Chapter 411: Two Types of Corpses

"Splash..."

Surging sea tides rushed and rolled, splashing countless tiny spray on the surface of the black-brown reefs.

Without the obstruction of rock pillars, mountain peaks, and buildings, the sea breeze circled and whistled, unscrupulously pouring out its violent anger from the depths of the ocean.

Kelin breathed rapidly, his heart beating violently, and there was a smear of scarlet blood on his cheek that he hadn't had time to wipe off yet.

"Why..."

"Why did things develop to this point?"

He had never wanted to offend anyone, and he had always maintained the greatest degree of awe for the Adventurers in the fleet.

Even though he had received preferential treatment in the team because of Mr. Xia Nan, he still knew his place and put himself in the identity of an "apprentice sailor," never actively seeking any benefits or bullying other crew members by relying on this layer of relationship.

But after all, he was just a little boy from a remote village. The limitations of age and experience made him realize—all gifts from fate have already been marked with prices in the dark—only after experiencing them personally.

Just like when he became an apprentice to a hunter in the village when he was young, the farm work he had to do on weekdays was much less, and he didn't have to be so hard, but it also added the danger of facing fierce beasts.

The relationship with Xia Nan, even if Kelin himself didn't know how to use it, invisibly allowed him not to have to clean the latrines like other new sailors, or sleep in the crevices of cargo and luggage, unable to even stretch his legs.

Similarly, the Orc Gagu, who wanted to ease the relationship with Xia Nan, would find him at the banquet, and finally almost forcibly brought him to the front of the wooden house on the edge of the village.

And then, it was now.

Kelin's current location is the reef beach in the north of Qiaoyan Island.

The Orc Gagu disappeared, replaced by the remaining two members of the "Silver Claw Osprey" squad, and the Halfling little guy playing the lute.

What exactly happened, his memory after waking up from the fainting state is already blurred.

What he can recall is only the terrifying chewing sound coming from the room, the Orc's bristling hair, and the wooden wall that was blasted open like an explosion, and the burly and sturdy figure looming in the dense smoke before being shocked unconscious.

As for what happened afterward, Kelin only gradually understood when he was questioned by the villagers and Adventurers who rushed over afterward.

What he and Gagu encountered should be the fierce monster rumored to be wandering around the village.

Originally, it only attacked lone villagers outside and livestock raised at home, and there had never been a case of entering the gathering place of humans.

But unexpectedly, perhaps the arrival of the *Black Gull* attracted the attention of most of the villagers in the village and the young and strong guards originally responsible for patrolling and warning, this monster actually took advantage of the opportunity to sneak in, attacked a household on the edge of the village, and happened to be bumped into by Gagu who slipped out of the banquet to find fun.

According to the traces left at the scene, after Kelin fainted, the Orc had a fierce battle with the monster and was at a disadvantage.

When the villagers and the Silver Claw Osprey squad rushed over, according to the bloodstains left on the ground, Gagu should have been in a seriously injured state.

And the monster itself seemed to have high intelligence, didn't fight, or was occupied by ferocity.

After sensing the movement of everyone in the village rushing over, it directly left with the seriously injured Orc.

Leaving behind the broken corpses in the ruins of the wooden house, and Kelin who fainted on the ground.

Having fought side by side for many years, finally having developed a tacit understanding, and being able to entrust their backs to each other, the squad member was snatched away. The "Silver Claw Osprey" naturally couldn't let it go.

The Adventurers responsible for transporting goods were attacked in the village. Village Chief Steven of Qiaoyan Village, knowing the danger, also performed incomparably responsibly, immediately leading the villagers to go out and search.

Fortunately, Letitia, the Archer of the Silver Claw Osprey squad, as a Half-Elf Ranger, had an expertise called 【Blood-Seeking Scent】 among the abilities she mastered. Even if the monster had disappeared without a trace, she could still track it through the aura left by the other party.

Of course, this expertise is not without restrictions. Its own activation requires a medium related to the monster, and it can only collect traces left by the target within half an hour.

This is also why these few Adventurers specially brought the "drag-oil-bottle" Kelin—he had close contact with the monster that attacked the two, meeting the conditions of the medium for 【Blood-Seeking Scent】.

Behind them, the figures of Village Chief Steven and the villagers standing in place were getting further and further away, the clamor in the air gradually dissipated, leaving only the neighing of waves intertwined with the gale in their ears.

Time was limited, the usage conditions of 【Blood-Seeking Scent】, and the Orc Gagu whose life or death was unknown, made the few Adventurers subconsciously quicken their pace.

Chasing all the way, a few people had already arrived at the seaside full of sharp reefs and surging undercurrents.

Only Adventurers could move forward safely while ensuring speed. Even the most experienced fishermen could hardly catch up, and if they really needed to fight, in this harsh environment, ordinary villagers couldn't help at all.

Therefore, after an emergency discussion in the middle of the journey, Steven took the villagers to stop the pursuit for the time being, instead detouring to the other side under the north cliff to block the gap, while the few Adventurers continued to go deep.

"How much further?"

Holding Kelin like luggage, squad leader Nick stepped over a reef, his brows furrowed as he asked the Half-Elf leading the way ahead.

"I'm not sure, the water vapor by the sea has diluted the aura left in the air." Letitia was focused, reaching out with her fingertips to rub the bloodstains left on Kelin's chest, placing them above her lips, her nostrils fluttering.

"But this direction is definitely no problem, it ran toward the seaside."

Nick's expression became increasingly gloomy.

After all, they were professionals with many years of adventure experience. In a very short period of time, a few people had already made a certain judgment about the approximate body size and category of the monster based on the traces left at the scene.

From the size and sinking degree of the footprints left on the ground, the rich fishy smell remaining in the air, and a serrated fish tooth embedded in the corpse, it could be inferred.

The one that attacked Kelin and Gagu was a water-based... at least an amphibious large monster from the sea.

And right now, it had already been escaped to the seaside by the opponent.

If this monster didn't care about anything and jumped into the water directly with Gagu, then they really wouldn't have any chance left.

With a human body, leaving land and fighting monsters in the sea, their combat power would be less than one in ten, undoubtedly courting death.

Right now, all they could do was track as fast as possible, while praying in their hearts that the monster wouldn't take Gagu under the water surface.

The "Silver Claw Osprey" squad could survive in this environment of the Southern Archipelago until now, and squad leader Nick contributed significantly.

Just like the vast majority of Adventurer squad leaders on this continent with more than five years of adventure career, he is mature and slick, cautious in steadiness, even if he occasionally loses control under the temptation of profit, he can quickly adjust his mentality and has very high prestige in the hearts of his teammates.

Things have come to this, even if he guessed in his heart that the Orc had already been buried at sea, Nick still didn't have the intention to give up.

On one hand, a teammate who has been fighting together for so long and has a tacit understanding is indeed rare. Even if there is only a little possibility of survival, it is worth him searching the entire coastline;

On the other hand, it is also out of Letitia's angle.

As a squad member, in the case of Gagu's life or death being unknown, he gave up on the other party so easily. How would the Half-Elf look at him, the squad leader, in the future, and how could the squad continue to maintain?

It's just...

Glancing down at Kelin, who was pale in his arms.

Nick felt remorse in his heart. ===== CHAPTER 412 =====