I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 512 Board Jumping Battle (Part 3)
"I'm not happy, I'm not playing." The user is currently loading the boomerang.

He had just fired a shot at the enemy below the deck of the forecourt. The scorching grapeshot covered a three-man squad. Two of the arrogant boarders were immediately riddled with holes and fell to the ground screaming. One was seriously injured and was hacked to pieces by the surrounding sailors with knives.

The strong smell of gunpowder and blood mingled together, irritating his nasal passages and making him feel incredibly satisfied.

However, at that moment a beam of light shone through, and the scene there suddenly became incredibly bizarre.

Beside each real intruder, three identical figures instantly appeared, like clones of the same person, with even the same armor and wounds.

In an instant, the remaining enemy force of only thirty-odd people visually transformed into an army of over a hundred.

These mirror images are not only animated, but their movements are synchronized with those of the individuals around them. They wield weapons that gleam with the same cold light, utter silent roars, and launch attacks on the terrified sailors and players around them.

The situation on deck changed dramatically from a stalemate.

A Marine struggled to shield a charging enemy, only to find his longsword passing right through the man's body... It was an illusion.

In the instant he was stunned, another seemingly illusory "mirror image" beside him delivered a solid axe blow, striking his shoulder armor heavily, sending sparks flying.

"Be careful, some of these ghostly things are fake, and some are real!"

Some players were shouting, but it was hard to tell in the chaos.

The sailors' morale was severely damaged. They often hesitated in the face of deadly real attacks, yet wasted their energy blocking illusory images. The shield wall began to falter.

Even Bu Shuang was stunned. He aimed his cannon at an enemy that was hacking at sailors, but hesitated to fire... What if it was just an illusion? This shot of precious shot and valuable reload time would be wasted, and it might even accidentally injure friendly forces.

"It's advanced mirror magic. It can not only help people hide, but also create offensive illusions!"

Polka's anxious voice came from the direction of the bridge. He had somehow arrived at the edge of the upper deck, holding a thick-covered magic book in his hands. The pages of the book moved without wind, and he was chanting incantations. Strong arcane energy emanated from his body.

"In the name of truth, dispel falsehood!"

Polka raised his hands, and a soft, water-like white halo rapidly spread out from him, sweeping across the entire battle area.

Wherever the halo passed, the hideous mirror images melted and disintegrated rapidly like ice and snow under the sunlight, turning into streaks of light and disappearing. The number of enemies on the deck decreased sharply, but instead of turning back into more than thirty real invaders, more than sixty remained.

Nevertheless, the sailors and players cheered, greatly reducing the pressure.

However, the next second, the beam of light shone again, and the vanished mirror image reappeared.

"Fuck you!"

Frustrated with the break-defense tactic, he abruptly turned his boomerang and fired at the magic ship, which was several meters shorter than the Sea Lion, on its port side. Without waiting to observe the result, he released his grip, drew his sword from his waist, and shouted back at the other players.

"Brothers, follow me and charge this ship! Board it and kill those bastards!!!"

……

"It's a bit troublesome..."

Hobert, the leader of the Mirror Sea Brigade and the owner of the Mirror Moon, a great adventurer of the Tranquil Sea... looked at the magical light screen in front of him, which was composed of countless water mirrors, and clearly reflected the chaotic and fierce battle on the deck of the Sea Lion.

His slender fingers tapped lightly on the mother-of-pearl inlaid command console, his brows furrowed slightly.

“These Bagnians…are much more troublesome than expected.”

He muttered to himself, his voice as calm as the deep sea, yet carrying a subtle hint of gravity.

He witnessed how his own brigade members gained the upper hand with their superior combat skills and magical armor, and he also saw the resilience of the enemy sailors as they gradually organized their resistance from chaos, as well as their fearlessness in battle.

Hobert also saw warships belonging to the Kingdom of Bagnia circling and maneuvering nearby.

These warships are flanking it from both the front and rear, rapidly closing the distance to its flagship.

Clearly, these warships want to do something, and they are taking action.

When it was discovered that the fleet's flagship, HMS Sea Lion, had been boarded, the other ships in the First Fleet had already begun to move.

The closest frigates to HMS Sea Lion, HMS Sea Fox and HMS Lightning, reacted most quickly. The captains of both ships almost simultaneously ordered their ships to approach the Sea Lion's starboard side, board it, and join the deck battle.

The two battleships a little further away displayed the composure and power of large warships. They did not blindly approach to avoid causing congestion and collisions due to their massive hulls, but all their gun ports were open, and they were tentatively shelling the Mirror Moon with smaller caliber guns.

The shells fired did not hit the Mirror Moon. This was partly to avoid friendly fire, as the battleship's guns deliberately deviated from the Sea Lion. On the other hand, there were false ship shadows around the Mirror Moon, which confused the observation of other ships and made the gunners very hesitant in their aiming.

Nevertheless, Hobart knew he couldn't stay here too long, even though the Mirror Moon was a very powerful magic ship, while the enemy was just a bunch of crude mortals who could hardly sense any magical aura.

Hobert harbored a deep-seated contempt for primitive civilizations that relied on steel and gunpowder rather than wisdom and elemental power.

In his eyes, these Bagnians were merely relying on their large ships and numerous cannons; their fighting style lacked artistry, and even more so, they lacked reverence for and application of the world's essential forces.

However, his contempt did not completely mask his fear of these Muggles.

The combination of steel and cannons poses a significant threat to the Mirror Moon. If it were to be bombarded by concentrated fire and the shells were to land squarely on the Mirror Moon, even with the protection of a magical shield, his beloved ship would be in serious trouble.

Thinking of this, Hobart couldn't help but look up irritably at the moonlight shining through the ship's glass ceiling.

"Damn you, Kandis, how much longer will it take you to bring the snake people back...?"

Hobert looked down on these Muggles, but that didn't mean he was so arrogant as to think that he could take over the Bagnian warship called the Sea Lion with just his own brigade.

In fact, the brigade members who boarded the enemy ship and are still fighting are just bait to distract the enemy, while the real mission is carried out by...

……

In a special compartment located at the deepest point of the Sea Lion's deck, it was almost deathly silent compared to the faint shouts of battle, vibrations, and various chaotic noises coming from the deck above.

The only light source inside the cabin came from a few windproof wall lamps, which emitted a bright yet soft glow, illuminating the narrow but exceptionally clean space.

The small cabin was sparsely furnished, with a single bed, a table, and a chair, all fixed to the ground. The beautiful, androgynous snake-person was sitting on the bed, curiously tilting its head to look at the ceiling and then at the corner of the room.

Catch the Shrimp, the swift sword master who once killed three snake-man assassins with his sword, now sits like a stone statue on a futon in the corner of the cabin.

His eyes were slightly closed, his breathing was long and shallow, almost inaudible, and a swift sword forged from powder metallurgy steel lay across his knee.

The sounds of fierce fighting on deck, transmitted through the layers of deck structure, transformed into muffled impacts, indistinct shouts, and the occasional clearer boom of cannons.

These sounds are undoubtedly a death knell for the players, enough to make them restless and eager to rush into battle immediately.

But the shrimp catcher was not in a hurry. On the one hand, his task was to keep an eye on the snake-man, and on the other hand, he believed that he would not miss the key moment of the event tonight.

In order to be in the best mental state to face the upcoming battle, Daixiahu deliberately entered a meditative state, his mind highly focused yet unusually relaxed.

He now seemed to blend into the shadows of the cabin, as if the storms and battles outside were separated from him by an invisible barrier.

However, his hand, which was lightly resting on the hilt of his sword, seemed to contain a thunderous rage about to erupt. Beneath his calm exterior, his muscles were slightly tense, ready to transform the sword at his knee into a deadly flash. Suddenly, the snake-man's pale golden vertical pupils stopped wandering aimlessly and stared fixedly in the direction of the hatch... There was something behind the hatch.

Catch the Shrimp slowly opened his eyes. He didn't see anything unusual about the snake-man, nor did he hear any strange noises outside the door. However, he knew that the guards outside the door were all dead... The dead players were screaming in the communication software.

"Holy crap, I'm dead! I'm dead! What the hell killed me?!"

"A transparent, ghost-like thing killed us. Shrimp Catcher, avenge us!"

"Watch out, that guy's turning the doorknob, he's going in!!!"

The door was opened?
Daixiahu squinted at the wooden door of the room. He didn't see the door open, nor did he hear any sound. However, the players who were dead or about to die outside the room wouldn't deceive him about this.

Moreover, the shrimp catcher did indeed sense something was amiss... A breeze was caressing his face, carrying with it a slightly sweet, rusty scent.

It's the smell of blood.

That gentle breeze, carrying the sweet, metallic scent of rust, was the perfect starting pistol.

The shrimp catchers made their move.

Without warning, without any pre-existing muscle tension, he transitioned from extreme stillness to extreme motion.

The body that was originally sitting cross-legged was shot out as if by an invisible bowstring, turning into a blurry afterimage, rushing straight towards the seemingly empty cabin door.

The swift sword on his knee had been drawn at some point and was now in his hand, its tip drawing an almost invisible silver line in the dim light of the wall lamp.

This sword strike was so fast that it exceeded the limits of human vision.

There was no whistling wind, only the extremely subtle hissing sound of a sword blade cutting through the air, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

The blade, forged from modern high-quality powder metallurgy steel, reveals its terrifying characteristics at this moment.

The combination of extremely high hardness and toughness makes the sword blade almost completely stable during such a high-speed thrust, as steady as an extended pointer of death.

The sword blade undergoes special heat treatment and mirror polishing, making it not only exceptionally sharp but also extremely reflective in dim light, resembling a deadly streak of light that blends into the shadows.

The shrimp catcher's sword, poised to strike with lightning speed, was abruptly intercepted less than half a meter from the hatch!

"Qiang!"

A deafening clang of metal clashing rang out, and sparks flew everywhere in the dimly lit cabin.

A blurry, rippling figure suddenly appeared in front of the sword tip, then quickly solidified.

A lithe and graceful female assassin, clad in tight-fitting dark blue leather armor, narrowly parried the shrimp catcher's earth-shattering thrust with a crisscross of two curved short swords, each no longer than her forearm.

However, blocking this sword was clearly not easy, because the female assassin's pretty face, hidden in the shadow of her hood, was filled with disbelief and horror.

Quick! This sword strike was too fast and full of surprise. She almost couldn't block it!
The battle was not over yet; the moment sparks flew, the fight suddenly broke out again.

The female assassin's eyes were still filled with shock, but her body reacted immediately. She twisted her wrists, skillfully deflecting the force of the swift sword, and her figure floated forward like a ghost. At the same time, the short swords in her hands transformed into two blue venomous snakes, one stabbing at the shrimp catcher's throat and the other slicing off his wrist, her attacks ruthless and cunning.

The shrimp catcher retreated with skating steps, his sword flashing as he drew several precise small circles, deflecting all of the opponent's attacks with two sharp "clangs".

The blades clashed, producing a rapid and crisp sound.

In her advance and retreat, the elven assassin moved with incredible speed and attacked with a frequency as high as a storm. The two short swords in her hands seemed to come alive, launching attacks from all sorts of incredible angles.

What's more troublesome is that her dark blue leather armor flashed with an eerie light, and two phantoms identical to her, each wielding a short sword, suddenly appeared in the cabin.

Three female assassins surrounded Daixiahu in a triangular formation. Their attack instantly changed from dual-bladed to six-bladed. Although the phantom's attack was not as fierce as the real one, it was enough to deceive people and greatly interfere with their judgment.

The cramped cabin restricted the shrimp catcher's backward movement, so after taking a few steps back, he was forced to stop and swiftly wielded his sword in a crescent moon motion.

Inside the cabin, in order not to accidentally injure the snake people, Daixiahu could not use any wide-ranging sword techniques. He could only wield his swift sword in a tightly packed manner, his body rapidly dodging and weaving within a small area. The sword light was like a silver shield, barely resisting the frenzied attacks from three directions.

The sounds of blades clashing against daggers, and even phantom weapons, were incessant, sparks flying constantly in the dim light.

The female assassin's true form was clearly extremely experienced in combat; she and her two phantoms worked in perfect harmony, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.

Several times, Daixiahu's sword pierced through the illusion but didn't hit anything, while the real blade attacked from another angle, leaving several shallow bloodstains on his arm and shoulder as he barely managed to dodge.

The moment blood was drawn, Daixiahu could feel the icy chill seeping into the wound, clearly the effect of the enchantment on the short sword.

The shrimp hunter remained calm and collected, possessing rich combat experience. Having died countless times in other games, he did not panic despite his current disadvantage.
The Swift Sword Master parried while keenly observing his enemy.

The assassin and the phantom worked together seamlessly, but a phantom is still a phantom. Their attacks lacked even the most subtle variations in force, and their movements were somewhat unnaturally stiff, especially at the moment the attack was about to hit the body. They also lacked the instinctive reaction to danger.

So, after a few rounds, he was able to roughly distinguish which was the real object and which was the illusion.

The opportunity arose during a series of attacks, with the assassin and a phantom flanking from both sides, while another phantom launched a feint attack from the front.

As if she was about to block the illusion in front of her, at the last moment she twisted her body strangely and her swift sword pointed at the wrist of the enemy's main body on the right at an unbelievable angle, forcing her to return her sword to defend.

As for the attack from the phantom on his left, he simply turned slightly to the side and used his shoulder armor to take the hit... The phantom's attack passed through his body, bringing only a cold sensation and causing no real damage.

It's now!

The shrimp catcher didn't miss this fleeting opportunity. He parried the opponent's short sword with his right hand, but instead of withdrawing it, he pressed down on the opponent's weapon. At the same time, his left hand reached out to his waist with a speed that was too fast to see... where an officer's flintlock pistol was tucked!
Draw your gun, raise your hand, aim, and pull the trigger!
The shrimp catcher's entire movement was seamless and fluid, as if he had practiced it a thousand times. At such close range, there was no need to aim deliberately!

"boom!!!"

A gunshot rang out in the cramped cabin, and the intense flames illuminated the female assassin's pretty face, which was filled with astonishment and disbelief.

She clearly had no idea that such a powerful swordsman, who could fight her, a phantom assassin, to a standstill with his mortal body, would suddenly resort to such despicable tactics in close combat!

At such close range, the lead bullet struck her lower abdomen without any doubt.

Even with the magical leather armor protecting her, the immense kinetic energy from the lead bullet was enough to cause devastating damage, piercing through the armor. She groaned and slid softly to the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling. The two phantoms flickered a few times and then disappeared.

The cabin was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder.

The shrimp catcher held the gun steadily in front of him, wisps of smoke still rising from the muzzle. He blew a puff of air triumphantly to disperse the smoke.

"A powerful move from the Ashina style of swordsmanship. To die from this move is quite an honor... Wait, what is this?"

Suddenly, the shrimp catcher saw the face of the female assassin lying on the ground. The exquisite facial modeling and the two long, pointed ears sticking out from the edge of the hood made him realize something, and he rushed to the door.

"Quickly, someone come! A doctor who knows first aid! There are elves here, come quick!"

(End of this chapter)