As expected, the two dwarf guards, who had long been starving for a drink, immediately showed their greed.
They couldn't care less about guarding the entrance anymore and stealthily crept towards the distant spot where the alcohol was stored.
"This is mine! Get your filthy hands off it!"
"Like hell it is! Weren't you just saying you'd guard the Ashen King's gates for life? Go ahead and show your loyalty—I won't stop you!"
There was only one bottle, and soon, the two dwarves were at each other's throats, their faces red with fury.
Orson grinned, grabbed Veijander, and sprinted deeper into the cave.
After running for about ten minutes, the cavern suddenly expanded into a vast chamber, and Orson came to a halt.
Ding! Ding!
A massive red forge stood before them.
Atop the forge, a towering figure over three meters tall was hard at work.
Loud metallic clangs echoed through the chamber, each strike sending columns of flame spiraling into the air.
[Ashen King · Artifact Forgemaster · Odin: Level 100] [King-Level Lifeform] [HP: Unknown] [Attack Power: Unknown] [Skills: Unknown]
"What the hell? This is supposed to be a dwarf?"
Orson was dumbfounded—he had never seen a dwarf craftsman of such immense stature.
The figure was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with stone-like gray skin. Black sweat trickled down his body, and his wild mane of hair cascaded freely, giving him a rough and brutal appearance.
As the hammering intensified, the underground space trembled slightly, causing chunks of rock to fall from above.
ROAR!!
A beastly roar erupted from beneath the forge. Orson peered downward and was instantly shocked—what lay beneath was an ocean of crimson flames.
"Fire dragons! Two mutated Fire Dragon Kings!"
[Twin-Headed Fire Dragon King · Karfa: Level 100]
[Ashen King's War Beast]
[Class: Saint Lord-Class]
[HP: 400 million]
[Attack Power: 13,000]
[Skills: Unknown]
[Twin-Headed Fire Dragon King · Chelfa: Level 100]
[Ashen King's War Beast]
[…]
The Twin-Headed Fire Dragon Kings had two fierce, menacing heads. Their appearance differed from the Flame Dragon Orson had previously slain.
These dragons looked more ancient, their scales densely packed and covered in strange golden runes. Their entire bodies radiated a fiery red glow, as if they were manifestations of pure fire essence.
All four of their heads continuously exhaled streams of dragon breath at the forge, turning its base molten red like blood.
Despite possessing combat power on par with high-level dragons, they were nothing more than an infinite fuel source for the forge under the Ashen King's command.
This was the kind of dominance that top-tier native powerhouses in Infinite Dimensions commanded!
Orson's eyes flickered as he noticed the pitch-black saddles on the dragons' backs.
"Wait… are those sacred artifacts?"
In Infinite Dimensions, non-Beast Tamer or Summoner-class players could only summon a single war beast at most. Even powerful NPCs, unless they had special settings, were bound by the same rule.
Yet, the Grey Dwarven King could summon two fire dragons. The only explanation was that those two artifacts—[The Grey Dwarven King's Ambition]—were granting him that ability.
That was valuable. Should he just steal them?
Orson shook his head, quickly dismissing the idea. King-level lifeforms in Infinite Dimensions were terrifyingly strong.
With the God-Emperor Earrings destroyed, attempting such a reckless move would only lead to death.
Besides, he still needed to forge a top-tier Forbidden Magic-tier weapon. Making an enemy of the Grey Dwarven King now was hardly a wise choice.
[Quest Sequence IV: You have found the holder of the Supreme Series blueprint!]
[Would you like to submit the incomplete Supreme Series blueprint?]
[Quest completed!]
+400 Free Attribute Points +500 Skill Points +800 Gold Coins +1 Complete Supreme Series Blueprint!
A notification appeared, and a pristine Forbidden Magic-tier blueprint materialized in Orson's inventory.
Above the Ashen King's head, a service window—visible only to players—appeared.
The Forbidden Magic-tier Equipment Customization option had turned blue, meaning the blueprint could now be used for forging.
BOOM!
At that moment, an odd explosion echoed from above the forge.
Orson looked over just in time to see the Ashen King let out a soft hmm? while holding a bow-shaped object.
The unfinished bow was covered in cracks, on the verge of shattering.
"A god-tier craftsman actually failed?"
Orson sucked in a sharp breath. If he wasn't mistaken, the material being used was [Wood Spirit Mithril].
A divine material of extreme rarity, only controlled by the Elves, and rarely obtained by players.
"Damn it, still a failure!"
Odin swung his hammer in frustration. BOOM! The impact shook the chamber, shattering a massive iron anvil.
The twin fire dragons trembled, lowering their heads in silence, too afraid to make a sound lest they provoke their dwarven king.
Odin let out a deep sigh, his voice booming like a bell.
"Prince Aelon, my Life Sigil Stone is missing. Without it, forging artifacts will have a high failure rate."
With a wave of his hand, he tossed the Wood Spirit Mithril aside.
Orson froze—there was someone else here?
He turned toward the opposite side of the forge, where another passage led to a group of elves.
Over a dozen long-eared elves stood there, each one strikingly handsome and clad in silver-starred, gold-trimmed armor.
"It's no trouble, Your Highness. We can retrieve your Rune Sigil Stone for you," said a beautiful female elf warrior.
"Rune Sigil Stone?"
Orson frowned. The Rune Sigil Stone, also known as the Forging Godstone, contained the life's work of its owner.
Each blacksmith's Rune Sigil Stone granted different benefits—higher success rates, improved attributes, extra enchantments, even awakened abilities.
But this feature only became available to players after reaching level 100 and consulting blacksmith NPCs.
"Tell us its location, and we shall retrieve it. You have my word—the Elven Sacred Brew promised to you will not be withheld."
A tall, green-haired elf with radiant eyes spoke, his tone carrying innate arrogance.
Orson glanced at him.
[Light Elf · Third Prince · Aelon: Level 80] [Saint Lord-Class Being] [HP: 70 million] [Attack Power: 9,000] [Skills: ?]
"This elf prince… where have I seen him before?"
Frowning, Orson checked his inventory and found the [Damaged Statue of the Elven Queen].
His eyes widened—the resemblance between the statue and the prince was uncanny!
Curious, he activated True Sight on the statue's damaged half.
A glowing marker instantly appeared on his mini-map—right on the elf prince himself!
Holy hell.
The missing piece of the sacred artifact was in this green-haired elf's possession!
At that moment, several elven attendants presented dozens of emerald-colored wine bottles, unmistakably the legendary Elven Brew.
Odin swallowed hard and muttered, "The dwarves and elves have always been allies… there's no need for such grand gestures. I'll have my people retrieve the stone shortly."
Prince Aelon frowned, displeased. It was clear the Ashen King wasn't willing to reveal the stone's location to outsiders.
So, Aelon gave his attendants a signal.
More elven brew appeared—hundreds of bottles—along with several chests overflowing with gold and rare minerals.
Dwarves were infamous for their love of alcohol and treasure—even the Ashen King was no exception.
"Very well! I may have… misplaced it in—"
"Hold it right there!"
Orson suddenly interrupted, drawing sharp, murderous glares from all around.
"You dare insult the finest Elven Sacred Brew?" snapped the female elf warrior.
Prince Aelon's eyes gleamed with dangerous intent. "Are you testing my patience, human?"
Orson remained unfazed and looked directly at the Ashen King.
"Odin, have you ever heard of Godly Brew?"
"Godly Brew? That ancient recipe was lost to time—are you mocking me, adventurer?"
Orson smirked and produced [Phoenix's Lament], modifying it with a single drop of [Lucid Dream].
A mesmerizing crimson mist swirled from the crystal bottle.
Twin phoenixes danced through the air, their ethereal cries resonating in the chamber.
Veijander trembled in excitement. "Phoenix's Lament! The legendary dwarven Godly Brew!"
Odin's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Deal!"
[You successfully deceived the Ashen King with just one-tenth of the Godly Brew!]
[Hidden Quest Line Triggered!]
[Quest: Steal the Forging Godstone]
[Difficulty: Hell-Tier]
[Objective: Reach the resting place of past Grey Dwarven Kings and retrieve the Ashen Rune Sigil before Prince Aelon does!]
[Failure Penalty: Permanent ban from Ashen Lands.]