Chapter 472: The Largest Ghost Fleet in History

Charlot couldn’t help but exclaim, “Is this the second labyrinth?”

Before his voice faded, countless sails emerged from the sea ahead. One ship after another surfaced from the depths, and soon the ocean was densely packed with an uncountable number of vessels. These ships varied in style, and even in era—many seemed to span hundreds of years, exuding an ancient and otherworldly aura of time.

Golden Ram Herolf shouted in astonishment, “I see the Minnis! Didn’t it disappear years ago crossing the Aggras Sea? And there’s the Sirius! That’s a centuries-old ship said to have been loaded with spices worth tens of thousands of gold écus, also lost in the Aggras Sea. It’s one of the most famous treasure ships!”

Andreas chimed in, “I recognize two of the Black Phoenix ships! They supposedly sank in a storm at sea. How could they be here?”

Hearing the discussions among his crew, Charlot drew in a sharp breath and said, “These are ghost ships! Every single one of them is a ghost ship! But… why are there so many of them?”

“Could it be that all the ships sunk in the Aggras Sea are gathered here?”

The ghost ships continued to emerge, already numbering in the hundreds, with more still rising from the ocean.

Charlot shouted, “Prepare for battle!”

Legends of ghost ships were common at sea, but usually, ghost ships were no threat to magical alchemical warships. It was ordinary ships that often found themselves in trouble.

Charlot’s fleet, consisting of legendary warships and magical alchemical warships, had little to fear from ordinary ghost ships. However, the sheer number of ghost ships appearing now was overwhelming.

Even Charlot felt uncertain.

His battle orders were relayed, and the Saint-rank individuals who had earlier boarded the Radiant Holy Kingdom quickly returned to their respective magical alchemical warships. Charlot spoke hesitantly, “Teacher, I must ask you to command the Radiant Holy Kingdom.”

Juno Arthur, Byron’s greatest warrior, smiled slightly and replied, “Very well.”

Taking Charlot along, Juno soared into the air. Charlot seized the moment to survey the surroundings and spotted Drusineia tossing something into the sea. Moments later, a legendary warship with a design similar to the Queen Bee surfaced.

Charlot remarked, “Teacher, your blood thrall Drusineia seems to have brought out something impressive.”

Juno shook his head. “She has many secrets she prefers to keep from me, and I often pretend not to know.”

“When you take on blood thralls in the future, remember to give them some personal space, or you may encounter problems.”

Charlot thought to himself, “I think Gareth is already a problem—no, a big problem.”

“A blood thrall shouldn’t have this much initiative or be so clever!”

As he gazed down at his fleet, Charlot couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher, has the Old Continent ever seen a fleet with three legendary warships at the same time?”

Juno was silent for a moment before replying, “It has.”

Charlot was stunned. “How is that possible?”

Juno replied calmly, “What if that person was named Zimourman?”

“At the height of his power, he commanded three legendary warships.”

Charlot no longer felt inclined to argue.

Some people, you feel compelled to doubt because not doing so insults your intelligence. But doubting others makes people question your intelligence instead. Zimourman was clearly the latter.

Charlot and Juno descended onto the Radiant Holy Kingdom. Charlot immediately handed over partial control to his teacher. Under Juno Arthur’s command, a layer of radiant light enveloped him, followed by an emerald hue and then two layers of oceanic power. A navigational logbook appeared before him.

Empowered by the Radiant Holy Kingdom, Juno soared into the air. Facing the ferocious ghost fleet swarming like a pack of wolves, he pointed directly ahead and commanded, “All I point to shall turn to ash. All I see shall become dust. All within my sight shall vanish like smoke!”

Charlot hadn’t expected his teacher to unleash such a powerful move right from the start.

This was the most advanced spell of Blood Clan Verbal Spellcasting—Great Prophecy.

Great Prophecy was not a spell of foresight; rather, it turned spoken words into reality, altering the fabric of existence. This mighty spell had been refined by only three individuals in the thousands of years of Blood Clan history. The other two were ancient figures from over a millennium ago, making Juno Arthur the only practitioner in centuries. It was this technique that crowned him the strongest among the Blood Clan.

If Juno were alone, he wouldn’t dare use Great Prophecy against a fleet that could very well exceed a thousand ghost ships. If the prophecy failed and reality wasn’t altered, the spell’s backlash would be devastating.

But now, with the support of the world’s most powerful legendary warship, which housed at least five divine entities—albeit with varying degrees of issues—Juno Arthur didn’t hesitate to wield a power he had never dared attempt before.

The resplendent Blood Clan Verbal Spellcasting erupted, devastating the vanguard of the ghostly fleet. Over ten ghost ships bore the brunt of the attack, disintegrating instantly. The ghostly crew aboard screeched in anguish, but their cries could not forestall their obliteration.

The first wave of destruction acted as a buffer, sparing the subsequent ghost ships slightly. They mounted a feeble resistance but still collapsed with a resounding crash, scattering their crew into the ocean. These lost souls floated on the sea like a grotesque collection of specimens.

Even Charlot Mecklenburg hadn’t anticipated the overwhelming power of Juno Arthur’s strike, which left all spectators astounded.

Nearly seventy or eighty ghost ships succumbed to the single Blood Clan Verbal Spellcasting. The residual force barreled toward a distinctive warship, only to be neutralized by its defenses.

The warship trembled slightly but stood firm, shielding the vessels behind it from destruction. Charlot's eyes narrowed as he muttered, “A legendary warship?”

Juno Arthur smiled faintly and corrected him. “No, merely an ancient magical warship.”

Before the rise of Classical Alchemy, the Old Continent was dominated by traditional alchemy and the even older magical artifice techniques. During that era, magical warships were common, but alchemical warships had not yet emerged. Although many legendary warships were ancient magical ones, not all ancient magical warships were legendary.

For instance, the Fontainebleau and the Dolmabahçe were both alchemical warships, yet they were also legendary. However, countless alchemical warships lacked this status.

Charlot quickly realized that while this ghostly ship withstood Juno Arthur’s Blood Clan Verbal Spellcasting, it was far from unscathed. A small number of its ghostly crew had been annihilated.

Judging by its defensive capabilities, it fell short of legendary status. It was indeed just an ordinary magical warship.

Charlot sighed with some regret. “Though not a legendary warship, it’s a pity to destroy it. If only we could capture it instead.”

Juno gave a soft chuckle but soon unleashed another titanic Blood Clan Verbal Spellcasting. This time, he bypassed the ancient magical warship, obliterating another seventy or eighty ghost ships in a single blow.

Although the ghost fleet was vast, if Juno Arthur continued such relentless assaults, only a handful of the strongest ships would remain afloat after seven or eight more strikes.

Charlot’s fleet accelerated toward the ghost ships. The magical alchemical cannons roared, sinking several ghostly vessels. Despite their eerie appearance, the ghost ships lacked formidable defenses. They retaliated in earnest, their sheer numbers turning their barrage into a deluge. The battle began to appear “evenly matched.”

Charlot was about to instruct Juno to unleash several more Blood Clan Verbal Spellcastings when a deafening rumble echoed from the distance. A palace floating upon the sea began to stir.

Charlot rubbed his eyes, scarcely believing what he saw. He roared, “What on earth is happening? How can that labyrinth move? Is there no justice left in this world?”

The Saint rank combatants in Charlot’s fleet also noticed the moving sea palace. They knew that even a magical alchemical warship could not hope to topple such a seaborne fortress. They cleared a path, avoiding the behemoth’s direct course to avoid a catastrophic collision.

Even Drusineia, piloting the Swan Lake, veered away from the central battlefield.

The Dolmabahçe, due to its colossal size and lack of speed, couldn’t evade so easily. Though it tried to alter its path, it seemed perilously close to danger.

Charlot promptly issued an order, transferring control of the Golden Ram Herolf from Viggo to Herolf himself. Viggo, in turn, took command of a magical alchemical warship. Charlot sought to maximize combat efficiency, knowing that Herolf’s naval expertise and skill in handling a legendary warship far outstripped Viggo’s.

Once Herolf and Viggo swapped vessels, the Dolmabahçe adjusted its course, leveraging a cluster of ghost ships as a barrier against the moving labyrinth. Unless the labyrinth obliterated these ghost ships en masse, the Dolmabahçe could remain temporarily safe.

Herolf’s deft maneuvers inspired Charlot to breathe a sigh of relief.

Turning to Juno, Charlot asked, “What should we do next? What exactly is that moving labyrinth?”

Juno Arthur replied, “How would I know? I’m no grand navigator. In battles, I usually go solo or use minor tricks. Let’s clear the small fry first and then devise a strategy.”

And so, the magnificent naval battle raged on, its scale and intensity escalating by the moment.

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