Chapter 1091: Chapter 698, Trouble-maker
Giant ship.
The ships of this era, in truth, weren’t that large.
At least, for modern people, having seen all sorts of massive ships and aircraft carriers through television and video games.
It still made Bai Xuan’s expression turn serious as she uttered the words “giant ship.”
The first impression it gave was that it was even bigger than an aircraft carrier.
“Why is it still just speculation?” Fang Hao asked again.
Bai Xuan picked up her cup and took a sip. Then, she continued to explain, “The target point marked on the treasure map is underwater. We’ve stationed people at various locations around the area to conduct underwater searches. Based on the clues, we hypothesized that it might be a massive ship.”
After speaking, she retrieved a few photos from the Book of Lords.
She handed them to Fang Hao for inspection.
Through her explanation, it faintly resembled parts of a ship’s structure.
But it was hard to say—there was also the possibility that it was merely an underwater mountain resembling the shape of a ship.
If it was indeed a ship, then surely it would be extraordinarily large.
“Was there some kind of monster nearby? Why are all the photos so blurry?”
“Fishmen. There’s a massive Fishmen Tribe settlement in the area. We couldn’t get close and had to take photos from remote spots to analyze later.” Bai Xuan flipped through the photos again.
One photo depicted a dead fishman lying on the deck.
Its appearance was almost identical to the fishmen Fang Hao had encountered before.
However, the fishmen of the sea had scales that were noticeably more vibrant.
Their appearance remained equally hideous.
Fang Hao looked at the images without responding immediately.
An incomplete treasure map could lead to high-level treasure—but it could just as easily lead to ordinary equipment.
*From this perspective alone, Bai Xuan was not an ideal partner.*
*The potential rewards were ambiguous, yet the costs were very clear.*
*Dealing with the little devils, the Sea Tribe, or the Fishmen—all were challenges far from easy to overcome.*
Seeing Fang Hao remain silent.
Bai Xuan continued, “If you’re willing to join us, I can promise that you will have the first choice of the rewards. Even if the rewards prove unsatisfactory in the end, I’ll still offer you some compensation.”
It seemed Bai Xuan was quite persistent.
“Even if it truly is that giant ship, salvaging it would be extremely difficult. With rewards so vague and uncertain, why are you so determined to waste resources and manpower?” Fang Hao shifted his gaze toward her.
One must cut their losses if the yields seem unattainable.
Why keep pouring resources into something uncertain?
“Fang Hao, the way I see it, if we give up now and let the little devils claim the reward, eventually we won’t even be able to venture out to sea. Our Alliance relies on the sea to survive. Do you honestly think I can back down now? If I quit, I’ll be cutting off the Alliance’s future entirely.” Bai Xuan replied helplessly.
Fang Hao nodded, lifting his cup to take a sip.
The Alliance’s naval power was already weaker than its adversary.
If they relinquished this prize, the Alliance might lose what little leverage it had in competing with their opponent.
And the little devils had the Sea Tribe as their backing, whereas Bai Xuan’s side had the Federation.
The Federation was competent on land but lacked strength at sea.
Thus, Bai Xuan didn’t dare gamble, fearing that if she gave up, her opponent might recover something truly valuable.
“Captain Bai Xuan, I’m not in a position to decide on this matter. I’ll need to go back and discuss it with others.” Fang Hao replied tactfully.
“Of course, but I hope that regardless of your decision, you’ll give me a definitive answer so I can make further arrangements.” Bai Xuan said.
Fang Hao nodded, affirming that he could.
“Boss, we’ve met several times already, and you’ve helped me countless times. Adding me as a friend wouldn’t be out of line, right? I always have to ask Ma Tianyi to find you, and it makes me feel a little awkward.” Bai Xuan dropped her serious demeanor, flashing a cheerful smile.
In an instant, she transformed into a bright and lively personality.
“Uh, no problem at all. I was just about to add you, Captain Bai Xuan.”
The two exchanged friend requests and parted ways.
Bai Xuan still had things to handle, and Fang Hao didn’t want to linger.
Leaving the tavern.
“What do you think? Should we get involved in this?” Fang Hao asked casually as he walked.
Demitrija kept quiet for a moment before answering, “Their intelligence is nearly non-existent. Helping them requires careful consideration.”
*Bai Xuan’s group hadn’t even figured out what the reward was or planned the next steps.*
*Their current mindset boiled down to: ‘If I can’t have it, neither can they.’*
*That sort of thinking wasn’t conducive to an actual battle.*
“Hmm, that’s true.” Fang Hao nodded.
He quickened his pace, heading toward the teleportation screen.
…
The next day.
At the Gate of Blood Prison.
Fang Hao once again signed slave contracts with three massive dragons.
With the initial dragon’s capitulation, the subsequent contracts went much more smoothly.
It didn’t even require much negotiation; they simply signed outright.
Even those who showed some resistance were easily intimidated into compliance.
Progress was swift and efficient.
The main city now housed ten 10th-tier dragons.
“Have these dragons shown any unusual behavior?”
After finishing the contracts, Fang Hao turned to Spencer beside him.
“No, Sir!” Spencer replied with hands clasped behind his back. “Currently, each dragon leads ten skeletal dragons, patrolling the skies of the territory on rotation. If any dragon attempts to fly beyond the allowed range, skeletal dragons immediately attack and kill them.”
“When can these contracted dragons start hero upgrades?” Fang Hao asked.
Spencer pondered for a moment, “Sir, hero upgrades for dragons are significantly more difficult than for most other races. Many dragons spend their entire lives without achieving hero status, so I would suggest allowing them to return to good health first before attempting upgrades.”
That made sense, and these dragons’ loyalty ratings weren’t particularly high.
They ranged from 30 to a little over 40. Building up loyalty during this time would be beneficial.
“Hmm, these dragons’ loyalty ratings have been consistently low. Are there any ways to increase them?”
Spencer replied, “Sir, these dragons currently live in simple tents. Providing them with suitable mountain caves might help.”
Dragons cannot take human form before becoming heroes.
They cannot use traditional housing structures.
“Alright, I’ll make a note of this and have the arrangements made,” Fang Hao said.
Spencer nodded. “Sir, I’ll lead these dragons to allocate their patrol tasks now.”
“Alright, go ahead!”
…
Returning to the Lord’s Manor.
Fang Hao went directly to the third floor and lightly knocked twice on a door.
Soon, a cold voice came from inside, “Come in.”
He pushed the door open.
Inside, Rolana, wearing a nightgown, lay in the center of the room inside a coffin.
She wasn’t sleeping—she was engrossed in reading a comic book.
“Not resting?” Fang Hao asked with a smile.
Rolana shifted to one side.
Fang Hao glanced around but ultimately declined her silent invitation.
Though he wasn’t afraid, lying in a coffin still felt unsettling.
He reached out and pulled her up from the coffin, inviting her to lie on the bed together.
Rolana brushed her hair aside and rested her head on Fang Hao’s chest, her eyes still fixed on the comic book.
Fang Hao wrapped his arms around Rolana and gently stroked her smooth back.
“The dragons we’ve recruited need lairs. Where do you think is a good location?” Fang Hao slid his hand around, pressing lightly at the front.
“Up to you.”
“The Bloody Mountains seem like a natural option. The terrain could easily be excavated for caves to house them, but the distance might be a bit inconvenient,” Fang Hao mused aloud, gradually adding more pressure.
“Hmm,” Rolana remained indifferent.
*She didn’t involve herself in city affairs.*
*Whether reading novels or playing with pet birds, her focus stayed far from matters like these.*
*Unless someone attacked, nothing could stir her interest.*
Seeing her lack of reaction, Fang Hao continued, “I heard they’re building fake mountains at the amusement park. How about using those for dragon nests? It’s close to the main city.”
Rolana’s hands froze mid-turn of the comic book’s page.
She tilted her head back, frowning coldly, and replied, “No.”
“Don’t be so stingy! It’s just scenery anyway—digging out a few caves wouldn’t hurt anything,” Fang Hao said with a grin.
“No. The design plans specify their purpose, and an amusement park is meant for entertainment, not resting.”
Rolana shifted slightly, revealing her elegantly crossed long legs beneath the hem of her gown.
*She mentioned a specific purpose?*
Rolana’s reasoning actually made sense.
For building dragon caves, ensuring a restful environment was essential.
An amusement park truly wasn’t ideal for that.
“Alright, I’ll think of other options instead.”
Hoo!
Suddenly, the Book of Lords emitted a notification sound.
The tone wasn’t for private messages but for communications sent to the Sound-transmitting Shell stored within.
Fang Hao absentmindedly pulled it out and held it to his ear.
Rebecca’s voice came through, “Fang Hao, what are you doing?”
Both their movements paused simultaneously.
But they quickly realized it was just the Sound-transmitting Shell.
“Say something,” Rolana prompted.
Fang Hao eyed her hesitantly, worried that Rebecca might blurt out something incriminating like, “When will you come over? I miss you.”
With Rolana urging him, Fang Hao replied, “I’m here, what’s up?”
Rebecca said, “You haven’t come by in a while. Come this afternoon. The Federal Conference has something for us to discuss.”
*Fang Hao exhaled with relief. That was manageable.*
Without hesitation, he replied, “Alright, Rolana’s here with me, so we’ll come over together.”
A brief silence followed before Rebecca responded, “Alright.”
Fang Hao pocketed the shell.
Still holding Rolana’s slim waist, he said, “Later, let’s head to Lyss City together. The Federation’s always cooking up some drama.”
“Okay.”
…
Lyss City!!
In a tastefully adorned room.
Rebecca gazed at the two of them inquisitively.
Fang Hao outright asked, “Has the conference pulled another stunt?”
“Another stunt?”
“I mean, is there a new problem?” Fang Hao casually poured himself some tea and continued questioning.
“The Sea Tribe—after several rounds of negotiations—their relations with us have grown increasingly strained. This time, Dordy has appointed Lyss City as the conference’s representative to stabilize the coastal region.” Rebecca explained softly.
Holy crap!