Thinking carefully, the last time seemed to be the same. Just as the airship took to the skies, the monsters launched a large-scale attack.
These monsters seemed to have a strong reaction to things in the sky?
This was rather strange. They clearly originated from the deep sea, so why would they react to airships? Had they also been attacked by something in the sky before?
Hughes frowned, unable to come up with an answer.
He turned to look at the other airships and suddenly asked, "Are weapons installed on the airships?"
"Some bombs have been loaded. Nini went along because she is the only one who can detonate them," said a few researchers from the Moths Chasing Fire.
Detonating bombs was indeed a major issue. If necessary, they could abandon research on triggered fuses and simply drop explosive packs with fuses, similar to the method used by the Heartless Cannon. That approach might have been outdated in World War II, but in this world, it was already considered advanced.
After all, even the mass production of explosives was not feasible here. Considering Castel’s experience of being besieged by monsters, any Church force sent here would likely pay a huge price, except for Hughes’ own territory.
According to Alexei’s estimates, even the Royal Army of the Empire might struggle to hold the line here.
A researcher from Moths Chasing Fire’s eyes lit up. He immediately picked up paper and pen and started discussing the idea on the spot.
Meanwhile, Nini and Chloe had just ascended when they received Ash’s Mind Link message.
The two immediately changed direction, piloting the airship directly over the battlefield. This was only a test flight, and they carried limited bombs, but it was enough to change the course of battle.
Hughes listened to the distant explosions and observed the real-time battle through the Mind Link, unable to suppress a smile.
Without anti-air firepower, airships were almost game-changing. These massive flying vessels could carry a large number of bombs and slowly drop them from above, yielding astonishing results.
In the future, he could repaint the airships, adding shark eyes and teeth along with extra tail fins. That would be quite something.
Given the nature of this idealistic world, if a weapon looked intimidating enough, its power might actually increase.
On the battlefield near the cathedral, a few bombs were dropped, silencing the entire area. Soldiers peeked out from cover and cheered at the airship above.
Alexei looked at the massive structure slowly moving through the sky and sighed softly.
It had only been a year or two since he graduated from the Royal Army Academy, yet the battlefield had already become unrecognizable to him.
Chloe, still unsatisfied, noted that there were still some bombs left on board. However, the monsters on the battlefield had already retreated, so she had no choice but to steer the airship toward more distant targets.
As they circled the island, Chloe’s smile gradually faded. Beside her, Nini wore a serious expression, constantly relaying images through the Mind Link.
"Lord, those monsters seem to be gathering their numbers for a major assault."
Hughes also noticed the dense swarms of monsters on the island. The attacks in recent days had been infrequent, and fewer monsters had been charging forward.
He had initially thought something had changed in the ocean or that the monsters had gone to attack other islands or lands. But he hadn’t expected that they were actually stockpiling forces.
One or two Arm Monsters posed no threat—Holy Guards could easily handle them. But if there were more than ten, machine guns would be necessary.
If there were a hundred, even if the Banshee squads carried steam rifles, defending the position would be difficult. The monsters would likely break through the fortifications. While it was unclear if these creatures could destroy reinforced concrete, they would still be a major headache.
The fortifications had designated firing angles, so if monsters reached the frontlines, shooting them would be difficult, requiring the Banshees to engage directly.
Chloe and Nini saw nearly a thousand Arm Monsters, with countless murlocs swarming the land like an endless tide.
That number was staggering.
Chloe maneuvered the airship over the gathering Arm Monsters, pulled the lever, and accelerated the propellers. Soon, they had gained more altitude.
She had learned from experience—bombing from a higher altitude reduced the risk of bomb fragments and shockwaves damaging the airship.
The Arm Monsters on the ground remained unaware. Some murlocs raised their heads, looking at the airship in the sky.
Soon, several small black dots fell from above, accompanied by sharp whistles.
These were modified bombs, equipped with tail fins to prevent tumbling and stabilize their trajectory, allowing for precise high-altitude drops.
Nini carefully calculated the distance and detonated the bombs just above the monsters.
Airburst explosions were far more lethal to personnel than ground detonations—something Hughes had told Nini. After testing, she found it to be true.
She could precisely detonate bombs, so she always opted for this method to maximize casualties among the monsters.
Orange fireballs bloomed on the ground, tearing numerous monsters into pieces, which soon dissolved into contamination.
Chloe had already used self-binding to zoom in and observe the monsters closely.
Near the corpses of the bombed monsters, many others remained standing. They still gazed at the sky with indifferent eyes, making no attempt to evade.
Chloe frowned. These monsters gave her an inexplicable sense of abnormality.
At first, they resembled living creatures. When attacked, they would grow enraged, and if too many were killed, they would feel fear and flee.
But now, these monsters seemed more like cold machines, executing the command to "attack." Their gazes held neither anger nor fear—only an icy focus, as if looking at a reef destined to be swallowed by the tide.
She had a growing suspicion that these monsters were changing—rapidly.
After circling the island a few times, Chloe piloted the airship back. The results matched her expectations—Clamorer had barely consumed any fuel. If they removed the bombs and loaded supplies instead, the airship could easily reach the mainland.
"How was it?" Hughes asked as he opened the hatch for Chloe.
"Quite impressive. You were right. The airship is indeed revolutionary, whether for warfare or exploration."
"For the next few days, make routine flights and drop more bombs to weaken the monsters and gain experience. Once the remaining airships are completed, we’ll begin exploring Gem Bay."
Hughes looked southeast—the direction of Gem Bay, the old stronghold of the pirates.