Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 161 - Besides the fish...

fishing.

When Wu Chen was a child, he also tried fishing.

The results weren't great, but they weren't terrible either. Every time I went out for two hours with my folding fishing rod, I could usually catch a dozen or so fish of different sizes, averaging between 10 and 20 centimeters in length. Occasionally, I'd catch one or two catfish or carp that were 30 centimeters long.

It was a childhood memory that was still worth cherishing. Unfortunately, after he entered high school, he basically no longer had the time and energy to do anything other than studying.

—Want to try fishing?
After leaving the Watchers' outpost, Wu Chen headed towards the dock. A damp atmosphere gradually filled the air, and occasionally, vendors could be seen pushing carts full of fish, transporting these fresh, live fish to the vegetable market inside the Windhelm.

—Well, after we resolve the mask issue, I'll take some time to go fishing.

Time is ultimately running out.

Although his heart was no longer in a hurry, time was still scarce. He quickly passed the cart full of fish and the small shop selling fishing gear by the roadside. The Nords he encountered on the road frowned and avoided him when they saw his academy robes, which actually made his path a little wider.

Wu Chen suddenly remembered something. It was a small incident from his first time fishing, the first time he caught earthworms from the ground to use as bait—at that time, he didn't actually know what earthworms looked like. So he lifted up a clod of soil, grabbed the first long, thin living creature he saw, and hooked it on his fishhook. But until he changed his bait, he caught nothing.

Because that 'earthworm' has bones.

That wasn't an earthworm, but a small snake. Even if the snake on the hook was half-dead, it was unlikely to whet the appetite of the fish in the pond—the initial mistake could distort everything that followed, and that was the greatest lesson young Wu Chen learned from his first failed fishing attempt.

The moisture is getting heavier.

The sounds of bustling activity came from ahead, revealing a thriving port. Even though the main city gate was closed due to the attack, the shipping docks remained operational. Many tall and sturdy ships moved in and out of the docks, maintaining Windhelm's cargo throughput as a major city.

What is this called?
Internal strife aside, business still needs to be done.
Wu Chen's lips twitched slightly as he approached a guard patrolling near the docks. When he greeted the guard, the same hostility he showed towards other Nords met with the same look of rejection. But when the guard saw the marked water jug ​​Wu Chen was carrying, his attitude softened considerably.

"What is it, citizen?"

“The Watchers of Standal sent me to the docks to find their alchemist, who is said to be very skilled at fishing.” Wu Chen wore a Standal amulet on his chest, the horn-shaped decorations of which shimmered faintly.

"You mean old Sybil? Ah... I know him, the one with the longest streak of no catches, the poor fellow who went seven days without catching a single fish. Go look for him on the north side of the dock; he should be wearing the Guardian's robes. If you find him, go to that little red hut next to the northern warehouse; that's his alchemy hut."

Seven consecutive days of empty poles.

Wu Chen understood why he remembered his first fishing trip when he mistook a snake for an earthworm and failed to catch any fish—if he hadn't caught any fish for so long, the problem must lie somewhere beyond his skill level. Perhaps the real reason was that the alchemist's entire body had been pickled with various herbs, thus ensuring his failure to catch anything?
“Understood.” Wu Chen nodded, but stopped before taking a step. “By the way, are there any ships going to Southam recently? I heard there’s a ‘Northern Girl’ that regularly travels to and from Southam?”

Solstheim is the story location for the 'Dragonborn' DLC. The first Dragonborn, Miraak, slumbers there. He will awaken in this era and become the most powerful enemy of the final Dragonborn. Of course, Witchdust isn't foolish enough to risk it, but the land of Solstheim does indeed hold many precious treasures.

“Nothing recently,” the guard replied reassuringly. “The situation in Redhill is getting worse, and very few ships are willing to go to Southam now—as for the ‘Northern Girl’ you mentioned, it left the port the day before yesterday, and it is indeed one of the few ships still going to and from Southam. If you want to board, you can reserve a seat at the dock office.”

"I understand, thank you."

"You're welcome, friend. May the Nine Holy Spirits protect you."

"May the nine Holy Spirits protect you."

Wu Chen bid farewell to the sentry and walked along the edge of the dock. It took him about twenty minutes to walk from the south side to the north side, mainly to avoid the crowds and pickpockets hiding among them.

The pickpocket failed—he saw him and, before he could stop the theft, saw the thief sneeze just before he could succeed. The thief was thus drawn into the attention of those nearby and immediately apprehended, followed by a beating.

Thieves are indeed unlucky in this era.

Wu Chen wasn't particularly concerned about what would happen to the petty thief—he simply continued forward until he reached the north side of the dock. Several elderly men were fishing there, but none of them seemed to be Wu Chen's target.

"You mean old Sybil? He finally caught a big fish last night, but the fish broke his fishing rod. He was furious and said he was going to go back and concoct an alchemical potion that would guarantee a catch. But he hasn't come over yet; he's probably still working on it."

“Young man, if you have the time, give that unfortunate fellow some advice. Fishing requires patience. And Sybil needs even more patience than most. Haha.” Very well.

The fisherman is not at the dock.

Wu Chen nodded and thanked the old men. He then headed towards the northern warehouse the guards had mentioned. It took him quite some time and effort to finally find the small red house that reeked of the pungent smell of alchemy.

The door was tightly closed, and there was no sound coming from behind it.

Wu Chen stood at the door and knocked on the wooden door. A dull echo came from behind the door. He stood there for five minutes and knocked five times, but in the end, he got nothing.

—Perception of life.

The world before him shifted silently. Many distant humanoid orbs of light appeared in Wu Chen's field of vision. They were patrolling guards in the warehouse, and also busy people in the dock area. They were all striving to live their lives at their own pace, while the corresponding humanoid orbs of light did not appear in the small house in front of him.

There are no living people inside.

The alchemist isn't here.

Wu Chen pursed his lips, letting out a long sigh in his heart.

It's back, it's all back.

Big tasks nested within smaller tasks, missing person notices within missing person notices. From running errands at the Hundred Herbs Garden to the Three Flavors Study, this is precisely why the protagonist of the fifth installment, the Dragonborn, is also known as the God of Errands.

well.

So what's the next step? Where to look for new clues? Go back to the warehouse next door and ask the guards? Or should we just sneak in and pick the lock to look for clues?

Wu Chen glanced at the metal structure, which was clearly more intricate than a regular lock—he hadn't yet mastered the craft and couldn't simply create a key out of thin air to unlock it. As for using a lock pick, which he hadn't seen before… whether it could even be opened was another matter; he really didn't want any of his actions to overlap with 'theft'.

So……

'Giggle—'

The step that was about to be taken paused.

His perception surpasses that of the vast majority of individuals in this city.

Just as he confirmed that there were no living people or creatures inside, he clearly sensed a faint, soft sound coming from inside the house!

It could be that a book fell off the shelf, or that a piece of wood broke internally due to thermal expansion and contraction, making a sound.

but--

—A divine vision.

The martial arts technique he used the least, the one he used the least, was activated at this moment. And in his eyes, he clearly saw a humanoid black mist hidden in the room!
Divine Vision has two functions: first, to detect invisibility, and second, to distinguish evil. Without further hesitation, Wu Chen raised his hand towards the tightly closed door.

Aroused by the mind.

The closed wooden door shattered with a crash. The scene behind the door was revealed to him.

The alchemist's corpse, covered in frost, lay motionless on the ground. A thick mist, perhaps created by alchemy, bound a pale monster to the center of the house.

A White Walker.

(End of this chapter)