Chapter 666.3: Don't Get Your Blood On Me
At Ring Island.
A man dressed in elegant clothes boarded the Roro Boat with Captain Muda of the coastal patrol and two soldiers.
From afar, Sesame Paste spotted the group stepping onto the deck and immediately hustled Misa and the group of children back into the cabin.
Pushing open the captain’s cabin door and descending the gangway, Sisi glanced at the man leading the group, then turned to the only one she recognized, Muda, and asked pleasantly, “And this gentleman is...?”
Muda bowed slightly toward the man beside him. “This is Governor Channing of Ring Island. The port and the settlement behind it are under his jurisdiction.”
Governor?
A flicker of surprise crossed Sisi’s face before she smiled politely. “An honor, Governor. What brings you aboard our ship today?”
Channing’s tone was flat. “You’ve been here three days. If you came to buy supplies, you should’ve finished that long ago.”
Sisi replied apologetically, “Our ship’s had a small mechanical issue, so we’ll need to stay a few more days at your port. Of course, we’ll pay the docking fee... I believe it’s a thousand Dinars per day, correct?”
Channing stared at her for a moment, then said coldly, “You’re from the New Alliance.”
Sisi blinked, one brow lifting slightly. “What makes you think that?”
“We checked at Silvermoon Bay. Order of the White Bear, right?” Channing’s eyes flicked toward the banner hanging from the mast.
Since he already knew, denial would only make her seem disingenuous. Sisi decided it was better to be straightforward. “Yes. I am a citizen of the New Alliance, but this ship isn’t a warship, it’s a merchant vessel we purchased in Silvermoon Bay, ”
Channing cut her off with a curt wave. “Let’s skip the pleasantries. What exactly are you people plotting, you, and those others, the airship docked to the west?”
Sisi had intended to deny knowing the airship crew, just as the forum group had agreed beforehand, to avoid unnecessary trouble.
But she caught something, a brief flash of fear in Channing’s eyes.
She was certain she hadn’t imagined it. That flicker of unease appeared only after he confirmed who they were.
Her thoughts churned quickly. The investigation orders from the administrator had mentioned that the Southern Archipelago Federation was formed under the leadership of Torch Church sympathizers, and that these territories had once been under the control of Shelter 70.
If the Federation harbored Torch Church followers, or even active apostles, it made sense why they would react so defensively toward New Alliance activity.
But... interestingly, after confirming their identity, they hadn’t shown hostility, just caution.
Clearly, those people weren’t die-hard loyalists to the Torch Church. Their cooperation was based only on a shared opposition to Shelter 70.
In other words, they could still be won over.
Sisi’s mind shifted in an instant. She decided to feign familiarity with the situation, to make it seem like her ship was part of a larger plan.
“Please, there’s no need to be nervous,” she said lightly. “As you saw, we’ve just set up a few tents over there. It’s more than 100 nautical miles away, it doesn’t bother you, does it?”
“You expect me to believe that?” Channing sneered. “You traveled thousands of kilometers just to pitch a few tents?”
Sisi gave a helpless shrug, as if caught. “Fine. The truth is, we’re establishing a small settlement there. A refuge for survivors fleeing the Xilande Empire, the Moonfolk.”
Channing’s eyes narrowed. “Why bother with them? Their fate has nothing to do with you.”
Meeting his probing stare, Sisi smiled faintly. “Maybe not directly, but not nothing, either. They’re survivors of the wasteland, and ending the wasteland is our mission. Any potential threat to civilization, we intervene. If you haven’t done anything wrong, you’ve nothing to worry about. We rarely interfere with other survivor settlements... unless we absolutely have to.”
Her last words carried deliberate weight.
Channing’s expression stiffened. “What are you implying?”
Still smiling, Sisi replied calmly, “We’ve heard rumors, someone’s planning to cooperate with the madmen in the Ocean Edge Province to spread Na Fruit from land into the sea.”
Channing’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And that’s your concern because...?”
Ignoring his hostility, Sisi nodded firmly. “Of course it is. The plague on land is already bad enough. If those lunatics infect the oceans too, all our efforts will be for nothing.”
Channing let out a dry laugh. “This planet, you say? We don’t see as far ahead as you do. But how do you know that bringing it into the sea would ‘ruin the planet’? What if it makes things... normal again?”
Sisi raised an eyebrow. “You think that would be normal?”
“Is it normal now?” Channing shot back coldly. “Before those madmen gave us their interference technology, our fishermen risked their necks every time they set sail, because of the sea mutants! Now their experiments in the Ocean Edge Province are working. The mutants and the Slime Mold are docile, like sunfish! If we can spread it into the Southern Sea, we’ll gain vast, safe fisheries and finally wipe out the Hive clinging to the Heavenly Court Space Station’s wreck!”
“That thing is the source of it all, the root of every mutant! For two centuries, its DNA has been contaminating the oceans! You call that normal? Now we have a chance to end it once and for all, why shouldn’t we?”
Sisi asked quietly, “Is that what Shelter 70 believes too?”
Channing scoffed. “Those fools have rotted in their bunker. They think the world should run by their rules, that only their way is right. As if following their orders will magically bring back their precious utopia from 200 years ago. They can’t even explain how it vanished in the first place.”
Sisi fell silent in thought.
She had assumed they were merely brainwashed by the Torch Church, like the survivors in Singularity City, but now she realized, they had chosen this path after serious consideration.
“Have you considered,” she said slowly, “that what the Torch Church gave you, that Na Fruit, might not be as benevolent as you think?”
Channing admitted bluntly, “True. It isn’t perfect, same as the devices they provided. But those people have achieved results. If we use it carefully and minimize the downsides, things will still be far better than now. Unless you have a better plan?”
“Yes,” Sisi said, meeting his gaze. “We’ve already neutralized the Hive in Clearspring City. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you? Shelter 70’s researchers used to collect samples there.”
Surprise flickered across Channing’s face. Clearly, he hadn’t heard. But soon his eyes narrowed again, dangerous light returning. “So that’s why you know so much... Have you been in contact with Shelter 70 recently?”
The tension spread to the soldiers behind him, their expressions turning cold, hands subtly shifting toward their weapons.
“Not directly,” Sis said steadily. “Our administrator spoke with theirs. But we don’t take anyone’s word blindly, not even fellow shelter dwellers. That’s why I’m asking for your view.”
Unfazed by his hostility, she stared him down. “I’ll ask again. If we have a better way to eliminate the Hive clinging to the Heavenly Court Space Station, will Ring Island’s survivors give us the chance to prove it?”
Channing chuckled dryly, “Those other folks are far more generous. They promised not just to handle the Hive, but to cleanse the entire sea of mutants.”
He paused mid-sentence.
Perhaps realizing that her offer wasn’t just negotiation, it was also giving him and his island one last chance, he finally swallowed the refusal that had risen to his lips.
“... Fine. If you want to try, try. Ring Island’s survivors have no reason to refuse. But the authority of the Federation is another matter. Some of them are Torch Church apostles themselves.”
Sisi let out a quiet breath of relief and smiled.
Her hunch had been right. Just as she suspected, the newly formed Federation shared the Torch Church’s stance only on the Shelter 70 issue, the Torch Church hadn’t fully pulled them into its mission. The locals could still be recruited.
“I understand. Also, I’d like to open talks with Shelter 70. If you can arrange a cease-fire, it would make things easier for us.”
Channing laughed. “That’s not up to me. War is the Federation’s business, you’ll need to speak with the President on North Island. But don’t waste your time. Our conflict with those people isn’t just about who fixes the Heavenly Court Space Station. They’ll pay for their arrogance.”
Sisi asked, “Can you tell me what actually started the war? There must’ve been a spark.”
Channing replied irritably, “Fresh water.”
“Fresh water?” she echoed.
He nodded. “The artificial islands of the Southern Sea have no freshwater lakes. Nearly a million survivors live here, we can’t rely on rain alone. Each island’s water comes from desalination plants.”
“They seized them?”
“Worse. To make us submit, they shut them down. When we took them back, they blew them up. Not only that, they destroyed 12 of our ocean current generators and offshore mines. We’re scraping by on solar and wind now, but it’s tough.”
Sisi thought for a moment. “I see... As for the water problem, before your power grid is restored, maybe we can help.”
Channing gave her a skeptical look. “You? This settlement houses a hundred thousand people. What are you going to do, ship water from Silvermoon Bay?”
The boast sounded ridiculous.
Especially since just three days ago, her crew had bought several tons of fresh water from their port at a premium price. If they had a solution, why waste money?
Ignoring his doubt, Sisi continued, “Like I said, we’re building a new settlement by the Baiyue Strait. It’ll tackle the Southern Sea Hive and shelter the Moonfolk refugees. That’s mainland, plenty of natural freshwater. Enough for 10,000,000 people, easily. And far cheaper than desalination.”
“Yeah, right,” Channing scoffed, waving dismissively. “A settlement? If you last two months out there, I’ll admit I was wrong.”
Sis’s lips curved faintly, eyes narrowing. “Then let’s find out.”
