Chapter 451 211: Fishing

The cruise ship sailed silently on the Winterless Sea.

As the world's largest ocean, the floor of the Winterless Sea is home to incredibly rich resources.

This was especially true of the fish that mutated under the influence of Natural Magic Power, which were known as 'Sea Beasts.' They could be used not only for brewing Magic Potions but also for Artifact Refining. Take 'Shark Bone,' for instance—the spinal column of a deep-sea white shark. Having spent their lives in the Magic Power-rich depths of the sea, the spinal columns of these sharks possessed the greatest 'Demon-Inducing Attribute,' making them one of the best materials for crafting a Wizard's weapon.

A Magic Wand made from it not only has a stunning design, resembling the legendary Withered Bone Magic Wand, but it can also accelerate the casting of large-scale Magic. This is because it takes time for Magic Power to be transmitted from the hand to the gemstone at the wand's tip and merge with the Magic Power stored within the stone. Though this duration is minuscule, anyone with combat experience knows that in a battle between experts, every second is critical.

This is especially true for large-scale Magic requiring lengthy incantations. Every second of delay makes it more likely for the caster to be interrupted by an enemy.

A Magic Wand made of Shark Bone, however, eliminates this problem. Its superior Demon-Inducing Attribute allows the transmission and fusion of Magic Power to occur instantaneously, providing immediate feedback to the Wizard. At a conservative estimate, this saves the Wizard at least 0.5 seconds.

Consequently, every Magic Wand made from Shark Bone fetches an astronomical price.

Coupled with the intricate craftsmanship and the need for a matching Magic Gemstone of a similar tier, only high-ranking nobles of the rank of Count or higher can afford them.

There was one such Magic Wand aboard the 'Rose Goddess,' the very ship Sean and Elise were traveling on.

It was housed in the ship's museum, part of the collection, and was named the 'Scepter of Ultimate Truth.'

Sean was now standing right in front of its display case.

Many other tourists were gathered around, all there to see the Magic Wand.

Legend had it that the wand was an artifact left behind by a formidable Grand Mage from the Era of Polymath.

"This Magic Wand is truly beautiful," someone marveled.

"Look at its design. It's like vines twining around a beautiful spinal column, branching out as they ascend, and finally culminating in a sapphire-blue fruit. There's a certain beauty to it, like a withered tree finding new life in spring."

The crowd murmured in appreciation. "Well said! How very poetic!"

The man laughed. "Oh, you're too kind. I was just describing what I saw."

The exhibition hall was bustling. Aside from the Scepter of Ultimate Truth, the museum held many other 'relics.' Though billed as a tour, many people were really here to socialize. The museum was open exclusively to VIP guests, and anyone who could afford a VIP ticket was likely to have some connection to the nobility. As a result, the space had naturally become a social hub for the aristocrats on board.

The other social venue was a members-only club with a casino and bar. There, you could more accurately gauge someone's wealth by seeing if they hired a girl for a massage while playing cards.

Making friends in a casino, however, seemed a bit foolish. The museum was, by comparison, undoubtedly a more elegant and classy venue.

Sean, however, was just there to wander. The Winterless Sea was vast, and this was a cruise liner, not a freighter. Part of the reason for the exorbitant ticket price was the ship's slow pace, which allowed passengers to leisurely admire the ocean views. They wouldn't be reaching Austin Castle anytime soon. With time to kill, Sean had brought Elise to check out this so-called VIP excursion area.

He just hadn't expected to find the Scepter of Ultimate Truth here.

Seeing his silence, Elise thought he'd taken a fancy to the Magic Wand. She leaned in, nudged his shoulder, and whispered, "What is it? Does Mr. Writer have some ideas about it?"

"No."

Sean shook his head. "I was just reminded of something."

As a fellow Reshaper, Elise understood what he meant.

'It seemed the sight had triggered a memory for Sean.'

"Have you seen this Magic Wand before?" Elise asked.

"You could say that," Sean said. "It was a gift from Mr. Blake to a friend of his."

Elise blinked. "Huh?"

'It's related to Mr. Blake, too?'

"You know that, too?" Elise took two steps back. "Don't tell me you were Mr. Blake's friend, and this used to be your Magic Wand."

Sean: "..."

"Didn't I tell you I don't use a Magic Wand?"

Elise: "Hm?"

'Had Sean told her that?'

'Why couldn't she remember?'

A meaningful glint appeared in Elise's eyes. "It seems Mr. Writer has quite a few girls in his life. You can't even keep track of who you've told what."

"That's fine. It's not important," Sean said with a wink. "What matters is that you're the one here with me now, isn't it?"

Elise: "Oh?"

'Is this guy actually flirting with me?'

'How rare.'

"Mr. Writer seems to be in a good mood," Elise asked.

Sean admitted, "Yes, I am."

Elise: "Because you've recovered some of your memories?"

Sean nodded. "To be precise, I remembered something amusing."

"Amusing?" Elise asked, puzzled.

Sean kept her in suspense. "Come on," he said, "let's go to the deck."

"What for?"

"Fishing."

Elise: "?"

"Am I not a good enough catch for you?"

Sean: "?"

"I'm talking about *actual* fishing!"

"Oh, I see. So you like fishing..."

They chatted as they made their way to the deck.

There was a designated fishing area on deck, fully stocked with rods and bait. For a fee, passengers could fish, and any fish they caught belonged to them. They even had the option to sell their catch back to the ship.

A little bit of calculation revealed the trick: passengers paid to fish, and the ship used that same money to buy the fish back for the kitchens. It was basically a way to get free labor. Of course, most fishing enthusiasts couldn't care less about that. They were more interested in the thrill of a fish on the line—a sense of accomplishment that money couldn't buy.

And with deep-sea fishing, the difficulty doubled, but so did the sense of accomplishment.