Chapter 438 [Type III One-Piece Scalpel]

Jerry certainly wasn't a Class Holder.

He had not even mastered the most basic "combat techniques." Relying on pirated manuals sold by the basketful in grocery stores, he had picked up nothing more than a few superficial and essentially useless moves.

His actual combat prowess was probably worse than that of the burly laborers who spent their days hauling cargo at Wave-Breaking Wharf.

However, as an orphan, he had no parents to support. Being single, he bore no responsibilities toward a wife or children.

Without family ties, he never had to worry that swinging a club might bring retaliation upon his loved ones. He did not need to consider whether anyone would mourn if he died in a street brawl, or how a family would survive without its breadwinner.

People with happy, fulfilling lives always chose to step aside when faced with unreasonable provocation and conflict.

This was exactly why a thug like Jerry—whose build was considered scrawny even among ordinary people—could act so arrogantly in the streets of Saltwater District.

The severe lack of regulatory oversight, combined with a jungle-like rule of survival of the fittest, meant that as long as these idle loafers did not cause too much trouble or push honest folks to their breaking point, they could avoid working entirely. They usually managed to scrape together a comfortable living just by leeching off ordinary residents.

In his past life, when he was just an ordinary office worker, Xia Nan might not have backed down so easily because of his personality. Yet, unless they crossed his bottom line, he would have felt it was not worth risking his life against such punks.

Now, however, on the Aifala Continent, the situation had changed.

The existence of extraordinary power stretched the disparity in strength between individuals to an exaggerated degree. Furthermore, the backward and corrupt regulatory systems made "death" a common occurrence in certain areas.

Especially when the one dying was an orphaned thug who contributed nothing to society and whom no one cared about... who would even care?

The shop owners extorted for "protection money"? Or the so-called brothers who would laugh and drink with him one second, only to turn hostile and feign ignorance the next?

Clearly, Jerry understood this well.

He possessed a great deal of self-awareness. Even when he was extremely excited just a moment ago, he had maintained his restraint, never inflicting any severe physical harm on that unfortunate vendor who had fallen behind on his "protection money," and he had certainly never killed anyone.

Right now, facing these two powerful adventurers who were likely Class Holders, he did not harbor the slightest thought of resistance.

This was especially true after the two idiots behind him, failing to grasp the situation, had their arms broken in the blink of an eye.

Jerry behaved more obediently than the most loyal house hound.

He knelt on the ground, hands clasping his head, bending his body to press his face firmly against the alley wall, allowing his already crooked nose to be squashed out of shape.

Let alone spout tough words, he did not even dare to steal a glance.

Rubbing the belly of the silver-black snake that had just slithered back to her wrist, Hein stood behind the three of them with a rather strange expression.

"So you really saw it this morning—several members of the Horned Shark Gang tying up a young woman and forcing her into a carriage?" she asked.

"I—I really only know that much, my lady!"

Jerry's panicked and terrified tone formed a sharp contrast with his arrogant demeanor when threatening the street vendor earlier. Coupled with his shivering body and trembling voice, he looked even more pathetic.

"I just happened to walk by and saw it, so they grabbed me to help keep watch. I really don't know anything else..."

"I swear in the name of the Goddess of the Ocean, if I, Jerry, speak a single word of a lie, may I fall into hell after death and suffer eternal torment!"

In a world where deities truly existed, daring to make such an oath was enough to prove he was not lying.

Hearing this explanation, the expression on Hein's face inevitably grew even more subtle.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

She had just heard about the disappearance of Baron Farrow's daughter, and immediately afterward, they had stumbled upon relevant clues. It felt as if it had been perfectly arranged.

At this thought, she could not help but look at the black-haired young man beside her, who had not said a word since this started, and recalled everything that had happened over the past few minutes.

Originally, the two of them were on their way back to the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern from the Association. She had been anxious to explain the situation to the captain of her team. But before they had walked far, her companion Xia Nan claimed to have run into an "acquaintance" and forcefully dragged her into this side alley.

Then they encountered these three thugs.

She did not know if it was simply a guilty conscience on the thugs' part, or if Xia Nan had actually noticed something beforehand.

Right in front of this crooked-nosed thug named Jerry, who seemed to be the leader, they had broken the arms of his two lackeys.

Jerry had instantly dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.

There was not even a need for much interrogation. Xia Nan had simply asked a few vague questions like, "What did you do before going to the grocery store?" or "You seem pretty excited," and the man, kneeling and begging on the ground, spilled everything.

In truth, even Xia Nan himself had not expected this little thug to genuinely be connected to the disappearance of the baron's daughter.

His Perception attribute, which was as high as 12 points, gave him immense confidence in his instincts.

When he bumped into these men at the "Salmon Roe" grocery store this morning, he faintly felt that something was off about them. They were in a state of hyperactive indulgence.

Later, the sudden increase in guards on the streets, combined with the details he learned from the tavern owner Hera, made him instinctively link these thugs to the missing noblewoman.

Now that he happened to run into them on the way back, he naturally had to go over and ask. It would not waste much time, and he might even find some clues.

And facts proved that trusting his instincts was the right call.

However, what he had not anticipated was that this move, driven purely by intuition, would yield an unexpected harvest.

Rubbing his fingertips, feeling the cold, smooth, and hard texture in his palm, he slightly lowered his head and shifted his gaze down.

What entered his sight was a small dagger with an extremely bizarre shape.

It was about fifteen centimeters long and entirely silvery-white. It was clearly forged from a very fine, special metal. It seemed to be molded as a single piece, the blade and the handle seamlessly integrated without any traces of welding or assembly, revealing the exceptional forging techniques poured into it.

Its overall design was even more peculiar. The handle accounted for two-thirds of the total length, with a flat oval cross-section that made it easy to hold. It seemed intentionally designed, with streamlined undulations in the middle of the grip that perfectly fit the muscular curves of the palm, providing an incredibly smooth feel.

The blade portion was only one-third of the total length, appearing restrained and understated, yet the tapered edge was abnormally sharp, so thin and light that it almost lost the substantial feel of its metallic material.

The durability of this dagger was very average. An ordinary person with slightly more strength could easily bend it. The overly slender blade seemed specially crafted for a particular purpose; its edges were exceptionally sharp, but the sides of the blade possessed no toughness to speak of.

Let alone using it for combat, it was completely useless even as a skinning knife for harvesting loot materials. If force was applied improperly even slightly, it would easily snap or damage the prey's materials.

Its true utility lay in some sort of highly precise cutting operation aimed at fragile flesh.

Xia Nan did not know what the people on the Aifala Continent would think upon seeing such a tool, nor was he sure if similar instruments existed in this world.

But personally, he could not be any more familiar with this little knife.

As he quietly focused his attention, his Attribute Panel materialized in the empty space around the dagger.

...

[Type III One-Piece Scalpel]

Type: Dagger

Grade: /

Description:

An ordinary and common scalpel. The experience of spacetime traversal has not made it any tougher. It is utterly useless anywhere outside an operating table... perhaps you could use it to peel an apple?

Remarks:

"Trust the instruments first, then trust your eyes, and finally trust the sensation from your fingertips. If all three point in different directions... trust this knife. It has never made a mistake."

...

What was the keyword here?

"Scalpel"? "Peel an apple"?

For Xia Nan, almost in the very next second after he summoned the tool's Attribute Panel out of habit...

His entire attention was drawn to a single sentence in the [Description] column:

— "The experience of spacetime traversal has not made it any tougher."

Spacetime traversal!?

Having had multiple similar experiences, how could Xia Nan possibly miss it?

It was just like the [Azure Pine] wooden sword strapped to his back right now, which was emitting a faint heat due to the presence of the silver-black snake.

Without a doubt, this scalpel was an otherworldly item.

And the appearance of an otherworldly item meant the existence of a "Secret Realm".

What did a Secret Realm represent?

It represented the forging materials for the [Ember Fall] straight sword. It represented [Gaze into the Abyss] and [Bronze Sinews and Iron Bones]. It represented physical attributes that far surpassed adventurers of the same level, and it represented energy replenishment for the [Dream Weaving Corridor]...

To Xia Nan, every journey into a Secret Realm elevated his potential and overall strength to a whole new tier.

The special connection between his otherworldly soul and the Secret Realms served as his third Golden Finger, right alongside his "Attribute Panel" and the [Dream Weaving Corridor].

The moment he discovered the scalpel's otherworldly nature, the plans he had just formulated in his mind were unhesitatingly scrapped.

The priority of "finding the Secret Realm" instantly shot up, second only to obtaining the "[Dream Weaving Corridor] key".

"Where did you get this thing?" Xia Nan asked sternly.

He made Jerry turn around and dangled the scalpel he had looted from the thug right in front of his face.

At the same time, his pitch-black eyes stared intently at the man's face. His exceptional Perception silently activated, observing every subtle twitch in his facial muscles.

He was just an ordinary person with no professional training.

Any concealment or deception would have nowhere to hide under the gaze of those cold, placid eyes.

"It—it was given to me by those big brothers from the Horned Shark Gang!" Jerry answered in terror as he knelt on the ground.

An indescribably terrifying pressure invisibly enveloped his entire body, entirely squelching any stray thoughts of resistance.

"They said it was a reward for helping keep watch, and also a token of proof for joining the gang later."

"Did they mention where they got this dagger?" Xia Nan pressed.

"I don't know... I really don't know, my lord!"

Perhaps the invisible pressure Xia Nan exuded was simply too much, causing the little thug to grovel on the ground, his voice taking on a sobbing tone.

Under his acute Perception, Xia Nan knew the man was not lying or holding anything back.

He slightly retracted his aura, looking thoughtful.

"An otherworldly scalpel," "the Horned Shark Gang," "the baron's daughter"...

Just a moment ago, he had firmly intended to stay out of this mess.

But now, for the sake of a possible clue to a Secret Realm, he was afraid he really had to step in and see what was going on.

Off to the side, although Hein felt Xia Nan's reaction was a bit sudden, she did not overthink it.

Seeing that he was no longer speaking, she followed up by asking Jerry about the Horned Shark Gang's whereabouts:

"Do you remember which way they took her?" she asked.

"It should be... it should be toward Wave-Breaking Wharf," Jerry replied with a trembling voice, still groveling on the ground.

As soon as he spoke, Hein's heart skipped a beat.

This was going to be troublesome.

It was already afternoon. These past few hours were likely more than enough time for the Horned Shark Gang to put the baron's daughter on a ship and sail out of Barracuda Bay.

As if sensing the druid's thoughts beside him, Xia Nan, who had already decided to intervene, spoke up to analyze the situation:

"According to the intelligence provided by the Association, Baron Farrow's daughter was attacked yesterday evening," he said.

"In that case, the Horned Shark Gang's actions this morning were highly likely an attempt to relocate her."

"Right now, there is a heavy guard presence stationed at the port. Unless they already left the harbor this morning, it would be utterly impossible for them to smuggle someone onto a ship and sail away."

"Ultimately, there are only two possibilities right now."

Xia Nan looked at Hein beside him, analyzing with an even tone.

"One, the Horned Shark Gang has already taken Baron Farrow's daughter and left Barracuda Bay."

If that were the case, facing such a vast ocean, it would be impossible for Xia Nan and the others to chase them down. They could only wait for the kidnappers to show themselves.

"Two, the Horned Shark Gang did not have time to complete the transfer and were effectively trapped in Barracuda Bay by the port guards."

Considering the sudden disappearance of a noble's heir, the Governor's Mansion would not abandon the search anytime soon, if only to uphold their own authority and dignity.

For the next few days at least, the Horned Shark Gang had zero chance of leaving via the docks.

That being the case, it was like catching turtles in a jar.

The only thing Xia Nan and the others needed to do was find where these gang members were currently hiding.

Assuming the hostage was not killed, they actually had plenty of time. They could afford to be thorough and take it slow.

"Let's head back to the tavern as planned. You go report the situation to your captain, and I will make some preparations and ask Hera for specific details about this Horned Shark Gang."

"Then, there is no rush to search blindly. We can go to the Association first to understand the specifics of this commission."

"If possible, it would be best to speak with Baron Farrow face-to-face."

"Once we have figured out the entire cause and effect and have a comprehensive understanding, then we make our move."

"What do you think?"