Shrouded Seascape

August 14, 9th Year of Crossing Over

My auditory hallucinations have been worsening lately, but Doctor said that there's nothing much he can do about it.

Fortunately, it hasn't caused much problems. It will pass over if I endure for a little while and I don't experience any visual hallucinations.

It has been two months since my conversation with the Pope of the Divine Light Order. Hunn has informed me that their reinforcements will be arriving in the next day or two.

Also, I asked Hunn how they train their disciples to fly. If the others could acquire this ability, the mantises would have no chance of stopping us.

Sadly, he said that the skill was incredibly difficult to learn or master. He said potential Skywalkers were sent to one of their islands from a very young age and raised by the local natives of that particular island to acquire the power to levitate.

I've thought of an alternative approach. I'll experiment with it when their supplies have arrived. We are very much handicapped and at a disadvantage without the ability to move freely in this battle.

The island is flourishing; the docks are being constructed with full manpower. The banana trees are sprouting, too. With the abundant fertile land here, I believe we will have a bountiful harvest next year.

HOOOONK.

The low hum of the ship's horn sounded across the ocean. Charles' heartbeat accelerated in anticipation.

Are they finally here? Charles thought. Dropping his pen, he rushed out of the captain's quarters and made his way to the aft deck of the Narwhale.

The majestic sight before him had his eyes widened in disbelief. The sea before him was covered in ships of various sizes. The sixteen massive ships in the heart of the naval congregation stood out with their golden hue glistening under the sun's rays.

They were all vessels of the Divine Light Order.

Due to the absence of a proper dock, the colossal vessels had no other choice but to anchor themselves further out in the deeper waters. The crew boarded the smaller boats and rowed their way toward the island.

Every disciple of the Divine Light Order reacted in the same manner upon seeing the sun. Charles was well prepared this time, and he managed to save the newcomers from dying under the lethal rays.

As the extreme fervor of the disciples started to subside, Charles spotted the leader of the fleet—the Pope. He looked exactly like the lie-testing statue.

"Governor Charles, we meet again. You didn't expect I'd actually come, did you?" the Pope said as let out a chuckle. His entourage of aides and advisors trailed closely behind him.

"Indeed. Weren't you at the Divine Light Grand Cathedral? How did you get here so quickly?" Charles asked.

The Pope let out another chuckle. "The Order's true power is way beyond your imagination. We have our ways. By the way, do you remember those pirates on Skywater Island?"

Charles was momentarily stunned by the question before he responded, "What about them?"

"You don't have to worry about them attacking you anymore. The island belongs to the Divine Light Order now."

They actually conquered 134's island?!

Charles knew that it was no easy feat to take on 134, who was the ruler of Sottom. And who knew how many "Kings" they had? For the first time, Charles felt that he had gotten a true glimpse at the staggering might of the Divine Light Order.

No wonder the pirates haven't come to find trouble with us. They’ve been eradicated... Charles thought, but that wasn't the most important issue at hand. "Enough sidetracking. Have you thought of a way to deal with the mantises above?" Charles asked out loud, his expression taut with tension.

"Don't worry. In order to return to our Lord's kingdom, the Order has mobilized all our resources to this mission. And to aid us in our journey upward, I've specially invited Governor Swann of the Albion Isles," the Pope said and gestured to an ostentatiously dressed, corpulent man standing next to him. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The man greeted Charles with an air of arrogance, subtly lifting his chin. "Nice island here, kid. If not for the Explorers Association's three-year ban on forcibly seizing islands, I’d take this place for myself."

The moment his words fell, glares of fury from the crew standing behind Charles showered upon the man. This island was their sanctuary—their most treasured possession.

The audacity of this man to blatantly proclaim his intention to snatch away their new home was an affront they couldn't endure.

Charles calmly stared at Governor Swann. He knew that the man's island, Albion Isles, was an island with a long, standing history and was also known as the Island of Machinery. It wasn’t the largest island, but it was the most powerful island in the Northern Seas.

The first steam turbine in the Subterranean Sea was invented by a resident of Albion Isles. Despite all that, Charles couldn't comprehend why the Pope had invited this man over for their journey toward the surface world.

After Charles voiced his confusion, a prideful smirk appeared on Governor Swann's countenance. "Just wait and see. This is the latest invention from our island's Academy of Sciences.

”I was planning to use this weapon in our future battle with Whereto, but since the Pope has personally invited me here, I'll offer it to assist you first."

The Pope chuckled in response. "Please be rest assured, Mr. Swann. Help us out this time, and you’re free to ask our Order for any favor in the future."

Swann nodded with a smile. He lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers.

Moments later, a thundering roar echoed from a distant steamship. Soon enough, Charles saw the true identity of the so-called weapon that Swann spoke of.

It was a helicopter—no, a rudimentary version of a helicopter.

Swann scanned the surprised crowd with a smug look. He found that their jaws were agape, and their eyes were wide in disbelief. Even he had been taken aback when he first laid his eyes on the machine, let alone those from less technologically advanced islands.

However, he soon spotted Charles' unimpressed expression among the sea of awestruck faces, and it was a sight that particularly irked Swann.

As the machine gradually drew closer, Charles noticed further details with his keen vision. To reduce the overall weight, the helicopters' outer shells had been discarded.

While the internal framework and structure appeared crudely assembled, the inclusion of mounted rotary machine guns on the helicopter significantly enhanced the vessel's combat power.

Charles nodded in approval. He had been skeptical about fighting those monstrous mantises with the airships. However, their odds of success had just skyrocketed thanks to these helicopters.

One after another, the airships belonging to the Divine Light Order were unloaded on the beach, and throngs of disciples started donning their dark rubber suits.

While preparations were underway, Charles didn't stand idly by either. He approached Hunn and asked, "Did you bring what I asked for?"

Hunn nodded, and a large black rubber suit was soon presented before Charles. It was noticeably different from the ones the Order's disciples were wearing. The one presented to Charles was oversized and with wings.

The moment Charles noticed them inflating the balloons for the airships, he took the suit and plunged into the sea. Moments later, a grotesque bat clad in a black rubber suit emerged from the water.

Charles flew into the sunlight; instantly, sizzling sounds like meat on a hot griddle accompanied the agonizing pain searing through his body. But unlike before, he didn't burst into flames. The suit was working, somewhat.

As the airships levitated one after another, the expanse above Hope Island grew increasingly congested. At least fifty to sixty helicopters and hundreds of airships were hovering overhead.

"These forces will be under my command. No issues about that, right?" Charles asked the Pope.

A smile appeared on the elderly man's visage as he looked at the monstrous bat before him. "Child, that won't be a problem. With such a formidable fleet, the outcome would roughly be the same regardless of who's in charge.

“However, I have another question, and I hope you’ll enlighten me."

"What is it?"

"I heard that you hail from the Land of Light. Is that so?"

"Would you believe me if I said I am from the above world?"

"Of course, I would. Have you forgotten? I can discern between truth and deceit."

At that moment, Charles felt a subtle trembling in the air next to his ear.

"Scatter! Danger!" Charles shouted a warning at his crew as he simultaneously retreated swiftly.

Most managed to heed the early warning and scattered before a meteoric boulder the size of a small hill rained down from the sky. It crashed into two airships, tore through a thatched shelter and finally crushed the unfortunate individuals who couldn't escape in time.