Goblin Dependency-Chapter 825 - 413: The Cliffside Cabin (Part 2)

The fish is on the hook!

But strangely, compared to the sudden and huge change in the fishing rod and fishing line, the man’s response was rather stingy.

His whole person stood like a statue on the edge of a cliff, motionless.

He firmly gripped the rod but didn’t immediately exert force to lift it, instead deliberately letting out two inches of line, giving the prey below the illusion of success, causing it to bite the hook deeper subconsciously.

He carefully sensed the subtle changes in force coming from his palms, until the moment when the prey was struggling desperately, with no chance to escape.

Only then did he stand up and raise the rod with force.

The gap between a newbie and a seasoned hand was vividly demonstrated at this moment.

In Xia Nan’s eyes, the man’s movements when pulling the rod were extremely natural, as if he had practiced it countless times, coordinating his waist and legs, stepping back half a step with his left foot firmly planted, bending his right knee slightly in an archer’s stance, the power of his whole body stable like the rising tide.

Reeling in the line was like breathing, a rhythm in the slack and pull.

He even suspected that the man, through the force transmitted to his hands, could perceive the stamina changes of the prey on the hook, relaxing during the struggle, and aggressively reeling in when it rested.

The silhouette of the man on the cliff was connected to the vast ocean below by a transparent fishing line, as if fighting the entire ocean when he exerted force to raise the rod, alongside the surging tide.

"Pop."

A splash of water splattered with a light sound from the depths of the waves.

A silver-white fish, about two feet long, was pulled from the sea.

It had a slender body, suspended at the end of the fishing line, its body flailing like a silver short blade striking the cliff as it struggled.

Until a powerful hand suddenly thrust out from the side, precisely and swiftly clutching the fish’s gill behind the indentation, seemingly with some special technique, as the fingers inserted into the gill bent slightly, the previously lively silverfish seemed to be hit at a dead point, instantly losing all strength and entering a stiff state.

After detachment of the hook, the man slightly lifted the silverfish in his hand, nodding in apparent satisfaction.

Then he turned, looking towards Xia Nan, who was patiently waiting not far ahead.

He slightly raised his chin in the direction of the cabin, while lifting the silverfish in his hand.

"Sulmania Silver Needlefish, you might not see one at the entire fish market at Wave-breaking Pier in a day, and its taste is more delicious than chicken soup simmered all day."

"How about it, want to try?"

...

...

Colin suddenly felt that the life of a sailor wasn’t that boring after all.

The long five-day voyage seemed to have devoured his entire soul with the endless sound of the ocean waves.

But it was exactly this reason that when he finally stepped onto land again, felt the ground beneath his feet, he was overwhelmed by an indescribably touching feeling.

At the same time, in Qiao Yan Village, this previously unheard-of secluded village.

Colin felt unprecedented respect and awe from others.

When he sat at the dining table in the village head’s house, witnessing the villager who appeared older than his own father bowing slightly and politely addressing him as "sir" while pouring wine.

This young man from a remote village found his emotions dreamlike.

At this moment, he seemed to have really become the mighty adventurer he dreamed of, a respected sailor navigating the seas.

Fortunately, the feeling of floating with his feet off the ground was only for a fleeting moment.

The next second, he sobered up.

Just like on the Black Crow, where he was favored because of Mr. Xia Nan, the villagers’ behavior was not because of his own fame, nor any contribution he had made to Qiao Yan Village.

It was entirely because of his identity as a crew member of the Black Crow that he received such hospitality from the villagers.

Without this title, he was still just an inexperienced newcomer who trembled in combat and vomited at the sight of corpses.

Colin took a long breath, steadying his emotions.

Suddenly, a thick rough hand slapped down on his shoulder, startling him.

"Colin boy... eat meat! Drink! Good!"

A hot breath, mixed with the smell of alcohol and bad breath, blew over him.

Colin found himself reluctantly pulled close by the shoulder by Half orc Bone Card from the "Silver Claw Fish Eagle" team, holding a greasy, stained piece of meat with his hand.

"Eat! Delicious!"

With a forced smile on his face, Colin took the meat from the Half orc’s hand, enduring his discomfort as he took a large bite under the other’s gaze, chewing and swallowing.

Only then did the Half orc burst into laughter, spraying hot spittle all over Colin’s face.

In truth, Bone Card bore no ill intentions toward Colin; this was just the way this low-intelligence Half orc tried to express closeness.

It was just that his weak expression skills often resulted in counterproductive outcomes.

Since the battle with the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel," Xia Nan’s status on the Black Crow had skyrocketed. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

No one dared to provoke the tough man who could decapitate four professional adventurers in five seconds.

Even flattering him was daunting due to the horrific and gruesome scenes of battle.

Thus, on the entire Black Crow, the only two people connected to Xia Nan, "Colin" and "Alton," became prized connections.

The latter, being Xia Nan’s legitimate team member, was almost fawned over by many crew members by the next afternoon after the battle ended.