Book 8: Chapter 41: Ironstar Fortress |
发布时间: 2026-06-12 20:23:15
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«Volume 8 Chapter 39: The Alamir Mountains
Volume 2 Chapter 31: Combat Model »
Milleras and his five companions, who had fallen earlier without Qin Lun’s detection abilities, were all piled in a heap. Fortunately, these individuals were very strong; several Elven Rangers were no weaker than Professional Apostles. They had also used various methods during the fall to reduce their speed, so none were seriously injured.
“What is this place?” Just as Qin Lun and Iristin found themselves in an awkward position, Milleras’s startled cry sounded beside them.
Milleras’s shout snapped everyone to attention. Ignoring their aches, they scrambled to their feet, examining their surroundings. Their fall had kicked up a thick layer of dust within the pit. Visibility was still poor, and a musty, choking odor assaulted their noses, making their throats itch.
The silver clock faded from Qin Lun’s eyes because he realized this pit, likely deep within the mountain, was bathed in a soft, gentle light. It was nothing like the pitch-black tunnel they had come from.
As the dust settled somewhat, everyone looked around, expressions revealing undisguised shock. The pit within the mountain was enormous, soaring over fifty meters high. Though dim light prevented them from seeing the edges clearly, a rough estimate suggested the space stretched at least ten thousand square meters.
“Light shining in from outside! It’s a wall of ice!” Long’er, with his keen observation, figured it out first, uttering a surprised exclamation.
“These stone pillars… they don’t look natural. More like man-made structures!” murmured one Elven Ranger.
Following his gaze, the others quickly understood. In the center of the pit stood twelve stone pillars, arranged in pairs. Each pillar was about twenty meters tall.
These pillars had extremely thick bases; each would take over a dozen grown humans to encircle with their arms. Calling them “pillars” wasn’t entirely accurate, though. They didn’t reach the cavern ceiling. Comparing their width to their height, they resembled thick, stubby pedestals more than pillars.
Looking closer, amazement deepened on everyone’s faces. Each base had several smooth, wide channels cut underneath it, resembling water channels, though the bottoms seemed shallower.
Moreover, thick stone cables connected the tops of these pedestals. Following the cables, they made a startling discovery: the tunnel they had fallen through wasn’t the only entrance to this cavern.
Dozens of huge, barrel-shaped tunnels yawned open in the walls and ceiling above, connecting to this cavern. It looked like a giant beehive. And most of the stone cables linked directly to these tunnels.
It seemed Qin Lun and Stark’s earlier guess that the tunnels were some giant snake or bug’s nest wasn’t entirely correct. These tunnels were likely always meant to connect to this underground cavern; they were just later occupied by some soft-bodied creature.
“Pentagram Crystal Mirror!” A huge crystal mirror appeared beneath Qin Lun’s feet as he thought. An Elemental Burst launched him high into the air. He landed on the edge of another tunnel connected by a stone cable after a few jumps.
“These things… they’re not pillars!” Milleras, now standing beneath one of the pedestals, suddenly shouted in surprise, his eyes wide. “These are furnaces! Giant furnaces!”
Everyone rushed forward in surprise. Faintly visible beneath the grime coating the base were the outlines of furnace doors and blocked air vents.
Simultaneously, they recalled the wide, smooth channels below the pedestals. Those weren’t water channels at all. They were likely conduits for water to cool the furnaces, and some might even be chutes for pouring molten iron.
Meanwhile, Qin Lun, now perched high on the tunnel’s edge, made his own discovery. He glanced at a square object near the tunnel mouth. Using a dagger, he scraped lightly at the stone cable beneath his feet. Soon, dark reddish-brown rust showed through beneath the stone fragments.
These weren’t stone cables; they were iron chains coated with a layer of stony grit. Connecting this to the square devices in the tunnels, things became clear. Those were probably aerial cable cars meant to supply ore to the twelve massive furnaces.
“Could it be… have we truly found the ancient Sannata Dwarves’ furnace fortress?” An incredible thought rose in everyone’s minds, yet it somehow felt inevitable.
“Prince Firal, Prince Milleras, we… we…” An Elven Ranger beside Milleras looked excited and expectantly at Qin Lun and Milleras.
“Even if we explore, we should at least wait for our companions above to come down. If we disappear now, Miss Kelly won’t be pleased when she arrives!” Qin Lun chuckled in warning. “Besides, there might be other dangers here; it could be the lair of some giant creatures. Better to be cautious.”
“Alright then… we’ll wait for them!” At the thought of Kelly’s fierce temper, even Milleras involuntarily pulled his neck in slightly, let alone the Elven Rangers.
It was strange. In terms of intellect and strength, this Sun Elf Prince was undoubtedly a noble and proud figure. Yet encountering Kelly instantly made him timid, always under her thumb. Someone unaware of their situation might mistake him for a dutiful husband. But those around Milleras knew the truth: he acted like prey encountering its predator.
“Apostle 70053, you have discovered an unknown Dwarf castle within the Alamir Mountains. Please conduct further exploration here. World Exploration Degree gained from this location will receive double the normal reward.”
Reading the prompt from the Death Notice, Qin Lun’s smile widened. Though he had declined Milleras’s suggestion to immediately delve deeper into the fortress, no one could suppress their curiosity entirely. They began exploring the furnace section of the Dwarf fortress.
“Firal…” Watching their companions scatter, Iristin couldn’t help but tug Qin Lun’s sleeve, looking at him with a grievance in her eyes.
“There will be plenty of time to explore later. The radius bone in your arm is broken. If you want that arm to heal straight, be quiet and still!” Qin Lun retorted somewhat impatiently. He pulled out a small box of green ointment from his robe and began applying it to the Elven Druid’s arm.
This ointment was another one of the supplies Adeline and Menon had prepared for them. A wound balm, its efficacy matched the finest Moonlight Recovery Ointment. Menon, a follower of Angrod, the Goddess of Life, could concoct amazing restorative items given the right materials.
“Prince Firal, Prince Milleras! Come see this!” Even before Qin Lun had finished treating Iristin, several Elven Rangers, who had ventured quite far away, started shouting excitedly.
“Calm down! This isn’t a picnic!” Qin Lun replied with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
“Forget it, Firal. Don’t scold them. I’m eager too!” Milleras laughed, waving his hand dismissively. “These past days have been too grim, always dancing on the edge of life and death. Maybe we won’t leave this place alive. If so, let us face death with smiles!”
“Oh, Milleras, you seem much more optimistic!” Qin Lun remarked, eyebrows slightly raised, genuinely surprised.
After their heartfelt conversation by the campfire two nights prior, this Sun Elf Prince seemed to shed his heavy burdens. He was starting to immerse himself entirely in this perilous journey like a true adventurer, treating it as a rare expedition.
“Look!” Milleras paid no heed to Qin Lun’s disgruntled expression. He stood before a massive stone stele the rangers had found, pointing excitedly. “I know what this place is! Ironstar Fortress! The Ironstar Fortress of the Oglon Dwarf Kingdom! Firal, we’ve found an ancient legend!”
The huge stele stood before the farthest furnace. The text carved on it was badly faded. Nevertheless, after Milleras and the others cleared some grime, they could still make out the largest characters at the top.
In the Shattered Starry Sky translations, these characters were interpreted in two ways: one referred to the “Wall of the Alamir”, the other translated to “Ironstone Stars”. According to Elven records, this place was part of the Sarnatan Empire of the Dwarves, the “Ironstar Fortress” of the Oglon Kingdom, built over 6500 years ago.
“Apostle 70053, you have discovered the legendary Oglon ‘Ironstar Fortress’. World Exploration Degree increased by 0.202%. Discovery of additional related written records within the fortress will yield further World Exploration Degree increases.”
“But this is just the furnace area! I want to see the rest of the fortress now! Why hasn’t Miss Kelly come down yet?” Milleras finally gave voice to his impatience.
Qin Lun stifled a laugh inwardly. Saved people complaining about their saviors – Kelly would surely box the Sun Elf Prince’s ears if she heard this.
Looking at the massive stele, a flicker of excitement also crossed Qin Lun’s eyes. His curiosity was no less than Milleras and the others’. Yet its focus was different. The Elf characters were excited about finding Ironstar Fortress, curious about its history and records.
Qin Lun, however, was interested in everything about the fortress. Like… the twelve massive furnaces before them!
Qin Lun circled one of the furnaces slowly. The black-and-red bullseye pulsed in his left pupil as he used its penetrating vision to examine the furnace’s interior.
After thousands of years, these furnaces had completely fossilized. The chambers once used for smelting ore were utterly clogged. Only differences in the rock composition allowed a vague identification of the furnace’s internal structure.
What surprised Qin Lun was the base: layers of crumbling limestone. In his left eye’s view, it formed a distinct channel leading deep underground.
After examining several furnaces, Qin Lun confirmed this architectural feature. Though limited by his Perception, he could only see down about a hundred meters below a furnace, he had a strong hunch: these channels beneath the furnaces likely descended deep into the bedrock beneath the entire Alamir Mountains.
Could the Alamir range have been an active volcano? The Sannata Dwarves dared to build a fortress directly above a volcanic vent, harnessing the subterranean magma itself to forge steel!
Qin Lun’s heart surged with feeling. Suddenly, his anticipation for the exploration ahead became boundless.
«Volume 8 Chapter 39: The Alamir Mountains
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Volume 2 Chapter 31: Combat Model »