Chapter 650: Mihir Port

Tu Ba Ge lifted his head, looking proud, and said:

"I came up with it myself; when we were testing the mechanical devices with the cats, it was inconvenient, so I thought of hanging the spell components inside the fur."

Lei Ke Dun patted Tu Ba Ge's head, took the glass bottle from his hand, gave it a quick glance to confirm the spores' vitality, then again transformed into a data‑stream being and led Tu Ba Ge toward the Fusak airship.

He did not dive into the airship himself; instead he kept a safer distance, letting Tu Ba Ge use his illicit ability to affect the spores, extending their activity, then converting the spores into data form and injecting them into the neatly arrayed airship.

On the airship ahead, a commander dressed in iron‑red uniform adorned with many medals suddenly turned his head to glance behind.

He appeared about thirty, towering over two meters, heavily bearded, a typical Fusak—gloomy, fierce, as if a brutal soldier who had fought his way out of iron and blood; even a simple turn of his head conveyed a solemn, iron‑blooded will.

In that instant his intuition seemed stirred, as if a terrifying presence had glanced at him; though fleeting, he still caught the feeling.

The commander's dark eyes roiled with boiling crimson; his spirit and will spread to every airship and every soldier.

At that moment, all the airship's occupants' wills linked as one, forming a single entity; scorching mental power burst from the vessel, scanning every corner within dozens of nautical miles.

Feeling that spirit like searing magma, Tu Ba Ge instinctively clutched Lei Ke Dun's thigh and buried his head.

When the terrifying spirit receded, Tu Ba Ge carefully lifted his head, surveyed the surroundings, and sighed:

"So scary, I feel like I'm about to become a roasted rabbit."

Lei Ke Dun patted Tu Ba Ge's head and explained simply:

"He's just bluffing to deter any potential enemies nearby."

"I didn't hide my gaze earlier, using it to mask the small action of placing items on the airship; his reaction shows he only noticed my stare and missed the subtle changes aboard."

"Tonight will certainly be an unforgettable night."

Tu Ba Ge hesitantly looked at Lei Ke Dun; its intuition sensed the returning boss was somewhat different, yet on closer thought seemed unchanged.

It shook its head, shaking off the puzzling thoughts, and continued asking about the mushrooms: "Why is it an unforgettable night? Those mushrooms can't endanger a demigod; as long as they're discovered early and prevented from spreading like on the Future Vessel and merging with the whole ship, they're easy to clear."

"Even if they turned into a Future Vessel, a demigod could still clear them easily; it's just that Jia De Li Ya wants to give Frank a harsh lesson so he won't conduct overly dangerous, anti‑human experiments on the ship again."

After a pause, Lei Ke Dun seemed to think of something amusing, laughed out loud, steadied his expression, then changed the subject, explaining to Tu Ba Ge about "War Bishops" and armies: "In an army with War Bishops, everyone's minds are linked, forming a single entity; they can share power, thoughts, and senses, maximizing the army's advantage."

"But sometimes the army becomes a burden to the War Bishop; overly intimate sharing of thoughts and senses affects both ways, and soldiers can influence the leading War Bishop in return."

"That's why the Ironblood Knight rite demands high cohesion; if actions, will, and thoughts aren't unified, the ascendant's spirit may fracture or even lose control."

Tu Ba Ge nodded vaguely, saying, "I get it, boss—you want those mushrooms to mate with the airship's soldiers, then use their 'mind communication' to spread mental contamination to everyone."

"Boss, you're so cruel."

Lei Ke Dun paused his hand on Tu Ba Ge's head, briefly doubting his own thought, but quickly convinced himself.

An army fully armed and led by a War Bishop is too dangerous to let reach the Southern Continent intact; moreover, such a force deep in enemy territory likely has one or more angels behind it, and I must draw out those who slipped onto the Southern Continent.

As thoughts drifted, Lei Ke Dun glanced at the sun over the sea, calculating sunset time and where the airships would arrive then.

"If nothing else intervenes, the Fusak army should camp in the Ancient Forest, awaiting further orders; the complex terrain suits hunters perfectly, allowing self‑sufficiency without food concerns."

When he finished speaking, Lei Ke Dun pulled Tu Ba Ge into a data‑torrent form again, surging into the spirit realm toward the Ancient Forest.

Mihir Port, before the safe passage was discovered by Luo Sai Er, was one of the few routes that could avoid the raging sea and maintain a tenuous link to the outside, mainly connecting the Rosede Islands and the Galgas Islands. As the safe passage was developed, it fell into disuse, later seized by the Fusak and turned into one of their colonies in East Bairang.

Near dusk, an airship bearing the Fusak royal crest passed through a fog that had suddenly settled over the coastline and landed at a closed dock.

Two streets away from the dock, the Twilight Cathedral of the War God Church stood, its towering, grand façade decorated with numerous dusk and sword‑shield symbols; two symmetrical, soaring bell towers rose on either side of the plaza.

At the bell tower's summit, Lei Ke Dun gazed calmly toward the airship's landing direction, arms crossed over his chest, his right index finger tapping rhythmically.

Sure enough, they would first dock for resupply, then hide this army of extraordinary beings in a Fusak‑controlled port within the Ancient Forest, eliminating any risk of leaks, with a fog laid by a Weather Mage as cover.

As thoughts drifted, Lei Ke Dun withdrew his gaze, turned to glance at the Twilight Cathedral behind him; he had sensed some discord in the surrounding data, which is why he lingered here to observe.

A resonant bell rang suddenly, startling a flock of white doves on the plaza; the sound carried through the air across all of Mihir Port.

At the bell tower's peak, Tu Ba Ge instinctively covered his ears, then realized the bell's tone was faint, wavering, as if echoing from far away; curious, he glanced around briefly before relaxing.

Tu Ba Ge shifted forward, poking half his head out of the tower's roof, looking down at the bustling crowd on the plaza, where a solemn‑looking Fusak made a comment:

"Fusaks generally have better physical qualities than Southern Continent folk—taller, stronger—but seem less resistant to various viruses."

"Thus we can conclude: giants lack toxin resistance."

"Ouch~"

Lei Ke Dun raised his hand and tapped Tu Ba Ge's head, saying helplessly, "What have you learned while staying with Luo Sai Er?"

Tu Ba Ge thought carefully, turned his head, and replied:

"A witch's pleasure ability can bring extreme physical and mental enjoyment; it can be used not only on humans but also on animals, even any creature with sexual function."

"Combining the traits of an Apostle of Desire and a Joyful Witch can create a Succubus, an extremely dangerous, irrational monster; the exact nature of the danger, the Great Emperor Luo Sai Er didn't specify."

"The emperor's past life was truly spectacular—non‑human, Succubi. When he revives, the reputation of the extraordinary beings who follow the Black Emperor will likely be ruined." Lei Ke Dun sighed inwardly twice, turned to Tu Ba Ge, and warned:

"Stay away from him in the future."

Tu Ba Ge abruptly cut Lei Ke Dun off, pointing at several locally dressed Fusaks on the plaza and shouted:

"Um, boss, the people from the airship have come out; they're covered in mushroom spores."

After a pause, Tu Ba Ge, excited, said, "Boss, when do we act? If we can fill this port with mushrooms, I think my Demon Elixir could digest them."

"Wait a bit longer, until the moon rises, when Frank's mushrooms are most vigorous."

Lei Ke Dun patted Tu Ba Ge's head, signaling him not to rush.

Time drifted slowly; on the distant horizon, the last sliver of sunset sank into the sea, the sky darkened completely, speckled with tiny stars that clustered around a half‑crescent Crimson Moon, casting a wash of crimson moonlight over the port below.

Lei Ke Dun looked up at the Crimson Moon, its red glow reflected in his eyes; the "Knowledge Emperor" trait within him stirred again, continually affecting his perception and judgment, making him sincerely yearn to understand and approach the red moon.

What tenacity. He thought that to himself, closed his eyes, and, relying on his own stature, suppressed the abnormal agitation that wasn't his.

(End of Chapter)