usenovelgroup Chapter 57 Glacier Dwarves
Chapter 57 Glacier Dwarves
Some novice adventurers might think that when they encounter a dragon in the wild, they can take advantage of their small size to hide, wait for the right opportunity to launch a sneak attack and deliver a fatal blow, thereby completing the feat of slaying the dragon.
However, the reality is quite different. As a near-perfect creature, the true dragon possesses a perception far exceeding that of most other creatures in the world.
Often, the moment you spot the dragon, it may have already sensed your presence.
In the complex environment of underground caves, hearing is undoubtedly much more reliable than sight, and the echolocation ability that Saul obtained from the scale bat template has now begun to play a role.
The clanging and banging sounds, if nothing unexpected, were coming from their target – the Glacier Dwarves.
Thor, aware of this, made no sound and continued to follow the army of his kin at a leisurely pace, as if nothing had happened.
He was very clear about his purpose for this trip: to coast along and find every possible way to slack off.
He wasn't the biological father of those blue dragons, so why should he risk his life for them? Once a battle broke out, he would be the one who got hurt, and he wouldn't get any benefits at all. Just thinking about it made the dragon feel indignant.
Ideally, we should just keep going like this until the end of this mission, without encountering a single Glacier Dwarf.
But ideals are always lofty, while reality is often harsh.
Thor soon noticed that the clanging and knocking sounds were getting louder and louder in his ears, and the family members walking in front were very familiar with the road conditions, clearly not their first time here.
Before long, the other young dragons and their kin also heard the commotion ahead. The whispers that had been going on suddenly stopped, leaving only the cold sound of footsteps echoing in the empty cave.
As they drew closer, a blue-white light suddenly appeared in the pitch-black environment ahead.
The sounds of digging and hammering have become extremely clear here, interspersed with the booming voices unique to the dwarves.
The leading group of dependents stopped, turned around, and began waving their hands, seemingly communicating with their companions behind them using a unique sign language.
Soon, several orcs stepped out of the group and rushed towards the direction from which the sound came.
They wore light leather armor covered by thick fur cloaks, and their steps were quick and light as they moved forward, their bodies seemingly blending into the shadows, appearing hazy and indistinct.
They were surprisingly rare orc assassins, these guys who walked the path of shadows, and were also excellent scouts.
Along with the young dragons, the entire dependent army of over 200 people stopped and patiently waited for the scouts to bring back the news.
About ten minutes later, the vanished orcs suddenly emerged from behind a rock pillar and began gesturing wildly at one of the dragonborn. The dragonborn then nodded and rallied the legion to continue their advance.
The sound of numerous footsteps on the ground was like a dense drumbeat. The kinship legion in front initially walked slowly, but then their speed gradually increased.
When the numerous mine shafts illuminated by the cold blue-white light came into view, the team had completely transformed into a charge.
"Kill them!!"
An excited roar suddenly rang out, and an orc leaped from the darkness into the cold light, raising his greatsword and slashing at the nearest glacier dwarf.
This sudden turn of events did not alarm the short men, whose average height was just over one meter. They quickly swung their pickaxes and charged forward.
As a variant of dwarves that emerged in extreme environments, the Glacier Dwarves have pale skin, as well as silver-white beards and hair.
On their exposed skin, such as their faces and palms, one can see a thick layer of keratin that looks like frost; their foreheads are high, and their nostrils are wide, flat, and full of wrinkles.
Although they are only a little over a meter tall, they are very sturdy and weigh more than normal adult men. This means they have higher muscle and bone density, as well as exaggerated strength compared to their size.
The longsword, over a meter long, clashed with the thick pickaxe, sending up a dazzling shower of sparks. However, the result was that the orc, who was almost twice the height of a dwarf, was forcibly knocked back, his hands going numb, and he almost lost his grip on his weapon.
The glacier dwarf with a long beard that looked like a braid and almost dragged on the ground didn't even glance at the orc who had been knocked back. He dropped his pickaxe and plunged headfirst into the mine shaft next to him.
"Those bastards raised by Ice Shards are here again, prepare for battle!"
A rough roar echoed through the cave, and then the dwarf emerged from the mine again, now carrying a shield that could almost cover his entire body, and a giant hammer over a meter long with a head as big as a pumpkin.
In the next instant, even more glacier dwarves poured out of the mines everywhere. They all looked short and stocky, but they were all carrying all kinds of exaggerated heavy weapons.
Moreover, due to their expertise in mining and forging ores, they wore a high degree of armor, complete with helmets and breastplates, and some even had combat boots and arm guards.
Having dealt with each other many times, the two sides were already familiar with each other. Without any unnecessary words, they started fighting as soon as they met.
The faces of the orcs began to turn crimson, their eyes gleaming red from the bloodshot. The excitement brought on by their berserk state and the weakening of their sense of pain made them fearless, and they surged towards the glacier dwarves ahead like a tidal wave.
The glacial dwarves, almost all of whom were heavily armored warriors, were like heavy reefs, remaining unmoved despite the pounding of the tide, with the sounds of fierce collisions rising and falling continuously.
Thor discovered that these glacier dwarves were surprisingly strong, and their challenge level was probably at least 3 or higher.
In other words, even if they were to face an adult centaur, as long as it wasn't in an open area that was extremely disadvantageous to them, they would have a considerable chance of winning.
Although there were more orcs, they couldn't do anything to the enemy for the time being. Once the berserk state wore off, retreat would probably be the only option left.
As for the kobolds mixed in with the orcs? They were treated like servants. Before they awakened their dragon veins, their combat power was not even comparable to that of a strong adult, and they could be almost ignored.
Seeing that the battle between the two sides had reached a stalemate in a short time, the tall dragonborn turned his head to look at the young dragons.
"It's time for you all to step up. Show the power of the true dragons and help us defeat those glacial dwarves."
Thor swished his tail listlessly, seemingly oblivious to what was happening, his gaze fixed on the stalactites hanging overhead.
Sistana and Kalp, naturally following his example, also remained still.
Even the green, black, and blue dragon hatchlings pretended not to hear, while only a few white dragon hatchlings roared excitedly and pounced on them.
Thor watched as one of the white dragon hatchlings slammed into the tower shield in the hand of a glacier dwarf. Although the impact forced the dwarf to stagger backward, the dwarf retaliated by striking its head hard with a swift motion, causing it to let out a mournful howl.
"Are these guys really idiots?"