Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea.
On the vast sea, a huge ship was silently floating, escorted by four frigates. (TL/N: A frigate is a warship that is smaller than a destroyer. Frigates are used for a variety of missions, including scouting, escorting merchant ships, and defending against air threats)
This huge ship was none other than the Margaret. As for the four frigates, they belonged to the Austrian Navy's new generation of Novara-class frigates, named after the first frigate of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
However, these four Novara-class frigates were currently "rented" by Blackwater International and employed by Josh, the Dutch governor. That's why they were flying the Dutch flag.
These frigates weren't particularly advanced, and their specifications were quite low, with a full load displacement of only 3,600 tons.
Their design was based on the Garcia-class frigates built by the U.S. in the 1960s, the last traditional frigates before the era of missile frigates.
It wasn't that Josh didn't want to build more advanced warships.
But the Navy was different from the Army and Air Force. Having the technology wasn't enough to build a strong navy overnight.
Austria had a solid foundation in land and air forces, with well-developed heavy industry and advanced engine technology. The famous Steyr automobile company originally came from Austria.
After the annexation of Bavaria, Austria's industrial strength increased significantly.
Famous companies such as Messerschmitt, BMW, Audi, and Siemens all originated in Bavaria.
With such a strong foundation, Austria was able to quickly build up its land and air military industries once Josh provided the necessary technology.
The navy, however, was a different story.
After the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed and Austria lost its coastline, its large shipbuilding industry completely disappeared. It had to start from scratch, with no previous experience.
Even with the technology, it was impossible to jump right into building aircraft carriers or large destroyers.
Otherwise, they might end up launching a ship only for it to capsize immediately—that would be embarrassing.
Yes, this was a reference to a certain country.
So, the navy had to start with small and medium-sized ships, gradually gaining experience.
Frigates were a good choice.
Even a frigate could be used creatively.
For example, these four frigates were equipped with anti-submarine helicopters, which was groundbreaking at the time.
Although they were officially "rented" by Blackwater International, the crew on board were actually still Austrian Navy personnel—just wearing different uniforms and flying a different flag.
The real purpose was simply to use this opportunity to gain some open-sea experience.
After all, the Margaret might be a cruise ship, but its special internal modifications made it even more powerful than most destroyers. It didn't really need escorting.
At this moment, Josh was leisurely playing golf on the luxurious top deck of the Margaret.
After the New Delhi incident, he had parted ways with Claire Vayan and the others. He first traveled to Nepal to meet up with the First Jedi Knight Squad, retrieve the Apocalypse Tank, and then took a plane through Babayan before boarding the Margaret, which was waiting in the Arabian Sea.
With a crisp "click," Josh sent the golf ball flying dozens of feet before it splashed into the sea.
Just then, Vito walked over from the other side.
"Boss, Ophelia just sent word. The target has been captured and will arrive in about two hours," Vito reported.
"No issues?" Josh nodded and asked.
"None. Mumbai, like the rest of the country, is in chaos. No one even noticed Ophelia's actions," Vito replied, shaking his head.
There was no doubt that the "Natasha Romanoff" who captured Golden Hook in Mumbai was actually Ophelia. The people assisting her were none other than the First Jedi Knight Squad, which had previously wreaked havoc in New Delhi.
Two hours later, a small cargo ship appeared in the distance near the Margaret.
After contact was made, a shipping container was transferred from the cargo ship into the Margaret's special cargo hold.
"Hmm? This feeling..."
Josh, who had rushed over after receiving the news, immediately sensed something unusual as soon as he stepped into the cargo hold.
"Boss, is something wrong?" Ophelia, who was already waiting, stepped forward with a puzzled expression.
"There is something off—these Eternals are even more interesting than I expected!"
Josh's expression turned slightly strange, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.
The reason was simple—he could sense an unusually strong presence of mana in the cargo hold.
Mana was an energy that lingered in the air, something he had become aware of after learning Five Elements Magic from Cailin in the Mummy Universe.
However, the books he had read didn't explain the true nature of mana—only that it was the foundation for controlling the Five Elements.
Absorbing and using mana from the air was usually a slow and difficult process because the ambient mana levels were usually extremely low.
Josh had been able to quickly master Five Elements Magic largely due to the Pool Of Eternity, an otherworldly treasure rich in mana.
But now, he could clearly feel that the mana concentration in the air inside the cargo hold was several times higher than normal—and highly active.
This was the first time he'd experienced this sensation in this particular hold, which meant that the cause wasn't the environment, but the cargo itself.
His gaze immediately locked onto the shipping container that had just been brought aboard—the one containing the Eternal, Kingo.
At the same time, he recalled information about the Eternals.
The Eternals were creations of the Celestials.
And the Celestials were the creations and assistants of Eternity, the supreme god of Marvel's cosmic hierarchy. They were the most powerful energy producers in the physical universe.
It was the Celestials who granted the Eternals the ability to absorb cosmic energy without limits.
This endless cosmic energy was what gave the Eternals their near-immortal lifespans and allowed them to use the unique abilities bestowed upon them by the Celestials.
So—could mana actually be cosmic energy? Or was it some similar kind of energy?
Josh couldn't help but wonder.
One thing was certain—the presence of an Eternal affected the mana levels in the surrounding air.
Otherwise, there was no explanation for the change in the cargo hold's mana concentration.
The real question was—could he directly extract mana from an Eternal?
If he could...
A wild idea took root in Josh's mind.
"Open the container!"
His gaze toward the container became intense, making Ophelia—who had no idea what was happening—look at him with confusion, even suspecting that there was something wrong with his preferences.
Still, under Josh's orders, she obediently had the container opened.
As the doors swung open, Kingo was revealed inside—his collarbones pierced through and his body bound with multiple layers of restraints, leaving only his head free to move.
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