Obstacle

Early the next morning.

Gilan and the second group of Gravediggers left the underground miasma shelter in the western military district of the town and drove toward Blood Harbor.

After nearly twenty minutes on the road, the vehicles slowly entered the northern district, near the harbor docks.

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Gilan looked out the window and saw a crimson harbor.

Under the overcast sky, the sea of blood was a dark red, deeply unsettling.

There was not a soul along the shore—only empty piers and a few small fishing boats, damaged and left untended.

Several enormous metal crane arms were still stained with the blood left behind from hauling red whales in the past. It had never been fully washed away, leaving blotches of black.

A gust of wind swept through, rocking the heavy crane arms and making them creak with a piercing shriek.

A pungent fishy stench seeped through the car window and into Gilan's nose, making him frown slightly.

Before long.

Nine black military pickup trucks came to a stop at the docks, and Gilan's group climbed out one after another.

Lieutenant Colonel Torre accompanied them with two squads totaling fifty soldiers. All were fully armed, clad in helmets and uniforms with loaded weapons in hand. They wore miasma-protection masks and had each received an anti-miasma injection before departure to withstand the high concentration of miasma.

"Ms. Theresa, everyone, please follow me."

Lieutenant Colonel Torre raised a hand, indicating the shipyard at one side of the docks.

"The requisitioned medium-sized whaling ship is temporarily docked in the Blood Harbor shipyard."

"Mm." Ms. Theresa nodded.

She glanced back at Maive, who was still seated in the vehicle. Maive smiled faintly and returned the gesture.

The pickup Maive was driving carried the twelve "D1-type" Whale Oil Batteries