A Huge Thank You to My Realmkeepers!
I want to give a massive shoutout to Matthew Badtke, KnightZ, Airam Bachiller, James Fleming, LordKad, Dragonman97, Trevor Standifer and Cédric NGOUBY for joining my Patreon at the Realmkeeper tier!
Much love and appreciation,
***
And he wasn't just proud of his rise—he felt invincible as if he'd reached the peak of his life. Every forest troll that had once looked down on him now deferred to his authority. He could sense it: his control over the mining operations was absolute, and his power continued to grow, just as His Majesty, the Great Black Dragon King, had intended.
He intended to conduct experiments here first, and then present the smelted fine ore to the horde of His Majesty, the Great Black Dragon!
---
"What about Captain Walker? The veins of minerals have been mined by these guys!"
Behind a bush next to the magic iron vein, Walker and his party watched with ugly faces as the goblins and kobolds continuously mined the ore.
"Let's go back and report to Lord Turom. Now, we can't deal with these guarding forest trolls alone! Especially when nearly most of them are at least 3rd to 5th-order monsters," Walker said decisively.
Their scouting mission was almost complete.
That thing should be around here.
Several people left quietly under the cover of the bushes.
Several hours later, they met Turom at a camp after a fast-paced journey.
"Master Turom, the mineral veins around here are occupied and currently being mined by dragon-born monsters—kobolds, goblins, and frost trolls!" Walker told Turom all the information he had gathered.
Turom, sitting on the side, took a sip of wine, savoring its sweetness.
"That means the information about the mineral veins was correct! And it also means that thing should be in there somewhere."
"Certainly, Master Turom! The mineral veins appear to extend to considerable depths," Walker said.
"The dragon-born beasts shouldn't be this strong!" Turom put down his wine glass.
Their family had encountered many monsters of these races before. At that time, the dragon-born monsters showed great strength, but it was far from reaching this rank.
"Lord Turom, do you want to bring someone down to test the other party's strength?" Walker suggested.
"No need. Our Voltan family is bound to get the thing. No matter what hidden means the dragon-born monsters or their masters have, we will get it!" Turom's eyes were as fierce as a wolf.
It would be acceptable if it were something else, but this thing is of great significance to the Voltan family.
"But just relying on our more than 100 people..." Walker hesitated.
Turom glanced at Walker. "I know what you mean. No matter how strong the monsters are, we really don't have enough manpower to deal with them. I'll let the family send support!"
"It's not just the family guard! This time, the brutal Holy Shield will also attack!"
"Holy Shield of Cruelty!" Walker's eyes showed seriousness. He hadn't expected the family to pay so much attention to it, and for the Holy Shield of Cruelty to also make a move!
Walker knew what the Aegis of Cruelty was—it was more than just a group of monsters.
No! To be precise, it was something scarier than monsters.
Seeing Walker's face, Turom knew what the captain of the guard was thinking.
Their Voltan family had endured for more than 200 years. The main cornerstone was the Holy Shield of Cruelty!
The Aegis of Ferocity was a type of warrior cultivated by the Voltan family. This kind of fighter was trained according to the standards of the dead.
The Voltan family would select hundreds of three- and four-year-old boys from all over the country. They were then castrated to eliminate all masculinity and regularly brainwashed to remove personality, emotion, and ego.
The survivors would be trained in superb fighting skills, with many eliminated in the process. The result of elimination was always death. Then, when they turned ten, they would be forced to kill each other. Only those who beheaded their companions survived.
Usually, only a few hundred remained, eventually dwindling to about fifty. Further brutal training and transformations followed. The family strengthened their bodies with magic potions that also eliminated pain.
Then came the magical transformation—an ancient technique acquired by the Voltan family. By the time the transformation ended in adulthood, fewer than thirty would remain. Only those who survived this cruel and inhumane training were permitted to live.
They were then equipped with the finest armor and the deadliest weapons. Thus, the Voltan family's most powerful trump card—the Cruel Aegis—was born!
Every Holy Shield of Brutality could fight a hundred foes, even if those hundred were elite troops or high-order monsters. They could cross ranks and battle stronger enemies. The Holy Shield, born in such an environment, obeyed the Voltan family absolutely.
They were disciplined and fiercely capable, with no inclination toward robbery or adultery. The only disadvantage was their short lifespan—about 30 years. After training, they served the family for only ten years.
This was a secret known only to the core members of the Voltan family, not even to loyal guards like Walker.
"Take this letter to the Patriarch!" Turom wrote a letter with a quill and handed it to Walker.
"As ordered!" Walker saluted and left.
"Mineral veins mine! My Voltan family is bound to win!" Turom looked into the distance.
---
At the same time, a dark tide was already brewing outside what used to be the Rose Tribe, now a storage hub.
More than 500 soldiers in black armor had gathered. There were swordsmen, crossbowmen, and spearmen. But the most conspicuous figures were the six giant warriors, standing at about three meters tall. They were fully encased in spiked, silver-white enchanted armor, their eyes protected by black crystal goggles. Behind them were massive two-handed swords and spears radiating with chilling power.
They were the Voltan family's most feared warriors—the Holy Shield of Brutality.
"Uncle Turom, these are all the reinforcements sent by the family," said a young knight in silver-white armor. He was Argus, a member of the Voltan family, a young knight.
The Voltan family decreed that the Holy Shield of Cruelty must always be accompanied by direct family members during missions. The family controlled the Holy Shield at all times.
"Argus, thank you for your hard work. Those monsters, and even their master, are no match for us—even if they were ten times stronger!" Turom laughed.
The Voltan family had survived so long due to their strength and their refusal to underestimate any opponent. They left no chances for their enemies.
"Go now!"
"As ordered!"
Under Turom's command, the army marched out of the Rose Tribe, silent as a venomous snake.
"Argus, take some men to secure the magic iron mine first, and I will take the Holy Shield of Cruelty and other fighters to destroy those damned monsters!"
On the way, Turom assigned a task.
"Don't worry, Uncle Turom!" Argus said, patting his chest.
"Walker, you are the most familiar with the situation, you take Argus to the mine!" Turom said, looking at Walker behind him.
"Follow Lord Turom!" Walker saluted.
"As long as we take down this mine and endure it for a while, then we will finally usher in the most glorious moment of the Voltan family!" Turom said enthusiastically.
Argus didn't say anything more. The Voltan family only ruled one Voltan city in name.
But in fact, their strength has long exceeded the number of guards stipulated by the kingdom...
This is all in preparation for being able to be your own master in the future!
Thinking of this, Argus felt excited, but he was no ordinary person—he was Prince Argus!
---
A few hours later.
On the magic iron vein, the battle was over.
There was no suspense in this battle!
It was very close to the Frost Troll Tribe base, so Shadar didn't send many guards.
However, under the fierce attack of the elite troops led by Argus, only a dozen frost trolls guarding the mine had no way to stop them, nor did the goblins and kobolds due to the brute holy shields, all being high order. So, they could only pour their blood here.
"My lord, what about these goblins and kobolds? They are all 3rd to 4th order," a soldier said, looking at the goblins and kobolds in the distance.
Argus glanced at them casually, "We still need miners to mine ore, and according to Master Turom, there's something deep underground, so it's even better that they are of average strength. It will make mining easier and faster. These are ready-made miners, let's keep them for now."
But he didn't see that among the kobolds, there was one who was stronger than the others and looked at him like a dead man.
This time was unexpected for Kobold Doug Sky.
In fact, due to his status among the kobolds, he didn't need to come down to mine at all, but in order to better help His Majesty the Great Black Dragon, he decided to come and supervise the mining work himself. However, he didn't expect to meet the human army.
Doug didn't rush forward irrationally, saying they were followers of His Majesty the Great Black Dragon King or something like that.
On the contrary, he restrained the other clansmen and goblins, not letting them talk nonsense or resist, just waiting for an opportunity!
How can these guys be compared with real dragons?
"Where did the other two go?" Argus asked, a little annoyed.
In addition to the death of 13 soldiers when the monsters fought back as they were dying, there were actually two missing.
"Master Argus, Brother Ender is chasing a half-beast girl!"
"Half-beast?" Argus was a little puzzled.
"A half-beast girl, looks like a wolf girl, so they couldn't hold back..."
Argus knew what was going on, seeing the hesitation of his subordinates.
The value of half-beast women is very high, and the three of them probably want to make some extra money.
"Damn it!"
Argus knew that the Ender brothers were very powerful because they were personally recruited by him, so he was very angry now.
What made him angry was not that these two were chasing some half-breeds, but that they dared to disobey his orders.
One must know that these soldiers were his cronies, and they were all selected by Argus himself.
Argus decides to teach the two men a lesson when they come back and even kill them directly to make an example of them.
Let these subordinates recall what order and prohibition are!
...
A petite figure was running fast in the forest.
Laura did not run in the direction of the Rose Tribe. She knew that since the enemy could attack the mining field so blatantly, they must be prepared to deal with those frost trolls.
Those enemies were exceptionally well-equipped and powerful.
Laura thought that even if the former Rose Tribe and the Evil Tooth Tribe joined forces, they were far from being rivals.
Now her only hope was to rush to the Evil Tooth Tribe as soon as possible and tell the Black Dragon King the news.
She hoped to make it in time!
Suddenly, the wolf girl Laura's ears twitched, and she dropped to the side.
Swoosh swish!
Three arrows flew past her.
Laura looked back to see two armored warriors had surrounded her.
"Hey, I'm right, she's a little wolf girl!"
The two looked at each other and smiled, having already seen that the little wolf girl was about to run away.
But they didn't say anything, quietly following her, just wanting to make a fortune alone.
"Brother, I want to play first, okay?" another soldier said, taking off his helmet.
"Third brother, you can't play this game. You must know that some of the nobles are willing to pay high prices for virgins!"
"I promise I won't do that, but just play with other parts!" The third child was a bit reluctant.
"Then hurry up!" The boss waved impatiently.
"Okay. Hey, little girl, just obediently give up!"
The third child took out an iron chain and looked at Laura.
Laura lowered her head, curling up as if terrified...
Seeing that the little wolf girl was scared like this, the two were relieved. She was just a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old half-beast girl.
At the moment the third child reached out to grab the little wolf girl's hair, Laura burst into action.
"Be careful, third child!" The boss barely managed to say.
Puchi!
The little wolf girl, her eyes scarlet, directly bit the third child's neck and pulled hard.
A bloody trachea was torn off.
She then kicked the second child's body toward the eldest with a strong kick and fled into the distance on all fours.
"Hehehe~"
The third child's eyes were dull. He wanted to take in some air, but with his severed trachea, he had no way.
"Ahhh!"
The boss hugged his brother's body in great pain. The little wolf girl was too fast, and he had underestimated her, taking off his helmet.
And the third child died so aggrieved, without even using his fighting spirit.
"Damn bastard, I'm going to cut off your head myself!" The boss took off his armor to lighten the weight, grabbed his weapon, activated his fighting spirit, and chased after her with all his strength.
...
At this moment, Shadar was gnawing on a massive beast's leg, his cold aura seeping into the air around him, an ever-present reminder of his frost troll heritage. Icy breaths swirled as he tore into the meat, the chill radiating from his massive form enough to make even the nearby goblins and kobolds shiver in his presence.
Barbatos had tasked Shadar with overseeing the protection of the ore being delivered, a duty he didn't take lightly. After all, this ore was destined to be part of the Great Feast—a celebration of strength and power that his tribe, the Evil Tooth, now held in high regard. The feast represented more than just food; it was a symbol of their newfound prosperity under the Black Dragon King's reign. With the troll warriors by his side, Shadar kept a close eye on the goblins and kobolds as they diligently transported the ore into the warehouse. Seeing the piles grow brought a rare smile to his frosty features.
In truth, life for the Evil Tooth tribe had once been simple and harsh—built around hunting and looting, an existence driven by survival and scarcity. They hunted the beasts of the forest, sometimes robbing the unfortunate caravans that ventured too close. However, their reputation as ruthless marauders meant that many traders had long since begun avoiding the region, taking long, costly detours to bypass their territory. The trolls, while formidable, could not afford to antagonize every nearby force. They weren't invincible, and they had basic needs like salt and supplies, which required trade—something their hunts and raids alone couldn't always provide.
***
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