Drag Along Tiffany

"You're ready to start some battles but why did you come to me?" Tiffany had been training under two masters to learn how to engrave runes to make a magical weapon. The other had taught her unique methods to forge and create unique alloys for those weapons. The combined schools of blacksmithing making it a perfect challenge for her. 

As such, she had been pushing ehr limits. For Malik to just show up and ask her to come out with him, she wondered why. Especially since if they went to some dungeon, that she would hold him back. She had been trained a little more for combat, but that was it. Her training was mostly forging. 

"It's because you have access to a lot of what I need to keep progressing my skills. We need to be strong enough that we are let out of the coyote to begin hunting. The information I have is also too limited. So, the stronger we get better. And you are key to that right now." 

"I get you have said that twice now, but what do you mean by me being the key? I thought that we have to prove our strength more so that we could leave. That we needed to be able to do a lot more to be able to even hunt a single cultist and that we have just been lucky so far." 

Nothing that Tiffany said was untrue. The stronger cultists had not been within the city. Theta had been outside. Hence the fact of the light warriors and Ellen. The more powerful cultists were outside the city of light where they had infiltrated only recently. 

Those cultists outside had caused trouble for villages, towns, and other cities. They had even attracted the attention of other churches that were beginning to act for the first time in a long time. As much as Malim had not wanted the information, he now knew it. 

The details might be missing, but he had managed to get a lot more information after he had cleaned up his mess in the adventurer's guild training area. He had heard about the adventurers taking jobs outside the city to scout out certain dangerous marching groups. How even some dungeon breaks had been found in more wooded areas. 

It was growing worse because mutated boss monsters had even escaped dungeons only to become greater enemies within that area. Killing and causing corruption to spread. That aside, he had the focus of growing stronger and since he knew that Tiffany had something that he needed, he wanted to test it out. 

"You already have the permission to go to the rain puddle dungeon, right?" When Malik had thought of this, he had gotten permission from Clara and was ready to head there. Tiffany was just unsure if he had gotten that permission. She was also looking at the royal guards surrounding them. All three were still there. But they didn't seem perturbed about a dungeon at all. 

"Well, you carry around metals and everything else in a special storage pouch, right? I heard you got one from both of your new masters. That's just part of what I am after. I also heard that all shavings and metal dust is saved to be melted down in unique ores for testing heats. Can I have them?" 

While walking toward the dungeon in the city for being known as an easy dungeon to explore with weaker monsters, and even less valuable materials, Tiffany was surprised by this. She hadn't expected that Malik would just keep most of what he was planning hidden even as they walked in to the dungeon and handed the guards permission letter to enter since it was the adventurer guild's order. 

The dungeon was a smaller dungeon and Malik had read about it. But when he saw the entrance in the open guarded space he used the angelic eyes to check it. 

'Rain puddle dungeon- small

This dungeon is a smaller one that is only comprised of an open grassy and muddy field full of poodles and on and off small sunny rain showers. This is a smaller dungeon with multiple smaller elite monsters that will patrol but are not often violent. 

The only violent monster is often the boss monster. 

The monsters common within are the small sun frogs. Their elite forms, the downpour frog will only show itself when there is a rainstorm happening. They are more powerful within the rain and use that chance to hunt for the sun ray flies that will fly away from the grasses where they can be cornered by the frogs. 

The boss, stormcloud frog will rarely fight for food since it can consume multiple sun ray flies at once with its control of a rain cloud that always follows it due to its innate powerful water affinity. However, it will sometimes mutate and become a more unique monster recorded within…'

Malik saw a lot of information. This was surely due to his growth. More detailed and slightly changed information that the guide could give him by using the angelic eyes to appraise the dungeon. Things would only get better too as he grew. He just had to focus on what he was capable of. 

"We are here, it's wet and rainy and I have my hammer, but what am I doing?" Tiffany finally broke and shouted a bit at Malik who finally showed a large smile. He had thought it all through and was sure his idea would work. 

"I was learning to make lightning the last few days. I meditated and figured it all out. Three manas need to be brought together to do it. Fire, water, and wind. All of those in specific balance make lightning." 

"And?" She wasn't sure what she was involved.

"Metal can transfer lightning much better. The same with water. Making lightning a dangerous attack for anything that lived within the weather. Or is innately a water affinity."

"So you brought me for my metal? What do you want me to do? Make weapons as you need them? I'm good but not that good." She had no idea where Malik's mind was. 

"Yes and no. I don't need you to forge anything. I have the elemental weapon creation skill. I can make mana in to my weapon. So with earth mana, I control earth. But that won't allow the lightning to travel properly. But metal will. So, if you have the metal dust and scrapings and shavings…"

"You can shape them, can't you!?" her eyes shined since she would be able to see exactly the forms and strength of the weapons that Malik wanted to use by examining what he changed the metal pieces into. 

"Solid metal is tougher to change. I doubt I can do that without a very deep understanding of what metal is compared to earth mana. That would also change the way I focused on the lighting I am guiding and creating. So, if I use an easier form to change that requires less thought and mana, well, then I can focus on the lighting." 

Tiffany did not hesitate to empty a large pile of metal shavings and dust. She had been training for hours on end. The carving process alone left a significant amount of shavings that she would not use often. Therefore, she was much more interested to see what forms that Malik would create with them. It would be very interesting to see if he created unique weapons that she could use as inspiration. 

As a blacksmith that was trying to rise much higher, the idea that something considered a waste material could bring her inspiration was great. She didn't even care that she had to come to the dungeon to see it used. She just wanted to see if she could grasp how to make a natural flow through a metal weapon. 

There was also the fact that fused elemental manas would often destroy weapons. Therefore, she would need to find specific alloys to handle them. If Malik was going to use a magic skill to make it possible, she might be able to use the remnants of what he destroyed to make a better weapon. Her eyes were full of ideas already. 

Malik on the other hand, had begun to realize that the metal dust was emanating a unique form of earth aman. It was like the metal had been condensed and forced to become more organized. That was how he felt. A method of using it would surely be there if he wanted to strive for more. 

This moment though, he just grabbed on to that metal mana and caused it to take the shape of a sword. A single handed sword. Nothing fancy about it other than the awkward shape and streaks of different metal dusts that made it up. 

"So it feels odd since it isn't solid, but I can tell that it will work. Now watch carefully." Malik began channeling the manas needed to make lighting in to the sword. A slight spark arcing off of it almost instantly. 

It was all very amazing. That was until a loud crack of thunder echoed around.