137 Chapter 135: Samariel’s Ancient Forge of Sins and Virtues
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Surrounding the executive desk were all the Hunters that had come for the last meeting. The wounded were already healed thanks to special magic-based treatment at the hospital, and they were ready to go, it seemed.
However, there was still a lot of tension, and not exactly because of the raid itself, but between Hunters themselves. Naturally, most of the tension was between Eckert, Dimitri, Hector, and Sara.
After Sara, possessed by Hel, beat the hell out of those three and almost killed Hector, they had been glaring at her with a rather intense bloodlust for a while now.
"Chairman, if you allow me to say something, why is a criminal in here? Shouldn't she be in jail right now?" Asked Heckert furiously. "That bitch almost killed us all, and you're letting it slide?!"
"I already apologized for what I did, and I told you that I was being possessed by a constellation; it wasn't me, Heckert!" Sara protested.
"I hate to be on the side of this asshole, but he's right," Dimitri said. "Lady, you're too dangerous to go with us to this raid. Who knows when you'll get possessed again and try to kill us once more? It is dangerous to have you around. No little apologies will ever make up for the damage you've caused."
"We used to be allies; we used to get along, but... Even if you were possessed, it was your body that did all those things." Hector said. "And my Constellation, Lord Thor, doesn't like you very much, Sara. He says you're a dangerous monster, and I must believe my sponsor's words, as he's my greatest benefactor."
"…" Sara remained in silence, looking down, completely defeated.
"Ahem!" The chairman quickly stopped their banter. "I know how you all three feel, but this has already been addressed. What she did wasn't under her own control, and all of you have been paid to come here and work together for a common goal. If you don't want us to pay you, then walk out of the damn door and be recognized by all the press out there as the greatest cowards in America."
His words were concise and direct, and the trio immediately fell silent. They did want the money, as it was not just a few million, but billions, and above all, there was a large press group out there, waiting for everyone to step out of the building.
"Tch…"
"Anyways, all of you here are our strongest hunters so far. Some might not be comparable on raw power alone in here, such as the younglings over there, but through your skills, wits, and abilities, you've proven yourselves to be deserving of entering the raid, as long as you're below the protection of your Guardians." The chairman directed his glance at us; he especially glared into my eyes after looking at my equipment, of course.
"Let's get over it, old man. Just tell us that you don't even have a plan. The odds are against our favor; that castle is filled with mysteries, and probably all those damn terrorists and demons mashed up together." Said Lee Hengyang. "What little we plan will crumble apart in seconds; it's going to be survival of the fittest."
"Even so, we have to plan something at the very least." The chairman said: "First of all, you've been given a special bracelet, press the red button to turn it on."
A blue-colored bracelet around my wrist glowed as I pressed the red button on it. A sudden hologram emerged out of it, showing a huge map.
FLASH!
"As you can see, these are the latest models made so far, named Holographic Map Bracelets. They will allow you to find each other within the mazes of any dungeon with ease. It also possesses communication functions, and it doubles down as a small inventory that can store a few items inside a pocket dimension." Explained the man. "It costs a fortune, but you're getting them for free just for this mission; it is part of your pay too."
"Amazing…" Hilda said. "I've never seen something so useful before! Maybe I should start learning some magic artifact creation next."
"Next, although we've not analyzed the castle's interior, we've deduced that by their signals of Mana, it is certainly an S+ Rank Dungeon, and if it's not completed soon, a national disaster could occur, probably the reason why the government is helping you guys so much." Sighed the chairman. "I want all of you to work as a team and find our enemies and crush them. There's a single entrance, and you'll break through it once we lift you high enough into the skies through a helicopter; the rest is up to you. Also, your bracelet inventories are already full of potions and other useful items… If the worst were to happen, there's an Escape Stone that should allow you to teleport outside the Dungeon."
"That's reassuring." Henrietta sighed in relief. "But it is also a bit unsettling that our enemies have made no moves whatsoever all this time. Just what could they be planning?"
"Most certainly, not something good…" The chairman said: "It is a relief you were able to save the lives of the politicians back then, and it seems such an act has earned their trust too, so make sure not to disappoint them... Before things escalate into something even worse, we must end this."
"Alright." My brother nodded. "There's nothing else to say, right? Let's get there already; I'm getting impatient."
"Heh, likewise." Lee laughed a bit, glaring at my brother with some bloodlust well concealed. "I can't wait to get there and just destroy everything. I'm tired of seeing that ugly thing polluting my beautiful city's skies."
"Hahh… Let's do our best." Hector said, sighing one last time before standing up.
"Just don't try to do anything funny, lady," Dimitri said. "Or my bullets will pierce your brain faster than you can react."
"..." Eckert glared furiously at Sara.
Although Sara tried to be humble, her eyes were glowing bright red as she glanced at their threats. She was probably about to drop some rather threatening words, but I stopped her.
"They're not worth your time; leave them be, and let's go," I said, patting her shoulders.
"If you say so..." Sara nodded.
Before going into the helicopter, we had a 30-minute break to prepare absolutely everything, so I quickly went to the building's bathroom to check on the new skill that was finally created.
Ding!
[The [Hephaestus Forge (SS)] Skill has finished its Transformation!]
[It has begun to Evolve into a brand-new Skill!]
[The [Hephaestus Forge (SS)] Skill has evolved into the [Samariel's Ancient Forge of Sins and Virtues (SS): Lv1] Skill!]
Hey, what's up with that name? Sins and Virtues? Is it because of my half-Celestial and half-Demon powers? I can't wait to see what it is!
Without even properly checking the Skill's descriptions, I activated its powers, and a sudden gate opened, glowing with both darkness and light.
I stepped in immediately after, as it closed right behind me.
FLASH!
After the bright light that engulfed me faded away, my eyes were greeted by an utterly fantastical and beautiful sight, rather majestic as well, as grander than the Hephaestus Forge could ever look.
It was like a huge castle interior—ancient and also beautifully clean. The walls to the left were black, purple, and red, and all the decorations on its tremendously tall walls were made of demon-like statues, gargoyles, and weapon carvings of axes and maces.
To the right, everything was pristine white, silver, and gold, with angelic decorations and angel-like statues, with carved weapons resembling swords and spears.
The enormous hall culminated into a large section, where both different-colored floorings clashed into an enormous forge. At its core, there was a jewel, with dark purple and white gold colors to each half, constantly floating in midair in silence.
Behind the forge, there were all sorts of tools for forging, crafting, and even alchemy, nicely organized, and even with the same angelic or demonic themes.
And at the very end of the hall, there was a throne, half demonic and gothic, and half angelic and holy…
"I-It really just created my own forge…" I was amazed.
["Truly, this is wonderful…"]
"Yeah, amazing…"
Gram and Sepa were both amazed by the sight of this beautiful building. There weren't any other gates or something else to go to, it was just this enclosed area, but it was more than enough for me to have my own little studio to craft and forge to my heart's content.
As I stepped into the forge, which seemed turned off, the crystal started to glow brightly, erupting with both white gold and dark purple flames!
FLUOSH!
The flame slowly shaped into the mild, humanoid figure of a being made of these two flames clashing against one another; one half looked divine and angelic, and the other half was demonic and dark. The crystal seemed to be its core.
"Welcome, my master. Since my creation, I've been waiting for you." The flame creature spoke. "I am your Divine Forge Spirit. You may call me Samariel."
"Are you like that Hephaestus Divine Forge Spirit?" I wondered, feeling surprised that my skill had created a living being out of nowhere.
"Oh, no, no, I am, if you allow me the confidence, much better than that guy." Giggled Samariel. "I've been born from the culmination of your talents, powers, and soul. And I have to admit it: I am rather excited to be alive. My abilities encompass much more than just conjuring strong divine flames; I can also enchant equipment with Demonic Stigmas or Celestial Marks, giving them an even greater edge."
"Amazing… Then, can you do something about this guy?" I wondered, showing him Gram.
"Oh my, what a peculiar weapon! There is so much potential, yet it is all sealed." Samariel lamented. "I can do something, but I need some materials, and well, your dexterous hands as well. It should work nonetheless, as long as Master knows the very basics."
"I do have materials and the very basics, at least…" I nodded confidently. "Let's get started! Gram, you're getting an upgrade!"
["FINALLY!"]
First, I checked on the Skill's information to learn in detail what it's all about, although I've seen most of what it can do already.
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[Samariel's Ancient Forge of Sins and Virtues (SS): Lv1]
[Skill EXP]: [0/25000]
A Unique Skill that was developed by transforming the [Hephaestus Forge (SS)] Skill through the absorption of information from the user's Skills and Privileges.
By merely activating the Skill, a Portal to the Ancient Forge will open, allowing the user and anybody else they allow to enter this special space. The user can also willingly close the Portal or open it without any cost, it is also possible to stay inside the Forge indefinitely.
Time will go on twice as fast inside the Forge compared to the outside world, and this speed will increase by +25% with each Skill Level. The Forge Portal cannot be opened when the user is engaging in combat. If an enemy attempts to enter the Forge through the Portal, they will be expulsed with a shockwave of both Demonic Energy and Celestial Energy, dealing +200% Damage, the Portal will close after this attack.
Inside the Portal, the User can interact with the Divine Forge Spirit, Samariel, who governs this Space as if it were their home. The Forge Spirit can use their unique components, made up of Celestial Flames and Demonic Flames to forge all kinds of weapons, smelt ores, and enchant, repair, and reinforce equipment. The effectiveness, mastery, and bonuses increase by +25% with each Skill Level.
Additionally, Samariel has the power to enchant equipment or other items with {Demonic Stigmas} that will add a special {Curse} to an Item, and {Celestial Marks}, that will add a special {Blessing}. Curses possess strong damage-related effects, but might come with drawbacks, meanwhile, Blessings will possess powerful healing and protection-related effects but will ask for special conditions. Both {Demonic Stigmas} and {Celestial Marks} will grow stronger with the Skill Level.
As the Skill Level increases, the Ancient Forge's size will expand, and new Facilities might be unlocked.
Level Bonus (1): Enhances the Quality of Created, Reinforced, and Repaired Items by +25%. {Demonic Stigmas} and {Celestial Marks} Powers and Effects increase by an additional +15%.
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Yeah, it was one hell of a Skill!
So Demonic Stigmas bring out curses with power but drawbacks, and blessings bring protection and healing but with special conditions. I guess I cannot get everything as easily, huh? And I doubt these will be selectable; they might be random.
It might be risky to give Gram one of each of these. But at the same time, I kind of want to risk it and give him even a little additional boost if I can.
"Master, do you have any materials so we can begin?" Samariel asked politely.
"Yes, yes, let me see." I opened my inventory, taking out angelic feathers, small soul crystals from celestials, the bones of the blood-thrall Wendigo king, and more.
"Please place the items on this altar then," Samariel asked. There was a golden and black altar in front of the forge.
This system was certainly different than Hilda's forge; it possessed many different abilities, and it seemed much more... amazing, I think?
Well, Hephaestus Forge is still amazing in its own rights, and it might do a better job at doing the basic blacksmithing stuff.
But this new Forge I got sure brings new and unique ideas to the table… I guess it is enough to differentiate it from Hilda's Skill.
Anyway, I placed the items I wanted to use on the {Altar of Offerings}, necessary to create {Demonic Stigmas} and {Celestial Marks}.
Ding!
[You've offered the following items to the {Altar of Offerings}: [Grateful Angel's Feather (S Rank)] x2, [Celestial Angelic Soul Jewel Small Fragment (S++ Rank)] x1 [Solomon, Celestial King of Greed's Shattered Heart Fragments (S+ Rank)] x1, [Blood Thrall Wendigo King's Corpse Fragment (S- Rank)] x1 [Blood Thrall Wendigo King's Arms Fragment (S- Rank)] x2 [Blood Thrall Wendigo King's Bone Tail Fragment (S- Rank)] x1]
"Perfect, they're all compatible." Samariel smiled. "Master, now bring the sword here, do you have any ingots to reinforce it? Any would do with these spectacular offerings."
"Yep, I've got a few from Hilda; she made a ton, so she gave me the rest." I smiled, placing the special ingots Hilda created by mixing many ores from the Demonic Realm.
"Fantastic." Samariel nodded. "Now, let's begin!"
["I'm so nervous…!"]
Does he have to be so dramatic about it?
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