141: From Titan Creation

Chapter 141: Originating from Titan Creations

Upon hearing the Dwarf King’s words, Lu Ran instantly understood.

This was a plot progression.

No wonder the quest was about the eternal fire.

Recalling what Anne had said earlier, the Dwarf had lost the eternal fire.

The dwarf furnace had directly extinguished, unable to operate.

Not only Anne, but the Dwarf King should also be unable to forge equipment now.

Even the entire Dwarf was unable to forge equipment!

And the purpose of this quest was to help the Dwarf retrieve the eternal fire.

This was not a simple quest; it was even divided into a series of quests.

Just like the quest set by Natural Elves Queen Tina to fight the Dark Elf, although Lu Ran easily achieved an SSS-rank completion, that was Lu Ran; the quest itself was of heaven-defying difficulty!

The Dwarf’s quest was the same now.

Even the Dwarf King didn't think this was a quest that the Human could complete at this stage.

The Dwarf King was still progressing the plot.

He sighed and said, “When the world digitized, the terrain changed drastically. This didn't matter to the surface races, but for the Hill Dwarves living in the underground world, it was a catastrophe!”

At that time,

The Dwarf King, to prevent the Dwarf from being buried deep underground,

Prepared to lead the Dwarf to temporarily leave the Dwarf Underground Cave and go to the surface.

But the changes in the terrain were too fast!

The Dwarf King hastily brought out the dwarf furnace, but the eternal fire was left behind in the underground world.

Of course, Lu Ran wouldn't delve into the details of why the eternal fire wasn't brought out, as it was for the plot's sake.

However, the Dwarf King didn't expect that

Once they came out, they couldn't go back!

“Outside the entrance of the Dwarf Underground Cave, the former canyon area has transformed into the Sand Sea Stone Forest. The monsters inside are Titan Stone Statue, with the lowest being Level 70, and even quite a few Level 80 ones mixed in, so…”

The Dwarf King looked at Lu Ran and said, “So, that's simply not something you are capable of completing at this stage.”

Baron knew the current level of Human professionals and the first-tier levels.

Even the Dwarf’s territory was now a high-level Forbidden Area; forcing their way here didn't prove anything.

To complete the quest, going to the Sand Sea Stone Forest was the most difficult part!

“These past years, I would often lead teams to the Sand Sea Stone Forest, attempting to reopen the entrance and retrieve the eternal fire, but… the difficulty is too great…” Baron sighed and said.

Lu Ran looked at the Dwarf King in confusion.

He asked, “You are the Dwarf King of the Dwarf. Your level should also be Level 100, right? Level 70 or 80 monsters in the Sand Sea Stone Forest shouldn't be a big problem for you?”

Upon hearing this,

Baron nodded and said, “It's indeed not a big problem, but simply passing through the Sand Sea Stone Forest area is meaningless. Only when Human professionals complete the quest will the Sand Sea Stone Forest cancel its monster spawning mechanism. I not only want to retrieve the eternal fire but also lead my people back to the Dwarf Underground Cave.”

Lu Ran roughly understood.

Baron then seemed to remember something and continued, “Furthermore, as I just mentioned, it's not something you can complete at this stage. The Titan Stone Statue in the Sand Sea Stone Forest actually has a connection with the Dwarf.”

According to Baron’s explanation,

Hill Dwarves originated from a branch of the ancestral Dwarf.

And the Dwarf evolved from the most primitive earth spirits created by the Titan.

However, this evolution was not directional but rather a form of random mutation.

Therefore,

Some earth spirits lost their sentience and devolved into monsters like the Titan Stone Statue.

Their attack and defense were much higher than monsters of the same Level 70 or 80.

The difficulty was also greater!

Coupled with Lu Ran and their current level, Baron felt even more that they couldn't complete the quest at this stage.

“Since you have gained Tina’s recognition and obtained the Elf Wings, you are also a friend of the Dwarf. I cannot easily let you take risks. If anything goes wrong, I cannot explain it to the Natural Elves.” The Dwarf King said in a deep voice.

Therefore,

Bringing Lu Ran and the others to see the dwarf furnace was not just about progressing the plot.

It was also to persuade Lu Ran and the others to give up on this quest.

“When I set up the quest scroll, it had no time limit. You can come back at any time to continue, but you need to wait until your level reaches at least Level 70.” Baron said in a deep voice.

That won't do!

This suggestion was immediately rejected by Lu Ran in his heart.

Level 70?

Lu Ran hadn't even reached Level 40 yet, and the further he went, the slower the leveling speed!

Level 70 was still a long way off, and Lu Ran couldn't wait.

Moreover,

He still needed the high experience points from the subsequent series of quests!

“I am confident I can complete the quest. How about this, we go to the Sand Sea Stone Forest first, and I will prove with my actions that I am not just boasting.” Lu Ran said straightforwardly.

After all, looking at the Dwarf King's stance, simply saying he was fine probably wouldn't be very convincing.

Then let actions speak louder than words!

Only by witnessing Lu Ran's ability with his own eyes would the Dwarf King relent.

Otherwise, if he didn't relent, the quest simply couldn't continue.

Lu Ran understood the Dwarf King's concerns.

The Dwarf King had led teams to the Sand Sea Stone Forest for so many years, whether it was for the plot or not, they repeatedly went to the entrance, but couldn't clear the monsters in the Sand Sea Stone Forest, which kept respawning. Anyone would be traumatized by that.

Of course,

Lu Ran still didn't understand why, since the Dwarf King had the ability to go to the Dwarf Underground Cave entrance, he didn't go in to get the eternal fire?

Perhaps…

There were still a series of quests waiting for Lu Ran to solve later.

“Alright, I'll take you to see it. Words alone are not enough; only when you witness the power of the Titan Stone Statue with your own eyes will you retreat in the face of difficulty.” The Dwarf King agreed.

His purpose, however, was to make Lu Ran and the others retreat in the face of difficulty.

The group left Blackstone City.

They headed northwest.

The area was severely desertified, but the geological structure had interlocking rocks, making it very suitable for the Dwarf to build Dwarf Underground Cave.

Lu Ran suddenly thought of something and asked, “By the way, since the Dwarf Underground Cave entrance is blocked by the Sand Sea Stone Forest, why don't the Dwarf dig in other directions and locations?”

This was easy to understand.

If this side was blocked, wouldn't digging down from another place lead back?

Why be fixated on this entrance?

Baron explained, “You might not understand, but Hill Dwarves were forced underground and are not very skilled at digging. The Dwarf Underground Cave has been cultivated by the Dwarf for thousands of years, generation after generation, and it goes very deep underground. Digging from other directions would require immeasurable geological and time requirements.”

Lu Ran roughly understood, but he guessed it was mostly determined by the plot.

Anne followed closely beside Lu Ran. She seemed to rarely leave the city, nervously clutching the rusty great hammer in her hand, vigilantly looking around while also unable to hide the curiosity and excitement on her face.

The team went down the slope.

Looking up, there was a long, narrow, and deep canyon ahead, filled with grotesque rocks, as if twisted chopsticks were stuck in it, scattered like stars.

Just one look was enough to understand.

This should be the Sand Sea Stone Forest!