Star Forge Titan

Chapter 91: Night Talk in the Study

Considering the value of the giant bones as extraordinary materials, Akkad's funeral was not made public.

The remains of Akkad were placed in a bone box made of solid magic-averse metal. Ivan activated the power of [Reshaping the World] to make the box completely free of any gaps, so no magical energy would leak out.

A few days later, a simple but formal funeral was held in a secret cemetery specially prepared for the knights who died for the royal family.

Only Alvin and Afrediya participated in the funeral. They found a hillside facing north and then stepped into the ground ten meters below.

As for the tombstone, Akkad's name was not directly engraved on it for confidentiality reasons.

After placing the stone tablet himself, Alvin raised his hand and pressed the wordless tablet. A dark golden light lit up, and a line of simple words automatically appeared on the stone tablet - Stranger, please walk lightly. Here sleeps a soldier who has been loyal to his duty for many years. He needs a long and peaceful rest.

When the two had finished everything, suddenly a gust of warm wind gushed out from the depths of the tomb, accompanied by hearty and heroic laughter that rang in their ears. An invisible figure rushed straight up into the sky as the sun was setting, then turned into a long wind and disappeared.

"That's..." Afrediya looked at Ivan uncertainly.

"Ah, he is free." Alvin felt a little warm in the corners of his eyes. It was obviously an old thing that happened a long time ago, so why did he feel so particularly moved by it?

Suddenly, the boy felt a memory flooding into his mind. It was a memory from the Frostland Arcade, or rather, a parting gift that Arcade had left for him out of gratitude.

It detailed an extraordinary combat skill called Elemental Shell, which was exactly what Ivan had seen in the memory illusion conveyed by the fragments of the powerful. Akkad used this technology to create prosthetic limbs that could move freely. The final version could even create a complete body that could be controlled at will.

Arkad's authority was over ice and frozen earth, so the materials he used to create his elemental shell were ice and frozen earth. Currently, Ivan's [Reshape the World] talent only covered the Earth domain, but he could easily replace ice and frozen earth with rock and metal.

Summon a giant rock hand to smash people? Could it be replaced with other materials later? Would attaching it to the outer layer of the arm also increase strength? What about the whole body?

A rough but feasible inspiration emerges instantly, followed by a large number of application methods and related tactics conceived and deduced based on this starting point.

On the way back to Schönbrunn Palace, Alvin was a little distracted, because there were so many things that could be explored about this extraordinary fighting skill. If it was posted on the forum of his previous life, it would probably trigger heated discussions among players.

Because it is more applicable than simple attack or defense techniques, and can even achieve the effect of both at the same time.

It was not until a long time later that Alvin stopped thinking. At this time, he was already sitting at the desk, writing down the contents of several books he had read in his memory.

The dip pen with a feather attached to the back made a rustling sound as it slid across the paper. The knowledge from another world was quickly translated into the Xuma language and recorded on it.

There is a thick stack of papers like this one filled with neat words next to Alvin, and the handwriting on them is obviously getting better and neater.

Under Afrediya's guidance, the former northern barbarian has completely removed the illiteracy item from his attribute panel, and replaced it with proficiency in the Huma language.

In addition to games, as an ordinary Asian student who can get the first place in the province with a little effort, he still has some experience in studying.

"Given Elrond's current situation, Tocqueville's 'The Old Regime and the Revolution' would be a good reference. Although it was written over a hundred years ago, the local administrative system and centralized administrative agencies detailed in it were systems that were used for many years afterwards."

"The three-estate parliament system can also be used to accommodate conservatives and reformists, preventing the conflict from escalating beyond the royal family's control. Perhaps Napoleon's Civil Code would be enough, too? Anyway, um, Mr. Heinrich's influence shouldn't be needed for the time being."

"Who is that?"

As he was talking to himself, he heard Afrediya's voice. She was holding two cups of warm eggnog in her hands, wearing a black fur vest and a dark red long skirt.

"A powerful man who will probably make the entire continent tremble." Alvin took the wine glass and said softly.

"It's just that it's not appropriate for him to appear right now. If you're interested, I'll leave some excerpts from his works."

"Well? Then I'll look forward to it." Afrediya took a sip of the hot wine in the cup. Perhaps because of the alcohol, her face turned a beautiful red like an apple.

"By the way, I've written a paper on the use of false life in the Elrond Mysteries and have left it there. Please give it to Mr. Claudia when you have time. Incidentally, it also contains some other related content. I'm not a scholar specializing in this area, so I can only relay information I've received from others. Practical application will require confirmation from the mages of the order."

"In fact, the use of false life in the ritual alone has already amazed them. It is a technological achievement that is completely ahead of its time. Even in the City of a Thousand Towers, I haven't seen many research results that can compare with it." Frey held her chin and looked at Ivan's profile with curiosity and fascination.

"That's because..." Ivan paused, a smile appearing on his face:

“We stand on the shoulders of giants.”

"So, who are your friends and mentors?" Afrediya couldn't help but ask.

"Shh." Alvin gently pressed the girl's vermilion lips with his index finger.

"You can't tell me yet. If anyone asks, just say it was the knowledge shared with you by the tribal witch doctor from the northern glaciers."

"Hehe, I know." Afrediya held his index finger shyly.

"Unfortunately, I'm not good at politics, so I can only leave these reference materials. You still need to try it yourself for the specific implementation." Alvin looked at the stack of papers with some regret.

"That's enough. I'm not Miss Linde who can't do anything." Afrediya suddenly hugged Ivan from the side.

Neither of them said anything more. Both Ivan and Afrediya had duties and missions that they had to fulfill, so they knew that temporary separation was inevitable. They just hoped that moment would come as late as possible.

"By the way, Ostolfo has been acting a little strangely lately. The maids often see him running to the garden with food. Do you think we should go and take a look?" After letting go of Ivan, Afrediya's face turned red and she started talking about other topics.

"There is such a thing?" Ivan, whose cheeks were also flushed, was also a little surprised.

However, looking back at the plot of the game, there seems to be no mention of any strange things that Ostolfo encountered as a child.

However, considering that he, a Mothra-level butterfly, has now intervened, the original plot has long been of only reference value.

"In this case, he's probably secretly raising some small animal." Recalling the kitten he secretly raised in the bicycle garage when he was a child, the black-haired boy couldn't help but shook his head and smiled.

"Hey? Ostolfo is at the age where he has his own little secrets. Because of that previous incident, the kid has been at odds with all of us and has ignored us for a long time." Afrediya sighed with some distress as the eldest sister.

"Don't disturb him for now. There won't be any dangerous animals running into the garden of Schönbrunn Palace anyway. However, we should strengthen the security around the palace." Alvin nodded and gave his suggestion.

Then the smile on his face slowly faded. Speaking of animals, Ivan couldn't help but think of the hideous, terrifying, twisted monsters in Akkad's memory. Even in the game, he had never seen the terrifying sight of Apocalypse-class strategic units appearing in piles at the scale of an army.

In terms of appearance alone, some new monsters that appeared in the early stage of the Scourge Clan version are somewhat similar to those guys.

Does this mean that in the later stages of the version that I haven't experienced yet, I will have to face such a terrifying monster tsunami?

It seems that improving our strength is urgent.

Thinking of this, Alvin couldn't help but cast his eyes on another list filled with various precious items. Those were the materials needed to hold the first stage ceremony of the Foundation of the Original Realm. The overall price was enough to make most ordinary extraordinary people stare with their eyes popped out.

But because of Afredia, this list, which contained a most precious flawless gem, he already...

...all gathered together.

Chapter 92: The First Light of Fire

There is no need to worry about the preparation of materials. The only thing Alvin needs to consider right now is whether he can withstand the pressure required during the ceremony.

According to the information transmitted by Ishtori across time, the Foundation of the Original World will guide the recipient to use the power of the soul to sense the deep connection between the elements and the world, thereby allowing the soul itself to transform into a special form called the "King Soul of Uranus".

Compared with the current extraordinary system, this should be similar to the soul awakening that needs to be faced when advancing from the second level to the third level, that is, the process of extraordinary people obtaining soul power.

By the way, a few of the most outstanding extraordinary people will be able to awaken before that. After they hold the promotion ceremony, they will directly obtain the power of transcending the soul and initial liberation.

But for the current supernatural system, this creates a paradox. If the supernatural person has not awakened the power of the soul, he cannot be guided by the ritual to use the power of the soul to feel the connection between the elements and the world.

On the contrary, if the recipient awakens the power of the soul through the promotion ceremony, then his soul has undergone a fundamental transformation. It will no longer dissipate easily with the death of the body like a mortal, and it will also be unable to transform in another direction.

Just like a piece of clay that has been baked into a plate cannot be put into the oven again to become a cup.

So, how do I do this?

With doubts, Alvin closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

He was originally a man of quick thinking and extraordinary intelligence. After traveling through time, the comprehensive optimization of his body by the Titan bloodline made the hardware of his thinking organ even more extraordinary.

The perfect coordination between software and hardware meant that Alvin was not troubled by this problem for long.

The memory details left by various events in the past emerged one by one in front of the boy's eyes like a reverse video.

At the end of his thinking, the memory picture stopped at a vision he had when he was undergoing the transformation of Elrond's secret ritual.

At that time, Alvin himself was a turbid spirit made of shadows, and he was walking on a road of fire that seemed to be a gathering place of light.

At the end of the road in the distance, an iron crown made of molten metal radiated dazzling light to the surroundings. Above the crown was a large red star floating quietly, becoming the source of all light and heat.

"He's clearly only at the first level, but the amount of magic power accumulated in his body exceeds that of a second-level recipient... His physical fitness is close to that of a third-level practitioner... His soul is showing signs of ascension similar to that of a fourth-level crowned person... Even his body is vaguely showing signs of breaking free from the constraints of the material world... The seed of perfection..." The comments that the Demon Lord Gustav once made to himself rang in his ears again.

"Could it be..." Alvin suddenly opened his eyes and subconsciously mobilized his own magic power in the way he remembered.

In an instant, a familiar feeling came to my heart, and the once uncertain goal became clearer and clearer. The vague memories of my time as a high-level transcendent suddenly became clear.

The black-haired boy's hair, spread out behind his back, moved without wind, rising up like a flame against gravity. Although his eyes were tightly closed, a deep blue crystal emitting bright magical light appeared between his eyebrows, like an open third vertical pupil.

The original magic flowing in his blood and bones began to boil, and even the free magic in the surrounding environment was attracted by it, like stars of light gathering into a halo above his head.

Finally, the halo gradually solidified, and a dazzling crown that seemed to be made of flames and light floated quietly above Ivan's head.

Although he was not yet able to actively initiate the initial liberation of soul power like a true third-level transcendent, he undoubtedly possessed soul power, and this was before the promotion ceremony that caused his soul to undergo a fundamental transformation.

"I see. It's hard to imagine what level of magic technology the Uranus civilization had reached at that time." Alvin sighed sincerely.

The answer to the question was actually quite simple. Just as the most outstanding transcendents could awaken some of their soul power before undergoing the ascension ceremony, the Titans, who inherited the bloodline of the Sky Dynasty of the Uranus civilization, had their soul power awakened from the moment they were born.

The power hidden within a nascent consciousness, like a raw stone, will automatically grow and develop as the body and self-awareness mature. It is precisely because of this that the descendants of the Titans master the gift of [Core: Reshaping the World] early on.

The ritual of the foundation of the original world is responsible for guiding the unpolished but awakened soul power to transform into the "King Soul of Uranus", the core of the Titan's power.

After figuring out the last question, Alvin no longer hesitated.

He needs strength now, even if it means taking some risks.

"Have you decided?" Afrediya, who appeared at the door at some point, looked seriously at Ivan who was calming down his magic power.

"Why are you here?" Ivan asked in surprise.

Although the two of them had actually confirmed their relationship, considering the feelings of the former Demon King as an old father, Afrediya returned to her bedroom before ten o'clock.

After all, the closer it got to that time, the more frequently the palace maids brought snacks and hot drinks, which was undoubtedly a clear reminder from the old father.

"Such obvious fluctuations of magic, how can I ignore them?" Afrediya pressed her forehead helplessly.

"Uh, sorry." Alvin couldn't help feeling embarrassed when he realized that he was not in the wild.

The palace is such a sensitive place that the magical fluctuations caused by the activation of soul power will naturally cause the surrounding extraordinary people to react.

"Come on." Afrediya smiled slightly.

She had previously learned from Alvin about a special ritual called the Foundation of the Original Realm. As an outstanding transcendent who was able to study abroad in the City of Thousand Towers, she naturally thought of the paradox. Now, seeing that the other party had awakened the power of his soul before his promotion, the girl, who was familiar with Alvin's character, immediately guessed the decision he would make later.

"However, what you need now is a good rest, and then be in the best condition to perform the ceremony." The red-haired girl snorted, then came behind the black-haired boy and pushed him towards the bedroom.

"Hey wait, this doesn't seem to be the direction of my room?" Ivan asked subconsciously, which made both of them suddenly stop moving, and Afrediya's face began to turn red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Little Fleur, shouldn't you be in your room at this hour?"

Suddenly, the voice of old father Gustav came faintly from behind, making the expressions on their faces even more awkward.

No one except Afredia knew for sure about the identity of the descendants of the Aven Titan. Gustav and Ashram, though they had some speculation, remained silent on the matter.

As high-level extraordinary beings, the two knew a lot of information that was unknown to the outside world, so before Alvin grew up, the fewer people knew about this secret, the better.

But no matter how outstanding or promising the other person is, Gustav, as an old father, still doesn't like to see his daughter stay out all night! Even if it's at his own home!

The next morning, the sun rose.

Alvin stood in a ritual circle drawn with the highest-grade materials. This was a secret room inside the palace where magical ceremonies were held, and it had the most complete protection and isolation measures.

Now, the black-haired boy held a tall golden cup in his left hand, which contained a ritual potion prepared by Afrediya herself, and in his right hand he held the flawless gemstone called 'Eternal Flame'.

After repeated confirmation that the ritual only needed to resonate with the deep power of the elemental world through the prototype of the sub-plane inside the flawless gem, without consuming the gem itself, and after obtaining Afrediya's consent, Alvin decided to use this gem as the introduction to the first stage of the ritual.

At this moment, he was a little excited, but not very nervous.

As a former fifth-level completer who has experienced the entire extraordinary path, an unfamiliar ritual would not make Alvin so nervous that he could not control himself.

At least, he used this reason to convince himself to complete his psychological preparation.

It was a rare opportunity to call up the system panel. Looking at the 105% completion rate on it, Alvin couldn't help but glance at Afrediya who was waiting outside the magic circle with a nervous look on her face.

Even though the value is only 5% higher than the maximum value, and not as exaggerated as the 200% during the last Elrond Ceremony, this ceremony itself is also different. The Foundation of the Original World is an ancient ritual inherited from the Uranus civilization ten thousand years ago.

In short, this once again refreshed his understanding of a true god-level wizard, and made him more convinced that ordinary people really could not be wizards. By the way, the girl who performed this feat seemed to be completely unaware of this.

Taking a deep breath, Alvin recalled the ritual activation spell that Yishutori had imprinted in his mind.

Then, a strange language, so ancient that no one could understand it, came out of his mouth in a rhythmic manner. It was the Uranus language used by the Titans of the Sky Dynasty, a hymn sung to the world by the oldest first generation of Titans. Every character in the language made the originally free magic in the surrounding atmosphere tremble.

"This magical language is even more exaggerated than the ancient Saga language." Afrediya couldn't help but sigh in a low voice.

As the spell was chanted repeatedly, Alvin began to understand its meaning.

"The world originated from fire, and flames bring warmth. The world originated from water, and flowing water brings movement. The world originated from earth, and earth brings substance. The world originated from wind, and long winds bring diffusion. The world originated from ether, and ether brings the spark of thought..."

With each recitation, the flawless gem in his hand became brighter, until the bright red light illuminated the entire secret room.

At this moment, the scorching power of the fire element has filled the entire room. Lizards, giants, birds, snakes, and countless virtual creatures made of flames are running and flying freely in the magic circle. The atmosphere is also filled with bursts of red light as if it was ignited.

Afrediya has entered a half-dragon form, with golden scales growing from the red-haired girl's neck and the ends of her limbs. The increased resistance prevents her from being forced out of the secret room by the spreading high temperature.

At this time, Alvin no longer cared about the outside world.