Dragon Falls Gorge (1)
'We'll know when we get there.'
Both Jeonghyeon and Horakti gave the same answer.
Nus had spent a fair amount of time in Afraksas, but most of it cooped up in the Demon King's Castle, so it knew next to nothing about the detailed geography.
'Fuckin' hell, they all know and ain't tellin' me shit. Whatever, how dangerous can it be? If Lord Malekith shows up, we'd crush 'em all.'
Even up to the moment Horakti's magic whisked them away, Nus grumbled inwardly.
"There. We're here."
Right up until the spatial transfer guided by Horakti dumped them in place, Nus—true to form—figured it could handle everything with flashy flair.
"Alright, let's see what kinda tough bastards they've got!"
By the time Nus craned its head up, the Dragon Falls Gorge that had Jeonghyeon and Horakti so spooked came into view.
A colossal dragon corpse—or what looked like one—reduced to bones.
The surrounding landscape had formed around those bones alone, carving out a gorge.
And dwelling there were dwarves: ancestors to both frost dwarves and lava dwarves, yet still living independently to this day.
The Rock Dwarves.
"These are the ones that had you two shitting bricks...?"
Nus blurted in disbelief.
It had braced for something to die screaming over, figuring maybe even dragonkin.
Just primitive dwarves?
No icy, cold-blooded skin like frost dwarves to shrug off blizzards.
No spewing lava from their mouths to melt foes like lava dwarves.
Short and stocky with solid muscle, beards braided long—the classic dwarf look.
Tougher than your average dwarf, sure, but to Nus? Just pint-sized runts who couldn't handle mana for shit.
"...Yeah."
Jeonghyeon nodded, his face blank with daze.
"What's so scary about 'em?"
"Think of any primordial races that come to mind?"
Horakti jumped in before Jeonghyeon could answer.
Even he now gripped his weapon tight, tension etched on his face.
"Uh... Rock Dwarves, dragonkin, vampires... that sorta thing?"
"Right. They kept their ancient forms unchanged through the ages, living alongside species that evolved countless times. That means they've got something seriously strong going for 'em."
"So what is it?"
"How do you think this gorge got made? Natural causes?"
"Well..."
Nus scanned the surroundings again, paying closer attention this time.
The cliffs forming the gorge, the natural features—they all mirrored each other in perfect symmetry.
Symmetry no natural process could forge.
From the rocks, the cliffs, even the floor's rises and falls keyed to the dragon bones.
Utterly flawless.
"No way... They carved all this?"
"Yep."
"Enough chit-chat. No sign of Ignirn's mana, so let's hide."
Jeonghyeon had never looked this rattled facing something new.
"They that strong?"
"It ain't about strong or weak. If you mess up..."
"Hey~! Strangers, eh?!"
Right on cue, a Rock Dwarf's bellow echoed through the gorge.
"We're fucked."
Jeonghyeon's eyes went wide.
"W-Well then. Good luck!"
Horakti bailed via spatial jump.
Only Nus remained, wondering what the hell had everyone so terrified in this spot.
It had gorged on mana back in Elaha's Garden. Bring it on.
For the next Demon King, this was nothing.
'Sigh. Guess I'll have to slice 'em all up again.'
Nus stepped forward for Jeonghyeon.
"Hey! Nus! No! Not now...!"
"What're you lot gawkin' at? First outsiders ya seen? Pissed? Then come at me!"
Massive mana, dense and potent, gathered in Nus's tiny hands—far beyond its pixie size.
Rock Dwarves emerged slowly from above, below, behind.
A lot of 'em.
'Five up top, four behind... two below, four right in front...'
All fighters? It could smash 'em in one go.
Dwarves at root—weak to mana, right?
Nus's mind raced, mana primed to unleash—
"Been ages since outsiders!! Everyone, welcome 'em!!"
The Rock Dwarves broke into sunny grins.
"Huh? What? They're... nicer than I thought?"
Nus glanced back at Jeonghyeon, who sighed heavily at the ground, face drained.
"Yeah... that's the problem."
"Ah..."
After half a day abandoned while they "prepared the outsider welcome,"
Nus finally muttered.
"That's why you hated this."
"Yay~! Outsiders~!!"
Inside the dragon bone's ribcage lay a small village where the Rock Dwarves clustered.
They plopped the two in the center and circled like cannibals dancing before a roast.
The dance dragged on for hours.
Till dusk faded and night deepened.
Jeonghyeon and Nus? Ignored.
"What brings our outsiders all the way here~!?"
A nosy-village-elder-type Rock Dwarf thrust his beefy face at Jeonghyeon, voice booming.
Short stature meant chest-height max.
"Uh... well..."
Jeonghyeon signaled Nus.
- No matter what, don't mention fighting, dragons, any of that shit. Got it?
Nus nodded.
What kinda freaks made 'em tremble worse than battle?
Jeonghyeon pondered, then lit up like he'd found the answer.
"T-Tourism?"
'You shittin' me?!'
As Nus gaped, the dwarf nodded, pleased.
"Tourism! Aye~! Our village got plenty worth seein'!!"
"Damn straight!!"
The dwarves cackled and chattered excitedly among themselves.
"And what brings this here ethereal slime~?"
'...?'
Nus froze mid-answer.
In pixie form, nine out of ten mistook it for a fairy.
The rare one? Folks like Jeonghyeon who knew, or fellow ethereals.
Yet this dwarf pierced its essence casually.
"C-Came together!"
"Aha~! Buddies! Good times!!"
"Damn straight!!"
Chuckling like jolly old locals, but they hadn't survived from ancient times for nothing.
- Those dwarves look harmless, but... they've existed since primordial Afraksas. Don't underestimate.
Elves lived ~1,000 years. These? Multiples. Maybe dozens-fold.
"Well then..."
- Here it comes. Brace yourself.
Jeonghyeon signaled, eyes closing like doom arrived.
"Our outsider pals..."
Nus gulped nonexistent spit.
'What filthy mana ya crawlin' in with?'
'Time to get eaten?'
Imagining horrors.
But the dwarf's warm smile brought the unexpected.
"Know how to hold yer liquor?"
"Huh? Booze?"
Now Nus got why Jeonghyeon and Horakti dreaded the Rock Dwarves so.
A massive cavern—mistakable for cliff face—was one giant brewing vat.
They didn't sip from cups.
Kegs like craft-beer pub giants? Their "glasses."
"Here ya go, outsiders! Our hospitality~!"
The boss-looking dwarf who'd chatted nonstop bellowed a laugh.
"Hospitality... ya can't snub it, ya know~?"
"Y-Yes... sir."
Jeonghyeon took the keg reverently, like a lamb to slaughter.
'Fucked.'
Regular beer? Mental fortitude might hold.
Pretend piss break, puke via mana.
But this? Rock Dwarf moonshine special.
Beyond drunk—cripples mana veins. Insane.
"Phew..."
Nus sighed relief amid tension.
Ethereal slime essence: pure mana.
No drinking, and even if? No gut to process—just flush.
"Got just the brew for our slime pal too~!"
Thud.
The hefty keg thunked down—smaller than Jeonghyeon's, "considerate" to Nus's size.
Still, could drown a dozen Nus-es.
"Mana folk can't get smashed? Pointless~! Brewed special for yer kind. Chug away~!"
'Fucked.'
Nus and Jeonghyeon synced thoughts.
Nus, long-lived, read the room.
Bail on this booze-fest? Trouble beyond measure.
"First round's one gulp, ya know the drill?"
Boss dwarf raised his arm high.
Moonshine sloshed at the keg rim; others mirrored.
"Damn straight~!!"
"L-Let's drink...!"
Jeonghyeon squeezed eyes shut, force-chugging the fiery gut-punch.
'Gotta hold... gotta endure...!'
Recalling Malekith clashes to steel his mind as the first swig threatened oblivion.