Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　He admitted that the purpose of the attack was to obtain the cargo from the Ocean Wonder.

　The contraband they were carrying, and that renowned scholar who specializes in Honkai energy.

　As for the screening of prisoners, it was nothing more than an attempt to extort a ransom.

　But as the leader of this mercenary group of over a hundred people, he knew far more than the mercenary captain of the seventh squad.

　At least Moros didn't manage to extract any information about the Fire Moth from the souls of the mercenaries in the Seventh Squad.

　Yes, the attack on the Ocean Wonder was actually planned by a research institute under the Firemoth.

　Despite the lofty slogans and missions of the Moths of Flame, and its status as a legitimate international organization certified by the United Nations, the darkness within this organization is equally profound.

　To force the scholar who refused to serve them to submit to the will of the Moth of Fire, the organization resorted to hiring mercenaries and taking drastic measures.

　As for the box of concentrated Honkai energy condensate, it was actually just a side objective brought along to cover up the truth.

　Ultimately, it is a legitimate and compliant international organization; those who chase after fleeting trends should still have some sense of shame.

　But it can only be a little bit, not even a little more.

　In fact, the appearance of these concentrated Honkai energy condensates on the Ocean Miracle was itself a result of the manipulation of the Moth of Fire.

　Otherwise, given the captain's abilities, how could he possibly have access to contraband of this level?

　"So let me take that scholar with me, otherwise the Moths of Fire won't give up."

　Both Moros and Alicia could tell that these words came from the mercenary commander's true feelings.

　It could even be said that the mercenary commander wouldn't have said those words if Alicia hadn't chosen to let him go.

　"Alicia, Eden, what do you think?"

　Moros asked softly, his gaze shifting between the two friends he had met on the ship.

　Moros himself was not concerned about the potential threat posed by the Fire-Chasing Moths.

　The necromancer could even force the Mu Continent to back down, so why would he be afraid of an international organization?

　Today, the Firemoth is just an ordinary, powerful international organization, not the behemoth that expanded rapidly after the Third Collapse.

　For ordinary people, and even for many small countries, an international organization of this caliber undoubtedly possesses a formidable deterrent effect.

　However, in the face of someone like Moros, the means and threat posed by the Fire Moth are not enough to pose a real threat to him.

　The power of nuclear weapons is undoubtedly awe-inspiring, but when Morros can freely open demiplane portals, these weapons, which rely on ballistic missile launches rather than teleportation, become much less of a threat to him.

　The low hit rate gave Moros enough confidence and strength to face any challenge or threat from the Fire Moth.

　Furthermore, Moloss is skeptical of the current authority of the Moth of Fire and its ability to persuade sovereign states with nuclear weapons to launch ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.

Chapter 48 A Further Step in the Relationship

　"Hmm, Eden, what do you think?"

　Alicia gently held Eden's hand and asked tenderly.

　For her, Eden's opinion was extremely important.

　If the Pink Fairy were left to make the decision alone, she would definitely reject the mercenary commander's suggestion outright. However, since Eden was involved, Alicia had to consider it carefully.

　"Ellie..."

　Eden was silent for a moment, then looked into Alicia's eyes and spoke.

　"I trust your judgment. Whatever you decide to do, I will do."

　Upon hearing Eden's answer, a radiant smile bloomed on Alicia's exquisite face.

　She knew that Eden understood her.

　"Thank you, my good Eden."

　Holding Eden's hand tightly, Alicia made her decision.

　She looked into the mercenary commander's eyes and spoke in a cheerful tone.

　"Fairies are creatures that love happy endings."

　Alicia's meaning was clear: she did not want the mercenary commander to take the scholar away.

　"..."

　Having understood the implication of the pink-haired girl in front of him, the mercenary commander opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing more.

　"Okay, you can go."

　Seeing that Alicia and Eden had made their decision, Moros kept his promise and let the mercenary commander leave.

　However, just as the mercenary commander was about to leave, Moros spoke up again.

　"Give me that box of contraband. If your employer asks why the mission failed, just say you encountered Moros, the necromancer Moros. Your employer will understand."

　As a friend of the Pink Fairy, Moros keenly sensed the worry behind her hesitation.

　To prevent Alicia and Eden from being exposed to the Fire Moth, Moros decided to take the blame for ruining the Fire Moth's plans.

　After all, his presence could no longer be concealed when his undead soldiers appeared.

　There was no other way; on the entire planet Earth, he was the only one capable of commanding undead soldiers.

　Considering Alicia and Eden were present, and Moros couldn't possibly destroy...

　The Miracle of the Seas concealed its presence by silencing witnesses.

　In that case, using their inevitably exposed whereabouts to cover up Alicia and Eden's existence, and incidentally boosting their favorability, becomes a very reasonable choice.

　"I understand. We encountered the necromancer Moros, so the mission failed."

　The mercenary commander had never wanted the Firemoth to notice his savior, so when Moros decided to take responsibility, he naturally said he would report to his employer as instructed by Moros.

　"Moros, you don't have to do this."

　Staring at Alicia's big, blinking eyes, Moros knew that his act of taking the blame had already won over a lot of the pink fairy's favorability.

　"You are my friend, Alicia."

　Moros gazed into Alicia's eyes, which were as clear as the blue sky, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.

　"Don't worry, they're just fire-chasing moths, they can't threaten me."

　To allay Alicia's concerns, Moros, after a moment's thought, decided to share some of his past experiences on the continent of Mu.

　Of course, this is the version after removing a few minor details.

　As a veteran captain, Moros knew all too well the deep affection Alicia had for humanity.

　Therefore, he naturally wouldn't reveal certain things that were inappropriate to mention to them.

　Even so, Alicia and Eden were still deeply shocked after hearing Moros's account.

　Although they already knew that Moros was not simple when they encountered the vampire count and the vengeful spirit.

　But when Alicia and Eden learned that Moros had engaged in a fierce battle with the regular army of Mu Continent, and even forced the rulers of Mu Continent to bow down and admit defeat, they were extremely surprised.

　Without a doubt, Morros's confession brought him much closer to Alicia and Eden.

　As for whether Morros would be in danger as a result, he had great faith in Alicia and Eden and believed they would not reveal his secret.

　In addition, he has a demiplane as an escape route, which provides him with almost absolute security.

　This sense of security gave him the confidence to be honest with each other, and it was the most important factor that prompted him to make this decision.

　"This is truly amazing."

　Eden gently stroked her long, wine-red hair, gazing tenderly at Moros.

　This feeling of being trusted made Eden regard Morros as his true friend in his heart.

　"Looks like we have a little secret in common now."

　Alicia's eyes curved into crescent shapes, and she smiled broadly, clearly very happy.

　Sensing the subtle shift in the atmosphere between the three, Moros smiled genuinely.

　With the necromancer's permission, the mercenary commander's evacuation of the Ocean Miracle went very smoothly.

　Even though the mercenary commander encountered several combat groups of undead soldiers on his way to the lower deck, Moros's orders made these undead ignore him and continue to carry out their missions.

　However, when he finally reached the lower deck, the mercenaries who had been stationed there were already cold corpses.

　Moros needs the mercenary commanders to report the reasons for the mission's failure alive to their employer, the Firemoth.

　But he doesn't need too many mercenaries to leave the Ocean Miracle alive.

　Moros never turned down souls that came knocking on his door.

　After searching the entire landing craft and confirming there were no survivors, the mercenary commander had no choice but to pilot the landing craft alone toward a small transport ship that was still lingering near the Ocean Wonder in the distance.

　"Boss, what is this?"

　Seeing the mercenary commander board the ship alone, the mercenaries left behind on the small transport ship looked at each other in bewilderment, a nameless fear rising in their hearts.

　How could they not understand the implications behind this?

　Those are hundreds of elite mercenaries!

　Even in war, annihilating them all is no easy task.

　But now, their leader has returned alone, which sends chills down the spines of the mercenaries left behind on the transport ship.

　If we hadn't stayed on the transport ship...

　A mercenary swallowed hard and asked in a trembling voice.

　"Boss, where are the others?"

　"There's no one else. They're all dead!"

　The mercenary commander's voice was cold and firm, shattering the last glimmer of hope in the hearts of the remaining mercenaries.

　"Mission failed, retreat!"

　At that moment, a mercenary hesitated and pointed to the torpedo launching device on the ship.

　"Boss, there's still one torpedo on board, should we...?"

　He glanced at the Miracle of the Seas, which was faintly visible in the storm in the distance, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

　"We're already lucky to have left alive, let's not cause any more trouble!"

　However, the mercenary commander interrupted his suggestion without hesitation.

　"Krok and the others' revenge..."

　"Shut up! You have no idea what happened on the ship!"

　"What did you say? If you don't want to die, listen to me!"

Chapter 49 Aftermath

　Just as the mercenary commander was reprimanding the mercenary who planned to use a torpedo to attack the Ocean Miracle, a cold voice suddenly rang out behind them.

　“You made a wise choice.”

　Upon hearing this voice, the mercenary commander's pupils constricted instantly, and he lunged forward without hesitation, trying to avoid the potential danger.

　"Who's there?!"

　"That is...what is that..."

　"Ghost!"

　"..."

　The screams of the other mercenaries echoed in the night sky, and an ominous premonition rose in the heart of the mercenary commander who had fallen to the ground.

　He struggled to suppress his fear and turned to look, where he saw several semi-transparent human figures appearing and disappearing in the storm.

　If it were merely this faint, elusive effect, perhaps the other mercenaries wouldn't be so terrified.

　But when these figures float in mid-air, and the raindrops of the storm can pass through their forms without hindrance, everything changes completely.

　"He promised me! He promised to let me leave!"

　The mercenary commander recognized the semi-transparent figures at a glance. Before he could even get up, he roared madly.

　His voice echoed through the storm, carrying endless despair and helplessness.