Half-Face left half his men to guard the Smelting Room, while the others split up to search. The Blackrock Orcs hadn't expected him to breach the Smelting Room so quickly and immediately demanded that he send men to "assist" in capturing it. However, Half-Face refused, citing the fact that Torbjorn and his thousand elite soldiers hadn't been found and the war wasn't over yet. So the Orcs also intensified their search for Torbjorn.
The two sides did indeed find several secret passages, all of which housed a large number of miners and blacksmiths, all of whom were Torbjorn's "subjects," but no one could say for sure where Torbjorn had gone.
The search continued, Unas, temporarily unattended, leisurely went down to visit the Smelting Room, where several huge "water pumps" caught his attention.
Although it looks like a hastily put-together setup, it would have been impossible to assemble it in just a few hours without prior rehearsal. Normally, ore refining doesn't require such a large flow rate, so it seems that Torbjorn had already prepared for using lava for defense.
Leisure time always flies by. After five or six hours, Half-Face and Blacktooth thoroughly searched all the workshops in the Arsenal. Apart from finding more workers, Torbjorn seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
A rumor was circulating among the workers of Torbjorn that he had dug a secret passage to the outside world and escaped the Black Furnace with his most elite men.
Half-Face didn't believe it at all. He knew the situation around Black Furnace very well. The Dark Iron Dwarves had set up many outposts to listen to underground sounds in order to prevent slaves from digging tunnels to escape. There were several around Black Furnace as well. Digging tunnels would only be walking into a trap. Torbjorn was also Dark Iron Dwarves, so it was impossible for him not to know.
However, the Orcs, unaware of this information, began to believe it. They gradually grew impatient, and Blacktooth personally came to their door, demanding that they jointly occupy the Smelting Room as agreed. Shortly after, Lincoln's messenger also arrived, making the same demand.
Both sides applied pressure, but Half-Face remained unfazed. He wouldn't easily share the spoils of his victory with others. "You all broke the agreement before me, and now you're forcing me to abide by it? How ridiculous!"
Blacktooth said, "So what do you want?"
"Renegotiate and allocate mining operations and Arsenals based on output."
"You mean you contributed the most effort?"
"Of course, I suffered the greatest losses, and I was the Smelting Room. How can you compare to me in terms of battle achievements?" Half-Face said confidently. "I've heard that Orcs value battle achievements the most. Blacktooth, you won't have any objections, will you?"
"That's an internal matter of our Horde, it has nothing to do with you Dwarves," Blacktooth retorted without backing down. "Besides, Orcs don't calculate war merits based on who suffers the most losses. Our Blackrock Clan far surpasses you in terms of kills, captures, and conquests, so of course we contributed the most!"
As the two argued, the Ogre messenger, unable to stand idly by, also shouted, "We Ogres contributed the most!"
Half-Face and Blacktooth both turned their heads, wanting to hear what the Ogre, who had been slacking off the whole time, had to say. The messenger slammed his club onto the ground. "We Ogres are the strongest, so of course we'll contribute the most!"
Blacktooth laughed loudly, his eyes sinister. "Is that so? How about we have a strength contest?"
The Orcs chieftain seems to want to take this opportunity to teach the Ogres a lesson. Lincoln has become increasingly disobedient lately, and instead of sending him to put pressure on Half-Face, he sent this fool. He needs to be reminded who the leader of the Dark Horde really is.
The Ogre messenger, however, knew Blacktooth's power and refused, saying, "Blacktooth should challenge Chief Lincoln to a contest of strength; I'm just a nobody..."
"Then go back and call Lincoln!" Blacktooth leaped up like lightning, punching the other man in the neck. The tall Ogre rolled several times, lying on the ground groaning heavily, unable to get up for a long time.
Blacktooth turned his Half-Face, his fist still clenched tightly, the threat unmistakable. "Rotten-faced dwarf, whether you agree or not, there must be Blackrock Clan warriors stationed in the Smelting Room. I will send troops immediately, and anyone who obstructs will be considered to be declaring war on the Blackrock Clan!"
With Half-Face forced smile, suppressing the anger ignited by the insults, he advised, "Wait. If we fight, it will only make Torbjorn, who's hiding in the shadows, laugh. He'll wait until we're both exhausted before coming out to clean up the mess. Is that the result you're hoping for?"
"I heard that coward Torbjorn has escaped..."
"That's impossible. Since the day the Black Furnace was built, no one has ever successfully escaped. Torbjorn's rumors are just to lull us into a false sense of security."
"You call it a rumor, but I don't believe it. Torbjorn was willing to abandon even the most important core territory. What do you think is the reason? Just to lull us into a false sense of security?" Blacktooth retorted. "I can't think of any other reason besides escaping the Black Furnace!"
Half-Face was startled by what he heard. Orcs said wasn't without merit; the price of paralyzing the enemy was too high, and it didn't make sense no matter how you looked at it. "Then how did he escape?"
"How would I know? Aren't you Dwarves the best at digging holes?"
Even knowing it was unlikely, Half-Face couldn't help but wonder: Could Torbjorn really have a way to bypass the eavesdropping and dig a secret escape route?
Why bother arguing about the Smelting Room? Finding the secret passage and escaping is the most important thing. He asked with Half-Face, "Since you're so sure Torbjorn escaped, why are you still bothering me? Finding his secret passage is the most important thing, isn't it?"
"I sent men to search all the places we've occupied, but we found nothing. I suspect the secret passage is in the Smelting Room."
"Impossible," Half-Face said, deeply suspicious that this was just an excuse for Blacktooth to enter the Smelting Room. "My men have searched the place several times; there's no secret space there."
"Hmph, I don't trust you little dwarves," Blacktooth sneered. "We Blackrock Orcs will search ourselves."
"Blacktooth! I advise you not to insult Dwarves anymore; my patience has its limits!"
"Really? I'd love to know where your limits are, you little rascal."
The more the Orcs tried to provoke Half-Face -Half-Face, the calmer he became. He turned and strode towards the cave entrance, only turning back to the Orcs who was provoking him as he was about to leave the secret chamber where the three had been discussing their meeting. He said, "You can send in a hundred men, but if the number exceeds that, I will remove them!"
These words were both forceful and conciliatory, leaving Blacktooth momentarily at a loss for words. In the blink of an eye, he was left alone in the secret room.
The brief negotiations ended there. Blacktooth, acting like a child, led a hundred men with him, making a total of 101 people. What to do about seeing Half-Face?
Half-Face, of course, didn't take it seriously. He changed his tune and said that Blacktooth was an exception, obediently making way for the Orcs to swagger into the Smelting Room. Both sides immediately began to search every inch of the space for any possible secret passages.
Meanwhile, Torbjorn, who was presumed to have escaped and was enjoying a carefree life, was currently huddled with his elite troops in several Caves far from the Smelting Room. The air here was filled with the aroma of wheat, which was very similar to the taste of ale, making Torbjorn and his men lick their lips countless times.
He desperately wanted to rush out and force those Ogres to bring in some more wine, but for the sake of a brighter future, he had no choice but to endure it.
A few days ago, the Two-Headed Ogre, with whom he had almost no connection, suddenly sent a messenger in secret, requesting a secret meeting with him, saying that he had important matters to discuss.
Sensing something unusual, he immediately agreed. After speaking with "Upright Lincoln" in person, Torbjorn couldn't help but admire his own wisdom. The Ogre chieftain revealed to him the joint operation against him after the trade day.
In fact, he had sensed something was wrong before this and had already prepared for battle, but he did not expect that almost the entire Black Furnace would target him this time. Then, the Two-Headed Ogre came up with a shocking escape plan and invited him to escape together.
The series of explosive news left even the seasoned Torbjorn somewhat bewildered. After a detailed private discussion with Lincoln, the two came up with a plan.
Torbjorn, of course, did not readily believe the Ogre's words, after all, the other party had a reputation for "honesty." After the secret meeting, he sent people to secretly monitor Half-Face and Blacktooth's movements. Various clues indicated that the other party was indeed going to make a move, and only then did he fully believe Lincoln.
Once the trading day was over, Torbjorn withdrew from his usual post, stopped mining and casting, sent all his workers into the secret passages to hide, then divided his forces to defend the Arsenal, while he and the other half of his soldiers took a few turns in the tunnels and hid in the Granary.
Lincoln's arrival of the Ogres naturally provided cover for Torbjorn, so he and his thousand elite soldiers seemed to have vanished. Neither Half-Face nor Blacktooth thought to thoroughly search the Granary. The presence of the Ogres created a huge blind spot in their awareness, and they both assumed that Torbjorn would definitely hold the Smelting Room to the death.
The lava tactic was obviously meant to buy time, and the rumors were spread by him to divert Half-Face and Blacktooth's attention. The best outcome would be if they could fight each other without restraint. Unfortunately, the cunning Half-Face was too suspicious and chose to continue making peace with the Orcs. But it didn't matter; Torbjorn had arranged a surprise for them in the Smelting Room.
So far, the plan has been successful. Apart from the Ogres pretending to be transporting grain, Blacktooth also sent a small squad of Orcs to patrol, but they did not enter the warehouse for a thorough search, so he is safe for the time being. As long as the time is right, Torbjorn can lead his men out in a swarm and head towards the free sky.
Lincoln did this for added security. He feared being surrounded by several forces during his escape and being left alone. Therefore, he needed a powerful ally. Compared to the brutal Blacktooth and the suspicious Half-Face, Torbjorn was the best choice. Judging from his usual style, this Dwarf was practical and trustworthy.
All of this was done behind Unas, since the human Paladin was right there in the Half-Face formation, and if the news were to leak out, they would be doomed.
Smelting Room, the Orcs and Dwarves practically renovated the floor and walls, but still found nothing. Finally, their eyes were drawn to the lava pool.
Since the pumping had long since stopped, the slowly gushing lava had filled the large pool to about half full. Generally speaking, the bottom of a lava pool must be full of fissures filled with lava, making it impossible to dig a passageway. But now, we have to take a good look at it.
Several machines were started up again, and the lava was quickly pumped out. A blurry circular mark was actually revealed at the bottom of the pool, which looked like the entrance to a tunnel. Immediately, several people ran up and used hoes to dig open the semi-solidified lava under the mark. Thick black smoke suddenly billowed out from it, followed by a rumbling sound.
Blacktooth and Half-Face immediately became alert; this was not the sound one would expect from a secret passage. But it was too late. A deafening explosion not only knocked over the people digging the tunnel but also widened the entrance several times over, from which five Lava Elementals engulfed in flames emerged.
This was the surprise Torbjorn left for them. These elemental monsters were not something he could summon; they originally lived in the crevices beneath the lava pool. When they first surged up a long time ago, they caused heavy casualties in the Smelting Room.
That's why he started building large pumps to drain the lava and constructing defensive structures at the bottom of the pool to block any gaps that would allow the monsters to enter. Now, those defensive structures have naturally been removed, and the people who were eager to search have indeed stirred up a hornet's nest, releasing the monsters with a single shovel strike.
The Lava Elemental's appearance is that of a large lump of stone in the middle with two excessively thick stone arms. It has no head or legs, and its lower body is a bunch of increasingly thin and messy stone aggregates. At first glance, it is impossible to find any weakness.
Their appearance caused some casualties because each monster emitted rings of fire that spread out from its feet. People who got too close to them had their legs burned, and some Dwarves even had their entire bodies set on fire.
"Idiots, get back!" Half-Face cursed loudly; most of the dead were his men.
Actually, dealing with the Fire Ring isn't difficult. As long as you have enough courage, you just need to jump when you anticipate its arrival. Blacktooth and his Orcs demonstrated this perfectly, jumping and charging towards the Lava Monster.
Once within striking distance, Blacktooth leaped up, his greatsword slashing like a whirlwind at the point where the Lava Monster's body swayed, and its severed arm fell to the ground. The Orcs, however, rolled unharmed on the ground, only suffering a few small pebble scratches on its face.
The chieftain's heroic performance ignited the Orcs' fighting spirit. They roared the Horde's slogans and charged at the five Lava Monsters with a death-defying resolve.
The Orcs's astonishing aura deeply humiliated Half-Face. He shouted at his stunned subordinates, drew his twin short axes, and charged madly towards the Lava Monster.
The fight was raging, drawing everyone's attention. Unas took the opportunity to sneak away, because just now, the Communication Crystal that had been tightly bound to his chest had finally vibrated, signaling a need to communicate.
He quickly climbed the well ladder and met up with the three guards there. He said to the Orcs, "Gelasi, carry me on your back, we're going to the Central District."
"Sir, what's wrong? What happened down there?"
"I'm fine, I was just faking it. Don't worry about it. Escort me back, and if anyone asks, just say my injury has relapsed." After these few days of rest, Unas's shoulder has regained its full range of motion and hardly affects his combat ability anymore.
Raymond and Hart exchanged a surprised glance, both realizing that the operation had begun and whether they could escape depended on their performance from now on.