Sharp winds cut in from the direction of the sea, carving at my skin with sand and sea spray. I felt salty, and it hit me then that I would be here for 28 days or more before I could leave. My first step was clear: I had to build a base camp.
Overlooking the white sandy beach was a sizable bluff with a few paths down it, carved into the rock worn away by repeated tides. A few hundred yards inland, I found the perfect spot to place my camp between an encroaching forest and the beach.
After setting up my tent, I dug a hole for the chemical toilet and found the right spot to build my campfire. Near my camp was a sizable forest with enough firewood on the ground for most of my stay.
I left and returned thankfully to no disturbances to my campsite. I stacked the firewood in a large pile and slowly checked through the selection of firewood for the best pieces to start my fire. The sun bore down on me like a tyrant planting its boot on my neck. After organizing the stack, I tied the firewood with some twine and inspected my fishing pole. Somehow, the string had knotted into a mess while I was gone. A little patience let me restore the line, and I even tied a hook at its end.
Fish would be a significant food source, and I knew how to catch, butcher, and cook them from guides, videos, and my own experience.
Would another problem matter more?
I glanced at a swarm in the shape of a dark cloud. It was far from my camp and was slowly closing the distance. Bugs were becoming a problem, especially mosquitoes or whatever equivalent I was dealing with. Not every creature was bigger; some creatures, like bugs, were even smaller in some cases. Entire colonies of the insects moved around like clouds of locusts.
I planned to burn green wood that gave off lots of smoke and always wear insect repellent.
My main concerns were shelter, food, and water, but the weather close to the ocean could be unpredictable.
The cloud coverage was scattered, but so close to the sea, anything could happen.
I put up a rain tarp and had no intention of taking it down during my stay. The last thing I wanted was sudden rain to seep through my tent and soak everything inside.
The sun sat in the sky's apex as I checked everything before focusing on the beach. My phone buzzed with a new notification.
Ichor Prime Daily Quest
Catch One Big Jack
Reward
50pt (Common)
100pt (Uncommon)
200pt (Rare)
300pt (Epic)
400pt (Mythic)
500pt (Legendary)
Ichor Prime Fishing Guide
Blue Pill x 1
I was being paid to fish on a beautiful white sand beach with lovely elves with exotic accents, and I could cultivate. Maybe this power wasn't so bad after all.
For a while, I dug in the sand, searching for worms, until I found one near a damp patch in a shallow pool that happened to have tons of small colorful fish inside. I scanned the worm just in case.
Beach Worm: These worms are ancient descendants of powerful parasitic creatures that crash-landed millions of years ago. After numerous disasters, they have lost their technological advantage over the natives of Ichor Prime and have been relegated to fish bait. Through evolution that did not favor intelligence, these worms are animals that have almost no sense of self. Most are little more than prey for Ichor Prime's inhabitants.
I pulled gently and unearthed three feet of worms before cutting them into two-inch slices to bait my hook.
Yeah, they were once scary aliens, but they had fallen far. I cast my line and slowly reeled back, watching a dark shape in the water near my line. My heart hammered in my chest as I held my rod firmly and slowly reeled the worm in. At the last second, the fish paused as I pulled my line in and cast it out again.
With a sigh, I dropped my cooler filled with drinks and debated putting down my folding chair and taking a seat. This was a marathon, not a race.
It wouldn't be easy. This place was probably fished often. I sucked in a breath and let it out before returning to the temp of my breathing technique.
"Hey, do you mind moving your foot?" I glanced behind me to see Odi. I raised my foot, and she bent down and swiped a pink shell just below the sand. "What if you had damaged it?"
"Then you would have to look for another one."
I pulled a beer out and tossed it to her. She stared down at the drink, confused.
"It's a drink. You pull the tab on top to open it. Since you were dying to keep me company, I might as well be a good host."
"You know no one would care if I kept you company since sacrifices can do whatever they want once we're chosen." She popped the tab like she was born to it and chugged the beer like a freshman. "I hope you have a safe place to hide. The tides about to come in higher than a seagull's asshole."
I watched the dark shape move, and I felt my rod nearly bend in half. The reel spun so fast it started smoking. I groaned and felt my forearms tremble as I took a step and stopped the reel from spinning. The fight was on.
Quickly, I turned my rod to prevent it from breaking and turned the reel. The fish jumped, a beautiful, shining green-scaled fish that resembled a jack, only larger with shiny green scales. I stepped back before it jerked me forward as I walked across the beach.
The fish was a fighter, but I was going to eat it. As I ran down the beach, my body burned as more primal chi flowed through my veins. Maybe I was a little stronger, I couldn't tell.
Odi jumped up. "Woo, pull it out."
I cranked the reel as the rod bent nearly to its breaking point. From what I saw, the fish couldn't be more than 20lbs, but it fought like it weighed 300+. I was lucky I brought my catfishing rod, an old saltwater angler rod I borrowed from my dad and forgot to return. As for the reel, it was something I found at Walmart for big catfish. Not even 50-pounders fought as hard as this monster of a jack.
The chi was the problem; it made everything a little stronger.
I glanced at the busty, golden-haired elf. It made things bigger, too.
My right foot stabbed into the sand, and I heaved the fish closer to shore. It splashed out of the water, and I pulled before lunging for it. I dipped my Crocs into the sea's edge as a wave slammed into me, soaking me up to the waist.
I caught the jack in my arms and held it to my chest as it splashed and struggled. Then I ran for the shore while my rod skidded on the ground.
"Golly, that was impressive for someone so weak. You know, I know where some good herbs and golden citron grow. Bet, we can dry them over a fire and grind them into something to make that fish tasty right quick and in a hurry." She looked over the fish and seemed to get antsy, moving about while her breasts jiggled in her tight leather bra. "I know you get that fish sliced and diced, and I'll get the good spice," Odi said.
She ran off, and I couldn't help but watch her go. It was a sight. Her long legs, that perfectly sculpted ass, and the way her boobs bounced made me want to bite my lip.
The struggling fish in my arms knocked me out of those thoughts and back down to Ichor Prime. I used some points and purchased a table. Later, I planned to buy a live hold for any fish I caught or maybe a deep freeze for them. I placed an old plastic bucket I purchased for a point beside the table for the guts and skin.
I flipped the knife in my hand absentmindedly as I debated gutting the fish and cooking it on a spit to save as much meat as possible. But there was just something about filleting, dipping the meat in flour, and deep frying it. Then again, with the fresh fish still fighting me, I could get some ice dice and eat the sushi cold.
No rice or seaweed was wrapped around it, but Odi could hook me up. She sure was quick to appear when I was fishing and joined me for my little feast.
I slammed the butt of my knife on the ridge where the fish's brain should be killing it instantly. Then I began making my cuts like I've seen chefs do on YouTube, to less than grand results. After cutting my first jack, quite a bit of meat was left on the bone. I went with a fillet.
The meat was pink and beautiful. I saw some good fat in it, mixing it with the delicious fillet.
Odi returned not long after I was done and left to get my cooler back. She popped the tab on a Coke this time and drank it. "Oh, this one is sweet. I like the way it buzzes. Which fruit produces juice like this?"
"It's corn syrup mixed with other ingredients. The drink is used by many people where I'm from to help cope with depression." I said.
"There is nothing I or anyone can do to stop my sacrifice. For the good of the tribe, I must be fed to Morrtha. I won the lottery." Odi said.
Well, if Morrtha died, there wouldn't be a sacrifice.
Could I do it? I picked up a piece of raw fish and moved to eat it. Her hand caught my wrist before I could. Her hold was solid in a way I hadn't expected. It reminded me of when I was a child and an adult grabbed my hand before I could touch a hot stove.
"Aren't you worried about parasites?" Odi asked.
"I never thought about it before."
She snorted. "Even the biggest corn-fed monstrosity can be brought low by a parasite stealing their strength and feeding on them from the inside. Not that many fish here carry parasites. Morrtha's chi kills most of them."
I sighed and laid the fillets on the ice in my cooler before shutting the lid. The same bird that pecked me peeked behind a rock, staring at my food. I walked over to it with the bucket full of guts and set it in front of it.
The evil seagull looked at me with its soulless black eyes and accepted its offering with the grace expected of such a being.
"You know, they are smart birds. Some will even trade for things." Odi said.
I nodded as I pulled a cast iron pan out of my bag and laid the spices on a small rock near the fire in indirect heat to prevent them from burning or losing flavor. I looked into how to care for spices.
"So why are you here with me and not with another sacrifice living up your last few weeks?"
It wasn't that I didn't appreciate it, but it was bugging me. I knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but it was like being given a ton of money. If you didn't know what to do with it, the money could be as much a curse as a benefit. In this case, I had a beyond beautiful woman in my camp here to eat fish with me and maybe do other things as well, it depended on how the day went.
"I love mysteries, and you're the most mysterious thing I've ever met. That pan isn't bronze, is it?"
"Iron is a metal that can be found around red clay," I said.
"See, that's the stuff I live for. I would like to continue learning about the world's mysteries if I could keep living. Since I can't, I would rather learn everything I can from you before the end." Odi said.
"I doubt the other elves would like that."
She gave me the exact look I got from every woman in my life at one point in time or another. "Golly, I suppose not. I never thought about it that way." Odi said.
I pulled a large can of lemon pepper from my bag and set it on the counter.
"Is your bag magic?" I shook my head and lit some bundled kindling with a lighter before catching some twigs under the firewood I took from the forest. Slowly, it caught, and I watched it rise to burn the dry logs as well. "Is that device magic?"
"It's a tiny piece of flint and a fuel that can ignite the spark," I said.
The clouds were clearing out, and the sun was growing more intense. If I weren't careful, I would burn. I searched through my bag and turned to see Odi with my straw hat on her head and my blue-lens sunshades on her face.
"Oh, everything is darker like it's sunset. These are nice."
I felt my bald head and already knew it was going to burn. I quickly checked my bag and sighed when I pulled a bottle of sunscreen free. At least there was one thing that could help. While the fire was getting hot, I quickly slathered my face and head with sunscreen and hoped it would be enough. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to last all month.
Smoke rose, and I looked around, waiting for some elf patrol to come and ruin all my fun.
"What are you looking for?" Odi asked.
"Well, you told me your warriors wouldn't like me."
"Oh, they wouldn't bother with you unless you force their hand. You're too weak; killing you would be like squishing a bug to them. There is no honor in killing someone like you, I mean that fish fought you for a while." She looked back toward the sea. "What are you going to do when the monsters rise at high tide. This place isn't exactly protected." Odi said.
I froze. Suddenly, my beach vacation was in horrible danger.
"How long does it last, 25 minutes?" I asked.
"For most seasons, you would only see a few monsters emerge. We are nearing the time of sacrifice, the length of high tide will increase until the sacrifice, and it's already 50 minutes."
"I'm guessing moving further inland isn't an option," I said.
"You are free to go, but our lands aren't safe for an outsider. Here at the beach, the deep maw rules. All that is taken from the sea will be returned in kind."
If I left the beach, I would fall under the laws of these elves, and they apparently didn't like outsiders. But if I stayed twice a day, I would have to fight monsters.
Catching the fish was only worth 50 points because it was common, and I couldn't do the challenge again until tomorrow.
The Ichor Prime Deep Maw Event
Survive High Tide
Rewards
Monsters Value
Common 5pt Uncommon 10pt Rare 25pt
Enemies Slain
1: Green Pill
5: Spell Token x 1
10: Blue Pill x 5
25: Weapon Token x 1
50: Skill Token x 1
100: Treaties On Elements
250: Star Fruit x 1
500: Ancient Rod x 1
1000: Foundation Building Tome Voucher
…
Each member of the tribe developed an ability over time. Few spoke about them out in the open, and fewer still did anything with them. Some developed powers to find the tastiest fish, others to move faster, and some to gain control over the elements.
Odissara's ability highlighted the steps between her current position and her ambition in the least number of steps possible. So she volunteered to become the sacrifice when her younger sister was selected. She walked down to the beach near the altar, where she was to be sacrificed, to find the one being that might save her.
After meeting him, she doubted her power. How could someone so weak pose a threat to the Deep Maw? But he was strange and growing quickly. With each breath, he dragged inside of himself more chi than three adult elves, but that wasn't enough. Even centuries-old elves couldn't match a titan's praetorians, much less the titan itself. So why did her power tell her this man was her only chance?
She didn't want to escape her position; she could have just let her sister be sacrificed. Odi wanted the power of a titan, not the diluted ichor mixed with curses to ensure her people were never a threat to the titan. She wanted the true power.
By seeing him as a way forward, she could look past his appearance and current weakness. So she braved a move that could push him away or bring suspicion upon herself because she had only three weeks to make him fall in love with her.
…
I felt Odi push her breasts against my shoulder as we watched the fillets sizzle in the skillet. We cut a few slices of the citron and the grease from the fish, and the citrus mixed together in an appetizing smell. Already, it was becoming flaky and delicious.
"So tell me more about these monsters, what do they look like?" I asked.
I gulped as she sighed in my ear. A chill ran down my spine, and a pit of lust opened in my gut. She had only three weeks left and chose to spend that time with me. What did I have to offer her besides a different experience? She gambled that spending her last weeks with me would be worth it. I wouldn't let her down.
I took a pair of chopsticks because they were handier than a fork sometimes, so I always packed them when I could. I pulled a piece of well-seasoned fish away and watched the liquid fat drip off the piece and sizzle in the collected grease. The smell was incredible after fighting the fish to get it to shore.
She looked surprised, opened her mouth, and closed her lips over the chopsticks. It was doing things to me.
I pulled a piece off for myself, and it was like fireworks going off in my mouth. I swallowed the most delicious bite of fish I had ever experienced in my life with a tear in my eye. By the Tree of Liberty, it was good. We picked at the sides while the piece slowly cooked in the middle, and I pulled it away.
We sat down and used rocks as plates because I didn't have much else yet.
"They are a mix of the holy elf image mixed with the creatures of the sea. Each monster had the ichor of Morrtha mixed with deadly poisons in its body. It's best to bleed them before they can be cooked, or boil them until the blood in their body dries up. They vary in power, but each is stronger than three warriors combined. I don't know what you can do when high tide comes. I would suggest you run, but they will be faster." Odi said.
I searched my phone shop and found a few auto turrets for 400pt each. The cheapest combat AI drone turret was 10,000 points, a little above my price range. Rocket launchers were only 100 points, with rockets going for 5pt each.
Would they die from bullets? I had no idea how strong a warrior was, so who knows? Would my .45 caliber be enough to kill ultra-strong fish men?
She looked at my tent and back at me. "Maybe I can give you a reason to survive the tide." Odi leaned in and grabbed my hand. She turned it so my palm faced her stomach, and she pressed it against her stomach before sliding it down between her legs. I felt my fingers glide along her smooth lips.