Chapter 174: Dwarven Traitors [Two-in-One]

Built within underground lava, the [Titan’s Soul] resembles a large and irregular boulder.

Bound by dozens of magical iron chains and submerged in the liquid layer of Khazad-dûm, there is only one path leading here—a teleportation array.

This is an ancient gift from the Titan gods to the Dwarven Race.

It’s also the reason why the Dwarven Race has remained confident in facing the turbulence of the multiverse for millennia—no one can find this place, and even if they do, they can’t enter.

At this moment, a fierce debate is erupting within the Titan’s Soul.

Inside the completely hollow [Titan’s Soul], beneath dozens of colossal pillars hundreds of feet high, the chieftains of various Dwarven tribes gather on a platform, arguing heatedly.

“The Internet God surely realized we’re not so easy to defeat, which is why he retreated suddenly! Hmph, does he think he can come and go at will in Khazad-dûm? I say now is the best time to counterattack! It’s time to sound the horn of counteroffensive!”

“Arrogant! Counterattack, with what? Their floating airships fly high in the sky, what can we use to hit them? Our tribe’s pitifully few flying magical tools or the few advanced magicians?”

“So are we just going to let them plunder our wealth?”

“No no no, you’ve all got it wrong. The Fourth Calamity was just distracted by the faction system. They’ll be back sooner or later! We shouldn’t be thinking about counterattacks right now; we should seize the opportunity to strengthen our defenses and move the Mushroom Farm.”

“Nonsense! Focusing on defense will only cause us to miss strategic opportunities. We should counterattack now! Don’t forget, the Internet God’s situation isn’t great either. The Underworld God has just marched to the gates of Willis City, half the multiverse is in flames. He’s surely contracting his lines and preparing for battle! Now is the best time for us to strike while he’s down!”

The opening of the Conquest Sub-Dimension faction system has not only enriched the game’s content for players but also opened up more channels for profit.

But for the Dwarven Race, the sudden withdrawal of many players left them bewildered and filled with speculation.

Ultimately, all speculations boil down to two factions: the war-path faction and the defense faction! There is no faction advocating surrender! The Dwarven Race’s stubbornness is apparent.

As the two factions continued to debate intensely, the magical conch of Dwarf King Kauth suddenly emitted a whistling sound.

“Something’s happening!”

In an instant, the debating Dwarves fell silent.

Dwarf King Kauth activated the magical conch.

“Your Majesty, Highwood has captured a magical Earth Puppet. He claims to be the Internet God’s messenger and requests to meet you!” reported a voice from the magical conch.

“What?”

“An Internet God’s messenger? What does that mean?”

“Could this be related to the recent retreat?”

Immediately, the Dwarven high-ups looked at each other in confusion.

“What’s the point in speculating? Just meet him, and we’ll know.”

Dwarf King Kauth narrowed his eyes.

The Dwarven high-ups then projected their consciousness through a magical projection to a temporary stone palace, preparing to meet the Internet God’s messenger.

The temporary stone palace, expanded by magic, was rough and rugged.

Dwarf King Kauth’s magical projection sat high on the throne. Below the nine-tier stairs, dozens of stone columns barely supported the hall’s architecture.

The chieftains of the Dwarven tribes were seated around.

Soon, a magical Earth Puppet entered, escorted by Dwarven warriors.

He was none other than Detwi, who recently persuaded the God of Night to hire the Fourth Calamity.

Having negotiated with the Karman gods, Detwi faced the Dwarves—who had suffered under the Fourth Calamity—with arrogance.

Or rather, he needed to act arrogantly.

“State your purpose, messenger of the Internet God!”

Dwarf King Kauth no longer harbored the arrogance he once had when facing the Internet God. Even though this time he was merely facing a messenger, he still struggled to suppress his anger.

“The great Internet God, gracious and kind, magnificent and glorious! By the command of my master, the Dwarven Race’s unauthorized theft of the Dragon Factory’s production line is a grave offense but has been duly punished. If the Dwarven Race is willing to surrender to my master, the great Internet God is willing to forgive and offer them a chance to survive.”

Detwi clasped his hands at his waist, his chin slightly raised, looking proud.

“My master has always respected the faiths and customs of all races. As your race is a creation of the ancient Titan gods, surrender to my master requires no change in faith, no tribute. Just acknowledge and promote the Internet within your race and allow Internet Bank to set up branches.”

Detwi paused for a moment, finally nodding slightly, “Noble Dwarf King, what is your decision?”

The Dwarven Race erupted in chaos.

The Internet God wants to recruit them?

And the terms are so simple! They don’t have to change faith, they don’t have to pay tribute—this is not a recruitment, it’s a negotiation!

But why would the Internet God, who holds absolute advantage, negotiate? Could it be… the multiverse’s great conflict has threatened the Internet God?

Therefore, the Internet God had to retract his lines and prepare for battle, thus giving up the offensive against Khazad-dûm? “Internet Bank branches? How’s that different from letting the Internet God establish a church in Khazad-dûm?”

“Exactly, Internet Bank is equivalent to the Internet God’s church! This is pure proselytization, this condition cannot be accepted!”

The chieftains of the Dwarven tribes exclaimed loudly.

Some even cut off the magical projection directly within the [Titan’s Soul], advising Dwarf King Kauth in person.

“Your Majesty, do not agree. The Internet God is cunning. If he held absolute advantage, why recruit us?”

“Yes, the Internet leaflets are all over the multiverse. Why would he lack followers? He clearly fears we might drag him into the conflict.”

“Indeed, I think the so-called faction system is just a cover.”

For a moment, the Internet God’s favorable terms led many Dwarven chieftains to suspect that the Internet God’s recruitment is merely a guise, seeking peace is real.

Hearing this, Dwarf King Kauth pondered briefly and said to Detwi through magical projection, “If the Internet God truly wishes to recruit my noble Dwarven Race, then start by returning the stolen wealth!”

Detwi was left speechless.

Returning stolen wealth? Since when is that reasonable?

If returned, would that still be recruitment? It’s more like an apology! At this moment, not just Detwi, even Yu Sheng’an, who was watching the negotiation from a god’s perspective, had an unpleasant expression.

He thought the reason the Five Prime Gods couldn’t subjugate the Dwarves was due to their immutable faith.

In that case, I don’t need your faith! Additionally, the Dwarven Race’s greed, comparable to the Dragon Race, was another key point.

Thus, Yu Sheng’an didn’t require tribute.

One could say the conditions were very favorable, yet he didn’t expect the Dwarves not only refused to be recruited but dared to make such an outrageous demand.

Do they not want respect? Or have they not been beaten enough?

Thinking this, Yu Sheng’an coldly smiled. Recruiting the Dwarven Race was just one part of his plundering strategy, not an absolute must.

Given they remain so stubborn, fine!

Then fight to the death! Immediately, Yu Sheng’an instructed Detwi through the Internet to withdraw from the negotiation.

Simultaneously, he decided to bind the soon-to-be-issued point cards with Khazad-dûm.

That is, for every hour spent in Khazad-dûm daily, an equivalent hour of point cards is given.

This would ensure a significant number of players remain in Khazad-dûm.

At this time, following Lord Ajef’s order, Detwi sneered and said, “Since your race doesn’t appreciate good wine and prefers penalty wine, don’t blame my master for being impolite.”

Having said this, he prepared to log off and leave.

Unexpectedly, a voice suddenly shouted from the gathering.

“Wait!”

“Hm?”

A Dwarven chieftain stepped forward, looking serious, and asked, “No change in faith, no tribute, is this true?”

Detwi’s eyes flickered, then he nodded, “Of course!”

“Chieftain Ironbeard, what are you doing?”

“Ken, what do you mean?”

The Dwarven high-ups exclaimed in shock.

Chieftain Ironbeard Ken looked stern and said, “What assures these conditions? Don’t tell me about a contract; I don’t trust contracts.”

Detwi was silent momentarily, then said, “My master can issue a statement on the Internet, the whole net!”

Upon hearing this, Chieftain Ironbeard’s magical projection suddenly solidified. He swapped with his physical self, “Fine, the Ironbeard tribe is willing to accept the Internet God’s recruitment!”

“Outrageous!”

“Ken, what are you doing?”

“Traitor!”

“This is a betrayal of the Dwarven Race!”

“Coward!”

The Dwarven high-ups burst into curses.

Ironbeard Chieftain Ken, with his dense beard hanging down to his waist, angrily turned to retort:

“No, I am not a traitor! I have not betrayed my faith! Nor have I betrayed my race! I just want life to return to normal!”

“When the Five Prime Gods invaded, which tribe sacrificed the most? It was my Ironbeard tribe! In every charge, wasn’t the Ironbeard tribe at the forefront?”

“And now? We can’t even find the enemy! Open your eyes and look at our tribe—how many clansmen are starving? Our wealth accumulated over thousands of years has been almost entirely plundered, all because you, Dwarf King Kauth, stole the Internet God’s production line without authorization!”

The usually silent Ken finally exploded!

The Five Prime Gods’ invasion didn’t break him, but the Fourth Calamity did.

The Five Prime Gods were terrifying, but Khazad-dûm was too vast.

Facing an almost entirely evacuated underground world, even the massive Five Prime Gods’ army was divided into countless small teams, unable to exploit collective strength!

Let alone poison gas, toxic fluid, or even flooding tactics.

Facing the terrain-segmented Five Prime Gods’ army, the Dwarven Race utilized their home advantage and the mobility of massive worms, capable of crossing rocks and entering battle from every angle.

Despite not daring to say they crushed the Five Prime Gods’ army, at least they could hold their ground and fight back vigorously.

Every victory greatly encouraged the Dwarven Race.

What about the Fourth Calamity? They were more scattered and mobile than the Dwarves.

In tunnels, within rocks, their figures were everywhere. They’d charge forward, then disappear like water drops into the pool.

The Dwarven Race’s mobility was nothing before them.

The Fourth Calamity used the Internet’s communication capability to report Dwarven positions at any time, avoiding their sharpness and exploiting weaknesses to plunder, steal, and attack relentlessly.

They even adapted to the dark underground world better than the Dwarves.

Not only did they not have morale issues, but they also fought more courageously.

For wealth, they resorted to fraud and extortion, employing numerous tactics!

Even threatened with destroying the Mushroom Farm to extort wealth.

One could say the war not only interrupted the Dwarven Race’s arms trade but also disrupted their production and life.

Countless Mushroom Farms were destroyed, countless low-ranking Dwarves were starving.

Maybe the Dwarven high-ups could endure such sacrifices.

But Chieftain Ironbeard could not!

He would fight to the last warrior for the supreme Titan faith.

But he could not let his tribe’s people suffer and starve, letting thousands of years of accumulated wealth be plundered in a meaningless war.

“You’re just a coward!”

Dwarf King Kauth roared.

At this moment, a teleportation array suddenly lit up beside Chieftain Ironbeard Ken.

Ajef’s figure appeared in the teleportation array.

His appearance instantly halted Dwarf King Kauth’s roar.

Not just him, the entire stone palace fell into dead silence.

After a long while, Dwarf King Kauth reacted, angrily shouting, “Ken, don’t fall for the Internet God’s scheme!”

Ken responded with a cold smile and said no more.

Seeing this, Dwarf King Kauth looked angrily at Yu Sheng’an and shouted, “Ajef, you may deceive Ken, but you can’t deceive me! Don’t think I don’t know your intentions? Even if the Dwarven Race has to drag you into the abyss of despair, I await that day!”

With that, the Dwarf King’s figure disappeared.

The other Dwarven high-ups left the stone palace one by one.

Only Ironbeard Chieftain Ken stood aside with a trace of sorrow in his eyes.

“Congratulations on turning away from darkness.”

Yu Sheng’an ignored the Dwarves’ shouts, looking at Ken.

“I just don’t want my clan to suffer!”

Ken had a complex expression.

He should have extreme hatred for the Internet God. If he could kill the Internet God, he would do so immediately, even at the cost of his own life.

But hatred couldn’t fill the empty stomachs of the tribe’s children;

couldn’t restore their lost wealth and freedom.

“In the future, Dwarven history will surely be proud of your choice, I promise,” Yu Sheng’an smiled.

“If it were for reputation, I’d refuse recruitment like them, for commoners have no right to write history,” Ken said with self-deprecation.

Hearing this, Yu Sheng’an glanced at Ken with a hint of surprise.

He hadn’t expected such visionary figures among a race filled with alcohol-dulled minds! Indeed, population base assures the birth of geniuses.

Sadly, the Dwarf King is not one of them.

It’s unclear how the Dwarven Race selects a king?

Is it through foolish lineage? “This isn’t a place to chat. May I follow you to your tribe to discuss further?”

“I need to see the recruitment statement first!”

“I like your caution! But let me remind you, once the statement is issued, if you break your promise, don’t blame me for being relentless.”

“That statement should be from me,” Ken said with a hint of force.

Yu Sheng’an smiled. The weak can only desperately plead with the strong.

He didn’t care.

He casually wrote a statement, released on the entire net in a bubble format.

Ken clearly had an Internet account. When the statement was released, his expression visibly relaxed.

“Come with me!” Ken summoned a teleportation array.

Yu Sheng’an confidently stepped onto it.

At the moment of activation, Yu Sheng’an replaced his divine projection, substituting a magical puppet.

The next second, the teleportation array appeared in a vast underground cave.

The cave was unimaginably large, with glowing mineral veins covering the high ceiling.

Within the rock layers and crags of the cave, it resembled an exotic landscape shaped by wind erosion.

The cave wasn’t dark.

The glow from the ceiling and the burning torches lit the surroundings like twilight.

Once ensured there were no dangers around through God’s Perspective, Yu Sheng’an swapped back his divine projection.

“Chieftain, you returned? The Internet just… is he?”

An elderly Dwarf hurried over, wanting to report, but paused upon seeing Yu Sheng’an, whose human features were glaringly obvious and instantly made him freeze.

“The Internet’s statement is real. Notify the tribe to immediately monitor individuals from other tribes and deport them! Also, convene the elder council.”

“…Understood!” The elderly Dwarf hesitated but ultimately acknowledged heavily. He glanced one last time at Yu Sheng’an, then turned to leave.

“Mr. Ajef, according to Dwarven custom, foreign races can’t participate in the tribal council, so…” Ken said somewhat awkwardly.

“I respect your faith and customs. It’s stated in the declaration,” Yu Sheng’an replied.

Yu Sheng’an’s cooperation was a relief to Ken.

He summoned a Dwarven warrior, “This is Mr. Ajef. Accompany him through the tribe and fulfill his every request.”

“Yes, Chieftain.” The Dwarf warrior replied in a deep voice, though expressionless.

Ironbeard Chieftain Ken then bid farewell to Yu Sheng’an and went to convene the elder council.

Meanwhile, Yu Sheng’an curiously explored the Ironbeard tribe.

The Ironbeard tribe’s terrain was very complex. If one had to describe it, it resembled Blue Star’s 8D bridges.

Stone bridges and corridors were everywhere;

houses were hewn from rocks.

As Yu Sheng’an walked, his height made him tower among the crowd, drawing countless curious Dwarven eyes.

Fear, bewilderment, hatred, surprise, confusion, apathy, loathing… their expressions were varied. Most were gaunt and hollow-eyed.

Were it not for the warrior accompanying Yu Sheng’an, someone might have rushed forward.

Yet, even so, some exchanged questioning glances, answered by slight head shakes, clearly implying—no information available, don’t get close.

“Pop!”

Yu Sheng’an abruptly raised his hand, catching a stone mid-air.

Looking towards the direction of the stone, he saw a Dwarven boy ducking back into a rock window.

Instantly, the scene fell silent.