Chapter 132 Navigator

Before, Suren had guessed that there might be high-ranking officers they couldn't deal with in the submarine.

But he didn't think it would be too high, at most a *shaojiang* (Major General).

After all, top-tier generals at the "General Star" level were rare in the Mafa Empire. That level of mechanical armor was a strategic-level resource and would almost never be sent abroad as a "dowry".

Moreover, nobles had a set of fixed rules that had continued for thousands of years, especially the royal family.

A prince had a prince's pomp, and a princess had a princess's pomp. No one could overstep.

To put it simply, this Thirteenth Princess Skadi Harris wasn't qualified to have a *zhongjiang* (Lieutenant General)-level high-ranking officer as part of her dowry.

Suren had anticipated this, which was why he had the current plan.

The original plan was to kill them if it was a *zhunjiang* (Brigadier General).

If it was a *shaojiang* (Major General), then he would probably have to retreat.

Although Chidori had entered the Sword Saint realm and her swordsmanship was exquisite, she was only at the fifth tier after all. In a real battle, the difference in strength between major tiers wasn't so easily erased.

Moreover, mechanical armor was the nemesis of swordsman-type professionals.

Just like now.

...

Chidori entered the scene and directly withstood the Major General-level officer with an overbearing and unparalleled posture.

But even though her sword aura was sharp and could cut out a hundred-meter sword aura on the sea surface, and even cut off waves, it left almost no trace of cutting on the [Major General-level Magic Blade X1 Mechanical Armor].

There was a layer of dissolving barrier on the surface of this mechanical armor, which could visibly dissolve all energy attacks.

The magic-powered lava whip in the mecha's hand was also extremely sharp. It could cripple a mechanical octopus with one whip, let alone human flesh?

Moreover, this [Major General-level] armor didn't have the clumsiness of low-level armor. The magic-powered drive system had almost no charging pause time and was extremely agile. Even the slight stiffness that no mechanical equipment could eliminate was enough to make up for with its super defense and offensive capabilities.

The mechanical armor's super defensive advantage was here.

It could take a beating for a long time, but you couldn't let it touch you.

One whip down, one hit to the soul.

Chidori could face the mecha head-on, but she had to dodge the long whip.

After a few face-to-face encounters, she didn't gain any advantage.

Facing such an opponent, Suren had to use all his means and besiege him together to have a chance to kill him, but it would take a long time.

Unfortunately, the Princess and eight escort ships were nearby, so there was no room for a prolonged battle.

He had to retreat first!

Suren looked at the fierce battle in front of him, and a plan immediately came to his mind.

He didn't go to help Chidori. Instead, he controlled the mechanical octopus and headed for the submarine!

Without that [Major General-level] armor, other mechanical warriors were almost all in a situation where Suren could control them and then slice them up.

Moreover, Suren's black scythe was also a great threat to the submarine.

No matter how strong the steel armor was, it was just a slice in front of a spatial rift.

The Major General seemed to realize this too.

After watching Suren kill two more of his subordinates, he didn't dare to entangle any further. He charged straight at Suren, wanting to hold him back. As soon as Chidori entered the scene, this guy clearly realized that relying on just their ship, it would be difficult to even protect themselves, let alone keep them here. Seeing that things couldn't be done, the submarine, which had already been slashed a few times, received orders to dive quickly.

Suren narrowed his eyes and watched the submarine dive. He had been confident that he could sink this ship.

He had spatial displacement, so it wasn't difficult to catch up.

But as soon as this thought flashed in his mind, it was replaced by another, better plan.

Even if he sank it now, he wouldn't have time to salvage it.

Once the Princess came over, they would still have to evacuate.

Moreover, this submarine was a combat ship, not that "secret mechanical research institute".

Just getting such a submarine wouldn't satisfy his appetite.

With a flash of thought, Suren watched the submarine dive into the sea. He didn't chase after it. Instead, he pretended to be unable to break free and joined forces with Chidori to fight against the Major General.

Low-level professionals couldn't interfere in this level of battle. Suren notified Dr. Banks to let the low-level crew members in the sea leave first. In the blink of an eye, only the "general-to-general" battle was left on the sea surface.

Suren didn't plan to waste his few remaining puppets on dealing with mechanical warriors.

He took out the Rune Black Umbrella, pinched a mage seal with both hands, and a dense mass of red spiritual bodies surged out with a crazy will. There were nearly 100,000 vengeful spirits in the Rune Black Umbrella, and these resentments could cause continuous attacks on the target.

Suren had personally experienced the Black Flash's super strong "necromantic spell penetration". He knew that even if the mechanical armor had a reinforced alloy that could resist most mental attacks, the continuous attacks of the vengeful spirits would make the person inside the mecha more and more affected.

Moreover, the vengeful spirits were immune to all physical attacks. Even the [Magic Energy Hot Lava Python Blade] couldn't hurt them at all.

If they really dragged it out, once the Major General's mind was controlled and his reaction was slightly slow, Suren could immediately kill him with the black scythe!

Suren could also see that this Major General wanted to hold them back and wait for the main force to come and besiege them.

But how could they be willing to fight?

He and Chidori fought while leading the person into the depths of the storm.

The Major General hung far behind. After testing, he also knew that Suren's attack range was limited. The vengeful spirits of the black umbrella could probably cover a few hundred meters. As long as he didn't get close to that range, he wouldn't be affected.

But if he didn't dare to engage in close combat, how could he keep Suren, who had extremely strong sea displacement ability?

After using a little trickery, he and Chidori disappeared into the storm.

...

Not long after, in the Dawn in the storm.

Suren and Chidori leaped onto the deck.

As soon as he got on the ship, he heard Tani's voice suppressing the sound of the heavy rain, directing the sailors on the ship to control the sailboat.

"Hard to port! We're rushing into the waves!"

"That's right, secure the sails. We want to control the storm, not let the storm blow us away!"

"Everyone hold on tight, we're going surfing!"

"..."

On the deck, Lolota, the giant brothers, the sumo wrestler, the swordsmen... everyone worked together to pull the ropes, trying to ensure that every instruction was executed accurately.

Their ship was in the center of the storm. The waves here were tens of meters high, and rain and waves were pouring down on the ship and everyone.

This kind of storm was a disastrous weather that meant death for most navigators.

Encountering this kind of climate at sea usually only had one ending, which was "shipwreck"!

But under Tani's command, the Dawn, a three-masted sailboat, not only didn't sink, but also surfed smoothly on the increasingly high waves, making one thrilling and incredible voyage after another.

Even Suren was shocked.

He used the eight-armed spider spear to fix himself on the deck, but his center of gravity was also constantly shifting with the tilt of the ship, tilting left, right, vertically... even nearly upside down.

He was lifted by the waves, or rushed down from a high place, and there was also the strong sense of overweight and weightlessness like riding a roller coaster.

It was the first time Suren had experienced such an exciting voyage.

Every time he felt like the ship was about to be overturned by the storm, but at the critical moment, it miraculously rode on the next oncoming wave.

It was as if... they weren't fighting a terrible storm.

Instead, they were children loved by the sea, surfing and reveling in the storm.

The waves washed over the hull, and the sound of "crashing" was endless.

The heavy rain soaked the two of them.

Chidori's green hair on her forehead stuck to her face.

The battle just now made her feel a little unsatisfied, but looking at the boy passionately directing in the cockpit, she couldn't hide her appreciation in her eyes, and exclaimed, "Suren, the navigator you found is very powerful."

"Yes."

Suren's eyes were also bright, and his face was full of relief.

Although he had expected it, the shock in his heart was no less than Chidori's.

When formulating the battle plan, Suren said some of his ideas.

He asked Tani if he could drive a sea ship in such an extremely bad storm.

Tani said very firmly that he could.

Suren completely believed him and gave him the command of the sea ship.

At this moment, looking at the confidence in the eyes of the Naga hybrid boy, Suren knew that his trust was entrusted to the right person.

Tani was definitely one of the best navigators in the pirate city of Husterlin, or on this blue sea.

Chidori had an excited expression on her face as if she had found a treasure, and laughed, "Haha... from now on, he will be the chief navigator of our Dawn Troupe!"

...

The sea ship was still shaking violently. Tani said that the storm might last for several hours.

In the shared vision of the black crow, the Princess at the end of the horizon could no longer be seen.

With such a strong storm, a shipwreck would occur if one was not careful. Even if she wanted the "neuro-mechanical technology" again, that precious Frost Moon Princess probably wouldn't be so desperate to chase after it herself.

And there might be submarines chasing after them in the sea, but Tani had already directed the ship to pull away far away.

This guy wasn't a "jinxed unlucky person". The waves and storms would favor him.

Wherever Tani was, the storm would follow.

The sea ship with the blessing of waves and strong winds was like an arrow leaving the string. This speed was impossible for even a submarine to catch up with.

The situation looked thrilling, but in fact the most dangerous moment had passed.

...

The ship's driving was handled by Tani and the crew members. Chidori also stayed on the deck, so Suren didn't need to worry. He walked into the captain's room.

Here, Dr. Banks, Butcher Banner, and some core members of the Nineteenth Squad had been waiting for a while. Although most of the members were still scattered in the sea, this was already the best result. Those scattered people had prepared life-saving equipment in advance, so they could slowly pick them up in this sea area after the storm passed.

Dr. Banks breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Suren come back safely.

Suren didn't ask anything else. He directly asked with anticipation, "Doctor, have you marked it?"

Dr. Banks smiled and said, "No problem. I have already marked the submarine with biological markers. No matter how far away, I can sense the location of their fleet."

Hearing this, a look of joy appeared on Suren's face, and he breathed a long sigh of relief, "It wasn't a waste of time."

Before, Suren actually had a chance to sink the submarine, but he didn't do that.

It was actually to play the long game and catch a big fish.

And the reason why this tactic could succeed was related to one of Dr. Banks's abilities. He could use Eternal Cells to mark objects. Then, as the "mother body", he could sense the exact location of those cells.

Conventional magic markers, or other equipment markers, were easily discovered and removed in the military field.

And this kind of biological marker was very hidden, like microorganisms attached to the hull, and would not be noticed at all.

In this way, Suren and the others could always grasp the location of the escaped submarine.

If that "secret mechanical research institute" was really in a submarine as Suren guessed, then such an important base must also have guard forces.

Sea surface ships were too big of a target, so submarines were the best choice.

These submarines were all brought from the Mafa Empire. The Frost Moon Princess Skadi definitely wouldn't have too many in her hands.

So... they would probably be together.

As long as they could determine the location, and when Suren's octopus army was formed, the success rate of intercepting and killing them next time would be very high!

...

Finally, two hours later, the waves subsided.

Sunlight penetrated through the dark clouds and shone on the deck.

The storm washed the hull of the ship, and it looked brand new and bright.

Suren led Dr. Banks and his party onto the deck.

Everyone greeted him when they saw him.

At this time, Tani also jumped down from the mast, landed on the deck, and called out, "Mr. Suren!"

Suren looked at the biggest contributor to this operation and smiled, "Tani, thank you for your hard work. Your navigation skills are really amazing."

"It's okay..."

Hearing that he was praised, Tani scratched his head a little shyly. But in those clear light blue eyes, a light of encouragement shone.

This wasn't the first time he had driven a ship, but it was the only time he had been so comfortable.

On such a large sea ship, everyone believed in him and listened to his command... no one looked at him differently because he was a "jinxed unlucky person"; nor did anyone despise him because of his childish appearance.

He felt a strong sense of... being trusted!

Tani's thoughts were wandering when Chidori patted him on the shoulder and said, "Tani, you're very good. From now on, you will be the navigator of our Dawn Troupe!"

Chidori's words also officially recognized him as a new crew member.

Hearing this, the crew members on the ship cheered and praised him, welcoming the new member to join.

"Welcome our new member, an excellent navigator!"

"Oh, I can't believe we sailed 'intact' from such a catastrophic storm! Hahaha..."

"Tani is the most amazing navigator I've ever seen!"

"Yes. Really great!"

"..."

The crew members didn't skimp on their praise.

Tani looked at the smiling faces full of kindness like family members, and felt a strong warmth in his heart. His eyes warmed, and he replied excitedly, "Thank you Mr. Suren, thank you Sister Chidori, thank you everyone..."

He came to Pirate City when he was very young. Because he was a hybrid of a sea monster and a human, he had always been discriminated against and excluded.

Because of his special physique, he was also called a "jinxed unlucky person".

When his mother was still unable to speak, she told him to live well, and fate would favor everyone who faced life positively.

So, he had been working hard to live.

Even if his mother had completely petrified and hadn't spoken for many years.

He also remembered his mother's words firmly.

He had been trying to face life positively and optimistically.

He earned money while diligently studying navigation knowledge...

His dream was that one day, he would have his own partners, driving their own sea ship, exploring every corner of this sea.

Tani thought and thought, suddenly burst into tears, and couldn't stop them from flowing.

He had never met people who were so easy to get along with. Everyone was full of kindness, and he experienced respect and equality for the first time.

That feeling was wonderful, like the sunshine after the storm he saw in front of him, making people feel warm in their hearts.

Instead of the intrigue, depression, and darkness in Pirate City.

At this moment, he saw the beauty of the world.

Children from poor families were easily satisfied with a little bit of happiness.

He thought and thought, tears streaming down his face.

Seeing Tani burst into tears, Lolota handed him a handkerchief and said playfully, "Here... for you. Our crying navigator."

"Thank you, Miss Lolota."

Tani took it and smiled shyly. Because there were still tears hanging from the corners of his eyes, he looked extremely funny.

Chidori couldn't help but smile, then turned to introduce, "This is Mr. Banner. Many people on the ship should know him. Old Lingdun Steam Party. Now, he and his members are also members of our Dawn Troupe!"

As soon as she said this, the ship immediately became lively.

"Wow... welcome old friends of the Steam Party."

"..."

Most of those who came out of the Steam Party and the Cross Society were high-level experts, and many knew each other. Meeting on this ship felt like "meeting an old friend in a foreign land". After introducing each other, everyone didn't act like strangers.

Chidori didn't introduce Dr. Banks. This was Dr. Banks's own idea.

Even if he had now joined the Dawn Troupe, he didn't want people to know his existence and just wanted to do scientific research quietly.

...

This escape plan was perfect.

Almost every detail was as Suren had imagined before.

Now the work they had to do was to follow the biological markers and distress signals left by Dr. Banks to slowly salvage the crew members who had been scattered at sea before.

Now the sea was calm and the sea ship was sailing on the sea at a leisurely pace.

The sky had returned to clear, without a cloud in sight.

The Princess fleet had completely disappeared from the sea surface, and the tense atmosphere before had completely dissipated.

Chidori was blowing the sea breeze on the mast, Dr. Banks was staying in the cabin tinkering with his laboratory, Lolota was still practicing her sword diligently as always, Banner and his brothers were trying to integrate into this new team...

The Dawn Troupe had some new members, and everyone was very happy.

Suren was sunbathing on the deck, enjoying the rare leisure time.

But suddenly, Tani jumped down from the mast.

He had a puzzled expression on his face and said, "Mr. Suren, I have discovered something and want to report to you."

Suren looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Tani frowned and said, "There seems to be something very strange in the water."

Hearing this, Suren was a little puzzled and instinctively asked, "There's something strange in the water?"

Hearing this, the others on the ship also looked over.

"Yes."

Tani hesitated for a moment, as if he remembered some unpleasant memories.

Looking at everyone's kind and confused gazes, he gathered his courage and said, "Just now, the fish discovered that there is something very strange in the sea."

Hearing this, Suren was very surprised and said, "You... you can communicate with fish?"

"Yes!"

Tani nodded and said, "I could understand animals when I was a child, but I can't always hear them. Uh... now, it seems like I can always hear them."

He had told others before that he had this ability.

But that ability was intermittent and couldn't be controlled at will. When he wanted to prove it, he couldn't hear it, so he was ruthlessly ridiculed.

Later, he never mentioned it to anyone again.

"Oh."

Suren realized that this might be a talent ability.

It was a bit like [Talent C-021-Beast Speaker].

People easily awakened their talents when they experienced great ups and downs, or when their state of mind changed greatly.

But Suren wasn't sure if this was Tani's talent ability.

Because he could also passively attract storms.

That was the talent of the Naga tribe, that race was the darling of the ocean and storms.

However, compared to exploring this issue, Suren was more curious about other things.

He asked, "What's in the sea?"

Tani sorted out his thoughts and tried to describe it, "Um... actually it's been there all along. It seems to be 'eels', 'multi-tailed sea snakes', 'octopuses', or some other tentacled marine life. But 'they' shouldn't be in this sea, and now, it seems like they are following us."

Hearing this, Suren's eyes instantly sharpened.

Studies have shown that the perception ability of marine life is actually very strong, and even stronger than human perception-type professionals in some aspects. If there was something strange in a sea area, the fish would know it immediately.

Tani didn't know what it was, but Suren knew it.

Listening to the description, he immediately realized that there were other mechanical octopuses in the seabed!

Suren asked, "How many of those things are there?"

Tani said, "At least dozens."

"So many?"

Listening to this, Suren not only didn't worry, but his eyes lit up with joy.

The Frost Moon Princess's dowry submarine hadn't been salvaged. Was Grand Duke Raphael preparing to compensate him with some mechanical octopuses?