Every country had their own trump card in the air. For instance, the Munn Kingdom owned floating magic warships that sailed in strong gales and the Country of Darkness possessed a massive ghost fleet. However, there was a necessary restriction for these trump cards—they would never be dispatched unless their country was invaded. Of course, this wasn’t a restriction based solely on contracts and official documents, but also involved problems of their own instead. It was just like how floating magic warships in the Munn Kingdom had to rely on the power of the strong gales in order to hover and sail in the air. The Country of Darkness’s ghost fleet also needed the presence of a thick death aura in order to remain afloat in midair. If the death aura wasn’t dense enough, the massive ghost fleet couldn’t be sent out at all, which was also the second reason that limited the mobilization of the ghost fleet.
Something worthy of a mention was that the Country of Light also had their very own air units, the Holy Arks. However, as the Holy Arks required angels to operate and couldn’t sail under the command of humans, they were thoroughly banned and demolished after the parliament gained authority. This was because the parliament was more afraid of the Holy Arks being used against them than against the enemies…
One by one, in the dense fog, the run-down warships sailed forward in an undulating motion as though they were riding on the rough waves of the sea. They spread out in a scattered formation, positioning their hulls and aiming their black cannon barrels at the magic warships ahead, which were several times taller. In terms of size, even though the difference between both parties was like fishing boats taking on cruisers, no one was able to ignore the mighty energy contained in these tattered warships that could seemingly collapse to a breeze.
At the next moment, a dazzling light erupted.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A string of flares exploded from the enormous ghost fleet in the distance. Their artillery shells whizzed and revolved as they dragged long trails of blue spiritual flames as though ominous comets that fell from the sky and crashed onto the magic warships’ barrier. Compared to the soul griffins that were like moths to a flame, the artillery shells seemed much more effective. As they bombarded the barrier, the barrier began to flicker. This continuous, storm-like attack started overwhelming the barrier upheld by strong magical powers. What gave one a bigger headache was that the ghost fleet didn’t seem to have any physical presence. After the magic warships on Rhode’s side retaliated by firing off their cannons, vivid colors of red, yellow, orange, white, and blue magical brilliance from the blasts struck the fog and were seemingly absorbed into nothingness. Meanwhile, the massive ghost fleet also vanished in sight, before secretly reappearing on the other side of the fog.
“Hmph, dirty little tricks.”
Looking at this scene, Rhode snorted in contempt at this group of idiots from the Country of Darkness.
As the player and guild leader who demolished your entire country in the game, do you think I’m unaware of the strength of your hidden trump card?
At this thought, Rhode swept a glance at the battlefield and raised his right arm.
The time had arrived.
“———!”
All of a sudden, a violent hurricane erupted from the rear of the magic warships and pounced forward at the enemies ahead. Dust and sand fluttered wherever the gales raged, rolling and spinning as they surged forward in air waves. At that moment, even the huge magic warships couldn’t help but rock to this mighty force. If it were only an ordinary hurricane, it definitely wouldn’t affect these magic warships that were protected by the barrier. However, these winds were extraordinary. They contained strong magical powers and pure elemental powers—the wind elemental power, that was.
“What is going on?”
The sudden emergence of the roaring hurricane raised doubts across the ghost fleet. The captain, whose entire body had rotted where only bones remained, strode onto the deck and arrived at the bow with large strides, looking ahead with a pair of binoculars. Then, he put down the binoculars. The spiritual flames in his empty eye sockets surged for the first time.
“This is…!”
The green radiance visible to the naked eye was as though a huge river rushing from the back to the front, opening up a new watercourse in the sky. A gigantic sky whale appeared under the clear, starry sky. As it swayed its body gently over its absolute dominance of the wind, the strong gales changed their course and headed straight toward the pitch-black Country of Darkness. At the same time, it brought along a new enemy.
“Reporting, Your Highness. We’ve discovered the ghost fleet. There are a total of 350 warships!”
Lydia sat on the silver-whitish chair located in the middle of the luxuriously decorated and exquisite command room. Upon hearing the battle angel’s report, Lydia revealed a delightful smile. She turned her finger gently, narrowing her eyes at the ‘ocean of death’ ahead filled with dense fog, as well as the indistinct ghost fleet.
“I never expect this day, when I get to go head to head with the ghost fleet. Seems like this errand isn’t too bad at all… Gaya, I shall leave it to you. Please don’t make a fool of ourselves in front of His Majesty Rhode, okay?”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The black-haired young lady who stood opposite Lydia nodded slightly in response. She wrapped her arms around the harp, turned around, and sauntered toward the podium. At that moment, she wasn’t clad in her usual, court-lady dress, but wore a well-ironed and gorgeous black uniform instead. Her pitch-black eyes revealed a state of calmness and indifference like icebergs of a thousand years.
“Advance and go all-out! Our target—the Ghost Fleet!”
Almost 100 floating magic warships sailed downstream along the strong gales. They gathered and pierced through the ocean of death like a razor-sharp knife in the location of the ghost fleet. Strong waves of wind collided heavily on the fog of death that had coalesced into a barrier. At the next moment, the floating magic warships flickering in a magical radiance penetrated the barrier. White, dazzling halos erupted from the warships, eradicating the ice-cold fog that could kill any mortal who came close. But this wasn’t the end. It had just started.
“Starboard—third to fifth cannons, get ready. Lock on the targets and fire!”
A holy white brilliance punctured the dense fog, aiming straight at the ghost fleet. Almost simultaneously, meteor-like, spiritual artillery shells whizzed in retaliation. The blinding cannon blasts clashed among the thick clouds, splashing sparks and flares in all directions. Be it the floating magic warships or ghost fleet, both sides rocked in violent explosions. Even though the ghost fleet tried to continue its battle strategy by firing once and repositioning after, Lydia’s floating magic warships followed them closely, forcing them into a head-on battle instead.
“The Munn Kingdom’s floating magic warships sure are tough.”
Ear-deafening rumbles and explosions shrouded everything. Standing on the bow and gazing at the artillery fire ahead, the ghost fleet’s commander, Rolan, let out a deep sigh. Rolan admitted this was his mistake. He didn’t expect the enemies to find a way to alter the course of the winds and launch their attack from there, catching the ghost fleet unprepared and causing them to sink into a chaotic situation. But…
Although the Munn Kingdom’s floating magic warships are powerful, the Country of Darkness’s ghost fleet isn’t good-for-nothing either!
At this thought, Rolan lifted his head. His illusory body was faintly discernible in the fog. As the ghost fleet commander who dominated rivals in the air, this was the first time Rolan felt an unparalleled thrill and strong will to fight.
An enemy worthy of me is right ahead. This time, I will crush them completely! I will use victory to prove that the ghost fleet is entirely worthy of being known as the strongest air troop!
“Pass down the order! First, third, fifth, and sixth warships, retreat from the front line. Second and fourth warships are in charge of covering. Seventh warship, get ready to attack!”
Along with Rolan’s command, changes happened across the ghost fleet immediately.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ghost warships on the left and right unleashed unprecedented firepower, containing the Munn Kingdom’s floating magic warships that were advancing triumphantly. The ghost warships in the middle seized the opportunity and retreated. Looking at this scene, the corners of Gaya’s eyes twitched. She lowered her head and gazed at the battlefield map flickering in a magical radiance. The black-haired harpist lifted her head.
“Second and fifth warships! Advance and crash head-on! The other warships, turn to your 3 o’clock. Cannons by the port, aim at the targets! Fire!”
Along with Gaya’s order, the floating magic warships repositioned and changed their directions. The two warships that bore the brunt of the overwhelming artillery fire didn’t come to a halt, but opened up a magical barrier instead, before smashing forward without any hesitation. At the same time, neat rows of magical beams blasted from the void sky, intercepting the seventh ghost warship that intervened from the side.
“Damn it!”
Looking at this scene, Rolan couldn’t help but gnash his teeth. The smoking pipe held in his mouth ‘squeaked’ under the pressure. Rolan thought he could lure the enemy in by pretending to withdraw from the battle and use the seventh warship as a lure, before launching a counterattack. However, he didn’t expect the commander on the other side to be smart enough to figure his intention out instantly, beating him at his own game and abandoning the idea of chasing after his main warship to eliminate the seventh ghost warship instead. If Rolan weren’t lucky, perhaps the second and fourth warships would also suffer heavy losses.
At that moment, two floating magic warships enveloped in a magical barrier penetrated the ghost fleet like two razor-sharp knives.
