Chapter 42

Dafei came back to his senses and hurriedly said, "Miss, this is something very important from my teacher, a relic... Please, please return it to me!"

Katerina shook her head and smiled, "Of course, a scroll made of such high-end material is very important, but you need to think it through first. However, I need one unit of pearls now. Can you help me gather them from the nearby island within two days?"

— System Notice: Katerina has issued a quest to you, "Gather 1 Unit of Pearls in Two Days." Do you accept?

— Quest Notice: The beaches near the Wasteland Islands have pearl oysters, but they are also home to extremely dangerous crocodiles and giant reptiles.

Damn! This is clearly using my heaven-defying scroll to force me into joining her! But what can I do now that I'm at her mercy? Dafei had no choice but to accept.

Katerina took another sip of wine, smugly, "By the way, before you set off, you can go to the island's equipment shop to repair your weapons and upgrade your gear. This pearl isn't something just anyone can gather. I believe that the person who can kill a great white shark alone won't disappoint me, right?"

Dafei replied woodenly, "I don't have enough money..."

Katerina smiled faintly, "Just go to Barrack's shop. He stole your great white shark, so he shouldn't have any objections to you using his stuff. Get ready and set off. A small boat is already waiting for you at the dock. Don't disappoint me, or else..."

Dafei's heart tightened, and he could only nod, "Understood."

...

After leaving the tavern, Dafei mentally cursed the female pirate a hundred times over. Yes, it was a slap in the face.

What to do? Is the scroll more important or my future? My future is uncertain, but the scroll is right in front of me!

Be a pirate! Get back the Wisdom Scroll! Seduce this legendary hero! Then, sell the account! An account with dual professions, dual specialties, a large ship, an epic hero, and a legendary hero is definitely worth a few million, right? Those big teams and guilds wouldn't mind that it's a pirate account, would they?

Dafei made up his mind and immediately logged onto the website to check the current market.

As soon as he logged into the forum, two large sticky posts immediately blinded his eyes!

— "Congratulations! Blood Sea Studio joins Dragon Slayer Guild!"

— "Blood Sea Studio issues a server-wide bounty on the trash player Dafei, kill on sight! A reward of 100 yuan for reporting his location."

What the hell! So this Blood Sea Studio has some background! They can even collaborate with Dragon Slayer Guild!

— "Our Blood Sea Studio's slogan is: Server-wide bounty, kill until level 0; expose equipment, strip and flay, kill until they never log in again, only the account, not the person! Report for rewards, kill for rewards..."

Damn, damn! Dafei was speechless.

If they only target the account, not the person, can my account still be sold? Even if it can, others will definitely use this as a reason to drastically lower the price. An account worth a million could end up being sold for a few thousand, or even less! Or this Blood Sea Studio might send someone to pretend to be a buyer and buy my account at a low price, and I would just be helping them, returning all the loot I took from them with interest.

Screw you! You're tough! I've been server-wide bountied before, and it didn't scare me! Good, it also solidified my resolve. I won't sell this account! I really don't want to! What to do? Really become a pirate for this female thief?

Suddenly, Dafei's heart skipped a beat.

Wait! Why did she give me a quest? Is this a test quest for hiring a hero? But I don't meet her prerequisites? How could she give me a follow-up quest? Does she think I will definitely submit and become a pirate? No, no, impossible. She's an NPC, and NPCs follow procedures and logic.

Could it be that becoming a pirate isn't a prerequisite? Or maybe this quest isn't a test quest?

No matter what, I have no choice now. I'll take it one step at a time.

...

Barrack's shop was easy to find and large, as it was simply called "Barrack's Shop."

Looking at the sign, Dafei's eyebrows twitched. Even a big-bearded pirate can read, so how could Katerina not recognize the words? Was she just teasing me?

Dafei entered the shop, and it was filled with various weapons, equipment, pots, pans, books, oil paintings, potted plants, statues, clothing, and furniture, like a storage warehouse. What a huge general store! No doubt, it was all loot he had stolen. But who would buy it?

Several pirates playing cards in the open area glared at him, "What do you want?"

This must be the worst service attitude in the world. Dafei quickly replied, "Miss Katerina sent me to buy... take some things."

"Tch! Take what you need." The pirates sneered and turned back to their game.

Dafei was taken aback. Just like that? No one cares? I can just take what I want? Damn, Katerina's word really works. Dafei picked up a longsword nearby, and his eyebrows twitched!

— Sharp Forged Steel Heavy Sword: Attack +10, Damage +5, Attack Speed -1, Durability 87/120.

Damn! This sword has +10 attack! Don't scare me! There really are good items here. This is like a free supermarket! The best paradise in the world! Hahaha, I can just grab a few hundred items and resell them for a fortune!

— "Put back what you don't need!" A pirate warned without turning his head.

Oh! So there are still rules. Dafei reluctantly put down the sword and asked with a smile, "Do you have a complete set of crossbow parts?"

The pirate coldly replied, "No, we don't sell crossbows!"

Damn! They really treat crossbows as treasures. Without a crossbow, what's the point? I was counting on the crossbow! They won't even let me repair it. Typical poor pirate, no future!

Dafei asked, "What about crossbow bolts? There should be some ammunition, right?"

The pirate, impatient, said, "Red box, up to 100 bolts!"

Fine, at least I can replenish some ammunition. Dafei packed the crossbow bolts and circled the warehouse. There were no long spears, as no one uses them at sea. He selected a full set of high-quality armor: helmet, leather armor, gauntlets, belt, and boots, boosting his defense by 30 points. Juan's +3 leather armor was finally retired. Even retired equipment, no matter how bad, has a market. Wealthy lord players can buy them for their troops.

30 points of defense, the base defense of a level 7 human angel. If the opponents are all 0 attack skeletons, the 30-point defense difference would reduce 60% of the damage, according to the attack-defense formula. It feels like a rebirth. As long as I don't encounter a boss, I can still do a lot.

— "Done? If you're done, leave quickly!" The pirate shopkeeper started to shoo him away.

Damn, they seem casual, but their eyes are sharp. I can't take anything extra.

Dafei reluctantly left the shop. This free equipment supermarket is quite a feeling. But it also shows a problem: the pirates can't sell their loot, so even the best items are just junk. This proves that being a pirate has no future.

Suddenly, Dafei's heart skipped a beat! This is an opportunity? If I get along well with the pirates, I can help them sell their loot? I can use this as a reason to get them to let me off?

No matter if it works or not, I have to try. Before that, I must complete the beauty's quest to gain her favor. She's a big shot, and I can't mess up.

Dafei arrived at the dock, and sure enough, there was a small boat with a few pirates.

"Go!" The pirates didn't waste words, raised the sail, and started rowing.

Ha, they even sent some troops? Dafei asked happily, "Are you here to assist me?"

The pirates coldly replied, "Dream on, you have to handle it yourself."

Damn, they're here to monitor me, afraid I'll run away.

The Wasteland Islands are numerous. After half a day of rowing, they reached their destination, a large, tree-covered island on the outer edge of the archipelago, Crocodile Island. Damn, there really is a Crocodile Island, the fat innkeeper wasn't joking. The small boat docked.

The rowing pirate took out an hourglass and said coldly, "Starting now, you have two days. If you fail, we'll leave!"

Dafei was shocked, "No way!"

The pirates laughed, "Unless you join us, you're on your own on the island!"

The rowing pirate added, "Where there are crocodiles, there are pearl oysters. The crocodiles here are very strong, and there are many fierce beasts on the island. But for someone who can kill a great white shark, it shouldn't be a problem, right?" Then the pirates laughed and ignored Dafei, drinking and sleeping.

Dafei felt a sense of foreboding. Could it be that because I killed a shark boss, she thinks I'm particularly capable, so she gave me this impossible quest to force me to submit?

Soon, Dafei's fears became reality.

In the shallow waters in the distance, there were indeed large groups of huge crocodiles, all named Wasteland Island Man-Eating Giant Crocodiles! Any monster with a name is officially documented.

— Wasteland Island Man-Eating Giant Crocodile: Large Leader Reptile, Attack 30, Defense 50, Damage 85-110, Health 900, Attack Speed 8, Movement Speed 14, Experience 15000, Special Skills: Camouflage, Ambush, Rampage, Crippling Bite, Disease Resistance.

The Wasteland Sea is a place where pirates are rampant. Countless corpses are washed ashore by the currents, nurturing extremely fierce giant crocodiles. Their skin is as tough as armor. They are usually as lazy as logs, but once they attack, their speed is beyond human imagination, and no one can escape their pursuit!

Dafei's jaw dropped. They are all bosses! So many bosses in one place, it must be a quest area. Bosses don't usually cluster like this. With such high health and defense, and such incredible movement speed, my 8 health points and crossbow can't handle them! Even if my crossbow is fully charged, it can't withstand the beating. One unit of pearls is 100, meaning I need to gather 100 pearls! That means I need to kill all these giant crocodiles? Is that even possible? I can't even kill one crocodile!

If the crossbow can't handle it, my spearman can't either. Should I try to sneak underwater and steal? Ha, even if I'm stealthy, can I move without making any ripples? I'm not a ghost!

In short, these crocodiles can't be killed by force.

However, since it's a gathering quest, killing monsters isn't the focus. As an expert, Dafei began to think hard about all the seemingly impossible gathering quests throughout history, falling into deep frustration...