The Adventurer

Just as Li Lin had guessed, there was indeed a city of Duergar in the Underdark. It was easy to guess that they, like the Dark Elf, had been driven out of their own kind due to disagreements and had nowhere else to go but underground.

However, Li Lin couldn't fathom why these dwarves had entered the underground world. If the elves were forced to choose between obeying their nature and submitting to divine intervention due to the pressure of impending doom, then the dwarves shouldn't have faced such a dilemma. Li Lin had heard rumors about the dwarves in some taverns after his return. Unlike the elves, who had relocated most of their forces back to the Island of Elves, the dwarves continued their battles within the mountains, fighting with humans for ownership of their caves, using their fists and lives to prove their point. This was understandable, given the dwarves' notoriously stubborn nature; they wouldn't easily back down.

But this is strange. In Li Lin's interactions with the Duergar, he didn't find them to be pacifists at all. On the contrary, these Duergar were more volatile and more lethal, and would start fighting at the slightest disagreement. It didn't seem like they had separated because of ideological differences. Moreover, dwarves are generally considered relatively simple-minded, and it's rare to see the kind of fierce fighting to the death that often occurs among humans when facing a common enemy. It's truly baffling why these dwarves came to this dark and gloomy place.

However, after Li Lin asked a few Duergar slaves out of curiosity, the answer he received left him somewhat frustrated.

"Hmph, I thought you were talking about something else? Why did we Duergar leave? It's simple, those bearded, damned dwarves actually chose a woman who can't even drink as our dwarf king! We can't swallow this insult. Our 'Bent Dare' is clearly the best candidate for dwarf king. He can drink and fight, and although he gets into more trouble, isn't that what makes it interesting? What right does someone who can't even drink properly have to be our king?!"

"... so what?"

"So we left, letting those bearded dwarves play their pathetic games! We'll prove to them that only we Duergar are the true, passionate, and boisterous dwarves!"

"... Just because of that?"

It seems that the importance of alcohol in the cultural life of dwarves should not be underestimated.

Regardless of how absurd the reasons were, the Duergar did indeed endure a period of hardship after entering the Underdark. Fortunately, they arrived in the Underdark relatively late, by which time the Dark Elf had already begun to take control of these areas, so the Duergar did not encounter any obstacles.

Unfortunately, after these dwarves painstakingly built their city using their skill in digging tunnels in the mountains, they were discovered by the Dark Elf.

Whether their becoming slaves to the Dark Elf, and the Dark Elf providing them with a relatively safe environment for development, was fortunate or unfortunate, remains unknown.

In the Underdark, the cities of the Duergar are closest to the surface, and in fact, the Duergar often venture out to trade with black market merchants. Although the war between dwarves and humans is not yet over, there are always those who will risk everything for profit, regardless of the era. Not to mention, the Duergar' craftsmanship is as exquisite as their own, making it a favorite trade item for black market merchants. Of course, while many might secretly intend to inflict minor losses on the powerful dwarven warriors, the Dark Elf standing behind the Duergar cities naturally do not wish to see such a situation.

It's said that the Kudel Empire was able to establish contact with the Dark Elf this time through the machinations of a black market figure. His long-standing trade with the Duergar gave him the opportunity to communicate with such a dangerous race Dark Elf. Of course, both sides had their own ulterior motives, which led to this originally impossible agreement.

Even though the Dark Elf have undergone significant changes, it hasn't made much difference to these Duergar. It's just that their goddess is dead and replaced by a new one. The Dark Elf remain powerful underground, and even if the Duergar go all out, they may not have a chance of victory.

"Master, what exactly do we need to do?"

As she bent down, carefully avoiding the stalactites hanging overhead, Fina spoke. This time, only the three of them, along with twenty Dark Elf acting as guards, were heading to the city where the Duergar lived. The Dark Elf were already used to walking in the dark, so they didn't pay much attention. Besides, Dark Elf, like elves, were a small race. However, this passage seemed rather narrow and not wide enough for humans.

The only unexpected person was the little thief who was good at makeup. Perhaps because he had been forced to stay with Angela and Nia a few days ago and suffered a lot of trauma, when he accidentally met Li Lin and learned that he was going to leave for a while, this little thief kept pestering Li Lin, hoping that he could take him away, at least away from this place of trouble. Even going to the Dragon Cave would be better than staying in the Dark Elf City where Nia and Angela were.

I really don't know what he saw during those days.

Originally, Li Lin did not intend to take him to the Duergar City, but the investigation report that Nia had attached earlier flashed through his mind. In the end, for some reason, Li Lin agreed to the little thief's request and let him join the guard team. Of course, this was not without a price. As long as he could disguise himself as a Dark Elf well, he could go with him. This was the condition Li Lin set.

This thief's skill was truly remarkable. He had perfectly disguised himself as a Dark Elf and blended in with the others. Although physical defects like his ears could only be concealed with his hair, from the outside, the thief had completely transformed into a male Dark Elf, even perfectly mimicking the slightly eerie way Dark Elf walked and their demeanor.

This guy is definitely more than just a petty thief.

"Um?"

Similarly, relying on his Darkvision, Li Lin could traverse these somewhat narrow passages like Dark Elf. Judging from their location, these passages were probably not areas that couldn't be widened. Maintaining their narrowness was likely for safety reasons.

"This... means..."

Fina felt somewhat embarrassed by Li Lin's question.

"Because we usually serve Miss Angela, so..."

Of course, Angela's true form is a cute little girl, so waking her up shouldn't be considered a dangerous task. But changing a man's clothes... that's just too much...

"Don't worry, at least I can still dress myself."

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant..."

Upon hearing Li Lin's answer, Fina waved her hand in a flustered manner, denying it. Judging from her tense expression, Angela's warning before she left clearly had some effect.

"I just meant..."

"Quiet."

Suddenly, Mina interrupted Fina, and the Dark Elf stopped in their tracks, their movements disciplined as they positioned the three of them in the center of the circle. Only Li Lin remained standing there leisurely, seemingly oblivious to everything. However, no one noticed the magical light that flickered on the back of his right hand, or Li Lin's eyes gradually closing.

"Please be quiet, I hear someone talking."

However, after a moment of silence, Mina shook her head, looking puzzled.

"How strange, I clearly heard the sermon... perhaps it was an echo, or maybe I misheard?"

"..."

Fina immediately tensed up, but within her range of perception, she didn't sense anything strange.

The Dark Elf silently sheathed their weapons, seemingly unaware of anything amiss. Their actions appeared to be reflexes honed through countless training sessions. It seemed that even within the Dark Elf themselves, completely eradicating the "legacy" left behind would take a considerable amount of time.

"It could be an illusion."

Mina still gripped the sword hilt, using the power of the Vampire Species to sense her surroundings, but she found nothing except herself and the others.

"Actually, illusions aren't bad either."

Li Lin interrupted Mina with a smile, then turned to the Dark Elf.

How far is it from here to the Duergar City?

"We'll be there soon, Master."

In response to Li Lin's question, the Dark Elf Guard Captain respectfully answered.

"Then let's continue."

As Li Lin spoke, he glanced with interest at the narrow, dark cave beside them, said nothing more, shrugged, and then walked forward.

After all, there are still many things to do, and those less important things can be dealt with later.

In fact, Mina's senses were correct. At that very moment, Li Lin's magical feedback also brought him the same information. It seemed that a group of four humans had appeared in the distant passage. This was beyond the reaction range of Vampire Species and Dark Elf, which explained why they hadn't noticed their presence. And just as Mina stopped to issue the command, their tracks vanished.

They must have some kind of preparation specifically designed to deal with this kind of Underdark. You know, the dangers of the Underdark are far greater than those on the surface. If they didn't have such magical items, they would probably have been killed by the creatures from the underworld long ago.