Chapter 362: Ratmen Bat Knights
"Missed the mark!"
"Where are you aiming?"
"Didn't see that massive mountain peak?"
"Get me my whip!"
Amid Gobuqiang's curses, the artillery training continued.
The floating warship in the sky was firing enthusiastically.
However, something in the mist wasn't quite as thrilled.
"Boss, there seems to be something in the mist!"
A Goblin leaning against the ship's railing seemed to have spotted something.
It pointed toward the distant mist and shouted loudly.
"What did you see?"
Following the subordinate's gaze, Gobuqiang looked toward the distant misty mountain range.
In that direction, faint green lights flickered within the mist.
More and more green dots appeared, growing in both number and brightness.
"Boss, do you think something's about to come out?"
"Of course, it is! Boys, raise the sails and get this floating warship moving!"
When faced with an uncertain risk, the floating warship must start moving.
This was a golden rule recorded in the captain's manual, straight from the great king himself.
"Prepare the flame barrier, and don't slack off!"
Gobuqiang looked up at the platform atop the mast.
At the top of the central mast sat a fire crystal the size of a soccer ball.
On the platform stood a Goblin wielding a massive iron hammer.
To activate the runic magic circle, the ignition device required a collision with considerable force.
Once activated, the rune would cause the fire crystal to release a flame barrier, enveloping the floating warship.
The Goblin sailors on the deck bustled about, yelling as they worked.
Dozens of Goblins nimbly climbed the masts.
One by one, the massive sails were unfurled.
As the runes etched on the sails caught the wind, the once stationary floating warship began to move slowly.
"Boss, something's coming out—huge bats!"
At that moment, movement erupted from the distant mist.
Giant bats emerged, each with glowing green eyes and sharp claws.
From afar, their bodies seemed to be engulfed in green flames.
Each bat was nearly seven meters long, and their backs bore riders resembling oversized rats.
In an instant, nearly a hundred bats burst out from the mist.
The swarm charged straight for the floating warship.
"Ratmen? Bats? Ratmen Bat Knights?"
Gobuqiang muttered as he observed the bat swarm approaching.
He wasn't unfamiliar with the Ratmen of the western regions.
Although he had never seen them personally, many chiefs had spoken of them.
The Ratmen's base was in the misty mountains, and they had extended their claws into the Goblin Forest.
In the western region of the Goblin Forest, many Goblin tribes had clashed with the Ratmen.
While most were small-scale conflicts over food, many chiefs predicted the Ratmen would one day launch a large-scale invasion of the Goblin Forest.
The great king, however, seemed unconcerned about the Ratmen's presence.
"Prepare the crossbows! Shoot them dead!"
"Activate the flame barrier now—quickly!"
Gobuqiang jerked the ship's rudder sharply, steering the floating warship eastward.
On the floating warship's deck, in addition to the magical cannons, were twenty triple-bow ballistae—five each on the front and rear decks, with ten on the central deck.
The magic barrier could block magical attacks but wouldn't interfere with the triple-bow ballistae's projectiles.
When dealing with large groups of enemies, the ballistae's cluster arrows were devastating.
The Goblin on the central mast platform raised its massive iron hammer and smashed it against the ignition device.
With a metallic "zing," the fire crystal at the mast's peak glowed brilliantly.
A ring of fire erupted outward, enveloping the floating warship in a flame barrier.
The barrier was semi-transparent, ensuring visibility wasn't affected.
"Quickly! They're getting closer!"
The Goblins on the deck scrambled to operate the triple-bow ballistae, their thin bodies running around comically.
Closer, closer still.
Nearly a hundred bat knights chased after the floating warship.
"Screech! Screech!"
From the sky behind, the Ratmen bat knights let out sharp cries, glaring angrily at the floating ship in the distance.
It was that same floating ship that had created a racket in the misty mountains, causing significant casualties to the Ratmen tribes below.
While many Ratmen managed to escape into the underground, countless others were crushed to death by falling rocks.
Closer still.
1,000 meters. 700 meters. 500 meters. 300 meters…
"Take aim and fire!"
At 300 meters, Gobuqiang suddenly yanked the rudder to the left.
The floating warship, originally heading east, veered sharply left, exposing its side to the incoming bat knights.
"Fire!"
Gobuqiang roared.
The Goblins operating the triple-bow ballistae pulled their triggers.
A volley of arrows whistled through the air.
A dense swarm of arrows turned into a dark cloud, hurtling toward the bat knights.
The distance was too close.
By the time the Ratmen knights heard the whistling projectiles, it was already too late.
The black cloud of arrows enveloped their formation.
"Thud!"
One by one, the bat knights were struck.
Arrows deeply embedded themselves into the bodies of both bats and Ratmen.
Some arrows even pierced clean through both rider and mount.
"Screech!"
The sky filled with agonized cries as numerous bats and Ratmen knights plummeted into the mist below.
The sudden assault terrified the bat knights, who quickly scattered to avoid another concentrated attack.
But the bat knights didn't retreat.
Instead, they shifted to a loose formation and continued their assault on the floating warship.
As they approached, the bats opened their mouths and spewed green fireballs.
"Boom!"
The fireballs exploded against the flame barrier, erupting into clouds of green fire.
The barrier rippled violently under the attacks, and the green fire's corrosive power began to show.
The once-fiery red barrier started turning green, and a faint green glow even appeared on the fire crystal atop the mast.
A fierce skirmish raged in the misty mountain skies.
Dozens of Ratmen bat knights circled the floating warship, occasionally diving to launch green fireballs at the flame barrier.
Meanwhile, the Goblins on the deck continuously fired cluster arrows.
However, the bats were too fast and scattered, drastically reducing the effectiveness of subsequent attacks.
"Boss, why is it turning green?"
Many Goblin warriors noticed the flame barrier's changing color.
The barrier surrounding the floating warship was gradually turning green, seemingly corroded by the magical power of the bats' green fireballs.