The reason why the Rear Admiral wasn't going to use his own missiles became apparent the moment he approached the derelict ship. Though his proximity to the ancient airship prevented him from using most of his weapon systems, destruction wasn’t his goal. Proving his predictions, the bugs attacked HMS Assassin just a few moments after the frigate was entangled by boarding ropes. Warrior and the remaining destroyers opened fire long before the bugs could reach their ships. Rear Admiral Teach wasn't going to sit completely idle and, once his crew secured the Balantican frigate, he started slowly pulling away and climbing. The process was extremely slow, nonetheless, Tisha had to admit that he knew what he was doing. The bugs were relentless as usual but they also seemed to be prepared to pay a very steep price just to destroy one Arcadian ship. The Destroyers were continuously firing their guns and, if not for the mana reactors, they would have long ago been overwhelmed. However, even Arcadian ships have their limits and Tisha had Captain Ulman woken up because Warrior was reaching those limits.

  "It's no use! Cells one to ten arm UMS-1 with insecticide." Tisha decided after fifteen minutes of the not-ending wave of bugs. "Weapons! Aim right under Assassin."

  "Aye, aye, Ma'am!" The weapon officer nodded and started relaying orders for her section. One minute later she raised her thumb up and shouted: "Everything ready!"

  "Cells one to four, fire!" Tisha pressed the button that fired the missiles.

  "What is going on here?" Captain Ulman looked horrible after just two hours of sleep as he walked through the bridge doors.

  The light missiles left the launcher cells, and after a short flight, the four rockets crashed in the forest below, releasing a deadly mist. The endless stream of insects lessened for a moment only for them to attack from another angle. In the meantime, the tactical officer briefed the Captain who calmly nodded.

  "Ma'am! The tunnel entrance -" The sensor officer started calling the Lieutenant.

  "Just mark it for the main battery!" She interrupted.

  "Aye, aye!" The targeting reticle highlighted a nearby patch of forest. So far, nothing attacked them from that direction.

  "You got this, Tisha," Mark said to her with a tired voice. "Continue!"

  She stood up and wanted to vacate his command throne but he firmly shook his head in denial. "I'm not in the shape to command anything which is not my head towards the pillow. Carry on, Tisha. Admiral Teach was right; that ship is important as hell."

  "Mark..." She gasped with a lowered voice. "I can't do it. I don't know what to do!"

  "Of course you can." He smiled and looked towards the communication officer. "What's the status of the boarding team?"

  "We are almost done, Captain Ulman." Blackbeard’s voice was slightly breathless. "Give us ten more minutes!"

  "Admiral..." Mark looked in shock at the screen. "Are you with the boarding team?!"

  "Of course!" The sounds of insect chittering were replaced with a wet sound of glaive as it cut something mushy. "I'm probably one of the most experienced people to execute a successful boarding. I'm in the core chamber and, as soon as I turn off the core, we are getting fuck out of here."

  "What's your losses?"

  "Quite severe, to be honest. No one has died but ten of my guys have lost limbs." Mark grimaced slightly upon hearing that.

  "All right, sir."

  "Go take a nap, Captain. Soon, we are going to have fun evacuating the people..."

  "Yes, Sir!" Mark laughed and, after patting Tisha's shoulder and ensuring her that she was doing great, he left.

  The tunnel finally collapsed and the endless stream of bugs slowly stopped.

  "How many of them have we killed?" Tisha asked weakly.

  "About three thousand." The sensor officer replied with a shrug. "Honestly, I expected way more of them."

  "Don't jinx it, Sally..." Tisha shook her head.

  "Contact!" Ensign Sally shouted and instantly marked a large swarm of bugs rapidly approaching the Assassin.

  All of the Arcadian airships swiftly turned their point defence weapons towards the flying swarm. Despite the dense fire and heavy barrage of main cannons some of the bugs managed to pass through. They exploded on Assassin's shields that had been expanded to cover the frigate they had in tow. The explosions became more and more frequent despite the efforts of the rest of the fleet. The calm voice of Assassin's damage control officer told everyone that their shield dropped by ten percent when, finally, the derelict ship simply vanished. Without any warning, HMS Assassin made a turn to the south of their original destination.

  "Emergency speed! Everyone, vacate the area!" Blackbeard yelled through the comms. "We got it! Everyone, I repeat, we successfully captured the Balantican frigate!"

  The rest of the battle group cheered as they followed the fleeing frigate. The bugs were chasing them but as Arcadians formed a delta formation, their rear turrets engaged the enemies. Blackbeard fired ten missiles towards the bugs and began to lower his altitude.

  "All ships, fire a smoke screen and engage your camouflage!" He ordered as the missiles reached the swarm and detonated. The resulting shrapnel whizzed and sliced the air, saturating the area in dense and deadly debris seriously limiting the amount of bugs approaching.

  Following his orders, the fleet used an illusion once they were covered behind dense smoke. The fleet made a sharp turn and started climbing, leaving the bugs chasing the illusion as they quietly left the area hidden by smoke and a minor invisibility spell. The swarm passed through the smoke and briefly paused. After making a few circles, they were uncertain where to go despite the clearly visible illusions for them to chase. The crews watched nervously but it seemed that bugs weren't stupid. They ignored the illusion of fleeing airships and, after making a few angry circles, they returned to where they had started searching. The temporary flagship was signalling radio silence so, despite her curiosity, Tisha couldn't ask how the boarding went.

  "Status report?" She asked the bridge officers instead.

  "No damage done, Ma'am." The damage control smiled. "Reactors one and four are slightly overheating but they are within parameters. The mages are currently working on cooling them down."

  "Excellent." She nodded and looked at the reactor's status.

  Now, when they weren't firing, the reactors were very slowly cooling down. However, they weren't going to cool down too much because of their emergency speed and the illusion behind which they were hidden.

  "The reactors are holding but all destroyers are reporting they can only keep it up for the next half hour before they need to shut down." The next report came immediately.

  "I don't think we have to keep radio silence anymore. All right... We will slow down in fifteen minutes to full speed and, after the next five, we will drop to eighty percent." The Rear Admiral decided as he appeared on the screen. "I wanted to thank you all for your help. Now... I guess I owe you a story about what happened inside." Blackbeard took a sip of water. "I don't know if we can fight the bugs in close quarters or, rather, if we should. They are fast and strong. Their blade appendages are unbelievably sharp. Everyone who followed me on that ship was a tough bastard who had served with me for at least a decade. All of us were wearing the Living Aaaaa..." He looked at Felicity, cleared his throat, and continued. "Still, we barely made it. The monsters we were fighting were smaller versions of the giant Mantis and there were nearly forty of them. Smaller bugs like cockroaches were in abundance. If not for our superior weapons and armour, no one would have returned..."

  He took another sip of water and some pictures of the engagement were displayed on the screen. Everyone could see the carnage and the sheer amount of bugs in the picture. All the pictures were slightly out of focus as if something was blurring the view.

  "As you can see, all pictures are blurred, which was not an error on our side but the presence of a highly hallucinogenic substance that seemed to not affect the bugs. Thanks to the L... our armour, we weren't affected; however, I don't believe we should risk exposure. We took samples for testing but any personnel in potentially hazardous zones should be equipped with countermeasures." He sighed heavily. "The bugs are learning. They quickly adapted to our tactics and they tried to employ many new tactics on their own. We attacked them with insecticides and they responded with hallucinogenic gas. The enemy is individually weaker, lighter and squishier than our people, on average. Even their biggest mantises or hornets would have problems going toe to toe with an average man. However, they are seemingly unending..."

  Everyone listened to the former pirate with utmost care. Some people had quietly questioned the Emperor's decision to promote the man but, if they were listening right now, no one was saying a word. The intel gathered by his party during the boarding was priceless and the fact they managed to secure the ship spoke highly of Edward's skills.

  "Now... The ship itself." He widely smiled. "We managed to learn its name but I don't think it will illuminate anything to anyone. The frigate is the IBF Vishnu and, believe it or not, the captain's quarters were fully sealed. The bugs hadn't opened them so our potential gains are even grander than I expected. We couldn't open it either but that's not our current problem. The ship's core chamber was also closed, however, it opened as soon as we cleared the bugs in the vicinity, allowing us in. Mindful of the potential threat and the possibility of being locked inside, I decided to enter the room alone and shut down the entire ship manually. As you saw, we were successful. The ship's core... I have never seen anything like it in my entire life and I can't even show you pictures. Sentinel's assistant was knocked out as soon as I entered the chamber so, as you can imagine, it was tough. Fortunately, the core accepted my order to shut down. I'm not ready to even guess how valuable that ship is..."

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  He poorly masked that there was something he wasn't telling them, however, no one pried further.

  "Let's bring everyone to a safer area..."

  ???

  The war against Vestargo was not just fierce but also involved all my available forces. Despite the seemingly endless tides of insects, Vestargo's forces had a very serious flaw. A weakness that had to be exploited should we dream about winning the war. Simply put, his bugs were easy to exhaust. After just twenty minutes of flight, fighting, or running, the bugs would need a ten-minute rest period during which they were sluggish and extremely vulnerable. I couldn't match their quantity but quality was on my side. Unfortunately, Vestargo was trying to develop new weapons to fight me. Not only the hallucinogenic gas reported by Blackbeard but also a new neurotoxin. A new type of bug was spotted recently as well. It was an Arachne with both male and female upper parts. So far, they were only seen to have three types of classes: a druid, a cleric, and a warrior. Their weapons were fairly advanced but their skills were inferior - for now - because, during this war, experience was in abundance. My army was very slowly moving forward and, for now, it seemed that Vestargo couldn't freely attack where he would like.

  I looked at Blackbeard’s report in absolute silence, allowing my thoughts to wander aimlessly. It was interesting for many reasons... The Balantican frigate might be interesting but, despite some potential new unknown magitech, I wasn't expecting anything. The ships would be delivered to Bob's Dungeon and, there, it will be fully submerged in insecticide mist and a fungicide treatment as well. Kirin indicated that Vestargo might have some fungal denizens so it, surely, won't hurt to be extra careful. It would take a few days to prepare the ship for any inspection but I didn't believe it was urgent.

  "I feel strange..." Amber sighed heavily as she put her hand on the thick plate of reinforced glass that allowed for looking-but-not-touching the IBF Vishnu. "According to Blair, that ship is part of the legacy of the people who wanted to kill me and my ancestors."

  "I would rather say it belongs to you." I shrugged and, after grabbing her by the waist with one hand, I pulled her closer. "It was taken from your family by those who tried to gain power and make your family a scapegoat."

  Suddenly a bright red light came out from the ship and covered Amber. It soon changed colour to blue and then green.

  "Royal Inheritor Acknowledged. Ending emergency protocols. Access Granted." A male booming voice significantly muffled by the glass echoed in the quarantine chamber. "Imperial Battle Fleet frigate Vishnu is awaiting orders."

  We looked in stunned silence as the ship clearly recognised Amber as its master. We stood there in silence and I felt how my wife held me tightly.

  "What the hell was that?!" She looked at me in shock.

  "I have no idea." I shook my head and used my Dungeon Powers to check the entire chamber for any life signs. "Whatever it was, it is not alive..."

  "Ship 20% operational. Begin auto repairs? Yes/No." The voice asked.

  "Okay... That is concerning. If your Hero-ancestor implemented artificial intelligence into Balantican magi tech, or something similar, we have a lot of things to be worried about... Ask him if he needs materials."

  Amber slowly nodded and put her hand on the glass. "What do you need to repair?"

  "This unit is in possession of the required materials to rebuild the hull. Rebuilding weapon systems is impossible without obtaining materials. Rebuilding defence systems is impossible without materials. Should this unit obtain the required materials?" The slightly mechanical voice asked instantly.

  "No. Wait for the inspection teams to finish their investigation. Prepare a material list for a full rebuild." Amber decided without looking at me.

  "Ian and Ragnar are on their way," I said, still holding her in my arms. "Suddenly, this ship became exceedingly interesting."

  "It's creepy." Amber trembled. "I have the feeling it's watching me..."

  "I can't say it's not." I seriously shook my head. "Whatever is inside, we must learn its secrets."

  "Will it allow us?" Amber gave the battered hull a weary stare.

  "I don't know. Maybe you should ask it?

  She slowly nodded, still nervous, but, suddenly, she smiled.

  "Vishnu, we need to learn everything about you. Can you truthfully answer all my husband’s questions?"

  "Affirmative."

  "What are your current orders?" I asked, masking my smile, and Amber grinned at me.

  "Awaiting the inspection team for the investigation." I cringed after hearing the most obvious answer. However, it gave me some idea of how I should talk with the ship.

  "Who are you loyal to?" I asked carefully.

  "Royal Family of Balantica."

  "Identify all the members of the Balantican Royal Family," I demanded.

  "Amber Na'laar va'Theon, the rightful heir to the Crown of Balantica." The ship fell silent.

  "What about my husband?" Amber asked in shock.

  "The marriage was not approved by the Senate. He is not your lawful husband. His status as your husband is noted as per your request and based on your testimony, your Majesty."

  "Identify the living members of the Balantican Senate." I simply asked.

  "None. The last living member of the Balantican Senate died on board this unit."

  "Who can appoint the members of the Senate?" I inquired with patience. I could swear the discussion with an artificial intelligence was something I haven't missed...

  "The current ruler of Balantica."

  "Who is the ruler of Balantica?" I became slightly amused.

  "There is no ruler."

  "What about Amber Na'laar va'Theon?" I asked.

  The ship was quiet for a moment. Meanwhile, Ian and Ragnar entered the chamber with haste. I showed them an open hand to stop them.

  "The Princess is not eligible for the title." The ship finally replied. “Yet.”

  "Why?" I asked patiently and was quite glad that the Empire of Balantica wasn't around anymore. Their fucked up legislation was scary even from beyond it's grave.

  "She needs to recover the symbols of power. Until then, any other unknown heirs to the throne can contend for her inheritance." The ship declared making me pull the bridge of my nose.

  "I have my symbols of power..." Amber mused begrudgingly and I almost paled in panic.

  The blue beams scanned her once again and flashed red. "No symbols of power confirmed."

  "Where are the symbols of power of the Balantican Empire?" I quickly asked and put a finger on her lips to keep her quiet.

  A pulse of magic spread from the ship and my eyes went wide feeling its power. Under no circumstances could we allow that ship to rebuild itself. If a barely functioning derelict was capable of unleashing such powerful magic, it was extremely alarming. Especially when I had no idea how that ship even functioned and what kind of AI was implemented or if it was an AI at all. It certainly sounded like one but I had my doubts.

  "The Sceptre and the Crown of the Empire is in the city of Vanushka. The remaining symbols of power whereabouts are unknown to this vessel." It answered with mechanical patience.

  "Where is the city of Vanushka?"

  "One thousand four hundred and seven kilometres east and six hundred kilometres north from the current location."

  I repeated under my breath and made a very quick calculation. My eyes went wide as I realised that the place the ship was talking about was the same place my scouts found during the war with Berna. I lost many rangers before we quarantined the area and I pushed the investigation in time. The Ancient City guarded by the unknown golems was Balantican. I started seriously doubting my capabilities and I looked at Ian and Ragnar with a very serious expression.

  "Use the Living Armours to remotely search this wreck. I don't know how dangerous that magi tech is so be extremely careful."

  The two of them slowly nodded and entered the waiting Living Armours. The airlock doors in the ship's room opened and a second pair of the Living Armours entered the room and were instantly covered in red light.

  "Alert. Monsters in the vicinity."

  "They are the inspection team, Vishnu! They are harmless!" Amber instantly perked up and shouted which turned the red beams into blue ones.

  "Affirmative..."

  We observed nervously as the Living Armours disappeared inside the ruined frigate while, behind us, the impressed noises of our best crafters sounded in the room.

  "We are heading straight to the core's chamber, My Lord," Ian informed and, for Amber's convenience, a large illusion screen opened on the glass.

  The inside of the ship was badly damaged but, despite that, it was obvious that the Balantican Empire wasn't cheap on details. The rare wood and precious finishes were still visible on the exposed surfaces as the small team slowly descended the stairs.

  "The inside is surely spatially enhanced, Your Highnesses," Ragnar noted with a dry voice. "It's much better than what I can do."

  After long moments, they reached the core's chamber. The doors opened without protest and we all saw what gave pause to Blackbeard. In the place of a ship's core was something that looked eerily humanoid.

  "It's a Golem, Sir..." Ragnar said quietly and fell silent as the figure's head started following his moves. "Holly shit!"

  "I don't know how much advantage it gave them but the golem-core's calculations alone are nearly ten times faster than what Dauntless is capable of..." Ian huffed in disbelief. "That means that Balanticans were capable of building golems, Sir..."

  "They have automatic defence systems..." Ragnar pointed out towards the emplacement that looked like a miniature version of our sentry guns. "If my readings are correct, they are powerful enough to shred me... I mean the Living Armour to the pieces."

  "Are you controlling the sentry emplacement inside the ship, Vishnu?" Amber slowly asked.

  We were all exceedingly cautious around the ship. Yes, it recognised Amber and accepted her orders but, on the other hand, it was obvious that it was still quite hostile. The last thing we needed was for it to inform every single last piece of Balantican technology that we held their princess captive or as a hostage.

  "Yes." The ship confirmed.

  That confirmation made me grimly nod. Ian theorized that golems could drastically increase the capabilities of our ships. However, the cold and dangerous, almost self-aware, piece of technology made me question if we should even pursue such technology.

  "Continue, Ian..." Amber ordered, looking deeply into my eyes and giving me a sign that she had to start issuing orders. I nodded and focused on the meagre forces I had remaining in Arcadia.

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to who edited the chapter!

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