Chapter 471: The Ancestor Goddess

Time passed second by second, and the area before the great gate remained silent, with only the sound of steady breathing to be heard. The resting clansmen went without saying, but even the sentries shifted their gazes to the stone gate from time to time, anticipating the secrets that lay behind it.

"Whoosh!"

Thorek Ironbrow was, after all, one of the most skilled Rune Masters currently alive, or perhaps there was some divine help from the unknown; after a day and a night, he broke the first lock, and the rune energy stirred tides of ripples upon the stone gate.

"Warriors, quiet down! Quickly! Come closer! I think I heard something!"

Pressing his ear to the gate, Sinuoli caught a gentle, kind female voice; the rune lock had been triggered, awakening the existence behind it. Matching the bright space that had appeared in his dreams countless times, he was willing to bet all his wealth that this place belonged to the Ancestor Goddess!

"The Mother Goddess is teaching how to break the subsequent two rune locks! Listen carefully, quickly! Everyone else, hold your positions!"

Loudly affirming to his clansmen their speculations about everything they were defending, Sinuoli himself became excited. Valaya—the culprit behind his transmigration—had only given him a fleeting glimpse and a few simple instructions back then; now, the time for a formal meeting had finally arrived.

"I must have been overthinking it. Nagash's primary goal is still to gather relics and sacrifices to return to the Mortal World; devouring other gods to strengthen his own power is a matter for later. Although there are many Undead, the number he can command in the underworld is limited, and it would be unwise for him to jump out and fight head-on while I am prepared."

Sticking his ear to the gate from time to time, Thorek Ironbrow's unlocking speed increased significantly. Sinuoli stroked his beard and pondered to himself; Eight Peaks had already been reclaimed, and he had already made far, far too many changes to history.

"Bang! Bang!"

It took only an hour for Thorek Ironbrow to open the second lock. Just as he caught his breath and before he could continue, the final seal opened on its own without a breeze, from the inside out.

Sinuoli had previously spread the faith of Valaya far and wide under the title of Chosen of the Goddess, which allowed the slumbering Mother Goddess to recover some of her vitality, unlike before when she could only passively wait for the protection of the Dwarfs of the Mortal World.

"Will, will She walk out directly?"

"What a glorious day for our ancestors and descendants!"

The Dwarfs whispered as they stretched their necks and stood on tiptoe to watch. The stone gate slowly opened a crack, and behind it, one could only see a patch of green that brought peace to the mind, shadowy and not truly distinct.

"I have waited for this day for far, far too long! I am proud to have a group of brave children like you!"

Accompanied by an ethereal and kind voice echoing in the underground space, a large amount of green light spots gushed out from the gate. Sinuoli, who was close to the gate, naturally bore the brunt of it; as soon as he touched the light spots, he revealed a knowing smile—

Wasn't this the Valaya Ritual from his system that could provide the "Full of Energy" effect? In the early stages of his career, he had used this to solidify his identity as a Chosen of the Gods, and he had also managed to fleece many resources from various elderly Dwarf nobles.

"Praise the Ancestor Goddess! Praise the Ancestor Chosen!"

"Ever since She first manifested at Mountain Lake Fortress, I have firmly believed that this day would come!"

"Eight Peaks has been reclaimed, the Mother Goddess has returned to the Mortal World, the Golden Age is truly, truly coming back!"

Looking back and seeing the elites with tears in their eyes, beating their chests and stamping their feet in various states of emotion, Sinuoli could not help but feel his heart surge. Yes, the Golden Age—the Ancestor Gods walking in the Mortal World, the land belonging to the Dwarf Realms, treasures inexhaustible, and enemies nowhere to be seen.

How many legends in the taverns, how many sculptures on the rock walls sang of that era; it could be said that in the Dark Age after the great earthquake, the obsession with the Golden Age was an important pillar supporting the Dwarfs to hold on.

"Thorek Ironbrow, your comprehension is quite good, and I am also very happy to see that Rune technology has developed so well in your hands. You deserve the top credit for opening the seal, and you shall be rewarded."

Valaya called out softly, and amidst the envious gazes of everyone, the Rune Master was guided by the green light into the stone gate. Sinuoli had considered this when inviting him to accompany him—in terms of skill, his second senior brother was even a little better than Thorek Ironbrow, but he couldn't poach his master's talent like that.

"Child, I can feel the power of the horn at your waist. Thunderhorn was the most resilient among our group back then; it seems his spirit has been well inherited in Karak-Azgal. These years, it has been very hard, hasn't it?"

"Hng-en, hng-en."

The next one called was Kazador. Tiefengbao had been passed down since ancient times, and the Ancestor Goddess saw his origins at a glance. The old king did not answer immediately, which made Sinuoli look back in confusion, only to see him struggling and choking back sobs.

The Mother Goddess's words of concern pierced his psychological defenses. To be isolated outside the Old World for thousands of years—could the word "hard" even begin to cover it? Allies were withering day by day, and the actions taken were mostly local victories but overall failures; if not for a strong belief, they would have migrated long ago.

In his youth, Kazador had also believed that his martial arts and strategies could change the situation of the fortress, until he ascended the throne and understood why his father was so weary of war, calculating losses down to the single digits—

After deducting the necessary garrison forces, the available troops were so limited; the strongholds they recaptured could not be repaired in time before they were forced to withdraw under the pressure of massive numbers of enemies, and the casualties suffered had nowhere to be replenished.

Were the ancestors not aware of the weight of those teams from the Old World attempting to reclaim their homelands when they generously supported them? Thinking about it, it must have been for that precious thing called hope.

"I commend your persistence, child. From now on, everything will get better!" The green light split into another beam, guiding King Kazador into the gate as well.

"Sinuoli, I am very happy to see you again. You came much, much earlier than I expected. Come in, we have much to talk about."

After showing concern for the two from Tiefengbao, the green light spread toward Sinuoli. Through the pulsating energy, he could clearly feel the Mother Goddess's joy. Yes, originally, by the time Thorek Ironbrow reached this step, the world would have been nearly destroyed; now, he had snatched back a great deal of precious time.

Simply straightening his attire, Sinuoli strode into the crack of the gate. Just as he had guessed, the Mother Goddess was not physically waiting behind the gate; with a flash of green light and a brief moment of dizziness, he entered a completely different space.

"Squeak!"

This feeling of teleportation reminded him of the unpleasant experience of being dragged into the Slaanesh Realm, and he couldn't help but tense his muscles. Only when his right hand exerted force to grip the hammer of Sidemunier did he confirm that he had entered in his physical body.

Looking around, Sinuoli found that the layout here was in the style of a common Dwarf family living room, with some ornaments and containers on the fireplace, and several chairs arranged around the hearth.

"Welcome to my realm, which has only returned to its current state thanks to your efforts. Sit down and let's talk; would you like a cup of beer?"