Legend has it—
When the world loses its way, and the great ship of civilization drifts without a course, there will always be someone to light the stars and ignite the signal fires.
“Summarize your work over the past decade. Wuya, you speak.”
On the Plains Continent, the Chief Minister—Wuya Zuo Siska—knelt on one knee.
He gently tapped his mask with a fingertip, and a red light flickered before him, bringing images to life.
The story began with Wu Yi slaying the God-King, then leaving alone, gravely wounded.
“In the past, the divine realm hid its secrets and treasures across the far seas, sealing them off to prevent the other races from finding them.
After the God-King’s death, the seal was lifted. A new era began, one we now call the Age of Trade and Exploration.”
“Cultures and technologies of all races rapidly intertwined through trade routes. Combined with overseas exploration, this sparked an unprecedented wave of technological innovation.
Unfortunately, the era moved too fast, leaving some behind…
To survive, they turned to piracy. As more joined, pirate forces swelled to the point they could rival the powers of the continents on land.”
“Led by Fuxis Drake, Sam Bellamy, and Barbarossa Hayreddin, the three major pirate leaders dominate the main trade routes.
With the growth of their crews, their demand for resources has also surged.
As a result, they’ve had to increase their raids to maintain their enormous operations.”
“Meanwhile, along the eastern coast of Donghuang Continent, a fourth power has emerged, the Twilight Guild, led by Cheng Yi. Though far weaker than the three pirate factions, due to lower competition, it’s been expanding rapidly.”
Hearing these mysterious elites mention his name, Cheng Yi couldn’t help but feel a hint of pride.
But the next sentence wiped the smirk off his face.
“Cheng Yi is jealous of the capable, ruthless in his methods, and arrogant to the core. He once assassinated three of his own strategists over a disagreement. According to Fenghuo Society’s analysis, the Twilight Guild will either change leadership or collapse within three years.”
How the hell did they know those three pests were killed by me?
Cheng Yi stared at the speaker in shock.
Only the heavens, the earth, and his most trusted lieutenant knew that secret.
Unless… No. Impossible! That man was loyal, willing to die for him!
“Mm.” Wu Yi nodded, “Not bad. At least you’ve grasped the core of the era and investigated the roots of these pirates. And then?”
“According to unanimous analysis by Fenghuo Society, the rise of piracy is an inevitable result of civilization reaching this stage of development.
Their emergence poses a survival threat to coastal nations, but it has also driven rapid technological advancement and accelerated overseas expansion.”
“Accelerated?” Lord Lu Sheng clenched his jaw, forcing out the words through gritted teeth, “These bastards cut off our routes, burn, kill, and loot. They’re nothing but a plague dragging us down!”
Zuo Siska gave him a sidelong glance: “They’re only hindering you, not all life.
Don’t forget, pirates explore too. They drift at sea year-round, seasoned and rootless. Compared to people on land, they’re more eager to find new continents to call home and in fact, over ninety percent of newly discovered lands and islands were found by pirates, not land-based explorers.”
“And the cost? Can’t you see the atrocities these animals commit? How many innocent lives have they taken? How many families have they torn apart…”
“It’s undeniable that pirates are brutal and ruthless.”
Siska gently pushed his mask upward: “But evolution has always meant devouring the weak.
We began as insignificant particles, devouring others to become cells. Then, we devoured cells to become more complex. After that, we consumed chickens, ducks, fish, cattle, and sheep, eventually enslaving even our own kind as fuel for progress, leaving behind only the genes of the victors… That is the process of civilization: the strong devour the weak, always stepping over the corpses of the sacrificed.”
“But you’re human!” Lu Sheng sobbed, “You’re not beasts anymore. Intelligent beings like you should protect the weak, not just stand by, cold and indifferent, watching them die when you have the power to stop it!”
Siska shook his head: “Whether you accept it or not, we are still beasts and we will always survive as beasts… Otherwise, one day, another God-King will devour us.”
“The true enemy of the Fenghuo Society has never been pirates or anyone else. It’s the next God-King.”
“Enough,” Wu Yi cut off their argument. “Continue. What else do you have to report?”
“The pirates discovered golden maize and silver potatoes in the new continent. Lacking the means to cultivate them, they sold the crops to the mainland, where large-scale planting is about to begin.
These two powerful crops will completely change the famine situation on land. With abundant resources, the population is expected to more than triple…
By then, land-based powers will grow strong, and the pirates will fade from the stage of history.”
“How long will that take?”
“Just two hundred years.”
“Hmm…”
Wu Yi frowned: “That sounds a bit too long.”
“Nothing can be done. The turning point of an era cannot be rushed.”
“Then, what would happen if we eliminated the Twilight Guild?”
“Very little impact.”
“Understood.” Wu Yi nodded with satisfaction. “Anything else to report?”
“Just a few minor matters… they’re all listed in the report.”
Siska presented a dark red crystal with both hands: “This contains the records of all Fenghuo Society’s operations over the past decade, along with the chronicles of each continent.”
“Good.”
Wu Yi put away the crystal.
“I understand the general situation now. This meeting is adjourned. Perseus stays. The rest of you may leave.”
One by one, the red lights faded, and the night sky returned to its deep, silent black only the glow of Perseus remained, like the last glimmer of sunset.
The soft rustling of waves.
The agents of Fenghuo never questioned the Prophet’s decisions.
They had always believed this unseen girl, like the priestess of the Society, was the voice of Wu Yi’s will.
As long as she remained, it meant… His Highness Wu Yi remained.
She had issued no command. And yet she remained! That alone was enough to stir their spirits.
“You know what to do, Perseus.”
The girl was left alone.
But in front of her stood Cheng Yi’s tens of thousands of followers.
To Cheng Yi, it felt like salvation snatched from the jaws of doom.
“I don’t care who you are—you’re way too arrogant! Kill her!”