The new arrivals resembled dwarves but were three times their usual height, towering over the landscape with sturdy, muscular builds. Their beards were thick and messy, and their large eyes gleamed with a sharp, intelligent glint.
They wore heavy leather clothing adorned with glowing gemstones that seemed to pulsate with latent power. Their complexions ranged from pale to tanned, suggesting a variety of backgrounds within their group.
There were about 12-15 of them, males and females, some older and others younger, all forming an imposing group of giants.
Curious, Aengus used his Appraisal ability and confirmed what he had suspected; they were Ancient Dwarves, a race long believed to have been erased from existence.
Yet here they were, in this secret realm, defying history.
He couldn’t help but feel impressed by their craftsmanship. The gemstones embedded in their clothing and gear radiated with intricate energy signatures, clearly indicating advanced and ancient technology, beyond what was common in the outside world.
“The Ancient Dwarves,” Aengus muttered under his breath, astonished.
These were the same legendary craftsmen who had once been responsible for creating artifacts of immense power, their skills unmatched. Now, after being thought extinct, they stood before him, shrouded in mystery.
As Aengus appraised their equipment, he realized the precision and artistry that went into their creations. Each item they carried seemed alive with magic, brimming with energy from long-lost methods.
This was far beyond what the outside world could replicate, and it made him even more curious about the secrets this realm held.
“#@&&#%@&#!”
Suddenly, one of the female dwarves noticed Aengus’s presence, who had seemed invisible until now.
At her scream, all of them were pulled back from their concentrated work near the pool with ancient technologies.
Aengus needed to find out the truth, which is why he revealed himself. He didn’t feel any threat, considering their ranks and specialised crafting skills. That didn’t mean they were weak—they were more powerful than most people outside.
They quickly towered over him, his frame tiny compared to them.
“#&@&#&%#@&!”
“#@&%##&@%!”
Aengus furrowed his brows, not understanding their language. It was completely different from human language.
“Manas, you know their language, right? Translate for me,” he transmitted.
“Yes, Master. You can communicate with them now,” Manas responded.
“Thud!”
Suddenly, the ancient dwarves knelt down on the hard platform, their voices full of respect and submission.
“Oh God, you’ve finally arrived. We have received your decree and have been waiting for you.”
They spoke in unison, confusing Aengus for a moment.
“So, they think I’m their god or something?” he pondered.
“Stand up!” he commanded.
“Yes, your eminence,” they complied, but even as they rose, they kept their postures as low as possible, still trembling in awe.
Their fanatical expressions, with eyes glowing red, unnerved him. He could see in their eyes a hope that had been rekindled, a belief that whatever they had been waiting for was now standing before them in person.
They looked at Aengus with fanatical belief, their eyes glowing red, as if their long-awaited hope had finally arrived and their wishes were about to be fulfilled.
Aengus decided to be blunt. “Answer me, what’s happening here? And why are you calling me a god? I am not a god,” he reminded them sternly.
In Return, the dwarves shook their heads vehemently.
“No, no, your eminence, you are the true god!” one of them declared fervently. “Those others, the ones they call gods. Compared to your vast powers, they are but dolls.
Aengus frowned, trying to understand. He had never considered himself divine, not in the way they seemed to believe. But he couldn’t ignore the primal connection he felt with the statue and the strange energy surrounding this place.
“What decree did you receive? Why were you waiting for me?” he asked, hoping to gather more insight into their belief.
The leader of the ancient dwarves, Sirgrid, spoke, his eyes glowing brighter with conviction.
“Your eminence, this is a long story,” he sighed but continued, “In the ancient past, when demons first revealed themselves, we dwarves of Dwarvania lived in harmony, marveling at our craftsmanship. Our population was in the millions, and we were connected to the outside world through trade, providing them with exceptional artifacts.
Everything was going well until the unthinkable happened.” His voice wavered with grief.
“On an unfortunate day, a being appeared, shattering the sky, and he sealed Dwarvania, cutting us off from the outside world. He looked beaten and severely injured, yet he accomplished the impossible with ease.”
Aengus nodded, raising his estimation of the threat as Sirgrid continued.
“We didn’t have the strength to fight back. He had some incredible space-related ability, capable of wiping out our people effortlessly—or so we heard. The threat didn’t end there. Over time, he slowly slaughtered our kind, absorbing their energy for an unknown purpose.
By then, only hundreds of us remained. We tried to escape this cage by building a device that could free us, but luck wasn’t on our side. That being caught up to us and slaughtered until only dozens of us survived.
Exactly at that time, we were saved by a shard of otherworldly origin, sealing us on this cliff from that monster. That shard, I mean you gave us a decree to guard it and feed it energy. And one day you would be back to get it by showing off your mighty presence to us.”
Sirgrid looked at Aengus with reverence as the others listened intently.
“We did as we were told. Over time, we fed the shard with the treasures left from our heritage to repair it. Because, In return, you told us you would one day return to grant us revenge and continue our lineage by killing that monster.”
Aengus absorbed the information, his mind racing with questions. He didn’t remember anything about arriving here, let alone saving them from the being outside. Could this truly be linked to him?
“Did I have another reincarnation before this?”
“Was this from my past life? Or could it be from my future self?”
“Could it mean someone else was involved? Or worse, would my body be taken over by this being in the future?”
