Upon hearing this, Sules raised an eyebrow, looking at Moss with some surprise.
She had thought that after what she’d just said, Moss would be unlikely to subsidize her; not throwing her out of the guild would be a sudden act of kindness.
But she hadn’t expected him to entertain such a notion again.
Even if Moss had kicked her out of the guild, Sules wouldn’t have been without options.
In fact, it was something she had considered.
Her being taken by the Sky Father Guild was witnessed by everyone, but the guild kicking her out was not public knowledge.
So, she could easily use the guild’s name as a temporary shield to escape to the sea and then continue to live freely.
Although life without guild protection might be more difficult afterward, being troubled by people like David in the guild wouldn’t necessarily be much better.
In any case, there was always a way to live, and she wasn’t panicking at all.
However, since Moss was saying this now, Sules had to consider his proposal.
Frankly, Moss’s suggestion was indeed very tempting.
Accepting these ten silver shells would not only accelerate her early development but also earn her the friendship of this superior leader.
It was indeed the best choice.
However, Sules also knew that even though Moss said it would be fine as long as she didn’t affect him in the future, how could such a debt of gratitude be easily repaid?
If Moss encountered danger in the future, Sules, if she had any conscience, would definitely have to help him out at least once.
“…Okay, thank you, Captain Moss. I definitely won’t disappoint you.”
After a long silence, Sules finally decided to accept the ten silver shells.
She really needed early startup funds.
Moss seemed to be a very flexible person, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
An internal deal was struck between the two.
From now on, they were in this together.
Sules got the startup funds for early development, and Moss gained a promising prospect he highly regarded. Smiles appeared on both their faces.
Moss waved his hand, “Alright, you can go out now. I’ll arrange the upcoming allocations in a way that benefits you, but there might be conflicting interests with the others, so it might not be entirely smooth. In any case, I hope you can achieve results quickly and allow me to recoup my investment soon.”
Sules nodded and left the room.
Her conversation with Moss had been a bit long; when she came out, the other two boys who had been called away had already left.
They were looking at each other, their competitiveness palpable; Sules could almost see sparks flying from their eyes.
As promising individuals chosen by the higher-ups, there was a competitive relationship among the three of them.
When the two saw Sules emerge, they both looked at her with hostile gazes.
Only a mediocre person wouldn’t be envied.
Sules was not afraid at all, shrugged, and walked back to the group.
David saw that everyone had arrived, clapped his hands, and called them together, “The upcoming sea area assignment will take some time. You can go back to your ships and pack up first. Come back here at 8 AM tomorrow morning to collect your respective mission tags. You’re dismissed for now.”
Seeing this, Sules walked directly towards the exit.
As soon as she stepped out of the branch guild’s main door, she heard a system notification—
“Ding! Congratulations, player, you have activated your first mission. Please check it on your system panel.”
Hearing the system’s voice, Sules paused, then immediately reacted.
She found a secluded spot, opened her system panel, scrolled to the bottom, and sure enough, saw that the original mission bar had changed.
Mission: Upgrade your ship to Level 2 within five days. (Optional)
Success Reward: Gain an opportunity to recruit a Level 5 fisherman.
Failure Penalty: Offend any one Level 5 character.
Sules didn’t bother looking at the mission details first; she looked at the reward. In the game settings of “Return to Navigation,” the highest NPC level was 10.
At first glance, a Level 5 fisherman might not seem like much, but Sules was already very pleasantly surprised.
What did Level 10 mean?
It represented characters who existed only in legends.
In all the information Sules had seen, the highest level was only 9.
For example, the guild master of the Sky Father Guild was a Level 9 Martial Artist.
Each NPC level was extremely difficult to increase, and it became even harder the higher you went.
So, even though Level 5 might not sound like much, it was definitely considered a powerful figure.
Especially since she was just starting out, if she could get a Level 5 fisherman, her development speed would definitely accelerate rapidly.
However, the failure penalty was equally terrifying.
A Level 5 character in the water world could already be called a local magnate.
If she offended such a person, the outcome would surely be tragic.
In her current situation, with a mere wave of their hand, her small, dilapidated boat could be obliterated by those eager to curry favor with the powerful figure.
Moreover, Sules noticed a detail: the reward for successful completion of this mission was an opportunity to gain a Level 5 powerhouse, but it didn’t guarantee acquisition.
The failure penalty, however, was a definite offense to a powerhouse.
Such rules are, to some extent, unfair.
So, should she take on this dangerous mission?
The word “optional” after “mission” clearly indicated that she could choose whether or not to accept it.
Sules pondered for a moment, then resolutely chose to accept.
In fact, she had already thought of a solution.
Sules curved her lips into a smile and turned to walk back into the guild.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
A knock sounded, and Moss, a little puzzled, called out, “Come in.”
At this time, who would be looking for him?
Seeing the person, he became even more confused, “Sulia? Why are you back again?”
Sules laughed, “I’ve come to borrow some money from you.”
That’s right, she planned to borrow money directly to cover the upgrade costs. The system only said she needed to successfully upgrade within the specified time, but it didn’t say she had to use her own money. Completing the mission with borrowed money obviously wasn’t against the rules.
Moss blinked in surprise, then said with a half-smile, “Isn’t ten silver shells enough for you? One shouldn’t be too greedy.”
Sules knew he had misunderstood and quickly explained: “No, no, no, this time I’m borrowing money, and I’ll pay it back with interest. And I’m not borrowing much, just three silver shells will be enough. I thought you, Lord Moss, are generous and kind, and might be able to help me with this small favor.”
Hearing that she was only borrowing money, not asking for more, Moss’s expression softened considerably.
But soon he became puzzled again, “Yes, I can; three silver shells aren’t much for me. But can you tell me why? I need to know what my money will be used for.”
Sules had already thought of a reason and immediately said, “I previously promised Lord Chard of the Jarvis family that if I upgraded the ship within a short period, he would introduce me to a capable crew member.”
Such an explanation would be difficult to expose, as Moss had no opportunity to verify it with Chard.
And this explanation perfectly accounted for why she would later seek out that Level 5 crew member.
David had already reported to Moss about Sules knowing Chard.
Hearing this, Moss had no doubts.
After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out three silver shells from his pocket, “This is what I’m lending you. According to the interest rate, for every week that passes, you owe me one more copper shell.”
This interest rate was actually a bit high, but Sules didn’t mind.
She nodded, took the silver shells, and said, “Thank you, sir, I’ll head back now.”
“Wait, wait!”
Moss suddenly called out to her.
Sules’s heart tightened.
Had her previous explanation revealed something?
Her body stiffened slightly, and she turned around, putting on an impeccable smile, “Is something wrong, Lord Moss?”
Moss smiled kindly, “Sulia, don’t forget to say hello to Lord Chard for me next time you see him. I’ve always admired Lord Chard as well.”
Outside the door, Sules was still sighing.
Chard’s prestige was indeed great.
She wondered why Moss thought so highly of her; it was clearly because of Chards’s influence.
However, this indirectly proved the strength of the Jarvis family, as Chard was only the first mate of the Jarvis family.
Sighing, Sules didn’t delay and immediately rushed back to the pier. Her ship was still in its original spot, and Claire was busy on board, tidying the deck.
Sules first spoke to the registrar, then boarded the ship, “Claire, I’m back!”
Claire’s eyes lit up at the sound, and she quickly turned around, “Sules, you’re finally back! How was the trip? Were you not bullied?”
Sules shook her head, “I’ve gathered enough money to upgrade the ship, and now I’m going to upgrade it right away. Let’s take the ship out to sea first, and then I’ll upgrade it. I already told the registrar that we don’t need to re-register if we just go out for ten minutes and come back.”
Claire’s eyes widened, surprised by the money Sules had suddenly accumulated.
But she also knew that upgrading the ship was the most important thing now, and inquiries about what happened could wait.
So, after only a moment of surprise, she immediately turned to cast off the anchor.
Sules also got to work, going to the cockpit to steer the ship.
In a few moments, they had steered the ship away from the pier and into the shallow bay.
In the cockpit, Sules asked the air, “System, can I upgrade here directly? Will it not harm anyone on board?”
The system appeared as expected, “No, during the ship upgrade process, the ship must be completely empty. Because the ship will be modified, those on board may be in danger.”
Sules nodded, stepped out of the cockpit, “Claire, no one can be on board when I upgrade. Let’s go into the sea!”
Claire was not surprised by this.
She walked into the resting area and took out two sets of clothes, “Change into these diving suits.”
As she spoke, she placed two more light blue, longan-sized beads on the table.
Sules saw the two beads and had a suspicion.
She tentatively said, “These things are so useful. If we didn’t have them, so many things we do at sea would be hindered.”
She spoke vaguely, and her words weren’t precise.
This way, even if she guessed wrong, she could easily brush it off and not make Claire suspicious.
However, Sules had guessed correctly, because Claire didn’t find anything wrong with her words and nodded naturally, “Yes, these are all gifts from the Sea God.”
Hearing this familiar line, Sules couldn’t help but smile.
Sure enough, those two beads were exactly what she knew them to be—water-repelling pearls.