The Fishing Competition and the Power of Deterrence

"Hmm, he just returned from another world, he must be very busy. You'll need to be patient."

"We need to consider the bigger picture. He's very important to us right now, so you'll be in charge of the follow-up coordination from now on."

Lu Zheng gave the instructions.

He thought about the gap between different Life Level, and hoped that it wasn't too late...

Since Qin Xiao, other players who obtained evolution potions have successively broken through to the Level One Lifeform, and the entire God's Domain has shown a vibrant atmosphere.

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief," the Red Garment replied, forcing a smile.

That master is becoming increasingly difficult to please.

Fortunately, the Legion still has what the enemy needs.

At this very moment.

The world chat was buzzing with excitement.

The dead are dead, and the living must live on.

Our Fixed Team is missing a damage dealer, either a magic or physical attacker, and must be an evolved being! Those below level one, please do not apply!

"Long-term buyer of Honor Jade. Interested parties please contact me privately. Fair prices guaranteed!"

Are there any high-level wilderness teams recruiting? I've already evolved and am a level 87 Swordsman.

"This is ridiculous! To be removed from the Fixed Team just because someone hasn't evolved yet—is that appropriate? Everyone will evolve eventually. This is too snobbish. Why rush it?"

"That's not true. Those who can obtain the evolution potion first are either exceptionally strong or have their own connections."

"Those who have not yet been assigned a position indicate that they still have shortcomings."

That's why I was eliminated from the team, so why complain?

This statement, though blunt, is not without merit.

Players who failed to obtain the evolution potion can only wait for the official distribution, which in itself means that their combat strength or contributions have not been recognized.

In a game, falling behind even one step leads to falling behind every step of the way.

Unless you can cheat or spend money.

They're all the same thing.

Paying to win is the same as cheating.

The inability to find a stable team means falling behind in terms of equipment acquisition and dungeon progress.

The number of dungeon attempts for the new week has been reset again.

Besides Qin Xiao, Dragon Diagram Frenzy also successfully advanced.

The two of them expended a great deal of effort and used many tools to finally pass through the Barbarian God Hall · Front Hall.

Whether the final equipment rewards will outweigh the investment remains to be seen.

But at least his reputation has caught up.

As for the Middle Hall, Zhang Mingzhen led the two through it.

As it turned out, the key to the rear hall was indeed rare—only Kuangzhan among the three obtained one, which he handed over to Zhang Mingzhen as agreed beforehand.

This was precisely the condition Zhang Mingzhen agreed to on leading the two through the Middle Hall.

As more players reach level 90 next week, the number of teams capable of challenging the Middle Hall will naturally increase.

At that time, the key guarantee of entering the rear hall at least once a week will be achieved.

Just as he retrieved another piece of Radiant series equipment from the back hall, an event announcement rang out in the world chat channel, a sound that hadn't been heard in a long time.

World Announcement: "All players on the server will experience a level increase. The God's Domain will open a temporary special event in six hours—Fishing Competition! Players can bring their own fishing gear and go to the designated area to participate."

"Competitive fishing?"

The world channel is bustling again.

The players were quite surprised.

This is, after all, the first time that a competition centered on life skills has appeared in the God's Domain.

Players with high fishing skill levels are usually focused on support and lifestyle gameplay, and rarely use their experience points for PvP or monster hunting.

However, most players who excel in combat but lack life skills expressed strong dissatisfaction with this.

Why a fishing competition of all?

"What kind of skills can this kind of event demonstrate? My fishing skills are still at level zero. Am I just going to have to watch from the sidelines this time?"

"Yeah, the enemy is coming, the monsters are coming, are we going to rely on fishing and air force tactics to kill them?"

"Damn it, who said fishing is useless and doesn't require skill? Our Fishing Association is the first to disagree! You guys don't understand the ins and outs at all!"

"Yeah, fishing yields lots of Rare Tier items. Why don't you guys eat the fish that give you experience points!"

"I just checked the rewards in the event shop—oh my god, it's all experience points! Even the most common fish can be exchanged for experience, which is much more efficient than grinding monsters in the wild!"

"I feel even more depressed after reading this."

"What's the use of players who spend all day fishing even if they get a lot of experience? They're not interested in combat, so it's a waste for them to reach high levels."

"That's amateurish talk! You've clearly never even touched a fishing rod before! Don't you know how amazing the combat power of high-level fish in 'God's Domain' is?"

"Successfully catching it is one thing, but being able to subdue it and put it in the fish basket is the real skill!"

"So, does that mean I have a chance to participate? Let's team up with a reliable fishing expert; I'm ranked high on the leaderboard!"

Zhang Mingzhen, of course, had never tried fishing before.

Noticing that the announcement mentioned the possibility of participating in teams, he couldn't help but wonder if he needed to find a partner.

While browsing the reward list in the event shop, he noticed that although there were many types of fish in "God's Domain," this time, the competition was limited to specific waters, so the types of fish he could encounter were also fixed.

The competition provides the following basic rules:

"The types of fish, from most expensive to least expensive, are: Black Bass → Squid → Sailfish → Lionfish → Turtle Fish → Red Silk Fish → Fluorescent Fish → Manli Dragon Fish → Silver Eel Spirit Fish → Unknown species."

The corresponding integrals are: 1→2→3→5→8→10→20→40→60→Unknown.

Most of the players Zhang Mingzhen knows are focused on combat; he doesn't really have any friends Immortality skills.

I need you to provide a fishing partner with a high skill level.

He succinctly conveyed his needs to the Red Garment, expressing his confidence that she could make the necessary arrangements.

Shortly after, the Red Garment replied, "We anticipated that you might need help, and we've already found someone you know— 'Never Nourish the Stomach,' the guild member who traded with you for the Spirit Realm Fish before."

"I've already asked him to add you as a friend. You two can discuss the details directly."

"Never Nourish the Stomach" is indeed the top fishing player in the guild. If he hadn't asked Chongxing, there would probably already be a long line of people waiting to team up with him.

It's just that the name is so disgusting, everyone calls him "Little Yong".

"Long time no see, master! You should still remember me, right? Haha, I never expected to have the honor of teaming up with you."

"Don't worry, with me here, the championship is definitely ours!"

Upon learning of the collaboration with Chongxing, Never Nourish the Stomach had already prepared a complete set of equipment.

According to the fishing points rules, he only needs to focus on challenging the most difficult Silver Eel Spirit Fish, and leave the rest to Chongxing.

With the competition approaching, Zhang Mingzhen is still grinding monsters in the wild.

He wasn't familiar with the professional preparations for fishing, so he left it all to Never Nourish the Stomach to handle.

It's not too late to meet up with him once the event officially begins.

Also, check if the fish you catch are bound to something. If they can be traded freely, things will be much simpler.

During the time Zhang Mingzhen was away from Earth, the Undersea Dragon Palace territory had been occupied by alliance guilds such as "Contending for the World".

However, after his return, the other party voluntarily gave him half of the week's earnings, probably out of concern for causing conflict.

Although Zhang Mingzhen had already accumulated a great deal of wealth and didn't care much about Gold Coins, he had no reason to refuse the benefits that were offered to him.

Of course, he still had some complaints.

However, seeing that the other party was so sensible, they refrained from visiting them for the time being.

Otherwise, it would be another massacre of the entire family.

If this competition allowed trading of fish catches with Gold Coins, it would certainly be more convenient.

With less than half an hour left before the start of the match, the vast majority of teams had already assembled.

The event requires two players to team up, and a common combination is a combat player paired with a fishing expert.

"You're incredibly lucky! I checked the registration list, and you're actually on the same team as the Chongxing!"

A member of the Fishing Association who was familiar with "Never Nourish the Stomach" came over, his tone full of envy.

"How many times have I told you to use my full name! Otherwise, what's the point of having this name? Besides, my fishing level is top-tier among players, so teaming up with a pro is only natural."

The other party did not refute.

"Never Nourish the Stomach" is indeed one of the few players who have reached level six in fishing, ranking high among casual game players.

With the assistance of a strong individual like Chongxing, their chances of entering the top three are almost guaranteed.

But we can't let him get too cocky; we have to give him a little nudge.

Don't be too confident.

"Fishing level doesn't determine everything. This skill differs from other gathering activities; it relies on chance and luck."

"A level 5 angler may also have a catch comparable to a level 6 angler; it all depends on the circumstances at the time."

You should be careful and avoid any accidental mishaps.

Just as "Never Nourish the Stomach" was about to scoff at him, a Radiant Four-Winged Angel Wings appeared on the horizon in the distance.

Currently, only one player possesses such advanced wings.

"Master, I'm here! Someone said we might accidentally capsize in the gutter!"

You son of a bitch!

After arriving at the designated sea area for the event, Zhang Mingzhen quickly found "Never Nourish the Stomach" in the dense crowd.

Advanced anglers often sail small sailboards to the "central waters" to target high-end fish species that inhabit the deep sea.

Conversely, players with lower fishing levels who focus on low-level fish tend to choose to fish from the shore.

It's not necessarily true that teams that go to the deep sea to fish for high-grade fish will score more points than teams that cast their lines from the shore—if you can grasp the patterns, winning by sheer numbers isn't difficult either.

In short, the key is to act within your means and find the method that best suits you.

"Master, do you think our location at South Reef is suitable?"

"Whatever you say. You know more about this, so you can take care of the arrangements. I'll just focus on putting the fish we catch into the basket."

After registering for the event, the system will automatically provide temporary space props such as fish baskets and fishing nets, which can accommodate various types of fish.

However, many advanced anglers still prefer to use tools they make themselves.

For example, the fishing rod and line that he Never Nourish the Stomach uses are handcrafted by him through a series of tasks—only those who reach a certain fishing level are allowed to make their own fishing tackle.

Fishing novices like Zhang Mingzhen can only use the fishing gear provided by the system.

By this time, most teams had already chosen their positions. "Hey, you guys move back! We were here first, we've already set up our hideout!"

"What are you talking about? Baiting for sea fishing? Who are you trying to fool! Get out of my way!"

"Everyone, please cooperate; the fishing lines are all tangled because we're too close."

"Listen to me, each team must maintain a distance of at least fifty meters!"

"Get lost! Who do you think you are!"

Such disturbances have no effect on a master angler like Never Nourish the Stomach.

"Master, summoning pets and flying are prohibited during the event."

"Just watch my performance."

"Hmm." Zhang Mingzhen nodded.

Banning summoned pets is understandable – some players' water-type Summoned Beasts can have an advantage in water, which would be unfair to others.

But why is flying not allowed?

This doubt was resolved the moment he saw Never Nourish the Stomach catch its first Red Silk Fish.

Zhang Mingzhen had never seen a fish that could jump so high and move so fast. If Ordinary Player was not prepared, it would be very easy for it to escape.

Fortunately, Zhang Mingzhen used his Teleportation ability to quickly approach and subdue the first fish, preventing it from escaping for nothing. Otherwise, it would have been embarrassing in front of everyone.

Indeed, under the watchful eyes of everyone—from the moment he appeared, almost all the contestants' eyes were quietly fixed on him.

If you let the fish escape right at the start of the game, you'll lose face completely.

Fortunately, the activity area is not limited to this place; there are several other sea areas to choose from.

Many high-level teams even noticed Cheater "Chongxing" was there and had already moved away in advance—with him around, who would have the confidence to compete?

Zhang Mingzhen noticed that the average fishing frequency of the group was about one fish per minute.

Lower-level fish species take less time to catch, while higher-level fish species take more time and are more difficult.

While "Never Nourish the Stomach" was focused on fishing, Zhang Mingzhen took a closer look at the Red Silk Fish: its fins were spread out like butterfly wings, and its scales shimmered with a dazzling luster.

No wonder it's so fast; he speculated that these fish might have the ability to fly briefly out of the water.

Comparing the points, one Red Silk Fish is worth ten points, equivalent to ten Black Bass, while the hook-up speed is almost the same—the advantage of a higher fishing level is indeed obvious.

Furthermore, the fish caught aren't bound to the player's account... Does this mean I can buy some with Gold Coins?

The store stipulates that each player can redeem a maximum of 10,000 points, so acquiring 10,000 points should not be difficult.

Once the event is over, I'll announce in the world chat that I'm buying fish—right now everyone's busy fishing and ranking up, so they probably won't have time to trade.

Never Nourish the Stomach, he truly lives up to his reputation as a seasoned fishing expert, demonstrating extremely consistent performance.

In less than half an hour, twenty Red Silk Fish, five Fluorescent Fish, and one Manli Dragon Fish had been caught.

The team's score reached 340 points, temporarily placing them in first place.

However, the second-place team is close behind with 300 points.

It can be said that the point difference between the top ten teams is not large, and the catch of a few high-level fish is enough to affect the team ranking.

After all, it's not easy to cheat here.

At that very moment, another team overtook Zhang Mingzhen and his group, their score suddenly jumping sixty points, firmly taking the top spot.

Players also noticed the changes in rankings in the server-wide chat.

"Look! That Little Slob team caught Silver Eel Spirit Fish and took first place!"

"Really?"

"I've never even seen Silver Eel before. Isn't that the rarest species below level eight spirit fish?"

"Isn't Little Slob's fishing skill only level six?"

"They probably just hit the jackpot."

"However, their team was really lucky today, catching big fish one after another, even Chongxing Chongxing's team."