Chapter 311: The Hooked Big Fish

At the very moment the Demon King's back disappeared from the sight of the Long Xing Wan Li members, a discussion about "The Demon King appearing on Planet Kao" was rapidly heating up on the official forum of *Catastrophe OL*.

At first, it was just a few scattered players posting that they had seen a figure in a black robe from afar while grinding monsters in the Nameless Wasteland.

That person had slain a terrifying Chaos Behemoth with a mere wave of their hand, and was often accompanied by a majestic army of the undead.

The observant ones on the forum quickly recognized the person's identity.

This person was none other than the Lord of the Graveyard—their respected Demon King!

Never expecting the faction boss to personally jump out to save them, the group of players favored by the Demon King was flattered and called it unbelievable.

Soon, more and more witnesses popped up, and the number of posts on the forum grew explosively—

Professional Grave Digger: "Brothers! I got a photo of the Demon King!"

Super Seal: "Get lost! Who wants to see that dog? I want to see Sarah! (Drool)"

Rainbow Cheese: "I want Sarah to look at me with eyes full of disdain! (Drool)"

Gou Shi: "This is heaven-defying, brothers. (Horror)"

Professional Grave Digger: "Damn! Where's my photo? It was just here a second ago?!"

Graveyard Corpse: "Can anyone with a brain analyze what the Demon King appearing on Planet Kao at this time means?!"

Please Take a Normal Name: "Still need to analyze? The next expansion pack is definitely going to be on Planet Kao!"

Get Some Seagulls at the Pier: "Charge, brothers!"

Turtle Immortal: "Analysis Post: Speculation on Luo Yan's strike location! Which wasteland is the best place to ambush the boss!"

The storm of the b01 version update had not yet subsided, and another new storm was stirred up among the *Catastrophe OL* player base.

Some excitedly speculated that the next expansion pack would likely use Planet Kao as the stage, revolving around a new round of war between the Chaos forces and the Demon King.

Others smelled opportunity, believing that Luo Yan's appearance signaled that a new war was coming, making it the perfect time to seize resources and plan for the future in advance.

In an instant, a large number of combat-class players began to take action.

【Transfer Announcement】, 【Planet Kao Strategy Group Recruitment】, 【Wasteland Hunter Team Formation】... all kinds of posts emerged one after another.

The entire official forum, from the tactical discussion area to the resource sharing area, became exceptionally heated.

Mo Er and more adventurer, undead, skeleton, and rat-man players bid farewell to the Janna Continent, which was still recovering its peace, and boarded the teleportation arrays heading to the front lines of Planet Kao with their respective luggage and ambitions.

—The Great Migration of Combat Maniacs had thus begun!

And all of this happened to be exactly what Luo Yan wanted.

In his view, the situation on the Janna Continent was basically stable, and continuing to let a large number of combat-type players linger there would only cause a waste of resources and might even trigger unnecessary conflicts and chaos.

It was better to guide these energetic undead legions, who craved slaughter, to Planet Kao.

This desolate, chaotic world, plagued by continuous war, was perfect for these combat maniacs.

And the special nature of the players, being somewhere between artifacts and God-Chosen, made them not so easily seduced by the faith of the Flame of Destruction...

On the other side, Janna Continent.

The morning sea breeze swept across the shallows outside Deadwood Port with a damp chill, and in the gray sky, only a few wisps of weak sunlight pierced through the clouds, falling on the old watchtower.

The militiaman standing on the tower yawned, just about to use his hat to cover his eyes for a nap, when he suddenly saw a glimpse of sails on the sea.

He froze slightly, then rubbed his eyes and looked at the sea again.

One ship, two ships... twenty ships.

What the hell??

He was stunned.

Then he stood up abruptly from his chair and shouted at the bell-ringer napping at the bottom of the tower. Not long after, the sound of bells rang out near the watchtower.

"What happened?" Old John, who was drying fishing nets, squinted at the horizon, but could see nothing due to the height.

At this moment, a young sailor ran over from the direction of the pier, waving his arms excitedly while running, shouting loudly at the people on the shore.

"East! On the sea! Lots of big ships are coming!"

"Ships?" Old John froze for a moment, his expression changing slightly, and he muttered to himself, "Could it be pirates..."

Another fisherman squatting nearby rolled his eyes.

"Are you stupid?! Since when do pirates have a fleet?!"

Then someone else mocked.

"Who would rob this godforsaken place!"

Old John scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Seems so...

Mo Er and more residents flocked to the pier, the crowd bustling and gathering on the shore, looking out at the distant horizon.

On the undulating sea, columns of black smoke shot straight into the clouds, slowly revealing huge and menacing ship silhouettes.

That was the Empire's fleet!

Wide white sails towered high, and the raised bows were like city walls standing on the sea. And the most striking were the chimneys spitting steam, looking like fortresses floating with wolf smoke from afar.

"The Empire's flag! Do you see it? That golden eagle!" someone shouted excitedly.

"The Empire people finally came? Can we go home now!" A woman with a weathered face gripped the arm of the person beside her, her eyes full of expectation.

"Go home? You think the Empire people will send you back for free?" A dock worker not far away sneered, saying sourly, "Be careful, they might just be here to collect taxes."

This was mostly the case in other parts of the New World; the Empire was mainly responsible for exporting war and tax bills to them.

Only these bumpkins who had just left the Old World would be full of goodwill toward the Empire, wishing they could lick the Emperor's asshole.

However—

Who wanted to be here where the Empire's subjects were the majority?

His complaints were insignificant and were soon drowned out by the louder roar of the crowd.

"I heard that the Empire has a very good relationship with Baron Titch, the lord here..." a well-informed young immigrant whispered, "Maybe they really are here to provide relief!"

Noisy exchanges rose and fell in the crowd.

In general, the vast majority of people were very happy, only the sailors of the *Traveler* who first arrived here were muttering in their hearts.

People exchanged excited and expectant glances, making the sign of the cross on their chests to thank Saint Xisi for the help extended.

Saint Xisi above—

You really didn't forget your devout believers!

It wasn't in vain that they had been praying these days!

At this moment, Captain Kaidesen, who had rushed to the top of the watchtower, was gripping his monocular telescope tightly, his heartbeat accelerating involuntarily.

He had known a week ago that General Hamorton of Saint Yier Castle was coming, but he didn't expect that respected General to bring all the warships of Saint Yier Castle.

What is this for?!

Kaidesen's thoughts turned rapidly, and it took him less than half a minute to find the "correct answer."

Without a doubt—

This is to support the respected Prince Kelin!

To deter the Gutafu United Kingdom behind the Sun Staircase Mountains!

The Empire's General wants those long-tailed reptiles to know that behind Prince Kelin stands an Empire they cannot afford to provoke!

There is only this one explanation!

Otherwise, he could have just sailed one ship over, why bring the whole fleet?!

"Quick! Prepare to welcome the distinguished guests!" Kaidesen shouted excitedly, ordering his subordinates waiting under the ladder, "All of you, go change into clean clothes! No matter what, we must show the best face of Deadwood Port!"

Just as the residents were excitedly watching, a completely different atmosphere permeated the fortress on the hills near Deadwood Port.

Baron Titch was pale, pacing nervously in the camp, sweat rolling down his temples.

"The Empire's fleet... why did they come so fast? What should we do?"

Unlike Titch, Lumier on the side seemed much calmer.

He patted Titch on the shoulder gently and said calmly.

"Baron, please calm down. I have already notified His Highness the Prince through special channels, and I believe we will get a response soon."

Titch stared anxiously at the direction of the coast, muttering in a low voice.

"Are you sure? Lumier, this is no small matter! If we mess this up, neither of our heads will be safe!"

Lumier smiled faintly, his eyes firm and confident: "Rest assured, everything is under the control of the Demon King."

At the same time, the fleet on the sea slowly approached, sailing toward Deadwood Port like sea beasts forming a formation.

Lurking behind the reefs not far from Deadwood Port, the Tide-Clan Lizardmen who were chasing schools of fish happened to see the warships, and their scale-covered faces were all written with solemn expressions.

"They really came..." a Tide-Clan Lizardman muttered to himself, exchanged glances with his companions, and then turned back into the waves.

They needed to bring the intelligence back to the tribe immediately—

And then pass the word through the Chieftain to the Chieftain Society of the United Kingdom!

At the same time, on the deck of the flagship, General Hamorton, dressed in full regalia, was looking at the distant harbor with high spirits.

The situation here exceeded his expectations.

Originally, when he saw the report submitted by Captain Derike, he thought there was only a small village with a population of less than a hundred.

But now looking at it, Derike's estimate was still conservative.

There must be five or six hundred people here.

Maybe more lived in places he couldn't see!

Captain Derike stood beside him, slowly lowering the telescope in his hand, and said in an unbelievable voice.

"Unbelievable... I only left for less than a month, and this harbor has changed its appearance again."

"Oh?" General Hamorton turned back to look at him and asked with a smile, "What was it like when you left?"

Derike pondered for a while and said.

"Much more dilapidated than now, and more desolate... and there seemed to be far fewer people than now."

General Hamorton didn't think there was anything strange about it.

For one thing, he hadn't seen what Deadwood Port looked like before, and for another, he had seen countless ports more prosperous than this.

Looking at Derike, who was frowning and pondering, he patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

"I have read your report, and you mentioned in the report that some of the residents of Deadwood Port ran to the nearby mountains to avoid the tsunami. Maybe those people have returned."

Is that so?

Derike always felt it wasn't that simple, but he couldn't think of a better explanation for a while, so he could only shrug his shoulders gently.

"Perhaps."

Actually, this matter wasn't that important, and it had nothing to do with him.

They came here to seek cooperation with Prince Kelin, and by the way, to test the strength of the Gutafu United Kingdom, to see if they were worth winning over, and how much it would cost to win them over.

Standing not far away, General Hamorton's adjutant was seriously writing and drawing in his notebook, recording the observed situation.

Not long after, the fleet stopped in the shallow sea area outside the port, and then lowered landing boats one by one, rowing toward this small fishing village-like port.

The distance of several hundred meters was quickly crossed.

The moment General Hamorton stepped onto the pier, the crowd watching exploded into a burst of enthusiastic cheers, and the loud shouts and applause almost shook the entire port.

"Long live the Empire!"

"Long live Saint Xisi!"

"Praise the Emperor! You finally remembered us!"

The moment General Hamorton stepped onto the pier, the crowd watching exploded into a burst of enthusiastic cheers, and the loud shouts and applause almost shook the entire port.

The soldiers landing on the coast quickly lined up on both sides, carrying muskets and holding high the flags with the Empire's Golden Eagle emblem, forming a solemn ceremonial avenue for their General.

Hamorton wore a kind smile, raised his hand to signal to the crowd, walked down the gangway with ease, and his eyes slowly scanned this simple but vibrant port.

He noticed that a large amount of timber and stone was piled up on the port, and there were sheds under construction and newly built warehouses everywhere, with workers busy in full swing, presenting a scene of prosperity.

This made Hamorton feel quite gratified.

He had originally thought this was just a poor place where refugees gathered, but now it seemed that the vitality and development prospects here were far better than he had expected.

Perhaps—

He should give them a hand, at least fix the pier here.

Transporting grain by landing boats was simply too inefficient.

This place needed to be able to accommodate ten cargo ships with a displacement of 3,000 tons at the same time to have hope of supporting a shipping route that met the grain needs of Saint Yier Castle.

Hamorton calculated silently in his heart, while ordering his adjutant to write this down, and would make a decision after he finished talking with Prince Kelin.

Just as he was about to walk toward the port, a middle-aged man wearing a severely worn black dress, clearly looking like a distressed merchant, hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd.

"General! Please wait!"

He bowed deeply to Hamorton, who had stopped, his tone full of pleading.

"Respected General, my name is Arnold, I was the captain of the merchant ship *Silver Shark*, and I have been stranded here for a long time after a shipwreck! Please, for the sake of us both being subjects of the Empire, take us with you when you leave!"

The Baron here is simply like a pirate; he had only lived here for less than half a month, and the silver coins in his pocket were almost bottoming out!

As soon as his voice fell, other merchants and sailors who were still hesitating also rushed forward, pleading in a jumble.

"General, please have mercy!"

"As long as we can leave here, it's fine to go to Saint Yier Castle!"

What do you mean it's fine to go to Saint Yier Castle?

Is a military restricted area something you can go to?

Who knows if you are believers of the Demon God!

Hamorton frowned, although he was impatient with these selfish merchants, he still maintained his decency and did not refuse them directly.

He raised his hand gently, signaling the crowd to gradually quiet down, and then said in a gentle tone:

"Subjects of the Empire, I understand your urgent feelings and would very much like to help you. But Saint Yier Castle is also in a difficult situation now. Due to the tsunami impact, most of the material supplies have been cut off, and the current situation is very grim. I am afraid it is difficult for me to take care of you."

A sigh of disappointment erupted from the crowd, but Arnold still refused to give up, continuing to say with hope on his face.

"General, even if we don't go to Saint Yier Castle, just send us to a nearby port! We will find a way ourselves..."

As long as we can leave this godforsaken place!

Hamorton sighed gently, his expression becoming more serious.

"This is exactly the second thing I want to tell you! It is not just you; the ports in the nearby coastal areas have also suffered severe damage. The situation in those places is even worse than here—Deadwood Port is at least still under construction, while many other ports have been abandoned, and even clean fresh water cannot be guaranteed."

He didn't know the situation of other ports, basically referring to the situation of Sardo Port.

As for why he said that...

Just kidding.

That was a massive tsunami that affected the entire coast of the Vast Ocean!

I'm afraid only the ports along the North Sea and the Whirlpool Sea were spared. It is said that even the ports on the west coast of the Empire's mainland were affected.

If he opened his mouth now, I'm afraid he would have to carry a string of dead weight wherever he went in the future.

He was here to solve the supply problem in the eastern coastal region, not to find trouble for himself.

Hearing these words, the crowd fell into silence. Especially those merchants and captains, their eyes were full of loss and confusion.

General Hamorton had no reason to lie to them.

If this was the case, it would be impossible to leave here in the short term, and they could only wait for merchant ships from the Old World...

"What should we do..." a young sailor complained in a low voice, frustrated, "The prices in Deadwood Port are so high, life is really too hard."

Although his voice was low, it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet air, instantly resonating with some of the people.

"That's right, a bag of wheat flour actually costs six silver coins! Those are silver coins! This is just too outrageous!"

"Living in a broken-down shack, the monthly rent alone takes half my income..."

Listening to the residents' complaints, Hamorton softened, his tone revealing a touch of helplessness and sincere concern.

"Everyone, I understand your difficulties. However, I must still tell you that the situation in Deadwood Port is not an exception; the entire New Continent is currently facing the same predicament! This great tsunami destroyed countless towns and farmlands, and shortages of supplies and skyrocketing prices are seen almost everywhere... You are not the only ones facing such a situation."

Hamorton paused, his tone carrying the power of encouragement, and continued.

"Now, all we can do is unite as one, work together, and overcome this current crisis! I promise you that the Empire will never sit idly by and ignore you. As long as we join hands and work hard, the difficulties before us will eventually pass, and Deadwood Port will also welcome its own prosperity and stability!"

His voice was loud and firm, bringing comfort and hope like the morning sea breeze. The residents gradually calmed down, one after another casting looks of trust toward Hamorton.

Although Captain Caderson had also said similar things, these words carried a different energy when spoken from the mouth of an Imperial General.

After all, he was a General of the Empire.

And the most impressive Navy at that!

These heroic young men alone had not lost a single battle in the past thousand years of war!

Looking at the Imperial subjects who had finally calmed down, Hamorton breathed a sigh of relief. If they had insisted on boarding the ship, it really would have been quite a troublesome matter.

But then again—

How much did wheat flour usually cost in the New Continent?

General Hamorton, who had never paid attention to such things, was just about to ask the quartermaster beside him when a passionate voice suddenly cut through the crowd, interrupting his thoughts once again.

"General, welcome to Deadwood Port!"

Viceroy Captain Caderson squeezed out of the crowd with an excited face, almost jogging, walking toward Hamorton with swift, vigorous strides.

Hamorton looked at him, slightly hesitant.

"Who are you?"

"Caderson! The Viceroy of Deadwood Port appointed by Baron Titch Kexia! Responsible for the reconstruction here and the resettlement of the residents!"

Caderson said with a glowing face, shook General Hamorton's right hand solemnly, and gestured toward the dirt road to the side.

"On behalf of all the residents of Deadwood Port, I extend to you our most sincere welcome and gratitude! In addition, Baron Titch has prepared a welcoming banquet for you! Please come with me quickly!"

Hearing that the Baron was inviting him, General Hamorton immediately put on a look of importance, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Then take me there quickly, don't let the Baron wait too long... Also, I also extend greetings to you all on behalf of the garrison at Saint Ilburg, as well as to the respected Prince Kelin."

Seeing General Hamorton's look of importance, Captain Caderson was even more convinced of his guess, hiding his ecstatic mood behind a passionate smile.

Sure enough—

The identity of this Prince Kelin was even more extraordinary than he had imagined!

He took a deep breath, bowing his head so low he wished he could kiss his boots.

"As you command! I will take you there right away!"

Meanwhile, at the fortress on the hill, Baron Titch, also dressed in his finest, was like a clown about to go on stage.

The silver cane in his hand trembled slightly, and he looked at Lumier before him with a miserable face, his smile looking worse than crying.

"Are you sure? I, I am going to meet him?"

Lumier said without hesitation.

"It will take a little time for His Majesty the Demon King to return. Your task is to stall him. Just agree directly to any conditions that are favorable to us; whether they can be fulfilled can be decided later."

If they can't be fulfilled, just shift the blame to Hell.

In any case, the demons from Hell will be here soon... It is said that the one coming is also an incredible demon, and a High-Tier demon from the Demon Capital at that.

Titch swallowed hard.

"I must remind you, that guy is no ordinary person... Those captains and sailors are leeks, but he has seen the world; I'm afraid he won't be so easy to fool."

Based on his discernment, that guy definitely came from a prominent background, just without inheriting a title. This situation means he is either the second son of some great family, or the old man at home is still alive.

No matter which case it is, he won't be easy to hoodwink!

However, hearing Titch's words, a playful smile appeared on Lumier's face.

Not easy to fool?

When did His Majesty the Demon King ever say he wanted to fool him?

Furthermore—

"Who told you that just because someone has seen the world, they don't have to be a leek?"

Not giving Titch a chance to refute, he said in an irrefutable voice.

"Don't think too much; just say the lines I taught you in a moment."

——

(Thanks to "Lotus Street Leader" for the Alliance Leader tip!!!)

(End of chapter)