Chapter 26: The Story of the Slayer King

"Chain Axe, Slayer King..."

Aunt Sonia turned to leave, but noticed Sinuoli had not moved his feet, instead muttering something in a daze.

"Why are you standing there instead of leaving? Don't worry about the weapon; just come get it in a month. Oath Gold won't fall from the sky, and I have to go get busy with the evening banquet!"

"Oh, oh, you go ahead and get busy, Aunt. I was just thinking about the Slayer King," Sinuoli replied. He had just thought of that legendary Dwarf Lord from the game, with his shock of orange hair reaching for the sky and a giant axe in his hand.

This might be the third strongest Dwarf to be found in the Mortal World! But why would he want to commission a chain axe? Could it be that the Legendary Quality Dargo Axe was not enough?

"How strange!" Aunt Sonia shook her head and muttered as she walked out of the workshop. She had plenty to do to prepare for the banquet!

"Hahaha, ease your mind, child. At your age, I also worshipped the strong and fantasized about becoming one of them, fighting all sorts of powerful monsters among the Qunshan, and it would be even better if I could save a few young ladies along the way!"

The Master sat down and tapped his pipe, smiling happily, though he had clearly misunderstood Sinuoli.

"But later on, I realized that producing and maintaining weapons and equipment for them in the rear is also a form of support, isn't it? The ancestors taught us well—no matter how shiny the gold is, it cannot replace the utility of pig iron!

You have the divine grace of the Ancestor Goddess and became a Rune Master at such a young age; your name will surely be part of an epic, sung by future generations! Perhaps it will even be linked to this hammer of yours, and to me, who forged it, hahaha!"

For this promising young junior, the Master spent some effort sincerely offering guidance, but he had not hit the mark.

"Why did the Slayer King want to commission this pair of chain axes? Doesn't he have the ancestral Dargo Axe?" Sinuoli still asked the question in his heart.

"Let me see," the Master flipped out a work order, "Hmm, looking at the surname, he had them made for his son. That Prince is not much older than you."

"The Slayer King has a son?" Sinuoli asked again.

The Master glanced at the forge, "Mm, it will take a while for the furnace fire to reach the proper temperature after being relit. Since you are so interested, why don't I tell you the story of Grimm Ironfist? He has had some dealings with your family and me, to some extent."

Sinuoli nodded. He truly wanted to understand the story of this battle-hardened Dwarf King to lay the foundation for a highly probable future encounter.

The Master's Apprentice brought a chair for Sinuoli, served two mugs of beer, and filled the Master's pipe with new tobacco. The Master's story began.

"Grimm Ironfist—his age is about the same as your father, His Majesty the High King. His legendary experiences must also begin with that bloody battle against Chaos a hundred years ago." The Master's gaze gradually lost focus as he sank into his memories.

"Grimm's father, the previous Slayer King, found an honorable death in that battle. The number of Chaos scum that died under his battle axe was greater than any other warrior. As the army returned, Grimm received the news that his father had fulfilled his Slayer Oath and successfully ascended as the new King of Karak-Kadrin.

Not long after he took the Slayer Oath and completed the Slayer Ritual, the news reached Slayer Keep that the late King Orikson was not long for this world and that a new High King must be selected within a year through a competition of contributions.

As the lord of the most powerful fortress in the north, Grimm undoubtedly had the qualifications to compete. However, the elders of his clan refused to support his entry; they did not want to lose another Slayer King in such a short time, especially since he had no heirs at the time."

The Master took a sip of beer to moisten his throat: "Grimm considered this a slight and an offense. He grew angry, took off the symbol of the Karak-Kadrin throne—the legendary equipment, the Slayer King Crown—and charged alone into the vast snow."

At that time, a Giant tribe occupied the passage connecting Karak-Kadrin to the south and frequently harassed the fortress and caravans, causing a great impact on the production and life of the clansmen.

Grimm traveled all the way to the valley where this tribe resided. He swung his axe, cutting down every Giant who dared to face him, leaving a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood all the way to the Giant King. That was a big fellow, half again as tall as the average fool; the Slayer King, even with his crown, only reached his ankles."

The old Dwarf puffed out a cloud of smoke, and Sinuoli listened intently.

"They engaged in a one-on-one battle. Grimm's resounding war cry and the Giant King's roar echoed throughout the Northern Border Qunshan! They fought from the foot of the mountain to the peak; the sound of their roars and the aftermath of their battle triggered an avalanche!"

The white snow buried everything. The Dwarfs of Kadrin heard the news and came to search for their King. They followed the cliff all the way down, and halfway up the mountainside, they saw the legendary Dargo Axe stuck in a crevice. These Dwarfs did not give up hope; although they were already prepared to take the oath and become Slayers, they persisted in searching downward."

"Guess what they saw in the mountain stream?" the Master asked. Sinuoli shook his head.

"They saw Grimm sitting on a skull larger than himself, drinking beer! The Giant King's head was covered in dents from being smashed by fists, and Grimm's own fists were covered in red blood and milky-white brains!"

As this news spread throughout the Mountain Kingdom, the name Grimm Ironfist became known to every woman and child. It is said that in some places, Giant cubs would not even dare to cry upon hearing his name! He became the most respected strongman and, by virtue of this achievement, the most powerful contender for the High King throne at the time. Of course, he eventually lost to your father, Thorgrim, but that is a story for another time."

Recovering from the soul-stirring story, Sinuoli could not help but express his admiration for the Slayer King's feat. "Then what kind of connection does he have with you?"

"Hahaha, at that time I had just become a Master-class blacksmith, and I wasn't doing such high-end work. After he became famous, I took three consecutive orders to remove the word 'Ironfist' from exquisite weapons! I wore out several files in a month!"

As mentioned earlier regarding Dwarf nicknames, generally speaking, a junior using a nickname previously used by a senior is seen as a provocation. But after Grimm chose the nickname Ironfist, the Dwarfs who had previously held these nicknames chose to change their own to avoid overlapping with him; this is a good reflection of his prestige.

After finishing the story of the Slayer King, the Master sent Sinuoli out of the workshop. Seeing that it was getting late, Sinuoli returned directly to his new residence with his guards. He washed up, changed into formal clothes, and prepared to attend the banquet.

Thanks to Electronic Fat Sheep for the monthly ticket and several other book friends for their recommendation tickets. There will be an extra update tonight.

Continuing to ask for all kinds of tickets, collections, and tips. There will be extra updates if there is a certain amount.