As she spoke, the purple-skinned blacksmith watched Brock.
She didn't see an expression of despair or pain on his face; what she saw was still that firm resolve driven by the will to survive.
Could a greedy human actually possess such a powerful will and spirit?
Is this unique to this human, or do all humans outside have such a spirit?
The purple-skinned blacksmith couldn't help but wonder.
“You... you must have a name. What is it?”
Brock was silent for a moment before asking this question.
The purple-skinned blacksmith hadn't expected Brock to suddenly ask for her name.
“Purple Copper.”
Purple Copper told the human her name.
“Thank you for saving my life, Mr. Purple Copper.”
Purple Copper's expression became strange.
“Mister?”
“Hmm?”
“It should be 'Miss'.”
“Cough, cough!!”
Brock coughed violently, a sharp pain shooting through his entire body from the convulsion.
“Sorry, sorry.”
“It's nothing. We purple-skinned blacksmiths aren't as fastidious as you humans.”
Among the purple-skinned blacksmith tribe, there were almost no differences in appearance or physique between males and females.
Thus, to other races, it was impossible to distinguish between them based on appearance alone.
Brock struggled to calm his emotions.
At that moment, Purple Copper spoke again.
“It's not that you have no chance of living. Your will to survive is worthy of pursuing hope.”
“I respect that will. If you don't mind, I can lend you a hand.”
“What hope?”
Brock turned his head to look at Purple Copper.
Purple Copper pointed an arm in one direction. Brock turned to look and found that she was pointing toward the Forbidden Fire Sealing Pedestal.
The Nail of Sealing was still thrust into the pedestal.
“Forge a Forbidden Fire Container. I believe forging one is more reliable than searching for a true Forbidden Fire Container.”
Forge... a Forbidden Fire Container?
“But didn't you say before that a Forbidden Fire Container can only be smelted using the true Forbidden Fire?”
“That's right.”
“However, this Nail of Sealing once underwent the tempering of the true Forbidden Fire, even if only for an instant.”
“During the long imprisonment, the Nail of Sealing has also been continuously tempered by the residual flame.”
“In my view, the Nail of Sealing—this semi-finished product—can be forged into a true Forbidden Fire Container.”
The two of them simultaneously gazed at the Nail of Sealing greatsword on the sealing pedestal.
A light flickered in Brock's eyes; hope for survival was right in front of him.
“However, attempting to smelt this semi-finished product is nearly impossible.”
“Under the long-term burning of the residual flame, the Forbidden Fire nail—which was already incredibly hard and extremely heat-resistant—is now very difficult to smelt a second time.”
“But with your current will to survive, perhaps you can find the hope for a second forging.”
“Do you... have a way for a second forging?”
Brock caught the hidden meaning in Purple Copper's words. It was a difficult method of forging, but it did exist.
“It requires a firm will and a spirit that does not fear death to drive that forging method.”
“In the entire Lava Stratum, there is only one type of flame left that can smelt the Nail of Sealing besides the true Forbidden Fire.”
“Dragon Flame.”
Dragon Flame—the fire of the Great Dragons.
The strongest legendary life forms in the magical world, symbols of destruction and power, a race whose strength could destroy worlds—the Dragon Flame of the Great Dragons.
“How is that possible? There are... there are dragons in this dungeon?!”
A dragon appearing just a dozen floors into the dungeon? Was this a dungeon meant for gods to conquer?
Or was there a true god at the deepest depths of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment?
“Of course not. On the twelfth floor, there is a massive lava lake. Residing on the eleventh giant pillar hidden within it is an incredibly powerful wyvern.”
“All the purple-skinned blacksmiths on the twelfth floor know of that giant wyvern's existence.”
“That wyvern can spit Dragon Flame capable of melting through steel.”
“If it's that kind of Dragon Flame, it might be possible to forge the Nail of Sealing a second time and create a true Forbidden Fire Container.”
“What do you say? Are you going to try for that hope?”
Brock shook his head.
A flash of disappointment crossed Purple Copper's eyes.
“I have no reason to refuse.”
The light returned to Purple Copper's eyes once more.
Brock pulled out the wood armor monster card and completed the summoning.
The wood armor monster covered his body again, healing Brock's heavily injured body with all its might.
Brock keenly noticed that his body seemed to have become quite a bit stronger.
Furthermore, his self-healing speed had nearly increased several times over.
What was going on?
Brock quickly asked Purple Copper; he thought she must have fed him some kind of medicine while he was unconscious.
“I didn't. I thought this was your ability?”
“My ability?”
“Your total mana capacity is staggeringly high. I thought this was your special ability as well. Is it not?”
Brock's gaze was somewhat dazed as he carefully sensed his body again.
He discovered that these effects were coming from the Forbidden Fire particles permeating his body.
The Forbidden Fire within those particles was constantly refining the massive mana in his body, strengthening Brock's physique while simultaneously healing his wounds.
It was this Forbidden Fire!
Whether it was a swordsman, mage, heavy warrior, or priest... the source of power for all extraordinary beings was mana.
Swordsmen refined mana and infused it into their physical cells for strengthening to gain inhuman power.
Mages refined mana to cast spells for attack.
Yet now, as a mage, his physique was actually improving like those of the swordsman and warrior classes under the influence of this Forbidden Fire.
What exactly was that material dropped by the two-headed heroic gargoyle?
Besides being able to contain the residual flame, it could actually use the power of the Forbidden Fire to enhance his physical body.
Brock felt no joy. The sensation of clearly feeling the Forbidden Fire burning in every inch of his flesh and blood was not pleasant.
It felt as if he might be burned to death in the next second.
...
“Has it merged with his body?”
Dalun Li monitored the changes in Brock's body, not at all surprised by the result.
That's right—everything was within Dalun Li's design!
Brock's uniqueness had even surprised Dalun Li.
The massive mana capacity, the rapid mana recovery, and the refinement.
These traits were too rare and special.
This uniqueness meant Dalun Li was not satisfied with just studying Brock's flesh and blood.
He wanted to study Brock directly.
That ore was a masterpiece specifically created by Dalun Li.
[Boss · Forbidden Fire Stone]
[Level] Lv. 18
[Skills] Conversion Lv. 6, Refinement Lv. 6, Sensing Lv. 6, Fine Manipulation Lv. 5, Spatial Perception Lv. 5, Physical Strengthening Lv. 5, Containment Lv. 5, Body Modification Lv. 5, Concealment Lv. 5, Forbidden Fire Lv. 4, Parasitism Lv. 4, Absorption Lv. 4
[Description] A monster servant created by the unknown existence, Dalun Li. A terrifying existence capable of residing within a living body, sensing every change in its flesh and blood, modifying the body, and converting and absorbing various powers.
That's right—that ore was the true boss.
It was a boss meticulously created by Dalun Li specifically to study Brock.
Every bit of Brock's growth, movement, and the changes in his flesh and blood.
The Forbidden Fire Stone would record it all and then transmit the information to the Eternal Imprisonment Brain for recording and analysis.
At the same time, the Forbidden Fire Stone would work hard to help Brock grow.
Through this method, it would analyze Brock's body and determine its limits.
In fact, if it weren't for the Forbidden Fire Stone, Brock would have already died when he broke through from the first-rank to the second-rank.
He wouldn't have been burned to death by the Forbidden Fire.
He would have been burst apart by his own exploding mana capacity.
Brock was too unique.
Under normal circumstances, if Brock hadn't come to the Well of Eternal Imprisonment and had tried to break through from the first-rank to the second-rank on his own, he would have surely died.
The body of a mage simply could not withstand that amount of mana.
The Forbidden Fire Stone had modified Brock's body just in time, allowing him to barely survive.
Perhaps Brock wasn't the only one in this world with such a talent, but rather, all other mages who possessed it had been burst apart by their mana during the breakthrough process.
“What kind of absurd talent is this...”
“But I like it.”
Rate on N.U.
