Once the sheaths are done I clip the katanas to my belt, but I am still thinking about the ability upgrade and wondering if I should forge a two-handed sword.

I can always go mine more iron, if there is enough there I could make one. Oh, wait what about that other ore I found, Armatite wasn't it? Maybe I should try it with that.

So I head back to camp to fetch the other ore and bring it back to the forge, I place it in the crucible and put it in the forge. While I am waiting I burn through my mana adding mana veins, by now I have all my organs connected and am working on my muscles. When I am done and wake from the meditation I check the ore but find it hasn't melted.

I tap the amulet and say "Ruby?"

Ruby comes out in spirit form and says "Yes, Ash?"

"Any idea why this ore isn't melting?"

Ruby takes human form and looks at the ore "Isn't that Armatite??"

"Yes, I think so."

Ruby says "Well, that's why. It has a much higher melting temperature than iron."

"Oh, can the forge get that hot?"

Ruby says "Yes, but I have to directly power it up. I don't think you can use that metal though, it requires mana to work it. I know because I watched the Archmage make a single dagger and doing so exhausted him."

"Okay, for now let's just smelt it into a bar, I can carry that easier and decide what to do with it later."

Ruby says "Sure."

Ruby walks around behind the forge and places her hands on it, then with a look of concentration on her face she starts powering the forge. I quickly move to the side as the heat coming out of it skyrockets. I quickly move the ingot mold and replace it with a bar mold, then staying to the side as much as I can I put the crucible back into the forge.

I watch as the ore turns from a brown rock to a silvery metal as it melts. Once it is fully melted and has bubbled for a while I figure it should be pure and pull the crucible out and pour it into the mold. Even with my Fire Resist it burns my hands and I get light headed as my mana hits zero.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Blacksmithing has progressed to level 10!

Blacksmithing

Level 10 ?????

Str +10 Fire Resist +10

You can turn metal ore into useful items.

'Wow I got a level just from smelting this stuff?'

Hey wait, what's with those question marks? The temperature in the room drops rapidly and Ruby in spirit form returns to the amulet.

Ruby thinks "Sorry, Ash, I'm out of energy."

"Don't apologize. I'm out of mana too, just from smelting it. I wasn't expecting that, you earned your rest. Thank you."

I sit and meditate to get some mana back while waiting for the bar to cool. Two hours later I wake from meditating and pick up the bar and study it.

*MAGIC ITEM*

Armatite Bar

A magical metal, stronger and lighter than steel.

Very hard to work with. Enchantable.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Observe has progressed to level 5!

Observe

Level 5

Int +5

You can identify items with study.

'Enchantable huh? I wonder if that's why it sucked up both of our mana.'

Since I have to wait for Ruby to recover to ask her about my skill I decide to try an experiment. I meditate until my mana is full and then channel all of it into the bar of metal.

*DING*

Congratulations! You have acquired the magic skill Channeling!

Channeling

Level 1

Int +1 Mana +10

You are experienced at channeling mana.

'Oh cool. Another way to increase my mana pool.'

Since it seems to have worked I repeat the process a couple more times. This takes over a day since I have to meditate for hours between each time channeling.

Ruby comes out of the amulet in spirit form and says "What are you doing?"

"I've been channeling mana into the bar while I waited for you to recover. I think it's working, see there is a gold spot now."

Ruby says "Yes, by the time the Archmage finished the dagger it was golden so I guess it is working."

"Besides that I have a question. You see skills the same way I do now, so when we smelted this stuff I hit level ten blacksmithing. Next to the level there are a bunch of question marks. Any idea what that could be?"

Ruby says "Well, I can't be sure, but it should mean the skill is able to evolve."

"Okay, that sounds good. But how do I evolve it?"

Ruby says "I know of two ways, one is years of study and effort, the other is to use a beast core."

"Okay, beast core is easy enough. What grade?"

Ruby says "For first stage evolution it has to be above a minor grade."

"Wait, first stage evolution??"

Ruby says "Yes, the first time a skill evolves is called the first stage. Not all skills can evolve, some can only evolve once, but some can evolve two or three times. The second and third stage evolutions require greater and supreme grade beast cores."

"Ouch, that could get expensive, well I won't worry about that for now. I just hope we find a decent beast core while exploring."

Ruby says "Oh, are you finally done crafting? Are we going exploring now?"

"Yes, I am done for now. Yes, we can go exploring, but after we eat."

Ruby says "Yay!" and follows me back to camp.

I catch and cook some fish, and while we eat I show Ruby the map. I show her where the camp is and where her room is so she has an idea of distances.

"First, I want to explore this hallway above the spider den, I think it will connect the two sides. If so it will be the dividing line, we will explore everything south of it first."

Ruby says "Okay, just so you know I never saw anything outside of my room and the forge room until you came along. So, I can't tell you what might be down here."

"That's fine, I've been exploring blind since I started this mess. At least now I have company to watch my back."

Ruby smiles and finishes her fish then starts putting on her armor while I finish eating.

Ruby says "By the way master, your new armor looks really good."

"Oh, thank you!"

Once I am done eating we ready our weapons and set off to explore finally. Ruby is really excited and practically bouncing in place as she waits on me. As I start moving she quickly shifts to spirit form and flies over the river before shifting back. I simply jump across and then lead the way towards the closest exit from the cavern.

The tunnel out of the cavern is only fifteen feet long before it comes to a junction. To the left and right are the main tunnel although to the left is blocked off by a collapse. Straight across is a smaller hallway that goes down a bit then turns left. I lead Ruby to the right down the main tunnel for about thirty feet until we come across a large hallway on the left.

If I am right this should be the hallway that the spider room connected to so we head down it to see. After about one hundred and twenty feet we come to a turn on our right, sure enough I can see my footprints in the dust so that leads to the spider den.

So we continue on straight, thirty feet further on is a passageway on the left and thirty feet past that is a hallway on the right. I am making careful note of distances so I can add it all to the map accurately. The next hallway is again on the right forty feet down from the last one, again we pass it by as I want to determine this cross hall's length and if it connects to the other main tunnel.

Sixty feet further on the hallway ends, to the left is collapsed so we turn to the right. This is definitely the other main tunnel where I wiped out the goblins but after fifteen feet it opens up into a room.

In the middle of the room is a bone pile, and on the far side of that the passageway continues. I don't see any other exits from the room so I move towards the bone pile planning to just go around it.

*Rattle* *Rattle* *Rattle*

I freeze at the first sound and watch as some of the bones start moving. Three skeletons stand up from the pile of bones and start walking slowly towards Ruby and I.

"They are skeletons, a minor form of undead, destroy the skull and that should be the end of them."

Ruby says "Okay" as she moves towards the skeleton closest to her.

I sheath my katanas and grab the mace off my belt. I move towards the other two skeletons, I swing the mace at the skull of the lead skeleton.

*Smash!*

The skeleton doesn't even try to defend itself and as it's skull is crushed by the mace the rest of the bones collapse to the floor. I turn to the second skeleton that is still moving towards me. Meanwhile Ruby walks up to her skeleton and punches it in the face.

*Crack!*

Her skeleton also collapses as her punch turns it's skull into powder. Then I swing at the skull of the last one.

*Crunch!*

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Blunt Basics has progressed to level 4!

Blunt Basics

Level 4

Str +4

You do 20% extra damage with blunt weapons.

As the last skeleton crumbles Ruby says "Aww, that was too easy!"

"Yeah, skeletons are really no threat unless there are a lot of them."

Ruby says "Why did you use the mace?"

"Heh, one of the rules of RPGs is to always carry a blunt weapon for undead."

Ruby says "No, I mean you are way stronger than me you could have just punched them."

"Oh, right, I didn't even think of it honestly."

I shrug and hook the mace back to my belt, then I poke through the pile of bones for a bit.

Ruby asks "What are you doing?"

"Just checking, normally undead don't just pop up without a reason."

Not finding anything I head for the room’s exit to the south and Ruby follows me. We follow the main tunnel for a hundred and thirty feet before coming to a four way that I recognize. The passage to the left leads to the goblin den so I turn to the right since that is unexplored.

It goes about fifty feet and turns to the left, then ten feet down there is another hallway to the right leading north. I am pretty sure it connects to the cross hall we just explored but decide to follow it to be sure. It leads us on for sixty feet with no branches and ends at the cross hall as expected so we double back and return to the previous hall and turn right. After another twenty feet it comes to a four way intersection.

"Right should lead to the cross hall again, left should come out near my original break in point. Let's check that first."

So I lead Ruby to the left and after twenty-five feet a doorway opens on our right. I take a peek inside and see two ratmen crouched down sifting through some trash. I move back so Ruby can take a peek, then point at myself and right then at her and left. Ruby nods and draws her sword, I draw Black Razor then nod.

We both move through the doorway together. Ruby goes left and swings at the ratman's neck. I go right and stab the other ratman in the back.

Kill Ratmen 11/30

Ruby says "That was too easy! When are we going to find a challenge?"

"I don't know, but don't complain about easy. That is just asking for something to kill us."

Ruby cleans and sheathes her sword not wanting to argue my point. Meanwhile I cut open the chests of the two ratmen and remove their beast cores. I clean one off and hand it to Ruby.

"Stare at it intently, you should gain the skill Observe and then it will ask if you want to absorb it. I hope."

After staring at it Ruby says "I got the skill, and it's asking if I want to absorb it. Should I??"

"Yes, go ahead." as I absorb the other one.

You have absorbed the Lesser Beast Core. HP +5 MP +5

"I know it's not much from one but trust me they add up."

Ruby says "Now I see how you've gotten so much stronger so quickly. No, no complaints here."

I quickly go through the trash piles checking for anything of use and find nothing, so we return to the hall. After another twenty feet it rejoins the main tunnel as I thought so we turn around and go back to check the other way.

At the four way we take the left since I am sure going straight will take us back to the cross hall. The left hall goes for twenty-five feet before turning to the right then goes another fifteen before ending at a door. I check the door and find it locked so I crouch down, pull out my bone lockpicks and try to pick the lock. I break all the lockpicks I have and don't manage to open the lock.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Lockpicking has progressed to level 4!

Lockpicking

Level 4

Agi +4

You can attempt to open a lock without a key.

"We will have to come back after I make some more lockpicks."

Ruby says "Okay, fine by me master."

We turn around and go back and follow the other tunnel, as I thought it takes us back to the cross corridor.

"Okay that's the south half of the sewers, let's head back to camp and get some food and rest before we start the other area."

Ruby says "Whatever you say, master."