Avendell Dan

Victoria Harbor, Lower District, Wilson Block.

The streets were bustling with people, with fishermen selling fish, followers of the Sea Queen, shirtless boatmen, and even groups of gang members and players known as "the Undead" by the residents of Victoria Harbor mixed in, yet it didn't feel out of place at all.

"It's really difficult to start a game in Victoria. The Upper District won't let us players in, and the factions in the Lower District are a mixed bag, a complete mess."

"I should have chosen the Embers of the Burned Empire. They were immediately hit with the Demon War as soon as they entered, and some people had already reached level six."

"That's right. Last time I completed the mission perfectly, but that gang still managed to kill me. They even tied my body to a rock and threw it into the sea. They really have no sense of decency."

"It's all about double-crossing, that's why this is Erezege's 'Vice City,' it's all about this kind of spirit."

"Haha, my buddy has become the bishop of some underground cult. If I really can't make it, I'll go and join him."

"Is he the founder of the ' Undying God Cult '? The one who said that all those who followed him could become immortal?"

"Damn, there are actually idiots who believe that."

The players chatted as they walked, heading towards the towering structure that stood out starkly against the backdrop of the many dilapidated buildings in the distance—that was their destination, the Coast Tower.

"Among all the factions in Victoria Harbor, the rewards from the Coast Tower are the most generous."

"Yes, and everyone says that this mysterious NPC has a complicated background. It is said that he wiped out the Black Hand Gang and the Blood Sea Cult."

"I should take this opportunity to increase my favorability with them; maybe I'll have a chance to join the Coast Tower."

Outside the Coast Tower, players crowded together, discussing amongst themselves, but still made way for the main road as requested by the servants inside the tower, waiting outside to submit their quests.

The servant opened the door and called out, "Next."

"Me first, I was here first!"

A tall and strong player pushed through the crowd and rushed into the tower.

Facing the mysterious NPC dressed in a gray robe with a half-smile on his face, the player gave a standard 90-degree bow:

"My Hermit, we have uncovered some clues about the Overlord God Cult. Please take a look!"

He pulled a damp, foul-smelling package from his backpack and presented it with both hands.

Inside was the head of Joel Nason. Due to prolonged exposure to dampness, it had even rotted and become infested with maggots.

The player, however, treasured it and even cut off the corpse's head as a token to give to the Hermit.

"As expected of a gamer."

Keosius, now disguised as a "Hermit," sighed inwardly, but still calmly accepted the head.

"Very good, Undead, you have completed my task and deserve a reward."

"Splash."

The Hermit casually waved his hand, and several Gold Coin appeared on the wooden table in front of the player.

Looking at the glittering Gold Coin in front of him, and staring at the words "Favorability +5" and "Experience +500" displayed on the panel, the player's eyes lit up.

His knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, wailing, "Thank you, Hermit, you are my second parents!"

I was orphaned and destitute from a young age, left to wander in Victoria Harbor. It was your Coast Tower that made me feel the warmth of home."

"Go away, go away, don't waste your time here."

Faced with the player's emotionally charged and heart-wrenching words, the maid with the broom did not hesitate to chase him out.

In the past few days, she had seen far too many undead who wanted to join the Coast Tower. Those who made up stories were considered the best; some even put on a theatrical performance.

"Next."

Another player pushed open the door and entered, his face full of fawning smiles. He approached the Hermit and handed him a sack as well.

"Hermit Lord Hermit, I have gone through countless hardships and finally found Joel Nason's hand."

The player opened the sack, and inside was a bloody, somewhat rotten severed hand.

Looking at this so-called "clue," the Hermit- like Keosius's lips twitched slightly, and he thought to himself:

"Good grief, are they trying to break Jonathan into pieces and collect the rewards one by one? Trying to exploit a bug here?"

Thinking of this, the Hermit's face darkened. He stared at the player in front of him and said in a deep voice, "Your companion has already submitted the quest to me."

"Undying, do not try to trick me."

"Yes, yes, sir."

The player quickly apologized, looking like he was about to cry, realizing he had been terribly let down by his teammate.

"Hehe. The setup on this side of Victoria Harbor is almost complete."

Looking at the endless stream of players at the entrance of the Coast Tower, Keosius's lips curled up slightly.

As the popularity of "Erezege" increased, players appeared throughout the Feanso Continent, and their numbers are conservatively estimated to be over ten million.

Those players were all renowned professional players in their previous lives, and their team was known as the "Ghoul Squad".

This group caused chaos and did all sorts of things on the Feanso Continent in their previous life: for example, the act of breaking apart the sacred object worshipped by the Amanata Church and incurring Divine Punishment was done by a mage in this group.

Keosius plans to use Victoria Harbor as a base to establish a new organization through these "undead" and gradually build an intelligence network to counter the Mind Flayer's plans.

The chosen ones of the Three Gods of Death stole Karsus's Crown from Hell, dividing it among the three Netherstones, and thus gained control of the Mind Flayer's Elder Brain.

They wanted to combine the power of Netheril magic with the Mind Flayer's Elder Brain, calling it the "Overlord God," in order to ascend to the top of the world.

However, the Mind Flayer are both the ones being used and the ones who want to use the Crown of Karsus to find an opportunity to break free from their constraints and restore the glory of the ancient Illithid Empire.

The Magic Goddess, the God of Justice, the Sun God, and even the lord of Hell all contributed their respective powers, hoping to seize the opportunity to gain profit.

In this complex situation involving all parties, it would be unwise to rashly reveal one's true identity.

What the Hermit, or perhaps Keosius, is to do is to use the players to sabotage the plan, disrupt the situation, and take advantage of the chaos to seize the Karsus's Crown at the last moment.

According to his plan, by then, the Embers of the Burned Empire would have completed its conquest of the Thrace Kingdom and could use the pretext of "resisting the Mind Flayer invasion" to advance westward and take Victoria Harbor.

"The Karsus's Crown, Victoria Harbor, the legacy of the Illithid Empire. I want it all."

Thinking of this, the Hermit gripped the Bronze Scepter in his hand, a barely perceptible glint of greed flashing in his pale green pupils.

Blackstone Mountain, in the northeastern part of the Feanso Continent.

This mountain range, stretching for thousands of miles at the edge of the world, resembles a slumbering behemoth from ancient legends. This is the land of the High Mountain Kingdom, the common home of the Dwarf.

The mountain is composed of countless hard, black rocks, which contain numerous precious minerals, hence the name "Blackstone Mountain".

A biting wind howled, and a majestic fortress stood deep within the winding mountains. This was the capital of the High Mountain Kingdom, the greatest fortress of the Northern Shield Dwarves — Avendell Dan, meaning "the city that never falls."

Its outer walls are built of weathered boulders, simple yet sturdy. Moss grows between the stones, and the traces of time have left faint marks on each brick.

The fortress gates were forged from hard oak and steel, and the two massive doors were engraved with the Dwarf royal emblem—a shield and a warhammer intertwined.

The rock walls on both sides of the city gate are carved with heroic stories of the Dwarf ancestors, and the door knockers look like two huge iron fists clenched together.

At the top of the fortress stands a nearly 100-meter-tall statue of Moradin, the Dwarf God, so lifelike that he seems to be scrutinizing every visitor.

The interior of the fortress is intricate and complex, filled with the rugged and unrestrained style unique to Dwarf. Stone corridors connect rooms, and torches burn brightly high up, casting warm light onto the ground.

The Dwarf' busy figures appeared particularly vivid in the firelight, and the crisp "clang, clang" of their hammers rose and fell.

On the tower atop the fortress, Dwarf dressed in a heavy fur coat and wearing a mithril crown looked down at his subjects coming and going at the foot of the mountain, his expression solemn.

His name was Ed Klein, the ruler of Avendell Dan, the king of the High Mountain Kingdom, and revered as "King Ed" by the many Dwarf of the kingdom.

Behind him, an old Dwarf sighed, "Your Majesty, all the envoys we sent to various places have returned. The Three Great Kingdoms are constantly at war and have no time to care about our lives."

The elders of Serenia also regarded the sacred covenant from thousands of years ago as a joke, and the vile offspring of Gruumsh were about to return, and we...

His name is Bjorn Reilly, and he is over two hundred years old. He is an old minister of the High Mountain Kingdom.

Ed's face was contorted with rage, his voice booming like thunder, his thick beard almost standing on end, and even the hand gripping the steel hammer trembled.

"How dare those arrogant and corrupt Elf do such a thing! Aren't they afraid of divine retribution?"

"If it weren't for us Dwarf guarding the north with our flesh and blood, blocking the orcs' repeated southward incursions, would they have the peaceful lives they enjoy today?"

Bjorn stepped forward and handed over a letter with neat handwriting. "Your Majesty, although the elders of Serenia are unwilling to help, their queen is willing to send troops; we just need to wait."

"The Elven Queen?"

The Dwarf king snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "What use is her handwritten letter? She's nothing more than a puppet put forward by the Elf elders."

Bjorn whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, the ' Twilight Blade ' who single-handedly slew the Red Dragon is a staunch supporter of the Elven Queen. He is a powerful and legendary Paladin."

If we can win her over, it will be a significant help to us.

Aiden's anger subsided slightly, and he nodded slightly, saying, "That's good. Write back to that Canary Queen and tell her that we need the support of the Twilight Blade."

However, even a legendary Paladin is just one person and cannot completely change the overall situation.

Moreover, the orcish army is about to arrive, and will likely be at the city gates within half a day.

Ed looked north, where mottled torrents had appeared on the desolate plateau—the orc legions.

For thousands of years, Avendell Dan has endured more than a dozen orcish invasions, but it has never been breached, only its fortress has been stained red with the blood of its enemies time and time again.

But now, the Feanso Continent is in chaos, and the High Mountain Kingdom is fighting alone for the first time, without any human or Elf allies to help it.

King Ed gripped the steel hammer in his hand, his tone firm and resolute. "Things have come to this point, and we can only rely on ourselves now."

Bjorn, go and gather our Fighter; have them assemble at the foot of the mountain.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

In a short while, the Dwarf King arrived atop the towering walls of Avendell Dan.

At the foot of the mountain, under the gaze of the statue of Moradin, Dwarf Fighter clad in heavy armor and wielding warhammers were crowded together, many of them riding argali.

That was the most elite force in the High Mountain Kingdom — the Shield Guard Army.

The Dwarf in this army wore the most indestructible armor, handcrafted by master Dwarf artisans, and their entire bodies seemed to gleam.

They carried the finest, heaviest warhammers, and almost every soldier among them was a seasoned veteran, a loyal follower of King Ed, and a devoted believer of Moradin.

The Dwarf king looked down at the army at his feet, and after a long pause, he finally spoke in a loud voice.

"My people!"

For thousands of years, our High Mountain Kingdom has withstood thirteen orcish invasions from the south, driving those evil followers of Gruumsh to the desolate north time and again. But now, as you know, these bastards have returned! They want to seize the fortresses, enslave our brothers and comrades, and make us Dwarf their slaves! Do you—agree?

"Disagree!"

"Kill them!"

"Drive these gray-skinned bastards back to the north!"

The Dwarf Fighter raised their warhammers high and brandished their oak shields, their emotions running high.

Ed's expression was extremely solemn. His gaze swept over the angry faces of every Dwarf, and he pointed his warhammer into the distance, his voice heavy with sorrow:

"Thousands of years ago, the great Dwarf God Moradin and the Elven God defeated Gruumsh together, and Serenia made a sacred oath with us, agreeing to jointly resist the invasion from the north."

But now, those proud Elf have betrayed their alliance! And the humans of Fadlan have long been plunged into chaos. We need to prove to the world that the great High Mountain Kingdom does not need their aid!! Even fighting alone, we Dwarf can drive away those orc bastards!

Aiden's voice grew increasingly agitated. He couldn't help but swing his warhammer and shout, "My people, behind you stands Avendell Dan, your family and friends. If you don't want to be slaves of the orcish bastards—then drive them out!"

"Get them out!"

"We will destroy the orc hybrids!"

The Dwarf Fighter ' spirits soared even higher, their voices shaking the heavens and earth, crashing against the rock walls in wave after wave.

Meanwhile, the orcish torrent had appeared several kilometers away. These followers of Gruumsh roared in fury, their eyes greedily fixed on the fortress standing in the mountains.