Chapter 003: The Dwarf King

It seemed he wasn’t facing the father of his brother, but rather a supremely powerful figure he didn’t even dare to look up to! As Du Fan entered the house, he felt something very strange!
When he first came in, the house seemed to be only about twenty square meters, but once inside, the space seemed to expand infinitely!
The interior was dimly lit with a pale yellow glow. Under that light, the house resembled a void!
Looking down at his feet, there was nothing but that pale yellow glow—no other elements at all. It felt as if he were standing in a void, with the person sitting cross-legged in the center of that void.
In Du Fan’s eyes, this person had lost most of their obvious dwarf characteristics. Aside from a few skeletal traits, they looked completely human!
Judging from their sitting posture, the man wasn’t tall, yet he gave off an impression of being very tall. Although he was far away from Du Fan, he could see him clearly—both distant and yet close at the same time.
“Basha, my child, is this your brother?” the man asked softly.
“Yes, Father. He is the one who saved my life when I fought the dragon,” Basha replied respectfully.
At that moment, the Dwarf King opened his eyes and smiled. In an instant, Du Fan felt as if all his secrets had been seen through.
“Not bad. An interesting guy. His body contains so much potential. But these abilities weren’t cultivated by himself. I’m afraid his progress will be slow,” the Dwarf King said leisurely.
“Respected Dwarf King, if that’s the case, is there any way to eliminate these obstacles?” Du Fan asked respectfully.
The Dwarf King was a legendary figure, just like a pope. Du Fan had to speak with great respect and caution.
“That depends on you. After all, external help remains external. Only what you cultivate through hard work is the true source of your strength,” the Dwarf King said with a smile.
Du Fan secretly glanced at the Dwarf King. At that moment, he appeared like a thin human man—nothing like one of the top figures in the continent.

“Are you wondering about my appearance?” the Dwarf King said gently.
“Ever since I entered that realm, my appearance has gradually changed, turning into that of an ordinary human. This wasn’t something I intended to do,” the Dwarf King said.
“By the way, kid, you’ve been wandering around our dwarf tribe, Grass, these past few days. What do you plan to do?” the Dwarf King suddenly asked.
Du Fan was shocked! It seemed as though this Dwarf King knew everything about his actions in Grass!
“Your Majesty, the Dwarf King, I intend to purchase some weapons from your tribe. After all, it’s a rare chance to come to the Dusk Mountains and pass through this prosperous dwarf territory. I can’t return empty-handed,” Du Fan said honestly for once.
“Is that all?” the Dwarf King asked with a slight smile.
“Also, I want to explore whether it’s possible to relocate some of your people to my realm,” Du Fan added after hearing the Dwarf King’s question.
“Your realm?” the Dwarf King asked.
“I am a duke of the Gavin Empire, with the Siluo Province as my territory in the south of the Gavin Empire,” Du Fan replied.
“I heard you’re at war with the Lani Empire?” the Dwarf King asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty. That’s why I was sent to Siluo Province to defend against the Lani Empire’s attacks. As I was being pursued by them, a mistake in a teleportation spell sent me to the elves’ territory,” Du Fan said respectfully.
“I see. So, you passed through our dwarf territory as well—everything seems to be orchestrated by someone behind the scenes!” the Dwarf King said something that shocked Du Fan.
If there was someone behind the scenes, could it be Chenchen? Du Fan suddenly had a strange thought. If it wasn’t Chenchen, then that entity must be terrifying—capable of interfering with spells cast by others and sending Du Fan to the elves’ territory.
The Dwarf King paused for a moment before saying, “If we relocate some dwarves to your realm, what benefits will your tribe gain?”
“Our Siluo Province is rich in iron mines. If the dwarves move there, I’ll hand over all those mineral sites to them,” Du Fan replied.
“Kid, you must have your own conditions as well, right?” the Dwarf King said with a smile.

“Well, I hope the dwarves can help me craft sharp weapons and high-quality armor,” said Du Fan. “Of course, I’ll pay for them. I hope the price the dwarves charge me is just the cost price.”
“That’s indeed a very generous condition for us dwarves,” sighed the Dwarf King.
“Yes, Honorable Dwarf King, our Siluo Province has just gone through war and needs to be rebuilt. The dwarves coming there can indeed enjoy many discounts,” said Du Fan.
“In that case, after you leave the Divine Ruins, on your way back, recruit as many dwarves as you can. But remember one thing: you’re not allowed to recruit any residents from Grass,” said the Dwarf King.
Du Fan thought that this must be the main reason the Dwarf King summoned him today.
“I’m already extremely grateful that Your Majesty, the Dwarf King, allows me to recruit your people! Rest assured, I definitely won’t recruit a single soldier from Grass,” Du Fan said firmly.
“I’ve already said it, so you wouldn’t dare,” the Dwarf King said leisurely.
“However, Du Fan still has one more request. My son, Basha, has always grown up under my care. After you return from the Divine Ruins, take him to human society to gain some experience,” said the Dwarf King.
“Basha is my brother, my elder brother. Since Your Majesty has such an intention, I will surely do my utmost to protect Basha in human society!” Du Fan said firmly.
“No need to go to such extremes. I want him to gain experience by following you. If you protect him too closely, won’t all my efforts be in vain?” the Dwarf King said.
“Your Majesty, I’ve taken note of your words,” said Du Fan.
“The situation on the continent is about to become turbulent. I hope my son can secure a strong position,” the Dwarf King said again leisurely.
“To show my sincerity, I’ll assign five thousand elite dwarven cavalry to assist you, Du Fan, in building your territory,” the Dwarf King said with a mysterious smile. “I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
“With the Dwarf King leading the dwarves, their strength should be unshakable. Honorable Dwarf King, you needn’t worry too much, right?” Du Fan asked in surprise.

“The situation ahead is uncertain. If such a thing happens, what kind of existence can someone like me even be considered?” the Dwarf King suddenly sighed.
“What if such a thing happens?” Du Fan quickly asked.
“Enough, we’ve talked too much today. Basha, my son, take your brothers back.” The Dwarf King ignored Du Fan’s last question, finished speaking, and then walked away slowly. The entire space returned to its original state in an instant.
The Dwarf King sat cross-legged in that pale yellow, strange space, eyes closed, motionless. It seemed as though he had been sitting there for a very long time.
The two of them retreated.
After returning to their residence, Du Fan fell into deep thought.
All signs indicated that a tremendous upheaval might have occurred on the continent, one that even those god-tier experts felt anxious about. So, just how would such an upheaval unfold, and to what extent would it reach? Du Fan had no idea.
Anyway, it was most important to strengthen his own strength, Du Fan resolved firmly.
On the fourteenth day since Master Kola began crafting the weapons, news finally arrived that they could go pick up their weapons and armor. The four of them rushed to Master Kola’s workshop. In the room where he had crafted the items, there hung sets of armor, and next to them were arrows that exuded a terrifying aura!
“Based on the materials you provided, nine sets of armor and eighty-three arrows were crafted. You may go pick them up,” Master Kola said, slightly tired.
Each set of armor had layers of magical fluctuations, like ripples on a lake, emitting a fascinating aura.
“Second brother, you take five sets of armor, and I’ll take four,” Du Fan said readily.
“Wow! That’s great!” Basha exclaimed.
“That’s settled. Remember, I want all the arrows. It’s not too much for you to take five sets,” Du Fan said with a smile.
“Also, hurry up and arrange for us to enter the Divine Ruins.”
After obtaining the weapons and armor, Du Fan immediately set about preparing to enter the Divine Ruins.
“According to the results of this negotiation, twenty people from each side will go in,” Basha said.
“That many!” Du Fan was surprised.
“Yes. As you know, third brother, some things can’t be decided unilaterally. So, in total, forty people will enter the Divine Ruins this time,” Basha said.

“There are more people now; it must be even more dangerous in there,” Du Fan said.
“The key is to be alert to attacks from the magical beasts. Every time we enter the Divine Ruins, the most deaths come from that side. We must pay close attention to these issues!” Basha said.
“I don’t think we need to worry about those things. I don’t believe the magical beasts can send many experts,” Moses said with a smile. “For us, the real danger lies within the Divine Ruins.”
Du Fan did some calculations. On his side, there were red, yellow, blue, green, and purple members, plus Moses, Naixiu, and himself—three mages, making a total of eleven people. Adding Basha, that was twelve in total. In other words, there was still an eight-person gap.
“Second brother, can you gather eight more people over there?” Du Fan asked.
“In our dwarf race, in situations like this, we usually issue calls for volunteers, recruiting people on the spot to enter the Divine Ruins, and then selecting the best ones to go in,” Basha said.
“When will the selection start?” Naixiu asked.
“It can start right away,” Basha said with a smile.