Clatter.
Another stone block from the wall was knocked down with precision.
After helping his ally redecorate Moria's passages quite thoroughly, Levi finally found a relatively wide path that seemed to lead toward the eastern exit.
Gulp.
Another night vision potion went down smoothly.
At a downward staircase, Levi looked up, his eyes gradually widening, his breathing slowing with awe.
This was a truly enormous, massive, vast hall so large its end couldn't be seen at a single glance.
Countless magnificent stone pillars over a hundred meters tall stood in perfect order on the ground, connecting heaven and earth, supporting this underground kingdom. Each of these magnificent pillars was meticulously carved with intricate dwarven-style engravings, truly eye-opening in their craftsmanship.
This was Khazad-dûm, the wonder of Middle-earth, the magnificent underground hall.
But soon, people would witness new wonders outside.
Levi walked slowly through this hall, this endless, boundless hall.
All around was silent, and Levi gradually became lost, beginning to lose his sense of direction.
After walking for an unknown length of time and drinking countless bottles of potion, suddenly Levi turned his head, his gaze crossing the distant corridor to look toward the eastern side of the hall where something had a slightly different outline.
A door.
A large door framed with metal edges.
Finally seeing something new, Levi felt somewhat excited. He ran over quickly and tried pushing the door.
With a clang, the door didn't open, just shook slightly. Something seemed to be barring it from inside.
This door was very solid and definitely couldn't be broken through normal means.
But Levi wasn't normal.
He pulled out his axe and knocked the door down with several powerful strikes.
Crash.
As soon as he entered, Levi's foot hit something brittle. The thing scraped across the ground, making some noise.
"This is..."
Levi crouched down with respectful curiosity.
A dwarf's corpse, decayed to just bones, and even the bones were brittle and crumbling, obviously quite old.
He was still wearing tarnished armor.
After placing this unknown dwarf's remains aside properly, Levi continued exploring inward.
Creak.
A wooden chest was opened, a thick layer of dust sliding off while the contents inside gleamed like new.
"Gold, silver."
Another chest opened.
A large pile of jewelry and precious stones.
There were many such chests here.
Most people in this world would certainly be delighted for quite a while upon seeing these things, since the treasure here was definitely enough for one person, even an entire family for several generations, to never finish spending.
But as chest after chest opened and the treasures within saw daylight again, Levi felt somewhat bored.
Just some gold and silver treasure.
Things like these, as Levi had said before, if he released all his wealth, it could flood Roadside Fort.
This bit of gold and silver treasure really wasn't much to him, and his backpack space was quite limited. Using it to carry these things felt like a waste of space.
So Levi closed these chests. As he continued inward, when he encountered chests or containers, he would only open them to see what was inside, then lose interest.
Until he reached the end of this room.
On a forge, several silvery-white objects were stacked there, covered in dust.
Gently wiping away the dust, the item display showed this thing's identification.
"Mithril..."
The most solid, beautiful, and rare metal in this world.
It was whiter than silver, more resilient than gold, and more brilliant than diamonds.
[Added "Mithril" series crafting recipes]
Mithril chainmail, mithril leggings, mithril boots, and a mithril crown.
The four-piece mithril equipment set had the same attributes as netherite, slightly stronger than diamond, but without knockback resistance.
"Well, overall netherite is still a bit better."
However, though the armor was somewhat disappointing, mithril could forge swords with up to 9 attack damage, the same as Nemesis's base attributes.
One could only say it truly deserved to be this world's strongest material, expensive for good reason.
There were four blocks of mithril total on this forge, just enough to make one mithril chainmail, worth about one Shire.
This was much more precious than everything else in this room combined.
Mithril.
Long ago, when mithril could still be stably produced, it could be exchanged for gold at a 1:10 ratio.
Later, as Moria fell, mithril could no longer be mined. Its price rose continuously until it was no longer in circulation. No amount of money could buy it.
After collecting these precious mithril blocks, Levi continued exploring other parts of the room. After confirming there was nothing better, he replaced the door properly and prepared to leave.
But just as one foot stepped out, Levi's eyes suddenly moved. He noticed something different on the dwarf remains by the door, something lodged in the ribcage.
The thing was lodged quite concealed. Due to the angle when he'd moved it earlier, he hadn't noticed it.
This...?
"Pardon me, may your soul find rest."
Muttering this respectfully, Levi reached in and pulled out the object:
A small, silvery-white axe, finely crafted and solidly built, with some incomprehensible symbols carved on it.
"Could this be..."
Levi wasn't quite certain, since he'd never seen it and didn't know what the symbols meant. But looking at the craftsmanship, it was indeed extraordinary.
Better to take it out and show Thorin. Perhaps he'd recognize it.
Having decided, after closing and reinforcing the door securely, Levi suddenly frowned.
Clang!
An arrow struck his breastplate and bounced away harmlessly.
"Roar!"
A strange cry rang out from a stone pillar. Levi looked toward the sound and saw an orc with a hideous face covered in growths, making its features nearly indistinguishable, staring at him with wide eyes, sizing up this never-before-seen intruder.
Having received a gift, he should naturally reciprocate.
Levi also pulled out his bow and shot toward the orc's position.
Whoosh.
The orc quickly shifted sideways to dodge, but it was useless. He was still grazed by the arrow.
If it were an arrow shot by someone else, being grazed wouldn't matter much.
But this was shot by Levi.
And with arrows he shot, as long as they made contact, there was no such thing as 'no damage.'
Contact meant a hit.
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from his body. The orc howled continuously, desperately rubbing against the stone pillar trying to extinguish the flames, but this was destined to be futile.
Soon, he fell from the pillar like a burned-out branch with a thud.
That light, that sound, was particularly conspicuous in this hall.
"I think this place would definitely be perfect for a concert."
Levi commented thoughtfully.
Thud!
Drum sounds came from the depths below.
Thud! Thud!
The sound mimicked a heartbeat's rhythm, beating once, then again, ringing out, then approaching.
Levi actively stepped forward two paces and looked into the distance.
At the far end of the hall, countless creature silhouettes writhed, pouring out from all directions, covering the space like ants. When there was no room on the ground, they climbed onto the pillars. When there was no room on the pillars, they hung from the ceiling.
Those hanging from the ceiling must have quite good arm strength.
After all, if their arm strength wasn't good and they dared play like this, they should have fallen to their deaths long ago.
Orcs.
A great orc army from the depths beneath Moria.
A fierce legion from hell.
"Good, the audience has arrived."
Rustle.
In the darkness, they fixed their crimson eyes on the invading intruder.
Just as the orcs were about to charge over, planning to let this invader personally experience what it felt like to be crops gnawed by passing swarms of locusts, that person suddenly spoke with somewhat polite phrasing:
"Wait, please wait!"
Levi shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the great hall. As if under some spell, those orcs actually unconsciously stopped, standing in place waiting for this human's subsequent words.
"You probably don't know me, since we've never met before, and this place, oh, in my opinion, really doesn't look like it could receive news from the outside world..."
"But! I guarantee everyone will get to know me very soon, because..."
"You'll soon scatter in all directions like timid, cowardly dogs who've lost their master!"
Like dogs scattering in all directions...
Scattering in all directions...
Scattering...
That detestable voice echoed through the hall, from one end to the other, distant and prolonged.
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Something in the darkness seemed to be brewing, becoming increasingly ferocious and terrifying, like a doomsday volcano about to erupt.