Chapter 341

Chapter 341
## Chapter 341

A New Farming Ground (2)

“Six million…”

My fingers slowly brushed against my jawline as a sharp spark lit up my eyes.

The outcome was immensely gratifying.

This substantial amount was precisely what I required to execute the choice I had been forced to delay previously due to unavoidable circumstances.

『Dimensional Barrier Weakening (6,000,000)』

This particular option served to bridge the divide separating different realities, thereby loosening the constraints imposed upon those who had undergone awakening.

Lacking the necessary Karma at the time, I had fallen prey to the allure of the unpredictable ‘random gacha’ and pushed this transaction to the back burner…

‘And now, the sum in my possession matches the cost perfectly.’

It felt like destiny working its magic.

There was absolutely no point in delaying this any longer.

‘Developing my unique skill further is bound to require a greater window of time. Besides, there isn’t anything else pressing that I need at this moment…’

Letting out a soft breath as a wave of nervous excitement surged through me, I selected 『Dimensional Barrier Weakening』 for the second time.

The massive cache of 6 million Karma points, which had given me such a profound sense of pride just moments ago, dissolved into nothingness instantly—.

“Hmm.”

…And a physical shift in the fabric of reality registered within my core.

It was an uncanny sensation, akin to a dormant force suddenly waking up and responding to me—something I previously lacked the capacity to even detect.

Yet, mirroring my initial experience with this choice, the feeling evaporated almost immediately.

‘…Is that all there is to it?’

While I was certain a transformation had occurred, I found myself unable to specify its exact nature or scale.

Given how the first instance had played out, I had anticipated this exact result, yet it still left me feeling… somewhat underwhelmed.

‘I did just pour 6 million points into this…’

A quiet complaint echoed in my mind, but I recognized there was no changing the reality of the situation.

‘Even so… it appears the capabilities I already possessed have received an upgrade.’

Wooong—

A slow nod accompanied my gaze as I watched a platinum-tinted radiance shimmer and dance above my palm.

The energy output was markedly superior to its previous baseline, despite the fact that I was channeling the exact same volume of power.

This variance would undoubtedly expand into a chasm as my personal strength continued to scale upward.

‘This development might provide the breakthrough I need concerning the Dragon’s Children.’

The option known as 「Dimensional Barrier Weakening」 operated essentially like a system exploitation code or a hidden developer loophole.

It provided me with a direct means to circumvent the foundational laws that bound every awakened individual across existence.

It was an entirely absurd feature, an anomaly that logically shouldn’t be accessible within the system-regulated Karma Shop.

‘Which explains why it was obscured from regular view in the first place.’

To unlock the perk labeled 「Karma Shop Ver.2 Update」, an individual had to possess an unspent balance exceeding 10 million Karma points.

Amassing such wealth was an extraordinary feat on its own, and even if someone managed it, who would realistically let it sit idle without spending it?

On top of that, the price tag for this specific choice sat at a steep 6 million…

‘It’s hardly an asset the average person could ever hope to obtain… Though that hardly matters now.’

The true value lay in how I could weaponize it moving forward.

It had become increasingly clear that resolving the crisis in Ganghwange would be far from simple if I relied solely on my current baseline performance.

While processing these internal adjustments, I shut my eyes tightly, burying my fingers into my palms.

“…Sacrifices, fated to be surrendered as offerings before they even draw their first breath…”

Chewing on that reality stirred a deep sense of irritation and bitter resentment within me.

A heavy, uneven breath escaped my lips.

‘This is completely intolerable. Ganghwange is my newly claimed farming ground. There is no way I am going to stand by and watch this happen.’

My mind was made up.

I intended to completely dismantle the stratagem of the Dragon God, irrespective of what that deity hoped to achieve.

Should I dedicate myself fully to the cause, it was far from an unattainable goal.

Saint Heinrich stood among the apex wielders of sacred energy; Immortal King Hans commanded the absolute depths of necromancy and forbidden arts; Horus was a dragon who enjoyed the literal benediction of the world itself…

Furthermore, there was Harris, the High Elf who acted as a direct vessel for the forces of nature, Heinz the Second, a vampire carrying the exalted Divine Blood, and Harley, who had successfully integrated fiendish attributes into his being…

An extraordinary vanguard of champions operated directly under my banner.

Surrendering was out of the question.

‘I need to direct a larger share of my attention toward Ganghwange. With Hans having successfully seized authority over the Demonic Cult, the landscape mirror-images what happened in Auterica. It makes perfect sense to treat Ganghwange as an experimental arena for my Home Theater.’

Additionally, I needed to ascertain the precise modifications triggered by this second purchase of 「Dimensional Barrier Weakening」.

An investment of 6 million points could not possibly yield a mere amplification of the initial status quo.

Gaining absolute clarity on my own toolkit was the priority.

‘I assumed the answers would take time to surface, but…’

In a twist of fate,

The opportunity to observe one of these hidden secondary benefits manifested far quicker than anticipated, occurring in a location I never would have guessed.

It materialized directly through the labor of Howard, the dwarven smith, who was relentlessly striking iron within his personal forge, where the passage of time raced at ten times the speed of Earth.

—

Howard, the spectral occupant of this secluded manufacturing space, adhered to an unyielding and uncomplicated daily regimen.

Clang! Clang!

Swinging his hammer, consuming meals, swinging his hammer again, pausing for brief interludes with refreshments, occasionally pivoting to intricate metallurgy or basic craftsmanship, and returning to the anvil until sleep claimed him.

It was an unvaried, looping existence.

Yet, not once did Howard experience a shred of tedium.

‘Why would I? When I possess the freedom to forge absolutely anything my heart desires, boredom is an impossibility!’

This joy didn’t stem entirely from inhabiting the physical form of a dwarf.

Granted, that physiology played a massive role… but his heart was genuinely invested in the labor.

‘There is no pastime superior to this.’

When looked at objectively, building things had always been a widespread and highly favored pursuit.

As validation of his sentiment, an entire wall of the forge stood crowded with the fruits of his labor.

A polished, circular buckler featuring an emblazoned star right in its center sat alongside highly impractical bladed weapons devoid of actual utility, accompanied by various trinkets bearing highly litigious designs.

The space closely resembled a storage room for theatrical or cinematic memorabilia.

‘While they may look like mere imitations, they were forged using extraordinarily scarce substances, including enchanted alloys, meaning their baseline utility is actually quite formidable.’

He hadn’t spent his hours crafting these items merely as an idle escape.

His primary objective remained the creation of the Multipurpose Combat Power Suit, colloquially dubbed ‘Titan’.

Regrettably, that grand endeavor was not progressing with the fluidity he desired.

Though the fabrication of the appendages had concluded successfully, the central chassis intended to unite the structural frame and the cranial unit meant to house the cognitive processors fell short of his standards.

Consequently, he had pivoted to minor fabrications as a method to sharpen his precision and elevate his artistry… and that detour had somehow culminated in this collection.

Clang! Clang!

His current focus centered on the creation of an immense, two-handed broadsword.

Its dimensions in both length and width surpassed those of a fully grown woman, marking it as a truly colossal instrument of war.

The blade was composed of star-fallen iron, an invaluable material harvested directly from Ganghwange, with its inherent traits fine-tuned for maximum structural integrity and mass.

Clang!

And then,

‘What is this?’

…An unfamiliar feedback vibrated through the tool as his hammer collided with the heated alloy.

Freezing in place, his thick, caterpillar-like brows furrowed deeply before he hoisted the tool once more, striking down upon the metal while activating his signature ability, 「Technological Revolution」.

Clang! Clang!

The steady, rhythmic impacts commenced anew, yet the blacksmith’s internal state was anything but tranquil.

‘…What am I sensing right now? Is it truly possible…?’

The metal was pushes back with an unprecedented resonance.

This property deviated entirely from the standard nature of the star-fallen iron he had spent hours shaping, an element that typically lacked any innate magical affinity and was defined solely by its material durability.

‘The latent supernatural essence locked within the alloy is… waking up?’

A theory regarding the source of this phenomenon crossed his mind, yet he hesitated to accept it as reality.

‘Regardless of my skepticism, the reality is unfolding right before my eyes. If that is the case, then this implies…’

The feature known as 「Technological Revolution」 granted him the capacity to alter and adjust the structural framework of items built via advanced methods originating from alternate realms.

Up until this juncture, however, that influence had remained restricted to superficial components, failing to penetrate the foundational matrix of an object.

Ignoring the chaos of his racing thoughts, a physique forged through endless hours of muscle memory responded automatically and without a moment’s indecision.

He thrust the alloy back into the heart of the furnace, raising its core temperature to extreme levels before subjecting it to a barrage of hammer strikes.

Whoosh—!

The furnace, pushed to its absolute limits by the activation of 「Harmonizer of Fire and Metal」, erupted with violent, sapphire-colored flames.

The thermal energy generated was so immense that even the custom-built enchanted furnace began to yield and soften, but he completely ignored the damage.

To someone like Hubert, who oversaw one of the preeminent mercantile syndicates in Auterica, the destruction of a basic forge represented an insignificant financial loss.

His focus was entirely anchored to a grander prize.

‘I must bear witness to the final product.’

Under the standard constraints governing reality, a mystical apparatus forged in one realm was fundamentally incapable of operating within another.

The core energetic frameworks of different dimensions were entirely incompatible.

This restriction governed not just finalized magical instruments, but extended to raw elements saturated with otherworldly supernatural properties.

A creation originating from Ganghwange, which operated on the principles of Ki, was structurally barred from functioning correctly within Auterica, an environment sustained entirely by mana.

And yet,

This supposed impossibility was transitioning into reality right in front of his face.

‘If this integrity… holds true through the final tempering…’

Howard pushed through the labor, his skin glistening with heavy sweat under the oppressive heat of the furnace, his inner thrill mounting with every blow delivered.

An absolute paradigm shift.

The birth of an artifact that shattered conventional limitations, marking a monumental leap forward in the field of techno-magic…

Clang! Sizzle—

The sequence moved from hammering to oil-quenching, and finally to meticulous grinding.

Every phase of production transitioned into the next without a hitch, steered by his honed craftsmanship and deeply ingrained expertise.

And at long last,

“Ha… Hahaha!”

Howard, his arm bicep definition swelling from the reinforcement of 「Super Strength」, hoisted the immense broadsword aloft, its sheer scale completely eclipsing his dwarven stature.

An enormous, dense, and punishingly heavy twin-edged blade.

An instrument reminiscent of an old animated serial he had enjoyed during his youth—a weapon specifically forged for the destruction of ancient drakes—had been brought to life by his own hands.

Imbued with an energetic signature that had no logical right to exist within the borders of Auterica.

“To think such a feat could be achieved…”

He remained rooted to the spot, completely captivated by the weapon.

Naturally, this miraculous outcome could not be credited exclusively to the effects of 「Dimensional Barrier Weakening」.

It was the product of multiple extraordinary variables aligning perfectly: the craftsman himself was an awakened traveler exempt from the local constraints of reality, his unique talent 「Technological Revolution」 allowed him to rewrite material attributes, and his profound comprehension of metallurgy enabled him to meld substances from completely separate realms.

‘…A mystical tool that completely disregards the boundaries of different dimensions.’

Howard narrowed his gaze, observing his handiwork while sinking deep into reflection.

The utility of this blade was not confined solely to Auterica.

He could transport it directly back to Ganghwange, and it would perform flawlessly, retaining its external magical enhancements.

Right at that moment,

Whoosh—

…The intense fires of the furnace wavered and spun, sending a lone ribbon of flame leaping outward to circle his body before dissolving into the surrounding air.

《The participant has fulfilled the necessary benchmarks and unlocked advancement. The proficiencies “Metallurgy” and “Precision Crafting” have coalesced, evolving into the unique capability “Golden Hands”.》

“…The benediction of the forge.”

This marked his third divine acknowledgment.

It appeared the Deity of Fire and Metal had also been profoundly moved by the caliber of his creation.

Howard, his grip remaining firm on the massive hilt, felt an intense wave of fulfillment wash over him.

If the initial benediction served as the baseline standard required to earn the title of a true ‘artisan’ within the hierarchies of the dwarfs, then this third recognition stood as a monument to his absolute expertise, a validation of true mastery.

His personal mentor, Zaonic, was widely celebrated as a legendary master of the craft; thus, Howard, who had only dedicated himself to the forge for a handful of years, had already ascended to an equivalent tier of capability.

‘Granted, a massive gulf still exists when comparing our practical experience and execution.’

Yet, evaluating his current trajectory of advancement, it would not take long at all before he eclipsed his instructor entirely.

Inhaling deeply to stabilize his racing pulse, he carefully lowered the massive broadsword to a resting position.

Following this, his attention migrated across the various other projects arranged throughout the workspace.

These had previously stood as his most treasured achievements…

“Tsk.”

…But looking at them now, they appeared thoroughly inadequate.

He hoisted a short-gripped hammer saturated with electrical enchantments, which had been one of his favorite past successes.

At the time of its completion, he had felt immensely proud of it… yet now, it looked like nothing more than a poorly constructed, impractical plaything.

“Every single one of these requires a complete redesign.”

He murmured to the empty room, his eyes scanning across the workspace.

This mandate applied not merely to the hammer, but to every single project he had initiated out of personal amusement, and…

…His gaze eventually locked onto the armor chassis resting upon a display frame.

The completed limbs stood attached to a central chest piece and helmet that remained entirely unfinished.

‘If I fortify the framework utilizing the shell of the Black Tortoise and embed a Dragon Orb to serve as the central engine…’

An avalanche of creative inspiration and technical concepts flooded his consciousness.

The realization settled deep within him.

The moment of its ultimate completion was rapidly approaching.

His initial yields gathered from Ganghwange had proven to be an unparalleled triumph.