Chapter 1225 - 603: Chasing Waves Sea Teeth (2)

Sipping on cream mushroom soup, casually chatting with Hera behind the counter ahead.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door, from the bustling street growing livelier with the sunrise.

Xia Nan, whose perception is keen, instinctively turned his head and looked towards the entrance.

Before anyone was seen, the distinctive loud voice of the barbarian Aken had already squeezed through the door seam.

"I’d say we need to hurry that old man up!"

"If we don’t push him, it’s likely we won’t receive the goods even by this time next year, especially those who have some skill and love fishing!"

Creak——

The tavern door was pushed open from the outside, the spotted catman Sasha walked in at the front, helping carry the barbarian’s giant axe, gently swaying the fluffy long tail behind him.

Druid Hai Yin followed right behind.

While teasing the Silver Ring Snake Ayin twined around his wrist, he continued Aken’s conversation without turning his head.

"We paid extra to cut in line and expedite this cargo; the contract is signed, if delayed a day, he compensates half, three days it’s the full amount."

"Even if he loves fishing, money isn’t something one can ignore easily, is it?"

"That’s not necessarily true..." Ellison, hands behind his back, said leisurely.

And it was only then that the figure of the barbarian Aken, whose voice had first entered the tavern, appeared at the tavern’s entrance.

After many days, the injuries he sustained on Stodd Island had long healed.

At present, his shoulder carried a vaguely outlined, black cloth-wrapped item.

The length seemed to be about two meters, not particularly large, but it appeared decidedly heavy, so much that even for a barbarian like Aken, whose attributes skewed towards strength, the muscle beneath his shoulder visibly tightened, stressing the skin.

Knowing this might be the last meeting with Xia Nan for a while, the usually ship-bound twin brothers Rein and Gordon also joined the group this time, currently protecting the barbarian from left and right to prevent the heavy object from accidentally falling.

The captain of the "Vengeance Blade" ship group, Lorin, followed along with the newly joined archer Sarisa who would continue her adventurer career as a member of the "Vengeance Blade," lazily trailing at the end of the group, entering the tavern last.

The morning hall was relatively cool; almost as soon as they entered the room, they noticed Xia Nan at the bar enjoying his breakfast merrily.

The most straightforward character, unable to contain his emotions, the barbarian Aken hadn’t yet managed to unload the heavy item off his shoulder before he shouted from afar:

"Haiya! Come, see what farewell gift we’ve prepared for you!"

Having previously heard from Hera, the tavern owner, about the gesture from the Vengeance Blade, Xia Nan took the last spoonful of cream mushroom soup into his mouth and stepped forward.

"Thank you for your kind gesture, this is too grandiose, there’s no need..."

"It’s necessary." Lorin seriously stated, snuffing out the cigarette in her hand as she interrupted Xia Nan’s courtesy.

In just a few months, the Vengeance Blade ship group encountered more danger in terms of frequency and severity than they had over previous years.

They faced scenarios with near-complete wipeouts more than once.

And their ability to stand here, safe and sound, limbs intact, was all thanks to the young black-haired adventurer before them.

To this day, Lorin felt more grateful for agreeing with Hera on that day, allowing Xia Nan to join the Vengeance Blade as a temporary crew member.

If not for Xia Nan, even if the name "Vengeance Blade" still endured, it would likely be akin to "Furious Tide Battle Gang" and "Wind Forger," left with few members barely surviving, instead of the complete crew they retained now.

His battle performance was evident; although unspoken, Xia Nan’s status among the Vengeance Blade crew was apparent from the gradual change in their attitudes after he boarded.

Now, this exceptional adventurer, someone rare enough to warrant trust with one’s back through life-and-death combat and a truly reliable partner, was set to leave.

No angle of consideration would allow the Vengeance Blade members to remain indifferent.

With a glance, Lorin signaled Aken to remove the black cloth from the item, then she introduced it to Xia Nan:

"Compared to those enchantment equipment that costs in the five or six digits with high quality enchantments, this may not seem particularly valuable."

"Yet every person on the ship contributed to selecting materials, drafting the plan, and crafting this piece."

Hearing this, Xia Nan’s face turned serious, his gaze moved to the side.

The barbarian Aken chuckled, gently placed the heavy object he carried on the ground, emitting a muffled sound.

In the sight of everyone, he slowly revealed the item beneath the black cloth.

It was a completely black ship figurehead custom-made based on the Winter Wolf.

Meticulous attention was paid to the imagery when Xia Nan used [Teeth Hunting]; the Winter Wolf wasn’t static but showcased a fierce posture of mane flowing, its form blurred in a sprinting attack.

The entire body was crafted from specially seasoned dark wood, its color faintly akin to the pitch black gust released during [Teeth Hunting]; the wolf mouth was half open, exposing its sharp wolf teeth, as if one could hear the high-pitched wolf howl resonating from within.

The crucial pair of wolf eyes was polished with dark red amber, concentrating the entire aura of the figurehead within.

Xia Nan’s expression turned unexpected as he focused naturally.

The next second, familiar translucent characters appeared in front of him.

...

[Chasing Waves Sea Teeth]

Type: Ship Figurehead

Effect:

1. Sailing speed +15%;

2. When the ship is chasing a specific target, gain a progressive extra speed bonus (max of 20%);

3. During combat, the wind howl from the figurehead can potentially instill fear into enemies, lowering morale;

4. Crew gains some resistance to negative mental effects like curses and charms.

Introduction:

A colorful Winter Wolf, regarded as an ominous symbol on the cold northern plateau;

Yet in the warm southern seas where the waves never rest, it takes on another identity.

Note:

"Haiya, from Suo Yu Bay."

...

"How does it look, decent right?" Ellison hugged his arms across his chest, smiling broadly, "We specially paid the most famous shipwright in the bay to rush this custom order."

"To ensure completion before today, I even accompanied that old man on a two-day fishing trip, alas, his skill was lacking; in comparison, even Aken fishes better."

After the Stodd Island incident, having reconciled with his sister, although without a moving tale of siblings overcoming differences, Ellison naturally fell into the fold of the Vengeance Blade ship group in a way that was accepted by everyone, evidently intending to travel with the ship in the future.

"Before, I really couldn’t think of an appropriate gift for you, but later on, upon hearing from Hai Yin that you had a ship in the shipyard, suddenly I remembered, you mentioned to me once that the ship still lacked a figurehead, so I reached out leveraging connections."

Lorin stood aside, explaining to Xia Nan the reason for gifting him this item.

"Originally, I thought you might stay here for a while longer, so I didn’t think deeply, but unexpectedly..."

There’s no way he’d disapprove.

On one hand, the figurehead’s inherent attributes already proved it to be an outstanding nautical auxiliary item, not just any ship could possess it;

On the other hand, Xia Nan’s own character wouldn’t let him disregard others’ goodwill towards him.

Even if leaving Suo Yu Bay soon, and although the hefty figurehead might not be usable in the near future, it wouldn’t hinder him from sincerely reciprocating kindness to the Vengeance Blade members before him.

As for how to ultimately deal with this gift presented by everyone.

Selling it was absolutely out of the question.

Yet if merely carrying it around, its nearly two-meter stature would take up a storage slot in the [White Pot] pocket watch for a long period, essentially becoming a mere decorative keepsake, feeling somewhat wasted.

Sensitive to intentions, having discussed beforehand, Lorin proposed:

"Rest assured, if unsure how to handle it, you can first install this figurehead onto your ship."

"It’s fine to leave it as is; we’re here, your ship can stay docked at Suo Yu Bay indefinitely, and you can sail it when you return later."

Hearing Lorin’s suggestion, Xia Nan couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Just about to speak, suddenly, a familiar chill emanated from the small pouch close to his waist.