Star Forge Titan

Of course, Ostolfo flatly refused. Didn't he want to join in the fun? But the eldest sister's inherent bloodline suppression of her stinking younger brother meant that this sister-con man was ultimately subjected to a mountain of repression, his butt turned away. He might not be able to escape for another five hundred years.

"Chou No Wan!" A familiar and expected shout came into Ivan's ears.

So, he had to put down the Rubik's Cube in his hand, and sighed that this thing was really difficult to deal with. After several days, the progress bar didn't move at all. Could it be because his academic qualifications were too low?

"Let's go! I've booked the boat ticket for today's 1 o'clock afternoon." Frey rushed in carrying a suitcase. Her fiery red dress matched her bright red hair color, showing her energetic and vibrant appearance.

This made Ivan, who was about to suggest they fly over, shut up. Just kidding, traveling by boat is so much more romantic than walking. Along the way, you can enjoy the moon rising over the sea, the waves rolling in and out, and so on. You can also eat innocent seafood, fish for ignorant sea fish, and get exploited by the ruthless mother dragon three, four, five, six, seven, eight times.

Just as Alvin was daydreaming like this, he saw the flight that Fulei had mentioned - a wooden 'sail' boat with a large airbag connected to its head by ropes.

This thing doesn't even look like a ship! It's just the Voyager airship with some modifications. Is it a temporary skin change to cater to the adventurous nature of seafaring? What about the Myanmar Northern Pay-to-Win mobile game? Refund!

"Meow meow meow!" Countless cats and bugs waving colorful flags appeared on both sides of the ship's side, welcoming the big chief and captain for coming to guide the work.

I should have known this earlier… Ivan raised his hand to his forehead, but a smile appeared on his face unconsciously. These happy little fur balls with no cares for a long time were really hard to dislike.

Accompanied by the chorus of cats, cats and insects, and under the astonished gazes of many onlookers at the port, the wooden wind-powered canvas airbag boat, also known as the wooden sailboat version of the Traveler, announced that it would set sail.

This journey was just as Ivan had guessed, full of joy, well, joy in all kinds of senses. Thanks to the cat's trek, after dozens of days of sailing (flight), the Voyager finally arrived at the increasingly famous port town of Sai Akel.

Along the way, Alvin fought off two typhoons, three ghost waves, six sea monsters, and caught two kelp and three boots, all of which were on his left foot.

"I have a bad feeling, I have a bad feeling." He walked off the boat with a dark face and muttered, next to him was Afrediya, who was laughing so hard that she almost hung on him.

The Demon King's smile was due to the newly hooked third boot. Because the Voyager had deliberately minimized its presence, despite its unique design, Ivan and Frey's disembarkation attracted little attention.

At this moment, Shai'akl was bustling with activity, with adventurers of all races and classes everywhere. Even the streets were dotted with numerous taverns and restaurants. The local economy was fully revitalized, and the road leading to the northern dungeon entrance had been widened and repaired by locals, who even enthusiastically paved it with gravel and slatted stone to facilitate the passage of horses and carriages.

We randomly found a restaurant to sit down. As expected, the prices on the menu were inflated, but the Demon King, who was enjoying the adventurous atmosphere, obviously didn't care.

"This is a complete fraud!" An adventurer nearby complained loudly.

"It's called the Golden Castle, but only the topmost part of the dome is actually covered in gold. The walls are all brass, and the base below isn't even brass at all."

"Hey, the key is the great secret treasure deep in the maze."

"I just feel a little off."

After hearing this conversation, Alvin couldn't help but scratch his face in embarrassment.

Well, given the limited timeframe, it's only natural that some refinement was involved... right? At least, he didn't make the dungeon look like a certain Berlin airport.

Chapter 253: Galaxy Magic City

"The stew is quite delicious," Afrediya said.

"But it's three times more expensive than ordinary restaurants." Alvin curled his lips, feeling that this conversation was inexplicably familiar.

Oh, now I remember, I had a similar conversation with a friend while traveling before crossing over. In a sense, the supply towns outside the dungeon do have similarities to scenic tourist areas, such as double the price of goods and ridiculously high labor costs.

After lunch, the two leisurely walked along the newly constructed road to the entrance to the dungeon. Ahead lay a bottomless pit occupying the center of the island. Although the dungeon had only recently appeared, the locals had already familiarly named it the Mouth of the Abyss. The name wasn't profound or dark, but rather a name that was intimidating and a good way to attract adventurers.

Yes, that's right. Even though the dungeon was just newly built (emphasis added), the locals have already figured out that providing tertiary services is far more profitable than digging directly. Not only have they spontaneously publicized various anecdotes about how to get rich quickly in the dungeon, they have also taken the initiative to pave roads to facilitate adventurers' repeated travel.

The edge of the 'Mouth of the Abyss' has numerous spiraling passages. At the bottom, where these passages converge, a structure resembling a tower spire can be vaguely seen, as if a castle were buried vertically in the earth. In reality, it's a proud (or perhaps) work that Ivan casually concocted after spending five minutes pondering the structure.

Even fishing requires baiting. If you want to attract a large number of adventurers to explore the dungeon in a short period of time, of course you have to use the most direct method, which is to give money.

Thus, a legendary castle of wealth that was said to be made entirely of gold (in fact, it was only gold-plated on the surface, and most of it was brass) (with no treasure room inside, but instead a large number of tricks) became the most conspicuous landmark building.

The small amount of gold actually used in the Golden Castle came from shipwrecks on the surrounding seabed, while the brass came from a poor vein discovered by Ivan deep underground. While this vein's reserves wouldn't allow for large-scale industrial production, they were more than sufficient for exterior decoration.

In short, the emphasis is on using local materials.

"The adventurers who arrived first were really quick." Looking at the bare spire of the tower, Alvin couldn't help but sigh.

Afrediya tilted her head and looked carefully for a moment, then suddenly spoke:

"The tower of this castle seems a little crooked?"

"Is there...?" Ivan's voice revealed some uncertainty.

"If the spire was plated with gold as rumored, it might not be so obvious. But now that the coating on the building's surface has been stripped off by adventurers, the structural problems are very obvious." Afrediya looked at her boyfriend beside her with a strange look.

"Hehe, don't worry about such trivial matters. Since we are here for an adventure, why don't you go in and take a look?" As he said that, Ivan took the initiative to pull Frey's hand, and under the latter's smiling gaze, he quickly walked towards the Golden Castle where there was no gold anymore.

There is more than one way to enter the castle through the tower. You can either walk down the outer stairs slowly, or go through the tower window and continue along the internal spiral escalator.

However, before the two could enter the tower, they heard screams like ghosts and wolves howling from inside.

"Iron ball, why is there a big! Iron! Ball here! Aa ...

Peeking in, Ivan and Frey saw a group of adventurers sprinting down the tower's spiral staircase. Chasing them was a massive iron ball that took up the entire length of the staircase.

Gravitational potential energy drove the iron ball faster and faster, on the verge of surpassing the average runner's speed. However, the adventurers' athletic ability was undoubtedly superior to that of the average resident, so the newly rolled iron ball would have a hard time catching up with them. Once most adventurers calmed down, they would discover a life-size niche deliberately carved into the wall ahead. Simply entering it would allow them to safely avoid this classic rolling stone trap.

Even if you do encounter a flat-bottomed wrestler, the large iron ball with its built-in magic mechanism will coincidentally get stuck somewhere. It's sure to be a thrilling and exciting experience for everyone involved!

I wonder if the locals are selling replacement pants in the area further ahead...

Ivan tried hard to suppress the urge to laugh out loud, but Frey next to him was kind-hearted and shouted to remind the other party to hide in the alcove to avoid the rolling iron ball.

"Ahem, this road looks full of traps. Should we try another route?" Alvin coughed lightly in surprise and made a seemingly rational suggestion.

"Let's take this road." Afrediya pushed him forward with great enthusiasm.

Before officially entering the tower, she suddenly stopped and looked at a bronze plaque nailed in a conspicuous place.

I saw the same content written on it in common Xuma, Dwarven, Elvish and Dragon language.

"Those entering this city must abandon all unrealistic fantasies. Only with courage and wisdom can one pierce the layers of mystery and reach the true treasure." Afrediya read the fantastical text word for word, then noticed another line of smaller text beneath the bronze plaque. Honestly, without the eyesight of an ancient dragon, it would be difficult to spot this deliberately tiny text.

“To ensure the safety and enjoyable experience of all adventurers, Dungeon City hereby formulates the following statement:

1. Adventurers must comply with the corresponding safety rules and follow the guidance of the staff before participating in any activities in the dungeon.

2. Pregnant women, the elderly, children, patients and other special groups, please choose adventure activities with caution and be accompanied by someone.

3. Adventurers are responsible for their own personal belongings. The dungeon is not responsible for lost or damaged items.

4. The dungeon can be exempted from some responsibilities in the following situations: facility failure, natural disasters, tourists (crossed out) adventurers violating the rules, etc.

5. This agreement will automatically take effect from the time of entry. If there are any changes, the latest announcement shall prevail.

6. In the event of a dispute, the parties (or multiple parties) should resolve it through friendly negotiation and must not violate local laws. If negotiation fails, please contact the Dungeon Master for resolution..."

"Let's go, it's time to take risks."

After saying that, Ivan turned his eyes away, pretending not to hear the disclaimer that Afrediya read out point by point.

Well, this dungeon's security system is very comprehensive, with various traps highlighting a traditional adventure point. In the event of an emergency, they will also deploy cat-shaped emergency puppets wrapped in oil paper and buried throughout the dungeon.

Even if a very low probability event results in loss of life, there are special soul maze locks set up throughout the dungeon that can immediately hook the soul of the person floating out, and then make a phone call to a well-known Titan who has dropped out of elementary school, asking him to come over to chase the soul, save the life, and cleanse the place.

Of course, he would never tell Afrediya about this.

Many of the mechanisms in the dungeon, with the Golden Castle as its entrance, were random, sometimes triggering and sometimes not. Even the triggering conditions shifted constantly, highlighting a sense of randomness and freedom. But as Afrediya stepped onto the spiral escalator, Ivan immediately commanded the iron ball, which had just returned to its original position via the recycling channel, to roll out on its own.

"Here it comes!" Frey excitedly grabbed her boyfriend's arm. The two of them running hand in hand looked a little silly, but they were clearly enjoying it. She even secretly told the iron ball to roll faster, fearing it wouldn't be exciting enough.

Just as the iron ball was about to catch up with the mountain-sturdy Afredia, Ivan scooped her up in a princess-carry, then side-sat on the banister, using gravity to quickly navigate the final stretch. While showing off their affection, the massive iron ball narrowly avoided rolling into a side lane, causing the Demon King to scream like a child.

Well, the sliding speed on the last section of the road was obviously not right. It was probably a person or a dragon who was good at controlling gravity who made some secret moves. But he saw through it but didn't say anything. When you play around, you have to be confused.

After arriving inside the Golden Castle, the two of them saw a maze with many paths leading in all directions.

In reality, not only is the entrance to this castle booby-trapped, but the interior is also filled with the mischievous spirit of someone who's played too many Metroidvania games. Not only are there various pranks and traps along the way, but even the corridors and staircases are constantly repositioned. A staircase that could lead you back to the upper areas one moment might become a shortcut to a trap room below the next.

As for some seemingly closed doors, as soon as the adventurer approaches, the door will immediately tell the other party a riddle, occasionally mixed with a few infuriating brain teasers, or homophonic puns full of the greasy flavor of middle-aged and elderly people.

What if I can’t answer?

At that time, not only will the closed gate not open, but it will also stand up with all its hands and feet and give the adventurer a good beating.

How do adventurers feel about this?

Judging from the screams and cries coming from all directions, it must be extremely joyful.

Chapter 254: Decrypting Elements

The life of an adventurer is not as romantic and exciting, free and unrestrained as rumored.

Well, it's exciting, whether it's the dangerous beasts you need to eliminate during the mission or the open and secret attacks from your peers, it's definitely exciting. But other aspects are not really worthy of the name.

Adventurer is actually a vague term for a series of professions, including combat-oriented types such as Warcraft hunters and professional mercenaries, as well as wanderers who sneak into houses and pick locks or warlocks who master some unconventional spells, such people who live in the shadows.

While there are many exceptional individuals within the vast adventurer community, the vast majority are of mixed quality. However, one thing is certain: the adventurer community comprises the largest number of transcendents. Whether they unexpectedly receive a promotion ritual during their adventures, or receive it through inheritance from master to apprentice, or from father to son, they are ultimately more likely than the average citizen to be exposed to the power inherent in the Path of Transcendence.

Because of this, various forces and managers often have very contradictory views on adventurers. Sometimes they need their strength, and sometimes they hate the trouble they bring.

Even the gods, who are high above, occasionally need a team of unknown and anonymous adventurers to complete a series of legends that seem destined.

In addition, money, power and fame are the things that most easily attract adventurers.

The newly emerged dungeon, simply by virtue of the pure gold decorations atop the Golden Castle's spire, attracted a large number of adventurers. Furthermore, rumors circulated that a mysterious library, located elusively within the dungeon, contained within it the promotion rituals for every extraordinary class in the world of Palladia.

Upon hearing this news, Ivan was completely stunned. It was like a fisherman who had just finished baiting his line and was told that the bait he had just poured into the lake was not raw earthworms, but fresh seafood.

Huh? When did I put something so outrageous in there? I just wanted to open an amusement park and train new adventurers so they don't die so easily, that's all.

There are bad guys trying to cause trouble...

Ivan frowned, realizing it wasn't that simple. Then, he relaxed his frown and silently made a mental note. Anyway, our people were already here. If anyone tried to exploit the Golden Castle's reputation to cause trouble, we'd just knock them down.

"Oh, what a classic ground spike mechanism. It's exactly the same as the one described in adventure novels." Afrediya leaned in to look at the spear that popped out from the hole in the wall.

Because I made it based on adventure novels. Ivan curled his lips and tried not to laugh out loud.

Then, he saw Afrediya begin to test the endurance of the trap ahead.

He stepped on the floor tile, and the spear thrust out. He retracted his foot, and the spear retracted into the hole in the wall. He stepped again, and the spear sprang out again. He retracted it, stepped on it, retracted it, and stepped on it again.

Click, click, the crisp sound of the mechanism continuously running was like a continuous allegro. Afrediya was obviously enjoying it, but Ivan, who was watching next to her, had slowly turned into an embarrassed expression.

The trigger for this trap was just an ordinary floor tile, deliberately colored differently from the surrounding tiles. Normally, only a novice adventurer would carelessly step on it. The spears that emerged from the holes in the wall were unsharpened, held at chest height, and aimed at non-lethal targets.

Once the newbies have gotten a few bruises, they'll probably understand the most basic rule of adventure: 'watch your step.'

There are many designs like this. Alvin has no intention of killing anyone. Apart from some amusement facilities that are mainly for fun, the remaining traps are all high-simulation training devices like this.

Of course, small accidents do happen occasionally. He had only taken two steps around the trap when he heard a shrill, startling wail from behind him.

"Gah! My OO! My OO was stabbed! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The voice became sharper and higher-pitched, and in the end it was filled with a lingering sorrow.

Ivan paused and remained expressionless when he heard the screams. Instead, he took Afrediya's arm and quickened his pace.

No one wants this kind of thing to happen.

An accident is just an accident.

"Poor guy." Afrediya sighed casually, but the look she gave Ivan was full of mockery.

After a few more steps, the path ahead seemed to reach a dead end. At the end of the corridor stood a massive, heavy sphinx. Its stone, mixed with obsidian, possessed strong spell resistance and considerable physical defense. Destroying or even removing it was beyond the reach of ordinary adventurers.

On the base of the Sphinx, there are three square grooves of the same shape, and next to them is a very obvious red pull rod.

Obviously, adventurers need to find a total of three key props in the surrounding map, and insert them into the grooves in the correct order before they can pull the lever to open the way to move forward.

As for the correct order, a few lines of text were quietly engraved on the back of the statue, which contained relevant clues. After realizing that simply inserting the stone slabs would not open the path, any veteran player who had played a few video games would quickly react.

But Ivan noticed many adventurers huddled together, their faces filled with expressions of bewildered contemplation. It was then that he realized the locals of the otherworldly Palladia had never played video games. Many puzzles that seemed simple to him required the locals to rethink their thinking twice before grasping their meaning.

Just like Xiao Deng who has never played with Xiaoyouhuang, he may not even know how to decompress it.

"What is this?"

"It seems I need to find all the keys."

"The key is a slate. I saw someone take it and think it's valuable and try to take it away, but the slate just vanished."

"Who has a slate? I can't take it out anyway, so take it out and use it to open the door."

"It's no use putting it in. Someone just tried it."

"Most likely there's something about the order in which you place the slabs."

The adventurers chattered until someone shouted that someone had the last stone tablet.

So, a group of people clamored and shoved the stone slab into the groove. As expected, the lever didn't budge at all, even if they summoned muscular warriors.

Ivan, who witnessed the entire process, nodded secretly. The adventurers were obviously not giant babies who could not even walk without their parents and could only cry and curse. Although they still needed to think a few more steps, the overall idea had found the right direction.

"Lions in the north hunt elks... There are a few lines of text here." Afrediya, who had walked around to the back of the Sphinx at some point, pretended to be surprised and read out loud the text engraved on the back of the statue.