Chapter 390 - 290: Explosive Arrow, Sea Crow

Chapter 390: Chapter 290: Explosive Arrow, Sea Crow

The clouds hung low over the vast sea. Several days of fair weather had left the ocean as calm as a boundless mirror, reflecting the rose-colored dusk sky in all its splendor.

Just then, a black cloud appeared on the distant horizon, racing toward them with incredible speed.

Only as it drew closer did it become clear that it wasn’t a cloud at all, but a massive, dense flock of sea crows.

These sea crows were a real nuisance. While not powerful individually, their strength was in their numbers. They moved in huge flocks that blotted out the sun, which led sailors to dub them the "locusts of the sea."

While they didn’t typically attack humans, merely circling the fleet to feast on discarded leftovers, their favorite post-meal activity was to land on the sails and rigging to relieve themselves.

The droppings from these sea crows were highly acidic. If not cleaned up immediately, they would corrode the sails, rigging, and even the deck planks.

For this reason, sailors despised the birds, driving them off with gunfire or arrows whenever they appeared.

But the sea crows were clever. The same tactics would become ineffective after a few uses, causing the crew no end of headaches.

This time was no exception. As the enormous, sky-blotting flock descended, some of the sailors cried out in alarm.

Other crewmen scrambled to lower the sails and draw in the rigging.

Although the vessels were the latest model of steamship, equipped with the newest steam engines from Folangji, the expensive machinery was typically reserved for emergencies. Day-to-day propulsion still relied mainly on the sails.

This was due to fuel constraints. After all, the ship’s hull had limited space, and once the cargo holds were accounted for, there was little room left for coal.

Thus, the ancient technology of the sail remained one of the ship’s most critical components.

And while spare sails were usually stored on board, the corrosion and destruction of the mainsail would still be a disastrous inconvenience.

After all, on the vast, open ocean, a loss of propulsion often meant death.

The same was true for the rigging; it was a vital resource that could not afford to be lost.

Just as the sailors on every ship were scrambling about in a panic, a sudden explosion ripped through the air.

BOOM!

A fireball erupted in the densest part of the flock. A moment later, charred sea crow carcasses plummeted into the ocean like bullets.

What was happening?

Many of the crew, unsure of what had just happened, stared wide-eyed, scanning their surroundings.

Just then, a few SWOOSHING sounds cut through the air, followed by the sight of several arrow-like silhouettes streaking into the sky. They exploded in the midst of the flock.

Explosions lit up the sky one after another, blasting the cloud-like flock and sending it churning. Innumerable bodies rained down.

"It’s Master Wu!" someone, finally understanding what was happening, shouted with a mixture of surprise and delight.

The name "Master Wu" sounded strange coming from the mouths of these blond-haired, blue-eyed Folangji, but that didn’t stop the crewmen from gazing at the distant ship with expressions of pure awe.

Over the past few days, this powerful man had already earned their complete respect and admiration.

Seeing him in action this time, however, was still a startling sight.

’What were those explosions? Was it some new kind of firearm? But where was the roar of cannon fire?’

Meanwhile, the explosions in the sky grew more frequent. Fireballs detonated within the flock one after another. Despite the crows’ vast numbers, the relentless attack quickly tore a huge hole in their formation.

Finally, the sea crows knew fear. They abruptly turned and fled, leaving behind nothing but a thick layer of their dead floating on the water’s surface.

Many of the crewmen were dumbfounded.

’They just... left?’

Normally, once the sea crows latched onto a fleet, they would follow it for days before moving on.

To see them so thoroughly routed by a single, furious bombardment was naturally astonishing.

Astonishment quickly gave way to immense joy.

Though the sea crows seemed insignificant and didn’t attack people directly, countless fleets throughout history had been lost to the sea because of them.

As such, they had become an omen of misfortune.

Having shaken off the disgusting birds so quickly, many of the crewmen breathed a collective sigh of relief before turning to gaze at the distant ship with looks of profound reverence.

Meanwhile, Wu Liangchen lowered his longbow. He gently stroked the still-warm bowstring, a hint of undisguised pleasure in his eyes.

’The power of these explosive arrows really is something else.’

It had started as a sudden idea Wu Liangchen had: to modify arrowheads into explosive warheads.

He’d done it because the firearms of the day couldn’t compare to his own archery in either range or precision.

However, while his archery was formidable, it was primarily effective against single targets. He was at a disadvantage when facing large groups.

So Wu Liangchen had come up with an original solution: he had Annabelle find him artisans who specialized in firearms. After a period of research and adjustment, they had actually managed to produce a batch of explosive arrows.

And today’s test had yielded delightful results.

While his archery hadn’t fundamentally improved, its destructive power had risen to a whole new level.

Wu Liangchen was very pleased. He turned to Annabelle, who was standing nearby. "Please have another five hundred explosive arrows made for me to these exact specifications."

Annabelle, who had been equally stunned, finally snapped back to reality and nodded hastily.

"Of course. I’ll order them to be made as soon as I get back."