novelraw Chapter 203: Boat Fishing
Chapter 203: Boat Fishing
With nothing else left to prepare, Leon, Gus, and Willy headed together toward the dock. Once the three gathered there, Willy began raising the anchor and untying the ropes from his boat.
While helping Willy, Leon couldn’t help but eye the six-meter-long fishing boat and ask, “It’s safe for long trips, right?”
“Absolutely,” Willy replied with confidence. “It might not be as steady as a large ship, but as long as we don’t run into a hurricane, this boat is nearly as safe as a yacht.”
“Old Willy’s been fishing his whole life. You can trust his word,” Gus said, hopping aboard. He slipped on a life jacket and offered Leon a reassuring smile.
“I’m not worried about myself—I’m worried about you two,” Leon said with a touch of sarcasm. After all, he had Nature’s Shelter from his Forest Magic and the Mermaid Pendant in his possession. Out of the three of them, he had the most reliable survival tools.
“I believe in Old Willy!” Gus gave Willy a thumbs-up, and Willy patted his chest with confidence. “Don’t worry. I’ve got backup measures. Even if the boat flips, I can keep us alive at sea until rescue arrives.”
Seeing their confidence, Leon didn’t press the matter. Worst case, if trouble struck, he could blow the Mermaid Pendant’s horn and have the mermaids bring them back. He still had a few favors owed from the Merfolk, after all.
After helping Willy coil up the ropes and store them aboard, Leon hopped onto the boat. Instead of a life jacket, he pulled out a rain hat—specifically, the straw hat that the Hat Mouse had modified—and put it on.
“Leon, you’re really not going to wear a life jacket?” Gus, now the worried one, couldn’t help but ask. Even as someone who rarely went out to sea, he knew that wearing a life jacket was basic safety.
“They’re uncomfortable, and I can swim just fine,” Leon assured him.“Relax,” Willy said. “This guy’s got talent. If he wasn’t a farmer, I’d have pulled him into the local fishing trade long ago.”
Willy himself wasn’t wearing a life jacket either, though he was at the stern, steering the boat.
The boat was small enough that speaking just a bit louder carried one’s voice across easily.
“Well, if you say so,” Gus said, settling down in a relatively flat spot. He tried to relax and maybe catch a nap.
“Don’t mind him—he gets seasick,” Willy explained when he saw Leon’s puzzled look.
“Then he’s in for a rough trip,” Leon muttered.
“Haha, you get used to it after a while,” Willy chuckled.
“By the way, the ride out is pretty boring. You could do some fishing to pass the time. Once we reach deeper waters, you might even catch something you’d never find near shore. I’ve got a few spare rods in the cabin.”
“Like what?” Leon’s interest sparked immediately.
“You’ll see for yourself,” Willy said, urging him to try.
Leon nodded, pulling his own fishing rod from his System Backpack. After attaching some bait, he asked, “I’ve never fished from a boat moving at full speed before. Willy, anything I should watch out for?”
“Just hold on tight to your rod, keep your line steady, and don’t cast near the propeller,” Willy advised. He glanced at Leon’s rod, hesitated for a moment, but said nothing.
With Willy’s instructions in mind, Leon headed to the bow and cast his line into the sea.
With the boat cutting swiftly through the waves, the hook dragged along beneath the surface, and Leon could clearly feel the pull through the reel. Thankfully, he’d asked Willy beforehand—otherwise, the sudden force might have stripped his line.
Still, he wasn’t sure how he’d notice a bite. The bobber stayed submerged the whole time, making it impossible to rely on for signs. And with the hook moving so fast, most fish wouldn’t be able to keep up. After half an hour without any sign of a catch, Leon reeled in, a bit disappointed.
“Patience!” Willy called when he saw Leon giving up.
“I’m fine with waiting—I’m just worried my bobber and line won’t last,” Leon replied. Constant high-speed dragging in the water made him worry about the hook catching on floating debris and snapping.
“That’s true. Your rod’s fine for still fishing, but it’s not ideal for sea fishing. Want to try one of my ocean rods?” Willy offered.
“Sure. But if it breaks, you’d better give me a discount since you’re the one who tempted me,” Leon joked.
“No problem. These rods aren’t worth much, and you won’t need to pay me anyway. Besides—remember that giant catfish of yours? I already had it sent off for auction. In a few days, we should get the results. It’ll probably cover the cost of the rod and still leave you with some profit.”
Leon blinked. “That fiberglass rod of yours is worth 800G. You think that catfish will fetch that much?” After all, even an Iridium-star Quality catfish in the game topped out at 600G.
“Rarity drives value. A catfish of that size is uncommon, and with an auction, the price will rise. I can’t guarantee the exact amount, but I’m confident it’ll clear your 800G easily,” Willy said.
“Then here’s hoping some rich collector falls in love with it,” Leon quipped. He went to the cabin, found the ocean rod Willy mentioned, and examined it.
It was noticeably different from his usual rod—not only did it have more guides along the length, but it was shorter, with a thicker, longer fishing line. Even the hook had an oversized sardine-shaped lure. It didn’t look all that realistic, but it would probably fool most fish in the water.
Since it was a lure, Leon didn’t need to add bait. He cast it into the sea, gripped the rod firmly, and watched as the fake sardine darted and weaved along the surface, pulled by the boat’s speed.
Up close, the lure seemed fake. But once it moved through the water, it was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
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