In the year 201 of the Sea Origin Calendar, within the known Material World stretching between the Storm Belt of the East and West, the last untouched territory by humanity—the Broken Star Sea.

Three massive spindle-shaped shadows bearing the Sak Empire's "Galloping Horse Cavalry Saber" military banner streaked across the sky, casting countless deathly black dots among a herd of large lizards walking upright on their hind legs clad in steel scales.

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

Shrapnel flew, flames roared, and the lizards' hard scale armor and sharp claws and teeth were utterly helpless in front of the terrifying war machines.

In an instant, the casualties were heavy.

After the air raid, the ground forces began to strongly advance in skirmish line formation.

At this time, apart from the short flintlock gun at their waist for emergency use, the main weapons in the soldiers' hands had already been replaced with [High-Pressure Power Guns].

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...

Continuous volleys and shots, deadly bullets exploded into blooming crimson flowers within the now considerably sparse lizard herd.

Sizzle—!

A Transcendent clad in full steel armor walked at the forefront of the team, wielding a power hammer with steam billowing, converting scorching heat energy into surging kinetic energy, smashed fiercely onto the head of a straggling large lizard.

Skull and brains exploded on the spot!

Among the Extraordinary Power around him, there were ordinary Knights following tradition, using Extraordinary Weapons and Swordsmanship.

However, more wielded power axes, power hammers, chainsaw swords… and other fierce weapons were [Mechanical Knights], capable of enhancing performance far beyond the human body and even Tier 2 Physical Side Transcendents with specific auxiliary powered weapons.

Boom.. Boom.. Boom..

Yet the most attention-catching in the pioneering team were not them, but the two towering Alchemy Giants more than two stories tall. With every step they took, the earth shook, their momentum extremely terrifying.

Sitting on each of their necks was a [Steam Master] wearing goggles, clad in gear jackets, with a giant coal furnace embedded in their chest, constantly radiating dazzling firelight.

These were the masterpieces of Alchemy and modern science—[Giant Divine Soldier: Melting Furnace Type I], each possessing power far exceeding Tier 2 Peak Official Knights, yet... they were mass-produced models.

Amid these steam-era styled equipment, though many carried emblems of the "Steam and Mechanism Cult" or "Vulcan Metals Company", there were quite a few with other markings.

This revealed a fact leaving the Tulip People unsure whether to be disheartened or pleased.

In several years, the steam industry, especially in military sectors, seemed no longer exclusively dominated by the Tulip Alliance, as various countries began gradually establishing their own military industrial systems.

Unlike civilian patents, in military sectors, patents were of no use whatsoever.

For example, [High-Pressure Steam Guns] or [Ironclad Ships], [Dreadnought-class Battleships], if analyzed and stealthily imitated.

Though there were clear technological disparities, such actions couldn't be constrained by any legal provisions.

Perhaps the only good news was, with the vigorous popularization of steam creatures, the power of "God of Steam and Mechanics" Mennon Watt intensified again.

"Activate here!"

Woosh—!

Under the guidance of a magical position holder, a group of soldiers found the Magic Element Node inside the giant lizard's lair and forcefully hammered down the [Earth Vein Sealing Bolt: Modified], currently producible only by the Galliot Duchy and Golden Palm Federation.

Though outrageously expensive, it could utilize Silent Magic Element to restore disturbed geomagnetic fields, celestial phenomena, ocean currents, and wind directions back to normal, and simultaneously seal the [Dark Side of the World], preventing Evil Spirits within from arbitrarily emerging.

Including the island and a large adjacent sea area returned to normal.

This not only allowed airships, which feared extreme weather more than sailboats, to operate normally in this zone but also permitted gradual immigration, transforming the area into a habitable environment where ordinary people could live comfortably.

A geological expert had completed his work, waving a report and laughing loudly:

"Hahaha, a gold mine, this island has a gold mine, with a grade of 600 grams per ton, we've struck it rich!"

Typically, gold mines with industrial extraction value have a gold grade of 2-3 grams per ton, rich ore has 5-50 grams per ton, and exceptionally rich ore has 50-500 grams per ton.

One can imagine the value of this island.

The commander of this exploration team couldn't help but enthusiastically pump his fist.

In the wave of the Steam Industrial Revolution, the "Tulip Alliance", through various raw materials, markets, and populations from vast colonies, forcibly elevated itself to the throne of the world's strongest nation despite its relatively small territory.

The newcomers also beginning to heavily develop steam industries, the Sak Empire, Golden Palm, Heimar... naturally chose to follow the Tulip's old path.

Persistently expanding outward, acquiring more land, population, raw materials, and markets.

But in the already saturated known world, they naturally turned their gaze towards the tens of thousands of islands within the "Broken Star Sea".

Finally, two hundred years after the Age of Navigation began.

With the accumulation of colonies over the years, the Steam Industrial Revolution, and various technologies from unknowable sources, the greatly strengthened nations began a systematic campaign against the "Broken Star Sea".

Based on the principle of whoever occupies owns, nations' governments, powerful private pioneering companies, engaged in fierce competition throughout the "Broken Star Sea".

This ocean for the first time unveiled its mysterious veil extensively to humanity.

It condensed the essence of millions of years from four past Eras, with many places influenced by pre-Era civilization or unique rules, brimming with all sorts of treasures.

Such as high-yield crops, demonized flora and fauna, industrial raw materials, precious metals, gemstones, oil... and so on once harvested by Angie.

There were even experts predicting, due to the unique geological environment, the various resources contained within the "Broken Star Sea" might equal the sum of the entire known Material World!

Woosh—!

Steam propellers propelled three "rigid airships", cruising at a speed of 24 kilometers per hour, equivalent to 13 knots by ship, drawing a circle around the island, preparing to fly to a nearby island for the next support mission.

But they discovered that not far away, on another island, an airship fleet, bearing the Atlant Kingdom's snowflake flag, was slowly rising into the sky.

In the previous Potosi Silver Mine battle, Sak and Atlant reluctantly signed an agreement, but a deeper enmity between the two nations was solidified.

For airship pilots, having a record of shooting down the opponent's vessels meant potential promotion and fortune.

After mutual provocative demonstrations from afar, they were about to exchange a few shots for luck.

Yet a flying squadron comprising four airships casually bypassed their tense confrontation, swaggering past them.

Every airship prominently bore a crest.

A silver Thorny Crown Sea Serpent coiled in the center of a blue shield, flanked by golden lions and emerald dragons, encircled by a ring of emerald tangerine leaves and stars, topped with a golden crown.

And at the bottom banner was inscribed a motto: "Endless Exploration."

When the airship commanders of the Sak Empire and Atlant Kingdom caught sight of this crest.

"Retreat!"

Swoosh! Swoosh!....

Ignoring national grudges and merits, and daring not to make any rash actions, they decisively turned left and right and left.

Just because this was the official pioneering fleet of the Galliot Duchy!

No matter whether it contained members from the Galliot Clan, merely a family crest sufficed to make the commanders on both sides acknowledge reality.

Though one claimed to be an empire and another a kingdom, yielding to a mere duchy was nothing shameful.

In this world, what truly determines a nation's status is never a title, but genuinely tangible strength!

However.

In this stormy era, anything is possible.

The elite classes of various countries also harbored a dream named "Overlord of the World", much like when the Tulip Alliance successfully overturned Hilus, crowning itself as the new king.

Dreams, of course, should be had; what if they come true?