Chapter 114: 114, attack from the rear, also known as backstab 1
Translator: 549690339
General Shuhe leads the fleet with his three warships, closely followed by the playersâ three large commercial ships. Several smaller trade ships trail behind.
The fleet rides the waves and continues forward smoothly. The crew obediently carries out their duties; everything is as calm as can be.
Aboard the foremost warship, Su Yu feels invigorated by the wind blasting against her face. Sipping tea brought by a maid, she feels a sense of tranquility.
âDing! You drank the [Panda Green Tea], you gained 200 experience points.
(Only effective the first time)â
âOh? Itâs a specialty of the Pandamen?â Su Yu scrutinizes the porcelain cup in her hand.
It figures.
In the gameâs setting, the Pandamen Empire is an ancient utopia, reputed for its strength and mystery, as one of the three great empires along with the Goldfinch.
Tea, silk, porcelain, peppercorns, and other products of the Pandamen are considered top-tier luxury items. Itâs no surprise that their tea would be a staple beverage for a princess.
âOnce âA Thousand Cups Unintoxicatedâ goes to the Pandamen Empire, we might be able to establish a trade route through his trial. This new trade route is safer and can save half of the time than the old one. If we successfully establish it, we will be earning spiritual energy coins by the handful!â Su Yuâs thoughts drift.
But the princessâs words bring Su Yu back to the present: âNemesis, if I become the Empress one day, what reward would you like?â
âIf possible, I would like to serve as your Trade Minister, protecting the overseas trade of the Empire!â replies Su Yu.
The Trade Minister is one of the most profitable positions in the empire, but itâs difficult for a player to ascend to that rank.
âI seeâŠâ The princess seems slightly disappointed.
She had initially thought that Nemesis would demand a rank equal to or higher than a count and control over vast territories. She hasnât expected Nemesis to settle for something as low as a trade minister.
âNever mind, weâll see how he performs in the future! If he does well, in addition to the trade minister, I can even get him ennobled as a count.â
The princess no longer looks at Su Yu, instead she turns to the view outside the window.
Aboard the large commercial ship trailing behind.
Many players, touring the ship out of curiosity, are setting foot in this old-style sailing boat for the first time.
And many are wielding their weapons, shouting intensely:
âThis is it, the sea where a manâs romance lives!â
âI will become the King of Pirates!â
âI will be the Pirate King!â
âYou three are idiots! This is a river, not a sea!â
Snow Leopard stands near the aft window on the second deck.
He encroaches upon the window, a crease furrowing his forehead, unlike the other players who are brimming with curiosity.
Eventually, he murmurs, âSomethingâs not right.â
âMr. Zhong, whatâs the matter?â Truth of Range looks towards him.
âTake a look at those small ships trailing us. Thereâs something strange about them.â
Snow Leopard points to the various small ships outside the window.
Truth of Range sighs, âThereâs nothing wrong with those ships. Theyâre just ordinary trading vessels. â
âBefore we embarked, Mr. Tang and I inspected the vessels. Theyâre all manned by ordinary NPC merchants. These NPC merchants wanted to deliver goods to a location not far downstream. By following us, they can fend off attacks from water bandits.â
Unbreakable Alliance, standing nearby, also nodded, âThatâs right. Both Mr. Yellow and I had boarded the ships before we set off. Other than the merchants and sailors, there are only some large wooden boxes filled with goods on board. There shouldnât be any problems.â
âWe didnât check, but they should be goods. Mr. Zhong, surely you donât suspectâŠâ
As heâs about to finish his sentence, Truth of Range abruptly stops speaking.
Through the aft window, he clearly sees water ghosts, dressed in black diving suits, suddenly appearing atop the small trade ships following them before diving into the water with a splash.
âUnder attack! Brace yourselves!â
Snow Leopardâs voice echoes over the wide river.
All laughter and noise from the players abruptly ceases.
Through messages broadcasted in the chatroom, theyâre informed that the impending threat isnât coming from ahead, but from behind!
The players hurriedly prepare for battle.
And then Su Yu announces her branching task:
âPlayer Nemesis offers you the task[Protect the Merchant Ships], do you accept?â
âAccept!â
âDing! Congratulations, youâve triggered the side task of the Scenario, Battle Campaign[Protect the Merchant Ships].â
âTask requirements: Ensure that the damage to the three merchant ships doesnât exceed 40%. Current damage: 0%.â
âTask rewards: 750 experience points, 5 spiritual energy coins.â
âPlayer Nemesis offers you the task[Slay the Water Ghosts]âŠâ
âDing! Congratulations, youâve triggered the side task of the Scenario, Battle Campaign[Slay the Water Ghosts].â
âTask requirements: Repel the water ghosts attacking the merchant ships.â
âTask rewards: 750 experience points, 5 spiritual energy coins.â
âPlayer Nemesis offers you the task[Counterattack: Occupation]âŠâ
âDing! Congratulations, youâve triggered the side task of the Scenario, Battle
Campaign[Counterattack: Occupation].â
âTask requirements: Capture 10 of the ships carrying water ghosts from behind. Progress: (0/10).â
âTask rewards: 900 experience points, 6 spiritual energy coins.â
With a wave of her hand, Su Yu issues the three tasks.
The players are overjoyed; their blood boiled.
2400 experience points!
Theyâre receiving 2400 experience points right as the task commences. The rewards for this task are far too generous!
Excited and eager for the upcoming battle against the water ghosts, the players flex their knuckles in preparation.
Snow Leopard immediately broadcasts the command in all chatrooms.
Soon after the command was issued, the three player-controlled merchant ships began to slow down, gradually turning around.
Under Su Yuâs request, the three system-controlled warships up front also began to slow down, turning around to prepare for a face-off with the water ghosts.
Archers and mages walk to the side of the ships, indiscriminately firing towards the water beneath or casting [Ice Arrows]
Even though arrows and the [Ice Arrows] will lose their power after entering the water, the players have an advantageâtheir numbers!
Under the dense cover of arrows and magic, blood soon began to rise to the surface of the water.
Itâs clear that some of the water ghosts lurking beneath had been wounded.
The water ghosts realize their plan to sink the ships wonât work.
Because theyâre underwater and canât leverage their strength, it will take a considerable amount of time to make holes in the ships. Given that the playerâs attacks are so concentrated, they might turn into âfrozen hedgehogsâ before they can even breach the ship.
Thus, the water ghosts abandon their plan to sink the ships and begin to engage directly.
Bang, bang, bang!
The water surface explodes in succession, and shadowy figures burst from the water, landing elegantly and lightly on the deck and the sides of the ship like nimble birds.
The archers and mages standing on the side of the ship are taken by surprise, turning into beams of white light under the water ghostsâ longswords.
But, the melee players on the ship react quickly, rushing headlong into the water ghosts.
With six ships serving as the battlefield, a brutal fight gradually begins..