Chapter 544: Accidental Disaster

"Whether it's a single duel or a group brawl, it's up to him! My great axe has long been thirsty and impatient!"

"WAAAGH!"

Black Rock Fortress was boiling; the small-to-medium-scale skirmishes between the Eight Peaks and the East Badlands could no longer satisfy this battle-hungry race. They gathered around Tiepi for the sake of a hearty, soul-stirring battle, for the sake of fame and loot.

To arrange the tasks of fighting guerrilla warfare against the elusive Dwarf small units on the mountain ridges and practicing tactics while braving a hail of bullets, Tiepi had already chopped off the heads of two warlords and severely disciplined many more.

"Great Boss, Da Orks, that Dwarf is trying to pull some tricks again!"

Tiepi propped himself up, preparing to sharpen his Man-Slayer Axe, when suddenly a small figure darted out to report. This was Snagela Duxian, a cunning and secretive Forest Goblin Spider Rider.

The Giant Spider tribe he originated from originally lived near the Zhuwangshan, dependent on the Brood Queen and her offspring. Sinuoli slaughtered the Spider Demigod, routed them, and immediately set fire to the mountains, cutting the weeds and digging up the roots.

The tribe's Warlord reorganized the remnants to pursue the Expeditionary Force, but was ambushed by the temporarily subjugated Pygmy. Having suffered heavy losses and lost their base, the wise old Seer insisted on migrating north, knowing that the return of the Expeditionary Force would bring annihilation.

The tribe, primarily composed of Savage Orcs, joined the command of Wuerzhage-Lv Xianzhi. When it had a falling out with Tiepi and left, the frustrated Snagela remained at Black Rock Fortress. Due to his skill in training Spider Riders and mountain warfare, he quickly secured a place for himself.

Possessing both strength and loyalty, and harboring a deep blood feud with Sinuoli, Tiepi handed over the remnants of the Evil Moon Clan for him to command. Snagela Duxian also styled himself as an expert in countering Dwarfs.

"Whatever tricks he has, my axe can split them all!" Despite his words, Tiepi's body was honest; he sat back down on the throne made of losers' weapons and signaled for the Goblin to continue.

"Walking out of the turtle shell to clash with your tough lads, I don't think Sinuoli would do that. I can't guess what he's thinking, but we can also go against him..."

"Strategy, very good! You, very smart!"

Tiepi's large mouth twisted into a wicked grin; Gork's chosen one simply placed cunning behind brutality. As the Wolf Rider lads raced toward every stronghold, a WAAAGH! frenzy completely swept through the Badlands.

"Your Majesty, the Great Restorer, this wasn't your style before. It seems I, Henlide, have grown old and can no longer keep up with your pace."

Heading north, Sinuoli gathered troops along the way, and Henlide-Tulongzhe waited at Tumobao, draped in a green dragon cloak. The former Gatekeeper of Jiliuguan was once the top general under Sinuoli, but after pacifying the Southlands, he was stationed in the provinces and gradually moved away from the core.

"What are you saying, old friend? That black dragon called Wave Vortex was slain by me alone; there is no third Dragon Slayer in the Southlands. But dealing with Grimgor Ironhide requires me; he is a heavy hammer, and no strategy is useful if you can't withstand the first few fierce blows."

Sinuoli laughed as he analyzed the situation. His preference for new technology and professional bureaucrats undoubtedly made the brave pioneers feel a bit lonely, but the immense gains and his personal prestige were enough to suppress it.

"Look, the barren Gobi, the arid wilderness, and the desolate desert. The green mushrooms can endure it, and the resilient Sons of the Mountains can manage, but what about our Human friends and their horses? Without four-legged beasts, they will only be led to their deaths."

Dwarfs once developed the Badlands; Black Rock Fortress, Jinshicheng, and the Bottomless Steps were all relics from that time. But with the deterioration of the environment and the rise of the Greenskins, they had all withdrawn after the Sigmar Age.

The map before him was redrawn by hiring adventurers at a high price, and even by bribing Greenskins. Now, the conditions for deep penetration into the Badlands were not met; without sufficient cavalry, it was inevitable to be led around.

"With me here, they would rather build ships than force their way through Black Fire Pass. Finding a place to set up a formation and fight a battle is economical for both sides."

By air-dropping battle challenges in bulk, the content had already spread throughout the Badlands. Certain that Tiepi would definitely accept the challenge, Sinuoli only wanted to find the most suitable battlefield—one that would make the Greenskins feel the desire to charge.

"Taste this, the blind fish of the Silver Abyss, a supreme delicacy praised by the Father God, almost driven to extinction by the rats, but finally bred back!"

Beileke held a banquet to welcome Sinuoli, with representatives from various strongholds present to assist. King Kazador sat in the second seat; this Dwarf Giant's exhaustion from his repeated failed attempts to reach Demigod status was hard to hide, making others feel sympathetic and unable to enjoy the feast.

"Your Majesty, urgent report, urgent report!"

"Pfft!"

"What is going on? Everyone, do not panic, I am here!"

Just as they were speaking, a Ranger wearing the insignia of Tiefengbao ran in, looking disheveled. He pushed aside the members of the Angrund Clan maintaining order and whispered a few words to the King. Before he could finish, Kazador spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed backward.

Sinuoli thought he had encountered an assassin; he waved his hand, turning the man's limbs into gold, and continuously activated runes and rituals to help the old King recover from his injuries and calm his mind.

"You, say it again!"

"Your Majesty, Karak-Azul, it has fallen, it is lost!"

"Bah! You brat, has your beard grown to your backside? How dare you spout nonsense in front of the Great Restorer!"

"In the Dark Age, Tiefengbao stood alone in the Southlands through hundreds of battles and never fell!"

"Hmph! Disturbing the morale of the army in the face of a great enemy, you must be a Daemon of Tzeentch in disguise! I, Alike, King of Horn Fortress, request to execute this demon!"

Before the words fell, the banquet was in an uproar. Some mocked and ridiculed, others saw through the demon, but no one believed that Karak-Azul had fallen. Managed since the age of the ancestors, it was literally a peak of steel.

"Silence~! Speak word by word, in detail, and I will judge for myself!"

Looking down, he saw Suoruike-Ironbrow drinking until half-intoxicated, his face flushed, his brows locked in a frown, looking bewildered. A sense of foreboding flashed through Sinuoli's mind.

"Lords and Elders, Great Restorer, I am Fulinke, Captain of the Golden Eagle Company of the Tiefengbao Ranger Corps. I have come to report on the orders of Queen Freya."

"Almost exactly when your legion arrived at the Eight Peaks, Tiefengbao was attacked by Greenskins, led by an Orc named Gefang Lanya and a Goblin riding a spider."

"Why didn't you send a telegraph?"

"We tried, but it seemed to be blocked by some mysterious power. Perhaps a Greenskin Seer?"

"And then!"

"You know, it was a surprise attack; we were underprepared, and our manpower, our manpower was insufficient. The Gatekeeper Beileke never appeared; I fear he was assassinated or something else."

"We could only retreat, shrinking into the throne room. Prince Kazilike led the honor guard to cover the rear, ordering me to take the women and children, including the Queen, out through the secret passage. They are still on the road; it was the Queen who ordered me to come and ask for reinforcements."

"Good brother, thank you for your hard work. Which road did they take? Henlide, take my honor guard to meet them!"

(End of chapter)