Celebration Hall

Shane and Frieren had finally finished off the Bloody War God Rivalei.

This bloodthirsty arch-demon, who had claimed countless lives, had finally received the punishment he deserved.

He reached out in unwillingness, trying to grasp the battle-axe that had fallen to the ground, but his arm quickly dissolved into magical particles and vanished. All his struggles were in vain.

In the end, he disappeared completely, filled with endless resentment.

Shane let out a long, heavy sigh of relief. He stumbled a few steps, collapsed onto the ground, and gasped for air.

He had no time to lament his broken sword; he was simply grateful to have survived another day.

Just then.

The entire Blackstone Mountain began to tremble, a rumbling roar rising from beneath their feet.

Immediately after, the earth cracked open.

The rock beneath them shook violently as an abyss tore through the land, appearing abruptly while countless shards of stone tumbled from the jagged cliffs.

The thunderous roar was soul-shaking.

Blackstone Mountain split in two.

Pitch-black mist billowed out from the fissure, carrying the damp, metallic scent unique to the deep underground.

A moment later, the tremors subsided, and the sight before him made Shane's pupils shrink: a massive arched entrance had appeared at the bottom of the abyss.

Inscribed above the arch was a line of twisted text, identical to the script on the Dwarf Special Spring Playbook.

Shane recognized the content—

[Ironforge]

This was the lost royal capital mentioned in the dwarven secret texts, the ruins of the dwarves' most glorious civilization.

Shane and Frieren exchanged a look, both feeling quite conflicted, as the rift that opened the gate had extended from the very spot where Rivalei had died.

In other words, the key to unlocking the ruins was the slaying of a demon...

The dwarves were truly quite vengeful.

Frieren channeled her mana into the gem at the tip of her staff, and a soft light illuminated the path beneath the abyss. The two of them, one after the other, entered the mysterious underground city.

As soon as they stepped through the arch, two rows of dilapidated dwarven statues appeared on either side of the entrance.

The statues stood on high pedestals, clad in armor and wielding battle-axes. Though covered in cracks and with blurred features, one could still discern the majesty of their era.

Suspended from the dwarven battle-axes were strange crystals hanging by chains; due to the passage of time and the loss of magical supply, they had become dull and lusterless.

Shane and Frieren walked between the giant statues.

They felt small.

"In any kind of media, dwarven ruins are always towering, deep, and magnificent."

Shane couldn't help but remark.

Frieren didn't understand; she glanced at him in confusion and said, "Dwarves revere strength. Their architectural style is rather rugged, intended to showcase a primitive worship of power."

Shane smiled and didn't reply.

That wasn't what he meant, of course; he just wanted to complain that all dwarves seemed to have a thing for height.

Passing through the long corridor, a staircase of several hundred steps appeared before them, and at the end of the stairs stood a gate carved with a goblet.

[Celebration Hall]

The entire hall was so vast it seemed endless, with a soaring dome and walls covered in massive murals. Although the colors were faded, one could still clearly make out the diverse scenes: some depicted dwarves forging divine weapons beside scorching furnaces; others simply portrayed a massive steel machine; and many more showed dwarves sitting together, raising their cups in celebration.

The murals were coherent and vivid, and Shane could imagine how lively this hall must have been in the past.

In the center of the hall stood a broken mechanical golem. It was several stories tall, crafted from heavy steel, and its originally smooth metal surface was now covered in moss and rust.

Shane wasn't sure of its purpose, but in the [Celebration Hall], it was likely used for either service or entertainment.

Shane walked up and gently touched the golem's body. The cold sensation of steel came through, accompanied by a fine dusting of powder, making one instantly feel the weight of time.

Frieren, meanwhile, stopped in front of a mural, her gaze fixed intently on the giant mechanical pattern, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes.

"This machine looks familiar..."

Hm?

Shane walked over to join her and took a closer look.

!!!

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. The mural before him depicted a mechanical version of the "Goddess" that looked remarkably like Iron Man.

Had the dwarven tech tree reached this level thousands of years ago?!

Magic plus technology?

No wonder the Demon King wanted to slaughter the dwarves. If left unchecked, humanity would have had an iron flood of technology—what place would there have been for the Demon Race?

However.

"Familiar? Where have you seen it?"

Frieren frowned, struggling to recall.

"It seems to be... it is... the Demon King Castle."

The moment the words Demon King Castle were uttered.

Before Shane could say anything, a harsh "clack-clack" sound suddenly erupted from behind the two of them.

Frieren summoned her staff, immediately on high alert, while Shane drew his broken longsword and held it in front of him.

The Steel Golem, which had been standing silently in the center of the Celebration Hall, had suddenly "come to life." It stiffly and slowly twisted its joints, extending a long, chain-linked arm from its right side.

At the same time, a magnetic male voice emanated from the Golem's head: "Welcome, my dear guests. Would you like to play Rock-Paper-Scissors?"

After saying this, the Golem ceased its movements, maintaining a polite posture with one hand extended, waiting for a response from Shane and Frieren.

The two were a bit bewildered by this sudden turn of events, but after determining that the Golem showed no signs of aggression, they relaxed slightly.

"Machinery from thousands of years ago is still operational; Dwarf technology is truly formidable."

"It must have been the sound of our voices that triggered it. Perhaps the Dwarf Sages of the past designed a sound-capturing magic formula for it," Frieren speculated.

Shane nodded.

The two observed their surroundings, and after confirming there was nothing of value, they continued forward, preparing to leave the Celebration Hall and head to the next area.

Clang!

The Stone Dwarf Statues that had been standing on the pedestals suddenly changed their poses, their battle-axes swinging down from the left and right to cross each other, blocking the exit.

Fortunately, Shane reacted quickly and retreated in time; otherwise, he would have been flattened on the spot.

Behind them, the voice of the mechanical Golem rang out once more: "Welcome, my dear guests. Would you like to play Rock-Paper-Scissors?"

Damn it.

This was actually a dungeon challenge.

If you don't pass, you can't leave?

"It seems we must play Rock-Paper-Scissors with the Golem."

Frieren smiled as she put away her staff and returned to the front of the Golem, confidently rolling up her sleeves. "Then let me handle this; I am a Rock-Paper-Scissors master."

The Golem was delighted and immediately let out a burst of magnetic laughter.

Then, Shane witnessed a scene that left him speechless: the Elf girl and the mechanical Golem were competing at Rock-Paper-Scissors, their hand speeds moving like lightning...

Five seconds later.

The Elf girl had 0 wins and 20 losses.

Golem: "It seems you need to stay and continue practicing."