Chapter 78
“Wow, this is really something.”
“How many fish has he caught already?”
“Is he using some kind of special bait?”
A crowd gathered around. What had started as a simple bet out of boredom was quickly escalating.
Dokgo Ryong not only filled Tang Jinak’s empty fish basket but also crammed Yang Huicheon’s full.
Finally catching a flounder, Dokgo Ryong reeled in his rod.
“Still got it.”
The fish overflowed from the baskets, flopping out as if bursting at the seams.
Unlike the confident Dokgo Ryong, who looked proud as if this were a given, Eun Sowol’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
“Th-this is impossible…”
He’d caught too many fish for it to be brushed off as mere luck.
Yang Huicheon and Tang Jinak, standing beside him, hadn’t caught a single one. Even those fishing elsewhere only managed one or two.
“Amazing, big bro! To catch this many in such a short time!”
“Did you learn some secret fishing technique from a master angler or something?!”
As usual, Tang Jinak’s eyes sparkled as he praised Dokgo Ryong, while Yang Huicheon grumbled in frustration.
“Ahem! If you’ve got some secret trick, do share it with me. You clearly have skill in fishing.”
Despite his grumbling, he still asked subtly, as if he genuinely wanted to learn.
Hearing this, Dokgo Ryong smirked.
“If you really, truly want to know that badly, I suppose I could teach you.”
“Khmm!”
‘Uncle seems to be in a great mood.’
He was probably excited at the thought of teasing Yang Huicheon.
Though Yang Huicheon was irritated by Dokgo Ryong’s tone, he didn’t say no.
After a brief silence, Dokgo Ryong shrugged and let his smile fall.
“There’s nothing special to it. It’s like hunting. You just need to get the fish’s attention.”
“Attention?”
“Most animals hunt living things. So you just make the bait seem alive.”
Dokgo Ryong tapped his fishing rod lightly with his finger.
“When the prey stops moving—”
Twitch. Twitch. Plop!
As soon as he stopped tapping, the rod jerked. A fish bit the bait.
In that instant, Dokgo Ryong swiftly lifted the rod, sending water droplets sparkling into the air as a live fish flopped about.
“That’s how you catch the ones going for the bait.”
Chirp!
Suddenly, Baekun (the white creature) wiggled its butt and leapt into the air, snatching the live fish in its mouth.
Holding the fish—which was larger than itself—with both hands, it happily gnawed away.
“Catching the moment is also important, but first and foremost, it’s about drawing the fish’s interest. That poetic nonsense about ‘fishing for time’ is for people who can’t fish.”
Yang Huicheon’s mustache twitched.
“Hey! I saw you channeling internal energy into your rod earlier! What’s that about?!”
“Oh, it just helps the fish bite better.”
“What kind of madman infuses internal energy into a fishing rod?!”
“Well then, sir, don’t do it.”
“Why you—!”
The two bickered endlessly. Then Dokgo Ryong suddenly turned his head.
“Kiddo, your turn now.”
Seeing the fishing rod being handed to her, Eun Sowol swallowed nervously. Witnessing such overwhelming talent had shaken her confidence.
“Can I… really do it? I can’t even use internal energy like Uncle…”
Fidgeting with her tiny fingers, she looked uncertain. Dokgo Ryong, who had been watching quietly, lifted her up.
He seated her so she could look down at the water and helped her grip the rod from behind.
“What did I say was important in fishing?”
“Huh? Oh… making the bait seem alive.”
“Right. I’ll help. Just give it a try.”
Feeling the familiar and warm embrace at her back, Eun Sowol found courage and grasped the rod.
Her white forehead scrunched up, and her wide eyes were fixed on the rod. Her small chubby fingers followed Dokgo Ryong’s instructions diligently.
Twitch.
She suddenly felt a slight vibration in the rod.
Eun Sowol looked up at Dokgo Ryong with wide eyes.
“Uncle!”
“Focus. The fish is starting to take interest.”
She widened her eyes even more and gripped the rod tightly, determined not to miss a single moment.
Tap, tap, tug—!
“Now!”
At Dokgo Ryong’s shout, Eun Sowol pulled the rod over her head with all her might.
Kyuuu!
Baekun, watching from the railing, let out a cheer-like squeal as if cheering her on.
“Unggh! U-Uncle, is it normally this heavy?!”
But perhaps it was too much for a five-year-old.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t lift the fish.
‘Seriously, why is it this heavy? Are fish normally like this?!’
Thinking hard on how to lift the fish, Eun Sowol suddenly remembered how Dokgo Ryong had fished.
He had loosened his grip and then pulled again, right?
Oh! Was that to exhaust the fish?
Huff—!
“Huh?”
Suddenly, her back felt cold, and her view flipped as she felt a floating sensation.
She had only tried to loosen her grip slightly… so why was she in the air?
The scenery blurred, and she saw the shocked Tang Jinak, Yang Huicheon reaching out, and Baekun panicking on the railing.
When she looked up—
“Kyaaaa!”
She saw the sea—not blue, but an ominous, murky black.
Eun Sowol had been flung from the boat and was just about to fall into the sea.
The rapidly descending sensation sent goosebumps across her body.
She instinctively shut her eyes tight and curled up, expecting the cold water to engulf her—
Thunk!
Instead of splashing into the sea, her body was halted. She gasped and coughed as her breath caught in her throat.
‘Wh-What just happened?’
Beneath her short legs, the ominous black sea still churned. But she hadn’t gotten any closer to it.
She instinctively looked up.
Dokgo Ryong was leaning dangerously over the railing, teeth clenched and arm stretched out—he had grabbed her by the scruff.
“U-Uncle!”
“Don’t struggle! Just look at me. Don’t look down!”
“O-okay…!”
Eun Sowol obediently followed his words. She heard Yang Huicheon calling to pull her up quickly.
Hup…!
Schlup—!
With a deep inhale, Dokgo Ryong yanked her up like uprooting a turnip.
“Sowol!”
“Oh, sweetie! Are you alright?!”
Now safe in Tang Jinak’s arms, Eun Sowol blinked wide-eyed, trying to calm her pounding heart.
“I-I’m okay… thank you, Uncle.”
Dokgo Ryong wiped his cold sweat and muttered.
“Seriously… I can’t take my eyes off her for a second…”
“It’s not my fault! The rod was just too heavy!”
Despite everything, Eun Sowol still held onto the fishing rod.
“Ahhh! U-Uncle! It’s pulling again!”
The line suddenly tightened again.
“What kind of fish did she hook to get flung overboard like that…?”
Dokgo Ryong took the rod from her. The weight of it made him frown.
He then planted his foot on the railing and braced himself.
“What’s going on?”
“The kid almost fell into the sea while fishing.”
“Was it a shark?”
“Maybe a giant squid! I heard one was spotted around here recently!”
The commotion drew more spectators.
“Big bro, is it really that heavy? Want help?”
“No need. I’ve got this.”
Rolling up his sleeves, Dokgo Ryong took a deep breath. His chest expanded wider than usual.
Veins popped on his arms as he exerted his full strength.
Splashhh!
Even the sound of it indicated this wasn’t an ordinary fish. Could it actually be a shark?
As they leaned in to get a closer look—
“…Huh?”
“Eh?”
Eun Sowol and Tang Jinak both made odd noises.
What emerged from the sea wasn’t a shark or a squid.
It was a person.
“Eeeek! A dead body!”
“What?! A body?!”
Everyone screamed and scattered in panic.
The person Dokgo Ryong had hauled in didn’t move, making it seem like they really were dead.
“Don’t look, Sowol. Kids shouldn’t see this.”
Tang Jinak quickly reached out to cover her eyes.
But through his fingers, Eun Sowol saw the body clutching something.
‘Is that… a fish?’
The fish was alive.
How was a corpse holding a live fish?
Before she could finish the thought, the “corpse’s” fingers twitched.
“Gahhh! Cough, cough! I thought I was a goner!”
Then, with a shriek, the “corpse” sat up.
