Chapter 40: The Pickaxe Hero and the Apprentice’s Badge

“It’s pretty gloomy, isn’t it?”

“The monsters here are undead types, so that makes it feel even more so.”

“Undead?”

Clack clack.

As soon as the words fell, a yellowish skeleton came into view. One adventurer was facing off against it.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s a bit dim.”

A skeleton moving alive! There was no mention of an undead dungeon!

Goosebumps rose all over my body.

“There are many adventurers hunting nearby, so it shouldn’t be too dangerous.”

“I-It’s fine. Don’t mind me and hunt. I’ll look around nearby for resources to mine.”

“If anything happens, shout loudly for help.”

I came this far; I can’t return empty-handed. Separated from Cayton, I headed alone to the dungeon wall.

Oh! This is iron ore?

Seeing the iron ore, fear vanished like a lie, and I focused on mining.

Ting! Ting!

The dungeon walls were hard too, making it difficult to gather rocks with ordinary strength and equipment. 

But hadn’t I embedded two rubies in a steel pickaxe?

Ting! Ting!

“Look over there. He’s gathering resources. Judging by the equipment, he’s not an adventurer?”

“There really is someone who came to a beginner dungeon to gather resources. Hunting monsters would make more money than gathering.”

It was something no one challenged. Running a shop outside the dungeon alone earns decent money.

But.

“Yesss! This is a goldmine.”

This is why I can’t stop resource gathering. The pleasure when extracting resources is unbeatable.

I put the mined iron ore in the sack. While moving spots and engrossed in mining.

Clack.

Suddenly, the sound of bones hitting the floor behind me.

No way?

I quickly turned around.

Shiver.

Red eyes met my gaze.

As expected, a skeleton was wobbling just three steps behind.

Clack clack.

The skeleton stretched out its bony arm and walked toward me.

Should I run? 

No, too late to run.

How hard can a skeleton be compared to a rock wall?

Come at me!

I gripped the pickaxe tightly.

“This is a whopping 3-reinforced pickaxe! Combat pickaxe!”

I swung with all my might toward its temple.

Then, as if the pickaxe embedded.

Crack-

It pierced through, and the skull shattered into pieces.

“What? It’s weak?”

I was tense because it was undead, but it fell to one pickaxe hit. 

The skeleton was nothing.

“Ei. I was scared for nothing. Is this the magic stone?”

The skeleton turned to dirt, and a small blue stone appeared on the floor. 

Magic stones from processing monsters are useful in many ways.

The sack is full, so shall I head back now?

Clack clack.

“Get out of the way? Take this!”

Clackclackclackclack.

When I threatened with the pickaxe, the skeleton trembled its jaw in fear, making sounds continuously.

After that, they didn’t come near me.

I shouldered the full sack and headed to where Cayton was.

“Cayton, how’s the hunting?”

“So-so. Fabir, you filled the sack.”

“Thanks to you, I mined a lot of iron ore. It’s nothing much, but take this.”

“Isn’t this a magic stone?”

“I was engrossed in mining and didn’t notice a skeleton approaching from behind; I caught it by accident.”

“By-by accident? You hunted a skeleton alone?”

Cayton’s eyes widened.

“You had no weapon; what did you use to catch it?”

“Of course the pickaxe. I whacked the skull with this, and it fell.”

“Pi-Pickaxe?”

“Have you heard of a combat pickaxe? This is a whopping 3-reinforced! Pickaxe.”

“…3-reinforced?!”

His jaw dropped as if touching the ground.

“What’s the commotion?”

“That guy caught a skeleton?”

“I thought it was something big. What’s the fuss about catching a skeleton?”

“But he did it with a pickaxe.”

“Pickaxe? Wait, isn’t that the guy mining earlier?”

“A non-adventurer civilian caught a skeleton with a pickaxe?”

Buzz buzz.

“Anyway, I mined enough ore, so I’ll head back. Cayton, stay and hunt.”

I casually shouldered the heavy sack and exited the dungeon leisurely.

I flew straight to the dwarf village.

“What’s the matter in the village?”

***

At the entrance, a burly dwarf guard blocked me.

“I have business at Kadu’s workshop.”

The dwarf guard scanned me up and down with a strange look.

“Are you perhaps the new disciple they said came in?”

“How did you know?”

“Kadu requested the guards to allow you free entry to the village. You may enter.”

As I entered the village, the guards whispered.

“I couldn’t believe it, but Kadu really took a human as disciple.”

“He rejected everyone who wanted to be disciple; what wind blew to suddenly take one?”

“Taking a human whose background is unknown as disciple is just trouble.”

“Exactly. Even in the village, there are plenty of dwarves with excellent basic skills.”

“We’ll see his skills at the upcoming apprentice contest.”

Whisper whisper.

To them who played with hammers as toys since young, pounding iron, I must look like a rookie.

Ting! Ting!

Entering the shop, the sound of iron being hammered echoed.

“I’m here!”

“Oh! You came?”

Entering the workshop, Kadu welcomed me warmly.

“Sorry for being late.”

“It’s fine. But what’s in that sack?”

“Iron ore.”

“Iron ore? Mined from the Floating Island?”

Kadu’s eyes sparkled like a girl’s.

“No. This is from the dungeon.”

“Dungeon?”

Kadu tilted his head.

“You’re mining in dungeons now too?”

“It’s fun that different environments yield different materials.”

“Admirable. The attitude of an excellent blacksmith! Good! Today I’ll teach you how to make ingots. But first, something for you.”

Kadu rummaged in his pocket.

“Take this.”

“What is it?”

A copper badge engraved with an anvil and hammer.

“It’s the name tag given to blacksmith apprentices in the dwarf village. Like an ID.”

Like adventurers receive necklaces to identify rank, this seems to have ranks too.

“Don’t forget and wear it on your chest.”

“Thank you.”

I pinned the badge to my chest.

…Am I now a proper dwarf apprentice?

Just pinning a badge. My chest swelled.

“I heard on the way; apprentices have a contest?”

“Ah, the apprentice contest?”

“Contest?”

“It’s a quarterly event. Apprentices gather to compete skills accumulated and strengthen resolve.”

“I see. Do I have to participate too?”

“You’re now a proper apprentice of the dwarf village, so yes. Worried?”

“A bit. Worried about tarnishing Kadu’s reputation.”

“Hahaha. Don’t mind. You’re doing well now.”

Kadu smiled broadly at me. Then thumped his chest hard and said.

“Moreover, my reputation isn’t so fragile. Don’t underestimate what I’ve built!”

“I’ll work hard not to shame you!”

“Good! Start lessons when motivation burns.”

I took out one iron ore from the pocket.

“Indeed, ore from inside the dungeon is harder. Remove the outer rock as much as possible with the hammer.”

Ting! Ting!

I picked out only the iron from the broken rock and put it in the furnace. After removing impurities, the yield from one ore was less than half.

“Keep focusing! It’s not over till it’s over!”

Ting! Ting!

The workshop heated up. Not just from the furnace heat.

Passion poured from the meticulous teaching master and the disciple eager to learn even one thing.

***

Arriving at the Floating Island, I immediately took out farming tools.

A good idea came in the dungeon; I couldn’t sit still wanting to try it.

“What are you planting again?”

“Spinach and burdock. To make kimbap with them.”

“Kimbap?”

“Food often eaten as lunch in the East Continent; planning to sell in front of the dungeon.”

I learned how to season vegetables from Eugene’s mother too.

Adventurers seek easy portable snacks a lot; if response is good, I’ll expand business this way.

“That’s a good idea.”

“Planted spinach and burdock. Now pickle radish.”

I brought radish stored in the Ice Cave, peeled it, and sliced lengthwise.

Put in a jar, added sugar, vinegar, salt, and mixed well.

“Leave for a day and it’s done.”

“I heard from Dorori. You went to the dungeon today? Wasn’t it scary?”

It was, but skeletons were much weaker than thought? One pickaxe hit and they shattered.

“After all, how long have you lived here; you wouldn’t lose to monsters from a beginner dungeon.”

“I’m getting hungry. What to eat?”

Busy day over, finally the most awaited dinner time!

“Ah! Good idea.”

I immediately took soybeans to the well and washed them well. Put one coal in the brazier and lit it.

Whoosh.

Placed a pot on the brazier and started boiling soybeans.

“Where did I put the hammer.”

While soybeans cooked, I brought a flat stone, tap tap shaped it with hammer and nail. Elenia asked, seeming curious.

“Suddenly stopping cooking; what are you making?”

“Millstone. Match stones top and bottom, turn, and contents inside grind.”

“To grind soybeans?”

“Yes. Make soy milk for kongguksu. Float ice to make it cool.”

“Oh! Want to eat soon!”

Scooped well-cooked soybeans, put in the made millstone, turned the handle.

Grind.

As the top stone turned, white soy milk spurted from the edge.

Put soy milk in Ice Cave for a bit, boiled thin noodles bought from the noodle shop, rinsed in cold water. Noodles after cold bath looked plump and appetizing.

Put noodles appropriately in bowls, snapped icicles and added.

Finally, pour chilled soy milk and done.

“Kids, dinner!”

“Wowwww. Food!”

Elenia and Dorori gathered at the table.

“The cow?”

“Resting in the field.”

The cow lay in the shade, chewing continuously. Probably ruminating after eating soybeans.

“There’s salt or sugar; add to taste.”

“I’ll eat well!”

Slurp.

I sucked in the noodles coated thickly with soy milk. Soft, nutty soy milk soaked my mouth.

“Delicious! This is pure gold?”

“Eating noodles is amazing! Bouncy and chewy, noodles feel alive! This thick soy broth pleases the tongue with its natural taste without separate salt or sugar seasoning!”

“There are tons of dishes with soybeans. Learned well from Eugene’s mother; I’ll let you taste all.”

“Definitely! Promise!”

Peep!

Elenia licked soy milk on her lips with her tongue and smiled.

I’ll wipe the soy milk on Dorori’s beak later.