Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 445 "The Hague"

"Damn it..."

"I knew it! I knew it!"

The messy and slovenly street scenes on both sides rushed past, the air became thick and stagnant, and the cold, hard raindrops pressed against our faces.

"Broken Eyebrow" Barty ran wildly away from the shack without looking back.

He moved very fast; with each step he took, his shadow on the ground trembled and rippled like the surface of water. Behind him, one could vaguely see some silver mist made of magical particles that were rapidly dissipating.

Just as he suspected, the so-called "signal" and "safe passage" were nothing but rubbish.

Those noble lords in Baiya District never even considered leaving them a way out!
The Shark Gang has been completely abandoned!
A drowning person caught in a whirlpool can never see a way out.

Only now, when Batty, who had deserted his post as the second-in-command of the Hornets, stood on the sidelines, did he finally sort out his thoughts.

What does he, or rather his "Hornshark" Riley, want?
It was the resources and assistance from Baiya District that enabled the "Horned Shark Gang" to escape its current predicament of limited development and expand its influence.

And what about the nobles who gave the tasks?

All they wanted was to teach Baron Faro a lesson so that he would turn a blind eye to approvals in the future and seize more profits.

Kidnapping the baron's daughter was merely one way to achieve his goal.

Put yourself in their shoes. If you were one of those Gulf nobles who controlled a lot of resources, how could you possibly entrust such an important matter to a third-rate gang like the "Horned Shark Gang" that had no say in the saltwater area?

Even if it costs more money, we need to find more reliable partners.

The reason for choosing them was simply because the Shark Gang was small and easy to dispose of; they could be thrown away after use.

To some extent, while those nobles outwardly demanded the protection of the baron's daughter during the kidnapping, in reality they didn't care whether she lived or died.

The nobles had achieved their goal the moment they abducted the baron's daughter from the carriage.

And their leader actually fantasized that those nobles, who seemed to have dirty gold coins flowing in their veins and were only interested in profit, would keep their promise and find a way out for them.

Barty even suspected that even if the operation ended perfectly and the Baron found his daughter, he and the others would be silenced.

Of course, it must be admitted that no matter how thoroughly Barty has figured it out now, or how clear his mind is, when he took on the mission with Riley, he must have fantasized about the bright future that Riley described.
"Damn it... damn it..."

Barty, panting heavily, ignored the astonished looks from passersby and ran wildly toward the southwest of the saltwater area.

But the scene that had just unfolded before his eyes kept replaying in his mind.

A spellcaster, two human warriors, a bard, and a powerful adventurer whose profession he couldn't quite determine.

There is no doubt that they were attacked by a professional team of fighters.

They worked together seamlessly and even had prior knowledge of their specific intelligence.

Even now, Bati can still recall the ferocious wolf that peered into the shed through the rain, and the chilling howl that followed.

They were very clear about the overall strength of the Horned Shark Gang.

At the very moment these adventurers smashed down the shack door, Barty, based on reason, made the wisest decision.

First, by utilizing the characteristics of the "Wanderer" class, they manipulated shadow energy to minimize their own presence.

Then, taking advantage of the others' inattention, he hid in a corner and tore up the magic scroll that he had kept as his trump card for many years, which contained the second-circle spell "Stealth Step".

It teleported me directly to the street outside.

At this point, neither the "Horned Shark Gang" nor the baron's daughter matters anymore.

All he wanted was to live.

Fortunately, Barty's cautious nature meant that he had already prepared an escape route for himself several years ago when he decided to stay in Bargain Bay to run his gang for an extended period.

It was a small boat that he had hidden in a cave on the southwest side of the sea near Suoyu Bay.

The wooden boat was small and could only seat three or four people.

Including Riley the "Horned Shark," nobody knew about it except himself.

As Barty's last resort, this was precisely why he was able to propose to Riley that he hand over the Baron's daughter to the pirates in the archipelago.

However, it is not a proper port in Sucker Bay. The cave where the small boat is located faces the sea directly, and the surrounding waters are full of reefs and dangerous eddies.

The Governor's Office deliberately left it uncleaned in order to prevent illegal trade to the greatest extent possible and to keep all passing ships at the Broken Wave Wharf.

Setting sail rashly is extremely dangerous; it's practically placing one's life entirely in the hands of a fleeting, uncertain chance.

But it is precisely because of this that his small boat has been preserved to this day as his last resort.

This is Batistuta's last resort.

If I'm not mistaken, the flesh-colored little octopus that squeezed into the room was probably some kind of tracking spell.

Continuing to hide in Suyu Bay will only lead to certain death.

Only by leaving the island and heading out to sea can he earn a living!
"hold head high……"

A cold, sharp wolf howl came from behind once again.

Barty glanced behind him instinctively.

In an instant, a chill ran up my spine, and I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cave.

Before anyone knew it, the jet-black wolf with its mane swaying had already stepped onto the roof of the shed.

A ferocious wolf-like creature, resembling a condensed shadow, slightly raised its head, its nostrils flaring as if it were sniffing something.

immediately……

hum-

A pair of cold, dark eyes, as if sensing some invisible force, transcended the barriers of space and suddenly looked in his direction.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

Barty dared not look any longer and ran wildly in the direction he remembered.

……

……

Xia Nan naturally noticed the wanderer who had disappeared since the start of the battle.

With a perception attribute of "12" points, even though the opponent had weakened their existence as much as possible through shadow energy, he could still vaguely detect that obscure aura.

Xia Nan had even prepared corresponding countermeasures in his mind.

He pretended not to notice the other party's presence, and then focused on clearing out the minions while fighting "Horned Shark" Riley.

In reality, he remained vigilant at all times, even holding back some strength when wielding his sword.

As long as this wanderer dares to make a move, the invisible shackles from [Gravity Control] will immediately be placed on him. With the "deflection field" of the [Death Line] ring as a safety net, Xia Nan is confident that he can seize this opportunity to inflict heavy damage on the opponent.

Until that silver magical light suddenly burst forth in the corner of the room, and the magical scroll that fell to the ground.

The sudden disappearance, followed by a faint reappearance a few dozen feet away from the shed, made Xia Nan realize—

The wanderer... ran away?
A strange feeling welled up inside me; I realized I had overestimated this gang member.

However, even if the enemy fled in the face of battle, Xia Nan would not truly let them escape. He always adhered to the principle of "cutting the weeds at the root."

Especially when the enemy is a rogue skilled in stealth.

He didn't want a dagger to suddenly appear from the shadows on the wall while he was eating someday.

Therefore, after slicing off "Horned Shark" Riley's head with a single sword strike, before the head even hit the ground, he manipulated [Fang Hunt] to rush out of the shed.

His pitch-black eyes turned black and white in an instant.

【Guiding Vision】Takes effect instantly and then closes.

My brain felt slightly dizzy, but in less than half a second, in a world filled with lines of gravity, I determined the whereabouts of that residual shadow energy.

He called out to his teammates behind him, and the next second, he disappeared from the spot amidst the howling of wolves.

They were all experienced adventurers, and everyone present knew just how dangerous a professional rogue enemy lurking in the shadows could be.

Therefore, after confirming that Riley, the leader of the Hornfish Gang, was indeed dead, and that the Baron's daughter Ellie was only unconscious due to a sleeping potion and was not in mortal danger,

Hein decisively ordered Rein, who had made outstanding contributions in the battle, to stay in place, protect the Baron's daughter, and wait for the Governor's guards to come to their aid.

He then took the other's twin brother Gordon and the halfling Alton with him, and followed Shanan in pursuit of the fleeing enemy.

……

The straight-line speed of [Kagari] is beyond doubt.

With the combined boost of superhuman strength and agility, Xia Nan's burst damage has even surpassed that of most level 5 professionals.

However, the current environment is not an empty wilderness, but a saltwater area of ​​Suoyu Bay with extremely high population density, filled with corners and alleys.

He could easily have rampaged through the streets like the protagonist in a science fiction superhero movie from his previous life, using the sharp winds carried by [Fang Hunt] to clear obstacles for himself.

However, his own moral bottom line makes it difficult for him to ignore pedestrians and buildings on the road, and he often needs to slow down and avoid them.

In addition, Xia Nan's unfamiliarity with the surrounding environment prevented him from picking up speed, keeping him at a level where he could barely keep up.

Only when he approached the edge of town, where the number of pedestrians gradually decreased and the surrounding buildings became increasingly sparse, was he able to speed up his pursuit.

But it was too late.

When Hein and his two companions followed the howling of wolves to the seaside, the small wooden boat carrying "Broken Eyebrow" Batty had already drifted away with the ocean current.

The other party seemed to have been lucky enough to navigate the reefs and eddies near Fish Bay and escape successfully.

Xia Nan stood quietly on the shore, his dark eyes fixed on the wooden boat that was gradually disappearing into the distance. His expression was not very changeable, but he seemed to be thinking about something.

Several adventurers who were already in the vicinity and had been drawn by the sound of the chase were also nearby. They seemed to recognize the "Broken Eyebrow" Barty and were whispering among themselves.

"No, it's too far. Even my widest range spell can't reach it."

As Hein estimated the distance between the small boat in the distance and the shore, she frowned.

“Don’t worry, Ellie is in the shed’s storeroom. The kidnapping of the Baron’s daughter by the Shark Gang is a done deal, and the Governor’s Office will soon put a bounty on this ‘Broken Eyebrow’.”

"Perhaps in a few days someone will come with his head and claim the reward."

Perhaps sensing that Xia Nan was worried about retaliation, Hai Yin approached and offered words of comfort.

"Besides, he's just one person, and he's not some high-level professional. He can't cause any trouble in the Southern Islands."

"When we get back, I'll tell the captain to keep an eye out. Maybe she can find out some information when she goes out to sea for missions in the future."

Xia Nan did not reply, his eyes still fixed on the wooden boat that was gradually drifting away in the distance.

Suddenly, he took a few steps back.

Hein didn't try to hide her voice, and the adventurers gathered on the shore naturally heard her.

"The Baron's daughter has been found?"

"The Shark Gang? They did it!?"

"Let's discuss this. Let me collect the payment first, and then you hand over the person, how about we split it 30/70!"

In less than half a day, Baron Faro's commission became the talk of the town among adventurers in Barnacle Bay due to its high reward.

Hearing what Hein said, the surrounding adventurers all gathered around.

Although the warrior Gordon, a professional warrior standing next to the druid, dared not get too close, the shore became quite noisy for a time.

The chaotic scene made Hein feel irritated as she watched the enemy escape.

He waved his hand, about to say something.

hold head high--

A strong wind swept through.

The sudden wolf howl caused eardrum pain.

Subconsciously turning his head, he saw that Xia Nan, who had been standing on the shore just moments before, had somehow retreated to the back.

The wisps of hair on his forehead swayed violently, and the dark energy spread and diffused in the air around his body like a materialized shadow. With the increasingly loud howl, it took shape and transformed into a terrifying, deep wolf beast.

As if suddenly remembering something, something seemed to come to mind.

Hein's pupils suddenly contracted!

He stared blankly at Xia Nan, his lips moving:
"No way……"

……

……

There are many reasons why a title might be given in Suoyu Bay.

Sometimes it comes from appearance, like "Broken Eyebrow" and "Bloody Nose Rat," one with an eyebrow cut off by a knife scar, and the other with a nose that is broken and bleeding.

Sometimes it comes from the organization to which they belong, such as "Oil Hand" Byrne, the captain of the "Flying Fish Oil Barrels," and "Hornshark" Riley of the "Hornshark Gang."

These titles are not necessarily pleasant to hear; some can even be described as vulgar and crude.

However, they are all connected to the title holder himself, reflecting his image among the people around him like a mirror.

Today is November 9th, 1020 in the Arphax calendar.

The black wolf trod across the sea, running along the surging waves.

With a light and fluid motion, it gallops across the vast ocean, its four legs rising and falling, leaping between the waves, using the invisible upward lift to tear apart the wave crests with a fierce gale amidst the roar.

Like a thick fog, the illusory black mane danced, restraining the wolf-beast's form, leaving a trail of dark afterimages as it moved at high speed.

When its black and gray wolf fangs, glowing with a flickering ochre-red light, crossed the barrier of the sea and crushed the head of the cowardly fugitive along with the fragile wooden boat.

"Gray Sword," from River Valley Town, earned his second title on the continent of Aifara nearly two years after his transmigration:
—The Hague.

　Thank you to the patron "Anchovy" for the generous donation!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)