I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 550 The Target That Left the Elf Speechless
At sea, the Elf Fleet, the Emerald Dream.

Admiral Lilana leaned against the battered side of the ship, gazing at the beach now shrouded in smoke and filled with the deafening roar of gunfire. Her pale silver eyes were filled with undisguised shock and confusion.

Those Bagnians... they actually did it?

Despite the harassment from the Winged Demons and the direct attacks from the Abyss Dragons, they managed to carve out a bloody path to the coast using the ship's hull.

Although they suffered heavy losses, with at least twenty ships sinking forever on their way to the charge, they ultimately succeeded.

The terrifying anti-air firepower they unleashed after landing even forced the Abyss Dragon to temporarily retreat, which exceeded Lilana's expectations.

The weapons used by these humans are not magical, yet they possess destructive power and coverage comparable to mid-level magic.

"What do they want to do?"

An elven officer standing next to Lilana muttered to himself.

"Behind that beach lies the Crystal Song Forest, which has long since become the lair of demons. Reaching Mooncrown City through there has become virtually impossible. Why would they pay such a huge price to land there?"

Lilana frowned slightly; she couldn't understand either.

Was it to escape the sea dragon?

Even after landing, they remained exposed to the demons' aerial threat.

Is it in preparation for attacking Mooncrown City?

Although that terrain was easy to land on, it was by no means an ideal point of attack.

However, the decisiveness, bravery, and powerful land combat firepower displayed by this human fleet are undeniable facts.

They drew the attention of the dragon and a large number of winged demons, which objectively relieved the pressure on the elven fleet.

"Admiral."

Another officer offered a reminder.

"Mooncrown City has sent a magical communication inquiring about the situation of these humans."

Lilana took a deep breath and made her decision.

"Reply to Mooncrown City and inform them that these are Bagnians from the Land of No Magic, who have successfully landed on the eastern beach and established a temporary position."

Their intentions are unclear, but they have effectively tied down a large number of aerial demons.

She paused and added.

"At the same time, send the Swiftwind away from the main camp to try to get close to the coast, make contact with those humans and the Elunor who should still be alive, inquire about their intentions, and inform them of the current situation of Mooncrown City."

Remember, remain vigilant, but maintain a friendly attitude. Whatever their original intentions, they are all usable fighting force now that a formidable enemy is at hand.

Inside Mooncrown City, on a tall tower near the port area.

Several elven mages, dressed in moon-white robes and surrounded by a faint magical glow, were observing everything happening on the eastern beach through crystal balls or directly with their extraordinary eyesight.

"Unbelievable... they actually landed this way."

An elderly elven mage stroked his long beard, his eyes gleaming with an incredulous light.

"Their fighting style is devoid of elegance and tactics; it's purely a brutal outpouring of firepower, but it's very effective against demons."

"They seemed completely unafraid of death..."

Another, younger female elven mage spoke with a hint of awe and bewilderment.

"Watching their companions' ships being destroyed by the dragon, they remained unmoved and charged even more frantically. This is not what I thought of humans."

"Don't worry about that now."

The elder monk pondered for a moment.

"In any case, they attracted the dragon and a large number of winged demons, buying us valuable time to repair the port defenses and adjust our deployment within the city. We cannot turn a blind eye to this."

He turned to an elven officer beside him, dressed in light ceremonial armor and with a rapier at his waist.

“Loserin, you will lead a team of Moonwalkers down the cliff path to try to make contact with these humans, find out who their commander is, and what their purpose is in landing.”

Limited support can be provided if they need help.

The elven officer named Locelin gave a graceful salute, her gaze sharp and calm.

"Understood, mentor. I will find out the intentions of these humans."

Eastern beach, the players' base.

Looking at the sky, which had become much calmer for the time being, and the demonic dragon that lingered on the sea but dared not approach easily again, the Shanghai Pirate King breathed a sigh of relief, which was then replaced by an even stronger excitement.

"Quickly, the engineering team players, use whatever materials you have to reinforce the position... Damn, this sand is too soft, make sure to put some firmer padding under all the artillery!"

"Let's take stock of the ammunition. How many rockets do we have left? We need to use them sparingly, and use our best resources wisely!"

"Carry the injured brothers to the back, doctors, hurry up and treat them..."

Players were busy turning the stranded ships into temporary shelters and supply depots. Some even began trying to build fast passages between nearby armed merchant ships using broken planks and ropes.

Just then, the player on guard shouted.

"Look! A small elven boat is approaching from the sea... And it looks like elven creatures are coming down from the cliff over there!"

The Shanghai Pirate King squinted and looked over.

Sure enough, a nimble and agile elven sailboat was carefully avoiding the demon corpses and shipwrecks floating on the sea, heading towards the beach, with a bright green flag, symbolizing peace and communication, hanging from its bow.

Meanwhile, on the steep cliff to the right of the beach, several slender and agile figures, like antelopes, moved swiftly along the almost vertical rock path towards the beachhead.

Their movements were elegant and swift, a stark contrast to the players' rough and chaotic style.

The elven boat skillfully avoided floating objects on the sea surface and anchored in the shallow water. Several elven sailors remained on board to keep watch, while an elven dressed in naval officer's uniform, with a capable demeanor, jumped off the boat with two attendants and waded through ankle-deep water toward the beach.

Almost simultaneously, the group of elves on the cliffside path also landed lightly.

Leading the group was a lithe female elf dressed in form-fitting Shadowblade leather armor, followed by several similarly dressed elven rangers whose presence was concealed.

The two groups of elves met on the beach, exchanged a glance, and clearly carried the same mission... to make contact with these unpredictable humans.

They walked toward the center of the players' position, toward the most conspicuous black vengeance banner painted with a skull and crossed scimitars.

Wherever they went, players cast curious, wary, but mostly excited glances at the arrival of a new NPC, which made the elves, who were used to elegance and aloofness, feel a little uncomfortable.

The Shanghai Pirate King dusted off his hands and swaggered forward, followed by several other core players, their faces covered in gunpowder but their eyes shining brightly.

"Hey, elves!"

The Shanghai Pirate King broke the silence with a loud voice, speaking in standard but broken Elvish.

"Thank you so much for the fire support from the sea just now, it was a great help!"

The elven naval officer nodded gracefully in acknowledgment.

"I am Anros, captain of the Swiftwind. I have come on the orders of Admiral Lilana to inquire about your intentions and to offer any possible assistance."

The female ranger officer also stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the Pirate King and the group of players behind him, all with different equipment but exuding a fierce aura.

"Commander of the Mooncrown City Moonshadow Walkers, Lorcelin, warriors of Bagnia, why have you chosen to land here?"

Beyond this beach lies the Crystal Song Forest, a place teeming with danger and infested with demons. The Shanghai Pirate King grinned, revealing his white teeth, and forcefully poked his chest with his thumb, a rough and direct gesture.

"Intention? It's simple: to kill the devil!"

He waved his arm, pointing to the faint outline of Mooncrown City shrouded in demonic energy in the distance.

"We received orders from Chris to protect the World Tree and eliminate all the demons, so here we are."

We landed here because this is the fastest way to engage the enemy.

His words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, leaving the two elven officers and their retinues stunned.

Captain Anros's elegant expression froze; his mouth gaped slightly, as if he wondered if he was hallucinating.

Otherwise, why can he understand the Elvish language spoken by this human, but not the meaning of the words when they are combined?

Commander Locelin's calm and sharp eyes momentarily wavered, her long eyebrows furrowing as if she were trying to process this overly straightforward, overly... unbelievable statement.

Protect the world tree?
And he was acting on orders from a man named "Chris"?

Wasn't their goal not long ago to retaliate against the Blue Flame Kingdom?
How did it suddenly turn into protecting the World Tree and eliminating the demons?

The elves looked at each other, all seeing the same shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.

They had considered many possibilities: seeking asylum, trade needs, or even stumbling upon this place by mistake... but they never imagined such incomprehensible madness.

The air froze for a few seconds.

The sea breeze carried the smell of gunpowder and blood, but it couldn't dispel the astonishment on the elves' faces.

In the end, it was Rosalind who came to her senses first. She took a deep breath and tried to keep her tone steady.

"Protect...the World Tree? Chris's order?"

She repeated it cautiously, trying to make sure it wasn't some kind of translation error or a bad joke.

"Do you know that the World Tree is located at the deepest part of Mooncrown City, and Mooncrown City is now..."

"I know, of course I know!"

The Shanghai Pirate King impatiently interrupted her, as if he thought her question was superfluous.

"Otherwise, why would we come here? For tourism?"

The group of players behind him also started to cheer.

"That's right! The mission objective is the World Tree!"

"Fight the devil, protect the big tree, no problem!"

"My elf friend, could you show me the way?"

Seeing this group of humans with fanatical eyes, rubbing their hands together as if they were not going to wage a near-suicidal siege, but to participate in a grand carnival, Anros and Roselle fell silent once again.

Their prepared diplomatic rhetoric, situation analysis, and risk warnings appeared utterly pale and powerless in the face of this simple, brutal, and clearly targeted battle frenzy.

These Bagnians... their brain structure seems quite different from that of the elves, or even from the ordinary humans described by Elunor.

Just as the two elven officers were at a loss for words due to the Shanghai Pirate King's overly "direct" battle declaration, and the scene fell into an awkward silence, a tired but still steady voice came from behind the player's group.

"Captain Anros, Commander Loseline, please calm down."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Elunor, covered in soot and with her hair disheveled, walking over with the help of a player medic.

He had clearly sustained some minor injuries during the previous beach landings and air raids, but his eyes remained clear and calm.

Upon seeing Elunor, the two elven officers visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Anros immediately extended his greetings.

"Lord Eluneor, it's so good to see you safe and sound!"

Locelin nodded slightly in acknowledgment, clearly recognizing the nobleman from the Blue Flame Kingdom.

Elune nodded to the Pirate King, her tone carrying a hint of helpless familiarity.

"Lord of Shanghai Pirates, your enthusiasm is perplexing to them."

He deliberately emphasized the word "enthusiasm".

The Shanghai Pirate King chuckled and casually patted Elune on the shoulder, a gesture that caused the polite elves' eyes to twitch slightly.

"Old Ai, it's good that you're alright. Come and talk to your fellow villagers. We mean no harm."

Elunor took a light breath and turned to his two compatriots, his tone becoming formal and persuasive, skillfully acting as a lubricant.

"What Captain Anros, Commander Lorcelyn, and the commander of the Shanghai Pirate King said, though the wording was direct, is indeed the truth."

What they wanted to do before is in the past. Their current assistance to Mooncrown City is necessary for us. Tear of the Sky needs all kinds of help, even from humans.

Humanity should also participate in the battle to defend this world.

He paused for a moment, looking at the Pirate King and the group of eager players behind him. His eyes were complicated, showing both recognition of his combat power and incomprehension of his behavior, but more so the trust built up after going through danger together.

"I have personally witnessed their bravery and determination at sea, and I have just experienced the amazing fighting power they unleashed after landing."

Their methods may be different from ours, or even seem...reckless, but their fighting spirit is unquestionable, and, for now, extremely effective.

They fear neither demons nor death… perhaps this stems from their unique culture and their loyalty to their leader, King Chris of Bagnia.

Elunor looked at Locelin and Anros, her tone sincere.

"Gentlemen, with a formidable enemy at hand and Mooncrown City on the verge of collapse, every bit of unwavering strength is precious. The Bagnians may not understand our elegance and tactics, but they possess what we desperately need right now: a powerful frontal assault capability, and... the ability to draw demonic fire."

His last sentence carried a barely perceptible hint of humor, an attempt to ease the tension.

"I believe we should not question their original intentions because of cultural differences. Instead, we should try to understand and make good use of this wild and powerful help from afar."

Although the Shanghai Pirate King's commander is rough in speech, he keeps his promises and is trustworthy... This is the conclusion I've drawn after fighting alongside him.

With Elunor, a fellow elven of noble birth and eloquent speech, acting as a buffer and explanation, the expressions of the two elven officers softened considerably.

Captain Anros pondered.

“I will go back and tell Admiral Lilana everything I have seen and heard.”

Locelin nodded, her gaze sweeping over the Pirate King again, this time with less scrutiny and more consideration.

"If what Lord Elunor says is true, then... welcome to the front lines of Mooncrown City. I hope your arrival can change our precarious situation."

She abruptly changed the subject, pointing to the precipitous cliffs and the dense, ominous Crystal Song Forest behind her.

"However, it is by no means easy to get to the city area where the World Tree is located from here. The Crystal Song Forest has been corrupted by demons, and is full of traps and ambushes, as well as powerful demon lords.

We need a plan, not just a charge.

Upon hearing that there was a battle, the Shanghai Pirate King's eyes lit up immediately, and he waved his hand.

"We have a plan. Our plan is to push straight through. You elves are familiar with the terrain, so you just need to lead the way. We'll handle the rest with our guns and cannons."

(End of this chapter)