Fishing

Dawn had yet to fully break.

Bang, bang, bang.

Urgent knocks rattled the door.

"Luo Ye! Get up! Let's go catch the King of the Swamp!"

Gon's wildly excited voice came from outside.

Luo Ye buried his face in his pillow, his muffled voice sounding as though it came from underground.

"What's the rush? The fish isn't going anywhere."

Silence fell outside for a second.

Creak.

The door swung open.

Gon poked his head in, his face flushed red and his eyes shining.

"Aunt Mito already said yes! If I catch the fish, I can take the Hunter Exam! Of course we have to hurry!"

Luo Ye sighed.

He sat up in bed, his hair a tangled bird's nest.

"All right, all right. You win."

Did this kid ever run out of energy?

Still, the King of the Swamp.

That sounded more exciting than beating up wild boars.

The two grabbed a quick bite and set out.

Whale Island's swamp lay deep in the forest.

The air was humid and stifling, thick with the smell of mud and rotting vegetation-a far cry from the bright, sunny seaside.

Strange, nameless insects circled their ears, whining shrilly.

"Hey, did Aunt Mito set us up?"

Luo Ye impatiently waved away a mosquito that flew in front of his face.

"With a swamp this big, where are we supposed to find that fish?"

"I know where it is!"

Gon, however, was brimming with confidence.

He led Luo Ye through a maze of turns before finally stopping beside a small pool.

It looked no different from anywhere else.

"Right here."

Gon pointed at the still surface.

"I saw it once when I came here to play as a kid. A huge shadow swam past underwater. It had to be that fish!"

Luo Ye said nothing.

He sensed danger.

Something lurked underwater.

Something big.

The pressure it gave off was far stronger than yesterday's Black-Maned Wild Boar.

Gon set down his backpack and took out an unremarkable fishing rod.

He had made it himself from the toughest branch on the island.

He pulled a few plump earthworms from a jar and threaded them onto the hook.

"You're using those things?"

Luo Ye's brows knotted, and he took half a step back.

"What else? They're the most nutritious treasures in the swamp."

With that, Gon cast his line.

The hook landed precisely in the center of the pool.

Then came the wait.

Luo Ye found a rock to sit on and yawned.

This was a little boring.

He would have been better off finding somewhere to get beaten up.

Time ticked by.

Just as Luo Ye's eyelids began to droop, the water suddenly stirred.

A stream of bubbles rose from the center of the pool.

Gon's gaze sharpened.

He tightened his grip on the rod, veins bulging along his arms.

Here it comes.

The next second, a tremendous force pulled from beneath the water.

The rod instantly bent into an alarming arc, creaking in protest.

"It's so strong!"

Gon gritted his teeth, his feet planted firmly in the mud as he wrestled with whatever was underwater.

Luo Ye stood up too, watching the struggle.

This fish had some serious strength.

Gon was dragged forward.

His feet plowed two deep furrows through the mud.

His face turned red with strain.

Splash!

The water erupted.

A dark shape burst out of the water, then slammed back down.

Spray shot several meters into the air.

It lasted only an instant.

But Luo Ye saw it clearly.

A fish as large as a small boat.

Dark scales covered its body, and its mouth was big enough to swallow a person.

Snap.

A sharp crack rang out.

The fishing rod broke.

Gon stumbled and fell to the ground.

The pool went still again, as though nothing had happened.

Gon sat on the ground, staring dumbly at the half of the rod left in his hands.

"Tch."

Luo Ye walked over and pulled him up.

"Round one goes to the fish."

He brushed the mud off Gon.

"Isn't this starter-zone boss a little overpowered?"

Gon said nothing.

He stared fixedly at the water, his fists clenched white.

"This fish is even tougher than I thought."

His voice was quiet.

"Of course."

Luo Ye stretched.

"What fun would it be if you could just reel it in?"

He crouched down and looked at the water.

That fish's strength had been absurd.

Even as he was now, he would need quite a while to adapt if it rammed him head-on.

An idea popped into his head.

If I tied the line to myself, could I wear it down until it died?

Forget it. That's a little ridiculous.

"Hey, don't get discouraged."

Luo Ye nudged Gon with his elbow.

"If the first try doesn't work, try again."

"I can tell brute strength alone won't be enough to catch that thing."

Gon lifted his head, the light returning to his eyes.

"You're right!"

"Let's go back and make a stronger fishing rod! Then we can figure out some other ways!"

Luo Ye smiled as Gon perked up again.

He patted Gon on the shoulder.

"That's the spirit."

"But seriously, is even fishing this competitive now? First it's a test of strength, then it's a contest of equipment."

"Come on, let's head back and do some R&D. I'll focus on technical support this time."

The two turned and left the swamp.

The setting sun shone through the trees, spilling its light behind them.