Steam Tyrant, Hunting Gods

Blue Mist Town is a market town steeped in the blood and gore of its prey.

It consists of a main street and countless huge slaughterhouses and animal training facilities.

Above the floating island, a cacophony of voices filled the air, a thick, fishy stench permeated the atmosphere, and a persistent pale blue blood mist shrouded the town like a thin veil.

The town of Blue Mist got its name from this.

Upon arriving over Blue Mist Town, before the flying armor and ornithopter had even landed, Roya could already smell the distinctive, metallic scent of the blue mist, a mixture of rust and the stench of life.

In the passenger seat of the Blue Dragonfly, Wendell slowly woke up.

Her already fair complexion was now even more frosty, almost transparently pale.

Those deep golden eyes were dull and lifeless, as if they had just escaped from a long and heavy nightmare.

She stretched lazily, her voluptuous yet agile body forming a beautiful arc.

She took off the wine pouch from her waist and drank the rum in large gulps, which brought a faint blush back to her pale cheeks.

On the accompanying steam-powered flying armor, Roya removed his goggles and looked at the hovering ornithopter.

"You're awake?"

Wendell's eyes were unfocused, and he was deeply weary. His soul seemed to still be entangled in the embers of a nightmare, unable to fully return to reality.

She hasn't truly unleashed her extraordinary power in a long time.

For a calm, ruthless, genius mechanic with an Eastern face, being consumed by nightmares is worthwhile.

Mechanics can soar through the sky and fly to the east, and they are also the most restrained and eccentric type of people.

"Where is this?"

"Blue Mist Town, we need to sell the whale carcass to earn our first pot of gold so we can buy an airship suitable for long-distance hunting."

Wendell leaned over the convertible door and looked down.

His gaze swept over the massive whale carcass, meticulously stitched together with reins, and a barely perceptible hint of amazement flickered in his dark golden eyes.

"Although you're a mechanic, your needlework is surprisingly good. You deserve to be the team leader."

"The captain isn't an ox or a horse, so don't even think about slacking off."

Luo Ya spoke calmly.

After more than five hours of flight, the stitched whale carcass had shrunk by half again.

Luo Ya hadn't even made any money yet, and his phlogiston was almost gone.

Before long, several ornithopters took off, circling and scrutinizing the whale carcass like vultures that have smelled blood. The businessmen inside leaned out of the cabins and loudly inquired about prices from Roya and Wendell.

"Selling whale carcasses? Whale meat wholesaler, good prices!"

Upon seeing the whale carcass sewn together with reins, everyone added in astonishment:

"You lost your airship, and with just an ornithopter and a small flying machine, you actually managed to bring back a mangled whale carcass?"

"Sew a whale carcass back together with reins? You guys are geniuses!"

"Even shrunk in size, it's still this big. If you caught a live triceratops, it would be enough for you to buy a new airship."

"Are you still using the Rainbow Whiskered Whale's Burning Crystal? I'll buy it at a high price!"

"..."

When it was Roya's first time selling a whale carcass, he did not rush to agree to the deal.

They landed in the central square with the others and visited more than a dozen Spirit Burning shops.

Compare prices from three different vendors.

After half an hour.

Loya sold it for fifty-five gleaming gold clowns.

The whale carcass, along with the precious burning crystals, was packaged and sold to a traveling vendor with a non-local accent.

In the Blue Nest Dominion, 55 gold kilos can buy 55 liters of standard phlogiston fuel.

This means that the Blue Dragonfly could fly continuously above the sea of ​​clouds for fifty-five days and nights, covering a distance of 200,000 kilometers, under normal circumstances when it was not engaged in combat or pursuit.

"It's good to be rich!"

Roya and Wendell walked side by side down Central Avenue.

Shops selling dismembered animals can be seen everywhere on the street, with blue blood spreading in the cracks of the stone pavement, and the stench is overwhelming.

Along both sides of the street, meat vendors selling meat dismembered animals can be seen everywhere.

Blue blood meandered through the cracks in the stone pavement, and the strong, fishy smell made people want to vomit.

Those massive armored vehicles paraded through the city, their drivers arrogant and reckless, completely disregarding the safety of pedestrians.

Luo Ya's sharp gaze swept across the crowd: some passersby were accompanied by armored guards, some were accompanied by fierce tamed beasts, and some were mechanical cyborgs with gears and firearms on their limbs and steam emanating from the back of their necks.

Only the Blue Dragonfly Armor, carrying a steam-powered flying armor, silently followed behind Roya and Wendell, standing out from the crowd.

A passerby only needed to glance at them to know: either these two didn't have an airship, or they had just damaged it.

"Move aside, shorty, your luggage is too heavy!"

A rude rebuke rang out.

At the same time, a hunter with a full beard drove a Tyrannosaurus Rex armor that was five meters tall and had exaggerated exposed gears, swaggering through the city and violently crashing into the Blue Dragonfly armor.

In an instant, a sharp whistle pierced the air!

[Receives voice-activated signals and executes preset differential machine commands: dodge, trip.]

In the blink of an eye—

As if it had eyes in the back of its head, the blue dragonfly slid sideways in advance, precisely avoiding the savage charge of the Tyrannosaurus Rex armor.

Immediately, the long, sturdy mechanical right leg shot out like lightning, positioned between the ankles of the Tyrannosaurus Armor's front and rear feet.

Boom!

With a muffled thud, the Tyrannosaurus Armor collapsed to the ground, its heavy body causing the ground to tremble.

Luo Ya pinched his lips and blew out a second sharp whistle.

[Received voice control signal and executed differential engine preset command: Block the enemy armor exhaust port.]

The Blue Dragonfly Armor then inserted its thick, long cannon barrel into the exhaust port on the left shoulder of the Tyrannosaurus Armor.

The scalding, high-pressure steam was blocked and could only escape from the spare exhaust port located at the rear of the armor, making a comical hissing sound.

Roya turned around and walked calmly to the side of the cockpit of the Tyrannosaurus Rex Armor. Through the glass, he looked down at the panicked bearded hunter inside with a calm gaze.

"Standing tall is what truly matters."

The Tyrannosaurus Rex armor dared not move.

Inside the cockpit, the bearded hunter, his face ashen, barely dared to breathe, and frantically shut down the steam boiler.

The massive gears that had been spinning arrogantly on the shoulder armor slowly came to a stop, and the pitiful exhaust vent at the rear finally ceased spewing out white steam.

The entire street fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

All eyes are on this.

Most of the passersby on the street were experienced hunters.

Everyone knows that a steam-powered armor that can fight in an unmanned, voice-controlled state with such rapid response has an astonishingly powerful micro-differential machine inside, enough to buy an airship.

Moreover, it requires detailed calibration and a vast amount of training and practice to achieve this level of mobility.

Moreover, that armored vehicle was also carrying a steam-powered flying machine...

The crowd fell silent; no one dared to underestimate these two seemingly destitute men who had no airship.

Roya raised his hand and gently patted the cold cockpit glass of the Tyrannosaurus Rex armor.

Click!

The spare fuel tank on the side of the armor plate popped open.

A second sharp whistle rang out.

[Received voice control signal and executed differential machine preset command: Steal enemy armor fuel.]

Blue Dragonfly then gracefully and slowly pulled the cannon barrel out of the exhaust port, then probed into the fuel tank and steadily took out ten well-sealed standard fuel barrels.

"I prefer my luggage to be a bit heavy."

Having said that, Luo Ya strode away.

He doesn't like to show off, but there are always people who don't follow the rules.

Beside him, Wendell looked on with amusement and asked curiously:

Why didn't you kill him?

Luo Ya was suddenly startled and turned to look at her.

"Do I look like a serial killer? Besides, with so many people watching on the street, killing someone in the street would easily leave a wanted poster, and we would lose our freedom."

Wendell clearly remembered that before Roya left Sweet Wine Town, he had wiped out the entire Oliver family.

Moreover, he had no plan before killing, and there was no sign of any emotional fluctuation in his actions; it was just something he did on a whim.

"I thought all Easterners liked to kill their entire families."

"That's a stereotype from novels. I killed the Oliver family because they betrayed me and put me to death, and besides, there were no witnesses in the backyard of the tavern."

Roya didn't know why Wendell always asked these kinds of questions.

After this battle, he realized:

A hunter without an airship is like a man without a car in his past life.

Not only are they easily looked down upon, but they may also suffer unwarranted bullying when walking on the street.

To be an airship hunter, you first need an airship.

And it's not an ordinary civilian airship.

Hunting airships have requirements for size, armor, firepower, and range that far exceed those for civilian airships.

This results in brand-new airships being very expensive, and even used airships or assembled ships are not cheap.

Now that he has savings, Roya is determined to build a real hunter team from scratch as the team leader.

However, when he stepped into the only airship assembly shop in Blue Mist Town to inquire about prices, he was met with a cold reality.

Fifty-five gold coins?

They can't even afford the most basic second-hand or assembled hunting airship!

He stared intently at Wendell with a grave expression:

"The first step in forming a hunter squad is to have a long-range airship with combat capabilities comparable to a military airship."

However, even a 30-meter-long Hunter airship with only basic configurations costs over 100 gold coins on the secondhand market.

We only have half the money left, so we need to raise more!

If you have any good ideas on how to make money, please let me know.

When Wendell first became a hunter, he always thought that hunters were all vicious pirates.

"The hunter's airship wasn't stolen?"

She made a startling statement.

Luo Ya was taken aback.

"Whose stuff are you stealing?"

Wendell shrugged, his movement elegant and indifferent:

"You decide. You take the airship, and I'll protect you. There's no one in this town who can hurt you. Take whichever one you like."

As expected of you!

Luo Ya thought to himself, "That's great. Having an extra contingency plan makes me feel much safer."

His face, however, was very serious, and he spoke with righteous indignation:

"Hunters are not robbers. Robbery will result in a bounty on your head and will cause trouble wherever you go. Before joining the Hunter Association, you must be a law-abiding citizen of the Empire."

Wendell gazed intently at Roya, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

Luo Ya always felt that Wendell, on the surface, was like a wise and experienced older sister who knew everything, guiding him forward like a hunter mentor, but in reality, he was just a naive novice.

Compared to him, who had spent years dealing with hunters, Wendell knew nothing.

……

It was getting dark.

The rosy glow of the sunset spread a red carpet over the vast sea of ​​clouds.

A hunter's tavern called "The Butcher's Knife".

The lights are just coming on.

The simple open-air tavern is right next to the tavern's kitchen.

Fresh meat decomposes under high temperatures, and the vapors of blood and phlogiston rise and swirl, creating a misty, smoky atmosphere.

The hunters who came to Blue Mist Town to deliver their goods were in high spirits, drinking and feasting while enjoying the exquisite knife skills of the butchers in the kitchen.

For example, how does a ferocious, man-eating giant bird with a wingspan of over eight meters transform from a roaring beast into a golden, crispy, and enticing steamed chicken on a plate under the knives of multiple butchers?

Roya and Wendell ordered a plate of potato balls, two plates of fried chicken, and a bucket of ice-cold beer, and found a seat next to the pub's notice board.

The most prominent spot on the bulletin board displays the latest batch of bounty posters, some with staggering amounts.

Luo Ya's gaze swept over the area repeatedly, and after a moment, his tense nerves finally relaxed.

He's not on the list yet!

In the steam age, without wireless telephones and the internet, information was transmitted by mechanical carrier pigeons, which was very slow.

There is no surveillance on the Sky Island. Bounty posters are usually created by a collaboration between painting-type and soul-type superhumans, who extract images from the memories of witnesses and hand-draw them.

"After tonight, my bounty might appear on the bulletin board."

Roya muttered to himself.

Wendell picked up his glass, took a small sip, and said reassuringly:

"Don't be arrogant. The idiots in the conscription office don't realize your value. You won't make the list."

Am I being arrogant?

Roya had nothing to say.

Wendell's eyes flickered slightly, reflecting the shimmering light of the wine.

"However, since you are destined to be wanted by the conscription office and will certainly be sentenced to death and exile on the surface, why not steal a ship? If you want, there is no ship on this island that you cannot get."

Luo Ya had a feeling that there was something wrong with this woman.

She is aloof, pure, and tolerant, occasionally appearing lazy and tired... yet she always encourages him to do evil, as if she is intentionally testing him.

"The faith of a materialist warrior will not collapse because of the slaughter of evil people. Besides, I don't want to see you cough up blood again."

Luo Yayi spoke with righteous indignation and stern words.

Wendell took a sip of his drink and looked at Roya with great interest.

"Does materialism mean you don't believe in the Holy Spirit?"

The Church of the Holy Spirit is the only legitimate religious organization in the Empire.

It is a monotheistic religion, worshipping the supreme god of phlogiston.

Faroquiston.

As a native of the East, Luo Ya does not believe in any religion or deity.

"Easterners have always believed only in people who actually existed. We have faith in our ancestors who, during times of hardship, turned the tide and paved the way for the common people. They are the Holy Spirits that give us nothing to fear."

For the first time, Wendell saw light in Roja's eyes, and she gracefully raised her glass:

May all the Holy Spirits bless you.

Luo Ya suddenly realized that a mysterious Eastern force seemed to be guiding him on his journey.

"The Holy Spirit will only guide me, not protect me. You are the one who will protect me; don't forget your responsibility."

Wendell smiled without saying a word, and just kept drinking.

In addition to the bounty notices, the bulletin board also posted many group hunting missions.

Initiated by an individual or a hunter team.

Most missions involve gathering people and forming groups to hunt in relatively dangerous airspace. The targets are vague, the risks are unpredictable, and the assignments are unclear, making it like opening a blind box.

Without a fixed target, it's easy for the air force to be caught off guard.

Once the air force is deployed, the expensive phlogiston fuel will be wasted.

Luo Ya slowly sipped his beer.

As the captain, he feigned a worried expression and intentionally or unintentionally nagged Wendell, who had just seemed to be testing his faith.

"With your extraordinary abilities, if you had captured the triangular hyacinth whale back then, you could buy an airship for long-distance voyages right now."

Wendell's hand, holding the wine glass, hovered in mid-air. She pondered for a moment, and a rare, faint hint of shame appeared on her perpetually aloof goddess-like face.

"I'm sorry, my abilities are limited. I can only capture one of you alive, you or the rainbow whale."

"..."

Luo Ya's voice faltered; not only had his attempt to intimidate her failed, but he also sensed a subtle threat.

Just then!

The three young men approached Roya and Wendell's table.

The tall, curly-haired youth at the head of the group politely spoke:

"I heard you two just lost your airship. Are you interested in salvaging a new one?"

Luo Ya then realized that showing off in the street was too conspicuous and would easily attract attention.

He picked up his wine glass with his right hand and quickly glanced at the three men.

The group consisted of two men and one woman, all dressed in the distinctive dark blue uniforms of the Mayman County Naval Academy, with standard-issue muskets with bayonets at their waists, a style quite similar to the armaments of the Blue Nest Dominion.

The three were about the same age as Luo Ya, with fair skin, impeccable makeup, and an air of pampered nobility, yet their brows radiated youthful vigor and a dignified righteousness.

This was an era of positivity and boundless innovation. Even among the sons of the powerful and wealthy, not all were as corrupt and greedy as Koch; some were brimming with ambition and vigor.

Luo Ya took a sip of beer and asked calmly:

"What, you have an airship?"

The curly-haired youth glanced around to make sure no one was watching before quietly sitting down next to Roya and saying in a low voice:

"My name is Louis Giles, and these two are Emmon and Allison. We are students at the Mevan County Naval Academy and also volunteers of the Mevan County First Mechanical Regiment."

Righteous soldiers?

Or were they volunteers from the First Mechanized Regiment of Mevan County?

You're not here to arrest me, are you?

Luo Ya is now particularly sensitive to the words "righteous army".

The empire, including its various autonomous territories, implemented a strict policy of elite troops and a lenient policy of righteous troops.

Professional soldiers enjoy high status and good benefits, and are often sons of the powerful and wealthy who perform security and defense duties.

Volunteer soldiers are militia members other than professional soldiers. They apply voluntarily or are forcibly conscripted by local military units. Only after completing a series of dangerous missions can they be officially recognized as professional soldiers.

If Roya is captured by the conscription office, he will be sent to fill in the lines on the ground as a special volunteer soldier.

"What, even the righteous soldiers need the hunters' help?"

Upon hearing this, the curly-haired youth lowered his voice even further:

"We've just received a secret mission: to head to the nearby Hillis Mountains and salvage a transport airship that has made an unexpected emergency landing. It's carrying a large, malfunctioning differential engine."

We lack a highly skilled mechanic who is adept at repairing differential engines. The two of you, capable of defeating the Tyrannosaurus Rex armor with a small, unmanned armored vehicle, are certainly capable of handling this task.

Go to the mountain to salvage the airship that made an emergency landing?

Does "mountain" mean...the surface of the earth?

Having traversed three years, Luo Ya never set foot on the surface of the earth, and instinctively feared and avoided it.

He would never accept the mission unless it was highly profitable and safe.

How will the salvaged airship be divided?

He made no attempt to hide anything and went straight to the heart of the matter.

The curly-haired youth responded generously:

"If the airship is salvaged, it belongs to you, but we will take the differential guns it was transporting back to the Corps."

As an airship transporting an important difference engine, its mechanical quality should not be too bad, and Roya is exactly in need of such a ship.

So they pressed for details:

"What is the altitude of the emergency landing site? Is it in the fog zone?"

"It is located at an altitude of about 6,300 meters in Baiyun District."

The curly-haired youth was very certain.

In the steam age, apart from the blue sky above the clouds, the clouds covering the earth's surface were divided into white cloud areas, gray fog areas, and black smoke areas.

The level of danger increases progressively.

Baiyun District itself is not too dangerous, but considering that the airship emergency landing point is on the ground, the danger factor increases exponentially.

Roya took another sip of his chilled beer, his calm gaze subtly shifting to Wendell, who had remained silent beside him, wondering if Wendell's supernatural abilities could cover the surface of the earth.

"Wendel, what do you think?"

Wendell had no concept of danger; he simply felt it was worthwhile to go to the surface for an airship.

"That's fair. When do we depart?"

The curly-haired youth and his two companions were so excited that they almost rushed to answer.

Realizing the danger, she covered her mouth and whispered in reply:

"Meet at the Central Plaza at 6:00 AM tomorrow, or as late as 7:00 AM."

Luo Ya did not fully agree, only responding vaguely:

"If it's not seven o'clock yet, then I'll take it as a change of heart."