Raising all of humanity: Starting with a backyard pool world

Chapter 39 [The Heart of the Crucible, The Name of Heroes]

Lynch's time at the outpost was not easy.

The orc identity is a label that cannot be ignored.

Master Brock's patronage earned him the status of a blacksmith's apprentice and a corner that could barely provide shelter from the wind and snow.

Most of the dwarves still did not trust him.

Dwarf warriors patrolling past the workshop would cast wary glances at them.

The apprentices' interactions with him were limited to the necessary exchange of tools.

The tools he repaired were always taken away silently by the other party, leaving behind a cold and indifferent figure.

Lynch did not argue.

His daily life was extremely regular: blacksmithing, eating, and resting.

Master Brok seemed intent on entrusting him with all the most difficult repairs, from cracked rune armor plates to deformed gear components.

Lynch accepted them all.

In his hands, that battle axe displayed a power beyond the comprehension of this era.

Deconstruct, then reconstruct.

He became silent and devoted more of his energy to researching the capabilities of the Battle Axe.

This tranquility was shattered completely by a roar emanating from the depths of the earth, half a month after arriving at Blackrock Watchtower.

"Boom—" The watchtower shook violently.

The tools on the workshop walls clanged, and several heavy forging hammers fell to the ground.

The dwarves rushed out of the room in a panic.

"An earthquake?"

"No! The sound is coming from the mine!"

"The mountains are angry!"

Yellow smoke billowed from the entrance to the mine below the watchtower, accompanied by the sound of rocks rubbing together.

Screams came from the smoke and dust.

Several dwarf miners, covered in blood, scrambled out of the room.

"Insects! They're stone jaw beetles!"

"The seal has been broken! They've awakened!"

Fear spread rapidly within the watchtower.

Stonejaw Worm, a subterranean scourge existing only in ancient legends. 

Commander Thorin appeared quickly, holding the "Oath of the Bastion" that Lynch had restored, and issued his orders.

"Shield Guards! Set up a defensive line at the mine entrance!"

"Archers, up to the tower! Prepare the fire arrows!"

"No one is allowed to back down!"

The dwarven warriors acted swiftly, their years of training not halted by fear.

A steel shield wall composed of dozens of tower shields blocked the mine's exit.

Sharp battle axes protruded from the gaps in the shields.

Soon, the first batch of monsters burst out of the dust.

It was a giant, multi-legged worm, over three meters long.

Their bodies are covered with layers of thick, dark gray carapace, and their mouthparts are two huge jawbones capable of crushing rocks.

"For the heart of the mountains!"

"kill!"

At Commander Thorin's command, the dwarf warriors in the front row swung their battle axes and cleaved at the stone-jawed beetle charging at the forefront.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" A series of impact sounds rang out.

When the battle axe struck the stone-jawed beetle's carapace, it only sent up a series of sparks and left a few insignificant marks.

The sturdy carapace ignored the weapons the dwarves were so proud of.

"Roar!" The Stonejaw Beetle opened its jaws and bit into the tower shield in the hand of a dwarf warrior, along with half of his shoulder.

Fresh blood gushed out.

A gap has appeared in the defense line.

More stone-jawed worms poured in through the breach, throwing the shield wall into chaos.

The dwarf warriors, relying on brute force and fearless courage, engaged in the most primitive hand-to-hand combat with these monsters.

One warrior was knocked down by the stone-jawed beetle, and another warrior immediately stepped in to take his place, smashing the beetle's compound eyes with the handle of his battle axe.

However, there were too many stone jaw beetles.

Dwarves kept falling, their blood staining the open space in front of the watchtower.

Master Broker also arrived at the scene, his face full of anxiety.

"Where is Brie? Where is my grandson Brie?"

A soldier who had just returned from the front lines answered, panting heavily.

"Bri is trapped inside! He was inspecting the support structure of Mine Tunnel No. 3 when the tremors occurred!"

Master Brock swayed and nearly fell.

Lynch stood at the back of the crowd; he did not participate in the pointless head-on collision.

He gripped his battle axe, his gaze sweeping across the chaotic battlefield to the mine entrance from which monsters were constantly emerging.

The brain is working at high speed.

The modern way of thinking makes him subconsciously analyze problems.

The frontal armor cannot be penetrated.

This is a basic physics problem, and it has similarities to the tank battles of the past.

No armor can be without flaws.

Their shells are made up of individual plates pieced together.

There must be connecting points between the plates.

His gaze locked onto one of the stone-jawed beetles that was tearing apart the dwarf's corpse.

Lin Qi closed his eyes and focused his mind on the battle axe.

The thought surfaced in my mind: since it can analyze all sorts of things, then...

This time... will it be possible to analyze the entire mine pit?

"Buzz—" The battle axe in my hand vibrated slightly.

Surface, rock strata, mine tunnels, groundwater, faults...

A huge and complex three-dimensional structure of the mine was constructed in his mind.

It was no longer a pitch-black unknown territory; every structure was clearly visible.

Then, Lynch saw it.

Deep within that chaotic mine, there is a massive natural stone pillar that slants through several rock layers.

It is the most critical load-bearing node in the entire top area of ​​the mine pit.

The axe's analytical capabilities automatically marked the most vulnerable point on the stone pillar, which had become vulnerable due to years of mining.

A perfect target for attack.

Destroying it would trigger a chain reaction leading to a large-scale collapse of the roof.

The dwarves' situation is already precarious.

Commander Thorin's arm armor was bitten off, and blood was everywhere.

They can't hold out for long.

Lin Qi moved, carrying his battle axe, and charged into the battlefield from the flank.

"That orc has gone mad!"

"Stop him!"

Several dwarves tried to stop his suicide attempt, but he easily bypassed them.

Lin Qi rushed into the battlefield, and his ferocious actions attracted the attention of several stone-jawed beetles that were closest to him.

They abandoned the dwarfs in front of them and turned to this new target.

The massive jaws snapped at him with a whooshing sound.

Lynch lowered his body and slid past.

All their energy was focused on understanding the structure of the mine pit.

right here!

After dodging a fatal attack, Lynch found his position.

The rocky ground beneath our feet corresponds to the weakest point of the core pillar in our minds.

He raised his battle axe high, pouring all his strength into it.

The sharp edge of the battle axe struck the rock stratum node he had calculated.

"Buzz—"

Immediately afterwards, a chain reaction of collapses occurred at the top of the entire mine, starting from where Lynch fell his axe.

"Rumble, rumble—" Huge rocks and earth poured down.

The stone-jawed worms that were climbing up from the depths of the mine were buried alive by tens of thousands of tons of rocks before they could even let out a roar.

A massive shockwave, carrying smoke and dust, erupted from the mine entrance, blasting away several stone-jawed beetles that were fighting at the entrance.

The surviving dwarf warriors were all dumbfounded.

They watched this scene unfold as the smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

A figure emerged from the edge of the smoke and ruins.

That orc.

He carried an unconscious young dwarf as he walked out step by step.

It was the old blacksmith's grandson, Buri.

Lynch laid Brie flat on the ground, then leaned the battle axe against his side, breathing heavily.

This attack almost exhausted all his energy.

All eyes were focused on the orc, Lynch's battle axe, which for the first time demonstrated its war value beyond forging to all the dwarves.

"My grandson..." Master Brock was the first to react. He rushed forward and hugged his grandson tightly.

After confirming that Brie was only unconscious, the elderly blacksmith stood up.

He walked up to Lin Qi and stared at him with his cloudy eyes that shone with a burning light.

Then, under the watchful eyes of all the dwarves, Brok took out a small rune-carving knife and an uncarved mithril runestone from his pocket.

He pressed the runestone onto the surface of Lynch's battle axe.

The carving knife in his hand began to dance in the glow of the furnace flames.

It was accompanied by a scorching heat and a strange chanting of syllables.

He personally branded an ancient dwarven rune, symbolizing "strength" and "protection," onto his battle axe.

Branding complete.

The old blacksmith put away his tools and placed his palm on Lynch's shoulder, the sound echoing throughout the watchtower.

"I, Brock the Runesmith, in the name of the mountains, bestow upon you the first Dwarven title—"

"Heart of Rock!"