Fortunately, with Liu Xinxin’s speed-boosting skill this time, and since it was a downhill slope, Lu Ran was moving at lightning speed!
He was practically running for his life, pushing himself to the limit!
He rushed to the end of the trap-filled corridor as fast as he could.
Lu Ran’s eyes swept across the area.
Sure enough!
There, in the corner at the base of the wall, he found a button… about the size of a fist!
“Whoa, that thing’s huge! How did I not notice it before…” Lu Ran muttered to himself.
He casually pressed the button.
Then he turned his head and listened as a series of clicking and clacking sounds echoed from within the trap corridor. All the mechanisms, hidden behind the unseen stone walls, had been completely shut down.
To test it out, Lu Ran took a few steps back up into the trap corridor.
Sure enough!
No traps were triggered.
Only then did Lu Ran breathe a sigh of relief, quickly running back up.
The Dwarf King watched Lu Ran emerge from the corridor without setting off any traps, and his eyes reddened again.
After so many years, the Dwarf Clan finally had a chance to return to their underground burrows!
As for Lu Ran.
The moment he stepped out, he received a notification that the quest was complete.
[Quest: The Continuation of Eternal Flame (5) Complete!]
[Reward Acquired: 80 million experience points!]
Eighty million experience points, secured.
Moreover.
There was no prompt for a new quest this time.
This entire questline was now finished.
It had to be said, although this series of quests was incredibly difficult, the rewards were also extremely generous!
A total of over one hundred million, nearly two hundred million experience points!
Plus the chance to forge an item in the Dwarf Forge.
Cao Yuan probably never imagined that the quest scroll he gave away would yield such丰厚 (fēng hòu) — generous — rewards.
Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have been so willing to part with it.
Of course.
The questline itself was extremely difficult; it was just comparatively easier for Lu Ran.
At the same time.
[Level successfully increased to Level 43!]
Lu Ran had successfully gained a level, reaching Level 43!
Last time, 80 million experience points had let him jump two levels.
This time, it only got him one.
This shows how, as the level increases, the experience needed for the next level grows at a terrifying rate.
Still, it wasn’t too bad.
Even at Level 43, he was already halfway to the next level.
He was getting closer and closer to Level 45.
Lu Ran then looked at the Dwarf King with a smile and said, “I’ve gotten all the other experience rewards for the quest, but what about this forging opportunity…”
The Dwarf King said, “Anytime. Now that you’ve obtained the Eternal Flame, the Dwarf Forge can be activated whenever you want. If you want to forge equipment, you can do it anytime. If you don’t have suitable equipment to forge right now, you can wait until you get some good gear and forge it then, no rush.”
After all, Lu Ran’s level was still quite low.
He probably didn’t have anything worthwhile at this stage.
So he specifically advised Lu Ran that this forging opportunity could be kept indefinitely, and he could come back to forge whenever he was ready.
Lu Ran waved his hand and said, “No time like the present. I actually have a piece of equipment that’s perfect for this. If possible, I’d like to forge it today. Let’s go back and do it right away!”
He had been looking forward to this for ages!
“Oh? What kind of equipment is it?” the Dwarf King asked.
A smug smile appeared on Lu Ran’s face.
He then handed over his Sea-Calming Trident.
The Dwarf King took it and examined it.
He was silent for a few seconds before nodding and saying, “Well, it’s a piece of junk, but if you insist on forging it, that’s fine.”
Pfft~
Lu Ran nearly spat out a mouthful of blood in disbelief.
The Sea-Calming Trident!
It was a top-tier item on the global equipment rankings, dropped by a World Boss. And in the Dwarf King’s mouth, it was junk?
Oh my god!
But thinking about it, it made sense. For a race of dwarves who excelled at crafting equipment, the gear dropped by monsters from the human perspective probably was hard for them to be impressed by.
“Yeah, this is the one.” Lu Ran nodded.
“Alright. Let’s head back then,” the Dwarf King said.
On the way back.
Lu Ran, having nothing better to do, asked, “Your Hill Dwarves originally lived underground to avoid natural predators. But after the world was digitized, you were forced to establish a main city on the surface. Over these years, what about your natural enemies? Aren’t you afraid of them anymore?”
The Dwarf King sighed upon hearing this.
He said, “How could we not be afraid? It’s just that after the world was digitized, many new rules were added. The Dwarves’ natural enemy is the Dark Griffin. Because of those rules, the Dark Griffins hunt the Dwarves in cycles. Over the years, we’ve suffered quite a few casualties. Still, it’s alright. Now that the mechanisms in the Dwarf Burrows have been deactivated and the Eternal Flame has been retrieved, the Dwarf Clan can finally return to our underground home.”
So that was it.
Lu Ran nodded.
He continued, “This Dwarf Forge forging opportunity was only rewarded once. If I want to forge something next time, what do I need to do to get another chance?”
The Dwarf King pondered for a few seconds.
Then he replied, “Only giving one chance isn’t because I’m being stingy. Forging sacred artifacts in the Dwarf Forge requires many precious materials. What the Dwarf Clan has right now is leftover stock from the old world, enough for only one forging. Getting another chance isn’t the hard part — you’ve done our clan a great service and you’re also an honored guest of the Nature Spirits, so I could give you another chance free of charge. But obtaining the materials is difficult. If you can gather the required materials in the future, you can come to me anytime, and I’ll forge it for you.”
That was understandable.
After all, forging something of sacred artifact level.
The materials required were obviously not easy to obtain.
But as his level increased, Lu Ran would surely have the chance to acquire those materials.
Now that he had the Dwarf King’s promise, it was all set.
Give Lu Ran enough materials and time, and having a full set of sacred artifacts wasn’t just a dream!
“Oh, by the way, can the Fairy Wings be forged?” Lu Ran suddenly asked.
The Sea-Calming Trident already had useful functions, enough for his needs. He didn’t know what effect forging would have.
But even if he didn’t forge it, its current abilities were sufficient.
If he could forge something as good as the Fairy Wings, wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake?
Unfortunately.
The Dwarf King shook his head and said, “The Fairy Wings are already of sacred artifact grade, equivalent to the Dwarf Forge’s own level. The Dwarf Forge cannot forge something that surpasses its own grade.”
Well, there went that hope.
So he’d stick to the original plan and continue forging the Sea-Calming Trident.
Lu Ran let out a long, satisfied sigh. This entire trip, thanks to the quest scroll from Cao Yuan, had been an incredibly perfect!
“The Sea-Calming Trident isn’t ranked very high right now, but after being forged into a sacred artifact, its ranking will probably jump quite a bit.” Ye Hongyi analyzed as they walked.
“It definitely will! That’s a sacred artifact! I’m so jealous!” Lei Tai’s eyes were practically glowing green with envy.
Liu Xinxin, however, was thinking more deeply.
She mused, “Once it becomes a sacred artifact, it will obviously attract more attention.”
“No worries. Lu Ran is already practically invincible globally right now. Even if he didn’t hide his info, it wouldn’t matter.” Ye Hongyi said casually.
“That’s true. You should also know from Yu Qingcang’s message that Nanase didn’t return to her country. Instead, she escaped the capital. Her goal is likely to find Lu Ran and kill him.” Liu Xinxin said.
Therefore.
If Lu Ran’s Sea-Calming Trident was forged into a sacred artifact, its rank on the global equipment rankings would rise, which would probably catch Nanase’s attention.
Perhaps she could use the new forging attributes of the trident to locate Lu Ran!
But Liu Xinxin wasn’t worried, because Yu Qingcang had mentioned briefly.
The reason Nanase was acting so aggressively seemed to be because she had established a contract with the Yamata-no-Orochi — and it was a reverse contract!
And the Yamata-no-Orochi was a dark-type creature!
Lu Ran could directly control it!
Liu Xinxin said thoughtfully, “I’m actually kind of looking forward to Nanase finding us soon.”
