Chapter 103 – Strange Cave.

“This makes it…”

“Fourth one.”

Before Rusty could count, the glowing black light in his eye socket replied to inform him about the number of spider lairs that they had inspected. He was in the process of descending from one of the trees, his iron frame clanking softly as he landed on the ground. It became clear that finding a usable body would not be a straightforward task.

This was already the fourth attempt, yet the spider webs held nothing but half-eaten bodies, animal remains, and old skeletons. Rusty sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly as his metal limbs touched the ground. The forest seemed endless, and though his metal body granted him limitless endurance, the constant climbing and searching had taken its toll. Each failed attempt only deepened his frustration.

“We’re not making much progress here.”

Rusty muttered, resting his sword against his shoulder. Alexander’s calm voice chimed in, steady as ever.

“Patience, Rusty. The forest is vast. We’ll find one eventually.”

Aburdon, on the other hand, was far less sympathetic.

“Perhaps you’re just unlucky. Or maybe the universe has a sense of humor. That would explain this predicament of mine…”

Rusty would have rolled his eyes – if he had any. Instead, he opened his chest plate briefly to check on Gleam. The little ant twitched slightly. She had recovered from the toxins but had, for some reason, become quite fond of the little hiding spot inside his chest. She had even asked if she could add softer materials, as though planning to build a nest of her own. Rusty had to remind her that when he swapped out his loadouts, the proposed nest would inevitably be destroyed. That had finally discouraged her – at least for now.

“ ( ˶°ㅁ°) “

“Yeah come to think of it, the day is ending, it will be hard to avoid those threads…”

Gleam mentioned the time of day, they had spent the entirety of it searching for a good replacement body. During the day, the spiders were far less active, relying more on their traps and nests for hunting. But as night descended, their behavior would change. They’d emerge in droves, actively hunting anything that wandered into their territory. The group had wandered deeper into their territory and the odds were turning against them.

“We can’t keep pushing forward in the dark. We need shelter.”

Rusty nodded, his iron form glinting faintly in the dimming light.

“Let’s find somewhere safe before it gets any worse. I can light the way.”

After reaching into his inventory, he pulled out a torch, its flame sputtering to life after some help from Gleam. With just a few sparks, the torch’s flame sputtered to life and cast flickering shadows around the area. Gleam perched on his shoulder again, her antennae twitching nervously at every sound.

“ ( ó﹏ò ) “

“Don’t worry we’ll be fine, we just need to find some temporary shelter!”

Rusty tried to reassure Gleam. He was a monster, one who didn’t require sleep, and could easily stand guard through the entire night. Once daylight returned, they could resume their search for that elusive replacement body. He had to find one before they reached the next settlement. Still, Rusty knew the forest offered no guarantees. It was entirely possible they wouldn’t find anything here – or worse, they might stumble into a dangerous situation. Yet, despite the odds, he wasn’t in a hurry. Patience was a virtue his metal body afforded him, time was one of his allies and with each slain spider, his experience points grew and he was one step closer to evolving.

They moved carefully, the torchlight illuminating the dense forest but doing little to ease the creeping dread. The sound of skittering legs grew more frequent, accompanied by the occasional gleam of many eyes reflecting in the dark. More than once, the group was forced to fight off ambushes from smaller spiders, Rusty’s sword and Gleam’s magic keeping the group safe. However, it became clear that the attacks were increasing in frequency and ferocity.

‘If it wasn’t for the silence spell, we might have been overrun by now, we have to find shelter somewhere and wait it out…’

Rusty was well aware of the dangers lurking in this forest, and his concern for his friend weighed heavily on him. As a living armor monster made of metal, he was something the spiders couldn’t truly digest. Their only likely target was Gleam.

The torch they carried allowed them to spot the nearly invisible threads and burn a path forward, but it also acted as a beacon, drawing the spiders closer with every passing moment. Rusty knew their current strategy wasn’t sustainable. What they needed was shelter – somewhere safe to stay hidden and still in the darkness until daylight returned. Finally, they stumbled upon the entrance to a cave, its yawning mouth offering the promise of temporary safety. Rusty glanced back at the others.

“This should do for now. We’ll set up camp here and wait for morning.”

The group – comprising a suit of armor, an ant, and the two glowing orbs that served as Rusty’s eyes moved cautiously inside. Rusty’s torch cast eerie, flickering shapes on the walls before he quickly extinguished the flame. Navigating in near-total darkness posed no challenge for him as he had spent much of his existence in the dim confines of a dungeon.

It seemed the webbing didn’t extend this far. Perhaps this cave could serve as a safe haven for the night. The cave was dry, its jagged walls tapering inward the deeper they ventured, creating an oppressive yet secure barrier against the dangers outside. Rusty found a relatively flat section of the cavern floor where they could rest. Satisfied with the location, he sat down in silence, Gleam making her way inside of his chest again as they waited.

“Are we just going to wait here until morning?”

Asked Aburdon, who seemed quite bored with the situation.

“I suppose we will?”

“Well, that’s rather boring…”

Rusty had taken to keeping his two guides summoned throughout the entire day and night cycle. After the initial summoning, his mana would gradually recharge, allowing them to remain with him indefinitely. Like Rusty, they didn’t require sleep, food, or breaks. However, unlike him, they weren’t as adept at staying occupied during long stretches of inactivity. Rusty could sit in complete silence for hours, unmoving and content. The two guides, on the other hand, seemed to thrive on finding ways to bicker with each other, filling the quiet with their ceaseless chatter.

As the hours passed, the oppressive silence of the cave was broken only by the faint skittering of spiders outside. Occasionally, the group could hear the crunch of something being dragged across the ground, followed by the grotesque sound of flesh being torn. It was a grim reminder of the danger lurking just beyond the cavern’s entrance.

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Rusty sat motionless, his iron frame blending seamlessly with the dim surroundings, while Gleam rested inside his chest plate, occasionally peeking out through the narrow gaps. Alexander and Aburdon floated inside his helmet, their glowing orbs casting faint light from within his eye sockets.

“This is intolerable.”

Aburdon finally broke the silence.

“Is there really nothing that we can do here? Why don’t we move deeper into this cave, what if we find something there?”

“We seem to be safe here. Why should we push our luck?”

Alexander said, his tone laced with doubt as he questioned the sanity of such a decision. They were still surrounded by monsters, and without the constant use of the silencing spell, Rusty’s clanking metal body would be discovered quickly.

“If we rush out, we risk being surrounded and overwhelmed.”

“Bah, aren’t you supposed to be the adventurer? Where is your adventurous spirit?”

Aburdon interjected with his usual sarcasm.

“It died when I did”

Alexander replied dryly.

“( •᷄ ᴗ •́ )”

“Yeah, they’re quite the pair, aren’t they?”

Rusty said, directing his words toward Gleam.

“Don’t worry about them. Try to get some rest.”

Gleam, the only one in their group who actually needed sleep, had been snoozing inside Rusty’s chest compartment off and on. She now seemed unusually alert, her small antennae twitching as her head poked out. Her tiny eyes scanned their surroundings while the others continued their bickering.