Chapter 453: Do I Look Afraid?
The leading man stood in the distance with a faint smile, his voice clearly carrying into the building.
A pirate speaking to the guild with a condescending attitude.
It was likely a first.
Wu Heng instructed everyone to return to their positions. Andviel also set up a Barrett sniper rifle in the corner of the window.
Moya, standing beside him, explained, "The speaker is Captain Tolga of the Thunderclap Pirates, a level 17 Boxer. He's the second pirate in the Emerald Sea with hopes of reaching level 18. Those behind him are also pirate captains or core members, all above level 15."
While Imiro went to confront the island master, Moya naturally stayed behind.
Observing the situation outside, he explained in a low voice.
Wu Heng nodded and called out, "Do you have the authority to spare so many of us?"
"Why care about others?" Tolga shrugged and said, "Kill those inside, and I promise not to trouble you. I'll even grant you wealth and women. That's far better than being this useless Deputy Steward.
I heard you like women with animal traits? I know of a species of giant lizards. I can give you two; you might enjoy trying them out."
Hahaha~!
Behind him, the pirates erupted in deafening laughter.
Wu Heng's expression remained unchanged as he retorted, "Occam went to such lengths to become the Pirate King. Would he allow you to let me go?"
"You even know about this?" Tolga's laughter halted abruptly, his face showing surprise. He continued, "Surrender now. Your little maid will soon be here. You wouldn't want to see what happens to her in public, would you?"
Bang~!
Suddenly, a loud bang echoed.
Andviel had pulled the trigger while Tolga was speaking.
Tolga's expression changed as he instinctively dove to the side.
Crack~!
A shattering sound rang out.
Tolga turned sharply to see a level 15 pirate behind him with half his body obliterated, blood and entrails spilling downward.
The injured pirate stared in horror at the gaping hole in his body.
"Help…"
Blood foamed from his mouth as he collapsed backward.
Tolga's eyes widened in terror at the sight.
He knew the enemy possessed powerful weaponry.
But he hadn't expected such long range.
Bang, bang~!
Two more deafening explosions followed.
In an instant, two more level 15 pirates were shattered and fell dead.
All the pirates watched in horror.
These were infamous, fearsome pirates.
Yet they died so easily here.
They hadn't even seen where the attack came from or what killed them.
The combined force of guards and pirates descended into chaos.
The crowd scattered, seeking cover wherever they could.
Tolga's face twisted as he shouted, "Damn it, don't panic! Charge in! Kill a squad member for 100 gold coins, a squad leader for 300, and Wu Heng's head is worth 5,000 gold!"
The chaotic pirates steadied themselves.
They looked at the guild in the distance, then at the corpses on the ground.
"Kill!"
"Annihilate the guild!"
"Kill them all…"
The pirates, weapons waving excitedly, charged in droves.
Spreading out along the way, they surrounded the entire building and launched an attack.
Bang, bang, bang~!
Skeletons on every floor began pulling triggers, bullets whizzing out in dense streams.
A large number of pirates were instantly struck by the hail of bullets.
They fell in waves.
Immediately, pirates wielding heavy iron shields formed a tortoise-shell formation.
Pirates crawled under the shields, continuing their charge forward.
Reaching the frontlines, their weapons hacked at the guild members defending the windows, trying to force them back and storm the building.
Clack, clack~!
At the rear of the pirates.
Two heavy ballistae, shielded by pirates, advanced a short distance.
The strings tightened, and bolts as thick as forearms were loaded onto the ballistae.
Aimed at the front.
Whizz, whizz~!
The bolts flew out, thudding against the guild's tightly shut door.
Then, the etched runes activated, and molten red iron began to flow, slowly melting the door.
Until the bolts fell away, leaving a gaping hole in the once-sealed door.
The pirates grew even more frenzied, rushing toward the breach.
"Hahaha~! Charge in with me and avenge our fallen brothers," Tolga roared with laughter, launching himself forward like a cannonball.
Leading the pirates, he stormed into the guild hall.
"Master, that man's coming," Andviel said, putting away the Barrett sniper rifle and pulling out a submachine gun.
She began mowing down the charging pirates.
Amid the chaos, Tolga pressed forward with large strides.
His eyes swept the room, locking onto Wu Heng's position.
"Keramu, Skull-Crusher, kill him!"
Two skeletal attendants charged at their target.
Seeing the approaching skeletons, Tolga grabbed two nearby pirates, who looked at him in confusion before being hurled at the skeletal attendants.
He continued moving forward, stepping off the wall to close more distance.
With another flick of his hand, an iron chain shot out, binding him to Wu Heng.
"Got you, pretty boy."
Tolga sneered coldly, and before Keramu and Skull-Crusher could reach him…
He tore open a scroll in his hand, and light enveloped him and Wu Heng.
In the next instant, both of them vanished.
"Master…"
"Deputy Steward Wu Heng…"
Everyone's faces turned pale.
...…
Lighthouse Street echoed with gunfire and alarms, reverberating across the entire island.
Sheila Grey recognized the sound.
It was Wu Heng's weaponry.
As expected, the fight had begun, and the enemy had started attacking the guild.
Large numbers of guards converged on the central square, leaving Lighthouse Street increasingly desolate.
Sheila Grey led her team into a dark alley.
"Deputy Steward Sheila Grey, we were wrong. Please spare us," pleaded several guards in desperation.
Sheila Grey glanced at them and said flatly, "Kill them."
Knives slashed throats, and the guards collapsed in agony.
In the past, they might have been brought back for interrogation, ensuring no procedural errors before execution.
But now was different. They might not survive until tomorrow.
There was no room for hesitation.
Sheila Grey leaned against the alley wall for a moment. Her translucent reconnaissance guard returned, merging into a scroll.
A complete image formed.
The port was crowded with guards.
The ground and sea were littered with corpses.
It seemed anyone nearing the port had been killed.
As expected, increasing the number of guards was to ensure more manpower for mobilization.
Wu Heng's foresight was sharp.
Nearly everything he predicted had come true, albeit a bit late.
The other team leaders gathered.
"Deputy Steward, what do we do next?"
Sheila Grey stored the scroll and swapped her weapon for a longsword. "What else? Take the port. Otherwise, we're all going to die here."
The others said nothing, beginning their final equipment checks.
Once everything was ready…
Sheila Grey adjusted her helmet and commanded, "Move out!"
She led the charge forward.
At the port, the guards quickly spotted them.
"It's the guild's people. Kill them and claim your reward later!"
Clatter~!
The guards shouted as they rushed into battle.
...…
Outside the city, in the wasteland.
A formation lit up, and two figures appeared simultaneously.
Wu Heng quickly scanned the surroundings, his expression turning grim.
The wilderness?
It seemed they prioritized killing him over attacking the guild.
Tolga appeared right after, the chain still binding the two, leaving a distance of about five meters between them.
"The Duel Chain. A legendary relic from a ruined arena. It only unlocks when one dies," Tolga said.
Seeing his plan succeed…
Tolga's face lit with a victorious smile, his tone calm, as if he had already won.
The greatest strength of a necromancer was their undead army. Of course, their weaponry was also terrifyingly powerful.
But now, it was just the two of them.
Killing a mage in close combat wasn't much harder than killing an ordinary person.
At this moment, the outcome seemed clear.
Wu Heng contemplated his options and said, "Do I look afraid?"
Tolga's expression darkened. "You mocking me?"
Wu Heng casually flipped his hand, summoning a submachine gun. Without aiming, he pulled the trigger.
Bang, bang, bang~!
A hail of bullets streamed forward like a barrage.
The moment Tolga saw the submachine gun, he exploded into motion, closing the distance between them with near-flash speed.
The chain tightened as they moved, shrinking the gap between them.
Wu Heng adjusted his aim, predicting and blocking Tolga's path.
Tolga crossed his fists before his chest, unleashing a powerful wave of energy.
The bullets visibly slowed midair, deflecting to the sides.
Boxer's energy force.
The ability to deflect bullets was nearing level 18 mastery.
The Emerald Sea pirates truly harbored hidden talents.
No wonder they were so hard to eliminate.
Wu Heng flipped his hand again, summoning another submachine gun. Dual-wielding, he continued suppressing Tolga's advance.
In close combat, no one could outmatch a martial artist's techniques.
Tolga roared like an enraged lion.
Wu Heng's head buzzed, his vision blurred briefly.
He fired a few shots blindly before regaining clarity. By then, Tolga was nearly upon him.
The distance between them shrank to a single meter.
Malice gleamed in Tolga's eyes as he sneered. "Little mage, let's see what tricks you have left."
Wu Heng's expression hardened. He shouted, "Boys, it's game time."
In the next moment…
His form began to vibrate at high frequency in Tolga's eyes.
Suddenly, six identical figures materialized, encircling him.
"Illusions? Do you think this will change anything?" Tolga exclaimed, regaining composure and roaring.
One figure drew an iron sword, charging directly at him for melee combat.
Two others took over the submachine guns, providing suppressive fire.
The remaining figures launched an array of spells toward the target.
One cast [Grease Spell].
Another cast [Sickening Ray] and [Enfeeblement Ray].
Then came [Lightning Beam] and [Fireball].
...…
A dense barrage of magic converged on his location.
Boom~!
With a thunderous blast, Tolga was sent flying backward.