“Giant, I have one favor to ask.”
Blton, the Blue Jewel Dwarf chieftain, spoke with a piercing gaze.
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Our Blue Jewel Dwarves have traditionally built and lived in castles on the Wide Plain. Thanks to that, we’re more skilled in fortification and construction than other Dwarves. Looking at this castle wall, it’s made of sturdy materials, but unfortunately, the craftsmanship doesn’t seem to have reached the highest standard.”
“That’s true. We rushed a bit when building it.”
The recently expanded sections were decent, but the parts built at the start were flimsy.
“If you plan to expand the castle walls further, please leave it to us! If you entrust us, we’ll put all our passion into creating perfect castle walls.”
“I will leave it to you.”
Suho replied willingly.
It was only natural.
“Since the Magic Mountain has appeared at the foot of the mountain, we don’t know when they might attack this place.”
It’s better to prepare thoroughly.
If you can borrow the hands of experts, it’s even better.
Having entrusted the fortifications to Blton, Suho recalled there were more tasks left.
“Oh, please take a look at this, everyone.”
Suho transmitted the [Mushroom Bongbong] to the other world.
Tarunga picked it up.
“A material infused with magic. Seems like we can craft something decent.”
But Dalkong quickly snatched the [Mushroom Bongbong] from Tarunga’s hand.
“Giant, please leave this one to me this time. I will make a masterpiece!”
“Hey, why is this guy suddenly taking it? Giant gave it to me.”
“He didn’t give it to you; he just sent it over here. You were the first to grab it.”
“Every order has its turn. Since I picked it up first, my turn comes first. Besides, what we failed to make last time needs to be fixed. I’m thinking of a design that will perfectly suit the Red Gray Guardian.”
“I gave a lot of leeway for the Red Gray Guardian, didn’t I? This time it’s my turn. You should give in, Tarunga.”
“What? I gave in for the Red Gray Guardian. Didn’t I pass the Ogre off to you? So clearly, this time it’s my turn.”
Tarunga and Dalkong started bickering over the material.
Suho watched the scene with a dumbfounded expression.
Suddenly, something caught his eye.
‘Blton seems eager to butt in too.’
Although he couldn’t intervene, Blton’s eyes were glowing fiercely.
‘Should I ask him once?’
Suho spoke toward the cold storage.
“Wait a minute, stop!”
Two Dwarves froze in place.
Suho continued.
“Blton, do you happen to make Blue Jewel equipment?”
“Of course. Crafting equipment is the Dwarves’ main profession; fortification is just a sideline.”
“Then which type are you most confident in?”
“I’m confident in crafting all kinds of items, but especially in accessories, I’m more advanced than any other tribe!”
‘Oh, this guy’s no pushover either.’
How about a little competition?
“But Blton, can you make items while fortifying at the same time?”
“Absolutely. For fortification, if I design the overall framework, the tribe members can handle the rest.”
“Then Blton, please take charge of item production. The type doesn’t matter; just make the best accessories using the materials well.”
“Understood! I will give it my all to create the best items.”
Blton bowed deeply as if his head would touch the ground.
‘It feels strange to be thanked while being asked for a favor.’
Even after several experiences, this feeling was unfamiliar.
“Wh-what! Even you, Blton?”
Tarunga’s dry voice sounded.
“You fool. I brought the fool into the house.”
Dalkong added his voice.
Suho smiled wryly.
“Tarunga, what happened to the iron spears we made for sale?”
“I left it to those guys; they should be finished by now. I’ll bring them right away.”
Tarunga hurried off, looking determined.
“Dalkong, do you have some free time? I thought, we don’t have to sell only weapons, right? So I’d like to make some simple defensive gear to sell.”
“Leave it to me! No need for special materials either. Beast leather is more than enough.”
Dalkong ran off as well.
Suho finally spoke to Blton, who remained.
“Blton, do you need any more materials for the castle walls?”
Suho explained about the building materials that could be procured.
“If you supply the general cement and steelwood abundantly, I will make the castle walls and all convenience facilities perfectly!”
“Okay. I’ll get the materials soon, so please start with the accessories first.”
“Got it! I’m heading there now!”
Blton ran off too.
Suho, who had been watching them with a satisfied gaze, took out his smartphone.
‘Shall I try to get some materials?’
He made a call.
A signal tone rang, and soon Jung Hyunsu answered.
“How have you been, hyung?”
“Oh, you’ve been well too?”
“I’m leveling up hard. Trying to graduate the First-Rank Dungeon quickly. What’s up?”
“Can you get me some more construction materials?”
“We don’t have much rapid-hardening cement yet, but tell me what you need besides that.”
“Just regular cement will do. Also…”
Suho added a thought that suddenly came to him during the call.
“Take care of the Second-Rank Dungeon too.”
“Got it, hyung. I was actually waiting for you to say something. I’ll contact you again once it’s ready.”
“Thanks a lot. Keep up the good work.”
Magic exists on Earth.
Magic beasts have appeared in the Dwarf World.
The energy they possess is the same.
“There’s definitely something going on. Maybe it’s also related to why I awakened as a Dimensional Traveler…”
Could Suho’s intervention in another dimension also be connected to magic?
After pondering for a while, Suho stopped thinking.
It was a problem he couldn’t find an answer to immediately.
But one thing was certain.
‘I need to get stronger quickly.’
Only by becoming stronger could he protect himself and his little friends in other dimensions.
Suho steeled his resolve just like the Dwarves.
***
Great Hall –
Youngil Guild House, Guild Leader’s Office.
The ashtray and mirror lay shattered on the floor.
“These damn bastards ruined everything!”
Park Youngil, the Youngil Guild Leader, muttered fiercely, spitting venom.
“How dare they betray the Guild Leader and run away? Those bastards should rot!”
He ground his teeth.
But no one was there to take his anger.
It had been two months since Park Dongsik disappeared.
During that time, Park Youngil had committed all sorts of atrocities.
Even the underlings who once followed him left in disgust.
Eventually, Park Youngil was the only one left in the Youngil Guild.
Knock knock –
Someone knocked on the half-open door.
“Who is it?”
Park Youngil shouted nervously.
“It’s me.”
It was Yuk Kyunghwan, the leader of the Murderer Living Coms.
“What do you want?”
Park Youngil couldn’t even release his anger at Yuk Kyunghwan.
“This guild has become a complete mess.”
“What?”
Ignoring Park Youngil, Yuk Kyunghwan walked toward the sofa.
He brushed the dust off and sat down.
“I have something to say, so sit down for a bit.”
“I’m not in the mood to talk now. Come back later.”
“Later? It’s been two months since the goods arrived. You can’t keep it like this, Park Youngil.”
“I… I have urgent business, so wait a little longer. The stuff you sent last time should still be here. Use that well.”
“Hey, why are you acting like this? We have a contract, so if you received something, you should do your job properly.”
There was no formal contract, but breaking the agreement carried a much greater risk.
He could even lose his life.
Park Youngil gritted his teeth and shouted.
“Do you think unconnected Hunters, those no-name guys who cause no trouble when caught, are hanging around somewhere? Wait a bit longer then. ×#! My head already hurts enough.”
He ended up cursing, but Yuk Kyunghwan did not get angry.
If anything, he smirked as if he had expected this.
“Tch, that’s why the guild is in this state. It would be fine if only one son was born again, but why all this fuss?”
“Yeah, right.”
Murderous intent flashed in Park Youngil’s eyes.
The fragile peace he barely held onto was about to snap.
“Did I say something wrong? Park Dongsik, was it? He was no good anyway. Known as a troublemaker. Even if it’s a dog bastard, does my bastard look better?”
Park Youngil felt something snapping inside his head.
“You damn!”
He drew a knife from his waist.
But that was exactly the moment Yuk Kyunghwan was waiting for.
“Enough.”
Yuk Kyunghwan spread his hands wide.
A strange energy surged from his hands, covering Park Youngil’s face.
Gong
Park Youngil quickly retreated, stopping his breathing.
Despite being a seasoned veteran with sharp reflexes, the result was not good.
His mind clouded.
He felt something stirring deep in his chest.
His head became hazy as if dreaming, and his body lost control.
“Did you mess up the operation beforehand, or is your mental state just shattered? Hehe, easier than I thought.”
Yuk Kyunghwan pulled out a photo from his pocket.
It showed someone’s face.
“Look here. This guy killed Park Dongsik. He brutally murdered Park Dongsik inside the dungeon and fed him to the monsters.”
“Grrrr—”
A beast-like howl escaped from Park Youngil’s mouth.
“This bastard. Your sworn enemy. Want to know where he is? Eat this. Then you’ll feel his energy.”
Yuk Kyunghwan handed over a handful of hair.
Park Youngil, as if hypnotized, took it and swallowed.
Flash!
Red light flashed in Park Youngil’s eyes.
“That’s right, that’s exactly how it feels. Your enemy is where this energy flows. You just have to find him and kill him. But…”
Park Youngil’s body froze as he was about to rush out.
“Not now. Wait until you receive the signal in a few days. I’ll erase all traces first. Forget everything that happened today. Until then, just live as usual. Or rather, it’s better to live more politely than usual.”
Yuk Kyunghwan smiled thinly and stood up.
“Grrrr—”
Until that moment, Park Youngil was rooted to the spot.
“Get yourself together after I leave. Then take care, Youngil.”
With that, Yuk Kyunghwan’s voice faded.
Park Youngil’s mind cleared as the words ended.
“What… What was I doing?”
He had no memory of what had just happened.
Only the face of someone kept lingering in his mind.
***
“Shall we get going soon?”
Suho took equipment out of the dimensional bag and started equipping it.
The Red Gray Guardian, the Flame Thorn Sword, and the others found their places.
And the last one.
“Still a Dwarf! They never disappoint.”
Suho looked at the new equipment Blton had given him with an appreciative gaze.
[Electric Ring]
- A ring made by a master craftsman, recreating shattered electric stone shards and combining them with Mushroom Bongbong.
- Enhances physical abilities and can deliver electric shocks to objects held in the hand.
- Item Grade: Rare
- Strength +10 Agility +10 Stamina +10 Magic Power +10
- [Electric Touch]
- Durability 150
[Electric Touch]
- Delivers an electric shock to the target held in the hand. If the electric shock hits, the target is stunned for 1 second.
- Cooldown: 1 minute
“There are drawbacks, but the skill is decent.”
Range and duration were weaknesses, but the effect of ‘stun’ alone was enough to make it excellent.
Flapping—
Balryong’s fluttering wings disturbed Suho’s concentration.
“Stop gawking at that thing and let’s go to the dungeon quickly.”
Got it, let’s go.
Today was the day to enter the Second-Rank Dungeon.
Balryong was joining this time as well.
The prize was three chickens and the chance to increase magic power, so Balryong was eager.
“I’ll clear that dungeon in ten minutes. Just trust me.”
“Good, glad you’re working hard.”
Suho chuckled and left the house.
The transparent Balryong settled on Suho’s shoulder.
The tow truck moved along a deserted mountain road.
“The road construction stopped because a dungeon formed inside the tunnel.”
They were making a road around the mountain, but now all construction had stopped.
As expected, a dungeon had appeared inside the tunnel under construction.
Suho got off the car at the spot where the dungeon was visible.
Several Sangwangryeon Dungeon Management Team staff were there.
Beside them stood a familiar face.
“Hyunsu? Why are you here?”
“Hyung, you came? I heard you’re going into the Second-Rank Dungeon, so I came to see you off.”
“You could have just sent a message.”
“They said you were going alone, so I was worried. But since it’s you, I think you’ll do fine, haha. So I brought this for you.”
Along with his words, Jung Hyunsu held out a small bottle the size of a finger.
[Upper-grade Healing Potion]
Suho was slightly moved.
He had brought potions from the shop.
But what Jung Hyunsu offered was more expensive and effective.
‘It’s not about purity.’
He was grateful that Jung Hyunsu had gone out of his way to bring it.
“Thanks.”
His thanks were brief.
But his gratitude was long remembered.
“Thanks a lot. Like I always say, I’m the one who should be thanking you. And it’s all in the contract. The best support we can give! It says so in the contract.”
“Kid!”
Suho raised his hand to lightly tap Jung Hyunsu’s shoulder.
His hand stopped midair.
Suddenly, a foreboding energy was felt.
Balryong also warned.
“Wait!”