Rebirth as a Time Dragon

Fourth layer of the Realm of Heroes, Dwarven World.

This is an underground world, enclosed by rocky barriers on all sides, filled with countless intersecting tunnels, deep and dark caves, and bottomless pits—a rare dwelling for intelligent beings.

The Grey Dwarf Caverns are one of such places.

The space of the Grey Dwarf Caverns is equivalent to several ordinary continents of the prime material plane, making it the largest gathering place for the grey dwarves in the Dwarven World. It houses countless grey dwarves, ranging from small clans to grand fortresses, strongholds, and even empires.

This closed, pitch-dark cavern is an unsuitable environment for most intelligent beings, including many dwarf races.

However, grey dwarves are cave-dwelling creatures who love the dark underground, making this place their paradise.

In the western part of the cavern stands an empire built from heaps of metallic ores, guarded by grey dwarf soldiers patrolling the area.

These short yet exceptionally sturdy grey dwarves wear finely crafted armor forged from metallic ores and wield equally formidable weapons. Their equipment is of exceptional quality.

As one of the dwarf races, grey dwarves are also highly skilled in metallurgy and forging.

A significant portion of the military equipment stockpiled by Surtr, the god of fire giants, over the long years was obtained through trade with the grey dwarves of the Dwarven World. These grey dwarves are almost all master forgers, viewing the craft of forging as a symbol of honor. A newborn grey dwarf's first gift is a hammer and anvil.

The Greybeard Empire, a nation of grey dwarves, is the largest power within the Grey Dwarf Caverns.

Furthermore, the entire Greybeard Empire worships the grey dwarf god Laduguer.

In the prime material plane, it would be quite unimaginable for an entire empire to worship the same deity without the deity's direct presence. After all, deities usually influence the prime material plane through their churches or miracles.

However, in the outer planes, especially where a deity's divine realm is located, it's different.

A deity's direct presence here can easily capture the faith of an entire empire.

Additionally, the Greybeard Empire's status as an empire and its control over the Grey Dwarf Caverns is due to the support of the grey dwarf god.

The divine realm of the grey dwarf god is located above the Greybeard Empire, beneath the rocky ceiling of the cavern, in an invisible alternate space.

Clang! Clang! As usual, the crisp sounds of blacksmithing echoed throughout the Greybeard Empire. Within the empire's numerous buildings, forging tools and furnaces were everywhere. Adult grey dwarves who couldn't forge satisfactory equipment were looked down upon and bullied in the Greybeard Empire.

Suddenly...

Some grey dwarves strolling along the streets felt a powerful presence above them.

Countless grey dwarves looked up at the sky.

Above the enclosed rocky ceiling, a massive silver dragon had appeared, its shimmering silver scales radiating dazzling light. This silver light illuminated all directions, resembling a dragon-shaped silver moon, causing pain and tears in the eyes of the grey dwarves who had lived in darkness for so long.

The silver dragon's head bore three pairs of majestic and imposing horns, perfectly adorned with a thorny flower crown.

Under the gaze of numerous grey dwarves in the Greybeard Empire, the dragon looked around, its mask reflecting the panicked scene. Its eyes were deep and serene, like an ancient well.

Unlike the Land of Fire and the Sky Garden, the Dwarven World is much more enclosed, and information flow is quite restricted.

The events of the god war in the Land of Fire and the fusion of the Dragon Court Plane were perceived by the intelligent beings of the Dwarven World as inexplicable planar disturbances. They were unaware that it was a conflict between the giant and dragon pantheons, and that the Land of Fire was almost destroyed. They did not know that the dragons had taken control here, nor were they aware of Garon's current status as the Lord of Spirits.

With the information flow speed in the Dwarven World, it would take decades for them to understand the drastic changes in the Realm of Heroes.

The two deities here were aware, but knowing did not mean they would inform their followers.

This could affect their faith, making their followers' devotion unstable and causing changes.

"Unknown dragon, you have trespassed into the territory of the Greybeard Empire."

"The great Laduguer protects the Greybeard Empire. Please leave our borders immediately."

Under the dragon's radiant light, even the most foolish and fearless grey dwarves sensed the extraordinary nature of the silver dragon. Thus, a prominent grey dwarf, clad in magical armor inlaid with colorful gems, looked up and called out loudly.

Garon lowered his gaze, looking at the grey dwarf who was ordering him to leave.

Grey dwarves, as a branch of the dwarf race, are a large and numerous subspecies. Most grey dwarves worship Laduguer. They have gray-white skin, short and stout bodies, with arms as thick as a human thigh, and their height is almost equal to their width, appearing very robust.

With just a glance, the grey dwarf who had spoken felt a suffocating pressure and fell silent.

At that moment, the entire world seemed to disappear for the grey dwarf, leaving only the immensely powerful silver dragon, whose gaze bore down on him like a massive rock, crushing his mind and spirit.

The grey dwarf who had spoken collapsed to the ground.

Garon released a trace of his dragon aura, sweeping through the Greybeard Empire, causing the grey dwarves to lose their will to resist, their eyes unfocused and bewildered.

However, under Garon's control, none of the grey dwarves died.

These skilled grey dwarves could be useful as a support group, continuously producing high-quality equipment.

Although the Greybeard Empire's faith is currently strong, faith based on the presence of a deity can be easily created and destroyed. Over time, knowledge transmission can be disrupted, changing the grey dwarves' beliefs, and eliminating their faith in a few generations.

There are many similar methods.

Once the grey dwarf god is expelled, the Greybeard Empire, without divine protection, will be like a bird in a cage, eventually falling into Garon's hands.

"My followers, do not offend."

A rough, deep voice rang out.

Above the Greybeard Empire, the space rippled like a water curtain, and the figure of Laduguer, the grey dwarf god, stepped out.

The divine power of intermediate divine strength swept away Garon's dragon aura.

The grey dwarves, now back to normal, knelt in unison, bowing their heads in devout faith.

Garon looked at the grey dwarf god.

Laduguer wore a chainmail of black metal, with a black, unlit short-handled hammer hanging from his waist. His build was much sturdier than that of an ordinary grey dwarf, with muscles bulging as if about to burst through his armor. His face bore numerous scars, and a thick grey-white beard covered his lower face, with fierce eyes under his divine glow.

The grey dwarf god also stared at the silver dragon.

His gaze lingered on the hero's crown atop Garon's head for a few seconds, making the grey dwarf god's expression more serious.

"Dragon of Eternity and Time, what brings you to my territory?"

The grey dwarf god asked directly, his voice deep.

The silver dragon's expression remained calm as he said, "I have come as the Lord of the Fourfold Realm of Heroes, to ask you to leave the Realm of Heroes."

Before Garon spoke, the grey dwarf god had roughly guessed his purpose.

His expression darkened as he said, "Outer planes do not belong to any single deity. Even if you possess the hero's crown, you do not have the authority to expel me. As a member of the dwarven pantheon, I do not recognize your self-proclaimed status as the Lord of the Realm of Heroes."

The grey dwarf god, confident in his backing by the pantheon, emphasized his background.

Moreover, the dragon pantheon, being under heavy scrutiny from the gods, was unlikely to act too recklessly.

Thus, the grey dwarf god spoke with considerable confidence.

On the other hand, the silver dragon's platinum eyes turned sharp, causing the grey dwarf god to be startled.

"Clearly just a quasi-minor divine power..."

The grey dwarf god remained vigilant.

"My status as the Lord of the Realm of Heroes does not require your recognition."

"Furthermore, asking you to leave the Realm of Heroes, to leave my territory, is not a request or suggestion, but a notice."

"If you are unwilling, I will help you become willing."

The dragon spoke slowly, his words domineering and giving the grey dwarf god no room for negotiation, his voice calm yet undeniable.

The grey dwarf god's assumption was incorrect.

For the dragon pantheon, the more they were restricted, the less they could show weakness. They had to appear even crazier, making the gods more fearful, unwilling to risk mutual destruction, and instead choosing to impose various restrictions.

If the dragons retreated, the gods would only advance further, not relaxing their grip.

This was easy to understand.

Although the gods did not hold a large formal meeting, they reached a tacit agreement after the Giant Annihilation War, branding the dragons as a multiversal threat, inciting hostility from countless intelligent races. The gods exerted influence, imposing restrictions on the dragons in various ways.

In the gods' eyes, the dragons, already a moth on a spider web, had become trapped beasts.

Without any unexpected events, the dragons would only grow weaker over time, ceasing to be a threat. After all, no matter how strong, the dragons couldn't oppose all the gods, especially in

 their post-war weakened state.

However, a trapped beast is the most dangerous.

Before the dragons truly weakened to the point of losing their threat, the gods were unwilling to confront the mad and dangerous dragon pantheon directly, choosing caution.

Looking at the events of the Order vs. Chaos War, where the gods besieged the spider queen Lolth, staying on the outskirts of the battlefield, not engaging directly, resulting in a near-total annihilation of the Wind Duke Empire, blood flowing like rivers, one can understand that gods fear death more than mortals and are less willing to take risks.

On the other side, hearing Garon's aggressive yet calm words, Laduguer's expression changed, the scars on his face twisting, making him look even more ferocious.

"Do you want to be an enemy of the dwarven pantheon?"

This god knew his greatest reliance and mentioned the dwarven pantheon again.

In fact, Laduguer was infamous within the dwarven pantheon, with many dwarf gods unwilling to deal with him. However, he was still part of the pantheon, and if killed, the dwarven pantheon couldn't ignore it.

"Enemy of the dwarven pantheon?"

The dragon chuckled and then stared at the grey dwarf god, saying, "Laduguer, this is a conflict between you and me, yet you say I want to be an enemy of the dwarven pantheon."

"So, should I assume that you represent the dwarven pantheon and your challenge to me is a challenge from the entire dwarven pantheon to the dragon pantheon? Does the dwarven pantheon want to test how much strength we still have after the war?"

Listening to Garon, the grey dwarf god frowned deeply, momentarily speechless.

At the same time.

A divine light descended, flashing by.

The information it carried was captured by both the grey dwarf god and Garon.

Garon found this divine light familiar, recognizing it as an edict from Moradin, the dwarven chief god.

The message was simple: The conflict in the Realm of Heroes is an individual issue between the grey dwarf god and the Lord of Spirits, unrelated to the pantheon.

This meant that as long as Garon didn't go too far, such as killing the grey dwarf god, causing his demise, the dwarven pantheon wouldn't interfere.

The gods were closely watching the dragons, and the situation in the Realm of Heroes was being observed. Given its relevance to his pantheon, the dwarven chief god issued an edict, clarifying his stance.

"Very well, it seems the chief god acknowledges my status as the Lord of the Realm of Heroes."

"As an ordinary member of the dwarven pantheon, will you defy the will of your chief god?"

The silver dragon tilted his head, smiling coldly at the grey dwarf god.

The grey dwarf god's expression turned grim as he said, "Moradin has said this is between you and me. His thoughts are irrelevant."

The grey dwarf god had a strained relationship with Moradin. He believed that his people, the grey dwarves, lived in the dark underground because of Moradin's bias and disdain. His tone lacked respect for the chief god.

"Garon Aurelius."

"For our conflict, I suppose the Metal Dragon God won't abandon his honor to interfere."

Garon nodded slightly, saying, "Of course."

"Heh, with just you... I still don't think you have the ability to make me leave."

Having received an answer, the grey dwarf god said.

In his view, Garon's Time Reversal might be difficult to deal with, but he could remain in his divine realm, focusing on defense. At the quasi-minor divine power level, Garon couldn't pose much of a threat to him.

Dwarves are typically stubborn, and the grey dwarf god was among the most obstinate, possessing a peculiar confidence in his beliefs.

Now, the grey dwarf god believed that Garon couldn't deal with him.

"If you want to stay in the Greybeard Empire, go ahead."

"I need to return to my divine realm to rest. I won't accompany you."

"You can attack my divine realm and show me if you have the ability to expel me."

"Of course, if you vent your anger on my followers, I won't stand by."

With that, the grey dwarf god retreated to his divine realm.

Inside his divine realm, the grey dwarf god kept a close watch on the silver dragon outside, not as relaxed as his words implied.

Meanwhile, Garon's gaze locked onto the divine realm of the grey dwarf god, and the thorny flower crown on his head glowed faintly.

Buzz. The invisible divine realm's alternate space in the Dwarven World unfolded, revealing itself to the eyes of countless dwarves in the Greybeard Empire.

"You really think my status as the Lord of the Realm of Heroes is meaningless?"

Garon sneered.

At the same time, stars seemed to appear in the dim Grey Dwarf Caverns, flickering and illuminating the surroundings, dispelling the darkness.

Numerous spirits, bodies glowing faintly, descended into the Dwarven World, wrapped in life energy like shooting stars.

Within seconds, countless spirits floated under the rocky ceiling, like stars in the night sky.

Surrounded by them, the grey dwarves in the Greybeard Empire looked up at the unprecedentedly bright sky, their eyes filled with shock and panic.

As the Lord of Spirits, the representative of the Realm of Heroes, Garon could manipulate the rules of the Realm of Heroes, ignoring spatial barriers, freely traveling throughout the Realm of Heroes except for divine realms. He could also use omnipresent life energy to mass-teleport spirit soldiers.

"My warriors, prove your strength to me and break this divine realm!"

Garon pointed a claw towards the divine realm of the grey dwarf god.

"At your command!"

The spirits responded forcefully, their voices like thunder.

In an instant, countless artifacts formed, rushing like a waterfall from the heavens, striking the divine realm of the grey dwarf god.

Swords, spears, axes, hooks, hammers, maces, and even rivers, trees, rocks, books, jewels, towers, stars, and tigers. The spirits' artifacts were varied, with diverse forms and abilities.

Simultaneously, under Garon's will, the rules of the Realm of Heroes began to exert force on the divine realm of Laduguer, weakening its defenses, destabilizing it, and amplifying the spirits' attacks.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless attacks struck the divine realm's barrier, causing divine light to flicker like a lake under a storm, creating dents and ripples that converged into cracks, quickly expanding.

Inside the divine realm.

The ground shook, mountains collapsed, lightning flashed, storms raged, rivers flowed backward—a scene of apocalyptic disasters unfolded simultaneously. Many devout apostles living in the divine realm were panicked, praying helplessly to the grey dwarf god.

Swish!

A wooden arrow pierced the most cracked and fragile part of the divine realm's barrier, creating a breach.

More attacks focused here, rapidly widening the gap.

Some spirit artifacts even targeted the grey dwarf god himself.

"Damned!"

The grey dwarf god was furious.

He took a deep breath, controlling the divine realm's rules to repair the barrier.

However, he found the damage to the barrier difficult to fix, and the internal rules of the divine realm were being invaded and altered by the Realm of Heroes' rules, making control challenging.

Generally, divine realms are hard to break.

When the dragon pantheon attacked the fire giant god, numerous dragon gods struck together, creating a breach in the divine realm and entering to besiege the fire giant god, rather than trying to destroy the divine realm from the outside.

This is because a divine realm, centered around the deity, continuously repairs its damage under the deity's rules, and repair is easier than destruction.

But this situation was different.

Garon, as the representative of the Realm of Heroes, could manipulate its rules, invading the divine realm's rules the moment a breach appeared, weakening and destabilizing it.

This was one reason why the Metal Dragon God and Garon left Mount Celestia immediately upon feeling the Astral Deva's hostility.

Divine realms are established within planes, dependent on them.

If the plane's will is hostile, a divine realm's defense won't be easily shattered, but it will be at a disadvantage.

Of course, outer planes with clear avatars or representatives are still rare.

They're usually like the previous Realm of Heroes, with weak, instinctual consciousness, or like the Beastlands' Beast Lord, who only acts according to its logic, ignoring everything else as long as the plane isn't harmed.

Currently, outer planes with strong subjective will are publicly recognized as the Astral Deva of Mount Celestia, the Singularity Overlord of Mechanus, and Garon Aurelius, the Lord of Spirits of the Realm of Heroes.

"Laduguer, I'll give you one more chance."

"Leave now with your apostles and treasures, and you can still salvage some losses."

"Otherwise, watch as your divine realm collapses. I'll enjoy the scene."

Garon said calmly.

The life energy in the Realm of Heroes is constantly generated, limited by the plane's size and recovery speed. If consumed excessively, it needs time to replenish, so Garon prefers a simpler solution.

Killing the grey dwarf god wasn't Garon's true aim.

The dragons didn't want mutual destruction with any pantheon.

If war broke out with the dwarven pantheon, the dragons could win but would be further weakened, possibly unable to resist, a scenario the gods would welcome.

The goal was to use every advantage to break the gods' restrictions and regain supremacy, not to act recklessly.

The dragon gods had decided in their meetings that bringing down other gods or the multiverse with them was a last resort.

Inside the divine realm, the grey dwarf god's expression fluctuated.

"Enduring these attacks and the pressure from the Realm of Heroes, my divine realm won't hold."

"Better to break through the spirits' siege, capture Garon Aurelius, and force him to relent."

In the grey dwarf god's view, dealing with a quasi-minor divine power like Garon was manageable unless pushed to the brink.

With this thought, the grey dwarf god prepared to leave the divine realm and execute his plan.

However, before acting, his eager expression froze.

Numerous spirits turned into white meteors, gathering under Garon, combining with life energy to form a giant, glowing with holy light, a quasi-major divine power entity.

The Spirit King, who participated in the divine battle in the Land of Fire, reappeared.

The hundred-meter-long silver dragon, not in battle form, lay on the Spirit King's shoulder, yawning and settling into a comfortable position, as if on vacation.

The Spirit King emerged, surrounded by numerous demigod spirits who continued to attack the divine realm's barrier.

"Laduguer, you have ten more seconds to decide."

Garon looked at the newly named archer spirit, saying, "Krosst, you count for this god."

"My lord, I'm not good at arithmetic."

Krosst was an ordinary hunter in life, with no formal education. Even as a demigod spirit, he focused solely on combat and was illiterate.

Of course, he could easily learn if he wanted to.

"Don't worry, just count."

The archer nodded, beginning to count on his fingers, "One, three, seven..."

Listening to this erratic count and feeling the Spirit King's growing destructive power, Laduguer's expression darkened.

His hesitant mind tightened with urgency, and he responded to Garon, "Wait, stop this brainless spirit. I agree to leave the Realm of Heroes, let's cease hostilities."

The grey dwarf god also didn't want his divine realm destroyed.

Disassembling the current divine realm's materials to build a new one would save much effort.

Other gods who left the Realm of Heroes did this.

"This could've been easier if you agreed sooner, saving both our time and energy."

"By the way, I preferred your initial defiant attitude."

Garon said indifferently.

Afterward, Garon went to another part of the Dwarven World, the gnome rat gathering place, the domain of the gnomish god of betrayal and evil.

Despite his rebellious title, this god peacefully agreed to leave the Realm of Heroes upon hearing Garon's intentions, asking only for time to pack his divine realm. Clearly, he had witnessed the events in the Grey Dwarf Caverns and knew his pantheon background wouldn't deter Garon's resolve to expel him, nor did he have the ability to deal with the Spirit King.

As for the third major race in the Dwarven World, the fallen elves, they lived in small, scattered groups without a deity, not needing attention.

After some time.

With the departure of the last two deities, all gods left the Realm of Heroes.

Garon, wearing the thorny flower crown, entered the Eternal Spirit Hall, presiding over the gathering of rules in the Realm of Heroes, beginning to reshape its rules.

The main changes included making the Realm of Heroes more suitable for dragon growth, weakening or even blocking other gods' perception, and preventing divine incursions. Essentially, transforming it into an outer-plane-level divine fortress.

However, achieving the expected results wouldn't be easy, requiring a long time to shape and reinforce the rules.

For a long period, Garon stayed in the Eternal Spirit Hall, focusing on rule shaping until he grew tired and decided to take a break.

It was time for another journey through space and time, with the primary goal of establishing divine pasturelands.

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