flstandardbreds Chapter 153 Vogville
Chapter 153 Vogville
Boom! Clang! Clang!
Amidst the explosive roar and the scorching air, the sharp, rhythmic sound of metal clashing echoed through the volcanic cave.
The dungeon was shrouded in the fiery glow of lava and the acrid smell of smoke, providing a surreal backdrop for this intense "battle".
Amidst this chaos, a massive figure emerged from the smoke, nearly three meters tall.
Its massive body, bathed in lava, exudes an aura of primal power. Long, twisted horns adorn its head, and fiery red whiskers hang down from its chest.
Its whiskers are curly, with the tips charred from the heat, which complements its horns.
Those eyes shone with an extraordinary light, reflecting the surrounding heat and violence.
Clang!
As its arm, gripping the hammer, rises again and strikes the metal, sparks fly, illuminating the surroundings and creating a scene resembling art.
"Ok?"
Just as the taut, muscular arm was raised again, the massive figure suddenly let out a low groan and stopped moving.
"I sensed something."
A deep voice, full of experience and pride, echoed in the forge, expressing the thoughts of the enormous figure.
"Faint, but it does exist."
Boom! Clang!
The clanging of metal ceased abruptly, and the massive figure slowly lowered the hammer, the vibrations in the air gradually subsiding. The cave seemed to hold its breath, awaiting the mysterious blacksmith's next words.
He turned, his glowing eyes piercing through the billowing smoke. The eerie light of the lava illuminated the figure, revealing the intricate details of his deep red beard and twisted horns.
“It’s been a while since anyone has dared to venture into this remote place. I thought I was hiding it well.”
The words echoed through the cave, carrying a mysterious tone. The blacksmith's gaze shifted to the entrance, as if he were staring at something hidden in the shadows.
"You've come to this place far from the world... a land hidden in the heart of a volcano, trodden by only a few... What brought you here, lost soul?"
The shadows at the entrance remained still, and the cave seemed to be holding its breath.
"Ugh……"
Then, the blacksmith sighed and continued with ancient wisdom.
“I never expected to meet such a young man here… Fate is truly wondrous. But young man, the fire in your heart is like an open book to me. I can feel the weight of your footsteps and hear the whispers of your intentions. You carry a story, a story deeply imprinted on your soul.”
The blacksmith's words echoed in the cave, as if he could perceive things that ordinary people could not, and his red eyes held an extraordinary wisdom.
"...Indeed, it's hard to escape the eyes of someone like you..."
Bathed in the glow of the lava, the shadows in the center of the cave suddenly stirred. A figure emerged from the darkness, his purple eyes gleaming with a fiery light comparable to that of the lava.
His features gradually became clear, his face bearing an unwavering expression.
The young man stepped forward and nodded to the old blacksmith. He was expressionless, as if he had expected to be discovered.
“I never expected a young man like you to have made it all the way from the entrance. I guess my senses have become a bit dull.” The blacksmith’s eyes were fixed on the unknown visitor, scrutinizing the young man through his intense gaze.
“There’s something… I sensed something from you.”
The young man stood silently, saying nothing. Faced with this enormous and imposing presence, he seemed quite relaxed, as if certain that he was safe.
"I understand……"
The blacksmith stroked his beard, as if he had finally realized something.
“I never expected to sense the most ancient aura within you… Now, everything makes sense.”
In the blacksmith's eyes, a familiar shadow seemed to flash across the young man, a presence that seemed strangely familiar.
However, in that instant, the blacksmith's interest seemed to wane. He turned back to the forge, ignoring the young man as if his presence were irrelevant.
"No matter who you are or what you're carrying, I don't want to be disturbed." The blacksmith's deep, resonant voice echoed in the cave.
Ding!Ding!
The rhythmic clanging of metal rang out again, signaling the blacksmith's return to his work. The young man, acknowledged and then dismissed, stood in the shimmering light of the volcanic cave, silently pondering the ancient blacksmith and the mysteries hidden within him.
But the young man was not discouraged, as if he had expected all of this to happen. He took a step forward, his voice cutting through the clanging of metal.
"How long do you plan to run away?" he asked, his face calm and unchanged.
The blacksmith remained focused on his work, ignoring the question, as if those words had been carried away by the billowing smoke from the furnace.
Ding!Ding!
"Is this your way of self-redemption? Isolating yourself from the world?"
Undeterred, the young man continued toward the forging table. Sparks rained down from the table, and with each step he took, the temperature rose sharply, reaching a dangerous level.
But the blacksmith remained completely absorbed, the sparks from the melting metal reflecting in his indifferent eyes, as if nothing concerned him.
"To evade responsibility for the past... to evade the consequences of your actions... is this the great Vogville way?"
boom!
As the young man asked his final question, the hammer stopped again.
"...You know me..."
The blacksmith's tone changed; it lost its coldness.
“Yes,” the young man replied calmly. “You are that ancient fire demon, the legendary blacksmith of Netheria.”
Vogville turned around, his eyes gleaming with a different light, and the cave seemed to hold its breath. The crimson glow of the lava reflected on the legendary blacksmith, adding a mysterious luster to his weathered face.
"You know a lot..." the blacksmith chuckled. "But don't you think it's unwise to say these things in front of someone you consider an ancient demon?"
The young man met the blacksmith's gaze without flinching. "I know the risks, but I also know you won't kill me."
A hint of a smile flickered in Vogwell's eyes. "Then why are you so sure?"
The young man stepped forward, his tone calm: "You are the one who sees the destruction your weapon brings. You are the one who longs to end all disaster... You are not someone who would kill the weak."
Vogwell's expression was inscrutable, but the fire in his eyes seemed to have softened somewhat. "You speak as if you know my heart."
“Actions speak louder than words… A man’s past reveals his nature. That’s what I believe.” The young man continued, taking the final step and standing before the furnace. The temperature was almost unbearable, and sweat streamed down his forehead.
Vogville silently gazed at the young man, his massive frame standing before the furnace. After a moment, he asked in a low voice, "If you know why I'm here, why do you still ask me to forge another weapon for you? A tool of destruction. What makes you think I would forge a weapon for you that will also determine the fate of the world?"
The young man paused, his purple eyes fixed on the blacksmith, a fierce flame burning within them.
The aura emanating from the young man gradually became clearer; it was neither powerful nor grand, but extremely intense.
It was as if he was demonstrating his own emotions, showing how intense those emotions were.
"Because, behind the surface of redemption, I know it is nothing but anger and sorrow. Behind the emotions you depict in legends, beneath the way they are shown in murals... lies an overwhelming guilt."
The young man's words echoed in the air, carrying a weight that pierced the cave's scorching atmosphere. Vogville's eyes remained fixed on him, flashing with surprise and deep sorrow.
The young man continued, “After you created the weapon, the guilt of losing that person, that power took away the person you cherished.”
"That unforgivable sadness surges in my heart every moment..."
"This is not a noble reason to end the world's catastrophe."
The young man paused on this sentence, as if emphasizing something.
"This is hatred for those who took away your loved ones, but it cannot bring you the revenge you crave..."
As the young man spoke, Vogville's inner world was revealed, and memories buried by time surfaced in his mind. His tough exterior cracked, revealing the pain etched on his weathered face.
In that instant, the furnace's flames seemed to dim, and Vogwell was transported back to the past, to those memories he had tried so hard to bury.
He saw a young boy smiling, his eyes filled with admiration, holding a small hammer and imitating the great blacksmith.
Another scene flashes by: the same boy, now a little older, sweating profusely as he forges his first piece, determined to gain recognition.
Then, the scene shifts, revealing a pale, blood-stained boy with the person he hates most behind him. Memories pierce Vogville's heart like knives.
The blacksmith's massive body trembled slightly as his past memories were awakened once more.
His previously suppressed emotions began to surge forth...
But in that instant, his eyes met the young man's. The blacksmith saw something; in the young man's eyes, he saw something similar…
The flames burning in those eyes—hatred, rage…
The young man in front of me came here for the same reason.
As Vogville prepared to express his feelings, the young man said coldly, his voice filled with hatred, "I am not the hero who deserves the divine weapon you desire. I am not here to save the world, but to destroy those who have taken what is precious from me."
"..."
"Therefore, I wish to seek your abilities... the abilities of a legendary blacksmith..."
Vogville's gaze remained fixed on the young man's eyes, pondering the weight of his words. The cave seemed to hold its breath, awaiting the blacksmith's response.
"very good……"