—–
I had come up with the genius idea of using my own hand to fish since I could shapeshift it through the Race Skill of a Dryad, I was even able to make a very convincing worm-shaped flower! With that said, I had not expected it to work but it actually did, and I was able to fish using the Fishing Skill I had gotten just some moments ago.
Something used its sharp teeth to bite my hand and began pulling further and further away. I had lowered the pain settings to the lowest possible level, but it still felt a bit stingy when I was bitten, but probably not as painful as a real bite would actually feel like.
It’s a good thing that there was a pain setting because if we were having just 100% the same pain as real life, I don’t think I would be playing this game, but it would probably not be allowed by the governments either…
Anyways, back to the fish!
I tried to pull as hard as possible while I moved backwards, the strength given to me by some of my passive skills was being very useful now, the extra strength was what I needed to pull harder!
SPLAAASH!
“W-Woah, it’s a big one!” said the guide spirit, amazed by what just showed up out of the river.
It was a large, almost a meter big, blue-colored fish. Its fins were sharp and long like blades, and it had two sharp yellow-gold eyes, with beautiful azure-colored wave-shaped patterns across its entire body.
“Oh boy! This thing is like some Tuna!” I said. “Unngh…! It is very heavy!”
SPLASH!
I wasn’t able to pull it outside of the river so it fell into the river again and tried to escape while trying to tear apart the bait, but that was part of my body! As long as I resisted, it wouldn’t be easy for the fish to take away my worm-shaped flower bait!
SPLAAAASH!
I once again pulled the back, but it was getting harder, the fish was getting stronger and I wasn’t able to exert more strength than what I had as stats, how annoying!
But I was almost there!
SPLASH!
“GUUOP!”
The fish suddenly made a weird sound, as it jumped out of the river and suddenly it generated several water bullets out of thin air! Yeah! It conjured Water Magic and conjured five-centimeter big water bubbles that it began firing at me! The guide spirit grew alarmed as he told me to give up on this aggressive and strong fish.
“W-Woah! Watch out, Planta!” he said. “Just throw that thing away, it is too big! You won’t be able to catch it!”
“Wood Shield!”
TRUUMM…!
I conjured Wood Shield, a Green Magic Level 2 Spell and almost 150 MP were wasted on that, but wooden shields automatically emerged from the ground and defended me from the deadly bullets of water.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The water hit the wooden shield as several cracks emerged in the shields, but it remained firm and strong! I can do this! I have always liked fishing, and my father taught me ways to catch heavy fish that resisted the most. He said that the best you can do was form a good position and stand on your ground.
However, that was quite hard to do in the middle of the water in a boat, however, on the ground, I can do it…! I quickly moved, taking a few steps back and gritting my teeth. I began pushing more and more, while the fish tried to attack me with his magic constantly.
“I am not giving up on this tasty fish! No way!” I cried. “I want fish!”
With my resolve within my heart, I couldn’t falter! I really wanted fish, so I wouldn’t give up no matter what. I looked into my Status and saw my Satiation Meter going up and down constantly. Doing so much force with my body really exhausted me, but the power of Photosynthesis really helped me at regaining satiation out of just the grace of the beautiful sunlight bathing my body.
I can do this… I can do this!
SPLAAASH!
Once more, the fish was out of the river, and then, I hit the ground with my feet and moved my back backwards, while pushing towards my chest, and then…!
BOOM!
The giant fish hit the ground!
“GUUOP…!”
The fish began to move around the floor, attempting to reach the water again, but I quickly moved towards the fish and extended my other hand into many vines, forming a natural net and catching it!
“I gotcha! You big ruffian!” I laughed. I began to pull it more and more into land, as the fish seemed to struggle to breathe, and began to asphyxiate. It seemed unable to use magic, perhaps its MP was out.
“Y-You actually caught it!” said the guide spirit. “W-What kind of woman are you, seriously?”
“A mother!” I said.
“Guuoop…”
The fish seemed to be on its last breath of life, and it seemed to grow weaker and weaker until, after a few minutes of struggling, it ceased to move and seemed to be dead…
Ding!
[You have caught a [Giant Blue finned Pike: Lv6]!]
[You gained 600 EXP!]
[You acquired the Title [Beginner Fisher]!]
“Oh! It is like an item now? Can I pick it up?” I wondered, as I touched the fish and then it suddenly disappeared and entered my Inventory as an item. But I also gained EXP because it died? So I guess it also counts as a monster… Wait, this was great! I could gain EXP by just fishing?
“I gained EXP by just fishing this, Guide!” I said. “Is this how it works?”
“Yeah, apparently the Fishing Skill does that…” he said. “Fish are monsters after all here… You catch it, it dies, and you get EXP… but no gold or anything else. However, you get the whole fish carcass instead, you can click it in the inventory to see the description and information of the fish. However, unlike other stuff you get from monsters such as their meat, you need to cut down the fish personally…”
“Ohhh! Sounds like fun! I was actually good at it… Well, when the fish was already dead though…” I sighed. “My grandpa forced me to butcher fish and lose some of my fear… When they were dead… it wasn’t so bad…”
“Uh huh,” said the guide. “Just remember this is a game so don’t have hard feelings, it is just an item now.”
“Okay, I get it!” I said. “However, I will fish a bit more… Maybe there are smaller species around!”
And like that, I decided to continue fishing. Now that I had gotten the knack out of it, it wasn’t so hard, and I was able to easily bring a few fishes, but each time I fished, my satiation meter went down, as if it were Stamina in those mobile games that didn’t let you do all the stuff you want.
When my satiation meter was around 20, it was regenerating very slowly, and I felt very tired and… hungry! But I managed to catch three more fishes, although these were smaller.
Ding!
[You caught a [Mud Catfish: Lv3]!]
[You gained 300 EXP]
[You caught a [Red-specked Bass: Lv2]
[You gained 200 EXP]
[You caught a [White Crappie: Lv3]
[You gained 300 EXP]
[Your Fishing Attitude has increased!]
[You’re becoming a good Fisher!]
Even the System praised me for fishing three more fishes! Although they were not as awesome as the Pike, they were still meaty, and I couldn’t wait to eat them. I decided to follow the guide’s words and think of this as a game, so no hard feelings.
Also, I gained a nice amount of EXP. I was already almost reaching Level 4 in both Race and Job Class, who would have thought that fishing would net this much EXP? People should really just sit down and catch fish instead of going around smacking poor little animals. …Well, I guess fishes are also poor little animals.
Ugh. Okay, let’s not think about it and let’s head back to Acorn’s house.
On the way back, I remembered I had yet to summon my Plan Companion! I had summoned the farm animal and got Belle, so I was hoping to get something quite impressive now… or maybe I shouldn’t have my hopes up? I wonder what a plant can do to help me out…
I quickly conjured the Skill, as a magic circle in front of me emerged, shining with bright green color.
FLAAASH!
What began to emerge from it seemed rather small, with a big flower as a head and several roots as legs,which resembled more like tentacles. It had a large jaw in the middle of its yellow-colored petals, with dangerous-looking sharp teeth…
[You have summoned a [Carnivorous Amber Lotus Flower]!]
“…!”
The flower had the size of a dog, and it slowly began to crawl towards me… It was a bit scary, but it was a summon so it has to be friendly, right? No matter how scary it looked; it was a new friend.
“Hello there!” I said, as I tried to touch it but then its jaws moved incredibly fast and tried to catch me…
CRUNCH!
I swiftly moved my hand away, as the flower ended biting its own teeth in frustration, and then it began to move a long and slimy tongue outside, as if it were very desperate to eat me!
“W-What? Aren’t you a friend?” I asked.
“…!”
The flower closed its jaws, but it lacked lips, so when they closed and curved upwards, it smiled maliciously back at me. It seemed to be even laughing evilly!
“Uwah… Guide! What is this thing? Why is it so evil!?” I asked. “It scares me… Does it want to eat her master?” ．
“No… Summons shouldn’t do that. I think it is just playing a bit… rough with you,” said the guide. “It is a species of carnivorous monster plants that devours anything on sight… But let me check the hidden nature for you- Ah, it is… huh, that’s a weird nature. Do you have bad luck or good luck? I don’t know anymore…”
“What? What’s the nature?” I asked.
“Well… This Plant Companion nature is… “Trickster-like”. It likes to play pranks,” said the guide.
“S-Seriously? Is this why it suddenly began laughing weirdly?” I asked. “I fear that Belle might get angry at her…”
“Don’t worry, summons shouldn’t attempt to hurt one another, that has never happened before… I think,” said the guide. “For now, let’s go back to Acorn and cook something so you can get done with that…”
“Y-You’re right… But what name should I give to this little trickster?” I sighed. I glanced at the golden-colored lotus flower and her eerie smile, as I came out with a fitting name.
“Loki! I’ll call you Loki because you’re a trickster,” I said. “Fitting, right?”
“Loki? Huh, sure, you can name your pets however you want I guess,” said the guide.
And like that I decided to glance at Loki’s status while it seemed to be mildly happy to have been named.
—–
[Summon Name]: [Loki]
[Race]: [Carnivorous Amber Lotus Flower: Lv1/30]
[Race EXP]: [0/1000]
[Satiation]: [100/100]
[HP]: [60/60]
[MP]: [80/80]
[STR]: [55]
[VIT]: [35]
[DEX]: [30]
[AGI]: [35]
[INT]: [30]
[WIS]: [15]
[LUC]: [15]
[Race Skills: 4/10]
[Carnivorous Flower: Lv1], [Predation: Lv1], [Rooting: Lv1], [Spray: Lv1]
[Equipment]
None
—–
Oh, it was an all-rounder, wasn’t it? And she got four Skills as well, just like Belle. These four Skills seem to be able to boost the power of the Plant quite well… Predation seems to grant her the power to permanently gain some of the strength of whatever she devours—that’s a bit strong!
And then there was Rooting that allowed her to stay in place while rooted in the ground which allowed her to nutrients. This Skill healed her HP, MP, and Satiation faster. And lastly, Spray allowed her to inflict a random status ailment by spraying pollen on a foe…
“Loki, you’re scary but you seem to be pretty strong!” I said. “Good girl.”
I attempted to pet her again, but she ended up biting my hand this time…
CHOMP!
“UGEH! Bad plant! Bad!”
—–