Chapter 112: A Legendary Figurehead—and Wings

Half of Kodra’s heads wanted to dive into the depths. The others insisted on fighting. Between them, they managed to pull its huge body to a halt.

"Aurelia. Skyblade Descent."

Cassian’s voice carried across the water.

"I can’t stand deserters. Start with the heads that want to run."

He had already prepared for an escape attempt. Liora and the Crystal Maidens were ready to slow the Hydra, and his Carriers could dive after it if they had to.

If it chose to stay here, so much the better.

A blade of light a hundred meters long descended.

The Poison Head broke from its neck and crashed into the sea, throwing up a huge wall of water.

"That is what a deserter deserves," the Thunder Head said coldly.

A few minutes later, a golden report appeared.

[Your Hero Aurelia Dawnwing has killed Kodra.]

[Quality: Legendary]

[Battle Essence +12,100,000]

[Aether +1,500,000]

[Hydra Figurehead — Legendary ×1]

[Ballots ×6,800]

Cassian’s eyes lit up.

The Ballots were welcome. The Figurehead interested him even more.

Legendary special equipment, just like the Blood Chalice. He opened its attributes at once.

[Hydra Figurehead | Legendary]

[Effect 1: Reduces nearby hostile monsters’ attributes by up to 30%. Strength depends on the ship’s Level and Quality and the targets’ Levels and Qualities.]

[Effect 2: Repel — Drives approaching monsters away from the ship.]

[Effect 3: Sailing Speed +50%]

[Effect 4: Hull Strength +30%]

[Effect 5: Automatically repairs hull damage. Energy Recovery Speed ×2.]

"Excellent."

Cassian selected the Carrier beneath his feet. He named the first ship Ghost One and gave the order.

"Equip."

The Figurehead settled into place at the bow.

Mina’s projection appeared almost immediately, her face bright with delight.

"Thank you, Lord!"

He nodded. Ghost One would be his own transport from now on. It deserved something good.

The battle had lasted little more than ten minutes. Five Dawnwings and six Praetorians had died.

The five Dawnwings had already been reborn in the Pool at Forgotten Shrine. Their memories remained, but their Levels reset to 0. They would stay home for now.

For the Praetorians, Cassian used the Fountain.

Liora organized the cleanup and had their remains collected. She carried them back along the explored route in a series of Teleports, reaching the Goblin harbor. From there, the existing portals took them home.

The Fountain confirmed all six belonging records. Its accumulated Life Energy was enough for their reconstruction. Cassian authorized the cost, and that reserve drained as the six bodies were restored.

Their recovery reports arrived while the battlefield was being cleared. All six were alive again and would rest in Forgotten Shrine.

Rhea and the other two surviving Praetorians remained with him aboard Ghost One.

With the cleanup in hand, Cassian stepped onto the island, accompanied by Aurelia and Celia.

[Wild Troop Building discovered: Hydra Nest]

[Ignore / Destroy / Occupy]

"Occupy."

[Hydra Nest]

[Recruitment Output]

[Legendary Hydra: 1 per 30 days]

[Epic Hydra, stronger line: 1 per 3 days]

[Epic Hydra: 1 per day]

[Rare Hydra: 1 per day]

[Current Stock: Legendary Hydra ×1 / Epic Hydra, stronger line ×2...]

A Wild Building that could recruit Legendary troops. Its value was comparable to the Dwarven Royal Hall.

Cassian considered the available recruit, then closed the panel.

Kodra had looked terrifying because of its Level. Put one of his Legendary Dawnwings against Hydras of the same Level, and it could fight two of them. He had better uses for his resources than recruiting a Hydra now.

The Sea Beacon was next.

"Occupy."

[Sea Beacon]

[Friendly Ship Movement Speed +20% within coverage.]

[Friendly Ship Vision +100% within coverage.]

[Enemy ships cannot remain concealed within coverage.]

[Effective Range: 200 kilometers]

Only two hundred kilometers, but to Cassian, this was worth even more than the Nest.

Faster ships. A wider view of the sea. Both meant more monsters found and more Ballots collected. This was one of the main reasons he had come.

The island held over a hundred resource points as well. One of them was Epic.

For once, he felt as though he had borrowed Elara’s luck.

By the time the battlefield was cleared, it was fully dark. Cassian left Liora in charge of the hunt and opened the Dawn Alliance Channel.

[Cassian Vale: Looking for two flying Skill Books. Any school is fine. I’ll pay well. Message me if you have one.]

The first reply came quickly.

[Mira Calder has sent you a Skill Book through the Exchange: Wings of Wind.]

Before he could offer payment, her private message arrived.

[Mira Calder: Don’t mention money. You pulled our people off that ridge alive and destroyed the army invading Northwatch. We couldn’t pay for that if we emptied the whole Region.]

Cassian did not argue.

[Cassian Vale: Thank you. I’ll send you some of our food, then.]

He sent a batch through the Exchange.

[Mira Calder: All right. That I’ll accept.]

Darian joined the conversation.

[Darian Frost: Flying skills? Getting ready to hunt Ballots at sea?]

It was not a difficult guess. Being able to fly would give a Lord another way to stay alive out there.

[Cassian Vale: More or less.]

[Darian Frost: I have Cloud Riding. Grade B. It’s a simplified form of Cloudstride. Interested?]

Cassian opened the attached record.

A Grade-B flying skill. That was an Epic book, and flight made it more valuable still.

The reference to Cloudstride caught his attention. That was one of the highest Grade-A flying arts, a path said to approach Mythic power when mastered deeply enough.

[Cassian Vale: Weren’t you keeping this for yourself?]

[Darian Frost: My family has another. I’ll bring it next time I go home. Besides, I’d rather you didn’t get yourself killed out there.]

Cassian laughed.

[Cassian Vale: All right. Then I’ll send you something from my Domain too.]

[Darian Frost has sent you a Skill Book through the Exchange: Cloud Riding — Grade B.]

Cassian sent back a hundred grains of Epic Moonrice.

[Darian Frost: You don’t need to—wait. This is Epic Moonrice?]

The next message came privately.

[Darian Frost: You’re growing this yourself? How much more do you have? Name your price.]

Cassian had chosen well.

Darian’s family could get high-Quality food, of course. But every trip home meant bringing back as much useful material as he could carry, and food usually came after the other supplies. Having a source here was another matter.

[Cassian Vale: I have more. When I need money, I’ll be sure to contact you.]

[Darian Frost: Then I can only hope you go broke soon.]

——

Gareth posted in the Alliance Channel.

[Gareth Halvern: Confirmed. There’s a coast a little over six hundred kilometers south of Stoneward, and my Gate can reach it. Anyone heading to sea can come through my Domain.]

[Mira Calder: Excellent. I’ve been looking for a friendly coastal Region all day. I’ll pay double the opening fee.]

[Gareth Halvern: No. Shared passage is free. We’ve already benefited enough from this Alliance. Let us do something useful for everyone.]

Other Stoneward Lords offered their help as well. For a while, the Channel was full of people making arrangements.

[Darian Frost: Ironwake’s Lords will head out through Stoneward tomorrow, then. Much appreciated.]

[Gareth Halvern: Whenever you’re ready.]

Cassian closed the Channel and returned to the two Skill Books.

He searched the Exchange for their higher forms, spending most of his time on the options for Wings of Wind. Before long, he found the pair he wanted.

The offers accepted each basic book as part of the payment. He confirmed both trades.

[Wings of Wind + Aether ×12,000,000 exchanged for Wings of the Windlord — Grade A.]

[Cloud Riding + Aether ×14,000,000 exchanged for Cloudstride — Grade A.]

The books he had received from Mira and Darian left his Inventory. Two complete Grade-A Skill Books took their place.

——

The captain’s bedroom was comfortably furnished, its dark colors making the lamplight seem warmer. Cassian sat down and sent Wings of the Windlord to Veyra through the Exchange.

Her image appeared before him from Forgotten Shrine.

"A flying Art?"

"Something the Eclipse line could use at sea," he said.

She opened the book, and her expression brightened as she read. Then she used it and entered the Art into the Level-7 Muster Hall’s inheritance catalogue.

[Eclipse Inheritance updated: Wings of the Windlord — Grade A]

[Eligible Eclipse members may invoke the Art at Basic proficiency. Training access extended to headquarters and Chapterhouses.]

They could now form the wings and begin learning to use them. Further proficiency would still have to be developed, with Muster Fortune available to help them train.

Veyra looked back at him, openly pleased.

"You’ve given them a whole new battlefield."

Cassian smiled. "That was the idea."

She shifted back from the image, and he noticed what she had chosen to wear. Summer Cool suited her very well.

Veyra caught the change in his expression. Her smile turned teasing.

"And I thought you might like this."

He leaned back in the chair, enjoying the view.

"I do."

——

On deck, Rhea was explaining her duties to Mina’s projection.

"I’m his guard, his attendant, and I can work the stiffness out of his shoulders. That’s quite a few jobs."

"I carry him everywhere," Mina replied pleasantly.

Rhea was still considering an answer when she stopped short.

"Wings of the Windlord?"

She drew on her Aether. Wind gathered at her back, forming a small pair of blue-green wings.

Rhea turned her head to look at them. Then she gave them an experimental flap.

"Oh!"

She shot off the deck.

Her startled cry became a laugh.

"I can fly! Thank you, Lord!"

Aurelia looked up, smiling. She pushed off the deck and spread her own wings.

"Come on, Rhea. Let’s see how fast you are."

Mina’s projection turned after them.

"A little less force when you take off, please! This is still my deck!"

——

The next morning, Cassian stood on the deck with Cloudstride in his hands.

"Learn."

The book dissolved. The Art’s intricate instructions settled into his mind, clear enough that he could follow them as naturally as drawing a breath.

[Cloudstride — Beginner]

Cassian willed it into use.

A soft cloud formed beneath his feet.