Chapter 461 Fishmen, Sacrifice

Perhaps the storm had swept away all their bad luck.

The temporary resting plan for the Blade of Vengeance Ship proceeded smoothly. The journey was so effortless that it took less than half a day to reach the small fishing island in the nearby waters.

Another night had passed since the storm ended, and the group arrived at their destination just as morning broke.

Standing on the deck, they could vaguely make out the fog-shrouded reefs and peaks rising from the sea ahead.

It was quiet. The only sounds in the air were the crashing waves and the cries of seagulls circling overhead.

The island itself was nothing special. It had no local specialties and offered no magnificent scenery worth seeing.

Even the name "Hare Island" was just a temporary label jotted down for naval charts, spreading only through word of mouth among passing sailors over the years.

A small fishing village sat on the island. It was modest and had little presence on an ordinary day, but since Hare Island lay along several shipping routes heading into Barracuda Bay, various vessels frequently passed by. Whenever they stopped to rest, they would occasionally trade with the local fishermen.

With her wealth of sailing experience, Lorraine had visited Hare Island several times. While she didn't have a deep friendship with the village head, they were at least familiar with each other.

Now that they had weathered a storm and the ship needed a temporary stop for repairs, she wondered if she could strike a deal with them, trading surplus supplies for useful repair materials.

Her pointed leather boots stepped lightly onto the beach, leaving a faint footprint behind.

Lorraine swept her gaze forward.

The Blade of Vengeance Ship was anchored by the crude port near the sandy shore. Under the direction of the twin warriors, Ryan and Gordon, the crew worked in full swing. Nearby, the bard Alton plucked a lively tune, lifting the spirits of the working sailors.

After a moment's thought, she waved Xia Nan and Hein over.

Since they were heading to the village to negotiate rather than fight, she naturally had to pick two people with decent appearances to accompany her.

If she brought Aken or Sasha, things would go south. The moment the former—a bald, muscular brute covered in tattoos—stood in the village, negotiations would be over; she might as well swap "discussion" for "coercion." As for the latter, being a Tabaxi meant that to the islanders who had lived in these waters their whole lives, a half-man, half-cat creature was practically no different from a monster.

By contrast, Hein looked like a pretty young woman in almost any non-combat situation. Furthermore, as a Spellcaster, she possessed a cool, pale complexion that the seafarers lacked, making her quite eye-catching in a crowd.

And Xia Nan—though his temperament was indeed a bit cold and he was usually quiet, he undeniably had a good look about him.

His sharp features, paired with his Fine equipment, gave him the aura of a veteran Adventurer at a single glance.

'With these two standing behind me, this negotiation shouldn't be too difficult,' Lorraine thought.

"Hein, Xia Nan, come with me to the village," she called out.

"The rest of you, set up camp nearby, and don't let your guard down!"

Xia Nan naturally had no objections.

After all, even if he stayed behind, he wouldn't be of much use.

Unlike the little guy who could play tunes to boost morale, Xia Nan was still lacking. Though he had crammed plenty of knowledge regarding sailing and ships during his time in Barracuda Bay, his foundation was ultimately weak, and there was too much to learn.

He only understood the absolute basics of ship inspection and maintenance; jumping in rashly would only cause more trouble.

All he could do was use his high Perception to keep a lookout for the crew camped near the beach.

Now that Captain Lorraine wanted to take him along, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

The island hadn't undergone large-scale development. Traces of human activity were visible only around the temporary dock; the surrounding area was practically no different from a tropical rainforest.

Overhead were emerald canopies so dense they blocked out the sunlight, and underfoot were weeds and shrubs that grew waist-high.

Fortunately, a small fishing village was situated nearby, so this wasn't a completely primeval forest. People traveled back and forth between the village and the dock every so often, leaving behind a faint trail, sparing them from having to hack through tough, tangled vines.

Trekking through such untamed jungle was no easy task, even for many Adventurers.

The restrictive terrain was one issue, but the greatest dangers were the venomous snakes and insects hiding deep in the dense grass.

A single moment of carelessness could result in a severe bite.

To some extent, this was one of the reasons why many Adventurers carried Antidote Potions as outdoor essentials.

But the current situation was completely different.

Even though she had a rough understanding of Hare Island's environment and knew there were no dangerous monsters here, Lorraine still insisted that Xia Nan and the others maintain a cautious formation.

She took the lead, holding her Scale-Fire Scimitar to clear the path. Hein was protected in the middle of the group, and Xia Nan took up the rear, keeping the trio's formation relatively tight.

Thanks to the sunflame damage bonus that the Green Pine wooden sword on his back dealt to serpentine and scorpion-like creatures, the blade hadn't stopped radiating heat ever since he followed the captain into the jungle.

It made him act like a human radar, actively scanning for venomous snakes in the surrounding brush.

Furthermore, the intimidation bonus against serpent creatures from the Darkscale Coiled Guard on his left arm meant that Xia Nan only had to glance at the grass for a violent rustling to ensue, with colorful scales quickly vanishing into the swaying weeds.

This caused Hein, walking ahead, to look back at him several times—though it was also possible that her wrist was being squeezed too tightly by Ayin.

After all, driving away snakes and insects was a job she usually handled as a Druid.

The emerald light radiating from the tip of her staff made the group seem at one with the dense forest as they walked. As long as they didn't step directly on a venomous snake, they could practically walk right over its head without drawing its attention.

With Xia Nan's added effect, they had an extra layer of insurance.

Because they were in an unfamiliar environment, the three of them acted with utmost professionalism. They didn't chat along the way, focusing entirely on traveling.

After walking through the woods for about twenty minutes, Xia Nan, at the rear of the formation, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Stop," he warned in a low, vigilant voice.

Then Hein, whose Perception attribute was equally outstanding due to her Druid class, seemed to sense something as well. She furrowed her brows and subconsciously raised her staff.

Among the three, Lorraine, who was walking at the very front, was actually the slowest to react.

However, alerted by the two behind her, she instantly readied herself for battle.

She focused her attention, tracing the direction of a faint scent of blood drifting through the air.

Xia Nan abruptly turned his head, staring deep into the dense forest to their front-left.

"Over there."

It wasn't far away. After taking a few dozen steps toward the direction Xia Nan pointed out, the source of the bloody scent came into view.

It was a small scrap of cloth soaked in blood, lying quietly among the bushes. Clear crushing marks were visible on the grass on both sides.

They were all experienced Adventurers, and since the scene hadn't been disguised in any way, a quick inspection and analysis yielded plenty of information.

"Hmm—this piece of cloth must have been torn from an article of clothing. Its texture is completely ordinary, just the cheapest linen," Lorraine said, crouching down. She leaned in close, her brownish-red eyes locked onto the marks on the ground.

"Given the situation on Hare Island, this bloodstained linen likely belonged to a fisherman from the nearby village."

"There are obvious drag marks left on the surrounding grass, but I don't see any signs of a struggle."

The scene that had played out here was rapidly reconstructed as the clues were pieced together.

A villager from the nearby fishing village had been chased by some creature far stronger than a normal human, ultimately killed in this spot, and their corpse dragged away.

Considering they hadn't seen any other adventuring parties' ships at the port, the culprit who killed the villager was highly unlikely to be an Adventurer traveling the seas.

"So—it should be some kind of monster?" Hein summarized from the side.

Xia Nan leaned toward the Druid's guess, because at this moment, he caught a faint, almost dissipated, yet inexplicably familiar fishy stench in the air.

This sudden encounter during their errand had undoubtedly disrupted their original plan.

As the leader, Lorraine thought it over carefully and didn't immediately lead the two back to the dock.

Without the proper materials, the repairs wouldn't be finished anytime soon.

For the safety of the entire team, she at least needed to figure out who their potential enemy was and what exactly had happened in the village.

Thus, under Lorraine's command, the trio deliberately slowed their pace to reduce the noise of their movements. At the same time, they heightened their vigilance, covertly preparing for battle as they crept deeper into the jungle.

Whether because the perpetrator wasn't worried about being discovered at all or simply had no habit of covering their tracks, the drag marks on the ground were left completely unhidden. Like a morbid guide, the trail of crushed grass and scattered blood extended straight into the depths.

After just ten minutes, the thicket ahead suddenly opened up, and Xia Nan and the others finally saw what had occurred on the island.

Violently torn fishing nets were scattered among wooden racks. A woven vine fish basket lay overturned on the damp mud, with a few sand crabs crawling in and out of a hole in its rim.

The small cabins built of wood and thatch stood silently. Most of the doors were wide open, and some had been ripped entirely off their hinges and thrown to the ground. Coarse linen clothes still hung on the drying racks in the yards, but not a single person was in sight.

As for the reason—

The thick stench of blood filling the air and the chaotic webbed footprints on the mud already explained everything.

This fishing village had been attacked by fishmen.

"Sahuagin?" Xia Nan confirmed, recalling the familiar stench he had smelled earlier.

At the front of the formation, Lorraine picked up a cyan-blue scale from the mud, pinched it between her fingers to examine it closely, and then gave a slight nod. "It's them."

Sahuagin were already one of the most infamous marine species. As intelligent creatures, they viewed the ocean as their territory and treated all other races, including humans, as mortal enemies. They frequently clashed with Adventurers sailing the seas.

When facing fishermen living on the islands, they showed zero mercy, engaging in unbridled plunder and slaughter.

If the Sahuagin in the sea had truly discovered the settlement on Hare Island, an attack was indeed possible.

But the strange thing was, within the trio's line of sight, the village was a mess, yet there were no human corpses to be found.

These oceanic fishmen Goblins couldn't possibly have been kind enough to collect the fishermen's bodies.

And upon closer observation, they noticed that these bastards hadn't even looted the valuables from the cabins; they just left the iron tools, grease, and salt jars right where they were.

That didn't match the Sahuagin's style at all.

Clearly, even Captain Lorraine had never seen a situation like this before, and her brows knitted together tightly.

"Ga—lu—"

Carrying a bizarre rhythm, the cries of a fishman drifted over from the far side of the village near the sea.

At this point, retreating was out of the question. Lorraine signaled Hein and Xia Nan to keep moving forward.

The entire village had been massacred. Along the way, the three of them didn't see a single survivor, only the traces left behind by the battle.

Of course, there were no corpses either.

Passing by one empty cabin after another, they arrived at the shore.

And it was there that they finally saw the missing fishermen of the village—or rather, their corpses.

The fishermen had all met different gruesome ends. Some had their hearts pierced directly by tridents, leaving massive gaping holes in the center of their chests.

Others had been cleaved in half at the waist, their intestines and internal organs spilling out in a massive puddle.

Without exception, their bodies had all been thrown into a massive pit by the beach, reeking to high heaven.

The culprits who had killed them, the Sahuagin, hadn't fled the scene.

A makeshift altar built from reef rocks, seaweed, and coral sat directly in front of the corpse pit, facing the ocean.

A noticeably slender Sahuagin Priest with two pairs of arms clutched two conches. As its body swayed, it seemed to be chanting some sort of slurred prayer in their native tongue.

The other Sahuagin knelt before the altar in fanatical devotion, like its most loyal believers.

The scene unfolding before them could no longer be described as merely "familiar."

Xia Nan remembered clearly that what he had seen back in the hollow of Cliff Rock Island was exactly this kind of scene.

The only difference was that the sacrifice the fishmen used back then was that half-orc from the Silver Claw Osprey Squad. Now, it was an entire village of fishermen.

And—

His pitch-black eyes suddenly narrowed as his gaze quickly swept across the sea and reefs around the beach, searching for something.

How could Xia Nan ever forget that Shark Beast monster? The one that wasn't even recorded in the Monster Compendium, the one that had destroyed his Purgatory Pulse during combat and indirectly forced him to spend a four-digit sum of gold coins to order a new set of custom armor!