Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Traces of the Giant Dragon (3)
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Another pack of drakes climbed up from the bottom of the stairs.
- Kreaaak!
Thud thud thud thud!
The eyes of the ones hit by Bone Three's arrows gleamed menacingly.
Provoked by the taunting attacks, they stomped their feet furiously.
‘Falling for it without thinking—typical of mindless beasts.’
I could’ve gone down to take them out.
But the reason for luring them up was simple.
I needed to drop them from above to maximize fall damage.
“Heh heh, in all my years, this has to be the simplest hunting method I’ve ever seen.”
“We can’t keep using it forever. Stamina has its limits.”
Whoosh!
Bone Five’s flame magic was fierce.
It blocked the escape of the enraged beasts charging blindly.
[‘Bone5’ uses the skill, Fire Ball (Lv.Max).]
Fwoosh!
A fireball flew forward.
Boom!
When the blazing orb struck the lead drake in a straight line—
- Kieeeak!
The smell of searing flesh filled the air as it thrashed and screamed.
Desperate to live,
The ones that couldn’t bring themselves to jump spread the flames to their comrades.
And just like that, one by one,
They flailed into the pit.
“Farewell.”
[Thorn Drake eliminated.]
[Thorn Drake eliminated.]
[Thorn Drake eliminated.]
….
‘Perfect.’
Most mindless creatures were weak to fire.
Bone Five handling flames was a stroke of luck.
‘What if Bone Five hadn’t been here?’
I would’ve struggled to find another solution.
“Alright!”
I stretched my stiff body and flopped down onto the ground.
“Shall we call it a day?”
My body had been tense all day, and now fatigue crashed over me.
[Name: Bone5]
[Stamina: 50/200]
Bone Five’s stamina was nearly depleted anyway.
I’d leave the 50 as a reserve, just in case.
‘No need to rush, right?’
There were still plenty more to hunt.
And no one was chasing us.
I needed to pace my stamina carefully.
“Hmm? You’re not thinking of resting here, are you? In the heart of these ruins crawling with ferocious monsters?”
“No choice. As you said, Dagunar, they’re swarming down there. How could we clear them all in one day?”
“Hmm.”
Dagnar stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment.
“You, hey, you!”
Then he called me over, eyes sparkling.
“What?”
“Do you remember? When I told you to take me along, I said I’d be useful too.”
“…Yeah, I think so.”
“I’ll prove it, as promised.”
“…?”
What was he getting at?
As I watched, Dagunar set down the backpack he’d brought.
‘A backpack?’
When did he pack that?
“Heh heh, I’m not one to show this off lightly.”
Dagnar said with a confident grin.
“But you’re special. And you’re working so hard for my people.”
Dagnar pulled something out of the bag.
A frying pan, cutting board, pot, various ingredients….
“Huh?”
My eyes went wide.
This was the last thing I expected.
No way, this dwarf….
“You’re going to cook yourself?”
“Haha! Digging up ancient ruins takes time—it’s common sense. So I came prepared. Eating dried jerky every day gets old, doesn’t it?”
“Wow, when did you even…. Wait, back at the elf village, you didn’t pull this out!”
“Didn’t I say I don’t show this off lightly? I wasn’t kidding.”
“…?”
“This bag is a priceless artifact. Even for a benefactor, I never show it.”
Dagnar grinned.
Fair enough—it was miraculous.
Water, knives, all sorts of tools.
The bag wasn’t big enough, yet they kept coming out.
Clang clang!
Dagnar got to work.
His movements were anything but ordinary.
A true dwarf?
He set up his gear with incredible speed.
“Whoa.”
My jaw dropped.
“My specialty: chicken dish. Don’t worry about freshness.”
Dagnar was amazing.
He chopped the prepped chicken with swift chops, rinsed it, and drained it.
Then he diced mysterious vegetables—native to this world, it seemed—into bite-sized pieces.
The skill of a pro chef straight out of a TV show.
As I watched, mesmerized, while he swept unknown liquids and ingredients into the pot to boil….
‘Hmm.’
I suddenly grew curious about that bag.
“Dagnar.”
“What is it? Just ten minutes on high heat—hang tight.”
“No, not that…. Mind if I take a look at the bag?”
“That? Hmm…. Sure, go ahead.”
He hesitated slightly but gave permission readily.
‘What kind of artifact is it?’
The moment I touched the bag,
Info popped up.
[Item: Demir’s Supply Backpack]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Bag]
[Description: A bag mass-produced by the legendary blacksmith ‘Demir’ for his people’s convenience. It boasts incredible performance for a supply item.]
[Effect 1: Provides S-grade sub-space. Can store many items.]
[Effect 2: Maintains freshness within the sub-space.]
“Gah!”
Cough, cough!
I was so shocked, I hacked.
‘What kind of insane item is this?’
No way a regular dwarf should have something like this.
And Demir?
The great Demir revered by the dwarves?
“Heh heh, impressive, huh?”
“…Impressive doesn’t even cover it.”
“Back in our ancestors’ time, these were common as dirt. That’s why every family has at least one or two.”
Ah, so that’s the ‘supply’ part.
Still, S-grade for a supply item.
What kind of world is this?
Kinda disappointing.
If I’d arrived 500 years ago, I could’ve scored big.
“Honestly, I’m jealous.”
“Heh heh, don’t get ideas. They were common back then, but now they’re priceless treasures.”
“…Got it.”
Darn, how’d he know?
I was about to ask for it.
“Stop eyeing my stuff and eat this.”
“Oh, done already?”
“To hunt well, you need a full belly. That’s how we’ll find our ancestors’ relic.”
Hmm.
Whatever.
Better than dried jerky.
I took the dish Dagunar handed me.
It looked like chicken stir-fry stew without much broth.
“Huh?”
One bite, and my eyes lit up.
“This is way tastier than I thought.”
“Uhahahaha!”
He laughed, pleased and bashful at my praise.
Not empty words.
I meant it.
No reason to butter him up, and why lie about food?
‘Has my palate dulled from not eating good stuff lately?’
Too bad.
Wish Bone and the old man could eat this too.
Plus.
‘Lucky break.’
I sighed inwardly in relief.
I had no idea how long we’d be stuck here.
But with food and water sorted, I could relax.
“Heh heh, not bad, right? Way better than those fruit-munching elves! Dig in! Eat up!”
Praise makes even whales dance.
He heaped more food onto my plate.
“Thanks.”
I didn’t hold back.
Gotta eat big if I’m training here too.
“Heh heh! Good to see! Need anything else?”
“Something I need? Yep!”
“Hahaha! Tell me!”
“The bag.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Dagnar shut me down instantly, unfazed by my curveball.
“Tch, no dice.”
Sigh.
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
Guess I’ll just eat.
* * *
Hunting and training continued.
To me, this place was a dungeon but not quite.
More like a training ground.
1. Eliminate 30 Thorn Drakes daily.
2. Basic stamina training: 1 hour.
3. Old man massage: 30 minutes.
4. Old man ten thousand arts lesson: 30 minutes.
5. Taecheong Heart Method: 4 hours.
6. Personal training: 4 hours.
7. Rest and sleep.
Simple curriculum.
Deadline?
Until all the drakes are gone!
“Whoa, time flies.”
Dagnar hummed while rinsing dishes with water.
“A whole week already.”
He glanced down into the pit.
“The chatter down there has quieted a lot, huh?”
Seeing his relaxed demeanor compared to when we arrived, I chuckled.
“Well, we’re almost done. Thanks for your hard work.”
I was growing, so no complaints.
But I felt a bit bad for Dagunar.
All he’d done here was cook and wash dishes.
“Haha, hard work? If anything, that’s what I should say to you. I just cook— you’re the one slaying those horrors!”
“Oh? That grateful, huh?”
“What’s to say? Of course!”
“Really?”
“What, you think I’d lie?”
“Then the bag….”
“…Quiet.”
“Yeah.”
I sighed at his quick retort.
Not just the bag, though.
The dreaded massage time was approaching.
[Using skill, ‘Teaching of Ten Thousand Arts’ (S-grade).]
[20 Stamina used.]
[‘Master of Ten Thousand Arts’ appears.]
The old man’s Taecheong Material All-Completion Great Law was a pain I could never get used to.
Even A-grade ‘Pain Resistance’ struggled against the massage.
I marveled at myself for enduring it every time.
“Tsk tsk, time again.”
“Yes, please, Elder.”
Now I even volunteered somewhat.
I was starting to feel the benefits.
[Polishes the martial bones and remodels talent.]
Post-massage, physical stats improved as a baseline.
And knowledge felt more receptive, more flexible.
Like anything taught sparked new applications.
As if I was stepping toward ranker status.
“No need to ask, brat. Heh heh, today I’ve got a favor to ask you instead.”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head.
Odd, coming from the old man who’d massaged mechanically till now.
“Your stagnant meridians have melted like desert ice, flowing freely. Your frail channels are lively as a newborn’s. Time to advance to the next stage.”
“Huh…? What does that…?”
“What else? It’ll hurt even more than before.”
“Eh?”
“Eh? Hate it? Say the word. I’ll stop anytime.”
“Seriously?”
My eyes gleamed faintly.
Tough call, honestly.
The pain so far was brutal—worse than that?
Might as well quit, right?
But the old man’s expression didn’t change.
“Heh heh, finish this great law, and you’ll shed another layer, growing far beyond before. You, giving up? Not the you I know.”
“…”
This old man.
Knew me too well.
I’m not one to quit before even trying.
Or bail after because it’s hard or painful.
“No choice. Let’s do it.”
“Heh heh, knew you would.”
The old man grinned slyly, but I trusted him.
His desire to see me grow.
To pass on his ten thousand arts.
I knew better than anyone it was genuine.
“Remember: what you’ve endured so far was beginner level….”
He cracked his knuckles and continued.
“Now we start intermediate.”
“Intermediate….”
“So brace yourself.”
The old man’s eyes flashed like lightning.