King Lee's Hidden Motive

"We are currently residing in my home. I do apologize if things are too small for you lads. It wasn't designed for humans." The Dwarf Chief continued.

"How did the Dwarves end up here? Where did you come from?" Jin Chow curiously asked.

"Almost a year ago, we were instantly transported here. It looked the same as our world, but it wasn't. This was not the world that we knew. A different species ruled the lands, they were called humans." He answered as he gestured to them.

"Because of the Great Catastrophe that happened in this world, people were in disarray. And because we were transported here almost simultaneously as the goblins and the giant insects, humans thought that we too were monsters and feared us. They were hostile whenever they encountered my brethren and that resulted in small scale battles with casualties on both ends, this created a rift between the two races."

"This diverged our attention from our war with the goblins that started way before we got transported here. They are beings close to animals, but they boasted in numbers that can threaten and infest a civilization."

"The Giant Bugs, however, did not come from our world. They appeared in our world one day and just started to kill hundreds of our people and even the goblin tribes, and the same thing is happening in this world now." Desmund Brashford revealed the truth about what their situation was. After telling his extensive explanation, he grabbed a goblet of wine and drank.

The sound of the Dwarf chief gulping down his beverage was heard throughout the room. Everyone dropped their jaw from what they heard. They had their theories where the giant insects and other creatures came from, but they did not even come close to the truth.

They all thought that the insects mutated because of some kind of chemical reaction that happened during the Great Catastrophe.

They've always thought that the Great Catastrophe was the cause of other species' emergence or at least it should be connected with the Catastrophe somehow.

The silence was broken by a clap from King Lee and announced, "Okay, up on your feet. Let's go." He gestured to the door.

"Where are we going?" Jin Chow asked.

Kai and Sergio were both looking up at them before standing up to follow.

"All of you should see the whole village. I'll tour you around." King Lee offered.

"Go on lads! See the village and roam around. I'm proud of our wee town so go see it." Chief Brashford asserted.

****

They strolled in the middle of a big market, the heart of the town. Countless houses of the residents had tents outside to sell something that they made. Dwarves were innately skilled in the art of craftsmanship. They excelled in creating everything that used their hands.

Surprisingly, humans were also seen in the markets that bought products from the dwarves, and there were also humans selling their products in front of their houses.

Most of the stores sold jewelry, clothes, and foods like fruits and vegetables. There were even bars and hot springs you can go to enjoy and relax.

"It's really lively during the daytime. You can stroll around and look for things that you might like, but I wanted to show you a place that you all might like." King Lee said.

The trio would glance here and there at the stores, amused by the hustle of the town. They had no idea that a village like this would exist and that dwarves and humans would live together harmoniously.

While they were strolling through the whole village, Liu Kai found out that King Lee's Squad was attacked by a giant centipede, and it seemed like it was the same one that attacked Jin Chow's squadron as well.

After surviving the massacre, King Lee sought help and refuge from the dwarves he came across and brought him to the village.

'So he couldn't proceed and took shelter under the Dwarves protection.' Liu Kai thought to himself.

"How is this even possible?" Jin Chow asked.

"What do you mean?" King Lee answered.

"This village, how is it safe here in the Eastern part where it's surrounded by dangerous creatures?"

Kai and Sergio were also curious to know how it stays safe from all the danger that was lurking in the area.

"Just like what you experienced in Fang Shi, the west of the village has thin air, that's because of the dwarves' technology to prevent any creatures from coming near, especially goblins since they are agile. They installed those near the volcanic arcs, but you didn't see it because you're fast asleep. The eastern part is protected by a Giant Tree from the insects. The North and Southern part has walls and artillery defense mechanisms that would attack enemies from a distance." King Lee listed off.

"What kind of tree protects a village from Giant Insects?" Sergio wondered.

"It doesn't actually protect the village as its sole purpose, it is more of a convenience that it is there. It's a Cursed Tree that can control other beings in an unknown method. I heard that some that got infected by it would bring food as an offering and get petrified after you provide your offer. Vines will take over your body, and you'll become a tree monster." King Lee elaborated.

"What the heck is that!?" Jin exclaimed with all the information.

"You can see it here." King Lee pointed to a tree-like organism as big as a mountain to the eastern part of the village. Everyone is amazed once they see it.

Simultaneously, Liu Kai remembered something, 'I know something like that. In a bug world, there are lots of organisms that can control bugs,' he thought to himself while looking at an unidentified tree-like organism.

"You do not have to worry. The Dwarves created suits for people to wear to prevent being infected if they ever need to go to that part of the country, so it's not that scary." King Lee assured.

"What happened to the people who got infected after they became a tree monster?" Jin Chow asked.

"They attack everyone on sight, but there's a theory that they can't go a certain distance from the giant tree. That's why there hasn't been an attack on the village so far."

"Why did you wait here, by the way? You're strong, you can conceal your strength to a different level and you're fast. I think you can go to Sheng Chan by yourself and report back to the Monarchy." Liu Kai changed the topic and made things a bit awkward because of his suspicions on King Lee. 'You won't trick me. I wasn't the type of person to trust people easily. I know that people do not show kindness without getting anything in return.' He thought to himself.