"The humans burned Copper Mountain City, but all the entrances have been opened. I suspect they want to lure us out," said a Cave Dwarf chieftain.
"I think so too." A Dwarf chieftain wearing leather armor nodded in agreement. "The Human Army burned Copper Mountain City and relocated those Mountain Dwarves. They want to cut off our source of food."
"Then there is nothing to discuss. We have enough food to feed our people for six years. No matter what schemes these humans have, we will stay in the tunnels and quietly watch their performance."
"The Great Chieftain is right. Survival is what matters now. As for those Mountain Dwarves, they never treated us as kin. Whether they live or die has nothing to do with us Cave Dwarves."
Upon hearing this, the other Cave Dwarf chieftains nodded, feeling a trace of satisfaction.
The Cave Dwarves were practically the pariahs of the human world. They were unwelcome wherever they went, and seeing those once-overbearing Mountain Dwarves suffer now filled them with delight.
On the surface, following Kyle's suggestion, Velin divided the eight thousand Dwarves into groups of one hundred. A squad of soldiers was assigned to guard each group and escort them into the wilderness to gather food and cut down trees.
He also dispatched a separate force to burn the brush, destroy the surrounding environment, and seal every visible opening in the wilderness. From caves large enough for humans to pass through to holes small enough for mice, none were spared.
In less than two months, the once somewhat verdant region around Copper Mountain City had become completely barren, with yellow sand filling the sky and desolation everywhere.
Watching their homeland become like this, the surviving Mountain Dwarves' eyes were filled with hatred. Yet faced with the sharp blades