Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Simply put, any Extraordinary who picked up the Dragon’s Breath Cannon instantly became first-tier combat power.

No, that was too conservative—being able to instantly kill a first-tier 【Investigator】, even the strongest 【Skin-Shedder】 in direct combat, could not achieve such a feat.

What’s more, even after an Investigator strengthened his body to its peak, the Dragon’s Breath Cannon could still blast him into nothing but scraps.

From now on, Extraordinary combat power would only be divided into two categories: those who had the Dragon’s Breath Cannon, and those who didn’t. As for the Extraordinary’s own strength, it no longer mattered much.

As long as one was Extraordinary, possessing physical qualities far beyond the average person, they could wield the Dragon’s Breath Cannon. With it, they could immediately stand at the very pinnacle of power.

This upheaval to the entire Supernatural System was no less than the first time someone brought a pistol onto a dueling ground.

And thus, the Extraordinary was reduced from a mighty, mysterious existence to nothing more than a carrier for the Dragon’s Breath Cannon.

Hughes felt his mind sway for a moment. Perhaps the world really would change.

“Richard, optimization of the Dragon’s Breath Cannon must continue. From the looks of it, this weapon has great potential for improvement. By the way, what is its effective range in Extraordinary combat?”

“Very short. The Dragon’s Breath Cannon’s jet stream decays rapidly after leaving the barrel. At present, it doesn’t even reach a hundred meters, and its maximum killing range is only about thirty meters.” Richard pushed up his monocle. “In fact, I would recommend using it in close combat, like Granny does. That way, the opponent has almost no reaction time.”

Hughes sighed inwardly. The weapon was indeed powerful, but its range was far too short—making it ill-suited for the battlefield.

“Granny, there is something else I want to ask. What exactly is the situation in the Northlands?”

Hearing this question, Granny’s expression also grew serious.

“I didn’t get very far before I was targeted by that 【Investigator】. In fact, I only made it near the Dragon Fang Grand Duchy.”

Hughes unfurled the map at those words and looked at the position of the Northlands.

The Four Northern Territories had three Grand Dukes. The Dragon Fang Grand Duke’s domain lay to the south. The Alvarez Grand Duke’s territory stretched southeast, bordering the Storm Ocean. To the west lay Octavia’s lands. In the middle of the three, sat the domain under the real control of Earl Bazel.

Further north were the Canary Mountains, spanning across the Empire’s northern border, facing the ruins of the White Raven Principality, and blocking the White Calamity’s southern march.

Granny pointed to a spot on the map. It was a medium-sized town, still far from the Earl’s lands where the Resistance Army was active.

“I was too far away, unable to make contact with any members of the Resistance.” Granny sighed. “I know the ways of 【Investigators】—once they discover a Moth Chasing Fire, they report it immediately. Whether I killed him or not, more agents of the Church would surely come.”

“How could the Church be in the Northlands? Does the Dragon Fang Grand Duke still have ties with the Empire?”

“Hard to say. Mortal wars don’t restrain the Extraordinary much. Most can bypass mortal blockades with ease. So, agents of the Church appearing isn’t unusual. What’s rare is a place like Tis, where no trace of the Church exists at all.”

Granny paused, frowning. “Perhaps the Prince has put great effort into sealing the Northlands. After all, he has Extraordinary under his command as well.”

“Speaking of which, Galahad is also an Extraordinary, isn’t he? What path does he follow?”

Granny’s expression immediately grew odd. “He is a 【Knight】. Not part of any Church, but rather a path nurtured by nobles. The Knight’s path grants power through oaths. Break the oath, and they lose control. Their combat strength is decent, but their other abilities are plain. Their defining trait is loyalty—bound as they are by vows.”

“I see… how common is this path in the Empire?”

“Not many. Aside from the Royal Family, only a few Dukes still retain the inheritance. It was said the Principality of Tis lost theirs, but it turns out—hmm—aside from Duke Tis, those who have 【Knights】 are mostly Royalists.”

“For example, Duke Cohen’s household has them.”

“Duke Cohen?” Hughes felt his head spin. Why did the Empire have so many Dukes? Their names were harder to remember than physics formulas.

When he looked up, Richard and Granny both wore strange expressions.

Richard cleared his throat. “Ahem, Duke Cohen is a die-hard Royalist. To prove his loyalty, he once sent his illegitimate son to serve as Frontier Count.”

Hughes covered his face with his hand. Now he remembered. No wonder it sounded familiar. So, that man was his illegitimate father.

Why did the entire Empire know he was a bastard?

Wait—did his family have an Extraordinary? Could it be old Connor and the others?

The thought flickered briefly before he cast it aside. The Moth Chasing Fire path excelled at detection—if there had been an Extraordinary, he would have known long ago.

Still, he wondered how his cheap father was doing. Maybe one day, they’d even face each other on the battlefield.

“Let’s not talk about this. With the Empress gone, whether Royalist or not hardly matters. Granny, did you find any word of the Resistance Army in the Northlands?”

“There were some rumors, though none confirmed.”

“Speak freely.”

Granny nodded. “It’s said that Bazel’s Winter Wolves clashed with the Resistance. The Winter Wolves won a decisive victory—the severed heads stacked into hills. The battlefield was utterly tragic.”

Hughes fell silent. Could the Resistance really have been annihilated so completely?

Good thing Nora wasn’t here. She had just felt offended and gone off in a sulk. If she knew about this… it would be too cruel.

“Anything else?”

“Nothing more. This is the latest news, happening only a few days ago.” Granny’s eyes dimmed. “Are we still going to support the Resistance?”

Most did not believe in the Resistance’s chances. Even Nora had to admit they likely wouldn’t last until reinforcements arrived.

Hughes pondered for a long while before his gaze grew firm. “We must help. Whether we’re in time or not, we must at least go and see. Going straight north is impossible, isn’t it?”

He lowered his head to the map. From Tis to the Northlands, the only direct path was through the Dragon Fang Grand Duchy. Westward lay the Empire’s frontlines, eastward the Storm Ocean.

“Send a ship, plus a smaller Airship. We’ll land from here—” Hughes traced the coastline with his finger, “—at Rift Valley City, then cross the Alvarez Grand Duke’s territory to have a look.”

This path was longer, but it avoided the Candlelight Emblem’s patrols.

Granny nodded. The two turned to leave and make preparations.

But before they reached the doorway, Hughes stopped them.

“One more thing. Do you know anything about the strange fog that has appeared over the sea?”

“Fog? The kind that won’t dissipate, dense beyond reason?”

Hughes nodded. That was the fog that had trapped the worker Hughes’s shell.

“Then you should ask Nora. That is the White Calamity—the most terrifying phenomenon in the Northlands.”