Heavy Metal [ A Monster Evolution LitRPG ]
Chapter 149 – Max Level.

“You’re Edmund, right?”

A guard asked, his voice thick with suspicion as he eyed the armored adventurer.

“Where have you been? You were listed as missing after the battle. We thought the Orcs got you.”

The guard's eyes narrowed as Rusty approached. His armor was still scratched and stained with dirt from the forest. Gleam sat motionless on his shoulder, her metallic body catching the sunlight. For a brief moment, the reflection blinded the guard.

“I went after one of the Orc survivors but ended up getting lost in the forest.” 

To the others, Rusty had disappeared for an entire day before suddenly returning as if nothing had happened. He and his guides had agreed it was best to downplay what had really occurred. If he told them he had wiped out an Orc camp and escaped from monsters far above his level, they would start asking questions.

"You got lost in the forest?"

The guard’s tone was skeptical. He probably thought Rusty had disobeyed orders just to avoid cleanup duty after the battle.

"How far did you follow that orc?"

"Not that far. For an hour or so... then I lost it."

He needed to keep the story believable. It would be suspicious if he claimed to get lost without having tracked the creature for a while. The guard crossed his arms and tilted his head, clearly unconvinced.

"You’re saying you chased an orc into the woods, lost it, and then what? Slept under a bush until now?"

Rusty let out a tired sigh, trying to mimic human frustration, then repeated exactly what Alexander had told him to say.

"I didn’t exactly sleep. I had to keep moving. There were still monsters in the area, like orc scouts and stragglers. I had a few small skirmishes. It took time to get my bearings and find a way back without attracting more attention. I haven’t slept at all. The battle’s over, right? And I still haven’t been paid."

The guard looked ready to press him further, but when Rusty mentioned money, his expression soured.

"You adventurers and your money. No sense of order or duty. Just coin and credit. Bah."

The guard spat to the side, then gave Rusty a long, hard look. After a tense pause, he jerked his head toward the inner wall.

"Fine. But you're not off the hook yet. Commander Aelin will want to hear this herself. If what you say about orc scouts is true, someone needs to know which direction they disappeared to. Follow me."

Rusty nodded and followed, still wondering why the man had reacted so strangely. He had seen plenty of gate guards taking bribes, yet this one acted as if he were above such things. There seemed to be a great deal of hypocrisy in this settlement, but Rusty chose not to comment. For now, the goal was to get through this and return to his lair in one piece.

He cast a brief glance over his shoulder at the young adventurers. Oliver, Rika, and Tally had paused their work to watch him go. Gleam shifted slightly on his shoulder, her antennae flicking in their direction as if to mark them. A moment later she returned to stillness. They did not interact with him often, but they seemed different from the other humans. Not yet worn down or corrupted by the cruelty of this world.

The city gate creaked open just enough to let them through. Rusty's boots struck the cobbled path inside Ferndale with a metallic echo. Gleam remained still, though she seemed curious about what was happening beyond the gate.

“They have everyone already working so soon after a monster siege?”

Alexander was the first to speak. The streets were crowded with activity. The remains of the monsters that had managed to scale the walls were being dragged away by adventurers and townsfolk. Some women scrubbed blood from the stone, while others tried to patch the damage caused by crude weapons.

"Why wouldn't they be working? What else is there to do for those peasants?"

Aburdon answered with disdain. To the demon king, these citizens were nothing more than laborers to be ruled and directed by their superiors. For someone who commanded without concern for the wellbeing of others, this attitude was no surprise. Alexander and Rusty exchanged no words in response. There was no point in arguing with him.

“Keep moving, we don’t have all day.”

The guard said nothing else, just gestured sharply for Rusty to keep pace. Rusty followed, glancing occasionally at Gleam. She had evolved on her own, without needing his input. He wondered if that would become a problem in the future. Still, perhaps it was better this way. If she was choosing her own path, he should respect it. Her evolutions belonged to her alone, just as his did to him. He had reached level fifteen and now stood at the peak of E-rank.

All of his attributes had surpassed one hundred fifty. He had even fought and defeated a D-rank monster, an Orc warrior. Though his strength was diminished without his active skills, he still managed to win despite using a large portion of his mana. If his guides were correct, every one of these stat points would carry over into his next form. That meant his evolution would be even stronger than expected.

The desire to shove the guard aside and rush home surged inside him. He wanted nothing more than to begin his transformation. But now was not the time. He needed to ensure his safety first. The last time he evolved, the process had taken an entire day. Gleam’s recent evolution had been much faster, but he doubted he would be so lucky.

‘At least I got a new skill, I wonder how I should use it in the future.’

Just like in every previous evolution, reaching the final level unlocked a new ability. In the past, these skills had always been linked to his dual nature: light and dark. This time, however, the pattern had changed. What he received was something entirely different.

It was an interesting skill, and one that felt tailor-made for him. Thanks to his storage system, he had plenty of spare parts, both replacements for himself and older components he no longer used. If the skill functioned as described, it might allow him to become a commander-like entity, capable of summoning other animated suits of armor to serve his will. He already understood that many battles were won through numbers, not just strength. With this ability, he could become even more self-reliant and dangerous, no longer needing to rely on others to hold the line.

The walk continued, and Rusty took a moment to observe the damage inflicted on the other sides of the city. The gate they had defended had suffered the least, barely touched during the siege. In contrast, the main gate had borne the brunt of the assault. He saw the bodies of orcs and fallen soldiers being loaded onto carts and taken away. The monsters had lost far more in numbers, but the settlement had not escaped without cost.

Eventually, they arrived at the outer barracks, one of the few buildings left untouched by the siege. Built from stone and sturdier than most of the structures around it, the barracks stood firm. Guards stationed outside appeared far more capable than the ones Rusty had seen at the city gate. The man escorting him exchanged a few quiet words with the sentries, then gestured toward the entrance.

"So these are the outer barracks. I wonder what the inner ones in that noble district look like."

To him, the place was impressive. Soldiers moved about with some degree of purpose, and armor lined the halls and racks. But his two guides remained unimpressed, their silence suggesting this was nothing special to them. Gleam and he had to part ways for the time being, as she was not permitted to enter the barracks. Instead, Rusty instructed her to return to his lair and check if everything was in order.

"Wait here. Guard Commander Aelin will see you shortly. Just go in when you are called."

Rusty nodded, and the guard who had brought him disappeared after briefly explaining the situation to the stationed soldiers. Along the walls, a few wooden benches were available, and it became clear that he would be waiting here for a while.

"A guard commander? Is that above a guard captain?"

While seated, he turned to Alexander for information. As always, the voice in his helmet responded without hesitation.

"In this city’s structure, yes. The Guard Commander is responsible for all watch operations in the outer districts. Guard Captains usually lead smaller units or handle specific duties, such as patrols or internal investigations. If you are meeting the commander, it likely means they are either short on personnel or very interested in what you have to say."

"I see."

From what he understood, captains were assigned to various guard towers, each overseeing a few guard squads under their command. The commander, on the other hand, was in charge of the entire operation. Whoever he was about to meet held real authority, and this meeting might not be just a formality.

Time passed slowly. Seconds stretched into minutes, and those minutes eventually became nearly two hours. Only then did someone finally approach him.

"The Commander will see you now. Be respectful if you know what’s good for you."

The speaker wore a full suit of armor, his face hidden behind a helmet. The equipment looked superior to standard guard gear, though still not quite as refined as what Rusty had seen on the noble knights or members of the city’s official army. Rusty gave a simple nod in response and followed the man inside. The door was opened for him, and as he stepped in, he was met with an unexpected sight.

"This is the guard commander?"

The woman before him wore a dark, close-fitting uniform that emphasized her muscular frame. The polished silver insignia on her collar gleamed faintly in the candlelight. Her skin was a deep brown, and her mere presence brought the room to silence. The guards nearby stood straighter in her presence, their eyes avoiding hers. Rusty and his guides had expected a grizzled man weighed down with too many medals, or perhaps some self-important officer with polished boots and little field experience. Instead, she looked like an adventurer. A claw-shaped bruise marked her cheek, proof that she had faced monsters before. 

“Wait, isn’t that?”

As he stepped inside, he immediately noticed an old acquaintance standing in the room. A man was speaking to the guard commander, dressed in a dark coat marked with the insignia of a black hound.

“That will be all, Varkas. If your men behave like that again, I’ll deduct it from your pay.”

The man in the dark coat turned as the door opened, and Rusty recognized him at once. He was the leader of the mercenaries responsible for kidnapping the orphans. For some reason, he was here with the guard commander, and they seemed to be on a first-name basis.

“As always, a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Arlin.”

“That’s Commander to you.”

Rusty didn’t understand the gesture, but it looked as though the man intended to take the woman’s hand. Her expression, however, showed only disgust. After Varkas gave her a mocking smirk, he turned and walked away. Rusty knew the man was dangerous, so he quietly stepped aside to avoid drawing attention in such a delicate moment.

However, just as the man was about to walk past, he paused. His amber eyes swept over Rusty, and for a moment, it seemed as though he truly recognized him. Back then, Rusty had used a different body, but the metal remained the same. If this man had some ability to identify him by his physical structure, then everything could fall apart.

"You there..."

The man stepped forward, reaching into his coat as if to retrieve something.

"Yes?"

Varkas held Rusty's gaze for a long moment, his eyes narrowing with curiosity. Then, slowly, he pulled out a small black card etched with the insignia of a black hound. He offered it between two fingers, casual in his manner, though Rusty wasn’t sure how to respond.

"You’re Edmund, right?"

His tone was calm, almost friendly, but Rusty knew what this man was capable of. One wrong move, and he could be reduced to metal scraps in seconds. For now, it was safer to play along.

"Yes, that’s my name."

Varkas grinned like a fox.

"I heard about your performance during the Orc raid. We could use someone like you in the Black Hounds. The pay's a lot better than the kind of coin you get chasing after adventure."

As the man spoke, Rusty began to relax. It was becoming clear he wasn't in danger. Varkas had simply heard about his exploits during the siege and saw him as a potential recruit. Luckily, before he needed to answer, someone slammed her fist against a desk to help him out.

“This isn’t a place for you to gather new recruits, get out.”

Varkas let out a low chuckle, holding both hands up in mock surrender as he backed away.

“Of course, Commander. Just offering a good man a better opportunity. No harm in that.”

He tossed the card at Rusty, who caught it reflexively. With one last smirk, Varkas turned and exited through the heavy door, his footsteps fading quickly down the stone corridor. The guards visibly relaxed, as if a storm had passed. Rusty glanced down at the card but then simply stuck it into his satchel, which was attached to his belt. Now that he was gone, the only thing he needed to contend with was this guard commander…