Chapter 577: New forces are arriving at the

The air in Lei Ming City after the rain was exceptionally fresh, just like a shop window wiped by a wet rag.

A black carriage without any family crest was mixed in the busy traffic, moving slowly along the main road that had just been paved with asphalt.

Inside the carriage, Deng Pusi wore an old-fashioned bowler hat, looking at this familiar yet strange street with eyes full of envy.

For him, whether it was the cast-iron street lamps standing on both sides of the street, or the "by-products" paved on the ground, they were all exceptionally fascinating to him.

And those public steam locomotives floating with white smoke, as well as the two-wheeled bicycles, made him feel as if he had traveled to another world.

When he left this city, the "bus" of this city still referred to a public carriage pulled by three tall mules.

Two years ago, Grand Duke Edward's reforms entered the deep-water zone, and the increasingly radical land annexation made the atmosphere of the entire principality a bit subtle.

Relying on his keen business sense, Deng Pusi determined that this land was about to fall into the flames of war, and would eventually be dragged into poverty by the protracted war.

In order to preserve the accumulated wealth, he sold the shops in Lei Ming City and moved his family to the Luo De Kingdom in the north, seeking refuge with distant relatives.

At that time, he felt that he had made the wisest decision of his life.

It wasn't until a local baron found him with an eager face and asked about ways to invest in Lei Ming City that he suddenly realized he seemed to have missed something important.

Just as he saw, the past two years were probably the best two years for Lei Ming City, and Edward's new policies completely changed the face of the entire principality. And as the center of that infinite prosperity, the land that had been discarded like shoes in the past now had a price that had more than doubled tenfold.

Looking at the decently dressed people on the street, Deng Pusi felt a mixture of flavors in his heart.

However, he was a person who could pick up and put down, took a deep breath of the air after the rain, and spat the regret out of his chest.

Everything is in the past—

Now is a new beginning, and starting over is not too late.

Relying on the connections and capital he had accumulated in the north, in this new era where gold was everywhere, he could always find a foothold again.

Just when he was full of ambition and preparing to show his skills in his former hometown, a childish voice interrupted his contemplation.

"Father."

The boy lying on the other side of the carriage window suddenly turned his head, pointing excitedly at the building towering into the clouds outside the window and asking.

"What is that?"

Deng Pusi followed his son's gaze, and his eyes fell on the clock tower in the distance.

That tower was like a giant's arm, standing on the earth, proudly piercing the sky. The huge clock face shone brightly in the sunlight after the rain, and even from such a distance, one could see the hands moving on it.

"That is the clock tower, our previous home was there."

Deng Pusi, who said this, felt his chest ache again.

However, the boy did not have such worries, just opened his curious eyes wide and asked.

"Clock tower? Is it the same as your pocket watch?"

"Not quite the same, your father's pocket watch can only see the time clearly when the cover is opened, but that clock tower can be seen just by looking up."

Deng Pusi's voice carried a touch of pride.

That clock tower had almost become the business card of Lei Ming City, and even in the distant Longshi City, people were discussing it, and even dreaming of going there to take a look.

As for what this had to do with him?

That relationship was huge!

Previously in Longshi City, no one knew which countryside the Campbell people were from, but now when people heard his accent, they would subconsciously feel that he was a punctual guy.

Deng Pusi was a businessman, and this filter brought him huge benefits, even though he didn't know at all that he was a punctual person.

However, seeing so many people looking at him with respectful eyes, he still subconsciously maintained this business card that also belonged to him.

"I know, but what about inside the clock tower?"

The boy blinked his eyes full of thirst for knowledge, his childish face full of curiosity.

"Such a big house, it can't be empty, right? Does a giant live inside? Or are there countless meshing gears hidden?"

Inside?

Deng Pusi was stunned for a moment.

This question really stumped him.

For most people, the clock tower was a huge precision instrument, a symbol of the principality's industrial strength. As for what was inside the tower, it seemed that no one had ever mentioned it.

He pondered for a long time, then smiled and stretched out his hand, rubbing his son's soft and fluffy hair.

"Father doesn't know either. Perhaps a god in charge of time lives inside, or perhaps... that is a place left for a genius like you."

He gently left the suspense about this world to the little guy.

"Maybe one day, you can tell father the answer."

The boy nodded understandingly and lay back by the window. For a child, that clock tower had already become the most mysterious place in his heart.

Even more mysterious than the labyrinth in Lei Ming County.

After all, father knew a little bit about things in the labyrinth, but that towering clock tower stumped the omnipotent him.

The carriage drove through an intersection.

At this time, the boy looking around seemed to have discovered some incredible new continent, and his whole body was almost sticking out of the carriage window.

He pulled his father's sleeve excitedly, and the other hand pointed high at the sky.

"Father! Look! A ship! There is a big sailing ship flying in the sky!"

Deng Pusi was dumbfounded when he heard this.

"Are you sure you saw it clearly? My little Deng Pusi, ships swim in the water, only birds can fly in the sky."

"It's true! Such a big ship!" The boy was so anxious that his face turned red, "It's still smoking!"

"Okay, I guess it must have wings and can breathe fire," looking at the child's determined look, Deng Pusi subconsciously looked up, following the direction the child pointed.

And at this very moment, the second half of his words were stuck in his throat, and his casual smile turned into shock and dullness.

I saw a behemoth slowly emerging beneath the clouds on the horizon in the distance.

At first, Deng Pusi thought he had really seen the legendary dragon. But soon, as the giant thing emerging from the clouds became clearer, he found that thing was even more exaggerated than a dragon—

That was actually a sailing ship!

However, unlike those sailing ships docked at the port of Lei Ming City, its sails were hung on both sides of the ship, like oars floating on the sea of clouds. Not only that, a more huge spindle-shaped air bag was hung above its head, looking like a dandelion from afar.

That scene completely violated the experience Deng Pusi had accumulated in half a lifetime, making him so surprised that he wished his chin had fallen to the ground.

On the contrary, his child calmly accepted that incredible scene, offering excited shouts for the arrival of the behemoth.

Perhaps it was because they heard the children's shouts, the people who were originally in a hurry on the street stopped one after another, and also looked at that piece of sky to the north.

The gentleman waiting for the bus pressed down the newspaper in his hand, and the delivery worker pedaling the tricycle stopped the action of pedaling the pedals. And the newsboys walking the streets also stopped shouting one after another, and the vendors on the side of the road even forgot to shout—

The entire city seemed to have been pressed the pause button at this moment, tens of thousands of eyes looked in the same direction together, watching the airship that covered the sky and the sun slowly enter everyone's field of vision.

Deng Pusi tremblingly took off the bowler hat on his head, pressed it to his chest, as if to calm the violent heartbeat, and as if paying tribute to some unknown great power.

"Saint Xisi above..."

Deng Pusi muttered to himself.

It seems he had indeed been away from home for too long.

Not just on the ground—

Even in the sky, it had completely become a look he didn't recognize.

Ten thousand meters high, the cold current is biting.

The "Truth" breaking through the clouds was like a whale breaking into strange waters, the huge bow struggling to push away the accumulated rain clouds that had not yet dissipated.

The strong wind slapped the air bag skin, making a dull drum-like sound, and the entire cockpit was trembling violently with the airflow.

However, it still didn't fall apart on the spot like the "Voyager."

After two and a half years of continuous improvement, the current Truth now had the ability to sail over ultra-long distances. Being able to adapt to the polar climate, it would only enter no-man's land when it reached the south—

At least theoretically, that was the case.

The steam valve emitted a sharp hiss, white mist permeated the narrow space, and hundreds of magic apprentices were trembling, with very few calm ones.

Not just magic apprentices, the relatively powerful professors were the same.

At this moment, he had no scholarly demeanor of weekdays, his forehead was covered with fine sweat, and the glasses glued with glue were almost sliding off the tip of his nose.

He gripped the main control lever reinforced with refined gold tightly, as if wrestling with an invisible giant beast. Although he could actually use magic to do this, his expectation for the "Truth" was that even ordinary people could easily control it, so he didn't use magic throughout the process.

"Damn it! Why is the airflow here even more chaotic than the Far North Wasteland!?"

"Could, could it be because of the strong wind in the coastal area..." the co-captain standing next to him said tremblingly.

"Don't know! But if we don't do something, the No. 3 valve is about to explode!"

Professor Wali roared while scrambling to dial on the dazzling row of control levers, trying to stabilize the manic instrument.

In the observation cabin embedded in the deck, Jamie had almost half of his body hanging in the sky.

This temporary navigator was pressing his face tightly against the brass-colored monocular telescope at this time, his left hand frantically shaking the winch to adjust the observation angle, and his right hand was quickly comparing on the map that had long been soaked in sweat with a ruler.

Grabbing the brass voice tube connected to the cockpit, he roared loudly at the top of his lungs.

"Professor! Three degrees to the left! No! The airflow is too big... it should be better to correct three degrees to the right! I see the clouds seem to be drifting in that direction!"

Professor Wali roared back frantically: "Where exactly is it?! Are you sure you saw it clearly, this is our life-threatening maiden voyage!"

"Wait, the clouds don't seem to be drifting to the right—"

Jamie widened his eyes abruptly, his gaze passing through the gaps in the layers of clouds and mist, capturing the extremely striking coordinates on the ground.

That black spire towering into the clouds was like a lighthouse standing on the shore, guiding the direction for this "small boat" crossing the storm.

The moment he confirmed the course, he shouted in surprise.

"I see it! Professor! The clock tower mentioned in Prince Kelin's letter! That big guy is right in front! Your adjustment is just right, don't move the damn rudder anymore!"

Professor Wali: "I didn't move it at all!!!"

Unlike the chicken-flying-and-dog-jumping scene in the cockpit, the passenger cabin of the airship was another style. Some people were looking at magic books steadily, and some were drawing crosses on their chests to pray.

Although the airflow in the air was bumpy, it didn't seem to affect the passenger cabin.

Bain and Hard, this pair of "demolition ghosts" who were notorious in the Academy, were pressing their faces tightly against the thick porthole glass at this moment.

Fanatical light burned in both of their eyes, looking at the forests, plains, and city outlines that were gradually enlarging below.

The three-day and three-night voyage was coming to an end—

They were finally arriving!

"Hard, look at that wasteland over there!" Pointing to an open Gobi outside Lei Ming City, Bain's mouth was almost split to the roots of his ears, "The terrain is flat, there are no obstacles, and you can't even see a rabbit!"

Hard also had an excited expression, muttering non-stop.

"Perfect target range! Those old antiques are always worried that we will blow up the Mage Tower, now that we have reached such a wild land, we can finally show our skills, haha!"

"Let them see the power of truth." Bain rubbed his hands excitedly, "What knight charge, what magic shield, they are all paper-pasted things in front of pure heat and shock waves!"

Shi Laimu looked at the two clowns with a wry smile, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"You guys calm down—"

Bain and Hard said almost in unison.

"Can't calm down at all!" Unlike the noise of those two funny guys, Ilana stood quietly in the corner of the cabin, looking at the strange plain, her slender hands gently pressed against the cold glass.

Coming from the Pierce Province of the Empire, she had never been to such a border place. In her heart, there was both the excitement of being about to see her mentor, and a trace of unease about the foreign country—

She always heard her father say that the kingdoms were all inhabited by unclassy barbarians, and only the Luo De people who made furniture and pianos for the Empire were slightly better, but only a little bit.

She did not agree with her father's point of view, but she couldn't help but be curious about how these border people far from the center of the world would view the Imperial people.

However, thinking that Prince Kelin had been here for more than two years, the unease in her heart became a little lighter.

The clouds retreated rapidly beneath the airship, and the outline of Lei Ming City became clear.

That was a city completely different from the Academy.

Gao Song chimneys replaced the Mage Towers, rows of houses were like matchboxes neatly arranged in a shop window, and roads paved with steel were like the spine of a giant.

The most eye-catching was the clock tower.

The four-sided clock face with neat details was like a giant's pupil, staring at the visitors in the sky.

Ilana's thoughts drifted back to the afternoon two years ago when Prince Kelin took the "Voyager" and left without saying goodbye.

At that time, she was also standing by the window like this, watching that black dot get smaller and smaller, and finally disappear into the unreachable sky.

That kind of loss of being left behind, and the powerlessness of not being able to catch up no matter what, had made her depressed for several nights.

However, now—

The "Truth" under her feet was roaring, and just as Prince Kelin wished when he left, the technology of the Science School was no longer what it used to be!

Looking at the clock tower that was getting closer and closer, a thin mist rose in the corners of Ilana's eyes, but a sincere smile hooked at the corner of her mouth.

"Mentor—"

"This time, your student has finally caught up with you."

That whisper was more than ten kilometers away from Lei Ming City. However, her voice was still heard by an inconspicuous "blue butterfly."

Including the noise in the cockpit, and those two funny guys who almost poked the glass window with their nose tips...

Outside Lei Ming City, the garrison of the City Defense Army.

Grand Duke Edward was wearing a thick cloak, examining the latest batch of "Luo Ke Sai 1054" bolt-action rifles with a serious expression.

Although the war on the border had come to an end with the signing of the "Sacred Agreement," this ruler of the Campbell Principality did not relax at all.

Today's Lei Ming City was like a huge magnet, attracting countless people along the coast of the Vortex Sea who were eager for wealth and opportunities.

Among them were not only industrialists with dreams and diligent laborers, but also swindlers from all over the world and pirates on the Vortex Sea.

Due to the end of the curfew, the security pressure in Lei Ming City was even greater than during the war.

It was precisely because of this that the City Defense Army, which was at the end of the equipment supply sequence, finally used the new toys that the regular army had almost played enough with.

Following behind Edward, the commander of the City Defense Army said with a glowing face.

"... Your Majesty, thanks to this batch of new equipment, with them, even some seasoned adventurers dare not ride on our brothers' noses."

Picking up a rifle, Edward asked casually.

"Are there many adventurers causing trouble recently?"

The City Defense Commander answered with a smile.

"Not many, Your Majesty, just one or two cases occasionally, and it didn't start recently."

Speaking of this, a touch of disgust appeared on his face, and he said with disdain.

"These shameful scumbags, unable to deal with the demons in the labyrinth, turn around to bully their own compatriots."

Edward smiled indifferently when he heard this, and said.

"You can't completely blame those guys, there is also a part of the reason in me, after all, it was I who made them lose their jobs."

Today's Campbell Principality had shifted its focus from underground to above ground, and began to actively participate in regional affairs outside the labyrinth, naturally ignoring the investment in the labyrinth.

Relying only on the financial support of the Saint Clement Cathedral, the Adventurer Guild certainly could not issue high-value tasks regardless of cost as before.

Many adventurers changed their professions.

However, for those seasoned adventurers who already had Huang Tong or even Steel-tier strength, adapting to a new life was not an easy thing.

The City Defense Commander was stunned for a moment, looking at the Grand Duke in surprise, unable to pick up the conversation for a while.

Clearly, he didn't expect that His Majesty the Grand Duke would actually take this as his own problem and seriously consider those guys who were about to be swept into the trash heap.

Edward put down the rifle in his hand and told the City Defense Commander following behind his thoughts.

"I'm thinking, perhaps our City Defense Army can establish a security team composed of adventurers, specifically to handle crimes related to adventurers."

After a pause, he continued.

"They know their peers well enough, and keeping them in our establishment can also avoid the situation where one day the labyrinth monsters are rampant, but we don't have experts who can be brought out."

Not only that, giving these "freelancers" a stable job to retire could also solve the security problems brought about by the reduction in job opportunities.

They could not only handle crimes related to adventurers, but also engage in previous work. For example, dealing with disasters related to magical beasts, and conducting investigations into the infiltration of demons, etc.

In the past, the Campbell family always entrusted these tasks to the Adventurer Guild controlled by the Church, but in fact, the Church's dominance over the northeast coast of the Vortex Sea was already very small, and the funds of the Adventurer Guild mainly relied on appropriations from the royal family, local nobles, and the parliament.

Since the Church was no longer willing to pay, they could completely marginalize this middleman and let the principality do this thing itself.

Hearing His Majesty the Grand Duke's order, the City Defense Commander immediately straightened his back and saluted.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Just as the two were preparing to move to the next barracks, footsteps suddenly came from outside the barracks.

A guard ran into the tent in a panic, his face pale, as if he had bumped into an undead.

"Your, Your Majesty! Commander! Something big happened! There is a ship flying in the sky outside!"

Edward was stunned when he heard this, and a strange expression appeared on his face.

And the City Defense Commander standing next to him had his face darken directly, staring at the soldier who had lost his composure and scolding him.

"Calm down, Sergeant Hanks! Do you know what you are talking about?"

"I, I am telling the truth!" The soldier was so anxious that he was incoherent, and continued to stutter, "A ship as big as a mountain is floating over the suburbs of Lei Ming City! You'll know if you go out and see!"

"Then let's go and see." Interrupting the City Defense Commander who still wanted to say something, Edward lifted the tent flap of the barracks and strode out the door.

And just as his right foot stepped out of the door, looking at that piece of sky to the north, an expression of astonishment appeared on his face instantly.

That is...

What the hell?!

The "sailing ship" that broke through the clouds was slowly approaching the direction of Lei Ming City, its towering body blocking the sunlight, casting a shadow called shock in everyone's eyes.

At this moment—

The entire military camp was boiling!

Almost all the soldiers cast incredible eyes at the sky, some pious guys even threw away the things in their hands, clasped their hands together to pray, mistaking that exaggerated wingspan for an angel sent by God.

Clearly their eyesight was not very good, and they missed the battle outside Twilight City, and had not seen a real angel.

For those guys who had had enough of the smell of coal ash, they didn't think about angels at all, and instead, more excitement and curiosity flashed in their widened eyes.

"But what the hell is that?"

"Need to ask, it must be a new invention of Lei Ming City University! Except for those guys, who else can tinker with such an exaggerated thing?"

"Saint Xisi above... I didn't expect them to actually fly the ship into the sky!"

"Is there anything they can't do?"

"Praise science! Praise Campbell!"

The soldiers of the City Defense Army were mostly very young.

Although they had not been to university, unknowingly, Lei Ming City University and the "Encyclopedia" had already changed many things in this city.

Facing the unknown, people no longer vented their emotions on the gods at the first time, but instinctively attributed it to the ivory tower that revealed the truth to the world—

It's just that relatively speaking, that ivory tower also had a little less mystery for them.

Perhaps wait for the scholars inside to compile more things that mortal wisdom cannot understand.

Edward's hand instinctively gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, and his hawk-like gaze narrowed slightly.

As a strategist, the first thing he thought of was that there might be weapons on that ship.

After all, it appeared over Lei Ming City suddenly, and it came from the north, so it was difficult for him to assume its goodwill.

"Notify the artillery..."

"Don't be nervous, Your Highness."

A gentle voice sounded beside Edward, like a quiet and peaceful wind, instantly smoothing out the tense air around.

Edward turned his head and found that Prince Kelin had stood beside him at some point, with a refined and gentle smile on his face.

As always, as the strongest mage of the principality, he was always so calm at any time.

"Kelin!" Edward's brows relaxed slightly, a smile appeared on his face, and the sword hilt he had just drawn was pressed back, "You came just in time, it seems you know something about that thing."

"More than just knowing, it is the 'graduation project' of my students," Luo Yan said with a gentle smile on his face, continuing in an appreciative voice, "I am very gratified that they were able to complete this work before leaving the Academy, for me, it can be considered as having no regrets."

"Your... students?!"

Edward looked at this ally whose strength was unfathomable in surprise, and then looked at the "airship" that was enough to be recorded in history, and let out a sincere exclamation.

"You can always surprise me, I thought moving the steam engine to the ground was the limit, I didn't expect you to have quietly conquered the sky with it."

"To be precise, it was my students who conquered it, and everything has just begun," Luo Yan turned his head, his smile revealing confidence, "Believe me, my students will bring you more surprises."

Originally, he planned to move the Science School to the Jiana Continent, but the Campbell people were really too competitive, exceeding his expectations time and time again.

Facts proved that hardworking people could always get the favor of the gods.

If everything relied on "Demon King will take action," the Demon King would probably smile and point that guy to Alakdo's table.

"Hahaha! Then I have to look forward to it!"

Edward let out a hearty laugh, but not long after, realistic problems made him restrain his smile.

"By the way, Kelin, although Lei Ming City has a port, it doesn't have a port for this thing to stop. How do you plan to let your students... come down?"

Luo Yan said with a smile.

"No need to be so troublesome, just a flat and solid open space is enough, and it just happens to let me test how their graduation project is done."

At the beginning, the "Voyager" he took fell to the ground in a very sorry state, I don't know if they solved this problem.

Although Luo Yan had a plan to build an "airport" in Lei Ming City specifically for airship docking and logistics transfer, that was a matter for the future.

Edward's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said immediately.

"Then let's use that wheat field in the north of the city that has just been harvested! The terrain there is wide enough and flat. But from so far away, how should we notify them to land? Do you have a secret code for contact between you?"

"No need to be so troublesome."

Luo Yan smiled slightly, and his figure gradually became illusory.

"Since they are students who have come from afar, let me, as their mentor, go and greet them in person." ===== CHAPTER 578 =====