End and the King Under the Mountain

That's how Keosius was. With his foresight, he could always maneuver among the gods, making them hate him to the core, yet they were powerless to do anything about it.

Finally, Dumasong lowered his eyes and let out a long, leisurely sigh.

"Well--"

This usually silent deity rarely uttered a sound; it was a long, deep sound, like the bleak autumn wind, or the final lament of the Shield Dwarves. Dumasong raised the Lava Hammer in his hand, pointing it at the ravaged, lava-strewn ground behind him. A yellowish-brown light spread out like a tide, and the power of the Earth's authority poured out.

"Boom--"

With a muffled roar, the rocks flowed like liquid, the towering rock pillars rapidly sank, and the bottomless fissures gradually closed. The crystals, gems, iron, copper, gold, silver, and mithril on the rock Dwarf merged into the rock layers, flowing down the veins into the earth and returning to their rightful places. These buried treasures, like the most loyal soldiers, meticulously obeyed Dumasong's orders.

"This is the power of the gods; it's truly enviable."

Keosius stood on the nearby hill, pausing to admire the spectacular sight of the undulating earth, as if the fierce battle that had just taken place had nothing to do with him.

The Red Dragon could only have caused such a large-scale change to the environment within the Empire Domain, and even then, its control was not as precise as Dumasong's.

Immediately afterwards, Dumasong touched the earth with his Lava Hammer and made a gesture. Instantly, accompanied by the cold wind, a mournful song howled for hundreds of miles around.

The Shield Dwarves Shield Dwarves strewn across the land, seemed to hear the call of their guardian deity. Their bodies emitted a pale yellow light, slowly merging into the ground, sinking into the earth, and becoming nourishment for the land.

"Dumasong rest in peace."

The Dwarf emerged from the mountains and now rest peacefully beneath the rock formations—a rather fitting end for them.

Finally, Dumasong raised his head, looked deeply at the Red Dragon with his Silver Fire eyes, sighed again, and then transformed into a bright yellow stream of light, soaring straight into the sky.

Dumasong then left.

In fact, even if this Silent Guardian did not voluntarily withdraw, he could not stay in the Prime Material Plane for much longer, because Gruumsh had allied with the demonic legions of the Abyss and was preparing to attack His God Domain.

After weighing the pros and cons, Dumasong chose to make peace with Keosius and focus on the war in the Outer Plane —after all, the Shield Dwarves of the Material Plane had not yet perished, and the prince had already led his people to establish a new home.

In fact, the battle between Keosius and Dumasong was mostly a test; it seemed to be a big show, but neither side used their trump cards.

The towering rock Dwarf, hundreds of meters tall, remained in place, hugging its knees as if it were alive, slowly curling up into a raised hill, and gradually becoming still.

Ed's remains were buried deep in the hills, where he finally found peace.

The Shield Dwarves ' lament finally ended, and the thick smoke and fiery clouds in the sky gradually dissipated, allowing the midday sun to pierce through the clouds and shine upon the earth.

Under the fanatical gazes of countless imperial soldiers, powerful enough to burn through steel, the Red Dragon flapped its wings and soared into the air, its massive body bathed in a golden halo of sunlight.

"Long live Keosius!"

Long live the Great Red Dragon!

"Gods! Gentlemen, even gods must submit to His Majesty's power and bow down to the great Embers of the Burned Empire!"

"Praise be to the Great Red Dragon! He defeated a god to protect us!" People were moved to tears, their hearts filled with excitement and gratitude, flowing through every vein.

These imperial officers and soldiers were unaware that Keosius and Dumasong had reached a truce of non-aggression.

In their eyes, His Majesty the Emperor gave Dumasong a severe beating, forcing him to submit on the spot and leave the Prime Material Plane.

However, Keosius never rejected such "well-intentioned rumors." The Red Dragon, who harbored ambitions of becoming a god, was naturally happy to hear rumors that could enhance his prestige.

"Hahaha, that Dwarf god is still helping us clean up the battlefield! This is the first time I've ever seen a god collecting corpses!" an imperial soldier laughed loudly.

"Yes, even the gods are nothing special, far inferior to our Majesty!"

"When will this kindness be repaid?" Some people sang the "Keosius Anthem" again, their voices trembling with extreme excitement, and even added new lines such as "brave and fearless, fighting against the gods."

High in the distance, Keosius flapped his wings, looking down at the post-battle Avendell Dan with his pale golden eyes, then raised his head and let out a long, earth-shattering roar.

"Roar--"

In an instant, the hundreds of Wyvern raised their heads, stretched their necks and roared, echoing their master's cries.

"Aww—"

Among the dragons, the largest Wyvern, Smaug, was the most energetic. He roared until his voice was almost hoarse, and even the rocks next to him cracked from his loud noise, with small stones constantly falling down.

The stone fell and landed in a corner of the alley, startling the Dwarf hiding in the shadows so much that he almost cried out.

The Dwarf huddled in a corner, his clothes tattered, his exposed skin covered in charred wounds, bearing the marks of war.

His name was Jiaer Buick, a seasoned Dwarf Fighter. He had just fought alongside his comrades on the city walls when he was blasted away by imperial weapons and nearly lost his life.

Jarl prided himself on being a warrior on the battlefield and had never been afraid of death, which is why he resolutely chose to stay in Avendell Dan.

But at this moment, he wavered.

The Dwarf trembled, his face deathly pale, his eyes filled with despair, and the same thought kept repeating in his mind, "His Majesty Dumasong has abandoned us. Our ancestor, He, He abandoned us."

More terrifying than physical death is the collapse of faith, and now, Jarl is experiencing this process.

In the past, he firmly believed that after his death he would go to the divine realm of the Dwarf gods and fight alongside his ancestors.

But now, having witnessed Dumasong's battle with the terrifying Red Dragon and his ultimate departure, their hope turned to utter despair. Swept up in this emotional rollercoaster, from heaven to Hell, Jarl began to doubt himself. Could he truly reach the divine realm? Was he destined to die in Avendell Dan, sacrificing his remaining two hundred years of life for his fallen kingdom? Perhaps, perhaps... the Hobgoblin had said that if he surrendered, he would receive generous treatment.

Large beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. The simple moral values passed down through generations of Dwarf clashed with Jarl's intense desire to survive at all costs, leaving him hesitant.

But when Jarl cautiously raised his head and looked at the enormous Red Dragon in the distance, he Big Mouth and froze again.

What a magnificent dragon it was!

Bathed in sunlight, the Embers of the Burned Emperor was enveloped in a pale golden halo, exuding an aura of majesty and holiness; even the true form of a god could not surpass this.

"Long live His Your Majesty Keosius!"

"A complete victory!"

"Praise be to the Great Red Dragon!"

The cheers of the Imperial soldiers resounded through the sky and echoed throughout the city of Avendell Dan, causing the walls to tremble slightly.

Whether it was the fervent atmosphere or not, gazing at that massive and imposing figure, the culprit who had slaughtered countless members of his people, Jar felt a surge of admiration. "To be able to submit to such an emperor doesn't seem so humiliating." The thought of submission arose spontaneously, and Jar felt his knees buckle.

Finally, amidst the roars of the Wyvern and the thunderous cheers of the Imperial soldiers, the Dwarf ' last line of defense collapsed.

He tore off some of his dirty clothes to use as a white flag, raised it high, and shouted before being riddled with bullets, "I surrender! I surrender! I am willing to submit to the Empire!"

"Cease fire!"

"Great! Take him to see General Dror!" At the officer's command, Imperial soldiers armed with rifles swarmed forward and took Jarl away.

And so, the first Dwarf to surrender to the Empire appeared.

With a thunderous roar, Keosius descended atop the Dwarf palace, drawing countless imperial officers and soldiers to look up with fervent gazes.

"His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty Keosius!"

The sound of knees hitting the ground rang out one after another as imperial soldiers knelt down in droves, devoutly kissing the ground that had been covered by the emperor's wings.

Meanwhile, high-ranking imperial officials such as Dror, Misha, Smaug rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.

"Greetings, Your Majesty (Master), may the Empire prosper forever."

Dror and Misha quickly knelt on the ground, placing their hands on their hearts, their calm voices suppressing their excitement.

"Master (Draconic)."

Smaug landed on the top of the palace, his head bowed, his forehead pressed tightly against the ground, his whole body almost lying down, his tail wagging behind him.

Keosius stomped his paw on the bricks, marveling at the sturdiness of the Dwarf craftsmanship. Then he looked around and said casually, "You've done a good job."

Misha quickly said, "Master, if it weren't for your presence, we would probably be buried among the rocks."

Delor, on the other hand, was all smiles and seized the opportunity to shower his followers with flattery. "Yes, Your Majesty, you have actually defeated a god this time! Indeed, your power surpasses that of the gods, your figure is as majestic as a mountain, your wings cover the sky, and all things tremble."

Keosius waved his hand helplessly. "Enough, I'm not here to listen to your flattery."

Dror chuckled and said, "Of course, Your Majesty, you are as humble as ever. Please rise."

This time, Keosius could only be said to have used the momentum to force back an incomplete incarnation of Dumasong, and could not be said to have defeated a god.

"Master, I, I..." Smaug wanted to do the same and flatter his master, but he found that he had no chance to speak. He immediately regretted it and scratched the ground with his claws in desperation.

"This is not the place to talk. Come with me."

With a thought, a fiery portal appeared before Keosius, leading directly to the vault near Avendell Dan — the Lonely Mountain Treasure Vault.

Misha, Dror, and Smaug quickly followed, arriving at a vast cavern, empty except for the occasional scattered Gold Coin and gems.

Misha looked around and frowned. "Master, is this... the legendary Lonely Mountain Treasure Vault? Damn it, those Dwarf emptied this treasure vault beforehand!"

Keosius said calmly, "You guessed right, this is indeed the Lonely Mountain Treasure Vault, and it has indeed been emptied out."

Dror gritted his teeth and said, "That's all the Empire's wealth! Think of how many tanks that could produce!"

Smaug, enraged, spat out a mouthful of saliva. "What shameless Dwarf! Greedy Dwarf! They should all be killed!"

They completely disregarded the fact that they were the invaders, and that the wealth was the result of the Dwarf ' hard work.

Keosius tapped the stone ground with his claws and said, "Now, your primary objective is to completely conquer Avendell Dan and use it as a base to advance north and thoroughly wipe out the orc tribes."

Dror nodded quickly, patted his chest and laughed, "Those orcs are nothing but defeated enemies of the Dwarf, and the Dwarf are defeated enemies of us. With the army I have, we can wipe out all the orcs of the Ugo Prairie."

Misha shook her head and advised, "General Delor, it's best not to be blindly confident."

Keosius nodded slightly and instructed the girl, "Misha, let Dror see the current state of the orcs. That way, he'll understand why I'm so eager to take down Avendell Dan."

"Yes, Master."

Misha snapped her fingers, and the surrounding Fire Elemental particles gathered together, gradually condensing into an exquisite Magic Image.

In that image, the mountains and fields were covered with densely packed mushrooms.

Even Dror, Hobgoblin, felt his scalp tingle upon seeing such a sight, and stammered, "What, what is this?"

"Orc Spores grow like mushrooms, and their underground eggs will hatch new orcs," Keosius replied.

Misha frowned. "If left unchecked, these orcs could unleash a cataclysmic upheaval that devastates the entire north."

Dror dared not delay any longer. He put aside his contempt for the orcs and knelt down again. "Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to kill these damned orcs."

Keosius exhaled a puff of Sulfur Scent white smoke, dispersing the Magic Image: "Very good. The Empire will continue to reinforce this place with 40,000 elite troops and a massive amount of weaponry, and will also mobilize 500,000 Starfallers to fully assist you in exterminating the orcs."

Dror bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Then, Keosius turned to Smaug, a half-smile on his face, "The dragons have never been able to find a suitable place to settle in North Aisel, but from now on, Blackstone Mountain will be your lair."

Smaug's eyes lit up

In fact, Keosius had already made plans to settle hundreds of Wyvern that had migrated south in Blackstone Mountain, making it a second Wyvern Valley.

Then Keosius pointed to the cave walls. "And here, once the Dwarf ' Lonely Mountain Treasure Vault, will be your future palace."

"Considering your meritorious service in this battle, I will bestow upon you a resounding title: King Under the Mountain. What do you say?" The Red Dragon gazed at the Wyvern with a half-smile.

"Thank you, Master." Smaug's eyes shone with delight, his tail wagged incessantly, and drool was almost dripping from the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, after experiencing a fierce war with tens of thousands of casualties, Keosius's perverse sense of humor was finally thoroughly satisfied.