Dwarven Brothers' Sacrifice

"You know this? We dwarves have a unique skill called Sacrifice Soul. Using it lets a dwarf who's been in a long sleep like Os Gillro wake up sooner."

Granbas's words reminded Han Ji-woo of his conversation with Palas.

"If one dwarf shares their soul with a sleeping dwarf, they wake up faster from their slumber."

"......And what happens to the dwarf who shares their soul?"

"They fall asleep in their place."

Han Ji-woo asked Granbas directly. "Are you planning to take Os Gillro's place in sleep?"

"Didn't I just say as much?"

"That's...... No offense, but you two are already dead."

Os Gillro had poured his soul into crafting his weapons, exhausting his life force and forcing him into that deep sleep. If another dwarf used Sacrifice Soul to share their life force, Os Gillro could wake up sooner. The problem was that the brothers trying to cast the skill were already departed souls.

At Han Ji-woo's perfectly reasonable question, the dwarf brothers replied as if there was no issue at all.

"But we still have bodies, don't we?"

"Even if just for a short while, we have healthy flesh, so sharing this body's life force should work, right?"

As Han Ji-woo pondered if this was even logically possible, the brothers chatted between themselves.

"Brother. Since we're helping anyway, how about casting Stat Transfer before Sacrifice Soul?"

"Hm! That's a great idea."

"Stat Transfer? Is that another dwarven unique skill?"

Han Ji-woo asked, and the brothers shook their heads with a chuckle.

"It's a skill we brothers both acquired after arriving in this dungeon."

"At first, we wondered why we got it, but it showed how much we cared for each other."

"After dropping into this dungeon place, I thought I had to protect my little brother no matter what."

"And I wanted my brother to survive to the end."

"That desperate wish created the Stat Transfer skill for us brothers."

The desire to transfer their stats to their brother if one was on the brink of death, ensuring at least one survived. That was why they'd gained the initial skill called Stat Transfer.

"Stat Transfer lets the caster reclaim the lent stats anytime they want. So usually, my cowardly little brother would transfer his stats to me, and I'd protect him while fighting the monsters."

"But if the one who received the stats doesn't return them and dies, the transferred stats remain fully applied to the other."

After rambling on about Stat Transfer, the dwarf brothers used it on Os Gillro.

All their stats—leaving just the bare minimum of 1—were transferred to Os Gillro.

"Now, when he wakes, he'll be an insanely strong dwarf."

"Yeah."

Han Ji-woo couldn't just let it slide without asking how high their stats were. "Sorry, but what are your stat totals?"

Granbas thumped his chest proudly. "Mine average 500! If I hadn't been so worn out when we first got here, I wouldn't have gone down so easily to that hatchling!"

"Mine are around 450 on average."

"......!"

Han Ji-woo was stunned by stats far beyond expectations. Combined, that was an average of 950. And if added to Os Gillro's?

Wait. I don't know Os Gillro's stats. Hmm...... When he fought Turkan in the Dungeon Prison, he got wrecked, so let's say around 150 average.

Even then, it'd be over 1,100.

That's insane!

If Os Gillro woke up, he'd be a rock-solid ally.

"Alright, let's finish the last step, little brother."

"Sure."

The brothers' second skill activated simultaneously.

Watching from the side, Han Ji-woo wondered if it would even work. As the skill activated, radiant light rose from the brothers' bodies. It soon shifted to Os Gillro's flesh.

The light transfer lasted a good while—about as long as sipping a hot cup of tea. Finally, the glow illuminating the three dwarves' bodies flickered and faded.

"Ngh!"

"Ughhh."

The brothers groaned and slumped down.

"What happened?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Han Ji-woo was dying to know if the skill had worked. Granbas grinned and asked Arnok.

"Little brother. Feel like you're about to fall asleep soon?"

"I'm gonna drop any second."

"That means...... it succeeded?"

The brothers looked at Han Ji-woo and nodded in unison.

"Definitely succeeded. My idea was spot on!"

"My brother has those sharp moments sometimes."

"Ha, thank you. Really, thank you so much."

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Han Ji-woo gripped each of their hands tightly. The sight warmed Granbas and Arnok's hearts. For a human of another race to treat dwarves with such sincerity.

Han Ji-woo's expectant gaze turned to Os Gillro. "So, he'll wake up soon?"

But no such confirmation came from the brothers.

"Can't say for sure."

"Huh? But you just said Sacrifice Soul worked perfectly......"

"It did. But we're old dwarves. We didn't have much life left to begin with."

"If the life Os Gillro used exceeds what we had left, he won't wake right away. But one thing's certain: his sleep time's been drastically shortened. So wait patiently."

Arnok spoke confidently with a smile. Han Ji-woo shook off his slight disappointment and thanked them once more.

"Well then...... it's time for us to go."

As Granbas spoke, light rose from his body. They still had a bit of time left in Hidden Space, but using Sacrifice Soul had hastened their ascension. Arnok was the same.

Feeling their bodies fading, the brothers gave Han Ji-woo their final farewell.

"Listen, Ji-woo. It was short, but thanks to you, we got the sweetest rest of all our dragged-out dungeon days. Thanks."

"I was thankful too. It felt like paradise here."

Granbas eyed the hearth where Han Ji-woo had whipped up all ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sorts of dishes. Arnok gazed at the pets crowding around.

Han Ji-woo's chest tightened with parting sorrow. Ever since being kidnapped here, he opened his heart too easily to anyone who showed even a bit of kindness. With bonds this deep, even just a day together left him melancholic and bittersweet.

"I had a great time thanks to you two. And thank you for helping Os Gillro."

The two dwarves, wearing pleased smiles, dissolved into light and vanished.

In that moment, Granbas's voice echoed like a final testament.

"You'll definitely escape this dungeon! I believe it!"

With that, the dwarf brothers departed Hidden Space at satisfaction level 10.

Before Han Ji-woo could even dwell on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pain of farewell, a message appeared in the air.

As he stared at the messages, Palas's words flashed through Han Ji-woo's mind.

"Dwarves seem to have those kinds of unique skills. Skills for sacrificing for comrades. But the dwarves I met would never whittle away their own lives to save others."

It wasn't prejudice on Palas's part, nor were these brothers unusual. With bodies that would vanish anyway, they'd used Sacrifice Soul without hesitation. Even so, they wouldn't do it for just anyone. Surely, they'd been moved by the friendship between Han Ji-woo and Os Gillro.

Chills raced across Han Ji-woo's skin as he read the message. Ultimate Blacksmith—not just any smith, but the pinnacle. He couldn't imagine the masterpieces that would pour from the hands of whoever received that skill.

"Register it."

Han Ji-woo answered without hesitation.

"Good enough."

Only 24 hours had passed, but it felt like completing an epic saga. Exactly the constellation with the skill Han Ji-woo wanted had descended into the dungeon. The weight on his mind finally lifted.

"Whew. Up by 40."

Last time it had increased by 20; this time double. "Next'll be 80, hitting 150?"

Judging by the pattern, likely. But summoning constellations would get harder.

Cross that bridge when we come to it.

Han Ji-woo opened the Dungeon Shop display window. He stocked it with the Ultimate Demon Sword, Ultimate Demon Bow, four bone daggers, and all the weapons, armor, and accessories from the Demon Realm. All priced uniformly at 1 Dungeon Coin, as always.

"Lunchtime already and no news...... My trust's wearing thin."

Brody's grumbling echoed in the quiet Dungeon Shop. His lover Ariel finally snapped.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What'd I do?"

"Why do you keep trash-talking Ji-woo on purpose?"

"I'm just stating facts. That's a problem?"

That's when the kind, innocent Indian youth Diya stepped up to Brody.

"Brody."

"Yeah?"

"I know it's rude for someone younger like me to say this. But expressing your inferiority complex toward Ji-woo like that isn't good."

"What?! You done talking?"

As Brody shot up growling, Diya bowed 90 degrees repeatedly in apology. "Sorry. Really sorry. N-no intention to hurt. But acting like this isn't good for you either, so I spoke out of turn......"

"This......!"

Then Kim Jung-min shouted.

"It's shared! Weapons are shared!"

The heroes, debating whether to intervene in the escalating tension, turned their attention to the shared items.

Meanwhile, Mitchell's eyes scanned the gear, pausing at the Ultimate Demon Sword. Ignoring the rest, he bought it and approached Brody.

"Take it."

"......A sword?"

Brody accepted the Ultimate Demon Sword in bewilderment. The moment he checked its stats.

"Hngh."

The massive stat boosts left him speechless. Into Brody's ear whispered Mitchell's low voice.

"This is the sword Han Ji-woo, whom you've been badmouthing, sweated blood over for six days to make for you."

"......"

Brody's face flushed crimson with shame. But as Mitchell turned away, regret and guilt flooded his chest.

Ariel, at his side, let out a sigh-mingled words.

"Get it now? Ji-woo's never taken anything from us, yet he works this hard. Without him, you or I surviving this long? We'd be dead already. Then our relationship? Never would've become lovers."

Every word rang true. Brody, mouth dry as if glued shut, could say nothing.

Drip.

He just shed tears of remorse and reflection.

Ariel gently stroked his back.

"Realizing it now is fine. From here on, just feel grateful, okay?"

Brody nodded slowly. Then, toward the invisible Han Ji-woo, he bowed deeply in respect.

"I'm a petty guy...... Sorry. And thank you so much for helping despite that."

But then the O'nelly twins voiced doubts.

"Weird. Too many weapons. But most have low stats."

"Tons of armor and accessories too. Why send so much?"

As everyone pondered the same as the O'nelly siblings.

"Everyone...... I hear a constellation's voice."

Armor crafter Irene spoke, brimming with joy and delight.