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

"What's going on?" Liu Nian looked at the door that had disappeared, then glanced at Gerbin, who was covered in sweat.

"Um...it seems the algorithm has changed." Gerbin scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "Things are getting a bit complicated..."

Liu Nian slapped his forehead. Oh no, how could I have forgotten about Mechagon! This old ancestor should be much higher level than Gelbin!

"Don't worry, let me find someone more professional to help you."

With a thought, Mechagon's silvery-white body emerged from the void, its eight mechanical limbs landing on the gravel of the Gobi Desert with a crisp metallic clanging sound.

Sure enough, after listening to Gelbin's description, McCagon immediately said, "What you're describing is probably a variant of the 'Unordered Dynamic Maze Algorithm,' which adds two new modules: 'Bloodline Recognition Loop' and 'Moon Wheel Offset'..."

Finally, the two recalculated the entrance coordinates, and this time the entrance appeared in a valley...

Finally, with their combined efforts, they successfully opened the door.

Gazing at the brightly lit metal corridor, Gerbin exclaimed excitedly, "Finally... I can go home again!"

The two people and the spider stepped into the passage.

Along the way, Gerbin introduced Gnomeregan to the two of them based on his memory.

This level eight dwarf city has a circular layout, consisting of twelve fan-shaped districts and a central royal city.

Each district has its own distinct style and function, like twelve interlocking gears slowly rotating around a central hub.

For example, the "Winter Workshops" are where countless enormous furnaces and forging hammers operate day and night, serving as the center for the manufacture of weapons and equipment in Gnomeregan.

In addition, there is the "Winter Mechanics District," where densely packed gear towers resemble a metal forest, connected by countless clockwork bridges and steam pipes. Steam spews from the pipe joints, forming a thin white mist that envelops the entire city. This is the power core of Gnomeregan—the entire city's energy comes from the magma furnaces and underground steam turbines in this area.

The Early Spring Experimental Zone is a relatively quiet area with low, sophisticated buildings. Its rooftops are equipped with numerous telescopes, planetariums, and energy monitoring devices. Researchers from the Engineering Dwarfs conduct various high-precision engineering experiments and theoretical derivations here.

The agricultural zone is the source of food and biological materials for Gnomeregan. A huge, transparent dome covers the entire area, beneath which are neatly arranged farmland and hydroponic pipes, as well as ranches for raising edible beetles and cave-horned sheep.

In addition, there are the Flourishing Residential Area, Summer Solstice Trading Area, Midsummer Medical Area, Harvest Warehouse Area, Bountiful Harvest Casting Area, Autumn Equinox Academy Area, Fallen Leaves Repair Area, and Winter Night Rest Area—each district is named after the old name of the month, and each carries a different function.

At the center lies the royal city of Gnomeregan, a vast complex of palaces cast in metal.

As Gelbin listened to his description, Mechagon would occasionally chime in with his own words, noting that while Gnomeregan had been established in his time, it wasn't quite as complete as it was now.

……

At that moment, a series of rattling sounds came from ahead, followed by a group of mechanical guards emerging.

With its all-black shell, eight sharp mechanical limbs, and two red optical lenses on its head, it is the classic defensive unit of the Engineering Dwarfs: the Spider Servant.

[LV700 Gnomeregan Defense Spider Servant (Elite Unit)]

A total of twelve spider servants lined up in two rows in the passage, completely blocking the way ahead. Their optical lenses locked onto Liu Nian and his group, and their mouthparts emitted a low mechanical hum.

Because one of the three, Gerbin, was present, they were not attacked immediately.

"Unauthorized target has entered the Gnomeregan core passage. Please halt immediately and undergo identity verification." A synthesized voice echoed from the spider minions. "Repeated: Halt immediately and undergo identity verification. Otherwise, it will be considered an intrusion and you will be eliminated."

The three of them were quickly scanned.

"Target #1: Engineering Dwarf, Identity Verification in Progress..."

"96% similarity to Gerbin Nomo in the database..."

"Target #2: Suspected illusion unit, identity verification in progress..."

"No record found in the database..."

"Target #3: Spider Servant Variant Unit..."

"Verifying the target's inclinations..."

……

After a thorough examination, the three were taken to a temporary reception room, and the spider servants went to notify the staff on duty.

The reception room was small, about fifty square meters, with metal walls on all four sides. In the center of the room was a round table and several metal chairs, with a pot of steaming tea on the table.

Gerbin was very excited, pacing back and forth on his short legs, chattering incessantly: "I wonder if this place is still the same after all these years, or if I don't recognize it anymore..."

Liu Nian looked idly at the dwarf-style paintings hanging on the wall, listening to Gelbin's ramblings, and occasionally chatting with McCagon.

About fifteen minutes later, the door to the reception room was suddenly pushed open.

An engineering dwarf wearing a dark blue engineer's robe with gold trim walked in.

His beard was gray but neatly combed, and he wore a single pair of mechanical glasses. The moment he saw Gerbin, he froze as if struck by lightning.

"G...Gelbin?!" His voice trembled. "You really are—"

"Uncle Torger," Gerbin turned around, looked at the old dwarf, and said excitedly, "Long time no see!"

Torgh took a deep breath, suppressing the tears welling in his eyes, and his voice regained its businesslike composure: "His Majesty the King is on his way; he has already received the news. Before that, I need to confirm—who is this?"

He looked at Liu Nian.

"Liu Nian," Gerbin said, "my savior and friend of the engineering dwarf."

Torgh nodded, then his gaze fell on Mechagon: "And this..."

Gerbin paused for a moment, then said, "It would be best to wait until my brother arrives so we can talk about it together."

Just as Torgh was about to say something, his ears suddenly twitched. He heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the observation room, like someone was running.

Then the door was suddenly pushed open.

A figure stumbled in.

[LV899 Lanfog Nomor (King of Gnomeregan, Eternal Boss)]

He was a middle-aged dwarf, wearing a golden cloak over a dark gold royal robe. His beard was longer than Gerbin's, almost reaching his waist, and it seemed to light up the moment his gaze fell upon Gerbin.

His prosthetic leg bumped against the threshold, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.

His attendant tried to help him up, but he pushed him away.

"Gelbin!" His voice was hoarse and trembling slightly. "Is it really you?!"