radicalducati Chapter 67 A Net of Heaven and Earth
Chapter 67 A Net of Heaven and Earth
Rhinoceroses are bulky and have thick limbs.
Especially the long, sharp, and enormous rhinoceros horn atop its face, giving off a chilling and intimidating aura.
Henry wondered if he was dreaming; apart from whales, this rhinoceros was larger than any other creature he had ever seen.
Of course, Henry knew that this was neither a dream nor a living being.
It is clearly a vessel created by some kind of extraordinary power.
Viktor screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice almost cracking:
"May God protect us! May the Sea God protect us! My lord, could that be witchcraft too?"
"I'm not sure," Henry said, trying to steady his breathing, "but it's definitely very dangerous."
Since the rhinoceros wanted to approach, it was certainly not attracted by the goat's graceful figure.
Therefore, Henry could not allow it to happen.
"Push the giant crossbow to the stern and fire it at that strange ship!"
The pirates were clearly terrified by this scene, which could almost be described as a miracle.
They only started moving in a daze after Henry called them a second time.
As they pushed the giant crossbow with all their might, they shouted loudly as if to encourage themselves and dispel the fear in their hearts.
They must have understood that if that thing got close, even the Black Goat might not be able to handle it easily.
The giant crossbow was in place, and the operator immediately cocked it and fired.
The crossbow bolt flew out, heading straight for the rhinoceros's forehead.
To everyone's astonishment, the rhinoceros twisted its neck and thrust its horn forward, striking the arrow squarely.
The giant arrow was easily deflected and landed in the nearby water.
The lambs were all speechless with astonishment, and so was Henry.
That tangible light membrane is not an illusion, but an existence that can directly interfere with real matter!
Since the rhinoceros could easily deflect the giant arrow, there was no reason to doubt that it could also smash the longship.
Thinking about this, Henry suddenly realized the rhinoceros's purpose.
He quickly pulled himself out of his panic and gave the order again:
(Please remember 1219.m.k.com for the fastest chapter updates.)
"Calm down, everyone. The enemy will not pity your fear. Once that thing gets close, it's all over. Don't stop, keep firing the giant crossbow at it."
Whether moved by Henry's words or driven entirely by fear, the crossbowmen resumed their work.
Meanwhile, many enemy ships still managed to get through the protective nets set up by Henry.
But Henry had no time to worry about those things at that moment.
First, there was the evil sorcery that could control other creatures, and then there was the unknown and extraordinary power that could transform ships into rhinoceroses.
In addition, there is the encirclement of more than 120 ships that is gradually closing in.
Henry finally realized that this was a trap!
Even though the hope of escape was slim, Henry still tried his best to struggle.
He wasn't afraid of death; it's just that he didn't have the right to die now, as he still had an unfinished mission.
Henry focused all his attention on the green rhinoceros that was chasing after him from behind.
The giant crossbows continued to fire, but were either deflected by the rhinoceros horn or evaded by the rhinoceros using an extremely strange trajectory.
Since the monster was unwilling to take a direct confrontation, does that mean the giant crossbow could effectively kill it?
Henry said, "Aim for a blind spot; it's afraid of our giant arrows!"
Hearing Henry's words, the operators were somewhat encouraged, and they became more focused on their work.
After missing several more shots, one arrow finally grazed the tip of the rhinoceros horn and struck the monster in the lower back.
The ship rocked as it was struck by the giant arrow.
Suddenly, the rhinoceros raised its head high and opened its blood-red maw.
It was as if he was silently howling at the sky.
At the same time, Henry also saw that the green light membrane that made up the rhinoceros flickered twice, seemingly becoming unstable.
Henry thus drew two conclusions.
Firstly, he was right; the light membrane had no defensive capabilities.
Secondly, this extraordinary power is mainly concentrated in the rhinoceros horn, with the remainder distributed in the four hooves, so as to slightly alter the ship's course.
"efficient!"
The operators cheered excitedly, as if they had seen the dawn of victory.
But the commander of that warship was not stupid either.
Henry observed that the rhinoceros no longer approached directly, but instead took a roundabout route.
After all, the Black Goat's speed is now restricted, so even if the Rhino takes a detour, it can still catch up.
Henry urged his men to fire the next shot, but then he heard a report:
"It has escaped beyond the deflection angle; we must move the giant crossbow!"
"Then get on it quickly!" Henry replied anxiously.
However, Viktor's report then came:
"Sir, there are five ships on the left flank heading straight for the Black Goat. If we do nothing, the Black Goat will surely be severely damaged by their rams."
This is truly terrible news, especially at this critical juncture.
But Henry understood that he absolutely could not ignore it.
Once the Black Goat is brought to a complete stop, annihilation awaits the pirate crew.
Henry had no choice but to grit his teeth and give the order:
"Push the giant crossbows to the port side first and stop those ships!"
Upon receiving the order, the operator immediately took action.
The ships were very close together and their routes were easy to predict, so the crossbow bolts never missed.
With just five giant arrows, the five ships were rendered no longer a threat to the Black Goat.
Henry didn't stop for a moment, giving orders with utmost urgency:
"Quickly, push it to the right..."
Before he could finish speaking, the ship began to shake violently.
"Boom!"
The deafening roar was like a thunderclap from the sky.
Henry's eardrums appeared to rupture, and he was thrown off balance and fell to the floor.
As he turned and fell, he saw an enormous, thick rhinoceros horn smash through the side of the Black Goat.
The bull's horns swung upwards, ripping off multiple decks of the ship.
It stood like a green, glowing mountain directly above the Black Goat.
Scattered wood fragments, when pieced together, form a steep hillside.
Henry then fell heavily to the ground.
Due to the enormous impact, the Black Goat tilted to the side and swayed uncontrollably, causing Henry to roll several times on the ship.
Henry's consciousness became somewhat hazy; he experienced tinnitus, and the images in his eyes became distorted and disjointed.
He groaned a few times while lying on the floor, then reached up to rub his temples before forcing himself to sit up.
He stumbled and leaned against the railing, observing the current situation.
The rhinoceros was gone, leaving only the unremarkable oared warship under the light membrane, which had stalled due to the impact and was moored to the side and rear of the Black Goat.
The Black Goat was moved sideways by more than three hull lengths due to the impact!
He looked towards the ship and a horrifying scene came into view.
At the waist of the ship, there is a cone-shaped gap that extends to the center of the hull.
The side panels were completely smashed, and the decks from the first to the third floor also suffered varying degrees of damage.
Fortunately, the wound was above the waterline, and the four masts remained standing.
Most of the pirates on the ship were concentrated on the deck.
That attack resulted in at least thirty people dying on the spot.
Henry stood there, stunned, his mind a complete blank.
He saw the disoriented crew, the "fool" and the "strongman" still clinging to the helm, Viktor's honest face, and a man who looked a lot like Benson climbing onto the ship...
"master!"
"Boss!"
"Wake up!"
Henry only came to his senses when Victor suddenly shook him.
"Sir, you must make a decision!"
"But the current situation..." is completely beyond my control.
Henry was completely at a loss.
"Boss, that rhinoceros was terrifying! It almost ran over my little boat, and I would have died on the spot."
At this moment, Benson also spoke to Henry,
"Fortunately, I escaped unscathed, and I immediately rowed the boat back, bringing back some good news as well."
"This is absolutely terrible," Henry thought desperately. "What good news could there possibly be?"
Benson continued, "The impact startled the fish, and the pike fled!"
Upon hearing this, Henry suddenly perked up.
He turned around and found the ship that had been poised by the giant rhinoceros growing ever more distant.
Meanwhile, the black goat continued to accelerate, its hooves hoofing out.
The four sails billowed, making the masts creak.
There's still hope! Henry rallied his spirits.
Just as he had initially thought, as long as the Black Goat could regain speed, he would still have a chance to escape.
However, given the current situation, he has no time to attend to the remaining five ships.
Henry turned to look at the ships.
The Sea Urchin had just been forced to stop when, on Riley's ship, the sarcophagus and skull flag had already been cut down.
"I have to give them up," Henry said guiltily.
"But you still have a chance to save the people on the ship, sir," Victor said, trying to comfort him.
Henry smiled. Victor was indeed not a pirate; the word "rescue" would never come out of a pirate's mouth.
So...
Run away!
Henry observed the wind direction—it was still a southerly wind, but slightly easterly than before.
It's a good omen.
"Miko, align with the wind direction."
He saw Miko make a quick maneuver and then responded:
"Qi Feng!"
Benson reminds you:
"Boss, the local fleet has almost formed an encirclement; they won't let you pass easily."
Henry certainly understood:
"Push the giant crossbow to the bow of the ship and force a breach."
Victor said, "The giant crossbow takes time to reload, and its lethality is limited compared to the number of enemy ships."
"I have a way!"
Henry said, handing over command on the deck to Benson and Victor for the time being, and walked alone toward the area where the giant arrows were stored.
There are about twenty rounds left.
Henry sat cross-legged on the ground, feeling the power within his body.
The enemy's extraordinary strength caused Henry to suffer repeated setbacks.
But he is also a possessor of extraordinary power!
To defeat supernatural power, one must also use supernatural power.
The situation was urgent, and Henry had to focus on the success rate. The only enchantment he could choose was "self-immolation".
The battle of the sheep and birds has proven that this attribute is undoubtedly a positive boost for arrows.
But if given to these giant arrows, the effect might be even more outstanding.
However, collisions may occur during the installation of crossbow bolts, which may cause the "self-immolation" effect to be triggered prematurely, resulting in the destruction of the giant crossbow.
Previously, this was an unbearable price for Henry, but now that even the Black Goat is battered and bruised, Henry has no choice but to fight to the death!
Henry constructed blue tentacles in his palm, which extended toward the giant arrow, and began to draw a magic circle.
After a flash, the magic circle seeped into the crossbow bolt, and the enchantment was successful!
Henry ordered his men to prioritize transporting the arrow to the ballista, and he continued enchanting it without pause.
After all the enchantments were completed, Henry immediately returned to the deck.
Upon seeing Henry, Victor excitedly exclaimed:
"Master, what have you done? It's unbelievable! What we saw tonight was something we never dared to dream of before, yet you still manage to surprise us. Those giant arrows are truly astonishing!"
Henry did not answer, but instead observed the situation on the sea.
At this moment, the allied forces' encirclement was about to close, and the Black Goat had already reached the edge.
Behind the Black Goat's course lay a line of burning wreckage.
They were moored on the sea, forming an obstacle that prevented other ships from approaching the Black Goat.
Just then, the giant crossbow fired another shot at the enemy ship.
Henry saw that the moment the enemy ship was struck by the enchanted giant arrow, it exploded, bursting forth with fiery red lotuses.
The fire left no room for abating and quickly spread to the entire vessel.
The flickering flames licked the sky, like pirates greedily craving a glimmer of hope.
He spoke in a cold voice:
"Warriors, send all those enemies who dare to stand in our way to hell!"
The easy destruction of enemy ships also relieved the pirates of the fear brought by the green rhinoceros.
They shouted:
"Berserker Henry!"
"Henry the Magician!"
"Henry the Eagle!"
I am Henry the Liar, Henry thought, and also Henry the Devil.
In the end, the black goat, riding the flames of hell, burned through the enemy's encirclement.
Although the price was high, he was seriously injured, and all his cubs died.
Henry then ordered his crew to push the giant crossbows to the stern of the ship in order to destroy the enemy's confidence in pursuing them.
Gazing at the increasingly distant enemy, Benson shouted excitedly:
"Haha! Boss! We did it! We escaped!"
Yes, escape...
Faced with such a formidable force, what could a group of petty pirates do but flee in terror?
Although Henry felt fortunate to have survived the ordeal, he was not happy at all.
He ordered the ships to rest briefly, but he himself could not sleep a wink.
He remained on the cockpit, fearing that the enemy might suddenly catch up.
Henry finally succumbed to sleepiness and went to bed at dawn.
For the next three days, the goat dared not stop for a moment and continued to run away.
The weather grew increasingly cold and gloomy. The Black Goat was severely damaged, and the cold wind poured into the cabins without any shelter, causing the sailors to complain bitterly.
Fortunately, the weather has been sunny lately; otherwise, if it rained, the boat would have been flooded.
Misfortune never comes singly; the mainmast broke.
The impact of the green rhinoceros also damaged the mainmast.
However, it did not collapse immediately. Instead, it supported the ship and helped it escape the enemy before being completely destroyed by a strong wind.
If a ship's mainmast is damaged, its speed will be severely reduced.
But the ship's resources are being depleted day by day...
"What's worse, sir,"
Victor found Henry and reported to his superior.
"We've run out of giant arrows, and we don't even have a thousand ordinary feathered arrows left. If we encounter an enemy now, we'll have no chance to fight back."
He couldn't escape, and he couldn't win. Henry knew there was only one outcome: to surrender.
"But there is still hope. If we can pinpoint our current location in the ocean and return to the Burning Heart Islands, we can make a comeback," Henry replied.
Benson, however, said with concern:
"Fish Drift Island is said to be located directly west of Lieyang City. If we find it, we can indeed reach Lieyang City, and then returning to the Scorching Heart Islands will no longer be difficult. However, it is just a rock protruding from the sea. Some navigators may not be able to find it even if they search for it. Boss, I must remind you that the chances of finding it are slim."
Henry understood that Benson's words were true, but in their current situation, all they had left was to chase after a faint hope.
Moreover, if we can find it from the starting point, it will be within half a day.
At this moment, Viktor pointed ahead and said:
"Sir, there seems to be a rock ahead."
Henry and Benson looked in the direction Victor was pointing, and Benson shouted excitedly:
"That's right, that's Fish Drift Island. It stands alone in the sea, resembling a fish drift, hence its name!"
"Haha! Hahaha!"
Henry looked around at Fish Drift Island and saw only surging waves and nothing else, but suddenly burst into laughter, laughing uncontrollably.
Even if he was very excited, this smile was a bit too exaggerated.
Viktor seemed puzzled and asked:
"Why is the master laughing?"
Henry stopped laughing and replied:
"I laugh at the Allied forces' lack of strategy and their gullible loyalty. This is the only escape route for ships fleeing south. If I were to wage war, I would ambush a fleet here. We, having eked out this place, are already incapable of fighting and will surely be captured!"
After he finished speaking, a report came from the ship:
"Boss, a ship spotted to our left flank!"
Henry's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly peered over.
A beige dog-headed warship slowly approached.
Henry was horrified and hastily gave the following order:
"Turn left! China Eastern Airlines!"
The ship turned, and Henry laughed again.
Benson frowned and asked:
"Boss, your smile just now brought you loyal dogs, so why are you laughing now?"
Henry said:
"I laugh at that loyal dog, so arrogant and careless. The Black Goat is indeed battered and bruised, but it's not an ordinary ship that can handle it. That yellow dog alone won't be able to bite the goat's hind leg!"
Victor, however, pointed ahead:
"Look, sir, there's another boat ahead."
Henry looked up and saw a magnificent warship sailing from the east.
He couldn't help but take a deep breath, realizing that this battle was likely to end badly.
He dared not laugh anymore.
They hurriedly mobilized their subordinates to prepare for the enemy's boarding.
But to Henry's utter surprise, the ship passed right by the Black Goat, seemingly completely unaware of its existence.
Henry looked utterly confused.
Hmm? Could it be that this ship isn't an ambush?
So they turned their attention to the ship.
The warship headed straight for the loyal dog's dog-headed ship and collided with it head-on.
Clearly, that warship did it on purpose.
Henry realized that the ship was an ally!
However, he couldn't recall ever hiring such a helper.
Moreover, the flag flying on that ship was not the pirate skull and crossbones flag.
It was a flag with wheat ears as its main feature, which Henry did not recognize.
He immediately inquired of Victor, who possessed considerable knowledge of the kingdom:
"Victor, do you recognize that ship's ensign?"
Viktor squinted and stared intently, then immediately gave his answer:
"That's the coat of arms of a great lord, called the Plain of Golden Wheat, which belongs to a duchess."
"The Duchess?" Henry asked curiously. "Which Duchess?"
Victor said:
"Duchess Brianna Lorraine".