Ascendance: The Rebirth Of The Unknown Gamer

Shadow Lake, Warrick

Aura came here for a black tuna, but he was never any good at fishing, so he was looking for a certain old man who lived at the edge of these dark waters.

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In a ramshackle hut at the edge of the Shadow Lake, an old man sat inspecting his prized fishing tools for damage.

This old man had been trying to catch a black tuna for decades, but he just didn't have the raw strength.

Today he was in a bit of a bad mood, since he had lost the battle once again with one of those monstrous fish, so when a red-haired youth walked into his shack, he wasn't particularly happy.

Until the youth offered to help him catch a black tuna in exchange for its lungs and gills.

The old man jumped with joy, and immediately regretted it, with how bad his back was getting.

The youth passed the old man a potion, which healed the old man's back.

The old man was even more joyful, although he didn't dare try to make a second jump.

The old man and the youth set out upon the waters towards where the black tuna swam.

When they arrived, the old man cast his line and the young man began to fiddle with a small dagger.

A few hours later, the youth began to lose his patience, though he knew it would take this long and probably much longer.

To calm the youth, the old man began to teach him about the local legends, stories of mortals ascending to the heavens and becoming gods, with few ever returning to the mortal realm.

The youth laughed at these stories, believing them to be nothing more than the foolishness of people who have yet to see the truth of the world.

The youth began to tell the old man wild tales about a world where people flew in boxes of metal and could talk with anyone regardless of distance.

At this, the old man laughed, believing these tales to be nothing more than the fantasies of a young man's mind.

The odd pair spent many hours telling stories and laughing, before the old man got a bite.

The first thing the old man did was stabilize the boat in the water, ensuring that they wouldn't capsize from the weight of the giant fish.

The next thing the old man did was give a sharp tug on his fishing rod, lodging his special hook into the back of his prey's throat.

The final thing the old man did, was had the rod to the youth, allowing the youth to drag the fish out of its murky hideaway.

Before twenty minutes had passed, their small boat was crowded with the presence of a giant, black-scaled fish and two ecstatic men, one old and one young.

Several hours later, the old man watched as the youth dismantled the great fish with extraordinary care, extracting the lungs and the gills, before offering the old man a salute and beginning to leave.

Only to find that the old man with whom he'd spent the last day was inviting him to dinner, to which he was more than happy to agree.

The two spent the night drinking and laughing together, sharing stories once more and teaching each other a few things for the future.

The next morning the youth waved goodbye as he walked down the barely visible path towards the city, the smile on his face engraving itself in the old man's mind for years to come.

The two had never exchanged names nor pleasantries, yet each knew that they would never forget the other.

---

Aura was very pleased, not only did he get what he needed, but he also learned some useful spells and techniques, as well as had a wonderful time.

It should be made known that Aura is a loner, he doesn't get along well with people in general, but that old man was an interesting person.

It had been a long time since Aura had had that much fun, and he still didn't know that old man's name.

As far as Aura knew, no player had ever learned the old man's name, if they asked he simply laughed at the question.

Aura knew that this experience would be something he would treasure for many years to come.