Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Chapter 1168: Dark Picture

The four horsemen of the apocalypse? They were actually a thing? The blacksmith was taken aback by the sudden quest. Seth had heard of the four horsemen during his travels after he left Urth, but he had always thought they were just some kind of allegory.

Conquest and strife for power always caused war. Wars were a heavy burden on the nations in conflict, especially in less advanced worlds. This burden led to famine in the populous and ultimately, all of them led to the death of many people, either by the weapons of war or the consequences of famine.

All system world started off facing their world ending. This course of events happened often, as such people talked of the four horsemen of the apocalypse appearing in the throes of the world's end. Or so he thought. However, the quest suggested that they were real, myth-ranked beings. if that was true, they must have ridden at least once, to end a world.

As for the quest, was there any reason to hesitate? Even though he didn't know about the four horsemen on Urth, they were a big thing in the system worlds. Promoting Wolfram, Haa'Skon, Bazilith, and Strix directly to legend and inheriting their powers and all he had to do was arm them properly. Of course, he accepted.

Now Seth had a little shopping list of things he had to accomplish in the near future. The question was whether would be able to make some of these before Spatia came, and they were sure they would come.

Four of their five-day grace period had been used to create Strix. He didn't have time to test its power, but judging by stats, Strix was around the level of Bazalith. Seth only hoped that the skills of Donnchadh would allow it to have a huge impact in battle.

Right now, it was early in the morning of the fifth day. With probably the greatest quest he had ever gotten before his face he deliberated changing their plans. If he could succeed in the quest before Spatia arrived... He wobbled for a moment. First, he needed to get some sleep, then he would have to talk with the others about the four horsemen.

He just left the workshop when his communication orb vibrated.

“Seth, we have news!” Leana's voice echoed in the room, the moment he answered the call.

The cinema had fallen silent at the revelation of the quest. All eyes were either openly staring or secretly glancing at the god in the robe with the playful star pattern. The hood looked up at them, its mood undiscernible to the onlooker.

“What?” he asked turning to Hades and Seth, two gods that dared to stare directly at him.

“Isn't that a little excessive? I mean, the four horsemen...” Hades mumbled and shrugged his shoulder. Even high-ranking gods had respect for powerful myths. When the four horsemen rode, not even the gods could stop them. Even if the blacksmith's golems would pale in the face of the real thing, it was well and truly an apocalyptic set.

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“You worry too much, Hades,” Seth said waving his hand, “ Aren't you looking forward to what will happen from here on? If he managed to fulfill the quest, huhu, I can't wait for their clash with Spatia. Even if it's just that little necromancer girl of Kali and her underlings;”

While the gaze of Hades showed a slight worry about the decision, the look the god of chaos and destruction gave the System God was different. The desert god's eyes were actually twinkling with admiration.

“Right, I knew Seth would understand it. Isn't it fun? And it's not like I tweaked the requirements to make it possible, he earned it all on his own,” the system god said smugly, having found an ally.

He was serious. It had actually taken the blacksmith longer than he expected to get the quest. He waited with bated breath for the little blacksmith to fulfill the requirements ever since he finished Bazilith. Since then, he had created many golems, but none who could have fit the role of Hunger.

The timing was great.

“That is if he gets to finish the set before the chosen of Kali arrives,” Apollo commented with caution. This was exactly why it was so interesting. How could they not understand?

“Isn't there anyone watching her champion here?” Hermes asked loudly in the room. Nobody said anything until the Dungeon God cleared his throat.

“Kali has banned anyone from watching her and this stream simultaneously,” he said a little embarrassed, admitting that he tried to send an avatar to watch at her place. As a man in the business himself, he was a sucker for seeing a situation from multiple perspectives.

“Psht,” someone suddenly interrupted the conversation.

“What? Who shushed at me? Who dares-” the dungeon god got a little upset.

“ Shut up, don't you see that we are about to get an answer to our question?” Hephaestus, who had kept his attention on the screen, barked at him.

...

---slightly earlier, Minas Mar---

Seth was about to ask Leana what was going on when the door of the workshop was shaken by the quick staccato of heavy knocks. Someone was slamming their fist at the door as if they tried to break it down.

Who would dare to be so brazen in the smithies at this time?

“Tower Master, It's me, Bart! I got urgent news!” the chosen of Krios shouted from outside. His breathing was heavy from running there and trying to punch the door out of the frame.

“What did my door do to you!?” the blacksmith shouted, charging out of the workshop. “Can't you just call me like normal people?” he came down on the mountain of a man with the easy-to-provoke anger of a man who had not slept for almost four days, waving around the communication orb in front of his face, that still had Leana connected to it.

“Bart? What are you doing there?” the princess exclaimed, her voice being transmitted by the orb. “Seth, can you please stop shaking the orb around? I'm getting nauseous...” Mary asked pitifully from somewhere in the back. It seemed that he wasn't just talking with Leana. Awkwardly, Seth stopped shaking the orb in the other man's face. “Sorry, Mary.”

“I'm here because I have news from Y-City! Undead have appeared close to the center.” Bart explained his presence. Although Bart had become the chosen of Krios and had come to Little Gama to join Minas Mar, many of his men were still in Y-City, patrolling the streets and reporting anomalies to him.

“Undead?” the question came from the orb, concern in Leana's voice. Undead meant there was a dark magic user or necromancer involved. The chances this was Arget Nore were low. “What were they doing?” she added worriedly.

“They have taken over what was left of the system church and are guarding the premise,” the chosen of Krios explained further. The system church in Y-City had ceased operation. After the great battle the city had fallen most refugees migrated to Minas Mar. Since Samuel became the System God's saint he also left Urth, while the staff was redistributed to branches in Minas Mar. Suppressed curses came from the orb in his hands.

The answer from the orb was a row of curses, exclaimed by the princess.

“Leana, do you want to add something to the conversation, apart from your potty mouth?” Seth asked her with a slight tease.

“Idyllin Mo contacted me. He had been monitoring the situation in Gamma and Sigma in case of changes. However, he just contacted me that there were signs of teleport activity in Gamma,” she said gravely.

The mood to tease her instantly vanished. Either of the news was concerning, but putting what they just heard together, painted a dark picture. The grace period was over.