Ghostly Sky Curtain

"Boom!"

The sound of the Magic Crystal Cannon resounded throughout the heavens and earth, and cannonballs flew out one after another, but unfortunately they failed to hit the target.

Hudson was slightly taken aback as he watched the "Ghost Ship" swaying and dodging the shells. These three Ghost Ships were behaving far too nimbly, completely different from what was described in the records.

Remembering that the Ghost Ship could evolve through killing, Hudson immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

These three Ghost Ships in front of us have clearly evolved more than once; they might even be the legendary high-level Ghost Ship.

The simplest way to determine the rank of Ghost Ship is to look at the strength of the ghost.

According to the human world's classification of Ghost Ship, the strength level of the Ghost King on the ship is the same as the Ghost Ship's level.

As for the number of ghosts under his command, there is no uniform standard; it could range from dozens to thousands, and their strength is all lower than that of the Ghost King.

Before the two sides could get close, Hudson had already taken off on his Giant Dragon. Maxim, who had been awakened from his sleep, greeted him with a mouthful of dragon fire without saying a word.

Whether it was the influence of memories from their previous lives or the inherent intelligence of the ghosts, the discovery of the Giant Dragon immediately triggered panic.

As the pirate captain known as the "Ghost King," he both appeases his underlings and maneuvers the Ghost Ship to evade attacks.

However, it was all in vain. Under the baptism of flames, countless ghosts turned to ashes.

Before they could even rejoice, what happened next shocked everyone: the dead ghosts came back to life on the spot at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The legends are true; the ghosts on the ship can come back to life!

However, to Hudson's relief, the Ghost Ship was not unscathed; the deck hit by Maxim had a large crater.

The resurrected ghost was weaker than before. Crucially, it also forced out the Ghost King's full power.

An eighth-tier Ghost King —even the weakest ghost on Ghost Ship of this level is at least third-tier.

Even the most elite navy on the mainland is mostly made up of ordinary people. Once the ghosts sneak onto the ships, it will be a massacre.

Should we let these ghosts come over Dalton Family a taste of their own medicine?

After a slight hesitation, Hudson abandoned the idea. If he were to back down now, the entire fleet might be annihilated.

Large numbers of ghosts swarmed onto the ship for close combat, and ordinary soldiers were utterly powerless to resist. Faced with such an immortal enemy, even the skilled warriors accompanying the army could not hold out for long.

For the Magic Crystal Cannon to pose a threat to the Ghost Ship, it must first hit the target.

"Maxim, test the strength of these wrecked ships first."

As he spoke, Hudson himself joined the fight. Such opportunities to practice were rare.

As a 5th-tier Magus capable of instantaneous casting, their role on the battlefield is in no way inferior to that of a Magister.

At Hudson's level, no opponent could last even a single round. Even stronger opponents could be taken down in one fell swoop if they weren't prepared.

Unfortunately, as the commander-in-chief, he had to stay in the rear to oversee the overall situation, leaving Hudson with no opportunity to demonstrate his abilities. If he, as the commander-in-chief, were to personally take action, it would mean a matter of life and death.

"Meteor Fire Rain", "Hellfire", "Fire Dance Across the Seas"...

A series of fire spells rained down on the Ghost Ship from the sky, creating a visual feast. Unsuspecting onlookers thought Maxim was having a tantrum and marveled at the Giant Dragon's power.

"Dragon Knight!"

"What are you all standing there for? Quickly launch a counterattack! Charge into the enemy fleet and engage in close combat."

Second brother, third brother, let's take the experts to deal with the Dragon Knight. I'm going to slay a dragon today!

"Ghost King Roaring Xiao gave the order."

Almost simultaneously, three eighth-tier Ghost King, along with dozens of sixth- and seventh-tier ghosts on the ship, surrounded Hudson.

Upon seeing this, Maxim's face turned green with rage. Someone dared to shout "dragon slaying" right in front of him; they were simply disrespecting him.

Dragon Language Magic flew everywhere, and many ghosts who wanted to bully the weak were slapped back and reborn by suddenly appearing claws as soon as they floated near Hudson.

Rubbing its eyes, Bear Beldens gazed at the sky filled with ghosts, its playful nature stirring. It casually grabbed a few, holding them captive in its paws and examining them closely.

As if encountering a toy Young Bear, instead of continuing to attack, it said, "Hudson, these guys are so much fun, they're so light and have no weight at all."

Otherwise, we could capture them and keep them as pets. We could even charge admission for visitors during off-peak seasons, which should be quite profitable.

A childlike heart is truly something else. The idea of raising Ghost Ship is something only Beldens would dare to dream of.

For some reason, Hudson suddenly felt that this suggestion was worth a try. If they could really control these three Ghost Ships, they might not be able to roam the world freely, but at the very least, they could make their enemies suffer greatly and be forced to retreat in the face of maritime threats.

"Let's try to sign Slave Contract with these ghosts first. If we can enslave them, then we'll keep them for now."

Listening to the discussion between the man and the bear, Maxim, who was in the middle of the battle, rolled his eyes but did not object.

He was not exactly a docile dragon either, and he also had a considerable interest in enslaving Ghost Ship.

Enhancing strength is secondary; the key is having fun. Ghosts are extremely rare in the material plane.

In all his life, this was the first time he had ever seen a creature that considered itself human yet liked to wander around.

The three unscrupulous men plotted how to enslave the ghosts, and their attacks on the Ghost Ship were much weaker than before.

This put the fleet below in a difficult position. Dealing with ghosts, these drifting, immortal creatures, was clearly not their specialty.

Even though Hudson managed to hold off all the high-ranking ghosts, they were driven to the brink of mental collapse by the drifting ghosts.

Hearing the screams, Hudson remembered his ally. He hurriedly said, "Maxim, don't waste time with these guys. Attack the Ghost Ship and drive them away."

Beldens, find an opportunity to capture as many ghosts as possible, including those on every ship. Ideally, capture a Ghost King as well.

"Expulsion" is not "destruction," and it's clear he's taken a liking to the Ghost Ship. Cases of Ghost Ship being controlled by others are very rare, but not entirely unheard of.

In ancient times, a powerful Lich King once assembled a Ghost Ship, which vanished wherever it went.

Various ethnic groups launched numerous encirclement and suppression campaigns, all of which ended in failure, at one point nearly severing maritime trade.

Perhaps he was living too comfortably, and in the end, this Lich King, oblivious to his own mortality, went to Dragon Island to steal corpses to create bone dragons, which attracted the pursuit of the Dragon Race.

Led by three Dragon Kings, hundreds of adult Giant Dragon hunted down the Lich King for over a decade before finally annihilating him.

Having learned their lesson from the previous defeat, the various tribes of the mainland immediately organized an encirclement and suppression campaign against any discovered Ghost Ship, denying them the opportunity to grow stronger.

As the dominant species on the continent, the human race places the greatest importance on this, especially coastal nations, which intensify their efforts to hunt down Ghost Ship.

A combination of three Ghost Ships that can appear during the day like this would at least attract the pursuit of an entire kingdom.

If you're incredibly lucky, you might be hunted down by several major powers at the same time.

Destroy a Ghost Ship and bring back its remaining core; you can exchange it for rewards from various countries on the continent. Titles, fiefdoms, gold and silver, cultivation resources—all are negotiable.

It's not that the countries are particularly responsible; the main reason is that the core left behind by the Ghost Ship is itself a treasure.

For powerful individuals who cultivate dark magic, Undead, or wizarding professions, this is the best auxiliary treasure.

If we could obtain the cores of these three Tier 8 Ghost Ship, we might be able to create a Holy Domain expert.

If Hudson didn't need this breakthrough, he would definitely have chosen to destroy the ship and take its core. After all, true strength lies in one's own power.

In fact, if these ghosts weren't trapped on the Ghost Ship, they would be good magical materials in themselves.

For some Arcanist obsessed with research, everything can be used as a research material.

Not to mention tiny ghosts, even Demons and angels are materials in their hands, and in ancient times there were even people who wanted to use gods as research materials.

Having so much fun, it's no wonder the Church labeled them heretics; they're definitely the number one blasphemous profession.

As soon as Maxim took it seriously, the three Ghost Ship below quickly became pitted and uneven, the decking was rotten beyond recognition, and much of the cabin had collapsed.

Seeing their home in such a state, the ghosts were enraged. Ignoring the slaughter of the fleet below, they joined the siege of Maxim.

"The Nether Sky Curtain!"

With a fierce shout from the Ghost King, countless ghosts transformed into black mist, obscuring the sun in the sky, and the yin energy between heaven and earth continuously gathered beneath the dark clouds.

Enveloped in black mist, the auras of the three Ghost King continued to grow stronger, eventually reaching the ninth-tier Holy Domain.

The scene before him made Hudson realize once again how little he knew. The powerful attacks unleashed by the ghosts were completely beyond his comprehension.

After glancing at Beldens, the Young Bear shook its head. The Earth Bear was merely the king of the land, a creature known throughout the continent for its reclusive nature, and had limited knowledge of matters at sea.

Needless to say, Maxim, as a Giant Dragon whose lineage was incomplete, had all his knowledge derived from the indoctrination of his mother dragon and his own accumulation.

Judging from his previous behavior, it's clear that Maxim's birth mother wasn't a responsible dragon. Much of the knowledge he acquired was incomplete, or rather, it was marred by too much personal bias.

As it turns out, the tendency to harm one's son transcends race.

"Oh Ghost King's strength has been raised to the ninth rank. The artillery is in position immediately. All the Magic Crystal Cannon are aimed at the Ghost Ship at the front!"

"We need to be quick! We must break the secret spell of these ghosts, or none of us will escape today!"

Byron hurriedly gave the order.

In the blink of an eye, the fleet was shrouded in black mist. Having lost their target, the fleet could only fire randomly based on their instincts.

Whether the target was hit or not is unknown, but the artillery fire cannot stop; the point is to maintain peace of mind.

"Uncle Byron, the Magic Crystal Cannon can't be aimed. What should we do now?"

I can't believe it Viscount Cayou asked in a panic.

He was young, with a bright future ahead of him, and a wife and children waiting for him at home. He didn't want to perish in this vast ocean.

"There's no other way. Now we can only hope that Count Hudson can defeat the enemy."

Giant Dragon are incredibly powerful; Dragon Knight could certainly take on three at once. Besides, Count Hudson also has an Earth Bear; a two-on-three fight shouldn't be too difficult for him!

Byron said uncertainly.

Theory is just theory. Giant Dragon are powerful, but ghosts are not weak either! Especially with the sky covering them, it's clearly more suitable for ghosts to perform.

If these three Ghost King hadn't forcibly increased their cultivation levels, their understanding of the Holy Domain Realm would certainly be inferior to that of the Dragon and Bear, who broke through naturally, and Byron wouldn't have had any hope.

Everyone on the ship had similar thoughts: one moment they thought they were doomed, and the next they felt there was still hope.

Ignoring the thoughts of the crowd below, Hudson was currently observing the three Netherworld Kings who had forcibly increased their cultivation levels, along with a dragon and a bear. To get a better look, he even cast an Illumination Spell.

In Beldens' words: What is fake is still fake. No matter how much power is added, these three Netherworld Royal Capital just eighth-order ghosts with power but lacking the understanding of the rules.

The only downside to this change was that the ghosts had all turned into black mist, making it impossible for Beldens to continue the capture. The plan to capture a Ghost King alive was completely thwarted at this point.

Seeing that Hudson had not taken any action, they assumed that the three members of the Underworld King, who had completed their power-up, all revealed sinister smiles.

"Big brother, I never thought that the three of us brothers would have the chance to experience the treatment of dragon-slaying heroes."

"Hey you big, clumsy dragon, I'm giving you a chance. Slay that Dragon Knight and make him our mount. I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury..."

Before the youngest Ghost King could finish speaking, the enraged Maxim unleashed the Forbidden Spell "Doomsday Judgment," which he had been preparing for a long time.

The flames that filled the sky seemed to solidify all at once, heading straight for the three Netherworld Kings.

The three were terrified and tried to dodge, but it was all in vain. Locked onto by the Forbidden Spell, they couldn't escape its attack no matter where they ran. Left with no other choice, the three had to join forces to take the hit head-on.

The collision occurred in an instant, and a deafening roar shot straight into the sky. The black mist that had been shrouding the area above was completely swallowed up by the Forbidden Spell.

Without the support of the black mist, the three Netherworld Kings who were locked on naturally did not fare well and were sent back to the ship to be reborn.

After a brief moment of disorientation, the three Netherworld Kings reacted in the same way, immediately maneuvering the Ghost Ship to turn around and leave in three different directions.

Even the absence of Ghost in the group went unnoticed. They were afraid that lingering even a moment longer would attract the attention of the terrifying enemy in the sky.

With the black mist gone, the Ghost Ship's hasty escape was witnessed by everyone.

The turning point came so suddenly that no one knew what to say. What followed was a period of jubilation after surviving the ordeal.

I thought I was going to perish at sea, but I never expected that the ones fleeing for their lives would turn out to be the enemies. The feeling of being spared is something that people who haven't experienced it can't understand.

There's no chance of a chase. Even though the Ghost Ship is badly damaged, if they were to actually pursue it and a battle broke out, they would be the ones who suffer.

Seeing that Hudson had no intention of giving chase, the others refrained from speaking up. Making decisions for a Dragon Knight was hardly a good choice.

After snapping out of his daze, Byron hurriedly ordered, "Pass down the order to each ship to count the casualties and assess the losses!"