CHAPTER 502: CHAPTER 457 MAY WIND AND DAHOMEY FEMALE WARRIORS

Whoosh—

A Level 3 Battleship flying the blue long-tailed flag of Phaletis sailed out of "Treasure Tree Bay" alone, rapidly heading north with the Benguela Cold Current in the Black Sea at their doorstep.

Its destination was Luanda Cape, approximately 1600 kilometers north of "Treasure Tree Bay," the main base of Hilus in the Southern Continent. The total voyage was expected to take about five days.

However, the entire west coast of the Southern Continent is currently unsettled, having become a battleground between Hilus and the Tulip Alliance, so encountering any unexpected events along this route is quite normal.

There was no need to give instructions; the crew was already on high alert.

After the war broke out, the only good news for the Tulip Alliance.

Might be that they no longer have to pay Hilus 50% of the Treasure Tree shares, and even the treacherous Ilya had been completely ostracized by Phaletis and Tyrone at key moments.

Recently, they kept quitting the group repeatedly, and this time they were simply kicked out by others.

"General, is Captain Gel really okay?"

The battleship had been sailing smoothly for a while, giving Chris, the sailor wrapped in a blue turban, the chance to finally approach the foredeck, walking behind Aiven while suppressing his inner excitement to confirm.

At this time, the battleship under their feet was not the "Storm Horn," but the "May Wind," which originally belonged to Gel.

The "Storm Horn" was still en route, but Gel’s Level 3 Ship, the "May Wind," was not an issue. Although he had been rescued, he still needed some time to recuperate and was temporarily unable to participate in combat.

Luckily, most of the crew were the original members of the Level 5 Ship "Silver Wings."

First Mate Perry, Chief Navigator Teles, Boatswain Chris, and Sailor Jabu were all long-term trusted companions who had worked with Uncle Gel for many years and were the first colleagues Aiven encountered upon joining the Navy, who had taken care of him in the past.

With Aiven acting as the temporary captain, there was no hindrance to integrating him, immediately forming combat effectiveness without the need for any adaptation.

For those who had worked with Gel on the same ship for years, Gel’s loss of control was something they felt deeply; they admired and regretted Gel’s heroic deeds, but also had unease about their own futures.

With the possibility that Gel might never return to the "May Wind," they were uncertain about who the military department might send to take over the battleship. They understood the principle of "a new king brings new courtiers."

Unexpectedly, the person assigned to take over the "May Wind" was Aiven, leading to their immediate delight.

It could be said they watched Aiven grow step by step to this point; they were already a family, and their restless hearts were put at ease.

When Aiven informed them that Gel had recovered and would soon return, the whole ship was instantly in an uproar.

Nevertheless, Chris specifically sought out Aiven to ask about this matter, seemingly still finding it hard to believe.

"Rest assured, my uncle’s loss of control has indeed been reversed, and his recovery time will not exceed a month. He might even give you a big surprise when he returns."

Hearing Aiven’s assurance, Chris finally felt reassured. He knew Aiven well enough to understand that, like Gel, he was not one to make empty promises; Gel had evidently truly recovered.

In wartime status, they couldn’t leave their posts, but they could certainly wait for a month.

Thud, thud, thud, Chris hurried down the foredeck to communicate the news to the officers on board.

During that night’s inquiries, with the chance to bypass and ascend to Tier 3, Gel would of course not refuse.

Once his body fully recovered, Aiven would personally conduct the promotion ceremony for the [Life Tree Totem Warrior·Modified] for him.

However, before that, he intended to present Gel with a gift in advance for his promotion— the head of Steel Knight Kungang Tita.

Previous to this, while monitoring the Mind Network with Olivia for three days, Steel Knight Kungang Tita and his flagship—the Level 3 Ship Steel Dragon—had remained as reclusive as a turtle, showing no intention of venturing out.

As they pondered other means to lure him out, two base commanders brought good news to Aiven.

An insider reported that this Vice Commander secretly ordered the preparation of three large cargo ships, likely to set out in five to seven days.

Although the exact purpose was unknown, it hardly mattered at all—just the fact that he wouldn’t be departing with the main fleet provided Aiven with an opportunity!

Aiven’s potential mishap didn’t worry them in the slightest, capable of transforming into the Blue Eagle and crossing the Black Sea in a single day; even Tier 4 Title Holders wouldn’t necessarily outrun him.

If he managed to eliminate the Vice Commander of the Hilus Fleet, the Steel Knight, it would indeed be a significant gain!

The first half of the journey went smoothly, with calm waters throughout.

Until the fourth day post-departure, they were already quite close to the maritime boundaries of Hilus.

A sudden sea fog swept over this area, forcing the "May Wind" to slow down and sail cautiously.

Navigating near coastal areas carelessly hitting a reef would lead to huge trouble, especially when on an opponent’s turf, they’d become sitting ducks for Hilus.

However, after half a day, they didn’t await the dispersal of the thick fog, but instead heard intense gunfire and cannon blasts coming from deep within the fog on the Black Sea side.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...

The familiar orange-red cannon fire was clearly visible even through the dense mist.

And at this time and place, there was no doubt about who the combatants might be.

Sure enough, as the warship just turned its bow.

Boom—

A bright yellow signal flare soared into the sky from the distant sea, signaling a request for aid from the Phaletis Navy, originating from an alchemical creation of the "Violet Eye."

The commotion drew the attention of Aiven, who was customizing a rune engraving for Gel in the captain’s cabin, his brow furrowing.

Flap, flap...

The seagulls, who had temporarily paused their activities due to the pervasive fog, suddenly burst through it towards the battle where shouts were echoing, a battle that was only a few kilometers away.

When he saw clearly what was happening below, Aiven couldn’t help but exclaim:

"Is that Kaelson Augustine from the Kingdom’s Second Fleet?"

Unexpectedly, he had encountered an acquaintance—a former classmate from the Navy Academy, grandson of the Second Fleet’s Vice Commander, and a leading figure of the Kelsen faction during their earlier factional struggles.

In the past, there were some minor conflicts between his own roommate-led First Fleet’s Krell faction and theirs, but nothing irreconcilable.

Even when he left the Royal Navy Academy at New Inn Port, the other had specially come to see him off.

Attacked suddenly in the fog by two warships with a Hilus style and pulled into a successful boarding battle, the situation for this Phaletis Level 5 ship was extremely dire.

"Reinforcements will arrive soon, follow me and fight!"

Aboard the Level 5 Cruiser "Evergreen Ivy," Lieutenant Commander Kaelson, after sending out a signal, shouted to rally the soldiers’ spirits, wielding his longsword to meet a group of native female warriors swarming on board.

[Dener Swordsmanship: Barbarian Bear Stance]

Clang——!

The fine Extraordinary longsword clashed with the exquisite golden spear in the opponent’s hand, bursting into bright red sparks.

They were evenly matched.

But Kaelson’s heart sank deeply.

For he had already recognized the identity of these native female warriors piloting Hilus warships.

They wore gold fan-shaped battle helmets, exquisite red geometric-patterned battle skirts, and were barefoot with dark skin.

Equipped with highly poisonous blowguns, spears, curved blades, and firearms, accompanied by a black panther, these traits clearly marked them as "Dahomey Female Warriors" from the Aboriginal Dahomey Kingdom!

It is said that in this powerful Aboriginal state ruling the Slave Coast, every fifteen-year-old female must undergo a kingdom-wide assessment.

Those who are sick or unattractive are put to death directly, while the most beautiful and robust become the king’s concubines, guarding the palace for their noble husband. These are the original Dahomey Female Warriors.

Though their skin had the luminous shine of black pearls, their prominent and full lips made one wonder where the so-called beauty was hidden.

All others were forced to undergo two years of military training to bolster the kingdom’s armed forces, as the strong slave demand from the Nimansite people was an economic mainstay for the Dahomey Kingdom.

All slaves needed the kingdom’s army to conquer other tribes and principalities to capture.

And similar to the Atrean people’s primitive totem beliefs, the Dahomeans also believed in the spiritual essence of all things, where their national religion was the "Voodoo Sect" originating from the Benin region, which had unique Extraordinary Professions.

This included the warrior profession [Elephant Hunter], on par with the [Spiritual Warrior].

[Extraordinary Profession: Elephant Hunter]

"Tier 1: Elephant Hunter. Ceremony: 1. Independently hunt a mature crocodile or bull elephant at the age of fifteen as a mortal..."

"Tier 2: Skull Hunter. Ceremony: 1. Personally cut off and offer a hundred enemy heads to the Great Lord..."

"..."

These female extraordinaries, well-trained, are skilled with various weapons including firearms from the Old Continent and are more heroic and battle-worthy than the native men.

The creed of the Dahomey Female Warriors is:

"Let the men stay home to plant the crops;

We women, let us bring back the enemies’ entrails;

Wielding curved blades and hoes on the battlefield;

Yesterday we were women, today we are men."

Beyond their formidable extraordinary power.

Their appearance on the battlefield signified something even more significant, that the Dahomey Kingdom had been compelled by the Hilus people to stand against the Alliance!

Evidently, as the largest current consumer of slaves, the Dahomey, heavily reliant on the slave trade, could not resist Hilus’s demands as a major client.

Suddenly.

"Ah——!"

A shriek brought Kaelson back to his senses, realizing that there was not just one Tier 2 Dahomey [Skull Hunter] boarding to his side, but four in total.

While one engaged him, three others had combined their strength to grievously injure another Senior Knight on board.

"Dickens!"

In combat, Kaelson couldn’t help but cry out, as it was the extraordinary first mate his grandfather, the Vice Commander, had specially assigned to him, both his protector and his greatest reliance.

In an instant, the battle situation had become perilous to the extreme.