Chapter 2 : The Great Mage Who Controls the Climate

Bang—

Clang, clang—

A loud noise echoed.

Won Suho stared blankly into the freezer as if bewitched.

Ridges, snowy fields, coniferous forests…

The landscape of a mountain overlapped with the inside of the freezer.

It was as if a projector had been installed inside—an eerie sight.

Even stranger, the scenery extended beyond the freezer’s walls.

But the strangest of all were the small people walking around inside.

“Straighten that pillar! It’s leaning!”

“No, it just looks that way because the ground’s sloped.”

“Who leveled the ground? Why is it like this!”

“The tree’s falling! Move—!”

The little people were busy—cutting trees, leveling the ground, and building houses.

‘Settlers? But they look like…’

Suho scrutinized them carefully.

Broad shoulders, short stature, stubby limbs… and thick beards covering half their faces.

“They’re exactly like dwarves.”

They looked just like the dwarves from the movies.

“The wind’s too strong. The forge should be fine, right?”

“Of course. It’s a forge blessed by the god of hammers and anvils.”

“Unless an Ice Dragon breathes on it, the forge will be fine. Stop worrying and keep working!”

Even as they built the village, the dwarves kept chatting—almost like singing work songs.

‘They’re definitely not speaking Korean… but I can understand them.’

Come to think of it, their mouth movements didn’t match Korean either.

‘Must be because of my Awakening.’

Awakening—

The basic requirement to become a Hunter.

It meant discovering supernatural powers with the help of the “System.”

Dimensional Traveler, huh?

Every Hunter received a “class” upon Awakening, which determined their growth path.

Suho’s class was Dimensional Traveler.

It sounded grand, but he’d have to look into it more.

In the past, people judged classes by dictionary definition, but that changed after some “trash” classes led to massive comebacks.

“It must be because of my unique skill that I can talk to them.”

Unique skills—special abilities granted in relation to one’s class.

They couldn’t be obtained unless you awakened into that specific class.

Suho’s unique skill was [Communication].

Clearly, it was letting him understand the dwarves.

Then—

A new message appeared.

[Dimension Panel activated.]

[Summon the Dimension Panel to check your status.]

‘Dimension Panel?’

He’d heard of status windows, but not this.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a semi-transparent screen appeared, like a whiteboard.

—

[Dimension Panel]

[Connected Dimensions: 1]

[List of Exchange Targets]

• ESKHJ-0702L

– Red Hammer Dwarves

*If you look at the target’s name, you can check detailed information.

[Exchange Rank: Low]

*The more exchange targets and frequency, the higher the rank.

*Higher ranks increase influence over the connected dimension.

[Dimension Quest: 0]

—

It looked like something straight out of a simulation game.

So the little people really were dwarves—specifically “Red Hammer Dwarves.”

“If there’s a list, maybe other races will appear too…”

The scenery inside the freezer must be a mountain range, and who knew what lay beyond his current field of vision.

“And maybe… entirely different dimensions might appear as well.”

For now, he focused on the dwarves.

He stared at “Red Hammer Dwarves” and a detailed window popped up.

—

Red Hammer Dwarves
– Home Dimension: ESKHJ-0702L
– Population: 23
– Satisfaction: 15/100

—

“Feels just like a city-building game.”

If he could raise their satisfaction, something would probably change—like more dwarves joining or them paying taxes.

While he was thinking, the dwarves slowed down and their voices quieted.

“It’s too cold to work after sunset.”

“Damn it, we’ll freeze to death if we sleep outside in this weather.”

“If only we had some ale… but we rushed and didn’t bring a single keg.”

“Not just ale! We left our weapons too.”

“Why did we even come to the Balanca Mountains?”

“The oracle told us, remember? This place is safe from magic.”

‘Oracle?’

Suho made a mental note.

“But still… this is the territory of that crazy dragon.”

“Yeah, but without this move, we’d have been wiped out by monsters.”

“I know, but it’s still unsettling…”

They grumbled on.

‘So it’s the cold that’s the problem.’

As dusk fell inside the freezer, the temperature dropped further.

‘If I solve the cold problem, maybe their satisfaction will go up.’

Then—

[You have obtained the Dimension Quest: “Drive Out the Cold.”]

[Check the Dimension Panel for details.]

—

Quest: Drive Out the Cold

– The Red Hammer Dwarves who migrated to the Balangka Mountains are struggling due to the harsh cold. Help them survive the winter.

– Reward: Red Hammer Dwarf satisfaction, Unique Skill.

—

“So quests pop up when I identify a problem.”

And the reward was a unique skill. He had to do it.

‘But how? Give them hand warmers? Blow hot air in with a dryer?’

Wait—

‘There’s an easier way.’

Old freezers had cold-control levers in the corner.

‘If I adjust that, it should be less cold, right?’

Suho reached for the lever—

And chaos erupted.

“Aaaah! What is that?!”

“A monster! Get ready for battle!”

“Run! We’ll all die!”

The dwarves panicked and scattered.

“Oh… to them, I must look like a giant invading their world.”

It reminded him of a manga where giants ate humans.

While he hesitated, one dwarf stepped forward.

A large one, with a beard down to his belly.

“I am Tarunga, chieftain of the Red Hammer Tribe. Who are you?”

Suho seized the chance.

“Hello. I’m Won Suho. A human.”

“A human? Are you from the Giant Race?”

“No, just human.”

Tarunga was visibly puzzled, but Suho pressed on.

“Somehow, our worlds have become connected.”

“What do you mean, connected?”

“I’ve gained a special ability… and I’m not here to harm you. I just wanted to help, but I think I startled you.”

“Help us? How?”

“By easing the cold.”

Tarunga’s eyes widened.

Ease the cold?

Could this giant be a great mage capable of controlling the climate?

“Do you mean to adjust the weather of the Balanca Mountains?”

“Well… I can’t promise, but I can probably make it less cold.”

“Ah… so earlier, when you reached out your hand, it was to cast great magic.”

“It’s not exactly magic, but… may I try again?”

“Of course. We’ll step aside.”

The dwarves moved back.

“Don’t be too surprised.”

Suho reached into the freezer and turned the cold lever to the lowest setting.

The icy air began to fade.

“The biting wind’s gone!”

“It’s true—it’s warmer!”

“Wow! The giant has defeated the cold!”

The dwarves cheered, some even wondering aloud if he was truly a great mage.

Then—

[Dimension Quest “Drive Out the Cold” completed.]

[Red Hammer Dwarf satisfaction +30.]

[Unique Skill “Trade” acquired.]