Chapter 126 126: The Dwarf Treasure [Pt3]



The flames were getting bigger and bigger by the second. Shinzou's hand was getting sweaty because of the heat but the flames were not burning him.

'A little more. I just need to endure a little more and I will purify the Fenrir. But wait, don't I need to capture it alive?'

That useless thought circled Shinzou's head and he lost his hold on the flame. It caused them to weaken and the Fenrir beast started to regenerate again. The sword was also sucking him up dry at this point, and he knew he could not ignite it again.

"Master Shinzou, what are you doing? Don't let go of the sword."

Shimi cried out as soon as she noticed the abnormal decrease in the flame size. It drew everyone's attention toward the diminishing flames in front of them.

"I know. But if I press any harder, then this beast would die. What would happen to Grandmaster's research then?"

"Master Shinzou now is not the time to think such useless things. Take care of the problem before us first and then think about the research."

Master Fushi had her priorities straight but Shinzou hesitated even after she said that. All this time, the Fenrir beast was gaining more and more power. The weakened flames did not hurt him anymore and he was able to stand up again.

Seeing this scene, Keith knew he had no choice but to step in. But he doubted words would be enough to offset the guilt Master Shinzou would face in the future.

He braced himself and gulped his nervousness down as he walked toward the Fenrir beast and Master Shinzou. The large, black, dog-like creature growled menacingly and Keith flinched. But he kept on walking until he was just behind Master Shinzou.

"Do not worry about unnecessary things.  Some things are meant to be dealt with above everything else."

'And hurry up with the killing. I cannot take this nervousness anymore.'

Keith placed his hand on Master Shinzou's shoulder. There was a brief spark before Keith felt his energy being drained. The earring he had been hiding was burning Keith's chest.

"Grandmaster, what is going on-"

"You both need to get away. This is dangerous."

"Shit! The sword is resonating with something. But what can it be resonating with?"

Different voices entered Keith's ear and they exited just as quickly. He was not able to make head or tail of what was being said around him. His ears were ringing with a bell sound. 

'He…hehehe…hehehehehe'

The creepy laugh was making Keith's head hurt. He was not able to focus his eyes on what was happening.

"Grandmaster, are you alright? Respond to me and say something. Please do not be this unresponsive."

The voices were too far away from him. Even if Keith wanted to hear more from them and chase after them, it was not possible for his current self.

"Gosh! Give the lad some time to recover. He just resonated with the power of gods and his body must be out of it. What kind of wacky individual does one have to be to even get a glimpse of the other world?"

Now that voice sounded new. Keith was sure he had never heard it before and a weird coldness filled his body at the unfamiliar touch. He was finally able to drag himself out of the sleep he had fallen.

Keith wanted to stretch his body so that he would be able to relax his body. But his reflexes would not allow him to be anything but proper. It was such a headache for him.

'Ugh, what a nightmare it is for me. But what even happened here?'

There were worried faces all around Keith. Shimi especially looked close to brawling her eyes out at any second.

Keith took it all in before he realized the presence of an unknown creature in front of him. The small form was a dwarf. But Keith was not sure if this world had dwarfs. Had he ever seen one in the game?

"What are you gawking at, you youngling? I swear, the human gets ruder and ruder every year. But enough of that. Are you alright now, lad?"

The dwarf asked Keith and Keith instantly regained his dignified posture back. 

A dwarf or not, the Grandmaster could not be allowed to look undignified and caught off guard.

"I am alright. I do not need a 'creature' to care for my health."

Keith tried to be as mean as possible and offend the dwarf. He was sure that his words had enough biting edge to them to convince anyone. But the dwarf looked unimpressed.

"Well, you are free to think what you want to. But I am interested in knowing how you managed to synchronize with a god's artifact. What kind of secrets are you hiding behind that human facade? Are you even human?"

The dwarf questioned as he drew closer to Keith. 

It took Keith everything he had not to step back from the small creature. He was not intimidated by the dwarf at all. 

"Where do you think you are stepping? You might have helped us out but do not think we will allow you to threaten our Grandmaster."

Shinzou stepped in the way of the dwarf, cutting the line of sight between Grandmaster and the dwarf. Keith was thankful for his support but he also knew he needed to take charge.

ραпdαn૦νel Especially with the knowing way that dwarf was looking at him.

"Do not worry child. I will not eat the one you are trying to protect. I am just going to observe him to see that nothing is wrong with him."

The dwarf addressed Shinzou and looked behind him at Keith. Before anyone knew it, the dwarf crossed Shinzou's location and was in front of Keith.

Small hands took hold of Keith's hands and he felt a weird energy moving through his body. It reminded him of the coldness that had brought him out of his mirage.

"Hmm. Interesting. How very interesting. You are struggling to survive in this world and looking for a way back, right? Then, struggle with all you might and do not let go."

"But do not fear death even if you try your hardest to run. Death is just the beginning of something new."

"And whatever you do, do not trust the words of the gods too much. They will never be your allies."

The dwarf spoke but Keith had a feeling that the dwarf was not the one who was speaking. There was a weird static energy surrounding the dwarf that made Keith nervous.

His instincts were asking him to pull back. This was not the first time he was feeling this uncertainness but this was the first time he was feeling this so strongly.

"Hey, how long are you going to keep a hold on the grandmaster's hand? Even I am not shameless enough to keep holding on to him this fiercely. Watch your manners, why don't you?"

Shimi decided she could no longer wait around for the dwarf to lose his hold on Keith. She hit the dwarf hard on his head and he stumbled.

The energy he was emitting fizzled away in an instant and he was swearing.

"Hey, watch it. I am a delicate being and you cannot hit someone as great as me so openly. The gods will not sit ideal and allow you to"

"Oh, and where are these gods of yours right now? Let us see if you will be hurt first by me or I will kill you first."

The dwarf fell quiet after Shimi's threat and he hid behind Master Fushi. 

Meanwhile, Keith was still trying hard to shake his uneasiness off and he was too unbalanced to unweave the situation.

"This is enough."

Keith suddenly raised his voice just an octave and everyone fell quiet. No one wanted to anger the grandmaster.

*cough*

"The young one is right. We should not fight among ourselves and we should also not mistake our small win for an overall victory. It will not take long for these dangerous humans to send another Fenrir after us."

"Why don't you all come with me back to my village for now? It will give you a place to recover and to also rest your bodies."

The dwarf offered and Keith sensed no malice in his voice or his actions. The dwarf looked sincere in his words and that was why Keith decided to take him up on his offer.

"Hmm. I guess it is an appropriate measure to take for the time being. We still lack critical knowledge of what is happening here. A reckless action can cause us to lose our advantage."

Everyone listened to Keith's words with a fascinated expression. Only Clair and the dwarf looked amused at his big words. 

Keith pretended like he was not affected by their looks but he was dying on the inside. His whole speech had been embarrassing for him to recite.