“We’ll have to discuss this later.”

“About a place…” Lapis didn’t let up.

“Ah… I can probably use the dungeon. If you don’t mind my miasma, you can live on one of the dungeon levels, I guess.” I quickly came up with a solution that would satisfy them, all while bringing up my dungeon master job and moving one of the levels to be a bit out of the way of the normal path.

I decided to base the level off the lore I had gleamed from King Diorite. That lore had blown up when I ignited it to slow Twilight, but I had already tried to absorb it, as did Sapphire. We both had copied some of the lore into ourselves, and I was able to incorporate that into my dungeon. It was at least enough to give them a place that was similar to the deep.

“Not at all.” Lapis smiled. “We are resistant to miasma, especially after being in Twilight’s grasp for so long.”

She was the only dwarf that didn’t stumble over saying Twilight. They had always just called her the shadow of the darkness. I had explained to them who she was, but it took some time getting used to the new naming.

“Very well. Just head this way…”

Knowing I was needed somewhere else, I just quickly set it up and then set them out to head there. They’d need to do all the heavy lifting on their own. Hopefully, it didn’t take them too long to set themselves up. I wanted them to start making weapons and armor. I didn’t know why, but I felt pressure like we were in danger. I knew that Twilight was coming, but that could be years before she surfaced, and we had no clue how she’d appear when she did. No, this was a different sense of danger.

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I left my dungeon and then headed quickly to the city gate. I found Xin waiting there, and she was holding up a haggard group of men. I quickly could tell that they were wolfkin, but they looked extremely badly beaten up. It looked like they had been in a fight for their lives. That’s when I realized I recognized them.

“The Wolf Pack?”

This was the adventuring team that I had traveled with when I went out to find Miki. They were in much worst shape now. I immediately activated a group heal, and the pained looks on their faces seemed to relax a bit.

“Lord Deek… thank the gods you are here!” The leader declared.

“Why have you come to Chalm?” I asked, getting an uneasy feeling.

“We were sent here on behalf of Lord Duran.” He explained. “Our mission was to leave the summit under utmost secrecy, but we were discovered and only managed to escape with our lives.”

“Escape… summit, what are you talking about?” I frowned.

“I’m sorry… We fled only just ahead of the army, and with our wounds, we weren’t able to arrive there quicker,” he spoke weakly, shaking his head.

“Settle down, just explain what you mean.”

“The summit, the gathering in Dioshin… King Roth has decided to gather his army. They’re already marching.”

“The Dioshin are going to war?” I blinked. “Where?”

“Here.” He looked up at me. “Dioshin is invading the wilderness and conquering Chalm!”