Chapter 65 - 63: Snake Raiser, Celestial Pit
When it became clear it couldn’t get a meal of human flesh, the Unihorn Catfish eventually stopped surfacing.
Everyone thought it had given up on eating people and left the shore. They believed they could finally fish, search for crabs, and find food in peace.
That is, until a massive wave appeared and knocked over several people who were moving rocks on the shore to find crabs...
It would hide silently underwater, then suddenly leap up in crowded areas, creating a massive, ocean-like wave.
It was important to remember that the riverbank didn’t just drop off vertically; it sloped gradually from shallow to deep.
The shallows near the bank were filled with rocks of various sizes. Only about ten meters further out did the water get deep enough to submerge someone, marking the start of the deep-water zone.
Most people searching for food along the river inevitably had to step into the water.
The same went for fishing; most people had to bring a small stool and sit in the shallows.
Only from there could they cast their lines far enough to get the bait into deep water, where the big fish were.
Because of this, when the Giant Catfish created a wave without warning, most people were knocked off balance. Before they could even get up, they’d be dragged into the deep...
In less than two days, more than twenty people had vanished from the riverside, half of them members of the Fishing Club.
Today, Zhong Fang and his group had gotten smarter. They stayed on the bank, refusing to step into the water.
They accepted they would catch fewer big fish and would have to settle for smaller ones. After all, their lives were what mattered most. They absolutely could not give the Giant Catfish another chance to blast them with a wave.
But who could have guessed the Giant Catfish would become even more absurd.
It was impossible to know if it was just trying to cause trouble or if it was relentlessly attempting to create waves to attack people.
The moment Zhong Fang and the others started to fish, it would leap out of the water.
When they moved to a different spot, it would follow them there before long.
After half a day, the number of fish they’d caught was pitifully small.
The Fishing Club was furious. Eventually, they devised a plan.
The entire club split into teams, positioning themselves hundreds of meters apart to fish in different locations. That way, even if one spot was disturbed, the other teams could continue.
The result was the Giant Catfish leaping in one spot, then rushing over to another. It spent the whole afternoon breaching in front of everyone, over and over again.
The waves came one after another, the sound of them splashing echoing through the air.
The people on the shore couldn’t fish; their clothes were soaked from head to toe, and if they weren’t quick enough, their rods and tackle were washed away by the waves.
Zhong Fang had lost count of how many times the Giant Catfish had harassed them. By now, he was filled with the desire to kill it.
With dozens of members, the club hadn’t caught even ten fish the entire day!
If this kept up, the entire club would starve!
Unless they got rid of the Giant Catfish, they wouldn’t be able to catch a single fish...
...
SPLASH—
"Boss, there are more fish now!"
"It’s about two-thirds of what we got yesterday. Quick, dump them in the fish box so we can head back."
Wang Biao brought over the hidden fish box. After pouring the fish from the cage into the box, they stuffed some stinking entrails they had prepared beforehand back into the cage. Then, they lifted the box and took off.
Just moments ago, as the two of them hurried back to the overgrown field before dusk, they had seen a dark shadow streak high across the sky.
Unsurprisingly, it was the Stone Claw Eagle, returning to its nest from a hunt.
Even though they were already a good distance from the barren mountain, Chen Chong and Wang Biao didn’t dare to waste any time. They swiftly packed up their catch, ducked into the tall grass, and bolted toward the jungle.
SCREECH!!!
Just as they entered the jungle, a sky-piercing screech reached them. Though faint with distance, the raw fury in the cry was unmistakable.
"It’s angry?" Wang Biao said, taken aback.
"No shit. We stole all three of its eggs. Of course it’s angry! Now, hurry up and run!"
Without another word, Chen Chong lifted the fish box and picked up his pace.
Wang Biao, carrying the eagle eggs on his back, scrambled to keep up...
The sky was steadily growing dark. In less than half an hour, the sun would set completely.
Aside from nocturnal creatures, nearly all animals would be settling into their nests and lairs for the night.
The Stone Claw Eagle, however, took flight.
It wasn’t heading toward the school, but toward another depression in the forest...
...
"Boss, we caught over twenty snakes today, plus a box of snake eggs. This should be enough to feed us for several days."
At the edge of a dense forest depression, five thousand meters west of the school, a group of more than thirty people was scattered about, walking through the area.
Their leader was none other than Fan Kai.
Behind him, a dozen or so members carried crude wooden cages, each holding a variety of colorful snakes.
Others were carrying bags filled with clusters of sticky white spheres—snake eggs.
"We have Wu Yong to thank for this. If it weren’t for your knowledge, how would we ever have found this much food?"
Gazing at the plentiful food, Fan Kai was in high spirits. He clapped the short, middle-aged man beside him on the shoulder.
"Serving you, Boss, is my duty."
Wu Yong maintained a fawning smile, and it was hard to tell whether it stemmed from fear or genuine sycophancy.
"Who says D-rank Recruitment Cards only get you useless trash?" Fan Kai said with a growing smile. "This snake breeder I recruited has solved the primary food supply problem for our entire club, hasn’t he?"
He had recruited Wu Yong, whose only skill was his ability to catch and raise snakes.
At first, everyone had been repulsed by the snakes, and more than a little hesitant to eat them.
But after a few days of gnawing hunger, they cooked up some snake meat and... damn, it was good!
The broth tasted just like chicken soup!
Almost everyone in the Fighting Club had grown to love snake meat, and hunting snakes in the jungle had become their primary food source.
It wasn’t just about catching them, either. Thinking about recruiting more members and strengthening the club to stand against the Survival Association, Fan Kai had even started thinking about raising snakes.
In the jungle, they took everything they found—big snakes, small snakes, and snake eggs. What they could eat, they ate. What they couldn’t, they would raise.
"Wu Yong, you’ve done well," Fan Kai said, patting Wu Yong’s shoulder with the air of a superior. "This place you found today might be a bit far, but it’s full of snakes. And so many eggs, too—way more than we’ve found before."
Wu Yong, who was already shorter by half a head, bowed his head even lower and forced an awkward smile.
"I’m just glad my snake-finding skills can be of use to you, Boss. Creatures like snakes prefer to hide in damp, cool terrain where sunlight can’t fully reach."
"This depression is so vast, like a Sky Pit. I’m afraid the snakes we found today don’t even make up a thousandth of what’s actually here."
Fan Kai nodded. "That’s fantastic. It’s getting late, and it’ll be dark soon. We need to head back. We’ll return tomorrow. From now on, this will be our main hunting ground!"
"Yes, Boss..."
Just as the members of the Fighting Club prepared to leave, everything suddenly went dark.
"Huh? Why did it suddenly get so dark?"
Everyone froze. The sun was setting, yes, but it shouldn’t be this pitch-black already, should it?
When they looked up, they were all struck dumb with terror.
A shadow that blotted out the sky was circling above the forest canopy...
....