The words of the Rotten Lord of Clan Pestilens were filled with confidence.
Humans had indeed gained some advantages. They had not only captured the Skaven capital but also killed countless Skaven who had gathered from all over the world to reclaim it.
However, this did not mean that humans would win the final battle.
A temporary victory or defeat meant nothing.
As long as the Council of Thirteen remained, and was still protected by the Great Horned Rat, humans would never be able to overturn the heavens. The plague of Clan Pestilens would make those humans realize what despair was.
It would make them pay the most painful price for their arrogance and ignorance.
Clan Pestilens was undoubtedly the most infamous Skaven clan, also known as the Plague Monks. They would cultivate various plagues on their bodies, which made them always appear covered in tumors and pustules. The Black Death, Red Pox, and Blood-eyed Sickness were their masterpieces. The various diseases in the hands of Clan Pestilens were also the most important trump cards of the Skaven empire.
Once fully unleashed, they would cause terrible destruction.
It would not be strange for some weaker races to become extinct because of them.
"These human invaders are bound to fail in front of the resilient, brave, and self-reliant Skaven empire! Long live the Horned Rat! The Skaven empire will surely triumph!"
The Rotten Lord from Clan Skryre, best known for creating insane contraptions that combined mysterious technology and sorcery, also stepped forward. This clan was known for its Warlock-Engineers. The manually rotated six-barreled Ratling Gun, a killing weapon made from a mixture of Warpstone dust and gunpowder. The Warpfire Thrower, made from a mixture of Warpstone and flammable chemicals.
If not for runic protection, a Warpfire Thrower could melt a dwarf's heavy armor into molten iron. The Doomwheel, made from a Warpstone engine.
Warp Lightning Cannons, and so on—all of these came from Clan Skryre.
Clan Skryre was the largest producer of various military equipment for the Skaven empire.
Using this special status, they gained significant influence in the Council of Thirteen. The current plan to destroy the Evil Moon, Morrslieb, was also led by them.
Morrslieb, the Evil Moon, was rumored to be a creation of the Old Ones, a moon made entirely of Warpstone, which held a fatal attraction for Chaos-aligned creatures like the Skaven.
Whenever the Evil Moon was in the sky, it was also the most excited time for Chaos-infected races like the Skaven. The Skaven had always planned to destroy the Evil Moon, acquire vast amounts of Warpstone, and lead the Skaven empire to glory.
"Such empty talk is useless; we must be pragmatic, you fools!" another Rotten Lord from Clan Eshin retorted. "Humans have already taken our ruined capital, bestowed upon us by the Great Horned Rat, and destroyed our most important Great Temple. We must take action quickly!"
The Rotten Lord from Clan Skryre, who had been refuted, glanced at his colleague who dared to call him a fool, and although angry, showed no outward reaction. This Rotten Lord dared not do so.
Clan Eshin was famous for assassination. They were the sharpest sword of the Skaven empire.
Often, before open warfare began, they would continuously assassinate the enemy's high-ranking officials and important figures.
If you offended them, you wouldn't even know how you died.
"Quarreling is meaningless." The Rotten Lord of Clan Moulder, skilled in cultivating mutated creatures and creating war beasts like Rat Ogres and Rat Trolls, stopped his mutually accusing colleagues.
"The speed of destroying the Evil Moon must be accelerated, and at the same time, plagues must be spread in various human cities to make humans aware of our wrath and let them know the consequences of offending the Skaven."
After a long debate and argument, the members of the Council of Thirteen made their final decision. They devised a vicious plan, preparing for full-scale retaliation against humanity. They would release plagues across the world and contaminate human water sources.
At the same time, they would use various sorceries and sacrifices to trigger geological disasters, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Then, they would blow up the Evil Moon, initiating a large-scale cleansing of ground-dwelling creatures.
In short, they wanted humans to pay the heaviest price.
If possible, they even hoped to make the human race disappear completely. The Council of Thirteen wanted all who dared to oppose the Skaven to know:
Those who offend the Skaven, no matter how far away, will be punished.
Middenheim had become the most important human city. The booming industry created a huge demand for labor.
For this, the sages of the expedition team promised a prosperous life to those workers willing to enter the factories. They provided them with housing and food.
All they had to do was pledge allegiance to the Holy Emperor, enter the factories, and contribute to the great cause of the Imperium. The large concentration of people also led to the arrival of merchant caravans.
Several leaders of the expedition team did not want to over-develop commerce at this stage.
Wealth without the Imperium as a backing was useless.
It was like duckweed, scattered by a single wave.
Moreover, the wealth of one world could not satisfy the Imperium's needs.
Only after establishing communication and exchange with the Imperium would commercial activities and military colonization officially begin.
But even if the expedition team did not want to develop trade, the overflowing wealth of industrialized Middenheim was enough to attract countless people.
Countless individuals came from all directions, trying to gain wealth from the development of this industrialized metropolis.
Some races close to humans also entered Middenheim.
Aside from Elves and Dwarfs, Halflings also entered Middenheim. They were friendly, peaceful, and able to coexist peacefully with many races.
Even the guardians of the forest—Dryads—were willing to associate with Halflings.
It was known that Dryads even disliked Wood Elves.
Halflings were the most excellent chefs among many races.
Most of them would become restaurant owners, tavern owners, or street vendors selling food. The province where Halflings lived was the Mootland. That fertile territory. They got it precisely because they cooked so well.
When Middenheim's reputation spread, many Halflings also left their homes, hoping to find their place in this glorious city.
Halflings were not suitable for working in factories. They were too short, even smaller than Dwarfs.
And they didn't have the strong muscles and physique of Dwarfs.
But Halflings also had their unique advantages.
Some Halflings would be recruited for their culinary skills. The food they cooked usually received zero bad reviews.
Some Halflings would also look for storefronts to open restaurants and taverns.
Furthermore, some Halflings reached agreements with the rulers of Middenheim, using their technology and steam equipment to reclaim wasteland outside the city for farming, growing vegetables, and raising livestock.
With their inherited talents for farming and cooking, Halflings quickly secured a place in Middenheim.
However, not all Halflings would be honest.
Some Halflings eager for quick money ventured into the thieving profession, becoming mercenaries.
Halflings were not strong in combat, but they had unique talents.
With a pair of furry big feet, they could approach any target silently. They could also resist supernatural powers.
Many spells and potions had no effect on them.
Udi found a Halfling rogue to be a member of his special squad. That Halfling was called Terrisa.
Udi had heard from some people that the most outstanding rogue was Terrisa.
After some effort, he finally found him in the bustling market.
At that time, he was tied up in the market for public display. The reason was that he had stolen from a winery and secretly drank their homemade wine.
He ended up getting drunk, couldn't handle his liquor, and fell asleep in the winery.
Such a brazen thief was naturally brought to justice.
Udi used his identity to rescue him and then asked him to join his team.
Another member was Harris, who practiced various unsavory magics.
Udi recruiting this unconventional wizard was purely accidental.
While strolling in the commercial district, Udi discovered this guy was using his magic to peek at female guests in the inn.
After catching him and interrogating him, Udi learned that this guy had completely wasted his excellent magical talent.
He had studied all sorts of bizarre magic.
He was useless in combat, but he was incredibly skilled at petty theft, tricking young girls and married women.
Udi's team was essentially full of unique talents.
Aside from Gotrek and Felix, the rogue and the wizard's direct combat strength was concerning.
However, this mission didn't really require much combat power.
More importantly, it was about how to successfully kill the members of the Council of Thirteen.
Capturing the Pillar City was not difficult, but capturing the members of the Council of Thirteen was very difficult. The members of the Council of Thirteen were all incredibly cunning; they would flee at the first sign of trouble.
In the battle of the Ruined Capital, the Council of Thirteen perfectly demonstrated the saying, "A great rat can bend and stretch."
Realizing they could not resist the human invasion, the members of the Council of Thirteen fled to the Pillar City without looking back. There, they continued to rally Skaven from all over to form an army, in the name of the Great Horned Rat, to reclaim their capital. They successfully plunged Dax, that hateful human invader, into the vast ocean of war of the Skaven people.
In Udi's special squad, combat power was not the most crucial factor; being able to kill the members of the Council of Thirteen was the top priority.
Eccentric as they might be.
But Udi believed his judgment would not be wrong.
On the training ground, Udi had the imperial armor delivered to his squad members.
Each set of armor had been adjusted to ensure the squad members could wear it.
"This armor is harder than any artifact I've ever seen," Gotrek said, stroking the imperial armor on his body. The dark double-headed eagle was clear on it, and various profound and obscure runes were densely arranged on the surface of the armor.
Gotrek tried to leave a mark on the armor with his weapon but found it impossible.
Even when he had his companion Felix chop at it with a battle-axe, it wouldn't leave a single mark.
"Perhaps it is an artifact," Felix said. "Some people say that those who act on the Holy Emperor's command possess god-slaying power. Middenheim's vampire army was annihilated in an instant, and the Vampire Lord is still imprisoned somewhere in Middenheim, unable to escape."
"If they possess god-slaying power, then what kind of existence is the Holy Emperor? The Creator?" The Halfling rogue Terrisa's eyes showed contemplation. The wizard Harris chuckled, "The Creator would probably be cut down by those guys with a single slash. Look at these runes; they can both immune magic damage and enhance the user's magical talent. This runic artistry has overturned the common sense of wizards."
"An Emperor more powerful than the Creator, my mind cannot conceive of it," Gotrek gave up thinking.
Dwarfs should only hold their battle-axes and go to war, killing all enemies. They shouldn't think about such irrelevant things. The others discussed for a bit and also gave up on continuing to discuss the Holy Emperor. Their limited minds could not imagine what kind of existence the Holy Emperor was.
Just the members of the expedition team gave them a feeling of being unable to look up. Their combat power was incredibly strong.
Ruling a world was as easy and comfortable for them as eating and drinking.
Just their subordinates were this strong. Then how strong must the Holy Emperor be?
Perhaps an existence that could destroy the world with a single breath.
Everyone changed into their armor, then quickly honed their martial arts. When Udi arrived, they followed him to the airship port, preparing to go to Eight Peaks to carry out their mission. They would break into Pillar City and decapitate the Council of Thirteen.
All the airships were suspended at the port next to the industrial zone.
It was a massive structure. Towers stood tall and dense there.
Airships used the towers to unload and pick up passengers and cargo. Those airships without missions had their power furnaces shut down, docked on the ground, and were undergoing maintenance and overhaul.
Airships with transport missions remained in operation.
When Gortrek and the others stood at the bustling port,
they realized how enormous this giant structure, used for airship transit, truly was.
It covered a vast area.
Various buildings were magnificent and grand. They were like tiny ants standing before a giant's architecture.
Automatic elevators, constructed from steam engines and giant metal cables, operated non-stop.
Led by Udi, the team took the elevator to the giant tower where the airships were located. The airship hovered at the end of the tunnel, awaiting its passengers.
It was like a large sailing ship moored at the harbor, ready to set sail.
Felix was amazed by everything he saw.
Before, when entering Middenheim, he had only seen the airships from a distance, so he hadn't felt much.
But when seen up close, one realized the immense size of those airships. They were even more majestic than the sailing ships he had seen in the ocean port cities. The airship's bow and sides were adorned with the double-headed eagle emblem,
and double-headed eagle flags fluttered in the air.
On the side of the airship facing the boarding platform extending from the giant tower, there were gilded letters, the size of a human head and hard to the touch.
"The Holy Emperor protects His people."
Walking towards the airship was like walking towards a massive mountain floating in the sky. The crew members on the airship scurried back and forth, diligently working at their respective posts. The core power furnace had already started.
With a slight tremor, it transmitted surging power to various parts of the airship.
"All preparations are complete, ready for departure at any time."
A mechanical maintenance personnel, wearing goggles and equipped with various mechanical devices, shouted.
"No balloons, no jet propulsion, how do they make such a massive ship fly?!" Gortrek muttered beside his friend, "This is incredible."
"I feel the power of magic; they've imbued this ship with magic, using it as propulsion."
Felix hadn't even spoken yet. The mage, Harris, standing nearby, spoke first.
His hand caressed the airship's bulkhead.
Feeling the surging magical energy.
Obscure magical runic lines were embedded in the hull and sealed with a special transparent glass material.
He could only touch the smooth glass, unable to reach the runes pulsating with magical energy.
"This is an outstanding work by the Imperial Sages," Udi explained to them. "They said there were originally better creations that could allow us to traverse the entire world in a few hours. But this world lacks a certain substance, forcing them to use this method as a substitute."
Hearing this, Gortrek and Harris couldn't help but inwardly grumble. This isn't fast enough!!
Such an airship was already a miracle; what could be superior to these miracles?
Before the team members could investigate more of the airship's secrets,
a bell rang somewhere on the airship. The boarding ladder was retracted by the crew, and the hatch was closed and locked. The tremor from the furnace intensified.
Crew members moved quickly through the corridors, in an orderly fashion.
"May the Great Machine God protect us; it is His mighty power that allows us to soar in the sky."
A crew member's voice emanated from the loudspeakers throughout the ship.
Numerous crew members shouted the same words.
Like some kind of ritual. The team members felt the movement beneath their feet.
Looking out through the transparent portholes, they could clearly feel themselves ascending.
From the portholes in the corridor, they could see the buildings on the ground getting smaller and smaller.
Soon, everyone watched as the ship passed through the clouds, sailing on the rolling sea of clouds.
"Go to your cabins according to your number tags," Udi instructed, then headed to the airship's main control room. The remaining four exchanged glances.
Instead of going to their cabins, they ascended a welded metal ladder to the airship's open deck. There was no fierce wind on the deck as they had imagined.
A subtle protective barrier kept the strong winds out. They could only feel a slight breeze blowing.
Walking to the sides of the ship, the four team members couldn't help but feel fear. Their position was too high. They could no longer see any living beings or buildings on the ground.
At most, they could only distinguish where the mountains and forests were, and where the lakes were. They couldn't see any details. They stayed on the ship's deck for quite some time.
Experiencing the new flying sensation brought to them by Imperial industry. Those mysterious individuals from the Imperium, with their unique and unknown techniques, had sent such a massive ship into the high sky.
Such technology was too powerful.
Even Gortrek had to admit that the gap between the Dwarfs and the Imperium was like a chasm.
No one knew the limits of the Imperium. They were too mysterious. The people of the world only knew that they acted in the name of the Holy Emperor to rescue suffering compatriots and liberate one world after another ravaged by the Chaos Gods.
Once Gortrek and the others grew tired of looking at the vast sea of clouds and the expansive ground from high above, they returned to their respective cabins. The airship had complete living facilities.
It carried a large amount of supplies and energy stones, enough to meet the needs of the voyage. The airship not only had a kitchen but also a giant cabin large enough to accommodate hundreds of people for dining.
Aside from the five-person team preparing for the decapitation mission, there were hundreds of other people on this airship. They were all trained combat personnel.
During the evacuation, these people would assist them in escaping from the frenzied rat tide. The journey to Karak Eight Peaks took them two days.
Udi took this opportunity to hand over the Imperial weapons to Gortrek and the others and teach them how to use them. The reason they hadn't been given earlier was that weapons were even rarer than armor. The expedition team hadn't brought many weapons suitable for ordinary people.
If Gortrek and the others were careless or reckless and damaged their weapons, or used their weapons to damage their armor,
Udi had no spare weapons or armor.
Imperial weapons with power fields were a dimensionality reduction strike for this world. The usage of these powerful weapons was no different from the close-combat weapons Gortrek and the others used.
The profound knowledge of kinetic weapons was embodied in their manufacturing process,not through complex operations.
Making the usage of something incredibly complex and considering it high-end was absolutely the behavior of a fool.
By the morning of the third day,the airship's lookout spotted the magnificent, clustered eight mountain peaks through the telescope. The pilot, having received the news, pulled the control lever.
Slowly, the airship lowered its altitude and activated its anti-magic detection and optical stealth capabilities, ensuring the airship would not be discovered by enemies. The invisible airship landed in an open space.
A huge shadow was cast on the ground.
If there were living people here, they would surely scream in fright. They could only see distorted air casting shadows on the ground, but nothing else. They would undoubtedly believe that some eerie giant ghost was moving in the sunlight.
When the airship descended to a certain height, a door on its side opened. The air ladder was dropped down.
Udi and the others descended to the ground using the ladder.
After dropping off its passengers, the airship ascended again. The airship would hover nearby until the team members sent them a message, at which point it would pick them up.
Karak Eight Peaks was vast and enormous.
Finding the Skaven lair and the Council of Thirteen was by no means an easy task.
Gortrek, however, knew something about Karak Eight Peaks.
After all, this was dwarf territory.
After losing Karak Eight Peaks, the Dwarfs had attempted to reclaim it several times, but never succeeded. To this day, some Dwarfs are still active in Karak Eight Peaks, fighting the enemy in the name of their ancestors.
Led by Gortrek, the team soon reached a ruined, abandoned dwarf city. The dwarf city was built into the mountainside, ancient and sturdy. They entered from the low-lying area. Tall and majestic city walls stood there.
Constructed from massive, heavily stacked stone blocks.
Abandoned for an unknown period, it was already covered in green moss.
A town of considerable size sat behind the city walls.
Within the town, low walls crisscrossed, with weeds growing rampant in between.
Every few steps, one could see bleached bones.
On some of the low walls, traces of artillery fire and blade and axe marks could be seen.
Clearly, the Dwarfs had fought desperate battles against the invaders.
Just from the surviving traces, one could see how intense the tragedy was at the time.
Grayish-white smoke enveloped this once glorious and now desolate city.
Gortrek's face was filled with sorrow as he recounted the past glory and tragic downfall of Karak Eight Peaks to the rest of the team.
"We built this impregnable city, believing we stood at the pinnacle of the world, yet fate made the Dwarfs a joke. While we were busy warring with the Elves, the Skaven and Goblins were accumulating strength, waiting to push the Dwarfs into the abyss of destruction."
"But you won against the Elves, didn't you?! You gained all the Elven territories. The land from the World's Edge Mountains to the Great Ocean side now belongs to you." The mage, Harris, in the team, said in a scholarly tone.
"That was the beginning of sorrow; we found no joy in that victory. More than two-thirds of our warriors died in that bitter struggle. Before we could even enjoy the fruits of victory, we were forced back into our cities by frequent geological disasters. In that critical moment, the despicable Goblins and Skaven swarmed in through the mining tunnels we dug for wealth, attempting to seize our homes and riches."
"How did you deal with that?" Harris asked.
Gortrek scanned the faces of his companions.
"What could we do? Of course, we took up arms and fought them. Our war with the Elves broke out in the jungles and on the surface. The wars with the Skaven and Goblins, however, erupted in narrow, dark underground tunnels."
"The terrifying weapons and heavy casualties exceeded my imagination; pillars collapsed, and corridors were filled with thrown fire bombs. Tunnels were flooded with water and poison gas, and our comrades defending them died tragically."
"Our enemies were cunning and cruel, using various evil sorceries or summoned daemons to rampage through the dwarf kingdom, polluting our water and food. We poured all our resources, weapons, and courage into fighting the enemy, yet we still failed and lost this home of ours."
"We could no longer hold these cities. We were forced to use precise instruments and ancient runes to hide the tombs of our ancestors and our precious treasures, and then we abandoned the entire city to our enemies."
Gortrek's voice was filled with endless sorrow.
Everyone could imagine those ancient Dwarfs,
retreating under the greed of the Skaven and Greenskins. They fought desperately, but ultimately had to swallow the bitter fruit of defeat. The survivors left their homes in pain. The team passed through the city.
It looked as if it had been destroyed by those Chaos daemons.
Collapsed houses lined both sides of the street.
A musty, rotten smell emanated upon approaching.
Evil-faced crows cawed eerily from the remains of ancient chimneys.
Some emaciated black birds flew in a dense, dark mass above their heads. They were all wary of enemies that could appear at any moment. This city had long since fallen, becoming the territory of the Skaven and Orcs. The absence of their traces now did not mean danger was absent.
Led by Gortrek, the team entered the interior of the mountain through a dilapidated gate.
Suddenly, twenty strong, armored Orcs, along with a large number of Goblins, charged out of the dark tunnel.
When they saw Udi and the others, they let out deafening roars, revealing bloodthirsty savagery.
Gortrek activated the battle-axe in his hand, following Udi's instructions.
Leaping electrical arcs appeared on the axe blade, and a ghostly blue light emerged in the dark tunnel.
"I feel a powerful force." The weapon Gortrek had used before was a divine artifact, the Great Axe of Ruin, forged by the ancient dwarf runemaster Valerik.
Yet, at this moment, he felt a power in the weapon he held that was far more terrifying than the Great Axe of Ruin.
Limitless power surged within the axe blade.
He felt as if he could cleave through anything in this world.
Perhaps, it wasn't just a feeling, but the truth.
Gotrek swung his battleaxe, severing the ork's weapon and splitting the armored ork in two.
It was as easy and pleasant as slicing cheese, without feeling any difficulty at all.
"How is this possible?!" A look of shock appeared on Gotrek's face. Not only were the Imperial armors hard, but the Imperial weapons were also incredibly sharp.
Gotrek looked at the weapon in his hand, feeling a sense of unease and surprise.
What kind of enemy would necessitate such armor and weapons?
With such equipment, he would dare to slaughter his way through the terrifying Chaos Wastes alone.
Perhaps, he could find the glorious death he craved in the mysterious empire.
In just a moment, the orcs were slaughtered by the few members of the squad. Their weapons were far more powerful than the enemy's.
It was like using a treasure sword that could cut hair to kill an enemy wielding a wooden sword.
Even with the most tenacious willpower and courage, the enemy could not compensate for the disparity in weaponry and equipment.
"I've never used such a powerful, such a sharp weapon," Felix exclaimed, looking at the longsword glowing with blue light in his hand after the battle.
With just one sword strike, the strong ork was split in two.
How many terrifying secrets did the Imperium behind these explorers still hide?
"Who are you?"
The battle had just ended, and the few of them hadn't had time to do anything.
Several dwarves emerged from the darkness, carrying crossbows.
Clearly, they had rushed over after hearing the roars of the orcs. They wore heavy iron armor and helmets with cheek guards and winged sides.
In their strong, powerful hands, they held crossbows, and on their backs hung warhammers or great axes. The leading dwarf had a gaunt, chiseled face, with eyes gleaming with fervent intensity.
His beard was dark and long, interspersed with a few strands of silver.
"I am Gotrek," Gotrek shouted.
Upon hearing Gotrek announce his name, a flurry of whispers erupted among the dwarves.
Gotrek and Felix had visited Karak Eight Peaks before and had dealings with the dwarves there.
A dwarf border prince named Belegar had launched an expedition, reclaiming some territory in Karak Eight Peaks.
Presently, Karak Eight Peaks was a chaotic battleground where dwarves, Skaven, and Greenskins clashed.
Of course, the dwarf faction was the smallest.
Gotrek had experienced an adventure there, killing a terrifying Chaos Troll, rescuing his ancestor, and taking a holy sword left behind. The dwarves here were quite impressed with him and Felix, the human who always accompanied him.
After a brief conversation and stating their purpose, the dwarves led the decapitation squad to meet their lord.
Udi had no objection to this; if they could get assistance from the local dwarves, the mission might proceed more smoothly.
After passing through several tunnels, they entered a magnificent hall adorned with tattered banners, located within the mountain. The hall, situated deep within the mountain, was illuminated by chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling.
Glowing gems were embedded within them.
Belegar, the leader of the Karak Eight Peaks dwarves, sat on an ivory throne inlaid with gold, flanked by rows of heavily armored dwarves in blue tunics.
A female dwarf, dressed in a purple robe with an iron-bound book hanging from her thick neck, stood beside him.
Gotrek surveyed his kin. Their situation was visibly worse than when he last visited.
Some dwarf armors bore extensive battle marks, and their eyes could not conceal their weariness.
Last time he came, there were over 150 dwarves here.
Now, upon inspection, it felt like just over a hundred. They must have suffered significant losses from attacks by Skaven and orcs.
"Why have you returned here? And with new humans and a Halfling?" Belegar's voice was deep, arrogant, and easily irritable.
"We are here to eliminate the members of the Skaven Council of Thirteen. They escaped from Skavenblight and are hiding in Pillar City beneath Karak Eight Peaks."
Upon hearing Gotrek's words, suspicion flickered in Belegar's eyes.
"Those rats escaped from Skavenblight? And how do you know this?"
Gotrek pointed at Udi, "He is one of the human officers who captured Skavenblight. He is under orders to deal with the Council of Thirteen."
"Hahahaha." Belegar, seated on the throne, burst into laughter, as if he had heard an amusing joke.
"We don't have much contact with the outside world, but are you joking, Gotrek? Humans capturing Skavenblight? You might as well tell me that Sigmar and a Succubus had a fat baby. The latter is far more believable than the former."
"Skavenblight has indeed fallen," Udi stepped forward and said, "Your information is too isolated; you are completely unaware of the changes outside."
"Mind your tone," Belegar said, "This is not human territory."
"In the name of the Emperor, this is Imperial territory." Udi stared intently into the dwarf's eyes, "If you don't know, I can tell you that several dwarf Kings have agreed to become vassals of the Imperium. Dwarf territory is Imperial territory."
"Are you seeking death by speaking such words?" Belegar's voice barely concealed his rage.
Dwarf Kings surrendering, willing to become human vassals—such a thing was utterly impossible.
Belegar had only one thought. The human before him was spouting nonsense, damaging dwarf dignity.
"He speaks the truth," Gotrek stepped forward and said, "The alliance has been signed. Perhaps Karak Eight Peaks is too remote to have received the news yet."
Belegar's gaze darkened.
Gotrek was a renowned slayer, a dwarf hero. There was no way he would lie about dwarf honor.
What had happened in the outside world?
What made those dwarf Kings willingly abandon their honor and become human vassals?
"It's an utter disgrace," Belegar said, "They have betrayed the honor of their ancestors."
"Living in the past is never a wise choice." Udi had no intention of arguing over irrelevant matters and directly stated his purpose: "We are here to completely deal with the Skaven. They have already lost their most important Skavenblight. If we can eliminate the members of the Council of Thirteen, the Skaven's morale will surely collapse, and their empire will crumble."
"Even if what you say is true, do you know how many ratmen live beneath your feet? If they all surged to the surface, they could fill the valleys of Karak Eight Peaks. With just you five, you want to kill the members of the Council of Thirteen among so many ratmen? That's absolutely a pipe dream."
Belegar surveyed the team of five.
A frail mage, a Halfling not even as tall as a dwarf. The three humans seemed to have some fighting capability.
But with such a combination, to want to infiltrate Pillar City and eliminate the Council of Thirteen...
It would be quicker to pray for Sigmar's divine intervention.
"We are very confident," Udi said, "You can choose to assist us. When the Skaven retreat, we will also clear out the local goblins, and then the dwarves will be able to return to live in Karak Eight Peaks."
"If you wish to go to your deaths, I will have no objection," Belegar said with a mocking tone, "The members of the Council of Thirteen should all be beneath the Temple of the Great Horned Rat, and I once led a team into Pillar City. As assistance, I can give you a map that was left behind then."
"Remember not to go too deep; there are even more terrifying things beneath Pillar City. My words are somewhat superfluous; you might not even see Pillar City before you die in the rat tide. How could I have such an absurd idea that you could enter Pillar City's depths?"
Belegar was angry at Udi's disrespect.
Yet, he did not make things difficult for them and even provided the map left by the previous expedition team.
Perhaps he believed that Udi and his companions entering Pillar City would be an act of suicide.
He didn't want to bother with those who were already dead men walking.
Udi and the others did not linger. After replenishing their energy with the high-energy food they carried, they used Belegar's map to follow the ancient dwarven gates and tunnels into the deep underground. The dwarf city was magnificent.
What was exposed above ground was merely an insignificant portion.
Like an iceberg, the main part was hidden beneath the sea level. The scale of the underground city far surpassed any previous human city; only Middenheim, with Imperial technological support, could compare.
Judging by the wide tunnels and grand halls, Karak Eight Peaks might have been completely hollowed out by the dwarves.
Witnessing those magnificent structures, the disappointment on Gotrek's face was undeniable.
It was the lost glory of the dwarves. They might never return to that peak again. The dwarf population was decreasing every year.
Without sufficient population, there would not be enough artisans, and they would never again be able to construct such magnificent cities. The age of the dwarves had ended; they hid in the fortresses left by their ancestors, awaiting the coming of the end of the world.
At this moment, Gotrek somewhat understood the feelings of those dwarf Kings who signed treaties with the Imperium.
Clinging to ancestral glory would only lead the dwarves to extinction.
A different approach might prevent the dwarves from disappearing from this world.
Many underground tunnels had collapsed, and numerous paths were blocked. The tunnels left by the dwarves intertwined with the burrows dug by the ratmen and orcs. The underground environment was intricate and complex.
Even with a map, finding the correct path was not a simple task. The Halfling rogue, Thresea, led the way, his movements agile and silent, like a ghost. The rest of the group maintained a certain distance from him, following the marks he left behind. The first enemy the team encountered was an Ogre with a group of goblins blocking the tunnel ahead.
It was larger than everyone in the squad, with two heads. The larger head was grotesque and terrifying, wearing an ugly crown.
Its arm guards had massive spikes, one hand held a terrifying long scythe, and the other held a crude staff.
Its mouth was chewing on an entire ratman.
As it moved, blood continuously dripped from the corners of its mouth. The ratman was initially alive, its legs desperately flailing, struggling to survive.
But the ogre's sharp, pointed iron teeth easily crushed the ratman's bones, and sounds of bone breaking and flesh tearing emanated from its mouth. The ogre and its goblins had not discovered Udi and the others.
"Perhaps we should go around these enemies; that way, we can infiltrate silently," said Thresea, the Halfling rogue, returning to the group.
Gotrek drew his battleaxe and said in a low voice, "Kill them all, so they can't report us, and we can also infiltrate silently."
Thresea's eyes widened upon hearing Gotrek's violent stealth method. He paused for a moment, then, after thinking about it, it seemed to make sense.
Udi adopted the latter method.
He planned to get closer, resolving all enemies as much as possible to avoid any unnecessary trouble caused by escaping foes.
Just as they were about to engage, the group spotted another band of orcs emerging from a different tunnel.
Before they could react, the orcs and the ogre erupted into a brutal battle.
"They belong to different factions," Gotrek said. "We need to hurry, or their fight will attract more enemies. If it turns into a large melee, it will be very unfavorable for our operation."
The five surrounded them from different directions and charged out. Their weapons gleamed with electric arcs, effortlessly tearing through the enemy's armor.
It was a naked slaughter. The enemy's resistance was meaningless to them. The ogre's scythe struck Udi's armor, only producing countless sparks but leaving no marks.
Instead, Udi cleaved off its head with a single sword strike.
Harris, as a mage, was also swinging his sword and slashing. The destructive power of his magic was pathetic; goblins hit by three fireballs were still jumping around, howling and screaming.
Fortunately, Felix and Gotrek were beside him, helping him deal with the missed enemies.
Moments later, enemies from both factions were killed by Udi and his companions.
Leaving behind only scattered remains.
"Go," Udi, after eliminating the last enemy, signaled his squad members to continue forward.
Next, they encountered several more waves of enemies. There were beastmen and ratmen. Theresa always discovered them in advance and warned Udi and the others. The enemies the team encountered were dealt with directly, leaving no one alive. They were not mindlessly violent.
Killing them all directly would greatly reduce the possibility of exposure.
Countless conflicts erupted daily in these underground tunnels.
Even leaving corpses behind would not attract the attention of the ratmen and beastmen.
If they were discovered by goblins or ratmen while sneaking and those creatures went to report them, their mission would likely be ruined.
With the help of Theresa, an excellent rogue scout, they smoothly reached the edge of the ratmen city.
No matter which ratmen city it was, it was a terrifying hell. The main body of Pillar City was the mining tunnels once hollowed out by the dwarves.
Strange, ugly, and disgusting ratmen structures were built in intricate tunnels and foul-smelling underground spaces.
Countless ratmen slaves toiled under the whips of overseers, emitting desperate wails. The slaves continuously dug tunnels day and night, expanding this massive underground kingdom.
Giant stone pillars supported the hollowed-out strata. The dome and walls were embedded with large amounts of warpstone to provide light.
A dense aura of chaos surged through this underground city.
Harris used his magic to spy on the city.
His combat strength was not strong, but his ability to spy and escape was absolutely top-notch in this world.
Harris learned magic for a reason that could not be openly discussed.
Using his excellent scrying spells, Harris quickly located the whereabouts of the Thirteen Council members. They were hiding in a dwarven building, debating and refining their revenge plan against humanity. They were not staying beneath the Great Horned Rat Temple.
If they had launched a simple and crude attack, the mission would likely have failed.
Harris cast an invisibility spell on Udi and the others, which not only concealed their forms but also suppressed all their aura.
"As long as you don't make a move, this magic won't be discovered," Harris said. "I've used this magic to infiltrate many important places. Even a heavily guarded mage academy, I easily entered with this spell. The ratmen city is chaotic and has warpstone. As long as we don't actively attack, they will definitely not discover us."
Hearing Harris' self-congratulatory words, everyone's expressions were a bit subtle.
Harris possessed scrying and invisibility spells that even the most accomplished master mages could hardly achieve.
However, his offensive spells were a complete mess.
A goblin that took three fireballs could still bounce around lively.
What on earth did this guy learn magic for?
"I just wanted to quietly appreciate beauty," Harris explained. "I swear I have never done anything to coerce or harm anyone. They knew nothing about me and were never aware of my existence."
Everyone did not criticize Harris' past actions.
After simple preparations, they infiltrated the ratmen city. The ratmen could not imagine that anyone would infiltrate their city.
Even the ratmen assassins from the Eshin clan did not discover Udi and the others' traces. Their attention was focused on the ratmen themselves, constantly preparing to suppress rebellions by the lower-class ratmen with the most cruel methods and assassinate those who dared to criticize the Thirteen Council.
They were completely unaware that enemies had infiltrated the city, preparing to assassinate the members of the Thirteen Council.
After all, such a thing had never happened before.
From the day the ratmen received the blessing of the Great Horned Rat and established their underground empire, the infiltration of a ratmen city had never occurred.
Udi and the others had infiltrated all the way to the vicinity of the dwarven building where the Thirteen Council members were located before they were accidentally discovered by an Eshin clan assassin. The halfling directly stabbed the fellow to death with a short sword, but it was still too late.
An alarm sounded, attracting the attention of countless ratmen. The elite Stormvermin Guard quickly mobilized, attempting to protect the safety of the Thirteen Council members.
However, such a close distance was already enough for Udi and the others to complete their mission.
A powerful bomb, prepared in advance, was thrown into the building.
A deafening explosion, along with a terrifying shockwave, swept in all directions. The entire stone building was transformed into crimson, steaming lava under the immense power. The huge explosion even shook the foundations of the ratmen city. Tunnels collapsed, and rubble from the dome continuously fell, causing the ratmen to shriek in alarm.
Eleven of the Thirteen Council members were killed in the explosion, and only one survived because it wore an amulet imbued with the power of several powerful Grey Seers.
Unfortunately, before it could escape, it was spotted by the keen-eyed Gotrek, who charged through the ratmen trying to rescue it and severed the head of that decaying lord.
All members of the Thirteen Council were killed. They had been planning a full-scale retaliation against humanity.
Unexpectedly, before they could implement it, they had already been dealt with by humans. The enraged ratmen swarmed towards the five like a disturbed hornet's nest.
Udi and the others, following their plan, retreated, carving a bloody path with the powerful equipment and weapons they possessed.
When they reached the edge of the ratmen city, they drank the speed potions they had prepared earlier.
Under the potion's effect, they sprinted wildly, not lingering in battle. They only focused on charging forward, and unless their path was blocked, they avoided engaging in combat.
A massive wave of ratmen chased them from behind.
Every ratman was in a frenzy. Their scarlet eyes showed a desire to tear these people to shreds.
If they were dragged into the rat tide, even with the protection of Imperial armor, it would be difficult to leave a complete corpse.
Udi and the others continuously detonated the bombs they carried, using the collapsing tunnels to bury the closely pursuing ratmen, and finally successfully escaped along their original path, sending a withdrawal signal to the airship.
Lord Belegar, the dwarven lord who had previously mocked Udi and his group, saw the head on Gotrek's waist, and his shocked expression was as if he had seen the dwarven god Grungni fall in love with the elven goddess Lileath and have a chubby baby with her.
Only one thought was in Belegar's mind.
How is such a thing possible!!
It must be a lie!! Five people really killed all the members of the Skaven empire's Thirteen Council.
If it weren't for the mad ratmen pouring out from all directions, Belegar would probably have maintained that shocked expression for a whole year. The team members and the dwarves of Karak Eight Peaks fought against the rat tide while retreating. The arriving airships conducted saturation bombing on the ground, creating withdrawal conditions for Udi's team and taking the surviving dwarves out. The ratmen could do nothing but rage impotently as they watched the human airships soar into the sky.
With the Thirteen Council members killed and the capital city lost, the Skaven were bound to fall into division and endless civil war. The demise of the Skaven empire was a foregone conclusion. The time of their demise depended only on how quickly humanity could cleanse them.
On the deck of the airship, Belegar held the head of one of the Thirteen Council members, his entire stocky body trembling with excitement.
In the past, the dwarves suffered heavy casualties from the Skaven's poison gas and warpstone creations, eventually retreating, with only about a hundred dwarves managing to evacuate from Karak Eight Peaks.
Now, with the Thirteen Council members killed, it was undoubtedly an act of avenging the dwarves who died in the Battle of Karak Eight Peaks.
"I offer you my sincere apologies. You have avenged our deceased ancestors, and in return, you shall be eternal friends of the dwarves."
Dwarven Lord Belegar apologized for his previous arrogant attitude towards Udi and the others.
He had been stubborn, completely unaware that a new era had arrived.
"All of this is merely the will of the Emperor," Udi said. "We fight for Him, dedicated to saving this world. If you want to show gratitude, show it to Him. The Emperor is the salvation of us all."
The ancient Eastern empire, Cathay, had always been a legendary land of mystery, power, and wealth.
It was said that gold and treasures there were inexhaustible, and everyone wore silk, which nobles considered a treasure.
Such rumors excited many, who rushed forward, one after another, wanting to go to that dreamlike kingdom.
Vlad, the Vampire Lord caught by Valerius in Middenheim, had been to Cathay.
According to him, Cathay was not as beautiful and wealthy as the legends claimed, but it was still a huge entity far surpassing many kingdoms. They relied on the Great Bastion to resist invasions from the chaotic forces of the Eastern Steppes, establishing a peaceful nation.
Prosperous and flourishing, with a unique culture.
After gathering enough information, Valerius planned to go to Cathay to retrieve fragments of the Emperor. There were two paths from Middenheim to Cathay.
One was to pass through the World's Edge Mountains, then through the Dark Lands, through the Ogre Kingdoms, and finally reach the Cathay empire. The other was to cross the Eastern Steppes, which connected the Chaos Wastes and the Northern Wastes, directly to the Great Bastion of the Cathay empire.
After consideration, Valerius chose the path through the Eastern Steppes. That path was more dangerous.
But that path was shorter and saved more time.
As for the enemies in the Chaos Wastes and the Northern Wastes, they posed no real danger.
With the Old Ones, the Chaos Gods who poured into this world regarded this world as their game and chessboard.
But behind Valerius was the Imperium ruled by the Emperor.
If the gods wanted to treat him as a pawn on the chessboard, then they had to be prepared to pay the price.
Valerius departed from Middenheim with his airship fleet. They flew high in the sky, only lowering their altitude occasionally when they needed to land to replenish water.
Few conflicts erupted because of this.
Occasionally, some soldiers from northern barbarian tribes would appear, plundering them in the name of the gods.
All were killed by Valerius and his group. The airship fleet finally stopped before the wall imbued with many magical enhancements. The reason they did not cross the wall was that beyond it lay the territory of Cathay.
And Cathay was protected by a super-gigantic defensive spell.
Valerius felt the Emperor's power within it.
As a Custodian, he had served in the Imperial Palace for many years, had been summoned by the Emperor, and carried a fragment of the Emperor's soul.
Valerius would never mistake the Emperor's aura.
Inside the Great Bastion, Cathay also possessed various hot-air-powered airships and anti-air defenses. To avoid war and enter Cathay peacefully, Valerius could only order the fleet to lower its altitude and have his airship proceed alone for negotiations.
Soon, dozens of ships bearing dragon flags and powered by hot air slowly approached Valerius' airship. The Cathayans pushed out dragon-mouthed cannons from their airships' gunports, aiming them at Valerius' airship.
At the slightest sign of movement, they would open fire without hesitation.
"I am the Grand Marshal of the Northern Provinces, Mistress of the Northern Winds, eldest daughter of the Celestial Dragon Emperor. State your names and purpose, strangers, or you shall be torn to shreds by the artillery of the Great Bastion's defenders."
A voice reached Valerius' ears.