Noon.
Hulim and Charkin stopped by a stream to rest.
"......Charkin, you really are Rank A, aren’t you?"
Hulim asked the question that had been on her mind.
"Yeah."
Charkin didn’t deny it, nodding as he chewed on dried meat.
"Do you have a title, then?"
"A title?"
Charkin paused mid-chew.
"......I do have something like that."
"What is it?"
Hulim pressed curiously.
"Well...... this."
Charkin picked up his warhammer.
"？？"
Hulim looked confused.
"This warhammer?"
"Yep, that’s right—my warhammer."
"？"
"So...... my title is 'Warhammer'!"
"......"
Oh, right—literally Warhammer!
Really straightforward!
"Then why does Charkin run a blacksmith shop in Langard?"
"Hmph~, interesting question. Because my main job is a blacksmith, of course! What else would I do—beg for a living like other adventurers?"
"......Then why isn’t your title 'Forge Hammer'? It sounds like a title for someone focused on fighting."
"Says who?!"
Charkin slammed his warhammer into the ground.
"Who told you a warhammer can’t forge iron?"
"Huh??? "
Hulim stared in shock at the sharp, menacing warhammer in his hand.
"Th-that...... can actually be used for forging?! "
"Of course! Don’t be fooled by its looks—its main job is forging! Just like me—smashing people is just a side job."
"......"
Does anyone normally make a forging hammer look like this......
"Speaking of which...... if Charkin is Rank A, then Irus must be Rank A too, right?"
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Huh??? "
Charkin looked at Hulim in surprise.
"You didn’t know?"
"Know what?"
"Didn’t she tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"I see......"
Charkin stroked his chin, thinking quietly without answering Hulim’s question.
"？？ Charkin, what exactly are you talking about?"
Charkin looked up at her, then shook his head.
"If she didn’t tell you, I can’t either. You should ask her yourself, shouldn’t you?"
"???"
Wait, what’s going on? What are they talking about?
No matter how much Hulim pressed, Charkin avoided the topic entirely.
Unable to get an answer, she had to give up—for now.
But a seed of doubt had been planted in her mind.
......
"That’s the Mountains of Myrnabyss up ahead."
After climbing over a ridge, Charkin stopped.
Hulim looked forward, seeing a stretch of snow-capped mountains rising in the distance.
After a long journey, the two had finally reached the outskirts of their destination.
"The road ahead won’t be as smooth as before, Hulim—be careful."
"I will."
"Good, let’s keep moving."
Riding on the Shieldhorn Beasts, they continued toward the mountains.
As the Mountains of Myrnabyss grew clearer in their view, ancient ruins began to appear along the way.
Most of these ruins were reduced to tattered walls and foundations. Faintly, one could glimpse the glory and power of civilizations from bygone eras—now all faded away with the wind.
Today, these ruins not only stood silently, testifying to their past, but also provided shelter for certain creatures......
"Roar——!"
A Rank B monster, a Fortress Tarantula, suddenly darted out of a nearby ruin, pouncing toward Hulim and Charkin. Its massive leaping body cast a shadow, completely covering the area where they stood.
"Really endless."
Charkin complained, swinging his warhammer at the same time.
Boom——!!!
With a deafening crash, the Fortress Tarantula was sent flying back, slamming into the ruins and falling motionless.
Its upper body—from the abdomen up—had been completely crushed.
"Did we accidentally wander into its territory?"
"Yeah," Charkin nodded, sheathing his warhammer. "It’s hard to avoid. Myrnabyss is full of High-Rank Monsters, and each has a huge territory—you can’t pass through without stepping into some of them."
"Let’s keep going. These monsters are nothing. The truly troublesome ones—they’re the real masters of Myrnabyss......"
"Other creatures?"
Hulim’s curiosity was piqued.
"Don’t worry, you’ll see them soon. In fact...... after a while, you’ll get tired of them."
"？"
What could they be......
As Charkin had said, Hulim didn’t have to wait long to meet the truly troublesome ones.
Clink, clink, clink......
"Warning! Intruder detected. Engaging elimination protocol!"
"Warning! Intruder detected. Engaging elimination protocol!"
"Warning......"
So—
"They’re Golems!!!"
Faced with the horde of Golems surrounding them, Hulim understood why Charkin had called them the biggest trouble.
With such a massive number—all combat models, including quite a few High-Rank Combat Golems equivalent to Rank B—it was no wonder they were troublesome.
Even ordinary Rank B monsters would flee in terror from such a lineup......
"Tch!"
Charkin clicked his tongue.
"Just had to run into them!"
"Hulim, get back—don’t get caught in the crossfire! I’ll take care of them!"
"Got it!"
Hulim urged the trembling Shieldhorn Beast to move as far away from the Golems as possible.
Meanwhile, Charkin gripped his warhammer tightly and leaped high into the air.
"You scrap metal lumps—take this!!!"
Boom——!!!
Flames erupted, and mana fluctuations far stronger than before surged from Charkin’s body.
Under the force of his strike, a High-Rank Golem—famed for its durability—was reduced to shards.
"Warning! Level 5 Threat identified! Designated priority elimination target!"
"Warning! Level 5 Threat identified! Designated priority elimination target!"
"Warning......"
The power Charkin displayed immediately made him the Golems’ top target.
In turn, Hulim was temporarily out of danger.
"Come on, scrap metal!"
Charkin slung his warhammer over his shoulder and shouted loudly.
Thud! Thud! Thud......
Responding to his provocation, the Golems charged at him at top speed.
Whoosh~~!
Charkin’s warhammer seemed to burst into flames, emitting a golden-red glow.
"Break——!!!"
Boom! Boom! Boom......
After some time,
the sound of explosions finally died down.
All the Golems had been reduced to debris, and the ruins lay in chaos.
"Charkin, are you okay?"
Seeing the battle end, Hulim called out from a distance.
"I’m fine—come over!"
Charkin shouted back, glancing in her direction.
But his expression suddenly changed.
"Hulim, get away from there quickly!!!"
