Chapter 34: An Unexpected Acquaintance

Aolang looked at the old man, somewhat speechless.

He could tell the other was just joking, but he had to admit, daring to make such a joke right in front of Lady Marydan only proved the two truly had a good relationship.

Otherwise, given Lady Marydan's explosive temper, he would already be at the clinic.

Seeing Lady Marydan's fists already clenched, the old man decisively changed the subject. "This kid looks quite young; has he reached adulthood?"

Aolang bowed slightly to the old man and introduced himself simply. "Hello, my name is Aolang, a Two-Star Hunter, and currently a member of the Citadel Guerrillas."

Marydan also cast aside her ignited anger. "This kid counts as our junior; he just turned seventeen a few months ago, Two-Star! Impressive, right?"

"Indeed impressive." The old man pinched and twisted his curly beard. "A Two-Star Hunter; as a Hunter, he has already reached the minimum standard for joining a Ship Group."

Being a member of the Citadel Guerrillas, he surely lacks no practical combat experience.

And for you to lower your face to sell a favor, I imagine he is not the type who is ungrateful or disobeys orders.

No problem, I can let him temporarily join the Ship Group and participate in this 'Feast'.

But I must state in advance: the crew of the Fengshan Maru was determined long ago; don't even think about it, kid. If he participates, he can only go along with other small Sand Ships."

Marydan raised an eyebrow after hearing this, but didn't say anything more.

Although her relationship with the old fellow before her was quite good, ultimately the other was the Ship Group Leader of the Sand Ship Fleet; continuing to haggle would damage his dignity as a leader.

The reason she introduced Aolang into the Ship Group was to let the latter temper his will and broaden his horizons; since the purpose was already achieved, there was no need to demand more.

"That person, I'm keeping; you can use him as you see fit. This kid is quite tough; train him however you see fit."

"After the Feast, I'll treat you to drinks!" Without lingering long in the Dock of the Sand Ship Fleet, she left with that remark, waving her hand, leaving Aolang to face the old man alone.

The Ship Group Leader stared into Aolang's eyes for a while; out of respect and politeness toward an elder, Aolang lowered his gaze slightly, but did not avert his eyes.

The two stared at each other like that for a moment.

"Not a bad kid." The Ship Group Leader suddenly smiled, tilting his head toward Aolang. "Follow me; I'll take you around to see the place."

Aolang nodded and silently followed behind the Ship Group Leader.

Along the way, people would occasionally greet the old man or bow; it was clear his prestige within the Sand Ship Fleet was indeed very high.

The two arrived at a shipyard where a large ship with a strange design was parked.

Judging purely by scale, this ship was actually not particularly large; Aolang had seen Sand Fishing Ships similar to this one, or even slightly longer in size.

But the feeling the two gave people was completely different.

Unlike those fishing boats, passenger ships, or cargo ships, this large Sand Ship named 'Fengshan Maru' was a true Dragon-Hunting Ship.

The concept of a Dragon-Hunting Ship was more common in port cities.

To resist attacks from large ocean monsters like Sea Dragons, some ships built specifically to deal with monsters were constructed.

These warships were sturdier than ordinary ships and equipped with heavy firepower; at the bow was installed a signature attack steam device—the Dragon-Striking Spear.

It was said that if this Weapon struck head-on, it could instantly severely injure, or even kill, a Flying Dragon.

The 'Fengshan Maru' before them was exactly such a Dragon-Hunting Ship.

It did not look brand new; in fact, it could be said to be quite dilapidated. Every plank on the hull was a different color, representing frequent repairs and replacements, giving the feeling like the scarred Armor worn by old Hunters.

Even more astonishingly, the Dragon Bone of this ship was composed of a single massive bone, over thirty meters in length.

The longest bones on animals are generally the femur or ribs; taking the Tail-Axe Dragon skeleton used in a previous mission as an example, a single rib was only about three meters long, which was already an astonishing size.

Keep in mind, a Tail-Axe Dragon could reach a body length of twenty-five meters; if estimated by this ratio, the original owner of the bone used as the Fengshan Maru's Dragon Bone likely had a body length exceeding two hundred meters...

Seeing Aolang staring nonstop at the Dragon Bone, the Ship Group Leader said with a smile, "Amazing, right? This giant Dragon Bone was picked up by our ancestors deep in the Desert; some scholars believe this is the skeleton of the Fengshan Dragon."

Oh right, the Fengshan Dragon is the name of that super-giant monster we are to deal with in the 'Feast', so we also named this ship 'Fengshan Maru'.

Using Jieyun Wood from Jieyun Village as material, we built this Dragon-Hunting Ship around the giant Dragon Bone.

In countless battles, it has been damaged many times, but this bone serving as the Dragon Bone has never broken, not even a single crack.

We have constantly patched and repaired it, using it until now."

Speaking to this point, the Ship Group Leader crossed his arms, his tone carrying undisguised pride. "The ship is equipped with two Heavy Crossbows and two Heavy Cannons; in recent years, we even replaced its Dragon-Striking Spear with the latest model."

"Do you see that large Gong at the stern? That is an Ancient Relic from some ruin; struck with a Great Hammer, the deafening roar it produces can even shake the Fengshan Dragon out of the Sand Sea."

"Truly amazing!" Aolang sincerely admired.

"Right?" The Ship Group Leader smiled and patted Aolang's shoulder. "Unfortunately, the Fengshan Maru only accepts the most experienced and skilled Sailors; the Hunters accompanying the ship are all elites of Star Four and above."

Perhaps you will be able to in the future, but right now, you are not quite qualified yet."

Aolang nodded. "Indeed, I still have a long way to go."

From Aolang's expression and tone, the Ship Group Leader felt regret, but no complaint, which made him even more satisfied.

"Let's go; now I'll take you to see the ship you will ride."

Following the Ship Group Leader, they left the large Dock and arrived at another nearby Dock.

This place was equally lively; a dozen or so small Sand Ships were scattered here, with Craftsmen and Sailors busily conducting inspections and repairs.

He also saw the figure of the Workshop owner; it seemed the Craftsmen had been busy with the Sand Ship Fleet's affairs during this time.

"The mission of the small Sand Ships is to cooperate with the Fengshan Maru to intercept the Fengshan Dragon. You are joining temporarily; it is impossible to form a team specifically for you."

However, by chance, there is a small squad that is also from the Citadel Guerrillas; you might even know them. If there are no problems, you can join them."

Aolang followed the Ship Group Leader to the side of a small Sand Ship, where he was surprised to discover a familiar figure.

"Asa?!"

"Huh?" Asa, who had been busy with something inside the cabin of the Sand Ship, raised his head. "Ahlun's Little Brother? You joined the Sand Ship Fleet too?"

Asa climbed out of the cabin and laughed while hugging Aolang.

Seeing the two knew each other and seemed to have quite a good relationship, the Ship Group Leader set his mind at ease. "Asa, take Aolang to familiarize himself with what he needs to do; don't forget to tell him the precautions either."

"Seize the opportunity to train with other squads; in at most three weeks, the monsoon will arrive."

"Understood!"

After giving a few extra instructions, the Ship Group Leader left; as the person in charge of the Sand Ship Fleet, he still had too many things to attend to.

After the Ship Group Leader left, Asa became even more lively; he hooked his arm around Aolang's shoulder and said, "You kid are impressive! Just promoted to Star Two and already joined the fleet to participate in this year's 'Feast'? Ordinary people don't have this ability!"

Aolang smiled and asked in return, "Aren't you the same?"

"Me? I'm not the same." Asa tugged at the clothes on his body.

Only then did Aolang notice that what Asa was wearing was not the Citadel Guerrilla Team Set, but the sleeveless shirt of the Sand Ship Fleet.

"My old man was originally a member of the fleet, but he's a bit old and has some old injuries, so he planned to hand this matter over to us.

The Ship Group Leader said that both my older brother's and my piloting skills were good, but since I'm smaller, I'm more suited for handling the ship, so he let me follow my old man to last year's Feast.

My old man was responsible for piloting this small Sand Ship, I assisted him, so I gained some experience, and this year I'll do it myself." Asa explained with a smile.

Only then did Aolang understand that Asa had not joined as a member of the Citadel Guerrillas or as a Hunter, a combatant responsible for fighting.

Instead, he joined the Sand Ship Fleet as the son of a Sand Sea Fisherman and an excellent small Sand Ship pilot.

"So are there only the two of us on this ship?" Aolang asked curiously.

Asa shook his head and continued to explain, "To ensure the speed and flexibility of the small Sand Ships, only two or three people are assigned to each Sand Ship.

Usually, it's a configuration of one pilot plus one Hunter; sometimes an extra Hunter or support personnel are brought along.

Before you arrived, there was a Hunter who partnered with me. That big brother is very formidable; although he's not a local and, like you, is participating in the Feast for the first time, he is a true Four-Star Hunter! And he also uses a One-Handed Sword."