Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

With Una and Tearlach securing their safety, they were able to travel quicker than expected and soon reached the next dungeon.

This one was similarly a natural cave, but it reportedly only went up to level 50. No surprises awaited Seth this time, and not a lot of experience either. He was able to fill his experience bar to about 65%. Still almost half a level away from lv. 68.

It couldn't be helped, even out here, high-level dungeons were not as common as one might hope. Seth was no dungeon expert, but he had learned that the growth speed and limit of a dungeon were often dictated by its location.

This was why high-level dungeons were more of a lucky find as they happened to be in a good location for growth.

The third dungeon also "only" had a level cap of 60. These dungeons were nothing special, unlike the one where he met the horned ones. They posed no threat to Seth and also no great gain, but the bard took whatever he could get.

With the golems he simply sprinted through them, gathering experience. After the third dungeon, he had finally reached lv. 68. The difference between a dungeon befitting or outperforming one's level and a dungeon below one's level was painfully obvious.

They had been on the road for five days and it would take another three to reach the mountain city.

Seth began to worry a little. He needed eight ability points to level his <Spirit Smithy>, which meant he had to reach lv. 71. There were only two more dungeons on their way and only one was reported to house lv. 70 monsters.

He began to doubt whether he could reach his goal on this journey. Still, he counted himself lucky to have this opportunity. Even if he fell short by a level and would have to wait for a chance to visit the dungeon in delta, he was able to gain several levels in a matter of about a week.

Without the arduous preparation of the chimeras clearing the way, this journey could have taken ages. Well, he probably would not have thought of the option in the first place.

"You seem a little concerned. Is there something bothering you?" Azul, the previous chimera leader talked to him, as he pondered about his options.

Seth didn't have the habit to keep secrets from people he trusted. Following Mina's advice, he jumped at the chance to complain about what was bothering him.

"Hmm, can't you just look for a few other dungeons in the mountains? Why would you restrict yourself to those that are on the path?" the chimera mumbled.

Seth looked at her in bafflement. Of course! These were not the only dungeons in these mountains. And he didn't even have to look for them himself.

"Right, I could ask Una and Tearlach to look out for some. Great idea, Azul!" he praised the chimera. Who would have thought that a new perspective would bring a solution to his worries. He could just farm the mountains until he reached the level he needed.

Said and done, the blacksmith asked the horned humanoids to look out for dungeons when they were running around and scouting the area.

He didn't know whether they misunderstood him, but they quickly found a dungeon soon after he asked them. As if they had specifically searched for one.

"That was quick...?" Seth said in surprise when they suddenly came to report.

Tearlach was scratching his cheek

"To be honest, it's because we knew where to look for," he admitted.

The dungeon they "found" was a now ancient ruin they knew from their time. Having grasped the fundamentals behind dungeons, they gave it a visit just in case. It was not too far away from their planned route.

According to the two horned ones, these mountains were once a lot warmer and the valley they led the expedition to was once a lush marshland. The ruin they led him to was once a small temple. However, now only the foundations could barely be seen.

There were also some broken pieces of columns in the vicinity. In the middle was a blue whirling disc standing in the air above the broken temple's foundations. The dungeon in question was the kind of rift or portal dungeon.

Seth pondered for a moment, whether to enter the dungeon or not. The problem was that he had no information about the inside of the dungeon. These portal dungeons were tricky because sometimes they could have a condition to leave them.

He had heard that Y-City was actually working on technology to measure the dungeons max-level and scale from the outside, but he clearly didn't have such a thing with him. The golem recorder he threw into the portal stopped broadcasting the moment it went through.

In the end, the blacksmith still decided to enter the dungeon. He really wanted to finish leveling up with this journey, and even if the dungeon housed high-level creatures, it was a bonus. Since these rift dungeons often led to small dimensions, there would be no size restriction, like in the narrow dungeons before.

He would be able to freely release the bigger golems. In the worst case, Seth still had Puffles and Python. There were also Tatzel and Ceres. The blacksmith had tested the Spear of Bitter Mercy in the last dungeon and had to admit the elemental's power.

The Oathguard were setting up tents. Una and Tearlach had bought them a lot of time by cleaning their travel path, so the expedition decided to camp nearby and wait for Seth to finish the dungeon. Everyone appreciated the chance for a break.

"When I don't return within 24 hours, contact Al'Zalsar and continue with the expedition," he told Lydia.

"Are you sure we shouldn't follow you in?" Lydia asked a little worried.

Seth's eyes wandered over the Oathguard, Team 3, and the horned humanoids.

"No offense, but when I really get in trouble, none of you would be able to help. If it's something I can't deal with, you have to call Al'Zalsar," he answered honestly.

Lydia frowned but seemed to understand what he meant. She could only unwillingly accept, that if the blacksmith got into trouble, it was above their power level.

After instructing Lydia and Team 3, Seth brought out the golems and entered the portal. For a moment he felt the freezing void crawl across his skin, similar to how the travel through the Pathworks felt.

What greeted him was warm, humid air, that hit him like a wall. He had just left behind the freezing cold mountains and stepped into a tropical climate. What he saw immediately reminded him of what Una and Tearlach had said.

Warm, wide marshlands. What Seth stepped into was a wide area of wetland, swamps, and water. He stood on a batch of elevated dry land, with a small grove of trees on it. The smell of fresh rain, vegetation, and a hint of swampy decomposition filled his nose.

The portal he had just stepped through, was nowhere to be seen.

<Ding! You have received the dungeon Quest "Pest Control" >

So it was one of those with a specific requirement...

<Pest Control

The marshlands have been overrun by a special breed of birds.

Kill the Bronze Birds that plague these marshlands.

0/300

Reward: Return Portal, Dungeon Chest >

Seth looked at the expansive landscape of marshes, swamps, and sparse trees. 300 birds...

"This could take a while..:"