Chapter Summaries

Xia Nan and Alton defeated a Shark Beast in the Shahua mermen’s cave, where Nick and Laida of the Silver Claw Osprey party died. After gathering equipment and deciding to take the monster and the adventurers’ bodies back to Sheer Cliff Village, Xia Nan remained uncertain about the beast’s connection to the mermen and their altar.

• Xia Nan confirmed the Shark Beast was dead, recovered his sword, and noted his growing proficiency in Heavy Tide after weeks of training.
• Xia Nan and Alton assessed their spoils, including the Fish Bone Conch and the fallen adventurers’ weapons, while Alton declined a share in favor of meals later.
• Xia Nan questioned whether the Shahua mermen’s altar and ritual were connected to the Shark Beast, but Alton said they lacked enough information to know.
• Xia Nan and Alton chose to take the Shark Beast’s corpse to Sheer Cliff Village for advice and bring Nick, Laida, and the other adventurer’s remains back for burial.
• Alton called Colin out of hiding, and Colin silently followed the group after seeing the Shark Beast and the dead adventurers.

Xia Nan and the others returned to Sheer Cliff Village after killing the Shark Beast, bringing back the bodies of three dead Adventurers. The grateful villagers held a feast, buried the dead on the northern cliffs, and began planning what to do with the monster’s corpse as the Black Gull waited at the dock.

• Steven and Gregory kept the villagers and Black Gull crew guarding the pass while they waited anxiously for the Adventurers to return.
• Alton emerged from behind the cliff carrying mushrooms and summoned Gregory and the others to help.
• Xia Nan dragged the Shark Beast’s corpse and the three dead Adventurers back on a makeshift raft, with Colin helping push it.
• Sheer Cliff Village held a feast to thank Xia Nan and his companions for eliminating the monster.
• The villagers buried the three Adventurers on the northern cliffs and placed the Shark Beast’s corpse in the village square.

Hera waited anxiously for the overdue Black Gull, fearing it had been attacked by the Flying Fish Oil Drum, but both ships returned to Barracuda Bay together. She recognized Xia Nan on the gangplank, while Xia Nan recalled his successful fishing trip and greeted her.

• Hera bought seafood from Tom and worried that the Flying Fish Oil Drum might have attacked the Black Gull and stolen her cargo.
• The Black Gull arrived at the docks with the Flying Fish Oil Drum sailing close behind, leaving Hera uncertain about what had happened at sea.
• Hera approached the ships to confront their crews, then froze when she saw Xia Nan standing on the Flying Fish Oil Drum's gangplank.
• Xia Nan recalled how he used his professional fishing rod and abilities to catch a huge Blue Flower Grouper, which the crew cooked with Dried Sea Mushroom.
• Xia Nan spotted Hera on the dock and greeted her.

After returning to Barracuda Bay, Xia Nan celebrated the Sheer Cliff Island mission with his companions and discussed his spoils and plans for the Moon Tide Feast. As word of his exploits spread through the Three-Legged Sea Dog, he left the tavern amid whispers about his growing reputation.

• Xia Nan shared a feast with Alton and Colin, and Colin decided to leave sailing behind and save money to support his family.
• Hera apologized for the Flying Fish Oil Drum incident, and Xia Nan asked her to arrange his channel to the Moon Tide Feast.
• Xia Nan discussed selling or consigning the Enchanted Equipment, remodeling the captured Flying Fish Oil Drum, and getting the Shark Beast materials appraised.
• Hera gave Xia Nan addresses for reputable shops, and he noted them before leaving the tavern.
• The Black Gull crew's stories spread through the Three-Legged Sea Dog, and patrons whispered about Xia Nan's defeat of the Flying Fish Oil Drum team and the Shark Beast.

Xia Nan brought back materials from the Shark Beast he killed and went to Hera’s recommended tailor shop, Pearl Spinning, to ask about handling the Shark Skin. He entered the shop and found a noble father and daughter already there, both turning to look at him.

• Xia Nan described the Shark Beast materials he had harvested and stored aboard the Flying Fish Oil Drum, including its skin, fins, claws, Fish Bladder, bones, and tendons.
• Xia Nan walked through White Cliff District and reflected that strength was necessary to gain the right to choose his path.
• Xia Nan reached Pearl Spinning, the tailor shop Hera had recommended for advice on Shark Skin, and examined its elven-inspired design before entering.
• Xia Nan entered the shop and found a noble father and daughter discussing formalwear for a banquet; they stopped talking and looked at him.

Xia Nan visited Pearl Spinning to ask Selianne about processing Shark Beast materials and making Enchanted Equipment. After inspecting the samples, Selianne could not identify their source and asked Xia Nan for more information.

• Xia Nan entered the Tailor Shop and observed Selianne, a Sea Elf mixed-blood, assist Baron and Miss Ellie with a custom gown.
• After the Baron and Ellie left, Xia Nan told Selianne that Hera had referred him for material processing and custom Enchanted Equipment.
• Xia Nan laid out Shark Beast skin, fins, claws, bones, tendons, and a Fish Bladder for Selianne to inspect.
• Selianne determined that the samples came from a huge shark-type Monster with a Challenge Rating of at least 3, but could not identify it and asked Xia Nan where it came from.

Xia Nan discussed the Shark Beast materials with Selianne and considered commissioning a set of armor and a protective inner lining, though the cost exceeded his current savings. When he brought out his damaged [Purgatory Pulse] to be appraised, Selianne recognized its Hell Steel and asked who had made it.

• Xia Nan told Selianne how he had killed the Shark Beast and the Shahua Mermen on Sheer Cliff Island, and Selianne appraised the creature’s materials while agreeing to examine its Fish Bladder.
• Xia Nan said he wanted stronger protection, and Selianne proposed using the Shark Skin and tendons for a close-fitting inner lining and the bones as auxiliary materials in metal armor.
• Xia Nan estimated that making both pieces would cost more than nine hundred Gold Coins and asked Selianne to draft a detailed plan before they proceeded.
• Xia Nan brought out his damaged [Purgatory Pulse] for appraisal, and Selianne recognized its Hell Steel and asked about its maker.

Xia Nan sold the ruined [Purgatory Pulse] and the [Fish Bone Conch] staff to Selianne at [Pearl Spinning], while Selianne advised him to auction the valuable [Azure Wave Blade] through the Association. Xia Nan left with 470 gold and a plan to sell the remaining equipment elsewhere, though the future forging fees would still strain his funds.

• Selianne recognized the craftsmanship in the destroyed [Purgatory Pulse] and offered Xia Nan 175 gold for it, which he accepted.
• Selianne examined the [Azure Wave Blade], identified its likely special effect, and urged Xia Nan to sell it through the Association's local bidding system rather than to him.
• Selianne declined to buy the [Practice Staff] and Nick and Laida's weapons, but offered 295 gold for the [Fish Bone Conch] staff as a collectible because it came from a Shahua Merman Priest.
• Xia Nan accepted Selianne's offer, bringing the total from the two sales to 470 gold.
• Xia Nan decided to list the [Azure Wave Blade] and [Practice Staff] with the Association and take Nick and Laida's weapons to a General Store.

Xia Nan wiped out a Goblin Nest, practiced Heavy Tide, and tried building a head-stack for an Intimidation Ritual, but the result was far too small. He went to the Salmon Roe General Store to sell his spoils to Colin and Paddy, where an unexpected arrival interrupted him.

• Xia Nan repeatedly knocked a goblin off balance with Heavy Tide until it gave up, then killed it and gained proficiency.
• Xia Nan harvested the goblin's head and vertebra and used them to finish a four-layer Jingguan, realizing he needed far more heads for the Intimidation Ritual.
• Xia Nan packed up goblin ears and other spoils, left the nest, and returned to Barracuda Bay.
• Xia Nan visited the Salmon Roe General Store, where Colin was learning the business from his uncle Paddy.
• Xia Nan told Colin and Paddy he had found a Goblin Nest and brought spoils to sell, but footsteps sounded outside before he could take them out.

Jerry, known as “Bloody-Nosed Rat,” tried to prove himself to the Shark Gang by collecting protection money from the Salmon Roe General Store, but he backed down when he recognized Xia Nan as a powerful Adventurer. After Jerry and his men left, Xia Nan wondered whether their excitement came from a recent operation.

• Jerry reflected on how his humiliating nickname had gained him a small reputation and hoped to rise through the Shark Gang.
• Jerry kicked open the Salmon Roe General Store’s door to collect the gang’s protection money, then froze when he saw Xia Nan.
• Paddy offered Jerry a money pouch, but Jerry returned it and claimed the Shark Gang had come only to check on the shop and offer help.
• Paddy gave the three men a few Silver Coins, and they left the shop after exchanging polite farewells.
• Paddy apologized to Xia Nan for the encounter, while Xia Nan considered the strange excitement Jerry had shown when entering the store.

Xia Nan sold the spoils from Sheer Cliff Island and calculated that his wealth had grown to 2,785 Gold Coins, though the cost of his planned enchanted armor meant he could not yet spend freely. After returning to the tavern with Alton, he asked Hera whether something had happened in town, leaving the source of the strange atmosphere unexplained.

• Xia Nan noticed unusual numbers of Governor's Residence Guards in the Saltwater District questioning a frightened Half-Orc, and he connected the patrols to the strange behavior of local thugs.
• Alton joined Xia Nan after completing his gambling ritual, and the two walked back toward the tavern together.
• Xia Nan sold the Azure Wave Blade for 920 Gold Coins and sold other equipment, bringing his total wealth to 2,785 Gold Coins, 6 Silver Coins, and 3 Coppers.
• Xia Nan considered the high cost of the two enchanted armor pieces Selianne was designing and postponed refurbishing the Flying Fish Oil Drum.
• Xia Nan bought Alton drinks at the Three-Legged Sea Dog and asked Hera whether something had happened in town because its atmosphere seemed unusual.

Xia Nan learned that Baron Faro’s daughter, Ellie, had gone missing and followed Association receptionist Mar to negotiate over his consigned Practice Staff. At the Association, he recognized Ellie’s portrait on a new bounty commission as the noble girl he had met at the Pearl Spinning Tailor Shop.

• Hera told Xia Nan that a baron’s daughter had disappeared and that the Governor’s Residence was searching for her.
• Mar found Xia Nan at the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern and asked him to meet an adventurer interested in buying his Practice Staff.
• Xia Nan agreed to negotiate in person and followed Mar to the Barracuda Bay Adventurers Association.
• An Association employee posted a 500-gold bounty for confirmed information about the missing Miss Ellie, daughter of Baron Faro.
• Xia Nan recognized Ellie’s portrait and recalled meeting her and her father at the Pearl Spinning Tailor Shop.

Xia Nan met Hain at the Adventurers Association to negotiate the sale of his [Practice Staff], discovering that her silver-black bracelet was a venomous snake. After Hain tested the staff and agreed to buy it, Xia Nan’s net worth rose to 3,017 gold, 3 silver, and 8 copper.

• Mar escorted Xia Nan to a meeting room, where Hain waited to discuss buying his [Practice Staff].
• Xia Nan noticed that Hain’s silver-black bracelet was a living Silver Ring Snake named A Yin.
• Hain inspected the staff and asked about its history, and Xia Nan told her it had belonged to a Spellcaster from the Flying Fish Oil Drum.
• With Xia Nan’s permission, Hain tested the staff by casting a spell that spread aquatic plants across the table, then praised its quality.
• Xia Nan offered the [Practice Staff] for 245 gold, and Hain accepted without bargaining.
• After the Association’s handling fee, Xia Nan’s net worth reached 3,017 gold, 3 silver, and 8 copper.

After selling Hain a Practice Staff, Xia Nan discovered she was heading to the same tavern and walked with her, learning that she belonged to the Coral Society. Their conversation turned to Baron Faro’s missing daughter, and Hain reacted with shock when she learned of the incident.

• Xia Nan sold Hain the Practice Staff, and they parted after completing their transaction.
• Xia Nan noticed Hain following him and learned they were both heading to the Three-Legged Sea Dog tavern, so they walked together.
• Hain’s Silver Ring Snake, A Yin, reacted to the Dark Scale Bulwark on Xia Nan’s left arm, then retreated when its deterrent effect frightened it.
• Xia Nan told Hain that Baron Faro’s daughter had been attacked and was missing, and that the Adventurers Association had posted a related quest.
• Hain revealed that she belonged to the Coral Society, a coastal Druid organization, and reacted in shock when Xia Nan mentioned Baron Faro.

Hain learned that Baron Faro’s daughter had disappeared and hurried back to the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern to brief her team, while Xia Nan chose not to get involved. In an alley, Jerry used his new dagger to threaten a shopkeeper, then froze as two figures approached from the shadows.

• Hain confirmed with Xia Nan that Baron Faro’s daughter was missing and decided to inform her captain and team before taking action.
• Xia Nan returned with Hain toward the tavern, intending to focus on finding connections for the Moon Tide Feast rather than joining the search.
• Jerry, believing he was becoming a member of the Shark Gang, threatened a thin middle-aged man for protection money with a dagger he had received as a reward.
• After Jerry let the injured man flee and headed out of the alley with his henchmen, a cold presence made him stop in fear.
• Two figures emerged from the shadows and approached Jerry in the alley.

Xia Nan and Hain learned that the Shark Gang had taken Baron Faro’s daughter, and Xia Nan discovered an otherworldly scalpel that might lead to a Secret Realm. They decided to gather more information before searching for the gang, which might still be trapped in Barracuda Bay.

• Xia Nan and Hain questioned Jerry after Xia Nan’s companions broke the arms of Jerry’s two henchmen, and Jerry admitted seeing Shark Gang members abduct a young woman.
• Xia Nan found a Type III Integrated Scalpel on Jerry and realized its otherworldly origin could point to a Secret Realm.
• Jerry said the Shark Gang had given him the scalpel as a reward for keeping watch, but he did not know where they had obtained it.
• Jerry said the gang had taken the young woman toward Breaking Waves Wharf, and Xia Nan reasoned that the Shark Gang might still be trapped in Barracuda Bay by harbor guards.
• Xia Nan proposed returning to the tavern, reporting the clue, consulting Hera and the Association, and seeking Baron Faro before they began their search.

Xia Nan investigated the Shark Gang and learned it was a small gang of low-level Professionals, then joined Hain and her two teammates to pursue leads about Baron Faro’s missing daughter. The group reached the baron’s residence, where his butler recognized Hain and admitted them past the crowd of adventurers.

• Hera told Xia Nan that the Shark Gang was a small outfit led by the Level 5-or-below Ralo and gave him the location of its base.
• Xia Nan asked Hera to tell Alton not to worry, then met Hain’s teammates Raine and Gordon as they returned downstairs.
• Xia Nan shared Hera’s information with Hain, Raine, and Gordon, and they went to the Adventurers Association to learn more about the missing-person commission.
• Mar explained the quest details and gave the group Baron Faro’s address, so they headed to his residence in the White Cliff District.
• The group found adventurers crowding the baron’s gate, but his butler Grace recognized Hain and let them into the estate.

Xia Nan and Hain visited Baron Faro after his daughter Ellie disappeared, and learned how a disguised man had abducted her after killing the family coachman. Xia Nan reported clues linking the kidnapping to the Shark Gang, and Baron Faro offered any reward if they could find Ellie.

• Grace recognized Hain and brought her and Xia Nan into Baron Faro's mansion, where they waited to speak with him.
• Baron Faro explained that Ellie had left her riding lesson in the family carriage but never returned home for dinner.
• Baron Faro said witnesses saw the carriage heading toward Rose Park with a tall, strongly built driver, and Thomas's body was later found there in the coachman's uniform.
• Xia Nan told Baron Faro about his encounter with Jerry the Bloody-Nosed Rat and his suspicion that the Shark Gang was involved.
• Baron Faro denied having any dealings with the Shark Gang and offered the group any reward if they found Ellie.

Jerry returned to his hut for money, but a scarred Professional Wanderer killed him while searching for a hidden item. After describing the gangs and power structure of Barracuda Bay, the chapter left Xia Nan and Hain’s group heading to the Shark Gang’s base with authority from Baron Faro to investigate his missing daughter.

• Jerry returned to his hut, retrieved several Gold Coins, and planned to use them to treat his injured henchmen.
• Jerry smelled blood near his hut, but a scarred man ambushed him, slit his throat, and searched his corpse for a missing item.
• The scarred man found no sign of the item in Jerry’s hut or on his body, then vanished into the shadows.
• The chapter explained how Barracuda Bay’s disorder and adventurer population allowed gangs like the Shark Gang to wield more power than gangs in Newm.
• Baron Faro gave Xia Nan and his companions command over a squad of guards while they investigated his daughter’s disappearance.
• Xia Nan and Hain left the Baron’s Mansion with Hain’s Twin Warriors and headed for the Shark Gang’s base in Curved Saber Alley.

Xia Nan and Hain searched the abandoned Shark Gang base but found no useful clues, then encountered Alton, who joined their search for Baron Faro’s missing daughter. Alton’s talk of trusting fortune led them to spot one of Bloody-Nosed Rat Jerry’s henchmen leaving a nearby casino.

• Xia Nan and Hain searched the Shark Gang’s deserted base but found no clues, reinforcing their suspicion that the gang was involved in the baron’s daughter’s disappearance.
• Hain explained that her tattoo marked her as a member of the Oath of Vengeance Blades, whose captain had sent Raine and Gordon with her.
• Xia Nan, Hain, and the Twin Warriors left the base and ran into Alton outside an unlicensed casino.
• After learning about the missing daughter, Alton volunteered to help and said the Goddess of Fortune had favored his recent Sacrifice Rituals.
• Hain and Xia Nan spotted one of Jerry’s bandaged henchmen leaving the casino, apparently after losing everything.