Star Forge Titan

To sum it up in one sentence, it sounds very troublesome.

"A few months ago, I sent a message to the Ninth Elder. I think..."

The so-called Nine Elders were originally just a consultative body composed of elders from the nine most powerful tribes in the Great Wilderness Forest, but they have now become the few most powerful people in the entire Great Wilderness Forest.

Therefore, when Alvin mentioned the Ninth Elder in a casual tone about what to eat tomorrow or tonight, someone secretly became completely restless.

"what!"

Before he could finish his words, a cry of surprise came from the shade of the trees not far away, and the voice sounded more embarrassed than angry.

Ivan and Frey smiled at the same time, obviously having noticed each other's presence.

So, under the two men's playful gazes, the dejected Gracie and the resentful Aviva walked out of the shade of the trees at the same time.

"Darkblood Fur Tribe and Half-Elves? Such a combination is not common." Alvin took the initiative to speak with a little surprise.

Hearing this, the wood-elf half-blood with a pair of rabbit-like breasts refused to be outdone, and her tough attitude was in stark contrast to her petite body.

"A barbarian with a space-expanding backpack and a mage who can tame large fire elementals, you two are a rare combination." The atmosphere at the scene suddenly changed, and no one in the caravan not far away dared to speak.

At this moment, Afrediya suddenly tugged at the corner of Ivan's clothes.

"The bacon is burning!"

Chapter 84: The Fire is Rising

Gracie is such a fool!

I couldn't help but jump up when the other party mentioned the Ninth Elder. Maybe he was just a bragging... guy?

The seemingly calm senior ranger roared inwardly. However, even though she was only a half-elf, she still possessed a better magical perception than the average ranger.

Aviva was certain that the fire element poured out from the empty fruit can, although the storage method was so casual that it was almost funny, its core continued to emit strong magical fluctuations, and it was definitely at the level of a large elemental creature.

But! A young wizard dressed like an ordinary explorer by the campfire actually used this thing as a lighter!?!

Incidentally, although Dahuanglin lacks any industrial products, new products like lighters have appeared here through trade with Linde. Well, that's not the point.

You're a spellcaster, right? This kind of thing can be solved with a little magic, right? As for pulling out a large fire elemental? If that thing goes berserk, it could burn the entire town to ashes.

As a man of the wilderness who was born and raised under the shade of trees and surrounded by them, Aviva wanted to harshly question the other party whether he had any awareness of safe casting.

Unfortunately, she didn't dare...

Next to the female mage, who lacked a sense of safety in casting spells, crouched a terrifying-looking, large man. Although he was dressed like a dramatic character from a bard's work, the aura he exuded instinctively instilled awe in the experienced senior ranger.

Elves are highly sensitive to magic, while furry orcs are highly sensitive to danger, and those with bloodlines derived from small herbivores are even more so. As a hybrid of these two races, Aviva possesses a near-magical sense of perception regarding most matters. To put it in more game-like terms, she possesses a character card with exceptionally high Perception.

At this moment, in Aviva's sensory world, the young man who was extremely unfamiliar with setting up the tent actually exuded a strong presence comparable to that of his grandmother Banyan Tree Mountain several kilometers away.

You have to know that the latter is a tree mountain covering over ten square kilometers, a super-sized plant species that was born from the gigantic growth of individual plants unique to the Great Wild Forest. Although Grandmother Mountain is a small tree mountain near the outskirts of the Great Wild Forest, it possesses a magical power reserve comparable to that of a high-level transcendent, and is large enough to accommodate an entire tribe of wood elves.

And then again, even without relying on supernatural perception, just looking at that ultimate muscle that perfectly conforms to the golden ratio, Aviva can be sure that the other party is a powerful warrior who should not be underestimated.

Thinking of this, she wanted to curse Gracie (literally). If it weren't for him... well, to be fair, a strong man of this level couldn't have failed to notice her and the others, and what he said later proved this point.

"You two have been following us for a long time, right? Don't you want to come and sit down with us?"

Ivan casually poked at the elemental life lurking in the campfire. It was now munching away at the wood with a vengeance, having clearly suffered three days of starvation due to a female mage's negligence. Meanwhile, the unaware 'culprit' beside him blissfully ate his dinner, his movements perfectly synchronized.

Despite the ordinary food, Afrediya ate with great pleasure, appearing easily satisfied. However, the plate she held was exceptionally elegant. Though plain white, its sophistication didn't look like anything from camping gear. This made the wary rangers even more certain that she was someone special.

White porcelain from Bailindi Tianqingfang Kiln No. 1...

Looking at the blue square seal clearly visible on the bottom of the plate, Aviva couldn't help but twitch his lips.

Tianqingfang is the most famous handmade porcelain workshop in Dahuanglin. It has been established for more than a hundred years and is a genuine century-old store. Kiln No. 1 is the earliest porcelain firing kiln established in this workshop.

Unlike other brands that evolved from the earliest wood-fired kilns to coal-oil kilns, shuttle gas kilns, and even experimented with magical industrial kilns after introducing magical technology, this workshop in Whitewood remains committed to traditional handcrafting. Legend has it that everything from raw materials to tools and even the firing master remains exactly the same as it was a century ago. He is a wood spirit with a long lifespan and a strong aversion to mass-produced porcelain.

After exchanging a glance with his junior, Aviva gritted his teeth and walked to the campfire first to sit down.

"We are the patrol team responsible for this section of the 'road'. May I ask who you two are? What is your purpose in coming to the Great Wilderness Forest?" The half-elf asked directly and in an official tone. His tone was quite harsh, probably wanting to gain the upper hand.

However, her petite figure and the pair of rabbit ears on her head made her look seriously lacking in dignity even when she put on a stern face.

"Yes! Generally speaking, upper-level extraordinary people entering the Great Wilderness Forest must... uh, register." Gracie walked to stand behind Aviva. Although he grinned and tried to look serious, his gentle personality, which was different from his tall appearance, made this guy's tone become more and more dripping as he spoke, and he obviously looked easy to bully.

Alvin couldn't help but smile, thinking that the tall and short combination in front of him was quite interesting.

"Do you know Bryant?" After thinking for a moment, he added.

"A druid who's good at turning into a skunk."

"Who is that?" The furious Aviva was stunned. She even prepared for the worst-case scenario that the other party would be furious, but she didn't expect the other party to bring up such a down-to-earth topic.

What are you doing? Are you going to use your connections like a foreign trader caught smuggling? And what kind of weirdo is this druid who's good at transforming into a skunk? Why would a druid reserve their precious transformation slot for something as bizarre as a skunk?

"Ah, it's Master Kakarom... Lord Kakarom's apprentice." Gracie tapped his palm with a surprised expression.

"Do you know him?" Aviva looked at his young junior in surprise. He didn't expect that they could be related to each other in this way.

Then, she was startled.

"Kakarom? Archdruid White Ape Kakarom?"

As mentioned previously, the Nine Elders are elected as administrators by the nine most powerful tribes in the Great Wilderness Forest. They not only represent their respective tribes but are also responsible for handling various national affairs during their respective periods, often commanding a high level of prestige.

Archdruids command even greater respect than ordinary secular officials. They are powerful spellcasters who embody druid principles to the utmost, and wise individuals with a deep understanding of the relationship between humanity and nature, capable of mediating conflicts between the Great Wild Forest and the various tribes.

This is very important. Due to its special environment, the Great Wilderness Forest not only has a complex and diverse biological population, but it is also like an independent life with intelligence. Sometimes it will show self-awareness-like behavior, leading many animals and plants living in the forest to perform various abnormal behaviors.

In such situations, only a few rare archdruids can mediate.

In essence, while similar to a neighborhood committee auntie, the individuals being mediated are not ordinary couples. This demonstrates the high status and importance of the Archdruid within the tribes of the Great Wilderness Forest.

Thinking of this, Aviva came to his senses and suddenly looked at Gracie with a strange look.

"How do you know such a being?"

"Uh." The young fur-man blushed awkwardly. He actually didn't like to bring up this aspect because it would make him look like someone with connections, even though he was indeed a person with connections...

"Because he's Grandpa's friend."

Chapter 85 Winter is Coming Again

The white ape Kakarom is a master of battle and the inheritor of the ancient traditional martial arts of the Great Wilderness Forest. He is also a highly respected archdruid.

It is true that, strictly speaking, druids are also members of the law enforcement, but this does not prevent a druid from becoming a master of combat.

The protection of nature and the concept of harmony of all things inherited from the distant past can enable them to deeply understand the two completely opposite yet dialectically unified concepts of "movement and stillness", thereby performing a unique natural magic that leads to the same goal through different paths.

Well, strictly speaking, 'Dynamic Flow Power·Mountain Collapse Strike' should also be a spell...

In short, the white ape Kakarom in Ivan's memory is such a druid battle master who is proficient in both "movement" and "stillness".

Of course, the reason this character left such a lasting impression on him as a player in his previous life might also be due to the fact that his appearance and fighting style were both homages to another familiar figure. According to the popular parlance on forums at the time, Kakarom was written as "White Ape" and pronounced as "Golden Lion," also known as "Grand Captain" or "Great Sage Equaling Heaven."

Although Alvin asked Briant to deliver a message to the other party, he knew the other party in the real Paladin, but the other party did not know him.

So, what is strange at this moment is how an ordinary border ranger can be related to a great druid like the white ape Kakarom.

If it's just "Grandpa's friend," even though everyone is equal in theory, as the saying goes, dragons don't live with snakes. Friends who can interact normally for a long time at least have an equal relationship in some aspects. The other party is likely not an ordinary person.

By the way, the name Gracie seems a little familiar...

This guy should be a wolf, not a dog, right? Looking at Gracie's embarrassed expression, Ivan began to think about how to distinguish between a puppy and a big bad wolf.

Ah, if I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have pressed skip too often when I was in the dungeon, which resulted in me not understanding much of the plot besides Lind and Elrond. However, I do know quite a few subhuman friends, so could they be considered potential connections waiting to be triggered?

If you think about it carefully, the fur tribe with gray wolf bloodline is indeed not rare among druids, but it is the race from which the top druids came.

Well, it's time to memorize some nursery rhymes to help with memory. Look! This is Bunny, this is Kitty, this is Puppy, this is Pony, this is Fox, this is Charmander, Cool Khaki, this is Tianting... No, the words are mixed up.

"You're getting off topic. Even if you know Lord White Ape Kakarom, please tell me the purpose of coming to the Great Wilderness Forest." Aviva glared at Gracie and ignored the guy's interruption. It would be a good thing if the other party knew the Archdruid. At least he wouldn't have to worry about extreme situations happening.

"Do I have to tell you? I'm worried you won't believe it." Alvin spread his hands, looking very innocent, with a bit of indifference in his expression.

"Please explain first." The half-elf with rabbit ears frowned, but still expressed affirmation.

"Okay, I'm here to save the world," Ivan said confidently. He was certainly confident, after all, he had done this at least three times.

"What?" The rabbit-eared half-elf tried hard not to look too rude, mentally reminding himself that the other person was a powerful transcendent and not someone he could afford to offend right now. Don't be impulsive, as impulsiveness can lead to disastrous consequences.

"To put it simply, the seal underground in the Great Wild Forest may be out of control, and the radical elements of the Winter Sect are also acting in secret. Um, do you need me to continue?" Alvin stopped talking and looked at the rabbit-eared half-elf whose expression suddenly twisted, and the gray wolf-blooded fur-bearing tribe member next to him with his fur standing on end.

Wow, this is what the fur-ridden orcs look like in real life. I’ve learned something new.

"Gracie, block the idlers!" Aviva shouted subconsciously, then realized that it was unnecessary.

As soon as she released her magical pressure to demonstrate her extraordinary status, the ordinary caravans around her instinctively retreated.

A second after the conversation began, the Demon Lord, seemingly absorbed in her dinner, had actually cast an invisible barrier separating the inner and outer worlds. She controlled the fluctuations of her spell so subtly that the two rangers, enveloped within it, were completely unaware.

If it were an offensive spell, this would be the most standard silent killing curse.

See what reliability and progress mean.

Ivanyu still remembered that when they first met, Afrediya was still a typical (comma), academic (pause), newly graduated (breathing), rookie mage (affirmative tone), who only knew to buff teammates after the battle. But now, she has become a good woman who can be trusted.

However, he was also a little surprised.

The news that something incredible was buried beneath the Great Wilderness Forest was not blocked in some sense, and was even made into a children's story and sung everywhere.

Basically, it's about the brave people of all ethnic groups uniting together and working together to lock the evil villain (considering that he currently sleeps with the real devil every day, he cannot be referred to as the evil devil here) into a bottomless pit.

At this point, the beautiful Dahuanglin has returned to its former tranquility, which is truly cause for celebration for Coca-Cola.

But the truth of this story should not be so widespread that it is known to everyone, right?

Judging from their performance, it seems that these two people know something?

Noticing each other's playful looks, the half-elves Aviva and Gracie froze involuntarily.

"Uh..." Gracie tried to calm down, but the standing hair made him look fatter, and the tail that was instinctively tucked between his legs also showed how deeply he was shaken.

"Isn't that a bedtime story? Something about the crazy savage god sealed under the Great Wilderness Forest. As for the School of Winter, those extremists have indeed become more active in the past two years. Wait, is there any connection between the two?" The dog-headed and dog-skinned Fur Tribe got angry again. This detective-like sharpness made Ivan look at him with a higher opinion.

Realizing this possibility, the half-elf Aviva next to her could no longer sit still. She looked at the stranger in front of her with a serious look, and then slowly spoke.

"According to the internal records of the Wood Elves, the Brute God is a real ancient evil creature named Growth God, the God of Life. It was a heaven-sent creature from the same era as the Great Titan. It later degenerated and lost control, becoming an irrational and frenzied Brute God, wreaking havoc everywhere, nearly clogged the entirety of Palladia with overgrown trees. Fortunately, it was eventually destroyed by the desperate efforts of warriors from various tribes, and the remaining, indestructible remains were sealed in a bottomless pit, forever sealed."

"Those extremists of the School of Winter may be extreme, and they keep shouting nonsense about the coming winter. But even they wouldn't release such a monster on their own initiative, right? There's a certain difference between extremism and insanity."

Hearing the ranger in front of him, who obviously had wood elf blood, say this, Alvin almost couldn't help laughing out loud.

If a wood elf calls someone else extreme, well, then that person might really be extreme.

As for why I say this, we have to mention the extreme race of the Timu elves.

To put it in a relatively straightforward way, they are all ultra-radical environmentalists who are not hypocritical but more extreme.

It is said that due to their overly keen perception, they are able to communicate with nature itself to a limited extent. Perhaps some accident occurred during this process, or some other incident unknown to others.

In short, the wood elves gradually began to become paranoid that the overdevelopment of technological creations would inevitably destroy the entire world.

They strictly abide by this regulation and related derivative precepts, and meet all kinds of life needs with natural magic that is purely advanced to the point of insane. Even the tools they must use only consume the minimum amount of minerals, and even only use chipped and polished stone tools from nature. The most fuel they use is naturally fallen dead branches and leaves, and even coal is rarely used.

If that were all, then others would have nothing to say, and might even admire the group's firm will to put it into practice.

But the problem is that the Wood Elves also hope that all other races will do the same, and for this reason they do not hesitate to use practical actions to earnestly exhort others, well, on the physical level.

If their actions could be summed up in one sentence, it would be: "You'd better remember to protect the natural environment, or you'll pay for it with your corpse."

So, back to what I just said.

If a wood elf calls someone extreme, then there's a good chance that person is actually very, very, very extreme...

As for how extreme the Winter Cult is, in Alvin's opinion, it is no longer extreme, but completely mentally ill.

If the wood elves are called ultra-extreme environmentalists, then all members of the Winter Cult are crazy-level doomsday survivalists.

The specific reason is not clear at the moment, but they are extremely stubborn and believe that the world will usher in a long and severe winter, the length of which is almost endless. Any race that wants to survive must store enough materials before that.

To this end, the Cult of Winter can do anything, including but not limited to those expressly prohibited by law.

As for morality and emotion, what are they? Can they serve as fuel or food in the endless winter?

If it can't do either, then it's something that doesn't need to exist.

Well, that's quite extreme...