Raising all of humanity: Starting with a backyard pool world

Chapter 49 [Whispers from the Forest]

The oracle of the Arcane Temple, disguised as the call of the Heart of the Mountain, traveled along the web of magic to the depths of Brock's soul.

Upon receiving the carving knife, the elderly rune blacksmith dropped it to the ground with a clang.

All the dwarves in the workshop stopped what they were doing and looked at him in confusion.

Brock ignored everyone, and an unprecedented light shone in his cloudy eyes.

"Key...flame...I see!"

He muttered to himself, then turned and rushed out of the workshop.

He was going to see Thorin and Lynch.

Inside the command tent, Thorin was sharpening his battle axe with a whetstone, the strokes heavy and rhythmic.

Brock burst in, his beard trembling with excitement.

"Thorin! Heart of the Rock!" he waved his arms. "The Heart of the Mountain has answered us!"

Thorin stopped what he was doing, and Lynch also looked up. "Master, what did you say?"

Brock recounted everything he had perceived in detail.

"The core of the divine iron that fell from the heavens is the 'Flame of Order' nurtured by the mountains! It can completely purify those black plagues!"

"And the key to ignite it..." The old blacksmith looked at the mysterious battle axe in Lynch's hand.

"It's 'Heart of the Rock'—your divine weapon!"

Thorin's previous dejection and helplessness vanished, replaced by a fervent sense of divine mission.

"A miracle! This is absolutely a miracle bestowed upon us by the mountains!"

He stood up and paced back and forth inside the tent.

"Our mission is not merely to obtain the divine iron! It is also to ignite the sacred fire and purify this polluted land!"

"I propose that we immediately mobilize all our forces and launch a full-scale attack on the center of the crater! We must reach that core at all costs!"

The plan is simple, direct, and imbued with a dwarf-like heroic romanticism.

As a modern person, Lynch's first reaction was skepticism.

What a coincidence!

Just when they were in dire straits and couldn't find a way to fight back, a "divine revelation" descended with perfect precision.

They even offered a seemingly perfect solution.

This is more like a carefully crafted script.

But he couldn't voice his doubts.

For these dwarves who regard the mountains as their faith, questioning divine revelation is tantamount to betrayal.

He could only nod, acquiescing to the battle plan.

The order quickly spread throughout the camp.

"For the heart of the mountains!"

"For the flame of order!"

The slogans resounded through the sky, igniting the morale of all the dwarf warriors to its peak.

They began to inspect the equipment, count the arrows, and brand new stasis runes onto the weapons and shields.

……

At the summit of a mountain outside the dwarf camp.

Lila dispelled the team's group invisibility spell; maintaining such a large-scale magic spell had taken a toll on her.

She stood side by side with Valen, looking down at the brightly lit, bustling dwarf camp below.

"They've gone mad," Warren commented with interest, stroking his chin. "They've been fooled by us and are now preparing to launch a do-or-die charge that they're sure to lose."

“This isn’t a lie, Valen,” Lila corrected. “The Speaker said this is cooperation.”

Her gaze was complex, and she had an indescribable feeling in her heart.

On the one hand, she cannot condone this behavior of manipulating other people's fates.

On the other hand, she had to admit that this was the only way to stop the Black Tide.

"Now, it's time for us to execute the second step of the plan." Lila took an enchanted leaf from her bosom.

The leaves are a translucent emerald green, with fine golden patterns branded on them using arcane energy.

"Are we really going to give this to him?" Valen leaned closer for a look. "This is core intelligence personally deduced by the Speaker. What if that orc isn't thinking straight and tells the dwarves?"

"The Speaker has his reasons," Lila replied calmly.

She walked to the edge of the cliff, closed her eyes, and began chanting a strange incantation.

A slender green vine grew out of a crack in the rock beneath her feet.

The vines grew extremely fast, extending down the mountainside and into the dense forest like a green snake, stealthily making its way towards the dwarf camp.

This was a special plant magic bestowed upon her by Thea, named the Forest Whisperer.

It can evade most magical detection and physical traps, delivering the token to the designated target.

……

On the edge of the dwarf camp, in a corner near the supply area.

Lynch sat alone on a pile of wooden crates; he needed to calm down.

This fervor made him feel uneasy.

Holding a charcoal pencil, he quickly drew something on a piece of animal hide.

It was a simple topographical map, marked with the Black Tide Warriors' attack routes and every gap in the Dwarven Shield Wall.

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound caught his attention.

He looked up and grasped the battle axe beside him.

A vibrant green vine sprouted from the ground at my feet.

At the tip of the vine, a leaf emitting a faint light was coiled.

The vine gently placed a leaf at Lynch's feet, then quickly retreated into the ground and disappeared.

Lin Qi was stunned. He looked around but didn't see any enemies.

He bent down and picked up the leaf.

The skin feels warm and smooth to the touch, and a flood of information rushes into my mind as I move along my fingertips.

On the leaf, golden arcane energy flowed, forming a text and a dynamic map.

"Its power originates from assimilation; to break its methods, one must seek its root."

"The target is the core, located behind the Legion, guarded by a 'Plaguebringer' at the 'Hive Totem'."

The map clearly showed the Black Tide Legion's rear defenses, even including the patrol routes and rotation times.

The sheer volume of information caused Lin Qi's mind to momentarily freeze.

He wasn't stupid; he understood everything immediately.

That so-called divine revelation was nothing more than a complete conspiracy.

An unknown third-party force first used a false hope to push the entire dwarf army onto the battlefield to fight the Black Tide head-on.

Then, he entrusted the core intelligence that could truly strike at the heart of the enemy to him alone.

Why?

The other party's purpose is obvious.

They need the dwarves' powerful frontline fighting force to draw the Black Tide Legion's full attention, creating the perfect opportunity for someone's infiltration.

And that person can only be oneself.

That unique being who possesses the ability to break through the Black Tide Champion's defenses and threaten the core.

Lin Qi felt a sudden, inexplicable fear; the hidden figure behind the scenes seemed like a chess player manipulating everyone.

The other side anticipated the dwarves' faith and glory and took advantage of their fanaticism.

He also saw through his own uniqueness and tailored a script for himself as the chosen one.

This game is far too big.

Lin Qi raised his head and looked at the brightly lit command tent in the center of the camp.

Can he go and tell Thorin the truth?

Tell him that the Heart of the Mountains you believe in is nothing more than a puppet in someone else's hands.

Tell him that the upcoming holy battle is just a feint to cover up Lynch's personal actions.

No, he can't.

Given the dwarves' extremely xenophobic nature and their preference for honor over life.

When they realize they've been deceived and manipulated by the lies of an unknown entity, the only outcome will be internal division.

The enraged dwarf might even turn on the orc and tear him to pieces on the spot.

At that time, the dwarf army will collapse without a fight, and everyone will die here.

Lynch's back was soaked with cold sweat, and he was completely overwhelmed.

He was faced with only two paths.

First, burn the leaf and pretend nothing happened.

Follow Thorin and Brok, and this group of dwarves who have been injected with adrenaline, to the Holy War.

This could preserve the unity of the army, but the outcome was almost certain.

Ultimately, the dwarven legion will collapse due to excessive losses, while the main force of the Black Tide will still survive, and then everything will be over.

Second, execute the plan on the blade.

He had to find a way to break away from the main force without arousing anyone's suspicion.

Alone, or with a very small group, they infiltrated the Black Tide Legion's rear to destroy the so-called Mother Nest Totem.

This is the only way to solve the problem at its root.

But the risks are equally enormous.

He single-handedly challenged the rear core of an army of ten thousand, facing a near-certain death.

More importantly, if he abandons his post, the dwarven shield wall will collapse even faster on the front lines without his strongest armor-piercing ability.

Even if he succeeds by then, all that will remain here are the graves of his comrades.

Both choices lead to hell.

The question is which path to choose that will give more people a glimmer of hope to survive.

Lin Qi gripped the leaf tightly in his hand; it was no longer warm and moist, but instead burned his hand.

I looked up at the cold, round moon in the night sky.

From the moment he transmigrated into this world, he began to feel the weight of destiny.