WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈

Chapter 120: Alloy (3)

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Most people think dwarves are a race that loves booze and minerals.

But that is only half true.

Every dwarf loves booze, but not all of them love minerals.

It is simply that their natural builds and physical abilities give them tremendous potential for work involving minerals.

Naturally, dwarf society developed around mining.

And their rate of progress was unmatched.

While other races were still in the Paleolithic or Neolithic Age, dwarves alone had moved past the Bronze Age and reached the Iron Age...

Some commentators even argued that dwarves had greatly influenced the development of other races.

As time passed, dwarves no longer advanced ahead of every other civilization.

Still, their impact during that era had been so immense that their image as the race of booze and minerals remained, even as times changed.

“Ooh... Oooooh...!”

Gareth, the gallery’s registered user Passing Dwarf, fit that stereotype perfectly.

He was a dwarf who did not merely like booze but loved it, and who was deeply versed in metallurgy.

He could not stop exclaiming as he stared at the sword in his hands.

Shhhhhh!

Gleaming deep-purple stars within a green Milky Way.

It was a poetic description, but it suited the sword in Gareth’s hands perfectly.

It had originally been a dull silver, yet now it was shining.

‘It’s the most beautiful sword I’ve ever seen...!’

Gareth was a dwarf who specialized in metallurgy. Naturally, he had extensive knowledge of a sword’s quality and performance.

His love of alcohol meant his skill lagged behind that of other craftsmen, but his eye was as sharp as ever.

The Mithril-Orichalcum alloy Grylls had made, and the sword forged from it.

It ranked first among all the swords Gareth had ever seen, by an overwhelming margin.

‘There are still some rough parts, though...’

Honestly, aside from its materials, the sword itself was closer to a mass-produced product.

When making a tool like a sword, which needed to transfer force precisely, people did not normally use molds.

A practical, beautiful sword could only be made by directly forging it with a blacksmith’s own hands.

The sword itself could not be called especially refined, but its utterly absurd materials made up for every flaw.

Even tools made entirely of Mithril were hard to come by, and this one had Orichalcum mixed in as well.

The finished product in Gareth’s hands completely captivated him.

‘He didn’t even put much mana into it. Just how efficient is it?’

Mana was why the sword displayed such beautiful colors.

Yet it shone like a Milky Way despite only a small amount of mana being infused into it.

It was the product of Mithril, which had held dense mana from the start, and mana-friendly Orichalcum.

He had known from the beginning that failure was unlikely, but a masterwork beyond imagination had been born.

‘This isn’t the time. I need to sharpen it.’

Gareth came to his senses as he stared at the sword’s radiant form.

Why had Grylls given him this sword? It was definitely not a gift.

It was to test the alloy’s performance. And to sharpen the blade.

He had roughly assessed the alloy’s performance, so now it was time to sharpen the blade.

‘He can practically make these without limit...’

As Gareth sharpened the blade, he wondered what would happen if the world learned this sword existed.

It would go beyond causing an uproar. Countless people would try to take it.

A sword made entirely of Mithril would already cause chaos, but this one also contained Orichalcum.

‘Not even legendary swords were this good. Not even a holy sword.’

The Hero’s holy sword, Revolution.

It held divine power through Aris’s blessing, but the material itself was ordinary steel.

‘Maybe the sword Heavenly Demon gave him could compete?’

A sword said to have been made from ten-thousand-year cold iron. Ten-thousand-year cold iron was one of the finest minerals.

It was far rarer than the three great rare minerals, Mithril, Orichalcum, and Adamantium.

If Heavenly Demon had not been bluffing, it might be able to hold its own.

After all, a sword made entirely of ten-thousand-year cold iron was already unbelievable.

‘It looks like he’s going to give this sword to Heavenly Demon...’

Gareth stopped sharpening. Worry clouded his face.

Could he really give a sword like this away so readily?

Of course, Grylls was unquestionably the sword’s owner. Gareth had no say in the matter.

He was simply uneasy. How would the world react once the sword’s existence became known?

Was it really all right to give a sword like this to Heavenly Demon, someone who only sat at home browsing the gallery? It was a serious concern.

‘She must be someone important if she owns a sword made from ten-thousand-year cold iron...’

Gareth did not dwell on his worries for long. First, he finished sharpening the blade.

Then he personally made a handle.

That was how the Mithril-Orichalcum alloy sword, bearing the touch of a dwarf craftsman, was completed.

‘What should I call an alloy of Mithril and Orichalcum?’

It was an alloy that had never existed in the world before, so even naming it gave him pause.

An alloy only Grylls could make. Gareth nodded to himself.

Both the alloy’s name and the sword’s name should be decided by Grylls.

Slice-

To check whether the blade had been properly sharpened, Gareth cut through a stack of paper.

It split apart with ease even though he had barely touched it with the blade.

‘Since it’s solid Mithril, it’s incredibly light too.’

It was light, yet performed better than a steel sword. Its mana efficiency was outstanding as well.

On top of that, it sparkled when mana was infused into it.

‘Going by performance alone, this feels more like a holy sword.’

Gareth entertained that nearly blasphemous thought for only a moment before immediately messaging Grylls.

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: Hey. I finished sharpening the blade.

[You]: I put on the handle too, so take it.

[Grylls]: Thx, perfect timing.

[Grylls]: I literally just got back after catching a crab.

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: You don’t have to give it to me right away. I’ll eat it for dinner.

[Grylls]: k

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: By the way, are you giving that to someone else?

[Grylls]: Yeah, I’m giving it to Heavenly Demon.

[Grylls]: She gave me a sword, so of course I should give her one.

Gareth started typing a message, then stopped.

Grylls had clearly already made up his mind, so it was not Gareth’s place to argue.

Besides, Grylls was in the Forest of Four Seasons. Even if people learned of the sword and its maker, Grylls would not be in danger.

Who would confidently set foot in the Forest of Four Seasons just to obtain that alloy?

Even if someone did get it, they would never make it out. Only Grylls could do that.

‘Let’s hope Heavenly Demon doesn’t make any pointless posts.’

The frequency had dropped lately because she was busy as an assistant moderator, but she used to shitpost nonstop.

Hoping the sword’s existence would remain unknown for as long as possible, Gareth sent another message.

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: Are you giving them to other people too?

[Grylls]: Not sure. I might just make them for myself.

[Grylls]: Unless there’s a suitable trade.

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: Try to be careful about who you give them to.

[You]: The sword is too good. It could cause bloodshed.

[Grylls]: It’s that good?

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: Yeah, it’s that good.

[You]: It’s a Mithril-Orichalcum alloy to begin with;;

[Grylls]: I have so much of it I could trip over it, so I don’t know how good it is.

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: You fucking bastard lol

It was absurd, but undeniably true. Gareth let out a hollow laugh.

Only Grylls could give an answer like that. Hearing things like this always left Gareth feeling strange.

[Grylls]: Oh, and I’m going to make another sword and a dagger. Can you sharpen them too?

[Grylls]: If it’s too much, just put handles on them.

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: Yeah, that’s easy enough.

[You]: But I have a condition.

[Grylls]: What is it? A crab?

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: No, no. I’ll give you an ingot mold, so make me an alloy ingot.

[You]: I want to keep one as a memento.

[Grylls]: k, got it.

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: Oh. What are you going to call the alloy and the sword?

[Grylls]: I’ll have Heavenly Demon name the sword herself. No clue about the alloy.

[Grylls]: Mislicon?

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: You really picked that name with zero effort;;

[You]: But it kind of works?

[Grylls]: lol

Mislicon. It really was a lazy name, but it was good enough.

It was not official anyway, so it did not matter what they casually called it.

[Grylls]: Anyway, thanks for helping.

[Grylls]: I’ll give you the crab tonight.

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: k, make sure you make me the ingot.

[Grylls]: I’ll make it right away.

[Grylls]: I’ll send it with the sword and dagger.

[Grylls]: But does the ingot need to be quenched too?

[Chat participant] Passing Dwarf

[You]: No, just let it cool.

The conversation ended there. Grylls had probably gone back to work.

As Gareth closed his chat with Grylls, he thought to himself.

‘Is this bastard going to find Adamantium someday too?’

The fact that it seemed highly likely was frightening.

* * *

Wi Seorak was the Demon Brain of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect and the gallery’s registered user Smart Demon.

His days were extremely busy. He handled countless tasks befitting the title Demon Brain.

Recently, he had barely been able to rest at all after the atrocities of the Holy Kingdom, El Dorado, came to light.

Relations between the Central Plains and El Dorado were unremarkable, but other nations felt differently.

Many countries had been affected, large and small, by the Undying King incident.

While those countries were caught up in conflict, all he could do on this side was make plans.

Work to strengthen the Demonic Cult’s influence. That was Wi Seorak’s primary duty.

Step. Step. Step.

Even with two bodies, he would have been busy, yet Wi Seorak was following behind a woman.

Narrow shoulders, hair tied back into a single ponytail, and black attire that radiated authority.

In the woman’s hand was a dull silver sword.

‘Why is she going outside?’

Wi Seorak was currently following Heavenly Demon, Yu Sowol.

As always, she had summoned him while he was in the middle of his duties.

He had been deeply worried from the moment she summoned him, and their destination seemed unusual as well.

Especially since she held a sword he had never seen before. The blade aside, its shape alone did not make it look high-quality.

A sword made by an ordinary blacksmith would have looked better.

‘Who gave her that sword? Don’t tell me it was Grylls?’

There was no other reason she would suddenly acquire a sword. Wi Seorak logged into the gallery.

Grylls had made one post in the morning, then two more just now.

‘Mislicon...’

An alloy made by mixing Mithril and Orichalcum in a makeshift furnace.

Grylls had posted that he had made such an alloy. Naturally, the response had been enormous.

An alloy of true silver (Mithril) and true gold (Orichalcum). It would not have been strange if the entire world had been thrown into an uproar.

‘Could that sword have been made from it?’

Wi Seorak’s sharp mind arrived at one possibility.

The sword Yu Sowol held had been made from that alloy.

Normally, he would never entertain such an absurd thought.

But he had read Grylls’s post.

It said that Grylls had received a mold and various tools from the dwarf.

Using them, he had made a sword for Heavenly Demon, while planning to use the rest himself.

“Heavenly One.”

“Speak.”

“May I ask why you brought me along?”

If she wanted to test the sword’s performance, she could do that alone. Yet Yu Sowol had brought him with her.

Surely she had not brought him along to reveal that she was a registered user, so there had to be a reason.

Yu Sowol answered in a voice that suggested she barely cared either way.

“Recently, a benefactor of mine gave me a sword. Yet they said I should name it.”

“A name...?”

“Correct. This lady has little talent for naming things, you see. I thought it best to summon you and have you name it instead.”

“...”

She had summoned a busy man just to name a sword. Wi Seorak wore a dumbfounded expression.

But who was Yu Sowol? Was she not a being who looked down upon others not through her eyes, but through the gaze of heaven?

“You look deeply dissatisfied.”

“I’m not.”

“Do not speak words you do not mean.”

“My apologies.”

“You are quick to apologize. That is good.”

Yu Sowol let Wi Seorak’s disrespect slide. She truly did not seem bothered.

Just as Wi Seorak let out an inward sigh of relief, Yu Sowol stopped walking.

“Hmm? Heavenly One, this is...”

“This will do.”

Yu Sowol had stopped at a cliff.

It was a strange place, with only a single tall tree growing there.

Beyond the tree stretched countless mountain ranges, creating a truly breathtaking view.

‘W-What? We were inside a building just now.’

Yet Wi Seorak could not hide his confusion.

Even if he was called the Demon Brain, he was still a martial artist.

His martial attainment was considerable, so he could sense most flows of energy. Yet when he came to his senses, he was standing on a cliff.

As though they had teleported, Yu Sowol slowly raised her sword.

Wi Seorak steadied himself and watched her from behind.

Shhhhhh!

“A green... Milky Way...?”

When Yu Sowol infused energy into the sword, it began to shine.

The blade overflowed with beauty, as if it held a green Milky Way within it.

Yu Sowol only gave its appearance a brief glance, without stopping what she was doing.

Her arm slowly rose above her head.

Swish-

Then she lowered it lightly. She did not strike downward. She simply lowered it.

So gently that all that could be heard was the sword cutting through the wind.

It was an elegant movement, like drawing a picture.

Creeeak-

But its aftermath was anything but light.

The tree that had stretched straight toward the sky split in half and slowly separated.

The sword had not even touched it, yet the intact tree had split in two.

‘As expected...’

Wi Seorak swallowed as he watched.

He had expected it, but Yu Sowol had become far stronger than before.

With this level of martial power, there would be no difficulty in displaying the Demonic Cult’s might.

“Hmm.”

Yu Sowol herself, though, did not seem satisfied.

She looked at the sword and muttered quietly.

“It is not a particularly good sword.”

“Pardon? What do you mean...?”

“A sword can only be called a sword if it cuts what one wishes to cut.”

“...?”

Amid words he could not understand, Wi Seorak suddenly felt something was off.

Beyond the tree that had split vertically, the scenery looked strange.

The first thing he noticed was the clouds. Clouds that should have formed one whole mass were misaligned.

Not only the clouds. A thin line had been drawn across the sky.

On either side of that line, everything was out of alignment.

“...”

The sky, the sky humanity was meant to look up toward.

It had split in two from one simple downward motion.

It was not even enough to call it a slash. Yet that single strike had shattered the sky.

“This could end up being a sword that draws blood.”

“...”

“So, does a name come to mind?”

For a long while, Wi Seorak could not say a word.

* * *

At that same time, in the Forest of Four Seasons.

Shhhhhh!

“Oh.”

Grylls admired the newly made sword.

“A glow-in-the-dark sword? Nice.”

Footnotes:

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