Chapter 296: A Bountiful Fishing Haul!
Chapter 296: A Bountiful Fishing Haul!
With Aelina watching intently, Lindsey grabbed the wooden crate and ripped off the lid with sheer brute force.
Although it had fallen into the water, the inside of the crate was completely dry, with no signs of water damage. A stack of small folding stools lay neatly within, with two freshly smelted iron ingots resting on top.
[Equipment/Material: Fishing Stool]
[A comfortable folding chair that increases the chance of a bite when fishing. Can also be used as a material to craft other items.]
[A favorite among fishermen, are you really willing to sell it?]
[Material: Iron Ingot]
[A metal ingot that can be used to craft various items.]
[A common metal with low value.]
"Huh?"
Aelina, standing beside him, felt as if she were in a dream.
"Lindsey is fishing." "He's hanging a wooden crate." "Inside is a chair and two pieces of metal."
Even a seasoned merchant who had traveled far and wide had never encountered such a situation.
Lindsey, on the other hand, was thoroughly satisfied as he shoved the fishing stool into the workbench and turned to reassure Aelina, who stood beside him:
"The abilities of Awakened Beings are truly unique."
"You'll get used to it if you see it more often, and you won't be so surprised."
Aelina expressed her doubts:
"Are you sure?"
Lindsey smiled but didn't say anything further.
As they conversed, the synthesis list displayed the formula for crafting the fishing stool.
[1 Fishing Stool + 1 Fishing Bait Box + 1 Fishing Tent = Fishing Amulet]
"Oh?"
Lindsey blinked.
He dragged the fishing stool from the panel and placed it under his buttocks.
Then he sat on it and continued to cast his line into the river, resuming his grand fishing endeavor.
Aelina, perplexed, asked:
"Lindsey, you've already caught what you needed. Why not take a break?"
Lindsey replied without turning his head:
"As an Awakened Being, not sleeping for a day or two is no problem at all!"
"..."
"Fine, have it your way."
Seeing Lindsey's determination, Aelina stopped persuading him and turned back towards the campsite.
...
The night passed quickly.
Early the next morning, the merchant girl emerged from her blanket.
But what woke her at this moment wasn't her biological clock, nor was it the return of her fishing companion.
The surrounding forest was emitting an eerie sound.
Aelina turned to look.
The trees around her were twisting in a near-manic distortion.
The branches and trunks rubbed against each other, making a 'shh-shh' sound that prevented her from falling asleep.
"Again..."
Aelina sighed, but remained calm.
This wasn't her first time encountering such a situation while solo trading in the Forest Courtyard.
Whether it was the Lookout City behind her or the Nine Bays City ahead.
Those powerful Awakened Beings would surely not ignore this, and it wouldn't be long before they sent someone to deal with it.
As long as she didn't panic and wander aimlessly in the forest, losing her sense of direction.
This seemingly troublesome and dangerous situation was actually not as bad as it appeared.
"Staying put is the best solution."
She muttered to herself.
Aelina packed up her blanket.
After tidying up, she checked on her horse.
Humans could overcome such threats and fears, but her horse was naturally in a state of panic.
The merchant girl took out a Twin Serpent Coin and approached the horse, hugging its neck and patting it gently:
"Good boy, don't be afraid."
"This will pass soon, just like the other times."
The horse gradually calmed down.
At this moment, Aelina felt a chill.
She loosened her grip and looked up.
Through the swaying shadows of the forest, she saw the fragmented sky, a dark and ominous sight as if it were about to collapse.
"Cough—"
Aelina's horse coughed uncomfortably.
The young girl quickly turned around.
After some effort, she managed to calm the horse and proceeded towards the riverbank:
"Lindsey, is everything alright over here?"
"The situation in the forest seems a bit off. Last night..."
Elaine soon spotted Lindsey's figure, and her words abruptly stopped.
The night before, as she left...
Lindsey was sitting alone on a small stool, fishing.
But now, after a night had passed, there were seven open crates next to him. He had also set up a tent, with a fishing bait box by his side, and a fisherman's hat on his head.
The current situation was vastly different from when they parted ways the day before! The merchant girl was dumbfounded:
"Am I still dreaming?"
"Elaine?" Lindsey by the riverbank reacted as well.
He quickly gathered his belongings, not even neglecting the empty crates. He removed his fisherman's hat and approached the merchant girl:
"You're awake?"
"Are we preparing to set off again?"
Elaine pointed to the swaying trees around them:
"Don't you feel anything about this?"
Lindsey stuffed the hat into his bag and replied confidently:
"I've checked this out already, it's not a big deal."
Elaine then asked about the scene she had witnessed earlier:
"Those items by your side, did you fish them out?"
"You must be joking!"
"Fishing a perfectly intact crate out of the river is already outrageous, and there's more?"
Lindsey chuckled.
He answered but didn't elaborate:
"It's the influence of the merchant's skill."
"Just like my personal space, there's nothing I can do about this."
As Lindsey spoke, he also inspected his catch.
At first, he struggled to catch anything.
But after obtaining the first item from the fishing series...
The fisherman's hat, fishing tent, and fishing bait box, and other tools were acquired one after another, and his catch rate improved significantly.
Lindsey casually began crafting at the workbench.
[Accessory: Fishing Amulet]
[After equipping, increases the bite rate while fishing, enhances fishing rod stability, and reduces the chance of the fish escaping.]
[The fisherman's favorite!]
Additionally, there were two set items:
[Equipment: Fisherman's Hat]
[An ordinary fisherman's hat, slightly increases the bite rate when equipped.]
[Equipment: Fisherman's Pants]
[Ordinary fisherman's pants, slightly increases the bite rate when equipped.]
[Fisherman's Set - (2/4)]
[Set Effect: Slightly increases the bite rate while fishing, enhances fishing rod stability, and reduces the chance of the fish escaping.]
The fishing series items were taking shape.
But in Lindsey's bag, there were two items he had collected earlier.
One was a pair of swim fins that could increase swimming speed and could be used to craft [Multifunctional Survival Equipment].
As for the other item...
[Item/Material: Hygrometer]
[Measures the humidity of the current environment; can be used to craft other items.]
[An ordinary tool with low value.]
This brings up a crafting formula.
[1 Wind Vane + 1 Hygrometer + 1 Thermometer = Weather Forecast Device]
[Hygrometer] belongs to the [Weather Forecast Device]'s crafting system and is also one of the base materials for [Sky Compass]!
With such a harvest from a night's work, Lindsey was content.
Upon returning to the campsite, he prepared a delicious breakfast using the Pacu fish he caught the night before, which was slightly smaller than the giant bone tongue fish Elaine had brought back.]
As they finished packing, the forest's unrest was indeed calmed.
They continued on their journey.
Up ahead, the horse pulling the cart was breathing heavily, its breaths becoming hoarse.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
