Navigator: I Have a Legendary Exploration Log

With Professor Herrens’ permission, Cherries sat down in the slightly worn armchair.

Isabel sat upright behind the small desk opposite, her fountain pen filled with ink, the paper laid out flat.

"So..."

Professor Herons sat back down in his chair.

"Let's start with landing on the island! There shouldn't be anything particularly noteworthy about the process of arriving on the island..."

Chalice adjusted his posture. "I think we still need to emphasize this."

"Upon arriving at the island, my crew and I discovered the missing cargo ship..."

Chalice began to narrate.

"After landing on the island, we were attacked by bloodthorn trees."

Isabel's pen scratched across the paper.

Chalice seemed to be lost in his memories, recounting the scene in detail.

"The Bloodthorn Tree is extremely aggressive, far exceeding the description in the data of 'defensive counterattacks driven by hunting instincts'."

"Those thorns attacked us almost without regard for the cost, and even when they were burned by phlogiston flames, they only retreated temporarily and not completely."

"It's worth noting that the Bloodthorn Tree has an extremely strong regenerative ability. Dark red sap will ooze from the parts of the thorns and branches that have been destroyed, repairing the damage. If we hadn't brought enough phlogiston injectors, we probably wouldn't have been able to escape."

"I think the information provided by the association is seriously misleading. If I were to rigidly follow the information, I'd probably become their fodder..."

After glancing at the contents of Isabel's record, Helens asked, "Extraordinary Biological Data... I also participated in the compilation, so I have some knowledge of the Bloodthorn Tree."

"You're the one who's actually there, so I trust your judgment. If there are two possibilities now..."

"First, the bloodthorn trees on that island underwent some kind of natural mutation that caused a drastic change in their habits; second, the changes were caused by human interference."

"As someone who experienced it firsthand, which possibility do you think is more likely?"

Upon hearing this...

Chalice did not rush to answer.

Helens's question was also his doubt.

Logically speaking...

Although the Bloodthorn Tree is a second-tier extraordinary creature, the dangers described in the records are far less terrifying than what Chalice personally experienced.

Let's think in reverse and reason it out.

If all Bloodthorn Trees possessed such terrifying destructive power and regenerative abilities, then their threat and value would be completely disproportionate.

Even the most precious bloodthorn fruit requires the bloodthorn tree to absorb a large amount of fresh blood to produce it.

From the perspective of the organism itself.

Bloodthorn berries are more like a byproduct of the bloodthorn tree.

After the Bloodthorn Tree consumes fresh blood, most of the nutrients are converted into energy for its growth. The condensation of Bloodthorn Fruit serves as a temporary reserve of excess nutrients.

From the perspective of investment returns.

If the risks of harvesting bloodthorn berries outweigh the investment in cultivating bloodthorn trees, then no one would be foolish enough to do a losing business.

But the truth is that the island has been in operation for a long time.

Therefore, before the anomaly occurred, the danger level of the bloodthorn tree on that island was most likely consistent with the information provided.

But Chalice then faced a danger that threatened, and even killed, an extraordinary being.

That's the biggest problem.

"I think it's the first one, a natural mutation."

Chalice said in a deep voice, "Because I didn't find any other newly discovered artificial facilities, but only some ancient skeletons, which should have been the 'food' of the Bloodthorn Tree before."

Helens nodded thoughtfully, signaling him to continue.

"On our way into the depression, we encountered the crew sent by the bronze ship that had arrived before us."

Chalice's voice was very steady.

"The leader was their captain, named Finn, who claimed to have also taken on an investigation mission. His team suffered heavy losses, and he himself lost a leg."

"During the conversation, he revealed to me that he used the blood of his crew members to lure the thorns, which barely created an opportunity to pick the fruit."

Isabel paused for a moment, glanced up at Cherries, and then quickly lowered her head to continue writing.

"And then?" Professor Herons asked.

"later……"

Chalice said casually, "We have reached the trunk of the Bloodthorn Tree together."

"Fan was lame and tried to use the Bloodthorn Fruit in his hand to negotiate with me. When that failed, he tried to use me as bait, but I reacted quickly and shot him in the head."

Upon hearing this...

Isabel looked up again, her eyes showing some surprise.

Helens, however, calmly raised his chin, showing no surprise or astonishment, and simply gestured for them to continue.

"Using Finn's corpse as bait, we attracted most of the Thorns' attention, then burned the trunk with a phlogiston injector, and I took the opportunity to pick a Bloodthorn berry."

Chalice then briefly mentioned the extent of his injuries.

"In the end, there were too many thorns, too dense, and they regenerated too quickly. I could only desperately break through the thorn blockade, get close, throw the phlogiston canisters, and detonate them with explosive bullets."

"So close..."

Isabel couldn't help but ask softly, "Isn't that dangerous?"

"That's right."

Chalice's answer was concise.

"The explosion destroyed the trunk, causing the Bloodthorn Tree to lose its vitality. We found four Bloodthorn Berries in the ashes of the remaining branches, but unfortunately, Finn's was destroyed. We had a total of five when we finally left."

Done.

Chalice added, "Before I left, I encountered another ship. After dealing with them, I discovered that Finn's ship was still moored in the same spot."

"After a brief explanation, I brought back Finn's ship and the unmanned merchant ship together."

Seeing that Cherry had nothing more to say.

Isabel reluctantly capped her pen and turned to look at her teacher.

Professor Helens' eyes flashed with approval, and then he asked a few questions.

Chalice answered fluently.

"so……"

Professor Helens concluded: "You single-handedly confronted and destroyed a clearly anomalous second-order Bloodthorn Tree, and brought back five intact Bloodthorn Fruits."

"In addition, you also recovered the missing cargo ship and a bronze ship that had lost its captain, along with all its crew members."

"Can I summarize it like this?"

"Not alone."

Chali admitted, "My crew provided crucial fire support, but they didn't bring back all the crew members. At least the team that landed on the island probably didn't survive."

That's not your fault.

Herons casually dismissed the fact that Cherry had killed a captain.

"Exploration missions are not like ordinary missions; the chances of unexpected events are much higher. You've completed the mission and solved additional problems, which is quite impressive."

Herons took the record from Isabel, glanced at it a few times, and then spread it out on the table.

He then took out a stamp from the drawer and stamped his mark at the end.

This means that Cherries' "confession" was certified and guaranteed by Professor Herrens.

"Young man, you've done a great job!"

Helens carefully put away the record, then looked up at Chalice with a friendly smile and said, "It seems I've recruited an extraordinary captain for the Society of Truth!"

To this, Cherries simply smiled.

Helens also disliked excessive formalities.

He immediately announced, "I can give you an 'excellent' rating for this mission. According to the Navigators' Association's regulations, you will receive an additional 20% of the base reward."

"The basic reward for this mission is 100 points plus 200 gold coins, so you can actually get 120 points and 240 gold coins."

"In addition, the association will buy back each Bloodthorn Fruit for thirty gold coins. If you wish, you can exchange five fruits for one hundred and fifty gold coins."

Chalice nodded slightly.

This was roughly the same amount of compensation he had expected.

of course.

When he heard the confirmation with his own ears, Cherries was unusually excited.

Two hundred and forty gold coins!

This could be considered his largest commission ever!

That's almost enough to buy a small cargo ship!

With this money...

Chalice can now pay off the interest-free installment plan for the Homecoming and never have to put up with Sartre's sarcastic remarks again!

However, since there is no interest...

Then there's no rush to pay it back...

Chalice didn't refuse to repay; he repaid it slowly, gradually, and in an orderly manner, prioritizing the use of the money where it was most needed.

Anyway, Sartre certainly didn't want to exchange money in advance and end up without enough to improve his strength, only to die in some unknown place due to insufficient strength, causing the Homecoming Ship to become an unrecoverable mess...

There's a saying that's unethical.

But it makes a lot of sense:

Borrowing money makes you a grandson, owing money makes you a grandpa!

Helens casually wrote a note, stamped it, and handed it to Cherris.

"Go and collect your reward! Young man, it's what you deserve!"

"Thank you, Professor."

Cherries took the thin document with both hands.

The pieces of paper, which together weren't worth more than a few copper coins, were proof he had risked his life for.

These few pages of paper, along with a substantial stamp, can be exchanged for a large amount of points and gold coins.

Chalice nodded politely to Isabel, then prepared to take his leave.

Unexpectedly, he was stopped.

"Please wait a moment."

The girl glanced at the teacher with sparkling eyes, and after receiving Herrens's tacit approval, she quickly got up and went to stand in front of Cherris.

"I can sense that your life force is very strong. I would like to ask you to cooperate with me in some extraordinary research in the field of life. Please rest assured, it is not some prohibited experiment."

"It's just that my paper needs a sufficiently unique sample to be competitive. You have no idea what kind of bizarre samples those weirdos find. To compete for scholarships, they even... Oh! Sorry, I'm getting a bit off-topic..."

Isabel smiled apologetically, revealing her white teeth and pretty dimples.

"I've observed that your injury is quite serious. Since my research focuses on healing, I can treat you for free, although the process might not be as... normal as current medical methods..."

In conclusion.

The girl herself was a little embarrassed.

Obviously.

Her treatment methods weren't just normal, they were absolutely abnormal!

but……

What is Chalice afraid of?

Despite being a well-paid captain, Cheryl is still plagued by a chronic illness.

This disease is called "poverty disease"!

Regarding Isabel's request.

He only heard two words.

free!

What else is there to say?

Let's get it treated!

As someone who is extraordinary, Chalice refused to believe that Isabel's methods could kill him on his sickbed!

If he really can't even get out of bed, then he'll just have to accept his bad luck.

Extraordinary beings in the life sequence can heal themselves to death.

That's truly a fantasy...

"no problem."

Chalice readily agreed, "However, I also have a request. How about we hear it first? Consider it a deal!"

"Of course! Please speak!"

Isabel was very curious.

"I can be your experimental subject, but I need you, or rather, the Truth Society you represent, to help me release a message."

Chalice stated the terms of the deal directly.

"Those are the bloodthorn berries I brought back; I've given them all to the Truth Society."

"The price of bloodthorn berries is likely to be high in the near future. I don't like being coveted by others, so I can only try to divert their attention to you."

"I wonder if you can accept these conditions?"

Knock knock knock—

The sound of knocking on the table drew their attention.

Helens looked at Chalice with interest and chuckled, teasingly saying, "Young man, you've got some nerve!"

"Are you trying to drag the association into this mess?"

Herrens' tone was unreadable, but his eyes behind his glasses held a scrutinizing quality. "You know how to leverage opportunities."

"Bloodthorn Fruit is indeed a scarce Tier 2 material. Having five of them is like carrying five bags of glowing gold coins in a dark alley."

Chalis met his gaze without hesitation: "Professor Helens, I am just a first-order extraordinary being."

"I came back alive this time thanks to three parts preparation and seven parts luck. Just now, some guy I don't get along with spread the news."

"By now, probably half of the captains on Simon Island know that I have Bloodthorn Fruit. I can't keep it, at least not now."

"So you chose to let the news spread in exchange for protection, while also receiving treatment from Isabel."

Helens nodded, a hint of admiration on his face. "Very practical and clever. The Truth Society certainly has the capability and the reason to take on this batch of materials."

He paused, leaning forward slightly: "But the protection you receive from the Academy comes at a price. Captain Cherries, your deal with Isabel was merely experimental material and free treatment."

"If you want the training school to help you release cover information, that'll come at a different price..."

"How much?"

Chalice was not surprised.

in contrast.

He is very happy.

Because the offer itself indicates the intention.

If the other party doesn't want to talk to you at all, then there's no point in negotiating the price...

"It's free, just one Bloodthorn Fruit."

Helens said calmly, "This is a 'friendship price,' considering we've worked together before. Besides, it's better to keep it a secret from others if we actually have Bloodthorn Fruit."

Chalice did not hesitate.

"Reasonable."

He decisively took out a bloodthorn fruit.

Without the slightest hesitation, it was handed over to Helens.

"clever……"

Professor Helens chuckled and said, "It's so easy dealing with a smart person like you."

"If my students were half as worry-free as you, I wouldn't have to worry about their graduation every day..."

"Only teachers who genuinely care about their students' well-being will worry about their future."

Chalice subtly complimented, "You keep your students in your heart; they will surely remember you in the future."

"hehe!"

Helens laughed heartily, "Young man, if you ever want to pursue further studies, I will definitely take you on as a student!"

"I hope that day will come!"

The deal is done.

Chalice was in a good mood.

Although in this world, knowledge can sometimes be a curse.

But as someone who has been taking exams for over a decade, Chalis sometimes really wants to immerse himself in the ocean of knowledge once again.

However, he cannot take time off to study full-time right now.

Becoming Isabel's junior is just a dream.

Chalice didn't linger; after agreeing on a treatment time with Isabel, he took his leave.

Having resolved a potential hazard, his steps involuntarily became lighter.

Chalice couldn't wait to collect his generous reward!

With money!

He wants a sweet treat!

Enjoy the shopping experience...

……