Chapter 111: A Minor Interlude
Seeing the other party so cooperative, Lu Kuan nodded with satisfaction and lowered his voice, “I want to know more about Mongo.”
“Feel free to ask, I’ll tell you everything I know, without holding back!” The Black Fox perked up instantly, eager to speak.
Lu Kuan looked up, glancing toward the faintly shifting figures deep in the alley, then turned back and smiled at the Black Fox. “Let’s move somewhere else to talk.”
...
Ten minutes later, on the second floor of the “Golden Wheel” tavern—the busiest spot in the black market.
On the table before Lu Kuan sat a bottle of white rum, several small dishes, and a roasted lamb leg. The Black Fox across from him tilted his head back and downed a large glass of wine, then let out a satisfied burp.
“Sir, you probably don’t know yet. Actually, just today, at least six or seven waves of guards came to the black market to investigate, all searching for Mongo. Haha! These fools—there’s not a soul in the black market in broad daylight. Where do they expect to find anyone?”
“Mongo always has the good stuff... You’re clearly a discerning person, so I’ll be honest. Most of what we deal in comes from thieves—difficult-to-move goods.”
“I heard Mongo offended a big noble in Riverrun because of this, hic...”
At this, Lu Kuan raised an eyebrow and asked, “What noble? Do you know his name?”
The Black Fox shook his head. “I don’t know that, but I’m certain that person holds a very high position in Riverrun. Otherwise, how else could he have forced Mongo to leave Riverrun and come all the way to Lava Fortress?”
Lu Kuan frowned slightly, deep in thought. From his memories in the previous life, there seemed to be no clue related to this... What exactly did this little Mongo have that caused such a commotion?
Seeing Lu Kuan silent, the Black Fox continued.
“I heard a rumor—just a rumor—that Mongo’s small hometown was wiped out by some unknown force, and she was the only survivor... The place should be somewhere south of Riverrun.”
“Mongo is very well-known in our black market. Many old customers pay big money to pre-order his goods.”
...
The Black Fox rambled a lot, with much unnecessary talk, but Lu Kuan listened carefully and gleaned several useful pieces of information.
As the night deepened and the tavern grew busier, Lu Kuan worried about attracting unwanted attention and decided to end the conversation.
A few minutes later.
The Black Fox leisurely stepped out of the Golden Wheel’s door, looking cautiously left and right before briskly disappearing into the night.
Inside the tavern, Lu Kuan lowered his head slightly, densely filling a page in his player log with notes about Mongo.
Whether the information was true or false didn’t matter yet. At least there were clues. One of a professional player’s tasks was to sift through these half-truths and half-lies to find valuable intelligence. Lu Kuan was no stranger to this work.
“Hopefully, I’ll see you again in Riverrun,” Lu Kuan murmured to himself, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
Leaving the tavern, the moon hung over the treetops. The matter of Mongo had finally reached a pause.
“Tomorrow will surely be another busy and thrilling day,” Lu Kuan sighed. But no matter how busy, that was a problem for tomorrow. Night had fallen, and it was time to relax.
In the game, besides the outdoor waters, Lava Fortress also had places to fish—mainly along the moat and a small flowing lake formed where the moat entered the city.
The moat’s water came from the Furious River, so it teemed with fish and shrimp, forming a semi-independent ecosystem. Especially in the flowing lake, with no natural predators, the fish were large and plump—truly a paradise for anglers.
Lu Kuan gathered his fishing gear, bought a large reclining chair at a general store, and strolled to the flowing lake to begin fishing.
The past few days had been hectic, and Lu Kuan’s nerves remained taut. Even in reality, after encountering Liu Xueliang, he hadn’t had a chance to truly relax.
With this rare free moment, Lu Kuan deliberately sought to unwind. Not in a rush to catch many fish, he patiently reclined in his chair, enjoying the gentle glow of magical lanterns around him, admiring the night scenery while leisurely waiting for a bite.
Fishing in “Echoes of the Gods” was almost a perfect simulation of reality, except for some simplifications in equipping gear and bait selection.
It involved estimating water depth to adjust the float, sensing the float’s subtle tremors when a fish bit, and controlling the rod’s force when reeling in.
At first, catching small fish might not feel challenging, but as the variety of fish and shrimp increased—especially when rare large fish appeared—it would truly test the angler’s skill.
Many others with the same idea were nearby, all wanting to take a break from the intense, thrilling game life and relax under the enchanting night sky.
Not far to Lu Kuan’s left, a couple was fishing together.
They’d been there a while; their fish basket was full. The girl, with a neat ponytail and delicate features, caught Lu Kuan’s eye, and he glanced her way a few times.
After a while, they began packing up. From their conversation, it seemed they planned to find a tavern to practice cooking their catch. Soon after, they left.
“Hm?”
Just as Lu Kuan was lingering on the girl’s graceful ponytail silhouette, he suddenly felt his fishing rod dip—another fish on the line!
“Splash!”
Lu Kuan tugged with his right hand, trying to reel in, but the thing in the water felt heavy and dead, unlike a living creature.
“Could it be another old shoe or broken pot...?”
Disappointed, Lu Kuan gave a flick with one hand. A grayish object emerged from beneath the water’s surface. Skillfully, Lu Kuan tossed the hook aside and took a closer look, then smiled with genuine delight.
“Haha, not bad, not bad! Today’s luck is quite good!”
In his hand was a small booklet sewn from animal hide, covered in mud, but faintly letters could be seen inside. Lu Kuan shook off the grime and the item’s attributes appeared before his eyes.
“Old Fishing Manual (Excellent Quality)”
Rare Item
Usage Requirement: Learn Fishing Skill
Use: Teaches you the ‘Scout Fishing Spots’ skill.
Remaining Uses: 1
A fishing spot is an area where aquatic creatures gather densely. Learning this skill enables players to accurately locate nearby fishing spots, significantly improving fishing efficiency.
Such an item was rare, and on the auction house, it usually sold for about five gold.
Lu Kuan clapped once, a radiant light flashing over him. A new skill icon resembling a school of fish appeared in his skill bar. Upon activation, several one-meter square yellow circles appeared over water bodies within the visible map area—marking fishing hotspots.