Episode 263: Stubbornness (1)
Damian crumpled the note in his hand and surveyed the forge.
The war machines, the “Ancient Suns,” which the dwarves had proudly shown him the night before, had all vanished.
“How on earth did they disappear?”
Damian and his undead guards had been keeping watch around the forge. It should have been impossible for the dwarves to slip away unnoticed.
“My lord, please take a look at this.”
Dominico called out to Damian. As they moved aside the crates that had been covering one wall, a tunnel dug with pickaxes was revealed.
Damian peered into the tunnel, which seemed to stretch deep into the earth.
“There wasn’t a tunnel here before… Could they have dug this in such a short time?”
Damian could only shake his head in disbelief. The dwarves had managed to dig a deep tunnel right under his nose, evading his senses. It was a feat only dwarves could pull off, defying human logic with ease.
“They insisted on handling things themselves? I never thought they’d be so stubborn to the end.”
Dwarves were known for their immense pride and selfishness. Yet, the Hammerstrike dwarves had received Damian’s help multiple times. Their leader, Kilo, had even bowed his head to him.
Damian had assumed they had set aside their pride, but he was sorely mistaken.
“And they still managed to finish this.”
Damian picked up one of the emerald-green weapons from the corner of the forge. It was crafted from a special alloy Kilo had mentioned to him. The weapon’s craftsmanship was exceptional, especially considering the short time it had taken to make.
In addition to the weapons for the skeletons, there were also custom weapons for Dominico and Miya, and armor for Munch.
“My lord, there’s something else.”
Dominico handed over a staff. It was about a meter long, made of metal, with a handle finished in a mineral resembling silver. A note was tied to it, which Damian unfolded and read.
“For my first and last friend, the dark sorcerer.”
Damian gripped the staff, feeling the mana within him begin to circulate. He realized what the staff was: a magical staff Kilo had crafted for him, using rare metals optimized for mana circulation.
“Unbelievable.”
Damian let out a dry laugh. He was grateful, yet couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed.
“Dominico, arm the skeletons. We’re going after the dwarves.”
“But my lord, we don’t know where their city is.”
The dwarves had refused to reveal the location of their city, insisting they would guide him there themselves. In hindsight, it seemed they had planned to be stubborn all along.
“Don’t worry. If I’m right, they’ll let us know soon enough.”
“What?”
Dominico looked puzzled.
Just then, a distant explosion echoed, loud enough to drown out any thunder. The ground and buildings shook with a minor earthquake.
“This is…”
“The dwarves have detonated the ‘Ancient Suns.’”
Damian turned his gaze toward the source of the sound.
“The dwarves are there. Let’s move.”
Kilo and the dwarves emerged from the tunnel and headed toward the city. They moved swiftly, covering the distance in no time. They stopped short of the city, however, due to the presence of the Weapon Master’s guards.
“Ugh, what a hassle.”
“When will the Weapon Master let us in?”
“I just want to lie down on a soft bed.”
The guards patrolled the city perimeter tirelessly. Kilo watched them from the cover of the bushes.
“Chief, was it really right to leave Victor behind?”
One of the subordinates asked Kilo, who promptly flicked him on the forehead.
“You fool! Since when did our Hammerstrike dwarves start whining like that? Our ancestors would weep to see us now!”
Kilo shouted.
“And we agreed beforehand, didn’t we? Not to drag him into this. Even if he’s a dark sorcerer, we owe him. We can’t put him in danger.”
The subordinates nodded in agreement. It was a decision they had all discussed and agreed upon.
“Instead of worrying, let’s get moving. We need to give them a good hit.”
“Yes, sir!”
The subordinates stepped forward, setting down the large cylinders they carried on their backs.
“Load it up.”
The other dwarves pulled fist-sized iron balls from leather pouches and loaded them into the cylinders. The balls rolled inside and, upon hitting the bottom, were launched with a deafening roar.
The iron balls arced through the air, landing among the Weapon Master’s guards.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Isn’t that an iron ball?”
The guards, on patrol, noticed the iron balls. Unfamiliar with them, they reacted too slowly. The balls landed at their feet and exploded.
The explosion was cataclysmic, reducing the area to rubble and sending guards flying in all directions.
“Ugh…!”
“Cough, cough.”
The guards caught in the blast were in bad shape, with limbs missing or bodies covered in burns.
“Let’s go!”
Kilo commanded, leading the charge toward the city gates. The dwarves followed him.
The city walls were tall and curved inward, like a bowl covering the city. The dwarves pulled out a sticky, clay-like substance and smeared it on the gates. It was the explosive powder used to make the Ancient Suns.
While usually thrown in jars, it was more effective to bundle the powder for destroying large objects.
“Detonate it!”
A subordinate shouted, lighting the fuse. The flame traveled up the fuse and ignited the powder, resulting in a massive explosion.
The gates were obliterated in an instant, along with several buildings. The power was terrifying.
“Move in!”
Kilo led the charge, with the dwarves following.
Not all of them, though. More than half stayed behind at the gates.
“Chief, we’ll hold the entrance as planned.”
“We’ll make sure none of them get in!”
There were still many of the Weapon Master’s guards outside. They had dealt a heavy blow, but it wasn’t enough. Reinforcements were sure to arrive soon.
”…I’m counting on you.”
“We’re counting on you too, Chief.”
“Please, free us.”
The dwarves smiled as they spoke. Kilo gritted his teeth and turned away.
“Follow me!”
Kilo led the remaining dwarves into the city.
Inside, the city was eerily silent. Not a single dwarf was in sight, nor were there any signs of life in the buildings. All the lights were out, and no smoke rose from the chimneys.
The Hammerstrike city had once been home to tens of thousands of dwarves, bustling and noisy. Now, it was completely dead. Kilo felt a pang of sorrow but pushed it aside. There was no time for such feelings now.
They passed through the buildings and emerged into the plaza, where they saw it.
A massive structure occupied the entire plaza. It was square-shaped, with a thick, long chimney rising from the top. Inside, lava roiled, sending black smoke spiraling into the sky.
It resembled a furnace, but there was a crucial difference. It pulsed like a living creature.
Furnaces were typically made of earth, but this one was different. It was made of muscle-like material that throbbed continuously. With each pulse, the flames inside roared.
It was a grotesque sight, enough to make one nauseous just by looking at it.
In front of the furnace stood a figure. Judging by the short stature and muscular build, it was undoubtedly a dwarf. But unlike the others, this dwarf had a clean-shaven face and wore a pristine uniform instead of work clothes.
Kilo shouted at the dwarf with hatred in his voice.
“Akilo!”
Akilo turned his head. Strangely, his eyes lacked whites or irises. They were entirely black, as if darkness had filled the sockets.
“So it was you causing the commotion outside.”
Akilo’s calm demeanor made Kilo grit his teeth.
“You filthy traitor…”
“Traitor? Didn’t I tell you before? You were the ones who cast me out first. Calling me a traitor isn’t quite right.”
“Have you forgotten why you were exiled? It was because you and your father broke the taboo!”
Kilo accused Akilo of being responsible for the plague, leading to his and his father’s exile. But that was only half the truth.