My Dating Sim Just Got an Update - Chapter 77

With Ren Chenxi’s guarantee of an ample gasoline supply, Chen Gu drove a long distance along the coast. He didn’t pull over until they reached a stretch of beach filled with jagged reefs. Where there were reefs, there were even more varieties of shellfish and seafood clinging to the rocks.

After a long period of applying medicinal powders, taking oral anti-inflammatories, and the continuous use of Recovery Cards, the once-terrifying wound on Sun Jia’s arm had completely healed. At the strong insistence of Sun Jia, Huo Keyu, and the others, everyone participated in this beach excursion. Only Tantan was left behind at the villa, looking pitiable as the designated “house-sitter.”

Since their group was large and included several ordinary people without abilities, Mu Ning and Ren Chenxi sternly warned everyone to stick together. No one was allowed to wander off alone or take unnecessary risks. If anyone discovered something, they had to alert the group so they could act together.

Of course, this “buddy system” did not apply to Ren Chenxi and Mu Ning.

While everyone else was busy shoveling seafood on the sand, Mu Ning led Ren Chenxi toward the ocean step by step. Both were wearing high-top rain boots, and they didn’t stop until the seawater reached their calves.

Zhang Tongqi and the others were working hard, but their eyes never strayed far from the two leaders. When she saw them walking unhesitatingly into the sea, she felt a surge of worry and wanted to call them back. But then she reconsidered—what right did she have to advise them? The Boss and Sister Xi had killed a Level 8 mutant octopus together! Instead of worrying about them, she realized she should focus on her own safety and stay alert for mutant sea creatures on the beach so she wouldn’t become a burden.

Still, even if she couldn’t advise them, Zhang Tongqi’s attention was inevitably drawn to them. Watching them walk into the ocean a place far more dangerous than the shore made her heart skip a beat. What were they doing? Were they planning to dive in and hunt high-level monsters?

Chen Gu, Jian Dan, and the other ability users felt the same. Emboldened by their powers, they frequently drifted off into their own thoughts, even while facing aggressive mutant crabs.

Fortunately, Huo Keyu—who, as an ordinary person, maintained a very high level of vigilance periodically snapped them out of it. Her reminders saved them from being nipped by mutant crabs or lobsters. It would be incredibly embarrassing to return to the base with an injury sustained while digging for low-level shellfish!

Thanks to Huo Keyu’s watchfulness, the others felt they could “slack off” and watch the spectacle. They watched as Mu Ning and Ren Chenxi stood calf-deep in the water. Mu Ning summoned a vine and, after wrapping a Level 3 crystal nucleus around the tip, swung it out into the deeper, darker waters.

Now that she was Level 6, Mu Ning could extend her vines up to thirty meters.

“Eh? Are the Boss and Sister Xi… fishing?”

The words had barely left Chen Gu’s mouth when Mu Ning’s hands gripped the vine tightly. Seeing this, Ren Chenxi hurried to grab hold as well, and the two of them pulled with all their might. Just as Chen Gu and the other strength-based ability users were about to rush over to help, a massive mutant fish was hauled out of the water.

Most of the seafood on the beach consisted of low-level creatures with little offensive capability. These creatures had been forced onto the shore because the depths of the ocean held far more dangerous predators that threatened their survival.

While the low-level creatures sought refuge on the sand, the mid-to-high-level monsters fought for dominance in the water. Without human overfishing, the variety and quantity of seafood in the ocean far exceeded that of land animals, and their levels were significantly higher.

Mu Ning had only thrown in a Level 3 nucleus as a test, but a fish bit almost immediately. And it was a Level 4 mutant fish.

The Level 4 fish was large, but with Mu Ning and Ren Chenxi working together, they managed to pull it in. Accustomed to the brutal life of the deep, the fish was far more vicious than the creatures on the sand. Even as it was being dragged out of the water, it didn’t try to escape; instead, it thrashed and lunged toward the two women.

Mu Ning simply whipped out another sharp vine and impaled the fish from head to tail, ending its struggle instantly.

“Whoa, this fish is huge. I wonder what the texture is like—would it taste good in a Spicy Sauerkraut Fish soup?” Ren Chenxi’s eyes sparkled as the plump Level 4 fish was dragged onto the sand, and she subconsciously swallowed her saliva.

Indeed, the reason they had chosen to ignore the beach full of crabs and dig for hidden danger was simply because Ren Chenxi was craving Spicy Sauerkraut Fish. Ever since she had eaten the Sauerkraut Beef noodles, she had been reminiscing about the flavors of the pre-apocalypse world. Now that the octopus was gone, her craving had returned in full force.

During breakfast that morning, Ren Chenxi had mentioned her desire to go fishing to Mu Ning. She had asked if Mu Ning could provide a long vine to use as a fishing line. Mu Ning had grandly waved her hand, saying they didn’t need tools; she could just wrap her vines directly around the fish, which was much more efficient. Ren Chenxi thought this made perfect sense. If Mu Ning’s vines could hold a Level 8 octopus, a mere fish would be no problem at all.

Sure enough, the greedy fish had snapped at the Level 3 nucleus bait, and Mu Ning’s vine had acted as if it had eyes, instantly ensnaring the target. Hauling the first one in so easily gave them a massive boost in confidence. They retrieved the Level 3 nucleus from the fish’s mouth, reset the vine, and tossed it back into the sea.

A moment later, they felt a tug much stronger than before. Mu Ning and Ren Chenxi had to use significantly more effort, but they eventually hauled the creature to the surface. Ren Chenxi looked at the thrashing beast—it was a Level 5 mutant fish!

“Wow, the sea creatures really are much higher level than the ones on the beach!”

At those words, Mu Ning’s mind began to race as she pulled the vine. If she could catch enough mid-level fish, could she accumulate enough nuclei to “buy” that Level 8 nucleus from Ren Chenxi?

Ever since she had collapsed onto the sand from exhaustion after their last battle, a deep-seated fear had taken root in Mu Ning’s heart. She wasn’t afraid of other sea monsters attacking her while she was weak; she was afraid that if Ren Chenxi ever decided to leave her, she would be completely powerless to stop her.

Ren Chenxi was powerful, and with enough nuclei, she would only get stronger. This was evident after they killed the Level 8 octopus. Ren Chenxi’s strength made Mu Ning afraid—afraid that one day Ren Chenxi would become so powerful that she would leave the base, and leave Mu Ning’s side, without Mu Ning being able to do a single thing about it.

Therefore, when Ren Chenxi said she wouldn’t use the Level 8 nucleus for now, Mu Ning felt a secret sense of relief. At the same time, her resolve to obtain that nucleus for herself wavered. Originally, she had wanted to kill the octopus just to give the nucleus to Ren Chenxi as a gift. But now, seeing Ren Chenxi’s potential to surpass her, she found herself selfishly wishing that Ren Chenxi wouldn’t get too much stronger—at least, not much stronger than herself.

Of course, Mu Ning would never actually stop Ren Chenxi from growing. She simply hoped, with a touch of desperation, that Ren Chenxi wouldn’t run so fast that she couldn’t keep up. To stay by Ren Chenxi’s side, Mu Ning knew she had to become stronger as well—ideally, even stronger than Ren Chenxi. Only then would she have the power to protect her and keep her close.

So, she needed nuclei lots of them to exchange for that Level 8 crystal!

“Watch out! This fish is gnawing on the vine! It’s going to escape! Mu Ning, what are you spacing out for?!”

Ren Chenxi’s sharp cry snapped Mu Ning out of her darkening thoughts. She blinked, saw the Level 5 fish that had already chewed halfway through her vine, and her expression turned cold. She lashed out with two more vines, piercing the fish through from multiple angles. The fish, which had been struggling violently, finally went limp.

It was just a Level 5 fish. If it didn’t have the strength to win, it had to accept its fate as prey!

Ren Chenxi felt that after killing the Level 5 fish, Mu Ning seemed to have been injected with adrenaline. She became hyper-focused. In quick succession, she caught three more Level 4 fish, two more Level 5 fish, and eventually, a Level 6 mutant fish!

A Level 6 fish might be a death sentence for other survivor teams, but against Mu Ning a Level 6 dual-ability user—it was just another victim. This was a woman who had dared to challenge a Level 8 monster while she was only Level 5! Against a fish that only had sharp teeth and no tentacles, it was practically a walk in the park.

Under the combined assault of vines and ice spikes, the Level 6 fish was eventually frozen solid into a block of ice. Ren Chenxi, standing by, realized she didn’t even have a chance to help; she could only watch as Mu Ning went on a fishing rampage. The others, who had been secretly watching, finally relaxed and focused on gathering the seafood crawling all over the sand.

Although the Level 6 fish was no match for Mu Ning, its sheer size and weight eventually required Chen Gu to come over and help haul it onto the shore. Ren Chenxi and Mu Ning probably could have managed if they tried, but Mu Ning claimed she needed to conserve her energy to catch even more mid-level fish.

???

Sister! You’ve already caught four massive fish! Why aren’t you stopping? Are you addicted to fishing now?!

Mu Ning seems to be on a mission!

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