Chapter 2: Ghost Ship
2015-05-05
Author: Floating Tower
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Fury Sand Island.
This is the largest island within a radius of five hundred kilometers, surrounded by golden beaches, with a dense forest in the center where the city established by Pirate King Asrold is located. Originally, there were many indigenous people here, somewhat similar to Ryukyu, but after Asrold took control and unified the Eastern Sea Route, this place became the pirate stronghold. Compared to Soren’s brutal laws, the management under Pirate King Asrold is much more chaotic; as long as it is not rebellion against other chaos, he rarely intervenes.
Thus, the number of indigenous people around Fury Sand Island has decreased significantly, and eventually the entire city is left just with pirates.
A city composed entirely of pirates lacks vitality.
This is the largest smuggling hub on the Eastern Sea Route; Asrold dares to take in anything that can make money. It is rumored that they even dare to involve certain forbidden areas, with continuous occurrences of black markets. Unlike the Overseas Islands, where routes can return in a month and news cannot be blocked for too long, the Eastern Sea Route takes a long time, with a high chance of encountering storms and sea monsters. If there weren’t so many disappearances, no one would suspect Asrold.
Soren’s fleet approached the overseas city.
Standing on the watchtower with a monocular, he looked at the port and warships ahead, seeing pirate ships flying flags and navy warships from the Rosad Duchy.
What made him slightly uneasy was that Soren noticed some rather strange warships.
Eastern Warships!
Most of the Eastern Pirates’ warships are fast ships; Soren had seen such warships before, at ports near the Death Desert. That place is where the Eastern Pirates are entrenched, controlling both maritime and land trade along with sand robbers. These bandits all have support from nobles, and behind the Eastern Pirates stands a considerable powerful monastery.
Eastern Monks.
Monks are not the same as paladins; some of them are indeed Lawful Evil.
“These are Eastern Pirates!”
Soren jumped down from the watchtower. He glanced at the Fallen Witch beside him and said in a deep voice, “Asrold has been managing the Eastern Sea Route for many years, so it’s not surprising that he can recruit Eastern Pirates! No wonder he suddenly dared to go to war with me. It turns out there is another group supporting him besides the Rosad Duchy.”
The strongest force of the Rosad Duchy is heavy infantry.
Their navy is a weak point; in fact, due to the presence of the Ocean Church, there have not been many powerful navies along the entire Southern Coast.
“Eastern Pirates, huh?”
The Fallen Witch Corinna looked into the distance and said softly, “Those monks are not easy to deal with.”
Soren nodded slightly and said, “I know.”
Just as the silhouette of Fury Sand Island appeared before Soren’s eyes, the opposing warships also discovered them. With a large, black-painted warship marked with the Naga Sea Monster’s bow surfacing, other warships started to converge towards it. Surprisingly, Asrold’s gathered warships outnumbered Soren’s, as the navy of the Rosad Duchy dispatched dozens of warships. Plus, there were the pirate warships under his command and pirate ships from the East. The total number likely approached twice that of Soren’s fleet; however, Soren had brought all medium-sized warships, while the enemy mixed in some small swift ships.
“I haven’t spotted the Duchess of Red Dragon.”
A spell-like light emerged from the palm of the Fallen Witch, which soon transformed into a pair of white eyes. This is the Wizard’s “Far Sight,” an observational spell.
“Brother. Let Vivian deal with them!”
The little girl seemed quite excited today, eagerly watching ahead and said in a crisp voice, “They’re just a group of bigger wooden blocks. Vivian can wipe out a large group by herself.”
Soren placed his hand on her shoulder and said seriously, “Don’t underestimate them.”
“There must also be spellcasters on the other side. The Duchess of Red Dragon comes from an ancient sorcerer family; if she dares to declare war on us, she must be somewhat sure.”
Hundreds of warships faced off in the vast sea.
The pirates shouted as they gathered; the impending battle made many feel a tinge of nervousness, as such a large-scale naval battle hadn’t happened in nearly a century.
Soren did not understand naval warfare.
But, as a top-notch Wanderer, he possessed quite a sharp observational ability.
With just one glance, he could see that the enemy fleet was divided into three parts: first, the Rosad Duchy navy, arranged in a combat formation; they were a regular navy fleet and must have undergone appropriate training. Then there was Pirate King Asrold’s fleet; these warships, like Soren’s, could only barely gather together to protect the flanks and couldn’t form any proper formation. It was likely that Asrold usually commanded only about ten warships, and now with hundreds, he couldn’t manage them effectively.
His troops were equally mixed.
Finally, there were the Eastern Pirates’ warships, numbering about a dozen, all medium-sized or larger, positioned not too far forward; it seemed they had no intention of fighting to the death for Asrold.
Soren’s fleet’s core consisted of just sixteen warships.
Dragon Head Battleship, Half-Elf First Mate, Red-Haired Pirate Woman Adele Isabella, Cyclops Pirate, Scarface, Giant, Butler, Sir, and more, these pirate leaders each commanded their own warships in formation, surrounded by their respective pirate leaders. Without military training, Soren could only disperse his subordinates for command; otherwise, once the battle breaks out, coordination would be impossible. Naval battles are not like marching on land; these pirates are quickly prone to fighting individually.
Woo woo woo!
A strange conch sound suddenly came from afar.
Soren’s face changed instantly, and he shouted, “Be careful! There’s movement under the sea!”
A shadow emerged from the seabed.
Soon, a medium-sized ship on Soren’s fleet’s flank trembled, and in the next moment, it suddenly capsized and sank to the bottom of the sea.
In an instant!
Others finally saw the outline of that shadow, a massive sea serpent with three heads, and a medium-sized warship before it looked like a toy, flipping and sinking in the blink of an eye.
“Let me deal with it!”
The Fallen Witch Corinna frowned tightly, seemingly sensing a momentary dip in morale, and said in a deep voice, “It’s a sea giant beast! Probably a three-headed dragon of the sub-dragon type!…”
Soren raised his hand to stop her, furrowing his brows as he gazed ahead, and said solemnly, “No need!”
Damn Naga Priestess.
Didn’t she say the Naga Sea Clan wouldn’t get involved in this battle?
In the entire marine realm, who else but the Naga Sea Clan could control sub-dragon-type sea behemoths? This damn woman is becoming less trustworthy by the minute!
Boom!
The attack happened.
As the three-headed sea serpent overturned one of Soren’s warships, the pirate fleet on the opposite side also launched an attack; sailors began to load ammunition, and the burly pirate assault teams prepared to approach for close combat. The direct attack came from Asrold’s warships. The navy of the Rosad Duchy and the Eastern Pirate warships surrounded from the side, planning to pincer Soren as if they were making dumplings.
“Greed is not enough to swallow an elephant!”
Soren snorted coldly, opening his mouth to let out a silent roar. With his call, a massive black shadow emerged from the enemy’s flank.
Mutated Orca!
No, no, no.
It should now be the sea giant beast—Harkas.
After gaining a bit of divinity from Soren and further mutating, the orca’s size had surpassed that of a blue whale, reaching nearly fifty meters in length and weighing over 300 tons. Its back was lined with upright bone spines, sharp as javelins, and the scales that grew on it enhanced its defensive capabilities, enabling it to withstand greater impact. It charged into the enemy’s right flank like a ferocious beast, instantly sinking a warship while the giant waves it stirred tossed nearby pirate ships around.
Before the sea giant beast, these warships were simply too small!
Cheers erupted.
The previously low morale instantly revived because, compared to the three-headed sea serpent lurking beneath the sea, the rampaging mutated orca was much more imposing.
Rumbling!
The sound of cannon fire erupted.
Soren turned his gaze to the Half-Elf First Mate behind him and said in a deep voice, “I’ll leave this to you to command!”
Having said that, he flew out directly. Running at high speed on the water felt as if he was running on solid ground.
Walking on water!
With the effect of the acceleration spell, Soren could finally do this.
Rumbling.
In the center of the battlefield, the sea suddenly parted left and right, and then a dark mast emerged, followed by the “Ghost Ship”—The Requiem—breaking through the sea surface and rising into the air. A group of ghastly-looking drowners rotated their cannons, aiming the Requiem’s artillery at the pirate warships on both sides; the next moment, a barrage opened fire, instantly sinking two enemy warships.
The Dragon Head Battleship was stationed in the center.
The one with the strongest killing power was still this quasi-legendary ghost ship.
“Revolving Heavy Cannons!”
Soren pointed with his curved blade, and the ocean wraiths behind him turned the ship’s bow cannons, two revolving heavy cannons fired instantly, sinking a heavily armed ship equipped with 36 heavy cannons.
—”Animate Life (Undead Trait)!”
As Soren sank two warships in succession, the enemy also aimed their cannons at the ghost ship The Requiem, but there was no need for anyone to steer; under Soren’s will, The Requiem automatically adjusted its ghost sails and summoned a mist on the sea, vanishing into it at an astonishing speed. Behind them were sounds of cannon fire, along with the excited howls of wraiths after achieving killing satisfaction. This ship is alive; it can sail automatically according to its master’s will.
“Prepare for close combat!”
Soren looked towards the teams of drowners behind him; the bound undead on the ghost ship revealed grinning faces as they brandished heavy weapons, ready to disembark amidst the mist onto the enemy warships. They are the undead; as long as The Requiem does not sink, they will never truly die, for their souls are one with The Requiem.
—”Animate Ropes!”
In the mist, The Requiem quietly approached a warship, and in an instant, the ropes on board danced as if alive, automatically wrapping around the nearby ship; resilient ropes surged forth like venomous snakes, tightly constricting the enemies on the deck and lifting them up.
Swoosh!
Soren drew out the elven war bow, instantly nocking an arrow and shooting down an enemy suspended by the animated ropes. The next moment, the ropes quickly loosened and wrapped around another enemy.
The battle had just begun.
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