#256
Zhuge Family (2)
Hmm…
While gathering potentially useful information through the Internet, I stretched out and let out a short sigh.
Well, things are going smoothly, so it’s not bad… But I think I’ve definitely become too aggressive.
High Elf Harris, who was bumbling around the Ganghwan Realm, had finally received a formal invitation from the Zhuge Family and was able to enter their stronghold.
The first meeting wasn’t the most pleasant, but now he was being treated fairly well in a rather friendly atmosphere.
To be precise… they have no choice but to treat me well over there, right?
The Zhuge Family, who didn’t even have masters in the Current Realm, had reached their current position because of their unique sorcery and formation techniques.
Not only did they manipulate the environment to distort phenomena with their mystical formations, but the combination of their warriors and sorcerers created a formation that could reportedly challenge even the masters of the Higher Realm.
Of course, if the opponent is at the Current Realm level, thorough preparations and mystical formations would be essential. And even then, it might only be useful for passive responses.
That was why Harris, who appeared arrogant, had them unable to move an inch.
In this world, where strength is everything, there was also the dimension of respect towards those who had proven their own might.
However, I, the very subject of this respect, couldn’t easily accept Harris’s transformed demeanor.
Hmm, is it really the environment affecting me?
Whether due to his innate nature or acquired skills, Harris was a being sensitive to surrounding conditions.
Now that he had ended up in a place where the world’s energy was gradually drying up, it wasn’t too surprising that he was reacting sensitively.
Still, there’s no major problem for now, so it should be fine. Anyway, I was planning to send him back to Auterica soon.
It had already been nearly five days since Harris was sent to the Ganghwan Realm.
In no time at all, half of the time had passed.
So far, all he could remember was causing a ruckus everywhere, but results were good enough that it could be considered a pretty successful start.
That aside…
While rummaging through the system window, I discovered something interesting.
It seemed to be a change that appeared right after successfully entering the Ganghwan Realm…
『Item Purchase – Details』
└Auterica
└Ganghwan Realm
An item that allows you to easily procure items from each world by paying karma.
Previously, the sub-list only had items from Auterica, but now the name of Ganghwan Realm was added.
So it works like this, huh?
Seeing that, I lightly nodded.
I had worried that only the officially assigned world of Auterica would apply, but fortunately, it looked like the system wasn’t that rigid.
I immediately entered the ‘Ganghwan Realm’ list and skimmed through the products listed there.
Everlasting Snowberry, Yin-Yang Stone, and… there are plenty of names that sound promising.
The first things to catch my eye were various elixirs.
Rare treasures with vastly different levels, properties, and usage.
If the martial artists of the Ganghwan Realm saw them, they would likely rush straight at them…
But since the natural elixir hunter Harris is here, I don’t need to worry about that for now.
In fact, even here in Yung Jung Mountain, there were several signs of elixirs subtly felt.
Moreover, the much larger and renowned Mudang Mountain was right nearby!
That place was quite strong in terms of energy compared to others, and it was still quite rich in energy. Elixirs grown there would…
I recalled the legendary mountains while heading toward the Zhuge Family and couldn’t help but lick my lips in anticipation.
After settling in, the fun of going out to gather them might be quite enjoyable.
There were also many renowned pills like Great Revival Pill and Master Spirit Pill listed in the shop.
Even the martial arts classics of certain sects and magical equipment from the Martial Arts World were included.
Additionally, there were some eye-catching items with astronomical prices.
『Everlasting Child’s Blood Gem (1,190,000)』
『Everlasting Ice Essence of the Eternal Glacier (780,000)』
『Imperfect Dragon Pearl of a 999-Year-Old Immortal (1,530,000)』
『…』
Though I still didn’t know much about the Ganghwan Realm, just looking at the names seemed unusual.
It was obvious they were items of great value due to their price.
So immortals really existed. I wonder if there’s a use for them?
However, while interesting, they weren’t something worth worrying about at this stage.
For now, it would be enough just to remember that things like this existed.
What I could use right away lay elsewhere.
I proceeded to input the desired criteria for ‘Item Purchase’ and separately printed out the relevant lists.
After quickly scanning those—
I wore a satisfied smile as I repeated purchase and transmission to “Avatar Cloud.”
*
Thud—! Thang—! Thud!
Hmm? What is that sound?
Zhaonik, who was heading into the workshop after attending to some outdoor duties, furrowed his brow and listened.
Naturally, he knew it was the sound of metal being hammered, but what puzzled him was something more subtle.
Huh…?
No matter how much he focused, he could not comprehend it.
Eventually, he entered the workshop, seemingly mesmerized by the sounds coming from inside.
Clang—! Sizzle—!
The sound of forging followed by quenching echoed.
With his bare upper body drenched in sweat, Howard was deeply engrossed in his work—a truly heartwarming sight filled with passion and energy.
What’s… this…?
But Zhaonik’s gaze quickly shifted past him as if he were nailed to one spot.
Without even recognizing it, his mouth dropped open, and a gasp escaped his throat.
W-what is that? What metal is that? Huh? Such a thing? Uh…
The Dwarf master stuttered, unable to coherently express his thoughts as he became lost in confusion at the unfamiliar metal he had never seen before and never even considered could exist in this world.
Ah, you’ve arrived?
Howard finished his task and turned to greet him, yet Zhaonik’s state of mind was not in a place to accept such a casual greeting.
Even when Howard had brought back rare minerals from the Northern Mountain Range, Zhaonik had thought little of it.
Of course, it wouldn’t have been easy, but being the top merchant of the Toolk Kingdom, the Hubert Association, he figured it was not impossible.
But… that’s different. No, it’s not just different. I can’t fathom the existence of such a thing in this world!
The metal Howard was working on was something Zhaonik, who prided himself on being well-versed in all the metals in the world as a Dwarf blessed by metals, couldn’t easily comprehend—something he didn’t even believe could exist.
Just, accepting that something like that existed was unfathomable.
But it was clearly right in front of him, and he couldn’t blindly deny it…
Ahem! This is the metal that Hubert recently acquired from the Northern Mountain Range. Would you like to take a look?
As Zhaonik’s mind unraveled, Howard lightly cleared his throat and casually withdrew another chunk of metal from the spatial dimension and handed it to him.
There’s more of such a thing?
Though inwardly astonished, without hesitation, his instinctive hands had already accepted it.
Ah!
And the moment the metal touched his hand, he instinctively sensed something.
What he felt was definitely not a mistake.
What is… this? Why is something like this in the world?
Mumbling absentmindedly, he instinctively began to move busily.
He stared intently, running his fingers over the surface, flicking it to feel the vibration and listen to its resonance. He sniffed to catch its scent.
Not stopping there, he even stuck out his tongue to taste it, smacking his lips, and eventually took a bite to chew it…
Ugh, what am I doing?
Howard’s expression turned dubious, watching the scene unfold before him.
Despite this, he understood Zhaonik’s feelings, having also lived a life intertwined with metals.
What he held was none other than the “Everlasting Cold Iron,” a metal that didn’t exist in this world and was prized even in the Ganghwan Realm.
But the Dwarf is indeed a Dwarf. He recognized it instantly.
It was common knowledge that he couldn’t possibly miss the sensation he had already felt.
Howard gazed at Zhaonik, who was still in a trance over the metal, with a faint smile.
Magical tools bestowed with the laws of this realm do not apply in other worlds.
He already knew that very well.
However, that didn’t mean the properties of the material itself changed, right?
While I can’t add any particular mystical quality to it, the Everlasting Cold Iron can indeed be considered the best metal in itself.
In fact, he thought the peculiarities that rejected the mysteries of this world could be used inversely.
For instance… absolute indestructible armor that, while incredibly hard, also disregarded magic effects.
There’s no need to make everything out of Everlasting Cold Iron. It would be sufficient to just coat a reasonable thickness on the surface.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to apply it where needed due to changes in material properties, but how would he know without trying?
There was always a way to find solutions through effort.
He was a gifted Dwarf craftsman, considered irrationally exceptional in creation.
Good heavens. This came from the Northern Mountain Range? What on earth is happening in there? Is it… the Undead King? What has he done?
At that moment, Zhaonik finally began to regain his senses, mumbling in a daze.
There were still plenty of other metals left, like Hyeon Iron and Un Iron…
Well, let’s take it slow on that.
He still needed Zhaonik’s help for many things, and if he revealed everything now, he’d just end up fainting from surprise.
*
On the sixth day since Harris entered the Ganghwan Realm.
Having briefly left the territory of the Zhuge Family’s Yung Jung Mountain, he quickly returned.
Hey, Hero, where did you go all of a sudden… Huh? Who’s that…?
He approached Harris, who was accompanied by someone he had never seen before, as he was met with a slightly twisted expression by the second lord of the Celestial Guardian Corps.
Considering that he was already upset due to Harris’s rude behavior, he was now bringing an outsider into the family as he pleased.
Ah, it seems you haven’t received word yet? I mentioned that I’d be bringing a friend when I left.
… Is that so? I guess there was some misunderstanding.
To be exact, Harris had left abruptly after unilaterally informing those serving him, but now, even more boldly, he skillfully responded without changing his expression.
Shall we go in now? I can’t wait to introduce my friend here.
Um, please wait a moment. Almost… Ah! It’s done. You may go in.
The second lord, who had been hesitating while wearing a troubled expression, soon nodded, confirming with a whispered message from inside.
Perhaps eager to avoid facing them any longer, he quickly stepped aside at the entrance and silently urged them inside.
He hoped they would hurry and disappear within.
However, the other party didn’t move to match his expectations.
The young man who came with Harris approached him cautiously.
He then slightly bowed his head in a polite manner, raising an eyebrow in puzzlement toward him.
I apologize for the sudden visit and the inconvenience it may have caused, warrior.
… Not at all. I’m just following orders, you see.
As the young man made such polite introductions, the second lord could only respond in kind.
Having assumed they would be similar, given the previous uninvited guests, he was pleasantly surprised that this one seemed more reasonable.
My apologies for the late introduction. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am…
Dressed in luxurious martial attire with a classic sword at his waist, the young man, who appeared to be from a prestigious family, smiled brightly and opened his mouth again.
… Ha Seung-hoon.
The name Ha Seung-hoon was also one used by Hesperon—a new alias for the entity previously known as ‘Hugo,’ who had been introduced into the Ganghwan Realm after Harris.
