Ember Dragon

Chapter 642: The Mountain Lord's Entrustment

"Father, you, how is this possible with your body?" Zen stood there in a daze, looking at his father in shock, looking at the lord of the mountain who had guarded Avondeldan for a hundred years.

It turned out that when Ed undid his armor and coat and opened his chest, what was revealed was not rock-hard muscles, but real rock, a rock mixed with metal ore, mica and quartz!
"We shield dwarves are the life forms born from the hard rock. It's not bad to die in this way." Ed looked down at his body and said self-deprecatingly.

"Father, why is this happening? Aren't you already recovered?" Zen looked anxious and his voice was extremely rapid.

Ed replied calmly: "In the battle a few months ago, I sacrificed my life to the Hammer of Stone in order to kill the orc chieftain. The me you see now is barely maintained by it."

He looked down at the hammer in his hand and continued, “After leaving this hammer, I will gradually turn into a stone statue and continue to guard Blackrock Mountain and Avenderdan.

And you, my child." Ed raised his head, looked into Zen's eyes, and said in a sonorous voice: "You will become the new Lord of the Mountains, the new King of the Shield Dwarves. You will carry tens of thousands of years of glorious history and lead your people to find a new future."

After that, Ed strode forward and solemnly handed the Hammer of Rock into Zen's hands.

"Father, you."

Zayn's hands were shaking as he felt the heavy hammer in his hand, which was carved with ancient patterns. It seemed to be heavier than the entire Blackrock Mountain.

——Because this is the symbol of the authority of the Lord of the Mountains. It carries the glorious history of the Mountain Kingdom for thousands of years, and also carries the civilization passed down from generation to generation by the shield dwarves.

And the moment the hammer slipped out of his hand, Ed showed a relieved smile, and in Zen's eyes, his father's body was closer to rock, and the breath of "life" on his body weakened a lot.

Zayn handed over the warhammer and said in a heavy tone: "No, father, I can't accept it. It will cost you your life!"

But Ed shook his head firmly, forced the hammer back, and slowly said, "This is my own choice. The moment I gave my life to the Hammer of Rock, I was already dead.

Zen Klein, the future of the Mountain Kingdom belongs to you. Go ahead with the expectations of our ancestors and me. Besides, I may not lose."

The dwarf king grinned, smiled heartily, patted his chest that had turned into rock, and said proudly: "That evil dragon may not be my opponent. Although the Hammer of Rock has been handed over to you, don't forget - I am the most powerful warrior in the Mountain Kingdom!"

"Father."

Zayn lowered his head and remained silent. He had already seen Ed's determination.

He knew his father very well. Once Ed made up his mind, he would never change it easily. He was even more stubborn and harder than diamond.

After a long time, Zane half-knelt in Ed's direction, then raised his head and looked at Ed with unwavering eyes.

He clenched the hammer in his hand, placed it on his chest, and said in a resounding voice: "Father, in the name of the Mountain Kingdom, in the name of Father God Moradin, I will complete everything you have entrusted to me, and I will never change my mind until I die."

Dwarves have always been a race that keeps their promises, known for their courage and loyalty, and when they swear an oath by their father god, it means that the promise means more than their lives.

"Hahahaha, okay, this is my son, this is what the Lord of the Mountain should be like!" Ed walked up with a big laugh and patted Zen on the back.

Zenn said solemnly, "Father, if you die and Avenderdan is taken, I will spend the rest of my life avenging you."

Ed shook his head and said, "I am already a dying man, and dying on the battlefield with my old friends is what I want to see.

Zain, your most important goal is to inherit the royal bloodline and the civilization of the kingdom. You must not act rashly."

Seeing that Zayn still lowered his head and remained silent, Ed had no choice but to say, "Take your people to Lonely Mountain. Sir Titus is waiting for you there."

"Yes, father."

Looking at Zayn's back, Ed sighed deeply.

He knew that although his son seemed cold and taciturn, his characteristics were exactly the same as his own in some aspects - for example, he never changed his decisions and his temper was more stubborn than rock.

If that time really comes, we can only hope that Lord Titus can persuade them to stop and save the dwarves' lives, Ed thought.

"Your Majesty, have you finished talking to His Highness Zen?" Bjorn walked slowly from the other end of the corridor, leaning on a cane.

Ed nodded slightly: "Yeah, but this kid may not listen to me. He might do something stupid."

Bjorn coughed twice, then said with a smile: "Why should you worry about this, Your Majesty?

I watched His Highness Zen grow up. I saw that when he was his age, he was much calmer than you were back then. At that time, you single-handedly broke into a green dragon's lair and took back the kingdom's treasure."

"Of course, I was known as the bravest warrior in the Mountain Kingdom back then!" Ed said with a big laugh. He subconsciously touched his waist, but found nothing. This made him feel a little empty inside - the Hammer of Rock had been taken away by Zen.

Bjorn saw Eddard's disappointment at a glance, and said quickly: "Your Majesty, I will ask the craftsmen to make you the best war hammer immediately."

"No need." Ed waved his hand and said complacently, "I used to make several weapons that imitated the Hammer of Rock. I'm just worried about where to use them."

"Oh, your majesty, there is one more important thing."

"what's up?"

"Our scouts have discovered traces of dragon riders around the Kared Mountains, and the Harper Alliance and the Arcane Hermitage have also warned us that the army of the Burning Embers Empire has gathered and is heading northeast - the direction of our Mountain Kingdom."

Hearing Bjorn's words, Ed was not surprised or frightened. He just walked to the terrace of the room.

Ed sighed, “I really didn’t expect that the Burning Empire would come so quickly. I thought it would take them at least half a year to completely control North Ethel.

Bjorn also sighed: "Yes, with such a hasty military mobilization, aren't they worried about rebellion in the occupied areas?"

Looking at the mountains in the distance, Ed slowly said, "Tsk tsk, it's no wonder that this is an empire ruled by red dragons. They are as greedy as their emperor, eager to swallow up everything in the world. It's just..."

Ed stretched out his hand, and with a buzzing sound, a metal hammer that looked almost the same as the Hammer of Rock flew out from a box in the distance and was held in the hand of the dwarf king.

Ed then continued, "I wonder how many teeth that greedy dragon can break with the tough bone of the Mountain Kingdom?"

In the open space in front of the palace, the dwarf generals and soldiers who received the news gathered here fully armed, wearing the heaviest armor and holding the most sophisticated weapons.

"We are the descendants of the earth and the mountains!"

"Long live the dwarves!"

"For the glory of Father Moradin!"

"Avenderdan will never fall! Long live the Mountain Kingdom!"

Their battle cries were like a tsunami, resounding through the sky. These dwarves had no idea what kind of opponent they were about to face, but no matter what, these tenacious guys would never surrender easily.

Hearing the war cries and shouts in the distance, the dwarf prince Zen turned around and couldn't help but clench the Hammer of Rock in his hand, suppressing all kinds of emotions in his heart.

"The war is about to begin, but I can only stand by and watch," he lamented.

But Zayn knew very well that at the moment, he had more important responsibilities and must not go back rashly, as that would be disrespectful to his father.

He looked at the foot of the Lonely Mountain, where tens of thousands of dwarves gathered, most of them women and children, and hundreds of young and energetic dwarf warriors like Zen. They were the future of the High Mountain Kingdom that Ed had entrusted to Zen. They would escape to the golden dragon's refuge together and pass on the kingdom's thousands of years of civilization.

The dwarf servant beside him shouted in confusion: "Your Highness Zen, we can't leave when the battle begins. This is a cowardly act! We should fight side by side with His Majesty Eddard and his men to protect Avenderdan!"

Zayn shook his head: "Tok, this is my father's order. He has paid a lot for it. We can't let him down."

"But your majesty..." Tok wanted to argue, but Zen didn't respond, just nodded his head to indicate - it turned out that the treasure house of Lonely Mountain had arrived.

"Tok, you take the others and wait outside. I will go in by myself."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Tok and his dwarf guards were stationed outside the passage, watching Zen enter the hidden cave and go deep into the Lonely Mountain.

After walking through a narrow valley, the view in front of us suddenly opened up.

"This is the Lonely Mountain Treasure House." Zane muttered to himself.

Standing in front of the huge iron gate of the treasury that was more than 30 meters high, Zane still felt a little excited and his heart was pounding.

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After all, this is the Lonely Mountain Treasury. Only shield dwarves with royal blood can enter the place. It is said that the most precious treasures of the kingdom over thousands of years are stored inside.

But Ed said that Titus would be waiting for him in the Lonely Mountain Treasury, so the golden dragon ally should have gone in as well, Zayn thought.

He pressed his hand hard on the door.

"boom--"

With a dull thud, the huge iron door slowly opened, but there was nothing inside, without the imagined mountains of gold, silver, or sparkling gems.

"Why is this happening?" Zayn frowned subconsciously and looked around.

"Don't look for it anymore. I have already transferred your treasures to the demiplane. These things are too valuable and may be discovered by the spies of the Burning Empire at any time." A familiar voice came from deep in the treasury.

Zen quickly looked towards the source of the sound, only to see a huge golden dragon walking out of the darkness.

His posture was quite elegant, and the scales on his body sparkled in the dim light, but they were covered with wounds.

Zayn's face immediately lit up with joy, and he greeted, "Sir Titus! You are here. My father asked me to come and see you."

Although Zen had only a superficial acquaintance with the "Wing of Dawn" and had only exchanged a few words with him, the golden dragon was a recognized ally of the dwarves and the greatest dragon in their minds.

"Is that you, Lord Zen? You are finally here. We are running out of time and need to complete the transfer as soon as possible."

Titus nodded slightly as a greeting, then pointed his claws to the depths of the treasury: "I have transferred your treasure to the demiplane, it is very safe there and will never be discovered by the people of the Burning Empire.

But His Majesty Eddard has told me that there is one more thing that only you can take away."

Zayn was a little curious: "What is that?"

"Your Highness Zen, please follow me." Titus did not answer immediately, but moved his strong forelimbs and walked towards the depths of the treasure house.

Zen followed closely behind the ancient golden dragon, looking around curiously. The rock wall was carved with exquisite craftsmanship to depict the history of the Mountain Kingdom and the statues of dwarf kings, exuding a strong sense of heaviness.

Although the treasures have been moved, the Gushan Treasure House cannot be taken away after all, and the murals will also remain here.

At this moment, Zen wished he could keep all these things in his mind and tell his descendants about the glory of the dwarves. He finally understood what his father had entrusted him with.

This is civilization.

At this moment, Titus' words interrupted Zane's thoughts.

"This is it."

Zen found that they had reached the end of the treasure house and stopped in front of an inconspicuous wall.

"Smear your blood here." Gu Jinlong knocked on a certain spot on the wall with his claws.

"Okay." Zayn bit his finger and smeared the blood on the wall.

The ancient golden dragon manipulated the blood and drew the dwarven symbols he had recorded. Then he ordered in a deep voice: "Repeat after me: In the name of the Lord of the Mountains, the Ruler of the Shield Dwarves, and the Bloodline of Blackrock Mountain..."

"Moradin is above, lord of the mountain" Zen did the same.

The symbol drawn in blood suddenly lit up, the runes glowed, and the dwarf relief roared.

"boom--"

A pillar made of black iron slowly rose from the ground, inlaid with half a stone that exuded an evil aura, and it seemed to be trapped by some kind of chain.

Titus continued to order: "Drop your blood on this table."

Zen did as he was told and placed his finger on it. As the blood of the shield dwarf royal family dripped, the seals around it were suddenly released, and thick black fog gushed out from the stone.

"Hoo--let me out! I will destroy you!"

A beast-like war cry sounded, and an evil, chaotic, and violent aura filled the secret room, forming an extremely terrifying orc shadow that seemed to devour the ancient golden dragon and the dwarf.

After being sealed for a long time, this half of the "Eye of Gruumsh" has developed its own consciousness. If it is completely released, it may become an evil creature of divine level.

Zen held the Rock Hammer in his hand, his face solemn, and wanted to step forward to fight.

But Titus stopped him. The huge ancient golden dragon radiated golden light all over its body, and then it thrust its huge claws deep into the black fog, from which angry roars, hisses and struggles were immediately heard.

After a while of groping, Gu Jinlong held the half stone in his claws, and a thick black gas flowed out from between his fingers.

"Sir Titus, this is..." Zane asked solemnly.

"The Eye of Gruumsh."

Titus frowned and said, "What an evil creature! I'm afraid you can't seal him now, so I'll keep him for you."

"Yes, Sir Titus."

Zen was extremely shocked. He didn't expect that such an evil thing would be sealed in the treasure house of Lonely Mountain.

But Titus, or Cassius, was already delighted in his heart. In that case, let him keep the dwarves' treasure and half of the Eye of Gruumsh forever!
(End of this chapter)