Necromancer, but pre-collapse civilization

　"Yes, Ellie."

　Eden gently took Alicia's hand, gazed into the clear eyes of the pink fairy, and sighed deeply.

　“Besides Moros, I don’t think anyone on this ship could make such a commotion.”

　However, since they had already guessed that the Ghost Dragon was summoned by Moros, Alicia and Eden had no intention of investigating further.

　They believed that Morros would not harm them.

　Ignoring the panic among the passengers and sailors, Moros gave the order to the Ghost Dragon.

　"Go, my servant, go and carry out your mission."

　"Roar!"

　Upon receiving the necromancer's order, the ghost dragon let out a deafening roar, then flapped its tattered wings and flew towards the direction where the vengeful spirits were faintly illuminated by firelight in the distance.

　Standing by the porthole, gazing intently at a distant stretch of sea, a cold, sharp smile curved at the corners of Moros's lips.

　Moths chasing the flame, let me see what you're capable of.

Chapter 51 The Moth's Decision and the USS California

　Time moves forward.

　Upon learning of the mercenary group's defeat and discovering that it was the work of the necromancer Moros, the director of the Ninth Research Institute under the Fire Moth was filled with trepidation.

　He understood that his rash actions had caused considerable trouble for the organization.

　While the database of the Firemoth contains some data about Moros, it is not comprehensive.

　However, even such incomplete data was enough for the director to realize Moros's...

　Powerful and dangerous.

　Therefore, after cutting off contact with the mercenaries, the director of the Ninth Research Institute decisively contacted his patron—Senator Vincent, who represented the interests of the only superpower on the North American continent.

　After receiving a report from the director, Congressman Vincent also realized the seriousness of the situation.

　Without hesitation, he communicated with other members of parliament and convened an emergency video conference to discuss response strategies.

　"...That's the situation. Everyone can speak freely now."

　After giving a detailed account of what had happened on the Sea of ​​Wonders to the members of the Moth Council, Councilor Vincent stood with his arms crossed, calmly observing the astonishment and worry on the faces of the other councilors.

　Although this mess was caused by his subordinates, the situation was fundamentally different for Senator Vincent.

　After all, the mercenaries only knew that they were on a mission from the Firemoth, but how could they possibly know about the factional infighting within the Firemoth?

　Since the mercenaries knew nothing about the inside story of the mission, even if the necromancer possessed some strange powers, it would be impossible for him to know who orchestrated the attack on the Ocean Miracle.

　In this situation, Moros would absolutely blame the Fire Moth.

　With the other members of the Moth of Fire acting as "supporting figures," Senator Vincent was naturally able to remain calm and composed.

　Similarly, while the other members of the Moth Chaser Council were angry about this undeserved disaster, they also understood that the priority was to clean up the mess for Councilor Vincent and resolve the crisis.

　However, they had also made a decision silently in their hearts.

　Following this incident, they must make the country behind Congressman Vincent pay the price and reap a larger share of the benefits.

　“I think the first thing we need to do is get rid of those mercenaries to ensure that Moros doesn’t get any more information from them.”

　After a moment of silence, Councilor Eugene of the Mu Continent broke the deadlock and took the lead in making a proposal.

　"This is not difficult. Our USS California is patrolling in that area. They are fully capable of handling this matter."

　Faced with Representative Eugene's proposal, Representative Vincent accepted the task without hesitation, deciding to eliminate the mercenaries to prevent future trouble.

　"The Ocean Wonder will dock at Quanzhou Port, and we can be responsible for communicating with Moros at that time."

　Representative Wang, who hails from mainland East Asia, took on the task of subsequent communication.

　After the three most powerful members of the Moth Chaser Council spoke, the video conference progressed rapidly.

　One proposal after another was put forward, then carefully discussed and revised until a consensus was reached.

　Just as the emergency meeting was about to end, Representative Eugene put forward a proposal that greatly appealed to everyone present.

　"Gentlemen, since our submarine is in that area, why not use it to test Moros's strength?"

　He glanced around at the assembled members of parliament and continued to elaborate on his ideas.

　"Imagine what impact it would have on the Firemoth if we could defeat Moros?"

　Gazing into the eyes of each member of the Moth of Fire in the video conference, Congressman Eugene gave a highly inflammatory speech.

　"I can say with certainty that as long as the problem of Moros can be solved, Mu Continent is willing to provide technical assistance to the countries represented by each of the members of parliament present here."

　Representative Eugene's proposal was like a burning flame, instantly igniting the interest of the attendees.

　Technical assistance from the Mu Continent would be an extremely tempting gift for any country.

　The lawmakers were well aware of the risks involved in Representative Eugene's proposal, but considering the potentially huge benefits, taking some risks was worthwhile.

　After intense discussion and negotiation, Representative Eugene's proposal was finally passed.

　Congressman Vincent initially opposed the proposal, fearing it would pose too great a risk to his country.

　But when Senator Eugene offered a private deal, willing to provide more and more valuable technical assistance, Senator Vincent's stance changed.

　There was no way around it; Congressman Eugene had given them far too much.

　So much so that he and the country behind him are willing to risk an attack nuclear submarine.

　Just as the Moth Chaser Council reached a consensus, a 120-meter-long steel behemoth was silently moving beneath the surface of the deep, dark ocean floor.

　This is the USS California, an attack submarine belonging to the North American Navy's combat order.

　Powered by the S9G pressurized water reactor, it can travel freely in the deep ocean at an astonishing speed of 34 knots.

　"Attention all!"

　Upon receiving the order via the encrypted channel, Colonel Marvin, the commander of the USS California, immediately stood up from his command chair.

　"All personnel, take your battle positions! We have a mission!"

　Under Colonel Marvin's orders, the crew sprang into action, skillfully maneuvering the North American submarine.

　The essence of naval technology is being deployed towards the sea area where the mission objective is located.

　Soon, the sonar system at the bow of the California detected the acoustic signatures of two man-made objects of different sizes.

　"Surf to torpedo launch depth!"

　Colonel Marvin's gaze swept back and forth across the rows of instruments before him, carefully judging the timing for launching the torpedoes.

　"Loading torpedo tube number 1!"

　Following Colonel Marvin's order, a MK48 torpedo was quickly fed into the launch tube by the sailors in the torpedo room.

　The entire process was well-organized, and each step had undergone rigorous training and practice.

　"Target is within range, prepare to launch!"

　The crew members' breathing became tense; they knew that the next moment would determine the success or failure of the mission.

　Everyone waited intently for Colonel Marvin's orders.

　"emission!"

　At the command, the torpedoes shot out like arrows, cutting through the dark seawater and speeding toward their target.

　The wait of tens of seconds felt like centuries.

　Everyone held their breath, waiting for the result.

　Suddenly, the small acoustic signature on the sonar display changed drastically, and then fell silent.

　"Target destroyed!"

　Before the crew could celebrate, Colonel Marvin issued new orders.

　"Change attack positions, target: Ocean Wonder!"

　Under Captain Marvin's orders, the California's rudder quickly turned, and the submarine began tactical maneuvers in preparation for attacking the next target.

　However, before the steel behemoth could reach its designated position for the next attack, the vengeful spirits that had been tracking it in the opposite direction along the torpedo's trajectory had already locked onto it.

Chapter 52 Hunting the Submarine

　Guided by the vengeful spirits, the Ghost Dragon swiftly flew over the California.

　It assessed the depth of the submarine and found that its Death Breath might not be as lethal as expected in such deep waters.

　Therefore, in order to carry out the necromancer's order, the dragon, representing death, decisively folded its damaged wings and plunged into the sea.

　"Captain! Something's happened!"

　A tense shout broke the silence inside the submarine, attracting the attention of Colonel Marvin.

　"what happened?"

　He immediately asked, his eyes fixed on the sonar operator.

　The sonar operator was pale, and his voice trembled slightly.

　"Captain! There's the sound of a giant object entering the water! It doesn't sound like a depth charge; I've never heard such a strange sound before."

　"Are you sure?"

　Colonel Marvin frowned, his eyes revealing doubt and wariness.

　Before Colonel Marvin could ask any more questions, the sonar operator suddenly shuddered and his pupils contracted.

　"Captain! That unidentified object is rapidly approaching us! It's incredibly fast, faster than a torpedo!"

　Despite being true aerial overlords, dragons are equally formidable in their ability to maneuver in the ocean.

　While the Ghost Dragon is not as strong as a regular dragon in terms of physical strength and breath, it possesses a greater ability to dive than a regular dragon, despite not needing to breathe.

　At this moment, the USS California attack submarine must confront the majesty of this maritime hegemon.

　"Maneuver to avoid it!"

　Although he didn't know exactly what the unknown voiceprint was, Colonel Marvin had no intention of letting it get close to his submarine.

　The California attack submarine boasts exceptional maneuverability, second only to the Mu.

　Even so, the California's maneuverability still seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the Ghost Dragon's pursuit.

　The Ghost Dragon's swimming speed is not outstanding among dragons, but compared to the cumbersome attack submarine, the Ghost Dragon is extremely agile.

　The atmosphere inside the command center grew increasingly tense.

　The acoustic signature on the sonar display screen was constantly increasing, indicating that the unidentified object was rapidly approaching.

　Cold sweat beaded on the crew members' foreheads, and their eyes revealed an undisguised fear.

　Realizing that their speed was insufficient to shake off the enemy's pursuit, Colonel Marvin immediately adjusted his tactics.

　"Loading torpedo tubes 1-4!"

　Since there's no escape, let's fight to the death.

　"Spin the ship around!"

　Under Colonel Marvin's orders, the 120-meter-long steel behemoth began to turn.

　Colonel Marvin's order was undeniably timely. Had he issued it just a few minutes later, the California would never have had time to turn around before the Ghost Dragon caught up.

　At that point, the attack submarine carrying hundreds of naval elites will probably not even have a chance to retaliate before being torn apart by the dragon's claws.

　Unfortunately, the torpedo tubes on the USS California were all concentrated in the bow, and not in the stern.

　Even with such a timely order, Colonel Marvin only managed to secure one opportunity for an attack.

　Given the speed at which the Ghost Dragon travels in the sea, this attack nuclear submarine is absolutely unmatched.

　The opportunity to reload torpedoes.

　"Ready to launch!"

　Colonel Marvin stared intently at the sonar screen, which displayed a huge red dot that was steadily approaching the USS California—that was the location of the Ghost Dragon.

　Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The feeling of bearing the lives of everyone on the ship was a heavy burden for Colonel Marvin, an outstanding graduate of the military academy.

　However, Colonel Marvin knew very well that now was not the time to hesitate or back down.