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Chapter 227 Negotiations between Great Powers: A Matter of Great Power Capacity! But you're not human, are you? (Please Subscribe)

"You untrustworthy human bastard!"

"Do you fucking want war?"

"Do you want to bear our wrath?"

These few rough roars echoed across the ice field, making people's eardrums buzz.

The bodyguard next to Commander Fu instinctively gripped his gun, his muscles tensing instantly as he stared intently at the dwarf who had inexplicably become enraged.

However, Brigade Commander Fu himself did not react much, only raising his eyebrows slightly.

Professor Yu Qiwen, standing next to him, slowly adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses as calm as a deep pool. Tang Huanzhu, standing beside him, almost burst out laughing!
A few seconds later, Brigade Commander Fu let out a short, sneer.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a needle, precisely piercing the dwarf's hard-won, defiant question.

People laugh when they find something utterly absurd.

A fleeting smile crossed his face, replaced by a heavy, cold indifference. His peripheral vision swept over the assault rifle in the soldier's hand beside him; the thought of riddling the two boisterous dwarves before him was also fleeting.

No need.

Getting angry with them lowers your status.

The intelligence department's report on dwarven habits, compiled from the elves, flashed through his mind.

"Stubborn, cunning, extremely xenophobic, and keen on using bluffing to test the bottom line of their opponents."

"If you want to talk to them, you need to be in the right, but you can't be more aggressive than them, because they are extremely fragile and sensitive! You also can't be more lenient than them, because they will think you are weak and easy to bully, and then they will bully you severely. You have to make them feel that you are an unyielding piece of iron, but one they don't want to completely offend."

Commander Fu understood immediately.

These two dwarven envoys may have originally come to negotiate with goodwill, but upon arriving here, they discovered that the troops responsible for meeting them had been wiped out. They probably guessed that their own bunch of hotheads had done something stupid.

The dwarven leadership wanted to negotiate but were too proud to do so, so the two envoys decided to turn the tables and accuse the dwarves first.

They stirred up trouble with their words and actions, trying to absolve themselves of responsibility.

If the humans are intimidated, they will have a significant advantage in the subsequent negotiations.

If the humans get angry, they will have an excuse that "humans are unreasonable".

They've got a pretty good plan.

Unfortunately, they miscalculated one thing.

They were not facing inexperienced adventurers, but a modern army armed to the teeth with steel and discipline.

Commander Fu calmed down completely; he even found it a little ridiculous.

He took two steps forward, his military boots crunching on the snow, each step feeling like stepping on the heartbeats of the two dwarfs opposite him.

"Finished?"

His voice was calm, without anger or sarcasm, as if he were asking, "How's the weather today?"

Professor Yu Qiwen quickly translated the sentence into fluent Elvish. The familiar accent coming from an anthropologist only deepened Bellegas's gloom.

Bellergas's prepared remarks suddenly got stuck in his throat.

One reason was that he was annoyed by what these humans were saying, and the other was that they were communicating with them in an elven language.

At that moment, he was thinking about whether the elves and these northern humans had reached some kind of agreement in secret.

Also, when you're being sarcastic, the human reaction is wrong!
Shouldn't humans either be furious or subservient?
What does it mean that they are so calm?
Do these humans really think they're something special and actually want to invade them?

If that's the case, then it's really upsetting!
The kingdom cannot afford to be attacked from both sides!
Before he could process the situation and come up with a solution, Commander Fu spoke up again.

"Otherwise! We will definitely show you what the majesty of a great power is, and what the magnanimity of a great power is!"

Commander Fu glanced at Bellegas and Liers' thick necks, and after listening to the calming words coming through the earpiece, he revealed a half-smile.

"Half-human! Don't try to shift the blame! It's you...it's you who are attacking us. Remember, don't spread rumors!"

"We...we were just attacking the enemy of all living beings—the Scourge of the Dead!! It was you, you attacked us without cause, you ambushed us, you launched a despicable, shameful, and hateful sneak attack against us without any sense of honor!"

He raised his hand, making two, his tone still calm, yet carrying an undeniable weight.

"This is the second time. You have attacked us repeatedly with inexplicable hostility, and you cannot deny that!"

Professor Yu Qiwen's translation followed closely behind.

Bellegas and Lillis, who were standing next to him, listened to the humans talking, their lips tightly pursed.
There's no way to refute it, because it's a fact.

The first time, they could pass the buck to the elves.

That time, they didn't understand the enemy. An excuse can fool them.

But what about the second time? It really was them who attacked the enemy first.

"Heh heh, how incredibly cunning! Humans, you are the invaders!"

"Ugh, what you said really annoys me! We came here to fight the undead scourge of the North, to wipe out those monsters that even you wouldn't dare mess with." Commander Fu's voice turned colder. "And you've been constantly making underhanded moves behind our backs, trying to ambush us. You're the ones who are cunning, despicable, shameful, morally corrupt, and utterly devoid of any sense of honor! Haha... Are all half-humans like this?"

"If your war god Grimnir knew, he would surely feel humiliated, wouldn't he? A noble half-human launching such a dishonorable sneak attack! Tsk tsk..."

He leaned forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Bellegas's eyes.

"Of course, perhaps you think we're easy targets?"

When Professor Yu Qiwen translated "soft persimmon," he paused slightly, as if searching for a more fitting word.

Then he spoke in Elvish a phrase that both dwarves could understand.

"Do you think we're like freshly brewed ale, unattended, that anyone can just come up and have a taste?"

Upon hearing Yu Qiwen speak in Elvish, Liers nearly snapped the reins in his hand.

Unattended ale is one of the dwarves’ most vicious mockery.

Dwarves are addicted to alcohol and cannot be happy without it.

Without wine, there is no meaning to life. It would be a disgrace for dwarves if their treasured wines were easily taken away and enjoyed by others.

A noble half-man, if he cannot protect his own wine, is nothing but a coward who is all bark and no bite and can be bullied by anyone.

Cowards don't deserve to live in a kingdom full of blood and fire, full of resilience and honor.

This human... how could he understand these proverbs!
Those damn long ears!!!

Those awful long ears!!!

Those bastards, they betrayed our people again!
Bellergas's forehead wasn't sweating, but his back was.

The heavy clothes, with their imported collar, made it difficult for him to breathe.

Seeing that the dwarf didn't talk much, Brigade Commander Fu was secretly pleased.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Half-human!"

Commander Fu's lips curled into a cold, crooked smile, like that of a dragon king.

"Are you weak and incompetent cowards who can't even keep an eye on your own drinks? Oh~ how about we act as your caretakers and watch over your wine cellar?"

Bellergas and the others remained silent!
"Gentlemen, since you've come here to negotiate, put away your ridiculous and exaggerated farcical performance." His voice suddenly turned sharp, like a drawn blade. "Tell me, do you want to talk or not?"

As soon as Commander Fu finished speaking, Professor Yu Qiwen's precise Elvish translation rang out in the cold wind.

Bellergas's facial muscles were completely stiff.

His mind raced with thoughts, from the long-eared backstabbing, the alliance with humans, to the manipulation of evil magic, and the possibility that the other party had sensed the weakness of the Mountain Kingdom...

He became increasingly uneasy.

However, he quickly forced himself to calm down, forcing an even more ferocious expression onto his face, and roared, "Negotiation? Hah... In our kingdom, any beast that trespasses on our territory has only one fate: to have its head chopped off and roasted to fill its belly! Humans, you are no different from those brainless beasts! Want to negotiate? Apologize to us!"

He used the most ferocious roar of the dwarves to utter words in an attempt to intimidate the other party.

Unexpectedly, Brigade Commander Fu actually smiled.

It wasn't an angry laugh, nor a mocking laugh, but a laugh that... seemed to have seen through everything, almost a laugh of pity.

"A wild beast?" Commander Fu repeated the word, then gave Tang Huanzhu behind him a wink.

Tang Huanzhu immediately understood, took out a tablet computer from her tactical bag, swiped her finger across the screen a few times, and then turned the screen towards the two dwarves.

The two dwarf messengers were immediately captivated by these novel magical images!

This is a photo that was taken.

The photo was taken from a high vantage point, at eye level.

People could see a dozen or so dwarves gathering furtively in a wooded area, seemingly exchanging information.

There were also photos of the other party traveling at night...

And there are also photos of these dwarves being held captive after their defeat!
After playing through dozens of images, Tang Huanzhu put away the tablet and then silently returned to Professor Wen's side with it.

"Our interaction with your fellow tribesmen is quite impressive. They actually want to use our skulls to make wine cups and keep them as trophies!" Commander Fu said slowly. "Making skulls into wine vessels, tsk, what a remarkable way to treat guests."

"I always thought only the most savage ogres, the completely inhuman demons, had such a hobby. I never imagined that you half-humans could be so cruel!"

Bellergas's breath hitched for a moment. He stared intently at Tang Huanzhu, at the box that Tang Huanzhu had already put away, and felt all the blood rush to his head.

"You...you really did attack our own people! You despicable bastards! If it weren't for your sneak attack, how could our soldiers have been captured by you!"

"Attacked?" Brigade Commander Fu raised an eyebrow. "No, no, no, you're mistaken, the half-human messenger Bellegas. We merely thwarted a premeditated and malicious sneak attack on our camp. As victims, it's reasonable for us to preserve some evidence, isn't it?"

"Nonsense! You invaded first!" Liers finally shouted. "We were just defending our homeland!"

"Homeland? Invasion?" Commander Fu seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He looked around at the vast white snowfield and spread his hands. "I'm very curious, was the homeland you're talking about your territory a long time ago? Wasn't this the territory of the ancient people of the continent who were abandoned by the gods? Also, where on this snow mountain are your names engraved? Where are the traces of your survival here since ancient times recorded?"

Based on accounts from the wildlings and elves, humans have determined that the group of dwarves staying in the High Mountain Kingdom are not native to this mountain range.

Long ago, this place was ruled by a civilization of giants, whom the savages called the God Giants.

Later, some disasters occurred, and then the dwarves invaded, occupying the Frostmountain Mountains and the fertile valleys of many mountains, and slaughtering and driving away the other races that originally lived there.

The original inhabitants of this mountain range are the savages of the Ice River tribe, and the ancient inhabitants of the Ice Plains who were sifted through time and again by the undead scourge.

Unfortunately, this world is much like the modern world, a world where might makes right and force is justice.

The tribes waged extremely fierce wars for control of their habitats.

If it weren't for the numerous undead scourges in the far north, these dwarves might have already wiped out the remaining savages of the far north.

The Scourge needs to periodically cultivate its army of the dead to protect its ancestors from extinction.

Seeing that the dwarf remained silent, Commander Fu paused, then took another step forward.

His dark eyes made Bellergas feel uneasy.

"Half-human! You say we're cruel? If we were truly cruel, your companions would have had their heads chopped off long ago."

"If we were cruel, we would have made wine jugs using your half-human methods, or even cast mounds of skulls!"

"Tsk tsk... You know, a long time ago, we really loved using the heads of our enemies to build magnificent mounds of skulls, and we considered it an honor and a great achievement! It was awe-inspiring and a deterrent to villains!"

"You half-humans are truly utterly ignorant beings!"

"Hehe... You should be glad, glad you met us. If we had arrived five hundred years earlier..."

Listening to what Brigade Commander Fu said, Bellegas swallowed hard.

Because he genuinely felt that the human opposite him was speaking to him with malice on his face.

When the other person looks at my head, I really feel that my head is pointed and I want to put it on its own.

He opened his mouth, wanting to hurl another insult at humanity, but found that his prized eloquence was temporarily rendered useless.

Faced with humanity's simple and brutal logic, and its undeniable achievements, he appeared utterly powerless and ineffective.

Looking at his face, which was flushed red from holding back his anger, Commander Fu's tone suddenly became playful.

"I probably understand."

"Your furious and unreasonable attitude... is it because humans in your south are trying to take your territory? And you can't beat them? So you think we're like them, trying to sandwich you from both the north and south, like a cheese sandwich?"

"boom!"

Bellergas and Lillers were struck dumb, and they looked up abruptly, their eyes revealing genuine horror for the first time.

They...they actually knew about the Southern Human Kingdom?!

The arrogance and anger on the faces of the two dwarf envoys vanished instantly, replaced by solemnity.

What do they mean by talking like that?
Are they not in cahoots?

Are they trying to mislead us? Are they building military fortifications here, waiting for the right moment to attack us?

Or are they really not one of the people in the south?
-
Located more than 170 kilometers away, the command center of the time portal.

"Report: There is no dangerous activity near those dwarven warriors!"

"Have you detected any magical fluctuations?"

"We didn't find anything; they haven't moved at all."

"It seems they're just ensuring the safety of the dwarven envoy."

"Have the listening devices deployed along their retreat route been put in place?"

"It's already deployed!"

"Okay! Stay focused."

As the orders were given, Su Mingjin, Commander Man, and the others began to watch with great interest as Fu Luzhang and the dwarf translated the words.

Between two intelligent races, one resorted to vulgar insults, while the other maintained composure and restraint.

In their view, this is a very precious material.

Although the dwarf cursed and swore, he was extremely rude and behaved much like a stray dog.

But at least they are willing to communicate.

What troubles humans the most is that dwarves don't say a word, just a few polite words and then leave, stubbornly preparing to fight humans!
A prolonged war would not be in the interest of the pioneering team.

Military operations are a money pit. Even if humanity acquired thousands of tons of gold and a large amount of funding, it wouldn't want to wage guerrilla warfare against the rats in the caves.

Afghanistan, the graveyard of empires, is just a mountainous region, yet it has caused even the mighty eagle to bleed continuously.

Humanity currently occupies enough land to develop for a hundred years; continuing to wage war would be a waste of resources.

Not worth the candle!

Although communication between the two ethnic groups is currently inconvenient due to their different languages, everyone has shown a willingness to communicate and exchange ideas.

It's just that the way dwarves do things seems rather... bizarre to humans.

Even the people watching the monitor were genuinely laughing when they saw this scene.

There's no way around it; when you become powerful, some threats from enemies become almost like a joke.

For more details, please refer to the Slavic Smiling Boy series!
In this seemingly relaxed and comfortable but actually dangerous and scheming exchange, everyone shared some of their information with each other.

The humans did not use the bionic spider to record the previous recording of the dwarf centurion Attila and his comrades in the underground base, where they said they had received orders from the Mithril Elders and Balergas not to act on their own.

However, the humans cleverly revealed that the dwarves intended to raid the human base, kill the humans, and make wine glasses and trophies from their skulls.

This is a smokescreen released by the human negotiation team!

Humans had previously inquired about the opinions of some of the better-behaved elven captives regarding the dwarves.

The elven captives had a deep and deadly understanding of the dwarves.

For example, the dwarves, like other intelligent races, are constantly fighting amongst themselves.

There were also instances of power struggles among the various clans.

In addition, the different clans of dwarves have very different ways of behaving. In recent decades, the patriarch of the Mithril clan has been extremely fond of skulls as trophies and collectibles.

The Mithril tribe deploys most of its military force in coastal and mountainous areas. The Mithril clan chiefs love battle and slaughter. They also have a great fondness for rare skulls.

The elves said that the current patriarch of the Mithril clan had publicly issued some orders to his people.

For example, acquiring rare skull collectibles through battles and trade will earn you the favor of the Mithril Clan.

It's probably similar to the bizarre pandering on Earth, like the story of "King Chu's fondness for slender waists led to many starving to death in the palace."

This is why humans leak this information.

I know a lot about your clan, but you know almost nothing about us!

This is the information advantage that humans have.

Besides this, after a brief exchange, the humans also confirmed that the dwarf leaders did indeed have a desire for peace.

The fact that Bellergas, the envoy who came to negotiate, pretended to be completely unaware of Attila's secret attack and turned the tables on him on their very first meeting, displaying an extremely fierce and angry attitude, all proves that the other side wants to use his seemingly clever little brain to achieve peace through their methods!

If humans were like those eagles, they would have long ago used highly efficient weapons like bunker-buster bombs and mustard gas to test the effectiveness of the dwarf army.

As for the claim that humans are invaders of the dwarf kingdom, well... the savages of the Ice River tribe have a lot to say about that.

Whether someone is an invader or a savior, ultimately it comes down to strength.

The humans telling the dwarves to deal with the Scourge was a clever negotiation tactic.

The Scourge is an existence hated by all living beings.

Commander Fu emphasized that the Undead Catastrophe was meant to provide a way out for everyone, a common target for attack, which could increase the possibility of cooperation between the two races and reduce the probability of them turning against each other.

This is a negotiation tactic. When both sides want peace but cannot resolve their core differences, shifting the focus to a point of great concern that is likely to be resolved can significantly increase the success rate of the negotiation.

Just like when couples start dating, once they have an argument, they'll have countless more.

As long as people share the same goals, there is a basis for cooperation, and the relationship between allies and collaborators can be established naturally!

This is the joy and wisdom of diplomacy!
Just then, the image on the screen changed.

After experiencing a dramatic change in his complexion, from red to white, and then from white to green, Bellegas, who had been silent all along, finally took a deep breath.

He made no attempt to hide his gaze from Liers beside him, and on the big screen, the viewer could clearly see the shock and solemnity in each other's eyes.

Those colors were completely impossible to conceal.

His previous arrogant and unreasonable attitude vanished without a trace.

He looked at Commander Fu again, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, his voice dry and hoarse, all traces of arrogance gone.

"What... exactly do you want?"

He asked this question with a sense of humiliation and helplessness.

"Peace."

Commander Fu spoke succinctly, uttering only two words before gesturing behind him.

"For the sake of peace, we are willing to take the lead in extending our goodwill."

bona fide?

Upon hearing those two words, Bellegas and Lillers' gazes were instinctively drawn to one of the human-made steel structures in the distance.

With a barely audible mechanical hum, the rear hatch of a heavy armored vehicle slowly opened, and several human soldiers stepped out in perfect unison.

They carried the stretcher with precise and efficient movements.

Lying on the stretchers were dwarves, bound tightly and with IV tubes inserted into their bodies.

The bottle was printed with Chinese characters, including "Midazolam".

This is the key to keeping the dwarves quiet.

These dwarves are not very honest. Although they are only a little over a meter tall and very short, they are surprisingly strong. If you take them away without protection, you will easily be attacked by these crazy guys, causing unnecessary casualties.

Upon seeing the dwarf prisoners lying quietly, Bellagas's pupils suddenly contracted.

It's them!
It's that idiot Attila's centurion squad!

Liers, who was beside him, couldn't help but take half a step forward, his breathing becoming heavy.

They're still alive?!
Seeing his fellow tribesmen, though unconscious, with their chests rising and falling steadily, and even some of the dwarves having their wounds properly treated, the huge weight hanging over Bellegas's heart strangely lifted by half.

Just live.

As long as they are still alive, we can learn all the details of that battle from them and understand the true strength of this group of humans!
But when they release the people later, should we act indifferent, or simply refuse to accept it?

As the soldiers lined up the ten stretchers, Brigade Commander Fu saw them preparing to untie their restraints and immediately raised his hand to stop them.

"Wait, don't untie it yet!"

His gaze swept over Bellergas and his companion, with a hint of scrutiny.

More than 100 kilometers away, in the command hall, Su Mingjin and the others heard Brigade Commander Fu's words. Everyone immediately perked up, craning their necks, knowing that a good show was about to begin.

“Professor Yu, tell them,” Brigade Commander Fu said calmly, “we originally intended to release ten prisoners to show our sincerity. But given the two envoys’ rude insults to our commander just now, we believe that goodwill should be given to friends who know how to respect, not to rude brutes who spew profanities.”

Professor Yu Qiwen understood immediately, cleared his throat, and translated the words in the same calm tone.

"Therefore, we changed our minds at the last minute and released only three prisoners."

As soon as Commander Fu finished speaking, the soldiers behind him received orders and immediately stepped forward to carry away seven stretchers. Their movements were swift and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.

Only three dwarfs remained, lying alone on the stretcher.

At that moment, the breath that Bellergas had just let out instantly rose to his throat again, and his cheeks flushed red.

This is humiliating!

What a blatant humiliation!
His inherent dwarven arrogance and irritability once again prevailed.

"Humans! What do you mean by this!" Bellegas roared, his eyes wide and mouth agape, spitting as he shouted, "Show us your sincerity! If you truly desire peace, you should release more of your people! Instead of testing us with such petty tactics!"

He thought that using the dwarfs' usual logic, as long as he spoke loudly enough and his attitude was tough enough, he could regain face and benefits.

However, he was facing Brigade Commander Fu.

Upon hearing the translation, Commander Fu was not angry at all; instead, he smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it sent a chill down Beller's spine.

"It seems you still haven't learned how to communicate with us."

"Barbarism is the passport of barbarians, nobility is the epitaph of the noble! If you want peace with us, if you want our goodwill, then show some sincerity!"

Commander Fu shook his head, as if he had completely lost patience with a stubborn child who never learned his lesson. He didn't even bother to have Professor Yu translate again and directly gave orders to his soldiers.

“Take the other two back with you.”

"Professor Yu, tell them one last time." Brigade Commander Fu returned to the armored vehicle and spoke again, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying throughout the open space, "Cooperation is based on equal respect, not on shrewish arguments in a market. Given their appalling behavior just now, we have decided to release only one person. Let him tell your king what we want, and... what kind of strength we possess."

After saying that, he stopped looking at the two dwarf envoys whose faces had turned from ashen to purplish-red, and turned to walk towards the command vehicle.

The order was given, and two more soldiers stepped forward and, to the stunned looks of Bellegas and Liers, quickly carried away the two stretchers.

Lills tried to stop them, but the humans simply raised the guns that hadn't been pointed at them before.

The group of people were immediately stunned!
"Liers, stop!"

Liers gripped the dagger in his hand and gritted his teeth.

Professor Yu Qiwen, seeing that the dwarves had not yet shown any signs of aggression, coughed and said, "Your companion is rather irritable. To ensure he doesn't move around recklessly, we've given him some medicine to reduce his resistance. He should be fully awake by nightfall."

"Go on," the soldier said, pulling out the IV drip and carelessly discarding the needle and tubing. Then he got into the vehicle.

As the human's steel behemoth gradually moved away, Bellegas and Bellegas looked at each other, both of them sensing a bit of helplessness in each other's eyes!
Bellergas was the most emotionally shaken; he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into the flesh of his palms.

He felt like his lungs were about to burst into flames, and he really wanted to huff and puff at humans.

But at that moment, he couldn't utter a single syllable.

His previous experience dealing with humans, and the toughness and imposing manner that all dwarves were so proud of, were like child's play in the face of humans who held an absolute advantage and had captured a large number of dwarf prisoners.

Continuing to act recklessly will not only be useless, but may even give the other party leverage to reduce your own interests.

Valaya above, they could have saved ten of their kind.

But because of their foul mouths, the number of prisoners decreased from ten to three.

Do not……

Now, only one remains.

Humans are so shameless!

Does this mean that in the future, we'll have to follow human rules to communicate with them?
As the steel behemoth's rear end gradually disappeared, only the smell of fuel remained on the open ground, dissipating in the wind.

Bellegas stared at the departing convoy, his chest heaving violently. The humiliation of being pressed to the ground burned within him, making his internal organs feel dislocated.

He wanted to roar, to smash something, but it felt like there was a red-hot iron stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Lillers recovered from his rage before him.

He didn't look at Bellegas's face, which was almost bleeding, but went straight to the lonely stretcher. He knelt down and checked his kin's breathing.

His breathing was relatively steady, but no matter how much they called him, he couldn't struggle to get up.

Then, his gaze was quickly drawn to an inconspicuous little thing on the ground.

It was a small syringe that had been carelessly discarded, with a soft, transparent tube attached to the front end, and a small section of the same soft material at the tip of the needle.

“Bellegas, look at this.” Lillers picked it up.

Bellergas, seething with anger, walked over and snatched the thing.

It felt cold to the touch, with a peculiar texture, neither metal nor stone. He twirled the slender needle between his rough fingertips, then pinched the flexible tube.

"This was just pulled off? It looks like steel. What are these?"

“I don’t know!” Liers shook his head, his eyes shining with determination. “Look at this steel needle, it’s as thin as a mosquito’s mouth, yet it’s incredibly tough, and it’s hollow in the middle. And this tube, it’s flexible but it won’t break. Most importantly, I can’t sense even the slightest bit of evil magical energy.”

Bellergas fell silent.

As dwarves, they have an innate sensitivity to ores and steel artifacts.

However, the craftsmanship of this item was completely beyond his comprehension. There were no signs of forging, no enchanted runes, yet it was perfectly natural, so exquisite that it made his scalp tingle.

What alarmed him even more was that humans were simply discarding such exquisite creations like trash.

“These humans are even more powerful than we thought!” Bellegas muttered to himself, his voice revealing emotions other than anger for the first time.

“Keep it safe and take it back to show the master blacksmiths and rune masters,” Liers suggested.

"No!" Bellegas immediately became alert. "Who knows if it's contaminated with human plagues and curses! These despicable creatures are capable of anything! We need to purify it first!"

“You’re right.” Liers nodded. “Later, we and this guy will both have to undergo magical purification.”

Bellegas packed the items into a package, then looked at his unconscious captive kinsman on the stretcher.

Because he wasn't from his own clan, his actions were rather violent!

"Crack! Crack!"

Without any hesitation, he slapped the dwarf prisoner twice across the face, making his cheeks sway slightly.

"Wake up! You good-for-nothing! Look at the trouble you've caused us!"

Under the influence of the tranquilizer, the prisoner could only blink with difficulty, without even the strength to groan.

“Alright, Bellegas, he can’t hear you.” Liers stopped him. “The humans are right, we have to wait for him to recover on his own. Let’s use a magic amulet on him first, just in case he can’t be saved!”

Bellergas then gave up.

"I brought an extra one! Use mine, don't use yours!"

He took out a small stone pendant engraved with runes from his pocket, tied it around the prisoner's neck, and activated a wisp of magic.

A soft white light enveloped the captives before disappearing.

“Strip him of his human clothes too!” Bellegas said.

The two men worked quickly, one stripping the captive and the other dressing him. Liers took off his own large outer robe and laboriously put it on his unconscious kin. Finally, the two of them worked together to tie the limp captive to the back of the Gru beast.

At this moment, the prisoners are like a large piece of luggage.

As for the stretcher and clothes left behind by the humans, they couldn't be bothered to touch them again.

Having done all this, the two dwarves, leading the Gru beast, trudged into the forest without looking back.

……

Meanwhile, at the human combat command center.

"Zi...ZiZi..."

One of the technicians responsible for monitoring took off his headphones and tapped the table with a hint of helplessness.

"Boss, the stretcher and clothes have been lost, and the monitoring signal has been cut off."

On the screen, Commander Man raised an eyebrow slightly. Su Mingjin, standing beside him, rubbed her temples.

The technician pointed to the disappearing red dot on the screen and reported, "All the miniature microphones we installed on the prisoners' clothes and stretchers are offline. Those two dwarves... threw away all our gifts."

In order to obtain first-hand information, the pioneering team deliberately added some small items to those supplies.

Who would have thought that such a carefully planned scheme would go down the drain so quickly?

Beside her, Su Mingjin suddenly laughed, "These dwarves are quite interesting."

“Did you hear the translator? I just heard them mention the plague. It seems that in the history of the dwarves, there were others who used clothing and utensils to spread diseases.”

The indigenous peoples of the Americas suffered mass deaths due to smallpox and various plagues and other viruses and diseases.

The dwarves from another world either had such an experience or were the culprits in the past.

"In any case, their wariness of other races is ingrained in their bones."

"You could say it was a lucky accident, quite clever," the technician couldn't help but remark.

“No, this isn’t intelligence.” Commander Man looked at the markers on the screen representing the movement of the dwarven envoys and said quietly, “This is a survival instinct etched into their bones, probably experience gained from countless bloody battles. These people are not easy to deal with!”

Su Mingjin took a sip of tea: "Just because the other party is difficult to deal with doesn't mean we shouldn't do it, right?"

"Yes, although all the clues point to the dwarves being very skilled in battle, this may be a challenge! Keep drones and spy detectors at a safe distance. Try to obtain key information and intelligence."

"Yes!"

After overcoming the initial setback at the headquarters, the information center and the troops continued to use various methods to try to learn more clues and intelligence about the dwarves without being discovered by them.

At the same time, the humans, carrying the useful information they had gathered from their initial exchange with the dwarves, went to find the elf captives who wanted to maintain good relations with them, and questioned them to see if they could deduce more clues!
Don't be fooled by the elves' words, which are full of contempt and disdain for the dwarves.

But as the saying goes, besides your family and allies, your enemies also know you well.

Human verification and analysis can ensure that much of the information is useful.

For example, before Commander Fu and the dwarf envoy team made contact and exchange, in addition to formulating traditional diplomatic plans, special diplomatic contingency plans also included countermeasures to be taken when the dwarves acted unreasonably.

Otherwise, if the negotiation team under the leadership of our Party encountered such a rogue envoy, they might really have to fight several more rounds to confirm the strength of both sides before they could proceed, according to traditional communication methods.

War has always been a continuation of politics.

If we can use negotiation and politics to resolve conflicts that could have been avoided, then we can gain the upper hand.

Then why not do it?

The soldiers are eager to contribute, but their parents, wives, and children want their children to return safely!

(End of this chapter)