Chapter 557: The Ever-Burning Helmet

"To be honest, it took me some time to accept this premise as well. It is reasonable; compared to some high-powered artifacts, summoning someone with new ideas and new methods can change much more."

Sinuoli nodded. Grungni, having just awakened, was very weak—so weak that he was like a candle in the wind before his own divine power. The Dwarf population had far from recovered, not to mention that the master and apprentice, Kelage and Sinuoli, had added to the division of faith.

"You handle the specific matters; I will support you with all my might."

Only Grungni and his wife Valaya knew that Sinuoli was not a Dwarf; others, even Thorgrim, could only make bold guesses. In oral tradition, Grungni represented the most traditional and stubborn side of the Dwarfs, but now he was able to bend and stretch.

"I gift my helmet to Snorri Thorsson, choosing him to lead the race in my stead and face this world whose throat is gripped by the power of destruction!"

After a brief exchange, Grungni disconnected his mental link with Sinuoli. It was unwise to stay in the outside world for too long after just waking from a deep slumber—though his divine kingdom, on the verge of collapse, might not be able to withstand the prying of those with ill intent.

"I will strictly follow your instructions!"

A vortex opened on the forehead of the divine statue, and an aura of decay flashed by. A ball of fire surged out from within. Sinuoli bowed and raised his hands, only to see that it was a treasure that looked like a miner's helmet at first glance.

Of course, the causal relationship should be clear: it is not that Grungni's Ever-Burning Helmet looks like a miner's helmet, but that the miners' helmets were modeled after the most famous artifact of their patron god.

Grungni wore his helmet to lead the Dwarf ancestors in searching for minerals underground and building their home. In all the murals depicting the Ancestor Gods opening up the mountains, the Father God always walked at the very front, using this treasure to illuminate the path ahead and point the way.

Raising the helmet high to trigger its power, the weaker Dwarfs covered their eyes with their sleeves. Embedded in its front was a massive gemstone—the Harken Gem, the most brilliant of the treasures nurtured by this world. It could bloom with radiant light even in the darkest, deepest underground; this is where "Ever-Burning" comes from.

Passing down the Ever-Burning Helmet was highly symbolic—Father God Grungni had designated Sinuoli as the new guide for the Dwarf race. The kings and elders attending the ceremony were momentarily stunned, not knowing how to cheer appropriately.

"I've hit the jackpot, I've really hit the jackpot! This King now regrets only that the sky has no handle and the earth has no ring to grab!"

After the ceremony, the High King returned to his chambers, only to find himself fully armored, dancing and gesturing on the Throne of Power. Having obtained four supreme treasures passed down from the age of the ancestors, his foundation as an Advanced Demigod had also taken a step forward.

Look at this: on his head, he wears Grungni's Ever-Burning Helmet; under his chin, he wears Grimnir's Beard Ring; in his left hand, he holds Grimnir's Axe; in his right hand, he wields the Hammer of Stumnir; on his body, he wears the Heart of the Mountains armor; around his waist, he ties a golden belt and carries Valaya's Great Goblet; on his feet, he wears Stali Boots; in front of him lies the Great Book of Grudges; and beneath him is the Throne of Power. With so many legendary treasures added to his person, he is armed to the teeth!

"Hiss, where is that Kingslayer hidden? The Eye of Sheerian has just been triggered; it cannot be used a second time for a while!"

Riding the Doom Black Horse, Archaon charged out of the Chaos Realm in a few bounds and returned to his followers. After following the guidance into the South Pole, he crushed all the tribes that dared to block him; only those who could survive one blow were qualified to join his ranks.

"We have all heard the name of that sword: forged by the second Everchosen, Fan'jia'er, it has the Khornate Greater Daemon U'zuhl sealed within it and has once drunk the blood of the kings of the Mortal World..."

Aogelakesi, the strongest Beastmen chieftain in the South Pole, hung his head and whispered. It was a four-armed bull demon with the strength to carry mountains, and Archaon had fought it for a day and a night before beating it into submission.

"The Old World is already in decline, and the kingdoms of mortals are struggling in chaos. Although I am but a servant, I am willing to serve the powerful Archaon the Everchosen with all my heart..."

"Hiding your head and showing your tail, playing tricks! Wizard, reveal your true form and speak!"

Just as they were discussing, an old Human holding a long staff emerged from behind an iceberg, walking as if strolling in a courtyard amidst the demons. Archaon, being the person he was, called out the true identity of the Scholar Pukuerte.

"The sword you seek is currently being kept by the Father of Dragon Ogres, the powerful dark one, Krakarok, waiting only for a worthy master to claim it."

"Returning from the South Pole to the North Pole, are we going through the Warp?"

Archaon frowned, triggering his Chaos Mark. How to get the Kingslayer from the Father of Dragon Ogres would be decided when the time came. How to bring the army from the South Pole back to the North Pole was the immediate difficulty.

He himself had sought out a three-headed Chaos Dragon to find the Eye of Sheerian, only to be swallowed into its belly during the battle and flown all the way to the South Pole. This "flight" had no return trip, only because he had already gutted the evil dragon.

"What is difficult about this? Please allow me to contribute a meager effort to your hegemony."

Pukuerte revealed the true form of the Lord of Change and tapped his staff, which looked like a twisted golden watch, and a portal appeared out of thin air. It bowed humbly and gestured for him to enter; Archaon sensed it for a moment before riding his horse inside.

"Reviver of the Dwarf race, High King of the Mountains: my kin have instructed me that I and my axe should do something for your great cause. Perhaps you would be willing to allocate a squad of Little Beards to me, and use the Ever-Burning Helmet to point out a direction."

The White Dwarf pushed the door and entered. These days, he had been lingering at the Everpeak, celebrating with his clansmen. The system notification appeared at the right time—the Dwarf faction of Grimbrindal initiated a confederation.

"You have come at the perfect time! The Skavenblight in the Withered Swamp is like a bone in the throat, threatening the safety of the caves beneath the mountains and even the Grey Mountains. I will allocate you a force of elite troops as a backbone, and combined with your prestige, you can recruit warriors and train them; that should be enough to protect that vast region."

Sinuoli jumped down from the Throne of Power. The Skaven were his greatest concern. Before Kelagedeng became a god, he had triggered an earthquake to stop them once, and the second crisis was averted by facilitating the resurrection ritual of Lord Kroak to lure away the Great Rat Daemon that had descended upon the Mortal World.

"No problem. We have fought against the detestable Skaven for thousands of years, but our hatred for these filthy creatures has not diminished in the slightest. It is time to fight them to the death and wash away thousands of years of grudges with the blood of the rat-kind!"

Grimbrindal's hair and beard bristled as he loudly declared his determination. Sinuoli deeply agreed; the four great clans each had their own methods, and if an ordinary peak mortal could withstand an assassination by Clan Eshin, it was considered an extraordinary feat. Leading the resistance against the Skaven had to be him.

"Riding the momentum of ascending to High King, I will form an alliance with the various Human forces and push my prestige and faith to the peak. After that, I will lead the troops on a northern expedition!"

"The High King of the Mountains, Sinuoli the Reviver, has issued a decree: you are invited to visit the Everpeak during this year's Grungni Festival. Please respond as soon as possible whether you will accept the invitation."

The Human representatives who attended the abdication ceremony brought the news back to their respective factions. The leaders of the Humans knew that this invitation, issued by a Demigod High King who was considered capable of contending with Sigmar, could not be refused.