Chronicles of Metal: Chapter 3 - Legacy of Metal

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The next week or so had been an interesting one. The first thing Beard realised was that... He didn't get tired. A full day of combing through the library proved no challenge, and he didn't notice until well after the sun rose the next day. Sure, he could sleep if he wanted to. But if he didn't think about it, he could go without for days. The next thing he learned was hunger was a thing of the past as well. Again, he could eat, taste, smell, feel full. The only thing he was missing was an appetite. Snacking on something while reading was more of a habit than anything.

Then of course there was everything he'd learned about the Floor guardians. He had to hand it to Hetfield; she may not have enjoyed the adventuring part of the game, but the roleplaying aspect of it she embraced like a champion.

When he heard about these build guides, he assumed they'd be... Well, build guides. What skills to get at each level, how much effort to put into crafting their items, things like that. And while that was indeed a part of it, it was contained within a veritable novel of backstory and lore for each one of them. Beard couldn't tell where more effort had gone, grinding materials for the floor guardians, or Hetfield single-handedly crafting a backstory for them. But, once he got through the backstory, he found exactly what he was looking for. Battle rolls for each floor guardian, and some insight into their personality.

It was actually funny to think about, but the six of them together filled out a fairly balanced raid squad on their own. Solomon, Vespa, and Isabella where your frontline fighters, with strength, speed, and skill in spades. Hexis was your typical ranged combatant, sniping from afar and throwing up debuffs to keep enemy's from getting too close. Synth was a caster lord, knowing everything form combat spells, buffs, healing, even some summoning. And finally, Tao; hybrid melee and caster. Sort of a jack of all traits. Of course, there was more he learned about her, and it didn’t come from a guild records.

In short, she was impatient.

She must've stopped by a dozen times today alone, asking to go out exploring. Beard turned her down every time, citing that they didn't know what was out there. All he had was these six flour guardians, and he didn't want anything to happen to them. No matter how much they pouted about it. Tao was honestly the only one who complained, but all it took was another task to distract her for the remainder of the day. Food as well; she was quite the glutton. Sharing his food with her caused her to curl up and nap the rest of the day away. Annoying at times, perhaps, but easy to contend with.

It was similar across the board. So he discovered when he checked on the remolding around the bridge, Vespa was like a loyal samurai. Whatever he asked, she'd jump to see it done. She never asked for anything in return, instead asking for her legion of solder insects be rewarded in her stead. Not only was it commendable, it also made her particularly easy to deal with. Solomon wanted for nothing, a silent guardian with his own sense of justice. Not a talker, but there was some mention in his backstory about being cursed to hunt down evil wherever he found it. That gave Beard enough of an idea how to stay out of his way.

Solomon and Hexis where similar in that regard. The undead gunslinger was written to be your typical outlaw, a narrow code of honor that he followed to the end. He didn’t seem to have any goals outside of just surviving, which was a fairly simple thing to achieve being an undead creature. The same was true of Synth. Keeping to himself in his laboratory, give him whatever materials he asked for and he’d be loyal as ever. Given the vast treasury the guild had accumulated, that seemed like a simple thing.

Again though, Isabella was the one that stood out. It made no mention of what she wanted, only that she was a loyal servant to the guild and had been there for forever. There where likes and dislikes, things she preferred and things that annoyed her. But when it came to desires, the only line that he found read as follows.

"looking for something more."

That was... Unfathomably unhelpful. Especially when one considered the amount of detail Hetfield went into about the others. He knew everything from Tao's favorite food, to how Synth liked to organise his samples, to Vespa's penchant for reading. But Isabella... Had nothing. It would have been sad if it weren't for the fact that she very clearly had no issue voicing her thoughts. No mater how derogatory they may have been.

Concluding that she'd speak up if she wanted something, Beard decided to move on. The bridge entrance hall had been completed days ago, and was exactly how he'd envisioned it. A room connecting the bridge on either side, acting as both a sort of foyer and a stopgap from someone rushing blindly into the guild.

Of course... That was something else they'd discovered. There were people here. Lots of them. On the first day, Hexis reported a handful of riders approaching the bridge. They stopped dead the moment they lay eyes on the cathedral, obviously debating the merits of risking a crossing. A short time later they deemed it not worth the trouble and turned back, but more riders arrived every other day on either side to the shoor. Judging by the matching colors and emblems that adorned their armor, it could be assumed they where all of the same faction. None where brave enough to venture towards the guild, but knowing there was some other faction nearby was enough for Beard to assign a lookout at all times.

Which, as it happens, was his next destination. In between the two bridge entrances was a small staircase that led to a balcony that overlooked the river. From there one could get a decent view of either bank, and a good look at anything that might be approaching.

"Hexis." Beard called to the undead gunslinger on watch, and the floor boss turned and offered a tip of his hat. "How are things?"

"Unchanged, for the most part." The gunslinger shrugged a pair of his four shoulders. Being a sniper class, Hexis had the best eyesight of any of them, which made him the best lookout they could've asked for. Most of the updates that'd come in over the past week had come from him. "Weather looks to be takin' a turn for the worse though."

Looking skyward, Beard found a collection of dark grey clouds staring back at him. It wasn't the first time a storm had blown in, so perhaps they where in the rainy season. It was winter back when he logged into YGGDRASIL, but that was hardly a detail he felt like getting hung up on given everything else that had happened.

"Well, I'll take a bit of rain over someone storming the gate." Beard chuckled.

Hexis gave an approving hum, his hollow eyes staring out at the bank. "Let's hope our fisherman sees it that way too." Beard followed Hexis gesture upstream, but couldn't make out a thing. Grabbing a set of binoculars, Beard looked out so see a tiny figure in the distance.

This wasn't the first time they'd seen her. She'd come out twice a day every few days, riding a boat attached with ropes to either bank and setting up fishing nets in the water. "What kind of lunatic goes fishing upstream of a waterfall?" Beard muttered, watching her real in a rather impressive hull from her nets. "There's got to be a better spot, isn't there?"

"Looks like she knows what she's doin' to me..." Hexis said with a shrug, something Beard couldn't exactly argue with. "So boss, are you heading out today?"

Beard let out a heavy sigh, cursing Tao for her gossipy tongue. They sent a familiar to follow some of the riders one day, and came across a city spanning a massive bridge a few miles upriver. He planed on quietly investigating on his own, discern exactly what kind of people he shared this world with. But Tao had been there when the familiar had returned, and within the hour the entire guild knew of his intentions.

"Better sooner than later." He said through gritted teeth. "It's only a matter of time before those riders get brave enough to come poking around."

The corps nodded slightly, crossing two of his arms. "I'd recon we can handle a few raiders."

He thumbed the hammer of one of his four guns as he spoke, causing Beard to grimace. "I'd like to avoid that, if we can." Hexis nodded again, leaving the weapons holstered. Still though, it reminded Beard that the sooner they had a threat assessment, the sooner they could formulate a contingency plan. "But I suppose we should get this over with."

Placing a withered wheat stalk into his mouth, Hexis nodded. "In that case, I think the machine had somethin' fer' ya."

It took a moment for Beard to figure out what that ment. "You mean Synth?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Tao mentioned he was workin' on a disguise or somethin'. Never asked fer' details."

Couldn't exactly blame him for that. Her lore blurb said Tao was playful and excitable, but apparently that also meant she was a complete motormouth. "Right... Thanks for the heads up."

With a small wave, Hexis said. "Happy huntin'."

One quick teleport spell later, Beard arrived at the 4th level. The Ebony Labyrinth. A sprawling cacophony of clockwork gears, elevators, moving passageways, and a massive laboratory at the center of it all. Synth's laboratory; where both he and Tao where waiting for him to arrive.

"Ah, master." The massive android rested a hand over his chest and bowed his hooded head. "I trust you had no issue finding your way here?"

This took Beard aback. He knew they could all teleport here, didn't he? Was he just making small talk? "Y-yeah, no issue."

"Well duh. We all use warp gates to get here." Tao blurted, sitting atop one of the many shelves full of jarred specimens.

Synth let out a dramatic sigh. Or at least made the sound of one. His mouth didn't move when he talked, so it was hard to tell. "I'm sorry master, it seems my lab has a bit of a vermin infestation, as of late."

"Heeeey!" Tao moaned, leaping off of her perch. "I am not vermin!"

"Alright, alright, no fighting." Beard held up a hand, and both fell silent immediately. Tao rested her hands on her hips and puffed her cheeks in disapproval, but that was the extend of her defiance. "Hexis said you had something for me?"

"Yes, that I did." Abruptly turning around, Synth began rummaging around his lab. "I think Master Hetfield would be proud of my work." Hearing that, Beard remembered that Hetfield was largely a crafter. Any item they had that didn't come from a drop or a quest came from her. Thinking back, it was impressive just how many of the guild's resources came from her. Before long, Synth turned around with a stack of folded garments in his mechanical hands. "Please, take them."

Right away, Beard recognised the garments as some kind of equipment. He'd done some experimenting with equipping and unequipping items, and it wasn't at all like it had been in the game. Like his skills, so long as he had the items in his position, all he had to do was think about it and the items would equip to him.

Taking the garments and doing just that, the items vanished from his hand like a whisp of smoke, and shortly the clothing appeared on his person. They where... not what he was expecting. He resembled a warrior, some mix of Viking, ranger, and mercenary. A long cloak with accompanying hood, intermixing leather and metal armor, a small handful of trinkets that denoted moderate wealth. What's more... His hand had turned... Human.

"Better than anticipated." Synth mused, an obvious pride carrying in his metallic voice. "The Robe of Mammon will conceal your appearance to any onlooker. To them, you'll appear to be just another human in the crowd."

It was impressive to say the least. Over the past week, he'd gotten used to his new ghostly appearance. So, seeing himself as a human again felt oddly cathartic. "This is great. Thanks." His voice had returned to normal as well, which was also a nice surprise.

"Your words humble me, Master." Synth bowed again. Beard couldn't tell where this subservience was coming from; there wasn't any mention of it in his specs. But if Synth was willing to be helpful like this then he couldn't exactly complain. Cringy manor of speaking aside. "I also included a few weapons, should you have need to defend yourself but wish to keep your identity a secret."

Beard raised an eyebrow, not that anyone could see it under his hood. He reached back to find a pair of hatchets hanging from his back. They where about mid sized, ornate, and if he was being honest completely unnecessary. At the root of it all, his class was basically a superpowered assassin. Stealth was kind of his thing. But still, he appreciated that Synth had been thorough.

"Now, if I may make a request?" The machine asked.

"Uh..." This caught Beard off guard, but after stowing his weapons he nodded slightly. "Sure."

"I'd like some new samples from your outing." Synth gestured to the countless jars lining the shelves around them. Filled with everything to the mundane to the outright ghoulish. "I will be happy with whatever you deem Interesting. Nothing is too insignificant."

Again, an odd request. But nothing he couldn't fulfil. It sounded like e just wanted stuff from the new world, no mater what it was. "Sure, I'll grab anything that catches my eye."

Synth bowed his head again. "Your kindness knows no end, Master Beard."

Yeah, talking to him was going to take some getting used to.

Turning around, Beard came face to face with Tao. Her tail was waging like an exited husky and her bright purple eyes were lit up with anticipation. "Can I go with you?" She begged clasping her hands together. "Pleeeeease?"

"You know you can't." Beard sighed, knowing this wasn't going to be a fun conversation even before Tao started to pout. "We're trying not to stand out. And I'm pretty sure the only one of us who can do that on their own is Isabella."

"Awwww..." Tao moaned, crossing her arms. "Why does the servant girl get to go?"

Forcing back a chuckle, Beard gestured behind her. "Because she doesn't have one of those." Tao grimaced as he pointed at her tail. She sunk to the floor and gave the appendage a big hug, pouting into the little plume at the end. All the same, Beard felt like hammering the point home. "Unless you want to convince Synth to make you a disguise as well, I need you here. OK?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Tao finally capitulated. "'Kaaaaay..." Her pouting persisted, but at the very least she'd given up on arguing.

"We'll be back later tonight." Beard assured, waving the dragon girl's complaints away. "And I'll stop by to show ya what I get." He called across the laboratory at Synth, who gave a small bow at response.

One short teleport later, he Beard found himself at the newly build bridge entrance. He told Vespa to keep it simple, but she'd clearly taken a few liberties with the design. A lavish staircase rose up to the stone bridge, which itself had been ground down to sit level with the floor. Marble pillars framed a large ebony door on either side of the room, and an array of torches lit with blue flames hung from the roof. He had to hand it to Vespa and her troops, they made the place look great.

There was just one thing that was out of place however. He couldn't remember calling for her, but oddly enough Isabella was waiting for him when he arrived. She turned to face him the moment he entered the hall, and waited for him to approach before addressing him. "Is that your disguise, Master Beard?"

"Y-yeah..." He nodded, a little taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

Isabella gave a short huff, crossing her arms under her chest. "Well, thanks to the lizard, everyone knows you wished to travel to the settlement up river. And, seeing as I'm the only one who might pass as human, I thought I['d go with you." She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, one that made it hard to argue with her. "Sir."

Again, she added the honorific after a bit of a pause, but that was becoming a recuring habit of hers. What's more, while it was a little creepy how well she'd read the situation, Beard appreciated her initiative. "Well… Glad to have ya. Let's get going."

"Right away." Isabella offered a small bow, and followed Beard out shortly after.

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