Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Dwarf's Debt
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The dwarf, Oson Ironhammer, was bewildered.
It seemed the four golems that had appeared before him belonged to the robed figure.
‘I may have struck first, but…’
Oson had left his village in search of a special ore, a journey that had brought him all the way to the Kuran Mountains.
The Kuran Mountains had fewer monsters than other ranges, but he couldn’t let his guard down.
After more than three months of constant fighting and survival, his body and mind were exhausted.
On his seventh day in the Kuran Mountains, the first monsters he encountered were Stone Golems.
Oson wondered why golems were wandering the mountains, but there was no time to think.
A preemptive strike was the only way.
Facing a four-on-one situation, he hoped to reduce their numbers with a surprise attack.
And Oson was confident he could destroy the golems.
As a valiant member of the Ironhammer clan, he was an exceptional warrior.
Moreover, his opponent being a Stone Golem gave him an advantage.
What could be more familiar to a dwarf than ore and rock?
‘I never imagined my double-bladed axe would be so ineffective…’
Oson swung his weapon, the Wyvern Bone Double Axe, in a surprise attack on the first golem.
The axe, crafted from a wyvern's bone, was a supreme weapon capable of slicing through steel like tofu.
However.
Contrary to Oson's expectation of cleaving the golem’s core in two with a single blow, the attack merely left a scratch on its surface.
Flustered, Oson continued to swing his double-bladed axe, attacking the golem relentlessly, but he only managed to add more shallow marks. Not a single effective blow landed.
Eventually, Oson gave up the attack and decided to flee.
But that, too, failed.
The other golems had already surrounded him, grabbing his arms and lifting him into the air.
‘My attacks were sharp, it’s true, but I didn’t put them in *that* state…’
In any case, Oson was captured by the golems and brought before a female gray elf and some unknown figure in a robe.
It was surprising enough that there was a mage who could create Stone Golems, but the fact that she was a gray elf was another shock.
Elves were more known for communing with spirits than for dealing with summons or summoned creatures.
Thankfully, when the female gray elf gestured, the golems released him.
But then, the robed figure started spouting nonsense.
To claim that the perfectly fine golems suddenly crumbling was his fault…
He was the one who had just been dragged here by them!
***
‘Ironhammer. An interesting surname. More importantly, he’s a dwarf…’
Dwarves were a mysterious race shrouded in veil.
In all of Korea, a dungeon with dwarves had been discovered only once, and worldwide, dwarf dungeons were rare enough to be counted on one hand.
‘I can’t just let him go.’
Dwarves were a race of exceptional craftsmanship.
Items found in their dungeons were all top-tier, A-grade or higher.
People had tried to enlist dwarves to craft weapons and armor, but their blind aggression and ferocity toward humans led to repeated failures.
‘Maybe I should have him make me some armor while I have the chance.’
While Oson was talking to Sari, Do-jae ordered his golems to stop their regeneration and instead chip away at their own bodies.
Of course, the original wounds would have slowly healed over time, and with a bit of mana from Do-jae, they would have vanished in the blink of an eye.
However, Do-jae deliberately made the damage the golems had sustained look more severe.
"Hey, dwarf. Thanks to you, my golems are in a lot of pain."
"What! How is that my fault! They were the ones who attacked me—"
"Really?"
"Y-Yes! I had no choice but to… to deal with them…"
Oson trailed off.
On reflection, he realized he had been the one to attack first; the golems had done nothing.
"You four, come here."
Do-jae called the golems over.
The four golems walked over slowly, shedding trails of sand and dust.
"Did you attack this dwarf first?"
At Do-jae’s question, the golems shook their heads vigorously.
Of course, the non-sentient golems were only shaking their heads because Do-jae had commanded them to.
"So you were just passing by, and this dwarf attacked you?"
Nod, nod.
"That's what they say, dwarf."
"Ahem. I can't trust the words of mere monsters! And the word of a gray elf is even less trustworthy! While I appreciate the lady's help, I am a busy man, so I must be on my way. Hmph."
Oson tried to brush off the situation and leave.
But Do-jae stopped him, placing a hand on the dwarf's shoulder.
‘Such strength…’
Oson turned to look at Do-jae’s hand.
He noticed the pale skin on the back of it and was puzzled.
‘Not a gray elf?’
Oson turned his body to face Do-jae.
Do-jae slowly pulled back the hood of his robe.
"For the record, I'm human. Can you trust a human’s word?"
"Wh-What! A human! You're a human? How can there still be humans?"
Upon confirming Do-jae’s identity, Oson was overcome with immense curiosity.
Dwarves were a naturally inquisitive race.
It was this curiosity that allowed them to create new and imaginative items, some of which became renowned throughout the world.
Due to this racial trait, a human—a sight unseen in 200 years—was a subject of profound fascination for Oson.
"So, what are you going to do? How will you pay for the damage you did to my golems?"
Do-jae asked, looking at Oson, whose eyes were gleaming with a disturbing intensity.
The stare was so unsettling that Do-jae slightly regretted taking off his hood.
"Payment… Will this suffice?"
Oson rummaged in his pouch and produced three gold coins.
Three one-gold coins.
In truth, three gold was all the money Oson had left.
His long journey had depleted all his funds.
"You think a mere three gold is enough to cover the damage to my golems? Do you have any idea how much it cost to make these things? I expect you to pay what they're worth."
Do-jae snapped angrily.
These were golems made from one A-grade and three B-grade magic stones.
In reality, the golems' magic stones weren't broken, the wounds were trivial, and the mana needed for repairs was minuscule, but Oson wouldn't know that. So Do-jae deliberately acted aggressively.
"Hmph. I am a busy man. You can collect the payment from my village. If you mention the name of Oson Ironhammer, they will pay you what is owed."
"And where is this village?"
"It is on the mountainside of the third-highest peak at the edge of the Halpein Mountains."
"The Halpein Mountains? Sari, how long would it take to get there from here?"
"Hmm… at our current pace, about two months? Besides, that’s Hartasian territory."
"Ha, two months?"
Do-jae let out a hollow laugh.
He didn't know what a 'Hartasian territory' was, but the idea of walking for two months was absurd.
‘This dwarf must be joking…’
In Oson's situation, he should be begging for forgiveness, yet look at his confident attitude.
The sheer shamelessness of it.
Initially, Do-jae had planned to have Oson craft a few decent pieces of armor and then let him go.
But seeing Oson's attitude, that intention vanished.
"This won't do. I was going to let you go if you made me a few good pieces of armor, but I see you're completely unreasonable. Very well. Golems, convey your feelings to this dwarf."
If pleading wouldn't work, a show of force was the only option.
Just a little.
Just enough to scare him.
"You… human! If I were to use my full strength, not one of your golems would be left standing!"
"Oh? Really?"
Do-jae's golems slowly approached Oson.
By now, the golems had completely repaired all their wounds.
They closed in on Oson.
Oson drew his Wyvern Bone Double Axe and shouted.
"Hah! Have a taste of Oson Ironhammer's axe!"
***
"I apologize. I was too arrogant."
Oson, one eye blackened and swollen, knelt and spoke.
His armor was dented and had been stripped off him, and his Wyvern Bone Double Axe was now in the hands of a golem.
"Dwarf, my golems got hurt again because of you."
"Huh? Where, sir?"
Oson said with a servile expression.
As he said, the golems had already repaired their injuries and returned to their normal state.
"Can't you see it? The golems' pain."
"I see it! My sincerest apologies, honorable golems. I was wrong."
Oson felt the deep humiliation of apologizing to mere Stone Golems, but what could he do?
He had been beaten to the brink of unconsciousness by these four.
"Good. From now on, try to cultivate a sense of empathy. For the time being, you will follow me and repay the debt for the injuries my golems sustained by doing as I say."
"What? Follow you, sir? This one… I mean, I have something I need to find…"
"It'll be a month at most. I'll let you go after that, so you can go find it then."
"Ugh… Understood."
Oson’s heart sank.
It had taken him three months to reach the Kuran Mountains.
Even if he found the ore immediately, it would take another three months to return.
He had no idea how long it would take to traverse this vast mountain range to the north, and now he had to spend a whole month following Do-jae.
The longer he was delayed, the more danger his people were in.
"What? Do I seem too harsh?"
"Not at all, sir. Of course not. I, Oson Ironhammer, shall serve you to the best of my ability!"
Oson forced a smile and spoke to Do-jae.
If he didn't, he couldn't imagine what the golems watching him from Do-jae's side might do.
"Hmm, I'm not so sure."
Do-jae observed Oson's expression.
He looked less like someone scared of golems and more like someone being chased.
Sure enough, Oson cautiously began to speak.
"The thing is… there is an ore that I absolutely must find…"
"What is it?"
"It is an ore called Thorn."
"Thorn? Do you mean the stone that can only be mined from the highest northern mountain?"
Sari exclaimed in surprise.
From her reaction, it was clear that 'Thorn' was not an easy ore to obtain.
"That's right. I must find Thorn and return with it!"
"It will be difficult to get there."
"I have no choice. For the sake of my village, I would crawl to the ends of the continent to retrieve it!"
Oson shouted with renewed vigor.
He might have yielded to Do-jae, but he couldn't let Sari look down on him.
"Sari, is this northern mountain a dangerous place?"
"Yes, to get Thorn, you have to go to a mountain at the far northern end. It’s full of monsters, and the weather is unpredictable. It's extremely dangerous."
"Just how amazing is this Thorn ore?"
"It's not that amazing. But if it gets enough sunlight during the day, it emits a beautiful light at night. It's basically a gemstone!"
"Hmm… is that so? Hold on."
Do-jae thought for a moment, then opened his subspace.
Seeing Oson's shocked expression, Sari smiled and nodded.
A moment later, Do-jae placed three soccer-ball-sized chunks of ore on the ground.
"It couldn't be this, could it?"
The ore Do-jae had taken out.
Embedded within the dark stone were parts that shone with a brilliant light.
"Th-That's raw Thorn ore!"
The ore that had appeared from Do-jae's hand, completely unexpectedly.
It was the very Thorn that Oson had been searching for.