Lei Lin's fiery wings sliced through the morning mist, carrying Loran and his companions toward the Blackstone Mountain Range. The woodland below gradually gave way to exposed black stone, and the smell of sulfur grew stronger-the scent of ore mingling with flame as the dwarven workshops forged their wares. Ten swamp spirit Water Whisperers followed close behind, riding "wave steeds" formed from water elements. The steeds left faint trails of water wherever they trod, which turned into thin mist on dry ground, making them both stealthy and swift.
"Up ahead is the Severed Flow River. Once we cross it, we'll reach the outer workshops of the Blackstone Mountain Range." Liya opened the Illustrated Catalog of Plants, its pages displaying a map marked with the river's location. "But... the water's the wrong color."
Everyone drew closer to look. The Severed Flow River, which should have been clear, was now a murky blackish purple. Rusted metal fragments floated on its surface, and sticky black liquid clung to the stones along its banks-it carried precisely the scent of Insect Clan slime. A Water Whisperer suddenly reined in his wave steed and lightly touched the river with his fingertips, then shook his head gravely. "The water's been contaminated by Iron-Corroding Evil Power. There are metal-eating insects hiding in it. If warhorses or wave steeds step into it, their horseshoes will corrode instantly."
"They're Iron-Corroding Insects!" Snow Spirit Qilin's ice runes flickered faintly, their luminous white light pointing toward the riverbed. "These insects feed on metal and secrete metal-corroding slime. The Insect Clan often uses them to destroy equipment in forging workshops. It seems they knew we were heading to the Blackstone Mountain Range and laid an ambush here in advance."
Loran was just about to gather his three-element power to purify the river when the leader of the swamp spirit Water Whisperers raised a hand to stop him. "Lord Loran, let us handle this. Water elements can guide the river's flow, trapping the swarm and purifying the contamination without consuming your source power."
The ten Water Whisperers dismounted from their wave steeds at the same time and turned their palms toward the river. Pale blue water-element power flowed from their fingertips into the water. The murky river began to swirl clockwise, forming a whirlpool that swept the Iron-Corroding Insects from the riverbed into its center, leaving them unable to escape. At the same time, the power of Soul-Purifying Lotus seeds infused into the water elements spread with the current. The blackish-purple contamination gradually faded, and the water became clear again, though stones pitted by the insects' gnawing still remained on the riverbed.
"Done! We can cross now!" The Water Whisperers' leader withdrew his power, and the wave steeds took shape again. "These Iron-Corroding Insects probably have their nests downstream. Once we've dealt with the warship, we'll come back and clear them out completely so they don't disrupt the workshops' ore shipments."
The group crossed the Severed Flow River without incident and spotted the main workshop of the Blackstone Mountain Range from afar. Dozens of furnaces belching black smoke stood at the foot of the mountains. The beginnings of a warship had already been assembled in the clearing outside the workshop, its hull of fallen star iron gleaming with a cold silver light. However, the "energy core socket" at the center of the ship was still empty, and several dwarven craftsmen were gathered around it, arguing incessantly.
"Loran, lad! You're finally here!" Chief Tongchui's booming voice rang out from inside the workshop. He wore a forging apron covered in coal dust and still held a pair of red-hot tongs. "This fallen star iron is too hard! Ordinary flames can't melt the core socket at all. Without fitting the two qilins' ice and fire energy crystals into it, we can't get the warship running!"
Loran walked over to the warship and lightly touched its fallen star iron hull. The metal felt cold and weighty beneath his fingertips, and it also contained faint magic-resistant properties. No wonder ordinary flames couldn't melt it. He looked at Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin, and the two qilins understood at once. Golden-red flames and luminous white ice mist surged toward the core socket together. Their mingled ice and fire energy struck the fallen star iron, but left only faint marks, unable to melt the socket into a shape that would fit the energy crystals.
"It's not enough. We need purer source power," Liya suddenly said, emerald-green nature power winding around the ice and fire energy. "Fallen star iron once absorbed ancient natural energy. Adding nature power might activate its malleability."
Loran understood immediately. The light and nature attributes of his three-element power merged with the ice and fire energy, forming a Three-Element Ice-Fire Stream. This time, when the energy struck the core socket, a faint shimmer flowed across the fallen star iron. The socket slowly began to change shape, gradually becoming a perfect fit for the ice and fire energy crystals condensed within Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin.
"It worked!" Chief Tongchui waved his tongs excitedly. "Quick, fit the energy crystals in! I've already polished the runes inside the socket to match the crystals' dimensions. Once they're in place, they'll activate the warship's basic defenses!"
Lei Lin and Snow Spirit Qilin each spat out a fist-sized energy crystal at the same time. One was golden-red, the other luminous white, and patterns pulsed across their surfaces in resonance with the warship's runes. Loran carefully fitted the energy crystals into the core socket. The instant they touched the fallen star iron, a pale golden shield lit up around the warship. The "water-pattern channels" on both sides of the hull activated as well, perfectly suited to holding the water-element power supplied by the swamp spirit Water Whisperers and providing propulsion for underwater travel.
"Next, we install the weapons and support facilities!" Chief Tongchui led the craftsmen into a flurry of work. Some installed the nature-runed crossbow bolts supplied by the Elf Clan, while others inlaid the Holy Spring defensive runes sent by the temple. The swamp spirit Water Whisperers carved amplification runes beside the water-pattern channels to ensure the water-element propulsion could sustain the warship on long voyages.
By nightfall, the warship's main structure was largely complete. Everyone sat around a bonfire outside the workshop, eating the dwarves' special roast meat and discussing their next steps. Chief Tongchui intended to leave ten craftsmen behind to continue refining the warship's details, while Loran planned to take the ship to the Severed Flow River early the next morning to test its sailing performance, ensuring that nothing would go wrong when transporting the Evil Bone Core.
Just then, a metallic creaking and scraping suddenly came from outside the workshop. Icefield Wolf's ears shot upright, and he looked into the darkness with golden eyes, growling, "Something's coming! Lots of them!"
Snow Spirit Qilin's ice runes instantly shone red, and luminous white ice mist condensed into an ice mirror before him. Reflected in it were hundreds of Iron-Corroding Insects crawling along the rock faces of the Blackstone Mountain Range. At the head of the swarm, an Iron-Corroding Insect Mother the size of a warhorse was directing the insects. Rusted metal plates covered her carapace, and her mouthparts could spray black liquid with even greater corrosive power.
"They're coming for the warship!" Chief Tongchui immediately snatched up the Evil-Breaking Warhammer. "These insects want to destroy the fallen star iron hull! Craftsmen, take up your weapons and protect the warship!"