Despite all of his insane disadvantages, the great elder of the Vesper faction managed to fight both to a standstill. Elder Gu and Second husband were both quite surprised to see this be the case. However, this stalemate would not last forever. At the beginning of this fight for the island, the two sides were nearly evenly matched. After a string of successes that Second had accomplished, this was obviously not the case anymore.

Second was doing all he could, but there were no openings in the naval formations that he could easily move through. Add to that the mounting pressure from the increasingly dire messages from Baron and Zheng Zhi Long, and he was beginning to feel the pressure. However, a different message from elder Gu told him to not fret over such matters. The only other contents of the message said to increase all offensive maneuvers with as many spareable ships as possible and elder Gu would do the same.

Of course, if they decided to go all-out, then they would likely be able to get through this ordeal faster. There were few options left at this point and Second gave the order to do so on his side as well as for elder Gu to follow through as well. With such ferocious attacks on both sides, even someone of the great elder’s defensive capabilities was no match and eventually, he was captured along with many of the strategists by his side.

It would take a few more days to get everything set up for use by the Forever Pirates, but for now, they were about 5 days ahead of schedule. All in all, this one island gave them many advantages, for one, they now had actual land in enemy territory. Second, with the capture of the great elder and a few others, this would no doubt cause the overall strength of the Vesper faction down a few in this sim.

(SH) “Looks like you lose this time, great elder,” Second husband said with a look of triumph on his face.

(EG) “This is supposed to be the one who was touted for his amazing defense skills? I always pictured him to be more...skilled.” Elder Gu said without restraint.

(GE) “You have so much going on for your side, there was no question that this was going to be the outcome. It’s just a shame that I wasn’t able to hold you back for a bit longer.” The great elder said with a hint of regret in his voice.

(SH) “Hehe, always making excuses after suffering defeat I see, just like the last two times I bested you.”

(GE) “That’s a bowl of shit. You may have won against me this time, but how many more times have I taken you to school? Many more times.”

(SH) “While that may be true, that was all in the past. We are talking about the present are we not?”

(GE) “This talk bores me, can we kill him now? I take no chances with someone of as high a standing as him around.”

(GE) “You sure are cocky for someone who snuck around and attacked me from behind.”

(EG) “What was that? Are you salty? Because that’s all I hear from you at the moment.”

(GE) “Oh, how dense can you be? I had already taken you into account the moment some of my forces spotted you. Given my calculations, there was no way that with your paltry amount of soldiers you could’ve had such an impact on the battlefield.”

(EG) “Oh, surprised are you? Let me give you an explanation before we send you on your way. Indeed, we were not much of a force to be reckoned with, but that doesn’t mean we were useless in the grand scheme of things. As you can so clearly see now.”

(GE) “What are you talking about? Hold on, come to think of it, I think that I was reading a report of one of my land units eradicating a unit just as Second launched his attack. Could it be that you…”

(EG) “Correct, I knew that you wouldn’t dare send any of your actual strategists to defend from any land invasions so I took the chance to convert all of your soldiers into my camp.”

(GE) “Converting my soldiers against me? How is that possible?”

(EG) “It's simple. Even though this is a sim, all of these soldiers are still men, and therefore, they are interested in riches. I just promised them more than you.”

(GE) “I have never heard of this before. Though this does appear to be the case,” said the great elder took a peek around the room to see a few familiar faces that he had given instructions to. Whenever he met gazes with any of these individuals, they shrunk back and avoided any direct eye contact with their previous commanding officer.

(EG) “It’s alright if you don’t understand. Ponder upon it when you get back to planet 4. Guards, execute him.”

After a brief moment of silence, one of elder Gu’s fighter strategists came up and decapitated each and every one of their enemies’ heads. Thereby ending their run in the sim.

(SH) “Hey, elder Gu. I have never heard of that either. Where did you learn about this?”

(EG) “You have a lot to learn boy. I was the one who propped up our queen when she first got here. Now, look at her. I have been here far longer than anyone else, naturally, I have a few secrets up my sleeve.”

(SH) “Indeed, I won’t pursue this matter any further. What do you suggest we do now?”

(EG) “Are you referring to when we should go and help Baron and Zheng Zhi Long?”

(SH) “Precisely, I was thinking of sending a mid-sized naval force to back them up for now and a few better-prepared groups in another day or two.”

(EG) “I told you didn’t I? Don’t fret about these things. We still have an island to transform into our own. I’ll take my personal fleet and go check things out. Have a fleet ready to move at any moment, but don’t do anything until you get my message.”

(SH) “Very well, as one of our earliest elders, you have my respect. I will do as you say.”

(EG) “Men, let’s go.”

Elder Gu made haste with his ships to go check up on Baron and Zheng Zhi Long, he knew that these two held potential, but he wasn’t clear on just how much as he had only seen them once before. That was when Wu Zi Xu invited Madam Zheng and Zheng He as well as their respective entourage.