The four of them stood on a protruding rock near the top of the mountain, under the shadow of a protective wall. Bai En glanced up and saw that the ladder was retracted onto the airship, and the spaceship ascended into the sky again, beyond the range of the evil wizards. He raised his ears, wanting to hear if there was a sirens sounding an alarm. He could only hear Snowry humming.

"Please stop," he whispered.

"Okay." Snowry replied loudly.

Bai En tried his best to restrain the urge to cut him with a sword.

"This road should lead us to the Eagle's Gate," Warwick murmured.

"Then let's go," said Gray Logan. "We don't have time all night."

Moving along the mountain road, they finally stopped in front of a huge eagle statue carved on the rock surface. Guerrerogan reached out between his right claws, looked down, and pressed a hidden switch. A small mouth was opened at the bottom of it, just big enough for a dwarf to crawl over. They entered in a hurry. Then Bai En heard another click of the switch, and the dim light outside disappeared behind them.

He felt Varikla pulled his sleeve. They have decided on the road before that they will not turn on any lights until they know that the road is safe. In that case, there is nothing to expose them in the dark.

Bai En realized that this was no problem for the dwarves, because they could indeed see things in the dark, but this plan made him blind and completely dependent on their guidance. Maybe this is not a good plan. He touched the cold stone wall with his left hand, and then walked in the direction of Warwick.

"Dwarf cities generally have many such secret escape routes," Varik whispered, seeming to reassure Bai En. "During the siege, they can also be used as a channel to sneak attack on siege troops."

Bai En asked: "What if traitors use them to break into the city?"

"No dwarf would do such a thing," Warwick replied. Bai En heard a real shock from the dwarf's voice: Some people would make such a suggestion.

"Behind, be quiet." Guerrerogan whispered. "Do you want to attract the attention of all beasts and monsters in the mountains?"

"It's a good idea," Snowry said loudly. Then there was a suspicious sound, like Grey Rogan's fist hitting Snowy's head, and then there was silence.

————

Luck-snake tongue grinned. The pain is over. The long days of sweating and tumbling in his temporary cave were over. He no longer felt the sharp pain in his skull, and he no longer felt that every bone in his body was taut. Pain has purified him, pain has reshaped him. He was chosen by the demon lord, and was blessed by the lurker in the unknown darkness-the king of the abyss.

He instinctively knew that he had changed, and these changes were a sign that his master preferred him. The magic stone dust is just a catalyst, a transformation medium carrying the blessing of the devil. He is now bigger, too big to hold his crate, so big that he had to squat down and squeeze through the corridor.

He became very strong. His shoulders are as wide as ogres. His chest is muscular. His arms are now thicker than his previous legs, and his legs have become the backbone of all these forces.

He felt that he could bend the steel bar with bare hands and tear the granite with his fangs.

Now his teeth are much longer and sharper. His lower canine teeth protruded like fangs, making it difficult for him to keep his mouth closed. Saliva kept flowing from the corner of his mouth.

His skull became heavier, and it felt like bones were spurting from his cheeks, forming a hard armor mask. A pair of thick orangutan horns grew on his forehead. At that time, they gave him a headache, but now he understands that this is the sign that the devil favors him, a sign that proves that he is indeed selected, is a blessing that makes him look different, extraordinary, superior . He knew that he was better than other Ratmen in his life, and now he has finally proved this.

Look at its tail-so long, so smooth, so soft, with four spikes on it, as if it were a real mace. Look at his claws-much longer and sharper, each as big as a dagger. The hatred and hunger burning in his heart made him a living machine of destruction.

He need not be afraid of unknown pawns like Tangul. When he returns to Modu, it will be an absolute victory. The Modu Committee itself also fell down at his feet. He will lead the army of the Ratmen and destroy everything that blocks him. The whole world will tremble and be conquered by the invincible and omnipotent lek-snake tongue.

But now that he is hungry, it is time to go hunting. He could hear the footsteps of the dwarf coming over. After listening for a while, he realized that they were more than one. A deep-seated instinct tells him that digital advantages are good only when they are on your side. It is unwise to attack a group of enemies. Perhaps, he decided that he would wait for a while until there was only one person left, and then—then he would show his awesome power.

————

Bane heard the deep rumble of the stone as it moved on the stone, when Grerogan pressed another switch. A filthy air blew across his face, and he suspected that the dwarf had opened a secret door again. They moved forward quickly, and Bai En heard the sound of stones moving back to their original positions behind them.

He didn't know how this was done. He did not hear the sound of the second switch being used. Maybe this mechanism is timed. Maybe they have a pressure plate under their feet. He knew he should wait and ask again next time. If he is separated from others, he may have to find his way back.

There is light in front, a dim and distant light. It seemed to be suppressed, dim and dull, occasionally darker, and finally bright again. It is not like the light of a torch, but more like the light produced by a glowing stone or a spell. This made Bai En nervous. He drew out the sacrificial knife and was ready to face a caster at any time. But with this faint light, he can now see the chunky outline of the dwarves in front.

Guerrerogan raised a hand, motioned for them to stay still, and then moved forward silently alone. The secret of the movement was absolutely unpredictable by Bai En.

He was glad that the dwarf seemed to take their task so seriously. It seems that his need to understand the fate of the residents of Guntergrim even overwhelmed his desire for heroic death. Why not? Bai En asked himself. The two are not mutually exclusive. If Guerrerogan wants to be remembered in the history of the dwarves, is there a better way than to be a savior to recover these missing persons? Or does he have other, more personal motivations? Bai En knows he will never ask this question.

He took another deep breath to calm himself. There was a musty smell in the air, and a little smell of rot and other things. He remembered smelling it in the pyramid of the Hawks of the Hawks ~ lightnovelpub.net ~ It was a stench of an evil beast. He heard Snory sniffing, knowing that the hammer-wielding dwarf also noticed.

Guerrerogan had reached the crossroads ahead and beckoned them to follow. They hurried forward until they reached the hole, and a long corridor appeared again.

The flashing lights came from the gemstones inlaid on the ceiling. Some were broken, some were removed. Those things left behind are cracked and can only work intermittently, throwing shadows into the darkness.

These stone carvings reminded Bai En of the dwarf architecture he once marveled at Shifengbao. The walls are supported by hewn basalt. Huge arches support the high arched roof. Each piece is a piece of art. Near them were carved statues of two half-kneeling dwarfs. They stood face to face on the other side of the corridor, carrying the roof on their backs.

They must be beautiful when they are made, but they are destroyed. The face has been cut off, and some stone carvings have been scratched by the blade. This made Bai En angry because an artist spent so much effort creating a work that was damaged by something.

Slowly, Bai En understood that what he saw was not pure wanton destruction, but evidence of a war. There was a fierce conflict in this corridor, using a variety of weapons, conventional and unconventional. They began to walk past the skeleton under the arch. They still wore armor and clenched their arms with skinny fingers. Some belong to dwarves, and some belong to terrifying mutants.

"Okay, now we know that followers of the evil spirits are coming in." Warwick whispered.

"Yes, the brave dwarves greeted them with cold steel." Gray Logan said.

"But is anyone still alive now?" Bai En mumbled.