Bastion had left Lilia and Seraphina behind to begin constructing their new home in the fiery landscape while he ventured out with Pebbles to survey the area. He wanted to determine exactly what resources the earth spirit could extract from the land. According to the documents provided by Hodge, the Burning Wastes contained abundant Rank 2 and Rank 3 crystals and ores, materials that could be used to manufacture ammunition.
The dungeon followed a monthly cycle, during which the labyrinth would rearrange itself and the resources within the rooms would regenerate. The monsters, however, operated on a separate weekly cycle, allowing them to be hunted far more frequently. The main issue was that monster drops were completely random body parts, making them unreliable for ammunition production. At best, they could serve as supplementary materials, but they would never provide the consistent supply needed to produce enough bullets for a century of battles.
For now, their existing stockpile was estimated to last around ten years, assuming Apprentice-rank ammunition could even damage Rank 3 monsters. The effectiveness depended heavily on the creature itself, as monsters with softer bodies could still be torn apart despite the difference in rank. However, tougher opponents would require far more powerful ammunition.
"What did you find, Pebbles?" Bastion asked his earth spirit, who resembled a short, elderly dwarf made of dirt.
"Ra raa ra rarara," it replied sagely while stroking its beard.
"That's a lot!" Bastion exclaimed. "It's a bit deep underground, but it should be more than enough to supply us with ammunition for a week. We just need to find three more veins like this to maintain a sustainable supply of ammunition. Do you think you can pull it out of the ground?"
"Ra!" it replied, nodding enthusiastically.
"Give it a try, then. There doesn't seem to be any creatures nearby."
Pebbles dove underground, carving a path toward the ore vein. It began churning the earth, loosening the ground before pulling the dense, heavy metals buried deep within to the surface. Among the deposits were several valuable materials, including Rank 2 Flaming Iron, Rank 2 Embersteel, Rank 3 Sunforged Gold, Rank 3 Starfall Silver, and Rank 3 Obsidianite. As Pebbles pulled them from the earth, chunks of raw ore rose to the surface before gathering into a large pile.
The Flaming Iron glowed with a deep orange heat, its surface constantly radiating warmth like a furnace despite being freshly extracted. The Embersteel appeared as a dark metallic alloy with faint red cracks running through it, as if embers burned beneath its surface. The Sunforged Gold shone with a brilliant golden radiance, its surface seeming to hold the light within itself. Starfall Silver had a pale, almost celestial sheen, with tiny specks of light flickering across its surface like a reflection of distant stars. Finally, the Obsidianite formed jagged black chunks with a glass-like texture, its surface unnaturally smooth despite its incredible hardness.
"Jackpot!" Bastion exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as massive chunks of ore burst from the ground and piled together before him.
Each metal carried unique properties that made them valuable. Flaming Iron naturally radiated intense heat, making it ideal for fire-based weapons and ammunition. Embersteel could absorb heat and release it in bursts, making it useful for durable equipment and specialized bullets. Sunforged Gold contained highly dense mana, allowing it to resist magical influence and store vast amounts of energy, while Starfall Silver was highly conductive and capable of enhancing magical effects. Obsidianite, formed under extreme volcanic pressure, combined exceptional hardness with resistance to magical corrosion, giving it an almost anti-magic property by reducing the effectiveness of magical effects by roughly 30%.
Just from these alone, Bastion would be able to upgrade their entire arsenal by a full rank. Flaming Iron and Embersteel were easy to forge and made excellent standard bullets, while Sunforged Gold was ideal for armor and high-quality weapons. Starfall Silver would go straight to Lilia and Seraphina, who could use its exceptional conductivity to create more powerful gadgets, enchanted jewelry, and specialized clothing.
Finally, there was Obsidianite. Its crystalline structure made it a terrifying material for ammunition. A solid round with razor-sharp edges could punch deep into a target, while a hollow-point design would shatter on impact, sending a deadly spray of glass-like shards through flesh and armor alike.
"How am I supposed to mass manufacture Rank 2 and Rank 3 bullets, though?" Bastion wondered aloud as he stored the growing pile of ore in his Inventory. "Sunforged Gold and Starfall Silver won't be much of a problem. They'll be turned into Rank 3 equipment for personal use, so spending an absurd amount of time, mana, and effort crafting them won't be a waste. The real problem is the Flaming Iron, Embersteel, and Obsidianite."
"Flaming Iron and Embersteel can be melted down and molded, similar to the Apprentice and Rank 1 bullets. Pebbles will throw a fit, but I can't afford to waste time, mana, and effort producing millions of bullets individually. That's simply unreasonable."
Pebbles immediately complained in his mind, upset that the responsibility was once again being handed over to fire. However, Bastion stood firm. For mass production, efficiency mattered more than achieving perfect quality.
"Sorry, buddy, but that's just how it has to be," Bastion insisted, consoling the grumpy old man. "Think of it this way. You can focus on creating the highest-quality equipment alongside me while we leave mass production to fire. That way, we can make the best use of both of your strengths. What do you think?"
Pebbles stopped pulling up more ore and gave the idea some serious thought before eventually giving a reluctant nod. It accepted the arrangement, though its emotions of frustration made it clear that it still wasn't happy about it.
"Now, for the actual manufacturing process," Bastion muttered. "Flaming Iron and Embersteel should be relatively simple. I can melt them down and pour them into molds, something the golems can easily handle. Flaming Iron has a low melting point, so that won't be an issue. Embersteel will be trickier since overheating it could cause it to explode, meaning I'll need to add a dampening agent to safely melt it."
"Then there's Obsidianite…"
Bastion stared at the crystalline metal, considering his options. "I could hand-carve bullets from it, but I'd need millions of them, which makes that completely impractical. A press won't work either since its crystalline structure would leave too many fractures and waste a large amount of material. I could melt it down and cast it into thick sheets with preformed grooves, but even that creates another problem of structural integrity."
He continued ruminating, turning the problem over in his mind until a new idea formed.
"Wait. Why am I trying to make the entire bullet out of it?" Bastion said, his eyes widening. "I can grind the Obsidianite into shards and mix it into the smelting process with Flaming Iron and Embersteel. That should create a stronger alloy, pushing them into high Rank 2 or even low Rank 3 territory."
"As for the larger chunks, I can save those for specialized ammunition. Solid Rank 3 bullets would be perfect for Ariel's hand cannons and my own cannon, giving us a reliable option against stronger opponents in emergencies."
Bastion grinned as the possibilities began to unfold. "Yeah, that works. It'll take plenty of experimentation, but I have ten years of supplies to work with, so there's no rush."
He looked over the mound of rare metals with excitement. The Burning Wastes had given him far more than just a place to level up. It had provided him with an incredible supply of valuable resources to work with. However, such a windfall came with its own problem.
"How am I going to get all of this out of here?" Bastion laughed nervously.
The original plan had been to enter and leave with roughly the same amount of inventory by cost, saving them from paying high taxes. However, that wouldn't be possible if he intended to overhaul all of their equipment. Worse, the increased value added by their crafting would likely make the taxes far more expensive. Instead of paying for raw materials, he'd effectively be paying for finished products, which would cost significantly more.
"I guess I'll have to discuss this with the girls," Bastion said with a sigh.
He was already imagining the arguments that would come from suggesting an overhaul of their equipment despite only being Rank 2 when another thought suddenly interrupted him.
'I may have fucked up a little, hehe~,' Ariel's telepathic voice entered his mind. 'Halp!'
Bastion immediately stored the remaining ore pile Pebbles had brought to the surface before unsummoning the earth spirit. He rushed back toward camp, where everything still appeared normal at first glance.
The barrier was already fully erected, with layers of traps and defensive measures spread throughout the area. However, as he approached, he spotted Ariel flying toward the camp with a few hundred enraged Rank 3 creatures chasing after her.
"...What did you do?" he muttered before shaking his head.
Rather than complain, he realized this was the perfect opportunity to test the new weapon he had been slowly developing in the Kingdom of Paws. It was only Rank 2, and its movements were still somewhat clunky due to its massive size, but its sheer scale and power should allow it to stand toe-to-toe with Rank 3 creatures.
Bastion rushed toward the center of the battlefield, positioning himself between the charging monsters and the defensive perimeter. The ground trembled beneath the approaching horde as hundreds of enraged creatures thundered forward, their roars echoing across the Burning Wastes.
"Armor Slot."
The black armor enchanted with fire resistance covering his body vanished in an instant. In its place, a towering figure of black metal emerged around him.
The massive armor stood 5 meters tall, its imposing frame resembling a knight forged from darkness. Bastion sat within its chest, secured inside a specialized bodysuit and helmet while countless mana-conductive wires connected him to every part of the machine. The armor moved according to his thoughts, turning his will into motion while drawing upon his mana as its fuel.
From his Inventory, a massive 3-meter-long black blade materialized in one hand, while a 4-meter-tall black tower shield appeared in the other. The massive weapon and shield completed the silhouette of an imposing dark knight, its size rivaling and even surpassing many of the monsters charging toward them.
Bastion raised his blade and planted his shield into the ground as the horde approached.
"Alright," he said with a grin. "Let's see what you can do."
The 5-meter-tall black knight rushed forward to meet the stampede head-on.
"Come at me!" he shouted, his amplified voice unleashing a thunderous Taunt that echoed across the entire room.
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