Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

So far, the strategy was working. When the crowds split up because of the fire, Fin was also able to interrupt the priests. As a caster class, their defenses were much lower, so the fairy could finally deal some heavy damage among the opponents.

The burning status had also started to show it´s worth as a DOT (damage over time). Most of the Temple Guardians were missing 1/4 to 1/3 of their health bar. Still, their numbers kept increasing and the hurt ones were swapped out.

Seth had spent about a third of his flaming caltrops and had a stack of arrows left. Looking at the position of the moon it should be about midnight! They had already made it half the way!

<Ding! Critical hit! Thanks to the effect of "Vengeful Hunter Bow" you have hit targets left eye!>

And then something happened he had never anticipated. One of the guardians with more than half its health remaining suddenly keeled over after he hit it with an arrow.

Again! His remaining left eye was gone, too. he was blinded and the searing fire once again entered his skull with its soul-piercing pain. "I can´t...no longer...endure..." Was he losing consciousness? After being trapped in this body for half an eternity was he finally-

<Ding! You have killed -Temple Guardian lv.38- You have earned Experience.>

<Ding! Skill: Weapon Mastery (Adept) lv.3 has become Weapon Mastery (Adept) lv.4!>

<Ding! You have leveled up! You are now lv.14!>

<Ding! You have leveled up! You are now lv.15!>

<Ding! Inventory has been extended.>

<Ding! New Class Skill has been unlocked. Check your Skill Window!>

<Ding! You have completed the quest -The Next Level 2- You have earned new System Rights.>

<Ding! You have received follow-up quest -The Next Level 3-!>

<Ding! You have leveled up! You are now lv.16!>

<Ding! You have leveled up! You are now lv.17!>

Seth´s jaw fell open as a flood of energy rushed into his body and dissipated once he reached lv.17. Not just his, Fin´s jaw dropped, too. And even the mummies surrounding the fallen one were baffled to see one of their own leave just like that.

They had really managed to kill one! The horde reacted ferocious and started to charge at him again! The fresh additions ignored the fires on the ground and attempted to wall-jump to reach Seth once again. Fin had to work hard to stop them.

They held out for another hour and when Seth decided that it was time to change location, the situation suddenly changed completely. All mummies retreated respectfully and lined up to build an alley. What came through this alley was the incarnation of an eldritch horror!

The creature was easily 15 meters long. Armored with ink-black chitin plates covered in tumorous growths. It´s body was carried along by hundreds of pairs of sharp insect legs. The front stood upright like an upper body with its head held high like a royal. It looked like the mix of a centipede and a scarab, with the scarab being the head with a neck shield and the body of a centipede. Not fitting to either of the parts were the two pairs of arms ending in long scythes not unlike those of a mantis that sprouted from the upper body.

The three pairs of eyes along the scarab-shaped head focused on Seth with an intense gaze.

"This is your end, young human. It is regrettable, but you shall find the end of your journey at my hands. Give up.", an old soothing voice echoed in his head. An aura of absolute dominance spread from the creature and culled any type of hope in their hearts. Still, Seth used <Observation>.

<H#ly Bea*t --->

Holy beast? Sure, it resembled some of the carvings he had seen in the city. But was this really something they had worshiped here? He could barely even see the name of this thing! Maybe it really was the end. This thing just seemed so strong.

Even Fin had retreated in fear and landed on his shoulder. "What should we do...?", she whispered into his ear. Even the fairy was unable to see the level or full name of the beast.

Seth looked at the night sky, desperately thinking about his options.

Thunk!

An arrow burning brightly with a pale blue flame bounced off the thick chitin armor of the holy beast. Struggle was his answer.

"You are not even the Field Boss! Like hell, I'm going to give up! Come at me, if you dare!", he scowled with rude gesture involving his middle fingers. He then continued peppering the quietly standing undead with arrows. He even used one of his most precious resources to provoke the beast. He chucked a Molotov cocktail at the beast, setting it and the surroundings ablaze. The minions screamed, but the boss took no damage at all.

"You have asked for this, human.", the voice said, now slightly disgruntled. It had wanted to give them a merciful death, but was rejected. The giant centipede rushed along the alley, made a swerve, and started vertically running up the wall!!

"I did not expect that, but it´s all or nothing now...", Seth mumbled nervously. He waited for the right timing. When the beast had climbed the wall about half way up, he decided it was time!

Seth summoned a big anvil, probably bigger than himself. It made the wall they stood on look thin and Seth had to use all his power to slowly tilt it over the edge. The sturdy wall, that had probably withstood millennia, showed signs of crumbling under the pure weight of this anvil, as it slowly slid off the edge.

Rapidly gaining speed after being released into the air and left to the forces of gravity, the anvil shot towards the enemy.

It was already too late. The beast could not evade anymore, when it finally understood what Seth had thrown at it. On the other hand, it was not too worried. It was just an anvil~ What could possibly-

THUMPH!

The whole alley quaked and debris fell off the ruins in the surrounding, as the anvil smashed into the ground. Not just the ground. Impaled by its horn and pinned below it in a massive crater lay the holy beast. It was not dead. It wriggled and struggled trying to free itself, but it was solidly nailed to the ground, like an insect in a collector´s showcase!

<Anvil of Tartarus, Crafting Station

This is an anvil of Hephaistos that was used to measure the distances of Heaven and Tartarus. It fell 9 days from heaven to earth, and 9 days from earth to Tartarus. It did not break.

Aura of Hephaistos: 25% increase in stats and production speed

Aura of Gaia: 10% increase in durability

Aura of Tartarus: 50% increase of soul properties.>

<Spirit Smithy lv.4> had unlocked with lv.15 and the level up changed his trusty anvil into a giant beast of steel, compared to before.

"How dare you, human! This kind of disrespect! You will pay!", it screeched and hissed, but was firmly stuck there. The beast ranted on and on, but Seth could see, that it´s HP had barely taken a hit!

The beast was accounted for, but seeing their holy beast be humiliated like this made the mummies furious. They entered the enraged status and started mindlessly charging.

"Time for plan B! Let´s go!", Seth told Fin and climbed down from the house.

Another two Molotov cocktail found their way to the ground freeing some space for him to land.

Time for the final secret weapon, the plumbata! Seth set the rope that was attached to the oversize throwing darts on fire and chucked them into the horde. Even in their rage they instinctively evaded the flame and separated, forming a corridor for Seth´s escape.

Their destination was the guild branch. The mummies soon got back on their track and easily caught up to the low-level low-agility blacksmith, who was cautiously evading his own traps.

That was until the low-agility blacksmith used his last remaining flaming caltrops and and molotovs to set the scattered wooden scrap doused in alcohol ablaze. Turning the whole place in front of the guildhall into a sea of fire. Once again, the undead backed off.

"What will we do now? The wood scraps won´t burn long! it´s still a few hou- Are you undressing!?", the panicking fairy screamed and covered her eyes. Her face became red like a tomato.

"You will be flying high up. That should be a safe zone. I ,on the other hand, will stay here and take a cozy fire-bath for the last few hours before dawn.", he explained as he stored all his clothes and equipment into his inventory, so they would not burn.

Seth was in the guild master office looking down at the sea of flames wearing nothing but his birthday suit. He stood there until the flames outside weakened. he then started systematically setting fire to the guild hall. From the offices to the staff quarter. All the way from the top, down to the ransacked entrance hall with its dismantled floor, missing counters and smashed up bar.

"Let´s hope this lasts till morning.", Seth mumbled as his sore body plopped down in the middle of the flames.