Inside Balin's forge workshop.
When the custom vehicle Lin Gui ordered was slowly rolled out of the warehouse, everyone froze in astonishment.
Because its appearance... was simply too bizarre.
Overall, it resembled a long, narrow boat.
However, it had various parts along both sides, the stern, and even the top of the hull.
Twelve pairs of metal wings were densely packed and attached to it.
The wings came in various shapes; some were broad like gliders, while others were slender and sharp like blades.
Layered over one another, they folded tightly against the hull, making the entire vessel look like a curled-up, metallic monstrous bird.
The hull was extremely narrow, less than a single person's width, and its length could barely accommodate three people.
There was absolutely no extra space to store cargo.
The entire hull was forged from a matte, dark-gray alloy, completely devoid of any decoration.
At the stern, a prominent cylindrical structure was embedded.
It had a large caliber, and its surface was engraved with complex flow-guiding runes.
That was the muzzle of the wind pressure cannon.
Theia walked around the small vessel, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow.
Suddenly, she reached out, grabbed the gunwale with one hand, and effortlessly lifted the entire vessel off the ground.
“So light?!”
She set the vessel down in surprise and clapped her hands.
She estimated its weight to be less than two hundred kilograms.
“Is this it?”
Theia's voice was full of skepticism.
“This thing... I feel like I could nail one together myself out of wood.”
“Except for this muzzle on its rear, which looks somewhat impressive.”
Standing nearby, Grom could not help but lean in closer.
Compared to a complete novice like Theia, he could see the intricate details.
The flying vessel was undoubtedly made of the finest steel.
But... this construction.
He touched the cold metal wings.
“Aren't there... a few too many wings attached?”
“And this vessel is way too small. It won't be able to carry much cargo.”
“Besides, why don't I see any concealment runes?”
Balin crossed his arms, his face also filled with frustration.
He was supposed to show off his grand skills to the human kid.
To forge a top-tier vehicle comparable to the airships of the City of a Thousand Towers.
According to his original vision, its size should have been at least equivalent to a single car of a Wheelless Train.
But who could have known what would happen once Lin Gui actually joined the tuning process.
All of his designs were completely derailed.
In the end, they had cobbled together this tiny little thing.
Originally, Lin Gui had requested it to be 'small,' but this was ridiculously small!
The most absurd part was how Lin Gui controlled the size and weight.
He had strongly insisted on removing all the space-consuming concealment rune devices.
This feature was considered the most vital for any vehicle crossing the wilderness.
Yet, it was simply discarded by Lin Gui just like that.
After tapping around and inspecting the vessel, Grom finally could not help but whisper into Balin's ear:
“Boss, you aren't ripping off the kid Lin Gui, are you? None of the heavy, essential components were added.”
Balin replied speechlessly:
“Do you think I didn't want to add them? I damn well did, but that brain-dead kid insisted I strip them off!”
Grom was dumbfounded.
“Why??”
“Because they would add weight to the vehicle, which would slow down the speed driven by the wind pressure cannon at the back.”
Balin looked at Lin Gui, who was closely examining the flying vessel, and said:
“What he wants isn't a conventional vehicle at all, but a carriage that can speed recklessly through the wilderness.”
“Speeding through the wilderness? He's insane! Sure, having a wind pressure cannon driving him from behind is fast, but if he crashes straight into an Epic-level demon, he'll still end up dead.”
Grom was utterly baffled.
“You have to realize, this flying vessel doesn't have any concealment runes protecting it!”
For this question, Balin was also very curious.
As an Epic Rank expert, he knew the various dangers of the Akara wilderness all too well.
He also knew that doing this was practically playing with one's life.
Yet, Lin Gui had still done it.
Setting safety aside for a moment, even the sheer lack of space puzzled Balin greatly.
That tiny flying vessel could barely seat three people.
Even if the kid was only delivering mail.
Where would he store overnight supplies and materials to mask his trail in the wilderness?
For one, what about that wooden box that had been floating right behind him the past few days?
Where was he going to put it? Was he planning to sell it all?
Or did he intend to let the wooden box float behind the flying vessel again?
The moment the flying vessel accelerated, the wooden box would probably be left far behind.
In short, the creator of this vehicle—Fortress Lord Balin—was even more perplexed than Theia and the others.
Only Lin Gui, who had made the requests and brought this flying vessel into existence, knew the reasoning behind it.
Why it had to be designed this way.
Storing supplies would not be an issue once he completed his long-term commission.
As for concealment, the flying vessel's extreme speed and the masking effect of the Shroud of the Gloomy Night provided the solution.
Lin Gui had some confidence in flying right over the heads of Epic Rank demons.
Therefore, Lin Gui's only requirement for the vehicle was absolute speed.
Along with the maneuverability to perfectly complement his Levitation spell.
Lin Gui stepped onto the flying vessel.
The hull was narrow, so he had to turn sideways to sit inside.
Where his feet rested were two shallow grooves lined with anti-slip patterns.
Standing in front of him was a short pillar topped with a transparent crystal.
its shaft covered in dense adjustment runes.
To his right was a strange steering wheel.
It was not round but polygonal, with each corner corresponding to a different configuration of the wings.
The foot controls were even more complex, with three pedals on both the left and right.
each controlling the retraction, extension, and deflection of different wings.
The entire vessel was so small it felt custom-tailored for him alone.
Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, his mana surged slightly.
Levitation activated silently.
The flying vessel quietly lifted off the ground, hovering at a height of half a foot, incredibly stable.
Seeing this, Balin pulled the iron chain by the wall.
The heavy metal doors of the forge workshop slid open slowly.
Outside, the layered cavernous sights of Shield City were fully revealed.
Intersecting tunnels stretched out, and lights twinkled like stars.
Seeing that Lin Gui intended to test fly it directly inside the city.
Grom's expression changed, and he rushed forward.
“Wait! Even though the city is spacious—”
“your vessel has a wind pressure cannon!”
Grom's voice was frantic.
As a high-ranking dwarf, he knew all too well how powerful the thrust of that thing was.
To put it simply, it could blast a dwarf a thousand meters into the air.
Grom estimated that the moment Lin Gui pressed the magic crystal to activate the wind pressure.
he would crash headfirst into the opposite rock wall before he could even react.
And that opposite rock wall was at least ten kilometers away.
However, Balin raised a hand to stop him.
“Don't panic.”
He stared at Lin Gui's hands as they operated the controls, murmuring:
“Haven't you noticed?”
“He didn't even chant, yet Levitation was activated.”
Looking at Lin Gui on the flying vessel, Balin's eyes were filled with wonder.
Having read Freya's letter, he knew that this mere High Rank mage was capable of chantless casting for Levitation.
But seeing it with his own eyes still made him marvel.
This little trick of his was something even the Wind Tower's Tower Master could not achieve.
Considering he was not even thirty, that old geezer would probably be driven to an early grave by pure rage if he found out.
That old mage had taken up residence in the Wind Tower because he 'improved' Levitation.
He believed himself to be the absolute authority in this field of magic.
He probably could not have imagined from ten thousand miles away.
that a young mage had surpassed him in this regard.
In fact, he had left him miles behind.
Hearing Balin's words, Grom suddenly snapped out of his daze.
That's right!
As a mage, where was the kid Lin Gui's chanting when he activated the magic?
Rate on N.U.
