Chapter 53: Prophecy

Standing at the foot of the mountain.

Several people looked up at the vast, towering mountain range stretching as far as the eye could see.

George couldn't help but swallow hard and ask, "So, we have to climb over this?"

Gettari nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course. But there's no need to rush; it should take less than a day's journey. There aren't many dangers on this path, and we know it well. Don't worry."

George glanced at the dwarf. Was *this* what he wanted to say?

He found it somewhat difficult to understand how someone with a stocky build like a dwarf could live on a mountain; he felt it would be much more logical for them to live on flat ground or underground.

"So, there are no shortcuts to the summit?" Kana suddenly asked.

Gettari looked toward the Dwarf Sage, and Lurik shook his head. "We rarely come to this side, so there are only a few outposts in the north. We haven't dug any shortcuts down the mountain."

It seemed the issue was getting close to what he had suspected.

"Wait, could it be that all the sick dwarves are from these few outposts?" Bobot seemed to have caught onto something and asked.

The Dwarf Sage nodded. "Exactly. That is why I was wondering if it is related to what you experienced in that cave earlier."

Listening to their conversation, Kana began to connect the known information in his mind.

He hadn't known about this in the game.

This meant the matter wasn't significant enough to serve as even a minor regional dungeon, nor was it worthy of appearing in anyone's story memories.

The outposts facing this direction that the Dwarf Sage mentioned were likely the same ones Kana frequently used in the game.

One must remember that at the game's launch, the shortcuts to these outposts had long been excavated and appeared to have been in use for a long time.

Had they been dug in the last year or two?

That was clearly impossible. Even dwarves couldn't dig several mountain passages that quickly. Not to mention, the population of the Gray Mountain dwarves wouldn't be enough to support such an undertaking. Therefore, it was essentially certain that the emergence of these shortcuts was related to the current problem—if he hadn't been there.

Recalling carefully, the shortcuts in the game were clearly different from the ones dwarves dug themselves; they were all located in relatively concealed areas around the outposts.

With this connection made, the problem became obvious.

"Follow me. I might know a shortcut up the mountain, not far from here."

Hearing this, Alire and Bobot were already somewhat accustomed to it; they didn't even bother asking why.

In any case, Kana would surely attribute it to his "Future Sight"—something about seeing fragments of the future or the past.

The two of them knew, but the others did not.

The three dwarves looked at him with disbelief. Even Gettari couldn't help but say, "Brother Kana, I must say, even if we don't come to the backside often, we actually know it quite well."

Meanwhile, Toric, who was already irritable and in a bad mood, spoke up without hesitation: "Do you have other motives? Or are you just stalling for time? We know you are definitely a noble of this country, and we aren't fools like Gettari. Your country is on the brink of ruin. They call you 'Your Highness'? Are you a prince? And at a time like this, you still have the leisure to help us dwarves? You're quite enthusiastic, aren't you?"

Although Toric was irritable, he didn't make his words too foul, but he was essentially stating openly that Kana's eagerness to help at such a time was not at all human-like.

He felt Kana must have an ulterior motive, and no matter how one thought about it, it didn't seem like a good thing.

Kana keenly grasped this; perhaps this was a good opportunity.

An opportunity to understand the gap between the game's plot and reality, especially regarding the precognitive abilities of these ancient races.

He ignored Toric and looked directly at the Dwarf Sage—one of the three members of the Gray Mountain Dwarf Council.

"Do you feel it, Sage of the Dwarves?"

"Feel what?" Lurik frowned.

"Darkness. A desperate darkness is spreading. Countless evil eyes are peering, and the world is issuing a warning. The Last Day is quietly approaching. Conflict, slaughter, despair—all of it is present in this very moment."

After saying these mystical, almost cult-like words, Kana stared at the Dwarf Prophet.

Alire and Bobot had heard similar things before, so they weren't surprised. They were only surprised as to why Kana was saying it again at a time like this.

Moreover, this time it was even more cryptic and incomprehensible.

Gettari looked at Kana with a strange expression. Toric could no longer stand it, and just as he was about to explode, Lurik, the Dwarf Sage, forcefully pressed a hand down on him.

"Yata?" Toric didn't understand.

Kana knew that while others might not understand, this Dwarf Sage—a powerful figure in the tribe where dwarf players were born—would certainly know what he was talking about.

Because it was simple: what Kana said was a piece of the opening narration from the start of the game.

He had heard it every time he created a new character, and he had heard enough of it.

Every powerful race or faction had, to some extent, encountered such a prophecy.

Those with less power might encounter the first half; those with true power saw the second half.

But without knowing the specific reasons, they could not respond.

That was the annoying thing about prophecies.

The words given were too vague, especially prophecies concerning the world.

Aside from causing anxiety and making people suspicious, they didn't serve much practical purpose.

Not to mention, compared to prophecies, the actual practical dilemmas faced by certain races were much closer and more worthy of concern.

The Dwarf Sage took a deep breath. "I believe you. Lead the way, friend."

This sentence completely extinguished Toric's fire, leaving him to only suppress his dissatisfaction.

"It seems you have foreseen it. Then let us go."

Seeing that, he said no more; Lurik would fill in the blanks himself.

Kana led the group, moving quickly along the edge of the mountain range. After less than an hour, a cave could be seen in the distance.

"There's a stench! It's those goblins!" George suddenly discovered something and whispered urgently.

Because there was no scent of goblin blood, Alire and Kana hadn't smelled it.

However, Kana could roughly estimate the situation here, so he intentionally slowed down as they approached.

George indeed found the problem.

He quickly climbed a nearby tree trunk, adjusted his field of vision, and squinted.

After observing for a while, he looked down.

"Bobot, go listen to what he's saying."

Bobot nodded, scrambled up the tree with his hands and feet, and ran back down after receiving the information.

"He says he saw three goblins guarding outside the cave, positioned at..."

After listening, Kana nodded. "Leave the two furthest ones to me and Alire. Tell him to aim carefully; we move as soon as he attacks."

Bobot nodded.

When the message was relayed back, George, up in the tree, gave a small nod.

He drew his bow and aimed.

*Swish!*

The moment the arrow flew out, Kana and Alire immediately performed a Blood Enhancement on their legs.

The two of them lunged forward like sprinting jungle leopards.

The goblins in the forest were already quite agile.

However, they could not withstand a sneak attack.

That arrow accurately struck a goblin hiding on a branch, which fell with a scream.

Hearing the scream, the other two goblins immediately perked up, poking their heads out from their respective hiding spots.

It served to make the targets even clearer.

"Ah!"

Then came the terrified screams, because two humans wielding longswords had suddenly charged out before them.

Before they could react, deep wounds were left on their necks, with half their necks being severed.

"I told you, they are different from the other humans here. They are much more formidable," Gettari said to the side while watching from behind.

Toric had a sour expression, but he did not argue.

Ever since Kana spoke those words, the Dwarf Sage had remained in a relatively silent state, and at this moment, he was also observing closely.