Chapter 381: Shoal Islands

It was like some kind of geographical boundary.

Since Xia Nan left Yangjiao Town and truly entered the Subin Province located at the southernmost tip of the continent.

The surrounding environment changed rapidly in a way that could be clearly perceived.

From the terrain where hills and basins were intertwined, it gradually transitioned to an open, low, and gentle plain where one could see the skyline at a glance; large areas of forests and fertile farming areas gradually disappeared, replaced by ponds, swamps, and wetlands that could be seen everywhere.

Moisture permeated the air, water birds such as egrets and storks became frequent visitors above the sky, and all kinds of insects became increasingly numerous.

Walking in the wilderness, Xia Nan always felt that even his skin surface was covered with a layer of moisture, damp and sticky.

Fortunately, his physical fitness was strong, and his adaptability to environmental changes was relatively strong, so he had no performance of being unacclimatized.

"So... you really don't intend to be an adventurer anymore?"

Walking in the depths of the dim tunnel, holding a torch in one hand, Xia Nan asked the boy beside him.

At this moment, it had been another ten days since he helped the village residents solve the goblin threat.

After getting the supply replenishment as a reward from the villagers, he didn't stay and delay time anymore, but left the village to continue his journey.

It is worth mentioning that this time, he had an extra companion—Kelin.

From the other party's mouth, he learned that this boy had an uncle "Padi" who did business in Shoal Islands, and he had originally planned to travel far two days ago, and had the same destination as Xia Nan, but only delayed the travel plan because of the appearance of goblins.

Thinking that he could use the channels of Kelin's uncle in Shoal Islands to help him understand some local situations, so as to adapt to this completely strange environment faster.

After communicating and negotiating with the boy's relatives in the village, in exchange for being responsible for the other party's safety on the road, Kelin would introduce his uncle to himself after arriving in Shoal Islands.

To be honest, given the remoteness of the village and the ecological environment of this world full of magic beasts and wild beasts, if there was no protection from a powerful adventurer like Xia Nan, ordinary families wanting to go far away could only pay to ask the merchant caravans passing by the village to take them for a while.

Otherwise, traveling alone, if they encountered a few goblins or some wild beasts or magic beasts on the road, and if they were unlucky and didn't escape, they would probably just explain it there, and the risk was too huge.

No matter how big-hearted they were, they couldn't just let the young child in the family go out like this.

This was also the reason why, even though Kelin begged bitterly before, his relatives, even if they were already shaken, did not agree to the other party going out until they discovered the goblin colony around the village.

At this moment, with the protection of this powerful adventurer who could help the village solve the goblin danger alone, coupled with the boy's persistence, his relatives had no reason to stop him.

And at the same time, on this journey, Xia Nan discovered.

Unexpectedly, but also within reason.

That boy who had beautiful longing for the future seemed to feel incomparably lost because of his clumsy performance in the battle with the goblins.

Discouraged, he even doubted whether he could really become an adventurer in the future.

Xia Nan comforted him a few words along the way.

After all, when he first traveled, his performance was actually not much better than the other party.

One second he was an office white-collar worker in a peaceful and stable modern society, and the next second he was suddenly asked to fight to the death with cruel goblins with a sword.

It was inevitable to feel uncomfortable.

Later, after the smelly fish and rotten shrimp squad was wiped out, and he killed that bugbear, and returned to River Valley Town alone, he gradually accepted the identity of an adventurer and got used to fighting and killing.

From "ordinary person" to "adventurer" in the true sense, there is always a process of change.

It's just that because of the differences in psychological quality and personality characteristics, the changes are fast or slow.

Whether he really has the potential to become a qualified adventurer, time will give you the answer.

But even if the truth is like this, not everyone can realize this point.

Full of hot blood, only sixteen years old, the green teenager, interest comes fast, goes fast, and always tends to drill into the horns.

Xia Nan could feel the entanglement deep in the other party's heart, as well as the lost performance.

When camping and resting at night, he no longer begged himself to tell some personal experiences or heard adventure stories, but began to study whether being a sailor or doing some small business was more suitable.

Regarding this, Xia Nan didn't say much, just played the role of a listener.

Just like when he met the other party for the second time, out of his inner thoughts, he would clearly point out the difference between the adventurer line and what Kelin imagined.

But he would not stop the boy from stepping into this line.

At this moment, Kelin changed his mind, and Xia Nan would not require the other party to carry it through to the end and must become an adventurer.

Everyone's path is chosen by themselves.

He didn't have that experience and resume to give others any life advice.

At this moment, the two of them, after a half-month journey since leaving the village, were about to arrive at their destination.

According to the route marked on Xia Nan's map, as long as they crossed another mountain ridge, they would be very close to Shoal Islands.

But halfway through the walk, the two suddenly discovered a man-made tunnel with a quite spacious entrance on the mountainside.

Under normal circumstances, it wasn't any goblin nest, so Xia Nan had no reason to deviate from the route formulated in advance and go deep into this unknown cave.

If a magic beast with a high challenge rating was hidden inside, rushing in blindly was purely asking for trouble.

It was just that, after careful observation at the entrance, Xia Nan noticed that there were a large number of human activity traces near the cave.

And among them, the clearest one was probably left yesterday, and the time distance was very close.

Even on the soft ground, one could see many deep wheel tracks, obviously a large convoy had driven past.

This couldn't help but make him have thoughts in his heart.

"Could it be some shortcut?"

If the tunnel before him could really lead directly to the other side of the mountain ridge, it would undoubtedly save them a lot of time and energy.

Pondering slightly, he spread his spiritual power to carefully perceive and observe the possible dangers hidden in the cave, confirming that there was no suspicious smell of blood or magic beast aura.

Only then did Xia Nan light the torch and take the teenager into the tunnel.

"Mr. Xia Nan, have you ever seen the sea? The bard who passed by the village said before that its color is the same as the sky, and its area is millions of times wider than the pond behind the mountain, and any wave is higher than the most dangerous mountain here."

Perhaps because he was excited and agitated about arriving at his destination, Kelin, who was carefully following Xia Nan's side, talked more and more, and his tone carried a touch of helplessness about the uncertainty of the future.

"Mr. Xia Nan, I still think 'sailor' is more suitable for me."

"Although what you said is also right, my uncle is doing business there, I will be an apprentice, and I won't starve to death anyway." ===== CHAPTER 382 =====