He turned to the dwarf king, his gaze intense:
"You see. The dwarves' hammer and fire are the supreme power that shapes matter."
The steel sky represents the ultimate understanding of energy, space, and the rules of creation. Between us, there is no replacement, but rather… complementarity.
Linde pointed to a huge armor crack in the distance, which was being repaired by the mechs using special gel and metal plates. The gruesome wound was like a rift in the earth.
"Look at that scar. Repairing it requires your master craftsmen to have a profound understanding of the properties of metals and unparalleled plasticity, and top-grade alloys that can only be melted in an 'unextinguishable furnace'."
What Steel Sky provides is damage analysis accurate to the millimeter, optimized repair solutions, and... a 'space hand' that can instantly deliver repair materials to any location.
He then pointed to the giant pillars and dome patterns that shimmered with a deep blue light.
"Look at that energy pathway. Stabilizing and optimizing it requires the dwarven rune array's unparalleled ability to guide and restrain raging energy."
What the Steel Sky provides is an analytical model of the essence of the Magic Network's energy, monitoring of the most subtle disturbances in energy flow, and... energy transmission and coordination across node limitations.
Linde's voice, like a cold declaration, echoed in this vast steel space:
"Imagine, Your Majesty. When the dwarves' millennia-old forging wisdom combines with the stellar power carried by the Iron Sky... When the fiery furnace of Red Mountain becomes the surging heart driving this Iron Star... When the dwarves' most prized weapons receive unprecedented enchantment and enhancement under the energy matrix of the Iron Sky... When our enemies face not only the earth-shattering dwarven heavy armor legions, but also precise strikes from beyond the stars, regardless of distance..."
He paused, looking at the increasingly bright, almost burning flame in Muradin's eyes, and at the expressions of the dwarf masters around him that gradually shifted from shock to extreme fanaticism, before slowly uttering his final words:
"That will not be war, Your Majesty. That will be... the forging of a new era! And the name of Ironforge will be etched, along with this steel star, upon the eternal foundation!"
Dead silence.
A deeper, more profound silence enveloped the B-3 access platform. Only the eternal hum of the steel sky echoed in the background.
Muradin Bronzebeard, the hill king who had ruled Red Mountain for hundreds of years, slowly and deeply inhaled the cold and unfamiliar air.
His imposing body trembled slightly, not from fear, but from an unprecedented surge of "possibilities" that was assaulting every corner of his soul!
He abruptly turned around, no longer looking at the magnificent steel spectacle, but staring intently at Lind with his molten lava-like eyes. He raised his enormous hand, not pointing at Lind, but slamming it heavily onto Lind's armor covered in ceremonial armor!
"Bang!"
A dull, loud thud echoed across the steel platform.
“Lind Truk!” Muradin’s voice boomed like thunder, carrying a resolute determination that cut through all hesitation and an unprecedented fervor. “You cunning, damned, man who makes you want to rip your beard off! You’ve won! Ironforge… the dwarves… join your ‘cooperation’!”
He whirled around and roared at the equally excited, trembling dwarf masters and warriors behind him, a roar that shook the entire steel platform:
"Taran! Grom! Gimli! And all of you! Listen up! From this day forward, this place! This 'Iron Star'! Will be our second home! Show us your skills! Show us your best techniques! Show us the hammer spirit you were born with! Fix this behemoth! Fix it even better than when it first came out of the factory!"
His enormous fingers almost poked Taran's nose:
"Runic array! Study these energy patterns thoroughly! Inscribe the runes of Red Mountain into its very core!"
Pointing to Grom: "'Mountainheart Fortress'! Send men to work with these iron lumps (pointing to the nearby Watcher mechs)! Weld every crack! Every break! With the finest adamantite and mithril! This will be our dwarves' strongest fortress from now on!"
Finally, he looked at Linde with the same gaze he would give a giant, moving, glowing vein of adamantite:
"Linde, kid! Your men are in charge of directing the attack! What materials and technology do you need? Make a list! If Red Mountain has it, dig it up! If Red Mountain doesn't have it... I'll lead my men to rob it! To trade it! To build it! I want to see if our dwarven hammers are harder, or your star-like bones are harder!"
He was panting heavily as he looked around at this cold, steel world. The last trace of shock in his eyes completely transformed into an unparalleled possessiveness and... a sense of belonging.
"This place...it's totally my type!"
Muradin grinned, revealing a smile that radiated the heat of molten lava and the cold glint of metal. He seemed to already see countless dwarven craftsmen toiling away, sweating and hammering away in this steel sky. "I've made up my mind! Until your crappy ship... no, until our 'Steel Sky' is completely repaired, I and these bastards are staying here!"
He waved his hand dramatically, like a general announcing the conquest of new territory:
"Taran! Find the biggest warehouse! Convert it into our temporary workshop and tavern! Grom! Take some men to survey the area and plan the defenses! Gimli! You clever lad, follow Lind's men and figure out everything here! From now on, this will be our dwarves' new territory!"
The dwarven masters and warriors roared in agreement! The previous shock and awe were now completely replaced by a frenzy of discovering the "ultimate treasure" and the "mega-project"!
Their eyes, as they looked at the cold steel around them, were filled with the greed and impatience of a gourmand seeing top-quality ingredients or a lecher seeing a stunning beauty.
Runemaster Taran had already taken out his personal recording tablet made of adamantite and a specially made engraving needle, and began frantically imprinting the geometric patterns on the giant pillar beside him, muttering incantations:
"A miracle! Rules! This is the true origin of runes! The runes of Red Mountain are nothing compared to this..."
Grom, along with his warriors, began to assess the platform's structural strength and defensive features with a professional eye. They would occasionally tap the platform with their heavy hammers, producing dull metallic echoes, their eyes both discerning and excited.
"Hmm, the basic structure is alright, but the armor is a bit thin, and the joints need reinforcement... A rotating ballista turret could be set up here..."
Gimli went straight to a stationary "Watcher" mech, circled it, and carefully touched its cold armor, making clicking sounds as he did so.
"Wow, the workmanship, the materials... it's a million times better than our best puppet! Boss Linde! This thing can be disassembled... can we borrow it to study it?"
Linde watched as the dwarves instantly got into the swing of things, becoming as excited as mice that had fallen into a rice jar, even starting to "plan their territories." Then he looked at the arrogant "I'm sticking with you" expression on the face of the dwarf king Muradin, and the all-controlling curve at the corner of his mouth finally turned into a helpless and amused smile.
He knew the dwarves would be awestruck and captivated, but he underestimated the fervor these tech fanatics and engineering geeks had for the ultimate creation, the "Iron Sky."
They can't be driven away? No, the current situation is that he has to figure out how to prevent these overly excited dwarves from dismantling the ship for research, or from moving the "Unquenchable Furnace" directly next to the engine room...
The return of the Steel Star has finally welcomed its first batch of most fervent, stubborn, and... "practical" "residents".
Linde knew that from this moment on, the fate of the dwarves was inextricably linked to his Iron Star.
The gears of his era will turn even more unstoppably under the hammer blows of the dwarves.
Lyra Ryan finally picked up her sketchbook, her hands trembling slightly.
She watched the dwarves, who were as excited as if they had found a new toy, and the black-haired lord standing in the heart of the steel behemoth with a helpless smile, his grey-blue eyes gleaming with an unprecedented light.
She knew that what she was witnessing was far more than just the legends in fairy songs.
This is a living epic... forged in the furnace, belonging to steel, stars, and hammers! And she will be the first "dream weaver" to weave it into an eternal song.
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