"Hey, Boss. Ya hear that?" Vangrave asked quietly, looking around.
There was no time to bask in celebration as dozens of footsteps echoed from beyond the walls of the boss chamber. It didn't take much thinking to know what those steps belonged to—it wasn't mobs.
"I'd rather not get hoarded by a hundred players right now. Let's pull out—we got what we came here for," Zero said.
Vangrave smirked, "I wouldn't mind fightin' a bunch of people, but sure thing, Boss. Guess I got my fill today."
As the countless steps enclosed on the chamber, the targeted player placed his hand on his companion's shoulder.
"Teleport: Abyss Keep."
A smile was present on his face as he used the ability, witnessing a group of players rush into the room just as the two warped away.
It only took the transition of a single moment for the two to find themselves in the familiar territory of the black-steel fortress.
"Damn, hard to get used to that one…" Vangrave exhaled, hanging his tongue out as if dizzy.
Zero sifted through his inventory, swiping his finger as he began looking through his menagerie of items, "You should get some rest."
"Yeah? What about you?" Vangrave asked, scratching his own back with a yawn.
"I've got some crafting to do. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow—I don't plan on sitting around and letting everyone come to us," Zero assured.
The sharp-toothed man looked pleased with that resolve, waving his hand as he set for one of the many rooms, "Sounds like a helluva lot of fun, then. I'll catch some Z's then, Boss."
It became quiet as Zero found himself now alone in the throne room of the keep. As he looked up at the ceiling, towards the solemn chandelier, an excitement throbbed in his heart. Even with supreme abilities at his fingertips, paired with his own experience, he still felt as though the odds were stacked against him—this is what he preferred.
'It's been a long time since I've been this excited. I wonder what the others are thinking right now,' he thought.
—
The Abyss Keep seemed pre-constructed as a home for a player, at least that's what it seemed like as he explored the fortress that now belonged to him. An entire room dedicated to crafting and alchemy was stationed near the throne room, stocked full with materials ready to be used—thorny, black vines, oversized ears, glowing flowers—a menagerie of odd objects.
"These developers really thought ahead, didn't they?" He muttered to himself with an excited smile, standing in front of the alchemy bench as he fiddled with the materials.
'If I'm going to fight against this world, I'm going to need everything I can get. I'll need an army, and an army will need money and equipment–I can kill two birds with one stone right here,' he planned with a confident smile.
Holding the usable ingredients brought up the status of his related skill:
[Alchemy: Level 90 | Rank SSS]
To him, it was an overlooked aspect of Abyss Online; alchemy was by far one of the most pivotal skills to enhance. He didn't waste any time tossing ingredients into the mystical cauldron, allowing them to brew in the abyssal liquid of creation.
[Efficient Mixer]
The skill granted by his high alchemy rank allowed him to use less materials while crafting, working in perfect unison with the next ability:
[Fluid Clone]
A chance was given with each instance of alchemizing a new item to create a duplicate, scaling ten percent higher with each rank, with his [Rank SSS] allowing for a [80%] chance to proc.
The result was the most powerful source of income within the virtual world: infinite potions.
Like a mad scientist, he tossed in ingredients, dumping the mystical flowers and body parts of inhuman creatures into the unholy brew, rapidly creating concoctions.
[Max Elixir x500 Obtained.]
[Solution of Godly Strength x50 Obtained.]
[Solution of Titanic Vigor x50 Obtained.]
[Solution of Legendary Smithing x50 Obtained.]
[Solution of Legendary Enchanting x50 Obtained.]
He rolled up his sleeves, keeping his inventory menu open as he looked through the plethora of equipment he had stored. Like a mad scientist in his own realm, he stocked up on the powerful concoctions.
'I have to take advantage of the time I have here while I can. Soon enough, people are going to get either impatient, brave, or both, and start launching raids here. A random party here and there is manageable, but if guilds start coming…It'll get interesting,' he considered while sifting through his inventory.
Across the alchemy chamber was a vast room for blacksmithing, which was constantly kept warm from the molten forge. Present in the room was a tall man with dark-gray skin covered in scales, hunched over, though still towering over the player two times over.
For a moment, he watched the man of giant proportions march across the fiery chamber, carrying ores and ingots in his strong arms.
'Magromath, the Blacksmith of the Final Boss–I bet even he'd be good in a fight, if it came down to it,' he observed.
"Greetings, Master Zero," the towering blacksmith greeted him while setting down the plentiful resources, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Zero returned the welcoming, "Turn all the ore we have into ready material. I've got work to do."
"Of course, Master Zero," Magromath bowed his head, following his orders dutifully as his large feet stomped away.
What the knowledgeable player had in mind required his own handiwork as he opened his inventory, withdrawing a concoction he had just brewed: [Solution of Legendary Smithing].
[Smithing: Level 99] [Rank SSS+]
It was an exploit only able to be tapped into with ridiculously high base stats, but the [SSS] rank alchemy led to the potent potion raising his [Smithing] to an absurd rank. Of course, the materials needed to create such potions were highly valuable and impossible to obtain for lesser players, in that case–this was a process unique to the one at the pinnacle.
Aiding this exploitation further, into his hand a weapon was manifested--one obsolete for combat, but peerless in its own use: a golden hammer etched with archaic carvings, with the handle bearing draconic wings.
[Hammer of Hephaestus] [Rank SSS]
'This was a pain in the ass to get–one of the "Twelve Olympian Artifacts." Only a few of each can be obtained in total throughout this world, but it was worth it,' he pondered.
"Give me one of those," Zero ordered as he pointed near the giant blacksmith towards a sparkling material, holding his hand out.
Magromath nodded his head as he reached for the precious ingot with his large hand, stomping over as he handed it to the lord of the keep, "Here you are, Master Zero."
"Thanks."
Placing the ingot of a sublime opalescence between emerald and sapphire–an "Aurora Stone", he brought the mythical hammer down. In a single strike, it transmuted the singular ingot into the intended result: a flawless claymore with a blade more beautiful than any jewel.
[Weapon Successfully Crafted]
[Aurora Grandsword] [Level 95] [ATK: 12,000] [Rank SSS] [Perfect]
[Enchantment(s): "Phoenix Brand" (Fire DMG SSS)]
It was only one of many items to be crafted, due in part to the main ability of the [Hammer of Hephaestus]. Normally, in order to create a new weapon or piece of armor, usually half a dozen ingots would be required. However, the mythical weapon bypassed this restriction, needing only a single ingot.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Repeatedly, the same brought appeared along with flashes of sparks: [Weapon Successfully Crafted]
What was one of the most praised features of Abyss Online, its complete simulation of realism, was also often its biggest detriment: sweat exuded from the young man as the heat of the forge pressed against his body.
"Phew," Zero wipes the moisture from his forehead.
Though there was something therapeutic about crafting, feeling accomplished as each swing of the heavy hammer was rewarded with a valuable item.
'That should be enough,' he thought, scrolling through his inventory to see the plentiful stock he now had.