NOVPUBChapter 349: Chapter 302: Encountering Pirates_2
“Loren, what are you planning to do?”
After a moment of silence, Lis suddenly asked.
“Um…”
Loren was suddenly dumbstruck. What did he mean by ‘what are you planning to do’?
Was there any other choice but to fight?
Surrender?
...
Seeing Loren’s puzzled expression, Lis casually asked,
“Honestly, if it’s just this pirate ship, I could handle it alone.”
Lis wasn’t bragging; it was indeed the case.
In a sea battle, mages did have more advantages than other professionals.
Apart from the ship’s deck, there were few places to stand in the vast sea.
Except for those special professions related to the sea, the mages who learned “Floating Technique” and “Flying Technique” had a significant advantage in naval warfare.
Mages who could use Water Element magic would also gain a significant power boost.
However, since mages were originally the least in number among the Extraordinary Professionals and were mostly high-class professions,
Gold Level mages didn’t have to choose this bloody path; there were far easier ways for them to amass vast fortunes unimaginable to ordinary people.
Thus, there were actually very few mages who became pirates.
With Lis’s current proficiency in magic, sinking this pirate ship that lacked a Golden Strong Man was quite easy.
In maritime navigation, ships are of utmost importance.
To prevent their own ships from being destroyed by mages or those with Classical Magical Ability, most of the individuals at the Gold Level would spend a huge amount to equip their ships with resistant capabilities.
Clearly, this ship didn’t have that.
“Well…”
Hearing this, Loren was about to ask Lis to act, but suddenly fell silent, his expression changing.
“It seems you’ve thought of it too.”
Lis looked at Loren, who had suddenly gone quiet, nodded, and said,
“As long as your Milne Commerce doesn’t plan to give up the route from Ward City to Boditch Kingdom, the ‘Mermaid’ will inevitably have to confront pirates.”
“This time I’m here, and it’s no problem, but similarly, you haven’t gotten any experience dealing with pirates; next time will still be your first.”
“I don’t mind, it just depends on what you think.”
After Lis finished speaking, he stepped aside, not speaking further, and looked down at the sailors and mercenaries who were busy below.
Grappling hooks, boarding axes, long spears, bows and arrows, kerosene…
These were all weapons suitable for naval combat, indicating that Loren and his team had indeed made quite some preparation.
However, they lacked the flintlock cannons essential in Lis’s previous life naval battles.
This world, though possessing gunpowder, didn’t apply cannons because their power was not as great as that of an Extraordinary Professional, and their storage was unstable.
Of course, the most important reason was the existence of the superior substitute, the Magic Crystal Cannon.
That power was much stronger!
Even a Golden Warrior had to suffer injuries from it, let alone others.
Of course, the price of a Magic Crystal Cannon was also very high; it was not something ordinary pirate ships or merchant ships could afford.
While Lis was observing the preparations below, Loren spoke up,
“Mr. Lis, if… if we decide to rely on our own strength to fight that pirate ship, could you provide some assistance?”
Just now, Loren had made up his mind.
Escaping might be easy, but next time they might not have such a strong individual like Lis to support the ‘Mermaid.’
So, the best option now was to use this opportunity as practice, to prepare for the future.
After facing the storm and Siren’s attacks, Loren deeply understood how lucky they were the first time they reached Dan Port.
He couldn’t guarantee they would have such good luck in the future.
“I can.”
Lis nodded and then said,
“I will ensure the ‘Mermaid’ isn’t damaged by the enemy, but whether or not to attack their ship depends on your decision.”
In a sea battle, the most troublesome part was having one’s own ship damaged.
That is why all long-voyage ships were equipped with carpenters or sailors who could repair the ship’s body.
“Also…”
As the pirate ship drew nearer, Lis added,
“I wasn’t sure before, but now I have confirmed that there are four Silver-level Professionals on that ship.”
When the pirate ship was close enough, Lis’s scouting magic fed back the intelligence on the opposing ship.
The numbers weren’t many, just about thirty to forty people, most of them ordinary people and Bronze Rank Professionals, four Silver, with no presence of the Gold Level.
As expected, Gold Level individuals aren’t that common!
In Ice Peak City, Lis faced so many Golden Strong Men only because they were the elites and devotees of the Royal Family of the Dillon Kingdom, normally a Gold Level Strong Man was already considered a superior existence.
Judging by the situation on the opposing ship and the fact that there was no response to the signals sent from the “Mermaid,” it must undoubtedly be a pirate ship.
“Sigh, that’s still manageable.”
Loren let out a sigh of relief, instantly feeling much more relaxed.
On the “Mermaid,” including him, the First, Second, and Third Officer, plus three Silver-level mercenaries, they already had seven Silver-leveled combat forces.
The opposing party probably wouldn’t expect that a seemingly ordinary merchant ship would be equipped with so many strong professionals.
Besides, there was Mr. Lis, who seemed like a Gold Level Strong Man.
If not now, then when would they train!
“Everyone, get into position, ready for boarding combat!”
Boarding combat, the most common and bloodiest form of naval battle, where hooks launched from each ship keep both vessels tightly locked together. Without overwhelming strength to crush the opponent, one side must be completely defeated for the battle to end.
Everyone on deck tensed, then quickly began preparations.
Many physically strong Warrior Professionals were already holding hooks, ready to throw them at any moment.
“Here!”
Lis handed an earring to Loren.
“What’s this?”
Loren looked at the earring in his hand, which resembled something a noble young lady might wear, and asked in confusion.
“A Silver-level accessory, the ‘Siren Earrings,’ can improve your resistance to Confusion Control Magic. Try it out and see its effects.”
After saying this, Lis threw another earring down to Navin.
“Oh!”
Loren, with a face full of surprise, put on the Siren Earrings.
Extraordinary equipment in the form of accessories were the rarest, and he hadn’t expected Mr. Lis to have crafted Magic Equipment with such capabilities.
How strong!
Was there anything he couldn’t do!
Lis didn’t pay attention to Loren’s reaction but instead focused on the approaching pirate ship.
…
On the pirate ship, “Sea Cow,”
“Boss Jackson, are we really going to make a move?”
A pale-skinned young man, obviously not from the Boditch Kingdom, quietly asked.
“Coward, pah!”
A middle-aged strong man with a full beard disdainfully spoke, giving the young man a contemptuous look.
“Alright, Roz, say less.”
At the helm, Captain Jackson tried to calm things down:
“It’s alright, Basel.”
“This is the most ordinary merchant ship we’ve encountered these days, isn’t it?”
While Jackson verbally comforted the young Basel, he felt somewhat squeamish.
If it weren’t for Basel being a Silver-level Assassin, a rare combat asset, he would have thrown him off the ship long ago.
No matter what merchant ship they encountered, Basel always hesitated to act, always fearful, and it was unclear what he was so afraid of.
“No, this ship is really strange; I’ve never felt such danger before…”
Before Basel could finish, Jackson waved his hand, interrupting him.
“I’ve already decided, no more discussion.”
Jackson’s patience was also wearing thin.
If they didn’t act soon, the supplies on board would run out.
He had come to the ocean to make his fortune, not for a leisure trip.
This merchant ship, as his first target to become famous on the vast sea, not bad!
Seeing the captain and everyone else excited, Basel felt an increasingly ominous sensation. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
Quietly, he slunk into the shadows; at that moment, he felt the ship nearby was like a silently waiting sea monster, ready to swallow him whole.
“Old man, I think I’m done for!”
