Chapter 22

"Chirp!"

After eating the dried meat given by Luo Zhengdao, the pseudo-dragon stretched its neck in a flattering manner, chirped a few times, and rubbed its head, covered in fine scales, against his calf.

Seeing this, Vina looked at Luo Zhengdao with great surprise, covering her mouth and said:

"Will, it's asking for more food. It seems to like you quite a bit!"

Luo Zhengdao also felt a connection with this pseudo-dragon. He developed a fondness for the little creature, a feeling similar to seeing a pet he had raised at home. Since both sides had a mutual liking and a mysterious trust, things became easier. Luo Zhengdao took out some food from his spatial bag, squatted down, and smiled at the pseudo-dragon, trying to appear friendly:

"Your appetite is quite big! Come, eat!"

The pseudo-dragon, enjoying the scratching, stopped further ravaging the Yangwei's hull. It stretched lazily and stopped moving, leaning on the pirate warship that was cruising at a steady speed, as if it were hitching a ride.

At this moment, the lookout on the mast noticed something and signaled to Zola Hegel on the deck. The boatswain didn't dare to delay and came to Luo Zhengdao, saying:

"Captain, an unidentified ship has been spotted, to the left of the stern."

Until now, Luo Zhengdao, still a novice sailor, couldn't understand the technical communication method of flag signals. Hearing Zola's report, he could only make a decision based on his own judgment, and replied:

"Everyone, be on alert! Oh, be careful not to alarm the pseudo-dragon. Handle the rest as you see fit."

"Yes, Captain."

What is it called when it rains on a leaking roof? Knowing that the mysterious fleet tracking their convoy was likely not friendly, Luo Zhengdao didn't dare to order the sailors to speed up to escape. After all, the pseudo-dragon under the Yangwei was enjoying itself. If he ordered full speed, wouldn't it risk angering the pseudo-dragon and causing it to lash out? It was no easier to deal with than the enemy fleet. In fact, Luo Zhengdao would rather fight the unknown enemies than test the might of the pseudo-dragon, which was renowned for its power in the Floating Light Sea.

Realizing the situation was critical, Luo Zhengdao, though anxious, didn't act rashly. After some deep thought, he remembered another important matter and called out to the boatswain Zola:

"Quick, signal the Chaoyong to hide."

Regardless of what Luo Zhengdao was thinking, the situation was developing in an unpredictable direction. The pursuing fleet was led by Mordo Blackwater, the goblin admiral.

Unlike Luo Zhengdao's fleet, which had set sail from the Alu Islands after a full meal, the goblins had a tough journey. They had been chasing day and night, enduring great hardships, and finally caught up with the newly established Flurk Baron's privateer fleet in the Floating Light Sea.

If compared to the surviving human exiled nobles, Luo Zhengdao might not be the strongest or the most popular, but the title of Flurk Baron was undoubtedly the highest. As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind. Luo Zhengdao, this grand noble, being listed as the top priority target by the Goblin Second Empire, only proved that he was destined for this fate. In a hierarchical society, one's birth status means everything.

The self-proclaimed eternal Light Dynasty was destroyed by the Goblin Second Empire. Most human civilians survived the war, even if they were reduced to slaves, losing their property and personal rights, living a miserable life. This was not out of humanitarianism by the goblins. Their civilization was far from reaching that level. Even in the old world, there were instances of human rights abuses, such as the torture of prisoners in so-called democratic lighthouses, the use of drones to eliminate individuals without judicial trials, and the police using batons to disperse protests. Western countries, which claimed to respect private property, directly confiscated bank deposits to cover government deficits. Such bizarre events were not uncommon, showing that slogans and reality were on different planes.

The new world was a place where true gods existed. Massacring believers was tantamount to openly challenging the gods. If a commoner's anger could make the world mourn, the gods' anger would be even more terrifying!

Whether the gods were righteous and stern, cunning and treacherous, or brutal and bloodthirsty, they all had their own followers in the diverse human society. If the goblins planned to exterminate all humans, they would offend all the gods. This would not be a matter of just a strong protest. If it came to that, even the gods of order and chaos, who were usually at odds, would unite to declare a holy war, determined to fight the Goblin Empire to the death.

Knowing they couldn't provoke the gods, even the goblins, who claimed to be fearless, would hesitate to face a group of gods. Even the goblin leadership, who had been blinded by a string of victories, regained their senses. A few radicals proposed a reckless plan to eliminate all threats, but this idea was quickly suppressed.

Since the root solution was not feasible, the goblins had to resort to the next best thing: eliminating the seeds of future trouble. The ominous prophecy about the future of humans and goblins was known to both sides. It had been spread for thousands of years in the new world, and the goblins were determined to hunt down the human exiled nobles. Among the nobles with titles from the Light Dynasty, the dukes and marquises were too obvious targets and had been eliminated early on. Luo Zhengdao, the last remaining Flurk Baron, was a significant target, and it was no surprise that he had been targeted multiple times.

"Fire!"

Grinning and raising his saber, the goblin commander Mordo Blackwater personally gave the order to attack. Estimating that the pirate ship was within range, the goblin warship's bow cannons fired stone projectiles at the Yangwei, which was moving steadily forward.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The view was obstructed by the algae in the Floating Light Sea, and the goblin warship chasing from the side and rear couldn't see that a pseudo-dragon was resting under the Yangwei. When the goblin's bow cannons fired, one of the projectiles hit the pseudo-dragon's tail. Though the stone projectile didn't injure it, it startled the pseudo-dragon. Who dared to cause trouble in the pseudo-dragon's territory? Didn't they know who was in charge? This was something the pseudo-dragon couldn't tolerate. The nearly hundred-meter-long pseudo-dragon, a dominant force in the Floating Light Sea, had never been provoked before. It roared and shot out from under the Yangwei, charging at the goblin fleet like a tiger descending from the mountains.

At this moment, Luo Zhengdao, who had been tense and ready, suddenly relaxed, feeling a bit dizzy. Despite the urgency, he couldn't ignore his physical discomfort and called out to his crew:

"Quick, raise all the sails, full speed ahead."

Navigating at full speed in the Floating Light Sea, with its poor visibility, was risky. A collision with floating rocks could result in the ship's destruction. The risk was high, but the crew had no objections to Luo Zhengdao's order. Even the rebellious Zola Hegel only glanced at the captain before complying. Meanwhile, the goblin fleet, consisting of over thirty warships, including two battleships and various cruisers and frigates, could easily overwhelm the two-ship privateer fleet.

With the enemy's blades at their throats, the risk of accelerating was negligible compared to the certainty of death if they hesitated. The choice was clear: either take the risk of survival or face certain death.

As the Yangwei navigated through the algae forest at high speed, the lookout signaled that the goblin fleet was no longer visible. Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao sighed with relief and smiled at Vina, saying:

"Great, we've shaken off those green skins. Where is the Chaoyong?"

Vina Dubov, with her keen eyesight, pointed to a gap in the sparse algae and said:

"That moving black dot should be the Chaoyong."

"Ha ha ha... Great! Hooray!"

The sailors, like Luo Zhengdao, felt a genuine sense of relief. Their laughter and cheers echoed, a true expression of their joy at escaping. However, this joy was short-lived.

Experienced sailors knew that the Yangwei's full-speed escape was a risky move. Maintaining such high speed was suicidal. If the Yangwei slowed down, the goblin fleet might catch up again. This was a harsh reality.

Luo Zhengdao weighed the pros and cons, his face grim, and said to Zola Hegel:

"Reduce speed to six knots. Wait for the Chaoyong to catch up and merge. Send more men to observe the surroundings and be on guard for any unexpected situations."

The boatswain's dark face showed little emotion, and he replied calmly:

"Alright, I'll arrange it."

The half-elf beauty came to Luo Zhengdao's side and said:

"Will, there's a hidden supply port ahead. We can reach it in half a day. Should we go there to rest and repair?"

Stopping at a port for supplies during a long voyage was beneficial. Fresh and delicious food and clean water could boost the fleet's morale and prevent diseases. However, Luo Zhengdao's primary concern was not the morale. The Yangwei had been used by the pseudo-dragon for scratching, and who knew if it had caused any damage to the hull. Checking the ship's condition in port was the safest preventive measure. Still, he felt uncertain and called Zola Hegel for his opinion.

The boatswain, who was suspected to have drow blood, had a mysterious aura. He claimed to be a seasoned pirate, and his behavior generally matched that of a pirate, but there was an indescribable aura about him. Everyone believed he had a story, and no one dared to underestimate him.

"Vina, the gunnery officer, suggested we go to the supply port ahead. I want to hear your opinion."

Zola Hegel grinned, his white teeth contrasting sharply with his dark skin, and said:

"That's a good suggestion. The goblins are tied up with the pseudo-dragon and can't break free. Hiding in the port will confuse them. Fighting these green-skinned scoundrels would be a losing battle, with no gains and only losses. It's best to avoid it."

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