Unlike what Lin Mu thought, the Elders' laughter was not in mockery, but in genuine amusement.
"Compensate us?" the Fireforge Elder repeated.
"You misunderstand," another elder said, shaking his head.
"What you have brought us is beyond price," the Rune Dwarf Elder added.
The Mountain Dwarf Elder stepped forward, his voice firm.
"You are not asking for a favor," he said. "You are giving us an opportunity."
Lin Mu blinked slightly.
The elder continued.
"This material," he gestured toward the husk, "is something none of us have ever worked with before. The knowledge we gain from this will not belong to us alone."
He looked toward the Dao Forge.
"It will become part of our legacy," he said. "It will be recorded in our libraries. It will guide generations of Dwarves to come."
The Fireforge Elder grinned broadly.
"You are not paying us," he said. "You are letting us write history and a new chapter in Dwarven Forging Techniques."
Lin Mu fell silent.
