The Fisherman Never Gives Up

Qi Laje, with a bucket on his head and a fishing rod on his back, lurked in the Foul Swamp like an alligator.

Several Skeleton Monsters walked around him, yet failed to notice such a large living person.

It wasn't their fault, as an Adventurer not far away was making even more noise, attracting the attention of the area. The monsters all chased after that Adventurer.

"Thank you, brother," Qi Laje watched the Adventurer's receding figure, tears streaming down his face. He knew that this brother of his was likely gone forever.

"I'll catch one more fish for you, to commemorate your sacrifice,"

He stared intently at the monsters until they were far away and couldn't possibly catch up to him, then suddenly stood up!

However, he wasn't the only one who stood up. There was another group of people. Including him, there were nine in total!

Each person was dressed the same, with a bucket on their head, a fishing rod on their back, fragrant bait tied around their waist, and faces full of grief and indignation, as if their eyes wrote, The meaning of the dead must be given by the living.

These were the brothers Qi Laje had met in the Gourmet Area a few days ago.

They shared the same ambition and were willing to pay any price to fish in the Gourmet Area.

Not for anything else, but because there were many fish in the Gourmet Area, making it hard to come back empty-handed. Catching fish there gave a great sense of accomplishment! And the price was good, which could subsidize household expenses. Their families would never object to them fishing again!

Moreover, there was food everywhere. When they went, they only needed to bring a bucket and a fishing rod. It was simply the dream paradise!

Recently, the Gourmet Area had not only become the biggest topic of discussion in Bede City but also attracted a large wave of people into Zane Dungeon. In short, it had expanded its reach.

Originally, many people had no interest in dungeons, let alone difficult ones, because the impression of dungeons was fighting, killing, and being exhausted after a day.

But if you were told that a place suddenly appeared in the dungeon that was sunny, worry-free for eating and drinking, and full of never-before-seen delicacies, then everyone would have to go and take a look.

After all, gourmet food is often more attractive than fighting and killing.

The abundant fish resources in the Gourmet Area also attracted a large wave of fishing enthusiasts. What is the most satisfying thing in a fisherman's life? Isn't it catching new species of fish? Coincidentally, the Gourmet Area was full of never-before-seen fish species.

So during this time, the fishermen went crazy opening up their fish guides.

However, there was a problem that deeply troubled everyone.

That was... everyone was a bit weak.

Perhaps it shouldn't be said they were a bit weak, but very weak.

Among these ten people, Qi Laje was actually the T1 level combat power. The rest were either ordinary middle-aged uncles or laid-back Adventurers with little combat power. Once they entered Zane Dungeon, it was a near-death experience. Even though the shortcut to the Gourmet Area had been developed by everyone, the road was still extremely dangerous.

Because Zane Dungeon was alive, the monsters inside wouldn't just stay in a fixed place in a daze. They would wander around!

Memorizing the layout might help with traps, but wandering monsters would definitely bring unexpected surprises.

So, the weaklings gathered together for warmth, and then a brilliant idea generator emerged and came up with a good idea.

"Hey, every time we're surrounded by monsters, why don't we choose a brave warrior to lure them away!"

"We'll take turns, ensuring everyone can fish at least once every two days. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Everyone thought about it and agreed that this method was indeed good, so they readily agreed.

Don't ask why they didn't hire Adventurers as bodyguards. With the difficulty of Zane Dungeon, those who could protect their own lives were gods. Besides, the fishermen present were all ordinary people and didn't have the spare money to hire bodyguards.

They heard that the previously popular strategy group had stumbled here not long ago, and the members had become disheartened and hadn't recovered yet.

"Everyone, run!"

With a single command, everyone moved like lightning, swift as the wind, sprinting with all their might. Time was life, time was fishing!

Their commotion naturally attracted the attention of other monsters. Regardless, they charged forward bravely. As long as they entered the Gourmet Area, these monsters wouldn't pursue them.

However, they were still a step too slow and were surrounded by another group of monsters. In this critical moment, one person suddenly jumped out and shouted:

"I'm going!"

"Go well, hero!"

The person yelled "wah la wah la" as they ran in a different direction from the group, successfully drawing away a large wave of monsters.

A true man should be like this.

After another desperate sprint, when everyone finally plunged into the fragrant and beautiful Gourmet Area, there were seven people left in the team.

A total of three heroes sacrificed themselves so that everyone could catch fish.

"Remember their names," Qi Laje said solemnly, "Next time, it will be our turn to sacrifice ourselves."

Everyone responded with boiling blood. If an outsider who didn't know the situation were present, they might have thought this group of people was about to sacrifice themselves for some great ideal.

A pot of tea, a pipe, a fishing rod for a whole day.

The morning passed quickly. Qi Laje stretched, looked at the empty bucket, and couldn't help but sigh.

Clearly, he had struck out.

To strike out in the Gourmet Area, which was so rich in fish, one had to admit he had some skill.

Sigh, if he didn't get some extra income, he wouldn't even be able to afford food today.

His teammates didn't dare to enter the Zane Dungeon for now, saying they wanted to do some small quests outside to gain experience first.

Qi Laje wasn't interested in the quests they took, like finding cats and dogs, so he came fishing with a group of new fishing friends.

If he could catch fish and sell them at the market, it would be enough for three or four days' worth of food. If he couldn't catch fish, it didn't matter.

He had also taken on some quests to collect specialties from the Gourmet Area, which he could do easily while fishing.

"Let me see, Ox Tongue Dandelion, at least twenty flowers, that's easy, they're everywhere,"

"Soy Sauce Locust, this thing is too fast, it's not easy to catch,"

"Hunt a Roasted Whole Pig... who put this thing in my quest list? Isn't this asking for death?"

"Five Swift Mushrooms, two Life Durians..."

Qi Laje grimaced. He had been too rushed when accepting the quests and hadn't looked closely at the content.

Swift Mushrooms were said to be magical ingredients that could temporarily increase speed when made into dishes.

Life Durians, when eaten, could make severely injured, half-dead people bounce back to life.

These ingredients had special effects and stood in stark contrast to most of the ingredients in the Gourmet Area, which only tasted good. The market for them was also larger.

But the problem was, these ingredients grew deep within the Gourmet Area.

As is well known, the Gourmet Area is divided by rivers, and the resources available in each small area are limited, with the types being almost fixed.

To obtain more and better resources, one must explore deeper!

This progressively difficult mode separates ordinary people from Adventurers. Ordinary people can gather common resources in the safe zone of the Milk River, while Adventurers can explore deeper to find greater opportunities.

To be honest, Qi Laje quite appreciated the rules of the Gourmet Area, but only when he didn't need to go deep himself.

He handed his fishing rod to his companion, gritted his teeth, and crossed the Milk River.

Five minutes later, a notification came from Gong Qiying's side.

Mental Power +91.

He glanced at it and paid no further attention. The crystal ball displayed many scenes, but one scene was maximized.

There were a few figures in it, seemingly Adventurers as well, but a closer look revealed a sense of incongruity.

Because these guys had pitch-black skin, extremely robust physiques, horns scattered on their heads and limbs, and various other features, such as tongues long enough to drag on the ground, several pairs of bat wings on their backs, and scales on their bodies. At first glance, they looked like a fusion of humans and monsters.

"These things..."

Gong Qiying muttered to himself:

"I think they're called the Demon Race. How did they get mixed up here with me?"

It's the end of the month, thank you everyone for your monthly votes, love you all!