Star Forge Titan

"With the help of these blood tax extraction devices, the Witch King can simultaneously levy blood tax on all areas within the city-state's outermost walls."

"However, due to the decadence of the Fourth Wizard King, Sened, his city did not arrange enough manpower to guard and maintain the special magical devices buried underground. The few nobles who were in charge of this work could not be described as 'loyal to their duties'." Brad sneered.

"So, after paying a negligible amount of money, we were able to destroy some of the blood tax extraction devices in the city. This prevented the Witch King from successfully extracting the magic and vitality of the city-state's citizens during the subsequent battle, and also bought precious time for the evacuation of ordinary people."

"But it's different here?" Alvin naturally continued. He quickly realized the difference between the two cities.

"Yes, the city of Ismailia is far more developed than the city of Faiyum ruled by Senedd. Although the Witch King Menes is a little crazy, she still has a very complete military system under her command."

"That is to say, we can't destroy the blood tax extraction device as easily as last time." Although he gave a pessimistic answer, Brad still seemed very optimistic.

"Hence, everyone participated in the boxing match. This event effectively attracted the attention of the Witch King and his army, allowing us to find an opportunity to approach the blood tax extraction devices in certain areas and bury some alchemical explosives near those devices, uh, imported from the distant country of Linde."

"Can this alone destroy the Barrier of Despair?"

Ivan was not as optimistic as Brad. Based on the magical knowledge he possessed, the Barrier of Despair was obviously a large-scale positional defense spell.

And that kind of spell is no longer something that can be performed by an ordinary individual spellcaster, but a super-large-scale spell that has entered the category of war spells. The latter cannot be matched by individual spells in terms of scale or power.

Moreover, unlike ordinary positional defense spells that need to cover an entire city or an entire army, the Barrier of Despair used by the Witch King only needs to protect himself.

In that case, the defensive spell of the reduced position will inevitably show astonishing defensive strength, and it will be a real defensive barrier that is enough to make the enemy despair.

Huh? No...

If the Witch King's true form is some kind of extremely large monster, then the strength of this positional defense spell may not exceed the norm by much, unless the opponent's magic power reserves are unusually large.

The only concern is the Witch King's wicked blood tax, which allows him to maintain the Wall of Despair for a long time at a high power level. In a sense, this is essentially holding the entire city hostage, a despicable act.

In addition, Ivan also wondered, after collecting blood taxes for so many years, did the Witch King really have no sense of "saving"? Or did they actually need to regularly consume a large amount of magic power to maintain the existence of certain things?

In any case, if the Freedom Fist fighters want to defeat these old rulers who seem to have remained at the fourth level for a long time and are as decayed and rotten as dead trees, they need to make more preparations.

"Of course it's not that simple, but..." Brad raised his head to look at the exceptionally clear starry sky in the desert, then looked at his young junior brother.

As if he had figured something out, the serious expression on his face slowly faded away, replaced by a relaxed relief.

Brad raised his right arm towards the sky and slowly and firmly clenched his five fingers into a fist.

"As long as we're willing to make enough sacrifices, we can definitely defeat those damn monsters!"

Chapter 113 A Straight Punch

I didn't come here to see sacrifice.

Ivan didn't say this directly because he always believed that actions speak louder than words.

Judging from Brad's words, this senior brother is obviously ready to sacrifice himself to kill the Witch King. He is likely to become the next leader of the Free Fist, but he made this decision without any hesitation. It makes people wonder whether to admire his spirit or scold him for his recklessness.

But considering the legend of the so-called Fist of the Sky, perhaps it was a decision that had to be made.

Sad?

Seeing the relieved smile on Brad's face, Alvin didn't feel how sad his senior brother and those victims were, because they were walking towards this battlefield full of killing with smiles, just like the fist fighters who took the initiative to stand up to protect more people during the bloody seven days more than ten years ago.

But I didn't come here to see sacrifice.

After repeating his thoughts again, Alvin finally made a decision.

As for why? Honestly, it was probably a matter of ideological agreement. As a young man, Alvin's current thinking was relatively simple: to do the right thing. And to overthrow the Witch King's rule, for the vast majority of the desert people who had suffered under the oppression of their tyrannical rulers, was undoubtedly the right thing to do.

Even if they still have to work hard and fight the harsh natural environment in exchange for enough food to feed their families, at least they will no longer have their magic power regularly drained, causing almost irreversible loss of vitality, resulting in an average lifespan of only 30 or 40 years old, a short and miserable life like a fast-burning lamp.

Although they had no connection before, after arriving in the Silent Desert, whether he heard or saw, what Alvin saw from the Fist of Freedom was true fearlessness.

Their ideological realm may not be particularly high, and they may even have some rough and tumble spirit of risking everything and brotherhood, but there is only one thing that cannot be denied: they are indeed doing the right thing.

"Brother, what are you going to do?" Ivan asked directly:

Brad was silent for a moment, looked at his talented junior brother, and finally took a deep breath.

"I will be the new Fist of the Sky."

It will become, not will become, and certainly not is ready to become.

These words show that Brad is fully prepared to become a Sky Fist, a being that symbolizes sacrifice.

"Fist of the Sky, what exactly is that?" Ivan couldn't help but continue to ask:

"It is one of the last resorts of the Alliance against the Witch King, and it is also the last hope of the people in the desert." Brad smiled and continued.

"There's a long-standing story in the desert that the reason there's so little water and no rain here is because there are five evil dragons lurking deep within the earth, constantly sucking up all the living water on the surface. This is what's causing the land to become increasingly dry, leaving people with no water to drink."

"But one day, a brave warrior will appear. His fist can break even the sky and tear even the earth apart. That brave warrior will lead all the people of the desert, dig out the evil dragons hidden deep underground, break their throats, let the living water swallowed by the evil dragons flow again, and let the whole earth be covered with oases."

At the end of his speech, tears actually gleamed in Brad's eyes. The burly bearded man recalled his deceased relatives and companions, many of whom died of thirst.

More people were enslaved by the Witch King because of the dry and water-scarce environment, and their magic and vitality were constantly drained, just like lambs under the shepherd who had no choice but to be slaughtered.

"This story sounds beautiful, but when I think about it carefully, it doesn't seem real." Alvin whispered his thoughts.

"Yes, because I made up this story more than ten years ago." The heroic Brad rarely showed a malicious smile.

"What?" Alvin was stunned.

"People always want to believe in something, not just faith in God, but more of a kind of sustenance." Brad shook his head with emotion.

"Compared to the nine gods who never appeared, I hope people will believe in themselves and their companions. Even if it means believing in a fictional hero, as long as it can inspire people to rise up and resist, as long as it can make people persevere for tomorrow for another day, a month, or even a year, then it is also good."

"But!" Brad suddenly patted Ivan on the shoulder, and his expression became extremely serious.

"Junior Brother, I hope you can become the true Fist of the Blue Sky, a fighter who truly leads everyone to overthrow the rule of all wizard kings!"

"The real Fist of Heaven?" Alvin frowned, confirming once again that this 'title' was as he expected, and that there were many hidden meanings that had not yet been revealed.

"Yes, although I have only heard about its existence from my teacher. But if someone with limited talent like my senior brother accepts the inheritance of the Fist of the Sky, he can pose a threat to the Witch King's huge beast body in a short period of time. I think the real Fist of the Sky must be an even more powerful and fearless fighter." Brad nodded repeatedly.

"Brother, you don't know what the real Fist of Heaven is?" Alvin was really curious this time. He even wanted to ask, what is the Fist of Heaven that you became first?

"Well, I once heard some incomplete descriptions from Master. I only know that it was a giant of 'Chi' as tall as the sky. As long as his feet remained on the ground, he could possess an endless supply of 'Chi', which could endlessly enhance the power of his boxing to a level beyond imagination!" Brad said with a little excitement.

"Then why don't you let me become the Fist of Heaven now?" Alvin looked at his senior brother in confusion.

The latter immediately got stuck and then showed a very embarrassed expression.

"Because, because the true Heaven's Fist ritual has not yet been completed." Brad said helplessly:

“Although after nearly a hundred years of continuous development and supplementation, the realm of boxing is far from being as crude as it was at the beginning, but there is still a long way to go before the true Fist of Heaven is born.” As he spoke, he suddenly revealed an unwavering expression.

"If you are Junior Brother, I believe that you, who have already begun to comprehend the true meaning of boxing, will definitely be able to lead the young people of the alliance to complete the true Heavenly Fist Ritual within the next ten years."

"When that happens, it will be the end of all wizard kings!"

Brad clenched his fists, pounded his chest, and smiled particularly heartily.

"As for you, brothers, masters, and other older fighters, what we need to do now is to relieve you of some of the pressure and burden when you reach that time."

“…” Alvin was silent.

Brad's words, no longer concealed, had already revealed the entire plan, minus the details. His intention was clear: he hoped his fellow apprentice could evacuate with the younger generation of the Freedom Fists.

These young men will become seeds, while the older fighters, with the courage to risk everything, will enter the Saya Palace under the guise of the King Selection Tournament, and then - assassinate the king!!!

How could these warriors, who had fought the Witch King their entire lives, not see the tricks within his secret magic? Even if the whole thing was just a conspiracy, if they could use the trick to kill another Witch King, it would completely change the landscape of the Silent Desert!

This is the Freedom Fist plan.

Like a declaration in the sunshine, a simple and straightforward plan!

Chapter 114: Not to be underestimated

It turns out that the Freedom Fist's plan is just that straightforward.

But if you think about it carefully, there is some truth to this.

When it comes to a being as powerful as the Witch King, any trick may fail due to the slightest negligence. On the contrary, such a straightforward and head-on plan is more trustworthy in terms of fault tolerance.

What concerned Alvin even more was Brad's retelling of the description of the Sky-Breaking Fist.

A giant with infinite magic power can control infinite "qi" by stepping on the ground.

Why does this description sound subtly... familiar?

It seems a bit like a combat proxy, that is, the huge humanoid steel decisive battle weapon called the Giant God Soldier by the Linde people in modern times, but if you think about it carefully, it is not exactly the same.

The more Alvin came into contact with the legacy left by the ultra-ancient Uranus civilization, the more he felt the enormous power possessed by the Titans of that era.

For a true Titan, the core talent [Reshape the World] might be just an almost instinctive power like eating, drinking, walking, sitting or lying down. Just like people don't feel strange about their hearts beating, Titans are probably accustomed to using [Reshape the World].

The combat proxy in its complete state is very likely to be much larger than the modern restored body he has come into contact with. After all, it is a combat weapon used by Titans that is said to be able to fight on the astronomical unit scale in the void.

Could they be giants, then? Those special races that mimic their creators, cultivating gigantic secondary bodies for themselves, allowing them to switch back and forth between normal human forms and larger ones?

Although he didn't know much about real giants, and the truly miraculous nature of their ecological activities, Ivan was more inclined to believe that the image described by Brad came from a giant, or more precisely, from the Giant Kingdom, rather than the Giant God Soldier he knew, a special combat surrogate for Titan warriors.

What is this infinite 'Chi'? The 'Chi' that the Fist Fighter refers to is the magical power that exists naturally in the human body, which Ivan naturally knows.

But standing on the ground with both feet, one can obtain infinite "qi". Does this mean that giants can absorb magic power from the earth? Or is this sentence actually meaning something else?

Questions kept popping up in his mind, but Alvin immediately grasped the key.

Regardless of what the real Sky-Breaking Fist is, Brad's intention to talk to him at this moment is very clear.

"After saying so much, do you want to persuade me not to participate in the next finals?" Alvin asked the question incisively.

"Yes." Brad nodded very frankly.

"Including you, there are six fighters from the alliance who have entered the finals. This is more than enough for what we are going to do next."

"Combined with the palace map you sent back earlier, the other fighters in the alliance will be able to sneak into the Shaye Palace more quickly. The teacher will also be accompanying them. This way, the plan is going even more smoothly than expected." Brad said with some joy.

"..." Alvin did not refute his senior brother's words, because in the other party's opinion, this was indeed the development of things.

But he knew that the eyes of the Witch King Menes were already on him, and what was going to happen next was not just a battle between the Fist of Freedom and the Witch King, but also his delicate relationship with that unknown admirer.

The change in the format of the final round of qualifiers was enough to explain the situation. Even if he chose to forfeit, the most important audience would not easily allow this to happen.

Besides, I also want to see what kind of twisted person is who can be keen on being a tyrant for a whole hundred years?

Human curiosity is not something cats have, well, neither is Titan's.

"Does the teacher know about the change in plans?"

"Of course. In fact, it was he who took the initiative to ask you to evacuate early with the young members." Brad nodded and said quickly:

"Oh? That's a bit surprising." Alvin muttered to himself.

Rigor's reaction was different from before. The Great Elder originally gave people the impression that he was confident and calm.

But what was the reason for this change? Or perhaps some unexpected incident had occurred recently, causing the Great Elder to change his mind so quickly.

Has the enemy grown stronger? No, according to rumors, all the Sorcerer Kings have, for some reason, remained at their current rank for nearly a hundred years. The probability of this changing in the near future is extremely low and can be basically ignored.

So, the number of enemies has increased...

A somewhat terrifying year emerged in Alvin's mind.

"Brother, Brad, how many Witch Kings can the Fist of Freedom plan deal with?" Alvin looked at his brother beside him seriously.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Of course, we can only challenge one Witch King at a time. Even if we drink two barrels of dwarven liquor, even if we regain the power of the Skybreaker Fist, we can't expect to destroy multiple Witch Kings at once!" Brad said with a smile.

"If...I mean if." Alvin took a deep breath.

Maybe he was just overthinking it, or maybe the teacher had other arrangements, but he really didn't know why the Great Elder Rigor would conceal such a serious accident.

But when it comes to what needs to be said, Alvin won't hesitate and act like a riddler.

I hope I'm just overthinking it...

"If there are now two or more Witch Kings in the city, is it still necessary to carry out the alliance's plan?"

"That's impossible." Brad immediately began to shake his head.

"It is impossible for a Witch King to enter the territory of another Witch King while still alive. For them, it would be like handing their heads to the sword of their opponent. It is a pure suicide."

"Oh? The relationship between the wizard and the king is very bad?"

Although Ivan was somewhat surprised by this, he wasn't surprised. Wasn't it normal for the feudal lords to have terrible relations with each other? Furthermore, they were a group of tyrants whose essence was closer to that of slave owners.

What tyrants hate most, apart from the heroes who are high up and staring at their heads all day long, is probably the other tyrant who is staring at the broken chair under their butts.

"Well, anyway, when the Bloody Seven Days happened more than ten years ago, their relationship had completely fallen below freezing point. There was no longer any official communication. Wherever a Witch King appeared, no other Witch King would appear within a hundred miles." Brad shrugged.

"God knows what happened between those tyrants?"