Outer Gods invade, stuff them all into your equipment inventory.

With the collective annihilation of the Ratchet Sentinels, the Core Forge underwent another transformation.

The roar inside the furnace suddenly became deep and rapid, as if some sleeping behemoth was awakening.

The three gates did not open again, but the huge chimney at the top of the furnace began to tremble violently, spewing out a blast of air that was even hotter and more violent than before.

Immediately afterwards, a piercing sound, like metal tearing, emanated from the metal wall in front of the furnace—

The thick furnace wall slowly cracked open from the middle.

A figure emerged from the furnace.

It was a monster that was completely different from the other gear-type monsters.

It was a giant in human form.

Apart from being a little tall, there's nothing about him that doesn't resemble a human.

He was over three meters tall, bald, and without a single hair.

The area above them gleamed with a bronze luster under the glow of the furnace fire.

His features were rugged, with high cheekbones and a square jaw.

The red pupils in the deep-set eye sockets resembled two pieces of burning charcoal.

His neck was so thick it was almost as wide as his head, and his shoulders were as broad as cliffs.

The outlines of his pectoral and abdominal muscles were clearly visible even when covered by clothing.

His muscles bulged out in every direction, as if they were a work of art sculpted by the finest granite by the most skilled sculptor.

His arms were extremely long, with his fingertips almost reaching below his knees.

The bulging muscles on his arms writhed like a coiled python.

In its hand, it held a huge iron hammer that was commensurate with its size.

The hammerhead was as big as a millstone, and its surface was covered with uneven hammer marks.

The hammer handle, made of a thick metal rod, felt as light as a feather when held in his palm.

He stood there, barefoot on the scorching metal floor, like an ancient deity from Western mythology.

"Son of the Forge"

A name suddenly popped into Sean's mind.

He knew this was caused by the power of the rules of the monster's lair.

When the raider advances to a certain extent, or reaches the core area of ​​the lair, the lair's will will actively imprint some information about the key monsters into the raider's consciousness.

I went through a similar process when I encountered the ancient armored boss.

"It seems this is the boss guarding the monster's lair... or at least a key figure."

Sean's gaze swept over the colossal figure, who resembled a Western deity, assessing his threat level.

"It looks like a strength-type monster, but I don't know if it's actually strong enough to fight."

He slowly adjusted his stance and winked at a knight-mechanical blade demon behind him.

The knight-mechanical-blade demon immediately understood and charged towards the Son of the Forge on his mount.

The metal mount stomped its four hooves on the ground, sending up four bursts of sparks.

His entire body transformed into a silver-gray afterimage, carrying the Knight Blade Demon on his back, and launched a high-speed charge towards the Son of the Forge!

The sword was held horizontally, its tip aimed directly at the Forge Son's throat—

That was a test, but it was also a deadly move.

The Knight Mechanical Blade Demon has its own pride and is not content to be merely a touchstone.

As one of the core elites who has followed Sean the longest and has the highest level of awakening,

It has endured the baptism of blood and fire on the Silver Plains and has proven its worth in countless battles.

This time, he will once again use a resounding victory to prove to his master that his value is greater than he knows.

This damned monster in front of him is his stepping stone.

In order to achieve a swift victory, the knight mechanical blade demon activated its skill, burning the silver blood within its body.

This is a last-ditch, desperate tactic that can significantly boost various attributes in a short period of time, but the cost is that you will be in a state of prolonged weakness after the battle ends.

It was never used in actual combat because there was no need for it.

But now, it has decided to open up the battle in its own way.

A silvery-white light suddenly burst forth from its body, seeping through the gaps in its armor and its joints, enveloping its entire body in a blazing halo.

The metal war wolf beneath him also resonated with the silver blood, letting out a high-pitched roar.

The aura of the Knight Blade Demon surged instantly, as if a newly tempered battle blade was revealing its new sharpness.

It will unleash its strongest attack, severing the monster's head in one strike and offering it as a trophy to its master.

Then—the Son of the Forge moved.

His movements were slow, even somewhat sluggish, as if he were merely shooing away an annoying mosquito.

There was no charging up, no dazzling energy effects.

It was just an ordinary, unremarkable strike, like a blacksmith casually swinging his hammer while forging iron.

But it was this hammer that slammed heavily onto the blade of the Knight Mechanical Blade Demon.

"clang--!!!"

A resounding clang, like the striking of a bronze bell, followed.

The knight's mechanical blade, imbued with the power of silver blood and carrying the momentum of a long-range charge, unleashed a strike with unwavering determination. However, the moment it made contact with the seemingly ordinary iron hammer, it was instantly extinguished.

The battle blade shattered like broken glass, fragments flying everywhere!

And the hammer's momentum had not yet been exhausted.

After shattering the battle blade, the hammer, carrying its remaining momentum, continued forward and slammed heavily into the Knight Mechanical Blade Demon.

The Knight Mechanical Blade Demon's entire body was rammed head-on by a raging steel rhinoceros, and along with its metal mount, it was sent flying backward by the terrifying force.

They traced a brief parabola in the air before crashing heavily to the ground more than ten meters away with a dull thud.

A large crater was smashed into the ground, and the knight's mechanical blade was embedded in it.

The Son of the Forge slowly retracted his hammer, the hammerhead hanging down at his side once more.

Those eyes, burning with fire, calmly swept over the knightly mechanical blade demon embedded in the ground, then turned to Sean, as if in provocation.

Sean suddenly burst into laughter.

"Interesting, very interesting!"

This Son of the Forge is more powerful than he imagined.

The knights and mechanical blade demons he sent out were not weak.

In addition to having 40% of Sean's attributes, it also has a Knight class passive skill that can enhance the effect of Strength.

Furthermore, the burning of silver blood significantly boosted its attributes. It's safe to say that there aren't many monsters below A-rank capable of defeating it.

But the Son of the Forge could easily smash it to pieces...

A burning light shone in Sean's eyes.

"A worthy opponent!"

He decided to take matters into his own hands.

Sean cracked his neck, making a soft snapping sound.

"Only an opponent like this is worth my personal attention."

"But you'd better watch out, or I might kill you easily!"

After all, even he himself doesn't know just how strong he really is now.