Chiffon and William were currently on the 20th floor of the Tower of Babylon. In order to proceed to the next floor, they would need to catch some rare fish in the lake and present it to the examiner.
This trial could be accomplished individually or as a group. The overall score would be calculated on the number and rarity of fishes that were caught.
William and Chiffon took their fishing lines and stood at the fishing area assigned to them. They were not alone in their fishing spot because several middle-aged men were there as well. These men had been living in the Floor of Anglers for many years.
They were the people who had a passion for fishing and decided to stop the dangerous climb up the tower, and just spend their lives doing their hobby, which was fishing.
Chiffon was the only girl in the group and she was very cute and adorable. Because of this, the friendly uncles befriended her, and decided to have a chat as they taught the little girl how to put the bait on her fishing rod.
William was just as clueless as Chiffon when it came to fishing. Although he had the Dungeon of Atlantis, he never tried catching fish using a fishing pole. This was the first time he was going to try traditional fishing, and he looked forward to it.
“Back in my younger years, they called me Master Baiter,” a middle-aged man said as he instructed Chiffon how to place her bait properly. “No one can beat me when it comes to picking the best baits in order to catch the rarest fish in my hometown. I’ve been challenged so many times, but none of them were able to defeat me.”
“You’re amazing, Uncle,” Chiffon replied. “I have never tried fishing before. However, it looks very fun!”
“It is.” Master Baiter chuckled. “Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, you can easily pass the trial. I have rare baits with me, I’ll give them to you free of charge.”
“Yay! Thank you, Uncle!”
“Hahaha! It’s not a big deal.”
One of the middle-aged men standing nearby snorted. “Don’t believe this rascal, Sweetheart. He may have been good in the past, but that was because he hadn’t met me in my prime. I go by the name Mr. Quickie.
“The moment I throw my fishing line, the fishes flock to me like bees to honey. If there is anyone here that can teach you to fish, that will be none other than me.”
Master Baiter chuckled in a teasing manner, “Quick is not always good. The true way to fish is by taking the time to understand your prey. Even if you catch fish easily, what of it? The Floor of Anglers base the points depending on how rare the fish is.”
“Shut up, old fart.” Mr. Quickie glared. “You’re just jealous because I’m quick.”
Master Baiter sneered. “You are also an old fart. So what if you are quick? This is why you’re still single. You can’t even satisfy the ladies.”
Mr. Quickie almost had an aneurysm because Master Baiter had stepped on his landmine. He had been in several relationships in the past, but none of them lasted long. They came as quick as he did, and left him just as fast.
“You really are asking for it,” Mr. Quickie shouted. “How about we have a match. Right here, right now. Let’s see who among us is the real deal.”
“Hah! I’m not afraid of you. Chiffon, step to the side. See how I beat the crap out of this fool.”
The other middle-aged men who were also on the fishing platform sighed and shook their heads. They were the friends of Master Baiter and Mr. Quickie, but they really hated it when the two started bickering.
“The two fools are at it again.”
“Can’t we just fish in peace and get it over with? Why must these two numbskulls bark at each other at every opportunity they get?”
“I told you we shouldn’t have invited both of them at the same time. Now our day is going to be ruined.”
“These poor players. How can they proceed to the next floor when these two bastards are scaring the fishes?”
Chiffon, who had just finished her preparations, looked up at the two middle-aged men who were looking at each other as if they were about to come to blows. She could tell that they were good people, and didn’t want them to fight each other.
At a loss on what to do, she decided to change the topic and raise the prestige of her Big Brother to the two uncles whom she had met for the first time. She hoped that by doing so, the two uncles would stop fighting each other.
“My Big Brother is also good at fishing,” Chiffon said. “He also holds a title that is similar to Mr. Quickie.”
“What?!” Mr. Quickie tore his gaze from his nemesis before looking at Chiffon. “The same title as me?”
Chiffon nodded her head. It was then when the corner of her lips rose ever so slightly. It was as if she was about to brag that she was the one that raised William to become the man he was.
Master Baiter who didn’t want to lose to anyone also looked at Chiffon before looking at William who had also finished attaching bait to his fishing hook.
“Chiffon, is your Big Brother’s title more awesome than mine?” Master Baiter asked.
“Just as awesome!” Chiffon replied.
“Is he as quick as me?” Mr.Quickie asked.
“Quicker than you!” Chiffon answered.
The two men glanced at each other because they couldn’t believe what the little girl in front of them was saying.
“What is his title?” Master Baiter asked.
Mr. Quickie stayed silent and waited for Chiffon to answer the question. He didn’t believe that there was someone much faster than him.
“My Big Brother’s title is Quickshot,” Chiffon patted her chest. “I heard him say it several times in the past.”
William, who was about to throw his fishing line, almost fell off the platform after hearing Chiffon’s words. More than anything else, he didn’t want others talking about his main profession.
Master Baiter’s expression softened after hearing Chiffon’s words. He then walked towards William and patted his shoulder.
“It must be hard to be a Quickshot,” Master Baiter said. “I feel sorry for you, Young Man. However, do not worry. Just do your best to hold it in, and you will be just fine.”
The corner of William’s lips twitched. He was about to explain that Chiffon was only joking when Mr. Quickie patted his other shoulder.
“You are indeed quicker than me,” Mr.Quickie sighed. “You don’t even last five seconds do you? Is this the reason why you’re climbing the tower? Your wish is not to become a quick shot any longer, right?”
The other men on the platform also looked at William. Their eyes were filled with pity.
“It’s okay, boy. You will find someone that will appreciate your… quick shots.”
“That’s right. There are many fishes in the sea. Who knows? You’re quite good looking, so finding a partner won’t be too hard. Since you can’t satisfy them with your junior, use your hands instead. That way, they will be satisfied as well.”
The other middle-aged men voiced similar words of encouragement to William. What they didn’t know was that the Quick Shot was very close in unleashing his bazooka to blow them off from the face of the tower.
Master Baiter and Mr.Quickie had forgotten their feud and tried to cheer William up by sharing their stories with women. The two middle-aged men made sure to tell William how awesome they were, and the techniques they used in hooking up with women.
William tried to fight back and told Master Baiter and Mr.Quickie that he already had four lovers. Two of them were even princesses.
When the group of men heard William’s words, all of them broke out into laughter. For them, it was William’s last attempt to wash away the embarrassment he was feeling. After exchanging a knowing glance to each other, they all told William that they were willing to share more of their techniques in order to woo women.
William listened to all the advice that the older men gave him while giving each of them the middle finger in his heart. No matter what he said, none of them believed him, so the Half-Elf decided to just stay mum and continue his fishing.
They were only given half an hour, and he didn’t want to waste them chatting with Master Baiter and Mr. Quickie.
Now that their moods were uplifted, the two middle-aged men instructed Chiffon how to properly throw the fishing line in the water.
The pink-haired girl followed their advice and her line drew a beautiful arc before landing on the water.
The two middle-aged men also threw their lines as well. Since fishing required patience, they chatted with Chiffon and told her about their adventures in the tower.
A minute after Chiffon had thrown her bait, the floating ball near the little girl’s hook started to bob. It meant that she had caught a fish and it made her very excited.
The two old men also noticed it as well and told Chiffon what to do. After a bit of struggle, the pink-haired girl pulled her catch out of the water and made it land on the platform, which surprised everyone.
“A Silver-Striped Pupfish!” Master Baiter exclaimed. “Isn’t this the third rarest fish on the Floor of Anglers?”
“It is,” Mr. Quickie replied. “You’re amazing, Chiffon. I’ve been fishing here for years, and I still haven’t caught this fish. This is more than enough for you to pass the trial if you present it to the examiner.”
“Really?” Chiffon asked in disbelief. “This little fish is enough to let us pass?”
“Yes,” one fo the middle-aged men in the fishing platform answered. “It is enough for you to pass, but not your Big Brother. You need to catch at least one more Silver-Striped Pupfish in order for both of you to advance to the next floor.”
“Okay!” Chiffon nodded her head with determination.
This was the first time she tried fishing and she found it quite enjoyable. After putting her catch on a pale filled with water, the pink-haired girl once again threw her line to the water.
William smiled from the side as he waited for a fish to bite his bait. He was quite happy that Chiffon seemed to be enjoying herself. In fact, he could faintly hear the little girl humming a song.
A minute later, Chiffon pulled out another fish, this time, it was a golden fish that was over a meter long.
“Crowned Golden Sturgeon!” Master Baiter cried out in alarm. “This is the rarest fish in this lake. Chiffon, you’re amazing!”
The other men in the platform crowded around Chiffon and the Crowned Golden Sturgeon. They had only seen this fish in picture books, but had never seen one alive. Just like Master Baiter said, it was the rarest fish in the Floor of Anglers.
“I didn’t think that I would be able to see this fish in my lifetime.”
“Wait, we need to document this! Who has a recording crystal?!”
“I have one!”
“Okay, everyone, gather around!”
Chiffon stood at the center while holding the Golden Crowned Sturgeon in her hands. She was wearing her Devourer’s Gauntlet, which locked the fish in place, preventing it from escaping.
William stood beside her and patted her head affectionately. The older men stood behind the two teenagers and smiled at the recording crystal. This recording crystal would soon be part of the Floor of Angler’s Hall of Fame, so they were quite eager to have their faces shown in the recording as well.
By doing so, they could bask in Chiffon’s glory and could brag to their children, in the years to come.
—–
“Big Brother, let’s come back to this floor again,” Chiffon said sleepily as she rested her head on William’s chest.
“Okay,” William replied and patted her head. “Let’s come back here after we clear the 51st floor.”
“Un!”
Chiffon closed her eyes and slept. She was quite exhausted. After taking their catch to the examiner, they were rewarded with ten thousand tokens. Chiffon was given an additional ten Thousand Tokens for catching the rarest fish on the Floor of Anglers.
After passing the trial, the two didn’t leave right away. William thought that it would be a shame if they left the floor now. He could tell that Chiffon didn’t want to go and wanted to continue fishing a little longer.
William thought that it was not a bad idea to continue fishing and let Chiffon enjoy a rare day of happiness in the tower.
They then returned to the fishing platform, alongside the old men that had accompanied them to the examiner. Chiffon had caught several other rare fishes, but she didn’t catch another Golden Crowned Sturgeon.
However, that was fine with her.
For the first time since William had met Chiffon, the Half-Elf saw the makings of a smile on her adorable face. William wished that there would be more opportunities for Chiffon to have fun in the tower, and watch her face glow with happiness.
