A quick trip to the surface confirmed that things were in order. The core of the defenses was set, with the first set of steam cannons already up and in place, and the first ring of metal walls and retractable ceiling in place, workers busy with the second wave.
In the same vein, the training of the spear corps was going well, a glance enough to confirm that their proficiency was ranging between seventy and ninety under Harold's lead.
The only true problem was the beast wave, which was showing no sign of moving, confirming that they would arrive in a deadly wave.
The only silver lining was that I didn't know who was getting stronger faster: the beast wave, or our defenses. I guessed it was to be seen.
A quick trip to the center allowed me to absorb the extracted claws, which enhanced the mana reserves of the dungeon even further. "Make sure to spread the metal floors even further," I asked after a brief visit to the cannon installments before I went back inside.
Though, I was surprised to learn that the dungeon had yet to start dropping Uncommon Repair skills. Either copying my skills was a one-time event, or there were some conditions to be fulfilled — and, considering the dungeon stopped dropping other skills with very suspicious timing, I couldn't discount that condition to be triggered externally either.
"Tough decision," I said once I returned to the fourth floor, checking my prospective researchers — a bit grandiose to call them that, but not entirely undeserved — from a distance before I returned to my own lab, ready to experiment with my Reformation skill.
The experimentation was simple. I would focus on the creation of an ingot, just large enough to create a sword, flame-resistant. At this point, the flame-resistant metal I created was measured in tons, but there was one important difference.
I didn't use any claws. Instead, I focused on applying the same flame effect I had applied to my mana trick earlier. In a way, it was similar to what I had done with the shears, and roughly as successful. I lacked the skill to guide me, but the experience from all flame-resistant metal was a good compensation. Soon, I was looking at a subpar, yet workable sword.
Not my best work, but considering it was an experimental process, I had no room to complain. Physically, there was nothing wrong, though the same wasn't true from a conceptual perspective. The anti-flame properties were in place, intersecting with the concept of the sword haphazardly.
Curious, I reformed the sword through Reformation, which was enough to address those flaws, and soon, it was nearly impossible to distinguish from one forged from claws. Of course, while successful, in its current form, it gave no practical benefit. It wasn't like I was lacking in materials. It was just a preparation for the next step.
To see if I could reverse the effect of the items.
Be it the claws or the shells, both imbued the weapons with certain resistances and effective damage against the same type of creatures. While it was a convenient feature, it meant they had no inherent advantages against human enemies.
And, I had a feeling that going forward, we would have a significant number of human enemies to deal with.
Still, before starting, I had forged twenty flame-resistant and twenty corrosion-resistant weapons, examining both the process and the results more carefully, noting their properties and deficiencies, and archiving the results.
Process-wise, it was far less rigorous than I would have liked. Ideally, I would have liked to spend a week, varying the process to pin down the related variables, but with the attack imminent, I needed to be practical.
"Let's start with corrosion," I said while I flipped the hammer in my hands, standing at the heart of my forge, the air thick with the ever-present existence of corrosion. However, instead of starting immediately, I did my best to delve deeper into the concept of corrosion.
My immediate surroundings were filled with anti-corrosion metal, a substance that was critical to establishing a permanent base on the fourth floor, its innate properties providing longevity and durability.
I expanded my senses, trying to understand how it resonated against the constant presence of the corrosive aura. At the surface of the metal, I could feel the corrosion being pushed away with ease, though the interaction was subtle. Without Wisdom, it would have been nearly impossible to distinguish.
I pondered on the implications, trying to grasp a way to create the offensive variant on the metal, inverting its protection, turning it outward, transforming a passive defense into an active offense, one that would destroy any weapon they clashed with.
If achieved, it would have been devastating. The biggest example had been the battle against the ascended warriors, who were supposed to have all the advantages. But, once their weapons and armor had been destroyed, the odds had flipped dramatically.
I forged another sword, once again without any auxiliary material, but this time, I wasn't trying to imbue the anti-corrosive features to the weapon, but a purer corrosion factor. The mana transformed and intertwined with the metal at a fundamental level.
I maintained this conceptual focus as I delivered blow after blow, each strike of the hammer shaping both its physical form and its conceptual nature. The blade began to take shape, long and slender, with a subtle curve that hinted at agility and speed —
Until it started to actually rust.
"It seems it's not exactly easy," I said as I examined the result, took the notes, and forged the next set. Then the next one.
After ten failures in a row where I failed, I decided to stop. "Alright, corrosion might not be the best way to experiment," I admitted. I didn't even know if an offensive variant was possible, but even if it was, corrosion wasn't an easy concept to combine with metal.
Pity. I had been hoping to use my familiarity with the dungeon operations to my advantage.
There was no immediate success when I repeated the same tactic with fire, but it wasn't too bad. At least, the failures didn't occur as quickly, and each repeat brought me closer to success. "Now, the last step," I said and stood in front of the barrel of water, ready to quench the sword.
I sank the blade, only for a cloud of steam to cover the area. It wasn't entirely shocking.
I ignored the burns from the steam, focusing on the blade as it slowly settled on its final form, its hilt too hot to hold without insulating gloves. The entirety of the blade, including the hilt, had been radiating an uncomfortable amount of heat, cooling down slowly.
Curious, I pushed a few points of Health into the blade, only for it to heat up again, treating it as fuel. The same was true for mana. I pumped more and more mana, but at some point, it started melting under its own heat.
"Not a bad start," I admitted, taking the necessary notes. I then used Reformation on it, curious if it could be used to make it more effective. It did. Under the application of my Wisdom-based repair, not only was the weapon restored to its pristine state, but its flame concept got stronger, and more flawless.
Lifting the sword, I observed it carefully. The metal was smooth, almost mirror-like, but as I moved it through the air, faint ripples of haze appeared along its edge, like waves distorting the reflection. "Beautiful," I admitted as I finished examining the outlook.
Then, I plunged the heated blade into the water again, testing its heat output and other qualities, and taking copious notes. Then, I sealed the weapon to a mana-resistant box, with a layer of earth around it, and put it inside a different storage.
I didn't want to melt down the other products by accident.
"It's an interesting result," I admitted. The product was not in a usable state, at least not directly. Without a way to direct and channel the heat, the sword could hurt its owner just as much as its enemy, if not more. Even as a composite weapon with some adjustments, it wasn't exactly usable.
That didn't mean it was useless. Even in its uncontrolled state, there were dozens of different ways to integrate it into steam engines, making them more compact and mobile. And, if I could actually figure out a way to add controllable limits.
Unfortunately, I didn't have any time to properly explore it. When I checked the dungeon entrance — something I had made a habit of doing every five minutes — I realized Harold was giving me the signal.
The beast wave was on the move. Just as dawn was appearing, which was an interesting choice.
I created another portal.