Chapter 134: The Great Expedition

The day the expedition fleet departs is fast approaching.

At a scorching noon, the invited representatives of the various factions gathered on the largest warship, the Golden Dragon Bone Ship, while the other thirty warships were packed with navy soldiers.

Naimi Xisi saw the ships equipped with enormously sized cannons—enchanted weapons that can be loaded with alchemical explosives, priceless, and a single shot can unleash the power of a Seven‑ring spell.

In the sky, a tall, muscular man in white military uniform and a coat stood above the ship; a long scar ran from his forehead to his chin, bisecting his face, giving him a fierce look.

Standing over two meters tall with bulging muscles that seemed about to burst, an oppressive aura radiated from him; tens of thousands at sea fell silent and all looked up at him.

The leader of the Golden Legion, discoverer of the Maztek Continent, initiator of the Great Expedition, and Grand General of the Am Empire—Kodel O'Brian.

A Legendary Level Warrior.

"Gentlemen!" the man's deep, resonant voice rang across the sea.

"Since the first year of the Valley Era, the Am Empire rose from a modest farming village by Lake Esmir, endured the struggles of over a dozen generations, and now we stand at this place, the seat of rule over the western seas!"

"We control gold coins, command wealth, and have become the richest nation on the western coast!"

"But! Frelen has dried up!" he lamented.

"All the wealth— from gemstone mines that stretch for thousands of miles to the fish in Lake Esmir—Frelen's entire wealth has already been seized!"

"My soldiers, tell me, how should newcomers like you obtain your own wealth!" the man asked, his voice resonant and powerful, word by word.

"New Continent! New Continent! New Continent!" the soldiers on the thirty warships shouted thunderously, their eyes ablaze with boundless fervor—yearning for gold coins, greed for power, and visions of the New Continent.

Naimi Xisi's companion Saifaar frowned, feeling uneasy.

"He cannot rally the troops that way; our development of the New Continent must be reasonable, humane, and we must have proper measures for the indigenous peoples," Saifaar said, his complexion turning sour.

Naimi Xisi chuckled softly without replying, merely gazing at the man in the sky who was spouting grandiose words.

"How interesting."

He had already foreseen that the moment this army reaches the New Continent will be the moment war erupts—endless slaughter, countless bloodshed; the Am Empire may commit acts intolerable to the True God Church. But what does that have to do with him?

Naimi Xisi shrugged; he is merely an underage dragon seeking to earn his own wealth.

When the speech ended, General Kodel flew back to the flagship.

Flags fluttered, morale surged, and the Great Expedition army began marching toward the New Continent. — Under the blazing sun, Naimi Xisi lay impatiently on a deck chair.

A female attendant came over and brought the dragon his favorite dessert.

"Ah, Ai Lisi, you always know what I love to eat!" Naimi Xisi's eyes lit up as he grabbed the caramel pudding from the plate and devoured it.

The attendant smiled, "Mr. Naimi Xisi, you have eaten nothing but desserts for a year; I sometimes worry about your health."

Naimi Xisi waved his hand, "What do you know? Desserts are the best food for health; a daily serving can extend a short‑lived soul's life by ten years!" The attendant smiled, "As you say."

Then she picked up the plate and prepared to leave.

"Wait," Naimi Xisi called, pulling out a gold coin and tossing it to her: "Thanks for your hospitality this year; here's a tip for you."

The attendant's face stiffened as she pocketed the coin, muttering under her breath.

Serving you for a year and you give only one gold coin! How stingy! The honest attendant forced a smile to thank him, then left.

After finishing the dessert, Naimi Xisi lay again on the deck chair soaking up the sun; this life he has endured for a year.

Since the Great Expedition began, the thirty‑ship fleet has been crossing the endless sea toward the New Continent, and a year has passed so far.

At the start of the journey, Naimi Xisi's conditions were fairly comfortable.

The Royal Dragon Bone Ship gathered representatives of the major powers, all either wealthy or noble, so besides basic guards, the vessel was staffed with numerous attendants to tend to their daily lives.

The Golden Legion hired a priest aboard the Royal Dragon Bone Ship who continuously cast the Six‑ring Divine Spell 【Heroic Feast】 each day, keeping the ship's food and wine stores perpetually at maximum.

Thus, even after a year sailing the sea without resupply, the guests aboard could still enjoy a daily decadent party.

One could say the Divine Spell‑produced red wine could fill an entire river! Freshwater for washing was also no concern, as the mages collectively desalinated the seawater, providing enough for the whole crew to waste for several days.

With magic and Divine Spells, the guests on the Royal Dragon Bone Ship enjoyed a life virtually indistinguishable from that on land.

Except for the lack of fruit.

Divine Spells can create juice but not fruit; that is the domain of druids, whose nature‑worshipping apostles can use nature‑bound Divine Spells to produce fruit and fresh vegetables.

However, this minor flaw was remedied by the ship's spellcasters, who before departure jointly created a massive storage chamber where time flow was frozen, stocking abundant fruit enough to feed everyone for three years! One could say the Golden Legion considered virtually every aspect to cater to these distinguished guests.

Such a life was novel after a day, pleasant after a week, but after a month, three months, half a year, a year—waking each day to the endless sea while cramped on the tiny vessel made Naimi Xisi feel increasingly suffocated.

He hadn't reverted to his original form in a very long time.

Gonde felt even more oppressed; having never experienced taking human form from childhood, he emerged from the desert when he first left and has remained human ever since, so he can only constantly seek conversation with the ship's crew to relieve his stress.

Naimi Xisi was the first to be irritated to anger; after finally unable to endure Gonde's endless chatter, he uttered a spell, and blue lightning from the Extreme Strong Lightning Bolt leapt from his fingertips, electrocuting Gonde half to death, then warned him not to disturb him again.

The aggrieved Gonde had to turn to Xianai for conversation, but the over‑energized mage, after boarding, stayed locked in his cabin studying spells, never leaving his door, leaving Gonde with no chance.

Thus the ship's guests suffered; one by one they were harassed by him until everyone could no longer tolerate him and collectively chose to isolate the humanoid Bronze Dragon, and Gonde finally faced the darkest day in history.

No one spoke to him anymore.

(End of Chapter)