Chapter Fifty: The Plague Curse

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Getari did not speak directly; instead, he introduced the two dwarves standing beside him. First, he presented the gray-bearded dwarf clad in half-armor with a layer of grayish-white short robe beneath it.

“This is Yata of Gray Mountain.”

Upon hearing this title, Kana was somewhat surprised and performed a dwarven salute. “A pleasure to meet you, Sage of Gray Mountain.”

The term “sage” roughly translated from Yata’s title carried great importance among dwarves. It signified a leadership position within a faction or tribe. If Kana remembered correctly, the Gray Mountain clan’s sages formed a council of three.

For such a prominent figure to come to see him, it was clear there was something important at stake. Yet, after careful thought, Kana could not recall any major issues currently afflicting the Gray Mountain dwarves.

Getari made a brief introduction of the sage but did not introduce the other dwarf. Judging by the other dwarf’s attire, he seemed to be a guard like Getari. However, that guard wore an impatient expression, evidently agitated.

“You saved Getari’s life, and in doing so, saved one of our own. You deserve our respect. Call me by my name, friend.”

The dwarf sage’s voice was deep and carried a calmness that sharply contrasted with the typical loud voices of other dwarves. His bearing and tone betrayed a wisdom unlike the usual reckless and boisterous nature of dwarves.

“Just call me Luric, Kana.”

Kana nodded and smiled. “Let’s get to the point—your urgency is written all over your faces.”

Getari and Luric turned to look at the other dwarf, whose emotions seemed to finally erupt.

“Must we really seek help from this human? Our kin are falling one by one. You surely know the state of this country; it’s a miracle if he even understands magic. To me, this is a complete waste of time. Damn it!”

“Hey, Torik, you better shut your filthy mouth. Are you insulting my friend?” Getari snapped angrily.

Kana and his companions had saved Getari’s life.

“Shut up, you fool, you drunken fool who got kidnapped by goblins!”

“What! How do you know that? You’d better hush, damn it!”

Kana and his group felt the full force of dwarven shouting as the two began quarreling loudly, like two drums clashing in a frenzied beat, each trying to drown out the other.

The noise made their heads buzz.

“Enough!”

The dwarf sage finally lost patience and shouted. His voice immediately overpowered the others, forcing both to fall silent.

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Yet from their muttering, it was clear they were far from reconciled.

Luric looked at Kana, bowed his head slightly, and said, “Apologies, Kana. His impatience has reasons; please do not mind his foolish words.”

The dwarf named Torik could only cross his arms and sulk, clearly mistrusting these humans.

Kana waved his hand, indicating he was not bothered. It was understandable.

“Tell me what help you need.”

Luric nodded. “Among the watchtowers of our tribe, several sentinels have contracted the same disease as Getari. But theirs is far more severe and cannot be cured in the same way. From Getari, we learned you might understand this illness better, so we hope you can tell us how to lift this affliction.”

Was this true?

Kana was puzzled. He had never heard of this in the game. Of course, he rarely played dwarves in the game, preferring not to play races like dwarves, halflings, or gnomes.

But that did not mean he was unfamiliar with their lore. The three starter races were humans, elves, and dwarves, with dwarves starting in Grayforge, nestled in the Gray Mountain range.

If this were a significant matter, he would surely know about it.

His ignorance suggested the problem might not be grave for Gray Mountain dwarves.

Kana was confident in saying this: among experienced players, he knew the story best; among story lovers, he was the most skilled.

He did not promise outright but asked, “What symptoms do they show? I can’t guarantee my knowledge will help.”

“They vomit frequently. While drunkenness causes vomiting too, this is different. Their vomit contains green fluid and reeks of rot. Their skin grows pustules like those on Getari’s face, but more widespread and larger.”

Green vomit, the stench of decay, and pustules—classic signs of the disease spread by the “Rot Lord.”

It seemed the Gray Mountain dwarves had drawn the attention of the Rot Lord.

“Wait, you’re saying infected dwarves are stationed at various outposts?”

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Luric nodded. “Exactly. Even in the mountains, safety is not guaranteed. We must stay vigilant around our homeland.”

“We already have 36 warriors infected, and we are helpless.”

Kana could understand Luric. The Gray Mountain dwarves numbered fewer than two thousand. Losing even one was significant, let alone thirty-six, and all warriors.

In the game, early Grayforge dwarf warriors were at least level three elite with copper edges; level four elites were plentiful.

Dwarves had long lifespans, at least from a human perspective. Their population growth was slow, measured in centuries.

If this problem remained unresolved, a dark cloud would hang over the Gray Mountain dwarves, potentially eroding the tribe until it vanished.

“From what I understand, this so-called disease is not a disease but a curse with such manifestations. I prefer to call it a ‘Plague Curse.’”

“Plague Curse?”

Besides Luric, Popot also repeated the term, clearly unfamiliar with it.

Kana nodded. “An evil power bestowed by a dark god. I believe Getari has experienced it firsthand.”

Upon hearing this, Getari immediately understood and nodded.

He explained to the dwarf sage, “It’s the same rotten goblins I mentioned before. Didn’t I show you them last night?”

Kana realized they must have investigated the cave where the previous battle took place before coming to him.

Luric clearly had doubts about Kana’s ability to solve the problem but was willing to try.

Luric nodded gravely and asked, “Since you know this, do you have a solution?”

Kana smiled lightly. “It’s not difficult. I can think of three ways to help.”

“Three!” The dwarf who had been scowling and rude exclaimed.

Kana smiled and nodded. “Yes, three. But realistically, only one might be useful to you. So don’t get too excited.”

“One is enough, one is enough,” the dwarf sage murmured. As long as it can be solved.