"Is this some kind of quest guide NPC?" Lu Ran asked curiously.

"Probably, I guess." Liu Xinxin wasn't sure either.

The dwarf girl in front of them.

Although she was holding a large hammer, it was evidently of poor quality, covered in rust.

Its size was quite exaggerated, almost larger than the dwarf girl's own body.

She was wearing clothes made of coarse fabric, lacking even basic armor.

Seeing that the dwarf girl was still waiting.

Lu Ran said, "We're looking for the Dwarf King. Do you know where to find him?"

"Of course, he's in the Dwarf Kingdom. How could a dwarf not know where the Dwarf King's Giant Stone Castle is?" the dwarf girl muttered, looking at Lu Ran with a peculiar expression.

Cough, cough...

Lu Ran awkwardly scratched his head.

Indeed.

Just like how the Human Race would know which main city the Imperial Capital is.

"Then lead the way. We need to meet the Dwarf King," Lu Ran nodded and said.

"I can lead you, but... there's a fee for guiding." The dwarf girl carefully watched Lu Ran, as if worried about losing a customer over the fee.

After all.

Dwarves themselves don't really need much help.

Very few outsiders come to Black Stone City.

The Human Race had never been seen before.

"I don't mind the fee, how much is it?" Lu Ran asked casually.

Originally thinking the dwarf girl looked somewhat impoverished and would charge a high fee.

But unexpectedly.

The dwarf girl cautiously said, "Is a hundred Gold Coins okay? If... if it's too much, I can lower it a bit..."

Her tone became quieter towards the end.

What?

Lu Ran was a bit bewildered.

This was way too cheap!

As a Professional, even a low-level one, just gathering some trash white gear or Gold Coins from monster drops would exceed a hundred.

"A hundred Gold Coins is no problem, lead the way." Lu Ran directly took out a hundred Gold Coins and paid upfront.

The girl was a bit surprised but then happily accepted the money.

She said, "All right, my name is Annie, let's go to my place first."

This...

To be honest, Lu Ran didn't want to waste time.

He wanted to meet the Dwarf King directly.

Annie seemed to have read Lu Ran's thoughts and explained, "The Dwarf King hasn't returned yet. According to the usual time, he should be back by evening. By then I'll take you to meet him. Don't worry, there won't be any extra charges."

So that's how it is.

It turns out the Dwarf King is not here.

Since that's the case, Lu Ran saw no reason to refuse and nodded, "All right, let's go to your place first."

Annie's home was in a secluded corner, in the downstream area of the main city's inner river, tucked under a bridge corner, dark and damp.

It wasn't very large.

It felt a bit cramped when Lu Ran and his group entered.

The furnishings inside were simple, apart from daily essentials like pots and bowls, there was only a wooden bed—no chairs to sit on.

"There's not much furniture at home because I'm usually alone, so I don't need much, just... didn't buy any," Annie said embarrassedly.

Lu Ran and his companions didn't mind and casually sat against the wall to take a short rest.

With nothing to do.

Lu Ran curiously asked, "You should be a Dwarf Warrior, right? Where's your equipment?"

Annie shook her head, "I haven't saved enough money yet."

Which means she can't afford it.

This made it even stranger.

Lu Ran wondered, "Aren't dwarves skilled at forging equipment? Can't you make it yourself?"

Annie immediately shook her head again.

She said, "Dwarves' crafting skills rely on the Eternal Fire, which we don't have right now."

So it's the Eternal Fire, which is mentioned in Lu Ran's quest name!

It seems.

The transition to the Data World had a significant impact on the dwarves.

As Hill Dwarves, they were forced to leave the Underworld.

They lost the Eternal Fire, causing the dwarves' inherent forging talent to be unusable.

This not only restricted the development of dwarves but also hindered the growth rate of many dwarves.

Soon, time passed, and it was approaching evening.

"It's about time. Shall we go out for a stroll?" Lu Ran suggested.

The place was damp, dark, and narrow; although Lu Ran didn't have claustrophobia, staying there was uncomfortable.

Plus, it was their first time in the Dwarf Kingdom's main city, and sitting idle felt like a waste.

Might as well wander around and broaden their knowledge.

"That's fine," Annie nodded, grabbing her large hammer and leading the way out of the room.

Just outside the door was the inner river, with a bridge overhead.

Annie led the way, without any particular destination, taking Lu Ran and the others around.

She occasionally introduced them to the nearby facilities and street names, which were cumbersome and hard to remember, so Lu Ran didn't pay much attention.

When passing an equipment shop.

Annie's eyes lit up instantly.

But she didn't linger too long and was about to walk past quickly.

Lu Ran grew curious again, "If dwarves can't forge, where do these equipment shop items come from?"

"They're leftovers from the old world, and the prices are much higher than they were back then. To buy anything, you'd need to save money for a long time," Annie explained.

That makes sense.

Now that dwarves can't forge equipment, what's left from the old world is becoming rarer with each purchase, and prices are skyrocketing several times over!

Liu Xinxin saw Annie's pitiful state.

She then looked at the equipment store owner and pointed to a large hammer inlaid with a Fire Crystal Stone on the wall, "How much is this?"

The equipment store owner, a Big Beard with a short stature, was also curiously observing Lu Ran and his group.

Upon hearing this, he immediately said, "Thirteen hundred Gold Coins."

Very cheap, just over a thousand Gold Coins.

But considering Annie was overjoyed at earning a hundred before, it suggested that in the Dwarf world, a Gold Coin's purchasing power was much higher than in the Human Race's world!

"Annie, do you like this one? I'll pay for it; consider it a gift for you," Lu Ran was interested and shouted to Annie.

This amount of money was really nothing for Lu Ran.

But Annie, this little dwarf girl, had made a good impression on Lu Ran.

Unexpectedly.

Annie resolutely shook her head.

She said, "No."

It didn't seem like a polite refusal; she genuinely didn't want it.

Lu Ran was even more surprised; he'd expected Annie to be overjoyed.

Annie seemed to have noticed Lu Ran's confusion.

Pondering, she said, "In the Dwarf world, I was born poor, destined to endure many hardships. In my life, no one has ever been so kind to me, and no one has ever given me such great help. I am very grateful to you, but dwarves don't accept benefits from others without reason. Thank you, and I will save up to buy my own equipment."

With that, she grinned at Lu Ran, displaying her teeth.

Lu Ran felt a wave of emotions.

He didn't insist further.

Just then, there was suddenly a commotion on the main street ahead.

Lu Ran and his companions looked over instinctively, but couldn't see anything.

However, Annie excitedly shouted, "The Dwarf King is back!"

Oh?

Lu Ran's eyes lit up; it was time for the task to begin!

He quickly followed Annie to the main street. Although it was crowded, the advantage was that Lu Ran could still see from the back of the crowd.

He saw a group of dwarf warriors riding Big Horned Plate Sheep, slowly entering the city.

The leading dwarf was considerably taller, wielding a warhammer crackling with arcs of lightning, and the Big Horned Plate Sheep beneath him was also much larger.

Annie introduced, "The one leading is our Dwarf King, Balun Giant Stone!"

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