A gentle breeze drifted over the ocean, carrying the scent of salt and something faintly metallic. The water stretched endlessly in every direction, an unbroken expanse of blue, calm and deep.
Rei sat in the small wooden boat, staring at the fishing rod in front of him.
It was the same one.
The same damn starter rod that had snapped like brittle wood in the Deep Eater's jaws.
He hesitated for a moment, fingers hovering above it.
Then, slowly, he picked it up. The familiar weight settled into his hands.
"Alright... let's try this again."
Taking a deep breath, he cast the line. The hook plopped into the water, vanishing beneath the surface.
And then—nothing.
The ocean remained still.
Rei sighed. He rested his elbows on his knees, eyes half-lidded as he gazed at the horizon.
"What am I even expecting? A normal fish? Another monster?"
A flash of memory surged through his mind—jagged teeth, a crushing force, cold water rushing into his lungs.
He tensed, forcing the image away. Not again.
Shaking his head, he exhaled and tried to focus on the present.
The gentle rocking of the boat. The way the sunlight shimmered against the water's surface. The silence, stretching endlessly, broken only by the occasional lapping of the waves.
It was… peaceful.
For the first time since this nightmare began, he allowed himself a moment of quiet.
Then—
TUG.
His breath hitched.
The rod jerked forward, nearly pulling him off balance.
"H-Huh?"
He barely had time to react before—
TUG. TUG.
The force nearly ripped the rod from his hands.
His muscles tensed. He gritted his teeth and pulled back, trying to resist—
But then, the boat moved.
Rei's eyes widened.
"Wait—wait—WAIT!"
A powerful force yanked the boat forward, dragging him across the ocean.
Water splashed violently against the sides, sending cold droplets onto his skin. His arms burned from the strain, fingers aching as he clung desperately to the rod.
"This thing—" he gasped, "—is pulling me instead of me pulling it?!"
The rod bent dangerously, creaking under the pressure. His grip faltered. His muscles screamed in protest.
If he let go now…
No.
If he lost the rod, he lost his only means of survival.
With gritted teeth, he dug his heels against the wooden floor, bracing himself.
The force on the other end didn't let up.
His vision blurred from exertion. His arms trembled. His shoulders ached as if they were being torn from their sockets.
"Damn it… I can't…!"
Then—
A rush of energy flooded his veins.
A sudden, desperate strength.
With one last cry, he pulled with everything he had.
The line snapped upward.
Something shot out of the water, spinning wildly before—
THUD.
Rei collapsed onto his back, chest heaving. His body felt like it had been wrung dry, his limbs completely useless.
His breathing was ragged. His hands were stiff, locked in a claw-like grip from holding the rod too tightly.
It took a full minute before he could even think about moving.
Then, slowly, he turned his head toward his catch.
And froze.
It was not an ordinary fish.
The creature lay motionless on the boat, about half the size of his torso.
Its body shimmered with black scales, streaked with thin, silver lines that pulsed faintly, like veins of light. Its fins weren't soft—they were sharp and jagged, almost blade-like. Its long tail ended in a pointed, spear-like tip, and its faintly glowing eyes were unsettlingly still.
This thing… looked like a weapon.
Then—
> [System Notification]
[Congratulations! You have successfully caught your first fish without failure.]
[You have obtained: Passive Buff - Determination]
Gives additional strength in desperate situations.
Rei blinked.
A buff skill? From fishing?
Before he could process that, another notification appeared.
> [Bonus Reward for Catching Your First Fish Without a Fail!]
[You have unlocked: Subspace Storage (Tiny)]
A small personal storage dimension that can hold a few items. Currently limited to 5 slots.
Rei sat there, staring at the words.
Then, ever so slowly, he muttered:
"A… storage space?"
The moment he spoke, a small, black vortex materialized beside him.
Rei flinched.
His body instinctively tensed, ready to bolt—but the vortex just floated there.
Silent. Harmless.
Cautiously, he reached toward it, waving his fingers near the swirling void.
Nothing happened.
After a moment's hesitation, he grabbed the strange fish by its tail and nudged it toward the hole.
FWOOP.
The fish vanished.
Rei stared.
Then, a slow grin formed on his lips.
"This… is awesome."
He could store things.
He could keep things.
Finally, something was going his way.
But before he could celebrate—
GRRRRROOOOWWLL.
A deep, miserable growl echoed from his stomach.
Rei froze.
Then, ever so slowly, he dragged a hand down his face.
"Great... now I'm starving."
His gaze flickered toward the fish in his subspace storage.