Water Proficiency

So many Traits!

That was Hong Ming's first impression.

His second impression was that this one seemed useful to him, and that one seemed useful too.

But why did they all swim so fast?

The Traits displayed for an extremely short time. Before Hong Ming could react, they had already faded away.

When he tried to search for them again, they had vanished without a trace. He had completely missed them.

Hong Ming felt rather helpless. Some Traits could assist him in harvesting clams, and the Luck required was not much. If he gritted his teeth, he could still solidify them.

Yet these fish and shrimp were far more agile than him underwater. He could see them, but he might not be able to catch them.

Shaking his head, Hong Ming continued diving. He encountered several more Traits along the way, but they were all visible yet beyond his reach.

He stopped paying special attention to them. Holding his breath was gradually becoming difficult, and he needed to hurry and find Pearl Clams.

Perhaps the Newbie Protection Period had taken effect. A few breaths later, Hong Ming suddenly spotted a Pearl Clam in the mud and sand not far away.

It was drawing in and expelling water, exposing a corner of its pearly-white interior. Several delicate pearls were actually hidden within!

"Found it!" Hong Ming's eyes lit up slightly. He immediately moved his body, held his breath, and slowly swam forward.

When he was less than a zhang away from the Pearl Clam, a black shadow suddenly shot out from beside him. It was astonishingly fast, and in the blink of an eye, it deftly pocketed the Pearl Clam.

This was another clam harvester. Whether in underwater skill or clam-harvesting technique, he far surpassed Hong Ming.

After harvesting the clam, he left with success in hand, brushing off his clothes and departing, leaving Hong Ming frozen where he was.

Hong Ming watched the departing man, his expression slightly stiff.

He did not resent him. During clam harvesting, the rule had always been first come, first served. If your skills fell short, you had to admit defeat.

Besides, even if he wanted to chase after the Pearl Clam, he might not have been able to keep up with the other man's speed.

In that brief moment, the other man had already swum more than ten zhang away. It was clear how formidable his water skills were.

Sighing inwardly, Hong Ming continued searching for clams. After wandering around for a while, the Newbie Protection Period expired. He never encountered another Pearl Clam and had no choice but to end this harvesting trip.

With a splash, Hong Ming surfaced and greedily breathed in fresh air as he swam toward the boat.

Sun Dazhuang had been waiting for a long time. Seeing this, he hurriedly rowed toward Hong Ming to help him aboard.

"How was it? Did you harvest a Pearl Clam?" Sun Dazhuang asked curiously.

Hong Ming wiped the water from his face and shook his head. "No."

"Then rest a bit and try again. It's your first time, after all. That's normal—just treat it as gaining experience," Sun Dazhuang consoled him nonchalantly.

After all, he was a newcomer. They could not expect too much from him. It would be great if he harvested one, but it did not matter if he failed.

Hong Ming nodded lightly and leaned against the side of the boat to rest.

Suddenly, a splash sounded from nearby. Someone else had finished harvesting clams and boarded their boat.

Hong Ming looked over. When he saw that figure, his gaze tightened. It was the man who had snatched the Pearl Clam from him.

He had not seen clearly before, but now he realized that the other man was quite young, seemingly about the same age as himself. Yet his clam-harvesting skill left Hong Ming several streets behind.

"That kid Liang He looks like he had quite a haul!" Sun Dazhuang recognized him and clicked his tongue in praise.

Hong Ming was briefly startled. Only then did he notice Liang He taking Pearl Clams out of the fishing net at his waist.

One, two... five in total!

As Hong Ming watched, he fell silent and felt inferior. He asked curiously, "Brother Sun, is Liang He really that good at harvesting clams?"

"Quite good. At Number Nine Clam Lake, he should rank among the top ten!"

Sun Dazhuang knew Liang He fairly well and gave a brief introduction.

"That fellow seems to have some unique trick. He can harvest Pearl Clams every day."

Hong Ming asked again, "How does he compare to you, Brother Sun?"

"My underwater skills are slightly better than his, but when it comes to harvesting clams, I'm not his match." Sun Dazhuang glanced at Hong Ming.

Deep in thought, Hong Ming took the chance to cast an inspection on Sun Dazhuang.

[Trait: Water Proficiency]

[Status: Can be solidified]

[Required Luck: 2 points]

[Solidification Effect: In water, you will move like a fish in water, handling everything with ease.]

--

[Trait: Clam Harvesting Expert]

[Status: Can be solidified]

[Required Luck: 1 point]

[Solidification Effect: Greatly increases the success rate of finding and harvesting Pearl Clams.]

Two Traits?

And both suited him!

Hong Ming was somewhat surprised, then began weighing his options. Which one should he choose?

He looked at the panel. The Luck section displayed:

[Luck: 3 points (46%)]

The improvement of the Coiling Dragon Stake had also driven up his Luck progress. The pace was not slow; he estimated that after another two or three days of practice, he would gain more Luck.

After a brief hesitation, Hong Ming ultimately made his choice.

He wanted them all!

He solidified Water Proficiency for no other reason than to catch the Traits on those fish and shrimp underwater, and to prevent Liang He from taking his clams again.

Everything he had seen and heard earlier showed that this underwater world was a treasure trove waiting to be developed. With Water Proficiency, he might be able to profit from it!

His reason for solidifying Clam Harvesting Expert was even more direct and brutal.

It could make money!

[Consumed 1 point of Luck. Successfully solidified the "Clam Harvesting Expert" Trait.]

[Consumed 2 points of Luck. Successfully solidified the "Water Proficiency" Trait.]

As the voice sounded in his mind, both Hong Ming's body and brain benefited tremendously.

Under the influence of the Water Proficiency Trait, his body seemed to become more nimble. He even felt a faint but urgent desire to enter the water.

Even the droplets still clinging to his body inexplicably slid down his skin without leaving a trace.

Under the influence of the Clam Harvesting Expert Trait, his mind rapidly absorbed all the techniques and experience Sun Dazhuang had summarized about harvesting clams.

Those experiences and techniques were deeply carved into his bones, becoming instinct.

With the two Traits stacked together, Hong Ming immediately grew restless, eager to dive in and harvest clams.

But considering his current physical condition, he temporarily suppressed the urge.

Once his strength had mostly recovered, he no longer hesitated. After explaining the situation to Sun Dazhuang, he leaped into the water.

The moment his body entered the lake, even the splash he raised was much smaller than before.

But no one noticed that.

The instant he entered the water, Hong Ming clearly felt the immediate effects of the two Traits.

Water Proficiency took effect, making him feel as though he had truly become a fish. There was no sluggishness as his limbs moved. Without deliberately exerting force, he could glide through the water with ease.

Forward, backward, left, right—everything moved according to his will. He could advance and retreat with perfect freedom.

As his body shifted through the water, he could accurately catch the slightest movement within three zhang and react in advance.

He could also keenly sense the direction of the currents, borrowing their force to increase his speed.

His ability to hold his breath had improved as well. It was as though his chest contained an inexhaustible supply of air, long and steady.

Clam Harvesting Expert, meanwhile, completely rid him of a newcomer's inexperience. Wherever his gaze swept, there was nothing but experience.

The river clams and Pearl Clams that had once required careful distinction were now as clearly divided in his eyes as the Jing and Wei rivers. The difference was obvious at a glance!

With only a glance, he could easily make a judgment and recognize the difference.

Under this high-efficiency search with no tricks involved, only pure experience, Hong Ming soon found a large Pearl Clam buried extremely deep.

Someone else discovered it at the same time—Liang He, who had long had his eye on that Pearl Clam.

Liang He caught sight of Hong Ming and, as usual, chose to ignore him. Setting aside their physical skills, he already had Hong Ming firmly beaten in distance from the Pearl Clam.

The advantage was entirely his. Why would he worry about it being snatched away?

Yet just as he was certain victory was in his grasp, his vision suddenly went black.

In the next instant, he saw a dark figure dart past him like a swimming fish, swift as a startled dragon, reaching straight for the Pearl Clam!