The waves churned, shattering into fine white spray as they collided.
Sea wind carrying the hazy mist of dawn was split apart by the strange-colored Winter Wolf figurehead, posed in a roar, turning into a faint whistle that echoed through the air. Xia Nan stood alone on the stern deck.
Though the ship was gradually leaving the harbor, the exceptional vision granted by a profession-class physique still allowed him to see, through the mist, the companions and comrades who had come to see him off on the distant pier.
Feeling the warm yet cool object held in his right palm, Xia Nan could not help but feel a strange sense of emotion.
"It's over—my journey through the Southern Islands."
A few months' time, viewed purely in terms of Profession Level, had only taken him from Lv. 3 to Lv. 4. It did not seem like much of a change—at least not for Xia Nan himself. For ordinary adventurers in this world, even gaining a single level could, in some cases, take years.
But in reality, whether it was actual combat strength, equipment gains, connections, or even his understanding of this world, his degree of integration into it, and his bonds...
Compared with when he had first arrived at Barracuda Bay, everything had undergone earth-shaking changes.
After earning the nickname "Grey Sword" in River Valley Town, Xia Nan had gained another moniker in Barracuda Bay: "Sea Fang." The events he had participated in had spread his name far and wide, earning him considerable renown throughout the Southern Islands.
During his travels, he had also met the group from Oath of Vengeance Blades and become a trusted teammate with whom they could entrust their backs to one another. [Heavy Tide] had risen to its maximum level, Lv. 5; [Ember Echo] had reached