[You have discovered a new target: [Light-hide Dwarf].]
[You have begun interacting with the new target: [Light-hide Dwarf].]
“Another Dwarf has appeared!”
According to Tarunga, many Dwarf tribes existed besides the Red Hammer Dwarves.
It was about time for them to show up.
And all of them had received the same Oracle.
So it wasn’t strange that another Dwarf tribe had appeared in the Balanca Mountains.
As Suho was coming to terms with the appearance of a new Dwarf, another message followed.
[Interaction level has risen from [Low] to [Normal].]
[The probability of discovering new Dimensions increases.]
The interaction level had risen.
Suho’s mind was busy with this sudden change.
The first thing that came to mind was the Question Mark Skill that he was always conscious of because of Balangkaar.
“Has the Question Mark Skill changed?”
Suho checked the [???] Skill.
The Skill was still the same.
“It’s still not revealed.”
He couldn’t satisfy his curiosity, but Suho’s expression was bright.
“Still, it’s good that the chance of discovering a new Dimension has increased.”
He was filled with anticipation.
Thinking about the changes after meeting the Dwarves, he couldn’t help but feel that way.
After collecting his thoughts, Suho turned his gaze toward the Freezer.
Inside the Barrier Wall, Tarunga was visible.
In front of him stood a Dwarf Suho had never seen before.
The new Dwarf looked a bit different.
He was about the same height as Tarunga, but his frame was slender and sharp.
He wore leather armor and carried a crossbow.
‘That stain on the armor looks like blood.’
The armor was smeared with dark red stains.
There were also wounded among them.
‘They must’ve had a rough journey. But how many came?’
There seemed to be quite a lot.
Suho opened the Dimensional Panel to check the interaction target list.
[Interaction Target List]
-ESKHJ.-0702L
ㄴ Red Hammer Dwarves
ㄴ Gwangryong Balangkaar
ㄴ Light-hide Dwarf
*If you stare at the target’s name, you can view more detailed information.
As expected, a new target had been added.
This time, he called up the details for the Light-hide Dwarves.
『Light-hide Dwarves』
- Affiliated Dimension: ESKHJ-0702L
- Members: 1,027
- Satisfaction: 30/100
There were a lot of the new race.
‘Over a thousand?’
Did they all migrate at once?
‘I should try talking with them.’
With this, Suho had found out all the information he could from the Dimensional Panel.
Now it was time to converse.
***
Chieftain Dalkong of the Light-hide Dwarves was relieved.
Two months had passed since receiving the Oracle and deciding to migrate.
After fending off countless Monsters, they finally arrived at the Balanca Mountains.
“It’s a Barrier Wall! There are people! They’re Dwarves!”
“Wow—there really are Dwarves here!”
Hope truly awaited them here.
A Barrier Wall.
It was only as tall as a fence, but it was a Barrier Wall nonetheless.
Someone was living here, and an environment for survival was in place.
‘The Oracle was right. This place really is the only paradise where we can escape the Monster Invasion.’
Inside the Barrier Wall were Dwarves.
And when he realized they were the familiar Red Hammer clan, he was shocked.
“The Red Hammer tribe built all this? In such a short time?”
That’s why he hurriedly questioned Tarunga, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.
But the answer he got was absurd.
“The Red Hammer and our eternal friend, Giant-nim, built it together, heh heh heh.”
“Giant? What’s that?”
“The Guardian of the Dwarves, the protagonist of the Oracle. A Great Mage who controls the weather, and the mighty warrior who subdued Mad Dragon Balangkaar! Giant-nim is such a person.”
Tarunga explained with pride.
Dalkong couldn’t make sense of it.
‘Is he delirious from the hardships of fleeing?’
After all, every single thing Tarunga said sounded too preposterous to believe.
‘Well, I’ve heard the Oracle, so I can accept that, but what? Controlling the weather?’
And even subduing a Dragon, no less.
Subduing the notorious Mad Dragon Balangkaar?
If he’d said they killed it, that might be believable.
“Are you in your right mind?”
Dalkong asked Tarunga.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“The Oracle descended, so there must be something here. So maybe there is a Giant… but controlling the weather and defeating a Dragon? That’s too much to believe.”
“Heh heh, then are you saying we built all the Barrier Walls and buildings by ourselves? What about all the timber over there? The mine? Our departure dates weren’t much different from your tribe’s. We even met at the pre-migration assembly, so you know that, right?”
“Hmm.”
Dalkong fell silent.
The Red Hammer territory was closer to here, but the distance wasn’t dramatically different.
‘Could there really be a Great Mage and Dragon Slayer called Giant?’
No way.
No matter how he thought about it, such a thing was impossible.
‘Maybe he was cursed by some bad Magic?’
Dalkong’s heart was filled with suspicion.
He glanced.
Dalkong looked at Tarunga’s complexion.
He also observed the state of the other Red Hammer tribe members.
But there was nothing wrong.
‘They’re all very cheerful. Even though the world is supposed to be ending…’
They seemed almost too hopeful—it was strange.
As Dalkong was deep in thought, a voice suddenly rang out.
“Tarunga-nim, it looks like new Dwarves have arrived. Could you introduce them?”
Dalkong was startled by the voice that came from the empty air.
There was no one, but if he looked closely, something shimmered in the air.
‘Is it really a mage?’
Dalkong tensed, watching the situation.
Tarunga shouted with a bright face toward the air.
“Giant-nim, you’re here! Dalkong, over there, that’s Giant-nim. You can’t see him, but he’s there. Giant-nim, this friend is Dalkong, chieftain of the Light-hide Dwarves.”
“Hello, my name is Won Suho. Nice to meet you.”
At Tarunga’s introduction, Suho greeted them first.
Dalkong also responded, albeit awkwardly.
“I am Dalkong, chieftain of the Light-hide Dwarves. Are you really a Giant?”
“Uh… I’m not a Giant, but I do seem big from your perspective.”
An ambiguous answer.
Suho was just telling the truth, but to the suspicious Dalkong, it only sounded more dubious.
“Then are you a Great Mage?”
“No. I can’t use Magic.”
“Tarunga said you were the great warrior who subdued a Dragon. Is that true or not?”
“That’s closer to the truth. I don’t know about being a great warrior, but I did subdue a Dragon.”
Dalkong’s tone was probing, but Suho answered calmly.
Now that he was registered as an interaction target, there was no need to make a bad impression.
But Dalkong’s doubts did not fade easily.
“That’s too much to believe. You say you subdued Mad Dragon, and that you warmed the weather, yet claim not to be a mage… It doesn’t add up. Are you approaching our Dwarves with some ulterior motive?”
“Dalkong, how could you speak so rudely to Giant-nim! I saw it myself with my own two eyes!”
Tarunga shouted, cutting in angrily.
Even so, Dalkong did not let go of his suspicion.
“The fate of the tribe is at stake, Tarunga. Get ahold of yourself. I don’t know what happened to you, but we have someone knowledgeable in curses in our tribe. Let’s go see him.”
Dalkong spoke as if Tarunga had been bewitched.
“Are you possessed or something? Enough with the nonsense. Apologize to Giant-nim.”
“So this land of hope has come to this, has it? Get a grip, Tarunga!”
Dalkong raised his voice at Tarunga instead.
The safety of the tribe was at stake.
Dalkong could not easily open his heart.
Suho sensed Dalkong’s feelings.
‘It’s different from the Red Hammer tribe.’
They had shared food, built the village, and erected the Barrier Wall.
They had earned trust by fighting off Ogres and Dragons—but you can’t expect that trust right away from the start.
With the lives of thousands at stake, it was only natural to be as cautious as possible.
Judging by their battered appearance, they’d fought battles on the way as well—making it even more understandable.
‘If I try to get close too quickly, it could backfire. Let’s take it slow, nice and slow.’
Having decided on a course of action, Suho spoke to Dalkong.
“You just arrived and must be tired. Let’s talk after you’ve rested, Dalkong-nim.”
He then turned to Tarunga.
“Tarunga-nim, there’s some food left, right? Please share it with the Light-hide Dwarves. I’ll get more soon.”
“Yes, I will. I’m sorry for always imposing on you, Giant-nim.”
“It’s nothing. Please, I’ll leave it to you. And Dalkong-nim, you should rest too.”
“…Very well.”
Dalkong couldn’t refuse that.
His tribesmen desperately needed rest and food.
‘Looks like it’ll be a while before we’re on speaking terms.’
Suho left the Freezer and took out his phone.
-Won Suho: Hyunsu, what’s the status on the food supplies? When will they be ready?
Suddenly, the population had increased by a thousand.
If the food wasn’t ready soon, he’d have to check the nearby Warehouse-type Marts.
The reply came soon enough.
-Jung Hyunsu: I was just about to call you! It’s all ready, hyung. I put it in the Warehouse earlier, so you can take it anytime.
-Won Suho: Oh, thanks.
-Jung Hyunsu: Don’t mention it. If you need anything else, just say so. I’ll contact you again once the next dungeon comes up.
-Won Suho: Okay, Thank you.
Suho immediately got up.
‘People naturally like those who feed them.’
Suho headed to the Warehouse, planning to win over the Light-hide Dwarves with food.
***
“Chicken soup, oh oh oh oh—”
Suho hummed a karaoke song.
Thanks to the stockpile of food in the Dimensional Bag, he was in a good mood.
Ramen, rice, flour, potatoes, sweet potatoes—all kinds of ingredients.
And best of all, a thousand whole chickens!
“I always felt bad for only feeding them ramen, but now I feel much better.”
With a happy heart, Suho returned home.
As usual, he opened the door and glanced at the Freezer.
“Nothing happened, right?”
The rented Warehouse was an hour away round trip.
Even at a slow pace, it was less than an hour and a half, so it was unlikely anything had happened.
But when Suho looked into the Freezer with that in mind—
“Stab them! Don’t let them climb up!”
“There aren’t that many! We can win!”
“Don’t get beaten by Goblins, you fools! Fight safely!”
“We can repel them without injury!”
Loud voices rang out.
And then, a message popped up.
[You have obtained a Dimensional Mission: [Monster Invasion Interception].]
What now?
Everywhere he went, there was always a Mission.
At least it wasn’t an emergency Mission, so it didn’t seem urgent……
Before checking the Mission, Suho surveyed the battlefield.
The enemies were Goblins?
Small Monsters were clinging to the Barrier Wall.
But they didn’t seem particularly threatening.
The Barrier Wall was proving its worth.
Red Hammer Dwarves with iron spears stood atop the wall.
Behind them, Light-hide Dwarves with crossbows.
Thanks to their excellent defense, the Goblins couldn’t even climb the wall and fell off.
“At this rate, I might not even need to help.”
For now, Suho decided to check the Mission.
[Monster Invasion Interception]
- A horde of Monsters is invading the Dwarf village. Help the Dwarves repel the Monster Wave!
- Reward: Light-hide Dwarf Satisfaction. Red Hammer Dwarf Satisfaction.
After checking the Mission, Suho frowned.
Because of one ominous word.
“Monster Wave?”
It seemed it wouldn’t end with just Goblins.
As Suho was pondering, a Dwarf shouted.
“Gnolls! Gnolls are coming!”
“Use the crossbows! Knock them down before they get close!”
“Don’t be scared of Gnolls! We can handle them!”
“We have Giant-nim with us!”
Bipedal Monsters with dog-like heads appeared.
About a hundred of them.
They charged toward the Barrier Wall like maniacs.
‘Should I step in soon?’
It didn’t look dangerous yet…
Suho took out the [Fire Thorn Magic Sword] and held it.
But he didn’t step out right away.
‘If I jump in too suddenly, the new Dwarves might be so startled they faint.’
That’s how it was with the Red Hammer Dwarves at first.
‘Let’s just watch a bit longer.’
Fortunately, the Dwarves fought valiantly.
They easily repelled both the Goblins and Gnolls with little damage.
But soon, an exclamation burst from Suho’s lips.
“What the—why is that one so huge?”
On the far side of the battlefield.
A huge Giant was running at them.
Boom, boom—
The shockwaves were visible to the eye.
Of course, the Dwarves reacted.
“Uwaaah—it’s an Ogre!”
“Damn it, it’s an Ogre! An Ogre!”
“Don’t be afraid! We have our Guardian!”
“Giant-nim will come! The one who defeated a Dragon is with us!”
Hearing those shouts, Suho realized it was time for him to act.
He raised his sword and aimed at the Freezer.
Shiiing—
By then, the charging Ogre slammed its fist into the Barrier Wall.
A corner of the wall burst open at once.
At that moment, Suho swung his sword.
Fwoosh—
The sharp blade struck the Ogre’s chest in a flash.
“Graaaaargh!”
The Ogre thrashed wildly, still alive even after being stabbed.
Suho raised his sword.
He slammed the Ogre down like a skewer.
Thud! Thud! Thud! –
After three hits, the Ogre stopped moving.
“It’s Giant-nim! Giant-nim is here!”
“He’s finally here! Hah! Monster bastards, you’re all dead now!”
“Red Hammer, raise your spears! Protect the Barrier Wall! Giant-nim is behind us!”
Waaaaaaaaaa—
The Red Hammer Dwarves erupted in cheers.
“W-What was that?”
“That was the Giant? What just happened?”
“Did he really defeat a Dragon?”
“I don’t know, but he’s on our side, right? That’s all that matters!”
“We’re alive. We’re saved now!”
Though bewildered, none disliked the appearance of such a powerful ally.
The Light-hide Dwarves also joined in the cheers.
But Suho did not let his guard down.
‘It’s not over yet.’
The Mission completion message hadn’t appeared.
Something else was coming.
Suho looked past the Barrier Wall, toward the mountain’s edge.
“What’s that?”
A dark wave surged toward them like a creeping fog.