Chun suddenly remembered something, swimming itself has various styles, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke each has its own characteristics, and this game defaults to "freestyle", could the key be to break through this default and change the posture?
Then let's do backstroke! It's the least tiring, most suitable for calm waters.
Thinking about it, he acted, but it wasn't that easy. Chun wasn't a professional swimmer either, so he simply dove under the boat, where he had to lie flat, finally achieving a backstroke position, and he could still lie flat and dig for clams.
Then it was just waiting for the expert's strategy to take effect. This reminded Chun of a famous saying, "The biggest secret of the atomic bomb is knowing it can be made." If it doesn't work, should he go out of the dock into the seawater to level up to intermediate?
While dazed and scatterbrained:
——System Notice: Your Swimming Proficiency +5 Points!
Chun was overjoyed, proficiency increased suddenly, and by 5 points no less. Was it because he mastered the standard backstroke posture?
Chun immediately maintained this posture, but after gaining proficiency a few more times, it suddenly stopped. At this point, Chun also felt that his posture was noticeably distorted, indicating a failed action.
Check current hunger level: 67!
Understood, it means that in the hunger level range of 65-66, the deformation of the action just matches the requirements for backstroke, so proficiency skyrocketed, but beyond this value, it doesn't work.
So the current goal is to eat something to restore the hunger level to the 65-66 range! He could eat the newcomer free meal at the restaurant, but that would instantly reset the hunger to zero, which isn't suitable.
Chun set his eyes on these clams!
The clams on modern ships can't be eaten because they absorb the toxic metal paint from the boat bottoms, but this is a wooden ship with no poison. More importantly, they are free ingredients that can be picked up everywhere!
So, he might as well grasp some cooking as well! But cooking requires utensils, so he'd have to try borrowing some from the old man.
Chun dragged his sluggish body back to the old man's dormitory onshore. At this moment, the old man was hugging an empty bottle, sprawled on the rope net hammock, snoring like thunder, with one nostril blowing frost and the other blowing flames.
Holy shit, the special effects of this wine…
The key was that the old man had said not to wake him up, so what about borrowing the utensils?
Chun looked at the corner where the flies were buzzing around, and there were stoves, charcoal, spatulas, oil, salt, condiment bottles, garlic, onions, and peppers all available. So, he didn't hesitate and borrowed them all.
——System Notice: Warning! You used the Old Drunkard's property without permission, friendliness decreased!
Holy shit, let it decrease then, I'll buy him wine to make up for it later.
Chun returned to the dock, set up the cooking utensils on the shore, and lit a fire to boil water, then went into the water and fetched a bunch of smooth, closed clams to cook with salt. This is common knowledge for food enthusiasts when dealing with fresh, live clams.
——System Notice: You have successfully triggered "Cooking" skill training, as you accumulate proficiency, you will comprehend "Basic Cooking" skill.
Here we go!
You could say cooking is the easiest life skill to master, basically just cooking it over fire will allow comprehension. But refining it to develop popular recipes is reputedly quite difficult.
Chun's requirements weren't high, as long as it's edible without poisoning.
Once the pot of water boiled, the clams opened up.
——System Notice: Is the current cooking complete?
This is just the first step, no!
He scooped out the clams, discarded the murky water, added oil to the pot, and fried it. He crushed garlic, onions, and peppers and stir-fried them, bringing out a pot of hot chili oil with a smoky, shiny red and green glow.
The game couldn't simulate smells, so it used colors to represent them. The appealing color was mouthwatering. At this point, he added the previously boiled clams to the pot.
This was what he meant by low standards, just ordinary stir-fried clams, and thus the cooking was complete.
——System Notice: Congratulations! You successfully cooked a dish, consuming it will restore hunger and physical strength. You successfully developed a new recipe "Shark Oil Fried Clams", gaining the achievement "Recipe Expert" reputation +100. You successfully comprehended Basic Cooking Technique Level 1, Physical Strength +1, Carrying Capacity +1.
——System Notice: The recipe can be transferred to others, sharing technology. The higher the cooking skill level, the better the dish's consumption effect. The higher the Recipe Expert's reputation, the more the recipe can become a commercially valuable dish.
...
Did I really comprehend the recipe at once? Shark Oil?
Chun checked the recipe ingredients, and it really was shark oil! The oil used to coat the sharkskin diving suit! This oil seems quite high-end, right? So… so it's gotta be worth this start!
Then focus on the hunger level and eat, after consuming a few clams he restored the hunger level to 65 points, then stopped and went back into the water to practice.
Sure enough, the swimming proficiency came back! Theory was correct, it's solid.
When hunger reached 67, Chun went ashore to eat clams, repeating the cycle a dozen times. Finally:
——System Notice: Congratulations! You accumulated a large amount of proficiency, successfully comprehending Intermediate Swimming Technique Level 1, significantly increasing your speed in water. Achievement: Physical Strength +1, Carrying Capacity +1.
——System Notice: Congratulations! You comprehended Basic "Artistic Swimming" Level 1. Your resistance in water is somewhat reduced. Achievement: Physical Strength +1, Carrying Capacity +1.
...
Holy shit!
Although I knew a breakthrough was needed, it was a double success! Although it wasn't the imagined backstroke, Artistic Swimming was indeed more accurate, and this skill also reduces resistance, making it a perfect match with the diving suit! Plus, Artistic Swimming is a competition event, it can win a participation award.
Chun felt he was drifting under the boat, gracefully moving and rolling freely, with a speed more than fifty percent faster than before, and the proficiency in Artistic Swimming began to soar!
Now, in water, he was much more agile than on land, and the next step should be comprehending Underwater Mining, right?
Just need to hurry up…
4 a.m.
Chun, completely absorbed, slowly leveled up Intermediate Swimming Technique to level 2, but Basic Artistic Swimming had already maxed out at level 10, then as a large patch of clams was shattered loudly, what was supposed to happen finally did:
——System Notice: Congratulations! You accumulated a large amount of proficiency, successfully comprehending Basic "Underwater Mining Technique" Level 1, enhancing your mining speed and success rate in water. Achievement: Physical Strength +1, Carrying Capacity +1.
——System Notice: You successfully resisted acid water corrosion.
It's done! Underwater Mining, definitely a hidden skill! It turns out you need to clear out a whole area to trigger the acid water, good thing there's the diving suit.
After formally comprehending mining, the hand hoe feels completely different, the sensation of clams crunching and collapsing in pieces is super relieving! In no time, the entire boat bottom looked as clean as a peeled egg, while the dock pool also became murky with acid water.
——System Notice: Congratulations! You successfully completed the Cleaner Fish profession assessment task. Please go to the Old Drunkard to hand over the task.
It's done, Chun ascended contentedly ashore, remembering the old man was drunk and sleeping!
Holy shit, when will he wake up with such a scene, it can't be just waiting, right?
Chun glanced toward the open sea outside the dock, his swimwear wasn't meant for the pool, now with Intermediate Swimming he could barely venture into the ocean, aiming for Advanced?
Hmm? Chun noticed a row of small wooden boats lined up on the shore as big as lifeboats, what are these…
Approaching them, they were all old and broken down, unsure if they were unsellable or unrepairable. Chun gave a push, and the small boat slowly slid down the sandy beach.
It's water-ready!
Chun was instantly excited! Newcomers going out to sea typically did chores on merchant and fishing boats, never getting a chance to sail alone, buying a small boat to go independent takes days. Now with the opportunity right in front, having a small boat to use, of course, it's time to go out to sea to comprehend "Sailing Technique"! By the way, hanging a fishing rod on the boat and training "Fishing Technique" too, fishing is an idle mode, the old man's warehouse has plenty of fishing rods!
As the internet cafe expert said, schools of fish in the sea particularly like large floating objects, gathering around boats, so there's no worry about not catching fish, thus Fishing Technique is basically free.
Just then, as the bow entered the water, Chun's eyes flashed red: ——System Notice: Warning! You relocated shipyard goods without permission. If spotted and investigated, you'll face direct consequences.
Holy shit!
Chun hurriedly backed off and glanced around, noticing a few card-playing workers at the distant dock. Luckily, the commotion wasn't big enough to alert them.
Chun looked up at the sky, estimating in-game time, it was almost dark and time for them to knock off, so wait until they're off, night training! As a greenhorn, there's no way he could row the boat very far, so why not safely row nearby overnight and fish all night?
Though he decided, looking at the unreliable shabby boats, Chun was troubled about which to choose. If one sank, the consequences might be too much to bear…