Chapter 470 – The Fierce Dog, Stellar Smelting Furnace

“Water… water…”

Wolf felt like his throat was on fire.

His mouth was parched, craving water.

But no one heard his plea, or rather, even if they did, they wouldn’t care in the slightest.

Because the spaceship was heading towards an abandoned planet closest to Lirva, and these prisoners, already sentenced to death, had only a few hours left to live.

Who would care if a man about to die is thirsty?

Wolf called out for a long time, receiving no response.

He tried to swallow, his throat feeling like it was filled with razor blades.

His heart was full of resentment and hatred.

Why?

Why did they dare to treat him like this?

His younger brother was a Spirit Court Guard!

How could they dare to treat a direct relative of a Spirit Court Guard this way?!

“No…”

“I want to survive!”

“I must contact Hank, become a pilot, and take revenge for everything!”

The blazing flames of hatred transformed into a strong will to survive, miraculously granting Wolf a new Strength.

With great effort, Wolf crawled up from the deck, leaning against the cold wall, gasping to regain his strength.

He refused to give up.

Like a wounded beast, he curled up in the corner, his vicious and cold gaze scanning every corner of the room, trying to find even a glimmer of escape.

“Boom!”

As Wolf was thinking hard, a violent tremor came from the deck beneath him.

The entire spaceship began to shake.

A series of hurried footsteps echoed from the cell door, and Wolf seemed to hear someone shouting anxiously.

“What’s happening?!”

Wolf’s expression changed, and for an instant, he seemed to forget all his pains, rushing to the door of the cell with unusual agility.

He pressed close to the small vent on the door, listening attentively.

From the urgent conversation of the guards passing by, Wolf gleaned a shocking piece of information-

The spaceship appeared to be under attack by unknown assailants!

This news was undoubtedly a huge relief for Wolf.

Excitedly, Wolf paced quickly back and forth inside his cell.

He wasn’t the only death row prisoner with similar thoughts; he could hear the frantic banging on cell doors from both sides.

Despite the prisoners causing such a commotion, the guards who should have come to suppress it still hadn’t appeared.

This showed just how bad the situation was, and it was likely that all the guards on the spaceship responsible for escorting prisoners were busy fending off the attackers.

“Calm down! Calm down!”

Wolf took deep breaths, forcing himself to stay calm.

What he needed to do now was to regain as much of his Strength as possible, so he could seize any chance to escape that might arise.

Time passed second by second.

Who knew how long had gone by.

“Boom!”

A loud noise suddenly erupted near Wolf, like the roar of something.

It felt as if a beast had suddenly barged into the area.

With the appearance of this noise, the previously chaotic cell block suddenly fell silent.

Suddenly.

Wolf heard an incredibly piercing scream.

His heart skipped a beat, and he stepped back nervously.

The scream came from his left.

As soon as the scream happened, the banging on the cell doors on that side seemed to lessen significantly.

Before long, a second scream broke out.

Then a third, a fourth…

Almost every few seconds, another scream would ring out.

The screams were getting closer and closer to Wolf’s position.

In the oppressive air, it felt like a ferocious monster was slowly approaching step by step.

A deep chill settled over Wolf’s heart.

Cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Finally…

“Ah!”

A piercing scream erupted right by Wolf’s ear, judging by the sound, it came from the cell next to his.

Wolf shrank into the corner of the room, his heart pounding wildly.

Just as he was at a loss.

“Boom!”

The door of his cell was violently blasted open from the outside by a force.

Wolf’s pupils constricted sharply as he watched a terrifying giant dog, nearly five meters tall, squeezing through the doorway. The beast was shrouded in thick black smoke with fiery red embers spewing from its mouth and nostrils.

The moment the flaming giant dog entered, it locked its gaze onto Wolf.

Its magma-red eyes fixed intently on him, the stench of sulfur and acrid smoke filling the room, nearly suffocating Wolf.

“Roar!”

The giant dog let out a low growl, causing a violent gust to sweep through the room.

Without the slightest hesitation, it lunged towards Wolf with a powerful leap.

Fear overwhelmed Wolf as he faced certain death.

In a desperate burst of courage from some unknown place, he shouted with all his might.

“Don’t kill me! My younger brother is a Spirit Court Guard!”

After this outcry, Wolf, as if having exhausted every ounce of his strength, collapsed to the ground.

He squeezed his eyes shut, ready to greet imminent death.

However, about half a minute passed, and the expected pain never arrived.

The smell of sulfur and stench in the air seemed to grow thicker.

Wolf slowly opened his eyes.

He saw that the terrifying giant dog, its massive body almost filling the entire room, was gazing down at him quietly.

The dog’s eyes seemed to possess a penetrating demonic power, and it spoke human words.

“This one isn’t lying.”

“Keep him alive, he might come in handy…”

“Alright.”

Wolf stared dumbfounded as the giant dog spoke to itself right in front of him.

The next moment, a flaming, cavernous maw opened abruptly before him.

His eyes widened in shock, and before he could react, the giant dog had clamped its jaws around him. Like a toy, Wolf was snatched up and carried out the door…

…

“Swish swish…”

The sound of a pen swiftly moving across paper.

Afternoon sunlight poured into the room like gold.

Lu Yuan sat by the window, holding a warm cup of coffee, leisurely enjoying his delightful afternoon tea time.

A not-too-large wooden easel stood about two meters away from him. A paintbrush hovered in mid-air, as if controlled by an invisible hand, swiftly gliding over the canvas. Before long, a rather intricate sketch appeared on the easel.

The drawing depicted a monster covered in blades, with bat-like wings on its back and two long black horns on its head.

“Wind-Eating Demon…”

Lu Yuan observed the image on the easel, a contemplative expression on his face. It was now the third day since he completed the Spirit Devourer Clan’s ritual and received the Demon God Mech blueprint Legacy.

He wasn’t sure if it was luck or because the [Wind Tamer (Legendary)] panel had temporarily unlocked.

Fortuitously, Lu Yuan had gained the favor of a high-ranking Demon God and received a Demon God Mech blueprint Legacy all his own.

What he was sketching now was the draft of that Demon God Mech Legacy.

“Breath of Evil. Wind-Eating Demon…”

Judging by the name of this Demon God Mech, it’s evident that the Legacy Lu Yuan received was related to Wind Attribute abilities.

This aligns quite well with the [Wind Tamer (Legendary)] and the [Rhythm of the Wind] mental power cultivation method passed down in the Lu family.

On top of that, the Legacy itself wasn’t of a low stage-it reached a red quality level, which was extremely satisfying for Lu Yuan.

However, despite having the blueprint in hand, he faced new challenges when it came to commencing the forging process.

Lu Yuan raised his hand slightly, allowing air currents to flow between his fingers. Countless tiny breezes emerged spontaneously, instantly tearing the drawing on the easel into countless fragments, which scattered into the distance.

“I really underestimated the Spirit Devourer Clan’s Demon God Mech Legacy…”

Lu Yuan rubbed his temples, letting out a soft sigh.

Upon learning about all the materials required to forge the [Breath of Evil. Wind-Eating Demon God] Mech, Lu Yuan thought that perhaps accepting the white quality Demon God Mech Legacy initially might have been the best choice for his current situation.

The mech blueprint he acquired detailed the need for over 100,000 different forging materials.

Not to mention that most of these materials were completely unfamiliar to him.

For many of these materials, quantities measured starting at several tons.

Good heavens.

He just wanted to casually forge a somewhat powerful mecha for interim use.

What does this even mean?

Was this aiming to become a galactic-class war weapon?

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

“I’ll have to figure out a way to make a super invincible ultimate simplified version…”

“Once the simplified version is forged, as long as it possesses even one ten-thousandth of the complete version’s power, it’ll be a success!”

Lu Yuan closed his eyes and began to conceptualize, sketching a new blueprint for the Wind-Eating Demon God Mech in his mind.

He boldly sifted through the necessary primary Forging Materials, eliminating functions and materials that he couldn’t use at this stage, or that he simply had no capability of acquiring.

With the help of his Smart Light Brain, he diligently searched for the most cost-effective substitute materials.

Now he understood why “Anders,” despite being from the Royal Clan of the Spirit Devourer Clan with limitless potential and a promising future, ended up with just a prototype despite having the Black Gold Level Great Fall Dark Sky Prison Demon God Mech blueprint.

Even a mech two levels below the Great Fall Dark Sky Prison Demon God Mech, like the Wind-Eating Demon God Mech, required such a massive amount of Forging Material. Trying to forge a complete version of the Black Gold Level Great Fall Dark Sky Prison Demon God Mech would certainly be an extensive, astronomically costly undertaking.

It’s likely that even without the outbreak of the rebellion, Anders would have needed to fully mature and earn a certain status and position within the Spirit Devourer Clan before he could hope to begin forging the Great Fall Dark Sky Prison Demon God Mech.

Lu Yuan’s simplification process extended from the afternoon until late at night.

Then it continued from nighttime until daylight broke and the next day arrived.

As the first rays of morning sunlight spilled onto Lu Yuan, who was half-reclined in his chair, he finally opened his eyes.

“Swish-“

A mysterious gleam flashed through his clear eyes before they were overtaken by deep fatigue.

He drained the cold coffee in his hand and vigorously massaged his temples.

The first round of simplification was at last complete.

Lu Yuan directly eliminated over ninety-five percent of the materials from the original Wind-Eating Demon Forging Blueprint. He then repeatedly assessed and substituted the remaining materials until he finally developed a new mech forging blueprint.

Whether this new blueprint is feasible or not is another matter for later consideration.

Currently, the problems Lu Yuan faces boil down to just two main issues.

The first issue is the collection of Forging Materials.

According to his simplified Wind-Eating Demon Mech blueprint, the required materials are all available on the market.

Lu Yuan checked and found that just on Planet Lirva, he could gather most of them.

The remaining few can be purchased online.

The main issue is probably the money needed to buy these Forging Materials.

Lu Yuan currently has only a bit over five million Duoling Coins, but by his estimation, realizing this blueprint would require at least a billion in funds.

This figure doesn’t even account for the potential wastage resulting from operational errors.

“Problems that money can solve aren’t really problems. Whether through formal channels or informal means, it’s manageable…”

With a slight turn of thought, Lu Yuan quickly came up with several ways to address the funding source issue.

Some of these methods might be a bit extreme, but at this stage, Lu Yuan wasn’t inclined to spend energy fretting over this problem.

The second point is…

“I need a stellar smelting furnace.”

The more advanced the mecha, the higher the requirements for smelting conditions.

Lu Yuan has estimated that to perfectly forge the Wind-Eating Demon Mech, a stellar level mecha smelting furnace is essential.

Generally, stellar smelting furnaces are reserved for crafting top-tier mechas above level ten.

Not only is the rental fee extremely expensive, but even having the funds might not guarantee one can be rented.

Strong connections and networks are necessary to possibly gain access.

“Compared to the first issue, the second issue is the toughest…”

Lu Yuan frowned.

As the son of a mere baron of the third rank, acquiring the usage rights to a stellar smelting furnace is virtually an impossible task.

Lu Yuan pondered for a long time but couldn’t think of a suitable solution.

He could only shake his head, setting this issue aside for now, while he continued to gather materials and look for opportunities.

After nearly twenty hours of sitting still, Lu Yuan’s body began to feel slightly stiff and tingly.

He put down his cup and stood up from the chair.

Stepping outside to breathe in the fresh air, he stretched and moved his muscles.

The morning breeze in the forest was as refreshing and pleasant as ever.

Since unlocking the [Wind Tamer (Legendary)] professional panel, Lu Yuan felt a distinctly different sensation than before.

The wind swirling around him now seemed extremely friendly and obedient.

With just a thought, the air moved freely according to his will.

Lu Yuan noticed that the mental core of [Rhythm of the Wind] in his mind had become especially lively.

After merely trying to operate the core slightly, the experience points for [Rhythm of the Wind] on his professional panel began to skyrocket.

In less than half an hour, he advanced directly from level 4 to level 5.

Additionally, his intelligence attribute increased from the original 30 points to 31.

“According to Xuanhuan Novels, I am now what’s known as a super-genius with a natural Wind Attribute affinity!

The same wind-based mental power cultivation method, in my hands, has both a cultivation speed and effectiveness that are many times greater than that of an ordinary person…”

Lu Yuan could feel it clearly now.

Upon reaching level 5 of [Rhythm of the Wind], the mental power’s effect on boosting his speed had become more than ten times stronger than it was at level 4!

The usual increase from level 4 to level 5 isn’t this exaggerated.

Moreover, the [Wind Tamer (Legendary)] professional panel also granted him the ability to directly control “wind power.”

“And with this…

My [Wind Demon Frenzied Axe Style]… it seems it really can go ‘Wind Demon’!”

Lu Yuan’s eyes gleamed as he formed a knife-hand and casually slashed forward.

In an instant, a visible whirlwind arose out of nowhere, sweeping up grass and dirt from the ground and howling forward with reckless abandon…