The fall of Iron Cliff brought the expeditionary army the last bountiful harvest. Hundreds of tons of obsidian were urgently transported back to the Sea Gate Pass. This extremely precious ore had been refined. It was very sturdy and could be enchanted. It was a rare high-quality material. No matter if it was used to make war machines, weapons, armors, or even city walls and fortresses, obsidian had an amazing value.
However, only Iron Cliff produced obsidian in the old world. This place had been lost to the green hands for many years during the Great Calamity. Otherwise, the great engineers of the Sea Gate Pass would not think of going to the new world to find obsidian.
Now, all the obsidian mined by the green hands in Iron Cliff had become Laing's spoils. The accumulation of the Iron Claw tribe over hundreds of years had become the expeditionary army's spoils of war. Laing even found the Elector's Golden Crown of the last Elector Eldrad in Iron Cliff. Laing thought for a while and decided to send it back to the Empire.
After conquering Iron Cliff, Laing chose to plunder and destroy it as usual. This Green Skin fortress with thousands of years of history was destroyed. Then the army began to break camp and slowly move south.
The army began to encounter difficulties.
Skarnik sent out a large number of Wolf Riders to constantly harass and attack the army's supply line. The cunning Wolf Riders could come and go freely in the Ferocious Land. Skarnik gave up on fighting the army head-on. Instead, he let Laing and Bellegar go south. He attacked and then ran, set up all kinds of ambushes and traps, and destroyed the vanguard and scouts. Slowly, the confidence and numbers of the expeditionary army were disintegrated and divided bit by bit.
The expeditionary army was in a difficult situation. The further south they went, the worse the environment in the Ferocious Land. Water and fodder were getting less and less. The logistics relied on the supply from the Sea Gate Pass and the military depot. However, after being attacked continuously, Laing and Bellegar had to send out another 5,000 people to protect the logistics route.
After losing 1,500 vanguard troops in succession, Laing had no choice but to order the expeditionary army to slow down and advance slowly to prevent an ambush.
The hot and dry weather caused many soldiers to fall ill, and the consequences of not being able to acclimatize began to show. The army had a lot of non-combat casualties, and there were fewer and fewer green-skinned fortresses along the way. There were also fewer things to loot, and the morale of the army gradually dropped. Laing wanted to win a few battles to boost his confidence, but the cunning Skarnik did not give him a chance at all. On the contrary, he planned to drag it out with Laing and the others. The entire Wretched Land was filled with green-skinned creatures from all directions. The expeditionary army fought several battles and suffered losses, but they did not encounter Skarnik's main force.
It took the expeditionary army about three months to travel from Iron Cliff to Valaya's Heartbreak.
Skarnik set up many ambushes, but they were all seen through by Bellegar. The scouts and scouts of both sides fought a few times, and both sides won and lost. However, it was clear that the expeditionary army, who had fallen into the sea of green-skinned creatures, found it more and more difficult to advance. The heat, the desert, the dryness, the rugged terrain, and the complicated and changeable climate all tortured the expeditionary army. Every step they took, they had to pay a huge price.
In August, the heat gradually faded. When the expeditionary army arrived at Valaya's Heartbreak, there were less than 30,000 soldiers left in the army.
Fortunately, the unicorn guards sent by François led 5,000 soldiers and a large amount of supplies to the front line, providing a certain amount of replacements. The wounded soldiers withdrew, and the merchants took away the spoils of war. The army was barely able to travel lightly. When the army finally approached Valaya's Heartbreak in late August, Bellegar carefully surveyed the terrain and immediately saw through the layers of ambushes set by Skarnik again. The King of Eight Peak Mountain and the Knight King personally went into battle and wiped out the 1,000 Goblin Wolf Riders that were ambushed in the mountain path behind them.
Then, Bellegar, who was very familiar with the terrain of the Roof of the World, led the expeditionary army through a secret passage to bypass Skarnik's ambush and attacked Valaya's Heartbreak first. Under the command of Bellegar, the magic crystal cannon bombarded the bottom of the green-skinned fortress's weakest wall, causing it to collapse directly. When Skarnik was still waiting for the expeditionary army to enter the ambush, Laing and Bellegar had already taken the lead and killed their way into Valaya's Heartbreak. They completely wiped out the 3,000 green-skinned creatures and set up an ambush to wait for the foretold green-skinned creatures to attack from behind.
However, the situation was unexpected. When Skarnik saw that his ambush did not work, he unexpectedly chose to retreat and disappeared into the Heartbreak. Just like that, the two sides tested each other back and forth for three months, and it was always a small-scale confrontation.
The exhausted expeditionary army was no longer able to pursue the green-skinned creatures that had disappeared into the Heartbreak. The army retreated into Valaya's Heartbreak and set up camp in the ancestral hall of the dwarves deep in the mountains to rest.
After setting up camp, both Laing and Bellegar knew that there was no time to waste. Laing led about 5,000 people, and Bellegar led about 2,000 vanguard troops and began to explore where the Gate of Valaya was. The rest of the army was led by Kalad and stationed in the ancestral hall, waiting for Laing's signal.
Now, in the deep and wide underground tunnel of the dwarves, Laing was followed by Veronica and Olica, while Bellegar was followed by the chief engineer of the Angrund clan, Harhav, and the chief runemaster, Stroud, as the army slowly advanced with torches in the underground tunnel.
The light was very dim, and there were no enemies around for the time being. Griffon Impris followed behind Laing, Bellegar walked beside Laing, and the chief runemaster of the Angrund clan, Stroud, was leading the way. The ancient dwarven runes and the dark marker stones guided the army forward.
"Grund's Beard, I can feel that something has desecrated our ancestral tunnel." Bellegar looked at Laing and said, "It's a very filthy and corrosive power. Obviously, someone has been here before us. Strange, when the runemasters sealed this tunnel, they had already sealed it."
In the dim light of the fire, the human army looked around nervously. Veronica would occasionally release a small flame skull to illuminate the ceiling of the underground tunnel. The army walked slowly. They had been marching for several hours. Laing held Mjolnir in his hand, and he hung Nemesis on his waist. After a few months of marching, Knight King's face was a little weathered, but he seemed to be in good spirits. "It seems that we have to face a new enemy. Brother Bellegar, can you confirm what kind of power has contaminated the runes?"
"I'm not sure. If Thorek Ironbrow is here, he should be able to feel it. But I'm not a runemaster." Bellegar was a little helpless. "Thorek told me about this path. He warned me not to take this path unless it was absolutely necessary because it seems to contain the secret of Valaya's ancestor."
"Uh, then won't we attract the hatred of the runemaster if we take this path?" Laing was a little embarrassed. The reinforcements from Ironpeak Castle were an important help in this battle of Eight Peaks Mountain.
"No. My ancestor, the spirit of the Loen King, allowed me to do so." Bellegar sighed. "I used to think that even if I died, I wouldn't use my ancestor's relic. But after experiencing so much, I understand that putting my ancestor's relic on the shelf and worshipping it might not be the original intention of my ancestor. If we don't use it, many of the relic would have been taken by the Green Dwarfs or the Skaven Ratmen. They would use it for desecration or evil rituals. This is the real shame."
"Okay." Laing nodded.
The three main dwarven gods were Granny, Valaya, and Grimnir. The three main gods had been introduced before, so it won't be repeated here.
The three main dwarven gods were the true rulers and ruled the dwarves for thousands of years. Valaya was the joint wife of Granny and Grimnir (hence the tradition of the dwarves). After the invasion of Chaos was ended by Alario, Grimnir, one of the three main dwarven gods, decided to lead a small team to the Chaos Wasteland to close the ancient saint's portal. At that time, all the dwarven ancestors objected, but Grimnir showed the stubborn nature of the dwarves. He insisted on going and disappeared in the Chaos Wasteland.
Granny and Valaya were pained by their negligence. After that, Granny decided to pass on the throne to his eldest son with Valaya, Snorri Whitebeard. 302 years later, Granny and Valaya led an army of dwarven ancestral gods to the Chaos Wasteland and tried to close the portal again. The remaining dwarves elected Snorri Whitebeard as the first Supreme King of the dwarves.
It was worth mentioning that the Elven Empire (which had not yet been divided) established a close alliance with the dwarves during this period. Snorri Whitebeard met Malecis, the son of the first Phoenix King, when fighting against the Army of Chaos in the wild. Together, they hunted and destroyed the last Army of Chaos left in the old world and formed a deep friendship. Later, the trade between the elves and the dwarves became more and more prosperous. The dwarves found more and more mineral veins, so they built many new fortresses.
At that time, Malecis and Snorri Whitebeard were so close that they could wear the same pants (unfortunately, the size was not the same). They could open the door and see what each other was doing. Malecis also became the diplomatic ambassador of the Elven Empire in the Eternity Peak. Later, when Snorri Whitebeard died of old age (when they met, Snorri was already more than a thousand years old, and when Malecis became the ambassador, Snorri was already more than two thousand years old), the first Supreme King held Malecis' hand and asked him to remember the covenant and not to betray it. Malecis also agreed very seriously.
Sure enough, the elves were not to be trusted.
"Many parts of the underground network have been in disrepair for a long time. Among them, the best protected part can only barely be passed through. After thousands of years, many of the underground network have collapsed due to earthquakes and landslides. Other parts have also fallen due to the attack of foreign enemies." Bellegar carefully checked the direction of the tunnel. "Oh, I recognize these ancient markings. They were made by the ancestral god Granny. Stroud, I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to me." Rune Craftsman Stroud, an honest man, carefully deciphered the runes. Only those with Granny's bloodline could become a rune craftsman. Stroud had to find the correct path among the countless forks and mines in the underground network.
After a few hours, Stroud finally found the direction. "Yes, it's here. This path will lead to the Gate of Valaya."
"Let's follow!" Laing immediately signaled the army to follow Stroud. The human army and the dwarf army united and carefully walked into the depths of the underground network.
"Oh my god, I hate digging holes. It makes me feel like I've become a female dwarf." Veronica followed behind Leon. Magus Gallan held Cuntini's Staff in her hand. The tip of the staff spat out flames and illuminated the surroundings. Even though she was a Light Fire Magus with Sanctuary-level strength, Magus Gallan still felt extremely uncomfortable in such a damp and dark environment. Judging from the expression on her face, she was very uncomfortable.
"Oh, Miss Veronica, if you were a female dwarf, there would be a lot of young dwarves chasing after you." Bellegar joked. The King of Eight Peak Mountain also knew that humans were really not used to the underground environment. He continued, "Unfortunately, you're not beautiful enough, and you're not charming enough. Well, I mean, if you're a female dwarf, you're a failure."
"Ha ha ha …" Laing couldn't help but laugh.
Among the dwarves, female dwarves only accounted for 10 to 20 percent of the total population. Therefore, female dwarves were regarded as the key to the inheritance and reproduction of the dwarves. Any female dwarf would only receive the best protection and the highest level of rations. The dwarven society was a typical patriarchal society. Daily work, forging, and war were all done by the males. Female dwarves were only responsible for housework and raising children.
Due to the scarcity of female dwarves, only the most powerful warriors, the best craftsmen, and the best engineers had the opportunity to marry a wife. In the dwarven society, strong, thick, and full of muscles, with a gourd-shaped body and a strong waist, female dwarves were recognized as the "most charming." If a female dwarf wanted to marry, her husband had to have a beard that could wrap around her waist, and he had to be able to take out at least the same amount of gold as his body weight. Human women like Veronica, who had an enchanting figure, white skin, and beautiful long legs, were the standard ugly women in the eyes of the dwarves.
The dwarves in the Angrund clan had more than once said that Laing and his brother were good at everything, but there was a problem with their aesthetic standards.
It was worth mentioning that female dwarves were forbidden to leave their residence at will after marriage, and they were also forbidden to do the same work as male dwarves. Their job was to manage money, take care of housework, and give birth to children. A female dwarf's childbearing age was very long, and she would usually give birth to many children in her lifetime. Laing heard that the female dwarf in the Angrund clan had the most children in her lifetime, and five of them were girls.
"When I first found out about this, I was so angry that I trembled all over. On a hot day, I was covered in cold sweat, my hands and feet were cold, and my mind was empty. Can this world be better? What do I have to do to make you satisfied? I can't help but shed tears. This world is full of oppression for women. When can they really stand up? "Laing said with a smile.
"… You bastard, I don't want to talk to you now. Get away from me." Veronica rolled her eyes at Laing.
As time went by, the army entered a huge underground mine. It was obviously another ancestral hall of the dwarves, but it had been abandoned for a long time.
As the army entered the ancestral hall, Sincerity Stroud began to identify the ancient runic stones. He spent close to thirty minutes to confirm them before he finally let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, it's here. Of all the tunnels leading to the Eight Peaks Mountain, only this one is still intact. But …"
"But?" Laing came to the huge gate. The highway leading to the Eight Peaks Mountain was completely blocked by a gate made of stone walls. The gate was engraved with very, very ancient runes and a mural. The gate was more than 20 meters high and nearly 50 meters wide, enough for three dwarven armies to pass through side by side.
"But we need to know the password." Now, under the power of the rune craftsman, the gate began to glow.
Hundreds of dazzling stars surrounded a world. A golden phoenix -shaped crown stood in the middle of two big trees, and below it was an anvil and a hammer. The tree's branches seemed to have a life of their own as they twined around the door, forming a series of words. Half of them were in Elvish, and the other half were in Dwarvish.
"Oh my god, this is the mark of Granny!" Belle Gar was surprised. "This door is at least five thousand years old. Brother Leon, come and take a look. What did those pointy-eared people write on the door?"
"Friend, you can pass through with just a word." Laing looked at the Elvish words and then at the Dwarvish words. "It's the same here."
"Friend?" Bellegar was obviously reminded of his disgraceful past. He waved the hammer of Angrond in his hand angrily. "Who's friends with pointy ears?!"
"Friend?" Laing thought for a moment. He suddenly thought of something. The king rushed to the gate and shouted in Elvish, "Friend!"
The gate did not move.
"Let me try." Belega walked up and said a lot of things in the dwarven language, including the name of the Dwarf God, Belega's family's orders, the oath of the ancestors, some deep-rooted hatred, and the name of the Eight Peak Mountain Fortress.
The gate still did not respond.
"Strange." Bellegar was a little impatient. "Damn it, Granny's hammer. What kind of password did the ancestors set on this gate?"
The group studied the gate for nearly 30 minutes, but they still did not find anything.
Laing was still thinking hard when Olica walked up from behind. The dark elf tiptoed and kissed Laing on the cheek. She smiled and motioned Laing to move aside. "Master, you've all made a mistake."
Olica walked to the ancestral gate and changed her tone. She spoke in the language of the Ancient Elven Empire and said softly, "Our friend."
On the gate, Granny's and Valaya's runes flashed one after another. The dwarves retreated or knelt down on one knee in awe.
Rumble! The ancestral gate began to vibrate and emit light. The gears and pulleys that had not been activated for thousands of years began to work. A loud noise echoed in the depths of the ground. Just as the dwarves and humans were cheering in unison, a strong wind suddenly blew from behind them from the place where they came in. It was mixed with the roars and roars of the Green Dwarfs.
Thousands of green skin troops appeared at the gate of the ancestral hall.
Skarnik and its Darkmoon tribe had arrived.
"Prepare for battle!"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
