Arber Fistpig is a mythical figure that devoted himself to the art of blacksmithing completely. His persistence and work ethic made even his fellow dwarves call him a madman. For decades he created artifacts that would last generations. Swords which stood the test of time and went down in history. Armor that stayed mighty and indomitable regardless of whatever conflict it went through. His eccentricity was pronounced as he refused to do commissions even for large sums of money. Many offered a king's ransom to acquire one of his works, but he sternly refused unless his client was a promising individual. Many fail this test, and the ones who have the qualifications could be counted on a single finger throughout this century alone. What's certain, however, is that those who wield Fistpig's equipment will become historical figures to do great things.

~ The Famous Figures of Welton's Furnace by Arber Fistpig

"Your terms. Are interesting. Human. I will consult Elric. About it tomorrow."

"Is there a particular reason why you always say his name in a different language?" Christopher asked, his voice echoing slightly throughout the junkyard.

"It is a force of habit. Our creator has told us. That it reminds him of home. The language is. From his homeland."

Damien heard the last part of their conversation as he approached. Even at the dead of night, the conveyor belts and screens were at full power, humming with activity as the screens showed machines waging war against insects. It didn't seem as though the conflict had died down whatsoever. In fact, it looked as though it was intensifying. That likely explained the lower number of automatons present in the junkyard. Android 02 noticed the boy's presence and swiveled its massive body around.

"Vampire boy. Do you bring a message. From Elric?"

"No, he and Chester were getting drunk off your liquor." He looked pointedly at Christopher. "Is there a reason why you had that in your pack? Doesn't seem like something you should bring to an expedition."

"You'll realize when you're older." The priest said primly. His clothes were wrinkle-free and his hair was slicked back in its usual style. "A drink during an arduous adventure may be what keeps you sane. Or killed, if you're reckless."

Damien shook his head. He never liked alcohol. His great-grandfather had frequently encouraged him to take a sip of the wine that he'd drink, but after the first taste, he knew that there would be no chance of him turning to alcohol as a way to destress. He returned his thoughts to the conversation at hand and crossed his legs on the floor, making sure that the surface was clean (as it could be) and made himself comfortable.

On the opposite end of the robot's massive body, the vampire noticed that it was fiddling around with the robot that had come with Chester. It was laying on the floor, disassembled, but active and powered on. Openings around the bottom of Android 02's frame contained arms that were optimal for doing methodical work. With the precision of a skilled artisan, it took apart the foot soldier and armed it with a dark metal that gave off a chilly sensation.

"Is that...the cold iron? And does this hurt the construct?"

"Yes. No. Our foot soldiers have never. Expressed any pain. During this process."

It raised its hand while the bulkier robot operated on it. Wires, plates, and other parts came off as Android 02 removed a portion of its leg. "I feel as. Though I am floating. Between life. And death."

'That doesn't sound painless at all.'

He turned to Christopher and decided to switch topics. "So how was your experience here so far?"

"It was unique. The workload is quite...intensive, but seeing how my spells interact with these constructs has been an eye-opening experience. Android 02 has been good company, and I've discussed the potential of a partnership between them and our church."

Damien's eyes gleamed upon hearing that. "Oh? You're very opportunistic."

"Well, our leader rewards us with commissions and royalties whenever we secure a new ally or partnership. A finder's fee. Seeing the potential Elric and the others have, I'd say this would be enough to allow me to retire comfortably. You have my thanks."

"Is this true, Android 02?"

The massive screen gave a thumbs-up as a sign of affirmation. "Correct. I believe their. Terms are agreeable. It would improve. Productivity and establish. A steady supply. Of materials."

"What about you, Damien? How was your trip with Elric?"

"He surprisingly did most of the work. We talked a lot, and he let me finish off the Stonejaws so I could get a better hold of my powers. It is not what I expected to have. I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps, so I could have more range in my attacks. Wisperium is quite lacking when it comes to people capable of medium and long-range attacks."

The vampire had taken a minecart and was deployed with two other Scrap Bots to subdue the ankheg infestation. Seeing how Elric was able to dispose of the mighty beasts with the numerous weapons he had in his body, Damien was thankful that they chose diplomacy over conflict. Chester's connection with the man might've saved this expedition from being a total disaster, and the burning desire to become stronger intensified in the boy's heart. Seeing how they were only saved by dumb luck and the mercy of Elric made him flush with shame and embarrassment.

'I'll never be caught unaware. Every threat to myself, friends, and family...I won't go down so easily ever again.'

The conversation with Elric had taken a dark turn. he began to weep over the trials and tribulations that had occurred to him during his first year in Aetheria. Chester chipped in every once in a while but was happy to listen and let the man vent out his frustrations.

"I wasn't in a good state, to be honest with you." Elric's face turned as if he was remembering something particularly unpleasant. The man rested his face on his metal hand, clutching a bottle as he did so.

"Damn, Arizona?"

"What? No. I meant like I wasn't in the right space mentally. Almost went insane. Speaking of, where'd you go to school back on Earth? I assumed you lived in the states?"

"I did, but I didn't go to school. I was kind of a traveler. How 'bout you?" The illusionist was being intentionally vague about his origins, although he didn't know why himself. The likelihood of such information being used against him was low.

"I went to MIT for Mechanical Engineering. Class of '13. I was really into robotics and the idea of building bionic prosthetics for disabled people, even the military got interested in my work."

Chester whistled in awe. Hearing about the cyborg's pedigree made him understand how this entire robot army was constructed. "Damn, you had a lot going for you. Sorry to hear that." He patted the man on the back, and Elric looked ready to cry as he was being consoled. The man figured it wasn't the right time to ask about Android 01's body features while the man began to tear up.

"I-I just think it's funny sometimes. Sure my life went to shit but at least I got put somewhere I could use my skills to good use." He said with a hollow smile. His face was scarred and he looked much older than he truly was, which happened to be a few years younger than the illusionist. Chester found it tragic how someone with such a bright future was stolen away and placed in such a horrible situation. Even the usually unsympathetic man felt some semblance of genuine sadness on Elric's behalf.

"That's the spirit. I couldn't use anything that I learned in the forest. Got poisoned, stabbed, bit, and the only thing I'd say that came in handy was learning how to be stealthy."

"What sort of job would need you to be stealthy?"

"Private investigator." He hesitated on revealing that he used to stage robberies and petty crimes for cash. Didn't seem like the best impression to make on someone you were trying to be friends with. "Learning how to snoop around, following people, all that."

"Nice, I guess." Elric took another swig of the bottle but found out that it was empty. They ran through five bottles of hard liquor. For a cyborg and a superhuman, it was a testament to the liquor's strength that they were even inebriated. "Whatever. I'd suggest you rest for now. There'll be more work to do tomorrow. For some reason, the ankhegs are getting worse and worse by the day. If I'm right it'll only get worse tomorrow."

"What about you?"

"I'm part-robot. I don't need as much rest as you do. Go to Android 02, he can probably get you a sleeping bag or something. I'll be doing my patrols, most of our forces are down and out at the moment."

You are suffering from the following status conditions: Intoxicated II.

Movement speed is slightly reduced. Decision-making is slightly impaired.

There is a small chance of you going on a speech about how much you appreciate your friends.

With that, they left the office and went their separate ways. Chester found it difficult to walk straight but managed to get himself to where Android 02, Damien, and Christopher were all converged without any trouble. The man was snoring away on a sleeping bag while Android 02 worked diligently. It noticed the man's presence but didn't say anything, electing to ignore the illusionist who responded in kind. The familiar form of the instant cube was situated a few feet away and Chester opened the door to reveal the vampire half-awake on the top bunk.

"Ugh, it's you. What did I tell you about triggering the alarm?"

The instant cube worked so that it would trigger an alarm as soon as any entity entered the premises. Users could circumvent the alarm according to the instruction manual, but this meant that those with knowledge of the product could use it to prevent triggering the alarm. Chester scratched his head after being chided.

"My bad, I'm a bit fucked up. Hic! You know Damien, you're a good kid." The man poked at his cheek and Damien swatted his hand gently.

"Go to sleep, you drunkard."

"No, listen. I'm really glad I joined up with you. I didn't have someone to rely on in the other world the way I did here. So...thanks." Chester didn't sound as inebriated anymore and his voice choked up at the end. He shook his head, wondering why he was getting so emotional all of a sudden. The vampire's eyes softened by a margin and he lay back in bed. "It's been fun."

"I appreciate you too. But really, go to bed. I don't want to listen to you groaning about a hangover tomorrow."

Chester swayed side to side, before taking off his pants and falling in bed. Within a few seconds, he was sound asleep and snoring. Damien muttered quietly as the man forgot to turn off the lights. He grabbed his sword and used it to hit the switch without leaving the top bunk. Comforted by the darkness, the two fell into a deep slumber.

The alarm triggered once more, but Chester was slow to wake up. Even though his instincts were well-honed by months in a man-eating forest, the alcohol was impeding his usual abilities. The vampire boy got up, seeing that Christopher had entered their room with a look of urgency in his eyes. Damien was alerted by how the usually polite man barged in with no sense of decorum, knowing something bad likely happened.

"We're being attacked! Ankheg swarms are everywhere. Get ready before the whole place gets overrun."

The two immediately got dressed and headed outside armed to the teeth. Chester winced but the adrenaline negated the effects of the alcohol substantially. The illusionist put on the mithril-orichalcum set that he received from Elric, hopping out of the room as he strapped on the boots.

"Adventus," Damien said quietly, returning the instant cube to its original size and putting it in his bag. Flying ankhegs took to the skies, pelting them with acid from above. The group dodged the incoming liquid and saw blasts of mana quickly incinerate them. Android 02 possessed launchers along the top of its frame which homed in on enemies with gusto. Blasts of mana bombed the ankhegs with pinpoint accuracy. The screen formed a distinct frowning expression as it faced the adventurers.

"You three. Please head to Elric's office. There is a large concentration of ankhegs converging near his location."

They all ran off, watching as the Android revealed four massive limbs as it uprooted itself while maintaining a steady rate of fire. The newly formed cold-iron Scrap Bot, which only had two legs, stayed near Android 02. Damien led the way, armed with the Blessed Shield and his mithril sword.

"Shadow Servant!"

The hound of darkness manifested itself, keeping pace with the group as they traversed through the junkyard. An ankheg screeched as it popped up from a pile of garbage, but was met with a vicious blow from both Damien and Chester, killing it in two strikes. A flying insect took to the skies, but Damien's dog used a nearby hill of garbage to leap high above and snag it by the leg five meters in the air.

The flying insectoid screeched, trying to shake it off with acid. It shook its body wildly and managed to climb along its back and rip one of its wings. It collapsed to the floor where the vampire ended their life with a strike to the head. Chester stared at the shadowy canine with a mix of trepidation and curiosity. He reached to pet it but withdrew after hearing it growl. It displayed slight hostility towards the illusionist.

"Stop wasting time. Let's go."

The group finally reached Elric's office where ankhegs of all types invaded. Stonejaws, mutants, and other variants that they had never seen before were attacking the otherworlder. But to their surprise, it was the ankhegs being pushed back. Elric blasted them with blasts of mana that either incinerated them on the spot or dealt great damage while avoiding globs of acid from all angles. It was a systematic destruction of the invading colony, but for every one he managed to slay, two more came to take its place.

"Oh, you're all here. Distract them for me, will you? I need to get something ready before the Queen shows up."

With that, the cyborg leaped off the head of a Stonejaw and ran off. All of them turned their heads to the adventuring group and there was a brief pause before all hell broke loose.

"RUN!"

Chester began running without looking back. Damien followed suit with the priest following behind. The boy's canine servant was retreating as well, maintaining a steady pace and dodging any acid attacks coming their way. Fortunately, the ankhegs weren't as fast as them, and they managed to come across Elric and the other androids trying to assemble what looked to be some sort of massive weapon. Many of the automatons looked to be in slight disrepair, as though they were called to action while they were being fixed. He looked shocked at the incoming horde of ants that pursued the three.

"What the hell are you guys doing? I told you to distract them! Not lead them here! Fuck fuck fuck, the Queen's probably on its way now."

"You fucking ass! What makes you think we'd just stand there and fight off car-sized insects? And what's all that shit about the Queen?"

Android 02's firepower intensified as it focused on the insects chasing them. hands sprouted from underneath itself as it helped assemble the weapon alongside Elric. Scrap Bots and foot soldiers emerged to meet them in a deadly clash. Chester and Damien took to the sides where it was less fortified, hacking away at their ranks.

Christopher and Android 01 were responsible for supporting the army from the center. Although the feminine robot had greater utility when it came to healing and buffing the machines, the priest didn't lag far behind. Her sublime figure was a brutal but mesmerizing sight to behold as every strike was calculated with maximum efficiency. Both their Mending skills provided timely healing towards the Scrap Bots who held their formation. Many were being recalled and poured in from the tunnels, causing mass chaos in the backlines where ankhegs and robots collided.

"Greater Restore!" He chanted out, nullifying the effects of the petrification liquid that one of the mutant ankhegs possessed. The Scrap Bots had a frightening sense of teamwork, zoning in on the most dangerous ankhegs that posed the biggest t threat around their encirclement. Christopher knew that staying back and conserving his energy was the best move. Android 01 was different in her way of thinking due to the speed at which she zipped around the battlefield, performing critical strikes where it looked like the formation was going to collapse.

Chester used his illusions to an amazing degree, providing cover and decoys for him and their allies. A Stonejaw ankheg tried to charge a Scrap Bot but passed through it like a mirage, unable to defend against the incoming blow from the true Scrap Bot beside it. The illusionist took the chance to smash his flail into the ankheg's head while the Scrap Bot held it down. The machine's body showed signs of Mana Infusion as it squeezed the massive monster and crushed its insides.

You have slain Stonejaw Ankheg (Level 27)

The illusionist realized he was working alongside the beefy robot that they battled within the tunnels. He gave them a thumbs-up, before moving on to the next target. Damien was taking on three ankhegs at once while being supported by the foot soldiers. His swordsmanship began the transition from avoiding hits to tanking them and taking the opportunity to deal even greater damage. He parried an ankheg's strike with his shield and began condensing a great amount of power in his mithril sword.

"Shadow Smite."

Darkness engulfed the insect and all the creatures behind it, taking massive amounts of damage that killed those too close to the attack. His Shadow Servant was powerful enough to rip through their exoskeleton and finish off the weakened ankhegs, garnering Damien another level up.

You have slain Ankheg (Level 8)

You have slain Ankheg (Level 10)

You have leveled up! You are now level 21.

Even though the level differential was great, the ones he had encountered during his trip with Elric were closer in level and he assumed that the minuscule amounts he received from them were enough to reach a new level. He put it to STR, adding strength to his blows that would make him even more dangerous.

Damien could hardly resist, the blood-thirsty smile of his began to reveal itself. The carnage of battle aroused his vampiric bloodline. Dark energy empowered his entire body and he reveled in the battlefield. Seeing a few ants break through the formation and charge at Elric, the battle-crazed vampire activated his class skills and put them to use.

"MORE! Taunt!"

Chester decided to stay away from the path of destruction that the vampire carved into the ankheg army. A dozen of the massive insects converged on his location, feeling the antagonistic presence that came with his skill. It seemed to ignore the robots this time, although the illusionist couldn't confirm whether it was intentional or the system classified the machines as allies in this situation. He felt a slight bit of envy at the boy's class abilities, feeling as though his skills were inferior to some degree. The man felt as though his illusion powers were closer to party tricks compared to Damien's class.

The cyborg who worked alongside his subordinate to construct a gigantic weapon stole a glance at where the vampire was, before returning his attention to the task at hand. Chester wanted to yell and cuss him out for not helping with the invasion.

'This asshole! If he just helped us out here we'd finish off this stupid insect horde in no ti-.'

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud screeching noise that made him feel as though his ears were bleeding. The tunnels that the robots created were collapsing and Chester winced and turned to the source, and his heart sank upon seeing a monstrous silhouette cast a shadow on the battlefield. Elric didn't pause to look at the being which caused the shadow, and his actions became more frenzied as he connected wires and other parts at inhuman speeds. The illusionist's shoulders slumped and he fought every instinct that told him to bolt on the spot, knowing that escape was near impossible in this situation.

"Oh, fuck me. I'm guessing that's the Queen?"