[Vol. 7] Chapter 65: Who Would Secretly Jump Tech?
The golden-haired young girl fell silent, thinking for a long time. She seemed to be genuinely trying to understand and accept these teachings. Not just blindly listening and following orders like before, but attempting to balance reason with her natural instinct for violence.
Violet had already noticed it. The process of condensing her Divinity had temporarily erased Xiao Guang’s memories and original body. But like a blank sheet of paper, she was now experiencing the world from scratch. This gave her, who was once merely a pet and an attachment to Violet, the chance to become something more.
In the end, the dragon girl furrowed her brows. This time, instead of simply replying with the usual "Yes, Master," she hesitated before voicing a question in her childlike yet serious voice.
"I… still don’t quite understand, Master. As superior beings, aren’t we supposed to enjoy the fear and reverence of the weak? If ants dare to defy us, shouldn’t we bare our fangs, make them tremble until they kneel, and if they still refuse to submit. Destroy them completely? The strong survive, the weak perish. Those who are unfit should be eliminated."
"You said that wiping out those fleets wouldn’t bring us any direct benefits, but I don’t think that’s true. If we engrave fear into their hearts, making them realize the absolute difference in power, will they dare to act this arrogantly next time? If a single battle can prevent countless future troubles, then isn’t that meaningful? Don’t you think so, Master?"
Even though her own "pet" had just argued back with a long and well-reasoned explanation, Violet wasn’t angry. In fact, her smile only grew as she nodded approvingly.
"Well said. But let’s add one more condition to that. What I just told you, it’s my personal perspective, my way of dealing with the world. It’s not some absolute, universal truth."
"Xiao Guang, we have plenty of time. You can see for yourself, listen with your own ears, meet more people, experience more things, think deeply, and gradually find your own answer, your own path."
The black-haired girl knelt down and gently placed her palm on the center of the golden-haired dragon girl’s chest, where no heartbeat could be heard.
Of course, because she wasn’t truly a living being in the conventional sense, she was the embryo of a god, a newborn will that had yet to take shape.
"You are my most important companion and family, but Xiao Guang, your existence isn’t just about being my attachment. Don’t blindly follow me or seek my approval, find your own purpose, fill your heart with your own colors."
"You’ve already taken your first step, haven’t you?"
"……"
Without saying much, the golden-haired girl simply nodded in silence, then quickly turned her golden, sun-like eyes forward.
"Master, they’re here."
"Oh? That was fast. Well, they are warships, after all~"
Violet straightened up, only now realizing that, thanks to the speed of both sides’ approach, the [Noah’s Ark] had already sailed into the heart of the massive naval fleet.
Several mid-sized warships, each around a hundred meters long, were quickly maneuvering to the sides, making way for the oversized sea vessel while forming an encirclement. Meanwhile, the flagship, almost as large as the [Noah’s Ark] itself, was heading directly toward them at a slow but steady pace.
Since contact was now inevitable, Violet used her divine control to remotely command the central AI, Unit 01, to shut down the ship’s power core. They simply came to a halt, waiting for the other side to approach.
At sea, this kind of action was a clear sign of goodwill, conveying that they held no hostility. Now that they had set the stage, what happened next would depend on how the other side chose to respond.
Before long, Ming Lan returned to the deck after ensuring everyone in the cabin was settled. She brought along a few strong members of the Spirit Veil Tribe, while Nitila, who had helped hide their people below deck, soon arrived with Le Qiaoqiao and Hongyan, joining Violet by her side.
Although the princess’s presence didn’t change much in the situation, the Austre Empire wasn’t specifically hostile toward the merfolk race. They were simply cautious about large, foreign armed forces getting too close to their shores. As long as they weren’t arriving in great numbers or carrying heavy weaponry, outsiders were usually just subjected to some extra taxes—nothing more.
Not long after, the flagship slowly pulled up alongside them. With a heavy clang, a wide, reinforced boarding bridge was lowered, and about a hundred imperial soldiers surged forward, quickly taking control of the deck while subtly forming an encirclement.
Violet didn’t stop them. To her, their aggressive behavior felt more like a child's game. Instead, what truly caught her interest was the imperial navy’s weaponry.
She had long heard that the Austre Empire held the undisputed top spot among the world's five greatest military powers in terms of sheer force, and now she could see why.
First, it was important to understand that military strength wasn’t simply determined by the size of an army. The quality of soldiers, their equipment, and their discipline all played crucial roles. If the Holy Empire relied on elite troops with superior individual strength, then the Austre Empire’s greatest advantage was undoubtedly its equipment.
Of course, that didn’t mean every Austre Empire soldier was outfitted with high-grade or even rare-tier gear. Instead, their superiority lay in another aspect.
"Thud… thud… thud… thud…"
After the standard soldiers secured their positions, a series of heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed from the flagship’s interior. Moments later, something massive stepped onto [Noah’s Ark]’s deck.
It was clear now why the enemy had needed such a wide, reinforced bridge—one sturdy enough to support even large wagons.
It was a [Graeme] soldier, one of the Austre Empire’s most prized war machines.
These towering giants, forged from composite metals and powered by intricate, artificially-crafted magic cores, were also known as war golems or armored titans.
Their combat strength was undeniably formidable, some would even call it excessive. It was said that taking one down in a head-on fight required at least a hundred heavily armed soldiers working together. And for certain advanced models, their destructive power was even more terrifying, earning them the grim nickname: battlefield meat grinders.
These machines have been around for centuries. Their original design was supposedly inspired by a type of magical beast called the Rock Golem, which primarily lived in mountainous regions. However, when they were first developed, they had several major flaws, slow movement, high production costs, and difficulty understanding complex commands. Because of these issues, they were never widely adopted and quickly faded into obscurity.
The Austre Empire was the only nation that saw potential in this technology. They invested heavily in its research, refining and improving it over several decades until it was finally battlefield-ready. When they unveiled it, the impact was immediate. It became one of the Austre Empire’s main military units, shocking the world with its effectiveness.
Many countries later tried to steal or buy the [Graeme] soldier’s manufacturing process, hoping to replicate it for their own armies. But the Austre Empire kept the technology under tight control. Combined with the fact that other nations lacked the necessary resources and industrial infrastructure, no one ever succeeded in copying it.
As a result, the Austre Empire remains the only nation capable of mass-producing and integrating the [Graeme] into its military forces, making it a standard part of their army.
However, one thing caught Violet’s attention, many of the [Graeme] units on the deck showed signs of damage. Their surfaces were dented and scarred, as if they had just been through a major battle. Although the damage didn’t seem to affect their functionality, it was clear that they weren’t in perfect condition.
That must be the reason this imperial fleet was sent out…
Deep in thought, Violet glanced at the regular soldiers as well. Aside from their armor, their hands and feet were fitted with intricate mechanical devices, likely power-enhancing gear designed to boost their limb strength.
That’s some serious technology. And judging by how common it was among these soldiers, the Austre Empire had clearly mastered mass production. Even more surprising, over a third of them weren’t carrying traditional melee weapons like swords or spears. Instead, they wielded firearm-like weapons. Not quite muskets, but some kind of advanced ranged weaponry.
Whoa. No wonder they say the Austre Empire has the strongest military in the world… This level of technology is on a completely different level from other nations.
With this kind of equipment, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that even low-ranking Austre Empire soldiers could fight enemies five to ten levels above them after proper training. And that’s without even factoring in the [Graeme] war machines.
Violet had never paid much attention to military technology before, but now she couldn’t help but wonder…
Just what kind of weird tech is the Austre Empire following? Did they secretly go through an industrial revolution or something?