Near the coast, the wind was calm and the sea tranquil, the sky clear and bright.
The azure sea rippled gently, beautiful beneath the afternoon sun.
Yet the atmosphere was somewhat grave.
A two-masted sailing ship had lowered its sails and waited in place for a smaller vessel in the distance to approach.
Whoosh~
The much smaller sailboat moved swiftly, its curved hull cutting through the sea and throwing up white spray as it rapidly closed in on the Mermaid.
Everyone aboard the Mermaid gripped their weapons tightly and held their breath as they waited for the enemy to draw near.
At this moment, were they finally about to fight the pirates whose fearsome reputation they had only heard of before?
Quite a few sailors who had boarded a ship for the first time clenched their teeth, sweat faintly seeping from their tightly clenched palms.
"Brothers, prepare for battle!"
Captain Loren shouted, rallying everyone's spirits.
"Mr. Li Si said they're much weaker than us. Don't be afraid—hit them back!"
"Kill one enemy and earn one Gold Coin! The stronger you are, the greater the reward! If we win, everyone gets five Gold Coins!"
"Get yourselves fucking ready! Don't blame me for not being polite if anyone drags us down now!"
With Loren's promise, whether because of the confidence inspired by the mysterious mage Li Si or the courage brought by the hefty rewards, the atmosphere aboard the ship suddenly became far steadier and more murderous.
Standing at a high point, Li Si lightly tapped the deck beneath his feet with his staff.
A faint blue glow spread across the entire ship before vanishing.
After temporarily strengthening the ship's defenses with a Water Element protection spell, Li Si turned his gaze back to the approaching pirate ship.
Whoosh~
Clang! Clang! Clang!