Heavy Metal

Chapter 101 – Searching For Bodies.

"Gaaahhh…"A ball of magical energy collided with a short, green monster, propelling it forward into a shining blade. In an instant, the monster's head flew through the air, landing with a dull thud on the forest floor. Goblin bodies littered the ground, their blood soaking into the grass and weeds.

Congratulations you have gained a level.

Rusty heard the familiar sound of the world's system announcing his level-up. Now that all the monsters had been defeated, he could finally stop and check his progress. He opened his status window, along with those of his friends. She was leveling up quickly and would probably reach her next evolution before he did.

Name:

Gleam

Classification:

Lesser Silvery Magical Gleaming Ant [ F ] L5

Type:

Insectoid

Hit Points [ HP ]

37/37

Magic Points [MP]

67/67

Stamina Points [SP]

43/43

Strength

28 [ F - ]

Agility

48 [ F ]

Dexterity

34 [ F ]

Constitution

32 [ F - ]

Intelligence

51 [ F ]

Wisdom

52 [ F ]

Willpower

48 [ F ]

Durability

F

"You've been steadily leveling up, Gleam!"

"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"

"Oh, yeah, I also did, It shouldn't take long, these outside monsters are quite high-level. But it's a lot harder to find them in this forest."

Name:

Rusty

Classification:

Twilight Iron Armor [ E ] L10

Type:

Magical/Inorganic

Hit Points [ HP ]

261/261

Magic Points [MP]

210/210

Special Points [SP]

50/50

Strength

Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire

107 [ E + ]

Agility

80 [ E ]

Dexterity

79 [ E ]

Constitution

110 [ E + ]

Intelligence

85 [ E ]

Wisdom

87 [ E ]

Willpower

86 [ E ]

Durability

D

Rusty noticed that two of his stats had now reached E+ rank. This iron form seemed to progress faster than his previous bronze one, with him gaining more and more stats with each level up. He wondered if this meant he could reach D rank soon or if it might be better to wait and spend another evolution in the E plus rank.

His guides had given him a few pointers about this, advising that it might be wiser to hold off. If his stats were higher during an evolution, there was a chance of attaining a superior evolutionary form. This applied not only to his physical form but also to his skills and abilities. However, now that he was out in the world with only Gleam to rely on, reaching D-rank more quickly might be critical to his survival. For now, he decided to hold off and make the final choice back at the Soul Forge.

"This is taking a while."

Rusty muttered, his gaze scanning the dense trees.

"This forest seems endless."

"Well, they do call it the Everlasting Black Forest."

Alexander replied from nearby. Rusty nodded as he bent down to pick up some crude iron weapons the goblins dropped. The iron content wasn't great, but it was still better than having to mine for it, as he'd been forced to do with copper and tin to produce bronze. He was free now - free of the dungeon that had given birth to him and far from the confines of the city he'd first known. The vastness of this world, teeming with strange and fascinating creatures, was something Rusty had yet to fully grasp.

"So, this is true freedom?"

"( ╹ -╹) "

Gleam climbed onto Rusty's shoulder, giving his helmet a playful poke with her antennae. She seemed curious about what was on his mind.

"Oh, it's nothing," Rusty said, his voice thoughtful. "I was just thinking about the future… and how it's not all that different from what I've already seen."

Rusty was still close to a newborn existence. Just a few months ago, he had been created, and now he found himself set free in the vast expanse of this strange world. He was still trying to wrap his hollow brain around what he should do or what his purpose might be. One of his goals was to create a lair - a place to call home and return to after his journeys. With that in mind, he was traveling toward the town of Ferndale.

One thing he had noticed was how much empty space this world contained. There were vast stretches of wilderness with little in between. While raiding goblin villages and outposts within the thick forest, he found them scattered hours apart. It seemed that the large cities, particularly those built by humans, dominated the land, leaving much of the wilderness untouched.

Though Rusty appreciated the wide-open emptiness, the monotony was beginning to wear on him. The endless sight of similar trees and forest critters during his trek was growing dull. He found himself wishing he could reach the town faster.

As he walked, his thoughts drifted to the workshop he planned to set up. While the shop would serve as a cover for his more clandestine nocturnal activities, Rusty wondered how the people of Ferndale would receive him as a craftsman. His current skills were limited to creating basic iron weaponry and possibly steel items without enchantments. Yet, he hoped that in the future, his abilities would evolve to include more advanced and magical creations.

The idea of building something lasting and meaningful - both for his lair and his craft - kept him motivated as he pushed forward through the endless trees.

"These don't look too good either…"

"Another failure?"

Rusty's thoughts were interrupted by Aburdon, whose black, orb-like form hovered over a group of human corpses the goblins had been devouring. Rusty frowned. He was still

Rusty nodded, taking in Alexander's suggestion. Gleam perked up slightly at the mention of her potential role. She tilted her head as if considering the challenge, then gave an enthusiastic nod of agreement. While she wasn't specialized in fire spells, she had gone through mana training. Shifting it to align to flames would be a challenge but after mastering the silence spell, this shouldn't be a problem.

" ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و "

"Great, then it's settled."

Rusty said, looking up at the thick trees above them. While there were no spiders or webs there he was already looking towards the new challenge.

"So… will we have to keep an eye out for these webs, or do you know where these spiders gather?"

"Hah, leave it to me rusty, I'll guide you there!"

Soon, the group departed for their next destination: the arachnid-infested parts of the black forest. As the trek continued, it became clear that these monsters would be trickier and more dangerous than the goblins. The villages that had once dotted the landscape ceased to appear and the ones resembling them were devoid of anything and covered in thick webbing. It was clear that the apex predator was not the goblin anymore but something lurking deeper, just waiting for them to step into their territory.