A flash of light shone dimly on the shores of the Trysl Lake. The fishermen were intrigued but at the same time worried. Lights often mean two things in the wild, treasure or monster.
The light slowly rose to the surface. From the watery depth, Crule swam upwards.
“Stupid treasure, putting me at the bottom of the lake,” Crule grumbled. “Now my clothes are all wet.”
Originally, Crule would absentmindedly absorb the energy in the atmosphere, thus suppressing his cocky arrogant personality, but with the new method of cultivation, he didn’t need to do that.
His egotism is here to stay.
As Crule finally broke the water’s surface, he was surrounded by boats.
“Who are you, stranger?” One of the fishermen asked him.
“Just taking a swim.”
“At night?”
“It’s the best time to enjoy the scenery.”
“But at night? There’s no light to see anything.”
Crule fished a glowing plant from his back pocket. He picked it up from the seabed as soon as he arrived and realized he was surrounded by water and darkness.
“I got the light right here.”
“That’s a fancy lookin’ plant you got there.”
“Found it on the seabed.”
“You went all the way to the bottom?!” The fisherman gasped. “You must have a death wish!”
“Don’t worry old man, I can protect myself,” Crule flexed his arms.
“Now now, child. Don’t do something stupid so early in your life,” The fisherman laughed. “Here, let me haul you up.”
Crule grabbed the pole the fisherman extended out to him. He boarded the ship and realized it was covered in weird looking fish.
“Old man, what are you doing fishing so late at night?”
“Night is when all the predator fishes come out to play,” The old man smiled, revealing a single tooth. “The predator fishes taste the best.”
“Thanks for helping me there, let me cook a fish to return the favor,” Crule said with a smile.
“Oh, you can cook now huh lad?” The old man laughed. “Sure, go ahead. There’s a kitchen downstairs.”
The old man invited Crule to the crude kitchen downstairs. There was a stove top that ran on natural gas. The old man tossed two pieces of flint to Crule.
“It takes a while to get the fire going, good luck,” He left back upstairs to continue his fishing.
“What a strange nice old man,” Crule whispered to himself.
He looked at the selection of fish the old man left. Most of them were gray colored and have large jaws. They color allowed for stealthy attacks and their large jaws are used for ripping and tearing. Certainly, they were all carnivorous.
Crule rolled up his sleeves and took a pot of water. He carefully lit the fire in the stove with the flint. With the knife he found on the counter, Crule skillfully filleted the fish. The tough inedible scales were removed and the tough bones were picked out. What remained was an abundant mountain of pink fish fillets.
Crule added some spring onions, ginger, and garlic to the pot of boiling water along with some salt and a dab of soy sauce. The water bubbled with excitement as Crule chopped the fillet into bite-sized pieces and added them to the pot. After a taste test, he adjusted for salt and pepper.
He took the pot off the large stove and allowed it to rest. It will continue to bubble for a while longer.
With the hanging skillet he grabbed from the wall, he applied some oil and threw on some spices. The rich aroma of toasted spice filled the small kitchen. Crule took another fillet of fish and carefully placed it in the oil. The sound of sizzling was overwhelming.
The crude fish stew was done and now the fried piece of fish was too.
The old man came rushing in not soon after.
“Oh, boy. When you said you can cook, you really mean it!” The old man laughed.
“Enjoy!” Crule smiled.
The fried piece of fish was gone in nearly a minute. Crule stared in wonder at how the old man ate so fast with a single tooth.
While the old man was chugging the stew, Crule was pondering what was happening to his body as he ate.
He could feel the energy that once existed inside the fish slowly transfer to him. It wasn’t the crude energy floating in the air but rather a refined energy. But it also carried something else with it. A certain elemental feel. The Antlion gave Crule a feeling like he ate something spicy. The fish gave him a feeling like he ate something refreshing.
“This is interesting,” Crule said to himself as he continued his meal.
The fish was devoured in record time.
“Oh boy, that hit the spot. Nothing like a long night of fishing ending with a fine meal!” The old man laughed while patting Crule’s back. “Hey kid, where you heading to?”
“I want to go back to port.”
“Oh good, the ship will arrive in about an hour. I was on my way back anyways,” The old man laughed.
Crule couldn’t help but stare at his one single tooth each him he laughed.
The ship arrived just in time for the twin suns to rise above the horizon. The faint glow of sunlight began to cover the lake.
“Thanks for the ride!”
“And thank YOU for the food!” The old man laughed.
Crule waved goodbye and walked to the guild hall. He currently has no way of contacting anyone else. His wristband was destroyed upon his death and his pocket dimension was still currently sealed. He needs to recover his strength to reopen it.
Crule entered the near-empty guild. The morning was early but the guildhall was opened 24/7 in the case of emergencies. There he saw it. As if fate had guided them together, he saw her as soon as he entered the hall.
Ming was already waiting for him.
“What took you so long?” She pouted.
“I got lost,” Crule replied.
Ming embraced him.
“Don’t leave me for such a long time again!”
Crule could feel his shirt getting wet. He felt a deep regret as he patted her head.
“It’s Ok, I’m back aren’t I?”
“Mhmm,” She mumbled into his shirt.
The two enjoyed their alone time in the near empty guild hall. The receptionist didn’t dare to look.
“My god you two, get a room.” She couldn’t help but mumble. “Public show of affection isn’t illegal but it sure is annoying for us singles.”
Crule was extremely tired. It felt like he hadn’t slept in months. It was a miracle he stayed awake on the boat. But he had one more question for Ming before he passes out.
“Just how long was I gone?”
“Oh, about five years.”
“What?” And fatigue finally hits him like a truck as Crule fell asleep in Ming’s embrace.
“Man, making me carry you upstairs as soon as we see each other again…How cruel.” Ming sighed.
