Goblin Dependency

Even the ever-slow progressing [Gravity Control] now seems to have hope of advancement.

Looking at the Bear Goblin’s head he placed atop the building, Xia Nan decided to collect bracelet components.

Meanwhile, during the ten days after returning to Suo Yu Bay, he had also managed to offload the spoils of his latest mission.

Excluding the three enchanted pieces he exchanged with Aurie Silver Heart for the [Proof of Diligence].

The rest, including miscellaneous items from the Elite Fishman Guards’ fish spears and Good equipment from some of the Ebbtide Gang’s higher-ups, all sold for over three hundred gold combined.

The two pirate ships brought back from Wildberry Cliff were also sold through Suo Yu Bay’s black market. Although second-hand goods go for a depreciated value, and with deductions for fees and docking, he still netted eight hundred ninety-five gold.

Adding the two hundred plus gold he found at the Ebbtide Gang’s base, his earnings from the Wildberry Cliff trip totaled a hefty one thousand six hundred gold.

This brought Xia Nan’s bank balance, already bolstered by the Vengeance Blade Squad’s mission rewards, back to a reassuring figure.

—2216 gold, 9 silver, 3 copper!

Which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

At least he wouldn’t have to worry about affording armor replacements for now.

Speaking of which, the [Abyssal Stream] armor, being of Blue Quality, has excellent defense capabilities. It suffered almost no damage in battles against Sha Hua Fishmen and "Carrion Vulture" Gerry, indicating it could last quite a while.

Thinking this, Xia Nan stepped out of the goblin nest.

He pulled out the [White Pot] from his pocket chain to check the time as its pocket watch functionality is essential.

Seeing it was already five o’clock in the afternoon.

He abandoned the thought of finding a goblin tribe to train building skills, recognized the direction slightly, and headed towards Suo Yu Bay’s main city area.

...

...

It was evening, and the already bustling Three-legged Sea Dog Tavern was now even more boisterous, with the air filled with the aroma of alcohol and food.

When Xia Nan, carrying his iconic dual longswords, walked in from outside the door, there wasn’t a momentary silence like in western movies; the noise persisted.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t noticed.

In fact, almost upon pushing open the wooden door and stepping in, Xia Nan could clearly feel the glances directed at him, both subtle and direct.

The Wildberry Cliff incident further spread the "Haiya" nickname, which was already gaining popularity due to the Corner Shark Gang’s demise.

Together with the Ebbtide Gang’s hooligan Hogan returning to Suo Yu Bay and the numerous island residents who witnessed the happenings shared them widely.

Adding in some passing merchant ships and adventurers’ testimonies.

Today, many adventurers in Suo Yu Bay have a profound impression of the name "Haiya."

They know he not only wiped out the former Corner Shark Gang but also slaughtered the Ebbtide Gang that rose in its wake, killing the gang leaders and many high-ranking members.

His notoriety in Suo Yu Bay, a core city, means that given adventurers’ mobility, it’s foreseeable that "Haiya" will soon spread throughout the Southern Islands, becoming a frequent topic among low-level adventurers at tavern tables.

Xia Nan, while aware of these perceptions, wasn’t particularly worried.

In a society not as technologically advanced as today’s, without widespread media, even if they’ve heard of "Haiya," they wouldn’t necessarily recognize him, shielding him from most troubles.

Those who can identify him by certain characteristics like "black hair," "dual swords," and "young male" tend to be well-informed seniors unlikely to approach someone dangerous like him.

It’s as if there’s an invisible threshold set among them.

Disregarding the surrounding gazes, Xia Nan walked directly to the bar and quickly spotted a familiar figure.

A halfling named Alton sat alone on a high stool by the bar, his short legs swinging in the air.

His light brown, crystal-like eyes curiously eyeing the assortment of spirits in front cabinets, but his table was desolate save for a glass of water with a copper coin beside it.

Knowing the little guy had likely just come from a casino, Xia Nan took a seat beside him, casually saying,

"Didn’t I say meals are on my tab for now? What do you want to eat, it’s my treat."

Despite Alton’s participation in previous missions, he showed little interest in the loot, leaving most to Xia Nan.

In a show of goodwill, Xia Nan decided to cover his costs in Suo Yu Bay as a token of compensation.

"Xia Nan, you’re back!"

Seeing Xia Nan beside him, Alton’s already high-spirited face grew even more enthusiastic, and he grinned,

"Hey, I heard from others just now that the new ’Clam Wine’ here is good..."

"Hera, two bottles of ’Clam Wine’ please," Xia Nan called to the tavern owner behind the counter, "And two sets of cream mushroom soup meals."

"Hehe, sure."

She put down the glass she was wiping, smiling as she replied, with her striking features framed by long, lush, seaweed-green curls.

"Today’s mushroom soup ingredients are grouper fish meat and small octopus, is that okay?"

Xia Nan nodded in response.

While waiting for the food, Xia Nan glanced at the Three-legged Sea Dog Tavern’s owner, Hera, and asked,

"Any word from the Governor Mansion?"

Recently, having encountered Sha Hua Fishmen repeatedly during several missions, Xia Nan noticed this extremely race-biased and hostile-to-humans demon species seemed to be brewing some plan, mass-killing humans for sacrificial ceremonies.

Now reaching an eerie collaboration with the human faction Ebbtide Gang, using their channels to kidnap island residents.

Xia Nan had no intention of involving himself in such factional conflicts, but since he came across it, he reported it.

Upon returning to Suo Yu Bay, he reported his encounters and the Sha Hua Fishmen’s strange actions to the Governor Mansion, the local official force.

As for the result... Hera’s slight shake of the head indicated there was no follow-up.

Xia Nan felt a bit disappointed.

After all, it was the Sevia Kingdom’s official force. He thought they’d at least send a few sheriffs to inquire about the situation, even if they weren’t concerned with intel from an ordinary adventurer like him.

But his report seemed like it sunk into the sea without a trace.

Admittedly, with Sha Hua Fishmen’s large-scale, almost conspicuous actions, Xia Nan wasn’t the only one who noticed.

He often overheard adventurers discussing the matter in the tavern these days.

Given the Governor Mansion’s control over Suo Yu Bay, it’s unlikely they haven’t detected this.

Yet seeing such behavior made Xia Nan ponder if something was amiss.

Like River Valley Town’s "Hunting Day"?

Or, perhaps, there’s something between the Governor Mansion and the Sha Hua Fishmen...

Xia Nan shook his head, ceasing further speculation.

Without enough information, idle theories would only lead to a swamp of conspiracy theories, unnecessarily draining energy.

He’s just a small character, lacking the power and desire to get entangled in such major events.

Instead of considering these, it’s more worthwhile to think about preparing for the upcoming Moon Tide Banquet.