Chapter 55
“We have one week to end this.”
Eldrin’s voice was steady.
“Since our awakening, the orb’s prohibition is fading.”
She glanced back. The dragon writhed and roared, thrashing against the seal.
Beside her, Dmir nodded.
“She’s right. You know how monstrous that beast is. Once the prohibition breaks, it’s over.”
“G-Great ancestor…”
Dagnard timidly raised his hand.
Dmir, in his skeletal form, tilted his head.
“So after a week, the world ends—is that what you mean?”
“What? If that were true, why would I bother breaking the seal and appearing here?”
For a moment, his expression betrayed the thought: ‘Was my race always this dense?’ But he quickly smoothed it away. With Eldrin beside him, he likely thought it best not to insult his own kind.
“S-So it doesn’t end?”
“Tch. It could, or it might not. What matters is that we do everything we can to prevent it.”
Dmir turned to me.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“Time is short. You know as well as I that our awakening won’t last.”
“I know.”
The system had already told me.
“We have exactly one week. After that, our strength fades. We’ll return to spirits again. And when that happens, the dragon’s prohibition breaks.”
“Then what do we do?”
“Kill the dragon before then.”
He clenched his hammer.
“The wyrm rules this world, but the world rules it in turn.”
“What does that mean?”
I frowned. It sounded like a riddle.
“This world is built on the Forest and Rock Tribes. As strong as the dragon is, the world is just as strong. If both tribes become one, that world grows even stronger.”
“Ah.”
I nodded. It clicked immediately.
“Unity. If the tribes combine, they’ll become a single world. And that world can resist the dragon.”
“Correct.”
That was the true purpose of this dungeon, Forest and Rock: to end the conflict.
“Our goal is to unite the tribes, then strike before the prohibition fails. But as you can see…”
Dmir gestured at his skeletal body.
“…in this state, we can’t do it alone.”
Well, fair enough. If my ancestors suddenly returned as skeletons, I’d have trouble believing them too.
“But if you help us slay the dragon…”
Thoom!
He slammed the hammer into the ground.
Eldrin stepped forward as well, bowing her head slightly.
“In exchange for settling the grudge of our people, we will follow you until our spirits are gone.”
“I swear it too, in the name of the forest and the moonlight.”
Both skeletons looked at me with solemn eyes.
And then a new message appeared.
[Ding!]
[Stage: Forest and Rock]
[Difficulty: Unmeasurable]
[The mission has reached its finale.]
[Unite the tribes and slay the eternal enemy, the Colossal Dragon.]
[Appease the regrets of the two spirits to awaken the true power of Bone Three and Bone Six.] (T/N: DAMNNNN!)
True awakening.
Of course.
It was just like when I gained Sunny.
One week.
I exhaled, lips curling. This was what I’d been waiting for.
“Alright. Let’s do it.”
—
Unity.
That meant persuading the two tribes.
No easy task, not after five hundred years of hatred.
“I’ll handle the elves.”
The true High Elf Queen, Eldrin, knew her people best.
“They can’t defy their queen. Whatever I look like, they’ll recognize me. Leave the forest to me.”
With quiet pride, she turned and walked toward the trees.
Dmir snorted.
“Hmph. A race that only obeys a queen? No true people should live without freedom. Not like us Rock Tribe.”
He bristled, as if his pride couldn’t accept it.
“They’re like ants bowing to a queen ant.”
I grinned.
“The dwarves won’t be a problem either. Not with your skill.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. Shall we head out?”
Leaving Eldrin, we returned to Titan.
It should’ve been difficult to enter without the chieftain’s permission. But the chieftain was sealed below now.
Breaking through the gates wasn’t hard.
“Hah, have you forgotten already? This is Joo Donghoon, our benefactor! The chieftain himself gave permission! Here, take this, a token of goodwill. What, are you really so stiff?”
Dagnard smoothed it over with ease, and we passed through.
We went straight to the mines.
The ore was untouched, piled as it always had been.
I breathed deeply.
“Mm, that smell.”
I gazed at the glittering heaps with affection. I thought I’d never see them again.
“Sunny.”
“Yes, Master.”
He bowed as I summoned him.
“Take the skeletons and spread the word. Joo Donghoon has returned. Tell them I’ll make their weapons, just as I promised.”
“At once.”
Dwarves were simple. Straightforward.
Offer them weapons, and they’d warm up instantly.
[Rock Tribe: 75]
[Forest Tribe: 25]
‘First step: max out their favorability.’
Choosing dwarves first had been the right call.
If Eldrin could sway all the elves, then I only had to secure the dwarves.
‘Now then…’
I looked at Dmir.
Time to let the hammer sing.
But first—
“Dmir.”
“What is it?”
“Can you make me a bag?”
“A bag?”
“Yes. You remember the supply packs you once handed out?”
“Hmm.”
He shook his head sadly.
“I could, if I had the energy. But my awakening depends on the orb. If I use too much, the prohibition might break early.”
“Ah.”
That was a shame.
If I could gear up my skeletons—and myself—through Dmir, it would’ve been ridiculous.
“Still, I can make basic items without limit. Just nothing as complex as enchanted artifacts.”
“Got it.”
So no S-rank gear. But still useful.
“Hey.”
Dagnard approached and handed me a bag.
“Dagnard?”
“You really meant it, didn’t you?”
My eyes widened. Was he serious?
He grinned warmly.
“What’s there to hoard? You’ve saved my life three times now. You’re a hero to my people.”
“Thank you!”
I accepted it without hesitation.
He wasn’t wrong.
I was a big deal to the dwarves.
[Item: Dmir’s Supply Pack]
[Rank: S]
[Type: Bag]
[Description: A bag crafted by the legendary blacksmith Dmir for his people’s use. Exceptional even for a supply model.]
[Effect 1: S-rank pocket dimension for storage.]
[Effect 2: Items remain fresh inside.]
An artifact impossible to find on Earth.
‘Before I clear this place, I’ll pack everything I can.’
That was the bag’s true purpose.
“Alright then.”
I clapped my hands.
Creak!
Dmir looked at me.
“Time to hammer.”
“What first?”
“Anything you can manage. Keep it simple.”
“Just crafting? That’s enough for unity?”
He sounded doubtful.
“Watch.”
“…Very well. I’ll trust you.”
Clang! Clang!
The forging began.
—
Word spreads fast.
Sunny’s announcement carried across the Stone lands like wildfire.
“Joo Donghoon? He’s back?”
“The chieftain cast him out, but he’s returned?”
“They say the chieftain allowed it! Not official, but no one’s denying it.”
“Then it must be true!”
Dwarves flocked to the mines.
Their favorability was working in my favor.
“Hey! Why did you take so long? You promised me a weapon last time and vanished!”
“Mine too!”
“Out of the way! I was next in line!”
At first, just a few came. Then they arrived in droves.
Sunny had even spread the line, “The chieftain allowed it!”—and the dwarves didn’t hesitate.
“Haha, form a line, everyone.”
I welcomed them warmly.
“This time, what I make will surpass anything I promised before.”
“Truly?”
Their excitement was palpable.
Clang! Clang!
The pure ring of the hammer filled the mine.
Precise, unyielding strikes.
It wasn’t Bone Six’s crude forging.
It was mastery.
Clang! Clang!
[Completion: 100%]
[Acquired: Special Steel Hammer (B-rank).]
Thud.
[Completion: 100%]
[Acquired: Soulbound Supply Hammer (A-rank).]
Thud, thud.
[Completion: 100%]
[Acquired: Special Steel Hammer (B-rank).]
Items poured out like a factory line.
“This… this is godlike! The god of blacksmiths!”
“Is this sorcery? How can a body move like that?”
“A legend! We’re witnessing a legend!”
[Favorability +5]
[The Rock Tribe feels gratitude.]
‘Perfect!’
So simple. Give them tools, win their hearts.
Clang! Clang!
Time passed.
“Thank you! With this, we can win against the elves!”
By the second day, half the tribe had new hammers.
More time passed.
[Favorability +5]
[The Rock Tribe respects you.]
On the third day, every dwarf had one.
But Dmir didn’t stop.
He began crafting tools for everyday life.
[Favorability +5]
[The Rock Tribe trusts you.]
By the fourth day—
“You there. Why do you look so handsome all of a sudden?”
“…What?”
“My daughter would love you! I’d even bless a love that crossed tribes. Hahaha!”
…Alright, that was a bit much.
[Favorability +5]
[The Rock Tribe loves you.]
“Everything you say is right!”
“If you claimed elves were really dwarves, I’d believe it!”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
[Favorability +5]
[Favorability: 100]
[The Rock Tribe fully trusts and depends on you.]
On the fifth day, I maxed out their favorability.