NOVEL NEXT Chapter 107 - Airship
The next day.
Lucien opened his CRAFT feature.
He already knew what he was looking for.
***
Airship (Medium)
Description:
A sturdy vessel designed for long-distance travel and skirmishes in the skies. The medium airship can carry up to 40 passengers or 20 tons of cargo. Outfitted with two side-mounted ballistae and a forward arcane cannon. It balances defense with mobility.
Materials:
• Aether Crystal Core × 1
• Runed crystal conduits × 100
• Silver inlays (for runes) × 10
• Oakwood × 500
• Iron beams × 200
• Steel plates × 150
• Bronze fittings × 120
• Brass gears × 60
• Coalstone blocks (for furnace housing) × 20
• Beast-hide sheets × 80
• Iron nails & rivets × 2,000
• Silksteel ropes × 400
• ...
...
[CRAFT] / [BACK]
***
Lucien sighed.
The list was long. Too long.
He had most of the materials but two crucial components were still missing.
The first was the Runed Crystal Conduits.
These crystals would be embedded throughout the hull, carrying and distributing energy like veins in a living body.
They couldn't be scavenged or bought. They had to be crafted in advance.
That was why yesterday, he had already tasked Sebas to instruct the Crafting Division to begin production.
The conduits required raw gems with their natural essence still intact... a resource Lucien fortunately had in abundance.
He had also handed over blueprints detailing the precise rune patterns to be etched into each gem. Without those runes, the conduits would be useless.
The next missing piece was far more problematic.
The Aether Core Crystal.
On the surface, it resembled a simple mana battery.
But in truth, it was much more. The Aether Core stored immense quantities of mana, amplified it and then channeled it through the airship's runic lattice.
It was both engine and power grid in one. The heart that stabilized flight and kept the vessel aloft.
Without it, there would be no airship.
Lucien's brows furrowed as he exhaled again.
'How am I supposed to get one of those…?'
A sharp knock, knock broke Lucien's concentration.
"Nephew, are you awake?"
The voice belonged to Maxim.
Lucien rose and opened the door. "I'm here, Uncle Max."
His eyes immediately caught the object Maxim was holding.
With a small smile, Maxim presented it to him.
"The King asked me to deliver this as thanks for your gift. It's called an Aether Core Crystal. With this, you can power your estate indefinitely haha!"
Lucien froze, stunned.
'What?! That's exactly the item I needed!'
The Aether Core Crystal was normally used to fuel noble estates, sustaining wards and magic circles for years on end. As long as it was fed mana cores, it would operate tirelessly on its own.
But Lucien's mind was already moving elsewhere.
'Powering an estate? What a waste. I have a far better use for this…'
He accepted the crystal politely as Maxim urged him to join them for breakfast. Lucien gave a small nod.
Once alone, he studied the object in his hands.
The crystal glimmered faintly. Its surface was flawless.
'High-Grade…'
His eyes lit with excitement though suspicion quickly followed.
'Coincidence?'
Still, he didn't linger on it.
Whatever the reason, fate had just delivered him the most important component of his airship.
All that remained was for Sebas and the Crafting Division to finish the conduits. Then, the true work could begin.
•••
That afternoon, Lucien felt a familiar tug.
Sebas was channeling mana into his Split Body.
Without hesitation, Lucien shifted his consciousness into the clone.
"Young Lord," Sebas greeted with a rare smile. He placed a heavy sack on the table, "the task is complete."
Lucien's eyes gleamed as he inspected the contents. Each Runed Crystal Conduit was carved and etched to perfection.
Every rune sequence was flawless.
He gave a satisfied nod. "Excellent. As expected of my Crafting Division."
Storing the conduits into his Inventory, Lucien turned back to Sebas and gave a confident smile.
"Sebas, I can return today. Wait for me a little longer."
Sebas blinked, stunned. He had expected at least another day of preparation yet Lucien spoke as if everything were already in his grasp.
For a moment, disbelief lingered... then it faded. Sebas bowed his head with a smile. "Then I shall wait, Young Lord."
And with that...
Lucien severed the link, withdrawing his consciousness back to his true body
Lucien returned to his room.
His pulse quickened in anticipation.
One by one, he pulled out Spatial Bag after Spatial Bag from his Inventory, stacking them in neat rows. The sheer weight of the resources was overwhelming but this was the moment he had been waiting for.
He opened the Airship crafting panel and pressed [CRAFT].
Then came the tedious part... feeding the materials into the interface. There was simply too much to fit in his Inventory at once.
So he worked manually, slotting each beam, plate and rune into place.
Minutes passed.
At last, the system chimed.
A progress bar flickered into existence.
Lucien leaned forward, eyes locked on it. His heart raced with every increment.
And then—
[CRAFT COMPLETE]
Lucien exhaled sharply.
Excitement sparked through him. The airship was real now. The only thing left was learning how to wield it.
Fortunately, the system had already provided a manual. He would study it in time. But for now, he had a better idea.
Closing his eyes, Lucien focused. His consciousness sank inward... slipping into the vast expanse of his divine energy core.
In an instant, he was standing on the miniature Earth of his inner world.
Lucien's gaze drifted toward an empty corner of his inner world.
With a single thought, he willed it into shape...
A massive dock of stone rose from nothing, sturdy enough to hold what was coming.
That was the beauty of this place. Anything he imagined, he could forge. Even bring objects inside.
And so, he summoned it.
The Medium-sized Airship.
A titan emerged. It materialized with a low hum.
Its vast balloon swayed gently above the dock while runed conduits traced along its hull, glowing faintly like veins of living light.
Lucien's eyes lit up. To him, it wasn't just a vessel... it was alive, waiting to take flight.
He stepped onto the deck. The oak beneath his boots was warm and polished as if countless hands had already walked there.
Inside, his breath caught.
Walls of gleaming oak lined with glass windows that bathed the cabin in sunlight. Brass fixtures etched with intricate runes glimmered faintly like constellations caught in metal.
At the center stood the helm.
The great wheel flanked by glowing gauges and crystal levers. Beneath it all, the steady thrum of the Aether Core pulsed like a heartbeat resonating through the ship itself.
Lucien wasted no time.
He fed High-Grade Mana Cores into the Aether Core, one after another. With each core, the crystal glowed brighter. Until after a hundred... the gauges filled completely.
He gripped the crystal lever and pulled.
The moorings snapped free.
The vessel shuddered once... then rose.
Clouds rushed past as sails unfurled. The conduits blazed with light.
The wheel resisted his hands at first. It was heavy as though testing his resolve. Then, slowly, it yielded.
The airship tilted into the wind and surged forward. Ballistae rattled in their mounts. The hull vibrated with raw power.
And as the horizon opened wide before him, Lucien felt it deep in his chest...
...for a heartbeat, it was as though the airship itself had chosen him.
Lucien couldn't contain himself.
"GAHAHA—this is fun!"
He gripped the wheel tighter. The airship obeyed his every command.
It was massive yet nimble like a beast that had finally accepted its rider.
He experimented.
Sharp turns.
Sudden dives.
Ascents so steep the balloon groaned, only to level out with a triumphant rush of wind.
The best part? He could do it all here... safe within his inner world.
Lucien's eyes gleamed.
The ship was fast. Too fast.
In moments, he had already looped around the miniature Earth beneath him.
It was like a game brought to life.
Pure exhilaration.
Without hesitation, he moved to the ballistae. They responded instantly, powered by glowing runes and fueled by the core's energy.
Thrum!
A bolt launched, streaking across the skies before slamming into the ground below. The impact erupted in a violent explosion. The shockwave rattled even the airship itself.
The miniature world trembled as dust rose in waves.
Lucien's grin widened. His heart pounded.
This wasn't just a vessel. It was a weapon.
And he didn't want to stop.
But then—
Knock. Knock.
His real body stirred. Awareness bled back into him.
With a reluctant sigh, Lucien pulled his consciousness from the airship and returned to his body.
"Nephew, the fortune teller is here," Edric announced.
Lucien blinked.
'Elunara?'
Puzzled, he followed Edric downstairs.
…
"What brings you here, miss elf?" Lucien asked casually.
Edric and Maxim exchanged startled looks.
Elf?
They hadn't known. They were aware she disguised herself but discovering she was an elf... so rare in the kingdom... shook them into silence.
Elunara didn't give them a chance to pry. Her tone was direct.
"Is it alright if I and the children accompany you to your territory later?"
Lucien froze.
He hadn't told anyone about leaving.
Not Edric. Not Maxim. No one.
The uncles were equally stunned.
"You're going home already, Nephew?" Edric asked with disappointment.
"There's still the banquet tonight. The King himself said he wanted to thank you more," Maxim reminded him.
But Lucien only lowered his eyes. A brief silence fell over the hall.
"…I'm sorry, Uncles. There's an emergency back home. I must return."
Then, turning to Elunara, his tone sharpened.
"How did you know I was leaving? Didn't you say you couldn't see my fate?"
Elunara's lips curved faintly.
"I can't see your fate," she admitted, "but I can see the shifts in others'. My children's destinies changed suddenly. From that, I guessed you were leaving the capital. Even if I cannot read you, I can read the ripple you leave behind."
Lucien's eyes widened then he let out a long sigh.
"Alright. I just finished building my ride anyway," he said helplessly.
Still, it wasn't all bad. Having Elunara around could prove useful.
Before the matter could settle, a guard entered. "Young Lord, another guest has arrived."
Cielius.
"Grandson, I came to see you," the old man said warmly.
Lucien's face brightened. "Grandpa Ciel! I'll be leaving for my territory later. Want to come with me?"
"Of course!" Cielius laughed heartily. "I don't like the capital anyway."
The room eased into chatter.
Edric and Maxim exchanged looks. "Nephew, if you're leaving, we'll come as well," Maxim said.
"There are no urgent matters keeping us here. Besides, we want to see this 'ride' you're so confident about," Edric added with a small smile.
Lucien nodded, then grew serious.
He explained why he had to return.
The assassins.
The possible threat brewing in his lands.
And the ties it all might have with the Golddusts and Coalhearts.
Shock rippled through the room.
Cielius's eyes darkened.
Edric and Maxim's faces hardened too.
Edric quickly began making arrangements.
"I'll bring some of my most loyal guards," he said.
Lucien nodded without hesitation. "Thanks, Uncle Ed. The more hands we have, the better."
He was glad he had chosen the medium-sized airship. The small one could only hold five passengers... far too little for what was coming.
Elunara excused herself to fetch the children. Before long, she returned. They were already prepared as though they had been waiting for this moment.
"I've placed enchantments over your estate," she told Lucien softly. "No one will be able to enter without your consent."
Lucien gave her a firm nod of gratitude.
Before departure, he didn't forget to pen a letter to Vivian.
With all matters settled, he turned to the group.
"Come. Let's not waste any more time."
They followed him out to a wide, empty space on the grounds. The air was still, expectant.
Lucien raised his hand. His divine energy pulsed.
And then—
The airship materialized.
Immediately, gasps rippled through the group.
This was no chariot, no carriage, no noble mount.
Compared to the titan before them, those seemed like toys for children.
Even Elunara's eyes twitched despite her usual composure.
Cielius stroked his beard. His calm demeanor unshaken yet his approving nod said more than words. 'As expected of my grandson.'
Edric's eyes gleamed wide with childlike wonder.
Maxim could hardly contain himself, circling the vessel like a scholar before a divine relic. "Such perfection…!" His voice trembled. Even with his Perfect Calculation, he could not discern a single flaw.
The guards and children stood frozen. Their breaths were caught in their throats.
To them, riding such a marvel was a dream that would come once in a lifetime if at all.
Lucien's voice broke the silence.
"Shall we?"
One by one, they climbed aboard.
The interior stole their breath once more. A sleek corridors lined with runes, a vast open cabin with room for all. No, it wasn't just as good as the exterior… it was better.
Excited murmurs spread as they toured the ship.
At last, Lucien moved to the helm. Sitting comfortably, he grasped the crystal lever and pulled.
With a deep hum, the airship stirred to life. Its runes flared, the floor vibrated gently under their feet.
And then... with majestic grace, it began to rise.
Higher. Higher.
The ground fell away beneath them.
Lucien steered the wheel, his grin hidden beneath steady composure.
And with a thunderous surge of power, the airship shot forward, slicing through the endless sky like a divine arrow.
•••
Meanwhile…
A shadow unfurled from the place they had departed.
"What!? Gone already?"
It was Malrik.
His eyes narrowed. Runes flickered faintly across his irises as he activated his skill.
For a moment the air warped. Threads of fate and probability weaved into his vision... only to unravel into nothing.
His expression twisted. Helpless.
"I failed again…!" His voice was hoarse with rage. "What did that boy do!? How could he vanish so quickly? My calculations have never been wrong... never!"
The air around him pulsed with suppressed power, distorting the ground beneath his feet.
Grinding his teeth, Malrik clenched his fists.
His plan to intercept Lucien had collapsed once more, leaving only a gnawing unease in his chest.