Chapter Ten: Fishing in Troubled Waters

Chu Cheng finally resolved to go down after observing for several minutes, realizing that most of the pirates’ cannons couldn't reach the rear of the town, and even those that could were wildly inaccurate. Additionally, most of the cannons were blocked by houses, making it difficult for them to threaten the Descenders and militia hiding behind the buildings. Only then did he make up his mind to enter.

He didn't force the plot; he had arrived too late, so he simply treated it as an opportunity to gain some experience, perhaps even loot a bit—after all, even the smallest gains were worth it.

There was a narrow path along the edge of the canyon. He followed it down, passing scattered shanties where the town’s poor lived; the wealthier folk resided along the central street. The outskirts were mostly free of pirates, who were concentrated at the rear of the town, attacking the defensive lines formed by his classmates and the militia.

Sneaking into the town, Chu Cheng was greeted by dilapidated houses, many doors already battered open, their interiors ransacked and strewn about. Occasionally, he saw civilians who hadn’t managed to escape, fallen under pirate blades.

Once inside, Chu Cheng realized that the threat of cannon fire was negligible. Walking through the narrow alleys, he was surrounded by houses; any solid shot would strike a roof first, and with their reflexes and speed, there was plenty of time to dodge. Furthermore, cannonballs hitting houses lost much of their lethality, making it unlikely to kill anyone outright.

Understanding this, Chu Cheng felt reassured and began searching for pirates. Hugging the edges of the houses, he turned a corner and was confronted by four pirates, gleefully laden with plundered goods. Both sides froze for a moment, but Chu Cheng stepped forward proactively.

The four pirates hurriedly drew their pistols and blades. With two sharp cracks, long bloody gashes appeared simultaneously on each of them.

“Clang!”

A scimitar parried one blow, another blade grazed under his arm, yet another struck his back, causing all the pirates to stagger.

The pirates: What just happened?

Seconds later, the four pirates collapsed, immediately falling into a deep sleep.

There was no loot, but their plundered goods could be collected to curry favor with the locals.

Continuing down the alley, he heard cries for help from one side at a crossroads. He turned and saw an open courtyard from which a woman’s desperate voice echoed.

“Bang!”

He kicked open the gate and found three pirates pinning down a naked female townsfolk. Beside them lay the corpse of a man, presumably her husband.

Without a word, the three pirates drew their blades and charged.

A few seconds later, they lay peacefully asleep on the ground.

Soon, Chu Cheng acquired a tagalong.

Two minutes later, not far away, he rescued two children, covered in soot, hiding inside a stove.

Each survivor rescued earned him fifty points of reputation in Braid Town.

He spent about ten minutes combing the area, saving a total of twelve survivors. Most had either escaped or been killed; those left behind were the ones who couldn’t run. After making sure there were no more survivors, Chu Cheng led them through the alley toward the rear of the town to join the other refugees.

A burst of flintlock shots rang out from behind a row of houses, interspersed with pirates’ shouts and the sounds of combat. Chu Cheng stopped, glanced back at the dozen followers trailing him, then looked around and pointed to a stone house, saying:

“Stay inside. I’ll check the situation up ahead.”

Fortunately, the civilians were obedient and hid quietly inside. To avoid arousing suspicion, he left the door open. These precautions were largely unnecessary, since most pirates were busy attacking the town’s final defensive line, leaving few wandering about.

Having settled the tagalongs, Chu Cheng quietly skirted the row of houses, peeking around the corner. He saw a street on the other side, lined with houses stuffed with assorted furniture and demolished bricks, blocking all but the widest alleys. Large groups of pirates gathered at these alley entrances, confronting the militia and Descenders inside.

Every so often, a group of pirates would assemble under their leader’s orders, raise shields or door panels, and charge forward. Then a volley of gunfire, clashing blades, and shouts erupted, followed by the pirates retreating, leaving a pile of corpses behind.

Pathetic!

After watching for a while, Chu Cheng could only conclude as much.

The pirates’ assault was chaotic, lacking any strategy—simply a brute-force rush. Yet despite their crude methods, they were effective enough. The pirates had numbers on their side: several hundred had stormed the town, making it hard for the defenders to hold out.

Truthfully, if it weren’t for the support of dozens of students, the town militia alone would have been overwhelmed long ago.

These students weren’t much higher level than the pirates, but their equipment and class advantages allowed them to fight two or three at a time, and the especially skilled could handle four or five. Any more would be too much. But by forming defensive lines, with tanks in the front, melee classes flanking, ranged classes behind, and a few support roles—including two rare spellcasters and healers—their formation was impregnable to the disorganized pirates.

Of course, the professionals couldn’t counterattack either. Without favorable terrain, they were at a disadvantage in the alley fighting against pirates who held a clear numerical edge. After all, life was precious; without certainty, no one dared to take risks.

“Too bad I arrived late; I’m destined not to earn a high rating this time—maybe next time,” Chu Cheng thought ruefully. He knew that even if he joined in now and helped repel the pirates, his overall score wouldn’t be high, since the students had already stabilized the situation. At best, he was a supporter; the main credit would go to others.

To achieve a high rating, he would have to open up a new battlefield and take the lead. But under the current circumstances, that was nearly impossible.

He could either sneak to the pirates’ rear by the seaside, cut off their retreat, draw all their attention, and defeat them head-on; or wait until the defensive line collapsed, then emerge to turn the tide.

Either way, he’d be at the center of the battle, securing the greatest achievements. The problem was, the first option was far too risky: intercepting the pirates’ rear meant exposing himself to the cannons of their warships, all within range of hundreds of guns—a barrage he’d almost certainly be hit by.

The second option was less dangerous, but he couldn’t predict when the defensive line might fail, or if it would fail at all. The earlier assumption that fifty students plus thirty militia wouldn’t hold was based on pirates fighting to the death, but in reality, once their casualties reach a certain point, the pirates will retreat. They’re not fanatics—after losing a hundred men, they’ll break.

So…

“The timing isn’t right—I’m just a bit too late.”

“If only I’d arrived earlier, I could have rallied the militia with my abilities. Not only could we have held the pirates off, we might even have pushed them back.”

But there was nothing he could do; he hadn’t anticipated any of this, and coming here had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.