The next day.
Lin Tian rode the carnivorous horse he had purchased, gradually distancing himself from the Dragon Slayer Guild.
Before long, he arrived outside the familiar village.
"An… Andy!?"
A woman working in the fields saw him and, terrified, ran away immediately.
Lin Tian ignored her and called for his dragon.
A massive shadow sped across the sky.
Seeing Lin Tian, the dragon became as joyful as a child, rubbing its giant head against him affectionately.
"Let's go!
Back home!"
Lin Tian mounted the dragon, feeling the fresh, liberating wind.
He was completely relaxed.
The last time he had felt this way was when he had just entered the Great Tomb.
There was no pressure, no need to be on edge every day.
Now that his combat power had nearly reached its peak, he believed the Goblin Empire, under Alice's expansion, had already annexed the Sword Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom.
He could leave the empire's development on the back burner for now.
So, all he needed to focus on was finding a way to evolve; there was no rush.
"By the way, Xiao Huan, turn around and head for the Rocky Mountains."
Suddenly, Lin Tian remembered something.
He directed the dragon to fly towards the deep mountains.
Soon, he saw the familiar primeval forest, with its overlapping mountains.
Everything seemed unchanged.
He wondered how the Dwarf Kingdom had fared.
Lin Tian adjusted his Abnormal Fusion skill, selecting the dwarf gene "Dennis" from before.
In an instant, he transformed into a dwarf.
"Same old rules—wait here for me."
He found the familiar crevice in the rocks and squeezed in.
He wondered how the Dwarf Empire had changed under the reforms.
And whether the many seeds he had planted had grown into healthy plants by now.
He also wondered if Master Bill was still alive.
The wise man and legendary blacksmith of the Dwarf Kingdom held great value.
Entering the crevice, he soon stood on a high cliff, peering through the dense foliage to see the grand, bustling Dwarf capital in the distance.
Lin Tian wondered if his appropriation of so many magical items would have sparked public outrage.
But with his current strength, there was no need to worry about such things.
He swaggered right up to the city walls.
Previously, there hadn't even been guards.
Now, rows of well-equipped dwarves stood atop the walls.
"Who are you?"
The guard asked mechanically, as if triggered by some protocol.
Lin Tian pointed to himself, "Me?
You don't recognize me?
Dennis, the king consort!"
He was a nationally renowned figure with many legendary deeds to his name.
And these idiots didn't recognize him!
The guard pondered for a moment, then looked at the others, who all shook their heads.
"Swish!"
Immediately, the guard drew an eleventh-tier magical longsword, gleaming brilliantly.
He questioned sternly, "No dwarves have reported leaving the city recently.
I suspect you're a human spy.
By Her Majesty's orders, all outsiders can be executed on suspicion!"
"Kill him!"
Immediately, the dwarven soldiers drew their swords.
All were armed with eleventh-tier magical weapons.
Holding their swords like guns, they fired beams of light.
Each shot blasted a large crater into the ground!
Lin Tian dodged quickly, not retaliating immediately, puzzled at whether these dwarves had some sort of memory problem.
It had only been a little over a year, and they didn't recognize him.
But something seemed off about these dwarves.
True dwarves were lazy, carefree, and not at all warlike.
The ones before him had a look in their eyes that betrayed a deep-seated thirst for battle.
There was even a hint of savagery.
Just then, a group of dwarves appeared in the sky, driving roaring war chariots, somewhat similar to Alexander's.
They prepared to surround Lin Tian.
But one round-faced, bearded dwarf poked his head out, his expression changing instantly, "It's you?!"
"Master Bill?!"
Lin Tian recognized him and felt a surge of excitement.
Finally, someone who knew him.
Bill quickly signaled everyone to stop, "Hold your fire!"
"Commander Bill, this person is highly suspicious.
We must…," the guard began to protest.
But Bill interrupted him, "He's your father!
No, your ancestor!"
"What!"
The soldiers were stunned.
Ancestor?!
Bill parked the steel, heat-blasting chariot and struggled to climb down, saying, "He's the goblin, your ancestor.
That's why you're different from us in some ways."
So much time had passed.
The dwarves had even noticed the differences themselves.
Being aggressive and battle-hungry was one thing, but they also couldn't drink as much as purebred dwarves.
The most crucial difference, however, was the unique ability that came with the Goblin gene.
Females could get pregnant and give birth within a month, and the offspring would grow up in another month.
However, this ability would gradually disappear as the gene diluted with each generation.
"You… you're really our leader?!"
Immediately, one of the guards became incredibly excited, the Goblin gene's inherent obedience kicking in.
He knelt before Lin Tian.
The other soldiers quickly followed suit.
Lin Tian gradually shed his disguise, reverting to his true form.
"So, the truth couldn't be kept hidden, huh?
I guess it makes sense.
These hybrids may look almost exactly like dwarves, but the gestation period for dwarves is similar to that of humans."
"Yes, about a month after you left, when many people in the kingdom started giving birth, some realized it was the work of Goblin genes.
And, well, all those women had been with you," Master Bill said gravely.
Lin Tian couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you guys consider purging these hybrids?"
Normally, every race would remove hybrids to maintain pure bloodlines.
Not only did these hybrids survive, but they also became soldiers.
Bill's old face showed a hint of helplessness.
"Well, the dwarven women who gave birth to these hybrids were too embarrassed to speak out, so they secretly raised them.
As it turned out, when they grew up, the hybrid army they formed ended up taking over the royal palace."
"In the end, I had to step in and reveal your identity.
The hybrid leaders spared the queen and even continued to support her."
"And so, the hybrids took root in the Dwarf Kingdom.
Due to their natural ferocity and love of battle, they were perfect for the role of guards."
"They've now formed an army of over ten thousand."
Lin Tian immediately understood.
An army of over ten thousand, equipped with top-tier magical gear—that's an incredibly powerful force.
Soon after, Lin Tian, led by Bill, made his way to the royal palace to meet Queen 'Adele.'
A steady stream of hybrids followed them, eager to catch a glimpse of their ancestor.
Many female dwarves also went wild, chasing after Lin Tian, but when they saw his true Goblin form, their instincts made them feel a twinge of fear.
Still, many were bold enough to confront him, saying things like,
"You vile man!
You got me pregnant in one go and then disappeared without a word!"
"Look at what you made me give birth to!
You owe me another child to make up for it!"
"Don't change!
I want you just as you are, Goblin!
Prince Dennis, I don't mind; let's keep making babies together!"
They weren't afraid.
But Lin Tian was!
This wasn't just a group of lolis; they were clearly a bunch of succubi.
The last time had taught him a painful lesson: when a man ventures out into the world, he must protect himself.
So, he made a beeline for the royal palace.
Soon, he met with Adele.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for deceiving you before."
Standing in the grand hall, Lin Tian spoke.
Seeing Adele in her majestic golden robes, dignified and elegant, he realized that in the year since they last met, she had grown even more into her role as a queen.
No longer was she the naive, desire-driven young girl she had once been.
Adele's lips twitched slightly.
"You… are Dennis?"
Lin Tian nodded.
"If Your Majesty wishes to punish me, go ahead.
I won't run away this time."
Of course, he said this deliberately.
He had mastered the art of coaxing and deceiving women.
If he wanted to make use of the dwarves' strength, he had to start with Adele.
Clearly, Adele was somewhat moved.
After thinking it over, she said,
"Very well.
Your presence has actually transformed our Dwarf Kingdom, reviving our forging industry, and the hybrids have taken on the role of warriors…"
"But why have you returned?"
This was something she didn't understand.
Lin Tian responded seriously,
"I'm here to fulfill my promise.
I once promised Master Bill that I would lead the dwarves back to the surface, so they wouldn't have to hide anymore, and wouldn't fear being enslaved by humans."
Bill's body trembled when he heard this.
His old face was filled with gratitude and disbelief.
"Prince Dennis, you… you really accomplished this?"
This was not just a dream for the dwarves.
Many monsters and demi-humans shared this dream.
Lin Tian nodded and then explained the situation with the Goblin Empire.
"However, at the moment, I'm not yet confident about taking down the War Empire.
But it won't take too much longer."
Bill, filled with excitement, said,
"Rest assured!
When the time comes to attack the War Empire, we dwarves will give it our all!
We'll show the humans the true power of the dwarves—the terror of being dominated by magical tools!!!
What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"I still choose to trust Dennis.
However, before we commit to sending troops, I need to see whether you've grown stronger or weaker over this time," Adele said, her gaze becoming almost dreamy.
Lin Tian's lips curled into a slight smile.
"It seems Her Majesty is underestimating me.
I guarantee to end your year of torment!"
"Hmph, I'm getting old.
Just hearing this makes me uncomfortable.
You two go ahead and have fun; I'm not sticking around!"
Master Bill, speaking in a tone full of sarcasm, slammed the door as he left.
He almost wished he were a goblin.
In youth, one doesn't appreciate their body; in old age, they can only watch their wife and cry.
The next day, Lin Tian slowly woke up from the soft, comfortable bed.
Beside him lay Adele, still asleep.
Seeing the smile that lingered on her face even as she slept, it was clear that she was very satisfied.
Lin Tian had also secured military power, becoming a Duke and Commander of the Dwarf Kingdom.
This immense wealth and power—having a female monarch made things much easier to handle.
After bidding his farewells, Lin Tian finally left the Dwarf Kingdom.
There were still many unresolved matters awaiting him back on his side.
But at least now, he had secured two, perhaps even three, formidable forces as his trump cards for conquering the War Empire.
The dwarves were one, and then there was the Ironhorn Tribe, which he could potentially sway to his side.
And lastly, the Dragon Slayer Guild.
These three forces were not to be underestimated.
Among them, the most powerful was undoubtedly the Dwarf Kingdom.
With their seemingly endless supply of magical tools, it was hard to imagine just how formidable a fully equipped army, capable of waging war on land, sea, and air, would be.