Chapter 118: Alloy (1)
9OWI’m already tired of even saying, “I’ve seen it all in this life.”dWsW
7OmNQLGThe Forest of Four Seasons is a collection of mysteries that simply cannot be solved.RdbUED
iFGThe best thing to do is accept that quickly and move on.cvL
8SdAfter all, I recently met a talking gorilla.hMdTsF
qsuI think it’s best to just go with the flow.mnT4gll
9g6That said, while documenting everything meticulously.clp
Mur‘Why is everything I find so useless?’eLBTEb
qjUmGWhat I need are supplies for survival.AVa
3Mt3INot resources like these.9Lo
2CtuNMOf course, with these materials I could make armor and all kinds of tools.Tx4E9KJ
VGzKqBut that takes too much time, and I don’t even have a furnace.LhgA8Gy
8QB2msRIt was exactly like a chicken rib.ka9d
33wTIt wasn’t even useful for making stone tools like a prehistoric man.7V7oo
jcC‘And I can’t even sell this.’M5XQW
owVqzI let out a sigh.9eG
rKkx6rIt seems impossible to extract this entire mithril vein.NCx6
8oeAAqUnless I literally tear up the entire floor, I have no choice but to leave it where it is.5bB
keTAlthough, looking at it positively, it at least means I have practically unlimited resources.pJWRiI
PP2lTlIf I manage to build a furnace and develop blacksmithing skills, I couldn’t ask for anything better.pWQ
8ahti‘The problem is that it’ll take years.’xABV2Y9
HKiw0I sighed once more and turned around.wAw
mi0aqOne way or another, the work wasn’t going to do itself.DipZ3z
YvKjHeMy daily routine.BjLYLa
9qqzLgJA routine that had already become familiar.FtJqqM
7SxGo up to the river, fish, and eat until full.fKC9
JSysdZFor some reason, only one fish was caught today.t1woS9J
FrKMsVIThat left a bitter taste in my mouth.CrY1CV
wfFzU‘Good thing I still have reserves.’Vmhku2
KBi0For now, I still had some breathing room.pBlo
ziWHQBut if the fish kept appearing one at a time, sooner or later I’d have problems.h55M
W3FXhSkI ate breakfast alongside my animal friends and set off.qigSTq
B2ZswFirst, I had to deliver an adult Mandrake to IWillBeADuke.cRnwsX
MGDbAfter that, I would go to the orichalcum cave to collect some orichalcum.p0c
oc0Z4qOriginally, I planned to use it to build a door, but that plan had already been abandoned.2nvgnAo
QzO21Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to stockpile a few pieces for the future.drP4
oaxE4‘I’ll build the furnace after lunch.’4uw7J
GLC8uOFrom what I’d heard, it would require both brains and physical labor.q6ob
Pdt2It was better to do it calmly.8rDso9
KsJU23According to the dwarf, molten metal reached temperatures comparable to lava.crrAu
smulAnd mithril had an even higher melting point.1tzs
GwfzvGo‘He also said I’d need charcoal…’xgVBLX
vHEIt was essential for reaching higher temperatures.Z4kl
9AdIDAfter all, I had to melt metal.CWmOj
i6mEAJust thinking about it gave me a headache, although there was one positive aspect.LA6
nw6The size of the furnace.S5Ym9i
mF3P0wSince I only needed to melt ore, it didn’t have to be very large.JZmZqQs
hFhjQi9But that didn’t mean I could relax.3Ufs
EYF9After all, I’d be working with fire.cC0
LY4HOA double-edged tool.wCM
W9OZ7‘Good thing I’ve been stockpiling charcoal.’b59f4
YpI93bOriginally, I only used it for washing clothes or removing odors.X9CF
umF5aicI never imagined I’d end up using it for a furnace.871jT5
LuHmXleAs always, charcoal was a universal wonder.lmKG
yzDLI’d have to produce much more of it in the future.89G5
S6voxJ5With everything prepared, I headed off to collect the adult Mandrake and the orichalcum.POwP1E
XFZH9YAs always, the sloth hung from my back, and Wonmo served as my adorable bodyguard.Ye2vRMi
S7QDXZThud! Thud! Bam!T5xajw
bdgXEa“Kyueeek! Kyueeeek! Kkueeek!”6FG
XVerrFirst, the adult Mandrake.1wBy
KkjoAt this point, I had completely mastered the capture method.ZjRrB
odp7jkAlthough calling it a method was an exaggeration.96y
93OnBasically, it consisted of beating it unconscious.Xdh
RRXDrAfter capturing it, I headed to the orichalcum cave.nZCW
byCFortunately, I didn’t encounter any dangerous beasts along the way.V7KQPwm
L5aIt was a route I already knew, and I stayed alert the entire time.d7dw5bR
K6Kr‘Orichalcum acquired. Though does this stuff not need refining either?’L2m4
om6dTAs I picked up several pieces of orichalcum from the ground, that thought crossed my mind.bTBzs9
7sJnMaybe it didn’t need processing at all.h0Cqk
wCRwjAfter all, both DemonPrincess and KingLeor used it immediately after receiving it.7ADp3l
gzMPOrAlthough that could also be a unique property of orichalcum.Cicq
lf2pI’d have to ask the dwarf.0gAzg9
ZS1WildGrills has registered an item for trade.TuEi
NHj6[WildGrills: Here you go. I hope it brings you good fortune.]p7tFW
YxT[IWillBeADuke: Thank you very much!]VeJiaY
Xttu[IWillBeADuke: May the Goddess’s blessing be with you!]xQyI1
VM2hAAfter returning to the cave, I exchanged items with IWillBeADuke.rArA
QD1pBPThe way she mentioned the Goddess’s blessing made me wonder if she was originally from the Holy Kingdom.SiEat
1GJOul‘Now that I think about it, adult Mandrakes can be traded without any issues.’wGs0cdZ
AM4So the system considered them to be without an ego.xXbk
B6FbAnd that was despite the fact that those creatures not only emitted terrifying screams but also acted in swarms.hXTlQtV
ev7It was strange, but I decided not to think about it too much.2noUt4
KpbIaThinking too hard about it would only give me a migraine.ab8lFG
ADqsr1‘Not bad. They’re durable.’StSK7jp
UOtJVThe shoes I received from IWillBeADuke were exactly as they appeared in the video.rHoM
Mycx9Their main feature was durability.yv0
ak84AIn fact, they seemed better than the ones made by the dwarf’s friend.E6Jf8i
9AwkOJThat said, they sacrificed comfort in exchange for toughness.PPy0fK
BFTkHG‘But they’re perfect for me.’1EZc2
2FG9EI’d use the dwarf’s shoes when traveling through familiar areas.minkV
uCOKAnd I’d use IWillBeADuke’s shoes when exploring new places.mA4qvt
6JqhibQThat was the best way to divide their usage.fDUa
2HokpH0Inside the cave, I’d continue wearing sneakers.wVH
PIGgH7‘I need to get another pair.’DHoc
iQqGxJmSince each type of shoe had a different function, I also needed a spare pair.uDihzF
o6uVSo I posted another message in the gallery.sJYL
YSsLSome people might think the matter was already settled.9h6ns
nk1M6lTitle) Looking for another pair of shoesNxc
3qmWildGrillsE1sy
imArsUI’ve successfully received the shoes given to me by DwarfPassingBy and the ones given to me by IWillBeADuke.l5k4dY
utzcHowever, I think I’ll end up using them for different purposes, so I’d like to obtain another pair as a backup.09jH3P
OrYxIthJust like before, I’ll give an adult Mandrake to whoever provides a suitable pair.1al
FFIzOP└HeavenlyDemon: And when exactly do you plan to deliver my sword?6cC11a
LsJQ└WildGrills: I-I’ll give it to you right away!tYtj2O
SDW└HeavenlyDemon: It was a joke. There’s no need to rush. Take your time.4LPoYb
vX0└Swordmaster: What are you going to give her?91H0b7Z
6NiZti6└HeavenlyDemon: He says he’ll personally forge a genuine silver sword for me.0sY
8XSy9p└Swordmaster: Ah, damn. I’m actually jealous. Even I’ve never used a sword made of mithril…2T44
8Ul└HeavenlyDemon: Hmph. Perhaps you should have been more generous.ldJMiFw
yBG└Swordmaster: I gave him elixirs too, damn it…!LVO
sJO0└WildGrills: HeavenlyDemon gave me her own sword, so I want to repay her. Would you like me to make one for you too, Swordmaster?KvXZSVi
x8N13I└HeavenlyDemon: That fool. So that’s why he said that.Nsu4K
ZB3Zd└Swordmaster: Honestly, it sounds tempting, but I’m fine. Unlike a certain someone, I can become strong even with a cheap sword. Hahaha.aOWbR
7IA8k└HeavenlyDemon: I have an iron mace.WT3
Lj8n└Swordmaster: Hey, you wretch.dGh
fLuDOr└But is Grills going to make it himself? Wasn’t he going to have the dwarf do it?2sBZ
o9Q└DwarfPassingBy: That was the plan, but the mana concentration in the mithril was too high, so I returned it. If it melts, it explodes.r3Gzp
E16└And orichalcum is fine?Pb2S
7qb0└DwarfPassingBy: Yes. Thanks to its mana-absorbing property, orichalcum isn’t a problem. But only orichalcum.z0pJAK
dwPy└Grills, you bastard. You were handing out bombs to people.9KK
O9C└Sounds like you were trying to murder them.PPNk37
8AW└WildGrills: I didn’t know either;; That’s why I’ll have to make it myself.f6Q2
ooYovi9└DemonPrincess: I’m making very good use of the orichalcum you gave me. I’ve already finished the surveillance recording orb I mentioned yesterday, so let me know whenever you need it.IuJ
1jn└WildGrills: Understood.03bkd
CwlCnk5As soon as I saw DemonPrincess’s comment, I immediately sent her a message.pDKP
yFIRT3I planned to give her orichalcum as a reward. The more she had, the better.QBG8SR
8aG[DemonPrincess: If you tap the orb twice, it’ll open like an eye. Just think of it as watching in whatever direction it’s facing.]H2ys
748zr[WildGrills: Thank you. And how do I view what it recorded?]f5SS
xfJAi[DemonPrincess: Just tap it twice again to close the eye, and then tap it three times. To watch the recording, keep your hand pressed on it. But be careful! Once you watch the recording, it’ll automatically be deleted.]to6sCHG
18LuuS[WildGrills: I’ll be careful. And thank you.]mVd8fm
YXaONoe[DemonPrincess: And what do you say when you’re grateful?]0Y3FGS
3PCRJ9P[WildGrills: I hope Chayu wins next season!]uJp9E
kzrb[DemonPrincess: Hehe. Very good.]UgXnQzY
W9Y8TzPI examined the CCTV orb DemonPrincess had given me.yZW
SyJoIt was a color close to dark purple and roughly the size of my face.zuUBu3
y3fF‘Will I have to hang it up like a block of meju?’iun
FmxwKNInstalling it was work too. Still, I planned to spend the entire day inside the cave today, so there was no need to use it immediately.NIsK
nyW9I examined it from several angles and then tapped the orb twice.u7P6r
lSqCJTap. Tap.a3iQ
ha3iDi3Flash!J6Hd
Ozz“Whoa.”8kfZ
2M26hnJust as DemonPrincess had explained, it opened like an eye.Gpu3a
ZrRYY0It looked like the eye of a reptile.JmK
m5Nj0Just looking at it was unsettling. It clearly conveyed the feeling of “I am watching you closely.”6Hz
TQATNbTap. Tap. Tap.4sy7Eqf
DOFNZaKWhen I tapped it three times, the eye silently closed.scY7yw
SaqciTThen I pressed it with my finger.X1TU
PKRFlash!lzEIz93
5yhpHtIWith that sound, a holographic window appeared.0WF
ICQvWhat it showed was my own face.EhFYpP
DqIMtaMy face viewed from above.0ej9R
x7JI“Wow.”fP6DH
zRqANo matter how much I looked at it, my skin had really improved.UKtzzFB
pl7I couldn’t find a single flaw.fOncf
1QtJ6slI stared at the projected image for a moment and then closed the window.WH9XwSj
kkeN4FI already knew how the CCTV worked, so it was time to train.zHXghul
yYB9It2You can’t skip training for even a single day.7Tx
mtz0QS‘Besides, starting today I’ll begin consuming inner cores.’koj
aEFOI planned to learn HeavenlyDemon’s second formula.ex7EP
WMjT0iMFrom what I understood, it was about reading the flow rather than simply leaving the body in the hands of heaven.HhebdU
xmhxDNwIt seemed like it would be harder to understand than the first formula, and that worried me a little.OxpTcNH
4QwAn6CBut it didn’t matter.M0eiknE
m5TIf I didn’t understand something, I would simply keep crashing into it until I did.smVNBP8
JzmLUI never thought it was going to be easy.OaxSz
Cq7M‘I’ll consume the inner core after lunch, once digestion is finished.’NAcGz
41MThe fish also had effects similar to a spiritual medicine.NMGVncB
M8NIf I consumed the inner core immediately after eating, I might end up overdosing.bAOUB
QE5DGiVIt was better to avoid unnecessary risks and wait for the food to settle.DlxBLq
obj‘And I also need to get a crab for the dwarf.’T15D
dA0pIt was a very busy day.s3oC0eC
rStyI couldn’t postpone anything.66nK6
Dvmc6QSo I had to start as soon as possible.oqRd5G
G9l9After lunch, I planned to immediately build the smelting furnace.3HVC
uPKYJeIt didn’t need to be very large.ApU4V
LmI28jIt only had to melt mithril into liquid metal.lp161
FOWwB94Even so, I would need to obtain several materials through the dwarf.DY8E
1ENEspecially the most important of all.X8o1
UtY7beVStones capable of withstanding high temperatures.GqItHjd
IDMAfter all, they would need to endure over a thousand degrees.WDWax
VvICv‘Fortunately, he said he’d give them to me.’H4eM6
5OnJHe had also said he would give me a bellows for injecting air.9ZQD6Bf
Il2tHe was practically providing all the materials.FBoq
AxydZDuWhen I asked whether he was really okay with that, he replied that simply sharpening a mithril sword was more than enough payment for him.jMXzX
s2J97wBWhenever I saw things like that, I thought it was truly typical of a dwarf.TxcKF
jca1aOWSplash! Splash!wnXR
UJCa1When I arrived at the river, I found two fish caught in the trap.Xt0T4
QPqAt least that was good news.alZdv8g
m6hAfterward, I put them in the oven, ate, and began preparing myself.zsF8mM
q0xs4qnBut first, there was something I wanted to check.NQpyc
hGTThe mithril behind the cave.Poc
bEi0CIt was fantastic that it regenerated infinitely, but there was something that bothered me.zal
iwHw‘What exactly is the mechanism behind this regeneration?’qME
XxS3Its recovery ability was comparable to that of a planarian.WvwjYM
mNyjMoreover, only the part I had extracted the previous day had regenerated.SUo
GPTI was also concerned about where its core might be.jYD
HMOg1And I was worried about the possibility of it awakening as a Guardian.fCKNyM
oBo‘I must not let my guard down.’7HoUKu
1Cv5The amount of mithril I had extracted yesterday was considerable.RJi
Xd1li8UNow all that remained was to melt it and pour it into a mold.ZJ5
0dxrx8Once I felt I had everything ready, I sent a message to the dwarf.Onw8p
ZPnZe[WildGrills: Hey. Are you there?]bGX
pazg[DwarfPassingBy: Yes.]UZiVr
Wuv[DwarfPassingBy: Did you catch the crab yet?]UyMzq
CBL[WildGrills: I’m going to build the furnace first and then go get it. And I also want to ask for some advice.]fRLgb
i7Dl7[DwarfPassingBy: About what?]HxK
MhEnVu[WildGrills: Mithril is an extremely rare mineral, right?]UV9YGr
xRCA7[DwarfPassingBy: Calling it rare is an understatement. Do you know how many mines exist in the world? If someone finds a mithril mine, it makes the newspapers.]Mq9iil
JZ8jULC[WildGrills: And orichalcum?]iWs2
qWdbTm[DwarfPassingBy: Yes. Most of it ends up in the hands of the Magic Towers, but it’s on the same level as mithril.]SelZuqn
vhJfM[DwarfPassingBy: By the way, when you found the orichalcum cave, the newspapers went crazy.]T16NC
dB2qThat’s how important it was.R9u6skt
vBt7mSince I’d been trapped here for so long, I had absolutely no idea what was happening outside.teRt
NvyNSometimes I’d hear that something had made the newspapers, but I never paid attention.G4ikYPR
oWU4I thought they were just insignificant remarks.z8Qmxx
XrDBL[DwarfPassingBy: So, why are you asking? Trying to show off?]pjxPa4
kzr9[WildGrills: No. I want to hear an expert’s opinion.]aCw
75oyB[DwarfPassingBy: Hmm. I see you know something. Then speak, ignorant mortal. What do you wish to ask?]PsmIy
ei3gB[WildGrills: Damn. ;;]aNt
m0rBN5[WildGrills: Maybe I should look for another dwarf.]Yth3
f09ZOL[DwarfPassingBy: Haha. You won’t find many dwarven metallurgy experts wasting their time in the gallery.]9HC
fy5yNBI sighed.BjvLWmB
dxCWyC[WildGrills: Right now I have mithril and orichalcum, correct?]Bok
atRCw[DwarfPassingBy: Showing off again?]az5uJC
aHSojy[WildGrills: Let me finish talking. What do you think would happen if I melted both of them and made a sword?]RY5w
wIVJuN4That was what I wanted.Ae9Iys
QU8OrpQAn alloy of two legendary minerals.4DY0
LrBjJSince I had so much of them around me, they no longer impressed me that much.wSVuFG
EicOG8But for people outside, especially a dwarf, the reaction would be different.fMb59c
B5QoU[DwarfPassingBy: An alloy? You want to mix mithril and orichalcum?]jIXkt
4sF[WildGrills: Yes. Doesn’t it sound good?]hIqQ
EUI[DwarfPassingBy: Damn. That’s like making fried rice with caviar. Hahaha.]hllR
R1yzZ1He laughed as if the idea were absurd.M8gNgtf
NOSfFQHBut then he wrote.XPvjOxa
xHTYaP[DwarfPassingBy: Let’s do it immediately. Do you need anything? Tell me what we need. I’ll get everything.]RpPQ
bmfJ[WildGrills: You think it’s that good of an idea?]wVoWOAX
Y3jgs[DwarfPassingBy: My balls are trembling with excitement right now.]MKR
7S32“How disgusting…”uh8
eOqIn the end, he was still a dwarf.NESh
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