Chapter 58: Fishing Progression Route

The purification mission rewards for the Cloud Field domain nodes have left all players incredibly excited.

The independent farming space mentioned in the rewards is like an embedded farming mini-game within the original game, but only players who achieve a contribution ranking are eligible to use it.

Through the guidance, players learned that they only need to sow seeds in the spirit field mini-game and wait for the spirit plants to mature rapidly, then harvest them and plant new seeds.

This is equivalent to obtaining a small production pool for sacrificial power.

Perhaps the yield won't be very high, but the point is that this sacrificial power gain is an extra benefit produced outside of hunting, mining, and other methods.

It can be understood as earning money while lying down.

Regrettably, the corrosion core occupying the Cloud Field has extremely high strength and can control a large number of corrupted plants at hunting levels 30-45 to fight; current players simply lack the strength to take it down.

However, some players have still figured out a way to farm contribution.

Although they cannot occupy it, contribution points are calculated as long as damage is dealt, which has opened up new ideas for many players.

While the main forces are buried in leveling up, some weaker players have taken a different path, starting the competition for the contribution leaderboard early, focusing on accumulating small gains into a large total.

This has caused the contribution leaderboard for purifying the Cloud Field to become a competition for low-level players in the early stages.

……

6:00 PM.

After a busy day, a physically and mentally exhausted Wu Quan returned home.

Pushing open the door, a sumptuous dinner was already set on the dining table.

The robot butler greeted him enthusiastically, asking if he had any other needs.

Ignoring the robot butler, Wu Quan tossed his work bag onto the sofa, washed his hands, and began to feast.

After finishing dinner, he took out his phone to check his messaging app; the first thing that caught his eye was a nagging text from his elderly mother about marriage.

Mom: You're already 30 and still haven't found a partner. If you aren't in a hurry, I am—I want to hold a grandbaby! (Angry.jpg)

Mom: Why aren't you replying? How do you feel about the girl Auntie Wang introduced to you recently? Do you have any thoughts of developing things further?

Mom: (Heartbroken mother.jpg) Tell Mom, are you into the same sex, which is why you haven't found a partner?

……

Scrolling down to finish reading his mother's string of questioning texts, Wu Quan chose to ignore them.

After instructing the robot butler to clean up the dishes, he walked toward the gaming pod.

Ever since he obtained the qualification for "Dark Land" through a link, he has entered the game every day after work; this is one of his few joys.

His gaming time is from 8:00 PM to 9:00 AM the next day, and his sleeping time is also spent in the gaming pod.

But his way of playing the game is different from the vast majority of players.

Hunting, gathering, exploring... these gameplay styles are truly too tiring in his view, and he cannot muster any interest in them.

When he was young, he was also a fanatical gamer, but as he aged, his mindset toward gaming gradually became "Buddhist"—he dislikes competition and only likes casual, relaxing gameplay.

The only joy he has in playing games now is one thing: fishing.

Before experiencing Dark Land, he was already a veteran fishing enthusiast.

Every holiday, he would pack his gear and go out fishing.

In his view, this process is very stress-relieving.

The locations he chooses for fishing are generally by scenic bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or the seaside.

During every fishing trip, he can immerse himself in the natural environment, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, enjoying the tranquility and beautiful scenery. Bathing in the sunlight, breathing fresh air, listening to the sound of rippling water, and feeling the coolness of the breeze on his face—this intimate contact with nature makes him feel refreshed and helps him forget the troubles of work.

The only regret is that he simply doesn't catch any fish.

The Cloud Mist City where he lives is adjacent to the sea and was bombed by several alienation bombs during the mechanical war. Although the pollution has been cleared, many fish species have undergone genetic mutations due to the influence of the bombs, and the difficulty of angling has skyrocketed.

Especially in recent years, the fish seem to have evolved intelligence; they don't eat fishy bait, they don't eat fragrant bait, they don't eat grain, they don't eat simulated bait... they don't eat this, they don't eat that, and the difficulty of catching a fish has skyrocketed.

Sometimes he even wants to take out his phone, open the "Full-o-Me" food delivery app, and throw it into the water, letting the school of fish place their own orders for what they like to eat, and then obediently take the hook.

The joy of fishing decreased, so he thought of satisfying his hobby through a virtual game.

The first one he set his sights on was the recently released "Dark Land," which claims to have perfect immersion.

He felt that since the promotion said this is a game with ultra-high fidelity, there must be some non-mainstream gameplay, such as fishing.

But the biggest problem with this game is that purchasing the qualification is extremely difficult; even with money, you might not be able to buy it. You can only try to grab it when the official website releases qualifications, and the winning rate is extremely low.

He originally thought that there was a high probability he wouldn't have a chance to play this game within three years.

Yet, unexpectedly, a cracked download link appeared in a well-known gaming guild group he had joined years ago.

He was very lucky to get on board and downloaded the game.

Upon entering the game for the first time, the realism inside amazed him and made him look forward to the fishing gameplay in the virtual game even more.

During these days of playing "Dark Land," he traveled over mountains and through water, exploring everywhere to find a quiet fishing spot.

Finally, a week ago, he found a "fishing treasure land."

The specific location is a small lake west of Emperor Tomb Village and south of Spirit Tool Valley. It is lush with greenery, rarely has evil spirits or monsters, and more importantly, the lake has a large number of fish species.

But finding a suitable fishing spot still leaves a series of problems to be solved.

In addition to needing to make fishing gear and bait, more importantly, he needs to possess a strong physique.

The weakest monsters in the game have physical qualities that surpass the human form; without increasing the monster level, it is impossible to fish at all.

The fish species in the lake have a very high bite rate, but biting the bait does not mean success.

Dragging the fish that bites the bait onto the shore is the key to success.

The initial form of the gargoyle he chose is only level 1, and the brute force of the fish species could easily drag him into the water and swallow him in one gulp.

Who is fishing whom is not necessarily certain.

To solve this problem, he followed the main force to the Scarlet Plains, Ancient Battlefield, and other areas to hunt and level up.

After a week of effort, his gargoyle level reached level 12.

The leveling process was unexpectedly interesting, especially the feeling of physical attribute enhancement brought by each level-up, which made him intoxicated.

But compared to hunting for levels, he never forgot his core goal for playing the virtual game.

Now that his "divine art" is complete, he feels it is time to start the joy of being a fisherman.

Changing into a set of game clothes, Wu Quan entered the gaming pod and pressed the start button.

As the nutrient solution surged out, the neural connection hoses automatically connected to various parts of his body, and his vision was gradually shrouded in darkness.

A few minutes later.

Emperor Tomb Mountain Range, Turtle Back Lake.

The lake water was clear to the bottom, sparkling.

By the lakeside, weeping willows swayed, their soft branches dancing with the wind, brushing the water surface and stirring up delicate ripples.

Not far away, reed-like plants grew in clusters, their plumes swaying in the wind, their shadows reflected on the lake surface, weaving with the sky into a moving painting.

Around the simple fishing platform built on the shore, wildflowers bloomed, colorful and vibrant, and Wu Quan, sitting in the middle, was enveloped by the fragrance of flowers and grass.

Fishing in such an environment is undoubtedly an ultimate enjoyment.

He hung bait made of minced meat from a canned food ration mixed with water onto his homemade hook, and with a flick of his hand, the fishing line made from the silk of an Iron Shell Bug swept an arc through the air and landed precisely in the water.

Summoning the built-in forum, Wu Quan leaned back on the vine-woven chair, holding the rod with one hand, and fished comfortably while browsing the forum information.

During this time, he also minimized the guild chat interface to the upper left corner of his vision, occasionally looking up to see what his guild brothers were doing.

With the breeze brushing his face, Wu Quan felt incredibly comfortable.

Just then, the fishing rod trembled slightly.

Realizing that a fish had taken the bait, Wu Quan's mood suddenly tensed, and he decisively switched to gargoyle form to grip the fishing rod.

The fish that had taken the bait seemed to sense danger and began to struggle. The fishing line tightened instantly like a fully drawn bowstring, making a "whoosh" sound. A surge of brute force struck, and Wu Quan's arm muscles tightened with every pull, his expression tense yet filled with anticipation.

The intensity of the fish's struggle continued to climb, and Wu Quan held onto the rod tightly, changing from a sitting to a standing position.

After a fierce tug-of-war, a large fish leaped out of the water, splashing crystal water droplets as it whipped its tail in the air, its red scales shimmering under the moonlight of the waning crescent moon.

"Get over here!"

Wu Quan exerted force suddenly, and the large fish, having no leverage in the air, flew toward the shore.

Slap!

The large fish fell into the flower bed, flapping continuously, each tail-whip sending it several meters high.

Focusing his gaze, the analysis information of the large fish appeared before his eyes.

[Red-Scaled Fish (Monster)]

Hunting Level: 4

Target Introduction: A low-level monster unique to the Emperor Tomb Mountain Range region, feeding on aquatic plants, and will also attack other aquatic creatures when overly hungry.

Guidance Note: This monster has high edible value. After killing it, you can choose to automatically decompose it into "Red-Scaled Fish Meat" to enter your spatial inventory, or choose to kill it normally to gain evolution points and sacrificial power feedback.

……

This was Wu Quan's first successful catch, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

But he didn't rush to process the Red-Scaled Fish; instead, he opened the screenshot function, took a photo with the fish, and sent it to the guild chat channel.

A great joy of fishing is sharing.

After doing all this, he took out the short-handled axe he had bought while leveling up from his spatial inventory and killed the flapping Red-Scaled Fish.

Immediately, a kill feedback option popped up in his mind.

Fish meat or evolution points and sacrificial power? After a brief thought, Wu Quan chose the fish meat.

Instantly, the All-Things Extraction System in the Challenger System activated. In Wu Quan's eyes, the dead red carp was decomposed by an invisible force, and a pile of scaled and sliced fish meat appeared on the ground.

[Red-Scaled Fish Meat x3]

Spirit Food Quality: 2

Consumption Effect: Increases satiety. Each portion of Red-Scaled Fish Meat provides a 30-point Body Tempering experience bonus after use.

……

The analysis information of the Red-Scaled Fish Meat surprised Wu Quan.

Three portions of fish meat could provide a total of 90 points of Body Tempering experience. Calculating the sacrificial power consumption for leveling up Body Tempering, that's 90 points of sacrificial power, which in his view is much higher than the gains from hunting evil spirits.

A normal level 4 evil spirit simply cannot provide such high sacrificial power gains.

The only drawback is that choosing to decompose it into fish meat means no evolution point gains, and the fishing time is quite long—enough to kill several evil spirits.

But this discovery still made Wu Quan feel excited.

This means that fishing can also make one stronger.

Killing aquatic life gains evolution points and sacrificial power, and the decomposed fish meat can be used as rations to gain Body Tempering experience.

This discovery made him feel that there are many more choices for future fishing.

Strength is the key to roaming the monster world. He can completely become stronger while fishing, and in the future, the rivers, lakes, and seas of the monster world can all be his fishing spots.

Thinking of this, Wu Quan felt happy and felt he had found his future goal.

Picking up the Red-Scaled Fish meat from the ground, he tossed two portions into his spatial inventory and held the remaining piece to his nose to sniff.

A faint fragrance lingered in his nasal cavity, and not being a fan of raw food, he felt the urge to take a bite.

Thinking that this is a game and raw meat doesn't have hidden dangers like parasites, he tried taking a small bite.

The moment the fish meat entered his mouth, Wu Quan's eyes widened.

This was a taste he had never experienced in the real world. The delicacy and tenderness in his mouth were far beyond what he understood as fish meat; it seemed to contain an indescribable liveliness and freshness, like morning dew sliding over tender leaves, or a clear mountain spring brushing against his heart.

Chewing gently, the fish meat melted on the tip of his tongue.

The faint fragrance turned intense, surging between his mouth and nose, and the freshness permeated his taste buds.

Every pore on his body relaxed, and every cell in his body seemed to be activated by this peerless delicacy, letting out a joyful cry.

"Holy crap, this is too delicious."

The Red-Scaled Fish meat, carrying spiritual substances, completely conquered Wu Quan's taste buds. He ate the fish meat in a few bites, and he even took out the other two pieces he had intended to save as rations and ate them as well.

While gaining 90 points of Body Tempering experience, Wu Quan was still left wanting more.

"Delicious, too delicious."

Having tasted fish meat from the monster world for the first time, Wu Quan's passion for fishing was completely ignited.

"I wonder what grilled fish meat tastes like."

Buying a torch from the mall and sticking it into the soil next to the fishing platform, he returned to the platform, sat down again, picked up the rod, and cast a line full of anticipation.

While continuing to fish, Wu Quan decided to post his discovery in the form of a guide on the player forum.

During these days of experiencing this game, he understood one truth.

Any field in the game that wants to develop rapidly is difficult to push forward with individual ability alone; it requires a large number of players to join and develop it together.

For example, the Arms Dealer Guild in the game has a group of players who love weapon research joining in to explore the future together.

Or, for example, the development of Star Pulse combinations—it was precisely because a large number of players participated that many powerful schools of Soul combination emerged.

As a fishing enthusiast, Wu Quan felt that the fishing gameplay also needs a large number of players to join and explore the upper limits of this school together.

Bait preparation, fishing line selection, rod making... wanting to fish for high-level aquatic creatures, he couldn't go far on his own.

It requires more players to join, brainstorm to solve various problems that may be encountered in the future, and even upgrade fishing gear and equipment.

(It's a new month, please support with monthly tickets; I'll be releasing a massive update in a few days.)