Come Out, Human!

Uros returned sooner than expected, having only stepped away briefly to fetch the money. He'd hurried back, wary that Vulcan might pull some trick in his absence, and soon reached the hut. As Vulcan had said, impersonating Hainel any longer was impossible, so he'd gathered everything worth taking. The plan was to flee the moment he obtained the Book of Life.

Whirrr—

"……?"

Calling out to Vulcan with a bellow at the entrance triggered something strange. The barrier enveloping the temple lifted on its own. Had its lifespan finally ended? Had all its remaining power been depleted when he'd shaken it earlier?

"Over here! Come on in!"

"What trick is this……."

In his confusion, Vulcan's voice echoed from deeper inside the temple. Instead of coming out, he was inviting Uros in. A trap? Possibly. But Uros felt no fear. Their brief clash had proven Vulcan couldn't harm him, so whatever scheme this was, he could crush it.

"Go! Hold him down!"

"Shreek!"

Uros sent in his serpent offspring first. The temple passages were too narrow for his true form. They'd restrict Vulcan's movements and prevent escape, while Uros reverted to human shape and followed, pursuing Vulcan inside.

"Ah, you've arrived?"

"……What are you doing?"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

What Uros encountered inside was Vulcan, engrossed in work. Absurdly, Vulcan was prying a section of the temple wall loose with chisel and hammer—specifically, the wall with the murals painted on it.

"Uh, well, your outfit……it's pretty bold."

Vulcan glanced over, looking momentarily embarrassed. Having reverted from his massive true form, Uros was naked in human shape.

"Mind waiting a bit? I'm almost done."

"What scheme is this?"

"Scheme? Just grabbing anything worth money. It's all gonna crumble anyway—what a waste, right?"

Vulcan's quick, focused reply was baffling. He was stripping the goblin murals because they might sell. Uros, having posed as a sage and lingered in the mortal realm for ages, understood. Nobles collected such art for exorbitant sums.

"Humans."

Stripping murals that pulsed with ritual power, serving as barrier anchors? All for coin? Uros stayed vigilant, suspecting ulterior motives, but this greed eased his guard slightly. He knew how vast human lust for gold was, how pliable such materialists proved. His own allies were cut from that cloth.

"The Book of Life?"

"Don't worry. Got it right here. You can wait a sec, yeah? We're all just trying to eat well and live large."

"……Fine. I'll wait."

Vulcan flashed the Book of Life, so Uros graciously obliged. He could attack and seize it now, but this type was easily swayed. Despite daring to challenge him, Vulcan had breached this place—talent worth recruiting.

"Heave-ho! All done."

A moment later, the final mural peeled free, vanishing straight into Vulcan's inventory. Covered in stone dust, Vulcan turned to Uros.

"Pull any tricks and……."

"Sheesh. You've been burned before, huh…… Ah, sorry!"

Uros growled a warning at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Vulcan's utter lack of tension, but Vulcan shrugged it off coolly. Having been duped once, Uros scratched his head and initiated the trade.

"Don't trust me? Let's swap simultaneously."

"Agreed."

Vulcan approached, Book of Life in hand, proposing a simultaneous exchange of cash and book. Uros had no reason to refuse and accepted, advancing slowly—tail ready to block any sudden strike.

"Whoa, heavy."

The trade completed instantly. Vulcan proffered the book; Uros, the money pouch. Heavier than before, brimming with even more gold coins.

"Check it."

Vulcan urged while loosening the pouch. Confirm it was the sought item right there.

"At last, the secrets of soul-summoning……!"

Uros took the Book of Life, face flushing as he reached out slowly, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠murmuring softly.

So that's what it was?

Soul-summoning—the goblins' specialty for calling spirits. Whether to summon a Demon King's soul or graft demonkin spirits onto monsters for unholy power, their goal was clear: sow chaos.

"Wh-what is this?!"

But flipping the pages filled Uros's face with shock.

"You deceived……!"

Splat!!!

Fury surging with his outrage, something black engulfed Vulcan's view as Uros whipped up his tail in desperate defense—but futile. Vulcan's hammer crushed the tail, bursting flesh, then smashed Uros's face into the floor. A true killing blow, fueled by Vulcan's own life force.

Durability and max had plummeted from neglect, but its power held true—especially as a crafting hammer. Pure attack rivaled a level 150 Uncommon like the Berserker's Longsword, impressive for a tool. No level restriction meant no power halving. And the legend of slaying Uros's familiar Hell Serpent added Snake Slayer and Devil Killer—perfect counters.

Repair skill iterations had pushed recovery limits, but it sufficed. Uros ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crumpled bloodied; Vulcan pressed on.

Splat! Splat! Splat!!

Vulcan outclassed him entirely. He'd never drop guard after a momentary edge—Vulcan knew that best. Body creaking from overload, he hammered relentlessly. Burning life force for the skill left him one-hit from death, but he'd finish first.

Uros, Vulcan, and Miracle of the Stars screamed together. It looked one-sided, but was a contest of endurance—who fell first.

"To deceive me……!"

Uros resisted fiercely. Amid daze, he curled defensively, tail guarding, attempting true form shift.

Splat! Splat! Splat!

Vulcan wouldn't allow it. Exploiting true form reversion on heavy hits, he struck precisely. Shaking Uros's mind too.

"Never deceived you. That's the real 'Book of Life' you sought."

No mind games—just truth. The Book of Life on the floor detailed not rituals, but bedchamber arts—illustrated sex techniques in every position. A red-light manual. "Secrets of Life" meant goblins' prolific breeding, not soul arts.

"What……did we……wait……for…… Gah!"

What had he endured eons for? Died his mate for this?

"Thought you had exotic tastes!"

Uros's psyche shattered. Amid blurring agony, he released his desperate grip.

Conclusion. Uros's body slackened, will broken; level-up alerts confirmed his death. But Miracle of the Stars shattered too. Durability spent, it couldn't endure—the head a mangled lump on Uros's skull, handle snapped.

"Damn……."

Vulcan's hunt succeeded, but his face ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠soured. Repair skill rank too low, level insufficient for full fixes, but he'd grind to revive it. If even 1 durability remained……but it broke with the kill. Handle swap impossible—total destruction, unrepairable.

- What're you doing? Pick it up.

"Huh?"

Tud, watching silently, chided Vulcan. Don't just stand there—grab the Miracle of the Stars wreckage.

- It's solid lucksteel. Melt it down, reuse.

"Right!"

Vulcan got it. Destroyed, yes—but the head pure lucksteel ingot. Couldn't revive the hammer, but new ones? Easy.

This size? Multiple hammers easy.

Enormous for crafting—melted, enough for hammers and gear.

No, lucksteel brings fortune…….

As options confirmed: luck metal. Weapons? Crit chance up. Crafting hammer? Grade-up probability. Prime options guaranteed.

Might even be a win.

Village statue pending, main scenario leveled him fast—time to balance with crafting skill rank-ups. Perfect timing.

"Grab what I can."

Revitalized, Vulcan looted Uros's drops, then demolished. Murals gone, but ancient goblin script on ceiling remained—key evidence for main quest. Secured, he finally exited the ancient goblin village.