Chapter 578 Difficult to Escape and Interrogate

With the addition of Xia Nan, Alton, and the two elite Adventurer Squads, the "Raging Tide Warband" and the "Windforged," the tide of battle on the pier, which had been tilting in favor of the sahuagin, was instantly reversed.

As a bard favored by the Goddess of Luck, the short halfling naturally played a massive role on a battlefield of this scale. After helping Lorraine decapitate the fishman commander, Xia Nan dove directly beneath the surface. Just as before, he broke through the guards' protection and assassinated the Spellcaster priests one after another.

This not only relieved the pressure on the adventurers—who had been fighting independently under the fishman siege and struggling to form a united front—but also massively boosted their camp's morale.

The veterans' strength and their combat discipline as adventurers began to shine as they gradually took control of the battlefield's rhythm.

In just over ten minutes, they slaughtered every last sahuagin that had charged onto the pier.

"Hah... hah..."

A mixture of blood and sweat slowly dripped down the tattooed lines on his skin, splashing into a murky, pale red puddle on the deck.

The Barbarian Aken gasped for air. His eyes, slightly glazed over from overexertion after the fierce battle, stared straight ahead. The massive, anchor-shaped blade of his axe rested against the floor, and his right hand trembled faintly as it gripped the handle.

Before him lay a ferocious Shark Beast, completely dead and covered in wounds.

As a powerful monster summoned by the fishmen, this massive beast had leaped onto the deck and single-handedly withstood the siege of the Blade of Vengeance's crew.

Even though the vast majority of the core crew was in a weakened state from the secret realm, the battle's toll was evident. The wound still oozing blood in the center of the Barbarian Aken's chest, the scrape near the tabaxi Sasha's shoulder, and the corpses of the three sailors currently being gathered by their crewmates were enough to prove the monster's strength.

Fortunately, the battle was over. With the help of the two Adventurer Squads that had suddenly joined the fray, the crew of the Blade of Vengeance no longer needed to distract themselves with the fishmen below the hull, allowing them to finally slay the vicious monster.

With the fiery red glow of his Barbarian Rage still lingering in his pupils, Aken casually took some ointment from a nearby crew member. He haphazardly smeared it over the wound on his chest, concluding his treatment.

Thanks to the robust physique granted by his race and class, an injury that looked severe but didn't damage his internal organs would heal on its own in just a few days.

Turning around, Aken glanced at his teammates on the deck.

The two back-liners, the druid Hein and the archer Sarissa, hadn't suffered any injuries in the battle thanks to their class roles. However, because Hein had over-cast spells while still weakened from the secret realm, her face was completely drained of color. She was currently leaning against the railing, downing potions.

The twin Warriors, Ryan and Gordon, had sustained minor injuries. They were applying medicine and wrapping each other in bandages while directing the crew on deck to wrap up the aftermath.

After the fighting on the Blade of Vengeance Ship concluded, Ellison and the tabaxi Sasha had rushed over to the pier to support the other adventurers. They looked somewhat exhausted now, but fortunately, they had only suffered minor injuries.

As for Captain Lorraine—

The Barbarian Aken stood on the deck, casting his gaze toward the pier below.

What caught his eye was the corpse of the sahuagin commander—the powerful and savage monster that had led the fishmen and nearly wiped out more than half the adventurers on Stodd Island.

Beside it stood Lorraine, and next to her was that young-looking, black-haired man.

Aken had already heard about Xia Nan's actions in the secret realm from the tabaxi and Sarissa right after breaking free from the ritual and regaining control of his body. He knew just how crucial a role the young man had played inside.

To some extent, if it weren't for Xia Nan, "Algae Scale" Dodd might have already completed his advancement by now, and the rest of them would have died on this island.

Unlike now, where they still held a sliver of hope for survival.

For some reason, as his mind emptied after the battle, the Barbarian Aken vaguely recalled the scene of the young man boarding their ship for the first time.

Who could have imagined then that this exceptionally young, black-haired adventurer would play such a critical role in the near future?

Xia Nan naturally had no idea what the crew of the Blade of Vengeance Ship was thinking. At this moment, he was discussing their next steps with Lorraine, Tieg, Zephyr, and the captains of several other squads on the pier.

First of all, the gear and spoils left behind by the fishmen on the pier would naturally be distributed reasonably according to each Adventurer Squad's contributions.

However, this was clearly not the time to discuss loot. They set the matter aside for now, deciding to handle it after this incident was completely resolved.

What they were currently deliberating was their subsequent plan of action.

"Apologies, but my squad has suffered heavy casualties. We won't be participating any further."

"Rest assured, I'll gather people to spread the word about everything that happened on this island, including 'Algae Scale' Dodd's actions."

"In less than half a month, the entire Southern Archipelagos will know what he's done."

The speaker was a gloomy-faced middle-aged man. Xia Nan couldn't remember his exact name, but his squad included several Class Holders with Class Levels between Lv2 and Lv3.

In truth, the losses that man's squad had suffered were only average compared to the other Adventurer Squads on the pier.

But that didn't stop him from exaggerating them as an excuse to withdraw from the battlefield.

This was just how adventurers were. Perhaps when faced with a lethal, shared danger, they could unite and fight side by side.

But once the battle ended, more practical concerns would suppress the emotions ignited by anger and warfare.

He naturally hated Dodd just as much as the other adventurers present. But expecting him to turn that anger into action—risking his life and the wealth he had accumulated over many years to seek revenge against Dodd...

He truly couldn't do it.

From his perspective, there wasn't much to criticize. After all, this adventurer and his crew had indeed participated in the recent battle and suffered losses.

Assessing the current situation and wanting to avoid further risk was entirely reasonable.

However, it was obvious that not everyone could understand his line of reasoning.

"Coward!"

The moment the gloomy adventurer finished speaking, Tieg—a blunt, hot-tempered half-dwarf and half-Barbarian—couldn't help but curse out loud.

"You deserve to be used as a stepping stone! Someone stomps on your face, and you still don't dare fight back! Your whole fleet is full of cowards! A nest of spineless wimps!"

One had to admit, the gloomy adventurer who volunteered to withdraw was rational enough.

Even after being insulted by Tieg like that, his expression only darkened a few shades.

He didn't shout back or argue, avoiding escalating the conflict as much as possible.

Averting his gaze, he gave a curt nod to Xia Nan, Lorraine, and the others, then turned to leave.

But right at that moment, an adventurer dressed as a Warrior hurriedly ran over.

He reported to his gloomy-faced captain, "Captain—it's no good, we can't set sail!"

"Those fishmen gouged several massive holes in the bottom of the ship. The cabin is completely flooded with seawater now."

Hearing this, the gloomy adventurer's face turned so dark it looked as if it could drip water.

"About how long will it take to repair it enough to leave the port?" he asked in a frigid tone.

"Five days—no, three days. Three days at the very least."

The two made no effort to lower their voices; everyone present heard them loud and clear.

Three days?

Given Dodd's mobility and the fishmen's offensive, if they really waited three days, it would be too late to do anything.

He was exceedingly clear on this point.

After repeatedly confirming that his subordinate's report was accurate, the gloomy adventurer's eyes flickered, clearly considering something carefully.

About five seconds passed.

In silence, he slowly turned around and walked back to the other captains.

He didn't speak. He just stood there quietly, as if everything that had just happened was a collective hallucination.

If they couldn't escape and were forced to stay in the port, these adventurers would definitely need the help of the other teams on the pier to survive the next few waves of fishman attacks.

His previous plan to retreat was born purely out of self-interest, and he hadn't hesitated to sacrifice a bit of trivial pride to do it.

Now, even if he lost a bit more face, as long as it meant fewer deaths among his crew and the survival of his squad, he would accept a few more mocking insults.

However, knowing how critical the situation was and that they needed the strength of every single adventurer, the captains didn't kick him while he was down. They simply pretended his earlier words had never been spoken.

Even Tieg, who had angrily insulted the man just moments ago, swallowed his impending mockery after calming down slightly. He only left the man with a disdainful glare.

"Actually, even if the hull wasn't damaged, it wouldn't be easy for one or two ships to leave on their own."

Although the gloomy adventurer's actions had sparked outrage among many, there was no shortage of other captains lacking fighting spirit who also wanted to retreat.

Noticing this, Xia Nan spoke up to warn them.

"When I went into the water just now, I used my Perception and sensed quite a few sahuagin still hiding in the nearby sea."

"It's one thing on land, but in their home turf, I don't think these sea rats will let us leave so easily."

He wasn't lying. When Xia Nan dove into the deep water to assassinate the fishman priests, he truly felt a massive number of presences lurking nearby.

He held the moniker of "Sea Fang" in the Southern Archipelagos, and his extraordinary performance in the recent battle—coupled with the unique nature of his combat techniques—led many to recognize him as the powerful wolf beast from the secret realm.

Without realizing it, Xia Nan had established a significant amount of influence on the field. No one dared to ignore his warning.

Hearing his words, many adventurers who had been wavering cast aside their thoughts of retreat for the time being.

At the same time, Xia Nan observed the reactions of the captains present.

Unexpectedly, Zephyr—the pure-blood Elf whom he had assumed was relatively rational and introverted—seemed to stand in the same camp as Tieg right now, showing no desire to retreat whatsoever.

It seemed Dodd's stunt had truly infuriated him.

"Then what should we do next? Just wait in the port and prepare for the next wave of sahuagin attacks?"

One adventurer proactively pushed the conversation forward.

"We find Dodd first!" Tieg answered viciously, looking as if he already had a plan. "That bastard has to be on Stodd Island right now to hold his ritual."

"If I don't slaughter that mongrel, I won't be able to sleep tonight!"

While certainly emotional, Tieg's words intangibly echoed the thoughts of a large portion of the adventurers present.

From an emotional standpoint, they were all veterans with established reputations in the Southern Archipelagos who thrived in their respective fields. How could they not be furious after being used as stepping stones like this?

From a logical standpoint, Xia Nan naturally didn't need to say anything. He had crossed such a vast distance, traveling from the inland to the coast just for the [Dream Weaving Corridor] encryption keys on Dodd's person. How could he possibly give up this chance?

As for the other adventurers, since leaving Stodd Island was already extremely difficult due to the fishman blockade, they naturally wanted to capture this mastermind of the secret realm ritual—a man who seemingly had some sort of partnership with the fishmen.

Whether to exact violent revenge or to interrogate him for an escape method, they had to get their hands on him.

But right now, tens of minutes had already passed since the secret realm ended.

Even if "Algae Scale" Dodd's plan had failed, he clearly wasn't the type to lie down and wait for death after a minor setback.

He had likely already set a backup plan in motion. Who knew where he was at this very moment—

Just as Xia Nan was halfway through his thoughts, he saw Lorraine clap her hands and call out twice.

Immediately after, Ellison and the tabaxi Sasha approached, escorting a familiar middle-aged man. He looked severely injured, his goatee was messy, his clothes were disheveled, and he appeared exceptionally pathetic.

"Flynn?"

Xia Nan was momentarily stunned, but then understanding dawned on him.

He certainly recognized the man.

Right before entering the secret realm, this manager—who was said to be "Algae Scale" Dodd's subordinate in charge of the entire Lunar Tide Banquet—had greeted them during the event.

To think he was now in the hands of the Blade of Vengeance?

After Lorraine explained, he got a rough idea of what happened.

It seemed that because the fishmen acting early wasn't part of "Algae Scale" Dodd's plan, Flynn—as the manager of the Lunar Tide Banquet—was worried something had gone wrong. He ended up following Ellison and the tabaxi, whom he bumped into on the way, to the port. Coincidentally, the ritual began right then, and he was dragged into the secret realm alongside everyone else on the pier.

The moment the secret realm ended, Lorraine and the others, having figured out Dodd's plan inside, immediately subdued this manager and kept him restrained until now.

Facing the interrogation of the various captains, this goatee-sporting man—who no longer displayed any of his previous elegance and looked incredibly pathetic—showed an unusual degree of loyalty to Dodd.

Even as his finger bones were crushed, his lips trembled, but he kept his mouth firmly shut, refusing to utter a single word.

"Damned mongrel!" Tieg cursed in frustration.

Seeing Flynn's rock-solid willpower, Zephyr, the captain of the "Windforged," couldn't be bothered to waste any more time. He reached into his belt pouch and pulled out a vial of pale purple potion that glowed faintly as it sloshed.

He clamped a hand around Flynn's cheeks. With a slight squeeze of his fingers, Flynn's mouth was forcefully pried open in pain.

The alchemical brew known as the Truth Potion was poured down his throat in its entirety.