Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Grom sat beside a rough tombstone.

By the light of the magic lamp, he opened letter after letter.

Facing the cold stone tablet, he softly read the contents of the letter.

His voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in the silent cemetery.

The atmosphere, which should have been filled with sorrow, felt rather... subtle at this moment.

"Old Anvil, your adopted son Bronzebeard is living a good life in the New Testament City."

"Oh, he said in the letter that if his brother refused to help him pay it back..."

"Let me tell you to help me out."

Grom couldn't help but laugh and curse as he read this.

"That bastard, he still wants to scam people even after they've been buried underground."

He shook his head and pulled out the next letter.

"The second son of the Stone Hammer family, your sworn sister has gotten married in Karan City."

"The other person was a short human blacksmith who didn't look down on her because of her status. She said she was doing quite well."

"I always think of you when you were little, stealing roasted potatoes from her furnace."

As Grom read on, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

The other dwarves in the cemetery didn't seem to grieve much either.

They listened quietly, occasionally letting out a soft laugh or a sigh.

For these soldiers who have been fighting on the line between life and death for years,

Death is no longer a foreign concept.

They had seen too many of their comrades fall.

I have long since learned to face parting in the most open-minded way.

Grom finished reading the last letter in his hand.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the rows of tombstones around him.

"Brothers, did you all hear that?"

"Those Stoneheart people who left and scattered far away are still alive."

"They are all still alive and well."

His voice deepened, carrying an undeniable solemnity.

"And the one who brought back these messages was a human mage."

"His name is Lin Gui."

"With high-level strength, he traversed the entire wilderness."

"From New Testament City, to Karan City, and then to the capital of Carter..."

"Finally, we arrived at our Strong Shield City."

Grom stood up and patted his mud-covered trouser legs.

"I don't know how he did it."

"But the Stoneheart Clan recorded this kindness in their letter, and so will we, too, remember this kindness."

"You are the same."

He was facing the tombstone, as if he were truly having a conversation.

"I will thank him properly on your behalf."

"I will follow that kid Copper Hammer's instructions."

Grom paused, his gaze becoming unusually firm.

"Leave him in Stronghold."

"We must not let him go to the Wailing Wall."

His voice was lowered, but he spoke with even more force.

"Even if it requires force, by any means necessary,"

"We must stop him."

"To that...desolate place where no living person remains."

After saying that, he picked up the wine jug at his feet.

He tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

The golden liquid flowed down his beard, shimmering in the firelight.

He then placed the empty wine jug heavily in front of the tombstone.

He picked up the last letter and walked out of the cemetery without looking back.

The steps were firm.

Above the cemetery.

Lin Gui and Eve, hidden beneath the veil of night, watched this scene in silence.

Eve whispered in Lin Gui's ear.

A warm breath brushed against my ear.

"I never expected to hear something like that."

"It seems the dwarf leader doesn't want us to set off."

Lin Gui did not respond.

He looked up at the buildings constructed on the cliff face.

The numerous ventilation openings were sealed off by iron mesh, allowing only a few scattered lights to shine through.

"With the Night-Shining Robe and the Levitation spell..."

He spoke softly, his tone calm.

"They can't stop us."

After saying that, he manipulated the broom, silently changing its direction.

With Eve in tow, they flew toward Parliament Hill, where they were temporarily staying.

The night was dark.

The hustle and bustle of the mountain city gradually subsided.

Only the eternal flame of the furnace flickers in the depths.

What Lin Gui didn't know was that,

For him, the biggest obstacle was not Grom.

It came from the owner of that last letter.

Shield City, City Lord's Mansion.

This place is located at the deepest part of the mountain, and is also the core of the entire city-state.

The heavy metal door was tightly shut, and it was covered with defensive runes.

Inside the door was an extremely spacious office.

The walls were carved from a single block of obsidian, gleaming with a cold, hard sheen.

A dwarf sits behind a huge stone desk.

He was a size bigger than Grom.

His beard was braided into intricate plaits, interspersed with a few conspicuous strands of gray-white.

He was dressed in simple leather craftsman's clothes, yet he exuded an invisible sense of oppression.

He is the lord of Shield City.

Lord of the Fortress, Epic Lower Rank Warrior.

Heart of the Mountains - Bahrain Heavy Hammer.

At that moment, he was holding a letter in his hand.

His brows were furrowed, and his face was terribly gloomy.

Grom stood at the table, reporting cautiously.

"Lord, the letter was written by that guy with the copper hammer."

"It was sent from Carter's capital."

Bahrain Heavy Hammer suddenly looked up.

"Carter's capital?"

His voice was deep, like the friction of rocks.

"Yes," Grom said, forcing a smile, "and..."

"And what?"

"And what about the 100,000 gold coins you gave him for travel expenses..."

Grom swallowed hard.

"If nothing unexpected happens, he'll lose it all."

Copper Hammer himself was naturally not going to honestly admit that he had lost all his money.

Even in a letter to the fortress lord.

He also emphasized that the letter was written in Caran.

However, he did not expect that when Lin Gui arrived in Jian Dun City...

I unintentionally "sold" him.

While Grom was drinking with Lin Gui and the others, he also heard from Shea that...

They learned of Copper Hammer's impoverished life in the Carter capital.

They ended up sleeping in a dilapidated garbage dump.

Unsurprisingly, that guy lost all his money.

The air in the office seemed to freeze instantly.

Balin Hammer remained silent for a moment.

He slowly put down the letter, placing his hands on the table.

The knuckles turned white from exertion.

"One hundred thousand gold coins..."

He repeated himself in a low voice, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.

"I gave him a full 100,000 gold coins!!"

"You lost to me just like that?!"

"That's my secret stash of money!!"

next second.

boom!!!

He slammed his fist into the steel desk in front of him!

The entire solid steel table, half a meter thick, was instantly dented, leaving a clear fist-shaped indentation on the surface!

A terrifying tremor emanated from the point where the fist landed, spreading outwards with a deafening roar.

The ground of the entire city lord's mansion was shaking slightly.

The torches on the wall flickered wildly, casting a chaotic dance of light and shadow.

Ancient books and scrolls on the bookshelf clattered and fell to the floor.

Even the ceiling was covered in fine dust.

outside the office.

Several dwarves who were busy in the corridor were startled.

They instinctively looked at the alarm on the wall.

There was no sound.

The source of the tremors appeared to be the city lord's office.

They exchanged a glance, their faces showing helplessness.

"Who has angered the fortress lord this time...?"

"This time, the commotion is really big."

Before he could finish speaking...

Outside the office, a sharp female voice suddenly rang out.

"Bahrain Hammer!!!"

The voice was powerful and filled with boundless rage.

"What's wrong with you in the middle of the night?!"

"I finally managed to get those three brats to sleep, and you woke them all up!!"

The sound of footsteps approached, thumping loudly.

A sturdy female dwarf, wearing an apron around her waist, charged forward menacingly.

She was carrying a soup ladle, clearly having just come from the kitchen.

"Are you just bored?!"

"Do you have to let the whole city know you're smashing the table?!"

"That table was a gift from the guild! You're going to pay for it if you break it?!"

She rushed to the office door.

Pointing at Balin Heavy Hammer inside, he launched into a tirade of abuse.

Balin Heavy Hammer's momentum instantly wilted.

He shrank back, trying to explain.

"No, honey, listen to me..."

"I don't care what I'm listening to!"

The female dwarf gave him no chance at all.

"Stop it right now!"

"If you wake the child again, you're sleeping in the forge tonight!"

After saying that, she glared fiercely at Balin.

She glanced again at Grom, who was standing next to her, his face flushed from trying not to laugh.

"And you too! Grom!"

"Instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, you're here causing trouble!"

"Get back there right now!"

Grom immediately stood at attention.

"Yes, sister-in-law!"

He fled the office as if escaping.

Barin Hammer was left alone to face his wife's wrath.

The office door was slammed shut.

Faintly, one could hear the female dwarf mutterings outside, her anger still lingering.

"They're all such a worry..."

Balin Heavy Hammer stood there, staring at the crumpled letter on the table.

He looked again at the fist marks he had made.

Finally, he sighed deeply.

He bent down and began picking up the scattered documents from the ground.

He placed the last two letters on the table.

One of the letters was from Copperhammer to Grom, containing his request to keep the human mage in the country.

The other letter came from the port of Blackwater.

Freya, the captain of the North Wind Caravan.

The North Wind Caravan's supplies arrived almost a month in advance.

We have just arrived in Shield City.

One of the letters, from the North Wind, was also delivered to the fortress lord.

In her letter, she also explained why the northern caravan was able to deliver the supplies so far ahead of schedule.

Because of a human mage who joined from the capital city of Katarina.

In her letter, she described the abilities the other person had demonstrated along the way.

And they hope that if the other party visits Fortnite, they will be happy to do so.

Hopefully, Bahrain Hammer won't make things too difficult for the other side.

She knew the dwarves were hostile to humans, but she still hoped they would show some consideration for her.

If the enemy runs out of supplies and wants to replenish them in Shield City.

Hopefully, Bahrain will allow them to enter Shield City and rest for a while.

Meanwhile, in order for Bahrain to agree to Freya's request.

Freya mentioned Lin Gui's superb levitation skills in her letter.

This might provide unexpected assistance to Bahrain's plan to build a second fortified city.

Balin was well aware that levitation was a unique pinnacle in the realm of magic.

And when Freya said that...

Lin Gui's mastery of levitation.

He surpassed almost all mages, including the Wind Tower Master of the Thousand Towers City.

Bahrain's eyes narrowed.

Bahrain knew perfectly well how credible Freya's words were.

If that human mage truly mastered the levitation spell to such an extent...

Remembering the scoundrel Copper Hammer's instructions, Balin walked to the window and looked towards the cliffs of the fortress.

Those windows for firing magic crystal cannons.

"Hiss, just in case, let's start that thing up."

"Anyway, the North Wind Caravan's supplies will arrive soon."

"It should last until early next year."

As for Freya's mention of helping the Bahrain plan.

Even if the other party does have the capability, Bahrain will not do it.

Because the other party is the benefactor of the Stoneheart Clan.

The Stonehearts are the benefactors of the entire Shield City.

He returned to the table and took out the photo he had carefully placed there.

Looking inside, she saw the horned demon with a bright smile, embracing her.

Bahrain sighed.

"Marbas, if you were still here, how happy you would be to see these letters."