Chapter 48: The Dwarf’s Curiosity

My sudden arrival and the clash of our weapons had drawn everyone’s attention.

The goblins stared at me in disbelief, their earlier despair momentarily forgotten as they tried to understand how I had crossed the clearing so quickly.

The humans reacted differently. Several immediately raised their weapons, while others stepped back to create more distance from the fight.

They had watched Thors dominate Orgrun without suffering a single injury, and seeing someone force him backward with one attack had made them reconsider how safe they were standing nearby.

Then the whispers began.

"Isn’t that...?"

One of the goblins spoke from somewhere behind me, his voice trembling with disbelief.

He stared at the axe in my hands, barely seeming to notice the lightning that continued to flicker around its blade.

"Isn’t that the chosen one?"

"The Doom Axe," another goblin exclaimed. "That’s the Doom Axe!"

"He’s holding it. Look at the runes! He’s using its power!"

"He really is the chosen one!"

"The chosen one!"

"The chosen one is here!"

Their voices grew louder as the realization spread through the crowd.

The goblins who had been too frightened to speak moments earlier began shouting with renewed hope.

Some raised their arms, while others called my name and pointed toward the weapon I carried. Their excitement was contagious, and within seconds, the entire group seemed to have found something to believe in again.

"The chosen one is here!"

I could hear their cheers from every direction, but I kept my eyes on the dwarf.

Their reaction made sense now that I thought about it.

The Doom Axe wasn’t merely a powerful weapon. It was tied to the prophecy that promised a liberator for the goblins, someone who would wield its power and lead them out of their current predicament.

By awakening its legacy, I had given them a reason to believe that the prophecy was real.

Whether I was truly the person they had been waiting for was another question entirely.

The humans, meanwhile, seemed confused by the sudden celebration.

Some looked between me and the goblins, while others focused on the Doom Axe as though trying to identify what made it so special.

Thors was no different.

He stood several steps away, studying me with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

His earlier disappointment had vanished, replaced by an interest that made me more cautious than his previous arrogance had.

He had been surprised by my speed and the force of my attack, but he wasn’t frightened. If anything, he seemed eager to understand what had changed.

"I knew it."

A frail voice came from behind me.

I turned my head slightly and saw Orgrun lying on the ground, his face pale and his breathing uneven.

Despite his injuries, he had managed to raise his head enough to look in my direction.

His gaze was fixed on the Doom Axe, and a faint smile appeared on his bloodied face.

"You are the one."

Talia hurried toward him as soon as she heard his voice. She dropped to her knees beside her father, her tears falling faster as she examined his injuries.

"Father, are you all right?" she cried, placing a hand against his shoulder. "I told you not to fight him! You didn’t have to do this!"

Orgrun tried to respond, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.

He coughed, and fresh blood stained his lips.

Talia immediately leaned closer, her expression filled with worry as she tried to help him sit up without putting too much pressure on his injuries.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew my attention back to Thors.

The dwarf had begun walking toward me again, his axe hanging loosely at his side.

His movements were relaxed, but his eyes remained fixed on me and the weapon I held.

I couldn’t tell whether he intended to attack immediately or wanted to question me first, and I wasn’t interested in giving him an opportunity to reach Orgrun again.

"Get him away from here," I told Talia.

She looked up at me, hesitation flickering across her face.

However, she quickly understood what I meant.

Sliding one arm beneath Orgrun’s shoulders and the other around his waist, she helped him rise enough to move.

The chief was too injured to walk properly, so she had to support most of his weight as she guided him toward the goblins gathered farther from the center of the clearing.

I watched them retreat for only a moment before turning fully toward the dwarf.

Now that Orgrun was out of immediate reach, I could focus on the fight without worrying about Thors using him as a distraction.

Earlier, I wouldn’t have dared to stand in front of the dwarf with so little distance between us.

He had overwhelmed me with frightening ease, and I had believed fighting him was suicide.

However, my confidence had changed since the fight with Luther.

I had seen what Lightning Step could do, and I had felt the strength of the Doom Axe when my attack forced Thor backward.

My new class had given me more than a few flashy abilities. It had strengthened my body, improved my reactions, and provided a way to channel lightning through my weapon.

I still had much to learn, but I finally had a chance to test those abilities against someone who could push me to my limits.

Thors stopped a short distance away, his eyes moving over my body before settling on the axe.

"You..." He tilted his head slightly, examining me with open curiosity. "What happened to you?"

I allowed myself a small grin.

"I levelled up. Why doesn’t that make you excited?"

The dwarf stared at me for a moment before giving a low chuckle.

"Not yet," he replied honestly. "I’m more curious than anything."

His gaze dropped to the Doom Axe again.

This time, his expression changed subtly.

The amusement in his eyes faded as he studied the glowing runes along its blade, and his grip on his own weapon tightened.

"That weapon..." He raised his eyes to meet mine. "Where did you get it?"