The fleet of the Ayyubid Empire consisted of thirteen warships, four fourth-class ships (reconnaissance ships), two third-class ships (cruisers), six troop carriers, and a flagship (second-class ships, also known as capital ships) located in the center of the T-shaped formation.

At this time, an old man with a turban and a goatee was holding a monocular looking at Lone Rock City in the direction of the flagship bridge.

The commander of the flagship came to his side and said in a loud voice: "Lord Latib, all the ship's guns are ready for fire. ”

The old man, known as Latib, was still observing the direction of the city, and asked, "How many defenders are there on the mountain behind Lone Rock City?"

"About three hundred. ”

Latib put away his binoculars and laughed: "Those God's followers will never again think that we have gone around their rear! Listen, three hundred, what can three hundred do? One charge can wipe them all out!"

The commander reminded in a low voice, "My lord, those three hundred people occupy a pass on a mountain pass, and the terrain is very dangerous. ”

Latib glared and patted the battleship under him: "Do you think these guns on the ship are all decorations? Send an order to go down, aim at the defenders on the mountain behind me, and hit hard!"

"Do your bidding!"

The commander turned around and shouted at the standard-bearer: "Target, the defender camp on the hill behind the enemy city, adjust the ruler! Correction of single artillery! One salvo!"

The flagbearer at the bow of the ship raised the five-colored flag in his hand, and after a series of movements, all the battleships fine-tuned their course and loaded their ammunition.

After a moment of silence, the loud sound of artillery fire shook the battlefield.

Nearly 100 rounds of solid cannonballs were like a storm of steel, completely sweeping the mountain road behind Lone Rock City. The small tree with the thick mouth of the bowl was smashed by the waist, the rock the size of the millstone was broken into pieces, and from a distance, the position of the shell was in shambles.

Taking advantage of the gap between the gunners' reloading, an army staff officer approached Ratib and whispered, "Look at this, the emperor of the empire still hasn't taken Lone Rock City. ”

Rathib snorted coldly: "Traitors who sit on the throne with betrayal and conspiracy will sooner or later be punished by Allah!"

The staff officer smiled and said, "My lord, your troops have already wiped out seven or eight out of ten reinforcements, and that person still can't take this city for so many days...... Therefore, it is often rumored in the country that Saladin uses soldiers like a god, and I think it is nothing more than that. ”

Latib stretched out his hand to stop the staff officer's next words, and said: "Saladin does have some skills in warfare, this is an indisputable fact. The reason why he has not captured the city so far is that I suspect that the enemy has gathered most of his forces at the main gate and blocked his progress. But that's just right, I can be the first to storm the city without much effort......"

The staff officer continued his words and said, "As long as you can be the first to attack the city, it means that we, the old Abbasid Empire, have done a great job. In the future, as long as we can slowly increase our influence, restore the Abbasid Empire, welcome back the royal family, and return to power, it will definitely not be difficult. ”

Touching the goatee, Latib had an irrepressible smugness on his face, and he shouted at the commander: "Pass the order, order our troops, break through the defensive line of those three hundred people, and directly attack Lone Rock City!"

Two hours later, the flagship commander walked up to Ratib with an anxious look on his face and whispered: "My lord, our troops have launched three charges, all of which have been repulsed by the enemy......"

"What did you say?!" Latib, who was originally full of ambition, was shocked by the words of the commander and accidentally tore off several beards.

He walked up to the other party and shouted, "How could they be repulsed?!!4,000 people!There are guns and cannons!How can they be repulsed by a group of farmers with wooden bows and pitchforks?!"

Sweat oozed from the commander's forehead: "According to the news from the battlefield, there are twelve knights in black armor, guarding the only road to the city. Our soldiers were unable to form a formation on the narrow mountain road, and the pressure of the attack caused by the guns was also reduced by the difficult terrain......"

"A bunch of cowards! Even the rats in the fields are braver than you!" said Ratib, who was furious, pointing to the city on the hill and shouting: "Order all the warships to aim at the enemy troops on the mountain behind them, and give me a hard blow until they dare not show their heads!"

On the seventh day of the Battle of Lone Rock City, compared to the silent front, the battlefield on the mountain behind Lone Rock City, the roar of guns and the sound of soldiers shouting to kill lasted for a whole day and a night.

By the time the sun rose the next day, Latib's army was still firmly held back at the foot of the mountain.

Ratib, who had not closed his eyes all night, looked at the report from the front, his face turned red, and in anger, he tore up the paper in his hand and threw it into the sea.

"Those black-armored knights among the enemy, the sword has no effect on them, the lead bullet can only make them pause slightly, even the night, in their eyes, is as bright as day, and they can drill sharp spikes under their armor, which can kill people in an instant......" Latib roared angrily: "Listen to you! What have these cowardly bastards said in order to shirk their responsibilities!

The staff officers and generals on the ship looked at each other, and no one spoke.

Just as Ratib was furious, the watchtower's sentinel sounded a warning.

"To the northeast, a small ship is rapidly approaching the fleet. ”

Hearing this, Latib stopped roaring, took out his binoculars, and saw a small sailing ship with a strange shape and a blackened body.

Latib looked at his subordinates and asked suspiciously, "Strange...... Have any of you ever seen that type of ship?"

Someone speculated: "Fishing boats?"

"How can a fishing boat be so fast?!"

Someone else speculated: "Is it possible that the enemy is a new type of arsonist?"

Lathib frowned and remained silent.

The sentry on the watchtower shouted again, "The boat is still approaching, and it is getting faster and faster!"

Lathib immediately made a decision and ordered: "Order the two battleships at the tail of the formation to deflect their course and sink that ship!"

"Yes!"

The two fourth-rank ships of the Imperial Fleet's T-shaped formation raised their anchors, hoisted their sails, turned their bows, and began to face the direction of the small boats, striking left and right.

The black warship, which was about the same length as the fourth-class ship, did not slow down in the slightest in the face of the attacking enemy ships, but broke through the wind and waves and directly met it.

The two Imperial fourth-class ships, at a distance of 500 meters from the black warship, with a 45-degree half-rudder, respectively interspersed with their respective diagonal fronts, and while the black battleship entered the envelope circle, the two Imperial reconnaissance ships opened their gun doors and conducted a test gun at a distance of about 450 meters.

As two cannonballs whizzed down, two huge splashes of water splashed near the black warship.

According to the results of the test guns, the Imperial battleship again adjusted the angle, and at a distance of four hundred meters, ten guns on the side opened fire at the same time, and twenty solid shells were fired at the black battleship.

"Good!" Latib, who was always observing the situation of the naval battle, looked at the arc of the shells and shouted happily: "Hit!"

Sure enough, one of the twenty shells hit the bow of the black ship.

There were no expected sawdust flying sideways, nor did the expected fires soar into the sky, and to everyone's surprise, the moment the cannonball touched the "black ship", a crisp sound of metal colliding spread throughout the battlefield. The solid cannonball with the power of ten thousand jun was actually bounced off by the streamlined hull!

"What...... What?!"

Latib watched this scene in amazement, and added a few more beards of his own in his hands. What was happening in front of him was completely beyond his cognition.

After a brief period of consternation, the two fourth-rank ships, which had been ordered to meet the enemy, fired a second salvo at a distance of two hundred and thirty meters from the black ship.

This time, two shells hit the black ship, one hit the right side of the ship, and the other directly hit the deck.

The shot that hit the side of the ship did no damage and was still catapulted into the sea, and the shell that hit the deck caused a circular depression the moment it hit the deck, and then it also landed as a bounce. And, most bizarrely, the hollow in that deck repaired itself as if it had come to life after a few seconds.

At this time, the two fourth-rank ships wanted to make a third salvo, but the distance between them and the black ship had been reduced to one hundred and twenty meters.

The side deck of the black battleship revealed two deep gaps, and six pillar-shaped objects were thrown horizontally into the sky.

After a brief lull, the tail of the pillar erupted with blazing flames, three to the left and three to the right, each heading towards an Imperial fourth-tier ship, speeding across the sea.

The Imperial crew, who had no idea what it was, watched as the six "missiles" got closer and closer. The end result was that one of the fourth-class ships was hit in the belly by one of them, and the other was hit in the bow by the other.

Boom, boom!

Two loud bangs!

Two flames and explosions formed a "small mushroom cloud" appeared on the surface of the sea, and the violent shock wave pushed the sea water outward in layers, forming a small huge wave.

Even the Imperial flagship, which was hundreds of meters away, was shaken by the two explosions.

Ratibu, who fell to the ground, grabbed the side of the ship in shock, and the white scarf wrapped around his head also fell to the ground.

His eyes widened and his mouth wide open as he looked at the two of his own warships on the sea, turning into pieces and flying all over the sky. He made a sound in his throat, but he couldn't say a word.