Gnomeregan

Gnomeregan was once the greatest pride of the Gnome race, the most sci-fi and magical city on this continent—it was called the City of Miracles!

It housed the most cutting-edge industrial and robotic technology. Don't let the Gnomes' small stature fool you; the genius in their brilliant minds had long surpassed the combined intelligence of all sentient beings across the entire Azeroth Continent!

But now, the city had long been contaminated by radiation. The Gnomes inside were either dead or had fled. Yet the mastermind behind it all, McNeil Theramplug, had survived.

Gnomeregan was first invaded by a horde of evil Mutated Stonejaw Monsters. To wipe them out, the Great Craftsman Mekkatorque ordered the activation of the city's emergency radiation tanks in a desperate gamble.

But things went awry. The Mutated Stonejaw Monsters weren't killed; instead, the city was polluted. The fleeing Gnomes sought refuge in Ironforge, and the leader of the Bronzebeard Dwarf race, Magni Bronzebeard, gladly took them in. Still, the Gnomes' dream of reclaiming their homeland never stopped beating.

Now, Gnomeregan had become a training ground for Dwarves and Gnomes to advance as professionals. The city was overrun by those Mutated Stonejaw Monsters and some rebels.

As for Sun Busong and the others, the training ground they needed to complete for their advancement was just a small section of Gnomeregan.

These Mutated Stonejaw Monsters and rebels, after being tainted by radiation, had become undying and immortal. Even if they were chopped into pieces, they could regenerate before long.

Just as Sun Busong was about to reach the entrance of Gnomeregan, a Gnome Guard called out to him.

"Friend! If you want to breeze through the trial in one go, then I think you'll need this!"

With that, the guard staggered drunkenly over to Sun Busong and pulled a specially crafted explosive from his backpack.

Small Salt Bomb: Can be used to blast open small doors and locks.

"What's this?" Sun Busong took it and examined it closely.

The Gnome Guard belched and said, "There are plenty of spots in your trial zone that need this kind of bomb. It'll help you blow open those sealed mechanisms and locked doors. Trust me, you'll find a use for it."

Sun Busong flashed him a bright smile, waved a hand, and turned to leave.

"Then thanks, my friend!"

Back at the city gate, Sun Busong didn't rush in. Instead, he opened his character panel and inventory to check everything over. He needed to make final preparations.

Sun Busong: Soldier, Level 21.

Health Points 22725! Strength 198. Stamina 31. Armor 810! (Bonus from Slaughter Artifact: +21 to all stats, not shown here)

Enhanced Attributes: Crit 12% Haste 5% Versatility 5%.

Kill Points (2729/100)

Skills: Basic Melee Attack Max Level! Basic Ranged Attack Max Level! Basic Swordsmanship Attack Max Level! Basic Hammer Attack Max Level! Basic Axe Attack Max Level! Basic Shield Defense Max Level!

Next came his artifact, Slaughter.

Slaughter: Artifact, Item Level 21 (Sealed, unseals every 20 levels), Necklace, Binds on Equip, cannot be traded or discarded. Growth Artifact—the more monsters or enemies you kill, the faster Slaughter grows.

+21 Strength

+21 Agility

+21 Stamina

Equip: Every 100 same-level enemies killed generates 1 Free Attribute Point. Free Attribute Points can be added to Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence, Spirit. (2729/100)

Equip: Allows you to synthesize and upgrade crafted equipment! Max upgrade to 5 stars! Each upgrade requires 3 pieces of equipment of the same star level, and 300 Slaughter Value per synthesis!

Equipment Three (Sealed)

Equipment Four (Sealed)

Equipment Five (Sealed)

Equipment Six (Sealed)

After Slaughter reached level 20, the second seal had been unlocked. And that second effect allowed him to synthesize his own crafted equipment.

"Damn... I was too impatient. I didn't even notice Slaughter had leveled up!"

Now Sun Busong regretted coming early. If he'd checked Slaughter sooner, he wouldn't have rushed into the trial. He could've synthesized all his gear to one star first.

But then he glanced at his health and strength values.

"Shouldn't need it, right? If I can't handle a trial with stats like these, I'm a total waste."

"Oh right, I still have Huma! Hahaha!"

Sun Busong only then remembered that in one of his four 38-slot backpacks, he had a Combat Pet.

Time to dig through the backpack!

Soon, Sun Busong found the pet he'd been looking forward to for so long—Huma.

After clicking to release the seal, a black lion the size of a house cat appeared by his right leg.

At this moment, Huma was small, covered in soft black fur that looked adorable. Its four little paws had sharp little claws, its eyes were blue, and its tongue occasionally licked its own pink nose. The teeth in its mouth clearly had no killing power.

Lion King Huma: A combat pet with extremely high Growth Degree. It will be your most loyal comrade and family.

Level 1, Common Grade, Growable, Loyalty 100%. (Status Normal)

Health Points 153, Strength 10. Agility 10. Intelligence 10. Spirit 10. Stamina 10. (Master Attribute Boost: +Health 2272. +Strength 22. +Agility 3. +Stamina 4.)

Skill: Cower (Reduces the pet's presence, making enemies less likely to attack it).

A growable pet can absorb the Soul Energy of rare monsters it kills to advance.

(When the pet is injured or hungry, food must be provided promptly. Check the Status Bar for real-time conditions. If Killed, it will die. Resurrection requires 1000 Kill Points.)

"Holy crap! It's this tiny thing?! One fart from a monster in there could probably blow it to bits!"

Sun Busong couldn't shake the discomfort.

As Lion King Huma landed, its little eyes began scanning around. Soon, a few Gnome Guards up ahead caught its sight. Huma immediately jumped in shock, scurrying frantically to hide behind Sun Busong's heels, trembling.

"What a curse!"

Sun Busong slapped a hand to his forehead.

But since he'd already brought it out, he couldn't just abandon it easily. Besides, the description said it was a growth-type pet—maybe, hopefully, probably, it'd get stronger later.

Ten minutes later.

No choice. Sun Busong had to take it into the trial grounds. He'd searched everywhere but couldn't find a way to dismiss it or put it back in his bag.

"Hey there, my short friend! Welcome to Gnomeregan. Good luck on your trial!"

The Gnome Guard spotted Sun Busong leading a pet to the dungeon entrance and greeted him loudly.

"Greetings to you too, Gnome Guards."

As Sun Busong's body slowly entered the passage, the two guards exchanged a glance. One said, "Another short guy bringing a pet in. Is this the trendy way to do Advancement Quests lately?"

"Who knows. Maybe he's got a Hunter in the family."

"Oh, right. But why can't we have Hunter professionals? Bringing a pet along for an Advancement Quest would sure boost the success rate."

"Wait until you're taller than that level 3 Cliff Boar over there, and then the Gnome race might get a Hunter!"

Gnomeregan had once been one of the mightiest cities. Sun Busong walked along the only entry-exit passage in the city—a tunnel over a hundred meters long, twenty meters wide and tall, built entirely of steel. Even the floor was dozens of meters of thick Steel Plate. Breaking in here was harder than reaching the sky, but then again, they had a traitor in their midst.

Along that hundred-meter stretch, Sun Busong spotted at least dozens of mechanisms. Fist-sized firing ports, nozzles overhead for spraying toxic liquids, and he even found devices that could spew flames and Frost Rays.

"I heard the Gnome race will retake control here someday and restore Gnomeregan's glory. When that happens, I've gotta come buy a few houses and live here. Unless there's civil war, this city's absolutely safe."

After passing through the tunnel, he saw a massive elevator.

An elevator big enough to carry several large war vehicles at once.

Standing on it, Sun Busong felt like he was on a soccer field—so spacious! If only the floor weren't steel, but covered in grass instead.

The elevator descended fast, taking a full two minutes to reach the bottom. He roughly calculated they'd dropped several thousand meters.

Stepping off, Sun Busong saw a few Gnome technicians—not the foot-massaging kind, of course.

"Welcome, friend of the Dwarf race. If you wish to return above, just tell us, and we'll get you there safely!"

"Thanks. Is it free?"

"Uh, no charge."

"Good, hahaha."

After a quick chat with the technicians, Sun Busong moved on. When he walked out of the elevator's main gate, the sight before him left him awestruck again.

Purification Cannon X-2! Purifier 500 Aerial Firepower Cannon! Stealth Matter Detection Radar! And Gnome Laser Defense Turrets everywhere!

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Sun Busong felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden—everything here was stuff he'd never even heard of. The machinery around him seemed alive, plunging him into a sci-fi world.

Just then, an electronic voice rang out from above.

"Confirmed: Dwarf allied soldier. Clearance granted!"

The sound startled him, and cold sweat dripped down Sun Busong's back.

"Damn, so I was being screened just now. If I were an enemy spy, would I have been wiped out already?"

A wave of lingering fear hit him. Sun Busong quickened his pace—this wasn't a sightseeing trip. Finishing the trial and getting out was the smart move. The little lion behind him was also spooked, its fur bristling straight up like it had leveled up, its body puffing up a size.

Finally, he reached the city streets. But aside from a few normal survivors, the whole place was desolate and bleak. Sun Busong also spotted some Gnome folk contaminated by radiation.

Almost all the shops were shuttered. The few that hadn't closed were looted and trashed. Yet the streets were spotless—credit to those Sanitation Robots.

Sun Busong hugged the walls, dodging the raving infected. Along the way, he saw many medical staff carrying kits and devices, and technicians tinkering with equipment, busy collecting pollutants.

He walked and looked, and soon he arrived. Oh, wait. He was lost.

"Holy mother! What is all this?! I'm here for a trial, not a maze! Couldn't they at least have a guide or something?!"

After eating a bit and resting, Sun Busong figured it out: finding the real trial grounds was part of the Advancement Quest. To complete the trial, he had to find the key person first.

With that in mind, Sun Busong started scouting for info from the normal Gnome folk.

Soon, he got the intel he needed. After another trek, he reached a large Subway Station entrance.

He looked up. Damn! Finally. Next to the station entrance, a few common words were written—Sun Busong recognized them: Trial Ground Entrance.

"Not easy, not easy at all." Muttering, he stepped into the subway station.

But inside, the scene stunned him again.

The station ceiling was swarming with dozens or hundreds of mechanical drones, flying back and forth, their mechanical arms clutching mutated Gnome folk.

He'd heard friends brag before about cows flying in the sky, but today he saw people flying in the sky. Was that... blowing people around?

Still, those drones didn't bother him. They just scanned him with electronic eyes and flew off. Shaken to the core, Sun Busong's legs trembled.

"Hey! You, the shorty over there. Come here."

Just then, Sun Busong heard someone calling out to him. He straightened up and strained to look toward the source of the sound. On a raised platform ahead, several dozen normal Gnome race members were waving at him.

People—that's good. Sun Busong dodged the abnormal Gnomes nearby as he sprinted toward the platform. This trial had to succeed in one go—he never wanted to come back here again.

Of course, once the Gnome race retook control of this city, he'd still visit.

"Thanks, everyone!"

Sun Busong started thanking them as soon as he reached the group, though he wasn't sure why himself.

"Gah gah, nothing to thank for. Hello there, shorty. Welcome to do the trial mission. I'm Kavo Bomb, the executor of the trial grounds. If you're ready, then let's begin. As you can see, we're quite busy—these infected still need our rescue."

A white-haired Gnome in a green hazmat suit without a helmet received Sun Busong.

Sun Busong was even more anxious than they were.

"Still, I have to thank you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how long I'd be searching. I'm ready now—when does the trial start?"

"It can start anytime, my shorty friend!"

Bomb turned and pointed to a spot. "See that? Inside that gate is the trial grounds. Once you go in, there are some volunteers of ours. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask them."

Sun Busong asked, puzzled, "Volunteers inside? Isn't it all monsters?"

"The volunteers are guides for soldiers like you doing the trial mission. There's also food and a medical station inside. You didn't think you could finish the trial mission in one day, did you?"

"There's a medical station? Does it have a hotel and escorts?"

"What are escorts? Our volunteers only guide you on the correct trial path. They won't help you fight. If you're clear, then please leave—we have a lot to do!"

This was a brush-off. Sun Busong didn't want to waste words with them either. Locking onto the direction, he stepped down from the platform, brought his kitten along, and began the real trial!

Thanks! Thanks to the big shot, [Protagonist's Backdrop], and other readers for their recommendation tickets—especially Protagonist's Backdrop, who was the first to encourage me after I started writing. Thanks again, big shot!