Xia Nan and his companions' destination for this trip was a remote small island called "Crag Rock Isle," roughly a five-day voyage from Barracuda Bay.
The island itself was not famous. Although a certain number of sea-folk settled there year-round, its geographical position, far from popular shipping lanes, meant that few people ever passed through this vast ocean, save for the wandering pirates.
Before setting out, Xia Nan had tried to gather intelligence regarding "Crag Rock Isle" at the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern, but he had gained almost nothing.
He only knew that a fair number of islanders lived there and that the fishing industry was decent. Occasionally, a few lucky fishermen claiming to be from Crag Rock Isle would come to Barracuda Bay to sell rare fish species they had caught.
As for detailed information—such as the specific population of the island, the scale of its towns or villages, or whether there were any notable figures of interest—no one could give him an accurate answer.
Even when asking the tavern owner, Hera—a middle-aged woman with a sophisticated aura—she appeared to know very little. This left Xia Nan, who was accustomed to making thorough preparations before any journey, feeling uneasy.
But after all, this was just an ordinary cargo escort mission: travel, reach the destination, unload and rest, replenish supplies, and then set sail for home.
If one didn't wish to interact with the locals, they wouldn't even need to step off the ship; there wasn't much to consider.
Yet, it just so happened that this remote little island—one so obscure that detailed information was hard to find even at a hub like the "Three-Legged Sea Dog"—had now become the simultaneous target of both the Black Gull and the pirate ship "Flying Fish Barrel."
While searching for loot on the pirate ship, the sailors of the Black Gull discovered the nautical charts belonging to Bourne and his crew, which pointed directly to "Crag Rock Isle."
There was even a mission contract from the Adventurers' Guild lying on the desk in the captain's cabin.
...
【Mission Number】: D-89367
【Type】: Investigation/Hunting
【Reward】: 500-1000 Gold / 15-30 Points
【Mission Brief】
In recent months, disappearances among the islanders of "Crag Rock Isle" have surged, and monster footprints have been discovered around the villages. Adventurers with relevant experience are required to investigate. Rewards will be issued based on the completion status of the mission.
【Time Limit】: 30 Days
...
Xia Nan frowned as he looked at the mission contract he had taken from Captain Gregory.
He hadn't heard anything in the tavern about monsters attacking people on Crag Rock Isle.
However, since the information came from the Adventurers' Guild, its accuracy was extremely high.
Given the Guild's exaggerated information channels—which could mark the exact location of a goblin nest for you—it was normal for them to be better informed than the adventurers in Barracuda Bay.
Considering that they had happened to encounter the "Flying Fish Barrel" crew while sailing, it was possible that the other party had accepted the contract immediately after it was posted. The relevant intelligence hadn't had time to circulate among the adventurer community before both parties left the harbor one after the other.
Xia Nan, of course, had no intention of taking over the mission and completing it himself.
On one hand, he was unclear about the specific nature of the monsters mentioned in the contract and did not wish to risk danger for no reason.
On the other hand, even if he had such an inclination and successfully hunted the monsters, he wouldn't be able to claim the Guild's reward.
This was a clearly stated regulation of the Adventurers' Guild.
For missions already registered with the Guild—specifically the professional-grade contracts with corresponding level numbers on the second floor—unless it was a long-term bounty, short-term missions like this one with a one-month limit required the original party members to be present upon delivery.
Otherwise, even with the party badge, the reward could not be claimed.
Xia Nan remembered that when he first crossed into this world, he had used the party badge of "Rotten Fish and Shrimp (Bow of the Mountains)" to claim a mission reward, earning his first pot of gold.
Now that he had promoted to a Professional, there were no longer such loopholes to exploit.
This served as a form of invisible protection from the Guild for senior adventurers who had obtained professional levels and were worth cultivating.
Otherwise, it would easily foster "hunter-type" gangs who specialized in hijacking contracts, waiting for other adventurer parties to complete the mission before ambushing them midway to efficiently seize wealth.
Such a trend would hinder the Adventurers' Guild's development on the continent of Efara.
In short, Xia Nan could forget about those several hundred gold coins on the contract.
However, that wasn't what he cared about right now.
Regarding the single monster, or group of unknown monsters active on Crag Rock Isle, the contract had not provided detailed descriptions for some reason.
While it was possible that further information could only be obtained from the Guild receptionist after accepting the mission, for Xia Nan, the only thing he knew was what he saw on this single piece of paper.
Fortunately, the Guild had a clear grading system for mission difficulty; one only needed to look at the character preceding the mission number.
The investigation/hunting mission for the unknown monsters on Crag Rock Isle was Rank "D."
Using Xia Nan's past experiences as a reference, the bounty placed by the Morton family on the red dragon "Krogbari," who had stolen the family heirloom, was Rank B; the contract for "Mint," the beastman hiding within an adventurer party who was the source of the [Tears of Spring Breath], was Rank E.
And he had taken on Rank D missions before.
The petrified lizard that had nearly sent him seeing his life flash before his eyes—and later became the material for the [Cinderfall] straight sword—was of this grade.
He knew that the Guild's method for evaluating contract levels was complex and difficult to explain, involving a multitude of factors; one could not crudely equate the mission rank with its level of danger.
Even though he didn't plan to get involved, he instinctively heightened his vigilance.
A seemingly ordinary cargo delivery mission had suddenly encountered unexpected complications.
This sense of déjà vu felt somewhat strange to Xia Nan.
Subconsciously, he turned his head toward the edge of the deck nearby.
There, the halfling Alton was standing on tiptoe, gripping the railing and straining his head outward, eyes wide as he stared at the sea below, where pirate corpses floated and blood spread.
"Hey, hey! Something's moving, Xia Nan!"
"Two more minutes and we can drop the line. I guarantee we'll land a big one!"
Calmly withdrawing his gaze from the other man, Xia Nan turned to Captain Gregory of the Black Gull, who looked somewhat hesitant.
"The pirates' mission has nothing to do with us. We won't participate; just stick to the original plan."
"But you need to explain the situation to the crew. Tell them to be careful once we arrive, and it's best if they don't leave the village."
Hearing this, the dark-skinned man visibly relaxed.
"Understood!" he nodded firmly.
...
...
In the end, Xia Nan failed to catch the so-called "big one" Alton had mentioned.
The chunks of flesh and severed limbs floating on the surface were indeed effective as chum, attracting many fish in a short time. He even saw several massive shadows, resembling sharks, gliding beneath the surface.
But perhaps because the chumming was *too* effective, it became counterproductive, hindering his fishing.
By the time the blood in the seawater had been diluted and the crew had completely finished the cleanup after the battle, he still hadn't caught his ideal prize.
Eventually, Xia Nan even thought that perhaps diving in and catching them by hand would be more efficient.
He had already decided that once he returned to Barracuda Bay, he would take a good look around the fishing tackle shops.
His technique was at an average level; if he still couldn't catch fish, it could only be a problem with the equipment.
Xia Nan had always been stubborn in this regard and possessed a level of perseverance far beyond the average person.
Coupled with the boredom of life at sea, he spent all his spare time over the next two days fishing, aside from his daily rest and training.
As for the result... it only further solidified his desire to upgrade his gear.
Additionally, thanks to the many experienced sailors on the Black Gull who had sailed for years, his prize—the pirate ship "Flying Fish Barrel"—was steered and sailed by volunteers among the crew, following behind the Black Gull.
The two ships sailed one after the other; though they differed wildly in appearance and size, from a distance, they looked somewhat like a proper convoy.
*Swish!*
Clear water suddenly washed over the deck, rinsing away the remaining bird droppings.
Colin panted slightly as he placed the empty bucket at his feet. He raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead and instinctively straightened his back to relieve the ache in his muscles.
Exhaustion, boredom, and now, numbness.
To this day, five full days of life at sea had completely shattered the filter this youth from a remote village had held regarding the profession of a "sailor."
If he had felt bored at the start, he could have comforted himself with reasons like, "This is just how sailing is; I'll get excited once something special happens at sea."
The boarding action two days ago had completely destroyed those fantasies.
To be honest, Colin's performance during the fight had been quite good for a sailor.
Having apprenticed under the village hunters since childhood, his years of accumulated shooting experience allowed him to contribute significantly with the hand crossbow given to him by the boatswain, killing one and wounding two.
But after the battle ended, Colin felt no excitement or joy.
He only felt his mind go blank, falling into a daze.
His mind subconsciously recalled the image of the arrows he fired piercing through bodies of his own kind; he smelled the thick scent of blood surging into his nostrils with the sea breeze and saw the blood-red shredded flesh and severed limbs on the opposite deck.
Quite unashamedly, Colin vomited his breakfast.
Initially thinking it was just an adjustment period for his first voyage and wanting to harden his resolve, he even forced himself to take on the job of cleaning the pirate ship's deck.
As a result, he vomited twice more during the cleaning, eventually vomiting until his abdominal muscles began to spasm.
"I'm no good as an adventurer, and I can't even be a sailor..."
"What on earth *can* I do?"
The successive blows left Colin feeling utterly lost.
He didn't expect to be like Mr. Xia Nan, who seemed completely unaffected after the battle and could sit steadily by the gunwale fishing.
But he shouldn't have performed so miserably.
Perhaps... returning to Barracuda Bay to help Uncle Paddy run the general store was the path he was meant to take?
"Colin, come help me watch the fishing rod for a bit."
Not far ahead, having keenly sensed the youth's despondency, Xia Nan beckoned to him.
"Your big brother Alton said he's brewing a pot of seafood chowder this morning. I'm going to the kitchen to check; I'll bring a bowl for you to taste in a while."
"Thank you, Mr. Xia Nan, I..."
Colin forced himself to answer spiritedly.
Before he could finish, a fishing rod was thrust into his hand.
"Fish well. If you catch something valuable, I'll have Gregory give you a bonus when we return to port."
Since the encounter with the "Flying Fish Barrel" two days ago, Xia Nan's prestige on the Black Gull had received an epic boost.
If before he was merely a "Professional Lord" in the eyes of the crew—someone to be respected but a common sight on every voyage—now, his status had leaped upward, becoming a sort of existence outside the norm—one tinged with awe and fear.
As for the reason, on one hand, it was naturally his exaggerated feat of beheading seven Professionals of the "Big Shot" level single-handedly in a very short time.
On the other hand, it was because of the gruesome scene he had left on the deck after the battle.
In truth, when facing enemies other than goblins, Xia Nan's methods were clean; he only took the head and did not torture them excessively.
However, once [Fang Hunt] reached "Proficiency," it carried a certain amount of impact damage in addition to its displacement effect.
Under the wolf's howl, his body was enveloped in a gale-force aura as sharp as blades. With the physical constitution of an ordinary person, if one were accidentally caught in it, there was basically no difference between that and being sucked into a meat grinder.
Even Xia Nan thought those riddled corpses looked sloppy.
Let alone the sailors who had watched the entire process from the opposite deck.
Beyond that, the change in the "Silver Claw Osprey" party created an even stronger sense of contrast.
Captain Nick's smile had become more natural, and at times even appeared somewhat fawning.
The half-orc Goka had not shown a hint of resentment on his face since the encounter ended. He might not have been cunning, but having grown up in a tribe, he knew that when facing an existence whose strength far exceeded his own, he needed to minimize his presence as much as possible and remain silent.
The usually proud half-elf Leda still subconsciously avoided Xia Nan's gaze as before, but now, after lowering her head, she added a forced motion of lifting her head and stretching her neck to squeeze out a smile for Xia Nan, fearing he might think she wasn't respectful enough.
It could only be said that in the adventurer industry, especially for those whose experience had plateaued, strength was the panacea for all problems and conflicts—far more so than so-called "interpersonal skills," "emotional regulation," "adaptability," or "conflict management."
After handing the rod to Colin, Xia Nan stood up. Before he could enter the cabin, a loud horn blast suddenly sounded from the captain's quarters.
As if realizing something, he turned to look at the distant sea.
A towering, steep island, with cliffs like dark longswords plunging straight into the seabed, came into view amidst the surging waves and thick morning mist.
Crag Rock Isle. They had arrived.
(End of Chapter)