Chapter 128
Black Mountain was the young master of a dwarf clan. At thirty years old, he had just reached adulthood, given that the average lifespan of a common dwarf was around two hundred years.
From a young age, he exhibited extraordinary talent. He could even discern the quality of ores within raw stones merely by smelling them.
His father told him that he was destined to become the next Dwarf King.
In their world, a Dwarf King had not emerged for 500 years.
But just as Black Mountain took up his father’s hammer, barely having time to warm it with use, a group of slave catchers stormed in.
They did not kill many; instead, they subdued the clansmen with overwhelming force. The elite blacksmiths of the clan, including Black Mountain, were taken away.
Their journey was harsh and disorienting, leading them through various places.
During the journey, the slave catchers used a combination of domestication, coercion, and temptation, but most importantly, they controlled the dwarves’ lives with a slave contract. Obeying meant survival, not just for them but for their clansmen.
They were promised that obedience might lead to being valued by wizards, benefiting their entire clan.
