The Warm Tide Inland Sea is a narrow sea area between the Meletni Islands and the Kakarot mainland. The closest point between the islands and the mainland is only less than 20 kilometers apart. When the weather is good, the garrisons on both sides can even see each other. flag. According to the calculations of Merlan Carlos, the ancient geographer who discovered the Merlan Islands, the area of the warm-tide inland sea is only about one-tenth of the size of Theremansu. The small area and unique geographical location mean that the warm tide inland sea has no big waves all year round. As for tsunamis, it is unheard of. The only danger seems to be the sea monsters passing through the warm tide inland sea heading to the northern ice sea, but This is not worth mentioning for the advanced and powerful Royal Navy.
Nonetheless, the warm-tide inland sea is also a challenge for captains without any sailing experience.
It has been more than a month since the August Lion left Fleming Port. Since the captain is a complete novice and the crew also needs time to adapt to the latest naval warship, this ship is known as the "fastest in history." The warships have not yet left the warm tide inland waters.
The day after Henry was recruited, the Navy Headquarters issued a formal combat order, and all twelve cutting-edge warships set sail to perform missions in Telemonsu. Among them, the mission location of the August Lion is Bahar Island, which is located on the dividing line between the Warm Tide Inland Sea and Telemensu. According to businessmen, it is occupied by a group of pirates, endangering the safety of the navigation route.
The route to Bahar Island consists of two parts. The first two-thirds has a long history and is an absolutely safe channel. The last one-third is the only way for some sea monsters to migrate, and you may encounter powerful ones. A weak gregarious sea monster, this is obviously a special arrangement from the Navy Headquarters. The purpose is to allow Austin to quickly learn basic navigation knowledge and adapt to naval operations.
"How long will it take? Chief mate!" Austin stood on the bow deck, leaning on a mast, and shouted in the direction of the stern pilothouse.
The first mate "Yu Pi" held the stern rudder with one hand and stuck his head out of the small window next to him and shouted: "Two days at most, Captain! Now we are about to pass the sea monster's migration route!"
"The gunner is in position! Load the harpoon!" As soon as he finished speaking, the second officer's voice came from above Austin's head, "There is a suspected sea monster in front of us!"
As the gunners kept shouting, six alchemical cannons engraved with magical runes poked their heads out from the gun ports on both sides of the lower deck. The black muzzles were already equipped with silver-white triangular prisms. Harpoon - When dealing with sea monsters lurking in the sea, harpoons are much better than ordinary cannonballs.
The sailors were not idle either: one was holding a machete, the other was holding a rifle, and they were scattered around the battleship in groups of two, guarding against the sea monster's surprise attack.
The runes on the alchemical power sail had not yet been extinguished. The August Lion broke through the waves like a shuttle and moved forward quickly. The shadows under the water also entered the field of vision of everyone on the deck.
Austin stood alone at the bow of the ship, looking down at the shadows swimming underwater, and gently touching the trigger of the revolver with his right index finger.
No one knows how many kinds of sea monsters there are in the world, and even the Pope of the Poseidon Church cannot give an accurate answer. Their IQs are higher than ordinary animals, and some even have extraordinary abilities like those favored by gods. They often attack humans for unknown reasons. They have been the number one enemy since humans set foot in the ocean.
The clouds in the sky began to roll, slowly stacking up on top of each other. The waves seemed to be summoned by the sea god. They were turbulent and ups and downs, and there was a hint of coolness in the air.
Austin and the first mate Yupi narrowed their eyes almost at the same time - such a rapid change in the weather is probably due to the presence of a sea monster with extraordinary power - a mythical species - nearby.
Feeling the battleship undulating and swaying under the push of the waves, Austin licked his chapped lips. This was his first battle in an unfamiliar field, and even a seasoned professional soldier would inevitably be nervous.
"boom!"
As if a sharp knife had pierced the dark blue cloth, the silver-gray dorsal fin suddenly pierced out from the sea less than fifty meters to the right of the battleship. Looking at it, it was already comparable to the main sail of the August Lion. With large dorsal fins, Austin and Yuskin shouted almost in unison: "The mythical species appears on the starboard side! The gunner meets the enemy! The harpoon is launched!"
The runes on the cannon lit up, and with a deafening roar, the three harpoons were launched at the same time, hitting the huge shadow under the huge dorsal fin almost simultaneously. The huge dorsal fin tilted to the right, and a ball of silver-white lightning grazed diagonally. The bow of the August Lion passed by, leaving a burning smell on Austin's nose.
"Cut the rope and detonate the harpoon!" the first mate's roar came from the copper pipe, instantly drowning out other noises.
The gunner carried out the order without thinking, cut the rope with his machete and crushed the magical crystal he had been holding tightly in his other hand.
In the past, mythical species may have been the most desperate disaster for human ships, but today with the rapid development of magical and alchemical technology, they can be easily killed with advance preparation.
The water surface under the huge dorsal fin suddenly swelled, and then exploded after exceeding the limit. Blood, flesh and bone fragments were splashed everywhere along with the sea water. The thick bloody smell of the sea water, which was freed from the restraint, enveloped this sea area. It was the first time to experience such a scene. Austin couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach.
The August Lion was still moving forward rapidly, and behind it was the huge wreckage slowly emerging from the water. The shadows that had previously been swimming around the battleship retreated and began to circle around the huge corpse of the mythical species.
"How does it feel to fight for the first time?" Oliver banged his pipe on the side of the ship, took out the unmoistened tobacco from the inner pocket of his shirt and stuffed it inside.
"It's okay, but..." Austin looked at the corpse of the mythical species that had floated up like a small island, and sighed with emotion, "I didn't expect human weapons to be able to do this."
"That's because of my transformation." Henry's iconic voice sounded, and Austin frowned.
"Indeed, but even an unmodified alchemical cannon paired with an explosive harpoon can still kill that guy in the second round of bombardment." Oliver shrugged, "After your modification, the durability of the alchemical cannon is far less than before. I It’s hard to say whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
"Hey! Then I think we can try it... Okay, I'll shut up. Can you stop pointing your gun at your teammates? I mean, maybe we can... Okay, I'll leave right away, right now."
Austin doesn't want to listen to Henry's nagging for the time being, so he can only use a pistol to tell him to go back to his laboratory.
"Although we defeated the mythical species easily today, I suggest you not to take it lightly. Remember, this is just a warm inland sea, a warm novice harbor." Oliver patted Austin on the shoulder, turned around and lay on the railing, "You have much to learn, my captain."
With the death of the mythical species, the thick clouds in the sky dispersed again, turning into a group of harmless little sheep. The August Lion was a naval warship with a mission, not an adventure ship, so it did not take the time to search for the huge corpse, which made Henry heartbroken.
The shadow of the alchemical power sail swayed with the ups and downs of the battleship, slowly approaching Austin's ankle.
His heart suddenly tightened, and the "danger perception" ability given by the "Evil God" was triggered. Like a conditioned reflex, Austin took a step forward, drew his gun and shot into the shadow behind him.
The bullet hit the empty deck, but left no trace, and the shadow of the alchemy power sail was still shaking.
Austin knew he must have hit the target, because a large piece of twisted text appeared in his mind:
"Shadow Demon, a rare mythical species, has the ability to jump in the shadows. It can replace the swallowed prey. Before being exposed, it is completely identical to the prey. After being exposed, its true nature will be exposed and it will fall into chaos. It will not be able to swallow other targets for a period of time. .Shadow Demon has a strong sense of territory, and there can be at most one individual within a thousand meters.
——A breathtaking and wonderful creature with extremely strong camouflage ability. The only flaw is its disgusting purple blood. By the way, this guy is really weak after being exposed. "
This is the ability that Austin gained after infiltrating the Poseidon Church. He can obtain some information about the target after the attack hits the sea monster. Austin called it "The Encyclopedia of Sea Monsters."
The moment the gunshot rang out, Oliver pulled out the two old-fashioned flintlock guns strapped to his waist and observed the surroundings vigilantly.
"A sea monster has boarded the ship! Everyone, gather in Class A! Be careful of shadows!" Austin shouted toward the cockpit, and the second officer used the copper pipe in the cabin to convey the order to everyone in the lower cabin.
Oliver frowned and asked, "Shadow Demon? Or Shadow Sand?"
Austin's expression was solemn, and he used a dagger to draw a blood mark on his palm.
Oliver understood, bit the tip of his thumb hard, squeezed out a few drops of red blood, and said with a sullen face: "Be mentally prepared."
Austin didn't pay attention to these rambling words and quickly ran to the lower deck entrance.
Not long after, all 25 people on the ship were assembled. Austin and First Officer Oliver stood in front of the team, looking coldly at the confused people.
"Starting from the second mate, everyone will cut their thumbs with a dagger." Oliver gave the order before Austin could speak.
Austin said nothing and threw the dagger in his hand to Martin.
Martin was not hesitant, he cut a cut without hesitation, raised his hand to show everyone the bright red blood flowing down.
The brown-skinned bosun curled his lips, followed Martin's example and cut his thumb open, then raised it above his head.
Henry, who was next in line, did not take the dagger from Seeley's hand, and the horizontal lines representing eyes flashed quickly.
Xilai was a little unhappy. Just as he was about to speak, he found that everyone was staring at him and slowly moving back. Confused, he turned to look at Austin and Oliver who were not moving, only to see the "army captain" whom he had always disliked raising his gun towards him.
The corners of his mouth kept twitching, and Xi Lai seemed to have thought of something. He slowly lowered his raised hand, and bright purple dripped onto the deck.
"No... no... impossible..." Xi Lai's face instantly turned pale, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably, "Someone must be playing a prank, right? I... I am Xi Lai, Xi Lai Papa. Ermia..."
"Xilai" scratched his slightly curly hair with both hands, and stared at Martin, who usually had the best relationship with him, with wide eyes. His eyes became more and more confused: "My hometown is Saint-Romil Island, where there are the best pastures and Fishing ground...my mother...my mother..."
"Martin! What's my mother's name? Damn it! I must have forgotten to take the medicine the doctor gave me! Martin! Martin!"
"Silay's" facial features were undulating like ripples on the water, and as his howl kept changing, he tried to reach out to hold Martin, but was pushed aside by the navy scimitar.
"That's not the case! I am Xi Lai! I must be Xi Lai!" The unrecognizable "Xi Lai" turned around tremblingly and limped towards Austin, his distorted facial features gathered into more than a dozen eyes of different sizes. Every eye was burning with anger and unwillingness, and he roared with different tones, "It must be you! You damn trash! Bastard! What did you do to me!"
Austin was the first person to raise the gun, but at this time he never pulled the trigger. He was indifferent to the approaching "Xilai", his eyes were distracted, as if he was frightened.
Oliver stood behind Austin on the right side, with the index finger of his right hand pressing the trigger.
"It's...you! I'm going to kill you! Kill you!" "Xilai", who had been distorted beyond human appearance, staggered two steps, then roared, turning into a ball of gray-black viscous material and rushing toward Austin. .
The gunpowder detonated, and the lead bullet was pushed out of the gun chamber by the high-pressure gas, and then exploded in front of the sticky substance, leaving dozens of small holes densely packed on it.
The sound of the gunshot made Austin's right ear go numb, and the subsequent sense of danger made Austin's chest sting. He subconsciously pulled the trigger. The light of magic flashed, and the magic bullet that was often used to threaten Henry hit the shadow demon accurately. In the middle eye, in a ray of light, the sticky monster let out a piercing howl, and was finally evaporated little by little.
Only then did Austin's pupils focus again, and the shirt underneath was instantly soaked with cold sweat!
