Why Are You Doing That?

"Why are you doing that?"

Unto looked at me and asked.

"Here."

I showed him the inscription below the compass.

"Do you know what this means?"

"Hmm... Let me see..."

He picked up the monocle from his desk and peered at the compass through one eye.

Unto tilted his head slightly as he read the words on the compass.

"It's ancient script. Hold on a moment."

He pulled a thick tome from the bookshelf and began flipping through it.

"Avus. In ancient tongue, it means ancestor, forebear, or grandfather. Hmm, if I had to translate it, it'd be something like 'Rest in the bosom of your ancestors.'"

"Bosom of your ancestors...?"

I mulled over his words, trying to grasp the elusive meaning.

"Sometimes old relics or masterpieces have the creator's name or a personal phrase inscribed on them—something only they would understand. This might be something like that."

Unto handed the compass back to me casually as he examined it.

"Have you ever seen writing like this before?"

"Well, I've run this tool shop for ages, but this is a first. And it's been a while since I left the south, but this isn't southern make either. The Land of Savages has no ancient script."

"Hmm..."

I was curious about where this broken compass pointed, but since I couldn't fix it right now, there was no point dwelling on it.

'Besides, no quest popped up.'

That also meant the compass had no practical value as an item yet.

'Still, I found one clue. The key is finding someone who can repair it...'

The presence of ancient script suggested it was a relic, just like the token from Kael.

'Keeping it around should uncover more info eventually. I've been tackling Dimension World's endgame content backward—from dragon hunts to divine beast powder.'

I tucked the compass into my bosom as I thought that.

"Leaving already?"

"Yes."

"Folks'll be disappointed. Come back anytime. I'll give you the friends-and-family discount."

With perfect Trust reputation, item purchases from that faction get a 15% discount. Most players build rep with their starting zone's faction first, which is why big cities were popular picks.

In truth, the Kalun Tribe in the north was a starting zone, but their gear was inferior to the Eltia Iron Kingdom's, and their alchemy like potions lagged behind the Deus Union. Northern shops offered little edge overall, and the harsh environment made the north and south unpopular with players.

But that was just surface level. Starting zones were balanced. The north and south seemed unfair at a glance with their barren lands, but Dimension World always equalized averages across starts. Unique jobs and growth potential per faction meant northern shops had hidden strengths too.

"What about the Night Tool Shop?"

I asked Unto slyly. The north's real draw was definitely his Night Tool Shop.

"Heh, you don't miss a beat. For you, yeah—even the night shop stuff at a steal."

Only after his firm confirmation did I nod in satisfaction.

'Those underground items need level 70s to use properly, so it'll be late-game before they're viable.'

If history played out as I remembered, war would erupt in three years between the Kal Duchy and the Jinhong Tribe in the Land of Savages. Around then, the Iron Kingdom I'd lead would clash with the Deus Union too—but whether the current king would act like me was anyone's guess.

'Three years in-game is three months real-time.'

No time to slack.

'Stopping the north's civil war comes first, though...'

I recalled the memories. My dragon hunt success had likely nipped inter-tribe friction in the bud, as it was pegged as the civil war trigger.

But if there was one other spark, it'd be the Ran-hu Tribe.

'Branded as the tribe that betrayed Gullak.'

Whether infamy or shame, I'd have to meet them.

'That's it for now.'

I exhaled softly, sensing the moment to finally leave the Kalun Tribe starting zone had arrived.

"Unto, keep the Night Tool Shop stock safe. Someday I'll clear out the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠basement."

"Haha, those aren't cheap trinkets. To haul 'em all, you'll need to be a king at least."

Unto chuckled in reply.

"You bet."

I nodded to him and stepped out of the shop.

"Hm...?"

For a split second, I thought I heard a puzzled murmur from behind the closing door.

"Hmm... This the place?"

I unfolded the worn map and scanned the surroundings.

It had been two days since I took the canyon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠path marked on it.

"Ugh... Totally different from the Iron Kingdom maps—hard to read."

Strange symbols and markers had me rotating the map repeatedly as I muttered.

I'd navigated here by actually studying the map—not auto-applying it to the minimap like players usually do, but poring over the physical thing to find the way.

Sure, applying it to the minimap was easiest. Most would call eyeballing it pointless, but early on, reading maps manually mattered.

'The more you use your body, the more bonus stats you get beyond levels. Same with maps—exploring uncharted spots before minimap sync boosts your cartography hugely.'

"Got it."

I scanned once more and confirmed.

Applying the worn map to the minimap made it vanish, replaced by a translucent terrain overlay in midair. Unlike when Aishira gave it to me, the sync sharpened everything.

"As expected."

I nodded, checking my skill window.

Reach the spot manually before minimap sync to gain Map Reading. Max it to 10 for the new Observation skill. Pure grind.

'What I need is Observation.'

Higher levels expanded vision on minimapped terrain. That extra step could swing battles—especially early-game PvP or hunts.

'In Dimension World 1, the terrain was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fully mapped and solved online, so it was an easy grab. But now? Zero info.'

Players unfamiliar with maps would wait for guides. But handouts came too late—gaps were already gaps.

'To pull ahead, dive in first, no matter how tough.'

In that sense, I had a head start. I knew the north and south terrains cold.

'Grind Map Reading with northern maps, then hit central—Observation will skyrocket.'

Post-skill, the minimap sharpened further.

"Black Eye. You know the Ran-hu Tribe gets bullied by other northern tribes?"

I scanned around as I spoke.

"Is that so? Makes me even more curious. If even you don't know, it happened after your death."

"Know what the northern tribes call them? 'The tribe that betrayed Gullak.'"

Black Eye shot back in disbelief, and I sighed faintly, having expected as much.

"We'll see when we get there."

I turned to the canyons flanking us.

"Looks like I found the right spot. Seems like a welcome party's waiting."

Kwadududuk—

A faint bowstring tautening echoed from somewhere. I raised the map overhead.

"Lower your bows. I'm here to see Tonpe of the Ran-hu Tribe."

Murmurs rippled lowly.

'At least ten around us?'

I'd caught maybe three from the string twangs. Thanks not to game skills, but instincts honed in dream battlefields.

Slightly bent twigs, fresh snowfalls—subtle shifts my eyes snagged.

'Worthy of Moon Eyes. Not just sharp sight—they can shoot from that range. Archery might outclass even Aishira's Naba Tribe.'

I recalled Black Eye calling them the north's best.

"You're here!!"

Then—a group emerged from the canyon en masse. One of the dozen-odd rushed toward me.

Tonpe. Far from northern dignity, he waved wildly overhead like he'd been waiting forever.

The moment he saw Tonpe charging, Black Eye spoke in a hardened tone.

'Who? Ran-hu Tribe folks. That one's Tonpe, heir apparent. The guy who invited me.'

In that instant, Black Eye growled lowly.