Seven days later.
A certain coral reef near Barracuda Bay.
"Gue-ying..."
A sharp, high-pitched cry echoed overhead. Faintly, a short-tailed albatross with snow-white feathers, larger than its usual kin, could be seen circling high in the sky.
Xia Nan had found a great spot.
Located above the coral reef and close to the shore, it was a piece of reef rock that had been riddled with holes by countless years of crashing waves, yet remained exceptionally flat.
The position of this rock was precisely right; it wasn't so close that he would be plagued by those annoying gobies—barely palm-sized yet brazen enough to frequently attack the bait—nor was it so far that he might be inexplicably dragged into the water, hook and all, by a tentacle emerging from the abyss.
It allowed him to perfectly utilize the rich ecosystem of the coral reef, greatly increasing the chances of hooking those best, most superior, and most rewarding large fish.
His keen perception even allowed him to sense the tempting shadows darting through the coral reef below, right through the seawater.
His heart couldn't help but flutter, and for the first time in a long while, a flicker of nervousness emerged.
"Stay calm. Fishing requires staying calm..."
Xia Nan told himself.
The goal he had set for himself today was to catch a fish at least one meter in length.
Compared to the abundant fish resources in the coral reef, he had lowered his expectations as much as possible; that way, if luck was on his side today, he might even encounter a few small surprises.
There was plenty of time, so he wasn't in a rush to cast his line. Instead, he sat on the reef rock and began his preparations.
To be honest, given the number of sea fish in the coral reef where Xia Nan currently was, there was no real need for "chumming" or similar preparations.
However, he had always been meticulous and rigorous. Having the rare opportunity to visit such a place, he naturally made full preparations, hoping to utilize the rich ecology to the fullest.
Xia Nan reached into the gap between his armor and the inner lining, feeling around a few times. Then, accompanied by the faint, metallic click of friction, the [White Pot] pocket watch was pulled from his chest.
Compared to when he first obtained this spatial storage item in the Twin Canyons over ten days ago, the watch was no longer a bare, independent piece. It now had a platinum chain of the same hue, securing it firmly to the inner lining beneath his armor.
This was a little gadget Xia Nan had commissioned the shop owner of [Pearl Spinning] to customize a few days prior.
Using the [White Pot] watch required him to press a button, meaning Xia Nan had to frequently take it out of his pocket, which greatly increased the probability of losing the item.
If he simply kept it in a waist pouch like a healing potion, it could easily fall out during a fierce battle against a worthy opponent.
Furthermore, to be honest, such a precious storage item—much like the previous [Coin of Fate]—made Xia Nan feel uneasy if it wasn't kept close to his body.
Therefore, immediately upon returning to Barracuda Bay, he had asked Celeanne to help him customize a chain for the [White Pot].
As a perfectionist with outstanding aesthetic taste and a high level of technical skill, Celeanne had referenced the design of the [White Pot] watch and, following Xia Nan's requirements, crafted a platinum chain that was perfectly fitting and not out of place.
It looked as if it had been one with the watch from the start, and the length was just right for retrieving and storing it, leaving Xia Nan very satisfied.
*Click.*
A crisp mechanical sound rang out at his fingertips.
The watch hands spun rapidly.
After about three seconds, accompanied by a momentary distortion of the surrounding space, a slender stone spear was held in Xia Nan's palm.
The [Tide-Surge Lure-Pole], which he had sold to Ellison, had been borrowed back from the other man.
At the same time, to trigger the equipment's special effect, he had also brought along the "Spotted Whale" the other man had specifically caught in the outer sea; it was currently swimming listlessly in a glass fish tank at his feet.
Speaking of which, although he had possessed the [Tide-Surge Lure-Pole] for a long time, Xia Nan had never actually used it due to its苛刻 (stringent) trigger conditions.
Now was the time to test the power of this "chumming" divine tool.
...
Effect When the stone spear is inserted vertically into calm seawater, it will release an infrasonic vibration capable of attracting all small plankton within a 1-mile radius. The effect lasts for 6 hours.
Trigger Condition Use the tip of the spear to strike a living, healthy cetacean at a frequency of 60 times per minute for 10 continuous minutes, without interruption.
...
Following the instructions on the equipment attribute panel, Xia Nan held the stone spear in one hand and, in a rhythmic and very light manner, tapped the spotted whale in the tank with the spear tip.
His control over his own strength was extremely strong; every descent of the spear tip was careful not to injure the arm-length little whale, yet not so light that it ceased to be a "strike" as required. It looked as if he were giving the whale a massage, causing the spotted whale in the tank to wag its tail comfortably a few times.
Ten minutes passed in a flash.
*Hum—*
Xia Nan suddenly felt the moisture in the surrounding air thicken, and the cold stone spear in his hand began to vibrate slightly.
Knowing it had taken effect, he carried the spear to the edge of the reef and slowly inserted it into the sea at a vertical angle.
He let go.
*Splash!*
With the descending [Tide-Surge Lure-Pole] as the center, the originally calm sea surface suddenly surged with ripples. The azure water reflecting the sky gradually became turbid amidst the waves.
Like the aroma wafting from a kitchen at mealtime, the schools of fish moving within the nearby coral reef were attracted by the plankton gathering in the water, congregating toward the reef rock where Xia Nan stood.
Plankton attracted small fish, and small fish attracted big fish.
Within a few minutes, Xia Nan saw several quite eye-catching, massive silhouettes beneath the water's surface.
"Now!"
The chumming effect of the [Tide-Surge Lure-Pole] was unexpectedly good. Without wasting a single second, he gripped his expensive [Albatross Type III Fishing Rod - 1015 Model] tightly with both hands, and the hook vanished amidst the undulating waves.
Theoretically, fishing is a very simple matter based on probability.
Technique, equipment, and environment—Xia Nan had done everything he could to the best of his ability. Thus, the big fish he imagined arrived as expected.
It came quickly!
Even though the hook had only been in the water for a short while, the float on the distant sea surface suddenly vanished.
*Screech!*
The fishing line tightened, and the rod bent nearly to the point of breaking, emitting a shrill cry of overstrain.
Facing the sudden "big catch," Xia Nan displayed textbook-level technique at this moment.
Carefully feeling the force transmitted through his palm, he engaged in a tug-of-war with the hooked fish. When the opponent struggled, he loosened slightly to exhaust its stamina; when the opponent grew tired, he quickly reeled in the line.
Ten feet, twenty feet, thirty feet...
Xia Nan could even see the shadowy silhouette of the big fish beneath the surface.
But just as he thought he was about to succeed, the big fish beneath the water launched one final round of resistance.
*Crash!*
A powerful fish tail slammed violently into the water, the force so great that it kicked up a wave on the surface.
Water splashed everywhere, and the rising black shadow suddenly lunged diagonally downward.
Following the fishing techniques he had learned over the past few days, Xia Nan remained very patient even though success was imminent, allowing the fish to swim downward during its final struggle.
Because he knew this would be the big fish's last chance to resist; in the next round, the opponent would completely lose the strength to fight back and become a significant milestone in his fishing career.
Unexpectedly, whether by coincidence or because this big fish living in a magic-filled otherworldly realm had developed a certain level of intelligence, the direction it chose for this struggle was directly beneath the reef rock where Xia Nan stood.
There, the incredibly hard black reef rock had been ground into a blade-like sharpness by countless years of surging waves.
The fishing line, pulled taut by the immense force, was dragged by the big fish and lightly grazed against those sharp rocks.
*Snap.*
The exaggeratedly bent rod snapped back instantly. The powerful reaction force transmitted through his hand made Xia Nan take two steps back.
The rod, returning from its bent state to its original form, drooped naturally in the vibration, and the broken line fell below.
Xia Nan stared at the rod in his hand, his gaze frozen for two seconds.
No one knew what he was thinking at this moment.
The expression on his face remained unchanged.
But in the next second, he gently placed the rod on the ground.
Forward, one step, two steps...
*Plop!*
Water splashed.
The fully armed figure vanished from the shore.
In its place, a suppressed wolf's howl and a fleeting black silhouette echoed faintly from beneath the water.
...
White feathers drifted down from the high sky.
Accompanied by the high-frequency hum of magical energy, the short-tailed albatross descended slowly from the air, shrinking and transforming while enveloped in a brilliant light, its timing perfectly controlled.
As those lady's leather boots stepped onto the ground, the last feather on the wingtip dissipated into light particles, transforming into slender fingers.
Due to inertia, Heinn couldn't help but take two more steps forward after landing before stabilizing her posture.
Looking ahead at the soaking wet Xia Nan, and the giant grouper lying motionless before him—looking as if it had suffered a heavy blow and being larger than an ordinary human body—she remarked casually
"Seems like you had a good harvest today?"
"It was alright," Xia Nan replied without changing his expression, his eyelids drooping slightly. "This coral reef of yours is indeed quite good; it's a great place for fishing."
"Hehe." Hearing his praise, a smile couldn't help but appear on Heinn's face; she was clearly pleased by his recognition. "That's good."
As a Druid of the Coral Society, she didn't mind hunting activities occurring within her protected area, as long as it wasn't cruel or overfishing.
In fact, if local fishermen were facing hardships in their lives, she was quite happy to help them using the resources within her protected area.
What she cared about was the balance of the entire ecosystem.
Suddenly remembering something, her gaze shifted upward to Xia Nan.
As a legitimate spellcaster with professional levels and an experienced veteran adventurer, how could she not notice the excellence and uniqueness of his new armor?
That white bone and steel, layered and fitting the curves of the body, was absolutely not a product that an ordinary craftsman could create. Furthermore, the faintly fluctuating magic particles in the air indicated that this was an enchanted piece of equipment.
For some reason, when Heinn looked at this armor, she had an illusion, as if she were seeing that terrifying shark-beast in the Twin Canyons that had nearly wiped out their Oath-Blade squad.
Especially when she saw seawater flowing down the contours of Xia Nan's arm muscles, trickling over his dark, shark-skin-like tight-fitting clothing.
Her lips twitched slightly, wanting to ask something.
But ultimately, due to the taboo within the adventurer industry regarding prying into personal information, she did not speak.
Sensing the gaze of the Druid nearby, Xia Nan shifted his gaze from the grouper and looked up at her, his expression puzzled
"What is it? Is there something strange?"
"No..." Heinn shook her head and changed the subject. "Regarding this type of fish, I've heard of a unique cooking method."
"They say heating it with steam on a stove can preserve the freshness of the fish meat to the maximum. Do you want to try it?"
Steam heating?
Xia Nan, possessing memories of his previous life, seemed to think of something, and his expression suddenly became somewhat strange.
Come to think of it, grouper really does taste better when steamed; he hadn't expected the people of this world to have discovered this as well.
He nodded and replied
"Sure. Once I bring it back to Barracuda Bay, I'll let the chefs at the Three-Legged Sea Dog try making it."
"Remember to invite Lorrain, Sasha, and the others to come and taste this fish I caught... scooped up."
Not noticing the carefully chosen wording in Xia Nan's speech, Heinn was about to say something with a smile when her expression suddenly paused. She turned to look toward the other side of the coast.
This coral reef was a responsibility area she needed to protect as a Druid. Over the years, an invisible connection had formed between her and the land; therefore, even though Xia Nan's perception attribute was stronger, his reaction was half a beat slower than hers.
Only after Heinn turned around did he follow her gaze in the direction she was looking.
What came into view were several medium-sized fishing boats.
Their design was ordinary, not uncommon in Barracuda Bay.
But those standing on the decks at this moment were not the weathered, dark-skinned fishermen usually tanned by the sun, but a gang of fierce-looking, slovenly young men.
Most crucially, they were casting fishing nets into the sea.
The sturdy net ropes were tightly interwoven, but the mesh was so small that not even a finger could fit through.
Heinn didn't mind normal fishing activities, even those occurring in her protected coral reef area.
But if the other party used this kind of dense trawl net that didn't even spare the fish fry, then as a Druid, she really had to have a word with them.
Amidst a flash of magical light, she transformed once again into a short-tailed albatross.
Flapping her wings, she flew rapidly toward the fishing boats.
Standing on the shore, Xia Nan naturally couldn't just watch.
Even putting aside his status as Heinn's teammate, the fact that she was willing to proactively bring him to this coral reef to fish was enough for Xia Nan to help her out if she encountered trouble.
Moreover, his exceptional vision allowed him to see a familiar, slovenly figure on the deck of the fishing boat.
(End of Chapter)