The Sharp Edge of Heavy Artillery (5K)

Unfortunately, the pirate ship had to wait; the omnidirectional bow gun MK71 was always a firing window!

"Enemy leader ship, One-Eyed Dragon, pre-aiming with guns! Laser ranging!" The distance has decreased to five kilometers, Beianqi ordered.

"One-Eyed Dragon, 4.984 kilometers away," Su Ming reported.

The pirates' flagship is in the center of the fleet, and the lead ship of the column, the One-Eyed Dragon, is a very capable gunboat.

It was identified as a high-threat target. The scholar estimated the azimuth and pressed the rotation button.

With Zijin's control, the console's programming logic controller performed calculations within milliseconds, and more than a dozen indicator lights on its output unit lit up sequentially. These level signals were amplified step by step by relays, and the contactor quickly closed the circuit.

Numerous oil and air valves open or close, and the main motor instantly switches from pre-drive to working state. The MK71 heavy gun's nearly 20-ton turret accelerates to an astonishing speed of 30 degrees per second in half a second, and then brakes to a sudden stop when it reaches the designated position.

Then the hydraulic system was activated, and the massive cannon barrel rose about 13 degrees in one second before locking itself securely.

In just three seconds, this massive device completed its preparation with astonishing speed, awaiting the assassination order.

Beianqi had already calculated the firing parameters in real time. "Azimuth 42.3 degrees, elevation 12.2 degrees, high-explosive shell, fire!"

Zijin acted quickly, entering the data almost as soon as Beianqi finished speaking. The MK71's turret rotated slightly and tilted down a little.

She snapped her fingers, creating a magical dust cloud.

Since there was no primer, Beianqi used fire-type magic crystal powder as a substitute. Launching the cannon required releasing Magic Power to activate the ignition array on the cannon barrel.

With a deafening bang, the propellant exploded in the chamber, and the 117-kilogram shell shot out of the muzzle at 2.3 times the speed of sound.

"Tch!" Seeing the bullet trajectory, Beianqi knew the first shot had missed. Somewhat dissatisfied with her performance, she revised a constant on the firing table, then adjusted the lead based on the new values from the observation and aiming system, and gave the firing parameters again. "Azimuth 44.2, Elevation 12.1, Fire!"

Immediately after launch, thousands of modern electromechanical switches activated. The propellant cartridge was ejected, the ejector rod pushed the breechblock into the gun barrel, locked it, and the gun door closed.

The bottom-rotating drum magazine stop mechanism unlocks, and the loading mechanism lifts the new shell, rotating it through the basket to the rear of the gun.

It is then lifted to the turret and loaded into the slide by the spade arm for later use.

At that moment, the thrown cartridge hit the deck with a dull thud, unnoticed by anyone.

This series of complex loading actions did not affect the MK71's massive turret from firing again after the Zijin corrected its firing angle.

The new firing angle is adjusted within seconds, and the shot is fired swiftly with a snap of the fingers.

The second shell of the MK71 roared out of the barrel, while the first shell was still flying through the air.

The gunnery officer on the One-Eyed Dragon was utterly bewildered. Shouldn't a gunnery officer at least check the impact point before firing a second shot? Such amateurish performance! Wasn't the intelligence report that the opposing gunnery officer was "Wheat Flower" Beianqi?

At this moment, he mistakenly thought that the MK71 was a twin-barreled cannon with its barrels close together. Otherwise, the five-second firing interval would have completely shattered his worldview and given him at least a 1D100 SAN value assessment.

The pirate gunner's firing parameters had been issued, and the gunners of the One-Eyed Dragon were vigorously cranking the handles on the cannon's base to adjust the firing angle.

The first 203mm shell flew over the pirate ship's foredeck and hit the sea on the left, creating a splash. The subsequent explosion sent a high column of water into the air.

All the pirates trembled at the sight of such immense power! They wondered about the cannon's rate of fire. This question was of utmost concern to all the pirate commanders.

Generally speaking, the greater the power of an artillery piece, the slower its reloading speed, but there's always the possibility that the White Triangle might have some unexpected design features.

"If the reload time is really less than two minutes, just as the intelligence from the inside suggests, then this battle will be difficult to win," the pirate commander muttered to himself.

But a third plume of smoke rose, White Triangle's guns fired another shell!

Fear began to creep into the commander's heart. Could it be that it wasn't actually a twin-barreled cannon at all, but just had this rate of fire?

"God, please don't play such a joke!" all the pirates prayed silently in their hearts.

But they couldn't worry about that now, because the second shell finally came to an end, kissing the side of the One-Eyed Dragon. The 203mm shell drilled a small hole in the wooden hull, penetrating deep into the cabin, before exploding with a bang, blasting a large hole in the other side of the ship.

Thick smoke billowed out from all the hatches and portholes. A series of smaller but frequent explosions occurred inside the ship, the propellant from the pirate ship's detonation.

"Damn! It almost went through!" Su Ming was very surprised. Overpenetration is a concept only for armor-piercing shells, but now it was only a hair's breadth away from being hit by a high-explosive shell.

Is this the epoch-making crushing power of modern artillery over sailing warships? He wondered to himself. He began to doubt his choice; was 203mm caliber a bit too much?

"The distance was too close, and the missile velocity was too high," Beianqi analyzed. "We need to reduce the amount of propellant used in future launches."

She was actually extremely relieved. Before the battle, she had considered all sorts of scenarios, but she never expected to make a mistake at such a crucial moment. If she had actually managed to break through, the battle would have been impossible to continue, as penetrating wounds would not be effective in killing enemy ships.

The White Triangle will be forced to withdraw from the battlefield and can only return after the amount of propellant cartridges is reduced, which will also involve a huge amount of work to recalculate the firing tables.

If that happens, then you've really ruined a winning hand!

The third shell hit the mid-stern section of the One-Eyed Dragon, exploding at the stern. But no one cared anymore—the ship was doomed.

Beianqi slapped her face, clearing her mind of irrelevant thoughts and focusing her attention.

"Whiskey, rangefinding! Pre-aiming!" she continued, her voice low and hushed.

No one retaliated. The pirates were terrified by the incomprehensible rate and power of the White Triangle's cannons, and all the pirate ships were turning wildly, their battle formation instantly turning into chaos. The poor Whiṣkey was almost shot in two, but not a single pirate gave it a second glance.

Su Ming and his team made a mistake in their calculations; they failed to properly recognize the gap between the MK71 and other weapons with a three-generation generational advantage.

The attacked party would crumble at the first touch, regardless of the circumstances. The anticipated tactical and disciplined artillery duels did not exist.

From the pirates' perspective as victims, their muskets couldn't even reload as fast as the enemy's giant cannons, so what was the point of firing!

Beianqi decided to take drastic measures, sending the Triangle directly into the center of the pirate fleet, placing herself within the pirate ships' encirclement.

This time, finally, some pirates dared to fire back. Zijin ran to the top of the bridge and intercepted the cannonballs that were hitting her. These metal spheres, which were only traveling at 200 meters per second, gave her ample time to shatter them in mid-air with magic.

Su Ming took over the gunner's job, working with Beianqi to quickly hunt down the enemy. The White Triangle was like a weasel that had barged into a chicken coop, surrounded by chickens flying around in panic. Beianqi would select a ship and order it to fire two shots, then not even bother to check the results.

Turn to the next ship.

The high-speed calculations left the girl's forehead covered in sweat. The MK71 heavy artillery was like an irresponsible scumbag, flirting with one after another, leaving behind only ruins.

Soon, the area around the White Triangle became quiet. The pirate ships were either smoking or on fire, and most of them had raised white flags. The remaining pirates were clearly not unwilling, but their ships were on the verge of sinking, and the pirates were trying to escape.

The pirate ships further away had already fled, some of them choosing to sail south with the wind. Sailing warships don't have the concept of turning back; they simply go wherever the wind blows.

However, some short-sighted pirates continued eastward, pursuing the cargo ship convoy at full speed.

Today the wind is from the northwest, providing the best tailwind angles for both east and south, allowing for speeds of up to 12 knots. This group of pirates heading east is trying to catch up with the clumsy cargo ship. They're taking a desperate gamble, intending to seize the vessel and take hostages.

Beianqi was confident that she could take out the pirates with artillery fire, which would give them time to hunt down the group that was fleeing south.

However, there were too many cargo ships on the firing axis, and considering the employer's mental health and the immense power of the MK71's single, lethal shot...

Beianqi ultimately abandoned the idea.

It's definitely not because of the security betting agreement that stipulated that if the cargo ship suffered losses, half of the compensation would have to be paid.

"Maimai's shells travel too fast; if they miss, they could easily damage the cargo ships behind them," she explained to Su Ming and Zijin. "The most troublesome thing is that if a shell misses, the impact point will still be below the waterline; one shot could definitely take down a ship!"

"It's up to you to decide," Su Ming said.

The White Triangle left a white arc in its stern as it turned and gave chase. The pirates were almost upon the cargo ship when they discovered the skeletal ship hurtling towards them like the wind. It moved faster than the wind, its cannons like the menacing eyes of a demon, eyeing the flock of lambs with ill intent.

In a panic, five of the pirate ships changed direction and scattered to escape. The other two, realizing they couldn't escape, accelerated desperately and moved towards the nearest merchant ship. The merchant escort ships, which had initially fled the fastest, had now turned back and bravely engaged them in battle.

"You're quick to snag a bargain," Su Ming mocked.

"In warfare, of course, you either run away when the wind is against you or make the most of it when it's with you." Zijin casually swatted away an incoming cannonball; this was practically the pirates' last stand.

The White Triangle chose to pursue the five fleeing pirate warships. After taking down three of them, it discovered that its three escort ships were being completely suppressed by the two pirates, and the battle was a terrible sight. Even a cargo ship was being entangled by the pirates.

Beianqi almost cursed, but she had no choice but to order the White Triangle back. She positioned herself at a firing angle and, through the gaps between the cowardly escort ships, fired a shell into the bow of the pirate warship, which pierced through to the stern and exploded.

Another pirate ship had already thrown out more than a dozen cables to hook onto the cargo ship and was boarding it one after another, making it impossible to fire cannons under these circumstances.

Zijin flew away from the watchtower and cut all the pirates' cables with a few light blades. Then she accelerated and circled around, preparing several high-level spells to use her range to pick off the enemy.

Several powerful spellcasters on the pirate ship had completely suppressed the guards on the cargo ship, but upon seeing the arrival of the White Bone Siren, they immediately raised their staffs and knelt down.

"Sir Siren, spare our lives! We are willing to surrender!"

Zige felt as if he had punched empty air.

[Zijin, you haven't gotten used to your rising fame yet!] Su Ming laughed at her.

[Hmph!] The girl waved her hand and cast a spell, sending one of the deadliest pirates flying into the ocean. Other pirates, unaware of the situation, quickly knelt on the deck, trembling with fear.

Beianqi observed the distribution of the enemy ships. The group of pirate ships fleeing south had already gone far away and could be disregarded. After all, the White Triangle's duty was escorting, and it couldn't really abandon its battle position.

However, the two ships that had just passed by were still within acceptable limits. Beianqi quickly calculated this and ordered, "Turn 110 degrees to the left, full speed ahead!"

The two pirate ships were initially relieved to have escaped death, but the White Triangle, traveling at a speed of twenty-eight knots, told them:

No, you don't!

After a twenty-minute high-speed drive, the first pirate ship was forcibly boarded. They decisively raised the white flag. Beianqi had no time to surrender; she fired continuously, breaking all the masts and destroying all the escape boats.

Fifteen minutes later, the second ship was caught up. This time, Beianqi did not order a cannon blast, but directly threatened the other side to surrender. The pirates quickly agreed and knelt on the deck.

Beianqi activated two mechs housed in the stern and jumped over to suppress them. Zijin controlled a group of zombies to board the ship, binding all the pirates. She then untied the sail ropes, connecting them one by one to the White Triangle, and dragged it back to port.

Su Ming checked the radar and confirmed that the battle was over.

"It's over." He stretched and relaxed. There were so many things to do during the battle, and maintaining a high level of focus all the time was exhausting.

"Combat status lifted, command transferred." The commander, having completed his mission, reclined in his chair and reached out to Su Ming.

The two high-fived and smiled at each other.

"Is this your first time experiencing combat like this?" Beianqi asked him.

Su Ming wasn't surprised that he was noticed; he was extremely nervous at the beginning, especially when he charged towards the pirate fleet's battle line.

Whether it was the Cui'an Sea Cliff or the Battle of Agate Sea, the fierce battles took place at night. Charging a group of cannon-wielding warships into battle under the bright daylight was truly awe-inspiring.

"For me, this was the most boring naval battle I've ever participated in." Beianqi brushed a strand of hair damp with sweat from her forehead and fanned herself with her collar. "Maimai is unbelievably strong! I've been called a mathematical genius since I was a child, but I never thought that one day I wouldn't be able to keep up with the rate of fire of a cannon."

Su Ming looked away. Because of the weather and the fact that she didn't need to do any physical labor, the girl didn't have any cloth strips wrapped around her.

"In my world, ballistic aiming with this kind of modern equipment is done computer-aided," he explained. "You being able to keep up with it just by doing mental calculations is something to be very proud of!"

The MK71 was certainly equipped with a ballistic computer, but the vacuum tube hardware from fifty years ago, the magnetic core memory with a capacity measured in kilobytes, and the completely incomprehensible assembly language were far beyond Su Ming's capabilities.

This is even more outrageous than writing online articles on bamboo slips.

****

Zijin came down from the lookout tower and returned to her cabin. Su Ming reached out his hand to her, and the girl gently patted it.

"What's wrong?" Su Ming noticed that her complexion wasn't very good.

"Sorry, I'm a little tired and not feeling well."

"Come to the work area, let me check it for you," Su Ming said hurriedly.

The two walked up the steps to the workshop. The girl sat down at the table and rubbed her stomach with her hand.

Su Ming considered Zijin's workload for the day. Although intercepting the shells had taken a toll on her, and there were many other things to do afterward, she shouldn't be this exhausted.

"Where do you feel unwell?" Su Ming asked. He first took a quick check of his heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature, but found nothing abnormal.

"My stomach hurts, but it's not my stomach," Zijin said, pressing her lower abdomen. "Then my lower back hurts, I feel nauseous, and tired."

Su Ming contacted Miao Xin and had her consult an online doctor.

Miao Xin typed this information into her phone, and the more she typed, the more familiar it seemed. [Master, could you ask her when her period is?]

Su Ming directly linked the White Bone Mark in his sea of consciousness with Miao Xin's Ghost Mark, establishing a three-way communication connection. "[Alright, you can communicate directly now.]"

The two girls greeted each other, and Miao Xin repeated her question.

"[Menstruation?] "Zijin was slightly taken aback. "[Can I have that too?]"

The three people looked at each other.

So this is your first time?

So, this is my first time?

The two girls said at the same time.

With his limited knowledge, Su Ming roughly knew that the girls in his class would start having sex in elementary and middle school. He opened a popular science book he had downloaded earlier and checked it out. Although this time was a bit late from the perspective of physical age, it was still within the normal range.

The growth process of Ailisha's form, in particular, was exceptionally arduous.

[Zijin, I'll teach you some things and details that you need to pay attention to.] Miao Xin said.

"[Please wait a moment.] "Su Ming interrupted, "[Let me sort this out. First, can we confirm the facts?]"

Zijin also opened her laptop and was flipping through a popular science book, [I think].

Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief. [Should we ask Beianqi about this?]

"No," Zijin refused. "The fact that Ailisha is human cannot be revealed."

Su Ming was puzzled.

[Many things I've told you are unknown to the outside world.] She explained, [and even now they still think that Ailisha's form is a kind of advanced Polymorph, or a special creation combined with alchemy—whatever they think.]

The birth of Zijin is known to be unusual, so no outsider currently knows her true form as Ailisha. In an environment where the whole world is her enemy, every detail will be noticed and exploited by her adversaries. Ensuring that her enemies remain completely unaware of Zijin's true nature is crucial.

It is useful.

After all, Beianqi was still just a "hired" member.

[Understood. I remember that individual channels can be established between imprints.] Su Ming had the zombie bring over a book titled "Principles of Communication." [You should be able to talk around me.]

[It's useless.] Zijin pressed down on the book. [There is indeed a technique for direct communication, but Miao Xin and I don't have the power to cross dimensions.]

Su Ming's hand froze. [So you have to drag me along and make me act as a relay route?]

[Certainly!]

[Master, we can pretend you don't exist.]

Su Ming covered her face, "[----You guys continue.]"