Counterattack in rain, wind, and fog
Bard Ray recovered the sword from the monster's body.
As soon as he removed the sword the monster's body turned gray.
"At long last, it's today."
I have achieved level 465 from hunting.
This is expedient but there is a faster way in which they can easily raise their levels, such as to gather all monsters at one place, but Bard Ray wanted to fight in a direct combat.
The public can only see his levels but not his pursuit of true strength.
"The time has come to open their eyes to Hermes Guild."
The time has come to show off Bard Ray's carefully built guild's power publicly.
Hermes Guild and 93 other prestigious guilds have joined together to create the United Supremacy and are ready to make war.
The United Supremacy used the Wondae Formation (A province in South Korea). Using their swords and magic, they headed towards the guilds and castles that did not belong to the United Supremacy
Of course, the United Supremacy was only a temporary community.
An endless cycle of creating Guilds would continuously collect power, each with its own ambitions. The dissolution of a federation would instantly cause controversies, with all of the coming wars in the future.
Bard Ray was already waiting for that day to arrive.
"Two people can't climb to the top and reign supreme."
Versailles Continent is a fierce battlefield of the Central Continent, as elite guilds have put up their power reserves and waited with bated breath.
Monopolizing the hunting grounds that contain luxury items and equipments.
After today's war, everyone shall clearly know the true power of the Hermes Guild.
* * *
Haven Kingdom's fortress, Wellston.
Players all over the Versailles continent were watching the real time battle between Weed and the Haven Kingdom's fleet taking place at Jigolaths.
"Cool!"
"Playing cat and mouse in this river is no joke. Can we get more bottles of beer here."
Some of the Pirates had contracts with the TV broadcasters which gave an earlier video transfer.
Thanks to the television network the video can actually be seen from the restaurant or a pub inside the game.
KMC media was not falling behind by broadcasting the battle from Weed's perspective.
The broadcasters were already broadcasting his encounter with Haven Kingdom's fleet and the United Pirates, displaying a view that the other broadcasters can't beat.
The footage of KMC media was from Weed's perspective which increased the overall viewership rating compared to others because only from that perspective can you fully enjoy the suspense of being chased.
Of course, while airing a long video, the time difference in Royal Road and the real world creates gaps, but that part is solved by placing an ad in the middle!
Currently, game broadcasters have a profound effect on the sales growth of companies on an ongoing basis.
In order for the viewers not to get bored of Royal Road, the news of the Versailles Continent is compiled and shown with music.
The hunting parties that were not out for quest were watching the video while drinking beer and eating meat. The streets in the city were empty.
Whenever Weed's battle was televised, the bars would fill up like a viewing of a football match.
"Kyaa! This strawberry milk tastes crazy."
"Drink sparingly. It's 30 copper each"
Newbies and underage students were ordering milk drinks or juice.
A noisy atmosphere was created when Weed's broadcast is being shown as guests continue to enter the bars.
"Weed escaped unharmed? It was so close that it was scary."
"Now the chase continues. If he doesn't get far soon they will catch up to him again."
Several of the Haven Kingdom's fleet of battleships were sunk under the collapsed canyons.
With the fleet trapped under a block of ice and sank, it also damaged the hull and sails, making sailing condition impossible.
Nevertheless, Drinpelt was chasing Weed closely without a care.
Though they were trying to get away and making a substantial distance, because of the collapsed canyons, they were still within Haven Kingdom's firing range. It was a breathtaking chase.
Thunder rumbling.
Heavy rain started falling, and when it fell on the unfrozen river it created a dense cloud of fog.
Nobody knew why rain started to fall in the high seas suddenly, but it is in fact Weed who used cloud sculpting to call the rain to help them run away.
"If it rains, will it be advantageous for them while running away?"
"I don't know about that. Is it something like going in the same direction of the rain?"
"With the waves rising, I think that would depend on the types of ships. Typically, a sailboat is favorable and the pirates riding galleys are also not considered to have a disadvantage."
"The artillery power will be weakened. They can't even take advantage of the bombing tactics, such as fire shells. The vision range will also shrink."
When thick rain drops fall, the fleets with medium and large sailboats are at a disadvantage.
Because of the fog created by the unfreezing river, the scene of the ships passing through it looked breathtaking.
An explosion ruined the breathtaking scene. They have to get away soon or else they will be caught and a huge fight will break out.
The reporter assigned to the naval warfare happening in Jigolaths suddenly interrupted KMC Studio with a news flash.
Shin Hye Min quickly reported.
"I'm here with breaking news. Currently in Versailles continent simultaneous raids and battles are occurring in the center of the continent."
Players eating their food and drinking in the pub were not interested in the news flash.
The war in Versailles Continent was almost won. Often as the monster's land caught in the invasion is being converted into permanent residences as results of battles.
It was only here that you could see such things occurring regularly.
There has always been many followers of Weed's adventure but many have also found the events in the Versailles Continent much more interesting as it can mean a lot of change.
"Haven Kingdoms, Toreupan Kingdoms, Masen Kingdoms, Thor Kingdoms, Aidel Kingdom, Britten and Kallamore Kingdoms, ranging more than 200 Lords, have entered into battle in the central continent.
"What, 200 Lords? "
"What kind of battle has ever involved so many sides?"
Players drinking in the pub were baffled because of the many participants of the battle.
The central continent is very large, and most of the cities dominated by players were defenseless.
Among them many of the lords of the cities were players.
"There is a battle going on with the guilds and the lords over the ownership of the Granary and the mines in the mountain. Mr. Oh Juwan, there is supposed to be a special chronicling on this battle, right?"
"That's right. As of now, no concrete information has been obtained and since it was a sudden declaration of war the battle is still going on."
"What's the scale of the battle?"
"There will be more than 10,000 in the event of a siege."
"That includes all the trained soldiers, correct?"
"That's correct. There are dungeon battles going on right now over the ownership of hunting areas for resources. The News updates are continually coming in. The combat areas are widespread and the nature of combat are said to be more violent. For all those who travel, you will need to take special care while on the road."
"Indeed, this battle will become the most legendary battle in this area and will be told in the future years to come."
Due to the sudden war, the central continent was engulfed in chaos in its wake.
"Throw away things that can be thrown!"
"Throw the cannons into the river first."
On the deck there were excess debris, cannon and shells which Heint, Fractal, and Bodomir threw into the river.
Reducing the ship's weight even a little bit will increase the speed.
"With just the three of us we can not go into a firefight. There is only the ability to flee right now!"
The living Sculptures also joined in and threw the cannons into the river.
The Haven Kingdom and the pirates fleets were right on their tail. The entrance to escape into the sea came closer and closer.
Weed continually made the clouds while watching the Haven Kingdom's fleet and the pirate ships.
While flying in the air, the Phoenix and the Fire Giant were followed by the continuous rain that was turning into vapors.
The strong Phoenix could not resist the temptation and flew higher up, disappearing into the the clouds.
"It's really a tremendous amount of rain."
The wind blew strongly and inflated the sails.
Even though Weed made the clouds, he did not expect the sudden deterioration of the weather.
Originally, the Jigolaths was a place where extreme climate changes occur.
The hot and the cold winds mixed together, making the winds blow furiously.
But it was not possible for thunder and lightning storm to occur.
Weed asked Heint about the situation.
"How favorable is it to run away when it rains?"
Heint answered looking at the map of the unfreezing river while turning the helm frantically as their moving speed was minimal.
"Running away will become harder by the minute because of the bad weather. The accuracy of their cannons will decrease a little because of the waves, and one can also disappear from sight because of the fog. But the way we are going through is a river and since there is no place to hide we will still be giving them an advantage over us."
Over the years, doing bad things and raising their notoriety got them kicked out.
The trio including Heint had considerable experience sailing through this kind of bad weather.
The trio spoke one by one.
"We need to somehow get out of these glaciers or we might get caught eventually."
"Even if we avoid and escape in the Jigolaths, in naval warfare Drinpelt fleet has been nicknamed the Armada. There are usually no survivors when they pursue in the sea."
"Also the pirates chasing us is a nightmare. It would be very tough to escape safely in the sea."
I should probably mobilize the slaves to row the boat. Even though the waves were weak, it was a disadvantage for the voyage.
In a short distance fight, the pirates would make it very difficult to escape.
- Let's prepare a way out.
- Look, I've gotten a wooden plank .
- The ropes are also prepared. We need to tie our body to the plank tightly.
The trio were even ready to throw themselves overboard onto the vast high seas in case the ship sunk.
They were ready to drift while hugging the wooden plank.
Given the situation, they were prepared to drift across waves even for a few days. They will still be very happy.
A medium sized sailboat sailed through the heavy rain .
Due to the river rising, the ship started to rock very dangerously as it proceeds.
The dense fog in the sea made it hard to determine the closeness in front.
They narrowly avoided the reef while sailing past it in the heavy rain and wind.
The moment they entered the sea, the rain clouds weakened and the fog shrunk, increasing the visibility.
Tring!
-You had the misfortune of encountering a wandering Ghost Ship. The ship is infested with rats. Higher chance of the ship to carry plagues. The probability of being attacked by a large sea creature increases. Morale of the crew falls to the lowest level. When morale remains at its lowest state, it will likely lead to insanity and make the chances of mutiny high. |
There was an enormous Ghost Ship fleet where no end could be seen.
Even though the Ghost Ships were very old, each of their size was enormous.
In addition, they still kept gathering in the back.
Weed made a Ghost Ship with the rain clouds.
He continued even after seeing the Ghost ship, So the airflow got stronger.
At sea it is always very important to pay attention to the weather and make it favorable.
"Ughh."
The trio were shocked as Weed raised both of his hands.
Written on the Barkahn's Tome 'Advanced Undead Summoning Skill'.
It's finally time to use it.
"The souls of the evil spirit that slumbers here, take this offering and rise from deep beneath the surface of the blue sea. I summon the Ghost Ship Maria."
The medium sized sailboat that Weed was riding started to age rapidly.
Mast, deck, and other items made of wood started to twist and harden.
The rotten dark sails covered in holes unraveled and fluttered like flags.
From the lower part of the hull were moss and mold swelled up and ultimately transformed completely into a Ghost Ship!
"Kee Kee Kee. Capitan, long time no see! You look very stylish than the last time I saw. You exude stateliness (dignified look)."
Ghost Ship's first mate appeared, and then a lot of ghosts started to rise up as part of the crew for the ship.
As Weed summoned the Ghost Ship Maria, the Haven kingdom fleet sunk back in the Jigolaths.
At the mouth of the unfrozen river was a densely concentrated gathering of Ghost Ships.
Weed used his Advanced Level 7 Lion's Roar.
"Prepare for battle!"
Skill: You have used Lion's Roar. Morale increases by 200% for all allies in the influence range of Lion's Roar. Any present state of confusion will be cleared. An extra 285% increase in Leadership will be applied for five minutes. |
"How much longer before we get there?"
"We will arrive at the unfreezing river in the morning. I think we can get there within a day."
Pale and the others were sailing on the boat towards Jigolaths.
Even though it was a long distance to sail, Zephyr supplied fresh fish by fishing. Now there were no worry about losing the route if they followed the Ghost Ships.
Rain started to fall harder as they were heading towards the Jigolaths.
Bellote was collecting rainwater in her hands.
Mapan nodded furiously.
"The rain at the sea is very romantic."
Mapan looks through the magical orb and saw Weed's escape from the Drinpelt fleet .
They were hoping that their boat will reach there as soon as possible.
* * *
"Move step by step while looking ahead of you!"
"Be careful not to steer the ship towards the reef."
As the water level of the unfreezing river rose up.
It was very difficult to avoid the large reef near the surface even on a clear day when you can see them easily.
Drinpelt's pirate fleet's sailing was inadequate.
The 3 Mad Sharks of Becky Ninh were trying to pass by with only one ship so it was simple.
However many ships were trying to pass through the reef and got tangled making it difficult to pass through.
There was one submerged reef out of them, and it will take a lot of time to avoid getting stuck there.
"Incompetent bastards. This is making me frustrated!"
Weed's medium sailboat was slow so they wouldn't have gone far, so Drinpelt madly rushed his crew.
"When we get to the open sea we can easily catch them at full sail."
The vice admiral tried to advise Admiral Drinpelt, but he didn't even hear him.
He ate happily while screwing us over in the Jigolath.
Several ships sank in the unfreezing river one by one.
They were very anxious that Weed was going further away towards the sea in the fog they were shrouded in.
"Keep sending the fleet to the front. Tell them to keep following Weed at all cost."
"Yes!"
Under Drinpelt's order they were preparing many warships for close range hand-to-hand combat, since reloading the cannons is not fast while on the river.
To help shorten the distance between them and Weed they deployed Fluyt type sailing ships to the front of the flag ship which have similar size but high speed.
13 Fluyts from Drinpelt's fleet were given the special mission.
Previously, they have been following the flag ship in half sail. Now they spread out in full sail.
"The Admiral's command has been given! Set sail at full speed!"
The clipper ship's captains shouted in a sonorous voice to report.
The sail received the wind and unfolded fully. The clipper ships quickly accelerated on the unfreezing river into a fearsome speed and sailed across the river.
They used excellent sailing skills to increase their speed while crossing the reef.
And after awhile, a report came in from the clipper ships.
-Between the fog we can see the ship that we are chasing from our current location, downstream river.
As they were not far from Weed, Drinpelt hastily sped up.
The main force moved calmly as they were easily catchable, at this distance.
In naval warfare if you have a faster boat than Drinpelt's fleet, you will be outside the range of the cannons, making it possible to escape safely .
But Weed's ship was not a clipper ship.
- It seems we will be coming in range of the cannon soon.
Although there weren't a lot of cannons mounted on the clipper ship, but to attack Weed's ship what they had was a lot.
But Drinpelt did not want to pass up Weed to the others.
-Fire. But don't sink it. Damage it to the point where he can not escape.
-Yes. Admiral.
The clipper ships advanced forward in the weakening fog.
They were startled when they reached the clearing and saw the medium sized sailboat.
It was like a brand new rebuilt medium sized ship but aged by 100 year.
The Haven Kingdom's flag was lowered, and in its place a one-eyed skull flag was put up instead.
"It became a Ghost Ship?"
"There are a lot of different ships as well. Why are there suddenly more ships near Jigolath?
"These are all Ghost Ships. All the Ghost Ships that plague the sea have assembled here. Prepare for battle!"
Weed's ship was in the back of the numerous Ghost Ship Fleet.
The clipper ships tried to stop and retreat after reporting back to the Drinpelt's fleet, but they were already at the open sea.
Weed's Lion's Roar resonated throughout the sea.
"All Ghost Ships! Get ready to fire the cannons!"
"Kekeke, cannons... preparing."
"What was that, I was able to hear better when I was young... Did you mean the cannons? There is something clogged in it."
The same thing was happening to all the Ghost Ships anchored at the sea. It was becoming a spectacle.
After 50 years of being unused the artilleries were clogged up with seaweed and wakame. The ghosts were trying to forcefully shove them out of the way.
The ghosts were using flint knives to clear the clogged up cannons. Sparks from their knives caused the wick of the cannons to be lit with fire.
"FIRE!"
Boooom, Boooom, Boooom! The explosion from the cannon caused a small part of the ship to be destroyed so repairs to the Ghost Ship were immediately being done.
"Will it fire properly this time?"
One of the skeletons poked its head on the mouth of the cannon as the wick was lit.
Kwakang! The cannon in working order recoiled. The head of the skeleton disappeared as it was blown off by the cannon as it went off.
"Success. We've fired successfully. By the way, did someone see my head?"
With its body and leftover neck, the skeleton wandered around the deck to find its head.
"There is no shell. Did I eat it yesterday because I was hungry? Maybe you lost it while playing with it?"
"Our ship is a merchant ship so we usually don't have any shells."
"Let's shoot with dried fish instead."
Merchants ships and passenger ships were also changed into Ghost Ships. It was common not to have any shells.
However, there were shells floating around in the sea from other ships that can be used.
"I will go in. Kekekeke. I'm going!"
The ghosts launched themselves by entering into the cannon and using gunpowder. Even though the process was a mess, it was relatively normal on a Ghost ship.
Shells were fired from the Ghost Ship in unison towards the clipper ships that were heading towards Weed's ship.
Due to the poor accuracy the shells shot towards the clipper ships fell in the water and created high column of water geysers.
Shells also crashed into each other up in the sky and went off like fireworks.
"Take evasive maneuvers!"
"There are too many. We can't evade them all! Prepare the counterattack, fire!"
The captains of the clipper ships maneuvered in a zigzag pattern and tried to prepare to fire the cannons.
But the Ghost Ship fired at random and didn't even bother to aim.
A lot of shells fell into the sea, but some literally exploded into the clipper ships.
Shells have fallen through the deck and created bright lights caused by explosion inside the hull! Sections of hull broke of and caught on fire.
"Fire!"
The clipper ships fired back even when hit, but the ships began to wobble and shake every time there was an explosion.
"Kuhehehehe. It's a human."
More ghosts climbed onto the deck, and chaos continued.
Greasy and huge tentacles came out and grabbed the crew members on the deck.
Attached to the hull was a head that resembled a Kraken! The captain of the clipper ship urgently opened a dialogue to Hermes Guild chat.
* * *
Stinger: We are being attacked by the Ghost Ships. We are being wiped out one by one..
Haven Kingdoms 2nd fleet vice commander questioned.
Pachel: how many Ghost Ships there?
Haven Kingdom's Fleet in Jigolaths shared a communication window with the Hermes Guild and were also listening in as well in the open dialogue window.
Stinger: The situation now is... long, there's no time to explain it. This may be the last communication before sinking. Weed's summoned many Ghost Ships, the ship that we were chasing turned into a Ghost Ship, and they are attacking us. Our battleships are wiped out! This is an emergency call.
Pachel: How did it suddenly... I get it. I'll go as soon as possible.
The clipper ship sank and became prey to the Kraken. Drinpelt led the main fleet out of the unfreezing river.
Watching the clipper ships being attacked by the Ghost Ships and the Kraken, they could not hide their surprise.
"Hmm, they left for a minute and for this to happen."
The Kraken was stuck to the hull of a clipper ship. In fact, they seem to have no choice but to give up.
The ghosts came up on deck and were in a hand-to-hand combat. Fire was burning on the sinking ship. It was already too late to save it.
"This battle is going to cause major damage."
They just came out of the river and they were greeted with the most problematic scene possible. For the players watching as they saw what Drinpelt and Haven Kingdom's fleet had seen.
Ghost Ships spread out and waited in position at the sea, to shoot their cannons.
Under these circumstances, if they go to the front line, becoming a cannon fodder was inevitable.
However, with Admiral Drinpelt's vast experience in naval warfare he will them lead to victory! It was an unfavorable situation but he was an expert in these things.
"Ghost Ship's cannon accuracy rate is the worst. Warships that were reinforced with an outer glover stand in the forefront. Do not evade and break through the front. The first battle fleet and the third battle fleet go towards the river and scatter left and right. Attack from outside of the Ghost Ship range."
They decided to take damage and endure the attack of the Ghost Ships and the sea monsters.
Using overwhelming firepower, it was a daring mission of tearing down and destroying the Ghost Ship.
Assuming that he can recover his past failures and if this fight leads to a huge naval victory for Drinpelt, he will gain more than enough fame.
In a lot of cases Ghost Ships are struck with a bounty. If you compare it with the dungeon battles on land the amount of fame and loot acquired from victory can't be compared. And usually Ghost Ships contains lots of Antiques and Treasures.
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