Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 447 Follow-up Plans, Channel Contact

"Creamy mushroom soup" is not an option on the menu of the Three-Legged Seal Tavern.

Xia Nan already knew this on his first day at Suoyu Bay.

Fortunately, he asked a question because he was craving something, and noticed the tavern owner Hera's hesitant attitude. He then made a decisive move and used his "money power" to get the kitchen to prepare special meals for him.

Now that so many days have passed, his preference has naturally become known to the tavern's chefs, who keep the relevant ingredients on hand every day.

However, it is not a formal dish on the menu and there is no fixed production process. Perhaps the delicious essence of "cream" and "mushrooms" in the seafood cream mushroom soup has not changed, but the "seafood" used to highlight the characteristics of Suoyu Bay varies because of the different seafood purchased every morning.

Xia Nan still remembers the first bowl of cream of mushroom soup she drank in Suoyu Bay, which contained two palm-sized, peeled fresh shrimp and chewy clam meat.

And today's bowl... the presentation is even more extravagant.

Before the waiter even entered, he had already seen the huge orange-red crab shell placed upside down on the plate.

"The silver swimming crabs in the bay entrance were just caught this morning, and one of them cost me two whole silver coins."

"It's a pity that there aren't any discerning customers today; no one has ordered it yet."

"It won't last overnight in the water tank in the back kitchen; it won't last until tomorrow."

"I was originally planning to cook it for myself, but now... you've gotten a free meal."

Behind the counter, Hera smiled and casually picked up a wine glass to wipe it, pretending to be nonchalant.

"Try it. These past few months have been the perfect time to eat crabs, so it'll taste great."

Affection level skyrockets!
It must be admitted that for Xia Nan, the delightful experience brought by food, especially the small surprise of cream of mushroom soup, was almost second only to being told the exact location of a goblin's lair.

He nodded in thanks, his eyes fixed on the plate of food that had been placed on the table.

They observed very carefully and knew that Xia Nan was against peeling the crab shells while eating. The huge crab shells on the plates were purely for decoration. The crab meat, crab roe, and crab paste inside had already been removed by the chef during preparation and mixed into the mushroom soup.

The viscous broth is no longer its original milky white color, but has been tinged with a warm and inviting pale golden yellow by the crab roe; glistening oil floats on the surface, and the textured broth flows slowly.

Unable to resist any longer, Xia Nan scooped up a large spoonful and put it in her mouth.

In an instant, the rich aroma of cream, mushrooms, and crab roe and crab paste, simmered at high temperature, filled my entire mouth.

The crab roe melts completely into the broth, transforming into an extremely rich and smooth texture; the fine, sandy particles of crab fat burst forth with concentrated salty and savory flavor when gently touched by the tip of the tongue; and finally, the natural sweetness of the crab meat itself sweeps away all the greasiness from the fat, leaving only a complex and indescribable wonderful taste.

Compared to the cream of mushroom soup we usually drink, this special version, which is made with the essence of several silver crabs, is undoubtedly much richer in flavor.

If you drink it every day, at every meal, even if you really like the flavor, you'll inevitably get tired of it eventually.

But if you have a bowl of this again after ten days or half a month, then it is undoubtedly a delicacy.

I just finished the battle and returned from the mission.

For Xia Nan, nothing could be more enjoyable than having a bowl of seafood cream mushroom soup like this.

Under the influence of delicious food, it seems as if time itself has sped up.

When he came to his senses again, the soup bowl on the table in front of him was empty, and the halfling Alton beside him had finished his dinner and was studying the orange-red crab shell, which was bigger than his head, with a curious look on his face.

Hera stared at the young adventurer before her, her mind unconsciously replaying the information her subordinates had just relayed.

As the de facto controller of the "Three-Legged Sea Dog," the intelligence gathering point in Barracuda Bay, she was practically the first person in the entire town, apart from the few adventurers who were standing on the beach at the time, to know about Xia Nan's deeds.

Upon confirming the accuracy of the information, her first reaction was to marvel at her own wisdom.

She was right to judge; her initiative in extending goodwill to Xia Nan was undoubtedly correct and prescient.

After all, it's not just any random person who can easily destroy a gang like the Horned Shark Gang, which has several experienced professionals in charge.

Even though Xia Nan was not acting alone, the intelligence clearly stated that the opponent's performance in the battle was absolutely outstanding.

Moreover, the other party is so young...

If she can build a close enough relationship with this black-haired adventurer now, even if he doesn't develop in Barracuda Bay or the Southern Islands in the future and returns to the mainland.

With a small investment, she can gain an "extraordinary" or even higher-level friend, so she won't lose out no matter what!

Thinking of this, Hera's smile widened even more.

Meanwhile, Xia Nan, sitting on the other side, had no idea what the bar owner in front of him was thinking.

Having just filled his stomach, he was now considering his plans for the next period of time:

1. The promised reward from Baron Farro and the distribution of the remaining spoils from the Horned Shark Gang.

Regarding this point, I had already mentioned it when Hein and the others said goodbye. They should rest for a few days and wait until the Baron has finished dealing with the remaining work before discussing it together. There's no need to rush.

2. My two enchanted items in "Pearl Spinning" are still being crafted.

Considering the half-elf tailor's perfectionist, even obsessive-compulsive, personality, it will probably take some time before the actual production process can begin.

After all, it involves making two enchanted pieces of equipment at once, and the quality is definitely not low. Xia Nan can accept that it will take a little longer.

3. The renovation and alteration of the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" pirate ship.

As Xia Nan spent more and more time in Suoyu Bay, he increasingly felt the importance of owning his own boat in the Southern Islands.

Perhaps I can achieve sea travel for a short time through [Fang Hunt] and [Gravity Control], but my physical strength is limited after all.

Even though his physical attributes were already quite good, he was still far from reaching the level of "agility" and "perception".

Endurance might be sufficient in ordinary battles, but to actually rely on [Fang Hunt] to traverse vast seas and shuttle between islands is undoubtedly a pipe dream.

Not to mention that if he encounters any accident along the way and has to slow down and fall into the sea, he will probably be in the embarrassing situation of having to swim and paddle again.

To be able to travel freely among the southern islands without being controlled by others, a seagoing vessel is essential.

Previously, the renovation plan for the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" was temporarily shelved due to Xia Nan's own financial reserves.

Now that we have the payment from the Baron, we can put it on the agenda to find a reliable shipwright and try to recruit experienced crew members.

4. [Tidal Surge Lure Rod].

To be honest, I've been waiting for this "fishing tool" for a long time, but the buyer has yet to show up.

They said they went fishing on an outer island, but they haven't returned for so long. Xia Nan even suspected that something might have happened to them.

If that's the case, then he can only accept his bad luck.

However, the trip to Qiaoyan Island had sparked Xia Nan's interest in "fishing." If things didn't improve after the Southern Islands were settled, he might consider taking the equipment off the market and keeping it for himself.

Of course, in order to meet the requirements for use, he also had to find suitable whales.

Hmm... there's still plenty of time, let's talk about it later.

5. [Dream Corridor] Key.

The main reason Xia Nan came to Barracuda Bay was that the clues he found in the diary of that evil druid led him to suspect that the key to the [Dream Corridor] had been taken to the Southern Islands by a descendant of the Morton family.

According to the information he has gathered, this nobleman has died in an attack by the pirates "Algae Scales," and the key he was carrying has most likely been stolen by "Algae Scales."

To make contact with this pirate, Xia Nan needs to attend the "Moonlight Feast" three months from now. Hera said she would introduce him to the way to attend the feast, which should be in the next few days. He still needs to wait.

Originally, Xia Nan's plans for the next period of time had come to an end.

But after today's battle with the Shark Gang, a sixth point has been added:
—A secret realm.

He hadn't forgotten the scalpel he'd found on "Bloody-nosed Rat" Jerry, which appeared to be from some mysterious, otherworldly realm.

According to the other party, the scalpel was left to him by the members of the Horned Shark Gang as a token.

At the beginning, Xia Nan actually planned to hold back a little and see if he could leave one or two high-ranking gang members to interrogate the source of the scalpel.

But once the battle officially began, he realized he had been overthinking things.

【Purgatory Pulse】has been scrapped, and even the scrap materials have been sold to "Pearl Spinning".

He thought that since he was staying in Sucker Bay, he wouldn't need to go out and risk his life for a while. He was wearing a temporary studded leather armor that he had bought from a tailor shop.

Its defensive capabilities might be decent against goblins with their wooden clubs, but if the enemy is replaced with a level 4 or 5 professional, it's not enough, and the margin for error is extremely low.

In this situation, defensive ability is his weakness. Even if Xia Nan still has two trump cards, [Echoes of Ember] and [Tears of Spring Breeze], it would be very troublesome if the opponent suddenly hits him hard, knocking him unconscious or even inflicting a fatal wound.

After all, he even has the magic scroll for [Stealth Step]. If a [Fireball] were to hit him in the face, would he be able to activate the second stage before he was on the verge of death, given his current physical condition?

Xia Nan didn't want to try.

Therefore, in actual combat, he did not hold back against "Horned Shark" and "Broken Eyebrow," who were the top two leaders of the gang.

Ultimately, judging from the results, his approach was correct.

Good news: The deaths of these two individuals do not affect the intelligence regarding the origin of the scalpel.

As for why...

The bad news: the scalpel was retrieved by the "Horned Shark Gang" from a floating corpse while they were sailing out to sea a while ago.

Every member of the Shark Gang on the ship knew this information at the time. There was no need to interrogate any high-ranking members; just ask a couple of low-level thugs who weren't in the shed earlier, and you could get the information.

The only clue left for Xia Nan regarding the secret realm was the name of the sea area where the body was recovered:
——Twin Ocean.

The location is in the open sea, which is beyond the scope of Xia Nan's current knowledge.

He didn't know how far this area of ​​the sea was from Fish Bay, nor did he know if there were any dangers in the vicinity.

But since it's related to a secret realm, even if we end up going empty-handed, we'll still have to go.

Furthermore, there is still plenty of time before the "Moonlight Feast".

Xia Nan then thought of asking Hera about the specifics of the "Twin Oceans".

But before she could even look up and speak, a young man in uniform, who looked like a waiter, hurriedly ran down the stairs and whispered a few words to Hera.

Hera's eyes lit up, and she turned to look at Xia Nan.

"So, do you still want to participate in the Moonlit Feast?"

"Of course." Seeing this, Xia Nan had already guessed what the other party wanted to say, and answered decisively.

"Then come with me."

Hera straightened her collar slightly, retied her ponytail, and stepped out from behind the counter, leading Xia Nan and Alton toward the stairwell.

"I think I've told you about the Moonlit Feast before."

"There are generally two ways to attend a banquet held in the southern islands of the open sea."

Hera introduced the stairs to Xia Nan behind her, her ankle boots creaking as she stepped on them.

"The first method is to make a name for yourself at sea so that they will take the initiative to invite you."

At this point, Hera subconsciously glanced back at Xia Nan.

"With your abilities, I think you could easily meet this condition."

"But the banquet is only three months away, which is too short a time."

"Unless you go to the Governor's Mansion now and recreate the scene that happened at the Shark Gang's base this afternoon, it will be too late."

"Hehe, just kidding."

"In short, if you want to attend the Moonlit Feast, I suggest you use the second method—find someone who already meets the participation requirements and bring them in with you."

"There are quite a few people who meet the criteria in Suoyu Bay, but it is very difficult to find a reliable one."

"The person you're about to meet is one of them; we have some connection."

"I was on a mission outside for a while and only came back to Sucker Bay in the last few days, so it took a little longer."

"According to our previous agreement, I will introduce you to her, but whether she will agree to take you to the banquet is up to you."

Hera said everything that the two of them had agreed on beforehand, so Xia Nan had no objections.

"Don't worry." As she spoke, she stopped in front of a door, turned around and winked at Xia Nan. "If it really doesn't work later, I'll help you out by saying a few words. Given my relationship with that person, she might be willing to do me a favor."

Feeling the kindness emanating from the tavern owner, Xia Nan expressed his gratitude.

"So, what should I call the person I'm going to meet later?"

Hera paused, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

Have you heard of the "Blade of Vengeance" fleet?

(End of this chapter)