Chapter 36: Training of the Sand Ship Fleet

Although Asa's carelessness meant Aolang did not receive advance notice.

But fortunately, his armor and weapons were all worn on his person, so there would be no actual impact.

However, Aolang greatly disliked this feeling of "unexpectedness."

Taking this opportunity, he urged Asa to tell him the schedule for the coming period all at once, including joint training arrangements and such, so he could write it on the bedside calendar to avoid similar situations happening again.

Sai'er praised this greatly, showing Aolang a small notebook he carried with him, no larger than a palm, which was his memo pad.

It recorded in minute detail the tasks needed every day, training plans, goals to be achieved in the near future, and some insights and reflections from hunts and such.

"Even people with the best memories can be negligent; this way, one will not forget what needs to be done, making everything more organized."

"It also makes it convenient to review one's own actions and thoughts from the previous period, correcting any areas that were not done well at any time."

Asa's face crinkled upon hearing this; his boisterous personality absolutely could not bear to do such things.

Aolang, however, had eyes shining with light; he was a person who did things in an organized manner and liked making plans. Though he did not go so far as to make schedules precise to the minute, he would still think carefully every morning upon waking about what tasks needed to be done that day.

Beyond that, his talent for skillfully using multiple weapons made strange ideas pop into his head from time to time; if he did not write them down then, he would likely forget them after a while.

Sai'er senior's memo pad carried with him was simply perfect for him; he decided that as soon as today's joint training ended, he would immediately get one!

At the same time, Sai'er's impression in his heart shifted from initially "a senior with very strong strength," to later "a senior with very strong strength and a very good personality," and now to "a senior worth taking as a role model to learn from."

Coincidentally, the weapon Sai'er skillfully used was also the One-Handed Sword.

Although he had not yet decided to use the One-Handed Sword as his main weapon in the future, at least for the present, the One-Handed Sword, with its very balanced performance in all aspects, was the necessary "platform" for integrating other weapon techniques; if he could refine it, his strength could also improve.

So Aolang, with thick skin, ran over to Sai'er's side to ask for instruction.

Sai'er was not stingy with teaching juniors; as a Four-Star Hunter, many of his experiences and techniques benefited the former greatly.

Only Asa was left aside, laughing and shrugging, continuing to carry crossbow bolts and assisting craftsmen in installing Heavy Crossbows on the small Sand Ships.

Time passed unknowingly for a long while, until the shouting call for assembly came, and Aolang still felt somewhat reluctant to stop.

Sai'er was also surprised by many of the young junior's whimsical ideas, but continuing the conversation now was inappropriate; he tore two pages from that memo pad, on which were recorded some key points of their recent exchange.

"This content should be enough for you to digest for a few days. By the way, I must remind you: absolutely do not test immature techniques in actual combat, especially in high-intensity battles."

"Progress between life and death might be faster, but if you want to continue growing, you must at least survive first, right?"

"I understand." Aolang carefully put those two sheets of paper away, placing them in his inner pocket close to his body. "Thank you, senior, for your guidance."

"No problem, let's go; the joint training is about to begin."

Over the vast Sand Sea, more than ten small Sand Ships raced at high speed.

For Aolang, who was born and raised in the Desert, these small Sand Ships could be said to be the transportation tool he knew best, yet he was still surprised by the speed of these vessels.

Perhaps it was because precious Jieyun Wood was used to replace part of the metal structure, and all non-essential facilities were simplified away, achieving weight reduction.

These Sand Ships, whether in speed or agility, were far superior to ordinary Sand Ships.

In contrast, the difficulty of operating these Sand Ships also increased greatly; only the most excellent operators could skillfully maneuver these vessels through the sand waves.

Crew members on board also had to frequently move positions to adjust the center of gravity, rather than simply sitting in the cabin and being done, as with ordinary Sand Ships.

"Senior Sai'er, stand a bit further forward, press down the bow!" Asa shouted loudly while carefully adjusting the Sail and the rudder.

If ranking by strength in hunting, there was no doubt that the three's ranking was Sai'er in a class of his own at first, Aolang second, and Asa at the bottom.

But when it came to the level of operating Sand Ships, it was completely the opposite.

With only a few experiences riding Sand Ships in total, Sai'er, who could barely stand properly relying solely on his own excellent balance, cautiously shuffled forward a step and turned back to ask, "Is this okay?"

"Okay my foot! Go to the front of the Bed Ballista, even further forward! Step one foot on the bow!" Asa's tone was surprisingly severe.

Compared to other groups, their ship had already fallen behind.

After all, among the three people on board, only he truly had experience participating in a Feast; coordinating to help adjust the Sand Ship's center of gravity and such all depended on his command.

And his own driving skills, compared to ordinary boatmen, could naturally be called excellent, but placed in front of those experienced old sailors, they were still somewhat insufficient.

From morning until evening, after more than half a day of joint training, the coordination among the three had improved significantly.

Sai'er could finally stand steadily on the fast and bumpy Sand Ship, knowing that when the bow lifted excessively, he needed to press forward in time to stabilize the ship's center of gravity, and also understood how to ensure he would not be thrown off when the ship turned sharply.

The cost was that during this more than half-day period, he fell into the Sand Sea no fewer than ten times; if not for his Rathian Armor being sturdy enough, it would not be strange to have broken his neck, rather than just being covered in dust and dirt as he was now.

According to Asa's account, Sai'er's progress was already considerable; when he first rode a Sand Ship, this Elite Hunter could barely even stand up.

After several more joint trainings, the coordination among the three became even more tacit.

Now Asa did not need to remind them too much; Aolang and Sai'er themselves knew when they should go where, allowing him to focus on adjusting the Sail and rudder to operate the Sand Ship.

At this point, they could basically keep up with the pace of other Sand Ships and would not be left behind.

Sai'er felt excited by this and proposed that the three go to the Assembly Hall Tavern to eat and drink heartily to celebrate, with him treating.

But he was obviously too happy too soon.

Asa told him and Aolang that currently they had only completed the most basic part of the joint training; if they could not adapt quickly even to this part, even Elite Hunters of Four or Five Stars would be kicked out of the Sand Ship Fleet.

Oh no, the attitude would probably be more polite: "Please leave — you are very excellent, but not suitable for us."

The joint training entered the second phase.

The Sand Ship Fleet borrowed several Large Sand Fishing Boats from the Fish Boat Team, saying they were to be used to "simulate targets."

At first, both Aolang and Sai'er were somewhat puzzled.

Until the training truly began, when Asa coordinated with the sailors on the fishing boats to tie the small Sand Ship to the side of the fishing boat with a sturdy rope, letting the fast-moving fishing boat drag the small Sand Ship forward, and then urging the Hunters to climb onto the fishing boat along that rope with an incline exceeding sixty degrees.

Only then did they finally understand that the so-called simulated target referred to that legendary Elder Dragon.

And at this time, only two weeks remained until the estimated arrival date of the monsoon.