The sea was calm at first, with only small waves rolling gently. From time to time, the wind blew softly across the surface.
But suddenly, in the middle of the empty ocean, a bright blue light fell from the sky like a meteor shooting straight down. Its white tail lingered in the air, forming a pillar of light that pierced the sea.
On a raft, a man holding a beer bottle shouted orders to the four people in front of him.
"Quick, grab that chest!"
The shout from behind made Asyer's heart burn with anger and irritation. Along with three others, he swam quickly toward the pillar of light, struggling for the wooden chest tossed by the waves.
From every direction, other teams were rushing in. Some carried machetes, ready to fight to the death.
"If you fail, you're not eating tonight!"
The coward's voice echoed again in Asyer's ears. His blood boiled, but his stomach was empty, his body weak. All he could do was hold himself back.
"Are you ready? Stay behind me!" shouted the middle-aged man leading them, glancing back briefly as he swam.
"I'm ready!"
"Be careful, Mr. Komar!"
The others nodded, and Asyer did the same. He felt pity for Komar, their good leader.
Komar pushed forward. His swimming skills were unmatched. Only twenty meters to go, while the other teams were still about thirty behind.
He finally reached the chest and was about to throw it toward Asyer and the others when a wide net suddenly dropped from above, trapping both Komar and the chest.
Asyer froze in shock. In the distance, a wooden ship sped through the waves, drawing everyone's attention. At its bow stood a man holding a large net gun.
"Hahaha! Everyone, get lost!"
His voice boomed across the sea, his sharp gaze sweeping over the swimmers. Behind him, his crew had already drawn their bows, aiming at anyone who dared to come closer.
Along with the others, Asyer could only retreat.
"Mr. Damar!?" he muttered, glancing at Damar, who was still caught inside the net, unable to move.
"Let's go. I don't want this place turning into a sea of blood again and attracting those sharks," said one of Asyer's teammates nervously.
Asyer and the others nodded and started swimming away.
"Damn!"
The shout came from afar. They turned and saw their raft already far away. The cowardly man who had ordered them earlier was running frantically, escaping as soon as he saw the man with the net gun.
"That bastard!" cursed the man beside Asyer through clenched teeth.
"What now? Should we form a new team?" asked the other, sounding exhausted.
Asyer shook his head. "Without a raft? We'll just become food for sea monsters when night falls."
"Damn it..."
The two could only curse their luck and the boss who had abandoned them.
While they were still talking, a large raft about twenty meters long approached. On it stood eight people, led by an old man wearing only torn pants. Two young women in revealing clothes clung to him from both sides.
"Oi, want to join my crew?" the old man shouted bluntly.
Asyer's two companions looked at each other and nodded slightly.
"Asyer, what about you?"
He shook his head. "You go ahead. I'll find another team."
Without waiting for a reply, he swam away.
The two didn't stop him. They weren't close anyway, so there was nothing to say.
"That brat… what kind of look was that?" muttered the old man, watching Asyer swim farther away.
"Forget him, darling. Just a hot-blooded boy," said one of the girls beside him.
The old man chuckled, pulled the girl closer, and kissed her greedily.
***
By now, Asyer had swum far from them. He hadn't refused without reason. After seven days surviving on the open sea following endless rain, he had learned one thing: a leader ruled by lust was dangerous. They were no different from sea beasts waiting to devour others.
The latest proof had just happened—his last boss ran away the moment danger appeared.
"I need to find a team before nightfall," he thought.
Asyer's eyes caught a piece of wood floating in the distance. He swam to it and climbed on, just enough to rest and catch his breath on the rocking waves.
Around him, other teams were scattering, searching for more chests that had fallen from the sky. The sun was sinking toward the horizon. He had to move soon.
He kept swimming aimlessly. The ocean felt endless, mysterious, and quiet. Once, he had dived twenty meters deep and still couldn't see the bottom.
Worse, at night, strange monsters appeared from the depths to hunt humans.
The sun sank lower. The cold wind bit into his skin, making him shiver. In the distance, a few rafts had started lighting torches.
During his search, several teams had invited him to join, but every one of them was led by men driven by lust and greed.
"I can't die here," he told himself. He kept swimming, holding onto the wooden log to stay afloat.
Three hours passed. Darkness covered the sea. Only the sound of waves and wind filled the air. His body trembled, his breath grew heavy, and regret started to creep in.
"Someone... please help me," he whispered in his heart. He reached around in the dark and suddenly felt something solid.
"What's this?" He pulled it closer. "Bamboo?"
A golden light panel suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[ Divine Fishing Gear ]
Tier: SSS
Owner: Unknown
Attribute: (Durability: max), (Luck: max), (Range: max), (locked), (locked)...
!note: Power too low, other attributes hidden
The light was so bright that Asyer almost forgot to breathe.
"What? SSS tier!?" he shouted, half in disbelief. He ran his hand along the object—it was an ordinary bamboo fishing rod, about two meters long.
"Could this be my luck?" he murmured, then cast the line forward without thinking.
[ Casting... no bait... ]
[ Bait taken, pull now... ]
A small tug came from the line. "Damn, that was fast!" he muttered, pulling hard.
[ Success! You've caught: Old Float - Common ]
[ Congratulations! Title Unlocked - Beginner Fisherman ]
Ignoring the notifications, Asyer looked at the yellow float that surfaced and drifted toward him.
"Thank you, God... I almost drowned," he sighed with relief. He quickly grabbed the float and slipped his body into it, letting himself drift without kicking.
Once he caught his breath, Asyer looked again at the bamboo rod in his hands, his eyes filled with wonder.
"Amazing... I actually got a magic fishing rod," he whispered. "No wonder it's SSS tier."
He smiled faintly and cast the line again.
[ Casting... no bait... ]
[ Bait taken, pull now... ]
This time, a golden circle glimmered on the water's surface. His instincts kicked in.
"Luck!?" he shouted, pulling fast.
[ Success! You've caught: Small Boat Engine - Common ]
[ Congratulations! Title Unlocked - Lucky Fisherman ]