Chapter 83: Visiting the Shipyard
Including its long bill, the fish was definitely over two meters long. Getting a fish that big ashore was not going to be easy—a detail Gu Nan had overlooked.
He’d only been thinking about how valuable the fish was and hadn’t considered anything else.
The fish was relatively docile now that its stamina was completely drained, but Gu Nan had no gaff or club.
He scanned the area with his headlamp and managed to find a rock slightly smaller than a brick.
Since he was wearing gloves, he put down his rod and grabbed the line directly. He tugged the marlin closer, picked up the stone, and carefully approached the massive fish.
A marlin with no energy was undoubtedly far less dangerous. Gu Nan suddenly grabbed its long bill and viciously smashed the stone in his other hand onto its head.
’He couldn’t worry about its appearance now. As long as he could get the fish into the ice storage, he didn’t care if it sold for a bit less.’
The stricken marlin suddenly began to struggle violently, sensing Death’s approach.
Gu Nan held on to the fish’s long bill for dear life. As long as it couldn’t break free, it couldn’t threaten him.
At the same time, he seized the opportunity to land two more vicious blows with his other hand, caving its head in and killing it instantly.
HUFF... HUFF...
Gu Nan tossed the rock aside, nearly collapsing to the ground, but he forced himself to remain standing.
The ground beneath his feet was covered in small, jagged reef rocks. If he sat down, the "pleasure" would be enough to send him straight to heaven, just like the marlin.
He unhooked the fish, and only then was he able to put it into the Ice Storage.
There was no way around it; the game space had strict rules. A fish could only be stored after it was secured and the hook was removed.
That was why he couldn’t have stored the big marlin before it had died or been dragged ashore.
He checked the Fish Index. This was an India Marlin, 2.12 meters long. Size: Medium.
Catching the BOSS also earned him one thousand Gold Coins, bringing his total to thirty-five hundred.
Gu Nan wanted to keep fishing and use up his two remaining guaranteed-catch opportunities.
But as he picked up the rod, his hand trembled uncontrollably—the aftermath of the adrenaline rush had clearly set in.
So he just sat down to rest for a bit, ignoring the fact that the rain was starting to come down harder.
Fishing in the rain was normal enough; Gu Nan had simply forgotten to bring a raincoat and rain pants. He made a mental note to prepare them after he got back.
After a short rest, feeling a bit of his strength return, he stood up again. He raised his rod and cast the lure out.
A dozen seconds later, a brutal tug on the line made Gu Nan’s expression sink.
’Normally, I would have been thrilled. But right now, I have barely any strength left. Stamina doesn’t recover that fast.’
Still, he yanked the rod with all his might, but he could barely lift it.
Gu Nan clung to the rod for dear life, letting the great fish in the sea bend it into a deep arc, like a fully drawn bow.
The rod CREAKED and shuddered violently.
The reel spun slowly with the fish’s pull, letting out line. Fortunately, the drag was set almost to maximum, so the fish couldn’t run too easily.
In reality, the fish only weighed a dozen pounds or so. Normally, Gu Nan would just have to fight it for a bit, wear it down, and then easily reel it in.
But not this time. He didn’t have enough strength; just holding on was an achievement.
After ten minutes or so, the fish had only managed to run fifty or sixty meters. It was already exhausted and could barely run anymore.
Gu Nan sensed the pull weakening. He took a deep breath and slowly began to turn the handle, reeling the fish in.
It was slow going. The fish still had the strength to resist, occasionally making another burst and running a short distance. The only good news was that it never came off the hook.
It took Gu Nan a full half-hour to finally bring the fish in front of him.
It was a Tai Star Garoupa! It had to be around seventy centimeters long and probably weighed over sixteen pounds.
Like the Leopard Coral Grouper, the Tai Star Garoupa has a slender build. It isn’t top-heavy like some lesser groupers; its body shape is more like a Sea Bass.
’A Meter Level Sea Bass usually weighs around twenty-two pounds,’ Gu Nan mused. ’But a Leopard Coral Grouper is, after all, a grouper with a thicker back, so a Meter Level one normally weighs over thirty-three pounds. It makes sense that this seventy-centimeter fish is over sixteen pounds.’
Gu Nan took a fish grip from his tackle box. Keeping the line taut, he walked over to the fish and firmly clamped the grip onto its upper lip. With some effort, he lifted it.
The Tai Star Garoupa’s mouth gaped wide, revealing two sharp fangs on top and a full row on the bottom. It was an intimidating sight; a bite from that would be no joke.
Gu Nan carried it over to his tackle box, set the fish down, and used a hook remover to extract the hook before storing the fish in his Aquarium.
’This is a Large Tai Star Garoupa, seventy-three centimeters long,’ he noted. ’Looks like Giant-class must be over eighty centimeters.’
’One last cast. I hope this one is easier. I just want to get this over with and go home.’
Half a minute later, it seemed his wish was granted. The pull on the line was manageable, not particularly strong.
Gu Nan fought it for a moment before quickly turning the handle and pulling the fish toward the shore.
The fish was about thirty centimeters long, weighing three or four pounds. He grabbed his landing net and scooped it up.
Huh? It was a fish he didn’t recognize. He checked the game’s Fish Index and saw that he had unlocked the first fish in the Elite Index.
Gu Nan unhooked the fish and stored it in the Aquarium. Without even checking its info, he packed up his gear and hurried back.
His livewell was empty, so he went straight home, hauling all his gear into his rented apartment.
He dropped his things by the door, stripped off his clothes, and ran to the bathroom for a hot shower.
After his shower, he went to the kitchen. He’d wanted to make some brown sugar ginger tea, but it turned out he didn’t have so much as a bowl, let alone a pot.