Crack, crack, crack.
A huge chewing sound came from under the dark green pupils.
Ken felt a little confused. He was guessing the identity of this shadow. Kuima took out a torch from the firewood pile and held it high to illuminate the other party.
"Wow, take care of the old man, brat, I'm not used to it."
[Mysterious Dwarf Blacksmith]
[Attitude: Calm]
[A cursed weirdo, he carries sins, is given eternal life, but is trapped here forever. ]
The light spreads, turning the vague outline into specific details.
The blacksmith is short and stout, with unkempt hair and dirty face, and his original skin color can no longer be seen.
He is wearing an ancient battle armor that has been around for a long time. The easily corroded parts have long been turned into powder. At this time, there are only a few metal wires and tendons of unknown materials connected to the whole body, with a few dangling iron pieces hanging. Fortunately, there is a relatively new piece of clothing, otherwise it would be impossible to look directly at it. It should be brought by Arthur.
Ken put away the note.
If nothing unexpected happens, this person, who should be a witness of the dwarf era, has become a special existence, tortured beyond recognition by fate and curse.
"It's great, lively, eh? You haven't answered me yet, is it true that you cured the hunter?"
The dwarf curiously leaned forward and squinted.
He wanted to see the guest's appearance clearly in the firelight.
"Probably."
Ken answered ambiguously.
He didn't like to expose too much to strangers, especially when the other party was a "living fossil", which might cause unnecessary trouble.
"Hahaha, it's really interesting."
The dwarf's emotions were complicated, and his cheeks twitched from time to time. The long and lonely years seemed to have made him lose the correct emotional feedback.
"The face of Nanjiang is actually paired with Qi Wen."
[Attitude: Curious]
"Are you referring to the Winter Mother?"
Quima asked tentatively.
Ken fell into deep thought. This was the second time he heard this name.
Marungu once mentioned that Sandonkaya was "the orphan of Qiwen", and the notes explained that it was rumored that Mother Winter appeared in the "Qiwen Battle", and the survivors at that time became her first believers.
Qiwen.
The name of the old god, or another name for the battle?
Ken asked the dwarf for an answer.
He didn't really care about the truth of the ancient times, but just wanted to use this to test and verify the other party's identity from another direction, so as to avoid the situation where the notes did not match the person involved.
The dwarf leaned on the broken pillar.
His hands were cut off and completely wrapped in black iron sheets, which seemed to be some kind of ancient punishment with a strong sense of ritual.
For a craftsman, this was more cruel than death.
"How do you evaluate Mother Winter?"
The dwarf asked back. He enjoyed every conversation. Talking to a living person made him extremely satisfied, and even put down the fruit between the iron sheets.
"The one who controls abundance, love, and mercy..."
"Nonsense!"
The dwarf suddenly became angry.
[Attitude: Irresistible Excitement]
His chest was throbbing, his breathing was rapid, and his mood changes like a madman made Kuima a little speechless.
"Qiwen is the god of killing. She is the embodiment of the severe winter in the North. Her blood is all over the noble throne. She is the most admired existence among all the old gods in the North!"
The dwarf said with saliva flying and a horrified expression.
Ken frowned slightly, because the other party pointed the black iron sheet at him, with ancient inscriptions engraved on it, like some kind of curse, and like a mark given by God.
"Qiwen Battle?"
One of the dwarf craftsman's eyes was wide open, and the other was half open and half closed, and his eyelids kept trembling.
"In the old historical news, is there any record of who the opponent was? No, because it was her! Qiwen once used the stars to peel off her own tyranny at the top of the Wishing Peak, and then led her subjects to defeat it..."
The dwarf stood up.
His legs and feet were deformed and atrophied, and he used his broken arms to draw waves in the air, and his narration was rhythmic, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.
"From now on, for a long time~she has been repenting for her blood debt!"
"We all bear sins."
He suddenly knelt down and hit his head with a steel hammer.
"Gods, humans, and the dead will never stop fighting."
...
The dwarf has completely fallen into the quagmire of frenzy and can no longer find reason for a moment.
He jumped into the bonfire and was burned to ashes in an instant, at a speed so fast that it was weird.
"Oh my God!"
Quima screamed.
Kane hurried forward to investigate, but the exploding flames shrank back to the beginning, and there was nothing abnormal, as if what he had just seen was an illusion.
He expanded his gray vision and saw a shadow without volume in the corner.
Then he thought of the "eternal life" mentioned in the notes.
It seems that the dwarf is using this method to fight against his out-of-control emotions.
Ken was a little moved. Anyone who lived alone for such a long time would behave strangely.
[Historical truth: the name of the Winter Mother]
[In the long years of the Ushua continent, history is always mottled and faded for future generations. There are inevitably errors in the interpretation and circulation of content. Some people pursue the truth, and some deliberately conceal it. ]
The era of the old gods was the most prosperous period of Palotusbi.
At that time, in the snowy northern border, the dwarves had not yet risen, the wall of eternal frost had not been built, and the remaining power of the gods could shock the entire Ushua continent.
The southern border countries also have trump cards.
Ancient dragons and legendary monsters are rampant.
Storms above the water, shadows in the deep sea.
All are gone...
The notes mentioned the historical truth.
The murals and ancient scrolls scattered across the continent contain fragments of ancient times, which have been repeatedly speculated by later generations. The more powerful the empire, the more it values history, and even set up special academies for research.
There are even organizations obsessed with history.
They have mastered many secrets, and I don't know what they are pursuing in ancient times.
Although the number of members of such organizations is very small, each of them is a mysterious and powerful monster, and each has a legendary deeds that are discussed by people.
[You know the name of Winter Mother. At some point in the future, this information may help you. ]
Ken's idea is very simple:
Since the notes give hints, it means that it is useful to me. At the very least, it also increases my experience. If I am lucky, I may find a way to become stronger and protect myself as soon as possible.
He scattered his messy thoughts and turned to look at the steps below.
"Do you still know that you are infected by the hunter?"
The dwarf craftsman took the initiative to mention it, which could only be relayed by Arthur.
Since the other party knew what Wachler had done, he still didn't know what was good for him and ran away willfully, which completely broke the heart of the spirit craftsman.
"Well, I remember everything after I was scratched by the dead spirit."
When he said this, Arthur felt that his tongue was tied and his teeth couldn't open cleanly, and he almost squeezed the words out of his mouth.
"I remember a lot of things."
[Attitude: Regret]
Kane's questioning gave him the motivation to reflect.
Arthur's mind emerged with the door that he opened for himself before he lost his mind, the figure who went back and forth to take care of him during his illness, and the anxiety and haggardness on his teacher's face after he woke up and recovered.
Arthur sat on the ground dejectedly.
He said softly:
"Apprentices in the workshop will make fun of their teachers. Although the ancient furnace master Marung will take care of the teacher, this is the North, and the position of the spiritual craftsman is too embarrassing..."
"It's okay for a large tribe, there are needs for farming and construction, but this is Duwa, the ancient furnace, the Duwa tribe that forges artifacts!"
Ken also sat on the steps.
He propped up his arms, relaxed his expression, and looked down at the young and strong blacksmith below.