Shipping

The roar of the gas turbines echoed across the sea as the 7,000-ton frigate roared forward.

The powerful, four-bladed propellers, reinforced with Paradox Element, churned the water with a strong, swirling motion, propelling the ship and creating a realm of death.

In the chaotic and deep underwater world, the strange beasts that darted and swam around were continuously sucked in by the powerful suction, finely chopped into minced meat, and turned into gushing blood that drifted backward.

Amidst the churning blood, the Knight Astolfo braved the waves.

Facing the fierce wind, Kang De stood atop the spherical 3D phased array radar, surveying the surrounding sea.

The area bombarded by Horus was still churning with white waves, countless pieces of shattered flesh floating in them. One after another, hideous monsters emerged from the water, opening their blood-red maws to devour the flesh of their own kind and suck the blood that had escaped. On the islands, merchant ships, and docks that were everywhere, swarms of monsters landed brazenly, like a plague of wild rats, swallowing up people who had no time to escape.

Even with his extensive experience, Kang De still felt a chill run down his spine at the sight before him. It was a double nightmare of trypophobia and freak phobia; the combined terror was like a blood-soaked spectacle of brains exploding. Why was this happening?

Kang De said in a deep voice, "They are attacking indiscriminately!"

"Yes!" Horus replied, "This shouldn't be the usual practice on the Broken Isles."

Kang De coldly replied, "Of course not. If they had that ability, they would have unified the global maritime trade map long ago, and even Jianguo would be a piece of cake—but I don't think it has nothing to do with them."

"Agreed..." Iron Son said, "The timing is too perfect."

As they spoke, the Afu had already reached a top speed of 29 knots. Such a speed would be enough to make even the most powerful capital ships and light ships in this other world stand out, but it was still too slow for Water Phase creatures.

Beneath the surface of the sea, undercurrents surged. Even though the losses here were heavy, even though their own kind were bleeding and their limbs were torn apart, more monsters still fearlessly surged towards this place. Despite the massive amount of firepower from the ship's guns and cannons pouring down on the water, causing blood to gush out, they still tried to leap up and rush onto the deck.

Intense flames surged forth.

The liquid jet flamethrowers brought by Kang De were quickly integrated into the weapon system. Dozens of fire dragons spewed fierce dragon breath from top to bottom, and the intense heat evaporated the seawater, scorching the monsters that tried to leap out of the water. However, the intense pain and the threat of death could not make them retreat in the slightest.

The Fire Thief said coldly, "You figured it out?"

"Hmm," Horus replied, "A preliminary behavioral model has been established. It has a well-developed nervous system, a strong fighting instinct, and its own consciousness and judgment. According to the laws of nature, a predator of this size must have an instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm; it will retreat when faced with danger and may even be unwilling to allow itself to be injured."

"After all, survival and reproduction are the instincts of normal living beings. The so-called qualities of courage and pride in animals are nothing more than the far-fetched associations and pointless fantasies of low-class literati, but..."

The Transformers said, "But this creature is different. They are extremely numerous, like soldier ants and worker bees, even more fearless than the former. Although we lack the necessary data and intelligence, it's almost certain..."

Kang De picked up where the Iron Son left off. "Biological weapons."

"... almost."

Gunfire roared, smoke billowed, and the intense noise was blocked out by a soundproof barrier. The conversation atop the phased-array radar was confined to the father and son. Kang De frowned. "This is troublesome."

These hostile creatures are numerous, almost endless. Kang De swept his Phoenix Vision across the vast seas within the Broken Isles, and beneath the surface of the sea, there were almost countless faint specks of life. This meant that even at this moment, an astonishing number of terrifying monsters were still rushing from the deep sea to the shallows, sensing the call of flesh and blood, as if a gate that had sealed them had been suddenly opened.

"It's very troublesome."

Horus agreed with his father.

Humanity is ultimately a land- Civilization. Even if there are maritime powers, their so-called territories are still above the sea, and the same applies to other worlds.

On Earth, humanity's exploration of space and even the universe far surpasses its understanding of the deep sea. Humans have set foot on the moon, machines have roamed Mars, and Voyager has approached the edge of the sun, yet the deepest dive recorded is only 1,000 meters, while the deepest trench is over 2,500 kilometers deep. That infinitely dark, profound, mysterious, and terrifying unknown world remains hidden under a veil of mystery.

The same applies to other worlds.

Faced with an unknown enemy launching from the deep sea, humanity, armed with modern technology, is helpless. Unable to ascertain the enemy's details or enter their battlefield, the dark land beneath the sea is the home and domain of unknown creatures. In the underwater world, humanity is more vulnerable and cumbersome than ever before.

Aside from using various instruments and sonar devices to scan and lock onto the enemy's location, and then dropping massive bombs from the water or even the air to blast the enemy's entire family, along with seaweed, reefs, corals, and even the seabed, tiny and powerless humans really have no other options.

"... We have a hundred ways to handle the current situation, but that requires us to calmly prepare our attack plan from a sufficiently safe distance. But right now, we cannot leave."

Leaving aside the inhabitants of the Broken Isles, Kang De could not abandon the thousands of sailors from four warships of various nations who were stranded in this area, both for the public good and for personal reasons.

Protecting them from this relentless deep-sea onslaught was a real challenge. Kang De's teleportation ability couldn't teleport living beings, and while implanted crystals made of Paradox Element could grant them passage, the sheer number of sailors made large-scale teleportation impractical.

"--Let's rescue them first!"

A dragon's roar echoed in the sky as two colossal dragons soared through the heavens, swooping and circling over the sea ahead. Horus said in a deep voice, "Father, the Imperial warship Snowy Peak has been spotted! It's now in visual view!"

"Prepare for battle!"

With sails billowing and walls of fire surrounding the ship, the Snowy Peak was engulfed in flames. The ship's mages could only resort to this desperate measure to try and stop the sea monsters from climbing and attacking them. Two giant dragons coiled around to provide support, and the sailors stood back to back in formation. The situation was extremely critical.

"I'll go first!"

Kang De swung his axe, the blade whistling through the air as it soared through the sky. The attached spatial beacon exploded with brilliant light, and the Phase Gate opened in response. The Fire Thief landed on the mainmast of the Snowy Peak.

"Prince Kang De has arrived!"

The desperate sailors heard cheers, and then they saw figures on the mast. The monsters were agile and ferocious, and their numbers were dense. Ordinary battle formations were useless and meaningless. When the mages' magic power was exhausted, the entire ship would perish. They realized this, and their morale was on the verge of collapse.

Then they heard A Fu's horn and saw the gleaming steel warship cutting through the waves in the distance. Then Kang De leaped in, descending like a guardian.

The suspension bridge effect kicked in quickly, and at that moment, His Highness Kang De's figure became incredibly tall, deeply imprinted in the hearts of the desperate and fearful.

"Retreat from the mainmast! As the Afu joins board, pull up the ziplines from the mainmast and slide across one by one!" Kang De shouted. "Where is the captain? Take command!"

"I'm here! Your Highness Kang De!" The captain, wielding his scimitar and leading his elite marines back and forth, putting out fires and slaying the stragglers, called out, "It's a pleasure to have you here!"

As the cannon fire drew near, the Afu roared in, its twenty-nine knots of gunfire deftly turning with its bow thrusters, coming alongside from the rear. Kang De waved his hand, launching an enchanted and reinforced iron chain that landed on the Afu's midships platform. He ducked and shouted, "Begin the evacuation!"

The dragon transformed into human form and swooped down, landing on the deck and unleashing a powerful punch that annihilated more and more sea monsters. It took over the defensive duties from the marines. Under the captain's command, sailors climbed up the mast along the ropes, took off their shirts to cover their hands, and paddled across the steel cable to the other side.

The sea monster burst out of the water below, like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, trying to bite, but was immediately shot in two by accurate bullets. On the mid-platform of the Afu, Han Guangcheng and others guided the sailors who slid over and quickly stuffed them into the cabin, one after another.

"We need backup!"

But with the two ships side-by-side in the rescue, extremely close to the Snowy Peak, Horus was no longer able to use his powerful close-range defenses to fend off the numerous sea monsters. "Father!"

Kang De snapped his fingers.

The Phase Gate suddenly opened behind him, like a black sun leaping out of the sea, a buzzing sound echoing from the other side of space, and silver arcs of light surging forth!

It's the Grewind Swarm!

The swarm of insects that had devoured the Paradox Element was even more powerful. Wherever Kang De's will reached, it quickly swept across the deck of the Snowy Peak and the surrounding waters, tearing at the sea monsters that leaped out of the water and onto the deck.

Even when swallowed by sea monsters, their robust bodies cannot be chewed and digested. Instead, they wreak havoc inside their enemies. After devouring the first sea monster, these mysterious locust swarms seemed to fall into a state of frenzy, devouring its flesh without Kang De's prompting!

Locusts poured out of the Phase Door in an endless stream, even creating localized population suppression!

Kang De shouted, "What are you standing there for! Hurry up!"

The sailors, as if waking from a dream, cheered loudly and then glided towards the other side at an even faster speed. Kang De manipulated the swarm of insects to shuttle back and forth to block them, which was quite effective. However, he knew very well that the swarm was not the best weapon to deal with this sea monster - at best, they could only be used for defense, but could not be used to launch an attack.

And generation after generation of humanity has chosen the path of the Mengsk cannon.

Just then, he frowned slightly, reached out and beckoned, and a grasshopper with a bulging belly took flight and landed in his palm.

Kang De gently squeezed the insect, and a small amount of bright green gel-like substance sprayed out from its abdomen. The Power of the Fire Thief revealed its extremely complex yet pure essence.

Under their mental perception, the flesh and blood of the sea monsters, consumed by the locusts, seemed to be slowly digested into this unknown and mysterious substance—what is it?

"--The mage is preparing to ascend!"

All two hundred-plus sailors on board have been successfully evacuated, and the wounded have been properly cared for. The captain led the officers up the mainmast last, and one by one they slid to the other side. The captain stayed behind, shouting, "Repeat! Spellcasters, take to the air! Those with insufficient magic power, report immediately! Fly directly across!"

Then he shouted, "Kang De Highness Kant! The evacuation of the entire crew of the Snowy Peak is nearing completion!"

Phoenix Fire ignited in Kang De's eyes as he surveyed the entire ship. Apart from the captain and a few spellcasters maintaining the Flame magic, there was no other living being. He nodded and said, "Go!"

The captain wrapped his right hand with a canvas, yelled, and slid along the steel cable.

Then the spellcasters rode the gale and soared into the air until the last crew member retreated to the Afu, at which point a huge cheer erupted on the ship.

It was a success.

Kang De lightly touched the ground, flew back to the top of the phased array, and shouted, "Start the ship!"

Although I wanted to turn this abandoned ship into a giant bomb... time is of the essence, so I can't waste any more time.

The gas turbines started up again, and with a roar, the engines began to run. A huge cheer and shouts erupted from the cabin, along with the cries of survivors. Finally, all the sounds turned into a chorus of praise. They shouted and cheered, and eventually, it became a unified slogan.

"Kang De!"

"A Fu!"

"Kang De!"

"A Fu!"

The warships sailed toward the next sea area, and monsters continued to ram into the ships, but the roar of guns and the suppression of the insect swarms made everything seem normal.

Kant took a breath, when suddenly, Tie's son blurted out, "Kant, Afu, stick it on!"

"Where the hell did you learn that?!"

Is now the time to talk about this?

"... Damn it." Kang De picked up the walkie-talkie. "We've rescued the Snowy Peak and are heading to the next battlefield. Calling the Elven Fleet, Song of Evergreen, how are you?"

The elven captain opposite him let out a hearty laugh, "Your Highness, you can go and rescue the Council first."

The Council Fleet captain's rebuttal rang out in the channel. "Let's go save Pointy Ears first!"

This conversation was overheard by the cheering Imperial sailors in the cabin, and their voices quieted down—their own warships were in a sorry state, their defenses were on the verge of collapse, while the Elven and Council warships sounded quite composed; the contrast was somewhat embarrassing.

"Song of Evergreen, reporting our position to your ship now. Proceed here immediately."

"Clear!"

Twenty-three minutes later, the Song of Evergreen came into Kang De's view.

The drone that took off transmitted images back.

The Song of Evergreen surged with wind and thunder, its sails billowing in the magical winds, propelling it forward at full speed. The mage forces manipulated waves of fire that danced around the ship, while the broadside ballistae roared and fired at the surrounding sea. Enchanted bolts shattered the surface of the water, and the magical strike platform was fully deployed. On the three masts, burly elf men, their legs wrapped around the masts, stretched out their bodies, drew their bows, and unleashed a torrent of arrows, accurately piercing and killing any fish that had slipped through the net and sending blood spurting from their wounds.

The imperialists were completely silent on the bridge and through the portholes.

"Ah..." Kang De said blankly, "It seems we don't need to save them?"

Horus objected, "No, they're already firing at full speed. Arrows run out, and mana runs out—you ordered them to advance at full speed. Rescue is on its way, and these proud elves are naturally going to show you what they've got."

Kang De understood, and chuckled, "From a certain perspective, it's quite endearing..."

"She's quite cute."

As they spoke, the two warships drew closer, then simultaneously slowed down. The Grewind Swarm swarmed and arrayed itself, the mages withdrew their fire spells, and atop the mast, an elven commander waved. "Your Highness Kang De, the Song of Evergreen stands ready!"

Kang De replied, "Evacuate by zipline, and have your soldiers prepare!"

"Yes, sir!" the elven captain shouted, "Immediately execute..."

Just then, a piercing scream suddenly emanated from inside the Song of Evergreen.

The elves' expressions changed drastically, and Kang De also looked surprised. Before he could ask anything, Horus shouted, "Father! Something's happened!"

Immediately afterward, Mei Xizhu's voice rang out in the channel. "Your Highness Kang De! The island defense system has been activated! Elemental irradiation has covered this area! A fortress-type heavy magical artifact is about to launch an attack on our side!"

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PS1: Update... I'm having some writer's block, can't find the right flow... Time for bed.