Chapter 249: The Terrifying Power
When everything settled down, a crater with a diameter of no less than twenty meters and a depth of at least five meters appeared on the mountainside.
Flying debris was hurled as far as a kilometer away.
"The explosive power of Fire Crystal Stone is indeed very strong!"
Li Meng was very satisfied with the power of the cannon.
"What has the Great King tinkered with this time?"
"Was that explosion caused by that thing?"
"What an amazing weapon. I... I want one."
The terrifying power of the magical cannon left the goblins stunned.
They all stared at the magical cannon with fanatical expressions.
"The Great King is amazing!"
Gobu Ge looked at the towering figure beside the magical cannon with admiration.
"Good, good. Finally, the research on the magical cannon has come to an end."
Gazing at the distant mountains, Li Meng nodded repeatedly.
"Gobu Ge!"
Li Meng turned and looked at Gobu Ge, who stood not far away.
Hearing this, Gobu Ge immediately ran over eagerly.
"Great King, I'm here!"
Li Meng pointed at the magical cannon with his right hand.
"From now on, your task is to cast cannons. The more, the better."
A single floating warship could only accommodate 24 magical cannons.
With two decks of cannons, each deck deployed six magical cannons.
The total on both sides amounted to 24 magical cannons.
"Great King, I understand!"
Clapping his hands, Li Meng strode toward the southern forest.
By his calculations, he had stayed in the Iron Cavern for nearly a year.
Now, he had finally developed the magical cannon.
Next, it was time for large-scale production.
"I wonder how the floating ship's construction is coming along!"
Walking through the forest, Li Meng pondered silently.
With this thought, he quickened his pace.
As he walked, light appeared ahead.
When his vision suddenly broadened, Li Meng emerged from the forest.
On the platform outside the wooden wall, a floating ship came into view.
The scene was breathtakingly beautiful.
The floating ship was not yet complete, but it was close to being finished.
The hull was 90% complete.
Wooden scaffolding encased almost the entire ship.
Numerous beastmen and goblins were busy at work.
The massive mast had already been erected.
Only the upper deck remained unfinished.
Only a small portion of beastmen and goblins were working.
Most of them stood watching from the sidelines.
After all, the platform could only accommodate so many workers.
"It's the Great King! The Great King has returned!"
The busy tribesmen soon noticed Li Meng approaching the platform.
Pig Dajin, Wolf Howl, and Iron Hammer rushed over to greet him.
As they approached the Great King, the sheer size of his towering five-meter frame filled their eyes with awe.
The oppressive aura he exuded was overwhelming.
"It looks like it's nearly complete!"
Iron Hammer's face lit up with a smile upon hearing the Great King's words.
"Great King, it should be finished in half a month."
Li Meng stopped and looked at the floating ship on the platform.
The ship's design resembled Earth's sailing warships.
The upper deck was relatively flat.
"Were there any difficulties during construction?"
Iron Hammer shook his head.
"The design plans you provided, Great King, were straightforward. As long as the materials matched, there were no issues."
Iron Hammer's words left Pig Dajin somewhat dissatisfied.
Stepping slightly forward, Pig Dajin plastered a smile on his face.
"Great King, there will absolutely be no problems with the materials."
"If construction is scaled up, how many floating ships can be built in a year?"
Pig Dajin, Iron Hammer, and Wolf Howl exchanged glances.
Iron Hammer rubbed his smooth, shiny head.
"Great King, based on your orders, we've been training more tribesmen in shipbuilding. With our current manpower, we can simultaneously work on 15 floating ships, producing 15 ships a year."
Fifteen floating ships a year?
While the speed was not slow, it was still insufficient.
To launch a grand expedition, hundreds of floating ships would be required.
"Too slow. Assign more workers. All able-bodied members of your tribes must be transferred to the Throne Tribe. Food for the elderly and infirm will be provided by the Throne Tribe. I'll dispatch goblins to assist you—however many you need. Within three years, I need 300 floating ships launched."
Three hundred floating ships in three years?
The scale left the three of them stunned.
What exactly was the Great King planning?
"Can it be done?"
Faced with the Great King's gaze, the three broke out in a cold sweat.
"Uh… it should be possible."
Iron Hammer replied with a bitter expression.
Could he say no?
If he did, the Great King might eat him alive.
"The ship you're currently building is just a prototype. The subsequent floating ships will be even larger."
The next ships would be larger?
Iron Hammer's face grew even more strained.
"Uh… no… no problem."
Scanning their faces, Li Meng grinned.
"Good. Keep it up. Once this floating ship is launched, I'll provide you with new design plans!"
The magical cannons were incredibly heavy.
While a 100-meter-long ship wasn't small, it wasn't enough to accommodate the cannons.
A 120-meter-long floating ship would be necessary.
After speaking, Li Meng turned and strode toward the northern gate.
As he walked, he fell into deep thought.
The floating ships needed to serve two purposes.
One was for combat.
The other was for transporting supplies and troops.
The former required the strongest hulls.
A 120-meter size was most suitable.
The latter needed to be larger—at least 150 meters.
The differences in their purposes meant their internal structures would vary greatly.
"It seems there's still much to do."
Li Meng sighed deeply, feeling somewhat disheartened.
He longed to be a hands-off leader.
To eat, sleep, and relax daily.
To spend time with his Princesses in the harem.
To bathe and dine with them after waking up.
To visit the seaside and enjoy the ocean when bored.
Such a life would be nothing short of blissful.
But now, year after year passed in toil.
"The Great King is so huge!"
"Is this the Great King's true form?"
The goblins watching him enter the northern gate were filled with awe.
For many of them, it was their first time seeing the Great King's true form.
The sheer size of his towering figure made their legs weak.
"Forget it. Tonight, I'll vent thoroughly."
As if recalling something, Li Meng's lips curled into a wicked smile.
After a year of abstinence, he intended to indulge himself tonight.
His smile suddenly froze.
Li Meng's brows furrowed as he quickened his pace.
Speaking of desires, a woman came to mind.
Her name was Vanessa, a dark elf.
Though their chemistry had been strong, their relationship ended poorly.
Since then, Li Meng hadn't used "Word of Spirit" to hypnotize any females.
He couldn't say he wasn't affected.
During that time, Vanessa had truly loved him.
Having never experienced genuine love from a woman, Li Meng couldn't remain indifferent to Vanessa's pure affection.
Even three years later, thoughts of Vanessa still left him feeling unsettled.