From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

Phelps Port in the East Coast Province.

The port of Nasir was still under expansion, and Phelps Port remained the largest in the entire East Coast Province, with its magnificent coastline and the azure sea forming an idyllic scene.

At this moment, the port was under martial law, no longer open to fishermen, and numerous steamships and alchemical sail vessels were docked haphazardly in the harbor.

The dozens of extraordinary nobility families from the East Coast Province had already gathered their soldiers and concentrated them in the port's fleet.

Many residents of Phelps Port witnessed this from a distance.

An elderly man explained to his grandson on the shore:

"The spectacle of Phelps Port at this moment is like a prelude to the wars of years past, as our noble lords are about to wage war against the White Sea once again."
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"Did we win that war in the end?"

"No..."

The fleet was led by the powerful Fischer family, along with several viscount families from the East Coast Province.

These viscount families were the Lion clan, the Iron Blood clan, the Sunrise clan, and the Donnerklaue clan.

After decades of ups and downs, the original structure of the seven great viscount families on the East Coast had now solidified into a dominant Fischer and the four strong contenders: Lion, Iron Blood, Sunrise, and Donnerklaue.

The once illustrious Eagle clan, Roarer clan, and Spirit Deer clan had by now all been picked apart and devoured.

Within the entire East Coast Province, the status of the Fischer family was beyond question, and no one dared to challenge their authority anymore.

Aboard the flagship of the Fischer family's fleet, the white-haired Byrne nodded quietly to the leaders of the four viscount families.

Many years had passed since the end of the last sea battle, when the Fischer family were mere followers in the fleet, unable to determine their own fate.

Yet this time, the initiator of the sea battle was himself.

Times had changed so swiftly.

"No, time actually moves quite slowly."

He gazed at the sea from the deck, remembering himself with a head of black hair, now turned completely white—perhaps time did indeed creep along.

Standing behind him, Viscount Iron Blood Oder, also with graying hair, bowed deeply and cheerfully said:

"Your Excellency Byrne, everyone is ready. Please give the order to set sail."

The head of the Donnerklaue clan, his hair also white with age, displayed a fierce hatred in his eyes. The previous maritime battle had decimated the Spirit Deer clan and left the Donnerklaue clan with heavy casualties.

Apart from his own rescue by Zavier, nearly all of his family members had perished.

"The day has finally come! How wonderful that I am still alive to see it through!"

Deep in his heart, he held an engrained hatred for the Sea God Cult, his old bones trembling almost violently as he cursed the sea.

"Sea God Cult, I will eradicate you! I want that so-called Sea God to be flayed and deboned, never to rise again for all eternity!"

Byrne listened to these curses, then glanced at the two young heads of the Lion and Sunrise families, and then at the two other elders, and said with deep emotion:

"The old men who once stood here, there are hardly any of them left, such is the capriciousness of fate."

Viscount Oder sighed and nodded, "Indeed it is so, some did not receive the protection of the gods and thus could not stand here again."

"We are the lucky ones, perhaps the Tempest Overlord and the Lord of Salvation are looking upon the Fischer and Iron Blood families with favor."

Byrne offered no comment, just a faint smile.

Out of the four viscount families of the East Coast, only the Lion clan, which had intermarried, and the Iron Blood clan, who persisted as allies, were closest in relation to the Fischer family.

"You didn't forget about me, did you?"

Suddenly, a strong presence emerged, as numerous droplets of water gradually coalesced into a frail human figure. Bishop Zane of the East Coast diocese, hands clasped behind his back, stood there smiling.

He nodded slightly toward Byrne, signaling his arrival.

Several viscounts also respectfully expressed their greetings to Bishop Zane.

"May the Tempest Overlord be with you!"

"Bishop, my lord!"

"You are finally here, Your Excellency."

"I offer you my respects."

Zane, as always, merely nodded and then approached Byrne, inquiring with a frown:

"Where is Earl Chris? Don't tell me he's not planning to come for a battle of this scale?"

Byrne smiled and continued, "He is not one for public appearances. You've known him for decades; you should be familiar with his character by now."

Zane could only nod in acknowledgment, having realized over the years exactly the kind of person Chris was.

His son was said to be just as peculiar.

He turned his gaze to the vast White Sea, murmuring to himself:

"This time, I must have my revenge."

"I have not forgotten the hatred of those years, not for a single moment!"

Back then, Zane had sworn vengeance for his mentor and friend, the "Thunderous Monarch." That oath held weight in the realm of the mysterious, and might create nightmare beings or other mystical entities.

If he were to completely forget his vow of vengeance, it would inevitably affect his future advancements.

Once reaching the lower echelons of Monarch level, an Extraordinary Exponent needed to ensure the-completeness of-y their mindset for each breakthrough, as any slip could lead to failure.

Byrne took a deep breath and said,

"Let's set out!"

After finishing communication with others, Byrne and the other members of the Fischer family gathered on their family's flagship, a steam-powered ship which Spellcasters had also enhanced with alchemical runes.

The Arrays formed by those alchemical runes could increase the flagship's speed and create a small barrier. Enemies coming aboard to fight would feel weakened due to the suppression of the small barrier.

However, it was still only a small barrier after all, only effective against Extraordinary Beings below the level of Monarch.

"Felix, be cautious in this battle,"

Byrne said calmly to his grandson, Felix. Time flew by, and now he too had become an eighteen-year-old adult.

"I understand," Felix replied seriously.

Unlike his father Darren, Felix was a serious and even somewhat stern person with no sense of humor and always acted dignified.

His features were very regular, with a heroic firmness to his countenance, his black hair slightly curled, his eyes deep with a glowing light, and his demeanor exuded nobility.

Compared to the previous generations of the Fischer family, Felix, raised by his mother since childhood, appeared more like a true noble. Even just standing there would convince anyone that he was an unquestionable upper-class figure.

"Grandfather, to be able to participate in this naval war, to exert strength for the family and for the Cyart people, but most importantly, to offer a portion of power to Him!"

Felix's demeanor was solemn, with a serious tone and not a trace of levity.

The Path of Forging he pursued had already brought him to the 2nd Rank.

Felix was adept at tinkering with mechanical things. The priests from the Reforging Church came to the family every other day, continuously persuading him to join the Church.

Byrne gazed at Felix and, for some reason, he saw the image of Erik in him.

"Sigh."

He sighed deeply, filled with emotion in his heart.

Erik had died in a naval battle, killed by the priests of the Sea God Cult. In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed...

Byrne suddenly felt he might truly be getting old.

Otherwise, why would he often feel nostalgic about time?

Darren came over and continued his father's thoughts, "Helen, you too, there's no need for you to do anything extraordinary. The most important thing is to ensure your own safety."

"I know."

Standing beside them was the girl, Helen, Felix's sister, fifteen years old, the second child born to Darren and his wife from the Oder family.

She was wearing a long blue dress, her hair in wavy curls, and looked like a very quiet and graceful girl, holding a sketchpad and paintbrush in her hands.

"I will try to document what happens next."

Helen was a girl sometimes shattered by tranquility, other times full of passion, with frequently fluctuating emotions, yet she had a talent for art and painting. Naturally, the Path of Wholeheartedness she pursued had also reached the 2nd Rank.

In fact, Lilian had discovered through the "Spirit-returning Tree" that Helen suffered from a special illness, which caused her to oscillate continuously between despondency and excitement.

She had considered treating Helen's condition.

But Helen herself refused.

"If so, wouldn't my artistic talent and my future on the Path of Wholeheartedness be completely erased? I actually don't consider it an illness, but rather a gift bestowed by the Lord of the Lost."

Apart from Felix and Helen, Darren's wife from the Oder family had recently fallen pregnant again, and it seemed another child would be born soon.

Under his strict control, there were no further pregnancies among his lovers.

Before departure, the Fischer family offered a sacrifice of the "Counterattack Shield" that the Romann family had gifted.

At that time, Felix prayed devoutly and solemnly stated his hope that the Lord of the Lost imbue his sister with the power of the "Counterattack Shield's" runes.

And Helen also hoped that the Lord of the Lost would bestow the "Counterattack Shield" upon her brother.

Its rune power, in the end, was given to Felix, the one who seemed more able to make use of it by Karl.

He also drew Destiny's Trajectories for the two.

Karl then found that Helen already possessed a special Destiny's Trajectory of her own, rendering it unnecessary for him to draw another for her.

The Destiny's Trajectory Felix received was "Heart of Resolute Stone," with the effect that he often gained more when fully focused on a task, which suited his personality well.

The appearance of the "Heart of Resolute Stone" was like a plain, terra-cotta stone, but it felt extraordinarily hard.

However, the Destiny's Trajectory that Helen was born with was astonishing, a very powerful one, and was in no way less valuable than the "Treasure Key."

"Fantasy Fellow."

It looked like a small crystal figure constantly dancing, surrounded by a fantasy-like snowfall.

Those with "Fantasy Fellow" as their Destiny's Trajectory could always maintain lucidity in their dreams, naturally gaining the favor of various mysterious creatures, while their Spiritual Power would grow at more than double the rate of others.

"Fantasy Fellow, huh..."

Karl quickly realized something. Helen might not progress as quickly as Chris and Karno, but her eventual achievements might not be small either.