Compared to the terrifying roar accompanying the white line rushing from afar, even the steel torrent ford by thousands of heavy cavalry is not worth a sneer.
No matter how vast the human fleet, facing such a natural disaster, they can only end up shattered, just like Hilus's Great Treasure Fleet was annihilated in the "Great Vortex" two years ago.
Moreover.
With a speed of up to a thousand kiloters per hour, theoretically, no ship from any era can outrun these high-speed tidal waves. Perhaps taking a plane to escape would be more practical.
In the bridge of the "Crown of Miracles," Gel and Olivia appeared quite relaxed, even having the leisure to critique it:
"Besides being a punching bag, this Legendary Battleship has its rits; at least it's very efficient in clearing out small fry. i, launch [Legendary Battleship Skill: Dream Cruise]!"
As Gel's order was given.
Countless green luminous butterflies soared, dancing around the battleship, and before it was about to be swallowed by the tidal waves like a water wall, they together fled into the dreams of marine creatures.
Boom!
The fierce wave, composed of billions of tons of seawater, smashed down with a crushing montum, but ultimately only hit emptiness.
The ability [Dream Cruise] from the Nymph's Lifebound Gem allows the "Crown of Miracles" to transport forces over long distances via the Spirit Realm when the target doesn't resist, ignoring the distance.
Unfortunately, weapons in active high-speed flight don't fall into this category, so trying to kite the enemy to death in the Dream Realm is impossible.
Yet, what sets the "Crown of Miracles" apart from other similar battleships, aside from that bug-like ability of [Dream Cruise], is the modern warfare concept of—distance advantage, even beyond visual range strike capability!
Shh—
Twenty kiloters away from its original position, as the battleship re-erged from the Dream Realm, Gel imdiately issued his command:
"i, activate [Active Sonar]."
Sonar effect: Passive detection distance is around 20 kiloters, active detection distance is around 50 kiloters.
Although passive sonar doesn't need to actively emit ultrasonic waves, avoiding exposure of its own position due to sonar use,
Its performance is much worse, especially if the noise of the detected target approaches or is less than the ocean background noise, making it basically blind.
And the essence of the "Sea Soul," blending perfectly with the Black Sea as a whole, appears non-existent in the "eyes" of passive sonar. Fortunately, the opponent is just a sailing battleship, without specialized sound wave detection equipnt.
Hum...
Invisible ultrasonic waves spread from the protruding bulb at the bow, receiving signals back, quickly collected, sorted, and analyzed by i, then presented as a visual image to Gel and Olivia.
"Found it! At one o'clock direction, twenty-three kiloters away, fifty ters underwater, moving continuously at twenty knots."
In the strait region between Phaletis and Ilya, the average depth is roughly six hundred ters, far from exceeding the sonar detection limit.
It was easy to clearly detect that huge creature underwater, slowly trailing the waves. Even under i's ability, its general outline was revealed.
"i, prepare [Hurricane Missile] for a saturation attack, Hesi, use 'Mind Network' for auxiliary positioning."
"Copy, [Front/Rear Missile Launch Bay] open."
Pop! Pop! Pop!...
On the tower's front and rear decks, round hatches of two eight-by-eight grid-like missile launch bays subsequently popped open.
Green rune light linked across the silo walls burst forth.
Imdiately.
Whish—
With the sudden strong wind on the battleship deck.
A total of one hundred and twenty-eight [Hurricane Missiles] soared skyward at a speed of nearly 340 ters per second. To avoid early detection by the waterborne target, they vertically climbed to an altitude of one thousand ters.
Then alchemy warheads spread tal wings for assisted flight, rushing towards the one o'clock direction using "Mind Network" positioning.
And this wave of saturation attack carries a total high-energy Black Gold payload of 1280 kilograms!
Even a Level 1 Battleship equipped with 100 cannons, a single-side broadside salvo only amounts to a asly 1140 pounds, equivalent to about 517 kilograms.
...
"Gone?"
Under the sea, standing on the deck of the "Sea Soul," Hawkins knitted his brows.
After the grandiose [Tidal Cannon], the enemy vanished without a trace. He wouldn't be naive enough to believe that such a large Legendary Battleship would be simply smashed and swept away by ocean waves.
Even with Tier 4 Extraordinary sharp vision, observing the sea surface from underwater revealed nothing.
"'Sea Soul' surfacing. We are heading back!"
Since the enemy has vanished and no longer obstructs the "Sea Soul," he won't hesitate to return and reap the rewards of victory.
However, just as the "Sea Soul" began to surface halfway, the powerful spiritual sense of the high-tier transcendent suddenly issued a warning.
In the distant sky, a sense of fatal crisis, like a steel cone about to pierce his brain, shocked him.
"Hiss—!"
His hairs stood on end, his muscles contracted. This was the brink of death he hadn't experienced since advancing to Tier 4 "Lawless," except when facing the sword [Sword of Cutting All Things: Gerdios].
At the sa ti, Hawkins witnessed that powerful technique descending from the sky—[Heavenly Justice]!
In just over a minute, 128 [Hurricane Missiles] were right above the "Sea Soul." Under the control of the Wind Elental Spirit, they quickly adjusted their flight posture and synchronized ignition at their ends.
With forward pull, backward push, and gravity, the descent speed of these [Hurricane Missiles] was incredibly fast.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!...
The destructive power was faster than a hurricane, swifter than a storm, and in the blink of an eye, it crashed down from high above.
Then, they plunged into the water in the most perfect manner.
"Can't stop it, and absolutely mustn't try!!"
Receiving frantic warnings from his extraordinary spiritual sense, Hawkins no longer cared about the limited mobility of the legendary battleship beneath his feet. Relying on the core ability of being a "Lawless," [Free Will], he shot underneath the "Sea Soul," disregarding the resistance of seawater.
Then the [Frenzy] within him exploded, churning the seawater as he fled for his life.
[Free Will] Effect: When used on oneself, cannot be restrained by any ans, is immune to so chanical rules, cannot be locked by direct attacks, curses, or ranged weapons (immune to Lock Pendant). When used on enemies, causes every intricate structure, like cells, forming the opponent's body to develop free will and beco unable to unite.
Note: The ability has limits; peers of the sa tier might withstand it.
From extre stillness to extre movent happened in an instant.
The next second, blinding white flas filled the world.
BOOM——!!!!
The terrifying shockwave flipped over the entire sea.
A colossal water column, over a hundred ters high, shot up to the sky. The whole strait seed to shiver violently, and the concentrated eruption's might surpassed the recent natural disaster-like [Tidal Cannon].
The deafening noise spread out for dozens of kiloters, montarily halting the mixed battle on the battlefield.
Relying on his inherent extraordinary abilities, Hawkins could evade the saturation bombing of the missiles, but the "Sea Soul," with its large size and maximum speed of only 22 knots, wasn't as fortunate.
The water flow shield had just started forming when it bore the blistering affection brought by 1280 kilograms of Black Gold.
After a long while.
As the turbulence in this sea area gradually cald, through the "Active Sonar," the two aboard the "Crown of Miracles" had witnessed the fate of the legendary battleship "Sea Soul."
Equivalent to a Level 1 Battleship, its hull had completely disintegrated, and the scattered "wreckage" had sunk to 600 ters below the sea, leaving only a deep blue skeleton of an unknown large creature.
But even having suffered such extensive damage, it could still slowly absorb a certain substance from the Black Sea and gradually recover, though at an extrely slow rate. If left unchecked, it might reerge in a year or so.
Its formidable survivability alone is enough to make all legendary battleships pale in comparison, almost like the battleship version of a tardigrade.
Inside the bridge.
"Aiven, amazing! The 'Crown of Miracles' in its first battle actually destroyed a sa-level legendary battleship!"
Olivia's eyes sparkled with little stars, and if not restrained by the cockpit, the girl would have almost jumped up.
"It's a bit too early to claim victory. i, reload the [Hurricane Missiles], our fierce battle is just beginning."
On the screen before them, a black dot in the distant sky, carrying a volcanic eruption-like fierce killing intent, was swooping down upon them.
"You are... unforgivable!"
Though holding the position of Navy Marshal of the "Ilya Republic," Hawkins, the "Octopus Ghost," had never changed his ideals.
Pursuing "absolute wanton freedom," with consistent and strong execution, he continuously achieves his minor goals one after another.
Ultimately reaching a level akin to a Titled Knight converging a "Titled Sacred Artifact," or a Crowned Wizard completing a "Truth Embodint," seeking the qualitative change of his frenzy. To completely shed the last shackle of his human body and exist in the form of a spirit-energy combination, gaining true freedom!
In the past.
With the "Great Uprising" launched by the "capitalist class," he overthrew the millennia-old [Royal Authority] rule of the Old Continent, advancing significantly on the path of the Lawless.
Hawkins hoped to use this fledgling polity to continue exporting the terrifying entity of [Capitalism] to every corner of the world, thereby "liberating" the entire globe!
By then, not to ntion completing the qualitative change of frenzy, even achieving godhood would be entirely possible, right?
Now, the temporary destruction of the "Sea Soul" was insignificant. The rise of [Capitalism] couldn't be obstructed. Blocking the rise of capital was an unforgivable cri.
"Since external aid is unreliable, let rectify everything with my iron fist honed over decades!"
Carrying imnse murderous intent and raging flas, Hawkins descended from the heavens.
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