Chapter 587: All Undercovers, Diago Enlisted (2)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

He was still aware of which one held greater significance.

In the afternoon.

Sonia led a Coral Palace army of over 12,000 back to the Crown of the Ocean. This high-tier hero, ranked as Red-Legacy Tier, who had successfully reclaimed the Great Luminescent Sea’s mystic realm, maintained an elegant and dignified demeanor even after the long journey.

She respectfully saluted.

“Lord, Sonia returns as per your orders.”

Ji Chen briefly explained the current situation to her.

Sonia’s Coral Palace army was primarily used by Ji Chen to counter the enemy’s large force of servile troops, relieving the pressure on the Crown of the Ocean’s army.

With the return of the Coral Palace army, their forces now numbered over 25,000 units, roughly the size of twenty-five thousand-man squads. Although they were still at a disadvantage compared to Lord of the Waves’ hundred-thousand-strong army, they at least had a fighting chance.

What gave Ji Chen confidence in this war was the presence of several high-tier, high-level heroes in his command.

Kraken, Epic Tier, level 55.

Herald, Legendary Tier, level 47.

Benbo, Legendary Tier, level 46.

Verena, Legendary Tier, level 50.

Alice, Red-Legacy Tier, level 46.

Anina, Red-Legacy Tier, level 47.

Sonia, Red-Legacy Tier, level 47.

Elisya, Red-Legacy Tier, level 30.

With three Legendary Tier heroes, four Red-Legacy Tier heroes, and the Epic Tier Kraken, their hero lineup was more than a match for a force of over ten thousand.

Not to mention Ji Chen himself, another Epic Tier hero, their high-end combat strength reached a terrifying level.

What further bolstered Ji Chen’s confidence was the fact that there was Thotmudo, the Epic Tier hero who had been conducting research in the underground world. If the Crown of the Ocean found itself in dire straits, this Epic Tier powerhouse, who had placed the hopes of dwarf revival on Ji Chen, would not remain indifferent.

Upon hearing Lord of the Waves’ threat, Sonia proposed a suggestion to Ji Chen.

“Lord Ji Chen, perhaps we can try to recruit the former Water Dragon King, Diago, who is imprisoned in the Dragon King’s Castle dungeon. This long-horned catfish spirit, even though he’s only at the Red-Legacy Tier, wields considerable lightning magic power. If he can join this war, our chances of victory should increase significantly.”

Ji Chen was somewhat surprised. He didn’t expect Sonia to voluntarily propose releasing Diago. Wasn’t she concerned that Diago might pose a threat to her position?

Perhaps seeing the confusion in his eyes, Sonia smiled faintly and explained, “For the sake of your cause, for the safety of the Crown of the Ocean, I don’t mind sharing the power and position you’ve given me.”

Ji Chen’s eyes showed a hint of appreciation.

This was why Sonia was the only hero under his command who, originally a faction leader, had willingly submitted to him without signing a contract.

She was smart enough and loyal enough to put his mind at ease.

Sonia knew that even if Diago were released, it wouldn’t significantly affect her position. Diago was, in fact, a brute; he was good for fighting but not much else. Other matters might prove a bit challenging for him.

Meanwhile, she possessed the ability to oversee and safeguard a territory for Ji Chen.

There’s simply no comparison between the two.

Ji Chen, accompanied by Sonia, entered the heart of the Great Luminescent Sea’s mystic realm. After several months of both soft and hard governance, the rebel forces in the Dragon King’s City had been completely eliminated. The sea creatures here had also recognized and submitted to the rule and governance of the Crown of the Ocean. Those who harbored thoughts of restoring their country had lost their ground for survival.

Numerous exploration teams had begun to explore the abyssal waters, mapping out detailed charts. They had already successfully discovered and excavated several ruins, acquiring a significant amount of resources to replenish the Crown of the Ocean’s stores.

Inside the prison of the Dragon King’s City.

Diago, looking at Ji Chen’s sudden arrival, had long lost his previous rebellious demeanor. He now appeared like a fish that had given up on life.

Ji Chen didn’t beat around the bush and straightforwardly said, “Sign the Master-Servant contract to fight for the Crown of the Ocean against external enemies, and I’ll release you.”

Diago’s resigned expression instantly changed. He glanced at Sonia, who looked respectful, and then at Ji Chen, who remained composed. He asked with suspicion, “Really? You won’t hold me accountable for what 1 did before?”

“If I wanted to hold you accountable, 1 would have killed you a long time ago. There’s no need to keep you until now.”

Diago fell silent, his expression shifting. He said, “If you want me to agree, can you also release the fool in the adjacent cell?”

Ji Chen turned to look at Andar, who was in the opposite cell, wearing a surprised expression. Without hesitation, Ji Chen nodded and said, “Sure, as long as he doesn’t leave the Great Luminescent Sea.”

Diago gritted his teeth and said, “Fine, 1’11 work for you!”

Once the contract was formally signed, Ji Chen had another Red-Legacy Tier hero under his command.

As he watched the contract text slowly dissipate, he said indifferently, “I’ll give you command of two thousand Dragon Horn Catfish squads. As long as your performance satisfies me, you can also command all the spellcaster units of the Crown of the Ocean in the future.”

Diago’s face lit up with joy. Having an army to lead immediately upon his release, while not a massive force, certainly made him more than just a commander in name.

He began to have some respect for Ji Chen, his demeanor becoming more respectful.

“I understand. I will prove my worth.”

Diago cast a final glance at Andar, whose expression was complex, and let out a light snort before leaving.

With the range of Lord of the Waves’ conscription expanding further, the nearest locations recently targeted were only thirty to forty miles away from the Stormy Sea. Ji Chen decided to launch a preemptive attack.

He organized raids using fully equipped thousand-man squads, conducting surprise assaults.

Lord of the Waves’ missions to capture young sea creatures primarily involved groups of two to three hundred men, along with seven or eight servant-army squads of the same size, forming a combined force of approximately a thousand for their missions. In terms of fighting prowess, they were naturally inferior to a full fifth-tier troop of a thousand.

These mixed squads, which had become careless after capturing weak sea creatures to build their camps outside, had never anticipated that a sea creature army would suddenly launch an attack on them. They suffered heavy losses in a short time, with nearly their entire force annihilated.

The results of the first day’s surprise attack were quite fruitful, wiping out a total of eight mixed squads and eliminating over two thousand regular soldiers and more than six thousand servant soldiers. The Crown of the Ocean had suffered losses of less than a hundred units.

A splendid exchange ratio of 1:80 left Ji Chen very satisfied.

On the other hand, when the Lord of the Waves’ army noticed that so many mixed squads that went out had not returned, they quickly realized that something was amiss. They sent scout teams to investigate, but when they arrived at the scene, all they found were corpses scattered on the sea’s surface and lingering traces of unfulfilled magical energy in the air.

They had been attacked by the enemy!

When this news reached them, Lord of the Waves was furious.

“What! Sea creatures dare to attack us? Who is it!?”

“…I don’t know. These enemies seemed to have planned in advance, ambushing our mixed squads on the way without leaving any traces. None of the attacked mixed squads had survivors.”

The centurion of the Sea Horse knights reported with a fearful expression.

“You useless bunch! You don’t even know who attacked you. What use do I have for you!?”

“Damn it! If 1 find out who’s hiding in the shadows and launching sneak attacks, I’ll make them endure the pain of being hit by waves a thousand times in their souls!”

The water cyclone suddenly expanded several times, sucking in thousands of tons of seawater. An aura of terror enveloped an area of a thousand miles in radius, causing waves to surge on the sea’s surface. The splashes of water struck the centurion’s body, stinging like a thousand needles, but the heroic centurion of the Sea Horse dared not move and kept his head lowered to his chest.

After a long time, the water cyclone calmed down, and the voice of Lord of the Waves, whose gender was indistinguishable, once again emanated from it. “Were the lobster knights who joined us attacked?”

“No, today they happened to be resting outside the camp and didn’t go out.”

Lord of the Waves felt suspicion rising in their heart once more. His intuition told him that these lobster knights were somehow related to this sudden attack.

“…Monitor their every move. If there’s any unusual behavior, kill them directly!”

“….Yes!”