Chapter 233 232. The Beginning of the War

Port Angus, a city nestled on the northern coastline of the United Kingdom, has always enjoyed a peculiar tranquility.

It is neither a frontline fortress nor a resource center.

Although nominally adjacent to the border with the Hermit Empire, the majestic Red Ridge Mountains act as a natural barrier, isolating it from war and conflict.

For nearly a hundred years, even in the years when relations between the Kingdom and the Empire were most tense, the residents of Port Angus could sleep peacefully in the salty sea breeze.

However, as the situation on the mainland becomes increasingly tense, the lord of Angus Port has strengthened the monitoring and inspection of all ships traveling on the sea.

There was nothing wrong with the order itself, but when it was implemented layer by layer, it became a glittering source of wealth in the eyes of the dock guards.

Passing merchant ships, fishermen, and even small exploration ships that occasionally docked for supplies all became targets of their extortion.

A few silver coins can "speed up" customs inspection, while a few gold coins can make some less compliant goods "blind".

The pockets of the dock guards became fatter, but beneath the busy surface, the atmosphere at the port was filled with a layer of suppressed slickness and greed.

Edwin is also a dock guard, but unlike his lucky colleagues, he is a lighthouse keeper on night duty.

The interior of the lighthouse is small and damp, filled with the smell of lamp oil, sea salt and aged stone walls.

Edwin leaned against the cold inner wall, his rough fingers unconsciously stroking the empty purse at his waist.

"Damn lighthouse!" Edwin's voice was filled with fatigue and resentment, echoing in the narrow space. "Those brothers on the dock outside, if they get a little money from their fingers, it would be enough for us to work for a month! What about us? We are guarding this broken stone, and we get nothing except that little salary!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and suddenly punched the wall: "My son, after a talent test a few days ago, was found to have a talent for water magic. He is a good material for learning spells! But where am I going to get the damn tuition?"

A relatively young guard was sitting on a wooden bench nearby, wiping the glass cover of a lantern. He listened to Edwin's complaints, only occasionally making a vague "hmm" or a short sigh.

He understood Edwin's distress, but he also felt that this complaint, like the sound of waves that sounded every night, had become part of the background sound of the lighthouse.

He was now more worried about the other person who had gone out to relieve himself and had not returned for a long time.

"Did that bigeye fish fall into the sea?" The young guard put down the rag and listened outside. Except for the sound of wind and waves hitting the rocks, there was dead silence.

Edwin waved his hands irritably. "Who cares? He might be taking a nap in some sheltered corner. This damn job is so frustrating even if I'm lazy..."

The young guard was becoming increasingly uneasy, as although Walleye was absent-minded at times, he would never be away for so long without good reason.

"I'd better go out and take a look." He stood up and picked up the halberd leaning against the wall.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door, and the icy, salty sea breeze immediately rushed in, making him shiver.

The young guard squinted his eyes and looked around but did not see any sign of the big-eye fish.

He walked towards the leeward corner of the platform's edge, usually used for relieving himself, his footsteps making a slight sound on the stone slabs.

"Walleye?" he called in a low voice.

Just as he approached the shadow at the edge, something strange happened!

A black shadow shot out from the shadow of the lighthouse's outer wall like a ghost, at a speed beyond imagination!

The young guard only caught a glimpse of the reflection of a slippery scale from the corner of his eye, and felt a sharp, icy pain in his throat.

He wanted to shout, but could only make a "ho ho" sound of air leaking out.

The halberd slipped out of his hand and hit the stone slab with a sharp clang. He covered his neck where the heat was gushing out, his eyes widened in disbelief, and his body fell limply.

Edwin in the lighthouse was startled by the strange noise! "What the hell?"

He stood up, rushed to the door and opened it violently.

The sight before him froze his blood instantly! The young guard fell in a pool of blood, his body still twitching slightly.

And next to the body of the young guard, stood a... a nightmarish creature!

It was a head taller than the tallest human, and its body was slender but covered with dark green, wet scales.

A thick and powerful snake tail drags behind it, supporting its body.

On the triangular head, a pair of cold vertical pupils flashing a cruel yellow light were staring at Edwin.

In its hand, it held a strangely curved dagger that shone with a faint blue luster, and the tip of the blade was still dripping with the blood of the young guard.

Snake people! Demons!

He turned around and ran back, and the snake-man warrior hissed softly and chased after him!

Edwin held against the wooden door, but the force behind him made him clearly aware that he could not hold on for long.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why am I so unlucky?!”

At the critical moment of life and death, Edwin thought of his wife who was nagging all day long, and his child who was still immersed in the dream of becoming a wizard.

He gave up holding onto the wooden door and rushed towards the thick rope on the opposite corner that he had never used before!

The snake man rushed in, and before the dagger pierced his chest, Edwin used the last of his strength to pull the hanging rope down!

"clang--------!!!"

A loud, rapid, and extremely penetrating bell sound instantly resounded through the silent night sky of Angus Port!

Not long after the bell rang, several equally tall snake-men silently slid out from the shadows outside the lighthouse.

The one in the lead was more muscular, with darker scales, almost dark green, and a circle of conspicuous dark red bone spurs around his neck.

It looked at the two guards lying in a pool of blood and its fellow tribesman who had just pulled out the dagger, with flames of rage burning in its cold vertical pupils.

"You idiot!" His voice was full of disappointment and anger, "You set off the alarm! Because of you, the sneak attack plan was ruined before it even began!"

The snakeman warrior who had failed lowered his head in fear and hissed in defense, but was rudely interrupted by the leader.

The snakeman leader looked up in the direction of the port. Lights had begun to light up sporadically in the distance, and chaotic voices and the sound of metal colliding could be vaguely heard.

Several other snake warriors gathered around and asked anxiously, "What should we do now?"

The snake leader took a deep breath, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his vertical pupils: "If you can't prove your worth, you can't survive in the empire. This operation must succeed, not fail!"

"Kill these human pigs before they fully react! Use their blood and fear to pave the way! Seize the dock!"

Under the order of the leader, a large number of snake people swam ashore at the edge of the dock, holding weapons.

After the sudden alarm, the killing unfolded in a more crazy and bloody manner.

Soon, the dock area fell into chaos. The snakemen warriors, with agility and strength exceeding that of ordinary human soldiers, frantically attacked the guards who had hurriedly responded to the attack and the awakened residents.

They set fire to houses and boats anchored near the shore, creating even greater chaos.

The sounds of screams, clashing weapons, collapsing houses and crackling flames mixed together, and half of Angus Port was illuminated in blood red in the middle of the night.

"Quick! Quick! Get everyone to the dock and kill all those demons!" Earl Angus repeated the task he had given several times. He was completely panicked after being suddenly attacked.

But when he looked up, he saw a desperate scene——

Several demon warships appeared in his sight like giant beasts crawling out of the darkness. Their hideous outlines suddenly appeared in his sight and they slowly sailed in under the light of the fire at the dock.

(End of this chapter)