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A dwarf among aura wielders?

Aura, a power thought to be awakened only by the primal instincts of barbaric beings, is actually the culmination of combat skills refined and specialized over generations. A mere orc gladiator, driven by savagery, might be a formidable warrior but could never awaken to the aura without someone teaching them. Such teaching requires a culture of martial arts developed over dozens of generations.

Russ too had awakened his aura on his own after observing Repenhardt. So, it was conceivable that this Cadamite might be a genius like Russ, having awakened his aura after witnessing a human aura user. However, from what had been observed, that was not the case.

The power of this first-seen dwarf aura user exceeded anything Russ had imagined.

Despite his short stature, the Cadamite was remarkably strong. His shorter limbs allowed for quicker and more powerful maneuvers than humans. The shorter legs meant a more stable center of gravity, which almost eliminated vulnerabilities between techniques and quick recovery even if his stance was slightly disrupted. Although he had a shorter reach compared to humans, as an aura user, this was hardly a disadvantage since the aura could be extended. Honestly, Russ couldn’t fathom contending with him at this point.

Moreover, the aura techniques this dwarf used, capable of producing incredible power instantaneously, were so unique that even Repenhardt might doubt his ability to counter them.

Every aspect of his movement and technique was optimized for a dwarf’s physique, separate from human capabilities. Even Russ, having observed the aura amplification, couldn’t grasp or replicate it immediately. The techniques used by the Cadamite were simply not possible with a human body.

This dwarf-exclusive aura technique signified one thing: the dwarves had a distinct culture and history sufficient to produce their own aura wielders.

‘Maybe my brother’s words… weren’t entirely baseless…’

The grandeur of the Grand Forge, the presence of the dwarf aura user before him, and the free-spirited dwarves surviving in this harsh wilderness by their own will and strength.

Everything was shattering Russ’s understanding. All that he had considered obvious was falling apart, filling his mind with tumultuous thoughts.

As Russ was momentarily distracted, Cadamite’s pointed remark snapped him back to reality.

“Hey, Sir Russ! What are you doing?”

“Ah…”

He had drifted off into his thoughts in the midst of battle again. Russ clicked his tongue and lunged forward, brandishing his sword, emitting a blue blade aura as he soared to the opposite side of the wounded drake.

“Hup!”

The blue aura stretched out, turning into a sharp blade-whip. Covering a distance of about ten meters, Russ continuously lashed at the drake. Now familiar with maintaining the power while extending the aura, the force did not diminish even at this length.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each strike of the aura whip created a thunderous explosion. The drake’s scales were sliced, its flesh shredded as it wildly spewed flames into the air.

Whoosh!

The flames targeted Russ, chaotically coloring the air red. However, Russ dodged them with the grace of a butterfly, and once more, he swung his sword, releasing another blade aura.

“Seven Shredder!”

With a sharp cry, Russ rapidly swung his sword, forming seven blades of aura, and launched them at the drake. The crescent-shaped auras boomeranged through the air, striking the drake’s body. However, this time there was no explosion. The thick scales of the drake deflected all the attacks.

“Tch!”

Russ clicked his tongue and retreated.

‘Is this still not enough…’

The technique of creating and firing seven aura blades was something Russ had devised himself after observing Repenhardt’s explosive projectiles. Naming the technique Seven Shredder—advice from Repenhardt that naming techniques could help solidify the image and proficiency—hadn’t seemed to enhance its effectiveness as expected.

While he had become reasonably adept at maintaining power while extending the aura, thanks to intensive training and mastering the technique of sustaining the aura’s force, he had reached a level where he could freely alter the form of his aura.

However, converting the aura into a projectile form and launching it from a distance was still a challenge.

‘I understand the method somewhat from watching my brother’s explosive projectiles, but…’

Mastering the technique of manipulating aura was akin to acquiring a knack, and as the amount of aura increased, it could be quickly learned. However, while one could quickly grasp the knack and learn the technique, proficiency was needed to utilize the skill powerfully.

‘Indeed, mastering and becoming proficient are entirely separate matters.’

A refreshing voice came from behind Russ as he smacked his lips.

“Nihillen!”

From about 30 meters away on a rocky ridge, Siris, holding a bow of light, was aiming at a drake. While the dwarf warriors pressured the drake, she kept focusing on Nihillen, amplifying her power. Although Siris could not manipulate magic herself, the magical bow Nihillen had the inherent power of mana gathering, allowing her to continuously charge up power.

Twang!

With the clear sound of the bowstring being released, a beam of light shot towards the drake. The arrow of light, concentrated with immense magical power, struck the drake like a lance.

Boom!

The part Russ had missed was precisely compensated by Siris’s arrow. Now, not even a scream came out. The drake’s massive body slowly began to sink, and eventually, it knelt down. The dwarf warriors burst into cheers.

“Oooooh!”

“We got it!”

“Hahahaha!”

As the drake lay dying, the dwarves rushed towards it, axes in hand. Among them, Tilla, with her hefty battle axe and gleaming eyes, was also present.

“It looks like we’re feasting today, huh?”

Siris just passed by Tilla with a bitter smile, saying nothing.

It had been about a month since Russ, Siris, and Tilla had stayed at the Grand Forge, and this was already their sixth time participating in surface monster hunts with the dwarf warriors.

The Grand Forge was deep underground, making it relatively easy to defend against surface monsters. However, securing food was challenging. Although the geothermal stones embedded throughout the Grand Forge and the artificial suns of Al Port and Magrim provided some light, allowing the cultivation of mushrooms and a few edible tuber plants underground, feeding nearly a thousand dwarves of the Grand Forge was impossible. Thus, the dwarves risked their lives by coming to the surface to hunt monsters and supplement their food supplies.

Of course, the dwarves hadn’t forcibly brought them along. The dwarves were not a miserly race to the extent of nagging such esteemed guests, who were as significant as saviors of a clan, to earn their keep. It was merely that, feeling apologetic for eating freely without working for several days, they had volunteered to help.

‘Still, to treat a higher-tier monster like a drake as mere food…’

Russ shook his head. The dwarves were gathered around the lifeless corpse of a drake, enthusiastically hacking it with their axes, selecting the edible parts to carry away. He had accompanied them on such ‘hunts’ several times before, but he still couldn’t get used to the sight.

How shocked had he been when he first heard about their ‘hunting’? The idea of eating monsters… Of course, given the living conditions at Grand Forge, he understood that they had little choice, but he still couldn’t help feeling a repulsion.

‘But as I eat, it seems to taste okay…’

No matter how desperate the dwarves’ situation was, they didn’t eat monsters that resembled humans, like harpies or ogres. The usual prey were beast-type monsters like drakes, basilisks, or cockatrices caught that day, which surprisingly turned out to be quite palatable.

‘Cockatrice meat tasted a bit like tough pheasant, and the basilisk meat wasn’t as bad as I thought…’

Watching the drake being methodically disassembled, Russ smacked his lips. What would this creature taste like? After all, a drake was a type of reptile, and humans often ate snakes or crocodiles. Even sea turtles were considered a delicacy, weren’t they?

‘Considering that, it might actually be quite delicious?’

Humans were creatures of adaptation, and despite his initial discomfort, Russ was showing curiosity about the taste.

About ten minutes later, the drake had been completely disassembled into chunks of meat fit for consumption. The dwarves boldly discarded the drake’s scales and horns. While such items might be valuable to humans, the dwarves, who could forge far superior armor and weapons from metal, had no need for them.

With the meat loaded onto a prepared cart and the rest carried on their backs, the dwarves prepared to return home. Cadamyte led the way, bursting with a cheerful shout.

“Let’s head back!”

* * *

The entrance to Grand Forge was located in various parts of the mountain range, but the main entrance, which the dwarves themselves called the main gate, was on the middle slopes of Fortraide Mountain, the highest peak of the Setelrad mountain range. Originally, a large building ten meters tall stood there with massive steel gates visible from afar, proudly displaying its grandeur. However, it was discreetly concealed with rocks and foliage to avoid catching human eyes.

As the dwarves burdened with drake meat and Siris’s party reached the gate, two dwarf warriors standing guard greeted them warmly.

“Ah! So you caught this beast?”

“Looks like we’ll get to taste some meaty broth today.”

Both guards let the group pass, visibly excited. Everyone’s faces were filled with anticipation for the meat they were about to enjoy. Russ sighed again at the heartwarming scene of the dwarf warriors congratulating each other and sharing their joy. No matter how hard he tried to view it objectively, their behavior seemed no different from that of humans.

-Follow me. See with your own eyes and judge for yourself.

The longer he stayed, the more Repenhardt’s words echoed in his mind. With a stern face, Russ followed the other members of the party into the underground passage leading to Grand Forge.

It was about 30 minutes later when they arrived at Grand Forge. Suddenly, Siris tilted her head curiously. A boy with red hair was running towards them frantically. It seemed like something urgent had happened, but his expression was not one of distress; rather, he looked like a puppy happily greeting its returning owner.

‘Wow, were you really that happy to see us back?’

Siris, Russ, and Tilla had been out hunting while Sillan had stayed inside Grand Forge. Following Repenhardt’s advice, he had been busy implementing a special physical training program for the entire month, which left him unable to join the hunts. The intensity of the training meant that he wasn’t in a condition to hunt, especially without using healing magic. As a result, he had often been left alone…

‘Was he really feeling lonely?’

Understanding this, Siris’s perspective shifted, and although a bit startled, she tried to smile as she spoke.

“Ah, Sillan. We’re back…”

“Hahahaha!”

Suddenly, Sillan burst into insane laughter, dancing around and shaking his shoulders. He grabbed Siris’s hand and Tilla’s shoulder, and enthusiastically shook hands with Russ, continuing to wave his hands excitedly.

“What’s going on?”

“Sillan, why are you acting like this?”

“Snap out of it!”

“Hehehehehe!”

Regardless of the party’s surprise, Sillan just kept on releasing his strange laughter. Even the dwarves began to murmur at his bizarre behavior. Finally, Sillan stopped laughing and looked at his friends with serious eyes.

Russ asked, “What’s the matter, Sillan?”

With a triumphant gesture, forming a ‘V’ with his fingers, Sillan shouted proudly.

“I grew 1 centimeter!”

“Huh?”

“I grew taller! By 1 centimeter!”

Indeed, after following the schedule Repenhardt had set for a month, Sillan’s body had finally begun to grow normally. It was only 1 centimeter, but for Sillan, who hadn’t grown even a single millimeter since he was fourteen, this was truly an incredible miracle!