Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 263 Legal Assistance Notice! ? Where did the King go? (Please subscribe)

48 hours later!

In another world, at the Ice River Base, in Commander Fu's office!

"The Devil's Sea does indeed contain a small to medium-sized spacetime rift, about 30 meters long, with an overall flattened oval shape. It is closely connected to another world. Surprisingly, the spacetime rift of that other world is also located in the ocean!"

Commander Fu took a sip of tea: "So, if we clear out the enemies near the Devil's Sea and occupy that spacetime rift, we can also use the ocean to penetrate deeper into another world?"

"Yes, but this spacetime rift is located in the ocean, and we need to dive a certain distance! A large-scale infiltration would be very difficult. Our current resources are insufficient, and the other world consists of relatively primitive life forms. We recommend deploying probes to explore first. If no danger is found and it is confirmed to be a high-value location, then we can proceed!"

Brigade Commander Fu rubbed his temples: "It's decided!"

After the other party left, Brigade Commander Fu rubbed his temples again, feeling a headache coming on.

The recent events have been so chaotic and full of uncertainty.

The world has truly entered a "sacred stage, come if you dare" multi-talented mode!

Humans originally thought that going to other worlds was simply about expanding their territory.

Although in the early stages, humans discovered many enemies, including the undead, elves, dwarves, and humans with primitive worship, and even unearthed the remains of ancient civilizations that had disappeared into history.

But all of this is at least within the control of humanity at present!

Who knew that one problem would be solved only for another to arise!

A massive celestial convergence occurred, and four such convergences, along with corresponding spacetime rifts of varying sizes, appeared simultaneously within human-controlled territory.

No—there are now five spacetime rifts.

Even if one spacetime rift hasn't formed yet, another is the void of the universe, and yet another place doesn't have alien life for the time being, they are all terrifying worlds where dangers coexist!

Leaving aside the resolved latrine spacetime rift and the lava world where a large amount of expensive superconducting mineral elements were discovered, although the other places are now peaceful, Commander Fu still has a feeling of unease.

Having lived in this world for a long time, humanity has managed to gather some information.

For example, a civilization that can survive for a long time in the other world of the Sacred Star, establish a complete civilization system, and not decline for a long time is definitely a synonym for power!

The thought of the once glorious dwarves and the elves now living in a corner of the world, or rather, barely surviving, makes the humans even more cautious.

Before pioneering and exploring, one must first uphold righteousness, accumulate one's own strength, enhance one's own power, and then gather intelligence to explore steadily!

This is called advancing one step at a time!

This is the wisdom that the University of Tokyo has accumulated over the years. Although some young people may see it as lacking in adventurous spirit and passion, it is very steady and reliable.

This is also a common practice in military operations!

The passionate young man envisioned the battlefield as a hail of bullets, advancing through flames.

The real, brutal reality of the battlefield is this: you train for a long time, go to the front lines, wait for your mission assignment, and then within thirty minutes, you're likely to die on the way to your mission point.

If you survive for several days, congratulations, you've become a veteran!

Having survived several missions, congratulations! You are now a battle-hardened veteran, an elite among elites!

Then a young man transfers you to the Skeleton Masters; you are the elite of the elite! You are to undertake a mission with a slim chance of survival, but one of unparalleled glory!

This is the brutal battlefield!

Military operations and the expansion of civilizations are complementary. The pioneering and exploration of new worlds must be carried out steadily and gradually, absorbing the civilizations of other worlds little by little, until it is confirmed that there are no more forces blocking the way and that the civilization becomes the strongest.

This is what is meant by using a dignified and upright formation to exert a dignified and upright momentum!

As for so-called risky tactics and ingenious strategies, very few of them actually succeed!

After Commander Fu finished dealing with various matters at the Ice River Base, a new email was sent.

Upon opening it, I found that Su Mingjin had forwarded a message from Li Weiguo.

It concerns the handling of the dwarves' side.

After Lin Li provided them with the clue that the dwarves had committed suicide on their own initiative, the General Staff decided, after consideration and decision, that the humans should inform the other side in advance that there might be someone among the dwarves who had been misled, and that the humans would send troops if the situation got out of control.

Well, given the dwarves' nature, this will likely provoke hostility and vigilance from them, and even lead to attacks.

Those fanatical, stubborn dwarves might think this is a human conspiracy.

But humans don't care anymore!

If the information provided by Lin Li is correct, then humanity should come openly and honestly and state directly what humanity intends to do in the future.

In fact, this is the style that the University of Tokyo is most familiar with.

It's like dealing with a little monkey from the southern ocean: this is my territory, my oil field, my hunting ground. If you come here without reason, I'll beat you up.

The monkeys arrived, got beaten up immediately, and then cried and begged their fathers for help! But nobody paid them any attention.

This is what we call having a legitimate reason for action and procedural justice!

If the dwarves find themselves safe after hearing the news from the humans, then things will be much easier.

If humans discover that the dwarves have indeed done a lot of things that threaten human safety, then humans will naturally fight back as previously stated!

When the time comes for dwarves to negotiate with humans, they will naturally be ahead of humans!

Although dwarfs are naturally short!

Commander Fu lit a cigarette, checked the time, and confirmed that they had already begun mobilizing the elf and dwarf prisoners of war to be transported here by helicopter.

He straightened his clothes and appearance, and once again reviewed the orders issued by Li Weiguo and the diplomatic language for dealing with the alien races of the other world, drafted by Professor Yu Qiwen in the style of dwarves, which Su Mingjin had asked him to prepare.

After several attempts, Commander Fu finally put down the documents.

The modern world!

Lin Li lay lazily on the bed, in a relaxed, Ge You-esque pose: "See? I may not have a solution, but they do! Don't you think that's cost-effective? As long as humanity has a good countermeasure, all evil spirits will be wiped out!"

"Meow~ Meow————"

"You're saying that even without help, the pioneering team will still suffer heavy casualties? Very heavy ones?"

"Meow!"

"I'm not going to argue with you anymore," Lin Li said, stuffing a Doritos into his mouth. "If you can tell me the exact location where the dwarves tried to open the spacetime rift, I'll give you more when I have enough spacetime source matter! I call it installment payments!"

Meow~

"How stingy! Banks offer installment plans, why can't I pay earlier?" Lin Li thought helplessly as he watched the Laplace cat demon start eating something it had somehow gotten its hands on.

Everything about it is perfect; it's almost omniscient and omnipotent, but it's greedy and tight-lipped! There's simply no way to get any useful clues out of its head using conventional methods.

"Boring cat!"

Meow~

Lin Li glanced at the Spacetime Cube beside the table: "You stingy little thing, in the end I still have to earn Spacetime Essence myself!"

After saying that, Lin Li closed his eyes, watched the humans' actions, and then took the Time Cube and put it into his own space.

Giving these things to humanity in a reasonable way is difficult, because it would lower the prestige of both oneself and the forces behind them, but—

If the safety of a large number of warriors in the pioneering team is threatened, Lin Li must take the initiative to act!

Although he had a lot of spacetime source material, Lin Li found that simply using spacetime source material to strengthen his body and repair spacetime was a waste of resources.

The most powerful aspect of spacetime source matter is never its brutal enhancement of individuals! It has other, even more powerful uses!

Buzzing—

The wind whipped up by the helicopter rotor swirled snowflakes, making the view from the porthole blurry for Attila!

Even in shackles, Attila was still trying to see, peering down through a blurry, frosty white expanse at the rapidly receding snowfield below.

He had to admit that these steel birds tinkered with by humans were far superior to the creations painstakingly crafted by the most outstanding forging masters of his tribe.

Damn master foundry!

Attila's teeth started to itch.

If it weren't for those old fogies clinging to all sorts of technological inheritances and establishing that set of nonsensical and strict rules, how could the dwarves have fallen to this state today?

Is knowledge cursed?

fart!

They were clearly afraid that once the knowledge spread, they would lose their secure job!

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Attila was startled.

When did I start thinking like this?

Damn it, I must have been bored the other day and listened to some toxic knowledge that humans were spouting.

Those things are like honey laced with poison; they look insignificant, but once you get them on you, you can't shake them off.

Despicable humans, they really know how to manipulate people's hearts.

I hadn't even realized I'd fallen into their trap!

He quickly pulled his thoughts back and desperately told himself: those evil things that appeared at the intersection of the heavens were too insidious and would silently corrupt the dwarf clan.

If their desires are allowed to grow unchecked, the dwarves will be doomed.

The King and the Council of Elders' decision was absolutely wise; it was for the sake of the entire tribe!

How could he question it?

Yes, the great king and elders never make mistakes!

Attila glanced furtively at his companions who were also watching, then turned his gaze back to the other side.

There sat a dozen or so long-eared elves, each looking at the surrounding scenery, lost in thought.

Human behavior is becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

They had already released a group of dwarf and elf prisoners to return!

"Could it be that the commotion caused by the celestial conjunction was too great?"

Although he was a prisoner and cut off from news, his intuition told him that all of this must be related to the convergence of the heavens.

It is definitely the frequent celestial conjunctions caused by the three-tailed comet that have put pressure on humanity.

"Could it be that humans are trying to get help from their noble dwarves by appealing to them?"

"That doesn't seem right. Aren't humans supposed to be pretty strong?"

"They must be new here and unfamiliar with the area, so they suffered a great loss!"

Attila was thinking this when the aircraft shuddered slightly, began to turn, and slowly descended.

The turbulence of the helicopter pulled Attila back from his reverie.

Three large transport helicopters landed one after another on the tarmac at the Glacier base. The airflow generated by their huge rotors blew the snow off the ground into the air.

squeak-

The cabin door opened, and a blast of cold air rushed in. A clear female voice rang out over the communication channel: "Ladies and gentlemen, you may disembark now!"

It's that woman named Tang Huanzhu.

By frequently speaking with them, Attila had memorized their voices.

"It has a strange dialect accent, not authentic at all!" Attila thought to himself, then jumped off his seat.

Before leaving, he glanced at the seats that the humans had prepared for the dwarves.

These seats, neither too big nor too small, were just right for his height and build, and he found them quite comfortable.

He had assumed that humans would be using the kind of ride that children would take when they boarded the iron bird, but he was surprised that the other party had even considered this point and had no intention of discrimination whatsoever.

These humans are so annoying, you can't even find a reason to curse them.

As he stepped out of the cabin, the bright sunlight made him squint.

The base was surrounded by humans.

In addition to the soldiers in standard combat uniforms, there were also some people wearing strange, heavy armor who were on guard around the area.

Attila silently kept all of this in his heart.

These humans possess far more complex and sophisticated weaponry than the legendary inhabitants of the Middle Eastern kingdoms. Moreover, these creatures have a unique characteristic: as long as you don't provoke them, they'll even treat you with a smile.

But if you want to get a beating—

Attila recalled a long time ago, when one of his loud and boisterous kinsmen was grabbed by the neck and locked in a dark room by a human soldier simply for uttering a few foul words—

Now that guy is as docile as a newborn groundhog.

He touched his neck again; that damned magic collar was also the reason they kept quiet!

If you behave yourself and keep your mouth shut, you'll at least suffer less physical pain.

These are all lessons learned!

Then he looked at Annie, the elven captive beside him.

The long-eared elf had a stern face from the moment she got off the plane, as if everyone owed her hundreds of gold coins.

"Pah, you lowly long-eared creature, two-faced! I heard this guy has a good relationship with humans, and now that he's with so many captured members of his own tribe, he's suddenly started pretending to be virtuous!"

"Heh~ Perhaps it won't be long before this Anis becomes a completely fallen elf!"

A thought suddenly popped into Attila's mind.

Are these people going to let them go back again?

If it's like last time, we'll release them back after a while.

Do not!

Why put it back?

Should we stay in the cave?

Staying here, there's heating, a comfortable bed, and even a specially made chair.

Doing a little work from nine to five every day, and then having a hot meal—this kind of life is much better than patrolling every day!

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Attila wanted to slap himself hard.

Attila, you have fallen!

He actually thinks being a prisoner of humans is a wonderful thing?

Noble dwarves, descendants of the High Mountain Kingdom, how could they possibly covet a little meat broth from a human's pot!

No!

Another day, no, tomorrow!

As long as they let me go, I'll definitely find a chance tomorrow to wring out one of their heads!

I will prove my loyalty to the Kingdom of the Mountains with my blood!

He gritted his teeth, his jaw grinding, and his eyes swept fiercely around him, as if searching for his first target.

Then, his nose twitched involuntarily.

A rich aroma of meat wafted into my nostrils.

After following these human warriors into a large hall, the smell became even more domineering.

Attila's mouth watered instantly. He could smell the deliciousness of the seafood soup, the smoky aroma of the roasted lamb chops, and the rich scent of fermenting ale.

He even smelled the unique aroma of stinky tofu from humans, an aroma he both loved and hated!

His stomach growled at an inopportune moment, not loud, but exceptionally clear in the quiet procession. Several long-eared elves beside him cast disdainful glances, and Attila's old face flushed red, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

However, he glared back fiercely at her.

The dwarves are definitely at a disadvantage!

no way!!!

"Please have a seat, everyone. Have something to eat first. The person in charge of the Glacier Base will be here shortly."

Several people dressed in thick cotton-padded clothes came out carrying trays. Their appearance still had some of the ruggedness of natives from another world, but their speech and behavior were no different from the soldiers in the base. They spoke an Eastern language that was not fluent but understandable, and their eyes did not have the ferocity of tribal savages, but instead exuded a sense of—complacency.

Attila's nimble nose twitched as he carefully examined these strange savages.

He felt that these people were savages from the northern glacial tribes.

These guys, who were like wild beasts a few months ago, eating raw meat and drinking blood, worshipping the god of cold and the calamity of death, have now learned to serve tea and water and even speak human language.

Is this a warning from humanity?

Attila looked at the food on the tray: fruit, snacks, and a sumptuous main course.

He remembered that these snacks were only available during the commotion and grievance sessions held every few days in the prisoner-of-war camp.

One of his dwarves couldn't resist any longer. He grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, his mouth glistening with oil, a blissful expression on his face.

Attila scoffed dismissively and turned his head away, but his eyes remained fixed on a piece of golden-fried stinky tofu and a pig's trotter not far away.

That stuff with chili sauce, and a swig of strong liquor—

He swallowed hard, feeling his will being eroded.

In the end, he decided to fill his stomach first.

When it's mealtime, if you don't eat and drink your fill, you'll have to finish your work later.

The king does not need hungry soldiers.

I can't let my stomach down.

He glanced at the elves in the distance; those guys were so refined. He sneered and began to feast.

After eating and drinking their fill and resting for quite some time, the door to the hall was finally opened.

Brigade Commander Fu walked in.

His gaze swept directly over every dwarf and elf present.

His gaze was calm, deep, and devoid of any emotion.

"Welcome to Glacier Base."

As soon as Commander Fu finished speaking, the air in the hall seemed to freeze.

No one answered!

Commander Fu's sharp gaze swept across the entire area, finally settling on the group of dwarves. Professor Yu Qiwen, standing beside him, stepped forward and began translating in fluent, otherworldly language.

"Greetings, everyone! The reason we've gathered you all here is because we've obtained some very important clues!"

Commander Fu paused, giving the prisoners some time to process the information and also giving Professor Yu time to translate.

In the hall, only the professor's clear voice echoed.

"—We have obtained very accurate clues! The higher-ups of the dwarf race may have been bewitched by some higher-dimensional beings and are attempting to reopen the sealed forbidden land that you have guarded for generations using evil methods!"

This will inevitably lead to widespread death and destruction!

Before he could finish speaking, Attila felt a sudden jolt, and the twenty-odd dwarf prisoners around him instantly erupted in chaos.

"Bullshit!" A dwarf slammed his fist on the table, making the food on his plate jump. "This is slander! How could noble dwarves destroy the Wall!"

"You bastards! I think you're the ones who want to destroy the world! How dare you slander our great Mountain Kingdom! You're asking for death!"

"Duel! Fight us now!"

The shouts of cursing rose and fell, each one louder than the last.

The dwarves who had been wolfing down their food were now red-faced and roaring at the humans, spitting all over the table.

Attila thought carefully about the days before his capture.

At that time, the king did indeed not appear for a period of time because he had to attend some secret and confidential matters.

However—the king is the dwarf's guardian deity and the supreme ruler who wields the dwarf's artifacts.

The fate of the dwarves is indeed influenced by the king, but the king will not do anything to endanger the safety of the dwarf kingdom.

His memories drifted, recalling the snow-covered landscape of the High Mountain Kingdom and the king's booming voice he had heard as a child.

He actually wavered because of a hot meal and a stable daily routine?

He jumped to his feet, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Commander Fu: "You bastards! Stop spouting your nonsense! We dwarves are absolutely loyal to the Mountain Kingdom, and your sweet talk won't sway us!"

"Yes, sowing discord! A bunch of sweet-talkers!"

"Cunning humans!"

Despite the dwarfs' agitated state, Commander Fu remained completely unmoved.

He waited quietly until the commotion subsided slightly before speaking again. His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of provocation!

"I understand your anger, and I didn't expect you to believe me."

Professor Yu quickly translated the sentence.

Commander Fu continued, "We are just informing you that if the seal on the Dwarf Forbidden Land is broken from within by your own people, and the Dwarf's internal defenses collapse, you should think about the consequences more carefully. You should know better than us what the consequences will be."

His words made Attila look at the long-eared elves.

The convergence of the heavens and the forbidden lands of the dwarves—these are secrets within the dwarves' ranks, which they have not told humanity!

But humans know this so clearly!

It's probably thanks to those long-eared creatures.

Annies, standing not far away, remained calm, but in her heart she was already wondering if the humans had plotted something again when she told them the news.

However, the thought that she herself might not be able to escape easily, and that her life was now bound to humans, calmed her down.

Of course, besides this, she also needs to cooperate with humans to help other elf brethren whose minds are wavering, hoping to persuade them to also convert to the human forces!

"Not long ago, your dwarven envoys came to us and signed a peace treaty."

"Originally, we were very happy because peace is hard-won, and no one likes war."

fart!

We love chopping off heads!

Some dwarfs were thinking to themselves.

"But—because of what you dwarves might be doing, the peace agreement has changed! If—" Commander Fu emphasized, "I mean if—the dwarven kingdom is unable to resolve the trouble you've created, we humans will send troops to assist you in resolving those dangers!"

"At that time, I hope you will all remain rational enough! Do not attack our soldiers who are coming to your kingdom's rescue without authorization."

These words sound like a suggestion, but the tone is one of absolute command.

After saying that, he turned his gaze to the elves who remained silent on the other side.

"As for the elves! We also solemnly inform you that we hope you will take this message back to the elven forest kingdom."

"We humans have always promised that we are not a cruel, bloodthirsty race that would arbitrarily break peace agreements. Everything we have done is because the unauthorized actions of the dwarves have seriously threatened the safety of our habitat!"

After saying that, Brigade Commander Fu turned his head away.

Jinhe, the savage chieftain of the Ice River tribe, stepped forward.

He was wearing a thick modern cotton coat, and his once fierce face was now full of submissiveness.

He spoke loudly in fluent otherworldly human language: "Long-eared, half-human! If you're out of your minds and release the monsters from the seal, our Ice River Tribe is willing to help our commander resolve the trouble! Of course, we'd also be happy to take care of those out-of-the-box types while we're at it!"

"You're asking for death!" Attila's anger exploded instantly as he stared intently at the savage who drank blood.

To be provoked by these worthless scoundrels is an utter disgrace to humanity!

"We do not seek war," Commander Fu clapped his hands, interrupting a new round of curses. "Dwarves, elves! We need border security. Your messengers said that such a celestial convergence could, with the slightest mishap, lead to the destruction of the world!"

"For the safety of all races on the Forsaken Continent! Those spacetime rifts that were so painstakingly sealed must be completely locked! They must never be opened!"

He surveyed the entire scene, looking at the prisoners from both races with complex expressions.

"Alright, that's enough. Dwarf and elven captives, draw lots. Whoever draws a lot may leave this place."

The other prisoners can watch them leave, lest you think we humans will discard you like used tools and secretly kill you!

Humans had previously released many prisoners to return to their base, but because those people never came back, some prisoners who harbored great malice towards humans claimed that humans had secretly disposed of them.

This is why, in order to reassure the other prisoners, humans had to resort to this clumsy method of releasing one batch and bringing back another, to show them whether or not they kept their promises.

Although these alien races have many problems, their underlying social systems are full of oppression. Humans have always been thinking about how to spread their ideas there and make these stubborn alien fortresses collapse on their own!

"Tell every one of your fellow countrymen in the POW camp everything you have seen and heard here, and also tell your people far away."

Let's take our goodwill back with us!

After saying that, a box for drawing lots was brought out.

Annie blinked involuntarily as she thought about the arrangements the humans had secretly told her.

"Draw your own tickets. Half of these people can leave, and the other half of the prisoners will watch them reach safety!"

One hour later————

On the mountain ridge, the cold wind was biting.

The dwarven sentry captain, leading the group, scrutinized the released comrades and the elves beside them who had also gained their freedom, from head to toe.

His hand remained pressed against the three-eyed fire-breathing weapon at his waist as he demanded in a deep voice, "Humans, why have you invaded our agreed-upon truce zone?"

Yu Qiwen stood beside the armored vehicle, a formulaic smile on his face.

"We have come to return the dwarf and elf prisoners we captured earlier. Also, we want to inform your superiors that intelligence indicates there are people within your kingdom attempting to break the ancient seal on the forbidden land."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the dwarf sentinels' faces, which changed in an instant.

"Go and check it out quickly. If the spacetime seal is broken and what's inside threatens our safety, we will send troops as we said. These former prisoners of war carry our official peace papers and our warning. We hope you will take our words to heart."

After saying that, Yu Qiwen didn't say anything more, but simply waved his hand: "Goodbye."

With a roar of engines, the eight steel behemoths turned around without hesitation, their tires crushing through the snow and gravel as they quickly retreated.

The dwarven sentinels looked at their twelve fellow dwarves and twelve long-eared men, exchanging bewildered glances.

Confusion and suspicion filled the air. In the end, the sentry captain waved for them to follow and return to the outpost.

Deep in the forest, the armored vehicle drove smoothly.

Inside the carriage, a young elf couldn't help but break the silence, asking softly, "Do you think—Klee and the others will really bring back what the humans said?"

"They will," the other elf replied, but her tone was uncertain. "But whether they will be believed, and whether the priests will listen, is another matter."

"At least they went back! I also want to go back and see my sister—"

"Yes, I really want to go back too—"

Listening to her companions' hopeful whispers, Anise pressed her face against the cool car window, watching the shadows of the trees rushing past outside, a hint of envy perfectly displayed on her face.

But in her heart, there was only a cold clarity.

go back?

She knew better than anyone that she could never go back.

Ordinary elven captives, upon returning home, would at most undergo a rigorous mental examination before having their memories erased and starting anew.

But she's different.

She was originally a sacrifice for the failure of forbidden magic!

In order to survive and to gain better treatment, she betrayed too many secrets of the Elf Kingdom.

Based solely on the Sacred Tree's all-pervasive memory search, there is only one fate for Anise: to be tied to the stake and burned to ashes as a traitor.

She dared not go back, and she couldn't go back!

Staying in the human prisoner-of-war camp meant she was well-fed and cared for, her dignity was not insulted, and she could even learn new and exciting knowledge. This was the best outcome she could achieve for herself.

Moreover, she has an agreement with humans.

Annie's gaze swept subtly over her other companions in the carriage, and she had already begun to make her plans.

These people represent her future achievements!

The best way to protect yourself is to drag more of your fellow countrymen down with you, making your existence more valuable.

On the other side, inside the dwarf outpost converted from a cave.

"Bang!"

After listening to Attila's account, the sentry captain slammed his fist on the stone table, making the earthenware wine cups vibrate.

"They just let you go like that? They've smeared the kingdom, smeared the great King Iron Hammer! Why didn't you attack them?"

"I can't beat them!" Attila's face flushed red, veins bulging on his neck. "They even slandered the king, claiming he wanted to break the ancient seal! That's utter nonsense!"

He deliberately transformed the well-intentioned warning from humans into an unfounded slander against the dwarf kingdom.

Only in this way can he reduce the possibility of being attacked by his companions!

Sure enough, the dwarves inside the cave were instantly thrown into chaos.

"Outrageous! This is a provocation against the High Mountain Kingdom!"

"Humans are starting a war!"

Anger spread rapidly; these dwarven sentinels, whose minds were consumed by nothing but muscles and honor, desperately wanted a war to wash away this shame.

"Send the message back!" the sentry captain roared. "His Majesty the King must know of humanity's despicable actions!"

Meanwhile, more than 100 kilometers away, in Talanshan Town, the temporary frontline command post for the dwarfs' sniping of Cave 77.

Bellegas handed the letter that had just arrived from the rear outpost to his deputy, Liers.

"These are turbulent times," he said, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag.

The tobacco was a low-quality product, freshly supplied from Talan Mountain Town; it was pungent and irritating, far inferior to the rich and mellow tobacco grown by humans in the green land.

But at this moment, for these heavy smokers, just having a smoke at all is a blessing.

Lieutenant Liers silently took the letter, read it quickly, then lit a cigarette without saying a word.

The air in the command center seemed to freeze.

Bellegas paced back and forth restlessly, his voice filled with barely suppressed anxiety amidst the swirling smoke.

"Liers, tell me—is what the humans said true? His Majesty the King mobilized a large number of rune masters and elite guards to carry out rune reinforcement missions in the forbidden area, and they've been gone for a long time. But until now, not a single piece of news has come back!"

Liers remained silent, only smoking heavily, the glow of the cigarette butt flickering on his rough face.

After a long pause, he stubbed out his cigarette on the table and spoke in his usual hoarse voice, "Just send the message back verbatim. This isn't a decision we can make!"

"Um?"

Liers raised his head, his eyes deep: "The celestial convergence is imminent, and the Mountain Kingdom needs its king to boost morale. Whatever happens in the forbidden area, the king must appear."

Bellegas understood his deputy's meaning.

He took his last deep breath, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, and crushed it with his boot.

"Good! Immediately send the message back to the capital using the fastest falcons!" he gave the order, then added in a very low voice.

"At the end of the letter, add one more sentence—"

"When the heavens meet, our loyalty to the clan is witnessed by heaven and earth, and by our ancestors! We will remain loyal forever!"

'

"Hmm, not bad, very good, that's how it should be!"

>