Meanwhile, atop a high tower in Seaway City, a figure dressed in a noble''s robe stood proudly.


    He appeared to be in his early thirties, with a dignified appearance and a furrowed brow. His presence wasmanding, and it was none other than Gerald Barnes, the Marquis of the Western Territory, and Ellie''s father.


    "Damn it, how unlucky can I get?" Gerald cursed under his breath, clearly frustrated. After receiving the letter from Luca, he had rushed over without dy, but instead of finding his daughter, he''d walked straight into this mess.


    "My Lord, should we take action?" A respectful voice suddenly rang out from the air, causing a ripple to form around him.


    Gerald nced toward the Twilight ship in the distance and sighed. "Just don''t let the pirates into the city. At least not until that boy brings my daughter back. No pirates should be allowed to enter Seaway City before then."


    If he had a choice, he wouldn''t want to get into a bloody fight with these pirates. As the Marquis of the Western Territory, Gerald knew better than anyone how tenacious these Western Sea pirates could be. To call them cockroaches would be an understatement—kill one today, and tomorrow there would be a dozen more. It was impossible to wipe them all out, and he thought it would be a better use of his energy to deal with monsters instead. But with his daughter in the hands of that young man, he couldn''t just sit back and do nothing.


    "Understood," came several voices in response, and ripples appeared in the air as something seemed to depart.


    Gerald watched the pirates surging toward the city and couldn''t shake the feeling of frustration. Muttering to himself, he added, "It almost feels like I''ve been set up. Could that kid have deliberately sent the message to me at this moment?"


    Meanwhile, in a seemingly inconspicuous corner outside Seaway City.


    "We really triggered a random quest!" Hundreds of Snowfall Guild yers looked excitedly at the approaching mass of pirates, as if they had just hit the jackpot.


    "I told you, we''d definitely trigger a city defense quest!" Ben grinned smugly, hands on his hips, showing no fear despite the looming threat of the pirates.


    After all, he had survived the monster horde at Riverfall City, which had been far more chaotic and dangerous than this.


    "These pirates won''t be so easy to deal with. Stay alert," Ada cautioned, ncing around at the hundred or so yers, herself included.


    Although they didn''t know exactly how strong these pirates were, one thing was clear—they weren''t opponents they could handle easily.


    Ben waved her off dismissively. "Don''t worry, sis. This kind of event is my specialty. When it''s a storyline that exceeds the level of yers, you can count on NPCsing to help. We just need to focus on grinding for experience points."


    Ada shook her head. Eternal Game was no ordinary game, and her experience in other games might not be of much use here.


    At that moment, a group of pirates had already charged forward.


    Seeing Ada and the other hundred yers, the pirates'' eyes were filled with contempt. Continue your adventure with empire


    The second-inmand, Eddie Kent, hefted arge de and sneered, "A bunch of low-level ants dare to block our way? You adventurers really have no fear of death!"


    "This is good! This is good!" The first mate, Matty Hard, stared at Ada, drooling and grinning foolishly.


    "Good my ass!" Ben''s face twisted with murderous intent, and a surge of green light shed around him. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Matty, his sharp dagger glowing with dark purple light as it swiftly shed toward Matty''s neck.


    ng! Sparks flew as a harsh metallic sound rang out. To Ben''s shock, his dagger, which should have easily cut through flesh, left no mark on Matty''s skin.


    His heart skipped a beat. He suddenly realized that the seemingly ordinary pirate''s skin had somehow turned into a metallic, grayish blue, as if it had been reinforced with metal.


    "This woman is mine!" Matty continued to eye Ada, casually swatting at Ben as if brushing away a fly.


    However, what appeared to be a casual p was as fast as lightning. Ben barely had time to react before he felt an overwhelming force strike him. His body was sent flying through the air.


    -680,000!


    A massive damage number appeared above Ben''s head, and as his body hung suspended in mid-air, he turned into a white light and vanished without a trace.


    The once enthusiastic yers fell into stunned silence.


    What the hell was that damage?!


    The group stared in disbelief at the crimson numbers, gasping in shock.


    What were they even supposed to do?


    They were clearly out of their league!


    "Let''s retreat," Ada sighed. "We''re not meant for high-level map defense quests like this."


    She couldn''t believe how reckless they were at their age.


    Taking a few steps forward, she picked up the dagger Ben had dropped and prepared to retreat.


    However, just as she spoke, Ada suddenly felt a sh before her eyes, and a powerful gust of wind rushed toward her. Matty, grinning lecherously, yelled, "My beauty,e to me!" He spread his arms wide and lunged at her.


    This was bad! Ada''s heart raced, and without hesitation, she summoned a golden holy light that enveloped her body. In an instant, she disappeared from her original position.


    She reappeared dozens of meters away.


    Priest Tier 2 Skill—Holy sh!


    But just as Ada thought she was safe, she suddenly felt a cold chill running down her spine.


    That slightly foolish voice echoed behind her again.


    Mattyughed heartily, "Don''t run, beauty! Come back to me, and I''ll make you feel pleasure like you''ve never known!"


    As he spoke, Matty''s arm shot out again, aiming to grab Ada, moving with incredible speed.


    Ada couldn''t avoid it in time. Her face turned pale, and she immediately tried to force herself offline.


    She knew very well that this wasn''t just a simple virtual game.


    But unfortunately, it was toote.


    Matty''s expression was filled with excitement, and he was about to pull Ada into his embrace.


    Whoosh!


    At that moment, a sharp sound of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out!


    A blood-red spear, razor-sharp and incredibly fast, tore through the air and struck Matty with brutal force.


    Boom!!!


    A deafening explosion shook Seaway City, and the shockwave sent Ada flying backward.


    First Mate Matty wasunched like a cannonball, crashing violently into the city''s stone wall. The impact created a huge hole in the wall, and the force didn''t stop there—it sent him crashing into a nearby stone building.


    Crash!


    The stone building copsed in an instant, dust and debris flying everywhere, burying Mattypletely.


    "Matty was sent flying?!" All the pirates stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide with shock.


    It was well-known that First Mate Matty was a high-level peak expert, a martial monk who had honed his body through rigorous training.


    Aside from Kalon, it was the first time they''d seen someone capable of sending him flying like that.


    On the Dusk ship, Kalon satzily in a luxurious chair, holding his thirty-seventh wife and indulging in flirtatious conversation.


    When he heard themotion from Seaway City, he nced over indifferently but didn''t pay much attention, returning to his flirtations with his wife.


    If Seaway City had no powerful fighters, then he might start to worry about fleeing.


    Cough, cough, cough. Amidst the dust and debris in Seaway City, Ada coughed violently.


    Her health bar having been reduced by more than half from the shockwave alone.


    At that moment, a slender hand reached out toward her, and a voice asked, "Are you alright?"


    It was a woman''s voice, steady and powerful, one Ada found somewhat familiar.


    When the dust finally settled, Ada looked up, and only then did she clearly see the figure before her.


    "You''re... Captain Catherine?" Ada eximed, staring at the woman in front of her. Catherine stood tall, holding a blood-red spear, dressed in ck armor, exuding an aura of strength and grace. Ada almost didn''t recognize her.


    "You know me?" Catherine looked at Ada with surprise, feeling a sense of familiarity.


    Then, as a figure shed through her mind, her eyes brightened.


    "You''re a friend of Lord Luca?" Catherine asked.


    "That''s right. We''re here looking for Mr. Luca," Ada said, her expression one of astonishment. She never expected to run into Riverfall City''s Captain Catherine here.


    And Catherine had changed so much. If Ada remembered correctly, Catherine had been just a mid-tier adventurer back then, nowhere near this level of terrifying power.


    Now, standing before Ada, Catherine''s strength had skyrocketed, and there was a palpable killing intent around her, so intense that it almost felt like a tangible presence. Ada vaguely recognized this kind of aura, but for the moment, she couldn''t ce where she had seen it before.


    "I''m also here to find Lord Luca. Is he doing alright?" Catherine asked, a smile forming on her face. Seeing someone from Riverfall City genuinely made her happy.


    Ada was about to answer when a cold, mocking voice suddenly rang in their ears. "Hey, don''t you think you''re treating us a little too lightly?"


    As the words fell, a blood-red de, glowing with murderous intent, shed through the mist with a ferocious force, aiming directly for Catherine''s head.


    "Watch out!" Ada screamed.


    Catherine snorted coldly. Her blood-red spear spun in her hands, and she quickly raised it to block the strike.


    Boom!!!


    The sh of the de and the spear sent a shockwave that shattered the stone beneath Catherine''s feet. The surrounding dust and mist were swept away by the fierce gusts of wind, revealing the cold face of First Mate Eddie.


    Catherine''s hands surged with power, and with one swift motion, she sent Eddie flying backward.


    Eddie stumbled as he hit the ground, quickly retreating several steps before finally steadying himself.


    He shook his numb arm and grinned. "Not bad, girl. You''ve got some skills. How about bing my wife?"


    "Are you that eager to die?" Catherine''s eyes were cold as ice, her killing intent so tangible that it seemed to envelop her. Before her words had even finished, she became a sh of blood-red light, disappearing in an instant. Her spear darted forward like a serpent, heading straight for Eddie''s throat, radiating deadly intent.


    In that moment, Ada suddenly realized where the familiar feeling in Catherine''s presence came from.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Eddie swung his de to parry Catherine''s strike, still mocking her. "Beauty, I think you should seriously consider it."


    "What''s the point of serving those noble lords? Why not join us, be a pirate, and live carefree?"


    Thud!


    Eddie''s voice cut off abruptly.


    He looked down in shock, his eyes widening as he saw the blood-red spear impaling his chest.


    His gaze was filled with disbelief.


    This woman... so fast with that spear!


    Splurt!


    Blood sprayed everywhere.


    Catherine pulled her spear free, allowing the blood to stter across her ck armor. Her face remained expressionless as she spoke. "Too much talk."