Chapter 884: Chapter 441: Nareka’s Short-Tentacle Spirit-Seeking Art (2)

Everyone present, even the seemingly kind and usually quirky half orc, Alton, were experienced senior adventurers.

For this type of corpse, just a glance was enough to make a rough analysis.

With Baron Farrow’s daughter involved and his own future in Suo Yu Bay at stake, Hai Yin was proactive in examining the body.

Thanks to a superior perception ability far beyond those of the same professional level, Xia Nan had already realized the implications upon seeing the corpse.

At the moment, he was observing those finer details hidden in the shadows.

Jerry hadn’t been dead for long, likely just a few hours, certainly not more than half a day.

And although it was raining now, the rain was far from enough to wash everything away.

Xia Nan noticed the slightly disordered magic particles in the air, not yet reverted to their original state, and sensed the extraordinary energy that lingered in the shadows.

Coupling this with the clean, crisp wounds on Jerry’s body, the image of the murderer began to form:

——A person experienced in combat, or rather assassination, who was walking the professional path and quite possibly had reached a significant professional level.

But putting himself in the killer’s position, what reason would Xia Nan have to kill such a lowly little gangster?

For money?

The earnings from such an act likely wouldn’t match up to killing a few goblins, hardly worth the effort.

Just for fun?

In a densely populated area like Eel Alley in the Saltwater District, if there was a real intent for massacre, there was no reason to single out Jerry alone.

Could it be a vendetta?

Xia Nan frowned slightly, calling over the little gangster nearby, who was tucking his head in like a quail, shivering slightly in the rain, too scared to speak, and asked:

"Has your boss offended anyone?"

"Too many, sir!" the little gangster replied immediately, "Every vendor on the nearby streets would probably see us as enemies."

As soon as he finished, he seemed to realize the reason behind Xia Nan’s question and quickly added.

"But if you mean someone like you, a big shot, as far as I know, Jerry hasn’t."

The initial encounter at the "Salmon Roe" grocery store this morning had already proved the "Blood-nosed Rat’s" sharp eye and cunning nature.

It was almost impossible for him to purposely provoke adventurers far stronger than ordinary people.

"Any acquaintances?" Xia Nan pursued the question.

"If it’s just acquaintances..." the little gangster pondered, "The closest should be some bosses from the Corner Shark Gang. Jerry’s boss helped keep watch for them this morning."

A spark lit up in Xia Nan’s mind.

With this hint, and combined with what Jerry had previously explained about his relationship with the Corner Shark Gang, various clues subtly linked together.

"Unintentionally stumbling upon the Corner Shark Gang’s relocation of the baron’s daughter"——"Being asked to keep watch with the promise of joining the organization"——"Silenced after the relocation"...

Though there were still some details not entirely clear, like why Jerry wasn’t killed on the spot but silenced only now; and why he was given that surgical knife as a token.

The overall logic, however, seemed reasonable and closest to the current situation.

When Xia Nan shared his speculation with the others present, they all agreed, indicating it was a possibility.

"If it’s really as you say, then the murderer of Jerry should also be a member of the Corner Shark Gang?"

Hai Yin speculated following this line of thought.

"In that case, does it also mean we might find the Corner Shark Gang’s current hideout by tracking down this killer?"

While not absolute, this was the only lead Xia Nan and his companions had.

After discussing with the others, Hai Yin once again approached the corpse, gripping in her right hand the recently purchased [Practice Staff] from Xia Nan.

As mentioned before, her tracking magic required a certain condition.

With Jerry’s body present, it was now fulfilled.

Buzz——

A green light emerged at the staff’s tip, flickering like a small firefly in the air, then lightly descended onto the corpse, disappearing.

The buzz of highly compressed magic particles vanished in an instant, the air once again calm, and the corpse lay as it was, as if nothing had happened.

But Xia Nan’s gaze instinctively focused on Jerry’s right forearm.

There, a subtle sound of muscle movement could be faintly heard.

"Pop."

Landing on the ground, the skin on the corpse’s arm, soaked white by the rain, suddenly bulged, as if some small creature was moving within the flesh, raising a vague outline on the skin surface.

In a matter of seconds, with a sound of flesh tearing that was not loud, the skin on Jerry’s right forearm suddenly burst open!

Revealing underneath a miniature flesh-colored octopus about a quarter the size of an adult’s palm.

Covered in slime, with bits of flesh adhering to it, it looked like a newborn infant.

Curiously, this little octopus had no eyes, only eight small limbs flailing chaotically within the flesh.

Hai Yin couldn’t help but show a gentle smile, bending down slightly, reaching her left hand towards the little octopus.

As if sharing an invisible bond, just as the Druid’s hand approached, the eyeless octopus voluntarily extended its limbs in her direction.

And in the instant of contact, it instinctively wound all eight tentacles tightly around Hai Yin’s right thumb.

From a distance, it looked like a strangely shaped flesh-colored ring.

[Nareka’s Short-Tentacle Spirit-Seeking Art]

A special variant magic from the Coral Association Druid, with various usage methods, it required physical flesh as casting materials, primarily used for locating and tracking things related to the source of the flesh by summoning a spirit octopus.

"The duration is only thirty minutes, we must hurry."

Hai Yin called to the others behind her, already moving towards the alley exit.

There was no apparent communication with the spirit octopus, but in reality, the small octopus wrapped tightly like a ring around her thumb was constantly contracting, pointing the direction for Hai Yin through muscle movements.

"Hiss!"

From atop Xia Nan, the Silver Ring Snake, "A Yin", which had remained extremely obedient and invisible since Xia Nan’s appearance, couldn’t help but protrude its head from his sleeve, flicking its tongue and hissing towards the little octopus.

Surprisingly, this short octopus seemed to possess no sensibilities other than touch, showing no reaction to A Yin’s hostility, which made the spiritual little snake feel like a fist punched into cotton, receiving no feedback.

Like an aggrieved little dog, the diamond-shaped head rubbed against Hai Yin’s hand for comfort.

Yet just a second later, the approaching steps from behind Xia Nan caused it to suddenly seem frightened, body stiffening, drilling back into the Druid’s sleeve like a reflex.

Motionless, returning to its original "silver black bracelet".

...

Meanwhile, in a certain disorderly shantytown area near the Wave-breaking Pier in the Saltwater District of Suo Yu Bay.

A slender, hooded figure walked briskly along a narrow, sewage-laden street.

His steps slightly hurried, appearing like a passerby eager to avoid the rain.

But a closer look would reveal that his speed was completely incongruous with his stride and step frequency, and that his footprints in the muddy ground, far shallower than an ordinary person’s, blurred quickly after only a splash of rain.

Apparently well-acquainted with the complex maze of the shantytown, he bypassed indistinguishable similar corners until finally stopping before an exterior-disused shack deep within the neighborhood.

"Knock, knock-knock, knock."

He knocked on the door with a specific rhythm.

Inside, there was no response.

The man, however, gazed through a gap in the dilapidated door, lowering his hood voluntarily.

His eyebrows were interrupted by a scar, his shadowy face exposed to the rain.

Crack——

The shack’s door gradually opened from within, and the sound of rusting hinges echoed eerily in the air.