Chapter 79: Setting Sail and Making Plans

Storm Harbor, the ocean ferry port.
This was the southernmost tip of the Empire, where every day countless cargo ships would set sail, carrying Faen County’s rich minerals, even richer furs, precious woods, and rare flowers and herbs to the Empire and even to distant lands.
Wealth brings boundless possibilities, enticing countless souls to risk their lives venturing into the Twilight Forest, retrieving marvels and treasures unheard of… while some remain there forever.
At this moment, on a steel ferry docked by the shore, passengers were boarding the ship in a clear division of ranks.
One group consisted of elegantly dressed noblemen and wealthy merchants; the other, workers and common tradesmen clad in coarse linen.
“To think, Charles, this is my first time on a ship, and I never imagined such a colossal vessel could be made of steel!” Eileen’s eyes shone as she gazed at the leviathan before them, a sudden sense of being left behind washing over her.
“I’ve taken a ship a few times before. Vessels like this have only started being produced in large numbers in recent years,” Charles replied with a smile.
The widespread adoption of machinery marked the dawn of the first industrial revolution: steam locomotives, steamships, vast steelworks, all springing up like mushrooms after rain, transforming the world at an unprecedented pace.
Unfortunately, Faen County was far too remote. Every novelty took ages to trickle in, falling far behind the capital and other cities, to say nothing of their destination—Morent.
The massive steamer they were about to board was built at the Morent Shipyards, a behemoth of ten thousand tons, making the journey only once a month.
By comparison, even the largest cargo ships the Harrison Empire could construct were on par at best.
“A decayed and closed-off empire—if placed in my previous world, it would surely have its doors blasted open by ironclad guns… But alas, this is the Totem World,” Charles thought with a sigh.
In his previous life, his homeland had endured long years of weakness and humiliation, but here, things were entirely different. Possess a top-tier Calamity Divine Beast, and no amount of ironclads or artillery could stand in your way!
In his memory’s vision of the future, there was a sea monster as vast as an island, capable of raising waves tens of meters high with a flick of its tail. Forget one ship—even an entire invincible fleet could be swept away by it alone!
It was simply unreasonable—unless civilization advanced to the point of wielding planet-killing star cannons or some such superweapons, technology could never outpace the power of totems.
“Sir, here is your room. If you need anything, simply pull this cord and someone will come. I wish you a pleasant journey—your six days of wonderful travel at sea have now begun.” The attendant, dressed much like a black-suited servant from Charles’ previous world, led them to their cabin and withdrew with perfect courtesy.

This voyage would span over ten thousand miles, but fortunately the passenger liner was fast; had it been an old-fashioned sailing ship, a month would not suffice for the journey.
“Amazing—even the room is this spacious,” Eileen exclaimed, marveling as she looked around.
“Well, it is a luxury suite reserved for nobles and great merchants… Let’s unpack first, then get a bite to eat,” Charles said, dropping their belongings in the sitting room.
For three people and their pet, they had paid two hundred gold coins—the equivalent of a hundred thousand yuan in his past life—securing this limited suite, comparable in size to an ordinary two-bedroom apartment.
In contrast, ordinary passengers were crammed into the narrow, closed-off lower cabins, where dozens would share a space this large.
For this journey, Charles had brought only Firefly, Moonchild, and the Venomous Wasp swarm; all his great beasts remained in Shining Gold Town, as they could not be brought aboard—such was the greatest limitation of a half-totem.
After a brief rest, Leslie reclined on the bed reading, while Charles and Eileen stepped outside.
The sea stretched endlessly, its waves calm, the people on the shore dwindling to insignificance.
A mournful whistle sounded;
The massive ferry slowly rumbled to life, gliding away from the dock toward the boundless ocean.
This world was comprised of two continents, east and west. The Atlantean Federation perched like a hooked claw on the western edge of East Continent, less than a hundred miles from the West Continent, perfectly situated at the world’s center—hence the busiest, most prosperous ports in the land.
A gentle sea breeze swept by. Leaning over the rail, Charles watched the infinite blue, gulls wheeling above.
In the distance, great fish leapt from the water, and farther still, cargo ships billowed smoke as they steamed across the azure sea.
His once-anxious heart gradually opened under this vastness; memories of past and present lives flooded in, his gaze growing brighter:
He had led an ordinary life before; now, he wished to live brilliantly…

“Look, Charles! That big fish is beautiful!”

At that moment, Eileen couldn’t help but shout again, tugging at his sleeve. Charles followed her gaze.
Hundreds of meters away, a massive creature—about ten meters long—glided through the water. It resembled a common shark, but its back gleamed bright blue, as if clad in sapphire. Its belly was silvery white, dazzling as it breached the surface.
On closer inspection, a golden star-shaped marking adorned its head, striking and otherworldly in its beauty.
Charles’s expression suddenly changed as he recalled its name.
The Iron-Devouring Shark, an evolved form of the common Iron-Tooth Shark, possessed jaws capable of crushing steel—a true apex predator of the sea.
In one memory, a pack of these sharks, moving like wolves, destroyed a ten-thousand-ton liner.
“That happened when Storm Harbor was besieged by the barbarians—someone commanded dozens of Iron-Devouring Sharks to blockade the sea, leading to the utter annihilation of Storm Harbor!”
The scene reappeared in Charles’s mind: ships trying to flee, only to be silently dragged under by hundreds of ocean monsters, humans slaughtered at will.
Blood stained the shore red; tens of thousands perished in the jaws of sea creatures—a massacre of unspeakable brutality.
“If I recall, southeast of Storm Harbor there’s a notorious pirate crew whose captain is a third-tier Life Spirit Master. He’s trained over a dozen Life Spirit Masters, commands nearly ten Iron-Devouring Sharks, and even possesses a colossal whale at the ultimate stage.
When war broke out, the entire pirate crew pledged themselves to the True God Cult, their leader bestowed with a treasure second only to the Five-Colored Pinecone. Instantly, he gained nearly thirty Iron-Devouring Sharks, and nearly became a Calamity Divine Beast master, styling himself the Pirate King!”
After reviewing his memories, Charles realized he would have to eliminate this looming threat as soon as he returned; otherwise, it would pose a dire danger to all his future plans.
The barbarian invasion would begin in just over two months, and Storm Harbor would fall three months from now—the time left to him was running out…

“Hello, you must be Charles.”
A young woman suddenly approached, smiling as she looked at him. “You can call me Lyle. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”