Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

”This is a specially made bomb. The fuse is controlled by Nini’s biological fuse, and its weight has been specifically designed—roughly equivalent to two fully equipped soldiers. As for its power... I haven’t tested a bomb of this yield before.”

Chloe spoke with eyes gleaming.

Great, another bomb enthusiast.

Hughes couldn’t help but sigh. Ever since Nini discovered that bombs were effective against sea urchins, many people had started researching these dazzling weapons.

The concept of yield that Hughes introduced was also widely embraced. Once the extraordinary individuals found ways to evade the dangers of bombs, the trend escalated further.

The Banshees could use the healing effects of the Symbiotic Contract to counteract bomb damage. They were practically using bombs as melee weapons—the kind with a damage radius larger than its effective range was their favorite.

As for the Moths Chasing Fire, they were even more extreme. Hughes had seen Chloe use her substitute ability before—she seemed capable of switching places with her substitute. Hughes had observed her in battle, diving into crowds with a bomb in her arms.

She had been blown up so many times that even the fearless murlocs and arm monsters hesitated to charge at her now.

What was this? Instilling instinctive fear in the enemy?

In any case, Castel’s combatants now had a certain reverence for explosive yield. It was even said that Alexei nearly included it in the sacred scriptures.”So, you plan to turn this airship into a one-time explosive?”

”Well... that wouldn’t be impossible.”

Chloe said somewhat sheepishly.

Damn, she really was planning a kamikaze attack?

Oh, come to think of it, kamikaze attacks also used biological fuses. Quite the coincidence.

”Of course, I’ve designed a bombing system. The airship is supposed to return after deployment—anyway, let’s test it first. If it can take off successfully, it’s a win!”

Chloe was incredibly excited; this was her first time researching something that could fly.

The technology tree of this world had yet to branch into aviation. Humanity had not yet touched the sky.

The Banshees gathered around, lifting the airship to an open testing ground. It was located next to the perimeter wall, making it a perfect spot to test bomb deployment.

For some reason, the murlocs and arm monsters were not particularly interested in attacking the Eastern Test Site. They seemed more drawn to the cathedral, though what exactly attracted them remained unknown.

This airship was a rigid dirigible, with a wooden framework covered by an outer skin.

Inside, it housed several independent gas cells, ensuring that even if some of them leaked, the airship wouldn’t immediately crash.

Originally, Hughes had considered using metal for the frame—such as steel—but the weight was simply too much, making it viable only for large airships. Aluminum, being a lightweight metal, would have been ideal, but its production was entirely insufficient.

Aluminum was a peculiar metal; without electrolysis, it was extremely difficult to extract. However, electrolyzing aluminum required enormous amounts of electricity.

Power plants and electrical facilities needed to be built simultaneously, but the island’s technological advancement was still far from reaching that stage. The project had to be put on hold.

Steel had its advantages, primarily in strength, and it was relatively easy to obtain. Chloe had even mentioned that once this test flight succeeded, she would begin work on a larger airship.

The Banshees secured the airship and began filling it with hydrogen—a gas that was fairly easy to produce. Castel had plenty of sulfur mines, and with slight modifications to the sulfuric acid production line, generating small amounts of hydrogen was not an issue.

Several gas canisters gradually deflated as the airship’s balloon swelled. Soon, the Banshees no longer needed to hold it up.

Chloe and Nini discussed for a while before Chloe lowered her head and activated 【Self-Binding】. Hughes also shared her vision.

He was already accustomed to this top-down aerial perspective, but for the Banshees, it was a novelty. Their group chat was flooded with messages, and the screenshots they uploaded sparked widespread amazement.

The extraordinary individuals from Moths Chasing Fire were about to experience some relentless pestering from the Banshees.

After moving the bombs into place and securing them to the airship’s gondola, they followed Chloe’s instructions. Nini controlled the sea serpent to pull the lever, severing the lower tether, and the airship wobbled as it ascended.

”It worked!”

”Wow, it really took off! It’s huge!”

”I really want to go up there and see!”

The Banshees cheered, looking up as the airship shrank into a small dot in the sky. They quickly connected to Chloe’s vision to watch the airship’s journey from above.

『Ascend higher—yes, a bit more.』

『Can you change direction? Right, only spin one side’s propeller—wait, that’s the tail! The rounder end is the front!』

From the elevated perspective, Chloe continuously gave instructions to Nini, who carefully adjusted the sea serpent’s control inputs. Before long, the airship drifted away from the Eastern Test Site.

”By the way, where is the nearest monster gathering point?”

”I think it’s westward.” A few Banshees discussed among themselves before replying to Hughes. ”It’s closer to the cathedral. I’ll grab a screenshot from the chat.”

Hughes took a quick glance. The monsters were congregating in the open area between the cathedral and the Eastern Test Site. A significant number of arm monsters had gathered there.

The Holy Guard didn’t have the best methods to deal with arm monsters. They mostly relied on throwing explosive packs, which were effective due to their timed fuses. However, they were difficult to control. Fortunately, the monsters were large enough to make targeting easier.

A reliable cannon had to be developed soon.

Chloe also noticed the gathering of monsters. With Nini’s coordination, the airship wobbled toward the target area.

Soon, it arrived over the monster-infested zone and began descending slowly.

Some murlocs had already spotted the airship, gazing upward helplessly.

Just as Chloe prepared to drop the bombs, Hughes suddenly received a message from Ash.

『My Lord, perhaps you should redirect the airship.』

『Ash? What’s wrong?』

Unlike the other curious Banshees, Ash rarely initiated contact with Hughes. She also didn’t participate much in these experiments.

Besides, she was stationed at the cathedral, helping coordinate the Holy Guard’s defensive battle.

『Our cathedral is under attack. A massive wave of arm monsters has emerged on the frontlines. It’s becoming difficult to handle.』

Hughes widened his view. The cathedral was near the limit of Chloe’s abilities, but he turned the perspective toward it and took a deep breath.

This monster assault was insane!