Chapter 460 Ship Damage and a Temporary Plan

"Rumble!"

A rich emerald light brimming with life suddenly erupted in the air, instantly throwing the curtain of rain around the figurehead into chaos.

Having finally completed her preparations, Hein flipped her wrist, gently scattering the tiny seeds she held in her palm.

The swirling emerald light seemed to resonate invisibly with something. Suddenly, a sharp, melodious, and bizarre cry echoed in Xia Nan's ears.

His Perception triggering, he instinctively looked toward the bow.

The faceless banshee figurehead, which had braved the storm and freezing rain with its arms open in an embrace toward the sea, was now glowing. A faint yet tangible light washed over its surface, warping the rain around it.

It flickered and pulsed, resonating with the emerald light radiating from Hein.

Crackle—

A faint noise erupted from beneath their feet.

[Fast-Growing Vine Shell]

This special 2nd Circle Spell from the Coral Society, after a lengthy preparation, finally took effect at the Blade of Vengeance Ship's most dangerous moment against the storm and the school of fish.

Nourished by life energy, the seeds Hein had scattered onto the deck instantly sprouted, rapidly growing into thick patches of seagrass and kelp.

Aided by the resonance of the ship's spirit, the dark green aquatic plants spread like rapidly multiplying fungi. Their leaves and roots acted like probing tentacles, expanding outward along the grain of the deck's planks.

In mere seconds, they dyed the entire bow a vibrant green, rapidly spreading toward the bottom of the ship, which was currently suffering fierce bites from the fish.

Xia Nan wasn't sure exactly how effective this spell would be, nor did he know if it had completely wrapped around the entire exterior of the Blade of Vengeance Ship.

But what he could sense was this:

A dozen seconds after the spell took effect, his Perception picked up a shift. The hair-raising, grating sounds of sharp teeth piercing the hull from beneath the water suddenly turned crisp and rigid.

Clink, clatter—it sounded like they were gnawing on something solid.

Maintaining this spell likely required absolute concentration. After casting, the Druid Hein made no other major moves. She simply gripped her staff and guarded the edge of the deck alongside Xia Nan, occasionally blasting any sharks visible within her line of sight into minced meat with missiles of pure energy.

When one's attention was highly focused, time itself seemed to flow faster.

Xia Nan continued as before, using his balance on the storm-rocked deck to fulfill his role as a "rover." He rushed to support wherever hands were needed, and whenever he had a spare moment, he grabbed a crossbow from the sailors and fired at the underwater sharks.

He wasn't sure exactly how much time passed.

He only knew that by the time a third of his stamina—backed by 8 points of Constitution—was depleted, a brilliant, dazzling ray of sunlight pierced through the depths of the clouds, strikingly bright against the darkness.

It was a sign that the storm was finally passing.

As the sunlight quietly spread, the frequency of the gnawing sounds from beneath the surface gradually decreased. The prowling sharks grew sparse. The towering, mountain-like waves vanished, and even the howling gales that threatened to sweep them away slowly subsided.

The storm retreated much faster than it had arrived.

Gentle, warm sunlight returned, and a cool, humid ocean breeze softly brushed against their cheeks. The sky was a clear azure, dotted only with a few lazy white clouds, and the sparkling sea stretched out vast and tranquil.

Only the devastated deck remained as proof of the apocalyptic frenzy they had just endured.

The meaning behind the "Bitch Queen," the moniker of the [Goddess of the Ocean] Umberlee, was fully demonstrated in this moment.

"Thump."

The sailors' clothes were soaked through with a mixture of rain, seawater, and sweat.

Gasping for breath, their eyes glazed over from physical exhaustion. Some slumped against the railings with pale faces, while others lacked even the strength to untie their safety ropes, simply collapsing flat onto the deck.

The twin Warriors, Ryan and Gordon, were equally drenched. Their stamina as Class Holders went without saying; they were currently working with the few crew members who still had some energy left to tidy up the inner cabins and tally the damage.

The bald brute, Aken, whose boundless energy from his Barbarian class usually had nowhere to go, had vented most of it during the storm. He was surprisingly calm now, staring silently out at the sea as if he had entered some kind of "sage mode."

The tabaxi, Sasha, dropped lightly from the mast, the pads on his paws making his landing almost entirely silent. With the crisis averted, physical instinct overrode his reason. His soaked fur left him deeply uncomfortable, and he shook himself violently from side to side like a feral cat that had fallen into a pond.

Captain Lorraine released the helm. Her slender fingers plucked the rain-sodden cigarette from her lips, and she instinctively brushed it against the flaming scimitar at her waist to relight it. Catching herself a moment later, she casually tossed the ruined cigarette into the sea. She pulled her cigarette case from the strap on her thigh, lit a fresh one, and took a deep drag, her cheeks hollowing. Amidst the curling smoke, she swept the wet strands of hair from her cheek.

Xia Nan's clothes were thoroughly soaked as well, sticking uncomfortably to his skin. His gear had been drenched in rain and seawater, which meant he would need to carefully maintain it later.

To some extent, thanks to his long-term, in-depth research into [Gravity Control], he was actually capable of maintaining a gravitational field around his body to repel the rain.

But he hadn't done so.

For one, his mental energy was limited. He had practically been splitting his attention three ways: scanning the ship for anyone needing a hand, assessing the visible hull damage caused by the sharks, easing the pressure on the crossbowmen, and stepping in to save any sailor about to be swept overboard by the waves.

He simply didn't have the mental bandwidth to maintain a gravitational shield at the same time.

On the other hand, it was also a matter of worldly wisdom and social tact.

He had only recently joined the team as a temporary crew member. Enduring a sudden crisis together was the best way to blend in.

After weathering such a storm, everyone on board, including the captain, was drenched. If he was the only one completely dry—well, most of the crew probably wouldn't mind and might even be amazed by his abilities, but looking like he'd gone through hell with them spared him unnecessary trouble and maximized the recognition of his contributions. Xia Nan was willing to show that level of situational awareness.

On the other hand, the Druid Hein, who had stood right at the bow taking the brunt of the storm, only had slightly damp brown hair resting on her shoulders.

The swirling magical particles around her—that emerald light teeming with the aura of life—had passively converted the raindrops striking her into pure elemental energy while she cast her spell, keeping her clothes dry.

The difference a Spellcaster made in a party was truly unimaginable.

In most sudden skirmishes during an adventure, without any prior preparation, a Spellcaster's combat performance might fall short of the Warriors or rangers in the team.

Their true value lay in the versatility their class provided.

Take Hein, for example. Facing the storm, she had to rely on magic just to stay on her feet. If she were assigned anywhere else on deck—whether maintaining the rigging or shooting at the sharks in the water—her efficiency would be far worse than the other Class Holders.

But at the same time, when facing a siege from a school of fish and with the entire Blade of Vengeance Ship in peril, she could deploy [Fast-Growing Vine Shell], the perfect spell for the situation, to protect the hull and minimize the damage to the ship.

Her contribution was immense.

And to think, she was only a Level 3 Druid. Her spell list was restricted, and the highest spell tier she could use didn't exceed the 2nd Circle.

Compared to their raw combat power, it was their utility and versatility that made Spellcasters so highly valued by the Adventurers of this world.

Right now, however, Hein—who had just helped the team escape a crisis—didn't seem to be in a good mood.

Her excessive mental exhaustion had drained all color from her already pale face. Frowning tightly as if deep in thought, she turned and walked toward Xia Nan and the others.

"Something's not right," Hein said, her expression serious. "Scorch-Neck Whorl-Tooth Sharks aren't pack hunters. Under normal circumstances, it's impossible for them to form a school of this size."

Nearby, a forearm-length shark that had likely been washed aboard was thrashing on the deck. Its horrifying, suction-cup-like mouth full of jagged teeth opened and closed in the air, revealing its pale belly as its tail thrashed.

"And they rarely launch such a frantic siege on passing ships. At most, they hitch a ride on the bottom of a hull to migrate. The damage they cause usually isn't even noticed until the ship returns to port for repairs."

Storms were common on this sea; everyone was used to them.

But so many sharks appearing all at once? Even Captain Lorraine, the most experienced sailor on board, was seeing it for the first time.

There was definitely a problem!

Coupled with the fact that the Twin Oceans were the only habitat for Scorch-Neck Whorl-Tooth Sharks in these waters, the source of the problem was obvious.

Their destination, the Twin Oceans, had likely undergone some unknown anomaly that affected the local sharks.

"Make your preparations," Lorraine said with pointed meaning, casually flicking her cigarette butt into the sea.

Her pointed leather boot stomped down hard on the shark that had been washed onto the deck, crushing its head.

With a flick of her toe, she kicked the convulsing carcass off the deck.

Xia Nan took mental note of this, raising his guard.

The reason he was interested in the Twin Oceans was due to the suspected appearance of a Secret Realm there.

Now that they had suddenly encountered a pack of abnormally behaving sharks—an endemic species to the Twin Oceans—it was hard not to link their mutation to the Secret Realm itself.

Fortunately, he had the [Gaze into the Abyss] Feat, which granted a resistance bonus against mind-control abilities, giving him some measure of defense.

As his dark eyes watched the shark's carcass drift away on the ship's wake, Xia Nan weighed their upcoming journey in his mind.

Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly approached from behind.

Gordon, the younger of the twin Warriors, stepped out of the cabin. Sopping wet and wearing a grim expression, he quickened his pace toward the group.

"Is there a problem inside?" Knowing Gordon was in charge of the inner cabins, and seeing his expression after the storm, Lorraine could already guess the issue.

"It's not overly serious, we can hold out for a while," Gordon nodded heavily and said solemnly. "Although Hein's spell vastly improved the hull's defenses, there were just too many sharks. The lower port side of the cabin has started taking on water."

"I've already assigned the shipwright to repair it, but for safety's sake, I don't recommend a prolonged voyage right now."

The damage to the Blade of Vengeance Ship wasn't entirely crippling. Gordon was stoic and meticulous—he clearly wouldn't exaggerate or misjudge the situation. If they really had to push on, it wasn't impossible.

But if they encountered another storm of that scale, or another school of sharks, there was no guarantee the battered ship could survive another assault.

And out on the vast ocean, if the ship sank, every crew member aside from the Class Holders would drown.

This was completely unacceptable to Lorraine, who had gone to great lengths to assemble this crew.

On the other hand, it had been days since they left Barracuda Bay. Who could guarantee they wouldn't encounter another accident on the return trip?

Pondering for a moment, Lorraine didn't make an immediate decision.

Instead, she turned around and glanced up at a pair of seagulls flying across the sky.

Then, she took a compass from her belt pouch, laid it flat in her palm, and carefully checked their bearings.

Xia Nan wasn't sure exactly what method she used to pinpoint their location. It might have been some specialized technique he was unaware of, or an innate ability tied to her class.

But in just about three minutes, Lorraine gave her answer.

It was a blessing in disguise. Despite the storm and the ship taking on water, the Blade of Vengeance Ship was still close to its original charted course. The storm had even swept them forward a considerable distance.

They wouldn't need to consume extra supplies, their schedule was wide open, and their current location was still within familiar waters on their nautical chart.

After careful consideration, Captain Lorraine made her decision. "There's an island recorded on the chart about half a day's voyage from here," she said.

"There's a small village on the island populated by local sea folk who fish for a living. Passing merchant ships often stop there to trade, so there isn't any danger."

"We'll head to the island to rest for a while, and thoroughly inspect and repair all the damage to the ship."

"If the problem is truly severe and we can't push on, we can either sail back or stay there and wait for support."

"If the damage isn't too bad, we'll set sail and continue our original mission."