Create a game called "Collapse Iron," where the entire universe is the player.

Belleburg, Cripperburg.

The heavy doors were tightly shut, but they still couldn't completely block out the arguing sounds coming from inside.

After a long while, the arguing subsided.

The door was suddenly pulled open and then slammed shut.

Bronya pursed her lips, her face filled with confusion.

But she could only obey her mother's wishes, even though she didn't know if it was right or wrong.

The room fell silent again.

Cocolia stood by the window, her back to the door, gazing at the gray city shrouded in eternal snow, and sighed deeply.

A piercing sound, like the whispers of countless fragments of consciousness rubbing together, resounded directly from the depths of her mind:

Star Core (mockingly): You're afraid.

Cocolia's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly, but her face remained expressionless: "I didn't."

Star Core: You do. You understood long ago. You started to fear losing her. You started to think, what if one day… she found out the 'truth'—

"She won't know." Cocolia's voice suddenly turned cold and hard, interrupting the unsettling whisper.

Star Core (chuckles): She will. She will inherit your position. When that time comes, she will ask, she will investigate. She will discover why this city has become what it is today. She will understand the true price hidden beneath the guise of protection. She will discover—everything you have done.

"Shut up!" Cocolia clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, and a barely perceptible wavering finally crept into her voice.

Star Core (voice shifting to pity): ...You will lose her. Just like you will eventually lose everyone.

Cocolia did not reply.

She slowly closed her eyes, as if those cursed words had drained all her strength.

Just then, a cautious knock came from outside the door again, breaking the almost drowning silence.

"Lady Cocolia! Outside..." a guard's voice trailed off hesitantly, "Three visitors claiming to be from 'the heavens' request an audience with the High Guardian..."

Beyond the heavens?

Cocolia suddenly opened her eyes, and a subtle, indescribable expectation flashed in her icy blue eyes.

Could an existence from beyond the planet be a variable?

"Let them in."

She turned around, her weariness completely gone, replaced by the majesty of the Great Guardian.

The harsh whispers rang out again, carrying an unquestionable, judgmental tone:

Star Core: Useless. Useless. Outsiders will only bring more chaos and destruction. The fate of this world has already been sealed.

Cocolia ignored them and simply stood quietly in the center of the hall, waiting for the visitors from outer space.

……

Arillow-VI, another snowfield far from the city of Belloborg.

At this moment, a truly astonishing scene is unfolding.

A giant sword, cast entirely of pure gold, with an ancient and majestic design and radiating a soft yet undeniable golden light, floats silently between the leaden-gray sky and the boundless snowfield.

It was enormous, with a blade as long as a small building and wide enough for several people to stand side by side.

What's even more astonishing is that atop the tip of this mountain-like giant sword stands a man dressed in modern clothes, yet possessing an ethereal and otherworldly air.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes motionless in the biting wind at high altitude, and a faint golden halo enveloped him, keeping out the wind and snow.

It was Lin Lin.

He stayed on the Star Train for several more hours, waiting until the pioneering team had gone far away before leisurely setting off.

The astonishing golden giant sword beneath his feet was something he had crafted in his spare time these past few days.

If the amount of gold coins consumed were materialized, it would probably be enough to form a small mountain.

From an outsider's perspective, the scene at this moment is truly:

With a flick of the finger, the Milky Way falls; with a suspended sword, the eight wastelands are subdued!

Lin Lin rode his sword and arrived above a snowy plain where the aura of a rift was strong and monsters roamed.

With a flash of golden light, he floated down from a hundred meters in the air, landing steadily on the snow without leaving a trace.

Lin Lin was now completely surrounded by gold dust invisible to the naked eye.

The golden greatsword, as if it possessed a life of its own, obediently hovered not far behind him, its tip lowered as if guarding him.

He first pulled out a high-tech camera and casually tossed it into the air.

Silently suspended in mid-air, the camera rotates slightly, beginning to record the surrounding terrain and landforms with extremely high clarity and resolution, from 360 degrees without any blind spots.

Almost at the same time, the surrounding Rift monsters discovered this uninvited guest.

The Shadow of Eternal Winter, the Shadow of Fire, the Little Blue Bird, the Little Red Bird, and a large, fat ice creature rumbled as they approached Lin Lin, forming an encirclement.

The moment the "Eternal Winter's Shadow," charging at the forefront, raised its massive, gleaming ice axe, and with enough force to cleave rock, smashed it down towards Lin Lin's face—

A gold coin, gleaming with dazzling golden light, shot out from Lin Lin's fingertip at a speed far exceeding that of a bullet!

"Whoosh—Pfft!"

A slight whooshing sound and a muffled piercing sound rang out almost simultaneously.

The small gold coin, like a hot knife through butter, pierced through the solid ice crystal body of the Eternal Winter Disaster without any resistance, leaving a large hole in its chest.

The monster's movements suddenly froze, the ice axe stopped in mid-air, and then its entire body collapsed into a pile of icy shards with a "crash".

The attacks did not stop.

Lin Lin didn't even move an inch, only his mind stirred slightly.

The giant golden sword hovering behind him seemed to receive a silent command, its massive blade trembling slightly.

Then, with a seemingly slow but actually lightning-fast movement, it drew a perfect golden arc in the air.

It was just a light horizontal slash from the sword.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only the shrill sound of air being compressed and torn apart.

A dazzling golden blade of light, almost solidified and tens of meters wide, spread out in a perfect semi-circle from the center of the giant sword!

Wherever the light passed, it was like an invisible sickle harvesting a ripe wheat field.

The monster's body instantly turned to ashes.

Even the giant ice fat man's thick ice armor melted instantly upon contact with the golden light blade, like ice blocks thrown into the blazing sun, without even being able to utter a complete roar.

Just one sword strike.

Within a radius of several hundred meters, all the wandering Rift monsters were completely wiped out.

"Hmm...not bad." Lin Lin nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the "neat" results before him.

The destructive power and the efficiency of transmitting the power of destiny of this greatsword were even better than he had expected, and it was easy to control, with the consumption within a controllable range.

He recalled the camera, and with a light leap, stood once again on the tip of the golden greatsword.

The greatsword emitted a clear, resonant hum, then transformed into a streak of light, carrying Lin Lin as it hurtled through the air towards Beloborg.

About half an hour later, the last human stronghold that had stood in the eternal winter for hundreds of years finally appeared at the edge of Lin Lin's field of vision.

It was a building constructed entirely of some kind of cold-resistant metal, with a rugged and sturdy style.

From the sky, the city appears to be supported by several enormous gear-shaped objects.

Inside the city walls, the buildings rise in layers, getting higher and higher towards the center, with the most central part being Kripper Fort.

To avoid causing unnecessary disturbance.

When he was still some distance from the city wall, Lin Lin had a sudden thought. He flashed away from his giant sword and landed silently on a deserted snow slope outside the city wall.

The moment he landed, the massive golden sword, as huge as a mountain, seemed to lose its support and suddenly collapsed and condensed inward!

Countless "gold" elements that make up the sword's body are frantically converging and compressing towards the center point under the forced binding of an invisible force.

In the blink of an eye, the enormous giant sword vanished without a trace, replaced by a "golden pill" floating in Lin Lin's palm. It was only the size of a marble, yet it exuded a heart-palpitatingly heavy texture and a restrained golden light.

He compressed a massive amount of "gold" into this small sphere.

Its density is so great that an ordinary traveler on the path of destiny would probably have their bones crushed by its terrifying weight, let alone pick it up.

But for Lin Lin, this was merely a portable form of storage for his "wealth".

He casually pocketed the golden pill.

The next moment, he flashed again, easily crossing the city wall which was not particularly heavily guarded, and officially stepped into the upper district of Beloborg.

In stark contrast to the desolate ice plains outside the city, the upper district, though still cold, has orderly streets lined with Belbergen-style buildings.

Heating devices can be seen everywhere on the street.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and those who were walking hurriedly wore expressions of weariness unique to those suffering from prolonged cold and the pressure of survival.

Occasionally, soldiers in Silvermane Iron Guard uniforms would patrol by, their boots clicking on the stone slabs with exceptional clarity in the quiet street.

Lin Lin strolled leisurely along the road where snow had not yet melted, observing the city struggling to survive in dire straits with great interest, his eyes filled with wonder.

He didn't see Xing, March 7th, or Danheng. According to the plot, they should be in their hotel rooms by now.

Before he knew it, he had walked through several streets and turned into a corner.

Lin Lin stopped and looked at the house in front of him, which was slightly different from the surrounding buildings. He raised an eyebrow slightly.

Hiluva?

What a coincidence!

This is one of the characters he admires; independent, free-spirited, and with dazzling blond hair and black stockings... well, the kind of "single-push" who appreciates looks.

System: [You're a pervert, fine. Stop talking about being a solo fan. How despicable!]

Lin Lin rolled his eyes: "You don't know anything!"

At that moment, the shop door was open, and a faint "buzzing" sound, characteristic of some small machine in operation, could be heard from inside.

Hehe ~

Let's go in and take a look!

Lin Lin's eyes darted around, and he casually pulled out the large golden pill from his pocket.

A small portion of the "gold" was allocated.

It condenses and shapes in the palm of your hand.

In just a few seconds, a gold Gundam model, about the size of two palms, with an intricate and complex structure and tiny snaps at its joints, appeared in his hands.

To make the visit more plausible, he deliberately tampered with several key connections, making them difficult to repair.

Then, he cleared his throat, put on a smile, and pushed the door open and went inside.

"Ding-a-ling—" The copper bell on the lintel rang out with a clear sound.

The first thing you see is a workshop filled with all sorts of tools, parts, semi-finished machines, and various design sketches, similar to a bar reception area.

At the workbench, a woman was facing the doorway, bending over and fiddling with a small mechanical component on the table.

She turned around at the sound.

The first thing that catches the eye is a head of dazzling golden hair.

She has a beautiful face, with focused and intelligent eyes, as well as a cheerful and unpretentious temperament.

Most strikingly, her long legs were encased in high-quality black pantyhose, adding a unique charm to the hardcore mechanical environment.

"Is there anything I can help you with...?"

Before Hiluva could finish speaking, her gaze fell on the glittering, exquisitely detailed mecha model that Lin Lin was holding. The rest of her sentence caught in her throat, turning into undisguised surprise and curiosity.

Gold is a hard currency in any world.

What the man in front of you is holding in his hand is not some small piece of jewelry, but a solid, heavy lump of gold artwork!

This is definitely not something that ordinary people can easily produce.

Lin Lin stepped forward and politely introduced himself: "Hello, my name is Lin Lin."

Hiluva paused for a moment, then quickly recovered from her shock, flashing a hearty and generous smile: "Hiluva, the owner and only employee of this mechanical shop! Welcome, uh... Mr. Lin Lin?"

"Hello! Can you take a look at this model for me? It seems to have a problem; some of the joints are not very flexible and could easily fall apart." Lin Lin handed over the Golden Gundam, his tone very natural.

"No problem! Leave it to me!" Hiluva readily agreed, carefully taking the model. The heavy weight and cool, hard texture made her eyes light up even more.

"I have some knowledge of mechanical structures. Come in and sit for a while, let me see what's going on." She gestured to Lin Lin to sit down next to her.

He then began to carefully examine the golden Gundam in his hand.

The golden parts reflected the light, and the buckles and connecting structures were indeed exceptionally ingenious and complex. Some of the design concepts even surprised her, an expert.

"No problem! The structure is interesting, but not too difficult to handle," Hiluva quickly judged, smiling confidently.

Her biggest impulse right now is actually to gently bite it with her teeth to verify whether it is pure gold...

But after all, it's not my own thing, and other people are watching from the sidelines.

Lin Lin did not disturb her, but instead looked around the mechanical house with great interest.

Various tools whose names I don't know, gear decorations hanging on the wall, and old machinery piled up in the corner.

Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to something on the nearby storage table.

It was an egg with a deep purple shell and silver lightning-shaped patterns flowing on its surface.

It sat quietly next to a pile of screws, completely out of place with its surroundings.

"Boss," Lin Lin pointed at the egg and asked curiously, "where did this egg come from? It looks... quite special."

Hearing the question, Hilva, who was engrossed in studying the Gundam's joints, looked up and glanced at it, then casually replied, "Oh, that. A friend gave it to me! I thought the pattern was pretty cool, so I accepted it."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just thought it looked nice and was just asking." Lin Lin nodded and looked away.

He was just curious because it was something outside the plot.

Hiluva said no more and continued to immerse herself in her repair work.

The girl looked really good at work; her blonde hair swayed gently with her movements, and her focused gaze, combined with her usually carefree and unrestrained personality, created a charming contrast.

Lin Lin unconsciously sat there, quietly appreciating the scene, his eyes peaceful and filled with pure admiration.

after awhile……

While focused on a delicate clasp, Hiluva suddenly felt an overly intense gaze.

She wasn't unfamiliar with being looked at, but this kind of undisguised, prolonged scrutiny still made her somewhat uncomfortable.

She turned her head sharply and, sure enough, met Lin Lin's unwavering gaze.

Hiluva: "..."

This guy??

Why are you staring at me like that?

Although there was no malice intended, it still made her feel strange, and her hand movements became somewhat unnatural.

"What's wrong?" Lin Lin saw her turn her head, blinked, and had an innocent expression that said, "I didn't do anything."

Hiluva is straightforward and always says what she thinks.

She pointed to the purple egg on the shelf and said quickly, "That egg over there has a more unique pattern! Go look at it! Stop staring at me! Your gaze... is getting in my way!"

Subtext: Get out of here!

Lin Lin: "..."

Okay, that's quite a character!

No wonder he plays rock music.

He touched his nose and obediently turned his gaze elsewhere.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the clanging and banging of repairs.

Finally, Shiluwa breathed a sigh of relief and carefully pushed the last tiny gold clasp back into place. She gently moved the shoulder joint of the Gundam model—it didn't budge, it was incredibly sturdy.

"Done! It should be fine now!" She smiled victoriously and handed the repaired golden Gundam to Lin Lin. "Check it out. The joints are all locked. It definitely won't fall apart again if you play with it normally."

However, how could Lin Lin let her fix it so easily?

I'm so sorry, Miss Shiluva...

He offered a half-hearted apology, then secretly pointed his finger at the golden Gundam from behind his back.

A barely perceptible vibration was precisely transmitted to several core connection points inside the Gundam.

Just as Shiluwa handed the model to Lin Lin, and Lin Lin reached out to take it—

"Splash!"

The Gundam model, which was perfectly intact just moments before, disintegrated instantly, as if a crucial part of its frame had been removed!

Countless exquisite gold parts jingled and tinkled as they were scattered across the table.

Hiluva: "..."

The smile on her face froze instantly, and she seemed to be petrified, completely frozen in place, her hands still outstretched, her eyes filled with disbelief and bewilderment.

What?!

She didn't do anything!

I've confirmed that every latch is locked!

There are no problems with the structure!

How... how could it have fallen apart the moment it was handed over?!

Could it be that the model itself has some hidden flaw in its design? Or is there something strange about this gold?

She stiffly raised her head and looked at Lin Lin, her eyes filled with a mixture of embarrassment, apology, and a hint of doubt.

Her voice unconsciously carried a hint of helplessness and unease, almost like a pouting plea, which she herself was unaware of.

"This... Mr. Lin Lin, you... you wouldn't... make me pay for this mecha model, would you?"

If she were to sell herself, could she afford the compensation?

Seeing Xiluwa's tense and anxious expression, Lin Lin's smile deepened.

He waved his hand dismissively, his tone relaxed: "Of course I won't make you pay. Besides, it's actually a gold-plated model; the inside is an alloy, not pure gold. It's just that the plating is thicker, making it look like real gold."

It's fake!

Upon hearing this, Hiluva's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled back into her stomach, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

But then she looked at the pile of scattered, still gleaming gold parts on the table, and her brows furrowed again.

broken!

Even though it's not pure gold, it's still quite valuable, and its structure is so complex...

I'm going to be busy tonight!

"Um..." Hiluva tentatively suggested, hoping to quickly get rid of this somewhat strange guest, "Why don't you go back first? The problem with this model might be more complicated than I thought. I'll study it carefully tonight, and you can come back to pick it up tomorrow morning?"

Lin Lin, however, seemed not to understand her intention to see her out, and remained sitting in the chair with a smile, even shifting to a more comfortable position.

"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry. I don't have anything else to do anyway, so I'll just stay here with you."

Hiluva: "..."

This person... has no sense of boundaries!

Moreover, I always feel that if he stays here, this model may never be repaired!

But what could she do?

The model fell apart in her hands, so she had to be responsible for fixing it, both morally and logically. The customer had to "supervise" the process, and she had no choice but to comply.

Left with no other choice, Hiluva could only sigh resignedly, pick up her tools again, and begin the second, uncertain "puzzle" task with the pile of gold parts.

"Well... alright. Do as you please, just don't bother me." She said sullenly, then focused all her attention back on the Gundam parts in front of her.

Lin Lin leaned back in his chair, looking at Xiluwa's serious profile, a pleased smile curving his lips.

System: [You despicable person, you should feel deeply ashamed of this behavior.]

Lin Lin thought to himself: "You barking dog! See if I'll even acknowledge you."