Into the healing farming game

36th day of spring

Morning of the 36th day.
I was a little disappointed by the lack of change in the fishing results, even though I fished all night. Still, I wasn’t in a hurry. As long as I knew it would improve eventually, there was no need to rush.

I had bought about 2,000 seeds last night. I mostly bought spices and vegetables, but these were crops I had bought to eat. The main ingredients were basil, mint, rosemary, arugula, lettuce, crown daisy, and water parsley. Vegetables with a distinct bitter and aromatic flavor.

They were great to eat as a side or addition to the main dish, so they were ideal for improving my cooking level. Since I had enough money, I could afford to do this.

I planned to spend less time planting seeds in the morning, intending to fish all day. Even if it took 2-3 hours, the work would be finished around 9 to 10 o’clock, even after eating breakfast and resting. Afterwards, leisurely, healing fishing awaited me.

After making a quick breakfast and receiving a stamina recovery buff, I set out.

I planned to enjoy some special fishing today—several rare fish that do not exist on Earth but only in Starwind Valley. Special fish that can be caught near dungeons and mines.

Shiny jewel fish.
Meteorite carp.
Salmon Salmon Salmon (that was the actual name in the game).

They did not appear often, and the difficulty level was high. That’s consistent with the fact that they granted a lot of experience points. Difficult experiences guarantee better growth.

I thought it would be worth a try once I reached intermediate level 8. Generally, an advanced level was required, but I believed in my physical ability, which was a combination of various skills.

Aiming for growth, I moved towards the mines rather than the forests. A large river ran from the forest to the mines and dungeons. As I walked slowly along its course, a gentle moisture wetted my skin.

The path felt incredibly light as I walked, humming with a fishing rod on my shoulder. If your physical performance improves, will you be able to sing better? A humming song that oddly matched the pitch and beat well made me feel good.

I found a place filled with hard rocks rather than soft soil. Sitting by the river near the mine, I cast my fishing rod into the water. A gentle sweat seeped into my hands, thanks to the slight tension. An angler’s sense develops early on. You’ll soon meet an amazing catch.

Those 30 minutes were full of little things—a feast of those seen in the existing forest. The tension didn’t go away. Instead, vague expectations that something would appear someday made me grip the fishing rod even tighter.

Soon, a powerful resistance tingling down my forearm transmitted through the rod. One out of three rare fish. Yes. This guy had appeared.

My feet slipped slightly on the hard stone floor. I quickly corrected my posture and pulled the rod. The elasticity of the tightly bent rod was surprising. Though I thought it would break, I felt grateful to Maxim when I saw it endure that powerful tug of war.

Good equipment ensures stability when experiencing advanced levels.

There was no time for the tightly stretched muscles to relax. The fish shook vigorously beneath the water, following the rod as it moved left and right. That maintained balance seemed unlikely to break easily.

Even though it was difficult, I hadn’t expected it to be this tough, considering fishing was implemented as a mini-game in the game. If I had known, I would have eaten food with a +1 fishing buff. Leaving that regret behind, I tried to breathe some energy into my aching body.

A stalemate where neither of us would yield. Only the rod bent, revealing the gap in our strengths.

“Ugh…”

I loosened the line slightly and then pulled again. That kind of leeway was now possible. However, this guy didn’t tire easily.

The angler’s senses whispered.

This time will be difficult. Come prepared.

I shook my head and bit my lip tightly. Would I be defeated by a mere fish?

Gripping the rod with all my might, I squeezed every bit of energy from my body, somehow holding on and draining the fish’s strength. I intended to play the long game.

The problem was the fish didn’t want to tire. Its struggle became more violent, as if frustrated by its lack of success. It was my responsibility to make things difficult. The throbbing pain in my forearm became increasingly intense.

The angler’s senses told me I could do no more. The risk of injury crept in.

Since I couldn’t afford an injury, I let go and released the fish. Facing this opponent while unprepared had been my defeat.

It stung a little. Losing to a fish hurt my pride.

I massaged my aching wrists and forearms to calm myself. Then, I quickly took out the ingredients and started cooking. Even a one-hour buff would be helpful. Two cooking buffs and two drink buffs overlapped.

I skipped the drinks, as I didn’t have time to make them, and focused on preparing food. Generally, fishing buffs appeared when fish were used as ingredients. I quickly prepared a simple meal of raw fish and grilled fish using the fish I had caught.

My cooking skills were a bit lacking, but I was proud of my knife skills. Unique sword skills derived from combat level and weapon expertise. Although not optimized for cooking, they were effective in handling.

I used sea bream to make sashimi. Instead of just cutting, I added a bit of flair—a technique of pouring hot water over the sashimi shell and then placing it in cold water to cool.

The grilling wasn’t complicated. Simply adding spices to high-quality crops and mixing them sufficed.

Though hastily prepared, the dish looked decent. Probably not one of the cooking corrections. Of course, the plating at level 3 was a bit crude, but I didn’t intend to eat with my eyes.

I took a piece of raw fish.

The nutty, chewy texture of the skin danced on my tongue and teeth. The fat layer of the skin, briefly cooked in hot water, seeped into the flesh, enhancing the savory flavor.

It was delicious. Raw fish is the best dinner without any shortcomings. Being able to eat as much raw fish as I wanted without worrying about money or quality was a great blessing.

Next, I took a bite of the sizzling, crispy cooked fish. The crispy skin and well-cooked, crumbly white meat. The bursting oil and fat amplified the flavor. The grilled fish, both light and savory, was also delicious.

Since it wasn’t a large amount, I finished faster than expected.

The desire to take on the challenge again surged within me.

[Sea bream sashimi]
[Duration: 01:00:00]
[Effect: Fishing +1]

[Grilled fish]
[Duration: 01:00:00]
[Effect: Fishing +1]

As hoped, the cooking gave me a total effect of Fishing +2, revitalizing me. In theory, I had advanced level 1 fishing skills.

An unfamiliar sensation came over me. That tickling feeling. Was it the angler’s sense? Or was it a completely different sixth sense?

I dropped the fishing rod into the flowing river. My confidence, which had waned, quickly returned. I wouldn’t lose to a fish.

What’s the name? Salmon Salmon Salmon.
Shiny jewel fish.
Meteorite carp.

I wouldn’t lose to these seemingly insignificant fish. They weren’t the legendary rainbow carp or the king of the seabed.

I waited with a slightly anxious heart. If there was no result in an hour, I would have to eat again. While it wasn’t difficult to make and eat, I worried about what would happen if the buff expired during a tight tug-of-war.

Had it been about 30 minutes? A similar feeling penetrated my hand. It was the same guy.

Yes. It was the same fish.

My angler’s senses whispered that he was the first fish to make me lose. The thought of seeing that fish brought a smile to my face.

The rod pulled taut. Fully stretched muscles in both forearms. Strength in the lower body. Core muscles supported my lower back, preventing me from being dragged.

The organically connected muscles of my body firmly supported me. I continued breathing slowly. It wasn’t as difficult as before.

I hadn’t had any time to spare earlier, but now I was confident I would win in a long game. The problem was that the buff time was only about 30 minutes. Everything had to be completed within that time.

A short-term decisive battle. I would quickly gather all my strength and put him in the bag. It was a promise to myself.

Accelerating the sluggish tug-of-war. Gradually increasing and releasing power. Power distribution was handled exquisitely. Once you reach an advanced level, your proficiency changes. It becomes less difficult, allowing more strength. The sharpness felt in the senses was keen, as if cutting through.

I felt like I was slowly reeling him in. A clear improvement compared to the sluggish first attempt.

I glanced at the time—40 minutes had passed. The remaining buff time was 20 minutes. That push-and-pull moment had already lasted 10 minutes. Feeling slightly anxious, I took a deep breath. If you rush, it won’t work. Once again, I calmly adjusted the fishing rod as my senses guided me.

The sound of cackling feet and the sticky friction of rocks.
The scream of a creaking fishing rod.
The struggle of a creature fluttering beneath the surface of the water.

Everyone is gathered together and mixed together, which made me nervous.
I relaxed and waited quietly for that moment.
I glanced away and saw that there were 10 minutes left.
The tense muscles slowly started to ache.
It was probably because I had applied too much force.

I could finally feel his strength fading away.
The fluttering motion transmitted through my hands gradually slowed down.
It was time to catch up.
I conserved a little of my strength and took on the nuance that I too had lost strength.
I shook it slowly, giving it a little hope that it would escape.

“Now!”

After checking the seasoning, I gathered as much strength as I could and pulled it out.
A fish soared brilliantly from the surface of the water.
The name that appeared above my head was [Salmon Salmon Salmon].
A sigh escaped from my lips that were tightly clenched at that shabby name.

Salmon Salmon Salmon fluttered vigorously on the tightly pulled fishing rod.
It was very big. He was about the same height as me. It looked to be about 1.8m tall.
This was difficult.

A sigh of relief came out naturally.
I hit the guy’s head, which was still jumping after he fell to the floor, and knocked him unconscious.

Eventually, the rare fish went into the bag and became my trophy.

“Wow… This is hard.”

Exhausted, I collapsed on the stone floor.
Sweat flowed profusely. My back was damp and my arms were glistening with sweat.
It was the most difficult day ever recently.
It was as difficult as fighting a life-threatening battle with a monster.

I changed my position because I thought I couldn’t catch two of them.
The rest walked slowly down the mine, determined to come and catch them later.
At the lakeside along the river, I stood in a familiar spot and cast my fishing rod.
I felt at ease.

No matter what anyone says, fishing felt best when I was relaxed and at ease.
Working hard like this had its own taste, but spending every hour like this was too difficult for me.
It was a good time to experience the effectiveness of the buff.

I took a look at the Salmon Salmon Salmon sleeping in the bag and continued fishing.
Should I sell him? Should I eat it?
The price indicated by the UI was 1000 gold. It was expensive, but it was a bit of an awkward price to sell because I was in a hurry.
I thought it would be better to use it for other purposes.
When I cooked and ate it, it would become a dish worth 1000 gold, but when I thought about it that way, it seemed like I was being extravagant.
I decided to think about this problem a little more.
Anyway, it was a happy thought that I could do by catching Salmon Salmon Salmon.

Fishing continued until night fell.
Once I got over the difficult part, it was worth doing because I didn’t have to use up my energy.
After finishing work, I returned home.

Although I wasn’t completely exhausted, I was proud to be back in such a difficult state after such a long time.
I had always worked hard, but recently I hadn’t had a chance to use my physical strength to the limit, but I never thought I’d get that experience through fishing.
It was a fun experience.

And so the night of the 36th day drew to a close.