True Despair!

Before each priest of Order floated a black cross. It was not of an ordinary design, for carved upon each of the cross's four ends was a human face. Upon closer inspection, one would find that the faces carved on the cross before each priest bore the priest's own likeness, rendered with meticulous precision. The four faces on each cross corresponded to different expressions of that person. When a cross began to glow, those expressions shifted dynamically in turn, creating an eerie ripple of emotion. Moreover, embroidered on the chest of each person's Order priestly robe was the design of a purple pendant. Romir knew that this was no ordinary squad of Order priests; they were people of the First Knight Order. In the outside world—and even widely within the Church of Order itself—the First Knight Order of Order was considered an order that only the dead could enter. But in truth, if all of them were corpses, who would awaken them? Priests of Order possessed the ability to "awaken" corpses, but such awakening did not come without a price, and the more powerful the individual, the steeper the cost to awaken them. The First Knight Order of Order maintained a unit composed of living men and women whose duty was to awaken the "slumbering" knights whenever necessary. They had developed numerous top-tier holy artifacts and formations to reduce the cost and toll of awakening. Rumors even held that an intact divine artifact passed down by the God of Order Himself had always been sealed away within the First Knight Order, and only by drawing upon the power of that artifact could the entire First Knight Order be fully awakened. The ones Foden brought this time were precisely the living members of the First Knight Order. Internally, they held a very high status and were known as "Awakeners." Only this time, their mission was not to awaken their own knight order, but figures of another church. The black emotive cross floating before each of them was the holy relic they used to reduce the cost of awakening. In truth, all cards had long been laid on the table. The relationship between the three orthodox churches—Order, Samsara, and the Moon God—and what each had done throughout this series of struggles were crystal clear to all three parties. Because of this, Romir knew full well what the Church of Order was aiming for: to let the two orthodox churches tear each other apart until both were crippled, and then personally slip dog collars onto these former orthodox rivals. No one would think the Church of Order was despicable for it, because whichever of the other two sat in Order's seat would have done the exact same thing—and Order had handled it masterfully. Most importantly, in this war, Order had already secured absolute superiority and a transcendent status. Even in the divine world of the previous era, might made right; otherwise, the God of Order could never have subdued the gods at the end of that era. The same held true in church circles. Romir closed her eyes beneath her veil. At this moment, she desperately wanted to evade it all, to flee. Yet to her surprise, her sister within her body did not show any signs of objection this time. Samsara's mess had to be cleaned up by them; that was their misfortune. But fortunately, sometimes being cornered with no second option—even if it meant being led by the nose and dancing to someone else's tune—spared them endless agonizing and distress. Crack... crack... crack... Sounds began to emanate from within the coffins. One coffin lid after another was pushed aside, and commanders clad in priestly robes or armor sat up from within. Two among them held the highest rank: the commanders of Samsara's two main battle fleets. One had grizzled gray hair, while the other was in his prime. Rising from their coffins, the commanders looked at the Order priests standing around them, their expressions filling with bewilderment. Romir reined in her drifting thoughts, opened her eyes, and spoke: "The Moon God Church has declared war on Samsara and is launching an all-out assault against our sacred grounds. The Wenluosi Archipelago, the sacred gateway to the Sea of the Dead, is on the verge of falling. "Now that you are awake, in the name of Samsara's Gatekeeper, I command you to return to your posts, take command of the fleet, protect Samsara Valley, protect the Sea of the Dead, and protect... Samsara." The white-haired elder wanted to weep, but because he had committed suicide by poison, the toxins had long since ravaged his organs. Even awakened, he lacked the physical capacity to shed tears, leaving him only able to wail dryly, one rasping sob after another. The middle-aged man slapped the edge of his coffin with both hands. The sword wound on his throat from his suicide had long turned bruised and purple. He laughed even as he pounded the wood. Among the awakened commanders, some wept along, while others laughed. In the war against Order, their sacred lands had fallen, and Order's knight orders had bottled up their fleet directly in the harbor, stripping them of all ability to resist. They had killed themselves rather than surrender during that war against Order, all to preserve their dignity and their pious devotion to their faith. And now, awakened by the people of Order, they were ordered by their Gatekeeper to throw themselves into yet another war. It was a cosmic irony. Earlier, Foden's "flippancy" toward the Gatekeeper had actually been Order's way of demanding that Samsara recognize its place, and he had received the response Order wanted from Romir. Now, Foden did not mock these freshly awakened commanders. Setting factional allegiances aside, they were a group worthy of respect. Judging that enough time had passed, Foden spoke: "Gentlemen, you have only three days. During the final half-day, your bodily functions will undergo a sharp decline and weakening, so the ample time truly left to you is only two and a half days. "You have cried your cries and laughed your laughs. For the time remaining, you may do whatever you see fit." The white-haired elder stood up, looked at Foden, and said, "The thing I regret most was that my fleet was resting inside the harbor that day. Otherwise..." Foden chuckled and said, "Do you think it was just a coincidence that both your fleet and his were resting in port that day?" "You..." "Since you lost so thoroughly, there is no point in looking for other excuses. It is utterly meaningless. It would be hard enough even if you tried to glean a lesson from it, because there are simply far too many lessons." The middle-aged man rose and said, "I do not accept our defeat." Foden spread his hands. "Order can grant you—and Samsara—another chance at any time. Provided, of course, that you still have a chance." The white-haired elder looked toward Romir. "The Family faction has risen once more, has it?" "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 business here is done. I should take my leave and disturb you no longer." Foden looked at Romir and bowed to her. "Farewell, my Lady." Foden waved his hand, and the flock of Order priests behind him followed him out of the parlor. Stepping outside and gazing at the ugly "crew members" on deck and the foul, reeking slime that had already coated the planks in no time at all, Foden held out a hand. A nearby priestess handed him a handkerchief. Foden covered his nose and mouth with it, shaking his head: "I loathe this stench. I'm afraid it will flare up my rhinitis." "My Lord, have you perhaps forgotten something?" "Oh? Weilaixi, what have I forgotten?" "With the Moon God Church, we still have an observation delegation. Furthermore, according to this morning's intelligence, this delegation will be observing the battle firsthand—which means they are very likely on the Moon God Church's warships right now." "Heh." Foden laughed. "Are you worried about them?" "Regardless, they did contribute to the return of our Whip of Order." "Yet I also lent them my backing. It was a transaction—a deal where each took what they needed. Our transaction was concluded in the previous round; this is the next round. "They stepped onto the gambling table of their own accord and dragged me down into the game. They've already profited plenty. Cough, cough... damn this stench, my nose is getting stuffed. I hate this feeling." "There are certain individuals in that group. If something happens to them, it could cause some trouble." "The trouble is manageable. Even Mobiteng thinks that grandson of his is fooling around and deserves what he gets. As for the kids from the other families, what does it matter?" "Still, they are a group of exceptionally talented young people. They are the future hope of our Whip of Order." "Well, if they are, then their fortune should be good enough for them to at least survive a war. Otherwise, how can they be called hope? The future of the Whip of Order cannot be entrusted to those who die young. That would be the greatest irresponsibility of all." "My Lord..." "There is no better way to sift through them than this, is there? "Order will choose what it desires. Praise Order." ... "Actually, our need for life rafts isn't that great," Bart said. "Even if each of us just hugs a plank of wood, we should still be able to get out of here." Inside the makeshift "command room" aboard an escort ship of the Moon God Church's pursuit fleet, everyone was discussing and preparing an escape plan under Karen's orders. Muri glanced at Bart and asked, "What about food and water?" Bart replied, "We can catch fish and seagulls for food. As for water, we can just purify it ourselves with spells." Ashley pointed to her body. "Do you have any idea what happens to a body floating in water for long periods? I don't just mean ruining your skin. I mean we wouldn't be able to rest properly at all. Maybe we could hold out for a while, but if we don't find land or supplies in that time, we'll slowly waste away and die in the sea." Mars added, "Another piece of bad news is that over the past two days of pursuit, this fleet has drifted far from the islands marked on the sea chart. Which means that if we rely purely on clinging to planks, reaching even the nearest marked island is practically impossible." Bart held up his hands in surrender. "I was only presenting a worst-case scenario. I'm not saying we should seek cheap thrills and insist on floating on planks when better options are available." Memphis suggested, "Perhaps we could think simpler. For example... why not just tell Commander Gelingjia that we're tired of this pursuit and want to return to shore to enjoy ourselves? Then he could dispatch a warship to escort us back." Muri shook his head. "He would never agree. That old man demanded our captain swear an oath to follow his orders the moment we boarded." Karen nodded. "Indeed, he would never agree. He's too stubborn—unless the group leader sends an urgent 'critically ill, return immediately' message through the Mipos Archipelago right now. "Even if one arrived, he most likely wouldn't permit it anyway. On a battlefield, behavior like that undermines troop morale, which he would never tolerate. "Besides, in his eyes, victory is nearly won. Everything else can wait until that victory is securely in hand." Blanche suggested, "Or could we tell him that the battlefield situation might change? Warn him that sudden danger might be imminent?" "Would he believe us?" Muri countered. "They are brimming with confidence right now. Besides, we have no standing to offer tactical advice. That was an explicit taboo established from the start." Karen said, "We have no advisory authority. Nor can I claim there's a conspiracy merely because I spotted two acquaintances, and then demand they alter their strategy and throw away a victory within their grasp. "Right now, we can only rely on ourselves." Ventura entered carrying two large bags. "Captain, I've prepared food and some medicinal reagents. It should be enough for us. The storeroom still has plenty of supplies, but if we take any more, I'm afraid they'll be too heavy or won't fit." Philomena walked in behind Ventura and said, "The life rafts are ready for deployment at any moment. They're stored on the lowest deck, imprinted with formations, very sturdy." Bart said, "One reason I'm leery of life rafts is that I don't believe the enemy will ignore people on a raft if the tide turns. Do you honestly think they'll observe humanitarian concerns? "Even if we fly the banner of Order on our raft... when fighting breaks out, who will care? A single blast from a magic crystal cannon wouldn't even need a direct hit; a near miss would wipe us out in the shockwave. "The feeling of sitting in a tiny boat on the open sea while magic crystal cannons bombard everything indiscriminately... that's pure despair." Mars looked at Bart and asked, "Are you that certain a new Samsara fleet will show up, Bart?" "What else? The God of Samsara appearing in person? Or the elders of the Samsara Temple coming out en masse? Even if the temple elders showed up together, I doubt they could salvage this battle. Under salvos of magic crystal cannons, even temple elders can't endure it." Just then, Purr hopped down from the windowsill and leaped onto the sand table. "I can't listen to this any longer. I think you should all follow my plan." Everyone turned to look at Purr together, then shifted their gaze to Karen. Karen nodded. "Go ahead." Purr didn't know how to command a naval battle, but she had extensive seafaring and exploration experience. Pity that Asselos usually operated only in the waters near Wien and couldn't possibly be here. Purr said, "In my view, escaping the battlefield on a life raft is utterly foolish. The safest way to flee is beneath the waves." Bart looked puzzled. "Beneath the surface?" "Yes. The sky isn't safe because it's too exposed. The magic crystal cannons on these warships can aim upward, and the enemy will also have flying monster beasts. If you get tangled up with them, you're in deep trouble. Besides, everything you do in the air is severely restricted. "Beneath the surface, by contrast, is far safer. We can simply take control of a sea beast. When a catastrophic turn occurs, we can flee the battlefield directly through the depths inside that sea beast and seek out a safe haven. "As for what Mars said earlier about the chart showing no nearby islands—relax, there are bound to be small islands around. Countless expeditions have taught me one thing: never trust the sea chart in your hands. "A foothold, a resting spot, supplies, the route back to the Mipos Archipelago—heck, taking you all the way back to Wien wouldn't be an issue, it would just take a bit longer." Karen asked, "Are you certain?" Purr puffed out her cheeks at Karen. "You don't trust me?" "I'm asking on their behalf." Purr deflated immediately and waved a paw. "Don't worry! Being in the sea is like returning to a second home for me. Nothing to fear." Ashley asked curiously, "Catch a sea beast? Which one?" Purr answered, "Doesn't the Moon God Church fleet have an escorting sea beast battle group swimming underneath? We'll just snatch one from among them." Ashley gave a wry smile. "But restrictions have been placed on all those sea beasts; they're completely controlled. Undoing those restrictions is tough, and imposing new ones after undoing them is even harder. Sea beasts that have already been bound and controlled yearn for freedom even more. They detest and resist being restricted again, and their natural resistance to restrictions grows stronger. That's what my father taught me." Purr flicked her tail. "None of that is an issue for me." "That..." Ashley could only turn back to Karen. "The moment we attempt to break a sea beast's restriction, the fleet command bridge will certainly notice." Purr tilted her head. "Like I said, not an issue. In the past, I found fishing boring and preferred angling for sea beasts. Whenever I took a liking to one, I'd bring it under control, then release it once I got bored. "It was only after spending so much time with Asselos's father and growing fond of him—and getting tired of the game—that I finally settled on him. "Oh, that's the sea beast you all rode last time. "Besides, I have plenty of spells for controlling sea beasts, and they're all my own creations." Hearing this, Ashley's eyes practically lit up. "Can I..." Purr said generously, "No problem. If you want to learn, I can teach you." "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Karen asked, "When can we make a move?" "Right now." "Let's do it now, then." Purr said quizzically, "In such a rush? I thought I could catch a nap." "It's estimated they will catch up to Samsara's fleeing fleet at daybreak for the final strike. So if there's any unexpected event that could upend the battle, it will likely happen this morning." "All right, no problem. I understand. It won't take long." Karen swept his gaze across everyone present and instructed, "Then it's decided. The rest of you should avoid leaving this command room as much as possible. When the time comes to evacuate, I want everyone here. I don't want to leave a single person behind." "Understood, Captain!" ... "Sometimes I really don't understand how your brain works. Why such a heavy sense of crisis, meow?" Standing nearby, Alfred looked at Purr cradled in Karen's arms and answered on his young master's behalf: "The young master's premonition is divine decree." Purr rolled her eyes at Alfred. "Radio fairy, I think we can communicate like normal people right now." Alfred said, "The young master's deduction isn't solely based on a hunch. When a sufficient measure of cold reason touches upon just the right amount of intuition, how could the resulting prediction be inaccurate?" Karen patted Purr's head and said, "First, my estimate of that fellow Lango has always been high. Within reason, thinking as highly of his capabilities as possible is never wrong. "Second, the current atmosphere feels very much like the prelude to Order declaring war on Samsara. So rather than saying I believe Samsara still has the power to strike back, it's more accurate to say I believe the Church of Order won't allow things to unfold this smoothly." "That's true. The current Church of Order definitely feels different from before. Radio fairy, pour the wine cask down." By this time, the first light of dawn was breaking. Many off-shift sailors of the Moon God Church aboard the escort ship had awoken early and were chatting on deck. Across the waters alongside the warship, sea beasts occasionally surfaced to blow bubbles or roll over. Sea beasts needed rest and shifts as well. Resting beasts could latch onto warships to hitch a ride and recuperate, or visit supply ships for food. From time to time, there were interactions between the beasts and the crew—tossing them food, teasing them to roll on their bellies or shoot water spouts—a routine pastime aboard ship. During these intervals, the warship's protective barrier would temporarily be brought down, granting array masters aboard an opportunity to maintain and adjust the formations. During actual combat, the highest-tier barrier would only block incoming intrusion from outside while allowing free egress from within, since the magic crystal cannons were on the ship as well. Restricting movement in both directions—as was done during last night's boarding raid—was a specialized measure rarely used under ordinary circumstances. When Alfred tipped the cask, pouring the wine into the sea, it drew a sea beast resembling a whale. At first, it swam close to taste the liquid, but when Alfred began pouring a second cask, it sucked all the wine straight into its blowhole, catching every drop from below. "How about this one?" Karen asked. Purr said with slight dissatisfaction, "A bit ugly. And I don't know if its mouth can hold people like Asselos's." "Don't be too picky," Karen reminded her. "Many of the sea beasts bear wounds; this one appears completely intact." "Fine, let's go with this one. Radio fairy, keep tossing big chunks of food down there. Those roasted chickens and fruits—keep throwing them." "Understood." Receiving Alfred's acknowledgement, Purr closed her eyes and said, "Karen, I need to borrow your power now." "All right." Soon, Karen sensed Purr invoking their symbiosis contract, drawing power from his body. Far from resisting, he had to give her an extra push lest she strain herself drawing it. Replenished with energy, Purr's paws swept back and forth before her. Before long, she condensed a rune no larger than an ordinary mirror, yet intricately constructed within. "Go." Purr tossed the rune downward, and it landed upon the sea beast. "Oh? Not the right size hook. Let's switch hooks." Purr condensed another rune and dropped it down. "Oh? Still not it. I'll switch again." Condensing one, throwing it, rejecting it—she tried five or six more in a row, but judging from Purr's reactions, none succeeded. Alfred cautioned, "That sea beast seems slightly agitated. The appeal of the food is wearing off; it might stop following the ship soon." "I know, I know! But I haven't fished in over a century, my hands are rusty! I'm a bit hazy on the sizes of the hook and line. Radio fairy, quiet down and focus on chumming the water!" Helpless, Alfred could only continue tossing food overboard. Purr condensed another rune and cast it down. When it struck the sea beast this time, its massive frame visibly shuddered. "Hooked! It took the hook! Stupid dog, come on, let's go!" "Woof!" Karen placed Purr onto Kevin's back. Kevin wheeled around and began his run-up. Purr raised a paw and shouted, "Charge!" "Woof!" Building momentum, Kevin vaulted over the observation deck railing and plunged downward. Karen and Alfred immediately leaned over the railing to watch. Splash! Hitting the water, Kevin paddled vigorously with all his might and quickly reached the sea beast. Purr leaped onto its head and pressed her paw against it. Many sailors on the decks of the escort ship and the flagship opposite noticed this, but they assumed the young leader of the Order observation delegation was merely letting his pets frolic. No one found it out of the ordinary. Roughly half an hour passed before Ansi climbed the gangway stairs, looked up toward the observation deck, and called out, "Captain Karen, the fleet is about to enter combat readiness. The barrier will go up momentarily." It was a reminder that Karen should retrieve his pets playing down below. "Understood. Thank you." Karen didn't pay the reminder much heed. As a pampered young master heading the observation delegation, even if Purr and Kevin missed the cutoff, asking them to temporarily lower or silence the barrier for a second so his pets could come aboard wouldn't be seen as unreasonable. At that moment, however, Purr signaled Karen from below. "What gesture is that?" Karen asked Alfred beside him, who had sharp eyesight. Alfred mimicked it and answered, "It should mean 'handled.'" Karen laughed softly. "I admire your ability." It was quite miraculous: across such a distance, a cat was actually signaling him with its paw. And even more miraculous, his valet could actually decipher it. Alfred tossed a rope downward, its end tied into a loop. Carrying Purr, Kevin paddled over to the looped rope, slid his body through it, and turned around to hug Purr with his front paws. Alfred began hauling them up. Under the watchful eyes of many crew members, the cat and dog were hoisted aboard, drawing chuckles from onlookers. Little did they know that this cat had just successfully turned a sea beast belonging to their fleet, while the personnel in charge in the command bridge remained completely oblivious. Kevin and Purr returned to the observation deck. As soon as Purr touched the boards, she channeled fiery power to dry her fur, grumbling as she did: "I should have washed with bath soap first. Now I'll be stuck with this salty, fishy sea smell." Karen reminded her, "If we have to flee later, smelling like the sea will be unavoidable." "You're right. We can skip that step then—we'll all stink of fish anyway." Purr turned up the heat, and her fur was dry in no time. Meanwhile, Kevin was shaking himself frantically in a corner of the observation platform. Condensing a fireball in her paw, Purr offered, "Stupid dog, let me dry you off." Kevin looked at Purr, shook his head violently, and backed away. "Stupid dog! You dare doubt my control these days?!" Kevin scrambled into the cabin, not even caring to shake the rest of the water off. He could accept being bald on top, but if his fur was burned off entirely... an evil god had his pride! "Is it taken care of?" Karen asked again, just to be sure. "No problem!" Purr said with absolute confidence. "Fortunately, it has a small internal pouch in its belly because it tends to store crystals. It might be a tight squeeze, though, and the environment certainly won't compare to Asselos." "That's hardly a concern." Purr nodded. "Now, we'll see if your premonition proves true." ... At eight-thirty ship's time, the remnants of the enemy fleet were spotted ahead. The flagship ordered the swiftest warships to break formation and harry them, while the rest swept out to envelop them from both flanks, intending to wipe out this lingering Samsara force once and for all. Even with Karen's lack of naval expertise, he could tell how perilous such a formation was. Yet from Gelingjia's perspective, this was the endgame of cat-and-mouse. Thoroughly eradicating Samsara's naval strength in this sea zone was the paramount guarantee for future dominion and governance over these waters. Furthermore, landing operations had already commenced at the Wenluosi Archipelago. According to incoming reports, they had secured the beachhead to welcome subsequent forces, and the next step would be storming the main city of the Wenluosi holy land. If all went well, today's campaign would conclude in total triumph. "If I were a sudden reinforcing fleet, I'd probably choose to strike from here, and here, in a two-pronged pincer against the Moon God Church fleet." "What about from here to here? Wouldn't that be better?" "Only if the aerial scouting beasts and flight craft are neutralized first." Muri, Bart, and Mars were debating heatedly. Karen quietly sipped his coffee. He had taken a moment to head upstairs to Captain Yadu's command bridge, picked up a cup of coffee, and immediately excused himself on the pretext of not wishing to distract him before coming back down. In Yadu's eyes, he had likely appeared exceedingly polite and tactful. In truth, Karen was worried that when disaster struck, he wouldn't be able to escape downstairs in time. He did, however, bring back the whole pot of coffee. Perched on a nearby chair, Purr was also lapping up coffee. Watching the agitated young men before them, she shook her head with feigned world-weariness. "Young boys are always so fascinated by war." At that moment, Memphis joined in the debate, looking just as worked up. Purr sighed helplessly. "Fine, he's just a boy too." Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Outside, magic crystal cannons fired unceasingly as the skirmish began. Because it was a running pursuit, coordinated full-broadside salvos did not recur. Inside their "command room," Karen and the others closely tracked the battlefield feeds. As for the sea beast Purr had "reeled in" that morning, it was currently swimming alongside beneath the escort ship. Because Purr had commanded it to signal that it was "injured," the true command bridge paid it no heed—it was entirely natural for a wounded sea beast to trail beneath a warship for shelter. "Extreme target detected!" When this report came through, everyone in the room jolted. The unanimous thought was that it was time to run. But Karen raised a hand first. "No rush. To the observation platform first." They all hurried out to the observation deck. Ventura stood poised by the doorway, a bulky bag clutched in each hand. By now, looking glasses were unnecessary. Even to the naked eye, a colossal phantom was visible ahead. Ashley gasped, "A Samsara Temple elder!" A towering masculine figure materialized above the sea. Majestic and solemn, golden patterns flowed across his eyes and body. He unleashed a spell: terrifying wind blades materialized and sliced horizontally across the sea surface. The three lead pursuing warships took the wind blades head-on. The foremost vessel bore the brunt; its protective barrier shattered instantly, and the hardened hull was cleaved open like a coconut. The barriers of the two flanking ships were ripped open, slicing many sailors to pieces, yet the hulls held; though badly damaged, they were not put out of commission. Such was the power of one who had condensed a godhead. A single person could be wielded like an entire army. Inside the flagship's supreme command bridge, Gelingjia looked upon the colossal apparition ahead, his expression impassive. He ordered: "Formation ships forward to defend! First, second, and third echelons tighten formations and prepare a coordinated salvo. Fourth echelon, seal his maneuvering space." The orders were swiftly relayed. The fleet, which had been pursuing like a pack of rabid wolves, reeled in and tightened its formation. The temple elder continued his barrage, raising towering waves, but the protective light curtains raised by the two formation ships blunted his spells' power in advance; whatever residual impact struck the warships failed to pierce their barriers. "Why does this temple elder look a bit dim-witted?" Purr asked in confusion. Alfred answered, "Haven't you noticed our fleet is far tighter than it was a moment ago? That is his objective." Karen let out a soft laugh. "It's rare to see a Samsara Temple elder cooperate so selflessly in battle." When Rielsa broke out through the Gate of Samsara, Karen had seen clearly through Lord Dal's underground broadcast just how abysmal the Samsara Temple elders had performed. Every single one of them had clung desperately to their lives. They could have suppressed the rampaging Rielsa had they accepted some casualties, but out of sheer selfishness, Rielsa had picked them off one by one. The losses among the Samsara Temple elders in that battle remained an enigma, but the count was certainly not small. Peak combat power like that was, after all, the bedrock of any orthodox church. Bart remarked, "During our church's previous war against Samsara, every dispatched knight order was assigned a temple elder. They weren't in charge of command—only of guarding the commander and carrying out precision breakthrough strikes." Power struggles and frictions between the temple and the holy see existed within the Church of Order as well, but everything looked better in comparison. Struggle as they might, when real crisis struck, the temple elders of Order honored their oaths and traditions and actually put their lives on the line. When you weren't as rotten as the rest, you naturally appeared superior. Faced with the tightened fleet formation, the temple elder only managed to damage several more ships without destroying another. With a coordinated salvo from the magic crystal cannons, his colossal phantom was blasted to pieces. He probably hadn't died, but severe injury was inevitable, as the phantom was an extension of his body and soul. Even so, he had achieved his goal. To minimize losses, Gelingjia had previously chosen a conservative contraction. Pulling in aerial and undersea assets along with the ships had effectively constricted their situational awareness. At this juncture, two massive dark clouds formed to the northwest. Looking up, Karen saw titanic shapes churning within the dark clouds—undead creatures of immense size, such as bone dragons. The Moon God Church's flight craft and monster beasts fanned out once more, attempting to reclaim air superiority. But as the dark clouds dispersed to reveal colossal bone dragons, monstrous birds, flying centipedes, and other terrifying abominations, the Moon God Church's flying beasts visibly withered in morale, and the aerial craft halted their advance. It wasn't that they couldn't fight, nor that they couldn't win; rather, they had never anticipated that with Samsara's defeat seemingly assured, such a formidable aerial armada could appear out of nowhere. The flagship ordered their aerial forces to pull back and descend to clear the airspace against friendly fire. Simultaneously, the warships angled their cannons upward to bombard the colossal undead overhead. Under the dense blanket of fire, bone dragons and centipedes were periodically severed and sent tumbling into the sea. Inside the supreme command bridge, officers couldn't help cheering. Like the temple elder who had manifested his phantom over the sea, these aerial targets offering themselves up were nothing more than sitting ducks before a disciplined fleet. Yet Gelingjia stood up. A commander's instinct and logic told him that such an irrational move by the enemy had to have a purpose. His gaze snapped back to the sand table, assessing his fleet's current disposition. He barked immediately, "Signal the fleet: disperse outward! Establish defensive width to the east and west!" Yet no sooner had his command left his lips than reports flooded in from the flanking warships: "Unknown fleet sighted to the west! Massive size!" "Unknown fleet sighted to the east! Massive size!" Gelingjia staggered. Having lost their aerial scouting, by the time they had to rely on onboard lookouts to spot suddenly emerging fleets, it meant all initiative had been completely surrendered. In the first two volleys at least, his side would be at an absolute disadvantage, utterly incapable of mounting an effective counterattack. Boom! Boom! Beneath the water, two gargantuan skeletal giants suddenly surged upward. Encrusted with moss and barnacles, they looked like submerged reefs, having evaded the detection of the sea beasts below through such camouflage. Surging out without warning, the two white-bone giants pressed their colossal bulks against the warships and battered them with massive arms. Though their blows couldn't breach the barriers, the warships' magic crystal cannons needed to re-aim and pull back to gain distance, or risk hitting friendly ships. This forced the Moon God Church's formation into even tighter congestion. In some sectors, the protective barriers of neighboring ships began grinding against each other. The flagship's order to disperse and fan out east and west could no longer be executed. Opportunity often lasted only for that single instant. On the decks of the fleets approaching from both directions, crew members resembling possessed fiends made their final calibrations. Both fleets had aligned into optimal firing formations, while their quarry in the pocket huddled like a flock of sheep crammed together. From this moment on, the outcome of the battle was sealed. Had the Moon God Church's entire expeditionary fleet been assembled here, their sheer scale might have allowed them to absorb catastrophic losses and mount a comeback. But tragically, the expeditionary force had split. The other half was currently assaulting the Wenluosi holy land. The white-haired elder commander ordered in a raspy voice, "Send these believers of the Moon God into their deity's bed. Let us hope it won't be too crowded, and that they know how to take turns. Heheheh... Fire!" The middle-aged man stroked the fatal wound on his neck with one hand while caressing the command crystal orb with the other, issuing the order: "All ships, attack! Annihilate this fleet quickly. We still have to turn back and pin the remaining Moon God Church fleet at the Wenluosi Archipelago." BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!!!! A few days earlier, watching his own fleet bombard others, Karen had only felt the distant sea seemed to be boiling, a grand and magnificent spectacle. Only when on the receiving end did he truly understand the sheer horror of dense, endless beams of magic crystal cannons raining down from two flanks. The sole stroke of fortune was that the moment bone dragons and other colossal undead appeared in the sky, Karen had already instructed Purr to summon their tamed sea beast and ordered his squad mates to leap into its mouth. By the time the two giant skeletons emerged, Karen himself jumped ship. Relying on his Sea God's Armor and the Heart of the Sea God, he didn't enter the sea beast's interior; instead, he gripped a ridge of its skin to dive alongside it, guiding its course and route. If all of them were inside and Purr left the beast to its own devices, it might swim right under the enemy fleet and deliver them straight into disaster. In the midst of their rapid descent, Karen sensed the pitch-black depths instantly turn as bright as midday. Everything around seemed bleached white, and the icy seawater began heating up at terrifying speed, as though he were an ant dropped into a boiling cauldron. At this moment, Karen felt what it truly meant... to be utterly insignificant and in true despair.