Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 480 - 480 224 Bloodline Curse

480: Chapter 224 Bloodline Curse 480: Chapter 224 Bloodline Curse The wings of several Lion Scorpions rumbled through the mountains, flying over the ground ruins of Steel Furnace Castle, finally landing on the nest platform at the mountain top.

Unfastening the reins, the sturdy Hem led the Dwarf Warriors back to the stone platform, pulling the chains tied to the Scorpion-tailed Lion as they entered the cave.

The long-waiting Beast Tamers and Sentinels stowed their smoking pipes and quickly approached.

“It’s truly delightful to see you return safely, may Omlos bless you, Elder Hem, was this journey smooth?” The Dwarf guard at the mountain top entrance greeted the ancient kin standing before him.

Hem accepted the warm embrace of his compatriots, patting each other’s arms, and replied, “My companions will soon return to Steel Furnace Castle.”

“That’s wonderful news!

I’ve heard the Long Body Species are shameless, especially their Noble Lords.

I was worried those elders were detained and wouldn’t be able to return,” the guard said, calling his companions to herd the beasts back to the nest for feeding, “You should go rest soon; I imagine His Majesty is also awaiting your good news.”

Hem nodded and walked with the others into the depths of the Lion Scorpion’s lair, leading the returning Dwarfs into the passageway.

Through the long spiraling stairs, they stepped onto the lift platform, forcefully pulling the switch lever.

With the clanking of chains and gears, the platform gradually descended along the column with the counterweight at the bottom.

The lift rattled and clanked.

Once they left the mountain trough, they completely entered the hollowed-out rock interior, and their vision unexpectedly opened up, not overly hindered.

Several massive sun arc arrays cleverly captured and reflected the bright sunlight from various mountain cave openings, illuminating the ingeniously crafted city inside the mountain as if narrow beams of light in a valley.

Yet, the empty, ancient cliff stone chambers and suspension bridges were covered in dust and desolate vegetation, with little sign of long-term habitation by Dwarfs.

Only scattered Dwarf soldiers, carrying rotary crossbows, casually smoked pipes while patrolling, greeted Hem’s returning party from afar.

Traversing several high cliff platforms and transferring between lifts, Hem descended lower and lower.

The gushing mountain spring water flowed through large channels within the mountain, forming numerous clear waterfalls of various sizes.

The ancient Dwarfs’ urban engineering recycled and perpetuated the river above and underground.

Some Dwarfs walked along the soil and rock step passages, tending to the gardens where rare vegetables were grown.

Passing countless rock pillars like giant stalagmites and through carved stone chambers and hanging corridors, Hem entered the underground city, the mid-tier of Steel Furnace Castle.

The light grew dimmer, with illumination in the Dwarf city gradually replaced by braziers and torches.

Sporadically glimpsed gardens turned into various mushrooms and geothermal potatoes.

In enclosures purely laid out in metal, subterranean carp with scale and spine shells were being bred.

These abnormally plump livestock nonchalantly used their sharp claws to scrape the feed trough, surrounded not only by butchers managing meat livestock but more and more other Dwarf residents.

The wide mid-tier city was still not bustling, but the sounds of conversation and footsteps added a sense of life compared to the surface city.

Crossing a long bridge guarded by guards and continuing deeper into the profound Rock Gorge on the lift, they reached the darker Lower City District, where the faint roar of furnaces and the clanging of hammers began to become evident.

Without reaching the unfathomable depths of the underground factories and mines, the platform carrying them finally halted at the grand plaza supported by giant stone pillars.

Following the crowned long-bearded palace guards, Hem entered the Helarn Palace of this era and once again met the King of Steel Furnace Castle, Gao Limu.

“I hope that Lord of Felu didn’t trouble you, Elder Hem.

Did you bring back good news of our kin?” The Dwarf King did not remain on his throne.

Instead, he warmly greeted them straight from the hall.

Hem bowed, not correcting the Dwarf King’s address of him like during their first encounter.

This was not just because he was from more than a thousand years ago.

Upon first meeting, Hem thought the hue and length of this contemporary Dwarf King’s beard hinted that he was much older than himself, at least two hundred and eighty years or so.

He assumed the title “elder” was out of generational respect considering their contrasting living eras.

But knowing the truth, Hem was astonished.

This Lord Gao Limu turned out to be merely one hundred and seventy-two years old now.

Fifty whole years younger than Hem himself.

But at this mere age of 172, when a Helarnian should be in their prime, the Dwarf King already exhibited the elderly appearance typical of twilight years.

This situation wasn’t exclusive to Lord Gao Limu.

As far as Hem knew, the short-lived predicament faced by his kin in this era was a widespread phenomenon.

“I have good news, utterly dreadful news, and one uncertain revelation, Your Majesty,” Hem sighed.

He recounted his journey’s experiences to the current leader of his people…

Upon hearing the first two pieces of news from the ancient elder’s mouth, Gao Limu’s emotions rose and fell dramatically.

The first piece of news settled him; those still wandering kin are treasures beyond value for Steel Furnace Castle.

Not solely because of the vast Helarn knowledge and skills grasped by these remarkably awakened ancient remnants.

More importantly, these fifty-one pure bloodlines of the previous era had not yet endured the “curse” affecting the current kin.

The truth of the so-called curse was quite simple, even for someone like Gao Limu, who had never seen ancient times but understood the cause.

“Steel Furnace Castle”…..

and the “Desert Mountain City” that migrated east of the Wound of Omlos two or three hundred years ago, share a lineage.

The currently estimated less than twenty thousand individuals descended from the initial several hundred Helarn ancestors.

The ancestors had naturally no taboos against consanguineous reproduction, but without new bloodlines in the small tribe over generations, today’s bloodline curse has indeed emerged among the kin.

The descendants of Helarn remnants today live only up to less than two-thirds of the ancestors’ lifespan, none able to survive beyond two hundred and twenty years, much less live to the ripe old age of over three hundred years common in their ancestors.

And observing the shortening life expectancy trend in the next generation, when or if it will cease, or if it will continue until one day they become as short-lived as other species and eventually extinct, remains unknown.

Had Hem not restrained him, Gao Limu even considered personally leading his army through the underground paths to forcibly retrieve the nine fallen kin left behind.

He didn’t trust those “Long Body Short-lived Species.” The short-lived are adept at betrayal; they attempted to enslave Helarn remnants for forced labor hundreds of years ago.

Initially, the few same-race ancestors were vulnerable, and if not for the fortunate escape through the complex underground paths, eluding capture and fleeing to the northern place, Steel Furnace Castle, and sealing the mountain gate, who knew what fate might have befallen them now.

Regrettably, when the fourth King of Steel Furnace Castle, his grandfather, noticed two hundred years ago their capability for vengeance, intending to lead troops for ancestral revenge, upon scouting beyond the mountain gate, discovered.

The Kingdom of Northnia had already fallen…

Those who broke ancient accords, the North People, had been driven out of the Western Continent by the Felu people long ago.

Those left were either killed or assimilated into the Felu, indistinguishable now.

Declaring war on the unified Orland Kingdom, ruling this area, would undoubtedly be a baffling absurd move.

To seek revenge again, Steel Furnace Castle would have to build ships and seek the so-called “Northnia” island in the future.

As for the Second Undead Calamity’s business, Gao Limu couldn’t help but frown and ask, “Is that Orland Lord trying to fool us?”

“We did indeed witness the scene he described before we returned,” Hem replied.

Seeing the affirmation from his counterpart, the Dwarf King began pacing.

“A calamity for all beings on the continent?

I find it hard to believe, perhaps another power struggle between the short-lived Long Body species and their Wizards.

Seeing how he at least helped awaken the gentlemen, I can reward him, but sending troops to the south?

He can forget it.

I cannot squander the lives of precious kin based on his frightening predictions.” The Dwarf King shook his head, refusing.

“I think you should listen to the Lord’s final message before making a decision,” Hem quickly advised.

Only then did the Dwarf King suppress his temper.

However, after hearing the explanation regarding the whereabouts of the ancestors, he blew his beard in rage: “?…

A boundary gate?”

Various answers had been contemplated by successive Kings of Steel Furnace Castle, but this was certainly the most unbelievable situation.

“Whether or not you believe it, we must send people to investigate,” Hem suggested.

The ancestors hadn’t collectively met with misfortune but instead left this world as an entire tribe?

Beyond this “world,” there actually exist other “worlds?” With this newfound hope, Gao Limu suppressed his astonished feelings without hesitation: “Where is that ‘gate’?

Quickly, tell me!”

The Dwarf King didn’t dwell too much on skepticism, as the elder stated, regardless of truth, Steel Furnace Castle must send people–no, he himself must go personally to the map’s indicated location for a look.

The addition of over fifty ancient bloodlines to the kin, improving bloodlines, was obviously only a superficial remedy.

But if the large tribe of ancestors could be found, it might genuinely resolve the current bloodline curse facing the populace.

However, this journey required passing through the Deserted Mountain.

Gao Limu suddenly felt torn; should he inform those detestable cousins?

The short-lived bloodline curse did not only ravage Steel Furnace Castle…

…

…

At the end of August, the temperature in the central Western Continent was slightly high, and the King of Orland didn’t remain in his military tent any longer.

By rights, this season was unsuitable for a battle, but Lydwen knew that he and the Trosa contender attempting to usurp the throne from the south would not easily miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Under the shaded cooling canopy, he sat on his royal chair with Trosa and other confidants, strategizing their battle plans on the Ustato map provided by the new King of Kantadar.

Caso wagered everything on the chosen gamble.

The map provided by the Kantadar Royal Family had been revised and measured for centuries, extremely accurate.

Generations of Kantadar Royal Families who commissioned these map drawings never imagined that the secret maps, barred from being shared beyond the Royal Palace, were now handed over to be used by the Orland people by their own descendants.

Regarding the map’s validity, in recent days, Pegasus Knights from Klonia had confirmed from the skies everywhere, and now some simple markers representing both armies were pressed on the contested riverbank area.

Under Lydwen’s command are nearly twenty thousand elite troops directly from the Klonia Kingdom.

The ten thousand Alliance Army from the entire Grey Robe Valley.

Three thousand West Territory Lord reinforcements transferred from the western front.

Finally, the two thousand Kantadar Forbidden Guards and four thousand Royal City Militia provided by Kantadar’s new King, Caso.

A total of 39,000 troops are gathered north of the riverbank, with countless forcibly recruited local civilian laborers, distributed across various large camps and banners, stretching endlessly.

In the distant south of the riverbank, the sight of the Kantadar “rebels” was even more exaggerated than the northern forces.

Nonetheless, through continuous probing and skirmishes between the two armies, Lydwen roughly estimated the enemy’s strength.

The proclaimed sixty thousand Kantadar army was in fact only just over half the size.

But, besides Duke Ablo’s thirty thousand main army, the additional twenty thousand Urian allies and their massive Cavalry contingent were certainly not to be underestimated.

The abundance of horses on the plains produced an exaggeratedly large number of cavalry among the Urians, and the Southern Army’s Iron Cavalry was likely more than twice as numerous as theirs…

Even so, this was not enough to make Lydwen and Trosa entertain any notion of retreat.

Despite the inferior numbers and the far lesser quantity of cavalry compared to the opposition, the morale and quality of warriors in the Orland forces were greatly superior to the adversary’s at the moment.

The Eastern Expedition Army recalled by Duke Ablo, having been engaged in campaigns from the previous year, had been fighting for nearly a year, charged towards the Royal City with just a brief rest, clearly a fatigued force past its prime.

The Urians of the grasslands, fierce as they are, also had endured prolonged campaigns away from home, their martial edge dulling.

The Orland campaign to the south, having been shorter in duration, had exploited the southern internal unrest, encountering no defeats.

The forces from various domains achieved victory after victory, morale was high, and military power was abundant.

Of course, without long-term and sufficiently prepared logistics, the Orland troops also couldn’t afford an extended stalemate against the Southern Army due to unsustainable grain consumption, or to truly depend on idleness as a strategy.

Thankfully, this battle does not require thoroughly crushing the enemy but merely forcing Duke Ablo out of Ustato Territory to claim victory for the Northern Army.

Lydwen stroked his beard, contemplating that Ablo surely thought the same, aiming to make the Orland people…

retreat after recognizing the difficulty.

“…

The focus is still those Urian armies, we might try to lure the enemy…

if we can cause the Urians to voluntarily separate from Ablo’s forces…” Trosa pondered.

Without that enormous cavalry from the plains, the current Orland army would actually be quite confident in a direct assault defeating Ablo’s thirty thousand main troops.

“If you can’t draw out the Urians, try luring Ablo himself.” Lydwen, after deliberating for a moment, said, “There must be spies in the north bank now.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have delivered the secret message so quickly back then.

Have Caso and his troops raise the flags high over at your camp these days, move his soldiers and banners more upfront and visible.

I’m curious how long Ablo can endure…”