The First Legendary Beast Master

Chapter 1933 Only Two?

Karl accompanied the Elves back to their vessels at the docks and found that while the report had called this a "fleet" it was really just the two trading vessels, plus a group of fast schooners, attack ships that could run down nearly anything on the high seas.

While they were not considered to be heavily armed, with only one row of cannons on them, the actual firepower came from the crew on board.

They had to be expecting trouble at some of their stops to have brought so many defensive vessels for only two cargo ships. Or, they were expecting to come across hostile merchant vessels that they could liberate cargo from.

It didn't matter to Karl.

Those were not his Guild members, and the loot that came from them would be unlikely to make it back to the Darklight Host. The ships weren't even travelling back in this direction.

The only thing that he would usually see from the Blue Elves was raw materials, as that was what they had in abundance during their first few stops. However, their precious cargo did raise a few questions for Karl.

"Captain, what can you tell me about that low mana zone in the ocean to the southeast?" He asked.

The Elf frowned, "There are a lot of theories about it, but nobody can get close enough to verify. No matter how long you sail in that direction, once the mana gets to half the standard rate, it stops dropping, and you never get closer.

Once you turn away, you'll find that you didn't make any progress at all, and you are exactly where the mana stopped dropping. Not somewhere nearby, exactly there.

Even the stars will show that you're not moving, but the ships and winds know that they're sailing just fine.

So, the rumours abound, but none of us have the true answer."

Karl nodded. "So, the cause is unknown, but it sucks in a massive amount of mana constantly, to the point that it causes currents in the mana in this region.

That's why I was asking.

I'm sure you've noticed that we tweaked the mana flows a bit to cause a greater mana level in the city, using mana gathering arrays. But I had to be certain that it wasn't an active source, like a giant sea monster or something, that we might upset by changing the pattern."

The Captain shook her head. "No, it's fine. By the time you get near the anomaly, the flow is back to normal, it's only in the region near shore that it's noticeable that you've disrupted the old flow of mana.

Many cities do the same thing, but the overall effect is minimal on a grand scale."

"Then all is well that ends well."

Karl continued to sort goods into the Guild Store's warehouse, keeping them segregated so that they could all see the value balance adding up. There were a few damaged and off quality items in the shipments, but Karl didn't mind.

The crafters would find a way to work with them, or he would send them to Drouth, and let the Totem and Mythic Crafters use them instead.

Even a mediocre immortal resource was still an Immortal resource.

The Captains silently celebrated as Karl only watched the values, and not the actual quality of the items. They had assumed that he would turn away some, which was the normal practice. Things got damaged in transit, and the price that they paid the gathering teams reflected that shrinkage.

But Karl simply took it all, and let it sit in the warehouse, waiting for someone to need it.

In the Guild House, the carving teams were nearly going insane watching the warehouse fill, while access was locked. That coral, the shells, the pearls and elemental stones. All of it was prime material for making items and statues.

But they couldn't access it yet.

It was almost like going to an all you could eat buffet and being told to stand next to the buffet and wait with nobody in line.

Torture.

Finally, the flow of goods stopped, and Karl extended his hand to the Captain with an Epic Grade bracelet in it.

"You came out over estimate. Here is the difference.

We can't have anyone saying that the Darklight Host doesn't pay its debts."

The Captain laughed and shook Karl's hand as he took the bracelet.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Guild Leader Karl. We will send over the trainees later today, they don't travel with our merchant ships, for obvious reasons."

Karl nodded. "Do you need a portal array? I have one here in town that will greatly boost your range, or a portable one that's only marginally less effective."

"The portable should do. We have one on the ship as well."

Karl nodded and took out the Peerless Grade portal array disc. He rarely needed to use it, but it had been made for the Guild, not for him personally.

It did have one major advantage, though.

Since he was standing right here when it was used, he would have the memory of where it was opened to, so that he could open it to the same location again. Whether it was to send the trainees home for a visit, or to shop directly with the Blue Elves, was questionable.

But it would now be an option.

The Elves weren't concerned about it, as they assumed it was impossible to know where a portal went without stepping through it. But more than that, it went to a public area of their floating city, and if a random person just appeared there, they would be in chains within seconds.

Forget intruders, there were no outsiders at all allowed in their city.

The portal shimmered into existence, showing them an empty courtyard. But what Karl saw on the other side with his enhanced senses was very different.

"That's a turtle. Oh, we need to show Leo this."

"Who is Leo?"

"My False Island Giant Turtle. He will be so mad if he finds out that we opened a portal to one of his kind, and he didn't get to see it."

The Elves frowned. "The city is no longer alive. The Great Turtle perished in battle many centuries ago."

Karl shook his head. "No, I can sense the divine energy. The Demigod Turtle is in hibernation, not dead."