I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 513 An unexpected surprise
"Thump thump thump... Bang!"

The dull thud and the slight tremor from the ship's hull caused Hobert's long fingers to abruptly stop on the mother-of-pearl command platform.

He suddenly turned his head and looked at the image of the Mirror Moon's own deck reflected on the light screen... The source of the sound and vibration was not the Sea Lion, but his own ship!
"They...they dare to?!"

For the first time, a crack appeared on Hobart's usually calm and deep-sea-like face, a mixture of astonishment, absurdity, and a hint of offended anger.

"Damn monkey!!!"

With Hobart's low growl, dozens of figures, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, leaped fearlessly from the towering, wall-like deck of the Sea Lion to the relatively low-lying Mirror Moon within the light screen before him.

These Bagnian monkeys boarded the boats in a crude and direct manner; some swung across using ropes, while others simply jumped directly down, completely disregarding the height difference between the two boats and the risk of falling into the sea.

They landed on the Mirror Moon's smooth, rune-engraved upper deck with a heavy thud.

"Since you all want to die, then go and die!"

The players' boarding attack did not go smoothly. As soon as they landed, the Mirror Moon, smooth as a mirror, had its upper deck, engraved with runes, suddenly lit up with eerie blue runes. The already smooth deck surface was instantly covered with a thin, almost invisible, yet extremely slippery film of ice.

The players at the front immediately felt as if they were standing on grease-covered ice, unable to gain any foothold, and fell into a mess, their weapons flying out of their hands.

In addition to the smooth deck, water elemental warriors, arrows made of seawater, and a bunch of random phantoms appeared around the player, even inside their formation, causing chaos and confusion.

The number of players who jumped ship due to their "unhappy, unplayable" mentality was too small, less than a hundred. Furthermore, these players lacked combat experience and could not compare to the veteran players who stayed on the island or roamed the Kingdom of Bagnia.

They had combat experience, but not much, and their equipment was poor. Apart from each person having a melee weapon and a musket, they had no reliable protective gear.

For a time, the players who had boarded the Mirror Moon found themselves in a predicament, beset by problems both inside and outside the ship.

Beneath his feet was a slippery magical deck, around him were harassing phantoms that were hard to distinguish from reality, above him was a dense barrage of water arrows, and in front of him were water elemental warriors that were difficult to deal with quickly using physical attacks.

Aside from soiling the magic ship with their own blood, they did almost nothing else... The players didn't see a single breathing creature on the enemy ship.

Hobart couldn't help but laugh as he watched the Bagnian monkeys die a pathetic death on his Mirror Moon.

Just as Hobert was sneering at the players' disheveled state on the deck of the Mirror Moon, the water-reflective screen on the side of the bridge, which was responsible for observing the perimeter, suddenly emitted a rapid buzzing and flashing red light.

Hobert's smile froze, and his gaze swept quickly across the area.

In the light screen, the two Bagnian battleships that had been patrolling the perimeter like giant beasts in the shadows had quietly maneuvered to a more advantageous position.

A behemoth-like battleship occupied the port side of the Mirror Moon slightly ahead, while another blocked its retreat route from the opposite direction.

At the same time, their massive broadsides were aimed at the Mirror Moon, their numerous gun ports already wide open, like a giant beast opening countless cold eyes.

"They want to shell!"

An elven crew member on the bridge cried out, his voice trembling slightly.

Even from a distance, the oppressive feeling emanating from those dark cannon muzzles was enough to make any sailor's heart tremble.

Hobert's face instantly darkened. He knew better than anyone that while the Mirror Moon's magical defenses were strong, they were by no means invincible, especially when facing such a dense barrage of heavy artillery fire.

"Activate and maintain the Mirror Barrier at full power. Focus all defensive runes on both sides of the ship while maneuvering to move away from the enemy ship's side!"

He gave the order in a stern voice, his words as fast as the wind.

“But our people, those half-elves and Kandis are still on the ship, they…”

"They will jump ship and swim back."

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a flash of fire appeared on the side of a battleship.

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

The deafening cannon fire could be clearly heard even inside the bridge of the Mirror Moon.

A dozen heavy, solid projectiles ripped through the night sky, their deathly shrieks echoing as they hurtled toward the Mirror Moon. Their impact points were somewhat scattered.

Some shots clearly missed their mark, landing on the sea surface outside the Mirror Moon's side and creating towering water columns, while others hit the constantly distorting and flickering illusory ship shadows around the Mirror Moon, flying away into the distance without hindrance as if passing through an illusion.

This was precisely the intention behind the probing bombardment... Bagnia's gunners were using live ammunition to calibrate their targets, attempting to penetrate or disrupt the Mirror Moon's illusionary barrier to pinpoint the exact location and outline of the enemy's true hull.

The wind pressure from the cannonballs piercing the air and the impact of the shells hitting the water at close range caused the Mirror Moon to shake noticeably. The water elemental warriors and phantoms that were entangled with the players on the deck also experienced a moment of fluctuation and instability.

Faced with such an attack, the elven sailors on the bridge no longer hesitated and immediately carried out Hobert's orders... They could all see that if they delayed any longer, the Mirror Moon would be surrounded by enemy ships.

The helmsman spun the heavy rudder wheel sharply, and the Mirror Moon's sleek hull began to draw an arc on the sea, moving away from the Sea Lion. At the same time, the already flickering runes on the Mirror Moon's hull suddenly burst into an even more dazzling light.

Centered on the Mirror Moon, the reflection on the sea surface, as if a giant rock had been thrown in, instantly became fragmented and bizarre.

In addition, four or five identical "Mirror Moon" phantoms appeared around it.

These phantoms are not static; rather, they move in sync with the real ship, mimicking its evasive maneuvers, wake, waves, and even the subtle tilting caused by its turning.

What's even more troublesome is that these phantoms are not in fixed positions; they are slowly moving and alternating relative to the real ship, making it impossible for the enemy to attack by simply locking onto a single target.

This situation caused considerable trouble for the Bagnian gunners who were aiming at the Mirror Moon, so much so that the second volley of shells fired became even more chaotic, with none hitting the Mirror Moon.

Under the cover of the Mirage, the Mirror Moon successfully moved away from the Sea Lion and then quickly disappeared into the night.

Upon discovering that the Mirror Moon had left the battlefield, the boarders on the Sea Lion lost their will to fight and turned to rush toward the ship's side, leaping into the cold, nighttime water one after another.

The enemy's actions were so sudden and decisive, and so unusual, that the swordsmen and armed sailors who were fighting them were unable to stop them and could only watch helplessly as the enemy disappeared into the sea.

Seeing the enemy disappear, the players who remained on the Sea Lion and did not participate in the boarding expressed their disappointment, but they soon began to gloat.

"Oh dear, how will those who boarded the enemy ship get back?"

"I'll log off now and ask them..."

"Haha, serves them right, who told them to jump over there?"

"Even though he was unhappy and didn't want to play, he still went up there."

"That's alright (laughs)."

Amidst this schadenfreude, one player, upon seeing the enemy corpse lying in a pool of blood on the deck, thought of the loot. So he found the nearest corpse, squatted down, and reached out to grope around.

The armor and weapons these enemies are wearing are really good stuff. They're obviously magical items. Even though we'll have to hand them over later and they'll be distributed and exchanged according to our contribution points, it's still nice to have some fun with them.

While removing the enemy's armor, the player accidentally lifted the enemy's hood, revealing the latter's face, and then he froze.

"Ah, elves... no, half-elves! Holy crap, guys, come quick, check if any are still alive, these guys are half-elves!!!"

Meanwhile, news reached the deck that while the shrimp hunters were protecting the snake people, they had severely injured an incredibly beautiful female elf assassin, who was now being rushed to the medical room for treatment.

So, amidst the puzzled looks of the other sailors and marines, the remaining twenty or thirty players became excited, running around the battle-stricken deck, searching and examining the enemies lying haphazardly on the ground, looking for survivors among them.

Elf!
There are actually elves in this game!
Players were very excited; they were curious about what the elves in the game looked like and whether they were beautiful.

Unfortunately, after the players searched through all the enemies lying in pools of blood two or three times, they had to regretfully discover that several of the enemies were still breathing and could be revived, but judging from their ears, they were clearly half-elf.

And while these guys are all good-looking, they're all male, not a single one of them is female, which is a bit disappointing.

……

While the players on the Sea Lion were excited about the prisoners and spoils, the battle on the deck of the Mirror Moon had entered its most brutal phase.

Not happy, he knelt on the slippery deck, panting heavily. Blood was gushing from a wound on his left arm inflicted by the water elemental warrior's ice blade, and the chill continued to seep into his body.

He looked around, and his heart sank to the bottom.

Of the dozens of players who had jumped ship with him, fewer than twenty were still standing.

They stood back to back in a small circle, each bearing wounds and panting heavily. Although their eyes still held the madness and indomitable spirit characteristic of players, exhaustion and despair had begun to creep in.

The magical deck beneath their feet remained slippery, each movement like treading on rollers, threatening to send them sprawling face-first into the mud. Around them, fearless water elemental warriors, formed from seawater, drew ever closer. They had no features, no emotions, silently wielding weapons of ice crystals, relentlessly launching attacks.

The water element's attack behavior is stiff and rigid. Even if you're annoyed and don't want to play, you can easily dodge it, then slash it with your sword and shatter it in two or three hits.

However, there are too many water elementals, and if the player destroys one, two more will climb up from the ship's side and join the battle.

Further away, out of the players' sight, the elven crewmen remained at a safe distance, coldly maintaining their spells, occasionally firing a few precise and icy water arrows, or creating new illusions to disrupt their vision.

In the air, several blurry mirror images hovered, mimicking the players' movements, yet occasionally emitting silent mockery.

"Damn it, this place is so slippery!"

Next to the "Don't play if you're unhappy" sign, a player kneeling on the ground was cursing and swearing. He tried to increase friction by slamming his shield against the deck, but only a few ice shards flew up. Even when he put his feet on it, he still had a hard time keeping his balance.

"We're almost out of ammunition!"

Another musketeer player checked his ammo pouch, his face grim.

Although flintlock muskets are much less reliable in such environments and frequently misfire, they are still the most powerful weapons in the hands of players.

They attempted to charge, but each time they gathered for an attack, they were interrupted by dense water arrows and sudden ice walls or force field barriers, and then continued to be worn down by the water elemental warriors.

They tried to hold their ground, but the ship's deck seemed to come alive, constantly draining their stamina and health in various ways. Without any reinforcements, holding their ground meant certain death.

"I'm annoyed, what should I do? Log off and disappear?"

One player asked breathlessly, "Is this the player's last resort... to force them offline and let their character AFK in battle, but at least the player doesn't have to endure this frustrating 'watching mode'?"

"I'm not happy, I won't play!" He wiped the mixture of blood and seawater from his face, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, before turning to the players around him and speaking.

"Anyone who wants to log off can log off now..."

He planted his sword on the deck and used it to stand up. Although he was a little unsteady, he did not lie down.

"Brothers, do you see that most flashy shed over there?"

I'm going to make one last attempt. Even if it means death, I want to get in and see what's inside.

This was undoubtedly a suicidal charge. The remaining players looked at each other and quickly made different choices.

After waving goodbye to others, someone logs off while still standing, causing their name, visible only to other players, to dim and enter AFK mode.

Others raised their weapons and nodded at those who were unhappy and didn't want to play.

"Fuck you!"

"Let's charge one last time! Even if we die, we'll die standing!!!"

"Rush..."

The surviving players roared in their final moments, ignoring the slippery ground and the harassment from the flanks, and like a swarm of moths drawn to a flame, launched a desperate charge toward the bridge.

Water elemental warriors immediately surrounded them, and water arrows rained down from all directions like a storm. Illusions flickered around them, trying to confuse and hinder the players' actions.

Players kept falling during the charge, or being shot through the thighs and joints by water arrows, their bodies collapsing on the deck, and the number of people charging quickly decreased.

Unhappy and unwilling to play, he charged ahead, sustaining several more wounds. His movements became sluggish due to the cold and blood loss, but he still roared, parrying with his sword, ramming with his body, and even biting with his teeth, using every means to move forward.

In such a brutal and intense battle, BuShuangBuWan felt that his melee ability had increased several times over. Now he could take on at least three of his former self!
Led by the player who refused to play due to dissatisfaction, the remaining players, with their reckless and insane drive, actually broke through the blockade of hundreds of water elemental warriors and approached the bridge of the enemy ship.

However, the players paid a heavy price; at this point, only a few of them remained alive.

Just as Bu Shuang was about to see the scene behind the glass windows of the bridge, the runes on the deck beneath his feet suddenly lit up to their maximum brightness, and a powerful repulsive force field suddenly erupted!
"boom!"

The last few players, including the one who was unhappy and didn't want to play, were hit as if by an invisible giant hammer. They were thrown into the air. Some of them flew over the railing and fell into the dark and cold sea. The one who was unhappy and didn't want to play was blocked by the deck breastwork, and his vision went black.

Frustrated and staring blankly at the login screen, he knew that his character had fainted from the impact.

However, he had also read game guides online and fought against the snake people on the island, so he knew that his fainting was only temporary and that he was not dead.

So, after waiting a while, he clicked the login button that was floating in front of him again.

Login successful.

Consciousness seemed to rise from the deep sea, and intense pain and bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped him. He took a deep breath, but was choked by the blood foam remaining in his throat and coughed violently. Each cough aggravated the wounds all over his body, especially his left arm and chest, causing him to feel dizzy from the pain.

He found himself still lying on the cold, slippery deck of the Mirror Moon, his back against the cold breastwork; the violent impact had almost broken him apart.

Displeased and unwilling to play, he laboriously turned his neck and looked around.

The battle appears to be over.

The previously noisy shouts of battle and the clash of weapons disappeared, replaced by an eerie silence, with only the sound of waves crashing against the hull and the faint calls from the Bagnian fleet searching for those who had fallen into the water.

The deck was covered with traces left by the dead players and water elemental warriors... frozen ice shards, melted water stains, scattered weapons, and pools of dark red blood that were not yet completely frozen.

His fellow players, who had joined him in the final charge, lay motionless on various parts of the deck, or had vanished without a trace.

He is still alive and appears to be the only player still "online" and capable of action, albeit in terrible condition.

Just then, a light and rhythmic sound of footsteps approached from afar.

Unhappy and unwilling to play, he reluctantly raised his head and saw several men dressed in dark blue clothing walking towards him. They held strangely shaped scimitars or staffs in their hands, their faces bearing cold and scrutinizing expressions, and their ears were long and pointed.

It's an elf!?

Leading the group was a tall male elf with long, silvery-white hair tied back. His pointed ears twitched slightly, and his azure eyes, like the clearest glacial lake, were looking down at BuShuangBuWan without any emotion.

His clothes were more refined than those of the other crew members, suggesting he was a minor leader.

After realizing he was unhappy and decided to quit, the leader mumbled some words that the player couldn't understand. Then, two elves grabbed him and charged towards the player, but he failed to reach the bridge.

Once inside the bridge, Bu Shuang Bu Wan, already severely injured and on the verge of death, had no strength to observe his surroundings. He simply looked down at the ground, letting the enemy carry him, dragging his legs as they moved.

Although he couldn't see what was behind him, Buzabuwan was pretty sure there were two bloodstains where he had passed.

Then, very quickly, he felt himself stop. A pair of exquisitely crafted boots decorated with leaves stopped in front of him, followed by a magnetic voice, clearly tinged with anger, ringing in his ears.

He couldn't understand what the latter was saying, but after the other party said a few words, Bushuangbuwan found himself being carried away again, and this time, he could clearly feel that his treatment was better... at least his legs were no longer dragging on the ground.

Unhappy and Unplayful, amidst the shaking, realized that he had obviously been captured, and these elves seemed to be planning to rescue him.

I'm so unhappy, I don't want to play anymore, I want to commit suicide.

All the other players who jumped ship with him died, and he was the only one who survived. Then he was captured by NPCs. Even though the NPCs who captured him were a group of elves, he was annoyed and didn't feel happy at all.

He's not a masochist; he doesn't get happy from being abused.

However, he can't die now, or stop playing when he's unhappy; his severely injured body restricts all his thoughts.

Never mind, I'll log off now.

Then, offline, BuShuangBuWan found the other players who had switched sides one by one, apologized to them, and informed them that he was not dead.

"Oh, you've been arrested?"

"Yeah, I was a bit unlucky. You all fell into the sea, but I was stopped by the breastwork and didn't fall in... Once the elf heals me tomorrow and I have some strength, I'll find a chance to commit suicide."

"No, brother, don't commit suicide! You should live! This ship will definitely dock. As long as you're alive, you can tell us your location offline, and we'll find Chris and have him send a fleet to find you..."

"what?"

(End of this chapter)