31: The birth of warships

The Council Hall of the Lords Mansion on Iron Sand Island.

Linn sat upright in the main seat, with Morton, as loyal as a shadow, standing behind him. His gaze fell upon the two slightly restrained youths before him. Shirei and Evan, these brothers were only a year younger than him, but years of malnutrition and displacement made them look younger than their actual age. Although their nutrition had improved and their strength had increased, a trace of lingering childishness still remained between their brows.

In contrast, Linn, having left the Royal Academy less than a year ago, had experienced battles at sea, island development, and political maneuvering. His obsidian-like eyes had settled with a composure and sharpness far beyond his years. The callowness of his academy days had long been replaced by the bearing of a lord and the mystery of a mage; merely sitting there calmly, he naturally exuded an imposing Aura that commanded respect.

"Sit down." Linn's voice broke the silence. He pressed his palm down slightly, signaling that the two brothers did not need to keep standing.

"Tha... thank you, My Lord." The two youths were somewhat overwhelmed by the favor. They cautiously sat on the edge of the chairs below, their backs straight, hands placed properly on their knees, their eyes filled with boundless awe and gratitude for this young lord.

Linn saw their nervousness and softened his tone: "There is no need for such formalities. I remember when we first met, it was among the group of Slaves in Tianhai City, right?"

As the older brother, Shirei tried his best to calm his breathing and replied: "Yes, My Lord. At that time... we thought we would be Slaves who could never turn our lives around." His voice carried the bitterness of memory, but it was immediately replaced by intense gratitude. "It was you, My Lord, who saved our lives. You not only granted us the status of Freemen but also taught us to cultivate Qi and gave us opportunities... Our lives belong to you."

Evan also nodded vigorously, adding: "And Miss Elise taught us how to read, and Steward Morton, although strict, taught us rules. Here... here is just like home." His words were more direct, and his emotions were more exposed.

Linn nodded slightly, satisfied with their gratitude. He valued these two brothers not only because they were young and talented but also because they had pure characters and understood loyalty. In the Early Stage when resources were limited and strong enemies surrounded them, cultivating such direct subordinates was crucial.

"The past is in the past, and the road ahead is still long." Linn looked at them, his tone becoming serious and earnest. "You two have now advanced to Bronze Junior, which means you have officially stepped over the threshold of a professional. This means you are no longer just youths who need protection, but can now try to share some responsibilities for this territory that shelters you."

Shirei immediately stood up and knelt on one knee, and Evan followed suit. Shirei looked up, his eyes burning and firm: "My Lord! You saved our lives, you granted us our status, and you taught us our power! Iron Sand Island is our home. As long as you give the order, whether it is a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, we brothers will never frown, and we are willing to die for you!"

"We are willing to die for you, My Lord!" Evan also said loudly, his voice slightly childish but resounding firmly.

Watching the emotional youths before him, Linn felt quite moved. They were the seeds he had sown, and now they were finally beginning to sprout. Although they were only Bronze Junior now and their strength was still weak, they were young and highly malleable. Their talent had been stimulated by the Spring of Life and the System training, and their future potential was immense. Given time and sufficient allocation of resources, it was not impossible for them to surpass Clay, Karl, and others.

"Very good." A look of approval appeared on Linn's face. "What I want is not for you to speak of death lightly, but for you to live, become stronger, and shoulder more important responsibilities for me, and for Iron Sand Island."

He pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Shirei's steady face and Evan's slightly restless but Spiritual Qi-filled eyes, and he had already made up his mind.

"Pass down the order," Linn's voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the Council Hall. "Effective immediately, Shirei is appointed as the Deputy Captain of the First Squad, assisting Captain Karl in managing military affairs, participating in daily patrols, defense deployment, and combat command. Shirei, you have a steady personality and are meticulous; you must learn more from Captain Karl about the Dao of leading troops, and more importantly, learn how to make correct judgments on the battlefield."

"Evan is appointed as the Deputy Captain of the Reserve Squad, following Captain Angus, mainly responsible for new recruit training, morale boosting, and logistical support work. Evan, you have a cheerful personality and are good at communicating with people; you must fully utilize your strengths to let the Reserve Squad..."

This appointment was like a thunderclap, exploding in the hearts of Shirei and Evan. Although they hoped to share the burden for the Lord, they did not expect to be directly granted the actual position of Deputy Captain! This meant that from now on, they were no longer ordinary soldiers but had entered the management level of Iron Sand Island's armed forces!

Huge surprise and a heavy sense of responsibility instantly overwhelmed them. Shirei took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his excitement, and kowtowed with the most solemn posture: "Shirei accepts the order! I will certainly not fail your trust, My Lord, and will do my utmost to assist Captain Karl and manage the First Squad well!"

Evan was also so excited that his face turned red, and he said loudly: "Evan accepts the order! I will definitely learn well from Captain Angus, bring the Reserve Squad into shape, and will never disgrace you, My Lord!"

"Get up." Linn raised his hand in a gesture of support. "Remember, a position means power, but it also means responsibility. You are young and have shallow qualifications, so it is inevitable that some people will be unconvinced. You must use your strength, hard work, and battle achievements to prove that you are worthy of this position. If you encounter difficulties, you can ask your captains, or you can come to ask me, or Steward Morton, or Elise."

"Yes! My Lord!" The two brothers responded in unison, their eyes burning with flames of motivation.

The appointment was quickly and officially communicated. This also meant that Linn's first batch of local forces was born.

Just as Linn was focusing on cultivating the new generation of forces, another core project on Iron Sand Island also achieved a milestone Breakthrough.

At the shipyard located in the hidden bay, under the almost sleepless supervision of Great Master Henry and the technical support provided by Elise, two brand-new warships finally unveiled their mystery. On a calm morning, accompanied by the chanting of work songs and the cheers of the crowd, they slowly slid into the sea.

These two warships were completely different from the previously captured and modified pirate ships or clumsy cargo ships. They had slender bodies, smooth lines full of power, and the figureheads were specially shaped like wave-breaking arrowheads. The entire body was mainly built using the ironwood unique to Iron Sand Island. This wood had high density, strong hardness, and was corrosion-resistant, making the hull's solidity far exceed that of ordinary oak ships.

The most eye-catching feature was the neat rows of Ballistae ports opened on both sides of the hull. On each ship, four large torsion Ballistae, improved and designed by Elise and Great Master Henry, were installed! These Ballistae had complex and ingenious structures, with their core power coming from a combination of processed tough Demonic Beast tendons and special torsion wood. By winding the winch, they could accumulate huge energy. The ammunition used was special heavy crossbow bolts that were 2.5 meters long, with arrowhead tips gleaming with cold light.

The first test firing after the launching ceremony was observed by Linn, who led all the core members to the scene. With Hogan's order, the crew operated the winches, and the heavy crossbow bolts were placed into the slide grooves.

"Fire!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Several muffled and heart-shaking sounds of bowstrings rang out one after another. The heavy crossbow bolts tore through the air, carrying a chilling whistle, traveled hundreds of paces, and slammed fiercely into the hull of the abandoned old ship used as a target.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Wood chips flew everywhere! One of the crossbow bolts even penetrated the single-layer ship plank, with a small half of the bolt body protruding from the other side! Its power made all the onlookers, including Linn, moved by it.

"The effective range exceeds three hundred and fifty paces! The penetrating power is enough to threaten the defense of most pirate ships! If we concentrate fire on the enemy ship's waterline or rigging, the effect will be even better!" Ocean waved his fists excitedly, reporting to Linn. He couldn't wait to lead his Second Squad of sailors onto the new warships and began adaptive sailing and Ballistae coordinated firing training.

The two new warships were like sea cheetahs injected with a Soul. Under Hogan's skilled command, they shuttled flexibly in the coastal area. Their speed far exceeded any previous ships, and their turning was also more agile. Although the crew was not yet skilled enough in operating the Ballistae and the loading speed needed improvement, the Iron Sand Island navy finally possessed its first sharp, long-range fangs.

"Great! Haha! With these two treasures, let's see which blind pirate dares to flaunt their power in front of us again!" Ocean stood at the bow of the lead warship, feeling the strong wind brought by cutting through the waves at high speed. The High Silver Rank Qi in his body unconsciously surged slightly, subtly blending with the indomitable Aura of the warship beneath his feet, filled with heroic spirit.

Linn and Elise stood side by side on the pier, the sea breeze blowing their clothes. Looking at the amazing Ballistae and the sturdy new ships, a sincere smile appeared on Linn's face. He turned to Great Master Henry beside him, whose cheeks were slightly flushed with excitement, and said solemnly: "Great Master Henry, thank you for your hard work! These two ships are not only the first solid line of defense for our Iron Sand Island maritime territory, but also the cornerstone of the sharp blade for our future foothold and even galloping in the Saru Islands!"

Great Master Henry looked at the masterpiece that condensed his life's work on the sea, his eyes filled with pride and a sense of achievement. He bowed with his hand on his chest: "It is Henry's honor to serve you, My Lord. Your trust and support, as well as Miss Elise's ingenious conception, are the keys to success. As long as the Materials supply is sufficient, I have confidence that in the next few months, I can build two to three more warships of the same type, and I can start designing new models that are larger, have stronger firepower, and better seaworthiness!"

Personal strength Breakthrough to High Silver Rank, new generation generals beginning to be cultivated, naval forces taking initial shape, spring plowing and production proceeding in an orderly manner... All signs indicated that the ship of Iron Sand Island was riding the spring breeze, accumulating power at an unprecedented speed, and firmly sailing towards the unknown and challenging deep sea.

Linn's gaze turned to the west again, which was the direction of Thunder Island and the place where potential storms gathered. After the messenger of Baron Nocturne brought back the news, the other party's reaction and the final cooperation conditions would determine the direction of the situation. The conflict with the Flamingo Pirate Group seemed inevitable.

But at this moment, Linn's heart was steadier than ever before. The stronger personal strength in his hands, the loyal army that was beginning to take shape, the naval forces that were starting to emerge, and the steadily developing territorial Foundation all gave him enough confidence to deal with the coming storms.

In the chess game of the Saru Islands, he was no longer just a piece that needed to be cautious and depend on others. Now, he already had the qualification to sit at the table and play equally with Nocturne, with the Flamingo, and even with more forces in the future!

"Clay, Karl, Ocean," Linn withdrew his gaze from afar, his voice clearly reaching the bow. "Step up the army's maritime training, especially multi-ship coordination and coordinated firing of the Ballistae! We want to let everyone who covets Iron Sand Island know that this place is not a place they can come to just because they want to, and leave just because they want to!"

"Yes! My Lord!" Everyone responded loudly, their voices sonorous, filled with high fighting spirit and confidence.