Linde's gaze was instantly drawn to them.
As proudly described on Gimli Road, these guards were not tall (generally only reaching Lind's chest), but their presence was like that of the giant pillars supporting the dome!
They were covered in master-forged plate armor, the craftsmanship of which was unparalleled! It was not merely heavy, but rather a powerful aesthetic.
With sharp, angular edges like cleaved mountain rocks, the joints feature a precise, layered structure that ensures flexibility while providing maximum protection.
The armor gleamed with the cold light of mithril, the weight of adamantite, and a strange alloy luster of deep red, like solidified magma. Under the red light of the Heart of the Furnace and the starlight of the dome, it flowed with a cold and deadly aura.
The helmet was full-coverage, with only a slit revealing the eyes. The gaze that pierced through that slit was like a tempered blade, cold, sharp, and indestructible, containing the terrifying physical strength of a gold-level warrior, honed through countless trials and tribulations, enough to shake mountains!
Their weapons were equally extraordinary: massive runic warhammers, tower shields as thick as doors, and gleaming double-edged battle axes, each radiating powerful magical energy. Clearly crafted by a master, these were deadly weapons capable of tearing through steel and shattering magic.
They stood like statues sculpted from steel, precisely spaced along both sides of the wide road, stretching from the entrance all the way to the foot of the throne.
The number is not extremely large, but each one is like an unshakable rock, a silent volcano.
Their combined aura formed an invisible barrier, a blend of steely will, furnace heat, and mountain pressure! The air in the entire hall seemed to thicken and become heavy because of their presence.
As Lind and his party (Lind, Nad, Lyla Ryan, Astaire, and Gimli) stepped onto the central avenue guarded by the "Mountainheart Wall" and headed toward the Heart of the Furnace and the throne, the eyes of all the guards, like tangible probes, instantly focused on them, especially on Lind, who was walking at the very front.
There was no contempt or curiosity in that gaze, only the purest scrutiny and assessment.
It is the silent gaze of warriors upon warriors, the natural vigilance of guardians towards those who step into the sacred hall.
They were as silent as mountains, but their unspoken pressure was more oppressive than any noisy provocation.
It seemed to be silently proclaiming: This place is a temple of strength and skill, and only the truly strong and those who prove their sincerity can pay homage to the King of the Hill!
Linde wore the exquisite ceremonial armor (which, though relatively "light" compared to the dwarven heavy armor, was of equally exceptional material and enchantment), his posture upright as a pine tree, his steps steady and firm.
His deep purple eyes calmly met the scrutinizing gazes, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The oppression brought by the Rock Guard? The majesty of the steel sky? The “mountain heart barrier” forged from flesh, steel and will, and the magnificent hall hollowed out from the mountain, truly made him feel fresh and shocked.
But this shock was not fear.
"The dwarfs... truly live up to their reputation."
Linde murmured to himself, his steps unwavering as he continued striding forward.
Nad managed to remain calm, while Lyra Ryan was completely captivated by the sight before her, her grey-blue eyes filled with awe and a passion to record the treasures of this alien civilization.
At the end of the road, atop the throne, sat an extremely majestic figure, as if sculpted from the Red Mountain itself, on the metal throne that symbolized power and forging.
The gaze of the Dwarf King Muradin Bronzebeard, like flames erupting from a furnace, pierced through the barriers of space and locked firmly on the Blackrock Lord who was walking towards him.
Muradin Bronzebeard sat atop his metal throne, a symbol of power and forging, his body sculpted from the hardest rock deep within the Red Mountains—majestic and imposing, yet possessing a ruggedness forged in the fires of a furnace.
His eyes, as deep as a lava lake at the center of the earth, were now watching Lind Truck ascend the steps with great interest and undisguised curiosity.
This young lord from the borderlands of the human kingdom is shrouded in too much mystery.
The Crystal Skeleton, an unprecedented man-made wonder whose structure was so perfect that it left the dwarves' top magic scholars and material masters speechless and then in a frenzy, now lay quietly on a specially made adamantite stand beside the throne—the very Crystal Skeleton warhammer that Lind had sent through Nad.
Muradin's gaze involuntarily swept over it again.
Even against the backdrop of the magnificent Soul Forging Hall, filled with countless divine weapons, it still radiates a unique brilliance.
The cold geometric lines refracted a deep blue halo under the red light of the Heart of the Furnace and the starlight of the dome, and the inhumanly fine array of runes flowing on the hammer seemed to contain the secrets of the movement of the stars.
Even more incredible is that this is not a natural mineral, but a man-made creation! The dwarves' millennia-long forging techniques have focused on refining, tempering, and imbuing ores with form and power, but this creation's very origins have overturned the dwarves' understanding of "materials" and "forging"! This is simply... a miracle!
Moreover, it was crafted into a warhammer that so perfectly embodies the dwarven aesthetics of power and strength! (That's the most important point!)
Huge, heavy, and angular, every curve tells a story of the balance between destruction and protection.
Muradin's fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest of the throne, as if he could still feel the immense energy that almost burst forth from the cold touch when he first held it, and the perfect grip of a dwarf's hand.
This is not just about materials, but also about craftsmanship! A craftsmanship he couldn't understand, yet instinctively awe-inspiring!
“Viscount Lind Truk,” Muradin’s voice was like two pieces of fine gold rubbing together, deep and resonant, with the unique echo of Red Mountain, instantly overpowering the deep pulse of the Heart of the Forge, and clearly resounding throughout the silent Soul Forging Hall.
“Welcome to the Soulforging Hall, the heart of Red Mountain, the sanctuary of dwarven strength and skill! Your ‘gift’…” He raised his thick arm, pointing to the crystal warhammer.
"...It kept my scholars arguing and kept my blacksmiths up all night. It showed us a path that had never been imagined."
Tell me, human lord, how did you 'forge' this Tear of the Stars? And what kind of skill allowed you to shape it into such a...perfect form?"
His gaze was intense, filled with an undisguised curiosity.
That warhammer was like a Pandora's box, opening up his boundless imagination about the limits of skill.
He needed answers, he needed to witness the power behind this mysterious creation with his own eyes!
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