We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 346 Goodbye, Carles! The Ghosts of a Nation!

Upon hearing the name Carles, Shane immediately perked up.

Hearing a familiar name in this unfamiliar Arctic island is a joyful thing in itself.

Moreover, on the way here, Shane had also worried about Carles' safety.

—As the first reinforcements to arrive in the Far North, Karlless and his men must have faced an extremely difficult situation.

Hearing that Carles is safe and sound is undoubtedly a source of great joy.

It didn't take long.

Led by the officer, Shane and his group passed through a makeshift, iron-gray defensive line and officially entered the base of the Far North Expeditionary Force.

Behind the fortifications constructed of metal and ice were rows of advanced cannons with enormous calibers.

The dark muzzle, the streamlined steel barrel, the strange patterns carved on the surface of the cannon... all gave people a faint sense of oppression and threat.

One can only imagine the astonishing sight that would be if this steel behemoth were to awaken and bare its fangs.

Xia En had only seen this type of magic-patterned cannon a few times on [Liuli Island].

Clearly, the federal government has brought out many of its best resources to deal with this disaster.

These are the creations that embody the essence of the most advanced technology and secret arts of this era!

Xia En couldn't help but think that if Fei Ya saw such heavy artillery, she would be very excited, right?
Phia has a mysterious fondness for these kinds of guns and cannons, and he is often the one who does the maintenance work on the cannons of the Black Swan.

However, upon further reflection, Xia En became somewhat worried. In such an extreme environment as the Far North, many pieces of equipment designed to operate at normal temperatures would undoubtedly be significantly affected.

Are these heavy artillery pieces actually capable of firing normally?

"Ok?"

Thinking of this, Xia En glanced at the cannons with a strange look.

He then noticed that the surface of these cannons was not covered with ice crystals, but was instead emitting a plume of heat.
How is this going?

Upon closer inspection, Xia En immediately realized what was going on.

It turned out that beneath the magic-patterned cannon, there was a layer of steam pipes emitting high temperatures.

The heat escaping from the pipes counteracts the cold air, keeping these heavy artillery pieces in a normal, firing-ready state at all times.

Noticing Xia En's gaze, the officer leading the way spoke up.

"For this expedition, the Federation mobilized a large number of priests and mechanics from the Steam Church and spent a great deal of effort to meet the basic heating needs on the [Northernmost Island]."

Xia En nodded: "I see."

"Then you must be tired."

To be honest, although Shane was close to Faia and Karlless, his understanding of the Steam Church was quite limited, and he had never even been to one of its churches.

So at this moment, he also developed some curiosity about this church that he hadn't felt before.

In addition to the heavy artillery clusters, the Far North Expeditionary Force's base also contained tanks and squads of soldiers.

Further away, there were rows and rows of tents, forming a continuous stretch of barracks.

Clearly, that was the temporary camp where the expeditionary force was staying.

However, the Federal Navy's residence was clearly separated from the reinforcements from other forces into two areas.

Otherwise, mixing them together will only make them more difficult to manage.

Soon, Shane noticed that the tanks and soldiers coming and going were all in a hurry and had solemn expressions.

Some camps appeared unusually empty, as if the people inside had been sent out on some kind of mission.

Xia En felt as if some major event had occurred, causing quite a stir within the [Far North Expeditionary Force].

Seeing this, Shane simply asked the officer leading the way.

"Did something happen?"

The officer hesitated for a moment, then said, "Just now, several legendary experts in the camp suddenly left and headed in the same direction."

"The above speculation is that an extremely powerful enemy has appeared in the [Far North], which is why the legendary experts chose to take action together."

Upon hearing this, Xia En's expression changed slightly.

"An extremely powerful enemy?"

The mere thought of an enemy capable of drawing so many legendary figures together sends chills down one's spine.

At that moment, Shane quickly connected the dots with Musa and Heller's strange reactions.

Combined with this message.

It's not hard to guess that Heller's decision to send them off early was probably related to that powerful enemy.

It was done to protect them.

Thinking of this, Xia En's expression became even more solemn.

It can be said that Musa and Heller are the strongest people that Shane has seen besides Yan Yan and Augustine.

However, even the two of them lacked confidence when facing that unknown enemy.

This is enough to illustrate the seriousness of the situation.

"What exactly is that enemy?"

Xia En secretly wondered to himself, "It couldn't possibly be [Hui Si Ming] who made the move personally, could it?"

"Could it be the [Filthy Apostle]?"

"Or is it a [filthy creature] slumbering beneath the ice?"

However, speculation alone cannot reveal the truth.

Suppressing his distracting thoughts, Xia En quickly followed the officer's footsteps.

Not long after.

The group then arrived at a special barracks.

This barracks was noticeably taller and more enclosed, and the walls seemed to be made of some special metal, possessing extraordinary mystical power.

Upon seeing the approaching group, the guards at the barracks gate immediately spoke.

"Captain Shane, please wait a moment."

"Captain Carlless is conducting maintenance and debugging."

Xia En nodded and said, "Okay."

While waiting, Shane silently observed the soldiers coming and going nearby.

To his surprise, the soldiers showed great respect for Carles' barracks.

Occasionally, when he glanced into the house, there was a hint of awe in his eyes.

Because of Karl-Leigh's orders, they treated Shane and the others with great courtesy, without the slightest arrogance.

Shane initially thought this was related to the identities of Daisy and her brother.

But now it seems they only did it because of "Carles".

This made Shane quite curious.

After all, in the Federal Navy, the rank of "captain" is not considered very high.

Even among the soldiers coming and going, there were quite a few lieutenants and second lieutenants, but they all showed complete respect and obedience to Carles.

This seems particularly strange.

Before Xia En could figure out the reason behind this...

laugh--

With the sound of steam billowing out, the barracks doors slowly opened.

A large cloud of hot, white steam rushed towards us.

The temperature of the steam quickly dispelled the surrounding chill, bringing a sense of warmth.

Amidst the billowing steam, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged. "Captain Shane, it's good to see you again."

The familiar, mature female voice of Carles was the first to emerge from the steam.

However, upon seeing her current appearance, Xia En couldn't help but frown slightly.

Behind Shane, Daisy couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

“Carles, your...your hand…”

At this moment, Carles' right arm was no longer the slender and graceful style it once was, but had become exceptionally rough and savage.

It's at least three or four sizes bigger than before, making it look rather bulky.

The right arm had turned a deep black color, mixed with traces of ice blue and dark red blood.

The entire robotic arm looked out of place with Carles' body, appearing extremely disharmony.

It looks like it has undergone some kind of violent modification that seems to disregard harmony and durability.

Moreover, Carles has many scars and signs of modification on his body.

Compared to the last time we met, she installed more than twice the amount of steam core and replaced most of the components.

More steam cores mean greater power and strength, but they also place a greater burden on Carles.

When this burden becomes too great, it may even render Karlless completely unusable, and the soul contained within the steam armor will also disappear.

The enhancement of Carles has always been a gradual process.

It is precisely for this reason.

Ordinary machines can be permanently damaged by overload, let alone a unique life form like Carles.

In Xia En's eyes, Karlles' aura had already surpassed the sixth rank and was approaching the legendary level.

However, this state is obviously extremely unstable.

To make an inappropriate analogy.

This is like the demonic cultivation techniques in cultivation novels; the short-term increase in strength is exceptionally rapid, but it brings extremely serious side effects.

Not only is their cultivation level unstable, but they could also collapse and die at any moment.

Feeling Xia En's gaze, Karl-Leigh felt inexplicably guilty, but he still pretended to be nonchalant and waved his hand.

"Last time I fought a big guy, I accidentally broke my hand, so I can only use this arm as a substitute."

"It's a bit ugly, but it works really well, and it's much more powerful than my old one."

Shaun frowned and said, "That's not what I want to ask about."

Why did you suddenly undergo such intensive modifications?

"You should know that doing this will..."

Carles waved his hand, signaling the other soldiers to step back.

After everyone else had left, Carles said seriously, "Shane, this is my own decision, and it has nothing to do with anyone else."

“I need the strength to rescue my father, and I also need the strength to deal with this disaster.”

"Without power, even my father's old men wouldn't obey my orders."

Xia En raised an eyebrow: "Old subordinate?"

Hearing this, he suddenly understood why those officers had such a special attitude towards Carles.

Karlless is the "adopted daughter" of the legendary strongman Colonel Gold, and in a sense, she is also an extension of Gold's will.

It's not hard to guess that there are definitely many factions within the Federation Navy.

There was originally a group of soldiers who rallied around God.

Now that Gold has disappeared along with the King, his old subordinates naturally need a leader to maintain the faction.

As Gold's adopted daughter, Carles is undoubtedly a very good choice.

Before that, Carles' strength was clearly insufficient to convince the public, and he might even be used as a puppet to be fooled and manipulated.

Perhaps it is precisely because of this that Karl-Heinz is willing to increase his strength at any cost in order to gain the support of these soldiers.

In fact, Carles did succeed.

She was first modified by several mechanics from the Steam Church, and then displayed extremely bravery on the battlefield.

Her right arm was completely damaged in that battle, but this also established Carles's reputation as the "Platinum Knight".

Many officers remembered her name and were completely convinced of her abilities.

Now, what Karls is doing is rallying the officers' forces and finding the missing King as quickly as possible.

Although Shane didn't know so many hidden details, he still vaguely guessed Karl-Leigh's intentions.

He understood, but he still felt somewhat depressed.

It was precisely because of his high regard for Carles that he felt this way.

"Let's not talk about that anymore."

Carles smiled and said, "You must be exhausted from your journey."

"The living conditions here are slightly better than those in a regular military camp, so you can rest here..."

Suddenly, Carles paused.

The communicator directly connected to the helmet rang.

"What? News about the King?"

"what's going on?"

Shane and the others couldn't hear the words on the communicator, but they could tell from the steam emanating from Carles that she was emotionally affected.

The flashing indicator light showed that Carles was far from calm.

A moment later, Carles ended the communication.

She stood silently in place for a long time without making a sound.

Daisy couldn't help but ask, "Carlless, what happened?"

"Any news about the [King]?"

"……Yes."

The sound coming from the sound-producing device was rather strained, but Carles continued speaking anyway.

"It has been confirmed that the legendary figures just now were acting because of the appearance of the [King]."

"Ok?"

Alessio raised an eyebrow: "For Operation [King's Ship]? What does that mean?"

"Wasn't it said that a powerful enemy has awakened in the far north?"

Carl Reston paused, then said.

"That powerful enemy is the [King]."

Upon hearing this, not only Daisy and her brother, but even Shane couldn't help but show surprise.

What does it mean?
Did the King become a living ship, just like the Black Swan?
Even so, shouldn't it attract the attention of so many powerful people?
Or is it that a single ship can actually reach a level surpassing that of an eighth-tier secret cultivator?

Xia En composed himself and asked seriously, "What exactly happened?"

Carles suppressed his negative emotions and explained to everyone.

"According to battle reports from the front lines, an unprecedentedly terrifying undead has possessed the body of the [King] and has turned the [King] into a part of its body."

"Based on the characteristics observed so far, it can be determined that..."

"Those are—the spirits of the dead from the Great Yan Kingdom!"

(End of this chapter)