The cobblestones of Geyser Town were warm beneath Jack’s boots. It was a strange sensation. One that reminded him of the geothermal activity churning beneath the island's surface.
He could see brass pipes hissed at almost every corner. Venting white plus of steam that caught the morning light. The town was a masterpiece of early industrialism era's architecture. Adjusted to accommodate the geothermal advantages.
"It's cozy here. In a chanical sort of way." Jack remarked. "Industrialized in a way. But still retaining the comfort of resort town. What an interesting place."
"Indeed, Dear." Reina replied as she was clinging her hands on his. "The warmth here is quite relaxing. Its sulfuric sll isn't too overwhelming. It makes the air feel heavy, but not unpleasant."
They spent the first few hours exploring. Geyser Town wasn't large. But it was quite dense. Buildings were constructed from dark basalt and reinforced with copper plating to resist the sulfurous corrosion.
They wandered through the winding streets. Past shops selling curiosities crafted from polished fish bones and hardened volcanic rock. The cobblestones were smooth from generations of foot traffic.
Rune's glow shifted to a gentle green hue. Indicating comfort.
Jack kept his [Eyes of Judgent] active most of the ti. His vision flickered with data as he scanned the crowds.
He found nothing special. Just regular locals and a few boisterous sailors. Normal humans. Non-transcendent beings. This town was also a mundane human settlent.
He smiled bitterly, feeling that he might be getting a bit paranoid. After their encounters with monsters, demons, and sinister transcendent beings, the mundane nature of the town felt... refreshing, yet strange.
Jack glanced around. There were no hidden cultists in the alleyways. No demonic shadows lurking in the steam. Just people living their lives.
"Anything interesting, Dear?" Reina asked. Noticing his silence.
"Nothing, Love." Jack said. "This town is normal. Boring. But encountering adventure in every place we go to is not very likely to happen."
Reina chuckled. "I'm not sure about that, Dear. We have the inheritors of fate and fortune in our ship. I won't be surprised if we discovered a legendary creature or a hidden treasure map here later."
"True." Jack actually agreed with that.
They kept exploring until they found an interesting public bathhouse near the center of town. It was a massive structure of marble and brass. The sign above the front door showed a fancy drawing of steaming pool.
For a few silver coins, they secured a private pool inside.
Inside, the steam was thick. It was muffling sounds and clinging to skin. The water was scalding at first, then incredibly soothing.
Jack leaned back against the smooth stone, closing his eyes as his body soaked in the minerals. Reina sat beside him. The water was shimring against her skin. The mineral-rich water eased their tense muscles.
They did have convenient bathroom in the ship. One that allowed them to relax in hot water. But, it was still not as comfortable as the natural hot spring water here.
"We do need this, Dear." Reina muttered. Leaning her head on Jack's shoulder.
"Yeah!" Jack agreed. "The bathroom in the ship is nice. But it still can't compare to this one."
They stayed until their skin pruned. Enjoying the rare mont of dosticity. But as the afternoon approached, hunger drove them back into the town.
They found a bustling restaurant called the Steaming Kettle. It was a busy place filled with the roar of conversation. And the clatter of heavy ceramic plates.
They took a corner booth. While waiting for their roasted mutton and ale, Jack’s sensitive ears picked up the chatter from a nearby table. One where two grizzly-looking locals were feasting on so unfamiliar at dishes.
"...bloody sha, I tell ya, Fin. No one's gonna beat old Man Haddock for that rod. Not with his insane luck." One of them, a burly man, started.
"Aye, but the kayak, Ron! The Unsinkable Fishing Kayak! That might even worth more than the Master Fisherman's Rod." The other, a lean man with a missing tooth, countered. "And there was also the Mysterious Fish Box. They say it used to belong to so sea god, that it grants wishes if you fill it with a leviathan's heart!”
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Jack narrowed his eyes. Those nas sounded like transcendent items. The details were vague. But the context was clear. A fishing competition. Three prizes... all sounding like artifacts. This didn't seem... mundane.
"You joining the Great Fishing Competition, then?" Ron asked.
"Course I am! Tomorrow morning, bright and early, down at Whaleback Lagoon. Three prizes, Fin, three! Even the third prize is a rare one, they say. Better than any catch I’ve pulled this season."
Jack caught Reina's eye. She had likewise paused. Her expression subtly shifted from relaxed enjoynt to alert interest.
Rune sensed their change in focus. She imdiately glowed a curious purple.
Then, from another table, a different snippet of conversation drifted over. From a younger couple.
"Did you see it again, Maeve?" The man whispered, his eyes wide. "The black cat? The one with the checkered shawl?"
"Oh, Bart! Don’t be daft!" Maeve scoffed. Though her voice held a tremor of unease. "It's just a stray. Definitely a stray. Probably soone's pet with a peculiar fashion sense."
"But it talked!" Bart insisted. Lowering his voice further. "You heard it too right? I still rember it clearly. It looked right at and said: 'Interesting human. Too bad you don't have anything good enough to trade.' And then you also saw what happened. It shimred. Like a bad reflection in water. Then it was gone."
"Don't talk about that again." Maeve retorted uncomfortably. "We might be hallucinating."
"The sa hallucination?" Bart scoffed. "No way."
...
"A talking cat?" Reina whispered. A faint smile played on her lips. "And 'glitchy'? What did I say, Dear? With Leon and Chloe as our crew mbers, strange things bound to happen."
Jack nodded slowly. His mind was already working comparisons. Anomalies in this world were usually tied to transcendent beings or mystical phenona.
A glitchy talking cat was far from normal. And a competition with artifact prizes, too. Geyser Town wasn't as mundane as it seed.
"Interesting." Jack murmured. "Very interesting indeed, Love."
...
They returned to the Ocean Wanderer in the mid-afternoon. Leon Drake was sprawled on a coil of rope on the deck. Complaining about the lack of excitent. Mirella, on the other hand was sketching a distant geyser.
Later, when the crew had returned to the ship and gathered on the main cabin, Jack called a eting.
He looked over his diverse crew mbers. "Alright, ladies and gentlen..." He announced. "There's a fishing competition at the Whaleback Lagoon tomorrow. If I'm not mistaken, it's a chance to win so transcendent artifacts."
Leon's eyes lit up. "Artifacts? Now you’re talking my language, Captain."
"A fishing competition, you say, Captain?" Argust Osprey, the navigator, rubbed his palms against each other. "I haven't cast a line in months, but I used to be quite handy with a reel."
"And magical prizes!" Barnaby exclaid. His eyes were glinting. He strumd his lute with excitent. "I've already had an idea for a song about such a victory!"
Don Donson wiped his hands on his apron. "Fresh fish, eh? Better than the salted rations, that’s for sure. Might as well try our luck."
Ned, Moby, and Bell also nodded enthusiastically. The won, however, had a different take.
Baroness Artheim considered it. "While treasure hunting is our primary objective... I must confess, fishing holds little appeal for . I believe my ti would be better spent exploring the town's archives, or perhaps… the hot springs.”
Serene smiled in agreent. "The hot springs were indeed more inviting than the fish."
Autumn, her sister, humd in agreent. So did Mirella.
Chloe Chase, holding the sleeping Sparkle in her lap, chid in. "I'd rather stay in the ship, Captain. I've just bought a couple of interesting books in town. I can't wait to read it."
Reina summarized. "The boys seem eager to join the competition. Let them try their hands on it then. We, girls, will take care of the ship and take turns on going to town when we want to."
Jack surveyed the group. It was settled.
"Alright then." He decided. "Girls! You could enjoy the town. But stay vigilant. Boys! Let's prepare our participation in the Great Fishing Competition."
Jack didn't waste ti. He quickly divided the necessary tasks. Splitting the n into three groups. Each with their specific task.
He himself went straight to the ship's workshop. He wasn't going to let his n use standard wooden poles. If he wanted to win, he would use his knowledge and his power.
Moby and Bell joined him. All the three of them would craft fishing rods. But not the normal, traditional ones. Jack pulled out several rolls of high-tensile wire and began carving runes into the handles.
"These aren't just rods, are they?" Bell asked. Fascinated.
"Definitely not. They will be steamrune fishing tools." Jack explained. His hands were moving with precision. "I won't go overboard with the enchantnt and chanism though. We only have one night to craft them after all. But I'll ensure that each fishing hook has a micro-vibration motor to mimic the movent of prey. And I'll put so useful enhancent in the lines, reels, and rods."
While Jack, Moby, and Bell worked, Barnaby and Argust set off to register their participation. Barnaby, with his minstrel charm, and Argust, with his fishing knowledge, were a good combination for this.
They returned less than an hour later. Confirming their entry.
anwhile, Leon, Ned, and Don huddled by the galley. Discussing bait. Don, as the cook, surprisingly had an intuitive understanding of flavors and appealing scents for fish.
"We need sothing irresistible." He declared. “Squid guts, spiced shrimp, maybe so fernted kelp for that extra… oomph."
Leon offered so strange suggestions from his past adventures. Ned, on the other hand, was already mincing a concoction of various scraps. A determined look was on his face.
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The ship buzzed with a rare, lighthearted energy. It wasn't for a perilous mission. It was just a mundane competition... for fun.
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