The ground is shaking, pieces of stone are falling from the room's ceiling. Something big is coming. Right now.

And ground split up as a giant Steelscale entered the room, but she wasn't stopping. Like a train, she moves through a path with nothing that could stop her.

The ground is nothing but a thin string of silk for her to pass through, and the loud sound coming from her moving is worth hundreds of cannons firing on a battlefield.

I looked at my dwarven companion with a nervous look as a creature mightier and probably deadlier than a Hollow, highly magic resistant abominations that surpass the heights of buildings.

"I know what you are thinking as well. How the hell are we going to kill that thing. The truth is, I don't know."

Silvertower, an ancient dwarven king and the most powerful man I have ever seen in my life with strength enough to lift things that weigh more than a ton with ease, is scared as a cat right now.

"Well, we will either find a way or die trying to." I unsheeted my sword and began waiting for the massive monster to stop its destructive movement.

And with a thunderous scream, ground broke up, and the creature finally stopped moving. A worm covered with blue, with scales hard as steel that is much bigger than any creature I saw in this world.

She doesn't have any eyes or ears, but I suppose what created that monstrosity was kind enough to give her natural sensors as it is looking towards us.

Steelscale Queen screeched and made the first move by launching itself towards us. Her massive body is coming towards us like a train. Fast, packs a powerful punch and is unstoppable.

I dodged her body by jumping to the right, but as her body began digging the ground and burrowing itself to the ground, I dashed forward and thrust my sword into her body, opening a long slice.

"Sharp as a razor? This blade can cut anything!" The sword I am using is forged by the ancient dwarven king himself. And his skills are something to be both impressed and afraid of as he prefers using them in crafting weapons.

"I wouldn't go that far, but yes. It is sharp, but now we know that you can cut Queen's scales. Shall I try my luck?" Silvertower was excited. I can feel the adrenaline is rising through his body because of the smell, of course.

Once again, the monster split the ground and showed her body. She is more careful this time.

And her movements are abnormal. Something is a little odd. The scales on her body look now a little thinner, and they are moving. Perhaps that could be a sign of?

"Silvertower move!" I jumped away from where I was standing and hit the ground as Steelscale Queen's tail burst from the ground.

Thankfully it wasn't only me who managed to escape from the attack. Silvertower managed to dodge it as well.

"That bastard!" He was a little angry. "Well, I should have seen that but thank you for the warning anyway."

I nodded and began running towards Queen. She can extend her body, but in return, she losses protection. Wouldn't that be my best time to attack?

But she wasn't backing down. Queen launched himself forward once more.

"Not this time!" Silvertower suddenly dashed forward and grabbed the giant creature's body, and stabbed the ground like a harpoon with his legs.

"Be fast and kill it!" He was shouting with anger and pain, but the giant dwarven managed to slow the monster, giving me the perfect opening to kill it.

I dashed forward and thrust my sword into first strong but not durable enough scales, then into the slimy body of the monster.

With her speed and sharpness of my sword combined, open a massive cut on her side, but that's not enough to kill her, even though a waterfall worth of blood is flowing out.

I pulled back my sword and dashed towards her head. I need to cut her head if I want to kill it.

Steelscale Queen was screeching in pain and uncontrollably slamming his body (and Silvertower) to the ground.

I leaped forward and landed on her head, then stabbed it. "Now it ends, beast!" I twisted my sword inside the creature's head and pulled it sideways, cutting more flesh, causing more blood to flow out.

After more struggle and ground turning into a small swimming pool filled with blood, Steelscale Queen stopped moving and let the last piece of life leave her body.

I immediately jumped away from its head as the creature's body began getting shorter, as the scales on her body were slowly coming closer to each other and grating anything standing on its top.

"Silvertower! Are you still alive, or do I need to revive you from death once more?" I shouted to see if my dwarven friend survived his brave action.

And that grumble came. "I prefer being dead than getting crushed by that thing's body, be fast and help me!"

Silvertowers bravery and inhumane strength allowed us to kill Queen, but the monster managed to burry him to the ground with her last struggling bodyslams.

"Here, let me help you." The gentle voice of Kobold King echoed inside as he slowly raised himself from the ground. Then with one movement of his staff, stone pillars raised from the ground threw Steelscale Queen's body away.

I moved next to Silvertower and pulled him from the ground. "You might want to lose some weight." I barely managed to pull him as he weighed a lot.

Silvertower dusted his armor. "No, I rather not." Then he turned towards Kobold King and kneeled once again. "As you wish for it, we finished your quest."

Kobold King responded with a laugh. "Yes, you both did. I must say it was pretty impressive, but nothing against the challenges waiting for you. If you both got impressed by your victory against that creature, that means you both are fated to fail."

But what danger could wait for us outside to make this creature, not even a challenge? "But Honorable Kobold King..."

He stopped me from talking by closing my mouth with his fingers. "Please wait, for now, my child."

And suddenly, five more Steelscales, much bigger than the one we killed, burst from the room's walls.

Kobold King smiled. "I am not saying that you shouldn't be happy with your victory, but you are not strong enough." Then he touched the ground with his staff.

Suddenly, pillars of spear-shaped stones burst from the ground and skewered Steelscales in milliseconds.

"And you Silvertower, I always thought that you were much stronger than this. You were almost killed by a simple Steelscale. How are you expecting to defeat Thronebreaker roaming outside and avenge your people."

Silvertower suddenly stood up. There was anger on his face that he was trying to hide from Kobold King. "Who? Who is Thronebreaker and what it did to my people."

Kobold King clapped his hand, and a wave of stone raised from the ground pushed Silvertower away. "That is not something you must be concerned nor Erwin should, at least for now."

"Then that is another day, problem." I moved forward. "Now, Honorable Kobold King, did we pass your test or not."

Kobold King nodded. "Well, you both passed, but not with a performance I expected from you both. Go back to your people and fix that city. My children will fill the mines with our gifts once more."

I bowed forward, same time as Silvertower, then we both began moving towards the way we came here.

"And before you two go. Get the one you guys hunted. It has plenty of meat and useful resources. Don't waste even a single piece." Kobold King smiled once more before ground swallowed him and five Steelscales he killed whole.

"And this one is just a new addition to many questions inside my head that will stay hidden."

----------------------------------- General Leonhard, talking with Lord Wellington.

"As you know, Wellington. I heard a rat who is our common enemy escaped from his captivity and started a small rebellion which I want you to crush."

Leonhard was now sitting on the Northern Capitals throne, with both Maria and Arthur staying inside the dungeons.

Many expected him to capture the capital eventually, but no one expected it to be that fast. Now he controls almost all of the sea trade and food production.

Every faction, except Leonhard's, created a coalition against him for a chance of winning.

And Lord Wellington is lucky enough to side with Leonhard.

With temper, Lord Wellington hit the table in front of him with his fist. "That son of a bitch Necromancer killed my son. Now, he is trying to stop my dear weapon trade network. What does he think he is?"

General Leonhard took a deep breath from his favorite pipe. "Someone I shouldn't have spared, and someone who is a danger for us. I don't want to waste my money on buying new weapons while a fucking fortress is next to us! Do whatever you want but capture that damn place."

Weapons got forged in the dwarven fortress in the North. Thanks to that, not many cities have proper weaponsmiths. But because Erwin took over the place and stopped the weapon production.

Armies of the North began starving for weapons. So they began spending vast amounts of money on imported weapons.

Lord Wellington bowed forward. "I will take care of that, but I want to learn one thing, my lord. After we won the civil war and crown you, will I get all the land you promised me, and to strengthen my family's blood, I will arrange a wedding with the princess as well?"

General Leonard pulled out a coin from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him. "Took this as a token of trust, and if you succeed on the missions that I will give you, I could arrange that."