Chapter 414 Morton's Past

Cliff Rock Village was relatively poor, and under normal circumstances, it existed in a state of basic self-sufficiency.

But just as Green Wheat Village was to the Misty Forest, or Emerald Creek Village to Rivervale Town.

Its location just a five-day voyage from Barracuda Bay, coupled with the ocean's abundant catches, meant the villagers lived far more comfortably than residents of the remote inland village where Colin was born.

At the very least, they had something to look forward to.

If they ever hauled up a few Rare-grade fish on a trip, it could feed their entire family for the year.

Because of this, the residents of Cliff Rock Island all made a living by fishing, and occasionally had the spare cash to improve their quality of life.

Every quarter or half-year, Cliff Rock Village would gather under the village chief's leadership to tally their needed supplies, pool their money, and commission a reliable fleet to purchase and transport the goods.

The island was not isolated from the world; it maintained contact with the outside.

However, because the island had nothing outstanding to offer and the intervals between supply runs were so long, the adventurers in Barracuda Bay had little impression of the remote village. Few had the time or interest to seek out the locals after delivering goods to learn more about the island.

If Xia Nan had asked the fishmongers at the port instead of the drunken adventurers in the tavern, he might have actually gleaned some intelligence about Cliff Rock Village.

As for the '"Flying Fish Oil Barrel"' pirate ship currently docked at the pier, Steven did indeed have his suspicions.

As the chief of Cliff Rock Village, he knew exactly how much cargo had been purchased.

He knew a single medium-sized cargo ship could easily fit it all, with no need for an extra vessel.

Furthermore, judging by that wooden ship's low, slender profile, it didn't look like a normal cargo ship at all. It looked more like...

"A pirate ship," Xia Nan answered directly. It was not information worth hiding from the man's cautious probing.

"We ran into a crew of blind pirates on the way here."

"Fortunately, they were quite average, and they didn't cause any losses to our fleet."

Seeing Steven's thoughtful expression, Xia Nan lowered his voice, met the man's eyes, and changed the subject. "I heard a monster has supposedly appeared near your village?"

Steven's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward subconsciously. "Yes, you've heard about it too?"

"The first time was two months ago. Old Crow, who lives at the north end of the village, was on his way home after mooring his boat..."

As if misunderstanding Xia Nan's intentions, the village chief began recounting the entire incident.

Out of politeness, and for the sake of their safety over the next two days, Xia Nan listened patiently.

He learned that the monster attacking the village was massive, cunning, and brutal. It always left behind incredibly gruesome scenes, yet no one had ever witnessed its true form.

The closest encounter had been a child hiding in the bushes, who spotted its deep shadow cast upon the ground, revealing fins growing on its back.

Only after the village chief finished did Xia Nan speak again. "I understand the situation, but from what I know, you seem to have already posted a commission at the Adventurers' Association?"

"That's right," Steven nodded repeatedly. "Calculating the time, if everything went smoothly, an adventurer might have already taken the quest and could be on their way. Perhaps even before you leave, my lord..."

He stopped halfway, suddenly realizing something.

He abruptly turned his head to look at the '"pirate ship"' at the pier.

Seeing that Steven had guessed the truth, Xia Nan did not hide it. "I'm sorry, but it looks like you'll have to wait a while longer."

"We only found their nautical chart and the quest commission when we were clearing out the pirate ship's cabin."

"But rest assured, I've already spoken with Gregory. He'll report this to the Association the moment we return to Barracuda Bay."

"Your commission will soon be put back up on the Association's lower-level quest board."

This was one of the Adventurers' Association's standard operating procedures.

Adventurers varied in strength, and all sorts of unexpected situations arose during quests.

Even high-ranking adventurers who had reached the '"Transcendent"' Tier couldn't guarantee a hundred percent completion rate for their commissions.

Under these circumstances, aside from certain bounty tasks, many investigation and hunting commissions had a hidden time limit after acceptance—one that dynamically adjusted based on the quest's difficulty.

This time frame was usually generous enough to attempt the quest two or three times over.

But if the adventurer failed to return by the deadline, the Association would assume they had encountered danger and could no longer continue, at which point the commission would be reposted.

There were many related rules, of course—how to distribute rewards if an adventurer returned after the deadline, compensation for squads who took a quest only to find it already finished, the specific criteria for setting time limits...

But regardless, in this situation, if Xia Nan and his group said nothing and simply sailed back after delivering the goods, Cliff Rock Village would have to wait a very long time for the Association's deadline to expire before a new adventurer could take the quest.

However, if Xia Nan and the others—who had wiped out the '"Flying Fish Oil Barrel"' Adventurer Squad—voluntarily explained the situation to the Association upon returning to Barracuda Bay, it would save the villagers a great deal of time.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Xia Nan!"

Steven's expression was sincere, showing no trace of resentment.

Perhaps deep down he harbored a slight grievance that the adventurers meant to investigate the village's monster had been casually killed off by the Black Gull's crew.

But at the very least, he maintained a perfectly dignified facade.

Steven knew very well.

The young adventurer's words also carried an underlying message: the Black Gull's fleet would not help Cliff Rock Village investigate the monster.

The village chief understood this.

One was a guard escorting a cargo shipment; the other required plunging into danger for a hunt. The nature of the two tasks was completely different.

The former only required standard travel plans, whereas the latter demanded targeted preparations based on the destination's environment and the monster's details.

Any professional, experienced adventurer would never accept such a commission on the spot.

It was simply too dangerous.

Therefore, Steven tactfully avoided the topic, declining to make requests he knew would be rejected.

To some extent, even a verbal guarantee from an adventurer like the black-haired youth named '"Xia Nan"'—willing to explain the situation and promise to relay the message—was already exceedingly rare.

It was good enough that they didn't demand the village pay for the damages caused by the pirates on the way here; how could he dare expect more?

It was still early. Behind him, the crew clinked glasses and laughed, while ahead on the pier, he could faintly see a few villagers taking inventory under the guidance of the crewmen left on duty.

Unloading, restocking supplies, and maintenance all took time.

They wouldn't be able to set sail until tomorrow or the day after.

Leaning his back against a wall with his arms crossed, Xia Nan gazed at the sparkling azure sea. He chatted idly with Steven, figuring he might as well learn a bit about the local customs.

"So everyone in the village basically makes a living by fishing?"

"Yes, Mr. Xia Nan," the village chief nodded, a hint of helplessness on his face. "In a small place like ours, if we tried to fill our bellies with just the crops we grew, several families would starve every year."

"Fortunately, we aren't far from Barracuda Bay. If we haul up something good, we can sell it at the market there to subsidize our households."

"Has no one considered settling in Barracuda Bay?"

After all, it was one of the largest cities in the Southern Archipelagos and was so close. To Xia Nan, finding a job there was a viable option for destitute residents.

Steven merely shook his head with an inscrutable expression.

"Anyone who wanted to go has already gone."

For the villagers of Cliff Rock Island, the pros and cons of moving to Barracuda Bay were obvious.

For an adventurer like Xia Nan who possessed considerable strength and income, or for craftsmen or wealthy merchants, Barracuda Bay was naturally far better.

In a bustling metropolis like that, you could get your hands on anything as long as you had the money.

But for ordinary commoners with no skills, there was far too much to consider.

It was a very realistic matter.

Speaking purely of food and shelter, unless they were favored by the Goddess of Luck or the Goddess of the Ocean, an ordinary fisherman's income would barely cover living expenses.

If they caught a disease or suffered an injury requiring professional treatment, the extra expenses would instantly shatter that balance.

They would have to sell their boats and fall into debt.

Going from a self-sufficient fisherman to a penniless beggar on the streets could happen overnight.

This was why there were still so many small towns and villages scattered across the Southern Archipelagos.

Piecing together the village chief's few words, Xia Nan only needed to ponder for a moment to understand.

Knowing he was powerless to change it—and couldn't do much with his current strength anyway—he shifted the topic to other things on the island.

"I heard you mention on the way here that the fishermen in the village have excellent skills?"

A smile graced Steven's weathered face.

"Mr. Xia Nan, don't let our island's size fool you. The fish schools in the surrounding waters are incredibly dense. Every time we go out to sea, we're bound to catch something."

"Going at it day by day, even an inexperienced newcomer can become an outstanding fisherman."

"We even have guests from Barracuda Bay who stay on the island every year just to fish."

"Oh?"

Xia Nan's interest was immediately piqued.

His experience of catching absolutely nothing on the Black Gull was still fresh in his mind. His gear might have been lacking, but with his personality, how could he accept such a defeat?

"So you're saying... anyone can get a bite here?"

"It's not quite that exaggerated, but as long as you find a good spot and squat there all day, you'll reel in a catch," Steven replied.

"Right now, there's a guest from Barracuda Bay staying on the north side of the island, here specifically to fish. He arrived a few days before you did."

"The north side?" Xia Nan frowned slightly. "Isn't it all reefs and cliffs over there? Can people even live there?"

"Oh, Mr. Morton built a small cabin when he stayed with us in the past. That guest is staying there now."

Morton!?

The target he had been pursuing for so long had abruptly popped out of the mouth of this remote island's village chief.

Xia Nan's heart jolted.

On the surface, he didn't show a hint of emotion, but he smoothly pivoted the conversation.

"This Mr. Morton you mentioned... his name sounds somewhat familiar. Could you tell me about him?"

"Of course!" Not noticing anything strange and treating it as a standard inquiry, Steven answered without hesitation.

"It must have been thirty or forty years ago. Back when I was still just a young man who had barely gone out to sea, a distinguished gentleman washed up at our village after a shipwreck."

"He was severely injured; even the oldest granny in the village just shook her head when she saw him."

"Fortunately, Mr. Morton was a powerful Class Holder. We only helped him treat his wounds a little and provided food and water, and he pulled through on his own."

"After that, he settled down on the island. He built a small wooden cabin on the northern cliffs, and occasionally helped us drive away pirates."

"This went on for over a year before he returned to Barracuda Bay. He later formed his own fleet, and occasionally came to visit us and drop off supplies when passing by."

"But for some unknown reason, we never saw him again after about twenty years ago. We don't know if he met with an accident."

The more Xia Nan listened, the more promising it sounded. Forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, he maintained an impassive expression and asked, "Then this Mr. Morton... did he leave anything behind?"

"Leave something behind?" Steven tried hard to recall. "If he left anything, it would probably just be that small wooden cabin."

"But the cabin was built right on the cliff. Climbing up there is too dangerous if you aren't a Class Holder. Very few people in the village have gone up there over the years."

"If you're interested in his story, you could go take a look, but you need to be careful. The rocks there are sharp and slippery, making it hard to find a solid foothold."

Xia Nan nodded. "Give me the location."

(End of Chapter)