Stein

Stein is the chief and elder of the dwarves living in Randalph Brigsiel's Korean dungeon. He manages their village, crafts equipment, and helps stage encounters that develop human Awakened. His greatest creation, the Infinity Armour, temporarily possesses him, but Randalph removes it and orders him treated. Stein later resumes his duties and reports on the dwarf king's production.

Biography

Building the dwarven settlement

Stein and Julliom are selected as the leaders of their respective villages when Randalph reorganizes the dungeon. Because the dwarves are expected to help rather than simply obstruct Awakened, Stein presents himself as the responsible elder, gives visiting humans a prepared mixture of truth and lies about the dungeon, and issues a quest to remove Heukwa that threaten his people's floor. The arrangement advances Randalph's plan while also protecting the village: the humans clear dangerous creatures, and Stein negotiates shells and compensation through a role he performs convincingly. (Chapters 45–54 and 77–80)

Creation and loss of the Infinity Armour

While gathering materials near the Tree of Origin, Stein discovers hardened Infinite Flesh and becomes obsessed with understanding it. Unlike the dwarf king, he has no innate knowledge of every metal, so he studies through touch, repeated hammering, and prolonged experimentation. His persistence produces the Infinity Armour after roughly a month, but the living material erodes his body and mind, takes the name Greed, and drives him to attack the Tree. Randalph defeats the possessed blacksmith, forcibly removes the armour, and orders Stein treated rather than killed because his skill and influence remain valuable. (Chapters 112–114)

Stein recovers and continues supervising dwarven work. After Randalph purchases the dwarf king to raise the settlement's overall crafting quality, Stein proudly reports that seven unique-grade weapons have been completed and that preparations for Gigantes's large weapon are progressing. This last confirmed appearance establishes both his survival and his continuing position as the practical liaison between Randalph and the expanding dwarven workshop. (Chapters 119 and 124)

Appearance and personality

Stein is an elderly dwarf with white hair and a white beard, both of which grow unkempt during his month-long obsession with the Infinity Armour. While possessed, he wears black armour carved with an open-mouthed snake, his eyes turn red, and his normal bearing is replaced by violent hunger. (Chapters 112–113)

Outside that possession, Stein is proud, upright, industrious, and protective of dwarven status. He can act persuasively when dungeon strategy requires it, but he also speaks bluntly, resents negotiating with the dark elves, and boasts that dwarves are the productive inhabitants of the dungeon. His willingness to work without food, drink, or sleep demonstrates devotion to his craft, while the armour incident shows that curiosity and professional pride can become dangerous fixation. (Chapters 77–80 and 112–113)

Abilities and powers

Blacksmithing and material study

Stein can mine, refine, study unfamiliar materials, and turn them into weapons or armour. He lacks the dwarf king's inborn knowledge and therefore relies on observation and experimentation, but Randalph still calls him an excellent blacksmith and considers his ordinary work adequate. The Infinity Armour proves that he can shape an extraordinary living substance, although he fails to recognize or control its corrupting nature. (Chapters 48–54 and 112–119)

Village administration

As chief and elder, Stein speaks for the dwarves, allocates practical support such as wagons, negotiates quest rewards, and coordinates work delegated by the Dungeon Master. His scripted performance before the human party is sufficiently convincing to make even a suspicious listener uncertain, indicating social and organizational skill rather than a supernatural ability. (Chapters 77–80)

Combat while possessed

The Infinity Armour temporarily gives Stein speed unusual for a dwarf, powerful sword swings, hard protection, and the ability to recreate damaged sections. These are properties of the armour controlling him, not established personal powers: without it, the corpus presents Stein primarily as a craftsman and administrator. (Chapter 113)

Relationships

• Randalph Brigsiel: Stein serves Randalph as village chief and blacksmith; Randalph spares and treats him after the armour incident because he values both roles.
• Julliom: They lead the dungeon's dwarf and dark-elf communities respectively, although inherited hostility makes cooperation tense.
• Yihi: Stein complains about Yihi to visiting humans, and her handling of Infinite Flesh indirectly leads to his possession by the Infinity Armour.

Items

• Infinity Armour: Stein forges the living material into armour, which possesses him until Randalph defeats him and removes it.
• Forge tools: His demonstrated craft depends on a hearth, hammer, and anvil rather than an unexplained creation power.