Over the next few days, Dirk and Exos continued to work with the reclamation squads. They would deploy to different zones of the battlefield and collect materials before returning and resting for a time.

But this wasn’t Dirk’s only objective. His primary objective was placing down the dark mana crystals that Pandora had given him around the battlefield as well as throughout the city and even beyond the stronghold.

Not only that, but after reworking her spell that attracted the Key Artifact, Pandora managed to give it a function that used Dirk as a relay, allowing her to operate the spell from the stronghold while he was out on the battlefield. This made it more discreet and more effective since it was sending out some kind of signal deeper toward the Dragon Lair.

The Key Artifact was mobile and working either inside the Lair or just beyond it. The spell was meant to attract it, and the effects were almost immediate.

For one, the reclamation efforts became much harder. Dirk was basically a beacon for the monsters when her spell was active, so those in the vicinity often attacked with greater fervor.

Also, the ocean of monsters changed its patterns, alerting the officers of the stronghold responsible for keeping track of the big picture.

It was like the ocean of beasts became agitated, the tides changing and crashing forward with greater frequency.

This resulted in the dwarven army sustaining more casualties and the stronghold being placed into a higher level of alert.

The reclamation squad was also given more tasks to complete, some that had them moving deeper into enemy territory and sometimes taking down a strong target. Most of the time it was a monster that could cast strong spells, bombarding the stronghold and warranting a response.

And this gave Dirk more leeway to do what he needed.

It didn’t take long to deploy all the crystals he needed to, and after being placed, they would conceal themselves so that monsters wouldn’t go and eat them.

So the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. And the target of the mission slowly started to show signs of itself, making Pandora excited.

Even Dirk could feel its presence as it gradually moved onto the battlefield from its usual abode. But the aura it gave off made him realize that this mission would be more difficult than he thought it could be.

……

…

“It’s close. I can’t estimate anything now, but the next time you go out, you should be able to get a read on its power level.”

Pandora spoke to Dirk in the early morning. He had gotten busy since he was now an effective member of the reclamation squad, requiring him and Exos to report earlier than normal. But this was good for them.

“Just remember.”

Pandora straightened out his clothes before he left.

“I’ll be on standby. If that Artifact reveals itself and catches attention, then we’ll move on it. Both of us are capable of reading a situation and knowing when to act, but I want you to trust my judgment and wait for my signal. It’s possible that other variables will interfere, so we may need to move sooner or later depending on what happens.”

“Alright. But if it's weak, then I’ll grab it.”

“That’s up to you. Just remember that this thing is meant to be the Key to a Source. Even at a lower power level, it’s probably not an enemy you can take lightly. Don’t be hesitant to retreat, because if you fight it, it could alert everyone including the Generals. Then we’re really screwed.”

Dirk nodded at Pandora’s words.

They were riding a delicate line. They would have to be subtle and act with absolution. They were going to be grabbing a treasure underneath the noses of several powerhouses, and one mistake could ruin everything.

But if Dirk was good at anything, it was shock and awe. If the opportunity presented itself, then he would bring out everything he had on the flip of a dime.

Pandora trusted this part of him as well. She didn’t believe he would make any mistakes. This wasn’t unlike many of the missions he had completed as a supersoldier.

So she sent him off with confidence. Now, she only needed to wait and prepare to move herself.

……

Dirk and Exos were deployed on yet another mission.

“Commence!”

The familiar shout rang out, and their troop sprinted out of the stronghold. This time, there were no wagons with them.

Their target was a large monster that was bombarding the stronghold with water spells.

Even now, Dirk could see massive amounts of water spells flying through the skies over their heads and slamming into the walls and fortifications behind. Dwarves would raise defenses, but the amount of water coming didn’t allow them to lower said defenses. This meant they couldn’t launch many of their own spells, allowing the monsters to charge forward with no inhibition.

Their job was to penetrate the horde and take out the monster acting as a living artillery unit.

Because of this, there were almost 200 dwarves running with them. This huge troop barreled through the ocean of monsters, clashing with magic and blade while spearheading toward the target.

As for Dirk, he had another goal in mind.

There was a reason these monsters were acting with greater aggression, and he could feel the source of their change.

It wasn’t a feeling of power that everyone could sense, but a feeling in the Earth element itself. It wasn’t unlike the feeling a Dragon gave off.

The sovereign of an entire element. While the aura was obviously stifled, it was undoubtedly powerful.

‘The Key Artifact. It's really is close.’

Dirk could sense the aura behind the monster that was launching water spells. So instead of helping the troop take down the monster faster and rid himself of a useful distraction, he shot ahead and activated Stealth to its fullest extent.

He disappeared, nobody even realizing he was gone. This was partly because nobody noticed and because people realized that Dirk naturally operated in the shadows of battle, so they didn’t pay him much mind.

He bypassed the huge water monster. It was actually a massive slime, easily standing 12 meters tall and composed of what seemed like an ocean of mana. Dirk couldn’t really sense water mana, but what he did sense gave him a slightly oppressing feeling. This slime really was dangerous, as expected since it was a living artillery unit.

Huge spell circles appeared around it, creating lances and shells of water that would shoot off into the sky and slam into the stronghold’s defenses. Even from so far away they could hear the booms, and this unit wasn’t undefended.

The slime was guarded by no small amount of monsters, and that wasn’t even mentioning the thousands of monsters already around it. So it would take some time to kill it.

Dirk smiled at this fact before moving on.

Even as the sounds of battle raged behind him, he kept his gaze forward.

‘About… 5 miles away. Let’s hurry.’

Dirk estimated the distance before shooting off.

His powerful legs carried him hundreds of meters with every bound, the fruits of Muscle Destruction showing themselves off. And his Blood Destruction ensured he had more than enough stamina to do this for miles.

Combined with some magic, it took no more than a minute or so to reach the source of that aura.

And what he saw left him curious.

There was a small construction, what looked like a castle standing no more than 20 meters tall. It was entirely composed of stone, but Dirk initially mistook it for metal. The stone was gray and so compact that it had no imperfections to speak of, looking more like metal than rock.

There was a gate leading into this small castle too, and it revealed what seemed like a workshop.

And from this workshop operated a humanoid figure.

Upon closer inspection, Dirk actually made it out to be a suit of armor.

This suit of armor would construct platings of stone and metal before equipping its guards with it. And these guards were actually golems, beings made of stone and metal themselves. Some were large, two standing taller than the castle itself, while the others were shorter.

And from all of them, Dirk could feel a high Tier. The short golems held a mana core standing at Tier 5, while the taller golems were just barely below Tier 6.

And the suit of armor, the mastermind, also seemed to be the slightest bit below Tier 6.

Dirk settled his gaze on the suit of armor.

That was it. The Key Artifact of Earth.

The suit didn’t look like normal knight armor. Instead, it was sleek, composed of layered plates of metal and various segmented structures. Dirk immediately knew that it was masterfully created, a construction of the highest level despite its lesser power. The shapes of each plate was perfect, integrating with each other in a synergistic way that resulted in both flexibility and unbreakable defenses.

It was a perfect suit of armor, and the enchanted lines along its body revealed a far deeper power that Dirk couldn't even begin to grasp.

‘I wonder if I could integrate that with Obsidius. But it’s also sentient to some degree, so I don’t know if combining the two is even possible. The little blob might die during the process. Still, it's armor I would love to have.’

Dirk pondered, wondering what it would be like to equip that armor. Not only was its construction perfect, but it was backed by an extremely powerful core. Dirk knew that it would be much more powerful than the height of Tier 5 if it wasn’t for the seals the Dragons had imposed on them.

But this meant it only had room to grow. Dirk wanted it.

He observed all this from a couple hundred meters away. Unfortunately, he also knew he couldn’t subdue it. It was too powerful, and he hadn’t yet seen its actual limits. He would need Pandora.

However, before he could return, the Artifact suddenly stopped.

It turned its helmeted head, its nonexistent eyes looking directly at where Dirk was located.

Seeing that, Dirk didn’t hesitate.

He cast Void Walking, his figure flickering before appearing 20 meters away. Then, he bolted off back toward the stronghold.

Unfortunately, just after taking a step to launch his body in a bound, the Earth mana around him surged.

Large walls shot out of the ground, threatening to cage him in, while spikes threatened to impale him from below. Arrows also sailed down from above, heading straight for his dark figure.

An attack from all sides. Luckily, Dirk’s reactions were even quicker. Before the walls could even complete, he void walked yet again.

This time, he took three steps. Three of his figures appeared in three different places, the third beyond the walls. Then, the previous two disappeared, leaving him beyond the cage.

It took some energy out of him though, and if this continued, it would be bad. So he activated his Anima and shot off faster than he’d come, covering 100 meters in a mere second. A few monsters who were in his way exploded as he barreled through them.

This time, the Artifact wasn’t able to try and cage him in again. However, he could feel it on his tail.

Behind him, the Artifact was surfing on the ground, its feet riding a wave of dirt and rock and propelling it no slower than Dirk’s sprinting.

It put Dirk under a lot of pressure, but he knew that he couldn’t be pinned down, so he continued as he was.

At the same time, he found an opportunity to take out a small pendant from Pandora. Activating it, he initiated a call.

“Yes?”

Her sweet voice echoed in his mind. The response was anything but.

“I’ve been compromised. The Artifact is on my tail and I’m retreating to the stronghold.”

“...Shit.”

She cursed before going silent. Now the situation was serious.

“We’re acting now then. What’s the power level?”

“The smallest bit below Tier 6, but it sure doesn’t act like a mere Tier 5. It’s a suit of armor and can cast every kind of Earth magic, including Metal spells.”

“Understood…”

Pandora went silent again, and Dirk continued to run.

It was several moments later before he got a response.

“Continue toward the stronghold, but when in range, I want you to disappear. Honestly, I can already feel something in the distance, so there’s no doubt the others do as well. Luckily, I’ve prepared some things… Here’s the plan.”

She collected herself and gave the order.

“Arrive, disappear, and let the others fight it. We’re going to borrow the strength of the Stronghold. Nobody can know that the Artifact is after you, or that you know of it in any way. Not until the opportune moment. Understood?”

“...Yes.”

Dirk responded with slight hesitation.

Pandora obviously sensed this, so she gave one more reassurance before hanging up.

“Trust me.”

With that, her voice disappeared.

Dirk put the pendant away, the Artifact still hot on his heels.

The delicate situation had turned even more so.

……

…

General Umangot suddenly stood within his office, his eyes turning to a window.

“...What the hell is heading over here?”

He could sense a great disturbance in the Earth Element. There was no way it could escape his senses.

Although Pure Souls were the rarest things to have in the world, those at the top of the power hierarchy either had one such soul or something very close. It was the only reason they could reach the level they did.

Umangot, a Tier 8 Earth Mage, could naturally feel exactly what Pandora had.

Something was getting closer, and it held sovereignty over the Earth Element itself. But it was stifled, making it all the more curious.

Like a Dragon bound by chains.

And unlike Dirk, Umangot could estimate its power even from so far away.

“Tier 5… but much more powerful. It’s more like a Tier 7. Even then, one of my Tier 7 marshals may not be able to handle it. This thing is powerful, and no monster.”

He made all these deductions, and suddenly, the walls of his office bloomed open like they were made of fragments.

He stepped through, the walls closing behind him as a platform of metal formed beneath his feet. Like this, he floated down through the air and arrived at the front of the stronghold.

At the same time, there were some changes in the activity of the monsters.

They all surged backward, away from the walls.

In the distance, Umangot could see a reclamation team still battling with the water slime.

But they were about to be overrun. So with a hand, he reached out toward them.

From atop the stronghold, Pandora could see the General. There was no way she didn’t have an eye on everything with what was about to happen.

But she was still shocked to see what the General suddenly did.

From his hand, Earth Mana exploded out, reaching across nearly a mile before hands of stone suddenly grabbed the entire 200 soldiers of the reclamation team.

They were all moved back, being carried by these hands and dropped in front of the stronghold that was now devoid of monsters.

Then, the general shouted, his voice amplified.

“Everyone to your battle stations! Full lockdown in effect!”

His voice rattled the entire stronghold.

There was a moment of deafening silence, and then, alarms suddenly blared through the entire structure.

Thousands of soldiers suddenly moved, mages surging into the topmost fortifications while body refiners took up defensive positions between them.

Inside the stronghold, the entire city had retreated into buildings. Everyone who wasn’t a soldier disappeared into their homes or safe houses. Just about every business halted operations.

The words of a General were absolute here, no different than that of their king. And, when a full lockdown went into effect…

It could only mean that this stronghold was about to fight for its survival.

Of course, it didn’t initially seem like it.

Tens of thousands of monsters suddenly retreated, running away from the stronghold.

But then, they stopped.

Like that, they entered a stalemate, a massive gap of empty land between spiked walls and a ferocious army.

A few minutes passed like that. It seemed like nothing was going to happen.

But then, everyone could see something rising in the distance.

It was a castle. But, unlike a stone castle, this one was composed entirely of metal.

And it almost rivaled the stronghold in size. It was a few hundred meters tall, looking like a palace. And its entire construction was riddled with magical formations that glowed a deep silver.

Once this structure was built, everyone could feel an oppressive aura wash over them. All the armies along the wall were focused solely on that castle and all its beautiful formations.

But for those that were attuned to the power behind that aura, it felt like they were about to face a behemoth.

General Umangot frowned. Beside him, several of his most powerful subordinates assembled.

They all gazed into the distance.

And they watched as the armies of monsters gathered their most formidable creatures before the castle.

“They want war.”

Umangot spoke, his voice reverberating across the walls.

It caused all the soldiers to snap out of their enamor.

The next moment, their blood boiled.

Dwarves were a race of people who didn’t necessarily enjoy fighting. But they were always mistaken to be an aggressive race that would take a fight whenever the opportunity came around.

But the reality was, arguably, the opposite. They were a peaceful people who loved to indulge themselves in the fruits of their labor and skill.

Only, in order to preserve peace, one needed to be capable of great violence.

That led to one mantra that all dwarves lived by.

Peace through strength.

When threatened by another enemy, when standing opposite to an army who wanted nothing more than to overrun them and destroy everything they had built over hundreds and thousands of years…

They felt the call of battle. The war had beckoned them, and they would respond.

Umangot’s words only stoked that fire as he roared with passion.

“Hoist the black flag! Today, we give them war!”

“Rahh!!!”

All the dwarves along the walls let out their battle cries, shaking the skies as all the mana in the atmosphere was kicked up in a hurricane.

And with that as the signal, all the monsters in the distance suddenly flooded forward.

The battle had begun.