Chapter 17: Fishing Skill*
After leaving the general store, Xinya headed for a lake that was concealed in a wooded area, in a remote part of the beginner town. Nobody knew it existed, well, not until those few players in the future started exploring the town and its surrounding area. This lake didn't have anything really out of the ordinary, there were no special plants to gather, the fish were just normal quality and could be caught anywhere. The place held nothing special, but that wasn't why Xinya was going.
He was going for the fishing skill, the fishing skill was very special, for it only had 5 levels and for each level, the player needed to travel to a master fisherman in their region. The master fishermen will then give the player a task and, if they complete it, they would be able to level up the fishing skill. What many people didn't know was that once a player leaves beginner town and go to their region of choice, there would only be four master fisherman in the selected region.
To get all five levels of the skill, a player must learn the fishing skill at the beginner town first, which was exactly what Xinya planned to do. The fishing skill is very useful, besides catching fish for cooking, you can also catch plants for potions and rarely other items, such as jewelry, which a player can sell to an NCP or trigger a high-grade quest. But for that, the player doesn't need all five levels of the skill, getting to level 4 would be fine. The reason Xinya wanted to be able to get to level 5 is because of the unique skill he will receive after he has fully mastered fishing.
This skill is called Underwater Fishing, it allows a player to breathe underwater for some time, it doesn't sound exciting but it truly is. Underwater is the most unexplored part of the game and there are many things to find beneath the water, such as treasure, hidden caves, etc. People have tried exploring submerged places with the swimming skill, but that skill only lets a player breathe underwater for a very short period, longer if they have high enough stamina. The swimming skill also only allows a player to go to a certain depth.
With underwater fishing, not only would Xinya be able to go to the deepest depths, but he would also be able to make equipment that allows others to join him. Which he probably would only tell people he trusted, since the people would only be able to use the equipment if he was with them and, if people find out, some guilds might come and bother him with wanting to recruit him.
Xinya walked through the craggy old forest until he reached a clearing. Surrounded by the forest on all sides was a clear blue lake, that glinted beautifully in the sunlight and sitting on a sturdy rock, that was right next to the water, was an old man fishing. Wearing just a simple outfit of pants, a shirt, and a straw hat, the man had the presence of a fishing legend.
"Excuse me, sir?" Xinya said, calling out to the man.
The old man just calmly put his finger to his lips, signaling Xinya to be quiet, after a few more minutes the man's fishing line was pulled. Quickly, the old man struggled to reel the fish in, seeing that he was fighting a losing battle, he looked over at Xinya.
"Hey, boy, what are you standing there for? Come help me!" The old man shouted gruffly.
Quest has been created. The old fisherman has been trying to catch Old Betsy, the giant Salmon, that lives in this lake. The fisherman has been trying to catch her for over 10 years, if you help him, you will be greatly rewarded.
Reward:
Title: The Fisherman's Recognition
Learn: Fishing Skill
Xinya rushed over to where the old man was standing and grabbed ahold of the fishing rod. Gripping it with all of his might, he pulled on it along with the old man, trying to pull up the fish that was struggling to get free just below the water surface. The fight was hard, Xinya was pulling as hard as he could, water was splashing all around them. The fish appearing and disappearing from view so fast Xinya could hardly keep track of it. It took what seemed like hours but only minutes had passed when they were finally able to pull the fish from the water. It was a beautiful sight. The size of the fish was extraordinary, it was a great catch. The old man thought so too if his teary eyes were any indication.
"Young man, how can I ever thank you. I have been trying to catch that fish for years, It was my white whale. Now that I've caught her, I'm finally satisfied." The old man said gleefully.
Quest Completed.
Title Gained: The Fisherman's Recognition
Fisherman's Recognition: 5% fishing bonus/ 2% more of a chance of catching an item
[ While this title is activated the player will gain more profits when selling fish to NCPs]
Learned: Fishing Skill
Fishing: a useful skill to use when catching fish in the water. A player can easily start fishing with Fishing Rod and Bait, but you need more than that to fish even better. You must know how to adequately attach the Bait, have the judgment to choose a good place and have the patience to wait until a fish is caught once all the preparations are done. Once a fish is caught, you must control the single fishing line and quickly snatch it up, as the fish will challenge you with its strength. This is why many people refer to experienced fishermen as the masters of life. To level up this skill, please, find these masters of life to help you.
The old man proceeded to pack up the giant fish, preparing to go but, before leaving, he walked over to Xinya and handed him a green fishing rod.
Item gained: Spare Fishing Rod
Spare Fishing Rod: A tool for fishing. Dip it in the water to catch fish. To fish, you need to equip it with the bait as well. Special Effect: 2% chance of catching bigger fish.
With that, the old man left with a big smile on his face and Xinya, holding the fishing rod in hand, had an even bigger smile.
Name: Drifting Cloud Title: Not-applied
HP: 120/120 Level: 4
MP: 110/110 EXP: 250/2000
Stamina: 90/90 Skill points: 4
Str: 4 (+3) Dex: 6(+3)
Int: 6 (+3) Luck: 5 (+4)
Coins: 9 gold 995 silver 444 bronze
Stat Points 0