Chapter 46: The Golden Hammer Tribe
The Golden Hammer Tribe had settled at the eastern edge of the empire, right up against the boundary of the Forbidden Zone. Though adjacent to the Blaine Barony, they only permitted merchant trade a few times a year, and otherwise never ventured beyond their own territory—a thoroughly insular group.
They'd built their home amid the mountains centered around mithril and iron mines, erecting massive walls that barred entry to any living creature. A few times a year, monsters and magical beasts would invade, but they reliably repelled them with their towering walls and superior weapons. To the dim-witted monsters and beasts, those walls were an insurmountable obstacle anyway; any that drew too close were swiftly felled by arrows, so they rarely approached.
Moreover, this was the tail end of winter, with spring in full bloom. Wild animals were stirring, so there was no reason for monsters to push this way—yet hundreds of red orcs were charging in.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
"Hmph! Red orcs daring to set foot in our holy ground? Kill them all!"
"Yes, Chieftain!"
Kelt gripped his massive hammer, directing the dwarf warriors. Giant ballistae lined along the walls fired massive spears, which whistled through the air with terrifying force.
Thwump!
"Gah! Chwiik!"
"Chwiik! Charge! Keep charging!"
Several orcs at a time were skewered like kebabs with each shot, but the red orcs behind them frothed at the mouth and charged like demons were on their heels. Even if comrades were smashed to pulp by catapults or pierced through the heart by spears, they didn't stop.
The chieftain of the Golden Hammer Tribe, Kelt, tilted his head at the bizarre sight.
"Have they all gone mad as a group?"
"Chieftain! Tr-trolls are flying in!"
"Fl-flying?"
It was real. Trolls arced through the sky in graceful parabolas before plummeting down.
"Kuaak!"
The trolls screeched as they were dropped in. No magic could explain such a fall, yet they crashed from the heavens, sprang up, and rampaged. Chaos erupted atop the walls.
Rumble rumble rumble!
And then an unbelievable sight unfolded before their eyes. Trolls, ogre packs, and dire wolf packs all mixed together, charging straight for them. At least a thousand strong. Faces filled with terror, they smashed at the gates. Ignoring their own lives, they trampled comrade corpses to leap onto the walls, crawling desperately even if they fell to their deaths.
It was a horrific scene straight out of war, like berserkers on the field. But they could hold this much. If the tribe's warriors staked their lives...
Kuwaaaang!
A massive explosion rocked the distance. Birds burst into the sky amid the blast, and thousands of monsters and beasts poured from the Forbidden Zone.
Kelt's face trembled.
"What kind of monster was born in the Forbidden Zone?"
Boom! Kwaaang!
"Kweeeek!"
"Kill! We have to hold!"
From a hill overlooking the Golden Hammer Tribe's walls, Aron felt his stomach rumble after flexing his power for the first time in a while. He placed the wild boar leg from his lunchbox over the charcoal fire, roasted it, and tore into a bite, chewing contentedly. Paired with beer, it was exquisite. The chef had seasoned the boar leg perfectly.
What he'd done so far was clean up the Forbidden Zone—not slaughtering them like vermin, but herding them toward the dwarf settlement. The monsters frothed and quaked in primal fear. He'd mimicked the Fear from the Primal Martial Arts tome; whether they sensed him as a dragon or what, they freaked out and retreated that way. And they never even considered fleeing elsewhere. Better to die under the Golden Hammer Tribe's walls, apparently.
He filled his belly before the real fight. The gods' anticipation was already building.
He'd planned to unify the empire's east by year's end anyway. That meant territory wars. First, he'd grind his build a bit, recruit giant warriors, and launch the conquest. Before the emperor noticed and issued warnings, he'd move fast to swallow the east whole. That'd involve petty provocations, forced pretenses— all sorts of crazy shit to build justification.
That's what the gods were hyped for. Damn, with their attention, even a normal quarrel was off the table. Kidnapping like old times?
Glancing at the walls, the dwarfs' situation was worsening. Blood streamed down the stone; delay much longer, and the tribe faced extinction.
Time to move?
Boom!
He kicked off, soaring to land amid the fiercest fighting on the wall's center.
Kugugugu!
Here to subjugate the dwarfs, he'd brought out the Golden Hammer for the occasion. Fittingly, their tribe shared the name. They'd get the hint.
Whooosh!
Aura burst from the hammer. Fists were his specialty, sword secondary, but any weapon worked. With Primal Martial Arts, even a tree branch could sweep these monsters.
Kwarururung!
Aura and lightning engulfed everything. Reminded him of the thunder god Thor. Swinging wildly wrecked the walls too. Obviously. Had to demolish them entirely for the dwarfs to abandon ship without regret.
Kugugu!
The walls began crumbling. He commanded the stunned dwarfs.
"What are you gawking at? Get the hell out!"
"F-fall back from the walls!"
"Yes, Chieftain!"
A knight in gleaming white armor swung the Golden Hammer. To the dwarfs, it might seem Vulcanus had sent a champion. All staged. Dwarfs shunned humans, so he'd stoke their faith to win them over.
Lightning, flame, wind aura blanketed the area; walls melted outright. Then he shredded the thousands of monsters, sending them packing.
God of Destruction and Regeneration Mahadev has sponsored you 25,000 Karma.
Goddess of Love Venus has sponsored you 28,000 Karma.
Goddess of Abundance Demeter has sponsored you 20,000 Karma.
God of Blacksmithing Vulcanus has sponsored you 100,000 Karma.
"......"
Tough work, but rewarding. He'd scripted this monster herding to invade the dwarfs, and the payoff was solid. From hitting Favorite 10, he had a one-time shop voucher. He'd scraped together about 100,000 Karma already—enough for a high-grade mana potion. What would that do?
Kurururu!
The crumbling walls—no, they weren't crumbling; they were melting away. Lightning, wind, and flames raged everywhere. The knight in pristine white armor wielding the Golden Hammer looked anything but human. Each swing cratered the earth, tore the air, flipped the ground. Monsters screeched in death, fleeing in terror.
Chieftain Kelt stared at the presumed divine knight's weapon.
"Th-that's Lord Vulcanus's Golden Hammer?!"
"Golden Hammer?!"
"Look at it! Can't you feel Lord Vulcanus's power?!"
"......!"
The dwarf warriors knelt instinctively, sensing their patron god's might. Their tribe in peril, Vulcanus sent his knight to sweep the monsters. Awe gripped them all.
"Reverence to Lord Vulcanus!"
"Lord Vulcanus, thank you! For sending your knight and saving us!"
The battle ended in a flash. Walls gone, but the whole tribe could rebuild fast.
Boom!
The divine knight soared up. Looked like he'd vanish into the sky—but no.
Kugugung!
He landed before the kneeling warriors. Removing his helm revealed a human face.
"Mm."
"Why a human...?"
"Shh, he's Lord Vulcanus's messenger!"
Murmurs spread. The knight addressed Kelt directly, clearly knowing he was chieftain.
"Are you the chieftain?"
"Y-yes, divine messenger!"
"I am Aron Blaine, lord of the lands bordering the Forbidden Zone."
"Aron Blaine?!"
"Wh-why is that madman...?"
Aron Blaine's brow twitched. The Golden Hammer Tribe, next to Blaine Barony, had no choice but dealings—selling crafted goods, buying necessities and food. They'd witnessed or heard of his atrocities. A human scum helping them.
Kelt's face twisted.
"Wh-what do you want?"
"You become my people."
"What?!"
"Submit to Vulcanus's hammer and come to my domain."
"Damn it! Are we insane?!"
Kelt couldn't mince words anymore. Who knew how that psycho murderer would work the tribe to death?
"So, refusal?"
"Hmph! Our proud Golden Hammer Tribe yielding to a mere human...?"
Squish!
"Kyaak!"
His vision flickered, light warping. Coming to, he was airborne, teeth shattering midair in chunks.