Chapter 345: Resurgence of Ashes

Chapter 345: Resurgence of Ashes

Upon hearing the reconciliation request from the High Priestess Sona of the Mermaid Clan, Lu Heng was slightly taken aback.

She had only one demand: for the Black Iron Dwarves to stop dumping Groth's Ashes into the sea.

It seemed that the Mermaid Clan wasn't as difficult to deal with as they appeared on the surface.

As the Mermaids were one of the more aggressive intelligent races, they tended to leave a lasting impression on Ability Users as a hard-to-approach group.

After interacting with High Priestess Sona over the past two days, Lu Heng felt that she was more approachable than he had anticipated.

Perhaps it was because she was unique, unlike the other wild Mermaids.

In fact, if the Mermaid Clan could see the situation clearly, they would realize that reconciling with the Black Iron Dwarves and jointly seeking a solution to the crisis was the best choice for the development of both races.

Letting emotions dictate decisions was not something a qualified ruler should do.

To clarify the Mermaid Clan's demands, Lu Heng asked again, "Is there only one request? Is there anything else?"

High Priestess Sona thought for a moment and replied, "We have no territorial conflicts with the Black Iron Dwarves, so there's no need for fighting. As long as they stop dumping volcanic ash into the sea, we can discuss other matters."

She didn't speak with finality, as the Black Iron Dwarves might not agree to her demands.

After a brief consideration, Lu Heng agreed, "Alright, I'll convey your request to the King of the Brass Forge Kingdom. But I have one request..."

High Priestess Sona narrowed her eyes, staring directly into Lu Heng's eyes, and asked calmly, "What is your request?"

"I hope you can hand over Frigus to me so I can take him to the Copper Forge Kingdom. I'm here to help mediate the conflict between the two races. If I can bring Frigus back, it will greatly aid the negotiations. If he dies, it will only intensify the rift between the races." Lu Heng intended to save the Black Iron Dwarf captain once.

High Priestess Sona fell into deep thought and didn't agree immediately.

She understood Lu Heng's intention and knew that releasing Frigus could help ease tensions with the Black Iron Dwarves.

However, the Mermaid Clan had finally captured a Black Iron Dwarf captain, and letting him go would likely face opposition from the Mermaids.

Lu Heng understood her dilemma and continued, "Killing Frigus will only satisfy the Mermaid Clan's anger, but it won't provide any positive help in resolving the issue.

"After all, Frigus is just a captain of the Black Iron Dwarf Kingdom, and he can't decide the fate of both races.

"The High Priestess should understand why the Summoner has appeared here. One of my tasks is to eliminate the Abyssal Pollution Source.

"This means that there's an imminent Abyssal Pollution Source in this world that is about to erupt, and that's the event that will truly impact the fate of the Mermaid Clan.

"Let me take Frigus with me to the Black Iron Dwarf Kingdom, and I'll do my best to mediate the relationship between the two races.

"After that, we can focus all our efforts on finding the Abyssal Pollution Source.

"This is the way to solve the problem, not by making decisions based on emotions. I believe the High Priestess can understand this."

High Priestess Sona sighed, nodding in agreement, "I must admit, you always manage to convince me, even if I'm reluctant. But for the future of our clans, this is indeed the best choice.

"Take Frigus with you, and I'll find a way to handle the opposition within the Mermaid Clan.

"I hope you can keep your promise. I don't easily trust Summoners, especially those I've met for the first time.

"You are an exception, perhaps because your goal aligns with mine. I hope you succeed."

"I'll do my best," Lu Heng replied without making any guarantees. Whether the two races could reconcile was still uncertain.

Currently, he had no idea what the situation was like in the Black Iron Dwarf Kingdom, and he wouldn't know if this mission had a chance of success until he went there in person.

...

The next day, in the Mermaid Clan's underwater prison, Frigus woke up and started banging on the iron door with his chains, cursing the Mermaids.

He had been imprisoned for two days, and his feet, soaked in seawater for an extended period, had started to itch and swell.

Although it wasn't unbearable yet, it had put him in a foul mood.

After ranting for a while, a group of Mermaid warriors entered, opened the iron door, and dragged him out of the prison.

"What are you doing? Are you going to kill me? I'll tell you legless creatures, even if you cut off my head, I won't be afraid of you!"

The Mermaid warriors ignored Frigus's shouting and dragged him to the prison door. They grabbed a handful of gill grass, pried open his mouth, and stuffed it in.

Then, they dragged him through the water curtain and swam towards the surface.

Once underwater, Frigus finally stopped talking, as opening his mouth would only result in him choking on seawater.

The Mermaid warriors dragged Frigus all the way to the surface and onto a reef.

The reef was over ten meters wide, and the crashing waves created a spray of foam.

Lu Heng and his team of thirteen, including Xu Jitong and Cai Jinhong, who had joined them the previous night, were already waiting on the reef.

This time, the thirteen individuals were divided into three groups and teleported to different locations.

Upon analysis, the teleportation pattern becomes apparent.

Liu Haiyang's team of six, the strongest marine system warriors in the human world, were teleported closest to the rampaging sea beasts. They were tasked with aiding the Mermaid Clan in combating the sea beasts from the get-go.

Lu Heng's team of four, while powerful, lacked oceanic skills, limiting their full potential in the seawater. Thus, they were teleported onto the Frigate, where they could at least breathe air initially.

Xu Jitong, Cai Jinhong, and the other two were empowered warriors gathered from different war zones.

Although not specialized in the marine system, they possessed oceanic skills in their skill sets, but not a comprehensive oceanic combat system.

Consequently, they were teleported to a nearby island in the ocean, allowing them to acclimate to the environment before joining the others.

...

Frigus was dragged onto a reef, where he spotted Lu Heng's group and curiously asked, "Are you here to witness my execution too? Friend, grant me one request. After these damn mermaids chop off my head, take it back to the Crown of Magma and try not to let sharks eat it. I don't want to end up as shark poop."

Lu Heng found this guy amusing at times and smiled, saying, "You're not going to die just yet."

Frigus furrowed his brows in confusion, "What? These mermaids want to continue tormenting me? That's outrageous!"

His legs had already swollen from soaking in the seawater, and he felt that if he continued like this, he would have to cut off his legs.

A mermaid warrior produced a key, unlocked the shackles binding Frigus's limbs, and then waved, leading the rest of the mermaids into the sea, disappearing from sight.

Frigus stood on the reef, looking around in bewilderment.

The mermaids were nowhere to be seen; not a single one remained, leaving only Lu Heng's group.

He stretched his arms and legs, perplexed, "What's going on? What are these legless monsters plotting?"

Lu Heng walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and guided his diminutive frame, barely 1.2 meters tall, towards a sailboat moored beside the reef, "Let's go. I'll take you back."

The sailboat was modest, only ten meters long, but it was the best available sea transport at the moment.

Frigus, still bewildered, boarded the sailboat. Only after it set sail did he turn back and ask, "Are the mermaids letting me go?"

Lu Heng nodded in explanation, "Yes, High Priestess Sona of the Mermaid Clan agreed to my mediation between your two races, and my condition was to bring you back."

"How is that possible? These mermaids wouldn't be so easy to talk to," Frigus found it hard to believe.

In truth, it wasn't that the mermaids were easy to negotiate with, but High Priestess Sona was aware of the impending crisis facing the Mermaid Clan, and reconciliation with the Black Iron Dwarves was the best option.

Moreover, the two races had no territorial conflicts, and there was no need for war if the Groth's Ashes issue could be resolved.

Lu Heng continued, "I saved your life. Shouldn't you show some gratitude?"

Frigus finally realized this, and he opened his arms to give Lu Heng a hug, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you so much. Once I return to the Crown of Magma, I'll use all my treasures to thank you."

Lu Heng waved his hand, "That's not necessary, but I need a favor from you."

Black Iron Dwarves are usually straightforward and direct in their actions and expressions of gratitude. They don't play mind games.

So, Frigus readily agreed, "Sure, anything you need, just ask."

Lu Heng said, "This time, I'm going to the Black Iron Dwarf Kingdom to help mediate between your people and the Mermaid Clan. I hope you can take me to see your king."

Frigus was the captain of the Frigate, tasked with disposing of Groth's Ashes. While he wasn't the highest-ranking among the Black Iron Dwarves, his status was still quite significant, granting him the right to meet with the Dwarf King.

Upon hearing Lu Heng's request, Frigus frowned, "Wait, you want us to reconcile with the Mermaid Clan?"

"Yes," Lu Heng affirmed.

Frigus immediately refused, waving his hand, "That's impossible. I will never reconcile with those damn mermaids."

Lu Heng's expression turned stern, "It seems the Black Iron Dwarves are not as kind as the mermaids."

This obvious provocation worked on Frigus, who immediately jumped up and retorted loudly, "Nonsense! We Black Iron Dwarves are more honest and kind than the mermaids. Those legless monsters, and you call them kind!"

Lu Heng countered, "If the High Priestess of the Mermaid Clan agreed to release you upon hearing about my mediation efforts, could you do the same?"

Frigus fell silent for a moment, finding it hard to comprehend why the mermaids would let him go.

He furrowed his brows in thought for a while, then suggested, "Do the mermaids have some plot in mind?"

"Are they planning to track us and launch a surprise attack on our clan?"

Upon hearing this, Su Muyu couldn't help but chuckle, quickly covering his mouth to stifle his laughter.

Lin Zeyu patted his shoulder and said, "Your clan lives in the Crown of Magma, right? If they were planning a surprise attack, would they need to track you?"

Frigus suddenly realized the truth in his words, becoming even more perplexed. "Then why did the Sea Demons release me?"

Lu Heng looked up at the distant mountain ranges and said, "Frigus, are you truly considering the future of your clan?"

"Of course," Frigus replied matter-of-factly. "For the sake of my clan's future, I'm willing to fight to the death!"

Lu Heng turned back to look into his eyes and asked, "Then do you know why your king asked you to dump volcanic ash into the ocean?"

"Well..." Frigus genuinely didn't know; he was merely carrying out the task assigned by the Dwarf King.

When he accepted this mission, his king had told him that it would determine the fate of their clan.

So, Frigus had always treated the task of dumping volcanic ash as a sacred duty.

Lu Heng continued, "If you don't even know why you're dumping volcanic ash, how can you protect your clan's future?"

Frigus fell silent once more. Unable to respond, he waved his hand and shouted, "I don't care! My king said that what I'm doing is for the future of our clan."

Lu Heng went on, "The volcanic ash contains a secret powerful enough to destroy your entire clan, and this crisis is about to unfold. Don't you care about that?"

Frigus's heart skipped a beat. Although he didn't know the secret within the volcanic ash, he had been carrying out the dumping task for a long time and could sense that it concealed a monumental secret.

Noticing Frigus's stunned expression, Lu Heng asked, "Have you heard of Flame Demon Gross?"

"Of course! He's a powerful demon lord defeated by Emperor Sorenthal, the greatest legend of our clan." At the mention of Flame Demon Gross, Frigus clenched his fists, as if witnessing the epic battle between Emperor Sorenthal and the demon.

Lu Heng asked further, "Do you know that Flame Demon Gross has been slumbering underground for over a century, and there's a chance he might rise from the ashes?"

"What?!"

Frigus's eyes widened in disbelief.

In the Brass Forge Kingdom, Flame Demon Gross was an invincible and terrifying force, and only their greatest emperor, Sorenthal Copperforge, had the power to defeat him.

However, Sorenthal Copperforge was the first Dwarf King of the Brass Forge Kingdom, and he had long passed away.

If Flame Demon Gross were to revive now, who could stand against such a formidable demon lord?

Frigus didn't know, but the legends he had heard since childhood led him to believe that only Emperor Sorenthal could defeat Flame Demon Gross.

In other words, if Flame Demon Gross were to rise again, it would mean that the Black Iron Dwarf Kingdom would face the threat of annihilation.

His face filled with panic, Frigus asked, "Are you telling the truth? Is Flame Demon Gross really going to revive?"

Lu Heng looked down at him, staring into his eyes, and patted his shoulder. "Think back to the volcanic ash you dumped into the sea. What does it make you think of?"

Frigus had his suspicions, but he hadn't quite figured out the secret hidden within the volcanic ash. Hearing Lu Heng's hint, his face paled with fear. "You mean..."

"Yes," Lu Heng explained. "The volcanic ash contains Groth's Ashes, the remnants of Flame Demon Gross after his death. Your Grand Wizard discovered signs of Flame Demon Gross's resurgence from the ashes and dug out the volcanic ash to dispose of it in the ocean to prevent his revival."

Frigus's expression shifted repeatedly, and he clenched his fist. "Then we can't make peace with the Mermaid Clan. We must dump all of Groth's Ashes into the ocean."

Lu Heng's eyes widened in surprise at his words, realizing that this guy's way of thinking was a bit unusual. He quickly asked, "Haven't you noticed the changes in the Tidal Sea?"

"What changes?"

Frigus didn't understand at first, but he soon caught on. "You mean the rising sea temperature?"

"Yes."

"What does that prove?"

"It proves that even the hundred-mile-long underwater glacier in the Tidal Sea couldn't stop Flame Demon Gross's revival. Once he reappears, do you think he'll spare your clan?"

Frigus didn't answer, but he already had an answer in his heart.

Over a century ago, it was Sorenthal Copperforge, the first Dwarf King of the Black Iron Dwarf Kingdom, who had slain Flame Demon Gross.

If Flame Demon Gross were to revive now, the first target of his wrath would be the Black Iron Dwarves, while the Mermaids, dwelling in the ocean, would not become a target of his attack.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end