Chapter 1336 - 884: Congestion (Part 2)

Chapter 1336: Chapter 884: Congestion (Part 2)

The pursuit of power, wealth, and the chance to change their fate is the driving force that brought them to this perilous continent.

"Hmph, getting rich?"

Another voice in the team, full of obvious sarcasm, came from a scarred veteran with sharp eyes. His arm armor bore a blurred insignia, possibly from a destroyed kingdom.

"The news is all over the place, with Void invasions sprouting holes and spewing those damned things everywhere! And they’re leaving the fires burning at their own doorsteps, shoving in here onto the front lines? Got brains stuffed with Gold Coins?"

He had some disdain for these people.

Those words, full of gunpowder, immediately provoked a retort. A burly mercenary beside him glared discontentedly: "Hey! Old man, you can’t talk like that! You act like you’re so noble, why don’t you go back and guard your home?"

The veteran jerked his head around, his gaze like a sharp blade sweeping over the other, his voice cold and simmering with restrained anger.

"Go back? My home... the town of Lotte, along with more than three hundred people inside, including my wife and children who couldn’t escape... was eaten to the bones by the minions of an Evil God years ago! What do I go back to guard? A pile of scorched earth and rotten bones?"

Besides, it was just an edge town of a small city-state that had already been destroyed.

He struggled until the last moment and was saved by the Night Watchers at that time.

He pointed forcefully at the ground beneath him, "Here, this is the only place left for me to cut down those damned things!"

The surroundings instantly fell silent.

The retorting mercenary opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing, his face showing embarrassment and a hint of guilt.

So, it was the veteran from that era.

The crowd in the queue also fell silent or sighed, the cruelty of war and the tragedy of personal fate weighing heavily, dulling the previous complaints and restlessness.

Ultimately, those around were relatively younger people.

During the most chaotic time of the Evil God War, the oldest of them were still children, and the youngest might not have been born yet.

That was almost twenty years ago.

An Elf Ranger with some insight broke the silence, his voice low. ℴℴ𝘮

"At the root of it, the expedition force has been stuck at ’Steel Cliffs’ for too long. Almost half a year now?

"The initial plan was to advance inland a bit, at a few key pre-defined points, to build new satellite cities or large transit bases.

"To relieve the pressure on the Warship Port and facilitate deeper exploration and development."

The initial plan was indeed like that.

Who could have expected the sudden appearance of the Void’s Vanguard Army now?

"Yeah!" the newcomer quickly chimed in, "And now, even the pre-designated good spots for new cities can’t ease the pressure since the suitable places are behind the encirclement of those damned Void Creatures and local monsters.

"Can’t break through? Then we’re all stuck here, gathering more people."

"Heard the Night Watchers are planning something big?"

The warrior with a tower shield looked toward the distant port, trying to divert the heavy topic.

"Didn’t those secretive caravans that arrived the day before say they saw a huge Night Watcher transport fleet docking? The leading ship is ridiculously large, surely it brought something extraordinary?"

"Yeah! I heard too! It seems like..." the Elf Ranger was about to share some gossip.

Just then, a low, deep hum, different from the port’s usual noise, came from the sea, mixed with a melodic yet highly penetrating horn.

Everyone’s eyes, including the queueing Adventurers’ attention, were instantly drawn to the sea.

Near the shore, a fleet with the Night Watchers’ distinctive style was slowly entering the anchorage.

At the center was a gigantic vessel far larger than a regular transport ship, its hull’s lines rigid, covered in heavy magic energy armor.

Most striking was the wide deck, akin to a moving platform, steadily bearing a massive object tightly covered with a huge, heavy black alchemy tarp.

The object’s silhouette faintly emerged beneath the tarp, presenting a complex geometric shape, not merely simple cargo or a weapon platform, its enormous volume nearly occupying most of the ship’s deck, like a small mountain wrapped in black cloth.

The mere size and unknown nature exuded an intangible pressure.

Surrounding it, several escort ships equipped with prominent turrets and energy shield generators patrolled like vigilant steel hounds.

More eye-catching was the two teams of Night Watcher Knights riding strong Griffins circling in the sky.

These Griffin Knights were impeccably equipped, their sharp eyes scanning the sea and sky, ensuring the transport process was seamless.

No joke.

That’s definitely a Soul Guardian Squad, a synonym for the Night Watchers’ top strength.

Using a Soul Guardian Squad for an escort, just looking at the ones flying in the sky, there seem to be two teams.

Plus those on the ships.

Such a formidable escort lineup silently proclaimed the extraordinary and crucial nature of the cargo beneath the black cloth.

Countless eyes at the port focused on that massive object shrouded in black cloth.

The queue surged with repressed turmoil and whispered speculations.

"Did you see that! I told you something big was happening!"

"What on earth is that? A new big iron beast? Or... a superweapon capable of breaking ’Steel Cliffs’?"

"God knows, but with such a big setup, the Night Watchers must want to break the current stalemate..."

The Warship Port, this iron city bursting at the seams, seemed to hold its breath, awaiting the moment the black shroud would be unveiled.

The mission release center at the Warship Port, even in the early morning, was already bustling like a gigantic beehive ignited.

The air mixed with the smell of sweat, leather, cheap tobacco, and the salty and seaweed scent drifting in from the port afar.

Gigantic light screens refreshed like a waterfall of flowing information; the proportion of glaring red high-risk missions had significantly increased.

Registrar Cole felt he was about to be drowned in the sound waves and piles of documents. His throat was a bit hoarse, mechanically repeating.

"Next! Identity badge! Mission number! Settlement credentials!" A fine layer of sweat covered his forehead.

The hoarse voice had to shout.

As for why not use the alchemy device, the loudspeaker broke yesterday, too late to fix it now.

Composite operations, even with alchemy equipment, couldn’t be sustained.

Machines couldn’t endure, and people still had to persist, absolutely unbearable.

The clerical girls who usually helped share his burden were all gone—drawn by the Night Watchers to logistics support now.

Cole lamented inwardly: This damned Void invasion leaves even office workers no peace!

The line was so long its end couldn’t be seen.

A burly, fresh-clawed Beastman Warrior, Daniel, and his teammates.

Elf Mage Leah’s hood had some suspicious purple slime, Half-Elf Scout Fercheck’s boots were caked in mud, Human Female Ranger Marcia’s cloak was corroded with small holes.

This group had just managed to squeeze to the counter.

They barely returned from the front lines to tidy up and rest a bit.

No choice, the front was in a stalemate now.

They, who’ve endured for long, were due for a rest.

It was just unfamiliar, returning to see such congestion.

"Brother Cole!"

Daniel, with a loud "bang," slammed a crumpled mission settlement voucher with singed edges onto the counter, making the ink bottles jump.

"The wart giant lizards in the ’Rotten Swamp’! Twenty of them! Over-accomplished! Count it right! Damn, we lost big this time!"

Leah frowned slightly, elegantly but wearily added: "Daniel, mind your wording. But indeed, Mr. Cole, the mission report severely underestimated.

"Those lizards weren’t just tough-skinned and thick-fleshed; there were twice as many as the information said. The toxic gas concentration in the swamp was beyond limits; the antidotes we brought almost weren’t enough, and we used up even the reserve scrolls to clear the gathering point."