"Hello, Mr. Bahanger. I am Kang Kai Nino, a traveling ranger from Rock Rabbit Creek. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Standing outside the door, the young man's long brown hair carried a trace of dust, a testament to his journey.
Bahanger squinted up at the tall youth, his grip tightening on his hammer as an annoyed scowl spread across his face.
"Kang Kai, do you have any idea what you've just done? You interrupted the most sacred act in a dwarf's life!"
Yet, despite the dwarf's obvious displeasure, Kang Kai remained composed.
He neither flinched nor averted his gaze.
Instead, he smiled, giving a natural and graceful ranger's salute before responding in a firm tone:
"Mr. Bahanger, forgive me for contradicting you, but the purpose of forging weapons is to protect the innocent. You cannot turn a blind eye to suffering simply for the sake of crafting fine arms. Now—"
"Enough, brat!"
Bahanger cut him off with a derisive snort.
"Don't tell me you barged in here just to whine about a bunch of insignificant nobodies? What a joke! A weapon's true worth lies in its craftsmanship—what would a greenhorn like you understand about that?"
The dwarf's words were laced with open mockery, dismissing Kang Kai's ideals as nothing more than childish naivety.
Kang Kai's brows furrowed slightly, yet he did not waver.
"Mr. Bahanger, those words dishonor your title as Dolazi's guardian. They are unbefitting of a noble dwarf, known for their kindness and loyalty."
"Hah! This is exactly why I find you do-gooders so damn irritating."
Bahanger scoffed, his thick arms folding across his chest.
"You want to know why the neutral gods are stronger than the good ones? It's because their followers aren't a bunch of self-righteous fools who let their soft hearts get in the way of reality!"
His disdain for Kang Kai was blatant.
In Bahanger's eyes, rangers like him were nothing more than self-important busybodies, always preaching about justice while meddling in matters beyond their grasp.
Kang Kai's smile vanished.
His expression darkened, a storm brewing in his eyes.
Gone was the affable ranger—what remained was a man of conviction, his voice laced with quiet fury and bitter disappointment.
"Are you serious?"
Bahanger met his gaze without hesitation, his own eyes flashing with challenge.
"What? You gonna throw a tantrum? Hah! It's been years since Old Bahanger had a proper fight—if you've got a death wish, I'll gladly hammer some sense into you!"
A fierce aura erupted from the dwarf, his battle-worn body radiating raw power.
His massive dark-brown warhammer trembled slightly as layers of battle qi wrapped around it, crackling with suppressed force.
But Kang Kai did not back down.
His narrowed eyes gleamed with dangerous light, his lean frame exuding a razor-sharp presence.
Unlike Bahanger's crushing mountain-like pressure, Kang Kai's aura was like an endless tide of blades—silent, swift, and inescapable.
The clash of their wills sent ripples through the air, distorting space itself.
In that moment, Dolazi's center froze.
Servants in the nearby castle collapsed from the sheer intensity of the aura.
On the streets, civilians trembled and cowered, their legs giving out beneath them.
Domesticated pets whimpered in distress, sensing the impending disaster.
Inside the forge, the air shimmered, warping under the weight of their silent confrontation.
Kang Kai's voice was no longer gentle.
It was filled with sorrow and seething anger.
"As the guardian of this city, is this how you repay the people's trust? By standing idly by as innocent children perish? As disease runs rampant? As the townsfolk lose everything to the greed of their so-called protectors?"
"I told you already—I don't care about meddling in things that aren't my concern."
Bahanger's voice was as unyielding as iron.
"My duty is to the Hyde family, nothing more. The poor? Let them die, it makes no difference to me."
His patience had run thin.
He was seconds away from swinging his hammer.
If not for their proximity to Lord Gothra's castle, the dwarf would've long since bashed this idealistic fool into the ground.
Kang Kai clenched his fists.
He wanted to lash out, to strike down this heartless stance with everything he had.
But as a lawful ranger, causing destruction in the city was unacceptable.
He had already let his emotions get the better of him once—the terrified citizens outside were proof of that.
With a deep breath, Kang Kai withdrew his aura, signaling his retreat.
Bahanger snorted.
"Hmph. At least you've got enough sense to back down."
He too retracted his qi, and the pressure in the room dissipated.
"Mr. Bahanger, at the very least, you must know that the nobles are squeezing the last drops of life from the poor. I beg you, please, speak to Lord Gothra—"
"Enough."
Bahanger turned his back on him, his hammer already raised.
"I told you, I don't care. Now get out, and don't forget to close the door behind you."
Without another word, he resumed forging the pure, gleaming mithril before him, as though Kang Kai had never been there.
The ranger sighed.
He knew nothing he said could sway this stubborn dwarf.
If he pressed further, he would only ignite a battle neither of them wanted.
"…Mr. Bahanger, I hope one day you will open your eyes. May Obai, god of nature, guide your way."
With that, Kang Kai gave a respectful bow and silently exited the forge, making sure to close the door as he left.
"Hah! May Moradin curse you with misfortune, you tree-hugging idiot."
With a thunderous strike, Bahanger hammered down onto the mithril, as if to silence the ranger's parting words.
— Refuge in Despair —
The refugees in Dolazi knew nothing of the brewing conflicts among the city's powerhouses.
All they knew was that hunger and hardship were no longer their greatest fears.
Something far worse had arrived.
The plague.
And where the disease spread, so too did the eerie figures of Tishachar's adherents, lurking in the shadows.
Bilan and Dickey remained hidden in a secluded corner of the camp.
Though the priests had declared the disease to be contagious by contact, fear and superstition drove people to avoid Bilan altogether.
Only one person still came to their aid—
Knight Commander Keskarser, who continued to bring them high-quality bread.
Yet even his kindness could not lift their spirits.
Bilan was growing weaker.
Despite her status as an apprentice mage, her resistance could only do so much.
Day by day, the sickness gnawed at her body.
Now, she could barely move, her voice frail and hoarse.
Dickey gently stroked her hair, his heart heavy with helplessness.
In the midst of suffering, their bond had deepened.
It was the only blessing they could hold onto.
But beyond their small shelter, the nightmare only worsened.
Patrol squads roamed the camp, armed with wooden clubs.
Their method of "diagnosing" the disease was simple—
Strike the legs.
If the bones snapped too easily, the person was deemed infected.
Execution followed immediately.
The bodies were dragged away for incineration.
Those who could afford it bribed the soldiers to spare them.
But for the penniless, a single brutal strike could be the difference between life and death.
Dickey watched blankly as another girl was dragged toward the patrol's camp, her sobs swallowed by the night.
He clenched his fists, but what could he do?
Then—
A sudden wave of overwhelming magic filled the air.
Bilan's body tensed in sheer terror.
She knew this aura.
This merciless, suffocating power belonged to the one she feared most.
The nightmare of blue eyes had returned.
"…Dickey, get inside. Now."
Her voice trembled, barely above a whisper.
The shadow of death loomed closer.