Chapter 443: Sturgeon Warrior

Kangjiatuo's terrain is narrow and long, like a dagger thrust diagonally from the Old Continent's northeast into Wu Jin Zhi Hai, stretching north‑south for over two thousand li, narrowing toward the north, with the northern junction to the continent less than a hundred li wide.

The dagger's belly is the widest, bulging with a year‑round snow‑capped mountain range that spawns many rivers, which flow from the heights to the relatively flat south and converge at the southern tip into the sea, forming Black Wind River Bay.

Within the bay lies Kangjiatuo's only Four‑Season Unfrozen Port.

Because the terrain resembles a crab's two large claws embracing the bay, it is called "Crab Port," and the second‑largest city of Kangjiatuo that grew around the port is named Baroske City.

Autumn has just arrived, yet the sun hanging high overhead brings no warmth; the cold wind blowing from the bay into Crab Port turns people's faces pale.

Kangjiatuo folk are naturally cold‑resistant and have long been accustomed to the chill.

Under the watch of the Fei She family's guards, the burly dockworkers puffed white breath as they loaded or unloaded cargo, toiling half a day for a few copper coins, which bought a bottle of warming spirit and a few hard rye loaves, barely enough to get by; to support a family they must work even harder, laboring a full day.

Day after day, year after year, the dockworkers have long become numb.

Even when, not long ago, Duke Fei She rebelled against the king, bringing his family's Sturgeon Warrior river‑bay legion into Duke Jiadans's camp and fighting the king for months, Crab Port's operations were unaffected.

Shouts rose and fell as cargo ships and fishing vessels came and went.

Suddenly, someone noticed several black specks in the sky beyond the bay, stopped to watch, and as the specks multiplied and grew, their shapes became discernible.

"Dragon!"

"It's a dragon…"

Crab Port hosts many transients who travel between the Old Continent and the New Continent; they were resting and entertaining in the dockside inns when they heard the shouts and rushed out to look at the sky.

The transients' sight reaches farther than ordinary people's, yet after a single glance their eyes bulged, faces showing terror—not much better than a common person's.

In the sky beyond the port, four massive dragons were soaring at high speed.

The most striking was a dragon radiant with golden light, its massive wings spanning dozens of meters, scales flashing dazzling gold, and three heads of different colors. The other three followed slightly: a wholly pale‑blue frost sea dragon, a brown‑red dragon whose scales looked forged of metal, and a pitch‑black, chilling black dragon!

All four dragons flew together; even from several li away one could feel a terrifying draconic aura.

Behind the dragons was a huge flock of flying dragons.

The flock was so numerous that it could not be counted at a glance—at least forty or fifty by eye—and flames lit their wings, as if half the sky had turned red, rolling toward the port.

"There's someone on a dragon's back!"

A few sharp‑eyed transients shouted.

The dockworkers froze, eyes wide, trying to discern the figure on the dragon's back.

Since the fall of the Zhuogeng Fortress dynasty, Kangjiatuo has rarely seen dragons; for forty years Marck has sat on the Iron Throne, tirelessly erasing the influence of the Dragon‑God cult and strictly forbidding any discussion of dragon‑born matters.

Yet the stricter the ban, the more people whispered about it; legends of dragon‑born and great dragons remain the most popular tales.

Clang—clank—

The guards frantically rang every bell tower in the port, the sound echoing throughout Baroske City.

Well‑versed transients sensed that the dragons and their flock came with hostile intent; such a grand display was certainly not a visit to Crab Port, and Baroske City would be under attack.

They bolted, seeking any safe place to hide.

"Run, you fools!"

"If you're willing to die, keep watching."

Dockworkers and residents who had been watching for fun, seeing the lofty transients so frightened, finally reacted, dropping what they held and turning to run.

The crowd scattered like headless flies, and the entire port descended into chaos.

Crab Port's dock stretches over ten miles, with a watchtower every three hundred steps; now, a large contingent of agile Sturgeon Warriors climbs the towers, using soul energy to activate the rune arrays, and a bubble‑like shield expands, enveloping each tower.

"Sturgeon Warriors" are transients trained by the Fei She family.

They worship the river god Oshenna, merging the bloodline of a water‑dwelling monster called "Sword Sturgeon" to enhance their physique, master water spells, excel in underwater combat, and are also strong on land—essentially a hybrid of half a water sorcerer and a magic swordsman, a dual magical‑martial path far superior to common transients.

The Fei She family has stood unshaken in Kangjiatuo for a thousand years, firmly controlling the kingdom's sole unfrozen port, relying first on this Sturgeon Warrior army.

Secondly, the water‑cannon towers built within the city.

Each tower's summit holds a platform whose base connects to the river flow; rune arrays generate suction to draw water, compress it, and fire it like a cannon, its power equivalent to a triple‑ring spell.

This high‑pressure water‑cannon technology was bestowed by the river god upon the Fei She family, and only Sturgeon Warriors who share the same faith can operate it.

When the Sturgeon Warriors mobilized, the runes on each turret lit up, emitting a rushing water sound, and the fleeing crowd felt a little reassured.

For years, Sturgeon Warriors and water‑cannon towers have repelled countless enemies invading Crab Port.

Among Baroske City locals, the Fei She family's power and status are unshakable, even legendary dragons cannot challenge them.

But outsiders do not share that view.

As the dragons entered the bay and drew nearer, some fleeing transients recognized the figure on a dragon's back.

Especially the golden three‑headed dragon, which had appeared three months earlier in the distant Matos.

Seated on its neck was a man wielding a war hammer, his back draped with a blood‑red cloak—a striking, unmistakable outfit that matched the rumored figure.

"Earl of Glamorgan!"

"How did he get to Kangjiatuo, and why attack Crab Port?" a transient asked, turning to look, bewildered.

Someone beside him replied, "It's not just him; there are Weizelan Wizards!"

At this point the backs of the four dragons and the flying dragons were visible, each bearing a wizard in a magical robe, a purple badge conspicuous on their chest.

"Goddess above!"

"Run, stop looking." Some transients turned pale with horror, as if recalling something dreadful, and hurried away, daring not to glance back.

On the port's turrets, the Sturgeon Warriors also sensed the Weizelan Wizards, their limbs turning cold, confidence evaporating, and they silently prayed to the river god.

Time ticked by second after second.

The dragons' silhouettes were already clear to the Sturgeon Warriors; the Sword Sturgeon bloodline gave them far‑beyond‑human sight, their gaze piercing the cold wind onto the dragons, each scale flashing, a terrifying draconic aura descending, causing some to shiver and involuntarily hunch their necks.

"Prepare to meet the enemy!"

A legendary Fei She Sturgeon Warrior raised his great sword atop a turret, his voice echoing across Crab Port: "In the name of Oshenna, remember our duty, protect our family, defend our honor!"

"Whoever invades Baroske, must first step over our corpses!"

The speaker was Brinton Fei She, the second son of Duke Fei She, holding an earl's title and fief, who spends most of his time in Baroske City leading the family's river‑bay legion.

His firm voice reached their ears, freeing the Sturgeon Warriors from the dragon's influence, the water‑type blood markings on their skin flowed, a cool sensation washed their minds, and their gazes became resolute.

At that moment, the Sturgeon Warriors saw a huge wave rise beyond the river bay.

It was not a wave crest, but a knightly order.

They rode a herd of warhorses with teal double wings, skimming the water's surface at breakneck speed; the horses' wake rose like a massive wave surging into the harbor.

Brinton's expression was stern, yet he did not lose composure despite the chaos.

He glanced behind; only a little over three hundred Sturgeon Warriors had been hastily gathered, assigning a hundred to man the water‑pressure turrets, the rest following him.

With only these men, if the turret fell, they could not possibly hold back the terrifying foes.

A few days earlier, he learned from his father, Duke Feishe, a shocking piece of news: the Zhuogengfort family still had a living dragon‑born, who plotted to restore the kingdom. It was for this reason that King Marck was willing to abandon revenge and cease hostilities with Duke Dans.

At the time, Brinton still thought his father and the king were over‑worried; a mere dragon‑born, even with hidden aid from remnants of the previous dynasty, could cause what kind of storm?

Kangjiatuo was no longer a dragon‑born kingdom.

Yet, less than half a month later, that dragon‑born arrived with a massive army, and its first target was his own family's lands!

Four colossal dragons, a great flock of flying dragons, and a flying knightly order!

What shocked Brinton most was that a Wizard from Weizelan also took part; he could not fathom how the dragon‑born managed it. Weizelan deploying a Wizard to aid the dragon‑born's restoration carried a deep implication that made Brinton shiver just thinking about it.

Brinton drew a deep breath; now was not the time to contemplate such things.

He raised his hand and shouted, "Dive!"

The Sturgeon Warriors could only exploit their advantage underwater; they had to hold the enemy to buy the family more time.

With repeated splash sounds, the Sturgeon Warriors in tight leather leapt from the pier into the icy water; their movements in the water were more agile than swimming fish, their forms blurring like a school of giant fish racing toward the knightly order.

Brinton himself stayed ashore, watching the dragon flock descending from the sky, drawing nearer; in a few breaths the enemy would enter the range of the water cannons.

Just as he waited calmly, a burst of dense roars erupted first.

(End of Chapter)