Grayrock Mountains

--- Golden Phoenix Guild Hall

Scrollmaking Room, 2nd Floor...

The room looked exactly like the library. But instead of books kept on the shelf, it was scrolls. There were also three long tables that serves as the work place of whoever wants to create scrolls in the room.

Currently, Abyssal Angel was using one of these long tables and was making some magic scrolls. As a Tier 6 Scrollmaker, she was currently making some scrolls with 6th tier magic on it.

"If Jay is really planning to do that, I need to do my best too in supporting everyone by making scrolls and potions." Abyssal Angel thought to herself while she kept creating scroll after scroll.

...

Sleeping Quarters, 1st floor basement...

Kokori was currently on one of the rooms.

"What the..."

He was currently trying to grow the Fellis' Seed Jay gave to him. It has been around 4 days since then. But something happened that was out of his calculations.

Just a few minutes ago, he went out to grab some fertilizer from the farming villages. And the moment he returned, this happened..

"Hey gramps. I'm thirsty."

A puppet that looks like a tree was lying down his bed, picking its nose. Its physical features looked exactly like a human, but the difference was its tree-like features. It had green leaves for its hair that looked like an afro cut. Its wooden body had a dark-brown color to it.

"Ummm..." Still weirded out by this tree guy, Kokori took out a bottle of water from his storage ring and gave it.

"Do you have a name?" Kokori asked while the tree guy was happily drinking water.

"Name's Thorn. Nice to meet you gramps."

...

8 hours later...

--- Grayrock Mountains

There are around 20 mountains in the area, mostly connected by tunnels or stone bridges that were built by the dwarves. These mountains encircled a gigantic and ancient stone palace.

There are two factions that are currently inhabiting the mountains; the Grayrock Family who are known as one of the best blacksmiths and stonemasons in the continent, and the Dwarven Kingdom.

These two factions live together in harmony and due to their cooperation with each other, they managed to occupy the entire mountain range and the ancient stone palace. But just recently, some kind of discord happened between the two factions and a civil war might start anytime.

...

On one of the stone mountains...

"Hey, why won't you let them in! I told you that they were friends!" Elton shouted at one of the guards blocking the passageway through the mountain.

"I don't take orders from you young master, please forgive me. But madame told me to deny everyone entry, besides those who are part of the family." The guard replied.

The moment Jay heard this, he had a bit of a headache since he really did not want to force his way through. If he did so, it would just invoke the ire of the Grayrock Family and that's one less faction to join him in fighting against the planar invaders.

"Hey, I do not have all day to waste. A lot of things are happening in this continent that you don't know of and only I know of it. Sooner or later, the entire mountain range will be erased from the map. So tell me, are you still going to block my way or are you going to let me talk with your boss?" Jay said to the guard with a serious and threatening tone.

Then suddenly, a maniacal laugh boomed from the mountain.

"WAHAHAHAH!!! Are you an idiot? A kid like you knows something we don't know? WAHAHAHA!!!"

After this, a chubby dwarf wearing a platemail armor and a horned steel helmet came down from the passageway and pushed the guards aside.

"Scram kid! Elton, your mother is waiting for you." The chubby dwarf said as he pulled Elton's hand. But the moment he did, Elton did not even budge from where he was standing and looked at him angrily.

"Uncle. Please step aside and let my friend in." Elton said angrily.

When the chubby dwarf heard Elton speaking to him angrily, he frowned and suddenly threw a bottle of beer at Elton's face.

"Want to fight me kid? You actually dare to speak to your great uncle this way..."

Seeing a fight about to break out between the two, Jay suddenly used Shadow Phase Rush and went behind the chubby dwarf. He knelt down and whispered in his ear, "The Four Great Treasures. A golden sword, a jet-black gauntlet, a crystal gem, and an ancient tome."

When the chubby dwarf heard this, he suddenly shivered in fear. Not because of Jay, but because somebody else knew of it besides the dwarves.

"Who the hell are you brat? How do you know if this?" The chubby dwarf moved a few steps away from Jay and looked him in the eye. Even the players who arrived earlier who were currently locked up in the mines does not know of it and only came here due to the rumors.

"I told you. I know things. As for my name, you will know of it sooner or later. So, can I meet with the head of the Grayrock Family and King Floki now?" Jay said as he grinned.

"Fine. But I won't be responsible if they kill you. I believe you already know about the conflict happening between our two factions. By the way, the name's Gord."

After this, Gord led Jay and Elton inside the mountain's passageway.

...

After walking for a while, the group reached the top of the stone mountain. The area was filled with stone houses, roads, and different other kinds of establishments.

"Welcome to our nice little city." Gord said happily as he led Jay inside the city.

"Uncle. I'm gonna go to my brothers' house for now. See ya!" Elton said as he suddenly parted ways with Jay and Gord, who were heading to the large mansion in the city, where his father and mother resides.

"Elton. Take Nuggets with you for now." Jay said since he wanted Nuggets to have some fun for now.

Bawk!!! ("Oh come on... I want to come with you...")

Nuggets complained but still hopped off Jay's shoulder and jumped onto the shoulder of Elton.

"Oh. Okay then."

After that, Jay and Gord proceeded and walked towards the large mansion a couple of meters in front of them.

...

--- Grayrock Mansion

The mansion looked really simple in its appearance. Brick walls coated with a grayish metal, normal looking windows, wooden doors, etc.

The moment Jay and Gord arrived, hundreds of guards wearing a golden armor set surrounded them.

"Gord, what is the meaning of this?"

A tall and slender woman wearing white clothes, leather pants, and had a hammer in both of her hands shouted as she entered the encirclement and approached the two.

Gord was about to say something, but Jay went ahead of him and spoke up.

"Name's Jay. I heard your family and the dwarves are having some kind of fight. I am here to settle it for you."

The moment the woman heard this, the hammers she was holding in both of her hands broke and shattered into dust.

"Arrogant fool. Take him away!" The woman shouted angrily. She never met someone this infuriating until now. She did not want unnecessary bloodshed in her city so she just let her guards to lock him up.

To get out of this mess, Jay did the same thing he did with Gord a while back. He used Shadow Phase Rush and went behind the woman.

"Undying King, Maloch."

The moment the woman heard this, she made a fist with her right hand and raised it, to signal her men to stand down.

"Come with me inside." The woman said to Jay who was still behind him. She grabbed him by the hand and both of them vanished.

...

Inside the stone mansion...

Jay and the woman who was obviously Elton's mother were currently inside some kind of library within the mansion.

In front of them was an old man with long grayish hair with glasses on. As for what he is wearing, he was on his pajamas.

"Harold. You might want to speak with this kid." The woman said as she pushed Jay away from her.

"Cidney, we have orders remember... Fine then, let me have a good look at him." Harold, the old man, suddenly stood up from his seat and approached Jay.

"I don't know why you've come here, but you should leave soon."

When Jay heard this, he found it a bit strange, so he spoke up.

"I came here for the Shadow Puppet that is kept deep within the mountains. And helping you and the dwarves is just a secondary mission I have. If that's all you need to say to me, then I will be taking my leave mister."

When Harold and Cidney heard Jay mention the Shadow Puppet, they suddenly tensed up and released a terrifying aura, targeting Jay.

"If that's the case, then forgive us for what we are about to do."

Just as Jay thought the two were going to fight him or something...

"Stop. Both of you leave for now."

"This voice... oh sh*t..." Jay thought to himself as he glanced behind him and saw a lady wearing a red colored scale armor. It was Aisleen.

"Hello Jay. It has been a while."