Star Forge Titan

A strong light exploded, and the pure white armor in the shape of a phoenix condensed into a solid entity in the light.

The iron bird, burning with white magical flames, swooped forward, transforming into pieces of armor in the process and automatically flying towards the Ash Knight who had forged it from the light.

A perfect circular ornament with a faint golden color, similar to a celestial structure, is fixed in the center of the chest.

Then, the feathered shoulder armor, with a faint glow at the edges, folded forward as if embracing the wearer.

The hanging hem rustled in the strong wind, and the gorgeously shaped helmet lowered its equally exquisite cold iron mask.

The complex armor with a strong sense of ritual completely covered Ivan's body.

Embers Knight, armed!

The three members of the tracker team were stunned to see a fully armed knight in armor walking out from the dazzling white light.

"There's no third round."

A familiar voice came from the knight's mouth.

White flames rose from the edges of the armor's gaps, dancing as if they had life.

That was a magical flame that was different from the flame used for healing, and existed purely for destruction.

With both arms broken and a dented head, the Shell Knight slowly retreated. Such serious injuries would be difficult to repair in a short period of time even with its high-speed self-healing ability.

The white flames burned more and more fiercely.

Then--

Ivan's figure blurred for a moment, as if it had completely turned into a ball of blazing fire.

The light emitted by the flame extended forward like an arrow.

A thin ray of light instantly pierced through the Shell Knight's chest.

The light gradually faded, and the knight in white armor reappeared.

At this moment, his fist had pierced through the Shell Knight's chest and raised it high up brutally.

Between those five fingers stained with blood, he was tightly holding a special heart that was a fusion of flesh, blood, and metal machinery.

This organ, which looks like an engine, is still working at this moment, but the metal pipes connected to it are broken one by one, and an almost pitch-black viscous liquid is constantly flowing out of them.

"There's no third round."

The same words rang out again, and with them rose white flames that swirled violently like a storm!

Jiga!!!

The humanoid hybrid insect beast engulfed by the flames let out an unprecedented shrill scream.

In the white light, it was only a dark silhouette, which gradually turned into ashes in the swaying fire.

Shell Knight, break!

Chapter 55: The Fragrance of Insect Shells

Leaving behind the Shell Knight whose body was already charred, Alvin took off the lightforged armor on his body.

The pure white armor that combined elements of the phoenix and celestial bodies turned into tiny particles of light that floated in the surrounding air.

At this moment, a white figure suddenly rushed past. Although he had already sensed the other party, Ivan did not make a move to stop it.

The white figure was none other than the tiny caterpillar he had just tossed to safety. Having nearly been blown away by the strong winds of the battle, it finally pounced on the Shell Knight's corpse and began tearing at it with all its might.

But how could his tiny teeth possibly do anything to a monster like Shell Knight, even if the latter had become a charred corpse.

So, apart from getting its fur dirty, the white catworm did nothing else, and finally it lay on the ground covered in dirt and cried bitterly.

The strange sound of "mee-mee-mee" echoed back and forth in the corridor, and anyone could hear the intense grief contained in it.

Ivan couldn't help but reach out and touch the little guy's head, and then he was tightly held by the other party's eight legs with one-third of his arm.

Big drops of tears fell on the skin on the back of his hand. The almost boiling temperature made the black-haired boy sigh.

"Although they are demonic creatures, they possess such strong emotions. At least emotionally, they are no different from us."

Witnessing this scene, even the half-elf Kalani couldn't help but sigh, and rarely spoke a long paragraph in one breath.

"Tears are useless, but more precious than rain." Gao Shan nodded silently, then recited a proverb that most of the time only desert dwellers could correctly understand.

"Guys, I think we'd better leave as soon as possible. This thing alone is probably more dangerous than all the bugs before combined." Andre took a deep breath and said slightly seriously:

Hearing his words, everyone couldn't help but look at Ivan.

The sudden appearance of the humanoid hybrid insect-beast was indeed very powerful, even frightening.

So, what kind of amazing power does this newcomer, who can knock down his opponent with one blow after getting serious, possess in secret?

If the previous experience could be explained away by reasons such as being good at fighting or having a good weapon, the ability displayed by the black-haired boy just now was no less powerful than that of a superior transcendent who had reached the third level or even higher.

As a result, everyone in the tracker team couldn't help but seem a little hesitant.

For a moment, they were all a little unsure about what attitude should be appropriate towards the newcomers.

At this moment, Lilim, who had gone to investigate the surrounding situation, suddenly came back.

"Everyone, are you all okay? I just heard a loud noise and couldn't help but reply..." The petite half-orc girl's rapid-fire words suddenly stopped.

As if she was directly hit by Medusa's petrifying ray, Lilim widened her already round eyes and stared at the Shell Knight who had turned into a ball of charcoal. She kept a strange posture of one foot raised and the other foot on the ground, and she stood there in a daze.

"Newcomer, did you do this?"

Looking at Ivan who was looking through the Shell Knight's body, Lilim stammered:

"Ah, that's about right." The black-haired boy paused and added:

“Everyone helped.”

"Uh, don't count me in. I'm just a hindrance at best."

Upon hearing this, Lilim recalled what she had just done and immediately raised her hands to cover her blushing face. She felt so embarrassed that she wanted to explode into fireworks on the spot.

"Hmph, I didn't do anything." The mage turned his head and said coldly.

"Ahahahaha, newbie, you're such a good fighter."

The orc laughed. He was not very good at speaking, so he simply expressed his opinion in the most straightforward words.

Ivan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head helplessly, but at the same time couldn't help but smile.

The strange atmosphere just now was completely blown away by Lilith's jokes.

The original harmonious atmosphere returned, which made the halfling girl couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She hated the bad feeling just now the most.

Then, Lilim saw Captain Andre secretly giving her a thumbs up, and her round face couldn't help but turn red.

Although his new friend's reaction warmed his heart, Alvin now had something he had to deal with.

The clues related to the "sublimation of the machine world" suddenly appeared, making him focus all his attention.

The original outing-like mentality thus became completely serious.

In the final blow, the magical flame fueled by the blood of the phoenix displayed extremely cruel power.

The burnt flesh of the Shell Knight completely collapsed due to the loss of vitality, and there were almost no intact parts left.

However, there are still some remnants of the metal mechanical structure inside its body. Those things are obviously made with extremely advanced technology, and the way they operate reveals an undoubted industrial beauty.

But what surprised Alvin was that the fusion of these mechanical parts with flesh and blood seemed particularly perfect, and it didn't look like they were implanted through surgery at all.

At the same time, he also thought of another similar existence.

The other party also fused metal and flesh extremely perfectly.

That thing was far away in the sky and yet right before their eyes. It was the carrier of the ruins they were in at the moment - the factory-type mobile fortress Herbert 001, a kilometer-long sandworm king!

Thinking of the record left on the wall by the ancestors of the cat and cat bug, the full name of the front of this mobile fortress, the pure-colored super beast mentioned in the string of curse words, and the strange name related to it - Monsanto Card of the Curved Life.

With so much information coming together, Alvin gradually came up with some guesses.

If this place is indeed carrying out a special mission such as fighting against a powerful enemy.

So, are there some great secrets related to the Uranus civilization hidden in the deepest part of the fortress?

Even in the future that had not been changed by himself, the descendant of the Titan might have learned key information closely related to the "sublimation of the machine world" here, or simply obtained some important items related to it here.

In any case, now is no longer the time to enjoy a relaxing fantasy adventure in another world.

You have to be serious...

Ivan let out a silent breath.

Before that, he had to get these new friends away safely.

At the same time, Alvin also plans to help the cats and bugs find a new home that is safe enough.

After all, it was because of them that the insects and beasts had discovered the little creatures' paradise. His sense of responsibility, at least above a reasonable level, prevented him from simply standing by and watching, or even more simply leaving.

So, roll up your sleeves and get to work!

After encouraging himself in his heart, Alvin looked up at the other members of the adventure team.

"Everyone, let's go to the crew lounge first. However, finding a safe way to leave must be put on the agenda as soon as possible."

"That's true. Perhaps we'll have to rely on the map in Lilim's pocket for specific advice," Andre suggested with considerable experience.

"Eh? What what?" Lilith looked up in surprise when her name was called. She was comforting the crying cat and cat bug just now, but she didn't hear clearly what the captain said.

"It's okay, let's go. I'm worried that other insects and beasts will appear next." Ivan laughed dumbly and immediately said:

The others nodded, and then everyone began to clean up the remaining traces more carefully, and then planned to walk in the direction where the cat and bug group left.

Just as Lilim was about to pick up the kitten, Catworm, her eyes suddenly lit up and she noticed that something shiny had been pressed under the little guy.

"What is this?" The halfling thief carefully picked the thing out of the wreckage of the Shell Knight with a dagger, and an expression of surprise and confusion appeared in his eyes.

It was a piece of amber-like substance with a very smooth surface but not completely transparent inside.

The most peculiar thing is that there is a very slight aroma emanating from it, which is very faint but cannot be ignored.

Lilim felt a sense of déjà vu about this, but couldn't pinpoint the origin.

"So, what is it?" Lilim rubbed her cheeks with her fingers, her eyes wandering as she looked at the solidified amber-like substance.

It seems familiar, but I can't remember where it is, so it must be something I've only smelled once or twice.

But if I have only smelled it once or twice, why do I remember it so clearly?

Soon, an incredible answer came to her mind, which even made the halfling girl exclaim in surprise.

"what!"

Everyone, already nervous due to the attack, immediately turned their gaze towards Lilim. Even the kitten Catworm, who was being held in the arms, raised its head to look at her.

Then, the half-orc girl uttered a term that almost made everyone's jaw drop.

"This, this is..."

"The fragrance of time!"

Chapter 56: Surprising Discovery

As Lilith wiped off the black ash on the surface of the amber-like solid, a faint fragrance spread throughout the corridor.

The smell is very mild and bland, but just like the fleeting fragrance of a blooming night-blooming cereus, its mere presence makes it impossible to ignore it.

Even if you just smell it, you will feel your mind becomes clearer, your spirit becomes as active as if you have drunk coffee or strong tea, and your body becomes as energetic as if you have had a perfect sleep.

"Are you sure?" Alvin looked at Lilith in surprise.

"This smell..." Andre took two steps forward and sniffed it closely.

Almost the moment he smelled it, the middle-aged warrior, a veteran sandworm hunter, froze in place.

Then, he exclaimed in a somewhat inappropriate manner:

"Although it's very faint, it's indeed the scent of the fragrance of time!"

You know, when sandworm hunters impart knowledge and skills to the younger generation, in addition to the various props needed to capture sandworms and the corresponding methods of use, the most important thing is to teach the younger generation what the "Fragrance of Time" smells like!

The whole process is actually neither complicated nor difficult.

Indeed, many people have tried to imitate this expensive and rare spice in the past, and there will probably be many more in the future, but they have all failed.