Chapter 250: The Launch of the First Airship
There was still much to do.
Returning to the Throne Palace, Li Meng, after venting his emotions for one night, quickly became busy again.
Time passed bit by bit, day by day.
Half a month later, one afternoon.
Today was an extraordinary day for the Throne Tribe.
The first airship was officially launched today.
Around the docks outside the northern city, all the tribes gathered together.
Everyone looked at the large object before them with curiosity.
Although they had built the airship themselves, could it really fly?
On the dock lay an airship that had already been completed.
The airship was about 100 meters long and 27 meters wide.
Large white sails, retracted at the moment, could be seen on the massive mast.
The sails were made of spider silk, possessing strong magical conductivity.
The airship had a relatively spacious deck.
"Boss, boss, I have a bad feeling about this."
"Me too, me too!"
Five water slimes bounced around Li Meng, their transparent bodies as soft and springy as jelly.
Looking down at the little fellows around him, Li Meng grinned.
"Staying in one place forever is no good. From now on, I'll take you all around the world!"
Saying this, Li Meng walked toward the dock.
Pig Dajin, Wolf Howl, and Margarita hurriedly followed behind.
The group boarded the dock and then climbed onto the deck via a plank.
On the deck, Li Meng found the hatch leading to the cabin and went inside.
Heading downward, he discovered the engine room on the second deck.
The so-called engine room was essentially a giant tank.
The tank was made of steel and coated with mithril inside.
The steel tank was about five meters tall and three meters in diameter.
Several iron pipes were connected to the tank.
The pipes, with diameters of less than five centimeters, extended like veins throughout the ship, connecting to the keel and sails.
Li Meng opened a small hatch on the engine.
"Little ones, it's up to you now!"
Li Meng gave a sly smile to the water slimes beside him.
"Boss, the space inside is too small. I don't want to go in."
"Neither do I!"
"Me neither!"
The water slimes seemed reluctant to enter the engine.
Li Meng knocked on the hatch.
"The door isn't locked. You can open it from inside and come out to play during breaks!"
"Really, boss?"
"You're not lying, right, boss?"
Li Meng grinned and patted his chest.
"Of course. I never lie."
One water slime leaped into the engine through the hatch.
The others quickly followed.
The engine contained about half a tank of water—the purest elemental water, formed from water elements.
Moments later, the engine started humming.
The runic magic circles on the walls of the tank lit up with a green glow.
The runic magic circles on the pipes connected to the engine also began to shine.
"Let's head to the deck!"
Li Meng turned and walked back to the upper deck.
Pig Dajin and the others followed closely behind their leader.
Quickly returning to the deck, Li Meng stepped onto the helm deck.
"Raise the sails, prepare to set sail!" Li Meng shouted, gripping the helm with both hands.
Hearing this, the various tribes on the dock sprang into action.
They climbed onto the airship via the planks.
There were beastmen, pigmen, gnolls, and goblins among them.
The gnolls nimbly climbed the masts, and with the sound of flapping, the massive sails unfolded.
As the sails opened, the ship creaked and groaned.
The pigmen and beastmen quickly retrieved the planks connecting the ship to the dock.
In less than five minutes, preparations for departure were complete.
"Boss, everything's ready!"
Pig Dajin hurriedly ran to the helm deck, reporting obsequiously.
Li Meng looked down at Bai Ling beside him.
"Bai Ling, we're about to fly. Are you scared?"
Bai Ling raised her head and smiled slightly.
She moved closer to the king and grabbed his leg with both hands.
"Not at all, my king!"
Li Meng grinned.
He grasped the lever next to the helm and pulled it toward him.
With a click, the lever shifted to the takeoff position.
Beneath the lever was a magical control device that regulated the power output of the engine through the input of magical energy.
In the next moment, the airship jolted as it slowly ascended from the dock.
"It's flying! It's flying!"
This sight brought cheers from the various tribes on deck.
A year of hard work had finally paid off.
The airship ascended steadily, soon reaching several hundred meters in the air.
The height continued to increase.
Even the goblins of the Throne Tribe on the ground were drawn to the airborne airship, gazing up in awe.
When the airship reached an altitude of one kilometer, Li Meng shifted the lever to neutral.
The massive airship stopped rising, but the wind carried it forward.
Li Meng then pushed the lever forward.
The runic magic circles on the sails glowed green.
Gales materialized, filling the sails.
The ship jolted as its speed abruptly increased.
Li Meng quickly turned the helm to the right.
The airship in the sky gradually veered right.
As Li Meng steered, the sails on the fore and aft masts adjusted their angles to counteract wind forces, ensuring the airship maintained level posture while turning.
Over the next period, Li Meng tested the functionality of the helm system.
The airship turned left and right, sometimes circling above the Throne Tribe, sometimes flying into the distance before returning.
After a few hours of experimenting, Li Meng finally settled down.
"What do you think? Isn't it beautiful?"
The weather was excellent, with a bright blue sky and no clouds.
Standing at the edge of the deck, Li Meng held Bai Ling in his arms, overlooking the verdant land below.
From this height, the green expanse stretched as far as the eye could see, a breathtaking view.
Bai Ling nodded gently.
"It's stunning, my king!"
Bai Ling had never imagined that Goblin Forest could be so beautiful or that she would one day view the land from such a perspective.
Time passed, and the celebration continued.
By nightfall, the airship slowly descended to the dock.
With the launch of the first airship, the Throne Tribe began large-scale airship construction.
As more pigmen, gnolls, and beastmen arrived at the Throne Tribe, the place became bustling and lively.
Shipyards rose outside the northern, southern, and western parts of the city.
These shipyards, essentially wooden docks, were constructed rapidly.
The sight of tens of thousands of people working together was awe-inspiring.
To better allocate labor, Li Meng invested significant effort in management.