Chapter 388: Withdrawal
On the shore of the Min River, in a mountainous area of Fujian, China, a trio of enormous phantom battleships idled with uncanny stillness. The way the vessels floated on the water made them seem completely weightless, belying their actual magnitude with their unique constitutions. Each had triple masts and an equal number of decks, with nearly a hundred cannons a piece. They were mobile fortresses armed with more than enough siege weapons to contend with the most dangerous threats, and that was before considering the hundreds of powerful crew members who had diligently trained their skills throughout the assimilation.
The passengers were patient in spite of the constant threat of violence, an inarguable demonstration of confidence and trust in both themselves and their leaders. They stared into the haze, unflinching and alert for monsters. The quiet helped them utilize all of their senses to detect enemies.
The ships silently hovered on timeless jade waters, the depths barely visible through the veil of extraordinarily thick mana that sought to smother them all. The crimson fog had swallowed the world whole, leaving only the immediate surroundings observable through its suffocating filter. The former pirates watched for the telltale radiance of the forces of mana most commonly found in the region and listened for the strange hymns that accompanied the more evolved variants.
The banks were almost entirely hidden from their vision, with all but the nearest shore a mere suggestion. Blurry shapes of dark green and brown sank into the oppressive red, hinting at the dormant vegetation that awaited a morning that might never come. The silhouettes of gnarled weeping willow trees, limbs caressing the surface of the water, barely emerged from the shifting haze. They were like faded charcoal sketches on a blood red canvas when visible at all.
What had once been a thriving city at the fork of an ancient river was reduced to glittering dust. The skeletons of flat-bottomed sampan fishing boats sometimes appeared like forgotten ghosts, meekly poking through the surface, their golden lanterns no longer illuminating the waters. Any hint of the boatmen or their oars was long gone, consumed by the dense energy, adding to the sense of abandonment and dereliction. Soon, any clue that humanity had been present would be completely wiped out.
The river itself was the only reliable presence, gently reminding the ships of its existence with timidly lapping waves that barely rocked the reinforced hulls. The air was cool and damp, spreading the influence of the water even as the red haze dominated the atmosphere. The beacons carried by each ship, more like mobile mana pylons, contributed to a pocket of relative safety enjoyed by all the sailors.
The beacons established a minor territory that mitigated corrosion, but they were hardly providing more than a dying candle on a stormy night. It would be better to embrace a civilization shard, or better yet, return to the core of the Lighthouse in Ghost Reef, if they sought relief from the pressure.
They were wasting valuable time in the wilderness, but because it was the last call, Hai Yun forced herself to be tolerant as the minutes ticked away. The rest followed her lead without so much as a hint of complaint.
In their eyes, she had proven herself multiple times before the Eradication Protocol began. She had practically risen from the dead in exactly the same way as Coop, at least to those who watched the leaderboards. The similarities put her in great esteem, but it was her unremitting efforts that truly earned their respect.
She had suffered greatly beneath the weight of responsibility, blaming herself for every catastrophe that befell her companions. The Lighthouse had provided her with guaranteed relief, and in doing so, gave her renewed purpose without ever compelling her actions. As a result, she was a prominent figure by the time she returned to her homeland, supported by countless powerful allies, new and old.
Even though it was only for a relatively short time that she was back, she was glad to have been given the opportunity to atone for what she saw as her many failures. This time, she would be able to leave without so many regrets.
All the remaining settlements and outposts in Asia had been evacuated, their remaining populations currently embarking on ships similar to the ones idling on the river. By the time she was back on the ocean, the New Zealanders would be shipborne as well, leaving nearly an entire hemisphere to the corrupting enemies.