[Are you sure we are at the right place?]

"Yes! Look the light is pointing right here!"

After a long time, we finally encounter a big mountain. Apparently, this place is called Mount Eregor. I have no idea how my companion even knows that.

This place is pretty much abandoned. There used to be villages here but due to extreme poverty they all left. There is a lack of prey and farming is extremely hard in this place. Also, merchants don't come much either.

So pretty much this place is a big rocky area that no one cares about. Fits what I know about the dwarves. They are pretty elusive. I still remember the excitement that a single dwarven sword brought people.

[Now what?]

"*Sigh* It's probably underground. Want me to dig with acid?"

I'm sure it would be very effective. Still, there is one thing that scares me. What if there are people below us? That's a good way to commit multiple homicides at once. We are actually here to ask for help so we should at least respect their property. All to face that new threat.

[I'll take care of it!]

I simply buff myself then I start stomping hard. It takes me a very long time, but I am digging through the rock-hard surface. The issue is that my feet are small. All until…

*CRUMBLE*

The rock gives out underneath us.

*FALL*

"We're going to die!"

[How are you so scared for an old man?! Did you never live?!]

*THUD*

I reach the ground with the old dude falling right on top me of me.

[Dude! Your crotch is right above my face! This isn't a damn love comedy! Get off!]

"My bad, my bad."

[Ah whatever, I'll forgive you this one. But next time I'm kicking you!]

He protects his balls instinctively, then relaxes awkwardly.

[Where are we anyway?]

*GLOW*

Suddenly out of his palm is created a little ball of light. It is almost transparent.

[What is that?]

"Null magic, basically just emitting mana without an element."

[Right, what kind of element is even acid? Water? Darkness?]

"Yeah, pretty much just darkness weirdly enough. I'll increase the luminosity. Oh my god!"

Around are…tons of statues. It has clearly been a long time since anyone has come here. There is dust everywhere. My companion approaches one and …throws acid at it.

[What are you doing? These things might be very valuable!]

"Don't worry, just cleaning."

Just…oh! Wow! The statue in front of us is now pristine! I wonder if his guild takes up cleaning jobs too. This guy has boundless prospects!

It is interesting to see the unconventional things people can accomplish. For instance, Nomzilla was able to use his power to heal people. In a similar way, poisons can be used for cooking. There isn't only one answer to everything in this world, I like that.

[Anyway, what now?]

These things seem to be many dwarven statues. Each doing some sort of activity while holding an object. There is fishing, forging, trading, drinking, cooking…and that's just a few I notice. For some statues, it's not very clear what is happening.

"Come see this!"

In the middle of the room, there is a big circle engraved on the ground. Every other meter, there is a socket seemingly to fit a statue in. I've played enough puzzles in video games to know about that.

[We just gotta figure out where each statue goes.]

"Oh! So it's a test! I'll follow your lead!"

[If you follow me then who am I supposed to follow?!]

"Well...what do you know about the people you are looking for?"

[They are dwarves.]

"What else?"

[That's it!]

"…. Do we just try every combination possible?"

[That would take too long. We can try a few things, however. Anything that all these statues have in common?]

We inspect everything. Well, besides the species there is nothing that comes to mind.

"Seems we are stuck."

[Damnit why did they have to build that City in the Mountain that hidden? What about visitors!]

"Wait! Did you say City in the…?"

[Yep, what's up?]

"Well, there is a fable about that. It's kinda long however so…"

[Just keep going. *Cough, It's mass release anyway tomorrow, Cough*]

"What?"

[Just coughing.]

"The City in the Mountain is a renowned one. Legends say a long time ago dwarves used to walk the surface. They were friendly with everyone and appreciated by all for their trade. They were master blacksmiths. Their customers would find a master dwarf and patiently wait as long as it took until they could leave with their own customized weapon."

[What did that do?]

"You know how every individual has different characteristics? Well, these masters could design specific weapons that would allow one to effectively use 100% of their strength. It was said that the first step was to train one's power, the second train one's techniques, and the final one to hug the thigh of a dwarf."

[That should be funny as Hell given that they are small.]

"But that didn't last long. The humans tried to profit off the dwarves. They tried to force them to work faster. They tried to profit off their backs too. They tried getting advantages based on how numerous they were. The argument was that dwarves would have no choice but to agree to their conditions."

[Human greed as usual I see.]

"Precisely. Well, at first all the dwarves did was a retreat in their mountain. Thus the trade of dwarven items stopped suddenly. This caused countless economical problems. Everyone that didn't have their own weapon was enraged too. Thus the humans marched toward the mountain."

[Let me guess the humans got royally destroyed?]

"Indeed. They sieged the mountain. They were sure to have the upper hand, but they were wrong. The dwarves were ready for them. They had received an oracle from their god, Forgar. The one that breathed fire into the forge."

[Except that this time he used the fire on their assailants?]

"Exactly, they had set up a formation as a trap. Every enemy burned to cinders. That is when the dwarves simply retreated once more in their underground domain. The humans have since then been searching for dwarven steel, without much success most of the time. At least, not a new one."

[Why didn't you simply start talking about that at first?]

"Well, it's just a legend after all."

[Alright, what was the point of that story again?]

"Well, we probably need to find statues related to either forging or flames…I think."

[Worth a shot! Time to get to work!]