Chapter 341: A New Farming Ground (2) |
“Six million…”
I slowly stroked my chin, my eyes gleaming.
It was a very satisfying result.
This was more than enough to proceed with the choice I had postponed earlier due to unavoidable circumstances.
『Dimensional Barrier Weakening (6,000,000)』
It was an option that reduced the gap between dimensions and weakened the restrictions placed on awakened individuals.
I had been short on Karma and succumbed to the irresistible temptation of the ‘random gacha’, postponing this purchase…
‘And now I have exactly the right amount.’
This must be fate.
‘It seems like I need more time before I can enhance my unique skill further. And I don’t need anything else right now…’
I exhaled softly, a strange sense of anticipation washing over me, and selected 『Dimensional Barrier Weakening』 for the second time.
The 6 million Karma points, which had filled me with such a sense of satisfaction, vanished in an instant—.
“Hmm.”
…And I instinctively felt a change in the world around me.
A strange sensation, as if something I hadn’t been able to perceive before was now stirring and reacting.
But like the first time, the feeling quickly faded.
‘…Is that it?’
I knew something had changed, but I couldn't pinpoint what or how much.
I had expected it, as it had been the same the first time, but it was still a bit… underwhelming.
‘I just spent 6 million points…’
I grumbled inwardly, but there was nothing I could do about it.
‘But… it seems like the existing functions have been enhanced.’
Wooong—
I nodded slowly, staring at the platinum-colored light flickering in my hand.
The output was significantly higher than before, even though I was using the same amount of energy.
And the difference would become even more pronounced as my power increased.
‘Perhaps this will help me solve the Dragon’s Children issue.’
「Dimensional Barrier Weakening」 was like a hacking tool or an easter egg.
It granted me the ability to bypass some of the rules that applied to all awakened individuals.
It was a nonsensical option, something that shouldn't even exist in the Karma Shop, a part of the system.
‘Well, that’s probably why it was hidden.’
The requirement for acquiring the perk 「Karma Shop Ver.2 Update」 was having over 10 million unused Karma points.
It wasn’t easy to accumulate that much, and even if you did, who would just leave it unused?
And the price for this option was 6 million…
‘It’s not something anyone can acquire. …Well, it doesn’t matter now.’
What mattered was how it would be useful in the future.
It seemed like he wouldn't be able to easily resolve the Ganghwange situation with his current abilities.
As I was assessing the changes, I closed my eyes and clenched my fists.
“…Sacrifices, destined to be offered before they’re even born…”
The thought of them filled me with a strange sense of frustration and annoyance.
I sighed, my breath ragged.
‘This is unacceptable. Ganghwange is my new farming ground. I can’t just ignore this.’
I made a decision.
I would overturn the Dragon God’s plan, regardless of his intentions.
It wasn’t an impossible task, if he was serious.
Saint Heinrich, one of the strongest holy power users, Immortal King Hans, the master of dark magic and other unholy powers, Horus, the dragon blessed by the world itself…
And Harris, the High Elf, a conduit of nature’s power, Heinz the Second, the Divine Blood vampire, and Harley, who had acquired demonic traits…
He had a team of powerful heroes under his control.
He wouldn't just give up.
‘I should focus more on Ganghwange. Now that Hans has taken over the Demonic Cult, the situation is similar to Auterica. I might as well use Ganghwange as a testing ground for my Home Theater.’
And he had to confirm the changes brought about by the second 「Dimensional Barrier Weakening」.
It had cost him 6 million points. It couldn't just be an enhancement of the previous effects.
He had to understand his own abilities first.
‘I thought that was it, but…’
But then, unexpectedly,
He was able to confirm one of its additional effects much sooner than he had anticipated, in a completely unexpected location.
From the hands of Howard, the dwarven craftsman, who was diligently hammering away in his workshop, time flowing ten times faster than on Earth.
____________________
Howard, the resident ghost of his private workshop, had a simple daily routine.
Clang! Clang!
Hammering, eating, hammering, taking breaks with snacks and drinks, occasionally working on metalworking or non-metal crafting, and then hammering some more until it was time to sleep.
A monotonous and repetitive cycle.
But Howard never found it boring.
‘Of course not! I can create anything I want, how can I be bored?’
It wasn’t just because he was in a dwarf’s body.
Well, perhaps that was a significant factor… but he was genuinely enjoying himself.
‘There’s no better hobby than this.’
After all, crafting was a popular and relatively common hobby.
As if to prove his point, one side of the workshop was filled with his creations.
A smooth, round shield with a star engraved in the center, impractical weapons with no combat value whatsoever, and accessories with… questionable copyright status.
It looked like a collection of props from movies and games.
‘They might look like that, but they’re made with rare and valuable materials, including magic metals, so their actual performance isn’t bad.’
He hadn’t just created them for fun.
His main project was the Multipurpose Combat Power Suit, aka ‘Titan’.
But it wasn’t progressing as smoothly as he had hoped.
He had managed to complete the limbs, but the torso, which connected everything, and the head, which housed the control unit, weren’t satisfactory.
So, he had started working on smaller projects to hone his skills and refine his techniques… and somehow, it had led to this.
Clang! Clang!
His current project was a massive two-handed greatsword.
Its length and width were greater than that of an adult woman, a truly monstrous weapon.
It was made from meteoric iron, a rare and valuable material he had acquired from Ganghwange, its properties optimized for durability and weight.
Clang!
And then,
‘Hmm?’
…He felt an unusual resistance from the metal as his hammer struck it.
He paused, his caterpillar-like eyebrows twitching, then raised his hammer again and struck the metal once more, activating his skill, 「Technological Revolution」.
Clang! Clang!
The rhythmic hammering resumed, but his mind was far from peaceful.
‘…What’s this? Could it be…?’
A strange resistance from the metal.
It was different from the meteoric iron he had been working with, which was devoid of any magical properties, its only characteristic its physical properties.
‘The magic within the metal is… awakening?’
He suspected the cause, but he couldn’t quite believe it.
‘No, it doesn’t matter if I believe it or not. It’s happening. Then this is…’
「Technological Revolution」 allowed him to interfere with and modify the structure of items created using technology from other worlds.
But until now, it had only been effective on minor components, not the core structure of an object.
Despite his confused thoughts, his body, honed through years of training, moved instinctively, without hesitation.
He placed the metal in the forge, heating it to a high temperature, then hammered it repeatedly.
Whoosh—!
The forge, its temperature maximized by 「Harmonizer of Fire and Metal」, erupted in blue flames.
The heat was so intense that even the specially crafted magic forge began to melt slightly, but he didn’t care.
To Hubert, the owner of one of the largest trading companies in Auterica, the cost of a forge was a trivial matter.
His priority was something else.
‘I have to see the results.’
According to the laws of dimensions, a magic tool from one world couldn't function in another.
Their fundamental structures were different.
And that applied not only to finished magic tools, but also to materials imbued with otherworldly magic.
An item from Ganghwange, based on Ki, couldn’t function properly in Auterica, a world based on mana.
And yet,
The ‘impossible’ was happening right before his eyes.
‘If this… applies to the finished product…’
Howard continued to work, his body drenched in sweat, the heat from the forge intense, his excitement growing with each passing moment.
A revolution.
The creation of an object that defied common sense, a breakthrough in magical engineering…
Clang! Sizzle—
Forging, quenching, polishing.
Each step of the process flowed seamlessly, guided by his instincts and his accumulated knowledge.
And finally,
“Ha… Hahaha!”
Howard, his arm muscles bulging thanks to 「Super Strength」, raised the massive greatsword, its size dwarfing even his own body.
A huge, thick, and heavy double-edged sword.
A weapon from an old cartoon he had watched as a child, a weapon designed to slay dragons, had been recreated in his hands.
Imbued with a magic that shouldn’t exist in Auterica.
“To think this is possible…”
He stared at the greatsword, mesmerized.
Of course, this miracle wasn't solely due to 「Dimensional Barrier Weakening」.
It was a combination of factors: the fact that the craftsman was an awakened individual, unbound by the laws of this world, his unique skill 「Technological Revolution」, which allowed him to manipulate the properties of materials, and his mastery of metallurgy, which allowed him to fuse materials from two different worlds.
‘…A magic tool that transcends dimensional boundaries.’
Howard, his eyes narrowed, looked at his creation, lost in thought.
This weapon wasn't just usable in Auterica.
He could take it to Ganghwange, and it would function just as well, imbued with otherworldly magic.
And at that moment,
Whoosh—
…The flames in the forge flickered and danced, a single tongue of fire erupting and swirling around him before dissipating into the air.
《The individual meets the conditions and grows. The skills “Metallurgy” and “Precision Crafting” have merged and evolved into the special skill “Golden Hands”.》
“…The forge’s blessing.”
It was his third blessing.
It seemed the God of Fire and Metal was also impressed by his creation.
Howard, still holding the greatsword, felt a surge of emotion.
If the first blessing was the minimum requirement for being called a ‘craftsman’ in dwarven society, then this third blessing was a testament to his skill, a recognition of his mastery.
His master, Zaonic, was also a renowned master craftsman, so Howard, who had only been crafting for a few years, had already reached a similar level.
‘Of course, there’s still a significant difference in our actual skills.’
But at his current rate of growth, it wouldn’t be long before he surpassed even his master.
He took a deep breath, calming his excitement, and carefully set down the greatsword.
And then, his gaze shifted to the other items displayed in the workshop.
They had been his proudest creations…
“Tsk.”
…But now, they seemed… lacking.
He picked up a short-handled hammer, imbued with lightning magic, one of his previous creations.
He had been quite satisfied with it at the time… but now, it seemed like a flawed and impractical trinket.
“I’ll have to remake them.”
He muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping across the room.
Not just the hammer, but all the items he had created for fun, and…
…His gaze settled on the metal suit displayed on a mannequin.
The completed limbs, and the unfinished torso and head.
‘If I reinforce it with a Black Tortoise shell and use a Dragon Orb as the power source…’
A surge of inspiration, a torrent of ideas, flooded his mind.
He could feel it.
The day he completed it was drawing near.
His first harvest from Ganghwange had been a resounding success.