Chapter 114: Found
Whether in a peaceful society or during the apocalypse, the average person has very little chance of ever seeing a warship.
And when they finally do, their first reaction would most likely be: This thing is practically a gigantic mountain of steel.
Even an ordinary ship would feel an overwhelming, suffocating pressure simply by approaching it. Standing in front of it, a person would be as tiny as a grain of sand on the ground.
The sl*ve traders aboard the sl*ve ship stared at the colossal behemoth that had suddenly appeared in the darkness, their minds going completely blank.
It had only turned on its lights after drawing close.
In the vast ocean beneath the pitch-black night sky, the warship shone brightly, revealing its mountain-like form. Its hull stretched so far that they couldn’t see either end, while its immense height seemed as though it might come crashing down on them at any moment.
Rows of fully automatic gun barrels were raised along the bow. Each gun looked thicker than an adult’s waist. Numerous vertical launch silos were arranged toward both the front and rear of the deck, while several close-in weapon systems sat silently in readiness.
If anything threatened it, tens of thousands of densely packed armor-piercing rounds could be fired at the target in an instant, shredding it apart into pieces scattered here and there beneath a lethal web of gunfire.
But the sl*ve traders probably weren’t able to fully appreciate just how terrifying that was.
After all, from the height of the sl*ve ship, even with the warship’s lights blazing, their entire field of vision was completely filled by the dark-gray hull, which rose before them like a sheer steel cliff. No matter how far they craned their necks, all they could see was this towering “wall.”
“My God!”
The sl*ve traders aboard the ship were completely stunned.
And by the time the captain came to his senses and tried to flee, it was already too late.
Blindingly powerful searchlights had already locked the sl*ve ship in their sights. In the next instant, high-pressure water cannons began blasting it at close range, targeting the deck and the bridge windows. At the same time, electromagnetic interference equipment was activated…
In the blink of an eye, this sl*ve ship—which was by no means small compared to ordinary vessels—was completely disabled.
The communication equipment the captain used to remotely issue orders to the entire crew, such as the radio, had also gone haywire under the interference.
The entire ship instantly descended into chaos.
Watching the scene, Cheng Qisheng couldn’t help feeling that this was a bit like using a cannon to swat a mosquito.
But who could blame the sl*ve ship for its bad luck? It had happened to run straight into the Blue Sea warships just as they had been completed, finished their basic sea trials, and begun their operational trials.
Construction of these two warships had already begun back on Velvet Star.
When the Blue Sea civilization fled Dark Star, they hadn’t had time to bring their warships with them. Later, when they wanted to obtain Yunbula’s massive grain warehouse on Velvet Star, they had nearly failed simply because they didn’t have suitable vessels to make the journey.
Fortunately, the Travel Team eventually reached the area, allowing the great Blue Sea Creator God to obtain their coordinates through Her believers and successfully bring Blue Sea Safe City to them.
But after that incident, the Blue Sea government realized just how lacking they were when it came to ships. Not only did they bring some vessels with them from Velvet Star, they also began constructing warships of their own.
Even so, the Blue Sea government hadn’t expected to arrive in a world that was practically nothing but ocean so soon. Despite rushing the construction process as much as possible, these two 10,000-ton destroyers had only just been completed and finished their basic sea trials.
They hadn’t even made it in time to participate in the Pirate Conference.
But that was all right.
Although the largest pirate chief on Green Billow Star, the Kansidang Pirates, never got to experience the might of the Blue Sea warships…
This perfectly ordinary sl*ve ship certainly did.
—While chaos reigned throughout the sl*ve ship, the helicopter hangar at the stern of the warship opened, and a combat-ready helicopter took off.
A sniper aboard the helicopter raised a high-precision sniper rifle and aimed down at the ship below.
At the same time, the helicopter’s mounted machine gun began firing controlled bursts at the ship’s sides and the edges of the deck, suppressing the enemy and destroying the vessel’s control equipment.
One after another, high-speed special-forces assault boats were lowered from the warship. Once the fully armed marine units rapidly closed in on the sl*ve ship, they climbed aboard and began taking control of the vessel.
Some of the sl*ve traders spotted them, but the moment they picked up their weapons and tried to approach, the snipers shot them dead.
—Pfft!
—Bang!
The low, muffled sonic booms were almost inaudible beneath the roar of the surrounding waves.
But aboard the sl*ve ship, which was bathed in blinding light, the sight of someone suddenly collapsing was impossible to miss in an environment where everyone was already on edge.
“They’re shooting!”
“They have aircraft! And snipers!!”
“Run!!!”
Not a single one of the sl*ve traders aboard the ship had any intention of fighting back.
How were they supposed to fight this?
In front of this warship, their vessel was like an ordinary person standing face-to-face with Ultraman.
Had they committed some unforgivable offense against heaven itself?
Why would something this enormous, equipped with so many combat personnel and fully prepared for battle, go out of its way to deal with them?
The sl*ve traders scattered in panic.
Some hid below deck. Others lowered the lifeboats and tried to escape. A few simply threw themselves flat on the ground and pretended to be dead.
Compared with the sl*ve traders, who at least knew something was happening outside and frantically searched for places to hide, the sl*ves locked inside the cages were even more terrified.
Most of the sl*ves aboard this vessel had been captured by the sl*ve traders from various ordinary ships.
From their perspective, everything had suddenly become as bright as day outside, followed by a series of loud bangs. Then, the sl*ve traders who had still been lounging around half an hour ago began hopping about in a panic like fish caught in a net and hauled ashore.
They had no idea what was happening outside.
Was it people? Or some kind of sea monster?
If this ship sank, they were locked inside sturdy iron cages. They wouldn’t even have a chance to escape. They could only watch helplessly as they marched toward death.
The unknown was always more frightening.
Some of the sl*ves had already forgotten the “hierarchy” that the sl*ve traders had “taught” them through beatings and whippings during their captivity. They began shouting desperately, trying to get some information from the fleeing sl*ve traders.
“What happened outside?! Don’t run away!”
Seeing the sl*ve traders fleeing deeper into the ship in utter panic, as though a man-eating monster might come rolling down the stairs at any moment, the people calling after them grew increasingly desperate.
“Open the cages! We can fight too!”
“Don’t leave! Don’t go!!!”
Some began banging the locks with their chains, striking them over and over while repeatedly glancing toward the stairwell.
An invisible sense of urgency filled the air, and everyone trapped inside the cages felt an overwhelming terror.
They began trying every method they could think of—smashing the locks, attempting to bend apart the iron bars, or struggling to their feet and trying to enlarge the small ventilation opening above their “prison.”
In one corner, more than a dozen Lilithianans were also pounding on the wooden planks beneath them, trying to smash through the floor so that people could pass through.
—Thud, thud, thud!
Footsteps that sounded almost human came from above.
Everyone inside the cages immediately felt their hair stand on end.
What could it be?
Was it a monster?
Would it reach its tentacles through the bars and swallow them whole like a python?
As their uncontrolled imaginations conjured up increasingly terrifying possibilities, everyone worked their hands even faster.
Some cried and wailed. Others urged people to hurry. Still others began frantically looking around, desperately searching for anything they could use as a weapon to protect themselves.
Creak.
The metal hatch opened.
The first thing that appeared was the muzzle of a gun.
Then came several beams of light bright enough to illuminate the entire space.
The sudden brightness left the people inside the cages unable to see clearly for a moment.
Once their eyes adjusted to the new light, they saw people dropping directly from above, completely ignoring the stairs, and landing lightly on the floor.
They all wore identical uniforms. Bulletproof vests covered their chests and backs. Tactical helmets sat on their heads, with protective goggles over their eyes. They wore knee and elbow pads, identical black tactical gloves, and high-top, slip-resistant combat boots.
Everything about them screamed two words:
Elite forces.
After coming down, they did not relax their guard simply because they were facing a group of people locked inside cages. Five of the team members kept their guns trained on the prisoners, scanning them carefully for any signs that they might be armed.
“Everyone, get down and put your hands over your heads. If any sl*ve traders have mixed in with you, report them immediately.”
Before the people inside the cages could even react, more than a dozen Blue Sea team members behind them had already advanced rapidly and cautiously, checking the area as they went.
One person stayed to guard the stairwell. Before long, several gunshots rang out from the area being searched, followed by a few desperate pleas for mercy.
The people inside the cages watched as the sl*ve traders hiding in the area were dragged out one by one by the Blue Sea search team, like chicks snatched up by an eagle.
The cages that had held them prisoner for so long were also searched for their keys. Once they were found, a Blue Sea team member opened the door.
“You’re safe now. You can come out.”
However, she made a strange request.
“Please lift your shirts and expose your stomachs. We need to check your abdomens.”
A mother and her child timidly huddled at the very back.
In truth, everyone wanted to stay at the back. They had simply reacted the fastest, so they had managed to get themselves near the rear of the line.
Those who hadn’t reacted as quickly only realized later that they had somehow ended up at the very front. By then, they wanted to switch places, but with more than twenty tall, heavily built Blue Sea tactical soldiers watching them, they didn’t dare make any unnecessary movements.
All they could do was tremble nervously and lift the corner of their ragged shirts as instructed.
What would happen next?
Would they stab a knife into his stomach?
The man was terrified, his whole body trembling as he desperately wanted to run.
But all he heard was the fully armed person in front of him shout:
“Next!”
Th-that’s it?
The man at the front of the line shakily approached on trembling legs. The next moment, something warm was stuffed into his hands.
He looked down.
It was half a steamed tuber, one of Green Billow Star’s staple foods.
The soldier who handed him the steamed tuber said, “Eat this to tide you over, then go upstairs and get some rest.”
Food.
They were actually giving him food.
The man was practically crying tears of relief, because it meant he wasn’t going to die.
No one would give food to someone who was destined to die. That would be a complete waste.
He carefully lowered his head and practically wolfed down the steamed tuber. Tears dripped onto it, only for him to swallow them along with the food.
Once he had finished everything and saw that the soldier had no intention of stopping him, he finally relaxed. He climbed up the ladder and made his way outside.
Seeing that they weren’t going to be killed—and that they were even being given food—the people inside the cages stopped desperately crowding toward the back. They were still frightened, but one by one, they obediently made their way out.
As each person emerged, the Blue Sea soldier standing by the entrance would glance at their stomach and visually assess their condition. Once he determined that everything was fine, he would let them pass.
Behind him, another group of soldiers carried a large basket of steamed tubers. Whenever someone came out, they would stuff half a tuber into that person’s hands.
The basket of steamed tubers had been found in the sl*ve traders’ kitchen. At least this way, the food was being put to good use.
More and more people made it out safely, and the terror in their hearts gradually began to subside.
Then one person exposed his abdomen.
There was a red mole on it.
The Blue Sea soldier who was about to call for the next person immediately became alert.
“A Lilithian?”
The man became wary and said nothing.
The Blue Sea soldier continued, “We’re on the same side. Your king called us to rescue you. I have a code.”
“12dg plus 373ki equals 90gu.”
The wary Lilithian’s expression immediately relaxed.
It was a calculation method unique to the Kingdom of Lilith.
He whispered, “I’m a Lilithian.”
“That’s great. You’ll come with us in a moment. We’re taking all of you back.”
At the back of the line, the mother and child immediately began pinching their own stomachs, desperately trying to make their red moles appear.
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