Steam Tyrant, Hunting Gods

After Giles and the other two left, the light in Roya's eyes subsided, like a deep pool returning to calm, as he began to carefully assess the potential risks of this trip.

An airship that made an emergency landing on a mountain.

A runaway giant difference engine.

Suspected to be a nobleman's militia...

A strange, indescribable feeling lingered in Luo Ya's mind.

He quietly took a sip of his chilled beer.

His gaze lingered on Wendell's face, which was etched with scars yet still breathtakingly beautiful.

Luo Ya spoke slowly, his voice deep and clear:

"It's easy for nobles to become professional soldiers; these three may not be righteous soldiers."

Perhaps they want to seize the difference engine for themselves, or perhaps there is a trap waiting for us.

"Can you handle all of this?"

Wendell couldn't understand the deep thoughts of the weak and could only try to comfort Roya.

"These three are just ordinary people like you. Giles, the leader, has good talent and plenty of blood energy. He should be on the verge of awakening... Don't worry, I'm much stronger than them."

As for the surface of Baiyun District... I had just crawled out of the underground abyss before I met you.

That's exactly what Luo Ya was waiting for.

However, the surface spirits are denser and of higher quality, making them even more ferocious than the spirits in the clouds. To reduce Wendell's burden, Roya decided to create another set of close-fitting armor.

"I'm going to use all the money I have to build a set of armor specifically for the Burning Spirit."

In Wendell's opinion, Roya's physical body was indeed too weak, and creating a set of armor would save her a lot of effort.

"You're the captain, you don't need to inform me about something like this."

Luo Ya felt a little embarrassed by what she said and asked her:

"Is there anything you want to buy?"

"I need some high-energy black tea to stay awake."

"it is good."

Roya realized that Wendell was prone to drowsiness, to the point that he didn't care about many things, and was destined not to be the captain.

However, he had only ever heard of Sleeping Tea...

What the heck is this "awakening black tea"?

……

After leaving the "Butcher's Knife" tavern, Roya and Wendell went to a tea shop called "Ceylon Legend".

I selected a bag of high-energy black tea produced in a deep valley, known for its excellent brain-boosting effects.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Luo Ya brewed a cup himself.

The tea soup was deep and dark, like blood.

Taking a small sip, a strange, subtle sweetness appeared on the tip of my tongue.

The sweetness vanished in an instant, replaced by a bitterness that permeated the very core of one's being...

It was as if even every breath was tinged with bitterness.

With my eyes closed, I couldn't calm down for a long time; what I saw and felt was an endless sea of ​​suffering.

And it's the kind of hardship that you have to endure even if you don't want to.

Fortunately, it has a significant brain-refreshing effect!

Afterwards, Roja thoughtfully replaced Wendell's personal wine pouch with a ram's horn teapot with built-in steam.

Do you like it?

Wendell stared blankly at the shape of the teapot...

I liked it at first sight.

Luo Ya didn't ask any further questions.

Turn around and head to a professional hunter gear shop.

I bought a complete set of brown hunting clothes, including a helmet, spiked boots, and a shawl.

And a set that was carefully selected at great expense—

Inner carapace of the venom sac.

The poison sac inner armor is a complete set of thick, gray underwear worn close to the body. It is a double-layered structure of spider silk and dolphin swim bladder, which can protect against basic firearms and sword wounds, similar to the air bladder of a military vest.

In addition, when the inner armor of the poison sac is torn apart or swallowed by a ferocious beast, it will instantly release a pungent gas that is poisonous to the spirit, scaring away the beast or causing it to vomit up the human it has swallowed.

Roya took off his mechanic's work clothes and put on a poison sac inner armor and a full hunting suit, looking very imposing and feeling much safer.

The remaining money was used to purchase phlogiston, ammunition, and easily damaged ornithopter parts!

Only when you manage a household do you realize how expensive firewood and rice are.

For hunters, money comes quickly, but they spend it even faster.

So much so that after Roja spent all his savings, he realized he didn't have enough money to go to a hotel with Wendell.

"Sorry, we'll have to sleep outdoors tonight."

Wendell's tone was indifferent:

"I've never slept in a bed either."

Roya was slightly startled, thinking that this was likely related to Wendell's tendency to get sleepy.

……

Midnight.

North of Blue Mist Town, a grassy slope at the edge of a cliff.

The pervasive blue mist quietly dissipated, revealing a night sky as clear as the Milky Way.

The Milky Way's starlight spills across the sea of ​​clouds, and a cool evening breeze stirs up layers of silvery waves.

Blue dragonflies and steam-powered flying armor stand on the grassy slope, gazing at the vast silver waves.

Roya and Wendell slept two meters apart, surrounded by weeds and wildflowers.

Wendell slept very well, maintaining a side-lying position with his back to Roya.

The starlight outlined her elegant, voluptuous sleeping posture. Even with flowers brushing her face and bees and butterflies landing on her shoulders, she remained motionless, like a sleeping angel statue, holy and serene.

"What a strange woman..."

Luo Ya rested his head on his arm, crossed his legs, and ate a blade of grass in his mouth, gazing at the dazzling night sky studded with stars.

Today's events, though fleeting, seem as if they were happening right before my eyes.

Strictly speaking, he became a hunter only because Wendell tipped him off, followed him, rescued him, kidnapped him, and recommended him.

But for some reason, he didn't feel restricted.

Being the captain of a duo team brought an unprecedented sense of freedom and exhilaration, far more comfortable than working or chasing girls.

As for the safety he values ​​most...

The people on the floating islands are unpredictable and may not be as safe as those in the sky.

Moreover, Wendell was there to protect him.

Tomorrow will be his first battle as a hunter, and his first trip to the legendary surface.

"I hope nothing unexpected happens."

Luo Ya fell into a deep sleep, his murmured whispers fading into the cool night breeze, starlight disappearing into his deep slumber.

……

The next morning.

Blue Mist Town, Central Square.

A red sun disappeared beneath the sea of ​​clouds, painting the eastern horizon with a hazy, pale white.

The Blue Dragonfly, with its steam-powered armor suspended from its belly, appeared like a blue phantom, piercing the morning mist and hovering low over the square.

In the driver's seat, Roya, dressed in a sharp dark brown flight suit, took off his goggles and looked at the square shrouded in morning mist.

A small, elongated airship had been waiting for some time.

The three people on the gondola waved to Roya and Wendell.

Although the airship has been repainted and fitted with a davit, making it look like a battle-damaged hunting ship.

Luo Ya recognized him at a glance—

This is a shuttle-type warship belonging to the Blue Nest Autonomous Territory!

The buoy is 48 meters long but only 5 meters wide, and the gondola is also longer and narrower than the hunter airship of the same size.

This extremely streamlined and exaggerated design gives it amazing speed, making it designed for surprise attacks and support.

However, its firepower, range, and load capacity are average, so theoretically it is not very suitable for adventure and hunting.

Fortunately, the aircraft has a sturdy defense system and is equipped with an external humanoid armor and a flapping-wing aircraft. The armor and aircraft materials, as well as the firepower configuration, are superior to those of the Blue Dragonfly and the Steam Armor.

Roya liked it very much.

He even inexplicably hoped that these characters would frame him...

Upon boarding the battle-damaged shuttle airship, Roya didn't expose the three, but instead extended a friendly hand along with Wendell:

"My name is Roya, and this is my partner Wendell. I hope this collaboration goes well and everyone returns safely."

Giles and his two companions shook hands in turn and introduced themselves once again.

"Louis Giles, it's an honor!"

Giles was tall and slender with bright, dark eyes, but his bird's nest-like curly hair somewhat detracted from his good looks.

The slightly chubby Eamon has a round face and a thick beard, but his sexual orientation is normal. He seems to be attracted to Wendell, and his gaze always drifts towards her involuntarily, trying to strike up a conversation.

"Call me Eamon, I'm a scout... Miss Wendell, don't worry, our ship is known for its speed."

Another girl, Allison, always had a youthful and bright smile on her face, her eyes fixed intently on Roya.

"My name is Allison, and I'm an apprentice mechanic. I had just come out of the clothing store when Mr. Roya's unmanned armor defeated the Tyrannosaurus Armor... If you hadn't become a hunter, you would definitely be a soldier with a strong sense of justice."

My sense of justice is kicking in... Is this woman infatuated?

Luo Ya glanced at the short girl without making a sound.

She's not exactly a stunning beauty, and her figure is rather ordinary, but her smile is truly infectious.

do not do that.

Luo Ya muttered to himself.

I sincerely hope you're a bad person, so I can uphold the justice in my heart.

Glancing at the calluses on the girl's hands, which were slightly clenched and trying to hide them, Luo Ya couldn't help but look at her in a different light.

"Go for it, Miss Allison!"

Encouraged by Roya, Allison smiled slightly, turned and crawled into the cockpit located below the deck.

She skillfully checked all the instruments, confirmed that the phlogiston reserves were sufficient, and then pulled the lever to ignite the furnace.

Boom—

The boiler started up slowly, emitting a muffled roar.

The airship jolted violently, took off, and sped off in a southeast direction.

The sputtering steam bursts forth in a continuous stream, eventually transforming into a deep roar almost like that of an internal combustion engine.

The shuttle airship maintained a speed visible to the naked eye.

Below the hull, the surging airflow cleaved a long white wave across the sea of ​​clouds.

The cloud algae were stirred and rolled up by the airflow, disturbing the creatures that lived in them.

One after another, emerald green swordfin fish shot out from the churning clouds like arrows released from a bow, soaring into the blue sky.

The school of arrowfish chased the airship's trail rapidly, greedily inhaling the phlogiston steam.

Swordfish has delicious flesh and is rich in phytoestrogens, making it a favorite ingredient for hunters.

However, swordfin fish are slender, small, and incredibly fast, and the cost of airship fuel consumed in catching them often far exceeds the value of the fish meat itself.

Even more troublesome is that some crazy swordfin fish will even crawl directly into the airship's exhaust port and damage the boiler, just so that their companions can inhale more unburned phlogiston steam.

The shuttle airship had to increase the steam furnace pressure and consume more phlogiston to prevent this from happening.

This made Roya realize that hunting is far more than just adventure, exploration, passion, and dreams... it is also a game of cost and benefit that requires careful calculation.

In the east, the sun finally broke free from the sea of ​​clouds and rose slowly.

Directly in front of the airship, a majestic cloud mountain, bathed in the side light of the rising sun, appeared layer upon layer, a truly magnificent sight.

On the windproof deck with faceted glass overhang.

Wendell, who was holding a ram's horn teapot and about to lower his head to drink tea, suddenly frowned and looked up at the majestic cloud-covered mountains in front of him.

She can hear the message of the wind...

Roya chose to trust Wendell's intuition.

He immediately blew a sharp whistle, ordering the Blue Dragonfly to enter emergency evacuation and standby mode.

Amon, standing nearby, raised his binoculars and nervously observed the churning clouds and mountains ahead.

A moment later, he suddenly shouted towards the driver's cab:

"Pull up! Allison, pump up the price now!"

Giles tried his best to remain calm and muttered:

There seems to be something in the clouds...

Isn't that obvious?

Luo Ya could almost see the shadowy, colossal creature amidst the towering clouds with his own eyes!

The airship immediately raised its bow and climbed rapidly.

at the same time--

boom!

The steam cannons on the airship's belly were instantly activated, detonating the already pressurized steam packs.

The powerful thrust, like a catapult, propelled the entire airship upwards into the higher clouds.

Luo Ya held onto the railing tightly, almost getting knocked over.

Looking down—

Caught off guard, the relentless school of arrowfish rushed into the cloud-shrouded mountains, only to be instantly swallowed by the enormous, cave-like maw that suddenly opened in the clouds.

The giant mouth closed.

Yunshan collapsed as a result.

The towering waves and huge whirlpools slowly parted.

Only a few swordfin fish remained circling the whirlpool, seemingly searching for traces of their companions.

The shuttle airship regained its stable attitude.

"call……"

On deck, Amon wiped the cold sweat from his brow and explained to Roya and Wendell with lingering fear:

"This is a blue whiskered whale, which feeds on swordfin fish. It is the largest whale in the shallow waters of the cloud sea, with the largest reaching over 300 meters in length. Although it is not aggressive towards humans, it often accidentally injures airships when ambushing schools of swordfin fish."

In Roya's view, Eamon seemed to be reciting the text descriptions from "The Illustrated Compendium of the Cloud Sea and the Burning Spirit".

"Is this Mr. Eamon's first time encountering a blue whiskered whale?"

Eamon's forehead had long since dried up, but he kept wiping it.

"I'm not a hunter. Civilian airships fly very high and won't get close to the sea of ​​clouds... This time, we have to thank Miss Wendell."

Wendell relaxed his brows, lowered his head, took a sip of red tea, and said nothing.

Luo Ya sighed softly.

He finally understood.

Hunters and volunteers alike were all novices.

This greenhorn was actually the most experienced of them all.

It was clearly his first time seeing a blue-whiskered whale.

To be precise, we only saw the shadow of the whale, not its true form.

Although high-altitude flight is relatively safe, the temperature is extremely low, the air is thin, and there is little wind.

For an airship, which maintains lift by the density difference between the inside and outside of the buoyancy capsule, it would consume several times more phlogiston.

Soon, the shuttle airship descended and continued to fly close to the sea of ​​clouds, maintaining a balance between safety and economy.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, the wind howls like the tide.

Giles suddenly asked Roya with a serious expression:

Have you joined the Hunter Association?

"Not yet, that's the goal."

"Mr. Roy seems to have some concerns about his personal safety. Has he purchased commercial insurance within the country?"

Roya was taken aback and turned to stare at Giles.

What, you're an insurance salesman?

"no."

Giles gazed at the sea of ​​clouds, his eyes calm.

"That would be best. Insurance companies within the dominion always try to find ways to refuse coverage."

If someone has purchased accident insurance, the person who should receive the premiums is more likely to have an accident.

The empire's major insurance companies weren't much better off.

Hunters might only receive fairer insurance if they join the Hunter Association.

Perhaps, in this dangerous world, true insurance simply doesn't exist.

If you have a clear conscience, the Holy Spirit will protect you.

Luo Ya thought to himself, "If you weren't wearing an expensive military vest with an airbag underneath, I would have actually believed you."

The truth is, Roya did not have insurance.

He was covered by insurance.

It was bought by an insurance company named Wendell.

Wendell... was his insurance.

That's how they got on the pirate ship.

But his ship hasn't arrived yet.

"As a hunter, all I want is an airship, just like a pigeon that just wants to go to the dock and get some fries."

"Roya said meaningfully."

Giles paused slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

"Airships and fries will be available."

……

Half a day passed by with the whooshing and roaring steam.

From the brass transducer in the deck watchtower came Alison's slightly nervous voice:

"We have entered the airspace above the Hillis Mountains. Be on high alert."

Holding a military-grade compass, the pointer trembled laboriously in the fog before finally pointing to a definite location.

He then gestured to Giles:

"Arrived at the target location."

Luo Ya glanced around and confirmed that this was indeed Baiyun District.

However, the thickness of the cloud layer far exceeds that of ordinary white cloud areas.

Giles immediately gave the order to the sound transmission brass tube:

"Ready to enter the clouds!"

The shuttle airship then shut down the central boiler.

Using the stored high-pressure steam bladders, the hull was controlled, and the boat slowly sank into the vast sea of ​​clouds.

As the airship disappeared into the sea of ​​clouds, visibility in front of Roya dropped sharply.

The pristine white clouds gradually turned into thick fog, enveloping the airship in a vast, deathly white silence.

Silence reigned in the mist.

My sense of direction is gradually disappearing.

Warm, humid, and viscous fog, carrying immense air pressure, rushed towards us.

Luo Ya felt as if a heavy, wet cloth was tightly covering his chest, making each breath extremely difficult.

This is completely different from the feeling of flying a flapping-wing aircraft quickly through the clouds.

As the airship continued its descent, the shadow of claustrophobia crept into his mind, making him feel as if he were suffocating.

Just then, a hand wearing an iron glove but unusually warm firmly supported his shoulder.

"How are you?"

Wendell's aloof voice pierced through the thick fog, yet carried a hint of warmth and reliability.

"That's not good. Can you hold me like this forever?"

Luo Ya tried to remain calm, but his voice was dry and strained.

Wendell remained silent, his right hand resting on Roya's shoulder as he leisurely sipped his tea.

call……

Luo Ya breathed a sigh of relief.

If Wendell hadn't been standing next to him, he would have already crawled into the blue dragonfly.

Amon, wearing a military-style vest with airbags that come with basic defogging capabilities, appeared more relaxed than Roya.

"7,200 meters above sea level, almost there!"

He reported loudly, breaking the oppressive silence on the deck.

The airship continued its slow descent through the thick fog, its hull swaying slightly as if floating above an unknown abyss.

Everyone held their breath, their nerves stretched to the limit.

Only the low hum of steam remained on the deck.

Luo Ya suddenly felt a slight, clear throbbing from the iron hand on his shoulder.

He felt a chill run down his spine and immediately turned to look at Wendell.

"How are you?"

Wendell was pale, and the ram's horn teapot fell to the ground.

She did not speak.

His golden eyes were as dark as if shrouded in mist, staring at the shadows deep within the mist.

puff!

A thick, dark green tentacle covered with suckers, like a demonic claw reaching out from the abyss of hell, was flung out of the thick fog without warning and tightly wrapped around the airship's buoyancy bag!

Then, the second one, the third one...

More tentacles followed, wriggling and coiling around him like living creatures.

The airship began to rock violently, its hull emitting a sickening metallic groan.

Giles and Eamon froze, their faces drained of color, shock and fear freezing in their pupils.

Wendell showed no fear, yet remained silent, his body trembling slightly, his right hand gripping Roya's shoulder tightly...

Until, Roya blew a whistle.

[The Blue Dragonfly armor located at the rear of the deck receives voice-activated signals and executes the differential machine's preset command: Slay the Burning Spirit.]

The armor activated instantly.

He leaped into the air and sped away!

The steam blade folded under his right arm popped out instantly, like a blue lightning bolt, slashing rapidly above the deck.

The blade flashed with a chilling light, and steam billowed as it passed.

One by one, the sticky, severed tentacles were cut off and fell onto the deck with a thud.

The severed limbs continued to wriggle, and the green sap oozing from the cracks evaporated rapidly, emitting a strong fishy smell.

In the blink of an eye, only thin green skin remained of each severed limb.

Roya remained calm, patting Wendell's cold shoulder armor with his backhand, the bright morning sun rising on his smiling face.

"This is cloud vortex kelp; everyone who's tried it says it's delicious."