Ashen Dragon

His name was Jia'er Brick, a seasoned Dwarf Warrior who had just fought bravely alongside his comrades on the city walls, only to be blasted away by the Empire's weapons, narrowly escaping death.

Jia'er prided himself as a hero of the battlefield, having never feared death before, resolutely choosing to stay in Aivendel City back then.

But at this moment, he wavered.

The Dwarf shivered uncontrollably, his face pale, despair brimming in his eyes, as a single thought kept echoing in his heart: "His Majesty Du Masong abandoned us... Our ancestors, they— they abandoned us..."

More terrifying than the death of the flesh was the collapse of faith, and now Jia'er was undergoing that very process.

In the past, he had firmly believed that he would join the Divine Realm of the Dwarf Gods after his death, standing shoulder to shoulder with his ancestors in eternal battles.

Yet now, after witnessing Du Masong's battle with that terrifying Red Dragon, only to ultimately leave them behind— seeing hope turn into utter despair, jolted by emotions that fluctuated between Heaven and Hell, Jia'er began doubting himself...

Would he truly be allowed into the Divine Realm?

Could it be that he was simply destined to perish here in Aivendel City, buried alongside his fallen kingdom, squandering the remaining two hundred years of his life?

Perhaps, perhaps...

The Great Goblin commander had once said that if he surrendered, he would be treated well.

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as the deeply ingrained Dwarven morals passed through generations clashed with his burning desire to survive at all costs, rendering Jia'er indecisive and at a loss.

But as Jia'er cautiously raised his head, looking into the distance at that colossal Red Dragon, his mouth fell open, and he froze once more.

What kind of Dragon was this!

Bathed in sunlight, the Ashen Emperor was enveloped in a faint golden glow, exuding an aura of majesty and divinity— no less than what one might expect of a Divine Being.

"Long live His Majesty Cassius!"

"Complete victory!"

"Praise the Great Red Dragon!"

The cheers of the Imperial Soldiers reverberated across the skies, echoing within Aivendel City's walls with such force that the walls visibly trembled.

Whether it was the fervent atmosphere or the towering, awe-inspiring figure before him that influenced his thoughts, Jia'er's heart unintentionally gave rise to worship, even as he looked upon the one who had slaughtered countless of his kin.

"To surrender to such an Emperor does not seem disgraceful..." The thought of submission arose unbidden, and Jia'er felt his knees weaken.

Finally, amidst the screeches of the Wyverns and the deafening roars of cheering Imperial Soldiers, the last line of defense in the Dwarf's heart crumbled completely.

He tore off his somewhat dirty clothes to fashion a white flag, raised it high, and shouted frantically before being riddled with bullets: "I surrender! I surrender! I am willing to submit to the Empire!"

"Cease fire!"

"Excellent! Take him to meet General Delor!" Under the officer's command, the rifle-wielding Imperial Soldiers swarmed forward, seizing Jia'er and leading him away.

Thus, the first Dwarf to surrender to the Empire emerged.

...

With a thunderous impact, Cassius descended atop the Dwarf Palace, prompting countless Imperial officers and Soldiers to look up in reverence, their eyes ablaze with devotion.

"Your Majesty!"

"His Majesty Cassius!"

The sound of knees striking the earth rang out one after the other, as Imperial Soldiers across the field knelt in waves, fervently kissing the ground that had been covered by the Emperor's wings.

High-ranking officials such as Delor, Misha, and Stieg swiftly arrived upon hearing the news.

"Greetings to Your Majesty (Master). May the Empire flourish forever." Delor and Misha quickly knelt halfway to the ground, placing their hands over their hearts, their steady voices barely masking their heightened emotions.

"Master (in Draconic)..."

Stieg also landed atop the Palace, lowering his head until his forehead pressed firmly against the ground, his entire body practically prostrate, his tail wagging incessantly behind him.

Cassius tapped the brickwork underfoot with his claws, silently marveling at the excellence of Dwarven craftsmanship, before glancing around casually and remarking, "You've done well."

Misha hastily responded, "Master, had you not graced us with your presence here, we would likely have perished amid the chaos."

Delor, wearing a fawning expression, eagerly chimed in, "Indeed, Your Majesty, you have triumphed over a God this time!

Your strength surpasses even the Gods themselves; your form is as grand as a mountain; your wings eclipse the skies, making all of creation tremble..."

Cassius waved his claws wearily and interjected, "Enough. I didn't come here to listen to your empty flattery."

Delor chuckled awkwardly, "Of course, Your Majesty. You remain as humble as ever."

For now, Cassius had only managed to repel an incomplete avatar of Du Masong, using the power of circumstance and strategy. It could hardly be called defeating a Divine.

"Master, I, I..." Stieg attempted to emulate the others and heap praise upon his master but found no opportunity to speak, leaving him filled with regret as he anxiously clawed at the ground.

"This is not the place for conversation. Follow me." Cassius willed a blazing Portal into existence before him, leading directly to the treasuries near Aivendel City— the Lonely Mountain Treasury.

Misha, Delor, and Stieg followed quickly, entering a vast cavern where glittering Gold Coins and gemstones lay sparsely scattered around empty expanses.

Misha surveyed the surroundings, her brows furrowing as she exclaimed, "Master, is this... the legendary Lonely Mountain Treasury? Damn it, those Dwarves moved it all out beforehand!"

Cassius smirked faintly and stated calmly, "You guessed correctly. This is indeed the Lonely Mountain Treasury, and yes, it has been emptied."

Delor gritted his teeth angrily, growling, "That was all wealth belonging to the Empire! Think of how many tanks it could have produced!"

Stieg erupted in fury, spitting as he raged, "Such shameless Dwarves, greedy Dwarves— they all deserve to be slaughtered!" conveniently ignoring the fact that they themselves were the invaders.

Cassius struck the stone floor with the tip of his claw and commanded, "Your primary objective now is to completely take over Aivendel City and use it as a base to head north for the Orc purge— annihilate the Orc tribes entirely."

Delor nodded vigorously, thumping his chest with a laugh and declaring, "Those Orcs are little more than the Dwarves' defeated underlings, and the Dwarves are our defeated underlings— with the forces I command, I can wipe the Orcs of Wuge Prairie clean."

Misha shook her head, advising earnestly, "General Delor, it's best not to be blindly overconfident."

Cassius nodded slightly and instructed the young woman, "Misha, show Delor the Orcs' current situation. Then he will understand why I'm in such a hurry to capture Aivendel City."

"Yes, Master." Misha snapped her fingers, causing nearby Fire Element particles to gather and coalesce into intricate Magic Images.

Within the images lay hills upon hills of densely packed fungi.

Even Delor, who was a Great Goblin, felt his scalp tighten upon seeing such a sight, stammering, "This, this— what in the world..."

Once in place, the Cave Barrier activates the buried Dwarf remains, temporarily raising them to protect the burial site devoid of grave robbers. If invaders enter the area of effect, Dwarf skeletons contained therein will rise to attack. The skeletons attack as warriors at levels equivalent to 1/3 (rounded down) of the level of the spellcasters who cast the Barrier. They have 5 points of health for every 3 Spellcaster Levels. Thus, a Cave Barrier cast by a Level 12 Priest produces Level 4 skeletons with 20 health points each. Note, however, that these raised skeletons are not considered undead creatures; the effect resembles animated weapons. If invaders are fellow Dwarves, as long as the visitors do not attempt the reversal version of this spell to dispel the Cave Barrier, it enables the spellcaster to dismantle a Cave Barrier. In most Dwarven enclaves, removing a Cave Barrier is reserved for rare occasions when Dwarf remains must be relocated to a new location. A Priest attempting to remove the Barrier must be of an equal or higher level than the Priest who originally set it.