Chapter 206: It used to be an island
It was only a matter of time and cannon fire before the Sea Dragon Monster fell.
The colossal creature still twisted beneath the surface, but its movements had slowed and lost most of their earlier force. Each attempt to dive sent another heavy wave rolling across the battlefield, while every effort to rise exposed more of its battered scales to the Storm Guild’s ships.
The cannons kept firing as another volley crashed into the monster’s back, bursting between its broken fins in a rush of flame and smoke. By the time the dark cloud thinned, the creature was still alive, but its health had dropped low enough that even the more cautious players had started celebrating.
Dozens of boots pounded across Storm’s decks as players crowded the railings with their weapons raised.
"We’ve got it!"
"Keep firing!"
"Don’t let the bastard dive again!"
Some had already started arguing about the loot, while others rushed to land one final attack before the kill notification appeared.
Martin watched the chaos from the water as the sea gradually began to settle. It was still far from calm. Broken planks, shattered barrels, dead fish, and pieces of equipment drifted between the waves, while churned mud and blood darkened the water around the Sea Dragon Monster. Thin trails of cannon smoke stretched across the battlefield.
A massive sapphire shadow passed beneath Martin and Rias.
Ao Tenshin rose from the depths, seawater cascading down the ridges of her enormous crystal shell. The Dragon Turtle lifted them carefully out of the water and waited long enough for both of them to climb onto her back.
Martin planted one knee against the shell and pulled himself up before reaching down for Rias. She caught his hand without hesitation, but Ao Tenshin rose with another wave just as he pulled.
Rias slipped forward and bumped against him. Martin’s free hand settled around her waist to keep her steady, holding her there until the shell leveled beneath them.
"I had it," Rias said, though the amusement in her golden eyes weakened the protest.
"Of course you did."
She gave him a competitive look, then stepped past him with a faint smile. "Try to keep up next time."
Martin chuckled and patted Ao Tenshin’s shell. A pleased rumble rolled through the crystal beneath his palm as she turned toward the nearest Storm Guild ship.
Plume watched them approach from the deck above with one boot planted on the railing. Leaning forward over his raised knee, he looked far more like a delinquent pirate preparing to board an enemy vessel than a respectable guild leader.
The wind tugged at his coat while cannon smoke rolled behind him, and Martin had to admit that the image suited him far too well.
Courtesy and common sense demanded that he speak with Plume after the hunt. Storm had supplied most of the firepower, and their Guild Skill had taken a ridiculous chunk out of the boss’s health. Sailing away without saying anything would have been strange even by Martin’s standards.
He gave Ao Tenshin’s shell another pat. "Can you take us closer, Angel?"
The Dragon Turtle answered with a deeper rumble and adjusted her course.
Plume’s grin widened as they drew near.
"Leader," one of the players behind him called out, "you’re looking like a thug."
"You think so?" Plume’s grin sharpened into a sneer. "Nice. I nailed it."
Several guild members laughed, and Martin shook his head. Apparently, Plume considered that a compliment.
Ao Tenshin slowed beside the ship, her shell rising and falling with the waves several feet below the deck. The gap did not seem to bother Plume in the slightest.
He raised his voice over the cannon fire. "Can I get on?"
Martin glanced toward Ao Tenshin’s head as it emerged near the front of her shell. One enormous sapphire-blue eye turned toward Plume before shifting past him to the Storm Guild fleet, where another cannonball exploded against the Sea Dragon Monster’s scales.
Plume’s performance and Storm’s Guild Skill had clearly impressed her. The attack had dealt tremendous damage, looked exciting, and targeted a monster. As far as Ao Tenshin was concerned, that was more than enough.
She dipped her head once.
Martin chuckled. "You can."
Plume pushed off the railing at once and launched himself into the air. His coat snapped behind him before he landed heavily on Ao Tenshin’s shell with both boots.
The impact made the Dragon Turtle dip just enough to splash water over Martin’s legs. Plume spread his arms with all the confidence of someone who had made a flawless entrance instead of nearly knocking everyone into the sea.
"Smooth landing," Martin said.
"Aye. Exactly as planned."
Rias glanced down at the seawater running over her boots, but Plume wisely pretended not to notice.
A low, unhappy rumble rolled through Ao Tenshin’s shell.
"Easy there," Plume said, looking down. "That was a clean landing."
She answered with another rumble, and Martin had a feeling she strongly disagreed.
Plume stepped closer and looked Martin over from head to toe, his gaze lingering on the armor, weapons, and finally the empty space where the Broodtide Shield had been.
"Aye, man. You didn’t hit as hard as our Guild Skill, but over two million damage with one Shield Bash is still damn ridiculous. You’ve got me wanting to push some of my boys into the Warden Class."
Several Storm Guild players leaned over the railing to listen.
Plume scratched his chin. "The evolution ain’t that hard, is it? Grab a shield, carry a few weapons, and start swinging, aye?"
One of his guild members frowned. "Captain, I don’t think that’s how classes work."
Plume waved him off without looking back.
Martin chuckled. "That’s more or less how it starts, but not every Guardian gets Hold the Line. Even if someone unlocks it, equipment, stats, timing, and positioning still decide how much they can do with it."
Another volley struck the distant monster and tore open one of the damaged sections between its scales. The Sea Dragon Monster thrashed, but the movement lacked the force it had shown earlier.
Plume watched it for a moment, then turned back with a grin. "Aye, then that’s what makes you different. Damn well done, man!"
He slapped Martin on the shoulder hard enough to push him half a step sideways.
Plume then looked past him and winked at Rias.
She slowly raised an eyebrow. One moment, he was commanding an entire fleet. The next, he had turned into Martin’s wingman without the slightest hesitation.
This guy really was eccentric.
Rias shook her head, but Plume’s grin only widened. Somehow, he took her reaction as proof that his attempt had worked.
Martin missed the entire exchange.
"You really got your hands on all these ships?" he asked, glancing up at the enormous vessel beside them.
"Haha, yeah." Plume turned and swept an arm toward the rest of the fleet. "They’re expensive, but our academy had them sitting around and going to waste."
"Seriously? Those things are far too large for the academy’s canals."
"That’s because they weren’t built for the canals."
Martin waited, and Plume happily took the invitation. He planted both hands on his hips before launching into his explanation.
"According to our academy’s lore, the whole place used to be one enormous island. I’m talking about one proper landmass, not the little chunks we’ve got now."
He pointed toward Ao Tenshin’s head.
"I bet humans lived peacefully alongside Dragon Turtles like this girl here. Ships moved between cities, beasts stayed in their own waters, and everyone had a good time."
Ao Tenshin turned one sapphire-blue eye toward him.
Plume quickly raised both hands. "That was a compliment."
The Dragon Turtle watched him for another second before looking away.
"Then some apocalypse happened," he continued, lowering his voice into an overly serious tone. "The island broke apart, the rain never stopped, and here we are."
He laughed a moment later and ruined whatever dramatic effect he had been aiming for.
Martin looked over Storm’s fleet again. The explanation made sense. Water channels ran throughout the Academy of Endless Rain, but the canals alone could not explain the presence of so many massive ships. They had likely survived from the time before the island shattered.
Of course, the developers might also have wanted pirate players to have something fun to sail. Martin was fine with both explanations.
Then a wet slapping sound came from the rear of Ao Tenshin’s shell.
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