Chapter 42

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42. Dawn at the Governor's Mansion (Make-up Update)

At the same time, at the Human United Front, New Zealand Headquarters

"Why don't you send reinforcements! Why?!"

A sharp crack from the human bones resounded in the governor's room. However, the man completely ignored his twisted knuckles, slamming his hand on the mahogany table and roaring at the elderly man in front of him, who remained expressionless.

"The Northern Mixed Fleet is the most elite force in my base! It was you, you who ordered the Northern Mixed Fleet to conduct maritime reconnaissance! It was you!"

"It was me."

The old man frowned as he looked at the middle-aged man, whose hand was bleeding but still furious.

"So what? This mission was a complete accident. No one could have predicted the storm. Our technology is not advanced enough to detect storms in the open sea—"

"Then save them!"

The middle-aged admiral roared like an enraged lion, his wrists streaming with blood.

The old man sat in a luxuriously decorated chair, calmly watching the enraged man's performance. His blue eyes showed no emotion, as if he had seen such scenes countless times. His breathing remained steady.

"Send a fleet to save them! You know, the Northern Mixed Fleet is a real combat force! They are experienced and powerful, capable of breaking through even a Red Demon-type battleship formation without any losses. These veterans are exactly what human society needs! Those children are worth saving! They are!"

"Yes, they are. But what price are you willing to pay to break through the Northern Sea? What will you use to breach that barrier?"

Faced with the old man's indifferent questioning, the middle-aged man's breathing faltered.

The old man shook his head slightly as he looked at the middle-aged admiral.

"You have no way."

"Not just you, none of us do."

"We have no way to break through the Northern Sea without suffering heavy losses. Since the joint fleet was wiped out by the Northern Deep Sea Fleet ten years ago, we have lost our short-term strategic offensive capabilities. We simply don't have enough troops."

"Even now, with the powerful Northern Flagship missing, we still cannot defeat that base fleet. It's not a matter of slim chances, but of impossibility."

"The extreme strait terrain, surrounded by floating fortresses, with only one large entrance. And at that entrance, there are over fifteen Red Demon-type battleships and numerous other medium and small fleets. Not to mention the countless airships and aircraft carriers as reserves. The planes can even block out the sky when they take off."

"What do you plan to do? How many children's lives are you willing to sacrifice to breach that barrier? Over a hundred super-dreadnoughts and nearly twelve hundred shipgirls in a super joint fleet were crushed under the Northern Flagship's wrath. Who do you think you are?"

"I, I...!"

The middle-aged admiral clenched his bleeding hand, his eyes bloodshot, and a trickle of blood even ran from the corner of his mouth due to his anger. But he finally calmed down slightly.

It's impossible. No one can breach that line of defense. For small-scale infiltration, the barrier might turn a blind eye, but for large-scale rescue fleets or multi-ship joint fleets, the floating fortress will teach these reckless people the power of the deep sea.

Small infiltration teams can indeed enter that unfamiliar sea. But if they find the Northern Mixed Fleet and return together, it won't be a small-scale issue. They will face terrifying artillery fire.

The deep sea follows a policy of easy entry but strict exit. Only a few destroyers in a micro-fleet can勉强 conduct reconnaissance in that unfamiliar sea.

In other words, the Northern Mixed Fleet, with the Yamato as its flagship, may never return.

"Sixteen hours have passed since they lost contact."

The old man sighed softly, looking at the suddenly aged middle-aged admiral.

"This time frame has basically ruled out the possibility that they are in another sea. They likely ventured deep into the dark sea beyond the Northern Sea. Their chances of surviving and returning are extremely slim. Unless the legend is true."

"Legend... the legend of the Ghost Fleet?" The middle-aged admiral stood in place, covering his face, and laughed in a mocking tone, his voice filled with despair.

"Relying on a legend, I guess I've reached the end of my career as an admiral..."

"Actually, that legend is true."

The old man indifferently picked up his pipe, his withered hand, covered in age spots, taking out tobacco and sprinkling it into the pipe. He struck a match and slowly lit the tobacco. His aged face showed a look of indifference.

"If the myth of breaking through the North and the legend of the Ghost Fleet are true, then today, if you're lucky, you might see your fleet return."

"..."

The middle-aged man had a bizarre expression, as if the old man was talking nonsense.

But the old man didn't want to say more. Instead, he focused on the smart communication system in front of him. The ID on it was clearly 'Deep Sea Fleet is Hard to Handle'.

"Hope for a miracle. If the legend within the legend is true, and he isn't lying, your fleet should be fine. After all, the major damage protection is a super-strong shield that lasts for three hours. Let's hope the legend comes true."

The old man waved his hand, indicating that the middle-aged man could leave.

Just as the middle-aged man turned to leave, a message appeared in the dark chat room.

'【LV4】I Really Want Yamato: My fleet just received a message saying they found a group of destroyers. It's not the Ghost Fleet, which is really disappointing. I was hoping to encounter the Ghost Fleet and build a new ship.'

Isn't that a rescue?

The old man's face showed a hint of a smile as he looked at the string of text on the screen.

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