Chapter 1013: Chapter 504: 3rd Ring·Psionics_2
For these pirates, the truly valuable items are only carried personally or hidden in secret places known only to themselves.
Luckily, perhaps having just robbed the merchant ship not long ago, they hadn’t even changed the boxes, only opened them and did a brief check.
The group didn’t take long to find the collector’s goods in the middle part of the warehouse by following the hidden marks provided by Aurie on the boxes.
Three large boxes.
Including tobacco, rare minerals, and some antiques whose value couldn’t be discerned—Xia Nan took the opportunity to use his Golden Finger from the attribute panel to scan over them, with no special discoveries, only items of ordinary collectible value.
They needed to move these things to the shore, then use the small boat they arrived on to transport them back to the merchant ship.
The shift change at the warehouse wouldn’t be until dawn tomorrow, and it was just past midnight, so they had ample time as long as nothing unexpected happened.
And the members of the Iron Rock Shield Team, true to the greedy nature of adventurers in this world, started searching for valuable items in the warehouse following the sudden relief after finding their quest target.
"Mr. Haiya, why aren’t you following these gentlemen?"
It’s unclear whether he wanted to take the opportunity to escape or was trying to curry favor out of fear of being silenced.
Hogan mustered his courage, lowered his posture, and cautiously asked while observing Xia Nan’s expression from his peripheral vision.
"Hmm?" Xia Nan raised an eyebrow, glancing at the little gangster beside him, "Didn’t you just say there were only living supplies in the warehouse? What’s this, not telling the truth?"
"No no no!"
Hogan looked terrified, waving his hands repeatedly.
"Everything I said is true, Master Xia Nan!"
"I was right there watching when these things were brought in."
"I-I was just asking casually."
Of course, this little gangster’s guarantees couldn’t be fully trusted. In fact, when Xia Nan entered the warehouse with the others, his Perception Ability was already at its peak, scanning every corner with his gaze.
When the Iron Rock Shield Team confirmed Aurie’s goods were intact and planned to find extra gains, Xia Nan had already checked twice.
That was the reason for his current calmness.
In contrast, what he was truly concerned about was something else entirely.
"On my way here, I encountered a dungeon with many civilians from nearby islands imprisoned inside. These are intended as sacrifices for your future trade with the Fishmen, correct?"
"Yes, sir, it’s indeed a preparation by Leader Gerry for the trade with the Sha Hua Fishmen."
Seemingly sensitive to the "your" in Xia Nan’s question that lumped him with the Ebbtide Gang, Hogan tried to extricate himself while confirming.
"How many similar dungeons are there on your island?" Xia Nan continued, unconcerned with the little gangster’s persistence.
"I don’t know the exact number, but it definitely won’t exceed ten." Hogan pondered, recalling carefully. "But not every dungeon contains people. Many are still empty, said to be prepared for the future."
"Do you know their exact locations?"
"Most dungeons are built in fixed areas. I’ve seen them while patrolling the island with the gang. Given some time... I can find them all."
Xia Nan nodded slightly, not replying further.
The entrusted mission was nearing completion, with Aurie’s lost items already found.
He planned to take advantage of the transport time to rescue those ordinary civilians imprisoned in the dungeons as well without affecting the others in the team.
The merchant ship had enough space, so the number of people wasn’t an issue.
Of course, since it’s not part of the entrusted mission, any losses incurred by these civilians, such as food expenses, would be negotiated with Aurie later, and he would make up for it.
"Facke, why is there nothing valuable in this warehouse?!"
The half orc Howl complained bitterly, disappointed after taking a fierce bite of some preserved meat he found in a food box.
For adventurers like them, often the rewards from the task itself only make up a small portion of their total income.
The main earnings come from side gains during the mission, including but not limited to protection fees voluntarily given by villagers they meet along the way, spoils of war from other adventurers, and demon materials.
Returning with just the quest target as it was now left him somewhat unsatisfied.
His round eyes instinctively turned to Hogan beside Xia Nan, his tone filled with menace as he threatened:
"Hey, kid!"
"Is there any other valuable stuff around here?"
"If you dare lie to me, I’ll flay you alive!"
"No, really, there’s nothing else, sir!" Under threat, Hogan immediately prostrated himself on the ground, pleading.
The half orc bared his teeth, about to say more when his beastman blood instinctively reacted to danger, causing him to close his mouth without knowing why.
His gaze automatically shifted from Hogan to Xia Nan beside him.
The young black-haired man with an exceptionally youthful face had already partially turned his body, unbeknownst to them.
His brows furrowed slightly, and his pitch-black eyes stared at the mysterious darkness outside the warehouse door under the night sky.
"What’s wrong?"
Xia Nan’s unusual behavior also caught the attention of the team captain, Hapik, who called out.
"Something’s up."
With his keen Perception Ability, Xia Nan seemed to faintly sense the unusual movement coming from the depths of the night.
Self-proclaimed not weak in perception as well, Seli, employed as a Ranger, also focused her attention and concentrated her senses but found nothing.
She shook her head slightly towards Hapik.
"I didn’t sense anything..."
Wooom——
The high-pitched whistle, like a steam siren, abruptly interrupted Seli’s words as it resonated from a distance.
The Iron Rock Shield Team members’ expressions shifted dramatically.
Ignoring their current search for supplies, they quickly gathered, forming a formation.
"What’s going on!?"
Hapik growled.
Xia Nan was equally clueless about what was happening, but his high Perception Attribute of twelve points instinctively allowed him to make a near-perfect response at the moment of crisis.
With a swift motion of his right hand, he grabbed Hogan by the collar and tossed the hapless little gangster out the window—he still needed the guy to help locate the dungeons afterward, so he had to ensure his survival.
Then, exerting force with both legs, his dark figure nearly turned into a shadow, and in the blink of an eye, he moved from near the warehouse entrance to the three boxes that were the quest target.
The Ash Fall Straight Sword instantly unsheathed, but it didn’t move forward. Instead, it hung naturally, the tip pointing diagonally to the ground; his left arm raised horizontally, the Dark Scale Guard Arm Shield protecting his front.
"Raise your shields!"
He reminded his temporary teammates.
Though uncertain of why Xia Nan reacted so strongly, seeing his actions, the dwarf Hapik instinctively took off the large Heavy Steel Tower Shield from his back.
Just as the bottom edge of the tower shield touched the ground the next second.
In the echoing air horn, a heavy and low hum emerged.
As Seli pounced towards the direction of the dwarf shield, her gaze instinctively turned toward the sound’s source.
What came into view was the barren wooden wall of the warehouse.
And the intensely swelling orange-red glow seeping and pouring in from every gap between the wooden planks.
The explosive wave of heat nearly rushed into the warehouse simultaneously with the wooden planks splitting into flying fiery spears.
It was a rapidly speeding and condensed ball of flame, its outer layer wrapped in orange-red flame, and inside, it was nearly transparent white, brewing an unimaginably fierce temperature.
The warehouse wall crumbled like thin paper, and any merchandise even slightly touched turned to unrecognizable char.
It was as if a meteor had flown horizontally into the building.
As everyone watched, the sphere composed purely of flame gently landed in the center of the warehouse.
"Boom!!!"
——3rd Ring·Shaping Magic·Fireball Technique!
