C11 Autumn Blade Fish

At five in the afternoon, Liu Feng reeled in a dragon-headed fish. The small fish, flung onto the wooden bridge, was still desperately struggling.

"System Notification: Host's fishing level has increased by one. Current level: 3. High-grade fishing rod usage now unlocked."

At last, after an entire afternoon of fishing, his skill had leveled up twice. But the real prize was the ability to finally wield the high-grade fishing rod!

With six hours left before the system's optimal bedtime, and 25 stamina points to spare, Liu Feng felt confident he could complete the mission in time.

It was time to test out the high-grade fishing rod.

He stashed his beginner rod in his backpack and grasped the new one, immediately appreciating the difference in feel.

Crafted from composite material, the rod was lightweight yet resilient, its surface etched with black, sawtooth patterns. It was a significant upgrade—like trading a birdshot for a cannon.

With a satisfying cast, the rod's smooth action thrilled Liu Feng. It was a world apart from the beginner rod, the silky-smooth sensation doubly delightful.

The float dipped—a fish was on the line. Without a moment's surprise at the quick bite, Liu Feng swiftly reeled in the catch.

[Autumn Blade Fish]

Level: Intermediate

Value: 50 gold coins

He effortlessly caught an Autumn Blade Fish. Without the system's alert, Liu Feng would have been clueless about its name.

"The flavor of Autumn Blade Fish—I'm as curious as a cat to find out," Liu Feng sang cheerfully, eyeing his mission progress: a solid 1/15.

Just 14 more to go!

Four hours later.

Hai Wei stepped out of his modest cabin to the sight of a seaside bonfire.

"This kid's really hooked," Hai Wei mused, deciding not to interrupt.

He was just out for a breath of fresh air. Life by the sea was monotonous, devoid of excitement. Running a modest fish shop just covered his basic needs, but it was enough.

For Hai Wei, whether this life lasted another day or a decade made no difference.

To Liu Feng's surprise, Hai Wei had also noticed him.

Hefting his bucket of fish, Liu Feng made his way over to Hai Wei's cabin.

"Mr. Hai, check out what I caught today."

"Humph, you think that's impressive?"

"Ah?" Liu Feng, who had been eager to boast, suddenly felt deflated.

"I remember when I was..."

Hai Wei cut himself off abruptly, leaving his sentence hanging in the air.

"What happened back then, Mr. Hai?"

"Never mind, it's not worth mentioning." Hai Wei took a look at Liu Feng's bucket and was inwardly impressed; the kid had quite the knack for fishing.

"Hehe, I owe it all to your fishing rod, Mr. Hai. It's way better than mine." Liu Feng's urge to brag had vanished. "I'm leaving this bucket of fish with you. I couldn't eat all of it if I tried. Share it with Hassan."

"Alright, I'll keep half. You don't have a fridge, do you?"

"No," Liu Feng admitted, feeling a bit defeated.

A fridge? That would be a luxury. Getting electricity to his place was a struggle as it was, with just enough power to charge his phone, and even then, the cell service was so spotty he couldn't make calls without going into town.

"I'll cure the fish for you. Come pick it up tomorrow evening."

"Hehe, I won't keep you then. Thanks, Mr. Hai."

"Congratulations, host, on completing the mission [Mentor's Gift]. You've earned the reward: Beginner's Fishing Skill Specialization."

[Beginner's Fishing Skill Specialization] Effect: Simplifies the technique required for fishing, increasing the likelihood of a successful catch.

[Would you like to learn this? Yes/No]

He clicked [Yes], and just like when he acquired the high-yield crop technique, a refreshing sensation spread from the back of his head throughout his body, as if he had learned something, though he couldn't pinpoint what.

Not too shabby, Liu Feng thought, grinning from ear to ear. After bidding farewell to Hai Wei, he packed up and hopped on his scooter to head home.

Belching, the taste of fish lingered. Liu Feng had truly had his fill of fish, having downed three pots of fish soup to regain his strength. He doubted he'd crave fish again for days.

Opening his backpack, he glanced at his beginner's fishing rod.

[Durability]: 3/50

The downside of my relentless fishing grind was that my rod was on the verge of snapping.

What to do if it actually breaks?

"System Alert: The blacksmith shop has been unlocked for the host."

The blacksmith shop's unlocked? Better check the map, quick.

To my surprise, the blacksmith was located right next to the system store.

I hopped on my scooter and headed back to that deserted pump house. Inside, Liu Feng noticed a new figure standing beside the original shop's NPC—an uncle with a full set of blacksmithing tools behind him.

"Hello?"

"Would you like to check out my blacksmith shop?"

"How old are you?"

"Would you like to check out my blacksmith shop?"

"Alright, sir."

"Would you like to check out my blacksmith shop?"

Just like the NPC shopkeeper, this guy only had one line.

Well, no matter. Liu Feng accessed the blacksmith shop menu.

[Forge], [Repair]

Just two options. Liu Feng went straight to [Forge].

[Silver Water Sprayer], [Gold Water Sprayer], [Diamond Water Sprayer]

[Silver Axe], [Gold Axe], [Diamond Axe]

...

Predictably, the system's starting gear was bottom-tier, but it looked like I could upgrade to something better here.

He selected [Repair].

[Repair Basic Fishing Rod]: Requires 10 logs, 1 iron ore, and 50 gold coins in labor.

Not too many materials needed, but Liu Feng didn't have any iron ore on him.

Forget it, I'll pass on the repairs for now. I've got a higher-tier rod to use.

"Take care, Uncle."

"Would you like to check out my blacksmith shop?"

The same line again. Liu Feng chuckled, sparing the NPC further teasing, and left the pump house. He rode his scooter back to the farm.

The sky was darkening; it was nearly 10 PM. Liu Feng decided to heat some water for a bath before hitting the sack.

While waiting for the water to boil, he dashed over to the System Land to see how his Devil Peppers were faring.

The chili peppers had reached the middle seedling stage, and at this point, they didn't require much watering—just enough to keep the soil from drying out. Liu Feng glanced over and noticed his peppers seemed a bit wilted, which started to worry him.

The task at hand required the chili peppers to achieve a quality of level 2. The System clarified that agricultural crops and animal products were categorized into ten levels, with levels 1 through 9 representing ordinary quality and level 10 being a treasure. Treasures at level 10 were not further classified in quality since they were considered heavenly materials and earthly treasures, such as the ginseng fruit and the Queen Mother's flat peach.

So, generally speaking, reaching level 2 quality was quite attainable. However, judging by the current state of the chili peppers, things looked somewhat concerning.

Liu Feng resolved to apply some fertilizer to the chili peppers the following day, hoping to give them a much-needed boost. After tending to his plants, he bid the chili peppers goodnight and left for the day.

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