Scene Six: Dragon Shadow
Reversal
Three gorges of the Yangtze River, a strange abyss under the surging waves. Just as Lu Mingfei sent the map to Ye Sheng's mind through Norma's radio waves, Ye Sheng was undergoing an extremely painful test at the bottom of the sea.
A vast amount of information surged into Ye Sheng's brain through the " snake ", just like the entire Pacific Ocean flowing into the Yangtze River. Ye Sheng's brain was like a computer that had overtuned to the point of being overheated. The immense pain felt like it was going to tear him apart. Ye Sheng felt that he could not hold on any longer. His consciousness was like a giant beast that was panting loudly from exhaustion and would collapse at any moment. But he couldn't. The information contained his last chance to escape. After analyzing them, a huge three-dimensional map appeared in Ye Sheng's mind.
Ye Sheng didn't know why Norma didn't help him deal with it this time. Instead, she directly sent him the most primitive information. The massive Bronze City, perhaps the real White Emperor City in history, was completely transparent in front of Ye Sheng.
The city came alive.
This super mechanism that was cast two thousand years ago regained its vitality after the Aji opened. The walls that seemed to be cast as a whole split, and hundreds of cubic meters of air left in the bronze city escaped through the cracks. The bronze pathways were also completely different. These complex bronze pathways, which were like the heating channels of a city, rotated and reconnected. It was like a revolver that rotated its wheels at the moment of firing, and a new magazine was sent to the muzzle.
The operation of the Bronze City did not stop for a moment, and the escape routes were also changing. Ye Sheng felt like he was going crazy. They had indeed obtained the map, but this map was constantly changing. For example, if you look at a map of Beijing, you will find that Chaoyang District is slowly moving towards Fangshan District, while Haidian District is sliding clockwise to fill in the position of Chaoyang District. The East Third Ring Road has left the North Third Ring Road, and after a while, it will connect with the South Second Ring Road! At this time, it would be strange if a driver who had to drive out of the city in half an hour didn't go crazy.
Behind him, the bronze wall carved with a twenty-meter-tall snake-faced man was slowly collapsing, looking like the sky was collapsing. Aji used her arm to hook Ye Sheng's neck and swam forward. Ye Sheng was almost exhausted. While enslaving the " snake " with his voice, he was as weak as a child.
Aki's mind was in a mess. She remembered when they were both in university. Ye Sheng was an 18-year-old young man who had just arrived in America from China. He had two thick black eyebrows and was the best swimmer in his class. The next year, he became the captain of the sailing team and won the " Golden Fleece Cup " from the University of Chicago, which he had not won for ten years. He was very popular among the girls in his class. His biggest hobby seemed to be mocking Aki. Every swimming class, when Aki the Dumb Duck was still warming up in the middle of the 1,000-meter run, Ye Sheng had already finished the 1,000-meter run and had also taken a sunbath. He was only wearing a pair of swimming trunks, exposing his broad shoulders and long arms. He slapped his butt at Akira and said something like " Is it because Japanese people have short legs that they can't swim fast?" Then, he suddenly showed a look of despair and said," We'll be partners in the future. I'm not going to die underwater, right?" Then, he laughed and looked as hateful as he could be.
The bronze wall hit the water, causing a huge wave, pushing the discipline and Ye Sheng into a snake-faced statue. The discipline turned around in time to protect Ye Sheng in his arms. The impact almost caused her lumbar spine to shift. She gritted her teeth and hugged the man who was as weak as a baby in her arms tightly. Blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.
When did it become like this? When would she do everything she could to protect Ye Sheng? She had clearly pointed at Ye Sheng's nose and shouted,"If you die underwater in the future, don't think I'll save you!" in order to retaliate against Ye Sheng's mockery! Why did it become like this? Aki's mind became more and more chaotic.
"The key!" Ye Sheng suddenly shouted hoarsely.
Through the electric current of the " snake," the sound echoed in the cabin of the Manyaher, like the last roar of a wounded wolf.
Mance was stunned. The cigar between his teeth almost fell out." Yes! The key! The key will have a way!" he shouted.
The sleeping baby was quickly sent to the front cabin. Every time he used the Spirit of Words, he was very tired and had to sleep for two or three days with a pacify in his mouth. However, the moment he was placed in front of the screen, he miraculously opened his eyes, and a faint light flowed in his eyes. He stretched out his toot fingers and slid across the huge screen. His eyes swept across the corners of the map, like a lawyer reviewing an important contract for a cross-border transaction, or NASA scientists checking the orbit of the space shuttle for the last time. The people standing beside him held their breaths. At this moment, no one would see him as a baby with a big appetite and a tendency to cry.
"Baby! Hurry up! Hurry up! Faster!" Mance roared in his heart.”
Key's fingertips pressed against the screen as he slowly descended…As he descended, the light in his eyes faded. He returned to his infant state and lowered his head, as though he would fall asleep at any moment. Suddenly, he raised his head and burst into tears. He cried as sadly as he could.
Mance's heart fell to the bottom.
Ye Sheng suddenly opened his eyes. A faint golden light occupied his pupils. The moment Key's cries reached his ears through Snake, a clear red line suddenly appeared on the ever-changing map in his mind. It went down, down, straight down, through the gaps between the walls, through the corridor, and even through the solid bronze wall before finally escaping from right below.
"This is the road?" Ye Sheng was unable to judge. Key had never been missed. He was the miracle of Kassel Academy. But Ye Sheng and Yaji couldn't pass through those bronze walls. The path given by the " key " couldn't be taken. Moreover, they had to dive into the water at this moment. Diving would exhaust their last oxygen and strength. Ye Sheng knew how painful it was to die from suffocation. It was better to end their lives with their heads exposed to the water.
Key's heart-wrenching cry seemed to be urging him anxiously. Ye Sheng's entire body trembled violently, as if thousands of needles were pricking his entire body. He completely understood! That was the path! The " key " had already grasped the rules of the bronze city's operation. When they reached the thick walls, the bronze city's operation would create a new road there. In fact, it was very simple. As long as they kept going down, this was the last way to escape. However, if they were not fast enough, they would lose their lives... They would be sealed in a dead end with no exit, or they would be crushed by the gap that was slowly closing.
The reason Key cried wasn't because of sadness, but because of fear. The key was urging them!
"Directly below. Ye Sheng, Judeaki, prepare to escape!”Ye Sheng's voice echoed in the front cabin.
"Directly below?" Mance was taken aback, and then he noticed the marks left by Key's fingers on the screen. A straight line pierced through Bronze City from below!
"Calculating distance!" Mance shouted.
"Forty-five meters!" Saroma said,"There are still three minutes left of oxygen supply!”
"Adding on the time they had to hold their breath and dive, with their speed, they can just escape!”The first mate's voice was so cheerful that it almost flew into the sky.
" The rescue helicopter from the China Sea Route Rescue Agency will arrive in about ten minutes." San Fu was also beaming with joy." They have all the life-saving equipment, just in time to pick up Ye Sheng and Yaji."”
"Is this the so-called dogshit luck in Chinese?”Mance snapped his fingers proudly." Bullshit Lucky! Ye Sheng Aki, get out immediately!"
Ye Sheng released the Spirit of Words and released all the snakes. He regained his strength and turned around to hold Aki's hand. But Aki didn't move. She did something strange. She raised her flashlight and shone it on herself. She shone it into her helmet so that Ye Sheng could see her face clearly. Her lips were moving, but Ye Sheng could not hear her voice. The signal line between the two of them was also torn apart the moment they collided.
"It's too late. We don't have enough oxygen.”Miyabi's lip reading was very clear.
Ye Sheng glanced at the remaining oxygen. It was about three minutes. He and Akira both had the ability to hold their breath underwater for five minutes, while diving for eight minutes was enough.
"Enough." He mouthed to Akane.
"Not enough." Aki shook her head, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks." Let's stay here. I want to see you. There's not much time left... I have something to say to you for a long time... I..."
"I love you too." Ye Sheng simply cut off her lip language. His mouth twitched, and the corner of his mouth revealed a smile that made people forget their troubles. It reminded Yaji of Ye Sheng slapping his butt under the sunlight of the French windows." Idiot, believe me. It's enough!"”He hugged Aki's sturdy and slender body tightly.
"Hai, actually, your legs aren't short at all!”He said to himself in his heart, and then pulled Aki's hand and plunged into the water. There was a faint whirlpool in the water, indicating that there was a gap opening directly below.
Mance was dancing his favorite cha-cha-cha in the front cabin. He was dancing with Saroma, and the music was MJ's Beatit. This wasn't a song suitable for dancing the cha-cha-cha at all, but there was nothing he could do. The captain was proud of his feat of turning the tide and was indescribably excited. Only Beatit, an old song, was enough to express the uncle's feelings at the moment, and he only knew how to dance the cha-cha-cha. Saroma was still in her internship as a postgraduate student. She still had a few credits to complete, and one of them was Mance's class. She had already taken advantage of Mance's happiness to obtain the promise of a " guaranteed pass "...
In fact, everyone wanted to stand up and sing and dance, if not for the fact that they still had to try their best to stabilize the ship that was drifting in the uneasy waves.
"This is the great reversal I was talking about! A big reversal at the last minute!" "It's like a three-pointer shot at the last second of the fourth quarter in basketball, like a break in the third game of tennis!”He glanced at the clock on the wall." My good students are coming back..."
He was suddenly stunned, and his steps became sluggish. He staggered and almost fell, but he had to hold on tightly to the helm to stabilize himself. Saroma was still dancing. When she saw Mance's gaze, her heart suddenly turned cold. She did not understand what had happened, but Mance's face suddenly turned pale.
Amid the music of Beatit, Mance pushed open the door and rushed out. He stood in the violent wind and rain, staring at the raging water.
"Captain?" Saroma gave chase, her voice trembling.
" The position of escape is below Bronze City. They can escape Bronze City, but they won't be able to float to the surface in time." Mance's face twitched in pain." We miscalculated that their oxygen was not enough!”
In the cabin behind him, Door suddenly stopped crying. Tears welled up in her baby's big eyes. Ye Sheng's " snake " could no longer be contacted. All that entered Mance's ears was the sound of the storm and the hoarse sound of radio turbulence. To him, the entire world was as silent as death.
Dragon Slaying
There was a faint buzzing sound in the wind, followed by lights. In the distance, there was a huge light spot moving on the dark water. A moment later, a call appeared on the left front of the bow." Attention, Manyah. Attention, Manyah. This is the Three Gorge Channel Emergency Rescue Agency. This is the Three Gorge Channel Emergency Rescue Agency. Please light up and reply. Please light up and reply."”
The third officer boarded the deck." Captain, do we still have to wait?”
Mance smoked his cigar hard and stared at the water for a few seconds. He lowered his head to look at his watch. Fourteen minutes had passed…Suddenly, the gaze of the elite leader of the executive department softened. He suddenly felt too tired.
"The signal light is back. Rescue accepted. All personnel evacuate.”He waved his hand behind him.
The bright neon lights on the top of the ship flashed three times. It was a distress signal. The helicopter cruising at a low altitude received the signal, and the lights immediately approached them. The buzzing sound was amplified by a hundred or a thousand times. The huge wind pressure from above made it difficult for people to breathe. A pitch-black helicopter appeared in the light circle of the signal lights. It had seven huge rotating wings, and it was estimated to be 30 meters long.
"CH-53E,'Super Stallion.' China's rescue agency actually used such a luxurious heavy-duty helicopter.”The third officer recognized the American military plane.
Mance had completely lost interest in these things. He turned around to return to the cabin when he heard a dull thud from the stern. He took out his flashlight and shone it over. A pitch-black head floated up beside the lifeboat on the side of the boat, followed by a pale face.
" Aji…" Mance could not believe his eyes.
His favorite student, Aki Sakuide, the Japanese girl who always shone with motherly brilliance, had somehow surpassed the limits of human diving and successfully survived. She was struggling to push a brass can that was almost as tall as her onto the lifeboat. The brass can did not seem very heavy in the water because of buoyancy, but it was completely different once it was out of the water.
"Saroma! Saroma! Save them!" Mance shouted in surprise, and then he cursed," Come up! Forget about the jar!"
Aji did not answer him. Instead, he let out a roar and used the last of his strength to push the brass can onto the lifeboat. Only then did he look up at Mance. She did not try to climb onto the lifeboat. Her slender arms clung to the rope on the side of the lifeboat, so weak that she could be carried away by the current at any time. But her eyes were so bright that Mance was stunned.
"Professor, take the jar and go!" Yaji said loudly," Ye Sheng snatched it back then…"
She suddenly let go of the rope. It was not that she wanted to let go, but a huge force from underwater pulled her down. Her long hair curled in the water and completely disappeared. When Mance ran to the side of the ship, bright red blood surged from the water like a rising red smoke.
"Aji!" Mance roared hoarsely. He was furious. He tore open the buttons of his captain's uniform and wanted to go into the water.
"Abandon anchor! Start the engine! Use your strength!" The third officer also roared, pulling Mance back.
Compared to Mance, he was the most experienced crew member here. He had been floating on the ocean for more than ten years. He had seen what happened to Aki before. It was a shark attacking a diving companion. But he didn't think that sharks would exist in the Three Gorge Reservoir. Moreover, looking at the huge whirlpool that rolled up on the water when Aki sank, this " shark " was astonishingly large. She had to leave as soon as possible, and bring the copper jar that Aki had exchanged her life for.
The two anchor chains connecting the Manyaher to the bottom of the water were cut off at the same time. The powerful engine did not need to be warmed up and was instantly activated. The huge acceleration caused the third officer and Mance to grab each other and roll over. Just before he fell, the third officer saw a sharp line of water chasing after them from behind the ship.
"What is that thing?" The third officer broke out in a cold sweat. The Manyach was equipped with engines purchased by the academy at a high price. These engines were originally used in submarines made in the country of Dé. When accelerated, they could reach a speed of up to 50 knots, which was similar to a speedboat. What could swim at 50 knots underwater? The fastest sailfish was probably only this fast, and the torpedoes during World War II were probably only this fast.
"Could it really be a torpedoes chasing after us?”The third officer trembled and shouted," Detour! Detour!"
He also felt that his guess was ridiculous, but anyone would try their best to avoid that water line and that terrifying feeling. The water line didn't give up and was chasing after them. The rescue helicopter was probably confused by Monyach's sudden escape. He was even more puzzled that a passenger ship suddenly ran like a speedboat and chased after him.
"Turn on the sonar and see what it is!”Mance dragged the copper can and jumped into the cabin while panting heavily. He recovered slightly from the pain of losing his student. His face twitched, and his anger was like a volcano about to erupt.
"We're too fast, so we can't get an accurate image. It's about 15 meters long, and it looks like a fish!”shouted the second mate.
"Fish?" The third officer heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was a fish.
" As long as it's a living thing, it's easy." Mance cut open a new cigar and put it in his mouth. He lit it and exercised his facial muscles." I don't care what relationship you have with those lizards. As long as it's alive, it will die!" Give me the sniper rifle!"
The first mate threw the key behind him. Saroma opened the weapons cabinet hidden in the cabin wall. An L115A3 sniper rifle was placed upright in the middle. This type of long-range sniper rifle made in the Ying nation was known as the emperor of sniper rifles. However, the executive department was still not satisfied with its performance and carried out ammunition optimization. Mance filled the magazine with bullets that glowed with a cold blue light and had ancient patterns engraved on the bullets. The base of each bullet was painted red, which was the symbol of a high-risk weapon.
"I really like those lunatics in the executive department who do weapon optimization!”Mance slammed the clip into his gun and darted out of the cabin.
The light from the Xenon lamps illuminated the frothing sleep behind the ship. The frothing could not hide the sharp waterline. It seemed that there was an invisible knife cutting the water surface not deep underwater. The front of the waterline was only 500 meters away from the Manaher.
Mance leaned tightly against the cabin wall and stepped on the railing beside the ship. His entire body was like a triangle between the cabin wall and the railing, which allowed him to maintain his balance in the storm. He raised his sniper rifle and saw the hot " fish " underwater through the infrared scope. The thing was swimming at full speed, so its body temperature was much higher than the water temperature, which completely exposed it.
"Very good, young man." Mance said softly, biting his cigar.
He pulled the trigger, and a straight, cold blue light shot straight into the water. It was the result of the fluorescent material on the head of the tracer bullet heating up in the air. The gunshot was like thunder, and the huge recoil could flip a strong man. The water line's advancement was suddenly stopped, and a vortex appeared on the water surface. Mance did not hesitate and fired consecutively. A total of ten large-caliber bullets shot into the water. The cold blue light in the front had not extinguished, but the last one had already been pulled out. At the same time, a few cold lights lingered in the pitch-black air. It was so beautiful that it was amazing. Through the infrared binoculars, Mance watched it circle left and right in the water, as if it wanted to avoid the bullets. He couldn't help but take off his cigar and laugh loudly.
"Saroma, bullets!" he said loudly.
He wasn't going to stop. He wanted to see this damned thing's corpse float up from the water for him to take a good look. He wanted to see what dared to snatch his most beloved student away from him.
When Saroma rushed out of the cabin with a full magazine, she saw the helicopters of the Seaway Rescue Organization hovering in the air. They had obviously noticed that something was chasing after Manaher, who was moving at full speed. Hence, they shone their searchlights on the vortex that was created by that thing.
A large number of bubbles suddenly surged from the center of the vortex, and an inconceivably huge black shadow suddenly appeared. Saroma instantly wondered if what she was seeing was real or an illusion. The black shadow broke through the water surface with unparalleled power and rose into the sky. A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, and the black shadow moved like a wild dragon amidst the lightning.
Saroma's legs gave way and she fell to the deck. She knew from countless theory and practical lessons that this race existed in this world, but she had never seen such a huge dragon appear with her own eyes. It was simply a miracle, a dragon breaking through the water and rising to the sky. These storms were all to welcome this great moment…
Mance reached out and grabbed the magazine in Saroma's hand. He loaded it into the gun and fired at the air. At that moment, the thing had already risen to the speed of the helicopter. It was exhausted, but its long tail curled up and wrapped around the landing gear of the heavy helicopter. It wasn't small, but compared to a heavy-duty helicopter like the Super Stallion that could carry fifteen tons of cargo, it wasn't much. Mance's bullets hit its body, creating sparks.
" It looks like it's enraged..." Mance whispered.
The thing borrowed the force from the landing gear and leaped up again. Another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. In the lightning, the thing's body stretched out like a long queue. After a slight pause, it twisted like a whip and fiercely whipped the helicopter's rotating wing. Steel fragments flew everywhere. The helicopter lost its balance and spiraled toward the water. A few black figures opened the hatch and jumped into the water. The helicopter collided with the water violently, and the water splashed nearly 50 meters high. Ten seconds later, flames soared into the night sky, and the helicopter exploded underwater.
"It…it killed a heavy helicopter? How could it jump 20 meters out of the water?”Saroma shook her head.”
" Yeah, it doesn't seem to have much intelligence. It thought that the people on the helicopter attacked it," Mance said in a low voice." But if this continues, we'll probably be its next dish."”
Before Mance could finish his sentence, the terrifying line of water rose from the bottom of the water again and chased after the Manyach.
"Are we delicious?" Saroma could still force herself to crack a joke.
"What it really cares about is that copper can. Hunting us is just a way to have supper.”said Mance coldly.
Mance opened the hatch and shouted inside," There's no sniper rifle. That thing is huge. What other weapons and equipment do we have?"
"Only depth charges!" The first mate responded with a roar. He was at the helm, and the engines that were at full power made the Manyaher look like a mad swordfish. The first mate's forehead was covered in layers of hot sweat, and all his energy was on the complicated dashboard.
" We're disguised as a tugboat. To avoid trouble during the inspection by the navigation agency, we've removed all our weapons and equipment. We only have ten miniature underwater bombs," the second mate of the surveillance sonar explained." Other than that, we don't even have a mountain cannon."”
"Damn it!" Mance roared," Underwater bombs then! Prepare to release!"
Mance turned around and continued to shoot the bullets with cold blue rays into the water. These bullets made of alchemy materials were the exact opposite of the " Friga bullets." When they came into contact with the blood in a living creature's body, they immediately exploded, and the fatal poison would attack the heart along with the blood. However, this thing was definitely not ordinary. Bullets might not be able to enter its body. Even if a few bullets were to enter, the poison would only make it furious. However, Mance did not mind offending him. Either he killed this thing, or this thing killed all of them. This thing was getting faster and faster. If it was not still trying to dodge Mance's bullets, it would have caught up.
"Z-shaped!" shouted the second mate.
The steering wheel spun quickly in the hands of the first mate. The Manyaher splashed waves that were almost ten meters high, and it drew a " Z " shape on the water surface at a large angle. At the same time, the second mate opened the underwater hatch at the stern. Ten underwater bombs were released continuously. Because of the " Z " shaped route, they formed three rows. There were three in the front row, four in the middle, and three in the back row. The distance between them was about ten meters. The miniature engines of the underwater bombs were activated. These engines allowed them to maintain a depth of five to ten meters underwater while slowly approaching the approaching thing. From the second mate's sonar monitor, the underwater bomb formed an arc about 30 meters wide, waiting for the thing like a trap.
"Beautiful!" The second mate shouted to the first mate.
This was a perfect hunting formation. The thing had to either slow down and avoid the attack, giving the Manyaher some time to escape, or come into close contact with the bombs. Although the underwater bomb was not equipped with a combat unit made of alchemy technology, its explosive power was shocking. The scientists in the executive department were all crazy. When they designed these underwater bombs, they hoped that one of them would blow up the Los Angeles-class aircraft carrier armor.
The bullet clip with smoke floating in it fell at Mance's feet. Mance threw down the sniper rifle and ran back to the cabin. He pushed the second mate away and lay on the sonar display, staring at the flashing photoelectricity and the behemoth that looked a little like a fish getting closer and closer.
"Extremely close, only 50 meters left!”The second mate shouted," This thing really has no intelligence. It's coming straight at us without slowing down!”
The speed of that thing was close to the speed of the Manyaher, about 50 knots. The underwater bombs were suspended in the water like fireflies floating in the air. Under such circumstances, the 50-meter distance was covered in only two to three seconds. It was just a distance of a sudden brake. Could a speeding car stop on an icy road at night? Obviously not, and the friction of water was not much higher than that of ice. Mance was ecstatic. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling the joy of revenge.
"It…it stopped!”The second mate's face was pale.
Just as they pricked up their ears to wait for the thunderous explosions, the huge sonar display stopped at the floating underwater bombs. This was not like a brake. There was no sliding. Instead, it was completely still with a whoosh, and the relative speed became zero. The second mate's head buzzed as he did a terrible math problem. Assuming that thing was like a 15-meter-long sperm whale, it weighed about 50 tons, which was equivalent to 20 Bentley sedans tied together. His speed was 100 kilometers per hour. What kind of force could make 20 Bentley sedans tied together stop instantly?
"Directly detonate the bomb?" The second mate looked up at the burly Mance.
Mance's face was also pale." Will it work?”
" Whether it will work or not, you should all look at the screen first…" An intern who came over said carefully.
Mance and the second mate looked up together and saw that five of the original ten points of light on the screen had disappeared, and the behemoth was swimming around the remaining points of light, like a small whale curiously playing with a small group of jellyfish. The second mate was completely stunned. He looked up at the other screen, which showed that the signals of the five underwater bombs had completely disappeared.
" Only three left..." Mance whispered. In that instant, two more light spots disappeared.
"Impossible! The bomb didn't explode, didn't float, and didn't sink. It just disappeared!”The second mate pulled his hair hard. He was Russian and a firm materialist. He absolutely did not believe in supernatural forces and had an absolute scientific attitude towards dragons. At this moment, he could not make a judgment. He could not say that the bomb suddenly entered a different dimension, right?
The last light spot disappeared before the second mate could detonate the bomb.
Mance slowly raised his head." I actually have a very materialistic explanation... Your bomb was eaten... The sonar showed that the behemoth stopped in front of the floating underwater bombs.”
"Eaten?”The second mate felt a huge sense of powerlessness. Although it did not meet the initial expectations of the design, it was still a weapon that could blow through tank armor. How could it be eaten like a candy?
"Will it taste good?" The second mate suddenly asked a nonsensical question.
Mance knew that there was no point in discussing the diet of dragons with his colleague and comrade. He thought quickly and entered a state of confusion." Apparently, its body can block electromagnetic waves…So the bomb signal disappeared…The question is whether it tastes good or not…Maybe it wants a plate of soy sauce…It's chasing us with ten bombs now…The engine won't last long if it's boosted…" His thoughts were in a mess. He had to find a way to save everyone, but they had no weapons to use.
"Captain…" Saroma, who was in charge of observing from outside the cabin, pointed at the stern with a trembling voice.
Mance rushed out of the cabin once again and held onto the railing to stabilize his body. He followed Saroma's finger and looked over. What was chasing after them was no longer a thin line of water. A black spine had surfaced on the water's surface. One could vaguely see that every part of the spine was as jagged as a reef. Its long tail swayed at high speed, but it did not cause any splashes. A huge mouth was half-submerged in the water. What was exposed above the water was a ferocious upper jaw. Its shape could not be seen clearly, only two withered yellow hooked teeth. The distance between the two sides was about one kilometer, a distance that the lights could barely reach.
"It really is a spine animal.”whispered Mance.
"Of course reptiles are vertebrae. You were talking about vertebrae in class.”Saroma did not know whether to laugh or cry at Mance's words at that moment.
"But who knows that dragons are reptiles? Perhaps the so-called dragon was just an eternal shadow that existed in people's hearts.”Mance glanced at Saroma.
"Captain! The bomb has a signal again!" The second mate shouted in surprise, like a grieving father who had suddenly found his missing children.
Mance's body trembled as he realized something and strode into the cabin.
"Could it be a signal error? Weren't they…eaten?”As an academic, the second mate didn't know what to do before he solved the technical problem.
"Yes, its body can isolate electromagnetic waves, but it's about to float to the surface and open its mouth! Your bombs are calling daddy in its stomach!”Mance pressed the detonation button without any explanation.
A deafening explosion came from a kilometer behind them. The sound shook the entire Manyaher. The only one who had the chance to witness the great scene was Saroma, who was outside the cabin. The moment the ten underwater bombs exploded at the same time, she saw a pillar of fire that was erected and stabbed into the water. It was as if a sword made of flames had been thrown down from the clouds. In an instant, the sword of flames exploded, and fire fragments shot in all directions. The sharp metal pieces mixed with the explosives flew in all directions. Some of them hit the stern of the Manaher, making a piercing sound.
"It's a success!" Saroma shouted loudly and waved her arms. She watched as the pitch-black back was twisted at the instant of the explosion. As long as it was still a living creature, it would definitely not be able to survive.
The first mate turned the steering wheel violently, and the Manyaher tilted almost 90 degrees on the water. It stopped with great difficulty due to the huge resistance of the water, and the overheated engine evaporated a large amount of water vapor at the bottom of the ship. Everyone in the cabin came out with Mance. They stood in the cold rain and looked at the boiling water surface a kilometer away. The huge vortex on the water surface spun and sucked a large amount of foam into the depths of the water. Mance wiped the rain off his face. He thought of his thick spine that had not been completely destroyed and slowly sank to the bottom of the river bed. He let out a long sigh in his heart. Only then did he feel the faint pain of losing his companion again.
"If only we could capture a living individual.”The third officer sighed." It's a once-in-a-century research subject.”
"How are you going to transport a 15-meter-long, 50-ton live body back to Kassel Academy?”Mance asked coldly.
"Is that…really a dragon?" Saroma asked.
"I'm not sure, but I'm sure it's not a noble first-generation or second-generation breed. Its IQ is too low, and it actually ate the bomb.”Mance said," We can go over and see if we can get the muscle fragments and go back to do some research.”
"Do you still remember that you promised me to pass the course without taking the exam?”Saroma looked at the surface of the water and lowered her head." That's right. I'd rather not pass the exam and let Ye Sheng and Yaji come back."”
Mance did not speak. He grabbed Saroma's shoulder and squeezed it hard. He could only encourage her like this. He had just placed his hand on Saroma's shoulder when he suddenly felt a tug on Saroma's body. Her body was suddenly pulled away from his palm and flew backward, falling into the water. It was as if there was a devil's huge hand in the darkness grabbing her back.
Mance roared in shock. Saroma did not have the chance to struggle at all. She landed on the surface of the water and sank straight down. The light shone in at the last moment. Mance saw Saroma open her mouth, but she could not make a sound. Water poured into her mouth, and she disappeared in an instant. What was left on the surface of the water was a long, dark snake-like thing that curled up and sank into the water.
"Damn it!" Mance grabbed the sniper rifle that had fallen to the ground and emptied the entire magazine. Dense blue rays shot into the water, and in a moment, red and black blood floated to the surface of the water.
Mance was stunned. He suddenly remembered that it was not only the monster that was underwater, but Saroma as well. He did not know if the blood belonged to Saroma or the monster, but if Saroma was still alive, it would have been difficult for her to escape from such a concentrated attack. He had killed his student by mistake…He was too tired to take revenge on that thing. He dropped his sniper rifle and stumbled a few steps back, leaning weakly against the cabin wall.
A strange laughter seemed to float up from the stormy waves and echoed around the Manyaher. It was very heavy, reminiscent of the sound of a bellow pulling the engine, but also carried a very frivolous joy.
"Did I hear wrongly…Did you all hear that?
The third officer's voice trembled.
"You didn't hear wrongly. It's not an illusion. The dragon is laughing. He's laughing at us.”whispered Mance, his face now devoid of any expression.
"He was killed by the explosion!" The second mate shouted,"Nine out of ten bombs detonated!" There was only one dud! It could definitely destroy the outer armor of a cruiser!”
The cabin buzzed rapidly, but it was deliberately cold. It was the signal that the fire control radar had once again captured the dud that did not explode. Almost at the same time, on the surface of the water not far from the Yah, a black back slowly floated up like a sneaky crocodile. That thing slowly opened its mouth, and everyone could see its terrifying mouth. The dense gums extended all the way to its throat, and deep inside was an underwater bomb flashing red.
"Do we still need to detonate it?" asked the second mate.
" It's waiting for you to detonate it," Slow-Death said." Do you remember the pillar of fire that rushed upwards the moment the explosion happened? This wasn't an atomic bomb. Why would there be a pillar of fire when it exploded?”
The second mate shook his head. He had overlooked this strange phenomenon.
"It's this thing that opened its mouth and faced upwards. A large amount of airflow from the explosion spewed out from its mouth, releasing pressure, just like dragon flames.”Mance said." He has his mouth on us now. If you detonate it now, the thermal air will rush towards us. It might look like fireworks.”
"Is his digestive tract made of iron?" The second mate scratched his head. If it couldn't be blown out from the inside, then it wouldn't work from the outside! Then why did he dodge your bullets?”
" At the moment of the explosion, he might have used some kind of spirit to defend himself," Mance said." We were wrong. His intelligence is not low at all. He wanted to destroy the helicopter, but he did not like the light of that thing to disturb him. Perhaps we should address him as 'he' now. We are facing that fish or dragon, and he is playing a game with us, the prey that has nowhere to go. Start the engine."
The first mate shook his head." The engine has already overheated. It won't be able to hold on for much longer.”
"We don't need to run far. Shine the light in the direction of the bow to see what it is.”As Mance said this, he stared at the thing in the water.
The first mate looked back and was almost dumbfounded. In the darkness, they were only focused on steering the ship and running away. They kept the direction of the sonar scan to the pursuer behind them, but they did not realize that there was an existence as big as a mountain in front of them.
Three Gorge Dam.
They were about a kilometer away from the helicopter of the Three Gorge Dam, a rare man-made structure in the world. The towering dam stood on the dark water like a giant lying down and sleeping. Tens of millions of tons of cement and millions of tons of steel built this behemoth, blocking hundreds of millions of water. The drop was hundreds of meters, and probably nothing could shake it except nuclear bombs. There were pursuers in front and the fortress behind them, and the Manaher was like a fleeing squad in the middle.
There was nowhere to run.
"Everyone, return to the cabin, start the engine and move straight ahead.”Mance said again
Everyone looked at him silently.
"I'm the captain of the Mania, a professor at Kassel College, and an executive officer of the executive department.”Mance said slowly," Start the engine, maximum power, advance.”
Everyone obeyed the order. When the first mate passed by Mance, he heard him order in a low voice," Take the helm.”The second mate received the same order as he passed by. "Prepare the final bomb." The third officer was stunned for a moment when he received the order. He did not say anything and only nodded.
The overheated engine roared once again, and the stern of the Manaher violently stirred up waves. The Manaher suddenly accelerated. Mance stood alone at the stern facing the dragon, the rain quickly flowing down the wrinkles on his face.
"Come on!" He suddenly growled.
As expected, the monster was also waiting for this moment. The prey began to flee, and the final hunt began. The monster suddenly disappeared underwater, and the sharp water line reappeared. Now, nothing could disturb him. He approached the Manaher at an unprecedented speed. Even in its best condition, the Manyaher had no chance of escaping.
The chief officer held the steering wheel tightly and watched the temperature rise rapidly on the display screen, reaching 80 degrees Celsius. The chief engineer could no longer stand the high temperature and went up to the deck. The engine roared like a beast, but it could die at any time. The dam in front of them was getting closer and closer. In less than a kilometer, they would reach the giant miter gate on the first level of the water gate. There were five layers of locks in the Three Gorge waterway. By storing and releasing water, each layer could raise or lower the ship passing through the lock by as much as 20 meters. The miter gates that looked like the gates of the giant's castle in myths were the largest miter gates in the world. Each gate was made of about 2000 tons of steel.
"Air traffic ban! Air traffic ban! Any ships that approach, immediately slow down!" The shouting of the management personnel of the Three Gorge Ship Lock came from the loudspeaker.
The Manyaher's actions were tantamount to suicide. In the storm, navigation was completely banned. The water level difference between each level of the lock was 20 meters. Even if the management immediately began to store water, they would not be able to raise the water level of the next level of the lock by 20 meters. If they opened the miter gate at this moment, the result would only be a flood. The huge water would be released to the next level of the lock with a thunderous force, forming a magnificent and fatal torrent that dragged the ship into it. It would also shatter if it hit the door.
The miter gate opened, and the dam shook slightly. A huge amount of water poured into the lower lock, and the torrent on the surface immediately pulled the Manyah in. The ship reached an unprecedented speed of 70 knots under the double push of the engine and the current. However, they were speeding towards death. Ahead of them was a twenty-meter-high waterfall, and the thing behind them fearlessly borrowed the water and was faster than the Manaher.
Mance stared at the water line, watching as the distance between them grew closer and closer. The water flow near the miter gate had already formed a turbulent current, just like the flow of mud and rocks in front of the Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River. The Manaher kept shaking, and the stern rudder (should be the stern rudder) could no longer maintain its course. The entire ship was in the turbulent current, sometimes sideways, sometimes shooting forward like an arrow. That thing also sensed danger. Its long black tail rolled in the water, trying to maintain its balance.
Mance held the railing with one hand and opened the ancient tin bottle in his hand. The tin bottle was sealed with a melted gray tin. It had been sleeping in an Egyptian tomb for thousands of years. Kassel Academy had spent a lot of money to obtain it from an auction. The seller didn't understand the true value of this thing, but the people of Kassel Academy knew. They painted the entire tin bottle red, which represented " high risk," and carefully stored it in the " ice cellar ", waiting for the day when they had to use it. When the day came, Mance poured the liquid in the tin bottle onto the copper can beside him. He tied the copper can to himself with a rope!
The intense corrosive effect appeared instantly. The gray liquid met the copper pot and bubbled like concentrated acid. The liquid crawled along the patterns on the surface of the copper pot, looking like small gray snakes, frantically looking for gaps to crawl into the copper pot. The copper jar was hollow. After thousands of years of protection, there was still a large amount of air inside. Otherwise, it would not be so light. Now, the seal was about to be broken.
The thing in the water screamed for a moment. He was furious. What Mance was doing was destroying the most important thing to him. He gave up on fighting the turbulence, bent his back into a bow, and plunged into the water, diving toward the Manaher that had lost control. A cold smile appeared on Mance's face.
"Everyone, fasten your seat belts!" The first mate roared.
"Advance!" The first mate pushed the acceleration to the limit, and the Manyaher " flew " out of the first-class lock along with the turbulence. They passed through the miter gate and hovered in the air for a short time. The first mate heard the engine stall in idling. He did everything he could according to Mance's orders. He tightened his seatbelt and closed his eyes.
The second mate heard Mance's roar from the stern." Detonate!”Almost at the same time, the signal of the last bomb was found again. With a beeping sound, the second mate pressed the trigger. If someone were to stare into Mance's eyes at this moment, they would see a terrifying scene of a huge mouth opening and closing in rapidly. The two angry yellow, scimitar-like sharp teeth were one meter long, and the other rows of teeth were as dense as thorns! The other half of the thing's body was still in the ship lock, and it was anxiously sticking its head out. Its dark and slender body could not be seen clearly in the dark, and only its dense scales could be seen shining.
A series of explosive sounds came out of Mance's mouth. At the same time, a violent explosion came from the inside of that thing. The flames that spewed out were like an oversized welding torch.
Spirit of Words-Dustless Land.
Mance's voice spirit gave orders to all living and non-living substances, forcing those things that he rejected to quickly leave him, such as bomb fragments and high-temperature flames. In a short moment, it was as if a spherical barrier had appeared around Mance's body, isolating him from the impact of the explosion. However, outside his barrier, the scorching wind softened the steel, and that thing was also shaken back by the shock wave of the explosion. Its slender body retracted uncontrollably, curling into a ball.
In the arms of the third officer, the " key " suddenly clenched his small hand and canceled the voice that opened the door.
The engine of the miter gate will start immediately
The 2000-ton steel door closed with a loud bang, and the 15-meter-long body of the thing was cut in half. Its shrill laughter pierced out from the turbulence like a sharp sword.
Mance covered his ears. He had never heard such laughter before. It didn't sound like a human's. It sounded like a laugh, but it also sounded like a painful wail that echoed in the storm. Mance didn't know if it was the dauntless spirit of that thing before it died or if it could only make a sound similar to laughter, but he didn't care. This thing had to die. This was his memorial to his students.
"Goodbye, Your Majesty Norton." Cold sarcasm flashed through Mance's bloodshot eyes.
The Manyah fell with the current and fell into the water of the second-class ship lock. Mance felt the same feeling as He Yesheng at that time. Falling... endlessly falling, it reminded him of Lucifer's fall that lasted for nine days and nine nights.
"Continue forward!" Mance's roar came from the stern.
The first mate's face was ashen as he held the steering wheel firmly with both hands. The second mate pressed the red button to detonate the bomb. The thing probably closed its mouth and the signal disappeared again.
The third officer appeared in the front cabin with the key in his arms. The key widened his eyes and looked straight at the miter door that was getting closer and closer in the darkness.
"Baby, it's up to you now." The third officer patted the baby's head.
The Key stretched out his tender hand and pointed forward. His young body trembled slightly, and his eyes emitted a faint golden light. In an instant, it was as if a huge force surged out of his hand. Everyone could feel it.
A faint light suddenly appeared on the dam, and the miter gate slowly opened. The baby's mysterious voice commanded the computer that controlled the access system and forcefully opened the passage.
3. The real "S" class
The control room in the library of Kassel Academy was dead silent. The signal between them and the Manaher had been cut off, and the screen was pitch black. About half an hour later, the students could only sit, but the professors had already gotten up and walked back and forth while rubbing their hands. This kind of waiting made people restless.
However, Lu Mingfei was very interested because a virtual girl named Eva was playing a tower defense game with him on the screen. The game looked very simple. A large number of little dragons hatched from a nest on one side of the screen. They had to cross a wilderness and reach the white moon on the other side of the screen. Lu Mingfei could set up all kinds of weapons in the wilderness to stop them. Some were triple-mounted rapid-fire cannons, some were frost cannons, and there were also laser weapons that were suspended in the air and missiles that could track targets. However, the most effective one was a warrior with a sword called the " Alchemy Dragon Slayer ". They only had a single attack range and were very expensive. Their attack frequency was also very low, but they could kill any target that passed by them with a single sword strike.
Lu Mingfei's seat was in the last row, so no one could see his screen. His fingers moved slightly on the touch screen to complete the operation. It was very hidden. Logically speaking, he should have kept a little quiet and solemn about such a big matter. However, he was not familiar with the Manyach or the elites of the Rundstedt family. He had never had any sense of responsibility. In high school, every time the teacher talked about the honor of the class, he would keep nodding his head in a blank state. Honor and responsibility were the most important things, but only for heroes. The puppies in StarCraft never needed to have a sense of honor and responsibility.
So he didn't resist the temptation of the Eva. After she kept pacing, jumping, scratching her head, and sitting on the ground and drawing circles in boredom, she popped up a dialog box that said," Let's play a game." Lu Mingfei felt that a man couldn't refuse!
"The so-called brave life is not to use cannons, but to use alchemy dragon slayers. Don't men rely on swords to determine victory or defeat? Do you dare? Do you dare?"
"Alive, alive. Another one has passed. There are only three chances left. It seems that you will inevitably die!”
The Eva kept commenting on his screen. Lu Mingfei couldn't understand why a computer with such a beautiful girl appearance would have the soul of a grumbling uncle installed in its components. Lu Mingfei guessed that the Eva was trying to interfere with him, but that was too naive. Lu Mingfei was a genuine Chinese student who had fought all night in an internet cafe. He had once stared at the dazzling smoke of the internet cafe and played StarCraft all night. Perhaps interfering was not a problem.
"What are you doing? You really dare? Do you know that you're dismantling all the turrets and only putting in the alchemical dragon slayer that's being shot by rocket launchers? This thing was expensive and could only be used for close combat!”The Eva could not believe Lu Mingfei's tactics." Do you really want to die? Did you say that he has connections with the Dragon Clan?"
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