Chương 131: Chapter 130: A Call From the Endless Sea

Several weeks later, the eastern coast of the Solaris Continent. CRACK! The surface of the sea suddenly split open into a massive whirlpool. An Ancient Dragon, over sixty meters long, its entire body sheathed in gold scales flashing under the lightning, slowly raised its imposing head out of the water. Clenched in its razor teeth was a gold-wrapped porcelain tube, engraved in the Divine Ancient Script: To: Lucian Vance of the Solaris Continent.

On the highest outcrop above the shore, Lucian stood with his arms crossed, his ash-gray travel cloak snapping in the sea wind. Beside him, Eleanor, Sylvia, Astra, and Evelyn stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the ocean beast. The Ancient Dragon opened its jaws and dropped the tube onto the rock at Lucian's feet, then threw back its head and let out a roar that shook the entire coastline.

"I am the Envoy of the Ancient Dragon Empire, from the far shore of the ocean!" Its tail lashed the water into the sky, its voice booming like thunder.

"We do not recognize your self-declared trade agreements! This continent will pay tribute of one thousand tons of solid gold every year and surrender all World Tower technology — or the Dragon Fleet will permanently blockade every sea route to the outside world!" Lucian reached into his coat, pulled out a jade abacus, and flicked it three times.

"A thousand tons of gold? Ancient dragon bone's going for five hundred thousand gold a set on the market right now. Dragon hide sells to the Wright armor workshop for two hundred thousand gold a sheet." He tilted his head at the dragon.

"You interfere with a single Vance Commerce trade ship, and the girl in the flower dress behind me will cut your blockade out of the water. I'll invoice your admirals for the salvage." Astra took half a step forward from behind him. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. She didn't say a word. Her thumb pushed the sheath of the Sun-Cleaving Dragon Blade out by exactly one centimeter. CLANG! The massive Gold Dragon froze solid in midair.

The envoy's pupils narrowed to slits as it stared at Astra's half-drawn blade. Then, with a shaky claw, it produced the Dragon Emperor's sealed formal invitation to negotiate. The Gold Dragon swallowed hard, audibly. It hurriedly folded its wings small, lowered its enormous head close to the rock, and stammered, voice cracking with panic.

"By order of the Dragon Emperor, the Empire formally invites Vance Commerce to Aureum Dragon Harbor for negotiations," the envoy managed. Lucian nodded once.

"We accept." Lucian calmly tucked his abacus back into his coat. The proposed harbor fee was annual, billed monthly, and still offensive. The gold dragon obediently took the contract packet from Sylvia's hands in its mouth, bowed three times, and dove back into the ocean depths as fast as it could, like it had just seen a demon. Eleanor stood beside Lucian on the outcrop, her gold-trimmed white silk cloak snapping in rhythm with his gray one.

She reached over and took his hand, gazing out at the distant sea of clouds glowing with the first light of dawn.

"Wherever you go, to whatever end of the earth... I'll always be your most loyal escort fleet, President Vance." Lucian gave her gloved hand a brief squeeze.

"Get The Sovereign ready, Eleanor. We're about to expand into an overseas market." Ting! Ting! Ting! The Unified System V2. 0 appeared: [OVERSEAS EXPEDITION LOGGED] Destination: Aureum Dragon Harbor Objective: Negotiate maritime access Vessel: The Sovereign [SYSTEM OVERALL ASSESSMENT:] The Host has not "cleared" a continent. He has merely found another customs jurisdiction.

After several weeks of refitting, The Sovereign—an existing Solaris ironclad rebuilt with Evelyn's engines, Dwarven Adamantine plating, and a Titan energy core—sat anchored at the eastern naval yard. The five of them climbed aboard together: Lucian stood at the bow, the glowing snow-rose pin on his chest. Eleanor held her Holy Sword. Sylvia carried a map of the newly charted world seas. Astra waved with one hand while eating strawberry ice cream with the other. Evelyn worked the mechanical helm. WHOOOO... WHOOOO...

WHOOOO! The warship's steam horn tore through the morning fog as it cut through the waves and surged out into open water, under the blazing light of a brand-new day.... Across the Endless Sea, in the Supreme Central Holy Nation. The thousand-year-old High Pontiff stood before an ancient prophetic mural, a trembling hand reaching toward a line of Ancient Script blazing with light.

'The one called Cultural Disaster... rides a steel dragon across the sea, coming for us.' At the bow of The Sovereign. Lucian smiled as if someone had just handed a boy an unregulated market and a lit match.

"The Ancient Dragon Empire... word is you've got quite a lot of solid gold stashed at the bottom of that ocean, don't you?" He tapped his abacus lightly. And Vance Commerce sailed straight toward all of it.