The Underground Lake Fishing Journal

 

Estimated Fishing Day 4.

After imagining life in a tropical region with fish like arowana, I thought they might be good whole grilled, so I tried grilling them whole.

I roughly seasoned them with just salt and tried eating them, but they didn’t taste good.

It seems just improvising isn’t enough.

Piranhas also seem suited for frying.

Would fish and chips be good, like Sheryl mentioned before?

She did say she preferred macaroni and cheese, but I’ve never had it so I don’t know.

Since I have the chance, I should raise my cooking skill too.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 5.

I thought this Underground Lake might have a nushi, but surprisingly none showed up.

I just repeatedly cooked carp and crucian carp.

Sorry Peckles, I’ll have you make do with arowana and gar pike.

You were eating squid nonchalantly, so it should be fine.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 6.

I tried free diving, which I had thought was cheating.

My swimming skill was subtly low, so it wouldn’t hurt to raise it while I’m at it.

The Underground Lake’s water is cold! Damage from low temperature starts accumulating while swimming.

Used the campfire I had prepared to regulate body temperature.

Sheryl really went all out with a system like this. As I thought that, I diligently fished.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 7.

The Underground Lake also has small spring-like areas.

I let my line dangle there to see what would bite.

Or rather, while checking the shallows, I discovered clams!

I immediately put them in a pot and made clam soup.

There were also crawfish.

I wonder if I can eat them if I butcher them properly?

 

Estimated Fishing Day 8.

Hmm… It’s hard to imagine there not being a nushi in a place like this.

There was one even at the first town fishing spot.

Is it possible that some condition hasn’t been met?

Or maybe the nushi location is limited?

Like it’s connected to a pond and catfish also appear here sometimes?

 

Come to think of it, I just realized I haven’t fished for the nushi of the second town either.

I should go fishing there at some point.

Unless someone else has already caught it, that is.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 9.

I’ve started to wonder why I’m surviving in the Underground Lake.

I’m not sure myself.

I feel like I’ve started talking to myself more.

But thinking it would be a waste not to let the days pass, I continued my fishing life.

I didn’t get any noteworthy information today.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 10.

Used the boat to search for deeper areas.

I’ve already let my line down in deep spots.

But I couldn’t find any likely locations.

The fish I’ve caught have surpassed 3,000.

I wonder how many I’ll catch before going back?

Well, it might be good to ask Sheryl and Romina for proper equipment and have another extended fishing life

By the way, I found that compared to fish outside, the Element Conversion efficiency of these fish is worse.

It’s probably because we can stay for a long time.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 11.

Looking at the bottom of the Underground Lake, there are deep spots… but somehow it feels like there’s something there.

So, despite the slight chill, I let my line dangle while swimming to raise my swimming proficiency.

With the dungeon system, energy recovery is slow and conversion rates are poor, but I improved my swimming skill.

My dive time and underwater movement speed increased a little.

Well, being both an angler and a fisherman isn’t so bad.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 12.

It was fun.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 13.

Since yesterday’s journal entry was like a third grader’s diary, I reflected on it.

With my improved swimming skill, I resumed exploring the Underground Lake.

As a result, I discovered a hidden hole leading to further side tunnels.

How many gimmicks are in this small floor?

And beyond that, I found an ore vein.

Drilling it yielded Starfire Gemstone and Oreikal ore.

 

I wanted to dive as deep into the Underground Lake as I could hold my breath, but the bottom was still not visible even at my limit.

Do I need machinery skills or something to get an oxygen tank for exploring here?

Or maybe a nushi for free diving?

If so, it would be out of my jurisdiction. Maybe I should bring Sheryl when I return.

Checking the surroundings, there was moss, or round rock-like things that gave off an ancient vibe.

Scraping them off yielded a stone called Stromatolite.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 14.

Letting my line dangle in this hidden hole caught a red snapper.

That’s a sea fish, isn’t it? Isn’t this the Underground Lake?

But then I realized, this is an island, after all.

The water does seem to have a slight saltiness to it.

It’s so varied in just one place, that must be a game thing.

 

Estimated Fishing Day 15:

Due to changing the fishing spot, the fishing gear――.

 

「Maybe a Shining Lure won’t attract anything, so let’s use an actual red snapper as bait this time.」

 

Using fish as bait to catch fish is a fairly common fishing method.

Ayu sweetfish as lures are pretty famous, aren’t they?

Come to think of it, I haven’t done ayu fishing either.

When I get back to the continent, I want to try fly fishing and river fishing too.

I’ve only really fished in the ocean despite everything.

Fishing in the pond was interesting in that sense, I guess.

Well, since good ore was obtained, I’ll compromise by not unnecessarily sacrificing the fish I happened to catch.

That’s what I was thinking, when my rod bent sharply.

 

「What is it? Another arowana?」

 

I guess it’s considered a borderline area where both freshwater and saltwater fish can be caught.

It doesn’t seem to be treated as an estuary. Anything goes in this Underground Lake.

As I thought that and tried to reel it in, the feeling was somehow different.

What? The pull is as strong as a catfish, I can tell.

 

「Kuh… Don’t underestimate me. Do you think this me who succeeded in getting revenge on that Shining Lure thief catfish would have my line snapped by something of this caliber!」

 

I gripped the rod with both hands and activated the motor reel to retrieve it.

My current equipment is even better than what I had back then.

Don’t underestimate the power of the Giant Catfish Fishing Rod.

I can tell it’s lashing out some kind of attack at the hook and line.

From the feeling in my hands… it should be a nushi! And one that can attack too?

If Sheryl was here, she could attack and weaken it, but I won’t ask for the impossible!

But… this feeling, it’s an unusual pull compared to any other fish.

It’s more like a giant squid?

 

「Haaaah!」

 

I activated the motor reel to rapidly wind in the line.

Unable to snap the sturdy line, the nushi was gradually reeled in by the increasing pull.

Fufufufufu… The experience with the catfish paid off.

If I hadn’t experienced that catfish and tried fishing here, I would have been instantly defeated.

In that sense, the catfish was a good rival.

It led me to even greater heights, after all.

Thinking that, I put all my experience into raising the rod.

And then… surprisingly easily, I managed to reel in what seemed to be the nushi fish.

Its huge body leapt out of the water.

 

「Fish! Ooooooooooh!」

 

I couldn’t help but shout.

Well, how could I not?

I caught that fish rarely seen in life simulation or fishing games!

 

「A coelacanth!」

 

No doubt about it.

When I checked the caught coelacanth, it was labeled as Coelacanth Latimeria.

But still, to be able to catch a coelacanth!

 

This is a huge discovery!

And it’s the nushi too!

I want to share this excitement with someone.

Come to think of it, I’ve been in this dungeon for 15 subjective days.

It might be about time to head back.

 

That said… it would be difficult to just put away the nushi, so I’ll take a screenshot for now.

Its total length is about 2.5 meters.

Coelacanths are supposedly around 1 to 2 meters long, so this one is bigger.

Compared to nushi sardines and giant catfish, it’s smaller, but I guess that’s just how it is in this game. I’ll have to accept it.

 

「Oh?」

 

I noticed something shining on the coelacanth’s forehead.

What is it?

Upon checking the shining object, it seemed to be a key strangely stuck to it.

When I touched the key, it seemed to lose its effect and dropped off.

A drop without dismantling?

I picked up the key and inspected it.

 

Ancient Legend Key

 

A key, huh… It must be used for something, but I don’t know where to use it.

Maybe there will be a place to use it later?

It’s probably an event item.

 

「Oh well.」

 

After carefully taking a screenshot… I immediately dismantled it.

 

Ancient Fish Mouth, Ancient Fish Head, Ancient Fish Front Fin, Ancient Fish Dorsal Fin, Ancient Fish Chest Fin, Ancient Fish Belly Fin, Ancient Fish Tail Fin, Ancient Fish Scales, Ancient Fish Hard Scales, Ancient Fish Muscle, Ancient Fish Cartilage, Ancient Fish Heart, Ancient Fish Eyeball.

 

Yeah, filled with Ancient Fish series items.

 

「Well then, time to head back! To be honest, I was getting a bit tired of the Underground Lake anyway!」

 

Since it’s a good stopping point, let’s go back.

I’ll come back to fish at the Underground Lake again in about three days. Next time, I’ll prepare better equipment.

I need to ask Sheryl if she can make things like oxygen tanks too.

And so, after dismantling the coelacanth, I clapped my hands to dust them off, extinguished the lamp, and returned from the dungeon.

Well, this should be enough of a catch.

 

Since one day has passed.

Whew, I feel immensely rewarded.

The Peckles food issue is resolved in one fell swoop!