"Norton is approaching at high speed, currently at fifty knots!"
The first mate in the captain's room, staring at the radar where a red dot was rapidly closing in, shouted in shock, "The target's speed is too fast! Our weapons system can't lock on!"
Hearing this, Caesar showed no sign of surprise. In fact, it was to be expected.
Fifty knots equals 25.72 meters per second, or about 92.6 kilometers per hour.
The fastest fish in the ocean, the sailfish, only reaches about 90 kilometers per hour.
In other words, the Dragon King's speed was even faster than a sailfish, and despite its massive size, it could move at such high speeds, far beyond human comprehension.
Naturally, it was impossible for the weapons' targeting system to lock onto it.
Caesar remained calm. He took out a cigar from his pocket.
Right now, the ship's remaining combat power was just a newly enrolled Xia Mi. Nono might still be of some help, but the most important person, Chu Zihang, was completely unreliable.
All the heavy responsibility fell squarely on his shoulders.
Snap!
He lit the cigar, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly.
Caesar squinted, meeting the fiery golden eyes from several hundred meters away with no hint of fear, his face cold and resolute.
Manstein, though equally nervous, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, chose not to disturb Caesar. Instead, he placed his trust in him.
He was the heir of the Gattuso family, a perfect noble, one of the strongest hybrids!
Silence.
The same silence.
Norton was cautious, not rushing to attack. Instead, he resembled a patient hunter, carefully circling around the Moniayah.
It was as if he were waiting for the prey to reveal a weakness in its desperation and turmoil, and then seize that fleeting moment, using his sharp teeth to tear apart the killers who had slain Constantine!
Beneath the dark water, a massive shadow followed closely behind the Moniayah, its wings stirring up great waves that crashed against the steel ship.
The helmsman tried speeding up, but no matter what, he couldn't shake it off. In frustration, he cursed, "This guy's too fast, we can't outrun him! And the ship's been hit multiple times. Three watertight compartments are leaking, and the water level is already rising!"
The water level was less than half a meter from the deck, and every time a towering wave hit the deck, the entire Moniayah groaned as if it might break apart at any moment.
Everyone had already moved from the deck into the cabin. Despite the rough seas, they still struggled to maintain their balance.
Looking at the others, Caesar fell into brief thought, then suddenly widened his eyes. Cold flames burned in his blue pupils.
"Xia Mi, I'll handle the targeting, you control the torpedo launch. Wait for my command. Is that alright?"
"With the Dragon King's speed of fifty knots, it's difficult to hit even if we launch," Xia Mi said, her gaze flickering slightly as she voiced her concerns.
"Unless... at extremely close range, no more than one hundred meters. Even then, there's a high chance the torpedo's alchemy warhead will be melted by Norton's flames."
"How are you so sure that Norton's flames will melt the alchemy warhead?" Nono raised an eyebrow, eyeing Xia Mi with a strange expression.
Not just Nono, Manstein also cast a strange look, as if curious about her tone and why she was so certain.
It was like she knew Norton very well!
Facing their slightly doubtful gazes, Xia Mi suddenly fell silent. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.
She couldn't exactly tell them she was the King of Earth and Mountains, could she?
But luckily, the situation wasn't one for questioning right now. Manstein explained, "According to the equipment department's prediction, even if Norton melts the alchemical warhead, the material inside will still corrode him."
Xia Mi was caught in a dilemma, lightly biting her lip, her eyes filled with struggle.
She knew very well that even firing an alchemical torpedo couldn't kill a king. The flames would instantly burn off the alchemical sulfur, creating a large vacuum area to block out the deadly substances.
And once they lost the alchemical torpedo, the Moniayah would lose its final chance to kill the Dragon King Norton.
In that case, their only fate would be to sink into the sea.
But if she said these things out loud, it would only make them suspicious. After all, how could a newly enrolled Hybrid understand the 'Dragon King' better than the people at Cassel Academy?
For a moment, Xia Mi found herself in a difficult position.
At that moment, Caesar suddenly spoke, like a dictatorial king, giving an order: "First officer, disassemble the alchemical warhead and install it as a regular warhead."
"Caesar, are you serious?" Manstein, Nono, and the first officer aboard the ship were all surprised by this command.
"Professor, we don't have any margin for error," Caesar said as he took a puff from his cigar and exhaled the smoke.
"If what Xia Mi said is true, and the Dragon King can melt an alchemical warhead with flames and high temperatures, then our only outcome will be total annihilation."
"So, you want to use the super cavitation generator?" Professor Manstein, as a seasoned expert, understood Caesar's idea and continued to think aloud.
"With the original storm torpedo warhead, the super cavitation generator on it, aided by rocket propulsion, could make the entire torpedo encased in a vacuum bubble, allowing it to reach speeds of 200 nautical miles per hour."
"That's right. A 27-ton metal object—no matter how hot the Dragon King's flames are, it shouldn't be able to melt it instantly at 100 meters, right?" Caesar turned to Xia Mi, as if asking for her opinion.
"Uh…" Xia Mi, under Caesar's icy blue gaze, felt unexpectedly nervous. She forced a stiff smile. "Probably not, I don't think it can."
"Great, then let's execute it, First Officer!" Caesar placed his hand on the First Officer's shoulder and added, "Professor Manstein, please help steer. Nono, take care of Chu Zihang."
With that, he pulled out a handkerchief from his combat suit pocket, covered his eyes, and with his massive Barrett anti-material sniper rifle in hand, walked confidently out of the cabin. Stepping onto the swaying deck, his steady figure stood firm like a mountain, unaffected by the constant rocking.
To lock onto the Dragon King, which was traveling at 50 knots, he would need to push his "hearing" to the absolute limit.
Having mastered the Kamaitachi since childhood, Caesar knew that to enhance his hearing sensitivity, he had to abandon his vision entirely. Only by doing so could his hearing become exponentially sharper.
Word Soul: Kamaitachi, domain fully activated!
Caesar lifted the huge barrel of his rifle, relying entirely on his hearing to adjust his aim in the endless darkness.
The sound of his own heart mixed with the roaring waves. Normally, it would be hard to capture, but with his vision shut off, the sharpness of his Kamaitachi brought it clearly back into focus.
Now!
The flowing water had perfectly become the vessel for the Vampire Kamaitachi, expanding its range by several times.
The wandering Vampire Kamaitachi locked onto the savage creature. By receiving feedback, they gathered data, calculated it in their brains, and Caesar pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The immense recoil shook even Caesar's body.
The compressed gunpowder pushed the bullet out of the barrel, accelerating to the speed of sound in an instant, tearing through the roaring waves and air.
Good.
Thanks to the Vampire Kamaitachi, Caesar could clearly confirm that the bullet had hit the Dragon King's scales. The loud impact created sparks and a distinct, crisp sound.
But that alone wouldn't harm the Dragon King.
Alchemy bullets like these could only cause slight pain to the Dragon King; they couldn't break through its defense. Otherwise, the equipment division wouldn't have to assemble torpedoes.
"Come on, get angry, get angrier!"
Caesar murmured to himself. He wanted to enrage the Dragon King. Only by making it lose its temper and become irrational could they have a chance!
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