Chapter 214

After the meeting dispersed, and the party members went their separate ways to their accommodations, I found myself alone, teleporting into the dungeon.

- Flash!

The base camp was still eerily empty.

Despite its ample space, the only NPCs in sight were the magic blacksmith Kellibey and teleport specialist Coco the Severer.

"Hmm…"

Originally in the game, this base camp wasn't bustling with activity, but it was never this deserted either.

You'd usually see other NPCs fulfilling various roles, and there were always a few NPC adventurer parties heading deep into the dungeon.

This was the dungeon in Lake Kingdom, a place where all sorts of quests and recruitments took place.

'Why is it so empty? What could be the reason?'

As if picking up on my internal thoughts, Kellibey approached me, waving his hand and began to speak.

"Seems like something big is happening deep in the dungeon."

"Deep in the dungeon?"

"Judging by the fact that neither the wandering undead nor the adventurers who usually come to me for gear have been seen for quite some time, something significant must be going on."

Kellibey shrugged.

"I'm not exactly sure what's happening, to be honest."

"Hmm…"

What event would make NPCs disappear like this? I pondered, searching my memory of past gameplay.

"You've been popping in and out lately. What brings you here alone today?"

Snapped back to reality by Kellibey's words, I remembered my primary objective wasn't the missing NPCs. 

"Is your offer to craft equipment with the Jormungandr scales still valid?"

"Sure is. It'll take some time to refine the scales and craft it, but have you decided what kind of equipment you want?"

I nodded, then spoke.

"Please make me a pickaxe."

"...?"

"As durable as possible. So durable it won't break even if I use it continuously for about three days."

Kellibey blinked his bushy eyes in bewilderment.

"Making a pickaxe isn't hard, but what do you plan to do with it?"

"You've seen this stage's monster, right? I plan to take down Jormungandr with it."

"What? Take down the World Serpent?"

Kellibey burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

"Hahaha! Keep your jokes within limits, young one! The rise of Jormungandr is a natural calamity that happens once every few hundred years! It can't be stopped by human effort!"

"You seem to forget, I'm the commander of the southern front of the Everblack Empire."

I exhaled a deep sigh.

"If a monster is advancing, it's only natural to stop it. By any means necessary."

"If it were me, I'd just break down the walls and let it pass. It's the most practical way to minimize damage."

Sure, that would work for Crossroad. It would create a lot of issues for every other kingdom up north, though.

"Jormungandr is a devourer of civilizations! An ancient monster that has existed since the gods walked the earth! How do you plan on taking that down?"

"It's definitely a monster from mythological times."

I replied flatly.

"But it has died once before."

I had scoured the historical texts of this world, wondering if it would help strategize. It didn't take long to find records.

Centuries ago.

Dusk Bringar, the last wyrm of the world, had stood in the way of Jormungand. The two mythic-level monsters reportedly fought for seven days and eight nights.

And on the morning of the eighth day, a verdict was reached. Dusk Bringar had killed Jormungandr.

The Emperor expressed his gratitude to Dusk Bringar for saving the Everblack Empire, and from that moment on, Dusk Bringar was destined to protect the empire until its last breath.

It was said that the Emperor and Dusk Bringar grew so close that they had a child, leading to the birth of the Bringar Duchy... Anyway.

'A snake with a well-documented death in history.'

That same snake had resurrected in the dark depths of Lake Kingdom and started moving north again.

I suddenly thought of the Vampire Lord Celendion. He had said the same thing. That he had perished once but was reborn here.

'Maybe all the monsters in this dungeon were once dead too.'

If that were the case, then why?

Who had created this darkness in Lake Kingdom, and how had they managed to resurrect these monsters? 

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I reminded myself that the immediate task was to stop Jormungandr.

"He's not invincible. And I know his weakness."

I pointed at my head, waist, and tailbone.

"There are three protruding nerve centers. Destroy them, and Jormungandr will give up moving north and return to its nest in this dungeon."

"..."

"The issue is, ordinary weapons won't even scratch him. His natural defense is ridiculous. But a weapon made from his own fallen scales?"

Because it's a scale that fell from his massive body.

Ironically, it could hurt him.

"I see... so you're ordering the pickaxe for that reason. It would be efficient to destroy those areas with a pickaxe..."

"Exactly. We'll climb on the snake's back and chip away at those spots, like mining for ore."

"Hmm...!"

Kellibey's eyes twinkled suddenly, almost boyishly.

"...Sounds fun."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb. I said it sounds incredibly fun. Climbing on Jormungand's back and mining it with a pickaxe? And we can also gather rare materials falling from its body in real-time, can't we?"

"Yes, well... that's true?"

Kellibey took a big step toward me, looking excited.

"I'll accompany you."

"What? Excuse me?"

"No need to play dumb. I said I'll accompany you."

Kellibey grinned, twisting his mustache.

"An opportunity to mine a living world serpent? You're not thinking of missing out on this, are you, kid?"

"..."

"I can repair equipment on the spot, and even craft new equipment from the materials we gather. How about it? Don't need to say it myself, but I'm incredibly useful."

I had no reason to refuse. Especially when Damien was out for the season, leaving an open slot in the main party.

"You must be out of your mind, Kellibey."

"Ha-ha-ha! The same goes for you!"

And so,

[Kellibey (SR)]

- Level: 55

- Title: The One Searching for the Last Piece

- Class: Magic Blacksmith

- Strength 19, Agility 5, Intelligence 24, Stamina 29, Magic Power 20

Kellibey had temporarily joined the main party!

Given that he was a crafting character, his stats were not particularly high for his level.

However, considering that almost all hero characters were combat classes, Kellibey, being a crafting class and having reached level 55, was pretty remarkable in his own right.

His skill set... well, it was pretty much useless in battle. 

All of his skills were specialized for crafting, refining, and enchanting equipment. How the hell did he manage to reach level 55 with those skills?

"First, let's melt down all the scales we have and turn them into pickaxes. A hammer would be good too. And then..."

Excited as if going on a picnic, Kellibey began to enumerate the equipment he planned to make. Watching him, I couldn't help but smile wryly.

"In six days, Jormungandr will be showing its head out of the lake. You'll need to have all the equipment ready by then."

"Heh-heh! Don't worry about the deadline, I'm exceptionally good at meeting those!"

...It's always the overly confident ones who end up missing the deadline...

***

The next day.

The crafting guilds at the Crossroad had also created equipment for us.

"I heard you'll be fighting on the body of a giant serpent. It'll be hard to maintain balance and move around in such an environment."

The head of the blacksmiths' guild and the head of the alchemists' guild presented new items.

"We've created these. Grappling hook launchers."  (TL Note: Seid ihr das Essen? Nein wir sind die Jäger!)

I took the offered item and examined it. It was an additional piece of equipment that looked like a gauntlet, worn on the arm.

A fist-sized hook attached to a silver thread was mounted on the equipment.

"Fire it like this..."

Whoosh!

The guild leader operated the grappling hook launcher, and with a crisp sound, the hook flew across the room and embedded itself into the opposite wall. The silver thread stretched taut between the wall and the launcher.

"Once the hook is firmly attached, operate it again, and the device will reel in the thread, pulling you toward the hooked location."

He manipulated the device again, and the gears inside the device started whirling, retracting the silver thread and pulling the guild leader towards the wall.

Indeed, this would make movement much easier on the serpent's back. Some training would be necessary, but it looked promising.

"The device runs on the user's magic power. Operating it will consume some, so keep that in mind."

"Excellent. Prepare thirty of these by today."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

If each person had two, we'd be set even if one broke. I nodded, looking down at the grappling hook launcher on my arm.

***

Subsequently, all fifteen members from the three parties of hero characters were equipped with grappling hook launchers and trained in their use.

Close-combat class characters were naturally adept at using their bodies, so they quickly adapted. The mages, whose devices ran on magic power, also adjusted in no time.

Kellibey and I struggled to get used to the grappling hook launcher, much to my frustration. Damn it.

"Human engineers can, heh, create decent equipment too, huh!" Kellibey, who had been struggling with the grappling hook training, grumbled.

"But this isn't designed for dwarves! I need to modify mine!" And then he started retrofitting his own launcher. He attached a magic booster and even tripled the size of the hook. 

Soon enough, he started flying around. Ugh, a flying dwarf!

In the end, my skill level was the lowest, forcing me to continue practicing the grappling hook even during the team's break times. Urgh.

In addition to this grappling hook training, we also used up our remaining two entries to clear the [Slime Dungeon] event.

Mostly, it was Penal Squad getting acclimated and leveling up.

The initial objective of this free exploration—to reach level 50 with the main party and farm various items from the Zone 5 dungeon—was long gone. 

However, specialized training to defeat Jormungandr was proceeding smoothly.

***

The focus of this operation may be on the hero characters, but naturally, the regular soldiers also have a role to play in this defensive battle. This was Plan B in case Plan A, the hero party strategy, fails.

Using cannons and ballistae, they would hold Jormungandr back with heavy firepower. 

Of course, this would be a last-ditch effort if Plan A fails.

In the face of Jormungandr's thick defenses, human artillery didn't mean much. 

Still, as long as we're doing some damage, even if minimal, there's hope. So preparations were underway.

New mercenary troops were being continually hired and replenished.

Their role may be small in this particular defensive battle, but in most stages, they play a crucial role.

Boom! Boom! Ka-boom!

"Careful with that! Easy!"

"That's all gunpowder, you idiots! If you drop it, you're the ones who'll suffer!"

"Hey, newbie! The cost of any damaged gear is coming out of your pay! You think you can make a quick buck as a mercenary? You'll just end up in debt!"

The new recruits followed the instructions of the veteran mercenaries, sweating bullets as they moved and set up equipment. 

The young-faced new soldiers were in the new uniforms of our southern front, working alongside the Penal Squad members who were now more spirited than before.

I heard that Reina manages them during the day and Lucas takes over at night. Thanks to that, they were beginning to resemble a proper army.

'...'

I want to pay these newcomers for as long as they become veterans. 

I want to give them their salaries, bonuses, and even hang medals on their chests. 

Until the day when all the strategies are completed, and an army is no longer needed on the southern front, leading to its disbandment.

To make that happen, we have to pass through this stage right in front of us.

The enemy's invasion is imminent. Observing the busy fortress city, I clenched my fist tightly.

***

As always, time flew by quickly.

Only one day remained until the operation to defeat Jormungandr.