Chapter Summaries

Xia Nan and his companions investigated Jerry’s murder and concluded that the Shark Gang may have killed him to hide its role in moving the Baron’s daughter. Hain used Nareka's Octopus Spirit-Seeking Technique to track the killer, while the chapter ended with the suspected killer arriving at a hidden shack.

• Xia Nan’s group followed Jerry’s henchman to Eel Alley and found Jerry’s corpse and looted shack.
• Xia Nan examined the murder scene and connected Jerry’s death to his dealings with the Shark Gang.
• Hain summoned a spirit octopus from Jerry’s flesh and followed its guidance toward the killer.
• A hooded man reached a concealed shack near Breaking Waves Wharf and revealed a scarred face as someone opened the door.

Shark Gang leader Ralo and his second-in-command Barty argued over whether to keep waiting for the nobles’ promised escape route or use Baron Faro’s kidnapped daughter as leverage with other powers. Their discussion was interrupted when an intruder sent a tiny octopus through the door, then blasted the entrance apart as a wolf howled from behind the shack.

• Barty told Ralo that the harbor was sealed and the gang risked being abandoned by the nobles who had hired them to kidnap Ellie.
• Barty urged Ralo to use Ellie as leverage with merchant associations, the Church, or people from the Southern Islands, then flee Barracuda Bay under a new name.
• Ralo agreed to wait one more night for a signal before deciding what to do with Ellie.
• Barty sensed an outsider at the shack door and drew his dagger after a tiny octopus squeezed through a hole in the wood and fixed on him.
• The shack door was blasted apart as a wolf howled from behind the gang members.

Xia Nan’s group found the Shark Gang’s hideout and attacked, using Hain’s magic and Alton’s music to overwhelm the gang. Ralo was killed, leaving the Shark Gang’s remaining members defeated.

• Hain used the Bloody-Nosed Rat to track the Shark Gang to its hidden base, and Xia Nan’s group prepared a surprise attack.
• Hain and Alton’s abilities disrupted the gang as Raine burst into the shack and Xia Nan attacked from behind.
• Xia Nan slaughtered the panicked gang members while Raine engaged Ralo and Hain restrained him with seaweed magic.
• Ralo broke free, struck Raine aside, and charged at Xia Nan after realizing his gang had fallen.
• Hain’s magic and a hidden snake’s venom helped stop Ralo, and Raine stabbed him before Xia Nan decapitated him with Wolf Fang.

Barty escaped the Shark Gang’s defeat and fled across the sea, but Xia Nan pursued him using his wolf form. Xia Nan killed Barty and earned the title “Sea Fang.”

• Barty realized the nobles of White Cliff District had used the Shark Gang and fled the shack with a Misty Step scroll.
• Xia Nan killed Riley, then tracked Barty’s residual shadow energy and pursued him with Tooth Hunt.
• Hain stayed behind with Raine to protect the unconscious Ellie while she, Gordon, and Alton followed Xia Nan.
• Barty escaped Saltwater District in a small boat, but Xia Nan transformed into a black wolf and ran across the waves after him.
• Xia Nan caught Barty at sea and crushed him and his boat, earning the title “Sea Fang.”

Xia Nan and his companions returned Ellie to Baron Faro, who promised them his friendship and a reward. Back at the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern, Xia Nan found that stories of his brutal battle with the Shark Gang and his pursuit across the sea were already spreading, and he ordered dinner with Alton while tavern owner Hera questioned him.

• Baron Faro tearfully reunited with Ellie and promised Xia Nan and his companions a generous reward and his friendship in Barracuda Bay.
• Xia Nan and the others left the Baron's Mansion, agreeing to discuss the reward and Shark Gang spoils after the cleanup.
• The party returned to the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern, where adventurers watched Xia Nan and rumors of his deeds spread.
• Hain praised Xia Nan's strength, arranged to report to her Captain, and left with the Twin Warriors after agreeing to discuss the spoils later.
• Xia Nan invited Alton to eat and drink, but tavern owner Hera questioned him about the commotion before he ordered two bowls of Cream Mushroom Soup.

After defeating the Shark Gang, Xia Nan reviewed his plans in Barracuda Bay and learned that the Shark Gang had found the Secret Realm clue in the Twin Ocean. Hera then brought him to meet someone who could help him attend the Moon Tide Feast.

• Xia Nan enjoyed a special Silver Shuttle Crab cream mushroom soup that Hera had prepared for him.
• Xia Nan considered his pending rewards, enchanted equipment, ship plans, fishing gear, Dreamweaver Corridor Key, and the Secret Realm clue from the Shark Gang’s Scalpel.
• Xia Nan learned that the Shark Gang had found the Scalpel on a corpse in the Twin Ocean and decided he would eventually investigate the sea area.
• A server told Hera that the person who could sponsor Xia Nan for the Moon Tide Feast had returned to Barracuda Bay.
• Hera led Xia Nan and Alton upstairs to meet her acquaintance and asked whether Xia Nan had heard of the Oath of Vengeance Blades Ship Crew.

Xia Nan reunited with the Oath of Vengeance Blades crew and met its captain, Lorraine, while seeking her help to attend the Moon Tide Feast. After inspecting Lorraine’s enchanted Scale Fire Saber, he discovered its flames stirred his emotions and extinguished them with ease, surprising her.

• Hera brought Xia Nan to meet Lorraine and the Oath of Vengeance Blades crew, whose members recognized him from their mission that afternoon.
• Xia Nan examined Lorraine’s Scale Fire Saber and identified its high quality, fire damage, and possible effect on its wielder’s emotions.
• Lorraine handed Xia Nan the saber, and its blade erupted in flames when he took hold of it.
• Xia Nan suppressed the saber’s flames and returned it, leaving Lorraine astonished.

Xia Nan met Lorraine to ask for a place at the Moon Tide Feast and offered her 1,000 gold, equipment, or a Combat Skill in exchange. Lorraine rejected every offer and ended their negotiation by saying she wanted him.

• Lorraine inspected Xia Nan and tested his self-control by letting him handle her [Scale Fire Saber].
• Lorraine offered Xia Nan a cigarette, then asked whether he wanted to attend the Moon Tide Feast.
• Xia Nan confirmed that he wanted to attend and offered Lorraine 1,000 gold for a place.
• Lorraine refused the money, equipment, and Combat Skill Xia Nan offered, then told him, "I want you."

Xia Nan agreed to serve as a temporary member of Lorraine’s Oath of Vengeance Blades crew for three months in exchange for being taken to the Moon Tide Feast. After leaving the meeting, he considered his remaining plans and encountered Mar, who had news about a buyer for his consigned [Tidal Surge Lure Rod].

• Lorraine offered Xia Nan a three-month temporary crew position and a place at the Moon Tide Feast, and Xia Nan accepted after consulting Alton.
• Xia Nan shook hands with Lorraine, learned the crew would spend a few days resting in Barracuda Bay, and began discussing the team with its members.
• Xia Nan concluded that he still needed his own vessel to pursue clues about the foreign Secret Realm connected to Bloody-Nosed Rat Jerry’s Scalpel.
• At the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern, Xia Nan noticed that rumors of the Shark Gang’s destruction had made him a focus of other adventurers’ attention.
• Hera approved of Xia Nan’s temporary crew arrangement, and Mar told him that the buyer for his consigned [Tidal Surge Lure Rod] had returned and asked if he was free.

Xia Nan sold the [Tidal Surge Lure Rod] to Ellison, who then offered him a commission to investigate the Twin Ocean, a place Xia Nan already planned to visit for clues about a Secret Realm. Three days later, Xia Nan’s reputation had grown, and he arranged for Baron Faro to pay for his ship’s refurbishment instead of accepting a new ship as his reward.

• Xia Nan met Ellison in the Adventurers Association’s trading room and sold him the [Tidal Surge Lure Rod] for 135 gold before fees.
• Ellison asked Xia Nan to take a commission investigating reports of unusual objects or phenomena in the Twin Ocean, and Xia Nan agreed after learning the location.
• Xia Nan learned that Ellison’s interest in the Twin Ocean came from foreign-style collectibles appearing on the Black Market, though he doubted Ellison’s explanation about ancient treasure.
• Over the next three days, Xia Nan gained the nickname “Sea Fang” among Barracuda Bay’s adventurers while keeping to his usual routine.
• Baron Faro offered Xia Nan a new ship as his mission reward, but Xia Nan instead asked him to cover the cost of refurbishing his ship.

Xia Nan learned that Oath of Vengeance Blades would set sail on a new commission in three days, while he waited for his ship and enchanted armor to be refurbished. He joined the crew at Breaking Waves Wharf, ready to depart for Twin Ocean.

• Xia Nan studied the planned refurbishment of the Flying Fish Oil Barrel at Blue Clam Shipyard and considered what to name it.
• Hain told Xia Nan that Oath of Vengeance Blades had accepted a new commission and would leave in three days for a destination called Twin Ocean.
• Xia Nan bought new armor and tracked his remaining funds while waiting for his commissioned enchanted armor to enter production.
• Three days later, Xia Nan and Alton arrived at Breaking Waves Wharf and boarded Oath of Vengeance Blades as the crew prepared to depart.

Xia Nan joined the Oath of Vengeance Blades as a temporary member and met the party’s unusual core members, including the shy Spotted Catman Sasha and the boisterous Aken. Hain then prepared to take Xia Nan and Alton to report to Captain Lorraine.

• Xia Nan and Alton introduced themselves to Sasha, who shyly gave his name while Hain vouched for his reliability.
• Xia Nan observed Sasha’s feline traits and judged that the armed Spotted Catman was a capable fighter.
• Aken enthusiastically greeted Xia Nan as “Sea Fang” and introduced himself as “Blood-Pattern” Aken, but Hain stopped him from crowding Xia Nan.
• Sasha fled the awkward gathering, and Hain sent Aken away before taking Xia Nan and Alton to report to Lorraine.
• Xia Nan reflected that the party included six veteran adventurers, along with a Goddess of Fortune’s divine favored and a mysterious passing creep.

Xia Nan joined the Oath of Vengeance Blades aboard their ship and learned that their voyage would take them to Twin Ocean, where they planned to investigate trouble in Twin Canyon. Before leaving Lorraine’s cabin, he asked about Edson and discovered that he was her brother, though she refused to explain their strained relationship.

• Hain showed Xia Nan and Alton around the Oath of Vengeance Blades as Xia Nan worried about being drawn toward Twin Ocean and its suspected Secret Realm.
• Lorraine explained the upcoming voyage to Twin Ocean and said the crew would investigate a problem reported by the Islanders of Twin Canyon.
• Xia Nan asked Lorraine whether she knew Edson, and Lorraine revealed that he was her brother.
• Lorraine declined to discuss her history with Edson, so Xia Nan left her cabin with Alton and Shorty.

During the Oath of Vengeance Blades’ voyage from Barracuda Bay, Xia Nan fished while the crew passed the time aboard ship. His line finally hooked an enormous fish, and Aken plunged into the sea to bring it up.

• As the ship sailed peacefully, Alton played his Lute, Sasha lounged on a rope, Aken trained, Raine supervised the Sailors, and Hain meditated with A Yin.
• Xia Nan waited for a bite with his new Albatross III Fishing Rod and asked Alton for music that might attract fish.
• Aken challenged Xia Nan to arm-wrestle, and Xia Nan handed his fishing rod to Alton before accepting the challenge.
• A fish took the bait as soon as the rod left Xia Nan’s hands, and Alton held it until Xia Nan took over.
• Xia Nan struggled to reel in a fish far larger than his previous catch, and Aken leaped into the sea and surfaced with it.

Xia Nan and the crew discovered a Scorched-Neck Swirltooth Shark on a Grass-Spine Fish, and Hain suspected it had come from the distant Twin Ocean. As a storm and a vast school of fish approached the Oath of Vengeance Blades, Hain warned the crew to reef the sails and summon the Captain.

• Aken hauled a Grass-Spine Fish onto the deck, and Hain explained its habits to Xia Nan and the crew.
• The fish thrashed, revealing a Scorched-Neck Swirltooth Shark attached to its belly, which Hain pulled free.
• Hain recognized the shark’s neck marking as one found only in the Twin Ocean and resolved to report its unexpected appearance to the Captain.
• Seagulls fled as Xia Nan, Sasha, and Hain sensed danger, and dark storm clouds advanced across the horizon.
• A Scorched-Neck Swirltooth Shark clamped onto the ship’s hull, and Hain destroyed it with her Practice Staff.
• Hain spotted the approaching storm and a massive school of fish, then ordered the crew to reef the sails and fetch the Captain.

As a violent storm struck the Oath of Vengeance Blades, Lorraine led the crew in preparing the ship while Xia Nan helped secure supplies and assessed the danger. The ship was battered by towering waves, and Xia Nan remained steady on deck as the adventurers prepared to take action.

• Lorraine ordered the crew to lower the sails, clear the deck, and seal the hatches before taking the helm herself.
• Xia Nan helped move and secure supplies, then noticed the storm rapidly closing in and a huge school of Sawtooth Sharks approaching beneath the waves.
• The storm engulfed the Oath of Vengeance Blades, bringing torrential rain, fierce winds, and waves that tossed the ship violently.
• The crew gathered on deck to help keep the ship from capsizing, while Xia Nan stayed upright through his balance and abilities.

The crew of the Oath of Vengeance Blades fought to keep the ship afloat as a violent storm and swarms of Sawtooth Sharks threatened to destroy it. With the hull being bitten through and the crew unable to stop the attack, Hain began a powerful Druid spell at the figurehead.

• Sasha, Raine, Gordon, Aken, Lorraine, Alton, and Xia Nan worked together to manage the sails, helm, ropes, and crew during the storm.
• Xia Nan used [Gravity Control] to save a sailor who was thrown toward the sea after a rope around his waist snapped.
• Grayish-brown Scorched-Neck Swirltooth Sharks began biting holes into the hull, and the crew and Adventurers fired crossbows at them with limited success.
• Xia Nan sensed that thousands of sharks were damaging the ship from beneath the water and realized the Oath of Vengeance Blades might not hold out.
• Hain stepped onto the figurehead beside the wooden statue of Banshee Embracing the Ocean as emerald light gathered around her.

Hain used Rapid Vine Shell to protect the Oath of Vengeance Blades from the Swirltooth Sharks as the storm passed, but the attack left the ship damaged and leaking. Lorraine decided to take the crew to a nearby island to repair the vessel before choosing whether to continue toward the Twin Ocean.

• Hain cast Rapid Vine Shell, spreading sea grass over the ship’s hull and making it harder for the Swirltooth Sharks to bite through.
• The storm and shark attack subsided, and the exhausted crew surveyed the damage to the Oath of Vengeance Blades.
• Hain warned Lorraine and Xia Nan that Scorched-Neck Swirltooth Sharks did not normally gather in such numbers, suggesting something had changed in the Twin Ocean.
• Gordon reported that water was seeping into the lower left side of the cabin despite Hain’s spell, and advised against a long voyage without repairs.
• Lorraine checked their position and decided to sail to a nearby island village to rest and repair the ship before deciding whether to resume the mission.

Lorraine, Hain, and Xia Nan found that Shahua Mermen had slaughtered Rabbit Island’s fishing village and were conducting a ritual by the shore. Xia Nan recognized the scene from Sheer Cliff Island and searched the sea for the Shark Beast that had once fought him.

• Lorraine took Hain and Xia Nan into Rabbit Island’s jungle while the rest of the crew prepared to repair the Oath of Vengeance Blades.
• Xia Nan sensed blood, and the three found bloodied cloth and drag marks indicating that a villager had been killed and carried away.
• Following the trail, Lorraine, Hain, and Xia Nan discovered the abandoned village, with torn belongings, webbed footprints, and no people or bodies in sight.
• Lorraine identified a blue-green scale as belonging to Shahua Mermen, and the group followed a merman’s call to the shore.
• The three found the fishermen’s bodies piled in a pit and a Shahua Merman Priest leading a ritual as the other mermen knelt before an altar.
• Xia Nan recognized the ritual from Sheer Cliff Island and scanned the sea for the Shark Beast he had fought before.

Lorraine chose to confront the Shahua Mermen before their ritual could summon a threat, while Xia Nan and Hain devised a way to reach the altar. As Lorraine drew the mermen into her Scorching Temperature Domain, Xia Nan dropped from Hain’s albatross form toward the Murloc Priest.

• Lorraine judged that the Shahua Mermen posed a danger to the Oath of Vengeance Blades and decided to attack rather than wait for reinforcements.
• Xia Nan warned that the mermen were performing a summoning ritual, and Hain confirmed that the priest was gathering Water Elemental energy.
• Lorraine sent Hain into the air, and Hain transformed into a Short-tailed Albatross with her Wilderness Form.
• Lorraine charged the mermen alone, killed the first attacker, and used [Scorching Temperature Domain] to draw and burn the advancing enemies.
• Xia Nan used [Gravity Control] to cling to Hain’s talons, fly over the Murloc Guards, and drop toward the Altar as a wolf howl rang out.