CHAPTER 1015: A NEW TYPE OF TREASURE (5).

"Goin’ back through the Rift’s too dangerous, Boss. Not a risk we can be takin’ right now." Gungir said as he adjusted his goggles.

With a heavy swing, the Dwarf cracked at the base of a large piece of rock jutting out of the wall.

"Were yer truly unable to speak with the elders?"

Gungir nodded his head.

There was something different about the mood of the {Black-Hearth Dwarves} in Cain’s absence.

Particularly Beorstone.

The Dwarf’ demeanor seemed far colder and much more cutthroat than ever before.

Beorstone sighed,

"I guess it can’t be helped then. We are stuck on this world for a while."

His eyes narrowed as his voice fell nearly to a gruff whisper,

"Our only choice is to follow the human kid."

Gungir nodded, "The kid also has potential. He was chosen by the great Fuji after all."

Beorstone snorted,

"That might be so, but..."

He turned his gaze up.

The eyes of the {Black-Hearth Dwarf} was immeasurably dark.

Eventually, he sighed and turned around to face the other three,

For a moment, there was only silence. However, hidden within that silence was a volume of words that did not need speaking.

Beorstone ran a hand through his beard,

"Precious stones and metals abound in the infinite worlds. However, it is all for our hands to claim. That is our destiny. We will follow the human kid for now. But when the time comes..."

Black flames burned on the dwarven fists, casting everything in a sinister light,

"We’ll be takin’ everything!"

***

The dwarves worked quickly, using their mining tools as well as earth magic to to quickly extra the mineral ores with surprising haste.

Even though he lacked the ability to use earth elemental magic, Cain worked with haste as well.

He managed to extract the entirety of the large chunk of the {Manafrost Stone} before moving into the next one.

As they continued to work, Cain’s eyes drifted over the rest of the chamber towards the multiple tunnels that had been dug through.

It was surprising how just a few hours ago, the entire underground chamber had been completely bare. Now, most of the stone pillars had been knocked down and the ores within them extracted. The chamber had also expanded and there were multiple tunnels mouths on its walls leading even further and deeper into the depths of the planet.

The space truly was a hidden treasure vault.

Several dozen veins of mystical grade ore and stones had already been found too. It was just too unbelievable.

Even Pudding took weeks, maybe even moths, to find so many quality materials.

And he could tell they had just barely scratched the surface.

The existence of this place would definitely propel his plans several steps ahead.

Footsteps rang out from behind him.

He turned around to see Gungir walking towards him,

"We might have to call it a day here, Cain."

Cain nodded as he placed the pickaxe into his inventory,

"I was just about to say the same thing."

He wiped the sweat of his forehead grinned,

"Good work."

Gungir seemed a bit surprised.

Then he chuckled,

"Aye. Good work, kid."

***

Now standing in the center of the chamber with the dwarves, Cain glanced up.

There, sealing the hole he had come through, was a layer of undulating flesh.

He smiled softly and reached out with his mind.

There was a brief rumble, and then...

In a rather grotesque manner, something enormous coiled down from the ceiling, landing surprisingly slowly.

The Dwarves took a step back and drew their weapons, suspicion written boldly on their faces as they glanced up at the monster.

Cain snorted,

"I told you not to worry, didn’t I? She’s a good girl. Isn’t that right, Pudding?"

The enormous {Amethyst Silkworm} let out an eerie sound that echoed off the walls of the underground chamber.

Gungir trembled,

"Where did yer find such an abomination, Cain?"

Cain paused for a moment.

How that he thought about it, he had acquired Pudding after killing the original {Amethyst Silkworm}. Then, he had hatched and nurtured her from her embryotic state until she had become this; the personification of a pulsating, subterranean nightmare.

To say he was proud would be an understatement.

"Alright, get on."

The Dwarves blinked.

"What do yer mean?" Beorstone said with an ugly grimace.

Cain sighed, "How do you expect to reach the surface? Surely you won’t dig your way out, right?"

"Alright, men! Start diggin’!"

"Yes, Boss!"

Cain nearly facepalmed.

After a few minutes of persuasion, he finally managed to convince them.

Beorstone ran his hand over Pudding’s smooth outer flesh,

"It isn’t all that bad, I reckon..."

Baldur nodded, "It’s almost as smooth as me head."

"Yer head’s smoother than a Gnat Marble, Baldur." Grimdor said with a snorting laugh.

"Yer brain’s the smoothest thing I know, yer darned bastard!"

"Oi! Ye lookin’ fer a go, then?!" Grimdor’s smile vanished immediately.

The two dwarves kept bickering at one another even as Cain gave Pudding the mental command.

With a terrifying low-frequency moan that traveled through and into the depths of Urbus, Pudding’s body stretched back towards the ceiling, burrowing right back into the ground to make the journey back towards the surface.

Moving fast through the layer and layers of rock, Pudding was like a train making its way through tunnels.

"I was wrong. This ’ere’s a fine beast, I tell ya!" Beorstone said with a loud guffaw.

However, his voice was almost swallowed by the groan of stone and grit shifting above them as Pudding carved through the bedrock.

The ride was no smoother than expected, Cain thought to himself. He glanced back and smirked.

The {Black-Hearth Dwarves} seemed to be having a good time, though.

Cain sat cross-legged near the front of Pudding’s broad, fleshy back, eyes narrowed as he kept the mental link between them steady. Controlling the {Amethyst Silkworm} wasn’t difficult— it was more like steering a ship he’d built himself. But with the dwarves yelling and stomping around behind him, their boots scraping and weapons occasionally clanging, it took conscious effort not to lose patience.

He couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

’These guys really are a rowdy bunch of little bastards...’