Chapter 24

As is well known, pirates are not particular about what they sell; they sell whatever they can plunder. Even if they loot a ship full of chamber pots, they will still sell them. Therefore, the items displayed in the exchange are varied and numerous.

From small items like needles and thread to large items like entire hides and skeletons of sea dragons, the variety of goods displayed in the Milly Atoll Exchange is extensive. However, what truly caught Luo Zhengdao's interest was a rather inconspicuous small item—a card with a deep dark green back.

"Boss, this card..."

In an instant, Luo Zhengdao felt that this card was very similar to the others in his deck, possibly crafted by a mage from a distant era. When he tentatively asked about the price, the exchange owner replied indifferently:

"It was mixed in with last year's goods. It has been appraised by a mage and is a magical artifact, but its purpose is unknown. If you want it, fifty gold coins will do."

Vena Dubov, a half-elf beauty not from a wealthy family, found fifty gold coins to be a significant amount. Before Luo Zhengdao could speak, she huffed in displeasure and said:

"How can you sell something whose use is unknown for fifty gold coins?"

"Here!"

The exchange owner, hearing this, nodded his head to indicate the two customers. Luo Zhengdao looked over and saw a notice written in Common on the wall, stating that the store did not accept haggling.

Gold has a fixed price, but jade is priceless! Gold is a constant measure of value for humans, while the value of jade varies from person to person. Gold can be divided, melted, and cast without losing its value, and its cost mainly includes mining, smelting, and investment values. Therefore, the price of gold has a reasonable range. The value of jade, however, depends on the buyer's aesthetic taste. For many people, a piece of jade is no different from a stone picked up from the roadside. For Luo Zhengdao, a half-trained mage, a new card was a priceless treasure, something whose value could not be measured by the amount of money.

Luo Zhengdao immediately waved to stop Vena Dubov from arguing with the owner and said firmly:

"Alright, I'll buy it."

"Will!"

Ignoring Vena Dubov's angry call, Luo Zhengdao repeated:

"I'll buy it!"

The allure of a new, unseen magic card for a mage is even greater than the charm of a cute little girl's starry-eyed attack on a perverted uncle. Luo Zhengdao was willing to pay the price and endure Vena's disappointed gaze rather than wait for her to haggle. He was eager and anxious, thinking that money was not an issue, and it would be a waste to delay important matters for the sake of money.

"Magic card?"

After soothing the half-elf beauty who was almost on the verge of a tantrum, Luo Zhengdao returned to their temporary residence on land. After closing the door, he eagerly placed the card in his palm. It was quite magical; without using any special power, the card, upon landing in his hand, silently shed its slightly dull protective color, revealing its true appearance. Without further analysis, Luo Zhengdao could roughly determine that it was a three-star magic card, the highest level he had encountered since his arrival. He could not help but show his excitement.

Even during dinner, Luo Zhengdao could not hide his genuine joy. The half-elf beauty, puzzled by this, sniffed and asked:

"Will, are you possessed? Why are you laughing non-stop?"

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao realized his behavior was inappropriate. He coughed and tried to control his exaggerated emotions, saying:

"No, I'm just very happy."

Regardless of what Vena Dubov thought of the former Will Needham before Luo Zhengdao's arrival, it was irrelevant to him. Since his arrival, Vena had always felt that he was calm and composed, even if he sometimes seemed flustered in emergencies, which was due to a lack of practical experience. Over time, he would surely improve. Today, his sudden, continuous laughter seemed out of character. Could he be so ecstatic just because of the new card? This did not match people's usual impression of him. After pondering for a while, Vena Dubov tentatively asked:

"Is that card the legendary Gambler's Lucky Card?"

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao felt embarrassed and waved his hand, saying:

"Uh, no, it's not. I..."

"Boom—"

Just as Luo Zhengdao was racking his brain to come up with a reasonable explanation, a loud explosion came from outside. Having been through many battles, he was familiar with the unique sound of the stone pine spore powder explosion. He immediately shouted:

"Take cover, it's an artillery attack!"

An artillery attack on Milly Atoll was a logical event. No matter how powerful the沧龙 (Canglong) was, it was still just a sub-dragon, lacking the spellcasting abilities of a true dragon and unable to fly. It relied solely on its brute strength and tough scales. On the other hand, the goblin fleet, with its strong forces, had hundreds of cannons on its thirty warships, enough to overwhelm any army, let alone a single sub-dragon. Luo Zhengdao had never expected a single Canglong to solve his big problem, but the goblins' timely and accurate pursuit made him suspicious. Was there someone in his group colluding with the goblins? The thought made him shudder.

"Move quickly, back to the Yangwei!"

Calling out to Vena and the others, Luo Zhengdao drew his sword, and they hurriedly headed towards the dock. His only thought was to avoid being trapped on land, as staying in this place would leave them with nowhere to run.

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

A place that could harbor and repair pirates who committed murder and theft could not be inhabited by good people. Within seconds of the goblin fleet's cannon fire, the Milly Atoll's fortifications began to retaliate, and the sound of explosions filled the air.

Blocked by the complex reef terrain around Milly Atoll, the goblin fleet, unfamiliar with the navigation routes, could not approach for a landing operation. They could only use their cannons to bombard the port at the maximum angle, but they soon realized their mistake.

The largest cannons on the goblin warships were 12-pound and 16-pound long-barreled cannons, which were considered the mainstay of most navies. Most third-rate and lower warships were equipped with these caliber cannons, known for their affordability and effectiveness. However, when compared to the heavy artillery on the Milly Atoll, the disparity was so great that it made one want to cover their face and run.

The smallest cannons on the Milly Atoll's fortifications, in terms of range, rate of fire, and stone ball weight, could match the 12-pound cannons. The 42-pound long-barreled cannons, considered the ultimate trump card, had twice the range and three times the weight of the 12-pound ship cannons, with a destructive power that was simply insane. Even a first-rate warship of the Yaling Navy would not dare to face them head-on.

Rushing back to the Yangwei, Luo Zhengdao did not have a moment to catch his breath. He ordered the sailors to raise the anchor and set the sails for departure. However, a signal flag rose from the top of a fort near the dock, and a voice shouted:

"Please do not take any suspicious actions, or we will not be polite."

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao looked around and saw that the dark muzzles of the cannons in the surrounding forts were already aimed at the Yangwei. Realizing the situation was dire, he ordered the sailors to stop loading the cannons and shouted to the fort:

"Please rest assured, we are not friends with the goblins. This is to defend against their attack."

Black-on-black betrayals were not uncommon among pirates, and trusting someone's promises could be fatal. Therefore, the fort did not easily believe Luo Zhengdao's statement and coldly replied:

"We will ensure the safety of our friends. You had better do nothing to cause trouble."

When the roof is over your head, you must bow. With a powerful enemy approaching, Luo Zhengdao was not about to start a battle with the port fortifications before facing the goblin fleet.

Drenched in sweat, Luo Zhengdao thought hard but could not find a way out. He had to compromise and shouted:

"Alright! I will maintain the status quo."

At the same time, outside the Milly Atoll port, the well-prepared goblin fleet was ready to launch a full-scale attack. Compared to chasing a stealthy opponent across the ether, attacking a stationary island was the goblins' favorite, allowing them to fully utilize the land combat advantages of their elite infantry.

Mordo Blackwater, looking weary from days of planning, pointed to the atoll island hidden by coconut trees with his sword and roared:

"Lower the boats, the assault team attacks. Today we will capture that hairless monkey alive and serve the empire!"

Hearing this, the goblin warriors were filled with enthusiasm and shouted in unison:

"Long live the empire! Long live the emperor! Long live the Senate!"

Rising from a poor mountain village on the mainland to become the new hegemon, the Goblin Second Empire paid a heavy price in a series of campaigns to overthrow the Light Dynasty. They then concentrated their forces to strike the human empire, which was in a state of extreme internal conflict, with nobles busy undermining each other.

Despite this, the numerical superiority of the human army still caused significant losses to the goblins. To achieve the breakthrough effect of elite forces, the most elite and formidable goblin warriors were selected to form brigade-level units, the Goblin Assault Teams, which received the highest priority in weapon supply and material benefits. The human army, mainly composed of conscripted peasant soldiers, with only the nobles' private armies and samurai as full-time professional warriors, was no match for the heavily armed goblin assault teams. They were like a hot knife cutting through butter, encountering no resistance.

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