****(POV)

This is the most stressful moment in my life. I'm glad I took the time to properly research everything we knew about the barrier before accompanying this human here. I'm so glad I decided to come in person too.

It would have been catastrophic had I sent a subordinate in my stead. Chances are the world would have ended and we wouldn't have even known why.

Even then, there is something weird about how fast the barrier went down. I'll have to look into that later. But for now, I simply focus on my task.

I need to guide the mana from the core I brought into the foundation of the barrier all around. This is something that uses Forgar's power along with some ancient knowledge. I need to spread the fire magic evenly everywhere, for any big fluctuation would cause the whole thing to self-destruct. This whole construct is actually very fragile during its creation.

I keep working without slacking. From time to time I drink a bit of beer we brought. The acid arch-mage almost goes crazy when he realizes I'm drinking on the job haha. He even goes to tell the human but all he receives as an answer is that it's to be expected of a dwarf and that as long as I don't commit any mistake it doesn't matter haha.

Honestly, this whole duo puzzles me. The human is literally the most powerful being I have met, that is why he caught Forgar's eye for sure. The mage is the leader of one of the worst evil sects there is on the continent. These acidic bastards are worse than a plague.

Yet when that evil mage is with us he acts so ridiculously. I don't even think it's voluntary. Just that he gets sucked into the human's pace haha. I chuckle a bit whenever he orders him around. The high and mighty high-mage nothing but an errand boy. I wonder how many would believe it.

Probably no one to be honest, not before meeting him that is. If that wasn't enough there is that small white wolf too, one that I'm sure is not simple. Simply because of how he treats it. It is extremely smart too.

In any case, I won't try to pry into it. Pretty much the same approach as the villagers. They are following his plan for now. He did journey a long way to save them.

Honestly, I was expecting them to look differently, less ordinary. After all, they have been bound to this land for centuries already and are nothing more than living ghosts at this point. All so they can watch over the barrier.

While I'm focusing on my task he comes to supervise. By that, I mean the beast and human duo are snacking while observing on the sidelines haha.

It takes me the whole day, but finally, I manage to complete it. With a BZZZ sound, the whole barrier comes into form once more. A nice blue dome that is glowing with the light of hope.

Amidst the cheers of the villagers, I can't help but smile. I, Iron Hammer, can proudly say I have saved the world once! Actually, I have most likely only saved the continent. The world is clearly huge and filled with even bigger evils than an always-hungry army of Abyss Devourers.

The humans come nearby and high-five me. That is apparently a human custom that means a good job. Then, he announces the good part: we will be having a feast! He even decides to make a speech while toasting to us:

[Today is a day of celebration! I want to thank Iron Hammer for the barrier! Thanks to you we won't all die! I like living so there is that. To the villagers, thank you for the carrot soup! To Wolfie, stay awesome! You are the best goddamn wolf I've ever seen! Now, we brought some awesome food directly from the dwarven kingdom so let's enjoy that. Tonight we party until we are drunk!]

As soon as he's done he starts drinking and eating. This is going to be a night of partying for sure. He is the man that downed a whole keg of our most potent liquor during the drinking challenge!

I'm not worried about him at all but perhaps I should have been. After a few beers, he's not walking straight anymore. A few more and he now has trouble talking. A few more and he's now on the floor sleeping while hugging a rock.

At this point, the festivities have barely started. We all look at each other awkwardly.

Wolfie carries him on her back and enters one of the houses so he can sleep peacefully. We chuckle a bit, but honestly, it is perfectly normal. Now that I think about it I don't remember ever seeing him sleep on the carriage.

We kept rotating the driver but he was always there too. He has been pushing himself. Funny how he doesn't call himself a hero. When I'm back at home I'll task subordinates to create a drinking song in his honor and record him in the dwarven history.

Just as I'm about to call it a night myself the wolf comes back. Then she starts growling at empty air before darting off toward where he is sleeping.

Everyone is as confused as me.

"What's up Wolfie?"

"She's usually so quiet too..."

That is when I notice a ripple in the air. As if the very fabric of the world was slowly getting torn. Oh no! Nonononono!

"Oh god! Abyss Devourers! How?!"

This shouldn't be possible. How did they?! Ah! I know! They must have initiated a passage right before I finished the barrier. It was simply delayed somehow.

Now the good news is that as long as we manage to keep it closed a few minutes, we'll be fine. But that in itself will probably take a miracle. After all, that is the nature of these creatures.

When the invasion starts there won't be any respite until one side has been annihilated entirely. There will be a constant flow of them. Finally, after a few minutes, I see something appear.

It is a meter-long creature. One that looks like a giant cockroach, an extremely deadly one. It is something I have always dreaded.

Instantly a villager comes and slashes it open. Juice flies everywhere. That is the start of the apocalypse. Behind that single one, we can already see hundreds of shapes slowly materializing.

We are screwed!