Nameita was a scholar, which was precisely why he had always been treated as an oddity among dwarves. Most dwarves saw themselves as craftsmen or warriors—not academics.

As one of the rare few dwarf scholars, he had realized early on that his race simply lacked any real inclination toward the pursuit of knowledge.

Craftsmen passed their ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ techniques down in secret to chosen apprentices rather than recording them in books. As for warriors, there was no chance they would ever write down the methods they used to kill.

Because of this occupational culture, the dwarves had become a race that preserved almost no knowledge in written form. To gather the materials necessary for his research, Nameita had no choice but to rely on the records and learning of other races.

As a result, his life had turned out vastly different from that of ordinary dwarves.

While his peers swung hammers at beasts, he studied human languages. While other dwarves quarreled and fought with neighboring races, he sought to build friendships with them instead.

And when the Great Demon Tribe War erupted, he had stood on the front lines against the invasion from the Demon Realm, but—

That had all happened long ago.

‘Where am I? Who even am I anymore?’

Nameita was utterly bewildered.

Was this really how battles were supposed to begin? Just like that? Without preparation? Without even the slightest briefing?

But Ian clearly seemed to think otherwise.

The moment the magician Sema returned with his disciples in tow, Ian simply said, “Let’s go,” before marching straight out of the dungeon.

Scholar Nameita had no choice but to hurriedly follow after him, hastily equipped with the temporary armor and weapons he had prepared for a potential conflict with the dwarves of White Rock Village.

By the time they arrived, Ian was slick with sweat from crossing the harsh mountain terrain. He swept back his damp hair, revealing the sharp contrast between his pale forehead and slightly curled black hair—a sight refined enough to satisfy even Nameita’s aesthetic sensibilities.

Unfortunately, the personality of the young-looking master he now served was completely at odds with that refined appearance.

Ian stared into empty space for a brief moment before speaking.

“This is their habitat. Prepare for battle.”

“Yes, Lord Ian.”

“...?”

Apparently, Nameita was the only person confused.

Keith immediately drew his sword, and even the magicians gripped their staffs as if it were obvious. Several of them even glanced at Nameita in confusion, as though wondering why he still wasn’t prepared.

Forced into action by sheer instinct, the dwarf scholar raised his shield.

At that exact moment—

THUD!

A tremendous impact exploded against it.

“What the—?!”

“Here they come again.”

BANG! BANG!

Thanks to Ian’s warning, Nameita reacted in time this round.

Something yellow came flying toward them in a dense swarm, and with impressive reflexes, he stepped forward and batted the projectiles aside.

“What is this?!”

Nameita shouted in disbelief.

The answer came from behind him—from the very people he was shielding.

“Monkeys?!”

Monkeys?

Since when were there monkeys capable of hurling metal chunks?

Stunned, Nameita lifted his head toward the trees ahead and froze.

“What kind of monkeys organize formations like this...?!”

Every tree was packed with groups of monkeys.

He had failed to notice them at first because they had concealed themselves beneath the thick canopy of leaves and shadows.

His dwarven eyesight had contributed heavily to that mistake.

After the opening of the Demon Realm, the ecosystem of the Middle Realm had changed dramatically. In places such as the Dark Forest, warped by magical energy, trees grew monstrously tall and dense enough to blot out the sunlight entirely.

There was no way a dwarf could easily spot monkeys lurking atop those towering, twisted trees.

And worse—

These monkey mamools specialized in ranged attacks.

For dwarves, who excelled almost exclusively in close combat, long-range mamools were practically the worst possible enemy.

Nameita felt the hairs on his arms rise.

The mamools sensed the tension and sweat rolling off their prey and immediately began shrieking in delight.

Ookiki!

Ookiee!

The mamools raised their arms high.

Each of them held something long and yellow.

“...Bananas?”

“Those bastards are throwing bananas! But these aren’t normal bananas! The impact feels like getting hit with a lump of metal!”

“Ugh!”

One of the magicians let out a scream.

Nameita’s irritation immediately flared.

“Shouldn’t you be attacking instead of screaming?!”

“Me?”

“Who else here can use ranged attacks?!”

“Keith, stay back.”

But then Ian interrupted.

Only then did Nameita suddenly remember that Keith was capable of ranged attacks as well.

“Sir Keith is here!”

“No. If he steps in, it’ll end too quickly.”

“...?”

‘What does that even mean?’

Wouldn’t ending things quickly be a good thing?

Nameita stared in complete confusion, but Ian ignored him entirely and turned toward Sema instead.

“Let’s see how well you trained your disciples.”

“What?!”

“What are you standing around for? Use Water Ball.”

“...Yes!”

Sema’s eyes darted nervously before he frantically gestured toward his disciples.

The apprentice magicians hurriedly cast their spells, looking just as panicked and confused as their master.

Nameita found the entire group deeply unreliable, but since the mamools had temporarily stopped throwing projectiles, he had little choice but to trust them.

“But Lord Ian... can Water Ball even kill mamools?”

“They’re not supposed to kill them. They’re supposed to capture them. That’s why I brought you.”

“...?”

The conversation happening behind him was absurdly distracting. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Nameita was finding it increasingly difficult to focus.

“Ah! So that’s what you meant...”

To Nameita’s shock, Sema suddenly looked enlightened.

Unable to endure it any longer, the dwarf shouted,

“Hurry up! They’re attacking again!”

TATATANG!

Swinging his massive shield, he deflected the barrage of incoming projectiles aimed at the group.

Primate-type mamools were considered among the most intelligent of all beast-type mamools.

There were records claiming cetacean mamools were equally intelligent, but as a forest dwarf with no connection whatsoever to the sea, Nameita found the very concept absurd.

How could sea creatures possibly be intelligent?

Regardless, the cleverest mamools he knew immediately realized one thing:

Nameita only had a single shield.

The metal-like bananas came flying from multiple directions at once.

Nameita desperately tried to block them, but it felt like attempting to stop rainwater with his bare hands.

“Excuse me.”

At that moment, the Holy Knight moved.

SWOOSH!

A clean, sharp sound rang through the forest.

The incoming projectiles split apart midair before striking the ground almost simultaneously.

“<Water Ball!>”

Having gained a brief opening, the magicians unleashed their water spheres.

From behind his shield, Nameita watched the attack unfold.

Several water balls flew in straight lines toward the mamools.

Not a single one hit directly.

Four missed entirely, slicing through empty air, while one smashed uselessly into a branch.

The mamools effortlessly dodged without even moving from their positions and immediately burst into mocking shrieks.

Ookigee!

Then—

CRACK!

The struck branch snapped apart and crashed directly onto one of the mamools’ heads.

“...!”

The monkey mamool plummeted from the tree.

‘What unbelievable luck!’

Nameita refused to believe the magician had intended that outcome.

Frankly, he couldn’t understand how Sema had ever earned the title of Great Mage. The magicians in this dungeon were sloppy from top to bottom.

Still, at least now Nameita finally understood why his new master had dragged them out here without giving them any preparation time.

Ian brushed past Nameita and launched himself forward.

His robe billowed violently behind him, unable to keep up with his speed.

Nameita barely had time to react.

WHISH—!

Ian reached toward the fallen mamool.

Light wrapped around the creature.

And then it vanished.

“What was that?”

“He sent it to the dungeon.”

“When Lord Ian touches mamools, they abandon evil and become his subordinates!” the magicians excitedly chattered.

‘So that’s the ability to purify mamools...’

Nameita couldn’t understand why they sounded so proud of it, but admiration overtook confusion first.

“So that’s why you needed the mamools alive...!”

“Exactly.” Sema nodded smugly.

‘As expected... truly an agent of God.’

Nameita felt overwhelmed.

His new master was astonishing in countless ways, even if many of them were utterly incomprehensible.

Then Ian spoke again.

“Focus. Once we capture one of them, their attack pattern changes.”

“How?”

“They’ll start flying around and throwing fur.”

“What?”

“Monkeys fly?”

“They throw fur...?”

“Yes.”

‘That’s the entire explanation?’

Though bewildered by Ian’s absurdly brief answer, Nameita was quickly shown that no further explanation was necessary.

Everything happened exactly as Ian described.

Ookiki!

The monkey mamools stretched out their long arms and began swinging wildly through the trees.

THUNK!

A brutal impact struck Nameita’s head.

Unable to withstand the shock, he dropped to one knee.

Something as hard as metal had smashed into him, yet he hadn’t even seen where it came from.

He had been just slightly too slow raising his guard.

Slowly, Nameita lowered the hand clutching the side of his head.

His palm was soaked red with blood.

“And their fur hardens into clumps like gold bars. If it hits you directly, it’s lethal.”

“No...!”

Despite being a dignified adult, Nameita felt his blood pressure spike instantly.

Couldn’t they have told him that before he got injured?!