Full health is the kill threshold, no matter if you're a god or a demon!

"They are the heroes who saved Toothpick! Trustworthy allies! Without them, I could never have crossed the Underdark to get here!" Mekkatorque said urgently. "I swear on my craftsman's honor that they harbor no ill will towards our people and have brought a vital opportunity for the future of our entire Gnomeregan exiled clans!"

The captain of the guard exchanged a glance with his companion and nodded. "Since you have the guarantee of the master craftsman Mekkatorque, please follow me. But please ask your friends to abide by the rules of the royal city." He gestured for his companion to deactivate his defensive weapons, and then personally led the way.

The tunnel's interior was far more magnificent than it appeared from the outside, with sturdy alloy walls on both sides inlaid with glowing stones that emitted a steady light, and a smoothly running conveyor belt underfoot, replacing walking.

After passing through this heavily guarded last line of defense, the view suddenly opened up before us!

A magnificent and spectacular semi-underground city of dwarves—the City of the Heart of Gears—was finally revealed to them without reservation!

The city was not built entirely in a closed cave, but rather situated within a massive, domed, open natural crater.

The city's "dome" is intricately woven from countless enormous, slowly rotating concentric metal gears. Artificial light sources are cleverly embedded in the gaps between the gears, casting a soft and bright glow like starlight, simulating day and night.

The buildings are no longer the low workshops and messy shacks of the Toothpick City, but towering spires, domes and crisscrossing sky bridges made of gleaming brass, shimmering mithril and solid crystal glass.

Countless aerial tracks weave between these buildings, carrying public vehicles with industrial designs and painted in various colors—cogwheel cable cars.

The heart of the city is a majestic central clock tower. On the huge dial at the top of the tower, every precise movement of the hands seems to drive countless gears throughout the city to produce a deep and harmonious sound, like an industrial symphony that never stops.

The streets were wide and clean, radiating outwards in all directions. Everywhere one could see more sophisticated and powerful guards, their bodies engraved with noble emblems, patrolling, as well as dwarf citizens dressed in clean, standardized engineering robes, hurrying along in an orderly fashion.

The air is filled with the scent of high-grade lubricating oil and a faint ozone, mixed with the aroma of metal and energy, and every corner is filled with an amazing sense of industrialism.

Led by the guards, the group traversed the bustling yet orderly streets, attracting the curious and inquisitive gazes of countless dwarf citizens.

Along the way, the five players curiously observed the city of the alien race.

It could be said that this was their first visit to a city of alien races, and they were also among the first group of human visitors from Earth to arrive here.

Finally, they arrived at the Heart of the Gear, a palace in the city center that blends seamlessly with the base of the central clock tower and resembles the interior of a giant, intricate pocket watch.

Passing through the gates guarded by two rows of imposing royal guards, the group entered the magnificent hall.

Inside the hall, countless gears of varying sizes slowly meshed and turned on the walls and ceiling, and soft light filtered through the gaps between the gears, illuminating the path covered with a deep red velvet carpet.

At the end of the road stood a throne high above, forged from countless intricate parts and gold.

On the throne, they met Prince Gerbin, the supreme leader of this race of engineered dwarves.

He was taller and more imposing than the master craftsman Mekkatorque, with a majestic appearance, a snow-white beard meticulously braided, and a blue, radiant robe of engineering.

His eyes, sharp as an eagle's, were full of wisdom and the air of someone long accustomed to a high position. He was quietly watching the arriving visitor.

Upon reaching this point, the five human players were stopped, along with two of Mekkatorque's guards. Only the High Tinker was summoned for an audience.

Mercator straightened his robes, and with his short legs and head held high, he entered the inner sanctum and headed straight for the throne.

What followed was a series of low voices talking. About five minutes later, the five human players were allowed to enter the main hall.

Before they even reached the dwarf prince, a hearty laugh rang out.

"Hahahaha..." The prince's voice wasn't as shrill as the other dwarves'; instead, it was quite deep and resonant. A smile appeared on his serious face, and his voice was loud and clear: "Welcome, human warriors from Azure Town! You not only relieved Toothpick City's immediate crisis but also provided us with crucial intelligence and valuable technological samples for our counterattack against those filthy ratmen." His gaze swept over Wu Zhan, Liu Nian, and their companions behind them. "Your courage, strength, and integrity have won the friendship of the Gnomeregan Clan!"

As the prince finished speaking, a system notification rang out clearly in the system interfaces of Liu Nian, Wu Zhan, and the others, and the mission rewards were also distributed.

[Ding! Gained: Toothpick reputation +5000, Heart of the Gear Princes reputation +1000, High Tinker Mekkatorque favorability +1000, Dwarf Princes favorability +800]

[Ding! You have obtained an epic mount from the Engineering Gnomes faction.]

[Ding! All shops in Prince's City of Gearheart are now open to you!]

---------------

As the system notification sound faded, five beams of light enveloped Wu Zhan, Liu Nian, Zhao Xinchun, Sun Yao, and Chen Suan respectively.

After the light faded, five uniquely designed mounts with a distinctly dwarf-engineered style appeared beside them.

This is naturally a reward for all five people.

Wu Zhan's mount is the Earthshaking Rhinoceros.

Its appearance resembles a robust, heavy-duty mechanical mount modeled after a mountain rhinoceros. Its entire body is covered in thick forged steel armor, with large hydraulic rods at the joints and highly durable composite gears on its hooves, producing a steady "thump, thump" sound when it walks. A miniature command platform with a rudimentary shield generator is fixed to its back.

This giant steel rhinoceros possesses extremely high carrying capacity and charging ability. Its innate skill, "Earthshaking Charge," can briefly knock back weak enemies in its path and destroy simple obstacles, making it very suitable for battlefield command and assault in martial arts combat.

Liu Nian's mount: the Steel-Jawed Tyrannosaurus Rex.

It was a massive and majestic biomimetic Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton mechanical mount. Its main body was constructed from a skeleton cast in dark alloy, with heavy armor plates encasing the key joints. Inside its enormous skull, instead of biological eyes, were two compound eye sensors emitting a green glow. Its tail consisted of segments of metal vertebrae with sharp edges, ending in a heavy, solid hammer. When it moved, its heavy steps caused the ground to tremble slightly, and the whirring of its hydraulic system sounded like a deep roar.

This mechanical skeletal behemoth not only looks imposing and intimidating, but also possesses a powerful straight-line charging ability like a ground-shaking rhinoceros. Its active skill, [Emperor's Stomp], allows it to stomp the ground, dealing damage and briefly stunning all enemies in a fan-shaped area in front of it. Furthermore, its joint structure allows it to jump.