Star Forge Titan

Kalimue subconsciously took a half step back, ignoring the surprised looks from the others. Her muscles tensed even more, and beads of cold sweat oozed from her forehead.

"Why don't you speak?" The young man put his hands behind his back and walked towards the crowd with absolutely no errors in his steps.

Mechanical yet rational, stable yet cold, at this moment, even the most obtuse member of the hunting group could vaguely sense the terrifying and strange feeling emanating from the visitor.

Kalimue, who possessed a keen intuition, was more aware than anyone else that deep in those seemingly calm eyes, there lurked something colder than ice, hotter than fire, and extremely dangerous.

"Who are you?" As the leader of the team, she did not continue speaking to the other party, but instead asked the question first.

"My name?" The boy did not answer immediately. Instead, he showed a complex expression of thought and nostalgia.

"Alpha... In this ignorant land where knowledge has been lost, I am Alpha."

A bright smile appeared on the boy's face, but there was no truth in that smile.

Recalling that smile, even though decades had passed and her weight had more than tripled, Ms. Kalimue still couldn't help but shudder.

"That's weird!" The female warrior, whose width and height had increased significantly compared to when she was young, slapped her thigh hard.

"This is really weird!" Kalimue slapped her thigh again to emphasize.

"But no matter how strange his expression is, he is alone, right? Could it be that the other party is a high-level extraordinary person?" Frey raised her hand in confusion, and Diana, who was listening to the story beside her, nodded subconsciously.

"Hey, that's true. That guy wasn't a high-level transcendent. But, he had many more followers than we did back then." Kalimue clenched her fists angrily.

"Alpha is a complete lunatic." Beta, who happened to walk into the chief's tent at this moment, continued in a cold voice.

"He felt that the remaining descendants of the Empire were no longer able to adapt to the Broken Sun Wasteland. Only by embracing so-called 'evolution' and becoming beings with a more advanced life form would they be qualified to enter the Ark of the New Era."

"Although this makes some sense, it still sounds a bit too extreme." Ivan, who turned back with them, showed a sour expression.

"Chief, it's rare to see you so frank. It seems you had a good chat with the young man." Chief's wife Kalimue joked.

Ivan felt that her heavily accented word "chief" could be replaced with "boss" or some other dialect word.

"This gentleman possesses power beyond imagination. He may really be able to help us solve the crisis that the Broken Sun Wasteland is about to face." Everyone present was an insider, and Kalimue was also Chief Beta's most trusted relative. Naturally, he told the countermeasures he and Ivan had discussed without reservation.

Instead, it was Kalimue who was surprised.

"Ah? Are you awake, husband? They're repairing the Great Beast God. If that pile of junk could really move, even with only 1% of its original strength left, no tribe or individual would be able to resist it!"

"You're right." Beta nodded.

"But if nothing unexpected happens, I should be stronger." Alvin scratched his cheek and used his fingers to indicate the tiny difference.

"That's what Ivan would say." Frey suppressed her increasingly strong smile and raised her hand to nudge Diana beside her.

The silver-haired girl remained silent, but a suspicious blush appeared on her cheeks.

"..." Kalimue looked back and forth at the few people, and couldn't help but look down at the less than half a cup of beer in her hand.

"Did we drink too much? Impossible! This amount is not enough even for feeding fish!"

"Don't be so loud, the children are all asleep." Chief Beta sighed helplessly, and finally persuaded his wife to accept the letter after much persuasion.

"If that's the case, things have taken a turn for the better." Kalimue put down the wine glass, which seemed to others to have the same capacity as a wine jug, and a thoughtful expression appeared on her seemingly rough face.

While she was thinking, Beta continued to talk about the past with a few people.

"Back then, that guy Alpha did something truly outrageous. He attempted to transform the magic factory left behind by the ancient empire, using the empire's legacy of advanced technology to transform all the wastelanders into hybrids implanted with magical mechas."

Hearing this, Ivan's heart was moved. This plan sounded familiar. He seemed...

The world of machines is sublimated...

How the hell could this place connect to the plot of my previous life's virtual game? Or was that just a possibility?

Others naturally would not guess the huge waves that suddenly surged in the young Titan's heart, and Beta's narration was not over yet.

"According to Alpha's plan, after transforming most humans into hybrid mechanical lifeforms, he will amplify or enslave all the wasteland tribes, thereby striving to repair the ancient empire's most powerful weapon, the Great Beast God, and use it to recapture the empire's former capital, 'God's Gate - Babelon.'"

"It's crazy, isn't it?"

"Back then, Kalimue accidentally awakened me from the cryogenically sealed state in the ruins. Afterwards, with the help of many friends, we joined forces to destroy Alpha's plan." At this point, Beta couldn't help but smile, but the smile didn't last long.

"But our capabilities were limited at the time. Although we thwarted Alpha's plan, it can't be called a complete success. The various hybrid iron beasts currently wreaking havoc in the Broken Sun Wasteland are the remnants of that plan."

"Many people have lost their lives because of this, and those who are lucky will most likely end up seriously injured or disabled." Looking at the place where the children were resting, Beta sighed deeply, and the atmosphere of the conversation became much more depressing.

"So, the forces secretly collecting the remains of the Great Beast God are most likely related to the man named 'Alpha'?" Frey calmly changed the subject.

"Yes." When this familiar name was mentioned, Chief Beta's expression became more serious.

"I strongly suspect that Alpha did not die that year, even though he eventually fell into the abyss underground."

Chapter 213 Hate Trouble

"It sounds like he's not dead." Alvin complained subconsciously.

He had seen too many stories of similar encounters, and he instinctively felt that there must be something strange about this.

"There was no other way. The situation was very critical and the ruins' self-destruction program was about to start. I wanted to go to the end with Alpha, but..." Chief Beta smiled and his eyes became very gentle when he looked at Lady Kalimue. The latter also showed a shy expression that was inconsistent with her strong figure.

"In short, if we unfold the story that happened decades ago, I'm afraid even one night won't be enough." Beta shook his head.

"Thank you for the information you brought, my friendly guests. This is of great importance to all of the Amori people. We will not ignore the enemies lurking in the darkness. Tomorrow morning, I will dispatch the tribe's swiftest 'Eagle' to the surrounding tribes to inform them that the enemy who created the hybrid monsters is about to return."

Although he was somewhat curious about what the so-called 'Eagle' was, Alvin did not interrupt the other party's speech and only listened to Beta continue:

"Although this is absolutely terrible news, if it can unite all the Amoli people, perhaps it can be a good thing."

"..." Watching Chief Beta's sudden outburst of emotion, Ivan's face showed a hesitant expression. But before he could say anything, Frey immediately raised her hand and elbowed her boyfriend. His Majesty the Demon King's emotional intelligence could be high when needed.

Ivan, who was hit by the elbow, twitched his lips and swallowed back the words that ruined the atmosphere.

"You are right," the young Titan said sincerely.

He was not in a hurry. After figuring out the general situation of the local area, he felt at least 80% confident that he could solve the problem.

Initially, after arriving here unexpectedly, the main purpose of several people was to explore the ruins of the ancient empire in search of the Flawless Gem of Wind.

Although he had received crucial clues from Chief Beta, Ivan, deeply moved by what he had witnessed recently, was ready to address the dire situation in the region. The primary problem, however, wasn't the existence of any particular individual or force, but rather the severe damage to the local ecosystem caused by the Shattered Sun War.

After discussing the details for a while, it was already late, so both parties went their separate ways to rest.

Privately, Lady Kalimue couldn't help but cast a questioning glance at Chief Beta. While she had appeared stunned, she hadn't fully believed his words. After all, how could a single individual possibly rival the twelve great beast gods who had turned this land into a wasteland?

But out of trust in her husband, Kalimue quietly raised questions afterwards.

In response to this, Beta shook his head without explaining too much. He just stood there with a serious attitude to defend the ruins of the Gate of God, and fell into deep memories.

"You'll know when you go out and see tomorrow."

Seeing this, Lady Kalimue didn't want to ask any more questions, so she simply fell back with a rumble. Her sturdy body took up two-thirds of the mat and started to flip it over, leaving Chief Beta helpless.

The next morning, Mrs. Kalimue, who couldn't wait to go out, was stunned for a moment.

Last night, the sadness brought by the bad news made it difficult for her to fall asleep, and she only managed a few hours of sleep in the early morning. But the scene before her made her wonder if she was still dreaming.

Because it has gone out of control, the magical engineering machinery will keep repeating the last instructions it received, and will even build new buildings layer by layer on top of already completed buildings, without caring at all even if the old buildings below collapse.

As a result, the Stone Network Wasteland is filled with a mixture of old and new man-made architectural wonders. The most exaggerated of these might even present a dozen or even twenty overpasses stacked on top of each other.

There was a tall gray mountain like that near the Sumuabum tribe. But now, the scene before Kalimue's eyes had become noticeably emptier. The original gray, man-made mountain had been replaced by a large pit of equal size.

The pit is sunken and almost perfectly circular.

"Last night, the outsider destroyed the mountain in front of me to prove that he was not lying." Beta's voice came faintly from behind, making Kalimue almost jump up on the spot.

"How did he do that?" the tribe's strongest female warrior, a sturdy figure, stammered.

"It seems..." Beta paused, hesitating to organize his words, trying to make the scene sound a little more reasonable.

But in the end, he chose to give up.

"Just threw a punch."

Kalimue's eyes widened like a cow, and she held her breath as she stared at her husband. If it had been someone else who said this, she would have slapped him on the head, treating him as if he had drunk a few too many glasses of wheat juice and started spouting nonsense.

At the same time, Frey, who had noticed a 'slight' change in the surroundings, glanced at Ivan.

"is it necessary?"

"Actions speak louder than words." A certain young Titan's eyes wandered, and his words sounded reasonable at first glance, but the Demon King knew that this guy was probably just too lazy to talk.

"Ahhhhhhh! My third-generation cardboard secret base in the back mountain!" The miserable screams coming from not far away made Ivan's eyes more vague. The voice was obviously the little guide Marian who had led the group before.

What kid doesn't want a secret base as a child? Judging by the content, despite the daily grind of life, the little one still found time to build a small base out of cardboard. Whatever she hid in that secret base is surely now covered in dust.

Looking at the screaming little sister and the increasingly sharp eyes of Frey beside her...

"Oops, I think I messed up." Alvin touched the back of his head.

"After finishing the business, help her build a tree house as compensation."

"Huh?" Frey was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"I really don't know whether you are afraid of trouble or not."

"That's probably because you're afraid. Okay, okay, it's time to get down to business." Alvin said quickly, then turned and walked towards Chief Beta.

"Trouble?" Diana, who came out later, looked at Frey in confusion. She didn't quite understand the conversation between the two.

Seeing the confusion on the other person's face, Frey gave a slightly childish smile of victory.

"Well, that guy, even though he looked like he was afraid of trouble, actually chose the longer route, which was even more troublesome."

Hearing this, Diana came to her senses and quickly understood the meaning. Her usually expressionless face softened.

There is not much vegetation to be seen in the stone wasteland filled with construction machinery, and the large trees that can support a tree house require a significant improvement in the entire natural environment.

On the other hand, Alvin also learned what the profession of the "Eagle" that Amoli mentioned was.

"This is really..." The knowledgeable visitor from another world couldn't help but sigh.

"Unexpected, but reasonable."

Chapter 214: The Suffering of the Iron Beast

The night fades away and the day comes. Even if the earth is desolate, the sun still rises as usual.

As time passed, the distant horizon gradually began to glow. But this sun, like the desolate land below, was dim and black, its entire body dim as a black sun. Only a hint of red light could be seen from the depths of several coarse cracks that nearly penetrated the celestial body, tentatively illuminating this extremely broken post-apocalyptic world.

This is the 'Ruined Sun, Shattered Sun', and the origin of the name 'Shattered Sun Wasteland'.

The harsh environment forces the civilization that inhabits it to evolve. Different from the world of normal civilization, the unique post-apocalyptic environment of the Broken Sun Wasteland has also created many strange professions.

The medicine seeker inherited from Marian is one of them, and the 'eagle' in the tribe is another profession.

"This thing looks both primitive and advanced." Alvin looked into the distance and immediately noticed something reflecting dazzling light under the broken sunlight.

Not far away, a thin young man named Amo was unfurling a strangely shaped vehicle. The young man's profession was called "Eagle" because of this unique vehicle that allowed him to fly high into the sky.

Otherwise, the Eagle of Amori would not be able to fly long distances across the Broken Sun Wasteland, which is full of dangerous iron beasts, and communicate with other tribes far away.

After just one glance, Ivan understood the general principle of its operation. In fact, judging from its appearance alone, he found that it was probably similar to a hang glider, requiring the help of atmospheric force to successfully fly into the sky.

Soon, the young man completed the assembly of the vehicle. A layer of thin, shimmering silver 'cloth' was laid on top of the rigid frame of the gray metal geometric structure in an aerodynamic manner.

A closer inspection revealed that it wasn't fabric. After all, the Amori people's current technology wasn't sufficient to produce high-strength cloth. The thin silver 'cloth' was essentially stretched metal foil. This foil, recovered entirely from ruins, was a material science achievement left over from a glorious past civilization, capable of maintaining both ultra-lightness and sufficient strength.

Because of this, the Amori people are unable to mass-produce similar equipment, and it is even more difficult to replace it after losses. The wings held by each "Eagle" are often passed down for generations, and it is no exaggeration to say that they are the tribe's most valuable asset.

In addition, the Broken Sun Wasteland is full of dangers, and even the Amori Eagle, which has the ability to fly, cannot guarantee absolute safety.

Due to the indiscriminate raids waged by all factions before the war, the remaining Iron Beasts in the skies are almost all hunting Iron Beasts, the fully automated air combat magic puppets once deployed by the Imperial Army. Most of these are military vehicles from a pre-civilization civilization, even more terrifying than the ordinary Iron Beasts on the ground. Infected by a maddening virus, they have been engaged in hunting and raiding missions for decades. All moving objects within their range become targets of these icy monsters, sparing no one.

Every flight of the 'Eagle' means riding with the god of death. If the altitude is too low, it may be attacked by the iron beasts on the ground. If it is too high, it will attract the out-of-control and rampaging aerial combat puppets.

even so……

"I have sent out all the eagles of the Sumuabum tribe. I hope these young people can return safely." Beta sighed with emotion.

"There's no need to take the risk." Alvin frowned. He felt that this risk was meaningless.

"No, this is a matter concerning the Great Beast God. It is no longer something that a single tribe can decide." Beta shook his head slowly.

"Actually, if this can unite the majority of the Amori people, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Humans are social animals. Once they feel the power of the group, they will subconsciously tend to unite and unify, until it forms a fixed common sense like tribal memory."

"..." Alvin was a little surprised. The tribal chief in front of him was wearing the protective suit of the old civilization and the fur of wild animals. He had this strange mixed style and spoke frankly about wise words that even learned people might not understand.

"Don't worry, I have prepared camouflage beacons for them. Although those things are gradually becoming unable to regenerate due to technical problems, they still need to be used when necessary. Young people's lives are much more precious than mere items." Beta continued. Now, only an 'ancient man' like him who has been sleeping for a long time with the help of sealing magic will know how to avoid the attacks of out-of-control puppets to the greatest extent.

Seeing this, Ivan stopped trying to dissuade them. Although he was happy to lend a hand to those in need, the other person's efforts to save themselves were more worthy of encouragement and support.