Chapter 218: Unease

"Well, I am among the mountains again...."

Ash muttered as his eyes wandered over the vast expanse before him. Endless mountains stretched in every direction, their jagged peaks piercing the clouds and fading into the distant haze, as though the horizon itself had no end.

The wind howled between the cliffs, carrying the faint metallic tang of ore and the earthy scent of stone. Somewhere far below, he could hear the distant rumble of water running through hidden rivers inside the rock.

Like the elves, whose entire continent was swallowed in forests and roots, the dwarves lived deep beneath the ground. This continent of mountains was their foundation — a land rich with endless ore veins and rare minerals.

But unlike the elven lands, it was not the safest of places. The elves would tirelessly clear their dungeons, knowing that if one were left to break, it could devour entire swaths of their forests.

Dwarves, however, had no such sentiment. Though they cleared dungeons when needed, they sometimes left them to fester and break deliberately, letting the chaos spill forth. For them, these outbreaks were not only acceptable but could even serve as a natural defense against invaders.

The dwarves were renowned for their unmatched technology, their skill in forging weapons, and their war machines that could level cities. Their territory was fiercely protected. If anything was spotted flying above their lands without permission, it would be shot down instantly, no matter who it was.

That was why the skies above the Land of Forge were considered a no-flying zone for all outsiders.

But right now, with Absolute Concealment cloaking his presence, Ash appeared in that forbidden sky without a single ripple of disturbance.

The air here smells of metal and earth... heavy and sharp...

He took a deep breath and began teleporting from one mountain peak to another, searching for a checkpoint. The principal had not given him any map, saying it would help him "grow."

More like he just wanted me to waste time wandering through the mountains until I stumbled upon the entrance underground...

But Ash wasn’t about to wander aimlessly. Sharing his vision with Snow, his sight worked like an infrared scan, letting him see the heat of living things. Not far away, he spotted movement at the base of a mountain and began teleporting closer.

But the closer he got, the more a strange unease began to gnaw at him.

Something is wrong... very wrong...

That strange feeling had started the moment he stepped into the Land of Forge, but now it was growing heavier, almost pressing against his skin.

From above and below, everything seemed normal. The wind was steady, the rocks quiet, and the few monsters roaming the cliffs kept their distance. Yet when he reached the last peak and saw the dwarven guards at the checkpoint, the unease only tightened in his chest.

Ash narrowed his eyes, his expression turning cold.

What’s happening...? My instincts tell me there’s danger, but I can’t see anything... It doesn’t make sense.

Could there be demons nearby? But my Primordial Core isn’t reacting at all... Tch, this is irritating.

He glanced at Snow, still curled around his neck, it’s tiny body rising and falling with each slow breath. She seemed completely at ease, as if the entire world was harmless.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid about how the dwarves will act when they see my face.....Yeah, maybe that’s it.

Even so, he didn’t relax. His eyes lingered on the guards, watching for any hint of danger. Finding none, he finally descended, boots touching the hard stone at the base of the mountain.

Deactivating his concealment, Ash stepped forward toward the checkpoint. As soon as he had moved a few steps, a loud and rough shout echoed through the mountain air, "Oi! Who goes there?"

Looking down toward the source of the voice, Ash saw the short stature barely reaching his waist, a wide and sturdy build with a large belly, and a thick brown beard and hair that were both long and braided, packed inside heavy armour from head to toe. The dwarves looked far from harmless; there was a solid, dangerous presence about them.

Within a second, the air turned tense as various crossbows, cannons, and every long-distance weapon present was aimed directly at him.

The tension was high. There were exactly fifty dwarves guarding this checkpoint, and the one who had shouted stood firmly at the forefront.

Not testing his luck, and still wearing his normal clothes, Ash slowly raised both of his hands in plain view and said in a clear voice, "I am here to deliver an item from Starlight Academy. You must have already received the intel about it."

Hearing his words, the small dwarf who had shouted earlier pulled out a radio-like device, speaking in a low mutter to someone on the other end. After a short pause, he looked up again and shouted for all to hear, "He’s nae the enemy!"

And as soon as those words left his mouth, all the weapons that had been aimed at Ash were lowered. The tension began to fade, although the wary gazes did not.

Arriving in front of Ash, the same dwarf, who now revealed a scar running across his left eye, barked in his booming voice, "Give me the item."

Geezz, they are too loud... don’t they have brains? Why is he shouting when I’m standing right in front of him...

But still, Ash replied calmly,

"...I can’t. I was told to deliver the item to Saint Kolin, the Grandmaster Blacksmith. I can’t give it to you. And I have other tasks to take care of as well."

The dwarf’s face turned red as a ripe tomato after hearing Ash’s words. His thick brows twitched, his shoulders tensed, and he started shaking before roaring again, "An’ who d’ye think ye are? Just do what ye’re supposed to! I’ll take care of the item, so hand it over to me, damnit!"

His furious shout sent drops of saliva flying, a few of them landing on Ash’s cheek and making him grimace in disgust.

Ahh!! Damnit, why are they so stubborn... I swear... this bastard is really asking for it...

Controlling his anger with inhuman patience, Ash spoke with a straight face, "You are the one stopping me from doing my work. Just let me do my work..... umm, mister."

"You ugly-faced bastard, how dare ye say that to me! Soldiers, kill the enemy!"

Wait... was this anger all because of my face? They are actually biased... they weren’t this shitty when Ray came though. Was it because he was stronger than me at that time? I don’t think so..... Or was it plot armour.....

And if it was, where is my plot armour...?

Before things could escalate any further, a firm voice came from the radio-like device the dwarf was holding, "Let him inside, Thorin."

Even after hearing the words, Thorin kept his venomous glare fixed on Ash. Finally, with a heavy huff, he stepped to the side and barked, "Fine! Let this ugly bastard inside!"

Watching the dwarf’s back as he turned away, Ash followed him inside the cave at the mountain’s base. The entrance was surrounded by an intimidating display of heavy weapons, and the ground was marked with numerous arrays, each one glowing faintly, forming layered defenses over the stone floor.

But with each step, his unease was growing..... and this time, he was not able to ignore it. No matter what, one time or two times could be called a mistake, but not every single time.

Something is wrong..

Yet, until the very end, he did not see anything suspicious. Everything appeared perfectly normal.

As he entered the cave, another dwarf stepped into his path and barked, "Stop right there! Stand here and let me check if ye’ve got something suspicious on ye."

Shouting this, the dwarf pointed to a glowing circle etched into the stone beside the cave entrance. Ash complied without argument, stepping into the array. The moment he stood at its center, the runes lit up in a dull blue light, circling around him before slowly fading away after a few seconds.

"Clear."

Ash was allowed to pass. Inside, the cave was simple in its construction, with winding tunnels leading deeper into the mountain. Along the sides, there were smaller passages that likely led to the accommodations for the dwarves. At the center of the chamber stood a massive magic array, and Ash recognized it at a glance.

Teleportation array...

Ray Dawson, in the original story, had never visited the dwarves for the Rune. In the novel, Ray had obtained it from an auction back in the human continent instead.

But Ash clearly remembered that the novel had mentioned the item’s original owner was a dwarf — and that was why he was here now.

There’s still a long time before that auction happens, and with my meddling in fate, nothing is certain anymore... what’s the chance the item will even get auctioned this time?

Ash had no interest in waiting for such a gamble. He wanted to take the item directly. So when the principal suggested he visit the dwarves, Ash was glad — it gave him a way to enter their base openly, like a guest, instead of sneaking in like a thief.

But even with things working in his favor, suspicion lingered in his mind. It was rare for events to align this neatly for him, and that in itself was unsettling.

Anyway, Ray’s reason for visiting the dwarves in the novel had been different. He had come seeking a large amount of rare and precious ores to feed the God Slayer sword.

The weapon, slightly damaged from the start and it needed powerful materials to heal, as it had the ability to restore itself by absorbing various ores, and become even more durable.

Though it was never revealed in the novel who had been strong enough to cause even a minor crack in the God Slayer’s blade which was supposed to be the strongest sword under the heaven and earth.

"Stand in that array. I’ll send ye inside the base. And don’t ye dare cause any trouble for the Grandmaster... or I’ll kill ye where ye stand."

"Sure, sure, mister."

What bullshit is he spouting... can’t he say a better line? He’s not creative at all...

With that passing remark in his mind, Ash stepped to the center of the array. Not even a second had passed before he felt the familiar sensation of space folding around him.

The dwarves’ security was tight. The control for the teleportation array was in the hands of someone inside the main base, not the soldiers at the outer checkpoint. The fifty soldiers above could only request its activation — and even then, only when one of them gave the proper signal would the person inside activate it.

That was why only the most loyal and trusted soldiers were allowed to stand guard at the entrance.

When the twisting sensation of space finally faded, Ash’s unease spiked to its peak. The feeling was suffocating, as if he were standing inside the jaws of some enormous beast, waiting for them to snap shut and devour him whole.

Even Snow was wide awake now, the little creature hissing in agitation, scanning the surroundings for danger. But there was nothing to see — nothing except for the dwarf walking toward him, who carried himself with a higher air of authority than the one outside.

There was nothing visibly dangerous here, yet the ominous feeling clung to him stubbornly.

What is this feeling..? I feel like I’m being attacked, but there’s no one here. I feel like I’m in mortal danger, but there’s nothing around me... Is my mind playing tricks on me?

No no no, that’s not possible. Even Snow feels something is wrong. It can’t be a coincidence.....