If I don't have money to go to college, I can only go to slay the dragon.

"It is now the night of December 21, 2010, the eve of the Chinese New Year's Day. The Beichuan ship has officially entered Kuimen. There are strong winds above level 12 on the river, as well as the interference of harmful natural phenomena such as 'dragons absorbing water' and 'huge waves'. The equipment is still intact. Normal. Tonight we will execute the 'Bronze Plan'. I am Captain Manstein. This is my first captain's diary for this voyage. I hope it won't be the last."

In the bridge command room, Manstein glanced at his watch to confirm the time, and then looked at all the members in the cabin illuminated by incandescent lights. "Originally, announcing the start of the mission required final instructions from the school board, but due to the storm and Due to force majeure, electronic signals cannot communicate with the outside world, so I finally officially announce that the 'Bronze Project' will enter the second step of execution from now on."

Why not the first step? Because the first step of the 'Bronze Plan' is to arrive at Kuimen. This should have been the least difficult step, but who knows that the stormy and strange scene has forced this step to this point. The difficulty of hell, but at least they have finally taken this step.

The 3,000-ton frigate named Beichuan was sailing in the midst of strong winds and huge waves. After another half-hour of heavy rain, the vast ocean was already in sight. The magnificent scenery of Kuimen was no longer there. They seemed to be sailing under the strong winds. Conquering the waves on the rough sea, the wind force of level 12 is enough to set off a ten-meter huge wave. Amid the broken white foam, the warship with its navigation lights on broke out of the water and headed towards the unknown darkness ahead.

A destroyer with a displacement of 5,000 tons was originally supposed to be dispatched to sail safely in this storm. However, due to the limitations of the Yangtze River waterway, today's 3,000-ton frigates are already at their limit, so the entire warship was extremely heavy during this trip. Carefully, he constantly avoided the visible whirlpools and the swooping dragons to absorb water. Every time lightning passed by, it illuminated the cold sweat and tense cheeks of everyone in the observation window.

Everyone comes with a mission. Most of today's warships are from the 'Zhou family'. When Zhou Zhen boarded the ship, everyone saluted him. Every face that was wet by the heavy rain was All perseverance and solemnity, this unified iron-blooded temperament really made Manstein and others look at him.

"Unlike last time, we don't have a home field advantage this time. Even the away game is an extremely harsh environment. The host has no intention of entertaining the guests, so strictly speaking we are not guests, but thugs who broke in." Manstein put his hands on the table and glanced at each student wearing combat uniforms and said, "As a thug, you must have the tools to break the door."

Electronic drawings were spread out on the big screen behind him, and what appeared in front of everyone was a torpedo codenamed 'Storm' that was familiar to them.

"Produced in Russia and modified by the Equipment Department, it was originally intended to be a weapon that wins by speed and uses an alchemical warhead torpedo composed of dense alchemical shrapnel to obtain penetrating power. However, after the Battle of Constantine, the Equipment Department changed its mind. Although Alchemy Shrapnel is of course effective, but the equipment department has considered the interference of the Dragon King's Word Spirit - if His Highness Norton can use the 'Candle Dragon' like Constantine, then it will be extremely difficult even for the alchemy warhead to hit." Mansch Tan said,

"So the current Storm Torpedo has been officially changed to an explosive warhead composed of the blood of the Holy Infant, alchemical mercury and other chemicals that are highly toxic to dragons. In order to ensure the stability of the blood component of the Holy Infant in the warhead, the speed of the torpedo has changed from The original 200 knots has declined to 66 knots, but the explosion range is enough to cover a radius of one kilometer centered on the original explosion point. The electromagnetic fuze detonation ensures error tolerance. This is one of our trump cards against the Dragon King, and it is hidden in the bottom of the warship. It can be launched at any time provided the warship’s radar captures our target.”

Manstein paused and said, "According to the current intelligence, Norton, the King of Bronze and Fire, is most likely hiding in the Bronze City that was explored in the 'Kuimen Project', so in order to lure the enemy deeper, we A diving team needs to be dispatched to conduct underwater operations, and the specific task is to place an alchemy bomb to lure the Dragon King out of the cave."

Everyone looked at the two people at the front, who were naturally Lin Nian and Lu Mingfei. They were Group A of the diving team and the No. 1 seed. They took over the most dangerous part of the mission.

"Is there any problem with Group A?" Manstein looked at Lin Nian and asked.

"No problem." Lin Nian has already changed into a diving suit. However, this diving suit is a little bit bulkier than any other diving suit. But no one will question his quality, because this is what the equipment department does in the third year. The latest product that has been pushed out of the water within a few months is the liquid ventilation wetsuit.

This kind of diving suit allows humans to breathe liquid oxygen like a fish, and can easily dive into the deep sea. The most important thing is that the compressed air is replaced by a substance called "liquid air". The entire diving suit can carry more oxygen than before. More than twice as much, you can inject a large amount of oxygen according to your personal needs.

"Where's Lu Mingfei?" Manstein looked at Lu Mingfei next to Lin Nian, with some worry in his eyes. The seasick appearance of the other party on the landing craft was really worrying.

"No problem." Lu Mingfei shook his head and said, but anyone could tell that this boy's chest was rising and falling much more frequently than usual, and his face was abnormally rosy. It looked like he was excited or overly nervous.

If it were a normal situation, Manstein would definitely stop changing the team to dive, because Lu Mingfei is extremely unsafe in this state, but based on what they know about the situation under the river, they may change any team to go down. It's all a near-death situation, only Group A has a better chance of survival.

"There is only one storm torpedo, and there is only one chance of success. Underwater Group A successfully lured the Dragon King out of the Bronze City. We launched it when we entered the sonar range. Even if we failed to kill the Dragon King, we would definitely be able to severely damage him. For There will be opportunities for close combat later." Manstein seemed to be fully prepared. Constantine's experience made them no longer have blind trust in thermal weapons. In this plan, the storm torpedo was at most It is used as a means to significantly weaken the Dragon King's frontal combat capability, rather than a decisive blow.

Everyone in the cabin knows what the real winner and trump card is.

"Now repeat the operating list. Captain Manstein, first officer Zhou Kang is responsible for the helm; second officer Caesar is responsible for sonar and torpedoes; third officer Zhou Zhen is responsible for the bottom tank; chief engineer Zhou Min is responsible for the engine and fuel supply ; The boatswain of the warship, Chu Zihang, is responsible for the security command of the warship. The underwater operation group, Group A, Lin Nian and Lu Mingfei, Group B Ye Sheng and Yaji, members of Group C and Group D are preparing to dive. The replacement will be responsible for the temporary escort work of the warship." Manstein read the list slowly. There were their people in it, as well as the original crew brought by the warship Zhou Zhen. This is their warship, and the engines and It is better to leave some ship equipment to familiar people to control.

But it can be seen that for truly important tasks, such as sonar, torpedoes, and the overall security order of warships, Manstein assigned important positions to his own people. Caesar and Chu Zihang were in Group C and Group D. The dive priority is last, so other positions can be temporarily assigned to work. Zero, Susie, Nono and others serve as the 'sailor' branch in every corner of the warship, which can be regarded as preventing any unexpected situations from happening.

As the captain, Manstein had no objections to Zhou Zhen, nor did the original captain. The forty-year-old burly man with a square face named Zhou Kang was very happy in the handover of the warship, or he absolutely obeyed the orders. Zhou Zhen asked him to hand over the command of the warship, and he put the warship into Manstein's hands without hesitation.

Manstein asked directly face to face: Do you have any objections to me taking over this ship? If you have any opinions, you can mention them now to avoid conflicts later and make the situation very troublesome. I don't want to be interfered by my own people at the critical moment. Zhou Kang also answered him directly: I have no objection. As long as it is for the cause of dragon slaying and the protection of the country and the people, let alone this warship, even his life can be placed in your hands. As long as you He is someone whom Colonel Zhou Zhen trusts.

After listening to these words, Manstein did not live up to the trust of this square man and gave him the first mate of the warship. This means that if something unexpected happens to Manstein, Zhou Kang will be the first mate of the warship. The right to command the warships - in fact, this was a change of faith and trust in Zhou Zhen, because Zhou Kang's words and deeds would definitely be decided by Zhou Zhen.

For the time being, the entire warship is united. People from Kassel College and people from Zhou Zhen's side have woven together to become a community of destiny. Everyone on the swaying warship is holding their breath and waiting for the decisive moment to come. .

"The wind has reached level 12, and we have reached the Kuimen Pass." The voice of the former captain and first mate sounded from the loudspeaker in the bridge command room, calm and dignified.

Facing all the students, Manstein took a deep breath and turned around. Behind him were observation windows with wide views on three sides. The scenes shown in Kuimen outside the observation windows were scenes that could really only be seen in the end of the world. The dragon sucked water and swept across the river, lightning broke from the clouds and hit the water, and black whirlpools formed and annihilated. If there is a sea in hell for the suffering of the dead, then his cruelty cannot be greater than this.

"Is this the entrance to Kuimen Pass?"

"Yes. Look at the 'islands' on both sides. They were not islands originally, but two mountains. The one on the left is called 'Baiyan Mountain' and the one on the right is called 'Chijia Mountain'. Under normal weather, they should be towering Entering the clouds, the wall stands like a chip, like a gate made by nature." Among the crowd, Zhou Zhen spoke with an equally low voice, "But now the two mountains have disappeared. Although Kuimen has been narrow since ancient times, it was flooded like this. This is also my first time seeing it and we are about to pass through this 'door'."

The warship stopped in front of Kuimen, as if waiting for something in the storm. Everyone in the combat command room also knew what they were waiting for, and their eyes fell neatly on Manstein's back.

Manstein also felt the gaze behind him. He took a deep breath looking at this scene that seemed like he was rushing towards the end of the world. He picked up the communicator and said, "This is the captain, informing all units on the ship to prepare for impact. Advance four, enter Kui." Door!"

This order was like blowing the horn of charge, and the facts proved that there was indeed a horn sounding. It was the whistle of the Beichuan frigate, stretching over the turbulent Kuimen. In this long sound, steel The beast entered full speed and drove quickly towards Kuimen, crossing the 'gate' formed by the two mountains.

After crossing the waterline of Baiyan Mountain and Chijia Mountain, the warship advanced all the way. Manstein's delegating the power of the helm to the original captain proved to be an excellent choice at this moment.

The entire warship seemed to come alive in the hands of this man named Zhou Kang. It sailed like a god on the large water with 12-level wind force. The first battle speed caused the Beichuan to cut a white streak on the water. line, constantly and flexibly avoiding the path of one waterspout after another, and passing one vortex after another. Instead of causing the hull to become unstable due to the swirling water flow, the warship often took advantage of the steering of the vortex to become more stable. Further avoid the pushers of mountains and strong winds.

"A captain with more experience at the helm than anyone I know."

This was Manstein's first instinct when he saw the warships in the bridge command room. He couldn't help but look back behind him, but Zhou Zhen had already left after he gave the order and went to the bottom where he was responsible. The cabin is where storm torpedoes and various types of induced bombs are loaded, so there is no room for error. The other students also rushed to their posts and became one of the screws in this steel monster that cut through the waves.

Now only Lin Nian, Lu Mingfei and Ye Shengyaji are still in the bridge command room. Group A and Group B are on standby before reaching the dive position, following Manstein at any time and waiting for him. Command and transfer orders.

"Lin Nian." The name Manstein called out was not surprising. The only thing he should give instructions to and repeat again now was this name.

"I'm here, Captain." Lin Young nodded lightly.

"Don't be brave." Manstein looked at Lin Nian and said, "This is the only request I give you. Avoid unnecessary contact battles. Storm torpedoes may not kill the Dragon King, but they can definitely weaken him. Only then can This is the time for you to really take action. It was close enough last time, you should understand what I mean."

"I understand." Lin Nian nodded.

"As for Lu Mingfei." Manstein looked at Lu Mingfei and said in a deep voice, "Follow Lin Nian, you must follow closely. As Lin Nian's eyes, you must do the best you can, even though no one else Know where your limits are. Now that you are standing here, standing next to Lin Nian, you must be an 'S' class that Kassel Academy and even everyone believes."

Lu Mingfei's back straightened after changing his normal tone and demeanor, and his voice became louder when he answered "yes". He had the same sense of mission as when he was the president of the literary club in high school.

At this moment, Lin Nian beside Lu Mingfei suddenly frowned, his ears twitched and he looked up at the observation window not far away.

At this time, Manstein's communicator suddenly rang, and what came from it was Caesar's voice, but the content of the report was a bit bizarre.

"Captain, the sonar directly ahead has detected a 'school of fish'."

"Schools of fish?" Manstein picked up the communicator and subconsciously asked to confirm, "How can there be schools of fish in this kind of weather?"

"I don't think it's a school of fish either. It just looks a bit like a 'school of fish' on the sonar because they move in groups." Caesar's voice was a little low, and Manstein could even hear it from it. Feelings of horror and solemnity. "These 'fish schools' seem to have been approaching us since we crossed Kuimen."

Manstein's expression changed and he suddenly turned around and approached the observation window to look out, but he could see nothing except the tumbling river water and lightning. The black river water seemed to swallow up all the gazes peering down.

"Second officer, we are moving at full speed now!" He picked up the communicator and said in a strange tone.

"I know." Caesar said calmly over the communicator.

If Manstein could see the sonar image in front of Caesar now, he would probably be frightened by the dense light spots that surrounded the entire warship at some point. The light spots seemed to be a 'phenomenon', constantly rotating silently around the high-speed advancing warship.

"Caesar, there's a situation on the deck." The communicator rang again, and what came from it was Chu Zihang's voice, as well as the noise of the strong wind and waves in the background.

"What's going on?" Caesar asked quickly.

"Listen." Chu Zihang suddenly stopped talking on the communicator, letting the sound of wind and waves fill the communication channel. The first mate at the helm inadvertently turned his attention and listened carefully.

Soon, the expressions of Caesar and the first mate began to change, because they actually heard singing.

It was a hymn full of nobility like a church hymn. It made people feel like they were in an empty church, listening to the ethereal syllables reverberating in the church and shaking their skulls. And this voice like the singing of the Holy Spirit actually appeared in the church. In a violent storm with level 12 wind?

"The singing came from underwater." Chu Zihang's voice sounded again, "Many crew members found white figures appearing under the water around the warship, and there were a lot of them."

"Be prepared for battle. The safety of the deck is temporarily entrusted to you." Caesar said in a deep voice.

"Yes." There was silence on the other side of the communicator.

On the deck of Beichuan, big waves suddenly hit the deck of the ship. After the white water waves broke, a black-haired figure still stood firmly on the side of the ship. His right arm was tightly wrapped around the rope to stabilize his body from being blown by the strong wind. Walk.

The pair of ever-burning golden eyes pierced through the darkness of the storm and looked down the ship. The extremely penetrating ethereal chant came from underwater and surrounded the entire space, as if the entire stormy night was ringing with this un-human sound. The high pitched syllables of language.

Under the water, white souls floated past one after another, with pale and expressionless faces facing the water, reminiscent of the souls of those sea victims guided by the Greek god Calypso.

The storm washed away the black scabbard. Chu Zihang's right hand pressed on the handle of the imperial sword, and the veins stood out. White steam surged all over his body. A dark red fire ring quietly emerged behind him, illuminating the darkness in a corner of the deck.

"I remember that there is an indigenous people called the Alayans in Mindoro Island in the Philippines. They are a primitive tribe that still maintains the habit of eating hair and drinking blood."

In the captain's room, Caesar looked at the black river outside the observation window and suddenly said, "There is a sacrificial ritual among the Ala'an tribe. They will put the prey on the altar and sacrifice the meat souls to heaven for them to eat. Discarded minced meat.”

"We are not prey, this is a fully armed warship!" The first mate's face twitched.

"They are not Araans, but dragon-like creatures that can use your warship as a ready-made altar!" Caesar exhaled and revealed the true identity of these densely packed light spots, "Isn't it just to enjoy after the hymn is sung? Is it time for communion?”

The first mate next to him paused for a long time, and finally took a deep breath, picked up the ship, and began to inform the whole ship, "Deck level one alert, all crew members are ready for boarding. We have guests."