Chapter 404 Silver Claw Osprey

Colin had some ambition in him.

Having grown up in a remote mountain village, far from any town and with little formal education, he still harbored the desire to step out of his small world and make a living elsewhere.

Perhaps part of it was simply the immature mindset of a teenager—naive and green, seeing only the bright futures sung by bards while ignoring the dangers lurking in the outside world.

Regardless, he had bravely taken the first step.

Taking advantage of an Adventurer named Xia Nan passing through his village, he followed the man to Barracuda Bay, the largest city in the region, to seek out his Uncle Paddy, whom he hadn't seen in years.

His Uncle Paddy treated him extremely well.

Having worked in Barracuda Bay for years without starting a family of his own, Paddy treated Colin like a son the moment he confirmed the boy's identity. He bought him new clothes, arranged work for him, and took great care of him.

Colin had even heard Paddy say it himself: after tailing him for a few years to learn the town's trade channels and smooth out connections, the older man would hand over the Salmon Roe grocery shop to him upon retiring.

Perhaps to the lords of the White Cliff District, or to professional Adventurers like Xia Nan, a tiny shop in such an obscure corner was nothing worth noting.

But for an impoverished outsider like Colin, a fixed property inside Barracuda Bay that could generate a steady income was, in some ways, the absolute ceiling of what hard work could achieve. It was something countless ordinary people toiling away at the harbor, in the laundries, and by the stables had dreamed of for a long time.

Colin was deeply grateful to his uncle. Yet, on some level, he felt that farming in the village and tending a grocery shop in Barracuda Bay weren't all that different.

It was merely trading one cage for a more exquisite one.

He certainly knew his thoughts were overly naive, and would even seem ridiculous in the eyes of many.

But he was still just a teenager. Deep down, he yearned to become a powerful Adventurer like Mr. Xia Nan, even knowing his talent was limited and he feared death and combat. He had finally made it to Barracuda Bay; if he couldn't be an Adventurer, he had to at least go out to sea once.

In this regard, his Uncle Paddy proved to be exceptionally open-minded.

He knew that every young person fresh to Barracuda Bay harbored unrealistic fantasies about their future.

And only a true setback could drag them back to reality.

Thus, leveraging the connections he had cultivated in town over the years, he squeezed Colin onto a soon-to-depart cargo ship as an apprentice sailor.

The voyage was short, and the route was relatively safe, virtually devoid of any real danger.

The sheer boredom of the sea and the crew—a motley mix of fish and dragons forming a small society within a confined space—would be more than enough to make him realize the harsh truth.

Naturally, Colin had no idea what he was about to face. Currently filled with anticipation for his impending life at sea, he panted heavily as he cheerfully hauled cargo up and down the gangway.

Until a familiar voice rang out from behind him.

"Mr. Xia Nan?" The teenager looked at the approaching Adventurer in surprise, clearly not expecting to run into him here.

Quickly realizing something, he blinked and asked in pleasant surprise, "So, the new Adventurer the captain mentioned a few days ago—the one coming aboard to escort the cargo—is you?"

Having spent so many days traveling from the village to Barracuda Bay, he naturally knew how powerful this black-haired Adventurer was and had long since made the man his ultimate goal.

Never expecting to have another chance to spend time with him, Colin couldn't be more thrilled, which only made him look forward to the voyage even more.

Xia Nan gave a slight nod. His gaze swept over the boy's coarse linen clothes, already soaked in sweat, and the heavy cargo by his feet. "Why are you working on the docks?" he asked with a hint of confusion. "Where's your Uncle Paddy?"

"Heh, I begged him to find me a job as an apprentice sailor." Colin scratched his head in embarrassment, as if ashamed to mention his capriciousness in front of Xia Nan. "I plan to work at sea for a while and see how it goes."

On the way to Barracuda Bay, Xia Nan had heard him talk about his longing for a life at sea, so seeing the boy actually take up a sailor's trade didn't bring much surprise.

He simply found it a pleasant coincidence that they had bumped into each other again, and chatted with him for a moment.

Just as he was about to ask where this "captain" was, a rough, hoarse male voice drifted down from the gangway.

"You two must be Mr. Xia Nan and Mr. Alton, I presume?"

Striding briskly down the gangway was a dark-skinned, middle-aged man around forty.

He sported a crisp buzz cut. Years of wind and sun on the sea had left his appearance far more weathered than the average person's, and his broad, thick palms were covered in calluses—the marks left behind by years of wrestling with ropes and ship wheels.

Though his income as a captain was much higher than that of ordinary sailors, he didn't wear anything flashy to indicate his status. Instead, he simply wore a slightly loose, short-sleeved shirt. It looked quite plain, but it only made his presence feel more steady and grounded.

"I am Gregory, captain of the Black Gull." The middle-aged man took the initiative to extend his hand, showing his respect. "I hope we have a pleasant cooperation ahead."

Pulling back Alton—who had been squatting by the pier's wooden guardrail, intently watching the seawater splash against the pilings—Xia Nan politely reached out and nodded in response.

"We should be setting off soon. Care to introduce us to the Black Gull?"

"Of course!" Captain Gregory stepped aside, leaning forward slightly as he made an inviting gesture.

He then led Xia Nan and Alton up the gangway, introducing them to the cargo ship that was about to set sail.

As a standard-spec, medium-sized cargo ship—the most common sight at the docks—the Black Gull's interior was just like its unassuming exterior: simple and heavily focused on efficiency.

It was primarily divided into several areas: the bottom hold, the main cargo hold, the deck, and the stern castle.

The bottom hold was located at the very base of the ship, lined with heavy ballast stones to stabilize the center of gravity and ensure a smooth voyage. It was also where the heaviest and most moisture-resistant goods were stored.

The main cargo hold, true to its name, stored the ship's primary cargo. It also doubled as the resting area for the vast majority of the sailors, who used straw mats or hammocks as "beds" in the narrow spaces between the goods or near the bulwarks, possessing almost no personal belongings.

The deck sat above the main cargo hold and served as the sailors' daily workspace. It was the busiest part of the entire ship, where daily maintenance, mending sails, and processing catches of fish all took place.

As for the final area, the stern castle was the highest point on the vessel.

The navigator usually stayed there to observe the stars and chart directions. The captain, along with Xia Nan and a few others, had private, high-end cabins here. It was also used to store expensive items like sea charts, navigation instruments, gold coins, and Crystal Cards.

Though the Black Gull looked exceptionally massive from the outside—so much so that after climbing the gangway to its towering deck, the crowds coming and going in the port below seemed to shrink in size—its interior space was actually stuffed with cargo. There was virtually nowhere below deck that could be called spacious, and many of the narrow corridors only had enough room for a single person to pass through.

Under such circumstances, the number of crew members on the Black Gull was far fewer than Xia Nan had imagined.

Even including the high-level command staff like the captain and the navigator, the total headcount was only just over twenty.

"That's more than enough," Captain Gregory explained. "After all, as you know, every extra person we bring means we have to load less cargo, and the boys' average earnings will take a hit."

"A little over twenty is actually just right. Taking shifts ensures the sailors get adequate rest while keeping the ship manned twenty-four hours a day."

"Even if we run into danger like pirates, having this many people piled up on the deck will make them think twice when they see us."

Xia Nan remained silent. As he listened earnestly to the man's explanations, he absorbed as much of the nautical knowledge as possible, preparing himself for future solo sea voyages.

This was different from Wilderness Survival. Out in the desolate wilderness far from human civilization, he might be able to live quite comfortably relying on his physical attributes as a Class Holder and his combat techniques; as long as he didn't actively court death, he had absolutely nothing to worry about.

But out on the ocean, never mind everything else—just figuring out how to obtain fresh water was an extremely troublesome issue.

He intended to use this precious opportunity spent with an experienced seafarer to learn an ample amount of sailing knowledge.

Right now, the crew of the Black Gull was making their final preparations before departure.

The supplies that had already been replenished days ago—fresh water, weak ale, and the large quantities of hardtack, beans, and cured meats that served as the crew's main food—were being carefully checked and confirmed.

Somewhere below deck, Xia Nan even spotted two goats meant to provide fresh milk, along with a few fluttering hens used to supply eggs.

Crates of fresh fruits and vegetables, just purchased from the market, were being hauled up the gangway by the sailors. For the first few days after leaving port, before they had a chance to spoil, this fresh produce would greatly enrich the crew's meals and provide necessary vitamins.

Meanwhile, the boatswain led a few meticulous veterans in carefully inspecting essential yet easily overlooked details—rigging, cargo tie-downs, bilge pumps, and the like—to ensure nothing went wrong.

The steady, dark-skinned middle-aged man—Captain Gregory—personally took Xia Nan and Alton on a tour around the ship, introducing the Black Gull's functional areas and key crew members.

When they followed the narrow wooden stairs back up to the deck, three figures had appeared near the gangway at some point.

"Ah, right, let me introduce you. These three are also escorts for this voyage," Captain Gregory said.

"You can get to know each other. That way, if any unexpected situations arise, it'll be easier to coordinate."

Following his gaze, what entered Xia Nan's sight was an Adventurer Squad that perfectly fit the world's stereotypical image.

A human, a Half-Elf, and a half-orc.

At the very front of the group, the human male who appeared to be the leader was in his early thirties, with short brown hair and a chiseled face.

He wore a well-maintained set of Fine studded leather armor, draped in a dark green traveling cloak. Two short swords were tucked into his belt, their hilts wrapped in non-slip leather.

Slightly behind him stood a tall woman with sharp eyes. Her exceptionally pale skin and the pointed ears poking through her light silver hair revealed her Half-Elf heritage.

A yew longbow peeked out from her back, its thin, tough bowstring nearly invisible in the sunlight.

The half-orc Warrior bringing up the rear was nearly seven feet tall—a full head taller than Xia Nan, who was pushing one point nine meters himself. The knotty, rock-like bulge of his muscles was made all the more prominent by the short, narrow breastplate on his upper body.

A two-handed battleaxe, as thick and broad as a shield and savage in appearance, was slung across his back. One could catch glimpses of tribal totem war-patterns etched into the surface of its blade.

Two in the front row, one in the back row. No Spellcaster, but they all seemed to be Class Holders, with a Class Level hovering around... 2 to 3?

His sharp Perception silently kicked in. As Xia Nan's dark eyes shifted slightly, his gaze swept over the three Adventurers without leaving a trace.

Based on the details he observed and his own experience, he quickly formed a highly accurate assessment of their strength in his mind.

He wasn't surprised.

Earlier, after accepting this commission from Hera, he had learned from her that he and Alton wouldn't be the only escorts on this voyage.

To some extent, the two of them were actually "transfer students."

After all, for cargo missions like this, the collaborating ship and Adventurer Squad were typically finalized half a month before the official departure, leaving plenty of time for them to prepare.

Xia Nan and Alton, however, had only received the mission three days ago due to special circumstances. It was highly rushed; they were last-minute additions.

He couldn't quite figure out why Hera had given them this escort mission when she clearly already had enough hands on deck.

Thinking about it, perhaps she wanted to use the commission to further test his strength and reliability, ensuring her investment of trust wouldn't go to waste?

But regardless, since she was willing to offer information on Algae Scale Dodd—along with an introduction to a channel that might get him into the Lunar Tide Banquet—as payment, he would continue the mission according to the original plan. With the favor of the Goddess of Luck right by his side, he shouldn't have to worry too much.

As Captain Gregory led him and Alton out of the cabin, Xia Nan acutely noticed that the expressions on the three Adventurers' faces were rather unpleasant.

The human leader and the Half-Elf behind him managed to restrain themselves slightly, but the indignation on the half-orc's face was hardly concealed at all.

It wasn't until Gregory brought Xia Nan and Alton closer that the human male who appeared to be the leader squeezed out a stiff smile. Stepping forward, he took the initiative to greet them, "Hello there. I'm the leader of the Silver Claw Osprey squad. Just call me Nick."