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Chapter 301 Slaughter! For the sake of my service to the dwarves! No… (Please subscribe)

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On the high platform, the statue that seemed to have stood unchanged since time immemorial suddenly opened its eyes!

What kind of eyes were those?

It seemed as if the magma from the earth's core had been melted and then tempered with millennia-old ice, its majesty and holiness intertwined, and the air itself seemed to freeze in the distance.

The dwarf Rotfish, who was secretly observing Gaizul, suddenly felt his heart stop, as if gripped by an invisible hand. He hurriedly lowered his head, forgetting even to breathe.

The sacred and majestic Gezur slowly rose from his seat at the back.

He made no unnecessary movements, simply raising his hand—a simple gesture that seemed to draw upon the very energy of the entire world.

But in places unseen by people, he was using his mind to chat with a cat.

[Laplace's Demon, make sure it exudes full power, the special effects are majestic and imposing. I've even applied the spacetime elemental, so please don't mess it up.]

Meow~

That was a feeling of relief.

Lin Li breathed a sigh of relief and looked at everyone, but he was thinking about something else: "I've shed blood for the pioneering team and given so much. I must take a good vacation and enjoy myself sometime."

Distractions vanished, and a deep, ancient voice, with a metallic coldness yet mixed with an inexplicable warmth, resounded in the ears of every dwarf like a great bell.

"Fellow countrymen, I am Gaizur."

Just four words were enough to instantly calm the boiling hearts of thousands of dwarves.

"As the heavens converged and the barrier of space and time slightly opened, I, following the decree of the three main gods, descended a wisp of energy from the temple to guide the souls of the dead back to the temple to enjoy peace! I thought I would witness the glory of my race undiminished and the fire of my bloodline still burning bright."

His voice paused, and the disappointment contained in that pause was like a boulder crashing into the hearts of all the dwarves.

"Who would have thought—I would see demons and monsters running rampant in the world, their decay eroding the very foundation of my people!"

"Some have been corrupted, abandoning the glory of their ancestors and instead serving unspeakable evils, offering the flesh and blood of their own kind as sacrifices!"

"Those in power have altered the kingdom's constitution, monopolized the secrets of runes and forging, and divided our people into noble and lowly classes, building an insurmountable wall!"

These words were heavy; each word was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of the lowly dwarves present.

Some people were bewildered and confused, then fearful; others were astonished and pondered before suddenly realizing the truth.

"Why would our great ancestor Gaizur speak of our kingdom? Isn't our kingdom quite good?"

"Could the Geizur in front of me be an imposter?"

Some people had doubts.

Some of the more thoughtful dwarves looked on in astonishment.

Aren't these all things they're going through right now?

Rotten Fish clenched his fists so tightly that he didn't even notice his nails digging into his palms.

He was a lowly dwarf, of humble origin, but longed for a life of luxury.

At the same time, he kept a close eye on everything in the kingdom, hoping to climb up to the top.

Many idols, such as Glory Hammer, are his role models.

But the more he studied, the more lost he felt.

Because often, the kingdoms could have done better, but they insisted that the dwarves take the initiative themselves.

At the same time, he thought of his deceased mother, the neighbors who had starved to death, and the arrogance of Glory Hammer and his gang, whom he had envied.

No wonder I felt something was off.

So it turns out—our ancestors knew all along!

Our ancestors saw it all!

It turns out the responsibility lay with them.

Lin Li gave everyone a few dozen seconds to think before raising his voice again.

His voice was filled with rage, as if it could burn a hole in the sky.

"Now, you have even violated your sacred duty to protect the kingdom and secure the borders, and have become the lackeys of the powerful and wealthy!"

""

His hand suddenly pointed to the row of kneeling figures below the stage.

Glory·Iron Hammer trembled and almost collapsed to the ground.

He didn't understand why his great ancestor would punish him.

Today, he ate wild vegetables and his treasured dried salted fish, eating until he was half full. He chatted with his colleagues about whether they could get more food. If they had the ability, they would try to do good deeds and save some of their ragged dwarf compatriots.

Then the ancestors appeared in a burst of blue light and began to punch and kick them.

When I woke up again, I was left here and threatened that I would lose an arm or a leg if I didn't speak with my consent.

Lin Li, now transformed into Gaizur, pointed at these people, then turned to the rogue team member recognized by Rotten Fish.

When the other person saw Gaizur pointing at him, he turned pale with fright, and the excruciating pain from his severed arm seemed to be suppressed by this fear.

Fortunately, the temporary form of Gaizur didn't kill anyone. He pointed at the people and said, "Look at them! Look at these lackeys of the powerful!"

"By what right do they call you, who share the same blood, useless commoners?"

"By what right do they deprive you of your sacred right to fill your stomachs through labor?"

With each question Gazul asked, the dwarfs below the stage stirred more.

Yes, it seems we can strive from nothing to become high-ranking dwarves.

Since we are part of the dwarf kingdom, why can these guys ride on our heads and shit on us?

If I were to become one of them, would I also yearn for this?

Then, some of the dwarves began to look at Glory Ironhammer and his companions with hostility.

Because they were bullied.

It's really tragic!

Soon, the confusion and hesitation of some people are being replaced by an emotion called anger.

Countless eyes, which had been looking at the high platform with awe, slowly turned to Glory·Iron Hammer and the others kneeling on the ground, and their gazes changed.

Some of the bolder dwarves had already reached for their pickaxes at their waists, or for the axes, hammers, or sickles they carried for self-defense.

Lin Li took in everything, and he was pleased with the change in the dwarves' mentality.

However, he also knew that these feelings were temporary.

He can impersonate a dwarf ancestor, but he can't stay here for long. Otherwise, based on his personal management experience, the dwarves would definitely cause a huge mess.

Therefore, letting them find suitable people naturally became his plan.

The temporary Gaizur changed the subject, his voice tinged with sadness.

He spoke in a very ancient, authentic Dwarven capital accent, his voice was practiced, and when he used it in conjunction with magical energy, it had a sacred quality.

In addition, the Laplace's demon had spent some spacetime essence to give its disguise some buffs, making its voice sound even more majestic and sacred.

"My compatriots, you have been corrupted into cowards, willingly becoming oppressed slaves! So many years have passed, and your warhammers have only learned to hammer ore and repair farm tools and fishing gear, but have forgotten how to break the shackles that weigh down on your heads?"

"How many years have you been worn down by your fighting spirit? You've even lost the courage to question these scumbags?!"

The crowd was deathly silent.

The young dwarves were utterly bewildered.

The older dwarves, those with extensive experience in the lower dwarf communities, clenched their fists tightly.

Many more dwarves, whose hearts were weak, lowered their heads in shame.

Yes!

They had been bullied for so long that they had become accustomed to it and only wanted to be a part of it, ruthlessly oppressing those below them, and had become alienated.

But they don't want to change it.

"Look at you, a bunch of cowards! I'm ashamed to be associated with you."

Geizur's voice suddenly became unusually calm, so calm it was unsettling.

"Today, you dare not question these henchmen. Then I will question them for you!"

After he finished speaking, his gaze locked onto the hooligan team member who had kicked down the door of the Rotten Fish family!

"Thump!"

The guy trembled as he was stared at by Gezur, who was Lin Li in disguise.

When the dwarf Rotten Fish saw him, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Even this scumbag has moments of fear.

This guy is a ruthless killer, but when Gaizul stares at him, he turns into a spineless coward.

All that could be heard was the cold, emotionless voice of the ancestor Gaizur, which resounded throughout the entire venue.

"You, tell my fellow countrymen."

"Who gave you the audacity!"

With a thud, the thug rolled his eyes and passed out.

He saw water stains under him and was so frightened that he lost control of his bladder.

Geizul's gaze froze for a moment. Then he wondered to himself, "Laplace's Demon, why is he unconscious?"

Meow~

The alias you've given carries a special psychological pressure effect; the other party has many guilty secrets.

Lin Li: "————"

Lin Li was speechless for a moment, then looked away from the unconscious rogue team member. His gaze, imbued with a unique aura, slowly turned and finally landed on Glory·Iron Hammer.

"Your name is Glory Hammer? Your real name is Rust, right?"

Lin Li, in his guise as Gaizur, asked a question with a softer tone the next time.

But his words still made Glory Hammer feel like his soul was being crushed.

He kowtowed suddenly, his forehead hitting the cold stone slab with a dull thud.

"I am reporting back to our great ancestors. It is my honor to have my name known by them!"

"Raise your head."

Glory Hammer dared not disobey. He raised his head with a mixture of fear and obsequiousness, yet dared not meet those sacred eyes in the eye.

Gaizul's voice rang out again, and this time, every word seemed to have been pulled out of the deepest ice of the underworld.

"Tell me, and tell all your compatriots who are trapped in their homes, why are you making them—not go out to eat?"

He spoke the word "eat" very softly, yet it carried more weight than any thunderclap.

Glory Hammer shuddered violently, his vest instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Legend has it that the ancestor was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, hated evil as if it were his enemy, was very patient when guiding the dead dwarves, and treated his fellow countrymen equally.

Did our ancestors think that what we did before was too cruel?

His mind raced, and he desperately protested, "Ancestor, I'm innocent! I wanted them to go eat too, but not eating wasn't my idea! It was—it was the order from the Constitutional Corps!"

"Yes, it was the military police who gave the order!"

He grasped at a straw, his speech quickening: "The men say that humans are cunning and greedy, and their petty favors are all sugar-coated bullets, poison! If we take their things, we will be divided and corrupted, and Tranquil Harbor will descend into chaos!"

"I—my companions and I did this to protect everyone, to prevent Peaceful Harbor from being tainted by the dirty footprints of humans!"

"We did this for the good of Peaceful Harbor, great ancestor! You can't show favoritism! We've done great service to the dwarves; at worst, our methods were a bit too extreme!"

In the end, he even managed a touch of tragic heroism, as if he were the one who had endured humiliation and hardship.

"Oh?" Lin Li, playing the role of Gaizur, smirked slightly. "So, you defied the kingdom's laws and, without trial, directly took the lives of your poor, innocent, and starving compatriots?"

But they broke the law, didn't they?

Glory Hammer really wants to say something.

But he glanced nervously at Gaizur's expression and his heart skipped a beat.

He felt that his words might affect his future.

"They—they—" Glory Hammer stammered, and after a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out, "Our great ancestors used harsh measures in times of chaos! I didn't want this either, they are my brothers, my beloved family and friends! I didn't want this either, but an order is an order, and the law is the law."

Upon hearing this, a chorus of undisguised curses erupted from the crowd below the stage.

"Why didn't you just hang them up? Why kill them?!"

"Yes, so many people were killed! So cruel! They deserve years of hard labor."

"Yes, there are many kids under thirty among them!"

"Yeah! Glory Hammer, you're nothing but trash!"

"Damn it, you damn bastard!"

With Gaizul backing them up, the lower-class dwarves, especially those whose relatives and friends had been killed, immediately began to question and curse.

Upon hearing this, Lin Li finally couldn't help but let out a low laugh from his chest.

"Hoh—hoh hoh hoh—"

Lin Li's laughter, amplified by the loudspeakers, resounded clearly throughout the entire square, and all the dwarves immediately fell silent.

They wanted to see how their great forefathers would judge.

"Very well." Gaizul's laughter abruptly stopped. "Rust, look at you, your mentality has long been twisted and distorted. A law enforcer who doesn't even value the lives of his own people actually wields the power of law enforcement!"

He paused, then asked with a chilling, ruthless tone, "Do the rest of you think the same way? Do you also believe those dwarves deserved to die?"

His gaze swept over the row of kneeling thugs. They were terrified. Some nodded vigorously, while others cried and complained that they didn't want to. In any case, they all echoed the idea that the dwarf had to be killed, otherwise they couldn't establish authority.

In their view, they were not wrong; everything they did was for the dwarves and for this sacred land.

"A bunch of idiots! Utter idiots! A bunch of idiots who do evil but claim to be righteous."

His gaze swept over the enforcement team, then turned to the other lower-ranking dwarves.

As time went on, the number of lowly dwarves gathered here increased to nearly ten thousand.

As the saying goes, when there are tens of thousands of people, it feels like there is no end in sight.

If it weren't for the dwarves' excellent night vision, and the fact that Lin Li had the high platform built by the humans, equipped with a projector, allowing many people to see him, plus the aura buff that Lin Li could have obtained from Laplace's demon, things could have gotten really messy this time.

"My fellow countrymen, you have suffered! But I've discovered that you deserve to suffer; you're making yourself suffer even when you're not!"

Gezur's roar was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

"I told you before, humans are our friends! I've saved so many people! Why don't you go and get food from them?"

"It was my order to go and collect food from our human friends. You don't trust humans, but you don't trust me either?"

"Humans can be trusted! Yet you insist on listening to those bloated, privileged elites!"

"Trash! A bunch of hopeless idiots!"

"The laws my race established since the descent of the stars are your shield, your weapon to save you in times of crisis! But what about you? You bastards, corrupted by the powerful, have sold your souls and loyalty to those selfish scum!"

"You guys are even afraid to eat!"

Geizur's voice suddenly turned icy cold as he announced, word by word.

"I've made my decision! From this day forward, the Ancestral Temple will no longer welcome you!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt into the very souls of all the dwarves.

The kneeling thugs, including Glory Iron Hammer, instantly turned ashen-faced, as if all the bones in their bodies had been removed, and collapsed to the ground.

"No--!"

"Ancestor! No!"

"After I die, I want to return to my mother's embrace! Ancestors, I beg you to retract the divine decree!"

For dwarves, the ultimate honor is for their souls to return to the ancestral temple after death and be with their ancestors; it is the faith that sustains them throughout their lives.

Being rejected by the temple means that one may become a wandering ghost, forever lost in the cycle of suffering.

This is worse than killing them!

Not far from here.

Looking at the scenery coming from the camera, Zhao rubbed his chin and said, "It seems this mysterious dwarf friend is quite impressive."

The butcher beside him whispered, "The mysterious man treats us as friends, but we don't know enough about the dwarves!"

"Perhaps, but we should thank the mysterious man!" Zhao said after a moment's thought. "It's possible that the mysterious man has a very powerful backing, allowing them to see more of the true nature of things. These dwarves, however, are quite pitiful!"

"What's the use of being pitiful? There are many pitiful people in Eagle Island, Cherry Blossom Island, and many other places. But if they don't wake up and don't change, they will still suffer endless hardships for the rest of their lives."

"So, this is the sacred mission that brought us here as pioneers!"

In the midst of constant natural and man-made disasters, a sun suddenly rises nearby, its temperature so warm and pleasant, its air so sweet and relaxing.

When the other party shines upon their flaws and injustices like the sun, what kind of psychological changes will those people experience?

Longing or envy?

Inferiority complex or confidence?

To succumb or to awaken?

Human nature always yearns for the good. Although dwarves have many personality problems, Zhao and his people do not believe that when the good is placed in front of them, they will choose to be cowards.

In that high platform area, just as countless dwarves were filled with fear, grief, anger, or secret pleasure, and some thoughts were quietly brewing in their minds, a sharp and angry voice rang out from behind the crowd.

"Shut up, all of you! Don't beg him!"

The sound was extremely penetrating, instantly drowning out the noise at the scene.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dark mass of people parting to the sides like Moses parting the Sea, as a group of richly dressed and distinguished dwarves walked over.

Leading the group was an elderly dwarf, clad in mithril chainmail, his beard braided into a dozen or so intricate plaits, adorned with new gemstones.

He is none other than Gale Mithril Ironhammer, the interim governor of Tranquil Harbor!

He was followed by a group of managers of Tranquil Harbor, whose clothing, physique, and demeanor contrasted sharply with the sallow-faced and emaciated civilians around him.

They had just been celebrating their successful consolidation of the port, drinking and eating meat, and discussing sacrificing some of the lower-class dwarves to survive the famine.

Such incidents are not uncommon within the kingdom.

In this cruel world, when disaster strikes and danger looms, it is perfectly appropriate for the dwarven army to remain rational and abandon the old and weak when they are unable to cope with the danger.

Moreover, once their reinforcements arrive, everything will be resolved.

So what if some dwarfs and lowly people die?

Dwarfs and outcasts are like weeds in the field; once cut, they quickly grow back.

Before the celebration party was over, and just as they were about to secretly buy more servants, they received the shocking news from their servants that Gazul had arrived!

It's one thing for Gazul to descend, but it's another to not go after them.

After the great ancestor Gazul appeared, he directly dealt with the dwarven law enforcement officers. He also ordered the dwarves to hold large-scale gatherings of the lower-ranking dwarves.

He had heard Gaizur's voice on the way here.

Doubt, shock, and fear that made me break out in a cold sweat.

At this moment, Gale, with his keen sense of smell, felt that his life had entered the depths of the Devil's Sea, where he could be hunted down by the terrifying sea monsters at any time.

Gael Mithril Hammer rushed to the front of the stage in three strides. He didn't even look at Glory Hammer and the others on the ground, but stared at Gaizul on the high platform, his face full of undisguised mockery and rage.

He stretched out his finger, adorned with rings, pointing directly at the great ancestor Gaizur, who stood atop the high platform.

"Your Majesty, I must say your magic is truly remarkable; the transformation of your great ancestor is incredibly lifelike!"

"However, the last time our ancestors displayed their divine power was during the bloody Age of Conflict. More than a thousand years have passed since their manifestation. Our ancestors can no longer descend upon this world."

"Your Majesty, magic can deceive, lies can deceive, but intentions cannot."

"Are you human? Or a dwarf with close ties to humans?"

After speaking, Gale looked into the distance: "My fellow countrymen, you have all been deceived! This sovereign is powerful, but magic is just magic! He is attempting to divide us and overthrow the territory that made Tranquil Harbor a human territory!"

"Gentlemen, if I die because I have angered His Majesty, please remember what I said earlier!"

"Long live the dwarves! Long live the Mountain Kingdom!"

"Long live the dwarves! Long live the Mountain Kingdom!"

The same was true of the governors of those tranquil harbors and others.

Geizul, the dwarf who had transformed into Lin Li: "—, other lower-ranking dwarves:

2

At this moment, Lin Li looked at the dwarf Gale with newfound respect.

Damn, this guy is telling the truth!

He actually guessed my ultimate goal in one fell swoop!

When Lin Li felt frustrated, he felt a slight admiration for the dwarf's quick wit.

But then came the thought of how to do it.

Meanwhile, the humans monitoring from afar—whether it was Zhao and others nearby, ready to respond to the operation and maintain order, or Bi Shengli in the rear, or even Su Mingjin and others who stayed up all night to watch this special live broadcast—all silently watched this scene.

They were eager to see how this friend of the supposed dwarf ancestor Gazul would resolve the old dwarf's doubts.

Whether human or dwarf, everyone's gaze was fixed on their great ancestor, Gazul.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lin Li thought of a solution in less than 0.5 seconds.

There is a very interesting point in modern society.

When a matter is confusing and unclear, and it's impossible to analyze right and wrong, the best and easiest way is to ask the other party to provide as many clues as possible to prove your point.

Sometimes, you really shouldn't say too much.

Lin Li laughed, and burst into laughter.

"Boy, you're quite interesting. I've decided that when you die, I will take you back to the Ancestral Temple, but you must accept the Temple's judgment."

"You will serve a thousand years of hard labor in the Temple of the Ancestors as payment for offending me!"

Lin Li, now transformed into Gaizur, spoke in a loud voice, as if what he said was true.

Then, Lin Li spoke again: "As for the souls of the others, I, Gaizul, in the name of [Grimnir], decree that your souls will enter endless purgatory and suffer punishment for at least a thousand years."

Upon hearing this, some of the dwarven nobles and soldiers who had accompanied Gael showed fear, while others were filled with doubt and uncertainty.

The sheer number of fake identities displayed before me was truly intimidating.

To make themselves appear particularly sophisticated, the special oppressive aura generated by consuming spacetime energy is primarily targeted at those with a strong sensitivity to magical energy.

In other words, the stronger you are, the more you can sense the power of Lin Li's avatars.

This is a custom-made buff.

Those lowly dwarfs only felt that Lin Li was like a strict father to them.

Kindness and cruelty, coldness and gentleness coexist.

Looking at the expressions on everyone's faces and noticing that they had fallen silent, Lin Li stood up and said, "Fellow countrymen, I am not here to play political games with these insects. I am here to uphold justice."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and slowly traced his index finger through the air, pronouncing the crime of each person he touched.

"Rust, Potter, Naaru, Carter—"

Lin Li's voice, transformed by Gezur, was solemn and indifferent, devoid of any human emotion.

"You obeyed the orders of the military police and, in the name of the order of Tranquil Harbor and the justice of the dwarves, committed a cruel massacre of your fellow citizens, causing many to die of hunger and cold. Your crimes are unforgivable."

"Today, I, Gaizur, sentence you to death! Your souls will be cast into purgatory to suffer two hundred and fifty years of punishment!"

Before the words were even finished, the noose that had been prepared on the high platform flew over and, like a venomous snake, precisely looped around the necks of Glory·Iron Hammer and the other law enforcement patrol team members and executioners.

After being ensnared, Glory·Iron Hammer trembled in terror, clutching the rope around his neck with both hands, only to find that the rope seemed to be welded to his body, remaining completely still.

An invisible force gripped his throat, making it impossible for him to break free.

Then, a tremendous force violently pulled him into the air!

He struggled violently, kicking his legs wildly, his eyes bulging from lack of oxygen, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Gail in the distance.

"No, no—ancestors—Gail—Gail—for the sake of my service to my people, save me—"

He shouted at Gail.

Unfortunately, the rope was very strong, and he couldn't pull it open at all. As the heavy rope carrying the counterweight flew over, it locked onto his ankle.

The weight of his body and the counterweights under his feet created a fatal pull, and the feeling of suffocation instantly overwhelmed him.

"Help—Help—"

He gradually lost the ability to produce complete sounds, only managing to squeeze out a hissing sound like a broken bellows from his throat.

Looking around, those once arrogant sheriffs and executioners now resembled strings of dried meat, suspended high on the platform by invisible ropes, twitching helplessly in mid-air.

This bizarre scene sent chills down the spines of all the dwarves.

Those powerful dwarves couldn't sense any fluctuations in runic power or magic.

In their eyes, Gaizur's attack methods were too bizarre.

Is this divine punishment?

This must be an incomprehensible and irresistible force, right?

On the high platform, Lin Li, in his avatar Gaizur, kept a close eye on what was below.

"Gail Mithril Ironhammer, and your consuls. They're begging for your help, so what, aren't you going to do anything?"

The nobles around Gale were shaken.

The soldiers, however, turned their attention to Gale.

"Help! Help!"

The dwarf soldiers immediately prepared to go over, some of them raising their muskets.

But as the azure light flashed, Lin Li's figure suddenly appeared in front of Gale.

He easily captured him and subdued old Gale.

"Who dares to make a move?" Lin Li shouted.

The people who were attacking Gail, who were originally there to save her, suddenly stopped.

Lin Li grabbed Gale and said, "Murdering your own people, harming your own kind! Gale, what do you have to say?"

'

Gail was grabbed by the neck and was extremely flustered.

He shouted, using volume instead of courage, "Your Majesty! Don't push your luck with the dwarves! The army of my High Mountain Kingdom will arrive soon. Aren't you afraid of being punished by a thousand troops?"

"Punishment?" Lin Li scoffed, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "I am Gaizur!"

I'm talking to you about souls, about the brutal killing of our own people, not about the affairs of an army.

"Heh heh, looks like we're talking about completely different things."

He carried the breathless Gale, watching the restless dwarf nobles.

"Let me say it again, I'm not here to engage in empty pleasantries with you insects and discuss peace, politics, and art."

"I've come to save my countless dwarf brethren who are oppressed by you!"

As their souls were taken over by Gaizul, an unprecedented light ignited in the eyes of the poor, lowly dwarves who had previously doubted Gaizul's identity.

Meanwhile, the soldiers surrounding the powerful and influential looked around, eager for their superiors to issue orders.

They wanted to save the interim governor, but they were also worried that their actions would kill him!

The dwarves are known to be very protective of their leaders, and these soldiers certainly didn't want to fail in their attempt to rescue the dwarven governor.

If they fail, they and their families will be buried with them.

After being restrained, Gail's eyes darted around.

His gaze swept quickly between the Linli Glory Hammer, which was struggling less and less in mid-air, and the human soldiers lined up in the distance.

He patted Lin Li's hand, hoping Lin Li would relax.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply.

Suddenly, a sheriff who had been supporting his colleague with an injured arm stiffened and his head drooped limply.

Immediately afterwards, the silhouette of a dwarf, translucent and with an ethereal glow, slowly emerged from the body.

The soul looked around blankly, then looked down at its own cold body, its face full of confusion, seemingly unaware that it was already dead.

Then he saw Gaizur on the platform.

"ah--!"

A silent roar, yet one that sent shivers down the spines of all onlookers, erupted from that translucent body.

Then, he turned around and tried to transform into a phantom and disappear into the distance.

However, Lin Li simply raised his hand and grabbed at it casually.

The fleeing soul was as if it had been grabbed by an invisible hand, frozen in mid-air for a moment, and then flew back uncontrollably, falling into the palm of Lin Li.

Lin Li didn't even look at it, and casually tossed it to the ground.

A tiny vortex emitting eerie blue flames suddenly appeared on the ground, and the soul screamed as it was swallowed up and vanished without a trace.

One after another.

As the hanged dwarves breathed their last, their souls were extracted without exception and then thrown into the vortex of fire by Gaizul like trash.

Gail had already been thrown to the ground, but at that moment he felt cold all over, his blood almost freezing.

"Souls—he can actually control souls—"

As the governor of Tranquil Harbor, old Gale was quite knowledgeable.

He had only seen descriptions of this method of directly interfering with the soul in the oldest ancient texts; it was a realm comparable to that of gods!

The Gazul before me did not chant a single spell from beginning to end, nor did he leak the slightest bit of magic power. He simply and effortlessly completed the judgment and banishment of the soul!

Could it be that he—

No! That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Gail's mind raced, trying to find a reasonable explanation for everything before her, but the legends she had heard since childhood kept surging up from the depths of her memory.

The great Gazul is a minor god who guides the souls of all dwarves. He is cold on the outside but kind on the inside, and he detests cruelty and fratricide.

Long ago, there was a rebellious dwarf who abandoned his family for a wild woman. After his death, his soul was judged by his ancestors and cast into purgatory to endure a thousand years of torment that pierced his heart!

These legends, which he had taken as bedtime stories, now seemed like the sharpest knives, stabbing his heart one by one.

Old Gale felt his legs go weak, his knees buckled, and he almost knelt down on the spot.

Ancestors above —

Could it be that I have truly offended the great Gezur himself?

And it seems I'm going to die!

Because the ancestors seemed to have identified themselves as insects.

Gale and the other dwarf nobles were utterly devastated, their magnificent robes soaked with cold sweat. Elsewhere, after a brief silence, someone let out a suppressed sob.

The crying seemed to ignite a fuse, instantly unleashing all the emotions that had been building up in the hearts of the lower-class dwarves.

"good!"

A hoarse roar tore through the air.

"Well done!"

"Waaaaah—my son! He was just starving and trying to find something to eat, but that beast Iron Rust broke all four of his limbs and then hanged him to death!"

An elderly dwarf woman collapsed to the ground, pounding her chest and stamping her feet, weeping bitterly.

"Our ancestors have appeared! The great Gezur has come to our aid!"

In an instant, this square, where many dwarves had gathered, became a place for venting their emotions.

Some people shouted with joy, some knelt down and wept, and some pointed at the still convulsing corpse in mid-air and cursed loudly.

All the resentment, pain, and despair that had been building up for so long burst forth at this moment.

Lin Li put down the ashen-faced Gail, then teleported back onto the stage, watching everything with a blank expression.

He ignored the agitated dwarves, maintaining his cold and dignified demeanor as if everything before him was perfectly normal.

In reality, he was secretly giving Laplace's demon a thumbs up.

The special effects and the acting are Oscar-worthy.

Those so-called souls are nothing more than translucent energy bodies simulated by Laplace's demon using spacetime source matter, coupled with a carefully choreographed theatrical performance.

As for the true soul?

Perhaps Laplace's demon can see it.

With Lin Li's current strength, let alone control them, at most he can sense the dwarves' roars and the loss of some faint spirituality from them; he really doesn't know anything else.

Just as the dwarves' emotional wave swept through the entire port, the atmosphere in the human temporary command center on the other side was as heavy as ice.

On the screen, the scene of Gezur capturing souls was repeatedly slowed down.

"How is it? Have you detected any magical fluctuations?" the commander asked in a deep voice.

A scientist in charge of monitoring adjusted his glasses, his face pale. "Reporting, Commander, nothing—nothing at all. The electromagnetic spectrum is perfectly normal, and the readings from our deployed magical particle detectors are stable, no different from usual."

"No difference?" Another professor stared intently at the screen, muttering to himself, "That in itself is the biggest difference! It means that the opponent's attack methods are completely beyond our current monitoring system! This—this doesn't make sense!"

"Could it be some kind of psionic or psychic power that we don't know about?" a young researcher boldly speculated.

"If it were purely spiritual power, it wouldn't be possible to create that visible energy form out of thin air," the professor immediately denied. "This is a technology we cannot understand, or rather—a technology that surpasses the capabilities of our current technology."

"If—I mean, if," a combat officer swallowed hard, managing to speak with difficulty, "if that dwarf can extract other people's souls at will, then can he also read the memories within those souls?"

The moment the question was posed, the entire command room fell silent.

Everyone, including Zhao and the butcher beside him, felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads.

The butcher subconsciously touched his neck and felt a chill in that spot.

For the first time, this ruthless man, who had been through countless deaths and bloodshed, felt an instinctive fear of a method of killing to steal memories.

Zhao's expression became extremely solemn.

This means that any captured soldier could become a source of intelligence for the enemy, and there are no secrets left.

"Perhaps some mysterious dwarf is incredibly powerful. Maybe these methods are just insignificant tricks to that mysterious dwarf?" Someone said in a voice that sounded almost like they were in a dream.

You call this a petty trick?

Who are you trying to fool?

This method is extremely powerful!

The command center fell into a suffocating silence because of this capability.