Star Forge Titan

In his opinion, there should be a more complete version of the so-called earth vein calling method.

While this secret technique possesses a profound purpose, its operational efficiency is woefully low. This isn't entirely due to the technique itself; the perception of a single transcendent has its limits. While Earth Vein Calling can enhance the user's awareness of the surrounding ground, this limit still exists objectively.

The geothermal energy and the power of crustal movement are distributed over a very wide area of ​​the earth. Being on the surface, and within a limited range, the total amount of energy that can be collected is not much.

Even if a special individual like Ivan, whose attributes in all aspects are maximized, uses it, it can only be used as an auxiliary means of regular magic recovery, and the effect is not that obvious.

Taking the time it takes to fully deplete mana and then restore it to full, for example, adding the additional replenishment from Earth Calling can only reduce the time by less than 0.1%. In other words, it is a typical useless piece.

In this regard, Alvin came up with two guesses.

First, this is a secret method that has gone in the wrong direction or has not been completed, but because it can enhance the user's perception of the earth, it has been recycled and used as a part of the ritual to communicate with the earth's magical network.

Second, for the same reason as being used as part of a communication ritual, Earth Calling itself has a more complete version, capable of collecting all energy from not only the earth, but also the sky, ocean, and even the areas encompassed, and converting it into magical power.

Such a secret technique might be incredibly powerful.

After realizing this incredible possibility, Ivan himself was a little bit incredulous. Perhaps only by thoroughly investigating the ruins left by the Giant Kingdom and finding relevant materials or information could the true answer be obtained.

Just as he was thinking, Thorin's scream suddenly came from outside. Ivan opened the door in surprise and saw the scene just now.

"Since nothing is lost, come and help look at the map." Shaking his head with a helpless smile, the black-haired boy tried to make a suggestion.

It turns out that when you are in a good mood, you are more productive.

Thorin fumbled out the glass ring hidden in his beard, and borrowed tools from the front to make a necklace pendant that could be opened and closed. The size was just enough to accommodate a glass ring placed inside, and the outside was covered with the dwarf's thick beard.

At this time, Heidi also walked out of the room and onto the deck. The Rogilas was in a slow cruising state, so the wind on the deck was not very strong, and it could even take away a lot of the heat from the hot desert environment.

Place the glass ball in the sunlight, and the secret treasure map will be immediately projected onto the deck surface.

A few curious cats and bugs also came over, and everyone gathered around the map to determine the location marked on it.

"This piece should refer to the starry sky pattern of the treasure hiding place. The time is recorded in mirror text next to it. It should be the starry sky observed at around nine o'clock in the evening at the treasure hiding place." Alvin skillfully decomposed some information from a pile of complicated patterns.

Although he doesn't participate much in the decryption environment in the game, there are enthusiasts in this area in the guild who will be responsible for handling it, but he is still someone who has seen pigs trotting, and has seen pigs trotting to lose weight many times.

Therefore, Alvin was able to quickly discern useful information from the rather abstract part of the treasure map.

"Howling Wind Mountain, that's not a safe area." Heidi frowned and read out a place name.

As a successful businessman, she was naturally not unfamiliar with the starry sky in the desert. Relying on several more obvious constellation patterns, the female mage quickly identified the area where she could see the starry sky.

Surprisingly, when Thorin heard the name of this place, he suddenly shuddered all over as if he remembered something terrible.

"What's wrong? Have you been to this place?" Ivan asked subconsciously:

"Well, yes, but I don't have any good memories of this place." Thorin forced a smile that was uglier than crying.

"When I was little, probably in my teens. For us dwarves, this age is still childhood." After explaining briefly, the young dwarf continued in a dry and sweet voice:

"My uncle, that old bastard, said he would take me on a spring outing, but we ended up going to this damn, damn, godforsaken place." Thorin's expression gradually turned into gnashing of teeth.

"He said he wanted to train my courage, and then he kicked me, a child at that time, off the top of the mountain! Ten times! Ten times!"

Thorin let out a cry of great grief and anger, then raised his hands to cover his face, looking as if he couldn't bear to look back on the past.

Are all of you dwarves so tough? He swallowed the complaint back down his throat.

"I suggest you take a look at this..." Alvin pointed to another part of the treasure map with some embarrassment.

"This text message probably explains why your uncle did such an exaggerated thing."

Chapter 15 Sky Dwarfs

In Palladio, if you have a dwarf friend, you don't ask him to ride the cable car.

This group of short and strong men who have lived underground all year round often climb up and down in the deep mines, but when they see the blue sky, they will feel an uncontrollable dizziness.

Simply put, these guys have a subtle fear of heights, the reverse kind.

Because of its very distinct manifestations, this special fear of heights is named sky phobia. Because it is more common in various races that live underground all year round, and it is particularly frequent among dwarves, it is also called dwarf-specific complex acrophobia.

Because of this problem, Thorin had barely left the cabin since boarding the Rogilus, except for three meals a day. As he put it, standing high up and looking at the endless blue sky, he always had a subtle illusion of being sucked up.

Originally, Thorin planned to lock himself in the cabin and not come out, intending to be a real cave dweller during the entire voyage of the Rogilas.

But when it comes to the analysis of the Witch King's treasure map, he, as the person involved, has to come and even take the initiative to talk about the "unbearable" past.

When Thorin heard what Ivan said, he couldn't help but look surprised.

"You mean, that old bastard did that to make me remember the location of the treasure?"

"To be precise, your uncle wants you to overcome the common fear of the sky among dwarves, so he uses a bungee jumping-like method to train you." Alvin nodded and pointed to the treasure map projected on the ground after being illuminated.

"According to the information on the map, the legacy of the Witch King Thaned should be hidden somewhere on the cliffs of Howling Mountain. Considering that the mountainous area in the Silent Desert is very limited, the location of Howling Mountain is likely to be a good one."

"Also, if my guess is correct, the specific location where the inheritance is buried should be the cliff that left the deepest impression on you." When he said this, Alvin's expression couldn't help but become a little strange, and he looked like he wanted to laugh but was embarrassed to do so.

Heidi next to her raised her eyebrows, obviously feeling the same way.

"..." Thorin frowned, drooped his shoulders, and finally felt as unbearable as if he was wearing a mask of pain.

In a sense, his uncle's past behavior had indeed left a deep impression on him of that particular place, and he would probably never forget it for the rest of his life.

But on the other hand, due to the horrific experiences in childhood (especially horrific for dwarves), Thorin's dwarves have a special fear of heights, which is even more serious than other dwarves who have lived underground for a long time.

During the worst times, he had to wear a custom-made helmet when he went out, using the specially extended brim structure on the forehead to block the sky above his head, and only looking at the brim and the ground as he moved forward.

Thorin has now largely overcome this symptom. Generally speaking, as long as he doesn't encounter situations such as climbing up from the bottom or accidentally falling from a height, his dwarf's special combined fear of heights will basically not occur.

"Do we have to look up at the sky and climb up the cliff?" Thorin clenched his fists and let out a sound that was almost a cry.

"..." Alvin looked at his young dwarf friend with pity, and then proposed a relatively compromising solution.

"Don't worry. Once we confirm the location, we can have the Rogilas approach and then use ropes to lower it down to the treasure spot."

"That's great!" Thorin showed a relieved look as if 'my illness is finally cured', then he held Ivan's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Tall boy, you really are my best friend."

"Boys' friendships really do form quickly." Heidi couldn't help but smile when she saw this scene.

Then she seemed to think of something, and couldn't help but lean over to the black-haired boy's ear and whispered a few words.

Ivan thought about it and felt that although the sorceress's words contained some malicious intentions, they were essentially not wrong, so he offered some well-intentioned (probably) advice to Thorin.

"Thorin, you can use other methods to avoid this problem this time, but I still suggest that you work hard to overcome your shortcomings. Otherwise, if you encounter an enemy who uses a targeted illusion or other means, it will be very disastrous."

"..." Thorin looked conflicted after hearing his companion's words. He was not stupid and of course he would be aware of the hidden dangers, but psychological problems could not be overcome just by saying so.

"The fastest way to overcome fear is to face it, get familiar with it, and then stop being afraid." As he spoke, Alvin pointed to the various strange cat-carrying aircraft parked on the top deck.

"I think you could try riding the various vehicles made by the cats and bugs. Maybe after a few rides you'll get used to it?"

Considering the size of the dwarf, it is not particularly difficult to get into the cat-carrying aircraft. As long as it is not overweight, it should be able to take off smoothly.

The more difficult problem to overcome lies on a psychological level. How to stop fearing the sky, and the feeling of falling from great heights, is probably the real formidable enemy Thorin will face next.

The cats and bugs who heard this became eager to try it out. They came to Thorin with various aircraft models in their hands, meowing and recommending the cat-carrying aircraft they designed to the dwarf.

The dwarf's face turned very pale, but his naturally stubborn and strong character would not allow him to back down.

Gritting his teeth, Thorin closed his eyes and pointed casually.

"I'll choose this one!"

"You are so brave..." Alvin gave sincere praise.

Thorin opened his eyes and looked at the cat-worm he was pointing at. A clearly visible smile of joy immediately appeared on the other's orange-yellow furry face.

The dwarf turned his neck dryly and looked at the aircraft model held in the cat-worm's hand. That thing was exactly the dining car flapping-wing aircraft that rushed out of the deck and started free falling without hesitation!

"Well...well, can I choose again?"

When Thorin was tied with ropes... and fixed to the bottom of the dining car, and Catworm himself climbed to the top of the dining car with a parachute on his back, the young dwarf could not help but ask this last question in a trembling voice.

"No regrets on your move. How can a man say he is not capable?" Alvin put on a pair of handsome windproof glasses with a leather frame and two pieces of transparent glass, and waved his hand proudly to express his refusal.

At this moment, he also boarded another aircraft and planned to soar into the sky with Thorin.

This aircraft is a model that performed relatively well in previous flight shows. Its operating principle is somewhat similar to the hang glider that Alvin had seen in his previous life. However, its fuselage is a rigid structure instead of a flexible one. It is also equipped with a power system, so it flies more freely than a simple unpowered hang glider.

From a distance, its shape resembles the flat-bodied manta ray in the ocean, which is a strange fish with the scientific name manta ray. The outline of the long and narrow wings is particularly similar. The overall look is like a mechanical manta ray made of metal, which is very cool.

Like other cat-carrying aircraft, this aircraft also has no cockpit. The operator needs to stand on the platform in the middle of the wing, holding two upright metal handrails, and change the flight direction by changing his own center of gravity or adjusting the wing deflectors.

It can be understood as a flying skateboard, but of course the specific operation is more complicated.

In short, this thing is difficult to use in practice. It took Alvin five minutes to fully understand how to drive it, and then he felt it was really great.

A young barbarian from the north actually had experience of using a rocket fist to take off in an emergency before, but that was an emergency after all, and the experience was not very good. It was not as easy and fun as this free and easy powered hang glider.

But everyone has different feelings. The easy and fun flying experience for Ivan was more like a cruel trial for Thorin, not to mention that the aircraft he was riding was converted from a [Dwarf Swear] dining car!

"Put me down! Put me down! Aa ...

As the dining car ornithopter accelerated along the top deck, the dwarf no longer cared about his masculinity and without hesitation let out a shrill scream like a frightened little girl.

Especially when the dining car rushed out of the deck...

A noble dwarf prince, a resolute dwarf warrior, a talented dwarf bard, he couldn't help but roll his eyes upwards, a click in his throat, and foam spilled from the corners of his bearded mouth...

Thorin fell into a coma just like that.

Chapter 16 Arriving First

Alvin had to admit that it felt great to operate the aircraft and soar into the sky.

The strong wind blowing in the face gave people a direct touch feeling that could not be felt while sitting in the car. The extraordinary person's strong physical fitness made Alvin completely unconcerned about the load and coldness of high-speed flight.

His messy black hair fluttered in the wind like a domineering pirate flag, rustling in the wind.

The experience of feeling the flow of air and the breeze directly with your skin can make you fully appreciate the exhilaration of soaring across the sky.

At this moment, he was only wearing a pair of leather-framed glass windshield goggles, and he was not wearing the warm anti-gravity suit that was a must-have for pilots in his previous life. Instead, he was wearing an ordinary white cloak, paired with traditional desert-style wide-leg pants and a white linen long-sleeved top for sun protection.

In addition, the aircraft controlled by Alvin was named "long flying board" by the cats and bugs, and can be classified as a small powered hang glider.

Although this aircraft is somewhat difficult to use due to its special driving method, as long as you are proficient in the unique operation method, you can perform various difficult aerial maneuvers very flexibly. It really is like a skateboard flying in the sky, extremely light and extremely free.

In the distance, the Rogilas had become a small black dot in the sky. Ivan's own huge reserves of magic power were enough to continue supporting the operation of the aircraft for a long time after the magic power stored inside the flying board was exhausted.

Even taking into account the talents that can improve the speed of magic recovery, considering the consumption rate of this aircraft alone, it is not a problem for him to fly a thousand kilometers in one breath. Rounding it off, it is about twice the range of an ordinary civilian car. Hmm, it doesn't seem so impressive at this glance.

After I finished complaining about myself, a voice came from below the aircraft, as if someone had just woken up.

"Where...to?" Thorin rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly.

"We're almost at the station. You can still sleep a little longer." Ivan jokingly said in a slightly teasing voice:

Hearing this, the dwarf suddenly became extremely energetic! Because he found himself tied up with several thick hemp ropes, like an additional auxiliary fuel tank with a capacity of nearly 200 liters of beer, in a messy but very stable way, directly mounted under the aircraft controlled by Ivan.

"Oh! Father of Forging, Uncle! Dad! Mom! Grandpa! Grandma! The first ancestor of the Armitage family!!! Why am I still in heaven! Ohh ...

After howling for a long time, the noble former dwarf prince and romantic current dwarf bard - Thorin Armitage finally managed to regain his composure with a trembling hand.

"Let me go! My friend, my best friend! My most noble friend! Please let me go as soon as possible!"

Thorin begged loudly in a manner that was completely unlike that of a tough dwarf. If it weren't for his big beard, Ivan would have thought that the person begging him was a weak goblin.

This is understandable. After all, Thorin is still a young man. His brain is not as stubborn as that of an adult dwarf. He can just grit his teeth and accept it. After all, there is no one else watching...

"This doesn't look like a dwarf~" The voice of the female mage, or now it should be called a 'witch', came from the side.

Thorin looked over with wide eyes, only to see Heidi sitting sideways with her legs crossed on the back of a stuffed cow doll that had swelled up to the point that its entire body had become round.

This bull doll, which is obviously also an animal fiber war doll, has its two short and thick arms raised forward and its two hind legs together and facing backward, and the overall shape resembles the flying movements of O-Man. Relying on flying magic and the high-pressure gas continuously ejected from the bull's tail to the rear, it can achieve a flying speed that is no less than that of a powered hang glider.

I have to say that in terms of creativity, this thing is not inferior to those strange flying machines invented by cats and bugs, and the design style is also very consistent with Heidi's "witch" job.

Putting aside the fact that Heidi had managed to upgrade the Beast Fiber Doll to a flying version in such a short time, Thorin was completely devastated.

If possible, he wished he could go back a few minutes ago, pin the self who was begging for mercy to the ground and beat him up until his face became so red and swollen that he could no longer speak.

"Are you sure you want to go down now? Haha!" Ivan couldn't help laughing halfway through his words.

"..."

Thorin stared at the desert surface a few hundred meters away with wide eyes and fell into a long silence. Just when Ivan began to worry, the dwarf suddenly spoke again.

"Looking at it this way, the ground looks like a huge cup of golden ale with no end in sight, burp!"

Did the meltdown therapy work? Ivan was stunned for a moment, suddenly realizing that Thorin was surprisingly calm at the moment.