Chapter 15: Setting Sail into the Sea
Chapter 15: Setting Sail into the Sea
Qihai Studio.
A group of people groggily snapped back to reality from the game, the lingering pain of their deaths still echoing faintly in their minds.
They needed a moment to decompress.
Just then, an angry shout came from the inner room: "What do you think you're doing? Wang Kai! You betrayed us!"
Hearing those words, everyone instinctively recalled Wang Kai's tip-off from earlier, and a surge of fury rose in their chests. Even without Wang Kai, the outcome today wouldn't have changed one bit — but right now, the snitch had to face his due.
Sleeves rolled up and tempers blazing, a crowd gathered at the doorway to look inside.
There was Zhang Yuhao, gripping Wang Kai by the collar, eyes practically bulging out of his head.
"Last time you got our account blasted was one thing, but this time you had the nerve to rat us out right in front of everyone. You'd better give me an explanation, or don't even think about staying in our Qihai Studio!"
Zhang Yuhao was so furious his head felt like it was on fire.
Who did Wang Kai think he was to pull something like this?!
The others had crowded around as well, glaring at Wang Kai with undisguised hostility.
Wang Kai let out a cold laugh. "Don't pin the account-blasting on me. You were the one who insisted on picking a fight, trying to buy someone's mutant crab for three thousand yuan, then threatening to have them killed — and you have the face to blame me?"
He swept his gaze across the crowd. "And the rest of you are just as brainless. Zhang Yuhao's got the IQ of a rock and you're all still licking his boots? You believe every word he says, let him lead you all to your deaths today, and you're still siding with him."
He shoved through the crowd. "Anyway, I wasn't planning to stick around. Following someone like him, you can't make any money — you just end up carrying the blame. I'm not staying."
With that, he slammed the door and walked out.
* * *
"Yesterday, a large dog mauled a child. The owner is a woman living alone. While out walking the dog, the animal suddenly turned vicious and attacked a passing child. The owner stepped in to stop it and was also bitten..."
The next day, Chen Sui had no interest in sleeping in. He got up early, went through his usual routine — checking the fish tank, then turning on the TV to catch the news — and finished his breakfast in comfortable leisure.
Watching the news on TV, he clicked his tongue. "Seems like animal attacks have been on the rise lately..."
"Oh well, what's it got to do with me? I should just get back into the game. Today's the day I head out to sea."
Remembering the quest from yesterday, Chen Sui felt a flutter of excitement and anticipation. He switched off the TV and carried his breakfast dishes over to the sink.
The group chat was trickling with scattered messages.
Seven-Star-Longka: "Holy shit, it's already morning?!"
Seven-Star-Hongtongtong: "I didn't even notice the time fly. Those Red-Mantled Tide Crabs the big shot gave us were amazing — I farmed all night and still wasn't satisfied. I caught three Red-Mantled Tide Crabs last night. I'm listing them on the trading market right now to rake in some serious cash."
Dawangwang: "I caught two as well. After expenses, conservative estimate is I'll make five hundred."
Basking in the anonymous flattery, Chen Sui's mood lifted even further. He headed back to his room, put on his gaming headset, and dove straight in — Azure, launch!
Entering the game, Chen Sui made a beeline for the Fishing Boat Rental.
The place was essentially a fishing boat mooring point. The attendant was a gaunt old man who looked like a dried-up ghost. After reading through the letter of introduction, he gave a nod, his deep-set eyes fixed on Chen Sui. "Rental fee is 3 Fish Coins per hour. A deposit of 100 Fish Coins is required upfront. Return the boat before nightfall."
It was a little pricey, but not enough to make Chen Sui so much as furrow a brow. He paid up, rented the boat for a full day, then climbed aboard and set off.
The gentle rocking sensation and the soft sea breeze blowing against his face filled Chen Sui with a sense of ease and contentment.
"Now this is what an ocean game should feel like."
Chen Sui smiled, then clumsily worked the oars and picked a direction at random to paddle toward.
The waves rocked the small boat from side to side. The sunlight was just right, warm and golden on his skin, and Chen Sui felt utterly at peace.
The water all around was crystal clear, shimmering with deep azure hues.
When Chen Sui finally snapped out of his reverie and glanced back, the surroundings had grown very quiet, and the shore of Little Fishing Island had nearly vanished from sight.
"Already this far out, huh. Well then..."
Chen Sui reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Fish Feed, scattering it casually into the sea.
This was feed specially designed to attract sea beasts. Supposedly... it worked very well.
Thud!
He hadn't even finished scattering it when the hull let out a dull impact, as if something had slammed into it hard.
The boat lurched violently to one side, and Chen Sui could only grip both sides of the fishing boat to keep himself from tumbling into the water.
His gaze swept rapidly across the surface, and amid the churning waves, a dark shadow flashed by swiftly beneath the water.
"Wavecrest!"
Chen Sui shouted, and beside him, the figure of the One-Armed Fishfolk appeared. Wavecrest's sharp eyes instantly locked onto the dark shadow darting through the water below.
Without hesitation, he leapt — diving into the waves alongside the boat.
As if by some unique game mechanic, Chen Sui could see through the water as though it were transparent, watching the battle unfold on the seafloor.
Wavecrest moved like an arrow, racing after a spotted fish with a sword-like snout.
Chen Sui managed to catch a glimpse of the fish's information:
[Swordkiss Tricolor Fish]
Quality: Common
Talent: ?
Level: Wavecrest Rank, Tier 3
A mid-level ocean fish that attacks with its sword-like snout. Extremely fast, it rams passing fishing boats with its body. Rumored to have exceptionally delicious flesh.
Though this Swordkiss Tricolor Fish was only Common Quality, its speed underwater was extraordinary, and it was incredibly agile. Every time Wavecrest nearly caught up, the fish would execute a split-second 180-degree reversal, pulling a masterful dodge that left Wavecrest chasing shadows.
But being only Common Quality, it merely cost Wavecrest a bit of extra effort.
After several rounds of pursuit, Wavecrest seized his moment and thrust his spear forward, skewering the Swordkiss Tricolor Fish clean through.
The fish thrashed its tail a few times, then went still.
Swordkiss Tricolor Fish slain.
Obtained [Swordkiss Tricolor Fish Egg (Green)] ×1
Obtained the corpse of [Swordkiss Tricolor Fish].
"Oh? Not bad luck?"
Chen Sui's eyes lit up. An egg drop on the very first kill — looked like a promising start.
Right after, more sea beasts began closing in.
[Spinning Starfish]
Quality: Common
Talent: ?
Level: Wavecrest Rank, Tier 2
A starfish with sharp shells growing on all five of its arms. It spins at high speed through the water to attack and feed.
[Lesser Queen-of-the-West Spinefish]
Quality: Common
Talent: ?
Level: Wavecrest Rank, Tier 4
When agitated, it raises all its scales like Spines. Usually found in groups.
[Sea Blue Shrimp]
Quality: Poor
A carnivorous shrimp. Doesn't taste particularly good, but moves extremely fast in the water.
At a glance, Chen Sui could see that most of the sea beasts were Common Quality — clearly, the creatures out here were already of a much higher caliber than those near the shore of Little Fishing Island.
He turned none of them away, simply ordering the Fishfolk Wavecrest to kill whatever he spotted. For a time, crimson blood mist bloomed across the surface of the sea, only to be swiftly swallowed and cleansed by the ocean.
Before long, Chen Sui's Inventory had filled up with sea beast corpses and a scattering of eggs.
About an hour or so passed, and the fish shadows around him suddenly thinned out, no longer converging in his direction.
The sound of the waves returned clearly to his ears. Chen Sui furrowed his brow — and then, out of nowhere, a massive fish shadow flashed past.
Its enormous body was two to three meters long, a true leviathan lurking beneath the surface.
"A big catch!"
The fleeting glimpse let Chen Sui read its information:
[Tyrant Squid]
Quality: Superior
Level: Wavecrest Rank, Tier 4
Talent: ?
An apex predator of the mid-deep ocean, with virtually no natural enemies. The strength of its tentacles is enough to twist iron into a pretzel.
Eight tentacles noticeably thicker than normal proportions, a crimson body, and skin covered all over in bumps that made the hair stand on end just looking at it.
"A Superior Quality sea beast, just as expected!"
Chen Sui didn't dare be careless. He gripped the sides of the boat with both hands, pressed his body low, and tried his best not to draw the Tyrant Squid's attention.
Meanwhile, the Fishfolk Wavecrest stood in the water, eyes sharp and watchful, tracking the Tyrant Squid's shadow as it darted in every direction at tremendous speed.
Suddenly, in one swift moment, the Tyrant Squid launched a ferocious attack at Wavecrest.
Wavecrest's figure flickered — he sidestepped with minimal movement, then immediately thrust his spear in return. A spray of blood mist erupted behind the Tyrant Squid, and half a tentacle dropped away.
Though the Tyrant Squid was indeed ferocious, it was still a rank below the Fishfolk Wavecrest, and there was a gap in combat experience as well.
The Tyrant Squid's straightforward, head-on attack style was transparent to Wavecrest at a glance.
The Tyrant Squid possessed a degree of cunning. Its small eyes flicked toward Wavecrest not far away — black spear in hand, radiating a murderous aura — and with a flick of all eight tentacles, it turned and attempted to flee.
Wavecrest gave chase immediately.
However, the Tyrant Squid looped in a wide arc, then made a sharp sudden turn and charged directly at Chen Sui, still aboard the fishing boat.
It moved like an arrow, brimming with malicious intent.
Chen Sui's heart lurched:
"I knew this thing had shifty eyes and bad intentions."
Bang!
The Tyrant Squid burst through the surface of the water, lunging straight at Chen Sui on the boat.
In its tiny eyes gleamed a vicious, cunning triumph.
Yet as its form closed within a certain distance, the very next second, a massive dark shape appeared above the fishing boat.
Jagged shell, enormous Crab Claws — snapping straight down at the Tyrant Squid's body.
The Shallows Terror Crab!