"Lord Nameless One, I sincerely apologize."
When High Lord Osona approached Datch, the face that should have been filled with dignity and coldness instead showed a sincere expression of apology.
He was ashamed of his own words and actions.
A great figure possessing immense power had been trying to help his dwarfs, yet he had doubted him.
The surrounding dwarfs stopped what they were doing and looked at the Nameless One with reverence and awe.
This high-ranking leader, Osona, was known for his stubbornness and obstinacy.
Many dwarfs had once believed that making this man apologize publicly would be harder than teaching an Ogryn to count to nine.
Datch glanced at the minimap, ignored the apologizing NPC, and ran out of the hall following the map's guidance.
Osona: ...
He left. That man really left.
Damn it. How can he do something like this?
Osona watched the Nameless One's departing figure, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
He trembled with anger and cold. He had never imagined that as a high-ranking leader of the alliance, he would be ignored in such a manner.
Without hesitation, Osona immediately ordered his subordinates to record this incident in the Great Book of Grudges.
The Nameless One ignored my apology. I will definitely take revenge.
…
Datch walked out of the fortress hall and stepped onto the battlefield outside.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. Sporadic gunfire and explosions could still be heard in the distance.
However, the fiercest phase of the battle had ended. The Orks, having failed in their assault, were slowly beginning to retreat.
The dwarfs took this opportunity to clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and repair the damaged fortress.
Datch's gaze fell on a group of dwarfs nearby. Several dwarf artisans in repair armor were gathered around a heavily damaged machine.
The machine had been built in the shape of a dwarf, but it was now broken and worn out.
The most fatal damage was a large hole in the head section, from which sparks flew and coolant leaked.
Iron Kin — mechanical lifeforms belonging to the Votann Alliance.
They were manufactured by the Votann Core and possessed excellent computational ability and independent consciousness.
Within the Votann Alliance, they enjoyed the same status as the Kin of the Forge.
The dwarfs did not view them as tools, but as brothers, comrades, and family.
At this moment, the Iron Kin's body was weakly tilted, barely remaining upright thanks to its cognitive support device.
The cognitive gears were also carved in the shape of a dwarf, their surface covered in complex gears and pipes, while its mechanical body was supported from below by an anti-gravity device.
The Cognitive Gear was a purely mechanical creation, equivalent to the Machine Servitors of the Human Imperium.
However, its original data came from a complete STC database that the Votann Consortium had continuously improved over thousands of years.
Some even possessed built-in psychic abilities, making them far more powerful than the Servitors of the Human Imperium or the drones of the Tau Empire.
"How could the brain core have been damaged?"
An elderly dwarf artisan approached. His voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with grief.
The dwarf repairmen nearby also deeply mourned the death of the Iron Kin, lamenting sorrowfully.
From the moment they were born, Iron Kin were composed of two main parts: the brain core and the body forged specifically for them.
The brain core was the heart of the Iron Kin, storing all their memories, consciousness, and personality.
Thanks to a built-in small force field generator, the brain core could be separated from the body and survive for long periods in special environments.
Only when an Iron Kin had a Votann Core implanted within them and was forged into their own body were they considered a truly complete existence.
Therefore, when an Iron Kin's body was damaged, the dwarfs would go to great lengths to repair it and would not easily replace parts.
Even if the body was completely destroyed, as long as the brain core remained intact, it was possible to reconstruct the body using the Votann Core or repair the original body with advanced technology.
However, if the brain core was destroyed, there was no technology capable of saving it — even if it meant certain death.
Data replication and brain core reproduction were absolutely prohibited.
Because Iron Kin were treated as true living beings within the Votann Alliance,
if they could be freely replicated and replaced, the purpose of this project would be lost.
The fallen Iron Kin's brain had clearly been damaged. There was no hope of saving it.
Just then, Datch walked past the grieving dwarfs and stopped in front of the fallen Iron Kin.
His gaze lingered on the green exclamation mark above the Iron Kin's head. It meant he could gain experience and credits by restoring the target.
Datch opened the game store and chose to redeem the Golden Hammer.
He raised the golden hammer and struck the shattered Iron Kin with a metallic sound that echoed across the battlefield.
The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to cut through all the noise and reach everyone's ears clearly.
Golden light spread outward like ripples from where it landed.
Like a stone thrown into a quiet lake, the ripples expanded and enveloped the entire Iron Kin.
Then, a miracle occurred.
The wounds on the Iron Kin's body quickly disappeared. It completely recovered to its previous state, visible to the naked eye.
The flow of coolant stopped. The scattering sparks ceased. Disconnected circuits reconnected. Twisted parts returned to their original positions.
The severed left arm flew up from the ground and automatically reattached to the shoulder.
With a crack, the twisted right leg straightened back to its original form.
The bullet marks on the breastplate disappeared one by one. The dents swelled back out. The scorched marks were covered by brand-new metal.
In just a few seconds, the Iron Kin returned to its original appearance.
It looked as if it had just come off the production line in the heart of the Votann Core — unbelievably perfect.
The Iron Kin project restarted. All systems activated.
"What happened?"
The Iron Kin's voice had a synthesized electronic quality.
Based on previous assessments, such injuries should have been fatal.
Yet why was he still alive? And why were all his health indicators far better than before?
The surrounding dwarf artisans were completely stunned by the sight before them.
The elderly dwarf artisan's gaze shifted back and forth between Datch and the Iron Kin.
He tried to say something, but his lips trembled and no words came out.
"Is this… a miracle?"
A young dwarf muttered to himself. His previous worldview and understanding had been shattered.
"May the spirits of our ancestors watch over us…"
Another dwarf began chanting a prayer.
The other dwarfs looked at Datch with reverence, as if worshipping a god. Their eyes were filled with fanatical worship and astonishment.
Datch ignored the shocked NPCs.
Holding the golden hammer, he skipped toward his next target.
A destroyed defensive cannon lay tilted in the rubble.
Its barrel was broken in half, the carriage was completely twisted, and countless fragments were scattered around.
Clang...
With a golden flash, the cannon returned to its original state.
Datch continued walking.
A damaged Sagittar walking machine had fallen to the ground. One of its legs had been blown off, and sparks were flying from the stump.
Clang...
With a golden flash of light, the walking machine was repaired and stood up again.
Ignoring the stunned pilot, Datch rushed toward a damaged Overlord-class armored airship.
With a clang, it was fixed.
Datch swung the golden hammer, striking everything in his path with metallic sounds.
Damaged cannons and vehicles were given new life and performed even better than when they left the factory.
The dwarfs followed behind in a daze, unable to think, their minds blank.
Datch approached two massive, scorched and deformed gears.
These were remnants of a giant war machine whose original body had been blown to pieces by Ork orbital bombardment.
The two gears had been blown here by the wind.
Datch raised the golden hammer toward the two gears.
A metallic sound rang out as intense golden light burst forth. The light was so bright that the dwarfs following behind Datch instinctively closed their eyes.
As the light faded, a massive combat machine resembling a heavy weapons platform appeared before everyone's eyes. It was equipped with a heavy artillery turret, fire control center, ammunition depot, and void shield generator.
Its armor looked brand new, gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight.
The massive turret slowly rotated, emitting a heavy mechanical sound.
Data streams flickered in the fire control center. The void shield generator operated stably, forming a solid shield.
The dwarfs were completely stunned. Some even collapsed to the ground.
"Does this human really possess such an ability?!"
A dwarf muttered. The other dwarfs nodded in agreement, their voices filled with awe.
"It's even more exaggerated than the thinking power of green-skinned Orks!!"
"I don't think even irrationality can reach this level!"
"Is this human the reincarnation of the God of Craftsmen?"
"..."
Datch ignored the shocked NPCs and continued repairing damaged cannons and vehicles.
With such a powerful ally, the dwarfs' morale soared.
"Charge!"
"For the Eternal Star!"
"For the Votann Alliance!"
The dwarf warriors charged forward with battle cries, sweeping away the invading enemies.
While Datch was busy repairing various facilities inside the fortress, he suddenly noticed a large red dot appear on the minimap.
The Ork warboss he had sliced in half with the Space Stone was still alive.
"This guy is really that tough?"
Datch took out his teleport gun, set the coordinates, and teleported over. He discovered that the bisected Ork warboss had been modified by the Mekboyz.
The warboss's lower body was completely gone, replaced by a patchwork mechanical body.
The body was composed of multiple Gretchin parts — thick and heavy, with massive mechanical legs supporting the enormous upper body.
Both arms had been replaced with giant robotic arms. One was equipped with a chainsaw, the other with a hydraulic hammer.
The revived Ork warboss let out an ear-splitting roar toward the sky.
"WAAAGH!!!"
The surrounding young Orks were overjoyed at their leader's return. They waved their weapons and cheered wildly.
"This is ridiculous! How can he survive in that state?!"
Datch finally witnessed the terrifying power of Ork thinking.
He took the Space Stone from his in-game items and opened a spatial portal above the warboss's head.
The other end of the cosmic tunnel was connected to the main engine nozzle of a dwarf battleship.
The warship was traveling at full speed, its main engine running at maximum output, spewing plasma flames hundreds of meters long.
The moment the flames passed through the portal, they spewed out mercilessly.
Like a dragon of fire descending from the sky, it engulfed the Ork warboss.
The intense heat melted the rocks on the ground, turning them into lava.
Young Orks who got too close didn't even have time to scream before they were vaporized by the extreme heat, not even leaving ashes behind.
Before the Ork warboss could understand what was happening, he was once again in the arms of Mao Erge.
After the spatial portal closed, only a massive crater spewing blue smoke remained on the ground.
The surviving young Orks stood there in a daze.
Our leader, who had just been resurrected, disappeared again in an instant?
Datch seized this opportunity to summon Zarhulash and the Primaris Space Marines from the Room of Requirement and ordered them to finish off those damn traitors.
Datch looked at the counterattacking dwarfs but did not summon Skarbrand, the Masque of Slaanesh, or other Warp creatures.
The main reason was that the dwarf race was wary of Chaos, and summoning them might negatively affect their favorability.
Without orders, Zarhulash took the initiative.
The Orks' flesh, blood, and war machines were like paper before the power of the C'Tan — they showed no resistance at all.
Mordachi and the other Primaris Space Marines followed closely behind, forming a standard assault formation. Their movements were as precise and efficient as finely crafted killing machines.
At that moment, Ragnir and his Hearthblood warriors also rushed out of the fortress.
Their weapons were excellent. Everyone wore powered suits and carried plasma guns or beam guns.
Mordachi felt envious upon seeing the dwarfs' weapons.
We all share the same ancestors — descendants of settlers who came from Earth.
Why are you guys in space so well-equipped?
…
Fighting alongside the Primaris Space Marines, the dwarfs attacked the still-resisting Orks from two directions.
Plasma beams and explosive bombs intertwined, forming an impenetrable net of death that mercilessly reaped the lives of the green-skinned Orks.
The young Orks, devastated by their leader's death, had completely lost their morale and will to fight.
Faced with the intense firepower, they scattered and fled, only to be blocked and become targets of massacre.
After a fierce battle, they successfully annihilated all the green-skinned Orks inside the fortress and recaptured it.
Datch took this opportunity to continuously repair defensive cannons and heavy armored vehicles, strengthening the dwarfs' combat power and making the fortress impregnable once again.
Meanwhile, the void fleet had also won its battle and began saturation orbital bombardment on areas completely occupied by the Orks.
Thick beams of light shot out from the main guns of the battleships, as if divine punishment was raining down on the Ork-occupied zones.
Wherever the beams struck, the ground exploded into massive fireballs and thick smoke rose.
Massive Ork Gargants melted within the beams. Newly built Iron Cities collapsed under the bombardment and turned to ash.
With the support of the orbital fleet, the dwarfs quickly recaptured lost ground and completely annihilated the invading green-skinned Orks.
After their victory, the dwarfs cheered.
Datch also received the mission completion notification.
Congratulations on completing the side quest "Support the dwarf garrison forces on the Eternal Star and defeat the green-skinned Orks."
[Quest Rewards: 2,500 EXP, 2,500 Points, +800 Reputation]
Even as the notification sounded and points and experience were added to his account, Datch did not stop.
This was only a side quest. The real story quest was not over yet.
He recalled Zarhulash and sent Mordachi and the other Primaris Space Marines back to the Room of Requirement.
Leaving the celebrating dwarfs behind, he followed the minimap and headed toward the location of the Votann Core.
…
The Votann Core was located in the deepest part of the fortress. Its appearance did not resemble a computer at all — it looked more like a magnificent temple.
Massive stone pillars supported the towering dome, each pillar intricately carved with historical reliefs.
The walls were covered in smooth metal plates, each engraved with ancient runes.
The runes emitted a faint glow, flickering with every step.
At the entrance of the temple stood a group of fully armed elite dwarfs — the Broken Horn Furnace Guard.
They were the most elite warriors in the Votann Alliance, equipped with the most advanced powered suits.
Each had been selected from the strongest and most decorated warriors.
Their duty was to protect the Votann Core. Even if the fortress was nearly breached by green-skinned Orks, they could not leave their post.
As Datch approached, the Broken Horn Furnace Guards watched him warily.
Through the communication channel, they had learned that this man had saved the Eternal Star.
However, the Votann Core was connected to ancestral genetic data, memories, and the development of the entire clan.
Very few outsiders even knew of the Votann Core's existence.
Outsiders were absolutely not permitted to enter the core of the Votann.
"Halt!"
The lead Broken Horn Furnace Guard raised his plasma gun and aimed at Datch.
"Human, leave this place immediately."
"This is no joke. Get out of here right now, or you'll pay a heavy price."
His finger was on the trigger.
The other Furnace Guards also raised their weapons. Over a dozen plasma gun barrels were pointed at Datch.
Those barrels glowed with charging energy, ready to fire powerful high-temperature plasma beams capable of melting armor at any moment.
Datch frowned slightly at the wary dwarf guards and the guns aimed at him.
Then he took a hypnotic panpipe from his game inventory.
Datch brought the panpipe to his lips and began playing softly.
Done!
The sound of the flute was melodic and graceful, like a clear mountain spring or a gentle forest breeze.
The soft notes of the flute drifted through the air like invisible threads, entangling everyone's thoughts and hearing.
The Furnace Guards' eyes gradually lost focus. Their gun barrels slowly lowered, and their eyelids began to droop.
"You…"
The lead Furnace Guard tried to speak, but his tongue wouldn't obey.
His body swayed, then collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The other Furnace Guards fell one after another like dominoes.
Thud… thud… thud… They collapsed to the ground multiple times and fell into a deep sleep.
When High Lord Osona and the other dwarf leaders arrived in a hurry after receiving news that the Nameless One was trying to invade the Votann Core…
They immediately gave chase.
The Votann Core was extremely important to the entire clan. Even though this man had saved the Eternal Star just days ago, outsiders were absolutely not allowed to enter.
However, when they arrived, they found only an open gate and a row of Furnace Guards lying on the floor, fast asleep.
Osona's lips twitched as anger welled up inside him.
The Nameless One had done a great service for the Eternal Star, but the Votann Core was far too important for him to trespass upon.
He took a deep breath and ordered his subordinates to record this incident in the Great Book of Grudges.
[Unauthorized entry into the Votann Core by the Nameless One — must be avenged.]
"Hurry inside. No matter what the Nameless One is trying to do, we must stop him."
"The Votann Core is the foundation of the clan. No mistakes can be tolerated."
…
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