Chapter 75: The Secret of Greybeard
June 23, 2015
Author: Floating Tower
A hint of sulfur hung in the air.
The environment in the Underdark is harsh, with some areas at risk of volcanic eruptions at any moment, especially near the city of the Grey Dwarves where the sulfur scent is even more pronounced. The Grey Dwarves inherit the Dwarven race’s customary reckless attitude, preferring to build their cities near volcanoes or even directly channel the underground magma. In terms of forging skills, Grey Dwarves far surpass their surface counterparts, as one often encounters master blacksmiths capable of crafting +3 and +4 weapons.
However, unfortunately, the special materials used in Underdark weapons often turn into scrap metal when brought to the surface world.
The Grey Dwarves are the most excellent source of slaves in the Underdark, having been ruled by Mind Flayers for a long time. Although they have now freed themselves from Mind Flayer control, there are still many captured Grey Dwarf slaves within Drow cities. The slave mentality is deeply ingrained in this race; even after breaking free from Mind Flayer control, they are still viewed as a source of slaves by many beings. In a Drow city, the number of Grey Dwarf slaves could possibly reach one-tenth or one-twelfth of the total population.
The light dimmed again.
Soren heard a sound like flowing spring water, and as they passed through a towering stone forest, a white mist appeared before them.
Soren remembered this place.
Despite its harsh environment, the Underdark has one good thing!
Hot springs.
In fact, there are many exploitable hot springs in the Underdark, and the one before them is the largest outdoor sulfur hot spring nearby. The Drow excel in conspiracy and trickery, and the Grey Dwarves are all about iron and stone; it seems the mainstream races of the Underdark do not realize the value of hot springs. In the end, it was a team of Adventurers from the surface world who carried out some simple development, turning this area into a gathering spot for exploring and resting in the Underdark.
“This water seems nice!”
The Little Dragon closed her eyes and sniffed. She seemed to enjoy the sulfur scent; the spring water was quite hot, probably over fifty degrees, but for a giant dragon, it was hardly an issue. The Little Girl cupped her hands, took a sip of the spring water, then turned around with wide eyes looking at Soren, hoping: “Soren! Can I take a bath here?”
The Underdark has no sun.
Thus, it’s easy to lose track of time. Many cities in the Underdark have a light source, which is actually some kind of shining obelisk. Soren roughly calculated the time they had spent traveling and then nodded slightly, saying, “Let’s rest here for an hour, and I’ll prepare some food.”
After saying this, he kicked the nearby Grey Dwarf.
The Grey Dwarf fearfully followed him, and once they found a clearing, Soren turned and said solemnly, “Is the furnace fire in Glax City still burning?”
Furnace fire?
The Grey Dwarf looked a bit confused but quickly nodded, saying, “The furnace fire in Glax City has never gone out.”
Still burning?
Upon hearing this, Soren fell into deep thought and nodded, saying, “Go build a campfire to prepare food, I hope you are not foolish enough to want to escape, right?”
The Grey Dwarf hurriedly nodded.
Soren glanced at him and casually tossed over a fire starter, instructing him to take out some jerky.
“The furnace fire in Glax City hasn’t gone out!”
Soren sat down, as if contemplating something, muttering, “That means the artifact hasn’t been completed! I wonder how long it will take these Grey Dwarves to make that thing. But it should be before the Saint’s Cataclysm begins, right?”
Soren pondered his matters.
After a while, the Little Dragon gracefully approached from behind.
“Ah, it feels so good!…”
The Little Dragon used her pale little hands to tidy her light golden hair, tying it into a beautiful pair of pigtails, then blinked her big eyes at Soren and asked, “Aren’t you going to wash up? The water down there is so comfortable! Soaking in it makes me feel all lazy.”
Soren gently shook his head.
The group stayed in place for a moment before moving on toward their destination.
Before leaving, Soren couldn’t help but look again at Glax City. Inside this city of Grey Dwarves is an artifact.
Or rather, an artifact that is in the process of being made.
About ten years ago, the Grey Dwarves in this city discovered a considerable reserve of mithril ore while mining. This is an astounding wealth, and if leaked, it might even attract a frenzied attack from the Drow. Thus, the ruler of Glax City, Greybeard, quickly sealed the information and detained all the Grey Dwarven craftsmen who knew the truth to prevent them from leaving. Since then, the furnace fire in Glax City has never gone out. Greybeard is using this mithril ore to forge a powerful piece of equipment.
Many Grey Dwarves possess certain mental abilities due to having been enslaved by Mind Flayers.
Greybeard is the top among all Grey Dwarves!
He is not only a Legendary Level Spiritual Sorcerer (Profession Level 21) but also part-time as a Level 5 Berserk Warrior and Level 5 Wizard.
Greybeard is crafting a mithril chain mail.
A piece of armor that will not interfere with his spellcasting or combat, with every ring engraved with runes, all personally crafted by him—an artifact-level defensive gear.
Soren is not quite clear about the specifics of this artifact’s attributes.
However, he knows that this mithril chain mail has protective abilities equivalent to full plate armor +3, with every ring incorporated with runes. Besides its incredible protection capabilities, it is also attached with many powerful spells. The most important thing is that this mithril chain mail is as light as a feather, not interfering with even a Wizard’s combat, allowing them to wear it effortlessly. This is why it has reached artifact level even though it was not forged by a Deity.
Greybeard is not easy to deal with.
Additionally, he is the ruler of Glax City, a powerful Legendary Professionist, so even if Soren has some designs on this artifact-level equipment, he doesn’t have a clear plan.
However, it should still take some time before the artifact is completed.
Soren believes that if he could enter the Deity’s domain, there might still be a chance to get his hands on this artifact-level defensive gear. As a Wanderer part-time Wizard, it’s not easy for Soren to find a piece of armor he can use. Greybeard might not be one of the strongest figures in the Underdark, but currently, he seems to be the only one capable of simultaneously achieving over 400 points in forging magical equipment and alchemy in the entire Underdark.
As they approached their destination, after resolving some minor troubles, Soren finally saw the outline of an altar.
It was already very dilapidated.
However, powerful energy fluctuations still lingered around it.
The last elemental crystal!
Soren’s expression involuntarily showed a bit of excitement as he turned to glance at the Little Dragon beside him.
………..(To Be Continued ~^~)
