After getting the forged weapon.
To be honest.
Lu Ran wasn’t particularly satisfied with it.
He had originally expected it to be absolutely amazing.
After all, the Elf Wings, as a Saint Artifact, not only gave Lu Ran the ability to fly,
but also allowed him to summon nature elves to help in battle.
In comparison.
Although the Dinghai Trident had higher four-dimensional stats and the 20% boost to all skill damage was impressive, it still fell far short of Lu Ran’s expectations.
As for the skill range doubling,
for Lu Ran, it was certainly incredible—a skill coverage increase of hundreds of kilometers.
But for ordinary professional, while the benefit was still significant, it still didn’t measure up to what Lu Ran thought a Saint Artifact should be capable of.
Oh well.
Lu Ran could only comfort himself.
There are differences between Saint Artifacts.
Take the Elf Wings, for example. As an original Saint Artifact, their power was naturally strong.
The dwarves’ Dwarven Forge, though not a piece of equipment, was a Saint Artifact. Its ability to forge other Saint Artifacts made it even more terrifying!
But Saint Artifacts that were forged, perhaps, couldn’t compare to original ones.
Whether in terms of the global equipment rankings or overall stats.
The Dwarf King had originally planned to invite Lu Ran and the others to stay for a meal.
But honestly, Lu Ran had spent the whole afternoon wandering around Blackrock City and had seen quite a bit of their food.
Just a single glance at the dwarves’ food was enough to make you speechless!
By then, the sky had already turned completely dark.
Even though they weren’t going to eat there, they couldn’t resist the Dwarf King’s insistence and decided to stay the night.
The next morning, before Lu Ran and the others had even gotten up, they heard a commotion coming from outside.
Curious, Lu Ran opened the door and looked outside.
He saw dwarf soldiers fully armed, running back and forth, all with panicked expressions.
Lu Ran was confused. What was going on?
Just then,
the Dwarf King arrived.
He looked anxious and said to Lu Ran and the others, “Honored guests, leave Blackrock City immediately!”
Huh?
Lu Ran asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Aren’t you all moving back to the cave?”
The Dwarf King shook his head. “Relocating a race isn’t something that happens overnight. But right now, a powerful enemy is approaching. It’s very dangerous for you to stay in Blackrock City!”
A powerful enemy approaching?
Lu Ran was even more confused.
The Dwarf King seemed to see Lu Ran’s confusion. He looked up at the sky and said, “The dwarves’ natural enemy. For so many years, the dwarves have suffered greatly at their hands. Countless dwarves have died, too many to count.”
Lu Ran suddenly understood.
The dwarves’ natural enemy—the Corrupted Gryphons!
He quickly looked up.
Sure enough!
In the relatively clear early morning sky, a large dark cloud could be seen on the horizon, slowly approaching.
But that wasn’t a cloud. It was a dense swarm of Corrupted Gryphons!
“Didn’t you say the Corrupted Gryphons hunt the dwarves in cycles? You don’t keep track of the timing?” Lu Ran asked in surprise.
Just yesterday, when the Dwarf King mentioned the Corrupted Gryphons, he didn’t say they would come today!
The Dwarf King sighed and shook his head. “It’s cyclical, but the cycle isn’t fixed. Sometimes it’s as short as ten days, sometimes as long as three or four months. And this time, only seventeen days have passed since the last Corrupted Gryphon attack.”
Lu Ran was speechless.
What kind of cycle was that supposed to be?
Ye Hongyi and the others were there too.
Hearing this, Liu Xinxin asked with a strange expression, “These Corrupted Gryphons are dark-type monsters, right?”
Upon hearing this,
the Dwarf King nodded. “They’re gryphons corrupted by evil spirits. Compared to regular gryphons of the same level, they’re faster, have higher attack, and stronger health and defense. They’re very difficult to deal with…”
Then he paused,
the Dwarf King suddenly froze and looked at Lu Ran.
His first reaction upon learning of the Corrupted Gryphon attack was to tell Lu Ran and the others to leave.
But then he suddenly remembered Lu Ran’s heroic performance yesterday.
Maybe… Lu Ran could help the dwarves resist the Corrupted Gryphons?
Of course,
the Dwarf King was also worried. If there weren’t enough rewards, or if the rewards weren’t up to standard, would Lu Ran be willing to help?
Lu Ran seemed to see through the Dwarf King’s hesitation and spoke up, “Just say what’s on your mind. If you need help, I won’t refuse.”
After all, according to Liu Xinxin, these Corrupted Gryphons were all dark creatures, which meant Lu Ran could easily control them!
With just a glance, they would all be completely obedient.
Only then did the Dwarf King grit his teeth and say, “Your abilities are outstanding. It would be best if you’re willing to help. But the rewards…”
Lu Ran understood then that there probably weren’t any significant rewards.
But then,
the Dwarf King added, “For the Corrupted Gryphon attacks, I’ve issued a regional public mission. But the reward is small. It’s based on killing Corrupted Gryphons. For each Corrupted Gryphon you professional kill, you’ll get triple experience. Apart from that, there are no other rewards. So, if you think the reward is too little, it’s fine if you don’t want to help. You can just leave…”
“That’s plenty!” Lu Ran’s eyes lit up.
Triple experience!
What he wanted was experience!
He didn’t lack combat power.
For equipment, he had two Saint Artifacts, plus the Crystal Skull of Hades. He was unstoppable!
All he needed now was experience. He needed experience to level up!
Of course,
if there were Saint Artifact-level equipment, Lu Ran would want that too.
“What level are these Corrupted Gryphons?” Lu Ran asked.
“The lowest are level 70, the highest are level 80. They range within that interval,” the Dwarf King said.
“Aren’t you a level 100 Dwarf King?” Lu Ran asked curiously.
“Although I can kill Corrupted Gryphons in one hit, the dwarves can’t fight in the air at all. We have no way of engaging in aerial combat. Apart from their melee weapons, all dwarves can also use firearms. But…”
But the problem was that for all these years, the dwarves hadn’t been able to forge equipment.
They didn’t have enough firearms left, and the ones they had were low in quality and lacked attack power.
Added to that, the Corrupted Gryphons were fast and had high attack, making the dwarves’ resistance seem very feeble.
Even though the Eternal Flame had now returned to the Dwarven Forge, the dwarves hadn’t had time to forge equipment. They couldn’t prepare for this wave of attack!
“I see…” Lu Ran nodded.
Seeing that the swarm of Corrupted Gryphons was getting closer,
Lu Ran said, “Don’t worry. I’ll help. You all hide if you can. If you can’t, it doesn’t matter. I’ll handle it.”
“Just you alone? But can’t your undead army not fly either?” the Dwarf King asked worriedly.
“The undead army can’t fly, but I can!” Lu Ran chuckled.
The next second.
Whoosh!
The Elf Wings spread wide open.
The huge wings unfurled behind Lu Ran, radiating the unique, sacred aura of the elves.
And at that moment,
whether it was the dwarf soldiers inside the Boulder Fortress or the other dwarves in the city,
they were all staring at the sky in terror.
Watching the Corrupted Gryphons draw closer, the fear deeply buried in every dwarf’s heart surfaced on their faces.
And just then,
as the Corrupted Gryphon swarm got closer and closer,
suddenly, a figure shot up from the Boulder Fortress, soaring straight into the clouds!
