From sailboats to star destroyers (Source: Web)

Chapter 68 Battle with "Redbeard" Mallory

Redbeard Mallory stood on the violently rocking deck of the Bloodhowl, his eyes bloodshot, like a trapped beast on the verge of death.

The wealth he had accumulated over decades of bloody battles, those seven warships that had once struck fear into the hearts of men, were now crumbling before his very eyes.

The ear-piercing sound of breaking wood, desperate cries, and the roar of surging seawater, mixed with the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood, assaulted his eardrums and nerves.

It wasn't a fleet, it wasn't a fierce battle, it was just a guy of unknown origin, raising his hand... no, he didn't even see what method the other party used!

The fleet was reduced to burning, overturned wreckage on the sea.

"Kill him! Run him over! Crush him into mincemeat!"

Redbeard's roar nearly tore his throat apart; his immense rage consumed the last shred of reason.

Under the helmsman's frantic control, the surviving "Bloodhowl" aimed its menacing griffin ramming horn at the tiny cloaked figure on the sea, tearing through floating debris and corpses, charging forward with a resolute determination to perish together with the enemy.

There was no smile on Miao Meng's lips beneath his cloak. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

Facing the massive warship that pressed down like a mountain, he steadily raised his right hand. That seemingly ordinary revolver, gleaming with a cold metallic glint, had now become an extension of destruction.

It is the manifestation of the "Fortune" magic cannon array - after the Feast was enhanced, the ship's hull reached 26 meters, and the number of magic cannons also increased accordingly.

Six cannons? No, it was the wrath of sixteen cannons compressed into a single moment.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

The rapid, muffled gunshots rang out one after another, at an astonishing frequency. Each slight vibration represented a magical cannonball, far beyond the comprehension of the times, being fired.

They tore through the air and precisely bombarded different parts of the massive hull of the "Bloodhowl".

Boom!

The first shot hit below the figurehead, and the violent explosion, mixed with the heavy power of the earth element, instantly petrified and shattered large sections of the hull, causing seawater to rush in.

Click~

The second shot hit the base of the mainmast almost simultaneously, and the icy blue freezing air spread instantly, freezing the thick mast and the surrounding deck into a ghastly white, with the wood groaning and cracking in the extreme cold.

The third shot, the fourth shot... the sharp howling of the wind element and the violent impact of the fire element intertwined.

A large, burning hole was blasted open in the middle of the ship, and scorching blasts carrying debris swept across the deck; the side was slammed by an invisible giant hammer, and the entire ship tilted violently to one side, almost capsizing.

The pirates on deck fell like leaves scattered by a gale, screaming as they plunged into the icy sea or were torn apart by explosions.

The red-bearded man was jolted and stumbled, managing to grab onto the gunwale to avoid falling.

He watched with bloodshot eyes as his proud flagship was riddled with holes by the enemy's strange "musket," becoming like a broken toy.

Fear finally coiled around my heart like a venomous snake, overwhelming my anger.

The opponent hadn't even used that devastating explosive magic yet; this gun alone was enough to send him and the "Bloodhowl" to the bottom of the sea.

"Necromantic Arcane Art: Soul-Eating Terror!"

Redbeard roared, abandoning all decorum and probing, and unleashed his trump card.

He rapidly formed hand seals and chanted incantations, releasing a thick, swirling black mist filled with countless phantoms of tormented faces and skulls.

Like living things, it gushed forth from his palm, carrying a bone-chilling cold and nauseating resentment, and swept towards Miao Meng like a tidal wave.

This was his trump card, forged through the slaughter of countless lives and the consuming of a great deal of resentment from the dead. Its power was astonishing, enough to drive an entire army into a frenzy of infighting.

The black mist instantly engulfed Miao Meng's figure.

"It's done?!" A glimmer of hope rose in Redbeard's heart.

The next second, hope shattered.

The black mist of death, powerful enough to drive any living being insane, swirled and surged around Miao Meng, but it was as if he had crashed into an invisible, cold wall.

The cloak remained motionless, and from the shadows beneath the hood, a hint of...mockery seemed to emanate?

"Poor and weak! Poor and weak! Poor and weak!"

The calm voice pierced through the black mist and reached Redbeard's ears clearly, like a heavy hammer blow to his heart.

Miao Meng had already withstood the fear spell cast by the Lord of Fear, Barsamuel, in person, let alone the "knock-off" version cast by Redbeard, which relied on piles of dead souls and seemed to have a great impact but actually had much less penetrating power.

At this moment, Miao Meng is in her ship girl form—a highly intelligent spiritual construct, naturally immune to spells that affect the mind and emotions.

Therefore, he is not affected by the fear spell. Of course, positive spells that are equally useful to humans, such as the inspiration spell commonly used by bards and priests, also have no effect on him.

Miao Meng did not rush to deliver the fatal blow to Redbeard.

His revolver muzzle was slightly lowered, maintaining a steady firing rhythm. The shells were no longer aimed at destruction, but rather at precisely weakening the Bloodhowl's mobility, destroying its gun positions, and creating chaos.

He wanted to make the performance last longer. He needed to make an example of someone, and the audience had to be there.

The shore of Anchor Bay was already packed with people. The six earth-shattering explosions earlier, like apocalyptic thunderclaps, had completely jolted the entire black market from its chaotic daily routine.

The docks, taverns, shops... almost everyone who could move rushed to the seaside, looking at the sea with suspicion and uncertainty, thinking that the main force of the kingdom's navy was launching a surprise attack.

However, what came into their view was a scene that overturned their understanding: the infamous Redbeard Mallory, who had ruled the waters of Anchor Bay for ten years, and his ship "Bloodhowl," a symbol of terror and power.

They are being unilaterally suppressed and ravaged by a mysterious figure standing alone on the sea, cloaked in black! The wreckage of the fleet is still burning and sinking, and the flagship is following in its footsteps.

The shore was deathly silent, save for the sound of the waves and the crackling of burning ships in the distance.

Fear, shock, disbelief—a mix of emotions swirled in countless eyes.

The myth of Redbeard's invincibility collapsed completely at this moment.

Redbeard panicked completely. He tried every known curse, weakening spell, and mental shock magic: black light, green glow, pale bone spurs…

Various bizarre light effects exploded on Miao Meng's body, but they were like mud oxen sinking into the sea, failing to even stir up a ripple.

The other person was like a cold piece of metal that could not be corrupted by any emotion or evil force.

Despair, like icy seawater, overwhelmed his heart. His pirate career had taught him that he had kicked an unimaginable wall.

"Wait! Stop! I surrender. My treasure, my savings of decades, it's all yours for my life!"

The red-bearded man screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with both fear and temptation. This was his last trump card.

Miao Meng finally stopped firing, and only the painful groans of the "Bloodhowl" and the sound of burning flames remained on the sea.

"Foolish." A cold voice came from beneath the cloak. "Kill you, and what's yours will naturally still be mine."

"No, you can't find it," the red-bearded man pleaded desperately, as if grasping at a last straw.

"My treasure is hidden in a place only I know, a place full of traps and concealed by this magic circle."

Without my guidance, you won't find it even if you search the entire sea.

"Let me go, I'll take you there, and we'll split the wealth... in half! No, three-seven! You get seven!"