Chapter 325. Reinforcements
Boom!
A powerful blast of energy sent Charles flying away. He twisted in mid-air and landed steadily on the surface. His gaze transfixed on the injured Elder. The Elder's tentacle swept across the wound, and it healed in the blink of an eye.
However, Charles could tell from the octopus-headed creature's sour expression that his attack was effective.
"You're the man who betrayed the Lord's trust!" the Elder's terrifying gaze filled with killing intent landed on Charles. "You're not worthy of the Lord's mark! I'm taking it back!"
The Elder's tentacles unfolded, and he raised his golden staves to attack when the air below the Elder shrieked, forcing him to move away. A cannonball struck where he stood earlier, and he looked down to find the culprit.
The assailant was a ship. The towering water tentacle could no longer be seen, and the personnel of District 3 had returned to their own ship and started supporting Charles with two deck cannons.
Charles and Aliya's group were now on a stand-off against the Elder. Just as the three were about to make their own move to end the deadly battle, a discordant shrill noise echoed from a steam whistle; all three turned to where the sound had come from.
The pitch-black sea surface reflected the dazzling lights of a fleet's searchlights in the distance. The fleet's ships were markedly different from run-of-the-mill warships. Heavy chains were hanging from the port and starboard side of the ship, and there were sharp blades at the tip of the chains.
The ships were precisely the animated ships of the Elizarles Shores, and they made quick work of any Deep Dwellers beneath the waves as they steadily approached Charles.
A naval sailor on a nearby speedboat recovered everything he saw and ran toward the cabin of the speedboat. He tapped furiously on the telegraph, and the recent front-line development was transmitted over to Hope Island's command center.
Feuerbach retrieved a clipboard with a checklist and handed it over to the adjutant next to him.
"According to current gathered intelligence, the Elders are strong, but we've already identified their weaknesses. We can dispatch the reserve troops to deal with them, and the Elizarles Shores' reinforcements are already here.
"If this is the best the Deep Dwellers can do, then we can say that they've failed."
Feuerbach's guess was spot on. The animated ships of Elizarles Shores were chopping the heads off any Deep Dweller daring enough to come close to it beneath the surface.
More and more speedboats convened to support Charles, and the pressure weighing down on Charles' shoulders was greatly reduced. The incessant attacks from his navy fleet made it difficult for the Elder to make any powerful moves.
Although weak as individuals, the navy fleet was a force to be reckoned with once united. Charles swept his gaze across the battlefield, trying to look for an opportunity to jump into the fray and deliver the decisive blow to their opponent.
The Elder seemed like he had an endless amount of life-preserving spells; he had been managing to escape quite a few pinches with his bizarre spells.
Just then, a dazzling beam of light inundated Charles. The Black Rose's searchlights had found him.
Charles grabbed the writhing mooring ropes to climb aboard. He had just landed, but he had already found himself bound by something soft.
"I missed you so much, my dear. I've been thinking of you every day." A pair of luscious lips stamped on Charles' lips; at the same time, he was struck by the hostile gazes of the ship's female crew members.
Charles grabbed Elizabeth's cheeks and pushed her away.
"Wait, it isn't the time for this," he said to the blushing Elizabeth.
Elizabeth smiled lightly and leaned over to lick the traces of her lipstick on Charles' lips.
"Well, we can have a nice, long chat once we're done here," Elizabeth said.
"How many experts did you bring? Let's get rid of that octopus first. I'll have you know, but there are two more enemies like him," Charles said. He then turned around and was about to jump into the fray when Elizabeth hugged him from the back.
"You're a Governor, not some navy sailor or admiral," Elizabeth grumbled, "You should try to act according to your status. Aside from the Cavendish Family, have you ever heard of any other Governors eager to rush over to the front lines?"
A white-bearded old man wearing a high-necked purple robe walked onto the deck. A crystal-topped purple staff was in the white-bearded old man's hand, but the white-bearded old man's robe was what caught Charles' attention. There were inscrutable inscriptions on the white-bearded old man's flowing robe.
The white-bearded old man was none other than Finn Gunther. He had helped Richard in his attempt to erase Charles by concocting a Soul Erasing Potion.
A group of mages wearing the same purple robe as Finn walked onto the deck and bowed slightly to Charles. Then, they took out a black feather from out of nowhere.
They waved it gently in the air before them, and the black feather erupted into flames. The mages took to the air, as their bodies had become as light as a feather.
Under Finn's leadership, the mages jumped down the ship, but the arcane ability they had just employed didn't grant them the ability to fly. It seemed to have made them a bit more buoyant for them to barely stay afloat above the surface.
Elizabeth cast an anguished gaze at Charles' empty sleeve. She touched the stump gently with her fingers and asked, "You've lost your arm again. Does it hurt?"
"It's fine. I've gotten used to it." Charles stared at the battlefield in a daze. The mages of the Western Seas were quite skilled. They seemed capable of even restraining the Elder's ability to teleport.
The scales of the battle tipped completely to one side, all thanks to Finn and his group of mages. The Elder was struggling against so many enemies, and his injuries had accumulated to the point that his regeneration ability could no longer keep up.
"Anyway, I have something I need to tell you. I think I need to meet your wife," Elizabeth said.
Charles sighed helplessly and said, "This isn't really the right time to talk about that, Elizabeth."
"Why not? Are there any other unresolved problems? That guy's about to die; He's trapped within our encirclement." Elizabeth said.
The Elder's movement was starting to grow sluggish underneath the incessant attacks. He looked like he would collapse and plunge into the sea at any moment now.
The situation was under control, but Charles' brows knitted.
"There's something wrong here. Where are the other two Elders? Why are they not helping that guy? It doesn't make sense at all," Charles muttered. He wanted to ask the command center for information, but without a telegraph, he couldn't contact them.
"Perhaps they ran away. Anyway, I heard your wife is from World's Crown."
"Yes, so?" Charles asked.
"While making my way here, I asked every harbor I passed through, and there weren't any reports about a fleet from the World's Crown. I'm not trying to get in between you and your wife, but she didn't send you any reinforcements."
Charles' frown deepened. He remained silent as he stared at the battlefield.
"Morsmordre!" Finn roared like an angered lion and raised his crystal-topped purple staff high up.
A tremor ran through the Elder as his tentacles shriveled and squirmed.
"It's over! You filth from the gutters!" Finn roared, and a blazing fireball appeared at the tip of his staff. His plan was to scorch the octopus-headed creature into a crisp.
Rumble!
Just then, a low grumbling echoed from the depths, followed by a grating noise akin to metal grinding against metal. The Elder's hideous face turned cold, and his voice sounded as harsh as ever as he said, "You humans truly never change. You are as ignorant and as self-righteous as always."
The low rumbling and grating noise got louder and louder. The strange sound had all eyes turned onto the surface of the water. The depths churned violently, and Charles' keen eyes caught sight of something colossal within the dark depths.
The navy fleet seemed to have received an order that prompted them to retreat in a hurry. Strangely enough, the Deep Dwellers in the water did the same and retreated frantically.
Both sides were enemies that had been furiously tearing each other's throats apart, but they were now harmoniously retreating together.
Charles leaned forward for a closer look, his eyes focusing on a silhouette that grew clearer and clearer as it approached the surface. Soon, Charles finally saw the details on the silhouette, and his eyes shot wide open in stupefaction.
"Ronker? No, that's... Swann!"
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