"Enemies! They're from the Chikert Merchant Group! " The lookout on the mast finally saw the flag of the opposing fleet, but they were less than two hundred meters away.
"Two large three-masted merchant ships, six medium two-masted fast merchant ships, and eight medium two-masted armed merchant ships. Ugh, my lord, what did you do to the Chikert Merchant Group? They have four more ships than the previous fleet. It looks like they're determined to keep us here, "Ell said jokingly.
By now, everyone on the berth could clearly distinguish the types of ships that were gradually dispersing into a fan-shaped formation. Loriste shrugged with a bitter smile and spread out his hands. "How would I know? The Chikert Merchant Group is like a mad dog that has bitten us. They've organized wave after wave of ships to intercept us. Damn it, are they done? I think their goal is nothing more than to capture me and force me to hand over Syrovas Island to them … "
"They're dreaming!" Josk's words were concise. Ward, Ell, and the others nodded in agreement.
Captain Wilson asked, "My lord, what do we do? Should we make a U-turn and circle around them? We still have time and distance … "
Laurist shook his head. "We can't. If the fleet that we escaped from is still chasing us, we'll have to turn back to increase the distance between us and the fleet on the other side. If we do that, we might be walking right into a trap. We'll be in big trouble if the two fleets surround us. We'll charge over like we did just now. Josk, do you still have the strength? "
Josk's face was tense, but he didn't say anything. He only waved the green longbow in his hand, meaning that it was fine and that everything was up to him. As long as he had the longbow in his hand, nothing could stop them.
Josk was already ready at the bow of the ship, waiting for the two ships to close in. Soon, the distance was only about a hundred meters. The lookout on the mast cried out in fear, "Careful! There's an iron chain between the enemy's ships! We can't get out … "
Loriste staggered, almost crashing into the railing on the berth. F * ck, what kind of eyesight was that? Only now did he realize that the enemy's ships had iron chains between them. This was simply asking for death! Right now, the Flying Fish from the Kingdom of Dawn was charging forward, and there was no way for them to dodge. Even if Josk broke the masts of the two ships, the Flying Fish from the Kingdom of Dawn wouldn't be able to get past them. It would be bound by the chains between the two ships, and once the enemy ships closed in, the Flying Fish from the Kingdom of Dawn would be done for.
When I get back, I'm definitely going to make a telescope. Monoculars are fine too. Now that I have Technician Mancheni, making glass won't be a problem. The transparent oil glass can be ground into convex lenses, which can then be connected with copper tubes to make a monocular.
Laurist swore in his heart. He would be at a disadvantage at sea without a telescope. Even if the lookout had good eyesight, he would only be able to detect ships at a distance of four to five hundred meters. They were like small black dots that could not be distinguished from friend or foe. Only when he was about two hundred meters away could he clearly see the other party's flag and insignia. There was too little time left for him to react. Just like how the enemy's ships had iron chains, the lookout had only just discovered them, and they were only a hundred and eighty meters away now.
"Sir, what do we do?" Captain Wilson asked anxiously. No one had expected such a situation.
"Nothing …" Laurist's eyes revealed a frightening murderous intent. "Stay close to the ship on the right and charge! Since they want to die, I'll grant their wish. I'll go to the bow of the ship. Ayer, order the crossbow to fire at close range. Target the people, not the ship, and suppress the enemy's long-range attacks. Howard, return to the cabin and lock the door. I'll leave Professor Bob and Mr. Mancheni's family to you. Wilson, order all the marines to prepare for close combat. Since we can't charge through, we'll kill our way out! "
They were less than fifty meters away from the two ships on the other side. Perhaps the other party wanted to capture the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn completely, so they did not use fireballs to attack. They only fired longbows and crossbow bolts aimed at the people on the deck. Most of these long-range attacks missed, and the few that were accurate were easily blocked by Laurist and the others.
Laurist finally had a clear understanding of what Aire meant when he said that war chariot steel crossbows were useless on ships. He stood next to a steel crossbow and watched as it fired five or six times. Apart from a single crossbow bolt that managed to skewer two unlucky fellows on the opposite ship's deck, the remaining five crossbow bolts either flew high or low. The high bolts flew to who knew where, while the low bolts stabbed into the opposite ship's deck.
Laurist could not help but shake his head and laugh bitterly at the low accuracy of the arrows from fifty to sixty meters away. After all, not everyone was as talented in archery as Josk. The ship was bobbing up and down on the sea. Even if you aimed and fired, you would not know where the arrow would go if the ship swayed. Unless there were enough steel crossbows to cover the area, the two or three crossbows on this side would not pose much of a threat.
It was obvious that the sailors on the opposite ships had the same thought. Even though they had lost two men, their morale did not decrease. They waved their weapons and yelled at the top of their lungs. It seemed like they were ready to jump over and fight when the two ships came close to each other.
"Joe, I'll leave the ship on the left to you. I'll take care of the ship on the right," Laurist said. He turned around and gestured to Captain Wilson.
Joest nodded.
At this moment, the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn suddenly swerved to the right, leaving the center of the ship's flight path and charging straight at the middle-sized merchant ship on the right. Originally, the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn would collide with the iron chain between the two ships, but now that it had changed direction, it would collide with the ribs of the ship on the right.
To the pilot of the ship on the right, letting the sharp bow of the Kingdom of Dawn's Flying Fish collide with the middle of his ship was obviously not a good outcome. It was even possible that his ship would be split in half. Now that the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn had fallen into the trap, he did not want his ship to be buried with the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn before he successfully captured it. If that happened, his future in the Chamber of Commerce would be bleak.
A series of shouts came from the berth of the opposite ship on the right. Turn the rudder, lower the sails, and change direction. The sailors on that ship immediately became busy. They no longer had the time to shoot arrows at the other side. The speed of the ship on the left decreased greatly. The bow of the ship slowly moved toward the other side, gradually aligning with the bow of the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn. This way, the two ships would only brush past the side of the ship instead of colliding.
"Turn the sails …" Captain Wilson shouted. A few sailors on the deck pulled the mooring rope and turned the slanted sails to the front.
The Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn was originally against the wind. Now that the sails were turned to the front, the speed of the ship greatly decreased as if it was being dragged. It was as if a strong man running at full speed had suddenly turned into a stumbling old lady. This greatly surprised the two ships on the opposite side. The large wave of arrows fired by the ship on the left that was thirty to forty meters away all fell into the sea in front of them.
The green longbow in Josk's hand let out a series of thunderclaps again. Miserable cries came from the ship on the left. The ship on the left was safe. Laurist stared at the ship on the right that was closing in. Ten meters, nine meters, eight meters, seven meters … At this moment, Laurist felt that the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn was like a tortoise crawling against the wind. It was too slow.
The length of the ship was thirty-five meters. It was narrow at the front and wide at the back. Its bow was one meter wide, and it was equipped with a long ram. The ship was seven meters wide from the middle to the stern. It had two masts, four square sails that were small at the top and large at the bottom, and four triangular sails. Its top speed could reach ten knots when the wind was right. It had a crew of eighty-eight people, and the lowest number was thirty-four. It had a depth of 2.7 meters and a height of 3.5 meters. It had a double-decker structure and a full load of forty-eight thousand kilograms. It had always been praised as the most outstanding medium-sized ship in Galinthea, and was the best choice for long-distance voyages.
In fact, even though the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn was sailing against the wind, it wasn't too slow due to the momentum from its previous sprint and the ship on the other side. Just as Lollister's mind flashed with the information he had read about medium-sized, twin-masted, fast-sailing merchant ships, the two ships were already within reach of each other. They were only three to four meters apart.
With a loud shout, Buckingham leaped up and pounced towards the ship in front of him. While he was in the air, the sailors on the opposite side had already reacted, throwing their axes and spears at Laurist.
The longsword in his hand danced in the air, blocking two waves of weapons thrown at him. Laurist landed on the deck in a somewhat sorry state. His left foot tightened, and a strong force surged towards him. Laurist didn't expect this at all, and he fell flat on his face. The sailors on the deck swarmed forward with their swords and sabers …
Sword light flashed, and blood splattered everywhere. Severed limbs flew everywhere. More than twenty sailors were almost dismembered, and they didn't even have the time to scream.
Laurist covered his nose and stood up. That fall just now had been terrible. His nose had hit the deck, and it was bleeding. Furthermore, someone had tried to take advantage of his misfortune, trying to catch him off guard with their advantage in numbers.
When Laurist landed, his left foot was in the middle of a coiled rope, and the other end of the rope was in the hands of a sailor. Seeing that there was an opportunity, the sailor pulled forcefully, and Laurist's unguarded foot was immediately pulled to the ground. If it weren't for his superior skills, he might have really failed miserably in such an easy task.
Wilson was right. When fighting at sea, the most important thing was to pay attention to one's feet. This wasn't on land, and one's feet couldn't be fake or solid. One had to pay attention to the messy things on the deck at all times. In close combat, the terrain was narrow, and when there were many people, even Silver and Gold-rank swordsmen could be ambushed and knocked down by Iron-rank swordsmen …
"Bang!" The Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn brushed past the side of the ship Laurist was on, and was stopped by the thick iron chain. Now, both ships stopped abruptly, and then stuck closely together. Those who weren't paying attention immediately rolled into a ball on the deck …
Laurist stood upright on the deck in a horse stance. He raised his longsword and pointed it at the ship's platform. "Abandon your weapons and surrender. Go to the cabin, and I'll spare your lives …"
In Galinthea's naval tradition, the most important thing was to occupy the deck. Once the deck was in their hands, the enemy was already finished. This was because all the important things were on the deck, the ship's platform, the ship's rudder, the mast … Those who surrendered going to the cabin were equivalent to handing over their lives to the victors. As long as the two entrances to the cabin were locked, the people below could only resign themselves to fate. Otherwise, a fire could turn the people below into roasted pigs.
On the ship's platform, a bearded man grabbed the railing and stood up. He pulled out his sword, and a white sword light flashed. "Shameless boasting. Everyone, attack together …"
This time, flying axes, spears, and hidden weapons came together. Some even wanted to use a lasso to trap Laurist. Since you want to die, then I'll grant you your wish. Laurist fought from the bow to the stern, his entire body covered in blood. He was like a murderous demon that charged out of a sea of blood. The bearded man screamed in despair, "Demon, demon …" Then, he was beheaded by Laurist with a single slash.
The deck was covered in blood and corpses. Laurist didn't count how many people he had killed. In any case, there was no one else moving on this ship. Laurist walked towards the port side of the ship. There were two thick wooden stakes there, and the iron chain that had stopped the Flying Fish from the Kingdom of Dawn was tied to the stakes.
The sword light flashed, and the two stakes were cut in half. However, the two ships were stuck together. Even though the stakes with the iron chain were cut, the two ships did not separate.
Just as Laurist was about to jump back into the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn, the hull of the ship suddenly shook. Laurist slipped on a puddle of blood, and only managed to stabilize his body when he half-knelt on the deck. There was a scream beside his ear. Laurist looked up, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
It was the medium-sized twin-masted merchant ship that had been suppressed by Josk's Divine Arrow, and a large three-masted merchant ship that was forty to fifty meters away. At some point in time, they were pushing the medium-sized twin-masted merchant ship to collide with the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn. At the same time, countless heads popped out from the side of the large three-masted merchant ship, and a cluster of arrows shot down from above. More than ten sailors on the deck of the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn fell, and the most tragic was the lookout on the mast, who had become a hedgehog …
Immediately after, dozens of people jumped down from the large three-masted merchant ship and landed on the medium-sized twin-masted merchant ship. They charged straight for the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn.
Josk's longbow vibrated, and green arrows shot out like bolts of lightning. However, after the two people at the front fell, all the arrows were easily blocked by a brown-robed elder who had rushed up from behind and brandished his longsword.
"A Great Swordmaster?" Laurist's gaze froze. He hadn't expected that there would be a Great Swordmaster on this intercepting fleet. He immediately leaped up and landed beside Josk. "You deal with the ones at the back. Leave this old man to me."
He then leaped onto the medium-sized twin-masted merchant ship on the left, and blocked the path of the brown-robed elder.
"You still don't surrender …" The brown-robed elder shouted majestically with his sword in front of him. His domineering aura was unparalleled.
"F * ck off, go die!" Laurist ignored his nonsense and rushed forward with his sword in hand.
Clang clang clang … The sword hummed loudly. The brown-robed elder had lost the initiative, and was forced to retreat by Laurist's continuous attacks. He blocked left and right, and was in an extremely sorry state …
"Hurry up and help me …" The brown-robed elder finally couldn't hold on any longer, and asked for help without caring about his reputation as a Great Swordmaster.
Two sailors who didn't know what was good for them rushed forward and blocked Laurist's flashing sword light.
Swoosh! Clang! The two sailors were slashed diagonally from their left shoulders to their right waists, and were cut into four pieces. Even the longswords and axes in their hands were cut into two by Laurist's sword.
However, the brown-robed elder had already gotten away, and he turned to flee.
"F * ck, let's see where you can run to on the ocean." Laurist had already lost his temper from all the killing. Since the Chikede Merchant Group had paid such a huge price to intercept and capture him, then losing a Great Swordmaster would make them feel even more pained. He had to kill this brown-robed elder no matter what. Laurist chased after him with all his might.
Those in his way were all cut down by Laurist's sword as if he was chopping vegetables. The brown-robed elder climbed onto the large three-masted merchant ship. Laurist was as fast as a flying ape, and he quickly boarded the ship. What greeted him were countless blades and spears, and a wave of murderous cries. Countless figures flew towards Laurist.
At this moment, Laurist suddenly felt his vision turn blood-red. He seemed to have entered an extremely mysterious and indescribable world. Everything on the large three-masted merchant ship seemed to be within his senses. No matter what happened, he could clearly feel it in his mind.
The red silhouettes charging at him became extremely slow and laughable. The weapons that were flying towards him seemed to be moving in slow motion. He easily passed through the silhouettes. The sword in his hand lightly swept past the silhouettes' throats and pierced through their chests. One by one, the red silhouettes fell to the deck …
After an unknown amount of time, the red figures on the deck became sparse. They no longer pounced on him. Instead, they ran like wolves to avoid him. However, not a single one of them managed to escape his slaughter, until the brown-robed old man.
However, the brown-robed elder looked at him as if he had lost his soul, and kept muttering about Sword Saints and domains. Did he think that he could scare him by mentioning Sword Saints? Laurist's sword slashed across, and the brown-robed elder's head flew into the air. He reached out to grab the long hair on the head, and raised it high up. Laurist began to laugh wildly, and his laughter carried a bone-chilling murderous and bloody aura that spread across the ocean …
"My Lord! My Lord! My Lord! Wake up … "
Laurist, who was laughing wildly, finally woke up when he heard an anxious shout. The blood-red in his eyes gradually receded, and they returned to a deep black.
Eh, this seems to be my doing? The large three-masted merchant ship's deck was piled up like a mountain, and blood flowed like a river …
"Why are you shouting at me from so far away?"
Ayer had been standing on the berth of the medium-sized merchant ship and shouting at Laurist. Hearing Laurist's question, Ayer shivered, "My Lord, do I dare to go up? Look for yourself. In less than half an hour, you've slaughtered the entire ship like a mad demon. There's no less than three hundred people …"
"Ah, am I really that powerful?" Laurist looked at the head in his hand. Shit, what am I doing with this thing? He casually tossed it away.
"My Lord, the ship has split up. Everyone is waiting for you to board," Ayer shouted.
"Alright, I'm coming …" Just as Laurist was about to leave, he suddenly felt the world spin around him. He lost all his strength, and his vision darkened as he fainted on the ground …
… …
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