Battleship

Eastsea Academy, Girls' Dormitory, Building 1, Room 105, District E.

The noon sunlight streamed through the spotless glass windows, casting bright patches across the pale floor. Na'er had already changed into the blue-and-white academy uniform, tidied her desk and bed, and was preparing to head to the cafeteria for lunch. She looked toward the bed by the opposite window. The silver-haired girl was still maintaining the same posture she had been in when Na'er left that morning—or rather, she had become even more "excessive."

Gu Yue had changed out of her practical casual clothes and was now wearing a loose, deep-purple silk pajama set printed with cartoon dragon patterns. Na'er thought the pattern looked a little like a chibi Di Tian. With absolutely no regard for her image, Gu Yue lay sprawled across the bed in a starfish position, tightly hugging a fluffy down comforter as if it were her closest comrade. Her Soul Tool phone was mounted on a stand before her face, while both thumbs flew across the screen like lightning. The dazzling effects of Containment Records flickered across her focused face, which occasionally frowned and occasionally broke into a silent, foolish grin. A few strands of silver hair clung stubbornly to her forehead, but she could not be bothered to brush them aside.

"Gu Yue," Na'er could not help saying, "it's already noon. Aren't you going to eat lunch?" It was difficult for her to connect the pajama-clad shut-in before her with the imposing, then later utterly haggard Silver Dragon King from the seashore two months ago.

At that, Gu Yue did not even lift her eyes. She merely drawled lazily, "Ah—bring me a serving when you come back, thanks~ Anything is fine. As long as I don't starve to death." She even rubbed her cheek against the soft comforter and let out a comfortable sigh, her fingers never stopping. Clearly, she was in the middle of a crucial match.

"Huh?" Na'er was genuinely dumbfounded now and even instinctively took half a step back. The contrast was way too great! Could the pressure have been too much, or had something gone wrong with her cultivation, causing her to... split off some strange "sloth personality" again?

Perhaps sensing Na'er's hesitation and that barely perceptible trace of fear, Gu Yue finally spared a few seconds to look away from the screen and glance at her. Her gaze held a hint of teasing, along with the broad-minded ease of someone who had figured things out. "Don't worry, I haven't gone crazy, and I haven't split apart," she explained lightly. "It's just that my master, Leng Yaozhu, saw how tightly wound I'd been lately. She said that if I kept it up, even my Elemental Control would go wrong, so she ordered me to relax for a while and rediscover my 'true heart.' Then..."

She shifted into a more comfortable position on her side, propping up her head with one hand while operating the game with the other. In a tone as casual as if she were discussing the weather, she said, "After lying here and thinking carefully, Shrek and the Spirit Pagoda... aren't they really just a matter of one sentence from Huo Yuhao? If he wanted to, he could just show his face at Shrek's Sea God Pavilion or the Spirit Pagoda headquarters and make his stance known. His influence would probably be greater than what I could achieve after struggling upward for decades. So what was I agonizing over before? Why wear myself out like that? For what?"

Na'er: "..."

She had no answer to that. Though something felt off, it also seemed... kind of reasonable?

"But don't think I've completely given up." Gu Yue changed the subject. Her fingers swiped out a beautiful combo that ended the match, and only then did she set down her phone with satisfaction and stretch lazily. The hem of her pajama top lifted slightly, revealing a section of fair, slender waist. "I'm still studying all that political and economic stuff, and I've already gained a little say in some technical committees and external cooperation projects within the Spirit Pagoda. It's just..." A sly, expectant glint flashed through her eyes. "If I really want to shift the balance, I'll have to wait for Dark-Gold Heavy Industries to fly a little higher. Hehe."

She suddenly seemed to remember something and pulled a card with a faint blue metallic sheen from beneath her pillow. Without even looking at it, she tossed it toward Na'er. "Here, take this. There's credit on it. Buy a few extra portions and stock up on them for snacks or late-night meals. You can use it for whatever you want to eat too. My treat." It was an allowance card for senior technical personnel within the Spirit Pagoda, with considerable authority and a generous limit.

Na'er caught the card in a fluster, its surface cool to the touch. She was more concerned about Gu Yue's earlier words. "You... you're planning to expand into maritime business? Dealing with sea soul beasts won't be easy. They..."

"The sea?" Gu Yue snorted, picking up her phone again. As she logged in, she answered absentmindedly, "Your vision is too narrow. I'm not messing around with the sea." She put on her Soul Tool headphones and, before the deafening game effects drowned her out, tossed out one last earth-shaking statement:

"I'm going to—ascend to the heavens."

With that, she immersed herself in the world of Containment Records once more. Her fingers flew, and she began muttering skill names again, things like Elemental Burst and Meteor Fall, as if that grand declaration had merely been a casual weather forecast.

Holding the blue card, Na'er stood there and stared at this Silver Dragon King who was "addicted to games and claiming she wanted to ascend to the heavens." She felt that her worldview had suffered another subtle shock. Shaking her head, she decided not to think too deeply about it for now. Filling her stomach was more practical.

Meanwhile, in the distant outskirts of Eastsea City, within a massive valley concealed beneath layers of Soul Tool barriers and illusion camouflage arrays.

This was the highest-security research and testing ground of Dark-Gold Heavy Industries. At that moment, the colossal object parked in the center made everyone who saw it catch their breath.

It was a battleship. Yet its scale vastly exceeded that of any known civilian or non-top-tier military aircraft on the Douluo Continent.

It was nearly three hundred meters long, its entire body a deep dark-gold. That was not paint, but the intrinsic luster of the metal itself after special forging and energy infusion. The streamlined hull was incomparably smooth, like a dormant metal whale, or an elongated dragon fang brimming with power. Its prow was sharp and slightly upturned, while long, powerful wing-like structures extended backward from both sides. They were not intended for atmospheric flight, but for energy conduction and spatial stability adjustment. The surface of the vessel was covered in dense, orderly scale-like patterns. These were not decorations, but the external manifestation of Soul Tool arrays that enhanced defense and energy flow.

Even sitting motionless, it radiated a suffocating pressure. It was the natural majesty produced by the combination of size, mass, and highly condensed cutting-edge technology. Special ultra-high-intensity illumination Soul Tools within the valley cast light over its smooth hull, reflecting a cold and mysterious gleam.

"So? Huo Yuhao, isn't it awesome?" The Dark-Gold Dragon King, Dark Gold, stood on a platform before the battleship with his arms folded and chin slightly raised, his face openly filled with pride and satisfaction. Today, he wore a neat dark-gray engineer's uniform, still marked with traces of metal dust and energy dye.

Huo Yuhao looked up at the massive vessel. Light swirled within his Spirit Eyes, allowing him to "see" the astonishingly complex and precise energy circuits, structural supports, and seamless connections between every system within the hull. He slowly nodded, his voice full of sincere admiration. "Remarkable. This has already gone beyond the scope of a simple transportation tool. It's more like a... mobile war fortress and scientific research outpost. The overall energy fluctuations are stable and restrained, and the pre-start resonance of the propulsion system is nearly perfect."

"Ha! Of course!" Dark Gold grew even prouder. "The preliminary ground levitation and low-power propulsion tests have all passed. There hasn't been any structural vibration at all. But the sealing and energy shielding in certain internal areas still have a 0.3 percent residual fluctuation, so they need further adjustment." He rubbed his hands together, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Now we just don't know whether it can really break through 'that layer' and fly to the place we want to see."

"Impressive." Standing beside Huo Yuhao, the Golden Dragon King, Jin, had unusually put away his carefree expression. With his arms crossed, he stared upward, mouth slightly open. After standing stunned for several seconds, he finally raised a thumb and offered that brief assessment. He could sense that Dark Gold's toughness, ferocity, and a trace of the Dragon God clan's unique affinity for laws had been fused into the battleship's metal shell.

"Hahaha, eighty percent of the core architecture for the air circulation and internal ecological maintenance systems was handled by my team!" The Myriad Demon King stroked his chin. Today, he had taken the form of a refined middle-aged scholar wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and his tone brimmed with confidence. The system he led ingeniously combined various rare purifying plants, Soul Tool filters, and elemental conversion arrays, simulating an almost natural ecological cycle inside the battleship. Its theoretical air purification efficiency reached as high as ninety-two percent, and it could continuously convert and supply breathable gases.

"It's mainly because this is our first attempt at something on this scale in outer space, meaning beyond the atmosphere. The propulsion system and primary protective shield take up too much power allocation, squeezing out part of the internal space," Dark Gold added, though there was no dissatisfaction in his tone. "It's our first time, after all. Safety comes first. We need plenty of redundancy."

"Mm-hm!" Bear Lord, who stood over two and a half meters tall like an iron tower and remained in a semi-bestial form for the convenience of showing off his strength, pounded his thick chest with a fist, producing a dull boom. "I put plenty of work into the main alloy framework of the outer shell, as well as the additional layered armor in key areas! The alloy was forged with my origin demon power and several extreme earth-element materials. Its resistance to pressure, extreme temperatures, and energy impacts is guaranteed to let this thing move through those messy asteroid belts as comfortably as if it were home!" The sound of him slapping the battleship's hull was like striking a giant bell, displaying its astonishing sturdiness.

"The main internal operation platforms, command seats, life-support interfaces, and certain movable structures were handled by the Deep Space Dragon Domain team under my lead." Di Tian was concise as always. Dressed in fitted black clothes, he carried a calm and steady demeanor. When it came to precision machinery and user-friendly interaction design, he truly had his own unique strengths.

"Hehe, and me too!" Demon Spirit drifted forward like a happy butterfly and pointed at several inconspicuous areas along the battleship's side, where faint streams of data light flowed. "The main navigation control system, the fire-control calculation core—if we need it in the future—the Soul Tool network monitoring the entire ship's status, and the underlying programming for all those automated doors, lights, and environmental controls were all solutions provided by my Demon Spirit Gameworks! I guarantee they react even faster than the Spirit Pagoda's main control tower spirit!" Her little face was filled with pride.

"As for the three of us," Scarlet King said through his middle head. Today, he had transformed into a capable-looking, well-dressed three-eyed middle-aged man, while the phantom images of his other two heads flickered behind his shoulders. Bi Ji, in a gentle green dress, and Zi Ji, in a seductive purple dress, stood at his sides. "We were mainly responsible for securing the money, material channels, and the most troublesome parts—political approval and the secrecy of this testing ground." His tone carried both helplessness and accomplishment. "It's impossible to secretly test something this huge while completely hiding it from the Federation and the major powers. Thanks to the connections and 'influence' we've built in our respective fields, we barely managed to cordon this place off and register it as a 'new Soul Tool Agricultural Meteorological Research Platform' and a 'high-end materials extreme-environment testing center'... Though I doubt the people above completely believed it, as long as the paperwork is in order, they can't be bothered to investigate too deeply for now. The 'sponsorship fees' and 'technology-sharing commitments' we offered are attractive enough."

Bi Ji and Zi Ji smiled and nodded as well. One relied on Emerald Court's close connections with the noble class, while the other drew upon Violet Dragon Pavilion's immense influence in entertainment and fashion. They had indeed cleared away many potential obstacles for the project and brought in quite a few "strategic investors."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Jin finally could not hold back any longer. He lowered his crossed arms and spread his hands dramatically, his face practically screaming speechless as his gaze swept across the soul beasts and Huo Yuhao. "So after all this, everyone put in major work on this cool project, and everyone has brilliant achievements to brag about—except! The! Two! Of! Us! We're just here to watch the show?" He emphasized "the two of us," trying to pull Huo Yuhao into an alliance.

Huo Yuhao rubbed his nose and said nothing, though amusement filled his eyes.

"Who says that?" Dark Gold jumped down from the platform, strode over to Huo Yuhao, and forcefully slapped him on the shoulder, making Huo Yuhao grimace. Then he turned to Jin with a smile that said we've been waiting for you. "We still need one absolutely crucial role—a god."

He pointed at the towering battleship. "Without God Rank spiritual power as a remote navigation beacon, and without a God Rank being's keen perception and ability to intervene in spatial fluctuations, it'll be easy for this thing to fly out. But finding stable coordinates in the vast, dangerous reaches of outer space and returning safely afterward? We'd be completely blind. We need a safety rope that can catch us at a critical moment."

"And you, my dear Golden Dragon King," Dark Gold continued, walking over to Jin and throwing an arm around his neck like they were brothers. It took some effort, since Jin was taller than him. His tone became deeply persuasive. "You're not only a god, but also the one among us with the thickest skin, the greatest endurance, and theoretically the lowest chance of getting killed by an accident! Look at those engines. What if they overload and explode?" He pointed at the massive exhaust ports at the rear of the battleship.

"You mean—" Jin's eyes slowly widened. He shook free of Dark Gold's arm, took a step back, and pointed at his own nose, his voice jumping an octave. "You want me to be the test pilot?! The kind of disposable test pilot specifically responsible for taking explosions?! Oh, my dear boss lady!" His final line was shouted at the snickering Demon Spirit.

"Uncle Jin~" Demon Spirit immediately put on her sweetest smile, bouncing over to grab his arm and shake it. "How can you call yourself disposable? You're the strongest~ most~ powerful~ dragon king here! If this ship really explodes, our little bodies would definitely be reduced to ash in an instant. But you're different! You just stand there with divine light protecting you, invulnerable to all laws. A tiny explosion definitely won't even scratch one of your dragon scales!" She blinked her big eyes, sounding utterly sincere.

"Exactly!" Bear Lord immediately chimed in gruffly. "Boss Jin, that body of yours—this old bear could pound on it with all his strength for half a day and you wouldn't even sway! What the hell is an explosion?"

"Brother Jin's strength is beyond question. No one is more suitable for this test flight. The safety factor will be highest with you." Di Tian nodded solemnly.

"With the Golden Dragon King presiding over this, the success rate of the experiment will increase by at least seventy percent." The Myriad Demon King pushed up his glasses, expressing the same sentiment in academic language.

Bi Ji said gently, "Jin, please. Only you can truly put all of us at ease."

Zi Ji gave him a flirtatious look. "Handsome, it's time to show your true masculine spirit."

All three of Scarlet King's faces wore earnest expressions at once. "Brother Jin, think of the greater good!"

Even Huo Yuhao suppressed a laugh and patted Jin on the shoulder. "The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. Jin, we're counting on you."

Jin was drowned beneath that barrage of flattery, pleading, and moral coercion. Listening to exaggerated praise such as "one punch can shatter stars," "his aura intimidates the Void," and "the immortal, indestructible Dragon God body," he suddenly felt an intensely ridiculous sense of familiarity.

Wasn't this feeling exactly the same as when he used to make a racket, sing, and cause trouble all day in Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit, leaving Huo Yuhao with no peace, and Huo Yuhao and Demon Spirit had tried every possible way to placate him and find something for him to do?!

What goes around comes around!

"Stop! Stop, stop, stop!" Jin raised both hands in surrender, wearing an expression of fine, I give up. "Alright, alright, I'll go! I'll go, okay?! You bastards... you win!" He understood now. This group of soul beasts, including Huo Yuhao, had dug this pit long ago and waited for him to jump in. There was no escaping the job of test pilot and "human insurance policy."

"But!" He abruptly changed course, extending one hand with his palm up and revealing a crafty smile. "I have a condition!"

The soul beasts and Huo Yuhao exchanged glances and said in unison, "Say it!"

Jin cleared his throat and raised his head. One hand went into his pocket while the other stretched straight out, his thumb and forefinger rubbing together in the classic gesture for asking for money. "Give me one of Dark-Gold Heavy Industries' top-tier black cards! The kind with no spending limit, priority for all services, and the ability to call up the newest rides anytime!"

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Then...

"Here." Di Tian expressionlessly pulled out a black card with dark-gold Dragon Runes along its edges and an unusual material, placing it in Jin's hand.

"Here, you can borrow mine too for now." Zi Ji smilingly handed over another.

"My card's authorization is decent. Take it." Scarlet King was equally generous.

Bi Ji, the Myriad Demon King, Bear Lord, and even Demon Spirit all smilingly pulled out similar black cards. In an instant, the hand Jin had extended was stacked with a thick pile of at least seven or eight black cards representing the highest status and privileges!

Every one of those cards would have caused a sensation in the outside world, symbolizing the highest level of friendship and recognition from Dark-Gold Heavy Industries and the alliance behind it. Yet now, they were casually piled into Jin's hand like playing cards.

Jin looked at the heavy, cold stack of black cards in his hand, then looked up at the obviously suppressed laughter behind the "sincere" expressions of the soul beasts around him. At last, he understood—they had prepared this in advance! They had been waiting for him to ask! They did not care whether they gave him cards or not. They were enjoying the process of coaxing him aboard!

"You—guys—!" Jin's face instantly turned red with anger. He clenched the stack of cards in one hand and pointed at the shameless group with the other. "You're messing with me, aren't you?!"

"Hahaha! He found out!"

"Run! Boss Jin's about to lose it!"

"Who told you to be so easy to fool... I mean, so reliable!"

The soul beasts scattered like birds and beasts in an instant. Bear Lord howled as he charged behind the heavy equipment, the Myriad Demon King turned into a patch of vines and shrank into a corner, Scarlet King's three heads turned in different directions as if they wanted to flee separately, Bi Ji and Zi Ji giggled as they hid behind Huo Yuhao, Demon Spirit had already nimbly leaped onto the battleship's gangway, while Di Tian calmly backed away a few steps, though the curve at the corner of his mouth was clearly rising.

Jin shouted furiously, waving the stack of black cards around. The gesture carried absolutely no intimidation as he began chasing his laughing companions through the valley. "Don't run! Stop right there! Nobody's getting away until we settle this properly!"

The vast secret testing ground was instantly filled with cheerful energy and a chaotic scene of pursuit. Footsteps boomed against the sturdy alloy floor, mixed with laughter and Jin's "furious roars."

Huo Yuhao did not join the chase. He walked to one side and watched the lively yet warm scene, a truly relaxed smile appearing on his face for the first time in a long while. After Jin had chased them around once, stopped panting, and leaned against the battleship's landing gear to glare at them, Huo Yuhao slowly walked over and handed him a bottle of iced drink.

"Alright, stop fooling around." Huo Yuhao smiled. Then he paused, his voice gentle and clear. "To thank our brave and fearless Lord Golden Dragon King for condescending to serve as our test pilot... tonight, the grilled fish shop is on me. As much food as you want, as much alcohol as you want. Whatever flavor you want, I'll grill it for you. How about it?"

Jin, who had been preparing to continue denouncing everyone, immediately stopped. His ears twitched slightly, and the anger on his face faded at a visible pace, replaced by a mixture of smugness, anticipation, and satisfaction that said now that's more like it. He took the drink, gulped down a mouthful, wiped his mouth, and snorted.

"That's more like it... I want ten fish! No, twenty! Spicy, numbing, garlic, honey-glazed... I want every flavor!"

"Alright, whatever you want." Huo Yuhao agreed with a smile.