Steel torrents pioneering a different world.

Chapter 286 Does this car have a mechanical soul? These human monsters are so nice! They seem easy to talk to! (Bonus Chapter)

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Bi Shengli rubbed his throbbing temples. He had been directing operations all day yesterday and only managed to get four and a half hours of sleep last night.

Although he was in a good mood after capturing the fortress with minimal casualties, his body was truly exhausted!

"In the past few hours, have any high-intensity battles occurred among the troops blocking the enemy on the perimeter? Have our troops suffered any casualties?"

"Reporting to General Bi, the dwarven support forces are very scattered, and our precise decapitation bombing tactics are very effective."

Our casualties were minimal!

"Hmm, what about the rescued dwarves? How are their meals and accommodations being arranged?"

"To screen for potential contamination and possible diseases, after treating them, they have only been placed in isolation for observation! Their food consists of the most basic compressed biscuits and fresh water! This morning at six o'clock, well, in a little over an hour, they will be able to resume normal hot meals, and bathing will also be arranged!"

If you are still recovering from a serious illness or disaster, you should avoid eating rich, fatty foods.

The dwarves and the slave sacrifices from various races were extremely emaciated, clearly starving.

Drinking porridge for two days first will help to better regulate their bodies.

Bi Shengli nodded: "Take good care of them, especially the dwarf children and the elderly who almost became sacrifices!"

Furthermore, the psychological intervention team should be given extra attention. They are not only survivors, but also living evidence to indict the Mithril Clan's crimes in the future.

"clear!"

Just then, a communications soldier quickly walked in, stood at attention, and saluted.

"Report! Professor Yu Qiwen has sent in a new lead; he obtained crucial intelligence from a survivor!"

The atmosphere in the command center instantly froze.

Bi Shengli's eyes suddenly sharpened, and his previous fatigue vanished: "Bring him in."

"yes!"

The next second, Yu Qiwen's voice rang out in the command center through the encrypted channel, filled with barely suppressed shock and rage: "—President Bi, according to the clues provided by the survivors, the bloody sacrifices inside Pangula Fortress are not isolated incidents. There are still many corrupted dwarves. In other places, the same sacrifices are being carried out, even more evil ones!"

"Moreover, based on the previous skeletal remains, these cruel rituals have been going on for many years, and have become more frequent recently after the celestial conjunction."

"Is it just the Mithril Clan, or some other dwarven clan?"

"Report, this is not confirmed. The survivors don't know much about the dwarves. They only shared their leads with us; the information they possess is very limited."

Bi Shengli nodded: "We will report this news to headquarters in the rear as soon as possible."

The pioneering team has completed the cleanup of the Dwarf Fortress. Although there are still some enemies remaining in Pangula Fortress, it is only a matter of time before they are eliminated. All external communication platforms of the Dwarf Fortress have now been taken control.

"Sure enough, you can't see the cause of the wilt disease from the surface. The roots of this dwarf tree are probably rotting a lot too!"

"This matter should be reported to the Time-Space Gate Command Center and the Zhuhe Headquarters at the rear!"

"OK!"

Their current task is not to fight more dwarves, but to resolve these problems and clean up the mess here.

As for how to handle the aftermath of the Pangula Fortress, there are contingency plans in place.

However, this can only be decided after other races, such as elves, arrive and a complete mechanism is established.

At this moment, what humanity needs to do is to neatly annihilate all the Mithril Clan reinforcements that have come to support this place, and if persuasion and resistance fail, to completely destroy the reinforcements from the other dwarven tribes.

At the very least, we must destroy the enemy's organization and crush their reckless courage!

The next course of action will depend on the actions of the dwarves.

If they are reckless and court death, then the human side will deliver a thunderous blow.

If the other side recognizes the situation and acts wisely, then the war on the human side will likely be much smaller.

Of course, humans and dwarves may also get caught up in a long negotiation in the future, but we'll have to wait and see!

At seven o'clock in the morning, fifteen kilometers away from Pangule Fortress.

On a battlefield where a brief exchange of fire had just taken place, the smell of blood and gunpowder had not yet dissipated.

The butcher leaned against a rock, watching idly as the dwarves gathered for a reunion and sharing of their grievances in the distance.

These dwarves, old and weak, were the same group that had been driven away by humans before.

They were really unlucky.

On their way there, they encountered a pioneering vanguard force that had spread out a high alert. The humans killed the corrupt soldiers inside the Pangulet Fortress who had tricked them into coming and rescued them.

Furthermore, the humans kindly advised them not to go to Pangula Fortress anymore.

Unfortunately, these old and weak dwarves considered humans to be invaders, and they did not encounter the forest of Gazul that was about to descend.

[Divine Oracle], therefore they are extremely hostile to humans.

After their attack attempt failed, they were forced to evacuate.

After walking for more than a day, they unfortunately encountered a dwarf patrol returning from a distance.

The dwarven patrol soldiers were quick-witted, or perhaps because the dwarven fortress soldiers had an excellent relationship with the dwarves, they managed to rouse the still-shaken elderly and weak to a frenzy with just a few words, and they turned around to support the Pangulet fortress that had already been captured by humans.

Drones constantly monitoring the battlefield kept an eye on the movements of the elderly and infirm. Only after confirming that these poor souls had been fooled again, and after the soldiers had dealt with most of the resistance within the fortress, did they begin to send troops.

There were quite a few blunders along the way, but thankfully, humanity once again used swift and decisive methods to kill the corrupted patrol force of Pangula Fortress.

The powerful iron fist intimidated the old and weak dwarves.

In the end, thanks to the personal intervention of the elderly dwarf who had been saved by humans, they temporarily reconciled.

Otherwise, the stubborn and extremely hot-tempered dwarves would definitely want to fight the humans again.

The butcher sighed inwardly, feeling that he hadn't chosen a good defensive line to lead this time.

Too few battles!

I'm so bored!

I reckon Zhao will surpass me in points again.

Looking at the dwarves still exchanging words, he felt they didn't seem like warriors, but rather like caregivers in an old people's home.

The soldier next to him laughed and said, "Captain, don't you think we're going all the way to save them, seeing this through to the end?"

"Hehe, it's true, there are quite a few dwarf kids here! We should ask the logistics department for some lollipops next time, just in case any disobedient ones misbehave, it'll be easier to coax them~"

Many soldiers chuckled softly.

On the other side of the battlefield!

The elderly dwarf Norsen, who had been rescued from the fortress, was clinging to the arm of another elderly dwarf, his emotions running high.

Norsen, still bandaged, pointed to himself and then to the children huddled together beside him, their eyes filled with fear.

"Botterling! How many times have I told you before you believed me, you old fool! Look at my injuries, and look at those children. We almost became sacrifices to those corrupt beasts!"

"Elder Rais of Pangula Fortress is no longer our respected supreme commander. He and all the warriors have become corrupted monsters! Those bastards—those bastards even began devouring our own kind long ago, becoming evil ghouls."

The old dwarf, known as Portlin, had his face all wrinkled together, and his beard trembled slightly with confusion and struggle.

His cloudy eyes were filled with disbelief, but the things Norson had told him repeatedly, along with the injuries on his body and the fear in the children's eyes, made it difficult for him to refute them.

Moreover, those humans showed him the pitiful state of Rice being chopped into sticks, as well as all sorts of things!

"Northern, they are not trustworthy! Our history is filled with betrayal from humanity! Unless Gazul himself descends, I do not trust those people—those humans."

Norsen's voice was hoarse with excitement: "Our ancestor Gaizul has truly appeared! He has performed a miracle! These human warriors have carried out his great will and saved thousands of our people!"

After a long silence, Portlin finally spoke: "I trust you, but I don't trust those guys. You know they've killed our soldiers many times before!"

Norsen pointed to the butcher and a group of fully armed soldiers not far away.

"You old fogey, use your brain! If they don't use strong measures to stop you, those corrupters will slaughter you once you enter the fortress, and your losses will be even greater!" Northon said angrily. "Bottering, we've known each other for 150 years, but your temper hasn't changed at all."

Portlin stroked his beard. "Northon, do as you say. I'll take a few men with you. We'll see the fortress for ourselves. If you're lying—"

"I swear by the fact that my soul will not be guided by my ancestors, and there is no lie!" Norsen said firmly.

Portlin nodded, his gaze sweeping over the corpses of the slain patrol dwarves on the ground, his expression complex: "Then—what should we do with these fallen comrades?"

Norsen's expression turned serious: "Nature obeys the will of our ancestors; these corrupted bodies must be thoroughly burned and purified. Otherwise, their flesh and blood will become a new source of plague, corrupting us all!"

"Burn?" Portlin's voice shrank slightly. Seeing the resolute look in Northon's eyes, he finally waved his hand dejectedly. "Burn them—after that, we'll take the ashes back to the village. Some of my cousins ​​are in there! I never imagined that after thirty years, these guys would betray their tribe!"

"Yes, that's how it should be."

Norsen nodded, then gestured in the direction of the butcher.

The butcher nodded, then ordered, "Purification team, proceed with the purification according to the plan."

"receive."

Several human warriors, dressed in heavy NBC protective suits, stepped forward with steady strides.

They took out several palm-sized plates with strange patterns from their equipment bags and then stuck them on the dwarf corpses that had been stripped of their armor.

"Om one—"

The metal disc emitted a low hum, and a faint light flowed around it.

Under the sunlight, wisps of red and purple smoke seeped from the corpses of the dwarves.

"Huh? These corrupted ones are different from the previous ones!" The soldiers whispered among themselves.

"It might be due to the lighting!"

"Light?" The butcher frowned slightly. "Record these and send them to the expert group."

"OK!"

On the other side, the dwarves, including Botlin, also felt their eyelids twitch upon seeing this scene.

The sadness on their faces visibly turned into astonishment.

Because the magical fluctuations emitted by things taken out by humans are very balanced and peaceful.

These dwarves, who have lived here for generations and possess a talent for sensing magic, can easily sense the magic released by humans.

Something they had never seen before, but which they perceived as definitely not evil.

The dwarf corpse behaved very strangely during the purification process.

Those things are very similar to the legendary magical plague contamination!

The purification process lasted about a minute. After the strange smoke dissipated, several warriors stepped forward and poured buckets of specially made burning oil onto the corpses.

Then, the lead soldier raised his flamethrower and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"call--!"

The enraged fire dragon roared out and instantly engulfed the area.

A wave of scorching heat hit them, causing the dwarves watching from dozens of meters away to instinctively take a few steps back.

Immediately afterwards, soldiers took out small cloth bags from their backs and threw them forcefully into the sea of ​​fire.

The cloth bag contained shimmering magic stone powder, along with a composite incendiary material that could thoroughly burn corpses.

The moment the powder came into contact with the flames, the orange-red flames quickly grew thicker!

The temperature at the center of the fire also began to rise.

"Sizzle—"

—

The disposal of some corpses was very fast. If it were inside the fortress, burning them in this way by humans might cause more plague dust and gases to evaporate and escape. In that case, it would probably be necessary to carry out multiple rounds of disinfection on the entire dwarven fortress to resolve the issue.

That would be an even more time-consuming and massive project.

In the more open environment outside, humans can use multiple safety measures to dispose of corpses!

In less than five minutes, only a patch of scorched earth and a few piles of fine ashes remained on the spot.

The whole process was swift, efficient, and decisive.

In reality, this method is very costly.

If the dwarves weren't here, the pioneering team would definitely have used a lower-cost purification method.

But isn't this just humans showing off their strength to the dwarves?

Flashy but impractical displays of power can intimidate the enemy!

Portlin stared intently at the piles of ashes. Although he didn't seem to have much of an emotional reaction, his heavy breathing clearly indicated that he was not at peace.

Suddenly, he grabbed Northon's arm: "Northon, they should have been the bravest children, the kingdom's shield, our protectors!"

The strange reactions that occurred during the burning made him realize that the absurd clues he had seen before might actually be true.

"Yes, the guardians have become murderers! They've changed! So they're not worth pitying anymore," Northon sighed in reply.

"Northern, if what you're saying is true—" Portlin turned his head, his bloodshot eyes looking at his kin beside him, "Then—does my people—have a future?"

"The future?" Norsen, the old warrior who had come to reveal the truth, gave a complex and bitter smile. "The High Mountain Kingdom may still exist, but our Mithril Clan—heh heh, I'm afraid it won't be so easy to turn the page."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the terrified old and weak dwarves around him, his voice heavy as if it could strike the hearts of everyone.

"The forbidden land of Pangula was once the highest honor of our people. Do you still remember the oath of our ancestors?"

Botlin nodded and answered, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of every dwarf: "To guard this place until death. To marry, to claim land, to have no children! To wear no crown, to seek no glory! To serve faithfully here, to die here!"

This ancient oath was once the burning desire of countless dwarves.

Every word of it represents unparalleled dedication and glory.

"Ha—but that's all ancient history." Norsen shook his head self-deprecatingly. "The war in the other world left the kingdom vulnerable. Perhaps the nature of Pangula Fortress changed after the King of the Mountains transferred the loyal Watchtower Guard away from the fortress!"

"Yes!" Portlin lit a cigarette, his face a complex mix of emotions. "My emotions tell me not to believe it! But my reason tells me that all of this might be true."

Norsen asked him for some cigarettes: "Let's go, take some representatives, follow those humans to the front lines to see the situation, and face reality!"

Botlin nodded and arranged for some respected elders of the dwarves in the villages and towns, as well as some people who knew magic, to go together to the camp that humans had arranged for the elderly and weak dwarves in the distance.

After everything was arranged, Bottering looked at the people of his tribe gathered behind him, the elderly and those who knew magic, all with solemn expressions.

He then turned to the human warriors beside him and asked in confusion, "Humans, where are your mounts? Aren't you going to ride your Grumon over? Are you just going to wait here?"

A mysterious smile appeared on the butcher's face.

"Gentlemen, your Grumon are few in number and not suitable for us to ride! We have more comfortable means of transportation."

"I see!" Potter and the others waited silently.

Soon, a low humming sound came from afar, growing louder as it approached.

The dwarves all turned their heads and saw several armored vehicles they had never seen before driving out from behind the hillside.

These things had no pulling animals and no drivers, yet they moved on their own and stopped neatly a few meters away from them.

"hiss--"

The car door opened upwards, revealing the internal structure, and a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the group of dwarfs.

They were amazed by human technology, but when they witnessed these creations firsthand, the shock far exceeded their expectations.

An old craftsman with a white beard, his hands trembling as he stroked his hammer pendant, blinked rapidly, his mind churning with intense thoughts!

"What's driving this? There are no runic fluctuations, no steam engine—look at those structures, while they're not exactly masterpieces, why do these things feel like they were all carved from the same mold? Could it be that humans have mastered our lost dwarven technique of ultra-large casting?"

The other dwarf stared intently at the armor plates on the vehicle, his eyes wide like saucers. "The seams are tight, it doesn't look like welding, but what kind of craftsmanship is this? Even the best master craftsmen in the royal city couldn't forge something this big and in so many pieces. Could it be the legendary super forging technique?"

Many years ago, our race descended from among the stars to this land, and relying on divine machines that were almost godlike, we became the kings of all races!

Some of the elderly recalled the glorious past in the ancient legends of their tribe, and when they looked at the creations of humankind before them, a complex emotion mixed with loss and awe welled up in their hearts.

They were proud of their craftsmanship, and any craftsman present was confident that, given enough time, they could handcraft this iron car to be a perfect replica.

The problem is that the time, manpower, and resources required to build one will be astronomical.

And humans just casually dispatched so many vehicles!

The power behind this is enough to send chills down the dwarves' spines just thinking about it.

"Everyone, please get in the vehicle!" The Butcher gestured for his teammates to sit in the driver's seat first, then gestured to the dwarves, "These vehicles have been specially modified to fit everyone's size!"

Upon hearing this, a strange expression flashed across the faces of several human soldiers.

Before the pioneering team set off, they specifically studied a compilation of "The Dwarven Social Handbook: Taboo Chapter," or something like that.

The above lists in detail all sorts of strange reasons that might anger the dwarves!

For example, if a human's wine glass is too small, it's an insult to a dwarf's drinking capacity. If a human's table is too high, it's an insult to a dwarf's height.

Even at a banquet, bringing more suitable children's tables and chairs to the dwarves might be noted up – "They actually prepared baby tables and chairs to humiliate us!"

This is something humans compiled online. Although it's strange, based on the recent behavior of Attila and other dwarf captives, it seems that these dwarves might actually harbor resentment towards humans.

Well, some bored idiots even dug up the modern-world dwarf's "Book of Great Hatred" and marked some things that the other side might have something to worry about.

Respecting the other party's unique customs is beneficial for future cooperation.

Humans weren't afraid of the dwarves; they were mainly envious of their rune technology.

With only a few million people, the dwarven race developed hand-crafted rune-driven propeller planes, floating warships, and steel warships weighing hundreds of tons.

Most importantly, it is the ability to combine magic and machinery.

They are the technologies that humanity has longed for most since its arrival in this world.

Compared to our human compatriots who are far away and whose whereabouts are unknown, the dwarves in front of us may have many quirks, but they are very good to their friends. Once humans' technology surpasses that of the dwarves, they will definitely be a good exchange partner.

"Stop looking, get in!" Norsen was quick to act, grabbing the door frame first and nimbly climbing into the car.

The other dwarves boarded the carriage.

Portlin was the last one.

He sat in the soft seat and then, following human instructions, closed the car door.

The handlebars are made of a strange material; they are neither gold, wood, nor iron. They have a cool, smooth feel when held in the hand.

The seats are also soft.

As the town's most famous old craftsman, Portlin was already two hundred years old, but once he got in the car, he acted like a little dwarf boy who had just come across a new toy, touching and tapping everything.

"Everyone, hold on tight, the car is about to start!"

The next second, the vehicle started smoothly, and with a slight bump, the scenery outside the window began to rush past.

This feeling —

fantastic!

This iron cart could move on its own without being pulled by animals. Inside, one could hear a continuous and steady hum, unlike the familiar crackling of coal or the energy pulse of magic crystals, but instead it gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

What puzzled him most was that this iron carriage didn't need a driver.

"Could it be that they've installed a mechanical soul into this lump of iron?"

Potter couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Legend has it that the dwarves emerged from the golden age when the stars descended, and the greatest creations possessed their own souls.

Unfortunately, the celestial convergence was too commonplace. The endless wars and invasions from other dimensions depleted the dwarven ancestors' ammunition reserves, which had no resupply. In addition, the power struggles within the dwarves themselves caused their glorious knowledge to be repeatedly interrupted after enduring hardships.

The once mighty race, capable of forging artifacts capable of annihilating stars, has now fallen to the point where even the freedom to soar through the skies is difficult to achieve.

A wave of sadness washed over Botlin as he thought about this.

His hand unconsciously rubbed against the seat, and suddenly, his rough fingertips stopped at the joint at the bottom of the seat.

His eyes narrowed, and he leaned closer to examine them carefully, discovering that several screws showed obvious signs of having been retightened.

Looking down at his short legs, which were finally able to stand steadily on the floor of the car, Portlin was stunned.

"Norsen, look at this." He pointed to the seat adjustment mechanism. "These humans—they actually lowered the seats for us."

Upon hearing this, Norsen looked down, his poker face shifting slightly before returning to its serious expression, though his lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Another elderly dwarf looked out at the scenery, stretched, and leaned back comfortably in his chair: "What a comfortable vehicle! Humans are quite something!"

Details speak volumes.

Humans didn't make any flowery promises, but in these most easily overlooked places, they gave these dwarves the respect they deserved.

These humans are interesting.

The driverless cat car traveled fast and steadily on the rugged mountain road. Portlin estimated that it could probably accelerate even on flat terrain.

This speed is even faster than when the crazed Grumon charges.

A vehicle carrying four dwarves and one human soldier was able to move incredibly fast.

It has a large load capacity!

"I wonder how many magic crystals it will consume per 100 kilometers!"

He calculated carefully and then came to a conclusion!

"That's amazing, much stronger than our Grumon."

Botlin silently assessed the situation, but the dwarves' instilled sense of pride provided him with a spiritual breakthrough.

"However, their air power seems rather ordinary. This sky ultimately belongs to us—hehe—once our air power arrives, if what the humans say is true, I can plead for them!"

After this idea came to mind, the convoy began to circle around a mountain.

The next second, Portlin's pitiful sense of superiority was crushed by the scene before him.

On the other side of the valley, a huge temporary airport has taken shape.

Dozens of enormous steel structures, churning the air and emitting a deafening roar, slowly rose into the sky.

Those enormous, spinning blades seemed to be lashing out at the sky itself.

Pottering's mouth was open, but his throat was so dry that he couldn't make a sound.

"A divine machine—no—this is a mechanical iron bird—" he murmured absentmindedly, "Such a creation, perhaps only the forging technology mastered by our ancestors before the desolate Silver Age could rival it?"

The ancient history of the dwarves has become mythology. Even in other worlds, historical records of the dwarves' initial arrival, the Age of Conflict, the Golden Age, the Blood Age, the Silver Age, and even the Great Extinction Age are largely missing.

The countless humiliations of this era of barely surviving are still passed down by word of mouth among the tribes. Most of the knowledge has either disappeared in the midst of conflict or been sealed away by the kingdom's nobles, becoming the exclusive knowledge of those noble people!

These lowly dwarfs possess far too little and too limited knowledge.

Although he knew that dwarves had a glorious history, Potterlin knew that this moment was not the same as that moment.

The dwarves have truly fallen on hard times!

A strong sense of inferiority and powerlessness gripped his heart like two cold, large hands.

The dwarves have always prided themselves on their skill and mastery of creation.

But their proudest creations, compared to these people from the north, are like toys made of clay by children.

Perhaps it can still salvage some face in certain rough casting art styles, but in other aspects, it is completely crushed.

The caravan didn't stop, carrying a group of dejected dwarves, and slowly circled half of the human pioneer team's non-core camp.

Along the way, Potterlin saw too many sights that overturned his worldview and were unforgettable for the rest of his life.

The muskets, cannons, and shells they seized from the dwarven armory were piled up like garbage into a small mountain. Nearby, several humans dressed in strange clothes were analyzing them with tools, seemingly ready to recycle them into something more useful at any time.

A fellow dwarf weapon master, witnessing this scene, turned deathly pale and clutched his chest, nearly fainting.

In the distance, all sorts of unheard-of construction machinery roared, easily digging up boulders, while some people pressed buttons, blasting down the dozens of meters high boulder blocking their path.

Those super-heavy-duty vehicles, taller than some dwarf houses, shuttled back and forth carrying mountains of supplies.

Some construction machinery even crushed gravel to pave roads that would allow larger machines to move around.

Besides this, there were also squads of soldiers wearing mountain camouflage armor, marching in unison to hand over their duties to their comrades who were changing shifts.

The whole process was well-organized and looked very efficient.

Of course, what was even more striking was the magical cannon that made the dwarf's blood freeze at the sight of it.

Those dark, gaping cannon muzzles resembled a group of silent, steel behemoths, ready to unleash a thunderous roar at any moment.

Humans did not say a word more, nor did they explain these things.

But what they saw before them said it all.

To the dwarves, this was not a boast at all; it was a display of their unyielding strength.

"I never imagined humans were so powerful!"

"They treated us quite well!"

"Wow, humans even sent people to save us! Humans are really kind!"

"They should be easy to talk to, right?"

"Hey, Norsen, these things are pretty good. How about we take some back sometime and make our own replicas?"

"Hehe, this is good!"

"I feel good; these humans are quite easy to talk to. We can make something out of them, and even if they come looking for us, we can just deny it!"

"This is immoral! Our ancestors would be furious!"

"Morality? Ancestor's anger? Old Coppola, human things are good, I feel like they can become ours."

Can morality and conscience feed you?

While these dwarves were whispering amongst themselves, they were unaware that their quiet conversation had already been recorded by the built-in audio recording system on the Cat Car and transmitted to the command center.

As humans listened to the dwarves' story, many of the conciliatory faction members who still hoped to appease the dwarves turned their necks to the left and said directly: "Alas, I'm sorry, I'm too idealistic—they are too afraid of power and not grateful for kindness!"

'

"Yes, dwarves are just like bratty kids! They should be beaten a few more times! They need to be thoroughly beaten into submission."

"Well said!"

Laughter, tinged with good-naturedness, suddenly rang out in the command center!