Castro, the primal king, was able to go head-to-head with Kosso. If Castro were equipped as well...
What kind of scene would unfold when this primal king dove from the sky to strike ground targets?
On the ground, towering giants standing 7 blades tall, clad in heavy armor so thick even siege ballistae couldn't pierce it, rampaging through enemy armies. Each swing of their massive spiked clubs would claim dozens of lives, blood and soil splattering as they carved open empty paths wherever they went.
In the sky, a terrifying beast wrapped in steel, spreading its 16-blade-wide wings, diving down. Sharp weapons mounted on its wings sliced through dense enemy ranks like a blade through wheat, felling enemies in droves.
Just imagining this scene made Li De even more excited. Especially now, when seizing the mithril vein would likely require clashing head-on with tens of thousands of Beastmen troops, enhancing their own combat power was undoubtedly critical.
Besides, Li De had always been very interested in such matters.
"Go bring Kosso from Giant Valley to the smithy. We’ll visit that dwarven master blacksmith together.
I want to forge a new set of armor for Kosso. I want to turn this Bronze Cyclops into a true overlord of the battlefield, a magical world’s Gundam, the ultimate humanoid war machine!"
Seeing Li De’s excited expression, Harrison, though unsure of what exactly his boss meant, could tell it was something grand.
"Yes, Patriarch. Kosso will become the sharp blade in your hand, slicing the enemy’s throat!"
"No, he will become the war hammer in my hand, smashing the enemy’s skull.
They will be my super heavy-armored warriors!"
Li De was in high spirits.
One sun-hour later.
The smithy.
Valen looked at Li De with a very complicated expression.
As a dwarf who had lived for three hundred years, Valen had seen many amazing and unbelievable things in his life.
But nothing he had seen before could compare to what he had witnessed in the past few days.
This city, ruled by Vampires, had somehow achieved peaceful coexistence between two traditionally hostile races.
It was simply beyond comprehension.
You are Vampires! Killing, cruelty, and blood-drinking are your very nature, yet you get along so well with humans? This is intolerable.
"Should I address you as Majestic Iro, or Lord Kachar?" Although Li De had not taken on his Vampire form, Valen still recognized him.
He didn’t even need to look directly at Li De; just by observing the respectful gazes of the surrounding blacksmiths, he could deduce it.
Li De smiled slightly at the bearded dwarf dressed in burlap and bound with anti-magic shackles. The two small braids in Valen’s beard caught his attention for a moment.
"In Dawn City, call me Kachar. Valen, you are a clever dwarf."
Valen shook his head, interrupting Li De, "Lord Kachar, regarding the mithril vein, I don’t think there’s any chance for cooperation. You need not waste your effort."
Li De shook his head. "Don’t be hasty. I’m not here today to discuss the mithril vein."
He paused, his tone carrying deeper meaning. "I no longer need your help with that matter."
Valen’s heart skipped, but before he could speak, Li De raised his hand to stop him.
"Valen, there’s no need to discuss it any further.
Today, I want to ask you, is there any armor that dwarves are incapable of forging? Of course, I don’t mean divine artifacts."
Valen gazed deeply at Li De, deeply admiring this Vampire. This dark creature was far too clever, just a few words had already disturbed his mind.
He shook his head and stopped overthinking it. The initiative was still in his hands; as long as they hadn't found the mithril vein, he had nothing to fear.
The mithril vein was so well hidden that even the dwarves nearly missed it back then, how could others easily find it?
"Lord Kachar, as long as it’s not a divine artifact, there’s no problem.
In fact, I dare say that if the dwarves cannot forge a piece of armor, then no race in this world can."
Speaking with dwarven pride, Valen temporarily set aside his internal worries and raised his head high before Li De.
‘Dwarven craftsmanship guarantees quality’ was already common knowledge throughout Glory. No one would argue this point, just as no one questioned the might of Dragons.
Li De nodded in satisfaction at these words and turned his gaze to the nearby street.
Valen was slightly puzzled and followed Li De’s line of sight.
Soon, a massive creature appeared in his vision, standing 7 blades tall, with muscles like forged steel, gray-white wrinkled skin, and a hairless head featuring a single enormous eye.
A Cyclops.
"Master Valen, I want you to forge an indestructible set of armor for him."
Seeing that massive body, Valen’s hand holding the hammer trembled involuntarily, and his face stiffened.
"Lord Kachar, you want me to forge armor for this Cyclops?"
Li De shook his head. Just as Valen breathed a slight sigh of relief, Li De pulled a palm-sized bat from his pocket.
Then, under everyone’s shocked gaze,
The tiny Castro transformed in just a few seconds into a terrifying beast 4 blades tall with a wingspan of over 16 blades, standing on the open ground.
The dark red patterns on its wings radiated majesty and mystery, while its body gleamed with a metallic sheen like a bronze-forged monster.
Li De gestured toward Castro, his tone tinged with amusement.
"Not just the Cyclops, also for him. The King of Dawn Bats, Castro.
I need you to forge two sets of suitable armor for them."
Looking at the two colossal creatures whose toes were as thick as his thighs, Valen’s hammer slipped from his hand and struck the ground.
At the same time, the previously proud dwarf master blacksmith turned a bit pale.
For some reason, the surrounding blacksmiths felt a sudden surge of sympathy for the master smith upon witnessing this scene.
Just how long was he going to have to forge for these two monsters?
Chapter 223: Equipment Worth 100,000 Gold Pucks
Clang~ Clang~
After Li De decided to create his super heavy-armored warriors, the sound of hammering metal became the dominant melody in the skies above Dawn City.
For the past few days, the residents lived amidst the constant sound of forging.
At present, Dawn City had a total of 78 blacksmiths. Most of them were low-level blacksmiths who primarily forged farming tools for farmers, with only a dozen or so mid-level blacksmiths capable of independently crafting weapons.
As for high-level blacksmiths, there was only one: Golddig, who possessed half-dwarven blood. There were no master-level blacksmiths above him, and the only grandmaster-level blacksmith was the dwarf who had just arrived in Dawn City, Valen Brutehammer.
The ranks of blacksmiths were divided into: low-level, mid-level, high-level, master, grandmaster, and legendary.
Blacksmithing was considered a life-class profession, not in conflict with combat classes, and anyone could choose to take up the trade.
However, reaching master or even grandmaster level required significant talent. These seemingly easy-to-enter life professions demanded even greater effort than combat professions to reach the highest ranks.
At first, Valen was unwilling to forge armor for him, especially after seeing Kosso and Castro’s enormous bodies.
Who knew how long it would take to finish crafting for such gigantic creatures?
Naturally, Li De couldn’t let this grandmaster-level labor force go. He used a promise not to harm the young dwarven prince Anakin to exchange for Valen’s reluctant agreement to forge armor for Kosso and Castro.
Of course, if Valen had to forge armor for these two giants all by himself, even with his grandmaster-level skill, it would take at least half a year, if not longer.
Li De didn’t have the time to wait, nor the interest in continuing to torment this stubborn dwarf. With a wave of his hand, he granted Valen full access to all of Dawn City’s blacksmithing resources.
He only needed Valen to forge the strongest armor in the shortest amount of time.
The mithril vein could be discovered at any moment, and the Beastmen occupying it numbered in the tens of thousands.
He needed to rapidly boost his combat strength, and Kosso and Castro were undoubtedly the best choices for the current stage. These behemoths had unmatched advantages when dealing with ground forces.
To further increase efficiency, Li De even promised that if Valen’s forged armor met his satisfaction, Valen could choose his own residence in Dawn City.
Furthermore, he would no longer be forced to meet daily quotas and could even enjoy a half-barrel of fine wine as a weekly reward.
Having been stuck in the smithy for over half a month, forced to forge weapons for at least 16 sun-hours a day just to receive food, Valen had finally begun to grow weary of blacksmithing.
Upon hearing Li De’s offer, his enthusiasm surged instantly, especially with the promise of fine wine every week, which made him cheer with joy.
Dwarves and fine wine had always been inseparable. Their love for alcohol was equal to their love for forging and mining.
No dwarf could resist fine wine, none.
Li De merely smiled, saying nothing. This was simply human nature. His previous exploitation of Valen had been ruthless, to the point where the dwarf felt suffocated.
Now, by taking a small step back, reducing Valen’s daily working hours from 16 sun-hours to 12, while providing ample food and even a full day of rest each week, the "benevolent" policy instantly made Valen feel relieved. His resistance visibly decreased.
In this newfound comfort, Valen seemed unaware that he was still doing the same work, the only difference was that it was now slightly more pleasant.
This was the essence of how those in power controlled those below them.
Or perhaps Valen had realized it but could only play along, since the initiative had always rested in the hands of the superior. The subordinate had no choice but to submit.
...
"Lord Kachar, this alchemical formula was something I acquired years ago during an adventure in the Underground World from the Dark Elves.
The Dark Elves are kin to the Elves. They prefer to fight in light armor, yet their armor, though thin, can block heavy crossbow bolts and possesses astonishing defensive power.
The alchemical formula I obtained is for the metal they use. I’ve named this metal Shadow Metal, as it only appears on the Dark Elves."
After taking over the smithy, Valen immediately began his forging operations. However, when it came to selecting the steel for the armor, he ran into a problem.
Previously, Golddig had developed a reinforced steel that was three times harder than regular steel, currently the highest-grade metal in Dawn City.
Originally, Li De had intended to use this new reinforced steel for Kosso and Castro’s armor.
However, Valen objected. While the reinforced steel had excellent defensive properties, it was far too heavy.
Reinforced steel had double the density of ordinary steel. For armor tailored to Kosso’s massive frame, the final weight might exceed 10 tons.
Even with Kosso’s Ancient Giant bloodline, wearing such armor would significantly slow his movements.
Valen was firmly opposed to this. For a dwarf who pursued perfection, this was an insult to his reputation as a grandmaster blacksmith. Thus, he presented a precious alchemical formula.
"Dark Elves?" Li De, standing beside the forge, watched the sparks fly and looked across at Valen, who was holding his massive hammer, his expression full of surprise.
The Dark Elves were close relatives of the Elves. In ancient times, when the Elves still ruled the Glory Main Plane, the Dark Elves, like the Elves, lived within the ancient forests.
When the Alchemy Era rose and the Elves fell into decline, the Dark Elves parted ways with them and moved into the Underground World.
Unlike the fate of the Elves, the Dark Elves underwent immense changes over the course of millions of years.
Living underground, they were heavily influenced by the dark creatures of the Underground World and gradually lost the skills that once allowed them to survive on the surface, fully becoming dark beings.
They were sinister and cunning, fond of slaughter.
However, after becoming dark beings, these superior races with Elven blood did not grow weaker. On the contrary, they earned a fearsome reputation within the Underground World.
That was why Li De was so surprised by Valen’s words. To have obtained such a precious alchemical formula from the powerful Dark Elves was no simple matter.
"That’s right, Lord Kachar. The Dark Elves inherited precious knowledge from the Elves. Because of their slender frames, they must wear light armor to maintain agility in battle.
But thin armor provides insufficient defense.
In response, the powerful Dark Elves invested tremendous effort into developing this lightweight yet extremely durable metal.
Shadow Metal’s defensive power is at least twice as strong as the reinforced steel Golddig developed, while its weight is only half that of ordinary steel for the same volume."
Li De’s eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.
If Valen was telling the truth, what did this mean?
It meant that Kosso and Castro could wear much thicker armor, gain even stronger defense, and truly become steel giants.
"And that’s not all. I also know of an alchemical array. If drawn inside the armor using mithril, it will grant the armor extremely high magic resistance." As he spoke about forging armor, Valen clearly grew excited and could not resist proudly showing off to Li De.
"At that point, combined with the Dark Elves’ uniquely durable metal, even a direct hit from a human dragon-hunting ballista wouldn’t cause injury. The heavily armored Cyclops will become invincible!"
Li De’s heart pounded, and he quickly asked,
"Then how do we create this metal?"
Upon hearing Li De’s question, a strange gleam flashed in Valen’s eyes.
"Lord Kachar, this treasure was earned with my life in the Underground World."
Li De waved his hand, cutting straight to the point.
"What do you want?"
Since the other party had laid out this bait, he didn’t believe Valen truly asked for nothing.
Beside the forge, the heat waves made the air scorching, and the red flames illuminated the side of the dwarf’s face, his black beard gleaming. His black eyes locked tightly onto Li De.
"Lord Kachar, if one day you find the Dwarven Clan, I hope you will spare my people."
Oh?
Li De raised an eyebrow. He had expected Valen to ask for the release of a dwarf, or perhaps their eventual release after a certain time, but he hadn’t anticipated this master blacksmith would make such a request.
"Lord Valen, why do you assume I will find the Dwarven Clan?" Li De’s gaze turned playful. "I assume you still have confidence in the clan, do you not?"
In fact, Li De greatly underestimated the degree of intimidation he held in Valen’s mind.
The leader of the Dark Pact, known as His Majesty Iro, and very likely a terrifying transcendent being.
Furthermore, as the Patriarch of the Vampires, ruler of a vast city, and someone who, with great skill, had achieved peaceful coexistence between Vampires and humans, once bitter enemies.
With all these factors combined, Li De’s status in Valen’s heart had become immensely high.
The other party was not only unfathomably powerful but also highly intelligent and capable.
Even though Valen still had faith in the Dwarven Clan, facing such a powerful dark boss, he could not help but feel uneasy.
This Vampire was simply too powerful. With his forces alone, he could easily wipe out the dwarves. Valen had no choice but to secure a path of survival for his people.
Although the Dwarven Clan had not yet been discovered, Valen had a nagging feeling that for these Vampires, finding the clan might not be so difficult.
His resistance thus far had been to buy time for the clan to dispatch a second rescue team after losing contact, to resolve the current crisis as soon as possible.
Otherwise, if this Vampire were to truly discover the Dwarven Clan, it was hard to predict what might happen.
As for the ten-thousand-strong Beastmen army, the opponent that was undefeatable for the Dwarves, Valen strangely felt that in the hands of the powerful and mysterious Lord Kachar, it would not be a significant problem.
"Lord Kachar, I only need your promise. I trust that someone as great as you would never break your word."
Li De couldn’t help but laugh at these words. Where did this dwarf get such confidence in him?
Still, even the reckless Beastmen knew to enslave Dwarves to forge weapons, how could he not?
In fact, from Li De’s perspective, if he truly found the Dwarven Clan, the value of the dwarves’ craftsmanship might not be any less than the mithril vein itself.
"Very well, Lord Valen. I promise you, if one day I discover the Dwarven Clan, unless they harbor hostility toward the Bloodline Descendants and initiate an attack, I will not harm them."
Valen visibly let out a breath of relief and immediately nodded, "Lord Kachar, I trust your promise.
To forge the Dark Elves' special metal requires a very complex process and a large amount of rare ores."
Valen then proceeded to share the formula for Shadow Metal without any reservation.
As a grandmaster blacksmith of the dwarves, Valen possessed many valuable techniques, formulas even better than Shadow Metal, but those were dwarven secrets that could not be shared, so he didn’t feel much loss parting with this one.