As Wawa let out a splash and slid into the water, retracting the tentacles beneath its hull, a small galleon appeared before Ian.
This was a single-deck, three-masted galleon, 23.2 meters long, 6.1 meters wide, with a draft of 2.9 meters and a weight of 150 tons. Apart from the bare masts, which lacked sails, it looked like a galleon with a slightly modified design.
Of course, this was only Wawa's temporary form, meant to fool anyone watching. Once Ian grew stronger, he would definitely develop it into an ironclad battleship.
Galleons were the most common type of ship on the Sea of Miracles. They had lower forecastles and quarterdecks, built into the hull to reduce wind resistance and minimize their effect on the ship's balance.
Galleons had several full-length decks divided into different sections, with storage on the lower levels and living quarters above. Cannons were installed along both sides of each deck. Heavy cannons went on the lower decks, while lighter ones were placed above. Usually, a few rapid-fire cannons were also mounted on the forecastle and quarterdeck, making it easier to fire on an enemy while giving chase or fleeing.
Ian sprang up and vaulted onto the deck, excitedly inspecting his battleship.
Judging by the hull, Wawa was still only a small galleon, but it had two decks, and the forecastle and quarterdeck each rose a level above the upper deck.
The upper deck, or main deck, was open to the sky except for the forecastle and quarterdeck. Cannons could be mounted along both sides, and the deck was also where the crew spent most of their time.
The space between the two decks, as well as the space between the lower deck and the keel, was divided into two levels. The upper level was partitioned into crew cabins, a dining room, and other areas. The lower level, uneven in height because of the keel, served as the cargo hold.
The raised level of the quarterdeck contained the captain's cabin. Above it was an open platform that wrapped around the stern, which could serve as a lookout.
But these were only the spaces Wawa had on the surface.
Ian entered the empty captain's cabin and gently pushed against the wall. A doorway suddenly appeared and opened. As he stepped through, it quickly closed and vanished behind him.
The space beyond was wide and bright, a square area twenty meters across and three meters high. With no furnishings or partitions, it felt vast and empty.
The light came from the ceiling and walls, which glowed with a soft radiance. It wasn't harsh at all, and the whole space was as bright as day.
This was a mysterious space that came with Wawa. It was anchored inside Wawa's body and would continue to grow along with Wawa until it reached its final size upon entering maturity.
The owner could freely control the space, dividing it into multiple rooms and rearranging the layout, but its total size could not change.
Ian waved a hand, and the light source and walls around the space "disappeared." He seemed to be standing in midair above the sea. In the night, everything on the water came into view, and he could even hear the howling sea wind. He couldn't feel the wind or smell the brine, but otherwise it was just like being out on the sea.
This was an ability of the Mysterious Shack. It could project the outside world into the space, so its owner wouldn't be left blind after coming inside.
Ian couldn't have been more satisfied. He would have to plan carefully how to use the space.
First, he had Wawa partition off a lounge, a bathroom, an alchemy room, and a storage room. He could adjust things later as needed.
Ian stepped outside and examined the rudder, propeller, and Wave Pressure Plate Wawa had created. They looked pretty convincing.
But Ian had only ever seen such things; he wasn't an expert. Wawa would have to keep making adjustments and improvements based on its experience at sea.
It was worth noting that Wawa had no helm, nor did it need one. Wawa itself was the battleship. It could obey Ian's orders or steer itself, and with its ability to learn, it would be a better helmsman than the finest sailor.
Under Ian's spiritual command, the propeller spun rapidly, throwing up a great spray as it drove the battleship swiftly out toward the open sea.
Ian stood on the upper platform of the quarterdeck, the fierce sea wind rushing against him. With the vast sky above and the open ocean all around, he felt a rush of freedom and exhilaration.
The battleship was fast. Since there was no log line to measure its speed, and Wawa had never been to sea before, it had no sense of how fast it was going. Ian didn't know the exact speed either, but judging by what he sensed through their spiritual connection, it was probably over ten knots. And that was without sails, sailing into the wind!
With their sails raised, galleons were fastest when sailing into the wind, but they rarely exceeded ten knots. When the wind was weak, three or four knots was normal.
Just in terms of speed, Wawa had already surpassed the vast majority of sailing ships without Extraordinary power to aid them—and this was nowhere near its limit!
Besides being fast, Wawa's body was sturdy and heavy, its defenses far beyond those of ordinary wooden warships. Its silver-gray hull was very smooth, with an incline of about twenty degrees that could deflect cannonballs.
Wawa's tentacles would gradually recede, forming a more solid hull, anchor, propeller, rudder, and other parts. Any of these could regenerate if damaged.
As far as Ian was concerned, Wawa had almost no shortcomings, aside from being a little too heavy and having limited cargo capacity.
With no lights showing, the battleship made a circuit like a ghost ship, then quietly sailed back beneath the cliff by the tower.
Ian returned to shore, his face alight with excitement. At last, he could begin his voyage.
He had Wawa remain in its battleship form by the shore. It was now too large to move about freely. For one thing, he didn't want to attract the attention of anyone with ulterior motives. For another, as Wawa grew, its tentacles would keep regressing until they disappeared. The battleship would be its normal form from then on.
Early the next morning, Ian finished meditating and found Milta pacing back and forth by the sea cliff, looking thoroughly worked up, with two dark circles under his eyes.
When Milta had returned to his room the night before, his fear had gradually faded. Once he'd regained his composure, though, he'd grown more and more excited. So Mr. Trist's ship was a miraculous creature!
The thought of traveling with a powerful miraculous creature for a long time did make Milta a little apprehensive, but he was even more excited.
A powerful captain and a powerful warship were what it took to make one's way across the Sea of Miracles.
Ian took the nervous Milta along the cliffside path to Wawa, told the two of them to get along, then left for the Alchemist Fellowship.
Now that he had a battleship, he still needed cannons!
Being able to run wasn't enough; he needed to be able to fight too. Playing it safe wasn't Ian's style.
Besides, Ian had a bold idea. Could he mount Alchemy Cannons on the ship? Even one or two would do.
Wawa's hull was sturdy and heavy. Could it withstand the recoil of Alchemy Cannons?
As for gunners, he didn't have any people—but he did have an Activated Rope!
It had long range and was fast, making Kite Tactics perfect for it.
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