Star Forge Titan

Seeing the golden radiation that was hotter than the sun, she almost trembled again.

"Strong syndrome?" Afrediya held the other person down in surprise, and instantly released a soothing spell on the other person.

"Is there no one else in the Mockingbird Agency who can act as a messenger?" The Demon King frowned and began to doubt the business capabilities of the local forces.

"Huff, huff, huff..." Boxia did not refute, but tried to look up and look directly at the two strong men in front of him again, and then asked the question that he was most concerned about at the moment intermittently.

"These high-level conspirators claim to have cunning in their souls, and any conspiracy that deeply involves the other party will be perceived in advance by them. How should such monsters be dealt with?"

"..." Aiwen nodded secretly in approval of the half-elf's will. So, he didn't keep it a secret.

"Do you know the original origin of the City of a Thousand Towers?"

"That, the old tower?" Boshia slowly said a name.

"Yes." Alvin nodded.

Ancient tower, old tower, broken tower, ruined tower, these names all refer to the remains of an ancient relic.

Long before the City of a Thousand Towers was built, this ancient, dilapidated structure stood in the heart of the Genoese Plain. Based on its style, later archaeologists initially determined that the ruins date back to the end of the Second Kingdom of Giants—the early period of the Ancient Human Empire. However, due to the extensive damage and possible vandalism by ignorant citizens, the specific identity and origins of the ancient inhabitants are difficult to determine.

But according to the development in Virtual Palladio, the City of a Thousand Towers where the Old Tower is located is the first map where players come into contact with high-level jobs and advanced materials on a large scale. This alone can explain a lot of things from the side.

Initially, the people gathered simply to obtain the various building materials from the old tower and the surrounding ruins, so they began to build temporary settlements around it. Of course, it was more convenient to be able to use various building materials directly than to painstakingly collect them yourself.

What's more, the ruins of the old tower itself contain things that are more valuable than ordinary building materials, such as various unearthed treasures, or some ancient relics that can still be used as materials after being damaged.

In this way, the temporary settlement grew larger and larger, slowly developing into a small town, a small city, and finally a large city. During this time, treasures unearthed from the ruins began to cultivate extraordinary individuals. After many more twists and turns, the City of a Thousand Towers, a sacred place for mages and a kingdom of scholars, finally became the prosperous city it is today.

Back to the topic, when he heard the familiar name of the Old Tower, Bo Xia not only failed to resolve his confusion but felt even more confused.

"For thousands of years, followers of the Whisperers have been sneaking into the City of a Thousand Towers in various ways. It is generally believed that the knowledge here attracted them, but in fact there are other reasons." Alvin raised his index finger and pointed it at the ceiling, or something higher.

"They believe the old tower was originally built as a support facility for some more powerful ancient creation."

"What?" Boshia almost jumped up. "Are you referring to the Sky City Esganiko?"

Then, she continued:

"But that's just a fairy tale, and everyone knows it's just fiction."

In response, Alvin just smiled, folded his hands and leaned back.

"Can't there be a place for truth in fairy tales?"

"At least some people are willing to believe it."

"Those... believers?"

"Yes." Alvin nodded.

"If there's a demand, there's action. We can definitely use this to bring the other side together."

"Although it may be a bit rude, I must tell you that the followers of the Whisperers are quite cunning. Coupled with their supernatural sensitivity to various plans, it is almost impossible for them to be deceived by false information." Boshia supported himself on the table with both hands, and as he stood up, his breathing unconsciously became rapid.

"What if it's true?"

Ivan's words made the half-elf fall back into his seat.

"There's no real one, but I can make a replica that's more real than the real one."

Chapter 169: Fairy Tale Comes True

Long, long ago, legend has it that in the unknown ages the old tower had not yet broken.

The top of the tower is connected to the upper world. People can walk up the stairs until they reach the stars and meet the gods.

There is an island floating among the stars that all gods need to look up at. On the island is a city called Esganiko, the sky city - Esganiko.

At the end of each year, only the best-behaved and most obedient children would be led by angels along the old tower to Asjaniko, where there would be the most joyful performances, the most delicious food, and gifts from the gods.

Children who return with gifts are called blessed children. When they grow up, they will become the most outstanding talents and do their best to make the world a happier and better place.

Afrediya's voice when she read the story was soft, just like her thighs, making people want to yawn and have a good sleep.

In fact, Ivan, whose head was resting on the Demon King's thigh, was indeed feeling very sleepy.

Just recently, without waiting for the dance to end, the man and woman simply chose to leave through the window, rented a horse carriage in the city, and started this spontaneous self-driving tour.

Incidentally, the Traveler airship still loomed in the sky far behind them, accompanied by the humming of propellers, and from time to time, small, round planes would approach.

"Thank you for your hard work." After receiving the lunch basket full of food, Afrediya happily expressed her gratitude to the cat and bug who was flying the plane.

"Meow!" Maomao Chong raised his hand to take off his hat, shook the warm and collision-proof flight cap vigorously, and then flew the small plane back with a "whoosh".

"The little ones are so enthusiastic." Frey sighed. She had originally wanted to show off her cooking skills and demonstrate her feminine power during the trip.

What can I do? The food cooked by Cat and Bug is so delicious!

During this period, cats and bugs came every day in their round flying vehicles to deliver three meals a day. They were so enthusiastic that it was impossible to stop them. They looked like they were worried that the chief and his wife were starving. But they were great cooks and every meal was different. How could anyone refuse them? Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

Since I couldn't refuse, I just had to enjoy this cat and worm takeout. (A friendly tip: it's the cat and worm takeout, not the takeout made with the cat and worm.)

"Ivan, do you think those people will believe it?" Afrediya asked as she opened the wicker lunch basket.

By the way, this basket is currently resting on someone's forehead.

"This way I won't be able to see the blue sky at all." A dull voice came from under the lunch basket.

"Even though I could only see a little bit originally." The voice actually began to change color!

"What are you talking about!" Afrediya blushed and shoved the baguette into the spokesperson's mouth at the speed of sound.

Whoosh, bang, and crackle of the sticks.

The freshly baked baguette was easily destroyed by the Titan Crusher, and Alvin finally had the opportunity to say his next words.

"Even if it's just a fairy tale, it often has some truth to it. Clearly, the other party discovered something from it, which is why they have been continuously infiltrating the City of a Thousand Towers and the Genoese Confederation for decades."

"That is to say, even if others don't believe it, they will definitely believe it, at least in part."

Afrediya nodded thoughtfully, not forgetting to cut the baguette with a silver knife and then add various delicious side dishes to make sandwiches. Clearly, the cats and bugs had taken all of this into consideration when cooking. Hence, they prepared a convenient grab-and-go lunch for the two people on their road trip.

"Not only will they believe it, they will also take action." Bathed in the sunshine, Ivan's voice became a little lazier than before.

"For a rat hiding in a gutter, the more it moves, the more likely it is to be exposed. It's a very simple matter of probability."

"Similarly, because opportunities for action are so valuable, high-level lurkers who rarely move around in the past are more likely to take action after receiving reliable information."

"So, the next key point is to convince them to believe the rumors they've heard. Or, to let them infer what they want to believe from them."

Although this sounds strange, it does make sense if you think about it carefully. But where did Alvin learn this strategy to target the suspicious nature of the Whisperer followers?

Afrediya tilted her head slightly confused, bypassing the obstacles and looking into the boy's eyes from the side.

"It sounds like the latter one is more suitable for the followers of the Whisperer."

"Yes, this guide is specially prepared for those guys."

"Strategy?" The unfamiliar new word made Afrediya raise her eyebrows slightly, and a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes.

"Nothing much. It means something like 'plan' or 'contingency plan,'" Ivan explained casually, speaking with a touch of nostalgia. While his brain was still reasonably functional, he still missed the days when a dedicated team of strategy designers would design the game's guides, leaving him with nothing more than the execution.

The two chatted idly on the way. The seemingly small lunch basket held far more than it appeared. After feeding an ancient dragon and a titan, there was still plenty left.

Smelling the aroma of food, the Sanwang who was pulling the cart in front turned his head 180 degrees, stretched his neck and came over to take his share very familiarly. The cats and insects also prepared food for it.

In this relaxed atmosphere that resembles a spring outing, a rumor is rapidly spreading within the City of Thousand Towers.

"It's incredible that there are new discoveries in the ruins of the old tower!" Next to the newsstand, a young scholar pointed at the newspaper headlines and shouted to his friends.

"It can't be true. The place has been excavated for years. I'm afraid every brick has been turned over at least eight times." My friend snatched the newspaper. Although he said he didn't believe it, his eyes immediately looked at the headline.

【Great Archaeological Discovery! 】

【Mysterious underground chamber! 】

[Ancient texts are surprisingly well preserved!]

【Linguists are working hard to decipher it! 】

Almost every newspaper headline is reporting on the newly discovered secret chamber in the ruins last night.

This wasn't surprising for the City of Thousand Towers. As a city of scholars and mages, its residents boasted the highest literacy rate in the entire continent of Palladia. Similarly, due to this unique cultural environment, residents often paid close attention to news related to new inventions, new knowledge, and new discoveries. This was practically an integral part of the local customs and culture of the City of Thousand Towers.

In the following days, there were new developments in the reports about the secret room in the ruins every day, which was as addictive as a serial novel.

Initially, it was just the discovery of well-preserved ancient texts, but then the deciphered content was actually related to the old tower itself.

The names mentioned in the latest report sound familiar to all residents of the City of Thousand Towers.

The name is Esganiko, Sky Castle Esganiko!

Could it be that the Sky City actually exists!?!

Chapter 170 Let Me Relax

Because it specializes in teaching various kinds of knowledge, the City of a Thousand Towers is also known as the City of Scholars.

Because of this, the literacy rate of residents in this city-state is much higher than that of other countries. Of course, this is also due to the fact that the Free City-State only has one land area and a relatively low population.

Regardless, the City of a Thousand Towers does have a very broad educated population. Consequently, products like newspapers and magazines, which require a certain level of reading ability, have a larger market than in other regions.

At the intersection of streets, you can often see small shops painted bright red. Those are shops specializing in selling various newspapers and magazines.

When residents of the City of a Thousand Towers get up early and pass by on their way to work, they often choose to buy one or two of their favorite newspapers and magazines. This not only allows them to get the latest news, but also allows them to use them for entertainment in their spare time or as topics of conversation.

"Another report on ancient documents." Inside the Tower Academy, a middle-aged teacher put down the newspaper with emotion.

Considering the city-state itself is called the City of a Thousand Towers, the fact that the city's symbol is directly incorporated into the school's name clearly indicates a unique status for High Tower Academy. This is because it is actually an extraordinary training institution dedicated to the training of spellcasters.

As middle-level managers responsible for the logistics of the college, although middle-aged teachers have limited spelling and teaching abilities, they have some say because of the work they are responsible for, especially in front of suppliers.

He is obviously very satisfied with his current job. In the past ten years, he even voluntarily gave up rare promotion opportunities, both in terms of his own strength and status.

So, although they may occasionally have disputes with others, the lives of middle-aged teachers are quite stable most of the time.

However, he seemed particularly interested in recent reports on ancient documents, with a collection of newspapers and magazines from seven or eight different publishers spread out nearby. Even during his breaks, he'd occasionally glance at the beginnings of a few reports, and after finishing his work, he'd flip through several newspapers and magazines.

"Teacher Sean, are you also curious about the contents of the ancient document? You can't be so old that you still want to go to the Sky City Esknico to get a gift, right?" A colleague passing by couldn't help but joked.

"Hahaha, if it's possible, that would be great. I believed in the story of Sky Castle until I was twelve years old." Touching his head where the hair was becoming thinner and thinner, the middle-aged teacher called Sean showed a sincere smile without any pretense on his face.

"Pfft, no way? I stopped believing this when I was seven years old." The colleague who was drinking water coughed repeatedly, and then laughed heartily with Sean.

After everyone left, Sean's expression slowly faded, and he narrowed his eyes slightly as he scanned the newspapers. But what he was focusing on wasn't the headlines, but the various advertisements written in tiny print between the newspapers.

In a specific order, the first letters of various advertisements from different newspapers were quickly combined in Sean's mind until they became a new content that had nothing to do with the original text.

For mages, this non-magical method was actually harder to detect due to their habitual thinking. Ultimately, it was simply a way to exploit the blind spots of a specific group of people. However, simplicity doesn't necessarily mean crudeness. On the contrary, the simpler the scheme, the less likely it is to encounter unexpected problems.

As for the strategist who came up with this stable plan, he must have hated it, or rather, he must have been accustomed to it. Regardless, while this method of communication was limited in the amount of information it could transmit, it had remained leak-free for years, and presumably would remain so.

At the moment, the information Sean deciphered was not long and could be summarized as a simple instruction.

Stay hidden and continue to collect intelligence...

After reading it, Sean remained expressionless, but couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

Although he didn't know the identity of the high-level undercover agent manipulating the spread of information in so many newspapers, as brothers and sisters in a sense, the other party's intention was obvious. That was to rush into the Sky City of Esganiko before everyone else.

As for why Sean could guess so clearly, it was because he thought so too.

The great being once promised that the first wise man who entered the sky city of Esganiko would be promoted and enter the kingdom of thousands of thoughts and ideas full of exquisite changes, and serve him as an eternal sage.

With such a lucrative opportunity hanging before their eyes, who could resist its allure? Followers of the Whisperer, like Sean, who had successfully infiltrated the City of Thousand Towers, began gathering intelligence. However, the "remain hidden" portion of the order was completely ignored, met with tacit agreement from almost everyone.

Are you kidding? You have a plan? I don't have a plan?

We are all scavenger vultures covered with filthy feathers, who knows who?

While newspaper sales in the City of a Thousand Towers saw a slight increase, the Mockingbird Agency, having stumbled upon crucial intelligence, also began its operations. The "birds" dispersed throughout Genoa. Since most of their members were elves or half-elves, and the study tours of elven descendants were common within the Genoese Confederacy, their actions attracted little attention.

In addition, the half-elf Berthia, who had met Ivan before, was given an important task. At this moment, she was sitting in a fully enclosed carriage with an upright attitude.

The special, fully enclosed carriage had no windows, and even the ventilation ducts were covered with layers of metal grilles, completely depriving passengers of any information about the outside world. Now, besides Boshia himself, a young woman with white hair was also a passenger.

The girl had a delicate face that belied her snow-white hair, her eyes a strangely bright red. Her expressionless features were beautiful, yet they also exuded a certain aloofness that made her seem unapproachable. She wore simple clothing, resembling the training uniform of a knight's squire. The entire garment was plain white, devoid of any adornment, save for a silver brooch on her left breast depicting a longsword standing upright in front of an open book.

This shows that his identity is a Paladin of the Temple of Knowledge, and the purpose of Boshia's trip is to negotiate with the Paladins for the next joint law enforcement action.

Along the way, Boshia tried several times to engage the other person in conversation, hoping to elicit information, but the topic always quickly fizzled out. Weather? It was a perfect topic of conversation between two strangers, but indoor weather wasn't much to discuss. Makeup? The girl before him wore no makeup, and considering the ascetic lives of paladins, she probably couldn't even tell the difference between lipstick shades. So what was there to talk about?

Fortunately, the silent journey did not last long.