Every step was guarded, the security airtight.

Valen silently observed everything around him, while occasionally casting a complex look at the young Anakin beside him.

The future of the dwarves might soon rest on this young prince’s shoulders.

He himself had lived for three hundred years, it would be up to the young dwarves to lead the way forward.

But no matter what plans filled his heart, every time he saw that graceful figure carrying the greatsword, he couldn’t help but feel defeated.

If he wasn’t mistaken, that powerful woman was a Northern warrior.

A Level 15 Northern warrior at the rear, and a Level 15 dark priest at the front, there was simply no escape.

The atmosphere remained heavy in silence as they moved forward. Anakin, too, was silently surveying everything, searching for flaws and opportunities.

As the son of a dwarven patriarch and the future leader of the Brutehammer Clan, no matter the situation, he would never give up.

Creaaak. 

Entering the rear courtyard of this luxurious estate, two guards pushed open the semi-circular arched doors carved with ornate reliefs.

Tap tap.

Bathed in the glow of warm yellow magical lamps, Anakin and Valen exchanged a glance and followed Stanley into the room.

Anakin's eyes lit up. The entire hall was extravagant to an extreme.

The carpet was made of grey-white velvet, thick as a palm. When stepped on, it sank deeply, like stepping into a soft comforter.

Colorful oil paintings, either portraits or landscapes, hung on the walls, exuding a noble aura.

At the center of the room sat an oval long table of natural wood grain, surrounded by twelve finely carved and relief-decorated high-back chairs.

Seated at the very center of the table was a figure clad in a black mage robe, extraordinarily handsome. Behind him, a crimson war painting covered the wall, casting an air of majesty over the entire scene.

But what truly drew attention was the pair of fangs peeking from that figure’s lips.

His identity was unmistakable.

A Vampire.

A powerful and terrifying, mysterious creature of the dark.

Anakin took a deep breath, shaken inside. This was the first time the young dwarf had seen a vampire of legend.

His gaze continued scanning.

Standing at the vampire’s right hand was a tall, two-blade-high figure clad in partial armor. With both hands resting on a massive greatsword and an expression solemn and dignified, the presence was immensely oppressive.

Seeing this, Anakin and Valen exchanged a glance, their expressions growing even more complex.

Another Level 15!!

Even with centuries of accumulation, the Brutehammer Clan had only produced three Level 15 warriors, and one had already fallen in battle against the Beastmen.

Yet this mysterious force had such a surplus of top-tier power.

What kind of existence were they really?

And more importantly, if the subordinates were already this powerful, then how strong was the vampire exuding noble majesty at the head of the table??

Could he truly be what they all called him, a Transcendent?

The title ‘Majestic’ was a form of address reserved only for those Transcendent and beyond.

At that moment, Hun Yuan, Thunderhands, and Cheng Kun, the three players, also entered the hall. Seeing the extravagant surroundings and mysterious atmosphere, their faces were filled with awe. The cultural flavor of this game was unmatched.

The moment they saw Li De, they were stunned.

At this moment, Li De looked impossibly handsome. The pale red war painting that stretched across half the wall behind him enhanced the vampire’s aura of mystery to its peak.

Elegant. Mysterious. Powerful.

That was the first impression the three goofy players had of the boss of the Dark Pact.

They instinctively attempted to inspect Li De’s stat panel, but what they saw was.

???

???

???

Three rows of question marks. They couldn’t even see Li De’s name.

The system didn’t allow unlimited inspection of NPCs. When the power gap was too large, or the target possessed items that concealed their presence, it became impossible to probe their attributes.

Li De fulfilled both conditions: the huge level gap between Level 14 and Level 1, and his powerful faith energy.

“Bro, this boss is insane, did you get a screenshot? We’ve gotta show off later!”

“Keep your voice down. Don’t get us killed!”

“This is the true master of the Dark Pact? Damn, he’s ridiculously cool. I can’t even see his level…”

At this point, Stanley had already walked up to Li De and gestured slightly toward the two uneasy dwarves.

“Your Majesty, these two are guests from the Brutehammer Clan.”

“The three behind are Undying from the Lost Planes.”

Li De nodded and cast a curious glance at the three players in the distance.

Seeing their curious and excited expressions, he couldn’t help but find it amusing. These fools probably thought they’d just met the final boss and were all giddy with excitement.

He waved his hand. “Have the adventurers from the Lost Planes leave. We’ll discuss their matters another time.”

This involved the mithril vein, he had no intention of letting these clowns find out. If they couldn’t resist the urge to boast on the forums, it could draw a lot of attention and cause chaos.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Receiving the order, Stanley ushered the three players, who were visibly reluctant, out of the hall. As they left, they frantically took screenshots and photos of Li De.

Clearly, meeting the super boss of the Dark Pact was something the players considered a massive bragging right.

Li De ignored their little antics, and only after the players had left did he begin to examine the dwarves before him.

The two dwarves stood about 1.5 blades tall. Their muscles were incredibly developed, as if forged from steel, stretching their full-body armor into a firm bulge.

The grey armor bore the dwarves’ signature dark-patterned engravings, and the reflected golden sheen gave off an impression of being utterly indestructible.

The older dwarf on the left wore a horned helmet. His grey-black eyes glinted with wisdom.

The younger dwarf on the right wore no helmet and had a face full of caution.

What the two dwarves shared in common were their thick black beards, the elder’s was even braided into two small plaits.

They were unmistakably authentic dwarves, their appearance was not far off from Li De’s expectations.