38: A technological leap! Electromagnetic gun tested on board a ship!

Three days after clearing the submarine wreckage, the Deep Blue sailed into a secret dry dock located in the South Pacific islands.

This dry dock was expanded with significant resources in the early stages of the second volume, and can now accommodate ten-thousand-ton class vessels for mid-term maintenance and refitting. As the Deep Blue's massive hull slowly entered the dry dock, surrounded by giant gantry cranes and robotic arms, the engineers who had been waiting inside immediately gathered around, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Commander! You're finally back!" Chief Engineer Academician Chen, leading a group of technical personnel, quickly approached the bridge, clutching a blueprint covered with formulas and sketches in his hand. "The land tests for the electromagnetic cannon are all complete, and all parameters have exceeded design expectations! We're just waiting for your command, and it can be installed on the ship immediately!"

Lin Feng took the blueprint, his gaze falling on the sketch of the highly futuristic weapon—the electromagnetic cannon. It lacked the traditional powder chamber and rifled barrel of conventional artillery, replaced instead by two parallel electromagnetic acceleration rails. The muzzle diameter was a full 300 millimeters, and just looking at the blueprint, one could imagine its power when fired.

This was the "Electromagnetic Cannon Basic Blueprint" he exchanged with a large amount of system reward points after resolving the submarine crisis, and then improved by Academician Chen's team in conjunction with the base's existing material technology. According to the data provided by the system, this electromagnetic cannon's muzzle velocity could reach Mach 6 (approximately 7344 kilometers/hour), with an effective range exceeding 200 kilometers, enough to penetrate any known ship armor currently.

"Are all the preparations made?" Lin Feng asked.

"Don't worry!" Academician Chen patted his chest, pointing to the giant components already prepared on one side of the dry dock. "The cannon body, power supply system, and cooling device are all assembled, just waiting to be hoisted onto the Deep Blue's foredeck. We even gave it a codename—'Sky Breaker'!"

"'Sky Breaker'? A good name." Lin Feng nodded. "Begin installation! I want to see its first test fire within three days."

For the next three days, the dry dock was almost ceaselessly active.

Dozens of engineers and workers, in cooperation with giant cranes, slowly lifted the hundred-ton 'Sky Breaker' electromagnetic cannon from the ground and precisely placed it on the Deep Blue's reserved installation position on the foredeck. Subsequently, dense cables and cooling pipes were connected to the power core inside the hull—a small fusion reactor specially modified by Academician Chen's team for the electromagnetic cannon, capable of providing continuous and stable power output.

Lin Feng checked the progress on the deck every day, watching as the dark giant cannon gradually integrated with the warship, his anticipation growing stronger. Zhao Gang, on the other hand, practically lived in the weapon control room, repeatedly debugging the aiming system and ballistic calculation program with the technical personnel.

On the morning of the third day, all installation work was finally completed.

The Deep Blue slowly sailed out of the dry dock into a designated uninhabited test firing sea area. The sea surface was calm, the distant horizon clearly visible, and staff had already placed a giant target, welded from thick steel plates, in the designated target area 200 kilometers away—it was modified from the hull of a decommissioned cargo ship, with several layers of alloy plates simulating battleship armor stacked on its deck.

"All units report status!" Lin Feng stood in the weapon control center, his voice echoing throughout the ship via the communicator.

"'Sky Breaker' electromagnetic cannon power supply system normal, capacitor charging complete!"

"Cooling system running stably, temperature controlled within safe threshold!"

"Aiming system locked on target, ballistic calculation complete!"

"UAV reconnaissance aircraft has taken off, real-time footage of the target area being transmitted!"

...

All data showed normal, Lin Feng took a deep breath and looked at Academician Chen beside him: "Academician Chen, this shot, I'm entrusting it to you."

Academician Chen adjusted his glasses, his eyes full of excitement and tension: "Don't worry, young man. This cannon embodies the hard work of all of us, and it will never disappoint you!"

Lin Feng nodded, raised his right hand, and slowly brought it down: "Fire!"

"Fire command confirmed! 'Sky Breaker' electromagnetic cannon, launch!"

As the weapon operator's shout fell, on the control center screen, the energy bar representing the capacitor instantly dropped to zero!

"Hum—!"

A low hum came from the deck, with neither the loud bang of artillery firing nor a towering flash of fire, only a black shadow, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, shot out from the muzzle, carrying a sharp whistle that tore through the air, instantly disappearing from sight!

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the target area footage transmitted by the drone.

Time seemed to freeze.

Approximately 27 seconds later—this time was exactly what was needed for the projectile to travel 200 kilometers at Mach 6—in the drone's footage, the giant target suddenly erupted in a blinding white light!

It wasn't the flame of an explosion, but the light of metal instantly melting after being struck at high speed!

Immediately after, the entire hull of the target ship was as if fiercely slapped by an invisible giant hand, arching sharply upwards from the middle, then breaking with a crash! Those several layers of half-meter-thick alloy armor were penetrated as if they were paper, leaving a hole over a meter in diameter in the hull, with white smoke still rising from the edges!

The broken hull sank rapidly, stirring up huge waves.

The control center was silent for a few seconds, then erupted in deafening cheers!

"It hit! It really hit!"

"It penetrated! Even the composite armor was pierced!"

Academician Chen trembled with excitement, grabbing Lin Feng's arm: "It worked! We succeeded! The power of this cannon is 30% stronger than we calculated!"

Lin Feng looked at the sinking remains of the target ship on the screen, a smile involuntarily curving his lips.

The advantages of electromagnetic cannons are too obvious—high muzzle velocity, long range, strong stealth (no muzzle flash or thick smoke), much lower cost than missiles, and no need to store dangerous propellants. With it, the Deep Blue's combat power will achieve a qualitative leap!

"System prompt: Successfully tested electromagnetic cannon, completed 'Technological Breakthrough' hidden mission, rewarded 50,000 points, unlocked 'Electromagnetic Cannon Miniaturization' technology blueprint!"

The system prompt suddenly sounded in his mind, and Lin Feng's heart filled with joy. Not only points, but also a miniaturization blueprint unlocked—this meant that in the future, electromagnetic cannons could be installed on frigates and even landing craft!

"A few more shots!" Lin Feng immediately ordered, "Test continuous firing capability and extreme range!"

"Yes!"

Over the next hour, the 'Sky Breaker' electromagnetic cannon conducted five more test fires, from 200 kilometers to 250 kilometers, from single-shot bursts to three-shot continuous firing, each time accurately hitting the target, the cannon's performance astonishingly stable.

When the last projectile shattered the target 300 kilometers away, even the most critical weapon experts couldn't help but applaud.

As the Deep Blue returned, the setting sun dyed the sea red. Lin Feng stood on the deck, looking at the 'Sky Breaker' electromagnetic cannon, which still emitted a faint residual heat, his heart filled with confidence.

With this 'Sky Breaker', encountering a nuclear submarine like last time would require no effort to maneuver; one shot would turn it into scrap metal in the deep sea.

And this, was just the beginning.

He looked at the newly unlocked 'Electromagnetic Cannon Miniaturization' blueprint on the system panel, and the 50,000 points, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

Ark organization, your submarine has been sunk by me.

Next, it's your turn to taste what true 'technologicalcrush' is.