Masi Brutehammer was extremely anxious at the moment, constantly turning his head to glance at the tightly shut door.
Last night, after the Dwarf King led the clan away from the Dwarven Valley, he had decided to stay behind.
Because there were still six to seven hundred clansmen here, all of whom were his relatives and friends. He didn't want to abandon them.
If Patriarch Rabio could really bring back reinforcements, Masi believed he could serve as an insider.
He was very confident in this.
But at this moment, Masi was feeling some worry and nervousness about the upcoming meeting.
Because he was about to face a terrifying force that had annihilated over ten thousand Beastmen troops, Vampires.
He was well aware of the traits of dark creatures: bloodthirsty, murderous, brutal, and cold. In all the legends, vampires were the undisputed number one villains.
Even Abyssal Demons couldn't quite compare to vampires in some respects.
Because the reputation of these dark beings was so evil, so utterly wicked, that every race was wary of them.
Even though dwarves hadn't had much contact with vampires, no one dared underestimate these infamous dark creatures.
He didn't know why these vampires hadn't directly attacked the dwarves last night, but Masi absolutely didn't believe they were truly kind or friendly.
The treachery and cunning of dark creatures had long been emphasized in the legends of all races.
The waiting felt interminable. Masi felt like a whole year had passed before the door was finally pushed open.
Tap, tap, tap~
The distinctive sound of leather boots echoed on the hardwood floor.
Dressed in a black robe, Li De stepped into the dwarf's room.
His eyes showed a hint of curiosity as he glanced around. The interior clearly displayed the dwarven style, rugged and solid.
The room was about four blades high, and everything inside looked a bit short. The table was a bit lower than normal, the threshold shorter, even the fireplace on the wall was a size smaller.
The house was very clean. The floor was paved with gray hardwood, the grain clear and emanating a unique woody fragrance.
The walls were built from gray stone blocks, layered and solid at a glance.
The dwarves' talent for construction was second only to their skills in mining and forging weapons.
In the center of the room was a gray wooden table, surrounded by several slightly lower chairs. A dwarf wearing armor and with a very alert gaze stood by the glassless window, watching him closely.
This dwarf had pale golden hair like an old oil painting, a flaxen beard, and stood even shorter than the average dwarf, about 1.4 blades tall.
However, his strong, solid muscles stretched his armor taut, and the massive pointed warhammer beside him, at least three hundred pounds and taller than the dwarf himself, spoke volumes about his terrifying strength.
The dwarves' unique physique, combined with years of forging, gave them tremendous power. They could go toe-to-toe with Beastmen standing two blades tall and not fall behind in the slightest.
When Masi saw Li De, he immediately tensed, and then a flash of shock passed through his eyes.
Because he couldn't sense any aura from this vampire. This dark creature, elegant like a noble, appeared before him like an ordinary person.
Masi took a deep breath. Even Rabio, at Level 18, couldn't hide his presence from him, yet this vampire gave off no trace at all.
He knew he was facing a being far beyond his comprehension.
He stepped forward two paces, clenched his right fist, and placed it over his chest.
"Masi Brutehammer of the Brutehammer Clan, warrior of the dwarves, greets you, esteemed mighty one."
One must always show proper respect to the powerful.
This was the most widespread and well-known rule on the Glory Main Plane.
Even if the other party was an enemy, a cruel and bloody dark creature of legend.
Li De nodded, walked up, and sat down unceremoniously at the gray round table. He leaned slightly back against the chair, his long, slender right hand tapping lightly on the table.
Masi Brutehammer
Title: Forging Hand (Possesses nimble hands, grants a 50% increase in success rate when forging weapons, especially skilled in crafting small weapons under half a blade in size.)
Level: 14
Age: 267
Description: A dwarf of the Brutehammer Clan, a craftsman who enjoys forging delicate trinkets.
Masi?? Why does this name sound kind of edgy?
Li De secretly ridiculed him. This dwarf's stats weren't particularly strong, even fairly average.
But dwarves were dwarves, any random one of them had decent forging talent.
"Dwarf, what did you request to see me about?"
Looking into Li De's deep eyes, which seemed to see through everything, Masi took a deep breath and spoke in a clear voice.
"Esteemed mighty one, may I ask why the dwarves are being restricted from leaving?"
Since last night, after the Beastmen were wiped out, the dwarves had been restricted by the vampires.
Although they weren't imprisoned, several high-level combatants were constantly patrolling around them, the Bone Dragon, Castro, Kosso, terrifying behemoths that were utterly overwhelming.
So although the dwarves had broken free from Beastman enslavement, they had not gained the freedom they desired.
"Why? Dwarf, are you questioning me?"
Li De's tone was slow and measured, but it carried overwhelming pressure.
His gaze grew sharper. "Right now, everything on this land is my spoil of war, including the dwarves."
At those words, Masi immediately grew furious. "No! You have no right to restrict our freedom! I must lead my people away now!!"
"Why should I?" Li De's lips curved into a cold, indifferent smile.
"Because we are dwarves, not your spoils of war!!" Masi argued forcefully.
Li De shook his head, mocking in tone. "Not our spoils of war? Then are you the Beastmen's?"
Masi's face froze instantly. He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to respond.
Being enslaved by the Beastmen was a source of deep shame for him.
Li De didn't care either. He stood up, placing both hands on the table, leaning over to look down at the dwarf across from him.
"If not for Grandmaster Valen's request, believe me, the dwarves would already be prisoners."
Grandmaster Valen??
Masi's face lit up with surprise. "You're the reinforcements summoned by Grandmaster Valen?!"
The corners of Li De's mouth lifted slightly. Under Masi's expectant gaze, he shook his head.
"No. In fact, the dwarves rejected becoming allies of the Saintlight Vampires.
We are now fighting for ourselves."
Those words sent Masi's mood plummeting to rock bottom.
"Go inform your people. You will be relocating to a new city."
Masi shook his head sharply. "No, we will not leave this land that belongs to us."
"It now belongs to the Saintlight Vampires."
"You're nothing but bandits!!"
"In truth, this land has nothing to do with the dwarves. It was the Saintlight Vampires who reclaimed it from the Beastmen.
As for you? You were nothing more than slaves of the Beastmen. What claim do you have to this land?"
Li De waved a hand to stop Masi, who was about to argue again. "The dwarf prince Anakin is also in my city.
Now that your king is gone, I believe you need a new leader."
"No."
Li De gave Masi no chance to speak further and pressed on forcefully.
"This isn't a negotiation, dwarf.
If you don't keep your people in line, and something happens, the Saintlight Vampires will show no mercy.
Or do you perhaps possess the strength to resist a dragon?"
At the undisguised threat, Masi clenched his fists tightly. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Bone Dragon circling the skies outside the window, and all his rage was instantly crushed.
This was a vampire with a Bone Dragon!!
What could dwarves use to resist?
The most crucial point was that their king had already left. In the future, he would return with a dwarven army to flatten this place and rescue them.
That thought caused Masi's will to resist to rapidly erode.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Li De slowly straightened up, gracefully adjusted the slight creases on his robe, and spoke calmly.
"Masi, you are a clever dwarf. I know you feel resentment and anger, but in this world, the weak have never had the right to choose.
If you want revenge, fine. Wait for your king to return with enough reinforcements.
Until then, your duty is not to resist, but to cooperate.
If I were you, the best course would be to lie low and quietly build up the dwarves' strength, waiting to erupt when help arrives.
Or, agree to my demands for now, secretly look for flaws in the Saintlight Vampires, and sabotage us from within to achieve your goal.
But confronting powerful enemies backed by a dragon, while wearing worn-out armor and with an empty stomach?
That's not bravery, that's stupidity!!
If the dwarven king were still here, I doubt he would choose this path."
These words shook Masi to his core. They made sense, but hearing them from the mouth of a vampire, the very enemy about to enslave them, made them feel so bizarre.
And besides, if you see things this clearly… do I still even have a chance?
By the Forge God, this vampire must be an apostle sent by the Evil Gods!!
Li De looked deeply into the dwarf's eyes. "You probably don't believe me when I say the Saintlight Vampires bear no ill will toward the dwarves, but I assure you, as long as the dwarves don't raise weapons against us, you will not be harmed."
Ever since he learned about the dwarves, he'd long had his eye on these naturally gifted smiths. As for harming them, heh, once they returned to Dawn City, these guys would all be his to command.
Those who should dig pits would dig, those who should forge weapons would forge. Wouldn't it be a blessing for them to enjoy a nice 996 schedule?
As for whether the dwarves were willing, he had plenty of ways to make them work.
Food costs money, doesn't it? Housing costs money too, right? Eating, drinking, clothing, which of those doesn't require Silver Pucks?
If you want to make money, it's simple: go work. Forge weapons, build houses, mine ore, there's definitely a job that suits you.
In his eyes, these dwarves were nothing more than powerful laborers, and the kind that could be made to work hard with minimal investment.
Masi looked into Li De's pitch-black eyes. He didn't know why, but he just had this feeling, this vampire might not harm the dwarves, but he definitely wasn't up to anything good.
But now...
Masi turned to glance out the window. The once-glorious dwarven city had already been reduced to ruins by war. The shattered city pained his heart.
What hurt even more was seeing the once-proud and confident Brutehammer Clan dwarves now huddled together under the patrol of the Bone Dragon, eyes full of confusion.
After being enslaved by the Beastmen, the dwarves had already lost the right to choose their fate.
They no longer had the strength to resist.
"…I hope you'll keep your word."
Li De revealed a smile that was pure, kind, and innocently naive.
"Of course. I'm a virtuous City Lord praised by countless people."