Chapter 901: Chapter 450: Deal Completed and Coincidence

Unlike the town’s taverns and various casinos, the adventurer association is noticeably less crowded at night compared to daytime, making the entire hall appear empty.

Of course, saying it’s less crowded, there are still a few adventurers passing through, attending to their business, but it’s not as bustling and noisy as during the day.

Following the receptionist Maere, Xia Nan made his way across the hall and arrived at the trading room located on the second underground floor.

"Knock knock knock."

The crisp knocking sound echoed in the humid air.

"Please come in."

A male voice from inside the room sounded somewhat muffled through the walls, but strangely familiar.

Xia Nan raised his eyebrows lightly and pushed the door open.

Sure enough, a familiar figure came into view.

"Ellison?"

Sitting across the table was a disheveled middle-aged man in a fishing windbreaker, someone Xia Nan had briefly met during his trip on Cliff Island.

He remembered meeting Ellison by a cabin on the North Cliff of Cliff Island while searching for clues about Morton. He was even treated to some grilled fish and provided with information about the island’s seaside caves before leaving.

It was because of this that Xia Nan was able to rendezvous with the Silver Claw Fish Eagle Squad and eventually encountered the Shark Beast in the caves.

Originally thought to be a passerby met by chance during his quest, it turned out that Ellison was the one looking to purchase his Tide Rod.

Come to think of it, there had been hints of a connection between the two.

Maere had mentioned that the fish rod buyer had gone to the Outer Sea for fishing; Ellison too had casually mentioned during their chat that he was from Suo Yu Bay and came back here periodically to fish.

It was quite the coincidence.

Meanwhile, sitting in the room, Ellison was taken aback upon seeing Xia Nan appear at the door, clearly not expecting him to be here.

"Xia Nan?" He stood up from the table, glancing at the association receptionist Maere who helped close the door behind Xia Nan, with a slightly surprised expression, "So you’re the one selling this piece of equipment?"

"Apparently."

Xia Nan nodded in response, simultaneously removing his dual swords from his back and sitting opposite him.

"Apologies, apologies." Perhaps Xia Nan’s demeanor caused some misunderstanding with Ellison, the disheveled and weathered middle-aged man laughed awkwardly, "I had thought you would come next year, given the distance from River Valley Town to Suo Yu Bay and that you’d gone afar."

The main reason for visiting Suo Yu Bay was to look for the Dream Weaving Corridor key. Selling equipment was only incidental, and even if it wasn’t sold, he’d leave it for personal use, so Xia Nan didn’t really mind if Ellison returned a few days late.

His gaze swept over the tabletop, noticing besides the Tide Rod for the transaction, there was also a not so small fish tank.

Inside it swam a sluggish fish, about the length of a forearm, with a flat head and its entire body was greyish-white, covered in black spots like a cow’s, giving it a very peculiar appearance.

"Seems like you had quite a harvest?"

"Flower Spot Whale, this one’s just reached maturity." Ellison explained, "It’s for this little one that I stayed on Cliff Island for so many days."

Flower Spot Whale?

Thinking about the name of this odd fish, Xia Nan instinctively glanced again at the direction of the Tide Rod.

It’s known that the Tide Rod, as a baiting device, has just one usage limit—piercing a live, healthy whale species with a spear tip at sixty times per minute, continuing for ten minutes.

And in Xia Nan’s memory, the term "whale species" should refer to those massive creatures reaching tens of meters, which couldn’t possibly be carried along.

If every time before fishing he had to specially find a whale to trigger the equipment, it would be too much effort.

Thus, even as his interest in fishing gradually ignited, to him, the Tide Rod seemed pointless and useless.

Yet if Ellison’s claim that this Flower Spot Whale, barely arm-length, could indeed meet the Tide Rod’s trigger conditions...

"So you specifically fished this fish for the rod?"

Surprised at such a solution, Xia Nan curiously asked.

"You could say that." Ellison nodded, "Normally this time of year I’d go out to sea to fish anyway. Just that after previously catching such Flower Spot Whales on Cliff Island, I thought of trying to catch another to keep, and see if after the rod deal I could trigger the condition."

"I can’t guarantee that." Xia Nan replied cautiously.

Though he had the attribute panel to confirm the Tide Rod’s special effect, he couldn’t be sure about Ellison’s workaround being feasible.

To avoid future misunderstandings, he felt it was best to clarify now, even if it led to the transaction failing, it didn’t matter.

"No worries, even if it turns out impossible, I can try other methods."

Clearly, for this "baiting device," a dedicated angler’s patience was extraordinary, their initiative needing no further mention.

Though there were suspicions of being like the "Emperor’s Golden Hoe," Xia Nan even suspected if a truly transcendent or legendary level expert acquired the Tide Rod, they might seriously dive into the sea each time before use to find a whale...