Fishing for Bugs (Part 2)

At that moment, Er Dongsheng and Little Lulu were lying prone atop a towering rock on the upwind side. Not far ahead of the rock lay a vast stretch of yellow-black sand, crisscrossed with clearly visible lines running wildly through it.

"These are the traces Bug-Beasts leave when they move across the surface. See those areas with more lines? Later, toss the bug bait over there!" Er Dongsheng instructed the excited little Succubus.

Er Dongsheng was holding two specially made fishing rods. The rods were fashioned from a kind of Abyss Bamboo similar to bamboo from Earth, the lines were braided from fine vines, and the hooks were carved from a woody plant with an excellent texture.

As for the bait, it was the rotten meat that had nearly stunk Er Dongsheng and his little sister to death earlier. This was an Abyss Insect Beast's favorite food. Abyss Insect Beasts normally hid in the sand, feeding on decaying plants and soil. Their hearing was rather sharp, but their sense of smell was ordinary, which was why Er Dongsheng used this intensely pungent rotten meat to lure them out. Ordinary bait simply could not draw them out!

"Watch carefully. I'll demonstrate first, so keep your eyes open, girl!" As he spoke, Er Dongsheng flicked his fishing rod, gently casting the bait tied with rotten meat. It landed precisely at the intended spot, his movement dashing, swift, and perfect!

As expected of a veteran angler with years of experience.

"Come on, girl, you try."

He pinned his own fishing rod against the rock and handed the smaller rod to the little Succubus, who had long been itching to try.

"Like this, lean your body back a little!"

"Right, swing it gently and cast!"

Whoosh! The bug bait flew out with the motion, then slapped down beyond the nearby sandy ground!

"Haha!"

"It's fine, it's fine. Let's do it again!"

Another try. This time was better—it did not fly beyond the bug-fishing range—but she used too much force, and the bait fell off.

...How embarrassing...

After fumbling around for half the day, the eager little Succubus finally learned, in fits and starts, how to perform the so-called cast. It had to be said that Abyssal Species were quite strong in terms of coordination and control over their own bodies.

The bug-fishing began...

Fishing for bugs was just like fishing in his previous life: the process was unbearably dull, and only the catch was thrilling. So after weighing both rods down on the rock with stones, Er Dongsheng stopped paying attention to them. He lay back comfortably on the towering rock, casually pulled out a Blueberry Fruit, and began eating.

This fruit was quite good—sweet and tart, delicious, and remarkably similar in flavor to blueberries from his previous life. Er Dongsheng had gathered quite a few, and after returning this time, he intended to store even more. Once this village was passed, there would be no such shop. Fruits in the Abyss were only abundant during the Abyssal Rain Season; at other times, they were rarely seen.

At this point, only the little Succubus was still staring eagerly at the sandy ground. This bug-fishing game had left her excited beyond measure even now.

"This is probably how first-time fishermen feel!" Watching the little Succubus stare unblinkingly at the sand, Er Dongsheng shook his head and sighed.

"But then again, there's far too little entertainment in the Abyss. Looks like I should make some things after we get back! After all, I'm not living alone anymore."

Waiting was long and tedious. The little Succubus, who had been so eager at first, gradually grew bored too. Imitating Er Dongsheng, she lay on the rock and began nibbling on her favorite fruit.

Her tastes were different from Er Dongsheng's. Compared to sweet-and-tart Blueberry Fruits, she preferred a black fruit so sweet it was almost cloying. Er Dongsheng had directly named that fruit the Syrup-Sugar Fruit.

In his view, it would make excellent raw material for producing sugar.

During that time, a few blind fools came to disturb the brother and sister, but before they could even get close, they were frightened away by the violent aura Er Dongsheng released!

Er Dongsheng curled his lip and let out a huge yawn. The little Succubus immediately copied him with an exaggerated yawn of her own. The little thing loved imitating everything he did. That was not good!

He cocked his ear and listened. Wait, there was movement!

Er Dongsheng hurriedly climbed up, poked his head out, and secretly looked toward the sandy ground. Many fresh tracks had appeared across the sand, and from time to time, several trails of overturned earth rolled into view.

The little Succubus also peeked around beside him. She quietly leaned close to Er Dongsheng's ear and asked, "Big Brother, have the bugs come out?"

"Mhm, looks like they have, and there are quite a few. Now let's fish for bugs seriously!"

"Mm-hm!"

A clear trail continuously rolled through the sand, drawing closer and closer to the little Succubus's bait. The little girl was extremely nervous, her large eyes opened wide as she stared fixedly at the new trail, praying in her heart.

"Big Brother has already caught several bugs, but Lulu hasn't caught even one. This time, it absolutely has to work!"

Suddenly, the trail stopped. The little Succubus showed a trace of anxiety, but she made no move. The previous times, she had always fallen short at the last hurdle—either she had been too impatient and reeled the Bug-Beast in before it had fully swallowed the hook, or she had lifted the hook too late, allowing the Bug-Beast to eat the bait, spit out the hook, and flee. A fall into the pit made one wiser. Now she understood that she could neither rush nor drag her feet; the best way was to proceed neither too fast nor too slow!

Creatures of the Abyss were learning and improving every moment, especially these Abyssal Intelligent Species without powerful strength! They could only survive by constantly uniting, learning, and improving. Though there was truly too little for them to learn in the Abyss—perhaps even nothing at all!

Suddenly, something white sprang from the sand in an instant and snapped onto Lulu's bug bait with a smack!

"Now!"

The little Succubus swiftly pulled back the rod, grabbed the Bug-Beast dangling from the line in one hand, and accurately drove her sharp nails into its head. With a faint "squeak," the Bug-Beast let out a weak cry and died instantly.

Clap clap

The little Succubus's movements were swift and precise, making Er Dongsheng, who was watching from the side, clap involuntarily. "Beautiful! Not bad, not bad!"

"Big Brother, Big Brother, look! Lulu caught a Bug-Beast too!" The little thing held the Bug-Beast in one hand, her face brimming with delight as she stretched it toward him. She looked exactly like a child presenting a treasured prize, eagerly awaiting recognition.

"Mhm, Lulu is really amazing!"

Er Dongsheng showed a hint of surprise as he looked at the Bug-Beast before him. It was truly a big one, probably as large as an adult's palm, fat and plump. Such a specimen was rare among Abyss Insect Beasts. Although these Bug-Beasts were generally difficult to catch, few lived for long, especially one that had grown this large! How many years would it need to live?

Over the past three years, he had caught quite a few of these bugs due to the needs of his external cultivation, but he had never encountered such a huge Bug-Beast! Could it be a bug king?

Hearing Er Dongsheng's praise, the little Succubus happily stuffed the fat Bug-Beast into her small stone jar, which Er Dongsheng had specially prepared for her.

A new round of fishing began...

About five hours passed according to the system's records before Er Dongsheng decided to end this bug-fishing game. He pulled along the still-reluctant little girl, and after promising they would come back again, the brother and sister began heading home.

The trip had been richly rewarding. Er Dongsheng caught six bugs, while the little girl caught three. However, one of the little girl's Bug-Beasts was enormous, worth three or four ordinary ones by itself, making her overjoyed and instantly smug!

Er Dongsheng, meanwhile, wore a dark expression, speechless...

"Who would have thought that a veteran angler who has fished for years would lose to a little girl? Ah, fate, how cruel you are..."