Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

City-state era, November 29, 42nd year.

Shield City.

The roar of artillery fire shook the entire mountain.

The mountain, which was originally bluish-gray not long ago, is now covered in black.

That's a demon.

A dense swarm of demons.

They surged from the seabed, climbed over reefs and scaled cliffs, like a black tide, spreading layer upon layer over the entire mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, countless corpses lay piled up, demons and dwarves mixed together, indistinguishable from one another.

Above the mountainside, the city-state named after its strong shield is roaring.

The flashes of the magic crystal cannons lit up the city walls, each flash taking away a group of demons.

boom--

boom--

boom--

The sound of cannons never stopped, like endless thunder.

The smell of gunpowder could be faintly detected even from this distance.

Mixed with the stench of blood and burnt flesh, it drifted in the sea breeze.

The dwarves' roars echoed from the city walls.

"For the King of the Hills!"

"Smash these scum!"

"Hold the walls! Not a single step back!"

Those voices were rough and hoarse, yet they carried a kind of almost fanatical fighting spirit.

The magic crystal cannons on the city wall were already scorching hot, turning red.

The dwarf gunners were shirtless.

Sweat mixed with blood flowed down, yet they continued frantically loading, firing, loading, firing.

Beneath the city walls, demons had already climbed the entire mountain.

They emerged from the crevices of the reef.

Emerging from the waves, stepping over the corpses of their companions.

The black tide surged wave after wave.

The city of Strong Shield is teeming with demons.

On the city wall, below the city wall, on the cliff, below the cliff.

Wherever there is a gap, there are those twisted figures.

They roared, climbed, dug their claws into the rocks, and tore apart the corpses of their companions with their teeth, all to get one step closer to that city-state.

And the dwarves just stayed there.

Not a single step back.

Inside the Forge of Balin, in the city of Shield.

The heavy iron gate was pushed open, making a dull scraping sound.

A stench mixed with the smell of blood, gunpowder, and the acrid odor of demons seeped in through the crack in the door.

Fortress Lord Bahrain strode in.

His full plate armor was covered in dark red bloodstains, some of which had dried and clumped together.

Some of it was still dripping down the seams of the nail plate.

The armor on the left shoulder was dented, with three deep claw marks along the edge, almost piercing through the steel.

Half of his beard was burned off, and the rest was stuck together in strands of blood.

Behind him, seven legendary dwarves filed in.

Their situation is worse than Bahrain's.

The one at the very front had his left arm severed at the elbow, the cut tightly bound with charred strips of cloth.

But blood continued to seep out.

His face was frighteningly pale, yet he was still grinning.

"That felt great! I chopped that beast thirty-seven times, and when I finally split its head open, its blood sprayed all over me!"

A dwarf next to him spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

He had a deep wound on his forehead, the flesh was rolled back, and the white bone underneath could be vaguely seen.

But he didn't care and casually wiped the blood that had flowed into his eyes.

"You were lucky. I got smacked three times by that thing's tail, and I broke at least four ribs. Cough...cough cough..."

He coughed violently, and the blood he coughed up splattered on the ground.

"That's enough," Bahrain said in a deep voice.

He walked to the furnace in the center of the forge.

He threw the already dulled battle axe in his hand to the ground.

The sound of the axe striking the stone slab was dull and heavy.

Everyone was looking at him.

Bahrain turned around.

The firelight reflected on his face, revealing a face that was weary yet as hard as rock.

"We killed the two epic demons."

He paused.

"But we paid a price."

"Old Copperbeard is gone, Iron Mountain is gone, and 50 extraordinary elites remain outside the city walls forever."

The dwarves around them fell silent.

Some people lowered their heads, some clenched their fists, and some gritted their teeth.

Bahrain took a deep breath.

But this is not the end.

His gaze swept over everyone.

"The Black Tide has begun."

"Centered on the Withered Rift, all the surrounding areas—the Frontier, Black Reef Bay, the Silent Sea—have seen all the demons go berserk."

"The entire border region, the entire southern part of the Blackwater Corridor, is in complete chaos."

His voice was heavy.

"This is the most difficult time that Shield City has faced in more than ten years of defense."

He looked at them.

"The city of Strong Shield may be destroyed by it."

The words fell.

The forging workshop was deathly silent.

The dwarves, who had just been excited about slaying the epic demon, now had only a somber expression on their faces.

Kuroshio.

It's the Kuroshio Current again.

If the Kuroshio Current had not originated in a remote region.

Why did they suffer such a terrible attack from the surging tide of demons?

But that's what makes the Kuroshio so terrifying.

Even if they are hundreds of kilometers apart, they can detonate all the demons.

Let it go completely insane.

"Therefore," Bahrain continued, "we must organize a team to enter the root tunnels."

"Including the humans and other races from Blackwater Harbor who were urgently evacuated to Shield City, all of them were evacuated inside."

The dwarves were stunned.

Immediately, a cacophony of voices erupted.

"Fortress Master! We can still fight! It's not the last moment yet!"

"Yes, Lord Bahrain, I don't think the situation has reached that point yet!"

"If the Alliance's inspectors discover that we fled without a fight, they will definitely put pressure on the Dwarven capital!"

"The mists surrounding the Wailing Wall are becoming unstable, and the situation in the capital is precarious. We cannot afford to offend the Alliance Council at this time!"

"The gates of Stronghold haven't fallen yet! We can defend it! We can hold it!"

Bahrain raised his hand.

Everyone quieted down.

"First, move all the survival supplies, food, and water to the root tunnel."

His voice was steady and unquestionable.

"Let the civilians go first."

He paused.

"You all, defend the fortified city well."

Then, he looked up.

Those eyes shone with an astonishing light in the firelight.

"And me."

He spoke slowly and deliberately.

"We will go to the Second Stronghold and nail the demon leaders to the gate."

"As long as we rebuild that lost city and activate the barrier, we can completely suppress these demons."

"But, if..."

Bahrain's voice lowered.

"The glory of the Second Shield City has not shone; activation failed."

He looked at them and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I will risk my life to hold back the surging demons and prevent them from breaching the city."

"At that time, you will lead the commoners away to the northern part of the Blackwater Corridor to find the dwarves in the capital."

He paused.

"If the investigators come to investigate the cause afterward, you will put all the blame on me."

A cold smile appeared on his face, illuminated by the firelight.

"They would love for me to die, so they won't deliberately make things difficult for me."

The words fell.

The entire forging workshop erupted in chaos.

"No!"

"Fortress Master, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"We'll go with you!"

"We'll die together! Why should you bear this alone?!"

The dwarves' voices were all incredibly loud.

The shouts, protests, and curses were all mixed together.

It even drowned out the roar of artillery fire coming from outside.

Someone patted their chest and offered to go in his place.

Some people pointed their fingers at him and called him senile.

Some people had red eyes and couldn't speak, only shaking their heads repeatedly.

The noise and commotion caused dust to fall from the roof beams.

boom--!

Bahrain slapped the anvil next to him.

The anvil weighed a thousand pounds, yet it was moved half an inch to the side by his palm strike.

The entire forging workshop was shaking, and tools on the walls were clattering and falling down.

"That's enough!"

He roared furiously, the veins on his neck bulging, his entire face turning bright red.

"Only I can do this!"

"You guys are just feeding the idiots of those epic demons!"

He slammed his fist on the anvil, making it vibrate.

"There's no room for negotiation on this!"

The dwarves around him shrank back at his roar.

But there was still a clear sense of defiance in those eyes.

Some people clenched their fists, gritted their teeth, and their chests heaved violently.

Someone was staring at the ground, their shoulders trembling slightly.

Someone opened their mouth, wanting to say something, but was so overwhelmed by that aura that they couldn't utter a word.

Stalemate.

silence.

Only the faint sound of cannons coming from outside seemed to remind them that time was running out.

Just then.

An old voice rang out.

"Fortress Lord".

The crowd automatically separated.

A dwarf with completely white hair and a beard that reached his chest walked slowly forward, leaning on a cane.

He was so old that his skin was covered in brown spots and his back was so hunched that he couldn't straighten up.

But when he walked over, everyone involuntarily lowered their heads.

He was the oldest dwarf in the city.

Groin.

The only person in the city who could possibly persuade Bahrain to abandon this suicide mission.

Bahrain frowned as he looked at him.

"Groin, old man, you know, this is the only way."

He stood there, his figure still as upright as an iron tower, his muscles gleaming bronze in the firelight.

Groin stood before him, so hunched over that he almost had to tilt his head back to see his face.

In fact, they are about the same age.

Groin is only a few months older than Bahrain.

But standing together now, the two seem like they're from different generations.

Bahrain's face shows almost no signs of aging.

Only the scars left by those battles.

His beard was still thick and black, and the muscles on his arms were still strong and muscular.

Groin, on the other hand, had completely white hair and skin wrinkled like dried tree bark; he even had to gasp for breath when he spoke.

This is the difference between epic and extraordinary.

The stronger one is, the more vigorous one's vitality is, and the longer one's lifespan is.

And the longer one's youthful appearance lasts, the better.

Groin sighed.

He looked at Bahrain, his cloudy eyes filled with helplessness.

"The Second Fortress fell eight years ago."

His voice was old, yet still clear.

"Something that even when you and Marbas joined forces, you couldn't do."

He paused.

"Do you think that, with the Black Tide surging and the demons running rampant, you alone can repair that Second Shield City standing on the ocean?"

Bahrain shook his head.

"no the same."

"At least this time, I have a barrier stone."

He turned and walked to a secret box deep inside the forge.

turn on.

Take out a pure white stone and place it on the anvil next to it.

The stone was small, only about the size of a fist, and was pure white with a faint glow.

"This is the barrier stone that the messenger boy gave me."

Bahrain looked at the stone.

"Its scope is narrow and its level is low."

"But I've tested it, and when it's on, it can block several epic and legendary demons for half an hour without any problems."

He raised his head.

"This is enough time for me to repair Jiandun Island."

He paused, then continued:

"Moreover, the rampage caused by the Kuroshio Current may not necessarily be a bad thing."

"It will drive our archenemies, those who have been preventing me from reaching Aegis Island, to madness."

He pointed out of the forge, towards the mountain covered in black.

"Look, those epic demons who've been guarding Shield Island have all marched here, haven't they?"

"The current Jade Shield Island has the weakest defenses."

What he said makes sense.

The terrifying demonic uprising brought by the Black Tide not only brought disaster to everyone, but also...

They did indeed control those highly intelligent deep-sea epic demons.

Let them transform into mad, insane demons who have lost their minds.

There were no more tactics, no more coordination; they only knew how to frantically attack everything in front of them.

This is indeed an opportunity.

But Groin still didn't think highly of him.

He asked directly:

"How do you plan to transport the massive amount of resources needed to build Shield Island, as well as that magic crystal cannon that's almost as big as your forge, there?"

He stared at Bahrain.

"With hovercraft? Or dwarven cannons?"

"Even if all the necessary construction materials are crammed onto transport vehicles."

"Can you carry this while fighting against the demons that are practically crawling all over the mountain, and clear a path?"

"Even if you could, how would you carry thousands of tons of supplies across the ocean?"

His voice grew louder and louder.

"I'm warning you, our airships can't carry that much cargo."

"Even any trackless trains we build for other transport teams can't handle it."

"Or are you planning to go in and out seven times, making several trips back and forth?"

He took a breath.

"We just deployed all our elite troops, but we still couldn't break through."

Do you think you can do it?

Groin stared at him.

"You are indeed an epic-level powerhouse, but the demons outside are not to be trifled with."

He stretched out his hand and pointed outside the forge.

Through the thick stone walls, one could faintly hear the ceaseless roar of cannon fire.

"A rough estimate suggests that the number of epic demons outside is about to break into double digits."

"There are more than a hundred legendary demons."

"Not only the deep-sea demons near the Silent Sea, but also the demons in the forbidden area behind Shield City, the Blackwater Forest, and the surrounding wilderness."

His voice was deep.

"With this number, even the strongest Black Dragon Army in the council would have to admit defeat."

"If it weren't for the fact that Shield City was originally a defensive city-state, and had also absorbed material support from various major powers."

He paused.

"Shield City has already fallen."

Bahrain remained silent.

He stood there, the firelight flickering on his face, illuminating his furrowed brow.

Supplies are indeed a problem.

If he were to personally take charge of the transportation, it would undoubtedly cost him a lot of combat power.

This is extremely dangerous in the current situation.

He turned his head and looked at a dwarf standing in the corner.

That was the leader of the "Black Rock" transport group, the legendary dwarf warrior, Balna.

Two months ago, Barna had just returned to Shield City from the capital of Carter, transporting supplies. He had narrowly escaped this calamity.

At this moment, he was standing against the wall, arms crossed, with a helpless expression on his face.

Noticing Bahrain's gaze, Barna shrugged.

"Lord of the Fortress."

He spoke, his voice rough.

"Given the current situation, transporting such heavy supplies there is difficult."

He paused.

"I think that only a transport team that has both a mage who can levitate and a stealth magic team that has mastered legendary or higher might have a tiny chance of getting the goods over there."

He spread his hands.

"Unfortunately, Black Rock does not possess either of these two qualities."