Star Forge Titan

"Yes, thank you for the promotion!" David Morgan, covered in cold sweat, saluted reluctantly, then personally dragged the unconscious purple-robed officer out of the VIP room through the secret passage.

Throughout the entire process, both Ivan and Afrediya were quite relaxed. They didn't even ask for secrecy, cast any curses, or even offer any verbal threats.

Because there is no need for that, the two people's current behavior is equivalent to driving a full-level account to do low-level tasks.

You can follow the normal process, but it is not absolute.

As for where the secret passage came from? You're kidding! This is the VIP room of a private club, how could there not be a secret passage?

On the other hand, we will probably have to wait a little longer for the reply from the Ninth Elder. As it involves the absolutely sealed object under the ground of the Great Wilderness Forest, the other party must have a detailed discussion before making a judgment.

Therefore, Alvin and Afrediya plan to give the "Glorious Nobles" and other extremists some "little" surprises that are essential in life.

According to the information revealed by the purple-robed chief, a large tribe nearby whose main members are mountain cat bloodline will hold a palm-suppression ceremony today.

This ceremony sounds like some kind of massage, but it is actually a large-scale martial arts competition, and its deeper essence is a martial arts competition to win a bride.

The princess of the Mountain Cat Tribe is sixteen years old (as the name suggests, the Great Wild Forest United Emirates has many tribal chiefs, and correspondingly, the number of princesses is much greater than in other regions). According to the rules of the Great Wild Forest, this princess has reached adulthood and needs to find a sufficiently outstanding spouse.

Thus, there was this palm-pressing ceremony.

The Honorable Nobles intend to support the Extreme Druids in their rebellion during this event. The reason is that they have a political conflict with the Lynx Tribe Chieftain. Since they cannot convince their opponents with words or money, they will simply eliminate them physically.

Well, it’s a very simple, crude and primitive way of solving the problem.

"Come to think of it." Just after they finished discussing the plan, Afrediya suddenly looked suspicious.

"You're not going to run into that game, are you?"

"How is that possible!" Ivan's voice suddenly rose.

"Freya, you know me well." The black-haired boy said with a solemn expression.

"That's a thick-blooded orc, he has way too much hair!"

"Really?"

"of course it's true!"

"Why do I have doubts?"

"Dear Fleur, you must believe me!"

"Hmm, is that so?"

"Ugh."

"Why are you sighing? Wait, you're going to do... wuwuwu!"

As mentioned before, there are many ways to persuade someone. Words are one of them, and actions are another.

Ivan himself is not good at using language, but he is gifted in action.

Well, anyway, I'm very good at it.

Chapter 108 Before the Ceremony

“It’s quite lively.”

Ivan sat in a Ge You-style slouching posture on the soft sofa in the carriage, his wandering eyes casually scanning the window. He looked mysteriously relaxed, and even his brain was barely working.

Beside him, Afrediya was holding up a lipstick to touch up her makeup.

A round mirror held up by magic floated in front of the girl. The edge was decorated with beautiful dark green vine patterns, full of the local art style of the Great Wilderness Forest. It was a new item she had just bought at the market as a tourist souvenir.

"The locals probably treat this as a celebration. By the way, why is the ceremony for selecting a marriage partner called 'palm pressure'?"

"Oh, I just happen to know that. Although the Lynx Tribe is called Lynx, not all of its members are of Lynx bloodline. There are also Fur Tribe orcs with other feline bloodlines living among them."

"What does this have to do with the name of the ceremony?" Afrediya casually threw the lipstick into her small bag, leaned close to Ivan as usual, and touched her boyfriend's face as if mischievously, leaving a rose-red lip print.

"There will be marks." Alvin complained lazily, but he didn't even bother to raise his hand, leaving two lip marks on his face as if he had been marked.

For reasons most men would understand, he didn't feel like moving at all. If possible, he'd better empty his mind as well.

"If you've ever had a cat, you'll know that most cats have a habit of putting your hand on a cat's paw, and there's a high probability that it will step on you with its paw pad."

"Eh? Really? Sounds interesting." Afrediya said this, but her hands began to move around uncontrollably. It was clear that most of her interest had shifted from the topic to something else.

At this moment, Alvin was wearing a loose T-shirt with the words "Dragon's Love" printed on it in ancient language. The font imitating the cursive style was very artistic, but the content was completely specified by a certain ancient dragon beauty.

As for the handsome black trench coat that was made just a few minutes ago, it had already been heroically sacrificed in the battle between the righteous Titans and the evil dragon.

"Some people jokingly call it the cat's paw rule. It's said to be because cats have a sense of status in their pack, symbolizing that the boss holds a higher position within the group."

"So, when a cat thinks it's the big brother, it won't allow other individuals to put their hands on its paws. If it insists on doing this, it may even be considered a deliberate provocation, leading to..." As Alvin spoke, his speech gradually slowed down, and his eyes slowly looked at the 'evil' claws of the evil dragon stretched out beside him.

"Oh, I never knew that before." Afrediya said perfunctorily without realizing it, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a lewd arc that was inconsistent with her appearance as a beautiful girl.

"You're almost there."

"What's wrong with that?"

Alvin wordlessly slapped the dragon's hand away and continued the previous topic.

"Actually, there's a more realistic theory. It suggests the reason stems from the unique physiological structure of the extremities of cats' limbs. First, the third phalanx of a cat's long nail is held in place by ligaments. When not in use, it can be retracted into the groove of the second phalanx, located inside the claw sheath between the two paw pads. Secondly, when a cat needs to eject its nail, it needs sufficient space above it. So, pressing down on this area will interfere with its clawing."

"Simply put, holding down a cat's paw represents a certain degree of dominance. If you look at it from this perspective, it doesn't conflict with the previous statement. Taken together, it's an act of determining dominance while also limiting the opponent's aggression."

"So, the Fur Tribe of the mountain cat bloodline named the ceremony for selecting fiancées 'Palm Pressure'." Afrediya showed an understanding expression and gave the answer to the question herself.

Two days have passed since the successful fishing trip. The guy named David Morgan has obviously done a good job and has not revealed his true identity until now. The plans of the local "honorable nobles" and the druid extremist forces are also being carried out in an orderly manner.

However, Gracie, who learned the news from Ivan, and a few rangers who could be completely trusted, had actually monitored all the areas around the Bobcat Tribe.

The Nine Elders' reply arrived yesterday. They were extremely surprised by the sudden visit of the current Demon King and His Royal Highness, and were even more shocked by the extreme faction conspiracy mentioned by Ivan. One elder was already on his way to the Great Desolate Forest regarding the secret seal artifact beneath the ground. Even considering the complex and dense forest environment of the Great Desolate Forest, the other party's arrival time is estimated to be within the next two days.

As for the silly couple who saved the world while on their honeymoon, they were currently in the mountain cat tribe, just an hour's drive from the forest city of Viena. This area was located near a relatively flat hilly area, and the cats mostly built semi-embedded houses between rock peaks and tree hollows, similar to the cave dwellings of the northwest.

Because of the ceremony, colorful ribbons can be seen hanging on branches and rocks everywhere, with bells, balls of yarn or feather shuttlecocks tied to the ends as pendants. Perhaps due to their nature, naughty cat people often jump up and hit the pendants.

From the car window, you could see a large crowd of people gathered, and even small vendors seizing the opportunity to set up stalls selling all kinds of goods. The atmosphere was lively and bustling, like a large-scale celebration.

If he hadn't known about it in advance, Alvin would have found it hard to imagine that someone would target such a beautiful celebration simply to divert the attention of a few powerful people within the Great Wilderness United Emirates.

"You're frowning again." A soft hand stroked the boy's brow, smoothing his unconsciously frowned brows.

"I'm sorry, I just feel that the evil of human heart is sharper than sword." After letting out a long breath, Alvin slowly loosened his clenched fists.

"I really can't understand why they could make such a cruel decision without hesitation."

"No need to understand." Afrediya's voice was soft.

Then, His Majesty the Demon King continued speaking in a soft voice.

"Pests, just get rid of them as soon as possible."

"..." Ivan looked at Afrediya in surprise, but the latter gave him a big smile.

"What? Fulei and I think exactly the same thing." As he said that, he stretched out his arms and hugged the girl's not-so-slender but very soft waist.

"This is tacit understanding~"

"Yes~" Afrediya smiled and huddled together with Ivan.

Outside the carriage, Shanwang, who was pulling the cart, put on a vomiting expression in a very human way, and then snorted loudly.

Just as the two were joking and chatting, a loud gong suddenly sounded in the distance.

The palm-pressing ceremony officially begins!

Chapter 109 Lazy Kitten

"It's so lively."

Afrediya looked around happily, which made Ivan, who had just placed the carriage and the Mountain King, smile.

But looking at this appearance, who would have thought that the person standing opposite him was the Demon King who held great power and was clearly a beautiful girl in the prime of her youth.

Well, it’s just that the golden eyes that can see through illusions allowed Alvin to see the pair of dragon horns that were simply covered by magic, and also made him immediately recall the true identity of the other party's ancient dragon.

Forget it, it doesn’t matter.

Anyway, I am not an ordinary person.JPG

"What are you waiting for? The ceremony is about to begin." The Demon King, with a string of fresh fruits in syrup in his left hand and a string of roasted animal meat with spices in his right hand, jumped over to greet them. God knows how she had bought a full set of snacks for the show in the short time she stopped the car.

Everyone around smiled in good-natured humor, thinking that this girl was really lively.

"Coming, coming." Alvin responded and walked quickly forward, but his eyes were scanning the crowd.

Several unremarkable figures came into his sight. Although they used cloaks or robes to cover their bodies, the slight fluctuations emitted by the magic devices made the things they carried visible to Ivan.

"See?" Afrediya came over and took Ivan's arm, still smiling, but her tone seemed extremely serious.

"Well, I'm not sure about her identity yet. Not to mention the extraordinary people who have completed the promotion ceremony, even ordinary adventurers will carry one or two magical items as trump cards." The boy also interacted happily with his girlfriend, but his eyes, emitting a faint golden light, never stopped patrolling.

"I've written down all the relevant personnel information and will report it directly to Gracie and his friends. The patrol team will help keep an eye on them."

Although the intellectual attributes of entering the realm of perfection are not equivalent to extraordinary wisdom, which requires rich experience and abundant and extensive knowledge, in terms of "hardware performance" such as short-term memory, long-term memory, thinking speed, and associative range, it is definitely far superior to ordinary people.

Even with just a casual glance, Alvin could clearly remember the other person's appearance and features.

Thus, on the short walk to the main venue of the Palm Suppression Ceremony, the young men and women chatted and laughed as they marked out 90% of the extraordinary people and others carrying magical equipment. Throughout the entire process, even the most perceptive extraordinary people only felt that they were being watched for a moment.

In such a bustling place, unless someone is extremely sensitive, it is impossible for them to be alert.

But then again, such a sensitive and overreacting reaction to a celebratory event like the one for selecting a husband almost immediately equates it with someone harboring malicious intent, and in turn, it allowed Ivan to identify several extremists. To put it simply, it was practically a trap.

When the two arrived at the main venue, a cat-like beastman with thick hair but a round bald spot on his head was already giving a speech on the stage.

From the reactions of those around him, Ivan learned that it was the current chief of the Lynx Tribe. He was in his early forties, still in the prime of his life. Not only was he a reasonably good hunter, but he was also known throughout the United Emirates for his shrewdness and considerable personal prestige due to his efforts in promoting the tea trade.

In fact, the Mountain Cat Tribe near the border of the Great Wilderness Forest is one of the tribes that is most keen on communicating and doing business with the outside world, so it is normal for this type of chief to appear.

By the way, judging from the chief's white fur that has not yet been affected by alopecia areata, he should be from the carnivore bloodline of the snow leopard genus of the cat family, and the long and thick tail wrapped around his waist can also indirectly prove this.

Of course, no matter how young, strong, smart and capable the leaders are, their opening speeches are always as long as ever, making people drowsy and wanting to throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at them.

If it weren't for this chief's good reputation and the fact that today was a prime day for his family to select a son-in-law, given the savagery of the Great Wild Forest orcs, someone would probably have thrown rotten eggs. In fact, during the grand court meetings of the United Emirates, it was not uncommon for the chiefs, who were members of the senate, to throw objects at each other and even come to blows.

Afrediya, annoyed by the boring speech, simply started chatting with her boyfriend.

"You said before that the origin of the Fur Tribe Orcs came from an ancient empire's magical transformation experiment, right?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

Ivan was a bit slow to react, and then the Demon King casually dropped a bombshell. Of course, she had remembered to open the soundproofing barrier before speaking to prevent outsiders from overhearing their conversation.

"If we can learn from the relevant rituals, do you think the Elrond people can directly engrave the results of the secret ritual transformation into their genetic bloodline?"

“…” Alvin was not too surprised by this, but responded very seriously.

"There's a certain chance of success, but I don't recommend it."

"Oh? Why? If the effects of the mystical rituals can be directly obtained through heredity, the expenses of ordinary people in this area can be greatly reduced. Isn't this a good thing?" Afrediya was a mage after all. She was not angry at her boyfriend's direct denial. Instead, she was quite curious about the reason why he made such a judgment.

"Massive transformation itself requires costs. Even the ancient empire, which once ruled nearly 70% of Paladinia's land area, couldn't achieve universal transformation. The current large number of Fur Tribe orcs in the Great Wild Forest is the result of thousands of years of natural reproduction."

Ivan raised his fingers and gestured as if counting money, which made Afrediya speechless but completely unable to refute.

"Besides, this behavior itself carries hidden risks. Bloodline disease is not a good thing. I even think that for the entire Great Wilderness Forest, bloodline disease is a hidden danger that is more dangerous and more difficult to deal with than the ancient seal."

"That makes sense." Afrediya thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

"Secondly, compared to genetic modification that will inherently limit future development direction and upper limit, I think another approach is more suitable for Elrond." Alvin showed a reminiscent look.

"Oh? Tell me."

"Frei, if I remember correctly, you hold the extraordinary position of Red Mage and have participated in the internal research of the Blood Order, right? You should have discovered that compared to humans in other realms, the Elrond people are significantly more adaptable to mystical transformations."

"Yes, a scholar once believed that this was natural selection caused by the special environment in the north, but he never found direct evidence." Afrediya immediately recalled the relevant content, but she did not understand what the other party wanted to express.

“Perhaps, it’s not natural selection, but artificial selection.”

"Hey!"

Ivan's words caused the Demon Lord to exclaim in surprise.

"Because of generations of transformation, the Elrond have gradually developed a natural adaptability to the mysteries. Your genetics have, to some extent, diverged slightly from those of ordinary humans. While we haven't yet become two separate races, the differences are definitely there."

"If we build on this and further optimize and enhance this adaptability, what kind of changes do you think will happen in the future?"

"Hmm..." Afrediya was silent for a moment, and her eyes gradually became brighter.