Chapter Twenty

Cheng Yuan immediately grew excited. After reading carefully, however, he frowned. This was a manual for people to practice with, but it required certain attributes he didn’t have. Not that Cheng Yuan was without attributes, but as a trainer, his attributes were tied to his monster. His little tiger was of the Metal element, so he couldn’t use it.

With no other choice, Cheng Yuan continued to flip through the book. Just as he was about to dismiss it as useless, a notification box suddenly popped up before his eyes: “Skill ‘Wind-Chasing Step’ detected. Do you wish to record it?” “Yes.” For the first time, Cheng Yuan saw a function of his system beyond viewing the little tiger’s panel. Soon after, he noticed a new bar added beneath the tiger’s stats, with the skill ‘Wind-Chasing Step’ shimmering brightly. Curious, Cheng Yuan tapped on it—compatibility: 5%. He understood instantly.

With such a low compatibility, Cheng Yuan had no intention of trying it out. Besides, he hadn’t finished the book yet, so he kept reading. “Stupid church, I can fly! And you still think you can catch me? I’ll just keep on fishing. Yesterday, while flying, I think I saw a monster in the water with only its neck above the surface. Let’s see if I can fish it up.”

He kept flipping through, expecting a relaxing fishing tale, but the story came to an abrupt halt. What met his gaze next was a blood-red handprint. At that moment, the system popped up yet another notification.

You have obtained dungeon clues: Fisherman Clue ×1, Church Clue ×1, Unknown Monster Clue ×1. Cheng Yuan sighed. Why did it have to be this way? He just wanted to enjoy mindless, carefree fishing, but now he’d reeled in clues for a dungeon instead. Still, dungeon clues were usually only available to those who cleared it first, and the first-clear rewards were always generous—the best the dungeon had to offer.

Fishing? What fish? Wasn’t a first-clear reward sweeter? Cheng Yuan began to ponder. The book didn’t provide many clues, but putting them together, he could pinpoint the central dungeon monster’s location. He glanced toward the center of the river; only there could it be. From the known tracks of the fisherman, she was only chased by the church and stumbled upon the monster in the water.

Given the dungeon terrain, she must have been driven to the riverbank, then escaped by flying across the river, and during her crossing, unexpectedly glimpsed the unknown aquatic monster.

She’d mentioned she would keep fishing—her whereabouts likely tied to that unknown water monster. At this thought, an idea formed in Cheng Yuan’s mind. Fishing alone was impossible for him; even grown-stage fish could easily drag him into the water, let alone a monster at the river’s center. As the saying goes, the rougher the waters, the more valuable the catch. Any monster capable of thriving in the surging river would not be an easy adversary.

With that, Cheng Yuan yanked the little tiger down from the tree. If he wanted to clear this dungeon, he would need teammates. First, a vehicle-type monster—ideally something like a Battleship Maiden, which excelled in both offense and defense. Unfortunately, Battleship Maidens were rare and powerful; getting an adult one was unlikely. Even a Spinning Shell Turtle would suffice. Besides a vehicle, he’d also need a water-combat monster. Cheng Yuan understood that fishing was likely the trigger for encountering the monster. With his own strength, there was no way he could reel in a water monster by himself; if he tried to fight, he might end up as its meal.

So his only role would be as a sort of fishing accessory, just there to make up the numbers. Attempting to challenge above his level—especially a land fighter in a water battle—was not in his plans. Being invincible among peers was enough for him.

Wang Ningning and the others couldn’t help him. Lacking teammates, he decided to ask his mentor for help. With the little tiger in his arms, Cheng Yuan went straight to his supervisor, Teacher Xu. After a ten-minute walk, guided by upperclassmen at Xichuan University, he found Teacher Xu in the office, sipping tea.

Cheng Yuan explained his needs and the reason behind them. Teacher Xu immediately agreed, “No problem, I’ll help you find teammates.” He began making calls, and half an hour later, a girl with straight bangs covering her brows and a boy with a dragon tattoo on his arm walked into the office. Cheng Yuan didn’t know either of them. The girl was silent, while the boy, in contrast to his tough appearance, behaved politely. “Hello, Teacher Xu, I’m Cheng Zelong, recommended by Teacher Zhao Zhongwen.”

Teacher Xu nodded, then said, “Cheng Zelong, I have a student here who needs your cooperation to clear a dungeon.” Cheng Zelong nodded. “No problem. What do I need to do?” Teacher Xu asked, “What is your monster?” Cheng Zelong pointed to his tattooed arm. “Falling Rain Jade Jiao.” Teacher Xu replied, “Then you’ll be in charge of combat.” He then turned to the girl, “And your name?”

The girl answered, “Tao Jiaojiao. I was recommended by Teacher Hualin. My monster is the Everlasting Ferry Boat.” Cheng Yuan was stunned—a rare vehicle-type monster, and judging by the name, it sounded quite traditional.

Teacher Xu looked at Cheng Yuan. “Everyone’s here. You two, bring your monsters and follow him.” Soon Cheng Yuan saw their monsters. The Falling Rain Jade Jiao was refined and elegant, its scales sparkling like jade, its slender form adorned with raindrop-like patterns—truly beautiful.

The Everlasting Ferry Boat appeared as a light wooden skiff, with a white figure seated at the stern—the boat spirit, responsible for rowing and other tasks. The hull was reddish-brown and fragrant, fifteen meters long and three meters wide at its broadest, with a square bow, allowing Cheng Yuan to lounge comfortably in any position.

What surprised Cheng Yuan most was that this monster boat, the Everlasting Ferry Boat, could actually fly. When he saw the boat spirit rowing through the air, he was astounded. Though Tao Jiaojiao said the Everlasting Ferry Boat had no attack abilities yet, the fact that a grown-stage vehicle monster could fly was already extraordinary—this ability alone could easily carry her to the Champion tier.

Just then, a dazzling white bird the height of a person, trailing a long golden tail, swooped down and landed on the prow. The boat spirit raised a hand in greeting, and Cheng Yuan realized this must be Tao Jiaojiao’s second monster.

The three of them entered the dungeon directly, drifting on the Everlasting Ferry Boat to the river’s center. There, Cheng Yuan began fishing, chatting as he did so. “Are you two students at Xichuan University?” They shook their heads in unison. Cheng Zelong replied, “I’m from Gu Yue High School. Our principal brought some of us after Xichuan University opened their dungeons to high school students.”

Tao Jiaojiao nodded. “Same here, except I’m from Xixi High School.” The three began to chat freely.

“I had the worst luck,” Tao Jiaojiao said. “I thought I’d picked up a model boat, but it turned out to be a monster. Since the boat spirit appeared, everyone at home thought we had a slightly dazed ghost monster. I needed to make a contract anyway, and only after doing so did I realize I’d contracted a boat. You have no idea how badly I got beaten last year—anyone could beat me up. It was just ridiculous.”