The Final Odyssey, the fantastical journey of a cat boy

"Back to Oasis Harbor?" Fish licked his lips, then suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute, this is an order from the Joint Operations Headquarters, right?"

"Oh, of course," Huang Yan's clone nodded, "Otherwise, why would I have specifically offered to accompany you back to your hometown?"

"In other words..."

"Although it's not recorded in the Joint Operations Headquarters' database, thanks to the 'Akasha Compendium' we successfully found earlier, I can now be basically certain of the true nature of what you call the 'Dark Deep Island'," Huang Yan said.

"Let me guess, among a bunch of ordinary atoll islands, the sudden appearance of a black glass island that stands out from the crowd is an unnatural situation that can only be the 'masterpiece' of those idle old civilization bastards." Before Fish could speak, Ange had already pushed open the door and walked in, accompanied by Alicia and Xiaoxing, who were dressed in cute maid outfits.

"Yes, you're right, Your Highness Anjie," Huang Yan nodded, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"With everyone so lovely around, how could I possibly not sleep well at night?" Ange said with a smile, gently patting Alicia's shoulder. Although they were also wearing maid outfits, the fabric of Alicia and Sachi's outfits seemed very... economical.

These specially made maid outfits not only lack the heavy aprons necessary for dealing with dust and oil, but also expose large areas of skin around the limbs. The skirts are much shorter than ordinary maid skirts and are covered with beautiful and delicate lace and flashy colorful ribbons. The headbands are also adorned with all sorts of sparkling trinkets.

In short, this clothing was clearly not designed for practical purposes... at least not for practical purposes related to the maid's duties.

Noticing Fish's strange look, Ange shrugged. "This special maid outfit is said to be a product of a distant, ancient civilization. It's said that long, long ago, in a place called 'Akihabara,' there were many maids like this."

"It would be best if that were really true. What could you possibly do dressed like that?"

"Well, according to Shana, it seems that she mainly serves her master in cafes and restaurants... Of course, it seems that she can also provide some other interesting services," Ange smiled. "When I left the underground facility in the Northland, I accidentally found some clothes like these in the props stored in the facility, so I casually took two sets back and had the tailors in the Camphor Leaf Palace make replicas."

"Uh... Uh..." Fish noticed that he had unknowingly fallen into a dilemma: on the one hand, he couldn't help but want to turn his gaze to Alicia and Xiaoxing dressed like this; but on the other hand, after his gaze actually fell on them, he would blush and breathe rapidly, and had to look away again.

It's fair to say that this kind of clothing had a really... huge impact on him.

"In short, thanks to the excellent legacy of these old civilizations, the efficiency with which I and everyone... enhance our friendships is now much higher than in the past," Ange said with a smile. "Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Shall we prepare to set off for Oasis Harbor?"

"At the very least, we should act as soon as possible—of course, you cannot go in name only. After all, there are envoys from the Duchy of Fayun at Oasis Port, and it is necessary to avoid Your Highness's direct encounter with them. Preparing a cover identity for you will take some time," Huang Yan said. "Furthermore, since we currently have sufficient manpower, I strongly suggest that you prepare a reliable combat force as backup before setting off."

"I'll arrange it," Ange said confidently. "And our goal?"

"We must find a way to stop the Principality of Fayun—to be precise, Mr. Iskander Lomonosov—from purchasing Deep Dark Island. If possible, we should do everything in our power to prevent them from getting close to the island. This is of utmost importance."

"What exactly is on that island?" Fish asked.

"According to information we obtained through the 'Akasha Encyclopedia,' it is designated as Special Facility ABO-22910. It was initially registered as a 'tourist facility,' but its history is tumultuous, with multiple changes of ownership. It was once built as a gladiatorial arena before being sold to the renowned Anthill Technology Group."

"That is..."

"It's the most famous manufacturer of automated equipment from the late Old Civilization Era. Most of the Old Civilization Era robots and autonomous weapons that we can still see today, as well as several common models of 'Goron,' come from this company," Huang Yan explained. "Anthill Technology Group uses this facility as a storage and testing area for its experimental automated equipment. According to records, there may be hundreds, even tens of thousands, of automated devices in prototype or pre-production stages that ultimately did not go into mass production, lying dormant deep within the facility. This includes many types of weaponry."

"In that case, there's only one truth to the matter," Ange said unintentionally, uttering the infamous catchphrase of a certain Grim Reaper elementary school student, "Those usurpers must have their eyes on the weapons and equipment sleeping inside 'Dark Deep Island'."

"Yes. Moreover, even if they are not 'weapons' according to the standards of the old civilization era, they can still be used in the military field in this era. The most typical example is those 'Gorlon'," Huang Yan added. "Most of them were just civilian 'walking work robots,' but in modern times, they have been armed in large numbers and used in armored forces."

"That's true..."

"More importantly, the Joint Operations Headquarters analysis suggests that Iskandar Lomonosov's true purpose may extend beyond this," Huang Yan continued. "After all, there are hundreds of facilities like this worldwide. While 'Dark Deep Island' is quite well-known in modern Oasis Harbor, it's not the largest or most important among similar facilities. Among the similar facilities listed in the 'Akasha Compendium,' there are at least 15 that are closer to the Duchy of Fayun and are no smaller than 'Dark Deep Island.'"

"So many?"

"That's right. Therefore, the analysis concludes that Iskandar Lomonosov and his friends attempted to acquire the Dark Isle not only for the ancient equipment sealed within, but also for other purposes. Therefore, while prioritizing preventing them from obtaining the Dark Isle, you must also try to find out their true objectives."

"Could it be because he only knows about this one storage facility?" Fish asked.

"It's possible, but that possibility only exists in theory—to give an analogy, it's like wanting to find a girl on the street who's willing to pay to spend the night with you, but ignoring the nightclub girls on your street who flirt with you every day after get off work, and instead going to another city nearby to find a sneaky girl in a park corner," Huang Yan explained.

"Eek—" As soon as Huang Yan finished speaking, Fish immediately felt two almost murderous gazes coming from behind him, and he shuddered violently.

"Everyone... this was just an analogy that Huang Yan used without permission," Fish had to say to Alicia and Xiaoxing immediately. "I absolutely, positively, and definitely did not do such a thing! You, you must believe me!"

"I believe you," Ange said. "Of course, if you still have any childhood friends you know in Oasis Harbor, I would also welcome them to join our team—in this era, the more companions you can rely on, the better."

"Uh... this..." Although Ange's words were at least 90% a joke, Fish was genuinely deep in thought. "I..."

"Wait, you don't actually have a childhood sweetheart in Oasis Harbor, do you?" Xiaoxing asked hurriedly.

"Strictly speaking... uh... there is indeed such a person. However, I... actually met her at a bar one night..."

"Eh?!" The two screams almost reached outside the room.

"Back then, I was working at a bar! Although my main job was serving the girls who came in and selling drinks for the bar owner..." Fish said, "It's not surprising that you meet a few girls when you do that kind of job."

"Uh..." Alicia and Xiaoxing exchanged a glance, their expressions quite complicated.

"However, this girl I know might actually be of help to us," Fish added. "So, although it might make you a little unhappy, I suggest that you find her as soon as you arrive at Oasis Harbor."

Although Huang Yan's initial suggestion was to "set off immediately," due to the time required for various preparations, An Jie and her group actually set off a week after making the decision. It was twenty days later when they saw the famous white breakwater of Oasis Harbor, planted with tall coconut and wine palm trees, from the ship.

In consideration of dealing with all sorts of possible extreme situations, after consulting with the General Staff of the Principality of Penglai, the Grand Duke of Penglai, an ally of Ange, specially arranged a "long-distance training and visit operation", sending the Principality's training cruiser "Inaba" to visit Oasis Port. Lieutenant Ruan Aofu, who already held the title of baron and had recently switched allegiance to the Grand Duke of Penglai, was appointed as a nominal special envoy along with Yue Die.

Of course, during this trip, Ange, Fish, and Frostleaf will continue to use their previous identities as "military journalist," "military police officer," and "journalist assistant" as disguises. In addition, fifty people selected from "Little Angel Academy" and commanded by Mint and Alicia will board the ship as "military trainees" to form a direct guard.

"Ah... I never imagined that I would return here in this way, aboard a warship," Fish muttered as the 2,500-ton warship was slowly pulled into the harbor by two Oasis Harbor tugboats. "The thought that I left here only half a year ago is really... unbelievable."

"Everyone says you are a person favored by fate, a child of destiny, and that good people are always blessed," Captain Kokonoe Tori of the Inaba quickly flattered her. Although this naval lieutenant commander with a pair of rabbit ears was nominally the commander of this ship, she had already been instructed that all actions must be carried out according to Fish's arrangements. "So, your current achievements are nothing more than expected."

"Let's skip the pleasantries. No matter how much you flatter me, the Grand Duke isn't going to give you any extra bonuses," Fish shrugged. "How's the preparation going?"

"No problem. The entire crew is on combat alert. In addition to the naval guns, all other weapons on board have been inspected before entering the port. The concealment is good, and I believe we shouldn't be discovered by the Oasis Harbor residents who board the ship for a visit."

"Very good." Fish nodded. Having fully learned from the experiences of previous incidents, he was now quite clear that accidents could happen at any time and in any place. Therefore, although this operation was primarily "investigative," they had also made preparations for the worst-case scenario.

In addition to the two twin-mounted 120mm main guns, six 37mm dual-purpose rapid-fire guns, and two torpedo tubes that came with the training cruiser "Inaba," the ship also carried an additional 50 submachine guns, 300 rifles, 10 light machine guns, and 4 heavy machine guns. It even hid three 6-ton "Lobster" amphibious armored vehicles in the coal bunker, far exceeding the amount of light weapons carried by a typical warship.

These weapons and equipment, along with the corresponding soldiers, plus a team of elite armored warriors led by Fish and Ange, would be sufficient to launch a small-scale amphibious assault on a fortified enemy fortress if necessary.

"But then again, I would absolutely not like to see a battle take place in Oasis Harbor unless absolutely necessary." As the warship began to anchor and the thick mooring lines were pulled onto the dock, Fish saw the Oasis Harbor honor guard waiting for them in the harbor, and then sighed softly.

While a guard of honor is typically the face of an army and should be composed of the best, the dozens of men lined up on the dock were of varying heights, listless, and some were even smoking and drinking—which, of course, is typical of the Oasis Harbor defense force.

As a semi-independent small city-state, Oasis Port's security has always relied on its ports, banks, and shipyards, which are open to all duchies, marquises, earls, and other city-states without discrimination. No state would dare to attack or coerce Oasis Port without reason, as this would provoke the wrath of other states.

However, precisely because of this, Oasis Harbor's military strength is very weak: its ships and defensive fortresses have long been in disrepair, and the security force, which should have been composed of two thousand people, actually only has one thousand. Not only is it lacking in training and discipline and experienced professional officers, but it also generally lacks heavy weapons and ammunition.

At least in Fish's view, if the worst-case scenario were to occur and the events of the North End were to repeat themselves in Oasis Harbor, these people would be absolutely unreliable.

At that point, they'll have to rely on themselves for everything.

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