"Prince Aelon, please proceed to the resting grounds. As long as you retrieve my Rune Sigil Stone, the forging fee for the divine bow will be waived."
Odin laughed heartily, his voice filled with grandeur. But in the depths of his eyes, a fleeting glint of malice flickered.
The elven prince shot a cold glance at Orson and sneered. "If you have a death wish, feel free to follow."
With that, two elven mages cast a spatial spell, conjuring a shimmering silver portal. Aelon strode through without hesitation.
"Two people competing for one quest?"
Orson smiled, but behind that smile lurked a cold edge.
He was usually the one pulling the strings, but now it seemed he was being dragged into a trap himself.
Two NPCs daring to play games in front of him? That was definitely worth some thought.
System Notification: [Your friendship with Grey Dwarves Veijander has exceeded 60 points.] [Battle Bro privileges have been unlocked.] [Grey Dwarves Veijander] Level: 70 Type: Life-Class Class: Dwarven Berserker HP: 10 million [Since this quest takes place within the Grey Dwarves' sacred lands (Veijander's domain), he can assist you in combat.] [Would you like to use the Blood Brother Contract?] [Available NPC slots: 0/5] [Once bound, this contract cannot be undone. Choose wisely!]
The Blood Brother Contract was permanent. Players could bind one Battle Bro at level 50, with one additional slot unlocked every 10 levels.
In the later stages of Infinite Dimensions, Battle Bros were a massive advantage for solo players.
Especially in high-difficulty demon-hunting quests—strong NPCs with good synergy could help players slay dragons and farm attribute points with ease.
Unlike the Celestial Fortress' old war saint, who was restricted to fortress grounds, some NPCs had much wider activity ranges.
Orson cast a skeptical glance at Veijander. This little corgi barely had 10 million HP—at best, he was just a decent Lord-Class NPC.
"I'm a powerhouse! Trust me! I can protect you! I'm a master blacksmith and an unstoppable, fearless warrior—"
Veijander pounded his chest with determination, eager to prove his worth.
Orson narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, sure. You just want my booze."
Veijander let out an awkward chuckle. His grayish-blue face flushed red like a monkey's backside.
Orson sighed. His God-Emperor Earrings weren't repaired yet—he needed a meat shield to cover his retreat.
If nothing else, Veijander could serve as a convenient distraction for the elven prince and his crew.
Two Blood Brother scrolls materialized before them, inscribed with ancient Infinite Dimensions runes symbolizing the unbreakable bonds of iron and blood.
Unlike the Crimson Lizard King's master-servant contract, the Blood Brother Contract favored the NPC.
If a player acted against their NPC, their favorability would drop, and the NPC could break the contract at will.
Of course, using a Battle Bro had its downsides.
The stronger the NPC, the greater their demands for gold, rare materials, and high-level crafting commissions.
Orson glanced at Veijander's demands and rolled his eyes.
[A minimum of 1,000 gold coins worth of fine liquor per month.] [At least 10 legendary equipment crafting commissions.]
For an NPC of Veijander's level, this was a surefire way to lose money.
"I accept the binding."
Orson's eyes gleamed coldly. Anyone who knew him well would recognize that this was the moment his scheming mind began to churn.
[Contract sealed!] [You have acquired the special ability: War Horn!] [Effect: Within the Battle Bro's activity range, you can instantly summon them to your location for battle assistance.]
The Rune Sigil Stone quest details refreshed.
A golden marker appeared—pointing to the very edge of the Ashen Lands.
Since he had no teleportation items, he had to exit the Grey Dwarves' mines on foot.
Returning to the dwarf guards at the entrance, he was immediately met with hostility.
"You made us fight each other, you treacherous scoundrel!"
"Yeah! Give us more booze, you bastard!"
The two dwarves were still seething. The Lucid Dream bottle Orson had left behind was now shattered, and neither of them had gotten much out of it.
Orson replied coldly, "I don't eat beef."
The two dwarves blinked, confused.
Then, they raised their battle axes and charged at him.
With the blueprint quest completed, the restriction against attacking Grey Dwarves was lifted.
Orson had no intention of indulging their greed. He swung his Heavenly Fire Staff, unleashing a long-suppressed roar.
Veijander stumbled backward in terror. "A dragon… a black dragon! A Saint Lord-Class black dragon!"
Orson grabbed him and tossed him onto the Crimson Lizard King's back.
The massive lizard's blood-red eyes locked onto the dwarf guards. Its head darted forward—biting down, armor and all, chewing them to pieces.
Doom Dragon Breath!
A blast of black dragonfire engulfed the second dwarf, reducing him to a charred husk.
Orson picked up a fallen heroic dagger and a few gold coins. His expression remained ice-cold.
"Try to trick me? No one walks away unscathed."
Veijander, still clinging to the lizard's back, didn't dare breathe too loudly.
Who was protecting who here?!
The Crimson Lizard King unfurled its massive black wings, slicing through the darkness of the deep caverns.
Its terrifying presence sent shivers through the dwarves of the Ashen Lands.
The Death Dragon's enormous form loomed like a black crescent moon, overshadowing even the Ashen King's Twin-Headed Fire Dragons.
Veijander laughed wildly. "Hahaha! Whoever stands in our way—dies!"
Veijander, having a trace of human blood, had always been scorned among the dwarves.
But now? He had latched onto a Super-Plus Edition Boss.
This was his moment to gloat!
"Speed up!"
At Orson's command, the Crimson Lizard King accelerated, soaring out of the Ashen Lands and into the wilderness beyond.
They flew past the War Treant territory.
"Sleep!"
Veijander raised the Wood Elf Necklace, instantly sealing the War Treant back into dormancy.
This saved Orson a lot of unnecessary trouble.
After crossing the boundless forests, Orson arrived over a vast silver lake.
This was the quest trigger point.
At the lake's center stood a gigantic War Tree, its towering trunk withering—a sign that its life force had nearly run out.
"That's the place! Before their deaths, all Grey Dwarven Kings leap into the molten metal lake, returning to the embrace of the Earth Mother!"
Veijander explained.
"Odin often drinks atop that sacred tree. He must have dropped the Rune Sigil Stone into the molten flow by accident."
Veijander also revealed something else—Odin was over a thousand years old.
Long ago, he had fought alongside the God-Emperor Gaedashiram, leading the dwarves to conquer vast territories in Infinite Dimensions.
The legendary God-Emperor's Sword had been forged by Odin himself.
But the Dark Dragon Empire had eventually besieged the Grey Dwarves' kingdom, using Twin-Headed Fire Dragons to trap them.
Odin had begged the God-Emperor for aid—only to be denied.
In the fall of the Grey Dwarves, Odin barely survived, slaughtering the Dark Dragon Grand Duke and seizing two mutated fire dragons to escape.
Orson smirked coldly.
"Call him the Ashen King out of respect… but without that respect, he's just ash."
He turned his gaze to the molten silver lake.
This wasn't just any ordinary lake.
It was blisteringly hot—so much so that the surrounding soil had crystallized.
"Are we supposed to jump in?"
Then he saw Aelon and his elves arriving on the opposite shore.
Veijander grinned. "Let them die first. We ambush them later."
Orson chuckled. "You're smarter than I thought, kid."