Chapter 133: A Fortune from the Heavens [Two-in-One]

Chapter 133: A Fortune from the Heavens [Two-in-One]

Standing before the viewport of the airship cabin, Aphnora and Phoebus watched as the densely packed Fourth Calamity descended upon the land below, their minds reeling with shock.

"Is this what you call airborne operations?" Aphnora asked, her face filled with awe.

"Exactly!"

Yu Sheng'an nodded and explained:

"The issues you raised can be summarized into three points: First, the challenge of adapting to unfamiliar battlefields; second, the difficulty of supplying forces deep behind enemy lines; and third, the cost of war attrition."

"My solution is simple: Use the Fourth Calamity as the main force, with wealth as their incentive. We won’t focus on killing enemies but on plundering riches. This war will transform into a game—a game of hide-and-seek. The dwarves' advantages will vanish!"

What were the dwarves' advantages?

Terrain!

Their vast, labyrinthine underground tunnels rendered even the mightiest armies ineffective, as they couldn’t fight in formation.

Moreover, locating the dwarves' hideouts was nearly impossible!

It could be said that the dwarves had perfected the art of guerrilla warfare.

This was the fundamental reason why the God of War's Legion had met its crushing defeat.

Additionally, the Fourth Calamity was, in essence, drone warfare.

The combatants felt no psychological pressure whatsoever. To them, this war was nothing more than an incredibly realistic game!

Players would return to Keville and normal human society every day once their Soul Power was depleted.

Even if they suffered psychological trauma, recovery would come easily.

Thus, the morale issues that crippled the Undying Legion would not exist for the Fourth Calamity.

In fact, the Fourth Calamity’s morale would surpass that of any other army.

Because for them, this war was profitable—it was essentially a gold rush.

"As magic puppets, they require minimal logistical support. If they need weapons, the dwarven world has plenty. They can sustain the war by plundering the enemy. This will be their best training ground!"

Yu Sheng'an continued:

"Furthermore, with the airship as our headquarters, we not only control the skies to avoid harassment but can also deploy and retrieve troops at any time, anywhere."

"Soldiers won’t need to worry about getting lost in unfamiliar battlefields. As long as they surface and report their coordinates, we can retrieve them immediately."

As he spoke, Yu Sheng'an demonstrated.

A beam of light shot down from the airship cabin, landing on a massive boulder atop the Lonely Mountain.

The boulder immediately began ascending along the beam, flying straight toward the airship.

This sight left Aphnora and Phoebus utterly stunned.

Yu Sheng'an’s use of the beam to deploy soldiers had already baffled them.

But now, they saw that the beam could also retrieve objects—an ability so bizarre it defied comprehension!

"I knew it. You possess other Godhoods," Aphnora said, her expression a mix of shock and complexity.

There was the satisfaction of having guessed Yu Sheng'an’s hidden cards, but also a wary unease at having her suspicions confirmed.

When she had allied with Yu Sheng'an, she had suspected he held more than one Godhood.

That was the real reason he dared to exchange virtual divine sparks.

Now, it seemed her guess had been correct.

Aphnora’s words made Phoebus’s pupils contract sharply, filling him with deep wariness and dread.

He had once considered infiltrating the Internet Alliance, waiting for an opportunity to strike down the Internet God and take his place.

Now, he could no longer entertain such a mad thought.

This old schemer might appear sunny and bright, but who knew how many hidden cards he still held?

Perhaps he was just waiting for his allies to betray him, so he could seize the opportunity to turn the tables.

Just like Dwarven King Kaut—he could have stopped him in advance, yet he actively helped the Dwarven King steal, just to create an excuse for retaliation.

And retaliation wasn’t enough!

He even prepared two plans: if persuasion failed, war would be launched immediately.

Look, he even had an airship ready, proving he had long been prepared!

Such cunning—it was terrifying!

This was something even the Prophecy Godhood couldn’t have predicted.

The human heart truly was the most complex existence.

Facing Aphnora and Phoebus’s shocked and questioning gazes, Yu Sheng’an merely smiled, offering neither explanation nor admission.

He wasn’t foolish. When it was time to be forthright, he would be forthright.

When it was time to maintain mystery, he would maintain mystery.

This was the cornerstone of maintaining alliance stability.

If he appeared too weak, those beneath him would inevitably harbor rebellious thoughts.

Such was human nature—

And the temptation of profit.

Only by displaying sufficient strength could he suppress any restless ambitions.

"Now, there’s one crucial question left—the cost of war? Does this airship employ the technology of the ancient Floating City?" Aphnora shifted the topic.

"No, this is not the Floating City," replied the Prophecy God Phoebus.

As someone who had lived for thousands of years, Phoebus’s experience was vast.

Naturally, he had witnessed the pinnacle of alchemical creations long buried in the dust of history—the Floating City!

It was an alchemical marvel from the era when the ancient Titan race still walked the earth and true Gods of Magic existed in the world.

It bore countless titles and accolades—Flying Magic Tower, Aerial City-State, Mobile Fortress, Floating Palace...

It was a symbol of absolute power.

Just imagine—a top-tier Magic Tower capable of hovering above an enemy’s head at any moment, unleashing torrents of magic. The sheer threat it posed needed no elaboration!

"I’ve seen the Floating City. The magical fluctuations here are far too weak—this is definitely not it. This must be an entirely new alchemical creation."

Phoebus spoke with certainty, for his own Divine Palace was a Floating City.

"Phoebus is right. This is indeed not the Floating City," Yu Sheng’an nodded, then turned to Aphnora. "I know what you’re getting at—you’re worried about mana consumption, aren’t you?"

"Exactly," Aphnora acknowledged.

The Floating City was fearsome, but its flaws were equally glaring.

Namely, its mana consumption was horrifically excessive!

If this were a Floating City, there would be no need to wage war—just the mana consumption required to keep it afloat would make the entire endeavor a loss.

"Rest easy. The airship operates on physical principles, not magic. What it consumes isn’t mana, but gold coins."

Yu Sheng’an deliberately used "gold coins" as a placeholder.

The principle behind the airship’s suspension was filling it with gases lighter than air—such as hydrogen or helium—to achieve buoyancy and lift heavy objects.

This technology was easily obtainable in the Vilia domain, so its true cost was essentially gold coins.

However, once this technology fell into Yu Sheng’an’s hands, it underwent extensive magical modifications.

For example:

The steel framework supporting the airship, after magical reinforcement, became far more resilient.

The skeletal framework was covered with Wood Spirit Magic, using enormous leaves that could rapidly grow and repair when damaged.

The airship cabin was inscribed with anti-gravity magic runes, which, when activated during ascent, allowed for swift elevation.

Moreover, his airship abandoned traditional engine propulsion in favor of wind magic jet propulsion, granting it superior maneuverability.

The base of the cabin was also engraved with numerous light tweezer divine patterns—an ability Yu Sheng'an derived from his Prophecy Godhood.

This would enable remote, contactless boarding!

"Physical principles?" Aphnora and Phoebus exclaimed in unison, astonished.

What kind of authority was this?

Could this be the mysterious Godhood the Internet God possessed?

...

While Yu Sheng'an was brimming with confidence, Dwarven King Kaut was equally assured of victory!

Clad in magic armor, he sat high upon his throne, with tribal chieftains and seers gathered below.

The hall shimmered with magical light, waves of mana rippling freely as the echoes of magic communication artifacts reverberated through the chamber.

"Alert all hunting squads—the Internet God has deployed the Fourth Calamity Legion this time. These are earth puppet legions controlled by humans, capable of merging with the earth. Ensure your magic shields remain active at all times! Stay vigilant with your mana alarm gems!"

"Notify the mages—activate all mage's eyes and monitor enemy movements closely. If detected, dispatch giant worms to eliminate them!"

"Order all major tribes to activate alarm magic to prevent enemy infiltration!"

Dwarven King Kaut calmly issued command after command!

He acknowledged that the Internet God's Fourth Calamity Legion was well-suited to the environment of Kazad-dûm.

But that was all.

The dwarves were the greatest forging race. Thousands of years of arms trade had not only amassed them vast wealth but also countless magic artifacts.

The Internet God's retaliatory strike, though limited by the constraints of a medium-sized domain and unable to unleash its full power, had only managed to kill eleven dwarves—proof enough of their resilience.

The dwarves had too many methods to counter these Fourth Calamity forces.

After all, the God of Death's Undead Legion had no shortage of burrowing specialists.

Yet in the end, hadn't they been crushed?

With mana alarm gems, dwarven warriors could detect enemies long before they approached.

Their bodies laden with magic artifacts granted them high survivability—even if ambushed, their chances of survival remained strong.

Mage's eyes, deployed across key locations, were enough to secure critical passages.

Giant worms feared no rock layer, capable of tunneling straight into any battlefield to provide powerful reinforcements.

Every major tribe was equipped with numerous alarm magic artifacts—small enemy forces would be nothing more than easy prey, and as for large-scale assaults?

Hmph. The tunnels leading to the dwarves' core residential areas were carved to match dwarven stature—ordinary armies couldn't even breach them.

Even if foes like the Fourth Calamity, who ignored terrain restrictions, managed to invade, the dwarves had countless means of escape.

This was the underground world, not the surface.

Front, back, left, right, up, down—where weren't there tunnels?

Which floor didn't have a hidden escape route?

Such was the complexity of the dwarven world.

Dwarven King Kaut had all the patience in the world to wait for his enemies to exhaust theirs, their morale crumbling as they retreated in bitter defeat!

"My King, something feels off? The lads still haven't found any trace of the Fourth Calamity—they seem to have vanished completely. Any sightings on your end?"

"None!"

"My boys haven't spotted any enemies either."

"What is the Internet God planning? Could they be consolidating forces to launch a full assault on a single tribe?"

"Hmph, if that's the case, then all the better!"

The dwarves murmured among themselves, scoffing at the Internet God's invasion.

"Bzzz—"

Just then, a magical communication device in the hall suddenly vibrated.

"Chieftain, disaster! The mithril refinery has been attacked—the latest batch of refined mithril has been completely looted!"

"What? Wasn't the refinery guarded?"

"They... were lured away!"

"Bzzz—"

More magical communication devices buzzed to life, waves of magical fluctuations surging through the air.

"Elder Seer, the Mountain Keeper's hut has been raided! No casualties, but all supplies inside were taken—including a demon-slaying blade."

"Emergency! The mushroom farm is under attack—requesting reinforcements!"

"Chieftain, Uncle Caesar is dead! Slaughtered—stripped completely bare!"

One report after another flooded into the royal hall.

Some spoke of tribes being harassed;

Others detailed production facilities under siege;

Worse still, lone dwarves scattered outside had all been assassinated—their equipment stripped clean.

Yes, no matter how strong the dwarven mobilization, there were always those who strayed from the fold.

Some were misfits by nature;

Others tended mushroom farms alone;

Some secluded themselves for smelting;

...Too many to count.

How could a race of hundreds of millions possibly live clustered together?

These isolated individuals became the Fourth Calamity's prime targets.

As these reports poured in, Dwarven King Kaut was stunned!

This tactic of picking off the weak didn’t resemble war at all!

Most crucially, the Fourth Calamity's three-light strategy made him realize the Internet God’s true strategic goal!

"Deserves to die! The Internet God is after our wealth! Counterattack—counterattack now!"

Dwarven King Kaut roared in fury!

At that moment, the dwarves realized in horror that their greatest strength had become the Fourth Calamity’s advantage!

......

"Struck gold! Struck gold!"

Justin frantically burrowed toward the surface, his body laden with refined mithril!

If he sold this haul, he’d pocket at least 100,000 gold coins!

His luck was insane!

Truth be told, after arriving beneath Kazad-dûm, he’d been completely overwhelmed.

The underground world was vast beyond belief—tunnels everywhere, twisting and turning until he lost himself in the maze.

Once, he’d popped his head out right in front of a dwarf. A blade flashed toward him, sending him scrambling back into the rock wall in a cold sweat.

Yet through this reckless, headlong rush, he’d somehow stumbled upon the dwarven mithril refinery.

To his ecstasy, aside from a few dwarves packing mithril, the place was practically defenseless.

After a moment’s thought, he mimicked the tactics of high-level players hunting beastmen—disguising himself as a dwarf and barging in with feigned panic.

The instant he entered the cave, he deliberately faceplanted in a spectacular pratfall.

After falling, instead of getting up, he scrambled backward in terror as if some terrifying predator lurked in the dark tunnel behind him.

The few dwarves left on guard were stunned for a moment before shouting and charging forward with their weapons.

At that very moment, Justin also retreated in panic, scooping up the mithril and sinking into the ground.

The entire operation went so smoothly it was unbelievable!

Looking back now, it felt like a dream.

"Don’t panic, don’t panic! Stay calm, stay calm!"

Justin desperately reminded himself as he continuously changed directions, burrowing upward while operating the system to request extraction back to the airship.

After a nerve-wracking escape, he burst out of the ground.

Just then, a beam of light descended from the sky, and as it enveloped him, he felt an invisible force lifting him up.

Following the beam, he soared straight into the air and disappeared into the airship cabin.

"What kind of look is this? Pretty unique, huh?"

The moment he stepped into the airship cabin, mocking laughter rang out beside him.

Justin looked around to see a large group of players staring at him with amused expressions.

And why wouldn’t they?

At that moment, he looked exactly like a giant spider.

His body was bloated from the massive amount of mithril stuffed inside, his head tiny in comparison. The high-purity mithril was so heavy that he couldn’t even stand, forced to support himself on all fours.

It made him look utterly ridiculous!

Justin had no time to respond to the players’ teasing. Crawling frantically on all fours, he reached the material exchange counter and roared, "I want to exchange for gold coins!"

The magic puppet NPC at the counter smiled and said, "Understood. Please present the materials you wish to exchange."

Justin’s belly suddenly split open, revealing a small mountain of refined mithril.

Silence.

The entire airship cabin fell dead quiet.

Countless people gaped, eyes wide with shock, faces frozen in disbelief.

"Are you certain you wish to exchange all of it?"

The magic puppet NPC asked calmly.

"Yes, yes! Hurry up, hurry!"

Justin was practically dying of impatience. Though he knew no one would dare rob him here, he still urged frantically.

"Very well. The total value of your materials is 119,000 gold coins. After deducting the transaction fee, the remaining 116,000 gold coins have been deposited into your Interconnected Bank account. Please confirm."

As the NPC’s voice rang out, the entire cabin erupted in gasps.

Justin’s pupils dilated, his body stiffening on the spot as his eyes glazed over.

Not from fear—he had logged out.

A dozen seconds later, he suddenly logged back in, his body now restored to human form. Grabbing a nearby player by the shoulders, he shouted excitedly, "Did you see that?! I’m rich! I’m rich!"

"I’m rich, I’m rich! Hahaha!"

Justin had completely lost it.

He kept repeating those words, grabbing one player after another, sharing his earth-shattering news!

"Big bro, big bro! Take me with you!"

The same player who had mocked him earlier now threw himself at Justin’s feet, shamelessly clinging to his leg.

"Boss, you’re insane! Boss, carry me! If you tell me to go west, I won’t go east!"

More players rushed over, eager to pledge allegiance.

"Insane!"

"One hundred and ten thousand gold coins? Is it real or fake?"

"The legend is true—every dwarven household has a mine!"

"Hurry up! The first wave gets the meat, the second wave gets the broth!"

The airship cabin was completely engulfed in a frenzy!

Under the orchestration of certain individuals, the news quickly spread across the internet.

In an instant, the online world erupted in uproar, and the Empire was shaken!