Chapter 153: Invasion from Underground

"How marvelous. Who would have thought that the two forms of the Dragon race are, in a sense, consistent? If that is the case, Mr. Zig, you should be able to use magic even in your human form, shouldn't you?"

Avia observed the faintly glowing skin on the back of Zig’s hand through a magic lens. Within that minuscule space, the girl could see a complete set of magic-conducting circuits, miniaturized and contained.

The flow of magic was far less than the grand, elaborate arrays found upon the dragon’s true form, yet it remained a complete, functional circuit.

"I shall establish a spiritual channel for you to directly manipulate this array. Try it, Mr. Zig, and see if you can use it to cast a spell."

Although the master control circuit required to interface with Zig’s spirit to operate other arrays was not yet finished, it was not difficult to use a spell to grant him temporary, direct control over this one.

The girl traced a line in the air. Zig, offering no resistance to Avia’s guidance, felt his spirit smoothly link with the spell and the array.

In Zig’s perception, while the magic within the linked array could not yet be harnessed directly, controlling this miniaturized circuit was effortless.

A tiny, violet arc of electricity flickered at his fingertips as he channeled his spirit into the array, and an invisible lift manifested in the direction he pointed.

Dust on the ground rose under this modest force, hovering in the air, clearly visible under the gaze of the three.

"It works." Zig nodded. The spirit linked to the array clearly signaled that this was the result of the tiny circuit’s operation; the lift generated by such a small array was negligible, enough only to stir up dust.

"My thanks, Miss Avia. The successful engraving of this single array has already given me too many surprises. I shall consult more materials to refine this experiment further."

The learned Zig knew well what the success of this array signified. Starting from this "one," more possibilities emerged. His dragon body, which had temporarily reached a limit in some sense, now possessed a growth path that, while seemingly pathetic and weak in the short term, held infinite potential for the long run.

"It is nothing. Opportunities to study a dragon’s body are not something money can buy. This has created a wonderful chance for me to improve my alchemy."

Being able to study a dragon’s physique was indeed of great benefit to Avia’s alchemical prowess, and Zig would not turn a blind eye to this assistance. Whether it was the gold coins deposited into Wang Yu’s magic crystal card or the support provided within the Night’s Edge, these were very practical contributions.

"Very well, then I shall trouble you, Miss Avia. Let us find a time each week to continue our engraving attempts."

Zig and Avia agreed to set aside time for further experiments with the magic-conducting circuits. At once a week, it would likely not take long before Zig could become a "magic" dragon.

With many matters in the Night’s Edge still needing his attention, Zig bid farewell to Wang Yu and Avia, departing from the Nightfall Church’s encampment.

"I am truly envious. To be able to enhance one’s strength by engraving magic circuits onto one’s own body—that is something no other race could likely achieve." Wang Yu shook his head; the Dragon race’s unique trait was a power one could not help but covet.

"Some elemental creatures, like earth elementals, might be able to do it as well, though low-level ones lack the intelligence, and high-level elemental lords have no need for it," the girl poked Wang Yu’s arm, pointing out the error in his words.

"Those can hardly be considered normal creatures. But Mr. Zig’s ability to shift between dragon form and human form truly exceeds the scope of what normal creatures should possess... Can the Dragon race, by virtue of their inherent strength, possess such power to distort space?"

Wang Yu felt a bit helpless. The inertia of his Earth-bound thinking made it easy for him to overlook such peculiar life forms as elementals. As the special abilities of the Dragon race were mentioned again, he fell into contemplation regarding that power. Was the power itself a result of the dragons being sufficiently strong?

But could mere strength truly grant such capabilities? And the similar, unreasonable nature of their internal potential—was it truly just a simple matrix of battle aura...

...

"Clack, clack, clack, ding, clang." In a subterranean cliff somewhere within the Shadow of the Royal City, vibrations and cracks were gradually appearing on the rock face. Dust fell, and stones of various sizes peeled away bit by bit, while the sound of sturdy metal striking stone began to echo from within.

"Boom!" As a massive boulder tumbled from the wall, a pickaxe of refined iron punched through the rock. Shortly after, a rough, sturdy arm reached out from the hole, felt around, and retracted.

"Shall we use an alchemical bomb? It’s about time."

"Do you want to be buried alive? Your brain really isn't working."

"Just chisel it out. Once the goods are delivered, we get paid, and we can go back to drink."

"Fine, fine."

From the hole in the rock came a cacophony of rough, loud voices. Such distinctive tones, regardless of age, were not hard to identify; the owners of these voices were dwarves, or at least, one particular kind of dwarf.

"Ding! Bang!" The refined iron pickaxe collided with the weakened rock wall, finally causing the entire section to collapse, revealing a deep, pitch-black tunnel. Several miners with gray-white skin and faint red eyes—dwarves who looked rougher and flatter-faced than the average—emerged from within.

"This must be the place. Bring the cargo over." One of the gray dwarves stepped out of the tunnel and looked up to observe the cavern ceiling of the Shadow of the Royal City, which was filled with glowing plants resembling a starry sky, confirming he had not come to the wrong place.

The growth and death cycle of these glowing plants was long, lasting about a decade. As long as one remembered the general location, using these "stars" as a real sky for navigation was not difficult.

"Hurry up. I really don't want to get involved with those Abyss Sect fellows. A bunch of lunatics who don't know when they might jump into the abyss."

Urging the other gray dwarves behind him, the leader walked to the edge of the cliff and glanced down, his body shivering uncontrollably.

The current depth was very close to the abyss. The sense of the unknown brought by the boundless darkness beneath the cliff always made the gray dwarf leader feel as if some terrifying entity might spring up and drag him down.

In truth, since the gray dwarf leader had arrived at the Shadow of the Royal City, he had never heard of anyone being dragged away by something from the abyss; only those who had gone mad jumped in of their own accord.

This was their first time digging this deep, and only they, a race of dwarves more adapted to underground life than most, could reach such depths. The purpose of digging so deep was a commission from the Abyss Sect: to deliver a massive metal crate here.

"Why would they send such a large metal crate here? Is there anyone here to receive it?" He looked around; besides the endless darkness below, there were only sheer cliffs, and it didn't look like anyone was there.

"Forget it, it’s none of my business. Once the job is done and I get the money, why worry about the rest?" The gray dwarf leader stopped his wandering thoughts. He was paid to complete the commission, nothing more. As for what those Abyss Sect people wanted to do, it had nothing to do with him.

"Creak, creak, creak." The huge, heavy metal crate was dragged out of the tunnel by the gray dwarves using ropes. The metal body scraped against the stone and ground, emitting a harsh sound. The ropes were pulled taut, making one worry if they would snap at any moment.

"Thud!" The massive iron crate was pulled from the tunnel, colliding with the ground with a low, loud vibration.

"Alright, let's go. They only asked us to deliver it here. Let's go back and get paid. Remember to use the recording crystal to document the delivery so they don't deny it." The gray dwarf leader waved his hand, signaling his men to retreat quickly and stay away from the abyss.

"Hey, boss, wait. I have an idea."

As the others began to leave, one gray dwarf, walking on his short legs, leaned his mouth, hidden beneath a thick beard, toward the leader’s ear.

"What is it? Speak up." The leader pulled the dwarf’s beard, impatient.

"Well, boss knows I worship the God of Forging and Furnaces, right? So I can sense the aura of precious, powerful items. And this crate, heh heh..."

The dwarf rubbed his fingers together in front of the leader—the universal sign for money.

The leader raised an eyebrow. He did know that this subordinate, having faith in that particular deity, possessed an ability to sense precious, powerful man-made objects. Since he said so...

His gaze turned to the heavy iron crate. The lid was not specially sealed, merely placed on top. Opening it wouldn't be difficult, and taking the contents should be just as easy.

"Wait. Let’s take out what’s inside and see before we leave."

Without hesitation, the leader decided to pocket the valuables. Few who scraped a living in the Shadow of the Royal City had a conscience. Before, he hadn't coveted the contents because he didn't know if they were valuable, and the commission was already generous. But now that he knew it was something good, he wouldn't be polite.

The gray dwarves turned back, understanding each other’s intent, their faces breaking into smiles. More extra pay. They took out their tools and returned to the massive metal crate.

"One, two, three, clank!" Amidst the shouting, the tips of their pickaxes were aimed at the gap in the lid. With multiple dwarves pulling together, the lid, which was merely resting on the crate, was pried open without much resistance, revealing the contents.

"What is this? An alchemical golem like those the goblins use?"

The leader muttered. Inside the crate lay a tall, humanoid figure crafted from metal of an unknown material, with two large crystals embedded in the face. The whole thing exuded a sense of immense power.

"Don't know, but it’s definitely a good thing, heh heh. In my senses, this thing is practically glowing. The last time I felt an aura this strong was when the Viper Gang sold a top-tier magic device. No, this metal man is even stronger! Boss, we’ve struck gold!"

The dwarf who worshipped the God of Forging and Furnaces was exceptionally excited. He was certain this was a treasure, and not just any treasure. Once sold, his share would keep him comfortable for a long time.

"Fine, fine. I’ll give you a bigger cut for discovering its value. Hurry up and lift this thing out!"

The leader was in a great mood. If the item was truly that valuable, he didn't mind giving the dwarf who discovered it a bit more.

The gray dwarves gathered around, intending to lift the heavy object from the crate. But the moment their hands touched the metal figure, a powerful surge of magic emanated from its core.

The dwarves present were not mages and naturally could not sense the disturbance, but the next moment, they noticed something wrong with the metal figure. A light, growing increasingly distinct, began to leak through the gaps in its body.

"What’s going on? Ah!" One dwarf asked in confusion, but the confusion was quickly replaced by terror.

The two crystal-like structures on the metal figure’s head suddenly flared with a bright yellow glow, illuminating the dim space.

The metal hand, larger than that of a normal human, abruptly grabbed the head of a nearby dwarf. In the horrified eyes of the others, it crushed the poor soul’s skull like a watermelon.

The gray dwarves instinctively fled in terror, rushing back into the tunnel they had chiseled. Two dwarves, whether out of extreme boldness or shock-induced stupidity, raised their iron pickaxes and struck the metal figure’s sitting torso.

"Clang!" Sparks flew. The dwarves’ strong arms went numb, the pickaxes nearly slipping from their grasp, yet the glowing surface of the metal figure remained unmarked.

"Crack, bang!" With two casual strikes, the heads of the two dwarves who had attacked were reduced to halves.

The metal figure, having stood up from the crate, turned its head toward the tunnel where the dwarves were fleeing. An increasingly bright light gathered in the two crystals on its face, and the magic within its body surged toward its head.

"Boom!" The magic erupted violently. A thick, dazzling beam of light fired from the crystals, shooting straight into the tunnel and melting everything in its path. When the beam dissipated, only molten rock and a pile of ash remained in the tunnel.

As the metallic automaton reduced the gray dwarves to mere ash, the surging magical shockwaves rippled outward in every direction. At a nearby outpost of the Night’s Edge, the detection arrays suddenly erupted in a cacophony of alarms.

"Attention! A sudden magical signature consistent with a war-grade construct has been detected! Analysis identifies it as a 'Destroyer' class. Dispatch an intervention team immediately, and notify all other units; we cannot rule out an incursion aimed at the Shadow of the Royal City!"

As the alert from the detection arrays reached every member of the Night’s Edge, the entire outpost began to mobilize with ruthless, clockwork efficiency.