Chapter 309: Count Noctilus

Count Noctilus held Sinuoli, this opponent of his, in very high regard; the King of the Southlands was currently at the height of his influence, widely considered a figure who was tough in both politics and military affairs.

"Pass on this Admiral's order! Send out all the speedboats; I want to know the movements of those landlubbers, every single moment!" He turned to look beneath his throne, and an Arabyan wrapped in a turban stepped forward.

"As you wish, Lord of the Graveyard of Sunken Ships." This Arabyan was the executive Admiral of the Dreadfleet; besides his own Undead servants, Count Noctilus had introduced two additional forces: the Arabyan pirate king before him and a skeleton wearing a captain's hat sitting opposite him.

This fellow, with his mixed Nehekhara and pirate style, was King Faruk of Zandili. He was a king from the same era as Settra; after being awakened and seeing that he was no match for the Immortal Emperor, in order to avoid submitting again, he and his Liche Priests had imbued his pyramid with buoyancy and run off to the sea to change professions and become a pirate.

The two of them would watch the Dwarf fleet, laden with wealth, pass through their sector time and time again, and they were truly green with envy. But, intimidated by the pitch-black main guns of the Dreadnought, they dared not strike; yet, the moment Count Noctilus raised his banner, they rose to respond immediately.

"Continue the music!" Count Noctilus gave a few more instructions before flicking his cloak and sitting down. A beautiful female servant filled his goblet with a crimson liquid.

"Oh, oh! Look at the sea! A group of heroes rushes out from the mist! Anchor the tides, chase the bright moon, calm the waters, search for hidden treasures! Smash the waves, tame the ocean, how strong can this beast be?"

The pirates' sea shanty rang out, and some Undead creatures that still retained the ability to vocalize were also echoing it with roars. Skeletons, zombies, ghosts, and Humans gathered together, and the desolate pirate lair felt like the netherworld.

A few days later, the leaders of the Dreadfleet gathered together again. The Arabyan pirate king's face was ugly as he ordered his men to hang up a sea chart.

"The Dwarf fleet left Blackwater Bay three days ago, but after entering the open sea, they slowed down. In order to keep tracking them, I had two ships sunk by their carrier-based aircraft!" He pointed at the sea chart with his Scimitar.

"Slowed down?"

"Why? The dignified Exterminator of Plagues wouldn't be afraid of death, would he?"

"Could it be that he knows we are lying in ambush here?"

The anomaly of the Dwarf fleet sparked a discussion among the leaders. The evil forces beyond the Qunshan generally chose the nickname "Exterminator of Plagues" to refer to Sinuoli, which made it clear that it was the Great Unclean One Ku'gath, the Plague Father under Nurgle, whom he had defeated and banished, not some random nobody.

To be honest, at the thought that they were going to deal with such a powerhouse, the pirates all felt a bit of a chill in their hearts. Sinuoli had campaigned for ten thousand miles; he could defeat the Nurgle demon army even when at the end of his strength, let alone when his troops were strong and his horses sturdy. The power of that Storm Hammer was also rumored to be god-like, but undoubtedly, no one wanted to test it with their own head.

"Are you sure this is their only path?" Count Noctilus stroked his chin in thought. The navigation of the Dwarfs' Ironclad was not much affected by wind direction or tides; a sudden deceleration was likely brewing something.

"The envoy of Ulatip told us that if they want to head to the mouth of the Great Mortis River, they must pass through here." King Faruk's hoarse voice drifted over. His territory was in the surrounding area, and for him, squatting on the only path to wait for a rabbit was his bread and butter.

King Faruk had exhausted all his efforts to give his pyramid pirate ship, the Zandili curse-ship, buoyancy. Relying on a few Tomb Priests to provide power was not enough, so the ship was driven by hundreds of skeleton rowers, and the speed was very unsatisfactory.

"They shouldn't have anywhere else to go!" Count Noctilus made his decision. "Strengthen the surveillance; besides the sea, the sky cannot be ignored either! I will send out my bats; Faruk, don't keep your skeleton vultures hidden either!"

"You are truly wise! Worthy of being a dignitary of the Port of Schwarz!"

"That Dwarf Ironclad has carrier-based airships and Helicopters; the sky certainly cannot be ignored!"

"It must be so! Intelligence from the shore says that Sinuoli loves things that can fly; his schemes are invisible before your wisdom, Count!"

Flattery surged over like a tide, and Count Noctilus shifted his backside with satisfaction. This was part of what he pursued; if he were holed up in Xierwaniya, he would have to go and fawn over others.

"Do it. If the bats and vultures are not enough, hmph, my big baby will ensure they never return to the ground!" The corners of his mouth lifted, revealing his fangs.

"Awoo!"

With a shrill cry, a giant bat, only slightly smaller than a Dragon, flew in from the horizon. This thing, known as a Terrorgheist, made its home in the caves of the sea cliffs, but even the most powerful beast was no match for an evil Vampire, and now it served as a zombie for the Admiral of the Dreadfleet.

Count Noctilus was different from the traditional pirates who came and went like the wind and hit-and-ran; he was an expert at handling giant beasts. In addition to his family-inherited ability to create and control Terrorgheists and the relatively simple Mourngul, he had made additional breakthroughs.

The Graveyard of Sunken Ships—his lair—was a magical vortex located in the depths of the ocean, between the tangible world and the intangible world, constantly devouring the wrecked ships swept in from across the ocean.

Count Noctilus combined his necromancy with the endless supply of shipwrecks to create a terrifying creation known as the Necrolith Colossus. This giant humanoid skeleton could not only engage in melee combat but also fire remotely with former Naval Cannons; such an ability gave him the confidence to confront the Dwarfs' Ironclad.

However, this Necrolith Colossus and the Mourngul both possessed the characteristics of both Undead and giant beasts, and their movement was very slow. In order to maximize their effectiveness, Count Noctilus decided to set up a battlefield and wait for Sinuoli's fleet to break in.

A large number of flying monsters took off from the terrifying warships; their dense numbers obscured the moonlight. The high-ranking members of the fleet nodded secretly; such a large air force was enough to make the Dwarf aircraft have nowhere to hide.

"Woo! Woo!"

At the same time, beneath the sea surface, several Dwarf submarines were approaching the small island where the pirates were entrenched, carrying a huge amount of noise. Compared to those slender ones from Sinuoli's past life, they were a bit bloated and significantly smaller in size.

"Respected Ancestor Chosen, I think we are reaching the limit here; if we go any further, we are likely to disturb those Undead." In the command room, the Engineer in charge said to Sinuoli, who was looking into the distance.

"Hmm, proceed according to the plan!" Sinuoli smiled, strode toward the stern of the submarine, and leaped directly out of the vessel.