Novel Bin
Chapter 342: The Mage’s Mistake
The Arrival of the New Threat
The sun barely began to rise over Raven’s Perch when the lookouts spotted three approaching ships.
Seraphis stood on the wall, peering through a spyglass.
"More pirates," she muttered, her lips curling into a smirk.
But something caught her attention.
The largest ship, leading the group, was wrapped in a faint shimmering light.
She narrowed her eyes.
"That one has a barrier around it."
Lysara tensed beside her.
"They must have brought a mage this time."
Adapting the Strategy
Seraphis turned to her crew.
"Switch out the regular bolts in the Downstrike Crossbows—load them with the special magic-piercing rounds."
The crew scrambled, moving with precision as they replaced the standard ammunition with arcane-infused crossbolts—ones designed to shatter magical barriers.
Seraphis grabbed one herself, loading it into the largest Downstrike Crossbow mounted on the northern wall.
Her eyes gleamed.
"Let’s see how strong their barrier really is."
The Mage’s Overconfidence
Aboard the main enemy ship, a tall man draped in dark blue robes stood near the mast.
His long fingers traced glowing runes into the air, maintaining the shimmering barrier around the ship.
He sneered.
"Look at them," he scoffed to the captain. "They think they can break through my magic."
The pirate captain, a burly man with jagged scars across his chest, smirked.
"Let them try," he chuckled.
The mage laughed, shaking his head.
"They have no chance."
But then—
A thunderous crack filled the air.
The First Strike
A massive enchanted crossbolt tore through the sky.
The mage barely had time to react before it slammed into the barrier—
A spiderweb of cracks formed instantly.
The mage’s smirk vanished.
His eyes widened in horror.
"Oh shit."
The Barrier’s Collapse
Before he could reinforce the magic, three more Downstrike crossbolts fired from Raven’s Perch.
Each one found its mark—
CRACK!
The first bolt deepened the fractures in the shield.
CRACK!
The second bolt shattered a chunk of the barrier, causing blue energy to flicker wildly.
CRACK!
The final bolt completely destroyed the magic field, leaving the ship exposed.
The mage staggered backward, gasping.
"They… they have a mage, too!"
But he was wrong.
Seraphis just grinned.
"No mage here—just better weapons."
The Arrow Storm’s Turn
Seraphis turned her gaze to the two smaller ships flanking the main vessel.
She raised her hand.
"Aim the Arrow Storms at the smaller ships!"
Her crew quickly adjusted their sights.
"FIRE!"
A hail of 500 arrows launched into the sky.
The pirates below had no time to react—
The arrows came down like a rain of steel, tearing through the ships, the sails, and the men below.
Screams filled the air as bodies collapsed, pierced through by dozens of arrows.
Blood painted the decks red.
Within seconds, the two smaller ships were massacred—no one survived.
The ships, now abandoned, began sinking into the depths.
Reloading the Downstrikes
Seraphis turned back to the main ship, still reeling from the loss of its barrier.
"Reload the Downstrikes!" she ordered.
Her crew moved swiftly, rearming the massive crossbows.
"TAKE AIM!"
The four Downstrike Crossbows locked onto the main ship’s hull.
"FIRE!"
Four deadly crossbolts launched in perfect unison.
Each one found its mark—slamming into the wooden structure, ripping through the hull.
The ship shuddered, wood splintering as massive holes were torn through its side.
The mast cracked, tilting dangerously.
The enemy crew screamed as their ship began to sink.
The Final Order
Seraphis watched as the remaining pirates on the main ship scrambled in panic.
Some tried to grab weapons, others attempted to patch the damage, but it was already over.
She turned to her crew.
"Time to finish this."
Her voice was cold, calculated.
"RAID THEM."
With that command, the Raven’s Perch crew prepared to board.
The battle wasn’t over yet—it was time to claim their spoils.
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