"Boom... Boom!..."

"Boom... Crack!..."

By the coast of the Mann Tribe, a recently polished and cleaned 8-pound long barrel cannon, which had just been test-fired, let out a faint smoke. In the forest facing the cannon, dust rose up. A tall mistletoe tree was directly hit by a heavy stone bullet, breaking branches and splitting in two!

"Lord Almighty! The power of this Evil Demon Artifact is so strong?!"

"Ancestors and Great Divine Spirit! Such a thick Healing Wood, it would take an axe half a day to cut... and yet the Thundering Magic Weapon broke it with a single blow?!"

"Ai! The resin is flowing out! It's good stuff, it can heal! Collect it in a bowl!..."

Seeing the effect of the 8-pound "heavy cannon", the watching Taino Militia exclaimed continuously, even the Kingdom's Warriors were left speechless, showing faint awe. The power of this long-barrel Magic Artifact was clearly beyond imagination, several times greater than the Kingdom's Tiger Squat Cannon and Eagle Cannon!

Some local tribespeople, though fearful, endured and approached with clay bowls and wooden bowls to collect the resin from the broken mistletoe tree.

This Caribbean Sea specialty tree, known locally as "Healing Wood", produces resin with strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects, able to treat common coastal tribe injuries, joint rheumatism, gastrointestinal inflammation, and, indeed, the resistant syphilis among American Natives.

"Good! Very good! Blessed by the Lord Almighty! Old turtle, your pearl diving team did very well! You are graced by the Lord Almighty, possessing extraordinary abilities, touched by the divinity of the deep sea... I'll form a special diving team, directly under the East Sea Priesthood. The diving team will tentatively consist of ten people, and you'll be the team leader!..."

"Ah?... Eee!… Ah Ba!..."

The young priest Xiu Maoying smiled warmly, gesturing to uplift the kneeling and kowtowing old turtle. Due to years of diving, the old turtle's skin was rough and pale, forming a special horny texture, feeling much like pieces of chalky old tree bark.

"Chabo, you've salvaged the Evil Demon Artifact, which is indeed a significant achievement! Whether pearls or gemstones, or fields and houses, the Temple's rewards won't be few!… What? You want this thick and long Thundering Magic Weapon on your ship?… Hmm… I can't decide that, it'll need Tomate Chief Priest's decision on where to place this Artifact..."

Xiu Maoying smiled, chatted with the Red-haired Captain Chabo for a few more words, and then turned towards the silent, faintly smiling noble scholar, priest apprentice Martin. After pondering for a moment, he patted Martin's shoulder, smiling and praising him.

"Adin, the 'diving bell' and 'rope pulley' you designed indeed had a miraculous effect. I'll write to Tomate Chief Priest to acknowledge your accomplishments! As for the reward, I see you quite like pearls, so I'll reward you with two pounds of pearls! You can instruct the warriors escorting you to have them made into necklaces or ornaments..."

"Thank you! Generous Cat Owl Priest, brother of the Great Prophet!"

Scholar Martin lowered his head respectfully, performing a formal courtesy. He understood the standing of this "Haiti Priest", roughly equivalent to a diocesan bishop in the Catholic World.

Moreover, what's even more significant, is that this bishop's "brother" holds the position of "Cardinal" in the Native Kingdom, someone who was "Enshrined as a Prophet" during their lifetime, an incredible, truly powerful "Devil's Apostle"!

Yes, in this moment of scholar Martin's mind, Xiulote's image was akin to the "Morning Star" of Christian faith, the demon Satan Lucifer! Especially when their title is the "God of Death and Rebirth", "Morning Star that guards the Sun", which does not just resemble Lucifer, but is exactly alike!...

When Martin first learned that this mysterious and powerful "Devil's Apostle" had prophesied their arrival years earlier, deploying hundreds of warriors onto the islands to await and even ambush Columbus's fleet, the overwhelming shock was indescribable...

Initially, Martin trembled all over, incredulous, unable to believe, hard to comprehend! Then, faced with undeniable, repeatedly verified prophetic reality, his faith in the Lord finally crumbled, turning towards the demon of his heart!

"Merciful Lord! His miracles have long disappeared, the Divine Son's redemption long separated by millennia, marching toward the collapse before the Last Judgment... While today's Holy See, today's Cardinals in various places, have lost the divinity of ancient saints, even the precious virtues of the clergymen have wholly vanished..."

"And the demon's power envelops the world, not only wrapping around the evil Southern Continent, but also covering the endless Western Sea... A living, predicting Devil's Apostle appeared before me once again!"

"The demon's tentacles are entwined around me! I'm just an ordinary mortal, how can I resist the erosion of my soul? Faced with the mighty demon power, how could I not bow my head?..."

"Lord! It's not that I'm unfaithful, Martin, but the demons are too strong, ingraining the demon's Emblem into me, feeding me the demon's potion!... From this day forth, I'm no longer Martin who believes in the Lord, but merely Adin enveloped in the demon..."

In the Temple, Martin trembled with fear, hesitated, and was uncomfortably anxious. But all such struggles melted away in the dark Divine Smoke and Holy Water, under the demon's prophecy and guidance, within the teachings and rituals of the priests, dissolving together with his "fallen demon" soul.

Finally, he opened the "Devil's Book" given to him by Tomate, read the "Devil's Profane Scripture", studied the "Prophecy symbolizing demon power", and that final "Plague Book"... And a month later, when he walked out of the Temple again, he had utterly changed, now a priest apprentice adorned with a Feather Crown...

At this moment, memories of the past flash before my mind, like a black veil shrouding the past. Scholar Martin clearly understands that he can never return, whether in body or soul, to the world of the Lord! Whether in darkness or light, there is only one long abyssal road to take now, and that is the priest's path of the "Devil Tribe"!

"Chief Divine's protection! Adin, you know a lot and can make many useful tools, like the 'angle ruler' for measuring star angles, the 'hourglass' for accurately measuring time... these 'East Sea knowledge and memories' you possess... Hmm, as I mentioned before, are you interested in taking some apprentices and teaching them properly?..."

"Ah, Huitzilopo's protection! Respected Cat Owl Priest, I am willing to dedicate myself to the 'god' and impart some knowledge from the academy... But this knowledge involves a lot of mathematical calculations, requiring those who learn it to have a good mathematical foundation. Perhaps clever kids around six or seven years old should start learning bit by bit... As for those strong warriors, they may be more skilled at wielding knives and bows..."

"Oh! I understand what you mean! I will write another letter so that Black Wolf Marshal can select some promising Maya youth apprentices from the Maya Lands... As for here, you should first teach a group of children around six or seven years old, and then choose the four smartest ones to be your following apprentices, whom you can teach alongside... What, you're asking about gender? Hmm, boys or girls are fine!..."

Xiu Maoying settled the matter of Martin's teaching with just a few words. Then, he cast a serious glance at that shiny, thick, black 8-pound cannon and inquired with scholar Martin.

"Adin, this time, one ship of the 'Porto Tribe' exploration fleet was captured, and one escaped. We don't know if it will make it back alive... According to your insights, when will the next Porto fleet arrive? How large might it be?..."

"Cat Owl Priest, the Kingdom of Portugal is aware of the news of the Western New Route, aware of the connection between here and the East. King Joao II of Portugal is ambitious, and he will certainly not ignore the Western New Route, just like his decision to detain Columbus!"

Scholar Martin rubbed his deliberately shaved chin and pondered cautiously. His understanding of the "powerful Kingdom of the Lake" is indeed very vague.

Rationally, he thought this might not be Cipangu, nor India. But as for what Eastern country this Native Kingdom really is, and why it uses square characters? He had many contradictory speculations, but all lacked further information. Eventually, he could only attribute it to devil beliefs, to the legendary "Devil's Apostle" who "created writing."

"Cat Owl Priest, regardless of whether Captain Bruno returns alive, the second exploration fleet of the Kingdom of Portugal will set sail in September or October of this year!..."

"According to the Portuguese habits, they will continue to cautiously investigate, understand the relationships of various tribes, draw navigational maps, and then seek to establish a safe base... Not necessarily in these 'dangerous' archipelago waters, it may be in the safer South, Southeast, or even on the Southern Continent with the green Forest Sea..."

"Similarly, their second fleet personnel will not be many. If Bruno has not brought back news, it might still be two vanguard exploration ships. If Bruno has returned, more ships and soldiers might be sent, perhaps three to five ships, a hundred or two... But even then, that's the limit!"

"The Kingdom of Portugal's power is ultimately limited, with two routes of exploration. Currently, they have already dedicated major naval forces towards the Southern Continent. While they value the Atlantic New Route, they cannot muster many personnel at once..."

"What should be more cautious of is the Kingdom of Castile! They too have heard the news of the Atlantic New Route, regardless of whether Columbus is released. Their fleet will set out again. As for the time, if not this fall, then next fall. Moreover, their second fleet will surely be numerous! And there will be a third batch, fourth batch!"

"Oh?! The Fort Tribe will come in great numbers? The latest would be next fall?"

Upon hearing, Xiu Maoying mused. He recalled his brother Xiulote's prophecy, indeed considering this Fort Tribe as the most dangerous enemy. Not only because they are ruthless, murderous, unscrupulously seeking gold and wealth. But also because they come in great numbers, with various criminals and scum packed onto ships, certainly bringing terrible 'disease,' spreading deadly 'Great Plague'!

"Adin, are you sure?"

"I'm very sure! It is inevitable!"

"Chief Divine witnesses! Why?"

"Huitzilopo witnesses! Castilians will surely come in great numbers, and they will continually load bankrupt Crusader knights and mercenaries onto ships and transport them here!..."

At this moment, scholar Martin spoke resolutely, gazing at the vast sea, narrating the reality of the Catholic World with the insight of a noble scholar.

"Because, the Kingdom of Castile is already on the brink of bankruptcy, unable to sustain these thousands who only know how to murder and arson, incapable of farming and herding, the Holy War Army!"

"Rather than letting them pillage, burn, and loot, causing chaos and destruction in the conquered heartland of Granada, affecting the kingdom's taxation..."

"It is better to let them explore and raid overseas! If they can plunder overseas wealth and return, they can repay the church and pay taxes to the Kingdom of Castile. If they plunder nothing and die in the depths of the sea... Then the Almighty... cough... Chief Divine's protection! They can be one less trouble!"

"Therefore, they are the hunting dogs and blades of Castilians, alive, they must catch prey, they must kill people!"

"Hunting dogs and blades? I see... It seems the scale of divine battles next year will be larger than this year indeed!..."

Xiu Maoying frowned, gazing toward the Eastern horizon. As the sun was setting, reflecting endless red hues, like unending blood. This blood-red scene seemed far away but would soon be close at hand. And he was at the forefront of that blood-red line~