Reborn as an Extra Chapter 528: Dharheim, The City of Treasures. Part-3.

Although Rio wished to investigate the city further, his schedule was far too tight to allow for such leisure.

Time was of the essence; he had to return home within a month or two, given that Lia might conclude her travels during that period.

Consequently, Rio resumed his journey after a brief pause for tea.

He navigated the streets, blending into the various throngs of people without drawing any attention.

The crowds were composed of dwarves and members of diverse other races; Rio even noted the presence of numerous weapon emporiums.

"My, it is quite uncommon to encounter a human in these parts. What brings you to my modest establishment, young traveler?"

Rio stepped into an artifact shop along the road, having deactivated his invisibility for the occasion.

He had been careful to ensure no witnesses were present when he reappeared, as a person suddenly manifesting in the middle of a busy street would surely incite a stir.

Clad in his traveler’s cloak, he appeared as a nondescript, slender human, having utilized light elementals to mask his true features from the public eye.

"Haha, I am merely a wandering bard... I have a passion for exploring the world. I thought I might pick up a local treasure to commemorate this trip..."

Rio softened his voice, adopting a gentler and more pleasant tone to avoid intimidating the elderly shopkeeper.

The old woman beamed at his response and remarked,

"It is truly a rarity to see such youthful travelers these days... Well, if it is a memento you seek, I highly suggest this!"

"This bracelet is fashioned from local ores and finished with superb skill! The patterns etched here represent the celestial sky!"

Approaching her, Rio took the bracelet in hand; while it was a common item possessing almost no magical properties, he found it appealing.

Just as he prepared to make the purchase, his gaze was caught by another bracelet nearby, this one featuring a full moon design.

"Ah, I believe I will take this one as well; please give me both..."

The elderly woman grinned at Rio’s selection and spoke.

"Hoho, I wasn't aware you were so well-versed in dwarven traditions, lad... picking a bracelet with the moon motif... you know, that is a gift young dwarven men often present to the women they adore..."

In the ancient era before the advent of modern technology, dwarves were forced to extract ore manually, spending the majority of their lives within the damp, sunless depths of the mines.

The rudimentary lights used back then were known as 'Moontorches.' They earned the name because they acted like moonlight, guiding a stranded traveler through the absolute darkness of the night.

Because of this, young dwarves began referring to their beloveds as their 'moon' or their guiding 'moonlight.'

Presenting an artifact or trinket bearing a 'moon' design remains a traditional and popular method of proposal among dwarves even today.

Rio had actually encountered this fact in the archives provided to him by Ashtel.

Ashtel had once gifted his own wife a ring featuring a moon design; after learning the significance, Rio had decided he would purchase one as well.

However, his reasoning was even more profound; the starry sky bracelet symbolized himself and the dark of night, while the moon bracelet was meant for Lia—she was his ultimate guiding moonlight.

"Err.. well, since I am traveling so far from home, I wanted to get something for the girl waiting for my return..."

Rio rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and the old woman chuckled at his awkward explanation.

"Hehe, youth is truly a wonderful thing. Be certain to return home swiftly, boy; do not keep her waiting too long..."

Nodding in agreement, Rio paid for the jewelry and exited the shop. Ducking into a secluded alleyway, he stowed the bracelets within his space ring.

He avoided using his space ring in public view, preferring to find spots where no prying eyes could see him.

'Sigh... dealing with the elderly is quite a task; they are far too perceptive when it comes to reading emotions...'

Shaking off the thought, Rio returned to the main thoroughfare and made his way toward the city gates.

A flying bus station was situated nearby, and Rio decided to utilize public transport this time.

While his personal speed and power would allow him to sprint to his destination, doing so would cause massive disturbances in the local mana flow.

The dwarven nation was no primitive land; it was governed by powerful figures, including SS-rankers.

There is one confirmed SS-ranker in the nation, and Ashtel’s records hinted at many buried secrets within these borders.

There were strong suspicions of a peak SS-ranker residing here in secret, one who appeared in no official documents.

'It is wiser to maintain a low profile and act in a manner that doesn't attract the attention of the powerful...'

Rio was currently on a clandestine mission; it would be reckless to move through a foreign land with such arrogance.

Such actions would reveal his location, potentially forcing a confrontation with a peak SS-ranker if he wasn't vigilant.

Rio had no desire for conflict, especially with a nation that already held a strained relationship with the human empire.

Furthermore, Rio was a world-renowned S-ranker; no country would react calmly to him entering their lands without authorization. In fact, most would flatly refuse him entry.

This was precisely why Rio had bypassed legal channels.

His strength was too immense; the dwarven nation would likely bar him, as they would need to assign dozens of their own S-rankers to shadow him constantly.

Even a dozen S-rankers might prove insufficient against Rio, leaving the dwarves in a state of constant anxiety for the duration of his stay.

Additionally, humans were not particularly welcome here following Ashtel’s past actions.

'I'll just act the part of a lowly traveling bard...'

Rio shook his head and boarded the flying bus bound for the secluded city he needed to reach.

He took a seat at the very back, resting his head against the glass while suppressing his power to the absolute limit.

He no longer used invisibility; his current appearance matched the photograph on his forged identification and papers.

Pulling out his phone, he began watching instructional videos on how to play the flute.

After only ten seconds of footage, Rio reached a disappointing conclusion.

'The life of a musician is difficult... ah, I am likely the only bard in existence who cannot play a single instrument...'

'I am a disgrace to the bardic profession...'

Rio lamented his lack of musical talent as the bus departed.

The vehicle navigated through subterranean tunnels before emerging into the open air after several minutes.

The warmth of the sun streaming through the window onto his face brought a sense of contentment.

The scent carried by the breezes in the dwarven lands was distinct.

The air’s unique fragrance was the result of many factors: mana density, the composition of the ores, the land itself, and the surrounding ocean. It was a completely novel sensation.

'I must bring Lia here one day so we can experience this together...'

As the bus maintained a steady flight, Rio observed the mountains and forests passing below.

The terrain was dotted with hills of varying hues due to the diverse mineral content, and even the foliage displayed a wide array of colors influenced by the soil.

'I'm certain they have countless varieties of soil here... dwarven children must despise geography class with such a massive syllabus to memorize...'

In the human empire, students harbored a similar hatred for 'Monster Species Description.'

As the nation with the highest concentration of dungeon gates, there were thousands of monster types to study if one wished to be a competent Awakener.

Learning the abilities and traits of every monster was vital for survival during dungeon raids.

This necessity was why many Awakeners chose to specialize.

Because there were far too many species to track, some focused exclusively on hunting specific types of monsters, only entering dungeons where those creatures resided.

This allowed them to ignore the details of other monsters and avoided the need for a massive variety of specialized equipment.

Of course, not everyone followed that path.

There were individuals like Rio who relished facing a wide variety of different beings and monsters.

In truth, Lia was the most expert regarding monster lore, as her style of Cultivation and combat relied heavily on identifying an enemy's flaws.

Her understanding of dungeons and monsters was so profound that she likely knew more about them than the creatures knew about themselves.

'Ah, so that is the military installation mentioned in the files...'

As the bus continued, Rio spotted a military base situated near a large hill.

'Wait, that isn't a hill... that is...'

Rio’s expression turned to one of pure shock when he realized the massive hill was actually a gargantuan golem in disguise!

'Incredible... That thing is constructed from adamantium and mithril! Even I would struggle to leave a scratch on it; just how much wealth did they sink into that machine?!...'

Witnessing the sheer military might of the dwarven nation, Rio reaffirmed his decision to stay completely under the radar.