The White Wolf's fingertips brushed over the instruments inside the cabin, gripping the steering wheel, caressing everything else, her expression relaxing, looking as if her temperament had completely changed.
All along, Li Ang felt she was generally restrained and deep, and sometimes a bit obsessive.
The only time she was different was when she returned to her studio.
But at this moment, her sense of ease and relaxation was even stronger than in the studio.
As she inspected the Flying Airship, the big fluffy white tail behind her swayed from side to side, much like a happy house dog.
Andasu sat down in the seat, with her big tail extending from the space left below the backrest.
She gently patted the seat behind her, "Come sit here."
As previously agreed, after retrieving the Howling Wolf, she would take Li Ang for a round flight over the Flashing Field, so he climbed into the cabin and sat down.
Zoe and ALulu also jumped onto the trailer, gathering at the edge of the cockpit.
Judging by their lively gazes, they were quite interested in this Flying Airship.
As for Dorothy, she couldn't be bothered to climb up and just looked up from below.
"Are we taking off now?" Zoe asked.
Andasu glanced at her, then looked at Li Ang, saying, "Before the official race, we need to test if it can operate normally."
As she spoke, she switched on each instrument on the control panel.
"Is it okay? It won't fall, right?" Zoe skeptically asked.
The White Wolf let out a slight snort, completely ignoring her, which made Zoe so angry she clenched her teeth and grabbed the edge of the cabin.
The Sandstorm Lioness also came over and leaned forward, saying, "An, are you landing at the usual spot?"
Andasu nodded, and Penny said, "Then you fly over, I'll take the girls there."
Li Ang nodded at her and Zoe, "Alright then, I'll take her airship first."
Zoe pouted and said to Andasu, "Don't let Li Ang have any accidents."
"He won't," Li Ang said, "I'm not some fragile kid."
"Rest assured," Andasu said calmly.
After the others retreated, Andasu started the engine.
With a bit of thrust appearing, the Howling Wolf, already equipped with a hovercraft, gradually floated up thanks to the buoyancy.
Li Ang sat in the back row, watching Andasu's focused operation, recalling all the tasks pilots must do.
"Did you do the pre-flight checks?" he asked.
"Nothing outside has been tampered with, but even if they tried, they wouldn't have the ability," Andasu said.
She further explained that by "they," she referred to people under the Platinum King, and because the White Wolf needed to win, this airship was mostly not parked at her place outside of renovation and repair times, and it was supervised by the people of the Platinum King.
"The engine, electric power, and fuel systems are all normal. Exterior, undamaged.
"Checked the minimum equipment requirements, hovercraft structure intact.
"Fuel is at a safe level.
"Please sit tight, fasten your seat belts securely.
"Wind speed and direction are confirmed; about to take off."
Andasu reported each item.
Hearing the keyword, seat belts, Li Ang paused for a moment but ultimately fastened his seat belt securely.
However, he wanted to ask why Andasu's seat belt seemed to have an extensible design when she fastened it?
Before he could voice it, he suddenly felt a violent jerk backward, his body momentarily out of control.
When he came back to his senses, he realized he had been slammed against the backrest due to the sudden acceleration of the Flying Airship.
The engine roared violently in his ears, with gale-force winds rushing into the cockpit Andasu hadn't closed, blowing Li Ang's hair wild.
The scene outside the cabin changed instantly, and from a backward-tilted view, no stone structures of the Dueling Arena could be seen—only the clear blue sky.
It was like he had been suddenly hurled into the sky.
His entire body was pressed firmly against the chair back, and the Howling Wolf completed its transition from stagnation to acceleration in a very short period, shooting out from the Flowing silver Arena.
After a few seconds of slight adjustment, Li Ang realized he had just heard the astonished cries of the Dueling Arena spectators and the commentator's scolding, "The Platinum Ace is too outrageous! How could they start racing in the arena?"
"Can you slow down! And close the cockpit!"
Facing the strong wind, Li Ang almost roared at the White Wolf.
Andasu seemed to have become a different person; her joyful howls filled the air. When the Howling Wolf reached the peak, she made a sudden dive, tossing Li Ang around the entire time.
"Haha!"
At this moment, she seemed to have shed all restraints, and her heroic voice burst into unrestrained laughter.
But Li Ang was in distress.
High-tier Sky Knights do experience high-speed combat.
But that speed is usually about attack speed, and when it comes to movement speed, it might involve riding Magical Beasts or using equipment to sprint, but the experience is different from completely entrusting oneself to a vehicle as he was now.
When he entered high speed on his own, his body could anticipate it. But this was different, and the racing boat in Andasu's hands unleashed an incredible speed.
Even though he used Magic Power to shape a ring of Air Shield under Spirituality, ensuring he wouldn't get hurt, the sense of weightlessness due to the up-and-down flying still put Li Ang through some hardship.
He initially wanted to experience what it felt like to ride in a racing airship, but now he could only give it a zero score! No, negative!
When she officially joins the group, he definitely won't take any small boat she pilots!
Wait, he was planning to entrust the future big ship to her too...
But that's a large Flying Airship; it shouldn't be the same, right...
Although high-tier Combat Boats have high mobility due to material reinforcement and engine enhancements, allowing them to chase and dodge super-strong Magical Beasts in the air.
It shouldn't be that bad.