In the evening, at the dock of Isaca Port, the "Dominion," Vice Admiral of the Deep Sea Hal Constantine stood on the bow deck with a cigarette in his mouth, taking a deep drag before exhaling a smoke ring. He watched as the officers of another navy warship, surrounded by the administrators of the port town, headed straight toward a luxurious manor in town.
Among them was His Excellency Owen Delien, the demigod, who also disembarked with the group.
At that moment, one of Hal's subordinates ran over and said angrily, "Captain, those navy bastards have gone too far! They're off to the town for fun, but ordered us to guard the 'Black Throne' and those prisoners…"
"Was it His Excellency Owen who gave the order?" Hal flicked the cigarette in his hand, watching it fall into the sea, before asking calmly.
"Yes…" the subordinate answered reluctantly.
"Since it is a Saint's order, we have no room for objection," Vice Admiral of the Deep Sea said indifferently. "Just do your part. When this mission is over and we are away from those navy men, we won't have to look at their faces anymore."
"That's all we can do. I'll arrange for men to patrol the 'Black Throne' so those bastards won't find another excuse to trouble us!" The subordinate sighed as he spoke, then said regretfully, "It's a pity that beauty called Lydia ran away. Otherwise, we could have had some fun with her."
As for Lady Dragon Might Gwen, since she had already entered the Saint's bedroom, he dared not harbor any thoughts.
Vice Admiral of the Deep Sea Hal glanced at his first mate without showing anything on the surface, but he sneered inwardly. From his investigation, Lydia's background was likely the most dangerous among the three captured on the Black Throne! To touch her would be far more disastrous than daring to covet Lady Dragon Might.
Even His Excellency Owen Delien deliberately let Lydia go while keeping Lady Dragon Might…
Hal did not believe that a mere Sequence 7 vampire could escape from the hands of a demigod!
Of course, there was no need to explain these things to his men. After sending them away, Hal returned to the captain's cabin, smoking one cigarette after another, lost in thought.
No one knew how much time passed before Hal suddenly stood up and looked through the cabin's glass window at the sky. The red moon had risen from behind the clouds, bright and flawless.
March 17th, it was the night of the full moon!
Seeing the red moon, Vice Admiral of the Deep Sea Hal's lips curved slightly. He quickly put on a hooded robe, hiding his face in the shadows of the hood.
He then left the cabin at great speed, using his familiarity with the crew to evade all patrols silently, until he reached the Black Throne.
In the days leading up to every "Deep Sea Festival," the sea monster Segust's condition would worsen, often falling into madness. That made its domination over Hal Constantine show cracks.
This was especially pronounced on the night of the full moon!
When the full moon rose, spirituality surged, and the sea monster's madness reached its peak, leaving no attention to its dominated followers.
As long as he did not directly do anything harmful to it, he would be ignored.
This was the experience Hal Constantine had discovered and summarized over the years of attending the Deep Sea Festival.
However, in past festivals, he had never used this to betray the sea monster, not even to test its limits, always waiting cautiously.
He was waiting for the perfect moment to completely break free from the monster's control!
As the illegitimate son of the Delien family, he had signed a contract with the sea monster in the past to gain power for his revenge against the family.
But who could have known that his so-called chance, his so-called choice, had all been arranged by the Delien family? Their true purpose was to make him willingly become a follower of the sea monster, obtain its bloodline, and merge the blood of Delien with the monster, completing some kind of covenant.
He was a sacrificial offering created by the Delien family to present to the sea monster!
He was also the "bridge" of their cooperation, the foundation of trust…
How ironic it was! All his youthful efforts were nothing but a joke in the eyes of the Delien family's rulers!
How could Vice Admiral of the Deep Sea ever accept that?
Even though he was dominated by the monster, the creature could only imprison his heart and control his body, but it could not change his will and faith!
Though Hal Constantine had rebellious intentions, he was extremely patient, waiting silently for the right chance. He knew there would only be one!
And as the Deep Sea Festival grew more frequent in recent years, Hal knew his time was running short.
The covenant between the sea monster and the Delien family clearly had problems… no, it was likely the ritual of the Deep Sea Festival itself that was deeply flawed!
So whether the monster struck back in desperation and ruined the Delien family's schemes, or the Delien family succeeded and gained something from the monster, he, the "bridge," would lose his value…
Therefore, when Hal accidentally learned of Gwen, Lydia, and Tran's backgrounds, he made his decision. On the previous full moon night, he orchestrated the pirate attack on Gwen's uncle's merchant ship, ensuring she would end up enslaved and transported to Isaca Port.
As for afterward, his so-called "recognition" of Gwen's words that made her feel proud, followed by the ambush on the Black Throne to capture two and release one…
These were all preplanned rehearsals!
Because these schemes targeted insignificant people, they posed no threat to the sea monster and even provided more sacrifices, Hal did not have to hide them.
Owen's unexpected involvement did not obstruct his plan but instead made it even more perfect!
At least I no longer need to find an excuse to let Lydia go… Vice Admiral of the Deep Sea muttered in his heart as his body moved like a ghost, avoiding every guard until he reached the room where Tran was imprisoned aboard the Black Throne.
Since Tran and the other officers were Beyonders, they were confined separately. Their rooms had ritual setups to suppress their powers.
Hal, his face hidden in shadows, easily broke the ritual and stood before Tran.
Tran sensed the seal on his abilities vanish. After thanking the stranger before him, he still asked cautiously, "Who are you?"
"Just a kind man… Don't ask too much, leave quickly. Now is the time when the defenses are weakest…" Hal deliberately used an urgent tone.
"What about my companions? And where is the captain?" Tran asked instinctively.
"Your companions were suppressed by the demigod's Dragon Might, they won't recover soon…
"As for Lady Dragon Might… she has already been taken by Owen Delien. She is now kept on the navy flagship.
"Even if His Excellency Owen is not there, the defenses of the flagship are tight. Besides, it is very likely that he has set things upon Lady Dragon Might. If triggered, we will be facing a demigod!" Hal answered in a low voice.
"The captain… she was actually… damn it!" Tran bit his lip, his eyes full of fury. He knew well that the captain was a conservative person. Such an ordeal would leave her with wounds beyond imagination.
"So your top priority is to escape!
"Only if you escape will there be a chance to rescue your companions and captain!
"Whether you call upon the strong ones of your family,
"Or find Lydia and ask her elders for help,
"Or tell Ebner Bryan, that well-connected detective, to save his woman…
"In short, before they become sacrifices, you must find someone to stop all this!"
After Hal incited him with the aid of a mystical item, he quickly left the room without giving Tran another chance to ask.
Find my ancestors… find Lydia… find Ebner… Tran repeated in confusion, but his gaze soon grew firm. He felt the mysterious man was right. Only by escaping quickly could he find help to save the captain!
Yet just as he resolved himself and turned, he froze in shock!
Because Lydia and Ebner were standing on the other side of the room, quietly watching him.
(End of Chapter)