Chapter 438 - 438: Depart, Divine Ruin, Masked Woman
In fact, Thotmudo had now become the head of industrial production for the Crown of the Ocean. In terms of both strength and position, even Wilus dared not show any disrespect to him.
He was responsible for the entire industrial park of the underground Lizardman world.
Ji Chen was also pleased with this. Since Thotmudo was willing to take on this position, he didn’t mind delegating authority and sharing some of the pressure.
At the same time, this seemed to be a way to tie Thotmudo to the Crown of the Ocean.
Killing two birds with one stone.
“Sir Thotmudo, in a couple of days, I will lead my army to the Starshine Islands. I hope that when I’m not around, you can intervene if the Crown of the Ocean is in danger.”
Although Ji Chen had already taken several precautions, he didn’t mind adding another layer of security.
The aftermath of the last incident caused by the Kingdom of Bass was still fresh in his memory, and he didn’t want to be robbed again.
“That’s certainly not a problem. As long as you remember the promise we made back then.”
Thotmudo waved his hand, making a hammering motion with one hand.
“I’ll smash those sea beasts one by one, and knock their brains out.”
With the assurance of this dwarven powerhouse who stood at the pinnacle of the world, Ji Chen felt much more at ease, and his worries disappeared.
After visiting several workshops that were dozens of meters high and bustling with activity, Ji Chen returned to the surface.
He checked the time.
The Sea Beast Tide should be about halfway through its journey by now, and it would arrive at the Starshine Islands in seven or eight days at most. It was time for him to set out.
“Assemble the entire army!”
The main legions gathered here.
This time, there were six main legions, and the Dragon Horn Catfish, as a magical damage output unit, was incorporated into the Guardian Legion.
The Dragon Horn Catfish had performed exceptionally well in the previous Sea Beast Tide, with its lightning magic output being explosive.
After the army was fully assembled.
Ji Chen waved his hand, and thousands of troops set off towards the open sea.
Along the way, they encountered many scattered groups of sea beasts, ranging from a dozen to over a hundred, but in front of the Crown of the Ocean’s army, they were no match. Any legion could easily deal with them.
After five days of sailing, the group arrived safely in the waters where the Starshine Islands were located.
Upon entering this sea area, they could feel the strange atmosphere pervading the place. It seemed that even the sea breeze had become tense.
The news that the Sea Beast Tide was about to arrive here had already spread throughout the entire sea area. Countless natives and players chose to leave, taking all their belongings with them.
On the sea surface, one could see ships fleeing from this place everywhere.
Ji Chen even saw some players rowing fishing boats to leave, and he couldn’t help but shake his head.
Fishing boats could barely be used in the nearshore areas, but once they entered the open sea, they would capsize in no time. By then, they might have to witness a maritime survival drama.
The Crown of the Ocean army, going against the current, stood out among the many teams fleeing outward. Many natives and players looked at Ji Chen and his group with curiosity, not quite understanding why they had come here at this time.
Ignoring these curious looks, Ji Chen led the army closer to the Starshine Islands.
The reason why it was called the Starshine Islands was because it was a large group of islands. Thousands of islands, large and small, were embedded in the sea like stars, forming a relatively calm sea area with layered island chains.
Before players arrived, this was a bustling archipelago where countless ships passed through for resupply and trade. When players arrived as “foreign visitors,” the local authorities here quickly sensed the players’ extraordinariness and potential.
Not only did they show a very friendly attitude, but they were also willing to give all these islands to the players as territories, as long as they followed the local rules.
This way, they could both earn goodwill and maintain order here, and harness the power of the players to explore islands that they couldn’t even consider. This would make the area even more prosperous.
It could be said that the Starshine Islands were a perfect example of friendly coexistence and integration between the native forces and players.
Everything was developing in a better direction.
Then, the sudden Sea Beast Tide disrupted the prosperity and stability here.
On the largest island near the center of the archipelago, there stood a castle complex on the central mountain, which was the headquarters of the Starshine Islands’ governing power – Starshine City.
In a magnificent hail, more than a dozen councillors of Starshine City sat at the conference table, their faces filled with worry.
“I heard that another Lord of Glory’s group has chosen to leave. At this rate, I’m afraid everyone will run away.”
“Not only Lords of Glory, many merchants have left in advance, and some even sold their island properties. Shouldn’t we intervene?”
“No, the Starshine Islands have always advocated for free trade, and this would disrupt the very soil on which we depend for survival!”
“But how long can we hold on like this? As soon as the Sea Beast Tide arrives, everything will get destroyed, so why cling to these principles?”
“Why the hell did this accursed Sea Beast Tide appear?! And it had to conveniently hit our place.”
At this point, the councillors all sighed. In the end, all of this was the result of the impending Sea Beast Tide. If someone could resist it, the Starshine Islands could be saved…
“Councillors, there is hope for the Starshine Islands!”
At this moment, the cry of a guard suddenly came from outside the hall.
The councillors looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.