Rise of the Living Forge - Chapters 219-220 (Patreon)

Verdant Blaze materialized in Arwin’s hand, unbidden. A thrum of energy raced down his arms as soon as the warm metal of its haft pressed against his palm. Arwin’s eyes widened as the breath caught in his chest.

The weapon had changed. It was still clearly made from the same materials, but it was almost as if they had refined themselves. The scorched green crystal that had made up the flat forging end of the hammer had turned an even deeper shade, nearly turning completely black. A dull light burned within the crystal like a flame encased within ice.  

On the other side of the hammer’s head, the change was even more evident. The color of the crystal had changed in the same way as the other side. All the formerly haphazard green spikes jutting out of it had moved to a ring around the edge of the hammer with a single, larger spike in the very center. It resembled the mouth of a massive worm.

Swirls of dull green twisted down from the head of the hammer and through the entire haft. The same dull energy that burned within the rest of the crystal pulsated within it almost like a heartbeat, sending lapping waves of warmth into Arwin’s palm. It was hot enough to be nearly uncomfortable to the touch — almost like a reminder that the hammer was more than just a mere weapon.

But that wasn’t the extent of the changes to Verdant Blaze. In fact, as the Mesh flowed forth, Arwin realized that not even its name had survived the Awakening.  

Verdant Inferno: Unique Quality

[Awoken]: This item has taken on life of its own. With every death it causes and every magical item it is used to craft, it will grow slightly more powerful. It has completed its bond with Arwin Tyrr.

[Shieldbreaker]: This weapon hungers to destroy. Every consecutive blow against the same target will deal increased damage. Changing targets or blocking an attack with this weapon will reset any power that Shieldbreaker has generated. 

[Burning Metal]: This weapon has consumed [Soul Flame] to the point where its metal is permanently infused with its power. It will drink in [Soul Flame], increasing the amount and heat of the flame in its blows with it at the cost of magical energy.

[Incomplete Core]: The crystal in this weapon has remembered old desires. This weapon’s need for blood is matched only by its hunger for heat. This trait will update when a core containing sufficient blood or heat is sacrificed to this weapon, changing its other traits permanently.

[Unique]: This item was created for Arwin Tyrr, and it will never know another owner. This item will attempt to burn anyone who attempts to wield it other than its owner. Information about this item may be hidden from others after it has bonded.

“Hell,” Arwin whispered as he stared at his hammer. Verdant Inferno — it would take a little while to get used to the new name — had definitely grown more powerful. While [Shieldbreaker] was unchanged, its other ability had been upgraded and it had gained a whole new one that would let it grow stronger once again.

A core with enough blood or heat? How much of either are we talking? Something tells me I can’t just warm a piece of metal or stab a few assholes and pour their blood into a cup. I’m not sure I like the idea of making Verdant Blaze, ah, Inferno, any more bloodthirsty than it already is.

The weapon purred in the back of his mind at that thought. His palm prickled as miniature crystalline structures pressed into it, almost as if the hammer was goading him on. Arwin had nearly forgotten that the crystal in Verdant Blaze was the very same crystal as the Devouring Prism that made up the core of his bow.

Well, shit. Now I have two weapons that share my damn hunger. And somehow, Verdant Inferno is even more ominous than Prism’s Reach.

“Arwin?” Lillia asked, concern tinging her tone. “What happened? Why does Verdant Blaze look like that? Did it…”

“Awaken. It’s called Verdant Inferno now,” Arwin finished with a nod. He sent one last look at the hammer before dismissing it and flexing his hand. “Well, it was already awakened. It just finished the job.”

“It certainly looks a lot more intimidating. Not exactly a hero’s weapon anymore,” Lillia said with a wry grin. “Something like that would have looked more in place in my hands than yours.”

Arwin snorted. “I’m not a hero anymore. As long as it does its job, I don’t care what it looks like. Besides, I’d say the new look fits pretty well with the theme we’ve got going on.”

“That it does,” Lillia agreed.

They were both silent for a second. Then Lillia looked down to the newly made piece of their heart-contraption and her smile widened. “And we did it again! A second piece!”

“The hardest one,” Arwin agreed, matching the expression on her face. Verdant Inferno needed him to find some sort of core for it, and he was definitely going to need to lean into heat over blood. They already had one vampire on the team. “All that remains now is to make the housing for the heart and stick everything together.”

“Want to do it now? Or are you out of energy after all that? I only helped with the last bit.”

“I’m good to go again in a minute or two. You helped with the hardest bit, and I’ve got a lot more energy than I used to. I’m already Apprentice 8 after all the work we’ve been doing recently. Now that I’m making real magical items that have more than a little power within them, I’m starting to advance faster.”

“Power begets power,” Lillia said with an understanding nod. “I’ve been advancing really fast recently as well. I think I’m not too far from being able to start raising the prices of the tavern as well. The Mesh is acknowledging the quality of my food and letting me charge more for the fancier meals. I don’t think we’ll be in Apprentice Tier for much longer.”

“Probably not,” Arwin agreed. A mixture of excitement and trepidation swirled through his stomach. He cleaned off the anvil and the space around it, preparing to start on the final part of their project. “Which means our first class evolution is coming soon.”

“Given the enemies we’ve been making, it might be a good idea for that to be sooner rather than later,” Lillia said. She helped Arwin move some Brightsteel scrap out of the way. “That first evolution is an important one. It’ll be setting our path to the future. Do you know what you’re going to specialize in? I’d imagine a smith gets to choose some specific form of crafting or the like. Maybe a weapons or armor specialization?”

“I hope not the latter. I don’t want to focus on just armor or weapons.” Arwin scratched at the side of his neck. “There’s still some time until I hit Apprentice 9. Once we finish the heart’s housing, I’ll have more time to figure out what I want to specialize in. What about you? Food, I take it?”

“Either food or the inn itself. I’m pretty sure those will be at least two of my options,” Lillia said with a nod. “I’m undecided. I like cooking, but I want to be more than just a chef. I want the entirety of the Devil’s Den to be an experience and it really isn’t big enough to fulfill that at any scale yet. I’ll probably track that Mason you hired down and have him help expand the inn so we can start housing more people pretty soon.”

“You aren’t worried about the satisfaction rating?”

“Not if everyone’s satisfied,” Lillia said with a smirk. It fell away as a serious expression replaced it and she blew out a small sigh. “Honestly, yes. I am worried about it. But I can’t let that hold me back. The Mesh only rewards challenge, not sitting around in mediocrity. So let’s get to it and give it something to reward, shall we?”

Arwin followed her gaze over to the heart. It thumped, almost as if in response. Arwin’s lip curled in a mixture of amusement and mild disgust. The heart really didn’t get any less creepy no matter how long he had to get used to it.

“Yeah. Let’s get this wrapped up before nightfall. I want a good night of rest in a proper bed.”

And that was exactly what they did.

 Arwin’s earlier prediction that the second piece of the contraption would be the hardest turned out to be correct. Building a cage for the disturbing piece of flesh turned out to be a surprisingly simple task. He chose Ivorin for the task. He wouldn’t ever admit it, but half the reason reason he chose the metal was because of its strong resemblance to bone. It was a cage for a heart. It didn’t make sense to make it out of anything else.

Arwin also didn’t mind that Ivorin was ridiculously easy to work with and was more than happy to be turned into just about anything. He melted the impurities free from it, flattened sheets out, and formed them into ribs before quenching them and setting about hammering every piece together to form the ribcage with Verdant Inferno. The fully awakened hammer forged even faster than the old hammer did.  

Each rib was studded with a large white gem as Arwin used up the rest of the stones that Rodrick had retrieved for him. He didn’t add any other monster components to the mix. The only purpose of the final part of their contraption was to keep the heart alive and maintain the energy it gathered — and gemstones were perfect for that.

The hardest part of the entire project was avoiding damaging the heart in the process. Once he got the ribcage largely prepared, he and Lillia hoisted the still-thumping piece of monster flesh into it. They took care to avoid the sharp tips of the ribs, which he’d left bent outward for that very reason.

Once the heart was in place within the ribcage, Arwin used [Scourge] and some heat from [Soul Flame] to carefully bend every rib in around the heart. He had to work far slower than he would have liked. Putting too much [Soul Flame] into the metal had a chance of burning the heart.   

But, eventually, Arwin bent every rib into place. He and Lillia worked together throughout the process, pouring their magic into the metal and both focusing their intent on same thing — to make sure the heart could absorb and keep the energy from the rest of the machine when they connected it.

The heart’s pulsations intensified as they worked, almost as if in anticipation. It wasn’t quite absorbing the power directly from them, but it could feel that something was changing. Arwin wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

It was too late to worry about it. The furious tingle of the Mesh against his fingertips was too strong to be denied any longer. It knew just as well as he that their work was done. Lillia’s hands slipped from Arwin’s sides as he took a step back, his own heart caught in his throat, and looked upon the final part of his and Lillia’s work as the Mesh infused it.

[Hearthome: Epic Quality] has been forged. Forging a magical item has granted you energy.

Achievement: [Couple of Crafters - III] has been earned.

[Couple of Crafters - III] – Awarded for forging a fully Epic set by linking your desires together with your partner. Get a room. Effects: Title: [Couple of Crafters] has been earned. This achievement has been consumed.

[Couple of Crafters] - Linking your intent with your partner enough times has established a connection between you so long as your goals remain aligned. The dissonance between you and your partner’s intent has been permanently reduced.

“I take it I don’t have to ask if you got the title too?” Lillia asked, weary amusement in her voice as she nudged him with a shoulder. He could tell that she was just as exhausted as he was. They’d been at work all day, and after a long stretch of barely even sleeping at all.

More than anything else, he just wanted to get some rest.

 “Not unless you’ve been crafting with someone else.”

They both let out a tired laugh. The floor was calling to Arwin, but not nearly as loudly as the proper bed back in Lillia’s room was. But, before that, there was one last thing he could do. One last flickering candlewick of excitement that kept him on his feet.

He and Lillia both looked down at the heart, trapped within its new Ivorin cage, and watched with trepidation as the Mesh spilled forth.

Chapter 220

Arwin read the golden words even as they formed in the air, the air caught in his chest as he scanned to see if his and Lillia’s efforts had been successful. He felt Verdant Inferno thrumming at the back of his mind in satisfaction, which eased his fears slightly.

[Hearthome: Epic Quality]

[Unlive]: This item is not inert, but it does not live. It is composed with equal parts metal and flesh, creating a form that can only continue its existence through sustained magical input.

[The Heart of the Forge]: Pure magical energy that enters this item grants it life, allowing it to beat. Its purpose and actions are variable.

[Bodyless]: This item needs a body to function.

[The Soul of the Forge]: This is a set item of [3] pieces forged by Arwin Tyrr and Lillian Los. When the entire set is connected, it will gain the [Awoken] trait and become active.

Arwin and Lillia pulled their eyes away from the Mesh and exchanged a glance. Hearthome’s description was lacking at best. It didn’t seem like anything had failed, but it was so ambiguous that it was impossible to tell if anything had succeeded.

“Should… we connect it?” Lillia asked hesitantly. “There’s no way to know if it works without that, right?”

The heart thumped weakly in its ribcage. Arwin chewed his lower lip for a second before nodding. “I guess so? The set isn’t finished until everything gets put together. That’ll be the rest of its body, I suppose. We can feed it tonight and then get a proper bellows for it to work with tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll go get something ready. Give me a few minutes,” Lillia said, hurrying out of the smithy and over to the tavern.

Arwin connected the Millstone Maw to the Churning Stomach while he waited for Lillia. The large components were heavy enough to force him to use the scarce remains of his magical energy on [Scourge], but he managed to slot the two pieces together, relieved to find that everything went together flawlessly.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and tried not to think too long about the scent of salt, soot, and flame mixing in the air around him. That wasn’t an easy task. He’d been at work for quite some time.  

Fortunately, he didn’t have to bear it alone for much longer. Slightly less fortunately, Lillia wasn’t in much better shape. She returned from the kitchen with a plate of Wyrmling meat chunks and a large tankard of water. She’d been cloaked by the smell of the forge but was somehow spared that of sweat and grime.  

“What are you sniffing at?” Lillia asked with a suspicious squint as she handed him the plate. “It’s not the same food that I make for us. I skipped out on the seasoning. I don’t think the heart would appreciate it.”

“Uh, nothing,” Arwin said, clearing his throat and suddenly realizing this probably wasn’t a wise topic to bring up when they weren’t even that far away from being able to take a bath He’d gotten used enough to the smell of soot and metal that he actually found he didn’t mind, but it was a bit too late to mention that.

It was too late. Lillia glanced down at herself and the mixture of oil, soot, and other miscellaneous smudges covering her. She sniffed at her armpit, then grimaced. “Oh, Nine Underlands. I walked into my kitchen smelling like death warmed over. I’m going to have to clean everything.”

“It’s not that bad,” Arwin said. “I don’t mind it. You just smell a little… metal-y.”

“Right. Thank you,” Lillia said dryly. She didn’t look too convinced, and Arwin got the feeling that trying to convince her of anything else would probably just be digging the hole deeper. “Let’s just put this thing together, yeah? It’s a good thing we didn’t give it a nose.”

Arwin snorted and nodded his assent. He glanced at the plate of food in his hands, then handed it back to Lillia before pulling the Hearthome over to the pipes extending from the Churning Stomach.

He moved carefully as he brought the heart closer to the pipe and slid it in. Arwin wasn’t sure how delicate the heart was, and he didn’t want to destroy it at the last second. His fear proved unfounded. The two components connected without resistance, and he released the heart a second later with a relieved sigh.

“Looks like it worked,” Arwin said, straightening back up and doing his best to wipe his hands off on his pants. It didn’t do much of anything other than smear grime around. He was pretty sure this set of clothes was done for. His eyes drifted over to Lillia’s and her eyes narrowed.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“I’m thinking about it,” Arwin admitted. “And using a great force of will to avoid indulging those thoughts.”

“Some hero you are,” Lillia said with a snort. She followed his gaze, then let out a defeated sigh. “Oh, go ahead. These are ruined beyond saving, so if you can find a clean spot, might as well make use of it. I’m going to need to invest in some work clothes if I’m going to be doing this more often.”

Before Arwin could tell Lillia he’d been joking, a wall of prickles slammed into him like a wave. It stole the breath from his lungs as it raced down his entire body, not even sparing his eyes or mouth.

Lillia let out a surprised curse and they both jerked back as the Mesh swirled into the Hearthome, illuminating the ribs and pouring out into the rest of the contraption. The heart pulsated and sent a thumping vibration that shook Arwin’s teeth in his jaw.

A dull, keening groan rose up from the contraption as it started to shudder.

“Uh… I think we better feed it,” Arwin said.

Lillia gave him a hurried nod and he grabbed the tankard from her, pouring it into the open intake valve. She pushed the food off her plate and into the opening of the Millstone Maw. The sphere ground to life immediately, starting to crush the meat into paste.

The heart sent out another thundering pulse that was only slightly weaker than the first. Arwin and Lillia watched with trepidation as the entire machine shuddered to life. The heart thumped again. Then again.

It fell into a healthy beat, now only slightly louder than a normal heart would be. A grin pulled across Arwin’s lips and he took Lillia by the shoulders in delight. “It works!”

“It does something,” Lillia agreed with a relieved laugh. “What a weird—”

Lillia froze mid-sentence, her expression stiffening as she looked past him.

“What?” Arwin asked, spinning to her. “Are you okay?”

“What the fuck?” Lillia whispered, her eyes going wide. Arwin followed her gaze back to the Hearthome.

[Hearthome: Epic Quality]

[Unlive]: This item is not inert, but it does not live. It is composed with equal parts metal and flesh, creating a form that can only continue its existence through sustained magical input.

[The Heart of the Forge]: Pure magical energy that enters this item grants it life, allowing it to beat. Its purpose and actions are variable.

[The Infernal Armory]: This item has taken on the Infernal Armory as its body.

[Awoken]: This item has taken on life of its own. It will grow stronger with age at a rate corresponding to the quality of food fed to it. It has bonded with Lillian Los and Arwin Tyrr.

[The Soul of the Forge]: This is a set item of [3] pieces forged by Arwin Tyrr and Lillian Los. When the entire set is connected, it will gain the [Awoken] trait and become active.

As Arwin stared, the ribs curled around the heart peeled back. They bent in ways that he most certainly hadn’t meant for them to, transforming into legs that jutted out from the bottom of the heart as it lifted itself — along with the rest of its body — into the air.

It jabbed its makeshift legs into the ground, ripping straight into the foundations. It burrowed into the ground until only the Millstone Maw and the water intake remained visible, and the stone beneath Arwin’s feet shuddered.

Golden swirls of light danced up the walls and flitted past him like specters. Arwin spun in an attempt to follow them, but it was impossible. They’d covered the entire building. Once more, the Mesh twisted itself into words before Arwin.

[The Infernal Armory: Epic Quality]

[The Body]: This building has been taken as the body of the Hearthome and obeys its commands.  

[Heartbeat Shield]: For as long as this item has magical energy, its status is concealed from everyone other than those who have bonded to it.

The glowing words faded away, but Arwin’s indignation didn’t.

“It stole my armory!” Arwin exclaimed. “It was supposed to run the bellows, not the whole building!”

The stone beneath them bucked. Arwin’s arms spun as he stumbled back. The back door of the Infernal Armory flew open an instant before he hit it and he fell, landing on his backside in the main room.

Lillia was launched out a second later, landing on top of Arwin and drawing a grunt of pain from both of them. Then the door slammed closed. They stared at it in disbelief as loud crunches and the rattle of stone started to come from within the building.

“Did I just get kicked out of my own forge?” Arwin asked, aghast.

“I think we did,” Lillia muttered. She rubbed the back of her head and slipped off him, extending a hand. “Thanks for breaking my fall, though.”

“Always thrilled to be of service,” Arwin said, taking her hand and letting Lillia pull him back to his feet. They stared at the closed door before them.

The noise stopped for a second. A stone bumped Arwin’s foot again, but only enough to nudge him slightly. Then the noises started again.

“I’m pretty sure it’s telling us to get lost,” Lillia said, glancing down at the ground. “I can’t actually feel anything from the heart, even though we’re bonded. I would have thought I’d have some connection with it.”

“Me too,” Arwin said with a frown. “Is it… remodeling?”

“It does kind of sound like that,” Lillia said. “Should we stop it?”

“I’m not sure if we can without destroying the building.” Arwin looked back at the door, then rubbed his chin. “At this point, I think we might just have to sit back and see what happens. We’ve let the cat out of the bag — the heart out of the cage, I guess. It still needs us to feed it, so I doubt it’s going to destroy the place.”

“That’s true,” Lillia said slowly. They stared for a moment longer. Then they looked back to each other. “We’ll probably find out tomorrow. Bath and bed?”

“Bath and bed,” Arwin agreed with a nod.

Interfering with the heart now would just ruin all the effort they’d gone through making it. He had absolutely no idea what it would do his smithy, but it had kept the name Infernal Armory when it had taken the building on as a body.

The heart wasn’t destroying his smithy. It was upgrading it. As to how, only the morning sun could know — but despite his weariness, a spark of eager anticipation took root in Arwin’s stomach. He looked forward to finding out.