Chapter 111: A Warning from Karak-Breeze Hold

Ryan pondered long and hard but couldn't find an answer, until the white divine fire appeared behind him.

A pale flame descended behind Ryan, the swirling winds sweeping through the room, turning the furnishings and furniture into a mess, a will filled with fury, anger, savagery, brutality, strength, courage, and glory descended.

"Boy, you've offered the last tribute to Logan, you've retrieved the bones of this White Wolf Paladin for me, well done." Yurik's voice sounded behind Ryan, laden with complex emotions.

"Greetings, Lord of the White Wolf Warriors!" Despite the turmoil in his heart, Ryan knelt on one knee towards Yurik, showing his respect.

Yurik's avatar appeared in the room, sparing no divine power to manifest as a towering barbarian, clad in full godly armor and a wolf pelt cloak, wielding the White Wolf warhammer. Looking at Logan-Flint's bones, he spoke with melancholy, "A great Paladin didn't die in battle but died in such an unclear manner. Tell me, boy, who killed my Paladin?"

"A group of gnolls, Lord of the White Wolf Warriors. They tried to summon a great demon into this world, but were stopped by Captain Logan. However, Captain Logan was severely injured and eventually fell to the gnolls' frenzied assault, dying in battle." Ryan had already thought of a reason.

"Did you annihilate those gnolls then?" Yurik asked calmly.

"I did, the entire tribe was eradicated," Ryan replied calmly, knowing well the anger hidden beneath Yurik's tranquil facade.

Yurik touched the bones gently and sighed deeply, "I've never blamed Logan for his failure. Facing an army of over half a million from the chaos, even I wouldn't be confident of victory, yet he insisted on atoning for his failure..."

"He finally got the glorious death he sought," Ryan said from behind Yurik.

The white fire spread over the bones, the White Wolf Holy Fire enveloping the skeleton before completely vanishing. Yurik then turned, his wolf eyes looking at Ryan, "Considering you've retrieved Logan for me, I won't blame you for seeking refuge in the embrace of the lake. But, Ryan, you had a promising future as a Teutonic guard, and I had plans for you to take over as the seventh squadron leader of the White Wolf Knights."

The Teutonic Guard, selected from the elite White Wolf Knights for protecting the Elector of Wolrich and the Great Archbishop of the White Wolf, being a step away from undergoing the trial of the White Wolf Holy Fire, bringing glory to any noble family.

Ryan didn't respond, feeling indifferent towards such post-factum promises.

"I forgot about this matter," Yurik admitted somewhat awkwardly, pausing before continuing, "I had a good drink with Tal, got drunk, and then forgot about it."

Tal, the god of nature, Yurik's brother.

Ryan didn't know what to say, so he chose to remain silent.

"I'll speak to Marlas about your matter; the rest is up to you." Yurik couldn't stay incarnated for long without Ryan's subspace energy supply, as manifesting his avatar was extremely draining, so he left after briefly instructing Ryan.

Ryan could supply subspace energy allowing gods to descend stably and for a long time, a secret between him and the lake nymph, not intended to be shared with other deities.

After a while, Ryan called Alfred and Estelle in, along with Hadrian sitting down, Luigi Commerce Guild's president eagerly asked, "Mr. Ryan, have you figured out the cause?"

"Yes, I have." Ryan knew the real reason the miners went mad was due to Logan's failed attempt, triggering the ancient sanctuary's defense mechanism. The leaked energy and ancient sanctified language were unbearable for normal humans, causing mutations and hallucinations over time.

However, he couldn't tell Hadrian this, so he repeated the fabricated story to him, then added, "I'll sweep the mine of gnoll tribes and various monsters once more, then you can resume work."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Ryan!" Hadrian immediately stood up, expressing his gratitude, "Indeed, I've always believed in Mr. Ryan's capabilities!"

"No need to thank me, it's a trade between us," Ryan smiled slightly. If anyone should be thankful, it was him, for if not for this incident, finding the next ancient sanctuary would have been uncertain.

So, he was in a good mood.

With Hadrian's intentional networking and Ryan's good spirits, they thoroughly cleared the mine of potential threats, annihilating countless gnolls.

Gnolls were indeed formidable, capable of birthing dozens of pups that matured in months. Without control, two gnolls could populate an entire tribe in two years. For future mining convenience, he had to completely drive them out of this vein.

After thoroughly resolving the mining issue by early February, Ryan informed Schultz, and the Duke of Marinburg easily approved the mining operation.

Astute Hadrian immediately announced the joint venture with Ryan, creating an "illusion" of Ryan's stake in Luigi Commerce Guild, finally breaking ground in Marinburg.

Meanwhile, in the southwest of Marinburg, in the Grey Mountains, a fierce war erupted in the Grey Mountains.

"waaaagh!!!" The dwarven fortress was being overrun by a green tide.

Massive stone constructions and sturdy gates defended Karak-Breeze Hold.

Dwarven cannons on the city walls roared, dwarf musketeers and rangers fired down, many dwarven warriors prepared for melee, awaiting the incoming enemy.

Karak-Breeze Hold's dwarven king, Loric-Granitehand, felt something unusual.

He saw swarms of orcs and goblins assaulting his domain. Far away, his old foe—orc warlord "Big Claw" Ugruklok circled on a giant two-legged dragon, commanding the orcs' assault: "waaaagh!! Lads! Shred these dwarfs! For Gork!"

"waaaagh!" Orcs responded frenziedly, goblins and orc boys in ragged gear charged at the towering walls of Breeze Hold, heedless of casualties.

"Fire!!!" Under the dwarven captain's command, crossbowmen and musketeers quickly reloaded, firing in volleys, scorching musket barrels spit flaming bullets, cutting down orcs in droves. Yet, they relentlessly pressed on, barely reaching the walls, and if they did, to no avail.

"Hold the line! Hold!" King Loric found today's battle strangely easy.

Dwarven and orc wars had spanned millennia, expected to continue. When Loric was a babe, the war had already raged for countless years; now in his middle age, the Grey Mountains had never seen peace. Yet, neither dwarves nor orcs could best the other. Dwarves, with their high walls and advanced technology, resisted orc sieges, leaving countless orc corpses but no gain.

But the dwarves were also at a disadvantage, excelling in defense but not in offense. Heavy artillery was cumbersome for long distances, orcs excelled in field battles, ensuring dwarven defeat in chaos. Orc fortresses were easily breached, yet orcs thrived in street, chaotic, and tunnel warfare, repeatedly foiling dwarven efforts.

Thus, the war in the Grey Mountains became a stalemate, with orcs controlling the northern Goldpeak Mines and dwarves holding the southern Breeze Hold, battling for centuries.

"Fight! For Grungni! For Breeze Hold!" Dwarven warriors repelled climbing orcs, cannons thundered, muskets echoed, any orc siege machinery daring to appear was instantly obliterated.

From noon to dusk, orcs were repelled again.

"My king, we've repelled Ugruklok again, killing thousands of orcs. These beasts won't dare attack our fortress for a month or two!" A chieftain proudly reported to Loric.

"My beard tells me something's amiss." King Loric-Granitehand stroked his beard, doubting the easy orc retreat, "Send scouts immediately! I want to know why Ugruklok didn't come down on his dragon!"

"Yes!"

Outside Breeze Hold, orc warlord "Big Claw" Ugruklok led his orc army in a temporary retreat.

Back at Goldpeak Mines, clad in tattered armor, wielding a bent great axe, Ugruklok, covered in filth and dust, even his teeth crammed with meat bits and debris.

Reeking of foulness, his ears and nose adorned with various metal rings, embodying the true nature of orcs: dirty, stinky, and savage.

"I reckon, continuing to fight these dwarfs won't yield results. I need a grand waaagh, to prove to Gork I'm the finest orc warlord!" Ugruklok, atop his dragon, pondered his next move.

"To me, these dwarfs aren't suitable for a good waaagh. The humans below the mountains, now they're a proper target for a waaagh!" Upon this realization, Ugruklok's thoughts spiraled into frenzy!

This was a sign of a waaagh, indicating the orc god, Gork, approved his idea!

"Yes, a waaagh must be grand, intense, and thrilling!"

"Our foes must be numerous, strong, and formidable!"

Ugruklok entered a fervent state: "Right! Gork says so, we must go all out! Smash into them!"

"Properly fight the humans!"

As Ugruklok's thoughts caught the orc deity's attention, a mystical link formed between him and his tribe, a green energy overflowing from all orcs.

This was the legendary waaagh, a mysterious force within every orc, linking their minds. When many orcs gathered, the waaagh incited a frenzied state, indescribable to other races, but orcs felt the divine call.

"Lads! Gork has given us a mission, a grand mission!" The orc warlord stood, his tribe responding to his call, orcs howling, goblins screaming, knowing their purpose.

Orcs lived for battle and destruction.

"We need a mighty waaagh! A grand waaagh against the humans!!!" Ugruklok, feeling enlightened by Gork's oracle, opened his maw, ignoring the foul drool and debris: "Lads, join this sacred destiny's waaagh!"

"waaaaaaaaaaaagh!!!"

Thus, in early February, a warning letter from Karak-Breeze Hold's dwarven king Loric-Granitehand landed on Marinburg's Upper House table.

"A massive orc army is slowly gathering at Goldpeak Mines in the Grey Mountains! Orc warlord 'Big Claw' Ugruklok claims he's launching an unprecedented war!"

"His target is likely Marinburg!"

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