"The Bronze Tree on the fertile plains has withered..."
"The Demon God... the Demon God has been annihilated!"
News of the Bronze Tree's withering and the Demon God's annihilation began to spread like wildfire, then like a storm, it completely permeated this deep underground kingdom.
Upon returning to the palace from the battlefield, Dulin IV issued an edict, declaring a three-day feast throughout Khazad-dûm to celebrate the Dwarves finally breaking free from the Demon God's clutches and no longer living in his shadow.
After a brief rest, Bai En and his group, led by the remaining Dwarf soldiers from the battlefield, set off on the road to Khazad-dûm to meet the Dwarf King.
Rill was still pestering Bai En, asking about the magic that had just annihilated the Demon God: "Hey, hey ~ Bai En, can you demonstrate that magic again? I feel like my inspiration is about to strike, and I might be able to complete an extraordinary painting."
"Captain Rill, I've told you many times, I can't use that magic now." Bai En looked at Rill, who was bouncing around beside him, full of energy, and felt an exceptional headache.
"Eh? Why? Has your magic power not recovered after all this time?"
"It's not a problem with the magic itself…"
The two chatted idly as they walked forward. Sesk, Fragil, and others who had been knocked unconscious by the aftershocks during the captain's battle with the Demon God, due to being too close while trying to contain the Demon God, listened as Jackey and Gosen, who had hidden at the back but witnessed the entire battle, discussed the fight to annihilate the Demon God.
"It's truly a pity you didn't see me in action. I used my flintlock to firmly hold back the Demon God, and while Bai En was knocking Nancy unconscious, I exerted all my magic power, bravely facing that monster with fifty heads all by myself."
"Ultimately, thanks to my delaying tactics, Bai En finally had the opportunity to annihilate the Demon God." Gosen said, beaming, continuously exaggerating his role and efforts, making them sound more and more important.
"Oh, just boast ~ Look at how capable you are. Young people always like to gild their own faces, without even considering their true capabilities." Jackey unceremoniously exposed Gosen's exaggeration.
"Ha ~ Isn't what happened exactly as I described? Then you tell me, what happened afterwards?" Gosen's eyes flickered, signaling to Jackey, 'Why aren't you sticking to our plan?'
Jackey, however, cleared his throat slightly and, following Gosen's words, began: "When your figures disappeared from sight, the battle had just reached its most crucial moment. I rushed forward in one stride and rescued Captain Rill, who had been sent flying by the Demon God."
"Then, I used words to distract Nancy's attention, preventing her from casting that self-sacrificing sealing magic, and successfully cooperated with Bai En to knock Nancy unconscious."
"And then came the most critical moment. Bai En entrusted me with holding back the Demon God, who had entered its fourth stage… At that time, the Demon God had fifty heads, and each head could cast different magic, and its magic power was incredibly formidable!"
"But I thought, if it's a request from a junior, I must fulfill it. So, I used my new magic, which I had pondered over for a long time, charged at the Demon God, and punched him back more than ten meters… Then, Bai En and I joined forces to defeat that immortal monster."
Gosen's mouth twitched slightly. This disrespectful old man even claimed to have used a new magic he had pondered over for a long time and punched the Demon God back more than ten meters? Clearly, at that time, he was the fastest one to run, grabbing people and dashing away.
"What is this, it just sounds like bragging." Sesk pouted: "I know what kind of people you are. If you hadn't stood at the back, you would have been knocked out by the shockwaves just like us."
"This is our strength, alright? Sesk, you're clearly just jealous of us. You should work harder, you're someone who couldn't even endure the aftershocks of the captains' battle."
"Exactly, exactly."
Gosen and Jackey once again stood on the same front, united against the outside.
"Um…" Fragil asked at this moment: "Mr. Jackey, Mr. Gosen, didn't we discuss earlier that Demon God Cerberus was immortal? How did you manage to completely annihilate him?"
"Huh?"
"Ha? Haha… Well… It's hard to explain to you quickly…"
Gosen and Jackey exchanged glances, scratching their heads, unable to give a coherent answer for a long time. They mumbled and started looking around, changing the subject.
"Oh ~ We've arrived at Khazad-dûm!"
A massive city-state appeared before them. Just looking at its architectural appearance, it was similar to the royal capital of the Clover Kingdom, with towering city walls enclosing dense clusters of buildings, and a magnificent castle palace at the very top.
Before, they had taken a small path to the western treasury, but now, standing directly before this deep underground kingdom, they felt astonished, realizing that such a colossal nation existed beneath the earth.
The crystals on the underground dome emitted light, making visibility no different from the surface.
Walking past the city walls guarded by Dwarf soldiers and entering Khazad-dûm, they were met with a gently ascending staircase and densely packed houses clustered together. Melodious flute music echoed through the air, and suddenly, brilliant fireworks exploded in the sky.
The colorful fireworks were different from those in the Clover Kingdom; they contained no magic, resembling more the Matureof gunpowder technology.
Many people watched from outside their houses, gazing at this group of humans who had arrived in Khazad-dûm. The celebration in the city felt more like a public exhibition.
"News of the Demon God's defeat has spread throughout Khazad-dûm. The King has decreed a three-day celebration starting today. They heard that you are the ones who defeated the Demon God, so they have been waiting here for a long time. Please don't mind it," Vice Captain Thor explained to the members of the Aqua Deer Squad.
Noisy chatter incessantly sounded in their ears. The Dwarves seemed to be discussing their arrival.
"They're so tall… Are those humans?" (khuzdul)
"Are they the ones who helped Prince Thor completely annihilate the Demon God? Truly remarkable." (khuzdul)
"May our friends from afar enjoy their time here…" (khuzdul)
Jackey looked at the short-statured Dwarves around him, almost all with beards, wearing special leather and armor, and felt a bit lost: "What are they saying? I can't understand a single word?"
Thor smiled and explained: "This is khuzdul. The language of the Dwarves living underground is not mutually intelligible with human language. Only a few Dwarves can speak human language."
"They're saying that your victory over the Demon God is very impressive, and some Dwarves are seeing humans for the first time, so they're expressing curiosity about humans…"
"I remember Vice Captain Thor, you said you were also a Dwarf, right? But how come… you don't look like them?" Gosen gestured towards the beards and attire.
"Indeed, I am a Dwarf, and also the son of Dulin IV, the current Dwarf King. If you're concerned about appearance, I suppose it might be because I'm of mixed blood."
"The Dwarf King's son?!!"
"Then you… aren't you a Prince! Vice Captain Thor, are you a Prince? That's amazing."
"That's not important." Thor walked forward: "Follow me. My father has prepared a celebratory banquet for you for defeating the Demon God, which also serves as a welcome for your true arrival in the Dwarf Kingdom!"
...
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