Star Forge Titan

The sandstorm that surrounded its body had dissipated several days ago, and the shell that had opened like a flower to receive sunlight had reattached to its body surface. Only a little dew condensed from water vapor remained, which silently flowed on its skin full of ravines before the sun appeared, and was then slowly absorbed by it.

In the distance, below the horizon, half of the golden morning sun had already emerged from the sky. The faint light, like a piece of paper soaked by the tide, gradually penetrated the dark night, making the sky change color while illuminating the sandworm king's shell, which was as black as the night, with a golden hue.

From a distance, it looked like a huge statue made entirely of gold, rising a hundred meters above the ground.

Silent, huge, and full of unknown mystery.

Everyone who saw this scene would forget to breathe, but this grand scene as if time had stopped was suddenly broken in the next second.

Although it has been quiet for a long time, the sand around it has become concave due to the influence of the sandstorm formed by the magical fluctuations of the Sandworm King, forming funnel-shaped pits and revealing strange traces like whirlpools.

Because of some action from inside out, this strangely shaped piece of sand first trembled violently, and then, immediately, like a musical fountain that was suddenly turned on, it rose dozens or hundreds of meters into the sky with a loud noise without any warning.

In the middle of the turbulent sea of ​​sand, which looked like an ocean with huge rocks falling into it, a dazzling reflection, different from ordinary sand and dust, flashed.

Immediately afterwards, a silver-gray warship rushed into the sky with unstoppable force!

The Rogilas hovered in the air, its seventy-meter-long hull reflecting the bright luster unique to metal in the sunlight, shining as if it were also radiating light.

Since the interior of the bridge was originally just a model, many of the equipment did not have real functions, so it was impossible to directly see the external scene. However, during the subsequent modification process, the cats and bugs installed a periscope, which allows people to see directly outside the bridge using simple optical principles.

Cats, bugs and adventurers all rushed to the front of the periscope to enjoy the beautiful scenery that can only be seen when flying in the air.

Soon, they realized that this was inefficient, so they followed the upper passage directly to the top of the raised bridge.

As a battleship designed by a giant, even though it was originally just a model, the internal passages of the Rogilus were extremely spacious. Therefore, even the huge Sanwang came to the top deck with a "hiss".

The light of the rising sun grew brighter and brighter, and even the clouds seemed to be coated with melted gold. The undulating sea of ​​sand below also emitted a golden color. The sky and the earth almost merged into one, which was breathtakingly beautiful.

On the deck, numerous cats and bugs cheered loudly towards the rising sun.

At first, they were not used to the bright environment outside because they had lived in the ancient mobile fortress for a long time.

Fortunately, even in the desert, the vibrant morning sun is far less scorching than the midday sun, and there is also the excitement of finally getting a reward for a thousand years of long waiting.

The cats and bugs who came to the ancestral murals that mentioned the outside world almost all had tears in their eyes when they saw the magnificence of the sun. While they had tearful cat heads, incomparable joy was also filled in their hearts.

The members of the adventure team were also immersed in the beautiful scenery of the world.

"This scene alone is worth countless treasures." The half-elf praised the beautiful scenery in front of him with a chanting voice.

"Indeed, this is much more brilliant than gold." Lilith smiled evilly and used a slightly vulgar metaphor to mock the half-elf who was suffering from a literary frenzy.

However, the scenery before him was so magnificent that the latter just snorted lightly and didn't care about the halfling's joke, but his cheeks were still slightly flushed.

"Oh my goodness, this is so beautiful." The simple-minded orc archer expressed his thoughts in the most straightforward words.

"I can finally breathe a sigh of relief." Andre sat carefree on the deck, his tense muscles gradually relaxing.

Although the uncle was wearing a chainmail shirt and carrying a huge sword, clearly dressed like an adventurer, Alvin felt that he looked like a middle-aged office worker who had worked overtime for 72 consecutive hours, slept in the office, and finally got a chance to relax.

There is no romance in this fantasy story~

The time traveler who was silently complaining in his heart unconsciously smiled.

Patting the neck of Sanwang beside him, he felt that this unexpected journey was really rewarding.

Suddenly, everyone heard a huge roar behind them, like a landslide. Everyone turned around and looked, and then they immediately held their breath.

However, the sandworm king Herbert, which was more than a kilometer long, was slowly retreating into the ground. Countless dust particles were flying around it, as if a sandstorm had started again.

At the same time, the endless yellow sand gradually concealed the incredibly huge body of the Sandworm King, and soon only a huge bottomless pit was left in its place. Only the faint roar that was gradually fading away could be heard in the ears.

Alvin's excellent eyesight allowed him to capture a scene he had never noticed before the sandworm king Herbert completely disappeared.

On the skin of the side of the Sandworm King's huge body, a line of ancient Norse words was printed - 'Herbert 001'.

The font looked very neat, not like handwriting, but more like the ship name and number painted on the side of the ship.

Is there more than one Herbert?

Although shocked by the guess in his heart, Alvin's eyes looked at the Sandworm King more and more brightly, and his hands were clenched tightly, revealing an exceptionally firm will.

When the Sandworm King completely left, everyone (including cats) (and horses) breathed a sigh of relief.

Then they looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.

After enjoying the beautiful scenery in the sky and watching the King of Sandworms leave, a very realistic problem was put before the adventure team.

What should I do next?

After some adventures, everyone and the cat-worms successfully escaped from the dangerous swarm of insects. The latter seemed to be under some kind of restraint. The warship successfully left the remains in the body of the Sandworm King through the opened exit, but the insect beasts following behind were unable to catch up.

So, this adventure has come to an end for now.

However, this adventure was originally intended to investigate rumors about sandworms and decide whether to start hunting.

Although the sandworm has been found, it seems, perhaps, a little larger than expected. Well, this "little" distance is roughly equivalent to the distance from the northernmost northern ice sheet of the entire Gondwana continent to the southernmost Cape of Good Hope.

Therefore, the only gain from this adventure is probably this universal battleship model that was excavated and transformed from the ancient mobile fortress.

In a sense, they did make a fortune. If they were more greedy and unscrupulous adventurers, they might sell the cat-worms that had finally gained freedom as rare creatures to rich people or interested mages.

Fortunately, birds of a feather flock together. Everyone in the Tracker Team is a sandworm hunter, and only a sandworm hunter.

The few people who got together had the most basic bottom line and a moral level that was obviously above the average, otherwise they would not have been cooperating until now.

Come to think of it, these guys might be considered weirdos in the eyes of others.

For example, the barbarian orcs who follow the noble creed of the Fist of Freedom, know how to think and abide by the rules.

Or maybe there's a half-elf history geek who tries hard to appear cool, but becomes talkative the moment he encounters a topic that interests him.

And, although he is a seasoned man, he still has his own persistence. And there is also a halfling thief who travels thousands of miles to the silent desert to adventure.

"Well, now it's time for the fun of dividing the spoils." Lilith clapped her hands happily.

"There are only two things I gained from this adventure."

Picking up the confused cat White, she said with a smile:

"That's one of them."

He dodged the metal armor plate under his feet.

“This is the second one.”

Putting down the frightened cat-bug that lay motionless, the halfling female thief opened her empty hands to everyone.

"Gone."

"Hahahahahahaha!" The orc Gaoshan couldn't help laughing out loud.

But Andre and the half-elf Kalani looked thoughtful.

The two oldest 'old' guys (Kalani was about the same age as Andre, though he was certainly considered young in the clan.) exchanged glances for a moment.

Seeing this, Lilith also winked at Gaoshan. Although she didn't say anything, she opened her mouth and made the shape of "I guessed right, right?". The orc archer shrugged and then nodded.

These actions of several people left Alvin confused. To be honest, although he had some ideas about the ownership of the Rogilas, and his reasons were not entirely selfish, he also felt embarrassed and was now troubled by it.

Finally, everyone turned their eyes to Alvin, causing him to subconsciously straighten his body and try to look serious.

"Newcomer, you owe us all a big favor." Lilith suddenly spoke.

"Ah?" Alvin was stunned.

"Indeed, this is a big favor. Fortunately, you should be a big shot too." Andre touched his chin and smiled like an old fox.

The reactions of his teammates made Ivan gradually realize something, and a slightly ashamed expression appeared on his face.

"Newcomer, without you, we would not have survived this adventure." The orc Gaoshan nodded sincerely.

"Yeah, although I like making delicious food, if I become a delicacy in the mouths of insects, then forget it." Lilim put her hands behind her head and joked carelessly.

"Are you going to continue tracking the King of Sandworms? Hey, the way you looked at the King of Sandworms just now is exactly the same as the way I looked at other sandworms when I was young." As he said this, Andre couldn't help but recall his once passionate youth.

Alvin nodded. This was indeed not difficult to guess, and his behavior in the ruins was indeed not like that of an ordinary barbarian boy from the North.

"Hmph, you are the one among us who is most qualified to obtain this ship." The half-elf wizard snorted.

Influenced by his elven education and the wizard's inquisitive nature, Kalani was naturally extremely greedy for such amazing treasures, but he was also the one who pointed this out most directly in the team.

"Then you will gain nothing." Ivan couldn't help but say:

Although he wouldn't say any hypocritical polite words, he wasn't as angry as Fat Tiger to think that this was a matter of course.

"Don't worry, don't worry. As someone said, the beautiful scenery just now is worth countless gold, silver and jewels." Lilith deliberately pretended to be a wandering poet, which made Kalani give her an especially cold look.

"Friendship can be a firm responsibility, but it should not be seen as an opportunity." The orc said the desert proverb as always, but this time it made more sense.

"It's not easy to repay a debt of favor." Surrounded by the crowd, Ivan shook his head, but finally couldn't help laughing:

"Then you should take more responsibility." Andre also laughed, looking particularly free and easy.

"Those who are capable should work harder." The orc patted Ivan's shoulder with his broad palm.

"That's it." Lilim also jumped up and patted his shoulder.

At this moment, a familiar sound suddenly came from the distant desert.

The trembling sand seemed to turn into running water and sway, a raised sand dune moved as fast as a train, and it seemed that something was moving beneath the ground.

Considering the reason why the Tracker Team, who were sandworm hunters, came here in the first place, a certain idea came to everyone's mind almost at the same time.

"It seems that the interest on this debt of favor can be paid in advance." When saying this, Alvin smiled particularly brightly.

"Oh no! All our hunting tools were lost in the previous sandstorm!" Lilith covered her face with her hands and screamed, looking extremely upset.

"That size is definitely that of an adult sandworm! The kind with scent glands!" Even Captain Andre, who was usually the calmest, stomped his feet and started shouting.

"Are there any weapons? Are there any weapons on this battleship?!?" The usually calm half-elf wizard stared at the cats and bugs with wide eyes.

The group of furry little cuties first looked at each other blankly, then raised their paw pads in unison and pointed at one place. Ivan, who was being pointed at by them, froze in expression.

To be honest, the Rogilas was originally just a super-movable model, so of course it would not be equipped with any weapons, and the emergency modification due to limited time did not have enough time to complete the weapon outfitting.

But this is not an unsolvable problem. When faced with situations where weapons need to be used, you can choose:

Launch Captain!

Volume 5: The Last Days of Pompeii

Chapter 1 New Goals

Desert Rose-Ismailia, a rich and prosperous commercial city.

This large city-state, located beside an ancient river, covers a very large area.

In addition to the large oasis where the city itself is located, there are several small and medium-sized oases surrounding it.

They can all be regarded as satellite cities of Ismailia, and are usually built into oasis farms or other places responsible for providing various crops needed by the city.

The young people of the tribes settled in these small and medium-sized oases usually strive to live in urban areas, so the urban area of ​​Ismailia is also the most densely populated place in the surrounding area.

When there are more people, it will naturally become lively, and people are often the creatures that like to watch the excitement the most.

Today, the most lively thing on the outskirts of Ismailia is the arrival of a sand boat.

The so-called sand boat is actually a special means of transportation in quiet desert areas.

Although people often call camels the ships of the desert, the truly top chambers of commerce and hunting groups composed of top sandworm hunters often choose another faster means of transportation.

That is the sand boat, a land-based boat that requires a spellcaster to use spells such as wind magic to assist in driving it.

The unique geographical environment of the silent desert area, with yellow sand everywhere and abundant wind resources, has created this rare means of transportation.

The shape of the sand boat is similar to that of a clipper ship, a wooden sailing ship, with a low freeboard, a small superstructure, and a hollow bow that is easy to lift. This not only improves the stability of the ship, but also allows the sails to play a full role.

In addition, the sand boat has a large sail area. It not only has a full set of sailing equipment for a water sailboat, but also has additional side sails on both sides of the ship.

Crucially, the sand boat features a sled-like diagonal bracing structure installed on the lower sides of the boat. Two smooth metal braces nailed to the bottom provide strength and flexibility while effectively reducing the contact surface between the boat and the sand, further reducing friction and allowing the sails to more efficiently utilize their propulsion.

In the Silent Desert where timber resources are not abundant, a sand boat is very expensive to build, so only the top chambers of commerce and the sandworm hunting groups that "do not open for three years and make a living for thirty years after opening" are qualified to equip such vehicles.

What arrived at the land port outside the city of Ismailia today was a very rare large sand boat.

The ship's hull, which is more than 70 meters long, is definitely large among sand boats. The peculiar conical metal devices on the rear sides of the hull further highlight a sense of advancement, and advancement often also means higher costs and consumption.

But what really attracted the crowd for a long time was a certain "commodity" that was towed to the outside of the land port by this large sand boat.

"Nine Pillars God, it's been almost ten years since we've caught a sandworm this big!"

"Looking at its size, it's almost a hundred meters long. And it must have been caught recently. The skin hasn't even dried up yet."