Chapter 233: The Invaders

The news of spotting land excited everyone. After all, by their calculations, it had been nearly three months since they boarded the Black Pearl and left the mainland. And the sight of the mainland meant they were finally close to returning home.

About two thousand kilometers away…

Wu Qingsong felt a bit resigned when he thought about that number.

The undead sea creatures tirelessly dragged the Black Pearl forward day and night, allowing them to maintain a steady speed. It was something no other sailing ship of this era could ever achieve. This journey could have taken twice as long if they had relied on the old Black Pearl. Of course, they hadn’t necessarily followed the shortest route. They had taken detours to avoid potential storms. But even if they had taken the most direct path, it still would have been a journey of over a thousand, perhaps close to two thousand kilometers.

Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but wonder what kind of relentless pursuit the ancestors of the Gale Kingdom had faced that caused them to flee so far away without looking back.

“Alright then, let’s head north,” he said.

Based on the navigational charts aboard the Black Pearl, they were most likely along the southern coastline of the continent, though it was difficult to pinpoint their exact location. 

But one thing was certain. Their destination lay to the north.

The military ships of Sentalus were unlikely to venture this far south. However, with so many undead sea monsters at his command, Wu Qingsong wasn’t particularly worried about running into them anymore.

“It’s hard to say who will end up sinking whom when the time comes.”

Out on the vast ocean, he wasn’t worried about anyone being able to escape the pursuit of his sea creatures and relay any information about him.

Even if they sent carrier pigeons, didn’t he have harpies on his side?

The series of victories around Gale Island had made him fully aware of his current strength. When it came down to it, the only real headache was dealing with elves, and only the ones with immense power at that.

But would they really follow a warship aimlessly searching the ocean for an uncertain target?

Thanks to the harpies, they sailed north along a route relatively far from the coast, avoiding any merchant ships. Two days later, they finally saw the first landmark that could help them get their bearings—a huge island, just dozens of miles off the mainland, Tifernal Island.

Ram knew about this island too. Less than 200 miles north of it was Phoenix Freeport, the largest and most famous harbor on the continent, and the economic hub of the central region. Another hundred or so miles north of Phoenix Freeport was Umber, a place they all knew well.

Finally, they were almost home.

Compared to everyone else, Daryl quietly touched the urn containing Bernar’s ashes that he had kept with him all this time. His heart was filled with countless emotions and thoughts, but he didn’t know where to start.

The Black Pearl continued to avoid the busy shipping lanes, sailing along the outer sea toward the north. Then, it navigated through the waters between Phoenix Island and Tifernal Island, moving further north. 

For safety reasons, Wu Qingsong had the harpies who had accompanied them this far return to their home and expressed his sincere gratitude to them.

Afterward, they approached the coastline at night. Using a small boat created by Ling, landed on a deserted beach near Umber.

As for the Black Pearl, Wu Qingsong commanded the undead sea creatures to drag it into the deep ocean. Following his orders, they hid the Black Pearl at the bottom of the sea, where it would slumber, perhaps never to be awakened again. The giant undead octopi would likely never resurface, but the exoskeletons of the giant mantis shrimps might one day be useful again.

Ram was very familiar with the terrain in this area. She quickly led the group northward into the Tecks Mountains, heading toward the Silver Moon Wolf Clan’s territory. However, both she and Daryl felt uneasy when several resting spots along the way were completely deserted, as though they hadn’t been used in some time.

What had happened?

Their anxiety grew, and they quickened their pace. But their unease deepened when they discovered traces of large military movements in the valley. Every village they passed had been burned to the ground, with no survivors left behind.

Daryl was so anxious he was on the verge of tears, but the traces they found seemed to be from a long time ago. Luckily, he had learned a thing or two from this journey and knew that recklessly charging ahead on his own would do nothing but get him killed.

“Be careful,” Wu Qingsong warned. “We need to avoid the main roads.”

He was also worried about Nina’s safety, but these signs were at least a month or two old. If they acted rashly, they would only put themselves in unnecessary danger.

The houndmen finally had a chance to redeem themselves from the useless label they had carried at sea. Although Wu Qingsong had never thought of them that way, nor shown any sign of it, they had felt increasingly inadequate along the journey. Now, in an area where their talents could truly shine. They sprang into action with unprecedented energy and enthusiasm.

Two days later, they finally found a small unit camped near the ruins of a village.

“They’re from Sentalus, all regular soldiers,” Beck quietly reported to Wu Qingsong. “There are about twenty of them, likely a squad, but they’ve got six war wolves. They won’t be easy to deal with, and sneaking up on them will be difficult.”

“And the surrounding area?”

“About three miles north, on a hill, there’s another squad with a similar setup. Also regulars from Sentalus. We’re still scouting to see if there are other groups in the area.”

“Alright,” Wu Qingsong said. “Wait for them to return.”

The simplest way to find out what had happened was to capture some prisoners. But first, they needed to understand the enemy’s deployment to avoid being surrounded.

More information quickly came back. The houndmen had found four camps within a five-kilometer radius. Three of them were squad-sized, while the one located in between had just under a hundred soldiers.

This was a fully-staffed detachment, totaling around 150 troops, with nearly forty war wolves. In the rugged terrain of the Tecks Mountains, such a force was enough to counter over a thousand wolfmen lacking proper armor and quality weapons. Even with the strength Wu Qingsong and his group now possessed, taking out a squad without alerting the others would be quite difficult.

But they needed to know what had happened.

“Rest up for now,” Wu Qingsong instructed. “We’ll move at midnight.”