Chapter 411 Wrap-Up and Loot Distribution

Bourne was actually quite strong.

He had spent years tempering himself in the Southern Archipelagos, earning the moniker Oily Hand and gaining a wealth of combat experience.

Coupled with his Level 4 rank and his [Azure Blade Warrior] class, which was perfectly suited for naval combat, he was a formidable opponent.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have performed so poorly, even when besieged by all three members of the Silver Claw Osprey squad.

In fact, if he had been in good condition and fought to his potential, he might have even won.

But the current situation was different.

For one, although he had successfully passed the fear check after the close-range impact of [Night Mother's Gaze], his mental defenses were inevitably shaken.

Coupled with watching his teammates get slaughtered as easily as chopping vegetables, his resolve was already crumbling. He was overly anxious to shake off his attackers and rush back to support his crew.

But more often than not, anxiety only led to mistakes.

Even after desperately unleashing his trump-card combat technique, Wave-Mist Body, he still failed to break through the encirclement of the three Silver Claw Osprey members, whose combat power had surged under the buff of the halfling Alton's lute music.

Instead, his excessive haste earned him several extra wounds he shouldn't have taken.

His stamina and focus waned as a result.

By the time Xia Nan finished off the pirate ship's remaining two Class Holders who still retained some combat capability and arrived behind him riding the momentum of [Fang Hunt], Bourne didn't even have time to turn around and defend before a single sword strike lopped off his head.

With this, seven of the eight adventurers in the Flying Fish Oil Barrel squad were dead.

The only survivor was the Rogue whose arm Xia Nan had casually severed when he first charged the battlefield. Intentionally kept alive for interrogation, he was currently rolling around on the deck and howling in agony as he clutched his spurting, bloody stump.

The battle was practically over.

Xia Nan and the others didn't even need to deal with the pirate ship's remaining ordinary sailors.

Under the terrifying deterrence of [Night Mother's Gaze], they retained less than a tenth of their combat power.

They were easily wiped out by the crew of the Black Gull.

Some lost their minds to sheer terror and jumped into the sea, only to become living targets on the water and get picked off one by one by the half-elf archer Leda.

They sank into the ocean along with the other pirate corpses, becoming chum to attract fish.

It had to be said that [Night Mother's Gaze] was a special feat originating from the [Dream Weaving Corridor] dreamscape, obtained after maxing out [Fang Hunt].

In a group battle like this, where the enemies' average combat power was relatively low, its effects were nothing short of exaggerated.

More often than not, it only took one or two charges to completely shatter the enemy's morale.

If the leader or core figures could be decapitated on top of that, the fear effect would be amplified even further.

The wrap-up work went very smoothly.

The single-masted sloop the pirates sailed wasn't large to begin with, leaving few places to hide anything.

Furthermore, in a desperate bid to survive, the Rogue that Xia Nan had specifically spared clutched his bloody wound and spinelessly spilled everything he knew, allowing the Black Gull's crew to easily finish organizing the loot.

—Of course, the Rogue still failed to survive in the end. Once he lost his usefulness, Captain Gregory killed him without a shred of hesitation with the consent of Xia Nan and the others, tossing his body into the sea.

The battle was over.

The gains were quite excellent.

Unlike the adventurer squads Xia Nan had previously encountered in the Misty Forest, maritime adventurers often owned their own ships. To some extent, they traveled with their homes and warehouses.

This was true even if they squandered their wealth daily and saved little, and even if the slightly sharper ones refused to keep valuables on board.

Once tallied up, the average yield was still much higher than before.

Just the gold and silver coins found on the Flying Fish Oil Barrel added up to a value of 300 gold.

There were also minor supplies and many secondhand standard weapons—like bows, arrows, hand crossbows, and machetes—that could be sold at the market.

But what drew Xia Nan's attention most were the two pieces of enchanted equipment left behind by the pirate captain and the young spellcaster.

...

[Azure Wave Blade]

Type: Curved Blade

Grade: Fine (Green)

Effects:

1. Durability +15%;

2. Slashing Damage +5%;

3. When the user is in a wet state, stamina recovery speed is increased by an additional 20%.

Description:

A finely crafted curved blade—perhaps you should take a bath before using it?

Remark:

"I don't understand. Aside from being slightly more durable and a bit sharper, what's so special about this curved blade?"

—Sandwalker · Desert Nova · Nog

...

[Type III Practice Staff - 1007 Model]

Type: Staff

Grade: Common (White)

Effects:

1. Casting Speed +5%;

2. Spell Model Stability +10%.

Description:

An entry-level practice staff suitable for novice spellcasters, optimized for casting speed and spell stability.

Remark:

"I am warning you all for the last time, Mage Hand is not used for this!"

—Sea of Stars Enchanting Academy Third Boys' Dormitory Supervisor · Night Watcher · Nopp

...

Regarding the former, the value of the enchanted curved blade left behind by the pirate captain Bourne, the [Azure Wave Blade], went without saying.

Its "Fine (Green)" quality was proof enough.

Don't be fooled by the large swathes of blue and purple gear on Xia Nan's person, or the fact that he once possessed the "Epic (Pink)" quality [Fate Coin], making it seem as if white and green gear had no value.

In reality, a Fine-grade weapon was highly sought after in any market.

Not to mention that [Azure Wave Blade] had no negative traits; its several effects were all bonuses to combat capability.

The only effect with a prerequisite—the accelerated stamina recovery that required the user's entire body to be soaked—was practically unrestricted in the Southern Archipelagos, an environment completely surrounded by the sea.

If he didn't already have [Ember Fall] and [Azure Pine] as his standard combat weapons, and if he were a rookie just setting out to sea, it would have been nearly impossible to refuse a piece of equipment so perfectly tailor-made for naval warfare.

Based on the scarcity of suitable enchanted weapons on the market, Xia Nan was certain that when he posted this [Azure Wave Blade] on the Association's consignment board, the offers would definitely not be low.

If he wanted to maximize his profits, he could even entrust it to a reliable auction house once he returned to Barracuda Bay, easily fetching a high three-digit price.

As for the [Practice Staff] left behind by the spellcaster Grass Snail, based on its description on the Attribute Panel, it didn't seem to be anything rare—just a novice mage's entry-level equipment.

But a spellcaster was a spellcaster, after all.

Even a secondhand white item could sell for a considerable sum on the market.

Xia Nan estimated that the [Practice Staff] in his hand was worth as much as five or six pieces of ordinary equipment of the same quality, and that it would fetch a good amount of money.

But aside from everything mentioned above, there was one greatest harvest from this battle.

Leaning against the railing, Xia Nan wiped his dark gray straight sword with a piece of gauze, but his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the pirate ship across from them.

The Flying Fish Oil Barrel had been custom-built by a professional shipyard, commissioned by its former captain, Bourne, who had exhausted years of accumulated savings to fund it.

It had no need for freight transport, rarely engaged in long-distance voyages, and mostly traveled back and forth among the archipelagos.

Coupled with Bourne's dual identity as an adventurer and a pirate, the ship was required to possess the mobility and speed to advance or retreat freely on the sea.

This made his meticulously customized Flying Fish Oil Barrel look less like a common seagoing vessel found in ports, and more like a dark brown short blade from afar.

At no more than twenty meters in total length, its lines were slender and low, with its gunwales sitting close to the water's surface. This allowed it to maintain a very low visual profile while ensuring high speed, enabling it to hide within the sea fog at dawn and dusk.

The ship's ram was a hard, upward-curving block of wood encased in iron plating. Its surface was mottled with visible dents—clearly a veteran of many battles—and it was capable of delivering a fatal blow to the vulnerable parts of enemy ships during boarding actions.

Positioned slightly forward in the middle of the hull was the spine of the Flying Fish Oil Barrel: a thick, straight mast. The large square sail hoisted at its top could provide its small hull with an exaggerated sailing speed when riding a tailwind.

As mentioned before, adventuring in the Southern Archipelagos without a reliable ship for transportation made it nearly impossible to take even a single step.

If Xia Nan wanted to thrive here in the future, or ensure that his plan to search for the encryption keys of the [Dream Weaving Corridor] proceeded as smoothly as possible...

A suitable sea vessel of his own was absolutely indispensable.

Otherwise, he would be stuck traveling the seas exactly as he was now—hitching rides on other people's ships as a guard or a temporary crew member.

Xia Nan had, of course, considered the idea of building a ship of his own.

But for one, the cost of constructing a ship was exorbitant, and customization services were incredibly expensive. Not knowing how long he would stay in Barracuda Bay, hastily placing an order seemed a bit too rash.

He had finally managed to save up some money, and he didn't want to squander it.

For another, he lacked navigational knowledge and had no reliable channels for recruiting a crew. If he sailed out alone and encountered harsh conditions like a storm, he would instantly enter a state of "survival at sea." He had planned to study and accumulate experience locally for a while before making a decision.

But unexpectedly, during his very first maritime mission after arriving in Barracuda Bay, an opportunity presented itself.

Sheathing the freshly wiped [Ember Fall] straight sword back into its scabbard, Xia Nan carefully scrutinized the Flying Fish Oil Barrel before him.

To be honest, this pirate ship didn't exactly align with his fantasy of his future vessel.

A low-profile design emphasizing speed was nice, of course, but the overall size felt just a bit too large, making it slightly less nimble.

If Xia Nan were to set sail himself, he didn't want to bring too many sailors. It would be best to keep the total crew under ten people.

Ideally, under the premise that he possessed rich navigational knowledge himself, a small fishing boat similar to those in his past life, capable of sailing steadily with just three or four people, would be perfect.

He just didn't know if this world possessed magical devices akin to engines and propellers.

But regardless, acquiring such a ship of his own was already an excellent start.

In a way, this was precisely why Xia Nan had been noticeably more proactive in the battle than usual.

He needed to secure sufficient leverage when it came time to distribute the loot.

Right now, including the Rogue whose arm had been severed, Xia Nan had single-handedly slain seven Class Holders on the pirate ship.

He had even claimed the final kill on the opposing captain, Bourne.

Relying solely on his own strength, he had plunged into the enemy's backline alone and disrupted their formation. While spreading fear among the ordinary pirates, he executed precise decapitations, individually eliminating the Class Holders who posed a significant threat to their own sailors.

This resulted in the Black Gull, which very likely could have suffered a total party wipe, emerging from the entire battle without a single fatality or serious injury.

The most severe injury was a sailor who tripped over a corpse while pursuing fleeing pirates and fractured his wrist.

Even being modest, Xia Nan believed he had contributed at least three-quarters of the effort in this battle.

No one raised any objections.

For one, Xia Nan's performance in battle had been truly outrageous.

The moment the enemy boarded via the gangplank, he charged onto the opposing deck alone and lopped off the heads of the Class Holders serving as their core combat force.

What else was there to say?

If someone bragged about something like this in a tavern, the adventurers at the same table would think they were drunk and blowing hot air.

If he took a smaller share, someone might toss and turn that night, suspecting he harbored ulterior motives.

On the other hand, the current environment also played a role.

They were on the vast, boundless sea, and the nearest island was still two days' voyage away.

In the confined space of a ship's cabin, even if one wanted to flee, they wouldn't know where to go.

Under these circumstances, when a "temporary teammate" whose actual combat power eclipsed everyone else's proposed distributing the loot according to combat contribution...

They were all seasoned veterans with years of experience at sea. Sharing an unspoken tacit understanding, they knew exactly how to handle the situation to minimize danger and conflict.

Before Xia Nan even had a chance to speak, Captain Gregory of the Black Gull and Nick, the captain of the Silver Claw Osprey squad, proactively informed him that they would not participate in the distribution of the pirate ship or the enchanted equipment; it was all his to deal with.

Regarding this, although Xia Nan was genuinely satisfied, he couldn't help but feel it was a bit unfair.

After all, the others had also put in effort during the battle.

The three members of the Silver Claw Osprey squad had helped him pin down Bourne, while the Black Gull crew handled the tedious wrap-up work.

Following careful discussion, Xia Nan, who had made the greatest contribution to the battle, received the ownership of the [Azure Wave Blade], the [Practice Staff], and the Flying Fish Oil Barrel, along with 100 gold coins they had scavenged.

The Silver Claw Osprey squad split the remaining two hundred or so gold coins.

As for the leftover secondhand weapons, gear, and miscellaneous supplies from the pirate ship, they were handed over to Gregory to sell upon returning to port, with the proceeds distributed to the sailors as bonuses.

As for the halfling Alton...

In his own words, he had merely strummed a little tune, expending even less effort than climbing a rope ladder, and didn't really want anything.

The moment the battle ended, the little guy urged Xia Nan to quickly cast his line and start fishing, suggesting they might catch something good with the pirate corpses acting as chum.

In the end, he only symbolically took a single gold coin, claiming it as starting capital for his next casino trip.

"Captain, Captain! Look at this!"

Just as he and Gregory were discussing how to tow the Flying Fish Oil Barrel back to Barracuda Bay, a sailor hurriedly emerged from the cabin, clutching a rolled-up nautical chart.

"These pirates' destination... it seems to be the same as ours!"