Sword Devouring Swordmaster-Chapter 57 : Chapter 57

Chapter 57 — Race Duel (6)
The Sky Mountains.
The highest peaks that touched the heavens themselves — the most mysterious place on the continent, a dream destination for every explorer. A land where all manner of mysteries gathered, where myths and legends were woven thick as mist. At the same time, it was one of the Five Forbidden Regions of the continent — counted among the places you must never enter if you wished to live long.
In that unique land where the wonder and terror of nature coexisted, there lived a race that had endured since ancient times.
They did not possess bodies strong enough to withstand nature’s whims barehanded. They did not have keen instincts that could detect danger before it struck and flee in time. Nor were they particularly blessed by nature’s love or affinity with Mana.
And yet, they survived.
No matter what trials came crashing down, they never descended from the mountains. No matter how cruel the environment became, they never abandoned their home. For centuries upon centuries, they endured.
Through such a history, they became a most peculiar race —A race that could stand against any foe.
A race most dreadful when it fought to the very end.
The most tenacious race among the Seven Races.
No matter how hopeless the battle seemed, if it lasted until the end, they would always win. Just as there is always a hole to escape through even if the sky collapses, they would always find a breakthrough in any despair. They would never give up, enduring like forged steel.
The people of the continent called these stubborn beings thus—The Dwarves of the Sky Mountains.
「Dwarves」.
***
“Who’s the idiot that got caught in the trap?”
“A human fighter.”
On the outskirts of the pitch-black forest, where darkness lurked, countless torches flickered.
The Dwarves who carried them each wore different forms of armor. Full plate armor covering their bodies from head to toe — the finest quality that even renowned knights could not easily afford. Not mere slabs of metal, but armor forged through the master craftsmanship of legendary smiths.
“A waste of a trap. Those were meant for goblins or half-witted beasts.”
Among the armored ones, one Dwarf stood out — clad in armor as black as the darkness that blanketed the forest. His armor was made of black iron, harder than any other metal.
“Take his tag and throw him out.”
The black-iron-armored Dwarf issued the order smoothly. At his short command, the Dwarves moved in perfect coordination. Even amid the darkness, the Dwarves of the Sky Mountains moved with military precision — a defining trait of their kind.
“Make it quick. It’s night now. No good comes from wasting time.”
If Orcs were known as a “race of battle,” then Dwarves were known as the “race of war.”
“No Dwarf could be foolish enough to want to meet the Nobles of the Night at this hour.”
Dwarves were not individually strong. They had no special powers like other races, nor did they possess superior physiques. Thus, no one feared Dwarves in “battle.” But in “war,” it was a different story.
“Build a fortress that can withstand the long night.”
Another of their titles was the 「Lords of War」.
“Within a sturdy fortress, we do not lose to anyone.”
The Dwarf’s solemn voice echoed. With it came heavy footsteps from beyond the shadows. A Dwarf warrior threw a torch toward the sound. The firelight flared, sweeping away the darkness — revealing a group of Elves armed with bows. Children of the forest, gliding across tree branches like the wind. The instant they met, the Elves loosed their arrows.
And then—“Your forging skills are at a child’s level.”
Ting—!
With a hollow ring, the arrows bounced off harmlessly. The arrows of the fair folk couldn’t leave even a scratch on the Dwarves’ armor. The Elves frowned.
“Summon the spirits!”
A clear, crystalline voice rang out.
The next moment, the arrows the Elves nocked shimmered with flame — primal fire that burned all things. The Spirit of Fire had answered their call. But the Dwarves did not flinch. They didn’t fear; they sneered.
“You’re young Elves, aren’t you? What have the old ones of the forest taught you?”
“Shut your mouth, Dwarf—!”
“What fool points flame at the friends of fire and steel?”
The fire-clad arrows turned to birds midair and swooped toward the Dwarves. Flames clung to their armor — fire sticking to metal, a phenomenon that could exist only through spiritual magic.
But even that could not wound the Dwarves.
“The flame of the forest is not even warm. Compared to the fire that roars in the forges of the Land of Steel, this isn’t flame at all.”
Friends of Fire and Steel —The Dwarves of the Sky Mountains were masters of metal, artisans born with hands that could shape iron. And even when submerged in raging flame, their bodies did not burn. They were the descendants of fire itself.
“You look like younglings, so I won’t take your lives. The old trees of the Great Forest would not let us be if I did. But you will pay the price for touching a Dwarf.”
They brushed off the fire with their bare hands — and it vanished. The heat faded, and the Dwarves drew from their belts long rods of metal. They looked like sticks, or perhaps tubes.
“Bows, how primitive. Barbaric. I never thought I’d see those toys we abandoned centuries ago being used again, you witless fairies.”
The Dwarves aimed the rods at the Elves.
And then—“Fire should burn more beautifully than that, young Elves.”
In the next instant, a thunderous roar shattered the night. A flash of blinding light tore through the darkness like lightning striking the ground.
Right before the Elves’ feet, blackened earth smoked as towering flames erupted.
“Ah— Aaaah—!”
“My… my ears…!”
Elves, with their keen hearing, were overwhelmed by the deafening blast. Those closest to the explosion reeled in confusion; some fainted outright. And those who managed to endure the sound were greeted by something far worse — fire, immense and violent, nothing like the gentle spirits’ flame.
“Ah… ahh…”
That fire was too artificial.
A flame that could not exist in nature — yet because of that, far more destructive. The Elves, children of the forest and friends of nature, saw it as utterly alien.
“Drop your tags and get lost. The old ones of the forest might be trouble, but fledgling Elves like you could never beat us. I don’t want to hurt children — now go.”
At those words, the Elves instantly lost their will to fight.
They understood — if that blast had not been for intimidation, if it had been aimed to kill, they would all have perished before realizing what had happened.
“Ugh… ahh…”
The disheartened Elves tossed their identification tags and fled.
The Dwarves laughed as they watched them run. That was why Elves were easy opponents. Scare them a little, threaten their lives, and they would run without hesitation. A racial trait — as long-lived beings, they were overly cautious with their bodies. They could live forever unless killed, but any serious wound would leave them suffering its aftereffects for eternity.
“No king among them.”
“The Elf King’s probably hiding with the old ones.”
“Hmph. Typical cowardly long-ears.”
The Dwarves checked the tags with disappointed faces. At least the current raid had been repelled. But the skirmishes were ongoing — from afar, urgent voices rang out:
“One of the watchmen dozed off and fell asleep! The Demons are coming!”
“That damned Dwarf must’ve been drinking again just because it’s night!”
“Well, who can blame him? A fine night in this lovely forest — who could resist beer? Nothing beats roast pork and a mug of beer by the campfire!”
“Talk like that is why the young Dwarves grow up spoiled!”
There was no end in sight.
The chaos only deepened, one problem after another.
And then—“When are they bringing up that human fighter’s tag, anyway?”
“Eh?”
“He went down into the trap ages ago, why haven’t we heard back?”
Amid the confusion, the Dwarf in black-iron armor spoke.
“Did they stop to have a drink with him?”
“If they had, they’d have ed it first. Something’s off.”
“If it’s strange, we can check later. First we’ve got other problems to deal with — Demons, Beastkin—”
“No. We check the trap first.”
The Dwarf’s voice, muffled behind his black iron helmet, was firm.
“My instincts never fail. Let’s go.”
The Dwarf in black iron knew he had to check that trap.
It was a feeling beyond explanation. Yet none of the others argued — for two reasons.
The first: he was a man of high rank among the Dwarves, as shown by his unique armor — a commander who had long protected the Dwarves of the Sky Mountains.
The second:
“Well, the General’s instincts are never wrong.”
He was a living legend — undefeated in countless wars, respected by all Dwarves. Not just a man of authority, but one of proven might.
All called him by one name — Dwight the Iron Man.
“Let’s go.”
Ignoring the clamor of the battlefield, Dwight strode personally to check on the trapped human. The trap wasn’t far — it lay along the outer edge of their defenses, and reaching it took no time at all.
And then—
“……?”
Upon arrival, Dwight knew his instincts were right once again.
“What in the world…”
Inside the deep pit meant to catch enemies stood a man and a woman, swords raised upward. But they were not alone — four Dwarf fighters lay sprawled unconscious around them. Four, fully subdued.
“……Tch. I told them never to let their guard down.”
Dwight frowned and looked down at the two humans. Their eyes gleamed sharply. The young man raised his sword and swung it through the air — and somehow, the faint breeze began to rise, growing stronger.
As if the wind itself answered every movement of his blade…
***
「Success.」
Liam Karavan spoke as he looked at the four collapsed Dwarves.
“Are we really supposed to do this? What if this just makes them hate us more?”
「It’s fine. You said you’d trust me, didn’t you? No backtalk.」
When I’d asked for help, Liam’s answer had been simple. Even with my twisted ankle, he’d ordered us to strike the Dwarves guarding the trap first. Thankfully, it wasn’t difficult. Seeing us subdued, they had grown careless; when they descended into the narrow pit, Seol Yoon and I ambushed and took them down.
“You insolent humans!”
“We told you to surrender peacefully! Must you spill blood? We would’ve let you go unharmed if you’d just handed over your tags!”
The other Dwarves shouted in fury.
The more their voices rose, the more anxious I became. If this went wrong, I might lose an arm or leg…But Liam remained eerily calm.
「Soon a big one will come to see what’s happening. Until then, hold out.」
“When a big one comes, how does that help?”
「Oh, it changes everything.」
I tightened my grip on my sword and glared upward.
「To break this deadlock, we need more than greenhorn Dwarves. We need one who knows — one who’ll recognize what you carry the instant he sees it, and understand its meaning.」
I didn’t quite understand what he meant, but I trusted him.
I looked back at Seol Yoon.
“Can you still fight?”
“Plenty.”
Unlike me, with a broken ankle, Seol Yoon was mostly unharmed. Just a slight twist. Her swordsmanship hadn’t weakened in the least. Those four Dwarves we’d dropped in seconds — mostly her doing. While I had been growing stronger, she hadn’t been idle either; her mysterious sword had cut through them like silk.
Then, amid the tense standoff, Liam murmured:
「You caught a big one, young descendant.」
“A big one?”
「Quite the catch.」
At his words, a shadow moved above the pit — a black Dwarf appeared. The dark hue came from the radiance of his armor itself. Black iron. From head to toe, encased in black iron helmet and plate.
I knew instantly.
“Oh, hell…”
A monster.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t touch a hair on his head.
My instincts screamed nonstop —Don’t fight him. Run.
But my master said the opposite.
「Swing your sword, young descendant.」
“What?”
「Show him your sword — all of it. That’s your way out.」
“If I do that, won’t that crazy Dwarf attack me?”
「He won’t.」
“How can you be sure?”
Liam answered, voice firm.
「Because there’s no way that Dwarf wouldn’t recognize what’s contained in your sword.」
No further explanation. But I didn’t doubt him anymore.
When it came to the sword, my master never lied.
When it came to the sword, he was always right.
“Haa…”
I didn’t avert my eyes. Instead, I awakened 「Gale」.
『My life was like a wisp of wind.』
『And so too was my sword.』
And then—
“……”
The Dwarf standing above the pit didn’t move.
He didn’t speak, didn’t step, didn’t flinch. He simply stared down at me. Whether 「Gale」 howled or not, he stood firm. How long we remained like that, I didn’t know.
“……Impossible.”
A strange voice murmured right beside my ear. It felt as if someone whispered directly next to me — and it wasn’t a delusion. When I turned my head, the Dwarf was there. I hadn’t even sensed his approach.
“Did I see wrong? No… no, it’s too clear. I feel it — unmistakably.”
“……”
“It can’t be. I heard it was all gone. Broken, shattered, wiped from history. But… but…”
Through the slit of his black-iron helmet, I saw his eyes.
“That a descendant of Steel still remains…”
His voice carried tangled emotions.
I couldn’t tell where this was heading.
Amid that confusion, Liam chuckled softly.
「Ah. He recognizes it after all.」
***
『Designation: Dwarf』
『One of the Seven Races dwelling on the continent.』
『Dwellers of the mid-slopes of the Sky Mountains — born as friends of Fire and Steel, possessing exceptional talent in crafting.』