Entering Apocalypse in Easy-Mode

Upon hearing what Clyde said, Hammer blinked rapidly. He stared at Clyde for a moment only to see Clyde\'s demanding look.

"Why do you want to know about that?" Hammer asked. Anxiety began to rise in his heart.

"I just wanted to know." Clyde stood up and approached Hammer. "I wonder if could you come up with something similar."

Clyde held up the necklace that Asqa gave to Hammer\'s face. It is a simple necklace. The string of the necklace is made of silver and the pendant looks like an apple which is also made of silver.

Hammer\'s eyes immediately stared at the necklace and reflexively followed the movement of the pendant that swayed to the right and left.

"W-what is this?" Hammer asked.

"So, I got this from someone. Can you create something so I can communicate with the person who has this necklace?" Clyde expressed his wish.

Hammer looked at Clyde with suspicious eyes. "Who is this... Person?"

"Just someone. I need to communicate with her as soon as possible."

"I-I don\'t know if I can do it or not."

"You can create a portal that directly connects to the Ruin. You said you can also create something so I can go to the domain of the Celestials.

That means you have a way to connect this fortress to what\'s in the other world. Regardless of whatever happens in this fortress."

Clyde stops his words before he mentions something in this fortress that seems to prevent him from using Character Information.

"W-well." Hammer swallowed his saliva. "I-I do have some kind of way of doing that. But... I can\'t do it too often or the Senior Council will penalize me."

"They haven\'t done anything to you in all this time even though you have this portal," Clyde said.

"Th-that\'s because they know I wouldn\'t dare use it," Hammer countered. "But now, they know that you are brave enough to go to the Ruin alone. If I create something else, they might think that I helped you to rebel against them."

Clyde stared at Hammer with a sigh. "You said you could help me create a portal that could lead me to The All Territory if I brought the right essence with me."

"I-It seems... I can\'t make it anymore." Hammer said while avoiding Clyde\'s gaze.

Previously, Clyde thought he had seen a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel when he heard that Hammer could create the device.

But apparently, what he said at that time was just based on his impulse to create something new. Now that Hammer had thought about it - and finally realized - the consequences he would receive from his actions, the Dwarf became full of doubts.

But Clyde couldn\'t let him feel doubtful now. He needed Hammer to create something he needed now.

"Hey, don\'t you really want to create something new again?" Clyde asked.

"It\'s not that I don\'t want to. But I can\'t." Hammer still avoided Clyde\'s gaze.

"Come on, man. I know you can do it. You are the greatest blacksmith I have met in this Fortress." Clyde pointed at a small portal in the corner of the room. "You can create a portal that can directly connect to a Ruin.

You can create a pickaxe that can extract ore in one hit. And you can create amazing weapons."

Upon hearing the compliments that came pouring down on him continuously, Hammer\'s eyes seemed to emit a glint that expressed pleasure.

Seeing how Hammer reacted to his words, Clyde added. "I believe that you can create that device, Hammer. And of course, I won\'t let the Senior Council know about anything."

Hammer, who originally looked away, now turned his face slowly towards Clyde. "Are you sure that none of the Senior Council will find out?"

"Yes." Clyde nodded. What Hammer saw in Clyde was more than just a desire to convince him. But Clyde nodded as if he knew it was the truth.

"O-Okay," Hammer said. "So uhh... you want me to create what exactly with that necklace?"

"This necklace," said Clyde. "It belongs to someone in The All Territory. I need you to create something that I can contact her with."

"But why?"

"You don\'t need to know about that. The less you know, the better."

After hearing that, Hammer decided that not knowing why would be better. Hammer knew that Clyde\'s business was always close to danger.

"Can you do it?" Clyde asked again, this time in a more demanding tone.

"I\'ll try," answered Hammer.

"Can you do it or not?"

Hammer sighed. He contemplated while staring at the necklace. Clyde could see the cogs in his head starting to spin.

Then he said. "Yeah. I think I can do that."

When he said that, a smile finally appeared on Clyde\'s face. "Good. As expected, you are a skilled Dwarf."

Just as Clyde had thought. Hammer would have melted quickly when he was praised for the work he put in continuously. Hammer would have no choice but to create something new again after someone recognized his prowess.

Hammer was grinning now. Somehow, the anxiety and fear that had filled his mind earlier seemed to have disappeared.

Clyde nodded. Then drew his sword from its scabbard. When Hammer saw the state of the sword, his face, which had been smiling earlier, changed to one of shock.

"What happened to that sword?!" Hammer asked in a high voice filled with shock.

"You know what happened. I use it to fight," Clyde answered simply. Then handed the sword into Hammer\'s hands. "This is a good sword. It can last until the end until I can kill my opponent."

Hammer no longer heard Clyde\'s last words. He was already busy staring at this very worrying sword blade.

With one glance, Hammer already knew that the damage this sword had suffered was quite severe. It\'s not just a lot of chips and cracks on the outer blade. But Hammer could feel that even the inner structure of this sword had been damaged due to the immense Mana pressure.

The damage this sword took had increased by several times compared to the last time. That means Clyde\'s power had also increased since the last time.

"I don\'t think you can use this sword anymore." Hammer sighed in resignation. "Next time you should use the sword you brought earlier. Maybe it can handle your power better than this poor sword. Just maybe."

Clyde just nodded his head at that. "Alright."

Feeling that his business with Hammer was finished, Clyde decided now was the time to get out of there.

Before he walked out of the door, Clyde gave Hammer a stern look and said. "You can finish the necklace as soon as possible, right?"

Hammer didn\'t answer right away. He took a few seconds before finally nodding. "Yes."

"Great. Thanks."

After that, Clyde really left there. Leaving Hammer staring at the necklace while racking his brains. Not long after, he begins his work.

~~~

Time elapsed. Clyde spent last night doing nothing. He only realized that his body was suffering from quite intense fatigue when he finally lay down on the bed.

The battle he fought in the desert Ruin was a big battle that he had just experienced after a long time. So Clyde thought that it was only natural his body would be shocked by the heavy burden that came so suddenly.

Clyde immediately closed his eyes that night without thinking too much again. He slept so soundly that night that he didn\'t even wake up the entire night. 

Clyde just woke up the next day, and he woke up with refreshed feeling. 

After finishing his business, Clyde went straight to the place where he could meet Maethion. 

The place is quite far from the living quarter. Clyde also had quite a bit of trouble finding the location of the lake and only found it after circling for a few minutes.

It turns out that the lake is pretty nice. The lake is also quite wide. 

The surface of the water is clear and calm like a mirror that reflects the view of the always-dark sky above.

Clyde had no idea how large the Sivagadh Fortress really was. But seeing how wide this lake was, Clyde felt that he wasn\'t in a fortress but in an entirely different world.

There are several chairs and fields around the lake. Clyde also saw that there were several beings of various races enjoying their morning time.

But unfortunately, the atmosphere that always looks like night makes the beauty of this lake less than it should be.

Clyde sat on one of the chairs. And awaiting Maethion\'s arrival. At that time, the bespectacled Elf said that he would know when Clyde arrived at the lake and was ready to talk to him. So Clyde just sat quietly and waited.

"So you came."

The voice Clyde had been waiting for came from behind him. Maethion who seems to have come from nowhere sat beside him.

"Thank you for coming to accept my invitation," Maethion said.

Clyde turned to him. "So, what should I do?"

~~~