Chapter 801: Dwarf in Black Iron Fortress (2)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Ji Chen smiled and shook his head. “I knew you would say that, Alice.”

Alice stifled a laugh.

Old Duke comforted little Gavin and looked at this human, whose strength was unfathomable even to him. Taking a deep breath, he bowed.

“Milord, my name is Duke. This is my adopted son, little Gavin. I would like to request something from you.”

Ji Chen turned around casually. “What is it that an epic-tier being cannot accomplish?”

Duke fell silent for a moment and then sighed. “It seems I cannot hide anything from your discerning eyes, Milord. My action is merely to ensure a peaceful life for little Gavin here. It’s a matter of necessity.”

Ji Chen nodded thoughtfully. A dwarf living with a young dwarf in a place mostly inhabited by humans and elves, wanting to live peacefully and hiding strength, was indeed a strategy.

However, he didn’t pay much attention to it and said lightly, “Regarding your request, we have no deep connection, and I’m not a selfless altruist. I’m not obligated to help you, and you should know that.”

Old Duke nodded. “I understand that. That’s why I’ve brought enough leverage.

I know of an island where over five thousand divine trees grow.”

Interest flashed in Ji Chen’s eyes. With five thousand divine trees added to the original six thousand, it surpassed the target of ten thousand trees.

“State your request.”

Old Duke’s face lit up, but he glanced at little Gavin hiding behind him and pleaded, “Please, I want to speak with you privately.”

Ji Chen paused briefly, then nodded slightly.

When the humans and elves present heard Ji Chen say that Old Duke was an epic-tier being, they were all thrown into doubt, confusion, and shock without exception.

Some even thought they had misheard.

But seeing Old Duke admit it, their faces changed drastically.

The scruffy old dwarf, who had been diligently forging iron for decades, usually strolling with the young dwarf or holed up in the rundown workshop, turned out to be a freaking epic-tier powerhouse!

What a melodramatic turn of events!

These humans and elves hastily pondered whether they had been disrespectful to Old Duke or had treated him unfairly in the past.

Old Duke led Ji Chen, with little Gavin in tow, to a nearby spot and spoke solemnly.

“Milord, I know you have a way to freely enter and exit the Sea of Death.”

Ji Chen narrowed his eyes. “How do you know about my ability to do so?”

“At first, it was just a guess, but I only confirmed it just now.”

Old Duke paused. “In the exchange you had with humans and elves earlier, there were many weapons and equipment. I could tell at a glance that those weapons and equipment were crafted using dwarf forging techniques, more specifically, the forging techniques of the Black Iron Fortress dwarves.”

Ji Chen was slightly surprised. “You know about the Black Iron Fortress?”

Old Duke fell silent for a moment, sighing. “I must confess, I was once a member of the Black Iron Fortress dwarves. But due to a twist of fate, I ended up here…”

“Was it because a demonic fire beast of epic proportions destroyed the Black Iron Fortress?”

Old Duke suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock. “How did you know!? That happened thousands of years ago!”

An epic-tier dwarf, hailing from the Black Iron Fortress, narrowed down the possibilities significantly.

“And your name isn’t Duke, it’s Theod Blackiron, isn’t it?”

This time, Old Duke’s weathered face underwent dramatic changes, his eyes bloodshot, as if his biggest secret buried in his heart had been unearthed, his emotions fluctuating violently.

Among the three epic-tier dwarf strongmen of the Black Iron Fortress, one managed to escape, one perished while defending the fortress and died in a secret chamber, and the last one, according to the former’s account, was betrayed and killed by a fraudster.

According to the testimony of the survivor, the remains of the dwarf who died in the secret chamber were undoubtedly authentic.

But there was uncertainty surrounding Theod Blackiron, who was allegedly betrayed and killed by the fraudster. There was no sighting of his corpse or concrete evidence of his death, not even witnessed by the survivor.

The only basis for declaring his death was his disappearance.

That was the crux of the matter.

The answer was glaringly obvious.

And Old Duke’s reaction only confirmed it.

Ji Chen wasn’t in a hurry, waiting for Theod to regain his composure.

The young dwarf, witnessing his expression shift from sadness to anger, and then to self-blame, wore a worried expression on his face.

“Grandpa Duke, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick?”

Upon hearing Gavin’s words, Theod regained some clarity, took a deep breath, and tremblingly patted his head. “Grandpa’s fine, just feeling a bit tired standing here.”

“Then Gavin will go home and bring a stool for you.” Believing him completely, Gavin innocently ran home, leaving Theod to watch his small figure gradually disappear into the distance.

As Theod watched Gavin leave, he fell silent for a moment, then sighed heavily. “How did you know about the Black Iron Fortress and my name?”

Ji Chen calmly replied, “All of this was told to me by another member of your clan. Do you remember Thotmudo Blackiron?”

Theod was momentarily stunned, his expression becoming excited. “Thotmudo is alive!? Did he visit the Black Iron Fortress and learn about everything that happened thousands of years ago? That’s great! I knew that lad had luck on his side. He couldn’t have died so easily. How is he doing now?”

Seeing Theod becoming increasingly excited, Ji Chen had to intervene.

“Thotmudo is currently in my territory, serving as a professor teaching forging techniques. He also has taken on an apprentice and seems to be in good spirits…”

Hearing that his dear friend not only survived but was also doing well, this dwarf, who was one of the three epic-tier dwarves of the Black Iron Fortress, expressed genuine relief and happiness. It appeared he was truly happy for his friend’s well-being.

“Your request must be to take that young dwarf away from the Sea of Death, right?”

Theod nodded heavily, his eyes seemingly rekindled with hope. “That’s correct. Little Gavin is still young, with a promising future ahead. I can’t let him stay in this dark and dismal place like I have all my life. He deserves to enjoy the sunlight and the sky.

So I implore you, please take Gavin away and deliver him to Thotmudo’s side. Gavin possesses a forging talent that surpasses mine. If nurtured by Thotmudo, he will undoubtedly become one of the greatest dwarf blacksmiths in history!”

Ji Chen asked, “And what about you?”

Theod shook his head, his expression complex. “I am no longer the bold and adventurous dwarf I once was. Ever since surviving by sheer luck, I’ve been hiding in the Sea of Death like a turtle retracting into its shell. I dare not face those who think I died gloriously in battle against the fire demon.

I do not dare to meet Thotmudo,” Theod chuckled self-deprecatingly.

A hero believed to have died gloriously in battle by all dwarves, in reality, afraid to return, such a situation would rob anyone of the courage to go back.

At this moment, young Gavin ran back with the small stool, wobbling as he held it. He placed the stool down and pulled Theod to sit, but Theod looked somewhat embarrassed. It was incredibly impolite to sit before a powerful being who could easily see through him, but it was what his beloved child wanted.

Seeing his discomfort, Ji Chen smiled and said, “It’s alright, please, take a seat.”

Then, amidst the astonished gazes of the old and the young dwarves, Ji Chen casually conjured a chair and sat down gracefully.

Theod stared wide-eyed, not understanding how Ji Chen accomplished this feat.

In the end, it was young Gavin who occupied the small stool, while Theod sat upright on the water chair conjured by Ji Chen.

He knew that the fate of Gavin’s future rested in the hands of this human.

Whether he would be trapped and perish together in this hopeless sea, or venture into the outside world to bask in the sunlight and blue skies, unlocking his full potential to become great dwarf.

It all depended on this human..