Published: March 11, 2025
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: A World Within
After collecting the Black Earth Wilderness, Zhao Hai led Mud and Stone towards Merlin and Meg to see how they had arranged things.
Although there were many dwarf mines on Iron Mountain, it was essentially one large mine, with almost the entire mountain hollowed out by the dwarves. However, the structure of the mountain was quite unique, and with the dwarves’ years of mining experience, the entire mine was built very solidly, so there was no need to worry about the danger of collapse.
Despite being two women, Merlin and Meg had always been good helpers to the budah family and had been serving them for a long time, so handling this was not a problem for them. The slaves, inspired by Zhao Hai’s promise of freedom, were full of enthusiasm and didn’t need supervision at all.
However, while sorting out the mine, they discovered that there weren't many usable areas in the mine. The first several dozen meters of the mine consisted of open space and stone caves that served as living quarters for the dwarves. This space could be tidied up and used to raise Blue-eyed Rabbits, but as they moved deeper, the passage sloped downward and was already filled with water.
Nevertheless, the areas they had cleaned up outside were enough to raise a considerable number of Blue-eyed Rabbits—at least tens of thousands wouldn’t be a problem.
The dwarves had designed the mine for long-term habitation, so it was similar to a small town, not far from a water source and equipped with certain drainage facilities. The place was spacious and close to the entrance, and although there was some water stored in the mine, it remained quite dry, making it an ideal place for raising Blue-eyed Rabbits.
For the first time, Zhao Hai saw the true form of Dwarf Iron Mountain. The mountain wasn't very high, with an elevation of only about a thousand meters, extending for only a few thousand miles, forming a semi-circular shape that encircled the Black Earth Wilderness. There was only one way in and out of the Black Earth Wilderness, which was through the opening of the semi-circular mountain range. Their castle was built against the mountain, with part of it even on the hillside, backing onto Iron Mountain, and the dwarf mine was situated halfway up the mountain, not at a low elevation. Behind Iron Mountain was the notoriously dangerous area of the continent, known as the Corpse Swamp, one of the five great forbidden areas of the continent.
The soil on the mountain was a deep brown color, with patches of weeds growing here and there, but they were not thriving and appeared to be on the verge of dying. Even the few crooked trees looked malnourished and sickly.
Seeing this, Zhao Hai couldn't help but sigh. He realized why those noble families had exiled him here and why Galen had spent all his wealth buying supplies before coming here. This was a dead land; even if they worked hard in the future, it would be good enough to scrape together a meal. If the budah family wanted to rebuild here, it was no different from a pipe dream.
Looking at the busy mine in the distance, Zhao Hai quickly walked over. Soon he arrived at the mine, but Merlin and Meg were inside directing the slaves and didn’t notice Zhao Hai’s arrival.
Although the mine was built by the dwarf clan, the entrance was grand, over three meters high and more than five meters wide. Inside was a large open space, with numerous large and small caves embedded in the walls of the space. It was practically a city in the mountains; even if it were occupied, it could easily accommodate tens of thousands of people.
Zhao Hai was astonished by the sight before him. He never expected the dwarves could create such a cave city; it was truly amazing.
Upon looking deeper into the mine, he saw that the interior was entirely arched with stone. This was not just a mine; it was clearly an underground base.
Zhao Hai nodded involuntarily. This place was fantastic. As long as it was organized properly, it could not only be used to raise Blue-eyed Rabbits but could fully serve as a secret base. However, organizing it would take time, and they did not have that time yet.