Chapter 401: Bring the ship alongside, damn it!

"Greasy Hand" Ba En is an Adventurer and also the captain of the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" squad.

As a level 4 【Azure Blade Warrior】, perhaps his professional level isn't considered a big deal in Shoal Islands, but the special class he holds grants him combat power far exceeding professionals of the same level at sea, allowing him to be like a fish in water after arriving in the Southern Archipelago.

Nearly ten years of operation have not only allowed him to save up for a custom-made, speed-type sailing ship with quality and craftsmanship above the average level, but also to use it as a core to recruit several trustworthy and powerful Adventurers, founding the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" squad.

Along with it, the name "Greasy Hand" has gradually spread among the islands.

Although not to the point of being widely renowned, at least now, when he walks into a tavern like the "Three-Legged Sea Dog," where a large number of Adventurers gather year-round, there are still quite a few people who can recognize this tough character.

Yes, a tough character.

On this boundless ocean filled with countless opportunities and risks, especially for Adventurers, the rise of every well-known figure is accompanied by slaughter and bloodshed.

Ba En does not feel there is anything wrong with what he does.

The law of the jungle is the survival rule of these waters.

Encountering massive ship fleets or high-level Adventurer squads, tucking one's tail and running is perfectly normal;

Running into "fat sheep" whose strength is far inferior to his own, "eating them clean" is naturally a matter of course.

For "Greasy Hand" Ba En, the boundary between "Adventurer" and so-called "Pirate" has long since become blurred through repeated looting and killing.

Right now, the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" squad he leads is in the middle of a mission.

Their destination is a small island not far from these waters, about two days' journey away.

According to mission information provided by the Adventurer Association, the villagers on that island are facing harassment from some kind of monster, and they need to go and help resolve the danger.

The mission reward is not much, estimated to be just enough for his brothers to live it up in Shoal Islands for a few days—barely satisfactory.

With the spending habits of people like Ba En, these gold coins are barely enough to fill their stomachs, so he is very happy to skim some off the top during the commission and find opportunities to earn some extra money.

It doesn't matter if the targets are ordinary villagers living on small islands or ships encountered on the road.

He only wants to grab as many gold coins as possible.

"Boss Ba En, the ship ahead has slowed down; they probably don't intend to run anymore."

"They can't run anyway." Hearing the lookout's excited shout, a ferocious and cruel smile appeared on Ba En's fleshy face.

He didn't know if it was because he had spent money to find a small shrine to Xing Yun Nv Shen before setting off and had prayed and worshipped with the crew.

Their voyage this time could be said to be very smooth: the climate was mild, the team atmosphere was harmonious, and even the sailors' daily work had no errors.

It had only been a few days since leaving port, and they had already encountered a fresh and tempting "big fat sheep."

Greed glittered in Ba En's eyes.

His extremely rich seafaring experience had already allowed him to figure out the details of the wooden ship opposite during this short pursuit.

Deep draft and slow speed meant it was loaded with a large amount of cargo; it was early morning, yet there weren't many people on deck, so the number of people on board should be relatively small; plus its standard medium-sized ship type, Ba En had roughly determined in his heart that it was a common cargo merchant ship.

If he could swallow it all in one bite, he would earn at least three digits in gold coins.

If he could also ensure the integrity of the ship, he could earn even more.

Although he was very confident in his own strength, it didn't mean Ba En would be blinded by money and directly order the helmsman to drive the ship over.

Having an absolute speed advantage at sea meant gaining the initiative in the battle.

Retreat—the opponent couldn't keep up and could only watch them escape;

Pursuit—the opponent had no possibility of shaking them off, and being caught was only a matter of time.

In this situation, no matter how tempting the future visible gains were, Ba En still maintained a hint of caution, conducting one last round of probing before officially launching the attack.

Subconsciously turning around, his gaze fell on the center of the deck, vaguely protected by the crowd: the young man wearing a greenish-blue silk robe and a braided pointed hat.

Unlike the simple attire of the other sailors and Adventurers on deck, this young man's dress was meticulous; in such a hot sea, even his collar was buttoned to the very top.

And the dark brown spiral staff gripped tightly in his hand also indicated his identity.

A Spellcaster!

To some extent, this was also why Ba En felt he was favored by Xing Yun Nv Shen.

Whether in the interior or on the vast sea, because of the extremely high requirements for talent and resources, Spellcasters have always been rare.

And once they appear, they are often monopolized by those large organizations in Shoal Islands and massive ship fleets at sea.

Only a small minority are willing to go to sea as individual squads.

To be honest, Ba En might have a bit of fame in the Southern Archipelago, but he is far from the level where he could attract Spellcaster teammates based solely on his own name, and he couldn't afford the high salary they demanded.

Being able to get this Spellcaster to join the squad was entirely due to luck.

The process was cumbersome, so I won't go into details.

Simply put, six years ago, because Ba En encountered a storm during a mission and went off course, he accidentally arrived at a remote sea area rarely reached by others, and in a primitive tribe living on a nearby desert island, he discovered the person who was being persecuted by the tribe members as a demon at the time.

Someone born with an affinity for nature, a natural Spellcaster!

The primitive tribe had simple minds, had little contact with the outside world, and happened to be suffering from an epidemic. At the time, Ba En relied on just a few bags of rations, half a bottle of Healing Potion, and some worthless, crude medicine to trick the person onto the ship.

Afterward, he took meticulous care of them, using both lies and sincerity, and provided considerable resources for their cultivation.

Over these six years, this young Spellcaster, who had been named "Caoluo" by the former tribal elder, had become the most loyal member of Ba En's team.

And Ba En himself, with the help of the other party's extraordinary nature as a Spellcaster, had continuously seized benefits at sea.

"How is it? What's the situation on that ship?"

Ordering the crew to control the helm and sails to keep a distance from the *Black Gull*, Ba En asked with an urgent tone.

"Hmm... a bit strange."

The young Spellcaster named "Caoluo" was entirely self-taught. Even after boarding the ship and systematically learning some knowledge about spellcasting through Ba En's channels, he was still accustomed to controlling his mental power in a primitive and instinctive way in his daily life.

Rather than calling him a "Mage," it would be more appropriate to describe him as a "Sorcerer" or one of those "Priests" from Orc tribes.

"Not many people, only twenty-something in total."

Dazzling magical luster flickered in "Caoluo's" eyes, but his words carried a rare hint of hesitation.

"There are only five professionals inside."

"Three of them are relatively ordinary, with a professional level of only about level 2, which is within the range we can safely handle."

"Among the other two, the one with a slightly weaker aura should be a believer of some god, slightly obscured, but observing their life intensity, it's estimated to be only about level 2, not even as good as the first three Adventurers."

"Only the last one, to be honest, I can't read..."

Caoluo was born in a primitive tribe on a desert island. His outstanding talent allowed him to display mental power far exceeding ordinary people when he was young. At the age of nine, his invisible intent, which expanded and spread outward unconsciously, already allowed him to detect the aura of beasts passing outside the tribe while hiding in his quilt deep in the shed.

And the painful experience of being treated harshly by tribal members as a demon after revealing his talent also allowed his mental intent to further develop and strengthen in torment. ===== CHAPTER 402 =====