Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 799: Breathing Metal

Floor fifty-six.

The number echoed in Michael’s mind.

Rynne continued casually, unaware of the impact her words had just caused. "I have other means. Moving between floors isn’t that difficult if you know how."

Michael did not respond immediately.

Inside, a strange mix of emotions surfaced. Surprise. Relief. And, if he was being honest, a hint of jealousy.

He had not even known this level of travel was possible in Hell.

It really was good to have a background.

Whether that background came from Rynne’s teacher or her family, he could not tell. But it was clear she had access to things he did not.

Now he knew two critical facts.

He was on floor fifty-six.

And he had a way out of Hell.

Michael let out a slow breath.

"Fine," he said. "I’ll go with you."

Rynne relaxed slightly, though she hid it well. She turned back toward the ruins, already shifting her focus.

Michael followed her gaze.

"So," he asked, "what is this place exactly?"

Rynne hesitated for a moment, then began walking toward the nearest broken platform. Michael moved beside her, his senses still spread wide.

"This used to be an alchemy ground," she said. "A major one."

Michael glanced at the surrounding structures again. From up close, the scale became even clearer.

"A very powerful civilization built this place," Rynne continued. "About two thousand years ago."

"This deep in Hell?" Michael asked.

She nodded. "Yes. Which already tells you how confident they were. Or how strong."

She gestured ahead, toward a collapsed hall whose interior was still lined with fractured channels and embedded arrays. Even eroded, the design screamed refinement.

"They specialized in alchemy," Rynne said. "Not the crude kind. Large scale synthesis. Law infused materials. Artificial environments. Entire production chains."

Michael listened carefully.

"What happened to them?" Michael asked.

Rynne’s tone darkened slightly.

"They were destroyed in a war. A race war, actually. It started outside Hell, spilled into it, and eventually reached this place."

Michael frowned. "A race war strong enough to wipe out a civilization like that?"

"Yes," Rynne replied. "And that wasn’t the end of it."

She slowed her steps.

"There’s no concrete proof," she said, "but it’s widely believed that the demon kings from the lower floors were involved."

Michael’s gaze sharpened.

"The lower floors," he repeated.

Rynne nodded. "Think about it. A civilization bold enough to build something this grand on floor fifty-six was a threat. Not just to other races, but to demons as well."

She looked around again.

"If you were a demon king and you saw a powerful enemy establishing roots this deep in your territory, would you wait?"

Michael did not answer.

"It was an opportunity," Rynne continued. "A distracted enemy. A war already raging. It was the perfect moment to strike."

She stopped near the edge of a sunken platform, looking down into a dark chamber below.

"My class makes this place relevant to me," Rynne said.

Michael turned his attention fully to her.

"My class requires me to build," Rynne continued. "Not just assemble or modify, but truly build. Most of what I create is weapon related, but it doesn’t stop there. Structures. Components. Systems. Anything that can be refined, reinforced, or improved."

She tapped the side of her armor lightly.

"Because of that, I’ve had to study a lot. Materials. Where they come from. How different realms refine them. What methods work, which ones fail, and which ones are outright forbidden."

Rynne gestured toward the ruin again.

"That’s how I knew about this place. Not just that it exists, but what it was used for. Even after thousands of years, even after scavengers and explorers picked it clean, I know something important will still be here."

"There might still be materials. Artifacts. Tools. Those always exist in ruins like this. But that’s not what I came for."

She slowed, her gaze growing sharp.

"The true value of this civilization wasn’t what they stored," she said. "It was what they created before they were destroyed."

Michael felt a faint chill crawl up his spine.

"Their legacy," he said quietly.

"Yes."

Rynne stopped completely now, turning to face him.

"They were alchemists on a level most civilizations never reach. They didn’t just refine materials. They refined concepts. Processes. Ways to interact with laws."

"The true treasure of this civilization," Rynne said, her voice low, "is still here."

Michael let out a slow breath.

"And that," she finished, "is what I’m after."

Michael wanted to ask what, exactly, that treasure was.

The words almost left his mouth.

But he stopped himself.

This was a line that should not be crossed lightly. So he held his silence, eyes lingering on the broken alchemy channels carved into the stone beneath their feet.

Rynne noticed.

She glanced at him, then looked back toward the ruin’s depths.

"I might as well say it myself," she said quietly.

Michael shifted his attention back to her.

"The treasure I’m here for," Rynne continued, "is called the Breathing Metal."

Michael’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Breathing metal?"

She nodded.

"It’s not a metaphor," she said. "And it’s not some poetic name someone slapped onto an ordinary material."

"According to the records I studied, the Breathing Metal was one of their greatest creations. Not mined. Not forged in the usual sense. It was grown."

Michael’s eyes sharpened.

"Grown how?"

"It devours," Rynne said. "Other metals. Alloys. Rare materials. Even law infused substances. It consumes them and absorbs their traits."

She looked up at him.

"Strength. Density. Conductivity. Affinity. Stability. Whatever the consumed material has, the Breathing Metal learns it."

Michael felt a quiet ripple of shock pass through him.

"There’s no fixed limit," she continued. "As long as it has something to feed on, it can continue to upgrade itself. Become larger. Stronger. More complex."

"It could be anything you want it to be. It was truly a priceless legacy."

This was Rynne’s confidence in surpassing Michael in the future. If she could build her foundation with this metal, her power would grow into something unimaginable.