chapter 127

[You have caught a softshell turtle.]

The creature Iris had caught was none other than a softshell turtle. The green turtle’s protruding head was tangled up in her fishing line, and the creature cried out in pain as the hook punctured its mouth.

“Krwaaaaaah!” the turtle cried out.

“What kind of turtle cries so loudly? I thought she caught a large monster or something…” Henrick grumbled.

Iris removed the hook stuck in the turtle’s mouth. The turtle, which was large enough for one person to climb on its back, began to crawl across the ground.

“You are really adorable!” Iris exclaimed as she patted the turtle’s green shell, but the turtle flinched whenever she touched it.

Henrick, on the other hand, looked at the turtle warmly and said, “I’ve heard that softshell turtles are an excellent tonic.”

“Henrick, how can you say something so cruel?” Iris shot back, glaring at Henrick.

“Why? I’m just saying that it’s going to be good for this weak old body of mine,” Henrick retorted with a frown.

“I do not want to hear that coming from Henrick when you always call me a glutton,” Iris said. She took out a worm from the can, then asked the turtle, “Would you like to have a worm?”

“Krwaaah…” The turtle replied with a low growl before eating the worm in Iris’ hand.

Iris patted the softshell turtle’s head and said, “You must have been starving.”

“Krawk! Krawk!” The turtle growled and looked at Iris with its large eyes, before crawling closer to her and rubbing its head on her hand.

“It’s quite big, and it lives up to its name as a softshell turtle from the Cayman River. It’s big enough to pass off as a sea turtle, at that,” Yan said.

“It’s my first time seeing a softshell turtle,” Shaneth said in amazement as she tried to bring her hand closer to the turtle. However, Kang Yoon-Soo suddenly stopped her. Shaneth asked, “What’s the matter?”

“It’ll bite you,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied. He then picked up a tree branch and extended it toward the turtle. The turtle opened its mouth and brought its jaws down on the tree branch, instantly splitting it in half.

“Its bite is really strong…!” Shaneth exclaimed in shock.

“But why isn’t it biting that punk’s hand?” Henrick grumbled.

The turtle seemed to be comfortable with Iris touching it, and it even growled happily whenever Iris stroked its head or shell. “Krwark! Krwark!”

“I am also glad to meet you,” Iris said with a smile. She told the turtle while stroking its shell, “Your name is Mung Bean from now on.”

Henrick looked perplexed, grumbling, “First it was Whitey, and now Mung Bean?”

Iris nodded and replied, “I told you before as well. A name is very important, the same way Kang Yoon-Soo gave me the name Iris.”

“Krawk! Krawk!” Mung Bean happily growled in agreement.

[The fat softshell turtle’s intimacy has risen.]

[It is feeling cozy next to the creature it has seen for the first time.]

“You little cutie,” Iris said as she plucked a cattail and tickled Mung Bean’s nose. It growled in delight, seeming to smile with its eyes as well.

The party continued fishing.

[You have caught a black mandarin fish.]

[It is a huge haul!]

[Your ‘Fishing’ skill proficiency has risen.]

[You have gained a small amount of experience points.]

[You have caught a lucky goldfish!]

[Your luck will double for thirty minutes.]

[You have found a strange document.]

[You will gain a small amount of experience points if you decode the document.]

The rewards Kang Yoon-Soo gained from fishing were quite lucrative. It had not been long since he gained the fishing skill, but his proficiency was quickly increasing. Additionally, he gained additional experience points whenever he caught a large fish, and there were even some rare fish species that gave him additional experience points as well.

“It’s about time to have lunch,” Yan said as he took out several lunch boxes from the basket. The lunch boxes contained scrumptious-looking sandwiches filled with assorted diced vegetables.

The party members each took a sandwich while fishing. Shaneth took a bite. before her eyes opened wide and she exclaimed, “This is really good!”

“Haha! My mother is quite well known for her cooking skills. Ah, just wait a moment,” Yan said as he started to cut one of the salmon they had just caught. He then lined up the tempting-looking salmon meat on a plate.

Yan was about to light a fire after gathering firewood in one spot, when Shaneth extended her hand and muttered, “Pyrokinesis.”

Fwaaaaah!

The firewood was instantly set ablaze. Yan looked dumbfounded, seemingly unable to believe what he had just seen. He then said, “You guys are a strange bunch. Was that magic just now?”

“Something like that,” Shaneth replied with a smile.

Yan salted the meat before hanging it above the fire, slowly beginning to smoke the salmon. The salmon meat began to glisten with oil as it was smoked, and they each took a piece to put on their sandwiches.

[You ate a Cayman River Smoked Salmon Sandwich.]

[Your strength will increase by five for one hour.]

The party members’ stats increased after they ate the fresh fish they had just caught. They could obtain additional bonuses if the one who cooked possessed a high cooking skill level, or if they were able to preserve the natural taste of the fish in the dish. In addition, they would be able to obtain even more bonuses if the one who cooked the meal had the Chef class.

“This is really delicious,” Iris said with a smile.

The taste of lunch eaten beside the river while fishing was a truly gourmet experience. They resumed fishing until the sun started to turn red, signaling that it would set very soon.

Yan looked at the setting sun before reeling in his fishing rod and saying, “Today’s a bust.”

“Are we going back?” Shaneth asked.

“Yes, it’s dangerous to fish at night. They say water ghosts appear at night,” Yan replied.

“Wasn’t that just an urban legend?” Shaneth asked nervously.

“My father told me he’s caught two before in his life,” Yan replied.

“…”

They reeled in their fishing rods and boarded the boat, and Mung Bean slowly started to crawl into the river as well. Yan started to row the boat, and Mung Bean began following them from behind. The green turtle popped its head out of the water and growled, “Krwak! Krwark!”

Iris had tears welling up in her eyes as she said, “Mung Bean, it is a shame, but we have to separate for today. I will come back tomorrow, so let us definitely see each other again.”

“Krwaaark…” Mung Bean let out a low growl and stopped following them, as if it understood her words.

Henrick scratched his chin and said, “They say that people like you who say ‘let’s definitely see each other again’ to their pets end up not seeing them ever again.”

“Don’t say ominous things like that,” Iris snapped, glaring at Henrick.

The sun set, and the river was enveloped in darkness.

Shaneth suddenly asked, “Does the way back always take this long?”

Yan steered the boat while observing the river. The river water that the sun no longer shone on seemed dark and ominous. He furrowed his brows and said, “Something’s weird. It’s not as if we’ve been moving slowly, and this is a good direction too, but why haven’t we arrived at the fishing spot yet?”

It was then that laughter reverberated across the wide, dark river.

“Kihihihihihihi…”

Yan felt goosebumps cover his body. He doubted himself, thinking he was just hearing things, but the laughter continued. There did not seem to be only one ‘person’ laughing, either.

“Kihihihihi…”

“Hihihihi… How nice of you to come to us right when we’re getting hungry! I’m so grateful… Hihihi…”

“How long has it been since we had a nice meal? We’ll eat you down to your bones. Kakakaka…!”

Yan rowed the boat faster as he felt an impending sense of danger. However, the oars suddenly locked in place and would not move at all. It was at the moment when he looked down to check why the oars were not moving that he suddenly screamed, “Aaaaaaah!”

A woman whose hair was covered in seaweed was holding onto the oars. She had no eyes, and the very depths of her hollow eye sockets were visible. Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth. The woman smiled, and both ends of her mouth rose all the way up to her ears as she let out a creepy and sinister laugh. “Kihihihihi…! It’s a young man… Tonight will be a feast…!”

“G-Ghost! It’s a water ghost!” Yan screamed.

Water ghosts were a kind of undead that could not accept death and roamed around while dragging their decaying bodies through bodies of water. Such ghosts were rumored to be seen quite frequently wandering along the Cayman River.

Yan broke out into a cold sweat as he readied his harpoon and thought, ‘I have to protect these people…!’

He was not the only one on the boat; the other people who had expressed their kindness toward him were on the boat with him. He readied his harpoon to face the water ghosts, but the water ghosts were completely unfazed, laughing at him instead. “Do you think we’d die from a measly harpoon like that…?”

Pukeok!

“Euaaak!”

Kang Yoon-Soo stabbed his sword into a water ghost’s head and split it open, and the sinister laughter immediately stopped. What replaced it were the perplexed voices of the remaining water ghosts.

“W-What…!”

“Our sister suddenly died…!”

Kang Yoon-Soo raised his sword and said, “Let’s fight.”

“Here we go again…” Henrick grumbled before taking out Rick from his summoning box. Shaneth covered her scythe in flames, illuminating the whole area around them.

The water ghosts’ heads emerged from the water one by one.

“One, two, three, four… There’s seven of them in total,” Shaneth said.

Henrick grumbled, “I guess they only laughed loudly, but there aren’t that many of them.”

The water ghosts were confused by what was going on.

“Why are they so calm…?”

“Don’t they usually get scared out of their wits after seeing us…?”

Henrick moved the mana threads connected to his hands as he explained to the water ghosts, “This might sound sad for you, but… after seeing mummies, a Colossus, a dragon, and several vampires… You guys just look cute to us.”

Rick jumped into the river and grabbed a water ghost’s head. The water ghost could not resist the combat doll’s monstrous strength at all. “Hehe…” Rick let out a sinister laugh before twisting the water ghost’s head.

“K-Kuheok…!” The water ghost groaned before the little girl pulled its head off.

“Sister…!” a water ghost cried out.

Shaneth swung her burning scythe down at the water ghost, splitting its head open. As she twisted her scythe and crushed the water ghost’s head, she remarked, “It’s quite easy if you just crush their heads.”

“I should try using magic this time,” Iris said. It was night, and thus the optimal time for her to fight. She gathered dark magic in her hand and muttered, “Night’s Thunder.”

“Kyaaaahk…!” Another water ghost screamed as a bolt of black lightning fell on her head and burned her to a crisp, and she sank to the bottom of the river.

Now, it was the water ghosts’ turn to be scared, and they were struck with terror.

“I-It’s the devil…!”

“They’re even crueler than ghosts…!”

Yan could not believe his eyes, asking in disbelief, “Who are you people? Did the ghosts really get scared of you instead…?”

It was then that the water ghosts screamed as they pointed at Yan, “T-That boy looks familiar now that I think about it…!”

“T-That crazy fisherman…! It’s the guy who captured our elder sisters…!”

“I’m certain he’s that crazy fisherman’s son…!”

“Hurry! Let’s run away…!”

The water ghosts hurriedly dove into the water, but they had picked a fight with the wrong opponent this time. Kang Yoon-Soo chased after them, diving into the water with his sword in hand.

Splash!

“Kyaaaaaahk…!”

“T-This crazy human followed us into the water…!”

“B-But we have the upper hand in the water…! Let’s kill him quickly…!”

The water ghosts bared their sharp teeth and charged toward Kang Yoon-Soo. However, just as their sharp teeth were about to rip him to shreds, he held his sword vertically and the sword shone bright red.

[The Vampire Lord’s Magic Sword is sucking its owner’s blood.]

[The Vampire Lord’s lower-ranked magic has been cast!]

[The blood offering has allowed the Vampire Lord’s Magic Sword’s owner to ignore water resistance for a short period of time.]

Kang Yoon-Soo avoided the water ghosts’ attacks and swung his sword in multiple directions. His sword slashed fiercely at the water ghosts despite his being underwater, and each swing of the blade left trails of blood in its wake.

“S-Sisters…!”

“Everyone is dead…!”

There were only two water ghosts left, and Kang Yoon-Soo rushed toward them like a demon. One of the remaining water ghosts gritted its teeth and tried to block him, and the smaller water ghost cried out in surprise, “S-sister…!”

“I’ll try to hold this guy back…! You should hurry up and run away…! At least the youngest has to survive…!”

Kang Yoon-Soo stared at the two for a moment before mouthing the words, ‘Don’t expect me to feel sorry and let you guys go’.

The water ghosts felt chills travel down their spine when they read his lips. Kang Yoon-Soo immediately rushed toward them and cut the two remaining water ghosts down.

“Kyaaaaahk…!”

[You have killed the water ghosts of the Cayman River—the Nine Sisters.]

[Your level has risen.]

[There will be fewer people drowning in the Cayman River for a year.]

[Your affinity with the creatures living in the Cayman River has risen.]

***

“We’re back, mother,” Yan said.

“You’re late,” Rin replied before checking her son from head to toe. She asked, “What happened to you?”

Yan was wet from head to toe, not from the river water, but from his own sweat. He sat down in a nearby chair as if his knees were about to give out, before letting out a sigh and saying, “You might curse me if I tell you.”

“I won’t, so why don’t you hurry up and tell me?” Rin replied.

“Are you sure, mother?” Yan asked.

“Of course,” Rin replied.

“We caught water ghosts today,” Yan said, breaking the news.

“…”