Axel

Chapter 452: Charlot’s Dolmabahçe

Added 2025-05-19 15:02:01 +0000 UTC

Although this world has extraordinary powers, with Saint-ranked individuals capable of splitting mountains and seas, it has yet to be fully explored by humankind.

Currently, human exploration has reached only the two continents—Old and New—and seven oceans.

Among them, the Aggras Sea lies between the two continents. To traverse it, one must pass through the Giant Whale Sea and then encounter an expanse of thousands of kilometers dotted with over ten thousand islands of varying sizes. These islands are collectively called the Aggras Archipelago, and the surrounding waters are known as the Aggras Sea.

The Aggras Sea is closer to the New Continent. Sailing from the Old Continent to the New Continent takes approximately three months. After about a month and a half at sea, one can reach the Aggras Sea. From there, it takes another twenty or so days to reach the New Continent.

However, crossing the Aggras Sea is perilous, requiring at least half a month of careful navigation.

Charlot had only twenty-eight days left, and having spent over ten days delayed in Black Phoenix City, the standard timeline would have made it impossible for him to reach the Aggras Sea. However, Charlot's fleet was exceptional, led by the legendary battleship Dolmabahçe and comprising seven magical alchemical warships—there were no ordinary vessels in his fleet.

The speed of these magical alchemical warships was over three times that of conventional sailing ships.

Although time was tight, Charlot was confident in his calculations. As a former math teacher, his calculations were flawless.

Charlot left behind two Saint-ranked individuals and did not bring along the Black Phoenix nobility who had pledged allegiance to him. His fleet consisted of nine Saint-ranked individuals: Cresto of the Radiant Holy Mountain, Aspuros, former deputy commander of the Farsian Royal Knights, Golden Ram Herolf, Silverback Gorilla Choudrou, Argon the Elephant Man, Charlot’s capable retainer Gareth Mecklenburg, Antonio Constantine, the youngest Saint of the Black Phoenix Dynasty, and the Flame Combat Energy Knight, Viggo. Additionally, his teacher, Juno Arthur, accompanied them.

This lineup was formidable enough to slay a god.

Charlot assigned the seven magical alchemical warships to Cresto, Aspuros, Herolf, Choudrou, Argon, Gareth Mecklenburg, and Antonio Constantine. Charlot himself, along with Juno and Viggo, remained aboard the Dolmabahçe.

This time, Charlot had recruited a seasoned crew, most of whom were former members of the Black Phoenix Navy. He also brought along a significant number of labyrinth guardians, including subordinates of the "Old Ram," Herolf. While Charlot himself lacked maritime experience, he had no shortage of skilled sailors.

This unprecedented fleet set sail from Black Phoenix City and soon entered the Giant Whale Sea.

On their journey, Charlot frequently saw massive whales brushing past the fleet. Some of these whales, out of curiosity, even followed them for a while.

Both Princess May and Sabastine had their own pet whales. Charlot had once been intrigued by such creatures, but given his limited time at sea and the high costs involved, his interest had remained superficial.

Originally, Charlot had planned to repair the Radiant Holy Kingdom, another legendary battleship, and use it for his voyage. However, this ship was still missing three crucial components: the venomous fangs of the Sea Serpent Queen Posugi, the tears of the Whale King, and a branch of the ancient Modoro Tree.

Although Charlot had obtained coordinates for these items, he couldn’t understand why all three were located in the same place. According to Earth’s logic, apex predators like the Sea Serpent Queen and the Whale King wouldn’t coexist peacefully. If they encountered each other, they would surely clash.

The day before departure, Charlot informed his subordinates of his plan to hunt down the labyrinth god Agmirlas. As he had anticipated, nearly none of his subordinates hesitated. However, Charlot chose not to bring along his old comrades, like Dubin, for three reasons:

They were ordinary transcendents with no maritime experience and would be of little help in the Aggras Sea expedition.
Charlot believed they deserved to enjoy a peaceful life rather than risk further danger with him.
His Mecklenburg Duchy required reliable management, and no one was more dependable than his old comrades.

Standing atop the highest deck of the Dolmabahçe, Charlot gazed at the vast ocean. During the initial days of the voyage, he found the experience refreshing, akin to a luxury cruise vacation.

On Earth, he had been just a math teacher, with a modest income far from affording a luxury cruise. Now, aboard the opulent Dolmabahçe, which far exceeded any cruise ship, and as the master of the fleet, Charlot felt a surge of pride.

Yet, after several days at sea, with nothing but endless waves in sight, the monotony began to set in.

Charlot longed to encounter something different—perhaps another passing ship—but since leaving Black Phoenix City, no other human vessels had been sighted.

Just as Charlot was about to retreat to his cabin for training, he remembered his recent breakthrough. During Georgia Hadrian’s raid on Black Phoenix City, Charlot had advanced to the eighteenth rank. He had even sacrificed the labyrinth and the Evil God Scrolls depicting Agmirlas to the blood vortex of the Van Gogh Clan, raising the Infinite Mirror World to x6. However, despite his efforts, he remained just shy of achieving the Saint rank.

After setting sail, Charlot had dedicated himself to breaking through the Saint rank before entering the Aggras Sea, but the bottleneck remained unyielding.

He had consulted Juno, who merely smiled and advised patience.

Charlot’s cabin was once the personal quarters of the Black Phoenix emperors. Unlike other nations, whose legendary battleships were built solely for warfare, the Black Phoenix Dynasty’s ships catered to imperial luxury.

This sprawling 1,000-square-meter cabin included two bedrooms—for the emperor and empress—a study, a drawing room, a music chamber, two dining rooms, and two observation decks. Charlot had initially intended to offer this cabin to Juno, out of respect for his teacher, but Juno declined, saying, "Your position has changed. You need to uphold your dignity."

Back in his cabin, Charlot glanced out the porthole, finding the endless waves dull. With a wave of his hand, the porthole dimmed. Shortly after setting sail, Charlot had transformed all the portholes and mirrors aboard the Dolmabahçe into parts of the Mirror World, granting them adjustable brightness for enhanced comfort.

Lying on the imperial sofa, once used by generations of Black Phoenix emperors, Charlot was about to resume his training when a copper bell rang in his room. Charlot knew that Viggo wouldn’t disturb him unless it was urgent. He quickly made his way to the captain’s cabin.

Upon arriving, he saw a massive fleet in the distance. It outnumbered his own by more than tenfold, and each ship bore the insignia of Black Phoenix nobility.