245 Mage’s Temptation Part 2 (2/2)
The next matter was dealing with the internal structure of the pirate ship, which belonged to the shipbuilding style of Cloudflow and was outdated. The watertight cabins were all solid, and there were special cabins available for sailors to paddle in.
Half of the paddles of the pirate ship were hidden in the cabin and were divided between two decks. The paddles would only be used when enemies were chasing after the ship, and the ship was normally driven by its sail, not by paddles.
Lex removed the double-decked paddles from the pirate ship and replaced them with wheel paddles. Wheel paddles had been invented in the Qin Empire and had a much higher efficiency than normal paddles. However, their construction required expensive materials and the process for their creation was relatively complex.
In reality, Lex had added those refined wheel paddles directly to the ship, which would not be beneficial for it. Because of their structure, wheel paddles changed the force-bearing points of the ship. If the ship had possessed thirty years of life before, it would have only five years left after adding those wheel paddles before it would break down from its keel.
The heavy crossbow at the ship’s bow was removed and replaced by a more sophisticated metal crossbow. Lex did not add an alchemical crossbow to the pirate ship because she knew they were threat for mages. She did not believe in the power of contracts as Saleen did.
Stone artillery, which was superior to a trebuchet, was at the stern. Lex made over two hundred marbles from the island's rocks, and those marbles were also used for adding pressure.
The fresh water tanks were reinforced and fresh water created by Saleen and Lex was added into those tanks. Every cabin was cleaned using a Cleaning spell, getting rid of the strange smells that had used to linger in the air.
The pirates were summoned onboard, and every pirate was also treated with a Cleaning spell to ensure they did not have any infectious diseases. After all that work had been done, Saleen gave the order to set sail.
Several houses, which had been built by the pirates, were left behind on the ghost fog island. The over forty sailors were also left behind together with the seriously injured pirates who had not recovered.
The business continued until night and all of the pirates were locked inside the cabin under the supervision of Sika. Then, Lex began to transport her alchemical boat to the sea.
By now, the shell of the pan’s turtle had been reconstructed. Its limbs and tail were equipped with special paddles and its head was completely sealed by a huge crystal. The boat did not have normal hatch like other ships did. Lex had created a teleportation portal at the abdomen of the shell.
The high price of a teleportation portal was relative to its transmission distance. The price for transmitting one person from Bitter Water Prefecture to Holy Rock City, which were six hundred miles apart, was over ten thousand gold coins. The prime cost of this transmission would be six grade-6 magic nuclei and over five thousand gold coins.
When the transmission distance was one-tenth of its former distance, the magic nuclei necessary would be halved.
The transmission distance of the teleportation portal Lex had created was only three meters, and it was a bidirectional teleportation portal, which halved its cost. This portal could transmit up to ten people at a time at the cost of several hundred gold coins.
This design was to ensure that the firmness of the pan’s turtle alchemical boat would not be affected by the reconstruction. All vents had been constructed at the location of the paddles, so the boat was only required to float at the surface of the sea.
Saleen and Lex began to pave an ice trail on the road from the platform to the sea. It was much easier this time since the ice road had a naturally downward slope. A long chain was hung on the pan’s turtle alchemical boat, and Daniel’s death creature, the pikoosi, served as the labor this time, dragging the chain and struggling to the seaside.
In the twilight, a ten-meter-long, three-headed death creature was dragging the chain and plodding in front of the boat, giving out crunching sound. The weight of the pan’s turtle alchemical boat was too great. Even though it was put onto a sloped ice trail, the boat still made the bones of pikoosi give out scary sounds, as though they would crack at anytime.
The alchemical boat, which was about thirty meters long, was finally dragged into the sea. Lex looked at Saleen and asked, ”Are you sure you don’t want to come below with us?”
”I need to be on the ship. I’m the captain. This alchemical boat does not need to be started, so you can control the boat by yourself. Nailisi will be with you.”
”What about me?” Daniel asked.
”You will follow me.” Saleen laughed, thinking, I will feel worried if you stay on the boat. Death magic was too strange and Daniel was going to advance to grade-4 at anytime. Even Lex might not have been able to control herself in the closed environment.
”Nailisi, you’ll be with Lex. Pay attention and keep in touch.”
”Yes, Master.” Neilisi smiled happily and stood on the teleportation portal of the alchemical boat together with Lex. Daniel did not say a word, but thought to himself, It’s better to be on the ship. If the boat cannot float, I will die a most unworthy death.