We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 280 [The Forge Strategy] [The Fierce Lizard King]

Rumbling--

Violent tremors reverberated through this underground space.

Structures such as rock strata, rock walls, and caves appear less stable and safe under this enormous force.

Rock fragments kept falling from above, and even the light from the lava deposits in the rock walls dimmed.

What terrified the dwarves even more was the series of booming sounds coming from the deeper levels of space.

It seemed that if things continued like this, the entire underground cave would collapse and bury them all inside!
"Is this the rumbling of the earth?"

Xia En frowned, his mood equally heavy.

However, the reason for his somber mood was different from that of the dwarves.

The dwarves might have thought it was just an unexpected disaster, but in Shane's mind, the "rumbling" was directed at him!
This feeling had no basis whatsoever; it was purely intuition, yet Xia En inexplicably felt 70-80% certain.

This is clearly related to his status as an "illegal immigrant".

In the [Rhine Secret Realm], Shane is blessed by the will of the [Secret Realm], naturally possessing stronger luck than ordinary people, and is more likely to encounter opportunities and treasures.

This boost can even continue to grow as the exploration progresses.

This is the benefit of being recognized by the will of the [Secret Realm].

However, to the [Forge Realm], Shane is equivalent to the so-called "extraterrestrial demon," and the [Realm]'s will will definitely harbor hostility and malice.

Perhaps He sensed traces of "smugglers" in this area, so He caused the "earth rumble" in this region in an attempt to kill or force out this little insect.

This surprised and alarmed Xia En.

On one hand, he felt that the world's will of the [Furnace Realm] was overestimating him, actually resorting to such methods directly.

On the other hand, Shane felt that this "earth rumble" was just the beginning!
The world's malice will not cause just one disaster.

As long as Shane remains in the [Forge Realm], he will likely face constant targeting.

But when Xia En thought of this, his first reaction was not fear, but excitement!

Xia En was never a cowardly person; otherwise, he would have already paid off his debts and gone into seclusion on an island.

Right now, the will of the [Furnace Realm] is preventing Shaen from lingering in this world, which in turn has triggered his rebellious spirit.

You want to kick me out? Well, I'm not leaving!
A wild ambition gradually began to grow in Xia En's heart—

He will conquer this [Forge Realm] just as he conquers the underwater ruins beneath the sea!
Shaun turned to look down at Hope and saw that although the dwarf chieftain was somewhat flustered, he was far from despairing.

Clearly, the Warhammer Horde must have its own trump cards to survive in the Forge.

as predicted.

Soon, Hope shouted, "Gather here!"

As the chieftain of the Warhammer tribe, Hope's prestige was beyond question. His roar immediately awakened many dwarves, who gathered around him.

Just a few moments.

The dwarves then emerged from their caves, some carrying large hammers, others with iron pots balanced on their heads.

This is not to protect one's own property.

Rather, it was these cold iron objects that gave them an indescribable sense of security.

Shane also leaped down from the cave and joined the crowd.

It was then that he realized the Warhammer tribe did indeed have a small population, numbering only a few hundred.

However, when this disaster, which could very well destroy the entire tribe, struck, the dwarves also demonstrated a strong sense of unity and a considerable degree of order.

Older dwarves carried younger ones on their backs, men led women by the hand, and the strong carried the weak.

Even when Shane came out of the cave, some dwarves looked at him with concern, seeing him as an "amnesiac patient."

It is clear that they all regarded this underground cave as their home.

This also means that Xia En's future plans to abduct people may not go so smoothly.

Among the crowd, Shane naturally spotted Kur and his wife.

For some reason, Kur looked at him with a somewhat evasive gaze, while the female dwarf he didn't recognize stared at him with an unfathomable look.

Shane also keenly sensed a well-hidden hostility emanating from the female dwarf.

Combining this with his previous speculations, Xia En vaguely guessed what was going on.

However, he said nothing, but joined the other dwarves around Hope, gathering around the huge furnace.

The flames in the furnace were still burning fiercely, crackling and popping from time to time, and radiating intense heat.

Shane had assumed that the furnace was just a tool for forging.

But as the dwarves gathered, he soon discovered that this was not the case.

When the dwarves had all gathered around the furnace.

Chief Hope swung his sledgehammer and smashed it down on the giant iron furnace with all his might.

clang--

The iron furnace vibrated incessantly, emitting a magnificent and ancient sound, like the tolling of a bell.

Immediately afterwards, a deeply hidden secret power rose up from the depths of the furnace.

The surface of the enormous furnace gradually lit up with numerous rough, crimson lines, radiating a flickering light.

The moment the crimson patterns appeared, Shane immediately felt that the shaking rock walls around him became stable, and the shaking was no longer so intense.

It's as if this space has been reinforced by some special secret force to resist the "earth rumbling" from deep underground.

But Hope's actions are just the beginning!
Then, all the dwarves around the furnace who could wield a warhammer struck it.

clang!clang!clang!
One knock after another echoed continuously in the trembling underground space.

Each strike adds more texture and makes the furnace surface brighter.

By this time, Shane was able to make out the shapes of those patterns.

It was somewhat similar to the magic runes of the Seven Seas World, but also resembled some kind of totem or mural, recording some unique information.

However, due to the urgency of the situation, Shane was unable to memorize it in detail.

At the same time, the inexplicable power within the furnace began to undergo even more bizarre changes.

It not only subtly connects this underground space with the furnace, but also fuses the entire Warhammer Horde's aura into one, making it ever stronger and more powerful.

It felt as if all the power of the dwarves in the Warhammer Horde had been poured into the furnace.

In the forging of the furnace, a wondrous sublimation is achieved.

This power is somewhat like the power of faith, but it is also distinctly different, as if it combines the power of bloodline and the power of lava ore.

Clearly, this is a battle tactic unique to the dwarves of the [Forge World]!
Seeing this scene, Xia En was moved and put aside his previous slight contempt.

The power of a single dwarf may not be great, but when the power of the entire tribe is gathered together, it bursts forth into such a raging fire.

More importantly.

Shane also saw from the dwarves' actions their struggle and tenacity in such a harsh environment.

Like a hard rock on the coast that can withstand wind and rain, it always inspires a sense of respect.

Moreover, Shane thought about things even more deeply.

The essence of the Furnace Strategy seems to be the fusion of collective strength into one.

So, can the Black Swan, myself, and the crew on board use this tactic?
boom--

The rumbling from deep underground continued.

But the underground space where the Warhammer tribe was located had strangely stabilized. The surrounding rock walls were as solid as steel, unmoving and giving a great sense of security.

Xia En stayed in the crowd, intending to wait silently for the "rumbling" to subside.

If, as Shane suspected, the earth-shaking stone came because of him, then the Warhammer tribe had actually taken a bullet for him.

If we can get through this safely, that would be the best outcome.

However, Xia En was somewhat curious: "What exactly is this so-called 'earth rumbling'?"

The dwarf beside him, having learned of Bronzebeard's amnesia, kindly explained the situation.

"It is said that thousands of meters below our feet lies a [Fiery Seed] that has existed since ancient times."

"Its size is enormous, and it possesses almost limitless strength and lifespan."

"Some people even say that our world is called Ghana because of it!"

Its name is Ghana!

Hearing this, Xia En was deeply shaken.

Although he has only explored a very small part of the [Forge Realm] so far, he still doesn't know how big this world really is.

But just imagining a creature that shares the same name as a world is enough to make you understand how terrifying it is.

"So, the rumbling is actually its..."

"Yes."

The dwarf beside him nodded and continued, "When [Gana] moves or breathes, the earth rumbles."

"However, Ghana is simply too large."

"Sometimes, it may just be a slight movement of its head, but it can still cause a localized rumbling sound."

"The current rumbling is actually still relatively small-scale."

"The truly terrifying rumbling will occur when [Ghana] turns over..."

As he said this, a clear look of fear appeared on the dwarf's face, and he murmured to himself.

"Such a rumbling sound has only occurred twice in the history that has been passed down."

After hearing this, Shane gained a better understanding of the harsh living conditions in the [Forge Realm].

In such an underground space, the destructive power caused by the rumbling of the earth can only be described as terrifying.

It's hard to imagine how the earliest dwarves to migrate to the Forge survived such a catastrophe.

The dwarves' furnace warfare tactics were clearly developed under duress during a series of disasters.

Thinking of this, Xia En murmured, "That's really amazing."

"What's so great about it?"

The dwarf beside him was puzzled and muttered, "It's just to survive."

Just as Shane and the dwarf were chatting casually, the violent tremors from deep underground finally began to subside.

Many of the dwarves wore smiles of relief on their faces.

Fortunately, the intensity of this rumbling was not too high, and there were no casualties in the Warhammer tribe.

This is undoubtedly a good thing for the dwarves who are used to life and death.

It just happened suddenly.

boom!
Another extremely loud and near-deafening roar exploded in everyone's ears.

Above the dwarves, the rock wall that had previously seemed indestructible suddenly developed large cracks.

In the blink of an eye, these cracks quickly merged together, until they spread across the entire rock face.

next moment.

The solid rock wall continued to crumble before their eyes, with rubble falling one after another.

Fortunately, the flames erupting from the furnace once again proved effective, forming an invisible barrier that protected the dwarves.

Xia En initially thought it was another sudden wave of rumbling.

But through the hole in the rock above, he saw an enormous claw, and... an eye with a deep red vertical pupil!

Not only Shane, but all the dwarves also saw this enormous creature in an instant and exclaimed in surprise.

"That, that's..."

"It's the King Lizard!"

"Damn it, it must have been woken up by the rumbling!"

Clearly, the dwarves were no strangers to this creature called the "Fierce Lizard King".

Some dwarves have even come into direct contact with it—but that usually happened when the [Fierce Lizard King] was asleep.

In fact, the appearance of the [Fierce Lizard King] was merely a coincidence.

It was sleeping soundly in the cave above when it was suddenly awakened by a rumbling sound, and coincidentally, it landed near the Warhammer tribe.

Now that you're awake, you need to eat something.

Just then, it smelled the scent of living creatures, and with a swipe of its paw, it dug a large hole.

At this moment, how could the [Fierce Lizard King] not enjoy this food that had "delivered itself" to its door?

Among the crowd, Xia En had a serious expression.

He didn't believe the appearance of the large lizard was a coincidence.

The previous rumbling was indeed just the beginning; the real danger was yet to come!
at this time.

The [Fierce Lizard King] couldn't wait to stretch out its claws, wanting to grab the dwarf below and swallow him whole.

Its claws were unusually large, just enough to fit through the large hole above.

Immediately afterwards, the [Fierce Lizard King]'s claws struck the barrier formed by the furnace's secret power, producing a muffled thud.

After the collision, the dwarves' faces turned pale, and their spirits waned.

Compared to the rumbling from deep underground, such close-range attacks are much harder to defend against.

People could even see that the barrier in mid-air had undergone obvious deformation.

"Roar!"

The Fierce Lizard King roared and slammed down with its claws again.

Today, it's determined to eat the meat inside this "turtle shell"!
boom! boom! boom!
With each collision, the barrier of secret power faded, and the patterns on the surface of the great furnace became increasingly dim.

The flames began to dissipate.

A sense of despair gradually spread among the dwarves.

Some of the more vulnerable dwarves even began to sob softly.

They could find ways to hunt down the Fire Lizards, but they had no way to deal with the Fire Lizard King.

This is a difference in absolute strength.

But suddenly at this moment.

One of the dwarves stood up and stepped out of the area protected by the magical barrier.

Hope's eyes widened in surprise: "Bronzebeard, what are you trying to do?"

(End of this chapter)