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

Chapter 349 [General Moritz] [Infiltration Operation]

As that voice, filled with fierceness and majesty, rang out.

The room fell silent instantly, completely still.

Even Benny, who had been so arrogant and domineering just moments before, shut his mouth obediently, only daring to purse his lips to express his dissatisfaction.

Emerging from the barracks was an elderly man in military uniform, exuding an imposing presence.

The old man had a short, white beard. Judging from his facial features and appearance, he was actually quite kind and approachable, reminiscent of the best-tempered teacher in school.

However, combined with the invisible pressure and temperament emanating from him, he gave people a feeling of authority without anger.

—That's the temperament that comes from long-term holding of power.

In other words, that's what's called the demeanor of someone in a superior position.

Strangely, judging from his skin and eyebrows, this man was probably only in his forties.

But he inexplicably gives people a feeling of "aging", making people subconsciously think that he is an old man.

It's as if... his vitality is much weaker than that of a normal person?

The aura emanating from this old man surprised Xia En even more.

He possessed the aura of a legendary powerhouse at the seventh rank, yet he gave the impression of being not much stronger than a sixth-rank secret cultivator.

The sense of threat that the other party posed to Shane was not much different from that of Benny.

Something to say.

The old man seemed to have suffered some kind of injury that would never heal.

That hidden injury still torments him to this day, preventing him from unleashing his full potential.

Even so, whether it was the soldier leading the way, Karl-Heinz, or the soldiers around him, they all looked at the old man with awe and admiration.

It was obvious that he was the commander-in-chief of the Far North Expeditionary Force.

General Moritz!
"General!"

The soldiers bowed their heads and saluted the renowned old general.

The officer who had led the way looked ashamed: "I'm sorry, General, it was my oversight..."

Moritz waved his hand: "This is not your fault."

He turned to look at Benny, who was not far away, and said sternly.

"Benny, apologize to Captain Shane!"

Upon hearing this, Benny reacted as if a powder keg had been detonated, and he roared in anger.

You want me to apologize to a pirate?

"Have you forgotten who killed my parents?"

He grinned coldly and muttered to himself, "Oh right, you'd already forgotten everything."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to let the pirates join the Far North Expeditionary Force..."

Snapped!
Suddenly, a crisp slap rang out.

Moritz appeared in front of Benny without anyone noticing, and a clear handprint gradually appeared on Benny's face.

"you……"

Benny's eyes widened, and his face visibly flushed red.

He took several steps back and glared angrily at Moritz, Shane, and the others.

"No matter what, I will not allow this pretty boy who is only at the fifth rank to steal my spot!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

Everyone was caught off guard by this series of unexpected events, and the soldiers looked at Moritz, who had made the move, in astonishment.

General Moritz had always been strict with Benny, but this was the first time he had ever slapped him in public like this!
This action completely disregarded Major Benny's dignity and could even lead to a complete break between the grandfather and grandson.

"General Moritz..."

Carles looked at the old man in front of him with a hint of concern.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Moritz wore a faint bitter expression, but in an instant, that bitterness was hidden beneath his dignified demeanor.

Then, he looked at Xia En on the other side and said apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Captain Shane, you've witnessed a farce."

"Please come with me."

Soon, Shane and Karl-Heinz followed Moritz to a room in the barracks.

As soon as he stepped into the room, Moritz's straight back suddenly hunched over, making him look as if he had aged more than ten years.

Just like the demeanor he projected in front of other soldiers, it was merely a facade.

Only in this room with just three other people could Moritz temporarily shed his burdens and show his true self.

After Moritz sat down, he gestured for Shane and the other person to sit down as well, and then smiled.

"I'm sorry to have made you two laugh."

"The commander of the Far North Expeditionary Force is actually such a somewhat dejected old man. You must be disappointed, right?"

His tone was very gentle, quite different from Benny's earlier tone, like a gentle elder having a heart-to-heart talk with a junior.

Even so, Xia En did not show any contempt.

He didn't believe that someone who could become the commander of the Far North Expeditionary Force could really be a depressed old man.

Moritz's apparent "aging" at this moment is mostly genuine, but it may also be a means of communication.

Showing your vulnerable side can make people lower their guard and let their guard down.

However, whether it was a genuine expression of emotion or a pretense, the fact that such a prominent figure as Moritz was willing to speak with them in this manner was itself a demonstration of sincerity.

Therefore, Xia En was also willing to communicate with him in a more sincere manner.

So Xia En said, "To be honest, I'm not disappointed, but rather a little surprised."

"You seem to be different from the average soldier."

Moritz chuckled: "Captain Shane's eyesight is indeed exceptional."

"Actually, I didn't come from a traditional military academy. I used to be a school teacher. It was only because of an accident that I embarked on the path of military service."

"I never imagined that I would eventually get to where I am today."

Upon hearing this, Xia En was quite surprised.

This also explains why Moritz's temperament differs from that of other soldiers.

"It's a pity that although I used to be a teacher, I can't even teach my own grandson well."

Moritz sighed softly, then stood up and said solemnly.

"Please allow me to apologize for Benny's rude behavior just now!"

Seeing this, Shane was surprised once again.

It is quite rare for someone of Moritz's stature to be willing to apologize in person.

It's clear that he's actually a very serious and frank person, in contrast to the unreasonable, irritable, and easily angered Benny...

This can only be described as a misfortune for the family, right?

Shane could imagine Moritz apologizing to others time and time again for Benny's misdeeds.

As if sensing Shane's thoughts, Moritz spoke up.

"Actually, I do bear an unshirkable responsibility for how Benny has become what he is today."

“His parents died early, and I was busy with military affairs, so I only saw him a few times a year.”

Moritz said with a hint of shame, “And when I was teaching him, I was always as harsh as if I were reprimanding a subordinate.”

“It’s probably because of his so-called rebellious mentality that he’s become increasingly resistant to my discipline…” Xia En was not surprised by this.

The education of children and offspring has always been a major challenge.

Didn't a certain important figure in my past life also make headlines for having children?
Perhaps it is precisely because of their extraordinary status that educating their children has become such a difficult task.

To be honest, Xia En wasn't particularly interested in other people's family affairs.

What he cared more about was the "spot" Benny mentioned, and Moritz's purpose in contacting the two of them.

Ultimately, the fact that Moritz approached him was incredibly strange.

Moritz continued speaking slowly and deliberately.

"The reason that child is hostile to you is partly because his parents died at the hands of pirates."

"So he disliked all pirates, or people who had been pirates."

At this point, Moritz changed the subject.

"However, I know that Captain Shane is not a pirate in the true sense of the word."

"I've seen Captain Shane's past record; he's mostly acted out of self-preservation and revenge, right?"

Moritz stared at Shane with his slightly cloudy eyes.

Only then did a sharp glint flash in those eyes, giving Xia En a strange feeling that his very soul had been seen through.

Xia En frowned and said seriously.

"General Moritz, what exactly do you want to do by summoning the two of us here?"

"Please feel free to speak frankly."

Moritz said, "You should have heard it by now. Another reason Benny wants to challenge you is the so-called 'spot'."

"However, that spot is definitely not something that people would flock to or that could improve their strength."

"On the contrary, it was an extremely dangerous mission, one that was practically a death sentence."

Xia En had a vague guess in his mind, but he still asked.

What operation was it?

Moritz said solemnly, "An operation to infiltrate the [King's Ship], or rather... the [Great Flame]!"

"what?!"

Carles, standing nearby, couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Although Carles had previously wanted to go to the King's Ship to find her father, Gold, she was still extremely shocked when the opportunity actually presented itself to her.

After the shock came confusion and doubt.

Karls couldn't help but ask, "But isn't the realm of [Great Flame] above Legendary?"

"Even if we managed to infiltrate His body, could we really..."

"rest assured."

Moritz explained, "Of course we won't send you to your deaths."

"Several legendary experts have personally experienced the power of the Great Yan."

"And the conclusion we have reached so far is..."

"To eliminate the Great Yan in a direct battle, at least two-thirds of the legendary warriors in the Far North Expeditionary Force must be sacrificed!"

The general's tone was extremely serious, finally revealing a hint of the iron will of a soldier.

"If we only had one-third left, we might choose to launch a full-scale attack."

"But right now, this number of casualties is unacceptable to us."

"Because besides [Da Yan], there are other enemies waiting for us."

"At present, the Great Flame's desire to attack is not very strong; it will simply devour anything that gets close to it without mercy."

Hearing this, Xia En roughly understood the special nature of the Great Yan.

For the Far North Expeditionary Force, the Great Yan was like a landmine that was constantly accumulating.

If we leave it alone for now, it may not cause too much damage in the short term.

But if left unattended, this landmine will become increasingly dangerous until it is finally detonated.

Therefore, the strategy of the Far North Expeditionary Force is to take a different approach, not to detonate the landmines head-on, but to defuse them from the side.

Or at least reduce its harmfulness.

Moritz continued, "Now, [Great Flame] has been fixed in place by several legendary experts using secret techniques and will no longer move around at will."

"We can take advantage of this opportunity to infiltrate and sabotage His key points."

Upon hearing this, Xia En suddenly realized that the recruitment notice he had posted in the military camp earlier was probably for this operation.

But soon, Carles noticed something else.

"But why were we chosen?"

"Wouldn't the success rate be higher if legendary experts were involved?"

Moritz looked bitter: "If that were really the case, we wouldn't need to recruit any more people from the Far North Expeditionary Force."

"Although the perception of the Great Flame is duller than that of ordinary humans, it still has an intuition for danger."

“Those who are at the seventh level or above in the Mystic Path will be locked onto and expelled by His will simply by getting close to Him, let alone go deep into His body.”

"Only those who have not yet reached the seventh rank can enter His body."

"The reason this operation is called an 'infiltration operation' is also related to this."

"Even for sixth-tier secret cultivators, there is a limit to the number of them; this is the meaning of the so-called 'quota'."

Clearly, those below the seventh rank who follow the secret paths are regarded as insignificant as ants by [Great Flame], which is why they do not arouse His vigilance.

After these questions were answered, Shane and Carles both looked enlightened.

I have gained a deeper understanding of the whole incident.

From this perspective, Benny knew it was an extremely dangerous mission, yet he still competed with Shane for the spot.

It is evident that he genuinely wanted to resolve this disaster and possessed a certain degree of willingness to sacrifice.

Xia En had previously looked down on him.

Even so, Shane has no intention of giving up this spot.

Simply because... he is stronger than Benny and more likely to eliminate the threat of [Great Yan]!
At this moment, Moritz's gaze fell on Karls, and he spoke in a somewhat gentler tone.

"The reason we included you on the list is because we discovered that God seems to have left some messages inside [Great Yan]."

"Those messages are probably only decipherable and received by you."

"But I still have to ask you, are you willing to participate in this operation?"

Without hesitation, Carles replied, "I do!"

"Whether as a soldier or as a daughter, this is what I should do."

"That's good."

Moritz then turned to look at Shane.

“Captain Shane, your situation is different from Carlles’s.”

"Although I have put you on the list, you can also refuse this operation."

"After all, it's far too dangerous. No one can guarantee that the secret cultivators who enter the body of the Great Flame will return alive."

"Are you... sure you want to accept this mission?"

Xia En calmly replied, "I'm sure."

Regardless of his promise to Karlless, he traveled all the way to the far north to prevent the apocalyptic catastrophe, didn't he?
Should we back down now that we're in danger?
That makes no sense!

(End of this chapter)