Jerack Port. Three hours later…
The rustling of hurried footsteps dominated the vast concrete ground of the pier. Thousands of soldiers were carrying heaps of military equipment, be it sharpened harpoons or crates of supplies. At the same time, the ships that had been parked silently were revving up their engines. Powered by Aether Crystals, there was no thick soot flowing out from chimneys or anything. However, the deafening roars that their engines made up for its lack of activity. In just a few more hours, the warships would be fully loaded and ready to depart.
Shin’s orders had been faithfully executed. The whole of Jerack Port was now noisy with activity. Well, not all of the pier. Heading underground into one of the most thickened bunkers there was, there was a group of well-dressed men and women seated comfortably on their cushioned chairs. There were some wearing decadent military uniforms. Pure white, with gold medallions littered all over their body. Some were wearing clothes that were a little more humble. For instance, an elderly woman donned on a comfy overall coat with a grey fur belt tightened around her waist.
Nevertheless, no matter what attire they wore, no one could deny that they all looked as regal as the Himmel Empire’s Emperor himself. If they were placed in any room, they would unquestionably become the focal point. That was how dominant their atmosphere. Yet… In the Rear Admiral chambers… Those dozen-odd tigers… Were nothing but side-characters.
“Fleet Admiral, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Shin, who was seated at the head of the table, addressed the man in the most formal attire with ease. The Fleet Admiral was in his official uniform. Dove white without a single crease in sight. Over a dozen golden badges, each one representing one of the Lantis Republic’s most difficult achievements, were proudly displayed on his chest and sleeves. His captain’s hat was even graced with a diamond anchor, the most prominent badges given to any commanding officer.
“It is my pleasure to serve the Prince,” the man who seemed to be near sixty, bowed in utmost reverence. “Please, order us as you please.”
“There’s no need for such formalities here,” Shin calmly held the Fleet Admiral back. “I called you all here in such a hurry because we’re short on time. By the time the Navy complete their procedures, the Black Masks would have gained a substantial lead in their escape. We can’t let that happen.” The young man declared as he pointed towards the massive map of the Lantis Sea.
“From the scouts that Senior Zishen had sent out, we can keep track of the route that the Black Masks might take,” Shin’s index finger found the position where the Nineteenth Artificial Island once was. At the same time, he drew a horizontal line to cross out the landmass, creating a straight route, unhindered by any obstacles.
“Judging from their movements, the Black Masks have long prepared for this escape,” the young man continued, his tone entirely sombre. “They have loaded all of their resources into longboats, most of them thin enough to escape a bird’s eye detection. They are also moving at a rapid pace, about thirty knots. Though they aren’t all grouped together to prevent a large-scale attack decimating them, the Black Masks are in quite a hurry to leave our waters.”
Shin looked over at Zishen, who affirmed his statement with a firm nod. “At this rate, the Black Masks would be back on the Terre Continent within two to three days. And we can’t just sit back and let that happen.”
The Fleet Admiral folded his arms together and leaned back in his seat. “My Prince, if I may be so rude… There’s a reason why the Navy is holding back thus far...”
“The unknown submersible ships, right?”
“Precisely,” the Fleet Admiral pointed his finger. “We understand that the Black Masks should be dealt with, but we can’t just send forces in without knowing what we’re up against. We can’t let any more of our brave men die for nothing.”
It was just as Shin had surmised. The Lantis Navy didn’t want to let the Black Masks go. They were just uncertain of facing an unknown threat. Fortunately for them, Shin had an answer for that problem...
“I know… That’s why I propose that I lead the assault.”
“What?!” One of the High Elders slammed his wrists against the table. The eardrums of those that sat next to him immediately got ruptured. Shin expected that outrage; thus, he had a rather calm expression. Still, the young man couldn’t help but dig gently into his ear. “Prince! You can’t possibly mean that?!”
“My Prince, the High Elder is right...” The Fleet Admiral furiously nodded his head. “It is far too reckless for you to join the fight, particularly when there are so many unknown variables that the Black Masks have.”
“I didn’t make this decision on a whim,” Shin sharply snapped back. “Just like you, I’d considered all of the variables. If we attack their retreating forces, we will run the risk of complete annihilation. If we don’t attack, the Black Masks will escape right in front of our eyes, tarnishing the Lantis Navy’s reputation and more importantly, we’ll be letting down the families of those that perished on the Nineteenth Artificial Island.”
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“...” No one breathed a single word. Shin was right, and they all knew that. It really was a no-win situation for the Navy now. Unless…
“So there’s only one way for us to salvage this situation...” Shin closed his eyes and began to channel his mana. His black hair floated up as a dense fog of spiritual energy bearing all sorts of elements ran out from his pores. In an instant, the whole chamber was engulfed in a thick elemental nebula.
“As all of you may already know, my Domain of Dreams, combined with the Celestial Dragon’s aura, has the capability to create a cultivation field no less powerful than that of any Empyrean Wonder. However, it does have another added property… And that’s to attract any sort of Spirit Beasts.”
“Ah...” The Fleet Admiral finally understood where Shin was heading towards.
One edge that the Black Masks had over the Alliance was the fact that they could manipulate Spirit Beasts to their will. Even during the onslaught on the Nineteenth Artificial Island, the Black Masks had sent multiple pods of Spirit Beasts, most of them mindless Tier 2 and 3’s, to overwhelm the defences of the Lantis Navy. No matter how advanced and powerful the Lantis Navy warships were, they weren’t capable of withstanding the more mobile and populous Spirit Beast horde that the Black Masks had. However, if Shin were to join the fray…
“As long as I unleash my aura in the oceans, thousands of Spirit Beasts would answer my call. At that point, we would be able to counter those submersible ships that hide deep within the waters,” Shin’s suggestion rang within the minds of all the commanders. “If you’re worried about my safety, there would be Zishen, Bingbing and over a dozen Azure Dragons protecting me. For good measure, you can send a Spirit Venerate or two over. Furthermore… I believe you have heard of my sixth spiritual ability...”
“Restoration...” The Fleet Admiral answered immediately.
“Precisely! As long as I don’t die within the first hit, I’ll be able to heal myself up. I’ll be completely fine.” Shin’s ideas continued to resonate within the high command, slowly stirring them. Eventually, one of them caved.
“Mmmm, that may not be that bad of an idea,” said another High Elder. “If we protect the Prince well enough, those unknown enemies would be forced to surface. Then, our warships would be able to launch a true naval assault.”
“The Prince’s words are right… Having the Spirit Beasts on our side, we can overwhelm the Black Masks...” The next High Elder nodded. One by one, the commanding officers all fell like dominoes. They desperately wanted to hit the Black Masks back for letting them suffer this dreadful humiliation, but there were just too many variables to consider. However, if Shin was around, all of those worries would evaporate instantly.
Finally, even the Fleet Admiral dropped his head in a sigh. “I agree… We should go with the Prince’s plan...” That was the final nail in the coffin. Once the highest command in the Navy had relented, Shin’s plan was basically set in stone. “Are there any information about the numbers they have?”
“Y-yes!” The Rear Admiral, who had faded into the background even though the meeting was held in his office, walked forward with a full stack of papers. “We just received word that over a thousand of those longboats have been spotted making their way through the gap that the Nineteenth Artificial Island had left behind!” The man reported what he had faithfully.
“Over a thousand… That would be a problem...” The Fleet Admiral gently stroked his chin as he thought about the overwhelming logistical and military constraints that they had.
“Fleet Admiral, you don’t have to worry about the numbers.” Once again, Shin gave his signature impish smile. “Our objective is to sink as many of those longboats as we can. The humiliation that they inflicted upon the Lantis Navy, we’ll reciprocate it with a defeat ten times as shameful! We’ll capture all of the Black Masks that dared to attack us and wring them dry of any information they have! And most importantly… We have to cripple the Allfather...”
“Hmmm? How would we do that?” The Fleet Admiral questioned.
“Senior Zishen has identified a few longboats that carry vast amounts of weapons and ammunition. Furthermore, some ships ferry Tier 6 and 7 Spirit Beasts that are only effective on land!”
“Go for the high-value targets, huh?”
“Precisely!” Shin cried. “It’ll take some time, but I believe that we can pinpoint the most threatening longboats among the fleet. While the Spirit Beasts distract the Black Masks, the Lantis Paladins will rain down terror from the skies. If need be, the warships of the Navy could strike during the mayhem as well. Yes, some of the Black Masks would escape, but at the very least, we could cripple them significantly. The last thing we want to see is a strong eastern border on the Terre Continent.”
“...” Everyone in the room turned silent. Some opened their mouths, wanting to retort, but nothing came out. Even they had to admit that Shin’s plan was the best one on the table.
“Alright, let’s go by the Prince’s plan...” The Fleet Admiral slammed his wrists on the table and quickly got up in fervour. “I’ll gather some of the Navy’s best Spirit Emperors to guard you. Vice-Admiral Heigui Xuegang, the Spirit Venerate with the Obsidian Xuanwu would be the prime guard. Please, do not leave their sight! My Prince, we will follow your orders, but on the field, I’ll take charge of the overall operations.”
“Naturally,” Shin didn’t dispute that. A Fleet Admiral had way more experience in naval battles as compared to his young and ignorant self.
“Good,” the Fleet Admiral smiled and quickly turned on the doorknob of the exit. Once they had agreed on the terms, there was only one thing left to do… And that was to act on the operations. Calling upon all of his men, the Fleet Admiral gave out rapid-fire instructions, befitting that of the highest authority in the Lantis Navy. The High Elders did the same. After barking orders at many of their subordinates, they bade Shin farewell before flying back to the Capital to relay the information. At Shin’s orders, everything was coming together faster than a cheetah’s sprint.
“Do you need me there with you?” Kanari walked over and held onto the young man’s hands.
“No, stay with the warships… When the battle starts, there would definitely be thousands of Spirit Beasts leaping out of the oceans. I’ll need you to protect the others and my route to escape.”
“Roger that...” Kanari gently nodded her head.
One beauty down, another to go. Shin turned to the blonde woman, who had Bingbing in her warm embrace and weakly asked. “Master, I know that you don’t really like using your powers for the military. However, this is a crisis. I hope you would break your rule just this once.”
“Don’t worry, I understand the predicament,” replied the Divine Healer. “If there are any injuries near me, I’ll be sure to treat them. Taking down the Black Masks is more important...”
“Hehe...” Shin chuckled. It seems that over the years she spent away from the Himmel Empire, Lady Seph’s temperament had changed for the better. At least, she wasn’t as quick to anger as before.
“Ah, try to leave one of those submersible boats intact, would you? I’m kind of interested in the science behind it all!”
Though… Her eccentric personality was retained. Shin gave out a hapless sigh at the woman’s sudden outburst. In the end, there was only so much one could change...