thefictionvixens Chapter 210: Four Eyes Meet
Chapter 210: Four Eyes Meet
Chapter 210 Eyes Meet
Dick peered down from the gunwale and saw ten enormous oars spinning counter-clockwise in unison.
It's easy to imagine that the person directing these rowers must be very experienced.
"Singing—"
"Singing—"
The sound of crying. — No, it was the sound of the wind.
Every night, the wind in the Weeping Gorge makes a sound like weeping.
Although this was the first time he had heard the Crying Gorge cry out, he had heard of this strange phenomenon before.
Some say that the reason the Weeping Gorge cries is because there is an entrance to hell at the bottom of this sea.
Countless souls of the unjustly killed wander the seas and oceans, inciting the winds and waves to shout their angry cries.
Some say that the Weeping Canyon was originally a landmass connecting the frozen continent and the continent of Ancent.
However, at the beginning of the mythological era, a war of the gods broke out.
The result of the war was that this continent completely fell.
In short, the rumors about the Weeping Gorge are always filled with evil and misfortune, war and chaos.
The wind is blowing from in front of Dick, which means there is a headwind.
Therefore, all the sails were lowered to prevent the ship from being blown backward.
Suddenly, Dick heard the door open.
He turned around quickly, and sure enough, Lord Payton came out of the captain's cabin.
As a servant, Dick must be by his master's side at the first opportunity.
He stepped forward and bowed, saying:
"grown ups."
Earl Hubert nodded, then walked to the bow of the ship, with Dick following behind.
The sea ahead was pitch black, and Dick could see almost nothing.
But the loyal dog stared intently, and Dick had no idea what he was looking at.
A servant should not easily disturb his master's actions. Although Dick had many questions in his mind, he still chose to remain silent.
Until: "If—"
Hearing the Earl's murmured words, Dick finally spoke:
"Sir, what are your orders?"
The loyal dog glanced sideways at Dick, then continued to look straight ahead:
"If the intelligence is correct, tonight will be the end of all grudges."
Intelligence indicates that the navigator's ship has been spotted in a nearby sea area for several days.
Clearly, the navigator had a reason to linger in the vicinity, and Dick believed that the navigator was either waiting for someone or searching for something.
As for getting lost, it could never happen on a ship commanded by a navigator.
"There shouldn't be any problem," Dick responded. "The testimonies of multiple witnesses are consistent, confirming that it did happen."
Count Hubert remained silent for a moment before continuing:
"The leader is cunning; I have to be careful."
Dick was absolutely convinced of this.
If the navigator wasn't cunning, Dick didn't believe the pirate could escape the loyal dog's fangs so many times.
Moreover, the Earl had made thorough preparations this time.
There was just one thing Dick didn't understand:
"But sir, if that's the case, why didn't you head straight for the target sea area instead of taking such a long detour?"
"Because of the wind direction," the loyal dog replied briefly.
Dick frowned, puzzled. "But it's still a headwind."
"What I want is headwinds," the loyal dog said. "When I sail against the wind, the navigator, when I chase it, can only run away against the wind."
"His boat is fast, while mine is an old rowboat. I could never catch up with him if the wind was favorable."
"Only by going against the wind can I have a chance to catch him. Therefore, taking a detour in advance and choosing a suitable direction to approach him is a necessary preparation."
After listening, Dick suddenly understood.
He hadn't thought of any of this; ultimately, he knew too little about ships and the sea.
Like most martial artists, Dick was not skilled in deck fighting.
Of course, even in terms of tactics alone, he is still far behind.
There is still much he needs to learn from the loyal dog, even though he always feels he is growing.
The loyal dog was dressed in dark green armor, with his helmet tucked under his arm and a two-handed greatsword strapped to his back.
A gray cloak covered the sword sheath, billowing behind him in the sea breeze.
Dick was a little envious; he also wanted to get a cloak to wear.
Of course, it is not appropriate now; a servant should not wear a cloak in front of his master.
Dick, on the other hand, wore a set of ordinary steel armor and his only weapon was a simple one-handed sword.
Dick has never specialized in any particular weapon, but he can use any weapon with ease.
He has recently been hearing people call him a "fighter".
"Is this my nickname?" Dick thought with a hint of excitement. "It doesn't sound bad."
Thanks to the secret techniques given to him by Annie, he is indeed capable of fighting bare-handed, and he fully deserves the title of "fighter".
Lord Hubert also advised him to give up the armor, and Dick thought the Earl's advice made sense.
He has been practicing unarmored combat for a long time and has gained a lot of experience.
The reason he was still wearing armor was because he was afraid of the rain of arrows flying from the navigator ship.
If boarding action is required, Dick will likely choose to disarm himself.
The loyal dog said that the Shenban (a type of wooden platform) was not like the land; one could not stand still for even a moment.
Mastering the art of maintaining balance is fundamental to naval warfare.
Heavy armor obviously makes it difficult to maintain balance, so most experienced sailors do not choose to wear armor at sea.
But if you can walk on the deck as easily as a loyal dog, then you don't need to worry about these things.
The sea breeze is constantly changing, so Lord Hubert needs to steer the ship against the wind from time to time.
In the pitch-black night, only the yellow moon provides a faint light, so the field of vision is limited, and places a little further away are completely shrouded in darkness.
Suddenly, Dick's gaze pierced through the darkness.
The sea ahead shimmered with a dazzling crimson, standing out starkly in the darkness.
Dick's eyes widened as he turned to look at the loyal dog:
"Sir, in front!"
Hubert simply nodded; he had clearly seen it too.
At the same time, the lookout's report came in, corroborating the two men's observations.
Dick frowned and asked, "Sir, what is that?"
"I don't know," the loyal dog smiled, "but if I'm not mistaken, it must be related to the Navigator! Buchanan!"
"exist!"
"Notify the rowers, full speed ahead!"
Dick bowed and immediately went to relay the order.
After delivering the message, he immediately returned to the loyal dog's side.
He saw the loyal dog staring intently at the crimson patch ahead, seemingly in high spirits.
Dick could understand him; he had probably been waiting for this moment for more than a decade.
The undecided outcome is enough to keep any martial artist up at night.
As the ship drew closer, Dick finally saw what it was.
Two ships were moored on the sea ahead.
One is a three-comb sailing ship with a very perfect curve, and you can imagine that its speed must be amazing. There are no statues on its bow, only two huge metal discs.
The other one was a dilapidated ship.
The hull was blackened, as if it had been submerged in water for years; there were huge gaps in the side panels, and even the canvas was badly damaged.
It was full of holes.
However, this ship was shrouded in a blood-red halo.
The halo was flame-shaped, and flickering tongues of fire greedily licked at the darkness.
Dick's eyes widened: "This is—"
"Ghost ship!"
Before Dick could finish speaking, the loyal dog blurted out.
He looked at Hubert, whose face showed the same surprise.
But after only a short while, Lord Payton's smile returned:
"Ah! I see!"
"Sir, what have you thought of?"
"The rumors of the ghost ship in the Weeping Canyon have persisted for over a year, and now it seems they are indeed true!"
"But why is the Navigator entangled with the ghost ship?"
"Either he's been haunted by the ghost ship and has been pacing these waters for days," the loyal dog replied. "Or he came here specifically for this ghost ship."
"For the ghost ship?" Dick asked, puzzled. "What's in it for him?"
"Who knows? Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent so long searching for this ship again."
The loyal dog said, squinting its eyes.
"But I think the former is unlikely. I am probably the only one in the world who fully understands the Navigator's cunning. If the Navigator wants to escape, I don't think a mere ghost can stop him."
At this point, the loyal dog suddenly grabbed the helmet and put it on his head:
"Buchanan, prepare for battle and enjoy your first war."
Before becoming a squire, Dick imagined his first battle would be extremely difficult.
But they never expected it would be a naval battle.
"Sound—."
The cries of the Weeping Gorge grew louder and more mournful, and the old dog at its feet ran even harder.
They drew ever closer to the two ships, and Dick could sense that Hubert was becoming increasingly excited and agitated.
The messenger came again to relay the lookout's report:
"A third ship was also discovered at sea."
The loyal dog asked, "What kind of ship?"
"A small boat with two branches is moored in the distance."
The loyal dog thought for a moment before answering:
"Don't worry about it. It should just be an auxiliary ship. Just have the lookout keep an eye on its movements."
"Yes. He also said that people were transferred from those two ships."
The loyal dog suddenly turned its head: "Which ship are you turning from, and which ship are you turning from?"
"From red-light ships to three-masted sailing ships."
"Damn it, the navigator has spotted us!" Loyal Dog slammed his fist against the railing. "Buchanan, get the giant crossbows brought over!"
Upon hearing this, Dick immediately went to carry it out.
This giant crossbow was provided by John Chaturdin, the Holy Lord of Sun City.
He also sent two operators aboard Count Hubert's ship.
As the giant crossbow bolted, the three-masted sailing ship had already raised all three sails.
However, the ship's initial speed was very slow.
Seeing this, Dick couldn't help but admire the loyal dog's uncanny foresight.
Because the loyal dog's ship came against the wind, the navigator had to escape against the wind, which made it difficult for his ship to accelerate!
With a loyal dog that can grasp the details to such an extent, Dick doesn't believe there's any battle he can't win.
Their ships continued to approach the lead ship's three-comb junk, and the ballista was pushed to the bow just then...
A series of roars, like the fury of a lion, suddenly came from the sea.
The sound was so loud, like thunder, that Dick instinctively covered his ears.
He looked in the direction from which the sound came, and it was coming from the navigator's ship.
What's going on? Is there a monster on the navigator's ship?
Dick looked at the loyal dog; this man was simply unbelievable.
Despite the terrifyingly loud noise, he did not react at all, standing straight on the deck, unmoved.
This wasn't feigned composure; Dick didn't sense even the slightest panic or wavering from the loyal dog.
He could actually sense the loyalty of the dog.
After a while, the sound stopped.
But Dick's heart continued to pound wildly.
A true knight should be fearless.
Although panic is a human instinct, Dick will have to find a way to overcome it in the future.
He asked in a hesitant voice, "Sir, what's going on?"
"Don't be nervous, Buchanan, this is the Navigator greeting me."
Dick found it incomprehensible: "Who greets others with such a captivating voice?"
"This is also a warning."
"warn?"
“That’s right,” said the loyal dog. “I think the navigator means that if I keep getting closer, he’ll retaliate. Ha.”
The Navigator really treated me like a friend; they even warned me before attacking.
Dick's emotions had calmed down considerably: "Sir, I didn't understand what you meant just now."
"Hmph," the loyal dog chuckled, "that's because you haven't reached that level yet."
Hearing this, Dick, though unwilling to admit it, could not refute it:
"So what should we do?"
"A rabbit might be scared away by a roar, but unfortunately this ship is a hunting dog—"
As he spoke, Earl Peyton suddenly raised his voice, "Full speed ahead of that ship! Everyone, prepare for battle!"
With the order given, morale on the ship recovered somewhat, and the soldiers returned to their posts, each performing their duties.
The navigator's ship is accelerating, but the loyal dog is slowly approaching as well.
Just then, a black dot was flying rapidly toward the ship.
"big.-·
Dick wanted to warn him, but before he could finish speaking, a black dot swept past his head, followed by a loud bang and the ship shook violently.
Fortunately, he has excellent balance and did not fall.
He looked toward the source of the commotion and saw a giant arrow embedded in the deck.
Dick hurriedly reminded him, "My lord!"
"I know,"
The loyal dog remained standing in the same spot, without turning around.
Dick finally understood that the "lion's roar" he heard earlier was indeed what the loyal dog meant.
He advised, "We should fight back."
"No, it's not the right time yet."
"But they will definitely attack again."
"They've arrived—..."
Before he could finish speaking, Count Hubert had already reached behind him and grabbed the hilt of his sword.
Then he leaped upwards with force and drew the sword in mid-air.
The loyal dog gripped the sword, did a forward somersault, and drew a vertical spiral of sword energy in the air.
A moment later, a giant arrow, flying at lightning speed, struck the loyal dog squarely—
However·.
The loyal dog was unharmed, but the giant sword was cleaved in two the instant it touched the sword energy!
The giant arrow, now split in two, continued flying, but veered off course and fell into the sea on either side of the ship.
Dick was speechless.
Is this the martial arts skill of a loyal dog? He actually managed to block a giant arrow all by himself?!
At the same time, he understood why the loyal dog never used martial arts when fighting him. Before he could recover from his shock, perhaps feeling that the distance was sufficient, the loyal dog gave the order:
"Releasing it now!"
The order was given, and the giant crossbow bolts were fired.
Only then did Dick finally understand the loyal dog's intention.
That was a specially made giant arrow!
The arrow was made entirely of steel, with an iron chain attached to its tail.
The end of the iron chain is connected to a winch.
The giant iron arrow easily pierced the air and embedded itself in the stern of the ship ahead.
The loyal dog continued to command, "Turn!"
Four soldiers began to turn the agitator.
The iron chain was quickly retracted until it became a straight, thin line connecting the two boats.
As the chains tightened, Dick felt a slight tremor in the boat.
The speed of the ship ahead also began to decrease immediately.
"Hahaha! Just as I thought!" The loyal dog suddenly laughed excitedly. "The Navigator heard me too?"
What did the loyal dog just say? Dick wondered.
Or perhaps that arrow just now actually conveyed another meaning?
Just as Dick was wondering what was going on, he suddenly noticed that there was someone standing at the stern of the boat in front of him.
Dick looked at the loyal dog and then realized that the Earl was standing tall and facing forward.
Even though they certainly couldn't see each other clearly, Dick was certain of it.
These two world-renowned, powerful men are now locked in a gaze—