The Second Training: Catching Mist Fish

The Second Training: Catching Mist Fish

"Perfect. Wash those wet clothes of yours and hang them up to dry. We'll rest here for half a day and do the second training while we're at it."

John called out to Parr, who was hopping around like a drenched chicken. Parr immediately stopped jumping, wiped his face, and turned to John with a puzzled expression.

"The second training?"

"That's right."

John nodded and smiled as he pointed at the small river before Parr.

"Observation training. There's a special kind of fish in the Fluorescent River called Mist Fish. When they swim, fine splashes like water mist appear around their bodies, interfering with our vision. What you need to do, little one, is catch Mist Fish."

"Got it!"

Parr nodded. After John's explanation, he understood what John meant. The splashes around the Mist Fish interfered with his sight, so if he wanted to catch one, he had to observe carefully, locate its real body, and only then make his move.

It had to be said, this really was a great way to train observation. Whoever had come up with it was a genius!

Parr marveled to himself again. He took off his wet clothes, used several branches to make a rack, and hung them up. Then, wearing only a pair of shorts, he rushed into the river and lowered his head to watch the water.

"Are there really this many Mist Fish?"

At a glance, Parr spotted Mist Fish matching John's description. Their silver scales glittered, and there were quite a few of them, large and small alike. They swam leisurely through the water without any fear of people.

What else was there to say? Catch them! Parr stared unblinkingly at a Mist Fish that kept circling him. He did not strike immediately. Instead, he filtered out the visual interference of the fine splashes, found the fish's true body, and only then reached out.

Splash!

Flap, flap, flap...

"I caught a Mist Fish!"

Parr succeeded on his first try. He gripped a sparkling silver Mist Fish tightly in both hands and shouted toward John, who was building something on the shore.

"Very good!"

John praised him, then called out loudly.

"Throw the Mist Fish over here, then keep catching them. You'll only pass when you can identify the fish's true body within a single breath."

"Got it!"

Parr did not throw the Mist Fish to John right away. Instead, he returned to the shore, drew the Black Short Sword, and gave the fish a slash.

"Uncle John, this fish is struggling too much. I'll kill it before I throw it to you."

"Fine!"

Why had John decided to rest here for half a day? Training Parr's observation was one reason. The other was that they were running low on rations.

Before setting out, John had only asked Old Man Jack for three days' worth of food and water. That was because he had seen on the map that there was a Fluorescent River here. Not only could they replenish their water supply, but they could also catch Mist Fish and make dried fish for food over the next few days. Together with the wild beasts they hunted along the way—Stupid Rabbits—it would be enough to get the two of them through this short journey.

John had his own way of making dried fish. As Battle Qi surged over his palms, one Mist Fish after another was processed and laid on a nearby rock, awaiting the next step.

What was the next step? Preservation. Though dried Mist Fish could already be stored for a long time, their flavor would inevitably change over time. To eat better, John needed a special kind of plant.

And that plant was right...

John narrowed his eyes toward the upper reaches of the Fluorescent River, then called loudly to Parr, "Little one, keep an eye out. Sometimes Fluorescent Lotus flowers drift down from upstream on the Fluorescent River. They're blue-and-white flowers. If you see one, pick it up. I need them over here."

"Sure!"

Parr replied without lifting his head, then suddenly thrust out the Black Short Sword in his hand and skewered a Mist Fish. The uneven blade of the Black Short Sword proved useful now, effectively keeping the Mist Fish from slipping off as it was lifted from the water.

Anyway, John had only said Parr needed to find the Mist Fish. He had not said what method he had to use to catch them. This was perfectly reasonable, and he could also kill Mist Fish to gain Energy Points.

"I'm so smart!"

After tossing the Mist Fish to John on the shore, Parr praised himself. Then he looked upstream. He had noticed earlier that blue-and-white lotus flowers occasionally drifted down from upstream, but John had not mentioned them then, so Parr had not paid them any attention.

Another Fluorescent Lotus drifted down with the current. It was not moving quickly, so Parr walked over and scooped it up. Instantly, a faint fragrance drifted into his nose, refreshing his mind.

Sniff, sniff!

Parr sniffed and looked at the Fluorescent Lotus in surprise. This fragrance felt familiar! Thinking carefully, was it not the faint scent carried by the water of the Fluorescent River?

"A magical flower. This is the charm of another world!"

After turning the Fluorescent Lotus over a few times, Parr sighed as he looked at the rootless flower, then tossed it toward John.

And so, Parr caught fish while scooping up flowers. Half a day passed quickly. Perhaps he was naturally gifted, or perhaps it was a hidden effect of the Bright Eyes Talent, but by noon, he could already identify a Mist Fish's true body within a single breath, then thrust out the Black Short Sword and catch it.

"Alright, that's enough. Come up here, little one!"

Having finished preparing everything, John stood on the shore. He watched Parr's performance and nodded in satisfaction before calling out to him.

"Okay!"

Parr was tired as well. The cool river water had affected his Stamina, and his Stamina was now nearly depleted.

"Let me count... I caught over a hundred Mist Fish!"

After drying himself off, Parr put on his clothes and counted the Mist Fish John had processed. There were more than a hundred. Only then did he look at his Status Panel.

Name: Parr Tianxing Gender: Male Race: Human Race

Age: 10 (20)

Realm: Elementary Knight Apprentice (10/100)

...

Life Energy Points: 90 Mental Energy Points: 107

The haul was not bad. Parr had gained 40 Life Energy Points from catching and killing fish that morning. Together with the results of his training over the past few days, he now had just enough to raise his realm by one level. However, he did not do so.

"Life Energy Points still aren't plentiful right now. The road ahead is unknown. To be safe, I have to keep enough for one instant full recovery."

In another world, survival came first. Parr understood that well. He planned to save up some more Life Energy Points, upgrade Talent Prompt Wake-Up first, and then raise his realm. There was no rush anyway. His realm could also improve through training, and delaying the upgrade by one day would save several Life Energy Points.

"Stop spacing out. Hurry up and eat some fish, then take a nap and recover your energy. This afternoon, we'll cross this little river and enter the dangerous part of the Deep Forest."

John handed him a fragrant grilled Mist Fish. Parr looked away from the Status Panel, took the fish, and began eating with his head down.

"Delicious!"

Grilled Mist Fish had a completely different flavor. John had not added any seasoning, because it did not need any. The Mist Fish itself carried the floral fragrance of the Fluorescent Lotus, making it more delicious than any seasoning.

This small river could be considered a dividing line. John had understood that the moment he saw the White Deer Herd that morning. From here on, he and Parr would enter the dangerous region of the Deep Forest. There were not only wild beasts there, but also rare Magic Beasts.

After they finished the grilled Mist Fish, John explained this to Parr, and the two rested for over an hour.

"Alright, let's keep moving!"

"Let's go!"

Since the water in the middle of the river could already reach Parr's thighs, John did not let Parr cross alone. Instead, he carried Parr and their pack, rolled up his pant legs, and waded across with his long strides.

"Stay close. It gets dangerous from here on out!"

"Mm."

Parr still carried the pack while John took charge of clearing the way and protecting him. One large and one small, they entered a stretch of Deep Forest slightly more luxuriant than the one on the other side.

Whew...

"Not bad! Everything went smoothly."

By evening, the two stopped to rest. Parr threw down the pack and caught his breath, then continued searching for Stupid Rabbits. He still had to train his reaction speed and collect Life Energy Points.

"Little one, don't go too far."

John gave him a warning, then watched Parr without blinking, afraid that he might be ambushed by a wild beast.

Meow! Sure enough, what he feared came true. Parr had just found a long-eared Stupid Rabbit and lifted his foot to approach it when a large cat covered in green stripes sprang from the grass where it had been hiding. Its claws shot out, slashing straight for Parr's neck.

"!!!!"

A warning rose in Parr's heart at once. In that instant, he twisted his body aside, gripped the hilt, and drew his sword.

Wind Wolf Basic Swordsmanship: Upward Flick!

Slash! The Green-striped Cat died instantly. Its head separated from its body and fell into the grass.

Thump, thump!

Ding, detectable Life Energy Points available for absorption. Absorb? "Yes!"

Ding, absorbing...

Ding, absorption complete. Obtained 5 Life Energy Points.

Whew...

Only then did Parr come back to his senses. He stared at the Black Short Sword in his hand in disbelief. What had just happened? The perfect combination of Talent and Skill? That was incredible! "Good!"

John had already risen to his feet with his sword drawn. He could not help shouting as he looked at Parr with increasing satisfaction. No teacher disliked a student with outstanding Talent. He was no exception. As Parr's guide on the Path of the Knight, every bit of Parr's growth made him happier than his own improvement ever could.

"Hehehe..."

Parr came back to himself from the Status Panel, turned around with a silly grin, and scratched his head before turning back to continue catching Stupid Rabbits.

"Neither arrogant nor impatient. He really is excellent Knight material! Looks like my eye for people is still as sharp as ever!"

John muttered as he watched Parr's back, taking the chance to praise himself as well. But then he thought of something, and the smile disappeared from his face.

Sigh... John had been a Bronze-level Knight for more than ten years. Parr was not the only little one he had guided. Those people...

"Stupid Rabbit, give me your life!"

Parr's reaction speed had truly improved. Though he still missed plenty of times, by the time night had fully fallen, he had caught four Stupid Rabbits for the first time ever, gaining two Life Energy Points.

"Eating grilled Stupid Rabbit and dried grilled Mist Fish while drinking Fluorescent River water—this is the romance of us adventurers!"

Beside the evening campfire, John suddenly raised his waterskin and shouted at the stars and bright moon in the night sky.

"Mm-hm."

With his mouth full of meat, Parr nodded in agreement. Was this not exactly the kind of journey he had fantasized about countless times in his previous life?

"Coming to another world isn't so bad after all!"

I signed a contract today, so here's an extra chapter.