Chapter Summaries

Xia Nan inspected and equipped the newly completed [Voidstream—Scarlet Thorn] armor and [Tide-Breaking Anchor Greaves], assessing their properties and fit. With his commissioned gear finished, he left his room to depart Barracuda Bay.

• Xia Nan woke after a little over four hours of sleep and admired his strengthened physique.
• Xia Nan inspected [Voidstream—Scarlet Thorn] and saw that its divine influence had added an intimidation effect against sharks and Murloc creatures without causing negative changes.
• Xia Nan tried on the armor and found that Selianne’s custom fit and design suited him perfectly.
• Xia Nan inspected [Tide-Breaking Anchor Greaves], noting their durability, stamina reduction at high speed, and shin-kick bonus.
• Xia Nan equipped his remaining gear, picked up his luggage, and left his room to head downstairs and depart Barracuda Bay.

Xia Nan reviewed the 13,877 Gold, 5 Silver, 7 Copper he had earned from his Stodd Island adventure and calculated that his net worth had reached 13,215 Gold, 6 Silver, 2 Copper after expenses. As he waited for his last meal in Barracuda Bay, Hera told him that Lorraine and the others had prepared a parting gift and would soon return with it.

• Xia Nan ordered his usual Cream Mushroom Soup at the Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern, and Hera offered it to him for free.
• Xia Nan recounted that Lorraine had sold his miscellaneous spoils for 1,075 Gold Coins, leaving him 913 Gold Coins after her fee.
• Xia Nan received 4,862 Gold, 9 Silver, 7 Copper from the Governor's Residence for reclaimed Shahua Merman spoils.
• Xia Nan sold the [Shark Bone] Magic Staff for 2,766 Gold Coins and [Flamescale Hybrid] for 5,762 Gold Coins, receiving 8,101 Gold, 6 Silver after fees.
• Xia Nan calculated his total adventure earnings and, after paying 2,300 Gold Coins for equipment forging, placed his net worth at 13,215 Gold, 6 Silver, 2 Copper.
• Hera told Xia Nan that Lorraine and the others had prepared a parting gift and should soon return with it.

Xia Nan enjoyed a farewell breakfast at Hera’s tavern as he prepared to leave Barracuda Bay for River Valley Town. The Oath of Vengeance Blades gave him a custom Winter Wolf figurehead for his ship, but a familiar icy aura from his pouch interrupted the moment.

• Hera served Xia Nan a specially prepared Cream Mushroom Soup and asked whether he would stay longer, but he explained that he planned to return inland and continue exploring.
• Aken, Sasha, Hain, Ellison, Raine, Gordon, Lorraine, and Sarisa arrived at the tavern to say goodbye to Xia Nan.
• Lorraine and the others presented Xia Nan with a custom black Winter Wolf figurehead made by the shipwright and designed around his [Tooth Hunt] ability.
• Xia Nan saw that the figurehead increased sailing speed and pursuit ability and could weaken enemies’ morale while protecting the crew from mental effects.
• Lorraine offered to have the figurehead installed on Xia Nan’s ship in Barracuda Bay until he returned, when an icy aura came from his pouch.

Xia Nan investigated the wolf fang’s sudden chill and discovered it resonated with a letter from Fugan. The letter revealed that Fugan was heading to Salt Rock Port and offered Xia Nan guidance there without using the favor he owed.

• Xia Nan recalled that Fugan had given him the wolf fang as a token of his favor after teaching him Tooth Hunt.
• The wolf fang’s chill led Xia Nan to consider whether Fugan was in danger or had arrived in Barracuda Bay, so he planned to alert the Governor’s Residence and investigate.
• Mar arrived with a letter for Xia Nan from the River Valley Town branch of the Adventurers Association.
• Xia Nan used the wolf fang to dispel the frost-blue seal’s magical resistance and opened Fugan’s letter.
• Fugan wrote that he was heading to Salt Rock Port, where he would stay for fifteen days and offer Xia Nan help if he needed guidance.

Xia Nan decided to travel from Barracuda Bay to Salt Rock Port to meet Fugan and seek advice about his path forward. After preparing a ship and saying farewell to the Oath of Vengeance Blades, he was surprised when Alton arrived with a gift from the Goddess of Fortune.

• Xia Nan received Fugan’s letter inviting him to meet in Salt Rock Port and decided to go for guidance on his advancement.
• Hera, Lorraine, Aken, and Hain helped Xia Nan determine that a sea voyage could reach Salt Rock Port within his remaining thirty days.
• With Hera and Lorraine’s help, Xia Nan outfitted the Flying Fish Oil Drum, recruited a crew, and prepared to leave within two days.
• Lorraine and the Oath of Vengeance Blades saw Xia Nan off at the harbor.
• Alton arrived just before Xia Nan departed and gave him a small gift he had obtained with the Goddess of Fortune’s approval.

As Xia Nan sailed away from the Southern Islands, he reflected on how much he had gained and examined the powerful fortune-granting die Alton had given him. He suspected that Tymora’s Glimmer of Fate could do more than its listed effects, leaving him eager to test its luck and hidden power.

• Xia Nan watched his companions see him off from the pier and reflected on his growth, new equipment, and achievements in the Southern Islands.
• Xia Nan examined Tymora’s Glimmer of Fate, which permanently increased his Luck Attribute and could influence a target’s saving throw once per day.
• Xia Nan considered how the die’s daily effect could improve combat outcomes and recalled Alton’s difficulty obtaining it from Tymora.
• Xia Nan realized the die might be favored by Tymora to roll critical successes, making its daily effect potentially far stronger than it appeared.
• Xia Nan considered the die’s monthly ability to turn a chance-based minor event in his favor and planned to learn its limits through experience.

Xia Nan tested the luck-granting ability of Tymora's Glimmer of Fate while fishing, catching exactly one large fish each day as his ship neared Salt Rock Port. With three days left before arrival, a lookout spotted Pirates on the horizon.

• Xia Nan hauled a giant white-scaled marlin aboard, and the Sailors carried it to the kitchen for dinner.
• A veteran sailor told a young crew member that Xia Nan caught only one fish daily out of respect for the Ocean Goddess and because he was a master angler.
• Xia Nan reflected that Tymora's Glimmer of Fate ensured one big catch per day, while its luck bonus seemed not to help his fishing otherwise.
• Xia Nan noted that his voyage from Barracuda Bay had been smooth and that he expected to reach Salt Rock Port in three days and meet Fugan.
• Xia Nan sensed something on the horizon, and the lookout warned the crew that Pirates were approaching from the southeast.

Yorkshaw, a pirate posing as an adventurer, tried to assess and potentially rob Xia Nan’s ship, but Xia Nan pursued his vessel and routed the crew with overwhelming speed and fear. The chapter ended with Xia Nan facing Yorkshaw and the other professionals while drawing the [Honey Tangerine Dagger] to test his new ability.

• Yorkshaw learned that the strange blue-shelled monster he had caught might fetch a fortune, so he headed back toward Salt Rock Port to find a buyer.
• Yorkshaw spotted Xia Nan’s ship and approached it, hoping to judge whether its crew would make an easy target.
• After recognizing the danger posed by Xia Nan, Yorkshaw ordered his crew to retreat, but the [Wave-Chasing Sea Fang] overtook them.
• Xia Nan crossed onto Yorkshaw’s ship and used his terrifying presence and the figurehead’s howl to break the pirates’ morale and scatter the crew.
• Xia Nan checked the three professionals around him, then drew the [Honey Tangerine Dagger] to test his newly acquired ability.

Xia Nan defeated the pirate professionals and their crew aboard the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang, using the fight to test his recent combat improvements. After searching the ship and considering what to do with its cargo, he was called to inspect something the sailors had found.

• Yorkshaw’s Half-Orc and Wanderer teammates attacked Xia Nan, but he killed both within seconds.
• Xia Nan controlled Yorkshaw’s defense with repeated dagger strikes, disrupted his rhythm, and killed him with Whirlwind Slash.
• The Wave-Chasing Sea Fang’s Crew Members hunted down the remaining pirates, while Xia Nan reflected on the combat skills and equipment he had tested.
• Xia Nan found several crates of stolen cargo aboard the pirate ship and considered giving the spoils to his Crew Members if he could not sell them soon.
• A young-faced sailor emerged from the cabin and told Xia Nan that the crew had found something he needed to see.

Xia Nan’s crew salvaged a strange, valuable octopus-like monster from a pirate ship and carried it aboard the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang. That night, the ship was violently shaken by abnormal waves, and Xia Nan spotted a massive figure moving beneath the water.

• Xia Nan and the sailors judged the metallic-shelled octopus monster to be valuable and transferred it to the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang.
• Xia Nan left the pirate ship behind and continued toward Salt Rock Port, where he planned to meet Fugan.
• The crew shared a lavish dinner while the monster shrieked and struggled below deck, prompting Xia Nan to decide to inspect it after eating.
• A sudden impact violently shook the ship and threw the crew to the floor.
• Xia Nan used gravity to save a falling lookout, then spotted a massive figure writhing beneath the waves.

Xia Nan returned the Baby Octopus to its parent, ending the Shell Octopus monster’s attack, but the encounter badly damaged the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang. To protect the sailors while still reaching Salt Rock Port in time to meet Fugan, Xia Nan left alone in an emergency lifeboat as the ship headed to Wildflower Island for repairs.

• A giant Shell Octopus attacked the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang, and Xia Nan realized it had come looking for the Baby Octopus he had captured.
• Xia Nan returned the Baby Octopus to its parent, which withdrew and left a large glowing shell fragment as compensation.
• The sailors inspected the damaged ship and reported that sailing onward risked sinking, while repairing it at Wildflower Island would delay the journey.
• Xia Nan decided the crew would take the Wave-Chasing Sea Fang to Wildflower Island while he traveled alone by lifeboat toward Salt Rock Port.
• Before midnight, Xia Nan departed in the emergency lifeboat with a compass and survival supplies.

Wenser, a despairing young fisherman, picked up Xia Nan after he swam to Salt Rock Port following a storm that destroyed his boat. Xia Nan reached the port with three days left before his agreement with Fugan expired, but Wenser knew nothing about the Barbarian or recent events in town.

• Wenser hauled in his fishing net and considered letting a sea monster kill him before Xia Nan climbed aboard and asked for the date.
• Xia Nan explained that a five-day storm had wrecked his boat, so he swam to Salt Rock Port and arrived on schedule.
• Wenser rowed Xia Nan toward the port, where Xia Nan asked about Fugan and strange happenings, but Wenser had no information.
• Xia Nan reached Salt Rock Port and headed toward a tavern to ask about Fugan's lodging.
• Wenser returned the Silver Coins Xia Nan had left aboard, and Xia Nan accepted them before heading to the tavern.

Xia Nan visited the Pickled Fish Tavern in Salt Rock Port to find the Barbarian Fugan and overheard adventurers debating a new Conscription Order from the border. When he asked the tavern owner about Fugan, the man recognized Xia Nan and brought him an envelope bearing Fugan’s seal.

• Xia Nan entered the Pickled Fish Tavern and noticed a golden-haired boy and a watchful middle-aged man in the corner.
• Adventurers discussed an offer of eighty gold coins to enlist, while a thin adventurer argued the Conscription Order meant the kingdom was preparing for war.
• The golden-haired boy countered that relations with the neighboring kingdom had improved, and the argument subsided without anyone learning the order’s true purpose.
• Xia Nan approached the tavern owner and asked whether a Barbarian adventurer wearing a wolf-fur cloak had recently arrived.
• The tavern owner recognized Xia Nan, retrieved an envelope from the back room, and handed it to him with Fugan’s Winter Wolf seal intact.

Xia Nan learned from Fugan’s letter that his companion had gone to Blood-Cast Fortress, then encountered Wenser being threatened by thugs in Salt Rock Port. After killing the gang members, Xia Nan asked Wenser why he had not fought back.

• Xia Nan read Fugan’s letter, which explained that Fugan had left Salt Rock Port five days earlier for Blood-Cast Fortress and would stay there until the end of autumn.
• Xia Nan questioned the tavern owner about Fugan’s departure, the journey to Blood-Cast Fortress, and the border Conscription Order, then planned to restock before setting out.
• Xia Nan spotted Wenser being dragged into an alley by five thugs who demanded protection fees and threatened to sell him to the western mines.
• Xia Nan attacked and killed the thugs after hearing their plans to blind and poison Wenser, then learned from their leader that the gang had no other members.
• Xia Nan turned to Wenser, who was still holding his dagger, and asked why he had not fought back.

After rescuing Wenser from thugs in Salt Rock Port, Xia Nan learned that the youth’s faith in Ilmater had led him to endure suffering, then left town two days later for the Blood-Cast Fortress. On the road, he spotted soldiers surrounded by three Manticores and watched from concealment.

• Xia Nan killed the thugs threatening Wenser, and Wenser retched before thanking him and explaining that he had endured the abuse through faith in the Lord of Shattered.
• Wenser warned Xia Nan that the thugs were connected to Yorkshaw, but Xia Nan assured him Yorkshaw would not return and left the alley.
• Xia Nan spent two days in Salt Rock Port, stored most of his supplies in his White Pot pocket watch, and set out for the Blood-Cast Fortress.
• Xia Nan crossed the wilderness cautiously and noticed sounds of fighting in a valley as he neared sunset.
• Xia Nan concealed himself above the valley and saw three Manticores surrounding a group of soldiers, among whom were two familiar-looking figures in loose robes.

Zanfrui, the third son of the declining Wilmot Family, left the Imperial Capital hoping to restore his ancestor’s legacy but encountered three Manticores on the road to Blood-Cast Fortress. As the monsters attacked, Ak charged the adult Manticore while the two younger beasts lunged at the soldiers.

• Zanfrui’s family history and his thwarted hopes of inheriting the count’s title led him to set out for the frontier.
• Zanfrui joined a recruitment squad bound for Salt Rock Port after meeting them on the road.
• Three Manticores ambushed Zanfrui, Ak, and the nine kingdom soldiers in a valley.
• Ak assessed the adult Manticore and its two younger companions, then positioned himself to protect Zanfrui.
• The adult Manticore pounced at Ak, who met it with a shield charge and knocked it off the ground.
• The two younger Manticores lunged at the soldiers as they formed their battle line.

Zanfrui watched Ak and a squad of Frontier Soldiers struggle against the Manticores, then charged to save Ak as an adult Manticore prepared to strike him. He found himself face-to-face with the monster after falling, only to see it dead and a sword-wielding figure standing over its corpse.

• The Frontier Soldiers used their formation and ranged attacks to injure and divide the two young Manticores, but the wounded monsters went berserk and overwhelmed the squad.
• Zanfrui froze as the fighting worsened, unsure whether to help Ak or flee, while the soldiers suffered severe injuries.
• An adult Manticore struck Ak with its spiked tail and knocked him to the ground, then raised its claw to attack him.
• Zanfrui overcame his fear, gripped his Short-Handled Prism Hammer, and charged at the Manticore with his eyes closed.
• Zanfrui tripped and landed face-to-face with the motionless Manticore, then saw its severed neck and a silhouetted figure standing atop its corpse.

Xia Nan saved a Blood-Cast Fortress conscription squad from three Manticores and learned that monster attacks had increased while reinforcements failed to arrive. The squad leader also recognized Fugan, though he had seen him on the road to Salt Rock Port rather than at the fortress.

• Xia Nan killed the three Manticores attacking the conscription squad, saving its nine soldiers from death.
• The squad leader thanked Xia Nan and explained that his group had set out from Blood-Cast Fortress to recruit people in Salt Rock Port.
• Ak and Zanfrui thanked Xia Nan, and Zanfrui introduced himself as a descendant of the famed Grove of the Wilmot Family.
• Xia Nan asked about the situation at Blood-Cast Fortress, and the squad leader said monster attacks had grown more frequent, casualties were heavy, and promised reinforcements had not arrived.
• Xia Nan asked whether the squad had seen Fugan, and the squad leader said he had seen a wolfskin-cloaked barbarian leading a Winter Wolf on the way to Salt Rock Port.

Three days after leaving the conscription squad, Xia Nan traveled toward Blood-Cast Fortress, weighing reports about Fugan and the fortress’s uncertain situation. After spotting a mountain village to ask for directions, he heard a roar and the sound of metal piercing flesh from inside.

• Xia Nan used [Tooth Hunt] to tear through a goblin hunting squad that was closing in on an injured gray wolf.
• Xia Nan continued toward Blood-Cast Fortress, managing his stamina and considering why Fugan was progressing slowly and why the fortress had called up adventurers.
• Xia Nan recalled Zanfrui and Ak, deciding to keep his distance from the noble youth and his powerful guard if possible.
• Xia Nan studied his map but could not identify his position among the hills, so he spotted a village and approached it to ask for directions.
• Xia Nan avoided the village’s simple hunting traps and heard a roar and the sound of metal piercing flesh as he reached its entrance.

Xia Nan rescued a village from an unusually disciplined and fearless Goblin attack, healed the injured Jamie, and learned that Goblins in the area had grown more numerous and intelligent. The village chief also told him that another powerful adventurer accompanied by a white wolf had recently traveled northwest into the forest.

• The village chief led the villagers in defending against more than twenty Goblins, but the creatures kept fighting despite losing several of their number.
• Xia Nan arrived in time to kill the Goblin threatening Jamie, then quickly defeated the remaining attackers without any villagers suffering further casualties.
• Xia Nan used Lesser Healing to reduce Jamie’s severe knee injury to a minor sprain, then asked the village chief for directions and learned his location.
• The village chief explained that Goblins had recently grown more numerous and fearless, and that the attackers had unusually bypassed the livestock sheds and their traps.
• The village chief told Xia Nan that a stronger adventurer with a white wolf had stayed two days earlier and headed into the forest to the northwest.