Chapter 416 - Recruiting Smog

Han Wu and Qin Shuang didn’t rush toward Sunset Forest, where Huang Shengjun was. Han Wu knew that Huang Shengjun’s goblin army must be powerful to have crushed the mine’s soldiers so easily. Charging in without a plan would be suicide. The two of them alone stood no chance; they needed reinforcements.

Han Wu knew many of the factions in Middle Realm, but only three had the power to aid him. The first was the Flame Demons, the second was Rivertown and its citizens, and the third was the gold Great Dragon that lived alone in the dwarven fortress.

Unfortunately, the Flame Demons’ strength came from their fiery terrain. Without lava and fire, their combat strength would plummet. Even the Flame Demon King would be affected, so Han Wu ruled them out.

He then considered summoning some powerful helpers from Rivertown, such as Bart and Akanzor. Both were elite human warriors who served him with absolute loyalty, yet his most promising choice for an ally would be Smog.

However, there was a problem. Smog would have readily agreed to help him seek revenge if Han Wu and Jing Jing hadn’t forced his hand the last time with the Black Arrow. Because of that grudge, Han Wu could no longer be sure of Smog’s goodwill.

Nevertheless, Han Wu made his decision and led Qin Shuang to the vault where Smog resided.

As soon as Smog sensed his presence, he roared, “Defier, why are you in my domain? Get out!”

Smog’s rage still burned from their last encounter, but Han Wu desperately needed his help and had no choice but to try. Composing himself, he stepped forward with a practiced smile. “O Great Smog, I come bearing a gift.”

The word

gift

softened Smog’s fury, if only slightly. “Defier, what are you offering me? Is it the little girl behind you? She looks quite appetizing.”

Qin Shuang tensed, ready to fight if the dragon made a move toward her.

Han Wu shook his head. “No, no. She’s a friend. You can’t eat her.”

“Then what is it? Gold? Treasures? Powerful God equipment?” Smog rattled off possibilities.

Han Wu had tried to guess Smog’s favorite, and his first assumption proved right as Smog named gold first. Now that Han Wu knew this, he declared, “I came to offer you gold.”

Smog’s eyes lit up at the word. Even though his vault already overflowed with gold, his greed was insatiable.

“Where is it? Give it to me,” Smog demanded, his voice trembling with anticipation.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Han Wu forced a smile and pointed to the melted gold on the ground.

“Defier, are you trying to offer me my own gold?” Smog snapped, fury flaring in his eyes. Golden fire pooled in his jaws, ready to incinerate Han Wu on the spot.

“Wait, Great Smog! Please, hear me out.” Han Wu waved his arm to stop Smog. “I’m not offering ordinary gold. I’ve come to present you with the finest kind. I will turn your gold into Radiant Ingots!”

At that, Smog snuffed out the flames in his jaws. As a dragon obsessed with gold, he knew exactly what Radiant Ingots were: the purest, most valuable form of gold. Their worth far surpassed ordinary gold, hundreds of times over, and they were prized materials in high-level crafting. If Han Wu could transform all the gold in the vault into Radiant Ingots, Smog would consider forgiving Han Wu’s threat.

“If you deceive me again, I’ll kill you, even if you are the Defier!” Smog warned.

Without the Black Arrow here, Smog reigned as the strongest life form in the Middle Realm and was more than capable of tearing Han Wu apart.

Han Wu sighed. With Merge, transmuting regular gold into Radiant Ingots wasn’t difficult, though his power had limits. He activated Merge and selected the piles of gold on the ground. At his current level, he could only refine a third of it at a time.

Before long, the selected gold started shrinking. Under Smog’s watchful gaze, the Radiant Ingot took shape before his eyes. It measured only a cubic meter, yet its worth far exceeded that of a house made entirely of gold.

Smog snatched up the Radiant Ingot and licked it like a dog with a bone, eyes gleaming with greed. Lost in delight, he kept running his tongue over the glowing metal clutched in his claws before turning to Han Wu. “Defier, please turn all the gold into Radiant Ingots.”

Han Wu could tell that Smog no longer harbored any anger toward him, so he merged the remaining gold. He used up all three of his daily Merge chances, transmuting the gold into three cubes. The three Radiant Ingots looked small, but their value far surpassed that of the gold they had once been.

As the last of the gold merged, the other treasures that had been buried beneath it were laid bare. Han Wu spotted an array of powerful pieces of equipment scattered across the floor.

This was the fortress of the dwarves, a race famed for their mastery in forging. Naturally, the equipment stored in this vault would represent their greatest creations.

Han Wu could sense that the strongest among them rivaled 8-Star God equipment, yet he didn’t take any. Though his feud with Smog had ended, that didn’t grant him the right to claim the dragon’s treasure.

Smog greedily licked the Radiant Ingots, and with each swipe of his tongue, the golden scales along his body gleamed brighter. He was absorbing the Radiant Ingots’ essence to improve his strength.

Han Wu stared in astonishment at the tiny Radiant Ingots clutched in Smog’s claws. Compared to his massive body, they looked no larger than sugar cubes. At that rate, Smog would consume them within days.

Han Wu decided to use that hunger to his advantage. “Great Smog, I need your help right now. If you agree, I’ll create more Radiant Ingots for you.”

At the promise of more ingots, Smog’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Defier, give me enough Radiant Ingots, and I will do anything you ask!”

Relief and excitement welled in Han Wu. At last, he understood what drove Smog. With enough Radiant Ingots, he could not only request the dragon’s aid but also trade for other treasures.

If I gather enough Radiant Ingots, he thought, could I trade for that strange diamond too? And what about the equipment crafted by the fallen dwarf forgemasters? Their techniques are lost to time, but I might rediscover them through their work,

he thought.