Chapter 813: The Unnamed Fortress
Shane took a moment to observe the Floating Fortress as it hovered majestically in the air.
With his high Perception Stat, he could feel the faint Spiritual Energy coming from it even from the ground…
‘Is it some sort of engine?’ Shane thought as he heard the faint hum of what seemed like an engine that was making the fortress float.
Shane finally had enough and activated the Fortress interface that he had just gotten after activating the fortress’s battle and claiming ownership of it.
At once, his system panel opened before him. Just like the others, it was a translucent window of blue light filled with information about the fortress.
[ Unnamed Floating Fortress: Active ]
Size: 120m (length) × 55m (width) × 40m (height)
Classification: Mobile Defensive Stronghold (Fortress-Class)
Core Power Source: Spirit Stone Reactor (Grade-B)
Status: Anchored (Stable)
Defensive Systems:
Reinforced Guardian Plating
Auto-Deploy Barrier Fields (Lv.2)
Integrated Trap Arrays (Configurable)
Offensive Systems:
Twin Spirit Cannons (Fore)
Modular Artillery Mounts (Port/Starboard)
Anti-Air Ballista Towers (x4)
Capacity:
Housing: 500 personnel
Storage: 1,000 tons
Special Function: Skyborne Anchor – allows suspension at fixed altitude (max: 600m) or hovering patrol at 20 km/h. ]
[ Note: This fortress is bound to [ Shane ]. Ownership is transferable only through [Core Rebinding]. ]
[ Other Features. ]
“Ohhh…”
Shane smirked. It was even better than he had expected. His finger slid across the Other Features. This is where he also deployed the anchor. After a few moments, he tapped another command.
[ Deploy Boarding Elevator ]
A loud mechanical sound echoed from the belly of the fortress.
Then, with a rumble, a massive platform-like elevator descended.
It was also guided by some kind of energy that was connected to the fortress…
The elevator was wide enough to carry several vehicles at once. It was proof that this structure wasn’t just built for small groups but entire armies.
The group exchanged glances as the elevator touched the ground with a soft thud…
“Well… that answers the question…” Lysandra said dryly, but there was a hint of excitement in her eyes.
“Finally…” Raze grinned as she was already thinking of riding Roan.
“Let’s go see what seven-hundred-thousand points looks like.”
Just like that, they drove their armored vehicles and boarded the platform together.
Once everyone was secure, Shane pressed another command. The elevator groaned, then began to rise.
As they were lifted, the fortress’s underbelly came into view. It was a massive armored hull with a few vents, and also various nodes, probably for defensive barriers or maybe even offensive maneuvers.
Furthermore there were actually some hidden turrets that tracked their movements automatically, but Shane’s system interface kept them marked as “Friendly.”
As they ascended, the massive gates of the fortress opened above…
The elevator docked, and the group stepped out into a grand arrival hall.
“Whoa~ This looks pretty.”
The floor was made of steel mixed with some upgraded stone. They looked smooth yet durable.
Of course, there was also a faint line stretched across the floor, and it was the one lighting up the whole place.
Waiting for them in perfect formation were a dozen Guardian Golems.
“Ohhh… I didn’t know they’re included here.” Shane muttered after seeing the Guardian Golems.
All of them were two meters tall, crafted of stone and steel.
Their weapons also varied. There were three who had massive shields, three with halberds, and the rest had mounted cannons built into their arms.
As their group arrived, they saluted in a synchronized manner…
“Okay… that’s creepy,” Tundra muttered.
“Creepy?” Raze laughed. “That’s badass. Look at them! They seemed better than Shane’s Warden Units.”
Shane didn’t comment on that as he continued observing the place.
Past the golems, he confirmed the area around them.
It was opened into different sections of the fortress. The fortress wasn’t just a floating slab of metal. Just like what the auctioneer said, it was a self-contained city. Though with its side, it should only be considered a shelter.
To their left was the line of military barracks, for his future soldiers… They swiftly moved to take a look as they were all curious about the place.
From here, Shane and the others saw rows of bunks, training dummies, and weapon racks.
Clearly, the barracks were capable of housing hundreds of soldiers comfortably.
On the opposite side was the Mess Hall and Canteen, a cavernous chamber with furnaces and what seemed like cooking arrays.
To their surprise, even the storage rooms were stocked with preserved food and alchemy-brewed nutrition supplies.
“Wow… This all came for free?” Raze muttered after seeing the various freebies they found.
They initially thought that this place would be bare, and they had to purchase or produce a lot of things to fill it up.
“Maybe even the Auctioneer didn’t know. After all, this was sealed in a one-time-use bottle. Sealing this huge thing probably costs a lot.” Shane muttered to himself.
Ahead of them was the Command Headquarters. Aside from the watchtowers, it was the highest structure.
This was clearly where Shane would operate most of the fortress’s functions.
He’d certainly like to check the place after exploring the place a bit.
“Ohh… Let’s go there…” Lysandra muttered as she pointed at another place.
It was the “Research & Engineering Wing” that branched off further along.
There was a cluster of workshops and laboratories arround. Of course, there wasn’t anyone moving inside or tinkering with gears… However, it seemed that this place was ready to be used.
Next to it was the Medical Pavilion, with white lanterns glowing at its gates.
From its size, Shane could already tell that about 20 to 30 patients could be treated simultaneously inside.
Further back was another large section that made Shane excited.
It was the Hangar Bay. This one made Raze’s jaw drop.
“Whoa~ This place is so good… I think you can place a few Mech Frames here!” Raze commented.
Indeed, inside the hangar, docking clamps and maintenance scaffolds were ready to hold vehicles or even airships.
Carrying Mech Frames was definitely possible.
The only concern would be their flight systems!