The Stone Fortress Dungeon was merely a name the tribe had arbitrarily given it—its true name had long been lost to time.
Unlike the six brand-new, well-functioning dungeons created just three hundred years ago, the Stone Fortress Dungeon's history was impossible to trace, known only to be at least a thousand years old.
The dungeon's structure was crude, divided into merely three levels: upper, middle, and lower.
When the tribe first settled here three hundred years ago, the dungeon's difficulty still increased progressively from top to bottom.
However, this situation had been shattered over the past thirty years.
On one hand, the dungeon was gradually deteriorating with time—this ancient fortress was approaching its twilight end.
On the other hand, it was due to the birth of "Chess."
It had devoured the middle layer at a suffocating pace, severing the connection between upper and lower levels, successfully making the middle layer the most dangerous stratum.
Invisible six-clawed hunters prowled within, eye-worms that peered into all things hung suspended from the ceiling, not to mention the several powerful giant beasts under its control.
Even knowing that carefully traversing to the lower level would yield rich harvests, most demon-spawn still only dared to hunt prey in the increasingly barren upper level.
"Hunt..." Qiong's voice still carried a trace of disbelief as he followed closely behind Shou. "Are we... really going to subjugate Chess?"
That was Chess! Endless individuals, unified will that moved like one's own limbs, possessing both terrifying combat power and all-pervasive reconnaissance... Even if they were lucky enough to find its "brain," did they truly have sufficient strength to destroy it?
"It's to be expected. After all, given the current situation, if we don't eliminate Chess, we can only consider migrating south. But the Elder clearly doesn't want us to make contact with the Empire." Shou's voice was steady, his steps unwavering.
"If you ask me," Qiong couldn't help but mutter, "if the Empire is really that good, what's wrong with making contact? After all, His Majesty the Demon King has long since..."
Before he could finish, Shou spun around abruptly, his palm instantly clamping down hard over Qiong's mouth!
"Do you want to be taken to the punishment post for a whipping?"
Faced with Shou's stern gaze, Qiong frantically widened his eyes and shook his head desperately.
"Then don't speak carelessly!" Shou released his hand, his voice cold and hard. "Go back, prepare your weapons and leather armor, and don't think about anything else."
Watching Qiong flee like a startled snow rabbit, his retreating figure radiating dejection, Shou actually felt little reproach in his heart.
In fact, as part of the new generation who had never bathed in the Demon King's glory, how much loyalty could they really have toward that legendary master?
Regarding the Empire, the bitter cold of the far north had severed contact with the Empire, and that hatred passed down from the elders' mouths was too vague for them to grasp.
Even Shou himself was the same—he simply understood that the Elder still held sway over the tribe.
In reality, even among the older generation, how many had grown weary of life here and yearned for the "fertile lands" of the continent's center was anyone's guess.
Behind those voices strongly advocating southern migration, could there truly be no one calculating how to make contact with the Empire?
Shou wasn't certain—he was merely going with the flow.
...
Two days later, the subjugation force was ready to depart.
The alchemist, his eyes bloodshot, distributed the potions he had rushed to prepare overnight to each warrior's hands.
This time, the tribe had wagered almost all its chips.
Except for one superior warrior left to guard the tribe, all five remaining superior warriors were present.
In addition, there were over thirty tribesmen assisting—calling it an all-out effort wouldn't be an exaggeration.
After all, the opponent was Chess—even with a surprise attack, they had to use their full strength!
The group crossed the ice plains. Midway, a nearly three-meter-tall ice giant blocked their path.
Warriors who frequently traveled to the dungeon weren't particularly fazed by this—Ziyan at the front of the formation shattered it to pieces with a single hammer blow.
However, everyone knew these frost spirits had no special method for permanent destruction—the next time they passed through, it would reassemble its body and require another fight.
Fortunately, frost spirits were only sparsely scattered across the vast frozen earth, posing no substantial threat to the tribe.
The entrance to the Stone Fortress Dungeon wasn't a magnificent gate, but rather a deep ravine embedded in the base of an ice cliff, eroded by time until it barely allowed several people to pass through side by side.
However, once inside, one could distinctly feel... warmth.
The dungeon was self-contained, isolated from the ice plains' bitter cold, with internal temperatures considerably higher than the outside world.
It was this meager heat that had once nurtured slimes, fat beasts, and other magical creatures, forming the fragile ecological chain the tribe depended on for survival.
But as the dungeon deteriorated, their presence had become increasingly rare, and even the temperature was gradually aligning with the outside world.
At the end of the first level stood a massive ancient fortress spanning the center of the ravine—this was why they called it the Stone Fortress Dungeon.
Unlike Purple Crystal's distinct vertical layering, here, when you stepped into the ancient fortress, you had already entered the middle level. The fortress was merely an appearance—the space inside was far larger than it appeared from outside, essentially a three-dimensional labyrinthine structure.
"Do we... really have to go in?" Qiong gripped his wooden staff, speaking quietly to Shou.
Having come this far, such a question seemed somewhat foolish, but Shou knew he was simply afraid.
"Stay by my side—I'll protect you!"
They didn't enter through the main gate—that would be no different from delivering takeout to Chess.
Ziyan led everyone to find an outward-opening window, and they climbed through one by one.
They landed in a deep corridor. Looking around, there were no breeding sacs or tumorous growths clinging to the architecture.
Even their ears detected no movement. Several warriors skilled in reconnaissance exchanged glances, all shaking their heads, confirming no Chess presence nearby.
Clearly, Ziyan wasn't leading them aimlessly—he had indeed found a viable route.
The group traversed the fortress's twisted passages—corridors, staircases, and countless branching paths. In the oppressive silence, only suppressed breathing could be heard.
After an unknown amount of time, Ziyan finally stopped before a tower isolated at the fortress's edge.
The tower's base had a gaping, grotesque hole, revealing the dark, profound primitive cave structure below.
Continuing forward, at the cave's end, they crouched at the passage's edge and finally saw the legendary "brain"!
A massive, pulsating dark-red flesh orb hung suspended from the rock wall like a heart, with countless Chess guards surrounding it, while several eye-worms patrolled overhead.
If not for the artifact the Elder had given Ziyan, they would have been discovered long ago.
"So it's been hidden beneath the Stone Fortress all along—no wonder no one's found it after all these years!" someone said through gritted teeth, clearly having suffered at Chess's hands before.
Ziyan looked at everyone and said, "Cover my charge! I can destroy it in one strike! Once it loses command, the remaining Chess will be nothing but scattered sand, and we can easily fight our way back out in the chaos!"
No one objected—even Shou gripped his weapon tightly.
When everyone suddenly burst forth, they clearly caught Chess off guard.
The superior warriors in front killed all the Chess blocking their path, while personnel in the rear either provided ranged support or used spells to disrupt Chess's invisibility techniques.
Qiong even closed his eyes tightly, fine sweat beading on his temples as visible pale green ripples emanated from between his hands, using rare mental magic to silently boost the morale of those around him.
When Ziyan roared and hurled the penetrating spear in his hands toward the "brain," everyone's hearts leaped to their throats!
The spear pierced through the pulsating mass without obstruction. The flesh orb convulsed violently, its surface luster instantly dimming as it rapidly withered and contracted like a deflating bladder.
However, before cheers could escape their lips, cold reality seized everyone by the throat—Chess's actions remained completely unaffected!
Countless Chess poured forth orderly from the surroundings. They neither turned invisible nor rushed to attack, but instead emitted "hissing" sounds, as if mocking them.
When two evil eyes radiating powerful auras silently drifted into the cavern, the air inside seemed to freeze.
Ziyan's expression underwent dramatic changes in an instant: from the joy of a successful strike, to incredulous shock, to the immense humiliation of discovering deception, and finally, all intense emotions settled into an almost despairing, ice-cold resolve.
He spoke: "Shou, take the youngsters and flee! The rest of you, block Chess with me!"
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