I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 522 The Monk Ran Away
As a naval officer of the Blue Flame Kingdom and the commander-in-chief of the Moonstone Harbor protection fleet, Captain Aetherine Windseeker considers herself brave and knowledgeable.

However, she now realizes that she was somewhat ignorant.

Today, the weather is fine and sunny, and Etherine is leading her fleet on her routine escort patrol.

The mission is simple: the fleet follows a fixed route, circles around Moonstone Port, departs in the morning, and returns in the afternoon, a routine patrol that takes place every three days.

Her fleet consisted of two light frigates, the HMS Petrel and the HMS Faithful, and four offshore patrol boats.

Such power is sufficient to handle any trouble that may arise in the peaceful northern waters of the Blue Flame Islands... whether it's a small group of pirates or an occasional raging sea monster.

If you encounter an enemy you cannot defeat, retreat to the port to hold it, and then send a signal to the kingdom to request support.

The Blue Flame Navy's main base is only a day's voyage from Moonstone Port.

Therefore, the Moonstone Fleet's voyage was very easy and pleasant. When the lookout of the Seagull spotted a fleet with a strange double-headed eagle flag appearing on the horizon ahead, no one on board paid any attention to it.

Even the signalmen on the Haiyan ship skillfully operated the lights, issuing friendly inquiries and warnings.

It wasn't until the two sides drew closer that the elves gradually realized something was wrong; perhaps the enemy fleet's formation was somewhat...

The signalman from the Haiyan once again sent an inquiry signal to the fleet that consisted of a giant warship.

However, the elves were met with a sudden burst of intense flames and a thunderous roar from the side of the giant ship, followed by a rain of death that tore through the air.

Force is the best language.

Aetherine the Windseeker now knew why they were there. She jumped up, her scream almost drowning out the terrible thunder.

However, it was too late.

Dozens of black dots rapidly enlarged in the air, carrying destructive kinetic energy, and crashed down.

The Haiyan was the first to be hit.

A heavy, solid iron ball struck the small magic tower at the stern of the ship, which was gathering arcane light.

Etherine watched helplessly as the tower, meticulously crafted from enchanted wood and mithril components, was pierced with a gaping hole, like a toy being smashed by a giant's hammer, with a sickening cracking sound.

The ship's mage, who was guiding the protective barrier inside, appeared dumbfounded at the edge of the cave entrance. His protective magic had saved his life, blocking the splash of sawdust and wood fragments.

Another shell grazed the mainmast, and the resulting wind pressure tore a huge gash in the massive stiff sail. The sound of the sail snapping was like a dying wail.

But this is just the beginning.

More shells rained down like hail, creating countless white columns of water that shot into the sky around the Haiyan, as if the sea itself was boiling.

The ship rocked violently in the shockwave, its wooden hull groaning under the strain.

Meanwhile, the Xinfeng, which was next to it, suffered a devastating blow. Amidst a barrage of shells, an iron ball accurately pierced its hull near the waterline, creating a large hole that allowed seawater to rush in.

Another shot swept across its deck, turning the meticulously maintained heavy ballista, along with the sailors who operated it, into a pile of wreckage mixed with sawdust and blood.

It was just a single salvo.

Just one volley!
Etherine gripped the violently shaking ship's railing tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Her beautiful face lost all color, leaving only incredulous horror.

Her proud fleet, her familiar naval warfare style relying on magic and ballistae for elegant and precise strikes, appeared so laughable and vulnerable in the face of this pure, savage, yet extremely efficient metal storm.

The giant ship didn't even try to gain the upper hand, nor did it use any strange magic.

It simply and indifferently, like a mobile fortress, used the dozens of fire-breathing and death-spitting openings on its sides to make a simple and direct declaration... The rules of the times have changed.

"Colonel, the Windseeker is sinking!"

The first mate's voice was trembling with sobs, filled with astonishment.

Etherine looked at the rapidly capsizing Trade Winds and the sailors struggling on the surface of the sea, then at the terrifying behemoth that had begun to adjust its angle, seemingly preparing for a second round of firing.

"Counterattack! Counterattack!!!"

In fact, although these elves and half-elves had been at peace for a long time, which led to their low vigilance and heavy losses, their long lifespan gave them the advantage of quick and accurate reactions.

The elven frigate, which had not encountered any artillery fire, was the first to launch an attack.

"Bang! Bang!"

Several muffled thuds rang out, and a number of enormous crossbow bolts, comparable in size to spears, shot toward the Storm with a piercing whistling sound.

These crossbow bolts not only had an extremely long range, flying as far as 500 meters, but also landed precisely on the hull of the Storm.

However, these crossbow bolts had very little killing effect.

These crossbow bolts, crafted from fine steel and tough oak, struck the Storm's heavy hull, which was covered in copper and hard wood. Most of them only left deep dents or bounced off, with only a few getting stuck in the wood without causing structural damage.

For a 2,000-ton battleship, such an attack is like a mosquito bite.

At the same time, the damaged magic tower at the stern of the Seagull shone brightly, and a blazing ray of fire, like a crimson whip, lashed out, crossed the sea, and swept precisely toward the upper deck of the Storm.

"Magic attack!"

The player who was stabbed in the buttocks with a knife exclaimed in surprise.

Wherever the flame rays passed, the Storm's mooring lines instantly carbonized and snapped, the wooden hull was charred black, and a dozen or so players who couldn't dodge in time were engulfed in flames, screaming as they turned into charred remains.

The instantaneous destructive power of this magic far surpasses that of ballistae.

But that's it.

Just as the elven mage was exerting all his strength to guide the second wave of magical attacks, sending several large fireballs, shimmering with light, detached from the magic tower and hurtling towards the Stormship, several bursts of fire erupted...

The second wave of death from the Storm has arrived.

This time, it was no longer a synchronized volley.

After confirming that the enemy threat was limited, Xiao Daozai Buttocks decisively gave the order.

"Gain the upper hand, and each artillery group fires freely to end the battle as quickly as possible!"

The Storm's cannon fire became dense and irregular, like the beat of a raging drum.

With improved experience, the player gunners loaded, aimed, and fired more calmly on the relatively stable ship. They no longer pursued the spectacle of volley fire, but rather focused on improving accuracy. The elven mage, who had just fired a large fireball, hadn't even had time to catch his breath when he saw his field of vision filled with more black dots. He instinctively drew upon the Seagull's mana reserves to create a layer of mana shield for the warship.

"boom!!"

A solid shot struck the newly formed, rippling pale blue mana shield first. The shield flickered violently, successfully deflecting the shot, which grazed the ship's side and fell into the sea, creating a huge splash.

Upon seeing this, the elven sailors on deck let out a low cry of relief.

"It works! The shield is effective!"

The first mate shouted excitedly.

Colonel Etherine's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

However, before their smiles could fully unfold, the Storm's barrage of bullets came raining down like a sudden storm.

boom! boom! boom! boom!
The Storm's firing was no longer a synchronized volley, but a continuous roar!
Shells shot out from different gun ports like hailstones, whistling mournfully, and slammed into the pale blue shield from different angles.

The first shot was deflected, the second shot caused the shield to ripple violently, the third shot, the fourth shot... the shield's light dimmed rapidly at a visible speed.

In fact, after the Seagull erected that blue shield, it made it easier for the players' gunners to aim at the enemy ships... such a big, glowing target was really easy to find.

That seemingly solid magical barrier, in the face of this physical storm composed purely of quantity and kinetic energy, was like glass being continuously struck by countless heavy hammers. After only ten seconds or so, it emitted a faint but clear cracking sound, unable to withstand the pressure.

"No, reinforce it immediately!"

Etherine screamed towards the ruins of the magic tower at the stern, but it was too late. The Seagull's magic reserves were limited, and so was the mage's mental strength.

"Bang... Crash!!"

With a crisp sound like crystal shattering, the pale blue magic shield, after enduring more than five consecutive hits from solid projectiles, finally reached its limit, shattering into countless scattered magical fragments that completely dissipated into the air.

With its last line of defense gone, the fragile hull of the Petrel was completely exposed to the cannons of the Storm.

"No!"

Etherine's scream was drowned out by the subsequent, even more frequent and deafening thuds.

The solid shot, weighing over twenty kilograms, kissed the hull, deck, and mast of the Haiyan without any hindrance.

Wood chips mixed with broken planks flew everywhere, ropes snapped like dying convulsions, and screams rose and fell.

A cannonball hit the bow directly, completely destroying the exquisite elf statue and part of the bow structure.

Another shot penetrated the lower deck, igniting the debris and small amount of kerosene stored there, and thick smoke began to billow out from the breach.

The mainmast, already damaged in the previous attack, was now struck by a chain shot and finally let out its last groan, crashing with its massive canvas against the sea to one side. The immense pulling force nearly capsized the ship.

The Haiyan completely lost power and most of its combat capability. Like a seabird with broken wings, it floated helplessly on the sea, spinning around, with thick smoke and flames beginning to spread over it.

Aetherine Windseeker struggled to her feet on the stern deck of the still-shaking Petrel, through the billowing smoke and flying sparks.

As she watched her beloved warship turn into this horrific state in just a few minutes, and saw her sailors lying dead and wounded on the deck, a feeling of anger mixed with immense powerlessness gripped her throat.

However, she did not despair.

Aetherine the Windseeker struggled to her feet on the violently shaking, smoke-filled deck, her gaze sweeping over the scene of utter devastation.

The beloved warship "Haiyan" is finished. It has lost power, the fire is spreading, and the breach below the waterline is constantly devouring this elegant and elusive warship.

Staying on the ship meant either sinking to the bottom of the icy sea with it, or becoming a prisoner of those terrible enemies.

Without the Haiyan,

No, she had one last option, a costly but desperate measure that could save the lives of the fleet's crew.

Abandon ship!

She screamed with all her might, her voice piercing through the aftershocks of gunfire and the groans of the wounded.

"Mage, activate the magic circle immediately and have the Mother Tree take us back!"

The order was quickly relayed.

The surviving ship mage, the one who had previously erected the shield, was now as pale as paper, with traces of blood from excessive spellcasting still lingering at the corners of his mouth. Upon hearing the order relayed by his apprentice, he struggled to his feet, raised his wand, and forcefully pounded the ground of the magic tower, which was engraved with magical runes, beneath his feet.

As he moved, the silver runes on the wooden floor lit up one by one, emitting a soft yet firm light. This was a phenomenon of magic power gathering in the magic circle. The air began to distort slightly and emit a low hum.

Aiselin took one last look at the Storm, which was slowly approaching, and the two fast sailing ships that swam like sharks. A deep-seated hatred and humiliation flashed in her eyes. She took a deep breath of the air, which was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and resolutely reached into her pocket to take out her Laurel Leaf Medal, which she wore as the fleet commander.

"start up!"

With a shout that exhausted all her strength, the teleportation array burst forth with a dazzling silver light, which caused a flash of light to appear inside all the ships in the fleet that were still floating on the sea surface or underwater.

When the light disappeared, the figures covered by it vanished completely.

The entire Moonstone fleet was suddenly deserted, including the three patrol boats.

The players on the Storm initially didn't notice anything amiss, and they were having a great time firing freely. After the Seagull's magic shield was broken, leaving it vulnerable to attack, they fought even more fiercely and enthusiastically.

But soon, Xiao Dao, who was holding the binoculars, realized something was wrong... Where was the enemy ship?

There were also three smaller ships that were just firing their ballistae at us.

Why is there still no movement?
Did they surrender?
That's not right, that's not how you surrender.

"Cease fire! Everyone cease fire! Something's wrong... Send a reconnaissance ship closer to see what's going on!"

The artillery players on the Storm reluctantly ceased fire. Then, two reconnaissance ships, each several hundred tons in size, approached to investigate. After even sending people aboard, they were shocked to discover one thing: all the Elf ships were completely empty.

Apart from the corpses, the remaining elves and half-elves on the ship seemed to have evaporated instantly.

On the bridge of the Storm, the players looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Damn, this is a large-scale teleportation spell!"

"Damn it, the monk ran away? I don't believe your temple can run away!"

(End of this chapter)