Chapter 162 New Tactics
Under Kaihime's command, the three escort ships circled around on the sea, damaging the masts of more than a dozen warships. The enemy ships lost their sails and could only row desperately, exhausting the oarsmen on board.
Meanwhile, the sailors on the escort ship were not idle either. They had to constantly adjust the sails to accelerate and then try to get closer to the enemy. Each turn would result in a loss of speed, and they had to adjust in time to get rid of the enemy's entanglement.
Han Kun could have stayed on board today; having just entered the Dao realm, he needed time to stabilize his cultivation. However, his first real naval battle left him with no choice but to participate. Besides... he was no longer the same person he used to be, and he wanted to test his standing on the ship.
"Turn the mainsail three degrees to the right, and the course is fifteen degrees due east north."
Seeing the captain's encouraging gaze, Han Kun took charge of the entire ship, skipping the positions of trainee helmsman and trainee star officer to become trainee captain.
Those naval academy students who were previously defiant and resentful were now as obedient as cats, following his commands without question. Qin Mo underwent a qualitative transformation physically and experienced immense psychological satisfaction. This was the difference between a cultivator and an ordinary person, and also the stepping stone to becoming a captain of the latest warships.
"The flagship signaled to us with flags, instructing us to follow it away from the battlefield."
The young trainee officer arrived at the bridge and reported loudly. Just a few days ago, he had looked down on Han Kun, saying that no matter how skilled he was, he would only be a boatswain and would never get into the bridge.
But now... the deck above the cockpit—the bridge—is already occupied by someone else, and he doesn't even know when he'll get rid of the "trainee" title. He deeply regrets not having been able to come up with ten thousand taels of silver back then!
"Turn south, prepare the communication lights, and maintain contact with the flagship."
It was getting dark, and the gunners didn't have night vision. Since they couldn't strike the enemy, they should retreat for now; tomorrow would be the toughest day.
Skuna was sent out again to keep a close watch on the Majapahit fleet and see where they anchored. It would be very difficult for such a large fleet to navigate at night in such narrow waters without a navigator.
"General, three of our ships have sunk, and twenty-one are damaged."
Majapahit's warships returned to the main fleet, and the leader of the fleet, "Wadana," reluctantly went to see Bramiden to report on the battle situation.
"Oh! How many ships of the Lebanese did you capture?"
"General, we failed to catch up with the enemy ships. They are cowardly as mice, and my soldiers could not find a chance to board them." The Majapahit's naval tactics were still at the stage of hand-to-hand combat. The crew members would use ropes to leap onto the enemy ships and engage in close combat, but if you could not get close to the enemy, you could only stare helplessly.
"Were our rowers not strong enough? And if we couldn't catch up with the enemy, why did three ships sink? Did they run aground?"
"...No...the enemy has new weapons that can make thunderous noises and destroy our sails and masts."
The "Vadana" produced a pair of deformed chain bullets, which he had found on a broken mainmast of a ship. He couldn't understand how a pair of iron bullets could fly so fast and be thrown so accurately.
"Thunder?...Don't spread this around. We're going to Temasek tomorrow. I want to see for myself what kind of deity this is."
Bramidon saw the so-called "Thor" before even reaching Temasek. During the short voyage from the Riau Islands to Temasek, the three escort ships constantly harassed the Majapahit fleet, driving him to distraction. Finally, he got up from his chair and personally steered the ship forward to boost morale.
Bramiden finally saw the warships of the Great Xia. The hulls, which were over ten feet long, and the tall masts gave him a completely new understanding of the Great Xia. The cannons that kept spewing flames made him even more terrified.
“Send a ship to ask the wizard Kacha to come and see if he can subdue these ships.”
Watching the three escort ships crisscrossing and relentlessly tearing at his fleet, Bramiden finally became enraged. However, he couldn't fly over and kill them all, so he had no choice but to seek help from the mysterious wizard.
"Load the ammunition, level the muzzle, aim at the deck...fire!"
The gunners were noticeably more relaxed than yesterday. Yesterday, to avoid being caught by the Majapahit ships, they mostly fired at the enemy masts to force them to slow down. Today, however, some gunners have started to occasionally look for opportunities to sweep the barbarian warriors on deck, which is much more exciting than shooting at the masts.
"Look at those three oar-powered sailboats, they're really fast... but they're a bit silly!"
Three Majapahit galleons surged forward, charging straight toward the 601 ship. The 601 had just completed a turn and was traveling at its lowest speed, making it easy for the three galleons to spot it.
"Row faster... They'll pick up speed soon, and their sterns won't spew fire. This is the perfect opportunity. Think about it, once you board that ship, you'll be Aguwu just like me, and all the girls from several villages will be at your disposal..."
"Aguwu" was a low-ranking official position in the Majapahit people, governing several villages, much like a township head. In the ignorant Majapahit people, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was a local tyrant.
"Awooooo!"
The barbarian warriors were excited again. They had been afraid when they first saw the cannons, but they found that these things accompanied by thunder only knew how to destroy sails and masts and rarely killed people.
As the bounty offered by Bramiden rose higher and higher, the barbarians finally broke through their inhibitions, forgot their fear, ignored their exhaustion, and frantically chased after the few lone escort ships.
However, there are some clever ones among the barbarians. This "Aguwu" discovered that the escort ship would have an adjustment phase after turning, and there were no cannons at the stern or bow. As long as he avoided the sides of the ship, he would have a chance to approach and board.
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