Digging forward at a rate of its limit, Siegel turned back and began to trim the passage. He carved out some more areas where he could rest and tried to make the road as easy as he could.

Day after day, it is difficult to estimate the time underground, and the number of days can only be calculated by the frequency of daily food deliveries by the ropeway system. Throughout the week, Siegel paved the floor of the passage and set up non-slip bumps where the slopes were going up and down, and dug holes at intervals to rest at intervals, as instructed by the dwarves. He also found ways to strengthen the rope system, turning one rope into two to increase the speed at which goods could be delivered.

"Whatever else you will achieve in the future, the title of Miner Lord is a certainty. While in the rest area, Dwarf Locke said to Siegel with a smile.

"There's nothing wrong with that title. "Siegel used to be picky, but now he really doesn't think the so-called title has much of an impact on her. The One-Day War Lord is also his title, but what role does it play other than to make him a little fluttery? Will the elves not conflict with him because of this, or will the Knox co-bow to him?

However, he decided to change the topic and discuss the title does not help much in the current situation. "Locke, how long will it take for the passage to be dug through?"

"I've dug more than 270 miles now, almost enough. The dwarf rubbed his hands together, then rubbed his own tight cheeks. The long hours of work made him look tired, but after hearing about what was happening on the ground, the tension spread to the dwarf as well. This passage is now not only for the dwarves, but for the entire inhabitants of Heimland. So the dwarves pushed themselves to the limit, even though they shone with the runes of perseverance and the hot honey around them. Nor can it really put him at ease. "If the map is correct. It will take about 10 days to get through. ”

"Is that side of the Walled Mountains okay?" Siegel asked.

"Lord Siegel. It's not good or bad here. One of the one-eyed dwarves gulped the mead, wiped his mouth vigorously, and said, "If I had to describe the scene on that side, it would be only big." ”

"For the first 1,000 miles, there was not much difference between the mountain range, and humans, orcs, half-giants, and goblins were the inhabitants of the place, and they were scattered in the grasslands in the form of tribes. The walled mountains block the sea breeze from the east, so the grassland has a dry climate and does not receive much precipitation. A few rivers of snow water flow through the grasslands. Both sides of the strait are the most fertile land, and they are also the areas where the struggle is fiercest. ”

"For the next two thousand miles, there is a mixture of ravines and hills, the deepest of which is said to lead to hell. The largest ptarmigan and the longest purple worm live here, ruling the sky and the underground, respectively. On the ground, there are all kinds of strange beasts, and predators hunt herds of cattle and sheep. ”

"After that, it's the territory of the giants, and they are so integrated with the mountains that they don't usually look out at all. We've seen Hill Giants, Stone Giants, Fire Giants, and Frost Giants, and Big Brother Rock has seen Cloud Giants. Our rune masters, the Kono brothers. It was the one who made the Meditation Scroll, who said he had seen the Titans. His waist is covered with clouds and mist, the sun and the moon are above his head, and his hands are like electric lights shining like a galaxy. We didn't believe him, because how could someone else miss something that was so big, but in this area, we lost so many brothers because of the giants' attacks. ”

"After a thousand miles of giants, you will see a swamp. It's hard to move here, and in some dangerous areas, even a feather sinks. Aside from the treacherous environment and the lurking Naga, Shadows, and Soulsuckers, the most terrifying thing here is the chaotic elemental environment. In many places, the concentration of elements suddenly increases, and a simple light can turn into a large fireball. In other places, there is a dead silence, where the elementals do not respond to calls at all, and even magical items are turned into waste. ”

"Luckily, we have runestones, which are less affected by the environment than your mage's magic. It is conceivable that in such an environment, it would be impossible to move without the help of magical power. ”

After that, enter the dragon's territory. A barrier greater than the walled mountains blocked our view to the west, and the dragons flying in the sky denied us any hope of continuing westward, and it was there that we set out on our return journey. ”

Siegel listened carefully, and a question appeared in his heart, and he said, "There are dangers along the way, why do you want to go back?"

The dwarves looked at each other, and everyone nodded to Locke, who said to Siegel, "We dwarves are the best miners, and there are several experienced masters in the westward march. After a thousand miles of grasslands, in the ravines and hills, there are no less mineral deposits there than the top of Mora. The deep canyon makes digging easy, and the earth has opened its arms to reveal all the treasures on its chest, just waiting for us to retrieve it. ”

"There are also many treasures in the swamp area, especially in places with high concentrations of elements, and even an ordinary grass can contain life-saving powers. This is even more true of the Dragon's Mountains. Although we don't dare to approach the dragons' territory, you can imagine how much treasure there is if we can make the greedy live in peace and be satisfied with their wealth so that no conflict breaks out. ”

It seems that the dwarves' quest for treasures will never change, no matter what time it is. Siegel does not comment on whether the dwarves who marched west were in pursuit of freedom or the hope of the dwarven race, or simply for the endless land and the veins beneath it. As long as these dwarves can help them open the way and attract foreign help for the Heim Territory.

After they had rested and eaten, they walked side by side to the excavation of the passage. Everyone has become accustomed to the rumbling sound of excavation and the constant flying dust around them. Siegel wore goggles and a mask, while the dwarf covered it with thick eyebrows and a thick beard.

At this time, there was a shouting from the front, and the tone of the voice was somewhat distorted because of the passage, and Siegel did not understand, but apparently Locke understood. I saw that he suddenly picked up excitedly, hugged Siegel tightly, and said loudly in his ear: "Dig through! Dig through!"

"Isn't there still ten days to work?" Siegel's words made the dwarf gradually calm down. "Let's go and see what we've discovered!"

They reached the mouth of the tunnel as fast as they could, and the qi elemental quietly stopped aside, floating slightly in midair. It didn't use air control, but there was still a hot and dry breeze blowing in from the front.

Several dwarves were using their pickaxes to widen the hole, and the clatter of crumbling earth and rock. They were all in the excitement right now, until Locke stopped their move. "What's the other side of the cave? What's the use of rushing to enlarge the hole? Have you forgotten how Curnow died?"

The dwarves looked at each other and put down their tools in shame.

On the other side of the cave was a wide tunnel, about ten paces wide, surrounded by broken rock walls. It can be seen that there were originally stalagmites with interlaced canine teeth here, but they were all bulldozed, leaving only slightly raised flat roots. Some rubble was scattered on the ground, in which fragments of ore were hidden.

The dwarves were heavily armed, and the vigilantes came into the tunnel. They trampled on the rubble, a crisp sound echoing through the tunnel. "It's an abandoned mine," Locke said, "and it's not known what is mined here or why it's abandoned." ”

Another dwarf picked up the ore fragments from the ground, wiped them with his fingers, and put them between his teeth to bite. "It's an emerald gem mine, and the quality should be pretty good. ”

"I remember emeralds were often used as defensive rune cores in dwarven runes, and they had powerful soul-calming effects, including against necromancy, didn't they?" asked Siegel.

Locke nodded and said appreciatively, "That's right, you remember it very well." ”

"Since this is a mine, will there be an exit to the surface?" Siegel asked.

"Normally there shouldn't be. Most of the caves in the walled mountains are closed to the outside world, which is also to prevent outsiders from entering the intricate mountain passages through these caves. But I think it can at least help us reduce a lot of work, at least a lot less distance. ”

A few people looked ahead, and the wide tunnel stretched until it was impossible to see with dark vision. Since this is a part of the mine, it will not attract the attention of the rune array of the city wall mountain range, so there is no need to set up new runes at intervals of a few meters.

Together, they covered the hole halfway up, leaving four dwarves to guard it. Siegel then set out with four dwarves, including Locke, to try to find the closest location to the surface of the mine. Even deep underground, lovers can use their unique senses to distinguish direction, depth, and estimate distance. They will never get lost under the rocks, even in purpose-built labyrinths.

It can be seen that the place should have been wider, with a winding passage leading to the roof of the cave, connecting the layers of work platforms. Here by complex lifting systems, some to transport goods, others to transport dwarven miners to certain locations in the mountain. Judging from the tools left behind, the mine has been abandoned for a long time, and no one has come down for at least a hundred years. The rock walls here have been dug into potholes, and the treasures contained in them have long since been removed.

They found several boxes of discarded tools, pickaxes, pickaxes, shovels, and piles of pitons. They had long since rusted into clumps of scrap, but Locke picked them up anyway and searched carefully for the remnants of metal.

"It's a tool made by the Hardbeard Clan, there are a lot of them, and it's likely that this is the mine they're responsible for. Locke picked up a few more scraps and looked at them, and was quite sure of his guess.

"Let me recall," a balding dwarf with a red beard pinched the bridge of his nose and patted his head. "I know where this is! The Mordod Pit, it must be here!"

Locke quickly removed his weapon from behind his back, the flaming heavy axe glowing brightly in the darkness. The other dwarves were just as good as they were to fight.

Siegel drew his sword as well, holding his wand in his other hand. "Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?" he asked, puzzled, "Are there any enemies in this pit?"

"Blood spiders. Locke said, "There used to be a nest of blood spiders here. (To be continued......)