The defensive array of Sentinel aircraft unleashed a dense barrage of fire.
The enemy ships only had two thick plant vines strong enough to hurl their undead soldiers.
The two vines left afterimages, but each could only launch a few undead soldiers.
The hurled undead soldiers were riddled with bullets and beams in mid-air.
Simon unleashed several more, clearly specially designed Sentinel aircraft. They spewed long streams of flame, completely blocking the undead creatures from reaching him.
"Impressive! When did we get so many constructs?" Jason turned to admire the sight.
Simon smiled, his eyes fixed on the attacking methods of his constructs.
These constructs used the same primary structure as the Sentinel aircraft they had previously acquired on Vastva Island.
It just has a lot of extra accessories or replaceable modules.
"Is this design excellent?" Alka asked nearby.
He didn't quite understand, but after leaving Vastva, almost all of Simon's constructs had used this design.
This meant that the design was excellent enough to warrant such a move.
Hearing this, Simon nodded and said with admiration, "Indeed, this Sentinel aircraft should be standard Vastva equipment.
The design and construction are truly excellent, using minimal material consumption to create the most robust and versatile framework.
With this structure, you can basically do whatever you want, as long as you don't exceed its load capacity and module replacement limits."
Hearing this, Alka nodded.
It's not that this component is the best or most powerful, but rather that those that are more powerful are not as simple, consume less energy, or are less practical.
Those that consume less energy and are simpler are completely inferior in other functions.
In other words, this architecture is perfect enough.
The base structure is essentially a versatile platform.
"Let's deliver the final blow to that ship. From the looks of it, there's clearly no chance of negotiation."
Hearing Alka's words, Jason nodded.
Simon raised his left arm, and the completely mechanical arm, a blue line of energy, shot out directly.
It connected to the Azora's Destruction atop the poop.
With a slight flicker of his index finger, energy generated by treasures and magic was channeled into this extremely destructive weapon.
Instantly, all the spells on Azora's body activated, and it was clearly visible that he had been transformed.
The gun barrel, once simple and beautifully carved, now took on a distinctly sci-fi diamond shape.
It was as if it had been upgraded.
Jason looked ready. He raised his left hand slightly and took precise aim.
Then.
He swung his hand down forcefully.
With a heavy recoil, a beam of light shot out.
In the blink of an eye, it slammed heavily into the enemy's already battered and flaming ship.
The light flashed, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.
Sofia waved his hand, once again shielding the dazzling light for everyone.
When all the light completely disappeared.
Only the enemy ship's bow and stern sections remained, along with bits of debris that fell on the sea.
The main structure in the middle had completely vanished, leaving only a few broken pieces around it.
With only the bow and stern remaining, the ship, completely unable to sail, sank into the sea.
"Is this the maximum power?" Jason was shocked by the extent of the damage.
Within the vast sphere, there was practically no vegetation left; nothing could possibly survive.
Everyone continued to observe their surroundings with vigilance.
After confirming that there were indeed no more enemies, they stood on the deck and began to review the recent battle.
"Look at the shattered state of that ship, and its appearance, it somewhat resembles a ghost ship," Sofia said.
The shattered ship, its skeletal, undead crew, and the ghost ship's structure were practically identical.
The only difference was that the once dark, bloody flesh and bones on board had been transformed into the green, vine-like plants.
It seemed contradictory, yet strangely harmonious.
"Is this the so-called boundary between life and death?"
Everyone had gained some understanding of this place.
The undead, representing the resurrection of the dead, were enveloped in vibrant plants.
However, this time they were engaging in a naval battle, so they didn't have much idea of the enemy's specific strength.
At least, searching the sea surface like this... Plant-based Undead Ships? They certainly wouldn't pose much of a threat to them.
However, those plant-based long-range attacks did have their merits.
Especially the barrage-like seed attacks. If the ships were close together, they could definitely give the enemy a pleasant surprise.
But it was clear they never even entered that range.
Because both sides had impressive long-range attacks, the battle was resolved at a considerable distance.
"Alright, everyone, stay alert."
With that, everyone returned to their positions.
This allowed the ship to move quickly toward the land they needed to capture the spirits.
…
"Dangdangdang!"
The crisp, yet slightly piercing, sound of the copper bells echoed once more.
Everyone quickly gathered on the deck.
Both they and the puppet girl performed with remarkable skill.
This wasn't the first time.
Simon arrived, his eye sockets already equipped with sophisticated telescopes.
He aimed directly at the shoreline of the marsh.
"Is this a monster made purely of vines? It looks much more normal."
At the edge of the marsh, a gigantic, crawling beast stood on all fours.
Its body was completely covered in vines and various weeds, making it unclear whether it was a giant beast or a monster made entirely of plants.
But its head was covered in three petals, with dense lines protruding like plant roots.
A slender tongue swirled from its mouthparts, spitting out dark green, poisonous liquid.
Countless tentacle-like vines danced about its body.
This monster was one of the more aesthetically pleasing of all the monsters they had encountered so far.
It at least looked reasonable, the fusion of undead and plant life seamless.
"Judging from its structure, its head should be capable of launching ranged attacks. Be cautious."
It couldn't launch ranged attacks, nor would it provoke them a kilometer or two from the coastline.
As Jason finished speaking, the petals of the enemy's petal-shaped head fully opened.
The tongue-like roots stood erect, pointed in the direction of their ship.
The green liquid converged, forming a straight line that shot straight at them.
The layers of mirrors instantly blocked the liquid's path.
The mirrors seemed to have a special coating on their surfaces, and the incantations on them flickered faintly.
The ranged attack from the dark green liquid shattered only the first mirror before the following mirrors completely blocked it.
"A pure energy attack?" This was something Alka hadn't expected.
He had been planning to absorb the enemy's attack and then deflect it.
However, his current strength in reality was limited to deflecting physical attacks.
He had thought the venom was truly an attack made up of the venom from his mouth or body.
It turned out to be an energy toxin formed by the concentration of magical power.
So the mirrors couldn't absorb or deflect it, they could only silently endure it.
Thankfully, the defensive mirrors had been reinforced and treated with various protective measures, making them very useful at this stage.
The monster continued to spray, its venom completely blocked by the various mirrors that suddenly appeared.
Until the Voice of Dawn left his sight.
It could only roar in the direction of the ship's departure.
Watching this situation, Simon turned his head helplessly.
"Is this monster's ranged attack just that good? Why does it keep attacking for no apparent reason?"
"You should be used to it by now," Juanlu grumbled.
"And who knows what it would taste like if eaten."
They had been sailing along this edge for thirteen days and nights. According to their calculations, they should be leaving the boundary between life and death and heading to other areas.
They deliberately chose the right side to ensure they would reach the Land of the Spirits.
But at least here at the boundary between life and death, these monsters were indeed extremely aggressive. The larger, seemingly powerful ones were extremely difficult to kill.
Earlier, they had even seen a giant flower that was over ten meters tall.
It was constantly spraying all kinds of ranged attacks at them.
Even Azora's destruction had only left a huge gaping wound in his body, and by the time they left, that gap had already been repaired.
However, it was only using its normal maximum power attack, so the range it created wasn't enough to cause fatal damage.
But the enormous flower monster's strength was definitely at or above Stage Four.
Not to mention that a monster of this size couldn't be judged by normal power levels.
At this moment, Pororo seemed to sense something and suddenly leaped from the deck.
Seeing this, the few people chatting on the deck instantly became alert, concentrating their magic power to monitor the situation below.
Pororo's actions clearly indicated he had sensed the danger within the ocean.
At this point, Pororo's ocean threat perception, even under alert conditions, could reach far further than the Dawnstar's normal detection.
A few hundred meters above the surface, a splash erupted.
Several vines could be seen extending outward, then falling back into the water.
A swirling current formed on the distant surface, and chaos reigned beneath the ocean.
Seeing this, Matresa and Julia, both marine creatures, were about to jump into the water.
They saw a gray-black flash of lightning spread across the area ahead.
The entire sea surface gradually grew quiet. This stopped them in their tracks.
The outcome was clearly decided.
Judging from the situation, Pororo must have won. Sure enough, Pororo leaped out of the water, carrying a gigantic, strange creature onto the deck.
"Is this also a monster from the Marsh Sea?" Simon crouched beside it, studying it. It was a monster remarkably similar to a shark.
Simon pushed aside the seaweed and vines entwined around it, revealing a shark skeleton beneath.
It was a strange, undead creature composed of a shark skeleton and plant vines.
Even standing right next to it, one could sense the vibrant life emanating from this undead creature.
It was so strange.
The feeling made Alka scratch her cheek uncomfortably.
It felt a bit like someone wearing red and green clothes walking back and forth in front of you.
Facing such a monster.
Matlisa showed incredible interest, fiddling with it constantly.
A variety of cutting tools appeared in her hands.
In front of everyone, she cut away a section of the vines, revealing the skeleton underneath.
It was like peeling skin.
"How bizarre!"
Looking at the complete structure underneath, Matlisa was a little surprised.
Not only Matlisa, but even the completely clueless Pororo could see it.
It wasn't just a simple undead creature covered in vines, as they had imagined.
Instead, the undead and the vines were completely intertwined and fused together, forming a mutually subservient symbiotic relationship.
Inside the skeleton, one could see plant matter mixed with organs made of rotting flesh.
This shark was dead, yet alive.
The plants formed its internal life-support system, using the skeleton as its framework. Within its transparent green rhizomes and veins, a liquid, like branches, flowed, acting as blood.
Objects resembling fruits and buds formed its organs, pulsing slightly and even emitting light.
As one peered inside, one could smell a faint fragrance of plants and flowers.
There was no trace of the rancid odor characteristic of the undead. If one removed the strange shark's skeleton,
This was a creature composed purely of plants.
By the time they had cleaned up the head,
The undead part was even more significant, as the shark's head hadn't completely decayed or broken down.
At least one-third was still intact, and a relatively intact shark brain could be seen.
The flesh and blood in this area had completely merged with the plant life, making them indistinguishable.
They finally witnessed the strange, chaotic interplay of life and death.
This vine shark offered a glimpse into its uniqueness.
An orange-red sphere floated over, devoid of eyeballs, its massive, toothy mouth taking up almost half its entire body.
It bit down on a stripped vine and chewed rapidly, gushing dark green plant juice.
"What does it feel like?" Jason asked, observing the scene.
Although he wasn't eating it himself, Juanlu still briefly sampled it.
"Honestly, it tastes pretty good."
"Really? Try it yourself and see." Jason had clearly learned his lesson.
He didn't quite believe Juanlu's words.
Hearing this, Juanlu squatted down and took a piece of the peeled vine in his hand.
A small knife appeared in his hand, and he quickly cleaned the vine.
As the outer skin peeled away, the crisp core inside was exposed, looking translucent.
He felt an inexplicable appetite.
He tossed it directly into his mouth and chewed it.
As he finished it, he commented, "The taste is a bit like eating a gyro fruit, soft and fluffy. But the taste is a bit strange, hmm... sweet seafood sashimi? Something like that."
Hearing this comment, Jason frowned beside him.
He was a little confused about the combination.
"Forget it, I'd rather not try it."
The three mouth-shaped spheres beside the ring furnace began to devour the stripped plant vines.
"How does it enhance me?" Alka asked, more concerned about this aspect.
"It might increase my life force a little bit."
Well, it's not much, but it's precious."
After all, things like life energy enhancement are rare.
As the three spheres were devoured, the energy they gained began to transfer into Juanlu's body.
The others could clearly see that Juanlu's complexion had brightened and his spirit had become fuller.
"This change is temporary. The permanent enhancement should only strengthen my vitality and, by the way, my recovery speed."
Juanlu commented on his own transformation.
Only a small portion of the objects Juanlu devoured through treasures and his own bloodline would be retained permanently to strengthen his physique.
The majority of food objects only provided temporary status buffs.
Matrica was clearly intrigued by the shark. She packed it up, sealed it, and dragged it into the manufacturing room below.
Sofia had been observing and suddenly said, "Borolu, you used the Thunder of Annihilation, right?" Pororo nodded.
"Did you notice that when the shark was pulled up, the apparent damage wasn't significant?"
Hearing this, everyone looked at Pororo.
Pororo said, "I didn't hold back, but these vines seem very resistant to instant-death damage like Annihilation."
The vines represent plants, but the essence of the undead represents the dead part of them.
This intersection between life and death makes direct destructive damage like Annihilation less effective.
"Compared to this, I think we might be on the verge of leaving this area." "Julia said, gazing into the distance.
Hearing this, everyone turned their heads and looked toward the seashore.
The dark green hue was already receding.
At the end of their sight ahead, they saw a shimmering emerald green.
It was brighter and more vibrant than the one here, full of life.
Julia, with her exceptional perceptiveness, remarked.
"That must be the land of the spirits. I can sense that the chaos there has greatly diminished. It's very stable, and the breath of life is carried by the breeze.
It's like... like being in a garden of seeds of life."
In life, it's the equivalent of the Church of Our Lady of the Blessed Virgin.
It's a religious organization that believes in life.
Julia could once have been considered one of them.
Is breath like life?
Could there be some connection between the two?
After hearing this, Alka gazed at the emerald green sealine in the distance and couldn't help but wonder.