'What...?'
Raon quickly turned to look at Wrath.
'You say you know them?'
Just a moment ago, Wrath had muttered that he seemed to know the monster wielding the burning sword and whip. Since he wasn't one to usually speak nonsense, if what he said was true, there was a high possibility that the monster that attacked the Gray Hammer Guild was a Demon or related to Demons. (E/N: Wrath is usually one to speak nonsense though)
-Indeed it is.
Wrath nodded, narrowing his eyes.
-However, we still lack information. It would be better to hear a bit more.
He motioned with his round hand, suggesting to get the dwarf to talk.
'Understood.'
After telling him to wait, Raon turned his gaze to the dwarf.
"May I ask your name?"
To ease the dwarf's tension, he first asked for his name.
"My name is... huh?"
The dwarf widened his eyes, which had been wavering in confusion, as if recognizing Raon.
"Raon Zieghart?"
"Do you know me?"
"D-Didn't you speak with our chieftain here?"
He said, grabbing his blackened beard, that Raon had been there when they were making a deal with Borgos.
"Ah, I apologize for recognizing you so late. My memory..."
Raon apologized, bowing his head. Recalling his memories, he did seem to remember seeing a dwarf with a twisted beard like that.
"No, it's natural you wouldn't know since we weren't even introduced. My name is Palenthun."
The dwarf who introduced himself as Palenthun nodded.
"Our chieftain would often ramble about you when he was bored, so I hadn't forgotten about you."
From what he was saying, it seemed he didn't know that Borgos had requested help from Raon.
"But why are you here..."
"Master Borgos sent me a letter."
"The chieftain?"
"Yes."
Raon nodded and showed Borgos's letter.
"Th-That letter..."
Palenthun widened his eyes as if he now understood.
"You know about it?"
"It-It's the letter the chieftain sent after much deliberation! To think it went to you..."
He trembled his beard, seeming to be overcome with emotion just from seeing the envelope.
"The contents..."
Raon let out a soft sigh and showed the contents of the letter.
"Please help..."
Palenthun squeezed his eyes shut while reading the letter.
"The chieftain is someone who believes we should handle everything with our own hands. After seeing the letter from Sepia, he muttered something about it being fate, and to think he sent a letter to you..."
He knelt down and sobbed, as if feeling Borgos's emotions from the words asking for help.
"Please tell me in detail what has happened until now."
Raon said that's how he could help, meeting Palenthun's gaze.
"...Alright."
Palenthun nodded and struggled to his feet. From his movements, it seemed he had sustained severe injuries to his abdomen.
"Our Gray Hammer workshop is located beneath the tunnels of Bright Abundance Mountain. It's to make the most use of the earth's heat, but at some point, that heat started moving on its own. So we..."
* * *
As always, I was absorbed in my work, losing track of time, when strangely, the flames in the furnace began to act erratically.
"What's this?"
Palenthun lowered his hammer and frowned. When forging swords, a steady flame is as important as strong heat. The flames were fluctuating, diminishing then overflowing, making it impossible to continue working.
"Did something happen outside?"
Palenthun threw off his hood and went outside the workshop. Other masters seemed to have felt the same thing, as they were discussing it while holding their soot-covered hammers.
"It seems you're having problems with your furnace too, Master Palenthun."
The chieftain's top disciple approached, letting out a short sigh.
"Yes. I can't control the flames."
"It's the same for us. The flames keep strengthening and weakening, making it impossible to control the thickness of the metal."
He frowned, saying everyone was in the same situation.
"Indeed..."
Palenthun looked at the tunnel they had dug to draw out the mountain's heat. It seemed an unusual heat was rising from deep below.
"Hmm..."
"Are the monsters coming again?"
"It's getting a bit scary now, isn't it?"
"Why is it so noisy!"
As everyone was feeling uneasy and staring into the depths of the tunnel, Borgos stomped his foot.
"Chieftain. The fluctuating flames are unsettling."
Palenthun approached Borgos and pointed at the tunnel.
"Seems like the monsters are acting up again."
Borgos frowned, saying it seemed to be a problem with the monsters that feed on the heat of this burning mountain.
"That must be it. Though it's never been this severe before..."
"Repair the walls and prepare for battle."
He shouted for them to repair the walls built in front of the tunnel and to prepare their weapons, saying monsters would soon come rushing out.
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
The dwarves and guild masters raised their gleaming hammers as if this was familiar work, letting out a battle cry that shook the mountain. Two days after repairing the walls and preparing the weapons, monsters began crawling out of the tunnel, just as Borgos had predicted. It was a familiar occurrence, but there was something no one had expected.
Countless monsters emerged, from giant ones like the Giant Lava Worm, known as the nightmare of volcanoes, and the Red Dragon Turtle that spews heat capable of melting iron, to medium and small ones like the Giant Army Ant that isn't even scratched by sword aura, and the Ruby Fly that sucks human flesh.
It was as if red lava itself was gushing forth.
"Insane..."
"Why, why are there so many!"
"It's not just that there are many! There's more than just one or two large monsters!"
"Can... can we really kill all of those...?"
The dwarves and masters trembled, their hands shaking as they gripped their hammers and axes, seemingly frightened by the oncoming monsters. Boom! When everyone was in panic, a loud footstep was heard from the highest point of the wall.
"Don't be afraid! Trust in the walls and hammers we forged with our own hands!"
It was Borgos. With unwavering eyes, he roared at everyone to fight.
"I'll take the lead."
As he brought down his hammer crackling with lightning, a golden thunderbolt fell, tearing apart the body of the Giant Lava Worm leading the charge. Boom! The dwarves, seemingly encouraged by Borgos's feat, set up their gleaming gray cannons.
The iron cannon, said to be more powerful than magic cannons. It was the dwarves' strongest weapon, maximizing their workshop techniques.
Boom! As the iron cannons fired simultaneously, the monsters rushing towards the base of the wall exploded, leaving no flesh behind. However, there were so many that some still managed to reach the wall, getting past the barrage.
"Trust in the chieftain and fight!"
Palenthun swung his hammer vigorously. The body of a Giant Army Ant that was climbing the wall shattered and fell.
"How dare you come here!"
"Don't let even one get through!"
"Believe! Our walls will not break!"
Other dwarves and guild warriors fought alongside Palenthun and Borgos in a battle where blood and flesh splattered. The fierce battle continued for two days. The walls crumbled and the cannon muzzles warped from the heat, but fortunately, the endless horde of monsters finally came to an end.
"There's nothing that can stop a blacksmith, after all."
Palenthun grinned while clutching the hole in his abdomen. Though his injury was severe, he smiled, happy that thanks to the walls and weapons, not a single person had died.
"Stop with the useless talk and clean up."
Borgos, despite being more injured than Palenthun and unable to move his right arm properly, looked after everyone as befitting a chieftain.
"You should rest."
Palenthun snorted and kicked Borgos's butt.
"You think I'm as weak as you? I could fight for another month without issue."
Borgos clicked his tongue and poked Palenthun's wound.
"Ugh!"
Unable to bear it, Palenthun screamed, and the other dwarves and blacksmiths snickered and laughed at the sight. Although everyone was injured, their faces were bright. The smile carried a sense of relief that now, with the war against the monsters over, they could return to hammering metal. However, peace did not return...
The furnace flames became even more uncontrollable, and a chilling resonance could be heard from deep within the tunnel.
"It seems the monsters weren't attacking us..."
Borgos stood in the conference room, shaking his head.
"It looks like they were fleeing from below."
He bit his lip, saying there seemed to be some unknown monster down in the underground.
"We need to put everything else aside and rebuild the walls first."
Borgos let out a long sigh, saying they needed to restore the collapsed walls first.
"Understood. This time, I'll refine them so they can never be breached."
Palenthun shouted to trust him, pounding his chest.
"How do you intend to work with a hole in your gut?"
"The same goes for you, chieftain! You can't even use your right arm!"
"At least I have my left arm!"
Borgos hit Palenthun's head, telling him to come to his senses.
"You go out and bring some materials."
He jerked his chin, telling him to go outside and fetch repair materials.
"But..."
Palenthun narrowed his eyes, looking at the letter Borgos was holding.
"What have you been looking at?"
"A letter from that damn pointy-eared bastard."
"It must be from Sterin."
The only one Borgos would call a "damn pointy-eared bastard" was Sterin, the Guardian of Sepia.
"...This must be fate as well."
As if he had made some decision, he wrote a short note on the letter, tied it to the leg of the bird that had come from Sepia, and sent it flying again.
"We don't have time to waste! Move as quickly as possible! Palenthun, take the young ones and go fetch materials. No refusals!"
"Ugh, alright. I'll be back quickly."
Despite his severe injuries, Palenthun gathered materials to repair the wall as quickly as possible and returned underground. But by then, it was already too late for many things. Lava that seemed to have flowed from the abyss was burning the workshop, and swords and whips made of hellfire were falling on the heads of the blacksmiths.
Screams echoed throughout the underground as human skin was peeled off and flesh was grotesquely hacked and torn.
"Run away! Don't come back here!"
Borgos turned around. He struck the ground with his lightning hammer that had been fending off demons. The stairs leading to the underground workshop collapsed, and the lava that had been threatening Palenthun subsided.
"Ugh!"
Palenthun bit his lip until it bled. He wanted to stay and fight alongside Borgos, but he was worried about the young ones behind him.
"Get out! Hurry and leave!"
Palenthun gestured for the weeping blacksmiths to leave. As he was about to exit the tunnel for the last time, a red whip surged towards him.
If he had been just a second late, his ankle would have been caught by the whip and he would have been dragged down, but fortunately, he managed to pull his foot away.
The tunnel entrance, hit by the whip instead of Palenthun, completely collapsed, blocking off any access to the Gray Hammer Guild's base. While eerie wails still echoed from underground, Bright Abundance Mountain was as quiet as if nothing had happened.
"Ah..."
As Palenthun and the young masters trembled in fear, Dialun came up the mountain.
* * *
"That's how it happened."
Palenthun bowed his head deeply after recounting all that had occurred. Guilt for not being with his comrades and fear of the monsters weighed heavily on him.
"Hmm..."
Raon frowned as he looked at Palenthun's trembling shoulders and the blood seeping through his leather armor.
'Is it really someone you know?'
-I can't be certain yet, but judging by that ferocity, it seems about right.
Wrath nodded, saying the behavior seemed characteristically insane.
'Then it must be a Demon.'
-Indeed. They're quite notorious even among Demons.
'Who is it?'
-Balrog.
Wrath mentioned the name Balrog with a short sigh.
-In terms of innate power and characteristics, they're among the top ten forces even among Demons.
'That strong?'
Raon frowned. If Wrath was saying this, it meant they were truly strong, which made him tense.
'Do they have any weaknesses?'
-This King.
Wrath raised his nose haughtily.
-My mere existence is a weakness for them.
He shook his head, saying it was simple.
'You've been talking nonsense a lot lately.'
-What, nonsense! How dare you say that to me, the monarch of Devildom...
'Anyway...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Palenthun.
'It doesn't seem to be a trap.'
Considering the situation Palenthun described, everything seemed sudden. Especially Sterin sending a letter to Borgos, and Borgos asking him for help - these were unpredictable events, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the possibility of it being a trap was zero.
'Of course, that doesn't mean it's not a scheme by the Five Demons.'
It could be a ploy by the Black Tower, which was associated with Devildom, so he couldn't let his guard down.
"Now, what should we do..."
Palenthun grabbed his head, saying there was nothing he could do.
"Let's go for now."
Raon calmly stood up.
"We don't know if we can save them or not, but we'll find the answer by going."
"Hmm..."
Palenthun looked up at Raon, his chin trembling.
"You're saying you'll go even after hearing what I said? With such dangerous creatures there?"
"If I don't act after hearing such circumstances, my mother and the Head of House would strike my back."
Raon nodded, saying it was obviously something he had to do.
"Well said."
Sheryl approached from the side with a smirk.
"Demon or not, it's not like they can't be stabbed in the gut."
She flexed her fingers as if ready to give it a try.
"Ah..."
A small spark of hope ignited in Palenthun's eyes, which had been filled with despair.
* * *
Raon followed Palenthun towards Bright Abundance Mountain, where the Gray Hammer Guild's workshop was located.
"Phew, it's hot."
Martha frowned, fanning herself with her hand.
"It seems to be a place with high geothermal heat. If it's this hot from here, I wonder how hot the mountain itself will be..."
Burren frowned, looking a bit worried.
"Ugh..."
Runaan let out a soft groan, her shoulders drooping as if already exhausted from the heat.
"It's not usually this bad, but it seems the geothermal heat is getting stronger."
Palenthun shook his head, letting out a long sigh.
"It might be because those creatures are controlling the heat..."
He bit his lip hard, as if the mere thought angered him. Raon looked at the distant rocky mountain and nodded to Wrath.
'So Balrog is a race, right?'
-That's right. They're not only strong but also insanely fierce. Some of them could have become Demon Kings but chose not to.
Wrath shook his head, saying they were crazy about fighting.
'They could have become Demon Kings but didn't?'
-There was one who abandoned the throne, saying he wanted to fight freely as he pleased.
He snorted, muttering that it was arrogant.
'Then...'
Raon clicked his tongue briefly.
'The dwarves must all be dead.'
-They might not be.
'What?'
-If it were pointy-ears who were attacked, they'd all be dead, but being dwarves, they might have survived.
Wrath raised his hand as if to say "wait and see."
'What do you mean?'
-As that dwarf first said, Balrogs use burning swords and whips. Those weapons are innate to them from birth, but they can be enhanced.
'So...'
-They might keep the dwarves alive to enhance their weapons.
He shook his head, saying that was highly likely.
'Let's hope that's the case.'
Raon nodded heavily and looked at Palenthun.
"Let's pick up the pace a bit."
"Of course."
Palenthun nodded as if unaffected, despite his injuries.
"Let's go."
Raon took the lead. He led everyone up Bright Abundance Mountain with the wind of Garunua.
"Th-This is the place."
Palenthun pointed at the black, distorted ground that looked like solidified lava, his eyebrows trembling.
"This was originally the entrance to our Gray Hammer Guild."
He bit his lip hard as he looked at the collapsed ground.
"This is the entrance?"
Burren let out a disbelieving breath.
"It's completely solidified. We'll have to work hard to get in."
Martha gritted her teeth, looking angry.
"I don't like this place..."
Runaan sprinkled bits of frost to prevent others from being overwhelmed by the heat.
"I-I only came to provide supplies."
Dorian's chin trembled, as if he couldn't understand the situation.
"You remember that sword? The one made by Master Borgos's top disciple?"
Raon jerked his chin, pointing at Dorian's sword. Though he could have obtained many swords by now, Dorian had never changed it, saying he liked that one.
"Ugh, I know."
Dorian nodded heavily, gripping his sword tightly. Huff. Raon twisted his lips as he looked at the ground below.
'There are certainly some terribly strong creatures down there.'
Below this ground were monsters wrapping around lava as if it were water. Their presence and heat were so strong that he couldn't sense the vitality of other people.
"Your top priority should be rescuing people."
He nodded to the squad leaders and Dorian who were preparing for battle, then placed his hand on the Heavenly Drive.
"Then let's begin."
Raon raised his chin and stomped his foot. Boom! A shockwave that seemed to twist the entire Bright Abundance Mountain erupted, and crimson flames shot up from beneath the tunnel.
"F-Fire!"
"Take cover!"
The martial artists hired by Dialun and Adis retreated in horror from the violently rising flames. But Raon reached out towards the vicious fire. The silver frost emanating from his hand froze the rising flames and heat entirely. It was the miraculous power of a Transcendent who could manipulate natural mana.
Crack! Raon shattered the frozen flames and opened the gates of hell with his blue hand. Along with white steam, the suffocating heat began to subside.
"Just follow behind me."
Raon drew the Heavenly Drive with a cold gaze. The voice of the absolute being who had reached Transcendence calmed the ominously wavering emotions of the people.
"I'll make sure no one dies."