As Aiven and his crew sailed aboard the "Venus" on its maiden mission, without firing a single shot, they towed their two trophies and embarked on their journey home.

At that time, he didn't know that the Laughing Spores, which could last for at most an hour and weren't deadly, would unexpectedly earn him the achievement of taking down a Tier 3 Great Knight for the first time!

Meanwhile.

The news of Forward Island's downfall had already rapidly spread to the ears of high-ranking officials and was quickly escalating!

On Island No.1, at the northernmost part of the Potosi Islands, where the largest Silver Mountain is located.

Admiral Trevier, the commander-in-chief and direct responsible person of this "Silver War," received the news immediately and was already furious.

"Fools, all of them are fools!

The great situation we've established upfront has been completely destroyed in their hands!

If they have any sense of military honor left, they should commit suicide immediately to apologize to the Kingdom and His Majesty!

Now, let's not even talk about putting pressure on Sak and Atlant to hand over Island No.3; even the Island No.1 and Island No.2, which we have already occupied in practice, will have to be given up when our ammunition and supplies run out!"

The roar of the Peak Grand Knight, comparable to a Giant Dragon, caused the recently constructed wooden building to start trembling.

In the face of the furious Admiral, a group of senior naval and army officers in the meeting room shrank their heads and didn't dare to move, too afraid to divert the wrath from Major General Orcott, who had not even arrived yet, toward themselves and risk being devoured alive by Admiral Trevier.

Fortunately, there was another person present at this meeting of sufficient caliber to momentarily calm the Admiral's fury.

"Ahem!"

Vice Admiral Adonis Auston, sitting at the first seat to the right of the Admiral, despite receiving such bad news, still maintained an innate elegance and gently coughed twice before speaking:

"Commander, please calm down.

Hilus is a military nation, as long as our military strength does not waver, the ultimate ownership of this silver mine will not change.

Whether it's Sak, with strategic inclinations shifting towards the sea, Atlant, slowly declining, or the ambitious Tulip, whose involvement extent in this matter is unknown.

Even if they actually band together without any rift, they wouldn't dare to daydream about kicking Hilus out of the picture.

We don't want this struggle to drag on forever, do you think they do? There should soon be someone coming to negotiate.

At this time, Admiral Trevier gradually regained his composure from his rage. With the wisdom of a high-level commander, he quickly grasped the meaning behind Adonis's words.

He slowly sat back in his chair, resting his hands on the Command Saber, his face stern but no longer as terrifying as the volcanic eruption at the start, thunderous in the meeting room:

"This strategy of taking down Forward Island indeed hit us right where it hurts!

But even if it delays the Kingdom's occupation of Potosi, it won't change the final outcome.

So, let's wait and see what kind of charity these hyenas, fit only to pick lion remnants and leftovers, actually want?"

The truth was, they didn't have to wait long.

The raiding force had successfully completed their mission and had already transmitted the intel back at the first opportunity, even earlier than Hilus had received the news, and the results were already confirmed among the three combined intelligence.

Although Sak and Atlant were very curious about how Phaletis managed to complete their task in the end, subsequent reports from related intelligence personnel had unequivocally confirmed this, leaving no room for doubt.

Moreover, at this point, they couldn't care less about these minor details.

After a hasty high-level meeting, the three factions quickly produced a long-prepared negotiation plan and dispatched an envoy to embark for Island No.1, arriving in front of Admiral Trevier and a group of senior Hilus military officers.

"Good day, Commander!"

...

The "Silver War" finally came to an end.

The forces of Sak, Atlant, and Tulip could never continuously unite against Hilus; in front of a powerful opponent, they only sought to gain for themselves and meet their demands.

On Hilus's side.

With the Base Island destroyed, soldiers were on the brink of cold and hunger, and the Great Treasure Fleet for Spring was about to set sail, making them anxious as well.

What's more, along with the negotiation documents, there was also an assessment report submitted.

It wasn't about the silver mine reserves, but a potential chain reaction if a large-scale explosion were to occur on Island No.3...

This was not merely a hypothesis but a testament to the determination of the Alliance Country!

Even if it meant achieving temporary victory, the Alliance's minds were clear; in the long run, they were still on the weaker side.

To force Hilus to make concessions, they had planted large-scale Alchemy Bombs on Island No.3, threatening to send the archipelago back beneath the sea if their demands weren't met, denying anyone the silver mine.

No one forgot that besides the silver mine, this area was also a potentially active volcano that could erupt again in the future!

Under multiple pressures.

Hilus, having little choice, reluctantly signed a treaty of compliance, acknowledging the Alliance's ownership of the last Silver Mountain, holding about a quarter of the total silver reserves.

Although it fell short of each party's initial expectations, given the current situation, it was the best outcome for both sides.

Because everyone knew that without ending the state of war, no one could feasibly mine, and no matter how large the silver mine was, it was just numbers on paper with no real significance.

In fact, for Hilus, who originally had the upper hand, everything stemmed from an unexpected intelligence leak; otherwise, the subsequent series of variables wouldn't have occurred.

Even though secretly simmering in anger, they were powerless as the situation had already transpired; with even the last advance team member, Knight Daos, returning to the Divine Kingdom, who could they hold accountable now?

This retreat was something Sirius had not experienced in decades, and even though the Alliance Country had reached their psychological limit, they did not continue to pursue relentlessly.

Thus, before the Great Treasure Fleet of Sirius departed in early spring.

Under the witness of bishop-level holy professionals stationed in the New Continent from the "Eternal Flame Church," "Iron Cross Church," "Dawn Church," and "Frost Church," a preliminary agreement was signed by the military officials of various countries, marking the final settlement of Potosi's ownership!

However.

Who can say for sure what will happen when dust swirls as the future winds arise?

...

On the other side, after six months of brewing.

Deep within the Black Sea.

Under the command of "Mother of Sea Monsters" Echet, the "Sea Monster Brotherhood" and various beloved sea monsters, under the command of "Black Sea Goddess" Hipponeo, the "Tempest Church," wild sea monsters, and diverse marine species, were all sharpening their weapons, ready to act.

Regarding the ultimate authority over the Black Sea, the conflict between the two goddesses was irreconcilable.

Having suffered a setback at the hands of Saint Angel Belenus, they had clearly realized the dangers of venturing out in their true forms.

Retreating to their respective sanctuaries had become a common choice for the two goddesses, perhaps for ten years, a hundred years, or hundreds of years without appearing in the eyes of outsiders.

But their followers were not restricted in any way; the territory occupied by their followers was an extension of the goddess's dominion, an expansion of authority!

No matter how vast the Black Sea, inhabited by billions of creatures, no amount of followers could ever be enough.

Yet long-lived deities do not fuss over immediate gains or losses like mortals; for them, as long as they themselves remain unharmed, they hold the trump card to overturn decision!

This group values "whoever survives will rule" more than mortals!

And their reliance is on their sanctuaries, or rather the demigod's sanctuary, usually located at nodes where the spiritual power or magic element flows in the world, which is their most solid home base.

With authority and divine power, they transform a small world, connect with the world's veins, and form their own earthly "Divine Kingdom."

For the two goddesses, in their sanctuaries "Summers Trench" and "Eye of the Storm," they could easily gain the power of half the Black Sea, although defensive but lacking offensiveness, it was the best harbor to protect themselves.

Here, even the strongest angel under the command of "Queen and Goddess of Navigation," Belenus, could do nothing to them!

And at this moment, the horn of the divine battle in the Black Sea had sounded!

The followers under the command of the two goddesses surged out...

Six thousand meters below the sea, in the dark, deep, and icy waters.

Here, equivalent to six hundred atmospheres, is a absolute human forbidden zone; under such pressure, anything would be instantly crushed, even a hollow iron ball.

A dim light flickered in this place where life seemed extinct; it was a lanternfish that made its home here, attempting to lure small fish and invertebrates into its mouth with its glowing bait, to feast.

Though most places in this deep sea are dead silent, today, its luck was good; having just started hunting, it heard the movements of other creatures.

Just a bit large.

Whoosh——!

Whine——!

In the profound darkness, eerie sounds that pierce one's soul echoed, driving one mad in the claustrophobic deep sea, as if a gigantic maw was lurking in every drop of water.

Then.

In the calm deep sea, violent currents surged, creating whirlpools that became under-sea storms tearing apart everything. Two massive silhouettes darker than the deep sea entangled together and rushed here from the surface.

The somewhat smaller silhouette.

With a slug-like body with three pairs of bush-like external gills and tentacle-like limbs numbering eighty-four in total, the limbs' tips grew deep blue stinging cells, venomous tentacles causing the opponent to tremble with each strike.

This was a 500-meter-long [Giant Species: Sea God's Gills].

Its adversary entangled with it was a giant black-red octopus, a black shell upon its forehead.

That was [Giant Species: Sea Demon]

Far larger than the one once caught for experimentation in New Inn Port, its tentacles combined reaching nearly an astounding 800 meters.

Gurgling....

Rumbling...

The two leviathans wrestled their way into the depths.

Under the deity's will, any sight of the other's beloved means a kill!

After they left, only a residue of red remained in the water, swiftly devoured by small creatures that had been hiding somewhere.

The whole Black Sea had become their battlefield.

In the dim deep sea, sea giants fought fiercely!

On nameless desert islands, Tempest Priests and Brotherhood members with mutated limbs fought for every inch!

...

And human shipping lanes...naturally, would be no exception!

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