Goblin Dependency

Standing at the forefront of the crowd on the deck of the Black Tide Hunter was a burly and strong middle-aged man.

He appeared to be in his forties, with skin tanned and rough from years exposed to the sea breeze and sun, covered with sunspots.

He wore only a sleeveless vest made of some unknown sea beast’s leather, exposing his firm and bulging upper body muscles, and a vicious scar that nearly tore across his entire chest.

— "Whale Anchor" Aude.

The captain of the Black Tide Hunter adventurer team.

His most distinctive feature was his main weapon, as enormous and intimidating as the team’s flag emblem.

Almost five meters long, a heavy whaling spear made of oak embedded with metal, which he held single-handedly upright beside him, looking from a distance like an extra ship mast.

The spearhead had barbs on both sides, and the handle end was connected to a thick iron chain with a metallic sheen, tightly coiled around Aude’s arm at the moment.

Such a heavy weapon was evidently specially designed for hunting sea demons.

Xia Nan could even imagine the scene of him standing at the edge of the deck, casting the spear at the fierce sea demon below, then gripping the chain with both hands, wrestling with the sea beast amid the wind and waves.

Of course, for human adventurers, this kind of weapon would be much less effective.

Especially against those like himself who focus on agility and mobility, the opponent’s broad and forceful fighting style was almost perfectly countered by him.

Even if the scene was set on an open sea, convenient for the opponent’s performance, he would still not be at a disadvantage.

Moreover, under the perception, even though the opponent’s aura was not weak, it was on par with Lorin, estimating his professional Level at most only at Level 6 or Level 7.

Unless something was being concealed, basically he was within the scope that he could handle in a one-on-one situation.

Thinking about this, the Black Tide Hunter gradually approached.

Obviously noticing the readiness for battle of the crew on the Vengeance Blade Blade deck, but not intending to make enemies with Xia Nan and his team.

Knowing that in this chaotic sea, their approach was inherently a threat.

"Whale Anchor" Aude still held the enormous whaling spear in hand but voluntarily lowered his stance, standing on the deck, greeting the Vengeance Blade Blade Squad on the other side:

"I’ve heard the name ’Vengeance Blade’ for a long time, I didn’t expect to have the chance to meet today."

"Captain Lorin, we have no hostility."

He didn’t raise his voice but maintained a normal speaking tone.

His slightly deep male voice clearly carried with the sea breeze to the deck of the Vengeance Blade Blade.

As the team captain, Lorin was cautious of this uninvited group, unwilling to exchange pleasantries, and directly got to the point:

"Let’s not waste time."

"Aude, what do you want?"

Faced with Lorin’s overly direct and somewhat impolite question, the middle-aged man in need didn’t show any signs of anger or resentment. Instead, he grinned broadly and stated his intention directly:

"The night before last, we encountered a gang of pirates near the waters of Mud Snail Island. They were quite capable, but although we and our brothers sent them to the sea bottom, they damaged our onboard supply warehouse."

"Coincidentally, our mission is at a critical point, and returning home would cause massive losses. Seeking supplies from nearby islands might lead us to lose track of our target."

"So..."

Aude paused, his gaze sweeping over the adventurers on the Vengeance Blade Blade deck, and made his request.

"We need fresh water, and enough provisions for twenty people for five days."

"Rest assured, we are not asking for charity."

"I can exchange some Demon Material, valued at about 30 gold coins."

"Additionally, if the transaction is completed, you will also gain the friendship of me and the entire Black Tide Hunter Ship Group. If there’s a need in the future, we are willing to offer some help within our capability."

Without a doubt, knowing it’s a special situation at a special time, Aude’s offer far exceeded the value of these supplies themselves.

The latter part of his offer represented their willingness to owe the Vengeance Blade Squad a favor for this.

Although the reputation of the "Black Tide Hunter" around Suo Yu Bay wasn’t exactly renowned, it wasn’t bad either. They were the type focused on their adventurer duties.

A favor from them was by no means trivial.

Moreover, the Vengeance Blade Blade was already well-supplied, and even after providing the requested portion, the remainder would be sufficient for the crew, with planned routes having several points for resupply.

This kind of deal was a guaranteed profit for the Vengeance Blade Blade Ship Group.

After weighing the pros and cons for a moment.

With the intent of maximizing the favor owed, Lorin didn’t bother to haggle, turning to instruct the elder twin warrior behind him:

"Rein, take some sailors to the hold to fetch the goods, in the exact amounts he mentioned."

Hearing this, Aude on the other side could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He then called out to his team members to take the Demon Material from the temporary warehouse for exchange.

Xia Nan stood among the crowd, without any intention of interfering.

The captain of Vengeance Blade was Lorin, and naturally, it was up to her to make the decision in this situation.

After all, he was just a temporary member.