137: Dwarf Kingdom

Chapter 137: Dwarf Kingdom

"Blackstone City is the current main city of the Hill Dwarves," Si Luoluo said, pointing to a city on the slope ahead.

Lu Ran looked around.

The city was medieval in style, but not ancient overall.

He could vaguely see Dwarves going in and out of the city gate.

But there was no trace of humans.

After all, this was still a Forbidden Area, and Lu Ran and his party were the first humans to set foot here.

But Lu Ran felt a bit confused.

"Hill Dwarves are a branch of the Dwarf race, also called Cave Dwarves, but why are they in a city above ground instead of in a cave?" Lu Ran asked curiously.

Before coming, Si Luoluo had introduced some information about the Hill Dwarves.

Liu Xinxin had also mentioned records about Hill Dwarves in some ancient texts she had seen.

Indeed, they all said that Hill Dwarves were also called Cave Dwarves, living in caves beneath the hills, with complex tunnel systems, which also led to their skin being much fairer than other Dwarf branches, but their stature was also smaller, convenient for underground activities.

"They used to live underground, but after the world became digitized, the world's landscape and terrain changed significantly. The Hill Dwarves were forced to leave the underground and establish their main city on the surface, while also planning to reclaim their former caves," Si Luoluo explained.

After speaking,

She then mused and added, "According to the rules of your human quest system, the quest triggered by your quest scroll when you go to Blackstone City will most likely be related to the former caves, but what the specific quest is, remains unknown."

So that's how it was.

Although Lu Ran still didn't understand why, after the terrain changes, if they had the ability to build a city, they didn't reopen the caves and return underground?

But Si Luoluo probably only had a partial understanding.

After all, she wasn't a Natural Elf, but a degenerated Dark Elf.

Furthermore,

Even if she were a Natural Elf, after the world became digitized, their alliance with the Dwarf race was effectively null and void, and their connection was not close.

Moreover, the main city of the Hill Dwarves was in the human world, but the Natural Elves existed as an independent instance, which also made Lu Ran feel a bit strange.

"Then let's go to the main city first and see," Lu Ran mused.

Subsequently,

The group headed towards Blackstone City.

The moment they arrived at the city gate.

Ding!

"Quest triggered, please check promptly!"

Lu Ran was startled.

It triggered already?

He had originally thought he would need to enter Blackstone City, or meet the Dwarf King, to trigger the quest.

He didn't expect it to trigger just by approaching Blackstone City.

He stopped, took out the scroll, and looked at it.

At this moment, the scroll had shed its original decaying and ancient traces, with light flowing over it, and the map was clearer.

At the same time,

A new quest appeared in the quest system: [Continuation of the eternal fire]

[Quest: Continuation of the eternal fire (1)]

[Objective: Meet the Dwarf King and gain the Dwarf King's affirmation]

[Reward: 5 million experience!]

Lu Ran frowned.

Only five million experience as a reward?

Although it wasn't a small amount, compared to the dangerous act of entering the Forbidden Area, five million experience seemed a bit too paltry.

But he immediately realized.

The '1' written after the quest indicated that it was a series quest, not a single quest.

The current objective was to meet the Dwarf King and gain his affirmation.

This was much simpler.

Getting five million experience just for meeting the Dwarf King was indeed not a small amount.

Then, Lu Ran told Liu Xinxin and the others about the quest.

"Then it should be a series quest. As expected, the scrolls for entering the Forbidden Area are not ordinary items. The rewards for series quests will progress incrementally, and the overall rewards will be incredibly generous, Lu Ran, you're going to make a fortune this time," Liu Xinxin said enviously.

At this moment,

Outside the East Gate of Blackstone City,

The bustling Dwarves all stopped, their curious gazes surrounding Lu Ran and the others.

Among them, Dwarf warriors, mages, and other common professions were clearly visible.

There were also some Dwarf merchants and ordinary residents.

Their height was indeed slightly shorter than normal Dwarves.

The tallest didn't reach Lu Ran's thigh, and the shortest only reached his knee height.

Overall, a quick glance made him feel very strange, as if he had become a giant.

But Dwarves were not proportionally scaled-down humans; they had large heads, mature faces, and short but very thick limbs.

Especially those Dwarf Berserkers, though small, were covered in bulging muscles, and one look could make you feel the explosive power contained within them!

"These are all Dwarves, most of whom are Dwarves from after the world became digitized and haven't encountered humans, so they are very curious but not hostile. Dwarves themselves are not warlike; although they don't have deep friendships with humans, they don't harbor animosity either," Si Luoluo explained.

Lu Ran nodded.

But then he suddenly noticed some green-skinned, pointy-eared Dwarves in the crowd, resembling Goblins.

He asked confusedly, "Are those also Dwarves? Why do they look different?"

Si Luoluo shook her head, "No, those are Gnomes. Gnomes circulate among various races, and there are many merchants among them. Gnome merchant guilds are Global and very powerful. There used to be Gnome merchant guilds in human territories as well, but after digitization, your new human race has new main cities, and the Gnome merchant guilds haven't settled in yet."

Si Luoluo seemed to know a great deal about these matters.

She could answer all of Lu Ran's questions.

And she was right.

Although Dwarves didn't have deep friendships with humans, they didn't harbor animosity towards them either.

As Lu Ran and the others walked through the city gate, the guards merely glanced at them and then ignored them.

Only a group of curious Dwarves following behind made Lu Ran and the others feel a bit awkward, like monkeys being gawked at.

The architectural style inside Blackstone City differed greatly from human buildings; it wasn't regular and wasn't low, but rather very tall, with intricate and winding roads.

Lu Ran and his companions had no destination, not even knowing where to find the Dwarf King.

Nor did they know the location of the Dwarf King's royal city within Blackstone City.

"Their stature is so short, yet these buildings are even grander and taller than human buildings. But these roads are rugged, winding, and too chaotic," Lu Ran muttered.

All the way uphill, downhill, through tunnels, the roads crisscrossed and were divided into several levels.

It was utterly chaotic, built entirely on a whim!

"Dwarves are skilled in forging, but not in construction. They build whatever is convenient, but the structural integrity of their buildings is not an issue," Si Luoluo said casually.

"What do we do now? Where do we find the Dwarf King? Si Luoluo, do you know?" Lu Ran asked.

This time, the usually all-knowing Si Luoluo also shook her head.

She said, "I don't know. I only know that Blackstone City was built later by the Hill Dwarves, and I've never been here."

But just then,

Suddenly, a Dwarf girl appeared before them, carrying a large hammer, blocking their path.

She stared at Lu Ran and the others for a moment before shouting, "Human friends, what are you doing in Blackstone City? Do you need help? Prices are negotiable!"