The Metal That Breathes
When Ruko going to enter the granzel mine he started to feel a headache and knock out, till he woke up outside he found someone calling him from the distance.
"Hey, Ruko! what are you doing sleeping on the ground? That's not the way were hunting frogs," Megumin shouted!
Ruko scared in his thoughts. "Bomboclot... she scared me to death," Ruko turn and wave while shouting. "Nothing important, just having a headache and we're hunting frogs!"
Megumin frowned unexpected. "What you didn't remember and how you end up there? Ruko." Ruko exploited with a frowny face—
"I dont know myself Yeah?"
Megumin jump in excitement. "Oh really Ruko? Then let's go hunt frogs now cause I can't take it anymore." Ruko panic!. "Alright im coming just give me a sec and there are no monster's to waste your mana to explode on."
Megumin feel downside. "OK, never–mind then," Ruko feel bad and started jump up the cliff with suite and lazy movement. While talking to Megumin. "Well you can use your explosion on the frogs, since you love emptying your mana too much," Megumin go crimson mode—
"I Megumin crimson, will eradicate every frog I see in my evil eye and claim victory!" Ruko feel something will happened and the granzel cave it must be keeping him from something.
The smell of burnt mana still hung in the air from yesterday's explosion. Ruko rubbed his neck, trying to forget how close he'd been to dying again.
"Bomboclot… I really need hazard pay," he muttered, glancing over at Kazuma and his party, who were still arguing over who caused the blast in the first place.
But Ruko had no time to waste. A faint message flickered in his vision—
> [Quest Update: Search for the First Material – Core Alloy.]
[Warning: Power Limitation Active – Output 1%.]
He sighed. "One percent, huh? Guess I'm back to being the budget version of myself."
Aqua was the first to notice him heading out. "Oi, Ruko! Where are you going? We're supposed to hunt frogs again!"
"Pass," he said lazily, waving without looking back. "You can kiss those frogs for luck or whatever, I've got something better to find."
Kazuma frowned. "Better? You mean money? Because we're broke again."
Ruko smirked. "Something like that. Let's just say… it's metal, it's rare, and it's got more life than Aqua's brain cells."
"Hey!" Aqua screeched, throwing a bottle at him. Ruko ducked easily, smirking wider.
As he left town, he went back to granzel cave again—like the earth itself was whispering. The further he walked, the stronger it got, until even the ground seemed to vibrate with energy. He followed it into a ravine surrounded by glowing stones.
> [Energy Signature Detected: Core Alloy Fragment.]
"There you are…" he murmured.
The metal shard floated above the ground, pulsing like it had a heartbeat. He reached out, but the moment his fingers brushed it, a jolt of energy surged through his arm. His vision blurred.
Memories. A battlefield. Weapons made of liquid metal shifting shape mid-swing. His own hands… forging something from blood and fire.
Then—darkness.
He stumbled back, gasping. "Bomboclot… that thing almost fried me."
Still, he couldn't resist. He pressed his palm against the shard again, forcing his blood to touch it. A red glow spread across the alloy, twisting, shaping—responding to him.
> [Core Alloy synchronized with user's bloodline.]
[Progress: 1% Power Bound.]
Ruko grinned faintly. "Looks like we're officially partners."
But his moment of victory was short-lived. The ground shook, and something crawled out of the shadows—a hulking creature made of molten steel, its face warped like melting armor.
"So… that's your guard dog, huh?" he said, cracking his neck and grinning. "This'll be interesting."
The monster's roar echoed through the ravine, flames spilling from its mouth.
He drew in a slow breath, muttering, "Alright… time to work with one percent."
He dodged the creature's first strike, feeling the air split beside his face. The impact left a crater in the ground. "Okay, maybe one-point-one percent!"
Kazuma's voice suddenly echoed from the entrance cave. "Ruko?! Why are you fighting a giant furnace?!"
"Long story!" Ruko yelled back, leaping to the side again. "Tell Megumin not to blow me up this time!"
But just as the beast lunged, a faint seal appeared on Ruko's wrist. It glowed for a moment, then faded. He could feel something trying to suppress his strength again.
He grit his teeth. The Sealer… she's watching again.
Despite the pressure, he managed to land one solid hit on the monster's core. The blow resonated with the alloy fragment in his hand—creating a brief shockwave that tore the creature apart from within.
When the dust settled, Ruko fell to one knee, panting. "Bomboclot… I'm gonna die of exhaustion before I can even reach five percent."
Kazuma run in the cave, looking half impressed, half annoyed. "You're insane."
"Yeah," Ruko said with a smirk. "But it works."
He looked down at the Core Alloy, now embedded into a small bracer on his wrist. Its glow matched his heartbeat. A small step, but the first of many.
As he stood, the world seemed to hum again—quietly acknowledging his progress.
> [Skill Fragment Reactivated: True Copy – Locked State Adjusted.]
[Seal Status: Hidden.]
Ruko's grin widened. "So, the game's finally starting…"