CHAPTER 210: JOIN ME! (1)

Adrian felt himself get hit with a wave of understanding and realization as he processed the Dwarven Lord’s tale.

The sheer, paradigm-shifting weight of the story was a shock to him. To learn that the Dwarves, a race so distinct and proud, had stemmed from humans... it was evolution, in a sense, but a rapid, directed, and magical form of it that his scientific mind couldn’t quite grasp. It was a fascinating, almost unbelievable concept.

But as his mind worked, inconsistencies in the histories he had consumed began to surface.

’Something doesn’t make sense. The history books in the human kingdoms are filled with tales of the great wars involving the three races.

And if Damien, and possibly the rest of them, believed that the first people had simply come into existence by chance, how then did the universal worship of the ’goddess’ begin? Why was she so revered if she played no part in their creation?’

The questions burned in his mind, demanding answers. He voiced them out loud to Damien,

The Dwarven Lord stroked his braided beard, and a deep, knowing laugh rumbled in his chest.

"OHO HO! I was hoping you would ask that," he boomed with twinkling eyes. "You see, our ’goddess’... isn’t quite a goddess."

Adrian could sense where this was heading, but he kept listening intently.

"What I mean by that," Damien continued, his voice dropping to a confidential whisper, "is that our goddess is not a spiritual entity from another plane. She was, in the beginning, and still is, a human. Just a human, like your ancestors. One who grew so powerful that she transcended our very definition of strength."

"For a time, after the three races had established themselves, there was a tense peace. But we were all young races then, full of pride. The Elves saw the humans’ use of magic as crude. The humans saw the Elves’ traditions as arrogant. And they both saw us dwarves as little more than stubborn hermits living in caves. Their pride led to conflict, and a great war, the likes of which has never been seen since, threatened to tear the entire world apart."

"It was then that we truly understood the threat of the magical beasts. Awakened and agitated, they rose from the darkest corners of the world. They were numerous! And they were far stronger than any of us. Their numbers increased daily, threatening to consume all three of our races!

"It was only then, when faced with total annihilation, that the first and only true Alliance of Thanad was formed."

He looked at Adrian with a grim expression. "We fought together. Human ingenuity, Elven magic, and Dwarven steel, all turned against a common foe. But it wasn’t enough. We were losing. It was only in that final, desperate moment that our goddess, who had long since transcended and left the world to its own devices, returned."

"She did not fight our war for us," Damien said, his voice filled with awe. "Her power was beyond such things. With a single act, she sealed the three continents in their own respective barriers, isolating the beast hordes."

"She then placed a formation at the borders, a key that we could use to access the other side and finish the fight on our own terms. And in our moment of victory, after we had finally cleansed the lands, she appeared to us all one last time to deliver a warning: that if we ever threatened the balance of the world with our petty squabbles again, she would not intervene to save us from the consequences."

Damien sighed, the fire of the story fading from his eyes. "After the war, the alliance crumbled. We had no more common enemies. The Elves returned to their forests, the humans to their plains, and we to our mountain. The barriers she created became our borders, and the memory of our unity faded into myth. Until today, it seems."

Adrian felt truly enlightened after all he had heard. It made perfect, logical sense. The goddess was a being on the same level as the Garog god he had encountered.

They were not true divine entities in the way the religions of his old world had described, but simply individuals who had grown far, far stronger than the rest of their races.

It made him wonder how much more was out there, how strong these beings truly were when compared to the countless others populating the vast galaxy.

After he was done hearing the tale, he knew this was the perfect opportunity and the perfect context, to lay the foundation for his own grand goal.

"Damien."

Adrian’s call made the Dwarven Lord snap out from his self-reflection. He turned his head to Adrian. "Anything?"

"How would you like to join me?" Adrian asked, his voice calm but filled with an undeniable power. The look of confusion on Damien’s face was enough for him to continue.

"Join me. Let’s unite Thanad once more, not as a temporary alliance against a common foe, but as a single, unified kingdom. Come under my wing. You and your people. And I promise you, in the years to come, you will look back and appreciate the decision you made today."

Damien was conflicted. He leaned back in his throne, stroking his beard, his mind clearly weighing the audacious proposal.

"It would be a good thing, I do not deny it. For humans, elves, and dwarves to live and work together again..." He looked at Adrian, his eyes sharp and analytical once more.

"But... why? Why now? Were you so captured by my story that you had a sudden fit of inspiration? Or do you have some other, hidden goal in mind for this grand proposal of yours?"

Adrian allowed a small, knowing smile to form. "No. I planned on making you this offer even before your tale." He leaned forward, his blue eyes locking onto Damien’s, a silent challenge passing between them.

"After all," Adrian said in a voice that drew intrigue, "Aren’t you curious why I was in your lands in the first place?"