Star Forge Titan

But even though he was being pushed by the rapidly advancing sand wall, Alvin always stood upright and looked at the kilometer-long sandworms in the distance. The dense flying sand and dust could not get close to him at all.

However, this also made the originally invisible protective force around him appear with clear outlines.

It was a transparent suit of armor that rose and fell with breathing, its surface covered with invisible scales, and its shape was as ferocious and majestic as a dragon guarding its master.

[Sublimation Characteristic: Virtual Scale Steel Armor] is activated as his own magic power fluctuations increase, allowing Ivan to stand unscathed in the sudden sandstorm.

But he couldn't afford to be complacent about the amazing defensive power of the new feature, because the magical fluctuations that caused the sandstorm came from the sandworm's body.

Just by being exposed to the sun, the strength of one's own magic power increases to such an exaggerated degree?

Could this sandworm actually be a solar-powered remote-controlled car?!

No, it's impossible to simply absorb sunlight.

If we refer to the principle of solar power generation, even with the sandworm's astonishing size, it is impossible for it to generate so much magic power in a short period of time relying solely on sunlight, even if its conversion rate is 100%.

Unless, there is some mechanism in the sandworm's body that can convert sunlight into huge magical power with an efficiency of more than 100%.

But is this possible?

Or, can this be achieved simply by the open shells on the surface?

Confusion, doubt, curiosity, all kinds of emotions surged in his heart, making Alvin more curious about the origin of this huge sandworm.

At the same time, the magical fluctuations coming from the other side of the sandstorm continued to grow stronger, and the strong winds generated by them blew faster and faster, with each wave stronger than the last.

If this continues, it will inevitably trigger a super-large-scale sandstorm covering a wide area.

"Everyone, ahem, everyone, turn your backs to the direction of the sandstorm and retreat!"

Andre shouted intermittently, but the whistling wind in his ears made it difficult for other team members to hear his words clearly.

Fortunately, the tacit understanding developed over a long period of time allowed them to quickly understand the captain's meaning.

However, Alvin suddenly put forward a different opinion.

"No, at this rate of growth, we won't be able to outrun the massive sandstorm that's about to form."

"So, what should we do?"

Lilim's voice was already tearful. Although she always called Evan a newbie and her own skills were very proficient, the halfling thief lady had actually only been in the adventure team for a few years. At best, she could only be considered a half-veteran.

She had never seen such a horrific scene that seemed to destroy the world.

"I just saw that the source of the magic fluctuations comes from the part where the sandworm's body surface touches the ground."

Ivan's tone wasn't nervous nor was it particularly loud, so it seemed surprisingly convincing.

"Although we don't know the detailed ecological information of this behemoth, or why only the parts in contact with the ground release vibrations, if we climb higher on its body, we should be able to avoid the growing magical fluctuations and the resulting sandstorm for a short period of time!"

Alvin remained calm and, in as few words as possible, stated a plan that sounded crazy.

"Are you crazy?! What are we going to do when it dives?"

Kalani looked stunned. He was probably the most relaxed member of the team besides Ivan, shielding himself from the sandstorm with his magic shield. But the rapid depletion of his magic power told the half-elf mage that this was not a long-term solution.

"Perhaps the sandstorm caused by the magical fluctuations will stop before then."

"On the contrary, if I just run, I will probably be the only one who has the chance to leave safely. If I do that, even the Mountain King will be left behind." Alvin said the truth that was not very pleasant to hear.

Indeed, if he were alone, he could simply summon the Lightforge Armor to create a makeshift flying backpack and rush to a safe area in one breath.

"Huff?" Shanwang's ears perked up.

Hearing this, the other members of the tracker team were immediately speechless, and Shanwang, the strange horse with a strange temper, could not help but turn his head and look at the black-haired boy who had just become his master a few days ago with astonishment.

Simply resisting the sandstorm is not a big deal. The simplest thing is to use the authority of [Reshape the World] to create a strong enough underground shelter for everyone to hide in.

But now that only the core structure of the Golden Knight remains, all the methods that Alvin can think of to protect everyone's safety in the short term cannot avoid one key factor.

That is, after the sandworm finishes its action of 'floating' to the surface to 'sunbathe', what actions will it take?

Even if it is just the most ordinary re-drilling into the ground, the strong earthquake caused by it will pose a fatal threat to everyone in the temporary underground shelter.

Therefore, without an answer to this question, the true feasibility of all hedging measures will always be uncertain.

If you are alone, then whether to take a risk or leave quickly is just a matter of thought.

But the members of the Tracker Team are here, and Alvin is not the kind of cold-blooded and decisive hero who can easily abandon anyone.

Even though they have only known each other for a short time, letting them take the risk of an uncertain plan with him and leaving the unknown future to an unpredictable fate, or simply abandoning these new friends, both options are undoubtedly extremely irresponsible and bad behavior.

If Alvin was the kind of person who would do such a thing, he wouldn't have become the stubborn person he was in his previous life, with edges and corners that had been worn down and grown back.

What's more, his excellent vision also allows him to notice some information that others ignore.

The huge, kilometer-long sandworm seemed to have a metallic luster on its head.

It wasn't the glossy sheen of insect shells, but the bright sheen typical of man-made metal objects.

Besides this, there was another thing that concerned him very much.

After the sandworm drilled out of the ground and stopped, what the team saw was actually the front of this huge monster.

Although the sandworm's round body should look similar in all four directions, the Titan descendant's amazing physical fitness and keen dynamic vision allowed him to vaguely catch a glimpse of the sandworm's back as it rushed out of the ground.

There seemed to be a piece of something different from the rough skin and hard shell of other parts.

If I'm not mistaken, it seems to be a piece of metal that also emits a metallic reflection - a man-made building?

When everyone was at a loss as to what to choose, the orc Gaoshan suddenly shouted:

"When you're extremely hungry, if you eat a mushroom that doesn't kill you, it's not a poisonous mushroom!"

This nonsensical and strange remark still comes from the orc proverb, or rather, only the orc proverbs would contain such seemingly contradictory words.

But his meaning at this moment was very clear. When facing a life-or-death crisis, finding the most perfect solution is not necessarily the most appropriate solution. On the contrary, the solution that can save one's life is the most appropriate solution.

Now, the members of the tracker team no longer have time to hesitate.

Knowing that the orc archer was right, Andre finally made up his mind.

Gritting his teeth, he shouted loudly to everyone in the Tracker Team:

"Abandon the extra camels and carry only the necessary items. We—"

Although he had made up his mind, his expression still twisted uncontrollably.

"Charge the Sandworm King!"

Chapter 31: Moving forward against the wind

It was clearly almost noon, but the members of the tracker team felt as if they were walking in the night.

The flying sand and dust were like a dark yellow curtain, blocking the dazzling light of the sun and making the whole world extremely dim.

The team members could hardly see anything one meter away, as if everything was covered in sand and dust, and the only sound they could hear was the whistling wind.

The abandoned camels kept wailing behind me. They were originally one of the animals that adapted best to the local environment in the desert, but faced with the continuously increasing strong winds and sandstorms, they also seemed extremely panicked. After losing the control of their owners, they immediately fell into a state of confusion, either falling directly to the ground or starting to run around, and gradually their sounds could no longer be heard.

But the team no longer cared about the camels and abandoned all their mounts except the Mountain King. They carried the necessary food and water and began to move towards the direction of the Sandworm King.

There is a distance of several kilometers between the tracker team and the sandworm king.

After a kilometer, the strong winds that created the sandstorms around them began to make it feel like walking was hindered. Moreover, this force continued to grow stronger as time went by.

The physical strength required to advance one hundred meters is several times the usual amount. Fortunately, several of them are extraordinary people. Despite consuming several times the physical strength, their movement speed is faster than usual. Even Kalani, the half-elf who is a spellcaster, did not fall behind with the support of the orc Gaoshan.

In just a few minutes, the weather around the Sandworm King became so bad.

It is conceivable that if we had chosen to retreat just now, we would probably have been caught in the continuously intensifying sandstorm before reaching the safe area, and then completely lost in the yellow sand and storm like those camels.

The swirling sand particles hit people so hard that they hurt. The members of the tracker team covered their skin with hoods, headscarves and spare clothes, and protected their exposed eyes with goggles made of dark glass.

These are all necessary things for entering the desert. As an experienced adventure team, the trackers were naturally well prepared for this, and they even remembered to bring Evan's share.

Although each of the extraordinary people has their own way to resist the sandstorm, considering the consumption of physical strength and magic power, it is best to use equipment to resist it.

Alvin also put on a pair of goggles, even though he didn't really need them.

I walked almost two kilometers at a running pace.

At this point, the strong wind forced them to bend down to reduce their exposure. Even so, the team's speed slowed significantly. The half-elf mage, who was the weakest, was already struggling to walk, so the orc next to him simply ignored his objections and clamped him under his armpits.

Anyway, the wind was so loud that even if the half-elf mage with a slight mysophobia screamed for some reason that was inconvenient to disclose, the orcs and other teammates would not be able to hear it, uh, or they could pretend not to hear it.

"This won't do!" The situation was getting worse and worse. Alvin's mind was working quickly, and he soon came up with a possible solution.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he almost swallowed a mouthful of sand. He quickly increased the strength of his Void Scale Armor, and then shouted to everyone:

"That won't work! We have to line up!"

"What did you say?" Lilith, who was closest to her, spoke incoherently from behind her headscarf. The wind was so strong that she couldn't hear Evan's voice even though she was so close.

Just like the orc Gaoshan grabbed the half-elf wizard Kalani, Ivan also asked the halfling thief to hold his hand tightly to prevent the lightest guy in the team from being blown away by the wind. His other hand grabbed the reins of the Mountain King to prevent the heaviest kid in the team from running in the wrong direction.

"..." Realizing that his teammates might not be able to hear his voice clearly, Alvin suddenly took a deep breath and actively called upon his own magic power.

Soon, the tall young man, his pupils radiating a golden light, raised his hand and pointed forward. With the sudden movement of spreading his five fingers, a barrier of bright, pure white light unfolded.

Solar Shield is an enhanced job ability that Ivan gained after being promoted to Ash Knight through the enhancement ritual.

The yellow sand and strong wind were temporarily blocked by the shield, but the white shield was darkening at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even if the shield could withstand direct hits from artillery shells, the length of time it could last under the continuous strong wind and sand impact was estimated to be quite limited.

Moreover, the heavy burden of fighting against the boundless power of nature made Alvin feel that the rate of consumption of the original magic power in his body was significantly accelerated.

With his current magic power reserves, he could hold on for a while, but the intensity of the sandstorm continued to increase, and it was difficult to estimate how terrible it would become. He had to retain a certain amount of magic power reserves for the situation which would definitely get worse.

Everyone in the Tracker Team took this opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief, but Captain Andre obviously thought the same as Ivan.

"Newbie, put away your abilities. Now is not the worst time yet."

"Well, but before that, I have a suggestion."

As Alvin continued to move forward, he explained his plan as briefly as possible.

"We line up in a row, and the person in front can offset some of the wind for the people behind, which can save some energy."

This situation did not allow anyone to hesitate. After understanding the meaning of the black-haired boy's words, everyone in the team nodded in agreement.

"Okay, let's do it, but I'll stand in the front." As the captain, Andre naturally walked to the front of the team.

"Let me take the next one." The orc Gaoshan said immediately:

"Let's take turns to avoid one person from being overexerted."

Alvin felt a little happy. Although it was not a big deal for him to stand at the front the whole time with his physical strength, the attitude shown by the Tracker Team made him feel warm in his heart.

"Apu?" The Mountain King tilted his head, seemingly not understanding what these humans were doing. However, his intelligence, which was naturally higher than that of his kind (probably horses), made him understand that only by following this group of people could he avoid this sudden natural disaster.

So, this bad-tempered horse was more obedient than ever today.

Everyone put on their protective gear again, and at the moment the solar shield was released, strong winds and sand immediately rushed in again, making people feel as if they were punched in the face.

Especially Andre, who was standing at the front of the team, he clearly let out a muffled groan.

"Keep moving forward!" The middle-aged warrior carrying a greatsword shouted with all his might:

Next, the tracker team continued to move forward against the increasingly strong sandstorm.

Gradually, the resistance brought by the strong wind in front has become as exaggerated as if a strong man is pushing people backward.

Andre's hood, which was wrapped tightly with a scarf, was covered with sweat, which was then blown dry by the continuous strong wind.

The sand particles hit the surface of the dark glass goggles, making an unsettling "crackling" sound. The smooth glass surface was then covered with many tiny scratches, forcing people to raise their hands to block the goggles to prevent them from breaking.

"Change people!" the orc shouted, but Andre obviously couldn't hear it.

So he raised his hand and patted the captain's shoulder.

Andre did not try to show off his strength. He was no longer at the age to do so. He took over the half-elf wizard, who was almost exhausted, and carried him on his shoulders. Andre slowly retreated to the middle of the team.

At the same time, the orc Gaoshan raised his hands to block his view and strode to the front of the group. The strong wind blowing in his face made him feel as if he was underwater, and every movement was clearly felt with resistance that was not normally felt.

Faced with the strong air turbulence, the orc Gaoshan inexplicably recalled the ancient stories told by the tribal elders when he was a child.

"The king of sandworms feeds on his offspring, and the birth of storms is his breath!"

"Its infamous name is Herbert the Kin-Eater!"

Chapter 32 Successful Landing

For a while, Alvin felt as if he had arrived in the elemental plane of wind.