Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: The Fire Essence
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As soon as Jae-in returned to Pacham's forge, he modeled his own hammer after Jerex's.
"Was it like this...?"
He lightly struck the hammer against the anvil and channeled mana through it. He tried to create a circulation circuit like Jerex had, but it wasn't working well.
However, Jae-in hadn't expected to succeed on the first try. He kept hammering away without rest, feeling the flow of mana.
Beside him, Na-young had piled up a stack of books and was reading them intently. Unconsciously, she was manifesting the magic circles and formulas from the books using her violet mana.
In front of Na-young, who was lost in her reading, there were heaps of tempting food, bouquets of flowers, and jewelry. These were offerings from the followers of the Violet Goddess Cult.
"Earthlings... are real hard workers."
Marcelo's fondness for Earthlings grew as he watched Jae-in persist without giving up and Na-young refuse to put her books down.
* * *
At first, Jerex found Jae-in's watchful presence while he worked annoying, but he began to feel a bit of fondness for the man who helped with chores and quietly kept to his spot.
No matter how grumpy Jerex was, being far from home and despised by everyone, Jae-in's unhesitating approach softened his heart.
Moreover, Jae-in had an eye for dwarven craftsmanship. In Jerex's view, he was no fool, at least.
"Are you some renowned artisan on Earth?"
"Well... something like that."
"You're the toughest bastard I've ever seen. That's how an artisan should be."
"Haha, I hear that sometimes. From the researchers."
Thanks to the freewheeling atmosphere at the company, the researchers would say such things right to Jae-in's face. He'd heard "ruthless lab director" more than once or twice.
"But this? You really can't learn it. It's a waste of time."
"You don't know that."
"Tch... For a guy who doesn't know the word quit, best to just show him. Come here and grab my hammer."
"Really?"
Jerex had never let Jae-in touch the hammer or anvil even when he helped clean the forge, so Jae-in excitedly approached. The Appraisal skill also differed in depth between just looking and actually touching.
"Listen up."
"Whoa... it's light?"
"It's a specially made hammer. You don't swing it with brute force. Dwarves use the power of fire to transform all things. Fire is the origin of everything. Without fire, nothing could be born. Fire changes everything, for better or worse."
Jerex picked up another hammer and gripped it, flames bursting from it.
"If you hammer with reckless strong flames, even the toughest metal turns to ash. You refine the material with fire's power to make it perfect."
The flames Jerex emitted gathered back into the hammer.
The moment Jerex struck the material with the hammer, the contained power flowed into the material, then the anvil, the ground, and back to Jerex. As that cycle connected, the material transformed.
"Whoa..."
Jae-in, watching up close, was captivated by the beauty of that cycle.
"Give it a try. You'll quit after you see it's impossible."
Jae-in took a deep breath, breathed flames into the hammer, and contained them just like Jerex had.
Jerex, who had been watching casually, widened his eyes. The flames Jae-in emitted and contained were purer than any he'd seen before—even purer than his own.
Then Jae-in brought the hammer down.
Boom!
The practice material on the anvil shattered.
"Ha... haha. Of course."
"Hmm..."
"Now that you get it, go clean something!"
Even while cleaning, Jae-in's mind replayed the sensation from that strike.
* * *
"We can source most of the other stuff, but the last material is the problem."
"What is it?"
"Fire Essence."
"Where do we get that?"
"It's what a Fire Incarnation Salamander leaves behind when it dies. It appears once every few decades and causes massive disasters each time, making it almost as precious as a Dragon Heart. I hoped one of the artisans in this range had it stashed away, but since no one's mentioned it, either they don't have it or aren't willing to sell."
"Damn... If it takes too long, I might have to head back to Earth. We've already been delayed way too much."
"Yeah. Finding it could take years. If we hear of one, we'll contact you."
"In the meantime, I'll research my own method. If waiting gets too tough, I might just improvise."
With the processing method known, maybe he could reverse-engineer a substitute.
"It's yours, so I won't stop you... but what a shame."
"Master, thank you for your help."
The tall Jae-in bowed his head politely to the goblin who only came up to half his height.
"You haven't even finished making it—what's there to thank?"
"Now I need to pack up. The chairman's coming back tomorrow. Oh, I'll go say goodbye to Jerex too."
"...You really have incredible patience."
"Isn't that an artisan's talent?"
"Kekeke. You're right."
* * *
"You're... leaving?"
"Yes. They said it's impossible to get the Fire Essence."
"...It's rare stuff. So, are you leaving the Dragon Heart here?"
"We'll take it with us. We'll bring it back when we find the Fire Essence. Thanks for everything."
"Sure."
After Jae-in left and locked the forge door,
Jerex stood lost in thought for a moment before heading to the back of the forge. He lightly tapped a brick under the bookshelf with his hammer. The brick sank in, and the bookshelf slid aside smoothly.
Behind it was a narrow space that reached Jerex's head height, with a sturdy-looking box in the center.
Jerex crouched and entered. The air was so cold that frost instantly formed on his beard.
Wearing gloves, he carefully opened the box to reveal a red orb. The crimson sphere absorbed all heat, making it its own.
"The Dragon Heart is right in front of me at last, damn it!"
Jerex lifted the orb with his thick gloves. This was the reason he'd fled the Eastern Continent—he couldn't resist the temptation of the Fire Essence and stole it before running.
"If I let it go now... I'll never touch one again in my life."
Jerex's eyes were entranced by the flickering flames within the Fire Essence, lost to its allure.
"Yeah... Is a Dragon Heart just any item? If I mess up and it explodes, that Jae-in guy could get hurt too. Taking it myself is helping him."
He'd grown fond of Jae-in, but not enough to hand over the Dragon Heart. Jerex rationalized it to himself and steeled his resolve.
He carefully placed the Fire Essence back in the box and closed the secret vault door.
He locked the forge door tight and headed to the deepest part of the forge district.
There was an abandoned mine shaft, boarded up. He pried off the wooden planks and entered.
He descended the pitch-black shaft, relying on a single small glowstone for light. Silently, for a long time.
"Hmm... This should be about it..."
He pulled a crystal from his bag and felt the surrounding rocks and floor with his hands.
"Here."
Finding a suitable rock, Jerex struck the crystal against it—not with the soft hammering for shaping materials, but with full force.
Clang! Clang!
The sound echoed as if the shaft might collapse, but Jerex didn't stop. Once the crystal was fully embedded in the rock, he stepped back.
"Anyone there?"
He spoke to the crystal and waited silently.
"Anyone there?!"
He raised his voice again.
[You know the old communication method.]
He was about to speak again in frustration when a voice emanated from the crystal.
"Hmph. Any dwarf would."
Relieved by the response, Jerex didn't show it.
[The young ones have mostly forgotten it. So, who are you?]
"...Jerex."
[Ha! Given up on life already? The moment you stole the Fire Essence, you became an enemy of the Empire. We'll find you anywhere on the Eastern Continent.]
"Then you'll never find me till I die."
[...Don't tell me you went to the Western Continent?]
"Yeah. That one."
[Kuh... Traitor scum... Calling to taunt me?]
"No. I'm coming back."
[Hahaha. The moment you arrive, my hammer will be in your skull.]
"Not if I bring a gift."
[A gift? Unless you've got a Dragon Heart, you ain't coming.]
"......"
[No way... You got one?! Wh... which dragon?]
The other side—also a dwarf, judging by the voice—lost all anger toward Jerex, filled only with curiosity and greed for the Dragon Heart.
"Ice Dragon."
[A Blue Dragon Heart?!]
"What do you think? Enough to earn my way back?"
[...Tell me more.]
"Earthlings brought an Ice Dragon Heart to make an item. I can get it. But to reach the Empire safely, I need help. And time's short. The Dragon Heart leaves for Earth tomorrow."
[If you're lying...]
"I swear on my hammer and fire. If it's false, fire will no longer bless me but burn me."
[Fine. Where are you?]
"Sleeping Flame Mountains. Where all the forges cluster. You know it?"
[I do. One of the best-defended spots on the Western Continent, right? Damn... Wait. I'll find a way.]
Jerex sat there, fiddling with his hammer, waiting quietly. After one hour, two hours with no reply, he grew anxious and paced in circles.
[Jerex.]
"Yeah. Here."
Jerex approached the crystal eagerly but replied calmly, hiding his excitement.
[Found an ancient dwarven teleportation method. Conditions are a pain, but it'll work.]
"Inter-continental teleport? You gone senile? I'm no mage."
"Shut it. I checked everything. You have the Fire Essence, right?"
"...Yeah."
[Use the Fire Essence to activate this technique from the deepest cave in the Sleeping Flame Mountains on the Western Continent. You'll ride the Path of Fire straight to the Eastern Continent. A method only dwarves can use. We'll prepare on this side too. Both sides must sync perfectly.]
"Never heard of it. You sure?"
[Nope. It's a gamble.]
"What?"
"It's an ancient method I barely dug up. No guarantees it'll work. But it's the only way. If we had time, maybe not, but you're leaving tomorrow, right? This is the best shot now. Back out?]
Jerex gritted his teeth, pondering. This guy holds a grudge for stealing the Fire Essence and running. Is he tricking me? Or will I arrive just to lose the Dragon Heart and die?
"...No. I'll do it."
Jerex was no longer thinking straight. Whether bewitched by the Fire Essence or driven by desire for the Dragon Heart.