Lukey had just finished his conversation with the blacksmith and walked outside. The sky slowly took on a soft orange, indicating it was approaching evening. After talking with the blacksmith, he managed to progress with one of his tasks. Now, it was time he finished another.

  A good spear would kill the crabs, but that didn’t change the fact that they were fast and lived in groups. What he needed was a way to pin them down to deal a killing blow. Preferably, something reusable that could be cast out quickly. This would be a lot more difficult to accomplish than getting a new spear.

  As he walked back to the guild building, Lukey thought of how he would accomplish this. Traps were typically something you set up ahead of time. You placed them and waited for an enemy to walk in. That wouldn’t be an option while trying to move through a labyrinth; staying in one place too long would result in getting spotted by a monster from behind.

  Labyrinths were interconnected and constantly changing. It was an endurance test as much as it was a test of skill and judgement. Stay too long and you could get lost in the changing maze or get defeated by the many monsters roaming the corridors. Waiting for long periods of time just wasn’t an option.

  This was an adjustment for Lukey, as he was a patient hunter. Lukey liked waiting for fish to come to him, only to snag them on his hook. This is essentially the same thing, but without any patience or preparation. He had to lure the crabs quickly and get them caught on something strong. With these two things in mind, he eventually arrived at the guild building.

  Lukey made his way inside, went down to the gathering area, and took a seat at one of the tables. The second part of the crab lure was simple: a rope. The crabs needed to grab something flexible yet strong. They didn’t even need to get caught, as they tended to grab things and not let go.

  Lukey took out the rope he bought this morning and examined it. The rope certainly looked strong; after all, it was made for tying cargo down on ships, so it was safe to say it would hold a crab. It didn’t look like it would snap easily either, especially with the many threads that made up its length.

  The rope could be used as a trap. Lukey could tie it around a piece of bait and throw it at the crabs, getting them to grab the rope. It was easier to use than a net too, since he could throw it with one hand. All he needed now was bait, and the only thing Lukey could conceive of was dead fish.

  So, Lukey got his rod and some bait and headed towards the harbor.

  ...

  Lukey sat near the edge of the pier with his line in the water in front of him.

  It was nice to be fishing again after the last few days. Especially after his hectic dash to complete all his tasks so quickly today. Lukey could have used the net to get a school of fish in one go, but there were several reasons why he chose this method.

  The first reason is that he had time. Lukey’s wounds would still take around three days to heal, and stressing them would just make healing harder. Throwing a line in the water would take significantly less effort than throwing a heavy net, and Lukey didn’t need them quickly either. He could take his time accruing a good number of fish before he set off to Claw Cove.

  The second reason was the experience. Lukey had been completely neglecting his ability to gain levels. He should have been hunting monsters already, but his wounds and the poor condition of his equipment made it difficult. He managed to catch a trout on his rod, however, and if he managed it right, he could catch something just as good here.

  The third reason was that he just liked angling and needed a good excuse.

  So, Lukey waited on the wooden pier, legs dangling off the ledge.

  The only ship in the harbor belonged to Thousand Acre. It was constructed using deep brown wood harvested from northern Vetus. The ship had dark green accents that paired nicely with the flag, which had a picture of a tree in the shape of a face on a dark green background. The ship was exquisitely crafted, with wooden curls and depictions of trees etched into the wood.

  There would be no more ships for weeks, so there was nothing that could bother him. Lukey could fully focus on the water in front of him.

  It rippled.

  There was movement underwater. The water rippled outward from his line, and Lukey felt a sensation accompanying it. He let it be as he waited for the fish to bite the hook properly. He was mindful as he began to feel a second nibble, then a third. It was only one more moment before the fish bit the line, and the tug of war began.

  Perhaps it was his newly enhanced attributes, but Lukey found that the entire experience was easier now. He sensed the movements of the rod better, he had more endurance to hold the rod longer, and most importantly, he could pull the fish harder. With one halfhearted pull, Lukey yanked the line towards him and lifted it out of the water with his other hand.

  [Pink Shellcracker Lv. 3]

  The fish was about the size of Luke's arm, with pinkish-red specks and a pink line running through its body. The pigmentation sat on an otherwise gray fish, commonly known for using its wide mouth and flat teeth to eat small crustaceans. It was a common catch, utterly unremarkable. What was remarkable, however, was the feeling that flowed through Lukey.

  Lukey began to feel a slight change in his body, and he quickly pulled up his title to confirm it.

  [Lukey (Beginner Fisherman) Lv. 2]

  “Incredible,” Lukey whispered.

  That Shellcracker alone was able to give me the energy I needed for a level. If I continue like this, I’ll get strong enough to conquer Claw Cove.

  Lukey threw the shellcracker in a bucket filled with seawater. Once he did, he turned his attention to the ocean once more and cast his line. He was planning to make some gains before he had to go home, no matter how long he had to wait.

  ...

  Hours passed by while Lukey sat on the pier. Over and over, he threw his line into the ocean, and over and over, he hooked a fish that ended up in his bucket. By the time Lukey stopped, his bucket was full of medium-sized fish. A quick count showed that he managed to catch eight fish in total, which was a respectable amount in this short a time.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The sun was already halfway hidden by the horizon. It was time for Lukey to call it quits. He would take what he had and eat half; the rest would sit under the sun and ferment until Lukey was ready to use it. So, Lukey took his bucket and made his way to the guild to drop off his equipment.

  While he was making his way, Lukey looked at his title again.

  [Lukey (Beginner Fisherman) Lv. 4]

  It seemed that the more Lukey caught, the greater effort would be required to level up. The third level took two more fish, and the fourth took five. It seemed that if Lukey wanted to level up faster, he needed to find bigger things to catch. The leveling system was difficult to understand, just like his teacher described it.

  At first people thought that leveling had to do solely with killing large monsters, but that was disproven with classes that specialize in crafting and foraging. The prevailing theory the scholars have is that it has something to do with the transfer of ethereal energy.

  All creatures and even the world itself held ethereal energy, but every creature only has a little of it at birth. Greater amounts of energy lead to greater growth, like with classes and labyrinth monsters. What is a mystery is how the transfer is initiated.

  I only caught the fish, but most of them are still alive. Apparently, all I need to do is catch the fish and have them in hand to initiate the transfer.

  The prevailing theory is that ‘success’ or ‘dominance’ drives the flow of energy. A craftsman who succeeds at their task acquires some of the energy of the materials they use. A hunter who kills a monster acquires the energy of that monster. Apparently, there are also ways to transfer ethereal energy between people, though the methods for that were beyond Lukey’s understanding.

  Eventually Lukey returned to the guild building. He left his bucket of fish near the front door and made his way upstairs to put away the equipment. Lukey was careful as he wrapped the line around the rod and placed it in the equipment room, after washing off everything, of course. He was making his way back down the steps when he saw someone he didn’t expect to see.

  “Admiring today’s haul?” Lukey asked.

  “No, boy, just surprised you’re catching fish when you should be practicing your spear technique.”

  The man pointing down at the bucket full of shellcrackers was none other than Triton. On his back he had a rope of eels, with the rope going through their lower mouths. Lukey had to guess he was taking them to the chef for lunch. He made a mental note to visit that guy soon.

  Seems like Triton decided to finally take a break.

  “I have different methods of hunting, you know that,” Lukey said. “I went to Claw Cove and scouted the monsters there, then I went to the blacksmith to talk about getting a better spear made.”

  Triton seemed appalled at that statement. Apparently, changing the weapons you use is taboo among people who spend their entire life using what was available to them.

  “A better spear? Is something wrong with what you were given?” Triton asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

  Lukey felt a shudder roll down his back but quickly gathered himself as he began to explain his logic.

  “The bone-tipped spears we use are far too thick and cumbersome for someone with low strength. The new ones will be far lighter and have better piercing power.”

  Triton nodded at that; he still seemed angry, but slightly less so than before.

  “And where exactly did you acquire the materials to make them?” Triton asked.

  “I discussed it with the blacksmith. Basically, he will use scrap iron from the tools on the island until he can get a shipment of ore from Vetus, speaking of which…”

  Lukey looked at Triton for a moment and began considering something.

  Triton is always moving around the island; he has probably seen all kinds of bones from dead monsters. If anyone can source them, he can.

  Lukey thought about the idea for a moment, then relayed it to Triton.

  “Do you think you can look around the island and get some leviathan bones? They will become necessary for crafting the spears. Really, any interesting bones or rocks you find will be a great help.”

  Triton looked at him, a bit taken aback at the request. He probably didn’t expect Lukey to be this forward after only knowing him for a couple days. Even so, Lukey considered the old man a guild senior with time on his hands, and if he had a chance to help the guild, he probably would.

  “I’ll look around the reef; I’m pretty sure there are lots of bones there since the reef basically grows on them,” Triton said.

  Lukey was confused, but he let it go, as he had something more important to ask the old man.

  “Speaking of the reef, any news of the tyrant?” Lukey quietly asked.

  Triton took a similar level of speech. They couldn’t be sure who was listening outside, so it was best to whisper even if they were inside. After listening to the blacksmith, Lukey realized how news of a tyrant might make people afraid to come to the island or even leave.

  “It’s slippery,” Triton said. "My [Tyrant Sense] goes off sometimes, but no matter how hard I look, the thing knows the layout of the reef better than I do. It doesn’t help that the reef is always changing either.”

  “How strong would you say it is now?”

  “Now? Around Lv. 10. It stopped avoiding the larger monsters and is starting to eat them too.”

  Lukey clutched his head.

  This was bad. The eel was getting stronger, and Lukey couldn’t do anything but wait until his wounds got better. (Classless Prodigy) may have given him a boost to his attributes, but he was still lagging in terms of levels. At this point, he could only hope that the new equipment would make up the difference.

  “I see,” Lukey said. “I’ll try to work faster with my preparations, then. I should be fully healed in two or three days; until then, I will keep catching fish along the harbor for their energy to get as strong as possible and delve into Claw Cove.”

  “Good, it’s nice to see that you're properly motivated,” Triton said. “Until then, I’ll see if I can get you what you need, and Caldoon, too. He can look around local magma vents and see if there are any minerals to be found there.”

  “Thank you,” Lukey said.

  He then grabbed his bucket of shellcrackers and made his way back to his house.

  ...

  Lukey sat behind his home as the last signs of the day were fading over the horizon.

  In front of him was a campfire, surrounded by stones and dug into a patch of dirt with all the grass cleared away. Inside the fire were sticks and logs that were harvested nearby by other islanders. Some of the sticks ran through the red shellcrackers and were staked around the fire. It took a while to prepare everything, but the fish would be roasted nicely by the time they were done.

  While Lukey was waiting for the fish to finish cooking, he heard the door in his house open.

  “I’m in the back!” Lukey called.

  A moment later he saw the back door of the house open, his mother exiting the doorway.

  “Good haul today?” Leah asked.

  “Very productive,” Lukey replied. “I scouted a labyrinth, commissioned some new weapons, and got some fishing done.”

  Leah came over and sat cross-legged by the fire. They sat in silence for a moment before she spoke up.

  “I hope you’re not pushing yourself too hard,” she said. “Those wounds need to heal before you do anything dangerous.”

  “Which is exactly why I’m focused on making preparations,” Lukey said. “Caldoon asked me to practice using a spear, but that would’ve just made my wounds worse.”

  “Smart; you never did like working too hard.” She said with a wry smile.

  They began talking about more inane things, like the changes to the island and rumors they heard. Lukey told his mother everything he heard from the blacksmith about tyrant attacks. In exchange, Leah talked about what she heard from the botanists about Vetus: about a fortress run by bears and a forest where the wood fights back. Eventually, the fish was thoroughly cooked, and they both started digging into the crispy fish.

  “The world outside is surprisingly scary,” Lukey somberly said.

  “It is; I won’t deny it.” Leah replied, and then she continued.

  “But, it is also filled with incredible things. Most people only ever get to see a small portion of it because they are too afraid to push themselves. The only way to get stronger is to encounter new things, and that means doing things differently than what you're used to. The elders on the island may not understand that, but you do, so don’t let your apprehensions get in the way of your path.”

  Lukey didn’t even realize he stopped eating. The last thing he expected was to be lectured by his mother after bringing home a meal. Unfortunately, however, she was right. Lukey couldn’t use the excuse of his wounds to put it off forever. Sooner or later, he had to make his first trip through a labyrinth.

  And so, the days passed, with Lukey fishing and recovering and the blacksmith working on the new spears. It wasn’t until three days later, however, that there was a change.