Chapter 363: The Destroyed Airship
"Boss, look! The fire crystal turned green too!"
"How would I know why?"
Gobu Qi was equally puzzled.
Although the bats' magical attacks had been blocked by the fire barrier, the change in its color gave Gobu Qi an ominous feeling.
"Boss, those guys are too agile, darting around everywhere!"
"All goblins, grab crossbows and get to the deck! Shoot them down!"
The ship's triple-bow ballistae were too few to provide comprehensive protection for the airship.
Gobu Qi roared the order, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.
"Wow! Wow!"
At his command, goblins from below deck scrambled onto the deck, each wielding a crossbow.
Within moments, the deck was crowded with goblins armed and ready to fire.
While their crossbows lacked the power of the triple-bow ballistae, they were still deadly against the fast-moving bat riders.
The high-speed flight of the bat riders added to the impact of the arrows, amplifying their lethality.
With the goblin sailors now armed as crossbowmen, the airship resembled a hedgehog bristling with spikes.
The bat riders soon found themselves surrounded by the whistling of arrows.
More and more of them were struck, spiraling down into the mist below.
"Boss, the fire crystal looks like it's about to explode!"
Amid the chaos, a goblin on the mid-mast platform shouted toward the aft deck.
Above his head, the fire crystal, about the size of half a football, was covered in cracks, emitting ominous cracking sounds.
The orange hue of the crystal had taken on a greenish tint.
"What?"
Gobu Qi looked up in alarm, just as a blinding green flash erupted above.
Boom!
A deafening explosion followed as the fire crystal detonated, releasing a massive green fireball that engulfed the surroundings.
The top half of the mast was consumed by the green flames.
The powerful shockwave, mixed with fire, blasted across the deck, knocking goblins off their feet.
Green flames fell onto the deck, igniting everything they touched.
"Ahh!"
Some goblins caught fire, writhing and rolling on the ground, desperately trying to extinguish the flames, only to spread the fire further.
Within moments, the entire deck was ablaze with green fire.
---
Below, in the mist...
A sudden green glow lit up the fog.
A massive green fireball, at least ten meters in diameter, shot out of the mist.
The sheer heat distorted the air around it.
Although its movement seemed slow, it was deceptively fast.
In less than five seconds, the fireball collided with the burning airship's underside.
Boom!
A massive green fireball erupted, forming a mushroom cloud of flames that rose into the sky.
The shockwave, combined with the flames, ripped the airship apart mid-air.
The entire vessel was consumed by the green fire, its shattered remains raining down as burning debris into the mist below.
The sky seemed to shower green meteors in a spectacular, yet tragic, display.
---
Goblin Forest, Throne Tribe
At the riverside port, on the deck of a newly launched airship, Li Meng was working on a magi-cannon when his expression changed.
He spat out three tiny water slimes, each the size of a small egg.
"Huh? What happened to you guys?"
The water slimes hopped around on the deck, their movements agitated.
"It was fire! Green fire! Such an evil power!"
"Everything's gone! All dead! The airship exploded!"
"Boom! Gone!"
Realizing they were from one of his airships, Li Meng's brow furrowed.
"So, one of my airships was destroyed?"
"Where did this happen?"
"The west!"
"Yes, in the mountains—lots and lots of mountains!"
"Covered in mist!"
"The goblins were fighting bats and rats!"
"The ship exploded!"
The three slimes chattered, and Li Meng pieced together the information.
The west, mist-covered mountains—it had to be the Misty Mountains.
The bats and rats likely indicated the Ratmen Tribe.
The green fire was probably their magic.
The conclusion was clear: the airship had been destroyed by the Ratmen Tribe.
"Do you want me to send you back?"
"No, Boss! We can go back on our own!"
"Yes, we'll go back ourselves!"
"Let's go! Let's go!"
The three water slimes hopped toward Goblin River and leapt over the ship's railing into the water.
Standing at the railing, Li Meng turned his gaze westward.
The Ratmen Tribe had been spotted in Goblin Forest as early as two years ago.
But since they hadn't launched a large-scale invasion, Li Meng had chosen to ignore them.
Over the past year, their activity in the western part of Goblin Forest had increased.
Though there had been a few skirmishes with the goblins, they were minor.
Li Meng had assumed the Ratmen Tribe could be ignored for the time being.
After all, he had more pressing matters.
The Misty Mountains were a treacherous terrain, and the Ratmen were skilled at burrowing.
Driving them out of the forest wouldn't be difficult, but eradicating them completely was impossible—even for Li Meng.
"Should I deal with the Ratmen Tribe first, or the humans?"
Li Meng pondered, staring westward.
The humans were the aggressors, and war was only about a year away.
Fighting the Ratmen now would risk a prolonged conflict, leading to a two-front war.
"A two-front war is too risky," Li Meng muttered to himself.
While he wasn't a military genius, even he knew that dividing forces was a foolish move.
Overconfidence led to ruin, and caution was the key to victory.
For now, he hoped the destruction of the airship wouldn't provoke the Ratmen Tribe.
A two-front war would hinder his plans to eliminate the Dragon King.
Losing one airship wasn't a major concern, but the conflict it symbolized was unavoidable.
"Humph. Once I'm done with the humans, I'll deal with you."
With a cold snort, Li Meng turned back to the magi-cannon, resuming his work.