40: Electromagnetic railgun test firing! The terrifying power to shatter mountains with a single shot.

Catalyzed by nuclear energy, the keel of the black iron ghost grew and stretched wildly, like a living spine.

The bow surged forward, becoming sharper and more slender, like a black spear tearing through the waves.

The hull widened on both sides; the originally thin shell instantly thickened, growing layers of angular, multifaceted stealth armor.

The stern extended backward, and the location originally intended for propellers was completely reconstructed, turning into two massive water jet propulsion ports.

Twenty-five meters... thirty-five meters... forty-five meters!

Under the baptism of this heavy rain, it was no longer a modified yacht.

It was shedding the shell of the old era, completing true mechanical ascension.

The originally low cockpit rose up from the deck, propelled by the metallic flood, enclosing itself and extending backward.

It finally solidified into a majestic, fully enclosed bridge filled with a sense of science fiction.

When the last piece of scrap steel was completely devoured, all sound ceased.

A black steel behemoth, 45 meters long and displacing nearly 500 tons, floated silently on the lake surface.

Its entire body exhibited a deep matte black that seemed to swallow light.

The hull lines were sharp as a knife, devoid of any unnecessary decoration.

Only at the seams of the tightly fitted armor plates did a pulsating, faint blue energy current flow, like breathing.

Rain hitting its deck was instantly evaporated into white mist by an invisible high-temperature force field, swirling around the hull like a specter.

[Promotion Complete.]

The voice of zero became more magnificent and profound, echoing in Jiang Ran's mind:

[Current Level: Lv4]

[Ship Type Definition: Bio-Nuclear Powered Stealth Light Frigate (Ghost-Class Frigate)]

[Power: Infinite (Cold Fusion Reactor).]

[Armor: Bio-active Metal/Zirconium-Lead Composite Armor (Immune to light weapons, radiation resistant, self-healing).]

Jiang Ran took a deep breath, jumped off the rock, and landed on the broad, solid, brand-new foredeck.

The feeling under his feet was no longer the light fiberglass of before, but steady, heavy, solid armor.

The feeling of being connected by blood to the behemoth beneath his feet made all the pores on his body relax.

"This is a real warship."

He raised his head and looked at the majestic, blue-lit bridge.

"Dr. Su, how does it feel?"

Behind the bridge's blast-proof glass, Su Qingyu's figure appeared.

She was looking at the Holographic Tactical Command Console hanging from the ceiling in front of her, her eyes filled with disbelief:

"Jiang Ran... this is simply a miracle.

The space inside the ship has tripled, I have a separate medical room, and even... a hot water shower room?"

"That's just the basics."

Jiang Ran strode toward the bridge, every step feeling incredibly solid.

"Since the body has grown strong and the power is inexhaustible, it's time to fit its teeth."

Jiang Ran walked into the science-fiction-filled command center and sat down in the captain's chair, which resembled a throne.

His finger gently swiped across the floating holographic interface in front of him, stopping at the [Lv4 Armory] icon, which had been grayed out and locked.

"zero, unlock the new equipment."

"Let's see what surprises nuclear power can bring us."

"All system self-checks complete."

In the spacious, bright, and science-fiction-textured new tactical command center, the voice of zero echoed.

Jiang Ran leaned back in the ergonomic captain's command chair, his gaze sweeping over the massive holographic status display in front of him.

The most obvious change was the Energy Status Bar in the upper right corner.

The "fuel gauge" that once caused him constant anxiety, forcing him to calculate both remaining percentage and mileage, had completely disappeared.

In its place was an infinite symbol glowing with faint blue light, and a tiny line of numbers below:

[Current Reactor Output Power: 0.1% (Standby State)]

[Remaining Fuel Rod Lifespan: Approximately 213 years]

"Two hundred years..."

Jiang Ran looked at the number and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The feeling that the energy would never run out, even if he ran the engine until it broke down, was simply exhilarating.

"Since the energy is infinite, then..."

Jiang Ran's finger swiped across the operating interface, illuminating the icon labeled [Lv4 Tactical Armament].

"Before, I didn't dare install a lot of black technology because of power constraints. Now, install everything."

[Command Confirmed.]

[Unlocking High Energy Consumption Components...]

First Item: Absolute Defense.

"Buzz—"

The air around the hull suddenly twisted.

On the surface of the black Biological Armor, the previously flowing faint blue energy current suddenly became dazzling.

A faint blue membrane, almost invisible to the naked eye, appeared out of thin air, enveloping the entire warship.

[Unlocked: Klein Field - Primary]

[Description: A repulsive field generated around the hull using the overloaded energy output from the nuclear reactor.]

[Effect: Can deflect large-caliber kinetic attacks, neutralize energy beam attacks, and isolate 100% of radiation and poisonous gas.]

"Before, I had to rely on armor to withstand bullets; now, I won't even chip the paint."

Jiang Ran looked at the shield. This was not just defense; it was the only sanctuary in this apocalypse filled with poisonous gas and radiation.

Second Item: All-Seeing Eye.

The radome on top of the bridge slowly cracked open, and a strangely shaped spiral antenna extended out.

[Unlocked: Phase Scanning Radar]

[Description: No longer relies on reflected waves, but detects material density through quantum phasing.]

[Effect: Ignores heavy rain, fog, and normal electronic interference. Scanning Radius: 50 kilometers.]

Instantly, the fog on the Holographic Sea Chart was swept away.

The previously blurred terrain became clearly visible, and even schools of fish swimming hundreds of meters deep underwater and the structure of underwater reefs were presented to Jiang Ran in the form of 3D models.

"Finally, and most importantly."

Jiang Ran's gaze fell upon the empty platform on the foredeck.

That was the spot reserved specifically for the main cannon.

"zero, give me a gun worthy of 'Infinite Energy'."

[Constructing Main Weapon...]

[Materials Consumed: 2 tons of Zirconium Alloy, 500 sets of Superconducting Coils, 1 ton of High-Purity Copper...]

"Click! Clack!"

The foredeck armor slid open to both sides. This time, it wasn't a simple machine gun turret or cannon.

Accompanied by a heart-pounding electrical sound, a futuristic-looking twin-barreled turret slowly rose.

It didn't have thick barrels; instead, it consisted of two parallel rectangular rails covered in electromagnetic coils.

Between the rails, visible blue arcs of electricity were wildly jumping, creating crackling sounds.

[Unlocked: Twin-Barreled Electromagnetic Railgun (Railgun)]

[Caliber: 50mm (Solid Tungsten Alloy Projectile)]

[Muzzle Velocity: Mach 7 (Seven times the speed of sound)]

[Range: 50 kilometers (Beyond Visual Range Strike)]

[Feature: No gunpowder required. Utilizes Lorentz Force to accelerate the projectile to the extreme. Kinetic kill, one shot one kill.]

Jiang Ran looked at the turret, which exuded an aura of destruction, the blue light in his eyes almost overflowing.

This was the significance of nuclear power.

Only the massive instantaneous electrical energy provided by the nuclear reactor could drive this monstrous weapon that consumed electricity like water.

Mach 7. This meant that the enemy would be reduced to dust before they even heard the sound of the cannon.

"Dr. Su."

Jiang Ran turned his head, looking at Su Qingyu, who was too stunned to speak, a confident curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

"Want to see some fireworks? Let's find some unlucky soul and test the power of this new gun."

"Target locked."

On the holographic tactical screen, the Phase Radar penetrated the heavy rain curtain, locking onto an isolated limestone peak about five kilometers from the black iron.

The stone peak was about thirty meters high and ten meters in diameter, resembling a giant finger stuck in the water.

"Main cannon charging."

Jiang Ran's voice was calm, but beneath the calmness, a fervent excitement was suppressed, ready to burst forth.

"Buzz—"

On the foredeck, the turret of the twin-barreled Electromagnetic Railgun slightly adjusted its angle.

At this moment, the lights of the entire warship dimmed momentarily.

That was the nuclear reactor instantaneously drawing massive energy and injecting it into the dense Superconducting Coils of the main cannon.

Visible blue arcs of electricity wildly jumped between the two parallel rails, ionizing the surrounding air into a dazzling ball of plasma light.

[Charging Complete.]

[Ammunition Type: 50mm depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds (Solid).]

[Launch Countdown: 3...2...1.]

"Fire."

Jiang Ran softly uttered a single word.

"Boom!!!"

There was no smoke from a gunpowder explosion, only a sonic boom, loud enough to tear eardrums, instantly bursting forth.

A straight, deep blue streak of light, carrying a long ionized wake, instantly pierced the dark, rainy night.

Mach 7.

This meant that destruction had already arrived before the sound traveled.

The stone peak five kilometers away didn't even have a chance to register being "hit." It happened within a ten-thousandth of a second after the blue light flashed past.

"Bang—Rumble!"

The hard limestone peak looked as if it had been slapped fiercely by an invisible Hand of God.

It didn't shatter; it simply "exploded."

The massive kinetic energy was released instantaneously, vaporizing the rock at the point of contact.

Immediately afterward, the entire thirty-meter-high stone mountain...

disintegrated under the terrifying shockwave, turning into scattered gravel and dust, flung hundreds of meters into the sky.

A massive shockwave, carrying a hundred-meter-high tsunami, spread wildly in all directions.

"Drip."

A few seconds later, when the circle of shockwave swept past the black iron, the Klein Field surrounding the hull automatically lit up.

The faint blue light shield merely rippled slightly, blocking the massive waves and debris that would have been enough to capsize an ordinary vessel.

Inside the bridge, there was total silence.

Su Qingyu stared blankly at the red dot that had vanished from the screen, and the empty stretch of water in reality, where only boiling seawater remained.

"This... is this a cannon?" Her voice was dry.

"This is a Kinetic Weapon."

Jiang Ran looked at the scene of destruction and withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.

"No gunpowder, no explosion, just pure speed and mass.

Given enough distance, I could even cut a skyscraper in half."

He turned around and sat back down in the command chair.

That strike didn't just shatter a mountain; it shattered the existing rules of military force in this apocalyptic waterway.

From this moment on, modified fishing boats, armed speedboats, or even conventional destroyers were nothing more than paper toys in front of him.

"zero, open the Star Map."

A vast holographic projection of Earth appeared in the center of the command center.

Twelve light points were illuminated on it.

Apart from Jiangcheng, the extinguished Node 01, the remaining eleven were still flashing with tempting golden light.

Jiang Ran's gaze swept past the nearby nodes, finally settling on the distant North—

The Extreme Northern Ice Field.

Not only was there another spark there, but also the headquarters of the Ark Project.

"Li Sen said that Ark already has a stone tablet in its possession."

Jiang Ran lightly tapped the armrest with his finger, a glint flashing in his eyes like a hunter spotting prey:

"Since they issued a warrant to catch me, then as a return gift... we'll go straight to their lair and take that stone tablet too."

"Set sail."

Following Jiang Ran's order, the black iron ghost—the nuclear-powered warship that had just completed its mechanical ascension—slowly turned its bow.

Massive water jet thrusters erupted in a blue torrent underwater, pushing it through the wind and waves, speeding toward the North.

The heavy rain continued to fall.

But for this ghost ship roaming above the abyss, the storm was just beginning.