Star Forge Titan

But beneath her cape, the girl's attire was quite avant-garde: a one-piece suit resembling a spacesuit, all white and pocketless. The chest and waist were adorned with piping and copper ports for external devices of unknown function. Beyond its avant-garde design, the fabric used was also exceptionally sophisticated, evidently stain- and water-resistant.

Irwin saw with his own eyes that even if a bit of dust accidentally stained it, Marianne could easily brush it off with a simple pat. Similar effects can be achieved through hydrophobic and anti-fouling coatings or specialized surface treatments, but either method requires a sufficiently sophisticated industrial system to be readily available. This type of clothing must have been common before the war; otherwise, there wouldn't have been a style suitable for children.

As for how the Amoli people obtained it after the war, we have to go to the tribe’s location to investigate in person.

Furthermore, Alvin wanted to know who, and for what purpose, would actually covet the Great Beast God's power. That creature possessed at least cosmic warfare capabilities, and there was a high probability it was equipped with weapons of mass destruction. Of course, this wasn't just a bag of laundry detergent, but something truly horrific, capable of indiscriminately destroying all life within a vast area.

After several days away from the tribe, Marian was in high spirits. She chatted with the others from time to time, occasionally humming a tuneless nursery rhyme, and even her gait was lively and bouncing.

Sure enough, no matter what time, children can always find happiness easily.

"That's great." Looking at Maria skipping ahead, Frey pouted and shrugged as she approached Ivan. But the demon nudged her boyfriend with his shoulder, a meaningful glint in his eyes.

As for Ai, the young Titan descendant looked up at the sky and pretended not to see anything, then listened to the 'horrible' devil repeat it again.

"It's so good~"

"Pfft." Facing the gazes of Frey and Ivan, Diana, unable to suppress her laughter, turned away silently. She wasn't ready to forgive them yet, so she couldn't laugh, at least not in front of them.

"Hehe, you're such a coward, haven't you ever thought about something similar?" Frey put her hands on her hips and approached aggressively.

Diana was pushed back half a step subconsciously, trying to maintain her usual calm appearance, but her increasingly red cheeks revealed that she was not at peace at the moment.

"Are big brother's two wives arguing?" Marian came close to Ivan and her words shocked him so much that his eyes widened.

"Shh, don't talk nonsense." After a pause, Alvin lowered his voice.

"Do you practice polygamy here?"

"Oh, the sisters in the tribe all like strong warriors, so some of them marry others together." Marian answered confusedly.

"What if, I mean if, they quarrel over trivial matters?"

"Let's fight." Marian said this in a matter-of-fact tone, which made Ivan sweat profusely.

"Only a strong enough mother can give birth to a healthy enough child, so of course the family has to rely on this." The little girl clenched her fist and stretched it in front of Alvin.

But soon, she looked confused again.

"But, when my sisters talk about 'fighting', they always laugh in an exaggerated and strange way, as if they are saying something funny. Is this what adults are like?"

"Ah, this, uh, you'll know when you grow up." Having guessed the deeper meaning, Alvin sweated even more profusely, and had to use this kind of rhetoric that had been used by countless generations of parents to get away with it.

Don't talk nonsense, little Mary. Those two women over there are almost glaring at me. What if they really want to decide the outcome by that kind of 'fighting'?

I'm the unlucky one, but no, this might be a good thing?

Ivan stroked his chin and fell into deep thought until a faint smell of burning came into his nostrils.

"Hmm?" Looking into the distance, a few kilometers away from the tribe, a column of black smoke suddenly shot straight into the sky.

"Stop it, something's wrong!"

Chapter 204: The Hidden Person

Fire, an ancient and brutal force.

It can bring warmth, but it can also devour everything, turning everything into fleeting ashes.

The pitch-black smoke rolled upwards, like a pillar reaching the sky, stretching between heaven and earth, making it difficult to ignore its existence.

"That direction is... my home!" Marian's eyes widened little by little, and then she let out an extremely sharp scream.

The girl tried to run forward, but was grabbed from behind. Afrediya held Marian tightly, like a stuffed bear, lowering her head to comfort her while giving Ivan a reassuring look.

"Be careful, I'll go to the front to see what's going on—" Before he finished speaking, the man disappeared from the spot.

Accelerating to 100 kilometers per hour in less than 0.01 seconds, Ivan instantly appeared a hundred meters away, unaffected by even the slightest air resistance. His agility, combined with the spatial control gained from his understanding of the Pluto Project, allowed him to enter the interdimensional realm between the real world and a higher dimension, maintaining his phase form and accelerating through all obstacles, including atmospheric molecules.

As he raced, pieces of pure white light-forged armor, ablaze with azure flames, coalesced, catching up and attaching themselves to every corner of Ivan's body. The changes in his appearance, originally brought about by the absorption of the Armor of Despair, had now largely dissipated. While the resulting appearance still contained skeletal elements like the rib-cage breastplate, its primary style had shifted significantly towards the original celestial rings and phoenix elements.

The young Titan, fully armored, walked directly across the overpass without causing any noise, but the strong light he emitted was enough to attract attention.

Before Ivan lay a tent ablaze. Many people, wearing enclosed jumpsuits similar to Marian's, struggled to extinguish the flames. Meanwhile, some of them, armed with weapons, engaged another group of invaders dressed in, shall we say, more wild attire.

The former mainly use crossbows and standard rifles of uniform specifications, while the latter's weapons are more varied, including "doomsday" weapons made from everyday items such as water pipes, baseball bats, and nails. In short, it is full of post-apocalyptic style "beauty".

Without even asking, Alvin could guess who among these people were Marian's people, the Sumuabum tribe, the remnants of the old times who inherited part of the knowledge of the ancient empire.

The two sides who were originally fighting each other stopped their actions at the same time. This was because the sudden intruder was too eye-catching. Putting aside the armor covering his entire body, the guy was glowing all over.

"This is a type I've never seen before. Is he a warrior from another tribe?" The person who spoke subconsciously lowered his voice, and his tone sounded particularly serious when he said the word "warrior".

"Don't let your guard down." The older man in the battle team shouted in a suppressed voice.

Then he took two steps forward and asked Ivan who was standing on a high place.

"Friend or foe?"

"That's quite direct." Alvin smiled.

In that case, he might as well be more direct.

"Stop fighting, I have something to ask."

This statement clearly surprised most people present. Even a true Transcendent warrior couldn't possibly withstand the siege of dozens or even hundreds of well-trained individuals. The combined number of the two combatants clearly exceeded this threshold.

Immediately, a strong warrior with a fancy feather crown on his head stepped forward.

"Damn it, you're insulting a soldier...Ahhh——"

Before he could finish his words, Ivan suddenly appeared in front of him. With just a flick of his index finger, he sent him flying dozens of meters away, turning him into a 'cannonball' that embedded itself into the center of the stone pillar supporting the overpass in the distance.

While this method might seem childish, even the most enthusiastic could immediately see the vast disparity between them. So, Ivan casually glanced around, and everyone instinctively stepped back. It was as if an invisible boundary had fallen from the sky, obscuring any standing figures within a dozen meters of Ivan.

This also completely separated the two groups fighting each other, bringing the battle to an abrupt end...

"What a realistic local." Alvin was also a little surprised by this. Then he learned from the whispers of others that the man who was just flicked away by his finger was the leader of the invading gang.

Well, considering that the other party is in such a state that at least seven or eight bones are broken, theoretically he should not be able to continue to lead the way in doing evil.

Thanks to Ivan's intervention, the bandits, who had only gained the upper hand through surprise attacks and arson, readily surrendered. If their strongest couldn't even withstand a finger, what was the point of continuing resistance? Such was the reality of the Broken Sun Wasteland; anyone less than realistic would inevitably meet an early demise in various "accidents."

As for the tribe that had been attacked, to be honest, they hadn't recovered yet. The middle-aged man who had just led the battle walked up to Ivan and bowed.

"Stranger warrior, thank you for your help. Please leave your name. Sumuabum will remember this favor." He was quite cautious. The gang leader who had just been knocked away was quite powerful. But facing this stranger, even such a warrior could not last a single round, or even less than a round.

"Just call me Alvin." Alvin paused and said bluntly, "I'd like to borrow the documents you have in your collection."

Honestly, this was a bit rude. But there was a reason for it. Although Alvin appeared relaxed on the surface, he was actually under great pressure. The pure-colored horde that would descend a century later was like an invisible mountain, forcing Alvin to quickly master the power to contend with it. The sooner the better.

The soul of King Uranus is undoubtedly the most thorough answer.

Therefore, he wanted to know if Ishtarli had left any clues in this land, clues about the flawless gems and the foundation of the Great Mystery Realm.

"Of course Sumuabum would not refuse to share knowledge with his friends." The middle-aged man agreed immediately and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I mean all the books and documents." Alvin was a little surprised, so he emphasized again.

"The God of Wisdom once said that knowledge will not decrease due to sharing. You can certainly browse all the knowledge we have kept, but that may take a long time." At the end of his speech, the middle-aged man couldn't help but laugh. Although he was still holding a weapon in his hand, he showed a bit of the gentle temperament unique to scholars.

Instead, Alvin felt embarrassed and vaguely realized that something was wrong with his current mentality.

"If there's anything else I can help you with, please feel free to ask."

"Warrior, you have been of great help." The middle-aged man expressed his gratitude again sincerely.

"My name is Beeratotas, chief of the Sumuabum tribe. My friends call me 'Beta'."

"I think you've noticed that the tribe is in a bit of chaos right now, so the book issue might have to wait..."

"I think my friend and I can help a little." Alvin interrupted the other person.

At the same time, a fireball fell from the sky. Like a large hound, it began to wander along the road, sucking away all the burning flames along the way, leaving only a few wisps of green smoke rising.

When the fireball stopped moving, everyone was finally able to see its true appearance. It turned out to be an oversized fat mole!

"Uncle Beta!" Marian's voice came from behind the mole-like fire element.

The girl slid down her fiery red fur (it was already fiery) and slammed headfirst into Uncle Beta's arms like a high-speed baseball. Standing nearby, Ivan covered his ears strategically, knowing that the 'air raid sirens' unique to human cubs would soon blare through the air.

Sure enough, the next second Marian started crying loudly.

"Woo, woo, woo, I thought I'd never see you all again!"

"It's okay, it's okay. We won't abandon little Mary." Beta was at a loss and had to let Marian climb onto his neck like a koala and cry loudly.

After a while, Afrediya, who had also arrived on the Fried Bacon, had made a pot of tea, and everyone even found an intact tent to sit in. Only then did Marianne stop crying.

"Speaking of which, why would a gang attack the tribe? Are they crazy?" The girl's innocent question made the adults present fall into deep thought.

The Sumuabum was a large tribe after all. Even if it wasn't famous for its military prowess, it wasn't something that ordinary gangs in the Broken Sun Wasteland could provoke.

In addition, the attack was surprisingly fast. Not only did it accurately locate the migrating tribe, but it also set fire to a large number of tents and supplies in a very short time.

The only explanation...

Beta sighed and said in a heavy tone:

"As much as I hate to admit it, there's probably a traitor among the tribe."

Chapter 205: The Strongest Tribe

Without staying outside for too long, the group of people who came to help were quickly invited into the tribal headquarters as the most distinguished guests.

Although this place suffered heavy damage from the previous attack, the fire was quickly brought under control after the bandits were defeated, and the damage to the tribe was much less than expected.

Due to the need to migrate regularly, most people live in detachable tents. The overall shape is somewhat similar to a yurt, with a thick blanket underneath and a round roof on top.

But unlike the primitive lifestyle, the materials of these tents are quite advanced.

The fabric is mostly metallic silver, similar to tinfoil. It is very thin and surprisingly light, while also being heat-insulating, waterproof and moisture-proof.

The supporting frame is made of thin black poles, which have considerable load-bearing capacity. Even an extra-large tent with a diameter of more than ten meters can be firmly erected with just a few supporting poles.

However, the floor mat inside the tent is purely hand-woven with beautiful patterns, and the overall atmosphere is filled with a primitive style unique to the old (new?) era.

The entire tent looks both advanced and backward, full of a sense of time and space confusion where the future and the past blend together. Perhaps this is the special style that only a post-apocalyptic world can have.

In addition, although he has a very long name, the middle-aged chief, referred to as "Beta", has a very gentle personality. God knows how this kind-hearted guy can survive for so long in the extremely harsh environment of the Broken Sun Wasteland. Maybe it is because he has some unique skills?

In short, Marian, who lost her parents when she was just over ten years old, usually lived in the chief's house. In fact, she was adopted by him. The girl had a strong personality and always wanted to find something to do. In addition, her family passed down relevant knowledge, so she took on the important task of finding and identifying medicines at such a young age.

Besides Marian, there were several younger children living in Beta's home. Therefore, the chief's home was quite lively, or rather, quite noisy. Especially since they had just experienced an attack and the children were particularly nervous.

"Wow--"

“Eeyyyyy——”

"Uh uh uh uh!"

“Wuwuwuwuwuwuwu——”

Inside the huge tent, human cubs sounded the "air raid alarm" one after another.

Marian, who had just been wailing, now scowled, lashing out with a stern face. With a few smacks, she silenced the two older children, covering their faces. After sending the older children off to entertain guests and handle household chores, Marian deftly picked up the younger child. A few coaxing "oh ohs" elicited a broad grin from the child, who then curiously fumbled with Marian's gleaming new prosthetic leg.

Just like that, the endless crying quickly dissipated like clouds after the sun came out. However, the scene before me made people quite curious. Is there no hostess in this house?

"..." Afrediya stared at the scene in amazement, and Ivan behind her immediately seized the opportunity.

"Children are really troublesome."

"How could that be!?!" His Majesty the Demon King immediately retorted.

"Isn't Marianne super good?"

"That's true." Alvin was speechless, and then realized that his words might have the opposite effect.

"You see, having an older child can save a lot of trouble, so it is necessary to have more children. For example, first have a sister, and then have a few brothers, so that the sister can look after the brothers, and in the future she can also command them to take care of themselves." His Majesty the Demon King proudly put his hands on his hips and gave the final conclusion.

"Perfect!"

"..." Ivan swallowed his saliva. He really wanted to ask if the sister could dump the annoying work on her brother, just like someone had done before.

But another problem is even more difficult to ignore at this moment.

"How many is a few?"

"I haven't decided yet, but we need to at least gather a team large enough to participate in the Blood Bowl." Afrediya gave a thumbs-up and a motherly smile.

Ivan's expression froze. If he remembered correctly, 'Blood Bowl' was the name of a famous sports league in the Northern Kingdom. Its rules and format were similar to American football. Even considering only the number of teams on a single side, including substitutes, there had to be at least twelve players.

Are you kidding me! That's a whole dozen!