Goblin Dependency

Chapter 1000: Chapter 497: Departure and Review (Part 2)

An idea emerged that "it seems like there’s an opportunity to pick up a bargain."

At that moment, Aurie had even discreetly thought about how to guide the conversation further and probe deeper.

But to his surprise, the young adventurer before him showed no intention to follow the usual approach and instead went straight to the point, clearly expressing his interest in the bracelet.

He even proactively pointed out that the bracelet might have other effects.

This once again exceeded Aurie’s expectations.

With things having progressed to this point, it seemed unnecessary to continue probing further.

As a professional appraiser, Aurie was well aware of the specific features of this bracelet, which he acquired for less than a thousand gold coins.

Apart from increasing stamina recovery speed, which he had pointed out himself, it could also reduce the energy consumption during training to a certain extent and make it easier for the trainer to enter a focused state.

Without a doubt, this wasn’t equipment that could be bought for just several hundred gold coins.

Honestly, for someone in the appraisal business, such accessories had no practical value and were kept purely for collection purposes.

Moreover, even if someone placed a bid, he, who wasn’t short on money, had no intention to sell.

However, if the bidder was this young and forthright adventurer of reasonable strength, the situation changed...

Aurie indeed had a batch of collection items that had been plundered by pirates associated with the Ebbtide Gang, and he had contacted an adventurer team two days ago.

Xia Nan’s addition was a spontaneous decision.

Not only did it add another layer of insurance for the return of his collection, but it also provided an opportunity to assess his capabilities through this commission.

If the other party exhibited sufficient strength and was trustworthy during the mission...

There’s still more than two months till the Moon Tide Banquet, so there’s ample time.

Compared to his goals, losing such a bracelet was within acceptable limits.

Aurie stepped onto the final stair step.

His right hand instinctively exerted force, gripping the railing he had been lightly supporting.

His gaze flickered uncertainly.

...

...

Nighttime.

Suo Yu Bay, Three-legged Sea Dog Tavern.

The hall was as lively as ever, with the aroma of food and drinks filling the bustling air.

Although there were always familiar faces at the tables raising their glasses, tonight they were more familiar than usual.

The Vengeance Blade Ship Group, which had nearly been wiped out on an extremely dangerous adventure mission, rented the entire hall of the Three-legged Sea Dog Tavern for the night, celebrating the successful completion of their commission and their feat of facing storms and formidable enemies without losing a single member.

Every member of the crew, including the newly boarded sailors, would enjoy unlimited free drinks and enough savory meat to fill them up. All expenses were covered by Lorin.

Even Sasha, from the typically reserved Spotted Cat race, gradually let loose under the influence of alcohol and the festive atmosphere. He was now shaking his fluffy long tail and playing lively drinking games with the barbarian Akken and other ordinary crew members.

Xia Nan sat alone at the bar, with an empty bowl of cream mushroom soup and half a cup of ice-cold butter rye beer in front of him.

His dark eyes were unfocused, deep in thought over the day’s events.

Upon careful review, he could tell that when discussing matters related to the [Proof of Diligence] with Aurie, the latter seemed to be guiding the conversation deliberately.

Although he hadn’t consciously realized it at the time, his body instinctively reacted under the influence of his heightened perception ability, resisting the idea of "picking up a bargain".

Along with his own personality, this proactive approach led him to candidly express his interest in the [Proof of Diligence] bracelet.

And the result was positive, after all.

While Aurie didn’t directly sell him the bracelet, he did propose conditions for initiating a trade, allowing Xia Nan to acquire the [Proof of Diligence] through legitimate means.

He could vaguely sense that this collector seemed to be hiding something, possibly with another motive.

But for him, the core requirement was the [Proof of Diligence] bracelet.

As long as he could obtain this equipment, whatever Aurie was plotting or aiming to achieve wouldn’t matter to him as he planned to leave Suo Yu Bay in two months.

Currently, the Vengeance Blade team would stay in Suo Yu Bay to rest and wouldn’t likely take any major actions before the banquet.

He could use this free time to attend to his own matters.

As for the specifics of this commission, based on Aurie’s remarks during the day, he expected a detailed introduction in the next couple of days, which meant he needed to prepare for the upcoming external task.

While pondering, he heard the sudden, crisp sound of leather boots hitting the floor, "click, click," approaching.

A flash of fiery red dashed at the corner of his eye, accompanied by the ambient scent of smoke and alcohol, as Lorin sat straight down beside Xia Nan.

"One ’Volcanic Lava’!"

She called out to the tavern owner, Hera, behind the bar.

Then she turned her head to Xia Nan beside her, a small smile on her lips.

"What’s up, everyone’s celebrating, and you’re sitting here drinking alone?"

Knowing she was teasing, Xia Nan had no real intention of replying, simply smiling and shaking his head.

His gaze drifted to the card table on the other side.

There, the Half-Orc Alton stood on a chair, enthusiastically talking about something, with a pile of chips stacked high on the table in front of him.

But the sailors and crew members next to him, who seemed to have lost their money, were all smiling brightly, knowing that per the usual practice, those mountain-like chips would soon return to their own hands.

"If you need manpower, just say so."

"I’m sure Akken and the others wouldn’t miss the chance to make some extra money."

Xia Nan didn’t hide his upcoming plans, and knowing he might be going on a task soon, Lorin spoke directly.

"Of course," Xia Nan nodded, understanding her goodwill, "but there should already be several temporary teammates on this trip, all professionals. It’s definitely enough to handle the Ebbtide Gang."

And even if unexpected situations arise, with Xia Nan’s current set of battle skills, he could retreat at any time.

The [Abyssal Stream] armor granted water mobility bonuses, covering his last weak point.

Moreover, with the survival supplies stored in the [White Pot] pocket watch, given his current physical condition, mere survival wouldn’t be much of a problem, even if stranded on a deserted island in the deep ocean.

Conversely, having close teammates around, whom he’d need to take extra care of in the most dangerous situations, would be more troublesome.

"Did Ellison... tell you everything?"

Receiving the glass from Hera, Lorin took a big gulp, explaining her intentions.

Earlier, Xia Nan had already disclosed to his captain about his conversations with Ellison. freewebnøvel.coɱ

This included but wasn’t limited to the situation with their sibling Morton, the root of siblings’ estrangement, and the origin of the name "Vengeance Blade."

To some extent, Xia Nan and Lorin shared a common target—"Algae Scale" Dodd.

The former hoped to acquire the key to the [Dream Weaving Corridor] from him, while the latter regarded him as a revenge target.

He had mentioned this briefly to Lorin some days ago.

"So you wanted to attend the Moon Tide Banquet because of him; should have had Hera tell me earlier. No need for any tests to waste effort; I’d take you there directly."

Lorin said, though Xia Nan knew without their time spent together, with her character, it would have been difficult for her to trust someone suddenly appearing. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

By a twist of fate, it worked out perfectly; it strengthened the trust between them and established a common goal. Together, they could focus their strength on the enemy, confidently entrusting their backs to one another.

"Clink."

He raised his glass, gently clinking it with hers.

Xia Nan drank the last few gulps of rye beer from his cup, his mind contemplating the mission regarding the Ebbtide Gang in the coming days, as well as the Moon Tide Banquet two months ahead.