The Sea Traveler

"Everything is normal... we are moving forward."

When the Council received its new instructions, the Sea Traveler had already been sailing in the dark depths for three days. Its destination was still the Broken Isles, but the mission details had changed.

In the pitch-black underwater world, it is impossible to discern directions. Even high-intensity directional lighting spells cannot penetrate the dark waters. One can only rely on a compass and a navigator to guide the way. The navigator is a water-based spellcaster who has minored in astrology and Earth School. By sensing the power of constellations, he can determine the submarine's coordinates. He can also sense the underwater currents and earth element responses with elemental affinity to avoid reefs, underwater mountains, and other obstacles.

This enormous black fish parted the cold seawater and moved forward silently.

As ordered by the Tower of All-Seeing, the Sea Traveler is on patrol and exploration missions in the vast ocean, should proceed to the Broken Sea as quickly as possible to conduct preliminary in-depth investigations and provide underwater intelligence and eagle-eye support for the following fleet—it is said that something bad is happening there.

However, Navy Headquarters made it clear that they had not told the crew what they were going to search for in the Broken Sea.

"An unidentified species, extremely dangerous, with countless populations, highly aggressive, and posing a significant threat. You should proceed with caution and search the deep sea for the source of this marine mammal herd."

The order from the council was only vaguely described and explained.

But the crew of the Sea Traveler did not doubt or back down; they firmly believed they could complete the mission, and this groundbreaking underwater warship gave them boundless confidence.

The spindle-shaped submarine, over forty meters long, is one of the pioneering ships in the Arcane Council's deep-sea exploration plan. It employed a large number of cutting-edge technologies in materials science, fluid mechanics, alchemy, and magic, and cost a huge sum of money. It took ten years to build this powerful and massive underwater vessel. It and its sister ships were highly anticipated and regarded by the Council as one of the hopes to find a new path and challenge the elven ocean dominance.

As a pioneering vessel, it shoulders many missions, such as providing data and training personnel for subsequent advanced underwater ship programs, surveying the marine environment, and searching for treasures from ancient shipwrecks.

After all, the ocean is such a mysterious and vast place, burying countless treasures, secrets, and even relics. The Council prides itself on being the defender and guardian of secrets in the Mortal World, and the Great Library of the Tower of All-Seeing contains a considerable number of secret records about the ocean. Exploring the ocean is also a key part of the Council's next century goal.

This is also the significance of the Sea Traveler's existence.

The crew consists of sixteen people, all of whom hold intermediate or higher professional titles and are proficient in all three skill systems. In the eyes of the council members, these elite Council are all future captains of the submarine fleet, and ensuring their safety in the dark deep sea was the primary issue in the initial design of this submarine.

Therefore, the space created by the submarine's length of over forty meters was first filled with a directional medium-sized teleportation array and sixteen Warpstone. This expense alone was enough to build two heavy infantry legions.

Then there's the Battlefield-level Shield Generator, the Haizan's Song, which can provide up to five minutes of powerful protection in the most dangerous moments, giving the crew time to teleport away.

Compared to these two expenses, the cost of the miniaturization technology of the magic core and the hydraulic kinetic energy conversion wave generator is negligible. The massive amount of elemental energy alloy that could equip a cavalry unit with a full set of top-level enchanted armor was welded into the hull of the submarine. The large amount of magic crystals that power this submarine became the cheapest part - these necessary equipment and materials already occupied 65% of the space.

There were also two small attack magic devices, eight tidal wave energy cannons, food, medicine, and beds. Sixteen elite spellcasters were forced to squeeze into the remaining cramped space.

They were responsible for piloting this miraculous underwater vessel to explore the endless depths of the sea.

This was the maximum number of crew members a submarine could support, so each sailor had multiple roles. The engineer had studied druidic magic and was responsible for dispersing curious fish and sea monsters and separating dense underwater plants such as seaweed. The weapons officer was in charge of food supply in the kitchen, the medical officer was in charge of communications, and so on. They were all promising young naval stars, and it was believed that it would not be long before they would all be commanding their own submarines.

Before that, you need to complete each seemingly difficult task quickly and well.

"Contact the Azure Fleet again and inform them of our location and situation."

In the command room, Captain Maikafu issued orders. They were scouts in the deep sea, the vanguard of the fleet. The solemn order from the Tower of All-Seeing demonstrated the danger and importance of this mission, because the enemy's threat came from underwater, and underwater was their battlefield and stage.

He sat on the mental amplification platform in the center of the command room, his mental power amplified by the magical device and spreading in all directions.

The sea is utterly dark, and even powerful Illumination Spell are of little use. In this eternal darkness, mental power is the only bright eye. Confirming location and navigating around obstacles is the navigator's job, but as the captain, he has to oversee the overall situation and bears a more important responsibility.

"Captain."

The first mate's voice came through. "My mental world is experiencing an unsettling unease, an unease that cannot be calmed and may even become an obsession affecting my work. Therefore, I must ask you—where does this enemy, or rather the threat, come from, and what form does it take?"

Ships are enclosed units in the ocean, even like cages. According to this view, submarines are the most terrifying cages in the world, isolated from the world and full of variables.

Although there were air element crystals to purify the air and natural magic to supply oxygen, over time, the air in the submarine remained polluted, the food monotonous, the work tedious, and the environment oppressive. Even with the resilient souls of all the spellcasters, they could not endure it for long. In this confined environment, any sign of trouble would quickly escalate into a huge disaster.

After a moment's thought, the captain withdrew his mental energy.

His relationship with his crew is not a simple superior-subordinate one; the strict hierarchical structure of the navy does not entirely apply here, because each of his soldiers is a highly talented spellcaster, possessing intelligence, strength, and potential, making good communication essential.

"We've all seen the briefings and instructions. A few days ago, the conflict between the Cathayan Kang De and the Broken Isles escalated, and yesterday, a huge change occurred in the Broken Isles — the Council didn't reveal the details, but through communication with the Azure Fleet, I've pieced together part of the picture."

In fact, they had already set off for the Broken Sea three days earlier, because at that time, various events indicated that the Cathayan Kang De would launch a military operation against the Broken Isles, Sea Traveler was dispatched to the Broken Isles to secretly observe the battle and await further orders.

Of course, they also had a secret mission.

That is, to confirm and assess whether the Arcane Council's top-secret weapon, this magic-guided attack submarine capable of changing the future of naval warfare, poses an absolute threat to Kang De's new warships.

Of course, the above orders have been changed, and they have a new mission.

The captain's voice echoed throughout the submarine, and everyone listened intently.

"Some kind of sea monster has appeared in the Broken Isles, a horde of bizarre and ferocious predators with a thirst for flesh that is beyond that of normal predators."

He said, "The number is enormous, and the phenomenon is extremely bizarre. The Council suspects there is a huge secret, origin, and conspiracy behind it. Intelligence indicates that they mostly come from the deep sea. So, discovering the origin of these sea monsters and trying to find their origin and the truth is our mission."

The first mate pondered, "So, that means Kang De is currently on the Broken Isles?"

Captain Maikafu nodded and said, "Yes, according to the Azure Fleet, the Cathayan have once again created an astonishing spectacle—steel birds capable of carrying thousands of people can fly from the Broken Isles to the west coast in just one hour, one after another, endlessly, it's simply unimaginable..."

The crew members were stunned. With their intelligence and intellect, they could not imagine what such a flying machine would look like, but a sour feeling that grew in their hearts immediately surfaced.

After all, they had rested at the Council's naval base seven days ago, so they had heard about Kang De and the conflicts and disagreements between this rising Dragon of Cathay and the Council.

Therefore, the proud Council navy had no goodwill toward this Cathayan dared to insult the Council's envoy, and even regarded him as a potential enemy. At the same time, they also felt a sense of resentment and crisis.

Because they had also heard about the Afu incident.

The steel warship, over a hundred meters long, slaughtered hordes of dragons with astonishing power. Even though rumors and intelligence have been denigrating this alchemical behemoth, the proud spellcasters are still frustrated by it. And now, another "giant flying machine" is soaring in the sky, something the Council has never seen before.

--The Cathayan have come up with a new trick again.

The first mate asked in a strange tone, "Is he transporting soldiers to the Broken Isles?"

Captain Maikafu shook his head and said, "No, we need to bring back the survivors of the Broken Isles."

He took a deep breath and said slowly, "He helped not only nobles, soldiers, scholars, and merchants, but also workers, farmers, servants, and even beggars."

This news was even harder to digest than the previous one; the crew members looked at each other, completely stunned.

Only fools would believe in so-called righteous heroic tales and epic legends. The spellcasters are rational and calm, seeing through the words that fool the people to see the truth of history. They all know that from ancient times to the present, the world stage is nothing more than a game of power. So-called benevolent rulers are never benevolent rulers of the common people. The exploitation of the lowly by the powerful and wealthy is nothing more than a wolf eating a sheep.

When they heard that Kang De had actually deployed an unprecedented magical flying machine and even rescued a beggar, their first thought was that Kang De must have ulterior motives.

The engineering officer sneered, "What, is the master from the East lacking slaves?"

The weapons officer shook his head and said, "I've never heard of Kang De keeping slaves. I guess he's just demonstrating his power—he's proving that his aircraft are efficient, powerful, and cheap, even disregarding transportation costs, and can even bring back beggars and outcasts."

"Or perhaps they're trying to win over some idealists? That's a good reputation, isn't it?" the navigator casually remarked. "Enough to be recorded in history books, to be sung about by bards."

"No, perhaps it's an even more despicable scheme."

Captain Maikafu interrupted his colleagues' speculations.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "We are far underwater and cannot see what is happening on the surface. Since we did not witness it firsthand, it is not our place to judge Kang De's motives and schemes. However, we can still glean some clues from the orders of the Parliament and the Admiralty."

The captain recalled the official orders that were projected through a single resonant crystal.

"The Council changed its orders, ordering us to trace the source of the sea monster. The Azure Fleet has been mobilized in large numbers, and they also need our preliminary reconnaissance and location. The situation that occurred on the Broken Isles was originally Kang De's battlefield, so why Council making such a large-scale secret intervention?"

He looked at the crew and asked, "And it's clearly a solo operation, intended to deceive Kang De."

The first mate immediately said, "Kang De has concealed some secret of the Broken Isles!"

"That's right!"

Captain Maikafu agreed, "And considering the types of attacks the Broken Isles have faced, and our new mission, it's almost certain that the secret Kang De is hiding is about this sea monster attack. If so, there are two possibilities."

"First, this sea monster attack was instigated by Kang De, who used it to completely destroy the Broken Isles, forcibly relocate the western sea's trading hub back to the Distant Harbor, and plunder the wealth and talent accumulated by the Broken Sea over hundreds of years. Not only did he not bear any infamy, but he also gained morality and praise..."

Upon hearing this, the crew members felt a chill run down their spines, followed by righteous indignation. If this were true, then Kang De's actions were no different from those of a demon, an act of utter evil deed worthy of hatred.

"The second possibility is that the attack was instigated by the Broken Isles. Those endless sea monsters pose a great threat to ships at sea, and are certainly a powerful force. Surface ships are now almost completely defenseless against attacks from the deep sea, a fact you all know better than anyone. I think Kang De probably wants to seize this power for himself."

Upon hearing this, the crew members exclaimed in unison, "We can't let him succeed!"

"That's right, we can't let him succeed. Although the Council n't given specific instructions, their attitude speaks for itself—sending us to the most dangerous waters means that the Council willing to risk losing the Sea Traveler to find the source of the deep-sea attack..."

"Such a decision and determination already demonstrates that Kang De is not innocent."

The captain rose from the mental platform, his words resounding. "Kang De intimidates the world with Forbidden Spell, dominates the seas with his steel warships, and now he possesses a colossal flying machine resembling a divine bird, even encroaching on the skies. Gentlemen, the Council's last pride lies beneath the sea; we cannot afford to lose even this last advantage—and this is our reason for fighting. Whatever secrets Kang De may be hiding, we cannot allow him to succeed."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "If this deep-sea monster was released by Kang De, then find the evidence and expose his evil true face to the world. If he intends to seize this dangerous power, then strike first, find the target, summon the Azure Fleet, and crush his greedy schemes. This is our mission!"

At this point, Captain Maikafu looked at the first officer, his gaze sharp as lightning. "Now, are there still any doubts?"

"Sweeped clean, Your Excellency!" The other party suddenly stood up. "For the safety of the world and the well-being of all living beings, and for the inalienable rights bestowed upon the Arcane Council by the gods!"

"Then, Sea Traveler, onward!"

This is their mission, their inescapable responsibility.

Because the Sea Traveler is the only combat unit in this area capable of venturing deep into the ocean.

The Mortal World is mysterious and boundless, hiding so many secrets, and spellcasters are at the forefront of exploration. The sky has long been conquered by mages, and even above the stratosphere, powerful sky mages have reached it. The earth has been explored by explorers, and even giant, untouched caves have been entered by ley line sorcerers. Only the deep sea remains an absolute forbidden zone for living beings.

Dark, cold, and boundless, the immense water pressure prevented even the most powerful warriors from venturing into this vast realm of darkness. Only after the Council's collective wisdom created this unprecedented underwater submarine did the mages proudly set foot in this desolate forbidden zone, where only they could enter.

Only they are capable of undertaking this task.

Forty minutes later.

We have arrived at the Broken Sea.

The navigator turned the astrolabe in front of him, and the power of the stars passed through the Endless Sea and projected onto it. Astrology is the most effective, rigorous and stable way of positioning, because the vastness of the universe and the greatness of the Stellaris, that power that travels through infinite astronomical distances to reach the Mortal World cannot be shielded or concealed by anything.

"Disable the gyroscope and report the coordinates to the Azure Fleet."

The captain ordered, "Activate all detection systems, assess the surrounding environment, detect life, confirm depth, map the terrain, and confirm the route."

All sixteen crew members sprang into action, each performing their assigned duties, and reports were relayed back one after another.

"Continuous and tremendous tremors were coming from the direction of the water."

"It must be Kang De's alchemical weapon suppressing the sea monster... Let's investigate further."

"Life detection system deployed, filled with magic crystals, increased power, expanding detection boundaries... Gods, I believe I have discovered the sea monsters described in the intelligence reports, in enormous numbers."

Several crew members who were conducting reconnaissance and detection work in the command center looked over upon hearing the sound.

Unnecessary equipment such as chairs in the command room have been folded and recycled. The massive life signal interaction device is deployed at full power. This advanced reconnaissance equipment integrates the six most effective and advanced detection mechanisms in the world today: life sensing, heat reading, soul fluctuation, spectral observation, current profiling, and sound wave capture. Even the Brotherhood's master assassins would perish before this device.

Powerful functionality implies a large size and high energy consumption, and its presence on this ship demonstrates that the designers considered it meaningful.

At the edge of a transparent circular crystal disk, countless red dots flickered continuously, forming a continuous and enormous patch of light—while a seventeen-meter-long Meier Toothed Whale, projected onto the three-meter-diameter crystal disk, appeared as a tiny red dot the size of a pinhead.

The captain stepped forward, his magic emanating from him. With a flick of his wrist, countless points of light emanated from the crystal, rising into the air and forming a 3D diagram. The dense red dots formed a terrifying tornado, swirling like a vortex from the unknown depths and spreading all the way to the surface of the water.

This means that a terrifying torrent of monsters is relentlessly rushing towards the surface of the water.

The sheer number of them was impossible to estimate. No matter how detailed and accurate the intelligence reports were, they could not compare to the shock of seeing them with one's own eyes. Only now did the crew of the Sea Traveler realize that the intelligence reports were true.

That is indeed a very large number.

The captain took a deep breath. "Send a message to the Azure Fleet: We have detected enemy activity. Instruct them to proceed with caution, proceed slowly, and remain vigilant until we have made our move."

"... yes."

The first mate gazed at the enormous star chart and said softly, "Captain, would you like to see it for yourself?"

The Sea Traveler is equipped with an observation window. The research and development department and the Ministry of Works paid a huge price to install a window on the submarine, but it was a necessary design because one of the Ocean Traveler's missions is to search for underwater ruins and shipwreck treasures. These high-value targets require final visual confirmation. Using perception spells and mental skills as eyes is ultimately not true eyes.

The observation window is located in front of the command room. To use it, the element lock needs to be unlocked and the bulkhead opened. The porthole glass is very expensive, which is why it can be integrated with the submarine's hull and withstand the pressure of deep sea water.

After the partition is opened, the long-range lighting fixtures will be turned on, and two energy-intensive refracting crystals will project intense, dazzling light forward, giving observers the opportunity to witness it firsthand. Because the observation window and the illumination lamps have extremely short lifespans, the time available for their use is extremely precious.

The captain pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "It's not the right time yet."

"Captain, the Azure Fleet has replied that they will proceed cautiously, and the commander has instructed us to be extremely careful."

"Knew."

Captain Maikafu gazed at the flashing life signals on the crystal disk, then looked towards the bottom of the tornado. "That's where they originated. Navigator, set the route, prepare to sink. We must approach cautiously, trace the source downwards, activate all shielding mechanisms..."

"Yes!"

In the endless darkness, uneasy currents surged in the distance. The creatures of the nearby seas had long since fled or been devoured. Only endless sea monsters rushed to the surface like tornadoes, stirring up terrifying whirlpools and undercurrents. In the distance, silent black fish gradually approached and sank.

It was a deep valley in the sea, bottomless and terrifying.

"They didn't spot us, did they?"

"No, Captain, please rest assured."

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PS1: First update, 6,000 words.

PS2: I woke up super sleepy today, like I didn't get enough sleep. I wanted to finish writing earlier, but I dragged it out until now. I originally wanted to finish writing and post it all at once, but it wouldn't be good to keep everyone waiting until 2 or 3 in the morning, so I'll post this part first. Those who are sleepy can read the second update tomorrow.