A Dragon against the Whole World

Iron Dragon Solrog suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils contracting into two thin lines in the rain, his heart solemn.

Aliya, this name was not unfamiliar to him.

According to the intelligence gathered by the tribe, the existence called the "Messenger of Good Fortune" had briefly appeared in Ximu Territory attempting to preach, but after the then Lord Shire clearly informed her that Ximu Territory did not welcome the spread of any faith, she left calmly, disappearing without a trace, as if she had never appeared.

Who would have thought that he would hear this name again at this time, in this place, and in this manner.

More crucially, judging from the domain traits displayed by the invisible barrier before him, as well as the direct voice echoing in his heart, this Aliya is highly likely a Legendary figure and possibly a Divine Favored One, a figure that the current Molten Iron Tribe absolutely cannot afford to provoke.

"Hello, Lady Aliya."

"My name is Solrog, the King of Iron of the Molten Iron Tribe."

Facing a Legendary, the Iron Dragon responded in a deep voice, stating his identity while maintaining sufficient courtesy and restraint.

He paused slightly, choosing his words carefully, and continued: "The item in your possession, we, the Molten Iron Tribe, have invested considerable time and effort here to trace its whereabouts, sacrificing many loyal followers."

The Messenger of Good Fortune Aliya nodded gently, her expression still calm.

"I know."

Her voice rang directly in his mind, saying: "It was precisely by following the traces and footprints left by your exploration team that I easily located this place."

She briefly explained.

In fact, after leaving Ximu Territory, this Messenger of Good Fortune wandered aimlessly in the wilderness.

An accidental stop led her to notice the outpost established by the Molten Iron Tribe at an abandoned mine.

For an ordinary person, such a widespread post in the wild might go unnoticed.

But the Messenger of Good Fortune is different.

As her title suggests, her luck was always extraordinarily good, even earning her the favor of the Goddess of Fortune, making her an extraordinarily rare Divine Favored One.

Since then, her luck became even more incredible.

Wherever she went, opportunities and treasures seemed to be magnetically drawn to her.

Upon seeing that mine outpost, some inexplicable intuition told her that this was not a meaningless encounter.

Perhaps beneath that deep abyss, something extraordinary was hidden.

With this notion, she exhibited remarkable patience, secretly observing for a long time, finally arriving first at this long-sealed underground hall.

Solrog suppressed the waves in his heart and tentatively asked, "Since it is so, Lady Aliya, would you be willing to return the item? We are willing to pay other compensation as a reward for you retrieving the item for us."

He knew the hope was slim, but he still wanted to strive for a glimmer of possibility.

The Messenger of Good Fortune slowly shook her head.

"Molten Iron Tribe, I have learned about you."

"I know you are not those chaotic evil beings who cannot be communicated with, those who only know destruction and plunder, so I am willing to say a few more words with you."

Her eyes lowered, falling on the white sphere floating in her palm.

"It is called the ’Hall of Heroes.’"

She said: "The Hall of Heroes is a Legendary creation forged with immense effort by master smiths among the Gray Dwarves, modeled after the famous ’Heroic Domain’ plane."

"Inside, it possesses a unique semi-plane space, capable of absorbing and containing the souls of deceased beings, allowing them to exist as Heroic Spirits within and be summoned into the Material Realm to fight."

Heroic Domain... Solrog knew of this plane.

It is a highly special one among many planes, where warriors, heroic figures, wise kings, and others with heroic traits from countless worlds, after death, have their souls attracted, transforming into immortal and undying Heroic Spirits, persisting in eternal glory and battle.

"However, the Hall of Heroes is far from its prototype and is an extremely dangerous thing."

Aliya said solemnly: "Its creation and loss of control directly led to the destruction of Marne’s Dungeon, causing countless Gray Dwarves to perish in that disaster, with only very few souls being absorbed within, becoming Heroic Spirits."

"These Heroic Spirits, in some sense, are eternal prisoners."

"The holder of the Hall of Heroes can freely manipulate and control them, can show mercy, but can also inflict torment."

Her gaze lifted again, as if piercing through layers of rock walls to see the Iron Dragon above the mine: "Imagine, if this item falls into the hands of an ambitious, unscrupulous schemer or a follower of an Evil God, the wave of disaster it could stir might devastate life, causing the land to weep blood."

At this point, her tone became extremely serious.

"I know you have paid great effort and sacrifice in searching for it, exploring this perilous path to it."

"I do not disregard this commitment."

"But considering the potential risks, the Hall of Heroes is more fitting to be kept by me at the current time."

Upon hearing this, the Iron Dragon fell into brief silence, with only the dense sound of rain hitting scales ever-present.

There’s no doubt that the Hall of Heroes is an incredibly powerful Legendary Artifact.

Not to mention, if it could be mastered, the Flower Lord who perished in the battle to exterminate the Mad King might be resurrected as a Heroic Spirit; the tribe’s followers would also become even more fearless, as death would no longer be the end.