Ch.63Vulcan’s Forge (2)

Vulcan, one of the racial gods and famous as the god of blacksmiths. What would one typically imagine his storehouse to look like?

Most people would probably picture a warehouse filled with weapons he created, or perhaps one packed with minerals waiting to be forged into weapons.

And it seemed Kitsune had thought the same thing.

After entering with a barrier around her body to check the storehouse, deep disappointment was visible in Kitsune’s eyes.

“How should I put it… it looks more ordinary than I expected. And there doesn’t seem to be much here either.”

“Well, it does have a somewhat empty feeling to it~”

This place must have stopped being used right after the war with the Evil God. The gods, including Vulcan, fell into slumber after fighting that war.

Since countless weapons would have been made for the war, it made sense that the storehouse of the blacksmith god would be empty.

‘Since he fell asleep after the war ended, he wouldn’t have had time to restock it.’

Moreover, Kitsune had apparently toured Cecilia’s treasure vault while resting in Ruvenia recently.

Having seen a dragon’s treasure vault—the epitome of luxury—made the comparison even more stark.

The fact that this place truly lived up to its name as a storehouse, with nothing particularly splendid about it, only heightened the contrast.

Of course, that didn’t mean there was nothing worth taking.

In fact, while Kitsune and I were talking, Lilly had already noticed the value of items inside and was searching for something she needed.

“Still, there are many useful things here. Looks like Lilly has already found something.”

After wandering around the storehouse for a while, Lilly returned with a small sky-blue bead she had picked up.

It emitted a strong wind attribute aura that looked like an elixir or Inner Core at first glance.

“I’ll take this.”

“Hmm… this is a Sky Jewel. The size and purity look quite good. It has little resistance, so it should be easy to absorb.”

The Sky Jewel was one of the gems naturally formed when numerous spirits gathered in unpolluted nature.

It was characterized by having few impurities, and since it contained spiritual energy, it was a suitable elixir for Lilly, who was a fairy.

“Hmm, Frey really knows everything. I bet the other Apostles don’t know nearly as much.”

“I worked hard in many ways. And I also loved a lot.”

In hindsight, that was a typical comment from a gaming addict, but I didn’t correct myself since my love for this world remained unchanged.

‘This is one of the positions with the least change across all cycles, so I know it as it is… but that makes it feel even stranger.’

The scenes I had viewed countless times through a monitor were now unfolding before my eyes.

I should have been used to it by now, but whenever I saw the two similar yet different images overlapping, I would unconsciously zone out.

Lilly, who was sitting on my shoulder and leaning against me, spoke as if telling me to focus on her.

“So, what are you planning to take, Frey? I feel like you already decided before coming here.”

“I think I’ll take about four items including the Nectar. One that I need and two to bring back for Cecilia.”

Originally, my promise to Cecilia was to bring her one item made by a god.

So taking just one would have been enough, but I was taking one more because I had an additional request.

“This one… and this one should do.”

“A sword and shield… they look like a set… The quality doesn’t seem bad, but they don’t look particularly amazing either. Instead, they’re pretty enough to be decorative pieces.”

“I think Cecilia would prefer decorations for Ruvenia rather than weapons she won’t use anyway.”

Of course, even though they were made more as decorations than weapons, being crafted by Vulcan guaranteed their durability.

Having remained intact in this high-temperature place for so long, Cecilia would surely be pleased to receive them.

“I did follow Kitsune into the treasure vault last time, and sure enough, it was filled with gold and treasures—truly befitting a dragon.”

“That’s why these seem appropriate.”

I picked up the well-crafted shield and sword and moved forward again.

After walking through the storehouse for a while, I spotted Kitsune and Kirara in the distance, selecting items.

The two seemed to disagree on something, each holding different items while engaged in a heated discussion.

“Wouldn’t this be better? If Kirara absorbs this, she could experience explosive growth immediately.”

“Kerung!”

“You’re saying you’re fine, so I should increase my meager spirit power instead… I don’t have that little spirit power!”

“Kerung kerung!”

“You say I always collapse from spirit power depletion after battles, but that’s only because the environment is harsh… Weren’t you always struggling too, Kirara!”

“Kerrung!”

“Of course I want to keep following you both… but then Kirara also…!”

As their conversation progressed, both their voices gradually rose, yet underneath was a clear consideration for each other.

“They get along so well~”

“They really do~”

“Eek…! When did you two arrive…? Don’t tell me you heard everything…?”

“Kerrung…?”

In the middle of their discussion, Kitsune and Kirara’s ears perked up and their fur stood on end when they noticed Lilly and me.

Both were clearly concerned about how much we had overheard.

The only problem was that their reactions were incredibly cute, which triggered the mischievous side of Lilly and me.

“Well… we heard everything~ With you talking so loudly, it would be strange if we didn’t hear, right?”

“It echoed so much through the storehouse that even the Titan outside might have heard it.”

“Hie…hiiek! Really…?”

“Kerung..!?”

“Pfft, I’m just kidding. It wasn’t loud enough to be heard outside.”

Kitsune and Kirara reacted exactly as expected, and I reassured them that the Titan probably hadn’t heard anything.

They seemed to calm down for a moment, but only briefly.

Eventually, they realized that Lilly and I had indeed heard them, and their faces turned bright red.

“Huaaa… how embarrassing…”

“Kerrung…”

“I thought it was nice to see how well you two get along. What’s the problem~”

They looked like they wanted to find a mouse hole to hide in, but from a third-party perspective, it was heartwarming to see such deep friendship.

Even if it was over something unnecessary.

“It was a pointless worry that didn’t even require discussion~”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“It means that you and Kirara can each choose one item, not just one between you.”

The Titan had told us several things when letting us into the storehouse.

Most were ordinary rules like putting items back in their place after examining them if we weren’t taking them, but there were also important details like how many items we could take.

“As the one who requested the trial, I can take what I need, while the rest of you helpers can take one item each. And Kirara is included in ‘the rest of you.'”

“Eh… really…?”

“Kerung?”

It seemed they had mistakenly assumed they counted as one since they had a master-shikigami relationship.

But judging by the look the Titan gave when explaining, it had judged Kitsune and Kirara as two separate entities, meaning they could each take one item.

“So there’s no need for debate~”

“You can just take both and feed them to each other. Picking items for each other—you two really get along well~”

“If you keep teasing us like that, it’s embarrassing…”

“Kerrung…”

With their sudden debate battle safely concluded, it was finally time to find what I needed.

“I heard that weapons and equipment would be available if we go up… so you’re choosing an elixir-type item?”

“That’s right. There happens to be an elixir here that’s useful for breaking through limits.”

As we continued talking and moving, we finally reached the end of the storehouse.

There were only two items placed there.

One was the Nectar, which could be considered our purpose for coming here, and the other was something containing intense fire energy.

“How should I put it… it looks strange. Like a jewel but also like a stone. It also resembles fire…”

Something.

What lay before our eyes had a form difficult to define.

It wasn’t an Inner Core from a creature’s body, but it didn’t look like an elixir either.

If asked whether it was a jewel, it looked more like a red rock fragment, yet it emitted light, revealing its extraordinary nature.

If forced to compare its appearance, it was closest to an unprocessed gemstone.

And in terms of shape, it also resembled a blazing fire.

“Essence of Flame… or simply put, we could call it Fire Essence. It’s also the highest grade fire-attribute elixir.”

If swallowed and successfully absorbed, one could gain the Fire Body characteristic.

Complete immunity to fire and heat, 500% increase in the power of flames you use, 100% absorption of fire-attribute elixirs without loss, command authority over even the highest-grade fire spirits, and the Fire God Descent skill that transforms your body into flame and grants various buffs.

Plus the ability to learn various other skills…

Though it had the drawback of making one vulnerable to water, it offered overwhelming abilities.

If I had chosen the flame-type skill tree, this would have been something I absolutely needed to fully absorb.

“Of course, I’m planning to use it to break through my body’s limits now.”

While its effects were excellent, I was currently a swordsman. And giving it to Kirara would be too risky as she might die, so it made sense for me to use it.

‘There’s nothing more efficient for breaking through stat limits than this.’