We worked the whole day on it to make Bulk a new weapon. The thing was that we would have to remove one of the tool gears but he said it didn’t matter.

"I’m going for fighter not craftsman." He said when we addressed the issue.

Seeing as he was right handed and we were only going to make one arm the new weapon we picked up a new scraped left arm and worked on that. His own left arm was removed because we needed to connect some of the pipes into his steam tank. He had to turn his engine off and run on battery while we worked less we ruin the upgrade materials.

The pipe exited the steam tank and came out his left shoulder. From there a rubber hose was attached at the end so that it wouldn’t leak steam even when the pressure rose. We then connected a new pipe that went down to his elbow and again a new hose was put to link to the next pipe that went to just before the wrist. There the glass ball was connected to is on one of the holes and on the other the mechanic pump was connected which works when steam is pumped in it rapidly expands out. The pressure valve was put in between to allow steam to enter the pump and after it to allow the steam to exit. When it has no pressure the pump is hidden behind the wrist in the place where the tool gear would go. The last part was upgrading the arm and bulkier hand with newer joints so that it didn’t creak and would be easier to handle.

The arm itself was just a slight bit heavier but we balanced that out by adding a bit of padding on the other arm. When the arm was complete we connected the hose on the shoulder and then connected the arm once more but only just the skeleton.

“Turn the engine on. Let's build pressure and test it.” I said.

"Finally, I...was at...40% battery...already." He said with a bit of relief.

The engines come to life and soon the steam pressure starts building and come out the pipes on his back. I check his arm with the collector and see if there are any leaks near the exits or along the pipe. None found I pull it out and then we connect the rest of the arm.

You have created an improved weaponized arm.

+7 strengthWeapon: Crude Small Pressure FistA small steam pressure fist that some tanks have. The power behind them can cause iron to cave in but due to being made by amateurs using scraps it will need constant maintenance.

Damage 20-25

Water 5% of engine steam per punch

"This is...sick man! 20-25 damage....plus 7...strength for...a single...arm!" He said totally pumped.

"No, we added...padding to the...other that had a slight improvement but probably by 1 point." Rust says.

"Though 5%...of the...engines steam...is hell...of a...lot of...steam!" He said probably frowning though it didn't show on the clockwork face.

“A strong newbie weapon will always come with a balance like that. I bet it's also because we used trash to make it.” I explained

"Wow you look strong now." Nova said checking out the slightly bulkier arms.

Nova’s comment makes his ego swell a bit. I only sigh at his simpleness.

After we get good metal we will need to make a whole new body for all of us. I wasn’t planning on staying here at all.

"So we have…finished this. What now?" Rust asks me.

“Aren’t the Tanks ready to fight?” I ask him in return.

"Yes we got…their pressure fists…online. Besides that…they are unarmed." Rust replies.

"Isn’t that...enough?" Bulk asks confused.

"Yeah! The big robots look super strong after bro fixed them." Nova says looking at Rust confused.

"...It is but...I don’t know. Will we support...them or let...them go alone?" Rust says worried.

"We will go together with them. We can scavenge while they kill off the bigger stuff. If they get hurt during the fight we can repair them and after disable the queen we can scavenge it.” I tell him.

"Yes that is...best. Let us call...everyone." Rust says calming down a bit.

We left the workshop and Bulk went around calling everyone out. When we were gathered Rust had one of the tanks lift him higher on his hand.

"Okay everyone! Because...the tanks have...been repaired to...acceptable levels...I think...it's best to...move on and...kill the furnace...queen. We will...be able to...reconstruct our bodies...once we obtain...the furnace on...her. The tanks...will go in...first and we...will follow dismantling...the robot as...we go as...well also providing...support with repairs." Rust explains to all of us.

Mission: Moving furnace

The tank have been successfully revived and repaired to a point where it is possible to attack the Furnace Queen in the Clockwork Scrapyard. You and all the working class will have to provide support with repairs and disassembly while inside the hive.

Difficulty F++

Reward: Queen Furnace

Success: Clear the Spider Dungeon

Failure: All three tanks are destroyed and beaten by the queen 0/3

So a double plus F quest. Which means we don’t get in the action but the danger still exists. I thought.

"So it’s...going to...get serious...then?" Bulk asks

“Turning point of whether the Clockwork rise again or go to extinction for good.” I say.

"Think so? But what...about the...new players...appearing daily?" He asks.

“You didn’t notice did you? Those who couldn’t work quick enough lost all power and the character died. With no city to respawn they just lay there and wake up again the same way and they can’t get out. Those who are here are the only ones still up and running. If we find others they can start but besides that there is nothing to keep them in such a difficult race where you start with only a single limb and alone.” I explain.

"...You’re right...like always. I got...lucky you...and Nova...were there." He says.

"I would suggest...you take the...rest of the...day to prepare...yourselves. Tomorrow morning...we will be...heading down to...get the queen." Rust says finishing up.

A loud monotone cheer came from everyone and they all dispersed. Everyone but Rust, Bulk, Nova, the three tanks and me.

"Hey kids we wanted to say sorry for scaring your sister." Reinfred says apologizing.

I glared at them which made the steam pump faster and my eyes glow brighter.

“I don’t need your apologies! Give them to my sister who you scared!” I sent the message irritated.

They turned to the tiny clockwork and apologized which made her embarrassed.

"Um? It's okay, I was just surprised waking up to that." She says.

She hugged me tighter while saying that but none the less they did what they needed to do so I didn’t give a crap.

The three definitely saw her fear of them and moved back. At least they have enough sense in those metal buckets they use as heads to know when someone is scared of them and they should stay away until that person wants to get near.

After a while of silence I told Nova to sit next to me and not on my lap and I pulled out a few pieces of iron I got from the drones. They were a bit larger then my shield. Besides the that I pulled out a four pieces that were as long as my elbow.

I took two of the long pieces and with my welder I held the two pieces together and welded them together. I did the same to the other two pieces. Finally I got Nova to hold one piece and I held the other and I connected one side of them and welded it together leaving me with a long arm sized piece of bulky iron.

"What are...you making?" Bulk asked.

“Sword and shield.” I reply.

I then open my chest plate and put one side of the iron rod above the fire of the engine and in the menu I open the engine settings and increase output. I let the iron sit for five minutes before I remove it and set it on the flat metal floor sheet of iron and bang the glowing side. I also lower the output to not waste fuel which I needed to refuel.

I hit along the glowing part pushing it closer to a wedge. As the color returned to grey I open sit back pull a fuel can out and add it to my tank before increasing the output again and sticking it in.

Because it was heated already it took less time before I started on the other side. I lifted the metal hammer and began banging away and shaping the metal into the wedge but as it cooled I was a bit away from it but it was good enough as is since I am facing metal robots and not animals.

I let that edge cool before heating the other side and proceed to forge that side into a blunt sword shape.

As you can guess all the hammering drew a lot of attention and quite a few people came out to see what it was and found me using my engine as a makeshift forge and smithing the crude sword.

After another 20 minutes of constant heating and hammering the sword was done more or less.

Crude Blunt SwordA blunt sword made with the intent of fighting machines instead of animals or people. Made by an amateur that knows nothing about blacksmithing while using a poor flame to heat the metal. It has many dents on the sword but it can still be used to fight.

Durability 20/20

Attack 13-16You have learned a new skillCrude Blacksmithing (basic 1)

A form of blacksmithing used by using poor equipment and materials. It is a style used by self-learned artisan in poor conditions with poor structure to make proper weapons.

(This skill will be replaced with real blacksmithing if you learn from a real blacksmith)

+2% increase when smithing with poor equipment

Well that went better than I expected. It turned out surprisingly well for a crude blunt sword. The blacksmithing skill is a real shock though. I thought to myself.

"Done?" Bulk asks me.

I looked up and found myself in surround by everyone.

…

"Everyone is...curious about...the weapon...how is...it?" Bulk asks.

“Make a blunt sword with drone metal sheets and find out” I tell everyone.

I store the sword and pick up the iron plate and turn it a few times. I stood up and headed for the workshop so I could get a piece for the handle inside and to trim the edges and get it into a round shield shape.

I quickly found one that fit well and welded it on and then with the cutters from the tool gear I cut it into shape and finished it.

Iron plate shield

An iron shield made from the plate armor of an autonomous drone. It was completed by an amateur but since the shield was near completion when finished it came out well.

Defense 25

Durability 40/40

Now this is what I’m talking about. Maybe I will go the craftsman route and let Bulk take the tank route. Craftsmen seem like a better choice in this ruined world setting I thought. “Well I’m ready for tomorrow” i said.

"Can I...see?" Bulk asks.

I think a bit and pull the sword and let him look at the stats. It makes his eyes shine bright and his pipes let out a bit more steam than it should.

"You are...too good...at crafting." Bulk says amazed.

“No I just use good material, Drone plate and iron bars” I reply indifferent.

"You used...your own...engine to...heat it." He says.

“What else is there to do” I tell him.

I hear feet running and see the all the people at the door run outside and soon I hear the sounds of the welders zapping metal together.

"Looks like...there is...competition." Bulk comments on the sudden rise in people copying me.

“Don’t care, let them do as they like” I reply once again indifferent to what others are doing.

I pack my things and head to a room to go to sleep.

“Are you going to sleep?” I ask him.

"Nah, I’ll...just log...off soon. Speaking of...which I’ve...never seen...you log...off." Bulk said.

"You just never saw me log off. I have more free time so I'm on longer." I lied.

"Well that's true? Well I'll be going then." He says.

“See you.” I say.

I go to a corner and set the system to boot up of my body is tampered with or when it reaches 6 am.

Nothing happened during the night thankfully and I booted up properly.

Today I waited for Nova to wake up completely to leave so that nothing unexpected would happen.

As we walk outside we see quite a few people with some blunt swords or some extra forged padding. Most of them no longer have any holes in their body which showed the gears before.

I find Bulk outside the cave with the tanks talking with them.

"So that...kind of...weapon existed...in the...past." I heard Bulk saying as i got near.

"Yep. We could cause full on assaults just one of us by ourselves. Most of them were stripped off us as you can see this open spot here and here." Rein said.

"Eep!" Nova shouted as we got close.

Nova was in my arms and hugged me while hiding her face as we approached.

“What caused full assaults” I ask.

"An old weapon we used to have. All he have left today are the pressure fists and our partial strength." Rein said.

"I’m sure...Techno can...find a...way to...make it...soon." Bulk comments.

“Only if I found it useful” I say.

"Shame we haven’t found any mechanic class. Those guys had a body build with tools in every place of all kinds. They were like a factory stations by themselves." Hub says.

This kind of peaks my interest.

“What do they look like” I ask wanting to see an image.

A request for a download appears and I accept. It shows a video of a 2 meter tall Clockwork that had relatively bulky figures. The chest was wide and it held a really large engine that also seem to work as a personal forge because of the power of the flames. The arms were really thick and when it opened its gears a large number of them popped out before returning and leaving a few remaining which was used. Besides the tools he had a large assortment of weapons hidden on his body so it wasn’t just a craftsman since he could improve his body as he pleased.

The video showed several and it was clear to see that there was no actual model for it like a tank. Each one was unique.

“Quite an interesting class” I say very interested.

"Those bastards are kind of a dual class. Besides being some of the best repairmen, they are some of the most annoying marksmen and can fight in many different ranges with many weapons and tools they build." Hub says.

This kept getting more interesting.

"They are a bit lacking in close combat but considering the weapons they possess and the tactics they use they are a pain in the ass to fight." Hub continues.

"I think if we can get the furnace you can make an engine that can start you on as a mechanic. The engine is normally nicknamed the forge engine. It’s similar to the furnace queens except her insides are like a factory doing the entire construction of the drones while the forge engine is a forge." Reinfred says finishing up.

“Food for thought” I tell them.

We suddenly hear some metal hitting metal and look towards it and see Rust there with a club and shield.

"It's time for...us to head...out. Those who are...staying behind, begin...reviving more Clockwork. We will need...more manpower soon." Rust orders.

A monotone cheer comes from everyone. I put Nova down.

"You’re coming...but stay...close to...me unless...I tell...you to...stay put." I tell Nova.

"Okay bro." She replies.

"Leave the...collectors in...your chest...and ready...to collect...stuff." I tell her.

We pull out the collectors from our inventory and toss them into the spot where the human gut would be. They remain inactive. She then pulls out her pipe club. We feel the tanks get up since they cause the ground to shake and they stand at their full 3 meters tall casting shadows on us.

After that we move out. The three tanks go in front but they are in a line because the path is only roughly 4 meters wide and really rough. They’re footsteps cause tremors but we move on.

When we arrive at the clearing they just walk in and when the drones come at them they just pick them up from above and hold them upside down and pull all the legs off and leave it there for us to strip clean. Bulk took the chance and secured a drone head for himself before leaving the rest for the others.

The cave was large, easily 6 meters tall. Inside we met more drones and swarms of collectors. I made quite the stock with them. I need repair material and replacements for my own so it's best to have them now then regret later.

The cave itself was fairly simple structured. It was circular and had a slight curve following the mountain it was under as the path went down. The floors were made of iron probably from the queen. As we headed down we could tell the heat was rising because we had to let out more steam to keep from bursting. It ate at the water supply but only increasing consumption by about half more than usual.

After half an hour of breaking down drones after drones everyone was fiddling with the brains. It was when we spotted the end. The corridor ended and the room radiated red light.

Before letting the Tanks go in we refilled the fuel and water and they advanced on while we stayed at the entrance to the corridor.

The final room was huge.

If you have been to a soccer stadium then you know what big is. Now think maybe twice that size and nearly 30 meters high. Inside we couldn’t help but frown at what was waiting.

At the center dropping a new batch of drones was the furnace queen. Standing at 10 meters tall and 20 long the giant spider made the tanks look small and it made us worker class even smaller.

"What do you know...a great queen." Rein said.

"Who would have guess we would fight something like this huh." Bolt commented.

“Is it hard?” I ask.

"Yep. The normal procedure against this is at least 6 tanks moderately armed." Hub says.

"So we...are fucked?" Bulk says.

"Nope. These bitches have one fatal flaw. They are so fucking heavy they can’t move." Rein said laughing.

"They still hit hard as fuck though." Hub says.

"Are you going...to be all...right?" Rust asks them worried.

"Like hell we will. Most likely at least one of us will get beaten down." Rein said laughing harder.

“Optimistic much” I said.

"We are being optimistic. To fight this bitch as we are at least one sacrifice for a distraction will happen." Rein shouted.

"Though we can still beat it with some good distractions we don’t have long range weapons." Bolt says examining the queen.

Long range...wait ”Then let’s use the collectors to get inside and break it apart." I say.

"That...could work." Rein said thinking.

“Rust get them upgraded with the headpiece and transmitter and get them repairing the collectors they picked up.” I order Rust to get working. "Nova...we need...to help...them with...our little...spiders. We need...to get...inside that...big thing...and break...it." I told her.

"I get to help?" She asked. Her eyes shine brightly.

"Yes but...only your...little spiders...can go." I tell her.

"Okay!" She shouts determined.

She opens the chest piece and soon the four collectors crawl out before she closes it. If we were any other race that would have been something out of a horror movie.

“Get going we will make distractions!” I tell the tanks.

"Well than boys." Rein begins

“””Let's give it hell!!””” The three shout.