Chapter 20

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 20

Chapter Title: City of Snakes and the Sea (5)

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Cheisi checked the recipe details.

Cheisi's eyes sparkled at the incredible stats.

An attack power boost of 30, no less.

It was an enormous figure, about half of her current attack power.

She carefully stowed the recipe away, and Nell brought over a few more types of vegetables.

Cheisi gladly accepted them since they were needed for cooking, but Nell seemed determined to hand them over regardless.

Cheisi also learned from Nell about the fish shop that sold Riebpstar, marked it on her map pin, and headed there.

"Riebpstar? The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guys who catch those specifically won't be back for another two days."

But it was a bust.

"No shops have Riebpstar right now. They're tricky to store. If you really need some, you might find one or two at the ocean floor. Catching them in bulk would mean heading out farther, though."

"I see..."

Cheisi also asked for advice on the sparkling Marshmallow fish's location.

"Sparkling Marshmallow? There's a specific sea where those get caught."

Cheisi marked the spot the shopkeeper mentioned on her map pin.

Then she noticed the items for sale.

There were plenty of fish she'd caught while fishing, but some new ones too.

Buying one filled an entry in her guidebook.

'You can fill it out like this too, huh.'

Cheisi bought all the unfamiliar fish to complete her guidebook.

Then, checking her map, she moved to fish for the sparkling Marshmallow.

Azelchen's quiet fishing spot had large rocks scattered here and there.

Cheisi climbed onto one and cast her line into the sea, waiting for a bite.

The viewers were soaking in the calm, peaceful vibe when Cheisi spotted something swimming in the distant sea.

It was a knight in black armor.

"...Why is that here?"

Their eyes met, and the knight swimming in the sea abruptly changed direction, heading straight for Cheisi.

"What a coincidence."

"...Why are you swimming here?"

The knight began to speak.

"Twenty-five duels dancing on the edge of life and death... Unable to forget that thrill, I sought new foes and came to Azelchen... but the ferry wouldn't take me... so I entrusted myself to the waves, with my will as my companion, pressing onward."

"You swam all the way here?"

"Indeed."

Even taking the ferry, it was a two-hour trip.

Cheisi was dumbfounded.

"But is it even possible to get here without the ferry?"

"It seems so."

The knight emerged from the water.

Cheisi could see hundreds of bugs clinging to his legs.

"What are those on your legs?"

"What do you mean?"

The knight looked down at his legs.

"Hm. No idea. But why is my stamina at only 10..."

The knight didn't finish his sentence before turning into a burst of light.

"Whoa, he's dead."

Cheisi checked the info on the creature that fell from the knight's leg after he died.

These bugs were apparently what killed the knight.

"He made it all the way here with bugs on his legs."

"Let's pray for his soul."

After the knight's light particles faded, Cheisi cast her line back into the sea.

The sound of waves crashing against the reefs echoed gently.

The line bobbed, and she hooked fish dozens of times.

Nod-.

Cheisi felt sleepy and nodded off.

The rod jerked hard, snapping Cheisi out of her drowsiness.

Feeling the unprecedented vibration, she hurriedly reeled it in.

A rainbow-shimmering Marshmallow fish came up hooked on the line.

After hours of endurance, she'd finally caught her target fish.

Cheisi pulled out her guidebook.

From fishing before Azelchen, collecting from mermen, raiding the seafood shop, and now adding the sparkling Marshmallow, progress was at 99%.

Just two fish left to fill it.

One was the Riebpstar.

"Riebpstar's at the ocean floor, right."

Cheisi reeled in her line. No more fishing needed.

A bit away, the lens monster that had been live-streaming her fishing flew over to her side.

"How? Dive in and hunt it myself."

Cheisi confidently plunged into the sea.

"Eueueueueuek..."

But the feel of water on her tail and ears made her shudder, and she immediately climbed back onto the rock.

It was like she understood why cats hate water.

"Haa, f-forget diving in myself."

Ditching the idea of diving personally, Cheisi pondered, then looked at the lens monster.

Noticing her gaze, the lens monster tilted as if asking what was up.

Too?

"Can you go in the sea?"

Too!

The lens monster dunked itself in the sea to show off its waterproof lens.

"Then go down to the ocean floor and take a look around."

Toooo!

At Cheisi's request, the lens monster flapped excitedly in agreement and dove into the sea.

The lens monster's view was the live stream Cheisi was broadcasting.

So the viewers were now seeing the underwater world through it.

"See anything?"

"Don't admire the scenery."

"You see it?"

The viewers spotted a Riebpstar on the ocean floor.

Cheisi called the lens monster back to the surface.

"Can you catch the Riebpstar from the ocean floor?"

Too...

The lens monster made a sullen sound, signaling no.

"...Got it."

Entrusting the Riebpstar hunt fully to the lens monster wasn't possible.

Cheisi pondered briefly, then had an idea.

"What if we tie the fishing line to the lens monster and lower it? The hook might reach."

That was the plan.

Tie the lens monster to the fishing line.

Lower it deep into the sea, maneuver it over the Riebpstar to snag it with the hook, then reel it up.

Cheisi decided to try and explained the controls to the lens monster.

"Pull right to go right, left to go left."

Too!

The monster let out a confident cry, saying it could manage that.

But there was a problem.

Cheisi couldn't see the ocean floor through the lens monster's view. Controlling blind was impossible.

So...

"You'll have to tell me how to control it, everyone."

Cheisi decided to enlist the viewers' help.

Trustworthy chats started rolling in.

"I'll trust you. No trolling, okay."

Cheisi put the plan into action right away.

She tied the line to the lens monster and sent it underwater.

"Tell me where to send it."

Following the viewers, Cheisi pulled the line right.

She couldn't see, but the lens monster should've moved right.

Cheisi controlled the lens monster by following the chat.

"Like this?"

She couldn't see the progress, but assuming it was going well, Cheisi yanked the line with all her might.

"Hooked?"

It looked like a success.

Cheisi called the lens monster.

Moments later, it surfaced, spraying water droplets.

Too!

A red crustacean dangled from the line.

Cheisi took the red crustacean from the flying lens monster.

It was knocked out cold, not moving a bit.

Success at last in hunting the Riebpstar.

"Finally caught it."

Cheisi discarded one of the junk fish that filled her inventory from fishing and stowed the Riebpstar.

But the viewers seemed oddly dissatisfied.

"You want more?"

"...Donates are locked for story reasons. You really want it?"

Seeing the begging viewers, Cheisi smiled and called the lens monster.

"...Come here."

The viewers were thrilled.

As the lens monster plunged back underwater, Cheisi thought to herself.

'I didn't really need the help.'

She could've just logged into Abyss, watched the stream, and controlled the lens monster herself while catching the Riebpstar.

But watching the delighted viewers, she thought.

'Good thing I asked them.'

She'd only been a viewer on Abyss for a long time; as a streamer, it was just day two.

Creating a fun event in her stream like this...

It felt great.

"That one's kinda intriguing."

Cheisi logged into Abyss and pulled up her own stream.

Until ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the lens monster returned to the surface, she watched her own broadcast as a viewer.

Cheisi checked the recipe.

"Got two ingredients. Left are..."

Sparkling Marshmallow, Riebpstar.

And the remaining one. Sea serpent broth.

"...How do I get this."

Recalling the wicked sea serpent that stole her fish, Cheisi felt her head heat up a bit.