The soldiers who had been standing in neat ranks aboard the lifeboats instantly fell into chaos. Crushed beneath the terrifying dragon's might, some of the more timid soldiers had their legs go weak and collapsed headfirst into the cabins. Others were so frightened that visions danced before their eyes; with unconscious screams, they leapt straight into the sea.
The sailors were even more disorderly. They tossed aside their oars and, with a splash, jumped into the water, swimming back toward the mother ships as fast as they could. Being skilled swimmers, they did not take long to make it back. The unlucky ones were the soldiers who had jumped into the sea—their armor and weapons dragged them straight down into the depths.
Lin Qi slapped his forehead heavily, then barked in a low voice, "Fish those unlucky bastards out. Don't let them drown! Remember, they'll all be our soldiers in the future. We can't just let them drown for nothing!"
Mr. Mo revealed a strange smile. Indeed, these soldiers of the Black Spirit Empire would all be "our soldiers" in the future. How could he let them die such pointless deaths? A gale swept Mr. Mo up and carried him swiftly toward the breakwater. He shouted, "Save them! They are warriors of the Black Spirit Empire, not enemies. They are our own people!"
More than a dozen water-element mages in sea-blue robes appeared atop the breakwater. Waving their staffs, they began chanting in low voices. At once, the sea churned violently, and dozens of waterspouts swept up the soldiers who had fallen into the water and flung them onto the breakwater.
The poor soldiers had quickly sunk to the seabed and been forced to swallow bellyfuls of water under the crushing pressure. Now that they had been tossed onto the