dirk_grey

Blacksmith vs. the System 222

“Martin, what are you doing,” the first one asked when he arrived, his panic apparent. “You know the risks of pushing yourself —” 

“Shut up and help me, Carl,” my opponent, whose name I had finally learned, shouted in anger, cutting off his argument. Pity, I would have lo...

Blacksmith vs. the System 221

My position from the ruined ambush onward had not been ideal, and I realized things were about to get even worse once I noticed the other ascended warrior was also approaching us. Luckily, he wasn’t as fast as the first ascended, which meant I had some time before I had to deal with the both of...

Blacksmith vs. the System 220

Facing a giant, complicated spell that was diving down towards our outpost, I didn’t have many options to fight against. So, I simply spammed ranged attacks, for once not holding back the slightest as I let the Blade of Radiant Flame show its full potential.

[-4000 Mana]

[-4000 Man...

Blacksmith vs. the System 219

I knew it would be bad even before I stepped into the dungeon, indicated by the pain, but only when I reached the fifth floor, I noticed the full intensity of it. There were two new breaches already, each in opposite directions, while a third one was opening in front of my eyes.

An intense...

Blacksmith vs. the System 218

“The situation is not good,” she said the moment I raised a silencing field around us. “Vessalian forces are part of the attack force.”

I nodded. It certainly wasn’t good. “A significant force?” I asked.

“Not particularly, no,” she said. “It’s only one enchante...

Blacksmith vs. the System 217

Not even for a moment did I believe that the two-pronged attack was a coincidence. Naturally, that didn’t mean Drakka and heretics were in alignment. It was likelier that heretics had been observing Drakka forces, and chose to launch their attack at the same time.

Then again, an alliance...

Blacksmith vs. the System 216

I had been in front of the forge when I felt a familiar stabbing pain, warning me of another intrusion. “Not again,” I growled as I opened a gate. Though, as I took a step, I couldn’t help but think about everything that had happened the last two weeks.

To my surprise, there had been...

Guardian's Farm 27

“Where’s Sage?” he asked a while later, looking around.

“He’s patrolling the diseased area. He will alert me if there are more spies prepared to visit the area,” I explained.

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous —” Eli gasped.

I cut him off with a gesture. “No, Sag...

Guardian's Farm 26

“I’m sorry, I just…” Eli said once he calmed down.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” I said. “I have seen fighters with a decade of experience shatter worse from less. You’re a brave kid, Eli.”

“T-thanks, master —” he started, then paused, suddenly self-c...

Guardian's Farm 25

When I returned home, Eli was already up, practicing his spear with a surprising intensity, each stab cutting through the air sharply.

It wasn’t that he was lax before. He had been a diligent student, picking up my teachings quickly, making very few mistakes. But, there was a new intensi...

Announcement - 1 day delay

Hi guys,

Due to a little problem with editing pipeline, the updates will be delayed a day.

My apologies. Last couple months has been rough for me.

Blacksmith vs. the System 215

Once I finished talking to Rosie, she left to scout the perimeter, while I focused on forging, determined to replenish our ammunition reserves before another attack from Drakka arrived. Yet, even as the monsters around my workshop lost themselves in a frenzy, signaling the arrival of the darkness...

Blacksmith vs. the System 214

“So, I heard you took Jennifer under your wing. Any particular reason?” I asked as we walked through the portal, arriving at the fourth floor. “Her skill?”

“It helps, as her skill could be very useful scouting if we manage to get some relevant perks,” she said. “But, it’s m...

Blacksmith vs. the System 213

“I expected more,” I growled even as I parried his first attack. It was impressive, on that there was no doubt … but not enough to justify the reputation of the ascended.

“And I expected less,” he growled back as he attacked me again and again, his attacks strong enough to push m...

Blacksmith vs. the System 212

“Everything ready?” I asked as I raised a spyglass high, positioned at the walls of the town that lay at the direct approach vector of the enemy forces. Rosie and Liam were with me, while Harold handled the infantry below. Terry stayed near the gate, tasked with the evacuation through the gat...

Blacksmith vs. the System 211

Once I appeared, I wasn’t surprised to see Rosie, Harold, Terry, and Liam gathered together, each representing one critical role. While they talked, the rest of the army was moving around them rapidly, showing hints of panic already as they were darting toward the underground shelters.

I...

Blacksmith vs. the System 210

“… Terry certainly had a point when he claimed the process was too risky,” I said and looked at the cumbersome device in front of me, its seals buckled open after the latest explosion.

I had spent an hour of my time building several versions of Liam’s device, as I was quick to real...

Blacksmith vs. the System 209

“Professor, good news!” Terry greeted me happily the moment I arrived.

“Oh, really,” I said and looked around, watching as about a hundred workers moved around rapidly, building some kind of complicated system of dials and containers. The operation was being led by Liam, who had tr...

Blacksmith vs. the System 208

“Success … kind of,” I declared as I looked at the blade in my hand, one that shattered the moment I swung it against a random rock.

I didn’t care about it. The value of that sword wasn’t in its quality, but in the process of its forging. It used a mixture of insect shells and li...

Blacksmith vs. the System 207

“It was too much to hope for, right?” I muttered as I looked at the pile of swords in front of me, each representing a different mixture of dungeon material and Wisdom-forging.

None of them came close to being satisfactory. No matter how much I pulled, neither decay nor flame material ...

Blacksmith vs. the System 206

Once the parameters of my experiment were clear, I opened a portal to the fourth floor. Terry was working with Logan, while Jennifer was somewhat ahead of them, shaping various plants into living weapons against the endless horde of insects, her face showing an unfamiliar smile.

“Impress...

Blacksmith vs. the System 205

I couldn’t help but wish for a more plentiful experimental chest as I examined the only two types of materials I had in abundance: the shells containing the concept of corrosion and decay, and claws that still radiated the unique warmth aura even when separated from the lizards.

“Not a...

Blacksmith vs. the System 204

The crackle of flames and the smell of melting metal was a true source of comfort after the day I had, which was not only marked with diplomatic disaster, alongside a silent yet no less important decision to spread all the information I collected freely, in a way I couldn’t restrict, all topped...

Blacksmith vs. the System 203

[Meditation of Decay (Mythic) - 151]

After the monumental yet impulsive decision to spread everything I discovered about the System freely, I returned to my task of absorbing the remaining tainted energy, deciding that maximizing mana reserves was important in case of an immediate attack. <...

Guardian's Farm 24

Once I pulled the boar to a small alcove to hide my tracks as much as possible, I continued exploring. While all signs pointed that the disease was not in the same league as the Blight, that hardly meant that it was harmless. Add in the conspiracy, and continuing was my only option.

I vent...

Guardian's Farm 23

 Sage greeted us with a sharp growl when we returned to the farm after a long trek, showing his frustration. “Sorry, buddy. The situation required a delicate touch,” I said as I patted him even as I carried an unconscious Eli. To his credit, the kid had managed to keep pace almost until ...

Guardian's Farm 22

When the consciousness returned, Eli expected to encounter the edge of a blade once more, just like how it did several other times when he fainted in the hands of his torturers. Every time, they punished him for fainting before they continued to ask their questions. Did he mention the location of...

Blacksmith vs. the System 202

Despite the urgency to work on my newly acquired piercing ability, I didn’t immediately go back to my workshop after my talk with Rebecca, instead paying a brief visit to every floor of the dungeon to check the mana situation on all of them — the fifth was the only other floor that had some m...

Blacksmith vs. the System 201

As much as I wanted to start working on the new piercing weapons immediately, I had a pit stop before doing so. I teleported to the third floor, ready to pick another batch of decay trees for the fifth floor before I started to work on it.

Only to pause in shock. “Why the hell does the d...

Blacksmith vs. the System 200

“So, what do we do?” Rosie asked while we watched the Asterian party disappear on the horizon, leaving us in a bind. “I would have suggested evacuation, but…”

“I can’t leave, not with my bond with the dungeon,” I said. I sighed. “Ironically, not much has changed. Our enti...