Chapter 643: The Dwarves' Secret Domain
After securing the half-piece of the "Eye of Gruush," Titus finally lowered his head and solemnly said to the dwarf prince, "Zain, the details... King Edd should have already explained everything to you."
Zain nodded seriously. "Yes, Lord Titus. From now on, we dwarves will follow you and obey your commands."
Titus shook his head and said, "We are allies benefiting each other. There is no subordination between us, and your people are not my servants."
The ancient gold dragon looked at the dwarf prince, whose features somewhat resembled Edd's, and sighed lightly. "King Edd... he was a brave and selfless dwarf—and my friend. I will do my best to fulfill the mission he entrusted to me and shelter your people."
Zain immediately bowed his head and said respectfully, "Lord Titus, on behalf of the Shield Dwarves, I express my heartfelt gratitude."
The ancient gold dragon turned and walked toward the cave entrance. "Come with me. Let's evacuate your people."
"Alright."
Thus, the ancient gold dragon and the dwarf swiftly left the Lonely Mountain treasury and returned to the outside world.
Titus said, "The Burning Ember Empire's troops could attack at any time. We must evacuate and move your people to a safe zone immediately."
To save time, Titus picked up Zain with a claw and flapped his wings. Rising into the sky, he glided downward toward the base of the Lonely Mountain.
By this time, the base was already packed with dwarves. The crowd was restless and noisy, showing clear signs of anxiety.
"Where is Prince Zain taking us?"
"They said... we're never coming back? Are we really leaving Avenderdan for good?"
"What's happening? Where is King Edd? Are... are the orcs attacking again?"
Suddenly, a dwarf cried out in alarm, pointing skyward.
"Look!"
"It's Lord Titus!"
"And Prince Zain! They've come to get us!"
The dwarves raised their heads in unison, cheering loudly.
The massive gold dragon, with wings spread wide, descended from the mountaintop, casting a great shadow over the dwarves gathered below.
"Dawnwing" Titus—this was the mighty dragon who had saved Avenderdan and remained the dwarves' most steadfast ally.
As the shadow grew larger, a dwarf shouted, "Wait! They're coming down!"
"Make space! Clear the area for Lord Titus and Prince Zain to land!"
The dwarves jostled and pushed, finally opening a clearing large enough for the gold dragon to land.
Dust swirled and winds roared. Under the reverent and excited gazes of the dwarves, the gold dragon landed gently with Zain.
Titus said, "Zain, speak to them."
He then placed Zain atop a high rock, turning it into his makeshift podium.
Standing on the rock, Zain looked across the varied faces of his fellow dwarves. Most were weaker—elderly, children, and women.
—Though even dwarf women had full beards, stocky builds, and voices rougher than human men, Zain still saw them as rather "delicate."
With tens of thousands of eyes on him, Zain gripped the Rock Hammer tightly. The crushing weight of responsibility pressed down like a mountain.
Since childhood, Zain had idolized his father Edd and dreamed of becoming a great king.
But now that the moment had come, it all felt unreal.
After a pause, the much-anticipated dwarf prince finally spoke solemnly, "Everyone, I've gathered you here to evacuate Avenderdan. Under Lord Titus' protection, we'll head to a safe place."
"Your Majesty Zain, do we really have to leave?"
"But... what about our families still in Avenderdan?"
"My family has lived in the Blackstone Mountains for generations. How can we abandon it all..."
"Where exactly are we going?"
Zain spoke firmly, voice resolute: "The Highland Dwarf Kingdom faces a powerful enemy. Even my father couldn't guarantee holding Avenderdan.
He entrusted me with the mission of leading you to safety. Even if Avenderdan falls, we must ensure the kingdom survives!"
"Prince Zain..."
From atop the rock, Zain gazed down at his kin with steely determination—they would be his people now.
From this point on, the lives, livelihood, and future of tens of thousands of dwarves would rest on him. Whether the Highland Kingdom's legacy and the Shield Dwarves' civilization endured would depend on his choices.
Standing beside him, Titus kept a solemn face, though inside he was quite pleased.
Not only had he acquired the Highland Kingdom's entire legacy, he now had tens of thousands of dwarves ready to work for free—truly a win-win.
—Of course, in this case, "win-win" meant Cassius won twice.
"Roaaar—"
A mighty dragon's roar echoed from above as several gold dragons descended, respectfully bowing before the ancient dragon.
"Elder Titus, we come at the order of the Golden Dragon Council."
These dragons were nearly twenty meters long, more slender than typical gold dragons.
Their scales were etched with dense runes; their claws and limbs adorned with bracelets of adamantine and mithril; gems encrusted their bodies; some even wore robes.
Their identities were obvious—gold dragons who hoarded magic, Spellhungry dragons.
To make up for the Council's "inaction" in the last war, Gilded Sage Crassus had thrown full support behind the dwarves' evacuation, sending several Spellhungry dragons.
Evacuating tens of thousands at once would be impossible for normal spellcasters. But these dragons wielded grandmaster-level magic and innate spellcasting abilities.
"So many gold dragons?"
"By Moradin—I've never seen this many in one place!"
"No wonder he's Lord Titus! No wonder he's the Dawnwing!"
The dwarves looked up in awe and amazement at the descending dragons—even Zain was stunned.
Titus nodded slightly and instructed calmly, "Excellent. Thank you for your support. Begin constructing the portal."
"Yes."
The Spellhungry dragons answered in unison and began to gather. The runes on their scales gleamed, glowing with spatial magic.
With soft draconic chants, the Weave resonated, space warped and twisted, and before them appeared a massive, semi-transparent portal dozens of meters tall.
[Gate to Another Realm (Draconic)]
This portal led to the dwelling Cassius had specially prepared for the dwarves—Subplane #054, known by imperial colonists as the "Volcanic Secret Domain."
Located at the intersection of the Fire and Earth Elemental Planes, it was born a decade ago from a violent elemental explosion and only discovered months ago by Governor Selkan's expedition.
This subplane brimmed with rare ores and magical gemstones—a virgin land ripe for exploitation.
Yet the Empire hadn't developed it due to scarce manpower in the Fire Plane. Revealing the location risked rival factions.
Now, the dwarves' evacuation provided the perfect opportunity. These reclusive Highland dwarves wanted only safety and isolation.
Skilled in mining and forging, loyal to Titus, and working for free—they were the ideal settlers.
"Whoosh—"
The Spellhungry dragons' chanting ceased. A massive golden portal now loomed before the dwarves, leading to an unknown realm.
The dwarves stood before it, hesitant. Generations had lived in the Blackstone Mountains, mining, smelting, forging... Never imagining they'd leave.
What future awaited beyond their familiar homeland? None could say.
Prince Zain—or rather, the future Highland King—stood anxiously before the portal. He looked back at the various expressions on his people's faces.
Could he truly carry on the Highland Kingdom?
Could he become as great a king as his father Edd?
Zain didn't know.
"Wooo—"
A distant horn call echoed from Avenderdan—Zain recognized it as the muster horn.
It was only blown in times of total war, summoning every dwarf warrior throughout the Blackstone Mountains.
Hearing its mournful cry and the chaos of mountain goat cavalry, Zain again saw his father's face and remembered his final words.
Gripping the Rock Hammer, he whispered, only for himself to hear, "Father, don't worry—I'll carry on the Highland Kingdom."
Turning back to the portal, Zain stepped forward with determination as countless dwarves watched.
"Everyone, let's go."
With Zain leading, the dwarves—nervous yet resolute—entered the portal one by one.
Beyond the spatial tunnel, Zain saw vast, undulating volcanoes like molten giants, exposed ores everywhere, and an orange sky.
—A brand new subplane.
"By Moradin, such a place actually exists..."
Zain couldn't help but marvel. He'd spent his whole life in the Blackstone Mountains—he'd never seen anything so grand.
The ancient gold dragon followed through the portal and said, "Zain, this will be your new home. I discovered this subplane years ago, rich in ores and perfect for dwarves. I call it the Volcanic Secret Domain."
Zain replied, "Lord Titus, I can never repay your kindness. What would you have us Shield Dwarves do?"
Titus, feeling the hot wind, said, "Just follow your father's wishes. Live here in peace, grow strong, and prepare to retake Avenderdan."
Zain shook his head. "Lord Titus, you've done far too much—not just driving off the orcs but also relocating us and finding us a home. We must repay you. You know dwarves are not ungrateful. We repay our debts."
Titus pondered, then said, "Very well. I plan to form a military alliance against the evil dragons, but I lack weapons, gear, and funds.
Of the precious metals and gems you mine, keep 60% to grow your strength, and give 40% to the future anti-dragon alliance."
Zain nodded solemnly. "Lord Titus, resisting dragon tyranny is our duty.
When our new kingdom stabilizes, we'll keep only 30%. The rest—70%—we'll give to you and your alliance. And we'll forge the finest weapons for you."
"That's too harsh on you," Titus frowned, pretending to hesitate.
Zain answered firmly, "Lord Titus, this is not just to repay you. It's for my father and for our Highland Kingdom.
To resist dragon tyranny, to reclaim Avenderdan—this is the duty of every Shield Dwarf. Even if we give everything, it's worth it. We'll scour these volcanoes for the finest materials..."
Hearing this, Titus sighed and nodded. "So be it, Zain. Your father would be proud of you..."
But in his heart, he was ecstatic. These days, people still line up to become free labor?
He wondered what the dwarves would think when they learned that all their efforts to resist dragons were fueling a dragon's hoard.
"Father..."
Thinking of Edd and war-torn Avenderdan, Zain's heart ached.
Looking at the volcanic landscape, the dwarf prince swore: he would rebuild the Highland Kingdom here, lead his people, and make these lands their home.
One day, he would return to the Material Plane with elite dwarf armies and reclaim their homeland with the finest weapons.
A new future awaited the dwarves—a dawn of hope—just like their golden dragon ally's title.
And Titus the Gold Dragon was equally filled with anticipation.
The free miners had finally arrived.