All Gods: Starting with Two Families

Chapter 166 Iron Shield FortressThe Iron Shield Family has occupied North Mountain for generations.

The mountain is not high, but it is steep enough. There is only one road up the mountain, narrow enough to allow only two horses to pass side by side, with sheer cliffs on both sides. The summit was leveled to build a stone fortress; the walls are covered in moss, and patrols walk the ramparts day and night.

Easy to defend, difficult to attack.

This is the foundation upon which the Iron Shield Family has stood on the island for two hundred years.

At this moment, in the blacksmith shop on the summit, the furnace fire is burning brightly.

Old Clan Chief Hawk Iron Shield, shirtless, swings a hammer, striking a glowing red iron block again and again. Sparks fly, landing on his scarred chest, but he doesn’t even blink.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

Rapid footsteps come from outside. A young man rushes in, drenched in sweat.

Father!

Hawk does not look up, continuing to hammer the iron.

The Sea Serpent Family was wiped out last night! Leon Us brought a thousand cavalry, taking advantage of the chaos from the Demonic Beast attack to break in. That mercenary was killed by his sword, Serena was tied up, and the entire territory was lost!

Clang. Clang. Clang.

Father, did you hear me? The Uss Family has made their move! We are next! We must send troops and strike back before they can secure their footing!

Clang.

The final hammer blow falls. Hawk picks up the iron block, examines it against the firelight for a moment, and then throws it into the water bucket nearby.

Hiss—white steam rises.

Only then does he look up at his son.

His face is illuminated by the flickering furnace fire, his eyes calm as a stagnant pool.

Strike back? he says, his voice raspy. With what?

The son is stunned.

What does our Iron Shield Family rely on to stand? This mountain. If the mountain stands, the Family stands. If the mountain is lost, the Family dies. Hawk puts down the hammer and picks up a coarse cloth to wipe his hands.

But—

No buts. Hawk interrupts him. If they want to come, let them come. I have guarded this summit for forty years, and no one has ever been able to take it.

He turns and walks into the depths of the blacksmith shop.

Do your duty and stop thinking about useless things.

The footsteps disappear into the darkness.

The son stands in place, his fists clenching and unclenching.

He stares in the direction his father disappeared, his gaze dark and unreadable.

...

The son returns to his room.

The room is small, with simple furnishings. A bed, a table, a chair. An iron shield hangs on the wall; it is the origin of the Family name, said to have been passed down for six generations.

He sits at the table, silent for a long time, then pulls a dagger from his robes.

The dagger is small, only slightly longer than his palm, pitch black, with a blade faintly glowing with a dark red light. He places the dagger on the table and stares at it.

A faint sound comes from the dagger, like wind passing through a gap, or someone whispering in his ear:

Your father is old.

The son does not speak.

He cannot see the opportunity, nor the danger. He only knows how to guard, guard, guard. He has guarded for two hundred years, and what has he achieved? The Uss Family has taken the Sea Serpent Family, and their next step is North Mountain. By the time he realizes it, it will be too late.

The son still does not speak.

You want to save the Iron Shield Family. You want to prove you are stronger than your father. You want him to know that you are the one who is right.

The dagger’s voice grows lower and thinner, like a silk thread drilling into his ear:

Then do it.

The son raises his head.

Moonlight shines in through the window, falling on his face. On that young face, his eyes are dark and unreadable.

...

Sea Serpent Family territory, port.

Leon stands on the pier, watching the soldiers and civilians coming and going. Overnight, this place has changed masters, but life must go on.

Serena has been locked in the dungeon. The mercenary’s corpse was thrown into the sea—Leon had no interest in holding a funeral for him.

The Sea Serpent Family guards have been disarmed; those willing to surrender are incorporated into the ranks, while those who refuse are locked up awaiting disposition.

The civilians are trembling, not knowing if they should go out to work. Leon had notices posted: everything remains the same, taxes are halved. After the notices were posted, the number of people on the streets slowly increased.

Everything is going according to plan.

The only problem is that mountain to the north.

The Iron Shield Family.

With such a big commotion last night, they must have known. But strangely, a whole day has passed, and there has been no reaction from North Mountain. No troops sent, no envoys, not even a single person sent to inquire.

Leon narrows his eyes.

According to information from the God of Metamorphosis, there are believers of other gods within the Iron Shield Family. As for who, he does not know. But they certainly exist.

Why aren’t they reacting?

Is it fear? Are they waiting? Or—

Are they plotting something else?

Leon looks away. No matter what they are waiting for, the initiative is no longer in their hands.

After taking the Sea Serpent Family, he now controls the only seaport on this island. The Iron Shield Family is trapped on North Mountain, unable to get out or in, and can only watch helplessly.

Once he integrates the naval forces, he can strike whenever he wants.

He turns and walks toward the castle.

...

At the castle gate, the attendant who knows how to fish is waiting for him.

The young man is named Tom, a fisherman by birth, who grew up by the sea. He was the one who did the job of catching those Demonic Beasts. Now, Leon has given him a new mission.

Is the ship modified? Leon asks.

Tom nods vigorously, full of excitement: Yes, it’s done! Just as you said, I found the best carpenter and modified the largest merchant ship into—

He lowers his voice:

A pirate ship.

Leon follows him to the most secluded corner of the harbor. A ship is docked there; it looks no different from an ordinary merchant ship on the outside, but if you look closely, you can see the difference.

The hull has been fitted with a ram on both sides, several ballistae have been added to the deck, and several barrels of oil are set up at the stern—if they are ever caught, they can pour oil and set it on fire, burning them to hell.

A newly made flag hangs from the bow, depicting a fish with a giant mouth, jaws wide open, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth.

Leon stares at the flag for a moment.

Remember. He turns his head and looks at Tom, his gaze sharp, You have no relationship with the Uss Family.

Tom is stunned for a moment, then nods vigorously.

Leon is a noble. The Uss Family is a noble Family. Nobles can fight wars, kill people, and seize territory, but they cannot be pirates.

That would lower their status, tarnish the Family name, and cause other nobles to look down on them.

So, on the surface, this pirate group has nothing to do with the Uss Family. They are a group of lawless desperados, drifters on the sea, pirates who specialize in robbing merchant ships.

Go. Leon says.

Tom salutes and runs back to the ship.

...

On the bow, a pale blue fish is lying in a water bucket, sunning itself.

Gluttonous One.

Three days ago, it was still a sequence 9 [Bait], whose only ability was to release spirituality to attract Demonic Beasts. Three days later, it is different.

A pile of fish bones lies next to the water bucket. It just ate three big fish, its belly round and full, and it is lazily sunning itself.

Tom runs over and pokes it: Gluttonous One, let’s go, get ready to set sail.

Gluttonous One opens its eyes and glances at him lazily.

What’s the rush? I’m still digesting.

Digesting what? The fish you ate?

No. Gluttonous One flips over, My potion, it’s digested.

Tom is stunned.

Gluttonous One jumps out of the water bucket, does a somersault in the air, and lands back in the water. It takes a deep breath—although it’s unknown how a fish takes a deep breath—and then suddenly sprays a jet of water.

The water jet shoots high into the air and lands on the deck, actually sizzling and corroding a small patch of the wooden planks.

See that? Gluttonous One says triumphantly, I am now Sequence 8, [Glutton]! I can recover my spirituality by eating, I can heal by eating, and the more I eat, the stronger I get!

It sprays another jet of water.

In the future, when those Demonic Beasts come, I can not only lure them, but also fight them! If I can’t beat them, I run, and when I’m tired from running, I eat, and after I eat, I keep fighting!

In the distance, Leon stands on the pier, watching the ship with the giant-mouthed fish flag slowly sail out of the harbor.

The corners of his mouth curl up slightly.

With Gluttonous One, this pirate group—

Will be invincible.