The Genius Blacksmith's Game
Dragon Lair. (5)
Dragon Blood Tribe
It is a species born from the dragon's blood and mana seeping into the dragon's lair, making it much more special than ordinary monsters.
Just looking at the Blood Ogre, it was like that.
The Blood Ogre was several times stronger than a regular ogre.
It had a body much faster than an ogre, was stronger, and possessed high defense and regenerative powers, demonstrating that a single Blood Ogre could take on ten ordinary ogres.
Even though Bahala and the guild members of Hyunsu and Hyun's Nation were high-rankers, they struggled against them, which in a way is an inevitable result.
Furthermore, the Blood Ogres break the mold that 'Ogres' are simple.
They weren't just swinging their arms; they had at least the intelligence of a three-year-old child.
Such hemorrhagic tribes were quite diverse.
Quite a diverse range of people lived here in Gronit's lair as well.
However, Gronit, facing death, sent most of them to other dragon lairs or provided them with a home elsewhere.
However, the Blood Ogres, the simplest of the Blood Ogres, did not obey Gronit's words.
Because it was so simple, it knew no fear or terror, and because it was so simple, it would rather meet death by its side.
Even so, Dragon Gronit was not moved by them.
After all, Gronit is also a dragon.
Dragons were ultimately the dominant species and could not feel much emotion toward them.
However, it was different only for the leader of the Blood Ogres.
Born among Blood Ogres, yet you have an excellent learning ability. You’re going to be fun to raise.
Gronit was quite interested.
It is not an incredibly special interest. Gronit decided to raise it because he was bored in his later years.
Yes, just like growing a plant and looking at it every day.
Your name is Kun.
Kun.
A being that was clearly a Blood Ogre but strangely born with red skin.
That is why he is the leader who leads the Blood Ogres.
The reason your skin is red is because you absorbed more mana from the lair than other Blood Ogres.
Its intelligence is quite close to that of a human. This is the first ogre I’ve seen with such high intelligence.
Just as one waters a plant, Gronit gave him the more special things in his lair.
Sometimes he fed them, sometimes gave them better artifacts, and sometimes shared his own mana.
Gronit was merely something raised for fun, but it was different for Kun.
Eat up. You need to eat your fill so I can see how well you fight.
Gronit, who brought him good food every day, was his whole world.
Wear it. You will be my guardian and symbol.
Khun liked Gronit, who dressed him in cool armor and called him a guardian.
Yes, Gronit designated 'Khun' as his guardian because, despite being born an ogre, he possessed an upright and loyal character, and was much stronger than he had anticipated.
You're too good to die. Leave now.
Gronit told Kuhn a few days before Bahala came to visit.
However.
"Rumble, I will not leave. Rumble, I will return to the embrace of nature together. Rumble, for that is my mission as a guardian."
… …
Kuhn had neither lingering attachment to life nor fear.
Khun spoke calmly while kneeling.
What Gronit showed was only a brief act of mercy.
Watching the guy put on a nonchalant expression, I thought that he was simply meeting a fitting end for a guardian.
However, there was something Gronit didn't know.
He was not just a guardian.
Kugugugugu-
As the Dragon Lair begins to shake, the news of Gronit's death is revealed to Kun.
Khun saw his mana completely scatter in the spot where Gronit disappeared.
“Kuuuuuuuuuuu!”
Upon learning of his death, Kuhn wailed.
This is a fact that Gronit did not know.
Kuhn did not decide to stay simply because he was a guardian.
I had decided to stay by his side as his son.
His sorrow surged among the other blood ogres as well.
Rumble-
Kuhn was sad as he looked at the ceiling, which had started to crack.
The sorrow of losing someone you had kept by your side your whole life was unbearable.
Kun ran around like a madman. The Blood Ogres cried with him.
at that time.
A group of humans appeared.
The man standing before. He was tall for a human and wore armor more splendid than the ones Gronit had given him, and he spoke.
You're sad because Gronit died, right? I completely understand.
Guild members of the Country of Hyun.
Bahala could not understand Hyunsu's sudden behavior.
What are you doing?
“I simply cannot understand why he would say such things to a mere monster.”
Wouldn't it be better to kill him right away?
Then a notification was heard.
[Dragon Lair Guardian Kun is faithful to his duty as a guardian.]
[If you attack Guardian Kun, all monsters in the Lair will become hostile and launch an all-out attack.]
“……It could have been a disaster if we had attacked first.”
Bahala broke out in a cold sweat.
Killing Kun to obtain a reward. I considered that to be the reward for killing many Blood Ogres in this lair.
However, even Bahala and the other Guild members of the County Nation have no way to withstand the hundreds of thousands of them rushing at them simultaneously.
Immediately, tens of thousands of Blood Ogres around him were watching Khun.
They remained still, as if waiting for the king's command, and Hyunsu spoke.
The notification of your loyalty sounded for me.
“Your loyalty to me…?”
Bahala has seen that power firsthand.
When Hyunsu first met Luxiu, he used that power to accept him as an ally.
Bahala learned another thing.
Does that mean the wailing was grief over Gronit's death?
Dragons are the dominant species, and Kuns are the subordinate species.
Even so, it is surprising that they cry out of sadness.
“Kuruk, do you know Lord Gronit?”
Kun, who was so sad he couldn't even compose himself, reacted upon hearing Gronit's name.
“That’s right. I was the one who saw him off until the very end.”
“Rumble, how was Gronit’s end?”
“……He closed his eyes happily, together with Margaret.”
“……Rumble, Margaret…… Does that mean she and Lord Gronit met?”
Of course, Kun also knew about Margaret.
Sitting in the same spot every day, Gronit gazed into the distant void.
He had missed Margaret.
Hyunsu explained the whole story of how he came to this place.
As someone who genuinely cared for Gronit…
“Rumble, that’s a relief. What a relief. Rumble, gurgle…!”
Kuhn shed tears of joy.
Those tears show that they are genuinely happy for Gronit's peaceful rest.
[Guardian Khun's sorrow is somewhat lessened.]
[Guardian Khun makes a somewhat rational judgment.]
[Intimacy with Kun increases.]
Hyunsu got back to the main point.
“Kuhn, come with us. There is no need to meet your death here, especially since there are no more Gronits.”
[Guardian of the Rare Kun Lv668.]
Kuhn was a tremendous powerhouse.
He is a powerful figure who would surprise everyone if he were to reveal himself to the world, and a figure whom no one would easily defeat.
“I’m going to die here, *gurgle*.”
Rrrrrrrrrrr-!
The entire Rare started vibrating more loudly.
[The Lair begins to crumble.]
A lair that began to crumble and collapse from afar.
The blood ogres were being buried beneath it.
“My mission is to protect Lord Gronit, gurgle, my mission is over.”
Kun had a relaxed expression.
He looks as though he has forgotten his sadness thanks to Hyun-soo.
He couldn't help but feel relieved knowing that the person he loved had closed their eyes happily like that.
Watching Kun choose to die again, the guild members concluded that 'Your loyalty to me' had ultimately failed.
However, no one at that place felt any regret.
This is because Kun, who appeared after the bonus stage ended, was merely a kind of additional bonus.
The unfortunate thing is that a strong person like Khun will eventually die.
It’s rare to find a super-famous NPC like that.
But it doesn't make sense to command a powerhouse like Kun. He is stronger than any super-named NPC. Then again, he is the one who protected Gronit.
Hyunsu spoke to Kun, who had given up on life like that.
“Khun, you still have a mission left.”
“Rumble, you mean I still have a mission left?”
“Alright, will you come with me? I’ll take you to where Gronit is.”
“Kuruk, to where Lord Gronit is?”
Whether Hyunsu's words were true or not, it did not matter to Kun.
Even if his words are a lie, I might be able to leave after bowing deeply one last time to Lord Gronit.
Kun nodded.
The moment they agreed, Hyunsu and Khun vanished into flames, and the remaining ones tore up the return scrolls.
Rumble-rumble-rumble!
Soon, the dragon lair that had existed for thousands of years completely disappeared.
***
He looked at the two ancient trees soaring high into the sky.
Trees named Gronit and Margaret that have become conjoined trees, connected from the roots and embracing each other.
Kun knelt before him and sobbed.
The scent of millions of flowers makes such a Kun happy.
“Kuruk, I am glad to be with you, Lady Margaret, in such a beautiful and wonderful place. Kuruk.”
Kuhn was genuinely happy.
He was grateful to the person who brought him here.
The village visible from the hill was somewhat noisy.
Countless troops were entering the village.
Their hands were piled high with things like saws and axes.
“How dare you try to cut down the conjoined trees! You mustn’t do that!”
“Aaaargh, what have you done!”
“To think you would try to cut down the sacred tree, the Pharion Empire. You devilish bastards!”
The villagers blocked the path of thousands of troops, but it was of no use.
They grabbed a woman by the hair and dragged her along the ground or cut her down.
Parion is the master of all things.
Even the owner of this tree is Parion.
Hyunsu's eyes narrowed as he watched that scene.
The Pharion Empire never fails to live up to expectations.
Hyunsu muttered, and their voices reached Kun.
“If a dragon turned into a tree, it must be harboring tremendous magical power.”
Moreover, Gronit is a being who was once a Dragon Lord. That tree must be valuable due to its rarity.
“We will cut them all down and return today.”
“What are we going to do about the men and women of this village?”
“…Kill him. It would be no good if there were witnesses.”
This is what Hyun-su expected.
Because Parion makes money off of anything that is profitable.
“Gronit gave us a gift, and only now, looking back, do I realize it. Maybe that gift was you?”
Gronit might have known.
That someone might try to cut them like this.
“Gurgle, gurgle……”
Yes, Kuhn is the only gift Gronit left to the world and his remnant.
[Guardian Khun realizes the reason he must live.]
He will not die as long as this conjoined tree exists.
“Rumble, I realized my mission isn't over. Rumble, thank you. Human.”
Kun walked toward the village.
[Khun protects Gronit and Margaret.]
Hyunsu realized one thing.
Even if 'Your Loyalty to Me' isn't activated…
[Kun considers you a friend.]
[The moment you fall into crisis, it will save you.]
The fact that I can be with someone.
