Ashen Dragon

After the earth-shattering "Divine War," the elite forces of Derol swiftly occupied Aivendel, seizing the dwarves' wisdom and sweat crystallized over millennia.

Upon hearing that the Ashen Empire had brazenly taken action, once again obliterating the High Mountain Kingdom at lightning speed, the Fianso Continent was thrown into a frenzy. People were left dumbfounded and overwhelmingly fearful.

Aivendel, the shared home of Shield Dwarves, which had stood unfallen for thousands of years, had so easily fallen into the hands of the evil dragons!

The neighboring factions trembled, their anxiety reaching a peak. Many nations had already expressed intentions to form a military alliance, hoping to unite for warmth and resist these "barbarians" from the bitter cold lands.

After smoothly occupying Aivendel, imperial patrol teams conducted a top-to-bottom, inside-out search of the city. They uncovered hundreds of hidden dwarves, half of whom perished in fierce resistance, while the remaining half chose to side with the Empire.

Regrettably, the "Master of High Mountains," Ed, proved unwavering in his will, seemingly adopting a scorched-earth strategy. Before the war even began, he smashed the city's intricate machinery and emptied the Lonely Mountain Treasury in advance, leaving Derol seething with rage and throwing fits of fury.

Still, an unexpected surprise awaited them. Thanks to the arrival of Du Masong, who possessed the divine position of "Earth's Secret Treasure," the surrounding mountains revealed abundant deposits of gold, silver, copper, gemstones, and more. After surveying by technical personnel, the mineral reserves within a hundred miles were found to rival the entire Anzeta.

In just a few short days, Aivendel, which had nearly become a ghost town, was bustling once more.

Upon hearing of the mineral wealth, mine owners and merchants from across the Empire flocked to the city like piranhas scenting blood. Investments and engineering projects sprang up in endless succession.

Some even hired three hundred diligent and uncomplaining fire dwarf miners—or rather, slave laborers—from the Fire Elemental Plane colony, hoping to contract the mining rights to this mountain.

Meanwhile, according to the Empire's plans, in addition to Derol's tens of thousands of elite soldiers, more imperial forces were dispatched here, along with tens of thousands of players summoned by objectives, rushing to join the effort.

Under Stieg's rallying call, over five hundred bipedal wyverns from North Aisier descended upon Aivendel in dark, overwhelming swarms, turning the deep mines into their natural nesting grounds.

Stieg arrogantly moved into the Lonely Mountain Treasury with thirty-two of his companions, declaring himself the undisputed "King Under the Mountain." However, the once-treasured Lonely Mountain was now hollow and barren, no longer overflowing with gold and silver.

It's said that the surrounding miners frequently heard exhilarating roars emanating from the Lonely Mountain Treasury—a sound of Prince Stieg tirelessly laboring day and night to expand the imperial dragon group.

At Cassius's decree, Aivendel was renamed "Flying Dragon City," and the dwarf statues along the Road of Glory were replaced by sculptures of Cassius and the Dragonblood Nobles, created by traitorous dwarf craftsmen.

In the near future, Aivendel—now "Flying Dragon City"—would become the Empire's strategic military stronghold in northeastern Fianso, as well as a paradise for gold seekers, merchants, and sub-dragons.

But for Cassius at this moment, the most pressing task was to eliminate the lurking threat in the North—the Orcs.

Cassius knew well the terror of those spore-covered greenskins. Compared to the primitive nomadic barbarians of the past, today's Orcs resembled a viral plague. It could even be said: as long as Orcs remain, peace in the North will remain elusive.

...

"Dang!"

"Bang, bang—sounds of hammers echo, the mine tunnels stretch on deep and far!"

"Dang! Dang, dang!"

The crisp sound of hammer striking stone resonated rhythmically, reverberating through the mountains alongside the dwarves' spirited song.

"Deep within the mine shines bright and gleams, treasures lie just ahead!"

"Pickaxes strike, hammers gleam, mining feels joyful like a melody!"

"Fear no hardship, embrace no fatigue, gems and gold fill the carts!"

The dwarves' voices brimming with enthusiasm infused the already red-hot, scorched land with even more fervor, causing Zeen's beard-cloaked mouth to involuntarily curl into a smile.

This mountain was covered in dwarf-carved mine shafts, constructed platforms, and scaffolding, surrounded by simple stone houses that had already begun forming the semblance of a town.

Watching the dwarves laboring diligently and sweating profusely, Zeen felt deeply moved, his mind preoccupied with images of the magnificent and glorious fortress—his homeland, Aivendel.

In those bygone days, their ancestors must have pioneered their homeland in this very way, step by step building Aivendel. So he thought.

A dwarf lady noticed the approaching prince conducting his inspection. Instantly overjoyed, she waved her pickaxe with a smile: "Prince Zeen, you've come too!"

Zeen nodded: "Seeing I had some free time, I thought I'd come check on you. How's it been working here?"

The dwarf lady chuckled: "Not bad! Lord Titus truly delivered when he provided this place; it's practically a treasure trove. Gold and gems glisten everywhere—we can barely keep up with the digging!"

She wiped the sweat off her beard hesitantly, then stammered: "It's just… this place is a bit too hot. These past days, quite a few people have suffered from heatstroke. My neighbor Kent nearly got cooked alive."

Zeen furrowed his brow and spoke solemnly: "I understand. I'll speak to Lord Titus about this right away and arrange to purchase some heat-resistant potions."