Chapter 107: The Episode the Angler Loves Most

The crowd looked up and saw a huge lump floating in the sky not far ahead.

The blue representing wind and the purple representing thunder swirled over its body, looking extraordinarily dazzling.

The Thunder Slime we faced last time was already quite tricky; many players had to sacrifice a level drop just to barely kill it.

But the Wind‑Thunder Slime before us can not only fly, its size is a full double that of a single‑element slime.

Although, due to the dungeon's limits, it can only fly low and doesn't ascend very high.

Yet the distance between it and the players already exceeds the reach of any melee weapon.

When everyone discussed the plan earlier, they assumed the enemy was a ground creature and didn't consider such an absurd situation.

Thus the players were at a loss, having no idea how to deal with this flying oddity.

But what does any of this have to do with the angry Dual‑Color King?

The Wind‑Thunder Slime twitched, and a gust of wind was blown down.

【Ku Liao: I was electrocuted by the falling slime, the most wronged in the whole arena】

Since it has evolved into an elemental slime, water naturally has water, fire naturally has fire, and the wind and thunder inside truly are wind and thunder.

But reality isn't a game; you can't just place a plot of land, scatter seeds, pour some fertilizer, and expect a harvest.

Come to think of it, although I'm close with her, unlike the group members, she never seems to talk about herself.

"Can you ship it out that easily? I haven't even started the nest yet."

"Yo, Wai Shu, why are you still standing here? Come on, the guys and I will take you to feast on delicious food and spicy drinks!"

The players marched forward singing loudly, and reached Sacred Tree Lake.

Without evidence or clues, there is no way to investigate.

"Besides, there's not even a proper cooking utensil here; whatever comes out will inevitably be a dark dish!"

Although it was quickly refilled as it writhed, the Wind‑Thunder Slime floating in the air ultimately shrank a notch.

"So this place is called Sacred Tree Lake because there's really a big tree at the lake's center?"

Is it because of disease or family, childhood or personality?

【Hey, did you notice that this big monster can fly but is huge and slow; could it be a sign that the developers are strengthening ranged weapons?】

Hang a plump earthworm on it, and any random toss will yield a catch.

But…

【Hehe, this is definitely a clearance reward, meant to solve everyone's difficulty in getting meat.】

"I'm numb, why does it feel like pulling a Kirov with a coal‑ball soldier…"

The weak energy couldn't sustain its levitation; it wobbled in the air and then fell heavily.

Fortunately, this area's big boss is indeed only this one; even if you go further, you'll only encounter large single‑element slimes.

【Congratulations on forming a party and defeating the large boss, receiving group reward: Experience +20, Free Attribute Point +1】

This thing is bulky, but its learning curve is far lower than a bow, making it the best choice right now.

The second phase of the closed beta I scheduled should have lasted over four days, but they cleared it in just two.

Although its damage is high, it can only launch a lethal attack on a single player at a time, and it requires a relatively long charge.

Of course, except for that one extreme player.

"Awo, you came down, right? Compensate me for the level I lost!"

In fact, when adventuring with the village's water‑carrying convoy, players had already arrived here.

Aside from the occasional small animal that somehow wandered into the dungeon, it's almost impossible to encounter any meat.

Listening to her list a barrage of reasons like a machine gun, Ji Ming blinked.

They could only, like the villagers, leave the town for the nearby glowing fruit forest or wild mushroom thickets to gather ready food.

Of course, this pace is bound to be mismanaged, so both sides end up feeding each other.

Originally, when the players officially opened the Sacred Tree Lake area, Ge Rui Sen should have already built a safe waterway to the lake's center.

Soon, the ranged firepower reached the battlefield.

She wasn't the only one who thought of this; others also picked up stones from the ground and threw them up.

"Can't you guys help? Why is everyone holding a shield and not moving forward?"

Although it's not unheard of for a companion to be instantly killed by the Mysterious Merchant, such a terrifying scene froze all the players.

Moreover, as the battle progressed, the Wind‑Thunder Slime revealed a major weakness.

Ma Yi, who bears the id Yingdao Mai, suddenly noticed a faint movement in the quiet water and, gun in hand, slowly approached.

The players, holding their breath, surged forward, and together with a few newly‑minted professionals, slashed it dead on the spot.

"Don't act like a resentful woman; you can learn social skills slowly, isn't that the point of the game?"

Bai Yesheng was momentarily at a loss for words, stammered for a while, then simply turned and walked the opposite way.

Anyway, the standard shields from the mall are under warranty; as long as you keep the rhythm, each person can take one shot and stay unharmed.

But that's only the opening control skill; the real killing move comes after the gale.

Holding their breath, they raised a spear and, with swift eyes and hands, thrust it toward its underside.

So.

"One‑shot kill? That's way too fierce!"

Although it didn't shatter into pieces, its combat power was already far below before.

Thus, with its internal energy rushing, it became like a punctured balloon, instantly expelling a massive gush of slime.

So as long as players spread out, they can let its kite drift, exchanging minimal casualties for maximal victory.

"The fish here are inedible; I won't eat them, and I advise you not to either!"

But in the current version, aside from bows, crossbows, and throwing weapons from the mall, where else do players have ranged attack options?

But who could have known the players would grind so hard!

A faint glow continuously fell from the massive canopy, illuminating the whole lake in splendid beauty.

【Anyone have extra points? Hurry and buy some ranged gear!】

"What kind of pig‑nose boss is this? It won't spawn elsewhere!"

"I..."

However, the arrow Bai Yesheng shot was different; despite a slight deviation, it still hit the core of the Wind‑Thunder Slime.

【There should be a huge piranha in the water; as for the rest, still testing…】

Some people watched the scenery, some enjoyed the spectacle, and others triggered a silky combo as soon as they saw the water.

Besides enjoying FPS games and watching anime, he also has a hobby of fishing, whether online or in water.

But arriving in such a flamboyant, fan‑fare‑filled manner is still a first.

The floating soil on the ground was blown up, and several players were instantly dazzled.

As this howl rang out, all the players became excited.

They began unthreading their clothes, digging insects from the ground, and grabbing exchanged wooden sticks to try hand‑crafting fishing rods.

Only after ensuring all the bitter tea seeds were locked did they barely sigh in relief.

Thus, no matter how tasty and spicy things are in reality, at least in the game they haven't had normal food for a long time.

—That's why Miss Samoyed is so popular; honestly, she even shares cured pork with the players!

But this is a game, not reality; despite continual sacrifices, the players haven't collapsed outright, instead they opened a discussion forum on the public screen.

【It might be dynamic difficulty adjustment; although the developers haven't stated it, they likely raise the level based on the number of participants in the dungeon.】

Unfortunately, due to lack of skill, by the time they flew near the Wind‑Thunder Slime they had already lost upward momentum and were blown away by the strong wind that kept it aloft.

He sighed and could only clasp his hands together.

"What purpose does my socializing have..."

A few dissatisfied players kept cursing, and a line popped up in the corner of the view.

Then each one instantly reversed, wishing the Wind‑Thunder Slime would spawn a bit more.

So even if they used all their tricks, they couldn't even grow a few edible mushrooms, let alone crops.

"I lost a level, my muscles hurt like hell."

Thus, after the renowned food critic Oli personally tasted a fish and declared it superbly tasty.

"No, no, no!"

In the end, they actually made some gadgets, found a suitable spot, and started fishing.

Halfway through his speech he swallowed it again; Bai Yesheng reached out and patted his shoulder.

"Hope the person is okay..."

So she drew her bow with all her might and shot at the Wind‑Thunder Slime.

And now they're all bringing their catch back to Dog Village, preparing a joint celebration for humans and dogs.

"That's it, still unsatisfying."

It quietly approached the water's edge and saw a shadow drifting in the water.

More players joined the fishing ranks.

"Haha, hold on, coming right now!"

Ji Ming made a polite remark, then turned his head toward the motionless Aurora Dance.

If you don't want to attack humanoid creatures, getting meat in a dungeon is still relatively difficult.

"Grandpa, did you see? I've been fishing for ten years, finally got a critical catch!"

【 (Bow) Thank you 】

"Charge!"

Bai Yesheng didn't know what she was thinking; after hesitating, she furrowed her brows.

【Guys, don't jump in the water; there's something dirty in there!】

Even if lightning strikes, you can barely block it with a shield.

"Hey, it's a master, everyone fall back, fall back fast!"

"Anyway, no money needed, just give it a try!"

Accompanied by a soul‑shaking thunderclap, a sword‑like lightning struck, directly slashing one player into a respawn.

After all, even a fierce swing of axe or shovel can't match the thunderous power of nature.

"But I haven't spoken yet."

【Has the Death God gained anything?】

However, thanks to everyone's effort, the Wind‑Thunder Slime's size quickly shrank by half.

Glancing at the few suspicious squads in the list, Ji Ming hurriedly inspected the built‑in Harmony System.

As heirs of the Great River civilization, besides farming, Huaxia people also have a survival instinct: fishing.

Besides that, some impatient players, relying on their swimming skill, decided to go straight for a forked fish.

"A lot has happened lately, my mind's a mess, can you give me some time?"

And when raging in frustration over the Air Force, naturally...

Watching the Aurora Dance fade among the drifting specks of light, Ji Ming fell silent for a moment.

Damn, it seems I really forgot to arrange the clearance reward…

"Whoa, fish, what a huge fish!"

Seeing the players celebrating wildly on the public screen, Ji Ming smacked his forehead.

"It's not the reason you think!"

"I get it, the feminized Si Kong Zhen in the trailer is just waiting here, right!?"

In fact, on the second day after launch, they were already figuring out how to reclaim land and farm near Dog Village.

The game officials, happily watching the show:?

"What a huge underground lake."

So, right away a few anglers formed a fishing enthusiasts club on the spot.

【Isn't this feedback far better than loot‑box gambling? It's certainly a new line of thought.】

But after snagging a couple of fish, they suddenly started flailing in place, and within a few moves they fell into the water.

"Why hasn't the heavenly shit struck lightning for ages? Could our chaotic movement have confused it?"

The feeling of the gun tip lodged in flesh was crystal clear; his heart leapt with joy, and he quickly pulled it out.

If we hadn't met in the game, I might still know nothing about her in reality.

"Brothers, there are fish in the water!"

【Indeed, as a VR game, the ranged weapons here are surprisingly weaker than melee weapons; they should have been balanced earlier.】

"This fish doesn't even have a pinch of seasoning—can it be tasty?"

Ji Ming wanted to say you all are overthinking, but beside him Bai Yesheng was also lost in thought.

Sure enough, a lively, hopping fish was stuck on the gun tip.

Although the gear was crude, the underground lake truly was teeming with fish.

And among the players met at the gathering point, someone noticed Ji Ming standing apart from the crowd and called out loudly.

Only a handful of very lucky players could snag a good meal from the villagers—something they might not eat even once a year—and have a small feast.

Moreover, on Hua Shu's and others' suggestion, this batch they bought were all crossbow bolts.

And for the players, this was undoubtedly the boss revealing its weak point and health bar!

【The game must have been too easy these past two days, so the officials urgently raised the difficulty and dropped this big boss.】

【No wonder beating the boss yields no treasure chest; it was ambushing us all along.】

Ji Ming is Huaxian; everyone who joined during the closed beta was naturally also Huaxian.

Thus some players stayed here to stall the Wind‑Thunder Slime, while others quickly exited combat and teleported back to the Great Holy Seat to buy gear.

"After watching the lousy ruins for several days, we finally got to see a wonder of another world."

Ji Ming hurriedly chased after.

But before he could speak, Bai Yesheng hurriedly said.

However, logically in the game, since it's a flying monster, it must be fought with ranged means.

"I'm tired, I won't disturb your play; I'm logging off first."

Now no one wanted to swim to the small island in the lake's center to investigate, and they all moved away from the low‑lying shore.

The Wind‑Thunder Slime hadn't even had time to self‑detonate before it was hacked to pieces.

【So that's it—they want to encourage players to use ranged weapons?】

Although last time using bow and arrow against a regular slime felt clumsy, as penetration would nullify damage.

"And if not handled properly, there would surely be lots of parasites or whatever."

Eliminate all impossibilities, and even if what's left is hard to believe, it's still the truth.

It's a highly professional life skill, and at least during the closed beta no player could master it.

"How about we also catch a whole fish and eat it?"