My queen is rebelling!

Tie Yan was stunned for a moment. After understanding the meaning of Cohen's words, he couldn't help but look up at him, his voice filled with a hint of apprehension and a touch of hidden excitement:

"Your Excellency means…?"

Cohen replied with a smile:

"Yes, I mean I want to help you get the position of chieftain!

You only need to promise that after becoming the chieftain, you will continue to promote the previous plan, achieve cooperation with the 'Pale Wings,' and participate in the establishment of the 'Cross-Racial Trade Route.'

"Tomorrow, I will enter your tribe with you. Help me arrange a meeting with Tolkien · Quenchfire, the president of your Craftsmen's Union.

I'll help you get the support of the 'Craftsmen's Class' first!"

Seeing Cohen's confidence, Tie Yan also felt a surge of boldness in his heart.

Even a figure like the Golden Winged Woman listened to him, so what was there for him to hesitate about?

Groein · Firehammer looked at Tie Yan, whose fighting spirit had been ignited by Cohen's few words, and stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

After a long pause, he finally said:

"Your Excellency Ya'an, the relationship between the dwarves and humans is not very harmonious right now. It might not be appropriate for you to enter the dwarven territory so openly…"

Cohen quickly nodded and said:

"I know, don't worry, I have a way to sneak in without alarming anyone."

Seeing Cohen's confidence, Groein didn't try to dissuade him any further.

After agreeing on a time with Tie Yan · Ornn, the latter left the mine with excitement.

Cohen then looked at Groein · Firehammer, who had a complicated expression, and asked:

"I need to purchase a large amount of space stones. Does your tribe have any?"

Groein came back to his senses, lowered his eyes and pondered for a while, then said:

"We probably have about twenty catties. They're all leftovers from crafting space storage equipment over the years. Is that enough?"

Cohen showed a look of regret and shook his head:

"I need at least a hundred catties."

Hearing this unimaginable number, Groein couldn't hide his shock, opened his mouth slightly, and asked:

"What are you going to build, Your Excellency?

Why would you need so many space stones?

Even legendary-level space storage equipment doesn't need a catty of space stones!"

Cohen didn't answer Groein's question, but asked:

"Do you know which tribe has that much space stone storage?"

Groein pondered for a moment and said:

"Space stones are only used in crafting high-level magic equipment with space attributes.

In the entire dwarven race, besides the 'Smelting Tribe,' which focuses on high-end weapons and equipment, I can't think of any other tribe that would have such a large storage of space stones."

Cohen's expression froze slightly. It seemed that things still came down to this "Smelting Tribe." In any case, he was determined to get what he needed this time!

After finishing the serious business, Cohen suddenly thought of a small matter and asked Groein:

"Chieftain Firehammer, besides your tribe's cooperation with the Human Empire, are there any other tribes in the Great Alliance secretly cooperating with humans from other empires?"

Cohen asked this not only because of Balin · Ironhammer's previous complaints, but also because of an event that happened in the game in his previous life.

The Eastern Domain Empire, which was not on good terms with the Western Domain Empire, had a force secretly supporting the dwarven tribes, creating obstacles for the Western Domain Empire.

Even when the subsequent [War of the Nations] expansion pack was loaded, they controlled several dwarven tribes and stabbed the Western Domain Empire in the back.

They directly annexed several affiliated states of the Western Domain Empire.

Hearing Cohen say this, Groein's expression suddenly became very tense. After thinking for a long time, he slowly said:

"That's right, there is.

It's the supporter behind Rockheart · Ornn, the eldest son of the old chieftain of the 'Smelting Tribe' that I mentioned before—the 'Wildhammer Tribe.'

However, I'm not sure which country's humans they're cooperating with."

Cohen nodded slightly, without asking any further questions.

After discussing the matter, Groein consciously left, leaving the space for Cohen and Isabella.

Cohen turned to look at Isabella and said softly:

"I'm going to the 'Smelting Tribe' deep inside. Do you want to come with me?"

Isabella nodded without the slightest hesitation and said:

"I'm a Gold-tier at least, so I can help you a little."

Cohen felt very ashamed hearing this. He seemed to still be a Silver scrub.

Cohen reached out his hand to Isabella and said:

"We can't be too blatant when entering the dwarven territory. Come, I'll take you to a place."

Isabella extended her porcelain-white palm and handed it to Cohen, their fingers intertwined.

A golden light flashed in Cohen's eyes, and his entire body surged with magic power. He activated the Rule Skill—Control Shadow, and the two instantly disappeared from the spot.

"Control Shadow": Rule Skill, Level 1, freely enter the sub-dimension—"Shadow Dimension," and obtain the "Shadow Dimension" control, the authority equivalent to "Shadow Guard." ("Shadow Guard" authority: can carry one person into the "Shadow Dimension")

Isabella only felt a blur before her eyes, and then a faint tearing force came from her entire body. When her vision returned, she found that she had arrived in a completely unfamiliar world.

Only endless grayness and silence could be seen. The sky was covered by heavy dark clouds, with no sun or stars.

The earth had also lost its color, and everything was gray. Clusters of ghostly green energy balls popped out from the cracks in the earth, emitting shocking fluctuations.

Logically speaking, Isabella, who was already a Gold-tier, should be able to withstand most of the cold, but after entering the Shadow Dimension, she still felt a chilling sensation that penetrated her bones.

Before long, a gray light flickered on her body. Bathed in the gray light, Isabella suddenly felt much warmer.

Cohen's voice sounded beside her:

"Welcome to the sub-dimension—'Shadow Dimension'!"

Isabella's beautiful eyes trembled slightly, and she whispered:

"You… the sub-dimension you escaped into is actually the Shadow Dimension?"

Since the end of the Six Saints War in Florence, almost everyone could see that the "Lord of Shadows" possessed a technique that allowed him to escape into the sub-dimension.

This allowed him to appear fearlessly in front of the strong.

Isabella naturally knew this, but she never expected that the sub-dimension Cohen controlled was actually the "Shadow Dimension"!

As one of the most dangerous sub-dimensions, even Legendary-tier powerhouses did not dare to set foot in the Shadow Dimension easily.

The spatial structure here was extremely unstable, and twisted passages could appear at any time. If one was not careful, they would be swept into the endless void, forever losing their way.

The most terrifying thing was the ghostly green light that could be seen everywhere, rolling around. Once one stepped into it, even a Legendary-tier powerhouse would be assimilated into a shadow creature in an instant, never able to return to the main plane to survive.

Isabella said in an inexplicable tone:

"No wonder you gave yourself such a chuuni nickname. It turns out that the sub-dimension you can enter is actually the 'Shadow Dimension.'

Aren't you in danger here?

I heard that the 'Shadow Dimension' is extremely dangerous, and even Legendary-tier powerhouses don't dare to enter it easily."

Cohen took Isabella's hand and said:

"It's okay, my current authority is equivalent to the 'Shadow Guard' level among shadow creatures.

I can easily live here, and I can even bring one person with me."

As he spoke, Cohen gently waved his hand, and in the ink-like darkness, a mysterious and eerie silver crack suddenly appeared.

The crack gradually widened to about half a meter, and then, dazzling light shone into the Shadow Plane through the gap.

Isabella squinted slightly and quickly discovered that the scene in the light was the mine in the Prime Material Plane.

It was as if this crack was a portal connecting the two planes, with the endless, deep darkness of the Shadow Plane on one side and the colorful scenery of the Prime Material Plane on the other.

Isabella stood by the crack, her beautiful eyes shining with strange colors, as if she were at the intersection of two planes, a kind of indescribable wonderful feeling surged into her heart.

Cohen explained:

“This is the junction of the two planes, I call it the Shadow Passage. Walking along this passage, you can move silently on the Prime Material Plane.

After arriving at the destination, you can re-enter the Prime Material Plane by passing through the crack.

Most of the dwarf tribes are hostile to our human race. To avoid trouble, we will follow the Shadow Passage and sneak into the dwarf tribe with Iron Rock after he has made arrangements.”

Isabella asked:

“I heard my aunt say last time that the rules of the sub-plane have a strong restraining effect on the creatures of the main plane.

Especially in the 'Shadow Plane', a plane with extremely pure single rules, staying for a long time will assimilate you into a 'Shadow Creature'.

Is there any risk for you to enter so often?”

It took Cohen a few seconds to realize who Isabella's "aunt" was referring to.

It was none other than Jialin Saint Meyla, the only female saint who appeared in the Great Battle of the Six Saints in Florence.

This woman often claimed to be a partner of justice, so stubborn that she was a bit silly.

An old virgin who had lived for hundreds of years, harboring a simple and pure sense of justice, firmly believed that the world was either black or white, and used this as the basis for her actions and the cornerstone of her faith.

Cohen thought maliciously, perhaps she needed a man to train her severely to reverse her inappropriate personality.

Out of respect for Isabella's elder, Cohen did not deny Jialin's words, but pointed to the gray light on the two of them and said:

“This light can ensure that we travel safely in the 'Shadow Plane'.

As long as we don't encounter higher-level Shadow Creatures, there is no need to consider safety.”

Isabella nodded as if she understood.

Cohen took the opportunity to popularize some knowledge about the "Shadow Plane" to Isabella, and asked casually while speaking:

“Is that Saint Jialin your biological aunt?”

Isabella shook her head and said:

“I'll tell you a secret, but don't spread it outside, lest my aunt gets angry when she finds out.”

Cohen immediately patted his chest to assure her that he felt the soul of gossip burning in his body when it came to the secrets of this silly, sweet girl from his previous life.

Isabella whispered:

“My aunt is not a pure human being, she is a banished half-elf. My grandmother raised her.

She lived with my mother since she was a child, so I have always called her aunt.

So although she has lived for hundreds of years, she is still very young psychologically and relatively simple.”

Speaking of this, Isabella stuck out her tongue cutely, as if she felt a little embarrassed to be gossiping about her elder with a man behind her back.

Cohen looked enlightened and secretly calculated that a half-elf, a hybrid of humans and elves, no wonder she was banished.

Could the formation of her personality be related to her background?

… …

Deep in the "Smelting Tribe", there is a building that is taller and more solid than ordinary dwarf houses, completely built from a huge stone.

The filling between the stone crevices has become one with the stones after years of precipitation.

The roof has a steep slope, covered with a layer of special metal tiles, shimmering with a mysterious luster under the light of the fire.

The door of the residence is made of heavy oak, engraved with the history and glory of the "Smelting Tribe", and on both sides of the door are two huge torches, the burning flames illuminating the road in front of the door, and also adding a solemn atmosphere to the entire residence.

The third son of the old chieftain of the "Smelting Tribe", Iron Rock · Ornn, walked into the gate with two dwarf craftsmen, and what caught his eyes was a spacious hall.

The floor was covered with thick animal skin carpets, and there was a stone table in the center of the hall, scattered with various drawings, and many drawings were heavily marked with pens.

The dwarf craftsman who led the way respectfully said:

“Please wait a moment, Third Young Master. Guildmaster Tolkien · Quenchfire is forging equipment in the workshop. He has received the message and will be here soon.”

Iron Rock nodded slightly, sat down on the stone chair, and closed his eyes to meditate.

This is the residence of Tolkien · Quenchfire, the president of the Craftsman's Union. Following Cohen's instructions, Iron Rock immediately went to see Tolkien as soon as he returned to the "Smelting Tribe".

He knew that Tolkien was very popular recently and was afraid that the other party would not see him, so he came directly to his home to wait for him.

Just as Iron Rock was about to fall asleep, a series of loud footsteps sounded from far to near.

Soon, an old dwarf walked into the hall.

Tolkien · Quenchfire's body seemed to be carved from a rough, dark stone, and the expression on his face was always stiff and awkward.

His hair and beard had turned snow-white, tangled messily together.

The beard was thick and curly, almost reaching his waist, and there were many metal shavings mixed in it.

His face was covered with deep wrinkles, like old tree bark, and the only outstanding feature was his small and bright eyes, which shone with wisdom.

Iron Rock got up quickly, and before he could speak, Tolkien apologized with an eager voice:

“I'm really sorry, Third Young Master. When I received the message, the forging was just at a critical moment.

And those little bastards can't even hit iron, so it took me a lot of effort to finish it, and I kept you waiting.”

Iron Rock waved his hands repeatedly and said:

“Guildmaster Quenchfire's work is important. I'm just here to take a look and ask for some advice on forging. There's nothing else important.”

Tolkien laughed heartily, took out a large bottle of ale from his arms, took two gulps, and asked:

“I wonder what the Third Young Master wants from this old man?”

Tolkien had actually returned long ago, but he hadn't seen Iron Rock because he wanted to investigate his movements in the past few days.

Now the tribe is at a critical moment of power transition, and his position is crucial.

What people he sees and what he says every day are watched by countless eyes, and he must be cautious.

The result of the investigation did not surprise him. The Third Young Master, Iron Rock, had recently made a trip to the "Fire Hammer Tribe" on the border of the Great Alliance.

Sure enough, he went to find foreign aid.

Tolkien had naturally conducted a detailed investigation of the three most promising heirs, and knew that behind this Third Young Master, Iron Rock · Ornn, was the support of Groin · Fire Hammer of the "Fire Hammer Tribe".

Having found out this far, Tolkien already had a clue in his mind that the other party was likely to have been instructed by this old fox, Groin, to come and win him over.

Among the three heirs, Rockheart · Ornn has the support of the "warrior class" represented by the general, and Brook · Steelaxe has the support of the "commoner class" represented by the high priest.

Only Iron Rock has no support from any class, so it is reasonable to come and win him over.

Tolkien felt indifferent, even slightly repulsed, by Tie Yan.

This person was born to the old chieftain's third wife on the human continent, and inherently had a certain distance from the dwarf race.

Moreover, Tie Yan had lived on the human continent since childhood, and even after adulthood, he kept running to the human continent, clearly longing for the human world.

This made Tolkien, who had lived in the "Smelting Tribe" for hundreds of years, very unimpressed.

Therefore, before entering the hall to meet him, he had already prepared his words in his mind.

Back to the present, Tolkien leisurely sat next to Tie Yan, waiting for him to ask for his support.

However, to Tolkien's surprise, throughout the conversation, Tie Yan didn't mention anything about the chieftain's candidacy, but only kept asking about forging knowledge.

Tolkien suppressed the surprise in his heart, and when it came to forging, his emotions were obviously much higher.

What he was most proud of in his life was his forging skills, but his greatest regret was not having taught a satisfactory apprentice.

His only concern was that once he died, the forging skills of the "Smelting Tribe" would be lost again.

Therefore, seeing that the old chieftain's son had no airs at all, and looked like he was listening attentively to his teachings, he was very happy.

Finally, when the conversation was almost over, Tie Yan suddenly said:

"Master Quenching, I have a small request, and I hope you can grant it."

Tolkien's eyebrows sank. Could it be that everything before was a disguise, and now he's finally getting to the point?

He asked calmly:

"Third Young Master, please speak frankly, as long as I can help!"

Tie Yan said with a smile:

"You can definitely help.

It's like this, I recently started forging a bronze-level magic battle axe, but I always fail when engraving the 'Sharpness' rune.

I've already ruined a lot of rune materials…

If you're free tomorrow, Master, could you come and help me see where the problem lies?"

Tolkien breathed a sigh of relief. When it came to professional matters, he became energetic again, first praising:

"Third Young Master has already started forging weapons, even magic weapons, your progress is really fast."

The dwarves have a strict training system for craftsmen, from kitchenware, farm tools, decorations, ordinary weapons, to magic weapons, they must proceed step by step.

Therefore, learning that the Third Young Master, who had not been in the tribe for many years, had actually begun to try forging magic weapons, Tolkien's impression of Tie Yan greatly changed.

The fact that someone of Tie Yan's status was willing to engage in forging, and had progressed to this extent, made Tolkien, as a forging master who shouldered the responsibility of inheriting the forging skills of the "Smelting Tribe," feel very gratified.

Tie Yan scratched his head embarrassedly and said:

"I'm just trying it out. This is also the first magic weapon I've forged, but I didn't expect it to always fail."

Tolkien quickly asked:

"How exactly did it fail?

Did it fail as soon as the rune was engraved, or did it fail halfway through engraving, or did it fail after the engraving was finished?

What about other runes, is the situation the same?

Tie Yan quickly replied:

"It failed as soon as it was engraved.

Engraving other runes is completely normal, and this has never happened before."

As soon as Tolkien heard this, he understood the problem and asked unhappily:

"How many times did you quench it when you were forging the blank?"

Tie Yan showed a blank expression on his face and said uncertainly:

"Three times?

Five times?

I don't remember clearly."

Tolkien couldn't help but scold:

"I told you to read more basic theory before forging, but none of you listen to advice. You want to start forging weapons after learning only half-baked skills. Is forging that simple?

Forget it, tomorrow I'll go to your place and demonstrate it for you from beginning to end."

Although his words were harsh, Tolkien still agreed to Tie Yan's request.

After all, it was Tie Yan's first time forging a magic weapon, and Tolkien was really worried if he didn't teach him hand-by-hand.

Tie Yan's face immediately showed a grateful expression, and he thanked him several times before leaving.

… …

Tie Yan · Aoun advanced along an ancient mountain road.

The mountain road was winding and twisting, spiraling deep into the northern mountains of the Western Regions Empire.

Although the mountain road was rugged, the footing was extremely solid, obviously formed by years of trampling and repairing.

While walking, Tie Yan would occasionally glance behind him. Finally, after looking back more than ten times, he heard Cohen's calm voice in his ear:

"The front should be the gathering area of your 'Smelting Tribe,' right?

Looking back again will easily attract other people's attention. Just focus on the road, we're always following behind you."

Tie Yan was shocked. They were still following him!

This scene simply subverted his worldview.

Early the next morning, after agreeing with Tolkien, the president of the Craftsman Association, Tie Yan couldn't wait to come to the mine, waiting to lead Cohen and the others into the "Smelting Tribe."

Just as he was curious about how these two people would disguise their identities, the two actually disappeared from sight, and told him to just lead the way.

This made him greatly surprised. There was no sound behind him along the way, making him very suspicious whether these two people were actually following him.

However, Cohen's voice immediately dispelled the doubts in his heart, and at the same time made him even more awed by the two.

This incredible method brought him a huge shock.

Confirming that there were still people following behind him, Tie Yan relaxed and quickened his pace.

After walking in the mountain road for a while, a huge cave appeared in front of him. Tie Yan did not hesitate at all, and directly drilled into the cave. After walking for an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.

As the distance shortened, the light became stronger and stronger. Finally, walking out of the cave, suddenly the view opened up, and a lively dwarven city was displayed in front of him.

Cohen and Isabella looked outward through the Shadow Passage.

The dwarves' settlement was like a solid fortress. Houses piled up with huge stones were arranged in a well-organized manner. Although short, they were extremely sturdy, as if they grew out of the earth.

The streets in the tribe were narrow and winding, all paved with gravel. On both sides of the streets were various tools and utensils made by the dwarves, exuding a metallic luster.

From time to time, strong and powerful dwarves carrying various tools passed by in a hurry.

They greeted Tie Yan respectfully when they saw him.

Passing through the outer residential area, the central area was an open square. A huge furnace stood on the square.

Even from Cohen's perspective, this furnace was quite huge.

The furnace was burning fiercely at the moment, surrounded by huge iron anvils and hammers. Many dwarf craftsmen were busy forging and smelting around the furnace.

Behind the furnace, a majestic and tall statue made Cohen, who was in the Shadow Plane, couldn't help but feel a little solemn—

The God of Smelting, Mountain Hidden Flame · Aoun!