Chapter 452: True Despair! (Large Chapter)

Chapter 452: True Despair! (Mega Chapter)

Before each Priest of Order, a black crucifix floated, its design far from ordinary, for carved upon each of its four extremities was a human face.

Upon closer inspection, one would find that the faces on the crucifix before each priest bore their own likeness, sculpted with meticulous and vivid precision.

The four faces on each crucifix corresponded to the individual's different expressions; as it began to glow, the countenances shifted dynamically in turn, weaving a bizarre, undulating sense of emotion.

Furthermore, embroidered upon the chest of every priest's robes of Order was the pattern of a purple pendant.

Romir knew well that this was no ordinary cohort of Order priests; they belonged to the First Knight Order.

To the outside world, and even within the Order of God itself, it was generally believed that the First Knight Order was a sequence only the dead could enter, but the reality was, if they were all corpses, who would wake them?

Priests of Order possessed the ability to "awaken" the dead, but such an awakening was never without cost, and the more powerful the individual, the steeper the price to wake them.

The First Knight Order maintained a contingent composed of the living, whose sole duty was to awaken the "sleeping" knights whenever necessity demanded.

They had developed numerous top-tier holy artifacts and formations to mitigate the price and burden of awakening, and rumors even whispered that a complete artifact, passed down by the God of Order Himself, had always been sealed within the First Knight Order; only by leveraging its power could the First Knight Order be fully awakened.

What Foden had brought this time were precisely these living souls of the First Knight Order, known internally as the "Awakeners," holding a lofty standing, though their mission this time was not to rouse their own knights, but to awaken the entities of another religion.

The black crucifix of expressions upon each of their chests was the holy relic they used to diminish the toll of awakening.

In truth, everyone had already laid their cards on the table.

The relationships between the three orthodox religions—Order, Samsara, and the Moon God—and their respective actions in this series of struggles were crystal clear to all three parties.

Consequently, Romir understood perfectly what the Order of God intended: to let the two orthodox religions clash until both were ruined, and then personally slip a dog collar over the necks of these former titans.

No one would deem the Order of God despicable, for had either of the other two sat in Order’s seat, they would have done the exact same, and Order was executing it flawlessly.

Most importantly, Order had already secured absolute dominance and a transcendent status in the war.

Even in the world of gods during the previous era, might made right; otherwise, the God of Order could not have suppressed the pantheon at the twilight of that age, and the same law applied to the ecclesiastical circles now.

Romir closed her eyes beneath her veil; at this moment, she desperately wanted to evade, to flee.

Yet, to her surprise, her sister within her did not manifest any resistance at this juncture.

The shattered mess of Samsara was theirs to clean up, which was their misfortune, but fortunately, being forced into a corner without a second choice—even if led by the nose to another's rhythm—spared them much agonizing and hesitation.

"Kacha... Kacha... Kacha..."

Noises began to rattle from within the coffins as the lids were pushed aside one after another, and commanders clad in divine robes or armor sat up from within.

Among them, two held the highest status, being the respective commanders of the two main fleets.

One was gray-haired, while the other was in the prime of his years.

At this moment, these commanders rising from their coffins looked at the Priests of Order standing around them, their expressions filling with bewilderment.

Romir reined in her drifting thoughts, opened her eyes, and spoke:

"The Moon God Religion has declared war on our Samsara, launching an all-out assault against our sacred lands, and the Wenros Archipelago, the gateway to the Sea of the Dead, is on the verge of falling.

Now that you have awakened, in the name of the Gatekeeper of Samsara, I command you to return to your posts, lead the fleets, protect the Valley of Samsara, protect the Sea of the Dead, and protect... Samsara."

The gray-haired elder wanted to weep, but because he had taken his own life with poison, the toxins had long since ravaged his organs; even now that he was awake, he lacked the ability to shed tears, leaving him only to wail dryly, one hollow cry after another.

The middle-aged man beat the edges of his coffin with both hands, the sword wound from his suicide on his neck long turned a bruised purple, laughing even as he struck.

Among the awakened commanders, some joined in the weeping, while others joined in the laughter.

In the war against Order, their sacred lands had been breached, and the Knight Order of Order had pinned their fleets directly inside the ports, rendering them utterly incapable of resistance.

They had committed suicide during the war with Order rather than surrender, solely to preserve their dignity and their pious devotion to their faith.

Now, they were awakened by the people of Order and commanded by their Gatekeeper to throw themselves into another war—it was truly the ultimate irony.

Previously, Foden’s "frivolity" toward the Gatekeeper was actually Order's way of demanding that Samsara realize its place, and he had received the response Order desired from Romir.

Now, Foden did not mock these newly awakened commanders; after all, putting aside factions, they were a group of people worthy of respect.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Foden spoke: "Gentlemen, you have only three days. In the final half-day, your bodily functions will experience a noticeable weakening and decline, so the time left for you with relatively abundant vigor is only two and a half days.

You have wept, and you have laughed. For the remaining time, whatever it is you wish to do, you may do so."

The gray-haired elder stood up, looked at Foden, and said, "The thing I regret most is that my fleet was refitting inside the port that day, otherwise..."

Foden smiled and said, "Do you truly think it was a coincidence that both your fleet and his were refitting inside the port that day?"

"You..."

"Since you have lost so thoroughly, do not look for other excuses; it is utterly meaningless. It would be difficult even if it were to draw a lesson, for there are simply too many lessons to count."

The middle-aged man rose and said, "I cannot accept this defeat."

Foden spread his hands and said, "Order gives you, and can give Samsara at any time, a chance to try again, provided you still have a chance."

The gray-haired elder looked toward Romir: "The family faction has risen again, I see."

"Yes."

"Heh." The middle-aged man let out a cold laugh, "I am not fighting for the family faction; I am fighting for Samsara."

"Very well, my task is complete, and it is time for me to depart. I will trouble you no further." Foden looked toward Romir and bowed to her, "Farewell, my Lady."

Foden waved his hand, and the group of Order priests behind him followed him out of the drawing room.

Stepping outside and beholding the hideous-faced "crew" on the deck along with the foul, reeking mucus that had already accumulated across the deck in a short span of time, Foden extended his hand, and a priestess beside him handed over a handkerchief; Foden used it to cover his nose and mouth, shaking his head as he spoke:

"I despise this smell; I fear it will trigger my rhinitis."

"My Lord, have you perhaps forgotten something?"

"Oh? Vilexi, what have I forgotten?"

"Over with the Moon God Religion, we still have an observation group, and according to this morning's intelligence, this group will be observing the course of the war, which means they are likely already aboard the Moon God Religion's warships."

"Heh," Foden laughed, "are you worried for them?"

"Regardless, they did indeed contribute to the return of our Whip of Order."

"But I also stood as their patron; it was a transaction, an exchange where each took what they needed. Our transaction was concluded in the last round; this is the next.

They stepped onto the gambling table themselves and dragged me down with them; they have already gotten the better end of the deal. Cough... this wretched smell, my nose is starting to clog, I hate this feeling."

"There are individuals among that group; if something happens to them, it might cause some trouble."

"The trouble is manageable. Mobiten itself thought his grandson was acting recklessly and deserved to die; as for those from the other houses, what does it matter?"

"But they are, after all, a group of highly talented youths, the future hope of our Whip of Order."

"Well, if they are, then their luck should be good enough to at least survive the war, otherwise how can they be called a hope? The future of the Whip of Order cannot be placed in the hands of those who perish easily; that would be the greatest irresponsibility."

"My Lord..."

"There is no better method of filtering than this, is there?

Order will choose what it desires. Praise Order."

...

"In truth, our need for liferafts isn't all that great; even if each of us just clings to a wooden plank, we should be able to leave this place," Bart said.

At this moment, within the "hollow command room" of a frigate belonging to the Moon God Religion's pursuit fleet, everyone was discussing and preparing a means of escape according to Karen's orders.

Muri cast a glance at Bart and asked, "What about food and water then?"

Bart replied: "Food can be replenished by catching fish and seagulls. As for water, just find a way to use spells to purify it."

Aisli pointed at her own body and said: "Do you know what the consequences are if a body floats in water for a long time? I don't mean it will ruin the skin. I mean in that case, none of us will be able to get any proper rest. Perhaps we can hold out for a while, but if we don't find land and supplies during that time, we will literally be worn down to death in the seawater."

Mars spoke up: "There is more bad news. Because of the pursuit over the past two days, the location of this fleet has already deviated far from the islands marked on the sea chart. This means that if we are just relying on holding onto a wooden plank, it is practically impossible for us to reach the nearest island marked on the sea chart."

Bart raised both hands, admitting defeat: "I was only presenting a possibility under the worst-case scenario. It's not that I absolutely must seek cheap thrills and insist on drifting with a wooden plank even when better conditions are available."

Memphis spoke: "Perhaps we can think a bit more simply. For instance... what if we directly state to Commander Gelinga that we are tired of this war of pursuit and want to return to the shore to enjoy ourselves? That way, he could dispatch a warship to send us back."

Muri shook his head and said: "It's impossible for him to agree. That old man demanded our captain take an oath to obey his arrangements the moment we boarded the ship."

Karen nodded: "Yes, it's impossible for him to agree. He is very stubborn, unless the group leader sends a message through the Mipos Archipelago right now saying 'critically ill, return immediately.'

Of course, even if such a message were sent, he would highly likely still not agree. On the battlefield, this kind of behavior of ours would affect the morale of his army, which is absolutely forbidden.

Furthermore, in his view, the war is about to be won. Anything else can wait until victory is secured in his hands."

Blanche suggested: "Or, could we tell him that a change might occur on the battlefield next? Tell him that an abrupt turn of events and danger might happen soon?"

"Would he believe it?" Muri asked back. "They are extremely confident right now. Besides, we do not possess the qualifications to offer opinions on the battle situation. This was also a taboo established right from the very beginning."

Karen spoke: "We don't have the right to make suggestions. Moreover, I can't just say that because I saw two acquaintances, I conclude there's a conspiracy, right? And then demand that others alter their strategy and abandon the victory within their grasp?

Right now, we can only rely on ourselves."

Ventura walked in holding two large bags of things and said: "Captain, food and some medicinal reagents, I've prepared them all. They should be enough for our use. There are still plenty of reserves in the storeroom, but if I take any more, I'm worried about overloading and running out of space."

Philomena walked in behind Ventura and said: "The life rafts can be deployed at any time. They are all stored at the lowest level of the deck, stamped with array marks, and are very sturdy."

Bart spoke: "One reason why I feel somewhat repelled by life rafts in my heart is that I don't think the opposing side will ignore the people on a life raft when a change occurs in the battle situation. Do you think they will abide by humanitarianism?

Even if we hang the banner of Order on the life raft... when a battle really starts, who would care about these things? A single magic crystal cannon shot wouldn't even need to hit us directly; even if it lands next to us, the aftershock would finish us off.

That feeling of riding a small boat on the vast sea and being indiscriminately bombarded by magic crystal cannons is just too despairing."

Mars looked at Bart and asked: "Are you just so certain that a new fleet from the God of Samsara Cult will appear, Bart?"

"Otherwise, what else? The God of Samsara appearing in person? Or the elders in the Samsara Temple coming out collectively? Even if the elders came out collectively, I feel it would be very difficult for them to save the battle situation here. Rows of magic crystal cannons blasting down would be unbearable even for the temple elders."

At this moment, Purr jumped down from the window sill, then jumped onto the sand table again, and spoke: "I really can't listen to this any longer. I think you all can listen to my arrangement."

Everyone first looked at Purr together, and then shifted their gazes onto Karen.

Karen nodded and said: "Go ahead."

Purr certainly did not know how to command a navy to fight a war, but she had a wealth of experience in ocean exploration.

Regrettably, Azeroth generally only moved around the waters near Wien, so it was impossible for it to appear here.

Purr spoke: "In my view, taking a life raft to escape the battlefield is a very foolish act. The safest way to escape is beneath the surface of the sea."

Bart asked in confusion: "Beneath the surface of the sea?"

"Yes. The sky is not safe because it's too obvious. The magic crystal cannons on these warships are capable of firing toward the sky, and the enemy will also have flying monster beasts. Once entangled, it becomes extremely troublesome. Finally, doing anything in the sky is highly constrained.

Beneath the surface of the sea, by comparison, is much safer. We can completely control a sea beast, and then wait until a massive crisis appears in the battle situation to directly escape the battlefield from the seabed via that sea beast, seeking out a safe place.

As for what you said earlier, Mars, about the sea chart showing no islands nearby—don't worry, there will definitely be small islands. A vast amount of exploration experience tells me one thing, which is never to believe the sea chart in your hand.

A place to set foot, a place to rest, a place for supplies, the direction back to the Mipos Archipelago—oh, even taking you directly back to Wien would be no problem, it's just that the time required would be relatively long."

Karen asked: "Are you certain?"

Purr immediately puffed up her cat face, facing Karen: "You don't believe me?"

"I am asking this on their behalf."

Purr instantly defused her anger, waved her paws, and said: "Don't worry, being in the ocean is just like returning to a second home for me. Do not worry."

Aisli asked curiously: "Catching a sea beast? Which one should we catch?"

Purr replied: "Isn't there always a matching sea beast combat group underneath the Luna Cult fleet? Just catch one from among them."

Aisli smiled bitterly: "But restrictions have been placed on these sea beasts; they are completely controlled. Dispelling the restrictions is very difficult, and imposing restrictions on them again afterward is even harder because sea beasts that have been confined and controlled yearn for freedom even more. They intensely dislike and resist being restricted again, and their resistance to restrictions will also be stronger. This is what my father said."

Purr wagged her tail and said: "None of this is a problem for me."

"This..." Aisli could only look toward Karen again. "When we attempt to dispel the sea beast's restrictions, it will inevitably be noticed by the fleet's command room."

Purr tilted her head: "I said, none of it is a problem. In the past, I felt fishing was so boring, so I liked to fish for sea beasts. When I encountered sea beasts I liked, I would control them first, and then let them go when I got tired of playing.

It was only at the very end, after spending a long time with Azeroth's father and developing feelings, and after I also grew tired of playing the game of fishing for sea beasts, that I finally settled on it for good.

Oh, it's that sea beast you all rode last time.

In addition, as for the spells to control sea beasts, I have many here, and they are all self-created."

Hearing these words, Aisli's eyes instantly seemed to beam with light: "I..."

Purr said very generously: "It's fine. If you want to learn, I can teach you."

"Thank you, thank you."

Karen spoke: "When can we make a move?"

"We can do it right now."

"Then let's do it now."

Purr asked in confusion: "In such a hurry? I thought I could sleep for a while."

"It is estimated that after dawn in the morning, we will catch up to that fleeing fleet of Samsara to deliver the final strike. Therefore, if there is any accident that can overturn the battle situation, it should be in the morning."

"Alright, no problem, I understand. It won't take much time."

Karen's gaze swept across everyone present, and he instructed: "Then it is decided this way. The rest of you, try your best not to leave this command room. When preparing to evacuate, it's best if everyone is present. I don't want to leave anyone behind."

"Yes, Captain!"

...

"Sometimes I don't know what you are thinking. Why is your sense of crisis so heavy, meow?"

Standing nearby, Alfred looked at Purr, who was held in Karen's arms, and answered on behalf of his young master: "Young master's premonition is a divine oracle."

Purr rolled her eyes at Alfred: "Radio goblin, I think we can communicate more normally right now."

Alfred spoke: "Young master's conjecture doesn't rely entirely on premonitions either. A prediction obtained when a sufficient amount of rationality touches upon just the right amount of sensibility—how could it not be accurate?"

Karen patted Purr's head and said: "First, it's because my assessment of that person named Rango has always been very high. Within a reasonable range, it's fine to think of his strength as highly as possible;

Second, it's because the current atmosphere is very similar to the time before Order declared war on Samsara. Therefore, rather than saying I believe Samsara definitely still has the strength to fight back, it's better to say I believe the Order Cult will not allow the situation to develop so normally."

"That's true. The current Order Cult indeed feels different from before. Radio goblin, pour the wine cask down."

At this moment, the first light of dawn appeared. On the escort ship, quite a few off-shift sailors of the Luna Cult had already woken up early and begun to talk and chat on the deck.

On the sea surface beside the warship, from time to time sea beasts surfaced to blow bubbles or roll their bodies over. Sea beasts also needed rest and shift rotations. Rested sea beasts could "attach" themselves to the warships to hitch a ride and rest for a bit, or go to the supply ships to obtain food replenishment.

Sometimes, there would even be some interactions between the sea beasts and the people on the warship, such as feeding them some food and teasing them to make a sea beast roll its belly over or spout a column of water, which counted as a daily customary activity.

During this period, the warship's protective shield would also be turned off in advance to give the array masters on the ship a chance to maintain and adjust the array. The highest-level protective shield during actual warfare would only defend against entry from the outside, while wanting to go out from the inside was free. After all, the magic crystal cannons were also on the ship.

Like last night when facing the raid by those boarding the ship, the entry and exit of the protective shield being restricted was specially prepared and rarely used during normal times.

When Alfred tilted the wine cask to let the wine inside pour into the sea, it attracted a sea beast that looked like a whale. Initially, it leaned closer wanting to sense the taste of the wine. By the time Alfred began to pour the second cask, it directly sucked all the wine in using its blowhole, catching it completely clean underneath.

"How about this one?" Karen asked.

"It is somewhat unsightly," Purr remarked, a note of dissatisfaction in her voice. "And I cannot tell if its maw is as accommodating to guests as Asteros'."

"One mustn't demand too much," Karen reminded her. "Many sea beasts bear wounds; this one appears entirely whole."

"Very well, let us choose this one. Radio Goblin, keep tossing large morsels inside—those roast chickens and fruits—keep dropping them below."

"Understood."

Upon receiving Alfred's reply, Purr closed her eyes and spoke. "Karen, I must borrow your strength now."

"Very well."

Presently, Karen sensed Purr awakening the bond of the symbiotic covenant, drawing power from within him; far from resisting, he lent a guiding hand, lest she find the extraction too laborious.

With her power replenished, Purr began to wave her fleshy paws back and forth before her, and soon, a rune—no larger than an ordinary mirror yet intricately fashioned within—was condensed by her touch.

"Go."

Purr cast the rune downward, and it fell upon the sea beast.

"Oh? Not this pattern of hook. Change it for another."

Purr conjured a new rune and cast it down.

"Oh? Still not the one. Then I shall change it yet again."

She would condense one, cast it down, and discard it, trying five or six in succession, yet by Purr's account, none succeeded.

Alfred offered a warning: "The sea beast seems a trifle agitated; the allure of the food is waning. It may soon abandon the ship."

"I know, I know, but I have not fished in over a century. My hand is unpracticed, and the measure of hook and line eludes me. Radio Goblin, speak no more, and mind your baiting."

Left with no alternative, Alfred continued to cast sustenance below.

Purr fashioned another rune and dropped it down; this time, upon being struck by the rune, the sea beast's frame shuddered visibly.

"It takes the bait, it takes the bait! Silly dog, come, let us move!"

"Woof!"

Karen placed Purr upon Kevin's back, and Kevin turned about, beginning his approach run.

Purr raised a single paw and cried out, "Charge!"

"Woof!"

Having gathered speed, Kevin leaped high, clearing the railing of the watchtower and plunging straight down.

Karen and Alfred immediately leaned over the railing to observe their progress.

"Splash!"

Upon hitting the water, Kevin paddled with a dog's full abandon and soon reached the sea beast's flank; Purr leaped nimbly onto it, placing her cat's paw upon its head.

This spectacle was witnessed by many upon the corvette and the deck of the opposite flagship, yet they deemed it nothing more than the captain of the Order's observation delegation indulging his pets in play; none saw any malice in it.

Some half an hour elapsed before Anst came to the gangway, looking up at the watchtower to offer a reminder: "Captain Karen, the fleet is about to enter a state of combat, and the protective shields will presently be raised."

This was a summons for Karen to retrieve the pets sporting below.

"Very well, I am aware."

To this reminder, Karen gave little heed; as a scion of status and captain of the delegation, even should Purr and Kevin miss their hour, would it be unreasonable for him to request a temporary cessation or silencing of the shield to let his beasts aboard?

However, Purr was even then making gestures to Karen from below.

"What manner of sign is that?" Karen inquired of Alfred beside him, whose sight was the sharper.

Alfred imitated the movement and replied, "It should signify 'accomplished'."

Karen smiled. "I am grateful for your understanding."

It was a marvel; at such a distance, a cat could send "signals" with its fleshy paws.

And, more marvelous still, his manservant could interpret them.

Alfred cast a rope downward, its end fashioned into a running knot.

Kevin, bearing Purr, paddled with great exertion to the loop, slipped his own frame into it first, and then turned to cradle Purr with his paws.

Alfred began to haul them upward, and under the gaze of many, cat and dog were hoisted aloft, a sight that moved several onlookers to laughter.

What they knew not was that this cat had just successfully "subverted" a sea beast belonging to the fleet, and the responsible officers in the command chamber remained entirely oblivious.

Kevin and Purr returned to the watchtower; the moment she touched ground, Purr began to summon the power of flame to dry her fur, grumbling as she did so:

"I ought to have washed with soap first, else the stench of seawater will linger upon me."

Karen reminded her, "If we are to flee hereafter, the scent of the sea is unavoidable."

"You speak truly; then we may bypass this step, for all shall be salt-stained in any case." Purr intensified her fires, and her coat was soon dry.

Meanwhile, Kevin stood in a corner of the watchtower, shaking himself with frantic violence.

Purr condensed a sphere of fire with her paw and asked, "Silly dog, shall I assist you in drying?"

Kevin looked upon Purr, shook his head instantly, and began to retreat.

"Silly dog, you dare doubt my present mastery!"

Kevin fled into the cabin, heedless of his wet coat; a bald crown he might endure, but if his entire fur were reduced to ash... an evil god had its dignity to maintain!

"Is it settled?" Karen asked once more for safety's sake.

"Without fail," Purr declared with certainty. "Fortuitously, it possesses a small 'cabin' within its belly, born of its habit of storing crystals, though it may prove a tight squeeze; the surroundings are vastly inferior to Asteros' domain."

"That is of little consequence now."

Purr nodded and said, "Now, it remains to be seen if your premonition holds true."

...

At half past eight by the ship's clock, the remnants of the enemy fleet were sighted ahead; the flagship commanded the swiftest vessels to break from the main body and commence a pursuit, while the remaining warships began to envelop them from the flanks, intending to sweep this remnant of the Samsara fleet entirely from the sea.

Even one unversed in martial affairs like Karen could discern the peril of such a formation, yet from Gringor's perspective, this was the final hour of a cat-and-mouse chase; to eradicate Samsara's naval strength in these waters was the surest guarantee for their future governance and control.

Furthermore, the landings at the Winros Islands had commenced; tidings received indicated that the beachheads had been secured to receive the following forces, and the next step was to assault the principal city of the Winros Sanctuary.

Should all proceed favorably, the day's campaign would reach a successful conclusion.

"Were I an unexpected reinforcement, I should choose to strike the Lunar Fleet from here and here, in a two-pronged pincer."

"Then from here to here? Would that not be superior?"

"The premise must be the prior destruction of their aerial reconnaissance beasts and flying apparatus."

Muri, Bart, and Mass were engaged in a spirited debate.

Karen sipped his coffee in silence; he had stolen away to Captain Yadu's command room upstairs, taken a cup, and immediately excused himself on the pretext of not disturbing the command, descending once more.

In Yadu's eyes, he must have appeared exceedingly courteous and discreet, whereas in truth, Karen feared that when the crisis arose, he might be trapped upstairs; he had, however, brought back a pot of coffee.

Purr sat upon an adjacent chair, likewise sipping coffee, and watching the animated youths before her, she shook her head with an air of feigned antiquity. "Young men are ever fascinated by war."

At that moment, Memphis joined the discourse, appearing equally enthralled.

Purr sighed with resignation. "Very well, he too is but a child."

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Outside, the magic crystal cannons began firing non-stop, and the exchange of fire commenced; because it was a matter of chasing and biting, those neat, arrayed volleys did not appear again.

Inside the "command room," Karen and the others were paying close attention to the battlefield information.

As for the sea beast that had been "hooked" by Purr this morning, it was currently following this corvette forward, right beneath it; however, because Purr had instructed it to transmit the news that it was "injured," the true command room paid no attention to this, as an injured sea beast seeking shelter beneath a warship was a perfectly normal choice.

"Extreme target detected!"

When this piece of news arrived, everyone inside the "command room" was shaken, and they all thought it was time to slip away.

But Karen raised his hand first: "No rush, go to the lookout tower first."

Everyone ran toward the lookout tower, with Ventura standing ready at the entrance, clutching a large bundle in each of his left and right hands.

At this time, there was no need for any spyglasses, because within their line of sight, a massive, illusory figure could be seen emerging ahead.

Aisli cried out in alarm, "A Temple Elder of Samsara!"

A colossal figure of a man appeared upon the sea; he was majestic, he was solemn, and within his eyes and upon his body, golden patterns were flowing.

He cast a spell, and a terrifying blade of wind appeared, slicing horizontally across the surface of the sea.

The three warships in the absolute front of the pursuit took the brunt of this wind blade; the foremost vessel bore the greatest impact, its protective shield collapsing instantly, and the incomparably hardened ship was split open like a cracked coconut.

The protective shields of the two flanking warships were shattered, and many sailors had their bodies torn to pieces by the wind blade, but the ships themselves remained intact, heavily damaged yet not incapacitated.

This was the power of an expert who had condensed a godhead; one man alone could be utilized as an entire army.

In the command room of the flagship, Gelinga was looking at the colossal illusory figure ahead, his expression perfectly calm as he ordered: "Array ships advance to defend, the first, second, and third echelons contract formation, record one round of volleys, the fourth echelon watch to seal his maneuverability space."

The order was quickly passed down, and the fleet that had been pursuing like mad wolves began to orderly contract, while that Temple Elder continued his offensive; though his subsequent spells stirred up monstrous waves, the defensive light screens constructed by the two array ships against his magic weakened the power of his spells in advance, and even when the remaining attacks fell upon the warships, they could not break through the protective shields.

"Why does this Temple Elder look a bit simple-minded?" Purr asked in doubt.

Alfred replied, "Haven't you noticed that our fleet has contracted significantly compared to just now? That is his purpose."

Karen chuckled and said, "It is rare to see a Temple Elder of the Samsara Religion cooperate so well in battle."

The last time Relilsa rushed out of the Gate of Samsara, just how terribly the Temple Elders of the Samsara Religion had performed was something Karen had seen quite clearly through the "broadcast" screen beneath Lord Dahl's cavern.

Each one of them valued their own life immensely; they could have completely suppressed the rampaging Relilsa at the cost of some sacrifice, but purely due to their own selfishness, they were broken through by Relilsa one by one.

In that battle, the losses of the Samsara Religion's Temple Elders remained a mystery, but the number was definitely not small; such top-tier combat power was, after all, part of the foundation of an orthodox religion.

Bart spoke up: "During our church's last war against Samsara, every crusading knight regiment was paired with a Temple Elder; they were not responsible for command, only for protecting the regiment leader and executing targeted breakthrough missions."

Although internal power struggles and friction existed between the Temple and the Holy See within the Order Religion, everything suffered by comparison; the Temple of Order fought its internal fights, but when trouble arose, the Temple Elders were willing to abide by their oaths and traditions, and would truly step up.

When you are not as rotten as others, you naturally become relatively excellent.

Faced with the contracted formation of the fleet, that Temple Elder only caused damage to a few warships and failed to destroy any more; accompanied by a volley from the magic crystal cannons, the colossal illusory figure of that Temple Elder was blasted directly into pieces.

He himself probably wasn't dead, but escaping without heavy injuries was impossible, because that illusory figure was fundamentally an extension of his body and soul.

However, his purpose had also been achieved.

To minimize the loss of a few warships, Gelinga had chosen a conservative contraction earlier, and contracting along with them were the forces in the sky and beneath the sea, which at this moment was equivalent to contracting their own battlefield vision.

At this time, two massive black clouds appeared on the northwest sides; Karen looked up and discovered that within both massive black clouds, colossal bodies were rolling, likely gigantic undead creatures, such as existence like bone dragons.

The flying apparatuses and demonic beasts of the Luna Religion began to disperse again, wanting to reclaim aerial supremacy, but when the black clouds dissipated to reveal massive bone dragons, great birds, flying centipedes, and other terrifying creatures, the morale of the Luna Religion's flying demonic beasts was visibly dampened, and those flying apparatuses also halted their offensive.

In truth, it wasn't that they couldn't fight, nor that they couldn't win, but rather that no one had anticipated that when Samsara's defeat was already a foregone conclusion, such a powerful aerial force could somehow be deployed from out of nowhere.

The flagship ordered its own aerial units to contract and descend, clearing the airspace to prevent friendly fire, while the warships' cannon muzzles pointed upward to begin attacking the massive undead creatures above; under the coverage of the dense firepower network, bone dragons and centipedes were occasionally broken and came crashing down.

Inside the command room, everyone could not help but cheer; such aerial targets delivered to their doorstep were just like that Temple Elder who had manifested an illusion in the sea earlier—in front of an organized fleet, they could only degenerate into sitting ducks.

But Gelinga stood up; his intuition and rationality as a commander told him that such an abnormal move by the enemy definitely had a purpose.

His gaze fell back onto the sand table, observing his own current formation, and he immediately shouted: "Pass the order, disperse the units, support the defensive width of the east and west sides!"

But just as his order left his mouth, messages arrived from the warships positioned on the two wings:

"Unknown fleet discovered on the west side, very large scale!"

"Unknown fleet discovered on the east side, very large scale!"

Gelinga's body staggered; having lost aerial vision, by the time they had to rely on the warships' own spyglasses to discover the suddenly appearing fleets, it meant the initiative was completely lost.

At least in the first two rounds of engagement, their side would be at an absolute disadvantage, completely lacking the time to organize a proper counterattack.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Beneath the water's surface, two skeleton giants of massive build suddenly sprang forth; their bodies were covered in moss and barnacles, making them look like reefs beneath the sea, and they had actually avoided detection by the sea beasts below in such a manner.

The two suddenly appearing bone giants used their massive bodies to begin pressing against the warships, raising their arms to strike; although their attacks could not break the protective shields on the ships, the magic crystal cannons on the warships needed to readjust their angles and retreat far enough to pull out space if they wanted to blast them, otherwise they risked harming their own allies.

This caused the Luna Religion's formation to become even tighter, and in some areas, collisions and friction between protective shields actually occurred between ships, while the original flagship order to disperse and support the width of the east and west sides naturally could not be executed.

Opportunity often lasted only for this instant.

Upon the decks of the fleets in both directions, crew members who looked like they were possessed by evil spirits performed the final calibration of their cannon muzzles; the two fleets had already laid out their most efficient attack formations, while their opponent's fleet, trapped within the encirclement, was currently squeezed together like a flock of lambs.

It could be said that from this moment onward, the outcome of this battle was already sealed.

If the entire expeditionary fleet of the Luna Religion were here, then by virtue of their massive volume, they would still have a chance to fight their way back after sustaining huge losses, but it just so happened that this expeditionary fleet had already split its forces.

The other half of the fleet was currently attacking the Wenros Holy Land.

The white-haired old commander ordered in a raspy voice: "Send the believers of the Goddess of the Moon into her bed; hopefully it won't be too crowded, and they know to come one by one, heh heh heh... Attack!"

The middle-aged man stroked the fatal wound on his neck with one hand while caressing the command crystal ball before him with the other, ordering:

"All units attack, resolve this fleet quickly; we still have to turn back to pinch the remaining Luna Religion fleet at the Wenros Islands."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!!!!!"

A few days ago, when Karen watched his own fleet blasting others, he only felt that the distant sea looked as if it were boiling, a grand and magnificent scene.

Only when one enjoyed this treatment as the receiving end did one realize just what kind of terror it was when dense beams from magic crystal cannons flew in from two directions.

The only saving grace was that when the bone dragons and other massive undead creatures appeared in the sky, Karen had already ordered Purr to summon that tamed sea beast, letting all his team members jump into its mouth.

By the time those two giant skeletons appeared, Karen himself had also jumped off the ship; relying on the Sea God's Armor and possessing the Sea God's Heart, he did not enter the sea beast's body but instead gripped its hide and horns to dive down together, because he still needed to point out the direction and provide a route for the sea beast; if they were all inside and Purr just let the sea beast play freely, it might dive right beneath the opponent's fleet, which would be a direct free delivery.

During the rapid descent, Karen perceived that the originally pitch-black sea below instantly became like high noon; everything around seemed to turn white, the icy seawater began to heat up rapidly, and it felt as if one were an ant that had fallen into a boiling pot.

At this moment,

Karen perceived what it meant to experience... true insignificance and despair.