He succeeded in bringing the gem back to the other world, and when he was sure that it contained the dwarf's soul, he let out a sigh and sat down on the ground.

"It's still there!" he told Mock, holding the gem carefully.

"What did you do again?" Iss narrowed his eyes malice, "Is there something you can't let Narya know?"

"I ...... Captured the soul of a dwarf. Ed honestly explained to his companions, "I thought if I could ask something......

Fili was silent for a moment.

"Necromancy?" he asked.

Ed nodded weakly.

“...... Can you still let it out properly after asking?"

Ed nodded vigorously.

"Then hurry up and ask. The paladin waved his hand very crisply.

The most prudent way is to let the young dwarf's soul stay in the gem, as long as he can hear and speak. But Ed set up the circle as fast as he could, and released the dwarf.

He didn't know what it was like to be locked up in a gem...... But that's not going to be good. If it were him, he would never let down his guard in such a confinement.

The dwarf who had been released was stunned for a moment and began to roar to rush out of the circle, and Ed could not speak a full sentence several times, and was scratching his head in annoyance, when Mock stepped forward and pushed him aside.

"I'll come. He said.

He stood there, no matter what the young dwarf was still yelling, but looked directly at the other and said what he wanted to say in a deep voice: "I am Mok Brass Flame, whether you have heard my name or not, your king has given me the crown and the scepter, and now I am the king of all the dwarves, and you must listen...... And answer our questions. ”

He was calm and majestic, and every word he uttered in the dwarven language was like a rock falling to the ground. The young dwarf stopped yelling and rambling in the middle of his speech, and stared at him blankly, seeing his copper-colored beard through his deep eyes.

"Brass Flame. He said, "You are the Brass Flame." ”

"And the King of the Dwarves. Fili repeated, pointing to himself, "I am Fili Zeri, the paladin of the water god Nior. This is Ed Singh, our Sage. ”

“...... He uses evil spells!" The dwarf's anger rose again, "He's still holding an evil monster!"

The evil little monster Nana looked at him with wide eyes, innocent and innocent: "Huh?"

The more evil monster Iss sneered, carried it to his shoulder, and pulled out the jerky for it to hold and nibble.

Moke's eyes froze: "How many dwarves he saved and how many demons he killed today, can't you see?"

"And, have you been hurt in the slightest?" Fili asked rhetorically, "You can all drain your souls and turn your bodies into stone statues, Ed just wants to bring back a few words to see if he can help, where do you see the 'evil'?"

The dwarf stared blankly, and was actually wrapped around like this.

"I just want to know two things. Ed took the opportunity to speak, "First, did you use some kind of time-related spell, what is it for? and second, you still have a heartbeat in your stone statue...... Will you ever be able to come back?"

The dwarf seemed to have only heard the second question, and couldn't help but look around in surprise: "...... Heartbeat?"

————

They were actually surrounded by stone statues in the middle - only there was a bit of an open space here. Terry raised his hand to cast the spell, showing him tangible evidence of the scattered fireflies.

"But we can't come back. The dwarf said. His gaze swept over his people, sad and determined, "We can't come back. ”

"Even if we wipe out...... Or drive out all the demons and restore them to their original state under the Black Rock?" Ed asked him softly, "You should know that your souls may not be afraid of pain or weariness, but they are not immortal. ”

"When our souls are broken and we can't put them together," said the dwarf, "we can close the cracks." We can solve this ourselves. ”

Ed's anger swelled in his chest. It's good to be brave and fearless, but it's stupid to die and refuse to help!

"What is the solution to 'this'?" Iss couldn't help but speak, "Did you cause the trouble yourself?

The dwarf grimaced silently, looking a lot like the dreary and serious Black Rock dwarves that Ed remembered, as if he couldn't pull anything out of the pile of rocks that he didn't want to give you.

But he's actually revealed a lot - Ed didn't choose the wrong dwarf after all.

“...... We're all the way from Tonbuch. Ed suppressed his anger and spoke earnestly, "You know why we're here? Because not long ago, Tonbuch was invaded by demons like here. They've been heard talking about Black Rock...... They laughed and said, 'Thank you, the dwarves.' ”

Filly's eyes became subtle. It's been a long time since he'd heard Ed fool people like this.

But the young dwarf's stone face cracked as Ed had expected. He opened his mouth wide in shock and panic, trying to tell: "That's not the case...... We didn't have ......."

"We just want to know what's going on and see if we can find a way to defeat the enemy. Ed clasped his hands together earnestly and eagerly, "Please, you know we don't have much time. ”

“...... But," the dwarf stared at him suspiciously, "you said you would drive out all the demons and restore the Black Rock to its original state. ”

"That's just 'driving away' after all. Ed, who had dug himself a hole, stopped beating his heart and insisted on not blinking his eyes: "They'll be back, and they're likely to be somewhere else—not as heavily defended as Stonebuch." And humans can't turn to stone and let souls fight...... We are dead and we are dead, and we have no chance of coming back to life. ”

The dwarf flinched, visibly hesitating.

"We have to get to the root of everything before we can solve the problem once and for all. Ed whispered, his eyes full of anticipation and pleading, "Can you help us?"

"I thought there was a mistake and didn't admit it, it was the fault of the elves. Fei added a final blow in a puzzled tone, "Aren't the dwarves always the most courageous to take on their responsibilities?"

The dwarf's head drooped.

“...... "Child," Mock asked him, "what's your name?"

"Ulrich Merstone. The dwarf replied involuntarily.

"Then you are a member of the oldest royal family of the dwarves. "Say what you think you should tell us." This is not just a crisis for the dwarves, but for the whole world...... Speak up and let's bear it together. ”

"And it's better to be faster. Terry reminded softly.

The faint flickering fireflies, like a candle blown out by a gust of wind, continued to light at a faster rate than before, becoming less and less.

.

When he was swept into another world again, Ed thought he had been thrown somewhere else.

What he saw before him was a gray mist, shadows drifting like ghosts, and he could still smell the breath of hell, but he couldn't hear a sound, like Collins who had no sunlight now...... Like another world he had been trapped in, shattered and dying.

“...... Is!" he reached out uncontrollably to grab something, fear drowning him like an icy lake.

The voice seemed to be absorbed by the fog, and even he could barely hear it. The only thing he could hear was his heartbeat, which was pounding like a drum.

There was a tingling in his chest, and he lowered his head, Nana was crawling out of his clothes, its hind paws on his flesh.

Ed calmed down a little. He pressed Nana back, holding it down to prevent it from moving, and the little dragon's dissatisfied babbling could actually penetrate the mist and reach his ears clearly.

“...... If only you could swallow the fog too. He whispered a joke, and his heartbeat calmed down.

The little dragon flicked its legs angrily and waved its little paws to shake the mist away - no, it didn't want to eat!

A hand suddenly touched his shoulder, and the coldness could be felt through his clothes. Ed's scalp is numb, and his backhand is a wind blade.

The hand shrank away swiftly and slapped it down again.

"It's me!" the familiar voice furious, "Didn't you call me over?!"

"You're deliberately scaring me!" said Ed.

"This can also be frightened, it only shows that you are too timid!"

Ed didn't bother to pay attention to him, and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! I can hear it!"

It's as muffled as it is across the water, but it's better than not hearing anything at all.

A faint light rushed over, clearer and clearer. The little fire dragon brushed his shoulder and turned back, still the same high-spirited, full of energy, even the mist rolled in front of it like a wave, and when it condensed again, it was obviously much lighter.

"What's going on?" Ed asked, "Is there such a demon in hell? Fog Demon, like a big toad that spews mist out of a swamp and makes people hallucinate?"

"Where did you hear this nonsense of legends? Isis raised his hand and waved away the mist that would stick to the person: "Then do you think I'm real or hallucinating?"

Ed touched Nana, who began to hum and chirp to play with him: "Really...... bar. ”

Aside from absorbing sound and being a little suffocating, the fog doesn't seem to have a hallucinogenic effect.

And they stood where they were. Perhaps because the little fire dragon was circling around them, they weren't attacked, but the growing sounds around them told them that the fight hadn't stopped.

"I always feel like we're experimentals locked up in a circle. Ed pulled out an empty crystal bottle, trying to grab some mist and figure out what it was.

"On the bright side, we've seen a little bit of what these demons can do. Mork's calm voice rang out to their left, along with the muffled sound of an axe splitting bones.

"And," he said, "I think...... These mists have a greater effect on the souls of the dwarves than on us. ”