Heavy Metal

Not even a muffled groan escaped from the short reptilian creature as a helmet latched onto its head. The kobold mage struggled, but Rusty's claws held his hands and legs firmly in place. His staff had fallen to the side, and without it, he could not activate his spells. To make things worse, a splitting headache overtook him the moment the helmet was secured. His mind began to drift as a strange pull surged through him, as if his very soul was being consumed.

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

'Here it comes… please be there…'

Rusty wasn't sure if the other kobolds had been alerted to their presence. Even though Gleam was doing her best to keep the sounds contained with her spell, the thrashing monster was still causing chaos. Even if no noise escaped, the makeshift sleeping quarters shook violently, which would likely wake some of the nearby warrior variants if he didn't hurry. He quickly glanced at the list of skills and started reading. Three of them appeared before him, and he hurriedly went through them.

Kobold Language

Passive Skill

Allows a person to understand spoken words and writing of the Kobold Language.

Basic Staff Proficiency

Passive Skill

A skill that makes it easier to wield a staff. This skill is required to unlock more powerful staff skills.

Basic Mana Manipulation

Passive Skills

Allows the user to shape mana into various effects, a requirement for spell-casting.

This reminded him of the first time he used Skill Absorption, as the first available skill was a language skill. He neither needed nor wanted to understand these monsters, as he was not here to bargain. Rusty quickly moved on to the second option, then his gaze landed on the third. The skill he was looking for was there.

Do you wish to learn the Basic Mana Manipulation Skill? Please confirm to begin the process.

Without hesitating, he confirmed, and the process began like many other times before.

Beginning the process of skill absorption … Please wait as the skill is absorbed from the host.

Just like before, the Skill Absorption ability required the target to be alive. Once that condition was met, his helmet would latch onto the target's head, glowing and heating up. Those subjected to this process experienced intense pain, as not only their minds were torn through, but their bodies and souls as well.

Rusty felt the familiar rush of information flood his mind as the absorption process began. The kobold mage thrashed wildly beneath him, but his grip was unyielding. The reptilian creature's claws scratched against his armored hands, but it was futile. Its consciousness was fading while his helmet radiated more and more light, which of course, complicated things.

" ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!

Gleam was maintaining the silence spell but noticed that the brightness of the helmet was lighting everything up too much. The dwelling of the kobold mage lit up like a Christmas tree, causing some of the kobolds to wake from their slumber.

Rusty cursed internally as he saw the flickering lights bounce off the cavern walls. The nearest kobolds stirred, blinking awake at the strange glow emanating from their mage's hut. Some sat up groggily, sniffing the air, while others grabbed their weapons, sensing something was wrong. Gleam frantically waved her antennae, not sure what she should do.

There was no way to speed up the absorption process, and depending on the skill, it could take even longer. This time, it was clear that this mana manipulation skill was rare, as his helmet was glowing much more than when he absorbed common skills. When he took the climbing skill, his dome had produced no more light than a small candle. Now, however, it looked as if someone had placed a burning lantern in the middle of the kobold settlement.

Rusty knew he had only moments before the entire camp erupted into chaos. The kobolds were still groggy, but soon they would be fully awake and ready to defend their territory. He had to think fast.

"Gleam, I need a distraction. This will take a moment."

" ( •̀ ᴖ •́ ) "

She understood instantly. She jumped forward and skittered up the wall to the nearest wooden shack they had previously avoided. Inside, two kobolds were waking up. An unlit torch sat nearby, which was quickly ignited by a small flame spell. A second later, the wooden structure was bursting into flames. The fire rapidly consumed the dry wood, and within seconds, thick black smoke began filling the cavern.

The kobolds instantly focused on the fire rather than the glowing aura around their leader's dwelling. The flames spread quickly, licking at the wooden structures and sending panicked kobolds scrambling. Cries of alarm filled the air as they grabbed buckets, desperately trying to douse the flames with water from crude clay pots. Others rushed to wake their sleeping comrades, their attention now fully consumed by the growing inferno.

The distraction had worked, giving Rusty more time to absorb the new skill. He could feel the arcane energy of the kobold mage being siphoned into his own being. The process was excruciatingly slow, but the knowledge of mana manipulation was gradually seeping into him. It was not quite what he expected, difficult to comprehend, yet something akin to a magical circle was forming within his mind. He could see it taking shape, presenting a method to bind mana and produce magical effects.

"This is really taking a while… it seems our dear Rusty was not meant to get this skill this early, or perhaps, ever? Very interesting."

Aburdon commented while residing inside Rusty's helmet. He was a demon lord, so such a skill like mana manipulation was something he was born with so he couldn't offer that much guidance during the process of understanding.

Stolen story; please report.

Rusty, on the other hand, saw something peculiar. An internal mind space where a simple magic circle was forming. He had seen similar phenomena before. Each time a human or even a monster used a spell, a magic circle would appear. Sometimes it manifested in the air, other times beneath their feet or above their heads as they prepared their magic. It seemed that using mana was intrinsically tied to these circles filled with strange symbols and geometric shapes.

'I see… so that is how it is…'

Understanding dawned on him. To cast magic, he needed to focus his mind and recreate this circle. It was as if the skill itself was guiding him, showing him how the circle should look and giving him space to replicate it precisely. He concentrated, trying to form the image, and to his surprise, a second circle began appearing right next to the first.

The second circle was fainter than the first, incomplete yet brimming with potential. Once it was fully assembled, the guiding circle produced by the skill began to fade, leaving only the one he had created.

Rusty had seen other beings cast spells before. Humanoids typically chanted in a strange language to activate their magic, but he did not have a mouth in his current form. However, he was a monster. Gleam did not need to chant either, instead performing strange movements with her antennae to cast spells. It seemed that he would have to approach magic differently. He would need to memorize these magic circles before casting a spell and then visualize them superimposed over his metallic body when the time came to use them.

Soon, the light of his helmet began to dim, leaving Rusty with not only a new skill but also a spell that came with it. The magic circle he had been forced to remember was small, but just like Gleam before him, he had learned it. Without thinking, he recalled the vivid image of the circle, and soon a bright white light appeared above his helmet, signaling the casting of his first spell.

Lesser Produce Light

Spell

A simple spell that produces light

"I can do it now to… what a strange feeling, the man is flowing and taking shape…"

Rusty murmured as he got up from the ground and placed his helmet back on his head. The process of his absorption skill was over, and the kobold mage lay there, not quite dead but in a dire state. The absorption skill didn't simply copy abilities—it tore them away. Without the mana manipulation skill, this monster would be unable to cast spells, making it a foe he no longer needed to worry about.

"Gleam, you did well."

" (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) "

"Now, let's take care of them…"

While he wanted to practice his spells more, there was still the matter of dealing with the remaining kobolds. The fire Gleam had started was beginning to die down as the last of the wood had nearly burned away. Luckily, the smoke still lingered, and for a creature like him, who didn't need to breathe, this was the perfect environment to strike.

First, with a swift motion, he silenced the defeated kobold mage permanently. There was no need to leave it alive any longer, as its purpose had been fulfilled. Now, the monsters before him were nothing more than experience points, ones he needed to harvest to continue his growth.

A few of the warrior variants had fully awakened, their reptilian eyes darting around in search of an enemy. They shouted orders in their strange language, clearly trying to organize their forces. However, a conflict arose. Without their leader, some of the kobolds began to bicker, and Rusty decided to use this to his advantage.

Suddenly, a blade burst through the skull of one of the kobold warriors. From behind, Rusty's metallic form emerged. He had switched to his regular body, better suited for wielding a sword and shield, and was ready to wreak havoc among the small reptilian creatures.

The sudden execution of their warrior sent the others into a frenzy. Some screeched in alarm, others scrambled for weapons, and a few simply froze, unable to process the horror unfolding before them. These monsters were not created by the dungeon and this gave him just the edge that he needed. Rusty wasted no time. He pushed the lifeless body off his blade with a sickening squelch and lunged toward the next enemy.

His blade cleaved through the thin armor of another kobold before it could raise its weapon. Blood splattered across the cavern floor as the dying creature collapsed, gasping weakly before going still. The nearest warriors finally reacted, snarling as they charged forward, their crude spears aimed at what should have been his weak points.

But Rusty didn't move. Instead, he let their weapons collide with his newly reinforced twilight steel body. Even as they tried to wedge their short swords and spears into his knee joints to bring him down, he remained standing. With his sword raised, he swung down in a brutal arc, decapitating two more kobolds who had no idea what they were truly up against.

Now, all the remaining kobolds were fully awake. Around ten of them remained, and as one, they hurled themselves at him. They clung to him like glue. While they weren't particularly strong, their attacks were quick and coordinated.

"Gleam, do it now."

" ( ` ᴖ ´ ) "

Nevertheless, Rusty had come prepared with a plan. While he could fight them off one by one, even his body had its limits. There was a way to minimize damage though, and that was with his friend's help. While he kept the kobolds' attention, Gleam had been clinging to the ceiling, quietly casting a spell.

The moment Rusty was completely surrounded, she unleashed a wave of flames straight toward the center of the battle. The fire engulfed him, but thanks to his steel body, the flames did minimal damage. His metal form required far more heat to melt. The kobolds, however, were not so fortunate.

Congratulations, you have gained a level.

The system reminded him of his victory, as the kobold village was no more. Rusty stood amidst the burning remnants of the kobold settlement, his blade dripping with fresh blood. The scattered corpses of the reptilian creatures lay motionless around him, their weapons discarded. Smoke curled through the cavern, its scent mixing with the stench of death. The battle was over, but Rusty's work was not yet finished.

A faint rustling sound caught his attention. It was soft, almost imperceptible beneath the crackling flames and the fading cries of the slain kobolds. His glowing eyes flickered in the dim light as he turned towards the noise. Beyond the chaos of the battlefield, past a partially collapsed wooden barricade, a narrow tunnel led deeper into the cavern. The sound was coming from within.

"Could it be more kobolds? Or perhaps some adventurers?"

Alexander asked as Rusty made his way toward the source of the noise. Due to this miscalculation, Gleam was out of mana, so he could not have her cast the silencing spell to muffle the sound of his metallic legs clacking against the hard ground. However, he suspected that whoever was there did not want to fight. It was more likely that they were hiding.

This was somewhat problematic. If they were adventurers, he would need to switch to his other shell to conceal his true form. However, if they were more kobolds lying in wait to ambush him, it was best to remain as he was. He reached the tunnel's entrance and peered inside. The passage was cramped, barely large enough for him to squeeze through. It was clear that this tunnel had not been made for a human-sized person to crawl through.

He gestured for Gleam to stay close. The small monster ant skittered forward, her antennae twitching as she picked up faint traces of movement. Rusty pressed on, his metallic hands dragging lightly against the walls for balance as he maneuvered through the tight space. The rustling grew louder, more frantic, until finally, he emerged into a smaller chamber.

Inside, huddled in the farthest corner, were a handful of smaller kobolds. Their eyes were wide with terror as they clung to one another, their small forms trembling. These were not warriors. They bore no weapons, no armor. Their scales were softer, their claws underdeveloped. They were the young, left behind when their elders had rushed to defend their home.

"Hah, interesting…"

"No, don't you even think about it!"

"Hah, this is not for you to decide, hero!"

Aburdon said, gently chuckling as if he were pleased. There were about ten small kobolds here, but one of them was slightly larger. He wasn't certain, but this one didn't seem like a fighter. It looked a bit different, perhaps a female from the small tribe that had survived or one deemed too immature to fight.

His blade was in his hand, still stained with the blood of the other kobolds. It dribbled down as the seconds counter, and he stared with an intensity that would send shivers down a person's spine.