Chapter 250, "Gold-Silver Island"
The three dragons with wide wingspans carried humans clad in leather armor on their backs, holding reins like knights.
If it weren't for their pirate attire, they would truly look like the legendary dragon riders.
The three dragons rapidly approached.
Their wings flapped, causing the arrows shot at them to fall away in clusters.
They flew quickly, dodging the remaining arrows.
"Anti-air ballista, fire!"
Bang, bang, bang~!
The anti-air ballistae sent out deafening sounds, shooting thick bolts toward the sky.
The dragons ascended, dodging the incoming bolts.
They rapidly closed in on the top of the ship.
The pirates riding on the dragons stood up, pulling out round grenades and tossing them onto the deck.
"Scatter, everyone move away!" The dwarf captain rushed out, shouting loudly and waving for the crew to spread out.
Bang, bang, bang~!
Three rolling grenades landed on the deck.
In the next second.
Whoosh~!
The grenades exploded, forming fire tornadoes two or three meters in diameter, sweeping across the deck.
The crew members who couldn't dodge were engulfed in flames, and several ballistae were burned to ashes.
"It's a 'Windfire Grenade,' keep fighting, you guys go put out the fire!" the dwarf captain shouted again.
Clatter, clatter, clatter~!
The crew quickly sprang into action.
Armed with crossbows, they avoided the fire tornadoes and shot at the dragons circling in the sky.
The dragons were massive, with wide wingspans, but they were incredibly agile in flight.
The arrows lost most of their power after reaching a certain height.
They didn't cause any significant damage.
"Captain, pirate ships are approaching from behind!" a crew member shouted loudly.
Turning around.
Three small pirate ships filled with men were rapidly approaching.
The small boats moved quickly.
Closing in fast.
"Drop the explosive barrels!" the dwarf continued to shout, cursing as he said, "Damn it, how are there pirates here? How dare they come this far?"
Clearly, today was different from usual.
Pirates appearing on a regular sea route, and with dragons no less, meant they weren't an ordinary pirate crew.
Sailors rushed by, hauling heavy barrels from the ship's hold.
They tossed them over the stern.
With splashes, the barrels hit the water and floated on the surface.
Blocking the path of the pirate ships behind them.
Seeing this from above.
The dragons began circling toward the stern.
A crew member was just lifting another barrel onto the railing.
A Windfire Grenade dropped from above.
A fire vortex formed, engulfing both the crew member and the barrel.
Boom~!
The barrel exploded violently, breaking the railing and blowing a large hole in the deck, with splinters piercing the surrounding sailors.
A group of sailors fell to the ground, screaming in agony.
The dwarf captain stomped his foot and slapped his thigh, shouting, "Throw the explosive barrels overboard, don't leave them on the deck, toss them now!"
"My ship, my ship~!"
But the surrounding sailors still lay on the ground, unable to get up.
Wu Heng observed the scene with a somewhat serious expression.
If all these explosive barrels went off, the ship would surely sink.
"Skull-Crusher, Blood Axe, throw the barrels overboard. Minnie, Andviel, you two go back to the cabin," Wu Heng ordered.
Bang, bang, bang~!
He pulled out a rifle and fired at the dragons diving from the sky.
Pop, pop, pop~!
The dragons wore leather armor, but the bullets still didn't penetrate their bodies.
However, the force of the shots caused the dragons pain, forcing them to pull away slightly.
The two skeletons quickly ran to the stern.
Without hesitation, they threw the remaining barrels off the deck into the sea.
The dragons circled once and began approaching the deck again.
Wu Heng glanced at the chaotic deck and the approaching dragons, realizing there wasn't a good way to deal with them.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Glenda, see if you can kill the dragons."
......
The dragons swooped down, and the pirates on their backs screamed excitedly, their faces filled with wild exhilaration as they raised their Windfire Grenades.
Just as they were about to throw them.
Their expressions suddenly changed in unison, their eyes filling with terror.
In the next second, their arms, holding the grenades, uncontrollably slammed down on the dragons' heads.
The dragons turned their heads back, their eyes full of confusion and disbelief.
Whoosh~!
A fire tornado appeared mid-air, engulfing both the dragon and the pirate.
In the stunned gaze of both the sailors and the pirates, the pirate was burned to ash, and the dragon, its body aflame, fell from the sky into the sea.
In an instant.
The entire area seemed to fall into silence.
The two remaining dragons kept their distance, and the sailors holding crossbows on the deck stopped firing, dumbfounded as they watched the dragon fall into the water.
Pop, pop, pop~!
More barrels were thrown into the sea.
The floating barrels spread out over a larger area with the waves.
The pursuing ships turned to either side, avoiding the barrels on the water's surface.
The dwarf, now calm, ordered an increase in speed, taking advantage of the opportunity to distance themselves from the pirates.
As they pulled away, the two remaining dragons, seemingly wary of what had just happened, didn't approach again.
They circled for a while before flying back toward the pirate ships.
The pirate ships abandoned the chase, turning away to find their next target.
......
"Thank you, sir. Thanks to you, we were able to escape safely," the dwarf wiped the sweat from his brow as he walked over to Wu Heng.
Although he didn't know how Wu Heng killed the dragon.
He was sure Wu Heng had done it.
After all, before Wu Heng took action, they had no way to deal with the dragons, let alone kill one.
"Since I'm on your ship, I should help out."
The dwarf bowed again, "Sir, I also apologize again for my rudeness when you boarded."
Wu Heng waved his hand and asked, "No need to worry about that. They won't chase us anymore?"
"As long as we keep our distance, they won't pursue us."
"Oh." Wu Heng glanced at the now calm sea and continued, "Do all the pirates around here ride dragons?"
"These are a type of dragon trained by pirates as mounts, but not all pirate crews have them. We just had bad luck today."
Confirming that they were real dragons, Wu Heng couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
Even in Rentam City, there weren't many horses, yet here the pirates were riding dragons.
It was terrifying.
Wu Heng thought for a moment and said, "The dragon that fell earlier should be dead by now. Is there any chance we could salvage it?"
"You want the body?" The dwarf looked at him curiously.
"Yes, I'm quite interested."
The dwarf thought for a moment and said, "I'm not sure if the pirates have gone far, but I'll send a small boat to check. If there's a chance, we'll try to retrieve it, but I can't guarantee anything."
Wu Heng nodded, "Alright!"
The dwarf went off, and the merchant ship began to slow down.
A small fast boat was lowered into the water from the side, heading back in the direction they had come from.
......
By evening.
Wu Heng was sitting with a wooden comb, brushing Andviel's white fur on her tail.
Andviel obediently lay on his lap, playing Go with Minnie on her upper body.
Knock, knock, knock~!
There was a knock on the door, and Andviel was startled, quickly pulling a blanket over her waist.
Wu Heng asked, "What is it?"
"Sir, the salvage team is back. The captain requests your presence," came the voice of a sailor from outside.
Wu Heng told the two girls to stay in the room and left with Skull-Crusher.
They walked up to the deck.
The night wind howled, carrying a biting chill in the air.
Two sailors held glowing stones in their hands.
On the deck lay a large, charred corpse.
From head to tail, it was nearly four meters long, with wings folded back, likely spanning over three meters when spread.
Though not quite as large as the dragons of legend, it was still a massive draconic creature.
The dwarf kicked the corpse in frustration and looked at Wu Heng, saying, "Sir, we brought the body back for you."
"Thanks for your effort."
"You saved us, so retrieving this body was no trouble," the dwarf said with a smile.
"Wrap it up in a straw mat. I'll take it with me."
"Understood, sir."
For cargo transport, they always kept some straw mats on hand.
Several sailors brought over straw mats and hemp ropes, wrapping up the corpse.
Once it was securely tied.
Wu Heng stored it directly in his space ring.
The way space rings work is somewhat unique.
Corpses or remains can't be stored directly in a space ring, but if they're encased in a coffin or wrapped in straw mats, they can be stored.
This is why, when buying bodies from the Snake Emblem Consortium.
The corpses were always delivered in coffins or wrapped in straw mats.
Seeing Wu Heng store it, the crew wasn't surprised.
Space rings were common among merchants, but no space ring could hold as much as a cargo ship.
"Is there any more danger ahead?" Wu Heng asked.
"We should reach Gold-Silver Island in about three days. I'll let you know when we arrive."
"Alright."
Wu Heng returned to the room, and the others returned to their posts.
The merchant ship continued its journey.
......
Time passed little by little.
Three days later.
The merchant ship approached Gold-Silver Island. From a distance, they could see the general shape of the archipelago.
Some islands were surrounded by forests, while others were barren, with buildings constructed on them.
And there were quite a few islands.
After a while, the ship neared Gold-Silver Island.
Wu Heng and the others stood at the bow, looking at the bustling port.
Large ships were docked, workers were moving cargo, and people gathered in groups, discussing business.
It was completely different from the pirate island he had imagined, more like a trade-focused island.
"My name is 'Boudina.' If the Deputy Steward needs anything when going to sea or purchasing goods, you can contact me," the dwarf said, standing on a crate.
Wu Heng replied, "I'm Wu Heng. If anything comes up, you can find me at the Guild."
The ship docked.
The dwarf bowed again, "Alright, I wish you a pleasant stay."
"Same to you."
Workers began unloading cargo, while Wu Heng, with his maids, disembarked and hired a carriage to head directly to the Guild.
......
It was clear that the entire island was being rebuilt.
The roads were being re-planned, and the houses on either side were being reconstructed.
Just as the tavern maid had said.
This island had been a pirate stronghold, and only after its exemption had it become a port for ships to dock.
They passed through various streets.
Soon, they reached the central area and saw the grand structure of the Guild Hall, with buildings behind it still under construction.
It looked like the whole project wasn't finished yet.
Similar to the layout in Rentam City, diagonally across from the Guild Hall, the 'Snake Emblem Consortium' was also under construction.
Both organizations occupied two of the best locations in the center.
After getting out and paying the carriage fare.
They headed straight into the Guild Hall.
The hall was bustling with people, most of them dressed like sailors, not Professionals from Rentam City.
Approaching the front desk.
A human staff member smiled and asked, "Sir, how may I assist you?"
"I'm the Deputy Steward appointed by the Guild. Is the Steward in?" Wu Heng asked directly.
The staff member froze.
He took a closer look at Wu Heng.
A Deputy Steward this young...
Seeing no response, Wu Heng placed his emblem on the desk for him to see.
The staff member bowed again, "Deputy Steward, please wait a moment. I'll go confirm."
Saying that, he spoke to another staff member beside him.
Then he quickly walked down the hallway.
Shortly after, he returned.
"Deputy Steward, this way, please. The Steward is waiting for you in the study." Wu Heng nodded.
He followed down the hallway.
Arriving outside the study, Wu Heng told Minnie and the others to wait at the door, knocked lightly, and then entered.
......
The door opened.
Behind the desk sat a handsome man with golden hair and pointed ears.
An elf!
He wore a deep blue, tailored robe and sat upright.
"Did you bring your appointment letter?" the elf asked.
"Yes," Wu Heng took out the letter and handed it to him.
The elf glanced at it, then looked up at Wu Heng, "Promoted directly from a squad leader to Deputy Steward?"
"Yes, Steward!"
"Hmm, not bad," the elf said, placing the file away before continuing, "I'm 'Imiro Yipgil.' From now on, you can just call me Steward Imiro."
A full name.
That meant he was over a hundred years old.
"Understood, Steward Imiro."
"Has your residence been arranged?" the Steward asked.
"I just arrived."
"Hmm, I'll arrange temporary housing for you. Settle down as soon as possible."
"Understood."
After a brief conversation, Wu Heng left the room.
......
Returning outside, he found the others still waiting.
Wu Heng motioned to them, saying, "Let's go, we'll head to the dormitory."
"Okay, okay."
They went to their assigned temporary residence.
The Deputy Steward's quarters were similar to the suite at the tavern.
Two bedrooms and a living room, enough to accommodate them comfortably.
Even if he didn't buy a house, living here was quite nice.
The two maids started cleaning the room and unpacking the necessities.
Wu Heng, meanwhile, used the other room to open the portal to the Zombie World.
......
He reappeared in the same room as before.
After several days away, nothing seemed to have changed here.
He took out the radio and called Li Yanhong.
As he headed downstairs, he saw Li Yanhong coming up.
"Let's go, we're heading out," Wu Heng said.
"Where? Are we preparing the convoy?"
Wu Heng replied, "No need to go out, just find an empty warehouse, something bigger."
"Got it."
The two went to the courtyard, and Li Yanhong opened an empty warehouse.
The warehouse was quite large, previously used to park buses, and now repurposed, with temporary lighting inside.
"Tell everyone to stay away from here," Wu Heng said.
Li Yanhong stepped outside to give the order, then returned, "It's all set. Unless there's an explosion, no one will come near."
Wu Heng nodded.
With a wave of his hand, the large, straw-wrapped corpse was thrown into the middle of the warehouse.
The stench of charred flesh and sea salt immediately filled the air.
Two skeletons cut the ropes on the straw mat, revealing the curled-up body.
Even though it had been charred, the bones and tendons were intact.
"A dragon, is this the kind from the movies?" Li Yanhong gasped as she looked at the body.
Wu Heng nodded, signaling her to stop shouting.
Then, he cast [Raise Skeleton] on the corpse.
The burnt flesh fell away, leaving gleaming white bones. A skeletal dragon with bone wings covered in thin white membranes suddenly stood up.
It raised its head and shook its body.
Bits of flesh flew in all directions.
[Skeletal Dragon (Level 13)]