Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 823 - 816: Arriving at the Deck

Chapter 823: Chapter 816: Arriving at the Deck

The loud gunshot echoed through the narrow space, even Luo’er couldn’t help but cover his ears. The bullet pierced through the wooden deck without ricocheting. If this had been a steel ship, Hu Daoke certainly wouldn’t have dared to do this.

After three gunshots, the sailors had already been scared pale, tumbling and scrambling out of Hu Daoke’s line of sight, terrified of being hit by him.

"Luo’er, Luo’er, they’ve sent people, they have guns!" Before long, Fulajie’er hurriedly flew back to Luo’er’s side and reported anxiously.

"I know," Luo’er nodded, then turned to Feng and said, "Feng, you and Fula go ahead. Remember to show mercy, there’s no need to kill them."

"Yes!" With Luo’er’s command to strike, Feng’s eyes immediately changed, coldly responding.

"Little Ke, you protect the two of them!" Luo’er gestured with his lips towards Eve and her brother as he ordered.

"Oh!" Though somewhat reluctant, Hu Daoke still nodded, then walked over to Eve and her brother.

Feng led the way, her long knife hanging low. She slightly squinted her eyes, sensing the movements around her, because she could rely on perception, she didn’t need to fully depend on her eyes—just her senses alone were enough to discern the target, even capable of capturing traces of the spirit body, Fulajie’er.

By now, they could clearly hear a series of hurried footsteps coming from above the cabin; it was evident that someone was approaching. However, with Feng present, Luo’er wasn’t worried about these people posing a threat to their safety.

In fact, if international relations weren’t considered, Luo’er wouldn’t even take the military seriously—practically every unit from Otland that approached would be wiped out.

His only concern was that if things got out of hand, it would impede their headquarters’ operations in Otland. Offending Otland’s secular authorities would make it difficult to recruit them later on.

The previous Luo’er might not have cared about such matters, but the current Luo’er had many more considerations since he had conceived the idea of entering the upper echelons of the headquarters. Therefore, all matters should center on the interests of the headquarters.

Even if he hadn’t thought this way, he would eventually have joined the decision-making layer of the headquarters and become one of them. Not to mention anything else, Luo’er’s background and qualifications suited the headquarters’ requirements too well.

Luo’er was the grandson of Major General Luo Qishan, and his father, Luo Chuan, had served as an army officer in the Second Otherworld War. So, there was definitely no issue with his background—he might not even need political vetting.

Furthermore, as the captain of the Advance Team, Luo’er accumulated a wealth of combat experience in the Otherworld over the past few years, looking across the entire headquarters, no other team could boast more experience than his.

Although Luo’er had always been indifferent to fame and fortune, hence not keen on power, he came to understand through several tumultuous events that being merely the captain of the advance team would not allow him to control the fate of the team—the only way was to enter the higher echelons and become the very person he once despised.

Feng, leading the way, showed no sign of tension upon hearing these noises. She casually loosened up her muscles and then practiced a few moves with her knife.

Suddenly, she swung her long knife forcefully, tracing a diagonal line in the air in front of her. Accompanying her movements, screams arose not far away and above their heads at the same time.

Eve followed behind, her eyes widened as she watched Feng’s every move, filled with fear and confusion. The young and petite girl before her seemed to possess a powerful force, enabling her to dispatch enemies without even needing to make contact.

It reminded her of the cut she had suffered days before: so abrupt, so unbelievable. She was walking just fine when suddenly she had a deep cut on her leg. Though Luo’er had assisted with Healing Magic, she still limped while walking.

By now, Eve had finally understood where Luo’er’s confidence came from. Clearly, with this girl named Feng, they were nearly fearless in the face of any threat.

And then there was the invisible ally known as Fulajie’er. Whenever she saw them talking to themselves, Eve felt an inexplicable chill down her spine.

Following Feng’s swing, screams continuously pierced the air, and the entire ship started to grow noisy. Eve, pulling Jora along and walking at the rear, suddenly felt a thick, fishy liquid drop onto her face. She reached up to wipe it, only then realizing it was bright red blood.

It seemed that Feng was indeed following Luo’er’s request, sparing lives; otherwise, if she had really intended to kill with that swing of her knife, there would likely be no one left to make a sound. This, they vividly remembered from their time at the inn.

Smelling the thick scent of blood in the air, the group climbed from the lower levels up onto the deck under Feng’s lead. As soon as they stepped onto the deck, they were so dazzled by the brightness outside that they couldn’t open their eyes.

By this time, the sun could be seen through a thin layer of clouds, and the air carried the fishy smell of aquatic plants. Luo’er looked around and realized they were sailing on a broad river.

The world below deck and the world above were completely different; the gust of wind had somewhat alleviated Luo’er’s dizziness and haziness.

For some reason, likely due to being frightened, there was not a soul to be seen on deck, but continuous screams could still be heard from below.

Luo’er patted his head, then commanded Hu Daoke, "Little Ke, you and Fulajie’er go capture the captain for me. Feng, stay put and keep watch."

"Leave it to me," Hu Daoke confidently slapped his chest and said, "Xiao Fula, let’s go."

"I’ve told you not to call me Xiao Fula!" Fulajie’er said, exasperated.

After collecting his thoughts, Luo’er started to examine the surroundings, then referenced the map in his mind to estimate their current location. It seemed they had previously followed this river downstream to the Beastman Race’s peninsula.

However, at that moment, his mind was still in disarray, so it was impossible for him to think clearly–all the more since he didn’t have a map. He could only guess their current location based on his memory, which was akin to divination, rather than something certain. It would be better to wait for Hu Daoke to bring someone for interrogation.

About ten minutes later, Hu Daoke came over with a rifle in one hand and a short middle-aged man in the other, then threw the man down in front of Luo’er like tossing a small chicken.

"So, you’re the captain?" Luo’er squatted down, looking at the bedraggled man with a mocking tone.

He picked up the captain’s hat that had fallen to the ground, glanced at it briefly, and then placed it back on the man’s head for him.

The man looked at the young man before him in terror; from his lower vantage point, he could easily see the drooping Wood Elf ears, clearly identifying him as a Half-elf.

"Hey, I’m talking to you. Don’t exhaust my patience," Luo’er patted the man’s face, his expression slowly fading away.

The man continued to stare at Luo’er with wide eyes. Whether out of fear or not, from the beginning to the end, he never opened his mouth, but instead trembled as he gazed at Luo’er, mute.

"Fulajie’er, is this guy really the captain?" Luo’er stood up and looked down at the man to ask.

"Yes, they all call him captain, though it’s in the local language," Fulajie’er said.

"Is that what he said earlier?" Luo’er asked curiously.

"He said he would take us as slaves, and when the merchant ship bypasses Kabarguru Peninsula, he would hand us over to those Beastmen as a toll, so they wouldn’t bother this ship," Fulajie’er said indignantly.

"Did you get that, Little Ke?" Luo’er turned his head towards Hu Daoke after hearing Fulajie’er’s words.

"Yes, Xiao Fula just told me," Hu Daoke nodded.

"Then let’s get on with it, why the hesitation?" Luo’er shrugged and spoke nonchalantly.

"Eh," Hu Daoke, delighted by Luo’er’s command, nodded excitedly.

He then bowed his head, instantly displaying a fierce look, and with force, kicked the man in the stomach while cursing, "Chips, huh? Slaves, is it? They actually think we’re pushovers?"