Chapter 109: The Fleet (Fifth Update, Bonus Chapter for Reaching 2,000 Average Subscriptions)

On the shimmering sea surface, a fleet centered around an 80,000-ton aircraft carrier was steadily advancing from the open waters toward the territory of the Francs Federation.

This fleet consisted of eight frigates, three cruisers, and five destroyers.

Beneath the waves, four nuclear submarines accompanied the fleet as escorts.

The carrier group moved at a deliberate pace, with personnel bustling back and forth on the deck.

At this moment, the deck of the aircraft carrier was occupied by a giant whale.

This colossal whale bore markings resembling those of an orca, but unlike the usual charm of an orca, its body was marred by numerous pustule-like tumors.

These tumors continued to rupture after the whale’s death, releasing a foul stench akin to a sewage ditch.

Measuring roughly thirty meters in length, the whale bore a gruesome wound on the right side of its chest and abdomen.

This injury had been inflicted by a cruise missile launched from one of the cruisers.

For humanity, dealing with such a terrifying marine creature required only the expenditure of a single, small missile.

Though immense, the whale did not exhibit any extraordinary abilities; it was enveloped in a shroud of black mist, and nothing more.

The fleet had detected it from afar, and in the end, a single cruise missile ended its brief existence.

For the officers and soldiers aboard the fleet, the whale only posed a minor inconvenience during salvage operations—some personnel suffered light injuries from accidental splashes of the creature’s fluids.

The entire process was uneventful and proceeded with ease.

——————

Inside the aircraft carrier’s command bridge.

“Still no sign of the target?”

“No, sir. As you know, it’s been half an hour since the Wolfhound submarine transmitted its signal, and we’re too far away. Even if we were to mobilize satellites temporarily, it wouldn’t be instantaneous.”

“Moreover, that target might have already plunged into the deep sea. In any case, Commander, I think you shouldn’t place too much hope on this.”

“I’m well aware of that,” the fleet commander nodded.

“But the creature appeared alarmingly close to the coastline. For the safety of the port, we cannot afford to be complacent.”

As he spoke, the white-haired commander’s expression grew pensive.

“Colonel Richard, what’s your take on the sonar detecting a human girl alongside that creature?”

“That?” Richard frowned.

“Perhaps the creature has captured her?”

“Yet I have a feeling something’s off about this.”

Richard then slid a photo sent by the Wolfhound onto the table for everyone present to examine.

“Commander, look here: the head of this sea serpent-like creature is positioned here, but the child is located atop its head, surrounded by an inexplicable ring of some substance.”

“If this giant sea serpent were hunting the girl, it wouldn’t need to carry her around like this.”

“And judging by its size, it doesn’t look like it’s recently fed.”

Richard’s words were carefully phrased.

He implied that such a massive sea serpent could easily have swallowed the girl in a single gulp, making this strange manner of carrying her unnecessary.

“Indeed,” several naval officers nodded in agreement.

The fleet commander’s face also bore an expression of deep consideration.

“That’s just the first oddity.”

“Secondly, this sea serpent’s physique is extraordinarily unusual. Among all known creatures, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It has four claws; you might call it a lizard, but its elongated body contradicts that. I honestly can’t tell what kind of creature this is.”

Even with the mutations wrought by the Purple Moon contamination, creatures had never strayed so far from their original physical traits.

So, the assembled officers now found themselves perplexed by the creature’s appearance.

Coincidentally, just as they debated the nature of this sea serpent, the Francs Purple Moon Countermeasures Bureau’s land headquarters sent a message to the carrier.

“Report! The land bureau has sent two comparative charts analyzing possible species for the unknown organism.”

“Oh? Bring them here.”

“Yes, sir!”

As the communications officer laid two images before them, curiosity stirred among the group.

The first image portrayed a giant anaconda-like creature, but since anacondas lack legs, the probability noted was only 30%. After a brief glance, their attention shifted to the second image.

The second image immediately captivated everyone’s interest.

It depicted a cave salamander.

Additional notes accompanied the image.

Cave salamanders are found only in Western Yor and exclusively inhabit the lava caves of the Altunis Mountains.

They mature at a mere thirty centimeters, have extremely slow metabolisms, and can survive seven years without food or water. Their maximum theoretical lifespan is fifteen years.

Though the cave salamander’s known size was far smaller than the fifty-meter monster detected by sonar, the officers’ eyes brightened at the mention of this species.

At the bottom of the notes, it stated: Although the size similarity is low, considering the terrifying creature likely slipped from inland rivers into the deep sea, the chance of natural mutation or Purple Moon contamination causing such a bizarre transformation is as high as 90%.

Reading this, everyone present nearly reached a consensus.

The terrifying creature detected by sonar was indeed a cave salamander.

“Remarkable. To think something so small could grow to nearly fifty meters. Incredible.”

“This is far more extraordinary than the mutated giant whale or many other fish species we’ve found.”

“True. So far, oceanic mutations we’ve observed have rarely exceeded a hundredfold or thousandfold increase in size. But this cave salamander...”

The officers were visibly impressed.

Yet amid their admiration, concern crept in.

“If this cave salamander is truly a mutation induced by Purple Moon contamination, can we then say the Purple Moon’s influence on the world is growing ever stronger and more severe? That’s troubling.”

“Indeed.”

A heavy silence settled over the group.

Still, amid the gloom, the fleet commander spoke with a composed expression.

“Enough. Don’t be too pessimistic. It’s just a fifty-meter critter. No matter how strong, it’s only a matter of wasting a few more missiles.”

“Focus on tracking it down quickly. It’s not a conventional sea creature and may not have ventured too deep into the ocean yet. That’s good news for us.”

“Colonel Richard, deploy all nuclear submarines. Have them conduct thorough deep-sea scans.”

“Yes, sir!”

At the order, Richard prepared to relay the command.

At that moment, however, the communications officer suddenly received a bizarre image transmitted back from a satellite scan, appearing on the command bridge’s monitor just in time.