Chapter 224
Chapter 224
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 224
Chapter Title: Ancient City (2)
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“Wow.”
No other words of admiration escaped his lips.
The ancient city, buried deep within the sand, had endured countless ages and still stood strong.
That made sense—some force was still pushing back against the sand in a semicircular shape, preventing it from being completely engulfed.
“It’s still holding up perfectly.”
Rokan leaped into the semicircle but wasn’t repelled or shocked. If this barrier blocked living beings, the sand worm wouldn’t have gotten in either, or the city would’ve already been destroyed by it.
Landing lightly atop the ancient city, Rokan ran his hand over its buildings, which looked as pristine as if they were brand new.
He confirmed they weren’t mere illusions or facades and let out a genuine sigh of awe.
There didn’t seem to be any magical treatment applied. Relying solely on magic wouldn’t have kept the effects going for so long.
So it must be the gnomes’ signature meticulous craftsmanship.
They appeared to be ordinary buildings at a glance, but he suspected each one was a pinnacle of mechanical engineering and architecture. With that thought, he pulled his hand away.
He didn’t touch anything else.
‘Touching the wrong thing could spell trouble.’
He hadn’t been able to use time reversal because he’d leveled up while hunting the sand worm.
The penalty from Gale Incarnation’s aftereffects still lingered, so instead of exploring the ancient city, he safely sat in place and waited it out.
“Hmm, playing hard to get, are they?”
Once the aftereffects wore off, Rokan dusted himself off and stood, his eyes narrowing. It looked like an empty ancient ruin, but he knew better.
The ancient souls.
According to his memories from his past life, this seemingly deserted city was home to them.
“Thanks to my titles, maybe?”
Knowing this, Rokan wandered the city, knocking on doors here and there, but the ancient gnomes’ souls merely watched him from hiding, refusing to show themselves.
‘Not being attacked is good, but...’
It was odd.
From what he’d heard in his past life, the ancient souls fundamentally rejected non-descendants—anyone who wasn’t a gnome.
The Golden Lion Alliance and such had formed after the ancient city’s fall, and dwarves, humans, half-elves—everyone was met with suspicion and hostility by default.
Rokan figured it was the effect of his titles.
Gnome’s Friend. Nothing is Impossible!
Perhaps these two titles, which directly influenced reputation and affinity, were working on the ancient souls as well, since they were fundamentally of the ‘gnome race.’
To test it, Rokan decided to confirm. He used a skill to boost their affinity further and lower their guard.
“Gnome 5 Brothers!”
He activated the Gnome Technician’s Puppet Show, an item that summoned five master-level gnome mechanical dolls.
Not for combat—of course not.
He had zero intention of picking a fight.
The ancients were high-level, so the experience would be plentiful, but he was an outsider who needed something more valuable than EXP here. This was their home turf, so coaxing them was the smarter play than provoking them.
‘Mess up, and I could get trapped with no way out.’
Besides, the ancient city wasn’t your average town. It was a conglomeration of countless mechanical devices—a massive mechanical engineering marvel in itself.
Screw up, and he could get lost, fall into a trap, or have the entrance seal shut forever.
So Rokan opted for ‘hawking his wares.’
If they wouldn’t come to him, he’d lay out the latest mechanical gadgets to pique the ancient souls’ curiosity and draw them out.
[Gnome mechanical device, Gnome-style Rocket Helmet, completed.]
[Gnome mechanical device, Sassy Doll, completed.]
Flanking himself with the Gnome 5 Brothers like bodyguards, Rokan immediately set up a stall and started crafting mechanical devices.
Ordinary mechanical engineering skills wouldn’t get a rise out of them, but he’d learned ‘Gnome Mechanical Engineering’—that should be different.
Plus, he’d steadily raised his proficiency, so his skill was decent. Neat gadgets popped out in no time.
He’d prepared plenty of crafting materials for this very moment.
“Um... mister, what’s that?”
And finally, he got a bite.
As expected, the kids were the first to let their guard down.
They might be ancient by lifespan, but these youthful souls, pure as ever, approached Rokan with questions. Naturally, he flashed an uncharacteristically friendly smile and answered patiently.
After selling smiles for a good while, the adult souls began edging closer.
“This one’s about to expire soon, so if you want to check it out, better hurry.”
Rokan eyed them, then delivered a killer line for the hesitant ones.
As expected, the Gnome 5 Brothers—master-level gnomes from the Gnome Technician’s Puppet Show, rare even among gnomes—drew the most interest.
With time running out to inspect them up close, their impatience was understandable.
“Ahem, mind if we take a look?”
The souls who’d kept their distance until now rushed over, examining the Gnome 5 Brothers and Rokan’s latest gnome mechanical creations.
“Oh ho, done like this, huh?”
“What technique is this?”
“Heh, what an idiot! Making it this way...”
“Just tweak this part, and it’d be a beauty.”
Time had passed, but that didn’t mean modern tech was superior. Like in most games, ‘ancient’ labeled items had stats that crushed ordinary ones.
The Lord was no different. The new tech was unfamiliar, but the souls could instantly discern the techniques and principles without disassembly.
The Gnome 5 Brothers were tricky, but they made full use of being spirits.
*Shove.*
They even stuck their heads right into the dolls for a closer look.
Rokan let them poke around while crafting every gnome mechanical recipe he knew. The ancient souls began showing affinity toward him.
It was their only window into the outside world and current tech progress—through Rokan—so they warmed up.
Naturally, he endured the hassle, answering their questions one by one to build rapport.
[The residents of the Ancient City’s reputation with you has become Friendly.]
He’d finally raised it to Friendly.
“Ahem, any jobs for me? Repairs or hunting, perhaps.”
Only then did Rokan show his true colors. He took quests for tasks the spirits couldn’t handle themselves.
[Oil application quest completed.]
[Dust removal quest completed.]
[Web removal quest completed.]
Most were trivial chores.
He’d never done them in his past life—no reason to—but now he tackled them gladly.
They seemed like menial servant work at first glance, but the gains were substantial.
‘That pattern again.’
‘Now I get the basic operating principle.’
‘So that’s the history behind it...’
By doing quests, observing, touching, and heeding the spirits’ advice, he gathered intel on the ancient city.
[Mechanical Engineering has increased by 0.1%.]
Plus, tinkering and repairing the advanced devices boosted his Mechanical Engineering proficiency nicely.
[Cannon barrel cleaning quest completed.]
[Debris removal quest completed.]
As he stacked up quests, bigger ones appeared. He’d gained access to the turrets and cannons.
It looked like a massive city, but the ancient city’s true nature wasn’t a metropolis or artisan village.
‘Combat vessel. Airship.’
The whole thing was one enormous flying ship. Not for sea, but sky!
Among combat airships, this was the pinnacle of firepower—the ancient city’s real identity.
That’s why dozens of massive external cannons were embedded.
Hundreds more were likely buried under the sand, but Rokan played dumb, maintaining them and clearing out monsters nesting inside to build trust with the spirits.
“I have a tough request for you.”
And finally, he got the quest he wanted.
[Reconstruction of the Ancient City][Quest]
Reach the heart of the Ancient City and restart it. The gnomes and ancient souls will bestow great gifts upon their benefactor.
-Success Condition: Restart the Ancient City
-Success Reward: Title ‘Gnome’s Benefactor’ acquired, Gnome’s Treasure, Ancient Ones’ Gift
“I’ll do it.”
Rokan pretended to mull it over, then accepted immediately.
He’d poked around doing odd jobs, but couldn’t find a way inside.
There was one suspicious spot, but he hadn’t accessed it yet.
Now, the path had opened.
“This way.”
An ancient soul led him. To a place normally blocked.
“Now what...”
“What do you mean? We already gave you the answer. You can open it. You’re the ‘worthy one.’ We can’t help unless you open it yourself—understand.”
But they didn’t usher him in. They just brought him to the ‘door.’ Opening it was entirely on him.
They seemed bound by some pact not to intervene directly until the worthy one opened the door and entered themselves.
“Hmm...”
Rokan groaned before the unknown ancient script and patterns.
‘We already gave you the answer, huh...’
He racked his brain based on what lay before him. He knew how these puzzles usually worked—just piece together the memories.
“This, maybe?”
Rokan recalled. The ancient language and patterns he’d seen while helping them. He combined them.
He solved the puzzle ahead, completing a pattern, then rearranged the letters into a sentence.
He didn’t know the meaning. But he had a guess.
‘Something about the light of glory...’
*Grind. Clunk!*
The door began to move.
Interlocking gears turned, each playing its part, opening the way.
“An elevator?”
The door revealed a small chamber. Entering seemed pointless—sealed on all sides.
Only one possibility: it descended like an elevator, into the interior.
“Good luck.”
*Whirr.*
He stepped in, the door shut, and it descended. He was entering the ancient city’s—the airship’s—core.
‘The Lion King’s sealed armament is here.’
*Hummm.*
Rokan’s chest stirred. More precisely, the emblem embedded in the Lion King’s sealed breastplate was calling to another of the Lion King’s armaments.
*Ding! Grind.*
Soon, the elevator door opened.
Rokan took his first step into the ancient city’s interior.
Following that plaintive cry, he pressed on.