Chapter 49
Another pack of drakes came climbing up from below the stairs.
—Kweeegh!
Thud, thud, thud!
The eyes of those struck by Bone Three’s arrows glowed menacingly.
They stomped furiously, enraged at being baited.
‘Charging in without thinking… as brainless as expected.’
I could’ve gone down to fight them.
But luring them up was simple strategy—
From above, the fall damage would do the real work.
“Heh, never in my life have I hunted this simply.”
“We can’t rely on it forever. Bone Five’s energy is limited.”
Fwoooosh!
Bone Five’s flames surged.
His fire blocked the retreat of the enraged beasts.
[‘Bone Five’ uses skill, Fireball (Lv.MAX).]
Fwoooosh!
He hurled a fireball forward.
Boom!
The blazing mass struck the frontmost drake.
—Kieeeek!
With the stench of burning flesh, it shrieked and flailed.
Desperate to live, it tried to flee.
But in fleeing, it spread fire to its companions.
One by one, flailing, they tumbled into the abyss.
“Safe travels.”
[‘Thorn Drake’ has been slain.]
[‘Thorn Drake’ has been slain.]
[‘Thorn Drake’ has been slain.]
…
‘Good.’
Most unintelligent creatures were weak to fire.
It was a blessing that Bone Five wielded flames.
‘If Bone Five weren’t here?’
Finding another method would’ve been a nightmare.
“Alright then!”
Stretching my stiff shoulders, I plopped down onto the ground.
“Shall we call it a day?”
The tension in my body left me drained.
[Name: Bone Five]
[Energy: 50/200]
Bone Five was nearly spent anyway.
Fifty energy was the bare minimum I left for emergencies.
‘No need to rush.’
Plenty of monsters left.
No one chasing us.
Better to conserve stamina.
“What? You’re planning to rest here? In the middle of a ruin crawling with these beasts?”
“What choice do we have? Like you said, there are swarms of them. No way we’re clearing this all in one day.”
“Hmm.”
Dagnard stroked his chin in thought.
“Wait, wait! Remember when I said bringing me would be useful? That I had my own value?”
“…Yeah, you did.”
“Then allow me to prove it.”
“…?”
What was he getting at?
He set down the pack he’d been carrying.
‘A pack?’
When had he picked that up?
“Heh, I don’t usually show this.”
Dagnard smirked confidently.
“But you’re special. And you’ve worked hard for my people.”
He began pulling things out of the bag.
A frying pan. A cutting board. A pot. Ingredients…
“…Huh?”
My eyes widened.
Of all things to appear—
“You’re… going to cook?”
“Ha! Excavating ancient ruins takes time. Better to be prepared. Aren’t you sick of dried jerky every day?”
“What the—when did you pack all that? No, wait! Why didn’t you bring this out in the elf village?”
“I told you! I don’t show it off lightly. I wasn’t joking.”
“…?”
“This bag is a precious artifact. Even for my benefactor, I don’t usually reveal it.”
He grinned slyly.
And sure enough, it was strange.
Knives, water, utensils—all stored in a bag too small to fit them.
Clang, clang!
Dagnard set to work.
His movements were no joke.
Truly a dwarf.
With incredible dexterity, he set up his station.
“Whoa?”
My jaw dropped.
“I’m best with chicken dishes. Don’t worry about freshness.”
He was impressive.
He chopped a chicken with crisp strikes, rinsed it, drained it, and prepared it neatly.
Mysterious vegetables, clearly of this world, were diced in a blur.
It was like watching a professional chef on TV.
He tossed unknown liquids and ingredients into a pot and set it boiling.
Mesmerized, I couldn’t help but think—
‘That bag…’
“Dagnard.”
“What? Give it ten minutes on high heat and it’ll be ready.”
“No, I mean… can I check that bag?”
“This? Hmm… well, go ahead.”
He hesitated, but agreed.
‘What kind of artifact is this?’
The moment I touched it, information surfaced.
[Item: Dmir’s Supply Bag]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Bag]
[Description: Crafted by the legendary blacksmith Dmir for the convenience of his people. Exceptional performance even as a supply model.]
[Effect 1: Provides S-rank subspace. Can store vast amounts of items.]
[Effect 2: Preserves freshness of items stored inside.]
“Cough!”
I choked in shock.
‘What insane item is this?’
No way an ordinary dwarf should have such a thing.
And Dmir?
The Dmir their people worshipped?
“Heh, amazing, isn’t it?”
“This isn’t just amazing…”
“In our ancestors’ time, these were common. Every family had one or two. That’s why it’s a ‘supply model.’”
Ah. So that’s why.
Still, an S-rank “supply” item?
What kind of world was this 500 years ago?
A shame.
If I’d arrived back then, I could’ve gained so much.
“Honestly, I want it.”
“Heh, don’t covet it. Back then it was common, but now it’s a treasured relic.”
“…Fine.”
Tch. How’d he know?
I was about to ask for it.
“Forget that. Eat this.”
“Oh, it’s ready already?”
“You need to eat well to hunt well. That’s how we’ll find our ancestors’ relics.”
Fair enough.
Better than jerky.
I accepted the dish he handed me.
It looked like braised chicken stew.
Less soup, but close.
“…Oh?”
The first bite made my eyes widen.
“This is… really good.”
“Wahahaha!”
He laughed, delighted by the compliment.
And it wasn’t flattery.
It was genuine.
I had no reason to butter him up.
‘Maybe my taste buds just regressed from eating so poorly lately.’
A pity.
If only my skeletons or the old man could eat too.
Still—
‘Relief.’
I sighed inwardly.
I’d worried about how long I’d be stuck here.
But if water and food were secured, I could stay without issue.
“Heh, better than those elves eating nothing but fruit, right? Eat up! Plenty more!”
They say praise makes whales dance.
He heaped my bowl full.
“Thanks.”
I didn’t refuse.
If I was going to keep training here, I needed the fuel.
“Heh! That’s the spirit. Need anything else?”
“Need? Oh, yes.”
“Ha! Tell me!”
“The bag.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
His quick rejection made me sigh.
“Figures.”
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
Better to just eat.
—
Hunting and training continued.
For me, this place was less a dungeon and more a training ground.
1. Hunt 30 Thorn Drakes daily.
2. One hour of physical conditioning.
3. Thirty minutes of the old man’s massage.
4. Thirty minutes of Legacy of the Ten Thousand Arts lessons.
5. Four hours of Supreme Azure Mind Method.
6. Four hours of personal training.
7. Rest and sleep.
A simple curriculum.
How long?
Until every drake was gone.
“Heh, time flies.”
Dagnard hummed, washing dishes with water.
“A week already.”
He glanced into the pit.
“The constant noise down there has quieted a lot.”
His relaxed demeanor made me chuckle.
“Guess that means it’s almost over. Thank you for the hard work.”
I didn’t mind—growth was growth.
But for Dagnard, I felt a little guilty.
All he did here was cook and wash.
“Hard work? Ha! I should be thanking you. I only cook. You’re the one fighting those monsters!”
“Oh? That thankful?”
“Of course!”
“Really?”
“Really!”
“Then the bag—”
“Silence.”
“Yes, sir.”
His instant response left me sighing.
Truthfully, it wasn’t just the bag on my mind.
Massage time was approaching again.
[Skill, ‘Legacy of the Ten Thousand Arts: Teaching’ (S-rank) is used.]
[Consumes 20 Energy.]
[‘Master of Ten Thousand Arts’ appears.]
The old man’s Supreme Azure Craftsmanship Grand Method was agony.
Even my A-rank Pain Resistance couldn’t handle it.
Each time I endured, I amazed myself.
“Heh, it’s time again.”
“Yes, please, master.”
By now, I was almost eager.
Because I could feel the results.
[Sharpening bone and reshaping talent.]
After the massages, my body’s ability improved.
My mind felt more flexible, absorbing knowledge more easily.
Like I was inching closer to being a ranker.
“Don’t thank me. In fact, today I’ll thank you.”
“…What?”
The old man’s words surprised me.
Until now, it had always been mechanical.
“Your blocked meridians now flow like desert ice melting into streams. Your weak energy is lively like that of a newborn. It means you can advance to the next stage.”
“…What?”
“What else? It’ll be more painful than before.”
“Huh?”
“Huh, what. Don’t want to? Say so and I’ll stop.”
“Seriously?”
My eyes sharpened.
I hesitated.
The pain so far had been brutal. And worse was coming?
That was practically telling me to quit.
But the old man’s expression didn’t change.
“Once this grand method is done, you’ll shed another layer and grow far stronger. You, quit? The you I know would never quit.”
“……”
He knew me too well.
I wasn’t the type to give up before trying.
And not the type to quit even when it hurt.
“No choice then. Let’s do it.”
“Heh, I knew you’d say that.”
He grinned wickedly, but I trusted him.
His desire to raise me.
To pass on the Legacy of the Ten Thousand Arts.
That sincerity was real.
“Remember. What you’ve endured until now was beginner level.”
He cracked his knuckles.
“Now comes intermediate.”
“Intermediate…”
“So be prepared.”
His eyes flashed like lightning.