Darkstone Code

Voyaging on the sea is a rather tedious affair. At first, it might feel fresh and even surprising.

For instance, those who've only lived inland never imagined that waves could sometimes be so majestic or even terrifying. They might lean against the ship's railing, gazing at the endless horizon, marveling at the world's beauty and wonders.

Everything new is beautiful and intoxicating, enough to turn someone into a poet.

For example, a new car, a new romantic acquaintance, and some new experiences.

But soon, these novelties become annoying, because none of it changes. The rolling boiled eggs on the plate due to the waves could even foster irritable emotions—making one want to smash them on the table so they stop rolling!

Voyaging on the sea can become boring, tedious, and frustrating more quickly than one might imagine.

After the initial period, the soldiers' emotions and mindsets stabilized. We must thank the Federation's Priest for this, as they often engage soldiers whose emotions seem out of sorts.

This method helps soldiers emerge from a state of agitation, irritability, and confusion.

At this moment, a naval soldier is writing a diary. Writing diaries seems to be a favorite pastime for navy sailors.

One can always find out how many diaries a sailor wrote from shipwrecks or certain places, but you've never heard about how much army soldiers love to write diaries.

Because when army soldiers are bored, they can do whatever they want, even leave their base to find some girls. But on the sea, aside from writing diaries, there isn't much for them to do, or they could re-polish a deck that's already been polished.

Just as this naval soldier wrote about some beautiful visions for the future, a sound, like the whistle after a boiler boiled, suddenly came to his ear, sharp and piercing. The ship then violently shook, and in that instant, he was thrown to one side, tumbling to the ground.

The battle alarm sounded immediately—they were under attack!

"Report the damage..." The Captain stood in the command room looking at the layers of screens. The soldier making reports was right behind him. On the screen, aside from the known green dots, there were no green dots visible ahead.

These useless fools!

The Captain's expression was grim. Each year, the Military allocates funds to some military and tech enterprises for them to research new products. Some indeed are useful, but others... are completely worthless, like the radio positioning system.

No doubt, the enemy maintained radio silence, and this was nearly three days sooner than their initial engagement calculations. The enemy must have sped up.

"The stern has been shelled, and the rear deck is penetrated. We're conducting emergency repairs..."

Listening to information he couldn't change, the Captain shook his head, "They're zeroing in for shelling positions, making the fleet behind us change formation..."

The operators in the command room didn't act immediately but reminded, "This will expose our coordinates, Captain."

The Federation is researching radio positioning systems, and Gafura is as well. Clearly, their research results surpass those of the Federation, as they focus more on naval development. To maintain their dominance over the world's seas, they must at least ensure they aren't falling behind technologically.

Previously, their movement was under periodic silence, communicating every forty-five minutes. Now, if they open the radio, their coordinates would immediately be exposed on the enemy's display.

In this period, when a ship exposes its position at sea, it's greeted with more than just planes or torpedoes.

No aircraft can partake in ship combat now, and torpedoes only have value at close range. Far away, it's a game of chance, but one thing doesn't share such concerns.

This time, the enemy fired more than a single shell. From the observed impact points, at least six shells were fired as they "do their homework," providing reliable data for the battleships following.

If they fully expose themselves now, the consequences are unimaginable.

"Execute the order!" The Captain's hand was already on his sidearm. If the operators hesitated, he'd immediately shoot them and replace with others.

The operators knew they couldn't change anything and began operating immediately. Instantaneously, radio waves transmitted outward, intercepted by the fleet behind the destroyer and also detected by the enemy ships that just appeared within visual range.

The Captain adjusted his collar, removed his broad-brimmed Navy hat, tidied his hair, and put it back on. "Engines at maximum for evasive maneuvers, and notify all crew to prepare for taking cover and extinguishing fires..."

After he finished speaking, he picked up his binoculars to look at the fleet that had already appeared in the distance, not expecting them to arrive so quickly. Truly, one must not underestimate these "invincible navies" that dominate the seas.

And at that moment, whether it was an illusion or some other reason, the Captain saw some clouds in the sky not far away seem to accelerate slightly. Before he had time to say anything, the first round of volleys arrived.

No words can describe this feeling. At least two battleships' volleys brought an oppressive sensation akin to the instant right before a storm suddenly arrives.

All the air froze at this moment, and people's reaction speeds were also frozen!

He saw those shells, but he couldn't utter a word or issue any command, as if something had gripped his throat.

He had never experienced such a feeling before, so helpless and insignificant.

The next instant, the destroyer on which the Captain stood felt as if it were suddenly pushed back by some strange force. The ship's hull sank sharply into the water, the surrounding sea level suddenly rising. The soldier making emergency repairs at the stern was lifted by the incoming seawater, and then swept out as the hull re-surfaced.

A huge column of smoke rose rapidly, followed by a magazine explosion. In just one second, a massive burst of light destroyed the destroyer, which didn't even have a chance to catch a breath, splitting into two from the mid-aft, then sinking.

At this time, on the Federation Navy ships behind it, one yellowish-brown balloon after another rose quickly. Indeed, the instruments of the Federation were not as good as the human eye.

On these rapidly rising balloons was an observer who watched with binoculars the distant situation, reporting back to the Captain's cabin via wired telephone.

These things... honestly are indeed much more useful than those radio positioning systems.

In the observer's eyes, the fifteen ships coming towards them were divided into three parts, advancing diagonally like an "eight" with an extra leg. They then saw what the nearly-sacrificed Captain saw last.

Those giant ships shook violently, and in an instant, the clouds in the sky were filled with black shells. The second round of volleys came much faster than expected!

This is perhaps why Gafura can rule the seas; they have rich experience, excellent tactics and execution capabilities, and sailors so outstanding they provoke envy!

Of course, the Captain of the Gafura Royal Navy's Holy Knight Battleship indeed had a smug smile, as if taking down a small ship with the first volley wasn't something to be proud of.

Apart from these, he also had some curiosity, "These Federations only have some advantages in small cleverness, but those balloons are indeed valuable."

He immediately recognized the special nature of the balloons; they could help people observe much farther, more quickly, and effectively.

The sea surface is not flat; they can spot the opponent sooner than the Federations, partly due to their surprise, and partly because they have better observation positions. Even seeing the opponent half a minute earlier is enough for them to prepare for gunfire.

If they could also raise these balloons, without a doubt, they could bombard their opponents from even farther away.

The thought of this, the Captain of the Guardian Knight Battleship couldn't help but think of the plan that Gafura was secretly researching. They planned to develop a disposable, fixed-wing plane that could take off from the sea, serving as a wartime reconnaissance outpost.

This plan has already proceeded halfway. It is said the developers have already assured that these seascape take-off planes can take off in lakes and some rapid rivers. It may not be long before they can fly on the ocean.

Thinking of this, the Captain felt more at ease and even had a female lieutenant bring him coffee and desserts.

"An easy battle!" he commented on the battle while sipping the rich coffee from his silver cup, "After they lose a few more battleships, they will probably leave crying..."

This is his definition of the naval battle; no one has ever been able to defeat the invincible Royal Navy. Past enemies were unable to, and neither will the Federation!

He did not know, this naval battle would not end so easily in victory. They rushed to the offshore of the Amelia Region, but those people across the sea were already prepared to die at sea before they came.

Further behind the Federation Fleet, submarines floating on the sea surface began to submerge. Each submarine's crew had already written their last letters before departure.

Due to some design and technological limitations, each submarine's torpedo stock was not ample.

Apart from the torpedoes already loaded in the launch tubes, the additional reserve torpedoes were only in single digits. Once the torpedoes are used up yet the situation remains unchanged, they would initiate suicidal attacks, using submarines to ram those ships.

To ensure this plan is viable, all submarines would reserve one torpedo to be launched at the moment of impact, sinking with the enemy's ship to the ocean floor.