Star Forge Titan

What do you mean I'm on fire? Why am I on fire? I don't feel anything.

The black-haired boy pulled out a metal sword from the spiritual space. It seemed that there were a lot of messy things in his space. Should he take some time to clean it up?

Putting aside his chaotic thoughts, Alvin finally saw the 'small' changes happening to himself at this moment with the help of the metal reflection of the smooth blade of the sword.

But a ring of fire composed of golden and red flames was rising in front of the black-haired boy's forehead.

The source came from the azure crystal between his eyebrows that had emerged from under his skin at some point in time. The main part of the fire ring did not directly touch the rest of the skin, but just floated quietly like a phantom a few centimeters away from Ivan's skin and hair, and always maintained a stable burning state.

In addition, if you look closely, you will find that it is not so much a ring of fire as it is a glowing crown composed of rising flames.

The azure crystalline structure between the boy's eyebrows is the bright gem inlaid in the center of the crown. The rising flames are generated from it and present a standard mountain-shaped structure with a high center and gradually lower edges. There are also sharp peaks rising from the side, and the whole body emits a dazzling golden-red light to the surroundings.

"I'm not on fire..." Ivan raised his hand to stop Brad from trying to put out the fire with his clothes, and then continued with some surprise.

"This is just a manifestation of the power of the soul."

The most important prerequisite for the power of the soul to be transformed into tangible power is that the awakened person's own will is strong enough to interfere with the external material world.

Therefore, the priority of soul power is higher than ordinary magic power, and the resulting macro-imagination is so diverse that it is almost impossible to classify.

Because it itself comes from the most free thinking.

But this is just a theoretical statement based on the most ideal conditions.

Most extraordinary people, even if they awaken this power, will be influenced by external objective factors such as their own knowledge, concepts, and even the education they have received, and can only use their thoughts to directly change the external world to a limited extent.

Thus, all sorts of bizarre soul abilities emerged. Furthermore, as transcendents gradually became familiar with their soul power, the manifestation of that power would also change.

In addition, in the early stages of awakening soul power, magic is also a very critical medium. Without magic, pure spirit or will cannot interfere with material reality so easily.

After completing the initial awakening of the soul, the next stage of the extraordinary person will be able to speed up the operation of soul power and enhance its power by consuming magic power simultaneously. The key also lies in the strength of the extraordinary person's own will.

Only with a strong enough will can one indirectly increase the power of the soul in this way.

As for how to fully awaken the power of the soul, that is another matter.

"I see." Brad showed an expression of sudden enlightenment.

At present, the new era has only just begun, and the various supernatural schools on the Pallady Continent have not yet launched large-scale exchanges and discussions of supernatural knowledge. Any knowledge related to soul power is firmly sealed within the top circles within the schools. Even within such circles, it is extremely confidential and only accessible to the upper ranks.

For the Silent Desert, a border area that is at a barbaric stage in terms of both material and knowledge, it is an intangible treasure that is thousands of times scarcer than pure water.

Therefore, even Brad, a high-ranking member of the Freedom Fists, was completely unaware of this. In fact, even Ivan himself would not have known about this if he hadn't had that wonderful experience playing in the virtual world of Palladio.

But soon, Brad frowned again.

According to my junior, the manifestation of soul power is a characteristic of a transcendent entering the second stage after becoming familiar with the awakened soul power. But right now, it seems that only... 24 hours have passed since Ivan awakened his soul power?

Not noticing the increasingly strange look from his senior brother beside him, Alvin adjusted his thoughts and retracted the crown of fire produced by the manifestation of his soul power.

He was not surprised at all. He had long known that increasing magic power consumption simultaneously could increase the strength of soul power. This kind of performance was just a normal little thing.

What really concerns Alvin is what the First Wizard King, Horhara, is doing right now.

Unlike Linde's Butcher Prince, who was half-crippled—no, completely crippled, like a burnt-out candle swaying in the wind—if Horhara could truly transcend his limitations through unknown means and become a Perfect Fifth-Rank Being, then the mere existence of the Soul Realm would be a chasm too great for Alvin to overcome.

If this is the truth, then the First Sorcerer King's pursuit of the Gaia Disc wasn't solely for the leyline magic. Simply increasing magic power wouldn't be enough to surpass the Fifth Stage. If this weren't the case, why haven't any of the archaeologists in the City of Thousand Towers, who have discovered and hoarded countless ancient magic furnaces, reached the Fifth Stage over the years?

Even if the magic power that a single magic furnace can provide is not even a fraction of the earth vein network, the amount they have excavated from ruins around the world is still not small.

After thinking about this, Alvin made a decision immediately.

"Brother, I may need to leave for a while."

"In other words, you want to personally investigate the First Wizard King's current situation." Brad said with certainty:

"Yes, rather than passively waiting for the opponent to make a move, I prefer to take the initiative. After all, now that I have awakened my soul power, I am confident enough to deal with ordinary wizard kings, even if they have not fallen into madness." But then, Alvin changed the subject.

"But if the First Sorcerer King completes his advancement to become a fifth-level Perfected Sorcerer, the balance of power between the enemy and us will be overturned once again."

"...has it turned into a race?" Brad let out a wry laugh.

"Yes, if I can stop the First Wizard King before he completes his ascension, the balance of victory will greatly favor us."

"On the contrary, if the First Wizard King is allowed to successfully complete his promotion, this desert and the wider territory will fall under the rule of a tyrannical lord." Brad naturally continued his words.

"Indeed." Alvin paused and didn't say much.

But according to his estimation, even if the First Sorcerer King could complete his promotion, he would probably only be able to rule the Silent Desert. After all, in the far north, there was a veteran fifth-level Sorcerer who was recovering.

If it really doesn't work, I can also run away with the desert people, but in that case, probably only a few people can leave successfully.

Therefore, he would never make such a drastic choice unless it was absolutely necessary.

It’s just that when you have a way out, your mentality will indeed become more relaxed.

"I'll have someone prepare a map from Shakara to Fayum, and the relevant routes should be determined in advance. In this way, if the Witch King wakes up early and launches an attack here, we can ensure that the messenger sent can find you in time." Brad quickly agreed to Ivan's plan and made very prudent suggestions.

"Well, it is indeed necessary." Ivan continued with a smile:

"If it doesn't work, you can also use the golden fighting clothes to fly directly to me."

"...very tired." Brad sighed, his tone somewhat helpless and proud.

Although the fighting steel armor he possesses is not complete, his unique hawk-like appearance combined with the bonus of the golden fighting armor makes him one of the few boxers who can fly long distances. It seems that soon the past name of 'Wrist Blade Brad' will be replaced by new names such as 'Storm Eagle King' or 'Desert Eagle'.

Both brothers were decisive men, and having made their decision, they quickly completed the necessary preparations. In fact, aside from some work that needed to be handed over, Alvin didn't need to make any other preparations.

Using the lepton space solely as a spatial warehouse was certainly overkill, but there was no need to bring an extra suitcase. As for the water and food necessary for desert travel, these were no problem for a higher-level transcendent, let alone a Titan descendant like Ivan who possessed the core talent [Reshape the World].

After awakening his soul power and completing his promotion, Alvin felt vaguely grateful for his current self. Even if he was thrown into space, he could probably live peacefully for several months.

So, Brad and the fighters of the Free Fist will continue the post-war reconstruction in the city of Shakara, while Ivan, unknown to everyone, will start to march towards the city of Fayum, which was once ruled by the Third Witch King but now fell into the hands of the First Witch King, the next morning.

"Well, I'll be leaving now." Wearing a white cloak that was no longer necessary for sun protection, the black-haired boy had a bright smile on his face. He was surrounded by the few Free Fist leaders who knew about his departure, namely several masters of the Fighter Council.

"Be careful, but honestly, I think the news of your departure will soon be known to outsiders." A familiar boxing master couldn't help but say:

"Indeed, after all, under normal circumstances, I appear at the construction site every day." Alvin rolled his eyes and complained helplessly.

"The stand-in can't do those...amazing things you usually do." Brad slapped his forehead, but didn't continue to dissuade him.

"Anyway, I will resolve this matter as soon as possible. If possible, the remaining statue at the Freedom Academy can be destroyed when I come back." Alvin looked at everyone meaningfully.

"Master will definitely laugh out loud if that happens." Brad shook his head and said with a smile:

"Even though our acquaintance was brief, he was always proud of you."

"Yeah." Ivan agreed softly, then he raised his hand to touch the edge of his hooded cloak and gave everyone a bright smile.

"Everyone, I'll be back soon."

Then, the black-haired boy turned around, and his figure began to emit a faint light and became extremely blurry in an instant.

The next moment, the blurry image left at the spot dissipated into the air, and Ivan's back appeared on the sand dune a hundred meters away.

"Such a fast speed..." Seeing this, Brad rubbed his eyes subconsciously, and then felt a sense of both laughter and tears.

"This guy could probably run back and forth in a day."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the figure who had just left reappear in front of him.

"What? Did you forget to bring something?" Brad raised his eyebrows, and then noticed that there was an extra... thing in Ivan's hand.

"Hurry up and find some food and water." The boy's tone was very urgent.

Placing the 'thing' in his hand flat on the ground, Brad realized that it was actually a halfling in very poor physical condition.

Yes, on the first day of preparing to leave Shakara, Alvin met an old friend who had escaped from Fayum.

The halfling thief Lilim escaped successfully.

Chapter 79: Diary from a Hundred Years Ago

"Breathe in, breathe out!"

The sound of a whirlwind echoed in the cafeteria.

The halfling thief, whose cheeks were sunken from hunger, ate the food brought from the kitchen in big mouthfuls.

If an ordinary person suddenly overeats after experiencing long-term hunger, it is likely to lead to serious consequences ranging from sudden death to choking.

But as a superhuman being, Lilith is at least less likely to choke to death. On the contrary, sufficient calorie intake will help her recover from physical deficiencies as quickly as possible.

You have to know that in the previous forty-eight hours, this thief who was good at running had hardly stopped. He fled from the ruins of Fayoum with one breath, and then approached the nearest city, Shakara.

Even for a warrior who prefers physical enhancement, this level of consumption is by no means light. The half-orc girl, who originally had cheeks as round as apples, became visibly thinner after this run. Her thick legs and baby fat were all gone, and even her arms became thinner.

Moreover, it was not only the physical exhaustion, but the experience of witnessing the battle between the Witch King and Lilith had also put her under tremendous mental pressure. At the end of the run, she almost relied on instinct to continue walking, and both her mind and body were on the verge of limit.

The only lucky thing about this experience was that the city of Shakara had been occupied by the Free Fist, and when Lilith reached the outskirts of the city, she happened to meet Ivan who was about to leave.

Having enhanced his reconnaissance and perception abilities by integrating them into his [Heavenly Eyes], Ivan could sense the familiar magical fluctuations from afar. As he got closer, he immediately recognized the short figure, Feng Cheng Pu Pu, or perhaps a beggar fleeing famine, as the long-unseen Lilim.

Feeling extremely surprised, he immediately stepped forward to support the staggering halfling.

When Lilim first saw Ivan, she thought she was hallucinating from exhaustion. She had also heard the news of Ismailia's destruction, the death of the Second Sorcerer King, the rise of the Free Fists, and other exaggerated news that had shocked the entire Silent Desert for two whole years.

But the halfling thief who came out to explore far away from his hometown did not expect that the black-haired boy who was rumored to have inherited the Holy Fist and defeated the Witch King would actually capture several cities in such a short time, and even the city of Shakara had been conquered.

So, Lilith, who was extremely hungry and exhausted, could only smile weakly before her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Fortunately, she was just tired and over-exhausted. The moment she smelled the aroma of food, the half-orc, who was just in a coma, immediately turned over and got up, sniffing.

After devouring the easily digestible food specially prepared by the kitchen, Lilim felt as if she had come back to life.

"Adventurer, although it may be a bit too hasty to ask this now, we must find out what happened in Fayoum City before?" Brad, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but ask while patiently waiting for the other party to gulp down a large bottle of fermented wheat juice. Ivan next to him nodded in response.

Originally, he planned to go to Fayoum City to investigate the specific situation by himself, but since there was a ready-made eyewitness in front of him, he didn't mind asking before deciding whether to set off immediately.

"Phew, don't mention it. I'm afraid there is no Faiyum City anymore." Lilim slammed the oak wine glass, which was almost as big as her head, on the table, her tone sounding particularly bitter.

She looked at the cleared cafeteria and the several fighters guarding outside, and finally, she focused her attention on Ivan and Brad who were sitting not far away.

"The First Wizard King launched a surprise attack at the banquet. He used unknown methods to break the Third Wizard King's barrier of despair in a very short time, and then killed him completely in a beast battle in an even shorter time." The halfling girl's face, which had just turned a little red due to eating, suddenly turned extremely pale.

So fast?

Alvin was a little surprised. Even with his current abilities, it was not easy to defeat the Witch King, let alone accomplish it in a short period of time.

Breaking the Barrier of Despair was no longer a problem for him. The combination of the Fist of Heaven and the Storm Fighting Holy Fist could quickly find the weaknesses in the Barrier of Despair and penetrate them.

Then, all Ivan had to do was consume the opponent's soul power through battle. Although his own soul power had just awakened, at that time, with the ability of "fragmentation into light", anyone who did not master soul power would be killed instantly by him.

Only by mastering the power of the soul can one avoid being forcibly transformed into light by Alvin. However, the superior extraordinary people who master the power of the soul can resist this attack through their own soul power.

To defeat enemies of this level, one needs to exhaust their soul power through fighting, and then one can destroy this defense and activate one's own soul power to force the opponent to turn into light from body to spirit.

This process seems to be only two steps, but a fourth-level creature like the Witch King, who has a huge beast body and huge soul power, can resist for a long time.

Therefore, it was difficult for Alvin to imagine how the First Witch King could completely defeat the Third Witch King in such a short time.

"At that time, I was in the palace kitchen not too far from the banquet venue. I saw with my own eyes the beast bodies of the two wizard kings fighting each other. That scene... was simply a nightmare."

As she spoke, Lilim began to tremble. The terrifying scene, which was like a hurricane and a tsunami confronting each other, and a volcano and thunder colliding with each other, made her feel weak and powerless even at the mere memory.

"It's okay, you're okay now." Ivan held Lilim's shoulders and said calmly:

The black-haired boy's voice revealed a matter-of-fact calmness, as if he was stating some fact that was already established.

Although he had just awakened the power of his soul, his spirit was already enough to have a slight impact on the surrounding environment. With just a word, Lilim suddenly felt that the fear in her heart dissipated like a phantom, and the words she spoke became fluent and free again.

Thinking about the recent actions of this long-lost former teammate, this feeling of peace seemed quite natural. After all, it was rumored that two wizard kings had already been defeated by him, and even the First Wizard King, known as the strongest in the desert, had been defeated by him.

It seems that those fears have become completely unnecessary.

"What? Newbie, even your tone of voice has changed you into that of a big shot?" Lilith puffed up her cheeks and spoke with a hint of subtle melancholy.

"Oh, is that so?" Alvin was stunned, but he didn't feel any subtle changes in himself.

"Just kidding." Lilim patted his shoulder in return, then solemnly took out a half-broken notebook from the lining of her clothes.

I have to say that the thief is definitely good at hiding things. No one noticed that she had this thing hidden on her body before.

"What is this?" Ivan took it in confusion, and then heard the halfling girl say tiredly but seriously:

"The Third Sorcerer King's diary, or rather, his memoirs. This was all I had time to take with me when I fled. I didn't have time to read it along the way, but its contents should be very important to you, right?"

"What?" Not only Ivan, but even Brad who was sitting next to him couldn't help but exclaim.

Seeing this, Lilim continued in a half-joking tone:

"Hehe, come to think of it, I gave up a ton of gold, silver, and jewelry to choose this. Didn't the two big guys from the Fist of Freedom show any appreciation?"

"Of course that's no problem." Brad was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a hearty smile on his face.