Chapter 115: Life-Saving Little Lucky Fish
Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Addis
Commander spoke up, and instantly, everyone in the team seemed to find their backbone. The restlessness vanished in an instant, as if the commander’s words alone ensured success.
“Bro, you seem unusually imposing today,” ClearWind remarked.
Su Mo rummaged through his arsenal. “Oh, wasn’t I imposing before?”
Quickly correcting himself, ClearWind said, “You’re more imposing today than yesterday.”
ZenSlasher immediately shared the coordinates with Su Mo. After sending them, she added, “None of us have bait. Apple and ChatMasterWu have gone to the village to find an NPC. The bait shortage is also a problem.”
“No need to find an NPC.” Su Mo marked the location on the map after receiving the coordinates.
Hearing this, ScarletFruit, lying on the ground, thought about his high luck and couldn’t help feeling a bit scared. “Bro, you’re not planning to use me as fish bait, are you?”
Apple replied cautiously, “Well, I did hear about a superstition that sacrificing a lucky person will bring good fortune afterward.”
The others exclaimed in surprise. Was it really going to be this intense?
ScarletFruit spoke solemnly, “Apple.”
Apple replied cautiously, “Yes?”
ScarletFruit continued, “Once I’m revived, don’t expect any healing from me.”
Apple apologized, “I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
Su Mo remained silent for a moment, then said, “I have bait here, enough for us.”
Apple muted his mic again. Upon hearing that the boss had enough bait, the two who went to find an NPC quickly returned. ClearWind stayed behind to maintain aggro, bringing ScarletFruit with him. Within five minutes, Su Mo arrived at the location marked by ZenSlasher.
The place wasn’t far from the small fishing village, situated by the sea with rocks scattered around, providing several footholds.
Upon reaching the location, Su Mo didn’t rush to bait the hook but instead found a spot with soil. He pulled out a small dusty trowel from his arsenal and squatted down in front of his teammates to dig.
“Boss, what are you doing?” ChatMasterWu didn’t understand this move. Could it be some hidden fishing technique?
Su Mo dug into the ground with a shovel and calmly replied, “Digging for bait.”
The others were puzzled. “You mean you’re digging up bait right here on the spot?”
Far away, ScarletFruit heard this and felt despair creeping over him. “Brother… why not use me as bait and make a wish for my resurrection.”
Apple paused. “I’ll go find an NPC, maybe that’ll be quicker…”
Before he finished speaking, he saw Su Mo unearth a wriggling earthworm from the soil, instantly silencing him.
Shortly after, everyone present witnessed the miracle of precise digging. It seemed like Su Mo’s small trowel had a magical power, as within just a minute, he unearthed over a dozen earthworms from the soil, as if he had stumbled upon a worm nest—more and more kept coming out with each dig. Initially, Apple had thought of going to the village to buy bait from an NPC, but now he willingly took out a container to help Su Mo gather the earthworms.
ChatMasterWu exclaimed, “Impressive, big bro! Is that an item you’re using?”
Su Mo nodded, “Yeah, it’s something I got from doing quests before, specifically for digging up bait.”
Apple remarked, “This item is amazing in this scenario.”
Under the sunlight, the group watched as Su Mo dug up worms for five minutes straight. In the end, Apple gathered a large pile of bait, enough for everyone to fish abundantly, not just Su Mo.
The bait was ready, and next was the fishing task. Almost everyone had fishing rods in their arsenal or toolbars, and fishing was a skill automatically learned by the System. They lined up in the auspicious fishing spot pointed out by the old man, ready to fish.
“It’s time to show you all what real skill looks like,” ChatMasterWu elegantly cast his rod. “Back in the day, I even held the title of fishing master in another game. Fishing here will be a piece of cake. Watch closely.”
Shortly after casting, ChatMasterWu’s fishing float twitched. He swiftly reeled in his rod, and a red fish, resembling a carp, leaped high into the air. Its scales shimmered under the sunlight, capturing everyone’s attention.
At that moment, a green notification appeared before everyone: [[East Sea Fishing Village] player Momo leisurely fishing by the sea, unexpectedly caught the extremely rare [Fortune Fish]]
[Fortune Fish: A rare fish in the East Sea said to bring blessings. If released, it grants a small wish to the releaser. (Wishes will be subject to System review; unrealistic wishes will not be granted)]
Su Mo smoothly reeled in his fishing line and examined the fish. “It does look a lot like a red carp.”
The others were speechless…
To see such a rare Fortune Fish, which appears once every three hundred years, just like this!? It was caught so easily!?
Su Mo received the fishing rod and the item for digging earth, the first quest items given when entering Newbie Village. One was a small iron shovel that could always dig up earthworms, and the other was a fishing rod with a 100% success rate for fishing. These two items had low practicality and had been stored in the bag for a long time without being used. Unexpectedly, they proved useful in this team quest.
Su Mo had tested the fishing rod’s function in Newbie Village. Besides its guaranteed 100% catch rate, it was also related to the player’s primary fish demand thought in the brain. In other words, as long as you thought of a particular fish and that fish existed in the current waters, you would definitely catch it. However, it required a lot of mental focus. If your thoughts wandered, you might easily catch the wrong fish.
At this moment, ClearWind recalled a distant memory and trembled slightly. “I remember now. My brother was apparently the Fishing King of Newbie Village.”
Fishing King??
“Wasn’t there a quest in Newbie Village that required fishing for Little Spirit Fish in the lake at Peach Blossom Village, that Flower Lady one?” ClearWind recalled, memories from that time feeling vividly present. “The first time I met my brother was on a small boat on that lake. Later on, I bought a Little Spirit Fish from him at a low price, which eventually won my brother’s favor.”
ScarletFruit remembered, “I think I have some impression of that. Oh right, the Little Spirit Fish in Newbie Village were expensive. I recall there was a newbie who didn’t know better and sold the low drop-rate Little Spirit Fish cheaply.”
ZenSlasher asked, “Did that really happen?”
“Of course it did. You’re familiar with that quest in Newbie Village. We had to queue up for it, and if you couldn’t catch it, your mental state would be shattered.” ScarletFruit boasted, “I even opened an alt account to resell them for a profit before leaving Newbie Village. Unfortunately, when I returned later, that newbie brother wasn’t vending anymore.”
ClearWind fell silent for a moment. “Fruit, that stall seems to have been my brother’s.”
ScarletFruit replied, “Huh?”
“It was my stall. At that time, the Little Spirit Fish was sold for 1 gold and 50 silver to an ID named ScarletFruit16,” Su Mo said calmly, casting his fishing rod again. “Then I set up a shop next to yours and sold it for 3 gold.”
The others were speechless.
ScarletFruit remained quiet for a few seconds. “Little bear, carry me over there and let me make a wish to the heavens.”
Su Mo tossed the fish he caught back into the sea, then immediately spoke up, “Fruit, check if the resurrection charm in your bag can be used now.”
Still in a state of anxious uncertainty, ScarletFruit, upon hearing Su Mo’s words, was startled at first but then opened his bag and used the resurrection charm. Initially unresponsive, the charm unexpectedly worked at this moment, and he instantly revived. “It actually worked, I’m alive.”
“Night brings prohibition, day lifts it.”
The potential mechanism of the Little Fortune Fish was to provide players with a margin of error—if a wish was made during its release that a teammate could use a resurrection charm, it could help revive them during the daytime phase.
Su Mo glanced at the bait. “Alright, let’s fish some more for backup.”
The rest of the team was speechless. They never imagined such a play could exist!
After the first one, Momo caught the second and third Little Fortune Fish consecutively. These legendary wish-granting fish, unseen for three hundred years, seemed as easy to catch as any other common fish biting one after another. Eventually, the people nearby stopped fishing and chose to gather bait for Su Mo instead. However, without the small iron spade that guaranteed worms when digging in the soil, even after Momo used up the bait, they couldn’t manage to dig up a single one.
They watched Momo repetitively dig bait and fish nearby, and it took over forty catches before they finally stopped. They distributed a few fish to each person, intending to keep them for their own resurrection needs in the future.
What had been a worrying problem for them suddenly became simple. With spare Little Fortune Fish resurrection tokens, dying wasn’t a big deal anymore—a new hero would arise the next day.
At that moment, Momo asked, “Are the items in the quest scene like dungeon items? Can we take them out?”
Little Bear replied, “Yes, everything that can be carried out of the quest scene can be taken out.”
ScarletFruit sensed something keenly, “Brother, are you thinking…”
Su Mo interjected, “Then let’s catch more. We can sell them at a high price when we leave.”
The others were speechless.
You guys really want to take these things out and sell them?! Does the main brain know about your ambitious plans?
ScarletFruit chuckled, “If the wishing mechanism works, in other quest dungeons where items aren’t locked and are disabled, finding a place to release the fish for use is equivalent to a one-time emergency item. This kind of thing can sell for a high price!”
He immediately seized the opportunity and promised, “Brother, catch more. When we get out, I’ll sell them for you without taking a cut.”
Su Mo laughed, “Deal.”
ScarletFruit replied, “It’s my pleasure to serve my big brother.”
The others were speechless.
In the following time, the big shot became addicted to fishing. During this period, he also tried several other wishing methods, such as wishing for people outside to come in or wishing to lift the boss’s dormant state, but all in vain. The use of the little fortune fish still had certain limitations.
The others stood by and watched. If it weren’t for the limited time remaining, they might have continued fishing here.
Finally, regretfully, the big shot reeled in his rod. His bag now held who knows how many fish. “Let’s go, night time is approaching.”
Back at the Bone Cave, not long after, the notification for nighttime came once again.
After everyone finished preparing, they set out again. They found that when facing the boss again, its defense had unexpectedly increased slightly. The damage they could deal this time was only seventy to eighty percent of what they managed last time.
ClearWind said, “It seems like what my brother said. If people die on our side, the boss’s defense increases.”
ChatMasterWu added, “So as long as we ensure no one dies, the boss will become easier.”
In the previous encounter, they tested the skill mechanisms and found ways to handle all five skill mechanisms. What remained was the team’s coordination.
While ScarletFruit healed, he positioned the summoning tree outside the group, using its range to restore teammates’ health and help mitigate the boss’s whip damage when the fluctuations in mana were not significant.
“When small mobs spawn, stop attacking and let ChatMasterWu pull them away. Anyone in the red circle should move out on their own. If ScarletFruit gets targeted, ClearWind should use Sword Array to reduce damage for him.”
Su Mo continued, “When ink comes and for single whip attacks we should hide under my Bear, and for full whip attacks little Bear should use Giant Mountain Shield.”
The new round of the boss had increased defense and attacks, but the coordination among the seven-member team had become more harmonious.
Everyone in the team was operationally aware players. Dodging skills was second nature, and under the commander’s instructions, they precisely deployed protective skills to safeguard their teammates. The summoner’s bear withstood most of the Ink’s assaults. As long as the cleric kept healing, it acted as a natural protective shield. Even if healing faltered, the defensive skills of the magical swordsman and physical swordsman were there to cover. Under these conditions, with a group healer, the seven-person team could endure more whip damage efficiently compared to being dispersed.
Not long after, they had pushed the boss’s health down to 75%.
As they continued fighting, they became more proficient in handling the skill mechanisms. For instance, when little Bear saw the boss’s tentacles closing in, he knew to activate the Giant Mountain Shield to block the instant kill.
Similarly, when they observed changes in the boss’s movements, they remained vigilant for signs of upcoming skills like red circles, small mobs, or Ink attacks.
With the commander’s predictions and pre-emptive commands, the team smoothly dodged skills like flowing water. At one point, ScarletFruit even felt that healing this time was easier than the last.
“Magical swordsman move out of the circle, prepare to splash seawater,” Su Mo instructed.
Just as Su Mo finished giving the command, he noticed another change in the boss’s posture and immediately said, “It might be small mobs, hold your attacks.”
As expected, the next moment, small mobs appeared out of thin air. ChatMasterWu immediately rushed up and skillfully diverted the aggro of the small mobs.
This boss didn’t have a countdown timer; the only change indicator was its attacking posture. Apart from the main tank handling the full force attacks, the actions for other skill mechanisms were very similar, but with subtle differences upon closer observation—such as the angle at which it lifted its tentacles, or the timing of its gestures. These changes were very subtle and easy to misjudge, requiring the commander to carefully observe and react swiftly within a short period.
At the same time, Su Mo also noticed a very fine detail: the boss’s attack frequency had increased, gradually raising the pressure on them. The weaknesses of their lineup were starting to show.
The increased attack frequency meant that their defensive skills’ cooldowns couldn’t keep up, the pressure on healing doubled, and the reaction times of other teammates needed to be faster. Meanwhile, the players’ mana fluctuations accelerated, making the boss’s attacks unpredictable. ScarletFruit even took several direct hits from the boss; if not for timely damage reduction from Black Tortoise, ScarletFruit might have been downed again.
“When we reach 51% health, stop attacking,” Su Mo immediately commanded. “We cannot afford any mistakes.”
The other teammates were a bit surprised upon hearing this. “Are we not going to continue attacking? We can still grind down its health.”
“Our team composition is at a disadvantage. If the boss gets stronger or doubles its attack frequency after 50%, ScarletFruit won’t be able to keep up with healing.”
The margin for error is too low. Even if multiple people die, it will bring even more difficulty. Previously, they hadn’t considered the boss’s attack frequency, assuming it would remain stable until 50%. As they continued, they found that the boss’s attacks sped up. Without a thorough understanding of the subsequent skills, the difficulty below 50% is immeasurable.
If healing can’t keep up, deaths will lead to increased defense and attack power, similar to a snowball effect, making the boss stronger the longer it lasts.
This boss is suitable for a slow and steady approach; rushing it increases the risk of errors. Especially for their fragile team composition, caution is paramount.
When they reached 51%, Black Tortoise decisively stepped back, with ChatMasterWu in the front, the team maintained formation and charged into the cave.
They were quick this time, with good coordination, and their output rhythm increased as well. Surprisingly, they hadn’t spent an hour yet and had already reached 51%.
Upon arriving at the cave, everyone looked at Su Mo, wondering if he had another plan.
“But if we stop now, how will we know the details of the skill mechanism? Aren’t we just idling?” Apple asked with confusion. “And we still need to try out skills outside…”
ClearWind added, “True. If a few of us can cautiously continue the quest, but aren’t they outside in a hurry?”
Su Mo chimed in, “If the skill mechanisms of both bosses are similar, why should only we test them ourselves? Since it’s riskier for us to fight below 50%, why not go for the Global Boss?”
The others were momentarily stunned by his words. Yes! Outside, as long as they hit below 50%, they could also test the skills!
Su Mo opened the game System settings. “Outside, the margin for error is much higher than ours.”
The group immediately opened up new ideas. ZenSlasher asked, “So are we waiting for daytime now to send out all the skill messages? Haven’t we informed them about the defense matters?”
At the time, it was just speculation, but during this round of nightfall, they also realized that defense was indeed somewhat related to the number of deaths.
“Not waiting for daytime,” Su Mo chose to switch accounts. “I’ll switch to another account and go out to fight, and come back later.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately turned into white smoke and disappeared in front of his teammates.
This statement opened up a new line of thinking for the teammates, indeed!
They left someone behind to keep the mission scene occupied, while others with alternate accounts could go out to observe the situation outside.
As a multi-account user, ScarletFruit was about to switch accounts when he suddenly remembered something, “Wait… does my big brother have another account?”
Outside, the Global area had already entered night, with darkness enveloping the East Sea region. The massive Lord of the Deep Sea was swiftly slaughtering the crowd.
When Su Mo opened his eyes, data belonging to a marksman was presented before him one by one. Before he could carefully examine the skills, a prompt appeared almost the moment he logged in.
[（Serene Essence Temple·array master） UnchainedWanderer invites you to join their team. Do you accept the invitation?]
It was as if they had been waiting for him for a long time.
