87 – The Truth
The kingdom of Eusta on the Celebria continent.
Western Region—Vulcanus Peak, where the dwarves’ village is located.
There was a crazy man who conquered the continent’s best mountain range by rock climbing with his bare hands.
“Hmm.”
Lee Jin-woo, who had been on the ground for the first time in a while, relaxed and looked around the vast land around him.
I expected to meet someone when I climbed the mountain range, but I didn’t see anyone.
All I could see was the high, blue sky and the rocky terrain that stretched all the way to the horizon.
Again, I could still feel the whitish aura of magic from afar.
‘…… Was I originally this sensitive?’
Lee Jin-woo tilted his head.
When I was shaping the Philosopher’s Stone with Shin Hye-young, or when I was receiving swordsmanship training from Yuhan-na, I had never heard a compliment about my ability to detect or apply magical power, but somehow, today I felt the energy from afar.
Is it an additional function obtained instead of not opening the status window or shop window?
‘Hmm, but what should I do now?’
The magical energy that was chosen as the first destination was still far away.
Walking that far is sure to be a chore.
But that doesn’t mean going down a steep cliff was something I absolutely didn’t want to do.
Even if I went down in the first place, the only thing I could do was explore the jungle where something scary lurked, so in the end there was only one answer.
Lee Jin-woo, with his eyes narrowed, glared at the aura of magic that was faintly felt in the distance.
Hopefully someone he can talk to, he started walking on the plain again.
For a very long time, carefree.
***
The Vulcan Mountains were high, but wide.
I walked for a long time.
Does it make sense to be this wide?
Wouldn’t it be right to see people soon?
It’s not a desert, and I’m not chasing an oasis right now, so what the hell happened?
‘…… It’s very dirty.’
Thought so, Lee Jin-woo continued to walk. He displayed his unique tenacity and followed the energy of magic that he felt from afar.
A long time passed again.
Lee Jin-woo finally reached the castle. It was an incredibly high and strong wall.
The strongest castle wall that combines the mystery and magic of the dwarves that cannot be easily penetrated even with the Korean army.
Lee Jin-woo stared blankly at the wall before coming to his senses and moving forward.
And Dwarf Kim, the guard of the Dwarf village [Vulcanus], Who found him, frowned at him.
Why did the villagers come to the back door passing by?
For a while, he let out a sigh at Lee Jin-woo’s beggar-like behavior.
The clothes he was wearing were already rags, so in the eyes of the guards, he was just a beggar.
‘…… But this is it, how did you get here?’
Surprisingly, Kim Dwarf shook his head as he recalled an event to be held in the city soon.
A traveler who came after hearing the news of the ‘new thing’ seems to have strangely come through the back door after being swept here and there by the border of the mountain range.
Well, wouldn’t it be okay?
What can humans without weapons do in our castle?
Kim Dwarf thought so and gave Lee Jin-woo permission to enter.
In this way, Lee Jin-woo was able to successfully enter the dwarf castle.
Three days have passed since then.
Lee Jin-woo got used to the dwarven city [Vulcanus] Before he knew it.
A city where the blacksmith god’s blessing and magic are fused, making it distinctly different from modern Korea, but close to it in terms of technological prowess.
There were no new cell phones or power poles, but it was a world where magic was used to solve problems somehow.
Therefore, there were excellent lodgings such as hotels, but I had no money anyway, and for some reason my stamina wasn’t worn out, so I just lay down and slept in back alleys or on benches.
Then, they survived the day by robbing the back pockets of vagrants who occasionally attacked them.
There were other sophisticated methods as well. Like joining an adventurer’s guild, showing off one’s abilities to the town’s rich man, Yuji, and relying on one’s body.
If this was another world, there must have been a much better way to build a new life.
But as soon as he entered Vulcanus, he heard strange noises from passers-by, so he postponed all plans.
‘…… It’s the shield of the Aegis.’
Lee Jin-woo frowned and looked back at his memories. It was blurry, but it was the last weapon he summoned when he encountered Yuhanna.
I don’t know what it is, but it’s usually not a coincidence that I heard the name right where I heard it for the first time.
To the point of doubting that it might be the “Lee Jin-woo Show” That everyone concocts and plays.
So Lee Jin-woo waited.
The day when the sacred object made by the best artisan of Vulcanus was unveiled—the ‘Aegis Shield’.
Three days passed like that, and Vulcanus became a festive mood as if it were not a blacksmith town.
Lee Jin-woo made his way through the crowds of the bustling street with his face frowned.
There are too many people.
However, the sight of various races that cannot be seen on Earth, such as dwarves, lizardmen, and elves, meeting each other is truly mysterious and fresh, and on the other hand, I thought that it was not bad.
Of course, it wouldn’t be too late to take care of the business and enjoy it, so I concentrated on moving forward steadily.
After struggling through the crowd for a while, he finally reached the plaza.
And I saw it.
A shield stuck deep into the podium like Excalibur—the Aegis shield.
What kind of bird came up with the idea of sticking a shield into the ground?
‘No, why did you insert it in the first place?’
Lee Jin-woo inevitably came to such a question, and soon an elderly dwarf who could answer the question stepped up to the podium.
The old man, who introduced himself as ‘Edwarf’, the best blacksmith in Vulcanus, declared before long.
“The strongest shield on the continent is stuck here! If there is a hero who wants this shield that blocks everything, take it yourself! Okay! Come on! Children!”
“Waaa!!”
“Edwarf the immortal blacksmith! The greatest dwarf of all time, Edward! Just the best! Edward!”
While being swept away by the maddened crowd around him, Lee Jin-woo raised his eyebrows and thought.
‘Hmm, do you think I should pull that out?’
He felt some intuition.
No, fate.
*
A night when everyone is asleep.
Lee Jin-woo moved towards the plaza. It wouldn’t make much of a difference to pick it up in the morning, but it could be different from what I expected, and I thought it would be annoying if I picked it up and became the target of a madman, so I decided to do it late at night.
And then Lee Jin-woo met.
The best blacksmith dwarf in the world—Edwarf—was waiting for him by the side of the strongest shield—the shield of Aegis—stuck on the podium.
The old man said with his eyes shining at the late visit of the challenger who had been waiting all day.
“It’s a duel.”
That’s how it started.
A dark duel that stakes the fate of the two.
T-ring—!
With a cute notification sound, the shield stuck in the podium popped out with a sharp point.
Finally, the brilliant surface of the Aegis was revealed on the ground, dazzling the world.
Gonom looked filthy and hard.
Jinwoo Lee touched his fist while remembering how to hit hard, which he had learned from his childhood friend at the gym.
‘Jinwu, that’s how you make bamboo bread.’
Some memories passed through my mind.
It was when I was taken to the gym for going to karaoke with the girls in my class.
‘It hurt terribly.’
Lee Jin-woo put all the emotions and pain he felt up to this point, including the memories of that time, into his fist.
Although it is not possible to artificially activate the ‘Geumhwa Shingong’ displayed on the status window, the energy of ‘gold’ is released into the fist with a sense that has already been acquired in the body.
As a martial arts reader at one point, he knows that’s ridiculous, but he created martial arts with magic!
“Come on, unleash a blow with all your heart! Bantling!!!”
The world’s strongest blacksmith who forged the strongest shield shouted.
No… , Jinwoo Lee soon realized. His own opponent was not a blacksmith.
The strongest shield that will be struck soon—Aegis.
The shield facing itself with a shiny surface was shouting.
‘Try it, your sincerity.’
Yeah, I was going to do that even if I didn’t say it. Jinwoo Lee stretched out his fist with all his might.
Jinta, who had only recently started handling swords, was sloppy even when it came to swinging his fists.
Ting, only a clear sound rang the shield and resonated throughout the world.
And it touched Aegis’ heart.
‘Your sincerity has been reached…… !’
In this way, Lee Jin-woo went beyond the replica and came into contact with the true Aegis.
On that day, the samurai realized.
How to handle the shield.
[ The Golden Goddess is active. ]
Finally, Lee Jin-woo opened his eyes.
Chang———!
‘Hmm?’
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw fragments of Aegis flying around.
Even though it was a replica, Lee Jin-woo felt a heartbreaking feeling at the sight of the horribly broken guy.
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‘…… My best friend!’
Then he realized that his life was on the verge of an alarm at Yuhanna’s expressionless face and tightly clenched fists.
…… Uh?
This may have been screwed up.
Lee Jin-woo hurriedly used his magic.
“Summon the Aegis shield!”
A golden halo formed on Jinwoo Lee’s hands, and soon the shield of the Aegis, which was connected to him through friendship and heart, was created.
…… You’re back alive!
But he had no time to rejoice.
Because my childhood friend’s fist flew into his face.
‘…… Yuhanna’s sincerity!’
It was the second phase of the death duel.
“Come! Bantling!”
After shouting like that, Lee Jin-woo applied the technique he just learned about how to handle a shield and bumped into Yuhan-na’s fist! Indeed, the childhood friend’s sincere fist was still strong.
‘But I am stronger than that… !’
Wow!
The Aegis, the shield that blocks anything, is broken.
“…… Uh?”
The sincerity soon hit Jinwoo Lee’s face. All I remember was a moment of pain.