Drift Of The Multiverse

"Fire a warning shot in front of that ship!" Sean ordered, his tone calm as he observed the approaching vessel.

Upon receiving the command, the sailors stationed near the bow hurried to action. They pushed the magic stone cannon into position, loaded a magic stone, aimed, and fired.

Boom!

The deafening roar of the cannon reverberated across the water, startling even the crew who had been bracing for it. Despite their preparation, the sheer power of the blast sent shivers through many of them.

"Strange," Sean murmured, his sharp eyes fixed on the distant ship. "That coward Angus didn't stop when he saw us. Did he really think he could outrun us?"

Standing beside him was his second-in-command, Keno, a man who had been with Sean since the very beginning of his pirating career.

Over the years, many of the sailors Sean had recruited had either died on the Sea of Calm or saved enough to leave and strike out on their own, only to meet Sean again and die under his blade.

But Keno had stayed, earning Sean's trust and rising to the position of first mate aboard the Flame Sovereign.

Sean "the Fire Hand" was one of the most infamous adventurers in the Sea of Calm—and one of its most feared pirates. Anyone unlucky enough to attract his attention was left with few options: abandon all their valuables in hopes of escaping with their life, or risk losing both.

Ruthless and greedy, Sean's reputation was built on his unrelenting pursuit of wealth and power. He wielded both his formidable ship and his magic stone cannon with brutal efficiency, dominating the seas with little opposition.

"The situation seems off," Keno remarked, his gaze following Sean's. "Maybe Angus stumbled onto something big and isn't willing to give it up this time?"

The ship in question was one Sean recognized well. It was a mid-sized vessel known across the calm sea, and its captain, Angus, was infamous in his own right.

Sean referred to him as "that coward Angus," but to others, he was known as the "Vicious Dog of the Calm Sea." Angus preyed on novice adventurers and the weak, yet he would adopt a submissive and respectful demeanor when faced with someone stronger—particularly Sean.

Over the years, Angus had survived multiple encounters with Sean by surrendering his loot without resistance. On occasion, he even went so far as to proactively send Sean "gifts" to stay on his good side.

Today, however, something was different.

Sean's eyes narrowed as he studied Angus's ship. It was heavily loaded, its deep draft betraying the weight of its cargo. The smaller boat it towed behind was also burdened with goods. Clearly, Angus had scored big recently.

But despite being caught in such a vulnerable position, Angus hadn't reacted the way he usually did. Instead of slowing down or signaling surrender, he had tried to continue on his way.

This uncharacteristic behavior unsettled Sean. Was Angus hiding something?

"Fire another shot. If he doesn't stop, aim for the smaller boat next," Sean instructed, his voice low and dangerous.

The more Sean thought about it, the more certain he became that Angus had found something valuable, perhaps even a magic stone of extraordinary quality.

"Maybe it's a top-tier combat magic stone," Sean speculated aloud. "That's the only reason he'd act so recklessly."

Determined not to let Angus escape, Sean ordered another cannon shot.

Boom!

The second fireball exploded much closer to Ethan's Caravel and the smaller boat it towed. The resulting spray of seawater drenched Ethan and Arthur, who were standing on the deck.

"Ugh!" Ethan spat out the salty water that had gotten into his mouth, his mood darkening further.

"Great. Another bunch of pirates," he muttered bitterly.

Ethan didn't recognize the ship in the distance, nor did he know its captain's infamous reputation. All he knew was that they had fired a warning shot, then followed it up with another that nearly hit them. The next one would likely target their ship directly.

Arthur, on the other hand, was already fully armed and ready for a fight. "Can't we fight back? Are we just going to let them attack us like this?"

Ethan gave him a wry look. "How exactly are we supposed to fight back? We don't have cannons."

He had suspected this world might have similar technology to his own, but seeing it in action was still a surprise. The cannons weren't like the ones he remembered from Earth; they fired compressed fireballs infused with magic energy, likely developed using magic stone technology.

"Then what should we do?" Arthur asked, gripping his sword tightly.

Ethan glanced at the Book of Inheritance in his hand, briefly considering using its magic shield function for large-scale defense. But even that wouldn't hold up forever against continuous bombardment.

"Maybe we should toss all the ore overboard and try to outrun them at full sail?" Arthur suggested, his frustration evident.

Ethan shook his head. "That won't work. The wind direction isn't in our favor, and this ship's acceleration isn't fast enough. Even if we dump all the ore, we wouldn't gain enough speed to escape their range in time."

Judging from the range and accuracy of the previous two cannon shots, Ethan realized their ship would likely be blown apart before they could even finish dumping the ore overboard.

His mind raced, weighing every option in mere seconds before coming to a decision.

"Reel in the sails and stop the boat!"

"What?" Arthur was visibly surprised by Ethan's command. But he moved quickly, trusting his companion, and soon understood Ethan's reasoning.

"Will this really work?" Arthur asked.

"The first shot was a warning for us to stop. The second one came closer, but it still wasn't a direct attack. If we stop the ship, they're less likely to keep firing at us."

Ethan couldn't guarantee the plan would work, but he preferred this to being passively bombarded from afar. If nothing else, stopping the ship might lure their attackers closer, giving them a chance to counter.

As their ship slowed to a halt, Ethan's gamble seemed to pay off, the other side ceased firing.

Onboard the enemy ship, Sean was briefly taken aback when he saw the Caravelle stop.

"They stopped? Why now?"

Keno, standing beside him, tried to make sense of it. "Maybe Angus was asleep earlier and didn't notice us?"

"Possible," Sean muttered, though the explanation left him dissatisfied. He had been so certain that Angus's defiance was due to some valuable discovery. Now it seemed more likely he had imagined the whole thing.

Annoyed but resigned, Sean adjusted his plans.

"Kill him… no, forget it. Angus has always been useful in his own way," Sean thought to himself. "But I'll take that ship off his hands. He just got a 'new boat,' after all."

With his decision made, Sean's mood improved noticeably. He waved his hand and barked out his next orders: "Full speed ahead! Board them! That ship is our last prize before we return to State Island!"

"Oh!" The crew cheered enthusiastically. For them, this meant they could relax and enjoy themselves for a while after this job. Recognizing their target as the so-called coward Angus only boosted their morale further. They saw no risk in this operation.

"That coward will definitely grovel before the captain again and hand over everything," one sailor sneered.

"Hahaha, maybe he'll even kiss the captain's boots!" another joked.

"You think if I point a knife at him, he'll kiss mine too?"

"Probably! Let's make him kiss all of ours!"

"Count me in!"

Laughter erupted among the crew as they bantered, fully confident in their success.

Sean listened but made no effort to stop them, indulging their crude humor. If anything, he found their antics amusing.

"This should be entertaining," Sean thought, looking forward to the scene that awaited him.

Meanwhile, on the Caravel, Ethan and Arthur observed the enemy ship's approach. When they saw the cannonfire stop, they knew their plan had worked. But now, another problem loomed—how to fight back.

Arthur, full of youthful passion and an unshakable sense of chivalry, took his place at the most visible spot on the deck. With his two-handed sword drawn, he stood tall, exuding an aura of quiet resolve as he waited for the battle to come.

Ethan, however, felt a headache coming on. His original plan had been for them to hide and wait for the enemy ship to come close enough to board. Once onboard, they could fight directly and nullify the threat of the magic stone cannon.

But Arthur, ever the knight, refused to act dishonorably.

Ethan sighed. It wasn't that he disliked the idea of head-to-head combat, there was something undeniably satisfying about defeating an opponent in a straightforward duel. But facing a ship armed with a massive cannon was another matter entirely.

"Fine," Ethan muttered, giving in. "At least when they board us, they won't have time to adjust the bow cannon to fire at the side. I don't see any other gunports on their ship, and the deck looks clear of weapons."

If the enemy somehow managed to reposition the bow cannon, Ethan was prepared. With time to prepare, he could use the magic shield from the Book of Inheritance to defend them. He also doubted the attackers would dare fire the cannon at such close range, it could damage their own ship or harm their crew.

Arthur, noticing Ethan's frustration, spoke up. "You know, you don't have to stand here with me. You're free to follow your original plan. I'm not forcing you to uphold the principles of knighthood."

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "It's not that. It's just too late to hide now."