Not Such a Good Deal.

|Three days after being summoned.|

'You know the King was right. This is an amazing place to fish. So much so that I was able to slightly raise my mastery of my fishing skill.' I smiled as I released a relaxing and comforting sigh.

{Skill List.}

Skill Name: Fishing.

Skill Mastery: 15%

Skill Rank: B.

Requirements: Fishing Equipment.

Fishing Skill (Passive): Your chances of catching Uncommon and Rare fish have increased.

Calm Mind of the Fisher (Passive): Your mind becomes calmer the longer you sit still refreshing your mind and increasing your focus.

'I gotta say, I didn't expect to catch such a large amount of Rare fish.' I said with a light smile and looked over at a medium sized bucket that had ten large unique looking Rare fish.

They looked like something you would normally catch in a lake but had four pairs of gills. Fins on both the top, sides, bottom, and in spots that didn't seem to work but did. Oh, and from what I've seen the girls catch when they wanted to try fishing. They were able to catch fish that would make whales look small in comparison.

Teeth that were able to rip apart someone in seconds or eaten whole as one enjoyed the calmness of fishing.

I don't know how, but I've been lucky enough to avoid every single bad thing that comes along with this world's fishing. But still, it did allow me to really focus on the deal that was spoken about when the sisters and I finally arrived at my manor on the Street of Barons.

[Medania, Maeveala, and Maedilahi's deal really is beneficial for us Bastion.] Rose said with a low voice as to try and not disturb me from losing my focus.

I smiled softly as I started reeling in my lure and packed up for the day as it seemed like a slow day since I wasn't able to increase my Fishing Skill's mastery up any further for the day.

'Rose. Medania, Maevela, and Maedilahi's deal is not beneficial for us at all. One, part of the deal forces me to never deny a challenge from Medania and for everytime that I lose I have to pay her ten thousand gold each time for a 'training fee'. Two, another part of the deal forces me in a completely one sided and green hatted relationship with Maevela and also, pay her ten thousand gold each day, no questions asked. Third and in my opinion the only thing that in a way is borderline insanity.'

I said as I picked up my catch of the day as I started to head back to my manor.

'Is that I become a human test subject for Maedilahi's frozen experiments and seeing how it affects one's mind and body under duress and frozen circumstances. Sure there is the small part that is beneficial for me as they will bring me the bodies of those that they kill for me to give a proper burial. But that's it.'

Rose wasn't able to speak up as in a way she knew I was right.

The sisters' so-called deal or partnership was nothing like a partnership.

Everything that the sisters talked about only benefited themselves. Forcing me to just take care of them and not question it. Sure they were all beautiful and gorgeous women, but if anything that only made them more viscous. That and they all could easily kill me with a single slap.

I mean shoot, they've been passive aggressively making sure to remind me of that on a daily basis.

"Hey, Grave Digger!" A loud and fiery voice yelled out. "Are you finally going to agree to my proposition this time or are you just going to think about it again like an idiot."

[Right on time it seems.] Rose sighed as Medaina seemed to arrive and call out at noon each day without fail. [Bastion you should really think about the deal. It really is in your best benefit to make yourself stronger. You just have to lose the battle in order to win the war in the end.]

'I know Rose.' I smiled softly as I started to shake my head as I saw Medaina smiling with a proud and confident smile. 'If anything it's because I'm weak that I'm in the current situation that I'm currently in. But I will think about it.'

"You should already know my answer to that Medaina." I said as I walked right by the smiling Medaina.

"But it's such a great deal! You teach me your secret to how you catch fish, I take you as my student, and you get to get stronger." Medaina said as she frowned with a fierce look in her eye as she stood in front of me. "Plus you get to get touched by beautiful women, such as myself."

I stopped so I wouldn't run into Medaina as I went around her again as I spoke in a slightly annoyed tone. "There's no secret to fishing Medaina. I already taught you how to fish on the first day. And like I said multiple times before, but I think it goes in one ear and out of the other, but I'll say it again."

I turned around with a slight smile as I looked to Medaina who was following after me with a look of slight confusion on her face like she had no idea what I was talking about.

"Thank you for the gesture but I'll have to decline. And if you learn to be patient and not attack the lake every thirty seconds because you haven't even got a nibble or haven't hooked a fish. Then you'll learn how to fish."

Medaina just shook her head as she increased her pace as she started to walk past me. "You're making a dumb decison Grave Digger, you get to have the strongest Earth Devil teach you for a fish catching secret. Just make sure you don't regret it later and come crying back to me."

I could only shake my head as I went a different direction then Medaina so that I could start preparing for lunch making a simple fish soup.

[Did you just turn down Medaina's offer again!] Rose said with anger and annoyance. [Not only did you turn down Medaina's offer to teach you again for the twentieth time. You've also turned down both Maeveala and Maedilahi's offer to teach you as well! WHY??]

Rose asked the moment I started scaling the fish. "Yes I did. And why, well that's simple because it won't be my own power. Sure, they can teach me their abilities and such but look at where it landed them in the power structure in this world."

I said with ease as I finished scaling all the fish as I then started the process of removing all their innards and bones.

Rose went quiet for a minute as it seemed like she was thinking things over as I heard a long and defeated sigh.

[They're still strong in this world, but they still aren't the strongest even in the first Rank of this world. Which shows that they still have a very long way to go in order to claim to be the strongest in what they practice and for their class.]

I nodded my head as I tossed the fish into a bowl as I started to grab other ingredients to complement the taste of the fish as I started tossing them into the bowl.

"Don't worry Rose like I said earlier I am still thinking about all their offers. It's just that I'm still waiting for my things to fall in line."

[Do you mean the King and his favor. Bastion that won't-] Rose started to say as the door to the kitchen swung open with enough force that it broke the door as it broke into multiple pieces.

Medaina didn't even pay attention to the door as she charged at me and before I was able to say anything she already had her hand around my throat with an iron grip, lifted me off my feet, and into the wall cracking it.

Even her two sisters rushed in right after her as they all had the same look of rage on their faces.

"Just who do you think you're playing Grave Digger!! Do you think that you can play with us continuously everyday!!" Medaina shouted as she slammed me into the wall again breaking the wall further.

"Medaina! Calm down! If you continue to do what you're doing you'll kill him before we are even able to get an answer!!" Maedilahi yelled as the temperature in the kitchen started to drop as parts of the kitchen where she stood started freezing over.

"I agree. Calm down, Medaina. You'll break him if you continue and remember we still need him to agree to our-!!!" Maeveala started to speak until she started to pale as the look of absolute fear took root in her eyes.

"I agree with the Otherworlder with the rainbow hair" A deep voice echoed throughout the kitchen as it continued. "You should release the Baron, if not it would be rather rude of me to kill one's guests in their own home."

Medaina immediately released me as I fell to the floor, hardly conscious as I looked at a hooded figure who had a pair of bright blue eyes before I slowly started slipping into unconsciousness.

But just before I lost it I heard a terrifying and horrible scream before darkness took over.