Goblin Dependency

Just as Xia Nan was talking with Lorin, a soft moan of pain suddenly came from the direction of the bed.

...

Sarisa slowly opened her eyes.

What greeted her was a completely unfamiliar ceiling.

Her expression was bewildered.

Where is this...

I...

Still not fully awake, her thoughts were as tangled as a ball of yarn in her mind, hard to unravel.

But the next second, like a life flashing before one’s eyes, several scenes instantly flashed in her mind.

Rainstorm, leaden clouds, gale and waves, the shriek of Fishmen, teammates’ shouts and cries of pain... and that gigantic tentacle coiling around the ship’s side, tearing it apart.

"Ah!"

All that had happened before she lost consciousness surged back into her mind like a tide, causing her to exclaim involuntarily, trying to prop herself up, but the weakness and pain from all over her body made her fall back onto the bed.

The sound of two footsteps approached her.

She looked toward the direction.

Fiery red, long curly hair like flames, dark eyes that left a mysterious and lasting impression...

"Sword of Vengeance?"

Sarisa’s voice appeared extremely hoarse and low.

Though it was a question, with the situation that had transpired before, she also guessed her current predicament.

Her entire spirit instantly relaxed, exhaustion surged, darkness edged her vision, and leaning her head back, she once again fainted.

...

When Sarisa woke up again, it was already the next morning.

A day and night, with the effects of the Healing Potion, though not completely recovered, still unable to get out of bed, she was fully conscious now and regained the ability to communicate.

"So it was a large group of Sha Hua Fishmen that attacked your fleet back then?"

Lorin asked solemnly, sitting on the backrest chair by the bed.

"Yes, but they only appeared later." Sarisa wolfed down the meat soup in her hand, not caring about her image as she replied.

Draining the last bit of soup from the bowl into her mouth, she wiped her mouth with her hand and began explaining the ins and outs to Xia Nan and Lorin beside her.

"Our mission this time was to capture a special demon known as the ’Windkind Octopus.’

"This creature usually dwells in the deep sea, making it very hard to track, only surfacing during its hunt, using the horn on its head to lure prey."

"And the chaotic Magic Particles in the air would also stir up storms in the nearby sea."

Windkind Octopus?

Hearing this term from the other party, Xia Nan’s expression remained unchanged, but he couldn’t help feeling a jolt inside.

He had only recently seen this name on the attribute panel of the [Scale Breath Horn].

According to the obscure information pointed out in the "Introduction" section, the [Scale Breath Horn] should be made from the sharp horn on this demon’s head, and the Windkind Octopus possesses the ability to control airflow and waves.

But...

Recollecting the not-so-large size of the horn itself, and the Black Tide Hunter ship seen yesterday being torn apart...

Clearly, the Windkind Octopus, serving as the main material source of the [Scale Breath Horn], must be much smaller in size than the one that attacked the Black Tide Hunter, possibly just a juvenile.

Thinking like this, Sarisa’s explanation further validated Xia Nan’s guess.

"We sailed into the storm that day, aiming to seize the opportunity to hunt this demon when it surfaced."

"But unexpectedly, this Windkind Octopus was much larger than we anticipated."

At this point, a hint of regret flashed through Sarisa’s amber cat-like eyes.

"We should have retreated, but..."

When hunting, the Windkind Octopus’s horn emits sounds that influence the emotions and psyche of other creatures, so before entering the storm, the Black Tide Hunter Ship Group had already plugged their ears with earplugs, and the professionals had taken relevant Resistance Potions in advance.

But perhaps due to the overwhelming size of the Windkind Octopus they encountered, the resounding horn sound easily penetrated the preparations they had made.

Even with her relatively outstanding Perception, she only subconsciously noticed a little, the entire ship group was affected by the horn sound, losing their usual calm.

"Now that I think about it, its size wasn’t unimaginably intimidating, just about three to four times what we had expected."

"If it had been just this one Windkind Octopus, no matter how heavy the losses, we shouldn’t have ended up in such a dire situation."

The Black Tide Hunter group is a professional adventurer team specializing in hunting various sea beasts, and Captain "Whale Anchor" Aude wielded a nearly five-meter-long fish spear, demonstrating their rich experience and capability in hunting large sea beasts.

Even if the Windkind Octopus’s size exceeded their estimates, the likely result, though bloody, they could probably still manage with the cooperation of adventurers and crew members.

However...

"Those damn Sha Hua Fishmen!"

Sarisa gritted her teeth, her expression full of resentment.

"They had long been lurking in the deep waters nearby, using the waves and dark clouds for cover, waiting for us to engage with the Windkind Octopus."

"The Fishman Priest used a spell to control Crook, he couldn’t even swing his axe before he was torn in half by the octopus’s tentacle."

"Captain Aude was dragged into the sea by the octopus, I wanted to help at that time, but by then Fishmen had already leaped onto the deck, I..."

Sarisa did not detail the specific events that happened at that time, but obviously, this was an extremely fierce battle for the Black Tide Hunter Fleet.

The captain was missing, teammates were dying one after another, and even the ship carrying them was ripped apart by a mighty force.

Sarisa was besieged by several Elite Fishman Guards and barely held out under the protection of her teammates, but she was ultimately struck in a vital area by a Magic Missile fired suddenly from underwater, driving her health below the safe line.

Just before completely losing consciousness, she used "Water Pattern Concealment," a battle skill from her Ranger profession, to mask her presence, narrowly surviving and being discovered later by Xia Nan and the others, saving her life.

"Thank you all for extending a helping hand."

With all her teammates deceased, Sarisa struggled to control her grief but forced a stiff smile to express gratitude to Xia Nan and the others.

"When we return to Suo Yu Bay, I will compensate you."

Being an adventurer herself, Sarisa fully understood that they were under no obligation to save her, and of course, she couldn’t make any additional requests.

She was merely expressing gratitude while demonstrating her value, hoping that Xia Nan and Lorin wouldn’t abandon her.

In response, although wary of her capabilities as a professional, considering Sarisa’s serious injuries and her inability to engage in high-intensity combat at the moment, plus her weapons were confiscated in advance, Lorin didn’t mind having her aboard if she behaved well, just another mouth to feed on the table, and they could gain considerable rewards afterward on their return journey.

"How many Sha Hua Fishmen did you encounter at that time?"

The specifics of future negotiations were Lorin’s concerns, not within the realm of Xia Nan’s responsibility.

He inquired about the information Sarisa had not previously mentioned.

"There were a lot of ordinary individuals, the environment was extremely harsh at the time, and many were hiding under the sea, so I couldn’t count."

"But concerning the four-armed Elites, at least a dozen boarded the ship."

"Additionally, there were two Fishman Priest Spellcasters."

Upon hearing this, Xia Nan nodded slightly; he had a rough idea and continued to ask:

"We didn’t find the bodies of your other teammates except for that Half orc who was torn in two when we arrived. Is there any possibility they are still alive?"

"No bodies!?"

Hearing Xia Nan’s words, a glimmer of hope sparkled in Sarisa’s eyes.

But then the amber light in her eyes dimmed the next second.

"The possibility is slim..."

As the long-range shooter of the team, she was protected by the squad in the rear.

Because of this, Sarisa almost witnessed with her own eyes as her teammates were killed by Fishmen ahead.

Even if someone survived, it would probably only be Captain Aude, who went missing after being pulled into the sea by the Windkind Octopus initially.

It was just a confirming question, so Xia Nan was not surprised by Sarisa’s answer.

Based on his experience with Sha Hua Fishmen during several encounters in the Southern Islands, he formed a theory about why the corpses of the Black Tide Hunter ship’s crew disappeared?

It was naturally because of the Fishmen’s Sacrificial Ceremony.