wind of annihilation

By the tranquil lakeside, an old man and a young man engaged in a wager.

"Shall we begin?" The old man inquired, eager to witness the possible embarrassment of the young man, struggling to catch any fish.

Uninterested in making others uncomfortable, the old man held no such reservations towards the young man, considering him a contemporary Dark Swordsman of this age.

Jiang Han nodded, "Anytime."

"Very well, now let's... wait!" The old man, with keen eyes, sensed a slight tremor in Jiang Han's fishing line.

"Splash!"

A sudden movement prompted Jiang Han to tightly grip his fishing rod. A crucian carp emerged from the lake, its tail wildly flapping, attempting to break free.

[Crucian Carp](Grade D)

Description: A common crucian carp with tender flesh, high nutritional value, and the ability to replenish vital energy when consumed.

Effect: Consuming fish soup made from it can increase the user's maximum health by 5% for ten minutes.

Jiang Han was amazed.

Fish in the game had effects?

This was only a Grade D fish; generally, the higher the grade, the better the effect. What level of fish would the old man present if he claimed victory and fished the best one from Pacifying Lake?

He became highly intrigued.

"The wager hasn't officially started; this catch doesn't count," the old man said, a bit disappointed.

Luckily, he didn't fall behind right at the beginning.

"Alright."

Jiang Han tossed the fish aside, agreeing with the old man's assessment. With no penalties involved, he had no reason to argue, avoiding any potential displeasure from the old man.

"Very well, let the wager begin!" the old man declared.

As the old man's words faded, Jiang Han saw the countdown timer in the quest log. He focused on fishing, patiently awaiting the results.

Two minutes later...

"Splash!"

Jiang Han's fishing line pulled again, and a red carp was hooked. It had a decent effect, providing a 10% defense boost for ten minutes.

"Old man, here's my humble contribution."

He grinned, took off the carp, replaced the bait, and cast his line again.

...

Lines of frustration appeared on the old man's forehead as Jiang Han continued to effortlessly pull up fish. The old man only managed to catch one, and after that, there was no movement. He watched with a dark expression as Jiang Han showcased his fishing prowess.

This guy...

I thought he was a fishing novice; turns out, he's playing me for a fool!

How despicable!

After approximately twenty minutes, Jiang Han suddenly felt a heavy pull on his fishing rod. With intense force, he stood up, struggling to reel in the fish.

It was a giant turtle, the size of a water tank, green and black all over. After leaving the water, it retracted into a shell with surging electric currents.

[Thunderous Turtle](Grade A)

Description: A rare turtle with high affinity for lightning elements.

Effect: Consuming food made from the Thunderous Turtle increases all attributes by 20% for ten minutes.

Additional Effect: First consumption grants a permanent +50 to base attack.

...

"Wow!"

Both Jiang Han and the old man gasped in surprise.

"Are you cheating?" The old man felt something was amiss.

In just half an hour, he had already caught the Thunderous Turtle. What other bizarre creature would he fish up next? He didn't dare to imagine!

Securing the prized catch in his inventory, Jiang Han shook his head, "Old man, you can't accuse me of cheating. I'm right in front of you, how could I cheat?"

"Well..."

The old man was at a loss for words.

If he could pinpoint where the cheating occurred, he would have confronted Jiang Han long ago.

"By the way!"

Jiang Han had a sudden realization, wearing a look of awakening.

"Do you know where the problem lies?" The old man hurriedly asked, "Rest assured, as long as you confess honestly, I won't trouble you."

"Yes."

Jiang Han nodded knowingly, solemnly saying, "Is there a chance that being a handsome guy gives a bonus to fishing?"

"Pfft!"

The old man wanted to spit on Jiang Han's face to wake him up.

"I have no idea." Jiang Han shrugged, indicating he was of no help.

In reality, even he couldn't comprehend it himself.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a dragon's roar filled with anger and killing intent echoed from the lake bottom. Despite the deep and impenetrable water, the roar resembled thunder, agitating countless fish that leaped out anxiously.

In a blink, the entire lake seemed to boil, emitting bubbles continuously.

"!!"

The unexpected dragon's roar startled both men.

The old man seemed to realize something, his expression changing. He grabbed Jiang Han's fishing rod, lifting it abruptly, "You've won this wager."

As the fishing line left the lake's surface, the dragon's roar gradually faded, and the lake returned to tranquility.

"Ding!~"

System prompt: Congratulations on winning the quest [Fishing Competition], you have obtained the reward: [Azure Water Fish] (Grade S)!

"For a short period, it's better to refrain from fishing here." The old man took the fishing rod, breaking it in half, "Pulling that up will lead to a miserable death."

...

Jiang Han was speechless, not knowing where to begin with his complaints.

What did I do?

Fishing triggers a plot?

Exactly, a plot!

This must be a hidden plot; there must be dragon-like creatures beneath Pacifying Lake. By fishing them up, it inevitably triggered a quest.

"Why?" Jiang Han attempted to dig deeper.

"The reason is simple; your identity is exceptionally unique." The old man, with a serious gaze, explained in detail, "As a Dark Swordsman, inherently evil and wicked, you are bound to be a disruptive force in this world. Moreover..."

After a moment of hesitation, he furrowed his brow, "You've hindered the descent of divine beings from the Bright Church, making you a crucial focal point. Ordinary adventurers would never have been able to fish it up, but you can."

"Why?"

"The rules dictate that you must face the light, but there are special restrictions in the lake. The rules also require that the creature in the lake cannot appear in the world... I don't know how to put it, but fish elsewhere for now; Pacifying Lake is temporarily off-limits." The old man shook his head, refraining from further explanation to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Rules dictate I must face the light, but rules also restrict the creature in the lake from appearing in the world...

Hearing this, Jiang Han pondered.

His immediate thought was about his exclusive main storyline quest, the struggle between light and darkness.

It seemed the old man suggested that because of the "special plot" on him, the rules didn't allow him to die inexplicably. Moreover, the main quest rules took precedence over the rule that the creature in the lake couldn't temporarily appear in the world.

In simpler terms, the rules he carried had greater authority.

"I see, how can a freak like me pull up so many fish? Probably because the dragon down there really wanted to be fished up by you, affecting the other creatures," the old man complained, his face unsightly

, "Damn it, I'm at a loss!"

"Ding!~"

System prompt: Winds of Annihilation – Raelph's hatred towards you +100 points!

Winds of Annihilation – Raelph?

Looking at the system reminder, Jiang Han was dumbfounded.

This name... seemed somewhat familiar, and the title looked quite arrogant!

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Jiang Han. Without saying a word, he immediately opened the power rankings, which were only accessible after joining the Dark faction and reaching a certain level. On the first page that appeared before his eyes, he found the answer—

7. Winds of Annihilation – Raelph