“It’s about time to get revenge.”
I was too caught up in making a killing off of Empty Cans and forgot about my true goal—The Big One. Even if that’s not my true goal, I’m not about to make picking up cans a career.
It’s been a week since and my Energy and Skills have been upgraded accordingly. I might have a chance now. I check my status just in case.
Name/ Kizuna†Exceed
Race/ Spirit
Energy/ 6,340
Mana/ 150
Serin/ 148,540
Skills/ Energy Production VI, Mana Production IV, Fishing Mastery III, Gutting Mastery II, Trans.m.u.tation I
Energy Production VI
Generates 2,000 Energy per hour
Costs 2,600 Mana to upgrade.
Mana Production IV
Generates 50 Mana per hour
Consumes 1,400 Energy per hour
Costs 3,200 Mana to upgrade
Fishing Mastery III
All actions with a fishing rod receives a 30% buff.
Consumes 400 Energy per hour.
Costs 400 Mana to upgrade.
Gutting Mastery II
All actions with a gutting weapon receives a 20% buff.
Consumes 200 Energy per hour.
Costs 200 Mana to upgrade.
Trans.m.u.tation I
Converts items to Energy.
Right now, I consume as much Energy as I produce, so I’m only barely sc.r.a.ping by with Trans.m.u.tation I.
Mastery skills are usually unlocked by gaining a certain item count.
For Fishing Mastery, it’s based on how many fish you’ve caught.
I unlocked Gutting Mastery by obtaining 1,000 items through gutting.
Rank I was fairly easy to unlock, but II is a huge leap up. With Fishing Mastery, it jumped from catching 100, to 500, then to 1,000 fish. Gutting Mastery increases similarly.
I heard from Alto that combat Masteries are unlocked by getting a certain number of kills with the appropriate weapon.
I’m not sure whether it’s a little-known fact or that no one fully understands it yet, but it’s rumored that using a gutting weapon that’s effective on your opponent will make them drop special items.
Though the low damage of gutting weapons is somewhat of a controversial topic.
Well, in any case, it seems like people have figured it out. Even for such a controversy, you still gotta use it to get the drops you need.
Right now, I have equipped a set of cerulean, indigo clothes called the “Caterpillar”.
There’s a superst.i.tion among us fishers that one can catch a lot more by wearing dark colors when fishing at night.
It seems like fishers in real life have a similar belief.
I’m not sure whether it’s true or not, but since I had been fishing a lot at night for Empty Cans, I’m praying to the G.o.ds that my dark clothes will make a difference.
Anyway, time to get fishing today.
By the way, it’s early morning right now.
It was at noon when The Big One got away that time. It might just mean that I have a chance at noon again.
And later today, the three of us… sisters are planning to get together.
I’m definitely catching The Big One. My one week of effort will not go to waste.
I fervently fished for 10 hours.
I’ve been catching nothing but herring since six this morning. There wasn’t even so much a sign of The Big One.
It might have just really been a coincidence that The Big One bit that time.
Even if it takes me days or weeks, I will catch you. Mark my words.
—Herring obtained.
“Another herring? Odd how there are so many of them today.”
Upgrading Fishing Mastery is supposed to increase the catch rate of all fish, but for some reason, I’ve caught nothing but herrings today.
I stick it in the creel jam-packed with all the other herring.
“… the G.o.d of Herring must be here with me.”
Well, I don’t think any G.o.d would show up in a video game.
Or no, actually. Maybe there indeed are G.o.ds in this game’s world. Who knows?
“… hmm?”
A great shadow appears on the surface of the water.
I tightly grasp my fishing rod with ever-growing antic.i.p.ation.
Don’t get impatient. Don’t you dare rush this. Be absolute.
I’m no longer the same person I was a week ago. No way I’m letting you get away this time.
“C’mere, c’mere, c’mere…”
I may be wrought with anxiety, but I focus on the tip of my rod and not the shadow in the water.
It’s just as I’ve practiced up ‘til now.
“That’s a bite!”
It’s the same s.n.a.t.c.h I felt on that day before I fell into the sea.
I plant myself to the ground and brace myself.
Then I felt a strong tug directly from the rod.
That sensation is a little fuzzier than usual.
It gets stronger on every tug with the blips like hit detection or something.
But I’m not about to lose at this test of might.
“Have at my Fishing Mastery III!”
Carefully and rapidly does this shift in offense and defense change.
It’s the strongest opponent I’ve faced thus far. It truly is The Big One.
The battle drew out for another 30 minutes.
The Big One was getting tired.
Taking the chance, I press on with my attack.
My fishing rod creaks and my focus is starting to wane, but since I’m in a game, I think I’ll be alright.
“This is the ultimate showdown!”
The blips continue to pulse through the rod.
And then, The Big One flies out of the water—
“Ahahahaha! What the heck is that?! It’s huge! A huge herring!”
With a dissatisfied look on my face, I met up with my two sisters.
Strapped to my back is a giant fish. Correction: it’s The Big One—a giant herring.
The Big One was just a herring all along!
People point and stare at it on my back. It’s rough.
I was just about to put it into my inventory when Kanata and Tsumugi showed up.
And right now, Tsumugi is taking screenshot after screenshot of me… I guess not so much screenshots, but photographs.
All screenshots are saved in the USB flash drive we were given for our character creation. But similarly, I’ve taken a few pictures of the fish I caught. And of course, that includes The Big One.
For some reason though, people have been striking weird poses when they see me and the fish…
“Don’t laugh at your brother, Tsumugi… pfft!”
“Speak for yourself!”
But seriously. Who’da thunk that The Big One would be a herring?
And why herring?
They don’t seem that tasty either…
In any case, the three of us managed to meet up together.
It’s the first time I’ve seen them in game… and it really boggles my mind.
“Why am I the littlest one?”
“I’ve always wanted another little sister!”
Kanate is a Human.
It’s no surprise she’s pretty since we’re in a game, but her character is actually beautiful. She’s got two very visible protrusions too.
Her chest is big in real life, but these are bigger.
But it’s not that simple either. There’s jiggle physics. They have a bit of a sag to them.
“Me too!”
Tsumugi is a Lycanthrope.
It’s called Lycanthrope, but instead fox ears flop from her heard and accent her character. Her face, though, looks somewhat like her older sister’s.
Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s are neither large nor small. To be precise, they’re exactly the size of a dating sim heroine.
She’s quite a bit taller than me though… about as tall as a middle schooler?
“That’s your reason for making me a loli? Oh, but of course.”
And that leaves me, a Spirit.
My body is quite transparent, my chest flat, and all in all pet.i.te.
I look vaguely similar to those two.
Mm. We definitely seem like sisters.
I can’t help but to sigh.
“… I’d be lying if I claimed I don’t have more I’d like to say, but whatever.”
“That’s a satisfied sigh at how cute of a little girl you are, right?!”
“So? How has the past week been for you two?”
“Totally flew by!”
I ignored her quip and changed topics.
Honestly, we wouldn’t be finished until sundown.
“It was super interesting!”
“Perhaps it’d be right to say that I’ve just settled in.”
They both begin talking about their past week.
Tsumugi, as expected, played the game like a total shut-in. She’s the highest level amongst us.
I don’t have levels so I’m not exactly sure but seeing how she’s been hard at work every day, she’s got to be stronger than me, someone who hasn’t even left the beginning area.
At least she got together with her pals to beat the first boss to unlock the second city.
Kanate plays a bit a bit more reservedly.
Unlike Tsumugi who excels at FPS’s and action games, our eldest sister is more of an RPG-type person.
Kanate isn’t someone who would be easily defeated though. If my sisters are fighting each other, the younger one would likely fall first. Of course, against a prodigy like her, it wouldn’t be quick or easy.
That’s not to say Kanate isn’t playing seriously. Though she hasn’t been at the frontline as much as Tsumugi has, she spent three days finding her perfect weapon, testing each type out. You can even call her a model gamer.
“How about you, Big Bro Kizuna?”
“Ah, yeah, it’s been interesting, fishing.”
“Huh? Kizuna, you’ve been doing nothing but fishing?”
“Y-Yeah? So what? And I’ll have you know I haven’t even been out of this town yet!”
I was met with ice cold stares.
Thank goodness that didn’t awaken any m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic side in me.
“Uhmmm, Big Bro? Do you wanna go check out the next town over? There’s a river there. And what kind of weapon are you using?”
“A gutting knife.”
“Is it a little on the weak side? Don’t gutting knives get you extra item drops when you kill monsters with them?”
“Yep, that’s right.”
I don’t think they truly understand what they’re for.
It’s probably just some kind of joke weapon for them.
“There are some items you can’t get without one of those gutting weapons. Pa.s.s them along to me if you get any, okie dokie?”
“Is that so?”
“I think there are quite a few of those items too. They trade for quite a lot between players. But since it deals rather low damage, it’s not very popular. Plus, it’s not often you get special drops either.”
How interesting.
Maybe I can gut monsters too.
I’ll try fighting monsters tomorrow.
I should probably be looking for a new weapon too.
I didn’t feel like I really needed one, so I hadn’t been looking for it, even when I was implementing the Empty Can Strategy. And plus, I have to get the appropriate weapon for each monster type.
It’s not likely that I can use my Novice Gutting Knife.
“Do you want me to getcha some good equips, Big Bro?”
“There’s the matter of pride when an older brother gets gifted things by their little sisters…”
“Whatcha talkin’ about?! I always lend you items when we game together.”
She’s right.
Sometimes, this game is too realistic, and it gets me confused.
“Well, it’s not like I’m hurting for money. If you let me know what to get, I’ll pay for it myself.”
“Even though you’ve only been fishing?”
“Did you see those Iron Ingots that were for sale until not long ago?”
“Huh? Yeah. I used some yesterday.”
“Actually, I was the one who got the materials for them.”
“Really? What were they? Some guy named Altorese said it was a trade secret or somethin’, so I have no clue about it.”
“As soon as people found ores, we told everyone about our secret. And that’s why I’m not hurting for money.”
“So? What’s ya secret?”
I flashed a smug grin at the floppy fox-eared Tsumugi.
“Those ingots were made from Empty Cans, y’know?”
Seeing the shocked look on their faces is enough satisfaction to last me another week.
: // // // // // // /ch006/ /next/
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