Monster Jousting - Chapter 124 [ Book 2 End ] (Patreon)

The Master fisher turned.

In front of the Master Fisher’s chest a flash of twinkling stars illuminated the surrounding area. It took Noah’s breath away. Holy shit. Is that beyond Legendary? It only lasted a moment. A luminous gold appeared, taking its place. It was so bright it dazzled Noah’s eyes. No fucking way, Noah thought. He gulped, taking in the grand sight that made him shift in his holey shoes.

But then the light turned dim. Then it changed colour. It turned a bright purple, then dark purple, then a bright blue. No! Noah swiped at the light, but his hand only touched air. Whatever it was, whatever it was going to be, hadn’t formed yet.

He was being teased.

The light turned into a muted blue, and only then did it form. Master Fisher smiled a weak smile. As if giving the reward to Noah had used up all of his energy. Miasma. Whatever the hell ghosts used to fuel themselves.

The shining blue settled and formed into a fishing rod. It looked exactly like the one the Master Fisher was holding right now. Just physical. It was thick. Much thicker than the old one Noah had. Like a lance, it looked more like a weapon than a mere tool.

Awesome, Noah thought as he took hold of the fishing rod. The blank of the tool was sharp like a blade. The gears were huge. It was as if they were made for a motorised bike, not a primitive tool to stave off hunger. It was bigger than Noah’s head as the heavy weight of the entire rod bore down on his arms. Even with the massive strength running through his muscles, it was a lot heavier than his lance.

Just what monstrous fish was it designed to catch?

Noah glanced at the Master Fisher’s bony arms. On a wafer thin layer of flesh covered his skeleton. Was he always that frail, or did he have some monstrous strength hidden away that couldn’t be seen?

“It was Legendary,” Noah said with a sour expression marred on his face. Legendary. He hadn’t even seen a spec of that golden lustre since he arrived in this world. Now that he had, he had a taste for it. He wanted it.

“It was Mythic,” Master Fisher corrected. He showed a sly smile, turned around, then cast his rod back into the water.

“Mythic?” Noah stepped in front of the old man, disturbing his sight. The fisher didn’t seem to be bothered.

“Beyond Legendary,” Master Fisher said, slightly chuckling at Noah’s amazed expression. “Or at least it used to be before I was murdered.”

Murdered? That was a strange word. That meant that whatever had killed Master Fisher was not a monster, but a human. Was it the ruler of the castle? Noah wondered.

Interesting.

Master Fisher continued, “Anyway. It was originally of Rare quality, but through time, I upgraded it until the Mythic Stage. It’s quite difficult to go beyond that I’m afraid. I did try, of course, but the Sovereigns can be a controlling bunch.”

Lighting struck across the sky. The world illuminated with light, and then a deep, booming rumble thundered into Noah’s ears. The heavens were angry.

Sovereigns? Noah wondered, but he was afraid to ask. He had watched a few police investigation shows whenever he was at Miles' house. Often, it was better to let the person being questioned ramble on. It wasn’t long before they incriminated themselves of a crime they might not even have committed.

Noah let the Master Fisher continue unimpeded.

Master Fisher glanced up at the sky. He clicked his tongue, and said, “Certain skills, or professions have a limit. However, it is impossible to tell what limit that may be. Some Common Skills could reach the upper limits, evolving beyond Mythic. And some Common Skills will forever stay of Common rarity.”

“Then you would need to change it for another Skill eventually?” Noah asked.

“That’s right,” Master Fisher said. “The same goes for equipment.”

“Then how do you upgrade equipment?” Noah asked. “It’s not like Skills where you can Level them up to the next stage.”

“Isn’t it time you inspected my prized possession?”

That’s right, Noah thought. The answer may have been right in front of his eyes. He used Identify as the information flashed in front of his vision.

[Upgradeable] Rare - Rod of Resroza: A crude rod that requires unmatched strength with unfathomable potential, the Rod of Resroza is one of a kind. Legends and myths state that it is capable of plucking the stars from the endless skies above. Only the wielder who brings it to the peak truly knows what it is capable of.
| Added Stats: Str +25, Con +15
| Catching enormous fish is 25% easier.
| War Torn: This fishing rod cannot be broken.

“Is it truly capable of plucking the stars from the skies?” Noah asked as he inspected the rod in further detail. The construction was truly incredibly… poor. It wasn’t lying when it said it was a crude rod. It was like a war machine. It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job it was meant to with peak efficacy.

“Why would I spoil a nice surprise like that? That’s for you to discover.” Master Fisher turned and for the first time since Noah had seen him, he did something different. It was like a robot altering its code, moving in a different way it was meant to. He shouldered his fishing rod and sat on a nearby barrel. “Are you ready for your next mission?”

“There was a next mission?” Noah asked.

“Is that a no?”

“I want it,” Noah blurted. Who knows what he would receive next, but first things first, answers. “But first, what’s the deal with all the ghosts? What killed everyone? It's clear to me that it happened fast. They were unable to escape.” Noah nudged his head to the hundreds of ships stuck in the harbour, and the numerous ghosts on the pier.

“Don’t know,” Master Fisher said. “All I know is that it happened a long time ago. A long time ago. The strange fog surges once a year. But this year has been quite unusual. It travelled further, even reaching the mainland over there. Whoever the lord is that resides in that castle used to be quite the figure. Hm, that isn’t right. He was weak. But now he’s strong. It. I don’t know what it is.”

Master Fisher rambled. Noah couldn’t really make heads or tails of it. The old man was like that sometimes.

“Is that it?” Noah asked. “No details of how to get into the castle walls, or what there may be hiding within?”

Master Fisher leapt to his feet. No sound was made as he landed on the wooden platform below. His hand disappeared beyond the wooden barrel to his side. He picked up something, or at least he did the actions to do so. Nothing emerged. But he seemed happy.

“I don’t know. I never tried,” Master Fisher said, “I was more interested in the waters. Why bother with land when the vast blue provides everything a fisher needs. Water, food, entertainment. Life is good. Or it was. Whatever.”

Master Fisher was holding an invisible bottle. He uncorked it and drank the contents within. To Noah, he just looked like an old senile mime that had lost a few marbles.

“What’s the most important attribute a warrior needs?”

The sudden question took Noah aback. Why the sudden change? Naoh decided to entertain the old fisherman. He was a wealth of knowledge, and Noah intended to scrape the bottom of the barrel, so to speak.

“Strength?” Noah asked.

“Wrong,” Master Fisher spat. “it’s a calm mind. Fishing is great in that regard. After fishing for a few thousands years, your mind becomes the most durable metal in existence. Always looking at the horizon always gets you wanting more, you know? There is always another horizon to chase. To yearn. To adventure and fish.”

“Fishing for a thousand years? My mind would scramble from boredom,” Noah said.

“Then you don’t have what it takes to become a Master Fisher,” the old man smiled. “But you're still young. You have room to grow. A lot of it.”

“If you say so,” Noah chuckled. “What’s the next mission then?”

“To perfect my painting!” The Master Fisher grinned.

You have received a mission from the Master Fisher.
| Mission - A Perfect Painting: You have been tasked to create a perfect painting for the Master Fisher. Tear down the wall of fog that is ruining the sight of the horizon.

| Reward: Master Fisher’s Profession.

“Your profession?” Noah turned to the old man in shock. “What rarity is it?”

“Ah the youth of today,” Master Fisher spat. “No patience for nothing nowadays. Just think of it as something to look forward to, alright? Now go get out there. Fix my painting.”

“Right,” Noah said, turning back to the city. “And I guess you won’t tell me how to tear down the enormous wall of fog that encapsulates this island?”

Master Fisher smiled in response. He plopped his fishing rod back into his hands, walked to the edge of the pier, then cast the line back into the water. There was no reaction.

Noah left the pier and gazed into the depths of the city. He stopped. A thought tugged at his mind.

“Now where did I park my dragonborn?”

Chapter 125–