Chapter 52: The Dwarves’ Abilities
At Duvean’s home.
Sterling was chopping wood with a large axe.
He was incredibly strong, and the logs were quickly reduced to neat chunks.
“Sterling, those clothes that Chu Feng brought for the kids are really nice, huh?” Shaya said.
Sterling casually replied, “Yeah, not bad.”
The village kids were all in great moods since getting new clothes. Many of them had been pretty wild before, but after getting the new outfits, they became much more well-behaved—probably afraid of ruining them.
For the past couple of days, groups of children had been parading around the village, eager to show off their new clothes.
“That outsider treats the kids way better than he treats the adults,” Shaya said.
“Maybe. But he treats Illya well too.”
Shaya thought to himself: Illya’s special. After all, Chu Feng came here because of him.
“Did Chu Feng bring any clothes for Duvean?” Shaya asked.
Sterling shook his head. “No.”
“Then Duvean should ask Chu Feng for some!” Shaya said, scratching his head.
Sterling frowned. “Why should Duvean be the one to ask?”
Shaya scratched his head again, thinking: Well, Chu Feng likes wood carving. Aside from Illya and the shaman, Duvean is probably the one he values most in the village.
Sterling looked at Shaya with his golden eyes. “You just want Chu Feng’s clothes, don’t you?”
Shaya scratched his head awkwardly. Who in the village doesn’t want them? It’s just that most people aren’t close to Chu Feng and are too embarrassed to ask.
“Don’t you think walking through the village in those clothes would make you look really impressive?” Shaya asked.
“Impressive? I didn’t notice,” Sterling replied flatly.
Shaya argued eagerly, “How not? Didn’t you see how everyone stares when Illya wears those clothes from the outsider? He’s always had admirers, but now even more people are into him.”
If I could wear those clothes, maybe I could finally get a wife, he thought.
Sterling replied calmly, “Illya is good-looking and a gifted ability user. Even if he weren’t wearing those clothes, people would still turn to look.”
Shaya pouted. That’s not the point. Illya’s always been good-looking, but everyone’s used to it by now. It’s the new clothes that brought back the attention.
Sterling looked at him and said, “If you want clothes, just ask the outsider directly. You help him carry things all the time, don’t you?”
Shaya rolled his eyes. “That outsider doesn’t really like me, does he?”
Shaya always felt that Chu Feng looked at him funny. Maybe the guy had found out about the time he cursed him.
“Hey, do you think that outsider knows something?” Shaya asked.
Sterling replied lazily, “You shouted loud enough about wanting to kick him out—everyone in the village heard. I’m sure it got back to him.”
“All those kids in the village are always bugging Chu Feng for candy. They probably tell him everything that goes on here.”
“Really?” Shaya scratched his head.
Sterling nodded. “Yeah, really.”
Shaya let out a sigh, looking a bit dejected…
—
After wandering around for a bit, Chu Feng returned to find two dwarves from the Dwarf Clan visiting.
Earlier, both he and Illya had been out. While they were gone, Gray and a few of the younger kids had been entertaining the guests. Though Gray was still young, he had a surprisingly good sense of hospitality—very different from how he usually behaved around Chu Feng.
Maybe it was because they were too familiar with each other that Gray completely let loose around him, but became all polite in front of others. The moment Gray saw them return, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Big Brother, you’re back!”
When Hughes saw the two walk in, he stood up and asked, “You’re that outsider, Chu Feng?”
Chu Feng nodded. “That’s me.”
He gave Hughes an interested once-over. True to their name, the dwarves weren’t tall. Hughes and his companion, Shua, both had thick beards, bronze skin, and muscular builds—giving them a rather rugged look.
“I heard from folks in the village that you have the most instant noodles,” Hughes said.
Chu Feng nodded. “Yeah.”
“I also heard you’re looking for people to help rebuild your castle—and you’ll need a lot of tools,” Hughes continued.
Chu Feng nodded again.
Hughes slapped his chest confidently. “If you can supply me with enough instant noodles, I can help you make those tools. I guarantee it’ll cut your workload in half.”
Chu Feng raised his brows, thinking: Talk about things falling right into your lap! I was just wondering how to get the dwarves involved in my plans, and now one’s offering on his own.
Hughes noticed Chu Feng’s lack of immediate response and added hastily, “I’m one of the best blacksmiths in our clan. You won’t regret working with me!”
Chu Feng nodded. “Alright, since you’re offering, I’d be happy to have your help.”
Hughes scratched his head. “As long as there’s instant noodles, I’ll do my best.”
“No problem. I’ve got plenty,” Chu Feng assured.
Hughes immediately lit up with joy at those words.
But just as Chu Feng finished speaking, he got pinched.
He drew in a sharp breath. Why is Illya pinching me? Was I too quick to agree? But it was just instant noodles—it really wasn’t that big a deal. This Hughes was a skilled laborer—and a powered specialist at that.
In Chu Feng’s world, any boss would be thrilled if all it took to hire skilled workers was a few packs of instant noodles.
“Is this one of your world’s weapons?” Hughes asked, looking at a dagger.
Chu Feng looked at the dagger in Hughes’ hand and replied, “You could say that.”
Gray glanced at the dagger and grumbled, “Can I have it back now? It’s mine.”
Hughes looked at Gray and said nonchalantly, “It’s just a dagger, why be so stingy?”
Still, even as he said that, Hughes looked a little reluctant to give it back.
“Your world’s weapon craftsmen are pretty amazing too.”
Chu Feng: … Yeah, they really are. Tanks, rocket launchers—anything you could imagine.
“You could say that.”
“Are your weaponsmiths dwarves too?” Hughes asked curiously.
Chu Feng shook his head. “No.”
Hughes looked confused. “They’re not dwarves?”
Chu Feng: … We don’t even have dwarves.
He thought to himself: This world is full of diverse races. Back where I’m from, humans are the only intelligent species.
“We don’t have dwarves.”
Hughes nodded thoughtfully. “I see. I was wondering about that. Our Dwarf Clan was born to forge weapons.”
Illya tilted his head and looked at Chu Feng. “Do you have elves where you come from?”
Chu Feng shook his head. “Nope.”
Illya looked shocked. “Why didn’t you say anything?!”
Chu Feng shrugged. “You never asked.”
Illya: …
“No dwarves, no elves? That’s so weird,” Gray chimed in.
Chu Feng thought: Weird? I think this place is weird.
Curious about Hughes’ abilities, Chu Feng decided to show some sincerity. He gave Hughes a whole box of instant noodles.
Hughes hadn’t expected Chu Feng to be so generous and left excitedly with his box of noodles. He headed straight to the castle construction site to discuss tool-making with the Highlanders.
News that Hughes got a whole box of instant noodles from Chu Feng quickly spread through Crescent Village. The villagers started getting restless—first the Highlanders helped rebuild the castle, and now Hughes was joining in too. At this rate, outsiders were going to beat the local villagers to all the good opportunities.
Soon, more people began stopping by Illya’s house under the pretense of paying a friendly visit—but most were really hoping to get a chance to meet Chu Feng.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng was in the house going through his inventory, preparing a list of supplies for his next trip.
Over time, he had brought over quite a bit of stuff. Some of it was quickly given away, while other items had been stashed away and forgotten.
“What should I bring next time?” Chu Feng muttered to himself.
Gray blinked and said, “Bring more instant noodles. We already don’t have enough, and now dwarves are coming over to share.”
Chu Feng gave him a look and warned, “Cut back on the instant noodles. Eating too much of that stuff will make you dumber.”
Gray proudly replied, “I’m already smart enough—losing a few brain cells won’t hurt.”
Chu Feng: … This kid is willing to trade his IQ for food, seriously?
“Actually, it’s not like I eat that much,” Gray continued. “Every time I cook some, people always show up to snatch it from me.” He grumbled in frustration.
Chu Feng looked puzzled. “Really? How come I never saw that happen?”
Gray rolled his eyes, looking even more annoyed. “Because it’s always when you’re not around! All those village kids act all sweet in front of you—but the moment you’re gone, they show their true colors!”
“Really?” Chu Feng thought to himself. Could it be that the village kids act more reserved in front of me, but are more unruly when I’m not around?
“What else besides instant noodles?”
“Potato chips.”
Chu Feng frowned, thinking: Asking Gray this question might’ve been a mistake. That kid’s brain is full of nothing but junk food.
“Forget it, you can go now.”
Gray hesitated for a moment and said, “You could bring more dresses.”
Chu Feng glanced at him. “Dresses? Who are they for?”
“For the girls, of course! That dress you gave to Delice—she wears it all the time. Washes it at night and wears it again during the day. A lot of the village women want one too, but they’re too embarrassed to say anything.”
Chu Feng: … Vanity really knows no age or marital status.
Now that Delice was mentioned, Chu Feng suddenly remembered she had come by yesterday. The girl had been shy about accepting his gift and wanted to return it. He told her it wasn’t anything valuable, and she happily accepted it again.
Chu Feng thought: This village is full of tsunderes. But no matter how aloof, no one can resist the sweet, seductive power of candy and presents.
“Tian Tian really likes that dress too. He refuses to take it off. If anyone tries, he starts crying. His parents are at their wit’s end…”
Chu Feng: …
