142: Holy City

Two months later, an encrypted magical transmission traveled thousands of miles, arriving at the Lords Mansion of Star Sea City.

Linn took the specially made transmission crystal from Elise's hand and injected mana into it. Barton's signature steady voice echoed in the secret chamber, with the faint background noise of clanging hammers and the unique roar of a furnace:

"My Lord, the preliminary contact is complete. The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dwarf Kingdom have jointly stated that they are willing to receive your official visit with 'Kingdom Guest' status. The Dwarf King has preliminarily agreed to a meeting, but the specific agenda needs to be discussed in person. The other party has shown strong interest in the Mithril trade and a stable supply of Elemental Ore, but they are cautious about the proposal to 'avoid border conflicts' and request more details. They also vaguely mentioned the matter of Advanced potions. I have arranged to wait in the royal capital, 'Holy City'. Additionally, the Dwarf King's name is: Thorin Anvil, the seventh monarch of the Holy Land Dwarf Dynasty, an Elementary Epic Warrior, who has reigned for over five hundred years."

The crystal's light dimmed as the message finished broadcasting.

Linn and Elise looked at each other, both seeing the solemnity and a hint of excitement in each other's eyes. The Dwarf King's willingness to meet was, in itself, a huge step forward.

Linn's status as an Apothecary was now somewhat famous, and the Dwarf King clearly knew he was an Advanced Apothecary. Linn felt that providing some potions in exchange for cooperation would be well worth it.

"Prepare everything; I will set off immediately," Linn said, standing up.

"How many people are you taking?" Elise asked.

"Only Destiny. This trip is for diplomacy, not a show of force. Too many people would be useless and instead make us look insecure," Linn said while taking out several items he had prepared long ago from his space! Several bottles of Level 7 high-grade potions, a small box of high-purity Mithril samples, and a fist-sized crimson Elemental Crystal that looked as if fire were flowing inside it.

"I'll leave the home front to you and Clay." Linn put on a relatively simple but exquisitely crafted deep blue traveling outfit, covered by a grey cloak without any patterns. "The Po Jun Legion will continue the 'exploration and advancement' as planned, but only up to the border of East Sea Prefecture."

"Understood, be careful with everything." Elise stepped forward and gently straightened his collar, her eyes full of concern.

Linn smiled slightly, leaned down, and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. "Wait for me to return."

He walked out of the secret chamber and into the private courtyard behind the Lords Mansion. Destiny had already sensed her master's summons, her massive silver dragon body elegantly curled on the specially reinforced platform. Seeing Linn, she lowered her head and let out a soft, low cry.

"I'll have to trouble you again, old friend." Linn patted her cool scales and leaped onto the dragon's back. "Target: deep within the Great Wilderness Forest, the Dwarf capital, Holy City."

Destiny spread her wings, and a powerful current of air swirled the fallen leaves in the courtyard. There was no ear-splitting roar, only a nearly imperceptible ripple in space as the silver giant dragon soared into the sky, turning into a silver line on the horizon in an instant.

The man and dragon reached Shattered Star City in the blink of an eye and arrived at East Sea Prefecture through the teleportation array.

A Peak Legendary Space Dragon flying at full speed crossed the human-controlled eastern region of the Great Wilderness Forest in a day and a night, entering the continuous mountain range marked as "Dwarf Sphere of Influence" on the map.

The scene here was completely different from human territory. The forest was still dense, but the terrain became increasingly rugged, with exposed rocks showing the unique colors of mineral-rich deposits. In the distance, huge openings were carved into the mountain Peaks, where tracks and lifting devices were faintly visible. Thick smoke curled up from some mountain passes, a sign of the dwarf furnaces that never went out. Occasionally, the silhouettes of wyverns or giant bats could be seen in the sky—those were the flying sentries trained by the dwarves.

Linn did not hide his tracks; instead, he had Destiny slightly lower her altitude and speed. After another day, a squad of dwarf sky cavalry riding giant bats and clad in heavy armor came to meet them. The dwarf officer in the lead had a flame-red beard and held a rune-shimmering battle-axe. From a distance, he shouted using amplification magic, his voice as coarse as rocks grinding together:

"State your identity, traveler! This is the airspace of the Dwarf Kingdom!"

Linn signaled Destiny to hover and used his mana to make his voice carry clearly: "Earl Lynn Star Sea, Lord of the Star Sea Territory of the Aolai Kingdom, comes to visit at the invitation of His Majesty Thorin Anvil. Your country's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have a record."

The dwarf officer had clearly received word beforehand. His expression softened slightly upon hearing this, but his gaze remained wary as it swept over Destiny, lingering for a moment on her emerald dragon eyes! The aura of a Legendary dragon could not be faked.

"Please follow me, Lord Excellency. His Majesty is waiting in the palace." The officer turned his bat mount and led the way.

After flying for about half an hour, a shocking sight appeared within a basin surrounded by mountains.

Holy City.

Rather than a "city," it was more of a miracle where an entire mountain range had been carved into a fortress. The main body of the city was not built on the ground but relied on several connected giant Peaks. From the foot to the summit, countless caves, platforms, corridors, and bridges were carved out layer by layer. The architectural style was rugged and practical, using large amounts of stone and metal with almost no wooden structures. Every protruding platform was equipped with Ballistae or magic towers, and the city walls were densely packed with arrow slits.

Most prominent was the center of the city, atop a Peak that looked as if it had been leveled by a giant axe, where a magnificent palace cast entirely of black iron and bronze stood. At the top of the palace, a massive anvil sculpture shimmered with a dull luster in the sunlight—the symbol of the Anvil Dynasty. Around the palace, dozens of thick chimneys continuously belched smoke and sparks; that was the core forging area and power source of the Dwarf Kingdom.

The entire city was shrouded in a pale red magical shield, a masterpiece combining ley line energy and dwarf rune technology. The air was filled with the unique scent of sulfur, lava, metal, and ale.

"Please land here, Lord Excellency. The dragon... can stay at the 'Guest Dragon Cliff' outside the city." The leading officer pointed to a cliff on the eastern side of the city that had been specially leveled and equipped with mooring stakes and supply stations.

Linn nodded, and Destiny landed gracefully on the Dragon Cliff. Several dwarf ground crew members pushed forward huge chunks of meat and buckets of fresh water. Their movements were skilled; clearly, it wasn't their first time receiving a dragon visitor.

Linn leaped off the dragon's back and directly recalled Destiny in front of everyone. At his level, owning a Demiplane was not something particularly rare.

Barton had already been waiting at the entrance of the Dragon Cliff with two senior managers from the Star Sea Merchant Guild. Seeing Linn, Barton visibly relaxed and stepped forward quickly.

"Lord, you've had a long journey."