Chapter 324. Elder
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The colossal deck cannons, weighing hundreds of tons, roared to life. Propelled by the gunpowder explosions, their projectiles hurtled toward the motionless sunken ships.
However, the shells exploded in mid-air before they could hit the sunken ships. The Deep Dwellers started to retaliate. The flap over the cannons on both sides of their ships flipped open. Masses of black flames shot toward the three ships from Hope Island.
As the projectiles engulfed in black flames crashed into the water, towering columns of water erupted skyward. When they came crashing back down, a torrential downpour began raining down on the ships.
Drenched to the skin, Charles wiped the salty seawater from his face and pulled out a monocular telescope. He squinted one eye and looked through it at the distant enemy.
How come that creature is so composed? He hasn't even made a single move.
Boom!
A projectile exploded next to the ship Charles was on. It was close enough this time to blast a dent into the hull, but luckily, it wasn't severe enough to cause a leak. The tremors caused the ship to rock violently. Had the projectile been more accurate, the vessel would have sunk.
"Boss! They seem to have some ability to block deck cannon fire! We can't keep taking hits like this!"
Aliya bit down on her lip, and her face twisted into a look of ferocity. "Fuck these rotten ship maggots! Overload the turbines and get us right next to him. Everyone, prepare to board!"
Aliya had decided on the most extreme course of action and completely disregarded that Charles was standing right next to her.
Charles cast a glance at the extremely irate woman next to him. He chose to stay silent and just watch.
Accompanied by occasional sparks, black smoke billowed out from the smokestacks; the warship was accelerated rapidly.
As they narrowed the distance between them and the enemy, Charles soon got close enough to see the contempt in the octopus-headed creature's eyes without the need for a telescope.
The sound of splintering wood resonated as their ship pierced into the decayed sunken ship like a spear.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Aliya whipped out her large-caliber revolver and fired three successive shots upward. She pushed off against the railings with her long boots and led the crew to board the enemy ship.
"Kill these motherfucking garbage! The one with the highest number of kills can sleep with me tonight!" Aliya roared.
Dozens of crew members decisively followed Aliya and plunged into the fray.
Charles didn't stay behind as well. He vaulted over the railing. In mid-air, his figure gradually turned invisible until he completely vanished from sight.
Faced with the direct assault, the Deep Dwellers raised their harpoons and spears. Eerie, hoarse cries sounded from their mouths as they surged forward like raging waves to meet their enemies.
As both parties clashed, the fishy sea smell in the air was instantly overpowered by the heavy metallic scent of blood. The sound of bullets and relics being triggered were met with the tearing of flesh.
The Deep Dwellers on this particular ship were clearly more powerful than those on other vessels. Each of them, at the minimum, possessed some special relic or had a trick up their sleeves.
Despite sustaining casualties, the humans were still determined to fight to their deaths as evident from the look of resolve on their faces.
They appeared reckless, but they were so coordinated in combat that it created a marked juxtaposition with the disorganized attacks of the Deep Dwellers.
Overall, humanity seemed to have the upper hand in the battle.
The Deep Dweller Elder gently lifted a finger and intercepted a bullet that was flying toward him. Holding the shell in his hand, he studied the shiny bullet with an intense gaze.
"Humans have made substantial progress in their weapons over the last two hundred years. Indeed, I should visit the shores more often," the Elder mused to himself.
Just then, a shadow flickered behind him. A dwarf, barely a meter tall and with tattoos of a naked woman on his face, suddenly appeared behind the Elder.
With a triumphant grin, the dwarf raised his iron hook that had replaced his right hand and swung it as the Elder. However, his body abruptly froze, and a sinister smile played on his lips instead. He lunged out of the shadows and positioned himself before the Elder to protect the latter instead.
Aliya happened to witness the scene from a distance. She immediately grabbed a bag of red powder from her chest pocket and poured the powder into her mouth. It took just a mere second for her eyes to turn into a fierce shade of red. She kicked away the Deep Dweller in front of her and charged forward.
"Take the red powder! That octopus knows mind control!"
Seventeen or eighteen others rushed alongside her, swallowing the powder as they advanced.
"Humans... are always so reliant on their tools, but yet they remain so ignorant. They make the same stupid mistakes again and again. Do you really think that was my only power?" the Elder sneered as he moved a tentacle to lightly tap on a sailor.
The sailor couldn't even scream as he instantly melted like ice cream and collapsed into a pile of gore.
Just as Aliya's crew was about to clash with the Elder, the ground the latter was standing on suddenly split apart. Invisible tentacles shot up and coiled around the Elder's black robes with a tight grip. The next moment, white electrical arcs sprang up and blinded everyone.
At the same time, the barrage from the members of District 3 rained down on the Elder. Their bullets formed an imaginary iron wall that surged into the bright arcs of electricity.
Aliya raised her weapons and repeatedly pulled the trigger toward the brilliant light.
However, when the bright white light faded, she was shocked to find that the enemy had vanished. The Elder clearly didn't take any damage from their attacks.
Suddenly, filthy bubbles emerged in the air to the left of the sunken ship as the unharmed figure of the Elder manifested.
His piercing voice reached the ears of everyone on the ship. "I had no intention of personally participating in the battle, but since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish!"
Two tentacles reached out, each entwining a shimmering gold stave that appeared to be crafted from gold. Following which, strange, unintelligible incantations flowed from his lips.
The chanting was so grating that Charles felt a piercing pain in his ears, even though he was on the deck below.
Just as he planned to leap upward through the crack to launch another attack on the Elder, the sea waters stirred and rapidly formed a giant water tentacle that measured as tall as a lighthouse.
The tentacle effortlessly blocked the bullets aimed at the Elder. Then, it brutally swung downward like a massive axe and cleaved the sunken ship in two halves.
However, the water tentacle was relentless. It rose up high again and crashed down repeatedly as it whipped the sunken ship mercilessly. Both Deep Dwellers and sailors alike were pulverized into minced meat upon contact.
The Elder watched with a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. To him, humans were just mere insects, even if these insects could utilize powerful tools.
However, just as he pondered about the audacity of the insects in resisting him, he suddenly sensed an invisible presence approaching. He turned and tried to exert his formidable mental force to seize control of the approaching individual's body.
However, sharp pain in his chest disrupted all his thoughts. Shock filled his eyes as a blood-soaked Charles materialized before him.
"How is this possible? My mind control was ineffective?!" the Elder exclaimed in disbelief.
However, that was none of Charles' concern. He gripped the Dark Blade even tighter and pushed it further inside the Elder's chest.
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