Chapter 92: Pink Rathian
"I've got secret bait, meow!"
A Grimalkyne shouted excitedly, pulling a small jar from its pack. Inside were plump, squirming worms, each about two fingers long, looking remarkably like the lugworms Logan remembered from his previous life.
The cat skillfully hooked one end of a worm, leaving the other half dangling. Its vigorous vitality kept it alive and wriggling for a long time—an irresistible temptation for any fish.
Watching the three Grimalkynes wave their fishing rods with such gusto, Logan didn't say anything to spoil the fun. He had originally planned to just release an electric discharge the moment they arrived.
Though he hadn't fished much in his past life, he understood that such an act would be an insult to fishing enthusiasts. Those "hardcore anglers" who refused to go home empty-handed would probably rather buy fish at a market than resort to "blasting" them.
Logan didn't care much about that, nor did he mind spending a bit of time. As his basic physical fitness evolved, his lifespan continued to grow. Plus, he gained a steady point of Evolution Power every day; he wasn't even sure how long he could live anymore.
This "getting stronger while lying down" lifestyle really did resemble the legendary dragons, except that even dragons had a lifespan limit, while he seemingly did not.
Tiny ripples broke the surface in the center of the deep pool. Clearly, an underground river was hidden beneath—likely the source of these fish.
The Grimalkynes' secret bait was effective. Not long after casting, one of the cat's floats twitched. The cat expertly reeled in the line, and a common Glutton Tuna was soon pulled from the water.
Watching them beam with excitement, Logan found it quite amusing. Perhaps he was the type of creature that preferred watching over participating.
Time flowed quietly. At one point, Logan even lent them a hand by tossing a small piece of Transparent Frosting near their fishing spot. Suddenly, it was like being in a private stocked pond; various fish swarmed one after another, triggering a "back-to-back" catch mode.
Before long, their small wicker baskets were overflowing, and the fish had to be piled on the ground. Beside them, Zhu Peiniang, who had been lying on the ground bored out of her mind, decided to switch to "buffet mode," occasionally picking up a fish and tossing it into her mouth.
As the sky grew dark and the cats had fished to their hearts' content, Logan shook his mane and stood up. He knew it was his turn to take the stage.
He and Zhu Peiniang dipped their tails into the water. The Pale Horn atop his head, brilliant like gilded amber, suddenly erupted with ghostly blue light. Immediately after, a powerful current burst forth like a surging flood.
It was like a deep-sea bomb detonating. The fish that had been attracted by the frosting instantly leaped up, their bodies going rigid as they floated to the surface.
Amidst the mass of shimmering white scales, a flash of dazzling gold caught Logan's eye. Looking closer, a Goldenfish nearly two meters long appeared on the distant surface, wobbling unsteadily.
Perhaps because of the distance, the strike hadn't knocked it unconscious. It was lucky the fish was far away; otherwise, with those heavy scales, it was hard to say if it would have floated or sunk.
Should I go in and get it? Logan stared at the dark surface of the pool, which looked like a deep abyss torn into the earth, its bottom invisible. With his weight, he would likely sink straight down the moment he hit the water, unable to reach anything on the surface. Zhu Peiniang was probably in the same boat, and he was worried the Grimalkynes would be in danger if they went in.
The underground river led to parts unknown; there might be some fierce monster lurking within. Logan couldn't bring himself to risk others' lives for his own gain.
Just as he was thinking, one of the Grimalkynes sprang into action. It gripped its rod and swung with a mighty heave. With the whirring of the reel, the hook—fitted with a metal sinker—flew out like an arrow, landing precisely in front of the Goldenfish.
As the line was slowly retracted, the hook snagged the Goldenfish's body. Using this slight force, the cat began to pull it toward the shore inch by inch.
"A hit, meow!"
"So amazing, meow!"
Logan was stunned. He hadn't expected them to be masters of lure fishing.
As the Goldenfish thrashed its tail, moving closer to the shore and nearly within reach of Logan's tail, a massive roar suddenly tore through the air, followed by a thunderous explosion.
A few rocks tumbled down. This sudden turn of events caused the Grimalkyne's paw to twitch, sharply increasing the tension on the line. Stimulated by the pain, the Goldenfish snapped to its senses, gave a powerful flick of its tail, and vanished into the black water with a swoosh.
Logan reacted quickly, plunging his tail in for another burst of intense electricity, but the Goldenfish never resurfaced. He didn't know if it had escaped or if it had been stunned and sunk to the bottom.
The massive sense of loss felt like a burning fire in Logan's heart. He took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress his rage.
He had wondered why he smelled a familiar scent when he first entered; combined with that unique roar, it was indeed a Rathian. The angrier he got, the more he decided he had to go teach it a lesson—to let it know that you can't just shout in a public place.
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Logan gave a low growl, telling Zhu Peiniang and the Grimalkynes not to wander off. Then, he leaped, easily scaling the nearby cliffside. His thirty-centimeter curved talons dug deep into the rock, and with the power of his limbs, he surged upward a great distance.
Using several protruding platforms to pivot and jump, his superior leaping ability allowed him to vanish into the heights.
Before long, on a platform woven from seaweed and vines that looked like a bouncy hammock, he spotted the massive silhouette of a dragon.
It was a female Rathian, about eighteen meters from head to tail. Unlike the Rathians he had encountered before, its shell shimmered with a pinkish-white hue like flower petals, marking its status as a unique subspecies—the Pink Rathian.
It was an extremely beautiful creature, said to be highly sought after in the human world, with many traveling thousands of miles just to catch a glimpse of it. But in the eyes of the furious Logan, it was just a Rathian with a different paint job—one that looked even less appealing than the dark green ones he'd seen before.
After leaping onto the wide platform from below, he didn't waste a word and charged forward aggressively. Despite his dozens of tons of weight, he moved with the agility of a cat. He raised his claw and swung a ferocious, heavy blow.
The sudden intrusion caught the Pink Rathian off guard. By the time it reacted, that massive paw had already slammed heavily against its head.
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