Extraordinary Voyage-Chapter 597 - 524: The Beginning of the Prophecy

Golden Sea, Fort Navedad.

Garrison Commander Admiral Trevier and "Oathbreaker" Bradley, in full general's attire, were intently staring at the gold plate on the table.

The gold plate was exquisitely crafted with a distinct indigenous style, the outermost circle encircled by a feathered serpent, the second circle adorned with various celestial configurations mysterious even to laymen, and the center featuring an abstract human face with an open mouth as if about to speak.

However, the two prominent figures were neither archaeological experts nor scholars, and cared not at all for the hidden secrets; their sole concern was the gold plate, or rather, the gold itself.

Looking at the respectful pirate standing to the side and the scholarly-looking old man beside him, Bradley's eyes gleamed as he asked solemnly:

"Kelog, are you certain that this is not all there is in the Mist Sea? That this gold is just the tip of a vast treasure iceberg?"

Clearly, as one of the pirate kings who had ruled the Golden Sea for over a decade, even though Codex Guardian Edward had revoked his access to "Sunken Ship Bay", effectively denying his status as a pirate king.

Yet Bradley's influence in the "Sunken Ship Bay" remained deeply entrenched.

"My lord, I am very certain. In fact, all who dealt with this Mist Sea uprising saw it firsthand.

You know, although the attack was always targeting Sunken Ship Bay, those twisted demons came from the entire Mist Sea.

This implies that somewhere within the Mist Sea there might be a treasure-laden ruin, quite possibly the last remnants of the once-dominant civilization, the Kuma Empire, of the New Continent!"

"When Sunken Ship Bay was established, it was already during the opening of sea trade between the New and Old Continents, at which point the Kuma Empire had long vanished from the continent; no one knew where they went.

But it's not entirely impossible they ventured into this ancient Mist Sea. At least from the specifications of this gold plate, the ruin's level is extremely high!

Perhaps we can uncover the secrets of this civilization that was far ahead of the Nimansite people in mathematics and astronomy, and the mystery of their disappearance."

The pirate and the scholar, each taking turns, analyzed the significance behind this gold plate.

Although they approached the issue from a different perspective than Aiven and the others, they arrived at a similar conclusion — that a vast treasure of the Kuma Empire indeed exists somewhere in the Mist Sea!

As for why the Kuma Empire disappeared mysteriously and why these items suddenly emerged today, it was beyond the concerns of Admiral Trevier and Pirate King Bradley.

After the pirate and scholar left joyously with their rewards, Trevier looked at Bradley:

"The location is in the pirates' domain, the 'Mist Sea'. I trust that as a pirate king, you will not disappoint our great Emperor, Mr. Bradley?"

"Of course, Commander."

Bowing slightly, the "Oathbreaker" did not conceal the ambition burning in his eyes. This treasure was something he was determined to acquire.

In the past, Hernando Cortes, who conquered the Azik Empire, and Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the Gashna Empire, were both granted the title of "Adelantado" (or Advanced Officer) by the then-reigning King Hilus.

In their occupied territories, they wielded complete authority over politics, military, judiciary, and religion.

They held large personal lands, monopolized trade, paid no taxes, and had the power to grant lands to their followers, acting as feudal lords who dominated one side.

If he could fully acquire the entire heritage of the Kuma Empire, the significance would be no less than that of the two previous examples. The promises Bradley once made to the pirates were not just empty words; he genuinely wanted to establish a pirate nation on the New Continent.

But it was not solely to please the God of Black Wings.

For his goal, beyond the sole title of Pirate King of the Golden Sea, was to claim the position of a king of a secular nation!

Across the Source Continent, there were small kingdoms and duchies with a territory of less than a hundred thousand square kilometers, scattered everywhere, and achieving this goal was not overly difficult on the vast New Continent.

Today's opportunity was the closest he had ever come to realizing his dream.

...

In the following period, the batch of treasures brought ashore by the demons was like a depth charge dropped into an already rough sea, stirring up restless ambitions among all forces on the New Continent.

Not only were the pirates the first to act; sea hunters also pursued the treasure, along with major forces from the nearby Chaotic Territory Kabral, and even regular troops stationed by many kingdoms on the New Continent began to move in response.

While some were still observing, many had already hoisted their sails, heading towards the Mist Sea.

As for why the treasures of the Kuma Empire emerged in the domain of a great being, and the potential risks behind it, those thoughts had long been cast aside by them.

In the public eye, only the Heir appeared; for centuries, the great being had never been seen leaving the sea's depths. Though the Mist Sea's barriers could fend off the navy's pursuit of pirates, they couldn't quench their thirst for wealth.

Especially on the fifteenth day following the Mist Sea uprising.

A colorful radiance suddenly shot up from the Mist Sea, unignorable not just near the Mist Sea but even from the distant Black Sea and Golden Sea.

This radiance, lasting a full day, was only visible to the Extraordinary, presenting itself as a straight rainbow at the sky's edge as soon as they raised their heads. It had no impact on the ordinary world.

This indicated that besides the endless wealth of the secular world, there likely existed a powerful secret treasure of the Extraordinary World in the Mist Sea.

This further confirmed their speculation indirectly.

The Kuma Empire's ruins in the Mist Sea were originally sealed, be it as a shelter like "Sunken Ship Bay" or simply a treasure trove, and now for some reason had opened.

The sea demons might have accidentally brought some items from the treasure site within the Mist Sea to the internal "Sunken Ship Bay," where they were then obtained by pirates.

"Quick, set off!"

"The treasure is ours!"

"Our hope of advancing further on the Extraordinary Path might just be there."

Originally, only a few knew this secret, but now it's common knowledge. Even the most reserved and cautious people can no longer sit idly by and have organized their forces to head towards the Mist Sea in great numbers.

The "Dragon Cavalry" is no exception.

Unaware of what they might encounter, apart from the necessary personnel left at Hatrafa Port, the large fleet has collectively set out.

Whoosh—

Riding the waves, a mass of dense fog stretches for several kilometers, moving swiftly across the sea surface.

In the depths of the fog, in the captain's cabin of the "Venus", the leading ship of the Pirate Fleet.

"Brilliant flowers, sweet nectar, irresistibly attractive fruits... and the traps hidden beneath the leaves. Don't you think this scene now is somewhat like those carnivorous plants that prey on insects?

The more the bait, the more suspicious it is!"

Through the Mind Network, observing the many ships sailing in the same direction and the sailors on board with feverish expressions, Aiven looked at the people around him and spoke.

His sister Anita, Olivia, Milan, First Mate Boris, and Gary, all have gathered their Extraordinary powers. The army of 34 Skin-Wearing People, composed of werewolves and shark-men, is spread throughout the entire fleet.

In fact, the lower ranks of the Dragon Cavalry Pirate Gang are in the same frenzied mood as the sailors from various forces rushing to the Mist Sea.

But the upper echelons rarely manage to maintain their reason, carefully probing the secrets behind this situation.

Especially Aiven, who holds several golden bulls that continuously produce gold. He is not so keen on this one-time treasure. Even though the Adventurer's Blood inside him is itching to move, he hasn't lost his reason.

After hearing his words, Milan, a "Prophet" highly sensitive to danger, nodded lightly in agreement:

"If there isn't an ancient monster beneath the Mist Sea, one may believe this is merely a coincidence. But 'never trust something that thinks for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain' is a classic adage in the Extraordinary World.

Do you remember my previous prophecy?... The vanished kingdom will reappear here. All seas will hear it, endless treasures or endless sins... The beginning is already evident.

Although I don't know what everything happening here has to do with the Spirit Tide's turning point, and the subsequent prophecy is still unreadable, some danger surely exists.

So, as per our previous discussion, if they want to seek treasure, let them. We only need to sail with the 'Mist Silver Lamp,' waiting outside for them to bring the treasure out, or not, it doesn't matter."

Aiven nodded, the mature words full of reason matched his thoughts perfectly.

...

With the assistance of the [Ocean Treasure: Ocean Current Horn], the progress of the Pirate Fleet is extraordinarily fast.

Although they set off after the light appeared, quite later than many others, they only needed thirteen days to reach the outskirts of the Mist Sea, closest to that light, even sailing against the northern loop current.

The fog released by the "Mist Silver Lamp" merged with the natural fog of the Mist Sea, and no one realized there was a fleet hidden stealthily here.

Here, Milan performed another divination, with the target being someone or a ship within the fleet, avoiding the influence of a higher existence to the greatest extent:

"In my prophecy, there should be new changes in the second fifteen days of the Mist Sea."

They weren't planning to enter initially, so they waited patiently.

During this time, Aiven also used the Mind Network for reconnaissance, but even the spirit-body seagulls couldn't decipher the situation inside the Mist Sea, and the seagulls sent in quickly disappeared without a trace.

Instead, it was no surprise to meet Bradley's "Chisel Teeth", Rudolph's "Winged Bone Dragon", and warships from multiple countries including Tulip.

Because not even the shadow of the treasure had been seen, the mixed forces could temporarily maintain restraint.

Moreover, although all major forces coveted the treasure, none dared to rush into the Mist Sea recklessly. Over the years, countless ignorant lives had built the notorious reputation of the Mist Sea with their own bones.

The major forces used various divination methods and most concluded that the second fifteen days were favorable for exploration. The small forces, keenly observing the situation, wouldn't move until the bigger forces did.

Two days passed swiftly, and many more ships arrived, the crowd spreading out in black, with the personnel numbers possibly surpassing those from the Battle of Benin.

Yet.

On the noon of the second fifteen days, what they awaited was not another kind of revelation and direction from the ruins, but rather...

Whoosh—

The Mist Sea, like a giant creature suddenly awakened, expanded rapidly with impenetrable fog, one kilometer, five kilometers, ten kilometers...until it swallowed all ships gathered there.

Watching the white fog engulfing the entire unescapable fleet, the originally confident Milan was left in a daze:

"This... isn't the prophecy I wanted! Huh, why did I say 'again'?"