Everything Is Under Control

This ship is finished, my holy mystery.

Lynch, standing on the shore, felt his heart sink as he realized he might be facing a massive loss.

However, he was on the pier, dozens of meters away from the large ship, unable to help in any way. He did not even know where the enemies were.

More than a dozen boats of various sizes drifted on the river, some entering the port and others leaving. Each looked perfectly ordinary, showing no signs of launching an attack.

Furthermore, over ten thousand people were gathered on the seven long bridges and the harbor plaza behind them, all pointing and gesturing toward the scene, making it impossible to distinguish who the enemy was.

As a result, even if Lynch had wanted to stop the attack, he was powerless to do so. He could only watch as the three porpoises collided.

Fire flashed, and a thunderous roar erupted.

The three porpoises exploded simultaneously, causing the water to tremble violently and sending sprays of water high into the air as if a torrential downpour had just begun.

For a moment, everyone on the pier was stunned by the explosion, staring blankly at the sky filled with water spray and thick smoke.

Yet, Lynch realized something was wrong. The angle of the three porpoises should have led them to strike the ship directly, so why had they crashed into each other instead?

It was because the moment they were about to impact, the large ship had suddenly vanished.

A phantom of the Scepter of the Black Night had suddenly risen on the ship. The massive phantom that emerged from behind the six-star priest had enveloped the entire vessel, and then the ship had suddenly disappeared into thin air.

It had not simply hidden its tracks; it had vanished entirely. The water surface, which had been parted by the ship's hull just a moment before, returned to a state of calm, as if the vessel had never existed. The three porpoises, unable to stop their momentum, collided at the ship's original position, triggering the violent explosion.

【Authority, Concealment, Ability, Existence Erasure】

Even from dozens of meters away, Lynch could still sense the changes triggered by the shared authority.

So, the authority of the Goddess of the Black Night also included concealment, and it turned out that concealment was not as simple as just hiding something. In an emergency, the six-star priest had directly hidden the concept of the ship's existence, achieving a state of absolute defense.

Because it is impossible for anyone to harm something that does not exist.

It seems my understanding of concealment is still too shallow; I never imagined the authority could be used in such a way.

However, even after realizing this, he did not gain any new ability. Lynch instinctively realized this was because his understanding of the entire Red Moon divine authority and the authority of concealment was not yet sufficient to support the comprehension of this ability. This encounter had merely deepened his understanding of divine authority slightly.

It seems I must continue to raise my level.

"Ah~~ A miracle! Praise the Black Night~~"

Exclamations of wonder erupted from the crowd in the distant harbor. Three seconds after the ship disappeared, as the water mist dissipated, the ship suddenly reappeared out of thin air, just as if nothing had happened.

The moment it appeared, it immediately resumed its docking process, quickly maneuvering its massive hull into the berth.

Amidst the kneeling and prayers of the Black Night believers, the ship successfully pulled alongside the pier to complete its docking. The attackers, perhaps startled by the transport team's act of hiding the entire ship, made no further moves and allowed the vessel to dock smoothly.

More port soldiers flooded onto the pier, completely sealing it off, while the cannons on the batteries on both sides were raised and aimed at the river.

Following this, two more small boats rushed out from the dockyard, quickly approaching the bridge where the large ship was moored. They patrolled back and forth on the water, completely blocking any pursuit from the river. The now-stable ship had already extended its gangplank, and the five escorting priests, surrounded by soldiers, hurried across the bridge toward the long-awaited reception team.

"See, I told you, they are experienced and trustworthy. They have traveled through dangerous sea routes, let alone a single inland transport." The Archbishop remained unmoved, maintaining his composure even when the ship had been on the verge of being blown up.

"Who were the attackers just now?"

"It is not yet certain. Likely pirates who infiltrated from the estuary, or perhaps a wanted criminal. They are even more insane than ordinary pirates, and attacking the military is not the first time for them."

"Does the official authority just let them be this rampant? Are there no measures in place?"

"Most wanted criminals are twisted Soul Severers who have lost their minds and become bloodthirsty and cruel. They possess great power, show no regard for whether ordinary people notice the power of the mystery world, and have hidden movements. They also cooperate secretly with some secret societies and are protected by them, making them very difficult to catch."

"Since these people are so troublesome, have they just given up like this?"

"Hmm? Mr. Levive, have you sensed something?"

Having heard of Lynch's keen intuition from the Watchers, Trinlais dared not take him lightly.

"Not exactly, but seeing them manipulate animals for both an aerial raid and an explosion, only to stop immediately once the ship docked, just feels a bit inconsistent. I am worried: do they have other plans to successfully seize the cargo? I suggest it would be safer to strengthen the security."

"You are overthinking it, Mr. Lynch Levive. Faced with overwhelming force, even if these criminals are insane, they would not dare to continue entangled. Besides, even if they did not want to give up, we would not give them a single chance. Everyone here has dealt with countless crises; we would never lower our guard until we reach a place of absolute safety."

A cold voice filled with strong dissatisfaction interrupted the low whispers between Lynch and Trinlais. Looking up, he saw the transport team had arrived nearby.

The security remained tight, especially among the four escorts who kept their hands on their sword hilts, maintaining vigilance. The leading six-star priest glared at Lynch with an unhappy expression before bowing slightly toward Trinlais, his fingers tracing a diagonal cross on his chest—the symbol of the Scepter of the Black Night:

"Praise the Tranquil Night, Your Excellency Archbishop."

"May the Deepest Dark always bless you, Knight Rick. Thank you for your hard work along the way. Do not mind Mr. Levive; he means no harm. He is merely worried about the safety of the cargo, not questioning your professionalism and capability. Haha, let us begin the handover."

Trinlais tapped his fingers lightly on Priest Rick's robe, a blessing of the Black Night, before smiling and waving his hand. The priests who had followed him immediately brought over the carriage.

The six-star priest, Rick, revealed a reserved smile on his square face. He then made a gesture, and the guarding soldiers immediately surrounded the area, blocking it completely and holding their rifles outward. Only then did Rick signal the escorts to move the crates onto the carriage one by one, before carefully opening them in sequence, allowing the receiving priests to check them against the manifest.

"Mr. Levive, there is no need to worry. Everything is under control. We have strictly followed the transport regulations for these three days without a moment of negligence. I ensure that the goods will absolutely not have any issues."

The cargo in the crates was indeed very secure, not a single piece missing, all neatly arranged. With that, Knight Rick proudly straightened his back, lifted the small box in his own hands, and gestured for Lynch to come forward.

"This is cargo personally arranged by His Holiness the Pope, utilizing the highest-grade security measures. I have escorted it the entire way, the cargo has never left my sight, and I have remained alert at all times. If something could still go wrong under these circumstances, then I..."

The box opened, and it was completely empty.