novelraw Chapter 456
Chapter 456
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 456
Once you’ve been somewhere, you can basically warp there.
I’ve made it a habit to record coordinates wherever I go.
The place I set as my destination was a location within the royal castle of Dragon Forge where people rarely ever ventured.
The moment the space activated, the stench of blood hit me.
“Uwaaaah!!”
“Damn it! Run! They’re chasing us!”
At the terrified screams of the dwarves, I immediately headed toward where the sounds were coming from.
There, corrupted-looking beings were cornering the dwarves as they closed in.
“Dragon Fangs.”
Luna, who had followed behind, muttered their name.
I already knew.
They resembled what the Blue Demon Dragon, Merkavalt, had been summoning in the Labyrinth.
“Hiiik?!”
Before I could even step in, Luna shot forward like a flash of light as the master dwarves screamed in terror, and in an instant, she smashed the Dragon Fangs to pieces.
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
At my voice, the dwarven masters flinched and turned toward me.
And I, too, recognized familiar faces among them.
The Head Master Blacksmith, the King of Dragon Forge, and Elder Dobog.
However, the King was bleeding profusely.
“Luna!”
At my shout, Luna released a five-colored aura that scattered outward.
The dwarf king, who had been gasping as though he might die at any moment, rapidly began to heal.
His cold sweat subsided, and as he slowly opened his eyes, he looked at me.
“You…”
“What happened, Your Majesty?”
At my question, he looked down at his trembling hands.
Then tears began to fall, and suddenly he lunged at me, grabbing my clothes tightly as he shouted in despair.
“You! Didn’t you say you restored it?! The Sea Dragon Armor… the Sea Dragon Armor!!”
“Your Majesty! Please compose yourself!”
As I remained silent at the king’s desperate outburst, Luna reached out and pried his arms away from me.
“What are you doing?”
“The Sea Dragon Armor… the Sea Dragon Armor couldn’t suppress Lord Merkavalt’s rampage at all. That can’t be. For over a thousand years, the Sea Dragon Armor has been a divine relic that restrained Lord Merkavalt’s rampage. But why… why…?”
At his hollow muttering, I frowned.
“What nonsense are you talking about? The Sea Dragon Armor doesn’t have that kind of ability.”
“W-What?”
“If the blueprint is truly the original. The Sea Dragon Armor is simply high-quality armor that protects the wearer. If it had such a special function, I would have noticed it first.”
Then I rebuked him.
“To begin with, if that were true, why didn’t you say anything?”
“Th-That is…”
“Th… that’s enough, Leon. Matters concerning Lord Merkavalt are not something that can be disclosed carelessly to outsiders, so we could not speak freely. And Lord Merkavalt trusted your skill, so we judged that there would be no issue as long as you had the original blueprint.”
Dobog grabbed me as if to stop me and spoke.
“Please explain what happened.”
“We will tell you everything after we move to a safe zone…”
“First, we need to clear the surroundings.”
At my gesture, the shadows around us rippled.
“Muyeong. Exterminate the Dragon Fangs. Leave not a single one alive.”
At my command, the shadow wraith wolf, Muyeong, along with countless undead, spread out at incredible speed throughout the royal castle.
Afterward, I asked again.
“I need to hear the details. Where is Merkavalt right now?”
“She… has gone deep into the abandoned mine to suppress herself. She told us to flee from here before she loses all reason…”
He cried out in anguish.
“I cannot abandon her and leave…!”
And it seemed the other dwarves felt the same.
Boom!! Boom boom!!
From afar, the sounds of battle between Dragon Fangs and wraiths echoed loudly.
“A long time ago… when this Dragon Forge was first established. There existed a Demon King who tormented our dwarf race. Its name was Bulgasal. A fire-breathing monster in the form of a bull-headed beast—it would not be an exaggeration to call it a calamity…”
He let out a sigh.
Each time it consumed iron, it grew stronger—a monster far beyond the level of a mere Demon King.
“The one who slew it was Lord Merkavalt. She fought it without regard for her own body, and in the end, she protected us.”
However, in the process, when the creature died, it took one of Merkavalt’s eyes with it.
Despite losing her beautiful blue eye, she was satisfied knowing the dwarves were safe.
But Bulgasal’s curse burrowed deep into the destroyed eye, forcing endless madness and rage upon her.
For her sake, the greatest blacksmith created the Sea Dragon Armor and equipment to slay Bulgasal, and using his own eye along with the tears of a spirit, he crafted a new eye and gave it to her to suppress that power.
That was why Merkavalt now had heterochromatic eyes—one gold, one blue.
The Eye of the Divine Craftsman, which he had possessed since birth, astonishingly played a major role in suppressing Merkavalt’s madness.
However, dragons and dwarves do not share the same lifespan.
He feared that after his death, the power of the Divine Craftsman’s Eye would weaken, allowing her madness to resurface.
So, burning the entirety of his remaining life, he created armor that would ensure her eye would never lose its power.
That was the Sea Dragon Armor—and the reason Merkavalt called him her savior.
Because the Sea Dragon Armor itself was the divine relic that maintained the power of her eye.
“Head Master. I asked you at the beginning, didn’t I? Whether that blueprint was everything.”
“Y-Yes… Thinking about it now, it was a truly foolish and arrogant answer. Had I known it would come to this, I should have listened to your opinion.”
“It seems the truly important part was lost. The blueprint I received didn’t include any such function.”
“Could it have been omitted?”
“That blueprint precisely implements metallic nodes. However, no matter what method you use, those nodes alone cannot produce the desired result. I can say that with certainty.”
That was a firm conclusion based on my experience of forging even divine-grade items multiple times.
“Th-Then… are you saying there’s no way to save Lord Merkavalt?!”
His face filled with despair.
If I wanted, I could lie and tell him it would be fine—but I forced him to face reality.
“Completely restoring the original Sea Dragon Armor is difficult under current conditions.”
After all, armor that couldn’t suppress Merkavalt’s madness was nothing more than sturdy, high-quality armor.
No wonder there were several inexplicable nodes piercing through the metal in the blueprint.
At first, I thought it was a simple mistake—or a lack of expertise—but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Especially with Merkavalt being corrupted by the minute, restoring the Sea Dragon Armor now was close to impossible.
“N-No. No…”
The despair in their expressions was devastating.
“Leon, is there really no way?”
“She’s a Dragon Lord. Even if the Demon King was strong, it’s not enough to defeat a Dragon Lord. And… Bulgasal…”
The Bulgasal I know isn’t some Demon King—it’s an Ancient God.
“An Ancient God…”
Luna muttered softly.
Having already witnessed the Tyrant, Ruum, she understood what kind of existence an Ancient God was.
“It’s different from Ruum. Ruum started weak and gradually grew stronger, but most Ancient Gods are born strong from the start.”
Fortunately, that thing was already dead.
All it was doing now was corrupting Merkavalt.
At that point, a question arose.
How could beings like me, within a closed world, have encountered something that had already died in the past?
Perhaps… Bulgasal…
I shook off the complicated thoughts.
“But don’t worry. It’s not that there’s no way at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“To be precise, restoring the Sea Dragon Armor made by that blacksmith is difficult. But even if we use a slightly different method, as long as the result is the same, that’s what matters.”
At my words, the dwarf king looked at me with trembling eyes and asked.
“Then that means…”
“What we need is information, materials, and most importantly—time. I’ll create a substitute that can suppress her corruption. That process will require both time and labor.”
“Wouldn’t creating something entirely new be even more difficult?”
“No matter how we approach it, as long as the dragon essence embedded in the Sea Dragon Armor resonates and produces the same result, it’s fine. I don’t know what kind of techniques that blacksmith used, but we have our own accumulated know-how.”
I acknowledge that blacksmith was incredible—but if you ask whether I’m inferior to him, I’d firmly say no.
In simple terms, it’s just a difference in forging methods.
Whether you use folded steel, pour molten metal into a mold, or carve from a finished plate—if the result is a sword, it’s the same.
At my proposal, he grabbed my hand tightly.
“I beg you! We will provide as much labor as needed! We’ll mobilize all our finest craftsmen to help!”
“I’d appreciate that. First, we need information—but in truth, we can begin testing by analyzing the corruption in the horn Merkavalt gave me.”
There was no guarantee it would succeed in one attempt.
Like developing a new vaccine, it would require repeated trials and verification.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
“First, I’ll place a sealing technique on the mine where Merkavalt is hiding. To prevent her from rampaging and coming outside.”
“However, even so, there are Dragon Fangs influenced by Lord Merkavalt’s power. The warriors of Dragon Forge are brave, but the strength of the Dragon Fangs…”
There was a method of dealing with them individually using wraiths, but considering the lack of leeway to finely control necromantic mana, there was a better option.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got something good on my side too.”
I pulled out a horn flute from subspace.
And wasn’t there something tremendous sleeping in R’lyeh?
Arc Dragon Tooth—the Dragon Fangs of the progenitor dragon.
* * *
This situation was essentially a bomb disposal operation with a time limit.
We lacked information—and we lacked time.
To be honest, I wasn’t confident.
Confident that I would fail.
As soon as I finalized the plan, I immediately placed a sealing technique on the mine, cutting off both inside and outside.
In that process, I could feel the sorrow and desperation emanating from deep within, but I had no time to dwell on it.
“What is the current state of Dragon Forge?”
“We’ve received reports that things are improving considerably. Thanks to that absurd armor of yours.”
“It’s not armor forged in the conventional sense. You can think of that armor itself as a Dragon Fang.”
The progenitor dragon’s Dragon Fangs were incomparable to ordinary ones.
Thanks to that, Dragon Forge, which had been on the brink of chaos, gained a moment to catch its breath.
Dragon Fangs clad in Arc Dragon Tooth overwhelmingly pushed back Merkavalt’s Dragon Fangs, while Dragon Forge’s warriors handled the cleanup.
It was about extracting maximum efficiency with minimal casualties.
“It will be a forced march. I’m used to it, so it’s not a problem for me, but it might be for all of you.”
At my words, Dobog, the Head Master, and the other confident dwarves all showed burning determination in their eyes.
“We are dwarves—the race of steel and ale. There is no hardship we cannot overcome.”
“Elder Dobog… are you sure you’ll be alright?”
“I may have put down my hammer because of my son, but you—an outsider—have stepped forward to save Dragon Forge, and to save Lord Merkavalt. For a child of steel to abandon someone who is no different from a parent—that would be unthinkable.”
Dobog raised his short, thick hand, brimming with resolve.
“However… something is strange. As you know, to create a divine relic capable of saving Lord Merkavalt, like the Sea Dragon Armor, one must handle the very flow of metal we cannot control. Can we truly be of help?”
At his question, I nodded.
As he said, to create what we aimed for, without something like the Divine Craftsman’s Eye, it would be impossible.
To make it possible without that, only a craftsman of an incomparably higher level could manage it.
Dwarves were indeed incredible craftsmen—but that realm was nearly unattainable.
Then why were they needed?
“Are the materials ready?”
“They’re here.”
Soon, several dwarves brought in a massive lump of metal on a large cart.
It was none other than Vanta Metal.
Without hesitation, I placed my hand on it and manifested the Divine Craftsman’s power.
This was merely a catalyst.
After creating a special circulation pathway inside the metal, I infused it with the aura of the Divine Craftsman.
Better than nothing—I made the aura circulate throughout the entire workshop so it would spread evenly.
“What you all need to do is simple. Repeat the process until we create something effective.”
Whether it worked could be tested using her horn.
Fortunately, that made things easier.
Facing her directly would require killing her or severely injuring her, but with the corrupted horn linked to her, we could test without confronting her.
“It’s possible because you are craftsmen of this level. But don’t let your guard down. Stick to fundamentals—the most basic and reliable methods. If you make even a single mistake with your hammer, consider it ruined and work with perfection.”
The method itself was simple.
Just hammer it.
After primary processing on our end, they would perform secondary processing by folding the metal countless times, then proceed to tertiary processing.
What they had to do now was repetitive labor that didn’t require the Divine Craftsman’s Eye.
And what we would create was a small dagger.
“A dagger…”
“The form doesn’t matter much, but I estimate a dagger shape will allow us to establish the nodes most cleanly.”
The flow of the metal—its “veins,” or nodes—could be optimized depending on the final form.
However, the problem was that this labor didn’t end with a single success.
We weren’t working with a definitive answer.
Maintaining concentration over such intense, repetitive labor meant even dwarves could collapse quickly.
“That will assist your work, but only to that extent. If you want to save Merkavalt—your guardian dragon—burn yourselves out just short of death.”
At my words, the dwarves raised their hammers high.
“Craftsmen of Dragon Forge!!!”
Dobog, the former Head Master, shouted.
“Who are we!”
“Dwarves! Masters of steel and ale!!”
“I trust none of you will whine. Anyone who collapses before this old man who hasn’t held a hammer in years—I’ll smash your skull with mine!”
“My passion to the furnace’s flame!!”
“My hammer’s end lies with metal!!”
“Drink! Raise your hammers!”
Watching their rising fervor, I placed down barrels filled with a cold liquor called Ice Blood, which I had ordered to be brought from storage.
“I’ve cast a temperature-preservation spell. If you feel like you’re about to die, chug it and keep working.”
Dwarves were a truly fascinating race—their efficiency increased when they drank alcohol.
“Alcohol and steel! And blazing flames! There’s no better working environment than this!!”
Watching them ignite with passion, I looked toward Sur, waiting by the furnace, and Tiamet, standing by the cooling water.
“You can do this, right?”
-Piik!!
-Grrr.
The two, bribed with snacks, showed their enthusiasm.
To be honest, after obtaining adamantium, there was no real reason for me to go this far for Dragon Forge.
But…
Seeing the guardian dragon and the dwarves protecting and caring for each other made me want to do something.
At the very least, when my daughter Elpiria grows up someday, I don’t want to say that I turned away from the dwarves’ suffering.
“Then, let’s begin.”
* * *
The dwarves’ tenacity far exceeded imagination.
They hammered until their arms trembled and gave out, then chugged Ice Blood, rested briefly, and resumed.
It wasn’t just hammering—they had to maintain precise strikes filled with years of accumulated expertise, making it endlessly grueling.
Dozens of ingots were hammered by dozens of top-tier craftsmen, mixing with sweat.
It was a method I rarely used in the Labyrinthos because it was troublesome, but with so many craftsmen working together, it was more manageable than expected.
Simply altering form with the Machine God’s Heart wasn’t enough.
What mattered was the transformation of metal hammered under exposure to the Divine Craftsman’s aura—with consistent rhythm, force, and direction.
Their ingrained habits and craftsmanship couldn’t be replicated by wraiths or the Machine God’s Heart.
As expected of renowned craftsmen, though they failed a few times at first, they quickly grasped the technique and immersed themselves completely.
The finished dagger was then processed in my hands, forming thousands of nodes within the metal like the Sea Dragon Armor, producing a result.
When dwarven craftsmen knead clay until it softens, shaping it into art is my role.
In a sense, this wasn’t metalworking—it was closer to designing an electronic circuit.
By linking the dragon essence extracted from the original Sea Dragon Armor, I tested whether it could suppress the corruption in the horn she had broken off.
We had already failed more than ten times in a short span—but instead of discouraging me, it built confidence.
I was the craftsman who had broken through extremes in the Labyrinthos.
I had no intention of losing to a blacksmith of the past in a contest of pride.
The problem was… even a brief interruption would be troublesome…
And yet, the absence of Luna—who had likely gone outside—felt reassuring.
* * *
Crunch!!!
With a chilling sound, a twisted monster’s neck was torn off, now dangling from Luna’s pale hand as blood dripped down.
“Leon’s trying to become a dad he can be proud of someday. As the mom, I can’t just stand around doing nothing.”
Luna lightly stretched as she looked toward the grotesque monsters flooding into Dragon Forge.
Dragon Fangs?
No.
Those were metal monsters created by Bulgasal’s power.
The aftermath of the curse was obvious.
“Mother.”
At that moment, Grivy came running with quick steps, dropping a massive ogre-shaped metal beast with a thud.
“Grivy will work hard!”
At her bright exclamation, Luna smiled faintly and pulled her into an embrace.
“My daughter. Thank you.”
“Hehe.”
“Still, something feels off. Bulgasal makes sense. The Dragon Lord makes sense… but the start of the corruption is too fast.”
As if… someone was trying to bind both her and Leon here.
Of course, the problem was that there wasn’t anyone capable of doing such a thing.
If anyone could, it would be an Archangel—but even Michael wasn’t perfect enough to interfere like this out of nowhere.
She suppressed the strange unease.
In Cascadia, there were Isna and Lispa Elde—Remiel—so there shouldn’t be any major issue for now.
Thinking that, she stepped forward toward the grotesque monsters staggering closer.
If it really bothered her, she could just return once Leon finished his work.
“Grivy. Let’s make a bet with Mom.”
“Okay! Okay! I like making bets!”
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]