Heretical Fishing

Book 4: Chapter 23: Villainous

Ever since accepting my role as leader of Tropica, a worry had lurked in the back of my mind, the thought like a single worm ruining an otherwise luscious apple. It was, in my humble opinion, a bunch of bullshit.

I’d gained unparalleled strength, the ability to manipulate chi as if it was my own body, and agency over a continent-spanning Domain. Rather than liberate me from doubt, all this power and control had caused more. They served as walls. Barriers that could stop me from finding a fair fight.

And yet, I had found one. The fish on the other end of my line was the strongest creature I'd ever hooked. My strength didn't matter, because my rod wasn't indestructible. My senses, which previously would have reported what dwelled within the ocean's depths, were now under my control. And though I could harness the Domain's chi whenever I pleased, it didn't spring up to assist me of its own accord.

The fish’s strength was unbelievable, and each powerful kick of its tail left no doubt that it was infused with lightning. Well, to be fair, there were other signs too.

“Zeus’s thunderous shaft!” Barry swore, grabbing Paul and leaping backward.

Dozens of thunderbolts shot from the bay and slammed into the shore around us. Even beneath the afternoon sun, they left incandescent streaks in my vision, but that was nothing compared to the other ways the world was transformed.

Sand sprayed in every direction, some of it as globs of molten glass. The dozens of strikes each released a deafening boom, combining into a wall of sound that one could feel as much as hear. And the ground quaked, so strong that a regular human couldn’t hope to remain standing.

I observed all of this as another might examine a painting, my enhanced awareness letting me experience the chaotic scene in all of its beauty. Barry, who had launched himself backward with his son in his arms, watched with an awe-struck gaze. Paul was perhaps the only one with a reasonable reaction; his mouth and eyes were parted in shock, his semi-suppressed cultivation enough to know that a gods-damned fish had just tried to zippity-zap us.

As the novelty of the scene faded, I focused on what I knew of the hooked creature. It was aware of my existence and physical position. It had enough control of its lightning chi to target me. And it possessed the requisite intelligence to facilitate the former points. On top of all that, if I hadn't covered my rod and fishing line in pure chi in the moments after it struck, one of them would have snapped.

I had previously worried that because I could reinforce my line, I’d never lose a fish. In retrospect, it was sheer hubris. I barked a laugh, stepping forward to ease the tension as the fish kicked again.

The line could only take so much chi. I couldn't just reinforce the rod with solid essence, because the line relied on the flexibility of its wooden fibers. If I didn’t reinforce the rod enough, though, it would snap.

It was a dance, one where I had to intermittently change how malleable both the line and rod were… dozens of times each second. It was crude. A method that relied on constant intervention rather than ingenious planning or design. And it was exactly what I needed.

So encompassing was the task that, despite my superhuman levels of cognition, I could scarcely think about anything else. I sank further into the moment, finding a place of quiet calm in the storm, which was swiftly shattered when I felt my consciousness being split in two.

No, not split. Partitioned.

There were two compartments within my overarching awareness, and by the feel of them, they’d been forming since this battle had commenced. And the damn things were thirsty, soaking up my chi and focus with reckless abandon. No wonder I felt stretched so thin. A significant portion of my will was being siphoned off.

That my subconscious had seen fit to co-opt my strength without my permission was a little startling. The average person would probably call me reasonable if I cut my line then and there, letting the fish escape so I could assess what was going on within me.

Instead, I grinned, focusing on keeping my rod and line intact.

My mind, body, and soul were perfectly aligned. I had accepted who I was. I trusted myself to do what was best for me and my loved ones. And now that I knew my subconscious thought partitions were a good idea, I wanted to brute-force the breakthrough with a single moment of absolute focus.

Unfortunately, the fish cared for neither my acceptance of self nor my desires. It took off, darting parallel to the shore in a desperate attempt to escape. Unable to release line fast enough, I ran with it, doing all I could to stop it from snapping me off. We covered hundreds of meters in seconds, sand and water flying up behind our respective paths.

Part of me railed at our mad dash, annoyed that the fish was blocking me from solidifying whatever my brain was trying to create. But as I skipped along the shore, having to match my steps with the kicks of the fish's mighty tail, any shred of negativity fell away.

What did I really have to be frustrated by? I had been worried that I’d never be challenged by a fish again, and here I was, getting pushed to my absolute limits. Choosing to live in the moment, I let my thoughts go, focusing on the sand beneath me as I sprinted south.

All of a sudden, the sand was no more, my foot landing on the slick rock of the headland. As if it had been waiting for the exact moment, the fish unleashed a burst of chi. But it was... insignificant—far less powerful than its earlier attack.

Chi flew from its side, the creature using the small jet of lightning to spin. I could feel the rest of its power gathering in its tail, and I instinctively knew what was about to occur. The second it was facing the north again, it would unleash another burst.

I had a split moment to react. I whirled in midair, using everything I had to arrest my momentum, preparing to kick off the ground and leap with the fish. As soon as my foot made contact with the wet rocks of the headland, however, I slipped. My legs went skyward, my tooshie dropped toward the jagged shore, and the blood drained from my face.

If nothing was done, the tension would become too much when the fish unleashed its chi. Either my line or fishing rod would snap. Perhaps both. These immutable facts combined to create a single, devastating truth.

I was going to lose.

Completely horizontal, watching was my only remaining option. I could teleport myself, of course. Make a slight movement with one finger and appear before the giant creature. But that was cheating. It would confirm exactly what I'd been terrified of—that following my breakthrough, I could no longer be challenged. I may as well just trap the creature in light as I'd done to the fish in the lake, or use a giant net of chi with which to trawl the ocean floor.

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This was the hill I’d die on. I would use chi to reinforce myself and enhance tools, but I wouldn’t use it to interact with fish directly.

The corner of my lip curled up as a possibility occurred—a way for me to change the outcome without directly affecting the hooked creature. My grin spread as I bent my knees and braced myself, a platform of solid light appearing beneath my feet.

The fish completed its rotation, and the secondary blast detonated immediately. The jet of chi that shot from it was bright enough to illuminate the ocean, revealing a distorted silhouette so large that it threatened to make my breath catch.

The flame-shaped lightning grew, a gigantic teardrop of crackling energy as fascinating as it was beautiful. I wished I could spare it more attention. Wished I could witness the blue and white brilliance without distraction. But I lacked the time.

Bwom! came a warped noise, muffled by the ocean.

When the creature rocketed northward, my prediction was confirmed; my equipment would have snapped if I’d not been ready for it. I was, though.

A feline smile splitting my face, I kicked off the platform of solid chi. Hundreds of meters of line connected us as we sailed in parallel, both the fish and I unwilling to lose. I watched the line intently, waiting for any hint of movement. Nothing happened. As I'd hoped, just like when it sent bolts of lightning toward shore, the fish's vast expenditure of essence had left it unable to move.

Its trap had been sprung, and I'd escaped it. I reached for my power, chi retreating up my line and into my abdomen. I only had a small window to fight back. I wouldn’t waste it. When the last of my essence had returned to my core, I finally let my subconscious complete the breakthrough it had been screaming about this entire time.

The two partitions had made little progress since last I acknowledged them; that was about to change. I felt my grin widen despite my inward focus, and using my joy as another source of fuel, I formed my chi into a hammer. With a mighty swing of my will, I slammed everything I had into the forming compartments.

Even before it collided, I realized my error, but it was too late. Both partitions shook as the power descended. My metaphorical hammer smashed into them, shattering them into thousands of shards.

Each fragment took a part of my awareness with it, pulling me into a confusing mosaic of way too many perspectives. Thankfully, it was over almost immediately, my consciousness reforming. Once more able to think, I understood what had gone wrong.

I’d treated the partitions as a breakthrough—something that I could smack with my essence, letting my significant will sort out the details. It wasn’t a breakthrough at all. The subdivision was more akin to a technique. A tool I could use to enhance my control of chi.

I couldn’t help but find amusement in my arrogance. I’d literally gained the power of a baby god like a week ago, and here I was looking for another advancement. I let my mirth go; the fish would recover in a moment.

Though back in one piece, I still felt… scattered. If I couldn’t regain my equilibrium, the creature would absolutely escape. No question about it. Worse, I’d done this to myself, literally creating a hammer of chi that I then smacked myself in the brain with. It was, in retrospect, a super dumb move.

But now wasn't the time for self-chastisement. It was time to catch a giant bloody fish. And if I didn’t center myself, I wouldn’t catch a damned thing.

I took a deep breath, focusing on the cool salt spray that flowed up my nostrils and down into my lungs. Immediately exhaling, I tensed my diaphragm, warm air passing through pursed lips. All the while, I was flying a mere meter above the shore. Like a human-shaped rocket, I soared, the wind making my hair and clothes ripple. I did a half barrel-roll just in time to spot Paul and Bary as I sailed past them, the former unable to track what was happening, the latter staring at me wide-eyed.

Barry raised his right arm and tensed as hard as he could, his muscles bulging as he gave me a white-knuckled thumbs up.

Along with the sensations assaulting me, his show of support was exactly what I needed to ground myself. I nodded my thanks and spun back to face the ocean. There, the fish regained its composure, immediately turning to swim further into the depths.

I whacked the handle of my reel, letting it freely spool as I focused on reinforcing my equipment once more. A jarring sensation came from within, my consciousness seeming to tell me off for hitting it like an angry blacksmith, but it passed swiftly. Strands of chi extended to cover the rod. From there, the partitions reformed, the second one focusing on the line. Tendrils of my power raced down it faster than light, and not a moment too soon.

Only my free-spinning reel had stopped the fish from severing the unenhanced line, and as my chi wove around the hook, I breathed a sigh of relief. Rotating, I skidded to a stop in the sand just before Tropica, intent on holding my ground there. The creature had other ideas. Sensing or seeing the village, it darted further north, attempting to use the structures as a physical barrier I couldn't cross.

You underestimate me, fishy.

With a laugh, I leaped up onto the seawall, nimbly running along it. A crowd had gathered there to watch, all cultivators that must have sensed the strange blasts of energy. Those that possessed the power to track my movement watched in utter shock. It was wonderful. I shot them a wink and sprinted on, matching the vigor with which the creature tried to escape.

The rest of the fight was, for lack of a better word, repetitive. But despite the connotations such a descriptor brings to mind, not once did I lose interest or get bored. Most of Tropica came to witness as the battle flowed from north to south and back again. Even some of my animal pals interrupted their meditations, collecting on the sand beside Barry and Paul in the hour it took me to tire the creature out.

In the end, it was the repeated expenditure of its own chi that precipitated defeat. The fish might have stopped releasing the bursts given how ineffective they were, but each failed attempt only heightened its anxiety, making them come more often. With one final blast of lightning, the single bolt not even reaching the shore, it was well and truly exhausted.

On the beach behind me, my animal pals and human friends watched with bated breath. Any of the newer residents of Tropica remained up on the seawall, watching from afar. Of my loved ones, only Maria was absent, but that didn't cause me grief—I was happy she was so absorbed in her meditation. As I dragged the fish into the shallows by pumping and reeling, I finally caught sight of the creature. To my surprise, I recognized it.

I'd never spotted the species here in Kallis, but I'd seen it plenty of times back on Earth. A massive mouth lined with rows of serrated teeth, their edges sharp enough to saw through bone. A tall dorsal fin covered in scales so small that many assumed they had skin with the texture of sandpaper. Most recognizable of all was its tail. The upper half was almost as long as the rest of its body, the shape reminding me of a naginata.

With my adrenaline finally receding, exhaustion settled into my bones and mind both. This wasn't the usual tiredness that came with channeling chi. It was a deep weariness, one that might cause my own essence to ignore my command until I rested.

The creature, perhaps sensing my weakness, summoned its last burst of energy. Seeing the flail-like use of its appendage as it whipped out, I mentally retracted the comparison to a naginata. Whoever had named it back on Earth had done so correctly.

This was, without a doubt, a thresher shark.

I took a step forward, intent on inspecting it to see if the System here agreed, but the sky split above me.

Using as much speed as she could muster, Corporal Claws descended faster than natural lightning. All around her, the air warped, bending inward. I thought she might be trying to show off, coming to flex her new status as an elemental now that everyone was here, but then I saw the look in her eyes.@@novelbin@@

They held mischief, as one would correctly surmise. There was elation, too, my little otter pal indescribably happy with her ascension. Neither of them was what troubled me, however. Stronger than anything else, more a warning than an emotion, was hunger.

My fears were confirmed a half-second later when she opened her mouth wide, her villainous teeth poised to rip a chunk out of the shark. Without my intervention, she'd end its life in the blink of an eye. I reached for my chi, but like an overused muscle, it didn't respond.

Left no other option, I leaped into the air, an apologetic grimace on my face. Claws saw me coming. So advanced was her cultivation now that I couldn't out-speed her vision. Unfortunately for my delinquent pal, her body was a different story. She travelled too swiftly. There was no time for her to dodge.

She locked eyes with me and nodded, a flash of understanding in her gaze as I drew back my leg. I had no other choice. With as much power as I could physically muster, I launched an absolute belter of a kick toward Claws.