Star Forge Titan

Although Alvin is no longer wearing magic power armor that can greatly enhance his physical fitness like when he was a third-level engineering knight in the game,

But his current physical fitness is comparable to the maximum output power of the early experimental power armor. Even without turning on the rage, his strength is close to thirty points, which is enough for him to compete with ordinary people wearing power armor.

The alley where the two were was not spacious, and could only accommodate three or four people walking side by side at most, so the first people who appeared in front of Alvin were three gang members holding different weapons.

On the left was a tall, thin man holding a nail-studded wooden club, in the middle was a burly man holding a hammer that looked like it had been stolen from a craftsman's shop, and on the right was a short dwarf holding a dagger.

It was obvious that the three men had extensive experience in street fighting. The tall and thin man swung a nailed wooden stick at Ivan's left hand, the burly bald man smashed the hammer directly at his head, and the short dwarf stabbed the boy's knee with a dagger in his hand in a very insidious and cunning manner.

The cooperation between these three people can be said to be very tacit, but in terms of combat experience, Ivan has far more than them.

Decades of skeleton craze in the full-immersion game have allowed him to accumulate a vast amount of practical experience that is unimaginable to ordinary people.

It is like an iceberg floating quietly on the sea. Even the tip of the iceberg exposed outside reveals its suffocating size and coldness. Beneath the sea surface lies a huge, bottomless shadow.

In actual combat, these experiences were quickly transformed into real combat experience that conformed to actual conditions, allowing Alvin to stop suddenly with great calmness and exceptional precision.

The rapid transition between movement and stillness caused the three gang members to misjudge their distance. The tall, lanky man's nail-studded wooden club missed his enemy and instead grazed his own scalp. The dagger missed, sending the short dwarf hurtling forward two steps, nearly getting hit by the burly man's hammer.

Before the three of them could come to their senses, they heard the crisp sound of broken bones.

But he saw Alvin raise his left arm and grab the burly man's hand, and then he clenched his right fist and hit the man's elbow from bottom to top.

The sharp sound of broken bones was heard as a result. The white broken bones even pierced through the flesh. The strong man then let out a scream so tragic that it made people's scalps numb. The blood loss and severe pain made him lose his fighting ability in an instant.

All the gang members were frightened by the brutal means they saw. For a moment, many of them subconsciously turned around and tried to escape, but were blocked by their own frightened people. The alley immediately became chaotic with people falling to the ground and horses stumbling.

Then, the black-haired boy, whose expression was unsettlingly calm, took another step forward.

Although there was no trace of blood on his body, the white coat that clung to his tall body made people think of a cold and brutal winter blizzard, which was cold and merciless and would continue to advance with an unstoppable momentum.

Ivan felt no sympathy for these gang members. The fact that they were able to open a casino meant they weren't the kind of low-level individuals who turned to gangs out of sheer desperation. What truly led them to choose this dark path was often the dark side of human nature, such as greed for money and a penchant for laziness.

Even without deliberately exploring, he could still guess a little about the various dark things happening in the casino.

The boy's steps were neither fast nor slow as he continued to approach the crowd. Although he was only one person, he made dozens of gang members retreat step by step.

"What are you afraid of? Go ahead, he's alone!" The short dwarf brandishing a dagger screamed and rushed forward.

As a result, Alvin didn't even look at him and kicked him directly.

Under the dwarf's joyful gaze, the dagger pierced the boy's calf, but the sharp blade seemed to hit something invisible, and the solid "invisible scales" immediately broke the dagger into several pieces.

The joy on the short Zhulu's face quickly turned into a terrified and distorted expression, and then he was kicked by Ivan. Blood spurted from his mouth and he flew backwards like a ball.

His waist was bent into a twisted angle that violated the human body structure. His short figure bumped back and forth in the narrow alley, and finally stuck to the wall with a "snap" sound, until it dragged down and left a glaring blood mark, and then slowly slid to the ground.

Now the only one at the front was the tall and thin man holding a wooden stick studded with nails. He almost sat down with his legs bent inward, and the wooden stick in his hand stretched straight forward, as if trying to stop the other party from getting any closer.

"Heh." The black-haired boy grabbed the nailed wooden stick with one hand. The sharp nails on the front couldn't even pierce the skin of his palm.

Weighing the wooden stick in his hand, the gang members around him fell into a dead silence, not even daring to breathe heavier.

Someone couldn't bear this invisible pressure, screamed and turned to run. As a result, the wooden stick in Ivan's hand in the previous second was embedded in the back of the man's head in the next second, making him fall to the ground without a sound, like a wild boar hit on the head by a hammer.

"Come on, come together." Alvin hooked his finger at the gang members who were already confused.

"I'm in a hurry."

Chapter 58: Different Concepts

A few minutes later, Alvin was wiping the blood off his fist, with a group of gang members rolling on the ground wailing under his feet.

He dealt with this group of low-level soldiers who were not even extraordinary people, and he didn't even get blood splattered on his clothes.

The silver-white coat with an exceptionally close-fitting curve stood out in the dirty and dark alley, like a lone white eagle standing among a swarm of dark brown rats.

At this moment, the white eagle was slowly wiping the blood from its claws with a handkerchief. The traditional Genoese one-shoulder cape on its right side hung down like a stretched white wing, revealing a touch of beauty in the cruel killing field.

Such a simple action, in the eyes of Catherine who was standing next to her, was filled with an amazing visual sense, like the last scene before the end of a drama. She couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her mouth, forcefully suppressing the scream that she subconsciously wanted to make.

Despite her usual prim and serious demeanor, the Duchess, like her brother, was a young Linde noblewoman with a romantic streak. She not only attended popular plays and operas, but also enjoyed the popular chivalric novels written and sung by troubadours.

Therefore, the scene before her made her feel her whole body tremble, as if she was captured by some strange charm, and her blood began to boil.

Unlike her, Alvin on the other side only felt bored.

Beating up these guys didn't bring him any improvement in skills, except for the practical experience gained from recalling the kicking and punching techniques at the beginning, and then it was just simple, boring and repetitive work.

"So, where is your boss?" The black-haired boy asked coldly, stepping on the gang member's neck.

Since we are here, we might as well finish this matter within a day to avoid further increase in investment costs later.

Anyway, Maxwell Ross, the leader of the Black-billed Sparrows, is just a second-level transcendent.

The profession is still the thug circulated among the people, a simple profession promoted from a warrior, which mainly increases physical fitness and the ability to withstand blows. It is probably similar to a monkey version of the berserker. The only advantage is that it will not be blinded by anger when it explodes.

"I will never betray the leader..." the gang member said in a tough attitude. The shadow cast by Maxwell on these people made him dare not say a word.

"Really? I remember that when the Black Sparrow Gang dealt with those who were unable to repay the usury, they would spend four days breaking their hands and legs one by one to warn others so that they would not dare to default on their debts?" Ivan's voice was calm, but his foot on the gang member's neck was getting stronger and stronger.

"Ahem! Ahem! It's them... who don't want to pay back the money..." The Black-billed Sparrow Gang members subconsciously defended themselves.

"Oh, then why do those people owe you money?" Ivan's voice remained calm, and his questioning left the other party speechless.

"What? Can't you say it? Then let me help you answer this question." The black-haired boy's eyes gradually became cold.

The more chaotic the times, the more ferocious and unscrupulous underground gangs like this one, born in the dark, become.

In the early days of the Magic Revolution, due to the influx of a large number of foreign populations, Sheriff Lind had very limited manpower and was basically unable to govern the lower city area outside the Perfect City - Lutetia.

Therefore, they could only allow gangs to run rampant here, and eventually even gave birth to the Black Sparrow Gang that occupied the entire downtown area.

Back then, gang members were more brutal than they are now, especially when targeting ordinary people living in downtown areas.

In the game, players have seen many cases that are extremely infuriating.

For example, most of the so-called usury in the downtown area is very deceptive.

Debtors who need to borrow money temporarily because they have lost their jobs due to factory closures or family members are sick, cannot understand the meaning of the words, so they have no idea what kind of high-interest contract they are signing before pressing their fingerprints.

They even felt that the lenders from the Black-billed Sparrow Gang had indeed helped them solve their immediate problems.

But when the debt collectors come to their door and help them carefully explain how much money they owe, these poor people who have been cheated simply cannot come up with enough cash to repay their debts.

In the end, they had to hand over what the Black-billed Sparrow Gang really wanted, such as a land deed or a house deed, or a young woman with good looks who could be sold into a brothel.

Anyone who dared to resist would have their limbs broken and thrown into the street. Anyone who felt sorry for him and wanted to help would be beaten and cursed, and even his family would be harassed for days.

Over time, no one dared to resist the black-billed sparrow's high-pressure rule, and the entire downtown area was filled with surprisingly negative emotions.

As a result, even various low-level monsters were born. For example, ghosts like the Shroud Bride would appear naturally. It was simply a purgatory on earth.

"Am I right?" Alvin described the other party's behavior. His words made the gang members under his feet break out in cold sweats. Catherine, who originally wanted to step forward to dissuade him, also turned cold.

"Don't worry, I'm not as free as you guys, so I won't spend four days slowly breaking your limbs."

"Besides, that kind of clever cruelty just makes me sick."

"So..." Looking down at the other person's bloodshot eyes, Alvin exerted a little force.

"Crack." The death caused by the broken neck was swift and silent, and the gang member he stepped on died immediately.

Ivan threw down the white handkerchief stained with bright red blood and covered the other person's lifeless eyes.

This time, Catherine, who witnessed the murder, did not say anything, but just stood there in silence.

"So, do you need an escort home? Noble lady, or should I say, young lady?" Alvin chuckled and asked teasingly.

Although he did not know this noble lady with a strong sense of justice, seeing how nervous the Happy King was towards her, and the similarities between the two in appearance, he naturally would not think that she was Emperor Linde's lover or fiancée.

Moreover, although the Duchess of Loire disappeared in the later plot, players occasionally received information about quests related to her. Usually, it was through other people who mentioned that the Carolingian royal family had a duchess of the same age as the girl in front of them.

However, players have never seen the real person, so there are no rumors about the blonde drill-head character appearing on the forum.

"I'm not some young lady." Catherine shook her head.

"Compared to a noble, I hope you can treat me as a sheriff." The Duchess said seriously.

"Treat the sheriff..." Alvin was stunned.

"Yes, that's my current identity." Catherine shook her unique golden diamond braids and emphasized her tone.

So, Alvin recalled how he treated the sheriff in the game, and then couldn't help showing a subtle expression.

"It's better to end this topic here."

"Huh?" Catherine looked at the other person in surprise, thinking that this was a really strange guy.

"Come to think of it, since you are a sheriff yourself, why did you participate in underground racing before? Isn't that illegal?" Alvin asked casually.

He was indeed quite curious about this. If the other party was really the kind of upright person who could not tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes, why would he participate in such an illegal activity as underground racing?

"It's... because of the investigation!" Catherine was suddenly speechless, then stammered with a flushed face.

"I'm investigating underground racing and the gray industry chain behind it. Our Public Security Bureau won't allow this kind of thing to exist for a long time. Otherwise, it would be irresponsible to the personal safety of both the contestants and the residents around the competition venue." Catherine coughed lightly, trying to explain why she participated in underground racing with words that sounded reasonable.

"Oh, but I see you seem to care a lot about your ranking." Alvin continued with a chuckle.

"No way!" Catherine was so anxious that her pair of golden diamond braids were about to stand up.

"If you say no, then no." Alvin shrugged and looked away, but his slightly shaking shoulders still revealed that he was trying hard to hold back a smile.

"You're still laughing! Really not!" Seeing this, Catherine was angry and anxious, feeling helpless.

Then she looked at the intricate streets of the downtown area and felt a growing headache.

"If it's convenient, please take me to the main city gate. My cousin's people should be able to escort him there."

"Cousin? The guy who looks like a nobody?" Alvin raised his eyebrows and asked in a strange tone.

"Huh? Is it that obvious?" Catherine was stunned and showed an embarrassed expression.

She didn't know that Alvin knew Conrad was Emperor Lind, so she was not worried about the rumor that His Majesty the Emperor was a good-for-nothing spreading in the lower city.

However, having said that, the title of "King of Happiness" already indicates that the emperor is incompetent. It's just that everyone can still make ends meet for the time being, so the negative emotions have not yet converged on the emperor.

"He wasn't like that before, but after inheriting the noble title, he found out..." Catherine paused.

"I've discovered that the issues I need to deal with are too difficult, and everyone around me is pulling in different directions. Some are only interested in making money, some are only interested in enjoying themselves, and some stubborn old guys are still hoping for another human-demon war to restore the glory of the Linde Empire." The Duchess couldn't help but let out a disdainful smile at the end.

"Hey, why am I telling you this?" Catherine sighed, a little surprised why she said so much to someone she had only met twice. Perhaps it was because she was under too much pressure recently and urgently needed to find someone to talk to.

"So, is there no distinguished gentleman willing to lower his head and look at the ordinary people struggling in the mire?" Ivan asked with a hint of sarcasm:

"No, there are people like that. The nobility of the Linde nobles lies in protecting and leading the people. Nobles who cannot do this are not nobles at all. At best, they are just pigs lying on the merits of their predecessors." Catherine was not angry when she heard his words. Instead, she nodded seriously and made a more sarcastic remark than him.

"That's quite a point." Alvin looked at the noble lady with blonde hair and twin ponytails in surprise. He felt that she and Frey would have a lot of common topics because their ideas were essentially very similar.

The two chatted as they walked outside. Apart from the luxurious gambling houses and dens of brothels, the street scenes in the downtown area were often filled with dirt, chaos and gloom.

This slum is like an endless maze, with new brick walls and miserable conditions at every turn. Most of the residents are short, dirty, and have miserable and numb expressions, or simply look drunk during the day.

The streets and alleys were filled with noisy idols, and garbage heaps filled with mud could be seen in every corner. Elderly men and women alike rummaged through the garbage, picking through potatoes, beans, and vegetables that hadn't completely rotted. Children ran and played around the rotting, putrid garbage, and if they found water that was still edible, they would devour it like flies.

This scene is difficult for anyone living in modern society to accept, and even the decent people living in the perfect city of Lutetia would not be able to tolerate such a scene.

But Alvin noticed that Catherine beside him not only did not show disgust, but instead carefully recorded everything she saw with her own eyes.

"Now that you've seen it, do you have anything to say?" the black-haired boy asked in a low voice.

"This shouldn't happen. We can definitely build more efficient machines, and we're already doing better than before." Catherine clenched her fists.

Before the start of the Magic Industrial Revolution, although the people of Linde lived in poverty, the small peasant society at least ensured that everyone except serfs could basically eat normal food, and occasionally they could even satisfy their hunger with the prey they caught.

But now, with the development of productivity, the lives of some people have become worse than before, which Catherine thinks is very wrong.

"Because the system and even the technology have not advanced in tandem." Ivan's words struck Catherine's mind like a bolt of lightning, but then she smiled wryly.

"Only you scholars can say such things casually." Catherine, who had received higher education from the aristocracy, could of course understand the meaning of Alvin's words.

"It's not easy to change a system that's been passed down for so long. Those conservative nobles are very stubborn, especially when there's an old...old fogey among them."

You were going to say that old monster just now, right? Ivan's mouth curled up slightly.

"It's been over a hundred years, and the Butcher Prince is still the leader of the conservative faction."

"You know that too?" Catherine looked at the young man with a Genoese accent with a little surprise.

"Well, I've read historical documents about that period." Alvin nodded.

The Butcher Prince, Louis Carolingian, is a top-level transcendent who participated in the Human-Demon War. He is also a member of the Carolingian royal family and the uncle of the previous emperor.

Because of his brutal and bloody massacres on the battlefield, he was given names such as the Butcher Prince, Bloody Louis, and Red Deer (Louis also means "male deer" in Xuman), and was deeply hated by the people of Elrond.

Lind's side did not regard him as a hero either, because they believed that the extraordinary people used their own power to massacre ordinary soldiers, which was an atrocity that was not worth promoting.