The bonfires of the Blackrock Clan burned for three days and three nights.
The greenskins carried the spoils 'borrowed' from Katushir, filling the tribe's storerooms to the brim—golden Imperial coins clinked in oak barrels, and mountains of silk and spices were piled so high that even the goblins dared to secretly tie a strand of silk around their heads.
Three hundred orc prisoners were held in a temporary enclosure, being 'disciplined' by Bone Tree and the veterans.
They were roused before dawn every day to practice chopping and lifting stones, whipped if disobedient.
In just three days, their previous numbness was gone, replaced by a touch of the greenskins' characteristic ferocity in their eyes.
Keziaz had been constantly busy these past few days.
In the morning, he and Dragu counted the ironware; at noon, he checked on the prisoners' training in the enclosure; in the afternoon, he had to distribute fresh beast meat to the goblins; and in the evening, he sat on a stone stool in the mushroom garden, calculating how to use his Waaagh! points on the system panel.
The system notification had popped up on the day of their return: [Katushir Campaign Judgment: Strategically Victorious. Reward: 579 Waaagh! points, Unlock Hero Slot × 1 (Can promote a talented greenskin to a Hero Unit)].
Keziaz didn't hesitate to reserve the Hero slot for Bone Tree—he had followed him for a long time, wielded a great axe, and blocked Bull Warriors.
If Bone Tree hadn't led the Orc Boyz to hold the line during the bloody battle in the center, he might not have been able to successfully cut down Wasaga.
"Once this rush is over, I'll promote Bone Tree," Keziaz mused, stroking the Furball in his arms and watching Bone Tree drill the prisoners in the distance.
Bone Tree, at this moment, was wielding his great axe, bringing it down on a lazy orc prisoner—the axe blade grazed the opponent's scalp and struck the ground, scaring the greenskin into immediately leaping up and furiously smashing a wooden stake with his wooden club.
On the morning of the fourth day, Keziaz finally found some time and, accompanied by Keziaz and two Orc Boyz, headed towards the dungeon on the west side of the tribe.
The dungeon was built of Blackrock, its entrance hidden beneath an old oak tree, dark and damp inside, with only a few faint rays of light filtering through the ventilation holes above.
He had been busy dealing with the spoils these past few days and hadn't had a good look at the prisoners in the dungeon.
"Boss, it smells bad in there, I'll help block it for you," Keziaz said, pinching his nose and pushing open the heavy stone door.
A mixed scent of blood, mold, and beast odor rushed out, and Furball immediately jumped from Keziaz's arms, baring his teeth at the depths of the dungeon and letting out a low growl.
The dungeon had three levels.
The uppermost level held a dozen surviving beastmen—all captured alive in previous battles, including Ungor with broken legs, blind Gor beasts, and an Angor beast that had half an arm bitten off by a squig.
They were chained to the stone wall, and upon seeing Keziaz enter, they immediately let out hoarse roars, their crimson eyes full of killing intent, but too severely injured to even stand.
"These things are useless," Keziaz frowned, turning to walk to the middle level.
"Tomorrow, let the goblins have an extra meal."
The middle level held over a hundred and twenty human women, captured by the beastmen when they raided villages and towns, and were swept up by the greenskins before they could be killed.
They huddled in the corner, trembling with fear at the sight of Keziaz's greenskin, some even covering their faces and crying.
"Don't cry," Keziaz shouted at them.
"We don't kill women.
In a few days, we'll send you to Katushir, where someone will find a way for you to live."
Antonio had already sent word, asking him to help rescue these human captives.
The Golden Rose Merchant Guild happened to be short on hands, so sending them over would not only earn him a favor but also get him some wine.
human wine still tasted quite good.
The women dared not speak, only secretly raised their heads, looking at the scarred greenskin chieftain, their eyes full of fear and confusion.
Keziaz said no more and continued downwards.
The lowest level was the darkest, with only one ventilation hole, and the light was so dim that things were almost indistinguishable.
Keziaz quickly lit a torch, and in the flickering light, Keziaz saw a small figure huddled in the corner—not human, nor beastmen, but a dwarf in tattered iron armor.
"There's a dwarf too?" Keziaz raised an eyebrow and walked over.
The dwarf suddenly looked up, and in the torchlight, Keziaz saw her appearance clearly: her skin was dark gray, unlike the pale complexion of ordinary dwarves; her eyes were blood-red, like quenched iron; two small tusks protruded from the corners of her mouth, not ferocious, but rather conveying a stubbornness.
Her hair was black, braided into two thick pigtails that hung over her shoulders, and although her iron armor was tattered, complex runes could be seen carved on it.
She also tightly clutched a small iron hammer in her hand.
"A Chaos dwarf?" Keziaz was taken aback.
These guys were traitors to the dwarves, corrupted by Chaos, with gray skin, red eyes, worshipping the Chaos Bull God Hashut, most skilled in blacksmithing, but also the most brutal.
But this one, how could she be a female dwarf?
"Don't come any closer!" the female dwarf raised her hammer, her voice hoarse but with a fierce edge.
"Come any closer, and I'll smash your head in!"
"Smash my head in?" Keziaz grinned, squatting down to look at her.
"With that little hammer of yours?"
The female dwarf gritted her teeth but didn't dare to actually strike.
She knew she couldn't beat this goblin (that's right! Keziaz was still a goblin)—the other's height was twice hers, his muscles like iron, and the ferocity in his eyes was scarier than any beastmen's.
Keziaz shouted from the side: "Boss, this thing is a Chaos dwarf!
We found her in a beastmen tent when we were clearing out the spoils.
She was smashing horseshoes with her hammer then!"
Keziaz nodded and said to the female dwarf: "What's your name? Why were you captured by the beastmen?"
The female dwarf was silent for a moment, and seeing that escape was truly impossible, she slowly lowered her hammer and said in a low voice: "My name is Guzhana Yellowiron.
I am a blacksmith for a Chaos dwarf caravan.
I was with the caravan going to Black Feather Forest to trade for warpstone, but we ran into a herd of Gor beasts.
The caravan was scattered, and I was captured."
"Why didn't they kill you after capturing you?" Keziaz asked curiously.
beastmen were always bloodthirsty and rarely left survivors, especially Chaos dwarves, who worshipped Chaos just like them; logically, they should have been used as sacrifices.
At the mention of this, a trace of hatred flashed in Guzhana's eyes: "I can blacksmith.
Those beastmen wanted me to repair their siege rams and sharpen their axes, so they didn't kill me.
But they killed my uncle—the caravan captain—just because he wouldn't hand over the warpstone."
As she spoke, she clenched her hammer tightly, her knuckles white from the effort.
"I hate those Long-Haired Monsters!"
Keziaz's eyes lit up.
Can blacksmith?
The Blackrock Clan's biggest shortage was good blacksmiths!
Although Bone Tree could forge some simple iron axes and swords, his craftsmanship was very crude, and the weapons he made would chip after only a few days of use.
The Orc Boyz in the tribe could only smash iron with stones, producing things that even the goblins despised.
If this Chaos female dwarf could help with blacksmithing and teach those Orc Boyz, the Blackrock Clan's weapons and equipment could take a big leap forward!
"You can blacksmith?" Keziaz leaned closer, a hint of expectation in his tone.
"Can you forge axes? Can you forge armor?"
Guzhana was startled, not expecting this greenskin to ask about that.
She nodded, a hint of pride in her voice: "I've been blacksmithing with my uncle since I was ten.
Chaos dwarf forging techniques are ten times better than those human blacksmiths!
As long as there's iron ore, I can forge great axes that can split stone and iron armor that can block arrows!"
"Good!" Keziaz slapped his thigh, stood up, and said to Guzhana, "I'll give you a way out.
Don't stay in this dungeon.
Come out with me, help me blacksmith, and teach my Orc Boyz."
Guzhana frowned: "Why? I'm a Chaos dwarf, why should I help you, a greenskin?"
"Because you are my prisoner now," Keziaz's tone was flat, but with an undeniable assertiveness.
"Either help me blacksmith, and you'll have meat to eat and wine to drink; or continue to stay in the dungeon, and tomorrow I'll throw you to the goblins, and they'll gnaw you down to bones."
He paused, then added, "Besides, we greenskins also hate those beastmen.
If you help me blacksmith and make better weapons, we'll kill more Long-Haired Monsters later, and that'll be revenge for your uncle."
Guzhana's body trembled.
Revenge?
She dreamed of killing those beastmen, but alone, it was impossible.
If she helped these greenskins blacksmith and create stronger weapons, maybe she really could kill more beastmen...
She was silent for a long time, then finally looked up, her blood-red eyes meeting Keziaz's: "I'll help you blacksmith and teach your Orc Boyz.
But you have to promise me that if we ever encounter a herd of Gor beasts again, you must take me with you.
I want to personally cut down that Crow-Winged chieftain!"
"No problem!" Keziaz agreed instantly.
"As long as you blacksmith well, let alone cutting down beastmen, even if you want to cut down the Four Chaos Gods, I'll hand you the axe!"
Although Guzhana knew this was greenskin bragging, she still breathed a sigh of relief.
She stood up, brushed the dust off her body, still clutching the small iron hammer in her hand: "I'll go out with you.
But if you dare to lie to me, I'll smash your head in with this hammer, even if it costs me my life!"
"Don't worry, I never lie to people who can blacksmith," Keziaz grinned and said to Keziaz, "Untie her chains, take her to the Blacksmith Shop, and get her some meat to eat."
Keziaz quickly stepped forward and cut the chains binding Guzhana with his axe.
Guzhana stretched her stiff limbs and followed Keziaz out.
Passing by the middle-level cells, she saw the huddled human women and couldn't help but stop, looking back at Keziaz.
"Don't worry about them," Keziaz understood her confusion.
"We don't kill women; in a few days, we'll send them to a safe place."
Guzhana said nothing and continued to follow Keziaz upwards.
When she reached the dungeon entrance, she couldn't help but look back at the dark dungeon, then at the sunny tribe outside—the combat mushrooms in the mushroom garden were taller than men, the Orc Boyz were drilling in the open space, and the goblins were chasing and playing in the grass.
Although still savage, it had a touch more 'life' than the gloomy dungeon and the brutal beastmen.
Keziaz looked at her retreating figure, a smile playing on his lips.
He'd found a treasure!
This Chaos female dwarf might become the Blackrock Clan's 'precious blacksmith'.
He stroked the Furball in his arms and turned towards the Blacksmith Shop—he needed to quickly get people to prepare iron ore and let Guzhana show off her skills to see just how powerful her forging techniques were.
Deep in the dungeon, the beastmen were still roaring, and the human women were still crying.
But the Blackrock Clan's transformation was quietly underway.
The arrival of a Chaos female dwarf, the iron axes about to be forged, and the sounds of hammering about to begin, all signaled that the Blackrock Clan's path to rise had gained another solid stepping stone.
In the distant Forest of Gloom, the Black Feather chieftain U and the surviving beastmen were licking their wounds.
Escoville of Katushir was still worried about recovering his strength.
Antonio's Golden Rose Merchant Guild had already begun preparing to receive those human women.