The Ægir. (Continued)

Gazing at the towering, oppressive, and mysterious platform not far away, a strange sense of dread washed over her.

Her instincts urged her not to look any longer, but her gaze was irresistibly drawn to the very center of the platform.

On top of that towering lighthouse...

"Kroos? Kroos!"

It took her a while to be Lava Rong, who noticed something was wrong. She was also somewhat weak as she propped her head up.

"Could it be... a hallucination?"

The girl was a little confused.

But Fen shook her head.

"It's not a hallucination..."

"Um?"

"They've arrived..."

Fen tilted her head back.

In the distance, on a black, mobile platform, two women stood quietly...

Silently, watching this side...

"Hello, I am Finn, the captain of Rhodes Island Reserve Op Team A1. I have been ordered by the Doctor to come and greet you."

After the Rhodes Island ships docked with their counterparts, Finn led his team and strode towards them, finally stopping in front of them.

In front of her stood a tall woman quietly, and beside her was another gentle woman who looked exactly like her, but with a completely different temperament.

"Thank you all for waiting..."

Maria wasn't very good at communicating, so the task of interacting with the little girls naturally fell to the Doll standing nearby.

Maria stood to the side, pondering the envelope she had received.

Maria couldn't really understand Kal'tsit's self-proclaimed Babel, but the content sounded like something that old woman would say.

The letter was completely concise, with not a single unnecessary word; even the initial pleasantries were brief, getting straight to the point.

Kal'tsit wants to invite Maria to meet her.

On one hand, they wanted to find out what Maria had discovered in Dossoles, why the Catastrophes had suddenly broken out, and what had happened afterward.

On the other hand... this is because of the Specter.

"After meeting me, she fell into a coma and hasn't shown any signs of waking up since..."

Maria the message Kal'tsit had sent, her brow furrowing slightly.

Specter... she still remembered.

It was that strange nun who suddenly rushed over and forcibly kissed him.

If Maria remembered correctly, the Specter in the chapter, the strange Swordfish woman who appeared after the Specter, and the girl who was with Amiya on the shore earlier, all had an aura that was both familiar and strange to Maria.

Maria initially thought they all had their own blood.

But later she realized that something was different.

It is highly likely that it was injected after being modified.

That's very strange.

Because Maria knew that, under normal circumstances, she would never give anyone the opportunity to study her blood.

So... why would you give someone your blood without knowing it?

Or... did she guess wrong?

These girls' power has nothing to do with their blood?

The girls' strength has nothing to do with her; it's actually something they received from the Umbilical Cord.

But regardless, since the other party had extended an invitation, Maria, who was free for the time being, was naturally willing to come.

After a brief exchange with the girls, Maria followed the Doll's directions and walked with them into the Rhodes Island ship.

The situation on Rhodes Island was largely the same as when Maria evacuated.

In fact, this is normal.

After all, Rhodes Island's resources aren't so plentiful that they can be squandered at will. While they're enough to satisfy the operators' desire to open their own shops to some extent, that's about it.

The environment remains the same as always.

Soon, Maria followed Finn onto the right path.

On their way, they passed the blacksmith's workshop again, and Maria paused slightly.

"What's wrong?"

Fen was somewhat puzzled.

But Maria gestured with her hand.

"Please wait a moment."

After saying that, she turned around and knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

Inside the forge, only Miss Fire God remained.

When Maria arrived, she was still staring intently at the document she had compiled in her hands.

This is the result of Maria's last transaction with the other party.

Maria compiled all her experiences with weapons she had used over the years into a document and handed it over to the other party, who then forged the Threaded Cane for her.

It must be said that Maria has a great deal of experience in combat.

It's not just about the experience of using common weapons like knives, clubs, axes, spears, and swords; there are also many more strange and unusual weapons that even Fire God could never have imagined.

The numerous results derived from their rich practical experience captivated Fire God's attention.

The notebook on the left was almost constantly in use.

The more Fire God looked through the files written by Maria, the more he realized how much Maria had hidden her true abilities.

The weaponry is used skillfully, with numerous details on its operation, and much more—experience and combat stories of using transforming weapons!

This woman... is definitely a weapons master!

Are you satisfied?

Seeing that Fire God was looking at her report, Maria slowly began to speak.

Only then did Fire God come to his senses and raise his head in a daze.

He was also astonished when he saw that the person in front of him was Maria.

Why are you here?

"I was just invited..."

Maria shook her head and looked back at the book in the girl's hand.

Fire God was also stunned for a moment, then picked up the file with a slightly flushed face.

Even so, her eyes still gleamed slightly as she looked at Maria.

Are you satisfied?

Maria asked the question once again.

Fire God nodded firmly this time.

"This is wonderful stuff... Thank you so much for sharing it with me!"

Girls' feelings are always so direct. For her, forging the Threaded Cane was just a minor headache, but what she gained was the experience of someone who had actually fought in high-intensity frontline combat.

Maria's past combat experience has given her a deeper understanding of weapons compared to the average warrior.

Even the Fire God couldn't find any fault with her evaluation of the weapon.

Behind every viewpoint lies the result of Maria's numerous personal experiences.

"As long as you're satisfied."

Maria nodded slightly, and after hesitating for a few moments, slowly took out a box from beside her.

Under Fire God's questioning gaze, she placed it on the table.

"This is..."

"The weapon you forged for me... I'm sorry, this is all I could find."

As Maria spoke, she slowly opened the box.

To Fire God's astonishment, the Threaded Cane she had painstakingly crafted was now completely shattered inside the box.

A twisted steel body, severed special ropes, and that gruesome, bent, and mangled trigger...

All of this caused Fire God's expression to twist slightly.

After a moment, she stammered as she raised her head.

"Has it... encountered Catastrophes?"

To be honest, Fire God knew she couldn't forge a weapon that would last a lifetime without breaking, but every weapon she forged was a top-tier piece of equipment made from all the best materials she could find!

Even in the most intense battle, weapons shouldn't be damaged like this, right?

To be honest, if it weren't for the familiar patterns on the scepter, she really wouldn't have guessed that this thing was something she had made.

How long has it been?

It turned out like this?

"In a sense, yes."

Maria pondered for a moment after hearing Fire God's hesitation before giving her answer.

After obtaining this weapon, she faced numerous battles, many of which involved fighting Great Beast... In a sense, Fire God was right.

This thing has been constantly subjected to Catastrophes.

"You..."

Hearing Maria speak, Fire God also felt a headache coming on.

She instinctively felt that Maria was joking, but looking at Maria's expressionless face, she didn't think so.

But...

Humans fighting against Catastrophes?

Would anyone consider using their hands to stop a landslide?

Surely not?

"I'm very comfortable using this weapon... Could you repair it?"

Maria continued speaking.

This could be considered one of the reasons she accepted Kal'tsit's invitation.

The Threaded Cane is one of the few weapons she uses regularly these days, and she finds it quite convenient.

Now that things have gone wrong, she's in a bit of a predicament.

Although she was capable of fighting unarmed, she still wanted a suitable weapon.

The weapon he promised to forge for her years ago has yet to receive a response...

Fire God, standing to the side, also had a subtle expression after hearing Maria's request.

But with a blacksmith's sense of responsibility, she still lowered her head and carefully examined these things that looked like a lump of scrap iron.

After a moment, he reluctantly got up.

"This thing... it's probably beyond repair, but if you like the stamp, I can forge one for you again."