Star Forge Titan

He was eager to go and explore it himself, but under normal circumstances, the chance of doing so would be very slim.

As for abnormal situations, if Alvin drove the Colossus forward, he would definitely be able to move forward unhindered.

Of course, the premise is that the other components installed by Linde on the "God's Skeleton" frame are not equipped with any external remote control functions, such as self-destruction.

This is almost impossible. How could Linde of the Central Empire have no control over the decisive battle weapons he built?

So, even if it wasn't for ethical considerations, Alvin didn't really intend to just run away with the bucket after getting on the Giant God.

After all, his purpose was just relevant knowledge and information.

Moreover, after secret testing, Alvin discovered that the highest authority he obtained through the system was actually limited to the 'God's Skeleton' framework and the 'True Blood' related to it.

In addition, other parts manufactured by Linde using magical engineering technology were not included. Perhaps to the "God's Skeleton" frame, those were foreign objects like dust falling on its body.

However, the God's Skeleton Frame, which is missing important components including the defense module and auxiliary power module, does need these "external objects made of dust" built by later generations, so that it can stand tall on the vast earth again as a giant god soldier after countless thousands of years.

Even though Alvin comes from an era that is close to the future for this world, we cannot underestimate the intelligence and wisdom of today's researchers.

After all, no matter what era, outstanding scholars can always make great inventions that make people marvel.

While thinking, Diana had already used the arms of the Giant God to hold up the Staff of Destruction and assumed a shooting posture. The stretched shooting tube was aimed diagonally upwards. The slender automatic mechanical arm at the end of the gun body pulled a heavy magic power transmission cable as thick as a person, and connected to the reserved interface exposed after the Giant God opened a piece of external armor.

At the same time, the Giant God Soldier No. 3 Bekas also began preparations before the bombardment.

First, the movable joints at the knees, elbows, shoulders and back are locked together to prepare for impact.

Then, the pop-up fixed pile driver hidden inside the outer armor of the calf was also driven by the magic mechanical device, causing a metal fixed pile with a very sharp end to penetrate deeply into the ground with a trail of sparks generated by friction, firmly fixing the body in place.

Finally, the V-shaped crystal goggles hidden inside the helmet lowered downwards, protecting the relatively fragile half-organic structure of the Giant God's crystal eyeball, so that it would not be damaged by the strong flash produced by the "Wand of Destruction" when it was fired.

Only after completing this series of complex preparations can the Giant God Soldier launch the "Rod of Destruction" in a relatively safe situation.

Of course, battlefield situations are ever-changing, and Ivan himself has experienced some of the more thrilling emergency launches when the enemy was very close to him.

Therefore, after the strong flash of light from the Rod of Destruction, the enemy was reduced to ashes on the spot, but the fourth-generation Ultramarines-type Titanfall that he was driving only had about 80% of its structure intact.

This shows how dangerous this weapon is.

That's not just a big risk for the enemy; even the user of the weapon himself has to bear huge risks.

"The first stage of charging has begun." Christina's voice came into the cockpit. Her small three-dimensional projection had already put on goggles to reduce the glare. Even though the image was broadcast through magic, the researchers in the command center still did not dare to take it lightly.

hum~

A feeling like static electricity swept through his body, and Alvin's eyes suddenly lit up, literally lit up.

Just like the mutual interference between the gravitational forces of celestial bodies, the powerful flow of magic from the outside world caused the violent primitive magic in the boy's body to boil.

A pale golden light radiated outward from his pupil, emitting a circle of flickering magical brilliance. At the same time, the bangs hanging down from his forehead were also shaking slightly. The oval azure crystal that was usually hidden in the flesh between his eyebrows quietly emerged, and in its depths, the same flickering magical brilliance was also flashing.

[External armed module detected, warning, code is incomplete, module integrity is low, shooting safety has expired, self-locking tracking aiming function is incomplete...] The series of warnings that popped up on the system screen made Ivan's brows twitch.

Although he knew that the New Era Research Institute had already used modern magical engineering products to supplement the missing parts of the Wand of Destruction, he still couldn't help but have an idea in his mind.

Is it really okay to use something like this for test firing?

[Energy accumulation detected inside the weapon module. Warning: module operation is unstable. Warning: module operation carries a high risk...]

The moment the prompt appeared, the researchers in the command center also issued a related report.

"The energy storage device is operating stably, the internal load is within a safe range, and the second stage of charging can be carried out."

"Okay, start the second stage of charging!" Christina's command made Alvin feel cold sweat starting to seep out of his back.

One was an outdated operating system that hadn't been updated in tens of thousands of years, and the other was the judgment made by modern Linde researchers on ancient weapons repaired with modern magic technology. For a moment, he was not sure which side's judgment to believe more.

Or, don't trust either side?

Buzz~!

The static electricity-like feeling came again. This time, not only did the original magic power in the body begin to become active, but even the sixth sense flashed through his eyebrows, and the tingling pain like an electric shock was felt. It was not clear which specific crystalline tissue emerged. It seemed to enhance the sensitivity of the sixth sense, and also made Ivan's perception of magic more subtle.

Just like hearing the sound of electricity coming out of the socket, he became more and more aware of the restless magic in the surrounding environment.

At the same time, Alvin noticed that Diana in the front seat moved uncomfortably.

"I suggest suspending the experiment. This is not an open area." The black-haired boy's voice was directly inserted into the communication channel.

Christina was stunned for a moment, but she did not immediately deny the young man's proposal.

After thinking for a moment, the director of the New Era Research Institute, who looked twelve years old but was actually much older than that, mature and steady to the point of being as stable as a rock, slowly spoke:

"reason?"

"There could be many reasons, but it all comes down to safety considerations," Ivan said bluntly.

"What do you think, Diana?" Christina turned and asked the other driver in the cockpit.

"I feel a little uneasy, too, intuitively." The silver-haired girl said uncertainly.

"A woman's intuition?" Christina smiled, and then her expression became very serious.

"This experiment has been technically completed. The content related to the Rod of Destruction is actually an additional experiment."

"As Director, I trust the judgment of you who are closest to the Rod of Destruction and the God Warrior at this moment."

"So, all units, attention, experiment halted. Repeat, all units, attention, experiment halted. Prepare to expel the high-pressure magic power within the Staff of Destruction."

Along the cables, the magic power that had been filled into the gun barrel of the Rod of Destruction began to flow back, while at the same time, a portion of the overly active magic power was urgently discharged to the outside world.

Whoosh—a vast amount of magical energy gathered into a light mist that swayed like flames and poured out from the spout-shaped pressure valve at the rear of the Rod of Destruction, mixed with tiny sparks, looking exceptionally dazzling.

But beneath that beautiful appearance lies a terrifying energy intensity that is enough to destroy the entire testing ground. Now, just the discharge of pure magic power into the external environment is enough to increase the concentration of environmental magic power within a certain range by hundreds of times.

Ivan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and his hand bumped into the outer cover of his helmet.

The strong sense of crisis that lingered in my heart finally began to subside at this moment.

He simply put down his hands and leaned back on the back seat.

"Huh, it's okay..."

In this way, an accident was avoided in the secret research institute located in the whale fall ruins.

But far away in the lower city of the royal capital Lutetia, another unexpected change was happening.

It was an incident that affected tens of millions of people, a terrifying incident that could become the biggest nightmare in their lives.

A plague is quietly spreading in the lower city of Lutetia...

Chapter 111: Playing it safe

[Protection regulations have been activated, the IFF system is back online, and the driver's identity is being logged in...]

"It's time to go." Diana's voice, slightly echoing, came from outside the cockpit corridor.

"I'll be right there." Alvin raised his hand to close the light curtain, and walked out with a natural and relaxed expression.

Although because of the completion performed by Lind using magical machinery, the authority he possessed was limited to the core framework of the divine skeleton, and he could not completely control the entire structure of the Giant God Soldier and make it act completely according to his will.

The so-called spiritual network connection is disconnected, which negates the possibility of remote control.

However, relying on the familiarity with this apocalyptic-level decisive battle weapon, it is not a problem to add some "backdoors" to the operating system.

Just as I was thinking about this, Ivan and Diana arrived at the mobile trestle. As soon as the two stepped onto the trestle, the magical machinery began to operate, slowly lowering the metal bridge to the bottom floor.

Below, one could see a number of researchers gathered around the 'Staff of Destruction' that had been returned to the transport magic train. Since the freezing fluid had not yet been refilled, others could temporarily enter the testing grounds.

The first task these people need to face is to inspect this special weapon in the experiment that seems to be fine.

"How does it feel?" On the lowered pier, Alvin leaned against the railing and took off his helmet while asking.

The alchemical potion inside that allowed for breathing had already flowed away through the pipes when the Giant God Soldier was shut down, but the boy still felt that his slightly curly hair was a little wet and unpleasant.

This made him shake his head vigorously, which inexplicably resembled a large cat that was accidentally splashed with water. His posture and movements were powerful but also had some interesting neuroticism.

Diana was stunned for a moment, then took off her helmet and answered Ivan's previous question with an irrepressible cheerful tone.

"It's a feeling I've never had before, more exciting than driving a magic racing car." The girl's voice trembled, and it took a while for it to return to its usual coldness.

"Ha, so-and-so is still the witch of the Sarthe Circuit." Ivan smiled and said jokingly:

"Hmph." Diana snorted, and then said softly:

"Anyway, it feels pretty good."

At this time, the mobile trestle had arrived at the bottom of the test site. Alvin saw a group of white-robed researchers led by Christina talking non-stop around the Staff of Destruction. When the outer shell of the weapon was disassembled on the spot by magic, there was a sudden cry of surprise from the crowd.

"What's wrong?" Diana asked in confusion.

"Let's go and take a look and find out." As he said that, Alvin took the lead and walked over there.

Seeing him coming, the researchers made way for him. They had strange expressions on their faces, a mixture of admiration and confusion.

After passing through the crowd, Alvin noticed that the magical mechanical device that was later added to the outer layer of the "Staff of Destruction" was still disassembled. Christina used magic to control the heavy parts to float in the air, exposing the core part that was directly in contact with the black metal staff to the air.

This scene reminded Alvin of a scene he had seen in an old movie in his previous life. The only difference was that the one performing the technique was not the blue big O in the movie who was wearing clothes that violated public order and morality or was not wearing any clothes at all, but the director who was wearing a scaled-down Linde-style dress and looked like a floating cake floating in the air.

Of course, now is not the time to admire the dress. Before he even got close, Alvin could already smell a pungent burnt smell in the air.

"This 'large baby'''s' compression ratio for magic power exceeds the expected upper limit, causing the energy storage device to be constantly overloaded. No wonder the noise is so exaggerated when the pressure is released."

As she spoke, Christina turned around and looked at Ivan with curiosity.

"How did you find out?"

"Half of it is guesswork." Ivan shrugged and then turned his gaze to the charred parts.

Obviously, the researchers of the New Era Research Institute underestimated the metal staff excavated from the ruins, which caused the external magic device to almost burn out.

"Where's the other half?" Christina continued to ask:

"The enhanced perception brought by the synchronization of consciousness makes me feel threatened when this weapon is charging, and the sense of crisis comes from inside the gun." Alvin said half-truthfully, but his words actually made sense.

As for the technology of consciousness synchronization, perhaps the researchers in the New Era Institute who are responsible for this aspect are not as familiar with it as he is. After all, it is impossible for them to experience it personally hundreds or thousands of times.

Ultimately, this is a standard ultra-ancient technology. In other words, it's like unearthing a hidden treasure: while people know how to use it, the underlying principles haven't been fully understood.

"That makes sense. I had a similar feeling when I was testing it before. It was as if I was merging with some giant being and could use its senses to observe the world. The experience is hard to describe. How should I put it? It's just hard to describe, um..." Armstrong, who had come over to join in the fun, nodded seriously.

Even Diana, who was standing quietly beside them, subconsciously showed an expression of agreement when she heard these words.

"Then, nearly one-fifth of your skull will turn into a shiny crystal block." With just one sentence, Christina sunk the opinion of a temporary driver and driving instructor who had two thousand simulation training sessions.

At the same time, the people around who were not participating in the discussion also involuntarily looked at the back of Ivan's head.

It was as if he wanted to see if there was something as shiny as someone under that lush, slightly curly black hair.

"I'm fine. There was no assimilation reaction during this experiment." Ivan spread his hands with an expression that said, 'Don't make random guesses.'

"Alright, let's have the weapons department redesign the external devices. Our 'big baby' needs a matching exterior with a stronger carrying capacity. Maybe next time we can demonstrate the power of the 'Staff of Destruction' directly at the military parade!" Christina patted the still-warm Staff of Destruction and encouraged in a half-joking tone:

"Great!"

Hearing her joke, the white-robed researchers, who had been feeling sympathetic about the near-miss in the experiment, immediately raised their hands and cheered, interspersed with slightly frivolous whistles.

"No, no whistling!" Christina, floating in the air, clasped her arms and puffed up her face like an angry elementary school student.

After the crowd dispersed to do their respective work, the twelve-year-old crown wizard, whose body was fixed due to a magic experiment accident, waved to Chao Ivan and Diana, and then the three of them got on a magic car and prepared to leave the test site.

Opening the car door, Christina sat in the driver's seat, which had been modified specifically for her child's body shape. She completely ignored the two people's strange looks and continued to speak:

"After participating in the test, as pilots, what areas do you think should be improved on the Colossus?"

"Honestly, I haven't thought much about it yet." Alvin scratched his cheek.

"I was just the co-pilot. I didn't do much in this test. Besides, the aircraft's activity time was so short that I couldn't really feel anything. Perhaps we need more real-world testing to uncover any new issues."

Anyway, that's what someone who piloted the 4th generation Ultramarines said. As for the specifics~

"That's true. Alas, the technology isn't stable enough yet, and our researchers wouldn't dare let you operate it for extended periods. You know, the consequences of an assimilation reaction gone haywire could be extremely, extremely serious."

Christina, who didn't know Evan's identity as a time traveler, nodded distressedly, then she turned her inquiring gaze towards Diana.

"Silver-haired Prince, what do you think?"

"Prince???" Diana couldn't keep the icy expression on her face any more. She pointed at herself, looking extremely surprised and a little shy.

Alvin, who was drinking water in the back seat, almost spit out a mouthful of water.

"Hey, don't you know your nickname among the girls?"

"But, but..." The shocking news made Diana stutter.

"Okay, okay, don't worry about the details, just tell me what you think."