BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

Chapter 1042: Between two seas



Erik and his team had been sailing for two weeks since leaving the island base. The journey had been relatively uneventful so far. That didn't mean they fought no thaids, but they were weak.

The Chimaeric Demons took care of them, but Erik could see now why they said they were weaker than flying thaids. They were not weaker in terms of strength, but they could be fought easily compared to them.

The ship's systems were able to find them under water, and with the new brain-crystal- powered weapons, it was possible to kill them. In the past, Hin's fleet must have had many ranged users, and since the sea thaids attacked the ships, it wasn't hard for them to hit. Flying thaids, instead, stayed in the sky, which was much harder to reach them.

Fighting sea thaids should have been easier if the ship was in a fleet. Thaids could avoid a single ship's attacks, but not if a fleet rained down attacks on them. It was impossible.

On the fifteenth day of their journey from the island, the ship neared a dangerous area. It was a stretch of water between two zones where huge sea monsters lived.

The very thought of these creatures sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest sailors. For sure, it did on Hin's, who avoided this place like a plague.

Looking at what Erik was doing from an outsider's perspective, it was pretty stupid to go in the middle of two of such zones, but it was exactly because everyone avoided this place that it was so good to take it.

Of course, only those who were brave enough, or stupid enough, to do it dared.

Erik was in the pilot's cabin. June stood beside him, his hands resting on the ship's controls.

"Master," June said, breaking the tense silence and making Erik lose focus on the waters in front of them.

"Are you absolutely sure about this? Going through the corridor, I mean. We could still change course and go around the thaid territories."

Erik turned to June and looked at the clone. "I'm sure, June. I know it's dangerous, but we wasted enough time already, and I'm pretty sure Hin is on our tracks right now."

June nodded, respecting his master's decision but still feeling uneasy. "All right, master." Erik sighed, running a hand through his hair. He knew what the clone was thinking. "Look, June, going through the corridor is risky; no doubt about it. We might face one or both of those massive sea thaids, or if we're lucky, neither of them will notice us. But here's the thing - we know what to expect here."

He took a moment before continuing. "Going around the dangerous areas might seem safer, but it's not. We'd be in unfamiliar waters where we could meet even scarier sea monsters we don't know about. Plus, the longer we're out at sea, the more likely Hin's ships are to find us. At least in the corridor, we know what we're up against."

"And you think we're less likely to run into Hin's ships in the corridor? What if they think we do that and prepare an ambush?"

"It's very unlikely any smart ship captain would choose to sail between two dangerous sea monster areas unless they had no other choice. That's why the corridor is probably the safest place to avoid enemy ships. We're only taking this risk because we have the Chimaeric Demons to protect us. For Hin to come here safely, they'd need to send at least two entire fleets of ships."

"I see," June said, his unease lessening somewhat. "When you put it that way, it makes sense."

Erik placed a hand on June's shoulder. "I know it's not a simple decision, June. But I believe in our abilities, in this ship, and in the plan we've made. We can do this."

June straightened, bolstered by Erik's confidence. "Of course, Master. I trust your judgment." Erik smiled, then his expression grew serious again. "Now, speaking of plans, did we receive any news from the Chimaeric Demon we left at the island outpost?"

June nodded, reaching for a nearby console. He pulled up a message and presented it to Erik. "Yes, Master. The clone reported some interesting developments. There's been significant movement along Frant's shores. Many ships are heading back to Hin."

Erik's brow furrowed. "Many ships? Did the message say how many?"

June shook his head. "Not an exact number, but the clone described it as a 'substantial fleet.' Apparently, the island outpost received orders to prepare to restock these returning ships."

Erik paced the small cabin. "This is problematic. It could mean Hin has figured out we stole one of their ships."

"Do you think they know it was us specifically, Master?"

Erik was silent for a moment, considering. "No," he said. "I don't think so. If they knew it was us-if they knew I was involved-they would send back a lot more than just a 'substantial fleet.' They'd be mobilizing everything they could spare from the war effort in Frant, at least in theory."

"That's assuming you are that important to them."

"Didn't they already prove it?"

"Yes and no, Master," June said. "The blackguards know how valuable the secret behind your powers is, yet they never sent entire armies against you. The trap at the prison doesn't even count."

"They didn't know what I could do, back then..."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"You might be right," the clone said after thinking for a moment. "But we can be sure of one thing. They're being careful. They're sending people after us, but not so many that it hurts their fight in Frant. It's a clever move. But it also shows us they don't know everything about what's going on. They are uncertain about who stole the ship, at least based on the blackguards' actions. We need to find out how many ships are heading back."

"Indeed."

What Erik and June didn't know, however, was that the situation was more complex than they realized.

While the blackguards didn't have concrete proof, they strongly suspected Erik was heading to Hin. The number of troops being sent back was indeed smaller than Erik expected, but not as underwhelming as he might have thought if they were certain of his involvement.

The truth was, the blackguards were in a precarious position. They couldn't afford to weaken their forces in Frant too much, as the war there was still raging, and it wasn't going well for them.

Losing Frant wasn't a problem in itself. They never had complete control over it, after all, but it would undermine their leadership across the globe.

The number of troops from Frant wasn't large, especially considering who they were after. However, the blackguards were secretly asking for help from other countries. They reached out to their allies, their servants from the other countries, in Prare, Reraiaph, Khunelerp, and Miciselen for more soldiers. They were doing all of this quietly, without drawing attention. Back on the ship, Erik made his decision. "June, it's time. Take us into the corridor."

The clone nodded, his hands gliding over the controls. The ship's engines hummed louder as it picked up speed, cutting through the waves like a lance.

As they entered the body of water, the atmosphere in the cabin changed. Erik and June were

nervous.

The sea here was different. The waves were untamed and crashed on the ship's hull as if they were burning with rage. But it wasn't just the roughness of the water that was unsettling.

The water was also much warmer here. It felt very different from the cooler waters they had been sailing through for the last two weeks, and the reason might be more important than someone might have assumed.