Legendary Shadow Blacksmith

“It’s warm...”

Julian wasn’t expecting the dungeon to be warm, but as soon as he stepped inside the entrance that looked like it had swallowed all of them whole, it felt like a warm breath whiffed over his entire body.

“...And this is burnt,” Julian crouched down, touching the familiar texture of ash—but it wasn’t from the dungeon’s floors which were seemingly made of bark and vine, not at all.

Cyrus, who was busy trying to find the right angle to capture Julian, let out a small chuckle. “They’re probably just some weak fire monsters. Nothing to worry about. We’re in a beginner’s dungeon.” He flashed a grin, still very much hoping that something fun and eventful would happen if he set up enough flags.

Julian straightened, still feeling the heat under his palm. “Fire monsters… shouldn’t we have brought water with us, then?”

“That’s not how—”

“Pft.” Before Cyrus could respond, Talia’s quiet snort whispered in the air. “What do you know about dungeons, Newbie?”

Julian shrugged, “Just what Cyrus explained to me.”

Talia stepped closer, her tone a bit more serious now. “Here’s something to remember, Julian. The monsters and layouts of dungeons can change. They’re not static. What you see in one run might not be what you get in the next. That’s why most adventurers in Artemia don’t carry maps of dungeons because they don’t stay reliable for long. Remember the map you got from the so-called Newbie Package? Yeah, that’s useless in dungeons.”

“So... none of you have technically been here before?”

Dyrroth, who had been standing off to the side, grinned. “You could say that, my dude. We’re as fresh here as you.”

“Exactly,” Talia continued. “There’s no need to worry. They say that the dungeons are supposedly connected to the planet’s core—the deeper the dungeon is, the more dangerous it is. And in this case, Ethaca Dungeon is extremely shallow, that’s why the hyums consider it as a beginner’s dungeon.”

“Oh…” Julian nodded, soaking in the information. “That’s... interesting. Thank you for the information, Talia.”

Talia chuckled, her sharp demeanor softening for a moment. “No need to be so formal, pft.”

“Do you see this, Chat? I think we’re converting our Sword Junkie into a gamer.”

“Cy, can you shut the fuck up?” Talia glared at Cyrus. But alas, Cyrus was a professional, perhaps too professional as he did not stop talking at all and communicating with the chat as they pressed deeper into the dungeon.

Soon, however, the air became thick and almost suffocating. Julian felt it more than the others, the warmth crawling up his skin—after all, heat is something he had lived with almost his entire life; even the slightest change of temperature…

…he could feel.

“!!!”

And without warning, the ground cracked beneath his feet, a series of sharp, jagged lines forming as something moved below the surface. The others stepped back instinctively, but Julian’s eyes remained locked on the ground.

And then they revealed themselves as the floor exploded—small, fiery creatures seemingly made of molten rock, tendrils of flame whipping around them as they rolled, or perhaps crawled, across the dungeon floor.

"Julian, watch out! Those are Flame Spawns!" Talia shouted from behind, almost pulling out her longsword but quickly remembered her role, “They may seem like harmless jellyfish, but they’re very dangerous!”

“Okay.” Julian didn’t need the warning, however. His body already moved on instinct, dodging the first spawn as it lunged straight at his face. Julian could feel the heat almost touching his nose as the tendrils of the Flame Spawn stretched toward him—it looked weird, even for Julian.

He drew his shortsword in one smooth motion, the blade reflecting the light of the creature as he swung it toward its fiery body.

“Hm…?” The hit connected, but something wasn’t right—Julian did not feel any impact at all, just a slight resistance as if he had just dipped the blade into oil. The Flame Spawn also barely staggered, its molten body reforming almost instantly where the sword had sliced.

“It… didn’t work,” Julian’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his sword.

"Come on, Julian!" Cyrus shouted, hyping up the stream. "Let’s go, baby! Show them what you’ve got!"

Another spawn charged at him, its fiery tendrils whipping dangerously close to his face again. But once again, Julian rolled to the side. He swung his sword toward the fiery small creature again, only for the same result to happen—it was completely unaffected.

“Hm…” He really only stared at the regenerating flames in front of him for a few moments before glancing at his shield.

And without thinking, he bashed the creature with it, hard. Julian finally felt some resistance, and he heard something cracking into pieces… and after a moment, the Spawn just started crumbling into a pile of scorched rock and flickering embers.

It worked.

Julian didn’t hesitate anymore as a smile started to crawl on his face. He sheathed his sword back to his waist and just held the shield with both hands. He charged the next spawn, smashing into it with the weight of his shield, sending it skidding across the floor before it exploded into dust.

Another spawn shot toward him, rolling like a boulder of fire; its tendrils responsible for keeping its momentum. Julian raised his shield just in time to block the impact, and surprisingly, the force of its small frame was enough to push him back. His feet slid against the ground, but he held firm. And with the smile on his turning into a whispering cackle, he shoved the creature away and then quickly followed it before swinging the shield down in a crushing blow, snuffing out the creature of fire in one hit.

Titus, Dyrroth, and Talia looked at each other while this was happening; their eyes, narrowed and their heads subtly nodding for some reason. As for Cyrus, well...

“Chaaaat!” Cyrus was losing it in the background as he continued to hype the chat up… even though Julian was only fighting what could be considered a low-level ‘slime’ in video games. “Yo, chat! Are you seeing this?! Julian’s a beast! This guy’s insane!”

Julian barely heard him. His focus was entirely on the fight. The heat radiating from the spawns made it harder to breathe, but he was used to it. He darted from one spawn to the next, his shield coming down again and again, each hit reducing the creatures to rubble. With each hit, the smile on his face continued to grow wider and more manic.

And finally, the last spawn lunged at him, but Julian was ready. He sidestepped to dodge the attack and slammed his shield into its back, crushing the core with a final, resounding hit in the air and causing the fire to splash like lava.

“Ho…”

And with his heavy breath, the silence fell. Julian now stood among the broken remains of the flame spawns, the heat still pulsing through the air.

“That was… something.” He glanced back at the others. Talia, Titus, and Dyrroth were watching him, all nodding and clearly impressed. Cyrus, meanwhile, was also grinning like a maniac.

“That’s my boy!” Cyrus laughed. “Too easy! Now let’s move on to even more exciting battles!”

Cyrus moved ahead of the group, tapping Julian on the shoulder, and gestured to him to move even though he had just finished fighting.

Julian didn’t really mind, however—as compared to the daemon… as well as the shadow crawlers, this wasn’t anything at all.

The group continued to go deeper into the dungeon, and aside from some Flame Spawns shooting out from the ground again and again, and Julian dispatching them in the blink of an eye…

…the exciting battle that Cyrus promised the chat did not come to fruition at all.

“No…no! L!? What do you mean 'L'!?” Cyrus could not help but clasp his hair tight, “Seriously, why didn’t something bigger happen!? I promised the chat something epic and now they’re all flaming me! I… I seriously thought there would be a boss fight, at least! Wasn’t there supposed to be a [Boss] monster here!?”

“Ugh.” Talia rolled her eyes. “Relax, Cy. It’s a beginner’s dungeon. It’s already in the name.”

“My dude, chill…” Dyrroth gestured to Cyrus to calm down, “You should have picked a better dungeon for the bro, this is too easy.”

“Why didn’t any of you betray us!?” Cyrus groaned dramatically. “I picked you guys because you know Kitty hates me! I was hoping for at least one of you to turn on us. Where’s the chaos?”

“Don’t be stupid,” Talia crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. “You’re not paying us enough for that kind of entertainment… and why would we betray you, Cy? We’ve also been your friends for as long as we’ve been friends with Kitty. And FYI, you hate Kitty, not the other way around.”

“Damn it!” Cyrus exclaimed, throwing his arms up.

And while Talia seemed incredibly done with Cyrus’s antics, Titus was nodding his head. “...You were hoping we would betray you and risked the life of the newbie? Bold, very bold. This is why I like you, kid.”

“Agh! People are leaving!”

“...Well, I guess that’s that,” Talia shook her head and shrugged as she turned around. Titus and Dyrroth also turned, leaving Cyrus just groveling on the ground and lamenting the unsuccessful first stream.

Julian hesitated to leave Cyrus at first, but as soon as he heard him praying for something bad to happen… Julian just decided follow Talia and the others.

“Ah, guys!” Cyrus quickly got up, “Wait… wait for me!”

Several minutes later, the group was nearing the entrance, and yet Cyrus was still whispering under his breath. Unfortunately for him, nothing like what he wanted to happen happened at all—and the light of the outside was now once again reflecting in all of their eyes.

“Next time you pick a dungeon, pick something harder if you already knew that this newbie was something else,” Talia scoffed as she heard Cyrus still whispering to himself.

“I didn’t expect for there to just be Spawns!” Cyrus groaned, “Maybe we should just return to Juliet, Julian—some people are requesting to see you make weapons again.”

“That’s rad…” Dyrroth glanced back at Julian, “...Can I watch you make something, Newbie?”

“Uh… sure?” Julian just shrugged in response.

Talia also glanced back at Julian with an excited look in his eyes. “Oh? Can I also wa—”

Before she could finish her words, however, the walls suddenly started to rumble. A low, deep vibration that traveled through the dungeon like a pulse.

“Uhh… Did anyone else feel that?” Talia’s eyes narrowed.

“Yes.” Julian quickly nodded as he had actually been feeling the tremors since earlier.

“Uh, yeah, dude,” Dyrroth said, glancing nervously around. “That didn’t feel good.”

Talia frowned, her hand instinctively moving to her sword. “Dungeon tremors aren’t that unusual, but that... felt different.”

The rumbling grew louder, and suddenly, the light in front of them—where the entrance was—began to shift.

“Is it…?”

The vines and roots that had made up the walls started to move, twisting and rearranging themselves… and soon, the entrance just closed on them.

Cyrus stepped back, the playful tone gone from his voice. “Wait, what the fuck? What’s happening?”

[When two graves are dug, many will suffer. You are within the gods' reach and have been detected, Julian Winters. The punishment shall now be carried out.]

And while everyone was wondering what was going on, Julian was currently staring at the words floating in front of him. He looked at the others, but none of them seemed to be looking at anything floating in front of them.

Talia cursed under her breath, snapping him back to the moment. “Damn it, Cyrus! You raised the flag!”

Cyrus, looking genuinely confused, stammered. “I—what? What did I do?”

“You and your fucking flags!” Talia spat, pointing at him. “All your whining about wanting something to happen, and now the dungeon’s shifting!”

“Wait, wait!” Cyrus raised his hands defensively, a nervous laugh escaping him. “It’s true that I was setting up flags, but I didn’t want a fucking Dungeon Shift to happen!”

Julian was confused as he glanced at the others. “What’s... a flag?”

“A flag is—” Dyrroth began, but before he could explain, Talia cut him off.

“Are you seriously going to explain that right now!? The exit’s blocked!”

The dungeon was rearranging itself, the walls trembling as the roots and vines twisted into new shapes. They were… completely being locked in on all sides.

Cyrus tried to force a grin, clearly trying to play it cool for the chat. “I mean, this is kinda exciting, right? A Dungeon Shift? That’s... good content.”

Talia glared at him. “You’re an idiot.”

Titus, who had been silent for most of the conversation, finally spoke up, his voice low and serious. “A Dungeon Shift... here, in the Ethaca Dungeon? That’s not normal.”

“Is it dangerous?” Julian asked, his hand already tightening around his shield.

“Very,” Talia said flatly, her eyes scanning the shifting walls. “Ethaca’s supposed to be a beginner’s dungeon. This shouldn’t be happening.”

“We… we need to get out of here, my dudes” Dyrroth muttered, his stuttering.

Talia nodded. “Dyrroth, try to cut the exit open. We don’t have time to mess around.”

Dyrroth stepped forward, pulling out two daggers from behind him as he reached for the vine-covered exit. “Got it! I’ll—”

Before he could finish, the floor beneath them gave way. And in an instant, the ground crumbled, and they were falling—sliding down into the dark, deeper into the dungeon.

“W…what the fuck!?” Talia screamed.

“No, no…!” Dyrroth tried punching his daggers through the vines, but the walls of the dungeon were too hard for his blades.

The descent felt like it lasted forever. The tunnel they fell through was steep, twisting, and Julian could not help but feel regretful that he was involving other people again with his ridiculous Master of Shadows quest. His heart raced, but there was nothing he could do but ride it out… literally.

And after a few more seconds of sliding, bouncing, and being thrown around, they finally landed—rolling on the cold, uneven, and rough floor. Julian thought he lost his vision for a bit, but it would seem all of them couldn’t see anything because of the extreme darkness.

Cyrus was already talking to the chat again, his voice shaky but trying to stay upbeat. “Well, chat... things just got a little crazy. We’re, uh, deeper in the dungeon now. Way deeper.”

Julian groaned as he pushed himself up, the cold floor underneath him a sharp contrast to the intense heat they’d felt before. His body ached from the fall, but nothing seemed broken. Around him, the rest of the group was slowly getting to their feet.

“Everyone okay?” Talia asked, brushing dirt off her bulky armor.

“Yeah, yeah, just fine,” Dyrroth muttered, shaking his head as he stood. “That was... not fun. Not fun at all, my dudes.”

Julian looked around as his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, taking in their new surroundings. The chamber they’d landed in was massive, the ceiling disappearing into the darkness above them. The walls, unlike the ones in the upper dungeon, weren’t made of roots or vines. Instead, they were cold, dark stone. It was eerie—too quiet.

“Titus, light.” Talia whispered.

“Roger that.” Titus summoned a small ball of fire to light the room. Julian could not help but stare at the fire—no. At the magic. He had already seen several people using magic in Artemia, but this was the first time he was actually seeing it up close and personal.

Unfortunately, he was not able to admire it for long… as the flickering light revealed what had been hidden in the shadows—statues. Dozens and dozens of them.

“People…?” Julian’s breath caught as he took in the sight. The statues were human-like, but not quite. Twisted figures, some missing limbs, others with their faces frozen in grotesque expressions of pain or fear, and some missing their heads altogether.

They were made of copper, their once shiny surfaces dulled and corroded by time. They looked broken, like they’d been forgotten down here for centuries.

“Living Statues,” Talia said, her voice calm but serious.

“Living…?” Julian asked, glancing at her.

Talia nodded. “Yeah. They move. And they fight. But these ones...” She stepped closer to one of the statues, examining its tarnished surface. “...since they’re made of copper, they shouldn’t be that hard to deal with. The problem is the goddamn fucking number of them.”

“How many do you think there are?” Julian asked, his voice low.

Titus, scanning the room, let out a low whistle. “There’s probably more than a hundred of them.”

Cyrus, looking pale, finally spoke. “Uh, chat... I don’t think we’re supposed to be here.”

“Brilliant deduction, Cy,” Talia snapped, her tone sharp. “Now shut up. You got us into this mess.”

“How is this my fault?” Cyrus protested, looking genuinely offended.

“You raised the flag!” Talia shot back.

“Dudes, chill,” Dyrroth said, trying to keep things light. “Relax. These things aren’t even moving. We can just sneak past them.”

Talia frowned. “Don’t get too comfortable. Living Statues usually don’t move until something triggers them. Titus, lead the way.”

“Great. So let’s not trigger them,” Cyrus muttered, clearly uncomfortable as he stayed near the back—but not because he was truly scared, but because he still wanted to capture Julian even despite the danger they were in.

And as the group began to move, Julian caught something in his sight, something moving in one of the Living Statues—just a slight shift. The head, maybe? Its position had changed, ever so slightly.

Julian stared at it, and the statue’s copper eyes, once blank and lifeless, seemed to be looking directly at him now.

“...I think this one is looking at me,” Julian said quietly.

Talia turned to him, her brows furrowing. “Please don’t say that right now. Did… is it really looking at you?”

Julian didn’t answer right away. His eyes darted around the room, catching similar movements from other statues. They were completely still when he looked directly at them, but he knew what he’d seen. They were waiting. Watching.

“Shit, you’re right,” Talia said as she noticed too, her voice barely above a whisper. “We need to get out of here without triggering them.”

Julian gave a tight nod, his grip on his shield tightening. The others followed Talia’s lead, moving cautiously toward an arc that seemed to be the only exit from this mysterious chamber, trying their best not to disturb anything.

The air felt heavy, every step echoing slightly in the dark, cold space. The copper statues loomed over them like twisted sentinels, their empty eyes following the group even though they hadn’t moved—yet.

“Stay calm, and try not to touch them,” Talia warned again, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cyrus, walking carefully behind Julian, muttered under his breath. “How am I supposed to find a good angle for the stream if we can’t touch anything?”

“You’re… still streaming?” Julian whispered, glancing back at him in disbelief.

“It’s not like I can turn this off,” Cyrus replied, his voice tense. “And someone just donated 300 credits. You… should probably thank them.”

“...Now?” Julian blinked.

Talia shot Cyrus a glare. “Are you fucking serious, Cy?”

The group continued to creep forward, the arc still too far for comfort. Julian kept his eyes on the statues, scanning for any sign of life. For now, they were still—too still.

Suddenly, Titus, who had been walking in silence, froze. He lifted a hand, signaling for everyone to stop.

“Ssh,” Titus whispered, his head tilting slightly. “I think I heard something.”

The group went silent, their breaths held.

“Sorry, my dudes. But—” Dyrroth’s face flushed as the loud, unmistakable sound of a fart echoed through the chamber.

Talia groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “God damn it, Dyrroth!”

“I—I’m sorry, my dudes! I was trying to hold it in!” Dyrroth stammered, his face red with embarrassment.

For a moment, the tension in the room seemed to break. Even Julian cracked a smile. But the relief was short-lived.

A loud scraping sound cut through the chamber, coming from somewhere in front of them. The scraping sound came again, and another statue seemed to have moved, just a little. Then another. And another.

“They’re moving,” Julian said quietly, his voice tight.

The statues, which had been so still moments before, were now more obvious with their movements. Their limbs creaked and groaned as they began to shift in place. And all of a sudden, they were all just looking at them.

But still, none of them were attacking just yet, and the group continued to move toward the arc.

“S… shit…”

“What? What is it?” Talia turned to look at Dyrroth as he once again made a noise, “Don’t fucking tell me you’re—”

And before she could finish her words, she noticed that Julian was pulling Dyrroth by the arms… and that a copper sword was stuck in Dyrroth’s stomach.

“This… is not good, my dudes.” Dyrroth chuckled awkwardly as he took a step back and pulled out the copper sword. His eyes widened in shock as he stumbled back, blood seeping through his fingers as he clutched the wound. “I… didn’t even notice.”

Fortunately for Dyrroth, Julian was able to hear and feel the air shift—because if Julian hadn’t pulled him the moment he did, then the wound would have definitely been bigger.

“Titus! Heal him!”

“I got it!” Titus roared, quickly rushing to aid Dyrroth.

But it would seem the rest of the statues weren’t going to wait anymore. One by one, they started to move even wilder, their twisted copper forms coming to life as they closed in on the group, surrounding them from all sides.

“Get ready!” Talia shouted, finally drawing her longsword as she looked at all the Living Statues slowly walking toward them. “Julian, you might want to stay back! We know you’re strong…

…but this is way beyond your—”

And before Talia could finish her words, Julian already stepped beside her and unsheathed his sword, and tightened his grip on his shield.

“No,” Julian breathed out as a small smile crawled on his face again.

“Let’s just get this over with.”