Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 451 The Completion of the Transaction and Coincidence

Unlike the taverns and casinos in town, the Adventurers' Guild was noticeably quieter at night than during the day, with the entire hall feeling empty and spacious.

Of course, although it was quiet, you could still see a few adventurers coming and going, doing their business, just not as crowded and noisy as during the day.

Following the receptionist, Mar, Xia Nan walked through the lobby and arrived at the trading room located on the second basement floor.

"Knock knock knock".

A crisp knock echoed in the humid air.

"Please come in."

The male voice coming from inside the door sounded slightly muffled through the wall, yet it somehow felt strangely familiar.

Xia Nan raised an eyebrow and pushed the door open to enter.

Sure enough, a figure I had seen before came into view.

"Ellison?"

Sitting across the table at this moment is the disheveled middle-aged man wearing a fishing cloak, who is none other than Ellison, whom Xia Nan had met briefly during his trip to Cliff Rock Island.

I remember when I was looking for clues about Morton, I met him near the cabin on the north cliff of Cliff Island. I remember being treated to a grilled fish meal and receiving a clue about the island's seaside caves before I left.

It was precisely because of this that Xia Nan was able to reunite with the Silver Claw Osprey team and eventually encounter the Shark Beast in the cave.

I thought they were just passersby I happened to meet during a mission, but I never expected that they would be the buyer of my [Tidal Surge Rod].

Thinking about it this way, the connection between the two has actually been hinted at long ago.

When Mar helped him inquire about the whereabouts of the person who wanted to buy the fishing rod, he mentioned that the person had gone to fish in the open sea; and Ellison had also mentioned when he chatted with him at Cliff Island that the person was from Barracuda Bay and would come here to fish every now and then.

It was quite a coincidence.

Meanwhile, Ellison, sitting in his room, was taken aback when he saw Xia Nan appear at the door. He hadn't expected her to be there.

"Xia Nan?" He stood up from the table, glanced at Mar, the association's receptionist who was helping Xia Nan close the door, and looked slightly surprised. "So you're the consignor of this equipment?"

"Obviously."

Xia Nan nodded in reply, and at the same time unfastened the two swords behind him and sat down opposite the table.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Perhaps Xia Nan's attitude caused Ellison to misunderstand. The middle-aged man with a dejected and weathered appearance smiled awkwardly. "I thought you would come next year. After all, it is quite a distance from River Valley Town to Fish Bay, so I went on a long trip."

Xia Nan came to Suyu Bay mainly to find the key to the [Dream Corridor]. Selling equipment was just a side thing, and he didn't even care if he couldn't sell it and kept it for himself. So even though the other party was a few days late in returning, Xia Nan didn't really have many thoughts about it.

My gaze swept across the table and I noticed that, in addition to the [Tidal Lure Rod] which was part of the transaction, there was also a fish tank of moderate size.

Inside, a fish about the length of a forearm was swimming listlessly. It had a flat head, and its body was grayish-white but covered with black spots like those on a cow. It looked very strange.

"Looks like you had a good haul?"

“This spotted whale is just an adult,” Ellison explained. “It’s because of this guy that I’ve spent so many days on Cliff Island.”

Spotted whale?
While pondering the name of this strange fish, Xia Nan subconsciously glanced again in the direction of the [Tidal Lure Rod].

It's important to know that the only limitation of the [Tide Lure Pole] as a baiting tool is that it requires you to use the tip of the spear to stab a live, healthy whale at a frequency of sixty times per minute for ten minutes.

In Xia Nan's mind, so-called "whales" should all be huge creatures that are tens or twenty meters long, and it is impossible for them to be carried around.

It would be too much trouble to have to specifically look for whales to trigger equipment every time you go fishing.

Therefore, even after he gradually developed an interest in fishing, he still felt that the [Tidal Lure Rod] was useless and had no practical use.

But right now, if the spotted whale that Ellison mentioned, which is only about the length of a forearm, can really meet the trigger conditions for the [Tidal Lure]...

"So you specifically went to fish for this fish just for the rod?"

Unexpectedly, there was such a solution. Finding it interesting, Xia Nan asked.

“You could say that,” Ellison nodded. “Actually, I usually go fishing at this time of year, but I caught one of these spotted whales at Cliff Rock Island before, so I was thinking of catching another one to keep as a pet, and then trying to trigger the conditions after the fishing rod transaction is completed.”

"I can't guarantee that," Xia Nan replied cautiously.

Although he has the attribute panel and can determine the special effect of the [Tidal Surge Lure], he is not sure whether it will work for Ellison to exploit this loophole.

To avoid any future misunderstandings, he felt it was better to clarify things now, even if it meant the deal couldn't be completed.

"It's okay, even if it turns out to be unworkable in the end... I can try other methods."

Clearly, anglers have extraordinary patience for such a "baiting artifact," and their initiative goes without saying.

Although it has the suspicion of being "the emperor's golden hoe," Xia Nan even suspects that if an extraordinary, even legendary, powerhouse truly obtained the [Tidal Surge Lure Pole], they might actually go to sea to find a whale before each use...

Compared to the twists and turns on their way to meeting, the transaction itself went very smoothly.

Perhaps as compensation for standing Xia Nan up for so long, Ellison offered a high price.

For a secondhand white item like the [Tidal Surge Lure], whose special effect trigger conditions are harsh and has no practical value, the first offer was 120 gold, far exceeding Xia Nan's expectations.

After some haggling, the final price reached 135 gold.

After deducting the association's 5% handling fee, Xia Nan will receive approximately 128 gold.

After the transaction was completed, the two did not leave the room immediately, but chatted casually for a while.

"The New Year is just over a month away. Are you planning to go back to the inland?"

Ellison took a sip of tea from the conference room and asked casually.

"I still have some things to take care of in Suoyu Bay, so I'll have to stay until at least February next year."

They still had to attend the Moonlit Feast, so naturally they wouldn't leave so early.

"So you've been staying at the tavern all this time?"

"Yes, three-legged seal, you can come over for drinks when you're free. I remember I said I'd treat you to dinner, right? Come anytime, I'll keep my promise."

"Hehe." Ellison smiled in a friendly manner, but pointedly said, "The cost of living in the Three-Legged Sea Seal is not low. In a place like this where adventurers gather, a single meal there probably costs as much as a day's expenses at other hotels, right?"

Indeed, just as Ellison said, the prices in the store are much higher than in the market, whether it is the white tits in Riverdale or the three-legged seals in Barracuda Bay.

On the other hand, while money is important for adventurers like Xia Nan, it's entirely worth it if spending just a few more gold coins allows him to avoid nighttime vigilance and theft while adventuring. Moreover, if you're really looking at it from a purely profit-driven perspective, ordering a simple dinner, sitting in a crowded spot in the tavern, and carefully observing and discerning the information—if you manage to glean even one or two useful pieces of information from those adventurers, the value of that information alone is enough to offset the premium on the tavern's own goods.

Based on Xia Nan's understanding of Ellison, someone with such seniority couldn't possibly be unaware of the underlying reasons.

There is clearly another purpose behind asking this question.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead grinned and silently looked at the other person with his dark eyes.

"Alright alright."

Knowing his intentions had been exposed, the dejected middle-aged man waved his hand and said helplessly:

"Then I'll just say it directly."

"Do you have some time lately? I have a request that requires the help of a reliable adventurer."

"Oh?" Xia Nan shrugged. "Too late."

"I just promised someone I'd join her team, so I'm afraid I won't be able to find the time to join anytime soon."

"A temporary member?" Xia Nan had mentioned during their previous conversation that he didn't have a fixed adventurer team, and Ellison quickly realized what he meant when he heard him say that.

“Yes, ‘The Blade of Vengeance,’ Lorraine, you should have heard of it.”

"It's not information that needs to be hidden," Xia Nan replied.

But to his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, or rather, the instant he mentioned the words "Blade of Vengeance" and "Lorraine," Xia Nan keenly observed that the expression on the middle-aged man's face suddenly changed.

His pupils dilated, his nostrils twitched involuntarily, and his lips parted slightly.

This is definitely not a normal reaction.

The next second, Ellison reacted instantly, and his feigned indifference and instinctive attempt to conceal the change in his expression further confirmed Xia Nan's guess.

"What, you know Lorraine?"

Without hiding his thoughts, Xia Nan went straight to the lane.

But Ellison, clearly unwilling to explain, forced a smile and said:
"'The Blade of Vengeance,' with such a resounding reputation, I've lived in Suyu Bay for many years, I must have heard of it."

"I just didn't expect you to become a member of this team. I remember their requirements are quite high. Normally, it takes a period of evaluation to become a sailor on a ship."

"Congratulations."

This is not the truth.

With keen perception, even though Xia Nan had not studied psychology and had little experience in dealing with people, she could still clearly sense whether a person was lying or telling a lie.

Without a doubt, these were all excuses that Ellison deliberately used to hide his true thoughts.

But... it has nothing to do with me.

Xia Nan isn't a detective, and the other party isn't a criminal.

Since Ellison didn't want to reveal his relationship with "The Blade of Vengeance," he decided not to ask any further questions, as there was no need to strain his relationship with the other party over this.

Just keep it in mind; if you're really curious, you can ask Lorraine and the others for details later.

The transaction was over, and he intended to say goodbye, but after thinking it over, Xia Nan added one more thing before leaving:
"Could we discuss your request in more detail? If the conditions and timing are right, I can help you out."

“Of course!” Ellison nodded.

"Actually, it's nothing. I just heard some news recently that something that might interest me has appeared in a certain sea area. Adventurers are needed to go and investigate. Whether it's discovering any special items or strange sea phenomena, just record them."

Where exactly is it?

Ellison hesitated for a second before slowly saying:

"Twin oceans."

……

……

Xia Nan really didn't expect that trading a useless white item that should have been sold half a month ago would actually be linked to news about the secret realm.

He was certainly familiar with the name "Twin Oceans," after all, he had just heard about the place from the thugs of the Horned Shark Gang during the day.

That scalpel from another land came from here.

He had even planned to take advantage of the gaps in the team's commissions to search for clues about the secret realm by himself.

Hearing the name from Ellison's mouth all of a sudden, Xia Nan felt rather uneasy and naturally asked about the source of the information.

Ellison did not disclose the specific channels, but it is generally known that it was because many exotic items have recently appeared on the black market. Although they are not enchanted equipment or special items and can only be used for collection, they still aroused the other party's interest.

Ellison explained that he suspected the Twin Oceans contained some ancient treasure. Well... Xia Nan was skeptical of his answer.

Regardless, since it was related to the secret realm, he was determined to go there, so he took on Ellison's task as a favor.

In the blink of an eye, another three days have passed.

Xia Nan's life in Barracuda Bay did not change much. Although his reputation gradually spread among the adventurers in the town due to the destruction of the Shark Gang, he would receive attention when entering and leaving the tavern, and even gained the nickname "The Hague".

But this did not disrupt his daily routine of "eating-training-resting".

It's worth mentioning that during these three days, the final work on the Baron's side was also completed, and all the promised rewards were paid out.

The tasks were assigned to the participants.

Xia Nan hadn't learned what Hein and the twin warriors did with the money, but Alton, the halfling favored by Lady Luck, rushed into the casino with all the gold coins almost that very afternoon after receiving his reward. As for the outcome...

Anyway, when Xia Nan saw the short guy in the tavern, the guy was sitting at the bar, laughing and tossing his copper coin around—Xia Nan had paid for the drinks.

As for Xia Nan, we later learned during a chat at the Baron's mansion that he was currently working on refurbishing his ship. Baron Faro originally intended to give him a new ship as payment for the task.

However, considering that the value of a seagoing vessel would likely far exceed the reward he should have been given for this mission, and that it might affect the huge favor he had done for Baron Faro, Xia Nan declined after consideration and proposed to use the cost of repairing the ship as payment.

The equivalent of at least four figures in gold coins would save Xia Nan a lot of expenses, leaving enough funds to pay for the forging of the new armor.

(End of this chapter)