Chapter 82

Unconsciously, it was already noon. On the vast and quiet dock of Torres Island, the gangway leading to the Yangwei was in stark contrast to the surrounding tranquility. The bustling and crowded scene here was comparable to a bustling market, with people busy loading supplies onto the ship and sailors returning to the ground empty-handed.

Barrels of food, fresh water, beer, rum, wine, and distilled spirits were carried onto the ship by the sailors like ants moving their home, and were securely fixed in the thick sand layer at the bottom of the warship. This measure was to prevent the barrels from colliding with the hull and breaking due to the ship's rolling in rough seas, and to avoid the ship losing balance and capsizing due to the shifting of the cargo.

The variety of food supplies delivered to the ship was extensive, including hard biscuits and salted beef that could be stored for a long time, as well as beer and bread that could not be stored for long, and essential fresh water. Dried beans, raisins, and dried apricots were also included to vary the sailors' diet. These necessities were the main part of the long voyage's supplies. Stone balls and stone powder also needed to be purchased and stored in large quantities to meet unexpected needs, as these military supplies, which were always in high demand, were crucial resources for the pirates.

Although Luo Zhengdao sincerely hoped that nothing would go wrong before reaching the Yaling Empire, no one could guarantee that nothing would happen during the long voyage. Preparing for battle was a prudent and important matter.

"Raise the anchor, hoist the sails, prepare to set sail!"

In the loud and penetrating voice of the boatswain, on the newly refreshed deck of the Yangwei, a large wooden winch was turned by dozens of sailors working together, slowly pulling up the heavy wooden and stone anchor from the harbor's seawater. This pirate warship set off on a new journey once again.

After nervously crossing the dangerous waters of the Sea of Death without encountering any ghost ships, the pirates' tension eased as the ship entered the Sea of Shadows. However, their mood was also low. The low light environment of this sea was always unpleasant. If the Sea of Death, filled with negative energy, was a place to avoid, the natural environment here was no better than the legendary underworld. Although the Sea of Shadows did not have negative energy, the dim sky was a clear sign of an uninhabitable place. Even when a little sunlight occasionally penetrated the heavy smog and shone down from the sky, the light was so dim that it resembled a yellow light bulb about to run out of power.

The dim light environment of the Sea of Shadows often caused sailors to feel drowsy, unable to distinguish between day and night, leading to a disrupted biological clock. In the most severe cases, it could even cause hallucinations.

Luo Zhengdao stood on the command platform of the stern deck, tightening the collar of his dark gray wool coat. His gaze swept over the calm and cold sea that had been lonely since ancient times, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Behind Luo Zhengdao, the first mate, Brandor Fiam, suddenly spoke up:

"Milord, something seems to be wrong!"

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao's spirit was immediately shaken, and he quickly asked:

"What's wrong?"

Brandor, the first mate, somewhat dejectedly pulled out a rough navigation chart from his pocket, which he used as a reference for the route, and said:

"Look, this is the baseline route we marked earlier. According to the plan, we should have reached the supply port by now, but after more than a day, there's still no sign of it. We must have lost our way."

This navigation chart was drawn based on the celestial globe and navigation markers, and Luo Zhengdao personally corrected the position every morning. Hearing this, his face changed dramatically, and he urgently asked:

"Lost our way? How is that possible?"

If there was a problem with this carefully arranged navigation chart, it was a serious matter that needed to be traced back to the source of the error. Soon, Luo Zhengdao hurriedly gathered all the people on the ship who had some knowledge of magic and had them carefully examine the celestial globe, which they scrutinized like embroidery. The half-elf beauty with the best eyesight was the first to notice that the needle used to display the projection of the route on the celestial globe seemed to have been tampered with. Although the distortion was very small and almost undetectable without precision instruments, even the smallest error, when magnified by the scale of the navigation chart, resulted in a significant deviation in actual navigation.

"Damn it, who did this? Wait a minute, could it be..."

In a flash, Luo Zhengdao subconsciously thought of the mysterious missing woman, Yasha. If there was a conspiracy on the ship, she was the most likely suspect. However, saying this now seemed like hindsight, and Luo Zhengdao swallowed his words, knowing it was pointless to say more.

"Report, the lookout has spotted something, there's a situation ahead..."

"Clang!"

Before the sailor could finish his report, everyone felt a sudden jolt under their feet, and they were thrown to the deck. At that moment, the Yangwei tilted at an angle of over thirty degrees. When they clumsily climbed back onto the deck, the scene before them left the pirates speechless: the bow of the Yangwei was stranded on a sandbank.

Seeing this, Zola Hegel's eyes turned fierce, and the veins on his neck bulged as he cursed:

"Damn it, we've fallen into a trap. I've been here before; the damn twisted vines grow nearby..."

As if to confirm the boatswain's judgment, several dozen thick, dark green vines, each thicker than a human thigh, spread and grew under the sea, then suddenly leaped out of the water and wrapped around the hull of the Yangwei, like an octopus grabbing a crab.

Faced with the unexpected situation, Luo Zhengdao forced himself to calm down and narrowed his eyes, saying:

"Who is plotting against me?"

"Captain, the lookout has spotted a group flying the flag of the Drow elves approaching us quickly."

Hearing this, everyone's gaze focused on the boatswain. Although Zola never mentioned his past, his dark skin already revealed a deep connection to the Drow elves.

Because the entire Drow race worships the spider goddess Lolth and lives in a purely matriarchal society, the Drows are very different from other intelligent races in the new world. The powerful figures in Drow society are all female. Even the male Drows, no matter how successful, are second-class citizens. They can only be considered equal to ordinary Drow females if they are lucky. Male Drows exist as appendages and decorations in this matriarchal society. Luo Zhengdao observed Zola Hegel's dark, purplish face, and without needing to read his mind, he could tell that the boatswain was not calm, and the memories of his homeland were not pleasant.

"Zola, you know the situation in the Sea of Shadows, introduce it to everyone!"

A hero does not talk about his past, and Zola Hegel's past was not particularly glorious. After several changes in his expression, he stammered:

"... We have deviated from the route and are near the Drow-controlled area. We must leave quickly, or we will be in trouble..."

"Damn it—"

Before the boatswain could finish, a goblin rocket shot from the shore. Those familiar with this weapon knew that this was a preliminary test shot to determine the range, indicating that a large-scale rocket attack was imminent.

Seeing this, the pirates were extremely tense. Luo Zhengdao raised his hand to signal his men not to panic and decisively shouted:

"Don't panic. No matter what the Drows intend, we are entangled by the vines and can't leave. Prepare for battle."

"... Kill those worthless humans!"

At this moment, the pirates could faintly hear the curses from the enemy camp. Zola Hegel's face twitched, and he seemed to have been kicked hard. He drew his curved sword and roared:

"Fire back!"

In ancient legends, the Drows, like the elves and the Yalings, originated from the Feywild. Now, the Drows live in the underground world of the Sea of Shadows, leading a mole-like existence. Although they are not doing well, the Drows still consider themselves a "chosen people" and look down on other intelligent races. Even their close relatives, the Yalings and elves, are considered lowly, and short-lived races like humans are even more so. At this moment, hundreds of Drows, driving a slave army composed of various races, including minotaurs, gray dwarves, sword spiders, and stone blind barbarians, launched the first wave of attacks.

Luo Zhengdao watched the noisy charge and had to admit that the scale of this armed conflict was already at the level of a battle.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom..."

Even though the Yangwei was in a disadvantageous position, it was not an easy target. As soon as the various light and heavy weapons could open fire, they began to shoot at the shore. The stone balls fired from the ship's cannons bounced on the ground and continued to leap forward, tearing bloody paths through the ranks of the charging slave army.

"The enemy is getting closer, load grapeshot."

After arranging for some men to go underwater to deal with the twisted vines, Luo Zhengdao stood behind the boatswain, watching him command the pirates in battle. The immobility of their position made the battle frustrating, as the battlefield was chosen by the enemy. The pirates had no choice but to fight, and any complaints would have to wait until they were out of danger. Now, their only option was to fight to the end.

"Portside cannons ready, fire!"

"Boom, boom, boom, boom..."

After the initial panic, the Yangwei and the shore were separated by a wall of fire from the orderly firing. However, despite the intense firepower, the Drows continued to drive the slave army forward. Seeing their situation becoming increasingly passive, the pirates, known for their boldness and lawlessness, began to feel fear as the seemingly endless waves of enemies approached. As a sign of their growing fear, the efficiency of the gunners in loading ammunition began to decline.

Noticing that his men were starting to lose their composure, Luo Zhengdao frowned, unsure how to encourage them. Soon, he smiled cunningly and deliberately raised his voice:

"Boatswain, I heard that the Drows like to use captives for blood sacrifices!"

Hearing this, Zola Hegel, who was familiar with Luo Zhengdao's style, immediately guessed what his captain was up to and smiled in understanding. He swung his curved sword and said in a sinister tone:

"Did you hear that, you bastards? Idiots, if you don't want to be dragged off by the Drows to be fattened up and sacrificed, you'd better fight hard now. Hank, what's your hand shaking for?"

PS: I will add another chapter at noon to celebrate the total number of favorites breaking one thousand.

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