Chapter 1209 - 595: I’ll Pretend I Didn’t See It (Part 2)

Not wanting to invite unnecessary trouble, Xia Nan felt a stir in his heart and agreed to the request.

...

Fifteen minutes later.

In a courtyard somewhere in town used for handling spoils of battle.

Ori fixed his gaze on the gigantic corpse before him, its single arm larger than an entire adult body, towering at five meters tall.

Standing still, his body seemed a bit stiff.

Despite being a professional of a not-so-low level, even though the shark beast monster in front of him was completely dead, he could still feel the exaggerated oppressive aura it emitted.

The rock-solid, sturdy muscles, the sharp spine glistening with a cold light, and the bizarre blood-colored tough skin...

An ordinary person, merely standing in front of its corpse, might find it hard to breathe.

It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to fight such an entity head-on.

Although reluctant to admit it, at this moment, when Ori thought of battling such a presence, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of fear in his heart.

He didn’t even know how to go about fighting it.

But at this moment, such a terrifying and vast monster, whose mere appearance induced an exaggerated sense of oppression.

Was now thoroughly dead.

And the adventurer who killed it was now standing right next to him.

His gaze uncontrollably swept over the shark beast’s neck, where only a few scraps of bloody skin remained, otherwise completely empty.

Unbidden, he recalled the battle details he had just heard from other adventurers.

Ori subconsciously looked back, unable to help but glance at Xia Nan’s right hand, the wound now fully healed.

His Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed.

"The head is definitely beyond recovery." Unbothered by Ori’s gaze, Xia Nan introduced, "According to the adventurers responsible for cleaning the battlefield, the skull of this shark beast is almost just a pile of minced meat, with no value for retrieval."

"Fortunately, the rest of its body is fairly intact, and we only did some simple preservation treatment after bringing it back."

"Initially planned to take it back to Suo Yu Bay for dissection, but now it seems that’s unnecessary."

Upon hearing this, the young official, maintaining a calm demeanor despite being surrounded by numerous adventurers at the dock earlier, showed a hint of hesitation on his face.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the next second swallowed the words back down.

Pausing briefly, he then spoke:

"If possible, could I examine the corpse of this shark beast?"

Knowing that if there was a chance for change, it would be in these few words.

Xia Nan slightly turned his body, gesturing invitingly.

Ori stepped forward cautiously.

Reaching out with both hands towards the shark beast, he did not touch it directly, but hovered his hands a few centimeters above its skin.

The magic particles in the air rapidly oscillated, gathering near the palms and eyes of the golden-haired officer under the invisible guidance.

Buzz—

The tumultuous roar of magic power quickly faded away.

The magic particles dispersed.

Ori suddenly backstepped two paces.

His expression showed a mixture of anticipation, yet he couldn’t suppress his shock and surprise.

"It’s Sekola’s ’Shark Summoner’..."

The unfamiliar term from Ori’s mouth caused Xia Nan to furrow his brows slightly.

Fortunately, Half-Elf Alton was nearby, and noticing his teammate’s confusion, he took the opportunity to give a brief explanation.

Like a system used to signify the role, rank, and piety of followers in a church, every deity on the Aifala Continent has a set of custom-made titles for their followers.

For example, followers of the [Great Mother], [Grain Goddess] Shangtiya, progress from low to high through titles such as "Intimacy", "Seed of Truth", "Harvest Lord", and many others.

And the "Shark Summoner" mentioned by Ori is one of the titles for the followers of the [God of Giant Shark] Sekola.

In the church hierarchy, it ranks above "Blood Hunter" but below "Deep Sea Plunder", belonging to the upper-middle tier.

But even so, for ordinary adventurers, it is a strong presence they would never normally encounter.

Based on the scenario of the shark beast being summoned to the Material Realm, it is highly likely to have come from Sekola’s Divine Country.

This adds even more credibility to its title.

Put simply, it’s like holding a "department manager" position; the significance varies greatly between a company branch and its core headquarters.

From Alton’s brief introduction, Xia Nan perhaps didn’t grasp the difference or the significance of the "Shark Summoner".

But to Ori, the impact of those words was quite substantial.

He was merely executing orders and was not privy to the internal details.

However, at this moment, the fragmented memory clues in his mind connected, giving rise to a guess that inevitably unsettled him.

"Sha Hua Fishman’s Sacrificial Ceremony", "’Algae Scale’ Dodd’s Transcendence", "Governor Mansion’s Advance Orders"...

Ori dared not dwell on it further, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind until the island affairs were resolved before reflecting.

He unconsciously glanced at the young black-haired adventurer beside him, who nearly single-handedly defeated the "Shark Summoner".

With extremely complex emotions, Ori hesitated no longer. Out of respect, he skipped the pleasantries and asked directly:

"How did you originally plan to handle the corpse of this shark beast?"

It’s here!

Detecting the opportunity, Xia Nan replied candidly as always:

"The core materials, including its weapon, I planned to hire a skilled blacksmith to use for crafting and repairing equipment."

"The remaining parts were to be exchanged for Gold Coins at the adventurer association or the grocery store."

Not surprised, Ori nodded earnestly at his words.

Then, sincerely, he said:

"Regarding the specifics of the recovery ordinance, I believe you overheard them just now."

"Under normal circumstances, if you wish to take these demon materials back to Suo Yu Bay, you are required to pay an additional tax."

"But..." A wry smile appeared on his face, "You know, I’m just following orders; there are many things out of my control."

"Sometimes, even if I want to help, the higher-ups are watching, and in the end, a thorough investigation might lead to even more negative results, offering little help."

Having said this, Ori paused before continuing.

"You can take the shark beast’s corpse and its weapon back to Suo Yu Bay on your own; I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything."

"However, since you planned to sell the excess materials for money anyway... Once your equipment is crafted, perhaps you could exchange the leftover materials with our Governor Mansion? When it comes to pricing, rest assured, we’ll start at the market price, and specifics can be discussed further."

Hearing this, Xia Nan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

His fundamental opposition to the Governor Mansion’s recovery ordinance was due to their attempt to forcibly recover the rare materials he originally intended to use for forging equipment.

With Ori’s assistance, this issue was now resolved smoothly.

As for the remaining demon materials Ori mentioned...

Honestly, his original plan was to exchange them for Gold Coins at a reliable shop.

If the Governor Mansion could recover them at market price, in a way, it would even be beneficial for Xia Nan.

It would save him the time and effort of comparing prices and negotiating with multiple shops.

Simplifying things by directly recycling.

"Then... a pleasant collaboration?"

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Xia Nan!"

The two shook hands.

Seeing Xia Nan nod in agreement with his proposal, Ori also visibly relaxed.

With the enormous "Shark Summoner" corpse behind, standing before such a seemingly young but unexpectedly powerful adventurer, his pressure was indeed notable.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, wanting to do a favor and invest in future connections, Ori spoke:

"No offense intended, may I ask which craftsmen you plan to entrust with the materials, Mr. Xia Nan?"

"If you have no suitable choices, I do have some excellent candidates, all master craftsmen with whom my family has collaborated for many years."

The "Pearl Spinning" store that makes the [Abyssal Stream] armor is, after all, just a tailor shop, with a focus in its field, so if Xia Nan aims to craft other types of equipment, there truly is such a demand.

Sensing Ori’s proactive goodwill, Xia Nan raised an eyebrow, responding:

"Oh? Then, I might just trouble you indeed."

"Shall we discuss more on our way back?"