Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Eldrin and Demir (4)
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“We have to finish everything within a week.”
Eldrin said.
“Ever since we awakened, the effects of the sealing orb have been fading.”
She glanced back.
There, a dragon was thrashing wildly, letting out [Kwaaaah!], sealed in place.
Demir nodded from beside her.
“You’re right. As you know, dragons are terrifyingly powerful. The moment the seal breaks, it’s all over.”
“Gr-Great Ancestor.”
It was then that Dagunar cautiously raised his hand.
Demir tilted his skeletal head.
“So, you’re saying the world will end in a week?”
“Huh? If that were the case, why would I break the seal and show up right here?”
A flicker of emotion crossed his face—something like, ‘Were my people always this dumb?’
But it vanished quickly.
Eldrin probably thought it was like spitting in her own face, with her standing right there in the courtyard.
“N-No, then it’s not?”
“Eh, well... It could be, or it couldn’t. But what’s certain is that we have to work to make sure it doesn’t.”
Demir looked at me this time.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“We don’t have much time. You know that our awakening is only temporary.”
“Yes, I know.”
The system had told me.
“Exactly one week. After that, our power will scatter again. We’ll revert to soul states. And the dragon’s seal will break accordingly.”
“So what do we do now?”
“First, we have to kill the dragon.”
Demir gripped his hammer tightly.
“The Giant Dragon may rule this world, but the world rules it in turn, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean?”
I tilted my head.
What kind of vague nonsense was that?
“This world is made up of the forest folk and the rock folk. The dragon is strong, so our world must be equally strong to match it.”
“Ah.”
I nodded.
I understood instantly.
“Harmony. You plan to unite all the tribes’ powers. The forest folk and rock folk together become one world.”
“Correct.”
Right.
This intermediary dungeon, ‘Forest and Rock,’ had one purpose from the start.
Resolving conflicts between the tribes.
“All tribes unite their strength for a joint strike before the dragon’s seal breaks. But... it’s impossible with our power in this short time. As you can see.”
Demir swept a hand over his body.
As if amazed it was made only of bones.
“Since our bodies are in this state.”
Fair enough.
If my country’s ancestors suddenly came back to life as skeletons, I wouldn’t believe it either.
“If you just help us take down the dragon...”
Boom!
Demir slammed his hammer into the ground.
Step.
Eldrin, who had been watching, stepped forward and bowed her head slightly.
“As payment for avenging our tribe, we’ll follow you until these souls fade.”
“The same goes for me. I swear it on the name of forest and moonlight.”
The two skeletons stared at me with serious expressions.
At the same time, a new message appeared.
[Ding!]
[Stage: Forest and Rock]
[Difficulty: Immeasurable]
[The quest has reached its finale.]
[Lead the tribes to harmony and slay their eternal foe, the Giant Dragon.]
[Sooth the grudge of the two souls to achieve the true awakening of ‘Bone3’ and ‘Bone6.’]
True awakening!
Just as I thought.
It was like the process when I got Taeyang.
Deadline: one week.
A voice leaked from my lips.
Yeah, I’d been waiting for this.
“Alright.”
* * *
Tribal harmony.
To achieve that, I had to convince both tribes.
It definitely wouldn’t be easy.
How could 500 years of built-up resentment vanish in just a week?
“The elves are under my control.”
The true High Elf Queen, Eldrin.
She knew the forest folk’s nature well.
“Elves can’t defy their queen. No matter my appearance, the children will recognize me instantly. I’ll head out first.”
Eldrin nodded confidently and walked toward the forest.
Her gesture brimmed with tribal pride.
Demir grumbled from the side.
“Hmph, a tribe that follows only their queen. A truly intelligent race needs individual freedom. Like our rock folk.”
Before harmony, he seemed offended by my judgment that dwarves would be the stumbling block.
“Not like ants following their queen ant.”
“Haha, the rock folk won’t be much of a problem either.”
I grinned.
“As long as we have Demir’s skills.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Shall we get moving too?”
Leaving Eldrin behind, we headed back to Titan.
Entry was tricky by Chairman Vulcanus’s order, but it didn’t matter.
That chairman.
He was pinned under that seal now.
Breaking through Titan’s main gate wasn’t hard.
“Heh heh, you. Forgot already? Joo Dong-hoon here is our benefactor. Oh, let us in! The chairman approved, right? Here, take this. My token of appreciation. Hey! Were you always such a rigid dwarf?”
Dagar solved it smoothly.
Thanks to his eloquence, we got in somehow, then headed straight to the mines.
The ores in the mines were right where we left them.
I breathed in deeply, satisfied.
“Mmm, this smell is the best.”
I gazed at the piles of ore with loving eyes.
Thought I’d never see you again, but you’re all safe.
“Taeyang.”
Now we make weapons with this.
“Yes, my lord. You called?”
The summoned Taeyang bowed his head.
“From now on, take the bones and spread the word everywhere. Joo Dong-hoon is back. Just like I promised last time, I’ll make your weapons.”
“Understood.”
From my experience, dwarves are incredibly straightforward and passionate.
And if you can make things?
They show favor without question.
[Rock Folk Affinity: 75]
[Forest Folk Affinity: 25]
‘First, raise affinity to 100.’
In the end, choosing dwarves first was the right call.
Since the entire elf tribe could be controlled by one Eldrin.
I just had to focus on the dwarves.
‘Alright, then.’
I looked at Demir.
All that’s left is mindless hammering...
“Oh, right. Before that.”
Something occurred to me.
“Demir.”
“Why call me?”
“Could you make me a bag, by any chance?”
“A bag?”
“Yeah. Remember that mass-produced bag you distributed before?”
“Hmm.”
Demir shook his head with a regretful look.
“I have the materials and could make it, but...”
“...?”
“Can’t use too much energy. Maintaining this awakened state is all thanks to the orb’s power... One slip, and the seal might break sooner than expected.”
“Ahh.”
Too bad.
If I could use Demir now, I could outfit all my bones’ weapons and mine in a full set.
Well, yeah, it’d be OP if so.
“Not that I can’t make anything at all. I can make basic stuff indefinitely. It’s artifacts with alchemy like bags that are tough.”
“I see.”
In simple terms, no S-rank items.
As I nodded glumly.
“You.”
Dagar approached from the side.
He held out a bag.
“Dagar?”
“You really meant it about this bag, huh?”
Ooh.
For real?
He’s actually giving it?
My eyes widened, and Dagar smiled warmly.
“What’s a little bag? You’ve saved my life three times already. And you’re a hero saving the whole tribe!”
“Wow, thank you.”
I took it without hesitation.
Dagar was spot on.
Of course I’m the dwarves’ benefactor.
A pretty big one at that.
“Heh heh.”
I lifted the bag, eyes sparkling.
[Item: Demir’s Mass-Produced Backpack]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Bag]
[Description: A bag mass-produced by the legendary blacksmith ‘Demir’ for his tribe’s convenience. It boasts incredible performance for mass-produced goods.]
[Effect 1: Provides an S-rank sub-space. Can store many items.]
[Effect 2: Maintains freshness within the sub-space.]
An artifact type you could never get on Earth.
Well, if I awaken Bone-yook with Demir later... It’ll take some time, though.
‘Before clearing later, I’ll stuff all the smelting and weaving materials in here.’
The bag’s real purpose was one thing.
To hold all the overflowing refining and textile materials here.
“Alright!”
I clapped my hands.
Creak!
Demir turned to me with a bone creak.
“Shall we get hammering for real?”
“What should we make first?”
“Everything you can, as long as it’s not too much.”
“Just crafting? That’ll achieve harmony?”
Demir asked skeptically, half-doubting.
“You’ll see.”
“Then... I’ll trust you.”
Clang! Clang!
And so the hammering began.
* * *
A word without feet travels a thousand miles.
Taeyang’s rumor spread through the rock region in no time.
“Joo Dong-hoon! He’s back?”
“They said the chairman kicked him out! He’s really back?”
“They say the chairman approved! Not official, but... no objections, so probably true?”
“Ooh, really!”
Dwarves swarmed the mines.
This is affinity’s power.
Plus, dwarves wanted me from the start.
No proper blacksmiths in their villages.
“Heh heh! Hey! Why’d you take so long? You vanished after promising my gear—know how flustered I was?”
“Mine too! Mine!”
“Outta the way! I was next last time! Needs urgent repair!”
Started with one or two.
Now they mobbed like clouds.
Thanks to Taeyang’s clever ‘Chairman approved!’ wording, dwarves didn’t hesitate.
“Haha, everyone line up.”
I welcomed them with a smile.
“I’ll make you stuff even better than the blueprints you gave me then.”
“Ooh, for real?”
The dwarves buzzed again at my words.
No, honestly, what else to say.
That sight? Pure awe.
Claaaang! Claaaang!
Clear metallic sounds filled the mines.
The precise yet steadfast hammering was unlike Bone-yook’s past work.
Textbook.
No, beyond textbook.
Clang! Clang!
[Completion 100%]
[Acquired ‘Special Steel Hammer’ (B-Grade).]
Thud!
[Completion 100%]
[Acquired ‘Soul-Infused Mass-Produced Hammer’ (A-Grade).]
Plop! Plop!
[Completion 100%]
[Acquired ‘Special Steel Hammer’ (B-Grade).]
Items dropped like rain after a few swings.
Factory level.
“C-Crazy! Th-This... It’s a god! God of Blacksmithing!”
“Black magic? How’s that movement possible!”
“L-Legend! It’s a legend!”
[Affinity +5.]
[The Rock Folk feel grateful toward you.]
‘Good!’
Dwarves really are simple.
Just making stuff raised affinity plenty.
Clang! Clang!
Time kept passing.
“Urhahaha. Thanks.”
“With this, we can win the war against the elves!”
Day two.
Half who came got shiny new hammers.
Time passed again.
[Affinity +5.]
[The Rock Folk respect you.]
Day three.
Everyone who came got hammers.
But Demir didn’t stop.
Started on daily tools too, not just hammers.
[Affinity +5.]
[The Rock Folk trust you.]
Day four.
One dwarf said.
“You. Why do you look so handsome?”
“...Pardon?”
“You, how about my daughter? For you, I’d allow love beyond tribes. Uhahaha!”
No, dwarf uncle.
That’s a bit...
[Affinity +5.]
[The Rock Folk love you.]
“Of course, you’re right about everything!”
“If you say elves were really rock folk, I’d believe it.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
[Affinity +5.]
[Affinity reached 100.]
[The Rock Folk fully believe and rely on you.]
And on the fifth day.
I achieved 100 Rock Folk affinity.