182: The first generation Melk

“Hmm?”

Lin Luo was on high alert, preparing to face the next round of frantic counterattacks from the Bull-Scorpion Monster, when he saw the monstrous creature, which had been radiating murderous intent, suddenly freeze.

The violence in its crimson eyes completely faded, replaced by a near-instinctive fear.

Its massive body crouched low, letting out a submissive low cry, and it actually stood aside obediently.

Lin Luo was surprised, and his Divine Sense immediately swept backward.

A deep, heavy aura, as majestic as the earth itself, was slowly approaching from the dark passage behind him.

There wasn't much outward pressure in that aura, but it carried a resilience tempered through a thousand trials, and... a sense of 'sharpness' pushed to the absolute limit.

He slowly turned around.

A figure emerged from the darkness, stepping into the radius of the halo surrounding him.

It was a truly burly man, over two meters tall, with muscles bulging like granite carvings and bronze-colored skin covered in a crisscross of old and new scars.

They weren't marks from beast bites, but rather light-colored scars left by sharp instruments and flying sparks, densely packed as if recording countless battles with hard Materials.

His face was resolute, with features as rugged as mountain rock, but his eyes were exceptionally bright and clear, like gemstones polished to perfection, shining brilliantly in the darkness.

He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of sturdy cargo pants, and carried a bulging, exceptionally heavy-looking burlap sack on his back, with the opening faintly revealing some shimmering gravel and crystals.

Just standing there, he gave off a sense of being as steady as a rock and unshakeable. When those bright eyes looked over, Lin Luo could even feel the illusion of an invisible blade grazing his skin.

“First Generation Melk!”

Lin Luo determined the newcomer's identity almost instantly.

The First Generation Melk's gaze calmly swept over Lin Luo, pausing slightly on the multi-colored halo around him, appearing somewhat surprised. He then looked at the Bull-Scorpion Monster bowing respectfully to the side, and then at the messy traces of battle left around—the shattered ground, broken rock pillars, and the energy ripples that had not yet dissipated in the AIR.

His thick eyebrows twitched slightly, his mouth opened a crack, and his voice was actually as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

If not for Lin Luo's extraordinary five senses, he wouldn't have been able to hear those thread-thin words at all: “Young man, good skills. Although the Scorpion Demon Ox is still a cub, its capture rank is 53. To be able to beat it like this at the bottom of the Bottomless Abyss under heavy gravity is not simple.”

Lin Luo grinned at him and spoke bluntly: “You're the First Generation Melk, right? Your voice is a bit too small; ordinary people can't hear you at all.”

Hearing this, the First Generation did not answer, but simply turned to look at the Scorpion Demon Ox waiting respectfully nearby and nodded slightly. The massive creature seemed to receive a clear command, immediately turned around, exerted force with its four hooves, and galloped toward the depths of the darkness with a rumbling sound.

The ground vibrated violently.

A moment later, accompanied by a louder rumble and rising dust, the Scorpion Demon Ox returned, 'braking' precisely in front of the First Generation with an exaggerated ground-hugging slide, its huge scorpion claw carefully handing over an unremarkable gray-white stone.

“Hey, hey~” The First Generation took the stone and opened his mouth toward it.

This time, a clear, deep voice, as if amplified by a loudspeaker, came out of the stone:

“This is an amplification stone from the vocal cords of a Rock Condor, a very miraculous stone.”

“Now it sounds like a normal person's voice.” Lin Luo facepalmed and gave a helpless smile.

He finally understood why the Second Generation always felt that the First Generation's instructions were vague—when this Great Master usually spoke, probably very few people besides this Scorpion Demon Ox could hear him clearly.

“I've met your adopted daughter, the Second Generation Melk,” Lin Luo got straight to the point, “She misses you very much! Why haven't you gone back for so many years?”

After hearing Lin Luo's words, an amazing light instantly erupted from the First Generation Melk's rock-steady eyes—it was a complex emotion mixed with excitement, agitation, and deep longing.

His hand holding the amplification stone tightened slightly.

Afterward, the First Generation Melk took Lin Luo to his living and working place at the bottom of the abyss.

It was an extremely spacious natural cave, the internal space much larger than it appeared from the outside.

The most shocking sight was that the cave was filled with countless giant 'kitchen knives.'

Calling them kitchen knives might not be entirely accurate.

Their sizes were staggering and their shapes varied; some were several meters long with blades shimmering with a heart-palpitating cold light, and their designs leaned more toward heavy weapons.

Just being among them, one could feel countless sharp Qi interlacing and echoing in the AIR, constantly cutting and impacting any intruder. The protective halo around Lin Luo was stimulated to flicker frequently, as if it could be sliced open by invisible Saber Qi at any moment.

“You've been here for the past six years?” Lin Luo looked around and couldn't help but ask.

To stay in such an isolated environment with only cold rocks and endless blades for six years, his strength of will was truly admirable.

“Yes!” The First Generation Melk's voice became clear and powerful through the amplification stone, “President Ichiryu of the IGO gave me a very important commission—to forge a kitchen knife capable of preparing the salad 'AIR' from 'Acacia's Full Course'! This knife requires several years and consumes a large amount of special whetstones. So I handed the Melk Workshop over to my daughter and retired here to focus on completing this task.”

When mentioning his daughter, his tone instantly became incredibly excited, and his speaking speed increased significantly:

“How is she? You've seen my daughter, how is her work? Is she outstanding? I'm telling you, she already showed superb talent as a grinder fifteen years ago! Her ability is probably already similar to mine, right? She can definitely manage the workshop well, and those orders must be no problem for her, right?...”

This legendary man of few words was now like a chatterbox, with one compliment and question about his daughter after another, his eyes full of undisguised pride and concern.

Lin Luo waited for him to pause slightly before replying: “Your daughter is very capable, hardworking, and excellent. The title of the Second Generation Melk is well-deserved in her hands.”

He paused, seeing the light in the First Generation's eyes brighten even more, and added: “However, she doesn't know any of this. You should have explained it clearly to her. Right now she's stuck in a rut and lacks self-confidence.”

The First Generation Melk was stunned, holding the amplification stone in confusion: “I explained it clearly to her when I retired! I said I was going to complete an important task and handed the workshop over to her!”

“...” Lin Luo pointed at the stone in his hand irritably, “If you didn't have this amplification stone back then, I think she couldn't hear what you were mumbling at all.”

The First Generation Melk stood there holding the stone, completely dumbfounded. He carefully recalled the scene of their farewell six years ago... It seemed he really had just given a few instructions as usual, and seeing his daughter nod, he assumed she understood, then shouldered his pack and walked into the mountains without looking back... “I thought...” Recalling his daughter's strange behavior now, it turned out she really hadn't heard him speak!

The First Generation fell into a slump, and after a brief moment, with a rare sense of embarrassment, he said, “Could I trouble you to bring a few words to her when you go back? Tell her I'm fine, my work is almost finished, tell her not to worry and to keep up the good work!”

“Why don't you go out and tell her yourself?” Lin Luo asked.

“I will only go out once the kitchen knife is forged.” The First Generation answered decisively, his gaze turning toward a workbench deep in the cave covered by a heavy curtain, his eyes becoming focused and determined again. This was his promise and obsession.

“Fine.” Lin Luo agreed. It was just bringing a few words, not much trouble.

“You said earlier you came looking for 'melks stardust', right? Follow me!” The First Generation Melk's mood seemed to have improved because of the mention of his daughter, and he spoke proactively.

He led Lin Luo to the other side of the cave and entered a connected smaller cave.

As soon as they stepped in, it was a sight of brilliant gold!

In this smaller cave, countless glittering golden stones were piled up!

They varied in size and shape, but all emitted a soft and pure golden light, illuminating the entire cave like a golden palace.

The AIR was filled with a peculiar, pure scent that seemed to touch the depths of the Soul's desire for 'deliciousness.'

“These are all whetstones, the raw ore of 'melks stardust'.” The First Generation Melk waved his hand generously, “Take as much as you want! The golden powder produced when grinding ingredients or knives with this is a top-tier seasoning.”

Lin Luo wasn't polite either. He stepped forward and picked several of the largest golden crystals with the purest light. With a light tap of his fingertips, the massive crystals broke apart and were then stored into his pendant by Lin Luo.

After chatting briefly with the First Generation Melk, learning about other conditions here, and confirming the message for the Second Generation once more, Lin Luo took his leave.

Above the Melk Mountain Range, a series of violent sonic booms—Boom! Boom! Boom!—suddenly echoed!

A figure pierced through the sky at a speed difficult for the naked eye to catch. The speed was so fast that it even tore a long, straight gap in the clouds, as if cut by invisible scissors, revealing the azure background behind it.

Several unlucky 'Flying Squids' and strange birds along the way didn't have time to dodge and were affected by the invisible force field carried by the figure. Their life essence was instantly extracted, turning into pure energy that merged into his body.

Thud!

The figure landed steadily on the open space in front of the stone house, kicking up a wave of AIR; it was Lin Luo, who had returned.

Hearing the commotion, Erina, Akane Kubo Momo, and the Second Generation Melk hurried out of the house.

Erina's purple eyes were filled with surprise: “So fast? It's only been... a short while, right?” She estimated the time; even if the journey was smooth, returning from the abyss shouldn't be this quick.

Akane Kubo Momo, holding her plushie, had a look of suspicion and bluntly criticized: “Hey, don't tell me you got there, looked at the pitch-black hole and didn't dare go down, and then just ran back in shame?”

Lin Luo didn't snap back this time. He just smiled slightly, raised his right hand, and gave a crisp snap of his fingers.

Buzz—

Golden light flowed in the AIR as several crystals of varying sizes, all emitting a soft and pure golden light, appeared out of thin AIR, slowly floating in front of everyone.