141. We're Counting on You / 142. The Forerunner ...

Bai Ye pointed to the scorched ground as he spoke.

"No wonder the whole town was on fire, I thought it had fallen..." Tulip suddenly realized.

"We need to leave some people behind to receive the undead who are about to appear. Miss Tulip, why don't you stay?" Bai Ye glanced at the system panel; the update was about to finish.

Carmen said:

"I'll stay here too. Let Dario and Eirene lead you to the lighthouse. The Punishment Force and the Undead will come to meet you there."

Clearly, he wanted to stay behind and personally arrange for the Players to fill the gaps in the various defensive lines, and only he, the saint, could accomplish such an arrangement.

"Then hunters, let's go." Bai Ye didn't linger; he needed to hurry.

Then he remembered Aria, who was standing nearby:

"Miss Lighthouse Keeper, it seems you'll have to come with us."

Chapter 141 I'm relying on you all

(I want Chinno...)

"Should you take this with you?" Eirene reminded her from the side.

Following the girl's finger, Bai Ye finally noticed the ordinary man still trembling beside him. He was almost indistinguishable from any other Gran Faro. If there was anything special about him, it was probably that he was an Aegir.

This is quite rare in Iberia towns, especially since the Great Silence led to the Aegir becoming increasingly marginalized and oppressed. Some even believe that the Aegir brought about the disaster—well, to be honest, that's not entirely wrong.

However, using ordinary Aegir as scapegoats is indeed a manifestation of civilization descending into ignorance, much like the witch hunts of the past, which were filled with persecution under the high pressure of the Inquisition.

"It is said that he is a descendant of Breogan," Dario explained from the side.

"But he doesn't know anything." Bai Ye glanced at the young man in front of him, then shook his head. "It doesn't feel necessary to bring another burden along. It's an unnecessary burden, and it will be difficult for us to be distracted in battle to take care of others."

Bai Ye spoke very frankly, which is how he always is.

"We'll bring him here with us, but he has some notes that are supposedly left by his parents, which I think might be useful to you," Dario said, handing the briefcase to Bai Ye.

These were confiscated from that Aegir.

Bai Ye accepted the briefcase, somewhat surprised that the judges had become so agreeable. However, he figured it was because Saint Carmen had expressed a cooperative attitude, which had changed the judges' demeanor.

Opening the bag, Bai Ye indeed found several notebooks, most of which were operating manuals for the Lighthouse, and a small number were written in Sargos script, notes left by Breogan, though these were likely copies. The originals certainly wouldn't have been preserved so well; they were from a long time ago.

Bai Ye opened the notebook and began to turn the pages one by one, his eyes constantly scanning the pages from left to right.

"What is he doing?" Eirene couldn't help but ask in a low voice. Although she knew the man was checking his notes, there seemed to be no need to flip through all the pages.

"Shh." Laurentina shook her head. "Little bird on land, don't make noise, he's reading a book."

Laurentina's words surprised Eirene. How much could she possibly see at that page-turning speed? Clearly, she didn't believe the Abyssal Hunter's words.

A moment later, Bai Ye collected all the notebooks and manuscripts, put them back into his bag, and then handed them to Saint Carmen:

"Thank you, but please return these to the Inquisition."

"Are we ready to go?" Carmen asked.

Bai Ye nodded:

"We are well prepared, though not quite perfect, but we are now fully prepared. It is time to head to the 'Eye of Iberia'."

"Bai Ye." Before leaving, Carmen called him back one last time. The old man looked at the Squad Five about to depart and slowly said:

"Iberia is now in your hands."

Bai Ye thought he would say something harsh, like, "As long as you are on Iberia soil, the law is watching you, and so am I."

However, Saint Carmen ultimately did not take such a hard line. He was too old to have the will to win or the strength to verbally defend his honor. To live was the greatest honor, and Carmen understood this better than anyone else.

Bai Ye saw was only a weathered old man, worthy of being a saint who took Iberia as his surname; he had indeed sacrificed too much for this country.

"Let's go."

Two judges from the Inquisition, four Abyssal Hunter, Bai Ye, and a trainee Lighthouse Keeper. That's all there is to Squad Five.

They need to go to the "Eye of Iberia" and clear the path to the lighthouse.

I arrived in this dry new world from my damp dwelling, and everything here was shocking and heartbreaking. The clouds were not as beautiful as legend had it; the earth and sky were ravaged by suffering, and even cities like Sargos could be destroyed by Catastrophe.

The people on land are still plagued by an incurable disease. I learned of Oripathy and Originium from numerous documents in the Academy of Sciences, and now, witnessing it firsthand, I know it has become an integral part of the land, deeply rooted. Yet, even so, they stubbornly live on, exploring technology and Istina in their own unique way, seeking proof of their continued existence.

Even if I'm called a traitor, I don't regret my decision to come to land. The Seaborn are expanding, and within ten years, Sargos will be completely besieged. And one day, I will complete my travels and return to Iberia. I will leave these documents for the Aegir to decipher and search for. I don't trust nobles, and I imagine the Aegir, now called islanders, will sooner or later lose Iberia respect for various reasons.

A golden ship, the eyes of civilization, the laws of evolution, the monument of life. Sea and land must form a united front against the waves. I have no intention of being a pioneer; I am merely one step ahead of destiny.

Bai Ye recalled the copy of Breogan's notes he had just read. Fortunately, he had learned the Sargos script from Gladiia, which allowed him to understand these obscure sentences.

He gained a better understanding of Sargos, but the true nature of the deep sea could only be determined by Bai Ye himself after entering it.

Laurentina has already gone to pilot the aircraft, and she will soon rejoin Squad Five.

Whether it was a misperception or not, Bai Ye noticed that Judge Eirene seemed relieved after Laurentina left the team. She didn't seem very good at dealing with people like Laurentina. What a young and adorable judge!

Bai Ye has entered into a contract with the Inquisition, so the two sides are currently in a cooperative phase. However, Laurentina is very sensible, so her actions have not been stopped by Grand Inquisitor Dario.

"The Punishment Force has prepared ships for us to go to Iberia. Unfortunately, they are all small boats. The warships are still on their way," Dario said from the side.

Iberia once possessed the most advanced shipbuilding technology on land, but now only blueprints remain. In the past Iberia had built some large ships with the help of the islanders, especially the Breogan. After the Great Silence, these shipyards were shut down or even became nests for Seaborn as the islanders dwindled. The Iberia could only try to salvage the large warships that were still usable, or simply sell the blueprints.

All we have now are small boats.

That was enough, considering their numbers weren't large. From the nearest coastline of Gran Faro, it was about fifty nautical miles to reach the location of the last Eye of Iberia.

Chapter 142 The Vanguard

(The title of the previous chapter is taken from Haig's "No Way Out" directive during World War I: "Our homeland and the freedom of the whole world depend on you." Of course, it sounds ironic coming from a British person, with the great powers talking about freedom...)

The group returned to the edge of the sea.

Land dwellers always mistake the horizon for the end of the sky. Only when they see these endless waves for the first time will they be astonished and gape in disbelief.

"Our fleet used to be able to see the calm sea. But after the Great Silence, the ocean is like a boiling pot of poison, capable of melting anything that touches it." Dario looked at the boundless sea.

The Bai Ye stood silently.

In his homeland, the ocean is the cradle of life, rich in resources and teeming with wondrous and beautiful creatures. Three hundred years ago, human probes ventured to the moon and Mars, but the exploration of the deep sea has always been slow and arduous.

The ocean before him was treacherous and unfathomable, concealing terrifying dangers beneath its surface. Yet, Bai Ye gazed at the ocean with a heavy heart, for he, too, would never again have the chance to appreciate the sea of his homeland. The scene before him felt like a substitute for a meal.

Unfortunately, this starry sky is fake, the star map is completely irregular, and Terra has no satellites, so it is impossible to determine one's location in this vast ocean.

Gladiia stood beside Bai Ye, while Skadi loyally guarded Bai Ye's back. Ulpian silently watched everyone, feeling as if he were the superfluous one.

"The Stultifera, also known as the 'Fool's Ship,' was the name of the flagship of the Iberia fleet that was annihilated in the Great Silence. The Inquisition confirmed that it had not sunk for over sixty years, but it had also never returned to a port on land," Dario continued.

His tone was quite calm, somewhat unlike the serious image of the Grand Inquisitor he used to be.

"How many of you have come?" Bai Ye asked.

"A large contingent of Punishment Force and several dual-purpose warships will arrive in Gran Faro to set up camp and clear the port in preparation," Dario replied truthfully. "Thank you for leaving us a large amount of incendiary material. The encirclement of the Nethersea Brand has been broken, and the cultists' efforts have been in vain."

Prior to this, Bai Ye did indeed have Laurentina pilot the "Cyclops" to Gran Faro once, leaving the "weed killer" in the cargo hold for the Inquisition.

"It was just a small favor. Normally, we wouldn't need that thing—if it weren't to avoid accidental injury and ensure the basic integrity of Gran Faro's structure, I would have used magic directly," Bai Ye said with a smile.

"Like the kind you used in Saltwind City?" Eirene blinked.

Bai Ye shook his head:

"We need a more efficient way."

During the discussion, the ship arrived. Everyone boarded. In the cockpit, Gladiia saw the control panel and, to her, rather rudimentary signal navigation equipment.

"I'll take the helm," Eirene volunteered. Her skills were quite good, a result of her training.

"What a remarkable young girl," Bai Ye praised.

Then, a muffled rumble came from the sky, and a huge shadow easily enveloped the ship.

"Is this a dark cloud?" Eirene looked completely bewildered.

"No, these are their aircraft," Aria explained from the side.

She's seen a lot in the world; these things are far more exciting than anything a small-town girl like her has ever seen in her entire life.

"How is such a huge aircraft possible?" Eirene exclaimed.

"There were even bigger ones, but I shot them down..."

Bai Ye stepped out of the cabin, onto the deck, and waved to Laurentina aboard the aircraft.

"Having an aircraft leading the way for us will make things much easier— Gladiia, it would be best if you went up with her. I'm worried her skills aren't good enough; you're the experienced one." Bai Ye said, tapping his earpiece. "Laurentina, can you hear me? Open the hatch."

"I feel at ease with the captain here." Laurentina's laughter came through the earpiece.

Then, the aircraft's hatch opened, Gladiia, standing on the deck, lightly pushed off with her legs and jumped directly onto it.

"Abyssal Hunter are indeed monsters..." Eirene stuck out her tongue.

Subsequently, she also took the helm.

The aircraft turned on its searchlights ahead, with the ship following closely behind.

"This lighting..." Dario indeed noticed something amiss.

"That's right, it uses technology similar to the Iberia Lighthouse, which is why the aircraft is named 'Cyclops'," Bai Ye explained.

He then stood at the bow of the ship, gripped the edge, and gazed at the deep ocean.

"No wonder you took him with you to the deep sea." Ulpian looked at Bai Ye and suddenly realized.

"That's right. Although he can't control the entire the Swarm, the smaller groups of Terrorfish and Seaborn won't be his enemies. Therefore, this ship is actually under his protection and won't be attacked by Terrorfish on the sea." Gladiia's voice came through the communicator.

"I've never seen such a calm sea before," Dario chuckled self-deprecatingly. "It's practically like a picnic. Hmm, what's a picnic..."

Clearly, such overly bright language was out of place for the judge. He couldn't even remember the meaning of the word.

Indeed, no Terrorfish attacked the ships along the way, and the anticipated battle never occurred.

Some of the glowing Terrorfish merely circled the boat once before disappearing without a trace. Others followed the ship closely, like offspring attached to their parents, escorting it all the way.

These were mindless Terrorfish, their instinct being to obey the Swarm and the Firstborn. Bai Ye soothed them at the bow, helping them accept the ship and the strange creatures on board. In some ways, Bai Ye's abilities were not unlike those of the bishops of the Abyssal Church. The only difference was that cultists preferred to use their ability to communicate with the deep sea for destruction, while Bai Ye used it to help humanity.

"This is the first time I've ever gone this far..." Skadi said softly. "After I managed to get ashore, I tried to go back."

"Of course, and then I failed. They were endless, surrounding me, and I only swam a short distance before I ran out of strength. I tried so many, many times..."

Ulpian nodded:

"They are stopping you; Seaborn has blocked the ocean."

The power of the Bai Ye averted endless battles and paved the way for the advance team.

Chapter 143 Lighthouse

(Something's wrong! My phone is automatically topping up the Dust White Zone and Azure Lane accounts!)

"We've arrived."

Ahead, Laurentina and Gladiia piloted their aircraft, illuminating the massive building in front of them with searchlights.

In fact, this place had become a nest for the Terrorfish. Under the illumination of the "Cyclops," the startled Terrorfish all left their nests.

Fortunately, Bai Ye soothed them with the breath of the Firstborn and allowed the boat to slowly navigate around the Terrorfish and gently approach the shore.

Eirene instinctively reached for her weapon, but Bai Ye stopped her:

"Put away your weapons and don't disturb these Terrorfish, otherwise things will get out of control and my abilities won't be effective."

Upon hearing this, the junior judge looked at the Grand Inquisitor, Dario, who was standing to the side.

"Do as he says. Our operation cannot afford any mistakes." Dario said, turning off the lantern at his waist and putting away his hand cannon and longsword.