints, reinforced with overlapping segments, allowed for an increased range of motion without compromising the armor’s bulk.

Finally, Rusty added the finishing touches. He lined the shoulders and gauntlets with sharp spikes, reinforced the edges along the arms and legs for added durability, and began crafting the helmet. Initially, he envisioned a fearsome ogre-like design, but after realizing it would take too long, he opted for a simpler approach.

The helmet featured human-like eye sockets, allowing for a design that Aburdon and Alexander could inhabit. While Rusty had considered removing the eyes altogether to keep people from attacking his core within the helmet, he discovered that doing so interfered with his vision. The eye sockets had to remain, adhering to specific proportions otherwise he would be blind. 

It took Rusty an entire week of continuous work to complete the first variant. The process was riddled with multiple failures, but eventually, something clicked. With that breakthrough, he moved on to creating the Wraith Variant.

The Wraith's construction progressed much more smoothly than the Ogre's and required fewer materials due to its thinner armor plating. The streamlined design not only saved time but also reinforced the focus on agility and efficiency, marking a stark contrast to the heavier, more cumbersome Ogre Variant.

The segmented limbs were the most challenging aspect of this design. Each segment required precise measurements and perfect alignment to achieve the unnatural flexibility he envisioned. Rusty crafted dozens of small, interlocking pieces, testing and adjusting them repeatedly until they moved fluidly. He also added a streamlined helmet with a smooth, featureless faceplate, enhancing the form’s eerie, otherworldly appearance and slits for his eyes.

With both variants complete, Rusty took a step back to appreciate how far he had come. His crafting skills had improved significantly, as evidenced by the updates on his system window. Both Basic Smithing Mastery and Basic Forging had surpassed level nine, evolving into enhanced versions that no longer carried the “basic” prefix. Once upgraded, his crafting techniques had improved drastically, and the quality of his creations had become markedly superior.

Nevertheless, his work was far from over. While his two new shells were ready to be stored away, he still needed to recreate his weapons and shield. He had already spent three weeks here and wasn’t sure when he would be forced to leave. Determined to make the most of his remaining time, he pushed forward without resting. Before the timer ran out, he planned to craft every possible weapon combination, use the new axe design he received from the summoner chamber, and decide which weapon would receive the enchantment talisman.

“So much more work to do… I hope Gleam is doing okay… Should I make armor for her?”

He asked himself and then returned to work.