Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

The raging red lotus lit up the "forge," and began to shine brightly with astonishing heat.

There were no convenient fuels (coke) or anything like that. Instead, he used the "dragon liver of Amphispina" that Lily had picked up earlier as fuel. Although the "forge" was ignited by the flames of the magic sword, it held up and maintained a fierce and blazing fire.

Including the "Metal Blue Crab's Steel Shell" reserved for mandatory "Expedition" quests, the portable furnace reinforced with monster remains (dropped items)—the irregularly shaped dome-shaped "forge"—would ensure no heat escaped. In this way, it should be sufficient to melt ultra-hard metals that conceal top-tier hardness.

The crimson short sword, having released its last bit of power, shattered and scattered, countless fragments falling from its hand.

Welf gripped the remaining fragments of the "Demon Sword" in his hand, lowered his back, and sat steadily in front of the blazing furnace.

"I'm going to begin."

Welf used tongs to pick up the metal block and carefully but quickly placed it into the furnace.

"Form formation! Don't let the monsters get close to [Cold]!"

Amidst the low growls of the raging fire, Aisha and the others formed a semi-circle, surrounding the only entrance to the cave.

Aisha, Sakura, Daphne, and Perth were responsible for guarding the front line, with Commander Lily and supporter Chigusa behind them, and further away were the wounded and healer Cassandra. Behind her, Welf sat motionless in the center of the cave.

The high smith, entrusted with reviving the team, is unable to fight. To allow him to focus on his work, Aisha and the others must rely on themselves to stop the monster's attack.

“Huh…Huh…”

Rapid breathing filled the air. Even though they hadn't yet spotted the enemy, the adventurers were already breathing heavily.

The sweat trickling down their cheeks wasn't just from the heightened temperature of the blazing furnace. Lily and the others held their breath, watching Welf stare intently at the fire.

The powerful firepower quickly melted the contents of the furnace.

The blacksmith seized the opportune moment and slowly took out the fully heated metal block.

The texture of the ultra-hard metal has become like that of a fiery red candy.

The fiery red lumps looked as if they had been extracted from magma.

It emitted a fiery, intense light, turning the walls—the crystal chamber adorned with a deep blue hue—that Sakura and the others had damaged, into a scarlet red. The adventurers' shadows stretched out on the ground, swaying restlessly.

Welf placed the superhard metal on the makeshift forging table, picked up the hammer, gripped the tongs, and held his breath.

All sounds disappeared.

All of time has passed and vanished like smoke.

—Immediately afterwards, the blacksmith's eyes widened in fury, and he raised his hammer and struck hard.

"call!!"

Clang! Clang! Clang! A series of loud metallic clangs began to ring out.

"They're actually forging iron in a dungeon...!"

Seeing that the "forging" had actually begun, Daphne covered her mouth with one hand.

Witnessing the unbelievable scene, the girl groaned, "This can't be real...!?"

That was a realm unprecedented in history.

It could also be an act that would be condemned as "unwise" by all adventurers and blacksmiths.

It is the “unknown” and “adventure” that would make the gods burst into laughter and their eyes light up.

Success is a "great achievement".

If it fails, it will be an unprecedented "foolish act".

He will bury his gruesome corpse here, leaving a lasting stain on his reputation and forever being ridiculed.

Welf is about to take on a barbaric act that even the master blacksmith Tsubaki Kobrand had never committed.

"Craft weapons" within the dungeon.

The "Demon Sword" was refined deep within the labyrinth.

"call!!"

Welf let out a short, sharp growl as he hammered the red-hot, super-hard metal.

Sparks flew and scattered, the clang of metal clashing against metal echoed. Every time the hammer struck the material, Chigusa or Cassandra would jump, their vision blurring with the undisguised pounding of their hearts.

The ignorant clanging of metal echoing through the dungeon will undoubtedly attract the attention of monsters.

The continuous sound of hammers marked the countdown to impending destruction, with each passing second bringing it closer.

Then...

"Roar!!"

Accompanied by overlapping roars and countless footsteps, a large horde of aliens appeared outside the passageway.

All the monsters they had previously escaped in the crisscrossing passages came charging at the adventurers.

"【Hel Caios】!!"

The moment Aisha spotted the enemy, her "magic" roared out.

While preparing for battle, the pre-arranged "incantation" turned the monsters that rushed towards the narrow passage into deadly victims of the slashing waves.

"Grab your shields and get to the entrance! Don't let the monster enter this cave!"

Lily immediately gave the order, and Sakura and Perth stood between the cave and the passageway, becoming a "barrier" to stop the monster.

The single, isolated entrance limits the number of monsters and the scale of their attacks—a common tactic when dealing with large groups of monsters in dungeons. Conversely, if any invading monster gets into a melee, Lily and her companions will have no chance of winning.

In order for Welf to succeed in his strike, it is essential to guard the entrance that has been transformed into a "gate".

"Ughh ...

"Damn bastard!"

Sakura raised his spare shield, bracing himself against the monsters' terrifying charge. Despite using his entire body to form a defensive stance, he was still forced to retreat; beside him, Level 3 Perth also raised his shield, resignedly stabbing wildly at the enemy with the retractable silver lance given to him by his supporters.

"It's okay if you don't kill them! Just break their legs!"

"I don't have the extra energy to aim!"

"Cover you up...!"

Aisha and Daphne, along with Sakura and Perth, slashed at the monsters in close combat. Chigusa used her life-saving throwing weapon, "Crimson Night," while Lily used the "Small Ballista" to cover everyone.

At the very back of the formation where Ming and Chun Ji lay, Cassandra, not wanting to be intimidated, immediately activated healing magic to treat Daphne and the others as soon as she saw a breach in the battle line.

The adventurers fought off the monster army while listening to the steel melodies played by the blacksmith.

"...!"

Hammer, hammer, hammer.

As if symbolizing an impatient state of mind, Welf repeatedly depicted the afterimage of a hammer raised high and swung down.

The deadly heat scorched their skin. The "Demon Sword" and "Dragon Liver" generated temperatures far exceeding those of normal work, even scorching the crystal protective cloth and causing them to sweat profusely. The sweat evaporated instantly as soon as it dripped from their chins onto the iron hammer.

The countless sparks flying everywhere are the best proof of the "power (ability parameter)" that does not require a blacksmith partner.

The unerring accuracy in capturing the center point of metal is a result of "dexterity (ability parameter)".

While his entire body was being burned, Welf used his strength, skill, and courage to fight against the metal block in front of him.

But, but, but.

"hateful……!?"

The shape did not change as expected.

No, that's not all; the metal's surface even defied Welf's will, depicting distorted, uneven curves.

It was almost as if it were alive, as if it had an independent will and was struggling and resisting.

"Superhard metals" belong to the highest tier of materials among various rare metals. Their hardness, as their name suggests, falls into the "superhard" category, making them extremely difficult to process and forge. This material, which even renowned master blacksmiths find challenging, is beyond Welf's capabilities.

When creating Bell's rabbit armor, he had already worked on it using artificially lightweight "processed super-hard metal (Dirgen steel)". But he couldn't work on this pure raw ore.

Overwhelming lack of technical skills or experience.

The wildly flying sparks and the hard resistance of the metal both proclaimed that they were not under Welf's control.

"Are you kidding me...!?"

Cursing will not achieve any results.

The ultra-hard metal seemed to resist stubbornly, bouncing back against the hammer and causing a strong impact on the palm.

The impurities turned into countless sparks that flew onto his face as he heated the ultra-hard metal again and struck it.

(Time is limited, I can't afford to fail. I must finish in the shortest possible time.)

but……

(The sound of my heartbeat is so loud.)

The sound faded away very slowly, clinging stubbornly to my ear and refusing to leave.

(For every three strikes of the hammer, the heart beats only once.)

Welf finds himself in a time vortex unlike anything he has ever seen before.

Each time the forging is struck hard with a hammer, time melts away, and the self is gradually drawn into the fiery red-hot metal.

(How much time has passed since you started blacksmithing?)

(A few hours? Half a day? Or a minute?)

(Where am I right now?)

Although the manufacturing process of ordinary swords differs from that of the "Demon Sword," it cannot be shortened rapidly. If one wishes to forge a sword capable of surpassing the current state, one must challenge the "Supreme" realm within a limited time.

This almost obsessive anxiety pushed Welf into the "forging darkness".

—He poured both his strength and skill into it.

—The craftsman's glory, self-respect, and will are also included.

But why, why is it not what I want?

"Gaa ...

"Ugh...!"

The monster's roars grew louder, while Sakura and the others' attempts to fight back weakened. He didn't know if they were still safe. But Welf had no energy left to look up and check. To be honest, if he looked away from the training process even once, it was tantamount to failure. And failure was directly equivalent to "death."

Distractions lead to more distractions, creating the worst vicious cycle that erodes Welf's mind and body.

To call it a hard-fought battle would be too mild; his limbs and body gradually sank into the abyss of quagmire.

It's already a miracle that the number of times it was broken was kept to zero.

"Haa, haa, haa...!"

He was drenched in sweat, his breath felt scorched, and the world was overwhelmed by the pounding of his heart.

I can't tell left from right anymore.

The same applies to front and back, and top and bottom.

In the darkness of his vision, crimson metal and his own hammer appeared.

This is all that he has now.

This is the "limit" landscape that Welf first reached.

(—The sound can be heard.)

In a world shrouded in darkness.

Between despair and anxiety, and the will to resist them.

Welf heard a “sound” born from “iron”.

"Listen to the sound of the iron, listen to the ringing of the iron, and put your heart into the hammer."

Those were the teachings of the forging family (Crozzo) that I heard in my childhood.

These were the words of the souls of his grandfather and father, whom he had once hated.

The origin of Welf Crozzo's revival, the foundation of everything, will convey to him that "voice of the iron block"—"the inquiry of the hammer".

Tell me.

What do you want to tell me?