Chapter 219: He’s Everywhere (1)
"Are you here with the item?"
The dwarf asked, his deep voice carrying the rough edge of someone used to giving orders. His sharp gaze stayed fixed on Ash, who was scanning the surroundings with clear vigilance, his body poised as if ready to fight an invisible enemy lurking nearby.
Hearing his question, Ash turned to meet the dwarf’s eyes and answered plainly, "Yes, I have it."
Ash was not in the mood for formalities right now. His body was already on edge, every sense straining under the weight of the oppressive air. Even if someone hurled insults at him, he doubted he would care enough to respond. Right now, his focus was on staying alert.
"I’m one o’ the captains o’ the security team. I’ll be guidin’ ye to Saint Kolin. Ye won’t be havin’ a problem with that, aye?" The dwarf’s tone was steady, but there was a faint challenge hidden beneath the politeness, as if daring Ash to disagree.
Hearing the words, Ash replied without hesitation, "None."
"Follow me then."
Without another word, Ash fell in step behind the dwarf captain. The sound of their boots against stone echoed in the enclosed space as they moved deeper into the mountain. The tunnels twisted and split into different paths, the walls rough with natural rock but reinforced in places with solid metal supports.
They passed multiple smaller checkpoints, each manned by heavily armed dwarves standing with rigid discipline.
With every step, the weight in the air seemed to grow heavier, pressing down on Ash’s chest until breathing felt slightly harder. The unease that had been gnawing at him since entering the Land of Forge was now almost suffocating.
His skin felt unnatural, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead, sliding slowly down his temple.
Noticing his state, the captain glanced over his shoulder with a faint smirk and said, "Hah... our land’s full o’ heat an’ sweat. Best get used to it, lad."
Yet, despite his words, Ash noticed there wasn’t a single drop of sweat on the dwarf’s face. His movements were calm and unhurried, his breathing steady — and the same was true for every other dwarf they passed.
Their bodies were unaffected by whatever was making the air feel so stifling to him.
’Mama’
I know...
Even Snow, who was tucked deep within Ash’s clothes, was sweating lightly. But Ash knew that this wasn’t caused by heat. The tunnels weren’t sweltering; the sensation clinging to them was something else entirely — a heavy, invisible tension that felt like it was pressing against his very being.
Should I run away?
The thought flickered in his mind for a brief moment. If he hadn’t obtained the Rune of Death, Ash knew he might have already turned around and fled from this suffocating atmosphere.
But with that protection, he kept moving forward, even as his instincts screamed that something was deeply wrong.
When he passed a few more checkpoints, a sudden burst of blinding light assaulted his eyes. He instinctively narrowed them, but as they slowly adjusted, a vast city of dwarves came into view.
Damnation...
That was the only word Ash could use to define it. The city was... attractive, to say the least. He had imagined seeing high-end technology, towering metallic structures, and futuristic designs, but instead, it felt as if the dwarves were still living in the past.
Houses made of sturdy mud and thick timber stood beneath a massive dome-like ceiling, its surface covered entirely with interlinked runes that glowed faintly. The magic lines ran across the dome like veins, connecting into a complex web that seemed to pulse with life.
The houses and larger buildings followed a traditional style, with chimneys puffing out steam or smoke. Above each chimney, rune arrays pulled the emissions upward and dispersed them. The mix of raw craftsmanship and functional magic created a scene unlike anything Ash had seen before.
All in all, the scenery was mesmerizing, and Ash found himself a little stunned, especially when he had expected something entirely different.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?"
The dwarf captain’s voice broke the moment, his chest puffing with visible pride, as though he himself had built every brick and carved every rune.
"Yeah... it is," Ash admitted, his tone soft but genuine.
Though his attention was briefly captured by the view, the discomfort in his chest lingered. Each breath felt heavier, almost as if the very air resisted him, like it didn’t want him here.
Shaking off the unease gnawing at his mind, Ash urged the dwarf to hurry. The captain gave a small nod, and they boarded a flying vehicle. Its metallic frame was sturdy, its movement almost silent as it glided smoothly above the streets, weaving through the controlled air currents inside the dome.
They approached one of the larger, stone-faced buildings. When they arrived and stepped inside, the captain walked up to a counter where another dwarf stood. "Give this lad a room for one day," the captain instructed.
The receptionist smiled, nodded, and quickly handed over a small brass key to the captain, who passed it on to Ash.
Ash took the key slowly, his brow furrowing. His eyes narrowed toward the captain with a silent accusation — Traitor.
"You said we were going to meet Saint Kolin," Ash said aloud, his voice calm but edged with disappointment.
"Aye, and we will," the captain replied without flinching. "But not today. This here’s only one o’ the cities in the continent — Iron Hall City. Saint Kolin resides in the central city, where the king himself is. You’ll have to wait at least a day while I handle the procedures for the travel."
He gave a short shrug, almost casually, and added, "That was why Thorin told ye to hand over the item. So ye wouldn’t have to go through all this. But ye refused."
Ash’s jaw tightened, but he forced his voice to remain steady. "Fine. I’ll wait for a day."
He took the key and walked toward the room number engraved on its tag.
Curses... I can’t leave. I still have to get the Rune, commission the items for Elysia and myself... and I need to meet Saint Kolin in person...
When he reached the room, he was at least relieved to see the bed was large enough for him. That had been one of his small but nagging concerns — that dwarven-sized furniture would leave him sleeping cramped and uncomfortable.
"Is the room to your liking?" the dwarf captain asked from the doorway. Ash gave a small nod.
"Ah, forgive me," the captain said, his tone softening slightly. "I didn’t even ask for yer name."
"It’s Ash Burn."
"Nice, nice. A fine name indeed. Sounds like it’s tied to fire. Were yer parents blacksmiths?" The captain’s eyes seemed to glimmer with curiosity, a faint spark of interest in his otherwise steady gaze.
"No."
Ash’s flat, straightforward reply doused that spark instantly.
"Alright then," the captain said after a pause. "Rest well. We’ll leave as soon as the procedures are done."
With that, he turned and stepped out, the heavy door closing with a dull thud.
Ash stood still for a moment, then exhaled quietly.
Snow, check the room.
The little creature stirred beneath his clothes and began scanning with its X-Ray vision, sweeping over every corner and crevice.
’Mama’
Only after confirming there were no hidden listening devices or surveillance runes did Ash finally allow himself to relax.
Then he entered his soul space.
Snow followed right after him, and with that, the suffocating unease in his chest faded away completely.
"What the hell was that creepy experience?"
Ash muttered to himself. He didn’t know the cause, but he was certain — something was wrong in the city. Maybe even in the entire continent.
"Is it the demons again? I didn’t sense any nearby... but they could be far from my range. I’ll need to look around the city to be sure."
Although he had promised himself he wouldn’t get involved in any more of that "saving others" nonsense, here he was. And deep down, he knew the truth — even if he tried to ignore it, something bad would happen... because with his damned fate, things always did.
So, he had to be ready.
After reading through one or two books in his soul space, Ash returned to his bed and drifted off to sleep.
***
Surprisingly, the night passed without incident. But the unease remained. It was like a cold thread wrapped around his spine, refusing to let go.
Washing his face and eating a quick breakfast from the supplies in his space ring, Ash left the inn.
The moment he stepped outside, the sharp, rhythmic sound of metal striking metal echoed across the streets. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind, and wandered until he stopped in front of a solid-looking building with a polished wooden sign. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
"Ah, hello. I’m here to commission some items to be made," Ash said to the female dwarf behind the counter, who was arranging goods on display.
"Sorry, customer, we’re not takin’ any requests right now," she replied without looking up.
"I see. Thank you for your time, then. I’ll just ask another smith."
Ash turned to leave, but her voice stopped him.
"Lad, no one’s goin’ to take yer request."
He looked back at her, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Why? Is it because I’m an outsider?"
The dwarf shook her head, letting out a small sigh. "No. It’s ’cause there’s no proper blacksmith in this city. The ones here are all novices and apprentices at best. And I doubt ye’d want someone like that workin’ on yer items."
"Why? Where are the others, the masters and grandmasters?"
"They’re all in the central city," she replied, leaning her weight on the counter now, lowering her voice slightly. "That’s the most I know. If ye want quality work, ye’ll have to go there. But even then... I doubt any o’ them will take your commission."
With a shooing gesture, she waved him toward the door.
Stepping outside again, Ash’s thoughts spun.
The principal sent an item to the dwarves... all the true blacksmiths are in the central city... are they working on some massive project?
And why don’t I know about it? Could they be building some kind of massive war engine or a ship to escape when the world ends? No... unlikely...
Theories swirled through his head, each wilder than the last, but none provided a clear answer.
"Ah!! Damnit... questions and more questions..."
Cursing under his breath, Ash decided to sweep the entire city. Street by street, alley by alley, he searched for the faintest trace of demonic energy. Hours passed, but he found nothing.
There’s no demon presence... hmm. Could it be they haven’t done anything to the dwarves yet? No... that doesn’t explain why my unease hasn’t gone away...
As he turned a corner, he noticed a young dwarf struggling to lift a massive block of metal with the help of a mana-powered machine. The machine jolted, and the heavy slab slipped free, falling toward an older dwarf standing directly beneath it.
Ash instantly teleported forward to help — but the one-second delay before his skill activated proved costly. The metal came crashing down before he could reach them.
-BAAAM!!!-
Dust and shards of stone exploded into the air.
Appearing beside the fallen slab, Ash dug his boots into the ground, muscles locking as he heaved the crushing weight to the side, revealing the old dwarf’s battered body beneath.
"Are you okay?" Ash asked, kneeling close, scanning for fatal injuries.
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry... I’ll get a doctor! Don’t die, old man! Just wait for me!" The young dwarf’s voice was high with panic as he bolted down the street, vanishing around the corner.
Ash shook his head. "No time for that..."
Placing his palm on the elder’s chest, he poured life mana into him.
{Life Mana Infusion}
Warm, vibrant energy surged through the dwarf’s body, knitting tissue, easing pain. But instead of gratitude, the old man’s eyes flew wide with raw terror. His skin turned pale as if all color had been drained from it, his gaze fixed on Ash as though staring into an abyss.
"Run... run away..." he rasped, voice shaking.
"We’re all going to die... we can’t escape... he’s everywhere..."
Before Ash could ask who he was talking about, the old dwarf’s head burst apart with a wet, sickening pop, spraying blood across Ash’s face, clothes, and hair. The metallic tang of it hit his tongue before he could even move.
He froze, heart pounding in his ears, his mind caught between shock and disbelief.
What the fuck...?
***
A/N: If you’re wondering why Ash can sense demonic energy, it’s because of the Primordial Core. This was already mentioned earlier in the story, in case you’ve forgotten. You can check back to the Chapter where Miraak and Zerak first came to the academy—it’s explained there.
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!