Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

"Aim at the waters around us! Disrupt the attack!"

Stuck within these circling serpents, the captain shouted out to this crew before pressing a few other buttons. The barrier protecting them grew weaker and power was being diverted somewhere else. 

Meanwhile, the serpents continued to surround the ship, tightening their grasp. 

"Keep it going, destroy the barrier!" the demons shouted together.

And then the barriers began to crack as the pressure mounted before it broke, shattering into pieces before disappearing. 

The watery serpents roared out as they closed in onto the ship, trying to keep it from moving. However, the cannons were loaded and all of them were aimed at the waters. In a single shot from all of them, they blasted the lake surface, causing giant waves and pushing the serpents back. Even the smaller ships were blown back. 

"Get ready and hold on tight!" shouted the captain. 

Free for just a few moments, he turned the ship and pressed a red-colored button. 

The propellers underneath began to spin and spin before bursting out with speed, sending the ship off at an incredible speed. It was so fast for the first few seconds that it looked like a stone skipping on water, escaping the attacks.

"Chase after them! Go!"

The demon soldiers commanded before Hai Zhu emerged from the waters, climbing back onto the ship. He looked around and saw the mining ship sail off before looking at the demons before him. 

"Good, the plan has been set. We'll return to the camps and set off immediately with the full force."

Everyone nodded to his commands and the ships turned around, quickly leaving the site. As they left, the lake returned to its serene state from which the surface was unbroken. It was clean and empty, devoid of any sign of battle. 

Which begged the question, what happened to the contents of the crates that they tossed into the lake?

Unfortunately, neither the captain, the crew, or the miners noticed it. They were too focused on the attack to really notice anything else. In fact, the captain was too busy celebrating in the cabin. 

"Ahahaha! Did you see that? That's why I'm known as the Bull Shark Captain! No one dares to go against me!"

The miners looked at him with a weak smile, clutching their stomachs tightly. 

"Damn, this is why I prayed that we wouldn't get attacked. He's too crazy of a captain to ride with."

"It's one thing to join the naval force with your own ship but to augment it so much..."

"I don't... I don't think I can stomach another jump like that... urgh..." 

Those who have experienced this captain's wild riding looked fine and even went below deck to check their harvest.  Within the confines of the lower levels were dozens of crates filled with the metals and gems, they've obtained. Some were filled to the brim while others were partially filled. 

Looking at it all, the miners had a difficult expression on their faces. Some even went into deep thought, rubbing their chin with their hand. 

"Hmm..."

"This- this can't be considered a bad harvest but..."

"It's not as much as we hoped for."

The miners looked at each other, trying to gauge their reactions. 

"Should we return?" one of them suggested. 

"No, it's too dangerous. It doesn't seem like they giving chase so we could just find a different area to mine this time."

They all nodded in agreement, bringing it up with the captain who found no issue with it. 

"Ah, the operation will be a bit longer but there's no harm in being late is there?! Ahahaha!" 

Manning the ship, it coasted through the lake, becoming calm once more. Hours later, the day had become night and the ship stopped for the miners to do their work. And while doing so, they began to talk amongst themselves. 

"The ores here aren't as plentiful but as long as we don't exhaust the veins, they should grow back."

"It's the Cerulean Serpent's Lake after all. The amount of Quintessence Energy here is incredible but it is a shame that it cannot be utilized."

"Of course not, the energy is too wild to control. We have to wear this armor just to endure the pressure. Trying to absorb and refine it is too difficult. Its only purpose is to keep the lake alive and strong."

"That is true."

"In any case, let's finish up harvesting and be on our way."

Following the same pattern as before, groups of ten took turns to mine, unearthing what they could. Focused on their work, all but one did not notice a peculiar detail on the hull of the ship.

"Strange, was there always these black spots?" they thought. 

Looking from below, the armored hull of the vessel was dotted all over with black spots. But it was difficult to see underwater and they only gave it a cursory glance. 

"Must be some new creation from the commander of Guardian's Keep. He's always tinkering away with the ships and all of that."

This miner merely shrugged and went about their work. If they were to look closely, perhaps even feel the surface of the ship, such thoughts would not come to pass. 

Those black spots were the spiked balls that Commander Hai Zhu embedded into the hull. Not one of them was out of place, fully pushed into the hull.

How strong did one have to be to do such a thing? To be able to pierce several layers of armor?

What exactly did the Tide King do and what was he planning to do with this ship?

For the moment, no one knew except for him. 

As soon as he returned to the base, Hai Zhu gathered everyone, from his soldiers to his prisoners. He gathered them all and stood in front of the lakeshore, where a massive warship along with several other ships made their appearance. 

Looking at them all, he planted the butt of his trident into the ground and spoke. 

"The plan has been set into motion. We will be leaving soon. Make any preparations and prepare. This time, we will take full control of the lake!"

He raised his trident as the soldiers before him, shouted together with excitement. Only the haggard prisoners were silent, looking at him with dread. 

Hai Zhu then looked at them especially. 

"You all will be the vanguard and assault the human bases. Is that clear?" he said. 

All of their eyes widened in shock. 

"But our children? What will happen to them? What if we were to die?" they asked. 

"Then don't die."

He replied with just those three words in his cold voice and turned away to leave. Some were unable to endure it anymore and shouted at him. 

"How can you do this?! Are you not one of us? A demon whose bloodline is blessed by the waters?!"

Hai Zhu stopped and turned around. With the lack of emotion in his face, it was difficult to read his emotions. That made facing him even more terrifying. He seemed to be devoid of any feeling. He just stared at the prisoners before answering them. 

"I am a Water Demon. Sea, lake, or river, it doesn't matter to me. I have no clan, no family to turn to because that was how common water demons were, like fish in the ocean, there were countless others. Unlike you lot, the Varuna Clan, and all the other little clans, why is it that you're named so? Why is it that you have such a unique status, unlike the lowly demons who have no place to call home."

Walking forward, he stepped right up to the prisoner that shouted, the clan head and the father of those two children. 

"You may think of me as kin but I assure you, everyone here, they are just tools.. Pieces on top of a game."

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