Chapter 120

Alloy (3)

Most people knew dwarves as a race that loved alcohol and minerals.

However, that was only half true.

All dwarves were fond of alcohol, but the same could not be said of minerals.

It was simply that their distinctive physiques and innate physical abilities gave them tremendous potential in mineral-related work.

Naturally, this caused dwarven society to develop around the mining industry.

The pace of that development was also unparalleled.

While the other races remained in the Paleolithic or Neolithic eras, the dwarves alone progressed through the Bronze Age and reached the Iron Age.

Some scholars even argued that dwarves had played an enormous role in the development of the other races.

As time passed, the dwarves ceased to be the only race leading civilization.

However, the impact they had made during that era was so great that, even as the times changed, their image as the "race of alcohol and minerals" endured.

"Ooh... Oooooh...!"

And Gareth, the gallery’s registered user known as Passing Dwarf, perfectly matched that stereotype.

He didn’t merely enjoy alcohol; he loved it, and he possessed extensive knowledge of metallurgy.

That dwarf was currently staring at the sword in his hands and repeatedly exclaiming in admiration.

Shiiimmer!

Blackish-purple stars shone within a green galaxy.

It was a poetic description, but one that perfectly suited the sword Gareth was holding.

The sword had originally been a dull silver, but at some point, it had begun to glow.

’This is the most beautiful sword I’ve ever seen...!’

Gareth was a dwarf who specialized in metallurgy. Naturally, he possessed extensive knowledge of a sword’s quality and performance.

Although his excessive love of alcohol had left him less skilled than other artisans, his discerning eye was as accurate as any master’s.

The mithril-orichalcum alloy Grylls had created—and the sword forged from it—

It unquestionably ranked first among all the swords Gareth had ever seen, far surpassing every other weapon.

"It still has a few rough edges, but...."

Honestly, aside from the materials, the sword itself was closer to a mass-produced weapon.

When crafting a delicate tool like a sword, which needed to transmit force efficiently, one generally didn’t use a mold.

Only by forging it directly with a blacksmith’s own hands could one create a sword that was both practical and beautiful.

Therefore, the sword’s craftsmanship couldn’t be described as exceptional.

However, its materials were so absurdly extraordinary that they compensated for every flaw.

Even tools made from solid mithril were nearly impossible to find, yet this sword contained orichalcum as well.

The result resting in Gareth’s hands completely captivated him.

’I didn’t even channel much mana into it. Just how efficient is this thing?’

Mana was the reason the sword displayed such beautiful colors.

Yet despite receiving only a small amount of mana, it shone like a galaxy.

It was the joint creation of mithril, which naturally contained an extremely high concentration of mana, and orichalcum, which possessed a strong affinity for mana.

Gareth had known from the beginning that the experiment was unlikely to fail, but the resulting masterpiece exceeded even his wildest imagination.

’This isn’t the time for that. I need to sharpen the blade.’

After admiring the sword’s brilliant appearance, Gareth came to his senses.

Why had Grylls sent the sword to him?

It certainly wasn’t a gift.

He had sent it so Gareth could assess the alloy’s performance and sharpen the blade.

Gareth had already gained a rough understanding of its performance, so it was time to work on the edge.

’And he can produce a virtually unlimited amount of this....’

As Gareth sharpened the blade, he wondered what would happen if the sword’s existence became known to the world.

Calling it an uproar would be an understatement. Countless people would attempt to steal it.

A solid mithril sword alone would cause chaos, yet this sword contained orichalcum as well.

’Even the legendary masterpieces weren’t this impressive. Not even the Holy Sword.’

The Hero’s Holy Sword, Revolution.

Ares’s blessing had imbued it with divine power, but the material itself was ordinary steel.

’Perhaps the sword the Heavenly Demon gave him might be comparable.’

It was supposedly made from Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron, one of the highest-ranked minerals in existence.

It was far rarer than mithril, orichalcum, and adamantium, which were known as the three great rare minerals.

If the Heavenly Demon’s claim wasn’t mere boasting, her sword might be somewhat comparable.

The fact that it was made entirely from Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron was already absurd.

’It looks like he plans to give this sword to the Heavenly Demon....’

Gareth abruptly stopped sharpening the blade, his expression clouding with concern.

Was it truly wise to give this sword to someone else so readily?

Of course, the sword unquestionably belonged to Grylls. Gareth had no say in the matter.

He was simply anxious.

How would the world react once this sword’s existence became known?

Was it really safe to give such a sword to the Heavenly Demon, a shut-in who spent all her time fooling around on the gallery?

It was a serious concern.

’She must hold a fairly high position if she possesses a sword made from Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron....’

After worrying for a while, Gareth set aside his concerns and finished sharpening the blade.

He also crafted and attached the handle himself.

Thus, the mithril-orichalcum alloy sword, now bearing the touch of a dwarven artisan, was completed.

’What should we call the mithril-orichalcum alloy?’

Since it was an alloy that had never existed before, even deciding on its name was difficult.

Only Grylls could produce it.

Gareth nodded to himself.

It would be better to let Grylls name both the alloy and the sword.

Slice—

To test the sharpness of the blade, Gareth cut through a stack of paper.

Even though he merely touched the blade against it, the stack was sliced apart with ease.

’Since it’s mostly solid mithril, it’s incredibly light too.’

It was lighter than steel while surpassing a steel sword in performance. It also possessed outstanding mana efficiency.

On top of all that, it produced a brilliant glow whenever mana was channeled into it.

’Judging solely by its performance, doesn’t this seem more like a Holy Sword?’

After entertaining that almost blasphemous thought, Gareth immediately sent Grylls a message.

[Passing Dwarf: Hey. I finished sharpening the blade. I attached the handle too, so take it.]

[Wild Grylls: Haha, perfect timing. I just got back from catching the crab.]

[Passing Dwarf: You don’t have to send it immediately. I’m going to eat it for dinner.]

[Wild Grylls: Okay.]

[Passing Dwarf: By the way, are you giving that sword to someone else?]

[Wild Grylls: Yeah. I’m planning to give it to the Heavenly Demon. She gave me her sword, remember? Of course I should repay her.]

Gareth began typing a message, then stopped.

Grylls had clearly already made up his mind, so Gareth had no place interfering.

Moreover, Grylls was inside the Forest of Four Seasons. Even if the existence of the sword and the identity of its maker became known, he wouldn’t be placed in danger.

Who would dare enter the Forest of Four Seasons merely to obtain that alloy?

Even if someone managed to acquire it, they wouldn’t be able to leave.

Only Grylls could do that.

’I just hope the Heavenly Demon doesn’t make some pointless post about it.’

Although she posted less frequently now that she was busy working as a junior moderator, she used to flood the gallery with pointless posts.

Hoping that the sword’s existence would remain secret for as long as possible, Gareth sent another message.

[Passing Dwarf: This is fucking ridiculous, hahaha.]

It was absurd, but it was undeniably true. Gareth let out a hollow laugh.

Only Grylls could give an answer like that. Whenever Gareth heard such things from him, he experienced a strange feeling.

[Passing Dwarf: Are you planning to give one to anyone else?]

[Wild Grylls: I don’t know. Maybe I’ll only make one for myself. Though I might reconsider if someone offers me a suitable trade.]

[Passing Dwarf: Be as careful as possible about who you give one to. That sword is far too good. It could cause a bloodbath.]

[Wild Grylls: It’s that impressive?]

[Passing Dwarf: Yeah, it’s that impressive. It’s an alloy of mithril and orichalcum, for fuck’s sake ;;]

[Wild Grylls: There’s so much of both here that I practically trip over them, so I don’t really understand how valuable they are.]

[Wild Grylls: Oh, and I’m going to make one more sword and a dagger. Can you sharpen them for me? If that’s too much trouble, just attach the handles.]

[Passing Dwarf: Yeah, I can easily do that much. But I have one condition.]

[Wild Grylls: What is it? Another crab?]

[Passing Dwarf: No. I’ll give you an ingot mold, so make an alloy ingot for me. I want to keep it as a souvenir.]

[Wild Grylls: Okay. Got it.]

[Passing Dwarf: Oh, and what are you going to call the alloy and the sword?]

[Wild Grylls: I’ll let the Heavenly Demon name the sword herself. I’m not sure about the alloy. Mithrilicon?]

[Passing Dwarf: You put absolutely no thought into that name ;; But it actually sounds decent.]

[Wild Grylls: Heh.]

Mithrilicon.

It was certainly an uninspired name, but it suited the alloy well enough.

It wasn’t an official name anyway, so there was no harm in calling it something simple.

[Wild Grylls: Anyway, thanks for helping me. I’ll send you the crab this evening.]

[Passing Dwarf: Okay. Make sure you make that ingot for me.]

[Wild Grylls: I’ll make it right away. I’ll send it with the sword and dagger. By the way, do I need to quench the ingot too?]

[Passing Dwarf: No. Just leave it to cool.]

The conversation ended there. He had probably returned to work.

As Gareth closed his conversation with Grylls, a thought occurred to him.

’That bastard isn’t going to find adamantium next, is he?’

The frightening part was how likely that seemed.

Wi Seorak, the Demonic Brain of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the gallery’s registered user Smart Demon, led an extremely busy life.

He was responsible for countless duties befitting his title of Demonic Brain.

He had been particularly unable to rest lately, ever since the atrocities committed by the Holy Kingdom of Eldorado had come to light.

The relationship between the Central Plains and Eldorado had never been particularly significant, but things were different for other nations.

Many countries had been affected by the Immortal King incident to varying degrees.

While they were embroiled in conflict, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had no choice but to devise plans of its own.

Wi Seorak’s primary responsibility was to strengthen the cult’s influence.

Step. Step. Step.

Even if he had possessed two bodies, he still would have been overwhelmed with work. Yet Wi Seorak was currently following a woman.

She had narrow shoulders and hair tied into a single tail. Her dignified black attire radiated authority.

In her hand was a dull silver sword.

’Why is she going outside?’

Wi Seorak was currently following the Heavenly Demon, Yu Sowol.

As usual, she had summoned him while he was in the middle of his daily duties.

He had been deeply worried from the moment he received the summons, and now even their destination seemed unusual.

Moreover, she was holding a sword he had never seen before.

Setting aside its blade, judging solely by its shape, it didn’t seem to be a high-quality weapon.

It looked so crude that even a sword made by an ordinary blacksmith would have been better.

’Who gave her that sword? Don’t tell me it was Grylls.’

There was no other reason for her to suddenly acquire a new sword.

Wi Seorak accessed the gallery.

Grylls had only uploaded two new posts since the one he had made that morning.

’Mithrilicon....’

One of the posts explained how he had used a makeshift furnace to create an alloy by mixing mithril and orichalcum.

Naturally, the responses had been overwhelming.

An alloy of true silver—mithril—and true gold—orichalcum.

It was significant enough to turn the entire world upside down.

’Could that sword have been made from it?’

Using his exceptional intellect, Wi Seorak reached a hypothesis.

The sword Yu Sowol was currently holding had been forged from that alloy.

Ordinarily, he would never have entertained such an absurd idea.

However, he had already read Grylls’s post.

The post explained that a dwarf had provided him with a mold and various tools.

Using them, Grylls had crafted a sword for the Heavenly Demon and planned to keep the remaining weapons for himself.

"Your Heavenliness."

"Speak."

"May I ask why you brought me with you?"

If she merely intended to test the sword’s performance, she could have done so alone. Yet Yu Sowol had brought him along.

Surely she didn’t intend to reveal her identity as a registered user. She must have another reason.

Yu Sowol answered in an unconcerned voice.

"Recently, this lady’s benefactor gifted her a sword. However, he told this lady to name it herself."

"A name... you say?"

"Indeed. This lady possesses little talent for naming things. Therefore, this lady summoned thee, believing it would be better for thee to name it."

"...."

She had summoned an extremely busy man merely to name a sword.

Wi Seorak stared at her in disbelief.

But who was Yu Sowol?

She was a being who looked down upon others not merely with her eyes, but with the gaze of heaven itself.

"Thy face is filled with discontent."

"It is not."

"Do not speak words thou dost not mean."

"My apologies."

"Thy willingness to apologize swiftly is commendable."

Yu Sowol casually overlooked Wi Seorak’s disrespect. She genuinely didn’t seem to care.

Just as Wi Seorak breathed an inward sigh of relief, Yu Sowol stopped walking.

"Hmm? Your Heavenliness, this place is...."

"This should suffice."

Yu Sowol had stopped at the edge of a cliff.

It was a strange place where only a single towering tree stood.

Countless mountain ranges stretched beyond the tree, creating a truly magnificent view.

’W-What? We were inside a building just moments ago.’

Wi Seorak couldn’t conceal his bewilderment.

Though he was known as the Demonic Brain, he was still a martial artist.

His cultivation was by no means shallow, so he could sense even the slightest flow of qi. Yet by the time he regained his senses, he was already standing atop a cliff.

It was as if they had teleported.

Yu Sowol slowly raised the sword.

Wi Seorak suppressed his confusion and stared at her back.

Shiiimmer!

"A green... galaxy?"

When Yu Sowol infused the sword with qi, it began to glow.

The surface of the blade overflowed with beauty, appearing to contain an entire green galaxy.

Yu Sowol merely glanced at the sword’s magnificent appearance without stopping.

Her arm gradually rose until the sword pointed toward the heavens.

Swoosh—

Then she lowered it with extraordinary gentleness.

She didn’t even slash downward. She merely lowered it.

The movement was so light that only the sound of the blade cutting through the wind could be heard.

It was an elegant motion, almost as though she were painting a picture.

Craaaack—

However, the aftermath was anything but gentle.

The tree that had stood tall and straight split down the middle, its two halves slowly separating.

The intact tree had been severed without the sword ever touching it.

’As expected....’

Wi Seorak swallowed as he watched.

He had anticipated it, but Yu Sowol had grown far stronger than before.

With this level of power, she would have no difficulty spreading the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s prestige.

"Hmm."

However, Yu Sowol herself appeared dissatisfied.

She stared at the sword and murmured quietly.

"This is not a particularly good sword."

"What? What do you mean...?"

"A sword can only be called a sword if it cuts what its wielder desires."

"...?"

As he listened to her incomprehensible words, Wi Seorak suddenly sensed something strange.

The landscape visible beyond the vertically split tree seemed wrong.

The first thing he noticed was the clouds.

The clouds, which should have formed a single continuous mass, had shifted out of alignment.

And it wasn’t merely the clouds.

A thin line had been drawn across the very sky.

Everything on either side of that line was misaligned.

Grylls exclaimed in admiration as he gazed at his newly crafted sword.

"Is it a glow-in-the-dark sword? That’s cool."

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