107. The Landing

This sea voyage had been uneventful, with no great storms or turbulent waves. The colossal warship sailed steadily and smoothly, journeying for over twenty days. Mo Fei had grown weary of the endless ocean vistas, but Ailin and Vivian still made it a ritual to watch the sunrise and sunset from the deck each morning and evening. At those moments, Ailin’s face would radiate a gentle, refined beauty—quite the opposite of her usual innocent charm.

“I see the coastline!” Ailin’s exclamation quickly spread throughout the entire warship. Mo Fei, like the other soldiers, hurried out from his cabin.

Just as before, Ailin would always be waiting on the deck at sunrise. Unexpectedly, at that moment, she also caught sight of the long-lost mainland.

“We’ve really arrived.” Watching the horizon draw nearer, Mo Fei finally relaxed. After so many days at sea, the confinement had been stifling.

“Send word to prepare everyone. Once we dock, we’ll disembark in groups to explore a bit. It’s been too long since we felt solid ground beneath our feet,” Mo Fei said, prompting laughter from the others.

As they neared the shore, Mo Fei’s brow furrowed. They should have reached a dock ahead, but all that remained was a stretch of ruins—only a faint outline suggested where the pier once stood. They needed to find a place to land.

“Captain, should we look for another spot to dock?” One of the eighty berserker cavalrymen who accompanied Mo Fei asked. Throughout this voyage, Mo Fei had insisted they call him “Captain” rather than “Lord,” and even the mounted warriors addressed him as such.

“No, we’ll land here,” Mo Fei decided firmly.

The terrain was flat and visibility clear; if they had enough people, establishing a temporary base here would be ideal.

“If I’d known this place was so thoroughly destroyed, I would’ve brought more troops. This natural harbor could become a solid foothold for us on this continent,” Mo Fei reflected.

“How many people would we need, Captain?” the cavalry leader inquired.

“To build and defend this place, at least ten thousand soldiers,” Mo Fei replied without hesitation.

“Only ten thousand?”

“Of course, more is better, but we’re looking for a base that allows us to advance or retreat with ease. This will do. Why need so many?”

“Heh heh.” The squad leader chuckled.

“That laugh sounds suspicious,” Mo Fei noted, though he wasn’t quite sure why.

“Captain, Cain told me before we left that our ship is the smallest, with only 3,400 people aboard. The other nine warships each carry over ten thousand soldiers, including those manning the ships,” the squad leader explained with a grin.

Mo Fei was stunned. Though he knew the ships were enormous, he had remained mostly on his own deck and never explored the others. He hadn’t realized each could hold nearly ten thousand warriors.

“Cain didn’t say anything...” Mo Fei began.

“Our leader told us to wait until we arrived here before informing you, fearing you’d be upset and refuse their support,” the squad leader chuckled again.

How could Cain have trusted Mo Fei to bring so few troops to a continent ravaged by constant war? After conferring with Elder Ove, they dispatched ten newly built colossal warships from the Empire, each loaded with over ten thousand berserker infantry. These warriors were equipped not only with their signature massive axes but also with repeating crossbows, fully armored like death knights dismounting their steeds.

“Heh heh,” Mo Fei laughed. “We’ll settle accounts later for keeping this from me.”

Having more troops made operations easier. Under the signaler’s command, two other warships bypassed Mo Fei’s and slowly approached the dock. But the pier was so badly damaged they couldn’t get close. They deployed landing crafts—flat-bottomed, fast boats each carrying twenty fully armed berserkers. Two hundred warriors stormed ashore and immediately formed battle formations, guarding the shore. After scanning the area, they sent a signal indicating safety. Ten more boats came ashore while the initial ten returned to the ships for reinforcements.

Gradually, nearly twenty thousand warriors disembarked from the two ships. After stationing a portion as rear guards, the rest spread out in a fan-shaped formation to scout beyond the dock. Each squad of ten consisted of five axe-wielders leading and five crossbowmen following, maintaining a cooperative defensive distance. If attacked from any direction, nearby squads could quickly provide support, while those slightly behind would flank the enemy, forming a counter-encirclement.

Mo Fei, accompanied by Ailin and Vivian, stepped ashore. The eighty cavalrymen brought their monstrous mounts with them. These trained beasts had been restless during the long sea journey. Once ashore, they howled in unison, their fierce excitement invigorating the berserker infantry. The soldiers shook off their initial tension, now fully energized.

Their nerves were understandable. Though their commanders were present, behind them stood their young lord, whom they would rather die to protect than see harmed. This continent was unknown territory; its dangers were a mystery. Having witnessed the elite bear warriors’ encirclement of Storm City with hundreds of thousands, even these continent’s finest warriors understood that sheer numbers could overcome great strength. They had come with just over twenty thousand troops, unsure of their adversaries.

This land, scarred by ceaseless conflict, had trained even its simplest soldiers into battle-hardened veterans, masters of striking lethal blows. Without caution, they could easily fall victim to a surprise attack.

The berserker infantry advanced cautiously. Though slow, it was the safest approach. Soon, the scouts sent a safety signal. Those guarding Mo Fei finally relaxed slightly, though still alert. Perhaps the ruins were useless to others, which was why no armies had come here before.

Mo Fei dared not be careless in unknown lands, fearing a trap. After the berserkers fortified their defensive positions using remnants of the ruins, Mo Fei pressed on without rest. He ordered the two hundred berserkers left behind to clear a nearby space to erect a spatial magic teleportation array. This would allow them to summon workers to rebuild the dock and provide a safeguard against unforeseen threats. The capabilities of local forces remained unknown, so caution was paramount.

They raised twenty large stone slabs found amidst the ruins. Though crude, they sufficed for engraving the necessary magical runes, as the array’s function depended only on the durability of these symbols.

Ten bear clan mages finally witnessed the long-lost spatial magic array materialize on the continent. When Mo Fei activated the array, they were stunned. They hadn’t expected this young sovereign to be such a profoundly skilled mage.

Their admiration for Mo Fei grew. Disregarding his own safety, he had arrived with a small force on an uncharted continent. Moreover, he was a young mage of unfathomable power—impossible not to respect him in this land where strength was worshipped.

Soon, the portal opened again, and after a long wait, Cain emerged, laughing heartily upon seeing Mo Fei and his group. As long as they were safe, there was cause for joy.

Following Cain, squads of berserker death knights dismounted and came ashore. Mo Fei quickly ordered, “Alright, the rear units fall back for now. We haven’t cleared this area yet. Don’t crowd the landing zone or we won’t even be able to turn around.”

The first berserker infantry hastened their clearing efforts, joined by mounted troops who dismounted to assist.

“Cain, when you return, inform Elder Ove to bring the master dwarf engineer to work on the dock. Once this port is operational, we can come and go as we please,” Mo Fei instructed.

“No need to send me back. When the array was activated, I already sent word. During your twenty-day absence, he’s been eager to see these diamonds and platinum for himself. He should arrive soon,” Cain replied.

Sure enough, not long after the portal opened again, Elder Ove rushed over excitedly, calling out, “Where are my diamonds? The platinum? Where? Where?” His frantic glances left Mo Fei and the others laughing heartily.

“Aren’t you funny too, Elder Ove?” Ailin chuckled until her sides ached.

“Enough, you’re not a spring chicken anymore,” Mo Fei smiled. “Elder, what do you think of this location?”

Ove surveyed the area and said, “Our lord always finds extraordinary places, though this one’s a thorough ruin.”

Elder Ove understood the dock’s significance to the Empire. The open terrain offered unobstructed views. With well-built defensive fortifications like those on their home continent, this site could become their Empire’s base here. Yet raising such fortresses would be challenging—the plain lacked natural stone for construction.

“This place is good, but defense might be tricky,” Cain noted. As the cavalry commander, he knew plains favored mounted troops and that building Storm City–style fortifications here was unlikely.

“True. We can’t bring the entire Empire’s forces here anyway,” Mo Fei acknowledged. Investing too many troops on unknown land was unwise, especially as Storm City itself was not yet secure.

“By the way, Elder, who’s managing Storm City while you’re here?” Mo Fei suddenly asked.

“Don’t worry, lord. Elder Walton arrived long ago,” Cain assured him.

With Elder Walton in charge, all was well. But Mo Fei’s concern lingered—what of the Death Empire?

Seeing Mo Fei’s unease, Elder Ove laughed. “Lord, rest assured. The Death Empire is well established. Walton has trained capable administrators to assist with governance.”

“That’s good. That’s good,” Mo Fei finally relaxed. The Death Empire was his foundation. Other territories could be sacrificed, but if the Death Empire faltered, all would be lost.

Unbeknownst to Mo Fei, on his home continent, a quasi-military alliance had formed around the Death Empire. Various empires stationed permanent military liaison groups in its capital. Whenever needed, they could dispatch troops promptly. Given the Death Empire’s formidable strength, few dared challenge it. Moreover, with experienced berserkers setting the standard, border defense forces had rapidly grown fierce and efficient. Their fate was inseparably tied to the Death Empire’s honor.

“Alert! Everyone, be vigilant!” a berserker scout on guard among the ruins shouted a warning.