Star Forge Titan

As a result, a few days later, the same person came to post again with great excitement, saying that the heroes of Freedom Fist had actually arrived.

Being able to kill a Witch King, even if some despicable means were used, those so-called Fists of Freedom are not simple.

It’s not easy, it’s really not easy.

Ivan touched his chin.

But what does this have to do with me, a stranger passing by?

Unfortunately, this thought only lasted a few days.

The subsequent events in Desert Rose Ismailia led to Ivan becoming inextricably linked with the organization called the Fist of Freedom.

Chapter 12 Blue Water Lily

Although the Frosthorn is only a subsidiary organization of the intelligence agency of the Kingdom of Elrond, it is quite competent in maintaining confidentiality.

Besides, Ivan's reason for coming here was perfectly reasonable. As a wanderer long removed from the northern icy plains, wasn't it perfectly normal for him to ask his hometown Chamber of Commerce to bring a letter back?

However, in the name of Prince Elrond, although this prince's title was not officially disclosed, he also browsed the recent intelligence summary of various aspects of Palladia through the local branch of the Frosthorn, just like reading a newspaper...

All in all, it was similar to his previous judgment. All countries were tending towards stable development as a whole. The front page headlines of the "newspaper" were mostly related to various technological innovations and improvements. At least Alvin did not find any signs that might trigger a major version event in advance.

In other words, he will indeed be relatively free next time.

After saying goodbye to Mr. Shepton, the head of the local branch, Irving turned and returned to the street.

At present, the combined effects of the transformation ritual, the advancement ritual and the blood purification have stabilized Alvin's height at around 2.5 meters in normal condition.

Although it does not look as exaggerated as some high-level monsters or legendary giants, it is the result of comprehensive optimization in many aspects and can better adapt to various complex battlefields.

By the way, the height of modern main battle tanks is generally around this value.

However, this height still causes some trouble in daily life.

Without the cover of the diplomat's ring, the Son of Titan's unusual height was clearly visible, followed by the equally eye-catching Mountain King.

The former is like a living ancient granite statue, with pale skin and streamlined muscles in golden proportions, fully revealing the perfect combination of strength and beauty. The latter is more like a main battle tank driving on the road in a dignified manner. While walking, the bulging muscles all over the body are like rocks rolling down with unstoppable force, or pieces of extremely tough metal armor.

The pair attracted surprised glances from passers-by and street vendors.

But it was just surprise.

You should know that the racial distribution in the Silent Desert area is not single. In addition, this is a commercial city. In addition to the ordinary humans who account for about 60%, there are also orcs from the Great Wild Forest, halflings from the southern Shire area, and various other races.

This social environment where different races of different body sizes live together is even somewhat similar to the environment in which all kinds of strange and mysterious demons live together in the Kingdom of Elrond.

Therefore, Alvin doesn't have to worry about not being able to enter the tavern.

As for the strange looks from others, this guy who does whatever he wants by nature doesn't take them to heart at all.

At this moment, the barbarian boy from the northern ice field was looking at the desert-style city in front of him with great interest.

Compared to the desert city in Ivan's impression, Ismailia, a city known as the "Desert Rose", is much neater and cleaner.

In addition to various tents, Ismailia, as a city, naturally also has many fixed buildings built with local materials. Most of them are made of locally abundant reeds, red willows, soil and seemingly endless sand, which are layered and rammed. They have thick walls, small windows and are relatively low overall.

There are reasons for these characteristics. Thick walls can keep the indoor temperature within a certain range and prevent it from changing rapidly with changes in outdoor temperature. Small windows can reduce sunlight exposure to the indoor environment and also reduce air circulation, making it difficult for moisture to evaporate and the temperature not to rise quickly.

Therefore, although these houses look ordinary and even a bit rustic, they actually have excellent resistance to wind and sand, strong sunlight, cold and heat insulation.

As a commercial city, every street, big or small, starting from the commercial district near the city center and passing through other areas is paved with fine gravel or large slabs of rock.

This way, even in strong winds, the roads won't be as dusty as those in deserts. The roads, which are in good condition, even extend quite far outside the city.

Excellent transportation and a unique geographical location make Ismailia a bustling city. Besides the various chambers of commerce, vendors can be found everywhere, setting up simple tents made of cloth and wooden poles to sell a variety of goods.

For a moment, the clamor of merchants trading and the noises of people, animals, carriages and horses moving about, all intertwined together, outlining a picture of a bustling city that was full of vitality amidst the hustle and bustle.

Also looking at this human painting was Heidi, who was heading to the most central area of ​​the city.

It is the residence of the Sorcerer-King Menes. In addition to functional areas such as the palace and library, it is also the location of important functional departments of the ruling body such as administrative deliberation, military jurisdiction, etc., so it is also called the realm of royal power, or simply the palace area.

Unlike the low and solid earthen houses outside, most of the buildings in the palace area in the city center are made of cold rocks. More than two hundred columns of varying thicknesses support the undulating rock roofs, which reveal a majestic and majestic aura like a mountain in silence.

In addition, due to their dense number, the staggered columns themselves are like a forest made of stone. While blocking the view, they divide the overall space of the palace into intertwined light and dark, which is deep and mysterious, creating a solemn and dignified feeling like a temple.

The endless yellow sand blowing in from the silent desert often stains the buildings of the desert city-state with a layer of yellow, but the abundant trees outside the throne area are like a large group of silent guards, blocking the invading wind and sand, allowing the rock buildings to maintain their white appearance, making them appear more sacred and pure.

It is like moving an oasis into the city. One can imagine how much manpower and material resources are needed to maintain plants of this scale.

What's more, in most places in the Silent Desert, water is more precious than gold.

Beneath the sacred and pure appearance of the entire palace, its essence is astonishing luxury.

"Even though he's known as the most gentle ruler, he actually lives a life of luxury that's unimaginable to ordinary people."

With such an exclamation, Heidi, wearing a white gauze dress, entered the palace area as a businessman.

Due to security and other reasons, no one is allowed to enter the palace area on horseback or camel.

So, Heidi was now riding on a soft couch carried by several slaves, which was somewhat similar to a sedan chair in terms of movement and appearance.

Although this 'palanquin' was very comfortable and richly decorated, with servants beside her holding up large feather fans made of expensive bird feathers to shield her from the scorching sun, the female mage riding in it did not show any sign of enjoyment. Instead, her eyes revealed an indescribable complex emotion.

Led by the Witch King's messenger, who was dressed in black and wearing a veil, Heidi walked unhindered all the way to the outside of a building in the core of the palace area.

This place is different from the solemn rock buildings around it. If the green plants outside the palace area are an oasis moved into the city, then the building in front of us is completely a small forest covered by glass.

A variety of lush vegetation fills the artificial greenhouse covered by the glass dome. The internal climate is controlled by magic to maintain a constant and comfortable temperature. Many delicate flowers that cannot survive in the desert are doing their best to bloom with beautiful colors.

Although the entire palace is not large in area, it is made entirely of scarce metals in the desert and large pieces of expensive flat glass. It is simply a transparent pyramid made of crystals.

Waving her hand to stop the slave girl who wanted to kneel down to be stepped on, Heidi jumped off the sedan chair with a flexibility that many mages did not have.

Without anyone's guidance, she followed the main entrance with a gold-framed frame and walked into the interior of the pyramid-shaped glass palace.

There were not as many slaves as expected. The glass palace was very quiet, with only the clear chirping of birds and the sound of gurgling water.

The dense branches and leaves above her head divided the sunlight into countless tiny spots of light. Heidi continued to walk forward, stepping on the carpet that seemed to be woven of white light and green plants.

Through the swaying shadows of the trees, she saw a pure lake that was as calm as a mirror and as clear as the air.

A figure in a gorgeous long dress stood by the lake, and that was the owner of this palace.

The Second Sorcerer King - Water Lily Menes.

Chapter 13: Withered Flower

Menes, the only female among the five Witch-Kings.

Her reign was as long as that of several other Witch-Kings, and people have even forgotten the name of this woman before she took power.

The only thing that is remembered now is the name of the Witch King who came from the ancient dynasty - Blue Water Lily Menes, the highest and only ruler of the city-state of Ismailia.

Menes, wearing a gorgeous long dress, stood quietly by the lake. The Witch King had a delicate and beautiful face, but there was no expression on it, just like a cold stone.

She is wearing a long skirt whose main color is indigo, accompanied by many other bright colors. Those bright and gorgeous colors carefully depict the legends about the Nine Pillars of God, making the wearer more sacred and majestic.

In the quiet desert where dyes are quite expensive, most ordinary civilians can only wear completely undyed white coarse linen clothes, and only nobles with a lot of wealth can afford to buy various colorful clothes.

After all, in the era before synthetic dyes were invented, making indigo alone required grinding imported lapis lazuli into powder. Lapis lazuli, as a gemstone, was very expensive in itself, not to mention the loss in the dye-making process and other expensive ingredients added.

A long dress with intricate decorations like the one Menice is wearing would require the cooperation of at least three of the most skilled craftsmen in different industries to weave within two years.

The price is naturally so high that it is unimaginable for ordinary people.

But this is only the cheapest item on the Witch King's person.

A desert-style necklace sparkling with magical light hangs on Menis's slender neck. This ornament, made of precious metals and gemstones, not only has the most representative bright colors of the desert style, but is also a high-level magical equipment.

Similarly, the delicate gold and silver bracelets nested within each other on the wrists also shone with the unique glow of magical equipment.

On top of the Witch King Menes's almost silver-white light golden hair, he wore a headband made entirely of pure gold. On the carved snake head in the center were inlaid two gorgeous gems that were so bright red that they seemed to be burning.

As an animal with a special status in the desert, the image of snakes often appears in murals and statues related to rulers because they are the protectors of kings in mythology.

Therefore, in addition to its lifelike and beautiful appearance, this snake crown is also a high-level magical equipment of inestimable value.

Exaggeration as always...

Heidi thought to herself, but a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Your Majesty." The female mage opened her arms and bowed, her dress made of gauze swaying slightly like a blooming flower.

"..." Menis didn't react at all. He just floated his hand above the grass without raising his head.

There was no chanting of spells or other complicated gestures. With a slight and imperceptible fluctuation of magical power, the roots of the tree emerged from the ground and quickly wrapped around to form a small pavilion with tables and chairs inside.

Including the various interior decorations, this pavilion, which was created in just a dozen seconds, looks extremely natural, as if it were a tree that grew like this naturally.

Inside the pavilion, which is transparent on all sides, there is an exquisitely shaped chessboard, on which are placed various monster chess pieces and several adventurer chess pieces in different costumes.

This is a special game in the desert area, called Senet. Translated into the Xuma language commonly used in countries across the continent, it can be roughly understood as 'stillness and movement', or more simply 'stillness and movement'.

The two flag bearers in the game need to control the movement of monsters and adventurers respectively, and use dice rolling to determine the effects of both parties' actions.

The monsters' victory condition is to hinder the opponent's progress or eliminate all adventurers within a limited number of rounds. If the player who controls the adventurers wants to win, he needs to use the coordination between different chess pieces to move the chess pieces to break through all monster obstacles and reach the finish line.

There weren't many entertainment options in the Silent Desert, so everyone from nobles to commoners loved the Senet game.

However, the playing tools used by ordinary people are probably just simple stone or wooden tablets with images of adventurers and monsters carved on them, while the chess pieces in the hands of nobles are often directly beautifully carved miniature statues.

As for the chess piece that the Witch King Menes is currently using.

Whether it is a monster or an adventurer, they are all carved by the craftsmen with their skillful hands to be lifelike, as if real people were petrified and shrunk down to the same proportion, and even the finest eyebrows can be seen clearly.

The chessboard where the chess pieces are placed and the paths they move are defined is also made into a sandbox with undulating terrain, and every detail is as exquisite as a miniature version of the real thing.

Not only does it have simulated landscapes such as mountains and forests, there is even a real 'river' that flows continuously around the entire chessboard driven by magic!

The dungeon area in the middle, which serves as the main stage of the game, has maze walls carved with brick and stone patterns and signs of aging and damage, as well as various mechanisms that can be truly activated.

Even the dice used for throwing are as exquisite as works of art.

Ismailia's skilled craftsmen used obsidian as the base, bent gold into floral numbers and inlaid them into different dice faces, thus outlining the blend of black and gold, and the whole dice looks as beautiful as gem jewelry.

The chessboard has been set up and the players are sitting on both sides.

While moving the swordsman's chess piece forward three spaces, Heidi announced:

"Swordsman, defensive position."

Upon hearing the fixed command, the magic contained in the chess piece was quickly activated. The swordsman chess piece, wearing light armor and holding a long sword and a small round shield, automatically changed its posture and made a defensive move by raising its shield.

The female mage who had completed this round of actions said seemingly casually:

"I have successfully completed the task you ordered me to do last time."

"..." Menis still did not respond, but just widened his eyes as much as he could and stared at the chessboard expressionlessly, as if he didn't care about any information from the outside world.

Heidi, who was familiar with the other party's reaction, did not feel embarrassed, but continued to talk about the mission.

"The magic engine developed by Linde can indeed bring revolutionary breakthroughs to traditional magic technology. The relevant samples and written materials can be transferred to the designated area today. Although the small magic steam engine brought as a sample is only a civilian version, the principle of magic power generation should be the same as that of the military magic engine."

As she spoke, Heidi couldn't help but let out a seemingly casual sigh.

"The technological breakthroughs and developments of the past two years have been truly astonishing, and people's attitudes towards knowledge have become increasingly open. If I had stayed in the City of Thousand Towers, perhaps I would have obtained the rituals and knowledge necessary to break through to the Fourth Stage."

"Okay." Menis said a simple word.

Then she raised her hand and moved a chess piece carved into the image of an ogre tyrant.

The so-called Ogre Tyrant is the ruler or chief of the Ogre tribe. They often seize power through the brutal method of killing and devouring the flesh and blood of the previous chief in a deep pit arena dug on the ground, so they are called Ogre Tyrants.

Move the monster to a space adjacent to the swordsman.

"Attack display." Menis continued to give orders.

The beautifully carved chess pieces immediately responded to the player's commands. The ogre tyrant, with a unique stomach shield tied to his belly and two gold-inlaid maces in his hands, first roared to the sky, and then, under the effect of magic, suddenly swung the maces forward in an offensive posture.

Then, three of the dice landed on Menes's slender fingertips without any wind, spun for a while, and were then thrown onto the table.

The obsidian and the wooden tabletop collided with each other, making a soft tinkling sound, and then the dice neatly flipped upwards to reveal three 'ones'.

This shows that the Ogre Tyrant's three violent attacks all missed, and he even had to bear some damage.

Despite this, Menis smiled slightly when he saw this scene.

The smile seemed particularly unreal, like ripples on the surface of a lake, fleeting.

"As expected, Captain."

The Witch King gazed at the handsome swordsman adventurer and began to mutter to himself in a meaningless tone.