Chapter 612 Screams and Ambush

"Screech!!"

A piercing noise, like metal scraping against metal, echoed through the cabin.

Behind him stood the crew members who had come down to help gather the spoils of war.

Xia Nan frowned slightly as he looked at the strange creature kept in the wooden bucket before him.

It was about the size of half an adult human's torso. Its overall appearance resembled an octopus parasitizing a conch shell.

However, the conch-like shell with its metallic luster didn't look like something it had just picked up and worn on its head. It seemed to be an innate part of the monster's body. Its texture was fine enough to have been polished by an expert blacksmith, and a translucent glimmer flowed across the surface like light refracting through water.

Beneath the shell stretched over a dozen slender, curling tentacles. They shared the upper shell's color palette: a pale blue bordering on flesh-toned. It also had a pair of flawless, gem-like dark eyes.

No one present, Xia Nan included, recognized the bizarre creature.

This was perfectly normal, of course.

The ocean was naturally a cradle of life. This was especially true in a world brimming with active magic particles and Transcendent Tier power, where never-before-seen species were born almost every moment.

Often, the mere shockwaves from a battle between two powerhouses would cause magic particles to collide and fall into chaos. This would severely and irreversibly alter the local environment in a short period, naturally giving birth to new lifeforms through the fusion of those particles.

Let alone Xia Nan, who had only recently transmigrated to this world, even the most knowledgeable elderly Elf scholar in Barracuda Bay wouldn't dare claim to know every creature in the sea.

Therefore, after their initial surprise at seeing the octopus monster kept in the bucket, the group quickly relied on their experience as Adventurers and sailors to evaluate its worth.

First, there had been a minor mistake on their part.

Because they hadn't left anyone alive, the crew couldn't question the pirates to determine its origin.

They had no way of knowing whether it was an accidental catch during the voyage or if the pirates had set sail specifically for this monster.

However, judging by where the octopus had been stored—a storage room deep within the cabin that showed obvious signs of being hastily cleared out, clearly prepared just for it...

The pirates had obviously placed immense importance on this octopus.

This alone proved its value to some extent.

Then, there was Xia Nan's perspective as an Adventurer.

Although he lacked any specific information about the monster in front of him...

He had been in this world for almost two years. Having dealt with countless types of monsters, he had accumulated a certain level of experience.

Moreover, with his outstanding Perception, he could notice many details that ordinary people would miss.

The monster waving its tentacles and emitting piercing screams in the bucket had a conch shell on its head. The shell seemed to flicker with a faint light, pulsing in tandem with the creature's fluctuating emotions. It disturbed the surrounding magic particles, making the air in the cabin slightly more humid. This suddenly reminded Xia Nan of the Wind-Seed Octopus he had once encountered in the Southern Archipelagos.

He might not know this octopus's exact name, but in Xia Nan's understanding, any monster capable of disrupting surrounding magic particles to influence the local environment possessed a remarkably high value.

The clearest examples of this were the Owlbear and the Petrification Lizard.

Both were dangerous monsters with a Challenge Rating "3". In terms of actual combat prowess, the Owlbear was even slightly superior.

But when it came to the value of their materials, the Petrification Lizard completely eclipsed the Owlbear.

The reason, naturally, lay in its vertical reptilian pupils—eyes that could petrify prey and served as the primary ingredient in many alchemical potions.

In contrast, the Owlbear, which relied entirely on its physical body in combat and lacked any special abilities, could only be sold for its pelt and bones.

Xia Nan figured that the metal shell of this octopus was likely akin to the horn of a Wind-Seed Octopus or the eyes of a Petrification Lizard. He estimated it would fetch a good price on the market.

Behind him, the veteran sailors he had hired in Barracuda Bay reached the same conclusion.

They even suspected that this octopus monster was quite possibly the most valuable piece of loot on the entire pirate ship.

Setting sail was all about making money; naturally, they couldn't pass this up.

After a quick discussion, two experienced sailors worked together to lift the bucket containing the monster and carry it back to the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang.

"Screech!!!"

Perhaps having already suffered some torment on the pirate ship, the monster didn't struggle much during transport. At most, it scraped its slime-coated tentacles against the rim of the bucket a few times.

However, the highly penetrating screams tearing from its mouthparts barely ceased.

Once they brought it out into the open space of the deck and it caught sight of the sea below, the cries grew even sharper and more ear-piercing.

It caused the two sailors tasked with carrying it—who had no choice but to stay close—to grimace in pain and quicken their pace.

Standing on the deck, Xia Nan furrowed his brow.

The sharp shrieking of the octopus monster faintly reminded him of the screams of human toddlers in train carriages from his past life.

His gaze subconsciously flicked toward the undulating, dark blue surface of the sea between the two ships.

"Mr. Xia Nan, we've finished packing everything on the pirate ship. Please come over for a moment."

The call from a nearby sailor interrupted his thoughts.

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

The pirate ship wasn't large. Even after combing through every room from the inside out, the thorough search hadn't taken much time. Before the sun had even fully dipped below the horizon, the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang once again set sail for Salt Rock Port. It was worth noting that under normal circumstances, following a large-scale battle where the enemy had been completely wiped out...

The pirate ship itself should have been claimed as part of the spoils and brought back with them.

That was exactly how the predecessor to the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang—the Flying Fish Oil Barrel—had been acquired.

But Xia Nan's primary objective right now was to reach Salt Rock Port within a limited timeframe to rendezvous with the Barbarian, Forgan.

With that as the priority...

He hadn't recruited many crew members to begin with, in order to make the voyage easier.

They had more than enough hands to sail the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang, but if they added a pirate ship of uncertain condition into the mix, their manpower would be stretched thin.

It would not only impact the fleet's sailing speed to some extent, but it would also force the crew—who could currently rotate and rest thanks to having adequate numbers—into a high-pressure state of overdrawn mental and physical stamina, drastically lowering their margin for error.

If even a few sailors fell ill or got injured at the same time, the entire fleet would suffer.

Under such circumstances, Xia Nan naturally wouldn't shoulder such a risk just for a few hundred gold coins.

As a result, after gathering the loot, they didn't bring the pirate ship along. They simply abandoned it to drift on the sea.

Tonight's dinner was as hearty as ever.

Stemming from Captain Xia Nan's personal preferences and his refusal to skimp on food expenses while traveling...

Whenever the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang made occasional brief stops for rest and resupply, they always stocked up on relatively expensive but much tastier provisions.

In his view, he was no ascetic monk. He had worked hard to earn money, and there was no need to shortchange himself in this regard.

Besides, these were just food supplies, not exorbitant enchanted equipment. Once he got back, he could easily recoup the costs just by casually negotiating with a few friendly green-skinned neighbors.

Long sea voyages were boring enough; if he couldn't make up for it in other areas, he simply couldn't accept it.

Because of this, the sailors—who were used to gnawing on black bread harder than rocks and slurping salted meat and crushed bean stew that tasted like slop during their voyages—unexpectedly found themselves enjoying more than a dozen days of glorious feasting after boarding his ship.

Sometimes, their meals were even better than what they ate on land.

Coupled with the fact that Xia Nan had a decent personality—though he looked cold and unapproachable, he was actually quite easy to get along with—he rarely reprimanded the sailors. Of course, this was also because they had all acted very professionally and made no mistakes.

Over the past few days, some of the bolder crew members had even started asking roundabout questions about whether he planned to continue sailing in the future, clearly wanting to become permanent members of the crew.

From a sailor's perspective, to have a captain like Sea Fang—a Class Grade powerhouse with formidable strength and a solid reputation, a name that made you stand a little taller just by dropping it; someone who was tolerant and gentle with his crew, paid generously, offered excellent perks, and never skimped on gold... The sailors, accustomed to hard lives at sea, would probably wake up laughing happily in their dreams, and even mop the deck with extra vigor.

Xia Nan could vaguely sense the change in the sailors' attitudes, but he didn't really mind.

He had no need to win people over. None of this was done deliberately to show off his approachability.

It was merely him acting as he pleased.

He possessed a complete set of values cultivated by modern human society in his previous life.

The crew might have had a clear gap in strength compared to him, but he wouldn't use that as a reason to feel superior or to order them around like slaves.

He paid them a wage, and they did their jobs.

As far as Xia Nan was concerned, that was the extent of their relationship.

As for the food supplies and his easygoing attitude, those were purely natural expressions of his own personality.

After all, they were all on the same ship. He didn't feel right eating lavish meals for every sitting while the sailors working for him were stuck gnawing on salted meat and black bread in the cramped cabin.

Since it didn't cost that much money anyway, he might as well buy a bit extra during resupplies.

Of course, it had to be admitted that Xia Nan had his selfish side. He frequently used the [White Flask] pocket watch to sneak himself a few extra private meals. This was also why many sailors, waking up early for their shifts, would inexplicably smell the aroma of butter wafting through the cabin.

"Splash..."

A steaming broth with an enticing aroma was ladled into a bowl.

Xia Nan nodded at the sailor serving as the cook in front of him, bypassed the crew members lining up behind him, and returned to his seat. Thanks to the special effect of the [Glimmer] die, the sailfish he had caught that afternoon was currently being served as an extra dish in every sailor's bowl.

The taste was actually quite good; its meat belonged to the firm variety.

It had just been boiled a little too long, resulting in a slight drop in texture. It wasn't as tender as it could have been.

Xia Nan had already offered some advice to the cook about this. Presumably, the next time the man encountered this kind of ingredient, he would improve.

At this thought, he inwardly marveled at the [Glimmer] die's special effect once again.

This supplementary ability that could be used once a day—allowing him to catch a large fish every single day—would surely have fantastic effects if applied to other areas.

Referencing the die's notes on the Attribute Panel, Xia Nan even considered that after rendezvousing with Forgan, he might hit up a few casinos just like the Halfling Alton, and host a few Sacrificial Rituals for the Goddess of Luck.

He just hesitated slightly when it came to the gold coins.

If he lost too little, he would appear insufficiently devout and lacking in sincerity.

But if he lost too much, Xia Nan's own heart would ache.

'Maybe... I'll throw in a few hundred gold first to test the waters?'

He pondered the idea.

Suddenly, a sharp screech from deep within the cabin pierced through the deck, mingling with the bustling noise of the sailors in the dining hall, and caught Xia Nan's ear. Perhaps because night was approaching, the cries of the octopus monster they had brought aboard were becoming increasingly shrill. According to the sailor assigned to watch over it, the creature was struggling more and more violently inside the bucket as well.

Coupled with the fleeting thought that had crossed his mind earlier that day, a bizarre, inexplicable feeling welled up within Xia Nan.

He decided he would inspect the monster more carefully once dinner was over.

Suddenly.

"Rumble!"

The ship—which had been sailing smoothly across the calm sea, only swaying occasionally—abruptly began to shudder violently, as if slammed by the crest of a storm wave.

Wood shavings were shaken loose from the floorboards overhead. The crew, enjoying their dinner, had absolutely no time to react or brace themselves. Their bodies lurched, and they were thrown to the floor while the food on the tables and plates scattered everywhere.

"What's going on?"

"What happened!?"

There were always crew members stationed on deck during dinner shifts. Whether a storm had brewed or they were under attack by pirates again, there was no way it would happen without a single warning signal.

The sailors grabbed onto the walls or the bolted-down tables and chairs, struggling to their feet.

Possessing the balance bonus from [Tidal Stabilization], the violent jolting had no effect on Xia Nan whatsoever.

As if suddenly realizing something, he shot to his feet and dashed toward the deck.

"Splash!"

The sky above was wide and open.

Set against a brilliant sea of stars, the moon had already quietly risen, radiating a soft glimmer as it hung silently in the sky.

There was neither wind nor wave; it should have been just another tranquil, peaceful night on the ocean.

Yet right now, centered on the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang, unnatural waves surged and rolled outward in all directions.

It was as if a geyser had inexplicably erupted from within the sea, endlessly hammering against the hull of the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang.

"Ah!!!"

The lookout—who had been stationed outside the cabin to watch for danger and was monitoring the surrounding waters from the top of the mast—could no longer hold on amidst the violent shaking. He plummeted from the sky.

Just as he was about to fall to his death on the deck, an invisible, colorless force inexplicably materialized in the air behind him, gently lifting him upward.

His rapidly falling body then drifted down as gently as a feather.

Seeing that the man was unhurt, Xia Nan retracted his gravitational pull and cast his gaze toward the ocean over the ship's rail.

His keen Perception, paired with his night vision—which had strengthened alongside his physical attributes—allowed him to vaguely glimpse it.

Between the rolling waves, deep within the abyssal, pitch-black water, there lay a massive silhouette, squirming and swaying.