Chapter 64-1: Fishing Growth Path (1) |
The purification task reward for the Cloud Field Territory Node stirred the hearts of all players.
The independent farming space mentioned in the rewards was like a built-in planting mini-game within the original game, but only players who ranked on the contribution leaderboard were eligible to use it.
By consulting Guide, players learned that they only needed to sow seeds in the spirit field mini-game, wait for the spiritual plants to mature rapidly, harvest them, and then plant new seeds.
This was equivalent to gaining a small sacrificial power production pool.
Although the income produced might not be high, the key was that this sacrificial power income was an additional yield unrelated to hunting, mining, or other labor.
In other words, it was like earning money while lying down.
Unfortunately, the Corrosion Core occupying Cloud Field was extremely powerful, capable of controlling large numbers of corrupted plants with hunt levels of 30-45 to fight, which current players had no ability to overcome.
Still, some players figured out ways to farm contribution points.
Although they couldn’t capture the node, as long as they dealt damage, it would count towards contribution value, which gave many players new ideas.
As a result, the Cloud Field purification contribution leaderboard became a battleground for lower-level players in the early stages.
—
6 PM.
After a busy day, Wu Quan returned home exhausted.
Pushing open the door, he saw a table full of delicious dishes.
The household robot greeted him warmly and asked if he needed anything else.
Ignoring the robot, Wu Quan tossed his work bag onto the sofa, washed his hands, and began devouring dinner.
After finishing, he pulled out his phone to check his chat apps, immediately seeing a string of nagging messages from his mother.
Mom: You’re already 30 and still haven’t found a partner. You may not be in a hurry, but I’m anxious to hold a grandchild (angry.jpg).
Mom: Why aren’t you replying? How do you feel about the girl Aunt Wang introduced you to? Any plans to take it further?
Mom: (heartbroken mother.jpg) Tell me the truth, are you into men? Is that why you haven’t found anyone?
—
Scrolling through his mother’s bombardment of messages, Wu Quan chose to ignore them.
After instructing the housekeeper robot to clear the table, he walked over to the game pod.
Ever since he obtained access to Dark Land through a link, entering the game after work had become one of his few joys.
His game time ran from 8 PM to 9 AM the next day, and he even slept inside the game pod.
But his way of playing was different from most players.
Hunting, gathering, exploring… he found these aspects of the game far too tiring and had no interest in them.
When he was younger, he had been a hardcore gamer, but as he grew older, his attitude toward gaming became more laid-back. He no longer liked competition and preferred casual, relaxing gameplay.
Now, his only enjoyment in gaming came from one thing: fishing.
Even before experiencing Dark Land, he had been a dedicated fishing enthusiast.
Every holiday, he would pack up his gear and head out to fish.
The process was deeply relaxing for him.
He usually chose scenic spots near lakes, rivers, reservoirs, or the seaside.
Each fishing trip allowed him to immerse himself in nature, escape the noise of the city, enjoy the tranquility and beauty, bask in the sunlight, breathe fresh air, listen to the gentle waves, feel the breeze on his face, and enjoy close contact with nature. It soothed his soul and made him forget about work troubles.
The only downside was: he rarely caught any fish.
He lived in Yunwu City, which bordered the sea. During the Mechanical War, the area had been bombed with multiple mutation warheads. Although the pollution had been cleaned up, many fish species had undergone genetic mutations due to the warheads, making fishing far more difficult.
Especially in recent years, it seemed as if the fish had grown intelligent. They refused blood bait, aromatic bait, grain bait, simulated bait… no matter what bait was used, they wouldn’t bite. The difficulty of catching fish had skyrocketed.
Sometimes he even felt like pulling out his phone, opening the a delivery app, tossing it into the water, and letting the fish place their own food orders before obediently biting the hook.
As the fun of real-world fishing declined, he turned to virtual games to fulfill his hobby.
His first target was Dark Land, which had just been released and was advertised as having perfect immersion.
He figured that since the game claimed to be hyper-realistic, it must allow for some non-mainstream gameplay, like fishing.
But the biggest problem with this game was how difficult it was to obtain access, money alone couldn’t guarantee it. You had to fight for qualifications when they were issued on the official website, and the odds of success were extremely low.
He had thought that his chances of playing the game within three years were slim.
Unexpectedly, a few years ago, someone in a well-known gaming guild group he had joined posted a cracked version download link.
He was lucky enough to get in and downloaded the game.
Upon first entering the game, its realism amazed him and made him even more excited about the possibility of fishing in the virtual world.
In the days he spent playing Dark Land, he trekked across mountains and rivers to find a quiet fishing spot.
Finally, a week ago, he discovered a fishing paradise.
The location was a small lake west of Emperor’s Mound Village, south of Spirit Weapon Valley. It was lush with vegetation, rarely saw Evil Entities or monsters, and most importantly, was filled with fish life.
But finding a good fishing spot was only part of the challenge.
He still had to solve several issues.
Besides crafting fishing gear and bait, the most critical factor was having a strong body.
Even the weakest monsters in the game possessed physical aptitudes far beyond human norms. Without leveling up his monster form, fishing was impossible.
The fish in the lake bit frequently, but getting a bite didn’t mean success.
The real challenge was pulling the fish out of the water.
His chosen Gargoyle primary form started at level 1. The brute force of the fish could easily drag him into the lake and swallow him whole.
Who was catching who remained uncertain.
To solve this problem, he followed the main forces to hunt and level up in areas like the Blood-Soaked Plains and the Ancient Battlefield.
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