Chapter 5: Echoes of Iron

The doors of Ironspire groaned open with a deep metallic sigh, dust pouring out like breath from the mouth of a sleeping giant.

Alaric stepped in first, lantern in one hand, eyes narrowed as the flickering light danced across crumbling stone and rust-stained walls.

It smells like decay… iron, mold, and something old enough to be forgotten.

Aegis followed silently, her hood drawn up, steps light and balanced.

The interior of the ruined fortress was vast. Cracks split the floor. The walls bore the scars of war—claw marks, collapsed bricks, and forgotten bones.

"This place was a battlefield," Alaric murmured. "A hundred years of silence, and no one ever came back to clean it up."

"Seven life signatures detected," Aegis replied. "Fifty meters ahead. Undead. Moving in patrol formation."

He nodded. "Sounds like company."

They moved quickly down the first hall. Vines crept through broken windows. Old banners of the Aetherian Empire hung in tatters above doorways.

The moment they reached the edge of the next chamber, Aegis raised her arm.

"Visual contact. Engaging mode."

Seven heavily armored figures stood in the center of a ruined courtyard. Their eyes burned red beneath rusted helms. Their bodies were made of a mixture of bone and metal, fused together with dark enchantments. Each held a weapon—axes, spears, and broken swords, all rusted but still deadly.

They turned the moment Aegis stepped into view.

[Identified: Rustbound Reaver]

Type: Undead Construct

Classification: Mid-tier Dungeon Guardian

Threat Level: Moderate

Drops: Scrap Steel, Core Fragment, Mana-threaded Rivets

"They're spreading out," Alaric warned. "Trying to surround us."

Aegis didn't flinch.

"Let them."

The Reavers attacked at once. All seven rushed in, weapons raised, footsteps pounding like war drums.

Aegis moved like lightning. She darted through their ranks, blade flashing as sparks burst from her strikes. One Reaver fell immediately—its core split in half.

The others retaliated, axes swinging, trying to pin her between them.

But she was too fast.

Aegis ducked low, slid between two of them, and drove her blade through one's spine. Another swung a hammer—she leapt, landed on its shoulders, and stabbed down into its head.

Two Reavers rushed Alaric directly.

He gritted his teeth and pulled out a mana flare. He threw it to the ground—light burst outward with a pop, stunning the undead constructs mid-charge.

"Aegis—left side!"

She didn't need the warning.

She landed beside them, blade flashing as she cleaved one through the chest and turned to kick the other into the wall. The impact shattered its helm, and she finished it with a single, efficient stab.

In less than a minute, seven Reavers lay broken on the ground.

Their cores glowed faintly, leaking mana as steam rose from their chests.

[System Notification]

Group Eliminated: Rustbound Reaver (x7)

Loot Acquired:

– Scrap Steel x12

– Core Fragment x3

– Mana-threaded Rivets x6

– Broken Weapon Hilts x2

Alaric approached the bodies.

"Steel's still usable… and the rivets are perfect."

He knelt beside a shattered core and turned it over in his hand. Faint blue light pulsed inside.

Not strong enough for a major construct… but these are exactly what I need for the frame.

Aegis returned to his side, silent and watchful.

"Scans updated. Next threat cluster: fifteen meters."

"Already?" Alaric asked, sighing. "No rest, huh?"

"Correct."

They moved again, deeper into the fortress.

The next chamber was darker. A shattered ceiling let beams of sunlight spill through the dust. Shadows danced across the walls.

Four thin constructs dropped from the beams above, landing with sharp metal clanks.

They were faster—more agile than the Reavers. Their armor was lighter, and their movements were quick and deliberate. Spears twirled in their hands like dancers in a deadly ballet.

[Identified: Rustbound Lancer]

Type: Undead Construct

Classification: Agile Scout Unit

Threat Level: Moderate

Drops: Lightweight Drum Casing, Refined Steel, Motion Springs

"They're faster," Alaric said, stepping back. "Be careful."

Aegis didn't hesitate.

She charged.

One lancer thrust forward—she sidestepped and slashed its weapon arm clean off. Another lunged at her exposed back, but she turned just in time and blocked with her arm guard, then stabbed low into its gut.

The third and fourth attacked together.

They flanked her from opposite sides, using their speed and reach to stay out of her blade's range.

Alaric threw a smoke crystal.

Fog burst into the chamber.

In the confusion, Aegis vanished into the mist—then reappeared behind one of the lancers, slicing its legs from under it. She grabbed its falling body and hurled it into the other.

Both fell. One tried to crawl away. She ended it with a single precise thrust.

[System Notification]

Enemy Group Defeated: Rustbound Lancer (x4)

Loot Acquired:

– Lightweight Drum Casing x2

– Refined Steel x3

– Motion Spring x4

– Twisted Spears x2

"These drum casings..." Alaric examined them, nodding. "Perfect size. They'll do for the inner washing chamber."

He paused.

"Wait. Do you hear that?"

Heavy footsteps echoed from deeper in the ruins.

Rhythmic. Slow. But each step made the floor tremble.

Then the figure emerged.

It towered over the others—at least eight feet tall. Its entire body was clad in heavy black armor. Its eyes glowed a deep, pulsing red, and its chestplate bore an intact rune circle that pulsed with mana.

In one hand, it carried a massive hammer. The other gripped a tower shield twice the width of a man.

[Identified: Rustbound Sentinel]

Type: Undead Construct

Classification: Elite Dungeon Sub-Boss

Threat Level: High

Drops: Mana Crystal Shard, Core Stabilizer, Enchanted Gears

Alaric's breath caught.

"That's the one."

"The core inside is highly condensed," Aegis noted. "Ideal for washer rotation."

The Sentinel raised its hammer with a sound like thunder.

Then it charged.

Aegis met it head-on, blade clashing against the massive shield.

She was pushed back—feet sliding across the stone—but she didn't fall.

The hammer came down again, splitting stone where she had stood a second before.

Alaric ran for cover. "Aegis, don't take it head-on!"

She didn't answer—just moved faster.

The Sentinel swung wide. She ducked under it, rolled past, and slashed at its leg joints. Sparks flew, but it didn't slow.

Another strike nearly crushed her against a wall.

Alaric grabbed a mana pulse bottle and threw it.

The explosion stunned the Sentinel for just a moment—but that was enough.

Aegis leapt, driving her blade between the cracks in the shoulder joint.

She twisted. The armor groaned.

Then she dropped to the ground—and jabbed upward into the core.

It cracked.

Light burst outward. The Sentinel stumbled.

And collapsed.

[System Notification]

Enemy Defeated: Rustbound Sentinel

Loot Acquired:

– Mana Crystal Rotation Core

– Core Stabilizer

– High-grade Steel x5

– Enchanted Gears x2

Alaric slowly approached the still body, his chest rising and falling.

"This is it. We have everything."

He looked at the glowing crystal in his hands. "The rotation core is intact. The stabilizer too."

He pulled up the system's inventory screen.

[Inventory Check – Mana Washer Project]

✔ Refined Steel Frame

✔ Mana Crystal Rotation Core

✔ Lightweight Drum Casing

✔ Water-resistant Mana Threads

✔ Drain Valve Enchantment Ring

Kneeling beside the Sentinel's broken chest. The mana crystal core in his hand pulsed gently, like a heartbeat trapped in glass.

"All materials acquired," he muttered. "This is it… The Mana Washer prototype is within reach."

"Now," he said, standing slowly, "all that's left is assembly."

Aegis turned her head toward the next corridor.

"Area not yet fully explored. Additional threat signatures detected in the west wing."

Alaric nodded, voice calm.

"Then we keep moving."

His eyes gleamed in the dim light.

We came this far. No reason to stop now.

He pulled his cloak tighter and followed Aegis deeper into the ruins—into darkness and danger, with every step echoing against the stone.

The deeper they went, the more the dungeon changed.

Gone were the cracked floors and rusted corpses. Now, the halls were cleaner. The air was thicker. Blue torches lit themselves as Alaric and Aegis passed. There were no more patrols. No ambushes. Only silence.

Which meant one thing.

They were close.

Alaric adjusted the strap on his satchel and looked around. "Do you feel that? The air... it's heavier."

Aegis nodded. "Mana concentration has increased. Ambient flow is unstable. This is a Boss Chamber."

They stepped through a rusted iron arch. On the other side was a great hall.

At the center of the chamber stood a throne made from shattered swords and melted armor.

And sitting on it—

A warrior in ancient blackened plate, arms resting on the armrests, one leg crossed over the other.

The figure's helm was shaped like a snarling beast, its eyes glowing a faint violet.

In its right hand… a blade. Long. Elegant. Sharp enough to split air. Blue lines of mana pulsed along the blade's edge like veins.

Alaric froze.

That's not just a brute. That's something intelligent.

The creature slowly stood.

It raised its blade.

The ground beneath its feet shimmered with mana.

Symbols. Runes. Diagrams Alaric had only seen in old books.

It took a stance—low, balanced, deadly.

[Identified: Dreadknight Vargus, the Ironblade]

Type: Undead Swordmage Construct

Classification: Dungeon Boss

Threat Level: High

Known Aspects:

– Mana Blade: Edge empowered by arcane mana

– Blink Step: Short-range teleport to close gaps instantly

– Warding Sigil: Defensive mana barrier that resists physical and magical attacks

Drops: Refined Core, Enchanted Sword Shard, Swordmage Technique Fragment

Alaric clenched his jaw.

"A Swordmage. That's... Martial Magic."

Aegis tilted her head slightly. "Would you like to engage in exposition mode?"

Alaric rolled his eyes. "Do I sound like that?"

"Yes."

He sighed. "Alright. One second."

He stepped back, activating the SYSTEM.

[System Entry: Magic Classes of Aetheria]

Arcane Path – Mages, Elementalists, Spiritweavers

Focus: Ranged casting, elemental spells, summoning

Martial Path – Swordmages, Spellblades, Battle Monks

Focus: Mana-empowered melee combat, weapon techniques, body reinforcement

Hybrid Path – Ritualists, Channelers, Summoners

Focus: Combination of spellcraft and physical prowess, support tools, enchantments

So Swordmages reinforce weapons with mana. Close combat specialists. They can cast, slash, and block in the same breath.

He looked at Aegis.

"This won't be like the others. That thing can think. It'll react."

"I am prepared."

The Dreadknight stepped down from the throne, one foot at a time, like a knight walking toward his final duel.

Mana shimmered around the blade in its hand. Blue flame danced along the edge.

Then, in a voice that wasn't fully human—it spoke.

"Who… seeks the throne of Ironspire?"

Alaric tensed.

"I don't want your throne. I just want your core."

The Dreadknight tilted its head. The blade pulsed.

"You walk in with no Class… and no crown. You will not leave."

Aegis stepped in front of Alaric.

"Threat identified. Requesting permission to engage."

Alaric hesitated. He studied the runes on the floor. The thickness of the mana around the Dreadknight. The subtle shimmer on its armor.

If we rush in... we'll die. We need a plan.

He opened the CRAFTING TERMINAL, not to build—but to map.

Lines formed a grid in the air. He scanned the battlefield. Elevation. Cover points. Cracks in the floor. Weak spots in the runic circle.

"There," he pointed. "That section of the floor—less reinforced. Aegis, lure him there."

"Confirmed."

She pulled her hood back, revealing her full frame.

Then she charged.

The Dreadknight vanished.

Reappeared behind her.

"Teleportation!" Alaric shouted. "Blink Step!"

Aegis twisted, barely blocking the downward slash. The blow sent sparks flying as her blade clashed with the mana-infused sword.

The knight didn't stop. It pressed in fast, slashing with a flurry of rapid strikes—left, right, high, low.

Aegis moved like water, deflecting and dodging, but the pressure was intense.

"Its movement is reading like a Martial-Class elite," Aegis said flatly.

"No surprise. Swordmages were royal duelists."

Alaric reached into his coat and pulled a pulse trap—a circle of copper and crystal. He activated it and rolled it toward the broken section of floor.

"Bring him there, now!"

Aegis ducked low, baited a vertical slash, then rolled backward across the field. The Dreadknight followed.

As it stepped onto the trap—

Click!

Blue light surged upward in a column, locking its movement for a half-second.

Aegis didn't waste the moment.

She slashed deep across its leg joint.

The knight stumbled—but didn't fall.

It roared, and mana surged outward in a wave.

Alaric staggered back.

It's casting!

Rings of light appeared around its body. Symbols rotated, forming a barrier.

[System Alert: Boss Has Activated "Warding Sigil"]

Incoming attacks will be absorbed until the shield breaks. Suggestion: Use high-impact kinetic force or mana disruption.

Aegis slammed into the shield, but her blade bounced off like it struck glass.

"It's sealed!"

Alaric's mind raced.

Kinetic force… I need something big.

He grabbed a rupture bomb from his pack—his last one.

"Shield breaker coming!"

He hurled it underhand.

The moment it hit, the orb pulsed—and then exploded in a burst of compressed air and light.

The shield cracked. Then shattered like a mirror.

"Now!" he shouted.

But the Dreadknight didn't stagger this time.

It gripped its sword with both hands and raised it high.

The blade lit up. Symbols lined the edge. The mana pulsed like a heartbeat.

[Warning: Boss Charging Technique – Arc Slash]

Power Source: Mana Blade Aspect

Range: 30 meters

Recommended Response: Evade Immediately

"Aegis! Dodge—!"

The knight slashed the air.

A wave of blue light surged forward, ripping through stone and steel. It tore the floor open in a straight line—destroying everything in its path.

Aegis leapt just in time, landing on a toppled column.

Alaric was thrown back, sliding across the floor.

Debris rained down. Dust filled the chamber.

The knight stepped forward, slowly, glowing sword dragging across the floor.

He's not just powerful. He's relentless.

Alaric gritted his teeth, lifting himself to his feet. His hands were shaking—but not from fear.

Excitement.

This is it. This is the kind of enemy I built her for.

"Aegis," he said, breathing hard. "Time to go all in."

Her eyes glowed.

"Understood."

She pulled her cloak off and dropped into a ready stance, blade humming softly.

The Dreadknight raised its own sword again.

Blue flames licked the edge.

Then they both moved.

Steel rang through the air as their weapons met mid-charge.

Alaric stood at the edge of the broken battlefield, watching.

Let's see if mana can match machine.