Chapter 56

Krasuna stood at the center of the array, slightly smaller than Sakavi, her body covered in pitch-black scales, sharp bony spines along her back like swords. She chanted in a low, majestic, ancient-dragon tongue to guide the ritual. Her claws traced patterns in the air, and powerful shadow and arcane energies obediently converged, forming flowing silver runes that began weaving the framework of a portal. The entire process was solemn and awe-inspiring, radiating an undeniable divine authority.

Beside the portal, now stabilizing with a blue luminescence, Sakavi and his Grand Administrator of Internal Affairs, Prague, were conversing. Sakavi retained his majestic dragon-man form, his molten-gold vertical pupils calmly observing the vast army before him. Prague was fully armored, his massive bull head slightly bowed in respect, yet his posture remained as unyielding as stone.

“Prague, what is your plan for the Abyss training?”

“Master, after consulting with the legion commanders, we agreed: four legions will complete their rotation training this year. Next year, after the Ironhoof Legion withdraws, the garrison forces will temporarily take over city defense to let the lizardmen practice. Once the Ironhoof Legion completes its supplemental training, all five legions will advance together into the Abyss for a large-scale battle.”

“No. You must understand—we are training, not fighting to the death. I understand your situation. Many generals returning from the Abyss are pressuring you, hoping to fight one big battle there to satisfy their regret at leaving—or to gain more profit.”

“I understand that your subordinates put their own interests first. I don’t begrudge them money. But the Abyss is not our primary material plane. It holds too many uncertainties. If we make too much noise, no one can predict when a legendary-tier demon might appear. All we can do is proceed with caution.”

“Master, I understand, but Lei En died so inexplicably—I cannot accept it. A master-tier individual, brutally dismembered in a valley just ten kilometers from our own camp, is a grave provocation. We still don’t even know who did it. How can we just withdraw?”

“The enemy is powerful—at least legendary-tier. Do you think sending more troops will solve this? Remember, the greater the power, the wider the gap. It’s not a matter of sending more people. Besides, the Abyssal Throat is merely a passageway to the Abyss, not a key to a specific plane. We still have many other options.”

“As you command, Master. Your will is my direction. Ge Mu, go inform Wu Gu Lu: the Axe Legion of Camp One will evacuate entirely, taking everything they can. The Ironhoof Legion will no longer participate in rotation.”

“Leave legion matters to Wu Gu Lu and Hei Yu. They were both tribal chieftains long before I arrived here—I have no doubt in their competence. Your next task: subduing the gray dwarves and changing the drow elves’ faith.”

“Master, gray dwarves are notoriously stubborn. Even after all these years, many still defect from the Dragon Spine Mountains. If we pursue them underground, it will be a grueling war of attrition. I don’t believe we need to conquer them.”

“You’re right. Previously, we sought their complete submission. Unless they openly rebelled, we only imposed fines or labor penalties—never killed them without cause, never pursued defectors. But this time is different. I intend to purge the entire leadership and enslave them with drow elves.”

“Master, forgive me, but this is mass slaughter. I refuse to carry out this order. I followed you against my own tribe’s objections precisely because I didn’t want to see endless bloodshed on this land. Together with my colleagues, I helped bring order out of barbarism. Now you tell me to become that hateful executioner? I cannot. Nor will I stand idly by.”

“Prague, I understand your meaning. But don’t forget: order must be watered with blood, and its maintenance requires severing every reaching tentacle. If these gray dwarves wished to acknowledge us, they would have submitted long ago. We have never mistreated any resident who followed our rules. For these potential threats, we have no need for mercy.”

“If they wage war, strike back. If they pose a threat, expel them. That is how an order-aligned force handles matters. If we kill their leadership and enslave their people simply because they refuse to submit, how are we different from demons who thrive on slaughter and destruction? No—we are worse. At least demons don’t crush the last value from their victims. Only devils do that.”

“Very well, my Grand Administrator. You’ve convinced me. But our weapon shortage is severe—especially magical weapons. Ordinary weapons can’t kill demons. Here, our only mature craft is rune engraving. The demon limbs piled in our warehouses—who will transform them into weapons? Other factions won’t wait for us to train personnel.”

“So if I can make these gray dwarves obey willingly, I can avoid bloodshed?”

“Exactly. Internal affairs are your responsibility—I will fully support your plans. But you must act quickly. The Claw Shadow·Qing Lin has already begun moving. You know how fast that man is. In less than a month, the gray dwarves underground may already be destroyed.”

………

“Watch yourselves! If you kill this old man, I’ll crack your skulls!” In a gray dwarf town beneath the earth, a lizardman commander stood on a high platform, watching five strong lizardmen attack a gray dwarf warrior clad in iron armor. Hundreds of corpses littered the ground, limbs scattered everywhere—mostly gray dwarves, but some lizardmen too.

The ground was coated in a thick carpet of viscous flesh and blood. Each step Prague took pulled dark red threads from his boots. Broken axe handles and chipped scimitars were half-buried in congealed blood. Shattered gray dwarf square shields were pierced by lizardman barbed spears. The heavy stench of rust and entrails mingled into a visible crimson mist.

The surviving gray dwarf leaned against a mound of his kin’s corpses, gasping. His once-noble iron armor was dented all over; his left shoulder plate hissed as acid corroded it, exposing charred flesh beneath.

Half the luminescent stones embedded in his helmet were shattered; the remaining blue glow illuminated his cracked lips and nostrils exhaling white vapor. The massive two-handed hammer he now dragged behind him with one arm was caked in bone fragments and brain matter, gouging a deep trench in the earth.

The five lizardmen advanced in a fan. Their golden vertical pupils narrowed to slits in the dimness; their forked tongues flickered rapidly, tasting the lingering scent of fear. The leftmost lizardman suddenly whipped his tail, flinging a gray dwarf corpse toward the center. As the dwarf’s vision was blocked, the two on the right simultaneously hurled poisoned darts.

The hammer swept through the stench. The gray dwarf didn’t dodge. The darts clanged harmlessly off his breastplate. His hammer swung in a half-circle, smashing the flying corpse into pieces. As blood and flesh sprayed, he roared forward three steps, hammer still swinging, crushing one dart-thrower at the waist—but the target vanished from the spot and reappeared far away.

A poisoned crossbow bolt flew through the air. Simultaneously, another thief slipped from the flank into shadow. The gray dwarf didn’t dodge or shield. He swung his hammer, knocking the bolt aside—but it suddenly exploded, releasing a pungent smoke.

“Child’s play!” the gray dwarf roared, closing his eyes and relying entirely on other senses.

The left ranger seized the chance, lunging with his curved blade aimed at the gray dwarf’s neck. Just as the blade neared its target, the dwarf sidestepped precisely—the edge scraped along his armor, sparking. At that instant, a spiked club smashed in from the right. The gray dwarf couldn’t dodge—the right side of his shoulder caved in.

“All of you, retreat! You fools! I told you to take prisoners alive—can’t you understand?” A suffocating voice came from the shadows. The five lizardmen instantly retreated into formation, awaiting further orders.

Prague, seeing the fight end, stepped forward and sneered: “Old friend, don’t tell me you just now received my orders. Explain these hundred corpses on the ground.”

“Oh, my good brother, don’t blame me. My mission is training. This isn’t the Abyss—there aren’t enough enemies for them to cut down one by one. I can only select the most capable lizardmen to spar with these gray dwarves.”

“Did you go to the Abyss and lose your mind? Those bodies on the ground are our own boys! How could you do this? Oh, I almost forgot—you lizardmen are naturally cold-blooded, acting without reason. What a headache.”

“Relax, Prague. For any gray dwarf not killed outright, I’ve had them treated. But I’m curious—what do you plan to do with these gray dwarves?”

“I will assign drow elves as overseers to manage weapon forging and processing. Gradually, I will promote gray dwarves who accept order into management roles, eventually transitioning them into full residents of the territory.”

“And how are the drow elves coming along? On my way here, I heard you destroyed twelve gray dwarf cities. Your methods are shockingly brutal—you attacked head-on.”

“The drow elves have all been dealt with. They’re now negotiating with the Master about changing their faith. They’re cunning, but I have ways to handle them. Siege engines and vast numbers of sorcerers left them no room for tricks.”

“And how successful has it been?”

“Good results so far. Including me, four master-tier lizardmen have emerged. And not many drow cities have been destroyed.”