I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 417

《Did it hit-?!》

However, the cannonballs that had been fired didn’t even reach the walls and instead crashed into the ground, exploding. KWA-GWA-GWANG!

《……》

Fokker clicked his tongue at his subordinates, who were gaping at the sight.

《Those idiots can’t even gauge the range of our cannons… Hey. We’ve been dead for hundreds of years. How much do you think artillery has advanced in that time? Shit, now our cannons are just antiques with short range and weak power.》

The point where the ghost ships had run aground was precisely near the maximum range of the Crossroads cannons.

The defenders on the human side had deliberately set a trap here.

It was only natural that the range of the cannons used by these pirates in their past lives was inferior compared to the Crossroads cannons, which had been upgraded over several generations.

The very idea of countering their fire with our own was wrong from the start.

《Since when has our fleet engaged in artillery battles? Counter-firing, counter-firing… Get a grip, you idiots. We’re all about ramming and boarding, whether we’re dead or alive.》

As Fokker clicked his tongue,

Thud! Thud-thud-thud!

The cannonballs fired simultaneously from the Crossroads walls pounded against Ship No. 1 and Ship No. 12.

The two ships had exposed their broadsides, which were twice as wide, to fire their cannons, and the high-quality cannon fire from Crossroads rained down on their exposed flanks.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwangg…!

The two ships couldn’t withstand it and were torn to shreds, exploding.

Watching the pillars of fire erupt, the two pirate subordinates gaped. Fokker grumbled as he opened another bottle of liquor.

《Those morons must have forgotten that our ships’ defensive dark magic is focused on the bow. Sigh, if the ship can’t even move and the flank is exposed, of course, it’ll end up like that…》

《Ship No. 1 and Ship No. 12, s-sunk!》

《Tsk… They burn well, they burn well.》

Fokker patted his thick belly as he watched the two ships burn without a trace.

《Now that our mobility is blocked, the best thing to do is to stick out the bow, which is covered in defensive dark magic, brace the ship, and wait for the sea to rise again.》

《……》

《If we just listen to the captain, even when we’re sleeping, we’ll have something to drink, but these bastards always die because they don’t listen. Sigh, whether they’re dead or alive, they’re still idiots…》

Seemingly frustrated, Fokker gulped down the bottle of liquor in one go. It was then.

《Captainnnn!》

《What is it, what? What now?》

A third subordinate pirate came crawling on all fours. The pirate shouted.

《Ship No. 3 and Ship No. 10 are in mutiny! They say they don’t want to listen to your bragging anymore!》

《They’re taking turns being cute and going crazy. Where else can you find a humble pirate like me… So what? Are they going to counter-fire like the previous two ships?》

《They say they can’t just sit and take it…》

The subordinate pirate pointed at those ships.

《They’re running!》

Looking over there, it was a sight to behold.

《Disembark! Run to the walls!》

《Disembark-!》

The pirates who had disembarked from Ship No. 3 and Ship No. 10 were cheering as they ran towards the walls of Crossroads.

One giant octopus and one squid wriggled and followed behind them.

《The one who captures the walls first will be the new captain of the fleet!》

《When I become the new captain, that cowardly Fokker, who can only piss his pants, will be exiled!》

《That alcoholic bastard was annoying from the start!》

《Mutiny is the best! Looting is the best!》

《Kyahho~!》

Fokker shook his head as he watched his foolish subordinates abandon their ships and run towards the walls.

《Those idiot, ragtag bastards. Where did they sell their brains?》

The power of the ghost pirate legion comes from the ghost fleet.

What fortress would fear pirates running from their ships?

And as Fokker had predicted.

Bang!

Crack!

The ghost pirates stepped on landmines and were blown up,

Pshoo! Pshoo!

Thud thud thud…!

They were turned into pincushions by the hail of arrows,

Bang! Bang!

Whirr…!

They were burned black by the flames spewed out by the skull artifacts.

The pirates from Ship No. 3 and Ship No. 10 were annihilated without even getting close to the walls.

Fokker sighed deeply and waved his hand.

《Yeah… It’s better for you to die here. How could a bunch of idiots like you follow my great voyage that will unfold in the future…》

The four ghost ships that had mutinied and tried to move on their own, along with their pirates, were finished.

The rest of the fleet and pirates quietly watched Fokker and moved according to his orders. They decided to stay put without moving.

And this was an effective choice.

These ghost ships were obsessed with ramming tactics, so they had concentrated all their durability on the bow.

They boasted insane sturdiness that could crush even walls if they rammed them head-on.

The reason for this was not only because they had poured good materials, various dark magic, and the curses of the wraiths into the bow without holding back.

It was also because their strong belief in their undefeated ramming tactics in their past lives had been sublimated into a religion and magic.

‘Our ship’s bow will never be destroyed.’

Because all of the pirates believed this sincerely, without a shred of doubt.

After death, these ghost ships, which were ‘revived’ not as actual ships but as giant monsters, were able to gain transcendent defensive power, at least in their bows.

Most of the artillery fire from the Crossroads walls was blocked by the bow, and only a few stray cannonballs hit the main body of the ship.

The pirates, who were lying flat on the deck, began to think.

‘It’s actually bearable?’

If this continued, they might be able to hold out until the sea opened up a path, as the captain had said-

It was still manageable!

It was then, as the pirates looked at each other and grinned.

Toot-toot-toot-toot-

A loud mechanical sound began to be heard from the distant sky. The pirates looked up at the sky, puzzled.

《Huh?》

Against the dazzling sun, into the pouring storm.

Something like a crude lump of metal was flying in.

《That is…》

Fokker, who had been squinting and looking in that direction, widened his eyes.

《It’s a ship that flies in the sky…?!》

Like the ghost ships, it was a relic of the past, but a completely renovated airship of modern design.

The ‘Geronimo’ circled in the distance and approached the ghost fleet.

With the deafening sound of wind from its two propellers, the Geronimo first approached Ship No. 2 of the ghost fleet.

Ship No. 1 was completely destroyed, and Ship No. 3 was annihilated. Ship No. 2, isolated in between, was in a state of isolation, unable to receive any help from either side.

Above the heads of the bewildered pirates,

Chiiik-!

The hatch of the airship opened, and five figures fell out one after another.

“Yahoo! It’s time to rampage!”

“U-um, I-I think I mentioned that I have a fear of heights, eeeeek?!”

“Be quiet, child! You’re so big! Go quickly!”

“Even so, kicking someone… That’s why dragonkin are…”

Evangeline.

Kuyilan.

Dusk Bringer.

Verdandi.

These four landed first, and finally.

Taat!

“…Hoo.”

Lucas, who had landed gracefully, his blonde hair fluttering, straightened his disheveled hair.

The five strongest vanguards of Crossroads, all party leader-level, descended onto the ship one after another.

The five, each drawing their weapons, calmly glared at the ghost pirates who had surrounded them.

“Operation Dropship.”

Chwa-reuk!

Lucas, drawing the blade of light – [The Granted Sword] – from the scabbard at his waist, commanded indifferently.

“Let’s begin.”

At the same time, pirates from all sides rushed in, each wielding their weapons.

Waaaaaaaah!

《Those damn knights, do they know where they are?!》

《How dare you jump into our ship, you living bastards!》

《You don’t know how precious your lives are, do you?! Huh?!》

《Since you’ve come all the way to this hellish maw, you’ll go to hell with us…》

But the pirates could not even approach the five-person party.

Bang! Bang! Bang-bang-bang!

The open hatch of the airship Geronimo.

A sniper sitting diagonally began firing with the long rifle in his hand.

It was Damian. Even though he was on the airship, which was shaking wildly and flying in the sky, Damian’s shots shattered the enemies’ spirit cores without a single error.

Tu-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-!

The airship’s gun barrels also spat fire.

The pirates were torn to shreds without even getting close to the five-person party. In the meantime, the five commandos rushed forward without hesitation.

“Capture the helm-!”

The captain of Ship No. 2 and his direct subordinates were waiting in front of the helm that controlled the ship.

In addition, a giant crab with a huge carapace like armor and numerous wraiths swirled and rushed towards the five.

《How dare you try to take my ship, you bastards! I am the second captain of the ghost privateer fleet…》

The large female pirate, who was about to introduce herself, could not continue her words.

Bang-!

It was because Damian’s magic bullet had already pierced her neck.

She poured out white ectoplasm instead of red blood and collapsed, leaving behind the words, ‘That’s unfair…’

Bang! Bang-bang!

With Damian’s subsequent sniper support, the wraiths scattered with terrible screams. The five heroes rushed forward with ease.

Thud! Ku-gu-gung!

A giant crab approached the five, swinging its pincers like a mace.

However,

“Not a chance!”

Kwaang-!

Evangeline raised her shield and blocked the attack,

“Is this one also seafood?! Would it taste good if we cooked it?!”

“Of course, it’s a delicacy! After the battle, I will personally steam it for you!”

Thwack! Kwajik!

Kuyilan’s fist and Dusk Bringer’s flying kick shattered the joints.

“No, why are you eating monsters-!”

Flash!

Verdandi stabbed the eyes with a blink dagger throw-instant teleportation horizontal slash,

And finally.

“Huuuup!”

Tsuka-a-a-ak!

The giant crab was cut in half vertically by the sword of light wielded by Lucas.

Standing in front of the completely shattered crab, Lucas said carefully.

“…If I had known we could eat it, I would have cut it more carefully.”

“Oh, what a waste. This was a very delicious one…”

Dusk Bringer was genuinely regretful, and Evangeline and Kuyilan smacked their lips as if they were disappointed. Only Verdandi was sweating cold.

“No, don’t eat the monsters…”

“Let’s look forward to the sashimi that our lord will serve us and focus on our original mission.”

Lucas calmed the members, and everyone nodded and looked at the helm of the ghost ship.

《……》

《……》

The pirates, who were standing awkwardly in that direction, watching the terrifying feats of the human heroes, looked at each other and asked.

《U-um, if we surrender, will you spare us?》

Dusk Bringer smiled fiercely and blew a stream of fire out of his mouth.

“Do we look like we’ll spare you?”

《No, shit…》

《Sigh. I guess that’s why my mom told me to live a good life.》

《But we’re already dead…》

《If we die again this time, can we go see mom?》

《Well, I don’t know…》

The pirates, who were grumbling among themselves, shouted the next moment and rushed towards them.

《Shall we go find out now?!》

《Mommyyyyy! Your unfilial son is coming to see youuuuu!》

“They’re all crazy…”

Against them, the five vanguards swung their weapons forward.

***

The capture of Ship No. 2 was complete.

Lucas, who had taken the helm, forcibly turned the bow.

Unlike the actual workings of a ship, the helm of this ghost ship was a device that used magic to direct the ship’s course.

Although there was not enough seawater to move forward, it was possible to turn the direction of the ship, ignoring the damage to the ship.

Ka-ga-gak, ka-ga-ga-gak…!

The sound of the ship’s bottom scraping against the dry land was eerily loud.

After exposing the side of the ship to the Crossroads’ aiming line, the five assault troops boarded the airship Geronimo and escaped.

“Operation complete.”

Bang! Thud-thud-thud!

Kwa-gwa-gwang…!

Ship No. 2, which had exposed its side, was reduced to ashes by the simultaneous fire from Crossroads.

Lucas, who was watching the scene indifferently, raised his head and looked at the next target.

“Moving to the next ship.”

Toot-toot-toot-toot-!

The hair of the hero characters sitting in the hatch of the airship fluttered violently in the wind, and their eyes gleamed fiercely in between.

There were still many enemies left to eliminate.

And,

Swaaaaaaaah…!

The storm was still pouring down seawater from the sky.

“……”

Lucas, who had been looking up at the storm, lowered his gaze and frowned slightly.

The plain was gradually filling with water.

The drainage system would soon reach its limit.