Heavy Metal

"Is that all of them?"

"Indeed."

"Great, shut down the summoning device."

A low hum echoed through the chamber as a tall figure raised a staff made of wood. The staff pulsed with violet light, its top encasing a large, singular gem that radiated the glow. The figure was a woman, youthful in appearance, though her silver hair and wise green eyes suggested much more than her age revealed. Beside her stood an old man with a long gray beard, his gaze fixed on a strange table before them.

Mist curled across the surface, swirling around what appeared to be a finely detailed miniature map of a forest. At first glance, it seemed like a simple model, but on closer inspection, it was alive with movement. Tiny figures of wolves, goblins, and skeletons wandered through the terrain. As the woman raised the staff, the creatures began to vanish one by one from the board, and soon the environment did as well.

The swirling mist, which had mostly gathered around the edges of the map, began to collapse inward. It engulfed the entire table before shifting direction and spiraling toward a nearby bottle resting on another table. The smoke slipped into the bottle, and within seconds, the map had vanished. All that remained was a wooden surface marked with intricate engravings of magical circles. The violet light from the staff faded as the gem dimmed. The woman slowly lowered it, then turned to the older man.

"This was quite an interesting test, wasn't it, Senior Ramaradmus?"

Ramaradmus brushed his long white beard and nodded.

"The winner was unexpected. Agatha, make sure you document this trial thoroughly. Add it to the grand library, and conduct a proper analysis of that fascinating creature. It seemed to have a mind of its own, very intriguing…"

"Indeed, Senior. But… where has our victor gone? She was there just a moment ago."

The silver-haired woman turned toward a large crystal orb. Within its surface shimmered the image of a spacious courtyard filled with lush plants and a small gathering of students. Most of them were engaged in lively conversation, glancing frequently at the testboard nearby. At the center of attention was the one who had defeated the white tiger. A curious crowd had formed around her, with many eager students attempting to speak with her. However, she appeared to have slipped away and was now missing.

"It matters not. Let the students be. She is probably just tired."

Ramaradmus shook his head and turned to face the wall. On one side of the chamber, accessible only to teachers and academy staff, stood a large board displaying student names. In third place was Arwen Lampert, a young student known for his diligence and charm. In second stood Katherine Grandwell, one who had always been first. But at the very top was a last name that had not appeared there in nearly a century, Rainstar.

"Is this a sign of change?"

The old man murmured, his eyes fixed on the board as a small smile played across his lips. However, the victor herself was far less pleased with the outcome. She was, at that moment, doing her best to remain hidden from the person she had defeated.

'Oh no… why did I have to say all of those things back there?'

Gwen had returned to the academy's teleportation chamber only a few minutes earlier. As soon as she stepped outside, people began to swarm her. At first, it was manageable, but then she heard a familiar voice in the distance, the one belonging to her tormentor, Katherine.

During the trial, with Rusty by her side, Gwen had felt bold enough to stand up to her. The rush of adrenaline had made her fearless. But now, with that energy drained and the moment long gone, she had slipped back into old habits. Fear crept in, and she found herself retreating, once again hiding.

"Gwendolin Rainstar! I know that you're here, come on out this instant!"

Just when she thought she was safe, Katherine's voice echoed through the area. It was a dead end, a training chamber that was currently unused. She had no idea how she had been discovered, but it no longer seemed like there was anywhere to run. To make things worse, her tormentor was not alone.

"Are you sure she's here?"

"Absolutely positive, Lady Grandwell."

Three people stood with her, the same ones who had attacked at the beginning of the trial. One of them controlled a strange creature that looked like a mix between a rat and a dog. It must have been used to track her. Now there was nowhere to hide, and the only exit was blocked by the group.

'Rusty…'

There was only one being she could think of who might help her, but she had no idea how to summon her new friend. The two times she had done it before seemed like accidents, though she had a rough theory why it worked. Some summoned creatures were unique, capable of changing forms and possessing unusual powers. Rusty was probably one of them, a legendary spirit.

The legendary spirits mentioned in the old texts were known for their strange preferences. They often tested their summoners, appearing only at specific moments when they were truly needed. Unlike normal summons, they did not respond to commands in predictable ways.

They had minds of their own and appeared infrequently, challenging their summoners to prove themselves worthy. Gwen now believed she had to face this situation alone. If she relied on Rusty without earning his trust, he might see her as unworthy of his loyalty.

'But how can I do this? I only have…'

Before she could finish the thought, something shifted. A sudden warmth spread through her body, and for a brief moment, she felt more powerful. Then, without warning, knowledge began to flow into her mind. Techniques she had never studied surfaced as if they had always been there. These were methods that would allow her to summon certain creatures, ones resembling her new friend.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Gwen's hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the training equipment she had been hiding behind. Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest that it felt as if it might give her away before Katherine and her followers even had the chance to find her. Then something shifted inside her. A surge of power coursed through her, likely thanks to her friend. She was no longer powerless. And she was no longer alone. Gwen swallowed hard, stepped back from the wall, and closed her eyes.

'It's now or never'

She told herself while clutching her grandmother's pendant tightly in one hand. She focused her mana and pressed her other hand to the ground. A glowing magic circle appeared beneath her, instantly revealing her position to her pursuers, but she didn't care. With the help of her newfound knowledge, the summon was already taking shape. Before the four enemies could react, one of the bronze armors had already formed.

'Rise…'

She whispered as the air shimmered. With a surge of magic, metallic forms burst from the circle. First came two bronze-colored living armors. One held a large bow and a quiver filled with bronze arrows. The other carried a sword and shield. Their metallic boots struck the ground like war drums as they stepped aside to make room for the final summon. It was a slightly larger iron armor, clutching a massive halberd, one which looked remarkably like the one Rusty had wielded.

"I… It's that summon!"

One of the youths cried. Mistaking the iron armor for Rusty, who had easily defeated their trio during the trial, he stumbled back in fear. The other two were the same and quickly turned pale.

"I told you we shouldn't have followed her! Let's get out of here!"

The third didn't even hesitate. As the halberd-wielding iron armor stepped forward with a deep, echoing clang, all three boys bolted toward the exit, shoving each other in their rush to escape.

"Wait!"

Katherine snapped and attempted to reach out to one of them, but none of them listened. The unmistakable creaking of moving metal echoed through the room as the living armors advanced a step. Though Gwen hadn't ordered them to attack, their imposing presence alone was enough.

The maddened Katherine looked back at Gwen, and once more, the smug expression she usually wore had vanished. She had come expecting a cornered, helpless girl. Instead, she found a true summoner standing tall, surrounded by three magical creatures. Gwen stepped forward, her voice cracking at first, but the fear quickly began to fade.

"This time… this time, I won't run away. I'm not scared of you anymore!"

Katherine flinched at the words. Her lips parted as if to respond, but no sound came. She glanced at the halberd again. Something about the armor seemed wrong, but she couldn't figure out what. Her usual dominance faltered without helpers around her, and she suddenly felt small. Rather than advancing or shouting, she began to retreat.

"Hmph! Don't think you'll get away with this. Once I've rested, you'll get what's coming to you!"

She tried to sound confident, but when one of the armored figures shifted slightly, she flinched and turned away. To Gwen's surprise, her tormentor spun around and fled. As Katherine's footsteps faded down the hallway, Gwen dropped to her knees.

"Ahh… that was scary..."

Even as her knees hit the floor and her breathing grew heavier, Gwen felt something rise within her chest: pride. It wasn't the loud, boastful kind she had seen so often among the other summoners. This pride was calm, grounded, and deeply satisfying. For once, she had resisted, and it was all thanks to one being.

"Are you three like Rusty? Can any one of you talk?"

"…"

She turned her head toward the three living suits of armor she had summoned. Rusty resembled them, but he was slightly larger and his armor carried a different tint. They weren't like him as they lacked his intelligence and free will. They were typical summons, just like the ones every other summoner could control, and that made her feel a bit sad.

"I thought so… but with this…"

Even though the three remained silent, she knew they were at least E-rank monsters and a force to reckon with. This was the current limit of her mana and skill, but if she kept practicing, maybe one day she would be able to summon Rusty normally. If not, she could always expand the number of her metallic forces. Now she had a reason to train. She would not falter again, and the first step was clear.

"I need to reach C-class first."

After a moment, she rose from the ground, her legs still unsteady. The look in her eyes had changed. It no longer held weakness or hesitation. Her mind was set, and she would give everything to change. She would prove herself worthy of the legendary spirit that had taken interest in her and restore her family's name to its rightful place.

"Hey, you there… c-could you help me?"

Even though she tried to act tough, her legs still felt like jelly. The two bronze suits of armor stepped forward, steadying her and guiding her out of the training room. As they moved, she realized that food and rest had to come first. Training could wait one more day…

******

"It's done!"

Within the confines of the Soul Forge, Rusty raised his latest creation, an oval shield with a large magical circle drawn on the underside. Its outer shell shimmered faintly, and when Rusty activated the embedded enchantment, it flashed with a blinding light that lit up the entire forge in a burst of raw luminance.

"It is indeed something… but…"

"Hey, don't be a stick in the mud! Stop complaining about my enchantments."

Rusty cut off Alexander, who floated around inspecting the new creation. Ignoring his guide's hesitation, Rusty picked up the second oval shield. It looked almost identical to the first, but the enchantment on it was completely different. When activated, a dark glow spread across the metal and began absorbing all the light within the chamber.

"I suppose both of these enchantments could be useful…"

Some time had passed since his visit to the summoning chamber, and he had been busy recreating his body and weapons using the new metal. For now, he knew only two spells and could use them to enchant items. One produced light, while the other created darkness that absorbed light. Although it did not seem like much, he was proud of himself for achieving this.

He used the 'Lesser Lightning Enchantment' talismans he had received as a reward on his body. It quickly became clear that protecting his core, which was attached to his helmet, was essential. His body was divided into six parts, and since the talisman could only be applied to one, the head was the obvious choice. The second talisman was placed on a halberd for the time being, but he knew that with practice he would be able to enchant more weapons.

Although he was limited by the twilight metal that composed his body, it was still possible to apply enchantments, and these single-use talismans proved it. Over time, he was confident he would be able to enchant both his weapons and body. Even if he could not do so yet, he now had the ability to restore the elemental charges. This meant he could wield a lightning weapon to fight the water-based monsters in the sunken mine dungeon, which was their natural weakness.

Time within the forge continued to pass. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Just like before, he was unable to activate another summoning ritual. However, he had enough time to assemble all the weapons and armor parts he needed. Soon, the space around him began to quiver. It was time to return to the real world and inhabit his newly improved body.

"I can't wait to tell Gleam about everything that has happened! And also give her her new armor!"

Along with his own arsenal, he had created new armor for his friend Gleam. Her recent evolution had changed her proportions slightly, so he had adjusted the armor to fit her form. He placed two enchantments on it, one that would allow her to blind her enemies and another that could absorb light, making it darker around her. He was sure she would be able to use this to help her sneak around at night.

"I'll see you two on the other side."

There was still some time left, but he moved toward his new body while Alexander and Aburdon watched from a distance. It was finally time to attempt opening his smithy. With the help of his newly found skills, he hoped to earn a lot of money and restore his lair to something more fitting for a being like himself.