Chapter 66: The Forge of Dragons

Zone 2’s secret area.

Pure darkness.

Without the Unextinguished Flame, I’d have been blind.

– This torch performs well.

Crafted in haste, its Illumination ability lit the surroundings perfectly.

Brighter than Zone 3’s dim light, even.

As we advanced—

Whoosh.

The torch flickered.

Knowing its stats, I understood why it wavered in still air.

– Enemy nearby.

– Understood.

The torch’s third ability, Alert.

It detected enemies.

At the light’s edge, something moved.

Rustle.

A Silk Golem.

Zone 2’s common monster.

But this one differed from the Silk Golems I’d fought.

– Master, be cautious.

– I’ll stay back. Can you handle it?

My memory’s Silk Golem was slightly shorter than me.

This one nearly touched the ceiling.

When the mine expanded and golems strengthened, Silk Golems powered up too.

Before, they wielded thread-like whips.

Crack!

Now, each thread was a true whip.

The ground scarred where it struck, showing its power.

But—

– Understood.

Weaver 1 moved lightly.

Made of fibers, it was the fastest, lightest assistant.

It dodged every attack.

Fearing for my safety—

Slash.

– Step back further.

– Right.

Weaver 1 cut the whip’s center.

Slicing arm-thick whips effortlessly was dizzying.

I crafted it, but this strength?

Against Silk Golems, Weaver 1 might outshine Combat 1 and 2 from Zone 5.

As I retreated, Weaver 1 danced like a fish in water.

Rustle.

The massive Silk Golem moved fast.

But from my vantage, I saw Weaver 1 outpacing it, toying with it.

Targeting joints, it disrupted the golem’s balance.

Slash.

It severed the head precisely.

Like a trained assassin.

Not taught, but honed from fighting Silk Golems.

Weaver 1 could thrive in Zone 5 too.

Thud.

– Master, it’s done.

– You fight well.

– Thanks to your enhanced items.

True.

I regularly upgrade my assistants’ gear to match their level.

At my level, over 70, their gear was enhanced to 70.

That’s why it defeated the strengthened Silk Golem so fast.

– This path is long.

Picking up the golem’s thread spool, we resumed exploring.

Not much to explore—just one path.

Then—

– There.

At the torch’s light’s edge, I felt familiarity.

The floor, walls, ceiling.

Not tangled threads, but crafted, artificial fibers.

Unmistakable.

Though different, it resembled—

– Hephaestus’ Forge.

Like Zone 1’s secret area.

Whoosh.

– It’s real.

Not the torch—Spark flickered, reacting to the hidden area.

Since Spark came from Hephaestus’ Forge, its reaction confirmed it.

I nearly rushed to the door, but—

Whoosh!

The torch flickered.

Not Spark.

The Unextinguished Flame.

A monster.

Raising the torch—

– A cocoon?

A massive white cocoon, as large as the Silk Golem.

Before I could act—

Rip.

The cocoon tore.

Huge wings emerged.

Spreading wide, they flapped once—

Whoosh.

The cocoon peeled away, revealing—

– A moth after the spider?

It reminded me of Zone 2’s boss, the Giant Spider.

Fighting that was tough enough, now a moth?

In this widened space, perfect for flying.

– Screeeech!

Ugh.

A piercing high-frequency sound stabbed my ears.

Turning to retreat and prepare—

Swish.

Threads from the moth sealed the exit.

A classic boss pattern.

If the torch were brighter, I’d have prepared or attacked from range.

The darkness forced me here, trapped.

Ordering Weaver 1 to clear the exit risked leaving me vulnerable.

So—

– Attack!

– Understood.

Weaver 1 charged, undaunted by the moth’s flapping.

Watching, I ran to the exit.

No scissors in my inventory.

I tried a sword I’d crafted—

Clang.

– This tough?

The threads didn’t budge.

Only monster-damaging weapons like scissors could cut them.

– Screeeech!

Weaver 1’s battle began.

The moth flew high, near the ceiling, dodging attacks.

It scattered dust—poison or otherwise.

Poof.

Weaver 1, not organic, was unaffected.

The issue: Weaver 1 couldn’t reach the moth.

The moth shot threads, their tips spear-like.

Proof.

A thread pierced the floor where Weaver 1 dodged.

Piercing stone with threads—insane power.

My sword couldn’t cut the exit’s threads.

Searching my inventory, I found—

[Blazing Crossbow]

Crafted for Zone 2’s Giant Spider.

Simple, safe for long-range attacks, enhanced for my level.

Loading a firestone arrow—

Whoosh!

The exit’s threads burned away.

Like the spider, fire was its weakness.

I considered escaping, but—

– Screeeech.

Weaver 1 dodged the moth’s attacks.

If I fled, Weaver 1 might not.

It was holding up, focusing the moth.

Turning my back could make it a target.

– I’ll support!

I chose to stay.

Not directly engaging.

Positioning one foot outside, I grabbed the crossbow.

Firing pre-made arrows—

Twang! Whoosh!

It worked.

Threads pinning Weaver 1 burned to ash when hit.

The attack was effective.

Problem: the moth spun threads faster than I could shoot.

The crossbow’s reload time kept threads piling up.

– This won’t do.

I needed a stronger attack.

Dropping the crossbow, I grabbed my hammer.

[Using Production Skill.]

[Select the shape of the item to craft.]

– Arrow!

[Specify the details of the arrow’s shape.]

No time for a full weapon.

A crossbow arrow was quicker.

But it needed to be powerful.

[Choose the material for the arrow.]

For a strong arrow?

The best materials.

– It’s a shame, but…

My rarest material: Mind Drake’s Fang.

A dragon’s fang, essentially.

Saved after crafting Combat 1.

Now its time.

Using leftover dragon bones from Combat 1—

– No choice!

I added all fire-related materials.

Overkill for one arrow, but it’d work.

Pouring in precious materials—

[Crafting begins.]

Clang!

The hammer swung.

The Mind Drake’s Fang became a sharp tip.

Dragon bones formed the shaft.

Zone 5’s Flame Wing Feathers became fletching.

Clang!

Excessive materials compressed with each strike.

Hammering grew harder.

But tough forging was routine.

Enduring the forge’s sparks, I shattered the points.

[Crafting complete.]

[‘Fire Wyvern’ obtained.]

A blazing red arrow.

[Fire Wyvern]

Type: Arrow

Grade: SSS

Restriction: Level 70+

Description: Infused with dragon power and fiery energy, embodying a fire wyvern’s might.

Attack: 700

Abilities:

• Fire Wyvern – Transforms into a fire wyvern to strike enemies.

Not a crossbow, yet an arrow with 700 attack power.

An absurd SSS-grade arrow.

Click.

Loading Fire Wyvern into Blazing Crossbow.

One task remained.

Taking down the damned moth flapping in my mine.