Chapter 178 Siren's Song

The sea was shrouded in thick fog, visibility was low, and the Dawn Mercenary Group's three ships slowed their pace.

Especially as it was nearing dusk, and as the temperature began to drop, the fog grew even thicker. Visibility gradually decreased to only a few dozen meters, and even the three ships could only see each other's hazy outlines.

Under normal circumstances, ships could not navigate in such low visibility. Especially in unfamiliar waters, one wrong move and they'd run aground or encounter other unforeseen circumstances, leading to the destruction of the ship and loss of life.

Fortunately, the Dawn Mercenary Group had Tani, a navigator who could "listen to the voices of sea beasts." The fish told him that there were no reefs or shoals in this area, allowing them to proceed into the depths of the fog at a leisurely pace.

Moonlight and starlight were obscured by the dense fog, and the sea was almost pitch black. Only the searchlights on the three warships illuminated a corner of this dark and vast ocean.

Light-loving marine creatures were attracted to the ships, including luminous jellyfish and shimmering schools of silverfish.

Everyone on the ships was on full alert.

Suren and Qian Tiao stayed together.

Because he could read lips, he sealed his ears with red wax.

Although he couldn't hear, it didn't affect communication.

This way, if one of them was affected by the Siren song, the other could react.

While waiting for the sirens to arrive, the two chatted casually.

"This dense fog is probably the work of the sirens. If we don't get rid of them, we won't be able to catch up with the *White Headed Eagle* at this speed."

"Mm. Siren sea creatures are most active at night. If they sense us, they'll likely come hunting tonight."

"These female demons are afraid of light and their bodies are fragile. Ordinary alchemical bullets can cause fatal damage. But they were able to wipe out the Silver Spears, so their clan probably has a 'lord-level' monster. But it's not a big problem. Qian Tiao, you should be able to kill it with one slash. But if possible, don't cut off their necks, so you don't damage their vocal organs. Ideally, we can get a few live ones."

"Okay. Leave it to me."

"..."

The "Siren's Song" has been rumored to be very dangerous on the sea, especially for fishermen, because it is difficult to detect, and the mortality rate is almost 100%.

But the atmosphere in the Dawn Mercenary Group was not too heavy.

After all, they already knew what kind of monster it was and found targeted countermeasures, which greatly reduced the degree of danger.

As night fell, the sea breeze became slightly cooler.

Occasionally, a moon shadow could be seen in the sky, and the moonlight cast an eerie white glow on the dense fog.

Surrounded by the sound of the waves, everything seemed peaceful.

At midnight, when everyone on board should have been asleep.

Suddenly, Tani's voice came from the communicator: "Captain, they're here! The jellyfish that just passed by relayed some information. Special sound waves have been detected from the south, about five nautical miles away!"

Jellyfish are one of the marine creatures most sensitive to infrasound.

The [Hearing Enhancement] talent user in the group had not yet heard the infrasound, but the jellyfish already knew that the monster had come out to hunt.

Qian Tiao told Suren about this, and she also sealed her ears with red wax.

At the same time, everyone on the ship acted and did the same ear-sealing action.

Suren also took out the black umbrella and watched the sea around him with all his attention.

But it seemed that nothing had happened, and the surroundings were frighteningly quiet.

But gradually, even with his ears plugged, Suren still felt faintly nauseous and sleepy.

He knew that the sirens were approaching.

Because of the prior tactical arrangements, almost everyone on the three ships seemed to be asleep at the same time, slumped on the deck and in the cabins.

Everyone held their breath and tried to restrain their life signs as much as possible, looking like the ships were full of corpses.

Suren also leaned against the side of the ship with a black umbrella.

Although he couldn't see or hear, he suddenly sensed hundreds of clusters of soul fire!

"Sure enough, they're here!"

Suren roared inwardly.

The thick fog obscured human vision, but it also limited the Siren sea creatures. They didn't notice anything unusual and flew out of the fog unprepared. The monsters probably thought they could have a feast, landed on the masts and sides of the three warships, and their eyes glowed as they stared at the "corpses."

Suren clearly sensed the positions of those sirens, waiting to feel the slight vibrations of them landing on the ship.

He suddenly opened his eyes and pulled the trigger of the signal gun he had prepared long ago.

"Shuu~~~~Boom!"

The flashbang exploded in the fog.

Even with their eyes closed, the needle-like glare awakened everyone on the three warships!

As soon as everyone opened their eyes, they immediately saw panicked monster faces.

Legend says that these Siren sea creatures have delicate appearances.

But the reality is... what a load of crap!

Each one had a bird's body and a human face, a mouth full of jagged teeth, ugly and ferocious, and huge iron hook-like claws on their feet!

The people of the Dawn Mercenary Group were not polite to these monsters who were preparing to treat them as food, and they all showed off their guns and cannons.

For a time, there were crackling explosions, and the sounds of guns and cannons were continuous.

The night was completely awakened.

These one or two hundred Siren sea creatures had not yet reacted to what had happened, and they were "showered" by a rain of alchemical bullets.

Barrett had already arranged detailed encirclement and annihilation tactics. The crew members were in groups of three or five, with clear tasks, and they were shooting all the monsters on the deck in all directions without dead ends.

The trajectory of the bullets weaved a net of fire in the darkness, not giving any sirens a chance to escape.

Those sirens who landed on the deck flapped their wings in a panic, wanting to take off, but before they could take off, they were shot down into the blood.

Even those elite monsters who wanted to use the hull to cover themselves and fly low along the sea surface to re-enter the fog had special snipers taking care of them...

As Suren expected, there was a fifth-order "lord" and several silver and gold-level monsters in this group of sirens.

The bodies of those sirens were obviously much more resistant, and even if the alchemical bullets made their feathers fly, they still staggered and could still fly.

But there was no shortage of masters in the Dawn Mercenary Group, so how could those monsters be allowed to come and escape?

After a round of artillery fire, Qian Tiao and other professionals with aerial abilities also drew their weapons and stepped into the air to chase after them.

Suren was not polite either, twisting the black scythe and slashing a few times, and several monsters fell into the sea in response.

Because of the prior preparations, although the battle was fierce, it ended in a few minutes.

Qian Tiao and the others chased out and returned, bringing back the lord-level Siren sea creature.

Kama helped Suren take off the vocal organs from the siren's corpse, and the other crew members began to clean the blood on the deck.

After this group of sirens were killed, the fog on the sea surface faded visibly to the naked eye.

The night returned to calm.

The speed of the warship also increased.

......

On the deck, some crew members stayed to clean up the battlefield, and some took turns to rest.

Everyone entered a normal sailing routine.

In the laboratory.

Suren was busy processing those fresh, living organs.

This [Siren Sea Creature's Song Throat] is a very precious material. He had asked about it in various material markets before, and only heard that some nobles' collections occasionally had a few ancient specimens. It could not be bought outside at all, and no one bought it.

But it is not easy to properly handle this kind of biological organ, which requires a wealth of experience.

Beside him, Kama was also helping to process those bloody siren organs.

She cleaned and sorted the materials, and then put them into glass jars filled with green liquid.

While processing, she asked questions whenever she didn't understand.

"Teacher, why don't we use 'strong silver solution' to process the materials, but instead use 'Hippolytus solution'?"

"Well... 'strong silver solution' does have excellent anti-corrosion effects. But what we are dealing with now are still active biological organs. If we want to ensure the original efficacy of the organs as much as possible and prolong their service life, we must not only consider anti-corrosion, but also try to maintain the active characteristics as much as possible. In this way, the manufactured puppet will have a longer service life and better results."

"Oh. Teacher, how can this biological material be used on puppets?"

"Then you need to inscribe special life runes on the puppet..."

"..."

Suren has eight spider spears, so he originally didn't need any assistants.

But now that he has two newly accepted disciples, he has also paid enough patience to teach.

And Kama also seems to cherish this opportunity very much, being diligent, focused, and hardworking. She feels that she has all the qualities to become an excellent alchemist.

Given time, Suren also feels that she will definitely be a very powerful puppeteer.

As for Aberke, who is trapped in the [Puppet Core], he is even more talented.

The [B-060-Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart] talent is naturally suitable for a puppeteer. Before, he just lacked guidance and systematic knowledge. Now that he has a way to learn, he can perfectly absorb everything Suren teaches him like a sponge, and he can often come up with some fantastic ideas.

Suren is also very happy to carve this unpolished jade.

......

After passing through the sea area where the Siren sea creatures haunted, the Dawn Mercenary Group's speed increased a lot. By noon the next day, Dr. Banks had confirmed that the biological marker was at a very close distance.

The Dawn Mercenary Group entered a state of combat readiness again.

But what Suren and the others didn't know was that a mysterious sacrificial operation had already begun somewhere at sea.

The sun was shining brightly in the sky, and several ships were parked on the sea. It was actually the *White Headed Eagle* and several pirate ships.

The people on board were completely unaware that someone had already caught up.

On one of the ships, several hooded and mysterious people were chanting some strange incantations to the sea. The voice was low and penetrating, piercing through the sea water to the end of the deep seabed.

If an outsider were here, they would definitely be able to see that under these hoods were beautiful blonde women, each with an aura of purity and holiness.

These are the priestesses of the Agapamnon Temple.

They were holding pottery jars, pouring some luminous spirits into the sea from one jar, pouring scarlet liquid from another, pouring silver powder from another, and pouring golden wheat ears from another...

These are all very precious top-level materials, but they poured them into the sea without any reluctance.

The sacrifice was proceeding in an orderly manner.

On another inconspicuous ship, a charming woman, whose sexy and hot figure was hard to hide even under a large cloak, was lazily watching everything in front of her.

This person is none other than Princess Frost Moon Skadi Harris, the thirteenth princess of the Mafa Empire.

No one would have thought that she would come here quietly without bringing any royal mechanical guards.

At this moment, several guards were standing beside her.

As she watched, Princess Stika suddenly said, "High Priestess Helville has a prophecy that this sacrifice may encounter some unexpected situations. She told us to be careful. Everyone, where do you think the problem will lie?"

Her expression was full of charm, but her eyes flashed with wisdom.

She didn't seem to be the kind of princess who relied solely on her beauty, as the rumors said.

Her wisdom is also unmatched by few people.

Hearing this, a staff member replied, "The spies from the Luying royal family, Grand Duke Raphael, and Grand Duke Lance should have been buried in the mouths of the Siren sea creatures and the North Sea Kraken. And the masters of Van Gogh are still being held back in the city. In the North Sea, there are no more forces that can pose a threat to us. I don't think there will be any problems..."

Princess Stika seemed to think that was reasonable, but the trace of doubt between her eyebrows did not disappear. She said, "The Agapamnon Temple's high priestesses have always been very accurate in their prophecies, so we can't be careless."

The man said again, "Your Highness, I didn't mean to question your judgment. But the temple's high priestess has succumbed to Oleg's powerful helplessness, and the temple's majesty is not as good as before. Besides, you should also see that the woman's faith is not pure. Intelligence shows that she dotes on her son Onis Popov very much. A seer with selfish motives will have her abilities greatly reduced..."

Princess Stika raised her eyebrows when she heard this, but she didn't say anything, but she obviously agreed with what her subordinate said.

But after thinking about it, she frowned again and changed the topic, "What about the riots in Moros City-State the other day? Who do you think stole the Agapamnon Temple's [Golden Spear]?"

"This..."

Hearing this, several subordinates looked at each other, and no one could say why.

Seeing that everyone was speechless, Princess Stika said, "Obviously, there is a 'mysterious force' active in Roman that our intelligence system has not yet grasped. My father once taught me that we must not be careless when facing any enemy."

"What Your Highness said is true."

With this said, a subordinate lowered his head and didn't speak any more.

But at this moment, an inappropriate voice sounded, "Princess, you don't have to worry about any threats."

That was a guy with a scar on his face, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

He said in a lazy tone, "Since I have been hired by Mafa, I will definitely guarantee the princess's safety. In the North Sea, unless Oleg and the two deputy fleet commanders of the North Sea Fleet come in person, no one can make me feel threatened."

Oleg and Mafa are now allies, and he is now hired by this Princess Frost Moon.

That means that in the entire North Sea, there are no enemies.

These words were very arrogant and extremely conceited.

But when everyone on the ship heard it, no one showed even a hint of doubt on their expressions.

Because this person has a big background.

He is one of the "Ten Legendary Bounty Hunters", "Thief Emperor" Carlo Meredith!

......

As soon as this person made a statement, the arrogance in Princess Stika's tone also subsided a lot, which was respect for the strong. "Of course, I will have to trouble Mr. Meredith this time."

Her slender white fingers tapped on the side of the ship, making rhythmic tapping sounds.

After chatting for a few casual words, Stika suddenly thought of something, and then smiled and asked casually, "I heard that Mr. Meredith encountered a little trouble in the Silent Forest last time... Where exactly did that 'Mr. Mirror' come from?"

Her tone sounded like a joke, but it didn't make people feel even the slightest bit of disgust.

Hearing this, a hint of embarrassment flashed across the cloaked man's face, as if he was recalling some bad memories.

But professionals at his level would not avoid the topic of defeat, but responded with a solemn gaze, "That woman... is very strong! She is a high-level blood race, so she should not be a demihuman. I also investigated later, and she doesn't seem to be associated with any forces, as if she appeared out of thin air."

Princess Stika raised the corners of her mouth slightly and interjected, "Oleg did tell me that that woman seemed to be from Grand Duke Raphael's mine. But at that time, she wasn't that strong yet. At least, she was far from being able to hurt Mr. Meredith. Later, there were rumors that she was closely related to the Blood Earl Antonio Harris... and may be a blood ancestor who has been dormant for a long time."

The cloaked man fell into silence, and he asked, "Does Your Highness suspect her?"

Princess Stika shook her head and said, "No. Intelligence shows that all the major forces in Luying have paid attention to that 'Mr. Mirror', and she cannot appear in the North Sea now. I'm just asking casually."

The cloaked man also thought so and said, "When those temple priests contact the one in the Sea Ruins and offer the sacrifices, Your Highness, you will get that thing, and we will go directly to the Void Ruins."

Princess Stika said, "That would be best."

The two were chatting, but at this moment, an accident happened!

Very abruptly, the person in the lookout tower on the mast discovered something and shouted.

"Everyone, pay attention! Three unidentified ships were found at ten o'clock! They didn't hang up any flags, and they seem to be coming for us!"

"What?!"

Hearing this, not only Princess Stika and the cloaked man, but everyone was surprised.

This is not the route to Devil's Island, so appearing here must be coming for them.

Someone actually chased them here?

Didn't those sirens kill them?

.......

These three ships are naturally the Dawn Mercenary Group's three warships.

Princess Stika's people discovered the Dawn Mercenary Group's ships, and Suren and the others naturally discovered them.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

"Calibrate the artillery, and prepare to fire when ordered!"

"..."

Barrett issued a battle preparation order on the communicator.

In the sky, the death bird was circling there, and Suren had already taken in everything about the movements of those ships.

Seeing the sacrificial behavior of those cloaked people on the deck, Suren was even more certain that the people of the Agapamnon Temple were definitely behind this conspiracy.

The behavior of those priests looked very evil...

There was no need to confirm anything at all.

These *White Headed Eagle* ships appeared here, and a cannon shot would definitely not accidentally injure innocent people.

Moreover, the Dawn Mercenary Group has a huge advantage, that is, the range of their artillery is much farther than that of the other party!

Those guys were looking for ordinary pirate ships to hide their identities and set sail. Although they don't know why they were sailing so fast before, the shipborne artillery and other things are very ordinary, just regular market goods.

The artillery on the Dawn Mercenary Group's three warships, however, was the Mafa military artillery that had been seized, which was hard goods that could not be bought on the market at all!

The maximum range is several times that of market goods!

That means they can hit each other now, but the other party can't hit them at all.

Therefore, no matter what kind of people are on the other party's ship, let's start with a round of artillery fire coverage first.

As soon as they approached the firing range, Barrett immediately ordered, "Fire!"

Nearly a hundred artillery pieces fired at the same time, and the movement was extremely exaggerated.

......

In the distance, Princess Stika and her party on the *White Headed Eagle* were dumbfounded.

They watched the sky full of cannonballs attacking, and while they were shocked and surprised, they also felt incredible.

What kind of hatred or grievance is this? They just met and they started firing artillery together?

Princess Stika even suspected that the news had been leaked, and someone guessed that she was on the ship?

ps. If there are many typos, you can refresh it. Due to the recent work and rest schedule, the chapters are updated first and then revised. I apologize for bringing you a bad reading experience.