Dwarf Kingdom

Sewena sneered vilely.

“Do you know how hard it was to get that bitch’s hair to make this? Now I’ve killed that loathsome wench! Kyahahaha!”

Tobias’s elementary school-aged son, Arthur, burst into tears.

“Euaaaang! Papa! Mama!”

The flustered guards snapped to attention, drawing their weapons and standing in front of Arthur to protect him.

“You heinous monsters!”

“We must protect Arthur-nim!”

Mernusa walked toward the guards with a bewitching look on her face.

Ttokgak ttoggak

“Hoh ho ho~ Are you going to stab a beautiful woman and her child?”

“Get lost! You witch!”

Mernusa’s face twisted like a demon.

“I’ll tear out your Adam’s apple.”

Shaldard, Mernusa raised her elongated fingernails and rushed at the guards.

Sewena scattered a handful of crow feathers, and the feathers transformed into a flock of crows, pecking at the guards’ faces.

Kkaak kkaak pudeodeok kokkokkok

The guards flailed their hands, trying to swat away the crows.

“Kkeuaaa! Get lost! I said get lost!”

However, the guards’ hands simply passed through the crows.

The crows continued to peck at their faces.

While the guards were disoriented, Shaldard and Mernusa moved around, piercing the guards’ Adam’s apples with their fingernails.

Soon, all the guards collapsed, their Adam’s apples torn, blood blocking their airways.

A few crow feathers were stuck to the guards’ faces.

Arthur, left alone, backed away, crying and pleading.

“Euaaang! Please, spare me!”

Shaldard said with a vile smile.

“Can’t do that. If you’re around, I can’t become King.”

Shaldard pierced Arthur’s forehead with his fingernails.

Pook

Arthur fell, dead.

Teolssok

Mernusa took Tobias’s head and removed the crown and royal seal from his chest.

“Son~ Here’s your stuff.”

Mernusa placed the crown on Shaldard’s head and put the royal seal in his chest.

Shaldard said with a happy face.

“Thank you, Mom.”

Sewena approached.

“Honey. What about me?”

Shaldard hugged Sewena.

“Thank you. You are now the Queen of the Hamel Empire.”

“Kyahahat! I’m a Queen! The best!”

The three of them went outside with happy faces.

They were planning to go to Eridne City.

—

Now, let me explain the situation in the Dwarf Kingdom.

The Dwarf Kingdom is an underground kingdom dug beneath the mountains in the eastern part of the continent.

Each city is a giant underground community, with tunnels connecting the cities like an ant colony.

A delegation from Talka City visited the Fire City, the capital of the Dwarf Kingdom, carrying Giluk’s Fire Hammer.

The delegation announced Giluk’s death and returned the Fire Hammer to the Dwarf Kingdom.

The death of Giluk, the Crown Prince of the Dwarf Kingdom, came as a great shock to the Dwarf Kingdom.

A wave of mourning and sorrow swept over the Dwarf Kingdom.

Giluk’s funeral was held in the Fire City with great pomp.

A coffin filled with Giluk’s cherished possessions was placed on a huge platform, and dwarves surrounded the platform.

Dwarf King Tatag stood in front of the coffin and gave a speech.

“Giluk was the rightful heir to the Dwarf Kingdom, an outstanding warrior, and my beloved son. He met his end while carrying out the sacred mission of saving the continent from darkness. His death was worthwhile. Although his body is gone, his outstanding achievements and actions will live forever in our hearts.”

The dwarves bowed their heads to show their respect.

Giluk’s coffin was buried in the ‘Hero’s Rest,’ where only the Dwarf royal family and heroes were buried.

Giluk’s funeral ended like that.

The next problem was deciding on the King’s successor.

First, let me briefly explain the Dwarf royal family.

Dwarf King Tatag had two sons.

The older brother, Giluk, and the younger brother, Handrook.

Giluk was married and had two sons, Dubik (11 years old) and Duran (5 years old).

Both Handrook and Dubik were qualified to be successors.

The problem arose here as to who should be selected as the successor.

Handrook was an outstanding Spirit Master who could control Pintom, the highest-ranking Spirit of Earth.

But one day, the Spirit disappeared, and Handrook became nothing.

Dubik was only 11 years old, but he resembled his father Giluk and showed the qualities of an outstanding hammer warrior.

There were no enemies of Dubik’s age, and Dubik occasionally beat adult warriors in sparring.

In Dwarf society, one had to be strong to become King.

King Tatag gathered the elders and the Mayors of each city to discuss who should be the successor.

Dubik, who would become an outstanding hammer warrior, was selected as the successor.

This was because the Dwarf King had to be good at handling the Fire Hammer.

Dubik received the Fire Hammer.

After the discussion, the Mayors returned to their cities.

Handrook was deeply wounded in his pride.

That day, Handrook went into his room, drank beer, and expressed his anger.

Handrook slammed the table with his beer glass.

Kwang

“XX! XXX! To give the Fire Hammer to such a brat! Damn it! I’ve handled the hammer a lot too! That hammer should be mine!”

Handrook continued to grumble.

Handrook, who was neither a Spirit Master nor had the Fire Hammer, was now nothing but a member of the royal family.

Handrook’s political life was completely over.

“Okay. Let’s go and see if Dubik is really that great.”

Handrook went to Dubik’s house to talk to Dubik for a while.

Dubik’s house was originally Giluk’s house.

Handrook arrived at Dubik’s house and knocked on the door.

Giluk’s wife opened the door.

“Oh my. Handrook Sishuk. What’s going on?”

“I was going to meet Dubik for a while to comfort him about Giluk Hyung and congratulate him on getting the Fire Hammer.”

“Come in.”

Giluk’s wife led Handrook to Dubik’s room.

“Dubik~ Uncle’s here~”

Giluk’s wife opened the door.

Dubik was doing push-ups while standing on his hands in the room.

Unlike an 11-year-old, Dubik had the height of a 140cm adult dwarf and his whole body was muscular and bulky.

Dubik was even more pumped up than Handrook.

Dubik, who was exercising in a trance, discovered Handrook and greeted him.

“Hut dul! Hut dul! Ah! Handrook Samchon! Hello!”

Handrook was intimidated by Dubik’s muscles.

Handrook greeted him.

“How have you been? I came to talk for a while.”

Handrook and Dubik sat on the floor and talked.

Handrook comforted Dubik.

“I’m sorry about your father’s passing. Giluk Hyung was a really outstanding warrior and a good brother.”

“My father passed away while doing great things. I will inherit my father’s will.”

“Hmm. Are you going to be okay since you’re still young?”

“Age doesn’t matter as long as you have the will and ability. The Dwarf Kingdom has minimized connections with the outside world under the guise of preserving tradition and culture. This is not desirable. I think dwarves should also go out and fight against the darkness with humans.”

Handrook had many conversations with Dubik.

Dubik read a lot of books, so he was knowledgeable and thoughtful like a model student.

Even Dubik’s muscles were thicker than Handrook’s.

Handrook felt his anger over losing the Fire Hammer subside.

‘Okay. Dubik really has what it takes to be King. I have no choice but to admit it.’

Handrook decided to ask for only one favor.

“Dubik. Can I touch the Fire Hammer for a moment?”

The generous Dubik nodded without much thought.

Dubik picked up the Fire Hammer hanging on the wall and handed it to Handrook, saying.

“Just for a moment.”

Handrook grabbed the Fire Hammer with trembling hands.

That was the moment.

A friendly female voice whispered into Handrook’s head.

– [Take me. If you have me, you will have immense power. Ultimate power that can make you stronger than Dubik.]

Handrook felt formidable power filling every corner of his body just by holding the Fire Hammer.

Handrook’s hands and pupils trembled.

– [See? You can feel the power, right? Are you going to live your whole life as nothing, even though you’ve lost your Spirit? You’re stronger than Dubik right now.]

The woman’s voice was so sweet and touched Handrook’s deepest desires that he couldn’t refuse.

As Handrook continued to hold the Fire Hammer, Dubik grabbed the Fire Hammer tightly and said.

“Samchon. Give it back now.”

Handrook unknowingly pulled the Fire Hammer back quickly, and Dubik was dragged along and rolled on the floor.

“Uh! Uh!”

U-dangtang kwagang

Handrook himself was surprised by his own strength.

– [You’re stronger than Dubik. Don’t you want to possess this power forever? You’re going to be King.]

Dubik got up and got angry.

“Samchon! What are you doing! I fell because you suddenly pulled it! Give me the Fire Hammer!”

As Dubik reached out for the Fire Hammer, Handrook grabbed Dubik’s wrist and gave it a strong force.

Udeudeuk

Dubik screamed in pain as his wrist crumbled.

“Kkeuaaaa! Samchon, wait a minute! Ayayaya!”

– [Kill him!]

Handrook unknowingly extended the Fire Hammer toward Dubik’s face.

Kwajik!

Dubik’s head was shattered even though the Fire Hammer only touched it slightly.

Handrook released Dubik’s hand, and Dubik’s corpse fell to the floor.

Pulseok

Handrook trembled at his own evil deed.

“Eueueue…. I killed Dubik. No way. This is a nightmare.”

The voice was heard again in his head.

– [You can’t go back now. Are you going to turn yourself in and be executed like this? Or are you going to gather your allies and become the new King? This immense power is yours. You’re capable enough.]

The voice was right.

No matter who Handrook was, the crime of killing Dubik, the Dwarf heir, could not be forgiven.

Someone knocked on the door.

Ttokttokttok

“Hyung. Why did you scream?”

It was Duran.

– [Kill him!]

But Handrook’s reason was not yet completely consumed by the Fire Hammer.

Handrook shook off the voice.

“Eueueue…. Not Duran.”

Handrook threw open the door, and Duran fell on his butt.

Duran looked at Handrook and called out happily.

“Handrook Samchon!”

Handrook ignored Duran and Giluk’s wife’s greetings and ran out of the house.

Screams and wails from Duran and Giluk’s wife were heard from behind.

Handrook was desperate.

‘I don’t have time! I have to run away quickly! I have to go to the City of Explosion, which is close from here.’

There were several people who supported Handrook in the discussion to determine the successor.

Among them were Skazmak, the Mayor of the City of Poison, Groken, the Mayor of the City of Explosion, and Dortir, the Mayor of the City of Electricity.

The Mayors of these three cities were negative about determining the successor based on their ability to handle the hammer.

They preferred Handrook, an adult with experience, to Dubik, a child who was good at handling the hammer, to become King.

Handrook went to his house, urged his wife and son, and shouted.

“It’s an emergency! We have to get out of here!”

Handrook’s wife and son were dumbfounded, packed simply, and came outside.

Handrook took his family to the Dwarf Railway Station.

There were hundreds of minecarts here.

The station employee greeted him.

“Handrook-nim, hello. What’s going on?”

“I’m going to take a minecart!”

“Do you need an engineer? Or are you going to drive yourself?”

“I’ll do it myself!”

Handrook and his family got into a minecart.

The station employee put a mana stone into the minecart engine and greeted him.

“Have a good drive~”

Handrook’s minecart entered a tunnel along the railroad.

Handrook’s minecart ran faster and faster.

Deolkeong deolkeong deolkeong

There was a lever handle on the minecart to change direction.

At the point where the railroad split into two or three, the handle had to be moved at the right moment to get on the right railroad.

Handrook’s minecart driving was already top-notch, and he had memorized the railroad map.

His wife shouted from behind.

“Honey! What the hell is going on!”

Handrook held up the Fire Hammer he was wearing on his waist.

His wife asked.

“Why do you have that, honey?”

“Damn it! I killed Dubik and took it!”

His wife was shocked.

“Honey!”

“I can’t go back now! If we get caught, the whole family will die! We have to go to the City of Explosion and resist!”

His son burst into tears.

“Euaaaaaang! Ang ang!”

Handrook shouted to his wife.

“Soothe our son!”

Now the fate of the family depended on Handrook’s choices and actions.

His wife soothed their son.

The sound of several minecarts following from behind was heard.

Deolkeongdeolkeongdeolkeong

Handrook tensed up.

“The pursuers are already following!”

His wife was terrified.

“Honey! What should we do!”

“You drive the minecart!”

His wife grabbed the minecart handle and drove.

His son clung to his wife’s legs.

Handrook stood behind the minecart, holding the Fire Hammer.

Several minecarts, each carrying four dwarves, were approaching in a row.

The Dwarf officer at the front shouted, holding a hammer.

“Stop, Handrook, the royal family murderer!”

Handrook held the Fire Hammer in both hands and took a stance.

The Dwarf officer sneered.

“You have no intention of surrendering! King Tatag told me to capture you, even if I have to kill you!”

The minecarts carrying the soldiers got closer and closer to Handrook, probably because they had better engines and mana stones.

As Handrook sweated with tension, a voice was heard in his head.

– [Why are you so nervous? Just because you don’t have a Spirit doesn’t mean you can’t fight? You have the Fire Hammer. You can burn all those soldiers with your current power. Have confidence.]

Handrook looked at the Fire Hammer.

‘That’s right. I have the Fire Hammer.’

As Handrook yearned, the usage of the Fire Hammer entered his head.

As Handrook pushed power into the Fire Hammer, a huge flame erupted on the hammer’s head.

Hwareureureuk

The minecart carrying the soldiers almost reached Handrook’s minecart.

Handrook shouted and swung the Fire Hammer.

“I am strong!”