Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 284: The ghost ship appears, the title of Pirate King! (Please give me a monthly ticket~)

In the northwest waters, the rolling lead-gray clouds at the junction of the sea and the sky were torn apart by thunder and lightning, and the rain curtain was torn apart by the majestic sound of the horn.

The majestic magical elements rolled back and forth on the sea. This was a reconnaissance technique performed by high-level transcendents who wanted to spy on this naval battle.

The northwestern countries, the Eastern Territory Empire, and even the Central Empire far away in the Central Continent have sent people to observe the naval fleet of the Kingdom of Ceylon.

The entire regular naval fleet of the kingdom was dispatched just to wipe out a group of pirates. Such a grand event attracted the attention of various forces and organizations with ulterior motives.

Amidst the heavy rain, the North Sea Fleet of the Kingdom of Ceylon was crossing the largest strait in the northwest waters. More than eighty warships made of magic-forged steel were in battle formation, speeding towards the Weeping Trench.

Gaston, the deputy commander of the navy and the commander-in-chief of this operation, stood on the deck of the flagship "Dreadnought" and observed a black island three nautical miles away through a silver telescope.

Feeling the vibration of the 10,000-ton steel behemoth under my feet, a surge of ambition and passion surged in my heart.

It has been so many years that he can hardly remember the last time he led an army to war.

Soon, the adjutant came to Gaston and said:
"Commander, we have determined that the black island three miles away is uninhabited, and no trace of magic has been found."

Gaston looked serious and nodded slowly:

"How far is it to the Weeping Trench?"

"We'll probably arrive around this time tomorrow."

"Okay, those annoying flies haven't gone away yet?"

The adjutant looked embarrassed and said:
"We've already sent a group of mages to find a solution, but based on the current feedback, the one using the detection spell is at least a high-level legendary magician. Unless a saint-level mage takes action, it will be difficult to dispel their spying."

Gaston cursed inwardly, then calmed down and said calmly:

"Let them watch if they want. Don't worry about them. We're moving forward at full speed!"

"Yes!"

……

Gaston looked at the Scarlet Island floating on the sea level like a giant beast, and a solemn look appeared in his eyes.

The officers of the North Sea Fleet have gathered on the "Dreadnought", waiting for Gaston's orders and ready to launch an attack at any time.

Gaston waited silently until a soldier from the Intelligence Department slowly walked into the operations room and reported to Gaston:

"Commander, there are no signs of an ambush nearby."

Gaston breathed a sigh of relief, drew his sword, and shouted loudly:
"Brothers, the time has come to make a difference. I command you to deploy in a crescent formation and fire relentlessly at the three ports of Scarlet Island!"

"Yes!"

With a low horn sound, the 300-meter-long magical main gun at the bow of the "Dreadnought" slowly rose, and the barrel engraved with various complex spells emitted a terrifying blue light.

"Roar" class main gun - the most advanced main gun currently equipped by the Kingdom of Ceylon.

Each round of volleys consumes a high-grade magic crystal, and each attack is equivalent to a full-strength attack from a peak gold-level mage.

Vast magical energy began to flow through the runes, and the raindrops floating in the air condensed into tiny ice crystals in the powerful magical magnetic field.

The flagship's keel emitted a resonance like a dragon's roar, and with a loud bang, the earth-shaking sound almost made the low-level transcendents on the deck deaf.

After a moment of silence, twelve blue-white beams of light tore through the rain curtain, and all the sea water along the way was vaporized into a steam corridor that was a kilometer long - the "Roar" class main gun fired twelve shells in each salvo.

As the main guns fired in unison, the remaining eighty battleships also burst out with vast magical power, and various types of magic cannons began to pour fire towards the Scarlet Island in the distance.

The thunderous sound of artillery shattered the rain curtain, and each shell was wrapped in an elemental vortex of different attributes - the red shell contained a compressed lava core, the azure bullet head contained a frozen blizzard, and the emerald green shell split into a vine barrage in mid-air.

However, what shocked the officers and soldiers of the entire North Sea Fleet was that when thousands of shells were about to land on the port of Scarlet Island and completely destroy the target, a water wave-like pattern suddenly appeared in the air five nautical miles away from Scarlet Island.

When the first shell touched the wavy pattern, spider-web-like silver-blue ripples suddenly appeared in the air. The magical energy emitted by the shell was like disturbed mercury, moving strangely on the translucent barrier.

Before the ripples had dissipated, dense shells followed, all pouring onto the invisible barrier.

Along with the brilliant and colorful light of the magic bullet, the entire protective shield finally revealed its complete outline -

The overall structure is a pale purple hexagonal honeycomb, covering the entire Scarlet Island main base, including the surrounding area within five nautical miles.

Nebula-shaped purple light bands flowed on the surface of the protective shield. Each energy circulated along a specific trajectory, forming a temporary hexagonal lattice structure at the impact point of the artillery fire, providing absolute defense.

When continuous artillery fire hits the same area, the local protective shield will collapse into a deep purple vortex, absorbing the energy of the shells and converting it into streams of light that spread in a spiral along the edge of the honeycomb.

Immediately afterwards, more than a thousand weeping banshees appeared near Scarlet Island, emitting strange infrasound waves from their throats.

Not far away, there were six open living conch shells, releasing a field of wailing.

Looking at the scene before him, Commander Gaston suddenly floated in the air, his face showing a deep solemnity. After a moment of silence, he turned to his adjutant and said:

"Report to headquarters, there's a change of plan. The Crimson Reavers have partnered with the Weeping Banshees of the Weeping Trench, and they now possess a sonic defense wall!
A protracted war is about to begin!"

Gaston knew very well how terrifyingly powerful the Weeping Banshee's sonic defense wall was. Without the continuous attacks of several legendary transcendents working together, it would be impossible to break through this turtle shell.

This also means that the North Sea Fleet’s pre-planned surprise attack and quick victory plan has failed!

……

In the Military Committee Office of the Kingdom of Ceylon, King Gaius placed the intelligence in his hand on the table with a serious expression on his face.

There was still shock in the eyes of the naval commander Norn next to him.

Prime Minister Youde, Duke of Gavan and His Royal Highness Prince Charles were all silent.

The news coming back from the front line made everyone feel like a huge rock was pressing down on their hearts.

Their original plan was to crush the entire Scarlet Plunderer with a thunderous force in this highly anticipated naval battle, and to deter all forces and countries in the northwest continent and northwest waters that wanted to challenge the dignity of the Kingdom of Ceylon.

The current situation makes them feel like they are punching cotton.

After an unknown amount of time, King Gaius's voice rang out:
"The Weeping Banshees have an eternal feud with the human race. Why would they help a group of pirates?"

Commander Norn replied in a deep voice:
"It's not surprising. Everyone is afraid of death, and a weeping banshee who has died once is of course even more afraid of death.

What's strange is how they managed to bypass the Weeping Banshees' sonic defense wall and conquer them. "

Duke Gavin said calmly:

"Don't forget, this Crimson Reaver is allied with the Mermaids. As their sworn enemies, the Mermaids must have a way to break through the sonic wall."

Prince Charles said:
"What should we do now? We can't just drag it on like this. Why not send two saints..."

Charles' proposal was quickly opposed by everyone.

Sending out saints to wipe out a group of pirates will not only fail to establish authority, but will even expose the fact that the Kingdom of Ceylon is weak.

What's more, "The Saint cannot leave easily" is a decision made by the joint meeting of the five empires. The five empires can violate it, but the Kingdom of Ceylon does not have the qualifications to do so.

Gaius said in a deep voice:
"If we can't win quickly, then we can't win quickly. Tell Gaston to take his time. He will eventually break through the defense."

"Yes!"

……

In the Eastern Territory Empire, Emperor Eberron and several military officials were also watching this naval battle.

After receiving intelligence from the front line, several people looked a little strange.

Prince Xia Zuo chuckled:
"No wonder they rejected our proposal. It turns out they got the turtle shell from the Weeping Banshee tribe.

But if you expect this thing to stop the Kingdom of Ceylon's North Sea Fleet, I'm afraid you're thinking too much."

Navy Commander Sean said in a deep voice:
"There should be more than this. They should have a backup plan."

The Prime Minister looked at Emperor Eberron and asked:

"Your Majesty, what did the Princess say?"

Eberron put down the information and said:

"Grace said that the leader hadn't made a final decision, so there was clearly still room for negotiation.

I just don’t know what conditions he will put forward. Maybe he wants to prove his worth through this naval battle and thus increase his bargaining chips?

Even if the Scarlet Reaver really managed to withstand the siege of the North Sea Fleet this time, he would definitely not be able to withstand it next time.

Faced with the Kingdom of Ceylon's full-scale attack, the Scarlet Plunderer had no choice but to ask for help. Perhaps that was his plan."

Another military minister agreed and said:

"I agree with your Majesty's speculation, otherwise he would not have allowed the princess to stay there as a witness.

In fact, I think it would be a good thing if the Scarlet Reavers could be conquered and made a force of the Eastern Territory Empire.

Just as the saints predicted, the continent is not far from falling into complete chaos. The Kingdom of Ceylon's investment has failed. Supporting a pirate group that can defeat the Ceylon Navy fleet is also in line with our strategy.

The Northwest Continent is the largest grain-producing region in the entire human world. Being able to establish a power on this continent will be of great significance to future changes."

Having said that, Prince Xia Zuo's expression became noticeably uglier.

He has always been in charge of the investment in the Kingdom of Ceylon, and he should bear the main responsibility for the current situation.

He had to speak, both to make amends and to explain to Emperor Eberron:

“Viscount Londo is not a complete failure.

I have reconnected with Saxon of the Kingdom of Ceylon. He has agreed to continue our cooperation as long as we help him overthrow that Gavin family.

Even after we support Saxon's ascension to power, the Kingdom of Ceylon will still be a nail in our coffin for the northwestern continent."

Emperor Eberron waved his hand to interrupt their conversation and said calmly:

"All power has been delegated to you. You are the ones who will do the work. You don't need to tell me, tell the people below you.

There is only one principle: the deaths of the Empire's soldiers must not be in vain."

Prince Xia Zuo's face suddenly turned pale. Emperor Eberron's words were obviously hinting that he had lost too many manpower in Florence before.

It also meant revenge on Effiin, the culprit behind all this! Prince Xia Zuo immediately seized this opportunity to present Saxon's conditions to Emperor Eberron:

"The third prince of the Kingdom of Ceylon, Saxon, has made his position very clear. As long as we provide him with the necessary resources, he will declare war on Effiin after ascending the throne!"

Eberron said calmly:
"You make your own decision. As long as it does not involve the core interests and principles of the empire, any support is acceptable."

This was exactly what Prince Xia Zuo was waiting for, but he also felt the pressure from Emperor Eberron from this sentence.

I'll give you all the resources, but if you fail again...

Prince Xia Zuo put an end to this terrible conjecture. No, he would definitely not fail this time!
Last time Cohen was in the dark, but this time he has been exposed. The enemy in the open is not scary!
He will certainly help Saxon ascend the throne and attack Effiin!
The Prime Minister of the Eastern Territory Empire, Tiberius Hawke, spoke at this time:
"Your Majesty, should we take some precautions? If the Scarlet Reaver is truly breached, the blueprints must not fall into the hands of the Kingdom of Ceylon."

Eberron's expression was calm, with a hint of pride in his words:
"My Prime Minister, don't worry, the Princess of the Eastern Territory Empire is not just famous for her looks!
She knows what to do!"

Seeing Emperor Eberron's solemn promise, Prime Minister Tiberius said nothing more, and everyone continued to pay attention to the naval battle.

……

The eldest princess mentioned by the Emperor of Eberron, his good daughter Grace Tang, was sitting next to Cohen, responsible for receiving intelligence from the main base of Scarlet Island, and she regarded herself as Cohen's adjutant.

Grace handed the information to Cohen and said:
"The North Sea Fleet has begun its attack on Scarlet Island. We can take action now."

Cohen's expression became more serious, and he said to Flint in the war room:

"The operation has begun. We must make sure the Black Sail Group feels our determination to annihilate them and force them to seek assistance from the North Sea Fleet!"

"Yes!"

The Scarlet Reavers' original ships were equipped with ordinary magic cannons. Although they were not comparable to the Ceylon Navy's magic cannons, they were still sufficient to deal with the Black Sails, which were far inferior in strength.

What's more, the Scarlet Raiders were fighting a surprise attack. Under the leadership of two legendary transcendents, Flint and Mordo, the Black Sail Regiment had no time to organize an effective defense, and the nearby waters were soon occupied by the Scarlet Raiders' warships.

The captain of the Black Sail Regiment, Helan, was originally looking forward to the Ceylon Kingdom Navy annihilating the Scarlet Reavers so that he could take over their forces. He never expected that the other side had already led their troops to his doorstep.

Helan didn't have time to think about how the coordinates of his base camp were exposed. The opponent's fierce attack made him think of the scene when the Scarlet Reavers attacked the Dark Tide Ghost Pirates at night.

An invisible fear immediately struck his heart, and then two terrifying legendary fluctuations slowly rose, one of which was even close to the saint level.

High legendary level!
The man who killed the leader of the Dark Tide Ghost Pirates!

Helan's body shook, and without thinking, he took out the communication stone and contacted Gaston, the deputy commander of the Ceylon Kingdom Navy who was attacking the main base of Scarlet Island.

Gaston had just received an order from home to wage a protracted war against the main base of Scarlet Island when he received news from Helan.

An officer who looked like a staff officer beside him said after hearing this:
"The main force of the Scarlet Reavers went to besiege the Black Sails?

What are they trying to do?
Rescue the main base?"

Gaston pondered for a moment and said:
"We must rescue the Black Sails. Beth, take half of the warships and rescue the Black Sails, leaving the besieging pirates behind as well."

Bethe was the head of the North Sea Fleet. Upon hearing Gaston's order, he hesitated and asked:

"Could this be a conspiracy by the Crimson Reavers, forcing us to split up our forces?"

Gaston smiled and said:

"They are just a group of pirates. Even if we divide our forces, they are no match for us.

I guess he's desperate and wants to use the Black Sails as his base."

Hearing Gaston say this, Commander Beth could not refute. He accepted the order and took half of the ships to support the Black Sail Regiment.

Inside the Scarlet Island main base, everyone could clearly feel that the pressure on the outer defense had suddenly eased a lot.

One of the Sharkman Legends ascended to the sky to investigate and came back to say to Beckman:

"The troops have been divided. Half of the North Sea Fleet has been divided. It should be your captain who has taken action against the Black Sail Regiment."

Beckman and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief. The most difficult first stage had passed. At least they could breathe a sigh of relief before Gaston's divided fleet was annihilated by Cohen.

Beckman decisively ordered the Banshee's sonic defense wall to temporarily reduce its coverage area, protecting only a few key areas, and using the pirates to defend the rest.

The wailing field and sonic defense wall of the Weeping Banshees are not infinite, not to mention that the Banshees' throats cannot sing continuously for 24 hours. They must conserve their energy. After Cohen eliminates the North Sea Fleet's detachment, their main base will surely face Gaston's crazy attack.

……

Claire jumped out from the bottom of the sea, her fish tail transformed into slender legs, and returned to Cohen, whispering:
"We're here. We're still thirty nautical miles from the Howling Strait."

The Howling Strait is located between two cursed volcanic islands. It is rumored that it is the trace left by two fire-attributed holy domain wizards who once fought here.

Shrouded in sulfur smoke all year round, it is the most suitable ambush location in the area.

This is also where Cohen plans to attack the North Sea Fleet.

After receiving the information, Cohen turned back and said to Grace:

"Your Highness, you will be in charge of the command here. Temporarily halt the attack and simply lay siege. Ensure that the Black Sails do not interfere with our operations."

Grace received the order, and Cohen asked Mr. Modo to withdraw temporarily and go with him to the Roaring Strait to ambush the North Sea Fleet's troops.

Not far from them, Commander Beth of the North Sea Fleet was leading more than 30 warships, cutting through the azure waters in the vast northwest sea area, heading all the way towards the Black Sail Group's headquarters.

Beth was also an experienced naval officer. He did not underestimate the strength of the Scarlet Reaver. Following the normal combat strategy, patrol boats and reconnaissance ships continuously conducted reconnaissance in front and around.

Unfortunately, no matter how precise the reconnaissance was, it was impossible to detect the surveillance of a legendary mermaid. Therefore, from the moment Bet's fleet approached the waters near the Black Sail Group, their every move was under Cohen's control.

Claire even figured out the entire fleet's troop deployment and ship distribution: a total of 35 main battleships, and the remaining few were logistics supply ships and submarines.

Cohen said to General Fan Ze who was accompanying him on the expedition:

"Has the Sharkman's underwater column set up its ambush?"

General Fan Ze replied:

"We have arrived at the Howling Strait. Our people are outside the strait. To prevent detection, we have not yet entered."

Cohen nodded slightly, then lowered his voice:

“Yeah, well done.

In addition, General Fan Ze, you have to record the entire naval battle. It will become a model for our Eifin Navy to learn from in the future.

You were once the deputy commander of the navy and the principal of a military academy. I feel very confident in entrusting this task to you."

General Fan Ze nodded grimly and said in a deep voice:

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

"Okay, let's go!"

Bethe put down his binoculars and asked the staff officer next to him:
"Is that the Roaring Strait ahead?"

The staff officer replied:

"Yes, it's a dangerous place in the northwest sea. The Black Sail Group established their base camp nearby, probably because they were attracted by the unique geographical location of the Howling Strait."

Bethe asked cautiously:

"Has the scout ship confirmed that there are no ambushes nearby?"

The staff officer replied decisively:

"It has been confirmed that there is no human scent, but the scent of siren is quite strong, as if there is a siren tribe nearby.

As long as we proceed with caution, these sirens will not actively attack the human fleet."

Beth felt relieved. Sirens could be found everywhere in the Endless Sea. It was normal for several groups of Sirens to appear in a dangerous place like the Roaring Strait, so he did not take it to heart.

With a wave of his hand, he gave the order:

"Pass through the strait at full speed. Once you're through, immediately deploy the attack formation!"

"Yes!"

Beth's flagship was located in the center of the entire fleet. The magic power core in the middle of the ship was running at high speed, and the speed increased suddenly. The moment the flagship entered the strait, roars vibrated from all directions.

Beth's expression turned cold, and soon an officer reported back:

"Commander, there's a siren attack!"

Bethe frowned.

"Why would the Kraken attack the human navy?

What is a siren?"

Soon more news came:

"It's the Shark People, the Shark People's Undersea Column!

It's their most elite submarine column!"

Shark people!
Beth was suddenly startled, and immediately thought of the legendary sharkman who appeared in the previous battle in the northwest sea area!

ambush!

This is a trap set for them by the Crimson Predator in collusion with the Shark People!

There is no time to think about why the other party would ambush a regular naval fleet. Faced with an ambush, no matter how strong the other party is, they must withdraw first.

The legendary aura on his body suddenly surged, and he shouted loudly:
"retreat!

withdraw……"

Before he could finish his words, he saw a scene that he would never forget.

The originally calm sea surface began to ripple with ominous dark colors.

The entire sea area suddenly emitted a muffled sound like a giant beast chewing the cud, followed by a sudden rise of a hundred-meter-high wave wall. In the dark deep sea, a skull flag pattern slowly took shape.

The ghost ship that once ruled the entire Endless Sea for thousands of years and has been extinct for tens of thousands of years has appeared again!
(End of this chapter)