Avril smiled and stroked Amandla's horn, "I don't like the name Amandla. My little man has a magical beast called Sun Er Dai, so my pet should also have the surname Sun. From today on, you are called Sun San Dai."
Amandla nodded in tears, accepting this name that even a nobody would disdain.
"Also, what my little man says is what I say. If you don't behave, what's the point of you being so big and taking up so much space? We might as well eat you. Go hunt now. If there's not enough for these dwarves to eat, I'll cut a piece from you to make up for it."
Amandla shivered. This woman was more ruthless than the man. She wondered if her choice back then was right or wrong. It was a pity that once the master-servant contract was completed, her life and death were entirely in Avril's hands.
Her ears were filled with the laughter of the dwarves she had once disdained. Amandla, no, Sun San Dai, forced a smile that anyone would find heartbreaking, "My mistress is right. Your command is my creed. I will go hunting now and ensure these dwarves can't eat for days."
Sun San Dai flew away. After a long distance, it seemed like scattered specks of light were falling from her body. Li Xi watched this scene with some regret.
"What's wrong, hubby?"
Li Xi pointed at Sun San Dai, who had flown out of sight, and explained to Avril, "Next time this dragon cries, or defecates, have her collect it herself. That's all money. Now that we have so many dwarves to feed, the expenses will definitely be high. We need to cherish every copper coin. If she wastes like this, our whole family will have to beg."
"Hubby makes sense. When she comes back, I'll tell her to hand over all her treasures. Slaves can't have their own private savings, they are supposed to be kept for us masters."
"Are we too wicked?"
"Don't you like me now?"
"Hahaha, of course I like you."
Halfway through the drinking, all the dwarves satisfied their bloodline-driven thirst. Then, using the pretext of drinking, they privately conferred. Before returning to the surface, led by Copperbeard Ironhammer, they willingly knelt before Li Xi.
All the dwarves cut their wrists, and blood dripped onto the ground. Each dwarf's expression was one of resolute determination. The light in their eyes, at a glance, reminded one of refined gold that could not be forged or melted, a stubbornness that refused to turn back even when hitting a brick wall. "Master Li Xi, I, the Copperbeard tribe, make this oath today. We are willing to pledge allegiance to you as our master. This oath cannot be violated, disobeyed, betrayed, or sold. As long as the tribe members exist, we will abide by this promise for one hundred years. May all the spirits of heaven and earth bear witness."
After the dwarves' oath was complete, something seemed to float out of their blood and shoot into Li Xi's forehead. Li Xi, who had gained awareness of the world, carefully felt the subtle aspects of this power. He quickly analyzed that this power was not ordinary magic or divine power. If he had to describe it, Li Xi could only say it was most likely the power of the laws that exist between heaven and earth.
"I don't have the strength to bring you to the surface yet, and I've provoked an enemy I can't defeat. You'll have to stay here for a while longer. Don't worry, I'll have my summoned beast protect you."
"We will obey our master's command."
Li Xi then bit his finger, and a drop of blood oozed out. Li Xi heavily slapped the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
"Bang!"
Sun Er Dai, who had only returned to Forget Worry Forest for less than two days, was summoned back again.
Li Xi pointed at Sun Er Dai, who stood twenty meters tall, and said to the dwarves, who were all gaping with their mouths open, looking up and unable to see Sun Er Dai's head, "This is my pet, an adult Mountain Ape, level six strength, named Sun Er Dai. He will protect your safety from now on." Su Dan Novel Network
The dwarves nodded in unison. They had been exploited by such a powerful being before, and now such a powerful being was protecting them. The joy came too quickly. Their lives were truly getting better.
"However, you cannot be idle. Your dwarven craftsmanship is renowned worldwide. From now on, you will use the best metal to forge him a set of armor and weapons."
"How about it, can you do it?"
The dwarves all pulled out hammers from somewhere. Hearing that they were going to forge equipment, their mouths split into ear-to-ear grins. "Master, this is our specialty. We guarantee we will complete the task."
Li Xi nodded. His request was less of a task and more of something that perfectly suited the dwarves' hobby.
Li Xi walked in front of Er Dai. "Do you understand what I mean?"
Er Dai nodded. Protecting these little guys was no problem, very simple.
"It wasn't easy for us to come here, so I'll leave a beacon so we don't get lost again. My magic power isn't enough right now. If I reach the level of Archmage, I can open a portal to directly connect the surface and underground." Avril waved her hand, and specks of light merged into each dwarf.
"No rush. Our strength is already quite good. In the next few days, we'll clear out the high-level magical beasts in the vicinity to ensure they are not disturbed after we leave."
This meal lasted for more than three hours, reaching its peak when the dwarves brought out their prized underground fruits.
These fruits were not large, each resembling a shriveled jujube. Their outer skin had a layer of hard fuzz to protect them from being eaten by beasts.
After learning how to eat them, Li Xi put one in his mouth. It didn't have abundant, juicy pulp, but it was exceptionally sweet, reminding Li Xi of raisins from his past life.
"Master, these are some of the few edible fruits in the underground world. They don't have the sweet pulp that flows out with a gentle touch like on the surface, but the advantage is that they won't spoil for a year or two."
"Nature's wonders humble us."
"You have suffered. Give me a little more time, and I guarantee your future life will be filled with smiles even in your sleep."
The dwarves had come to believe him. Their master and mistress had spent these hours using their remaining potions to treat injured and sick dwarves. Such precious items were valuable commodities even on the surface. Now, without a word of complaint, they had used them for a few aging dwarves, showing they truly considered the dwarves their own people.
Besides, as long as there was wine and iron to forge, their lives were no less than that of an emperor.
When most of the edible things had been consumed, Sun San Dai finally flew back slowly. It wasn't that she didn't want to be faster, but because the prey she was carrying was too heavy.
Imagine what it would be like for a person to carry cargo heavier than themselves.
The twenty-five-meter-tall Sun San Dai was carrying a Rock Mountain Tiger Boar that could fit her twice over. The Rock Mountain Tiger Boar, weighing over a hundred tons, would be enough for these dwarves to eat for several months.
Sun Er Dai saw the black dragon. Although he had no weapon in his hand, he still stood up, glared fiercely, and even tapped Li Xi with his palm, as if to say an enemy was attacking, and asked Li Xi to retrieve his equipment. He guaranteed that he could give this black dragon, like the blood dragon last time, a skull operation with one blow.
"Calm down, she is your sister, named Sun San Dai. You cannot bully her."
"Roar!"
Sun Er Dai refused. His greatest enemies were dragons, how could he acknowledge a dragon as family?
"Whether you like it or not, you have to. You are not allowed to attack without my command. We will try to keep you apart in the future, see each other less."
Li Xi had also asked Sun Er Dai why he hated dragons so much, to the point of being irreconcilable. Due to communication difficulties, Li Xi hadn't figured it out. In Sun Er Dai's eyes, dragons were the most evil creatures in the world and had to be eradicated.
Sun San Dai finally threw the prey in front of the dwarves. Finding a suitable prey was too difficult. Fortunately, luck was on their side; after this trip, they wouldn't need to move for months.
Li Xi pointed at the prey and said to the astonished dwarves, "Go, that's your food. I don't think you want me to roast it for you, do you?"
Copperbeard Ironhammer dared not let Li Xi act, "What are you saying, master? It is we who should act."
A group of dwarves instantly swarmed the carcass like ants around a mouse, dismembering and transporting it. Although the temperature here was very hot, the wisdom of the working people had taught them how to preserve food effectively. Besides, although they had never starved before, they had never obtained so much food. Like the newly rich who don't know how to spend their money, these dwarves still felt like picking up brooms and sweeping the streets.
Avril beckoned to the listless Sun San Dai, who immediately scurried over, "Great master, what are your commands?"
"This is your second brother, say hello," Avril said, pointing at Sun Er Dai, who was suppressing his anger and wishing he could kill Sun San Dai with his gaze.
The black dragon was obedient to Avril, but its innate draconic pride was not lost. Now, Avril wanted her to call a land-dwelling magical beast "brother," which was absolutely impossible. She remained silent, as if she hadn't heard Avril's words.
"Speak. I believe you don't want to know the consequences of disobeying me." Avril's face turned cold, and Sun San Dai immediately felt a prickling sensation on her back.
"Second Brother."
You can't imagine the sound that came from the dragon's mouth, a voice no bigger than a mosquito. This was Sun San Dai's last act of defiance.
"Roar!"
Upon hearing this, Sun Er Dai's killing intent vanished. Instead, he became excited, like a peacock displaying its feathers, jumping around in front of Sun San Dai and waving his strong arms. His proud demeanor was evident to anyone. This feeling of mentally defiling an enemy was too exhilarating.
Several days later, Li Xi and Avril, accompanied by Sun Er Dai and Sun San Dai, cleared out all the magical beasts in the vicinity that could pose a threat to the dwarves. Of course, they also filled all the dwarves' warehouses, and even some that couldn't fit were directly turned into dried meat. This food, even if shared between Sun Er Dai and their two hundred dwarves, would last a full year.
"Er Dai, you stay here and protect them. I'll come back to see you in a few days and bring you gifts."
"Roar!"
Copperbeard Ironhammer said, "Master, please don't worry. It will only take five days for us to forge the most suitable armor for Sun Er Dai."
"I believe in your craftsmanship." Even if the dwarves' craftsmanship didn't reach master level, it would still be far superior to the equipment Li Xi could hastily assemble. In just five days, Sun Er Dai's strength would significantly improve, and Li Xi eagerly anticipated the dwarves' results.
"Let's go."
"We bid farewell to our master and mistress," the dwarves shouted in unison.
Sun San Dai, meanwhile, was chasing her own tail, curling herself into a ball and having fun, as if she hadn't heard the thunderous cheers. Her ears, large enough to be satellites, had become deaf to the sounds—mere decorations.
"Hubby, do you think dragon meat is better roasted or stewed?"
Avril nestled in Li Xi's arms, excitedly discussing what to eat for dinner, as if she hadn't seen Sun San Dai's subtly perked ears.