Chapter 33 – Lines Cast, Bonds Strained
Chapter 33 – Lines Cast, Bonds Strained
The murky air of Muckwood was thick with the scent of damp moss and brackish water. As Tyler and Milo arrived at the centre of town, they found a modest gathering of NPCs clustered around a large campfire. Some were roasting skewers of frog legs, others held fishing rods, their lines lazily bobbing in the water nearby.
“Excuse me,” Tyler asked, approaching the group, “who do we talk to for the fishing contest? Any rules we should know?”
An elderly tiger-komodo dragon hybrid, Hamodo with a wide straw hat looked up. “Ah, new contenders! Simple rules, really. You’ve got three hours. Whoever catches the biggest creature wins. No violence, no magic. Fish caught only with a rod will be accepted.”
“Biggest catch, got it.”
Tyler and Milo rented a small wooden boat and rowed to the designated area. Ten teams had gathered in total, each with three or four members. Their modest duo stood out.
“We’re at a disadvantage,” Milo muttered.
“No, we’re not,” Tyler said. “It’s not about quantity. One big catch wins it all. That’s well within our range.”
They cast their lines.
And they waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The swamp was still. Nothing moved. The water rippled with the occasional splash from other teams, but their boat remained quiet.
One hour passed.
Then two.
Their lines never twitched.
Tyler tapped his foot, increasingly agitated. “This is such a waste of time. We could’ve been clearing bandit camps right now. Earning gold. Levelling up. Not this.”
Milo sighed. “We’re here to relax, remember? You can’t always be grinding. Sometimes you need to just breathe.”
“Relaxing is for people who’ve already won. I haven’t. If I’m participating in anything, I have to win. That’s how I live. That’s how I survive.”
Milo gave him a sideways glance. “You always talk about winning and survival. But maybe just existing… is enough sometimes.”
Tyler scoffed. “That’s loser talk. If you’re not winning, you’re just wasting your life. Drifting until you die a meaningless death.”
There was a long silence between them after that. Milo shifted uncomfortably. “Tyler… we’ve been through a lot, you and me. This was supposed to be a break, a pause from all that killing and chaos. Can’t you just… be present, for once?”
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Tyler didn’t answer. But in truth, the silence clawed at him. Ever since the battle with the Dune Wraith, ever since Nelly’s words, he had started to question things. Not just about King Wing. About himself. What was he becoming?
A nearby vessel floated past, and a smug goat-fox hybrid NPC jeered.
“Hah! Still waiting on your first nibble? Might as well surrender now, rookies!”
Tyler gritted his teeth. He glanced at their boat — five catches glistening in the net — and then at his own. Empty.
Muttering under his breath, Tyler rowed toward a more secluded part of the swamp.
“Where are you going?” Milo asked.
“Somewhere better. Obviously, this spot’s trash.”
The sneering NPC now called out with a much more serious tone. “Hey outsider, don’t go that way. That part of the swamp’s off-limits.”
“Why?” Tyler demanded.
No answer. Just a sigh. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Tyler, seriously. We should listen to him,” Milo said.
“No. We’re going.”
They entered the forbidden swamp. The air grew colder. The wind stilled. Gnarled trees leaned inward like eavesdropping shadows. Insects ceased their chirping. It was too quiet.
Tyler cast his line with a firm swing.
Twenty minutes passed.
Then — a sudden jolt.
The rod bent violently.
Tyler gripped it tight. “Finally! Got something big!”
He tried to pull, but the rod nearly flew from his hands.
[Enemy Identified: Octopus-Alligator, Level 90]
A massive ripple broke the surface. The creature thrashed beneath the water with astonishing strength, and the boat rocked wildly.
“Milo! Help me!”
Milo shook his head. “Let it go! This is madness!”
“I can’t! If I don’t catch this thing, what’s the point of even entering?! I’m not here to play, I’m here to win!”
The beast surged forward. Tyler activated [Eagle Eye], locking onto its massive shadow. It darted in chaotic circles, dragging the line taut and slamming the boat against submerged roots.
He fired [Spider Web], latching onto one of its tentacles beneath the surface. For a second, the beast stilled. Tyler used the pause to hurl a [Fireball] to the side, startling the creature. The explosion sent boiling water into the air.
The octo-gator roared and flailed, breaking the webbing — but Tyler was already repositioning. He leapt to the edge of the boat, clutching the rod and slamming his boot against the hull to anchor himself.
Milo stood, brow furrowed. “This isn’t about fishing anymore, is it? You’re obsessed.”
“Obsessed? I call it focus.”
“No, Tyler. You’re desperate. For control. For power. For… meaning.”
“Then get off the boat if you don’t want to be part of it!” Tyler snapped.
Milo looked hurt, but said nothing. He sat back down.
Tyler strained with every muscle in his body, sweat dripping from his forehead. The water frothed, the boat tilted.
With a defiant roar, Tyler yanked the beast’s head out of the water.
It was a monstrous fusion of octopus and alligator, with coiling limbs and snapping jaws. The entire boat groaned under its weight as Tyler hauled its front half over the edge.
With a final grunt and splash, the creature slumped forward, defeated.
Tyler collapsed beside it, panting.
“I did it,” he whispered.
Back at the docks, he hoisted the massive head like a trophy.
“That’s right! Feast your eyes! Where’s the prize? I want it!”
An NPC judge blinked in awe. “Please wait until the other contestants finish.”
Tyler slumped against the nearest wall, annoyed. He looked at the giant octo-gator head.
Then — he felt something.
Movement. Crawling.
He looked closer.
Bugs.
Cockroaches.
Tens.
Hundreds.
A distant NPC shout echoed from the northern wall. “The wall’s been breached! Defence has been compromised! Sound the alarm!”
Milo stood up next to him, eyes wide. “Tyler… this isn’t just another mob, is it?”
The clang of warning bells joined the rising chorus of screams.
[Enemy Identified: Cockroach Swarm, Level 20 x ???]
Tyler stood up and drew his blade.
“So, you dare challenge me, bugs?” he whispered with a smirk. “Now that’s more like it. Let’s see who’s the last man standing.”
As the insects poured from the cracks of Muckwood’s walls, the peaceful contest turned into yet another storm.