C2 Battlecruiser Evolution

Zhang Hai chuckled to himself, knowing full well that these were his hard-earned spoils of war. Escape was simply not an option.

The ship in question was firmly in the grip of his radar. There was no chance of fleeing within five hundred nautical miles.

Besides, his speed far surpassed that of the dilapidated vessel.

The skirmish was over in less than ten minutes.

His ranks of Skeleton Soldiers swelled from one hundred to one thousand, hitting the maximum he could command.

"Ding! Twelve Barbarian Blood Warship Cores have been devoured, granting an equal number of Magic Engines."

"One Barbarian Blood Gravity Field acquired, along with various goods. Please inspect them at your convenience."

"Ding! The Phantom Warship is eligible for evolution. Proceed with the upgrade?"

Zhang Hai's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he responded instantly.

"Evolve it now."

In the blink of an eye, the ship transformed from a battered hull into a myriad of parts, suspended in midair and varying in size.

These numerous components swiftly reassembled themselves above the ocean in a manner beyond human comprehension.

He noticed his own form had grown significantly larger, akin to the Barbarian Blood Level Warship.

"Ding! Congratulations, Captain, on the successful evolution to a Barbarian Blood Level Warship. The Phantom Main Cannon is now operational, capable of absorbing magical power and annihilating warship shields."

"An additional Gravity Field Room is available for installing a magic field."

"A Magic Cannon Platform has been added, allowing for the installation of a Magic Cannon."

Zhang Hai reveled in the influx of information.

Without hesitation, he commanded, "Install the Barbarian Blood Gravity Field."

"Confirmed, Gravity Field installation complete. Skeleton Soldier attack power has increased by 10%."

"Ding! Multiple Barbarian Blood Gravity Fields detected. Would you like to merge them? Successful fusion will enhance the Gravity Field's effect."

"Merge them."

"Ding! Fusion successful. Barbarian Blood Gravity Field +2. Gravity Field Effect now at 15%."

This effectively meant a significant boost in combat power.

"System, we still have a surplus of Magic Engines, right? Can they be merged?"

"Affirmative. Do you wish to proceed with the fusion?"

"Yes."

"Ding! Magic Engine count increased by 7. Phantom Warship's speed has been boosted by 20%."

"Ding! The engine has been enhanced beyond five times. You've gained the Acceleration skill, which doubles its effect for a short duration."

Zhang Hai couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

This was incredibly powerful.

"Host, the Skeleton Soldier has accrued 1,200 experience points from the previous battle. Would you like to hatch a humanoid warrior?"

"What's the benefit?"

"The warrior's appearance is customizable and comes with the Shield Attack skill."

A panel materialized before him. Seeing it, he felt as though he was crafting a character in a game.

But the cost was steep. One hundred points each, outrageously expensive, and there was a cap. It took the lives of a hundred pirates to exchange for just one human.

Still, this was preferable to being mistaken for a Ghost Ship.

"Hatch ten."

He casually sculpted their forms, ensuring they were nondescript enough to blend into any crowd. Naturally, he wouldn't confess that they bore a striking resemblance to his former self.

"Ding! Hatching successful."

He equipped them with items from the recent battle spoils.

In this Magic World, weapons typically came with their own special effects.

Ten human warriors were ready in a minute. They adjusted their course and gave chase.

Big Beard had significantly relaxed.

At his current speed, there was no way he could be caught again.

Yet, the losses were substantial. Replenishing his crew would be a lengthy process.

Thankfully, there was still a valuable item in the hold that could fetch a handsome ransom.

With a Devil Crystal in hand, he could recruit as many underlings as he wanted.

He smirked malevolently, propping his hairy legs atop the command desk, a look of smug satisfaction on his face.

But just then, a frantic voice erupted.

"No, no good! Boss, that ship is catching up to us!"

"What!"

Big Beard was shocked, looking astern.

He saw a shadow closing in at breakneck speed, his expression darkening to the extreme.

"Boss, this guy shows no signs of slowing down. He—he's definitely trying to ram us again!"

They had witnessed his method before.

Looking at the current situation, he was bound to repeat the same tactic.

The man with the big beard wore a somber look, yet he wasn't as panicked as the rest of them.

After all, his vessel was a standard Barbarian Blood Warship, a significant upgrade from those neutered versions they had encountered previously.

He reached for the button at his side and pressed it firmly.

A triangular shield, conjured from magical energy, instantly enveloped the warship.

"This! It's a shield! Haha, we're saved!"

The pirates erupted into cheers. Such equipment was standard issue and fetched a high price in the market. They hadn't expected their leader to possess such an asset. With this, they had nothing to fear.

As Zhang Hai drew near the adversary, he noticed the abruptly ascending shield.

"Fool, is he trying to feed himself to us?"

"System, charge the main cannon."

The Barbarian Blood Warship split in two, revealing a long, black, and thick rod at its center.

"Fire."

A beam as thick as a human thigh shot out, striking the shield. In moments, the shield fractured and vanished into the air.

The pirates' elation was choked off, their faces frozen in shock.

Their eyes collectively turned to their leader, their minds filled with silent reproach.

Could it be possible to purchase a counterfeit? Did their boss opt for a bargain again?

The big-bearded man was equally baffled, questioning whether he had been duped.

But then, a scream of terror pierced the air.

"He's ramming us!"

"Damn it! All hands, brace for impact!"

No sooner had he spoken than the Barbarian Blood Warship was violently breached by the Phantom Warship.

Water began to flood in.

"Ding! Commencing cargo retrieval."

Once the enemy's hull was compromised, they could proceed with the plunder.

To devour, however, meant they had to eliminate the opposing captain and dissolve the contractual bond between the vessels.

Zhang Hai had no interest in such nuisances.

"Get to work. Show me what you're made of."

The warriors' cheers resounded, their eyes alight with fervor.

As they boarded the enemy ship, their shields emitted a crimson glow.

With a resounding crash, the charging pirates were scattered like bowling pins, their comrades tumbling in their wake.

Skeleton Warriors swung their scimitars, swiftly moving in for the kill.

The battle was utterly lopsided compared to the previous ones.

"Boss, boss, we're finished."

The newcomer was panicked, his face etched with fear.

With a "pfft," a blade pierced the man's heart, and he collapsed lifelessly.

His eyes, void of life, seemed to still be fighting.

The big-bearded man's legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees.

Surrounded by four warriors and a horde of Skeleton Soldiers, he had abandoned any thought of resistance.

"B-big brother, I surrender. Name your terms."

Zhang Hai's consciousness entered one of the warriors and spoke with an icy tone.

"You want to live? Then hand over whatever you've got."

"I—I'll pay you. This is all my savings."

He quickly retrieved three bags of items from a nearby safe.

He recognized the item from the System Storage—it was called a Refinement Crystal. To his surprise, it was the hard currency of the Magic World.

Still, he was unsure of the Refinement Crystal's actual purchasing power.

"Is this it? Nothing else?"

The big-bearded man shook. With trembling hands, he removed a ring from his finger.

"This is a magic defense ring, capable of activating protection on its own. But it only has three uses left."

If there were any other way, he would never part with such an item.

But with so many adversaries before him, a single strike from any one of them would mean his end.