Chapter 31

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 31: Apprentice

The dwarves gathered in the forge stared blankly at the skeletons.

“Chieftain. Are we really going to use these skeletons as craftsmen? Even if we’re short-handed, this is just…”

Oberon, the chief blacksmith of the village, spoke up.

Thuron scratched his head in response.

“I know it’s absurd. But it was a direct request from that human. He boasted that they were better workers than orcs.”

The blacksmiths looked at the skeletons. The sound of wind passing through the hollow bones could be heard.

Skeletons were dimwitted summons, and their stats were abysmal.

But better than orcs?

Both the human who said so and the chieftain who brought the skeletons here were out of their minds.

‘Damn it. The chieftain is crazy. Orcs would be better at least. They’re at least stronger…’

The faces of Oberon and the other blacksmiths fell.

“…Please bear with me.”

Thuron sighed and nodded.

As a chieftain, he had to save face.

“…We’ll do it. But… Chieftain, do you not realize? Inadequate help is worse than none at all.”

“I do. Whether you know or not. Just work with them for a day. If you still don’t like it, I’ll speak to that human directly. Refusing should have some justification, shouldn’t it?”

“I understand.”

With a brightened expression, the chieftain left as if fleeing the scene.

For a moment, they looked at the skeletons left behind.

Oberon gave orders.

“Hey! You skeletons! Divide into groups of twenty and assist the blacksmiths!”

Salute!

The skeletons divided accordingly.

“There, bring the steel, and be careful with the tongs! Watch the floor when you bring it!”

“Take that over there and place it at this height! Just like this!”

Clang!

They precisely followed the instructions, and Oberon’s eyes lit up.

“Hmm. At least they understand one thing well.”

Even if twenty of them combined, they might equal the strength of an orc or two.

Oberon and the blacksmiths continued to give orders.

“Take that, cool it in the water, and press it firmly. With your combined weight… Ten of you should move together, once per second. Step here, here, and here.”

Clang!

“Just melt the steel there and pour it into the mold. Thirty seconds. Take it out when this hourglass finishes.”

Clang!

“That’s it! Just like that! Now, try this. Pour this liquid into the mold, let it cool for twenty seconds, then…”

They gradually entrusted them with more difficult tasks, like climbing stairs step by step.

The blacksmiths’ eyes gleamed as the skeletons flawlessly handled increasingly complex tasks.

“Master Oberon. These guys don’t seem like ordinary skeletons, do they?”

“…Well, it seems the chieftain wasn’t lying after all.”

The sound of hammering filled the air, along with the heated atmosphere of the blacksmiths’ excitement.

Normally, even an experienced apprentice would spread out after taking on a new task for two or three hours.

But the skeletons were different.

They executed orders without a single complaint, just like silent workers, and perfectly at that.

The performance of the skeletons exceeded imagination.

‘At this level, we could probably further specialize the division of labor?’

What if the skeletons could handle not only the basic manufacturing processes but also more advanced ones?

The efficiency of production could be overwhelmingly increased.

“…Shall we properly teach them?”

This would have been an unthinkable idea if the continent had remained peaceful as it had been. No matter how talented someone was, they didn’t pass on their skills lightly.

There was even a saying that if you wanted to learn dwarven crafting techniques for free, you had to work as an apprentice for 10 years.

But things were different now.

The world was half-ruined.

What use was hoarding skills when there was no way to enjoy wealth and prestige with them?

Efficiency became the most crucial factor. Without it, survival was impossible.

“You, grab this hammer.”

It had only been six hours since the skeletons arrived here. That was barely enough time for them to grasp a hammer.

“Focus and listen. When you bring the frame from there, strike here, here, and here… Seal this joint…”

* * *

[Skeleton 1 receives dwarven crafting techniques from ‘Oberon’…]

[Skeleton 343 receives dwarven crafting techniques from ‘Malcolm’…]

[Skeleton 1,102 receives dwarven crafting techniques from ‘Fuddle’…]

Three days had passed since the skeletons were sent.

They were now going beyond simple crafting and absorbing the essence of dwarven craftsmanship. As a result, the production of weapons had also exploded.

Assuming the dwarves were fully staffed, the expected production was two hundred sets per day. But now, they were effortlessly producing three hundred sets daily.

This was because the skeletons were no longer just playing the role of apprentices, but were increasingly taking on a larger role in the production process

The stockpile of steel quickly depleted, and newly recruited novice orcs were sent to mine.

In the distance, Thuron and a few orcs were approaching with a cart.

―Loot! We brought more weapons today!

“It’s a total of three hundred and twenty sets today!”

Thuron spoke with excitement in his eyes.

“You seem to be having a lot of fun.”

“Ah! It’s been a while since we’ve seen the blacksmiths work with such fervor! Aren’t dwarves the masters of craftsmanship? Thanks to them, the village is overflowing with energy!”

Indeed.

How many opportunities have the dwarves had to be this busy, given their drastically reduced numbers in recent times?

Thanks to the influx of orcs, the dwarves were also in high spirits.

“Are our boys doing well?”

“What do you mean, ‘well’? Can’t you see that the production volume is increasing every day? Oberon, that stingy old man, is even teaching them his secrets. It seems you’re quite pleased with his summons.”

It was high praise indeed.

“But are you alright? You’ve sent us all your summons…”

The maximum number of summons a necromancer could summon was proportional to their maximum mana. Once all the mana was used for summoning…

‘Even if I drink a potion, I can’t summon any more.’

All the skeletons except Cedric had become dwarven apprentices.

Still, it didn’t matter.

“I’ll just command the orcs.”

Kim Minwoo was a very unique necromancer who could level up even without utilizing summons. If there were none, he could simply wield his blade and get by.

Leveling up was smooth even without the skeletons. After all, he had sturdy orc allies as his shield. In just three days, he had raised his level to 10.

‘Though the gap with the skeletons has widened…’

Their levels could be increased at any time.

But dwarven craftsmanship was different.

‘If I miss this opportunity, who knows when I’ll have another chance to learn?’

This gate was a good one.

A fantasy genre, with a vast expanse within the gate.

Meeting dwarves was fortunate.

Moreover, in a world on the brink of ruin, they generously passed down skills that would have been closely guarded secrets under normal circumstances.

‘Once I learn it…’

Kim Minwoo smiled as he envisioned the future.

If the skeletons went through the laborious tasks, he might be able to sustain himself with items better than those found in the auction house.

For him, who would need to utilize many summoned creatures in the future, crafting skills were like a godsend during a drought.

“I see. You’ve worked hard. Thanks to you, I’ve had a full meal for the first time in a while.”

“There were quite a lot of monsters. There are still many left to hunt…”

“They won’t keep overflowing forever. It’s a race against time after all.”

“Yes. We need to conquer the fortress.”

At his words, Thuron looked at the orc horde.

“Indeed, the orc’s numbers are staggering. To survive in this harsh climate with so many… ”

As Thuron said, it was true.

The speed at which wanderers gathered was increasing. By sending orcs in all directions to spread the word, they could join the resistance and live well.

They could even seek revenge against the apostles and witches.

The slogan was a great success indeed.

The number of orcs had already surpassed two thousand, and it was increasing even more rapidly.

Then it happened.

[Warning!]

[Enemy alert level has changed!]

[0 -> 5 (They have realized something is wrong)]

‘They’ve noticed.’

The ones they sent haven’t returned.

Of course, they would be suspicious.

And then…

[The first reconnaissance unit is formed!]

[The Apostle’s subordinate, Necromancer ‘Ellum’, moves!]

[Fifty Phantom Knights follow Ellum!]

[One hundred Corpse Hunters follow Ellum!]

The message that they had started to move came up.

‘Fortunately, they are only sending a reconnaissance unit for now.’

If the main force came, it would be a different story, but if it was just fragments, they could handle it.

He looked at the two thousand orcs.

It was time to prepare for battle.

* * *

Necromancer Ellum.

He had sent some of his troops to deal with the situation.

But they were nowhere to be found.

He thought it was possible that the corpse collectors he sent to the orc tribe hadn’t returned.

After all, he had only sent five of them.

They might have gotten into an accident if they were unlucky.

Losing them wasn’t a big deal.

But the forces sent to deal with the dwarven group were different.

Their scale was different.

It was a force that shouldn’t get into accidents.

‘No reports… Most likely they’ve been wiped out.’

―… Should I send a message to the fortress?

He shook his head dismissively at the phantom knight’s question.

“No. I’ll handle it myself. There’s no need to cause concern to the apostle over such matters. Gather all the troops in this area.”

―…Understood.

The phantom knight withdrew.

‘Damn it. I have to deal with this quickly.’

Ellum chewed on his lips.

While others were cleaning up their respective territories without any issues, why was there a problem in the area he was responsible for?

It wouldn’t take long for him to be branded as incompetent by the Apostle.

The missing troops could be replenished somehow, but once trust was shattered, it was extremely difficult to restore.

He had delayed the news, but it wouldn’t last long. He needed to suppress the spark before it grew into a fire.

So Ellum and his troops moved.

Their destination was the territory of the Black Rock tribe.

Since the last report that they were heading there, there had been no news.

As they approached the area where the Black Rock tribe was located, strange sights appeared.

―…Lord Ellum. Something is strange. These are definitely orc footprints… but they keep flocking towards where we’re heading.

There were too many footprints on the snow. Additionally, orc excrement and secretions were easily found in various places.

‘Could it be… the orcs attacked the dwarves? If the troops were drawn into the area the orcs occupied…’

‘It makes sense that they were wiped out.’

If the orcs were provoked, their forces would number at least a thousand. In contrast, the troops he had sent were only about ten phantom knights and twenty corpse collectors.

Even if the forces were evenly matched, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were overwhelmed.

“Damn it…”

Ellum’s face darkened.

If the witch had manipulated the orcs, he couldn’t hide it within his ranks.

Reporting was a top priority.

“You, you, go back to the fortress right now…”

At that moment.

Boom!

Arrows suddenly shot up from the ground as orcs emerged from all sides.

—Graaagh! Kill them!

—Orcs! Orcs!

An unexpected ambush!

The Phantom knights managed to respond barely, but the corpse collectors, being of lower quality, were different.

Boom!

With a fierce swing of an axe, a body was split in half.

The calamity didn’t end there.

Soon, orcs began to emerge from all directions.

—This is an ambush!

—These bug bastards…!

“Don’t panic! Get into formation!”

Ellum urgently gave orders as he gathered his magical power within him.

A spell formed above his hand.

Corpse explosion.

If he could cast it now, he could annihilate the orcs rushing out.

At that moment.

Thud!

With a sinister sound, an arrow pierced his chest.

“Ugh!”

—This way, protect Ellum!

Soon, a barrage of arrows began to rain down. Arrows aimed at the heads of the corpse collectors and Phantom knights!

Archer orcs, showing off their skills by targeting their objectives amidst the chaos.

There was only one group of individuals capable of such artistry.

‘An elf?!’

Ellum’s eyes widened.

Orcs wearing dwarven equipment.

And on top of that, an elf sniper who excels in chaotic situations.

The situation was the worst possible.

* * *

To win with a frontal assault, they would have to take heavy casualties. That’s why they opted for a surprise attack. They had hidden some orcs in the direction where they were likely to come from.

All of them had sturdy builds and robust stamina.

The outcome was a resounding success.

“Don’t spare a single one alive!”

—Graaagh!

When he ordered the orcs to charge…

A strange sight unfolded.

Arrows were flying from somewhere, assassinating the enemy troops. Kim Minwoo also thought of the same word as Ellum.

‘Elf?’

Had they witnessed him wandering around and engaging in battles?

Given the military strength of the witch’s side, the support of the elves was not surprising.

‘It’s not a bad thing.’

Even a cat’s paw would be useful in such a situation.

Not to mention the sniper support from the elves.

‘He said he was a necromancer.’

He looked at the human writhing with an arrow in his chest.

‘Judging by the fact that he’s a commander, he’s definitely a named monster.’

Named monster.

Not a boss, but a monster with its own name. Such creatures often dropped valuable items. Experience points were just an added bonus.

‘I’ll deliver the finishing blow.’

In the midst of the chaos, he began to approach Ellum.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]