The scorching sun relentlessly baked the desert.
The air shimmered and distorted in the distance due to the intense heat.
Three thousand humans trudged across the dunes, their feet sinking with each step, their pace slow.
Minori and Yaraal led the way, pausing frequently to observe their surroundings.
"Have your people rest first," Minori said to Yaraal, standing atop a dune and gazing at the endless yellow desert.
"This is our third rest stop already. We can keep going. We live in the desert; we're used to this environment and don't need such long breaks."
Yaraal gripped her silver spear tightly as she spoke.
"We still have more than two days' journey ahead. There's no rush. Conserving energy is the most important thing."
Minori shook his head, his expression unchanged, and glanced at the three thousand humans behind him, speaking softly.
Of the three great oases...
The orc oasis was closest to the Shadow Valley, followed by the dwarf oasis, with the human oasis being the farthest.
The oasis of the Gray Dwarves was about three days away from the human oasis.
Of course!
This was under normal circumstances. The force of 3,000 humans seemed large, but most were ordinary people.
The long trek was a major drain on their stamina, especially in the scorching desert heat during the day.
The water they carried was also being consumed at an alarming rate.
"This rest will last until evening. From now on, we rest during the day and travel at night," Minori told Yaraal again.
Minori had never led an army before, causing him to overlook many issues during the process. Fortunately, Yaraal was there to prevent things from going awry.
In the process, Minori learned a lot.
"Travel at night?"
Yaraal paused, then her eyes lit up as she realized it was a good idea:
"I understand, Lord Hero."
After issuing the order, Yaraal quickly returned to Minori's side, her face filled with anticipation, seeking advice on martial arts training techniques.
Time passed, and night began to fall.
The three thousand invigorated human members, having finished their rest, began to move again.
Without the blazing sun, their movement speed was noticeably faster.
The next two days passed without incident.
Although there were some powerful magical creatures in the Valley of Despair, they were scattered across the vast desert, making encounters rare.
Cold moonlight spilled across the desert.
A squad of ten Gray Dwarves, pulling a heavy wooden cart, had stopped in a flat area of the desert.
Five of the Gray Dwarves were sleeping soundly around the wooden cart, while the other five were yawning, occasionally raising their heads to scan the surroundings.
They were the Gray Dwarf squad sent to the human side by the Minister of Forging.
The army had been utterly defeated!
They were even being made to deliver weapons to the inferior humans they usually looked down upon as a peace offering, leaving the usually proud Gray Dwarves dejected.
No one was in the mood to joke.
Just as the Gray Dwarves were drifting off, a sharp shout suddenly rang out.
"Earth Charge!"
In an instant!
A bright yellow figure appeared before the guarding Gray Dwarves, sweeping her spear and sending one flying.
"Enem…" A Gray Dwarf screamed in terror, but before he could finish, the silver-white spear had already struck, killing him instantly.
In the space of a breath.
Yaraal had already taken out two of the guarding Gray Dwarves, and as she prepared to kill the third.
A series of cold glints flashed in the air.
The guarding Gray Dwarves, and those awakened from their sleep, were all slain by these cold glints.
Minori stood by the weapon-laden wooden cart, glancing at its contents, flicking the blood from his greatsword, and grabbing a Gray Dwarf he had deliberately left alive.
"Amazing, as expected of the Hero."
Yaraal stopped her spear, looking at Minori with admiration.
She had only taken out two Gray Dwarves; the rest had already been dealt with by Minori.
"Human… human, don't kill me!"
"We're here to seek peace." The only surviving Gray Dwarf cried out in terror.
"Seek peace?" Yaraal's tan face tightened, her silver eyes flashing with anger:
"So many of our people have died at the hands of you Grey Dwarves, and now you speak of peace!"
"If it weren't for our Hero, we would all have died at your hands!"
Faced with Yaraal's angry question.
The Gray Dwarf's grey-white beard trembled as he looked in terror at Minori, who held him aloft.
This was the mysterious figure who had defeated their army, and he was human!
All was lost!
The clan was in danger!
The Gray Dwarf's terrified expression intensified. They had been sent to the human oasis not only to deliver weapons as a peace offering but, more importantly, to find out if the mysterious powerhouse was a human and to assess his attitude.
Now, with him appearing here, the answer was self-evident.
"We Grey Dwarves are willing to cooperate with you humans. We can help you forge weapons specifically for human use…" The Gray Dwarf struggled and shouted in terror.
"Yaraal, have your people check the surroundings for other Grey Dwarves," Minori turned to Yaraal and instructed.
"Yes, Hero."
Yaraal glared at the Gray Dwarf in Minori's hand, nodded quickly, and hurried away.
After Yaraal left.
"Charm"
The magic in Minori's eyes flickered, and an invisible mental wave instantly surged into the Gray Dwarf's mind.
"Tell me everything about your Grey Dwarf side," Minori asked coldly.
Under the influence of the charm.
The Gray Dwarf told him everything he knew.
Minori deliberately asked about Rune technology. According to the Gray Dwarf, Rune technology seemed to have become nearly lost with the fall of the Gray Dwarf Kingdom 50 years ago.
The new generation of Gray Dwarf craftsmen no longer possessed anyone capable of mastering Rune technology, but the Minister of Forging, as a kingdom minister, still had a grasp of it.
After understanding this information.
Minori exerted a little force in his palm, crushing the Gray Dwarf's neck.
After completely eliminating the Gray Dwarf squad, the human side began to move again, finally arriving about one kilometer from the Gray Dwarf oasis late on the third night.
"Swoosh!"
Kuro, still transformed into a goshawk, soared into the sky, circling above the Gray Dwarf oasis.
After carefully observing.
Kuro flew back from the sky and landed on Minori's shoulder.
The humans lying on the sand stared at Minori at the front, tense and ready to obey orders.
They would strike at the Gray Dwarf oasis at the first opportunity.
"Everyone, rest well tonight. Tomorrow is the real final battle with the Grey Dwarf race!" Minori turned to face the gazes, his tone serious.
The people had traveled all night, and their physical strength was severely depleted. It was obviously not the right time to start a war with the Gray Dwarves, especially since the Gray Dwarf race liked to move at night.
Minori had brought three thousand humans here, and the most important purpose was to prevent the Gray Dwarf race from escaping.
With a population of more than fifteen thousand, Minori could not possibly keep track of them if they scattered on a large scale.
"Everyone, do as he says!" Yaraal followed closely, her bright silver pupils flashing with excitement.
It wasn't just Yaraal who was excited at the moment; all the human members were also filled with tension and excitement.
Under this silent, repressed, and invigorating atmosphere, most people didn't fall asleep until dawn.
On a small sand slope.
Minori looked at the oasis in the distance, its overall area appearing to be larger than the oasis inhabited by humans.
At this moment!
Around the periphery of this oasis, a considerable number of Gray Dwarves could be clearly observed.
"Lord Hero, should we wake them up now?" Yaraal walked over softly, looking nervously in the direction of the Gray Dwarf race, and spoke in a low voice.
"No rush, let them sleep."
Minori looked up at the sky and said softly.
"Lord Hero wants to attack at noon." Yaraal quickly understood Minori's intention upon hearing this.
Looking at the Gray Dwarf oasis ahead.
Minori suddenly asked, "The Grey Dwarf race lives underground, right?"
"That's right."
Yaraal's face was serious, and she quickly said, "Most Grey Dwarves don't like to move during the day and even hate sunlight. Even if there are trees on the oasis to provide shade, they still build their caves underground."
This was the most troublesome part.
Yaraal's eyebrows furrowed, seeming to feel very tricky.
The underground environment was complex and intricate, and even the Gray Dwarves themselves could not fully know it, let alone outsiders, and once they entered the underground, there was a high probability of being wiped out.
Faced with this troublesome situation.
Minori's face instead showed a smile: "In that case, it will be much simpler."
"Huh?" Yaraal raised her head, looking at Minori with a puzzled expression.
Time soon came to noon.
The large number of Gray Dwarves that had been around the periphery of the oasis had disappeared, leaving only squads of twenty Gray Dwarf soldiers patrolling the oasis.
"It's time to act."
Minori reached out and patted Kuro on the shoulder.
Whoosh!
Kuro flapped its wings and immediately took off into the sky above the oasis, serving as a watchful eye.
"Third-Order Magic · Composite Element Summon!"
The magic in Minori's body vibrated, raising his arm and aiming it forward, activating the [Mad Mage]'s passive ability, Elemental Conversion:
"Sandstorm Elemental Spirit!"