Master Of None

"Walker!" Gil shouted to Walker and ran over. He and the crossbowmen had reassured the barricade on the path to the mining level and had been waiting for Walker and the dwarven royal guard. "You're finally here. I have been stuck forever." 

Gil had been constantly bombarded by the questions about the bow he used and how many times he had used it along with the attempts to hold and use it by the crossbowmen. They were completely infatuated with it even though they completely lacked the skills and ability to use a proper bow. They had crossbowman systems and were trained to use crossbows. 

"I managed to learn a few things but I think I would go crazy if I am left alone with them any longer." Walker could see the crossbowmen fall in to an orderly line and begin to report on what had happened to the royal guard. It was clear that the royal guard ranked much higher than them in their military and this was an expected occurrence. 

"Well, we have a little time before Remey gets here. Why did they find your bow so interesting? What did you learn?" Walker felt that Gil being paired with the crossbowmen had worked out better than expected. There was plenty of time between the dwarves and golems taking over the merchant district and  Walker meeting back up with Gil. 

"So, they know about the spirit forged weapons and said they have never heard of a ranged weapon one. So my bow is pretty rare. But they also said that they are so rare that they only know of the kings' armory having some really. But they also said that masters don't make them because it uses all their mana for the rest of their life meaning; soul burning." 

Walker listened intently and knew that the soul burning was a very terrible way to perish. But the dwarven forging masters had done this before and would mostly do it again to create the spirit forged weapons. "So the spirit smith or spirit forging systems might not be what we think if they cost the user to burn away their soul to make a spirit and weapon fuse together." 

Walker felt that this was a huge puzzle piece when it came to the place learning this. He had a few theories on why their systems would require the fusing of a spirit and a weapon to burn away a soul as fuel. "They also kept talking about how the spirit forging process always required unique and rare materials and often certain days of the year to work. I feel like the elves would know more but it reminds me of that lunar priestess and the forest elf rituals." 

"Maybe the spirit forging process is missing a few things then? It could need more than just materials and time of year. Maybe it is the spirit that's the problem and  the way they try to fuse it with a weapon?" Walker wanted to delve more in to this and speak with Gil further but he noticed that the crossbowmen and the royal guard had finished their briefing and were currently preparing themselves for the next endeavor. 

"Check up on your arrows. If you can fill more with water elemental mana do it." Walker brought out a significant amount of ware elemental mana crystal from his inventory. He also tossed a few towards Midnight and watched her excited movements while chomping down on them. 

"Hero, the men are preparing and I will watch over the barricade. There were a significant number of slimes behind the barricader but they were forced back by your companions icy arrows." The royal guard was unfamiliar with the elf skills that came with their unique arrows and had deemed it an icy arrow. 

Gil caught him while making the arrow and began to explain while Walker began to formulate a plan for when Remey got there. They would need to immediately defeat the slimes on the other side of the barricade and Walker had the firm belief that Remey had something that would help immensely. He just needed to wait for a few hours. 

Meanwhile, Walker began to send the crossbowmen to get materials that allowed them to floor the entrance to the mines with water. If Remey didn't have a solution to the slime problem he wanted to continuously keep the entrance open for them to enter and escape if necessary.

The crossbowmen managed to gather some of the general populace who had volunteered to join the retake of the merchant district and set up hoses and pipes. After another hour of this, the royal guard came to report what was going on. "Hero, We have managed to prepare a series of temporary piping we use for fires. This can flood the stairs and deter slimes." 

"Sounds perfect. But just because the water dilutes their bodies that doesn't mean we will rest easy. If the water evaporates then the slime cores should be able to pull their bodies back together and keep eating the city away. I am sure some small slime cores will escape our attacks.' Walker knew they needed a more concrete way to defeat the slimes. 

"Then forget the water and use my potions! I have a much better way to beat the slimes." Remey had finally made it to the entrance to the mines. However, Walker was confused and curious as to why there were four dwarves each carrying small barrels behind her. 

"It took me much longer to find the ingredients and read the notes on what herbs the dwarves had. But I have finally made something that should help." Remey was smug as the dwarves helping her placed the barrels down and Remey opened the top of the barrel while also taking a vial with a small slime core out of it. She was ready to demonstrate her creation. 

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