Aquatic Fauna & Enemy Espionage

Whoosh. Suddenly, Anastasia felt a gust of nonexistent wind flutter her hair and shoulders from the back. She looked behind her seat in shock, surprised to find her father standing there, saying nothing and playfully smiling at her. Anastasia blankly looked at Heian Ciemnosc before helplessly shaking her head. She returned to face ahead just in time for a navigating expert to shout a report.

“Commander! We’re seeing multiple 12 to 15 aquatic Fauna in groups ascending towards us!” Anastasia looked at the digital screens and confirmed the visuals. Heian Ciemnosc crossed his arms behind her, not going to utter a word during the rest of the day. It was in the earliest lights of the morning, so a long day was left to endure.

There were about 150 different groups spreading from several kilometers below the 2nd Fleet, but there were more for the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Fleets. Checking on the time, it would take 11 minutes and 50 seconds before these things reached them body-to-body.

Anastasia frowned and commanded, “Are the Elemental Water Eyes prepared?! If they are not, get to it. Don’t aim the machine guns aimlessly and focus on a diagonal towards our bow. Change the angle every 20 seconds. Missiles should be aimed near our edges, avoiding direct collateral damage. We have no Fighters here.”

Anastasia delegated without stop, causing the central command to fall silent with slight working noises from control panels and the navigating experts’ clothing as they looked towards each other and communicated via Soul.

“...” Anastasia paused, becoming pensive as her eyebrows slightly knitted, drawn to each other. The seconds went by, and there were only 9 minutes left before the aquatic Fauna could reach them. At this very moment, the Fauna below them slowed down immensely.

“Prepare for any possible submerging tactic. Arrange the Fleet to stand in a square formation around the Carrier and Battleships,” Anastasia suddenly said. Meanwhile, Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes glinted as he rubbed the tip of his nose with his right hand.

More time passed, and only 7 minutes were left before the aquatic Fauna could reach them. However, the digital screens showed the enemy’s speed was nearly halting, causing the estimated time to elongate again. The vice commanders standing at the side behind the commander’s spot didn’t react much, although they found it bothersome like Anastasia.

“...” However, Anastasia’s eyebrows sunk more heavily. Her hands gripped tightly on the extreme of her armrests, when the digital screens showed a change from the enemy’s side. Water traveled towards them, parted to the side as it closed in onto their hulls. The estimated time immediately appeared, but it revealed only 1.27 seconds as it rapidly soared towards the 2nd Fleet!

“They have Preternaturals!!” Anastasia somewhat roared as she sat tight on her commander’s seat. She rapidly voiced her commands with fully opened eyes and an indomitable tone, “Elemental Water Eyes! Protect the shields of one another and to the sides! Submerge!!”

BOOM! BOOM! PUUM! SWASSHH- SWWUUUSHH- SWOOOSH~~!~!

Before Anastasia’s words fully echoed, her attempts were accompanied by the muffled explosions underwater just as the Carrier leaned towards the right as if it suddenly lost balance. The whole Carrier experienced rumbling that spread everywhere and damaged its shields.

“!!” What’s more, the digital screens showed that the enemy went on a full-scale bombardment as thousands of projectiles, one burst after another, followed their bombardment’s initiation. Anastasia’s orders spread to the 2nd Fleet, but the other Fleets weren’t too slow to respond in similar ways.

The enemy aquatic Fauna weren’t ignorant, neither. The bombardment focused on the Carrier and Supreme Battleships, while the rest went to the Frigates. Under Anastasia’s command, the Destroyers, Cruisers, and Low Battleships submerged fast and with ease.

GURGLE~!! GURGLE~!! The 2nd Fleet’s warships submerged the fastest. Although their Carrier and Supreme Battleships were delayed, with only one of their sides in the water, their machine guns and artillery guns opened fire indiscriminately, proportioning cover to the rest of the Fleet. While Carriers didn’t usually have much arsenal, without Fighters, all of their machine guns were equipped on it, with some artillery guns installed as an extra.

PUM! PUM! PUM! PUM! PUM! PUM! Ta- RARARARARA- RARARA- RARARA…~!!

The Carrier sent hundreds of firing lines alone, equal to a small section of a Mothership in space, bathing the Preternatural hidden below with so much firepower that their bodies started tainting the water around them with bloody smoke and painful cries.

The Frigates and Destroyers followed suit, but they could only compare to the Carrier’s firepower with the Cruisers. If the Carrier completely submerged and faced the aquatic Fauna like they did, they could only match the Carrier’s firepower with the Low Battleships. The latter was already sending rockets towards the thousands of aquatic Fauna below, but more and more enemies were soaring from the bottom, and some ginormous figures’ shadows appeared.

“Send missiles into the air! Push us down! Only half our rocket launchers are active, what are you waiting for?!” Anastasia elevated her tone as the battle continued, hundreds of enemies rushed towards the frontline they already formed, and the gigantic figures became more prominent as their silhouettes turned more black.

“Commander! Our shields will receive damage if we do that now!” A navigating expert reported. Anastasia casually turned her head towards her and indifferently spoke, “Where are the Elemental Water Eyes I ordered to be prepared? Use them!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The navigating experts, along the one who just reported, shouted to the top of their lungs.

PFUH, PFUH, PFUH… BOOM! BOOM! BOOM~~~!

Thus, with the Carrier setting the example, the 2nd Fleet’s Supreme Battleships sent missiles up the sky and self-detonated them just 30 meters from their side facing the skies. The warships immediately submerged several hundred meters per missile, although their shields trembled, and part of their structure dented a couple meters on their hull and upper structure.

Even then, they continued until their warships’ bodies completely submerged. At that moment, inside the Carrier, with not a speck of water entering the Carrier’s open space, Anastasia widely grinned before ushering commands left and right. “Square formations, down to the enemies’ heads! Cut them off! We’ll form a 3 pronged formation and attack with a slow descent. Engage in battle!!”

“HUAAA!!!” The crew members in her central command responded, those in her Carrier responded, and all the Fleet’s troops roared to the orders! Nothing could stop the 2nd Fleet as they were already advancing towards the enemy, not caring about the scary, gigantic Fauna hidden below.

With the 2nd Fleet’s example, the other Fleets rushed to form, prepare, and charge! The Fleets submerged underwater and slowly descended. Their momentum drastically increased as rockets and missiles flew and ignored the aquatic Fauna’s inflexible projectiles.

ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRR~~~~~~!

The aquatic Fauna collectively widened their jaws and sent a tumbling, hair-rising holler upwards. The crew members in every warship felt their skin numb a layer while their hair was as if electrified, and shakily stood on their ends. However, instead of deterring them, this impulsed everyone who had endured the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s training regimen a lot more! To battle!!

“...” Heian Ciemnosc watched as Anastasia commanded her Fleet. She knew the influence she had as her father’s daughter, but she was showing more concern over the 2nd Fleet’s appearance, since they were the first to completely submerge their warships and directly head towards the enemy without wasting another minute analyzing.

The aquatic Fauna experienced hundreds of casualties since the 2nd Fleet descended. Their Carrier stood at the center, while the Supreme Battleships moved several kilometers to the sides and were slightly in a lower position, descending at the same pace as the Carrier. They sent countless rockets and missiles that made the enemy’s energy and Elemental barriers break apart, letting more bullets and shells blast their bodies bit by bit.

The smallest among the aquatic Fauna was tens of meters long, while the regular size was between 2 and 4 kilometers. Their width varied, and some were humanoid with tentacles, slimy meat, algae-like fur, and monstrous limbs, eyes, mouths, or exposed organs. Others were draconic-shaped, or with shark, octopus, and crocodiles aesthetics.

After roaring, the aquatic Fauna was forced to engage with the Frigates, hopeful that the bigger ‘fish’ above wouldn’t fire those hateful things towards them. However, they underestimated the Cruisers following behind them between the Destroyers, whose rockets ‘recklessly’ flew between the Frigates but only penetrated the aquatic Fauna’s bodies.

Rooooaaarrr– BANNNGG~!

Several rockets penetrated the enemy Fauna’s bodies and continued towards the newcomers farther below, forming more barriers in an attempt to raise their frontline and provide support to their comrades safely. Thus, the aquatic Fauna received more casualties from both points; those charging at the Frigates and fighting them in melee, and those below trying to set up an enormous barrier.

…rrrooo… ROOOOOOAAAARRR~~~!

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Seeing so many of the tens of thousands of babies it birthed rapidly and cruelly dying, one of the gigantic figures whose silhouette couldn’t be any blacker appeared as light began to give it color. A jaw, tens of kilometers in diameter, opened. 4 primary fangs extended from within to a length of 20 kilometers, while millions of meter-sized teeth showed as scales overgrown from its body like beard from the rest of its body were finally colored!

Those scales were black and dull-azure color, while its 2 eyes were yellow-lava and burned lighter at the center with a size of a Small City’s alley. They were diagonal and thinner to the sides, but bulky and bulbous at the middle, looking like it had several pupils and irises at the center until only a smallish dot the size of a Human at the epicenter.

“... I’ll be back,” Heian Ciemnosc tapped Anastasia’s left shoulder just half a minute after she gave her last order so far, and gravely stared at the ginormous worm-like, scaled aquatic Fauna. She saw the ripples from its enormous jaw create ripples, giving her a sensation that her Soul would become chunks of nothingness when they reached her.

Anastasia was the invaders’ commander, who attacked first. Thus, this Farsighted realm Preternatural could act however the hell it wanted towards anyone from these ‘metal fish’ without a consciousness.

Hearing her father’s words, Anastasia looked at him, but he had already created a dark dome that lasted a second and reappeared just 20 km above the ripples. Those ripples contained the Preternatural’s roar, and as Heian Ciemnosc appeared, the former’s eyes widened unnaturally as Heian Ciemnosc lifted his right arm, and simply punched down.

BVWOOOOOORRFFFGGHHH~~!

Heian Ciemnosc’s right arm thrust downwards as he stood there casually. An invisible, barely noticeable force exploded from his tightened fist. He went all out. 300,000 kg of pure bodily strength unleashed with natural force. It became more noticeable in the water as the ripples it caused were more severe and distorting, making the water it parted away completely transparent as if a brand-new sea would be formed here and now.

Its sound was even more catastrophic, and the Fleets in the surroundings hundreds of kilometers, descending towards their respective targets, heard it.

PLAFFF~~! The Preternatural’s roaring ripples dissipated like eggs smashed by a boulder in a straight line. They were overwhelmed and instantly lost all might. When the natural force push reached the ripples’ top, the rest couldn’t even continue raising before they were neutralized. On the other hand, the natural force continued descending towards the Preternatural!

ROAAAAA- PUMM! WHEEESHH- SWWWWUUUUOOOOSHHH~!

The Preternatural widened its jaws again and roared, but this time without sending out harmful ripples, only those that immediately disappeared as its roar was cut off by Heian Ciemnosc, who used Elemental particles to shoot towards it and sent another natural force push with his left fist!

The first natural force push crashed onto the Preternatural’s glabella, forming a crack but only harming it with surprising pain. Thus, Heian Ciemnosc sent another one as he noticed the Preternatural’s discomforted body reaction as it wiggled from its neck to below. His left fist’s, second, natural force push rapidly traveled downwards and hit the Preternatural’s upper teeth.

CRAAAACKKKK- PUM~! The Preternatural didn’t have a chance to commence roaring again, although it surged with boundless Fire particles from below, which carried dead Earth elemental particles, comprising magma that slowly raised— the second natural force push immediately shut it down.

Its teeth broke apart in an area of a couple of hundred meters, causing it to itch and stop in pain. And then, a third natural force push from Heian Ciemnosc’s right arm actually sent it several hundred meters down in a moment’s notice!!

PUMM~! PAAAM~! WHOOOOSH… PAM! PAM! PAM! PAM!...

Heian Ciemnosc’s body didn’t stop descending as he punched. His body flew downwards as the Preternatural became startled. It looked at Heian Ciemnosc as it continued to crack its skull apart, but Heian Ciemnosc was moving closer and closer to it, sending not only more punching natural forces, but also kicks and roars of his own as his overly pale nose wrinkled, and his dark Claws went Out!

“...!” Before Anastasia knew it, her father’s body disappeared as it continued to punch down. The enormous Preternatural, who posed great danger to at least exterminate a third of the 2nd Fleet, was ‘lightly’ pushed down by Heian Ciemnosc’s ‘kind’ and ‘polite’ actions. They became silhouettes that lost all color and became thin shadows as the battle continued and the sounds of bullying kept echoing from farther away, becoming lesser and lesser audible.

‘That… that’s my Dad…’ Anastasia thought, as she looked down, quite a bit perplexed. But she returned her attention to the battle. Even with a Preternatural giant gone, their target still had tens of thousands coming at them like a rain pushing upwards in rage against the skies.

Their side wasn’t any weaker, and they would never fall back because of fear… Anastasia’s pitch-black eyes condensed an indomitable will as she commanded, “Pull everyone downwards a bit tighter! We’re going in!!”

“HUA HUA HUA!!” After Anastasia’s command, the roars of countless troops reverberated in the water. Then, all the 2nd Fleet warships suddenly accelerated their sinking. The notion was unstoppable, and the sight of it shocked the other Fleets. However, after seeing their supreme commander’s brutal actions, they ignored the threat from the gigantic Preternaturals below their battlefield and followed suit.

“TO BATTLE!” - “HAAA!” - “Accelerate! We’re not staying behind our supreme commander’s daughter! Follow her!!” - “Concentrate your firepower and go down to visit hell with me, haha! Come on!!” - “Down we go… who’s prepared?!” - “HUA HUA HUA HUA HUAAA!”

The battlefield echoed with the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s teachings. Not to fight was boring, not to battle was doing nothing much, not to war was inexcusable!

These crew members finally understood the Crimsonbreaking Faction’s doctrine. How good it felt and what it made others go through, representing their highest peak state to act! Fleets sank downwards as the Preternatural giants below gradually ascended to the same distance that the previous Preternatural to show itself, and their colors started emerging from the depths.

“Ma’am,” an anxious yet unafraid navigating expert called out before reporting as Anastasia turned her head towards him. “Those gigantic Preternaturals will be close enough to attack us with deadly accuracy. What should we do?!”

“...” Anastasia had thought about that, too. Just 5 of these gigantic Preternaturals were enough to bring the 2nd Fleet into everyone’s bellies below them, and there were 10 just below their 2nd Fleet. However, just as she was about to plan guerrilla-like tactics underwater, several flashes from above caught her attention, as if reacting on time because of their worries and the Preternaturals’ closeness to the Fleets.

PSHIIIFT… WHI-PLASH! ROOAAARR… PLASH, PLASH, PLASH, PLASH, PLASH! Bowwbooumb!!- Bowwbooumb!! Bowwbooumb!! Bowwbooumb!! Bowwbooumb!!

From the blackness below, Anastasia observed a plethora of dark energy flashing left and right, back and forth, as if something was attacking the Preternaturals’ several hundred kilometers long bodies from below, dragging them towards the same spot whether they wanted it or not.

“There’s no need… Go as I commanded, full-speed ahead!” Anastasia sat upright on her seat as she watched those flashes. Then, she shouted with some might to reckon with despite her cultivation base just at the Light realm, surrounded by at least Mythical realm cultivators.

The gigantic Preternaturals might have cultivation bases at the Farsighted realm, but they were ‘just’ at the medium stage at best. How could they pose a threat to Heian Ciemnosc at the Life-Long realm 10th stage? It made so much sense…

“Heard!” The navigating expert nodded respectfully before focusing on his job. The battle intensified. From a few thousands, the aquatic Fauna attacked with several thousands, rapidly infesting the 2nd Fleet foremost than any other Fleet. Yet, Anastasia continued sitting on her commander’s seat as even the Carrier became surrounded by hundreds of aquatic Fauna.

Below, the bottom suddenly became loud and disordered as dark domes flashed below the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 1st battlefields in that order. Heian Ciemnosc activated his Myriad Darkness Materialization as his body traveled and gathered his whole military forces’ future food and created a dark dome again and again.

When he was below the 4th battlefield, Heian Ciemnosc descended even lower before creating an even bigger dark dome and reappearing below the 1st battlefield. Heian Ciemnosc deployed Myriad Darkness Materialization again to return to the 2nd battlefield, with all 50 something Preternaturals captured by his Vocón Link.

Dragging them to the first zone, the fighting sounds, and more smallish dark domes continued echoing and flashing from further below as the Fleets practically disappeared, and several explosions with a thousand meters in diameter echoed from time to time, annihilating vast quantities of aquatic Fauna.

. . .

Southeastern territory, in an upper northern town where half its population more or less settled. Of course, even in 100 years, it would not be enough to wholly populate the town unless everyone could procreate like Fairies and Elves or Demons, whose reproduction capabilities were among the best for the latter, and the most absurd for the former.

In the central plaza, behind the Aqualian Drake Sect branch building. 5 people, 3 Humans and 2 tentacle-faced fellas, were suspiciously together. The tentacle-faced pair were on the lookout, seemingly perceptive towards anyone who landed an eye on them. They scrutinized anyone who gazed at them, even if just for a fraction of a second.

Be it civilians like mothers and even little girls looking around everywhere while eating a delicious snack from a street food stall vendor, to cultivators who strangely frowned at them before ignoring their group as they walked from afar.

They were sat on a bench, leaning their torsos on the backrest as they acted like ruffians ogling at the young and mature, married or not, walking with their family members or not. Meanwhile, 2 young men sat behind them, one on the left with his bum on the fountain’s edge, and the other on the floor with homeless clothing.

Getting into a charitable program where one’s cultivation potential and talent are tested was free, but here there was 1 who refused to look for an individual bed in a tall building to sleep in warmth and at least 2 favorable meals a day.

Another Human walked to the previous 2, who were talking among each other about seemingly typical stuff, holding 2 hot drinks with steam coming off from their edges. Another one was held between his left elbow and the side of his body. It might not snow in the following few decades, but it would still be cold as hell.

As the third Human closed in on the other 2, some of their exchanged words drifted into his ears.

“As soon as he delivers information on whatever these people are planning, we’ll see what to do, heh.” - “Right, haha. It’s been fun, but I prefer the tranquility… Here, everyone is a bit too loud, huh.”

“Seniors, let’s not waste time. I wasn’t even close to being discovered, and a young, female guard even smiled at me shyly when I thought I got caught!” The 3rd person said, as he sat cross-legged between them, and immediately showed them a digital screen. The other 2 felt the newbies’ sternness and became serious. They extended their necks to see the images the newbie caught, finding it hard to believe.

“We must go, fast!” - “Yeah… These things are too formidable. If they build more of these, we won’t be able to do anything. And look at their speed! They’re too efficient!” - “Huh. They don’t fight, but are busy building? Typical!” - “Let’s return! We can’t wait a few decades to face these defensive structures! We can attack a little earlier…”

The 2 ‘seniors’ nodded at the newbie and stood up. The 2 tentacle-faced fellas noticed and together walked towards the town’s northern entrance. They passed by the gate’s few hundred guards without appearing nervous and caused no trouble. When the 5 left, one of the guards rolled his eyes and sighed. A ginormous spaceship emblem on his left chest, hidden by the guard’s Earth grade armor set, shone with his Spirit Sense before exhaling from his mouth as cold air manifested before his face.

“Sigh…”

…