Rise of the Living Forge - Chapters 485-486 (Patreon)

“Wow.” Eleven stared longingly over Two’s shoulder at Arwin. He sat upon the stone chair in the center of the room, slumped back with his mo

“Wow.” Eleven stared longingly over Two’s shoulder at Arwin. He sat upon the stone chair in the center of the room, slumped back with his mouth hanging askew and eyes closed. “That looks incredible. I’ve always wanted to die.”

“Would you stop that?” Two snapped, shoving the flask of water into her hands as he raced into the room. “He’s passed out! Help me get him down! Shit! I shouldn’t have left him alone.”

“He looks comfortable,” Eleven said, looking down at the flask in her hands. “I want to be comfortable too. Do you think death is like a really long, comfortable sleep?”

“Eleven, I’m going to throttle you so hard that you never sleep again,” Two yelled, holding a hand up before his eyes as he clawed his way up the twisted mound of stone leading to the Leyline. “Go do something useful! Find Three! Tell her we need her services immediately!”

He reached the top of the chair and reached out for Arwin, his fingers flinching back as they brushed through the molten power of the Mesh.

“Why?” Eleven asked.

“What do you mean why?” Two exclaimed. He gritted his teeth, then thrust his hand into the light again, grabbing Arwin by the arm. “He’s—”

“Would you stop that?” Arwin’s eyes snapped open.

Two let out a curse and leapt back, tripping over his own feet and tumbling down the small mound in a ringing crash of metal and a few solid thunks.

“He was just sleeping,” Eleven said.

“I’m going to kill both of you,” Two said from where he’d landed, not even bothering to get up. He just kept his eyes squeezed shut as he pressed a hand to his forehead. “Especially you, Eleven. Get ready to wake up at six in the morning for the next week.”

Eleven’s face went paler than normal. “No! Please! I’ll throw myself out the window and shatter my body against the embarkments. My blood would be on your—”

“I installed a net. You can’t do that anymore,” Two said.

“Oh,” Eleven said. She sighed. “Thinking up other ways to die is too much of a hassle. I’m too tired for that. Could you just kill me instead?”

“No,” Two said. He rolled over, then dragged himself over to the entrance of the room and away from the Mesh’s scorching light. “You’re going to suffer. Could you not have told me Arwin was sleeping? You said he was dead!”

“Sleeping like the dead,” Eleven amended. “It looked very comfortable.”

“I wish you hadn’t Sunsetted your class yet, just so I could watch you suffer through the damn Leyline again,” Two said. He pushed himself back up to his feet and snatched the flask of water from her hands before turning and flinging it through the air toward Arwin.

Arwin grabbed it with one hand.

“Thanks,” he said, tipping the flask back and greedily draining the water within it. A satisfied sigh slipped from his lips and he slumped back against the chair. “That hits the spot. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Do you think it’s done yet? It feels like my internal organs are getting a massage now. This is really something else. You should try it.”

“I have,” Two said through gritted teeth.

He wasn’t sure if he was more impressed or annoyed. A part of him was still convinced that something was wrong with the Leyline. It just wasn’t possible for someone to straight up ignore it. He knew the pain. The feeling of his magic separating from his body. All the wrinkles and imperfections that needed to be smoothed out had still been a part of him. They should have still been a part of Arwin.

 If anything, his imperfections should have been far, far worse than mine. I don’t believe that the Mesh would just decide to make things easier for him, and he literally died during his first Sunsetting.

There’s no way he’s got no damage. I can’t accept that. But what options does that leave?

“Do you have some kind of item on you?” Two asked. “Something that’s allowing you to withstand the Leyline?”

“Nothing immediately on me,” Arwin hedged. “And certainly nothing that would be strong enough to stop the Mesh itself. Would a skill or title be able to do anything here?”

Two hesitated for a moment. He’d never heard of any manner of ability that could withstand the Mesh. Skills, titles, magic itself — all of it came from the Mesh. The idea of a skill stronger than the Mesh was laughable.

“No. I don’t think that’s possible,” Eleven said before Two could even speak. “And I don’t detect any magic escaping you right now. If there was a skill strong enough to interfere with a Leyline, there’s no way we’d be missing it. Maybe the Mesh just likes you.”

“The Mesh does not play favorites,” Two said. “It plays by its own rules. I’ve seen it push and pull and walk the edges of its own lines, but it doesn’t break the rules. I don’t think it can.”

“What makes you say that?” Arwin asked. Interest sparked in his eyes and he leaned forward in his chair — still ignoring the Leyline burning all around him. “What more do you know about the Mesh?”

“Questions better suited for One, but he’s asleep right now,” Two said with a shake of his head. “We know that the Mesh is more of a law than a being. It has a presence, yes, but not in the way we do. The Mesh just… exists. I’m not sure if that really holds much meaning—”

“No,” Arwin said. “Actually, it does. I know exactly what you’re talking about it.”

“Only the ones who have seen or spoken extensively to one who has seen the Mesh do,” Two said with a small nod. He pinched the bridge of his nose and repressed the urge to let out a huff of air. “I… well, do you feel different? At all?”

“Dunno,” Arwin said with a frown. “I feel tenderized.”

“Yes. You’d already said that. Tenderized isn’t exactly what I was looking for, though,” Two said.

He’s capable of withstanding such immense levels of magical damage that the Leyline genuinely doesn’t even register to him. If Eleven doesn’t sense him using a magical ability — not that it would even matter — then it really is Arwin just tanking a literal river of pure magic.

Incredible. No wonder One was so invested in this one. Why is he like this? Is it inherent to him? Some kind of mutation? Or is this just pure mental fortitude on a scale that I’ve never seen before?

“Has there been any change in the last few minutes?” Eleven asked. “Do you feel the same as you did? Or is something still happening?”

Arwin thought for a few moments before responding.

“Well… I’m getting a little bored. But that’s about it. Everything else feels pretty steady. I’m still getting the massage. I can’t really feel some huge obvious shift within me though.”

“That might just be because you can withstand the Leyline so much that any shift would go just as unnoticed as the pain,” Two said. He ran a hand through his hair before shaking his head. “I suppose we should try to commence Sunsetting.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to wait?” Eleven asked. She yawned. “Not that I want to stay awake for longer. But if the preparations aren’t done, he could die.”

“I would prefer not to die,” Arwin said. “It would be inconvenient.”

“You don’t say,” Eleven said dryly. He sent a glance at Two out of the corners of his eyes. “Remind me how long you spent in the Leyline?”  

“A few hours,” Eleven said.

“Right,” Two said. “And at any point, did you feel like the pain was lessening or equal?”

“No. It got worse every second I was there.”

“Right. As it did for me as well,” Two said. “But he hasn’t felt any significant changes at all. Arwin just feels a mild discomfort. I don’t care how powerful he may or may not be. A soul is a soul. If there’s no significant shifts occurring, it’s because he’s already prepared. I have to wonder if his previous Sunsetting actually somehow pre-damaged his soul in a way that made it more adaptable. I’ve got no idea… but I don’t see any world in which his class isn’t prepared to Sunset.”

“Yeah. Makes enough sense to me,” Eleven said drowsily. “So that means I’m not needed, right? Can I—”

“No,” Two said. “I may need you if something goes wrong. Arwin, emerge from the Leyline when you’re prepared. Take it slow. Easy. Even if you don’t feel anything, the extent of the damage might be more extensive than you expect. And do not use your magic. It’s unstable right now.”

“Noted,” Arwin said as he carefully rose from his chair. “Do we Sunset my class here? Or how does it work?”

“Not here,” Two said with a shake of his head. “Sunsetting a class is simple, but it needs one extra element that isn’t present in this room.”

“And that is?” Arwin asked as he slipped down the twisting slope beneath the Leyline and made his way over to join Two and Eleven at the door.

“You’re a blacksmith, aren’t you?” Two asked, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he turned and started down the hall, only pausing long enough for Arwin and Eleven to fall in line behind him. “Think of what you just did as the heating and preparations of a magical material. Now you’re prepared. All that remains is to be forged.”

Chapter 486

“You’re kidding me,” Arwin said.

“No,” Two said. “I am not.”

Waves of heat rolled past Arwin’s face with such intensity that they were physically driving into his chest. Even with his magical resistance to hot temperatures, this was on an entirely different level to anything he’d felt before.

That was little surprise.

Two had brought him to the precipice of an active volcano.

Lava bubbled below him, great bubbles bursting and releasing blasts of sulfurous gas that rose up with the intense heat. Droplets of sweat barely had time to form on his skin before the acrid air burned them away.

Eleven had taken cover a safe distance away, up on top of the stands of stone that had been erected around the mouth of the volcano like the seats in a colosseum. She was the only one within them. Something about that made the entire structure feel even more grand.

“Setting Sun built their base inside an active volcano?” Arwin asked. He threw a glance over his shoulder at the underground pathway they’d emerged from a few seconds before. The Leyline was only a short walk away from where they now stood, buried within the stone beneath them.

“It makes sense if you think about it,” Two replied, raising a hand in an ineffective attempt to try and block the heat from bearing down on him. “The Mesh is closely intertwined with the world. It stands to reason that it would be most concentrated in locations where something of great significance is present.”

A large bubble of magma burst beneath them. It felt like enough of an answer for Arwin to not bother with a response of his own. He just stared down into the bubbling depths of the volcano, his eyes already practically dried into raisins.

“What exactly am I meant to do?” Arwin asked finally. “You want me to dive into the volcano or something?”

Two choked on his own tongue. “What? Do you have a death wish? No!”

“Then why’d you bring me to a volcano? What else would you do with magma other than dive into it?”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t ask me that,” Two said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Gods. The Adventurer’s Guild have twisted your perspective on the world badly. But I can’t blame you. This is what you know. Sunsetting a class should not be some frantic battle for survival, Arwin.”

“The last time I tried it, I died,” Arwin pointed out. “What do you expect me to think? What exactly is Sunsetting a class, then?”

“Coming to peace with yourself. It’s meditation,” Two said. “The only way you can truly Sunset a class is if you’re satisfied. With what you’ve done, with who you are, and who you’ll become. If your state of mind is anything else… you’ll fail.”

Arwin paused. Then he blinked.  

It had been some time, but he still remembered the final moments of his life as the Hero. He still remembered the feeling of falling beside Lillia, knowing that his long watch had finally ended.

Knowing that the war had ended.

Even though it had all been a lie, he hadn’t known it at the time. He’d truly been at peace. Right up until the confusion of [Sunset] activating had torn through his death, Arwin had been satisfied.

“There you go,” Two said with a small smile. “So you did feel it the last time. I suppose there’s a certain peace to be found in death… but I won’t pry. That’s yours to know and mine to discover when the time comes.”

“That doesn’t make sense. I was wrong,” Arwin said. “All the peace I felt was a lie.”

“Your feelings don’t depend on fact or logic. You are who you are. The world is beyond your control. Other people are beyond your control. But your feelings — that’s all you. The only thing you can control is yourself. And if you want to Sunset your class, that’s exactly what you have to do.”

“Then what’s the lava for?” Arwin asked. “Doesn’t seem like it’s very nessessary when I could just sit down and meditate.”

“It’s a way to keep you from drifting too far,” Two replied as he walked Arwin toward the edge of the pit. A winding pathway had been carved into the inside of the volcano’s mouth. It wound down in a spiral before coming to a stop at a small platform that jutted out just a few dozen feet over the molten rock.

“Explain,” Arwin said.

 “The Leyline you just bathed in softened your magic.” Twelve said. Then he paused and lowered his voice. “At least, it should have.”

“Right,” Arwin said. “So the lava… you’re using pain to help give me something to remain grounded with? So I don’t somehow drift away or something?”

“Pretty much,” Twelve said. “It’ll make sure you’re completely focused on the task at hand. There won’t be room for anything else. Use that discomfort to press ahead and reforge yourself in the image that truly suits you. Don’t worry about how. Just focus on what you desire. The lava will also make sure you don’t stay down there too long. Perfectionism is our enemy. People aren’t perfect. They’re just people.”

The two of them were silent for a few moments.

“Is this a bad time to mention I’m resistant to heat?” Arwin asked.

Two sent him a sidelong look. “Is this a bad time to mention I hate you?”

“No,” Arwin said. The corners of his lips twitched. “I’ll see you on the other side. I still have questions.”

“Save them,” Two said. “Good luck, Arwin.”

Neither of them said another word. Arwin set off down the path. The heat was oppressive, but it was nothing compared to the searing pain of being bathed in Soul Magma. It probably helped that he hadn’t literally dived into the lava.

Still, he could feel every breath come harder than the last. The air felt heavier. Each step he took along the path pushed the thoughts from his head. There was no room for them. It was oddly peaceful.

There was nothing here but him and the heat. It wasn’t a comfortable experience, but it was a grounding one. The rest of the world would wait for him. Right now, the only thing that existed was the path down to the platform.

Arwin walked.

And, before he even realized it, he stood upon that stone platform at the bottom of the path, overlooking the bubbling magma. The strangely satisfying pop of bubbling magma accompanied him as he sat down upon the rough stone.

Bands of heat tightened around his chest. There still wasn’t any pain. Arwin felt like he probably could have sat there for hours without moving, without even trying to accomplish anything other than existing.

A faint discomfort enveloped his entire body. It made him acutely aware of every part of himself. It wasn’t exactly in a way that he would have liked, but it was an awareness all the same.

He fought back against the oppressive air, drawing in a slow breath and holding it in his lungs for a second before letting it free in the same manner. His heart thumped in his chest and blood pounded in his ears.

Arwin let his eyes drift closed.

And there he sat. He wasn’t sure how long. Arwin wasn’t even sure why. He sat simply because he wanted to. Something about this place was grounding. Home wasn’t always the place that was the most comfortable. Home was the place one belonged. It wasn’t some utopian sanctuary. It had to be fought for, defended. Paid for in blood.

This place wasn’t home. It wasn’t even close. Home was the Devil’s Den. It was Lillia’s cooking and Reya’s laughter. Home was when he was among the Menagerie. That life wasn’t one that could be taken for granted.

No, this wasn’t home. And the volcano seemed to remind him of that. Life was a constant threat, a constant pressure just beneath the surface. But the rock still stood. He still sat here, and he would continue to do so.

Another slow breath slipped from Arwin’s lips.

But, when he inhaled again, the scent of sulfur was gone. The pressure was gone. A flicker of confusion coiled through Arwin. The heat had vanished as well. There was nothing at all.

Arwin opened his eyes.

Formless white stretched out all around him in every direction. There was no horizon, no end to its expanse. There was only white.

And standing before him was a man. He was of average build and height and posture, with unremarkable features and hair that would have blended into any crowd. There was nothing interesting about him at all. The man was the kind that anyone might have felt a vague sense of recognition toward — and the kind that nobody could ever quite put a name to.

Arwin knew who it was instantly.

“Hello, Arwin,” the Mesh said with a soft smile. “It’s been a while.”