Heavy Metal

Chapter 54 - 52 – Ninth Floor.

A flash of light engulfed a dilapidated church, momentarily stunning an undead horde. Rusty's elemental attack - an explosion of holy energy, devastated the dark creatures before him. Their rotting bodies disintegrated, leaving behind only a few stragglers, who were left with missing limbs and burned flesh. The main part of his armor was left mangled within the piles of burned zombies but his helmet was safely perched up on a ledge.

"Another successful run,"

He muttered as his body started reassembling itself piece by piece. Soon, a brand-new body took shape while the old one was discarded. With a leap, he jumped from the ledge and drew his longsword. The few enemies that remained could barely move, giving him an opportunity to use his skill.

"Let's see… Do you have any worthwhile skills that are compatible with me?"

After approaching a high-zombie, he sliced off its remaining limbs. This monster could slowly regenerate and would not die easily. He positioned his helmet so that his core was away from its mouth, then quickly activated the skill absorption.

No compatible skills have been found.

"Hm? There is nothing?"

This was a first for him. Usually, there was at least one skill he could absorb. It seemed that his metallic body was not very compatible with the zombies, but they weren't the only enemies left. After quickly slicing off the monster's head, he started looking around. There were two other zombies like it and one high-skeleton.

No compatible skills have been found.

Compatible skills have been found. Please choose a skill that you want to learn.

After finishing his

Description:

A living armor monster fully made out of iron.

These monsters were patrolling around but quickly turned in his direction after he slammed into the iron bars of the inner castle gate. Not wanting to stand out, Rusty decided to quickly slip into the side entrance, where a lesser number of enemies awaited him. The interior was dimly lit and narrow, offering a temporary reprieve from the overwhelming number of foes outside.

Despite the relative safety of this side entrance, there were still enemies here. Without any adventurers within the dungeon, he had to deal with all of them alone. His metallic footsteps echoed in the confined space, alerting the patrolling iron guards to his presence. With haste, he switched out his longsword to match his opponents who were made out of hardened metal. The sword vanished from his hand and was replaced with a heavy-looking mace. Soon, one of the living armors was charging at him with a large two-handed sword.

Rusty braced himself for the impact, adjusting his stance to better wield the heavy mace. The charging Iron Armor raised its two-handed sword, ready to strike. Rusty dodged to the side at the last moment, swinging his mace in a wide arc. The mace connected with the side of the Iron Armor's head, sending a resounding clang echoing through the narrow hallway.

The Iron Armor staggered but did not fall. Rusty swung again, this time aiming for the knee joint. The mace crushed through the metal, causing the Iron Armor to buckle and collapse. He followed up with a decisive skill-infused strike to the head, right where the core should be hidden away. The monster's helmet was flattened from the powerful blow and he received the system's confirmation of his victory.

One was down, but another remained. The second Iron Armor swung its sword, but Rusty was quicker. The blow was parried by his shield, sending the monster staggering back. With a perfectly timed hit from his mace, a dent appeared in its stomach, and the monster was sent flying against the nearby wall. While the monsters looked sturdy, they were rather light, a weakness Rusty knew how to exploit.

He quickly approached before the monster could gather itself. One of its arms had popped off, but the monster was unwilling to give up. With its remaining arm, it flailed wildly, trying to keep him at bay. However, before the monster could use its Limb Control skill, Rusty charged in. His mace connected with the remaining arm, pinning it against the wall. Then, his hand moved in a grasping motion toward the Iron Armor's helmet. Soon, it was being squeezed without mercy, bending under the might of his new skill.

"It's like fighting a slower and dumber version of myself…"

The monster's parts flopped down as its core was crushed by Rusty's gauntlet. He knew his own weaknesses best, so it was quite easy to exploit these enemies that were almost the same as him. While their bodies were made from a better metal, it didn't mean they were harder. Thanks to his passive skills and his bronze body being made of a rarer variant, he was just as, if not more, sturdy than all of them.

Rusty stood over the defeated foe, briefly assessing the situation. The area was clear for the moment, giving him a chance to catch his breath and plan his next move. Luckily, the battle hadn't triggered the other monsters to enter this chamber. He had some time to examine their bodies and prepare for the coming battles. His enemies weren't as weak as the ones on the other floors, and he couldn't dispatch them easily with his elemental light. To navigate this area and reach his next evolution, he would have to proceed carefully.

However, he couldn't shake the feeling that his enemies wouldn't simply allow him to lurk in this dungeon without trying to impede his movements. Time was of the essence and once he was level fifteen he would tackle the tenth floor and what lurked within.