Chapter 1241 - 610: Screams and Assaults_2

Retracting his gaze, Xia Nan turned and walked towards the sailors.

...

...

The pirate ship wasn’t large, even if they thoroughly searched through every room from inside out, it didn’t take much time.

Before the sun had fully dipped below the horizon, the "Wave Chasing Sea Teeth" had already set sail once again for Salt Rock Port.

It’s worth mentioning that, under normal circumstances, when encountering such large-scale battles that completely annihilate the enemy,

the pirate ship itself should be considered part of the spoils and taken back.

The "Flying Fish Oil Barrel," the predecessor of the "Wave Chasing Sea Teeth," was acquired in this way.

But after all, Xia Nan’s main task now is to reach Salt Rock Port and meet with Barbarian Fugang within the limited time.

Taking this as the premise.

For the sake of convenience, he hadn’t recruited too many crew members.

Sailing one "Wave Chasing Sea Teeth" was more than sufficient, but adding another pirate ship with unknown conditions would stretch their manpower thin.

It would not only affect the fleet’s sailing speed to some extent but also push the crew into a high-pressure state of mental and physical exhaustion, reducing the margin for error.

Any occurrence of a few crew members falling ill or getting injured would impact the whole fleet.

In this situation, Xia Nan couldn’t risk such exposure for a mere few hundred gold coins.

So after gathering the spoils, they didn’t bring the pirate ship along, leaving it adrift at sea.

Tonight’s dinner was as lavish as always.

Due to Xia Nan’s personal preference and his lavish spending on travel meals,

"Wave Chasing Sea Teeth" replenishes with relatively expensive but tastier food during occasional short stopovers.

In his view, he isn’t some ascetic monk; if he manages to earn some money, there’s no need to skimp on himself here.

Moreover, it’s just some food supplies, not high-value enchanted equipment; he can easily earn back after negotiating with a few friendly green-skinned neighbors upon returning.

Long voyages are boring enough; if he can’t compensate in other ways, he can’t accept it.

As such, the crew not accustomed to biting into hard black bread like stone during the voyage, and salty meat and bean soup resembling swill have unexpectedly enjoyed good meals for the past dozen days on board.

Occasionally, some meals even surpass what they have on land.

Combined with Xia Nan’s decent personality, though he appears stern and unapproachable, in reality, he’s easy to deal with and seldom reprimands the sailors—also because they’ve all been very professional and haven’t made mistakes.

Recently, some bolder crew members have subtly inquired about his future plans for sailing, clearly wanting to become permanent members on board.

From the crew’s perspective, if they could serve under a figure like "Sea Teeth," who is strong, renowned, makes one stand taller, is generous, peaceful, pays well, and doesn’t skimp on gold coins,

sailors accustomed to hardships at sea would probably laugh themselves awake even in dreams, and work even harder.

Even if he could vaguely sense changes among the crew, Xia Nan really didn’t care much.

There’s no need to win hearts; these weren’t intentional gestures to portray his affinity.

Just casual acts.

Possessing a complete worldview shaped by modern human society from a previous life.

Perhaps the crew physically differs from him, but he doesn’t feel superior, nor does he treat them like slaves.

He pays, they do their job.

This is how Xia Nan perceives their relationship.

Food supplies and attitude are simply natural expressions of his character.

After all, on the same ship, if he eats lavishly every meal while the crew can only gnaw salty meat and hard black bread in cramped cabins, that wouldn’t feel right either.

It doesn’t cost much, so he tends to purchase extra supplies during restocking.

Of course, it’s fair to admit Xia Nan has his selfishness, using the Pocket Watch to occasionally make himself a little treat.

This is why many crew members smell cream in the cabin occasionally while working early.

"Splash..."

A steaming, enticing aroma arose as the meat soup was ladled into a bowl.

Xia Nan nodded towards the sailor doubling as the chef in front, bypassed the crew lining up behind him, and returned to his seat.

Thanks to the special effects of the Shimmer Dice, the sailfish he caught this afternoon was now served as an extra dish in every crew member’s bowl.

The taste was actually quite decent; the meat was of the taut variety.

However, it was cooked a bit too long, slightly compromising its texture, making it less tender.

Regarding this, Xia Nan had already suggested to the chef, hoping for improvements if they encounter such ingredients again.

Reflecting on this, he couldn’t help but silently praise the special effect of the Shimmer Dice again.

This ability, usable once daily, allowing the catch of big fish every day, certainly also holds other excellent uses.

Considering the dice’s note on the attribute panel, Xia Nan even thought of finding some casinos like Half-Elf Alton after meeting Fugang, hosting sacrificial ceremonies to the Goddess of Fortune.

Yet, he hesitated over the gold coins.

Losing too few would make him seem insincere and lacking fervor;

Losing too much, Xia Nan would feel the pinch.

"How about... tossing a few hundred gold coins first, testing the waters?"

Thinking in such a manner.

Suddenly, a sharp shriek emerged from the depths of the cabin, piercing through the deck and mixing into the bustling dining area, caught by Xia Nan.

Perhaps it’s nearing nighttime; the octopus monster they brought aboard emitted an increasingly piercing cry.

Sailors responsible for its care said it was struggling more intensely in the barrel.

Combined with fleeting thoughts in his mind during the day, Xia Nan sensed an inexplicable strange feeling.

Thinking to thoroughly inspect the creature again after dinner.

Suddenly.

"Boom!"

The ship, originally sailing smoothly on calm seas with only occasional shakes, suddenly began violently rocking as if struck by a storm wave.

Splinters fell from the deck, and the crew enjoying dinner had no time to react, thrown off-kilter and overturned onto the ground, food spilling off the tables and dinner plates.

"What’s going on?"

"What happened!?"

With crew members stationed on the deck during dinner for scheduled watches, whether it was a storm or a pirate attack, there couldn’t be no hint of anything.

Grabbing onto walls or furniture, crew members struggled to get up.

With the balance bonus from Tidal Shaping, the jolting didn’t affect Xia Nan at all.

As if realizing something, he leaped up, rushing towards the deck.

"Crash!"

The sky opened wide.

Under a starry sky, the moon had quietly risen, emitting gentle light, hanging peacefully.

No wind, no waves, it should be another tranquil night at sea.

Yet now, with Wave Chasing Sea Teeth at the center, unusual waves rolled all around.

As if a fountain mysteriously erupted beneath the sea, endlessly crashing against the ship’s hull bottom of Wave Chasing Sea Teeth.

"Ah!!!"

The lookout, already on alert for danger outside the cabin, observing the surrounding sea from the mast top, couldn’t hold on during the shaking, slipping from high.

Just as it seemed he’d fall to his death on the deck, an invisible, colorless force appeared behind him, barely lifting him up.

His body, previously plummeting rapidly, floated gently down like a feather.

Seeing he wasn’t hurt, Xia Nan retracted the Gravity, his gaze turning to the marine side of the ship.

Keen perception ability, combined with nighttime vision strengthened with physical fitness, allowed him to vaguely glimpse.

Between the rolling waves, deep in the mysterious darkness of the sea, a colossal figure twisted and swayed.