Annie's Invitation

The Sea Clan's lamentations left everyone exchanging confused glances, unsure of the reason. Gode's sorrowful tears upon seeing the Purple Satchel—could it be connected to his deceased Eldest Brother? Du Chen waited for Gode's emotions to calm before voicing his doubts.

Gode nodded with a bitter smile. It was the first time Du Chen had witnessed such a poignant side to the Little Prince. “Master, my Eldest Brother... he was killed by Seins because of this very item...”

The Grand Delta Crown Prince slain by Seins? A thought stirred in Du Chen's mind. After a slight hesitation, he still asked the question that concerned him more, “What exactly is the purpose of this Purple Satchel?”

Gode cried, “For twenty years, my Eldest Brother journeyed across the Four Seas, his sole wish to complete the Four Seas Chart. Then, five years ago, while exploring an ancient deep-sea ruin near the World's Core—a ruin untouched for centuries—my Eldest Brother discovered this Purple Satchel inside...”

“Your Highness, please wait a moment!” Porter interrupted Gode. “To my knowledge, this Purple Satchel is one of the Miki Goddess's burial artifacts, kept deep within the Goddess's Palace on Bog Island. It's impossible for it to have appeared in a deep-sea cave five years ago...”

Porter's lips pressed into a thin line as a rapid succession of thoughts flashed through her mind. It's true that this Purple Satchel is a burial artifact, but it lay in the Goddess's Palace for a millennium, unnoticed by anyone. Only Lancy, responsible for internal affairs, was aware of its existence! The Purple Satchel only regained the Miki people's attention after the Sea Clan attacked the Duchy. It then appeared in Seins' possession, cherished by the Sea King as a treasure...

These threads of clues wove together in Porter's mind, quickly forming a complete picture. She frowned, casting a slow glance at Du Chen.

The two, as always, worked in seamless synergy. Du Chen, in a low voice, articulated the chain of events Porter had just conceived. “Five years ago, someone stole the Miki Goddess's body along with a few burial artifacts. But upon retreating from that deep-sea cave, they either accidentally—or perhaps deliberately—left behind the Purple Satchel as a clue!”

Porter interjected, “Precisely. The Miki Goddess's body must have gone missing five years ago, not during the great fire. The Sea King simply hasn't entertained the thought of opening the tomb and exhuming the coffin for five years, which is why he never discovered it!”

“The exact time of Orbach's body's disappearance remains unclear, but judging from the pry marks on Sigurd's tomb, Sigurd's body was stolen more recently...”

“This means there exists a vast and enigmatic organization that has been systematically stealing the remains of the divine. Their plan has been ongoing for a long time, only coming to our attention recently due to the Battle of Bonis!”

Du Chen nodded. “There's no doubt about that! But a new question arises: the predicted 'Dispersion of the Divine'—that prophetic moment in time—has expanded. From when that organization began stealing bodies until today, it all counts as the 'Dispersion of the Divine'!”

“Then our interpretation of the prophecy needs refinement. The prophecy becomes...”

At this point, both fell silent.

With the prophecy interpreted to this extent, and after gradual refinement, Du Chen believed the true answer had surfaced: The prophecy states that when that organization's body-stealing scheme reaches its critical juncture, Du Chen—a power transcending sacred artifacts—will appear on Bog Island...

In other words, Du Chen was, step by step, walking towards the future as foretold by Wolf's prophecy!

But what would happen next? What would Du Chen encounter after arriving on Bog Island?

Wolf hadn't left any answers back then, and even he didn't understand.

Gode and the Sea Clan warriors were utterly bewildered; Du Chen and Porter had spoken in such low voices that they hadn't caught much. Gode suddenly threw a tantrum, “What in the world are you doing?! I was pouring my heart out, weeping over my Eldest Brother's death, and you two, you just...”

Du Chen's old face flushed. He truly had been out of line; while the other was grieving, he was here analyzing prophecies. He quickly chuckled, “This Master merely thought of some important matters, Gode. Your information is extremely vital to this Master, please continue!”

Only then did Gode return to his normal state, saying with anguish, “On that day, after my Eldest Brother found this Purple Satchel, he studied it for several days and nights, yet he still couldn't comprehend its purpose, nor why such an ordinary item appeared in an uninhabited deep-sea cave... So, he requested to consult materials at the Sea King's Palace Library, the most comprehensive archive of our Sea Clan. But he never imagined...”

Gode then burst into tears like a child. Though it seemed somewhat comical, it was intensely sincere, revealing the deep affection he held for his brother.

“Eldest Brother! That cursed Seins! On that very day, Seins was also at the library researching. He saw my Eldest Brother, and then, the very next day, the Sea King suddenly proposed to spar with my Eldest Brother in Secret Techniques—At that time, my Eldest Brother was already a Ninth-rank peak Battle God. He wanted to learn battle qi from the Sea King, so he agreed. But that cursed Seins 'accidentally' beat my Eldest Brother to death during the spar!”

Gode was choked with sobs, unable to continue. A senior Sea-race Battle God behind him, tears in his eyes, continued, “His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, simply died like that. Alas! Seins is, after all, the Sea King. We, the Sea Clan officials of the Grand Delta Sea, had no recourse but to accept it! But that Seins wouldn't let us be. Soon after, he falsely accused His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, of secretly surveying the East Sea King's naval base while drawing the Four Seas Chart, claiming it was a pretext to expand the Grand Delta Sea's territory and act as a spy and pathfinder!”

At this, Gode wailed, “Nonsense! My Eldest Brother's lifelong ambition was only to be a great geographer, to open up enough living space for our Sea Clan. Him, a spy? I wouldn't believe it even if you killed me!”

The elder Sea Clan official also said, “We didn't believe it either! But the Sea King had spoken, and the matter was irreversible. Fortunately, our King profoundly understood the essence of forbearance, willingly enduring the humiliation to confess to his 'crimes,' and then proactively sought atonement from the Sea King. The Sea King, seeing that our King still commanded a million-strong army, refrained from taking drastic action. However, he seized all documentation and Secret Technique manuals from our Grand Delta Sea...”

Du Chen rubbed his nose and said, “I see. The Sea King killed the Crown Prince for that Purple Satchel, then found it empty. He then suspected the contents had fallen into your hands, and that's why he used an excuse to thoroughly search all your documents.”

Porter added, “It's conceivable that the Sea King knew this Purple Satchel and its original contents were extremely important, but he didn't know precisely what they were, which is why he resorted to such underhanded, deceptive tactics!”

The Sea Clan official nodded. “Our King believes the same. But even if we understand, what can we do? Seins is the Lord of the Four Seas; he did all this under a grand pretense, and we could only swallow our indignation!” He knelt beside Gode and patted the Little Prince's head. “All those secret techniques passed down through generations are gone. Though we can verbally instruct our descendants, can that compare to a complete Treasury of Secret Techniques? The future of our Grand Delta Sea has been utterly ruined by the Sea King!”

Du Chen said solemnly, “Then His Majesty, the Sea King of the Grand Delta Sea, valuing talent, and the Little Prince traveling everywhere to seek masters, it was all for...”

The Sea Clan official replied mournfully, “All for the future of our Grand Delta Sea...”

“No!” Gode suddenly wiped away his tears and stood up. “I want to avenge my Eldest Brother! But Seins commands a mighty deep-sea army; the Grand Delta Sea cannot possibly contend with him! Yet this fool loves to duel others in battle qi and Secret Techniques, never refusing a challenge! I will master battle qi, then challenge him, and 'accidentally' kill him during a spar!”

Gode's childish vow was ridiculous, a thought utterly devoid of foresight. But Du Chen patted his shoulder, “You truly are qualified to be my student!”

Gode's eyes lit up, tears still glistening, but he joyfully asked, “Master, so you'll truly teach me Secret Techniques now?”

Du Chen paused for a moment, slightly taken aback. The Little Prince chuckled sheepishly, “Master, don't fool me. I know that while you just accepted me as a disciple, you absolutely had no intention of imparting Secret Techniques to me...” He slyly fixed his gaze on Du Chen, chuckling foolishly and innocently.

Du Chen smiled, shook his head, and sighed. There was truly nothing he could do about this Little Prince...

Porter suddenly asked solemnly, “Gode, after the Sea King extensively ransacked your documents five years ago, what did he do next?”

Gode replied without hesitation, “He personally led troops to assault Bog Island and annihilated the Miki Duchy!”

Porter let out a faint sigh. Of course. The Sea King must not have found what he was looking for in the Grand Delta Sea, then learned from somewhere that the Purple Satchel came from the Miki Duchy's Goddess's Palace, and then... Damn Seins!

The Purple Satchel was the root cause of the Sea Clan's attack on the Miki Duchy. But what exactly was it, and what were its supposed contents?

“This requires investigation on Bog Island!” Porter silently told herself.

The Belkus continued its voyage across the vast ocean. Since the Miki Duchy's annihilation five years ago, and Seins' subsequent transformation of the World's Core into a directly controlled forbidden zone, Gode had never returned to Bog Island. He knew little about its current situation and could offer Du Chen no further assistance. However, he sent his accompanying Battle God home, choosing instead to follow his Master to the waters around Bog Island. In the vast ocean, having a Sea Clan prince accompany them was undeniably helpful!

Soon, a faint horizon line appeared where sky met sea; Bog Island was almost within reach. As a large island that boasted a population of seven million during its peak, Bog Island's sheer size was imaginable. Du Chen, acting on Porter's suggestion, prepared to dock at the pier on the eastern side of the island.

Standing at the bow, Du Chen commanded, “Brook, lower the family crest and hoist the Holy Church's banner! Andy, stay alert!”

“Oh, Master, must Andy's dream of a short nap be so cruelly interrupted? I, Chris Andy, have an appetite for...”

Andy suddenly clamped his mouth shut. Du Chen hadn't threatened him; rather, the fellow was laughing as he watched Snoopy and Gode nearby.

Snoopy had been quite vexed lately. He was clearly an ancestor, yet no one here seemed to appreciate it, which infuriated the rabbit lord, leaving him with pent-up frustration. Fortunately, Gode had boarded the ship, providing him with a target for his mischief!

The little rabbit stood upright on the gunwale like a human, tiptoeing and beckoning with his small paws, “Grandson, come, give your grandpa a smile!”

Gode glared with his 'fish eyes', “Shut up! Master said you're the most useless thing on this ship, so I don't need to respect you!”

“Hmph!” Snoopy rolled his eyes, then started bouncing in a boxing stance on the gunwale, gesticulating wildly, “Kid, I may be a rabbit, but I'm not afraid of you! If you've got guts, come spar with me!”

Gode immediately rolled up his sleeves, grabbed Snoopy by the ears, and casually tossed him into the sea with a “splash!”

Everyone on board burst into laughter, gathering to watch Snoopy's pathetic struggle. Du Chen was happily gloating when suddenly, he cast his gaze in the direction Snoopy had fallen, noticing a large purple-golden ship that had appeared on the sea surface at some unknown time.

The ship's hull was an astonishing hundred meters long, with three towering masts—fore, main, and aft—standing tall like trident spears piercing the clouds. And the halberd-blade figurehead at its prow unequivocally proclaimed its allegiance: this ship belonged to the Batuk Family of the Five Families of Fallen Gods, known for their Thunder Halberd!

The large ship had originally been headed east towards Bog Island, but after entering the shipping lane, it seemed to take an interest in the Belkus. It turned its prow, darting towards the Belkus like a cruising flying fish. It was truly baffling how such a colossal vessel could achieve such speed!

Du Chen narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the massive ship, and whispered, “Andy, rescue Snoopy, tell him to shrink, and hide him in your fur!”

Andy, now capable of freely transforming into his wolf form, plunged into the water, retrieved Snoopy, and tossed him onto his back. The rabbit lord still squawked, “Hey, why should I? I'm a lord! I absolutely refuse to ride on such a filthy Snow Wolf!”

Du Chen lowered his voice, “I'm not telling you to surrender. From now on, you observe everyone keenly! But don't let anyone discover you!” The ability to freely transform after 'seeing through' was Snoopy's true terrifying power!

As the large ship drew near, before Du Chen could even call out a question, a graceful figure glided down from its purple-golden gunwale. She approached Du Chen with a slight smile, “Old classmate, it's been a long time. Are you heading to Bog Island?”