Chapter 635: The Eye of Gruumsh
Titus's expression grew increasingly grave. The Dwarf King was entrusting his people to him—a sign that he had completely given up on his own life and was prepared to die with dignity.
The ancient golden dragon lowered his head. Regret shimmered in his pale golden eyes, and his voice grew heavier: "Your Majesty Edd, have you truly made your decision?"
"Of course," Edd replied with a smile. "My time is running out. Rather than die a feeble cripple, I'd rather fall on the battlefield like a true Warrior, just like my father, Tor.o.Klein. He died fighting the enemy to the end."
Titus sighed, still trying to dissuade him: "Since this is a hopeless war, why not migrate with your people?"
"No, you don't understand dwarves, Lord Titus. We Shield Dwarves have lived here for generations. Avenderdan is our home—and our tomb."
Edd shook his head, stretched out his rough hand, and stroked the ancient dwarven runes carved into the wall: "Long ago, the first Highland King, Baern.d.Klein, led the war-ravaged Shield Dwarves here for the first time.
For thousands of years, we mined ore, forged weapons, and drank fine ale in Blackstone Mountain. We know this land, these rocks, and the veins beneath them. Every mine and tunnel here was dug by dwarven picks and hammers.
To abandon Avenderdan, to abandon Blackstone Mountain, would be to abandon our home and betray our ancestors. No brave and loyal dwarf could do such a thing."
By the end, the Dwarf King's voice rang loud and clear, like a hammer striking solid stone.
Hearing this, Titus could see the determination in his eyes. There was no persuading the Highland King. He could only respond helplessly, "Your Majesty Edd, I accept your request."
"Hahaha! Good! Lord Titus, we dwarves will never forget your kindness. You are our friend for all time!" Edd laughed heartily and re-fastened the warhammer to his belt.
Dwarves often say, "The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years." Short-lived humans rarely form truly lasting bonds with dwarves. The best dwarf-human friendships occur between a human and the dwarves who liked their parents and grandparents.
But the Dwarf King also knew, compared to the long-lived dragons, dwarves were equally short-lived. As the longest-living of all true dragons, golden dragons rarely formed lasting bonds with dwarves.
Although Titus had once fought beside Edd—arguably forming a "bond of life and death"—to a dragon, that meant little.
Edd made no attempt to hide his request. He held up two thick fingers and solemnly said, "Lord Titus, I ask only that you protect the children for two hundred years.
Two hundred years may be just a nap to a golden dragon like you, but to us dwarves, it is a lifetime.
During that time, let them serve you and work for you. If they still cannot reclaim Avenderdan after two centuries, then let them start anew elsewhere and carry on the Shield Dwarves' civilization."
"Alright."
The ancient golden dragon spoke no more, only nodded solemnly.
Strictly speaking, he was far younger than the dwarf before him, but from a dragon's perspective, this wasn't a demanding request.
Yet Edd wasn't done: "Of course, I can't ask you to protect them for nothing. You may choose one-third of the treasures our dwarven kin have accumulated over millennia."
"This... that's a bit too much—"
The ancient golden dragon's eyes widened in astonishment. Hesitation and greed flashed in his pale golden eyes, unsure if he should refuse.
Like any good-aligned metallic dragon, they shared dragons' innate greed for treasure—but tempered by a strong moral compass.
Dwarves, too, were fond of gold, gems, and jewelry. While not as greedy as dragons, they were hardly modest.
Seeing the dragon's inner conflict, Edd laughed boldly and stroked his thick brown beard: "Lord Titus, I trust in your morals—but mutual benefit is the strongest bond. You deserve these riches. If I don't give them to you, they'll likely fall into the hands of the Ember Empire. I'd rather entrust them to someone truly good."
"Besides—"
Edd paused, then strode to the far end of the chamber, placing his rough hand on an iron door inscribed with dwarven runes. The runes lit up: "I have one more important item to entrust to you."
"Boom—"
With a heavy rumble, the iron door slowly opened. Golden light bathed the dwarf's face, and shimmered across the golden dragon's scales.
The vault inside blazed with light, illuminating every treasure. Piles of gleaming gold coins rose like hills, dazzlingly bright, reflecting the eyes of any greedy soul. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds—all sparkled under the light, competing for brilliance.
Beyond gold and silver, the vault held weapons and ornaments of exquisite craftsmanship. Each piece reflected dwarven artisanship—sharp greatswords and ornate rings alike, infused with both beauty and power.
This was the sacred vault guarded by generations of dwarves, the treasure hoard of the Highland Kingdom.
Bathed in its glow, the Dwarf King's face bore the marks of age. His gaze drifted over the results of centuries of labor, as though reminiscing on bygone days.
Even Titus couldn't help but open his mouth in awe. His whiskers quivered. "Whoa," he gasped, "Your Majesty Edd, this is... astonishing wealth."
Seeing the stunned look on the golden dragon's face, Edd nodded with pride, clearly delighted by the reaction—this was treasure worthy of making a golden dragon gape.
"Of course, Lord Titus. When my father first brought me here, I was so shocked I forgot how to walk. I nearly fainted right in this vault."
The dwarf entered first, and the ancient golden dragon followed after hesitating briefly, lowering his head and folding his wings to squeeze through the gate.
Dwarf and dragon moved through the vault, one behind the other, surrounded by dazzling treasure.
Titus couldn't help but look around, inspecting the gold, jewels, and magical equipment.
The coins were piled into hills. The gems sparkled like stars against a night sky. Enchanted items shimmered with magical light. Among them were twenty legendary-grade items—blades, swords, greataxes, warhammers, armor—a vast array that overwhelmed even him.
Thanks to dragons' natural appraisal ability, it only took Titus—or rather, Cassius—a few minutes to estimate the vault's worth: over twenty million gold coins!
No wonder this was the dwarves' accumulated wealth over millennia. Even for the industrialized, export-driven Ember Empire, this was a fortune beyond imagining.
Unfortunately, this fortune was destined for a wicked, greedy red dragon.
Titus's breathing quickened. He felt flushed with heat. For a moment, he had the urge to kill the Dwarf King and seize the vault.
But he quickly calmed down—because this treasure was destined to be his anyway. No need to act rashly. Besides, Edd still had one more important item for him to guard.
The golden dragon steadied himself and spoke in a deep voice: "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty Edd—for letting me into... this kind of place."
This was the sincerity Edd offered. Letting a dragon into a vault—everyone knew what that meant: absolute trust.
The Dwarf King wanted to forge a strong bond between the golden dragon and the Shield Dwarves. True protection required such a price.
"Lord Titus, as I said, I trust your character. You will always be a steadfast ally of the dwarves," Edd said firmly.
At this moment, the ancient golden dragon's majestic, wise face was filled with heartfelt emotion—as if the feeling were genuine. His performance was flawless.
They reached the end of the vault, where a rune-carved chamber lay. The dwarf stopped before an unremarkable wall, his expression solemn.
He pulled out a small dagger, cut his finger, and smeared his blood across the wall, tracing mysterious dwarven symbols while chanting.
"Moradin above, in the name of the Highland King, ruler of the Shield Dwarves, and the blood of Blackstone Mountain—"
Suddenly, the blood symbols glowed. The surrounding runes lit up faintly. The dwarves carved into the relief seemed to come to life, brandishing their weapons and roaring with rage.
"Boom—"
An iron pedestal slowly rose from the floor. Atop it sat a broken stone fragment, resembling part of an eye, radiating a malevolent aura.
In that instant, the golden dragon's eyes widened. Shock and disbelief filled his golden, vertical pupils. He murmured, "Th-this is... impossible. By Bahamut, I thought it was just a legend."
He could already see the item's description.
[Eye of Gruumsh (Half)]
Quality: Mythical
Domains: Chaos, Evil, Strength, War
Effect: Unknown
Description: Orcs harbor a unique hatred for Corellon Larethian, Moradin, and their followers. According to legend, ages ago, Corellon Larethian blinded Gruumsh's left eye in battle.
Of course, some orc priests deny the tale, calling it nonsense. They claim the elf god stole the eye—because there's no way he could defeat Gruumsh in a fair fight.
In orc legends, Gruumsh's eye lost in battle with Corellon became an artifact. Elves scoff at the story, insisting Corellon utterly destroyed the eye.
Edd stared at the broken stone, chest unconsciously puffing up with pride: "Lord Titus, your insight is impressive. You guessed correctly—this is part of that very eye.
Ten millennia ago, our Father God and the Elven High God joined forces to defeat the Orc God, blinding him and splitting the eye in two. One half was sealed here in the Highland Kingdom, the other in Serynia—this is one of them."
Titus gazed at the stone imbued with chaotic, evil divinity. A storm surged within him. His mind raced with thoughts.
This was a fragment of a divine entity—its value exceeded all the treasures in this vault combined! Titus, or rather Cassius, had to obtain it!
No wonder the orcs had advanced so rapidly after conquering Avenderdan in his past life, even triggering the terrifying "Orc Cataclysm"—they had found their racial holy relic!
Edd's voice turned grim with fury: "But now, the Orc God has used vile means to sever our connection to the Father God, preventing His power from descending to this world.
And now, the Ember Empire eyes us hungrily from the southwest, poised to invade at any moment. I have no choice but to entrust this to our most trusted ally—namely, you."
Titus calmed his surging emotions and cautiously probed, "Your Majesty Edd, since Serynia guards the other half of the Eye, why not entrust it to the elves?
They've been your sacred allies for millennia and have always stood by your side. Surely, they're more reliable than I am."
Edd shook his head and explained, "The two halves of the Eye of Gruumsh must never be brought together. If I did that, and the orcs captured Serynia, they'd obtain the complete Eye of Gruumsh—the consequences would be unimaginable.
Besides, Serynia is facing unprecedented turmoil. I can't predict who will come out on top.
I trust Queen Catherine and Lady Rhea—but not the elven elders who've turned their backs on us and ignored the sacred alliance."
Finally, the Dwarf King raised his head, gazing into the golden dragon's pale golden eyes: "This half of the Eye contains unimaginable evil. Only the royal bloodline of the Shield Dwarves can seal this artifact of the Orc God.
Lord Titus, I hope you will keep it safe. If it falls into evil hands, the consequences would be catastrophic—on a multiverse scale."
"Don't worry. I will guard it with my life."
Titus lowered his head and spread his wings in the golden dragon's formal salute, meeting the Dwarf King's gaze with utmost solemnity. His golden eyes burned with unprecedented resolve.
But at that moment, the thoughts in Titus's—or rather, Cassius's—mind were far from noble or righteous. He only wanted to claim both fragments of the Eye of Gruumsh for himself.