NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42
As the dusty haze that blurred my vision cleared, the figure of a dwarf became distinctly visible.
The muscular dwarf, quietly hammering away at the starlight, appeared strangely distant.
< i >Clang!< /i >
With each strike of the hammer, the shattered starlight began to scatter, drawing patterns across the sky.
The sight, drifting along with the wind, resembled the sky when viewed from the desert.
“Over there…!”
< i >Clang!< /i >
Even when I called out, there was no response.
The dwarf continued to hammer the starlight in silence.
I tried to approach him, but the distance remained unchanged.
< i >Clang!< /i >
The metallic sound began to fade. The unyielding distance and the dimming sound signified that this space would soon vanish.
In a panic, I rummaged through my bag and pulled out a small dagger.
It was the item the drunken blacksmith from the Karma Empire had asked me to deliver; I finally found the recipient of this item.
“Please, take this!”
< i >Clang!< /i >
I stretched out my hand with great effort, but it didn’t reach. The small dagger trembling in my quaking fingertips reflected the starlight filling the air.
How could I make it reach? What could I do to get to that dwarf?
With a sense of urgency, I channeled my mana to enhance my physical body, and suddenly, something strange happened.
As if reacting to my mana, the starlight bursting from the dwarf’s hammer began to shine even brighter.
The dwarf, who had been silently sharpening the starlight, finally turned his head and began to gaze at me.
As the hammering ceased, silence descended.
Frowning, I infused the starlight mana into the dagger I held in my hand and hurled it away.
If I couldn’t get closer, I would just need to throw it toward him.
< i >Whoosh!< /i >
The starlight dagger flew like a spinning arrow, colliding with the small stars surrounding it and drawing a constellation of seven shimmering points in blue.
At the moment the starlight trajectory reached near the dwarf,
He finally moved.
His short yet sturdy arms picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground.
Unsheathing the blade from its scabbard, he began to examine the dagger against the sky.
The well-forged blade sparkled with starlight, infused with my mana.
In that moment, the dwarf blew his breath onto the dagger.
His breath began to alter the dagger’s shape.
The short blade elongated, and the stars depicted on the extended blade emerged as it flew through the air.
As the constellation drawn on the blade emitted a brilliant light,
The dwarf placed it on the flowing starlight and began hammering again.
< i >Clang!< /i >
With one strike, the first star scattered its light.
< i >Clang!< /i >
With a second strike, the second star lit up.
< i >Clang!< /i >
The third star followed suit.
< i >Clang!< /i >
With each blow of the hammer, the blade began to take proper form.
< i >Clang!< /i >
< i >Clang!< /i >
< i >Clang!< /i >
The moment the final seventh strike was completed,
The newly forged starlight sword began to glow gently, as if the seven stars proudly displayed their presence with a clear light.
*
As if waking from a deep slumber, my hazy consciousness began to rise towards the surface.
The sensations in my arms and legs returned, and my blurred vision regained clarity.
Gulp—
Only then did I notice the Nightmare looking down at me with great concern.
Spotting me awake, he flicked out his long tongue and licked my cheek.
I frowned and looked around.
“Where is this…?”
It seemed everything I had seen earlier was just a dream, as I found myself in the midst of a desert covered in platinum-colored sand.
Noticing the large pit nearby, it seemed I had lost consciousness for a brief moment while facing the sandstorm earlier.
As evidence, my whole body was covered in sand.
“Hmm…”
As I shook off the sand from my arms and legs, I fell into deep thought.
The intense memories I had did not feel like mere dreams but lingered vividly in my mind.
Could all of this truly have been just a dream?
I started rummaging through my sand-covered bag to find the dagger hidden within.
However, no matter how much I searched, the dagger I received from the blacksmith was nowhere to be found.
I looked up at the sky and smiled faintly.
It seemed I had successfully completed the delivery mission assigned by the blacksmith.
As I continued dusting off the sand, I noticed my sword sticking out of the ground, leaving only the hilt visible.
It was the sword I had used to create a mana barrier to withstand the sandstorm.
I felt something was missing from the back, and it turned out I hadn’t retrieved that sword in time.
I walked forward and pulled the sword from the sand.
< i >Whoosh!< /i >
The moment I drew the sword, a brilliant light burst forth.
The light resembled the stars floating in the night sky.
“This is…”
On the long blade, seven unfamiliar dots were engraved, scattering starlight.
It resembled the sword the dwarf in my dream had created by combining the dagger and starlight.
It seemed that whatever I had imagined wasn’t just a dream.
I had arrived at a forge filled with starlight and had truly met the last dwarf.
“I found it!”
At that moment, a scream-like cheer arose from beneath the sandy pit.
Turning my head slightly, I saw Shahkan, covered in sand, holding a large slab with a bright smile.
I sheathed my sword and asked him,
“What did you find?”
“Dwarf! A slab containing the techniques of the dwarves!”
Emerging from the pit, Shahkan rushed over to me and carefully dusted off the sandy slab.
Strange characters began to reveal themselves.
Although I couldn’t understand the characters, it seemed Shahkan could.
Placing his finger on the slab, Shahkan began to mumble softly.
*
It took a week for Shahkan and me to return to the city.
As soon as I arrived in the city, I parted ways with Shahkan and found a room in a decent inn.
I wanted to wash off the sand that covered my body and lay down on a soft bed to alleviate my fatigue.
The brooch gifted by Kasyn allowed me to receive considerable treatment wherever I went on the Burning Road.
After finishing my shower, I lay down in bed and slept soundly for a whole day.
Until the sun that had set in the sky reappeared once more.
Waking up dressed in clean clothes, I rode the Nightmare and bought plenty of food before heading to the Hot Tail Inn at the north gate.
It was to receive the promised reward from Shahkan.
As I approached the inn, I could hear the sound of metal clanging.
< i >Clang!< /i >
“Hmm…”
After tying up the Nightmare in front of the inn and stepping inside, hot air rushed out.
As I surveyed the interior of the inn, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
All the tables and chairs that were rolling around on the floor had vanished, and the long cobwebs clinging to the ceiling were perfectly cleared away.
That wasn’t the only change. The partition dividing the kitchen and dining area had disappeared, and a huge furnace had been installed in the kitchen’s spot.
The Shahkan I had been looking for was now hammering at that furnace.
Just like the dwarf blacksmith I had seen in my dream.
“Shahkan?”
< i >Clang!< /i >
“Oh, you’ve come.”
In Shahkan’s right hand was a hammer, and in his left was a pair of tongs.
He welcomed me as I approached and placed what he was holding down.
“What on earth is all this…?”
“Um, well…”
Shahkan fumbled as he began to explain his story.
After arriving in the city, he had visited the blacksmiths with the slab containing the techniques of the dwarves.
However, no one in the city was left to listen to his words.
Even when he shouted about the techniques of the Star Forge, which had been used by forgotten dwarves, all he received were cold looks.
“So, I had no choice but to pick up the hammer myself…”
“You mean you’re trying to prove it by making it yourself?”
“Exactly!”
“And that’s why you’ve changed the inn like this…?”
“Um… It did cost a bit much, but… oh, wait a moment.”
Shahkan said this and headed to the inner room of the inn.
What he brought back was a small wooden box.
“Here, take it.”
“What is this…?”
“The promised reward!”
The box handed to me felt quite heavy.
Opening the lid to take a look revealed it was filled with gleaming gold coins.
“About 25 gold, I’d say.”
Shahkan, who handed me the box, was smiling with relief.
As I packed the box into my bag, I cautiously looked at Shahkan and opened my mouth.
“Uh, Shahkan.”
“Yes?”
“The Guiding Star…”
“Oh, this thing?”
As I mentioned it, Shahkan pulled out two small stones from his pocket.
I nodded and said, “Could you give me those?”
“Huh? This?”
“Yes. I’d like to keep it as a souvenir.”
“Well… I’ll remember the location, so I suppose it’s fine…”
Shahkan handed over the Guiding Stars willingly, which was unexpected.
As I stuffed the Guiding Stars into my pocket, Shahkan asked, “What do you plan to do now?”
“Um… Why do you ask?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to request another task from you…”
“Is it about the dwarves or the Star Forge again?”
“No, it’s not. This one is relatively easy; it’s about collecting materials from monsters available outside the desert…”
There was no need to hear any further.
I lightly smiled and shook my head.
“I just thought of something I have to do. I think I’ll be leaving now.”
“Oh well… that’s too bad…”
“Then I’ll take my leave. It was nice meeting you.”
“Ah, safe travels. I also enjoyed myself.”
Leaving the Hot Tail Inn, I mounted the Nightmare and rode out of the city.
With no lingering attachments remaining, my steps felt refreshingly light.
Although I wasn’t walking myself.
Under the blazing sunlight, I drew my sword.
Seven stars rose on the blade, absorbing the sunlight.
Each star contained a motion, as if each was wielding the sword.
The method of wielding a sword infused with starlight.
Was this the swordsmanship that the dwarves had used?
With a light smile, I swung the sword, scattering sparkling starlight.
“Where shall I go next?”
With no specific destination, I thought it would be very adventurer-like to go wherever my feet took me.
I pulled on the reins of the Nightmare and hurried forward.
Gulp—
The Nightmare sprang into motion, racing quickly over the platinum-colored sand.