Master of Myths

Outside the white building the exiting trio was met with Mustela's shaking figure, the fellow's legs that were running so fast earlier were now barely supporting him

"Oh there you are, I was wondering where they put you"

"S-sir!"

Hearing the teasing voice Mustela couldn't feel any annoyment and only joy, the vine snake chased him down but didn't throw him inside and merely brought him back to the front of the building after a few words with its fellow snakes, after that a weird red mist surrounded the place before he could sneak away again

"Sir the mist! There are, there are tens of-"

"I know, no need to tell me"

YuJu didn't seem bothered at all, unlike Mustela and his two followers who minded the feeling very much, Ellis already had her hair rising with the tingling of her skin while Anput was withholding a growl, as much as she wanted to do it she couldn't as that would mess up her master's timing

Taking a step forward he sauntered toward the mist with no fear at all, as if all the horrid senses coming from it were a lie

"Stay within ten steps of me"

He told Ellis and Anput, he didn't have to inform Mustela with the guy already sticking close to him like a baby duck following its mother

A few growls were heard from the mist when they got dangerously close, they could feel many eyes were set upon them hungrily staring at their bodies, it made their skin crawl but they followed YuJu nonetheless

The growling got louder and louder and whatever was inside seemed like it would bite at them the next second, but when they almost touched the mist it retreated instead, taking away the growling with it as it opened up a small space inside for them to walk

YuJu continued on his way as if it didn't matter whether he could see or not, walking inside the enemies formation with his followers while the way back to the building clogged up with some more mist, now all they could see was red all around them, still he navigated through the area like he knew exactly where he was going

And he sure as hell did, having spent most of his past life in Hortus he knew the area like the back of his hand, maybe he would get lost in the upper floors a bit but the lower and middle floors he couldn't be more familiar with

The beings in the mist didn't know if this man was just walking about aimlessly or if he had a destination in his mind, if so how could he know the place so well? They wanted to test him out but feared he was as strong as Mimi made him out to be, so under the orders of their leader they merely watched him pace about while trying to figure out his objective

The walk wasn't didn't really take that long before they reached another building, it took about twenty minutes, but to Mustela it was like they had been at it for days, his hair was already drenched with his cold sweat and he felt like he was going to pass out just from the dehydration

Ellis fared much better thanks to her mind skill while Anput got through it with her master constantly telling her things were going to be okay through their mind link

"Is this the tower you talked about?"

YuJu asked like he wasn't sure if the stubby red tower in front of them was the right destination, Mustela rolled his eyes at the question since he felt like it was too late for the mysterious man to pretend to not know the place like the back of his hand, but when YuJu sent a dangerous smile toward him he hastily nodded like a chicken

"Yes yes sir, this is the red place the blacksmith should be in, it is the one that is slightly better Cezzaa, he isn't much better than that deaf baboon but he should be up to the task"

"I see, well let's see if he can make me my stuff"

Walking toward the two large doors of the tower put his hand against it and pushed, but the towering doors didn't budge

"Sir I believe that guy locked the place down with some enchantments"

"Did he now? Hmm, oh, that should be the key"

Toward the side there was a pedestal with weird letters changing at high speed

"Let's see here, hmm, you do this, then this, and voila"

Creak~

The large double doors opened up on their own once he was done configuring the words on the pedestal leaving everyone, outside or inside the mist, shocked

"Sir, you are proficient in enchantments?"

Asked the gobsmacked Mustela, even one with great knowledge about this area of expertise like the forger inside would take quite some time to break the encryption, the only other way to enter would be to know the password, but that couldn't be, right? It was one thing to know your way around and another to know something so secretive as another's password

Sadly he wouldn't know as all YuJu did was smile and enter the place like he owned it, forcing them to follow in haste lest they state with the unseen monsters outside

Walking inside the tower they went up the stairway into a wide-open hall where armours were neatly arranged along the walls like guards standing in attendance, weapons were stabbed in front of each set with lights flashing on them from time to time, the entire place looked like one epic showcase

"They aren't going to move right?"

Asked Ellis, bringing her hand close to her bosom in order to retrieve her swords when needed

"These guys? No, he is no puppeteer or anything of the sort, the big boy inside has a normal blacksmith/enchanter combo classes"

The revelation didn't relieve Ellis as much as it dampened her excitement, somehow she was looking forward to fighting empty sets of armour, it just looked too classy in her mind

Her dreams had to be put aside for the moment though as they went through another set of large doors making her wonder just how large the guy inside was

The faint strikes of metal soon entered their ears, it sounded very stiff and rigid, following a stable pattern that didn't change, like a machine, they traced this continues ringing through many rooms and up another set of stairs which lead them into what looked like a smithy

'This is a 'big boy'?"

Ellis looked at the house tall back of whatever was striking at the anvil, the figure was nine meters tall and that was when it was sitting, it was small compared to the many creatures she saw on her way and some of the ones she fought even, but it was different when the other party was an intelligent being rather than a beast

The striking suddenly stopped, the big guy seemed to have noticed their presence only now, even though YuJu knew he was only pretending to, as to why he did that, well...

"Unwelcome visitors I sense"

A deep voice came from the blacksmith followed by the earth quaking with his rise

"Leave here now, uninvited guests, else bear my wrathful hammer"

He spoke with his head tilted to the side, not even bothering to turn around

"We come to you with an offer, one I'm sure you would be pleased to accept"

"Humph, punny fellow, whatever trinkets you would like of me to make you interest me not, now begone from my sight, else I 'll squash you like the bug you are"

His voice became a rumble toward the end and the room was getting hotter, it was like they were now inside an oven, but even Mustela who was sweating outside like a pig didn't seem to mind the situation too much, in fact, he found it much easier to cope with this guy then the vine

'What a drama queen, this is why none combatants are annoying to deal with'

Even in his current level he could slice and dice this fellow like it was a walk in the park, hell, even Ellis could probably win in a fair fight, but he had to endure this idiot's play at being cool so he could get him to forge his equipment

'Let's give him a warning first though, Anput, growl'

"Grrrrr"

Growling menacingly the little hound let our her withheld animosity toward the giant in front of her

Her growling seemed to work as the massive body flinched for a moment, well, perhaps the exhibitionist woman's menacing aura helped a little too

'I knew it! She wasn't showing her all, this woman is definitely stronger than she looks'

Mustela thought to himself feeling the tingling of his skin, just being in the vicinity made him feel slightly numb and he wasn't even the target of her oppression

"Calm down, we don't want to get into a bloody fight now do we?"

YuJ pretended to try and calm Anput, making it sound like he didn't want to fight as much as the giant did, just to save the scared fellow some dignity

'Now the carrot'

"I was just wondering if you could help me make some shackles, undead ones"

"I have no interest in making such lousy items, and would prefer it if you left my abode just as you came, in one piece"

The big guy tried to keep up his strong upfront and tried to shoo them away once again

"Oh they are not normal undead shackles, I'm sure those wouldn't be interesting, I wanted crystal ones, and I've got the materials covered don't you worry"

Taking the glimmering crystals out of his sleeve he waved them at him like a piece of candy

And just like a kid the giant turned around gazing at them with bright eyes, fully revealing his figure to them

Just like Cezzaa this fellow before them was a gorilla, but unlike the slightly normal gorilla Cezzaa was, this one, other than being a giant, had four eyes and four arms, and in the middle of his chest lay a yellow stone that constantly produced sparks

"Hmm, you've caught my interest, I will forge those shackles, for a fee of crouse"

YuJu just smiled politely and didn't comment, they were from different factions and the gorilla knew that, everyone on the floor was informed of their arrival, it's just that a none-combatant like himself had no business going outside

Naturally, you wouldn't do it for free to the enemies faction, you would milk them as dry as you could

"I will pay you with materials, but I demand you forge a pair of swords along with the shackles, enchanting them while you're at it"

"I only have interest in the undead crystal shackles, I don't care to forge you anything else"

"Sadly its a packaged deal, either you make them, or I take them somewhere else"

He could pretend to walk away now but there was no need to add more drama to the situation then there already was, he just wanted to get this commissioned and be done with it

"Humph, so be it, what are the specifications of the enchantment and what type of swords would you like me to make, if you have the materials for it then give them here, if you don't then you will have to pay for them"

"I have all the materials for both of them except the white ink rim needed for the shackles and the crystal blight for the swords"

"I can get my hands on the rim but the crystal blight you must fetch me yourself, I'm sure one of your people has some in stock"

YuJu nodded and assured him he will have it delivered as soon as possible, then he handed the giant gorilla the stones before pulling out the twin scythes he acquired way back when they were on earth fighting the swarms

"You want me to make a sword out of these?"

"Yes, poison absorption being their base ability, be very careful when handling them as I only have this pair, as for the shape and structure I wrote it down in this sketch"

Taking the small paper from him the gorilla squinted his eyes to read it, his face showing astonishment the more he read, everything was ever so detailed and the method was bizarre but unique enough to make him want to try it right this instant

"Hmm, I promise you I will finish the shackles and swords"

"I trust your mastery over the forge, I will be expecting my four shackles and twin swords soon"

He dropped the bomb before hastily excusing himself and exiting with his followers, leaving the big guys to stare at the six material set and their backs with an open mouth, trying to say he couldn't make four with only this little much but unable to with his pride holding those words back

"Sir, I don't think he can make all four with only six sets"

"Of course he cant"

"?"

"He's the second-best right? Since he already made a promise he would have to follow through, even if it meant having to consult, or work with, the best blacksmith no?"

Realization dawned upon Mustela, it really was so, this way they didn't have to go to that thing's home and try to convince him to make their stuff

'I'm glad we didn't have to visit that freak'

If anything Mustela loved YuJu's underhanded tactic, ever since they stepped on the floor it was his constant worry whether they would have to go up that building stuck to the wall or not

His relief didn't last too long though since they soon exited the tower and were back outside where mist covered their vision

'Haah, when is this day going to end'

He complained inside while sticking close to the danger loving man once again