Pepper and the black rabbits dream of the Shindai ruins.
"AAAAH! AAAAAH!! AAAAAAAAAH!!!" Pepper wailed.
The Expyde Warlegs, Bilac's masterpiece, stood before him, but the level cap barrier—requiring Level 35, Strength 70, and Skill 50—plunged him into despair. His anguished cries echoed like a grudge unleashed.
"Pepper-han?! What's wrong?!" Aitoile chirped, bursting through the lounge window, triggered by his screams.
"Oi, Aitoile. Pepper's just overwhelmed by my Gand Legs' craftsmanship, crying like a man," Bilac said smugly.
"Nah, Bilac-neesan, he's screaming 'cause he can't equip it," Aitoile corrected.
Having watched Pepper closely, Aitoile understood him well enough to grasp the situation from the mood alone.
"AAAAAH! AAAAAAAAAH!! AAAAAAAAAAAH!!! …Alright, I'm good! Done venting! Time to move on!" Pepper declared, snapping from hysteria to calm in an instant.
"Whoa, don't just switch like that!" Bilac exclaimed, caught off guard by his sudden composure.
"Nice recovery, Pepper-han!" Aitoile praised.
"Hey, Aitoile, we're heading to the Shindai Iron Ruins to mine Gear Metal. Open a gate to Thirdrema," Pepper said.
"Got it!" Aitoile chirped, preparing the gate.
Bilac's eyes widened at the mention of Gear Metal. "Pepper, did you say Gear Metal?"
"Yeah. The Fosfosie smith said the Madness Breaker can evolve into three forms using minerals from three areas near Thirdrema. One's in the Shindai Iron Ruins, so Aitoile and I are going to grab it," Pepper explained.
Bilac's eyes gleamed, likely sensing the Madness Breaker's potential from its blueprint. "A weapon with branching evolutions? Human-crafted arms are so different… and fascinating! Take me along, Pepper. I can lend a hand."
A prompt appeared: "NPC 'Master Smith Bilac' has requested to join your party. Accept?"
[Yes] / [No]
Pepper clicked Yes without hesitation and checked Bilac's stats:
NPCN: Bilac
Level: 98
Main Job: Master Smith
Sub Job: Archaeologist
Vorpal Bunny Master Smith
HP: 175
MP: 530
Stamina: 120
Strength: 130
Agility: 30
Dexterity: 120
Skill: 130
Endurance: 169
Luck: 130
Skills
· Best Step
· Quake Stamp
· Gigaton Swing
· Titan Blast
· Fortress Breaker
· Material Destroy
· Critical Focus
· Analyze: Legacy (Lv. 4)
Magic
· Damage Repair (Lv. MAX)
· Break Repair (Lv. 8)
· Quick Forge (Lv. 4)
· Stack Grind (Lv. 7)
· Drain Enhance (Lv. 7)
· Breakerize (Lv. 1)
· Forgelize (Lv. MAX)
· Strengthlize (Lv. MAX)
· Evolize (Lv. 8)
· Fusionlize (Lv. 6)
· Truelize (Lv. 4)
· Random Encounter (Lv. 3)
· Enchant: High Robust
· Miracle Mining
· Legacy Sense (Lv. 3)
Equipment
· Weapon: Ogre's War Hammer (Sledge Ogre)
· Head: Fire-Watcher's Headwrap
· Torso: Rabbit-Style Smithing Gear
· Waist: Rabbit-Style Smithing Gear
· Feet: Rabbit-Style Smithing Gear
· Accessory: Ifrit Gloves
Holy crap, this Vorpal Bunny smith is insane! Pepper thought, awestruck. With minimal Agility but massive Strength and Endurance, Bilac was a slow, heavy-hitting tank, her smithing magic skewed toward devastating utility. As Aitoile's big sister and the Rabbit Palace's eldest, her power was no joke.
"No wonder she's Aitoile's sister. Her stats are on another level," Pepper said.
"Pepper, what's that supposed to mean?" Bilac huffed.
"Just that I'm counting on you, like Aitoile," he clarified.
If Aitoile was a mobile vanguard, Bilac was a powerhouse frontliner. Pepper could fight upfront too, but as a backline job, one hit could spell game over, so he'd play reactively.
"But, uh, what about the cloak? Hiding both of you might be bulky…" Pepper said.
With the party growing, concealing Aitoile was one thing, but Bilac too? Neither had stealth skills, so moving discreetly would be tough.
"I've got a plan, so relax," Bilac said. "I'm prepping for departure, so wait a sec."
"Wait, Bilac-san, one thing first," Pepper interjected, stopping her as she headed to the forge. From his inventory, he piled up the minerals from his Marshland of Toil marathon.
"…You dug up a ton again. Even Marsh Bounty Rocks?" Bilac marveled.
"Before we hit the Iron Ruins, I want to reserve crafting two Madness Breakers. Check the blueprint for quantities. Can I cover the cost with Mani from selling these minerals?" Pepper asked.
"Got it. I'll stash these at the forge. Hang tight," Bilac said, storing the minerals and heading off.
Pepper gazed at the Expyde Warlegs, sighing wistfully before stowing them. What's Bilac planning? he wondered, his thoughts drifting to the Shindai Iron Ruins. The game's opening mentioned an ancient era called Shindai—were its remnants waiting there?
"Back, Pepper. Let's roll," Bilac announced, returning swiftly.
"Welcome back! That was fast," Pepper said.
"A top smith's prep and action are swift, like my old man taught me," Bilac boasted.
Unlike her siblings like Peetz or Emul, who could take human form, Bilac couldn't. "But I've got this," she said, removing her Ifrit Gloves and loosening her chest wrap. Her fur puffed up, transforming her into a fluffy, cloud-like ball.
"Pardon me, Pepper," she said, wrapping her fur around his neck and left arm like a living cloak.
"What the—?" Pepper blinked.
"Bilac's camouflage: Vorpal Fur Coat!" she declared.
"Pepper-han, Bilac-neesan's fur's toasty, right?" Aitoile chirped.
"Yeah, it's warm… probably from all that forge time. Feels nice," Pepper said.
Bilac's fur, draped over his shoulders and arm, felt like a luxury down comforter. He resisted touching it, fearing her 130+ Strength and massive hammer would crush his skull.
Aitoile opened a gate to Thirdrema. Their goal: Gear Metal from the Shindai Iron Ruins, a key to one of the Madness Breaker's evolution forms.
Two Black Rabbits and the Ruins to Conquer
--------------------------
Hey everyone! 👋
If you're enjoying this story and can't wait to read more, you can now get early access to upcoming chapters on my Patreon!
Your support will help me a lot and give you the chance to explore the world before anyone else. 💫
👉 Check it out here: [patreon.com/Greyhounds]