The Dwarf King's Awakening
"Ohh, what the hell is that?"
The moment a skeleton he had never seen before appeared, Canteas practically vibrated with excitement. He had always known the Black Veil bastards were serious about dark magic, but he never imagined they had advanced this far.
"Looks like a skeleton fresh out of a pottery kiln."
"Keh-heh-heh. Let's see if you can still say that after witnessing their power. A Red Skeleton's durability is a full—"
Baek-bo Myeol-hwang Gong
Third Step: Heavenly Manifested Vajra
A colossal arm erupted from behind Do-ha and smashed dozens of Red Skeletons into powder.
Bone fragments rained down.
"Durability of what?"
"……."
"Though, come to think of it, the crap you pull is basically robbery without the knife."
"You little—! Hah… this isn't over yet!"
Gern's face twisted as he cast again. This time skeletons wreathed in roaring flame rose from the ground.
"Ohh! And what's that one?!"
"Stop shaking me, you bastard."
Fully hyped, Canteas grabbed Do-ha and rattled him back and forth. In this world—creative dark magic like this actually existed!
"Kahaha! Crush these ones the same way! They'll explode on the spot! An explosion strong enough to erase this entire castle! And they've got freeze resistance, so that Ice Soul Divine Art you're so proud of won't work either!"
Mokhon-sura-gong
Second Form: Water Sovereign Stance — Sea God's Deluge
A monstrous tidal wave swept every Fire Skeleton away in a single roaring surge. Steam hissed skyward.
"Hah… haha, I… I expected at least this much! Now, next—"
"Ugh."
Baek-bo Myeol-hwang Gong
Fourth Step: Extreme Demon Thunder Fist
Do-ha sighed, then used Lightning Spirit Step to close the distance in a blur and drove Extreme Demon Thunder Fist straight into Gern's face. The punch was so vicious it caved the man's features inward.
The impact thundered through the hall.
"All that effort just for a color game… what a joke."
"Color game?! Do you have any idea how magnificent this advancement is?!"
While Do-ha looked thoroughly unimpressed, Canteas alone showered Gern's magic with genuine praise.
Gern staggered out of the wall crater, groaning. His crushed face had already restored itself; the bleeding had stopped.
"What the hell is that? It's not healing magic…"
Canteas tilted his head, staring. Gern's other developments were interesting enough, but this recovery topped the list. Just what kind of regenerative power was this?
"You wouldn't know."
"You do? What is it?"
Canteas turned at Do-ha's words. The body kept knitting itself back together in real time, as if continuous healing magic were being cast. No matter how hard he thought, nothing came to mind.
"That's Jiangshi arts."
"That's Jiangshi arts???"
Hearing the name only made Canteas's face crumple further. Jiangshi techniques were meant for corpses. They could not be used on living beings—and Gern was still alive, wasn't he?
"I was half-doubtful at first too, but looking closer, it's definitely Jiangshi arts."
"Oh… now I'm even more curious."
Canteas's eyes sparkled brighter. A dark mage who turned his own body into a jiangshi—rarities like that were almost impossible to find.
"I'm capturing that guy alive."
"You sure? He's stronger than you."
"Please. I've got this one, don't I?"
Canteas casually drew a magic circle and summoned Cheon Seol-gyeong—the Death Knight he had created back when his own realm was still intact. Thanks to this servant he could fight enemies stronger than himself. Overwhelming gaps were still impossible, of course, but the Gern standing before them was not that far beyond him.
"Fine. He's all yours."
"Got it. Leave him to me!"
"I'll go check on Kael."
Do-ha clapped Canteas on the shoulder and turned away.
"Wh—where do you think you're going?! Don't you dare ignore me!"
"Hey, Gern. From now on, I'm your opponent."
"……Lord of the Underworld."
Gern's eyes lit up the instant he saw Canteas. The Lich who stood at the absolute pinnacle of every dark mage—Canteas.
"Heh-heh. I've always wanted to fight you at least once. I'll research you thoroughly!"
"Same here. I'll dissect you and study every scrap."
The two dark mages collided, and thick killing intent flooded the surroundings.
"Umm…"
Kael, lying on the bed, twitched and slowly returned to consciousness.
"You're awake?"
"……Do-ha."
Kael carefully pushed himself upright. The moment his eyes met Do-ha's he forced a smile. Now that his mind was clear, he realized exactly what kind of nonsense he had spouted earlier.
"Sorry about that. I must have lost my head for a moment."
"There's nothing to apologize for."
Do-ha shook his head. As he had said before, he understood Kael completely. The man had already lost his son Tunrad; he simply could not bear to lose the last remaining relative, Horsem, as well. Even so, Horsem could never have been left alive.
"Anyway, so you really were alive. I heard the Demon God killed you…"
"I didn't die, but I did lose my power."
Do-ha saw the look in Kael's eyes and gave a bitter smile.
I wished he would just resent me…
He had wanted Kael to blame him—to demand why he had stayed alive yet still let Tunrad die. Even that kind of resentment would have eased the knot in his chest a little. In a way, Kael had lost every member of his family because of him.
If I had never taken Tunrad as a comrade…
No—if they had never formed a bond in the first place, Tunrad would never have been killed by Depnius. And Horsem? Do-ha himself had been the one to kill him. That was why he had hoped for Kael's resentment. Yet the eyes looking back at him held none of it.
Kael was a being who could never hide his feelings. In those eyes Do-ha saw only relief, worry, and simple joy. Relief that Do-ha was safe, worry that he had lost his power, and genuine happiness at their reunion.
Do-ha clenched his fist.
He hasn't changed at all.
He had always liked this side of Kael. More than any other dwarf, Kael was a true king. But right now that same kindness cut deeper than any blade.
Kael seemed to read his heart. Smiling, he reached out and took Do-ha's hand.
"It wasn't your fault."
"……."
"Tunrad chose the adventure himself. Unexpected things simply happened. When we hammer iron, unforeseen variables always appear. Same principle. So you don't need to carry any guilt—not toward me, and not toward Tunrad either."
Kael squeezed Do-ha's hand tightly. Slowly, Do-ha nodded.
The door burst open.
"Wahaha! I took care of Gern!"
Canteas strode in laughing at the top of his lungs. It had been a rough fight, but in the end victory was his.
"Oh, old man! You're awake!"
"Canteas, you still look as lively as ever."
"I always live joyfully, you know."
"You mean you live without a single thought in your head."
"What was that, you punk?!"
Canteas bristled at Do-ha's jab. Living free of stress was a blessing—how could anyone dismiss it so lightly?
"Ugh… because of you I have to go back to that headache of a king's work."
Kael groaned as he climbed out of bed. After being bound for so long, every muscle felt locked solid.
"Your body looks fully recovered already. Do-ha's doing, I take it."
"You're naturally sturdy, so I only used ordinary healing magic."
The words were a lie. Do-ha had poured Great Heal into him and then flooded the dwarf with pure true qi. Kael had been starved, beaten until broken bones stabbed his organs, and left that way for so long that blood flow to the heart had nearly stopped. Cardiac arrest had been a real possibility. Extensive treatment had been necessary.
"Anyway, if you've returned, then the emperor's seat…"
"Dimerof is still emperor. I should step back now."
"For someone who says that, you seem to have trained quite hard."
Kael looked Do-ha up and down. Even through clothing the man's presence radiated trained power. Compared to the past it was incomparable—he felt unmistakably stronger.
"How long have you been training since losing your power?"
"The fighting isn't over yet."
"Heh-heh…"
"Ah, and please keep my return a secret."
"Hmm, understood."
Kael nodded, grasping the meaning at once. Even he had believed Do-ha dead. If word spread that he lived, the cults on the northern continent would launch an immediate assault.
"Listen, Do-ha. I hate to impose further, but may I ask one more favor?"
"Of course. Speak."
"Besides me, all my close retainers were captured as well. If any of them are still alive…"
"Don't worry. I'll treat them and send them up."
"Thank you."
Do-ha rose and left the room.
"Wahahahaha! Drink! Drink!!"
"Bring more snacks over here!"
"Who took the beer barrel that was right here?!"
"We're free at last!!! Our king has returned!"
"Waaaaaah!"
Under the dark night sky, Alfheim erupted with roaring cheers and street parties. With the hellish Horsem dead and Kael restored, every dwarf in the race was throwing a wild drinking festival.
"Hey, you lot?! Drink in moderation!"
"Whoa?! It's our king! Woo!"
"Kael! Kael! Kael! Kael!"
"Your Majesty, join us!"
"You… you brats, I'm still a patient!"
"Drink already!"
"Hey, more booze over here!"
"I'm a patie—mmph!"
Dwarves seized Kael's shoulders and poured beer straight down his throat. He had no choice but to start drinking. Hours later…
"Ugh, what a mess."
Do-ha and Canteas slipped quietly out of the castle and clicked their tongues at the dwarves sprawled starfished across the streets. True to their race, they simply lay down wherever they dropped and slept. Specialized for outdoor living, one might say…
"Leaving already?"
"You're still conscious? I figured you'd be somewhere in that pile of dwarves."
"Wahaha, you think I became king for nothing?! I'm on a completely different level from those guys."
"Which is why I'm heading back to a different dimension myself."
Do-ha had already told Kael everything.
"Once things here settle, that place you mentioned… what was it called again?"
"Paju. Paju City."
"Ah, right. I'll send dwarves there. And you said you found an Orichalcum mine too?"
"Yes. We'll need dwarves for that as well."
Humans could mine Orichalcum, but never cleanly. Forced extraction mixed in so many impurities that the ore became worthless scrap.
"Don't worry. I'll dispatch dwarves there too."
"Please meet with Dimerof sometime. It's about time we open proper diplomacy with Earth."
Until now, because of Do-ha's request, the two dimensions had barely exchanged anything. Only the dwarves and elves already living on Earth, plus a handful of key figures, had been allowed to travel. Ordinary people still could not cross.
"Understood. It's been a while—I should go see our emperor's face."
"Then I'll be going."
"Do-ha."
"?"
"Whatever you do, don't die. The only family I have left now is you."
Do-ha smiled at Kael's words. The only family left… it was a pleasant thing to hear.
"So I've become Kael's son now?"
"Of course! When I look at you, your face is exactly like mine when I was young!"
"……This old man's drunk. I'm leaving."
The smile vanished from Do-ha's face. He turned on his heel. Looking like a bandit and still spouting nonsense like that…