Chapter 516: The Strongest Divine Creature of the Giant Whale Sea: The Whale King Ivona

Cresto looked worried as he said, "After leaving the Aggras Sea, we quickly encountered a storm. Once the storm passed, we discovered this island. We thought we could rest here before resuming our journey back to Fars."

"But we didn’t expect that as soon as we leave, we encounter another storm. After breaking through the storm, we end up right back here. No matter which direction we sail, the result is always the same."

Charlot was slightly surprised and remarked, "A ghostly maze on the sea?"

He quickly realized he had misspoken. In this world, where would a ghostly maze exist? It was more likely that some malevolent deity was behind it. After thinking deeply, he asked, "Are there any malevolent gods nearby?"

Juno smiled faintly and said, "The strongest divine creature in the Giant Whale Sea is none other than the Whale King Ivona!"

Pointing downward, he added, "It’s the very one aboard your ship."

Charlot couldn’t help but swallow nervously. "How did it fall?"

Juno shrugged and replied, "How could I possibly know? Matters involving malevolent gods are beyond mortal comprehension. Only those like us, who participated in the slaying of the Labyrinth God Agmirlas, can grasp even a sliver of the truth."

Juno's words brought a stunned silence to the entire Radiant Holy Kingdom.

Cresto couldn’t help but ask, "You slew a god?"

Even slaying a malevolent god was a feat of unparalleled glory, unheard of throughout recorded history.

Such news, once it reached the Old Continent, would compel royal houses to issue formal decrees and bestow illustrious titles.

This revelation was a hundred times more astonishing than acquiring a legendary warship! But since it was Juno Arthur, the strongest warrior, who spoke, it was hard not to believe.

Under the eager gazes of the crew, Juno nonchalantly described how they had seized the opportunity when Agmirlas was restrained by three other entities. They attacked the god’s true form, resulting in its demise. Charlot's Saint-rank subordinates listened intently, utterly captivated.

Meanwhile, Viggo’s face turned ashen.

At first, he had been thrilled, but then he realized with a sinking heart that the ship beneath him was the culmination of several malevolent gods' essence. He couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of dread.

Andreas, on the other hand, cheerfully declared, "With the Radiant Holy Kingdom and Emilia, we’re sure to find a way out of this cursed place. To celebrate our reunion, let’s hold a ball!"

Charlot saw no reason to dampen the mood and agreed readily.

Stranded in this mysterious locale, everyone believed they would eventually escape, though morale was understandably low.

Charlot, though not yet Saint-rank himself, held a revered position among his subordinates. Apart from the three former leaders of the Fars Royal Knights, nearly all Saint-rank members believed Charlot could resolve any problem. After all, he had risen from an ordinary clerk to the Empire’s newly minted duke, defeating countless enemies and forging a near-legendary path.

The announcement of the ball brought cheers from at least five Saint-rank warriors.

Shaking his head, Charlot had the two legendary warships and their fleets converge. Officers from the seven magical alchemical warships eagerly boarded the Radiant Holy Kingdom, delighted to find even more and higher-quality wriggling demons aboard.

This was because the Radiant Holy Kingdom had absorbed part of the Labyrinth of Agmirlas, enhancing the strength of the five divine creatures aboard. The Ancient Gomodoro Tree had also evolved, resulting in wriggling demons of even greater quality.

Charlot himself, however, was weary of the lively atmosphere and instead followed Juno to the Swan Lake.

Drusineia, ever the gracious hostess, prepared fruit wine and personally baked pastries for them. In his previous life, Charlot had not been a smoker, but he suddenly felt the urge for a cigar—perhaps a Cohiba, the King of Cigars. An image formed in his mind: an old man and a young man, cigars in hand, reclining on calf-leather sofas and gazing out at the sea, exuding the air of classic nobility.

Though temporarily trapped, neither Charlot nor Juno seemed overly concerned.

Having just slain a god, their fleet now boasted four legendary warships, seven magical alchemical warships, eleven ancient magical ghost ships, and over six hundred ghost ships. The sheer number of Saint-rank warriors in their ranks was enough to wage a major campaign like Ferranden. Even if faced with another malevolent god, they were confident in their ability to overcome it.

Meanwhile, the crew of the Radiant Holy Kingdom reveled in joyous celebration.

This fleet, never lacking in supplies, was home to countless wriggling demons whose ethereal beauty transcended mortal aesthetics. Charlot had also designed various entertainment facilities, making relaxation all too easy.

This festive atmosphere spread across the sea, inadvertently provoking the wrath of a certain entity. A layer of mist began to form and slowly thickened, enveloping the fleet.

The first to sense the change was Juno, and Charlot quickly followed. A malevolent force was closing in from all directions.

In a low voice, Charlot asked, "Is it a malevolent god?"

Juno nodded. "It barely qualifies as one, but it’s far weaker than Agmirlas."

"Charlot, are you familiar with how the vampires correlate their ranks with human nobility?"

Charlot nodded. "I am. High-ranking vampires have titles: thirteen to fifteen are barons, sixteen to eighteen are viscounts."

Juno smiled faintly. "Exactly. Each major rank comprises two noble titles. For Saint-rank vampires, the titles are earl and marquis—nineteen to twenty-one are earls, twenty-two to twenty-four are marquises. Your teacher is at the peak of Saint-rank, a so-called Glory Marquis."

Charlot asked, "Why do you bring this up, teacher?"

Juno smiled and replied, "Beyond Saint-rank lies the God-rank. But most people don’t understand vampires well enough to know the God-rank titles."

Charlot was slightly surprised. "Aren’t they the Three Emperors and Six Kings?"

Juno shook his head. "No. Twenty-five to twenty-seven are Vampire Grand Dukes. Twenty-eight to thirty are the Six Kings."

"And the Three Emperors? They aren’t God-rank. They are demigods."

This revelation was new to Charlot, and his surprise was evident.

Juno continued calmly, "Ascending to God-rank isn’t difficult for me. But ascending while retaining one’s sense of self—that’s my true goal. To become something beyond..."

He glanced meaningfully at Charlot’s divine creatures. "For me, they are a tragedy."

"You’ve probably never heard of the Vampire Grand Dukes, have you?"

Charlot admitted, "No, I haven’t."

Juno shrugged. "That’s because they are monsters, utterly devoid of humanity. The Three Emperors and Six Kings have their quirks, but the Grand Dukes are the problem."

"If my senses are correct, the one trapping us here is a monster that has just ascended to God-rank."

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