Heavy Metal: Chapter 64 – At The City Gates (Patreon)

“Finally, they opened this dungeon back again, I thought that I would starve.”

“This will teach you not to gamble your money away and don’t forget that you still owe me two silvers!”

“Yeah yeah…”

A few adventurers passed through while ignoring a lone figure standing in the corner. An out-of-place-looking adventurer was standing before the stairs leading out of the dungeon. His gaze shifted between it and the people there as they passed and wandered in and out through the entrance.

“They are all looking at me, but no one is reacting…”

Rusty had wandered into the area where no monsters were capable of going in. Coupled with his custom iron armor that made him resemble an adventurer from head to toe, he had successfully blended in with the crowd. His improved speech capabilities, thanks to the Universal Language skill, made it easier for him to listen and understand the conversations around him. However, he still wasn’t perfect and it was better to keep every conversation short.

“Do you think it’s safe?”

“Well, if they haven’t reacted yet then probably but we’ll only know for sure once you have a proper conversation with someone. You shouldn’t worry too much, there are all sorts of adventurers out there, and the silent types aren’t that rare.”

“The silent type…”

Within his body, Alexander resided and gave him advice. He was the guide who knew the most about adventurers and how they behaved in various situations. Rusty nodded subtly, mentally preparing himself for the next step. He took a deep breath and began to walk towards the dungeon's exit, each step feeling like a monumental task.

He had been born within this dungeon so the idea of leaving was quite stressful. There weren’t that many people moving around and the stairs were quite wide. For a moment he stood quietly before the first step, slowly shifting his body forward. It felt like an eternity but finally, his metallic boot landed on the first step and he started to ascend. His head was leaning down as to Alexander’s proposal. For some reason keeping eye contact was frowned upon by some individuals.

As Rusty ascended the stairs, the dim light of the dungeon gradually gave way to the brighter, natural light filtering in from above. The transition was almost surreal, the once-familiar shadows of the dungeon replaced by the open expanse of the world outside. The sounds of nature - the rustling of leaves, distant bird calls, and the murmur of a nearby stream. All were a stark contrast to the echoing clinks and groans of the dungeon corridors.

“So this is the outside?”
“It is, what do you think?”

Alexander asked as Rusty stepped fully into the light, his senses adjusting to the brightness. He marveled at the vivid colors and expansive sky, so different from the dim, claustrophobic confines of the dungeon. He wasn’t exactly sure how to express what he was seeing in words but eventually replied to Alexander’s question.

“It’s fascinating… I saw this in the memories but it’s much more…”

Before he could finish the sentence he noticed someone approaching him from the front. It was a lone man with a large axe. His height was rather short but his width made up for it.

“What ye staring at?”

“Rusty, it would be best if you moved to the side and let this dwarf through.”

Rusty quickly sidestepped to allow the dwarf to pass. The dwarf grumbled something under his breath but continued on his way without further incident. Most people were heading down as it was early morning. Soon he attempted to blend in with the small crowd and headed out to encounter his first real challenge, the guard checkpoint.

“There they are, remember to act natural and they should just let you through.”

At the moment he couldn’t fully see the entire expanse of the outside world. There was a path leading up from the dungeon’s entrance to a small outpost where adventurers checked in and out. It was there to keep unregistered people from getting themselves killed but also to control the flow of people. The outpost was a simple wooden structure with a few guards standing around, their attention mostly lax and divided.

“Just act natural…blend in and go…”

Luckily he arrived at a time when there was a group of three adventurers ahead of him, all chattering animatedly about their latest exploits. Rusty took his place behind them, keeping his head down, and tried to mimic their casual demeanor. The guards barely glanced at him, their focus more on the banter of the familiar adventurers in front.

“You know the drill, show us your cards and rank.”

One of the guards asked the first adventurer who nonchalantly retrieved his adventurer card. This was the key item that allowed these people to move between this checkpoint and be considered adventurers. Rusty had retrieved one such card that belonged to the person whose lifeless body inhabited his metallic shell.

The guard nodded, making a note in a ledger before waving him through. The process repeated for the next two adventurers, each presenting their identification before being waved through without much scrutiny. Rusty's turn came, and he felt his heart - or what would have been his heart if he had one - pound in anticipation. He handed over the adventurer card he had taken from the deceased adventurer and stood there waiting.
The guard took the card, barely glancing at Rusty before making a note in his ledger. However, one of his friends took some interest in him and seemed interested in something. His gaze moved from top to bottom and for a moment, Rusty wondered if his identity was revealed. There were three guards here, one looking through the cards and two holding spears on the sides.

For a moment, he wondered if he should make a run for it. The path forward was almost clear, but he had no idea what to expect once he left this checkpoint. His only choice would be to run into the dense forest and hope that no one would try to chase him too far.

“Oi, this armor of yours looks pretty sturdy, are you trying to become a knight or something? Isn't it hard to breathe in that thing?”

To his surprise, the man only wanted to ask about his armor. His current form had been modified to look like an adventurer but it was still an unusual armor choice. To many he looked similar to a carrier knight, his armor looked heavy and dense. Rusty took a moment to compose himself and waited for Alexander to give him some advice.

“Just say that you are used to it and nod.”

“Y-yeah it’s hard to breathe but I’m used to it…”

He was finally forced to use his speech out in the open. His voice sounded rough and raspy but it worked in his favor as fear struck the man he was talking to. The soldier just nodded in response and the adventurer card was given back to him.

“Alright then, take care out there.”

The guard replied, dismissing Rusty with a wave. Soon he walked through the threshold and was now officially out of the dungeon. Before him was a long pathway surrounded from both sides by a dense forest. The foliage was thick, and the trees stood tall, their canopies forming an arched tunnel that led further into this new world.

Rusty moved forward without looking back, only once he was out of sight of the dungeon guards did he stop. He leaned against one of the trees as he moved away from the main road, the walking adventurers just making him more nervous. He could feel the breeze on his armor, hear the rustling of leaves, and see the sunlight filtering through the trees. It was a sensory overload, but he relished it. He had been confined to the dark, damp corridors of the dungeon for too long, and now, finally, he was free.

“So this is the outside world?”

“So, what do you think? and the best part is, you haven’t seen anything yet!”

Alexander teased Rusty, who was having a hard time describing his emotions. The cover the trees provided gave him some sense of security, but he couldn’t deny that he was on edge. Within the dungeon, he had many places to hide, and not many individuals wandered those narrow corridors. Here, on the other hand, he felt like a fish out of water.
“I… it’s overwhelming, I’d like to get used to it but I don’t think we have the time, Gleam is somewhere out here and I have to find her!”

Rusty was now outside and his plan had been successful. Now he needed to continue into the city where his friend was seemingly being held in. Once there, the biggest hurdle awaited him.

"I see. If you follow the road, you should be able to reach the city. I don’t really recognize this place, but maybe when we get out of this forest, I’ll be able to identify it. The equipment the adventurers are wearing doesn’t look that different, and the guards also have basic gear. However, I don’t recognize the emblem they were using…"

Alexander replied while contemplating the geopolitical environment they found themselves in. He had died as a hero fighting for the people, but it was unknown to him how much time had passed. There were also other possibilities for their existence, such as this being another world entirely. However, he and Aburdon recognized the mana of this world to be the same as their old one, making that theory far-fetched.

Rusty continued on with his journey, keeping to the trees and using them as protection. The forest was quite dense and he witnessed many strange small critters and birds. The main road was kept in sight as he moved and eventually, a large city appeared from the distance. It reminded him of the ninth floor with the castle area but it was much larger.

The sprawling city lay ahead, its walls towering and its gates bustling with activity. Rusty could see the stone structures, the battlements manned by vigilant guards, and the lively crowds of people moving in and out. His heart - or the closest semblance to one - raced with both excitement as well as worry.

“Gleam is somewhere in there?”

This city wasn’t just large, it was humongous. The path leading from this dungeon ended before a large mote and then continued through a large drawbridge. To make things even more fascinating he could see at least two more such bridges leading into different directions. His vision didn’t allow him to peer too fat but Alexander was quick to give him some advice.

“Those ways… could they be leading to other dungeons? Could this city be…Argossa? But those flags aren’t right… Isn’t it that bastards…”

Rusty looked at the massive entrance gate between two watchtowers. Each watchtower had a flagpole with an emblem resembling a golden lion on a field of red. Rusty observed the symbol for a moment, trying to recall anything from Albert's memories that might match it. Despite its familiarity, nothing specific came to mind, nor did any memories from his two guides.

"Alexander, do you know what this place is? Where do those two other bridges lead?"

"Ah…"
His guide snapped himself out of it and finally gave him an answer.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the city of Argossa. It has changed since the last time I was here, but those bridges are distinctive. They should lead to two other dungeons."

"Other dungeons?"

"Yes, the other two are the higher-ranked dungeons and one of the reasons there are so many adventurers here. You can easily spend many years here and attain a D-rank or even a C-rank or Gold rank."

"Ah, I almost forgot about those ranks."

After glancing at the massive city, Rusty retreated back into the forest. He retrieved the adventurer card he had taken from Albert's body. It had a very distinctive copper outline, indicating that this adventurer had been an F-Rank. There was a whole series of ranking systems similar to those for monsters, and both were used interchangeably when referring to adventurers. By understanding this hierarchy he could avoid causing trouble as he knew that higher-ranked adventures would look down on him for his low rank.

“Do you think I should wait until it’s darker?”

“Ah… yeah sure, that would probably be better but don’t forget, they will probably close the gate close to sunset.”

“I remember.”

Rusty nodded and sank back into the forest where he waited. He allowed himself to send Alexander back to restore his magic points. Once alone, he tried to recall the main plan they had discussed. In the dim light, his pale skin wouldn't be as prominent, and the shadows would help mask his unusual movements. The twilight hours would also reduce the number of guards and adventurers, making it easier for him to slip through unnoticed.

After getting through the gate, he would have limited time to find the adventurers' guild. That place was said to be open late, and within it, Gleam would be waiting for his return. Even though he was now outside, the grayed-out status of his friend still bothered him. It seemed he needed to get a lot closer for the connection to reestablish itself. However, it could also mean that his friend was not actually within the city, something he wished wasn’t true.

As the sun began to set, Rusty observed the city from his hidden vantage point. The bustling activity at the gates gradually slowed, and the guards' shifts changed, leaving the entrance slightly less monitored. This was his chance. He made his way closer to the road, keeping to the shadows and using the foliage for cover. His metallic body, despite its weight, moved with surprising silence without any of his joints producing sound.

He waited until the very last moment and hid himself behind a group of late-returning adventurers. Just like at the dungeon exit, they began looking through some of their guild cards but many were just left unexamined. The guards clearly recognized many of these faces but when it came to his turn, they held their spears up to stop him.

“You there, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, got any identification on ya?”

Rusty didn’t respond and instead just reached into his spatial satchel to retrieve the copper-colored card. The guard took the card to examine it, his eyes squinting due to the lack of light.

"F-rank and alone? Did you arrive here recently?”

“Y-yes…”

He replied in a monotone voice while Alexander inside of his armor attempted to give him some advice. Sometimes fewer words were best and it seemed to be working in his favor.

"Newcomer, huh? Just keep out of trouble and don't wander around at night. Understood?"

He nodded quickly and attempted to retrieve the card from the guard. However, before he could one of the others moved closer to swipe it away. It was a somewhat older gentleman with a beard who was interested in this particular card for some reason.

“You… follow me first, we need to have a talk, and don’t even think of running away.”

The man pronounced in a commanding tone.

"Stay calm, Rusty. Just follow his lead and respond briefly. You can handle this."

Soon he found himself in a secluded room, probably used for interrogating suspicious people, it wasn’t looking good…