Chapter 514 Tower Shield, Scimitar, and Octopus Horn

Dawn broke.

The sun had not yet fully risen; only a sliver of brilliant golden light could be glimpsed at the far end of the horizon, dyeing the clouds that had lain dormant all night into a cluster of gorgeous blossoms.

A medium-sized merchant ship drifted leisurely on the sea, its hull rising and falling with the waves.

"It's been over two hours past the agreed time, hasn't it? Why is there still no sign of movement?"

Holding the position of boatswain, the dark-skinned middle-aged man stood on the deck gazing at the silhouette of the distant island looming in the morning mist, his expression laced with anxiety.

In contrast, the burly captain beside him, sporting a grizzled beard, was visibly much calmer.

As if he had experienced this countless times before, he held a smoking pipe in one hand and casually pressed down his brimless hat with the other, his demeanor completely composed.

"Who knows? Maybe they were discovered by the pirates on the island, or perhaps something else came up."

"It has nothing to do with us."

"Once the sun fully rises, if we still don't see a signal, we'll retreat according to the original plan."

The crew on this disguised merchant vessel were all ordinary people without any Class Levels.

At night, they could rely on their sailing experience and the cover of darkness to ferry those Adventurers near the island.

But during the day, such a ship would be extremely conspicuous out on the water. If the pirates on Wild Berry Cliff discovered them, they would be in massive trouble.

No matter how high the mission reward was, the captain had to prioritize the lives and safety of his crew.

In fact, waiting until now, and even being willing to stay until full daylight before withdrawing, was already giving face to their employer for this trip, Auriel Silverheart.

Otherwise, the moment the agreed time passed, he would have already ordered the sailors to set sail and head back to Barracuda Bay.

Just then, the lookout shouted excitedly from the mast overhead, "Report! There's movement!"

"Someone is coming to the shore!"

Hearing his subordinate's report, the boatswain frowned and barked, "Make it clear, damn it! Who is coming!?"

"Is it those Adventurers, or the pirates from the island?"

Undoubtedly, this wasn't a difficult question to answer. Just a quick glance at the shore would allow one to draw a conclusion based on the crowd's size and distinct features.

But at this moment, the lookout holding the telescope looked exceptionally hesitant. His lips parted and his Adam's apple bobbed, unsure of how to reply.

In his memory, the Adventurer Squad had consisted of two humans, a gnome, a dwarf, and a half-orc. Yet now, only the youngest black-haired youth remained.

Meanwhile, beside him stood a large crowd of raggedly dressed commoners.

This was completely different from what they had anticipated.

Eventually, after the captain thought it over carefully, the merchant ship anchored in the nearby waters slowly approached the shore.

As the vessel drew closer to land, the crew on deck got a clear and complete view of the situation ashore.

Not a single member of the Adventurer Squad known as the Shield of Iron Rock was present. The only familiar face was that of the black-haired young man, who had been somewhat alienated by the other Adventurers on the way here.

They could see his upper body clad in stylish armor that was once clean and well-maintained; now, its surface was plastered with dried blood, as if he had just survived an incredibly fierce battle.

Yet there were no visible injuries on the youth; his condition seemed perfectly intact.

A few chests were piled at his feet, containing an assortment of odds and ends like weapons and armor.

Huddled beside him was a pale-faced young man who looked as though he had been terribly frightened by something.

Behind them stood many sallow and emaciated ordinary humans. Most looked weak, though their spirits seemed to be in decent shape.

Afraid of running aground, the merchant ship didn't pull in too close. Instead, the captain personally led a few sailors and rowed a small boat to the shore.

"Mr. Xia Nan, you've finally returned," the captain called out before the small boat had even stabilized.

"If you hadn't shown up soon, I was planning to send sailors onto the island to look for you lords."

With the man right in front of them, they naturally couldn't confess their original plan of simply sailing away in retreat.

Able to discern what the grizzled middle-aged man was hiding behind his words, Xia Nan didn't mind. He gave a slight nod and replied, "Apologies. I got a little delayed along the way."

That was indeed the truth.

To maximize the profits from this mission and prepare for purchasing the [Proof of Diligence] upon returning to Barracuda Bay, and to uncover all the dungeons on the island, Xia Nan had scoured the area with extreme care after the battle. That was why it had taken him so long.

Suddenly remembering something, he reached out and patted Hogen on the shoulder, instructing, "Almost forgot. There's a small boat sitting in that cliff cave over there. Take a few people and drag it out; it'll make things more efficient."

Unlike when Xia Nan first found him in the bushes, this petty thug from the Ebb Tide Gang now looked as if he had suffered a severe scare, his spirit completely crushed.

But when Xia Nan lightly patted him, the man was so startled he nearly jumped out of his skin. He gasped for breath a few times before trembling as he replied, "R—right away, sir."

He then quickly pointed out a few of the sturdier islanders from the crowd and hurried off toward the cliff cave as if fleeing for his life, stumbling twice along the way and nearly falling in a deeply pathetic display.

It wasn't really Hogen's fault.

For any ordinary human with normal sensibilities raised in proper society, provided they lacked sufficient experience or mental preparation...

Anyone would have that exact reaction upon seeing that hellish scene: severed limbs and shredded flesh scattered everywhere, the very soil dyed red with blood.

Consequently, Xia Nan's already powerful and fearsome image in his mind had grown increasingly terrifying.

He had originally intended to chat him up, build a rapport, and perhaps secure some sort of connection.

After this ordeal, Hogen didn't even dare cast an extra glance at the youth, only hoping this nightmare would end as soon as possible.

Retracting his gaze from the thug's rapidly retreating back, the captain hesitated slightly before asking, "Mr. Xia Nan, may I ask about the other lords in the party—"

"They aren't coming back," Xia Nan answered with pointed meaning, naturally knowing what the man meant as he gently nudged the chest of spoils at his feet with his leg.

Already harboring his own guesses, the captain subconsciously peered into the chest on the ground beside Xia Nan.

What met his eyes was an incredibly familiar heavy tower shield, similarly stained with blood.

A shudder ran through him instantly.

Changing the subject, he said, "Very well, Mr. Xia Nan."

"Also, may I ask about these people behind you—"

Since there was no information worth hiding, and because he needed the captain to ferry these islanders back to Barracuda Bay, Xia Nan explained, "The pirates on Wild Berry Cliff made some sort of deal with the Sahuagin. These are the nearby islanders they kidnapped to use as ritual sacrifices."

"I'll need to ask you to give them a ride. We'll take them back to Barracuda Bay first and make arrangements from there."

"Oh, any expenses incurred during the voyage can go on my tab. We'll settle everything together once we arrive back at Wave-Breaking Wharf."

Since he had rescued these commoners from the dungeon, Xia Nan naturally couldn't just leave them to fend for themselves on the island.

They were heading back anyway, and given the merchant ship's size, it could easily fit them all, even if it was a bit cramped. Taking them along was no trouble, and food expenses for the journey wouldn't amount to much.

For these islanders, returning to Barracuda Bay would make it much easier for them to either find a boat back home or stay and work to survive.

"Mr. Xia Nan, you are as merciful as the sea on a sunny day," the captain said.

It was still flattery, but one could clearly feel a touch more sincerity in the captain's tone.

Having sailed the Southern Archipelagos for years and met countless Adventurers, he was well aware of the common traits this group shared.

Those who would act like the black-haired young man before him were truly a minority.

For his part, Xia Nan didn't care much about the opinions of others. He couldn't care less how these islanders or sailors viewed him.

He simply stood on the shore, watching the crew pilot two small boats to ferry the commoners from the beach to the ship while mentally calculating his loot from this mission.

Constrained by the storage limit of the [White Flask] Pocket Watch, which could only hold twelve slots of items, he also wanted to avoid letting others discover the existence of this spatial storage prop as much as possible.

Aside from the three chests of goods serving as mission items, he had not stored anything else he scavenged on the island inside the Pocket Watch.

Added all together—it wasn't all that much.

Wild Berry Cliff was not, after all, the old lair the Ebb Tide Gang had run for years. It could only be considered some sort of transitional core stronghold; even many of the buildings on the island had been erected temporarily.

Nothing of exceptional value was stored there; most of it was just loose coins.

Across the whole island, he had looted every single corpse.

Because it was too scattered, Xia Nan hadn't tallied up the actual monetary income closely, but it was roughly over two hundred gold—a decent haul.

But the primary haul came from the gear of the Class Holders on the battlefield.

The vast majority of it, including the half-orc's handaxe, the ranger's wooden bow, and the elite fishmen's armor and harpoons, were relatively common plain-tier equipment. At best, they possessed one or two ordinary traits that were better than nothing.

They could be sold for money, but the resale value wouldn't be very high.

Of course, Xia Nan, who was currently strapped for cash, certainly wouldn't look down on them. He basically dragged back every piece that could fetch a price.

What truly exceeded his expectations was the green-quality enchanted equipment he found while clearing the battlefield—a whole three pieces!

With the increasing Class Levels of his opponents, and considering that the Southern Archipelagos were an abundant land where danger and opportunity coexisted, one had to admit that the drop rate of such high-value gear was climbing steadily.

His gaze subconsciously swept over the chest closest to him, his focus sharpening slightly.

Immediately, the familiar translucent characters representing the Attribute Panel materialized in the empty air before his eyes.

[Grayrock Tower Shield]

Type: Shield | Level: Fine (Green)

Effects:

1. +50% Durability;

2. +15% Piercing Damage Resistance;

3. +5% Slashing Damage Resistance;

4. -15% Stamina Consumption (for blocking);

5. [Immovable Stance]: Slam the shield onto the ground. The shield bearer enters a movement-restricted state for the next 10 seconds, while significantly enhancing their physical balance and slightly boosting their Strength and defense.

Description:

The raw material for this tower shield came from the outer keep gates of the western wall at Gray Iron Pass, which had been smashed in half by a giant siege ram. Ultimately, the hill dwarves still managed to hold back the onslaught of the orc tide.

Note: "You shouldn't let it fall ever again, not even once."

—Iron Seat Rodney Copperanvil, Garrison Commander of Gray Iron Pass. Without a doubt, this heavy shield named [Grayrock Tower Shield] was the very piece previously wielded by the dwarf Habik.

Its attributes were exceptionally good.

A full five traits—even among green-quality enchanted gear, this was quite uncommon.

Moreover, the effects of these traits all synergized perfectly with the shield's inherent defensive function, devoid of any obscure traits that required special conditions to trigger like the [Tide-Surge Lure Pole].

It even possessed an active special effect called [Immovable Stance] that could boost Strength, defense, and balance.

It was just a pity that it completely clashed with Xia Nan's combat style.

Otherwise, keeping it for his own use would have been an option worth considering.

Next was the main weapon of "Carrion Vulture" Gerry—that pirate scimitar.

[Emerald Corrosion Crescent]

Type: Scimitar | Level: Fine (Green)

Effects:

1. +10% Durability;

2. +10% Slashing Damage;

3. +15% Toxin Damage;

4. +10% Acid Damage;

Description:

Forged primarily from acid-iron soaked in the deepest parts of the swamp, mixed with half a bottle of horned viper venom, a drop of young black dragon saliva, and two dead rats.

Note: "This blade is coated in poison!"

—Marta, Blade Licker of the Green Water Bandit Group. Although it was also green-quality gear, compared to the previous tower shield, the trait effects of this [Emerald Corrosion Crescent] were visibly much more ordinary.

The toxin and acid damage bonuses accompanying the blade were the weapon's most prominent features.

—

Since he already possessed two blue-quality longswords, [Azure Pine] and [Ember Fall], and even his dagger used for carving materials was an enchanted item, Xia Nan similarly had no use for this scimitar specialized in corrosive poison damage. It could only be set aside to sell later.

Next was the final piece of green gear.

[Scale-Breath Horn]

Type: Horn (Spellcasting Prop)

Level: Fine (Green)

Effects:

1. -3% Spellcasting Speed;

2. +15% Spell Stability;

3. +5% Evocation School Spell Power (does not exceed 3rd Circle);

4. +10% Enchantment School Spell Power (does not exceed 3rd Circle);

5. [Gale Repulsion]: Blow the horn to summon a blast of powerful winds, knocking back enemies near the user.

Description:

If you hear an odd horn sound in a storm, it may be an adult Wind-Seed Octopus hunting. Legends say this rare magical creature possesses the ability to control waves and air currents; the long horn growing on its forehead is the source of its power.

Note: "Musicians who perform in the storms and waves, listen—what a beautiful melody!"

—Lydia, Deep Sea Pursuer, Acoustic and Mollusk Biologist. This was a unique spellcasting prop obtained from the Sahuagin Priest that Xia Nan had decapitated, crafted primarily from the sharp horn of a "Wind-Seed Octopus".

Its crafting process was relatively primitive, yet it brought out its innate traits to the fullest.

Because it required the user to blow the horn to assist in spellcasting, it possessed a rare negative trait on the Attribute Panel that slowed casting speed.

But at the same time, its bonuses to spell stability and to Enchantment and Evocation School spells made up for it.

The special effect named [Gale Repulsion] further increased the Spellcaster's margin of error during combat to a certain degree.

A highly distinctive enchanted magic prop.

In the hands of the right Spellcaster, it could yield effects far beyond the ordinary.

It was just a pity that it was equally unsuited for Xia Nan.

But if sold for money, it just might fetch an unexpectedly high price.

With a full three pieces of enchanted green gear, Xia Nan planned to consign them at the local Adventurers' Association in Barracuda Bay to liquidate them as quickly as possible. This way, he could guarantee a sufficient selling price while recouping the funds relatively fast to purchase the [Proof of Diligence].