Chapter 509: The World Is So Vast

Bang— bang— bang…

Lei En controlled the Thunder-forged Colossus to move; the furnace inside roared, energy transmitted, and the heavy metal feet struck the ground with thunderous steps.

For such a massive body, its speed was not slow, far faster than an ordinary person, roughly equivalent to Level 2 "Swiftness," but compared with high‑rank superiors it was less agile, appearing a bit clumsy.

Moreover, he also found the colossus's reaction speed insufficiently keen; some motions lagged slightly, likely due to its enormous size and weight—after all it was merely a mechanical construct, less flexible and responsive than a true giant.

But this did not affect the colossus's combat power.

It drew energy through the Titan Furnace in its chest, activating the rune array etched on its body to unleash multiple lightning spells.

Each melee strike of the Thunder-forged Colossus—its million‑pound fists and massive palms—was imbued with lightning, called "Thunder Stomp" and "Thunder Heavy Punch," whose power equated to a six‑circle spell and had no cooldown.

The terrifying force from its own weight combined with lightning damage meant that even a Legendary High‑rank dared not stand against its heavy punch.

Its eyes could fire "Electric Light Rays," cutting enemies with high heat; it could channel the seven‑circle spell "Lightning Storm" to bombard targets within range; its waist maintained a "Static Field" that slowed approaching foes; its left arm could generate a "Blue Crystal Shield" against frontal attacks; its right palm gathered energy into a "Sunlight Spear" for melee, dealing solid damage; when needed, it could inject more energy into the Sunlight Spear, upgrading it to the eight‑circle "Lightning Javelin" to be thrown—its longest‑range, most powerful attack.

These supplemental spells and abilities were enough to offset the Thunder-forged Colossus's shortcomings in agility and speed.

Even if the colossus could not evade enemy attacks, its body forged from Titan Blue Iron possessed formidable defense, and its magical resistance was astonishing, making it nearly impossible for ordinary means to damage it.

A Thunder-forged Colossus deployed on the battlefield could be called a weapon of mass destruction.

"Lei En, you're still satisfied with it, aren't you?"

Elder Suolim asked with a smile, his face showing self‑satisfaction.

"Thank you, Elder." Lei En disengaged from the colossus, praising in turn, "Truly, it lives up to being one of the Empire's greatest creations; I have never seen such a powerful mechanical colossus!"

Suolim modestly nodded, a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

Lei En sensed his complicated feelings and, fearing a change of heart, quickly stored the Thunder-forged Colossus into the Nebula Ring. Fortunately he had exchanged for this massive‑capacity ring, enough to hold several colossi; otherwise transporting them would have been a problem.

With the transaction complete, he prepared to leave, bowing and saying, "Elder, please allow me to take my leave first."

"Not exchanging anything else?" Suolim raised an eyebrow, guessing Lei En still held source crystals in his hand, not having presented them all.

"Not for now."

Lei En did not conceal it; he indeed still possessed over four hundred pounds of source crystal, but he needed to keep them for his own research, and the Thunder-forged Colossus also required source crystal as fuel.

The exchange list also featured several highly attractive items.

For example, a thousand pounds of source crystal could be traded for a full set of "Titan Power Armor," each piece an epic‑grade gear with distinct enchantments; completing the set would raise "Strength" by one level—perfect for him—but he lacked enough source crystal.

There was also the Legend Grade staff "Endless Storm," almost tailor‑made for Reslin, which he vowed to obtain someday.

"Annam's Dragon‑slaying Sword" required fifty thousand pounds of source crystal; he didn't need it himself, so he could auction it off for a hefty profit.

The mithril mine near Dragon Ridge City could produce about fifty thousand pounds of source crystal ore each year, yielding two thousand pounds of refined source crystal. After upgrading the mechanical mining equipment, output could rise further, possibly doubling; in short, source crystal would not be scarce in the coming years.

As for the most expensive item on the list, the "Titan Furnace," it demanded five hundred thousand pounds of source crystal—more than could be extracted by emptying the entire mithril mine.

Seeing Elder Suolim's slight disappointment, Lei En hinted, "I will visit the Sanctum frequently in the future; I hope I won't disturb you, Elder."

"No, no." Suolim laughed, "The Storm Sanctum always welcomes your arrival."

He turned to Axi Na, "Please see Lei En off for me."

"Alright."

After bowing to Suolim, Lei En followed Axi Na out of the Furnace Sanctum.

"How did you gather so many source crystals? Other traders are impressive if they can produce a thousand pounds, and the elder was startled by you!" Axi Na's glittering golden eyes brimmed with curiosity; unlike the Titan elder, she asked without hesitation.

Lei En naturally wouldn't tell her, smiling, "It's a secret."

"Fine." Axi Na, not particularly interested, said, "Tell me more about the Empire: besides your teacher, which Holy Soul Wizards exist? Does the Empire have only Holy Soul Wizards and no Saint Rank superiors above Level 20? How strong are they? I've heard there's a steam engine that runs hundreds on rails without source crystal…"

This barrage of questions left Lei En unsure where to begin answering.

Along the way, Axi Na listened attentively to Lei En, seemingly curious about everything, interjecting now and then with assorted questions.

The distance from the Furnace Sanctum to the teleport platform wasn't far, yet this time Lei En walked for over two hours to complete it.

Seeing the Legendary Giant Luodar guarding the Legendary Formation, Lei En breathed a sigh of relief, finally arriving, he stopped at the platform's edge and said, "Ms. Axi Na, I must return."

Luodar cast a surprised glance, wondering why Axi Na was walking with this human.

Axi Na, somewhat reluctant, asked, "When will you come again?"

"That's hard to say." Lei En smiled, "Probably within a year, depending on how much source crystal I gather."

Axi Na let out a soft sigh, seeming to think a year was too long.

Lei En looked at the bright‑eyed, white‑toothed female giant, like an inexperienced girl, and warned, "Ms. Axi Na, the world outside is indeed fascinating but also dangerous; you must not only see its bright side but also heed its dark side."

"I understand." Axi Na restrained her smile, speaking seriously, "The elder also said many on the Prime Material Plane harbor hostility toward Storm Giants, treating our kin as prey; staying in the Sanctum is safest. I just… just…"

She hesitated, unsure how to articulate her thoughts.

"The world is so vast, I want to see it?" Lei En replied with a smile.

"Yes!"

Axi Na's eyes sparkled, nodding repeatedly, exclaiming joyfully, "The world is so vast, I want to see it. Lei En, you speak wonderfully! I want to go to the Shi Jie Shan Mai, to see the snow on the world's highest peak; stand atop Fu Kong Cheng to overlook the bustling city and admire the clouds; witness the waves of Wu Jin Zhi Hai, feel the northern winds of the New Continent… so many beautiful sights await my exploration!"

"Not only the Prime Material Plane, but also the many planes of Ai Lun E Si—Heaven, Aether, Shadow, and even the Abyss—I want to venture inside…"

"And not to mention the countless races and civilizations; staying only in the Sanctum would be a waste!"

Axi Na's eyes seemed to glow, boundless yearning written on her beautiful face, and finally she looked earnestly at Lei En, "Do you understand what I mean?"

"Of course."

Lei En nodded, looking thoroughly convinced.

But inside, he scoffed, noting that this female giant was much like a sister who had been cooped up at home in a past life, dreaming of dropping everything for an impromptu trip. At least in that past life there was the internet for "cloud travel"; Axi Na could only hear about the outside world from books or others after being confined for decades—it was truly hard on her.

"I wish you one day can fulfill your wish."

Lei En's sincere blessing sparked a sly thought: if he could coax Axi Na out, he'd gain another powerful ally.

"Thank you." Axi Na gladly accepted the blessing.

Nearby, Luodar heard their conversation and couldn't help speaking, "Axi Na, without the elder's command, no clan member may leave the Sanctum. Human, you may depart now."

Axi Na's gaze dimmed.

Lei En also stepped onto the teleportation array.

At that moment, a voice floated through the air from Suolim: "Asina, when you advance to Legendary High-rank, if you can pass my test, I will allow you to leave the sanctuary."

"Elder, that's what you said!" Asina's eyebrows danced, and she nearly leapt up with joy.

Elder Suolim gave no reply; his meaning was clear.

Lei En's face showed surprise; he didn't understand Elder Suolim's meaning, but he still smiled, "Congratulations, madam, I'll go ahead first."

After speaking, he nodded toward Luodaar, who was equally astonished, and triggered the teleport.

Asina watched Lei En's figure vanish, stared off for a few seconds, then said, "Uncle Luodaar, the next time Lei En comes, please notify me immediately."

Luodaar was somewhat reluctant, but finally agreed, "Alright."

"Thank you, Uncle Luodaar," Asina turned and left, her steps light; she now only wanted to return home at once to meditate diligently and hone her combat skills.

Lei En appeared in the ruin palace beneath the valley; the teleportation gate behind him closed, and six massive stone pillars fell silent, restoring calm. With a casual gesture, Thunder God's Hammer returned to his side, and then he used the Arcane Flood Staff to open a portal leading a hundred li away, stepping through in a single stride.

Before dawn, Lei En returned to the Jin Gang Fort base.

After two teleportations, he returned to the top of the tower in Weizelan, released the Thunder-cast Giant Statue from the Nebula Ring, and commanded it to open the three layers of protection on its chest, exposing the inner core.

This miniaturized Titan Furnace was only a few tenths the size of the furnace in the sanctuary, yet it remained astonishingly large.

It was an overall oval shape, about two meters in length, its shell forged from Titan blue iron, extremely hard, etched with dense arrays of runes that constantly ran, each rune emitting a current‑like blue glow, faintly revealing the furnace's internal structure.

Lei En reached out and pressed his hand to the furnace; the metallic sensation began to take effect.

In an instant, a flood of information surged in his mind, the entire furnace's structure reflected within his heart, yet this was only part of the whole; some parts of the furnace weren't metal, and the runes and energy flow were not sensed, so he could not immediately grasp the furnace's principles.

The compression and combustion of source crystal, energy conversion and output, the functions of hundreds of rune arrays…

Lei En saw it through a cloud of mist.

He spent an entire day researching before roughly understanding the furnace's performance; unsurprisingly, its energy release was several orders of magnitude lower than a nuclear reactor, yet several orders of magnitude higher than an internal combustion engine or electric motor, falling between the two.

Because he lacked instruments and measuring tools, Lei En could not obtain precise data.

He could only estimate that one pound of source crystal could power a 150,000‑pound Thunder-cast Giant Statue for half a month; reducing the statue's volume and weight would extend the duration. Of course, when the statue operated at full combat power, the crystal consumption would inevitably accelerate.

The energy emitted by the furnace was electrical, yet different from the electricity of his previous life; it was a magical energy that still obeyed some electromagnetic principles.

This made Lei En feel both delighted and extremely troubled.

The Titan Furnace was clearly different from a nuclear reactor; it could be built huge, like the one in the Storm Sanctuary with a diameter of dozens of meters, or made tiny as a power source for a statue, with volumes differing by hundreds of times.

Its output strength depended on the furnace's volume, the two being directly proportional.

Lei En had no plans for a maximized Titan Furnace for the time being; he wanted a minimized furnace, ideally small enough for one person to carry, so that the Extreme Warrior's armor would no longer be an empty shell but a true powered suit!

Such a micro‑furnace would not only power the armor but also support a suite of electrical weapons.

Lei En had many design ideas to test.

But through his probing he discovered that miniaturizing the Titan Furnace was extremely difficult.

The furnace of the Thunder-cast Giant Statue should be the limit the Giant race could achieve; further reduction would test both casting techniques and require finer energy control.

Both challenges were hard to solve.

At least Lei En thought the Giants had no solution, evident from the statue's combat pattern; its lag and clumsiness resulted from overly coarse energy control.

Lei En possessed revitalized metal and was confident he could solve the first problem.

But he had little confidence regarding the second problem.

The Giant race had studied the Titan Furnace for tens of thousands of years without success; even with his past‑life experience and ideas about electronic machinery, it might not apply, and this jewel of industrial manufacturing, backed by countless people's effort and wisdom, could hardly be replicated by a single individual.

Lei En let out a long sigh.

He sat by the window, gazing at the Fu Kong Cheng beyond the tower, pondering for a long while, and finally resolved that no matter how hard, he would not give up.

After all, this is Ai Lun E Si, not Diqiu; it is a world brimming with supernatural forces, miracles everywhere, and cannot be judged by the rules of his previous life.

What was impossible to achieve alone in his past life is not impossible in Ai Lun E Si.

Even if it required countless years of effort—five, ten, or even a hundred years—any glimmer of success was worth attempting.

Once the research succeeded, the rewards would be incalculable!

Lei En rose, returned to his desk, took out the massive tome of Titan rune knowledge, opened to the first page, and began focused study.

The next chapter is the new volume!

(End of Chapter)