Chapter 41

Forest and Rock (2)

Choosing the ‘Dwarves of Stone.’

The effect of that choice was clear.

“Ooh! Stone! The Stone God has bestowed grace upon us!”

One of the dwarves shouted, eyes wide.

The stocky dwarf acted as if I had been on their side from the start.

“Kahaha! Look at this! Treacherous elves! Even the heavens are helping us!”

“…Tsk!”

One of the elves clicked his tongue and drew his bow at me.

Thwack!

And fired an arrow.

“Hmph!”

I quickly drew my staff and knocked the side of the incoming arrow.

The arrow, deflected to the side, stuck in the ground.

Bone Five’s Air Shield protected my body, but I also possessed a considerable physique thanks to training.

I could deflect a low-level elf’s attack.

“Hoo, straight to attacking, huh? It’s good that the sides are quickly decided.”

Was it because of affinity?

The dwarves were friendly to me, and the elves were hostile.

This made things easier.

I didn’t have to give long-winded reasons for fighting.

“Tae Yangi.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Take care of them. Don’t kill them, just drive them away.”

Even though I chose the dwarves, I had to be careful.

[Help one of the two races to resolve the conflict.]

It clearly said to help one race.

But I shouldn’t get too caught up in those words.

The goal of this stage was ultimately to resolve the conflict.

Killing them recklessly wouldn’t resolve the conflict; it could create new ones.

“I understand your command.”

Tae Yangi understood my intentions perfectly.

Controlling the skeletons, he subtly began to drive away the elves.

Whoosh! Flash!

Tae Yangi swung his spear vigorously.

Crack! Shatter!

Each swing split the thick trees.

The ground was deeply gouged.

“How can he be so…?”

“S-Strong!”

The power of Tae-yang emanating from the spear was enough to intimidate the elves.

“A neutral race?”

“It seems so? It’s a type of race I’ve never seen before! And the scent of the dead…! Have the dwarves started dabbling in dark magic?”

“Fall back for now! Report to the higher-ups!”

Swish!

One by one, the elves disappeared from sight.

I could have killed them all if I wanted to.

“Nice, Tae Yangi.”

But I didn’t bother.

I was standing leisurely, watching the fleeing elves, when…

“I don’t know who you are, but thank you for helping us.”

The dwarf who had shouted earlier approached and gave a light bow.

“I am Dagnar, a Stone Warrior of the Stone Clan. I will never forget this favor and will repay it.”

Behind Dagnar.

One by one, the surviving dwarves peeked out.

I smiled and bowed back.

“It was nothing.”

“Haha, nothing? In this world, choosing one of the two races is a very dangerous thing.”

“Pardon?”

I tilted my head.

That dwarf.

He spoke as if he knew I had chosen them from the start.

No, more than that.

“Are there other races living here?”

“Heo? Why do you look like you don’t know anything? Like a race that fell from the sky.”

“…….”

Yes.

Fell from the sky.

I think that’s right?

As I blinked, Dagnar let out a faint sigh.

“Hoo, you must have been holed up in some remote area for a long time.”

“…That’s right.”

“Hmm… There are many races living in this forest and area. Among them are strange races like you.”

“I see.”

No wonder.

Even though my existence seemed unfamiliar to them, they didn’t seem uncomfortable.

So that’s why the elves asked, “A neutral race?” earlier?

“But among those many races, no one tries to side with the Forest or Stone Clan. They don’t even interfere when they see battles like this.”

“Why is that?”

“The races that interfered… have all been wiped out without exception.”

“…….”

Extinction.

The race is ruined and gone.

“That’s why I’m grateful to you. For taking the risk and choosing our Stone Clan. For trusting our clan.”

“Is, is that so?”

Well, me.

I just did what the quest told me to do.

After all, the penalty for not choosing was death.

“Hehe, so who are you? I haven’t even asked my benefactor’s name.”

Dagnar extended a rough hand.

“Um, I’m Ju Dong-hoon.”

I lowered my staff and shook his hand.

“Ju Dong-hoon? A good name.”

“Dagnar is a cool name too.”

“Kahaha, is that so? Alright, Ju Dong-hoon. I, Dagnar of the Stone Clan, would like to invite my benefactor to our clan’s city. Would that be alright?”

“City?”

“Yes, the City of Stone, Titan. It’s called the City of Minerals and Rocks.”

Minerals! And rocks?

Kya, this!

As a production worker, I can’t ignore those words, can I?

There was no need to hesitate.

Let’s go for now!

Let’s think about it when we get there!

“Alright.”

I nodded with a wide grin.

A city hidden behind the rocky area.

Carved like a basin in the center of a huge rocky mountain, forming a colony, this place is called Titan! It is also called the Dwarven Holy Land.

“Ooh.”

I looked around and admired.

The rocky scenery, like something out of a movie, pleased my eyes.

“M-My lord. It’s a moving sight.”

If I’m like this.

What must Tae Yangi be feeling, now that he’s just learning about the world?

“Look at those guys! It’s a different race!”

“I smell Stone Scent?”

“Could it be that they chose our clan?”

“Has it been almost ten years since a race chose us?”

I felt a tingling all over my body.

It was because so many dwarves were buzzing and shooting glances at me.

“Hehe, please understand. It’s been a long time since we’ve received guests from other places.”

“Um.”

I looked at the dwarves again.

Their eyes clearly contained goodwill.

“How do they know that I chose the dwarves?”

“Haha, didn’t I say? I smell Stone Scent.”

“You can tell by the smell?”

“Yes, why do you keep asking about obvious common sense? If you smell Stone Scent, you’re our clan’s benefactor!”

“…….”

Wow.

Where does that kind of common sense exist?

To figure everything out by smell.

‘Well.’

It’s a completely different worldview.

I shouldn’t try to understand this place with the common sense I know.

I looked around again.

Actually.

What I was most curious about here wasn’t the dwarves.

‘Minerals, blacksmith!’

Isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of dwarves a blacksmith?

That was also why I chose dwarves instead of elves.

“Excuse me! What is that place?”

Soon.

I pointed to what looked like a mine with an excited heart.

“Hehe, that place? It’s almost an abandoned mine now. Would you like to take a look?”

“Abandoned mine?”

“Hoo, follow me for now.”

Dagnar kindly guided me to the mine.

Judging from his expression, it seemed like he had a lot to explain.

How long had we walked?

Dagnar let out a deep sigh.

“Hoo, well, it’s a pity.”

I could immediately tell why he was sighing.

The mine, which had looked majestic from afar.

Its interior was nothing short of ruins.

Empty carts were scattered around, broken.

Pickaxes lay rusting around.

“…….”

“Actually, it’s been quite a while since our dwarves have been able to make weapons…….”

I felt my heart collapsing.

‘Hey.’

No way.

Dwarves don’t make weapons?

[‘Dwarves of Stone’ are characterized by being short but very strong and sturdy. Like fairies of rock, they are very interested in metal and have good manual dexterity.]

That’s what it said in the race description?

This is a scam! A scam!

“Is it true?”

“Hehe, why would I joke with my benefactor? That’s why I said it was a pity. Our dwarves’ true talent is making weapons, but these days, they’re just training. Tsk.”

“Why, why! Don’t you make them?”

“Heo, you… you’re acting just like any other dwarf?”

Ah.

I got emotional without realizing it.

But I can’t help it!

“It’s because of the chairman.”

“Chairman?”

“Yes, Volkanus, the chairman of the Dwarven Clan Council and the great Stone Warrior, said, ‘To win the battle against the elves, we must wield weapons, not tools!'”

“Weapons, not tools…….”

He meant not to use hammers as tools, but as weapons.

Why does someone suddenly come to mind?

‘That old geezer.’

The Old Man who told Bone Six to learn ‘Hammer Art’ instead of ‘Blacksmithing.’

“Still, that’s a bit strange? If weapons are good, wouldn’t combat power also increase? Why give up blacksmithing…?”

“That’s right. We’ve recently realized that we were wrong. Weapons were a very important force for us.”

“……Then even now.”

“It’s already too late.”

“……?”

“To be exact, we’ve forgotten. It’s been a hundred years since the chairman’s order was issued.”

“Pardon?”

Wait a minute.

A hundred years?

“Technology, you see. It must be maintained by proper transmission, whether oral or written, but we’ve died too much in the meantime. Renowned technicians and blacksmiths have all lost their lives over the years.”

“The blacksmiths are all dead?”

“It’s too late to regret it. Even if we try to restore it by looking at past records, there’s no answer. Originally, technology is better learned with the body. Moreover, the chairman goes even further.”

“How much further?”

“Don’t try to rely on weapons! Improve your skills in that time!”

“…….”

“Of course, the chairman is a respectable dwarf. He has made the greatest contribution in the war and is the strongest among us. However, sometimes his animosity towards the elves is so great that his judgment is clouded. In fact, what is truly frightening about war is the loss of precious culture…….”

Ah ah.

I frowned.

My heart ached.

That’s why the leader is important.

With that one person’s judgment, the race can go down the path of decline.

“Hmm.”

It was a pity.

It would have been nice if Bone Six had seen and learned the skills of other worlds.

“By any chance.”

Suddenly, I saw a dwarf’s hammer.

It was an ordinary hammer that seemed to have been used for a long time and had all its teeth missing.

“Can I take a look at the weapons?”

“This one? Weapons are precious, but I can’t refuse my benefactor’s request.”

Swish.

Dagnar held out the hammer.

I took it and checked the information.

[Item: Dwarf’s Toothless Sledgehammer]

[Grade: D]

[Type: Hammer]

[Description: A sturdily made hammer. It has become worn out over the years.]

[Effect 1: Strength increased by 5.]

“Umm.”

I had nothing to say.

Even if they weren’t blacksmiths, ‘dwarves’ should be ‘dwarves.’

How could they carry such a weapon?

It was despairing.

It was the moment when all dreams and hopes disappeared.

“It’s very old, isn’t it? But it’s a precious guy who saved my life.”

“……Thank you for showing me.”

“Hehe, you look very gloomy.”

That’s right.

I was gloomy.

In the end, even that natural mine.

Even the minerals piled up around it.

I just have to throw it away…… have to?

‘Wait?’

That’s not it.

In an instant, my head cleared.

Why am I being gloomy?

Shouldn’t I be happy instead?

I stared at Dagnar with wide eyes.

“But, now that I think about it, there are a lot of minerals here?”

“Of course, this is a natural mineral zone. It’s called the City of Minerals because the minerals are replicated even if you stay still, but we haven’t mined for nearly a hundred years…… There must be a lot piled up.”

“Oh, then…… you don’t really use it, do you?”

Greed arose.

If Dagnar was right.

When considering the value of the amount of minerals that exist here.

It was clear that it was an amount that could not be bought even with hundreds of billions of won on Earth.

Moreover, there seem to be rare minerals that don’t exist on Earth.

‘If I could refine all of that?’

‘If I could monopolize all of that?’

My body was itching.

I got goosebumps and sweat formed on my palms.

“Haha, well. That’s right. Dwarves aren’t interested in this place anymore. They’d rather be grateful if someone took it and used it as much as they wanted. Because it prevents waste.”

“……!”

Wait, this.

It’s worth a try?