Star Forge Titan

I saw a tall man who was over two meters tall, with muscular body but not bloated, and whose overall outline perfectly matched the golden ratio. He was standing in front of a small cowhide suitcase, looking at this side with calm eyes.

He stretched out only his index fingers and thumbs, awkwardly folding a white toga. The toga's size was completely inappropriate for the Gundam man's frame, making it look like an adult folding a child's clothes. The whole scene was truly bizarre.

What's the target? Can anyone tell me what the cute little guy in the mission description has in common with this big guy with the [Desert Swear]?

It's like the task you receive from the intermediary is just to catch a lamb, but when you walk into the task site, you see an elephant, which is as shocking as a fucking elephant.

The uninvited guest's thinking came to a standstill at this moment because of surprise, so he didn't make any immediate response.

Although the trance lasted only less than a second, he immediately saw an open palm that instantly filled his entire field of vision like a mountain covering the sky.

"You came at a really bad time. I was just trying to gather some intelligence, but how could I have run into something like this? Speaking of which, your master is truly unrefined for not even trying to tempt me with money."

The young man's helpless mumbling reached the ears of the uninvited guest, and what followed was the crisp sound of his skull cracking.

"Huh? Can boxing training actually increase strength? Sorry, I used too much force..."

An unreliable explanation coupled with an insincere apology were the last words heard by this wanderer who specialized in doing illegal work.

"Man, I suddenly feel like there's no need for you to hire me." Witnessing all this, Grippy rolled his eyes and said unhappily, puffing his beard.

He had been planning to fulfill his duty as a bodyguard, but he had never imagined that his employer would be so quick. Before he could even take a step, the intruder was crushed to death like a stink bug.

"It's an illusion. It must be your illusion."

"Is it okay for me to leave the cleanup to you?" Closing the suitcase, Alvin spoke calmly as if asking a buddy if he could help collect the dishes.

"...No problem." Although he wanted to ask something like, 'Is this what you hired me for?', Grippy finally sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Alvin smiled and his figure disappeared in the room in a blur.

Gripi was silent for a moment, then slapped his head hard, his expression becoming extremely stunned:

"Damn it! How come this guy has become stronger after just a few days of not seeing him?"

On the other hand, Ivan didn't directly overturn anyone's desk. It wasn't surprising for a thief commissioned to do a dirty job to fail, so it wouldn't cause much of a stir. But the sudden death of a city-state noble was another matter entirely.

Considering that the identity of the young bard might be useful in the future, Alvin made a note of this matter in his little notebook and would deal with it later.

After all, the fight for the Witch King's secret magic is the most important thing at the moment.

The connection with the Fist of Freedom has been established, and the news heard at today's banquet is also quite concerning. The sudden movement of a wizard king who has always stayed within the palace is very telling.

But more information was needed to draw a conclusion. So, Alvin decided to meet Heidi, this time using the identity of a sandworm hunter.

After riding the Mountain King through several streets, Alvin had unknowingly changed into ordinary desert ethnic clothing.

At the previous banquet, the two had secretly communicated with each other. Although the light signals transmitted through the magic ornaments were limited in content, they could at least arrange a place to meet again after the banquet.

It was a very ordinary pub, neither good nor bad, with a wide variety of customers, the type that would not attract unnecessary attention to most people who went there.

Pushing open the door of the tavern, Alvin saw the tall figure sitting in the corner of the bar.

That person was none other than the female wizard Heidi whom he had just met in another identity.

Chapter 44: Fighting Steel Suit

"You're here earlier than expected." Heidi leisurely held a glass of wine and looked at the tall boy who walked up to her with a smile in her eyes.

"Maybe it's because the other party completely underestimated me." Alvin shrugged and looked very relaxed.

"You didn't let the dwarf take action?" Heidi raised her eyebrows, seeming a little surprised.

"Grippy? Forget it, that's not why I hired him." As he said that, Alvin sat down next to the female mage. This action did not attract the attention of any other drinkers, as if there was not a charming mature woman sitting next to him.

Feeling the faint but rhythmic fluctuations of magic in the surrounding links, the black-haired boy in traditional desert clothing paused slightly, then looked at Heidi with a slightly surprised look.

Although the magic fluctuations are very weak, this weak barrier with a limited radius of about two meters can reduce the outside world's attention to what happens within the range of the barrier, and can also effectively isolate the spread of sound.

"It's a very clever spell." Alvin praised sincerely.

"It's just a worthless trick." Heidi waved her hand and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp. The overly heroic action caused a drop of clear wine to flow from the corner of her lips to her collar.

Then, she picked up the bottle of wine next to her and poured herself another full glass, while continuing to ask casually:

"Let's talk about that dwarf. If you didn't hire him to get a bodyguard, then what was it for?"

"We just don't have enough manpower, that's all." Ivan spread his hands and said calmly:

"Even if he's just a low-ranking person, the number of extraordinary people in this desert is quite limited. I'm quite familiar with the dwarf's personality, so I just hired him."

"Really? So that's how it is." Heidi looked at Ivan with a smile, and then casually said:

"I thought there was a more important reason."

“…” Ivan’s expression did not change, but his thoughts were unknown.

"Come to think of it, I'm also a little curious why you care so much about that thing."

"If you're simply aiming for advancement, there are still opportunities in the City of Thousand Towers. There's no need to get involved in such a dangerous situation just for an uncertain possibility."

"Are you serious?" Heidi's face showed a hint of surprise.

"I'm already a high-level mage now. If I want to go one step further, I'll have to reach the fourth level."

"Huh?" Alvin was stunned for a moment, then immediately showed an expression of sudden enlightenment.

He quickly realized that his thinking had been led astray by the settings in the virtual game of his previous life, or more accurately, by the future direction of the world of Palladia.

The Rise of Nations, coupled with the subsequent Rebellion of the Thousand Towers, brought the most obvious changes to the world of Palladia. Not only was the strength of each country rapidly improved, but the more far-reaching impact was the spread of extraordinary technology throughout the world, and the technological boom further triggered by the high-frequency exchanges between various parties that far exceeded the past hundred years.

Before this, any knowledge and information related to extraordinary beings were important matters that were guarded closely by the holders like a dragon's treasure.

"I spoke out of turn." Alvin looked apologetic.

"It's not surprising. It was only after I entered the City of Thousand Towers that I came to understand more clearly that the actual combat power of a transcendent is not necessarily equal to his rank." As if remembering something, Heidi's eyes revealed some nostalgia and emotion.

In the absence of large-scale technical exchanges, although the core conditions for judging the rank of the extraordinary people in various regions have not changed, there are actually very obvious gaps in their actual combat capabilities due to the differences in spells, combat skills and other abilities mastered by different schools.

Even if wild transcendents who lack systematic training hold a promotion ceremony by chance and reach a high level, they will often be unable to defeat low-level transcendents who have received complete training due to major flaws in their application methods.

In the game, players have sufficient information and can communicate with others through off-site forums, so they are unlikely to have a huge gap with others in "hardware" conditions such as magic reserves. More differences are often felt in personal qualities such as skills and awareness.

But the reality of Palladia is another matter. Even if one masters the soul power which has a much higher priority than most magic powers, if one does not know how to use it correctly, one may even end up in an embarrassing situation where the actual effect is not as good as spells with similar effects.

You know, a lot of magic was originally just a weakened imitation of soul power.

Therefore, the above situation can definitely be described as "shameful".

At the same time, listening to Heidi's words and seeing the bright light in her eyes like a burning flame, Alvin gradually understood something.

This woman with a beautiful and charming face has an ambition in her heart that is no less than that of any man, or in other words, an ambition that is not concealed at all.

Therefore, the fourth-level crowned master she wanted to become was definitely not an ordinary fourth-level master, even if the fourth-level master was considered the top powerhouse in the entire material world. This woman wanted to become someone who was far above the average.

Therefore, she took a huge risk to express her strong desire for the Witch King's secret magic.

However, simply pursuing power will not make people so persistent. Many times, power is just an indispensable crutch on the road to pursuing other goals.

So, what is the real driving force hidden deep in the female mage's heart? This is also a puzzling mystery.

Looking at Heidi who was describing the difference in strength between extraordinary people with a serious look in her eyes, Alvin couldn't help but feel curious.

"Come to think of it, joining the Free Fist is a very good move." Heidi narrowed her eyes and looked at Ivan with a smile.

"Oh? Have you heard any related news?" the latter reacted immediately.

"Don't underestimate the merchants' information channels." Heidi, a mage and owner of the Golden Sands Chamber of Commerce, raised her chin and chuckled.

Then her expression turned serious.

"The information I've gathered over the years in the Silent Desert indicates that there's a high possibility that the Freedom Fist possesses a legacy that rivals the Sorcerer King's secrets."

"While the true situation remains to be verified, after gathering information from various channels, we can confirm that they must possess a ritual method to advance or attain combat power close to that of a fourth-tier crowned warrior. The power gained from this ritual is in no way inferior to that of any qualified fourth-tier crowned warrior, and in some respects may even surpass it."

"Is that all?" Ivan looked very serious.

"..." Heidi looked at him in silence for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh.

"So, I don't really like children with overly sharp intuition." The female mage put one hand on her chin and complained coquettishly.

"Not much is known from the outside world. We only know that the strongest fighters of the Freedom Fist possess the ability to summon armor from thin air."

"In the words of boxers, it is a special secret of boxing."

"But this doesn't seem powerful enough, does it?" Ivan asked at the right time:

"Indeed." Heidi nodded.

"If it's just armor, then it certainly can't compare to the abilities of other fourth-tier classes. In fact, I suspect they're infusing their own soul power into the armor, which is why they've achieved such an exaggerated improvement."

"Although there are many different theories, one thing is certain: when a Fist Fighter activates the ultimate move to summon armor, not only will their own defense be dramatically enhanced, but their strength, speed, and other aspects will also be greatly increased."

Heidi's eyes became particularly deep, as if she was thinking of something.

"But the biggest improvement lies in the huge increase in the power of the boxing technique itself."

"According to the legends spread across the desert, the hands of a fighter donning armor will become incredibly powerful, as if possessed by a god."

"Even the sky will be torn apart by it!" The female mage's nostrils trembled slightly because of the excited emotions in her heart.

The scene she described made Ivan yearn for it, and he subconsciously asked:

"Name, since it's a secret, it should have a name?"

"Well, the Free Fist fighters call it—"

Heidi paused, then whispered a title with bright eyes.

"Fighting Steel Suit!"

Chapter 45: High-Speed ​​Thinking

Fighting Steel Armor...

This was a strange name that Alvin had never heard of before.

But the moment he heard it, some kind of sixth sense told him that this would be useful to him.

If it was simply a piece of magic armor or something like that, the defensive capability shouldn't be this bad. The Lightforged Armor ability gained after the Transcendent Ritual to become an Ash Knight can fully provide sufficient protection.

According to Heidi's incomplete information, the most important aspect of the secret Dou Qi armor circulated within the Freedom Fist was its enhanced boxing skills. That was the key to their top warriors being able to compete with the Witch King.

However, after a little thought, Alvin came up with another possibility.

The reason why this secret has not been mentioned by Master Rigor is not only because it involves the fourth level, but also because it is extremely difficult to practice, or it has not been fully completed, which may lead to certain dangers in actual use.

Otherwise, the Fist of Freedom would not always be at a disadvantage in disputes.

After he started thinking, all kinds of ideas kept flashing in Alvin's mind like balls jumping into a basket.

He took a piece of candy and put it into his mouth. He began to think about the boxing-related content he had learned during this period, hoping to find out information such as "Why boxers need the secret of fighting spirit steel armor" and "What this secret means to boxers".

Seeing the boy beside her suddenly fall silent, Heidi rolled her eyes as if she guessed something, her brows raised subconsciously, and her face revealed a hint of surprise that could not be concealed.

You should know that as a special and extraordinary fighting skill that is being perfected, the most basic principles of boxing are similar to those of magic. It also uses one's own magic power to leverage external magic power as much as possible, thereby causing various impacts on the material world.

The difference is that when a spellcaster casts a spell, he mainly uses his own thoughts, that is, his spirit to manipulate the magic power, and then through further transformation of the spell, he achieves the result of attracting the free magic power from the outside world.

However, the medium used by the Silent Desert boxing school to influence magic power is breathing and boxing configuration, which not only involves spiritual elements, but also requires the use of the body to carry it.

Strictly speaking, both magic and boxing will put a certain amount of strain on the body, but the reaction force produced by the latter is undoubtedly stronger.

So……

I see……

A look of sudden realization appeared on Ivan's face.

The secret that can amplify the power of boxing must be able to share or offset this load to a certain extent. Otherwise, before the boxer can even throw an amplified punch, he will vomit blood or even die on the spot.

Almost in the next moment, another possibility immediately emerged in Ivan's mind.

So, can this secret technique reduce the side effects of other abilities that put a severe strain on the body?

For example - Reshape the world!

This talent, as powerful as authority, is unique to Titans, but it also produces a very strong load when used. Even Alvin may not feel anything when using it on a small scale, but he will feel an extremely obvious burden when using it at full power to reshape the world.

For example, it is like an ordinary person wearing steel armor weighing more than ten or twenty kilograms. Most healthy people may be able to just walk a few steps without any problem, but if they are asked to run at full speed in the armor or fight with each other, not everyone can bear it.

Speculating from this perspective, perhaps the Titan's body, which is so strong that it surpasses 99% of the races in the world, is simply to carry this power.

It can also be said that if the Titans did not have such powerful bodies, they would simply not be able to bear the innate power of [Reshaping the World], which can have a huge impact on the world itself and is as great and terrifying as the authority of God.