A windless land, a permanently frozen sea.
This is the twenty-fifth day since the Wind Song tree boat sailed here.
It also tows eight new Silisti warships behind it. Compared with the traditional first-class sailing ships, they are obviously smaller in size, but because the masts on the deck have been removed, they have been replaced with special watchtowers. , the outline looks more solid.
Suddenly, a harsh buzz came from the fleet—
Along with the violent friction sound, a watchtower was seen tilting rapidly and pressing down on the deck like a hill.
The sudden snowflakes suddenly covered the entire surface of the ship, just like the billowing smoke when the station was damaged. It doesn't have the high temperature to burn skin and flesh, but it is no less lethal.
Fleet Commander Jayne van Riet put down his observation glass and sighed inaudibly.
Although the specific situation on the ship could not be seen clearly, the sailors and generals staying on the watchtower were definitely doomed.
This is the third warship to have problems.
The temperature of the permafrost sea often drops below freezing. He couldn't say exactly how cold it was. At such temperatures, metal becomes brittle, as if suffering from cold plague. Although the main body of the new generation warship is still made of wood, the outer armor and towers have been replaced with iron. This approach will give them an advantage in future naval battles, but it has become fatal after entering the permanently frozen sea. hurt.
The brave warrior did not die on the battlefield, but died in this terrifyingly silent sea. His heart was heavy.
But as the top commander, he must fulfill his mission and not show any negative emotions on his face.
There is no doubt that this place has been cursed by evil spirits.
Any captain who has set foot in the permafrost sea will think so.
Endless ice floes are always floating on the sea. They collide and split with each other, like a big mouth that opens and closes. If you are not careful, the ship will sink deep into it and become an ice statue on the sea. The next time you get out of trouble may be months or years away. He had seen several such ships along the way. They were still moving slowly driven by the waves, but there was no one on them, just like ghost ships.
Secondly, there is almost no wind here, and the boundary between it and the windy area is constantly changing, sometimes by nearly a thousand miles, which makes it extremely difficult for sailboats to get out of trouble. In the past, every step in the exploration of the Permafrost Sea cost a lot of money. It even allowed the countries of the Sea of Tranquility to suspend their disputes and explore this place together. If it weren't for the possibility that the Holy Grail would appear on this sea of ice, no one would want to get close to it.
Compared with ordinary boats, tree boats are undoubtedly the perfect exploration tool.
It can withstand extremely low temperatures, move freely without the need for wind, and can carry a large amount of supplies at a time, comparable to a maritime supply base.
In the eyes of the empire, the elves gathering many tree boats together and not going anywhere is simply the greatest waste.
Now that the World Island has been occupied by Natadine, they are obviously at the forefront of other countries in exploring the end of the sea.
"General, the black barrier area has appeared, just in the direction of Shuzhou at 11 o'clock!" the first mate suddenly reminded.
Jayne regained his energy and raised the observation glass again.
I saw an abnormal black shadow appearing in the gray-white vision. It floats in mid-air like mist, looming. Of course, water vapor may also produce similar effects, and the key to distinguishing black barriers lies in the waves. He noticed that the waves in that area suddenly stagnated as they rolled forward, as if they had encountered an invisible wall.
There is no mistake, that is the end of the permafrost sea.
Jayne immediately ordered, "Sound the alarm and the fleet will slow down and turn left! At the same time, notify Sir Aurora!"
"yes!"
Following a series of deep horn sounds, the Wind Song pushed through layers of ice and slowly approached the border area.
Many sailors ran up to the Shuzhou Pier and curiously looked at the destination of their trip - Jayne had visited the Permafrost Sea more than once, but for the Imperial Navy, this was the first time for many of them to see this incredible sight. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Although the weather was quite bad and there were many casualties along the way, his subordinates were the elite of the empire and still maintained considerable vitality and fighting spirit at this moment.
"What, are we there?" At this time, a woman wearing a mink coat walked into the command room.
Her red hair is more glaring than flames, and her long, curly eyelashes make her crescent-like eyes full of seductive charm. And this is also a portrayal of herself - while others are trying to resist the cold that penetrates the coat, she exposes her black inner coat, and the leather jacket she wears outside seems to be just decoration, exuding a lazy and charming atmosphere. .
Jayne didn't dare to look at the other person more boldly.
He knew what this casualness meant—only if he was strong enough, could he ignore the damage of cold and fire. Even though they are both high-level vampires, Duke Aurora is different from him, not to mention that she has full command of this operation, and the person behind her is His Majesty the Emperor.
"Yes. In the past, we needed to spend three to four days to secure the ship and find a place with thicker ice to establish a stronghold. But this time there are tree boats present, so there is no need to be as troublesome as in the past. Research can start at any time." He nodded at the other party. head.
The woman responded with a satisfied smile, "Very good. Tell the boats behind you to come closer. It's time for them to come in handy."
"Your Excellency...can you tell us now the true purpose of this fleet's deep dive into the Permafrost Sea?"
He knew this trip was not ordinary.
For example, the Wind Song left the harbor at night and stayed in the open sea for about a week, waiting for the new warships to join it, and then officially headed north. In addition, Natatine usually hires a few dragonborn to accompany them. After all, their abilities are really useful in the permanently frozen sea where it is difficult to move, and dragon breath can also resolve the troubles caused by frost. But this time, they didn't even have a dragonborn. Did not bring.
Judging from the itinerary, the entire fleet is under strict confidentiality measures. It seems that His Majesty does not want anyone to know that Natadine is about to launch a new study of the Black Barrier Area.
He was transferred to act as a commander, and he only emphasized following the Duke's orders, and did not explain any other matters.
Therefore, Jayne van Riet is quite curious about the reason why the superiors brought the empire's new warships here - they rely on steam-driven wing wheels to travel in windless areas, but tree boats can also do this, and Can do better. There is no need to fight the enemy in the Permafrost Sea, so these warships can be said to be useless.
"Of course. But even if I don't say it, you will know it right away." Aurora patted his shoulder, "We are going to break through the black barrier and go to the other side of the world."