Heretic Trainer: The Gym Is My Cultivation Method-Chapter 419: Stealth Mission Turned Boat Chase

Dahlia was the first to rise from the water.

She placed one hand on the wet rock and pulled herself up quietly.

Clara followed right after, pushing her soaked hair back and crouching low.

Eliza surfaced last, silent as always, and climbed up without making a sound.

The pirate base stood ahead of them, built against the cliffs.

Wooden platforms connected small towers, and torches burned near the main hall.

A few guards were walking lazily along the outer path.

Clara peeked over the edge of the rock. "So this is the pirate base, huh?"

Dahlia narrowed her eyes, scanning the layout carefully.

"And there’s a Draconia inside," she said calmly.

Eliza nodded once. "I heard them talking a week ago. They mentioned ’Young Master Darrell.’"

Dahlia’s expression didn’t change, but her gaze sharpened. "Darrell..."

Clara glanced at her. "You know him?"

Dahlia gave a faint smirk. "Of course, but I didn’t think he would be here. This will be interesting."

They began moving along the shadows near the cliff wall, stepping carefully between rocks and crates.

The sound of waves crashing helped cover their movements.

But before they could get closer to the main building, Eliza suddenly raised her hand slightly.

There was movement around them, so all of them crouched lower to avoid being found out.

A group of pirates came out of the central hall, escorting a tall man wearing dark red armor trimmed with dragon patterns.

Behind him, a few Draconia guards followed closely.

They were heading toward a massive ship anchored at the far side of the base.

Dahlia’s smirk widened slightly.

She inhaled slowly. "I can smell him."

Clara turned her head. "What?"

Dahlia’s eyes remained locked on the man walking toward the ship.

"The smell," she said quietly. "Even if he suppresses it, I recognize it."

Clara stared at her. "How can your nose be that good? Are you a dog or a dragon?"

Dahlia shot her a flat look. "Whatever."

She lowered her body further and pointed toward the ship. "Change target."

Clara blinked. "You don’t want to clear the base first?"

Dahlia shook her head slightly. "If he leaves, this becomes boring."

Eliza shifted position quietly beside them. "So we follow the ship?"

Dahlia nodded. "We follow the ship."

Clara grinned. "Now this is getting interesting."

They watched as Darrell stepped onto the ship deck and gave orders to his men.

Sailors began preparing the ropes and raising part of the sail.

Dahlia’s eyes remained calm but focused. "He thinks he’s leaving safely."

Clara cracked her knuckles quietly. "So what’s the plan?"

Dahlia glanced at the water between the rocks and the ship. "We swim again."

Clara sighed dramatically. "We just got out."

Dahlia smirked. "Warm-up round two."

Eliza was already sliding back toward the water without complaint.

Clara muttered under her breath but followed.

Dahlia took one last look at the pirate base.

"You can keep your base," she whispered quietly.

Her eyes shifted toward the ship. "But I’m taking you."

Then she slipped back into the water, disappearing beneath the surface as the ship slowly began to move away from the dock.

---

On the deck of the ship, the wind pushed hard against the sails as the vessel slowly left the pirate base behind.

Darrell Draconia stood at the front of the deck, hands gripping the wooden railing tightly.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. "To think the Solmira Clan has grown this bold."

He exhaled sharply, staring at the horizon. "Just how far has Draconia fallen..."

One of the other Draconia members, a slightly older man in light armor, stepped closer but kept a respectful distance.

"What can I say, Young Master Darrell," the man said carefully. "Since the demon war... and since Miss Dahlia’s departure..."

Darrell’s head snapped toward him. "Don’t you dare say that name."

The man immediately lowered his head. "Forgive me."

Darrell’s expression twisted with anger.

"All because of her," he said through clenched teeth. "The clan became a joke."

He stepped away from the railing and began pacing across the deck. "She and her stupid mother."

A few sailors nearby pretended not to hear.

"And now," Darrell continued, his voice rising slightly, "because she rose under God Gym, our clan is being mocked again."

He stopped pacing and slammed his fist against the wooden mast. The wood creaked but held.

"We are Draconia," he said loudly. "The Clan of Dragons."

His dragon aura flared briefly, a faint wave of pressure pushing the nearest sailors to step back. "How can we fall this far?"

The assistant beside him sighed quietly but kept his face neutral. "Times have changed, Young Master."

Darrell shot him a glare. "Changed?"

He let out a short, humorless laugh. "Solmira pressures us. God Gym rises. Pirates can’t even move freely anymore."

He looked back at the dark sea. "Change the destination."

The assistant blinked. "Young Master?"

Darrell’s eyes were cold. "We’re not going back to the main clan."

The assistant frowned. "But the order was..."

"I know what the order was," Darrell cut in sharply.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Solmira is pressuring us. Draconia’s authority is shaking."

His fists clenched at his sides. "This time, I can’t take it anymore."

The assistant hesitated. "Young Master... the Patriarch is handling it carefully."

Darrell’s jaw tightened.

"If my father won’t act," he said firmly, "then I will."

The assistant looked uneasy. "What exactly are you planning?"

Darrell turned back toward the front of the ship. "We go toward the hidden island."

The assistant’s eyes widened slightly. "You intend to...?"

Darrell didn’t look at him. "Yes."

His voice was calm now, but it carried weight. "That island is not officially tied to Draconia."

The assistant stepped closer, lowering his voice. "But if something happens there..."

"It won’t lead back to the clan," Darrell interrupted.

He gripped the railing again, knuckles tightening.

"God Gym thinks they are untouchable. Solmira thinks they can pressure us."

He let out a slow breath. "I’ll show them that Draconia still has teeth."

The assistant glanced at the crew members nearby, then back at Darrell. "This could escalate things."

Darrell finally turned his head slightly. "Good."

The word came out cold. "If fear is what this world understands, then fear is what they will get."

The assistant fell silent.