Dwarven Forge and Explosive Countermeasures
Deep in the underground workshop of the dwarf village, the transfer of techniques was in full swing.
“Don’t lose your focus. Listen to the sound of the fire first.”
“Got… it.”
Kim Jaeha furrowed his brow, concentrating intently on the flames before him. Kang Hanbit and Isis, who had arrived early, had been watching the scene for several minutes now.
-Is he actually learning anything?
-Tech transfer = staring contest with fire
-This is absurd ㄷㄷ
-Poor Jaeha…
The viewers were throwing skeptical comments at the situation. It didn’t match the tech transfer they’d been expecting. But Gorik’s sincerity was plain from his expression alone.
“Maintain that state until I return.”
Gorik rose and headed out of the workshop. Hanbit and Isis followed behind.
“We’ll talk out here. Can’t distract the lad.”
Once back on the surface, Gorik let out a short breath and spoke. He was teaching strictly, but this was his first disciple. It was only natural he’d worry.
“So, who’s this woman?”
Gorik’s gaze turned to Isis. She’d been eyeing the sword at Hanbit’s waist since earlier.
“A Holy Nation scientist I kidnapped from the forest. In simple terms, she’s the mastermind behind the monster waves.”
“Mastermind?”
Fury flashed in Gorik’s eyes for a moment. It was a natural reaction, thinking back to the horde that had overrun the dwarf village.
Hanbit pulled a note from his inventory and handed it over.
“Read this first. It’s from Camon.”
“…Camon?”
Gorik’s eyes widened at the cherished name. He snatched the note eagerly and scanned its contents.
This technique belongs to my dear friend and master craftsman, the dwarf Gorik. If you seek to take it further into the future, head to the Amethyst Forest’s Hedrick Kingdom. Show them this scroll and note, and they’ll help you.
It was the note found alongside the scroll that forcibly activated the trace of Salion within Norton’s ring. Gorik read it carefully, then slowly looked up.
“What’s going on here?”
“I’ll explain step by step.”
Hanbit recounted the events from Edlen. Gorik listened, staring at the note, his expression growing distant.
“…I heard the rumors in the city. That you saved Edlen. I doubted it, but you fulfilled Camon’s wish, huh.”
He recalled the faint hope his friend had harbored. Back then, he’d devised the ring’s usage as a comfort, never truly believing it possible. Yet after his death, that wish had come true. He could almost see his friend—who’d never once smiled—grinning now.
“Why didn’t you mention this sooner? I never would’ve treated you as enemies.”
“I’m not using Camon’s legacy. Thanks to him, I saved my own people.”
“…I see.”
-Is this for real?
-Just standard aggro play.
-We know the story, so it’s acting lol
-Nah, Black Dragon was dead serious.
-He worked his ass off for real.
-Isn’t it just story rewards?
-Didn’t you see him kill Bares?
The viewers’ opinions clashed, but Hanbit always approached things with sincerity. He maneuvered situations because he couldn’t treat this world lightly. He just wanted the best possible outcome, by any means.
“What I want to say is, I hate the Holy Nation devotees too. But right now, we need every tool to stop the waves. Nothing beats the intel and knowledge they have—especially since she’s fully on our side now.”
“…That’s her, then.”
“Yes. It’s a bit out there, so I’ll explain this too.”
Hanbit continued with Jinook’s disappearance and the events that followed. Gorik needed to understand to direct his power precisely.
“So that’s how it happened.”
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. The human woman before him seemed outside the realm of normalcy. She didn’t match the fanatic vibe of Holy Nation rumors, just as Hanbit said.
“From the southern forests to the north…”
Sorting the info, he focused on the monsters’ positions. A wave spanning that vast area would be impossible to handle conventionally.
“Thousands of monsters. Why not use the walls?”
“…Use the walls?”
Both their gazes shifted to the glass walls. Damaged in spots from the wave’s aftermath, repairs were set to ramp up tonight.
“The walls will crumble right as the wave hits. Crash Bird flocks will lead the charge.”
“Probably. Not just their numbers—their reinforced state means massive impact.”
Isis nodded, still studying the sword sheath. She’d seen Crash Bird corpses at her first meeting with Jinook. But the third wave’s would be on another level.
“Trash walls like these could fall anytime. But if they do, what’s the point of repairs?”
Gorik added that manpower would be wasted—better spent prepping for the wave.
“No, we turn them into weapons. They’re gonna break anyway—make ’em massive bombs.”
“…Bombs?”
-?
-Blow up the walls?
-Scale’s insane lol
-Monsters won’t be the only ones dying tho;
Hanbit’s words drew puzzled reactions from everyone—except Isis.
“Glass walls as bombs? Sounds fun. How exactly? Got a device in mind?”
Her interest piqued, she fired off questions. Hanbit gazed at the walls.
“Glass shards spraying outward. Won’t kill reinforced monsters alone, though.”
“Spot on! Final wave critters have thicker hides and exoskeletons. Regular glass? No chance!”
Isis gushed excitedly about the monsters, but Hanbit already had the solution. He turned to Gorik.
“Your Highness, can we tweak the walls’ internals during repairs?”
“Hm, hiding bombs inside?”
“Exactly. Like this…”
Hanbit sketched a blueprint in the dirt with a fallen twig. Expert Gorik grasped it immediately and nodded.
“Hide bombs in the debris from Crash Birds breaching the walls, then lure monsters there. They’ll charge the magic stones for sure?”
“Reagent-frenzied monsters rush high-density mana. Stabilization doesn’t erase that instinct.”
“…Frustrating, but true. Can’t kill their base instincts completely.”
Isis lamented her unsolved issue, then tapped the dirt diagram.
“Still a problem, though. Regular explosions won’t hurt ’em much. How’re you fixing that?”
“Ice spider legs. Got plenty.”
Hanbit pulled translucent material from his inventory—courtesy of Avant-garde. Gorik peered closely, puzzled.
“How do you use this?”
“That’s up to you, Your Highness.”
“……?”
-?
-“You do it”
-Engineer suffering.
-Pls bring a feasible plan.
Gorik looked baffled, but Hanbit couldn’t spoil the answer. The process of figuring it out would ease tensions between Gorik and the dwarves.
“Mind if I take a peek? I’m curious.”
Isis eyed the scale in Hanbit’s hand. Gorik was intrigued too.
“Reverse scale from a Snow Drake, huh.”
“Yeah. Thinking of using it for the sword. What do you think?”
“…Hm. Let me check. Sword too.”
Gorik examined the dark blue scale and sword. Hanbit handed them over.
“……”
Silence stretched for a moment. Gorik stroked his chin.
“Well-made sword.”
A flat assessment—but high praise from him. If Gorik deemed it well-made, it carried weight.
“But tough to use this scale. Current sword can’t smelt it. Better reinforce in another way.”
He nixed the scale idea. Hanbit nodded—it was expected.
Then.
“Oh? If that’s the issue, try this?”
Isis, who’d been listening, pulled a vial of yellow liquid from her pocket. Hanbit’s eyes widened.
[Imperishable Springwater]
Rank: 6
Grade: Unique
Description: A rare springwater found deep underground. Mitigates damage from all negative effects. (However, effects are reduced against power exceeding the springwater’s limits.)
A miraculous item with astonishing properties. Hanbit stared at her.
“Why do you have this?”
“The second wave devotee asked me to grab it. You saw him, right?”
“Ah.”
The male devotee found with Isis in the nest. Fitting his black market role, he dealt in all sorts of goods. Who’d have thought he’d procured this.
Glacier’s traces had wrought absurd changes.
“But what for?”
“To study that chill, duh! Didn’t wanna die diving in straight.”
-Consistency GOAT
-So transparent lol
-“Might die, so prep then yeet into danger”
-Her brain’s wired different.
Glacier’s cold had smashed her curiosity button. With Isis’s personality, charging in with monsters wouldn’t surprise anyone.
Astel-made vial.
Same as the one from Bollibo’s underground storage. A Holy Nation artisan’s product that preserved anything intact.
Hanbit took the small vial and asked Gorik,
“Your Highness, with this, can you do it?”
“More than enough. Never expected this springwater.”
Confidence filled his voice. Using it on the weapon would offset the smelting burden from the scale. An unexpected gift, a growth chance for the sword—especially from Gorik’s hands, promising top-tier results.
Hanbit smiled inwardly and handed over the vial.
“Then I leave it to you.”