Chapter 207: “The Encounter Has Begun”

The novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.

The confrontation began with a deafening roar as the Sea Mist unleashed its first cannon barrage. The explosion reverberated across the vast ocean, akin to the sound of thunder. The artillery shells streaked across the horizon like shooting stars but only churned the sea, creating massive sprays of water without a direct hit.

The initial barrage was futile, and the second attempt by the Sea Mist also missed its mark. However, the third volley struck the hull of the Vanished, causing fiery spectral flames to engulf it. The ship resembled a phantom ablaze, with flames seeping through every crevice and dancing around the mast, their eerie glow reflecting on the water. As the ghostly vessel moved gracefully, Duncan held the helm, maintaining a steady course. He was unfazed by the massive sprays from the near-miss cannonballs or the treacherous waves trying to throw the ship off course. Amidst the chaos, Duncan’s attention was drawn to an ominous shadow rapidly approaching the ship’s rear.

It was an artillery shell fired from the Sea Mist. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, the steel behemoth had finally adjusted its aim. The incoming projectile seemed destined to strike the Vanished’s rear. In the realm of reality, one couldn’t simply turn a ship’s wheel abruptly to evade such threats. Despite the Vanished’s supernatural nature, it was still bound by the basic laws of physics, or so it seemed.

As impact appeared imminent, Duncan experienced a sudden surge in perception. His vision sharpened, allowing him to discern even the smallest details. He could see the trajectory of the shell, the heat haze around it, the air disturbances caused by its flight, and even the glowing-red grooves on the projectile. It felt as though the cannonball was staring directly at him.

In a bizarre twist, the shell’s exterior was enveloped by an ethereal green flame, mirroring the ghostly blaze surrounding the Vanished. The once-deadly projectile transformed into a luminous green meteor, making a graceful arc as it descended. When it finally landed on the Vanished’s deck, the impact was palpable, but miraculously, the ship remained unscathed.

From the depths of his mind, Duncan heard Goathead exclaim in astonishment, “A beautiful catch!” Recovering from his trance, Duncan was questioned by Goathead on how he managed such a feat, to which he nonchalantly responded, “Subconsciously, I didn’t think much about it.” But their brief respite was short-lived as more cannonballs screamed through the sky, signaling another barrage.

The moment he sensed the imminent threat, Duncan’s reflexes kicked in. Using his expertise and intuition, he quickly adjusted the Vanished’s trajectory to dodge the menacing dark projectiles headed their way. However, just as he managed to avoid one threat, the sky above the ship lit up with a series of radiant green “meteors.”

Even Duncan had his limits. The gap between the Vanished and the Sea Mist began to narrow, causing the latter’s attacks to grow more precise and relentless. The Sea Mist’s secondary cannons came into effective range, unleashing a barrage upon the Vanished. This overwhelming offensive momentarily disoriented Duncan, allowing several enemy shots to breach his defenses.

The initial impact struck the Vanished’s front, where a dark cannonball tore through the wooden planks, creating a gaping hole from which shards and splinters were ejected. However, these fragments didn’t fall into the water below. Instead, they remained suspended in the air, moving with the Vanished’s pace.

Witnessing this, Duncan was reminded of the ship’s uncanny nature. It was as if the parts of the ship destroyed in the physical realm were still intrinsically connected to the Vanished on a different, superior plane of existence. This eerie realization brought back memories of the ship’s submerged portion and its seemingly damaged yet fully operational bulkhead submerged in subspace.

Before his eyes, Duncan watched as the damaged parts of the ship reverted to their former state as if time had turned back.

The sight of the ship’s rapid recovery captivated him, making him shift his focus away from the impending threats. It was his first experience witnessing the Vanished endure damage and then miraculously heal at such a pace. This phenomenal ability made Duncan realize why a technologically superior and heavily armed warship like the Sea Mist stood no chance against an ancient spectral vessel.

Subspace had transformed the Vanished’s essence, making it exist in such an anomalous state that conventional armaments from the physical world couldn’t harm it.

Breaking Duncan’s contemplation, Goathead’s voice echoed in his mind with pride, “Captain, isn’t the Vanished the greatest ship to ever sail?”

After a brief pause, Duncan responded affirmatively, “Indeed, as you say.”

Goathead then asked, “So, what’s our next move?”

With determination, Duncan fixed his gaze on the looming silhouette of the Sea Mist, declaring, “…It’s time to teach that youngster a lesson.”

“Captain! The enemy ship is accelerating!” First Mate Aiden’s voice rang out anxiously across the bridge. “There’s something off… Our firepower isn’t having the impact we expected. It’s nothing like the skirmish fifty years ago! Over half of our artillery rounds have mysteriously disappeared into the flames from the Vanished!”

“I’m well aware,” Tyrian responded, standing tall and resolute on the bridge. His gaze was unwavering as he watched the ghostly ship speed up, subtly altering its trajectory.

“It’s more formidable than during our last face-off,” Tyrian observed, a shadow crossing his face. As he spoke, his fingers instinctively tightened around the ship’s guardrail.

“So, what’s our next move, Captain?” Aiden inquired, raising his voice. “Given the circumstances, repelling the ghost ship back into subspace might not be as straightforward as before. And judging by the ship’s newfound speed, I can only imagine your father’s anger. It’s moving at an unbelievable pace!”

Tyrian fell silent for a moment, contemplating. After what seemed like an eternity, he responded in a solemn, hushed tone: “We continue the fight.” As he said this, his attention was fixed on the main deck of the massive, blazing ship ahead.

Tyrian’s thoughts drifted to the helm wheel, its usual position on the ship, where in his faded memories, his father always stood.

Was his father still there? Could he possibly be watching their ship, the Sea Mist, at this very moment?

Suddenly, a thick plume of smoke erupted from the sea’s surface, followed closely by a distant, echoing boom.

“They’ve fired! The Vanished is attacking!” some of the undead crew members shouted.

Tyrian remained steadfast at his captain’s post, resembling an immovable iceberg amidst the icy waves, but a crease of concern appeared on his brow.

The Vanished hadn’t properly aligned itself for a full-on assault. Instead, it released a barrage in a slightly diagonal arc toward the Sea Mist. This meant that only a fraction of its side guns were in play.

“Are they merely making a symbolic counterattack? Do they not intend to engage the Sea Mist in a full-fledged battle?”

“This isn’t how my father operates,” Tyrian mused aloud, “and it certainly doesn’t align with what we faced fifty years ago. In that clash, both the Vanished and the Sea Mist were locked in a brutal battle, with damages so severe that any regular ship would have sunk.”

He remembered how, after that ferocious battle, the Vanished had exhausted its repair capabilities and had been forced to retreat temporarily into subspace. Meanwhile, the Sea Mist had required extensive repairs, taking nearly three years with the help of its supporting fleet.

However, there was little time for reminiscence. The counterfire from the Vanished was nearing, and every cannonball it launched within striking range was eerily precise.

More than a dozen blazing green fireballs streaked over the sea and smashed onto the steel battleship’s hull. In an instant, explosive roars and ghost fire rose from the impact one after the other.

Layers of light floated around the Sea Mist, and the ship’s church and various holy relics spontaneously activated to resist the spread of pollution caused by the flame. Unfortunately, a large number of terrifying holes still appeared on the hull of the steel battleship in an instant – the burning cast iron cannonballs were like fire hitting the snow. Everything it touched, whether steel or wood, melted away and was swallowed in a flash.

Under such circumstances, no amount of armor would matter when the enemy’s attack completely disregards the principles of matter. The flames didn’t care about the protective barrier, nor did they care about material substance. All they cared about was what they could devour and erase. Before long, large chunks of the Sea Mist were gone instead of merely taking a few hits. If not for the unsinkable characteristic of the undead ship, it would’ve long sunk by now.

However, unsinkable doesn’t mean unstoppable. The Sea Mist had lost its power to fight back and continue moving forward.

Tyrian’s eyes widened.

“Wrong… It’s different. It’s completely different from the last time!”

He didn’t know this ship! This wasn’t the ship he remembered!

And in the midst of his dismay, he noticed that the Vanished had suddenly stopped shelling.

The ghost ship inflated all its sails, engulfing the huge waves of the entire sea, and sped up to the limit as it rushed past the Sea Mist.

“…Full turn on the left rudder! Move! Move!” First Mate Aiden suddenly roared, sending the already frantic helmsman to turn the wheel with all his undeadly might. Sadly, the efforts failed because they were now on a collision course with the ghost ship!

“The rudder has failed!” The helmsman shouted in horror, “It’s turning on its own! We are taking the initiative to meet the other ship!”

As the helmsman said, the Sea Mist was actively meeting the ghost ship.

Tyrian had already sensed the movement. First, he had heard the abnormal hissing from the machine under his feet, ratting and rumbling with a hair-raising tune. Then came the standing down of the guns and cannons on his own ship, which had obviously never occurred half a century ago.

The worst possible nightmare had become true – the Sea Mist recognized its flagship!

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