I Became God of War’s Youngest Disciple - Chapter 353



Only Krnovel

Episode 353

[The Temple of Vulcan] is said to be located outside the village.

It might be a bit ironic from a dwarf’s perspective, but I thought it might be a good thing that things turned out this way.

If there had been a temple surrounded by a calamity inside the village, it would have been a disaster in another sense.

I headed toward the place I had heard about, and thought about the altar inside the temple.

I heard that in the center of the altar there is a mysterious flame that has been burning for thousands of years without ever going out. It is called [Vulcan’s Breath].

I also remember the question Ludwig asked as he listened to the story and became puzzled.

“Then how do I use the divine power called [Breath of Vulcan]? Do I really have to go to the temple every time I cast it?”

“That’s not true. I can transfer [Breath] to a special tree that only grows in this desert.”

“aha.”

That means, using the tree as a torch, you can move it to the workshop’s furnace just like you would move a holy fire.

One thing to note is that the Breath of Vulcan transferred in this way has a time limit… … .

They say that even if you preserve your breath perfectly, it will disappear after a month.

This was the reason why the dwarves of Sandstorm Dune had not been able to produce any work for several months.

I quickly arrived near the temple, organizing the explanation I had vaguely heard.

“… I guess that’s the place.”

The black scales of ‘Luzard’ were quite helpful in enduring the high temperatures, but as we got closer to the temple, even I began to groan.

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this hot.

“… It’s hot.”

Due to the nature of the race, they did not sweat, but whenever they exhaled, hot air was exhaled like a dragon’s breath…

Honestly, at times like this, I don’t even know how the Linchal Tribe’s mask was structured.

To this extent, isn’t it a transformation rather than a disguise?

It’s not just that he’s disguised on the outside, but his physical structure seems to have become that of a lizardman.

I also thought that perhaps this was more due to Lise’s black magic than the Rinchal’s mask. This was because when she transformed into ‘Naru’, it wasn’t at this level.

‘Well, Naru was human, after all.’

Anyway, I’ve heard that black magic is particularly good at handling transformation magic, so I’m once again impressed by Lisera Digos’ knowledge.

“I have to be especially careful from now on.”

By the way, when I was a luzard, I always intended to end my monologues with ‘~gun’.

There’s no particular reason, it just suits me better…

‘hmm…….’

Somehow, I had the feeling that, with his current appearance, he would look good with his black wings spread when he unleashed Crowtaker’s power.

It is a power that should not be easily exercised, as one’s identity may be discovered.

I thought about it that far and flinched.

‘… I guess I should start exercising self-restraint.’

I’m never in a stormy period.

Even though his body is still that of a child, his mental age is that of an adult.

As I continued to walk, repeating this to myself, before long I came into view of a building in the distance that was on fire.

“… … .”

Even though I was still quite a distance away, I was overwhelmed by its size, beauty, and overwhelming artistic beauty.

What suddenly came to mind was [Sandstorm Dune].

The various buildings that stood there… … looked very nice to me, but they didn’t look like dwarves at all.

They said it was hastily built since it would inevitably collapse in sandstorms anyway.

Honestly, when I first heard that, I didn’t even think it was a bluff, but it wasn’t like that at all.

Now I feel like I understand why they looked down on the houses on the hill so much.

Dozens of craftsmen who could lead an era, artists who would surely be recorded in history books after their deaths, rush in, struggle and agonize for years, and if even one of them says, “This isn’t very good,” they just tear it down and start over from scratch… … .

After going through hundreds or thousands of trials and errors like that, wouldn’t it have been declared complete only after dozens of craftsmen all unanimously said, “It’s perfect”?

In my humble opinion, no higher compliment could come to mind.

The beauty of the temple itself was amazing, but the highlight was the dragon that sat on the roof of the huge temple as if it was being crushed.

I have never actually seen a dragon, but I have encountered monsters that look similar.

This is the sapphire snake I encountered in the Jewel Mountains.

Its intelligence and strength may be lacking compared to a real dragon, but at least its size is similar.

But the pressure and thrill I feel now are much greater than when I faced the jewel beast back then.

Even though it’s just a stone statue.

The dragon’s eyes were sparkling red as if they were set with rubies, and it seemed as if thick saliva would drip from between its teeth at any moment.

The scales were so finely packed that they seemed to have been plucked from an actual living creature.

But what I was most impressed by was the crack that appeared where the dragon landed, which at first I thought was a real crack.

Only after I focused more on the eye power did I realize that it was also part of the production.

“… … .”

It felt like at any moment he would glare at me and roar, “Krrrrrrrrrrr!”

I realized what kind of being that dragon was.

He is the first of the 13 Dragon Kings and is the god who rules over fire and the furnace. He is said to have given the [first flame] to a blacksmith in the past and taught him metallurgy.

‘Vulcan, the Dragon of Incarnation… … .’

The entire temple was now engulfed in flames, a sight that was in many ways transcendent.

It was a sight of a magnificent and beautiful temple, like something out of a myth, burning down.

Of course, strictly speaking, it wasn’t ‘burning’ in the fire.

The temple wasn’t made of flammable material to begin with, and even though it was engulfed in flames of that magnitude, there wasn’t even a single burn mark.

It was a sight that seemed to break down the laws of physics.

Certainly, seeing that kind of sight, I could understand the saying, ‘God is angry.’

‘then…….’

I pretended not to do anything and checked my surroundings.

There was no sign of movement.

Not only people, but also monsters, beasts, and even insects seem to never come near this area.

It’s not unusual for the temperature to be so high that it’s hard to breathe even when standing quite a distance away.

When I first regressed and opened my eyes as fifteen-year-old Luan Badniker… … .

I wanted a place full of fire energy to quickly fill my empty danjeon.

Lava fields, places where great fires occurred in the past, places with flowing hot springs, or deserts.

If only I could secure a place like that, I would be able to build up my internal energy quickly… … .

‘If I had come here back then, it would have been one of two things.’

I have accumulated about half of the total amount of internal energy I currently possess in a short period of time… … .

If you fail, your whole body will turn to ashes.

Or you could become obsessed with money and become a madman.

Now that I think about it, there are three, but anyway.

After confirming that there were no witnesses, I immediately started using the first salt spray and took a step forward.

Chiiik… … .

As soon as I set foot on the path of scorching heat, I burst out laughing.

Is this how a piece of meat placed on a brazier feels?

It’s my first time feeling something ripe while still alive, so it’s a new and exciting feeling.

What suddenly came to mind was the lava I had seen inside Ymir’s body.

‘How high is the lava?’

I heard it was around 800 degrees… … .

The heat I feel now is similar to that time, even though we haven’t gotten completely close yet.

Certainly, to this extent, it would be difficult to approach even with equipment with reasonable heat resistance.

“… If it weren’t for this Luzard, it would have worked.”

I walked slowly across the burning sand, closing the distance to the temple.

The distance itself wasn’t that far, but as the temple grew larger, it became increasingly difficult to take steps.

And when we finally reached the temple… … .

The sight of the temple disappeared right before our eyes.

“… … .”

I stood there in a state of emptiness for a moment, and after a while the temple appeared again in the distance.

‘Aha. A mirage.’

Of course, it can’t be a natural mirage.

The details of the temple I had just witnessed were so exquisite that even a mirage would have difficulty imitating them.

‘This must also be one of the tricks Vulcan enjoyed.’

At this point, I’m curious.

I wonder why this god-like gentleman is so angry.

‘This is because you can’t understand the situation by only hearing one side of the story.’

I thought of Ludwig waiting on the hill.

If it were Ludwig, perhaps he could find a clue to this strange sense of discomfort I feel?

***

While Luan was away at the temple, away from the Sandstorm Dune, Ludwig didn’t waste any time.

I decided to sneak out of Conjian’s house and investigate the town while pretending to stay quiet.

Given their insular and difficult nature, it seemed unlikely that we would be able to hear their story by asking them directly.

Naturally, the only way to gather information was to go out and about on foot… … .

Fortunately, while the sun was up, the owner of the house, Conjian, seemed to be concentrating on conceptualizing or creating his work.

Ludwig, now free, took off her stuffy dress for the first time in a long while and wandered around the small town.

‘The difficulty level is… It’s so difficult that it’s making me dizzy.’

Conjian wasn’t the only one absorbed in his work.

Since most of the village artisans were solely focused on creating their works, it was okay to act around openly.

It seemed like there was no one guarding the village or patrolling it regularly… … .

Because the building had a rather flashy appearance, it was easy to naturally hide in its shadow.

I wonder how many different buildings I’ve been to.

Suddenly Ludwig felt uneasy.

‘… … .’

I didn’t realize right away what the discomfort was, but I felt like I was missing something important.

Ludwig, who was thinking about each thought one by one, realized the identity of the feeling of discomfort after a while.

‘You don’t have any combat personnel?’

There are quite a few dwarf craftsmen groups in the South, but Sandstorm Dunes is one of the more famous.

The brand name [Sandstorm Clan] has quite a reputation, so it goes without saying.

So, their equipment is expensive in the market and naturally, there are many people who are after it.

Even by coercive and illegal means.

For those people, Sandstorm Dunes is a storehouse full of treasures.

‘There isn’t much security in that place?’

Of course, dwarves are excellent craftsmen, but they can also perform the role of warriors to some extent.

He is naturally strong and has strong bones, so if you give him a weapon like a hammer or an axe, he fights better than most mercenaries.

But that alone won’t be enough to protect the village.

… Of course, it could be an illusion, but Ludwig knows that even this faint sense of discomfort should never be ignored.

‘There’s something.’

Ludwig sharpened his senses a bit and continued to wander around the village.

Because it wasn’t a large place, it didn’t take long to search everything, and before long I was able to find the strange place.

The time is lunch time.

It’s time to work hard and fill your hungry stomach.

But the dwarves who were working hard and wiping away their sweat were not heading to their own homes.

‘… The house of Visid?’

They all seemed to be in sync and headed towards the house of Visid, the master of Sandstorm Dune… … .

What’s strange is that they entered the house one by one, as if they were following a certain order.

The dwarves who looked tired before they entered had refreshing and satisfied smiles on their faces as they came out… … .

Ludwig also felt awkward at the sight for some reason.

Anyway, it was clear that there was something in the house.

Ludwig waited patiently until all the dwarves had left, and only then did he enter Visid’s house.

“… … .”

Visid’s house was as spacious as it looked from the outside, and there was even a restaurant that seemed to be used by several people.

A plate with a little food left over and a mug of foamy beer.

Traces of the meal left behind by those who just finished eating… … .

‘… That’s what an outsider would think if they saw it.’

Ludwig ran his hand over the foam on his beer glass and licked it. It was sweet, with a faint strawberry scent.

‘Fruit beer.’

This beer, with its strong sweetness, is obviously not for the faint of heart.

Dwarves are born drinkers and have a dull sense of taste, so they tend to ignore sweet beers, especially if they come from the South.

In other words, there were not only dwarves in this place.

“… … .”

Ludwig examined the dishes intently.

A little longer and sharper than the utensils used by dwarves. This is due to the inevitable difference in body shape.

That is, what was in this place was… … .

‘You’re human.’

Ludwig, who was looking around the room for a moment, stopped in front of a drawer. It was an ordinary drawer, but there was something strange about the bottom.

The right side of the drawer was dust-free and had a few faint scratches, as if it could be moved by pushing it.

Ludwig quietly placed his hand on the chest of drawers and closed his eyes.

“… … .”

The flow of air is faintly felt.

Maybe it’s a secret room, or maybe it’s a staircase leading to the basement.

Ludwig opened his eyes and thought.

That’s it for now.

It’s still too early to set foot in the space beyond this. From that moment on, this secret operation will probably be discovered right away.

Ludwig still wasn’t sure whether he should reveal their identities to them.

It’s clear that the dwarves are suspicious and hiding something… … .

Separately, we cannot be certain that they harbor hostility.

‘Then… what should I do from now on?’

Should I wait until Luan comes?

Or maybe I should do some more research on my own.

Since it wasn’t something he could worry about alone, Ludwig returned to Conjian’s house.

Because there was one more person with whom I could discuss future matters.

but.

“… … .”

There was no one in the room I returned to.

A room immersed in an unpleasant silence.

Ludwig muttered with a somewhat stiff face.

“…father?”

There was no one to answer.

In other words, Delak is gone.