章節 35: 35, Lightning Strikes and Cannonballs Fly
Curious about our leader, I glanced over to see him chanting a spell. A massive magic circle appeared around him. I had assumed he wore armor as a front-line fighter, but it seemed he was a magician after all... Would his magic reach them?
"Lena, let's synchronize our attacks! When I fire the cannon, you let loose with your big spell at the same time to break the barrier!"
"Got it!"
With determination, I struggled to load the heavy cannonball into the cannon, aligned my aim with the sails of the enemy ship, and prepared to fire!
"Sky Thunderstrike!"
A red bolt of lightning surged forth, striking the distant pirate ship faster than a cannonball! A barrier appeared, only to be shattered in an instant. Seizing the moment, the cannonball I fired slammed into the hull!
While it missed the intended sail, it still landed a solid hit. Yet, the pirate ship didn't sink; instead, it surged toward us with incredible speed. Lily fired the cannon, but even her shots failed to breach the enemy's defenses...
"Are they planning to board us?"
"Leader, can't we sink them with that spell you used earlier?"
"No, it's on a long cooldown, and they'll board us before I can cast it again."
With a black knife in one hand and a staff in the other, the leader prepared for battle.
"Big brother, I'm heading onto the pirate ship; you handle the defense!"
"Sure thing! Just stay still while I cast some support magic!"
As the leader cast a spell on Lily, she drew the Lena-Phoebe Sword, enveloped in a glowing aura that also enveloped her weapon. The pirate ship moved alongside us, extending a gangplank.
"Alright, I'm off! You've got my back, right, Leader? That's what the armor is for!"
"Yes, yes, just wipe them out quickly!"
Instead of using the gangplank, Lily leaped onto the pirate ship. Meanwhile, a throng of pirates surged across the bridge toward our vessel!
"Hey! Hand over your cargo! Guh!?"
"Bring the ship!"
One of the pirates is struck down by the leader's staff, sending him tumbling into the sea. I swing Archie with full force, sending another pirate flying—he's launched through the air, perhaps due to some sort of level difference?
"Well then, Lena, it's our first time fighting together... If you find yourself in trouble, just say the word, and I'll support you... Just don't fall into the sea!"
"Got it! I'll help as much as I can too!"
With those words exchanged on the bridge, we charged into battle against the pirates. They swarmed towards us, and I retaliated with my shovel—but the sheer number was overwhelming. The crew aboard the ship fought valiantly, but only one pirate dared to engage, leaving the others to close in on me and the leader.
Individually, the pirates aren't too strong, but when they coordinate their attacks, it becomes a struggle. They charge at us with cutlasses and sabers; two from the same side can be deflected by Archie, but when they strike from opposite directions, I can't block them all and take damage.
"Regenerate! Speed up, power up!"
"You bastard!"
With Phoebe's healing and support spells, I deflect a saber and kick the pirate off the ship. Freed from obstruction, I plunge Archie into the gut of another foe, piercing him right in the solar plexus. The pirate crumbles to his knees, and as I step over him, another pirate charges at me with a weapon raised...
"How can you trample on your allies without a shred of morality?"
"If I had any, I wouldn't be a pirate!"
"True enough, Phoebe!"
After deflecting a pirate's sword with Archie, I kicked him down to his knees, then struck him unconscious with Archie. Looking over at our leader, I saw them skillfully plunge a knife into the pirate's neck. With a wave of their staff, an unseen force lifted the pirate and hurled him into the sea... The pirate I had just knocked out was also lifted and tossed overboard.
Other pirates rushed in to stop our leader, but their swords clashed harmlessly against the leader's plate armor. Perhaps it was the armor's effect, but all eyes were on our leader. Taking advantage of the distraction, I swung Archie with both hands, smashing it down on the unaware pirate's head!
The pirate vanished, enveloped in a red aura, just like the monsters we had fought before.
"Ugh..."
He was probably dead. The pirate I'd thrown into the sea likely met the same fate, but seeing one disappear right in front of me stirred a sense of unease.
"Damn it! Attacking from behind is cowardly! Ugh..."
"In battle, there's no such thing as cowardice or order—great ambush!"
The sudden assault drew the enemies' attention, but it also freed the leader, allowing them to stab two pirates with knives, using their magical power to send them plummeting into the sea!
"Hey, Leader, why do you stab with a knife and then use magic to throw them off?"
"I'm channeling magic through the stab wound, using it to lift them and toss them overboard. With their stats lowered, we have to be efficient when killing. If they were unconscious, we wouldn't need to go through all this."
As the leader answered Phoebe's question, the surrounding pirates were engulfed by fear.
"Ugh! Target that unmagical kid first! If we capture him, we can neutralize the mage!"
They're talking about me. Sure, in this Fantasy Freedom world, I might look like a child, but do they really think they can easily catch someone who's just taken down a pirate from behind?
"Everyone, attack!"
Pirates lunged at me from three directions.
"Phoebe! Please!"
"Got it! Aqua Shield!"
Phoebe conjured a water barrier that dulled the pirates' swords. I spun around, aiming to deflect their blades, and unleashed a makeshift spinning slash with Archie. Suddenly, Archie crackled with resonant lightning, the electric surge traveling through the water barrier and electrifying the pirates' swords.
As a result of my spinning slash, the water barrier burst, sending electrified droplets flying in all directions, shocking the pirates who weren't directly attacked.
"Whoa, that was amazing!"
"We did it, Lena! Do you think we could freeze it to enhance its defensive capabilities?"
I see, when Archie, who embodies lightning, makes contact with the water barrier, it becomes an electrified shield. It seems we won't get shocked ourselves, and this way, Archie can attack enemies from a distance that he normally can't reach. If Phoebe's suggestion to freeze the barrier works, it could become an even stronger Aqua Shield.
"Nice job, Lena! The enemies are completely terrified."
"W-What the heck?! Is this kid a magician too?! Damn it, we're outta here!"
The pirate knocked out by the electrified barrier was thrown into the sea by their leader using magic. The remaining pirates had fully shifted to a defensive posture, but when they tried to cross the bridge, their feet suddenly stopped.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! I've taken down all the pirates and collected their treasure!"
Before the pirates stood an unmanned ship and a smiling Lily, unharmed as she crossed the bridge. Had she defeated all the pirates left on the ship?
"Uwaaaaah!"
Realizing they were the only ones left on the now deserted ship, the remaining pirates dove into the sea, but the shore was quite far away... swimming to safety would be impossible. Well, it looked like the pirates were doomed.
"Great job, you two! It seems the ship's defense went smoothly."
"If possible, I really don't want to fight people again... I find it... uncomfortable."
"Well, some people go all out in video games but choose pacifism in VR games. I reckon you'd get used to it quickly, Lena."
As I murmured my thoughts about the battle with the pirates, their leader replied. Honestly, I hoped to avoid getting used to it at all.
After the battle, we received words of gratitude from the captain NPC and began dividing the pirate treasure that Lily had collected on board.
"Honestly, this loot is pretty underwhelming considering the number of enemies..."
The treasure from the pirate ship was disappointing; each of us ended up with a handful of healing items and a bit of money.
"Well, this was probably just an initial target for us," someone remarked.
"The quest's real goal is the treasure map; let's hold out hope for that," Lily and our leader replied.
"But Lily, you really handled that fight on your own. If our leader hadn't drawn the pirates' attention, we could've been in serious trouble..."
"I had good buffs and in the tight quarters of the ship, it was mostly one-on-one fights, which made things easier," Lily explained.
That made sense. A fight against ten enemies is a whole different beast compared to ten separate one-on-one encounters. If you can do area damage, the former might be manageable, but for someone like me who relies primarily on single-target attacks, the latter is much more favorable. Plus, Phoebe's regeneration is better suited for prolonged battles...
"By the way, is it really okay for all four of us to stay on the ship? Shouldn't we be on guard for another pirate attack?"
"We're fine with the NPC crew around, big brother. Besides, this quest comes from an NPC that anyone can see; I doubt we'll be ambushed," Lily reassured.
"Let's hope that's true..."
Just as I was feeling uneasy, the captain NPC approached us. He had reached the treasure map but sensed danger, asking us strong players to investigate.
"Oh, are we there? Is it the boss, or just a dungeon?" With that, I followed the leader out of the ship.
Upon stepping off, we found only the entrance to a cave, shrouded in darkness that obscured our view.
"Phoebe, can you light up the area for us?"
"Yes, coming right up!" A glowing orb appeared above my head, illuminating the cave entrance.
"Full search!" The leader's voice echoed, and a wave of energy radiated from him.
"Hmm, it's a small dungeon, but a dungeon nonetheless."
"What about enemies and traps?"
"Enemy responses are minimal, but there are quite a few traps."
"Can you really discern it all with just magic?"
"Ah ha, it's my ultimate exploration skill! Though it's been nerfed so much that using it burns through 90% of my MP, so it consumes a lot!"
I watched in astonishment as the leader and Lily exchanged words. After taking an MP recovery potion, the leader began to explain his skill.
"Ah, did you want to explore on your own?"
"I do feel that way, but I can't rely on some power and risk injuring Phoebe."
I might endure pain myself, but I didn't want Phoebe to suffer.
"In that case, I can take care of Phoebe while you go ahead, right? With the leader with us, we won't die, at least."
"Don't think of me as some all-powerful stage prop, Lily... I can provide death protection, but… it's the Final Terminal."
The leader's magic enveloped me; it sounded powerful just from the name. "With this, when your HP drops to zero, you'll be granted a spell that restores one HP and makes you invulnerable for three seconds. So, the formation will be you in front, with Lena, Lily, and Phoebe behind, and me last, right?"
"Is that okay with both of you? Should I go ahead?"
"Big brother, this is your first summer event, right? So, it's your duty as the front-runner to help create some fun memories," the leader reminded me.
"Well, compared to Lily's usual outrageous requests, this is pretty tame," I replied with a laugh. Hearing this, Lily and the leader exchanged cheerful smiles.
"Um, what exactly are Lily's outrageous requests?" I asked, curious.
"Like asking me to draw all the enemies' aggro and protect her, or saying she needs a costume by tomorrow... Ow!?"
"But I'm gathering tons of information in return, so it's a Win-Win situation, right?" the leader retorted while Phoebe perched on Lily's shoulder, listening intently.
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