Karin proved to be remarkably efficient.

  As Kolber had surmised, the succubus's ascension to the city lord's position wasn't solely attributable to her association with the chief.

  While it was true that the chief had a limited pool of capable subordinates, Karin's personal drive and courage were instrumental.

  There were indeed those with the temerity to wager their lives on a perhaps non - existent possibility, yet such individuals were decidedly rare.

  What if Gorgin had been so enraged that he simply crushed her to death on the spot?

  What if she couldn't endure the harm and perished right then?

  What if Gorgin hadn't instructed his mother to treat her later?

  Or, what if she was treated but still didn't pull through?

  The ratio of the risks she had to assume to the odds of success was staggeringly high.

  Regardless of whether other members thought she was being overly clever or simply courting disaster, she had triumphed.

  As Gorgin himself put it, among the races that had endured in this desert, barring the ogres, there were no simpletons!

  She had deftly seized the opportunity and the opportune moment, staking her life.

  When it seemed all but certain that she was doomed, she managed to secure a position of power.

  Had she attempted the same when the Dragon's Lair Tribe had grown significantly stronger and was teeming with talent, she would surely have met a tragic end.

  Likewise, she had demonstrated her capabilities.

  She wasn't exceptionally outstanding in a flamboyant sense, but she was decisive and efficient.

  Under her stewardship, Dragon's Lair Giant Sand swiftly resumed normal operations.

  Only adult dwarves remained in the city.

  Among them, some were still strong and able - bodied. With no young dwarves around, Karin had dispatched all the dwarves here to work.

  The city walls were repaired, and the damaged houses within the city were cleared away.

  The Battle of Giant Sand had claimed the lives of a considerable number of dwarves.

  Excess houses were directly demolished, and Karin ordered the construction of workshops.

  She was acutely aware of her task: to transform Giant Sand into a supply base for the Dragon's Lair Tribe.

  The dwarves had their own smelting furnaces.

  Unlike the goblins' destructive refining methods, the sand refined by the dwarves could be compressed into bricks at high temperatures.

  This was the primary material for the dwarves' city walls and houses.

  It was plain and unadorned but quite sturdy.

  The denizens of the desert always managed to contrive all manner of curious ways to survive.

  This mindset and ability were beyond the ken of the arrivals from Blue Star.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  They had treasure chests from which they could procure all sorts of items, both scientifically and unscientifically inclined.

  A female dwarf, accompanied by jackals, arrived at Dragon's Lair Giant Sand in a weary state and was immediately accorded great attention.

  The dwarves at work, though still occupied with their tasks, had their eyes and thoughts fixated on the female dwarf.

  They were desperately eager to know how their wives or children were faring in Dragon's Lair, whether they were still alive, if they had been bullied, or if the ogres had regarded them as easy prey.

  It should be noted that there was a group of young dwarves with virtually no means of self - defense and a small number of female dwarves.

  If the ogres had set their sights on them, it would have been a massacre.

  However, Karin had successfully instituted her own rules within just a few days.

  Prior to receiving orders from the chief, she designated this city as an industrial city.

  All the dwarves here were required to strictly adhere to the work standards she had established.

  The dwarves were divided into groups of ten, with a team leader chosen for each group, and a system of collective rewards and punishments was implemented.

  The daily working hours were also regulated.

  But Karin didn't treat these dwarves as complete slaves.

  Given that Giant Sand City needed to be repaired and renovated, and the workload was substantial, Karin instituted a three - meal - a - day system.

  Moreover, there was a one - hour break in the afternoon when the sun was at its zenith.

  Every night after dinner, the dwarves could generally enter a resting state.

  The treatment wasn't exceptional, but it was acceptable.

  At least the enslaved dwarves couldn't find fault with it.

  But this was contingent upon following the rules and properly completing the work.

  If anyone dared to be indolent, the entire team would go without food for a day.

  If anyone dared to engage in non - work - related activities during working hours outside of the rest period, the entire team would be denied the next meal.

  The three ogres served as the ideal executioners.

  These dwarves were unarmed, and even if they were willing to abandon their wives and children, they couldn't stand against the ogres, who wielded iron spiked clubs fashioned from the dwarves' own weapons and equipment.

  In the dwarves' eyes, in the hands of the ogres, these clubs were even more potent than battering rams.

  One of the jackals in this team bore the Branding of the Rock.

  Karin held the members sent from Dragon's Lair in high regard and promptly sought out these jackals.

  Upon seeing the expressions of the dwarves, Karin snorted disdainfully.

  “What are you all gawking at? There's only an hour left until mealtime. You'll have ample time to ask what you want then.”

  “ Now, if you still want to eat, work diligently. If there's an issue in the area a team is responsible for, the entire team won't get to eat!”

  The dwarves at work quickly averted their eager gazes.

  After all, the female dwarf was already here, and there was only an hour until the rest time.

  With such a heavy workload, if they caused the whole team to go without food because of this, it would be a grievous error.

  The jackals recounted Captain Dog's exact words to Karin.

  Karin probed for details about the tribe, but how could a jackal that only patrolled the outskirts know much?

  Karin was somewhat disheartened.

  She received no news about herself.

  It was as if the chief had forgotten her.

  This left her feeling adrift.

  Nonetheless, she took Captain Dog's words to heart.

  After arranging for the jackals to rest, Karin set about making arrangements.

  The dwarves at work eagerly awaited mealtime.

  Thousands of dwarves swarmed around the female dwarf, chattering so incessantly that they nearly toppled her.

  The commotion was so great that it even caught the attention of the ogres.

  They thought the dwarves were on the verge of rioting.

  If Karin hadn't emerged with a stern visage to rescue the dwarves, there would surely have been a large - scale loss of dwarf lives.

  The ogres wouldn't have heeded any of their explanations.

  But Karin could empathize with the dwarves' feelings.

  She made them all fall silent.

  After leading the female dwarf to the platform, Karin bade her describe the current situation and life of herself and the tribespeople in the tribe.

  Karin knew little about the happenings within the tribe, but she had faith in the chief.

  She firmly believed that Chief Gorgin, who always honored his promises, wouldn't renege on his word since he had permitted those dwarves to live.

  This was the fundamental reason she had brought the female dwarf up without prior inquiry.

  As the female dwarf continued her account, the emotions of the dwarves and the anxiety in their hearts gradually abated.

  It was safe there. Without the chief's order, the ogres would never harm the young dwarves, and there was no need to worry about attacks from powerful foes.

  Finally, when Karin announced that three hundred dwarf craftsmen were to be selected to go and work there, the dwarves were elated once more.

  Even if it meant leaving their homeland, they yearned to see their wives and children with their own eyes.

  That afternoon, the jackals each mounted a rock goat and set off with three hundred dwarf craftsmen, along with three days' worth of water and provisions.