Chapter 451 Temporary Member and Buyer

Xia Nan's considerations were actually quite comprehensive.

He had guessed what kind of compensation Lorraine wanted by factoring in gold coins, equipment, and combat techniques.

There was certainly nothing wrong with this approach; it could even be called meticulous.

However, perhaps limited by his own perspective in the matter, he had overlooked the most important point.

What was Xia Nan's value to Lorraine?

Was it the gold coins he had initially offered?

To be honest, if an adventurer fleet like the Blade of Vengeance—whose core members were entirely composed of veteran Class Holders—truly wanted to amass a large fortune in a short time, saying they had ten thousand ways might be an exaggeration, but they certainly had at least a hundred.

A four-figure sum of gold coins was indeed a massive amount, but compared to the latter options, it was far from enough to tempt the captain of an adventurer team of this caliber.

As for enchanted equipment and combat techniques...

The former was a rather taboo subject among Adventurers. Often, they wouldn't fully disclose what they had even to teammates they had spent years with, instead relying on these items as trump cards to save their lives mission after mission.

They had only spent half a day together, and the combat hadn't been intense enough to require fighting to the death. Even Hein and the twin warriors weren't entirely clear on what specific enchanted equipment Xia Nan possessed, let alone Lorraine.

Naturally, she wouldn't make any demands of him in that regard.

Combat techniques were even more restrictive.

As their Class Levels gradually increased and they ventured deeper down their professional paths, veterans often formed a unique combat style that combined their class with their personal combat habits.

Choosing a combat technique required deep compatibility.

A Warrior couldn't learn a Rogue's application of shadow energy, and a ranger wouldn't swing a Barbarian's two-handed heavy axe in the middle of a crowd.

Xia Nan's combat techniques were undeniably excellent, but they weren't necessarily suitable for other Adventurers who had already forged their own paths.

Even if they really obtained the training method for [Spinning Slash] from him, they would ultimately just use it for profit, trading it for gold coins or other resources.

Right now, Xia Nan's greatest value to Lorraine—

was himself.

Who was Xia Nan?

A young Level 3 Adventurer not even twenty years old;

A figure who treated his Class Level like a Challenge Rating, possessing an actual combat prowess greater than many Level 5s;

A Class Holder who already had cooperative experience with some members of the Blade of Vengeance fleet and carried the endorsement of the Three-Legged Sea Dog's owner, Hera.

Under these circumstances, for the Blade of Vengeance fleet—which had extremely low member turnover, required a massive amount of time for observation before someone could become an official member, and just happened to be short-handed—what could possibly be more valuable than Xia Nan himself?

Of course, Lorraine had no intention of extending a formal invitation to him at the moment.

Since this black-haired youth before her had decent strength and a much higher degree of credibility than the drunk Adventurers in the tavern, her team urgently needed supplementary combat power, and he just so happened to have a request of his own...

Then perhaps...

He could come aboard their ship as a temporary crew member?

It wouldn't be too late to consider the next steps after he had withstood the dual test of time and danger.

"There are still three months until the Lunar Tide Banquet."

Lorraine sat with her legs crossed, her brownish-red eyes gazing at Xia Nan.

"You'll come aboard my ship and help out with a few things. When the time comes, I'll take you to the banquet. How about it?"

Hearing this, Xia Nan paused inwardly, his thoughts flashing as he immediately understood.

She meant she wanted him to work on her ship for three months.

That... wasn't entirely unacceptable.

Compared to gold coins, equipment, and combat techniques, he surprisingly found this condition much easier to accept.

Although he had mostly ventured out as a "lone wolf" before, whether restricted by commission requirements or other factors, he had plenty of experience cooperating with other Adventurers.

It was just that, aside from a few decent individuals, the outcomes for the majority of his temporary teammates had been rather poor.

Xia Nan wasn't opposed to cooperating with others, especially when there was a clear objective.

The reason he didn't have permanent Adventurer teammates was partly due to his high-mobility combat style centered around [Fang Hunt]. Fighting alone allowed him to better utilize his speed advantage. If he could win, he would execute a swift decapitation; if not, he could simply retreat. The enemy likely wouldn't be able to catch him, and he wouldn't have to worry about anyone else.

On the other hand, Xia Nan had far too many things he needed to hide. His speed of improvement was far too rapid compared to the average standard of this world. If someone stayed by his side for a long time, they would easily notice the anomalies.

Therefore, even with a deeply trusted friend like Alton, he had absolutely no intention of forming a permanent team.

But for the sake of the [Dream Weaving Corridor] key, three months... was within his acceptable range.

As he pondered, Xia Nan made his decision.

He didn't reply immediately, instead turning to look at the Halfling beside him, who hadn't spoken much since entering the room, entirely yielding the initiative to him.

"Alton, do you have any thoughts?"

"Anything works. I'll follow your lead," the Halfling said, sitting on the sofa and swinging his legs in boredom. His eyes were sometimes drawn to the passing birds outside the window, and other times studied the patterns on the tablecloth in front of him. His inner thoughts were completely written on his face; he clearly had no objections.

The little guy's goal was also to attend the Lunar Tide Banquet. However, unlike Xia Nan, who was searching for the key, Alton was merely traveling through the area and wanted to join in the fun. Happening to run into his acquaintance Xia Nan, they had simply grouped up as travel companions.

As long as he could attend the banquet, he didn't care how they got there.

Speaking of which, given Alton's status as someone blessed by the Goddess of Luck, Xia Nan even suspected that the little guy didn't have to do anything at all. As long as he genuinely wanted to attend, he would naturally find himself at the banquet when the time came.

But to a certain extent, running into Xia Nan—who also aimed for the Lunar Tide Banquet—by such a coincidence was in itself a manifestation of luck.

Having already anticipated Alton's response, Xia Nan gave a slight nod upon hearing his words, turning his gaze back to Lorraine across the table.

"Alright, so the Lunar Tide Banquet will be the deadline?"

Clack—

Her right leg, which had been resting on her left knee, dropped back to the ground, the heel of her pointed leather boot striking the floor with a crisp sound.

Lorraine exhaled the last wisp of tobacco smoke and crushed the cigarette butt in a small tray on the table.

With her fiery red hair swaying, she suddenly stood up and reached out a hand toward Xia Nan, a faint smile on her lips:

"Pleasure working with you."

Likewise standing up from the sofa to politely shake hands with his "temporary captain," Xia Nan asked:

"Does our team have any plans for outside missions recently? I need to make some preparations in advance."

Since he had decided to cooperate with her, while ensuring his own safety and interests, Xia Nan was still quite responsible.

He couldn't just slack off for three months waiting for the festival to arrive.

Even as a temporary team member in the fleet, he intended to do his part, taking responsibility for both the team and himself.

Clearly satisfied with Xia Nan's rapid adaptability, the smile on Lorraine's face grew a bit deeper upon hearing this. She replied in a relaxed tone:

"No rush. We just got back to Barracuda Bay and need to rest for a few days."

"You can use this time to familiarize yourself with the team members. You definitely already know Hein and Ryan. The others aren't at the tavern right now, but we'll have Hein introduce you to them later."

Familiarizing himself with his teammates was indeed a crucial step. Xia Nan nodded at her words, casting his gaze toward the Druid by the window who was watching him.

Seeing him look over, Hein waved her hand quite enthusiastically.

The silver and black bracelet on her wrist trembled faintly, clearly having also heard about this "temporary teammate" joining them for the next three months.

The twin warriors, Ryan and Gordon, stood near the door, still silent and wooden, but their faces clearly bore no expressions of resistance.

To them, gaining a formidable member in the team was naturally a fantastic thing.

With the main business concluded, the Blade of Vengeance adventurer fleet had gained a temporary member for a three-month duration, and Xia Nan had finally secured a chance to attend the Lunar Tide Banquet. The atmosphere in the room visibly relaxed.

Sitting on the sofa, he chatted with them about the specifics of the team and briefly introduced his own experiences traveling here from Rivervale Town.

It was only when the sky outside the window turned completely dark that Xia Nan took his leave.

Walking down the stairs with Alton, he silently reviewed everything in his mind.

His overall performance should have been considered decent. He hadn't made any overly rash moves during the negotiations, and the atmosphere during the subsequent idle chatter had been relatively harmonious.

'Speaking of which, this Lorraine's Class Level is probably beyond Level 5. She must be Level 6 or even Level 7.'

His acute Perception attribute helped Xia Nan sense the strength of the person before him in a relatively detailed manner through various cues.

This highly aggressive red-haired captain gave him a feeling during their conversation that was far more imposing than the "Horned Shark" and "Broken Brow" he had met that afternoon, and her aura was much more condensed.

All things considered, she felt even stronger than Lawson and Trevelyan, whom he had encountered when teaming up with Verol. Her strength was extraordinary.

This was naturally a good thing.

She wasn't an enemy. With such an experienced and powerfully formidable captain on board, his next three months would probably be much easier.

Then, another thought struck him. Now that he had become a member of the Blade of Vengeance fleet, didn't that mean his original plan to renovate the Flying Fish Oil Barrel pirate ship was pointless?

After all, under normal circumstances, he would definitely be moving with the team. He didn't need to travel alone like before, so naturally he wouldn't need...

'No, no, no.'

Xia Nan shook his head, vetoing the idea in his mind.

His mid-term plan to find the [Dream Weaving Corridor] key might have advanced, but his short-term goal still didn't have the slightest shadow of progress.

He certainly hadn't forgotten that Scalpel he had looted from "Bloody-Nosed Rat" Jerry.

It was said to be from some "Twin Oceans" and held clues to a foreign Secret Realm. Even if he ultimately returned empty-handed, he definitely still had to make a trip there.

However, his status as a member of the Blade of Vengeance fleet was somewhat restrictive. They weren't close friends, so they had no reason to take unnecessary risks with him.

He reckoned he could only play it by ear and use the intervals between missions to go out and search for clues himself.

For this purpose, having a sea ship of his own was still quite important.

After nightfall, the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern was countless times livelier than during the day.

When Xia Nan and Alton walked down the stairs, the previously somewhat empty hall was already packed with all sorts of Adventurers. The air was filled with the aroma of alcohol and the sound of profanities.

It was worth noting that various rumors regarding the annihilation of the Horned Shark Gang earlier that day were already spreading and fermenting within the tavern along with the crowd.

Many people initially didn't take it seriously, simply viewing Xia Nan as an ordinary patron in the tavern. However, after their gazes swept over him, they sensed something amiss. He seemed to faintly match the description of the person in the rumors. They then turned their heads to take a second and third look... their eyes mainly lingering on Xia Nan's signature black hair and the twin swords on his back.

Already accustomed to the attention of others and knowing that a little notoriety could save him a lot of trouble in a place with a motley mix of fish and dragons, Xia Nan maintained a calm state of mind as he walked toward the counter at the front.

He still needed to pry a bit deeper with Hera for information regarding the "Twin Oceans" where the foreign Scalpel had been discovered.

Unexpectedly, before he could even get close, a familiar figure standing by the counter was the first to catch his eye.

"Mar?"

The person was none other than Mar, his exclusive receptionist at the Barracuda Bay Adventurers' Association branch.

However, given the current time, she should have already gotten off work.

She was sitting on a wooden chair in front of the bar, a full but barely touched glass of alcohol resting in front of her.

However, the Association uniform she was wearing clearly didn't give the impression of someone who had come to the tavern for a few relaxing drinks after work.

Furthermore, the sweat slightly beading on her forehead and the unconscious tapping of her toes revealed her inner anxiety even more.

"Finished talking?" Behind the counter, Hera wiped a glass and looked toward Xia Nan and Alton as they walked over. "How did it go? Do you need me to put in a good word for you?"

"Thank you." Xia Nan nodded slightly. It wasn't exactly a secret, so he told her about the deal he had struck with Lorraine.

"A temporary teammate..." The expression on Hera's face grew thoughtful, as if she had recalled something. She didn't reveal too much, instead replying with a smile, "That's not bad. Given the Blade of Vengeance's member standards, it's possible that over these three months, not only will you not face any real danger, but you might even make a hefty sum."

"Lorraine has never been stingy with her subordinates."

"If that's really the case, then that's naturally for the best." Upon reaching the counter, Xia Nan didn't take a seat. Instead, he turned his gaze to Mar, who had immediately stood up upon seeing him. She had remained silent with anxious patience, quietly waiting for his conversation with Hera to end.

Xia Nan already had a guess in his mind regarding the purpose of this receptionist's visit.

"Mr. Xia Nan, do you remember the [Tide-Surge Lure Pole] you put up for consignment at the Association?"

"The buyer only returned from outside the island this evening. I just received the news myself."

"I was wondering if you might be free now?"

(End of Chapter)