Chapter 85

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Lee Hyun-wook confirmed the system message that appeared before his eyes as the dwarf appeared.

- Encounter with a Dimensional Traveler - 1

You have encountered a 'Wandering Dwarf' who has emerged from a dimensional rift.

He has just taken his first step into an unfamiliar world and is in a state of disarray. If you help him, unexpected rewards will come your way.

* To proceed with this quest, a 'prerequisite' is required.

'A prerequisite... This is the beginning of a major quest.'

This type of quest was known as a 'request quest.' The system did not provide a clear goal but rather the objectives and rewards varied depending on the relationship with the intelligent NPC.

In other words, the content of the quest could vary greatly depending on how the situation was handled.

Lee Hyun-wook looked at the dwarf's airship. It was only about 3 meters long and looked shabby, as if it were made by welding together parts from abandoned cars.

And on its surface, there were several large claw marks, as if it had been torn by some beast.

"...Damn! Hey! Can you help me open this door? Huh?"

Inside, the NPC named 'Wandering Dwarf' shouted.

He seemed to lack the strength to open the warped airship door.

However, even with such a desperate plea, the group was at a loss.

"Is... Is that a monster?"

Go Jin-hwa asked. The others felt the same way.

At this time, there were hardly any friendly NPCs to humans, so such a reaction was natural.

Lee Hyun-wook shrugged and approached it.

"I don't know. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be a particularly threatening presence."

"Just a moment! That... That kind of intelligent monster is usually a Black Orc or a Red Drake...," she mumbled, implying that those two races were very dangerous.

In other words, it could be just as dangerous, and it was a reasonable suspicion.

"Don't worry. If necessary, I can destroy the airship itself."

Lee Hyun-wook extended his left hand and applied 'Metal Deformation' to the warped part of the old airship.

Creak—!

The brown, old airship door tore open, and the dwarf was flung out.

He rolled violently on the ground and finally managed to regain his balance.

"Ugh— It's done, it's done!"

Lee Hyun-wook examined the dwarf's appearance.

He was about 130 cm tall, with a thick body, a large, flat nose, a gray beard, and white tattoos on his face.

'By his appearance, he is a Gray Mountain Dwarf, or simply a Gray Dwarf.'

Just as there were various types of orcs, there were also different types of dwarves.

'And they are a tribe skilled in architecture and shipbuilding.'

They were known for creating large items, enjoying and taking pride in it.

However, the Gray Dwarves were originally allies of the villains.

'The Gray Mountain Dwarf tribe's representative was the Taesan Guild... So this is how it started?'

A rough picture of how the previous life unfolded began to form.

'They received a quest after defeating the Swallows and were eventually swallowed up by the entire tribe.'

After that, the Gray Dwarves, following the villains' demands, produced various super-large weapons...

'These were truly terrifying weapons of mass destruction, one by one.'

One of them was mounted on Laputa.

The cannon that destroyed the naval fleet surrounding Laputa was the work of the Gray Mountain Dwarves, and the super-large airship 'Gate Sentinel' was also completed with their assistance.

However, the Gray Mountain tribe was not inherently evil, and after realizing how their weapons were being used, they decided to cut ties with the villains.

Of course, the villains would not let such a useful asset leave them.

'They dropped a meteor spell on the Gray Dwarf settlement and massacred them.'

Despite this tragic history, the tribe was now set to change from the very beginning.

"Huh— I don't know how you opened that door, but you're a friend with mysterious powers!"

The Wandering Dwarf approached Lee Hyun-wook with a hearty laugh.

"My name is Soiler Wirebeard. What's yours?"

"My name is Lee Hyun-wook."

Lee Hyun-wook used formal language to intentionally show respect.

The dwarf race was known for their strong sense of pride, bordering on vanity.

In other words, it was good to show respect and give compliments to win their favor.

As he heard the dwarf's name, the 'information' displayed before him was updated.

- Wandering Dwarf Soiler Wirebeard (LV: 49)

* This NPC is 'neutral' towards you.

After a few exchanges, it seemed that the 'monster' was now recognized as an 'NPC'.

However, at that moment,

"Lee Hyun-wook, sir! Look over there!"

Park Jun-mo shouted, pointing somewhere.

Rumble—!

The dimensional rift from which Soiler's airship emerged was glowing as if it were about to burst.

Soiler's mouth dropped open.

"Oh no! Look at me! I forgot to close the dimensional door—!"

Soiler shouted and ran towards his airship.

He seemed to have noticed something was wrong and was trying to take some action...

Boom—

It was too late.

Something burst out of the rift.

Caw—!

It was... a giant crow.

It skidded and dug its claws into the ground, stopping.

Caw—!

Then, with a screech, it spread its wings, which were at least twenty meters wide.

"What... What is that!"

And four red eyes flashed, looking down at the group.

- Gray Mountain Four-Eyed Crow (LV: 61)

That was not the end.

Two more burst out, making a total of three standing side by side.

These monsters seemed to have been chasing Soiler's airship.

The nature of the claw marks on the shabby airship was revealed at that moment.

Crash—!

The three monsters approached threateningly, scratching the ground with their claws, causing rocks to crumble.

"Uh, uh... "

"Everyone, what are you doing! Prepare for battle!"

Level 61 was a level that required at least a B-rank player to face. In other words, without a proper tank, a single touch from those claws could result in instant death.

"Everyone, don't move. They are faster than you think."

Lee Hyun-wook calmed the Red Hole players with a gesture and looked at Park Jun-mo.

"Park Jun-mo... "

A blue light was swirling in his hand.

"—Fire!"

At Lee Hyun-wook's command, electric currents shot out from his hands.

Zap—!

The currents wrapped around the giant monsters' bodies like blue threads, electrocuting them.

"Ugh—!"

"Just a little longer!"

Park Jun-mo's electric attack was not enough to defeat a level 57 monster, but it was enough to hold them in place.

Meanwhile, a Pale Note shot out from Lee Hyun-wook's waist.

Thud— Thud— Thud—!

Lee Hyun-wook first pierced the monsters' wings to immobilize them. If he had aimed for their heads from the start, the flying monsters' agility could have caused friendly fire.

Caw—

They tried to resist the electric attack and take off, but their wings drooped.

'Good, now I can aim precisely.'

The Pale Note circled and pierced the monsters' heads, one by one.

Thud— Thud— Thud—

That was the end.

"What... What just happened...?"

Go Jin-hwa and the other Red Hole players looked at Lee Hyun-wook with stunned expressions. To them, these were monsters that were beyond their capabilities, yet he had taken them down so easily.

Go Jin-hwa marveled once again.

'This guy really can do anything, can't he?'

Dealing with monsters face-to-face was different from just showing off firepower.

"Ouch— Look at me!"

At that moment, Soiler came out of his airship with a remote control and pressed a button.

Whoosh—

The 'rift' quickly faded and disappeared.

"Phew... It closes automatically, but I forgot I was being chased..."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Anyway, you're not just any player! I was chased by those things for days, and you took care of them so easily! Haha! Meeting you in this strange land is truly a stroke of luck!"

At that moment, the 'relationship' with Soiler changed.

- Wandering Dwarf Soiler Wirebeard (LV: 49)

* This NPC is 'positive' towards you.

It had changed from 'neutral' to 'positive' due to the recent battle.

'If that's the case... the appearance of those monsters was also part of this event.'

Since this was a game, each event likely had a 'script' written for it.

Perhaps the goal was to fight and defeat the monsters instead of running away, thereby earning Soiler's 'trust,' which would positively influence the quest's objectives and rewards.

In other words, the potential rewards had increased.

"Soiler, why did you come to this world? If there's anything I can help with, I will."

Lee Hyun-wook asked, intentionally being very friendly.

"What? You... You're really willing to help me after saving me?"

"Of course. Meeting you is a form of destiny, isn't it?"

Soiler's cheeks trembled as if he were moved.

'In the previous life, when they appeared, the entire world was on high alert.'

It couldn't be helped.

When a group of beings that were essentially monsters came and demanded land to settle, who would treat them with kindness? Therefore, the majority opinion was to reject the dwarves.

'However, the nation that embraced the dwarves achieved tremendous technological advancements.'

In other words, Lee Hyun-wook had quickly seized this enormous opportunity.

"Huh, this is a bit complicated... Let me explain my situation, but it's quite complex..."

"It's okay. Take your time."

After that, the story Soiler told was indeed complicated.

To summarize,

Their world was on the brink of destruction for some reason, and they planned a large-scale migration to another dimension. Soiler was tasked with exploring a settlement in another dimension.

After finishing his story, he hesitated and then confessed something he had been keeping to himself.

"So... I mean, can... Can our tribe settle in your world?"

At that moment—

- Encounter with a Dimensional Traveler - 2

The Wandering Dwarf Soiler is searching for a new home for his race.

He is offering you the responsibility of this large-scale project, which will determine the fate of his race.

Since Soiler views you favorably, the rewards will be much greater, and additional rewards will be given based on the 'satisfaction' with the settlement.

* Rewards: Vary based on performance.

This 'request quest' progressed to the next stage through dialogue with the NPC.

Lee Hyun-wook extended his hand to Soiler, who was nervously waiting for a response.

"Soiler, don't worry about the settlement. I know a very good place."

"Really?"

"Yes, I'll introduce it to you soon."

"Unbelievable! How can things work out so perfectly—!"

Soiler grabbed Lee Hyun-wook's hand and was overjoyed.

Indeed, there was a place that would suit them, a place with abundant job opportunities where the dwarves wouldn't have to worry about unemployment.

***

"Oh... Is this a nonum's airship?"

Soiler marveled as he boarded the Friedwen.

"Yes, it probably is."

"Oh— Oh— Where did you get this? Can I take a look?"

"Of course, but don't touch anything."

Dwarves, being curious, would likely touch and fiddle with things, potentially causing problems, so Lee Hyun-wook gave a special warning.

"Hmm— This is a particularly impressive piece of nonum's work!"

Nonums were known as the teachers of dwarves, but when asked, dwarves would say they had never seen a nonum.

They had only discovered nonum ruins and learned advanced technology from them.

A short while later, as the Friedwen approached the Red Hole village, a loud cheer could be heard from somewhere.

Cheers—!

In the village square, over a thousand residents gathered, waving their hands.

They chanted Lee Hyun-