"Have you heard?"

Asked a man holding a tankard filled with watered-down ale, his elbows resting on the scarred wooden table. The tavern was half full, and the smell of roasted meat mixed with the aroma of sweaty men.

"Yeah, someone said that the bandit camp vanished, burned to a crisp! Serves them right!"

The man across from him answered. He was a rough-looking fellow with an eyepatch hiding one eye and a deep scar running down the other side of his face. He grinned, revealing yellowed teeth with several missing.

"No, not about that."

The first man lowered his voice, glancing around before leaning closer.

"It's about those mercenaries, the Black Hounds. They say some of them didn't come back."

The other man's grin faded.

"What do you mean, didn't come back? Those bastards don't die easily. Were the bandits really that strong?"

"That's the strange part. Rumor has it they were working together the whole time."

As soon as he said that, the man with the eyepatch glanced around nervously and hushed him.

"Quiet. Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Ah, you're right."

The two leaned closer and started whispering.

"Some say there's a new force moving in, going after nobles and merchants alike. If you ask me, it serves those bastards right."

"Could it be the thieves' guild? Are they finally making a move?"

"Perhaps. If they are, things might start to change around here."

They nodded to each other, then leaned back and returned to their drinks. Unbeknownst to the two drunks, a third person was listening to their conversation. The newcomer had just arrived and was looking for news. The person wore a dark robe, and even their mouth was hidden by something that resembled a mask.

"Thieves Guild? Now that's an interesting bit of information. I wonder who is spreading that rumor."

The stranger seemed intrigued by what the two men were saying and stayed longer to listen. However, everyone was mistaken about what was truly happening. The being responsible for all this chaos was somewhere else, preparing to take the next step on his journey.

****

"There it is, Gleam, level twenty-five!"

"⸜( ˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝"

Several days had passed since the attack on the bandit camp. Rusty and Gleam had returned to their lair and spent more time leveling in the dungeon to get Rusty to level twenty-five. For F-rank monsters, he only needed to reach level ten; for E-rank, it was fifteen; and now, at D-rank, it was twenty-five. Each time a rank was broken, the level limit expanded, and it would do so again once he reached C-rank.

table class="chapter-table"

tbody

tr

td

pstrongName: /strong/p

/td

td

pstrongRusty/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongClassification:/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongEnchanted Twilight Steel Armor [ D - ] L25/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongType: /strong/p

/td

td

pstrongMagical/Inorganic/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongHit Points [ HP ]/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong732/732/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongMagic Points [MP]/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong562/562/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongSpecial Points [SP]/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong90/90/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongStrength/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong107 [ D ] { + 55 }/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongAgility/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong69 [ D - ] { + 12 }/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongDexterity/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong74 [ D - ] { + 5 }/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongConstitution/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong115 [ D ] { + 67 }/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongIntelligence/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong86 [ D ] { + 20 }/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongWisdom/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong91 [ D ] { + 21 }/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongWillpower/strong/p

/td

td

pstrong85 [ D ] { + 19 }/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongDurability/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongD +/strong/p

/td

/tr

/tbody

/table

"Everything is coming together nicely. I'll be going ahead, Gleam. Once I'm back, let's go to that crystal tunnel. I'm not sure how long this will take, so protect everyone while I'm gone."

"( • ̀ω •́ )"

Gleam nodded in a very human-like way and prepared to close the latch over the compartment where Rusty would store his main body. As before, he would bury his frame underground to ensure that no one could find him, even if they managed to break in.

Normally, this would be the time for Rusty to test the last skill he had received upon reaching this level, but it was only a passive ability that made certain things more convenient.

table class="chapter-table"

tbody

tr

td

pstrongLesser Twilight Mastery/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongPassive Skills/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongThis skill balances the twilight energies within the user's body. It reduces mana consumption for skills that use twilight energy and makes them easier to control. The same benefit applies to light and dark elemental energies./strong/p

/td

/tr

/tbody

/table

'It does make my Twilight Embrace easier to activate, along with all my other elemental skills.'

This skill gave him a major boost in combat stamina because it reduced the amount of mana he used for his skills and spells. It also allowed him to merge the two more effectively. He had been waiting for the Soul Forge to remain open longer so he could test it, as perhaps with this skill, he could finally include a twilight-based enchantment in his body without causing an explosion.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Well then, Gleam, I'll see you later. Take care."

"(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"

With Gleam now being a D-rank monster, he no longer had to worry as much. She could fly, so escaping from the city would be easy for her if anything went wrong. He could safely leave everything in her care while he grew stronger. Soon, he reached his hidden spot where a coffin-like box waited. He placed himself inside, closed the latch, and concealed it just as he had before, then entered the Evolutionary Space.

'I'm back, but it sure takes more time to get back here.'

Rusty walked along the bridge while staring at the large castle ahead. His thoughts drifted to his progress, which had begun to slow. Reaching E rank and even D rank had not taken long, but now his advancement had stalled. The monsters in the dungeon were not strong enough, and hunting humans was too dangerous for him at the moment.

"Well, I'll take everything at my own pace!"

He said this as he moved toward the next challenge. Although he wanted to grow stronger and uncover more of what this world held, he was not in a rush. Even so, he understood the dangers before him. One mistake could cost him his life, so the less attention he drew to himself, the better. The sooner he reached a higher rank, the safer he would be.

'I wonder how I would fare against those guys.'

Aburdon's and Alexander's memories surfaced in his mind, becoming clearer as his strength increased. Within those memories were many powerful beings. Demonic generals and heroes who had both aided and opposed them. From what he knew, all of them were at least A rank or higher. They were not his direct enemies, but they had once betrayed his guides. He was unsure how he would handle the situation, but if they stood in his way, he would show them no mercy.

'Now then, will there be more than just one frame here this time?'

With a quicker stride, he finally reached the Soul Forge and pushed the door open. Inside, he found not one but three well-crafted bodies waiting for him to choose from.

"So, it's that kind of choice again."

Although three bodies were available, there was only one real option. The one in the middle resembled his current form the most, and he already knew it would be the one he would choose.

"I'm sure you'll pick this one, right, my dear Rusty?"

"You should know by now that's not going to happen, Aburdon."

"Can't blame a demon king for trying!"

Aburdon cackled as his light drifted around a suit of pitch black armor, similar to the one that had stood here before. It stood on the left side of what appeared to be a slightly upgraded version of his current frame. To the right of the central armor stood another suit, forged from bright white metal that gave it the appearance of a holy paladin's armor.

table class="chapter-table"

tbody

tr

td

pstrongClassification:/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongEnchanted High-Steel Darkness Armor [ D ]/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongType: /strong/p

/td

td

pstrongMagical/Inorganic/darkness/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongDescription:/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongAn empty vessel waiting to be filled by a demonic soul. This armor enhances dark magic and destructive abilities. It focuses on mastering the art of destruction and values power above all else./strong/p

/td

/tr

/tbody

/table

table class="chapter-table"

tbody

tr

td

pstrongClassification:/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongEnchanted High-Steel Light Armor [ D ]/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongType: /strong/p

/td

td

pstrongMagical/Inorganic/light/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongDescription:/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongAn empty vessel waiting to be filled by an angelic soul. This armor enhances light magic and protective abilities. It focuses on mastering defense and support magic while emphasizing endurance and protection./strong/p

/td

/tr

/tbody

/table

table class="chapter-table"

tbody

tr

td

pstrongClassification:/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongEnchanted Twilight High-Steel Armor [ D ]/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongType: /strong/p

/td

td

pstrongMagical/Inorganic/strong/p

/td

/tr

tr

td

pstrongDescription:/strong/p

/td

td

pstrongAn empty vessel waiting to be filled by a soul that carries both light and darkness. It has been imbued with arcane enchantments that grant spellcasting capabilities to whoever inhabits it. The High-Steel metal is far more durable than regular enchanted steel, allowing the enchantments to last longer and hold greater power./strong/p

/td

/tr

/tbody

/table

"Those two look almost exactly like the Lesser Darkness Armor and Lesser Light Armor I could choose in the past… but I wonder, can I make those two?"

The previous armor frames had been different, made of an entirely different metal, but these were crafted from Enchanted High-Steel, the same material his new body would be made from. He could sense that the dark armor was saturated with dark energy while the light one was filled with light energy. With his current knowledge, he could probably infuse his mana during the smelting process to create the base materials for these armors, then use them as his own body or as vessels for his guides, which Aburdon had already noticed.

"That's a fine idea, Rusty! While this form looks beneath a demon lord, it's better than nothing."

Aburdon had been itching to move freely in the real world. By using the puppet armor skill and his guides, Rusty could create two powerful allies. These two had once been veteran warriors, among the strongest beings alive. The bodies he could forge for them would not come close to their original power, but their experience alone would make them formidable opponents who would not easily fall to adventurers or ordinary monsters.

"I won't decline if you decide to make them, but perhaps create the first one for me to test the limits. You can't trust Aburdon not to run away if there aren't any safeguards applied."

Said Alexander as he circled the armor of light.

"What do you mean, you lying hero? I would never betray my dear Rusty. Don't trust him, you have my word. Once I inhabit that armor, I'll be nothing more than an ally, together we will conquer the world!"

Rusty did not respond, but he silently agreed and knew the demon lord couldn't be fully trusted. Aburdon had already tried to escape several times. The only thing keeping him bound was a link to Rusty's very being, which prevented him from leaving a certain area. If that restriction were removed by giving him a body, the only way to stop him would be through combat. Alexander, on the other hand, showed no signs of deceit, so it seemed wiser to create the light armor first.

"Well… we'll think about that later, now did something change around here?"

While his guides argued over who should receive a body first, Rusty took a moment to look around. The main chamber did not seem much different at first glance, but he knew that after certain upgrades, parts of the forge often changed or gained new functions. He decided to take a quick tour to see what had improved, and there were indeed some changes.

As before, more books on smithing and enchanting had appeared for him to study. The library had expanded slightly, though not by much. In the smithing area, the tools looked more refined, and a new smelter had been built from different materials, equipped with instruments designed specifically for working with high-steel.

'Some small changes, but not much. Next up is…'

The only two places left were the training chamber and the summoning chamber. Rusty knew that once he entered the latter, he would probably be there for a long time, so he decided to visit the training chamber first. It didn't look like much had changed since the last time he was there. This area was probably the least used part of the Soul Forge, since it only allowed him to fight enemies he had already defeated, a feature that was not very useful. However, this time something was different. As he went through the panel, a new option appeared.

"Is that… Varkas?"

He was genuinely surprised. He could now fight many people from the recent incident. The bandit leader was there, along with several of the bandits they had killed, and even the mercenaries and their leader. Varkas was not someone Rusty had truly fought before as he had only been in his presence.

"Could it be that arrow? Was that enough?"

While Rusty was hiding, Varkas had fired an arrow at his puppet armor's helmet. Perhaps all that was needed for the training chamber to register someone as an enemy was to begin a fight, and finishing it was not necessary. Maybe it only required him to stay close to them for a certain time. If that was true, then this place had just become far more useful than before.

After experimenting with the Soul Forge's options, Rusty summoned Varkas, or rather, a simulation of him. The interface warned that some data was missing: the system could replicate his skills, but not his full equipment set. His weapon data, in particular, seemed to be missing. Still, Rusty could assign him armaments from other foes or from weapons he had forged himself.

"I think he used a lighter blade, right? A saber…"

Moments later, Varkas appeared clad in simple leather armor, an enchanted saber in hand. The weapon glimmered faintly with a basic sharpening enchantment. It was not his normal weapon, but enough for a test.

table class="chapter-table"

tbody

tr

td

p style="text-align: center"strongPlease select the field for combat practice./strong/p

/td

/tr

/tbody

/table

With the current version of the training chamber, he could also change the scenery. For now, he chose the first option available: an open field. The surroundings shimmered as if the world were made of rippling glass, and in the blink of an eye, Rusty stood in a vast, sunlit plain. The air felt warmer now, and the illusion seemed just as real as the Soul Forge itself.

Varkas appeared a few meters away, sword drawn, his amber eyes as sharp as ever. Above his head floated a countdown timer, and once it reached zero, the battle would begin. Rusty pulled out his halberd, its blade glowing faintly with a lightning enchantment, and braced himself. When the timer hit zero, the fight started.

The simulated Varkas charged forward, blade sweeping to the side. His speed was astonishing for a human opponent. Their weapons clashed, and Rusty found himself overwhelmed by the flurry of rapid strikes that crashed against his defenses. He responded by activating his own skills, channeling every boost he could to narrow the gap. Once his strength caught up, the fight became more balanced, though he was still forced to retreat several times. Then, during one exchange, Varkas's blade suddenly shattered.

"Ahh…"

The simulation froze. The broken weapon dissolved into light, and Rusty's damage started to vanish as the system reset. He looked down at the traces where his armor had been cut and thought that if the real Varkas had been using his true weapon, he would not have survived. It was clear he still had a long way to go, but with this upgraded training ground, he finally had the means to push himself against stronger foes.

With this in mind, he restarted the simulation. He would not stop until he won at least one bout…