By the time Lukey made it out of Claw Cove, it was already evening. The rain was still coming down, but by now it had finally started to lighten up. As he crawled out of the water and back onto shore, Lukey hauled the razor aquaclaw carapace out of the water. Looking up at the crying skies, Lukey chose to use the carapace as an umbrella. Then, he quietly walked along the beach trail back to the main road. As he walked back to Tranquil Waters, Lukey’s thoughts sank inward.

  The tonfas feel good, but they require serious force and power to use. I have the prerequisite strength, but I need to train myself if I want to properly use it. I need some real training if I want to destroy monsters like Saphina does. If I had that, maybe I wouldn’t be so useless…

  Maybe it was the moon’s phase, or maybe it was the thing in his chest threatening to kill him, but these days the only thing on Lukey’s mind was how he seemed to be constantly falling just short of success.

  First, it was the stalker aquaclaw. Originally, Lukey felt pretty proud of what he had done, but as time went on, he began to realize exactly how close he came to actually dying. What he believed was a feat of skill and strategy gradually became what he now considered a lucky break.

  Then, there was Norman, the cannoneer. That time, Lukey actually did try his best to beat it, keeping his head clear while dodging all of its attacks. Lukey didn’t find it difficult to dodge the cannonballs; he just needed to keep his head clear with an open mind. He even managed to do a decent amount of damage to it as well, stabbing it on every side in an attempt to kill it. In the end, however, Lukey couldn’t kill it. All his stabbing had amounted to nothing but mosquito bites for the tyrant, resulting in Saphina having to finish it off herself.

  What saved me was circumstance, not skill. What I need is real strength, the kind that I obtain myself. I may have a high luck attribute, but now I know it had nothing to do with changing fate. It’s a mental ability, not unlike intelligence or charisma. But… what exactly is true luck, and how do I wield it?

  Roman’s notes kept saying luck had a lot to do with an open mindset and searching for opportunity, but Lukey couldn't help but feel there was something more to it. It wasn’t some mystical power. It was all mentality. The problem was Lukey had no idea how it affected his mentality; keeping an open mind was just too vague of an answer.

  Lukey grumbled.

  Dammit, why can’t I figure this out!

  …

  Lukey had already dropped off the shell at Ki’ida’s and the iron at Adran’s. Since the day was winding down, Lukey had resolved to get some rest at the guild before heading back home. After a long, dreary walk, he finally arrived at Ocean’s Bounty and opened the doors, walking past the empty desk to sit down inside.

  Ugh, so many people.

  After so many weeks of this place being empty, Lukey became used to having the building to himself to make traps and equipment. He enjoyed not having other people around as he went about his business. Now, there are actual people here. A few tables were already filled with islander men as they gathered around to chat and eat. There was even a table with some husky Luxen women, the flowers on their heads in full bloom.

  I’ll just get some sweets, do some writing in my journal, and leave.

  Lukey went over to the bar area, where a pudgy islander man was tasked with manning the bar. It would take a lot more time before a proper culinarian could be hired due to both the financial requirements and the fact that Leviathan’s Rest was in the middle of the abyssal ocean. For now, a classless person would suffice; thus, Lukey ordered a coconut drink for a copper. As he began to pull out his quest log and write, however, a figure came up behind him.

  “Lukey, good to see you're alright. I heard you got a new weapon, and I wanted to come see for myself.”

  The voice came from Triton, and Lukey glanced to the side to see the old man looking at him with smiling eyes. He then took a seat beside Lukey as he ordered himself a beer, then turned his gaze downward to look at Lukey’s new tonfa.

  “What are those?” Triton frowned.

  “They’re called tonfa.” Lukey replied, not looking up from his journal. “I just tested them out today in Claw Cove. Surprisingly, they’re quite effective.”

  Lukey didn’t think he said anything of importance, but a tinge of worry crossed his mind when he saw Triton begin to frown.

  “Claw Cove, isn’t that place flooded from the rain? Don’t tell me you're already using [Aquatic Nature]; you need to take your time and practice with it until you feel comfortable. Normally it takes between one and two years for a person to reach level eighty; you really shouldn’t start rushing ahead like this.”

  Lukey sighed.

  “I’m not rushing; honestly, I just have nothing better to do after making all those traps for the guild. In fact, I’m actually thinking about doing another mission soon.”

  Triton gave a sympathetic look.

  “Lukey, trust me when I say you need to do more training. Your attributes mean nothing if you don’t build your body to meet their limits. Speaking of which, have you considered doing some reading to boost your intellect and focus? I’m sure you can buy some imported books over at the general store.”

  Lukey only frowned in response, which caused Triton to relent with a sigh.

  “I’m sorry, but you really shouldn’t be doing any missions right now. You're already too strong for most of them, and the rest are just too difficult for you. It’s better to leave the easy missions for the other aspiring fishermen and the harder ones for me and Caldoon to take care of."

  Lukey gave Triton an irritated look, then returned his gaze toward his journal.

  Personal Quests

  -Reach Lv. 80

  -Test new weapon

  -Acquire better armor

  -Practice underwater combat

  -Look into Botanist guild issues

  -Do some training

  -FIX FISHERMAN’S STANCE!!!

  Stolen story; please report.

  Art Inspirations

  -Focus [Fisherman’s Stance] on lower body, all around power and speed. Add suction and slip from [Aquatic Nature].

  -Invert [Ripple Sense], make a new art.

  “Caldoon told me to learn to utilize my entire body. I didn’t know what that meant until I had these weapons in my hand.” Lukey confessed.

  Triton nodded in agreement.

  “Every weapon utilizes the entire body to some degree. If you neglect any part, that just becomes a weakness for others to exploit. Now that you’ve experienced underwater combat, you should know the importance of having every part of your body working in tandem.” He explained.

  Right, and now that I have these tonfa, I have to learn to utilize my arms and legs better. Arm training is necessary to drive the tonfa into my enemy. Leg training is necessary if I want to throw myself off the wall or kick my opponent. Unfortunately, I won’t have anybody to teach me this stuff, but it shouldn't be too hard to learn the basics on my own.

  Beyond training, there were also the rumors about the botanist guild needing materials to work with. Maybe it wouldn’t lead to anything, but it was worth asking if they needed someone to dive down to obtain some rare plants or something. If Lukey couldn’t take any missions from the guild he would just have to look for them the old-fashioned way, by walking around talking to people who need help.

  Last but not least, there was [Fisherman’s Stance]. After going through the cove, Lukey already had a good idea of what he wanted to do to upgrade the art. An all-around overhaul of the art was in order, along with some additions courtesy of [Aquatic Nature]. If Lukey did this right, then he wouldn’t need to modify it again until he reached level eighty, maybe not even for a while after.

  As for my armor, I can pick it up before my next quest.

  Lukey placed his pen inside and closed his journal. He began sipping up the rest of his coconut milk and looked around the room leisurely. It was only then that he noticed that there were multiple eyes on him and Triton. Some looked at Lukey with curiosity, and others looked at Triton with respect. Lukey gave a look of confusion before turning away, which prompted Triton to explain.

  “They see you as a model for what is possible with the class. For me and Caldoon, the people show respect, but unfortunately, we are never around for very long to show people what our class can do. You, however, are regularly out and about the town, so there are many who see you as a model of what they could become.” He explained.

  It was true, unfortunately. Lukey often fished along the harbor and sold his catch in the market. Not only did he impress people without classes by demonstrating the massive fish he could catch, but he also regularly wore his armor and flashy wetsuit, which earned a great number of looks on their own. There was also all that fancy equipment he made, like the giant’s rod and fishing baskets, which were only loaned out to anyone who joined the fisherman’s guild. Like it or not, he was a walking advertisement for what a fisherman could do and become.

  “Is this what Caldoon meant when he said that I would show people how beneficial a fisherman could be to the island?” Lukey growled.

  “Err, well, yes.” Triton said, staring at Lukey in confusion. “Is something wrong? I thought you’d be happy. After all, you said you wanted to help the island. This is the best way of demonstrating what we do for others. Is it bad that they admire you?”

  “It’s not what you think,” Lukey groaned. “I’m happy that so many people are adopting the class because of me. It’s just that I don’t really consider myself a good model for them. Honestly, what have I accomplished that someone with half a brain couldn’t do on their own?”

  Triton seemed completely taken aback by the statement, as if Lukey had just said something completely false. “What have you accomplished?” he asked rhetorically, his voice laced with shock.

  Oh no, don’t say it…

  “You not only defeated the stalker, but you also already killed a tyrant! At your age that’s practically unheard of! Honestly, you should take pride in what you've done! From now on everyone will have great expectations!”

  Lukey groaned internally and got up, taking his coconut in hand as he began to depart.

  “Sorry, Triton, but my mother is expecting me home soon, and I don’t want to miss dinner.” Lukey apologized. “But before I leave, I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I don’t think I’d be here without people like you.”

  Triton shifted between looks of confusion and appreciation, and there was a long silence before he spoke.

  “Ah, thank you, but you really shouldn’t discount your own efforts, you know.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Lukey dismissed and then made his way up the stairs towards the exit. Once Lukey stepped out into the darkness and rain, he began running as fast as his legs could carry him. He even used his stance occasionally, pumping aether through his legs to give himself a few short bursts of speed. As he approached the entrance to the town and made his way through, his thoughts turned back to his conversation with Triton.

  Lukey wasn’t lying when he said that he appreciated everything Triton did for him. In fact, he genuinely believed that without the people of Tranquil Waters to support him, he would be useless. Adran made his weapons, Ki’ida made his armor, Ginny made his wetsuit, and that wasn’t even discussing all the materials he obtained to make all that stuff, which was mostly sourced from other townsfolk. Then there were people like Triton, Caldoon, Kiran, and Bohdi, who each gave Lukey tutelage on how to train his body. All these people had worked hard to support him, and yet, many still had the gall to say that he was some sort of prodigy. However, none of that was the worst part.

  No, the worst part was the fact that people had somehow gotten it into their heads that he was the primary person responsible for killing the tyrant. Of course, rumors and hearsay existed, but Lukey felt that it was all being somewhat embellished. What Lukey did was stab Norman from every side, turning himself into a decoy for Saphina to get away. If he were by himself, he would’ve almost certainly died. Instead, it was Saphina who killed Norman, the Cannoneer, which made Lukey all the more confused as to why her name wasn’t being praised everywhere. Lukey didn’t do squat; Saphina was the one that blew it apart in one blow. Next to her, Lukey was nothing.

  Lukey felt a tinge of frustration boil up, so he quickly stopped on the trail somewhere between the Tranquil Waters and Coconut Shores. He wouldn’t dare take his anger out on his mother, so he simply turned to the nearest tree and kicked it, choosing to deal with his frustrations this way. Surprisingly, this actually created a small gash in the tree, along with a small bruise along his ankle. Unfortunately, this wasn’t nearly enough, so Lukey kept bashing the tree in an effort to find some sort of release.

  Dammit! First, people say I killed the tyrant, then I find this thing in my chest telling me to find some dumb rings, and now people say I’m some sort of f**king prodigy!?

  “I’M A MAN! A FISHERMAN! I AM NOT HERE TO CHANGE THE FUCKING WORLD, NOR AM I CAPABLE OF THAT! WHY IS IT THAT EVERYONE I MEET SEEMS TO THINK I’M MISTER PERFECT! DO I LOOK LIKE I CAN SOLVE EVERYONE'S PROBLEMS!? DO I LOOK LIKE I’M THE NEXT SOVEREIGN!?"

  As Lukey screamed into the aether, his thoughts turned inwards. Lukey wasn’t a prodigy, and he damn well knew it. Yeah, he was smart, maybe a little sly, but that was about it. He wasn’t particularly strong, he wasn’t rich, and he wasn’t born with any special abilities. Now, if people treated him like an ordinary person, he would be fine with it. But the pressure. People had built up this image in their minds about how great he was, and he just wasn’t.

  Back when I first got my wetsuit, Sona said she found my class fascinating. What in the abyss is so fascinating about being a damn fisherman!? Dammit, I’m going to throttle Roman if he doesn’t tell me!

  Lukey delivered an aether-infused punch straight into the tree, and after seeing the slight gash he made in the wood, he followed it up with more punches. He gave it his all as he used the tree as a punching bag to bash out all of his frustrations. He didn’t even care that he looked like a maniac.

  When people think you’re a prodigy, they have expectations. Caldoon had expectations, Triton had expectations, his mother had expectations, and even the brand in his chest had expectations. Saphina herself thought Lukey was some sort of savior, when really, he was just a suicidal dumbass who didn’t want to see someone else die. Without the skills to back up his actions, Lukey was just another warm body to throw as a distaraction.

  And the best part of it all? I can’t run away! After all, what would people think of me if I ran away from a fight? For an ordinary person, nobody would bat an eye. But I’m supposed to be a prodigy, up for the challenge at a moment’s notice. If I run away now, people would start looking at me like I’m less than shit!

  Lukey didn’t even notice when a crack echoed through the jungle. The tree he was bashing had begun to fall over, and Lukey only realized this when it began falling toward him, causing him to step out of the way. It was only a moment after that the tree crashed to the ground, creating a rumble through the earth that Lukey felt through the soles of his boots. After witnessing this, Lukey finally calmed down, then stared upwards the sobbing, cloudy darkness.

  With a calmer state of mind, Lukey made his way home to finally eat dinner and get some sleep.