Star Forge Titan

Alvin stared at the black smuggling ship in the distance in amazement, and felt like swearing a thousand times to vent his anger.

He even heard the faint sound of gunfire coming from the smuggling ship over there.

"Stop talking nonsense! Turn around!" Ka Yang shouted as he leaned over the side of the boat and paddled with his hands.

"I'm trying!" Ivan suddenly exerted force on the muscles in his hands.

But looking at the two oars, the left one went from front to back, and the right one went from back to front, the huge force that burst out in an instant almost made the boat capsize, but the bow also turned around in a very short time.

"The ship ahead please stop immediately, otherwise we will not guarantee your safety!" The voice amplified by magic came from the seal-class patrol ship in front, and one could vaguely hear a rather majestic female voice.

"We stopped the boat and you forced us to go mining? You're kidding!" Alvin complained while paddling faster.

The two wooden oars turned into two water wheels, drawing two circular afterimages in the air and stirring up streams of water backwards.

The small boat was like a husky that had been kicked, fleeing into the distance at an astonishing speed. Kayang, who was lying on the bow, hugged the side of the boat tightly, feeling as if the sea was hitting him head-on, and almost screamed.

The reason why Alvin reacted so strongly was that he knew very well the consequences of being caught by the Coast Guard. In a sense, he even knew more about smuggling than those smugglers.

Although it's a bit shameful, I have to admit that smuggling to Lind even in the game is a high return on investment.

That is to say, players occasionally, well, only occasionally, will try smuggling when they lack adventure starting funds.

Therefore, a complete set of money-making strategies has been summarized on the forum a long time ago, and the severity of the consequences has also been pointed out.

Linde is currently in dire need of a working population, and it is almost certain that he will be arrested and forced to work in the mines.

Of course, they could also try to use their extraordinary powers, but in that case...

"Don't cast the spell!" Seeing Khayon take out his wand and want to use magic to extinguish the flare, Ivan quickly spoke out to stop him.

"Why?" The wizard, who was about to vomit, looked at him with an ugly expression.

"Suppose our current wanted level is one, but if the identity of the extraordinary person is exposed, the wanted level will directly become ten." Alvin said briefly.

"Won't you be seen as a superhuman like this now?" Khayang couldn't help but complain.

"Aha, I didn't use any magic. At most, they are just rowers with natural supernatural powers." At this point, Alvin couldn't help but smile.

Indeed, he was not using any magic power at all now, relying purely on muscle power.

Therefore, the Linde transcendent on the patrol ship in the distance could not sense any magical reaction from the small boat that was moving away at high speed.

"...I think this is beyond the scope of natural strength." Ka Yang looked at the waves more than five meters high behind the boat and felt that the other party was probably joking with him.

But to be honest, compared to an entire medium-sized three-masted sailing ship used for smuggling, a mere two-person skiff is not even a biscuit crumb.

However, the righteous Coast Guard had no intention of letting any criminal go at first!

So, when they saw the small boat start to change direction, they started the magic engine on board without hesitation.

The technical wizard in the engine room input his own magic power into the engine to activate the internal mechanism, and the paddle wheels on both sides of the battleship began to turn slowly.

When the hundred-meter-long SEAL-class patrol boat was started up and its magic engine was running smoothly, the brave Coast Guard members saw that the small boat had already shot away like an arrow and whizzed past the black smuggling ship at high speed in the distance.

Sailboats of this era generally did not exceed ten knots with a tailwind, unless a high-level wizard used magic like wind-making to accelerate them 24 hours a day. However, modern seagoing vessels powered by magical engines or steam engines could maintain a speed of at least ten knots regardless of headwind or tailwind, giving them a significant advantage.

But at this moment, the boat that Ivan and Kayon were on had far exceeded this speed.

"Is that ship's speed over fourteen knots?" the Coast Guard observer muttered in amazement.

Most people on the patrol ship had now given up the idea of ​​chasing the small boat.

Because compared to Alvin who acted decisively, the smuggling ship was in a mess and had not yet completed the first step of escaping by turning around.

One can't help but wonder whether they intend to surrender.

"Huh, it should be safe now." After passing by the black smuggling ship, Ka Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but say.

"Yeah." Alvin nodded and slowed down his paddling a little.

It's like when you go on a spring outing with friends and encounter a hungry brown bear. You don't necessarily need to run faster than the bear, you just need to run a little faster than your friend.

At this moment, it was obviously impossible for the Coast Guard to let go of an entire smuggling ship and chase their small boat.

So they were probably safe.

Just as they were thinking this, they heard that majestic voice again.

"Don't run!"

Buzz~buzz~, a special vehicle shaped like a jet ski jumped off the SEAL-class patrol ship, and made a loud engine roar after landing on the sea.

"What a joke! Ocean Knight Type 1 Magical Cavalry! How could the Coast Guard get hold of this kind of experimental magical weapon!?!" This time it was Alvin's turn to be stunned.

Being able to drive an experimental magical weapon means that the other party is very likely to be employed by the new second-order extraordinary sequence that appeared after the Linde Magic Revolution - Armored Cavalry, a new-age extraordinary person who specializes in driving magical vehicles to fight.

"Don't worry about what that thing is, just row the boat!" Ka Yang hugged the side of the boat in advance and then shouted loudly.

"I know!" Alvin no longer cared whether his identity as a superhuman would be exposed or not, and directly used his magic power to enter the barbarian's frenzy state.

While his strength increased further, he also used his talent of [Reshaping the World] to strengthen the oars.

then--

Boom! Behind the boat, it was as if a whole bag of alchemical explosives exploded.

"Damn it!" The bow of the ship suddenly lifted up high, causing half of Ka Yang's body to be thrown into the air. If he had not held on to the side of the ship in advance, he could have performed a flying acrobatic move directly.

The rear of the boat was directly submerged by the waves, and the frantic paddling of the oars caused splashes of seven or eight meters high on the sea surface. The speed, which was already over fourteen knots, soared to nearly sixteen knots.

"This is the first warning to the extraordinary fugitives ahead! If you don't stop the ship, we will use force!" Seeing this scene, the majestic voice also became a little flustered.

Alvin looked back, but because of the distance, he couldn't see what the person driving the Ocean Knight magic vehicle looked like. He could only vaguely see a pair of standard blonde hairpins swinging behind him.

A familiar feeling came over me, but now was not the time to think about it.

Several floating water balls were forming around the rider.

Soon, these water balls began to rotate and compress, gradually turning into an elongated shape.

"Defend!" Captain Ivan, who was driving an arm-propelled biomaterial (wood) speedboat, immediately gave orders to the ship-borne close-in defense component code-named 'Kayan'.

"Can I swear? Who can cast a spell in this state?"

Khayon, who was temporarily serving as the close defense component, complained as he loosened one hand, took out a thirteen and a half inch long birch dueling wand and pointed it at the back.

He did not release defensive magic, which he was not good at, but directly used low-level spells such as Scorching Ray that would not reveal his profession to interfere with the opponent.

This 'close-in weapon system' clearly stated, "I may not be able to defeat you, but I can definitely make you extremely unhappy."

Facts proved that Khayon's choice was very correct. Although the low-level spells could hardly cause damage to the pursuer, they did make the other party look a little flustered and angry.

The high-speed jets she fired all deflected seven or eight meters away and posed no threat to the boat.

In the end, the unknown pursuer could only watch as the arm-powered environmentally friendly boat successfully escaped the pursuit of the high-speed magic vehicle.

As the sun rose, a small boat with flying waves behind it cut through the sea and disappeared in the distance.

"Damn it!"

As soon as he took off his helmet, the rider's beautiful golden wavy hair sparkled in the morning sun.

"Next time, don't even think about running away!"

At the same time, on the smuggling ship on the other side, the sailors, divided into several groups, were confronting each other.

"Put your hands up, we are from the Lind Coast Special Service!" A sailor with a black eye patch and a fleshy face suddenly took out his ID and shouted.

"That's right! Put your hands up, we are from the Lind Tax Collection Commando!" Another sailor with scars all over his face also took out his ID and shouted loudly.

"Wait, we are from the Lind Steam Gun and Explosives and Other Dangerous Goods Management Bureau!" The remaining sailor took out his ID with a stunned expression.

Then, everyone turned their eyes to the captain who was standing alone with a confused look on his face.

"I... I'm a smuggler." The half-bald captain wiped the cold sweat from his head and said tremblingly.

"You're under arrest!" all the sailors shouted in unison.

Until this time, the coast guard who had just boarded the ship also shouted similar slogans.

"You are all arrested!" A group of strong men with anchor tattoos on their arms rushed onto the boat like wolves and tigers.

Before the undercover agents from various departments of Linde could even explain themselves, they were all pinned to the ground.

For a moment, the scene was extremely chaotic.

Chapter 21: Magic City

Although the coastline takes several days to reach the Linde capital of Lutetia by land.

But like many ancient cities with a long history, Lutetia was originally built on the banks of a river.

Moreover, with the development and expansion of the city over a considerable period of time, the city now spans both sides of the river, completely integrating the water with itself.

The Seine River, which has been flowing for thousands of years, quietly passes through the city of Lutetia, and then flows along its wide river channel into the Atlas Sea in the far west.

This also means that as long as you take a boat upstream from the estuary, you can follow the Seine all the way to Lutetia, the capital of Linde.

Although large warships cannot enter the Seine due to the depth of the waterline, light warships such as the Seal-class patrol ship Lucky, which is less than 100 meters long, can easily travel on this ancient river that has nurtured many children of Lind.

Driven by the magic engine, the Seal-class patrol ship, the Lucky, arrived at Lutetia, the capital of Lind, in just a few hours, just as the sun rose to the center of the sky.

The crew members completed the port entry work in an orderly manner, and the noble officers took the magic car back to their respective residences.

The extraordinary people are no exception. At this time, they are not much different from ordinary people. They all want to see the faces of their loved ones as soon as possible after a busy night of work.

Of course, there are exceptions.

despair!despair!despair!

The crisp sound of leather boot heels hitting the marble floor echoed back and forth in the luxuriously decorated Neuschwanstein Castle.

A slim young woman was walking angrily across the corridor, and the court ladies and maids who saw her along the way bowed to her.

Even the guards in the palace did not dare to stop this young woman of noble status, allowing her to go straight to a study room surrounded by many guards.

A male servant dressed as a servant secretly exchanged glances with the extraordinary guard next to him. After confirming that the visitor did not have any signs of disguise magic, he took the initiative to open the heavy study door for her.

The young woman didn't pay any attention to the butler and the guard's little tricks. She rushed into the study as if she knew the place well, sat on the sofa with her arms folded across her chest, and looked annoyed.

"Are all the officials of the empire stupid? This is so infuriating!"

Hearing her complaints, a lazy voice came from behind the desk in the middle of the room.

"So, who has offended you again? My dear cousin. By the way, this is your first time back to Lutetia since you took the initiative to apply to become a naval reserve officer. Can't you give your dear brother a hug?" The person who spoke was the current emperor of Linde in the Central Empire - His Majesty Conrad Carolingian.

His Majesty the Emperor, whose full name is Conrad Karl Drusus Carolingian, is only 29 years old even after several years of succession. Under his slightly curly golden hair, he has a handsome face that is enough to make most noble ladies scream.

However, the way he was half-lying on the high-back sofa was really not very decent.

The cousin that His Majesty the Emperor mentioned is the daughter of the previous Duke of Loire and the current Duchess of the Empire - Catherine Martha Qiu Nali Carolingian.

The two had a very close blood relationship and grew up together, so they had a very deep bond. In name, Catherine was a Duchess of the Empire, but in reality, she was not much different from an Imperial Princess.

The Duchess's father is the Emperor's uncle, so she also has the iconic golden hair of the Carolingian royal family.

However, unlike the Emperor's neat and orderly hairstyle, Catherine's hair was in big wavy curls and braided into two peculiar diamond hairstyles at the ends, which looked quite exaggerated and strange.

"Sorry, I'm not in the mood right now." Catherine rolled her eyes at the Emperor and continued.

"As for who made me angry? Ha, that's too many!" The Duchess angrily unzipped the chest of her clothes, revealing a slender silver necklace.

The end of the necklace is adorned with an extremely beautiful aquamarine, which makes it almost impossible to take your eyes off it.

At this time, the Duke was wearing a very close-fitting leather jacket with a black base and red edges. The design of the jacket was obviously different from traditional aristocratic clothing, and could even be called unorthodox.

But this set of clothes is actually a special driving suit prepared by the Imperial Magic Research Institute for the emerging extraordinary profession - armored riders. It is convenient for movement and can also easily connect to various magical vehicles.

At the same time, the appearance of this suit is quite fashionable for young people, so it is particularly popular among young nobles who like to drive magical vehicles for racing.

One cannot help but wonder, are fashion design the hobbies of those masters in the institute?

"My dear brother, are you aware that your excellent subordinates have simultaneously dispatched undercover agents to catch smugglers, as if by agreement?" Duchess Catherine said with a mocking smile.

"It turned out those undercover agents formed a brand new smuggling team. Thanks to their excellence, the Coast Guard, led by me, chased them for two full months before we finally caught them by sheer luck."

"Haha, this sounds exactly like what those guys would do!" After hearing Catherine's words, Emperor Conrad was not angry, but burst into laughter.

"You're still laughing! They're wasting the empire's taxes in your name!" Catherine jumped up in frustration and wanted to pull her brother's ears like she did when they were little.

As a result, the old butler who had entered the study room at some point finally couldn't help but cough lightly.

"Your Excellency the Duke, your tea." The butler held a tray in one hand, on which stood a white teacup with a gold rim, filled with fragrant black tea.

This special drink from the Great Wilderness Forest has become an indispensable drink for the imperial nobility many years ago. Also sought after are the various ceramic tea sets carefully crafted by the craftsmen of the Great Wilderness Forest.