A week later, spring break came. And with spring break imminent, I was able to set aside time to help out the Hel-Moran Combine.
Of course, as Sylvie, Silvia and Jun Hai reminded me, I had to inform Myria about this or she would be upset. And she was more than happy to join the fun.
"Visiting the dwarven dungeons, huh? Count me in!"
With that settled, she and Jun Hai teleported into my dungeon using the spirit arrays that Sylvie and Silvia set up. The fairy sisters and I could just teleport into my dungeon naturally without the aid of spirit arrays. Once the whole gang was there, with our equipment and preparation, we were ready to set out.
"I'll leave this place to you," I told Long Wang. He nodded.
"Summon me if you need to," he said. "I'm always up for a fight against demonic cultivators. I never liked those bastards."
"Understood. I'll count on you then."
Come to think of it, Long Wang's cultivation was more similar to the orthodox path than it was to the demonic path. No wonder he didn't like them. I was sort of surprised at first because he was a Heaven ranked Deep Sea Dragon who held no small amount of apathy toward humans. But he seemed to harbor a greater hatred for demonic cultivators because of the kind of measures they took just to better their own strength. It went against the natural order, apparently.
"Let's set out then," I told the rest. Then I waved at my other spirit beasts, who stayed in my dungeon because I was only going to summon them over when necessary. No point painting a huge bullseye on our back by having a colossal convoy travel from one dungeon to another. That would draw a lot of attention. It was far more discrete for a smaller group to trek through the forest on the level above us, and toward the Hel-Moran Combine. Of course, we weren't going to summon Xiao Huo Long or my brother's Violent Salamander to fly us around either.
It was a better strategy to not let the Mystic Demon Sect know about us. We could take them by surprise and seize a tremendous tactical advantage when they weren't expecting us.
"Lead the way, Raquel."
"Roger that, Master."
I was glad that I had hired Raquel, even though she didn't possess much combat power and was deemed "useless" by toxic commenters beyond the fourth dimension, her skills as a guide shone through. Since Jun Hai, Sylvie, Silvia and I had already traveled through the forest on the level above, we could navigate toward the sloped cavern leading to the next one fairly easily, but it was there where Raquel's knowledge of the terrain truly shone.
She took the lead after we ascended to the level above, past where we encountered the were-beasts. Speaking of the were-beasts, they were following us as well, though they had spread out into several packs and separately followed the trails that Raquel left.
"We want some payback," Lionel Jonson had told me. "So please let us join you. We promise to be of a great asset against those wicked demonic cultivators…and take our revenge on them for inflicting such horrific things upon our brethren."
However, I was worried that such a large convoy would be easily discovered by the enemy, and so Lionel had laughed and assured me that they would make their way in smaller, separate groups. Raquel had also provided a solution.
"I'll leave behind some tracks so that the were-beasts can pick up on them and follow us. We will all converge on the Hel-Moran Combine within a day, if all goes well."
"Excellent." Lionel had beamed. "Don't worry, lord. We were-beasts have keen senses. We can pick up your scent and sniff out the tracks you leave behind without much effort. Trust us to follow you without making a fuss. Oh, and don't forget that the forest is our home. If there's anyone who mastered stealth in a forested environment, it's us."
"Okay."
Technically, the were-beasts weren't under my command, so I didn't have any authority over them. They could do whatever they wanted and I had no way of stopping them. That said, I appreciated them providing support. They were mostly Mystic ranked spirit beasts, and Lionel himself was a rare Earth ranked warrior, which meant they would greatly increase our combat potential. Given that the dwarves of the Hel-Moran Combine were not known for their prowess in battle, we needed their strength.
And so, we moved through the forest as quickly as possible. From what a visiting Merchant told me, in exchange for a pumpkin spiced latte, the Mystic Demon Sect had established a foothold in the same level as the Hel-Moran Combine and were even now advancing closer. They hadn't actually discovered the precise location of the dwarven dungeons yet, but they would inevitably find them. The Merchant estimated that they would eventually root out our nominal allies within a few days.
That meant we had very little time to prepare for the inevitable siege.
"Don't worry," Lionel had assured me after I had heard the intelligence provided by the Merchant. He was grinning wolfishly. "I'm not going to miss the siege like the other guy did. I'll definitely make it in time to help fight against the demonic cultivators. Or I would arrive with my forces to crush them from behind, a hammer against the anvil that is the Hel-Moran Combine."
"That's actually a better idea," I had said thoughtfully. "Why not you guys lurk near the area instead of going straight to the Hel-Moran Combine? When the Mystic Demon Sect attacks, we'll crush them between us while they are unaware. That way, it will turn into a rout."
"Agreed. We'll go with that plan then. However…" Lionel had paused, seeming hesitant. "How do we deal with the Mystic Demonic Divine? Even I am no match for him. If it was several decades ago, perhaps I might give it a try, but right now I estimate that I'll be killed by him, nine times out of ten."
"You think the odds against you are that high?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'll have to figure something out." I had sighed wearily. Myria had raised her hand then.
"Don't worry. We'll all work together to bring him down. With the number of Earth ranked spirit beasts you have, and with you joining in and buffing them, as well as our support, I'm sure we will be able to defeat even an Ultimate Evil like him."
I wanted to believe her, but something told me that it wouldn't be this easy. In any case, there was no use worrying about it right now. We had to focus on reaching the Hel-Moran Combine. Raquel continued to lead us through the forest that made up most of the level the moment we exited the slope. It wasn't long before we finally stumbled upon a massive cavern where the vegetation was a lot barer.
Instead, there were massive double gates closing off the rest of the cavern from the Celestial Labyrinth. Spikes jutted out of them, and a relief was sculpted, featuring some heroic dwarf who was probably from Hel-Moran's great past. He held up an axe, which pointed toward the ceiling of the cavern, though considering that this was the Celestial Labyrinth, the luminous moss all shone like stars, making the roof resemble the night sky outside.
Raquel gestured for us to follow her to the gate, emerging from the forest and stepping out of the dense vegetation to stand in full view of the dwarven sentries standing guard at the towers on either side of the gates.
"We're from the Deep-Sea Palace dungeon!" She announced boldly, bowing politely. I did the same after taking up position next to her, sensing the presence of Jun Hai, Sylvie, Silvia and Myria behind me. We all gathered in front of the gates, allowing the dwarven sentries to confirm our identities. It didn't take long, for Einhard Ubisoft himself appeared, waving at us in a genial manner.
"Ah, Baron Song!" He called out heartily, pumping a gauntleted fist into the air. "You really came! I knew we could trust you!"
"The Hel-Moran Combine calls, and the Deep-Sea Palace answers," I replied solemnly. Okay, I was probably ripping off an awesome line from an amazing movie trilogy, but I didn't care. And Einhard looked suitably impressed, so no harm was done.
"Thank you very much. We are eternally in your debt." Einhard then turned to bark at the sentries. "What are you waiting for? Open the gates and let them in!"
"Yes, sir." The young dwarf with a barely grown beard complied hastily, turning to flip a switch. With a clank, the massive gates swiftly opened, granting us entry. My entourage and I entered without any hesitation, not wanting the gates to still be open when the enemy showed up. Every second counted.
As we walked into, I could hear several of the dwarves whispering to each other.
"Is that them? That's all they're bringing? I don't see how they'll make a difference against those so-called demonic cultivators."
"Yeah, there's so few of them. What's the point? Did they come here to get killed alongside us?"
"I guess there's courage in that, but I was hoping for a bit more."
"Silence, all of you ignorant fools! Do you not know what the dungeon master of the Deep-Sea Palace is famous for? They say he's a one-man army."
"I hear he can summon an entire army on his own."
"Oh! With him by our side, we might just be able to survive this!"
"Survive? We'll do better than survive, aye. We'll destroy those demonic bastards!"
Einhard chuckled as he led us toward the main underground palace where the council presumably resided in. "Your appearance will be a huge boost to morale. We might be a hardy people, but we are under no illusion regarding the massive threat that is coming to invade us. The demonic whatever has already conquered several lesser dungeons on their way here. We've heard that they are capable of vile sorcery the likes we've never seen. I doubt we can counter their foul magics with fire and steel alone."
"We'll do our best, but I'm sure your spirit and willpower will see you win the day. And we have more allies in place." I smiled. "I can't divulge any details, but suffice to say, we will not be fighting alone."
"Oh, that's great to hear!" Einhard guffawed heartily. "Any assistance will be more than welcome!"
I nodded, and Einhard continued.
"We've prepared a preliminary contract for you to sign."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm just going to greet your council and then we'll go to work immediately." I nodded to Sylvie and Silvia. "I hope you don't mind if my adopted sisters over here start setting up spirit arrays. The sooner we get it all done, the better."
"No, not at all. Of course, it's better to inform the council first so that they can grant the authorization and inform all the relevant parties so that they won't get in the way of their work."
"Let's not waste any time then."
We marched toward the palace, and to my lack of surprise, I saw a collection of old dwarves seated around what looked like a courtroom. Councilors and ministers who were hunched over their seats and desks, with what looked like the chairman of the council seated on an archaic throne in the center. Half of them were female dwarves, their aged faces feminine and free of facial hair, though they were as short and pudgy as their male counterparts. Though the furniture had been adjusted according to the dwarves' stature, that didn't take away from the sheer grandeur of the room. Once again, I was reminded why dwarves were known as master artisans. Everything from the statues of honored dwarven heroes to the meticulously carved metallic chairs and tables were exquisite, and even someone as ignorant as me could see the amount of work and passion put into bringing them to life.
Unlike the elves who made use of wood to construct their homes and furniture, the dwarves had built their structures using metal. The surface was polished to a shine, the precious minerals and spirit ores that they used emanating a soft gleam that radiated tenacity and pride. The dwarves were a proud race, not the same arrogance that the elves possessed, but more of a boisterous pride in their skills with smithing and metallurgy. Their craftsmanship was on display for all to see, and they were not shy in hiding the smoothly curved golden chairs or finely sculpted silver tables.
No wonder the Mystic Demon Sect was determined to conquer their dungeons and plunder their armory and blacksmiths' skills for themselves. It would certainly augment their strength. I couldn't allow that to happen.
"It is an honor to meet you," the chairman of the council said. "I am Cyrus Crowley, chairman of the council who oversees the Hel-Moran Combine. The men and women you see here are my ministers and advisors. Please be seated and make yourselves comfortable so that we can begin negotiations."
"Forgive me for being candid," I said immediately once we had all taken up our seats. "But I wish to begin fortifying your dungeons right away. My adopted sisters here – the fairy spirits – will start by setting up as many protective and offensive spirit arrays as they can. And I would like to look around so that I know where the best places to summon my troops will be."
"Already down to business without demanding for payment straight up, eh?" Cyrus Crowley chuckled in approval. "I like you, youngster."
"We can discuss payment and whatever after the ordeal, but my priority is to ensure we survive the crisis…and even deal the demonic cultivators a crushing defeat if possible."
"I understand." The chairman rose to his feet. "Using the emergency powers bestowed upon me by the council during this dark time, I will grant you whatever authority you need. Requisition from our dwarven corps as you see fit, equip yourself with whatever you want from our armory. Do whatever it takes to protect our Hel-Moran Combine. We have heard of your feats against the Flood Dragon Dungeon, and we hope to see you repeat a miracle here."
"Our victory against the Flood Dragon Dungeon wasn't a miracle." Myria smirked. "And we will show you why when the battle begins."