The combat power of the ghost pirate legion largely stems from their ghost ships.
These cursed pirate ships, capable of traversing any body of seawater, boast both swift maneuverability and terrifying destructive power.
In particular, their ramming tactic, where they charge with prows protected by wraiths and dark magic, is incredibly devastating.
When more than ten ghost ships simultaneously charge at terrifying speed and ram head-on, any defensive line is pierced and collapses.
Neither naval warships nor land fortresses can withstand it.
Legion Commander Bernard Fokker’s special skill, [Stormy Sea], allows him to summon a rain of seawater from the sky.
He uses this to propel the ghost ships over the artificially created seawater, collapsing the enemy’s defensive line.
Then, he unleashes ghost pirates and sea monsters through the breached gaps to slaughter the enemies.
This is the core tactic of the ghost pirate legion.
…So, how do we counter this tactic?
The ideal solution is, of course, to stop the ghost ships. To prevent their ships from even approaching our defensive line, blocking them from afar.
However, even halting these ghost ships is incredibly difficult.
The ghost ships themselves are classified as colossal monsters, capable of crushing through flimsy defenses like barricades or fences.
And it’s obviously impossible to stop them with human bodies.
Ultimately, only a fortress wall can halt their advance.
So, in the game, I used two main tactics against them.
‘First, sacrificing the forward base.’
When facing them at the forward base, they would crush the base’s walls with their ghost ships and then engage in close combat.
From there, we would gradually eliminate their close combat forces and destroy the ghost ships one by one.
Most of the forward base’s walls would be destroyed, effectively turning it into ruins, but it was still preferable to having the walls of Crossroads collapse, so it was the primary method used.
However, currently, the forward base is in disarray, having not received proper repairs during the half-year I was gone. It’s too risky to fight a defensive battle there.
Also, the close combat prowess of the ghost pirates is considerable.
If we were to face those close-combat specialists from all sides, our losses would escalate rapidly.
Therefore, the plan to engage them at the forward base was not adopted.
‘Second, boarding and taking down the ships while they are advancing.’
This was an operation where we would select characters with abilities like flight or assault and drop them onto the enemy ships.
Boarding their ghost ships would trigger a ‘capture battle’ scenario, and by occupying the ship’s helm for a certain period, we could seize control of the ghost ship.
Then, we could make them ram into enemy ships or deliberately move them into rough terrain to run them aground… a guerrilla tactic.
However, this method also had many drawbacks. First, the ship is like the enemy’s lair.
It’s swarming with ghost pirates who excel in close combat, and various sea monsters are waiting with their mouths agape.
We need to deploy a small number of personnel to clear the deck and seize the helm… it’s already daunting just thinking about it.
Moreover, escaping after running the ship aground or making them collide is also very difficult.
In the game, I mainly threw in 3rd or 4th tier heroes with flight abilities that I didn’t use often, or low-level rookie characters, like drawing a lottery.
And nine times out of ten, they would fail, or even if they succeeded, they would usually die with the ship.
Enough with the rambling, so what tactic did I ultimately choose this time?… It’s simple.
‘Ghost ships can only advance if there is seawater.’
In other words.
‘If we can remove the seawater, they cannot advance.’
So, this is the tactic I’ve prepared for the past week.
“It’s a drainage formation!”
Not a ‘backs-to-the-water’ formation, but a drainage formation to eliminate the standing water!
What the workers and soldiers have been diligently installing in the southern plains were not fences, barricades, traps, or defensive tools… but drainage facilities.
When was it? Was it when I first used the public bathhouse in this city?
Lucas had said proudly.
– Isn’t it the pride of the Empire? We’ve experienced so many floods that we’ve become experts in water resource management. We’re the best in the world.
Lucas had reason to be proud.
The Empire had established all the necessary technologies for drawing and draining water.
Well, if they can operate a bathhouse of that scale, their drainage technology must be outstanding.
Thanks to that, during the week of construction, we were able to install sufficient drainage facilities in the southern plains, even if they were temporary.
One of the drainage facilities even used a teleport gate, creating a device that instantly teleports the sucked-up water directly into the Black Lake.
No matter how much the enemy commander pours down rain from the sky with a special skill like [Stormy Sea] – the large-scale drainage facilities will process all the water into the sewer before it can even accumulate on the ground.
‘And that’s not all!’
I looked up at the sky.
While seawater was pouring down from one side of the sky due to the effect of [Stormy Sea], the sun was shining brightly in the mid-sky.
This was the effect of [Goddess Blessing] that I activated in this stage.
Goddess Blessing – ‘Sunny Day’.
It’s a literal effect. For today, during the daytime, the weather will be clear without a single cloud.
The hot early autumn sun of the southern region will be scorching all day long.
Not only will the effect of [Stormy Sea], which requires dark clouds to form, be reduced, but the sunlight will also be hot enough to quickly evaporate any water that accumulates on the ground.
And that’s not all? Basically, intense sunlight is like a debuff for wraiths and ghosts.
For these ghost pirates who invaded during the daytime instead of nighttime, there is no better counter than sunny weather.
‘And here’s more! That’s not all!’
It’s like a continuous stream of lines from a live information program introducing a secret restaurant recipe, but anyway, I’m not done with the preparations yet!
“Huuup-!”
From atop the wall, Junior thrust her staff forward with a shout, and following her movement, the young mages gathered their magic power and raised the tips of their staffs.
Whoosh!
Then, a strong wind blew, sweeping away the falling raindrops.
Our side is fortified with mages who can control wind and water attributes.
They evaporate the raindrops by creating wind, and even the raindrops that still try to accumulate and advance are pushed back with water attribute control.
They are magically blocking the advance of the ‘seawater’.
The gale-force radiation artifact used in Stage 4 also made a reappearance after a long time, assisting in this operation.
Drainage facilities, sunlight, attribute magic.
We blocked the incoming seawater with a triple filter, and as a result, no rainwater accumulated in the southern plains.
If there is no seawater on the ground?
Thump…! Thud thud!
The ghost ships cannot advance.
Our rainy season countermeasures were thorough, and in the end, all twelve eerie, turquoise pirate ships had to stop in the southern plains.
And the stopped ghost ships are,
“Fire! Sink them all on this land!”
Kwang! Kwagwagwagwang!
Good targets for our crossfire!
Our artillery fire exploded on the rotting and twisted hulls of the ghost ships.
The sight of ghost pirates screaming and dying in the explosions was clearly visible.
“Fire! Fire! Fire! Don’t hold back! Until the barrels melt! Until all the ghosts are purified! Fire-!”
It’s sudden, but there’s an interesting story in the records of the Joseon Dynasty [Korean kingdom from 1392 to 1897].
In the 17th year of King Seongjong’s reign (1486), a rumor spread that a ghost had possessed the house of Jeong Changson, who had retired from the position of Chief State Councilor.
Then, the officials petitioned King Seongjong,
– We beseech you to repel it with cannons.
To capture the ghost, which had strong yin energy [passive, dark, feminine energy], with yang energy [active, light, masculine energy], they made a bold proposal to fire a cannon at the former Chief State Councilor’s house.
King Seongjong rejected it, so it didn’t happen, but anyway, it’s a historical record that cannons were mobilized as one of the methods of exorcism in the Joseon era.
To make a long story short, in other words.
“Cannons are the immediate cure for catching ghost bastards! It’s a method proven since the Joseon era, I’m telling you-!”
This is a very traditional method, traditional!
Flowers of fire bloomed beautifully over the ghost ships that couldn’t move. The ghost ships let out bizarre cries and took the full brunt of our firepower.
If they were ordinary ships, they would have been destroyed without a trace long ago.
But they are cursed ghost ships.
Kyaaaaaaaa!
Kaaaaaak!
The wraiths surrounding the ships rushed to block the cannonballs and were annihilated, and the sea monsters also used their giant tentacle legs or sturdy carapaces to reduce the power of the explosions.
Even after being hit by the crossfire that our Crossroads boasts several times, the ghost ships were holding on. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
“They’re surprisingly sturdy, these bastards… !”
“My lord.”
At that moment, Lucas spoke to me cautiously.
“Reporting. The amount of water being processed by the drainage facilities is less than the amount of water pouring from the sky.”
“… !”
“We are currently managing without any problems, but at this rate, the drainage facilities will eventually fill up, and they will resume their advance.”
I glanced at the gate that had opened in the sky due to the effect of [Stormy Sea].
We are also using a teleport gate to drain the water out, but it seems that the amount of seawater that the other gate is bringing in is greater.
Either way, we must decide the outcome before the drainage facilities reach their capacity limit.
“It’s another time attack after all… !”
“My lord.”
Lucas gave me a faint smile as I gritted my teeth.
“How about executing the second phase operation one step faster?”
“Hoo…”
I winked at Lucas.
“Are you confident?”
“Of course. Just give the order.”
Lucas lightly tapped the [Bestowed Sword] on his waist with his hand.
“I’ve been itching for some action.”
“Good…”
I rubbed my hands together and grinned. And I said.
“Execute the second phase operation, ‘Operation Dropship’, one step faster!”
***
《Captain! When are you going to stop getting hit!》
On the flagship of the ghost fleet.
A subordinate pirate shouted at the captain.
《We need to retaliate! Are you just going to get hit like a moron?!》
《…….》
Legion Commander Bernard Fokker was silently drinking from his bottle.
Even though cannonballs were falling all around and the ship was on fire, he just kept drinking. The frustrated subordinate pirate tore at his hair.
《At this rate, we’re all going to die! Why are you just standing there?!》
《Just shut up and wait.》
Fokker calmly swallowed his drink and looked up at the seawater pouring from the sky.
《The sea is infinite. No matter what those guys did, it will eventually open a path for us… Wait for the right wave to come.》
《Wait for what? The ship is about to explode, oh my!》
At that moment, another subordinate rolled over and shouted.
《Captain! Reporting! Ship number 1 and ship number 12 have declared a mutiny! They say they won’t listen to the captain anymore!》
《Those bastards always do that… What are they going to do if they don’t listen to me?》
《They say they can’t just keep getting hit like this, and they’re going to retaliate by firing our cannons at the walls of the human side?》
《Good. Let’s all watch and see how well that retaliation goes.》
Creak creak creak…!
At the same time, ship number 1 and ship number 12, located at both ends of the fleet, slowly rotated their massive hulls.
Soon, the two ghost ships, having turned their direction by 90 degrees, aligned the cannons on their sides, aimed them at the walls of Crossroads, and fired.
Bang! Pububung-!
The cannonballs fired from the two ghost ships flew in an arc towards the walls of Crossroads.
Two subordinate pirates, who were moving their heads following the arc, shouted at the same time.
《Did it hit-?!》