Wings of Steel

"This Air Force Corps actually has titles to earn?" Steamed Bun lit up with joy as he looked at the information displayed on the system panel.

It's important to know that titles are personal, non-transferable, and have a very low probability of being obtained. They can only be acquired through certain large-scale missions—for example, the [Conqueror of the Northern Lands] or [Empire Champion].

Some titles also come with special effects, such as golden light, flames, and rainbows above the player's head, making the player stand out from the crowd and attracting the envy of many newbies.

For Keosius, the cost of creating these titles was negligible, almost a free trade.

Players flocked to it, with some wealthy players even spending hundreds of Gold Coin in pursuit of the coolest and most imposing title.

After all, for gamers, showing off is their primary need!

Singo feigned disdain and said with a smile, "You're really naive. It's just a title. How could an internal mission I led you through be bad?"

"Whoosh—"

Before he could finish speaking, a dozen flashy titles appeared above his head: [Conqueror of the Northern Lands], [War Hero], [Aisel Arbiter], [Sky Hunter Ranger]. The dazzling special effects intertwined, creating a veritable light pollution that nearly blinded Steamed Bun's titanium alloy eyes, causing him to gape in astonishment.

"Tch, what a show-off."

Steamed Bun pouted, turned around, and said to the Hobgoblin, "Commander, quickly show us around the mission! I can't wait to fight for the empire's Great Blueprint, for His Your Majesty Keosius!"

Veteran players have developed a template for interacting with NPCs: when in doubt, they simply choose to show loyalty.

"For the Empire, for His Your Majesty Keosius." The Hobgoblin's lips twitched slightly, but he still placed his hand on his chest and gave another Loyalty Salute.

He then turned around and led the two men deep into the armory.

Seeing Steamed Bun Single still had all the special effects on his head and hadn't taken them off, Mantou complained, "Alright, Xin Gou, hurry up and push the mission."

"Damn, if showing off were a crime, you'd at least get life imprisonment. These days, there aren't many simple, honest young men like me who never show off."

Singo said in a flat tone, "Do you really hate showing off? I saw you were pretty impressive in front of those newbies."

He walked up to Steamed Bun, patted him on the shoulder, and sighed, "Tsk, face reality, Steamed Bun —you don't hate showing off, you just resent that you're not the one showing off."

"."

Lies don't hurt, but the truth is the sharpest knife.

Upon hearing this, Steamed Bun recalled his previous experience of being overshadowed by Singo and shunned by the newbies, and he was speechless and on the verge of tears.

"Snap—"

The iron gate slowly rose, making a crisp sound.

"This is."

Steamed Bun's eyes lit up immediately, and his previous displeasure was completely forgotten.

The room was surrounded by transparent glass display cases, inside which were several huge, futuristic suits of armor, their surfaces painted with dragon flame patterns, exuding a strong "imperial" feel.

—It was immediately recognizable as armor specifically designed for Wyvern. The helmet fit the dragon's head perfectly, and the suit even included wing armor specifically for mounting on the wings.

Singo was also quite intrigued and asked, "Is this... the standard armor of the Imperial Air Force's bombing units?"

In recent months, the Empire's air force bombing forces have distinguished themselves in the North Aisel War and the War of Conquest of the Dwarf Kingdom, becoming a nightmare for countless enemies.

These armored Wyvern, accompanied by piercing shrieks, swept across the low sky, taking lives like the Grim Reaper.

Even today, many indigenous people in North Aisel still have a deep psychological trauma from this. They tremble all over when they hear such a shriek, and even instinctively lie down on the ground and curl up in a ball.

"That's true, but what you see in front of you is far more advanced; it's the culmination of the Empire's cutting-edge technology."

The Hobgoblin pointed to the armor in the glass display case and introduced it with a smile, "This is the special equipment provided by the Empire for the Air Force Corps. We call it the ' Skyfire ' suit, which means that the wrath of a great dragon will descend from the sky and turn enemies who dare to resist the Empire to ashes."

Steamed Bun exclaimed, "The name itself sounds awesome!"

This time, even Singo nodded in agreement.

The Hobgoblin stepped forward and continued, "The military engineers of the Imperial Technology Department have continuously upgraded and modified the standard equipment of the bombing forces, adding rocket boosters, gravity levitation devices, and spell positioning. This armor has epoch-making and powerful performance, enabling an adult Wyvern to carry more than two tons of ammunition and accurately hit its target thousands of meters in the air."

At the same time, the speed and maneuverability of the Wyvern will not only not be reduced, but will be significantly improved, with a maximum speed of 700 kilometers per hour.

Steamed Bun stepped forward, practically pressing his face against the glass.

The wing armor, several meters long, gleamed with a metallic sheen and presented a perfect streamlined shape. It was covered with several long steel feathers that could quickly adjust the direction of flight according to the knight's needs.

The Hobgoblin, "This armor has far more functions than you can imagine."

"Smack!"

He snapped his fingers.

Instantly, several steel pipes extended from the rear edge of the wing armor, spewing out bursts of dazzling flames.

The Hobgoblin continued, "This rocket booster can unleash terrifying thrust in a short time, causing the Wyvern to accelerate several times in an instant."

Singo and Steamed Bun listened to the Hobgoblin's explanation and carefully observed the "Skyfire" armor set in the glass case.

Beneath the wing armor were several complex metal discs, which were gravity levitation devices that allowed the Wyvern to carry more ammunition and to land safely when hit.

Even the claws are covered with special armor, and several wheels are fitted on both sides, allowing the Wyvern to accelerate and take off on the ground runway despite the heavy armor.

Steamed Bun stared intently at the armor in the glass display case, his eyes practically glued to it. His gaze was so intense it looked like he'd seen his dream girl. "So cool!" he exclaimed. Even Singo couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration. "No wonder it's a creation of the Church of the Machine God! They've practically turned Wyvern into a bomber!"

The Hobgoblin reminded him, "This is all thanks to His Your Majesty Keosius's wise leadership."

Singo hurriedly replied, "Of course, the great Embers of the Burned Emperor is omnipresent. Whether it's the empire's economy, politics, military, or technology, we owe it all to that supreme emperor. His wisdom permeates every corner of the empire."

"Well said! As expected of Earl of the Empire, your awareness is truly high."

Upon hearing this, the Hobgoblin nodded in satisfaction and even clapped his hands.

Watching the two of them skillfully flatter the emperor, even the thick-skinned Steamed Bun cursed inwardly, "How shameless! Why didn't they include me?"

"Yes, thinking of His Majesty's tireless efforts for the empire, a surge of loyalty wells up within me, and I want to sing a stirring Keosius Anthem: How can I ever repay such kindness?..."

Steamed Bun sincerely wiped away his tears, and with his natural acting skills, he joined this cultural salon unique to the Embers of the Burned Empire. They flattered him wildly before gradually returning to the main topic.

Looking at the "Skyfire" armor, Single pondered for a moment and asked, "After equipping this armor, our original technique for riding Wyvern will probably have to change quite a bit."

The Hobgoblin nodded slightly and answered earnestly, "Yes, this armor has brought about a revolutionary change, and the Wyvern riding technique derived from it is vastly different from traditional horsemanship, however..."

He smiled and lowered his head before continuing, "With your talent, mastering this new equipment will be a piece of cake. Although the equipment has been updated, technically speaking, riding a Wyvern is much simpler than before."

"Back then, it took me half a year to barely control a Wyvern and gradually grow into Wyvern Knight, while you only took half a day."

"Of course, it's the same this time."

Singo is very confident about this.

"In that case, please begin your training now! I hope you can complete the task His Majesty has assigned you as soon as possible and completely exterminate those orcs!"

The Hobgoblin snapped his fingers again, and with a heavy thud, the two massive iron doors slowly opened.

Suddenly, the view opened up before them. The sky was a clear blue, without a single cloud. Behind this room was a long and flat running track, specially built for Wyvern.

The glass display cases on both sides of the wall suddenly opened, and two brand-new "Skyfire" armors were taken out and piled in front of the two men.

Moreover, not only do the Wyvern have stylish armor, but their pilots also have matching outfits, including a windproof coat made of dragon fur and a helmet similar to a motorcycle helmet.

Steamed Bun couldn't wait to put on the helmet, and a semi-transparent screen immediately appeared in front of him, which pinpointed his current location. The map clearly marked small red dots, and the lower right corner displayed precise data such as distance, altitude, and wind speed.

The Hobgoblin said, "This helmet is similar to the previous Imperial map. You can use it to confirm your own and the location of your target, enabling precise strikes. You can also use the walkie-talkie to communicate with Imperial ground crew, obtain various information, and receive real-time instructions..."

Once on the outdoor track, Steamed Bun waved excitedly, and the contract on the back of his hand took effect.

"Come out, Noodles!"

"Aww—"

With a loud roar, the Wyvern suddenly appeared in the air, then descended from the sky, kicking up clouds of dust, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.

Steamed Bun pointed to the armor not far away and said excitedly, "Noodles, try it on."

"Aww?" Looking at the strange pile of steel artifacts, the Wyvern shook its head and let out a low howl of confusion. What looked incredibly cool to Steamed Bun was nothing more than a giant cage to Noodles.

Due to their weight and size, Wyvern naturally have difficulty flying.

If it were to be fitted with that heavy-looking iron lump, it would be a miracle if it could even move, let alone flap its wings and soar freely through the sky. Steamed Bun understood the Wyvern's meaning, quickly patted its head, stroked its neck, and gently reassured it, "Don't worry, Noodles, I won't let you stop flying..."

Give it a try, you might just like it!

"Aww!"

The Wyvern roared and rubbed its huge head against Steamed Bun's shoulder, finally reluctantly agreeing.

"Hey, ha!"

"A little more to the left, yes, get the wing armor into the groove!"

"Huh?"

The assembly process for the "Skyfire" armor is extremely complicated, with each step requiring perfect precision, almost like assembling an aircraft with a biological skeleton.

With heavy breathing, several strong Ogre workers laboriously lifted the parts and assembled them together.

Finally, a Wyvern, clad in heavy armor and resembling a mechanical monster from the future, appeared before Steamed Bun.

"Holy crap, that's so cool!"

Steamed Bun rushed forward, hugged the Wyvern's claws, and gently stroked the thick armor with its intricate patterns, his eyes full of affection.

But the Wyvern still felt uneasy. It tilted its head, shook its body, and tried to flap its wings, only to find that its wings were bound by wing armor and it needed a lot of effort to make even a slight movement.

Steamed Bun leaped up and straddled the back of the Wyvern. His uniform fit perfectly with the armor on the Wyvern's back, almost becoming one with it.

"This is emergency braking, this is jet acceleration, and this is..."

Steamed Bun flipped through the "Tian Huo Operation Guide" in his hand, observing the large number of buttons and levers on the back of the Wyvern, feeling flustered and very uncomfortable.

After more than ten minutes of getting used to it, Steamed Bun finally felt more confident and gripped the control stick. This feeling was completely different from when he had piloted Wyvern before.

He was nervous and said into the walkie-talkie, "Requesting takeoff, runway A01, wind speed..."

"Takeoff approved."

Huo Lan's voice came from the other end of the walkie-talkie.

Steamed Bun hugged the Wyvern's neck and said through gritted teeth, "Noodles, I'm not very familiar with the controls yet—never mind, let's go!"

"Boom--"

In an instant, gas and flames spewed out from the steel pipes behind the wings of the Wyvern, generating a powerful propulsion force, while the wheels on both sides of its claws spun rapidly, increasing in speed and even generating Mars from the friction.

"Aww—"

Noodles let out a somewhat terrified roar; he had never run at such speed on the ground before.

"Holy crap, that was fast!"

The intense push made Steamed Bun a little flustered, but he felt more exhilarated—he had reached this speed many times when riding the Wyvern.

But he had never experienced such rapid acceleration before; it was like a sudden gust of wind.

Steamed Bun felt the air around him becoming increasingly rapid, Wyvern becoming stronger.

With a whooshing sound and a piercing explosion, a man and a dragon were lifted off the ground and raced along the raised track toward the azure sky.

"Take off!"