Gun of Ashes

Chapter 1012 - 50: Naval Battle

The chilling wind swept into the charred wreckage, and Zeus leaned against the side. His steps were unsteady, and after a few paces, he collapsed.

His hand seemed to have touched something. He strained to see what lay beneath him—a charred piece of bone that would crumble completely with a little force. If Zeus was right, it was probably the remains of his Chief Mate.

He didn’t feel any sadness; to be precise, he cared little about the Chief Mate’s death. If he didn’t strive, Zeus would soon join his Chief Mate in the Heroic Spirit Hall, where there would be plenty of time to share in sorrow.

Zeus panted painfully, inhaling hot air in his panic. His respiratory tract was scorched, and every breath brought searing pain, as if sharp fragments were lodged in his throat.

His vision became distorted. He rubbed his eyes vigorously and realized one of them had lost sight, leaving only a stinging sensation and some gelatinous substance felt by touch.

That was likely his eyeball. Flaming Spear had brushed past him, a spear thrown by the Death God. Merely witnessing it exacted a price, and that cost was severe burns on Zeus’s body near Flaming Spear. Every move brought immense pain, yet most wounds had cauterized due to the heat, stopping further bleeding.

Ascalon’s shelling was precise, but unfortunately, it was too fast, penetrating Black Teeth without exploding it entirely, failing to destroy Black Teeth altogether.

The trajectory evaporated half of the command room, destroying instruments and the helm. Now Black Teeth was out of control, explosions echoing continuously below deck—likely a chain reaction caused by the searing residual heat.

The Chief Mate was dead, the captain was dying, the command room lost its command ability, and explosions were heard from other parts of Black Teeth...

In all his years of plundering the seas, this was the first time Zeus encountered such an opponent; a single strike had crippled Black Teeth. Remarkably strong as the opponent was, if Ascalon’s power waned a little, perhaps Flaming Spear would have been stopped by Black Teeth’s layers of steel, leaving the flaming seeds on board to burn everything afterward.

It sounded terrible, yet Zeus wasn’t afraid; in fact, he felt a hint of excitement. He hadn’t met such an opponent on the seas for a long time. Though excessively powerful, the greater the strength, the more accomplishment he would feel when sinking the opponent.

However...it seemed wishful thinking now. Zeus might not even survive crawling out of this twisted wreckage, let alone conquer Morning Glow Advance.

Zeus could feel his body growing weightless, the pain dissipating bit by bit. He even faintly heard the Valkyries calling, recounting his achievements and choosing him a seat at the gods’ banquet.

He recalled his time as a sailor when Viking warships still ruled the seas, and ironclad ships were things of legend. His captain once told Zeus that the life of a Viking pirate was a dance with Death God, relishing glory and victory while bearing the ever-present threat of death; just as one moment is for celebrating, the next might mean assassination.

Zeus thought the captain was right, for no sooner had those words left his mouth than an arrow pierced his skull.

That was Zeus’s first sea battle, and for his valor, he was promoted to Sailor Chief after the battle, followed by Third Mate, Second Mate, Chief Mate, Captain...

Indeed, no one can predict when death will come.

Zeus closed his eyes sadly; his achievements were substantial, yet perhaps due to human nature’s baseness, he remained unsatisfied.

Amidst deathly silence, a sound arose, piercing through like thunder, jolting the dying Zeus awake.

"Captain! Thank goodness you’re alive!"

A pair of eyes appeared through the gap in the wreckage, and a sailor crouched outside, shouting loudly.

Zeus looked at those eyes, probably never expecting Black Teeth’s crew to remain united under such circumstances. As their captain, Zeus knew too well what kind of men these were, willing to betray friends for a few gold coins, following Zeus only because he was stronger.

With all his strength, his one good eye widened, striving to discern reality, confirming it wasn’t a deathbed illusion.

Silence, then an explosion.

Zeus stood up again with astounding willpower, breathing deeply; though the stinging in his throat persisted, it did not break him, instead making life all the more tangible.

He was still alive.

"Signal the other ships to attack; we’re going to seize that Iron Armor ship!"

After a brief calm, Zeus ordered the sailor through the steel wreckage.

"Climb the mast, hurry!"

"But...Captain, should we continue fighting in this condition?"

The sailor’s expression turned from joy to fear, expecting the captain to order retreat—but the captain unexpectedly ordered an attack.

"Do we still have a chance to retreat?"

Zeus glanced at the ruined command room, dreadful screams and wails resounding from afar.

The first to find him wasn’t Second Mate or Third Mate, but an ordinary sailor; Zeus didn’t know if they were dead or had abandoned ship.