"Splash..."
The surging tide rolled in and crashed, shattering into countless tiny sprays against the dark-brown reefs.
With no stone pillars, peaks, or buildings to block it, the sea wind whirled and howled, wantonly pouring out the furious wrath it had brought from the depths of the ocean.
Colin's breathing came fast. His heart pounded violently, and a smear of crimson blood still clung to his cheek, not yet wiped away.
"Why..."
"Why did things turn out like this?"
He had never wanted to offend anyone, and he had always maintained the utmost awe toward the Adventurers in the fleet.
Even if he had received preferential treatment in the team because of Mr. Xia Nan, he had still known his place and kept himself in the position of a "sailor's apprentice." He had never used that connection to seek any benefits for himself, nor had he bullied the other Crew Members.
But in the end, he was only a young boy from a remote village. The limits of his age and experience meant that he could only realize it after experiencing it himself—all gifts from fate had already had their prices marked in secret.
It was like when he had become the Hunter's apprentice as a child. He had far less farm work to do on ordinary days and did not have to work so hard, but he had also gained the danger of facing ferocious beasts.
His relationship with Xia Nan, even if Colin himself had not used it much, had invisibly spared him from having to clean toilets like the other new Sailors, or sleep in the cracks between cargo and luggage without even being able to stretch his legs.
In the same way, Guka, the Half-Orc who wanted to ease his relationship with Xia Nan, had come