Chapter 457, Kill the Island Master
Minnie's voice came through the earpiece.
Amidst the chaotic scene, the faint sounds of armored vehicles and footsteps could be heard approaching from the rear.
Finally, they've arrived.
Otherwise, the only solution to deal with the pirates would have been opening the realm gate.
If that were done, things would become much more complicated afterward.
Wu Heng adjusted his earpiece with one hand. "I'm at the port; come directly here."
"Got it."
Ending the conversation, Wu Heng refocused on the scene ahead.
Pirate ships began approaching the dock, with pirates shouting and cheering as they surged onto the dock via gangplanks.
They quickly swarmed the entire port area.
Looking toward the interior of the island, their eyes gleamed with uncontainable frenzy and excitement.
As the pirates disembarked, Occam's eyes flashed with satisfaction. With his hands clasped behind his back, he loudly proclaimed, "The entire island is mine! I know everything about this place. Now I have several times more people than you. Little Deputy Steward, what will you fight me with?"
As he spoke, the pirates raised their weapons and roared in unison.
If they won today, all the pirates would follow the Pirate King to reestablish the rules of the Emerald Sea.
Every ship passing through these waters would have to pay tribute.
The era of pirates had arrived.
Wu Heng remained calm, his tone indifferent. "Occam, you led your crew and stole the Pirate King's treasure in the end. Aren't you afraid that other captains will uncover this secret and refuse to acknowledge your status?"
Though spoken casually, his voice carried to most of the pirates present.
The bustling port fell silent in an instant.
To pirates, the Pirate King was a figure of faith. It was only under his leadership that the Emerald Sea had gained the collective trust of all pirates.
Pirates firmly believed that the Pirate King could lead them to fight any enemy, including the guild, and bring them greater rewards.
Wu Heng's words left the pirates speechless.
Occam's gaze darted around before he sneered, "What's this? Trying to sow discord so you can escape? We pirates may not read as many books as you mages, but we're not fools."
Ignoring him, Wu Heng continued, "The Pirate King's treasure isn't a legacy. Whoever claims it becomes the next Pirate King."
Occam's expression grew darker, realizing Wu Heng was still trying to pit him against his own.
No longer bothering with further words, he coldly ordered, "Kill them all! The wealth and women on this island go to whoever gets there first."
Whoosh~!
The pirates brushed aside their earlier doubts.
With shouts and cheers, they charged forward like a swarm of locusts.
Sheila Grey and her squad members turned pale, gripping their weapons tightly.
They prepared for a final, desperate battle.
Wu Heng, however, glanced sideways and spoke into his earpiece, "Let the skeletons open fire. Aim precisely."
Boom~!
From the depths of the pitch-black street came the sound of an earth-shattering explosion.
A streak of light pierced the darkness, shooting toward the pirates at the port.
In the next second.
Bang~!
The deafening explosion echoed, pulverizing a large group of pirates, while scattered debris continued to injure nearby pirates.
Then, four green rectangular vehicles broke through barricades of barrels and miscellaneous debris.
They appeared directly in everyone's line of sight.
Cannons aimed at the port.
Blazing streaks of light cut through the night sky like meteors, bombarding the port and the ships behind it.
Explosions erupted one after another, and the port instantly turned into a sea of fire.
Flames soared into the sky, illuminating the entire horizon.
Ships were blasted apart in the bombardment, their remains flying everywhere in pieces.
Thick smoke rose, filling the air with a suffocating stench of gunpowder.
Pirates fled in panic, shouting and screaming.
Many leaped into the sea to escape the bombardment.
Wu Heng led his squad into a nearby building, leaning against the windowsill and widening his eyes at the scene outside.
Sheila Grey stared fixedly at Wu Heng.
"You had this arranged and didn't say anything earlier?"
Behind the convoy.
Merchants' representatives, noble families, and allied guards hurried to the scene, their faces filled with terror at what lay before them.
The dark night sky was painted orange-red.
The port, along with the dense cluster of pirate ships, was relentlessly bombarded.
Every five seconds, a pirate ship would be reduced to fragments and begin to sink.
The overwhelming momentum of countless pirate ships vanished at this moment, leaving only chaos and fiery destruction.
Among the crowd, those with faith knelt toward the port.
They began murmuring prayers.
Merchant representatives.
Gathered together, whispering amongst themselves.
"Is this… magic weaponry? When did the guild develop something like this?"
"It's not the guild's. I heard from Shanaila that it belongs to that Deputy Steward from the guild."
"Terrifying…"
"Well, we're alive thanks to this weapon."
"Fair enough!"
At this moment, Shanaila's butler quickly stepped forward.
His cold gaze swept over the crowd as he said, "Merchant representatives, retreat to a safe location. All guards, split into two teams and block the east and west roads. Kill any pirates trying to pass through."
The orders were issued, and everyone immediately sprang into action.
Those who considered themselves non-combatants obediently retreated to the rear.
The guards didn't wait for instructions from their masters, dividing into two teams as commanded.
They moved to the designated intersections and set up defenses.
Killing any pirates who had evaded the bombardment and were fleeing in panic.
Killing any pirates trying to escape in their disarray.
...
The island lord's estate.
The weakened Protector 'Viola' reverted from her mist form back into human shape.
Staggering two steps back, she glanced at the towering flames behind her and smiled. "Imiro, the pirates have landed on the island. You should leave now and come back later to take revenge."
Imiro turned to glance at her, his sword slashing out another wave of energy.
The woman's body dissolved into mist once again, retreating into the distance. "Goodbye. Whether you stay or leave is up to you."
Imiro looked in the direction she fled but did not pursue. Instead, he turned and rushed toward the port.
Guild
Andviel, Moya, and numerous guild members.
They stood at the door, watching the repeated flashes of light breaking through the dark night.
Silently, they prayed for the guild's ultimate victory.
...…
Black Dragon Pirate Crew, Ship's Cabin
The continuous rumbling and violent rocking of the ship.
Made 'Philipa's' face pale. "Damn it, they're using that thing again."
This frequency of explosions.
She had heard it more than once and was sure it was the weapon belonging to her Deputy Steward.
Damn it, if they fired that thing at this ship, she wouldn't survive.
She focused her hearing outside and detected the chaos among the pirates.
Pulling a cloak from her space ring, she draped it over her head. She also took out a tool, prying open the slightly rusted iron lock.
Philipa adjusted her hood and walked quickly outside.
The ship rocked violently.
Pirates, swaying with the ship, were fishing out crew members who had fallen into the sea, seemingly preparing to turn back.
Around her, ships engulfed in flames were slowly sinking into the ocean.
Philipa's eyes widened.
She hadn't expected the situation to escalate to this extent.
Scanning her surroundings quickly, she didn't see her own pirate ship.
"Damn it! Where's my ship?"
But she couldn't dwell on that now—staying here would only mean death.
With that thought, she moved toward the edge of the ship.
She had barely taken a few steps.
Before attracting the attention of the other pirates.
"Stop right there! Take off the hood!" a voice shouted from behind her.
Nearby pirates immediately turned to look.
They quickly surrounded her.
Philipa stopped hiding and pulled a submachine gun from her space ring. Aiming at the pirates ahead, she followed the instructions she'd been given.
"I'm here for revenge, you bastards!"
Click, click~!
She pulled the trigger.
But nothing happened. It seemed stuck.
Damn it.
It's broken.
The pirates froze in surprise.
"Philipa, you treacherous woman. You've always been suspicious. Now that we're at Gold-Silver Island, were you planning to escape?"
"The captain was too lenient locking her up. Why not let the brothers have some fun with her at sea?"
"Grab her! We still need to deal with Gold-Silver Island afterward."
The pirates nodded and charged at her.
Philipa watched the pirates lurching toward her and remembered how to operate the gun. She switched off the safety.
Aimed forward and fired.
Bang, bang, bang~!
Bullets whizzed out. The recoil and rocking of the ship nearly caused her to fall.
But the charging pirates stopped in their tracks.
They looked down at the bloody holes appearing on their bodies.
Those hit in vital areas slowly collapsed to the ground.
"Kill her, quickly!" one pirate shouted.
Philipa's initial nervousness turned into joy.
Bang, bang, bang~!
Bullets fired again in quick succession, killing the pirates on the deck.
She then returned to the cabin.
"Damn you all! I'm taking you down today!"
...…
"Wu Heng, who exactly are you? How could you just be a Deputy Steward?"
Seeing Wu Heng blocking his path, Occam's pupils contracted, his face darkened.
His voice was filled with rage and frustration.
He had planned for this for so long, expending so much effort.
Dragging down 'Imiro,' removing the major merchant groups from the island.
And yet, here he was, faced with someone like Wu Heng.
A Deputy Steward...
How could a mere Deputy Steward possess such power?
Or wield such terrifying weapons?
"Why are you here on this island? Tell me, who sent you? Why did you ruin my plans?" Occam's eyes widened as he roared in anger.
He was so close.
Just one more step.
"Surrender. At least you'll get to keep an intact corpse," Wu Heng said calmly.
"You want to turn me into an undead, you vile necromancer! You damned monster!" Occam cursed, venting his fury.
Being insulted by a pirate.
Wu Heng felt the sting of humiliation.
He gestured slightly. "Fire!"
Bang, bang, bang~!
A row of skeletons opened fire straight ahead.
Dense bullets shot forward.
Numerous pirates fell, their bodies riddled with holes, writhing in pain.
Occam produced a round shield, blocking the bullets as he fled into a dark alley.
"Keramu, Tolga, kill him," Wu Heng commanded again.
Two level-17 skeleton servants dashed forward, chasing after the fleeing target.
They closed the distance.
Keramu unleashed a cloud of mist.
Occam, sensing danger, lunged forward.
Keramu's form appeared a moment too late, his sword slashing at empty air.
The skeletal brawler 'Tolga' blocked Occam's escape route.
Occam tilted his head, narrowly dodging Tolga's punch while thrusting his sword forward.
Wu Heng observed from behind, intrigued by Occam's fighting style.
Though his swordsmanship wasn't as refined as Keramu's, nor his techniques as precise as Tolga's, he managed to avoid fatal strikes as if he could foresee them.
Despite the dents in his armor and the blood at the corners of his mouth.
He continued to endure.
Wu Heng picked up a rifle from a nearby skeleton, took a quick aim, and pulled the trigger.
Bang, bang~!
Two bullets pierced through Occam's armor, leaving holes in his body.
His armor concealed the blood, but the shots had penetrated deeply.
"Argh~!"
Occam screamed in agony.
Tolga advanced quickly, restraining Occam's arms from behind. Keramu followed, his sword stabbing through Occam's body, even piercing through Tolga's ribcage.
Occam's eyes turned blood-red. In his desperation, he unleashed a burst of unprecedented strength, twisting his arms and slamming the back of his head against Tolga's skull.
Keramu withdrew his sword, stabbing twice more to pierce Occam's shoulders.
His arms went limp.
"Occam, you've lost," Wu Heng said, stepping closer.
Occam's face twisted in rage as he roared, "You won't have a good end either! Your death will be far worse than mine!"
Wu Heng replied, "I should thank you for gathering all these pirates here. You're a true Pirate King, ensuring you wouldn't be lonely on your way out."
Occam's eyes widened, filled with hatred.
Rage, frustration, and endless resentment burned within them.
He had inherited the Pirate King's legacy.
Outmaneuvered the merchant guilds and held Imiro at bay.
Why, of all things, was there him?
Without him, the pirates would have won against the guild.
"Kill him."
Slash~!
Keramu's sword swung, and Occam's head rolled to the ground.
His body collapsed.
As Wu Heng bent down to retrieve Occam's space ring, he suddenly sensed something and frowned.
Taking a step back, he waved his hand.
A bone cage rose from the ground.
Instantly forming a prison, sealing the area ahead.
Inside the cage, a ghost resembling Occam emerged.
It frantically rammed into the cage walls.
Shouting loudly, "Wu Heng, I'll kill you someday! Even if I can't kill you, I'll haunt you forever!"
It continued to ram into the cage, its voice venomous and filled with rage.
The bone cage, a necromantic construct, could confine not only the living but also spirits and void creatures.
Wu Heng found the sudden development intriguing.
Even after death, Occam had transformed into a ghostly form. It seemed there was more to this level-18 professional than met the eye.
"Xiaoxiao, what's his level now?"
Xiaoxiao appeared and replied, "Not high, around level 12."
Glenda emerged from the other side. "It must be tied to his level-18 Seer abilities. Otherwise, a ghost's level wouldn't be this high."