Star Forge Titan

The young couple twirled in the sky, hugging each other until gravity dragged them down to the ground.

Feeling the wind blowing past her ears, Afrediya felt an unprecedented sense of freedom and relaxation. Now, she didn't have to worry about any state affairs or any unexpected events tomorrow.

As long as you hold on tightly to this bad guy in front of you and don't let him disappear in the blink of an eye or be deceived by a bad woman outside, you can enjoy the joy of traveling smoothly.

Boom! Crackling!

Two transcendents, with defenses superior to those of the armored knights, smashed through branches and vines, ultimately dangling upside down from a tree seven or eight meters above the ground. The young man and woman, entangled like cricket pupae by the vines, stared at each other for a moment, then burst into laughter, like fools.

But as he was laughing, Ivan suddenly felt a soft touch on his lips, smoother than pudding, more beautiful than a rose...

But the female dragon had no moral principles and actually launched a sneak attack to trick people... There was no time to play the meme, she came up with A!

In a sense, the intimacy that was almost like a suffocating attack lasted for a long time.

"Wait, not now, there are still things to investigate." Relying on a will stronger than steel, Alvin forced himself to break free from the charming atmosphere.

"No, let me see what you can do!" The demon woman from the North Country had arms strong enough to bend steel, but now she hugged the boy's neck and made a sweet and cute sound.

"Haven't we seen enough along the way?" Ivan tore off the vines with a helpless smile, and landed steadily in his arms, holding Afrediya.

The two shamelessly tugged at each other as they continued their leisurely stroll through the treacherous primeval forest. Unlike the scene at the outermost edge, the deeper they went, the surrounding trees grew dramatically in height and trunk diameter.

The vegetation on the periphery that looked like towering ancient trees, when placed here, actually became "small".

Otherwise, there wouldn't be vines and trees capable of supporting a Titan and an ancient dragon on a swing, even for a moment, even if both maintained their human form. Ivan's metal skeleton, infused with Orichalcum particles, alone gave him a true mass that belied his disguise.

Every few hundred meters, you can see giant trees that are as tall as buildings, with diameters exceeding dozens of meters. In the past, their height and footprint would be comparable to high-rise residential buildings in the community. They are so exaggerated that they don't seem to be plants that can grow in the natural environment.

However, such exaggerated-sized trees are not rare in the entire Great Wilderness Forest, let alone the largest vegetation.

Looking at a green mountain in the distance, Alvin couldn't help but be amazed.

"It's really exaggerated. It's hard to imagine how they grew so big." Afrediya sighed and reached out to press the bark of the giant tree.

Then, she immediately noticed that many places deep inside the tree trunk had a texture similar to that of rock, which made her feel even more surprised.

"According to the records from the Thousand Towers City, the Great Wilderness Forest must have some special effect on plants. This is why all kinds of shrubs and trees maintain rapid growth year-round, and frequently mutate from parent to offspring."

After taking a look at Ivan who looked innocent and seeing that he didn't react, the girl had to continue reminding him.

"It is said that that special influence is likely from ancient times."

"Oh, I see." Alvin replied simply.

"Just 'oh'?" Afrediya raised her eyebrows and glared at him.

"Actually, I'm also very interested in the secrets deep within the Great Wilderness Forest."

"You don't know?" Afrediya was stunned.

"We don't know much, and it remains to be verified." Alvin shrugged. Although he had not forgotten the memories in the virtual Palladium, the gap between reality and virtuality objectively existed.

In short, I am more accustomed to down-to-earth exploration than air-to-air speculation.

"We're almost at the patrol station, about a few hundred meters away. Have you decided what identity you're going to use?"

In response to this question, Afrediya subconsciously tapped her lips with her finger, looking a little distressed.

"Not yet. Any recommendations?" The Demon Lord, who lacked experience in the field of adventurer-style bluffing, had no choice but to ask for help off-site.

Then, she heard Alvin answer without hesitation.

"The horny scholar and her barbarian bedmate."

"Go to hell, you pervert!!!"

Boom! The magic explosion raised a large cloud of dust, and the tranquility of the Great Wilderness Forest was broken once again.

Congratulations, Coca-Cola.

Chapter 82: Bustling Market

"Captain, we've found another trail." New Ranger Gracie Wangwang Xia Lulu said as she got up from the ground.

The young man had a pair of triangular ears covered with gray hair, a protruding snout, and curved and sharp teeth. To put it simply, he looked like a dog.

"Labrador woof, what did you find?" The experienced wood elf ranger swiftly got down from the tree without making any sound.

This made Gracie, who felt that he was still far behind, very envious. Because of the objective reason of his tall physique, he was particularly disadvantaged in covert operations. He also got stuck at the relevant trial levels in the ranger examination many times. Therefore, he envied the petite ranger leader very much.

"A few picked zinnias, and a wreath that was thrown away halfway through making it because I felt too lazy." After answering the question seriously, Gracie couldn't help but sigh with her big hand covered with gray hair.

"Captain Aviva, I've already told you that I'm from the Fur Tribe with the Gray Wolf bloodline, not the Labrador bloodline." To be honest, he had some doubts that this petite but experienced senior was making fun of him.

"Also, please don't add other people's middle names without permission." Big Dog emphasized again with a sigh.

"Okay, woof." Another senior ranger came out from the shade of the trees and rubbed Gracie's head like he was petting a dog.

"No problem, woof." The third senior ranger crawled out of the bushes and rubbed Gracie's head as well.

"I remember that, woof." The young ranger with cat ears and sideburns down to his chin patted Gracie on the shoulder.

"That's enough!" Hearing the cat-eared ranger, who was also a newcomer like herself, shout this, Gracie finally couldn't help but jump up and wanted to teach the other party a lesson.

"Oh, I can't hit it." The lynx-blooded fur-bearing creature, who was as agile as a cat, dodged with extremely nimble movements.

"Okay, stop making trouble." Aviva shook his head, and the heavy thoughts in his heart were relieved a lot.

"Looking like the two young men and women we're tracking are in a very relaxed mood, picking flowers and making garlands. Judging from this alone, it doesn't seem like they have anything to do with dragons."

As she spoke, she took off her hood, letting a pair of not-too-long rabbit ears pop out. She was actually a hybrid born from a fur tribe with mini rabbit bloodline and a wood elf. No wonder she wasn't as tall as an ordinary wood elf.

"Indeed, picking flowers and climbing trees and swinging on vines, if they take the 'main road', they will definitely be a young couple on a spring outing." The other ranger nodded first, then looked at the dense primeval forest around him, and soon he revealed a very subtle expression.

"But wandering freely in the woods so far from the 'main road' would be too risky even for ordinary people of the Great Wild Forest, let alone two outsiders. Besides, they don't look like rangers."

As the name suggests, the Ranger's greatest advantage lies in its ability to navigate the depths of the Great Wild Forest without getting completely lost. Furthermore, it benefits from the surrounding environment's protection and bonuses. While not a hidden class requiring esoteric rituals, it is nonetheless a specialized class highly adapted to the local environment of the Great Wild Forest.

"But these two people are always heading towards the nearest market, and their direction has not deviated at all." Aviva's tone was dim and his eyes became solemn.

The "market" she was referring to was the patrol's base. As it accommodated both caravans and supplies, the original base gradually evolved into a shared marketplace for the surrounding tribes. A portion of the tax revenue went toward maintaining the patrols, comprised of hunters and rangers. Eventually, even the name became the more familiar "market."

By this time, over half an hour had passed since the team discovered traces of what appeared to be a dragon's might. This team of rangers, composed entirely of transcendents, had tracked the trail all the way but could find no trace of a dragon. Instead, they felt like they were chasing two runaways.

This is because the other party has no intention of concealing his traces at all, as if he is not worried at all about being targeted by carnivores or other dangerous pests, and I don’t know if he has anything to rely on.

This was one of the reasons that made the rangers suspicious, and the other party's route of action, which had never deviated, also indirectly explained something.

Of course, if one of them was a ranger, that wouldn't be surprising. As a supernatural class derived from the druid, the ranger, while lacking many natural magic abilities, was protected by the Great Wild Forest itself, shielding them from interference from special magical fields to a certain extent, allowing them to roughly determine their own location.

But the fact that he had left so many tracks in the forest ruled out that possibility. A normal ranger wouldn't necessarily leave footprints even through thickets and swamps, let alone ordinary woodlands near the outskirts.

Of course, even near the outer areas, this is still a vast wilderness. Various dangers are endless, and locals have to be cautious and try not to go too deep into the forest, let alone outsiders who know nothing about this place.

So the question is, how did the other party manage to wander around without getting lost and avoid all dangers?

The answer is to look around with your eyes.

"Oh, there are a lot of spiritual lights gathering ahead, we should be approaching the patrol station." Alvin looked into the distance. At this moment, he was still dressed as a barbarian with very little cloth, and Afrediya was also dressed as an explorer who came out of a drama.

"Come to think of it, isn't dressing up as characters from plays and books a popular trend in Genoa?"

"Actually, the first place where this kind of activity became popular was the City of a Thousand Towers." Fulei blushed and coughed lightly before continuing.

"Although it's known as the City of Academics, it's also the most fashionable city in the entire Palladian world. When I was studying abroad, I was so focused on studying that I didn't try anything myself."

So now you're seizing the opportunity to take advantage of your boyfriend too, right? Ivan was very sensible and didn't say what was in his heart directly. He could always make up for it somewhere else, so he emphasized that it didn't matter to him.

The two chatted as they walked into the 'market'. Although they were dressed differently from ordinary people, the multi-ethnic environment of the Great Wilderness Forest allowed them to blend into the group very naturally and did not cause any commotion.

The temporary gathering place called "market" is not too large. It is essentially a semicircular open space opened in the woods near the "main road". Simple buildings such as tents and wooden houses are distributed along the edge of the "main road", which can be regarded as a commercial and residential complex. The outermost fence is made of pure natural wood, highlighting its simplicity.

However, in contrast to the simple architecture, the atmosphere here was quite lively. Intelligent races of all shapes and sizes gathered together, many of them hawking goods, ranging from industrial products from Linde to spices and teas grown locally in the Great Wilderness Forest. The variety was simply innumerable.

In addition, there are special snacks sold by different ethnic groups, ranging from strange roasted lizards to pickled fruits sprinkled with icing sugar.

Without having to think about it, Alvin heard the sound of a certain demon king swallowing his saliva behind him.

"Want to eat?" Almost the moment he asked, he heard Afrediya's answer:

"want!!!"

Chapter 83: If I Had Known This

"Want to give it a try?"

Afredia, with icing sugar on the corners of her mouth, swallowed hard.

"This trial is a bit too difficult." Looking at the charred roasted lizard in front of him that was as thick as a finger, even the foodie devil who loves to eat and dares to eat would not dare to eat it easily.

"Well, which do you think is more difficult, roasting a lizard or roasting an insect?" Ivan held back his laughter as he saw that Afrediya's expression was becoming more and more conflicted.

Finally, she passed the skewer of grilled lizards to a passing local child. After confirming that it was truly given to him, the furry child bit off half of the lizard without hesitation, "Ah-woo," and then said in a very cute voice:

"Thank you sister!"

"Uh-huh."

After saying goodbye to the children, Afrediya suddenly looked at Ivan with strange eyes.

"What, what happened?" Alvin felt confused and he instinctively sensed something.

"The child is so cute." The Demon King crossed his arms over his chest and sighed deeply.

"Well, it's okay." Beneath his seemingly calm appearance, Alvin was using his strong willpower to suppress his instinctive reactions such as breaking out in a cold sweat, and his superb brain with excellent performance was working at a rapid pace.

What does that mean? That's definitely what it means! But am I really ready now? I don't even have a stable home yet, so am I just going to live with her? Will that make me look like a gigolo? Do I need to find land to build a house? Where is the best place to live in Palladia?

……

A chaotic cacophony of thoughts erupted like thunder, a roar imperceptible to the outside world resounding through Ivan's mind. Even as a Titan descendant, he couldn't help but feel dizzy.

Looking at Ivan, who was pretending to be calm but whose expression was constantly changing in subtle ways, Afrediya almost couldn't help laughing out loud.

"Just kidding, don't be so nervous." Patting his boyfriend who was pretending to be calm, the Demon King stretched his body and glanced at the crowded crowd behind him inadvertently.

"We've almost finished our visit to the market in the Great Wilderness Forest. The sun is about to set. Let's find a place to talk business."

"Oh, have you walked around enough? I'm not in a hurry." Because of the shock just now, Alvin is still a little dazed.

But he soon noticed that it was indeed time to find a place to stay for the night. The nearby residents who had come to the market during the day had begun packing up. As for the caravans from other places, not many planned to stay overnight. This place was not too far from the outskirts of the Great Wilderness Forest, and most caravans would restock their supplies before continuing deeper. Unless they happened to arrive around dusk, they generally did not stay here.

The two of them looked for a flat and clean open space. Alvin reached into the palm-sized leather bag at his waist and used it as a cover to take out the tent for camping.

Even so, those who secretly witnessed this scene almost screamed in shock. You know, materials that can withstand space extension magic are not cheap, and the magical equipment made from them is naturally even more expensive.

While Ivan was setting up the tent, Afrediya was also busy. She bought a bundle of firewood from a vendor and began to build the pile for the bonfire. Although the Demon King was unfamiliar with the task, her years of experience in the laboratory had given her exceptional hands-on skills, and she completed the pile with ease after only a few attempts.

When it was time to light the fire, Afrediya didn't use magic, but instead pulled out an empty can of fruit from somewhere. The metal shell of the can was clearly warped, and through the cracks, a faint glow of fire could be vaguely seen emanating from within.

"Eh, eh, eh." The girl made a sound like a village girl driving poultry, but the thing in the can did not give her face, and refused to come out no matter what, like a otaku with a social anxiety attack.

With a frown on his face, the Demon King ignored his opponent and turned the can upside down, slapping him repeatedly. Immediately, a ball of flame rolled out of it, hitting the firewood and gradually expanding.

"Hey? Isn't this the fire element from before? Why doesn't it look like a mole?" After setting up the tent, Ivan came over curiously.

At this moment, the fire element used by Afrediya as a lighter no longer had any animal appearance, but looked like a fireball with round eyes and a mouth.

It extended two abstract little hands made of flames, grabbed a relatively small piece of firewood, and stuffed it into its mouth, just like an animal eating. As the fire element puffed up its cheeks and chewed continuously, the size and brightness of its flames changed accordingly.

"I modified the composition of the fire element, completely deleting the part caused by the resonance of contact with animals, and reprogrammed its structure with magic, turning this elemental creature into a familiar-like existence." Afrediya explained, then revealed a bitter and annoyed expression.

"It's supposed to get smarter, but it doesn't seem to be doing so well."

"Yeah, he doesn't look very smart." Ivan nodded, then took out a frying pan and put it directly on the campfire.

The new fire elemental shrank back in fear, then once it got used to it, reached out and held the metal pan, a look of curiosity on its face as it made a series of crackling sounds, just like a normal child who had just received a toy.

During this period, Alvin used a small leather bag as a cover and continuously took out various foods and seasonings from the lepton space.

"Perhaps, it just needs education." Afrediya held her chin and thought for a moment.

But by the time Alvin started making dinner, she had completely forgotten about it because the aroma of bacon was too tempting.

"How much do you know about the Great Wilderness Forest?" The Demon King put his hands on his knees, looked at the frying bacon in the pan and swallowed his saliva while asking about the next plan.

She had previously learned from Heidi about the unusual changes in the Great Wilderness Forest. As a knowledgeable mage, Afrediya naturally shared Ivan's vision. So, far from opposing the plan, she was extremely supportive, not even getting angry about the interruption of their honeymoon.

"Not a lot, but not completely unfamiliar." Ivan randomly pulled out two straight thin branches from the firewood pile, rubbed them hard with his palms together, and completely peeled off the bark on the surface of the branches, making a pair of long chopsticks using local materials.

As he deftly flipped the fragrant, charred bacon with his long chopsticks, he couldn't help but sigh. If he'd known he'd traveled through time, he should have become a complete plot nerd, memorizing every detail, no matter how big or small, and skipping dialogue during dungeons. That way, he wouldn't end up encountering marginal characters in the game and not even recognize them.

Since Ivan's primary area of ​​activity in Virtual Paladia was Linde, the Central Empire, he only knew the general trajectory of the main storyline regarding the events in the Great Wilderness Forest. He vaguely remembered the involvement of extremists, descendants of dragons, and other elements.