Chapter 53
Everything in the world had a limit.
Even the volcanic ash clay of the Western Volcano Tribe couldn’t endure the extreme heat created when two Dragonblood Stones resonated.
So...
If I wanted to survive in this strange game-like world where common sense didn’t always apply...
I had to exploit the rules of this world instead.
I looked at the half-destroyed forge.
Then held out my hand toward Jack.
“Gather the beetles.”
Raise front legs.
Five artisan beetles crawled out of Jack’s pockets.
They lined up.
Each raised one front leg.
I nodded.
“Jack.”
Then...
“Let’s go.”
Jack flinched.
“Huh?”
Then...
“W-Where are we going?”
His voice trembled.
“The forge just collapsed. What am I supposed to...”
“We need something to repair it.”
Topu tilted his head.
“But why are you taking the beetles?”
Because...
We needed them to obtain the material.
Olaf’s beard trembled.
He looked furious.
“You bastard!”
Then...
“Where do you think you’re running off to now?!”
He pointed at the broken forge.
“The forge you begged me to build has been destroyed!”
I ignored him.
With the beetles on my shoulders...
I headed toward the cave beside the village.
Olaf followed while complaining.
“What in the world is that fool planning?”
We entered the cave.
Inside...
The Pink Smilers were gathered around the red Dragonblood Stone.
“Oooooooong!”
“Oooong!”
They stared at their precious warm stone with sparkling eyes.
Just like always...
They were worshipping it.
Those strange monsters possessed fluffy pink fur capable of reflecting every form of physical force and magic.
If that fur reflected external energy like a mirror...
Then it was probably the only material in the world capable of controlling the Dragonblood furnace.
I lowered the beetles to the ground.
Then snapped my fingers.
“All right.”
Then...
“Time to show me what you can do.”
Raise front legs.
Everyone stared at me.
Confused.
I paused dramatically.
Then pointed toward the Pink Smilers.
“Shave...”
Everyone leaned closer.
I finished,
“Every last bit of their fur.”
Raise front legs! Yeah!
Topu screamed.
“HIIIK!”
Then...
“T-That’s cruel!”
Malko stared at me.
“I think Izak went crazy after forge broke.”
The five beetles didn’t care.
Each climbed onto a Pink Smiler.
Snip snip!
Scrape scrape!
Their sharp jaws moved like electric hair clippers.
They could carve wood with perfect precision.
So...
The Pink Smilers’ cotton-candy-like fur began falling in thick clumps.
Olaf pointed toward the creatures.
“Y-You!”
Then...
“The forge is destroyed!”
His voice rose.
“Why are you shaving monsters at a time like this?!”
Only a few minutes later...
The Pink Smilers had become completely bald.
Yet...
The creatures themselves looked perfectly peaceful.
“Ooooooong!”
“Oooong!”
Even with half their apparent body size gone...
They still wore the same innocent, stupid smiles.
They rubbed themselves happily against the Dragonblood Stone.
Then continued worshipping it.
They don’t even realize they’re bald.
Maybe that was for the best.
I chuckled.
Then gathered the mountains of pink fur into leather sacks.
A short while later.
At the place that had once been a forge.
Jack stared at the sacks.
“S-Shaman...”
Then...
“What exactly is that?”
I answered immediately.
“We repair the furnace with it.”
Olaf exploded.
“Madness!”
He pointed at me.
“You want to stuff animal fur into a furnace hot enough to forge steel?!”
Then...
“It’ll turn to ash before a single spark even touches it!”
He looked personally offended.
“Stop insulting craftsmen with ridiculous jokes and think seriously!”
I shrugged.
“We’ll know once we try.”
Then...
I turned toward Jack.
“Mix the remaining volcanic ash clay with plenty of Pink Smiler fur.”
Jack blinked.
“Huh?”
Then...
“Y-Yes.”
He hesitated.
“Understood.”
Despite his doubts...
Jack and the children followed my instructions.
Volcanic ash clay from the west.
Pink Smiler fur.
Two materials that looked completely incompatible.
Yet...
As they mixed together...
The gray clay gradually became a bright pink paste.
We rebuilt the furnace frame.
Then spread the pink mixture thickly over the inner walls.
Olaf shook his head.
“I’ve lived a long time...”
Then...
“But I have never seen anything this ridiculous.”
He pointed at me.
“If this is a joke, prepare yourself!”
Then...
“This is the last time the great Olaf will tolerate your nonsense!”
We ignored his threats.
Then...
We waited for the volcanic ash mixture to dry.
Afterward...
We added another layer.
And another.
Several days later.
The rebuilt forge was...
Well...
Very bright.
Topu scratched his head.
“I-It’s pretty?”
Everyone else stood speechless.
The enormous furnace looked like something from a fairy tale.
Completely pink.
Even worse...
Some Pink Smiler hairs hadn’t mixed into the clay properly.
They stuck out from the surface.
So the furnace was fluffy.
“...”
Olaf stared at it with absolute despair.
The proud greatest blacksmith of the Empire.
A man who had spent his entire life surrounded by soot, iron dust, and flames.
Apparently...
A fluffy pink furnace was more than his dignity could endure.
Olaf covered his face.
“I...”
Then...
“The great Olaf...”
His shoulders trembled.
“Must stand before that toy-like fluffy furnace and raise my hammer?!”
Then...
“JUST CUT OFF MY HEAD!”
He screamed toward the sky.
“If you’re going to crush my pride as a craftsman like this, then kill me instead!”
Olaf’s humiliation wasn’t my problem.
I ignored him.
Then placed two Dragonblood Stones onto the rails.
“Try it first.”
Olaf staggered toward the furnace.
His expression looked miserable.
He grabbed the external lever.
He still clearly didn’t believe a fluffy pink furnace could survive thousands of degrees.
Still...
He seemed resigned.
He closed his eyes.
Then pulled the lever.
Clatter...
The gears turned.
The two Dragonblood Stones moved closer together.
Hummmm...!
The furnace filled with white light.
Everyone held their breath.
Jack.
The barbarians.
Mari.
Luna.
Me.
We all stared.
The same heat that had melted volcanic ash clay into glass only days earlier...
Touched the inner wall.
Then...
The Pink Smiler fur reflected it.
The energy bounced back inward.
Not a single drop of clay melted.
The pink furnace perfectly controlled the extreme heat.
Even better...
Almost no heat escaped outside.
Standing directly in front of the furnace...
We could feel only mild warmth.
Olaf slowly opened one eye.
Then the other.
“...I-Impossible!”
The pink furnace hadn’t melted.
Not even one strand of fur had burned.
It perfectly contained the white heat.
Olaf looked hypnotized.
He grabbed the tongs.
Then pushed several steel balls inside.
Because none of the heat was escaping...
The steel heated much faster and more evenly than before.
Soon...
It glowed like golden molten metal.
Olaf’s hands trembled.
“I-Insane...”
Then...
“It’s perfect.”
His eyes widened further.
“No.”
Then...
“Even the word perfect isn’t enough!”
He laughed.
“There is absolutely no heat loss!”
Then...
“Inside this furnace, any metal in the world can be softened like dough!”
Olaf completely forgot his humiliation over using a fluffy pink furnace.
He screamed in delight.
