Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 442 [Nareka's Short Octopus Spirit-Seeking Technique]

Are you sure this is the place?

A light rain was falling, and his dark, tousled hair was soaked by the rain.

Xia Nan looked at the narrow and dark alleyway ahead and asked Jerry's underling, whose right hand was wrapped in bandages.

Earlier today, on their way back to the tavern from the Adventurers' Guild, Xia Nan and Hein did not kill the "Bloody-nosed Rat" after questioning him.

Although both are adventurers with countless lives on their hands, one is a druid who respects nature and cherishes life, while the other is a transmigrator from modern society with sound values.

Although Jerry was a bit short, he wasn't a goblin after all, and he was quite perceptive.

So he let the kid go, only breaking the arms of the other guy's two henchmen as a lesson.

But unexpectedly, in such a large saltwater area as Suyu Bay, we still had the chance to meet that day.

Moreover, the timing was quite subtle, falling on a time when Xia Nan and the others' mission progress was slow, and when Alton, the goddess of fortune, was saying "let nature take its course."

It was such a coincidence that even if this person knew nothing, they still had to go up and ask.

Surprisingly, after interrogation, the group actually managed to extract some information from this low-level thug who didn't even need a name.

The other side's leader, Jerry, nicknamed "Bloody Nose Rat," recently returned to Eel Alley, where he lived, with two of his underlings, including the thug in front of him, saying he wanted to give them money to go to the clinic for treatment.

Strangely, the two waited outside the alley for a long time but Jerry did not come out. When they went back in, "Bloody Nose Rat" had his throat slit and became a corpse that was gradually cooling in the rain.

“It’s inside, sir!” the thug replied, his voice laced with obsequiousness and fear. “We were so scared that we didn’t even touch the body before we ran out.”

"Jerry should still be lying there now."

"Stop talking nonsense and lead the way!" The older of the twin warriors, Raine, stood beside him, and the shadow cast by his tall and strong body was enough to envelop the thug.

A large hand grabbed the thug by the back of his neck like he was a chick, and the thug, who trembled in fright, was then carried to the front of the group by Ryan to lead the way.

Perhaps in front of Xia Nan and Hai Yin, who are also professionals, the twins appeared taciturn, not saying much, and looking rather dull.

But when faced with these street thugs, he couldn't possibly give them a friendly look and acted particularly aggressively.

The group of five then followed the thugs and squeezed into the alley.

It's worth mentioning that even though all five of them were professional-level adventurers, and the area wasn't currently teeming with dangerous monsters, they still remained relatively cautious.

Ryan positioned himself relatively far forward, right behind the thugs, to ensure he could react to any unusual behavior from them at any time.

Xia Nan was two steps behind, with the spellcaster Hein protected in the middle of the team behind him.

Alden's position was relatively far back, with Gordon, the younger of the twin warriors, responsible for bringing up the rear.

With such a formation, unless there are special circumstances, almost no one in the saltwater area would actively go forward to cause trouble.

In reality, after entering Eel Alley, although Xia Nan occasionally felt a few gazes from the surrounding dark corners, no one blocked his way.

Before long, they arrived at the residence of "Bloody-nosed Rat" Jerry.

The body remained motionless, but compared to the scene the thugs had seen earlier, there were many more footprints on the ground around it, leading to the shed with its back door open.

That's how it is in saltwater areas.

The greedy can smell rotting flesh faster than cockroaches and flies.

They might not dare to touch Jerry on the ground, for fear of causing trouble, and to leave the clothes on the corpse intact.

However, there is no reason to ignore the unclaimed items in the house.

"Sir, I didn't do this." Seeing the ransacked and messy shack, the thug explained in a panic, "It was fine when I came here before."

With just a glance, he could tell that the footprints were of different sizes and did not match the thugs in front of him. They were most likely from other residents in the alley, so he didn't say anything more.

Xia Nan's gaze shifted to Jerry's corpse on the ground.

Despite his nickname "Bloody-nosed Rat," Jerry remained at the bottom of the Barracuda Bay pyramid, and in some ways, he was no different from his two underlings.

He died quietly in the alley, without family, and his drinking buddies wouldn't come to collect his body. He rotted quietly in a corner, making his final contribution to the maggots in Suoyu Bay with his own flesh and blood.

Nobody cared about the fate of a street thug like that.

Even the best outcome would be that a neighbor living nearby, unable to bear the stench emanating from Jerry's body and the swarms of mosquitoes it attracted, would tell the city's body collectors the exact location, and on some cold, deserted night, it would be taken out of the city and thrown into the sea.

Of course, before all that, he could still provide Xia Nan and the others with a final bit of value during the limited time before he rotted.

"The fatal wound came from the throat. Hmm... judging from the signs of struggle around the body and the posture of the corpse, it should be that someone covered the mouth and slit the throat from behind."

"The wound wasn't too deep, or rather, it was just right. Judging from the details of the wound, the weapon used by the murderer was probably a short blade like a dagger."

Everyone on the field, even the seemingly kind and playful halfling Alton, was an experienced adventurer.

For this type of corpse, one can roughly analyze it at a glance.

Because it concerned Baron Faroth's daughter and her own future job in Baron Fish Bay, Hein took the initiative to examine the body.

Thanks to his superior perception, which far surpasses that of other professionals of the same level, Xia Nan knew all that the other party had mentioned the moment he saw the corpse.

Right now, he's observing the more subtle things hidden in the shadows.

Jerry hadn't been dead for long, maybe a few hours, less than half a day.

Although it is raining now, the rain is not heavy enough to destroy everything.

Xia Nan sensed the slightly disordered magical particles in the air that had not yet returned to their original state, and smelled the extraordinary energy that lingered in the depths of the shadows.

Combined with the clean and precise wounds on Jerry's body, the image of the killer begins to take shape:
—A powerful individual with extensive combat or assassination experience, who is on the path of professionalism and has a high probability of having already achieved a professional level.

But if we put ourselves in Xia Nan's shoes, what reason would he have to kill such a low-level thug?
For money?

You might not even earn as much as killing a few goblins after this trip, so it's not worth it at all.

Was it just a passing fancy?

In a densely populated area like Eel Lane in the Saltwater District, if the intention to massacre was truly conceived, there's no reason to single out Jerry.

Could it be a revenge killing?

Xia Nan frowned slightly, beckoned to the thug who was cowering like a quail, shivering slightly in the rain, and dared not speak, and asked:
"Have you offended anyone, boss?"

“That’s too much, sir!” the thug replied immediately. “Every vendor on the nearby streets probably sees us as their enemy.”

He had barely finished speaking when he seemed to realize why Xia Nan had asked the question, and quickly added, "But if you're referring to someone as important as you, then as far as I know, Brother Jerry doesn't really have that kind of person."

My first encounter with these people this morning at the "Salmon Roe" grocery store has proven that this "Bloody-nosed Rat" has excellent eyesight, knows how to advance and retreat, and is shrewd in his actions.

It is virtually impossible for them to actively provoke adventurers whose strength far surpasses that of ordinary people.

"And those with whom you have some connections?" Xia Nan pressed.

"If it's just socializing..." the thug pondered, "the closest ones should be the big shots from the Horned Shark Gang. Boss Jerry helped keep watch this morning."

A flash of inspiration struck Xia Nan.

After the other party brought it up, and combined with Jerry's previous explanation of his relationship with the Hornfish Gang, all sorts of clues were quietly connected.

"Unintentionally stumbled upon the Shark Gang moving the Baron's daughter"—"Was asked to keep watch and promised to join the organization"—"To be silenced after the transfer was completed"...

Although some specific details are still unclear, such as why Jerry wasn't killed on the spot but only now to silence him; and why the scalpel was given to Jerry as a token.

But the overall logic is still plausible and best reflects the current situation.

When Xia Nan shared his guess with the others on the field, they all agreed, saying it was possible.

"If it's really as you say, then the killer who killed Jerry must also be a member of the Hornfish Gang, right?"

Hein speculated accordingly.

"If that's the case, does it mean that if we find the murderer, we'll also find the current location of the Horned Shark Gang?"

Of course, it's not absolute, but right now, it's the only clue Xia Nan and his team have.

After discussing with the others, Hein walked back to the corpse, holding the [Practice Staff] she had recently bought from Xia Nan in her right hand.

As mentioned before, her tracking spells require certain special conditions.

Now, with Jerry's body present, the deal has been done.

hum-

A vibrant green light appeared at the tip of the staff, like a tiny firefly, flickering twice in the air before gently landing on the corpse and disappearing.

The buzzing sound produced by the highly condensed magical particles vanished in an instant, and the air returned to calm once more. The corpse remained lying there, as if nothing had happened.

Xia Nan's gaze, however, was unconsciously focused on Jerry's right forearm.

There, the faint sound of muscles twitching could be heard.

"Boom."

As the body landed on the ground, the skin of the corpse's arm, which had turned slightly white from being soaked in rainwater, suddenly swelled up, as if some small creature was moving within the flesh and blood. A blurry outline could be seen being pushed up on the surface of the skin.

Just a few seconds later, accompanied by a not-so-loud tearing sound, the skin on Jerry's right forearm suddenly burst open!

Beneath it was revealed a miniature, flesh-colored octopus, about a quarter the size of an adult's palm.

Its body was covered in mucus, and some parts were stuck with bits of flesh, just like a newborn fetus.

Strangely, this little octopus had no eyes, only eight tiny tentacles flailing haphazardly in its flesh.

A kind smile appeared on Hein's face as she gently bent down and extended her left hand toward the little octopus.

As if there were some invisible connection between them, the eyeless octopus reached out its tentacles towards her as soon as the druid's left hand came close.

And at the instant they made contact, they instinctively wrapped all eight tentacles tightly around Hein's thumb.

From a distance, it looks like a strangely shaped flesh-colored thumb ring.

Nareka's Short Octopus Spirit-Seeking Technique

A special variant of spell from the Druids of the Coral Society. It has many uses and requires physical flesh and blood as the casting material. Its main function is to locate and track things related to the source of the flesh and blood by summoning spirit octopuses.

"The duration is only thirty minutes, we have to hurry."

Hein called out to the people behind her, and then strode towards the alleyway exit.

She and the octopus did not appear to be communicating, but in reality, the little octopus's tentacles, which were tightly wrapped around her thumb like a ring, were constantly tightening and twisting, guiding Hein through muscle contractions.

"hiss!"

On his left wrist, the silver-ringed snake "A-Yin," which had been incredibly obedient and had no presence since Xia Nan appeared, couldn't help but peek out from his sleeve and hiss at the little octopus below.

However, this short-skinned octopus seemed to have no senses other than touch, and it did not react at all to Ah Yin's hostile behavior, making the intelligent little snake feel like it had punched cotton, receiving no feedback whatsoever.

Like a wronged puppy, the diamond-shaped head shook and rubbed against Hein's hand, hoping to get comfort from her.

But just a second later, Xia Nan's approaching footsteps from behind startled it, causing the snake to stiffen and instinctively dart back into the druid's sleeve.

It remained motionless, reverting to its original "silver-black bracelet".

……

Meanwhile, in a messy shantytown near the Broken Wave Wharf in the saltwater area of ​​Suyu Bay.

A tall, slender figure wearing a hooded raincoat walked along the narrow street where sewage flowed everywhere.

His steps were slightly hurried, making him look like a passerby rushing to find shelter from the rain.

However, upon closer observation, one can discover that the relative stride frequency and stride length are completely inconsistent, and the mud behind him is much shallower than that of ordinary people, with footprints that become blurred after being washed away by rain.

As if extremely familiar with this incredibly complex shantytown, it navigated around a series of indistinguishable, similar corners, finally stopping in front of an abandoned shanty deep within the block.

"Tap, tap tap, tap."

Knock on the door at a specific frequency.

There was no sound coming from inside.

The man, however, looked at a gap in the dilapidated doorway and voluntarily lowered his hood.

His eyebrows were cut off by a knife scar, revealing his sinister face in the rain.

Kara -

The shed door was slowly pulled open from the inside, the slurring sound of the hinges rubbing together echoing softly in the air.

(End of this chapter)