NOVEL NEXT Chapter 182: The Storm Subsides, Make Your Choice
"Captain, we've just received some news regarding external intelligence; it seems somewhat credible." A burly man, dressed in blood-red scale armor accented with black, spoke to the person before him.
Upon hearing his subordinate, the captain of the Hand of Burning Blood turned his head. He was a robust man, approximately 1.8 meters tall, clad in a full set of red and black Soft Armor. The most striking feature was the pair of gauntlets he wore, which emitted a faint glow as if blood-like flames were burning upon them.
"News from the outside?" he scoffed. "Who around here would be so kind as to spread external intelligence, hmph."
He chuckled softly, then turned and sat directly on his black iron throne. Nevertheless, he gave a slight wave of his hand. "Well, let's hear it. What kind of news is it?"
The burly man below nodded. "This news came from a crew member of that white ship with the bird-shaped figurehead we saw earlier. The message is that if anyone who hasn't become a 'Toucher' ventures into the outside world, they will rapidly weaken over time and eventually die."
Hearing this, the captain rested his chin on his hand, his other hand gently tapping the armrest of his throne. He seemed to be contemplating something. A moment later, an amused smile touched his lips. "That really does align with the typical behavior of the Church."
They generally analyzed and understood the ships in this area based on the intelligence they possessed. Whether they are friend or foe is unknown, but gathering more intelligence is never a mistake. Alka's ship, the Dawn Sound, is brand new and still bears some traces from the Church's shipyard. Anyone who could recognize these traces would consider them part of the Church's faction. After all, while the Church's ship-forging technology is superb, it's rarely made available to outsiders. Although this ship doesn't fly the Church's flag, it must at least have close ties to the Church.
"It seems this news is quite credible," the captain mused. "If this news had come from anyone else, its credibility wouldn't be very high. But coming from someone aligned with the Church, its credibility is indeed very high. This is because the information aligns perfectly with the doctrines of the Holy Mother Church, and there are, in fact, many ordinary people aboard these surrounding ships. In the eyes of those who understand this, taking these ordinary people into the outside world is tantamount to leading them to their deaths. Spreading such a warning is, therefore, an entirely rational act."
After brief consideration, the captain made his decision. "Go and screen all crew members who haven't become 'Touchers'. Bring those with abilities, and those whose contributions are just a little short, here for the Touching Ceremony. As for those who don't meet the standards, give them some money and have them leave the ship."
Upon hearing this order, the burly man below nodded and set about his task. After he departed, the surroundings fell silent.
It aligns with the Church's doctrines and contains information about the outside world... Interesting, a soft murmur drifted from within the room.
Jason spread this news across the entire island, making no effort to conceal his identity. This, too, was Alka's suggestion, as it would lend the information more credibility and potentially save more people. Some took this advice and began to send away the ordinary members of their crews, while others dismissed the news as utter nonsense, paying it no heed.
「It wasn't until the Hand of Burning Blood also began to send away the ordinary members of their crew.」
"You're saying Keck has also started sending away the ordinary members of his crew?"
Aboard the Brave Sword, a strikingly unconventional female captain loudly questioned her subordinate. The messenger was a man with a slight limp, a long-handled Vibrating Stone Gun strapped to his back. He looked at his captain and earnestly relayed the information.
"Yes, Captain. Keck is also dismissing his ordinary crew members."
Faced with this development, the female captain couldn't help but begin to seriously re-evaluate the news.
When she first heard this news, she had completely dismissed it. One shouldn't listen too closely to every rumor at sea, especially at a time like this. At this juncture, countless pieces of information, both true and false, were circulating, making it impossible to distinguish between them. The best approach was to listen to none of it. Completely shutting out all such mixed reports—that was the best choice. There was no shortage of people willing to spread all sorts of false information, those who would engage in such malicious and unhelpful acts.
But if even the captain of the Hand of Burning Blood, a Hunting Group, believed this news, then it was a different matter entirely. That was because their captain was sufficiently powerful and renowned. Operating as a Hunting Group at sea for such a long time was, in itself, a testament to their ability to manage and verify intelligence. If even they believed this news, then others couldn't afford not to give it serious consideration. After all, the initial messenger came from a group no one had ever heard of.
"Tell me again, which ship was the person who delivered this news from?" she demanded.
Hearing this, a nearby woman, blind in her right eye, shook her head with a sigh and stood up. "Jireya, why can't you ever pay proper attention to this sort of intelligence?"
Sensing her subordinate was about to launch into a lecture, Jireya quickly waved her hand and said impatiently, "Alright, alright, just get on with it."
The others nearby exchanged helpless glances.
The one-eyed woman who had stepped forward said, "The ones spreading the news are from that ship with the golden bird-head figurehead."