Chapter 36: Abundant Catch!
Modo City, Port Area.
Suddenly, a melodious bell rang from the lighthouse, followed by increasingly urgent chimes as someone ran over from the dock, shouting excitedly, “Fish shoals!”
“The fish shoals are migrating!…”
“This year’s fish shoal migration has begun! It’s less than fifty kilometers from Modo City!…”
The announcement ignited the entire port area.
Many people rushed in from all directions, and after a few quick inquiries, a person dressed like a captain yelled, “Shout out! Get those drunks out of the tavern, quickly!…”
“Prepare the nets!…”
“Gather the crew!… I’m heading to the Ocean Temple for a ritual!… We’re setting sail soon!…”
The port area became lively.
Even the Modo City Hall became busy, as many officials rushed to the port area, and even a portion of the Navy stationed in Modo City was mobilized. Warships were outfitted with large nets and began gathering sailors to prepare for departure.
Fish shoal migration.
This is one of the most spectacular sights of Modo City!
It is also a harvest feast for this coastal city. The scale of the overseas fish shoal migration is incredibly vast, to the point where simply dropping a fishing net could yield a hefty catch. With the timing of the fish shoal migration having arrived, the Ocean Temple acted very quickly. The priestess responsible for presiding over the temple immediately recognized this as an opportunity to expand their faith. The Naga Sea Monsters rarely reveal themselves in front of mortals, so a small altar was temporarily built at the dock area.
The Ocean Goddess has blessed this city, promising three years of abundant catches, so this time the scale of the fish shoals is likely to be even larger!
This event even caught the attention of Gloria, who had just finished her experiment.
With the population of Modo City skyrocketing, food supplies naturally became somewhat strained. It was currently the season for spring planting, a transitional period. Grain prices on the continent were soaring, and while Modo City had stockpiled a decent amount of grain, it was not suitable to purchase more from elsewhere.
— “Flight Spell!”
Gloria gestured for the officials reporting to her to step back, allowing them to handle the matter fully, and then she soared into the air towards the sea.
The Overseas Islands are dangerous.
Even migration events like fish shoals require some powerful individuals to oversee them.
Fish shoals represent an abundant source of food, which can potentially attract deep-sea behemoths looking to feast. This is a shared feast, and if one inadvertently provokes them, these deep-sea giants may attack the fleet.
One ship after another raised its sails.
The Navy from Modo City was also moving swiftly, while a group of officials in the City Hall chewed on their pens, contemplating how to establish tax regulations.
Abundant catches are a blessing from the Ocean Goddess.
This is a unique boon for Modo City, and it is certain that the fishing boats heading out to sea this time will return with great harvests. However, these catches cannot all be left to individuals; they must pay the corresponding taxes. This taxation must strike a balance, or else it will incite discontent among the lower levels; this will truly test their capabilities. Soren’s ruling philosophy is not that the more tax collected, the better. Exploitation must ensure that there is still enough left for the underprivileged. They must present a tax plan that others can accept.
The boundless sea.
Gloria’s figure quickly flew towards the depths of the ocean. Behind her was a fleet of hundreds of ships, even some small boats setting out to make a quick profit.
Further out!
Even the horizon was a sea of shimmering silver scales, stretching over ten kilometers and gradually approaching Modo Harbor.
This was not the length of the fish shoals.
What Gloria saw was merely the width of the shoal; as she flew higher, she immediately saw an endless expanse of silver scales spreading across the surface of the sea, countless fish leaping from the water, refracting brilliant light under the sun.
This was a breathtaking and spectacular scene!
Even Gloria couldn’t help but feel astonished; she had never witnessed such a grand spectacle.
Waves splashed.
Around the shoal were schools of sharks. They drifted around, poised to strike and easily capture their prey. These sharks would follow the fish shoals on their migration and would only cease their feast when this colossal shoal dispersed. In the waters to the right, enormous tentacles emerged as a giant octopus lurked beneath, voraciously consuming fish—this was their easiest meal time of the year, allowing them to eat their fill without the struggle of hunting.
“At least five deep-sea behemoths!”
Gloria scanned her surroundings, her expression growing serious.
Deep-sea behemoths do not move with the fish shoals; they lie in wait where the shoals pass to gorge themselves. As long as they are careful to avoid them, she does not see the sharks posing a threat to Modo City’s fleet.
Closer.
Getting even closer.
When the fleet first spotted the approaching fish shoals, many sailors couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.
This was just the front of the shoal; on both sides of the ship were swarms of fish, and every so often, marine fish leapt from the surface, nearby dolphins cautiously keeping their distance as they feasted.
Further out!
The silhouettes of some tiger sharks appeared, and a lookout with a monocular called out, “Shark People!”
“There are traces of Shark People over there!”
Hearing this, the captain glanced over, his expression calming, “Don’t panic! They’re here to hunt the fish shoals too! These guys drive some of the prey from the shoals to their territory every year.”
Hundreds of tiger sharks surfaced.
The Shark People cautiously maintained a safe distance from Modo City, avoiding the deep-sea behemoths, using their unique methods to segregate a portion of the shoal from the left side, then driving that group away under the priestess’s guidance. They used a special sound wave to direct the shoal, easily taking away millions of fish. Such events continuously occur along the path of the fish migration, involving every race near the overseas areas enjoying a feast: Shark People, Shadow-scaled Naga, Tidal Fish People, Amazon Warriors, and so on.
“Set the nets!”
“Set the nets!”
“You fools! Wait a second! The silver-scaled fish behind are more valuable! Wait for their shoal to come before setting the nets!…”
Cacophonous shouts erupted.
Large nets were continuously cast, nearly emptying the craft’s hold. Some smaller fishing boats got overloaded after just three drops and had to rush back to the port to unload their catches before returning for more.
It was just too much!
Some youngsters were able to reach into the water and grab mullet weighing three to five pounds.
Stretching for over a hundred miles.
Perhaps because of the Ocean Goddess’s blessing, this year’s fish shoal migration was truly spectacular, reaching epic proportions!
A single net could yield over a hundred pounds of catch, and within half an hour, many boats were already overloaded. Finally, a large number of vessels began to rush back to return to harbor, and the port area had long cleared a substantial space, with the first-returning ships tossing their catches into wooden barrels on the dock.
The clerks at Modo Harbor were all grinning broadly, hastily recording everything. There was simply no time to account for what had been caught; they just moved in clusters to transport the bounty.
Suddenly!
One clerk looked up at the sky above Modo City, his jaw dropping in astonishment, even dropping his quill without noticing.
A high-pitched dragon’s roar echoed!
A newly matured Shadow Dragon soared from a portion of Modo City, then spread its enormous wings wide as it flew high. The powerful, melodious roar was mixed with an excited tone as it dove madly towards the distant fish shoals, directly plunging into the sea, then bursting forth from the depths.
A fierce wind howled.
The Bipedal Wyverns also took to the skies. This was a feast for everyone; the Dragon Knights of Modo City released their mounts to enjoy the bounty!
………………(To be continued ~^~)
