Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Clang-clang-!

A blacksmith’s shop where the deafening sound of hammers pounding echoed constantly.

Sari entered the smithy.

“Good heavens! Village Chief! What brings you all the way here?”

Sari waved her hand, and a burly figure emerged from inside.

The burly man’s name was Juk-i.

He was a middle-aged Grey Elf who ran a small smithy on the outskirts of the village.

“Zukui, how have you been? No aches or pains?”

“Of course, of course! Thanks to you, Village Chief, I’m always doing well.”

“Juk-i, work is important, but you must take care of your health too. I heard you closed up shop for a few days recently. Not just me, but the elders are all quite worried.”

“Hahaha! Don’t worry! I’m still going strong!”

Juk-i flexed his bulging biceps and grinned.

Sari nodded with a gentle smile.

“Hehe. Stay healthy, Juk-i. Your sturdy armor is essential for the villagers.”

Sari gazed at Juk-i with noble grace.

Dojae watched her from afar and chuckled softly.

“Huh.”

Though she spoke and acted like a teenage girl in front of Dojae, the outsider, she presented the perfect image of a village chieftain before the villagers.

Dojae found Sari’s image management rather endearing.

‘Who knew a monster could feel cute. Just a few hours together and I’ve already gotten used to her.’

Zzzzt-!

Sari turned her head and glared at him with narrowed eyes.

Had she read Dojae’s thoughts?

She stuck out her tongue, then turned back to Juk-i with a gentle expression.

“Then I’d like to see some weapons and armor. Do you have anything decent?”

“Weapons and armor… Was the bow you took last time not quite right? Well, I do have something a bit lighter and sturdier…”

Zukyi scratched his head.

Sari shook her head at him and said.

“No, it’s not for me. It’s for that gentleman over there.”

“Oh? Do you have another guest? Let me see…”

Zuk-i wiped the sweat dripping down his face and stepped out from behind the door.

And upon seeing Dojae, he was startled and dropped his hammer.

“Huh? A… human…! There was a human still alive all this time!”

Juk-i rushed out breathlessly and examined Do-jae from head to toe.

He kneaded Dojae’s arms and poked at his muscles.

‘Does this species just like touching people like this?’

Dojae took a quick step back.

He couldn’t stand anything more than a muscular guy groping his body, even if others didn’t mind.

“Stop it…”

“Ooooh! A human speaking our language!”

When Jukki looked surprised, Sari explained it was due to magic.

After hearing the explanation, Jukki crossed his arms and scanned Dojae.

Then, rubbing his chin as if his scan of Dojae was complete, he declared.

“Amazing, truly amazing. That such a robust human survived. Village Chief, where did this human suddenly appear from?”

“Ho ho ho, I’ll tell you later. For now, would you please bring out anything useful from that man?”

“Got it. Human! You looking for a weapon or something?”

Without hesitation, Dojae answered Jukui’s question.

“A sword would be nice…”

As expected, when it came to weapons, a sword was the first thing that came to Dojae’s mind.

Given the current restrictions on skill usage, wielding a sword—the weapon he handled most skillfully—was the right choice.

Clang-clang-!

“You Juk-i! For over 600 years, I’ve handed swords to countless warriors. Bring out a sword worthy of a human like you!”

Zukey pounded his chest.

He started to step deeper into the forge but came back out.

“Well, that is rather remarkable!”

With that, Juk-i finally disappeared into the forge.

Dojae watched Juk-i’s departure with amusement.

‘Well, I guess if I saw an extinct Baekdusan tiger, I’d be amazed too.’

Dojae fully understood Juk-i’s reaction.

He had heard many stories through his conversations with Aktria.

About this world, and the history of the Great Cataclysm.

***

Actria’s story stretched back an incredibly long time.

A full 1,000 years ago.

The continent, Tranfeion, after a long history of fierce conflict between different races, finally bore the fruit of harmony.

This was made possible by four humans and five non-human races.

They were known as the Nine Seekers.

They were supreme beings who attained divine status based on their transcendent abilities.

They were great beings standing above lesser deities like Aktria.

For the next 800 years, they ruled and governed each race, striving for peace and alliance among them.

Their achievements grew increasingly celebrated with each passing day, and accordingly, the existing gods of Tranfeion, who had been mere bystanders, gradually lost their power.

For a god, if not revered and praised, the meaning of their existence fades.

– That was when it appeared. The seed of betrayal.

Whether instigated by the gods or simply bored by peace.

Or perhaps they had always harbored such intentions.

Three hundred years ago, a traitor emerged among the Seekers.

And it was the betrayal of the one considered the strongest among them.

– He was a fearsome being. Powerful enough to erase this entire world.

The remaining seekers joined forces to eliminate the traitor.

Yet even eight seekers together could not defeat a single traitor.

The continent, once peaceful enough for a century-long war to rage, was drenched in blood.

Yet all they could do was seal the traitor away.

The result? Human lives became the vessel for the seal.

They burned all human lives to seal the traitor.

And the remaining seekers, serving as the key to that seal, sacrificed their own divinity to protect Tranfeion.

– And no one knows this truth except gods like me. The inhabitants of this world believe humans went extinct in the war 200 years ago.

This is the reason humans vanished, and the full story behind the event called the Great Cataclysm.

Before the wounds of war could heal, great change swept over this world.

At some point, entire races began vanishing, village by village.

It was a phenomenon where entire races, whether other species or monsters, vanished overnight, leaving their lands utterly empty.

– Interference from another dimension had begun. I expended my divine power to block the interference in this region. And at the very last moment, the great beings conveyed their will to me.

Actria, a lesser god who ruled over a mountain range, heard the will of the seekers.

They would send their incarnations.

***

“Dojai?”

‘Is this world being sustained by gods like Aktria, who remain? This dimensional interference must be the races of this land being sent to Earth.’

“Dojae.”

‘So the Grey Elves, no, all Elves are natives of this world. Though they may have drawn swords against each other at first, they are a race that formed an alliance and lived amicably for a thousand long years. But in the end, are we treating them like monsters…? If I return to my original world, how should I view them? Should I see them as monsters, or should I think of them as humans…?’

“Dojae! Dojae! Dojae!”

Dojae frowned at Sari’s call.

“You’re deafening me. Why?”

Sari had climbed onto Dojae’s back and was shouting right into his ear.

Sari climbed down again and asked with wide eyes.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

“Just lost in thought for a moment.”

“Huh… What are you thinking about so seriously?”

“It’s nothing, so don’t worry about it.”

“No way! Let me guess! Dojae was definitely staring at that thing over there. Yeah! Dojae wants that thing, right?”

Sari pointed at the wall of the blacksmith’s shop with her finger.

The spot Dojae had been staring blankly at, lost in thought.

Hanging there was a rather high-quality greatsword.

“No, it’s just… Hmm?”

While Dojae was looking at the greatswords Sari pointed out, his gaze suddenly fixed on something below.

A single dagger resting on the shelf below the greatswords.

It felt strangely familiar, like he’d seen it somewhere before.

“I knew it! Dojae, is there anything you want? Go ahead and pick one. I’ll buy you one. The village chief is richer than you’d think. Hehehe.”

Sari chattered excitedly as Dojae reacted.

Then she approached the wall and struggled to pull out a greatsword as tall as herself.

“Ugh… I can’t do it. It’s too heavy to lift. Just pick whatever you want, Dojae.”

The sword Sari had tried to lift was a splendidly decorated blade studded with all kinds of sparkling gems.

It was clearly not a cheap sword at all.

“Sari, even I can tell that looks expensive. Are you sure?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! I told you I have money, right? Huh? Wait a sec. Since Juk-i’s here, let’s look at what he brought first!”

Sari hurried back to Dojae’s side.

Her expression changed completely in an instant.

“Human! You brought out things I can actually use! Village Chief, as you can see, it’s a sword made for women, but for a human, this size and weight should be just right.”

Juk-i presented the three swords he had brought.

They were swords of slightly different sizes and shapes.

‘This one and that one seem just average… The sword on the left is the best among these here.’

How many swords had he seen during his life as a hunter?

He’d seen many, including rare magic swords obtained in dungeons and blades crafted by artisans with blacksmithing skills.

Not only that, but even after obtaining the Golem’s Eye, he had observed others’ weapons whenever he could.

Even though his status window wasn’t currently open, preventing him from seeing detailed information, he could tell which swords were good and which were bad based on his accumulated experience.

“Sari, I’ll take this one.”

Dojae selected the sword placed farthest to the left.

Its overall size and length were similar to the Harpy Queen’s Fullum he had used before.

Upon holding it, it felt slightly heavy but well-balanced overall, and I liked the subtle engraved patterns.

Above all, its unique black hue captivated Dojae’s heart.

“Hmm… Truth be told, I wasn’t planning to bring this out… Human! You have quite the eye! This blade was entrusted to me by a human by chance 200 years ago, yet he still hasn’t come to reclaim it. Or perhaps he can’t? Kha-ha-ha. Anyway! It’s a shame to let such a fine sword rot here, so I was thinking of selling it to you.”

“What’s the sword’s name?”

“Hmm… What was it called? Black Scales? I don’t know. It’s your sword now, so name it yourself.”

Dojae swung the Black Scale.

The sharp whistling sound was captivating.

Seeing Dojae’s satisfied expression, Sari said to Juk-i.

“Zukui, how much is this sword?”

“Since it’s been a while since I’ve seen a human, and the village chief himself came, I’ll take exactly two thousand gold!”

“Huh?”

Sari was startled.

She immediately pouted and pulled Dojae aside outside.

“Dojae… What about another sword? That one over there looks nice too… Hehehe. No, maybe I’ll pick one from over there?”

Sari pointed to a corner of the smithy.

Several swords were haphazardly stored inside a wooden barrel there.

“How much would that be for a thousand gold?”

Dojae asked Sari, who was smiling brightly.

“A thousand gold… My monthly living expenses are about ten gold… And a family of four Grey Elves living costs about a hundred gold a month…”

Sari pulled a pouch from her sleeve and showed it to Dojae.

Inside the somewhat heavy pouch lay one gold coin marked ’10’ and dozens marked ‘1’.

‘At most, it’s probably around thirty or forty gold…’

Two thousand gold was twenty times the monthly living expenses for one family.

He didn’t know the local economy, but that sword wasn’t cheap.

‘What made him think I had that much money…’

Dojae alternated his gaze between the black scales Juk-i had shown him and the swords shoved into the corner.

“Huh… Sari, wait a moment.”

He patted Sari’s shoulder and stepped back into the blacksmith’s shop.

Juk-i waited.

Dojae made one request.

“Do you happen to have any boiling water?”

“Boiling water? Water boils in no time. But why do you need it?”

“To buy that sword.”

Juk-i tilted his head at Do-jae’s request.

Then, looking utterly baffled, he went inside for a moment and soon returned with a pot.

The water inside the pot was placed over the stove and began boiling vigorously in the blink of an eye.

“Here you go. Not sure what you can do with boiling water, though.”

Without a word, Dojae opened his pocket dimension.

Sari and Juk-i flinched in surprise.

But now accustomed to this reaction, they shrugged it off and pulled something out.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

He peeled off the plastic with his fingernail.

He opened the lid halfway.

Pouring boiling water precisely to the line, then placing the wooden chopsticks they’d taken out together on top.

“Four minutes.”

Sari and Juk-i couldn’t bring themselves to speak, struck by Dojae’s resolute expression and measured movements.

Silence flowed, and after 4 minutes.

Splash.

Pour out all the water.

He poured the bright red liquid soup over the noodles.

“Try it.”

Dojae wears a triumphant expression.

That’s right.

What he pulled out was cup ramen.

And not just any cup noodles, but the best-selling stir-fried ramen flavor in South Korea without broth: Buldak.