Oh My God! Monster!

"Taboo?"

Surprise filled Noel's eyes as he reached out to grab some photos for a closer look.

In his mind, all the various languages transformed into the tongue of the Star Federation, including the Dawn language. When the Sword Saint had come to communicate, he had brought the Dawn script. Because of the Sword Saint's immense power, both Noel and Chu Ao had accepted this text as part of the Federation's lexicon.

The machines of the Star Federation could easily decipher the Dawn text. Likewise, the White Plague understood the language of the Star Federation, as the Hall of Knowledge and much of their alchemical knowledge had originated there. Their writings were highly valued in Dawn, with many high-ranking officials having learned some of it to varying degrees.

Everyone was eager for the day when the two distant federations would establish diplomatic relations. Integration was the overarching goal, and consolidating advantages was key to victory.

As Noel delved into the information, even the alchemical inscriptions became clear to him. The wizard raised by Chu Ao, despite being taught by gold-level wizards, had a considerable understanding of alchemy.

After examining the images for a while, he exclaimed, "War Colossus?"

"Yes, the Great Sage's War Colossus. My current technology is at the Sage level, but the other two are at the Knowledge Master level. With this, I have a target to aim for. There are still over 300 years left—there's hope. If I can create the Colossus, all crises will be resolved."

Chu Ao smiled as he continued to study the photos. Above his head, each time he focused on a word, an instrument translated the text into the language of the Star Federation. Special compositions arranged the original data of the Colossus for clarity.

"Why is this called White Plague?" Noel inquired, pausing.

A hint of pride flickered in his eyes: "I see now—you are still the strongest alchemist in both federations. They can't handle the situation, so they want you to save the world!"

Chu Ao's expression shifted to one of concern. "I told you before, arrogance is the original sin that leads to failure. No matter how powerful you become, you must maintain a humble heart."

"But it's the truth!" Noel retorted, dismissing the caution. As an eighth-level legend, he had cleared out all the mutation zones within a hundred thousand kilometers of the Federation, leaving only weaker areas for others to train in. He felt no need for humility given his strength and success.

Chu Ao sighed, forcing himself to remain calm. He understood the nature of this young half-elf.

Scanning the information, he noticed a special image that sparked contemplation. As he continued searching, he found several such images, occupying a tenth of the photos.

Relief mixed with disappointment washed over him; this indicated that the information about the Colossus was incomplete. However, the alchemical knowledge was more advanced than he had anticipated. The Colossus's incompleteness also offered him opportunities. While it might lower his success rate, not everyone could reach the heights of the Great Sage.

Pushing the images toward Noel, he said calmly, "Look for yourself. A strong person can be proud, but never arrogant."

"I need to organize the information now. You should do the same and determine what knowledge needs to be passed on. The other party has provided the best, so we can't afford to be stingy here."

"It will take about a week. Please send all sorted materials after seven days."

Chu Ao took the photos back from Noel, stood up, and walked steadily toward the back of the palace.

[Your lab preparation is complete.]

[The translation and typesetting of knowledge have been completed.]

[Top secret knowledge has been recorded: Dawn Colossus.]

As the mechanical voice faded, Noel frowned, picking up the knowledge left behind. The indifference in his eyes vanished, replaced by a deep furrow of concern. This was a more advanced network, equipped with missile systems pointing in the opposite direction.

It seemed that Dawn was not merely a federation supported by a strongman.

Thoughts raced through his mind. He set aside the knowledge and felt a surge of excitement. The emergence of arcane magic would undoubtedly impact orthodox mages. He contemplated compiling the core principles of arcane magic with existing knowledge and sending it directly to the Dawn Federation, using that place as a testing ground. If he had another chance to contact them in the future, he would see if arcane magic could truly dismantle the traditional mage system!

A faint spatial ripple surrounded him, and he vanished.

"Lord City Lord, the other party said they would transmit some knowledge in a few days."

Wei Lu and Unos had added each other as friends. After learning about the situation, Wei Lu looked at the prompt on his panel with a smile.

[Mission: Distant Connection Completed.]

Gained: Skill points +5, attribute points +5, experience points +5000.

A hint of tenderness flickered in Bai Yi's eyes. "Thank you for your hard work. I'll take you to meet them."

Wei Lu shook his head. "No, Lord City Lord. I believe helping you contact the Star Federation is more valuable than going on an expedition. I'll remain in Dongwu City until the other party transmits the knowledge. You can summon me at any time."

Bai Yi couldn't help but pat Wei Lu's shoulder. Which NPC wouldn't appreciate such a committed player?

After a moment, he said, "Thank you for your efforts. I noticed your purchases in the Hall of Knowledge. You have a keen interest in the history of the Federation, correct?"

Wei Lu nodded. "Yes, I love the history of Xia. I can see the stories I want to explore within it."

"In Dongwu City, we have a Department of Scholars. If you're interested, I can help you join them. Their responsibility is to organize history and study all incomprehensible phenomena," Bai Yi offered with a smile.

"Of course I'm interested. Thank you, Lord City Lord!" Wei Lu's eyes lit up with joy. He had never paid much attention to this department, but some history books he had purchased did mention it.

"You deserve it. Go over now; they're just across the street from the City Lord's Mansion. I've already notified them."

"When you're ready to deliver the message, just leave a note at any time," Bai Yi added, beginning to send messages to the Ministry of Scholars and the Ministry of Finance.

He needed a lot of minerals to repair the city defense mecha and also wanted to open some privileges for the guards. Since he enjoyed organizing the world's background, he requested permission from the Scholars Department to access more real historical records for free.

"Okay, I'll go now." Wei Lu couldn't suppress his joy, walking out with lighter steps. This opportunity was incredible.

After the guards left, Bai Yi stepped outside. Luo Ning and Irene were whispering to some green plants.

Judging by the little green spots peeking through the snow, they were practicing to restore the City Lord's Mansion to spring during this harsh winter.

Suddenly, there was movement at the door not far away. Bai Yi and the others turned to see Diane finally waking up at noon.

His steps faltered as he passed the threshold.

"Sister Diane, are you injured?" Luo Ning asked with concern. "Do you want Sister Irene to help with treatment?"

"No, no need," Diane replied, her face flushing. She glared at Bai Yi, magic surging through her as she nourished her body. "Don't come near me, liar!"

Bai Yi halted, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Um, okay, I'll head to the Whispering Legion first."

With that, he watched the live broadcast and exited.

Irene seemed to recall something, her face turning red as she pulled Luo Ning aside to whisper.

Diane quickly retrieved a beautifully packaged drink from her space ring and gulped it down.

Her complexion visibly improved. She stepped forward, interrupting the girls' whispered conversation, but glanced back at Bai Yi's retreating figure, then decisively changed the subject. "Can you take me to visit Tobu Castle? I'm not very familiar with this place."

"Sure!" both girls replied eagerly.

"Really, I've never been so tired. Ershu just came out and he was dying. How long will it take us to get there?"

Demacia lamented. "Isn't this higher than Mount Everest?"

Xiahou Fuxing shared a similar sentiment. As a mage and summoner, both of their magical professions had left them exhausted after hours of climbing.

"Stop complaining! You still have a mission, but I don't even have one. If you keep undermining morale, I might just jump down and head back to the city," Xiahou Fuxing said weakly.

He regretted listening to Demacia's lies about how popular they would be.

There were indeed viewers in the live broadcast room, but with nothing to do, the audience left after a short while, leaving the numbers hardly higher than usual.

"Uh, no, no, no. Hehe, I will definitely help you with the next mission. Don't worry; I, Demacia, always keep my word!" Demacia chuckled, a hint of flattery in his tone.

The summoned creatures couldn't help him now, and he felt bored crawling slowly on his own.

After finally catching a big break, he wasn't about to let it go.

"Do you have any more magic recovery potions? I've finished all the ones Bai Yi gave me," Xiahou Fuxing joked after climbing hard for a while.

Mages at level 20 or above could already learn flying spells, but casting them consumed significant mana, making it unbearable for them to double the effort.

"Yes, yes, here you go," Demacia said, pulling out a potion from his pocket and handing it to Xiahou Fuxing, eyes filled with anticipation.

After drinking the blue potion, Xiahou Fuxing waited a moment, took out a staff from his backpack, and decisively cast two spells.

This tactical backpack was crafted by players to store weapons and supplies based on their professions.

After all, this game didn't have space equipment, and without a backpack, players couldn't pick up any loot.

The two ascended the mountain quickly. After about thirty seconds of flight, they reached the mountain. But as they grabbed the wall, Xiahou Fuxing felt his mana run out.

"Oh no! It's completely gone. Let's just climb and see when we can reach the top," he said helplessly.

"It should be soon. After all, we're at the cloud layer," Demacia remarked, glancing down nervously. "Oh my god, don't look down. You'll freak out if you do."

Xiahou Fuxing retorted, "You're the only one who can look around, okay? Huh? Look, what's that?"

Excitement lit up Xiahou Fuxing's face. "A cave in the clouds! Could there be a hidden plot?"

Demacia felt a surge of energy, but as they entered the cave, their hopes were dashed.

What they had called a cave was merely a slightly larger groove, letting sunlight filter through.

Sitting on the ground, Xiahou Fuxing noticed his mana had recovered slightly. He quickly rummaged through his backpack, pulling out pots and pans along with some fuel like coal. Casting a fireball, he warmed the space.

He then took out a large, tightly wrapped piece of meat and began cooking.

This series of actions left Demacia stunned. "Wait, buddy! I only packed potions and that shield—why do you have a pot?"

Xiahou Fuxing shot him a look. "When you go to fight monsters, don't you know their meat has special effects? No pot? Eat it raw?"

"No, shouldn't we drink the potions?" Demacia protested, aghast. "And what kind of meat is that? Please don't say it's from orcs or goblins. I can't handle that."

Xiahou Fuxing hesitated, an inexplicable glint in his eyes. "It's from an elf! The tenderest part—it's bound to be delicious. If the people in this world weren't so sour, it might actually taste good."

Demacia recoiled, trembling. "You and I... we're not him. This doesn't have anything to do with age! People... this is just wrong."

At that moment, he glanced at the barrage of comments flooding the screen and saw some reassuring remarks.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"Did you capture the emoticon pack? I told you high-end gamers wouldn't know about this kind of thing," Xiahou Fuxing laughed, reminiscing about his time as a food anchor before encountering a hellish mission.

Demacia's expression darkened as he read the mocking comments, feeling betrayed by his newfound "friend." "So this is really the wolf meat mentioned in the comments?"

"No, we've eaten all the wolf meat. Cooked wolf meat boosts agility for a short period. This silver-level water meat restores mana and tastes amazing. Just wait, and I'll show you what a five-star chef can do. You'll never taste this delicacy on Blue Star!" Xiahou Fuxing explained with enthusiasm.

As he worked, a delicious aroma filled the air, gradually erasing Demacia's earlier discontent.

Demacia approached, intrigued. "But we originally planned to thwart the Night Rose's plot. Shouldn't you have brought supplies like potions instead of this?"

Xiahou Fuxing shrugged. "I don't have a mission. I was planning to continue my live broadcast and was just about to cook when you called me over."

"Don't even think about eating it if you've just touched the stone! You're being disrespectful to the food. Go sit over there and wait for me to take it out of the pot!" he chastised.

Demacia felt aggrieved. "Why are you so fierce? I've never smelled anything so fragrant!"

"Shut up! You don't have any summons now. Be careful, or I'll beat you up!" Xiahou Fuxing shot back.

Demacia shrank back, "Okay, okay, you seem like a different person."

As the aroma intensified, Demacia swallowed hard, unable to contain his excitement. "How long will it take? Two of us can't eat that much, right?"

Xiahou Fuxing flipped the ingredients and replied casually, "It's almost done. Besides sautéing the green onions, I'm also planning to fry two steaks. How do you want them cooked? Eh? It's getting dark?"

"Medium rare."

"Isn't it just afternoon? And it hasn't even been eight minutes," Demacia said in shock.

He glanced at Xiahou Fuxing, who looked equally frozen in surprise.

Suddenly, countless comments flooded the screen. They exchanged nervous glances, and slowly turned their heads.

In the clouds, a massive black head loomed less than ten meters away, filling their entire field of vision.

They instinctively hugged each other. "Oh my god! Monsters!"