Chapter 21
After defeating the beast, Grey was seen falling down in exhaustion, but before he could hit the ground, he was caught by the short man, who gently laid him down. Grey's chest heaved in and out as he struggled to catch his breath.
The good thing was that he remained conscious—just drained after exerting all his mana in the fight. After getting a little bit of rest, he sat back up, crossed his legs, and began meditating to regain his lost mana.
Meanwhile, the short man was busy carving and extracting the crystal cores from the dead beasts. Occasionally, he glanced back at Grey, who remained still with his eyes closed.
'This human… Why does he have similar powers to those people?' the man thought as he continued extracting the crystals, stealing glances at Grey from the corner of his eyes.
'Is it starting again? Will history repeat itself? Is he one of them? If so, I need to keep an eye on him for the well-being of our race. And if I deem him a threat… I will wipe him out of existence,' the man resolved, tightening his grip on one of the extracted cores.
Once he was done, he walked towards Grey with the crystals in his hand. When he reached him, he casually tossed one, letting it land on Grey's lap, prompting Grey to open his eyes.
"Here, that's yours," the man said.
Standing up, Grey took the crystal and slipped it into his pants pocket, his gaze lingering on the short man, mainly because of his rabbit-like ears.
"Quit staring at me like that, you human!" the short man snapped.
"Human?" Grey raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you also a human? Well, I think."
"Do I look human to you?" the short man asked angrily.
"Certainly not. Not with that height and ears, you don't." Grey chuckled.
The short man clenched his fists, his face turning red with irritation. A visible vein popped on his forehead, his temper rising.
Seeing his reaction, Grey quickly composed himself. "I'm sorry for making jest of you. I didn't realize you don't like jokes," he said apologetically.
The short man took a deep breath, calming down. "Humans and their stupid nature," he muttered, shaking his head.
'Again with the human remark… Looking at him, I know he isn't human. So what race is he? Have I been thrown onto an alien planet?' Grey thought, clenching and unclenching his fists.
'I've managed to regain a small portion of my mana. I should be able to cast at least three small spells. If a fight breaks out, I can distract him with a fireball, then quickly fly back to the cave and activate the magic circle to return home,' he schemed, a smirk forming on his lips.
"Judging by that smile, I'd say you've just formulated a plan to escape," the man said.
Grey's smirk froze as he looked at the man warily.
"I figured as much," the man continued. "But you won't need that plan just yet. I'm not in the mood for a fight. I just want to talk. So how about we head somewhere private and more… friendly?"
"And why should I trust you? I don't even know who you are or what your motives are," Grey said, narrowing his eyes.
"Fair point. Fine, let me introduce myself. I'm Randin. I'll explain who I am and what race I belong to once we're somewhere safer. This place is crawling with beasts. You're in no condition to fight a Level 1 beast, let alone a Level 3."
'He's right… I can barely cast three spells. If I run into trouble, I won't stand a chance. For now, I have no choice but to go along with him,' Grey thought, clenching his fists.
"Fine. Let's go," Grey said.
Randin led the way, moving away from the forest and heading toward the caves—back in the direction Grey had originally come from.
"Why are we going this way?" Grey asked.
"Unless you want to be beast food, be my guest and pick another route," Randin replied dryly.
"Isn't that where you came from?" Grey pressed.
"I chased the beast in that direction during our fight," Randin replied.
"So… where we're headed, that's where you live? All I see are mountains and caves. Where are the rest of your people?"
Randin's expression darkened. "They're all dead. Only a few of us remain, scattered across the Bronze Continent."
'What?! A whole race… nearly wiped out?' Grey thought, stunned.
They walked for a while longer, navigating twists and turns, climbing rocky paths, leaping over gaps, and scaling ledges. Eventually, they arrived at the entrance of a massive cave—about 20 meters deep and 10 meters wide. The spacious interior held scattered equipment, tools, and a small wooden bed lined with soft materials tucked into a corner.
"Welcome to my humble abode—where I now live alone," Randin said as he plopped onto his bed. A small chair materialized next to him, which he gestured for Grey to sit on.
"Now," Randin continued, "before I tell my story, I need to know… what is a young human like you doing here?"
Grey sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you the truth. My name is Grey Dawn. Judging by what you just said, this place used to be inhabited by another race, meaning this is a different planet. So, I come from a place called Earth. Back home, I'm poor and needed a way to survive. I created a magic teleportation circle, which brought me here so I could hunt beasts and sell their cores for money."
"Hmm," Randin murmured, stroking his small beard. "That's plausible. Since you answered my question, I'll answer yours."
He leaned forward. "I'm Randin. And no, we're not humans. We are our own species—our own race. This planet is called Bronze Land. And we are known as Dwarves."
Grey's eyes widened. "Dwarves?!"
_________
{A/N}
For more updates on MSS, MS and future works, please remember to follow me up on my social media accounts below.
Instagram: KBKayboy.
Facebook: KBKayboy.
When news on MS or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first.