<h4>Chapter 518. Iron Statue Ind</h4>


    As he scanned through the contents on the page before him, Charles came to know of the origin of the ind before them.


    Known as Iron Statue Ind, the ind''s discovery could be traced back to four centuries ago. A colossal metallic humanoid statue, whose head nearly reached the rocky ceiling overhead, dominated the ind''sndscape. However, the creators of the statue that could be considered a miracle of engineering had remained unknown throughout the years.


    Although the ind seemed to be cursed that no inder could live beyond the age of forty-seven, the ind''s rich iron deposits proved irresistible to many. Thus, early explorers had settled here and harvested the statue''s metal.


    The relentless harvesting persisted for over four hundred years and now, only half of the once-majestic sculpture remained.


    The bulk of materials required for the construction of most steamships in the Subterranean Sea were supplied by two inds—Iron Statue Ind and Volcano Ind. The colossal statue could be said to have yed a vital role in the seascape''s maritime industry.


    "Wow! Mr. Charles, this ind looks even more interesting than those long, stick-like inds we''ve seen before! Who do you think this statue is modeled after?" Lily asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and her mouse tail wagging with excitement as she peered downward at the statue.


    Charles drummed his fingers rhythmically on the window frame as a previous n came to mind. He then lifted Lily onto his shoulder and turned toward the hatch.


    "Let''s go down and check it out," Charles proposed. "Hopefully, there are still survivors in the ind''s Explorers Association."


    The formidable fleet of Hope Ind slowly approached the docks.


    Charles stepped into the sunlight and gazed toward the dock, but sadly, he spotted no sign of life. The dock was cluttered with heaps of scattered metal but was eerily deserted without a single human in sight.


    "This can''t be, right? With that massive statue casting a shadow, the poption here shouldn''t have been wiped out like the other inds..." Charles muttered to himself as he looked up at the imposing legs of the iron statue.


    Lily tugged at Charles'' sleeve with her tiny paws. "Mr. Charles, should I send my mice out to scout?"


    Charles slowly shook his head. "No need. We are not exploring an uncharted ind. If there were any dangers on this habitable ind, the former inders would have triggered them long ago."


    Under Charles'' lead, the group cautiously moved toward the heart of the ind. Although Charles hadn''t issued anymands, under themodore''s orders, all soldiers had their firearms loaded in case of any unexpected situations.


    "Captain, there were still people living on this ind not long ago," Dipp knelt down on one leg to examine the footprints on the ground. "These prints are no more than four days old. The person wore leather shoes, a man, likely overweight."


    "Get up. I didn''t bring you here to y detective," Charles instructed and continued forward.


    Following themodore''s orders, the navy soldiers began a thorough search of the entire dock. Yet despite the carpet search, they found not a single soul.


    As Charles stepped out of the harbor district, he noticed the tender shoots of bananas nted in the fields. It was an indication that Sparkle had also sent seeds to the ind they were on.


    <i>How on earth? Where did everyone go? </i>Charles murmured to himself.


    "Mr. Charles, maybe it''s time to send my mice out? They can really help!" Lily suggested enthusiastically.


    Charles stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before replying, "Forget it; let''s head back. Whatever happened to the people here, it''s none of our concern."


    However, just as he turned around and was about to leave, a figure emerged from the vast shadow of the huge iron statue in the distance and called out, "Is that you, Governor Charles?"


    <i>Huh? There''s someone who recognizes me on this ind? </i>Charles paused in his tracks and turned to face the approaching figure.


    Under the wary gazes of everyone, the figure came before Charles. Upon seeing the octopus tattoo on her face, everyone immediately recognized her identity.


    "Governor Charles, you''ve finally arrived. The high priest has been waiting for you," the elderly woman said with a polite and amicable smile.


    Recalling what he had read about the ind from the book, Charles lifted his gaze and asked, "I don''t remember this ind belonging to the Fhtagn Covenant. What are you doing here?"


    "We don''t have enough poption on Divinity''s Land, so the high priest sent us here to gather the remaining inders," the old woman replied. As her voice faded, thousands of people formed a long line in the shadow of the colossal metal giant and marched toward where Charles and his group were located.


    Holding up ck umbres, their expressions were fraught with uncertainty and fear. From their attire, it was clear that these were the inders who had vanished.


    "So, you guys have gone into human trafficking? What''s the n? To sacrifice these folks to your Great One?" A hint of understanding flickered across Charles'' gaze before he turned and walked toward his airship.


    "No, no, no," the elderly woman hurriedly denied. "The high priest has issued a new decree to ban human sacrifices. Instead of death, their more crucial role now is to reproduce. As soon as a woman gets her first period, she must bear children.


    "This isn’t just for the Fhtagn Covenant! It''s also for the survival of humanity! Anyone who gives birth receives a reward."


    Charles let out a scoff and quickened his pace. He casually waved a hand at his neatly lined up naval soldiers and instructed, "Let''s go."


    The elderly Fhtagnist hastened her steps to keep up with Charles. Once again, her voice was overflowing with respect as she said, "Governor Charles, please allow us to lead the way. The seas have been roughtely; the ck whirlpools and green-tailed fish schools have be more frequent. It could be troublesome if we encounter them."


    Charles cast a nce at the old woman. "Fine. Be quick."


    The old woman responded with a slight smile before raising her hands toward the sea. Suddenly, the water arched dramatically as several dpidated shipwrecks rose from the ocean floor. She then started to instruct her subordinates to herd the inders toward those ships.


    "Mr. Charles, should we do something to save them? They look so pitiful." Lily''s ears drooped down, brushing against her golden fur.


    "Why do we need to save them? The Fhtagn Covenant isn''t going to kill them; they''re just replenishing their numbers."


    "But... but..." Lily''s voice trembled. She looked to be on the verge of tears as she witnessed their misery.


    "There''s no ''but''," Charles replied. "Even if we save them now, we can’t protect them forever. The Eastern Seas has always been the Fhtagn Covenant''s territory. Without the Divine Light Order to keep them in check, they''ve be the true rulers of this region.


    "Don''t worry, though. I still have an unsettled score with them. They can''t be a nuisance for much longer. Given how much they despise me, it''s a problem I''ll have to deal with sooner orter."


    Charles ced a hand over Lily''s hand and boarded the airship.


    The grand fleet left the harbor, and under the guidance of the ghostly procession of sunken ships, they steered into the deeper region of the Eastern Seas.


    Along the way, they would encounter a few more shipwrecks from time to time. However, those shipwrecks would quickly join the vanguard convoy to lead Charles and his fleet forward.


    Those ships appeared to be transporting inders, too. It appeared that the Fhtagn Covenant seemed intent on gathering everyone in the Eastern Seas in one ce.


    Soon enough, everyone noticed something unusual. As they ventured deeper into the Eastern Seas, the overhead rocky terrain seemed to be drawing increasingly closer to the sea surface.