[Another Day]
Strax stared at Scarlet with a raised eyebrow, trying to process what he had just heard. Her amused expression, with an almost demonic smile, only increased his suspicion.
"So... repeat that, please." He crossed his arms, his tone filled with disbelief.
Scarlet kept her mischievous smile, clearly enjoying his reaction.
"The skeletons are ready," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Strax blinked a few tis, trying to absorb the information. "What do you an?"
The initial plan stated that creating the skeletons would take at least one or two months, a deadline Scarlet herself had set. Now, suddenly, they were ready?
Scarlet scratched her cheek, slightly averting her gaze—a rare hint that she might have done sothing... questionable.
"Well..." She dragged the word, stalling. "After you ntioned that you only had two phoenix feathers, I kind of realized that the best approach would be to concentrate all resources on just two skeletons instead of trying to produce an army right away."
She shrugged, as if that were a minor detail. "So, I told our dwarf to focus entirely on these first two. And considering you were gone for two weeks, they ended up being ready faster than expected."
Strax stared at her for a long mont before sighing heavily, massaging his temples.
"You could have talked to , you know? I was already worried about the deadline—I plan to head to the Human Kingdom soon."
Scarlet's smile widened, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Well... since they're ready, I guess all that's left is to see what they can do," he said, resigned.
Scarlet chuckled softly, stepping forward.
"Oh, darling, you're going to love what I've prepared for you..."
[Hours Later]
The cutting wind howled around the mountain as Strax stared at the steep climb before him, his expression filled with irritation. He took a deep breath and shot a deadly glare at Scarlet, who, unlike him, seed to be enjoying the situation.
"Explain to again why, exactly, we're climbing this damn mountain instead of just flying to the top?"
Scarlet smiled, crossing her arms. "Because Baskev is a paranoid old man who thinks that anyone capable of flying up to his forge must be an enemy. So he created an artifact that nullifies any flight attempts within a five-kiloter radius. If we try to fly, we'll be yanked back to the ground like stones."
Strax huffed, kicking a loose rock that tumbled down the slope. "I already hate this guy, and I haven't even t him."
"Everyone hates Baskev before eting him. Then, after eting him, they hate him even more," she said with a playful laugh. "But he's one of the best blacksmiths alive, and if you want those skeletons perfect for your homunculi, you'll have to deal with it."
Strax grumbled but started the climb. The mountain was treacherous, filled with loose rocks and slippery surfaces. The howling wind made each step feel like a challenge. Even with his enhanced strength, he could feel his muscles working with every pull upward.
After an hour of climbing, Strax looked up and saw they were still far from the top.
"Are you sure this old bastard is worth all this effort?"
Scarlet, climbing with the sa ease as a panther, laughed. "He's worth it. But if you're tired, we can stop and rest for a bit."
Strax rolled his eyes and kept climbing. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of admitting that this was exhausting. A few more hours of climbing passed, and they finally reached a stone platform carved into the mountainside. In the center, a massive iron door was embedded in the rock, with faintly glowing runes surrounding the fra.
Scarlet stepped forward and banged on the door with force.
"Baskev! Open this damn door! You made us climb this shitty mountain, now have the decency to let us in!"
The sound of gears turning and tal shifting echoed from the other side. After a mont, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a short, sturdy dwarf with a long braided beard and eyes sharp as blades.
"Hmph. Scarlet, you still have the audacity to show up here? Last ti, I told you to stay away and warn before coming."
Scarlet raised her hands in an innocent gesture. "Hey, it's not my fault you're an old grump isolated from the world. I have my own problems to deal with, okay?"
Baskev snorted. "And this one?" He pointed at Strax, narrowing his eyes.
Strax brushed the snow off his clothes and crossed his arms. "Strax. I ca to collect the skeletons you made. Scarlet says you're the best, but all I see is a grumpy old man who enjoys making life difficult for others."
Baskev let out a rough laugh. "I like this one. At least he's got a sharp tongue." He turned and motioned for them to enter. "Follow ."
The dwarf's forge was a subterranean marvel. The heat was intense, and massive furnaces crackled all around, illuminating the walls filled with weapons, armor, and magical artifacts. The floor was black stone, polished by ti and relentless labor.
At the center, on a sturdy worktable, lay two humanoid skeletons, crafted from dark, gleaming tal, with runes carved along their tallic bones. Their structure was sturdy, yet at the sa ti agile, with perfectly connected joints and an eerie precision in every detail.
Strax stepped closer, touching one of the skeletons, feeling a strange energy pulsing within its fra.
"Impressive," he admitted, analyzing every detail. "Are these skeletons durable enough to withstand fusion with the homunculi I plan to create?"
Baskev grunted. "These skeletons are made of Arcane Steel, reinforced with adamantine essence and traces of fossilized dragon bones. If that's not tough enough, then nothing is. Plus, the runes I carved into them will allow them to adapt to the homunculi's bodies, making fusion more stable. And, of course, mana conductivity is at 100%—not even a branch from the World Tree can conduct this much mana." Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire
Strax stroked his chin, thoughtful. "What about mobility? I want them to be fast, precise, and lethal."
Baskev smirked. "You think I'd make anything less than perfection? These skeletons aren't just tough—their joints are enchanted to enhance agility. If used correctly, your homunculi will move like true war machines."
Scarlet crossed her arms and gave Strax a mocking look.
"So? Was the climb worth it?"
Strax sighed. "I still hate this grumpy old man, but I have to admit—he knows his craft."
Baskev let out a booming laugh. "Good! Now, if you want to take them, you'll need to sign a magic contract ensuring you won't use these beauties to destroy my ho."
Strax rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I have the ti or interest to destroy an entire mountain just to piss you off?"
"You never know," Baskev replied, handing over a scroll with a magical seal. "Now sign it."
Strax took the scroll and quickly skimd through it before signing with a drop of his blood. The seal glowed and then vanished, sealing the agreent.
Baskev gave a satisfied nod. "Done. Now they're yours. Just don't co crying if you use them wrong and end up blowing sothing up."
Strax grabbed the skeletons, inspecting them once more, pleased with the result. Then, he turned to Scarlet. "Can we leave now?"
She smirked mischievously. "Of course. Except… we still have to climb down the mountain. Unless you have so brilliant idea to bypass the anti-flight artifact."
Strax closed his eyes for a mont, resisting the urge to blow up the entire damn mountain. With a long sigh, he simply started walking toward the exit.
"If this grumpy old bastard ever makes climb another mountain like this, I swear I'll co back just to throw him into one of his own damn forges."
Baskev laughed. "Good luck with that, kid. Now get out of my forge before I change my mind and charge you more! Co back next month to pick up the other two."
Scarlet burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying Strax's frustration as he grumbled about ungrateful mountains, stubborn dwarves, and annoying magical artifacts.
"What an unbearable old man," Strax muttered, pointing at the skeletons and activating his command. "Inventory."
Nothing happened.
He blinked, frowning. Tried again.
Sa result.
"Oh, for fuck's sake…" He gritted his teeth, feeling his patience wear thin. "What the hell is this now?"
Scarlet raised an eyebrow and tried to lift one of the skeletons, but the mont she grabbed it, she felt an absurd resistance. Even as a Cultivator at the Emperor Stage, she struggled.
"How the hell are these so heavy?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes at Baskev.
The dwarf let out a snorting laugh, crossing his arms. "Runes. Everything has a price, right? These skeletons are powered by mana, so until they're properly activated, they beco… let's say, incredibly stable and dense."
Strax rubbed his face with both hands, his patience already at its limit. "Fuck this," he muttered before simply grabbing the skeletons and dragging them out of the workshop.
The effort was imnse, but he refused to back down.
"Now, disable this damn anti-flight artifact," Strax ordered, his eyes glowing with latent danger. "Or I'll destroy this entire mountain."
Baskev opened his mouth to retort, but before he could utter a single word, a colossal pressure filled the air.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
The ground trembled.
And then, before them, a gigantic dragon rose up.
Its crimson scales glead under the light, razor-sharp claws dug into the earth, and burning eyes like molten embers locked onto the petrified dwarf.
Baskev felt a chill crawl up his spine as he stared at the titanic creature before him. He swallowed hard.
"What in the hells…" He turned to Scarlet, eyes wide in shock. "Why the fuck didn't you tell he was a dragon?!"
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