The other group could not help ridiculing and heckling when they spotted Chen Jing fishing.
Still, Chen Yining promptly waved his hand and shouted at them when he saw that they were going into the water.
“No! Don’t go into the lake!”
However, they were too far from each other and Chen Yining’s voice could not transmit that far.
They simply presumed that Chen Yining was greeting them.
Still, just as one of them was going in the water, the others stopped him, and what appeared to be an argument started.
Going down the water at this hour… truly, anything was possible in this world.
Chen Yining looked away.
Whatever—they would just have to suffer the consequences of their own actions.
In the end, the one who wanted to jump into the lake resorted to crouching beside it, washing his face and arms.
Another one of them appeared to enjoy the water, slipping his hands underwater or tapping the surface.
Then, there was a sudden cry of shock from the other side of the lake.
Chen Yining looked up and saw that someone was falling into the water with a loud splash, with black tentacles coiling around his face and arm. Fortunately, someone nearby had managed to grab his legs.
Chen Yining recognized that it was a water demon, and it seems that they would ambush animals drinking by the lake.
The other group was now a mess. They were dragging the victim by the legs ashore, while some were swinging clubs at the water demon.
Nonetheless, Chen Yining’s pupils suddenly constricted.
A massive shadow just beneath the lake surface was rapidly closing in.
Chen Yining could see it clearly because of the angle.
In fact, the shadow was so massive that a large wave had arose over the lake as it moved.
In the next instant, surging tides tore through the placid lake and a behemoth breached the surface!
Chen Yining could see a huge dark figure leaping out, splashing water everywhere!
In no time at all, the behemoth swallowed both the human and the water demon before crashing back beneath the lake, kicking up more waves.
The air seemed to turn still.
However, the serene surface of the lake rippled endlessly, leaving waves of splashes.
The group at the opposite side of the lake was left dumbfounded then. When one of them then looked down to find himself holding one leg, he dropped it and fell on his bottom before darting in panic into the forest.
The mere sight of lakes might traumatize that group of people now.
On the other hand, Chen Yining was still staring at the surface of the lake with narrowed eyes.
If his hunch was right, that big one just now was the shadow they kept spotting in the lake, and the objective of Quest One.
It probably would not be hungry after feeding just now, so there was no telling if they could lure it out now.
His Summoner’s Grimoire warmed up slightly then. As if the monster made a huge impression despite appearing for a fleeing moment, it was now recorded in the pages of the tome.
[Species: Big-Toothed Megamouth]
[Introduction: A smooth-skinned creature that dwells in lakes and enjoys sneak attacks. A glutton that isn’t picky with its foot.]
[Rank: Rare⭐]
[Race talent: Razor-sharp teeth+1]
[Bond (Aquatic beast)]
[(1) When there are more than four aquatic beasts, increase speed if underwater by 10%.]
[(2) When there are more than eight aquatic beasts, increase speed by 15% and 20% endurance if underwater.]
[Summary: Water demons are delish, munch, munch… what should I have for tomorrow night?]
Underwater, a rare one-star aquatic magical beast might be a match for a rare two-star magical beast.
But it would be easy if they were ashore.
Chen Yining thought to himself then that it would not be hard to bully the megamouth on land, given that he had two rare one-star summoned beasts…
But if they were in the water, not even two of them together could be a match against it.
Still, he observed from the summary that the megamouth was quite the eater.
They just might be able to lure it with a water demon.
As such, after fishing out another water demon, Chen Yining killed it but kept it as a physical corpse, and attached it to the fishing hook. It was the first time they had used that as bait.
As usual, they kept the fishing rod aloft over the water.
One, two, and soon three minutes passed…
Suddenly, a dark, colossal shadow jumped out of the placid lake, and Chen Yining finally saw the big-toothed megamouth’s full appearance from up close.
It was probably over seven meters long and its gigantic jaws was just like a black hole. Its scales were a dull yellow, and it had two strands of something that could be brows or bears, that looked rather conspicuous…
In an instant, it bit onto the water demon’s corpse and the fishing rod before falling back inside the lake with a massive flash.
Tremendous waves unfurled away from where the megamouth splashed.
Meanwhile, the fishing rod fashioned out of the huge branch had snapped off.
Everything on the tip, from the nylon fishing line to the fishing hook, ended up in the megamouth’s stomach.
Truly, it had quite the appetite.
As Chen Yining mulled over the idea poisoning the bait next time, he realized that the megamouth was probably immune to poison since it would happily gobble up water demons.
Either way, their plan to fish the beast out had failed.
First and foremost, the strength of their fishing rod was lacking.
Secondly, they did not have the strength to drag it out of the water.
However, they could have another go if they could resolve those two issues.
Chen Yining was neither too disappointed nor guilty.
There was no time limit to the quest, after all—the only limit imposed was that they must submit the bounty to the bounty house before it shifted.
It would be no different if they submitted the bounty later, provided that they encountered the same bounty house again.
Chen Jing himself was stroking his nose. He still felt lingering shock after witnessing the terrible sight of someone getting eaten beside the lake, and felt that he was quite lucky.
Thank goodness he did not wash his hand beside the lake or whatnot, or he would have ended up the same.
Afterwards, he did not dare to stay beside the lake himself to keep fishing water demons either, no matter what Chen Yining would say.
To tell the truth, he was traumatized.
Chen Yining did not force him either, since no one had developed the lake into a holy ground for farming levels at the moment.
Indeed, the water demons and the big-toothed megamouth would be dangerous magical beasts for most at this phase, more so than forest dwellers such as the goblins.
For now, the brothers just had to finish Quest Two and Three, then return to the bounty house beside the lake so that they could help Green Skin and the red-caped fowl reach Level 3 as soon as possible.
This time, they returned to the forest together.
They were quite lucky as well, and managed to find a small group of wild goblins in just about ten minutes.
Setting a trap to wipe out half of them, Chen Yining managed to complete his quota for goblins killed, whereas Chen Jing had also reached fourteen out of twenty.
Meanwhile, four hours has passed since they entered the forest, and it would be soon two in the afternoon.
The forest became very hot and stuffy, with swarms of mosquitos perching over the canopy.
It was thanks to Green Skin and the red-caped fowl’s high level that they had managed to repel the mosquitos.
Those insects appear afraid to approach high-level magical beasts in general—their aura constantly exerts pressure upon normal creatures.
Rustle…
The trees overhead shook just then.
Startled, Chen Jing looked up to find a gray bipedal creature fleeing from the branches high above.
It looked like a monkey.
However, it probably was not a magical beast since his Summoner’s Grimoire did not react.
Still, after they walked further ahead, the trees atop were shaking again. The same gray creature darted through the branches, even stopping to look at Chen Yining and the others.
As the same thing repeated several more times, Chen Jing stopped and said, “That monkey must be crazy or something. It keeps disturbing us?”
Chen Yining pondered for a while and continued forward—just as expected, the monkey returned, catching their attention before fleeing again.
“Come. Let’s go have a look.”