Chapter 693
The Trap Gradually Closing In!
Charles's decisiveness dispelled the last trace of doubt in Cohen's mind.
This Holy God of Healing genuinely wanted to seize this opportunity to solidify and even elevate his position within his own camp.
Charles then began to mobilize the resources of the Holy Healing Order.
Before ascending to the throne, the Holy God Charles was banished to the Endless Sea. It can be said that his beginnings were in the Endless Sea, and he has a very deep connection with it.
For this reason, after the Holy Healing Order grew in strength, it established overt or covert strongholds, healing centers, and observation stations in many important shipping lanes, large islands, and even near some deep-sea race settlements in the Endless Sea.
The religious order heals sailors in distress, mediates disputes at sea, and silently monitors the order of the ocean.
To this day, the Holy Healing Order possesses a potential power and influence in the Endless Sea that far surpasses the imagination of many land-based empires.
This is also one of the main reasons why Cohen thought of seeking help from the God of Healing.
Charles's tone was filled with absolute confidence:
"Your Majesty only needs to provide the specific sea coordinates of the trap's location, and I can immediately order the Holy Healing Order to mobilize all its forces in the Endless Sea to gather in that area."
No need for a long journey from the mainland; our monks, paladins, ocean druids, and allied sea creatures can arrive from all directions at top speed!
Charles's move was undoubtedly a timely help.
Cohen was initially worried that it would take too long to mobilize forces from the mainland, or that the operation would be too disruptive.
The Holy Healing Order had already made arrangements in the Endless Sea; it was simply a perfect solution.
“That’s good. The trap area is probably located in the northern part of the ‘Silent Island Chain’ and near the entrance to the ‘Weeping Strait’.”
Your Majesty, please immediately mobilize your forces and be sure to…
He estimated Claire's possible speed of action and the Imperial fleet's journey, and gave a tight time window.
“No problem!” Charles agreed readily. “I will have the current Grand Master of the Holy Healing Order, Saint Buze, personally lead the team.”
He is one of my most capable earthly agents, extremely familiar with the Endless Sea, and possesses several sacred artifacts I bestowed upon him, sufficient to handle most emergencies.
Sending a saint to personally lead the team is a significant undertaking.
Clearly, Charles was determined to demonstrate the utmost sincerity and strength in this matter.
“Your Majesty Corleone,” Charles concluded solemnly, “the ranks of Saint Buze and the Order of the Holy Healers will be completely at your command.”
They will proceed directly to the designated area to assemble and await your further instructions. Does this arrangement seem acceptable to you?
Cohen responded immediately:
"Thank you, Your Majesty. After the assembly is complete, please go directly to the Hidden Mist Reef area, about three hundred nautical miles northwest of the 'Silent Island Chain', and lie in ambush and await orders."
I'll meet them there!
After ending his communication with the Holy God of Healing, Cohen prepared to go ahead and rush to the vicinity of the Trap Sea as quickly as possible to personally investigate the situation, confirm Claire's location, and the Empire's specific arrangements.
He had to go in person. On the one hand, he was really worried about Claire and needed to confirm her safety as soon as possible, and provide the most direct support if necessary.
On the other hand, he needs to have the most intuitive grasp of the battlefield in order to coordinate best with the reinforcements from the Holy Healing Order and achieve the goal of a perfect solution.
……
The waters leading from the Endless Sea to Black Prison Island, outside the "Weeping Strait".
The leaden gray, low-hanging clouds and the dark blue, icy seawater merge at the horizon, resembling a giant anvil slowly closing.
This treacherous sea area, known to the world as a ship graveyard, with turbulent currents and numerous reefs, is now shrouded in an even more suffocating aura.
One of the most elite forces in the Southern Empire's navy—the "Deep Blue Spear" task force—stretched across the sea and sky like a metal mountain constructed of steel and magic, slowly moving toward its destination.
As the main fleet of the Southern Empire Navy, the "Deep Blue Spear" is equipped with more than one hundred capital warships.
The deck is lined with magical turrets, making the "Zhenhai-class" battleship majestic and imposing.
The Whale-class cruiser, equipped with ballistae and elemental projectiles.
The Swordfish-class destroyers are as swift as sharks, appearing and disappearing without a trace.
Hundreds of capital warships formed a massive and imposing formation.
The deep blue imperial insignia on the side of the ship reflected a cold luster in the gloomy light, and the dense array of cannon muzzles and firing ports, like the sharp teeth of a giant beast, pointed in all directions.
As the fleet moved forward, it cleaved through the surging waves, the deep roar of the engines mingling with the sound of the waves crashing against the hull, creating a powerful background sound.
This is only the power above the water's surface.
Underwater, several sleek magical submarines patrolled like ghosts, while deeper still, tamed deep-sea monsters, driven by imperial beast tamers, performed additional guard and assault missions.
Meanwhile, on several flagships at the heart of the fleet, elite mages from the Imperial Court Mage Corps were spreading powerful detection waves outwards at a fixed rhythm.
Any creature that trespasses into these waters without permission, whether it be a surface ship, an underwater lurker, or a flying unit attempting to fly overhead, will have nowhere to hide.
This is not just an escort fleet, but more like a heavily armed mobile fortress at sea, a deadly trap waiting for its prey to take the bait.
At the heart of the fleet is a "sea-guarding" flagship, the "Abyss Overlord," which resembles a palace at sea.
Inside the spacious and luxurious bridge command room, Gregor Jarvis, the eldest prince of the Southern Empire, wore a crisp, dark blue Imperial Navy uniform, the general's stars and royal insignia on his epaulets gleaming.
He stood in front of the huge arched observation window, his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on a huge magic crystal ball with a diameter of more than two meters that was suspended in the center of the command room.
Inside the crystal ball, light and shadow flowed, displaying a clear, three-dimensional image of the real-time sea conditions within a radius of one hundred nautical miles centered on the "Abyss Overlord".
Each of our ships was marked with a miniature, glowing blue triangle symbol and moved slowly.
Deep-sea topography, currents, magical disturbances... even the aura reactions of some faint life forms are presented as tiny points of light of different colors and shapes on this huge three-dimensional map.
This is the pinnacle of Imperial alchemy and enchanting techniques, combining a large-scale detection array with the far-seeing power of a crystal ball, enough to give commanders a complete understanding of the battlefield situation.
However, the vast sea area reflected by the crystal ball at this moment was quite "clean," except for the blue dots representing their own fleet and a few faint spots representing harmless marine life or natural magical nodes.
The expected red hostile markers representing a large-scale merfolk army or a Crimson Raider fleet did not appear.
Gregor's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before relaxing, maintaining the composure befitting royalty.
But the fingers behind his back were unconsciously twitching slightly, revealing his inner turmoil.
Is there anything unusual?
Greg's voice was calm, revealing little emotion, and his gaze remained fixed on the crystal ball.
Half a step to his side stood an elderly man dressed in a dark purple robe with gold trim.
The old man held a staff with a huge sapphire inlaid at the top. The staff touched the ground slightly, faintly resonating with the giant magic circle engraved on the bridge deck.
He was none other than Deendreo Ross, the head of the Southern Empire's court mage corps and a holy archmage.
He was also the main planner and on-site coordinator of the entire project, and Greg's most trusted confidant and strategist.
De Endero's gaze was also fixed on the crystal ball. Upon hearing this, he shook his head slightly, and his aged yet steady voice rang out:
"Your Highness, the detection array is functioning normally, with no blind spots in its coverage area."
Currently, only a few very faint magical fluctuations have been detected. Judging from the frequency and intensity, they should be high-ranking scouts sent by the merfolk or some sea creatures, conducting probing reconnaissance from a great distance.
They were cautious and did not approach.
As for signs of large-scale troop movements... none have been detected so far.
Greg grunted in agreement, shifting his gaze from the crystal ball to the leaden-gray sea and sky outside the window, and remained silent for a moment.
In this operation, he mobilized almost all of the elite naval forces and court magicians he could muster, and even "borrowed" several powerful but also extremely harmful forbidden items from the royal treasury and several secret inheritances through certain clandestine channels.
All of this is to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
He made a solemn pledge to his father, the emperor, not only to successfully "clean up" those former prisoners who might cause trouble, but also to take this opportunity to severely injure or even capture Queen Claire of the Mermaid Clan and seize the legendary Trident of the Sea God.
If he succeeds, he will gain unparalleled glory, completely overshadowing his other brothers, and the position of first in line to the throne will be practically within his grasp.
Failure...no, he cannot fail.
A ruthless glint flashed in Greg's eyes.
“That Lan Clan… inside man,” Greg lowered his voice, making sure only Deendreo beside him could hear, “has there been any new news yet? We’re getting closer and closer to the designated sea area.”
De Endro's wrinkled face remained expressionless, as if he were talking about something trivial:
"There are no new secret messages at the moment, but Your Highness need not worry too much."
During their last contact, Chief Barmos of the Lan tribe clearly stated that he had successfully persuaded Claire and had joined forces with the chief of the Bitao tribe; the three of them would come to her rescue.
Given Claire's personality and how much she values those prisoners, there's no way she wouldn't come.
When the "Lan Clan Chief" was mentioned, De Endero's tone was completely calm, as if he were talking about the weather.
The patriarch of one of the three royal families of the Merfolk had secretly defected to the Southern Empire, becoming the most crucial and fatal link in this trap aimed at his own queen.
It was through him that the empire was able to accurately grasp the situation within the merfolk.
Barmos even "volunteered" to "personally" accompany Claire, ostensibly to "share the burden and save the tribe."
In reality, the plan was to personally send the mermaid queen, who posed the greatest threat to the empire and was also its most valuable asset, into the prison that the empire had meticulously crafted.
Upon hearing Deandre's affirmative reply, Greg maintained a calm demeanor, though his heart was in turmoil. The betrayal of the Lan Clan chief was the most triumphant and secretive element of his entire plan.
What was promised to the Lan Clan was the position of "Governor" of the Endless Sea under the future rule of the Empire, a sea clan leader status far more noble than that of the Tide Royal Family, and countless resources and support.
However, under the empire's exorbitant offer and meticulously designed psychological offensive, Barmos finally wavered.
He not only provided a wealth of classified information about the merfolk, but also personally participated in designing this deadly trap.
"Claire... the Trident of Poseidon..."
Greg silently chanted in his heart, and an uncontrollable burning sensation rose from the bottom of his heart.
Capturing the mermaid queen, hailed as the most beautiful woman in the ocean, aloof, noble, and powerful, would be an unprecedented achievement, whether as a political bargaining chip or as a top-tier prize.
And that legendary trident of Poseidon is a top-tier artifact capable of driving any force mad.
“If all goes well…” A glint of almost greedy light flashed deep in Greg’s eyes.
He could almost see himself escorting the captured Claire, holding a gleaming trident, triumphantly returning to the capital, receiving the worship of the people, his brothers filled with jealousy yet helpless.
With this unparalleled achievement, who will be able to rival him for the supreme imperial throne in the future?
Greg took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and his voice regained its usual coldness:
"Pass down the order: the entire fleet shall maintain first-level combat readiness, with all detection arrays operating at full power, especially for detecting deep-sea diving and advanced stealth techniques."
The underwater hunting unit moved forward twenty nautical miles to expand the perimeter.
All the ship's mages took turns maintaining 'True Knowledge' and 'Early Warning Barrier'.
Tell all ship captains that the prey could appear at any moment. I want them to be on high alert at all times. If anything unusual is detected, attack with full force according to the pre-arranged plan without needing to ask for permission!
"Yes, Your Highness."
De Endro bowed slightly, tapped his staff lightly, and invisible magical messages instantly spread throughout the entire fleet.
The massive "Deep Blue Spear" task force, like a fully awakened steel behemoth, bared its deadly fangs against the gloomy sea and sky.
Quietly awaiting the "deep-sea pearl" that is destined to walk into the trap!
Shortly after Greg issued the order to increase security, a deep blue communication stone that De Endero had been holding in his hand suddenly began to vibrate violently and emit a rapid and regular glow.
De Endro's expression hardened, and his withered fingers quickly gathered around the communication stone, injecting a wisp of magic into it.
After sensing with his eyes closed for a while, he opened them and turned to Greg:
"Your Highness, Chief Barmos has sent a secret message."
They have successfully infiltrated to the outskirts of my fleet and are currently hiding in a deep-sea trench about fifteen nautical miles to the southeast.
Claire and Chief Bitao accompanied her, along with about thirty Crimson Raiders and elite Merfolk warriors, who lay in ambush in the outer areas to provide support.
Upon hearing this, Greg's gaze suddenly turned back to the floating magic crystal ball.
However, on that huge and detailed three-dimensional nautical chart, the image representing the sea area fifteen nautical miles to the southeast was completely calm, except for a few faint spots of light representing natural currents and reefs.
There was no conspicuous sign indicating the presence of a powerful life form or artifact.
Why isn't the crystal ball responding?
Gregor frowned again, a hint of doubt in his voice.
This crystal ball combines the empire's most advanced detection technology, theoretically capable of detecting the energy fluctuations of legendary powerhouses, not to mention divine artifacts.
De Endro seemed unsurprised by this, and as he stroked the communication stone, he explained:
"Your Highness, it is the Trident of Poseidon."
That artifact's power far surpasses our ordinary detection methods.
Based on the limited information provided by Barmos and our research on ancient artifacts, we speculate that the Trident of Poseidon possessed extremely high powers in concealment, manipulation of water and space.
Claire must have already activated the artifact to its fullest extent, creating a magic array that perfectly blends all their auras, energy fluctuations, and even physical forms with the surrounding ocean environment.
As long as they don't launch an attack or enter the core area of certain extremely sensitive restrictions, our conventional detection arrays will indeed have a hard time detecting them in advance if they deliberately conceal themselves.
He paused, then added:
"This also indirectly confirms Claire's caution and her control over the artifact."
Instead of recklessly charging the fleet, she chose the safest approach: a stealthy approach.
This proves that our bait was realistic enough, and she did indeed take the bait, only more cautious than we expected.
A look of understanding flashed in Greg's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper calculation.
Be careful? Be careful, but once she steps into this sea, she'll have no choice but to leave it to her.
He hesitated for a moment, quickly calculating in his mind. A direct attack was not the best strategy, even though the fleet had powerful firepower.
However, if Claire were to rely on the power of the artifact and focus solely on escaping, it might not be entirely possible to capture her on the endless sea.
We must create an opportunity that compels her to approach, or even actively enter, the core of the pre-set battlefield.
Greg's voice regained its calmness and decisiveness:
"Order the entire fleet, led by the 'Abyss Overlord,' to proceed slowly northeast towards Blackstone Island for routine rest and freshwater replenishment."
Prepare the 'decoy boat' for the display.
Black Rock Island is a relatively large, uninhabited island in this sea area. It has a rugged terrain and a natural harbor, and is often used as a temporary stop by passing fleets.
Choosing to rest there is perfectly reasonable and will not arouse much suspicion.
The "bait ship" is the transport ship that holds some of the merfolk prisoners. It will be positioned in the fleet formation in a relatively easy-to-access and easy-to-encircle position.
"Yes, Your Highness."
De Endro understood immediately and relayed the order through the magical network.
The massive steel fleet began to slowly turn, like a beast that had retracted its claws and pretended to doze off, heading towards Blackstone Island not far away.
All combat personnel remained on duty, but the surface vigilance seemed to have relaxed somewhat, and the light of the detection array was deliberately dimmed, as if they really needed to rest due to the long voyage and high-intensity vigilance.
Ten minutes ago, southeast of Blackstone Island, in the shadow of a deep-sea trench.
The light here is extremely dim, with only some deep-sea bioluminescent creatures emitting a faint, cold glow that illuminates the jagged reefs and the slowly swaying giant seaweed.
Claire floated in the seawater, her body enveloped in a layer of pale blue light that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye. This light seemed to have a life of its own, perfectly blending her and the dozen or so equally blurry figures behind her into the surrounding seawater, undercurrents, and even the light.
This is precisely the concealed power of the Trident of Poseidon – the "Deep Sea Curtain".
Claire's beautiful face was expressionless, her eyes coldly fixed on the outline of the massive fleet in the distance, and the Black Stone Island in front of the fleet that looked like a crouching behemoth.
trap.
She was almost 100% certain that this was a trap set for her.
The Imperial Navy's grand display, including its route and docking locations, was clearly deliberate.
But the faint, familiar yet painful soul fluctuations belonging to her people emanating from a transport ship in the center of the fleet burned her heart like a red-hot iron.
She couldn't stand idly by, and besides, she had her own reliance—the divine artifact in her hand and her legendary peak strength.
“Your Majesty,” a deep voice reached Claire’s ears through the special vibrations of the water, it was a captain of the accompanying Crimson Raiders who was skilled in reconnaissance, “the fleet has begun to turn and head towards that Blackrock Island.”
It looks like...they're about to dock for supplies. Their detection fluctuations seem to have weakened.
Claire's eyes flickered slightly. Supplies?
In such sensitive waters, how can supplies be replenished near a pre-planned escort route?
Is it part of a trap, or has it really been a case of letting one's guard down?
Either way, this seems like an opportunity.
An opportunity to observe closely, perhaps even find a loophole, to swiftly rescue one's people, and then escape far away.
Claire's voice traveled through the water to every elite soldier behind her:
"Pass down the order: everyone stay hidden and await further instructions. Do not move without my signal."
Barbos, Flint, you two are in charge of providing backup.
I need to approach the fleet to investigate and first locate the ship that is holding our people captive.
Just then, Chief Barmos spoke:
"Your Majesty, the Southern Empire is full of cunning schemes, we must be wary. I will go with you."
In case there is an ambush on the island, they can at least look out for each other.
Claire paused slightly, her azure eyes giving Barmos a deep look.
This Lan clan chief was already an important member of the merfolk in her previous life.
At that time, the Tide Clan was one of the three royal clans of the Merfolk. Claire, as the Tide Clan chief, was quite familiar with Barmos, an important member of the Lan Clan.
She knew this person quite well. Although they had differed in political views in recent years, Barmos had always remained steadfast on matters of principle, especially when it came to the survival of the race.
He volunteered for this rescue operation and actively contacted his former subordinates, providing a great deal of intelligence about the internal structure of the Imperial Fleet.
Now that he has asked to accompany me again, it seems difficult to refuse him outright, both emotionally and logically.
While exploring alone is certainly more flexible, having a seasoned legendary-level peak expert like Barmos by your side can definitely help you deal with more unexpected situations.
Furthermore, leaving a royal clan leader who volunteered for battle behind might affect the unity of the merfolk. (End of Chapter)