Chapter 44

The First Weapon Imbued with a Soul

“Hoo, hoo.”

My breathing was rough.

No matter how many bizarre things I had experienced in this world.

Right now, I just wanted to put everything down and rest.

I wanted to stretch out.

[Completion 100%]

Shiver.

My whole body trembled.

Every muscle joint ached.

How long had it been since I started feeling the ‘Ki’ with Bone Six and swinging the hammer?

I estimated it had been over 7 days.

“I really… pulled an all-nighter!”

“To be able to hammer away without sleep for a week…”

The surrounding dwarves were also staring with amazed expressions.

“We have to admit what we have to admit! That’s right, that was the Soul of a blacksmith!”

“Even if it was a common sight in our ancestors’ time… that’s amazing passion.”

They exclaimed,

looking at me as if I were some kind of mystical animal.

Thud!

Bone Six put down the hammer.

Having used up all his energy, he leaned against the nearby wall and slumped down.

“Good work, buddy.”

My voice was trembling as well.

It couldn’t be helped.

The ‘masterpiece’ I had poured my heart and soul into for a week was emitting a radiant light before my eyes, welcoming me.

‘This is… Titan’s Thunder Hammer.’

I gently picked up the handle of the hammer.

Then, a message that only I could see filled the air.

[Congratulations!]

[The crafted weapon is imbued with a ‘Soul’.]

[The weapon’s grade is upgraded!]

[You have acquired ‘Titan’s Thunder Hammer’ (S-Grade).]

“……?”

What?

Am I seeing things?

I froze with my hand still on the hammer.

I rubbed my eyes with my other hand.

‘S-Grade?’

I checked again, but it was the same.

The grade of the weapon crafted with an A-Grade blueprint was definitely S-Grade.

[Item: Special Titan’s Thunder Hammer]

[Grade: S]

[Type: Hammer]

[Description: The power of thunder is imbued in steel and Mithril. Although the level is low, the hammer, forged with passion, shows off its beauty.]

[Effect 1: Strength increased by 50.]

[Effect 2: Attack speed increased by 200%.]

[Effect 3: Damage increased by 100% against the ‘Elf’ race.]

[Effect 4: Can only be used by the ‘Dwarf’ race.]

[Effect 5: Thunder sounds when striking.]

“Ah……!”

I couldn’t close my gaping mouth.

First of all, the performance was insane.

Almost on par with the ‘Fire Dragon Staff’ that Bone Five was holding!

The restriction that only dwarves could use it was a bit of a drawback, but it didn’t matter anyway.

I was planning to give it to a dwarf in the first place.

‘Something like this…….’

Did I really make it with my own hands?

Something wriggling in my chest washed away the fatigue accumulated throughout my body.

[‘Bone Six’s’ condition is adjusted.]

[Proficiency increases by 5.]

[Proficiency increases by 4.]

[Skill, ‘Intermediate Item Creation’ (Lv.2) level increases by 1.]

[Proficiency increases by 11.]

…….

[Proficiency increases by 8.]

[Skill, ‘Intermediate Item Creation’ (Lv.3) level increases by 1.]

[Proficiency increases by 7.]

[All stats increase by 2!]

I gained tremendous proficiency as a reward for making one weapon.

The level of the ‘Intermediate Item Creation’ skill rose to 4, and various stats also grew.

“…….”

This was a tremendous achievement.

Just because the level went up?

It wasn’t that kind of concept.

‘Bone Six created an S-Grade with just Intermediate Level 2.’

Then.

What would happen if I accumulated more proficiency in the future?

What if the skill level rose and went to Advanced, or Top-Tier?

What if I reached Lv·MaX?

“…….”

Words failed me.

Perhaps a performance even better than S-Grade.

An SS-Grade that hadn’t appeared in 10 years of history, or even an item of a higher grade, might be possible.

‘I probably won’t be able to make it again for a while if I’m asked to make it again.’

That’s how immersion usually is.

It’s not something you consciously fall into because you want to.

It’s something you naturally enter by chance.

There shouldn’t be any greed or distractions in the process.

Only a pure heart towards that ‘Soul’ should exist.

This week-long journey…….

I poured everything I had into it.

‘Still.’

From now on, I was definitely going to participate in weapon crafting.

I had to try.

“……You.”

Tonir approached and grabbed my hand.

“Thank you so much. I never thought I would see a hammer exactly like my family heirloom again in my life. This Thunder Hammer that you made will be held in the hands of a strong dwarf. It will show its presence by sparking lightning in the front lines. Every time, we will think of you. You are truly… a true benefactor of our Stone Clan.”

[The Stone Clan feels gratitude towards you.]

[Favorability changes.]

[Stone Clan: 75]

[Forest Clan: 25]

‘Hmm.’

The favorability changed again.

The favorability of the Stone Clan increased by 5, but the favorability of the elves decreased by 5.

No, why is the favorability of the irrelevant elves decreasing?

‘This…….’

I had a bad feeling.

There seemed to be some kind of balance effect acting on the favorability of the two races.

It was highly likely that the sum would be 100.

Then does that mean it’s impossible to fill the favorability of both races to the max?

‘Hmm.’

This was troubling.

The final quest of this Dungeon was to resolve the conflict between the two races.

To do that, I had to raise the favorability of both races at the same time.

‘I need to start moving soon.’

No matter how good a production job is.

I can’t stay in this area day and night.

Frankly speaking, this is inside a Dungeon.

It’s a place that must be cleared and exited.

Just as the excited emotions were slowly calming down.

“Summoning order! A summoning order has been issued!”

It was then that someone’s voice flowed in.

It was a new dwarf who had come up from the village.

“Chairman, Volkanus has declared a summoning order! The summoning targets are the councilors representing each village, Dagnar! And you!”

The dwarf pointed at me with his finger.

“Me?”

“That’s right! You! The deadline is until the sun is at its zenith tomorrow! The Titan Central Conference Room!”

“…….”

Chairman, Volkanus is looking for me?

I could guess.

That I was finally entering the thread of the incident.

“I understand. I’ll go.”

I slowly nodded.

“You.”

Dagnar blinked next to me.

“Do you have any idea how great it is to be able to meet the Chairman!”

He was talking about the summoning order.

He was ranting.

“Even if you are a different race from us, I thought you would know this much. No! If you don’t know, you have to know. Who the Chairman is. And what it means that the Chairman has summoned you!”

“……Yes, yes, so you’re saying that the Chairman is very strong. And that summoning orders are not issued carelessly, right?”

“It’s not just that! It’s been 50 years! 50 years! He doesn’t even show his face normally! That means he’s paying attention to your existence!”

“…….”

It was definitely amazing.

Of course, it was amazing in a different sense.

The leader of a race.

He hasn’t shown his face once even though he’s been at war with another race for hundreds of years.

What kind of absurd race is this?

Did my expression reveal too much?

Dagnar sighed deeply.

“I can see what you’re thinking.”

“Actually, yes. If the Chairman, Volkanus, is so strong, shouldn’t he just participate directly and end the war?”

“He can’t.”

He shook his head.

“Why?”

“It’s a promise with the opposing High Elf Queen.”

“Yes?”

What was that supposed to mean?

Elves are the opposing team.

He doesn’t fight to keep a promise with the opposing team?

What kind of nonsense is that?

“Hoo, you, what do you think the meaning of war is?”

“War? It’s just fighting. A fight for your life.”

“That’s right. You wage war because you want to gain something through that fight, right? But what if Volkanus and the High Elf Queen participate…? They have nothing to gain from each other.”

“…….”

“Just the two of them fighting would mean the extinction of not only the two races but all the races in the world. No, the world would collapse. They are that strong.”

“Is it that much?”

“Volkanus alone is so strong that even if all the existing elves and dwarves attacked with one mind, they wouldn’t be able to win. The High Elf Queen is the same.”

“……Cough.”

“So they made a promise not to use their power.”

This.

It was a world where the balance was more broken than I thought.

Well, when it comes to balance, Earth is probably the same.

It’s probably similar to the fact that the United States and the Soviet Union waged war against each other but agreed not to use nuclear weapons, right?

Chairman Volkanus.

He was like a nuclear bomb for the Stone Clan.

‘Then.’

He’s almost in the position of an absolute being in this world.

Mansul Old man and Tae Yang-chang suddenly overlapped.

Who would win if they fought?

‘I can check it out.’

The way to find out is simple.

Tomorrow when I meet the Chairman.

Let’s summon the Old Man.

The parliament in the center of Titan was very magnificent.

Just by looking at the design of the building, you could see how great the construction skills of the ancestral dwarves were.

“Heo, I never thought I would set foot on this land in my lifetime. It’s all thanks to you.”

Dagnar seemed more excited than usual.

“It’s a place that you can never come to unless you’re a village councilor. Hehe, there are all kinds of things in life.”

“…….”

He was talking next to me, but I couldn’t concentrate.

No, to be exact, my whole body was stiff.

‘This is crazy.’

The dwarves I met in the village were nothing.

One by one.

The power of the councilors gathering in the building was at least Ranker, roughly estimated.

Perhaps because the level of the Supreme Clarity Heart Method has increased these days, their power felt even more chilling.

‘Their power is not to be ignored.’

Even if all those guys gather, they can’t catch one Chairman?

Volkanus.

I was curious about what kind of person he was.

“You, what’s wrong?”

Dagnar tilted his head next to me.

“You look very pale.”

“No, it’s nothing. Should I just follow them in?”

“I guess so. Don’t think I know more than you. As I said, this is my first time here too.”

Ah, that’s right.

I shook off my thoughts and moved my steps.

At the same time, I summoned the Old Man.

[Using skill, ‘Teachings of Supreme Art’ (S-Grade).]

[Consumes 20 Stamina.]

[‘Master of Supreme Art’ appears.]

“Hmm, this guy. Did the hammering finally end?”

‘Old Man.’

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, Mansul Old man’s brow furrowed.

I asked inwardly.

‘What’s wrong?’

“Where is this place again?”

‘It’s said to be a place where the boss-level existence of this world is. He said he was looking for me.’

“You rascal.”

‘Yes?’

“Be careful.”

Huh?

I was surprised.

Originally, the Old Man has a very arrogant style.

He is the strongest, and even when he met Tae Yang-chang, his momentum did not break.

Rather, he said he would win unconditionally.

‘But.’

Be careful?

“I feel a chillingly strong energy around me. Heo, at this level, I could compete with my prime……”

“…….”

Volkanus.

Is he that kind of existence?

Seeing how strong he is.

And seeing that he likes training more than blacksmithing.

It’s definitely not Bone Six’s life.

‘Anyway.’

I don’t need to worry.

[Stone Clan: 75]

The favorability with the Stone Clan is high.

Besides, dwarves are a race that knows gratitude.

They would help me, not harm me.

Step, step.

I moved my steps towards the grandly built door.

How long had I walked?

Thud!

A large space appeared.

And in the center of it, I saw a low table filling the space.

A place that only dwarves who have reached a certain level of mastery can come to.

A sanctuary among sanctuaries.

It was the appearance of the Stone Clan’s Upper House Conference Room.